Pitu Gotra KR IRS 26524 27524 contd
Hinduism owes a great deal to the Samkhya (Sankhya) philosophy or the
Samkhya Darshana. Samkhya means number. The Samkhya philosophy deals with
the number of realities that are present in existence. It exerted a
profound influence on many scholars in ancient India, China, and, according
to some, even in Greece. Even today, it attracts the attention of many
scholars, although it is not a living philosophy and has no active
followers. However, aspects of its original doctrine survive in present-day
Hinduism as a reminder of its ancient glory.
According to the Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti or Nature is responsible for
all manifestation and diversity, while the individual souls (Purushas),
which are eternal, remain passive. When they come into contact with Nature,
they become subject to its influence and are embodied by its realities.
Prakriti is an eternal reality and the first cause of the universe. In its
pure and original form, it is the unmanifest (avyaktam), a primal resource,
the sum of the universal energy. It is without cause but acts as the cause
and source of all effects and "the ultimate basis of the empirical
universe.”
Prakriti manifests things by modifying or transforming the causes into
effects that are already hidden in them. Thus, the school believes in the
theory of evolution or transformation (parinama vada), with Prakriti acting
as the pre-programmed supreme intelligence (Mahat). Using the triple gunas
and its various realities (tattvas), it creates the diversity of numerous
beings and objects. However, Prakriti has no power or control over the
souls (Purushas), which are eternal, numerous, independent, and immutable.
It cannot also create life forms without the participation of the souls.
Creation (Shristi) begins when the equilibrium of the gunas (modes) in
Prakriti becomes disturbed, and its realities (tattvas) manifest as organs
in the beings (jivas). According to the school, all 24 realities (tattvas)
emerge or evolve out of Nature, each having the predominance of one or more
gunas. The 24 tattvas are listed below.
Prakriti, the Primal Nature (1)
Mahat, the Great One, The first evolute of Prakriti (2)
Buddhi, discriminating, reasoning, and causative intelligence (2)
Ahamkara, ego or ego-principle (3) all these made to:
Manas, the physical mind or brain (4)
The five panchendriyas, sense organs (9)4+5
The five karmendriyas, the organs of action (14)9+5
The five Tanmatra, subtle elements or sense perceptions (19)14+5
The five Mahabhutas, gross elements, namely the earth, water, air, fire,
and ether (24)19+5
These tattvas are the evolutes of Nature. The Mahat (the Great One) is
the first reality to emerge from Prakriti when sattva is predominant.
Hence, it is also known as the Sambhuta (the manifested). It has a
universal aspect as the intelligence of the world and a subtle aspect as
the intelligence, buddhi, or the thinking mind in living beings. It is
responsible for their rationality and discriminating awareness but remains
mostly clouded due to the triple gunas. From Buddhi, ahamkaram, the
self-sense, or the feeling of individuality, evolves and strengthens
through desires and attachments induced by the gunas. It is responsible for
the self-sense (ego) or the state of being (anavatva). From the ego evolves
the brain or the memorial mind (manas), which is a repository of all
perceptions, memories, and mental impressions and objects. Up to now, the
tattvas we mentioned are subtle, but from here on, those we are going to
mention are gross. They are the five senses (jnanedriyas), the five organs
of action (karmendriyas), the five sense perceptions (tanmatras) or objects
of the senses, and the five gross elements (mahabhutas).{ Except Manas 23
elements make a DNA chain of opposites=46}
They constitute the 24 tattvas. Together with Purusha (individual soul),
who is an eternal reality, the number becomes 25.***** Nature uses them to
produce the diversity in the world. Of them, Prakriti is without a cause.
Mahat, ahamkara, and the five Tanmatra are both causes and effects. The
rest are effects only. Purusha is neither a cause nor an effect. It is
eternal, without a cause and effect, and immutable.
The Natural evolution of things and beings, as suggested by the Samkhya,
has many parallels with the modern theories of evolution. However, while
modern theories focus mainly on the evolution of physical bodies and
organs, the Samkhya doctrine proposes physical, mental, and spiritual
evolution and transformation of beings over many lifetimes. Further, it
views evolution, or the transformation of causes into effects, not as the
miracle work of a Universal God but as a transformative process within
Nature that progresses through different phases and in predictable patterns
until the souls escape from the mortal world.
