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From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 18, 1996


The recent discussions in Bhakti are more interesting.
Some remarks:
1. Acarams and rituals: Are they the sole requirement?
 I thoguht the greatest contribution of Ramanuja was 
 the opening of the path to heaven for those not well
versed or permited to practice yagnas or for that matter
 know Sanskrit. His procalmation of "Om Namo Narayanaya"
from the temple top effectively showed the way. After all
one has to be twiceborn for the sandhayavandanam.
2. I cannot empathise with the view that lack of
birth as a Indian bars one from scholarship in Vaishana-
vism. We seem to quote Westerners if there are favoorable
comments. My intake of most of the Hindu philosophy is
thru English. I consider my knowledge of Tamil and 
Sanskrit meagre and have to use English. One could
call it a curse or poorvajanma karma, but that is 
what I am stuck with. 
3. I have reading the history of philosophy and was
stuck by the Greek concepts which are similar to
Hinduism, three gunas etc. The writer seems to have
missed it. Is this because all the civilization 
was supposed to haevstarted in the Euphrates valley/
May be I am including subjcts outside the Bhakti
interest. If so please disregard thes.
Krishna Praba.