The gothram of a child

[sangom]

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I am surprised that some post regarding the question of "Gothram" of a boy born to a divorcee woman (not remarried) living in USA, and getting a male child through AI with the sperm of some anglo-saxon male, could evoke this much of discussions. It shows that we Tabras, as a community, still attach a lot of importance (possibly undue) to the Gothram concept.

There were several threads in the past discussing this Gothram issue in its various facets and a search of the archives will bring up many threads, I am sure. But I would like to reiterate that our "Gothram" concept seems to be the metamorphosis of the primitive tribal concepts, which still strongly govern our tribal populations as also the Maasai and other tribes in Africa even today. The word Gothram stands for, or denotes, a cattle pen or corral. It is quite possible that when the Gothram concept evolved among the Vedic people (i.e., Hindus) this "tribe consciousness" was still very fresh and strong and each person was identified by his/her Gothram, as our "abhivaadaye" mantras still do. Marriage is known as vivāha and this word means 'carrying away of in a special way' (viśeṣeṇa vāhayati iti); it is interesting to note that among some tribes, even in India, it was the practice to forcibly take away unmarried girls from other tribes and marry them, because the children born in the Gothra did not have known parentage, due to very permissive sex-codes, and hence all children belonging to the tribe were supposed to be siblings (Just as we have "All Indians are my brothers and sisters" recited in our school prayer! Perhaps, this is at the root of our opposition to 'sagothra' marriages.

When people started sporting their Gothras, in due course, they named their Gothras after some well-known personality within their clan or tribe and this, in due course of time, changed to one of the well-known ṛṣis. Further refinements came about as time passed.

If we are prepared to accept the above, then we need not unnecessarily bother about Gothras nor do we need to change the mindset of people who believe that Gothras indicate patrilineal, alumnii etc., lineages.

 

[prasad1]

Mr. Sangom sir,
I agree that this arcane idea of linking biological lineage with Gothram does not die.
I guess if you are used to claim as an alumni of YALE, because your grandfather attended a seminar in Yale, and everybody in your family claims the same.
It is difficult to accept the reality, you are not a Yale Alumni.
Similarly we claim a gothram, that does not mean we have a personal relation to that rishi.

 

[renuka]

BTW what was the Gotra of all the sages?

For example what was the Gotra of Sage Bharadvaj?

 

[tks]

Shri tks,


I fully agree with your sense of compassion and humanity, that you have expressed in a very agreable manner , in your post no.182.

As well, it is exactly what we humans in our spiritual growth should mind.


Wheather its homosexuality or prostitution or even narcotic trafficking, every human have their side of reasoning, justification and inclination.

Sri Ravi

It will be patently offensive to homosexuals and to most fair minded people even if they are not homosexuals to lump homosexuals with prostitutes and narcotic traffickers.

It is no different than lumping you for your physical attributes with these other people who are likely to be engaged in possibly adharmic behaviour out of choice (unless prostitution is out of sex-slavery imposed by someone else).

Consider this Tamil expression

கள்ளனை நம்பினாலும் குள்ளனை நம்பாதே

In other words a short person or midget should not be trusted even if you may trust a robber - I wonder what kind of mind would produce this expression where a person's physical attribute is being interpreted to a character question?

Lumping Homosexuals who cannot help how they are with those that commit crime is wrong in many levels. Bt the way homosexual behavior fall under the same Iswara's order. My contentions is that you and I are not better off or worse off than any of these homosexuals. They are not in this out of choice.

Kindly reflect on this since I know you desire maturity like the rest of us ..

When we could accept that these are all not the right way of living as per the social and natural norms and attaining spiritual growth, it doesn't mean that we would personally hate those individual's for their personal life choices, preferences and the ways and means. We can only be sympathetic to such people and other's who are affected by those people.

I don't think any of these people need any of our sympathies. Acceptance of all beings for what they are has to do with our growth and maturity. They are not affected by anything - issue is in your view of the world as expressed in your post and they could say your post reflects what could be considered prejudicial thinking.

Let us re-read this OP. There is no story in my view in this thread. A woman of Indian origin divorced her husband in a land where over 50% of weddings end up in divorce. She chose an unconventional path to attain a family without harming anyone. Like all other Indians she wanted to celebrate her son's reaching a certain age and tried to reconnect with her Hindu roots in the best way she knew.

The only story in my mind was the sharp posts in this forum from people supposedly aspiring maturity (I dont particularly like the word spiritual since it means different things to different people).

