Search:
Bhakti List Archives

RE: A DOUBT ON ECLIPSE

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sriram Ranganathan • September 20, 2000 


>>How do we justify/interpret the purANic version of rAhu/kEtu swallowing
>>sun/moon at the time of eclipse?

Dear Sri Vishnu,

I wish to quickly outline a couple of things that might help you to
understand such 'observations' in our purAnas. Chances are you are aware of
it already, but I decided to write nevertheless.

The beauty of our Vedic Religion / Sri Vaishnavam, as I understand it, is in
its appeal to a broad section of the society. The intellectual and the
pastoral are given a little to solve and chew at their own pace. By this I
mean, the vEdAs and purAnAs seek to address the most mature head and at the
same time the very naive one. This is perhaps why we find it to hard to
understand many references in our scriptures and tradition, since our mind
fails to decipher the level at which the issue needs to be approached. One
way that I had learnt to approach is to try and ask a question when the
going gets tough.

"To whom is this idea presented to? Is it to the logical mind or to the
simpleton? "

Applying this technique, the rAhu-kEtu reasoning for eclipse is for the
simplest mind that is easily convinced or satisfied. The rest should
consider a different and more appealing perspective. Nonetheless, even the
most brilliant mind can enjoy the notion, just for its pure imagination and
simplicity!

Feel free to correct me.

Thanks,
Sriram

-----Original Message-----
From: vishnu75@iitian.com [mailto:vishnu75@iitian.com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 9:39 AM
To: bhakti-list@egroups.com
Subject: A DOUBT ON ECLIPSE

Dear Bhagavatas,

How do we justify/interpret the purANic version of rAhu/kEtu swallowing
sun/moon at the time of eclipse?

dasan
vishnu
http://www.iitian.com : An Extraordinary place for Extraordinary people

--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Search archives at http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/index.html#SEARCH