Non brahmin Archaka trained students jobs in jeopardy

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

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Though most of the Acharyas accept that the practice of performing Karpura Aarthi at all times is against the Sasthras, they do not come out and campaign against it. Because it does not serve any purpose. This is what the general public believes in. There is no harm . Let it be. Let us get more people to come to the temples. This is their view. I agree fully with this view.

However in many temples in Tamil Nadu which have been established in the last few decades by different Acharyas, this practice has been stopped. You find a board informing that No Archana would be done. The nadai is closed after the Pujas. They are open only during the Pujas. But the Vigraha is well lit with electric lights and you can view the vigraha through the grill gates which are closed after every puja.

 

[renuka]

Do we believe that GOD needs this introduction? GOD who is omniscient and omnipotent would not know who is offering the Archana?

Strange beliefs.

I never had a habit of buying Archana tickets in temples. I pray on my own. This made me unpopular with the priests. Later I started buying Archanai tickets. But I tell the priests not to insist on a name. Do it in the name of GOD.

Dear Sir,

God know everything as you rightly said but mentioning names is just for us humans to feel a "personal contact/personal touch" to God.
After all God is also present in all our names.

That gives a personal satisfaction that God "heard" and "knows" that a person prayed.

Prayer or worship is like a email/letter to God..name of sender and name of recipient is always written.

I too do not do Archanais in personal names but do it only for God.

When I go to a temple..one of the main reasons I do an Archanai is to make sure the temple gets some amount of fee from us devotees for upkeep on the place.

 

[suraju06]

Do we believe that GOD needs this introduction? GOD who is omniscient and omnipotent would not know who is offering the Archana?
Strange beliefs.

I look at it this way:

The God does not need the introduction to know his devotee. But the devotee being in deep agnAnam believes that there is a need for introduction. I too have noticed people struggling and fumbling with the names of gothras and bringing a written list of all the relatives lest they leave out any, consulting accompanying relatives for name gothram etc., and even taking a minute to use their cell phones to get it right. But i see in all this a basic desire to get the grace of God for as many in the family as is possible and that is really very good. I do not even consider them as people who have not spiritually adequately progressed. May be they are more progressed than me. The underlying innocence, like the sruti for a raga, is beautiful and enchanting. I feel happy when I meet such devotees (mamis or mamas) in the temple. When I hear a mami exclaiming in anguish " aiyayyo nammaaththu naachaamiyoda peru vittupoiduththeda. mmmm... naalaikku vanthu thaniya archanai pannanum. intha marathiya enna pannarathunne theriyala" I understand and appreciate. I dont find these strange at all for I am part of this culture which is simply beautiful and not corrupted by the load of so called knowledge. May be I am in a minority.

Cheers.

 

[sarang]

Some think they are God; some believe they are the dasa of God. Self introduction to God has no demerit.

All bhakti literature has plenty of proof wherein the bhakta adds his name to his composition. In archanai (not the colloquial terminology where it refers to reprimand) the bhakta and his family members (whether present or not) want to hear his divine namas and seek blessings. Temple is a place where personal, community worship is allowed, and festivals are organised for worship cum enjoyment (spiritual).

Are all these festivals, brahmotsavam, vasantotsavams, purappadu, veedi valam, vaiyali etc. explicitly mandated by agamas?

Do we believe that GOD needs this introduction? GOD who is omniscient and omnipotent would not know who is offering the Archana?

Strange beliefs.

I never had a habit of buying Archana tickets in temples. I pray on my own. This made me unpopular with the priests. Later I started buying Archanai tickets. But I tell the priests not to insist on a name. Do it in the name of GOD.

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

The beliefs of the Bhakthas or the poojaris or temple priests may not be entirely arbitrary.

Just as there is a detailed ritual of shodashopacharam, I think there is a brief version of the puja in panchopacharam, which consits of avahanam, dhoopam, deepam, naivedyam and karpoora neeranjanam.

Unfortunately what is being done in our temple is NOT Panchopacharam.

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

Thank You, Brahmanyan, TBS, Raju, Sarang, Renuka, Zebra16.

That was an excellent Sathsang.

I believe that there is nothing wrong or right in religious practices. There are as many ways as there are men. These kind of intellectual discussions are good.

Brahmanyan hit the nail on the head.

True words. It does not matter for the deity whether we adore him/her in Sanskrit or Tamil. While the Priests chant the manthras to the Lord, most of the devotees who stand in rows chat or describe the ornaments on the vigraha or fight for their right to be in front. In bigger Temples the ushers push out the people from the sanctum by shouting.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

What is required is Shraddha and Bhakthi.

 

[P.J.]

Since this thread is about pujAris, I would like to share my recent experience in a temple, here.

Ram's brother in law had come down from the U S of A for a KumbAbishEkam at Thenkarai village (Madurai dist) and

when he saw an announcement that 'Tamil archanai' will be performed, he requested the tambram pujAri to do it. The

pujAri agreed with a big grin and did the same ashtOthram in Sanskrit, replacing the 'namaha' portion with 'pOtri' !!

Raji Madam

'Potri' word in Tamil can not be equivalent to Sanskrit word Namaha ,as 'Potri' in Tamil is for Praising the Lord only.

Sanskrit word Namaha has a wonderful meaning.

.

Na means ‘negation’ and Ma means false ego or Ahamkara. Therefore Namah means surrendering our Ego at the alter of God

Second meaning for the Sanskrit word ‘namaha’ means _ Nama _ means ‘ not mine” ; that which does not belong to the person who is doing Puja , ( flower ) he is offering to GOD, since every thing belongs to HIM only.

 

[Raji Ram]

Raji Madam

'Potri' word in Tamil can not be equivalent to Sanskrit word Namaha ,as 'Potri' in Tamil is for Praising the Lord only............

Dear P J Sir,

I know that 'pOtri' is not an equivalent to 'namaha'! I mentioned how that pujAri managed without knowing the Tamil archanai. That is all.

Please read this:

(i) The translation for 'namaha' is given as 'to bow'. It is not 'pOtri' in Tamil. 'pOtri' means to praise.

(ii) The 108 praises of God / Goddess need not be a direct translation of the 'ashtOthram'. ..............

 

[zebra16]

Dear Shri iniyan,

First let me offer you a warm welcome back.

I do not find any references to brahmins or any brahmin association, in the rediff write-up. It only gives the facts and says that the state govt.'s programme (to appoint NBs as archakas in temples) "was challenged in the Supreme Court by the Adi Saiva Sivachariyargal Sangam, Thenindia Thirukoil Archakargal Paripalana Sabai and others". I agree that we need not give unnecessary publicity unless we are of the view that Gurukkals, Sivachariars are also brahmins and are our equals in caste.

Dear Sri Sangom,

For someone who has been advocating brahmin non-supremacy, the high lighted portion of the text is difficult to understand, especially when it says "unless we are of the view that xyz are our equals in caste". Does "we" mean the conservatives or liberals. If "we" is understood as conservatives, as the text seems to suggest, are the liberals passive
supporters of the inequality in caste.

The silence of the "noise brigade" in not raising objections to this post is deafening. May be they are bowled over by your googly.