Is it OK if both of them avoid attending  or my husband has to attend by default.  Your views with suggestions please

I have been trying to find a very specific recording of the Venkateswara suprabhatam and was hoping someone could help. So this is an older recording that I used to have on tape, but I gave away the tape like more than 15 years ago. The tape had a recording of the Venkateswara suprabhatam on one side with Lakshmi Astottara shatanama stotram on one side and the Vishnu sahasranama on the other side.

The suprabhatam was recited by a few veda pandits at the same time, all male--no background music etc. I remember this version distinctly because the veda pandits recited Suprabhatam, then Venkateswara stotram, then Prapritti, and Mangalasanam in the usual sequence. But the pandits then also recited the Lakshi Astottara shatanama stotram, which was very nice.

I have been listening to any recording I can find on amazon or youtube but have not been able to find the specific CD or the names of the veda pandits who recited it. Is anyone familiar with this recording?

letter-2.pdf [SHARED].pdf

Humble Obeisances to all the Devotees if the lord.

I recently got to know that Lord Rama consumed meat. Even though initially I was shocked and didn't believe, later I relalizes that it doesn't matter whichever is the truth as he is the supreme Lord himself and he can do whatever he can, as whatever are his activities, are all spiritual and we should not see them through our material perceptions. Whatever he does is for the lokakalyanam.

So there is no questioning of lord Rama's activities and trying to imitate them.

But due to my ignorance I don't understand the point here. Lord Rama is aadarsha purusha and maryada purushottam. So whatever he does are the actions ideal for a person in Vedic culture to follow (not exactly but his actions will guide us to lead a perfect life according to dharma).

So with this we can infer that Kshatriyas can consume meat. In Bhagvadgita lord Krishna has stated that this varnashrama dharma is established by him for the sake of purification of the jivas in material world and and progress spiritually and attain liberation. 

Bhagavan has also stated that a jiva is said to be liberated when he has transcended the sattva rajo tamo gunas and become free from material contamination. 

We know that Kshatriyas play one of the major role in making the kingdom and people follow dharma and make them God Conscious. And there are many Kings who were themselves sages (Rajarshi) Krishna days on bhagvatgita that he had passed on the supreme knowledge to vivashvan and then through different Rajarshis and sadhus the knowledge is passed on.

So by this we can say that the Kings or Kshatriyas have the need to become advanced in aatmagnan (spiritually).  For this there is a need for them to transcend the trigunas and for this they first need to purify their Consciousness by Pious activities, bhakti, yagnas, etc. Due to all these, they first come to sattva guna and then transcend the trigunas and become liberated due to the mercy of the lord.

But meat comes under tamo Guna aahara. If the Kings or Kshatriyas eat meat then their consciousness comes down to tamo guna then how do they progress in their spiritual ?

In vedas the meat eating is allowed for degraded People of Kali Yuga as a exemption to consume meat by offering it to goddess Kali or durga. As krishna says in Bhagvadgita, that he is the one who sanctions and empowers all the benedictions given by devatas to humans. It is he who gives and preserves the faith of such people even though they worship devatas. And gradually they get elevated to a purer platform where they can serve the Lord.

So all these processes ultimately purify a soul to the platform of pure devotion towards the Lord if the jivas has the desire to leave his envy towards the Lord and serve his lotus feet.

But the Kshatriyas need to progress spiritually and are in general more spiritually advanced persons in Vedic times as it is their responsibility to make the entire kingdom to follow dharma principles.

So if they consume meat how are they so spiritually advanced Rajarshis who are remembered and respected even today? 

Purpose of varnashrama dharma is to elevate the people spiritually. 

And kshatriya being an important pillar for establishment of dharma, why did Lord Ramachandra consume meat who is considered as aadarsha purusha? Is there any particular reason mentioned by Acharyas? 

In Bhagvadgita Bhagavan has clearly said that tamo guna foods will make the soul degraded make the soul fall to adholokas or make the soul take birth again and again and not attain liberation. 

Please forgive me for any aparadhas. I am a very insignificant soul who is just a person who wants the Mercy of lotus feet of the Lord through the grace of devotees. 

I don't have much knowledge about Vedas and philosophy. So please forgive me if I've mentioned anything wrongly. 

Om Srinivasayanamah

please share are some solutions for forz n shoulder. I am a woman in my late 40s and experience difficulty with bending my arm backwards and the pain is pretty rough. I do not trust many of the allopathic diagnosis and want to try alternatives if any are available. 

My sincere Namaskarams!

I need to learn  Atharvana Bhadrakali Khadgamala. Can some one in the group, Please help me in learning.

Regards,

venu

I am a Hindu living in the U.S. doing my best to learn and practice as a solitary Hindu. Unfortunately, the temple that used to be in my city is no longer here. As a result I have been celebrating the major holidays on my own with the utmost devotion and the best that I can. 

