Sri Deva Sthanam

Where Faith and Scholarship Meet

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Vadakalai/Tenkalai Doctrinal Differences

Ramanuja Acarya
(1017-1137 A.D.)

Page 4 – Vadakalai/Tenkalai Doctrinal Differences

The divisions that developed within the Sri Vaisnava community in the centuries after Ramanuja are the result of doctrinal differences, the roots of which, can be traced back to the time of the Alvars and the acaryas. The actual split into two schools, the Vadakalai and the Tenkalai did not occur until the time of Manavala Mamuni in the 17th century. Sometimes the terms vadakalaiand tenkalai are translated as the Northern and the Southern schools, but no geographical distinctions are apparent today. In place of the terms “vadakalai” and “tenkalai,” the expressions “Kanchi acaryas” and “Srirangam acaryas,” have also been used. These expressions illustrate some of the post-Ramanuja history within Sri Vaisnavaism. They shed light on how the differences between the two schools may have developed. After Ramanuja two camps ofSri Vaisnava scholars arose. One group, located in Kanchi became known for its Sanskrit scholarship, probably because Kanchi was a great center of Sanskrit learning in ancient times.  People of all religious traditions lived there, and debate between Sri Vaisnavas and non-Sri Vaisnavas was active. Hence, the greater of use of Sanskrit and Sanskrit ideas by the “Kanchi acaryas,” the northerners who eventually became the “Vadakalai.”

The other group was located in Srirangam, which was a purely Vaisnava center. Here, popular Vaisnavaism was more prominent than the Sanskrit-oriented Vaisnavaism that had to constantly defend itself from opposing schools. Hence, there was more opportunity for the public use of the Divya Prabandhams and the general bhakti literature in Tamil. In this area the local Tamil language was at least as prominent as Sanskrit.

Naturally, with such differences in intellectual climate and language, came differences in philosophical interpretation. A work entitled, Astadasabheda-nirnaya by Vatsya Ranganatha describes eighteen points of doctrinal differences. Here I briefly list the ten important of these differences.

1. God’s Mercy.

Vadakalais emphasize the need of the individual soul to actually perform an act of surrender to God. Some positive gesture is necessary on the part of the soul to deserve the grace of God and attain moksa.

Tenkalais emphasize the greatness and overwhelming grace of the Lord to “save His own”, and therefore speak more of the attitude of surrender than the act of surrender. Tenkalais feel that performing “an act of surrender” is inappropriate since the soul is offering itself to God when in actuality it already belongs to God. Besides, not even the physical act of surrendering can force the Lord to save the soul. God saves the soul on His own initiative; and the devotee should not try to force Him. God’s grace is spontaneous and He can grant moksa to anyone He wishes.

2. The Status of Laksmi

Vadakalais believe that Laksmi is the means for attaining salvation as much as the Lord Himself and that she has the role as a mediator (purusa-kara). Like the Lord, She is infinite and partakes of the nature of the paramatma as much as the Lord.

Tenkalais believe that Laksmi is a jivatma like other souls and that she has no independent power to grant moksa. They do, however, accept that she is a special soul who can intercede on behalf of ordinary souls to recommend them for moksa.

3. Regarding Kaivalya (Oneness with God)

(Sri Vaisnavas regard kaivalya as a state of oneness with God wherein individual identity is lost.)

Vadakalais view kaivalya as a state that is inferior to residence in Vaikuntha.Kaivalya is a condition that is non-eternal and exists outside of Vaikuntha.

Tenkalaisaccept that kaivalya is an eternal position within realm of Vaikuntha. They say, however, that kaivalya only exists at the outer most regions of Vaikuntha.

4. Bhakti and Prapatti

Vadakalais accept both bhakti and prapatti as a direct means for attainingmoksa. They believe, however, that bhakti is more difficult and slow. Prapatti,on the other hand, is easy and immediate.

Tenkalais do not accept any means for attaining moksa because the individual soul is completely incapable of properly adopting bhakti or prapatti. Moksa can only be obtained through God’s causeless mercy.

5. Prapatti

ForVadakalais prapatti is a specific act of surrender by the soul to God (paramatma)

For Tenkalais no specific act is necessary. All that is required is knowledge of the nature of the soul and a mental acceptance of God’s grace in granting salvation (moksa).

