Re: Biographies of Sri Ramanuja

From the Bhakti List Archives

• May 1, 1996


On Wed, 01 May 96 08:38:05 EDT I wrote:
>>
>>Pardon me for entering into what seems to be an internal SrI vaishNava issue,
>>but it seems to me that considering nammAzhvAr and rAmanuja to be amSas of
>>the Lord would be acceptable to all,
>
>
>      By "all"?  Not here in "prapatti"!!!
>


         By this I don't mean there are some in prapatti
         who do not hold Sri Ramanuja in high esteem.
         All I intended to say was that not all will
         consider Sri Ramanuja to be an amsa of the Lord.
         I apologize for having been vague.


>
>    I don't understand what is the big deal about all this.
>    On the one hand the "rationalists" question the mere
                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


        By "rationalist" I don't mean athiest.  Again
        I apologize for rash use of labels.  I shall
        try to refrain from using such politically
        charged labels.



Now, it seems to me that we are not that far apart.
I really don't know why we are quarreling so much.
>From the exchanges we have had, it seems to me that
both sides agree with the following:

[1] Age must be respected, but not equated with
    infallibility,

[2] Book learning is valuable and not something to
    be sneered at, but in the final analysis it is
    faith that will take one to the lotus feet of
    our Lord Sriman Narayana,

[3] The words of our great poorvaacharyaas are great
    because of their force of intellect inspired by
    the grace of our Lord Sriman Narayana, whether
    or not one believes them to be amsaas of the Lord, and

[4] there is nothing wrong with "dhEvu maRRaRiyEn"
    type of reverence for our aachaaryaas.


Please correct me I am wrong.

I hope we express our appreciation as quickly and freely
as we share our frustrations.  A case in point is Murali's
wonderful post on Lakshi Nrusimhar.  Murali, that was a
wonderful post.



-- Dileepan