Taliban in their extreme love of their religion hangs the homosexuals. The Christian evangelicals think the homsexuals are doomed to hell and propagate hate crime in extreme instances.

I would like to think Hinduism based on Sanatana Dharma principles are more accepting of all beings. I am not asking anyone to embrace Adharma acts (narcotics drug trafficking etc). It is with this thought I am sharing the above notes.

You have choice to take offense at my notes above or think & reflect and express your points.

I do not expect agreement but I hope you will disagree after *understanding* the point above

....

 

[renuka]

I would like to think Hinduism based on Sanatana Dharma principles are more accepting of all beings.

Dear sir,

In fact Sanathana Dharma does not really judge any single act.

It just classifies acts under Lust,Anger and Greed.

No where we can find text commenting on Lust of the Heterosexual or Homosexual kind.
Lust is Lust and we are supposed to get over it.

tri-vidhaḿ narakasyedaḿ
dvāraḿ nāśanam ātmanaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas
tasmād etat trayaḿ tyajet

TRANSLATION
There are three gates leading to this hell — lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul​

 

[tks]

Satva guna is best among the gunas, but even satva guna is a binding.
The states of sattva, rajas, and tamas are temporary;
all of them are merely different kinds of bondages of the soul.
The objective is to go beyond the gunas.


Just bookish knowledge, I am not there yet.

Sri Prasad

For talks about over focus on Satva Guma (which by the way is not consistent with sharp reactions here in my view ) people have to go and argue with Sri Krishna

You have picked out the right verse I was thinking but was not planning to post.

Yours is not a bookish knowledge in my book

 

[C RAVI]

Sri Ravi

I do not expect agreement but I hope you will disagree after *understanding* the point above

....

Shri tks,


YES!! You are right. After *understanding* the points in your post no.204, I disagree with what you have produced. What you hoped has come true!!!


I have nothing to add from my side as a reply to your post no.204. Probably, I am talking with a different perspective than that of yours. And as expected by both of us, Niether I could agree in Toto after *understanding* your post NOR you could agree with mine after *understanding* my post.


But, it was nice interacting and sharing views with yourself, Shri Raju and few others.

 

[suraju06]

Dear Renuka,

A Truly Sattva person is not intimidating to others..in fact most Sattva people are always on their own and do not antagonize others.
They are the Sadhus who lead a existence without coming much in contact with others.
They have normal levels of Sattva guna in their bloodstream.

I said A sattva existence, because of its very nature can appear to be quite intimidating or forbidding to a non-sattva existence and hence seen as a "holier than thou" case for criticism.


So it is a perception on the side of non-saatvic people that I am talking about. Saatvic people as long as they keep to themselves there is never any conflict. But being in a society they can not completely avoid contact with others( I am not talking about the sadhus who live in hermitages). Thus a simple show of anxiety to keep oneself as pure as possible can be misinterpreted as arrogance. The level of anxiety one has to keep oneself pure is something that varies from individual to individual. When a white anglo saxon individual travelling in a crowded London metro swears and curses it is not a big issue because it is taken as his complaining about the intrusion into his right to privacy and personal space. When an old brahmin buying flower from a flower vendor in Chennai avoids touching the vendor while receiving the cash it is arrogance and holier than thou attitude and has to be protested and condemned loudly. The fact that that man will not touch any one in his family(including the children) at home until he completes his daily pooja is not worth taking into account. His anxiety to keep himself as pure as possible despite the fact that he seeks pardon from his Lord by saying at the end of his pooja “upachArAn ApathEsEna kruthAn aharaharmayA apachArAn imAn sarvAn kshamaswa purushOththama” ( புருஷோத்தமனான எம்பெருமானே! உனக்கு உபசாரம் செய்வதாகக்கருதி நான் செய்த அபசாரங்களனைத்தையும் பொறுத்தருளவேண்டும்) is also not material because our mission is to hang the saatvic individual without a trial. We never try to understand.

Cheers..

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,



I said A sattva existence, because of its very nature can appear to be quite intimidating or forbidding to a non-sattva existence and hence seen as a "holier than thou" case for criticism.