According to my calendar "Ram Navami" is coming up soon. The only information i've found about this holiday is from wikipedia which is a great source but not preferred. 

I was wondering if some other devotees could share with me how they celebrate this beautiful holiday or possibly provide me with some online resources? 

I salute to the lord ganesha and godess saraswati . I salute to the divine rukmini and Krishna !
 

Vedas are having three divisions. Finally, aiming at unity of Brahman and Atman. The sages are in the habit of writing indirectly and I also like indirect suggestive statements. ( BP 11.21.35)

Vedas has three divisions dealing each with karma, Worship and Knowledge (Karma, Upasana, Dnyan) by which, through purity of mind, the soul reaches Brahman.
Everything is nothing but Brahman. !
Where is the division and where is the awareness of Unity or one-ness? What is the bondage and what is the freedom? There is total eternal bliss! And this is what the Vedas mean!
If, however, this is clearly stated and taught to all, the core intention of Vedas to teach life of virtue to the people will be defeated and, therefore, Krishna has arranged to keep the unity of atma and bramhan hidden.
This is the essence of the secret of Vedas and the store of hidden knowledge.

Everyone is not eligible for thinking about unity of atma-bramhan knowledge. Great sages have considered this point and kept direct meaning hidden, giving expression only to the obvious meaning of encouragement to worldly activities and dualities. Krishna also considers it the proper approach in order to maintain the evolutory nature of social structure, because normally all people like to think self different from bramhan or because they don’t understand this.


“The Vedas enjoins me alone in the form of Yadnya, me alone in the form of various deities in Devata Kanda nay whatever is super-imposed on me first and then negated in Dnyana kandas is me alone taking this stand on me as the cause of all causes and the highest reality, the Vedas posit (states) diversity as a mere illusion and then denying it, ultimately becomes quiet. This much is the import of all the Vedas. (BG 11.21.43)

I tell you the division related to the knowledge.

The spirit which is reflected in the field of the Maya is called you. Because of ignorance it is called the soul, the Jeeva.
In our dream all the objects or persons which are seen, are projected by our single mind.
Similarly this state of the soul id bound to a limited place because of ignorance. This is Jeeva”.
Now there is that spirit which is the cause of the beginning of the world, all-seeing, allknowing,
It is eternally glorious beyond our concept.
Who is God who is the doer of all actions but in reality not doer at all and there is natural eternal freedom, not born of any other object, being self-existing?
This is Shiva whose natural power is never curbed by anything and anybody, who is always fully identical with the highest bliss (Paramananda) and just as Jeeva is called you or Twam(वम्). This is called THA (तत्)
When the ignorance of Jeeva is left out and the omniscience of Shiva is also negated what remains is to be held and embraced with our totality.
For example a husband who was young and beautiful, went to other countries and after some years returned. At that time he looked older more strong and more powerful. His wife recognizes him as her husband negating both his younger form and also his new strong youth, but follows her understanding of the man, the spirit in his body.
Similarly krishna and jiva are the two qualifications of one Brahma and these two are to be set aside and our mind should catch hold of the aloneness, as abstract existence which is Brahman.
One has to unite the Jeeva and Shiva and remain eternally steadfast in my real spirit. This is mainly the subject of Dnyana Kanda.


 How one should worship krishna

"aham bramha param dham bramhaham paramam padam,evam samikshya chatmanamatmanyadhaya nishkale " (11)

Meaning : You should meditatelike this :'I am all pervading bramhan ,I am all pervading parabramhan only .In this way,you should do your self steady in ever-lasting,endless Atman. }

“kalo mayamaye jive jiva atmani mayyaje
Atma kevala atmastho vikalpapayalakshanah “ ( BP 11.24.27)

Meaning : The Time merges into Jeeva (Purusha), and the Jeeva merges into me, the Atman which has no birth. Atman is Atman itself, where there is not Vikalpa. (Duality).

Explaination :

