Sri:
namo Narayana
Srimthe Ramanujaya Namah
Dear all,
Here is a forwarded message from another group called Krishna Bhagavan. Nice
interview with Tirupati chief priest.
Adiyen
dasan
Sri Venkatesaya Namah !
Dr. A.V. Ramana Dikshitulu is the head Priest at the Balaji temple in
Tirupati . He is deeply respected by his peers for honoring his family Vedic
tradition . Sri Ramana holds a doctorate in molecular biology and is an
inimitable authority on the "Agamas" , the crucially important Vedic
scriptures. Hinduism Today's Rajiv Malik had the rare opportunity to interview
this distinguished Vedic Priest . Sri Ramana talks about the "Agamas" , the
heritage of his forefathers and why he and his sons chose to honor their family
tradition .
Can you please describe the "Vaikhanasa Agama" and explain why it is
important ?
The Agamas in general are revered along with the Vedas as primary Hindu
scripture . All of the Agamas elucidate the science of ritual, but the
"Vaikhanasa Agama" is unique in that it gives more detail concerning the
performance of ritual, both in the temple and in the home . The "Vaikhanasa
Agama" , written by Sage Vikhanasa, is one of four main "Vaishnava Agamas" . It
was spread around the world by his four famous disciples : Marichi, Bhrigu,
Kashyapa and Atri . It includes procedures for the consecration of a temple and
its Deity of worship, as well as explanations for how this consecration absorbs
the primal power from the universe to bring it into the main sanctum of the
temple . The message of the Agamas is that the essence of ritual is
power--spiritual power. Through ritual, the great, universal essence of life
itself is brought into a temple Deity, where it then must be maintained without
dilution or pollution.
Can you give us more detail on the contents of the Vaikhanasa Agama ?
The "Vaikhasana Agama" exists in two parts . The first part deals with
rituals that are done in the temple and to the Deity . The second part deals
with purification ceremonies that a priest must undergo in order to qualify to
serve in the temple .
The temple rituals are designed to keep the laymen's physical senses
satisfied . This is done by making the process personal . All of this is laid
out in the "Vaikhasana Agama" . It describes how the Deity is treated as we
would like to be treated ourselves . He is put to sleep at night and awakened
in the morning . He is given a bath and dressed in fine silks, jewelled
ornaments and fragrant flowers . He is fed a variety of fine foods . Finally,
he is carried in grand procession around the temple . As we all know, the
dearest thing to man is man . We know God will be happy if we do for Him what
we would do for ourselves .
Can anyone study the "Vaikhanasa Agama" ?
Although the "Vaikhanasa Agama" is available to be read by anyone who knows
Sanskrit, it is not easily understood, even by Sanskrit scholars, because of
its coded language . The verses have double meanings . The valuable inner
meanings can only be perceived by those who meditate deeply upon the verses .
Even then, only those at a certain level of spiritual evolution can grasp the
deepest meaning . We conduct workshops to stimulate this understanding in our
Priests .
Does the Vaikhanasa Agama delineate the training of Priests ?
Yes, it does . It deals with how a priest should be brought up and how a
Priest should be purified by rituals even while he is in the womb of his mother
. For the unborn Priest , the training and purification process begins from the
mother's eighth month of pregnancy . At this time, a ceremony called the "
shanka chakra ankita " is performed . The purpose of this ceremony is to
sanctify the unborn child to become a Priest after birth . We do this ritual in
the home of the mother . It is not a public event .
Are the principles of the "Vaikhanasa Agama " to be implemented only by
Priests ?
This Agama is for people who have no other purpose on Earth but to worship
Lord Vishnu . Yes, it is for Priests-- Priests who will take up no other
vocation . Take me, for example . I am a doctor in molecular biology . Yet , I
am a Priest . My elder son is an expert in computers and has a college degree
in finance and marketing . My second son is an electrical engineer, and my
third son is a bio-chemist . Yet they are also Priests . Like me, they serve
here in the Balaji temple in Tirumala . Our education is simply a matter of
interest--like a hobby . We are Priests by profession, and will be so until we
die .
Is this Priesthood in Tirumala hereditary only ?
Yes, our tradition must be maintained hereditarily . Conversions are not
allowed . Vaikanasas are from South India, but they can migrate to other places
. In Rishikesh we have our own TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) temple .
There are nearly 2,000 temples around the world where our Priests can do work .
All of these temples were set up later than this temple here in Tirumala .
Can you please tell us more about the training of your Priests ?
In our families, the Priests get training from their parents, who are also
Priests . From their earliest childhood they are going to the temple .
According to the "Vaikhanasa Agama" , all of the rituals conducted in the
temples are also performed in the home . Every Priest's home has a shrine room
of its own, with sacred Murtis (Deities) inherited from ancestors . The father
gives both the theoretical and the practical training to the children .
