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From: Kasturi Varadarajan (kvaradar_at_cs.uiowa.edu)
Date: Wed Oct 04 2000 - 12:36:59 PDT
Hi,
Mani in his nice post wrote:
<The main problem is confusing these colorful accounts with morality tales.
It is worth pointing out that not a single
pUrvAcArya mentions this killing episode, nor does anyone teach that
the more interesting episodes of the Alvar's life are
worth emulating. Even today, the charitram of this Alvar is mentioned
more for entertainment value than for
meaning-making. We have to accept them for what they are -- stories for
the purpose of elaborating on the intensity of the
Alvar's affection for Lord Ranganatha.>
I would like to add that the charitram of thirumangai also illustrates
that the lord chose to shower his grace on thirumangai for no
apparent qualification/credentials that the alwar had. This does come
out in mani's post:
<In Tirumangai's case, by his own admission he led a life of debauchery
and indulgence before he was gifted the sacred
eight-syllabled Narayana mantra, the ashTAkshara.>
-Kasturi
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- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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