So it is a perception on the side of non-saatvic people that I am talking about. Saatvic people as long as they keep to themselves there is never any conflict. But being in a society they can not completely avoid contact with others( I am not talking about the sadhus who live in hermitages). Thus a simple show of anxiety to keep oneself as pure as possible can be misinterpreted as arrogance. The level of anxiety one has to keep oneself pure is something that varies from individual to individual. When a white anglo saxon individual travelling in a crowded London metro swears and curses it is not a big issue because it is taken as his complaining about the intrusion into his right to privacy and personal space. When an old brahmin buying flower from a flower vendor in Chennai avoids touching the vendor while receiving the cash it is casteism and has to be protested and condemned loudly. The fact that that man will not touch any one in his family at home until he completes his daily pooja is not worth taking into account. His anxiety to keep himself as pure as possible despite the fact that he seeks pardon from his Lord by saying at the end of his pooja “upachArAn ApathEsEna kruthAn aharaharmayA apachArAn imAn sarvAn kshamaswa purushOththama” ( புருஷோத்தமனான எம்பெருமானே! உனக்கு உபசாரம் செய்வதாகக்கருதி நான் செய்த அபசாரங்களனைத்தையும் பொறுத்தருளவேண்டும்) is also not material because our mission is to hang the saatvic individual without a trial. We never try to understand.

Cheers..

Dear sir,

I still can't really understand your post.In fact I fail to see why caste is brought in your post.
In my post I never mentioned any caste.
I only mentioned about Sattva Guna.
So I wonder why the comparison with the Anglo Saxon and the old Brahmin ?
Unless you feel Sattva is always =Brahmin!LOL

Religious text even attribute Sattva guna to certain herbivours like the cow for example.
So Sattva guna is not only for humans.

It sounds as if those who are self proclaimed Sattva have a delusion of persecution that someone somewhere is trying to get them or is jealous of them!LOL

I am modifying Micheal Jacksons song "Sattva are you Ok, are you Ok baby..Sattva are you ok are you Ok? You've been hit by..You've been struck by a smooth criminal!"


[video=youtube_share;RWdGIbZKtmg]http://youtu.be/RWdGIbZKtmg[/video]

 

[renuka]

Just to clear some misconceptions:

When I used to word Overdose of Sattva Guna Holier Than Thou types I never meant any one caste or community in specific.

I have seen Overdose Sattva Holier Than Thou types in every caste,community and religion too.

In fact some of the Non Hindus I have met really have an Overdose of almost everything in life.
For them everyone else rots in hell except them.

So I hope members do not think that my posts are targeting the Brahmin community...that was never ever my style since day 1 of my existence in forum.

If I thought that way I would not even be a member here.

I just debate topics that I agree or disagree with.

 

[C RAVI]

If a Old Brahmin is too orthodox with all his "madi" and "aacharam", the otherwise people would find him intimidating or forbidding the others. BUT, this old orthodox Brahmin will have his own validity, conisdering his practices of "madi", "aacharam" and "anushtaanam".


In line with the above example, the empasis here about Satvic and Non-Satvic existence is - Unable to understand and accept the characteristics, attributes and the validity of the Satvic existence, Non-Satvic existence would easily and self convincngly criticise the Satvic existence of having "holier than thou" attitude.

And such criticism would exist as long as Satvic existence exists and operates in society, dealing on every day basis.


That is why many people tend to conceal their orginal perceptions about many aspects of life and keep them for themselves AND express differently in the society to show their approval and acceptances. If they are questioned why they are not adopting inspite of their approval and acceptances, they would say that, "it is just that, I have a different inclination than that of yours/others. I wish I could adopt what you have adopted. BUT, I could not because I could not feel for it naturally"



The way and the motive of expressions may differ BUT the truth can not.

 

[suraju06]

Dear Renuka,

Your post #209 for reference:

I never thought the word caste can be such a red rag. I have edited my post. Please read it and perceive.

Cheers.

 

[nannilam_balasubramanian]

Rishi Bharadwaj was the son of sage Brihaspati. Sage Brihaspati was the son of Rishi Angiras.
These three Rishis are called the Traya rishi of the Bharadwaja Gotra. Sages were only Brahmins
during earlier period excepting Sage Vishwamitra. Guru Dronacharya was the son of sage Bharadwaj.
Bharadwaja was one of the greatest Hindu Arya sages (Maharshis) descendant of Rishi Angirasa,
whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. He was one of the Saptarshis (Seven Great Sages Rishi)
others being Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Kashyapa. Bharadwaja rishi was
father of Dronacharya and grand father of Ashwatthama. Bharadwaja Maharshi, a sage of
Vedic period, who is renowned for his thirst for knowledge. He attained extraordinary scholarship
and the power of meditation. Details gathered from the family of Rishis.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur

 

[tks]

Just to clear some misconceptions:

When I used to word Overdose of Sattva Guna Holier Than Thou types I never meant any one caste or community in specific.

