[Advaita-l] Temple Worship by Gurukkals/Sivacharyas

[S.N. Sastri]

Re:  Temple Worship by Gurukkals/Sivacharyas

On Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 5:35 PM, S Jayanarayanan <sjayana at yahoo.com> wrote:



Ø      I find the last sentence above a bit puzzling - why are those
Brahmins who
> worship in Temples given a "lower" status? Is it the case all over India,
or
> is it only in Tamilnadu?

 Dear Sri Jayanarayanan,

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Skandha VI, Chapter 7, the gods go to VishvarUpa and
request him to be their purohit. He agrees, because he cannot refuse when
the gods ask him, but says:

vigarhitam dharmashIlaiH brahmavarca upavyayam |



Meaning—The occupation of a priest is looked down upon by men of righteous
disposition, and it is calculated to diminish one’s Brahmic lustre
(Brahmavarcas).



This may be the reason why Brahmins who take up the performance of worship
as a means of livelihood are looked down upon.



Best wishes,

S.N.Sastri