vikrama
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1 Upanayanam is the initiation of a boy into the study of the Veda. We celebrate the function grandly but never intend that the boy should study Veda. Nor do we care whether he performs Sandhyavandhanam or not.
2 We do Vedharambam (beginning to study Veda after the summer holidays) every Avani Avittam day quite solemnly with all paraphernalia like wearing a new poonol, Kandarishi Tharpanam and Vyasa Homam, knowing well we are not going to follow it up the next day. The bigger irony is we perform Kamokarsheet Japam every year which is done to ward off the ‘sin’ of continuing the Vedic study beyond the full moon day of Thai month.
3 The newly wed husband points to the ceiling of the kalyana mandapam in broad daylight and asks his wife, “Did you see the star Arundhathi?” She faithfully replies in the affirmative!
4 We talk of Brahmin unity but we can not agree even in printing a common marriage invitation of both the parties.
5 When two NBs meet, they address each other in endearing terms such as anna, thambi. But we address each other as ‘Sir’ in a foreign tongue.
6 We have long given up performing Vaishvadevam. But we insist that the cooking platform should face west.
7 On vratam days we were enjoined to take light food of fruits. Now our tongues require spicy and heavy food like iddly, dosai etc. We call it palaharam, fruit diet!
8 We hold our Paramacharya in high esteem. But we would never heed to his advice of celebrating simple marriage and avoidance of silk clothes.
Seems we have given up the essence of our culture and are clinging on to the external symbols. That too will go away in course of time.
Take heart! All is not lost. We still have the capacity of introspection and the boldness to laugh at ourselves. We have the picture of an ideal Brahmin constantly before our mental eyes. We still feel guilty at not being able to live up to it. That is why we cling to the symbols as a poor substitute. That is termed as hypocrisy.
A spark may turn into a wild fire one day. Who knows?
vikrama
2 We do Vedharambam (beginning to study Veda after the summer holidays) every Avani Avittam day quite solemnly with all paraphernalia like wearing a new poonol, Kandarishi Tharpanam and Vyasa Homam, knowing well we are not going to follow it up the next day. The bigger irony is we perform Kamokarsheet Japam every year which is done to ward off the ‘sin’ of continuing the Vedic study beyond the full moon day of Thai month.
3 The newly wed husband points to the ceiling of the kalyana mandapam in broad daylight and asks his wife, “Did you see the star Arundhathi?” She faithfully replies in the affirmative!
4 We talk of Brahmin unity but we can not agree even in printing a common marriage invitation of both the parties.
5 When two NBs meet, they address each other in endearing terms such as anna, thambi. But we address each other as ‘Sir’ in a foreign tongue.
6 We have long given up performing Vaishvadevam. But we insist that the cooking platform should face west.
7 On vratam days we were enjoined to take light food of fruits. Now our tongues require spicy and heavy food like iddly, dosai etc. We call it palaharam, fruit diet!
8 We hold our Paramacharya in high esteem. But we would never heed to his advice of celebrating simple marriage and avoidance of silk clothes.
Seems we have given up the essence of our culture and are clinging on to the external symbols. That too will go away in course of time.
Take heart! All is not lost. We still have the capacity of introspection and the boldness to laugh at ourselves. We have the picture of an ideal Brahmin constantly before our mental eyes. We still feel guilty at not being able to live up to it. That is why we cling to the symbols as a poor substitute. That is termed as hypocrisy.
A spark may turn into a wild fire one day. Who knows?
vikrama