I have seen Overdose Sattva Holier Than Thou types in every caste,community and religion too.

In fact some of the Non Hindus I have met really have an Overdose of almost everything in life.
For them everyone else rots in hell except them.

So I hope members do not think that my posts are targeting the Brahmin community...that was never ever my style since day 1 of my existence in forum.

If I thought that way I would not even be a member here.

I just debate topics that I agree or disagree with.

Dr Renu

Though I am not a regular visitor I know from the few posts that I have read you seem to always reflect a broad minded thinking about all beings, not just human beings.

The posts that reflect prejudice arising out of ignorance are usually obvious except perhaps to the poster

I will be surprised if anyone misinterpreted your posts to be targeting any community.

 

[prasad1]

“upachArAn ApathEsEna kruthAn aharaharmayA apachArAn imAn sarvAn kshamaswa purushOththama” ( புருஷோத்தமனான எம்பெருமானே! உனக்கு உபசாரம் செய்வதாகக்கருதி நான் செய்த அபசாரங்களனைத்தையும் பொறுத்தருளவேண்டும்)

People say lot of things, do they really mean it?
The typical Mafia gangster in movies is a devout catholic. After killing someone, they will go and confess to the priest. Having contributed enough money to the church (I am being sarcastic), the priest will absolve him of all his sins. Having wiped the slate clean, the gangster will go back to his ways.

Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ is an ancient Prakrit phrase literally meaning — may all the evil that has been done be fruitless. It is especially used on the Kshamavani Diwas or Forgiveness Day, celebrated on Samvatsari, the concluding day of the eight or ten day Paryushana festival, one of the main festivals of the Jain community. On this day, Jains request forgiveness from each other for all offences committed. The phrase is also used when a person makes a mistake, or recollects making one in everyday life, or when asking for forgiveness in advance for inadvertent ones.

These jainis are the wealthiest, businessmen. Do you think they do not do shady deals.

 

[prasad1]

"madi", "aacharam" and "anushtaanam".

Do we know the origin of this customs?
In Mr. Sangom's words:

Hence, my submission is that we need not unnecessarily cling on to some "notional" idealistic Bwol and expend our time and energy in trying to preserve that. Let the community find its own equilibrium in the changing world.

http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/general-discussions/6080-relevance-brahmin-way-life-21st-century.html
post#4.

 

[C RAVI]

An analogy of Orthodox Brahmin was used to show how - what he may consider pure and manadatory for his spiritual practices and had to express them in the public while dealing with them, then this Orthodox Brahmin may be found to be intimidating or forbidding others in his daily affairs. Similarly a Satvic existence would be found negatively by Non-Satvic existence out of ignorance / misunderstanding / prejudice.


Thats why "OLD" Orthodox Brahmin has been refered who probably does not exist in this 21st Century.


The analogy used has to be taken considering the bygone days practices without getting into confusion and misunderstanding, such that, people end up digging into the origin and validity of such practices. The analogy was purely in context to the conflict between Satvic and Non-Satvic existence

 

[suraju06]

Mr.Prasad in post #215:

People say lot of things, do they really mean it?
The typical Mafia gangster in movies is a devout catholic. After killing someone, they will go and confess to the priest. Having contributed enough money to the church (I am being sarcastic), the priest will absolve him of all his sins. Having wiped the slate clean, the gangster will go back to his ways.

Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ is an ancient Prakrit phrase literally meaning — may all the evil that has been done be fruitless. It is especially used on the Kshamavani Diwas or Forgiveness Day, celebrated on Samvatsari, the concluding day of the eight or ten day Paryushana festival, one of the main festivals of the Jain community. On this day, Jains request forgiveness from each other for all offences committed. The phrase is also used when a person makes a mistake, or recollects making one in everyday life, or when asking for forgiveness in advance for inadvertent ones.

These jainis are the wealthiest, businessmen. Do you think they do not do shady deals.

Dear Prasad,

You have completely missed my line. The Sanskrit and Tamil sentences I quoted are part of the daily pooja of a devout Hindu.During the pooja shodasa upacharam is done(doopam, Deepam, Archanam etc.,)to the God. All these are done with a total belief that they will please the God. That is why they are called upacharam. But the person doing the pooja does not know whether they really please or displease the God because God is an entity about which we know very little. Yet we choose to worship Him (used here in a gender neutral sense) visualising him in an anthropomorphic form. So the devout being unsure about his upacharam seeks the pardon by using those words. This is one of the saatvic practises of the devout followed every day at the time of pooja in many homes.