The Samkhya school was founded by Kapila, who probably lived in the Vedic
period before the composition of principal Upanishads such as the
Svetasvatara, Katha, Prasna, and Maitrayani Upanishads. The earliest known
text of the school is the Kapila Sutras, or Samkhya Sutras, ascribed to
sage Kapila (6th or 7th Century BCE), also considered the school's founder.
In the second chapter, the Bhagavadgita presents its own theistic version
of Samkhya. It has a few features in common with the original school but is
essentially theistic. While Samkhya recognizes Nature as the source of all
creation, the Bhagavadgita identifies Brahman as the first cause of
creation and Nature as a dependent reality, which manifests the worlds and
beings under the will of God.{KR: One of the Gita yoga is samkya yoga}
In some respects, the Yogasutras of Patanjali is both an extension and an
exposition of the Classical Samkhya and Yoga schools. The Samkhya yoga of
the Bhagavadgita is but a subtle refutation of the fundamental doctrines
of the Samkhya philosophy about Brahman or Purusha as the primary and
efficient cause of all creation. However, interestingly, it accepts many
concepts of the school, such as the division of the gunas and tattvas, the
bondage of the embodied souls, the relationship between Prakriti and
Purusha, the modifications of the mind, the binding nature of karma arising
from desire-ridden actions, and the liberation of the jivas through yoga,
renunciation, detachment, and self-transformation.
As in the Vedanta, the Samkhya school suggests that souls become bound when
they are enveloped and embodied by Prakriti, and the resulting jivas fall
into delusion and ignorance. When they realize that their attachment to
Nature (the mind and body) and to worldly things is responsible for their
bondage and that they are pure souls with an independent and eternal and
indestructible existence of their own, independent of Prakriti and her
tattvas and modes, they strive for liberation and achieve release or
freedom from the cycle of births and deaths.
Xxx
***** chetanam means: YOGA VASISHTAM
Vasishtha replied:—
2. ### *This God of whom I spoke, is not at a distance from us*. He is
situated in these our bodies, and is known to be of the form of mere
Intellect (chinmatra) to us. So says Fichte: The Infinite Reason (chit)
alone exists in himself—the finite in him. Lewis vol. II. p. 563.
### सहस्रशीर्षा । पुरुषः । सहस्रअक्षः । सहस्रपात् । सः । भूमिम् । विश्वतः
। वृत्वा । अति । अतिष्ठत् । दशअङ्गुलम् ॥
sahasra-śīrṣā | puruṣaḥ | sahasra-akṣaḥ | sahasra-pāt | saḥ | bhūmim |
viśvataḥ | vṛtvā | ati | atiṣṭhat | daśa-aṅgulam
“Puruṣa, who has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet,
investing the earth in all directions, exceeds (it by a space) measuring
ten fingers.”
Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya
Puruṣa = embodied spirit; or, virāj, the aggregate ofall living beings,
spirit embodied in the egg of Brahmā, i.e., the universal spirit animating
all creation. Thousand= an infinite number; the human soul, extending
### from the navel, takes up its abode in the heart or the human breast;
the supreme soul, having animated the universe, is present in man, either
in a minute form or of definite dimensions
3. He is all in all, though all this world is not the omnipresent Himself.
He is one alone and is not termed the all that is visible (to us). So
Fichte: God is infinite and embraces the finite, but the finite can not
encompass the Infinite. Lewis vol. II. p. 573.
4. It is this Intellect which is in Siva, that wears the cusp of the moon
in his crest; the same is in Vishnu that rides on his eagle Garuda, and in
Brahma that is born of the lotus. The sun also is a particle of this
Intellect; (but they are not the self-same Intellect themselves).
Rama rejoined:—
5 So it is; and even boys say this also, that if the whole world is mere
Intelligence (chetana matrakam); then why call it by another name (as the
world), and what is the use of giving admonition of it to anybody, (when
everyone is full of intelligence).
Verse 3.7.5Chapter VII
श्रीराम उवाच ।
बाला अपि वदन्त्येतद्यदि चेतनमात्रकम् ।
जगदित्येव केवात्र नाम स्यादुपदेशता ॥ ५ ॥
śrīrāma uvāca |
bālā api vadantyetadyadi cetanamātrakam |
jagadityeva kevātra nāma syādupadeśatā || 5 ||
Rama rejoined: —So it is; and even boys say this also, that if the whole
world is mere Intelligence (chetana matrakam); then why call it by another
name (as the world), and what is the use of giving admonition of it to
anybody,
Vasishtha replied: —
6. If you have known the mere Intellect (Chinmatram), to be the same with
the intelligent world (chetana viswa), you have then known nothing for
getting rid of this world.