When the Purusha is disturbed it becomes Time-Spirit and the creation, the existence and the dissolution of forms comes into being.
When these three are finished, the function of Time is also finished and naturally it gets merged into Jeeva.
Purusha who gives life to the lifeless and makes living beings from matter is called Jeeva.
By the power of Prakruti, the pure Brahman, or Purusha becomes Jeeva.
Prakruti is like a mirage; it appears but has no real existence.
If a man falls into the apparent water of mirage, he will not find actual water there, and he would not be drowned. Similarly, Prakruti is unreal and Jeeva also is unreal!
For example, if we look at the ocean, we feel that sky has fallen in it, but it will be foolish to think that the sky has fallen. Similarly, the form, the name, the quality, the Karma – are all illusions within Maya.
even if Prakruti is supposed to exist, the Jeeva-hood is false. I shall tell you the facts.
When we look into the mirror, we see ourselves as reflection, but we are aware that, we exist ourselves quite separate from the image.
similarly, though I appear to be within the created universe, i.e. Prakruti while the process of creation etc is going on, you should remember that Krishna is different from Prakruti.
The sky is seen as reflected in the water, but it does not get wet. Similarly, though atma works using Prakruti, he is not affected in any way.
When we consider on these lines, the facts, we come to the conclusion or realization that Prakruti or Maya does not exist at all, the two names viz Jeeva and Shiva are false, because what is known as Jeeva is really the Paramatman.
When the existence of Jeeva is negated, its counterpart Shiv is also finished, and what remains is Atman, one complete non-duality.
When the Jeeva remembers that it is not Jeeva, but Atman, at that moment, Jeeva becomes Absolute Reality, the Paramatman, which is having no birth, no destruction, no division, and is endless.
When in the Brahman, there is no awareness that itself is Brahman, where is the scope to say I or bramhan, and who will say it? at that stage, there is only the highest bliss!


“ avam samahit……..jyotishi sanyutam “ (BP 11.14.45)

Meaning: With his intellect thus established, he sees me in himself and himself actually merged in me (bramhan) like an individual light in the element of fire.

Explaination : When the I consciousness of the seeker becomes one with my pure nature and when he is identified with bramhan, the very urge ‘I am’, becomes merged into oneness, the non-duality.

Thus the awareness of separate I and you disappear and only the cosmic joy of Krishna remains everywhere.
Just as the brilliance of two flames become one when they are put together so the Jeeva and the energy become one in non-duality.
Jeeva is of the nature of knowledge, or “chit” in the state of non-duality.
With the association of body and organs the Jeeva is wrongly conceived as a separate entity but when understanding of non-duality arises the Jeeva merges into cosmic Atman.

Then there is only divine happiness and there is nobody to make this statement. Only joy of Atman remains as joy.
What is that state? It is like sugar eating sugar, or water bathing in water or ghee entering into ghee to enjoy the fragrance.


“ vishayan dhyayetchittam……mayyeva praliyate “ ( bP 11.14.27)

Meaning: When the mind thinks and broods about objects, it becomes attached to them and when the mind remembers me, it merges into me (atma) .

Explaination: When one thinks about the woman who is not present she is manifest before the eye of the mind, then it is natural that if one thinks about krishn who is constantly in one’s heart he will be equally manifest in one’s mind and there will be identity of both the devotee and krishna.

Then the thinker, the mind, the worries and the state of meditation-all these factors disappears and the man becomes embodied knowledge which is also called unity with bramhan.

"ghate bhinne ghatakash.....jivo bramha sampadyate punah"(BP 12.5.5)

{ When a pot is broken, the portion of sky within the pot remains as the entire sky, just as before.But because of disappearance of portion of sky within pot one thinks that it has been connected to entire sky -but in reality, it was already connected to entire sky, In the same way, when the gross and subtle bodies die, it is just like jiva has become bramhan.(In reality jiva was already bramhan .His abramhata is just a false appearance.)

“satvam chabhijayed ………jivam vihay mam “ ( BP 11.25.35)

Meaning: The Jeeva having been free from Gunas, and having dropped the idea that it is Jeeva, attains Me and thus Jeeva freed from its separateness and liberated from Gunas unites with Me. ( bramhan)

Explaination: Thus when the sense of separate existence of the soul is no more, the division between I am Body and I am Atman has no place. Then what remains? Only completeness, alone-ness which we call Brahman remains.

So, krishna’s devotees become Brahman, which is their original state.
.


“ jivo jivavinirmukto…..purno na bahirnantaratchharet “ ( BP 11.25.35)

Meaning: Such a person is complete Brahman as I am and he does not move either within himself or outside.

Explaination: Just as the inner side of sugar is not separate from its outer side, so Brahman is the same inside and out, and it is flawless and full of self-bliss.When the man becomes one with Brahman, there is no death for him and if he lives further according to destiny, he has no sense of I about his body. He does not look at outer objects. There is no place in his mind for any thought about object. One should be sincere in his worship of krishna, in order to be free from this ignorance and that is the reason why saints are loving the path of devotion with all their heart.
There is nothing higher than my devotion and if that devotion is one-pointed, then all the four liberations are his servants.


“avam krushnatmanatheshu…..nrushu sadhushu “ (BP 11.3.29)

Meaning:
He should also learn to love those persons who have realized Shri Krishna as their Atman, and as the Lord of their life, to serve human beings especially those among them who are Mahatmas and sages.


