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Musings on sita's agni-pravEsam#5

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sudarshan • November 21, 1998 


Dear SrimAn Sriram Ranganathan,
Thank you for your comments on my post and quote from Swami Desikan's
Raghuveera-gadyam.
In understanding the Ramayana and related allusions/cross-references to its
episodes there is such a thing known as "content"(padam) and
"context"(padArtham) which must be appreciated. 

Sometimes context is more important than content, just as sometimes the
woods are more important than the trees, especially when it comes to
intense enjoyment of the particular "rasA" of a piece of scriptural
literature. It is important to understand the distinction.... just as it is
very important, I believe, to know that a lamp-post can serve two purposes
equally well ---- you can either lean on it for physical support or you can
regard it as a source of enlightenment.

If you'd understood the distinction I doubt you'd have ventured to make the
remark you did in your post, viz.:

".....It is rather unfortunate to misinterpret Swami Desikan's verses
as 'undeserving'  as it does include 'Everything' ....".

Thanks anyway, Sir, for educating me on the correct import of the line from
the Raghuveera-gadyam.

Gratefully,
adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,
sudarshan