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
चिन्मात्रं चेतनं विश्वमिति यज्ज्ञातवानसि ।
न किंचिदेव विज्ञातं भवता भवनाशनम् ॥ ५ ॥
śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca |
cinmātraṃ cetanaṃ viśvamiti yajjñātavānasi |
na kiṃcideva vijñātaṃ bhavatā bhavanāśanam || 5 ||
Rama rejoined: —So it is; and even boys say this also, that if the whole
world is mere Intelligence (chetana matrakam); then why call it by another
name (as the world), and what is the use of giving admonition of it to
anybody,
7. The world is verily intelligent, O Rama, (with the mundane soul); but
the animal soul-PASU (Tirumular and tamil saiva siddantham speaks only as
pasu-pathy =Jeevatma paramatma; (Jiva) is called pasu or brutish observer
of things pasyati, on account of its looking after sensual gratifications
only as brutes, and giving rise only to the fears of disease, decay and
death (from its love of itself, and care for self-preservation).{Pashyat to
see is PASU, which changed in translation by some as animal etc }
Verse 3.7.7Chapter VII
चेतनं राम संसारो जीव एष पशुः स्मृतः ।
एतस्मादेव निर्यान्ति जरामरणभीतयः ॥ ७ ॥
cetanaṃ rāma saṃsāro jīva eṣa paśuḥ smṛtaḥ |
etasmādeva niryānti jarāmaraṇabhītayaḥ || 7 ||
The world is verily intelligent, O Rama, (with the mundane soul); but the
animal soul (Jiva) is called pasu or brutish observer of things pasyati, on
account of its looking after sensual gratifications only as brutes, and
giving rise only to the fears of disease, decay and death.
8. The animal soul (Jiva), though an incorporeal substance, is an ignorant
thing and subject to pain and sorrow. The mind manas also, though it is
capable of intelligence—chetaniyam, has become the root of all evils. (i.
e. With its power of intellection and nature of intelligence (chetanam), it
is yet ever inclined to the wrong side by itself).
पशुरज्ञो ह्यमूर्तोऽपि दुःखस्यैवैष भाजनम् ।
चेतनत्वाच्चेतनीयं मनोऽनर्थः स्वयं स्थितः ॥ ८ ॥
paśurajño hyamūrto'pi duḥkhasyaivaiṣa bhājanam |
cetanatvāccetanīyaṃ mano'narthaḥ svayaṃ sthitaḥ || 8 ||
The animal soul (Jiva), though an incorporeal substance, is an ignorant
thing and subject to pain and sorrow. The mind manas also, though it is
capable of intelligence—chetaniyam, has become the root of all evils. (i. e.
With its power of intellection and nature of intelligence.
9. Intellectual liberation (chetya mukta) from thoughts of the world, is
one state (of the soul), and unintelligent gazing (unmukhata) at it, is
another. He who knows the better of these two the states of the soul, has
no cause of sorrow, (i. e. the rational from the irrational soul).
चेत्यनिर्मुक्तता या स्यादचेत्योन्मुखताथवा ।
अस्य सा भरितावस्था तां ज्ञात्वा नानुशोचति ॥ ९ ॥
cetyanirmuktatā yā syādacetyonmukhatāthavā |
asya sā bharitāvasthā tāṃ jñātvā nānuśocati || 9 ||
Intellectual liberation (chetya mukta) from thoughts of the world, is one
state (of the soul), and unintelligent gazing (unmukhata) at it, is
another. He who knows the better of these two the states of the soul, has
no cause of sorrow,
10. He who has seen the all surpassing Supreme Being, has his heartstrings
all cut asunder, and the doubts of his mind all driven away. The sequences
of his acts are washed away, (and leave no fear of his transmigration).
KR: Smarta Sankya has only 23 elements from Brahmam without Prakriti
and Purusha.