“ natma jajan…..vikalpitam sat “(BP 11.3.38)

Meaning: This Atman was not born, will never die. It neither grows nor decays; because it is the witness of the different states of those objects, which are created and destroyed. It is omnipresent and eternally abiding pure consciousness; yet it appears as many (like Prana) under the limited
power of the senses.

“ avamamagnairkya….hi sah “ ( BP 11.3.55)

Meaning: thus he who worships the God, as Atman, in the fire, in the Sun, in the water etc., and in the guest or visitor, or in his own heart, really becomes liberated without much delay.

“ avam gurupasanayyekabhaktya……..sampadya chatmanamatha tyajastram (11.12.24)

Meaning : Having subdued yourself and remaining alert all the time, cut at the root of your astral body with exclusive devotion to me, acquired by sitting at the feet of a Guru or by means of the sharp axe of wisdom and having thereby realized the self, cut off immediately the weapon with which you have removed the veil of ignorance in the form of your Jeevahood.

“avam vimrushya….makhilasanshayadhim “ (BP 11.13.23)

Meaning: You should think like this and arrive at the conclusion about the nature of the self that the three states of mind born out of three Gunas are falsely superimposed on Me as the Jeeva, by my delusive Power (Maya) and should cut at the root of egoism, the basis of all doubts, with the sword of Wisdom fortified by reasoning, the precepts of saints and the texts of Shruti
(Upanishads), and join in the Unity with Me seated in your heart.

“ guneshwavishate cheto…….madatmanah “ (BP 11.13.25)

Meaning:
O my sons! The mind enters into the Gunas and the Gunas get imprinted on the mind, but the objects and the mind, both constitute the adjuncts on the Jeeva, which is I, and if Jeeva contemplates on its essential nature which is Brahman, He can easily disconnect the sense objects and the mind from Him.

“ahametatprasankhyanam….. bhavo vidyate kwachit “ (BP 11.16.38)

Meaning:
The Lord said - I am the knowledge of these principles and the counting of them. I am the Jeeva, I am the God, I am the wielder of Gunas and I am the Gunas themselves; and without me, who am the Atman of all, there is nothing separate existing.

“ na hi tasya vikalpakhya……sampadyate maya “ ( BP 11.18.37)

Meaning:
There is no longer any perception of difference in him; whatever there was is uprooted by realization that God is the self of all. What does appear in him at times while begging for food and taking meals etc even now as a recurrence of what has already been set aside will constitute my force of destiny till his death where after he will bet United with Me.

 

“dehendriya pranamayo…..adhavati kalatantrah “ (BP 11.28.16)

Meaning:

The spirit hidden behind the body, the senses, the vital airs and the mind and identifying itself with them is called the Jeeva. The subtle body constituted of the Gunas and karmas is its material manifestation and is variously known as the Sootrama or the Mahat-Tattwa and controlled by God in the form of the Time-spirit) it revolves in Sansara. (World)

“satwam rajastam……tayoho param yat “(BP 11.3.37)

Meaning:

That which was one before creation became known as Pradhana (or Prakriti) of triple nature, consisting of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Then by its active power it became as the Sutratma and by its power of understanding it became known as Mahat Principle. Again as a condition investing the Jeeva or individual soul, it became known as Ahankara (the ego). The incomprehensible Brahman alone shines as deities presiding over the senses and their objects and the pain pleasure experience. The effect and the cause – are all Brahman only, because it is cause of both.

“bhayam dvitiyabhinivishetah……gurudevatatma “ (BP 11.2.37)

Meaning:

One who has turned away from the Lord loses the memory of his real self, due to His Maya, and falls prey to the mistaken belief that he is the body. He is then seized by the fear caused by duality, which is the identification with “other” thing than the self. Therefore, the wise should worship God by only the devotion believing that he himself as Atman, his Guru and the God are one!

“sarvabhuteshu yah…….bhagavatotamah “ (BP 11.2.45)

Meaning:

Hari said – “ One who sees God in all the beings and all the beings in God as well as within himself is the best Bhagawata. (devotee of Bhagwan)”

“daridro yastvasantushtah……viparyah “ (BP 11.19.44)

Meaning:

He who is not satisfied is the Poor, he who has no control over his urges is called the unfortunate miser, He who is not attached to Gunas is “God” and the attachment to Gunas is the downward journey of the soul.

"na tatratma swayamjyotiryo...dhruvoanantopamastatah" (BP 12.5.8)

{ But just as because of disappearance of flame of lamp ,tatwa of agni is not destroyed,in the same way self luminous soul is not destroyed.Because that soul is beyond karya-karana,manifestation and unmanifestation,he is support of all things like sky ,soul is ever existing,omnipresent and ananta(endless).Really example of atma is atma only.}

“atmyaiva tadidam vishwam srujyate……nirmula bhatiratmani “ (BP 11.28-6,7)

Meaning:

The Lord, the Atman is Himself what is created as the Universe and the creator as the Atman only, one with it, by whom it is coming into existence. He protects it, it is protected by Him as Vishwatma, the All-pervading God, and He also sums up and withdraws it in Himself. Therefore there is nothing else but Atman, described to be Reality. All these things coming, existing or ending – the three states only falsely appear on the true base of Atman.

 

“yavadasyasvatantratvam tavadishwarato……shucharpitaha “ (BP 11.10.33)

Meaning:

While the Jeeva is not dependent and free, there is fear of God, and those who follow the path of duality become greatly disturbed, given to sorrow.

“kim bhadram kimabhadram…..manasa dhyatameva cha “ (BP 11.28.4)

Meaning:

What is good and what is bad in that duality which itself is not Real? What is spoken or thought or imagined by the mind is equally false.

“yavatsyat gunavaishamyam…….tadaiva hi “ (BP 11.10.32)

Meaning:

As long as there is dependency ,there is fear of god.Those who get entangled in ‘I’ ,those who considers multiplicity and dependency of soul and those who don’t follow detachment , they get only sorrow .

Hari Narayana

I was reading the 5 fold classification of souls as mentioned in the respected scripture "Artha Panchakam" by Pillai Lokachariar Swamigal.

It mentioned a category called Baddha and a category called Mumukshu.

Q. Are these eternal immutable svarupams of the soul ?

A. I mean can a Baddha Jivatma become a Mumukshu Jivatma through Bhagavad Anugraham and attain liberation. Or is he eternally damned in Samsaram. Does this mean eternal transmigration of some souls in Samsara with no possibility of liberation, is the idea being expressed in this scripture.

Kindly pardon my ignorance of Vishishtadvaitam and it's literature. I am just trying to clear my doubts.

Please forgive me all Apacharams in advance.

your servant,

subash

  My  name is Kalyani. I live around Bridgewater,NJ. I wanted to meet other  Srivaishnavite families around the Bridgewater area. Kindly respond to this post if any one aournd this area.

-kalyani.

I am from a Smarta Tamil Iyer family, but unfortunately our family traditions are now lost, and we are facing difficult times. I am trying to build exclusive devotion to Krishna/Rama/Narayana. I had a few philosophical questions around Vishishtadvaita. I would really appreciate if any learned person can give me authentic answers.

1. Does Vishishtadvaita believe that the individual soul has gender and other characteristics? If not, the descriptions of the spiritual world in Srimad Bhagavatam (Vaikuntham) and Chandogya Upanishad talk about women, birds, plants etc in those worlds. How is this explained in Vishishtadvaita ?

2. Is there any kind of Bheda between Jivas after Moksham ? What is the essential Svarupam of the soul, do all Jivas have the same Swarupam ?

3. Do all Jivas experience the same amount of bliss in Moksham ?

4. Is it acceptable in the Sri Vaishnava tradition to worship Lord Shiva and other deities as devotees of Sriman Narayana, and hence visit their temples with the Bhavam of Sriman Narayana as Antaryami Paramatma? Also if one observes ShivaRatri with the motivation of requesting Lord Shiva for Bhakti to Sriman Narayana, is it disallowed ? Lord Shiva is praised as great devotee in Srimad Bhagavatam.

Kindly requesting You to forgive me any Apacharams in advance.

warm regards,

subash

I Have few questions -

Q1. In Krishna Mohan Ganguly's english translation of Mahabharat Shanti Parva, section CCCXLII, Page 4765-66, lord krishna states that he is supreme & when he worhips shiva , he actually worships himself. But in Drona Parva of Mahabharat, section CCI, page 3092-94, lord shiva is declared superior as he gave boon of invincibility to Narayan. Secondly, whatever offerings Arjuna gave to lord vasudev were going to lord shiva as per Drona parva of mahabharat , section LXXXI, Page 2740 1st three lines. Again , in Anushasan Parva lord Shiva declares lord Hari as supreme ( SECTION CXLVII, Page 5383 )

So which section to beleive ? All are contradictory ....

for details you can refer Krishna Mohan Ganguly's english translation of Mahabharat which is available at internet.

Q2. Was Shiva sahasranam inserted later into Mahabharat ? Was it an attempt by Anti Vaishnavites to reduce the importance of lord krishna ? Or was Shanti Parva & vishnu sahasranam an interpolation ?

Awaiting your kind reply. Hare Krishna

Iam looking for nice name for my child , Kindly suggest me names for baby boy synonyms of Lord Ganesha, Vishnu or Anjaneya.

