[Advaita-l] A Tamil conversation on Shaivam and Vaishnavam

[Ravisankar Mayavaram]

This particular talk addresses the purvapaksha that  Saivam and 
vaishNavam are two separate religions; and there is no such thing as 
Hinduism.  They also state they have no connection to the vedic 
religion. This arguments is floated by Atheistic movements in Tamil Nadu 
and the christian conversion missionary groups greatly benefit by this 
and other attacks that are going in Tamil Nadu for over the last five 
decades. Even as recently as a week or two ago, the Tamil nationalist  
leader  Seeman (allegedly a christian who started his career as in 
Dravidar movement as an atheist) made this claim about Saivam (which I 
saw in a YouTube video).

In this video,  Sri Dushyanth Sridhar addresses this purvapaksha and 
establishes it not so and goes on to show the vedic basis of both Saivam 
and vaishNavam. In addition, he brings in the basis for Saaktam.  He 
brings in both gaaNapatyam and kaumaaram as subsets of both Saivam and 
Saaktam. Essentially makes a very strong case that there is no Saivam or 
vaishNavam without vedas.

But  Sri Dushyanth Sridhar does not establish a strongly  the case for 
sauram. For that, he goes to references in Mahabharata and Ramayana; and 
states there is not a strong reference in vedas! And concludes that it 
is any way a subset of vaishnavam.  He also makes a claim that 
Taittiriyopanishad is about Lord Vishnu.  These are side points.  For 
Sauram, there are vedic mantras and what is more stronger that daily 
trikaala sandhyavandanam and arghyam. Why this is critical to show? 
Because the Tamil calendar is a Sauramaana calendar and a strong Surya 
connection has to be shown.

The bigger context here is the resurgence or uprising of Hinduism 
against the so-called atheistic Dravidian forces. The strong entry and 
time investment of BJP in Tamil Nadu is making them nervous. Recently 
BJP started a vel (shakti aayudha of subrahmaNya) yaatra and that has 
put them on defense stating that you have no right over Siva and Muruga, 
they are part of Tamil culture and religion; and nothing to do with 
vedic religion. But this line of argument for Dravidian movements is not 
new.

One may ask, why do I care about all this?

You have to care, because the attrition and the damage it brings to our 
dharma is devastating in both short and long run. Our temples thrive 
because of support from all the communities and they will hit by this 
two-mode attack (one masquerading as atheist/rationalist and other 
subversive conversion). Even today on an another front, there are 
allegations that the Government (which is responsible for only the 
management of Hindu temples) swindles crores of rupees from Hindu 
temples (many very ancient) and they languish for funds. In rural areas, 
priests (both agama and vaidika) struggle to make ends meet.

When it started five decades ago as an attack on a small (3%) 
defenseless brahmaNa community with accusations that they are 
responsible for caste system and all other evils. Rest of the Hindu 
community either watched in silence and/or joined in. Fortunately, 
things like cutting the Sika and upavitam etc. stopped after MGR took 
over in 1970s. And things even took a positive turn when Jayalalitha 
become the chief minister.The underlying persistence of these attacks on 
our dharma masquerading as attacks on brahmaNas still persists. But now 
no one talks about caste system practiced by Christian and Muslim 
communities. They have churches for specific castes and others cannot go 
in. If the converted to get rid of this evil, why they still persist?

I like the anchor Mr. Pande and I am very very glad that many now speak 
up. May be it is late. But better late than never.

(looks like this is a video-series, I just watched this one).

Ravi


On 12/15/2020 4:50 AM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq-KciZ_AqQ
>
> regards
> subbu
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