[Advaita-l] Temple Worship by all

[S Jayanarayanan]

--- On Sat, 6/5/10, Varadaraja Sharma <rishyasrunga at rediffmail.com> wrote:

> Radhe Krishna,
> 
> Shriman Jayanarayanan, Radhe Krishna
> 
> I think you missed the following abstract on pancharatra to
> form your opinion that it is relaxed
> 
> Atra hi brahmanairityadina
> gotrapravarasutradhiviseshenallulekhena sarvesham 
> brahmanadhinam adhikarah pratipaditah.
>    
>   Pararthayajane tu vipranameva adhikarah, 
> nanyesham iti Padma samhitayam uktam. 
>    

I was referring to the following observation concerning the Pancharatra:

"Some Pancharatra texts allow all castes to do puja and even women are allowed to do pujas at temples (Vishwamitra Samhita.)"

http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/oppiliappan/archives/may06/msg00199.html

I was only wondering whether or not those outside the Brahmin caste are permitted to *physically worship* the main deity at the temple. Perhaps not as priests, but at least perform worship outside of priestly activity. If the above claim is correct that all castes can do puja at the temple (pancharatra-based), then it answers my question.

[..]

> With all due respect to places of worship around the
> Arunachala hills, every such place of worship may not fall
> under the category of temples defined under agamas. 
> That being the case, who does puja over there, IMHO, does
> not arise. 
> 
>  What ever mode of worship is done by whom ever  in
> such places of worship with the content of bakthi may be
> acceptable to the devi/devata to which it is offered.
> 

Is there someone else to "please" other than the deity? :-)

> Radhe Krishna
>  

Regards,
Kartik