With regards

After months of contemplation and confusion I am writing to get some advice from Sri Vaishnava bhagavata's. I was born into a telugu speaking Kaapu family (I dont know the tamil equivalent, but we are agricultural land lords). I believe I belong to the Sudra caste. I currently live in the USA. I was attracted to Vishnu bhakti by my paternal grandmother's mother Smt. Andalamma who worshipped no other god but Rama and attained paramapadam on Sri Rama Navami after pooja after she hugged her beloved Rama idol. I have been criticised sometimes for being a Vaishnava by my other family members before.

I lost my father at a very early age and we are smartha's and our marriage and shraddha vidhi follow the smartha traditions. I dont know what went wrong in the lineage but I am a very much a vishnu bhakta at heart anywhere I see the "divyamangala vigraham" of Sriman Narayana tears flow out and lose I consciousness of my surroundings and keep staring. This has led to embarrassing moments many times. My wife warns me not to cry every time we go to the temple. I dont know if this is normal but I would like to know if this is disrespectful to the lord.

I listened to the upanyasams by my manasika acharya (Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami) and decided to find an acharya to be initiated into Sri Vaishnavam. I approached the priest at the Perumal Sannidhi in the meenakshi temple in houston and was very dissapointed and devastated when the priest said I was not eligible for Panchasamskaram Samashrayanam and Thirumanthram as I am not a Brahmin. He said the pranavam in the thirumanthram was off limits to Sudras. He instead offered to give me "Vishnu Deeksha" a point on which he did not further elaborate. I asked him about gaining "Ramanuja Sambandham" and ultimately Vaikuntam to which he replied that I can gain Vaikuntam by performing Kainkaryam's and I do not need Ramanuja Sambandham. He also said my mother has to give permission for my initiation and wife should also be initiated.This is not possible even if my mother permits, my wife who is not into religion or god will refuse. All I can do is beg and plead the Lord to show me the way but so far he has not graced me. My questions are

1. Am I eligible for initiation (Panchasamskaram, Samashrayanam, and Thirumanthram) into the parampara

2. If my wife refuses can I still be initiated?

3. Is crying in the presence of the archa form not respectful to the lord? I am attracted to archavataram's more than anything else.

4. Can I attain vaikuntam by performing kainkaryam? I am willing to live with that if thats the only way.

5. I want to know if there are any bhagavatas in the houston galveston area so that I can perform bhagavata kainkaryam

6. If I am eligible for initiation where do I get the required information?

7. Can someone please tell me where I can find the schedule for Velukkudi Krishnan Swami's USA visits as I am dying to touch his feet and perform some sort of seva. Also once swami said that we all ultimately reach the Thiruvadi of the lord in this life or next. I was born on 4th September 1980 2:40 am Hyderabad (Sravana bahula dasami thursday, Thiruvadirai nakshatram) if anyone can tell me if I have any spiritual opportunities in this life at all I will be grateful.

As much as I would like to sign my name as "Adiyen" I am unable to at the moment and hopefully through the guidance and advice of the bhagavata's I can become one.

Thank you

JR

Me being an अद्वैति if you ask me for my motive behind trying to understand विशिष्टाद्वैतम्, I don't mind revealing my motive. It is to fill any holes in my understanding of अद्वत and verify the same, but absolutely nothing else. And if you may ask how the understanding of विशिष्टाद्वैतम् will help with improving the understanding of अद्वैति", I will NOT get drawn into that line of thought for the obvious reasons of avoiding any sort of confrontation, in which I have absolutely no interest whatsoever. But I have to acknowledge that my motive might put विशिष्टाद्वैतम् in lesser light. Unfortunately I couldn't avoid it and at the same time reveal my real motive also. So please gloss over this slight negativity in my approach and still help me to get a good understanding of विशिष्टाद्वैतम्. And it goes unsaid that this is not at all an attempt to denigrate what विशिष्टाद्वैतम् is, nor any attempt to convert any of you into अद्वतम्. That would be a most useless and ridiculous side track.

So can any of you please clarify/confirm if the following

• is correct or not?
  
• if anything is missed?
  

I would really appreciate the help.

Regards

The fundamental principles of विशिष्टाद्वैतम् are as follows

1. There are three तत्त्व, namely जीवः, जगत् , and जगदीश्वरः
   
2. Of which जगदीश्वरः is the absolute and supreme, namely श्रीमहाविष्णुः
   
3. जीवः as well as जगत् are subordinates to, and emanate from the जगदीश्वरः
   
4. जगत् is ephemeral whereas जीवः and जगदीश्वरः are permanent and real
   
5. जगत् is inert whereas जीवः and जगदीश्वरः are sentient
   
6. जगत् is सगुणः like names and forms whereas जगदीश्वरः is both सगुणः and निर्गुणः
   
7. जीवः is also सगुणः with gross and subtle (वासनात्मकम्) body etc
   
8. जीवः can become निर्गुणः depending on the type (सलोक, सारूप्य etc.) of मोक्षः he gets
   
9. जीवः is caught in transmigration due to his ignorance and his कर्माः
   
10. The मोक्षः for जीवः from this transmigration comes from submission or शरणागतिः to the जगदीश्वरः
    
11. Even in मोक्षः, the जीवः will remain physically distinct and separate from जगदीश्वरः
    
12. मोक्षः means जीवः reaching जगदीश्वरः, श्रीमहाविष्णुः in his divine abode, वैकुंठ
    
13. जीवः can become मुक्तः only after the physical body is dropped
    
14. मोक्षः can be bestowed only by जगदीश्वरः and श्रीरामानुजः
    
15. Since both जीवः as well as जगत् emanate from जगदीश्वरः they are essentially non-different from the जगदीश्वरः and this forms the basis for the word अद्वैत in विशिष्टाद्वैत
    
16. The word विशिष्ट in विशिष्टाद्वैत is used to distinguish विशिष्टाद्वैत from अद्वैत in that the अद्वैत negates all distinctions of जीवः, जगत् , and जगदीश्वरः, proposing a singular and absolute identity among them, whereas the विशिष्टाद्वैत retains some distinctions in terms of capabilities, knowledge etc., between जीवः, and जगदीश्वरः
    

The following are the derivative principles of विशिष्टाद्वैतम्

1. The sole purpose of वेदाः is to reveal जगदीश्वरः
   
2. But वेदाः are very obscure and mystic and are not easily understood by everyone
   
3. So Dravida वेदांत is written to benefit a clearer appreciation of वेदाः and hence of जगदीश्वरः even for commoners
   
4. These scriptures must be and can be learnt only from a teacher owing allegiance to श्रीरामानुजः
   
5. जीवः must perform specific and rigorous daily discipline of पूजा and कैंकर्य to purify himself
   
6. जगदीश्वरः may employ or give some limited powers to other deities to execute his will
   
7. जगदीश्वरः manifests in sacred places for the people to uplift themselves by worship
   

Can anybody able to inform whether SANDHAI form of 4000 DIVYA PRABANDHAM and SRI SWAMY DESIKAR STOTRAS CDs available at Chennai and where? If any one help me by informing this or if any one is having Sandhai form of the above and will it be possible to send by an attachment to my email id ? I will be greatful to theose who will be able to help me. Regards. Raman / 26/06/2012

I recently went to Tirupathi on a pilgrimage and noticed Moon and Snake symbols engraved atop the Mandapam exactly above Dwajastambam.

Can someone enlighten me the significance of these symbols? Also, I have noticed exactly the same engravings in a temple in Thanjaur district.

Thanks in advance.

Last year Parakala Mutt, Mysore had organised roaming Dolai and Thirumanjanam fundraisers throughout USA, whereby deveotees can have these ceremonies performed by the Mutt representatives in their homes for a fee which goes to the Mutt which is badly in need of funds.

After reviewing the incredible response, they are planning to do it again duing this Spring/Summer (2012). If there is sufficient interest in GTA, we can arrange to have these ceremonies done in GTA too this year. It is a rate opporutnity to have Shri Laxmi Hayagreeva perumal grace our homes.

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PRAPANNA PARIJATA of Nadadur Ammal: English translation by T.G. Ramamurthi; Pub. by Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha, 30, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai-600004. Rs. 60/-.

The doctrine of self-surrender, avidly preached by Vaishnavism, is as old as the Vedas. The scripture eulogises prapatti (self-surrender) at several places, and the Taittiriya-Narayana Upanishad, in fact, places it on top of the 12 types of noble and sacrificial deeds such as yaga, agnihotra and charity.

Nor is the philosophy of self-surrender peculiar to Vaishnavism. Several other religions also talk of this in glorifying terms, albeit in varying degrees and formats.

While the Azhwars and the Acharyas like Ramanuja mention the efficacy of prapatti at several places in their works, Vatsya Varadacharya, who goes by the name of ‘Nadadur Ammal', gets the credit for writing the first exclusive treatise on this doctrine under the title, “Prapanna Parijata.”

How did Vatsya Varada come to be known as ‘Nadadur Ammal'? Tradition has it that he made it a point to ensure that the milk offered to Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi was warm, neither too hot nor too cold, and that the Lord, touched by his maternal love and concern, exclaimed: “Are you my ‘Ammal' (mother)?”

