Sri:
Dear BhakthAs :
It is my pleasure to share with you Sriman AMR Kannan Swamy's
posting in the Sri Ranga Sri list .
V.Sadagopan
> Dear Sri Sampige Srinivasa Swamin,
>
> Thank you sharing us about the origin of the word Hebbar. That was very
> informative.
>
> You have also mentioned that Sri Ramanujacharya was not a SriVaishnava
> when he was born and was born to an advaitin. Could you please refer
> some authentic manuscripts regarding this claim? I don't think Sri
> Ramanuja was born to an Advaitin.
>
> We first need to understand the social structure of Sri Ramanuja's days.
> In those days everyone who followed the Vedic (vaidika) religion wore
> only an urdhava pundram and worshipped Sriman Narayana as the supreme
> reality. Some of these vedic (vaidika) people might have followed
> advaita philosophy as well. But the difference between now and then was
> whether you are a advathi or a vishistadvaithi you always wore a urdhva
> pundram and worshipped Sriman Narayana as the supreme reality unlike the
> present scenario. Therefore whatever the difference between the (present
> day) smarthas and (present day) vaishnavas did not exists in those days.
> In fact everyone followed smartha dharmam (the rituals prescribed in
> smrithis) but lived a vaishnavite life. Therefore even if we say that
> Sri Ramanuja was born in a smartha family, we need to clearly understand
> that the present smartha-vaishnava grouping did not exist in those days.
> For example those smarthas did not wear thri-pundram. They might have
> used thiruman, srichurnam or sandal or gopi or something else to wear an
> urdhva pundram. Another example is those smarthas did not accept other
> deities as supreme reality.
>
> Adiyen still remember the words of Sri Velukkudi Varadhacharyar Swami
> during one of his upanyasams in Tiruvallikkeni. Swami said, "Vaidikas
> (those who follow vedic religion) may dispute among themselves whether
> Advaita is the vedic philosophy, or Vishistadvaita is the vedic
> philosophy or Dvaita is the vedic philosophy. But these vaidikas will
> never dispute whether Sriman Narayana is the supreme reality or some
> other deity is the ultimate truth. Because Sriman Narayana's supremacy
> is what vedic philosophy and that is what all vaidikas including
> Advaitis, Vishishtadvaitis and Dvaitis believe." But of course the
> present day situation is different. We should not gauge those days with
> present day's standards.
>
> Now the question comes, how do we know for sure? We need to read the
> great works done by those acharyas. For example, Sri Adhi
> Shankaracharya's Brahma Sutra Bhashayam (in particular 2nd chapter
> (Avirodhathyayam, Dharga Padham) will be a good place to start about Sri
> Shankaracharya's position on various religions practiced in his days.
> Similarly, Sri Shankaracharya's Sri Gita Bhashayam and Sri Vishnu
> Sahasranama Bhashayam would be equally good to read in order to
> understand his philosophy.
>
> But if we want to know the essence of these writings, there are two
> excellent books written by Puththur Sri Sudharshanam Sri
> Krishnamachariyar Swami entitled: 1. Sanga Kala Tamizhar Samayam 2.
> Shankararum Vainavamum. These two books were written with authenticity.
> These books are in Tamil. So, someone needs to translate them for
> everyone to read. They are truly eye-openers for many misconceived
> thoughts.
>
> Adiyen Ramanujadasan Kannan
>
>
>>===== Original Message From "Sampige Srinivasa" <sampiges@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> =====
>>Dear Sri. Balaji,
>>
>>Yes Hebbar Iyengars were not originally Srivaishnavas as you said and
> also
>>it is true that even Sri. Ramanujacharya was not a Srivaishnava when he
> was
>>born. He was born to an advaitin! So when Ramanuja preached
> Vishistadvaita,
>>Srivaishnavism became popular in Tamilnadu and as you said, when
>>Sri.Ramanjua fled from TN and settled in Karnataka for 12 long years it
>>spread to Southern Parts of Karnataka.
>>
>>The details of Hebbar Srivaishnava origin was published long back in
> the
>>Hebbar Srivaishnava magazine called "Hebbar Kshema" and I remember
> reading
>>this. Also a historical novel written by Smt. Neeladevi about the life
> of
>>Ramanjuja in Karnataka named "Dhanya" gives similar answers to the
> orgin of
>>Hebbar Srivaishnavas
>>
>>During the time when ramanjuja was in Tondanur(Tonnur) near Melukote, a
>>group of elderly Kannada Brahmins came to Ramanjua and offered to
> convert to
>>Srivaishnava Religion impressed by Ramanujas philosophy of
> Vishistadvaita.
>>Ramanjua affectionately called the group of Hiriya Haruva(Elderly
> Brahmin
>>Kannadigas) as Hebbar and thus originated the sect called Hebbar
>>Sivaishnava(Iyengars). So Hebbar Srivaishnavas are originally Kannada
>>Brahimins(Advaitins) who got converted to Srivaishnavas impressed by
> the
>>teachings of Sri. Ramanuja and not of backward Caste as you said.
>>
>>Ramanuja asked them to settle in different places of the Hoysala
>>Kingdom(Current South Karnataka) and thus you can find many Hebbar
>>Srivaishnavas mainly in the souther districts of Karnatka especially,
>>Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya, Tumkur, Hassan, Kolar and Chamarajanagar
>>districts.
>>
>>They have their kuladaivams or Haath perumal in different places of
> these
>>districts. for more info. Please visit
> www.karnatkavaishanavatemples.net
>><http://www.karnatkavaishanavatemples.net/>
>>
>>Since their mother tongue was Kannada they still have the affliction
> towards
>>kannada. Gradually they learnt to speak Tamil mainlyu to learn the
> Divya
>>Prabhandams.
>>
>>But still Hebbar Srivaishnavas cannot read and write in Tamil. They
> read the
>>Ramanujas philosophical works and Alwars divya prabhandams translated
> to
>>Kannada or English. But they recite Nalayara divyaprabhandams in
> Temples in
>>Karnataka forming Gostis. They are called Melnatu Iyengars as they are
>>residing in the High plateau of Karnataka. Another sect called Keelnatu
>>Iyengars are those who migrated to Karnataka from Tamilnadu, which is
> lower
>>than the Plateau of Karnataka.
>>
>>I request any one in the groups who can give more info on a unique sect
>>called Hebbar Srivaishnavas of Karnataka.
>>
>>Om namO nArAyanAya
>>Sampige Srinivasa Iyengar
>>Bengalooru
>>
>
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