I insist to our younger generation of Priests that they have their full
"Agama" training in addition to whatever other education they choose to
receive in college . With this preparation, they are qualified to become
full-fledged Priests . I also insist that they honor their commitment to their
Priesthood so that they can pass that heritage on to their children . This
includes leading a pure life and following the dress code and food restrictions
set down in the "Agamas" .
Is the younger generation willingly following your lead in maintaining this
time-honored tradition ?
There are some problems, but not because of a lack of sincerity . If our
smart, young, qualified Priests are not receiving payment and respect matching
that which they might find in other professions for which they could qualify
due to extensive college education, we can expect them to be tempted to forego
their heritage . All of the senior Priests of Tirumala recently sat together to
discuss this very matter, and we came to the conclusion that we must insist to
all of our young people that they work in our temple as Priests, regardless of
what they are paid . Money must be secondary . We have already told them this .
We now have around sixty Priests working in the temple, and every one is happy .
From your perspective as a priest, how may devotees receive their greatest
benefit from a pilgrimage to Tirumala ?
If we pray to such a powerful Lord as Balaji for minor things like a
promotion, a transfer, a seat in medical college or a marriage proposal, it is
possible that these wishes will be granted . But making such requests is like
asking for a spoonful of water from an ocean . There is something so much
greater to be had here : spiritual evolution . Through the ages, man has
evolved both technically and spiritually . However, further spiritual evolution
must now take place, for man is still spiritually primitive . It is natural
during this Kali Yuga (age of darkness) that we be more attracted to worldly
pleasures and ignore spiritual pursuits . To have even a preliminary
understanding of the spiritual path during these difficult times depends
largely upon one's personal " karmas " . These are "karmas" brought over from
previous births .
Should everyone hear about the spiritual path, even if some are not yet ready
to follow it ?
Yes, and we can do more to spread this message here at Tirupati . We can and
we should do more . Many believe that just coming to the temple, receiving the
Lord's darshan (sight) and getting a few pieces of the prasadam (food
sacraments) is the main target of a pilgrimage . Of course, they take this
approach because they have not been taught anything else . We have to convey
the proper attitudes of worship here at the TTD . First we must teach the
spiritual importance of this sacred place .
Can you give an example that illustrates the power of Tirumala ?
A woman from Bangalore came to this temple and asked me to bless her sister
in London who was very ill with what had been described by doctors as the final
stages of cancer . She said that the doctors had given her only 90 days to live
. This woman was crying as she me told me all this . She pleaded with me to do
something . I told her that I couldn't do anything myself, but perhaps Lord
Balaji might be able to . I gave a little "prasadam" from the temple, along
with some "holy water" and a small picture of Balaji . I told her to send that
picture to London immediately . Today that girl in London, who was given only
ninety days to live, has been alive and well for more than two years, and her
condition is steadily improving .
Can you tell us a little about your own experience here at the temple ?
Every instant is precious to me . For every moment that I have spent here, I
thank the Lord and pray that He keeps me in this place until my dying breath .
To touch the Deity and to worship Him, to give Him His sacred bath, to feed
Him, to dress Him and to decorate Him --for all of this, I am so very grateful
. I am grateful to my ancestors who prayed that their progeny should live in
the service of the Lord , and I am grateful to God .
For me, religion is also a science of a higher order . Unfortunately, there
are no scientific instruments yet created that can measure the power of
religion . However, in the "Agamas" --particularly in the "Vaikhanasa Agama"
--there are ways to measure spiritual energy . Everything that happens in the
temple can be explained "Agamically" . The study of the "Agamas" also
comprises a great part of my personal experience in this temple . For the
"Agamas" , I am also grateful .
What is your message to the Hindu Community around the world ?
The Vedas say, " Let us live together, let us eat together and let us seek
the truth together ." This ancient scripture invites all human
beings--regardless of creed, caste, age or sex--to live harmoniously and seek
the truth . It is the duty of every human being, at least every Hindu, to obey
this message, to try and live in peace with one another .
Lord Balaji, with His left hand folded over the left knee and His right hand
pointing down, conveys the unspoken message that if you come and surrender at
His feet and leave everything to Him, He will make the ocean of life only knee
deep for you so that you can easily walk through it to the bank of salvation on
the other side . That is the message of Lord Balaji . Let us surrender at His
holy feet for the sake of salvation .
Balaji tells us that there is a power greater than human power . When a
devotee steps into the temple, he can feel this power emanating from Balaji's
own self-manifested image . Through time, so many Sages and Seers have come
here to worship this God . The spiritual vibrations of these great souls remain
here . They are so strong that anyone can feel them . When we personally feel
this permanent spiritual bliss of Balaji, we do not need to be told that the
physical plane is not permanent . We know this truth as a fact that requires no
proof .
May Lord Balaji bless you all !!!!
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:SriRangaSri-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:SriRangaSri-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |