[Advaita-l] Samit Pani, do we really have to stretch this ??

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

/////////

The 'Samit Pani' is not relevant today. If you go to Sringeri Swamiji with
Samits in hand all the people will laugh at you. It was only for Upanishad
Age of Mandana Mishra. Not now.

/////////////////////

Why do you decide and arrive at a conclusion like this that it is not relevant today.  

"samit" is the upa-lakSaNa as mentioned in vedantasara.   Whether the guru uses it or not is not the case here; it denotes how humble, receptive and prepared the disciple is !!

Our dharma-shAstra prohibits the visit to elderly people, pregnant ladies, gurus, acharyas "empty-handed" (rikta-hasta).   

As regards approaching muttadhipatis, with the mode of "bhiksha-vandana" one should demonstrate one's guru-bhakti.   The "yati-bhiksha" is very very important.

regs,
sriram