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RE: Sri Hayagreeva avtaar

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Mani Varadarajan • August 17, 1998 


>   However , it  is  strongly to be noted that  vyAsar  is  not  writing some fiction  to  teach
>   morals . Such blasphemies are somehow floated around by  many  & its undigestable for
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^

>    we Sri VaishnavAs / devotees  of  Sriman  nArAyanA .   

The word "blasphemy" should not be a part of a SrI vaishnava's
vocabulary, in my humble opinion.  

In this particular instance, are you saying that it is never
the case that our elders, including vyAsa bhagavAn, used
parables to teach us lessons? At least in the vedas, stories
are used often to extol the performance of sacrifice. This
is common in pUrva-mImAmsA, and is known as "pariplavana". 
The story may not have any basis in reality, other than its
underlying significance.

With respect to episodes from the purANa-s, there are some
who accept them wholesale, and some who view them more allegorically
or symbolically, thinking that they signify a truth that does
not depend on the literal reality of the stories. My point is
not to say one is wrong and the other correct. But it does no
good to declare one viewpoint a blasphemy because it disagrees
with one's understanding of sampradAyam -- I think it is safe
to say that, at least among members of this list, no lack of 
reverence and no contempt is shown in either viewpoint.

AzhvAr emberumAnAr dEsikan jIyar tiruvadigaLE saraNam

Thanking you,
daasan
Mani

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