New member introduction

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 12, 1995


     Dear BhAgavathoththamAs,

     Adiyen DilIpa Sharman's pranAmams. I am new to this group and as is
     customary, would like to introduce myself first. For a jeevanam, I
     work as a Software Consultant for Bell Atlantic Information Systems at
     Maryland. I hail from Sarukkai (you guessed right - BharatanAtyam
     danceuse MAlavika is also from there), a village in Tamilnadu. But I
     was born in the temple town of Sri Rangam - the Booloka Vaikuntham.
     Being born in the Thenkalai SriVaishnavaite tradition, I had a
     natural interest in Temple worship, AzhwArs, their arulichchayals,
     devotion to AchAryAs and their works. Sri Rangam's world famous
     Vaikuntha EkAdasi is an event that I have sadly missed in the past 3
     years, especially VEdupari, an event to commemorate the divine meeting
     of the Lord and Thirumangai AzhwAr. I also miss the arayar sEvai (a
     group of temple singers sitting in front of the Utsavar and singing
     his praise through the Tamil Vedas - the Prabandam). I am trained in
     ThiruvArAdanam (a daily worship routine of NamperumAL) in the
     Thenkalai tradition and can recite well many of the Sookthams, Rudram,
     Chamakam and Prashnams, through God's grace. My favourite pastime is
     composing Sanskrit and Tamil poetry and songs on PerumaL and ThAyAr. I
     am particularly fond of using slEdais (puns) in Tamil while composing.
     Inspiration for this stems from the great works of AzhwAr/AchAryAs. I
     also indulge in quite a bit of svAdyAyam. My other interests are
     Carnatic Music (weakness for kritis on Lord Ranganathar) and
     Yoga/Naturopathy. Our family deity is Lord GOpAlakrishnar, residing in
     our own temple at KodiyAlam, a tiny village near SriRangam. DilIpan is
     only a prayoga name. My actual name is RanganAthan.

     I would like to wait and observe the kind of articles written and
     views expressed by other members of this group, before beginning to
     contribute what I can. As far as possible, I would like to avoid
     controversial topics and discuss more on SriVaishnavaite events in
     India/here, Tamil/Sanskrit poetry, VedAs/ItihAsAs/PurAnAs, life and
     teachings of SriVaishnavaite saints/AchAryAs. I would also love to
     contribute to adding more of our literature on the web. Other mundane
     details about me are as below.

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     aRRathu paRRenil uRRathu veeduyir, seRRathu mannuril aRRiRaippaRRe.

                                                - NammAzhwAr

     Dilipan Krishnaswamy,                      Home Address:
     Bell Atlantic Information Systems,         11926, Beltsville Dr., #15,
     11720, Beltsville Dr., Beltsville,         Beltsville, MD 20705.
     MD 20705.                                  Tel: (301)572-4329
     Bus: (301)595-7734
     Fax: (301)595-1455                    presently: (301)474-4344
     email: krish.dilipan@bell-atl.com

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