6. Sin (papa)

Vadakalais believe that when a soul surrenders, the Lord forgives the sins committed by that soul and grants moksa.

Tenkalais believe that the sins of a soul are a source of joy for the Lord, who relishes them like a cow licking the dirt off the body of its calf.

7. Obligatory Duties such as Daily Prayers (sandhya-vandanam)

Vadakalais believe that obligatory duties are laid down by sastra. They are the Lord’s commandments. Neglect of such rules is a breach of instruction and will render the striving soul (prapanna) liable for punishment.

Tenkalaisbelieve that a highly evolved soul has no need to follow obligatory duties. Such a person does, however, continue to perform them in order to set an example for less evolved souls.

8. Interpretation of the words “sarva dharman parityajya” in thecarama-sloka (BG 18.66)

Vadakalais believe that dharma as it is used in this verse refers to the 32 vidyasof bhakti-yoga that have been relinquished up by the surrendered soul (prapanna).

Tenkalais interpret this to mean, ” First, give up your duties and then take shelter of God.”

9. The Lord’s Grief at the Suffering of Souls

Vadakalais say that one can have grief only when one cannot remove the suffering of another. But, since the Lord is capable of removing suffering, there is no need for Him to grieve.

Tenkalais say that God feels pain upon seeing the sufferings of souls. They cite examples from the Ramayana where Sri Rama grieves over the misery of others.

10. Vedic Statements Describing God as both Infinitesimal and Gigantic

Vadakalais say that statements that describe God as smaller than the atom is an example of God’s immanence (antar-vyapti). Those statements that describe Him as the greatest are understood in the sense that He pervades and surrounds everything. This is an example of God’s transcendence (bahir vyapti).

Tenkalais say that God’s seemingly contradictory nature as both minuscule and immense are examples of God’s special powers (agatitha-ghatana–samartya) that enable Him to accomplish the impossible.

[In fact, most people only see the difference between to two groups of SriVaisnavas in terms of the application of the white clay tilaka marks. (SeeTilaka.) The Vadakalais form their tilaka marks in the shape of a “U.” The Tenkalai form their tilaka mark in the form of a “Y.” See accompanying photos. It is unfortunate that some later day enthusiasts of the two branches went to the extreme of putting their respective tilaka on the forehead of the temple elephant. This even led the Sri Vaisnavas the dispute the matter in court!]

Bibliography

Vatsya Ranganatha, Astadasabheda-nirnaya. Edited and translated by Suzanne Siauve. Pondichery: Intitut Francais D ‘Indologie Pondichery, 1978

Shukavak N. Dasa

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Legal Issues When Hiring Temple Staff

 

Duties of Temple Trustees

Non Profit Boards are being held to higher levels of legal accountability. The thought of being sued while doing good is an offense to many, but the threat is justified. A board that conscientiously discharges its responsibility has nothing to fear. It is not endangered by a process, which penalizes less scrupulous organizations.

To avoid or successfully defend against an allegation of negligent selection a mandir must demonstrate that it used reasonable care in the selection of priests, employees, and volunteers.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Religious organizations can discriminate on the basis of religion in their employment decisions. This means that temple can consider only persons of their own faith when hiring both priests and lay workers. Religious organizations are permitted this form of discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But religious organizations are not exempt from the ban on discrimination in their employment decisions based on race, color, national origin, or sex.

Immigration Reform and Control Act

Every employer in the United States must confirm the identity of all new employees and verify that they are either American citizens or aliens legally authorized to work in this country. All religious organizations are subject to these rules.

Sexual molestation

Although no one likes to touch on this issue, many religious organizations have found it an unhappy reality. Temples and temple leaders face legal liability for the negligent selection of priests, temple employees, and volunteer workers. Today several thousand allegations of sexual abuse occur annually with both Protestant and Catholic churches and the resulting lawsuits can result in astronomical judgements. Increasingly, religious leaders find themselves named as defendants in these cases. Plaintiffs allege that the religious organization and its leaders did little or nothing to screen priests or other temple workers during the selection process.