It requires extraordinary skill to see in this simple self effacing act of a devout, one who does every apacharam deliberately and then seeks pardon as if bribing God. A confession in a church and the kshama maangna on samvatsari diwas can not compared with this humble act of a devout Hindu for two simple reasons: 1. It is not done through an agent as in a church 2. It is not done once in a while to clear up accumulated sins.
If you have ever gone to a temple and stayed there till the temple is closed at the end of the day, you would have noticed the priest putting his head at the feet of the God and silently praying for 5 minutes before closing the temple. It is this seeking of God’s forgivance that is done at that time. Any amount of scoffing and taunting will not change this practice of the devout because they are saatvic and they do it with a commitment. They just do not care what others think about it. They know what they do.

Cheers.

 

[prasad1]

Mr. Raju sir,
Some how you have equated a Brahmin with Satvic. I think you really missed it.
Guna's and caste do not have to go together.

A temple priest (brahmin) may go through all motions and be only 10% Satvic, 40% rajasic and 50% tamasic or any other combination.

 

[renuka]

I somehow feel this debate is going nowhere.

We humans only want to hear what we want to hear..see what we want to see.

Hardly anyone hears what is supposed to be heard or sees what one is supposed to seen.

No wonder the grammar for this line below is in Imperative Mood..hoping that we MAY hear and see good.


ॐभद्रंकर्णेभिःशृणुयामदेवाः ।
भद्रंपश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः ।

Om Bhadram Karnnebhih Shrnnuyaama Devaah |
Bhadram Pashyema-Akssabhir-Yajatraah |

Om, May we Hear with our Ears what is Auspicious, O Devas,
2: May we See with our Eyes what is Auspicious, O Yajatraa,



Most of our mantras are in Imperative Mood I guess for this reason...hoping we MAY do so and not really definitively sure we would!


Everyone of us is equally guilty in this aspect.

 

[prasad1]

If you have ever gone to a temple and stayed there till the temple is closed at the end of the day, you would have noticed the priest putting his head at the feet of the God and silently praying for 5 minutes before closing the temple.

Sir, forget about going to temple, I have helped build Temples. I have hired temple priest. And you either have an exalted opinion of temple priest, or you live in a parallel world. I have opened and closed temple doors. I used to drive the temple priest from his house to temple. So lectures aside let us stick to the topic.

Temple priest in general a professional like an accountant, or bank officer. In interviews for temple priest there is no test of guna, it is the test of his ability to conduct temple pujas, his interpersonal skill and his salary requirement.

Any way all this talk is totally out of context for this thread.
:focus:

 

[suraju06]

Mr. Raju sir,
Some how you have equated a Brahmin with Satvic. I think you really missed it.
Guna's and caste do not have to go together.

A temple priest (brahmin) may go through all motions and be only 10% Satvic, 40% rajasic and 50% tamasic or any other combination.

Dear Prasad:

Please refer to my posts # 41 and 117.

Not some how. I have equated. If you refer to my posts recalled above you will know why. Brahmin community is a group of people who have chosen to adopt those cultural practices which are conducive to living with sattva guna most of the time in their life. It was a deliberate choice made long long ago in the evolutionary time line and the footprints are discernible in the subsequent generations. Caste has nothing else other than gunas. In my vocabulary caste and brahmin are not dirty words and they have no superior/inferior connotations. To some people those words are like red rags to a bull in the ring bringing out a display of accumulated prejudices.

Hope now it is clear who missed what.

Cheers

 

[renuka]

To some people those words are like red rags to a bull in the ring bringing out a display of accumulated prejudices.

Hope now it is clear who missed what.

Cheers

Dear sir,

Actually I did not want to debate anymore on this topic but the red rag matador bull fighting line here was also used in your reply to my post.

Please do not think that some of us roam around with prejudices.

I have never known any TB in my life in the real sense.

All TB contact I have had was from Forum.

Majority here are fine and have predominance of Sattva.

But there are also some with massive doses of Rajas and Tamas out here itself who keep professing their outlandish love and desires.(via Private Messages)

When I first landed in Forum I was under the impression that TB's are mainly Sattva Guna but now I have come to realize after some personal messages received of the weird kind
that TB's are just like any other community cos similar behaviour patterns are also seen in other communities too.

In each community there is the Good,the Bad and the Ugly.

So all my learning experience about TB's are only from this forum.