XXXX
Generally, visishta dvaithis (those who follow Visishta
Dvaitham) or Srivaishnava Brahmins are called Ayyaangar. Let us see how
this term came to denote them. We can split the term as Ayy+anga+ar; i.e ay
(pronounced as I in English) is the shortened form of ainthum or five; anga
refers to the five items or segments each containing in itself five
elements thus making a total of 5 times 5 or 25. The 25th principle in our
philosophy refers to the chetanam; so we can say that a chetanam is
rightly called ayyaangar.{KR in one way intelligence but in another way as
from the Vasishta yoga, that which is down felling the earth or determining
the destruction through the intelligence; BUT HERE INTELLIGENCE @ CHETANAM
IS NOT”MIND” that survives along with the SOUL JEEVA.
Let us now see briefly, what are the major five segments and the other five
elements in each of them. The five major segments are:
1.PANCHANGAM
2. PANCHA KALA PARAYANAM
3. SAMSKARAM
4. ARTHA PANCHAKAM
5. BARA SAMARPANAM.
1. panchAngam: Srivaishnavites are enjoined to start all their rituals or
karmas with sankalpam (vow) and conclude with sAdhvika thyAgam (sacrificial
offering to God). In the sankalpam or invocatory statement at the
beginning, we need to mention and follow for that particular day, its
thithi (the religious date-order from amavAsya/ pournNami, prathamai,…. to
chathurdasi : 15 in all),
the day of the week (in Sanskrit, such as bhAnu vAsara, sOma vAsara etc. 7
in all),
the star (asvini to rEvathi, 27 in all),
yogam (sidhdha, amirtha, maraNa: 3 in all),
And
karaNam (11 in all).
We know about these five elements for any particular day only from our
panchAngam or almanac. Hence it is important for us to see the panchangam
daily as soon as we get up in the morning. We are aware that it is
difficult for common people like us to remember the 3 yogams and 11
karanams which are always changing in some order; hence our ancestors
prescribed that we state this as Sri Vishnu yOga and sri Vishnu karana.
Thus we see that the first major segment ayyangArs need to know about is
the panchAngam.
2. next comes pancha kAla parAyaNam. Our ancestors divided a day into five
periods; these are:
A. ABIGAMANAM, B. UPADHANAM, C. IJYAI, D. SVADHYAYAM AND E. YOGAM.
We are to follow the prescribed duties assigned to each of these five
periods as each has a different purpose and work to perform. However, in a
lighter vein we may state that in the mechanical present day, no one finds
time to perform these five duties and there is dearth of time and so
instead of being pnacha kAla parAyaNam (five time duties), this has become
panja kAla parAyaNam (time-drought duties). So the second major segment is
pancha kAla parayaNam or doing the five duties as prescribed for the five
periods of the day.
3. samskAram: there are several rituals or ceremonies prescribed to be
performed, from the time a human being is conceived in mother’s womb, till
its death. Of these, the one called pancha samskAram is the one which makes
one a Srivaishnavaite. This is performed as per the usual custom and
practice in vogue in each family. This consists of
A. THAPAM, B. PUNDRAM, C. DASYA NAMAM, D. MANTHRAM AND E. YAGNAM.
a. thApam: this is the process of having the figures of the wheel
(sudharsana chakram) and the conch (pAncha janyam) embossed on one’s right
and left shoulders respectively. These metallic symbols are heated in a
sacred fire and when tolerably hot, the preceptor or the AchAryan embosses
the image on our shoulders as mentioned above.
b. pundram is the process of the preceptor teaching us about wearing the 12
sacred marks of white (thirumaN) and red/yellow (sri chUrNam) in the 12
prescribed places in our body by drawing vertical lines hence called
dwAdasa or twelve, urdhva or vertical and pundram or marks). The preceptor
tells us where and how to wear these. There are slokas telling us how to
do/ remember this : panniru nAmam by Swami Desikan; the sanskrit sloka
beginning with chathus…).
c. dAsya nAmam: the preceptor gives us a name adding dAsa after our usual
name; this indicates: dAsa asmi or I am the servant of the lord and I am
not independent; if one’s name is Krishnan, he will thereafter call himself
Krishna dAsan)
d. manthram: this is the process of learning from the preceptor, the
rahasya thryam (the holy secret triad) of thirumanthiram, dwayam (the two
liner) and sharama sloka (the final sloka).(from B G)
e. yagnam: this is the way thiruvArAdhanam (sacred offerings to God) is to
be performed; the preceptor teaches us this and after this we start doing
this in our daily pooja.
