Questions to be posed to Dr. Prabhajanacharya during his visit to Hyderabad

Dear all,

As many of you are aware, we have the honor of being treated to a visit by Shri. (Dr) Vyasanakere Prabhajanacharya. You will all know by know that there will be Q 'n' A with Dr. Prabhajanacharya regarding Madhvaism. As part of this process, Aditya Rao has invited you all to send your questions you wish to seek answers for. Thus this post will serve as the Question board, where each night at 2100 South Australian Time (ACST) (1700 IST) this post will be updated with the latest questions that have been sent to me or Aditya Rao. The question will be on a First Come First Serve algorithm.

One more note I wish to make is that although you may remain anon. if you wish, we would greatly appreciate it if you allowed us to publish your name.


Questions as of 08/05/2006 2100 ACST,


1) What is the importance of "Mudhra-dharana"? Is it true that we should get "mudhre" only from respective swamiji's of the mutt you belong to? If so, why?

2) We as "white-collar" workers have a very busy time schedule and so what is the shortest form of sandhyavandane we could do so that the basic nithyakarmas are accomplished?

3) What is the ideal age for "Upanayana"? Can it be performed during one's marriage as well?

4) What is the importance of "Angara Akshate"? How is it made?

5) Why do different Mutts' have different color "Mantrakshate", Uttaradi Mutt has Red & Vyasaraja Mutt has Yellow? Why is that?

by ADITYA RAO
*****

6) During ekadashi, why is the brindavana not decked with flowers, etc? And why is not thirtha given? If pooja has been performed, then doesn't it mean that thirtha will automatically be "available"?

by SARITHA CHEBBI
*****

7) What is " Taratammya bhedha"?

8) Why itshould be follwed in bhajan?

9) Why the "Thidhi" differ from one calender to the other even though they follow the same Chandramaana?

by RAMESH DINDIGAL
*****

10) With India being the hub of IT Offshoring, I work from 3pm to 3am, come back home at 4 am, sleep till 12 noon, and then do all nitya kriyas post noon, is there a compromise being done blaming the work schedule?

by HARISH RAO
*****
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Questions as of 09/05/2006 2100 ACST,

11) During Sandhyavandane normally we tell during sankalpa "Godavarya dakshine theere...". But as I am residing in Rajasthan which is towards north of Godavari how should i perform the sankalpa. Shall i do sankalpa by chanting "Godavarya Uttare theere..." or else is there any other option?

12) During Sandhyavandane whether the Narayana manthra Japa should be done right after Gayatri Japa or else after completing the Sandhyavandane?

by PAVAN KUMAR
*****

13) Who is a Madhva? Is it decided by birth or the way of life. For example there are people who are born in madhva family and not even doing sandhya vandane and at the same time there are people who are not madhva's by birth but have interest in its way of life and follow them?

14) Are the conversion into madhva from other community are allowed? If so what is the procedure?

15) What is Madi? I have seen some people putting water before they step in on that particular area and walk? Is it so necessary? what is its impact? I believe all this was only to maintain hygiene? But so many places I observed in the name of madi, the basic hygiene is ignored.

16) Why are women during their monthy periods are not allowed to touch anyone or do any pooja? I read in some book during the periods they will attain 'bhruna (feutus) hathya dosha'. Is it true? Why are men excempted from this while they may also lose sukra kana by skalana anytime?

17) Why is the foreign travelling is not allowed in madhva philosophy? What is the concept of karma bhumi and bhoga bhumi?

by SREEDHAR
*****

18) Even though i have brought the Saligrama to perform daily pooja & doing pooja
some how not getting the traditional satisfaction when we get being in India. Is that enough what we get here in the present circumstances?.

19) The people here give less or no importance when females are in the conditions of " out of door " but the same problems are being faced in India also nowadays .Is there is any salvations for this kind of natural phenomenon to ignore the traditional non-acceptance of the routine household work? This is the social problem I know but how to overcome this? Any suggestions from the hon'able Acharyaru?

(name witheld)
*****

20) Did Krisha had any children during the time of war. If so did they participatite in the War?

21) What is meant by 'Gnanananda mayam Deham'? What does it mean by aprakrutika Sharira of parabrahma?

22) Is their any difference in the terminology 'Aparoxa'compared to "pratyaksha", since both are opposite of 'paroxa'?

by ADISHESH NARAHARI (question 20) and NARAHARI NARASINGAPPA
*****
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Questions as of 10/05/2006 2100 ACST,

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Questions as of 11/05/2006 2100 ACST,

23) What is the significance of Baliharana

24) Why should Ekadashi to be forced if some people cannot do it the way it is prescribed

25) Is ekadashi Jagarane a MUST ?