Negligent Selection–Other Cases

Temples can be liable on the basis of negligent selection in other situations besides sexual misconduct. For example, assume that a temple allows an individual to drive a number of persons in a temple vehicle to a temple function and the driver’s negligence causes an accident. Persons injured in the accident learn that the temple did nothing to check the driver’s record. Had it done so, it would have discovered that the driver had been convicted of four moving traffic violations in the past year. The temple may be liable for the accident victims’ injuries on the basis of negligent selection.

How can temples reduce the risk of liability based on negligent selection?

• Employment applications
• Interviews
• Reference checks
• Criminal records checks
• No second chance. Temple managers may feel they should “show mercy” when making employment decisions. This attitude can contribute to a negligent selection claim if a temple gives an applicant a second chance despite the knowledge of prior misconduct and the misconduct is repeated.

This article only touches on the legal aspects of hiring priests and mandir employees. For comprehensive information Christian Ministry Resources is an excellent source of materials covering religious organization legal and tax issues. They can provide an employment application, interview questions, a Pinkerton Employment Verification Form (Criminal records check) and thorough up-to-date information on the legal aspects of the hiring process.

Order Selecting and Screening Church Workers and an application booklet from:
Christian Ministry Resources
PO Box 2301
Matthews, NC 28106
704-821-3845
8:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. eastern time, Monday-Friday
Fax 704-821-3872
Employment/Screening Forms

As with the use of any employment form, a temple is always advised to have such a form reviewed by a competent attorney. Laws change on a continuing basis and vary from one state and city to another.

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The North Indian Wedding

The North Indian Wedding  

 

Introduction to Hinduism

Hindus believe in the existence of a Supreme Being. This Being is described in the Vedas (scripture) as “unmanifest, unthinkable, and unchanging.” The Supreme Being manifests in this world in different forms and at different times as Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, etc. Hindus also believe that the soul is divine and eternal. It is neither created nor destroyed, but is reborn through many lifetimes in this world. When a soul has found release from this cycle of rebirth is it said to have achieved liberation (moksha).

Hindus also accepts all religions as true and valid paths to God. In theBhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says, “Whenever there is a decline indharma (righteousness) and an increase in adharma (unrighteousness), at that time I manifest Myself.” In this way, all religions are seen as the manifestation of the Divine into this world.

The Hindu Wedding

The traditional Hindu wedding is a deeply meaningful and symbolic combination of rituals and traditions. It is a ceremony that is about 4000 years old. Each phase of the ceremony has a symbolic, philosophical, and spiritual meaning. The ceremony not only to joins the souls of the bride and groom, but also creates a strong tie between two families. The ceremony is traditionally performed in Sanskrit, which is the language of ancient India and Hinduism. Today the ceremony will be performed both in Sanskrit and English. The following sequence of rituals represents the highlights of the ceremony.

The Sanskrit word for marriage is vivaha, which literally means “what supports or carries.” The Vivaha ceremony is therefore a sacred ceremony meant to create a union that supports and carries a man and woman throughout their married life in the pursuit of righteousness (dharma).

Mangala Vadyam

The wedding ceremony begins with Mangala Vadyam, or the playing of the auspicious Shenai, a trumpet-like instrument. 

Milanam

The bride’s family greets the groom. He receives the red tilaka (red powder) mark on his forehead signifying the Lord’s blessing upon him. He is led to the, wedding canopy (mandapa)  under which the ceremony will take place.

Kashi Yatra

For a higher spiritual purpose the groom is given a final opportunity to leave before the bride enters. He is asked if he would like to abandon worldly life and lead the life of an ascetic. The father of the bride requests the groom not to leave, but to stay and marry his daughter.

Kanya Gamanam/Jaya Mala

The bride, hidden behind a curtain, is escorted to the mandapam.  The groom may be teased about the bride he has not yet seen.  The priest will lower the curtain and the bride and groom will shower each other with rice.  The rice represents prosperity, but is also said to establish dominance in the marriage.  The person who throws the rice first will be the most authoritative in the marriage!  The bride and groom exchange flower garlands signifying their acceptance of each other.

Ganesha Puja

The wedding ceremony begins with the worship of Shri Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and provider of good luck. All traditional Hindu ceremonies begin with invocation of  Ganesha.  Other pujas are also performed evoking the presence of other forms God to preside over the wedding ceremony.

