[Advaita-l] Chanting Gayatri overseas

[Vēdānta Study Group]

Harih Om,

Svadharma is very specific to desha (place) and kAla (time). What was
legitimate practice at some place and time may not be so elsewhere, and the
same applies for what may be considered illegitimate in other contexts.
That is not to say that everything in shAstra is up for debate or
interpretation, but *the decision to guide one's sAdhanAs should ultimately
be left to one's sampradayavit Guru* (the definition of whom is given in
the mundaka upanishad).

I am born and brought up in Mumbai, in a very urban setting, with minimal
exposure to our shAstras, but it was only during my stay in the US that my
interest in learning more about our vaidika heritage grew to a sizable
extent. Also, dharma (and the results of karma thereof, if that is a
perspective one wants to take) is not bound to any one geography. As
someone rightly pointed out, the boundaries of bharatavarsha have
significantly reduced over the centuries- it once included Pakistan, where
we well know how Hindus are treated.

It is indeed true that Bharata will always be the seat of Sanatana Dharma.
In spite of repeated onslaught against Hindus, our Dharmika culture is
still much the basis of Indian civilization, and this culture is the very
manifestation of the vaidika teachings and vice versa. Truly, the
declaration- ishavasyam idam sarvam- permeates our ethos. Just to cite an
example, we look upon all forms of wealth as Lakshmi, knowledge as
Saraswati, and if our feet were to touch an object of wealth or knowledge
we immediately hold it against our reclined heads. This is not something
that can be learned without observing it as a pervasive phenomenon around
us, and this is certainly not something we would widely observe outside of
India.

*However, the single most important factor for dharma is the dharmi, the
individual who embodies dharma. And should a Dharmi travel overseas, then
most certainly he takes dharma along with him and inspires others to do so
as well. *

Namaste



On 29 September 2017 at 11:03, Gopal via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste,
>
> in the same line of info given by sri chandramouli, please visit:
> http://ananthsvedagroup.org/ from the DC area.  Sri Anantha Krishnan, an
> ardent shishya of Sri Sringeri mutt Mahaswamins of 3 generations can be
> contacted from the 'contact' link with any questions. He has been
> practicing vaideeka dharma and more specifically veda paata, for around 5
> decades in this "mlecchaa, non-varna ashrama-installed, decadent, adharmic,
> rap-listening-pizza-eating-unrestrained" country (sarcasm intended with in
> quotes for humor!).  HOpe you would get some pointers.  Another  source
> would be  Sri Vidyashanker of this list.    In addition, Sri Sadaji, an
> acharya resident of DC area and associated with chinmaya mission who leads
> many discussions on this list, could be of a personal source of
> clarifications..
>
> I would also like to quote from an article (
> https://ruthaavaree.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/musings-
> on-rig-veda-mantras_final.pdf)
> that I wrote based on writings from Sri Aurobindo,Sri Kapali Sastry and Sri
> Kashyap a temple souvenir.  In any of the texts quoted here that I have
> read and also the mula mantra samhita paata, that I have (with my miniscule
> knowledge and intelligence) come across qualifications of a vidhyaarthi
> based on geography!   Like  Vidhya devi tells the rishi as quoted by
> Yakshaacharya and later by Sayana,  the qualifications for veda  mantra
> artha anubhava are more subtler and psychological  not liked to GPS..  just
> my humble thought on your query. Forgive me for any imprudence:
>
> 1)    .."Brhat Devatā –  compendium of vedic gods by rishi Shaunaka -
> states the qualifications of such a rishi who has the mantra drishti : “a
> mantra is not perceptible to one who is not a rishi. He who knows Gods
> knows the riks. They are  to be approached through Yoga (yogena) with -
> clear understanding (daakshyena), selfcontrol (damena), skill and general
> knowledge (baahu shruthyena) and above all with tapasyā ” (Brihat Devatā
> 8:129-130 as  translated by Sri Kapali Sastry). Only to such a sādhaka – a
> rishi - a drishtā, that Mother vāk chooses to reveal the Truth :   uto
> tvasmai tanvaṃ visasre jāyeva patya uśati suvāsāḥ - (she) reveals to the
> one she chooses to, just as a loving wife, beautifully dressed, reveals her
> body (only) to her husband (RV 10:71:4b)”.
>
> 2)  ....These mahāpurushās should be considered as rishis to whom vāk chose
> to reveal Her Truths so that the glory and eternity of mantras can be
> re-invigorated for the Man to call and invoke the devatās for worship
> without any doubt or exaggeration. There is a cue to this earlier in Rig
> Veda:“ rÉÑaÉå devānāṃ nu vayaṃ jānā pra vocāma vipanyayā /
> uktheśuśasyamāneśu yaḥ paśyāduttare yuge – Let us proclaim with Light the
> Hosts of Gods That one may see them when these hymns are chanted in the
> future ages” declared a rishi in RV 10:72.1. Obviously the devatās are to
> be seen  – pashyema, as one trains the inner faculties to sense their
> Presence during worship – whether by the shores of river Saraswathi in Rig
> vedic times or by the river Potomac much later.
>
> thanks
> ..gopal Gopinath
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 29, 2017 at 9:22 AM, H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > >
> > > Namaste Santosh Ji,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Under the auspicies of the Sringeri Mutt, several vedic rituals are
> > > regularly being conducted at their temple in Strautsberg. These include
> > > Homas, Japa yagnas like Gayatri Japa Yagna etc.   These are being
> > conducted
> > > with the blessings of the Jagadgurus of Sringeri Mutt. There is no bar
> on
> > > carrying on with the nitya karmas and other karmas abroad. Please go
> > ahead.
> > > If you still have any doubts, please check with your Guru ( at the
> > highest
> > > level) directly and follow His instructions. Please do not come to a
> > > conclusion based on the opinions expressed here. All the best.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Regards
> > >
> >
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> --
>
>
>
> *Gopal Gopinath, PhDGenetecist*
>
> *(Genomics/Bioinformatics),*
>
>
> * CFSAN, US FDA P:240-402-3612 C:240-994-4774*
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