Sri Mani Varadarajan's two postings on guidelines related to Fund raising for Sri VaishNavite causes Here and for Indian Temples
From the Bhakti List Archives
• September 17, 1999
Sear Sri Mani Varadarajan : For the record , I want to make it clear that I welcome your comments , which are fair and timely. As for myself , I have been scrupulously practising respect for all Sri VaishNavite AchAryAs belonging to either kalai . The kalai related controversy is anethma to me , although it raises its ugly head Often . I happen to belong to the Ahobila matam sampradhAyam and have the highest reverence for my AchAryan , Srimath Azhagiya Singar . That does not automatically translate into irreverence to other AchAryAs,who have lit our Jn~Ana ViLakku .I try to studiously avoid the divisive path , since that is the path that Srimath Azhagiya Singar follows and recommends for His SishyAs . We as Sri VaishNavAs are a miniscule community in the Indian Scene fighting all kinds of odds and negelect ; we are even more miniscule in the World Scene . We are in USA and abroad a group of dedicated people wanting to do our utmost to the SampradhAyam that has sustained and nourished us from AchArya Naathamuni and Sri RaamAnujA's time onward .We have problems even within one kalai . It is all very sad . I agree with you that we should stay away from such divisive practises and set an example here in these United States , where we have elected to live, make a career and seek nourishment form the most satisfying Sri VaishNava SampradhAyam and form mutually reinforcing sathsangam . Indeed , We do get carried away with the projects of particular interest to us be they in India or here . Your point about enriching the rich temples and forgetting those in dire need is a sober and welcome reminder of realities. The organizations like SVVS energized by Srimathi Naagu Satyan and Sri RaajAji Raaghavan and others representing different SampradhAyams is essentially aimed at addressing these issues . I have a weakness for Sri RanganAthA and Srirangam on a footing that is equal to my reverence for Sri Oppiliappan of ThiruviNNagar .The 247 paasurams addressed to this Lord of Srirangam are testimonial enough for His VasIkaraNam . ThoNdaradippoDi reveals appropriately his state of helplessness in his 19th Paasuram of ThirumAlai : Kadal niRak kadavuL yenthai aravaNait thyulimAkaNDu udalenak kuruhu maalO yenn seykEn ulahatthIrE It is prasiddham that Sri RanganAthA is the first among ArchAvathaara Moortthis . For Sri VaishNava SampradhAyam , Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnujA Darsanam and the nectarine flow of AzhwAr's aruLiccheyalkaL and their wonderful vyAkyAnams by the revered AchAryAs that followed Udayavar , there is a sound reason for the famous hailing : " adiyArkaL Vaazha , Aranganahar Vaazha " That is why I suspect the great AchAryAs have resided at Srirangam and presided over different Sri VaishNava sadhas .We revere hence Srirangam as the divya desam where , ANDAL, KulasEkarar , ThoNdaradippodi , ThiruppANar and EmperumAnAr joined the lotus feet of the Lord for performing nithya Kaimkaryam . Srirangam is indeed the avathAra sthalam of Periya NampikaL, Bhattar , Vadakku Thiurveethi PiLLai , PiLLai LOkAcchAr and many other AchArya PurushAs .Here was born the immensely profound PaadhukhA Sahasram in less than 2 hour time period. It is in this tradition saluting the sacred feet of Sri RanganAthA and those Paadhukhais associated with them that PiLlai LokAcchaar revealed to us in Mumukshup Padi, Dhvaya PrakaraNa CharaNa SabdhArtha VivaraNam : "PirAttiyum Avanum ( EmperumAnum ) vidilum , ThiruvadigaL ( saranaagathanai) vidAthu; thiNN KazhalAi irukkum ". To these Thiruvadis are linked the matchless companion , the PaadhukhAs ( NammazhwAr ). The BhAgyAdhisayam of Lord RanganAthA was hence appropriately celebrated by Sri MaNavALa Maamuni in his Aarthi Prabhandham (10th paasuram )this way: PoomakaL kOnn Thennarangar PoongkazhaRkku PaadhukamAi Thaamm Mahizhum Selvacch SatakOpar --thEmalar thAtkku yEnthiniya PaadhuhamA menthai IrAmAnusanai, Vaaythenathu NenjamE ! Vaazh Sri MaNavALa Maamuni has brilliantly linked here the AchArya paramparai in this paasuram and showed us clearly the reason why his nenjam is eulogizing Sri RanganAthan . In this context , I am delighted to learn about the intense efforts to celebrate this Utthama AchAryan's Thirunakshathram this year in the West Coast Temple at Livermore . If I get carried away and plead for support for the one and only Sri RanganAthA Temple in USA , my enthusiasm is understnadable and nay excusable by the members of this group. To me as well as for many members of this Bhakthi Group , Srirangam is the AaNI vErr( the prime root) of the MahA vata Vruksham of 108 Divya Desams . At the center of this tree is our Srirangam putting far spread VizhuthukaL all around .I consider the Pomona , NY temple , inspite of it not being a Divya Desam in a classical sense , as one more Vizhuthu of this central tree .That is the sole reason fro my joining with the appeal ! I conclude this note with Sri RaamAnujA's heart felt prayer : "Satya Kaama! Sathya sankalpa! Aapathsakha ! Kaakuthstha! Srimann ! NaarAyaNa ! PurushOtthama! SRI RANGANAATHA ! Mama Naatha! NamOsthuthE ! May this Lord of Srirangam fulfill His wish to be near us here and take His resdience here to bless us all for times to come ! Santha: Sri Ranga pruthvIsa CharaNathrAna sEkarA: Jayanthi Bhuvana thrANa Padha Pankaja rENava : --First SlOkam of Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram (RPS) Jayathi YathirAja Sookthi: Jayathi Mukundhasya PaadhukhA YugaLI tadhubhayadhanAs thrivEdheem avanshyayanthO Jayanthi Bhuvi Santha: The last SlOkam of RPS of Swami Desikan . On this eve of the two day conference to celebrate the Thirunakshathram of Thooppul Vedantha Desikan at ther Sri ranganAthA Temple , I seek Your understanding of my enthusiasm for helping to complete the construction of the Temple for the matchless Sri RanganAthan and His divine Consort , Sri RanganAyaki in USA. MahAnthO angruNaanthu ! Daasan , V.Sadagopan
- Next message: Tatachar_at_aol.com: "Dateline Nov-April 2000"
- Previous message: Sridhar Srinivasan: "Re: What is a billion dollars anyway?"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]