As mentioned before, it is only after a Srivaishnavaite undergoes
saAsrayaNam, that he becomes an ayyangAr. It is only after this that he
becomes fit for doing bhagavadhArAdhanam or worshipping god In the
prescribed manner.
4. artha panchakam: those who seek for eternal salvation or attain moksha
are known as mumukshus. Srivaishnavas are mumukshus and are enjoined upon
to learn/ know/ understand five aspects. These are:
A. OUR DESTINATION OR GOAL OF REACHING THE PARAMATHMA
B. THE ONE WHO REACHES THERE/ ATTAINS THAT, I.E. THE JEEVATHMA
C. THE WAY TO ATTAIN/ ACHIEVE IT
D. FORCES WHICH ARE INIMICAL TO OUR ATTAINING THE ABOVE OBJECTIVE, I.E. OUR
PAST SINS
E. THE FRUIT OF OUR ATTAINING THAT GOAL OR PARAMATHMA.
a. paramAthmA: is the one who creates, preserves and when the time comes,
destroys and He does it in his divine play or game. He has limitless
knowledge, happiness, the one without any blemish or bad qualities, one
with boundless good aspects. He is the one desired target for the entire
world, is perennial or endless, with His own beautiful image and form. He
has for His body the twin vibhUthis of leela and nithya vibhudis. He never
is away even for a moment from his divine consort, pirAtti. He is the
guide, master and the one who appoints for everything. He is the one whom
we aspire to be with in the moksha world. This is all what we have to know
as the first aspect to know about the paramAthma.
b. jeevAthmA or the one who is the complement of what we saw above, i.e.
jeevAthmA is also a happy form, a miniscule, not independent but with
servitude as his attitude, the one who is borne by and the one who is
appointed and the one who has none but the lord as his boss/ master. The
jeevathma is of three kinds: bhakthar, nithyar and mukthar. Bhakthas are
those who because of their acts of sins and good deeds are born again and
again in various forms including the grass, the stone or the mankind.
Mukthas are those who because of their following what is laid down by the
sAstras and hence are relieved from the trials and tribulations undergone
usually by the family people and hence they rejoice in the thought about
the company of the lord. Nithyas are those (such as VishvaksEnar, garudan
et al) who do not have family ties and worries and hence are able to enjoy
the blissful company of our lord and having the blessing of living for ever
in His world. This is the knowledge we have to have about jeevAthma.
c. the way to reach/attain Him: to reach our lord in Vaikuntam the ways are
only through devotion and surrender. We cannot do bhakthi yOga or the path
of devotion and hence prapathi or surrender is the only way to reach Him.
This is the knowledge we need to have about the way to attain Him.
d. the obstacle due to our past sins, to reach Him: not worshipping is the
chief sin. By not obeying what the sAstras have ordained and by following
courses exactly opposite to the prescribed rules due to ignorance, habits,
desire to do so etc. due to these sins, human beings are born and die again
and again. If we know this, it is the fourth important element.
e. the fruit/ benefit of attaining Him: after our life leaves our body, our
soul travels through what is known as the archirAdhi marga or the heavenly
path to reach Sri vaikuntam and there do for ever and ever, our sacred
duties to our lord. This is the fifth element of artha panchakam.
5. prapaththi: when once the jeevAthma becomes aware of the artha panchakam
it endeavors to discard its past sins of not thinking about god, nor
following His path; so it starts eschewing its past evil ways as jeevathma
is scared of the three types of sins (praraptham, sanchitham and AgAmi) :
those which come from earlier births, those which we commit now and to
overcome this, the way is to seek salvation by going to a preceptor and
doing prayaschitham or expiation and does baranyAsam or barasamarpaNam.
This is called prapaththi, which, again, has five elements:
A) ANUKULYA SANKALPAM
B) PRATHIKULYA VARJANAM
C) MAHAVISVASAM
D) KARPANYAM
E) KOPRUTHVAVARANAM.
a) AnukUlya sankalpam: To make a vow to god that he will thereafter do
everything as prescribed by Him is what this means. He does the prescribed
duties and rituals with the 3 types of thoughts always in him; these are:
he does everything only to please our lord and not for his own pleasure;
karthru thyAgam or the consciousness that he does everything not because it
is by him but because it is by Him,
mamatha thyAgam i.e. the god gets things done and phala thyAgam or the
fruit of whatever we do is for the lord and not for us.