Kanya Danam

Kanya Danam literally means the “giving of the bride”. The parents of the bride place hands of their daughter into the hands of the groom. The bride’s parents ask the groom to except their daughter as his equal partner throughout life. The groom greatfully accepts.

Vivaha Homam

The great messenger of the Gods, Agnideva the fire God, is evoked to witness the proceedings.  The priest lights a sacred fire in the presence of the bride and groom.  Throughout the ceremony, the bride, groom and the priest add ghee, clarified butter, to the fire to keep it burning.  Rice and other ingredients are added to the fire at various times.

Pani Grahanam

The bride and groom hold hands as a symbol of their union.

Granthi Bandhanam

The bride and groom exchange seats, as a married woman is given a place of honor at her husband’s left side.  One corner of groom’s shawl is tied to the end of the brides sari.  This signifies the union of two souls. 

Aajya Homam

The groom places offerings of ghee into the sacred fire, asking for the protection of the bride.

Ashma Kramana/ Laaja Homam

The bride places her right foot onto a stone and with the assistance of her brothers makes offerings of puffed rice into the sacred fire, asking for the protection of her husband. The stone symbolizes the earth. The act of placing the bride’s foot upon the stone means that she should become strong and fixed like the earth.

Druva Darshana

The bride and groom gaze up at the pole star (Druvaloka) and meditate on stability in the marriage union. Each night as the stars rotate in the sky, the pole star always remains fixed. In the same way as life is constantly changing the union of the bride and groom should remain fixed like the pole star, Druvaloka.

Pradakshinam

The bride and groom walk around the holy fire four times, symbolizing the walk of life. Human life is seen to have four great goals calledpurusharthas: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. The bride leads the groom through the first three rounds while the groom leads the bride through the last round. The first round represents the attainment ofdharma, or righteous conduct and the fulfillment of civic and religious responsibilities. The second round is for the attainment of artha, the accumulation of wealth and prosperity. This leads to the third round which is for the attainment of kama, life’s enjoyments. Finally, the bride and groom exchange places and the groom leads the bride around the fire on the fourth round enacting the attainment of moksha,  life’s spiritual values.

Saptapadi

The bride and groom take seven steps together, symbolizing the beginning of their journey through life as partners.  These seven steps reflect their guiding principles in life.  As they take each step, the bride and groom exchange the following vows:       

Together we will:

Share in the responsibility of the home

Fill our hearts with strength and courage

Prosper and share our worldly goods

Fill our hearts with love, peace, happiness, and spiritual values

Be blessed with loving children

Attain self-restraint and longevity

Be best friends and eternal partners

Sindura Danam

The groom places a special red powder between the parting of the bride’s hair. This red line identifies the bride as a married woman. 

Mangalya Dharanam/Ring Exchange

The groom gives the bride a mangala sutra, a necklace made of gold and onyx, which also identifies her as a married woman. The mangala sutrais the equivalent of the wedding ring, which may also be exchanged at this time.

Declaration

The bride and groom make an oath to each other declaring that they love each other and will remain devoted to each other through all times.

Purusha Sukta Homam

The priest chants an ancient hymn of praise to God while the couple places offerings of rice and ghee into the fire. This act of worship is the couple’s first act of dharma as husband and wife.

Prasadam

The newly married couple feed each other sweets representing their first meal together.

Purnaahuti

This is the final offering to God before concluding the wedding ceremony.

Aashirvaad

The priest gives blessings to the couple.  The newly married couple then seeks the blessings of the priest and family and friends. The family and friends bestow their blessings by showering them with flower petals.

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mangal sutra

Bride wearing mangal sutra (wedding necklace)

 

mangal sutra

Close up of the mangal sutra

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British Orientalism

Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinoda

British Orientalism

British Orientalism (1772 to 1835) was a unique phenomenon in British Indian history that was inspired by the needs of the East India Company to train a class of British administrators in the languages and culture of India. This period of British Indian began in 1772 with the coming to power of Warren Hastings (1732–1818), the first and perhaps most famous of the British governors general of India. This period of British Orientalism marks the formative years of a century of intense intellectual, religious and social change in Bengal that in now known as the Bengal Renaissance.


