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**mazabotman** · 09-10-2007, 11:48 PM

Dear Thiru Nacchinarkiniyan!
You sound parochial!! (I am just kidding!)
Anyway, what exactly is the meaning of 'Smartha' as against 'Saivaite' or 'Iyer'? How did the name 'Iyengar' come about?

This wiki article explains the Smartha beliefs and the difference between the sects. I personally do not like the name Smartism. This article is good by wiki standards. We did not come to blows and there was not much vandalism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartism

This is ISKON point of view.

http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1204.htm

About the name Iyengar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyengar

I did not know about the Iyer/Iyengar business till I was in college. My village had only one Iyengar family who were called the Iyengar. We had a big Perumal temple in the village. The other major caste in the village were Saiva Vellala Pillais. But they too had only a Perumal temple. We had an Amman temple in common where there was Siva and Natraja.
I come from a family of Sankararamans, Sankaranarayanans and Ramasubramanians.

I rile at our seers sometimes. One of the occasions was when I learnt the meaning of the Phalashruti of Vishnu Sahasranamam. It is said

sri rAma rAma rAmeti rame rAme manorame
sahasra nAma tat tulyam rAma nAma varAnane

(As stated by Lord Siva to PArvati - if you just chant the name "RAma",
it is equivalent to chanting the 1000 names of Sri MahA Vishnu").

After chanting all the tongue twisting and jaw breaking names, this is shocking and you feel let down.

09-10-2007, 11:48 PM	#29
mazabotman Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 487 Senior Member	Dear Thiru Nacchinarkiniyan! You sound parochial!! (I am just kidding!) Anyway, what exactly is the meaning of 'Smartha' as against 'Saivaite' or 'Iyer'? How did the name 'Iyengar' come about? This wiki article explains the Smartha beliefs and the difference between the sects. I personally do not like the name Smartism. This article is good by wiki standards. We did not come to blows and there was not much vandalism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartism This is ISKON point of view. http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1204.htm About the name Iyengar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyengar I did not know about the Iyer/Iyengar business till I was in college. My village had only one Iyengar family who were called the Iyengar. We had a big Perumal temple in the village. The other major caste in the village were Saiva Vellala Pillais. But they too had only a Perumal temple. We had an Amman temple in common where there was Siva and Natraja. I come from a family of Sankararamans, Sankaranarayanans and Ramasubramanians. I rile at our seers sometimes. One of the occasions was when I learnt the meaning of the Phalashruti of Vishnu Sahasranamam. It is said sri rAma rAma rAmeti rame rAme manorame sahasra nAma tat tulyam rAma nAma varAnane (As stated by Lord Siva to PArvati - if you just chant the name "RAma", it is equivalent to chanting the 1000 names of Sri MahA Vishnu"). After chanting all the tongue twisting and jaw breaking names, this is shocking and you feel let down.
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