Guiding lamp

Siddhi Traya and Gitartha Sangraha, written by Alavandar, guru of Ramanuja's guru, served as guides for Ramanuja's Sri Bashya (commentary on Brahma Sutras) and Gita Bashya (commentary on Bhagavad Gita) respectively. In the same way, Prapanna Parijata of Nadadur Ammal, guru of Vedanta Desika's guru, shone as the guiding lamp for Desika's magnum opus — Rahasyatrayasara, a lexicon on prapatti.

The original text of Prapanna Parijata in Sanskrit comprises 150 “long” verses, each consisting of one or more regular verses in the simple, easy-to-understand ‘Anushtup' metre. The work is divided into 10 chapters.

In the opening chapter, Ammal quotes profusely from the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Agamas to highlight the efficacy of self-surrender and the need for doing it. The concept and essential constituents of prapatti are explained in the next chapter, and this is followed by a discussion on the eligibility criteria for performing the prapatti.

The vital role played by the Guru in this process; the need for the disciple serving his Guru with utmost devotion; ways of offering worship to God; and the greatness of Goddess Lakshmi are portrayed vividly. The importance of treating ‘Bhagavatas' (God's devotees) with utmost respect and doing service to them is also emphasised.

And the treatise concludes with a description of the experience that awaits one on attaining liberation from the bonds of samsara. In several places, Ammal quotes almost verbatim from the sacred texts, by way of showing that his assertions are backed by the unimpeachable authority of the Vedas and the Sastras.

Explanatory footnotes

The book under review provides the original text in Sanskrit, followed by transliteration in English and, then, the English translation, with explanatory footnotes, where necessary. A Tamil translation of this text was provided by Uttamur Viraraghavacharya, a renowned scholar-savant of the last century, bringing forth inter alia the finer and abstruse points lying embedded in the work. As has been acknowledged, Ramamurti has made liberal use of this Tamil version.

Barring a few minor inaccuracies that are of no significance, the translation is near-perfect and adequately conveys the import of the text, duly elaborating where necessary. For those who are more at home with English than Tamil, the book provides a good insight into the greatness of prapatti, as portrayed by Nadadur Ammal.

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[TD="width: 75%"]Available of this book at our office

Sri Vaishnava Sri ,36/32.Naickamar street, West Mambalam,Chennai-33.

Ph:044-24715120/09941793151/09941951340

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Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

This day about 641 years ushered in an era of Gnyanam

and Bhakthi that the world had never witnessed before. At time when the Srivaishnava world was sinking into darkness due to the invasion of Turks, at a time when the ancient heritage of Srivaishavam was withering away

into oblivion, there arose , in the quiet land of Azhwar thirunagari, an acharya who was destined to make the master of the world his Sishya.

This Aippasi Thirumoolam is the Thirunakshrtam of Sri Manavala Mamunigal, the penultimate acharya of the Srivaishnava Guruparampara. With Him, the Lord of Srirangam finished the Guruparamparai.

This acharyan’s charitram and vaibhavam was chronicled by Sri Pillailokam Jeeyar in his “Yatheendra Pravana Prabhavam” a work in Manipravala nadai generously sprinkled with Sanskrit pramanas. For the lame man interested in the charitram of Maamunigal, this text is extremely hard to decipher. With the intention of taking Mamunigal’s vaibhavam to the masses, Professor Sri.

U.Ve Arangarajan of Madurai has not only translated Yatheendra pravana prabhavam into simple Tamizh but has also added more facts and interesting incidents prior to the Birth of Manavala Mamunigal.

Starting with the vaibhavam of Nampillai, the flow of Eedu from Nampillai to Mamunigal, the text goes on to describe the trying times of Srivaishnava world during Mughal invasion. A very elaborate coverage has been given to the parallel movement of the Acharyas and Srivaishavas during the time of Muslim invasion down south. Finally, focus is brought to the life of

Maamunigal. The author dwells on each incident in the life of Maamunigal from His birth in the Land of Namazhwar to His assuming the Leadership of

the Srivaishnava world in Srirangam. The writing is very lucid. The author has taken great pains to translate each Sanskrit shlokam of the original text to Tamizh thus retaining the originality.

Many places pictures and photos have been inserted to explain the context. The writing on the final days of Mamunigal is excellent and leaves the eyes moistened with tears. On this day of the birth of the Krupacharya, we

request each one of you to obtain of copy of the book and read it fully. Knowledge of our acharyas charitram is foremost in knowing our Sampradayam.

You can also circulate about this book and gift it, so that others also get

benefit from this treasure.

Cost of the book : Rs.200/-

Contact No. for copies: Sri Vaishnava Sri Srirangam - 98842 89887,

Chennai - Sri Vaishnava Sri Chennai Office

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[TD="class: text padding"]Sri Vaishnava Sri

32/36.Naickamar St,

W.Mamabalam,Ch-33

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Tel: 044-24715120

Web: Sri Vaishnava Sri Chennai

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