Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Two schools of thought ?

From the Bhakti List Archives

V SUNDAR • March 21, 1996 


Sri Vijay Srinivasan writes :

"From:	IN%"Vijay_Srinivasan@praxair.com"  "Vijay Srinivasan" 21-MAR-1996 15:25:13.58

Dear Prapatti Group Members:

" I thought it may be of some value if I can briefly summarize these two stream
s of thought  side-by-side for us to reflect on... they are an humble attempt 
on my part to charecterize what I see as two possible courses for us.. "

Despite his protestations of humility, I believe Sri Srinivasan has done us a
signal service in summarizing ( okay, maybe with a TEENY bit of bias ? =) )
these two viewpoints.

He hits upon a lapidary point right here..

"School of thought-I (The Reality)

6) Moksha is a distant and vague goal.  It will come in due course of time.  It 
is anyway Vasudeva's responsibility. 

... and ...

School of thought - II (Perhaps a Voice in the Wilderness ?)

1) ...let me take time to examine what our poorvacharyas have to say about 
Anushtanams and  try my best to abide by that (to the extent possible).  I do 
not know their full value at present, but may be time will prove that good 
deeds never go waste (Na Hi Kalyana Krut Dhurgathim Thatha Gatchathy)... "

Okay, so maybe there was more than a teeny bit of bias.

Is this not in essence another reflection of the old Markata Nyaya / 
Marjara Nyaya argument we have had ?

Marjara - A kitten - A kitten cannot move. It is entirely dependent on its 
mother to move from danger to safety .. even as Vaasudeva takes us from here to
eternity.

Markata - a little monkey - The baby monkey makes the effort to hang on to 
its mother as the mother moves it from danger to safety. Even so, the 
responsibility of grasping Vaasudeva's feet is ours. He does what is necessary
from thereon.

If I remember right, there have been strong arguments from both sides. I think
as long as we approach the Godhead with a spirit of kaarpaNyam - helplessness,
he DOES, out of his daya and karuna, grant us what he will.

As a small aside, even those of us who bring up contradictions in tradition
and scripture, even if we are but practioners of the ancient sanskrit argument
style of vithanda, .. maybe even we do our own bit when someone comes along
and settles it to the satisfaction of all ? =)

- Sundar