Caste was never spoken about in my home..in fact I was not even aware of my caste heritage till very late teens when someone asked me.


The only Brahmins I have known well is my mother and her relatives and they are not Tamil Brahmins.
In fact I never even knew they were Brahmins cos they themselves never spoke about caste.

BTW bulls are color blind..any colored rag can make them mad.

Red is Rajas and might actually stimulate the Matador to be more active.

 

[suraju06]

Dear Prasad,

Sir, forget about going to temple, I have helped build Temples. I have hired temple priest. And you either have an exalted opinion of temple priest, or you live in a parallel world. I have opened and closed temple doors. I used to drive the temple priest from his house to temple. So lectures aside let us stick to the topic

.

What are the qualification for those who conduct the interview of temple priests. 1. They should have helped build temples 2.they should have generally a poor opinion of the temple priests. 3. they should have opened and closed temple doors. 4. they should have helped the temple priest reach the temple by driving them to the temple. This is according to the parallel world in which you may be living.

Dear friend, there is much more to it than what you have known. Please go and take lessons from an expert in Agamas and then come to speak about the required qualification of a temple priest.

Temple priest in general a professional like an accountant, or bank officer. In interviews for temple priest there is no test of guna, it is the test of his ability to conduct temple pujas, his interpersonal skill and his salary requirement.

I know a temple priest in a remote village here in Tamilnadu. The temple is totally neglected by the HR & CE Department who manages all the income coming from the properties of the temple. The temple has substantial properties and the tenants who cultivate never pay the rent. The priest never receives his salary. The village has no other brahmin household. Yet this old brahmin, faithfully gets up in the morning takes his bath in the river and goes to the temple does his pooja without fail. He cooks the nivedhyam in the madappalli and offers it to God and then takes it home. His income comes from the remittance he receives from his son and the contribution from a rare visitor to the village. He was not interviewed by any Dollar earning glitteratti. He lives in his own house. On those days when he becomes ineligible to do pooja, he goes to a nearby village and requests the teacher of that village to take over. On those rare occasions when the temple has to go without the regular pooja, he goes and seeks pardon from God. Of course unpleasant facts like this will be just "lectures" to some.

Now my question to you is this. Where will you put this temple priest? is he a professional like an accountant or a bank officer? Will an accountant or the bank officer serve in his post if you do not pay him? Priests do not work for salary. It is sad that a person on the interview board does not have a proper brief on what he should look for in a candidate.

Any way all this talk is totally out of context for this thread

.

Is it? You can disengage any time.

Cheers.

 

[prasad1]

Dear Prasad,

.
[/COLOR]
What are the qualification for those who conduct the interview of temple priests. 1. They should have helped build temples 2.they should have generally a poor opinion of the temple priests. 3. they should have opened and closed temple doors. 4. they should have helped the temple priest reach the temple by driving them to the temple. This is according to the parallel world in which you may be living.

Dear friend, there is much more to it than what you have known. Please go and take lessons from an expert in Agamas and then come to speak about the required qualification of a temple priest.



I know a temple priest in a remote village here in Tamilnadu. The temple is totally neglected by the HR & CE Department who manages all the income coming from the properties of the temple. The temple has substantial properties and the tenants who cultivate never pay the rent. The priest never receives his salary. The village has no other brahmin household. Yet this old brahmin, faithfully gets up in the morning takes his bath in the river and goes to the temple does his pooja without fail. He cooks the nivedhyam in the madappalli and offers it to God and then takes it home. His income comes from the remittance he receives from his son and the contribution from a rare visitor to the village. He was not interviewed by any Dollar earning glitteratti. He lives in his own house. On those days when he becomes ineligible to do pooja, he goes to a nearby village and requests the teacher of that village to take over. On those rare occasions when the temple has to go without the regular pooja, he goes and seeks pardon from God. Of course unpleasant facts like this will be just "lectures" to some.
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Now my question to you is this. Where will you put this temple priest? is he a professional like an accountant or a bank officer? Will an accountant or the bank officer serve in his post if you do not pay him? Priests do not work for salary. It is sad that a person on the interview board does not have a proper brief on what he should look for in a candidate.

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Is it? You can disengage any time.

Cheers.

Sir,
I think you left the Gunas long way home.
We have revived Temples in TN too. So again please do not have that holier than thou attitude.
I do not know what world you live. This discussions not going anywhere.
I totally disagree with your view that all brahmins are predominantly sattvic.
Every honest person will disagree with you.