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From the Bhakti List Archives

Parthasarati Dileepan • March 19, 1996 


On Tue, 19 Mar 1996 12:24:16 -0500 Krishna Praba said:

........ I was brought up in an environment
>where interdining among vadagalais and thengalais
>was prohibited and recall many thengalais not stepping
>into Ahobila-matams.


   The thenkalai vs. vadakalai bickering is slowly
   becoming a thing of the past.  Last month's issue
   of Sri NP reports an agreement that has been forged
   between the two kalais with respect to the Kanchi
   periya kOvil.  The issue also includs a call for
   early settlement of similar problems at Sri Rangam.

   These problems in the past were misguided for sure.
   PiLLai LOkaacharya and Swami Sri DhEsikan held each
   other in the highest possible regard.  The famous
   Desika Prabhandam thaniyan "seeronru thoopul..."
   was composed by PiLLai LOkaacharyaa.  Swami Sri Desikan
   himself has commented that there is no difference
   among the followers of Sri Ramanuja, only some
   differences of opinion.

   However, when it comes to accepting other dhEvathaas as
   equal to Sriman Narayana, all the acharyaas
   are equal in their determination in rejecting
   such a "broad-minded" approach.  Anyone advocating
   this "broad-minded" approach will be violating one of
   the fundamental beliefs of our tradition.  It is with
   good reason that aazhvaars such as Thondaradippodi
   have been quite harsh in their criticisms of other
   claims for the hearts and minds of the people of
   their time.  I am afraid we have to understand these
   circumstances ourself with the help of our achaaryaas.
   No amount of explanations here will be considered sufficient.


-- pd