SRI RANGA SRI e- JOURNAL - VOL.09 / ISSUE # 06 dated 4th November 2007

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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

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SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 06 dated 4th November 2007

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. SUNDARA KHAANDAM PART - 4 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

2. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 36 - SLOKAM 16 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 269 Regular issues of SRS have been released

so far, apart from numerous " Special Issues " as indicated below:

27 Issues of Vol. 1

15 Issues of Vol. 2

42 Issues of Vol. 3

35 Issues of Vol. 4

28 Issues of Vol. 5

30 Issues of Vol. 6

50 Issues of Vol. 7 and

36 Issues of Vol. 8

06 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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1. " KISHKINDHAA KHAANDAM " PART - 4 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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29. A TETE-A-TETE

Hanumaan narrated his side of the story. Sita, on her part, narrated

her harrowing experiences. Sita also regained her composure and gave

up the thought of suicide saying - that even if it should take a

hundred years, patience would surely bring ultimate happiness. yEti

jeevantam aananadO naram Varsha Sataad api (Sargam 34- 20)

 

30. HANUMAAN DESCRIBES RAMA'S APPEARANCE

To further clarify her mind, Sita asked

Hanumaan how the friendship between Rama and Sugreeva came about and

asked him to describe Rama's appearance. Hanumaan started describing

Rama saying that Rama belonged to Yajur Veda; He was 8 feet tall; He

had long hands extending up to his knees; He was well versed in

Raaja Vidya including Aan-veeksh-aki, Trayee, Vaarthaa and DaNDa-

Neeti; He was respectful to elders especially to Brahmins; His

physical features made him a cynosure to all who beheld him and

concluded saying that he was literally burnt by the pangs of

separation from her.

 

31. HOW FRIENDSHIP BLOSSOMED BETWEEN RAMA AND SUGREEVA?

Sita asked: " How did an alliance get forged between the simian and

the homo-sapien species? " VaanaraaNaam NaraanNaam cha katham aseeth

samaagama?

Hanuman after describing the events leading up to this alliance,

concludes:

This is how the " coming together " between Rama and Sugreeva came

about Raama SugreevayOr aikhyam Devi yEvam sam ajaayayta

 

32. PHILOSOPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE: (TATTVAM INVOLVED)

Our Poorvacharyas quote this conversation to demolish on the one

hand, the Advaitic interpretation of " aikhyam " in the ultimate state

of liberation (MOksha) as the complete and indistinguishable merging

of Jivatama with Paramatma and the Dvaita interpretation seeking to

establish Jivaatama from Paramaatma being totally and eternally

separate and mutually exclusive entities.

THE MERGER THEORY projected by Advaitins as Saayujyam is not

supported by Srutis explicitly. It is repugnant to the much too

numerous differential statements (BEda Srutis) that abound all over

the Vedas and therefore is faulty. " Aikhyam " means merely " Coming

together " , an alliance and definitely NOT MERGER.

 

THE ETERNAL DIFFERENCE THEORY of Dvaitins, at the other extreme, is

equally faulty. ParipoorNa Brahma anubhavam as explained in

Adhikaram 22 of Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram of Swami Desika,

reconciles these two opposing theories by interpreting the concept

as Saamyam which means alliance, likeness etc. - which do not lead

either to a complete merger nor eternal separation. But a " coming

together " (Sam+ aagama) and " happening together " (Sam+ajaayataa)

 

Swami Desika further explains this coming together known as

Saayujyam as Samaana yOgam + KshEmam i.e. Sharing the enjoyment

together in all happiness - except those that are the exclusive

domain of Bhagavaan like -

i. Being the cause of all creations in the world (Jagat kaaraNa-tvam)

ii. Having the Power to grant Moksham (mOksha prada-tvam)

iii. Being the Support of everything (Sarva aadhaara-tvam)

iv. Being the Controller of the universe (Sarva niyantu-tvam)

v. Being the Master of the universe (Sarva Sesh-itvam)

vi. Being the body of sentient beings and insentient things (Sarva

Sareera-tvam)

vii. Being the object of all subjects (Sarva Sabda vaachya-tvam)

viii. Being glorified in all the Vedas (Sarva Veda vEdhya-tvam)

ix. Being the ultimate refuge of all (Sarva lOka saraNyatvam)

x. Being the only means for all who desire liberation (Sarva

mumukshu upaaya-tvam)

 

xi. Having the ability to grant all desires (Sarva phala prada-tvam)

xii. Being omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and the very

personification of absolute joy (Sarva Vyaapta jnaana aananda

svaroopa-tvam)

 

and

xiii. Being the Spouse of Sri Lakshmi (Lakshmee sahaaya-tvam)

Swami further explains that there is no difference in enjoyment as

between the different Jeevas while attaining Parama-padam nor any

gradations as between SaalOkhyam, Saaroopyam, Saameepyam and

Saayujyam as projected by Dvaitins and says that like " a hundred

being inherent in a thousand " , all other stages mentioned above are

included in Saayujyam.

