[Advaita-l] How to treat a Vaidika?

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

It is verymuch true that now a days the conduct of the vaidikas has sunk to abysmal levels.The advent of the cell phones have speeded up the commercialisation of the Vaidika rituals to make them in an ubridged version.Even for this ubridged version of the mantras and rituals they demand an exorbitent sum,which comes next only to to the charges of the cooks and the charges of the choultry!Needless to speak about the charges for the "Apara"rituals.They skip many steps in the "Apara"karmas,and even the final chanting of the 'Mundaka mantra","Vayu,anila...etc,and "Hiranmayena patrena is either skipped or inaudible.The dead person has to rely upon the "Punya',if at all he has to reach the Pitru loka.Sone even threaten that if the dakshinas that they demand is not given,"basklash"may result.In Kashi,one south Indian Vaidika said in Tamil,"Pinvilaivugal"varum,forgetting for a moment,that these may also happen to him,because of his skipping the mantras,and
 extracting more money from the happless performer of the karmas.
In our cities,the purohits demand,Idli cooker,milk cooker,the modern utensils for "danam".
There is what is called,"Anukula sindhu,avakasha sindhu,akasmika sindhu,etc.The modern purohiths seem to follow all of them now a days,and garner money.Just like fooling in all commerce,Pourohithya also becomes a way of cheating the people.
N.Srikanta.