srimathE rAmAnujAya namaha:

With the blessings of our Acharyas and Lord Sriman Narayana,
VEDICS is honored to present:

Ashtasloki by Sri U.Ve E.S. Bhuvarahar Swami - 3rd Saturday 10AM CST:July 21

This week the meaning of "OM" "NAMO"

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Questions and clarifications: danp@...

Synopsis of last lecture listed below:
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Posted by Sri Sudarshan Agaram, Chicago IL

I have been an active reader of this list for sometime now
and would like to post a little about myself and also an
announcement. I am from Bangalore and have been in the
continental US since 1994. I am shishya of Sri Anantha
Narasimhachar. [160 south chitra street in Srirangam, Trichy.]
His lectures on Sri Bhashyam will be on the tele-Bridge
starting August 3rd Sunday of the Month.

I will be hosting a few teleconference calls in the near future
[along with Sri Mukundan Pattangi's help]. We are
having upanyasams on Ashtasloki from Sri E.S. Bhuvarahar Swami,
Bangalore [in tamil]. I would request you all to participate
in the forthcoming teleconferences. Sri Bhuvarahar has been giving
Upanyasams for a long time now and we are honored to have his
Upanyasam the 3rd Saturday of every month. Also, he was my
sanskrit tutor at St.Joseph's College, Bangalore.

During the day, I work in the computer consulting arm of an
Accounting firm, My wife Veena and I live in Chicago, IL
and can be reached at 773-755-7565.

Dasan Sudarshan
****************
Notes from Bhuvarahar Swami's Upanyasam on 6/16/01 - By Sudarshan Agaram

The following compilation is our interpretations of the
Ashtasloki. For further clarifications and to get to know
more about this excellent slokam, please join us for the
teleconferencecall on the 3rd Saturday of every month 10 AM CST.

What is Ashta sloki?
It is a slokam of eight poems that gives the meanings of Thirumantram,
Dwayam and Charma slokam.

Who compiled it?

It was written by great Parasara Bhattar [the son of Sri.Koorathalwan]

When can a srivaishnava recite it?
How many times do we need to recite it?
How would one get started reciting the Ashtasloki?

This can be recited at any time and by anybody, and any
number of times. Before chanting the ashtasloki, there is a
small tanian for Parasara Bahattar,which is as follows:

sri parasara bhattarya, sri rangesa Purohitaha
srivathsankitha sutha sriman shreyase mesthu bhuyase

Ashta slOki is composed of 8 terse verses on the
three Rahasyams of Sri VaishNavAs . Using long metres, Bhattar
hinted at the depth of the subject matter. The metres used by
Bhattarare SikhariNi, Saardhula Vikridhitham and Sragdharaa.

In the first four verses, Bhattar gives the meaning on the
Thirumantra. The next two verses Dwaya mantram
is explained. The last two verses viz. 7th and 8th gives us
the meaning of the charma shlokam.

The 1st verse gives the meaning of the word "Om"
The 2nd verse gives us the meaning of the 2 lettered word Nama:.
The last five letters Narayanaya of the thirumantram is explained in the
3rd verse.
The 4th verse tells us how the above 8 letters of the thirumantra take
form in life.

Verses 6, 7 and 8 deal with Prapatthi.
6th verse is about the Prapatthi to Sri Devi
as the means to the end of resorting to the Lord.

7th slokam, the great scholar explains the meaning of sarama
Slokam.
The 8th verse, he declares his prapatthi, "where
he expresses his inability to implement the Karma,Jnaana and
Bhakthi yogAs as means of salvation. Even regarding Prapatthi,
he is unable to follow it because of his utter helplessness
and lack of firm conviction of its implementation. Still the
hope of being saved by the Lord, He being the final means,
sustains him.

Foot note1: Om is 1 letter and Namo consists of 2 letters.
Foot note2: In Kurkshetra, Krishna teaches Sarama slokam to Arjuna.
Foot note3: Swami Desika in Rahasa traya sara says the 8
slokas of the above 3 mantras is a wonder of wonders.
Foot note4: When a person seeks the blessings of his/her elders they bless
the person with happiness, prosperity, Good health,
children etc. but earlier our acharyas would bless the
person by saying Thirumanthirathille pirundu, Dwayathile
valundu ..Charmathle Vazhum.

The thirumantram, dvayam and charmaslokam is similar to
the way one is born, bred and prosper phases of life.

Our next teleconference call is on July 21st 2001. at 10 AM CST
[United States].