26) There is lot of disopinions of Avarata's of various Madhwa Saints & Daasaru's. What is to be believed ?

27) What are the stotra's that WOMEN are not supposed to learn or chant? **

28) Why does Madhvas do not have a linga or do pooja for rudra devaru during nitya deva pooja

29) Is it true that Shiva Saligrama is also available as we have vasudeva ,narasimha saligramas

30) During Bhajana Krama , why is Avarohana & Arohana Paddati followed in mornings and evenings? why is this difference ?

31) What is the significance of shradda ? Is it just to remember them ?
There is a belief that if Pinda pradana is done once in gaya or in Badri Brahma kapala, there is no necessity to do it every year.. is it true ?

32) If Food is prepared on GAS with a good hygeine, can we have this for Devara Nyvedya. If not why ?

by SUPARNA CHINCHOLI
*****
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Questions as of 12/05/2006 2100 ACST,

33) Why should women not recite certian slokas eg: Raghavendra Stotra?

34) Why are curtains closed during the nevedyatime?

35) Can naivedya be prepared on gas stove for lack of time in the mordern senario -if we keep the gas stove absolutely clean and devoid of musare?

36) Why are we told we suffer due to last janmas karma especially as we are not aware of that karma which we had done in our earlier life?

by SREENIDHI MURTHY
*****

37) I have a fundamental doubt on "Swatantrata (independence) of Jiva(s)". It is said that

(1) nAham karta harih karta
(2) satyam vada dharmam chara

Here I see that (1) says that the jiva is completely dependent and everything happens by the grace of Shri Hari. But (2) indicates a commandment which I believe needs some swatantra of the jiva(s). How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory statemens?

by ADITYA RAO
*****

38) Why is Lord Krishna is "KRISHNA PARAMATHMA" where as Rama is not addressed as such?

by SWARAJYA LAKSHMI DINDIGAL
*****
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Questions as of 15/11/2006 2100ACST

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Questions as of 15/11/2006 1600 ACST (FINAL DATE FOR ASKING QUESTIONS)

39) What exactly is the concept behind Gothras. And when all of us are Madhwas why they matter so much in matching kundalis of brides and bridegrooms?

40) What is the significance of offering Coconut to God. Why do other fruits are not preferred/ in custom?

(name witheld)
*****

41) Why are Madhwas not allowed to take 'Ayyapa Dikshe' ? We hear from lot of people that by taking this dikshe, people found peace and prosperity in their lives ? Why are we not allowed to do so? Any specific reasons ? What is Ayyappa's place in our taratamya ?

42) On similar ones as above, why are we not allowed to worship Saibaba? Any specific reason?

43) I want to know if there is any taratamya in worshipping our gurugalu like Raghothamaru, Rayaru and Dasaru like Puradaradasaru and vijayadasaru etc... In Krutha yuga, Narada maharshi was guru of Prahlada. But in Kaliyuga, Vyasarajaru ( avatara of Prahlada ) was guru of Purandaradasaru (avatara of Narada munigalu). How do we explain this?

(name withheld)
*****

44) In the recent movie Sri Ramadasu, towards the end, the Lord appears to Ramadasu and tells him about his Moksha, and his place in Vaikuntha. Ramadasu then asks the Lord, if in Vaikuntha, may one be able to constantly sing His praises. The Lord replies in the negative and says that there is no need. Is this the concept of Moksha that we strive for?? Where we worship the Lord to attain Moksha, but then completely forget it? Does it not amount to a transaction with benefits? What is the Madhva position on this. Madhvavijaya gives an account of the jivas in mukti, but I have not been able to find out about the worship of the Lord in mukti from there.

45) In recent years, we have seen that the ISKCON/Gaudiya philosophy is highly inconsistent with Tattvavada. Recent discussions on www.dvaita.org newsgroup bear testimony to that. Their translations of the Bhagvatam and the Gita seem very different to ours on certain aspects, yet they still claim to be "one of us". What has been done to address this issue?

46) This is regarding the chanting of the vedas. I do realise that the chanting of vedas and other mantras/stotras is prohibited unless one has learnt from a guru. However, circumstances here in Adelaide, Australia have meant that I have had to learn suktas for daily worship and have had to chant them at certain occasions, as I was among the very few who knew the method of chanting. My family is the only one in Adelaide, with any "knowledge" (and I use the term loosely), of Madhva philosophy, and vedanta. Now since I know that I am not supposed to recite it, do I politely decline when asked to recite? I must mention that when asked to recite, I do so without any intake of food and water before hand, and wearing as close to traditional Indian clothing as possible (madi is not possible due to social/weather constraints).

by KLN Prasanna
*****
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THE END OF QUESTIONS

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Regards,

KLN Prasanna