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Unfortunate that all well-meaning scholars confine to their own sampradaya

Viraja

Jaya Jagannatha!
Velukkudi Krishnan VKS Swami's Tamil videos are exemplary.

I particularly am fond of few videos: i) On various types of vrathas to be observed each month that would redeem one's sins and grant great fortunes ii) On 'donation of cows'.

These are both an-hour long videos. I watched them fully and sometime, wish to go through them again taking notes and pen them down in this thread.

It is unfortunate this exemplary scholar does not speak on other sampradayas, for example, on Gaudeeya Vaishnavism and its many saints.

And secondly, far too many scholarly videos are narrated in native language without translation and many miss it. I miss so many good videos made in Hindi language, for I do not know Hindi.

Just exclaiming loud, and as said, I am planning to pen down useful VKS Swami pointers in this thread. Thanks.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I think that Hindus have a strong belief in minding their own business, and this includes within Hinduism. (and personal relationships) I know my Gurus kept and keep their sampradaya specific teachings to their own sampradaya. With Hindu solidarity though, they did and do make presentations ... but they're careful with that. Mostly it's done through the magazine they publish: Hinduism Today. So there are two sides to it, one is specific, the other general.
 

Viraja

Jaya Jagannatha!
'Godhanam' (Charity of cows):

When cow along with her calf are gifted out, former 7 generations and latter 7 generations including the donar are blessed immensely.

Exact procedure for donation is irrelevant in this post, as any trained purohit will know. Nevertheless the following guidelines apply:

1. When donating a cow and a calf, observing full fast on the previous day is important. Then, the next day morning, one should give ritualistic bath (abhishekam) to one's family deity in the shrine, with at least 2 different substances.
2. Then the cow and the calf should be donated.
3. It is customary to follow the donated cow and calf for 8 feet behind them, after making the donation.
4. Treat the donated cow and calf as 'gone' and do not ask the person who accepted the donation later whether the cow is yielding milk, etc.

Where one cannot offer in donation a cow and a calf, offering a sesame-cow and calf is appropriate. Yes! You understood it right. Make a small cow-shaped idol/doll with sesame seeds, with other details to follow, such as having sugarcanes for the cow's legs, mango-leaves for its ears, butter for its milking udder, etc (Full details can be provided if needed). Place the sesame cow and calf in a well-decorated area and offer them as donation, after observing 3-day fasting previously, to a deserving recipient. This procedure offers immense blessing to 3 prior generations, the self, and 3 latter generations.

When one cannot offer sesame-cow in donation, offer a water pot in donation, to get the same merit as that of offering a cow in donation. In this process, the water pot is made former invocation of one's deity in it, and then it is offered along with a good sum in donation, to a fitting recipient. This process also gives one immense merit.

These days even temples do not accept donations of cows or calves. Because it takes a good amount of money on their part for maintaining the cow and the calf. Therefore, when you offer real cow and calf for donation, make sure you give some money for their monthly maintenance, if donating to temples.

Hope this info is useful to some!
 

Viraja

Jaya Jagannatha!
I think that Hindus have a strong belief in minding their own business, and this includes within Hinduism. (and personal relationships) I know my Gurus kept and keep their sampradaya specific teachings to their own sampradaya. With Hindu solidarity though, they did and do make presentations ... but they're careful with that. Mostly it's done through the magazine they publish: Hinduism Today. So there are two sides to it, one is specific, the other general.

Vinayaka ji,

I thought about it. But sometimes when the scholar is really thorough, they can venture into lecturing about other sampradayas as well, I feel. I agree they might then face myriad of problems.

But just to tell you the scenario: In South India, where self also practices Sri (Iyengar) sampradhaya, hardly anyone knows about the Gaudiya sampradaya which is an ocean by itself.

So I feel that well-meaning scholars can at least brush-up on the topic mildly, giving an overview, the implications, the main saints, etc.

(I can only imagine what kinda aftermath they might face, but yet....)
 

ameyAtmA

~ ~
Premium Member
'Godhanam' (Charity of cows):

When cow along with her calf are gifted out, former 7 generations and latter 7 generations including the donar are blessed immensely.

Exact procedure for donation is irrelevant in this post, as any trained purohit will know. Nevertheless the following guidelines apply:

1. When donating a cow and a calf, observing full fast on the previous day is important. Then, the next day morning, one should give ritualistic bath (abhishekam) to one's family deity in the shrine, with at least 2 different substances.
2. Then the cow and the calf should be donated.
3. It is customary to follow the donated cow and calf for 8 feet behind them, after making the donation.
4. Treat the donated cow and calf as 'gone' and do not ask the person who accepted the donation later whether the cow is yielding milk, etc.

:praying: :praying: :praying:

-----------------


My Lord Shri KRshNa has utmost reverence for cows as His Mothers and has donated cows many times in Dwarka. Amazingly and recurringly kept on protecting and supporting the cows and BramhaNas (priests) in the most pious and generous ways throughout His avatAr kArya in dvApar.

namo bramhaNya devAya |
go brAmhaN hitAya cha |
jagad hitAya kRushNAya |
govindAya namo namah: ||

I venerate Govinda (KRshNa), Who is Bramh' , the God (BramhaNya Dev) , who is always striving for the welfare of cows and brAmhaNas, who is always working towards welfare of the whole world.

And hence I dedicate these ashTaka and bhajans from the Bhagvad Oasis on this thread:
Dedicated to the UttamShloka (One venerated with most beautiful Divine verses and poetry, i.e. KRshNa / VishNu / NArAyan)
...
|| om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ||


Regarding the title of the thread : The purpose of a sampradAy is to reach Bramh' or Bramh' dnyAna and bhakti , using the ways of that sampradAya as taught by their Guru. So why would they elaborate on other traditions?
 
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Viraja

Jaya Jagannatha!
:praying: :praying: :praying:

-----------------


My Lord Shri KRshNa has utmost reverence for cows as His Mothers and has donated cows many times in Dwarka. Amazingly and recurringly kept on protecting and supporting the cows and BramhaNas (priests) in the most pious and generous ways throughout His avatAr kArya in dvApar.

namo bramhaNya devAya |
go brAmhaN hitAya cha |
jagad hitAya kRushNAya |
govindAya namo namah: ||

I venerate Govinda (KRshNa), Who is Bramh' , the God (BramhaNya Dev) , who is always striving for the welfare of cows and brAmhaNas, who is always working towards welfare of the whole world.

And hence I dedicate these ashTaka and bhajans from the Bhagvad Oasis on this thread:



Regarding the title of the thread : The purpose of a sampradAy is to reach Bramh' or Bramh' dnyAna and bhakti , using the ways of that sampradAya as taught by their Guru. So why would they elaborate on other traditions?

Thanks, AmeyAtma ji for enriching this thread.

Oh, well, I just wishfully exclaimed aloud about VKS Swami rendering discourses on Gaudeeya sampradaya too, because Krishna is part of Sri Sampradhaya also.
 
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