 

33. THE SIGNET RING (ANGULYA PRADAANAM) (VR

36) Hanuman gave to

Sita the signet ring of Rama. Her joy knew no bounds and felt as if

she was looking at Rama himself. She was reminded of the good old

days when she was with Rama when once the ring slipped out of his

finger and she picked it up and handed it over to him. She regretted

for suspecting Hanumaan in the first place and enquired about the

emotional status of Rama in her absence.

 

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

 

(To be continued)

 

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2.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 36 - SLOKAM 16 -PART 2

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 36, Slokam 16 Part 2,

tiruvAimozhi 1.5, pASuram-s 1.5.3 to 1.5.5.

 

pASuram 1.5.3:

 

mA-yOnigaLAi naDai kaRRa vAnOr palarum munivarum

nI yOnigaLaip paDai enRu miRai nAn-muganaip paDaittavan

SeyOn ellA aRivukkum tiSaigaL ellAm tiru aDiyAl

tAyOn ellA ev-vuyirkkum tAyOn tAn Or uruvanE.

 

mA-yOnigaLAi naDai kaRRa vAnOr palarum munivarum yOnigaLai nI paDai

enRu niRai nAnkuganaip paDaittavan ellA aRivukkum SeyOn tAn

tiruvaDiyAl tAyOn, ellA ev-vuyirkkum tAyOn Or uruvanE – emperumAn

who created the four-faced brahmA, and told him to go ahead and

create the great deva-s and gods, is beyond anyone's reach through

sheer knowledge; He is the same One who is like the Mother to all,

and who, in His tri-vikrama incarnation, measured everything in all

directions including the up and down directions (and thus purified

everything without exception by the touch of His Feet). This is

another case of His sauSIlyam. svAmi deSikan describes this

aspect of His sauSIlyam sung in this pASuram through the

words " sarvatra api a'nghridAnAt " – " tiSaigaL ellAm tiruvaDiyAl

tAyOn, ellA evvuyirkkum tAyOn " - Because He blessed everything and

everyone by bestowing the touch of His Divine Feet to all.

 

SrI UV points out that this is like the mother who may kick the

child, but whose feet alone the child will go and embrace.

BhagavAn protects us by the touch of His Feet, just as the fish feed

their off-spring through their sight, the turtle by their thought,

and the birds by the touch of their wings. bhagavAn's vAtsalyam

towards us all is that of the cow towards its calf. SrImad

tirukkuDandai ANDavan points out that His vAtsalyam is such that

even though His Feet are so delicate that they become reddish even

by the delicate touch of His pirATTi-s, they pierced through all

rough objects through the netherwords and the upper worlds to bless

all without distinction and without exception.

 

SrI ve'nkaTeSAcArya explains svAmi deSikan's SrI sookti as " guNa

aguNa nirUpaNam paNNAdE ellAr talaiyilum tiruvaDiyai vaikkaiyAl " –

bhagavAn does not distinguish between those with `good' conduct vs.

those who are not of good deeds, and bestows the contact of His

Feet to all.

 

pASuram 1.5.4:

 

tAn Or uruvE tani vittAi tannil mUvar mudalAya

vAnOr palarum munivarum maRRum maRRum muRRumAi

tAn Oe peru nIr tannuLLE tORRi adanuL kaN vaLarum

vAnOr perumAn mA-mAyan vaikundan en perumAnE.

 

emperumAn remains unchanging even though He is the material cause of

all that exists; He is the antaryAmi of the tri-mUrti-s, all the

deva-s, all the sages, all the moving and non-moving things, without

exception. He created a great Ocean in Himself and lies down in

that Ocean in His yoga nidrA. This Lord of all gods, who is beyond

all comprehension in His leelA, is my very own Lord.

