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Re: Madhava Dasan of Singapore

From the Bhakti List Archives

Krishna Kalale • November 5, 1997 


Dear bhagavatas,

I had written to Madhava dasan of Singapore a letter enquiring his
background in our sampradaya.  I did not have a chance to read an
introduction by him if he had written one on the net.  It is nice to get to
know about people who belong to our sampradaya and feel extremely happy
that they belong to such a powerful sampradaya. I felt like sharing this
letter with everyone in this group.

Adiyen Krishna Kalale

******* my letter to Sri Madhava dasan *******

Dear  Sri Madhava Dasan,

 
Your writings are excellent.  I like to know more about you.  WHom did you
study under? how many years have you studied these stuff. What types of
books ie. subjects in philosophy have you studied? You seem to write stuff
about villiputtur; I did not know the thala puranam of that place.  Do you
know naalayiram wholly?

As for adiyen, I have been living in US for 16 years and have 2 kids 7,10
years old. My wife's name is KrishnaPriya. 

I just wanted to get to know someone who writes very moving stories of our
acharyas.

Adiyen Krishna Kalale

*************************************
Sri Madhavadasan's reply:

Dearest Sri krishNA,

Thanks very much for your encouraging words and appreciation of my very
elementary and crude writings. It is Divya dampathis' grace that make them
more likeable by you, BhAgavatOttamALs. It is very nice to know that your
wife' name is also so sweet with Krishna's name. 

You had enquired my background. It is useless and of unworthy past. I was
born in 1960, at Madras. My grandfather(paternal) was appointed as an
archakA in Srinivasar temple(small one) at Thozhur (where we stayed ) near
ThiruvaLLur (not a big sthalam, at all). He was a sanskrit sironmaNi and
used to teach me sanskrit desikar slokams and kALidAsan works. When I was
10 we moved to Ambattur in Madras to be closer to my father's office
(ICF,Perambur). My father was just a typical obedient son and a lowkika(He
knew dEsikar sthotrams, upanishads, some pAsuranms, vishNu sahasranAmam
Gadhya trayam etc.,). During mt secondary school, despite my disinterest,
my grandfather taught me 3 sukthams, vishNu sahasranamam, usual
conventional ones (pallAndu, thiruppaLLIyezhcchi, thiruppAvai,
AmalanAdhipirAn, first 10 NammAzhwAr pAsurams, sArrumurai, desikar mangaLA
sAsanam, taitriya upanishshad). We belong to swamAchAryALs and hence, my
thAtthA performed samAsrayaNam to me before I went to BITS, Pilani for
engineering at 17.

It is my Mathematic professor Dr.V.KrishNamurthy, who gave a small talk on
Hinduism (mainly advaithic philosophy-being an iyer) which IMPRESSED me
greatly and almost left my studies to read only books on Philosophy. From
then on, I was dragged literally by the history and teachings of latest
philosophers, like Sri RamakrishNa paramahamsa, VivEkanandha, Ramana
maharishi, Chinmayananda(whom I attended lots of lectures-SIMPLY GREAT),
then read Sri Ramanuja, AzhwAs' Biographies which were nothing BUT a
development and matured understanding of AdvaitA. I was proud of being a
VaishNavA and was simply flabbergasted at the Tamizh works of AzhwArs. 

By thsi time, my grandparents expired; I completed my degree; joined BHEL,
Trichy (where my father was deputed from ICF to BHEL, trichy) and stayed at
SRIRANGAM. (See how our lives are being dragged; Both my grand parents died
in SriRangam). At sri rangam, seeing me tatally involved in Philospophy, my
parents trapped with married life (my wife, Brindha hails from
Tirukkoviloor and is a paediatrician). Alas, samsAgara sAgaram- I am now a
father of 9 year old boy, vijay srinivasan and 2- 1/2 year old girl,
hariNi. I came to Singapore and joined BECHTEL, Singapore. (in search of
more MONEY! and more material pursuits!_What a pity!) in 95. (before that
from 90 to 95 I was deputed from BHEL to Saudi).

In the meanwhile after my grand father's death, my dearest father
transformed himself into a parama vaidheeka and has been doing
thiruvArAdhanam at my residence at srirangam; He slowly learnt more desikar
sthothrams; divyaprapandhams; Rahaya traya saram, yajur vEdAs (7 kAndams),
etc, etc. He is now retired and is full fledged 12 thirumaN, pancha
kaccham, kudumi, does not eat outside any where; very devoted and very
understanding always other person's view. He is still attending lots of
kAlakshEpams at ahobila mutt, Andavan Ashram, and other Navalpakkam
swamigals (we belong to navalpakkam). He has inspired me to read more and
more of our scripures and more of prapandhams ( I even argue with my father
that one enjoys the pAsurams,( since it is in Tamizh) than sanskrit verses,
which are also good but not understandable and relished immediately, unless
mahAns like Sri VS or Si AR or Sri SR help. Sri Mani was sent by Sriman
NarayaNa to thadutthAtkoLLify me and came to my rescue thorugh internet
(which I browsed and caught him) and Archives from which I learnt A REAL
LOT- A REAL LOT, KrishNa, thanks to VS,SR,MKS,AR, and all others- It is
simply thrilling and that made me buy a PC immedaitely at home.
Incidentally I talk to my son for hours together (rather he talks) on
VishishtAdvaitA. I am a bit emotional and melt easily at any moving AzhwArs
or adiyArgaLs' stories. That's the reason I wished to share. 

Sorry for boring you a lot. It is only to tell you that I am lower than the
lowest adiyAr and have absolutely no pure, sincere, love and bhakti for the
Lord. I belong to hypocrite category. As long as I run amuck for all these
material pursuits and run after satisfying the sense organs, I am useless
and of no worth for me to be considered for any salvation. It is He who has
decide to capture me and has entered into my heart without my knowledge and
refuses to get out. It is He who speaks through me to let my other sisters
and brothers (belonging to this group) like my posts and take up AzhwArs'
works and recite them. 

HE INITIATES US, ACTS THROUGH US, CORRECTS US ("tirutthippaNikoLvAn) AND
FINALLY TAKES US TO HIM TO SERVE HIS "PADHARAVINDHANGAL".

May Divya dampathis bless ALL OF US as They DO ALWAYS.

Ram Ram

Best Regards

Madhava dAsan