For the most part, the British Orientalists were a unique group who reflected the eighteenth century ideals of rationalism, classicism, and cosmopolitanism. Unlike many later British officers serving in India, the Orientalists were appreciative of the ancient religious and cultural traditions of classical India. Consequently, they made significant contributions to the fields of Indian philology, archeology, and history. The idea that traditional oriental learning could be combined with the rationalism of the West was the inspiration of British Orientalism. Intellectually it was one of the most powerful ideas of nineteenth century India.


In 1800 Governor General Wellesley established the College of Fort William as a training center in Calcutta for those company servants who would be employed in the field. The idea behind the college was the perceived need to understand Indian culture as a basis for sound Indian administration. In the words of Warren Hastings, “to rule effectively, one must love India; to love India, one must communicate with her people; to communicate with her people, one must acquire her languages.” The College of Fort William became the effective vehicle of British Orientalism in India for the next two and a half decades.


Under the auspices of the College of Fort William, an elaborate and expensive program of literary patronage and research was undertaken. Faculty were trained, language instruction was initiated, an extensive library was established, and books were published in Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Hindi, Persian, and Sanskrit. The college hired numerous traditional Persian and Sanskrit scholars along with European academics. Over a hundred Sanskrit texts alone were translated and published by the college. Indeed, the effects of British Orientalism on Bengal were revolutionary. The College of Fort William was the first institution of its kind in India to employ the tools of modern comparative philology, textual criticism and historical analysis on a vast scale in conjunction with traditional learning.


The fruits of Orientalism, although intended to serve the needs of company servants and European academics, had a profound impact on Bengal’s intellectual and cultural elite, the bhadraloka. For the first time the bhadraloka gained a systematic overview of its Sanskrit Hindu culture, making them keenly aware of the grand accomplishments of their cultural past.
Ultimately the success of British Orientalism was the source of its downfall. As knowledge of India’s ancient past became evident, Christian missionaries and other colonial interests soon began to wonder in whose favor Orientalism was intended, that of the rulers or the ruled. The Charter Act of 1813 opened the door to a new group of Europeans, the Christian evangelicals, who quickly established themselves throughout Bengal. This new breed of “post-Orientalist” missionaries was the very antithesis of British Orientalism. They viewed Hindu culture as backward and profane. To them the strength of European culture was its Christian foundations. Their goal was to obliterate as much of Hindu culture as possible and to replace it with Christian values, English education, and Western ideas.


By the 1820s the forces of racism and cultural imperialism had begun to overpower the ideals of Orientalism and this unique period in British Indian history began to wane. By the late 1830s British Orientalism as official policy had all but vanished from British India. The struggle that ensued eventually saw the College of Fort William effectively shut down by Governor General William Bentinck (1774–1839) in 1835 when he dissolved the College Council and began to disperse the library. The college was officially closed by Governor-General Dalhousie in 1853.


Although the British Orientalists and Christian evangelicals might seem to have little in common, their combined influence had a powerful effect on the lives of the bhadraloka. British Orientalism lit the fires of Hindu pride, while the attacks of the missionaries and other colonial interests such as the Utilitarians, inspired by John Stuart Mill, created a powerful impetus to reformulate and understand traditional Hindu religious culture in the light of modernity. The Orientalist’s idea that the critical techniques of modern scholarship could be combined with traditional learning was powerful. It is clear that many prominent members of the bhadraloka including Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) and Kedarnath Datta Bhaktivinoda (1838-1914) employed the techniques of British Orientalism in their search for Hindu religious and cultural identity. As a result, the works of many of the bhadraloka attempted to redefine and defend Hindu ideals in the light of modern European thought. There is little doubt that the methods adopted by the British Orientalists heralded a new approach to Indian studies that influenced Bengali intellectuals and men of learning well into the twentieth century.

Shukavak N. Dasa

Bibliography:
Kopf, David. (1969). British Orientalism and the Bengal Renaissance. Calcutta: Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay.
Majumdar, R. C. (1978). History of Modern Bengal, 1765 to 1905. Calcutta: G. Bharadwaj and Company.

Copyright © 2002 Sanskrit Religions Institute. All Rights Reserved.