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Kalai unity

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Vijay Triplicane • September 24, 1999 


Dearest bhAgathAs,
    My respectful namaskArams to you all.

***************Start Quote*****************************
But, the case of Sri Ranganatha Temple is totally different. It is not
because of any hostility towards other sampradayams that the Vadakalai
Tanians and Sattumurai are followed. It is because of the command of the

44th
Azhagiyasinghar who was responsible for the construction of the temple
and
who had specified that the temple should follow the Sri Sannidhi
Sampradayam.
As true Sishyas of Azhagiyasinghar, nothing is more sacred to them than
the
command of the Acharya to obeyed in letter and spirit.
***************End Quote*****************************

    I understand the reason behind following a particular thaniyan and
sArrumurai. Nothing is more sacred than one's AchAryan's words. Please
don't mistake me on this. I am saying  this wholeheartedly.

    But on looking at the present kalai bhEdhams in most of the dhivya
dhEsams in India and all the associated manhandling and disrespect to
fellow bhAgavathAs (What a shame! What a regretful expression of ego!),
every dhivya dhEsam has its own story to quote. Long back in the past,
some AchAryA, without any bias against the other kalai,would have
suggested and laid certain rules to be followed in the thaniyans and
sARRumurais. This wouldn't have affected the other bhAgavathAs then.
Everything was peaceful. One fine morning, the kalai bhEdham raised its
ugly head and started to spread its venom around, intoxicating everybody

around and the result that we see is this manhandling and disrespect. (I

feel terrible to write about the disrespect which has become so very
common among us...).

    Having had such black incidents in the past, don't we have to learn
from our mistakes and try to correct. I do not say that the AchAryA who
once laid the rues was wrong. He did that with the purest intention. He
never would have thought that we would engage ourselves in such ugly
fights. He would have thought that we, having heard the stories of our
illustrious AchAryAs and having realized our glorious lineage, would
never even think about such things.
Boy! He misjudged us. He was way off!

    Likewise, I am very sure that Sri Azhagiya singar would have
suggested the particular sARRumurai and thaniyan without any bias
against the other kalai. I had the bhAgyam of seeing  Him at
Sriperumbudur once and I have heard so much about His open views. If sri

Anbil mama or somebody else who know him personally could explain him
the situation here, how there are only a handful of bhAgavathAs, how
this is the only "Sri vaishNava" temple in USA, how we wholeheartedly
intend to have unity among the kalais, He would definitely understand.
We have to approach Him
sincerely and honestly. We are at a pretty nascent stage and we are
setting precedence to the future temples and bhagavath/bhAgavatha
kaimkaryams in USA. We have to be very careful and openminded realizing
our responsibilities as one who sets standards which many are going to
follow.

    Our next generation should not be discussing how a person of one
kalai was manhandled and treated with disrespect. Let this weed be
culled out in our generation itself. Let us try to leave behind a rich
heritage for the posterity.

    We are blessed with a lot of learned, elderly bhAgavathAs in this
net. They all would have gone through several such incidents. I am a
"Ezhai, Edhalan, keezhmagan" infront of them. I just thought I would
voice adiyEn's views. Please do not mistake my intentions. If I have
conveyed them wrongly, I sincerely apologize for that.

AzhvAr emberumAnAr dEsikar jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam
adiyEn
Vijay Triplicane
(Viji)



--
Vijay Triplicane