This feature is called the sAthvikathyAgam and he should always think that
he will do everything that gives happiness to our lord.
b) prAthikUlya varjanam is to make a vow that he will not act against His
will or dictates and not to do what are proscribed by the sAstrAs
c) mahAvisvAsam is the abiding unswerving faith in Him that Sriman Narayana
will deliver us at the end of this life and take us into His fold and hence
not seeking other lesser gods to satisfy our petty needs and desires.
d) kArpaNyam is the consciousness knowledge that we do not have the capital
(to invest) in the form of bhakthi yOgam and hence eschew/ give up ahnkara,
mamakara (the proud and vainglorious I and ME of everything we do) and
hence with this humility, bow before Him for his grace.
e) kopruthvavaraNam is the plea we make to our lord expressing our
inability to do bhakthi yoga and hence pleading for his grace and pity to
give us salvation from the cycle of births and deaths and to retain us for
ever with Him.
‘Aar’ in Tamil is added at the end of any word as a mark of respect. If we,
the jeevAthmA observe all the 25 aspects stated above, then the 25th letter
of ‘ma’ or jeevAthmA practicing the above 25 attributes/aspects, becomes
fit to be called ayyangAr. As these are all possible by us, let us all make
a determined effort to live as real ayyangArs by following whatever is
ordained for us and live happily in this world and the other world and not
be merely namesake ayyangArs!
-------------------------------------------------------
>From a sociological standpoint, gotrams for most south Indian brahmins (and
for that matter, probably all brahmins), are probably useless, since each
gotram by now has probably assimilated countless numbers of non-brahmins,
or was a concoction from the very beginning.
Many brahmins of South India, particularly Sri Vaishnava brahmins, are
of mixed origin. This can be gleaned from the very early days of the
movement, when accusations were made by other brahmins that Pancaratra
Vaishnavas (i.e., Sri Vaishnavas) were not "true" brahmins. This
contention is discussed in detail by Yamunacharya {low caste arose to
higher KR} in his Agama PraamaNya. The fact that he needs to defend the
Brahminical origin of Vaishnavas implies that the movement had a great deal
of social fluidity. Dr. Srinivasan also has some other speculations in this
regard.” I am nominally of Srivatsa gotram, but I doubt if I have any real
connection to Bhargava, Chyavana, and other rishis. My connection with
Nammalwar and Ramanuja on both a psychological and social level is probably
much more direct.
Speaking of gotram concoction, I surmise that the "SathamarShaNa"
gotram that is so common among Sri Vaishnavas (my mother's side included)
is because of Nathamuni and Yamunacharya's direct spiritual connection with
Nammalvar, who is called "Sathakopa" in Sanskrit.
I also doubt if they are direct descendants of the Vedic rishis; they may
have adopted sathamarshana as their gotram to indicate greater connection
with the Alvar.
The gotrams themselves are regionalized, indicating a later origin to the
separate gotrams. Dr. G.S Ghurye, a prominent Indian sociologist, has noted
that many gotrams are exclusive to a particular region. The implications of
this are pretty obvious. An isolated group of people could easily invent
or assimilate into a gotram, a very valuable thing considering the status
that Brahminhood conveyed.
From a Vaishnavite standpoint, gotrams are in the end to be transcended
and avoided. There is a verse:
ekaanti vyapadeshtavyo naiva graama kulaadibhih
vishnunaa vyapadestavyo ... Unfortunately, I cannot remember the
last paadam of this verse, but it is quoted by Azhagiya Manavaala Perumal
Nayanaar in the Acharya Hridayam. The verse means that a "ekaanti", a
single-minded Vaishnava, should not adorn himself with connections to his
village or his kula (gotram). Rather, he should recognize himself as
Vishnu's and Vishnu's alone, and call himself Ramanuja-daasan, Sri
Vaishnava Daasan, Ranganaatha Daasan, and refer to a divya-ksetra as his
town.
I believe Desikar replaces his standard "abhivaadanam" in his
Prabandhasaaram with references to the Azhvaars and the Prabandham, since
they are his more significant spiritual forebears.
I also think gotram tends to set apart brahmins from non-brahmins, a
vestige of an often distasteful social past that I would rather move away
from. For this very reason, I avoid reference to it, as well as to the
term "Iyengar", whose meaning is shrouded in confusion.
The term "Sri Vaishnava" is so much more appealing.
K Rajaram IRS 26524 27524
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