Thank u ji. K. R On Sun, May 26, 2024, 10:22 PM Bala N. Aiyer <[email protected]> wrote:
> Wonderful article - Thank you for sharing this information. > > With kind regards & best wishes, > > > Bala N. Aiyer > > > On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 10:21:23 PM CDT, Bala N. Aiyer < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Wonderful article - Thank you for sharing this information. > > With kind regards & best wishes, > > Bala N. Aiyer > > > On Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 09:52:47 PM CDT, Rajaram Krishnamurthy < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > 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 > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > On Facebook, please join https://www.facebook.com/groups/keralaiyerstrust > > We are now on Telegram Mobile App also, please join > > Pattars/Kerala Iyers Discussions: https://t.me/PattarsGroup > > Kerala Iyers Trust Decisions only posts : https://t.me/KeralaIyersTrust > > Kerala Iyers Trust Group for Discussions: > https://t.me/KeralaIyersTrustGroup > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "KeralaIyers" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/keralaiyers/CAL5XZoqA9W%3DG8-QCaxz7v6F37Q6hH14sAe_bCe7vPoL%3DF1Cc8w%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/keralaiyers/CAL5XZoqA9W%3DG8-QCaxz7v6F37Q6hH14sAe_bCe7vPoL%3DF1Cc8w%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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