 

The thought to be enjoyed here is that bhagavAn, on the one hand, is

the Supreme Lord who is the material cause, the instrumental cause,

and supporting cause for everything; He does not undergo even the

slightest change in spite of that; and He is the antaryAmI of

everything that exists, and is responsible for their functioning.

This Supreme Being, out of His extreme compassion, lies down in the

Milk Ocean, only thinking about all the different ways of sustaining

all His creation. It is because of His utmost sauSIlyam, that He

has come down from SrI vaikuNTham, and is within easy access to the

deva-s whenever they need protection. He is none other than the

Lord above all the gods, the Lord of the nitya sUri-s, the Lord of

SrI vaikunTham, and AzhvAr declares, " He is my own Lord – en

perumAnE " . The " en " brings out the saiSIlyam. svAmi deSikan brings

out this aspect of His saiSIlyam through the words " savidha

Sayanatah " – " tAnOr peru nIr tan uLLE tORRi adanul kaN

vaLarum " . `savidha' means `proximate, nearby'. Bhagan, the

Supreme Lord of all, gives up SrI vaikunTham, and is reclining in

the Milky Ocean to be within easy reach of the deva-s as and when

they need His protection.

 

SrI UV comments that the words `peru nIr tan uLLE' can be taken to

refer to divya kshetra-s such as SrI ra'ngam, where perumAL has

taken His arcA form and is reclining on a sand hill in the river

kAvEri, just to be within easy access of all of us.

 

Thus, out of His sauSIlyam, He chose to recline in the Milk Ocean to

be within easy reach of the deva-s, and in divya kshetram-s such as

tiru ara'ngam, to be within ease reach of the likes of us. – savidha

Sayanatah.

 

pASuram 1.5.5:

 

mAnEi nOkki maDavALai mArbil koNDAi! mAdhavA!

kUnE Sidaiya uNDai vil niRattil teRittAi! gOvindA!

vAnOr SOdi maNi vaNNA! madusUdA! nI aruLAi un

tEnE malarum tirup-pAdam SerumARu vinaiyEnE!

 

mAdhavA! mAnei nOkki maDavALai mArbil koNDAi! gOvindA! uNDai vil

niRattil kUnE Sidaiya neRittAi! VAnOr Sodi maNi vaNNA! madusUdA!

vinayEn tEnE malarum un tirup-pAdam SerumARu nI aruLAi! - O

Consort of mahA lakshmI! You bear mahAlakshmI, whose beautiful eyes

resemble that of a deer, in Your vaksha sthalam (Divine chest).

gOvindA! You were gracious enough to straighten the hunch back of

trivakrai and made it straight like Your bow when it releases the

arrow. Oh Lord with the beautiful hue of the dark-blue clouds that

fill the whole firmament! O Destroyer of the demon by name madhu!

Please bless the great sinner that I am, so that I can attain Your

Lotus Feet, through Your sauSIlyam.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the essence of this pASuram through the

words " svA'nghri sakta aikarasyAt – He who responds with the same

intensity of affection and attachment to those who are attached to

His divine Feet (sva-a'nghri – His own Divine Feet; sakta –

attached to; aika-rasyAt – with the same intensity, to the same

extent – eka rasam) – nI aruLAi un tEnE malarum tirup pAdam SERumARu

vinaiyEnE..

 

SrI ve'nkaTeSAcArya explains svAmi deSikan's words as

follows: " niratiSaya bhogyamAna tan tiruvaDigaLilE

anuraktarAnavargaLidattil tAnum anuraktan AgaiyAlum " – He becomes

attached to the devotees who are attached to His Divine Feet that

give eternal bliss to them.

 

SrI PBA gives the explanation for svAmi deSikan's words as " tan

tiruvaDigaLil paRRuDaiyAr pakkalil tAnum paRRuDaiyAn " .

 

AzhvAr has given two examples of this in this pASuram:

 

- mAnEi nOkki maDavALai mArbil koNDAi – pirATTI's pleasure

is to do pAda sevai to perumAL. perumAL's attachment to Her is such

that He carries Her inseparably in His vaksha sthalam. In other

words, that is how bhagavAn is attached to pirATTi who rejoices in

doing pAda sevai to Him.

 

- kUnE Sidaiya uNDau vil niRattil teRittAi! – A hunch-backed

woman by name tri-vakrai was so attached to kRshNa that she offered

sandalwood paste to Him during His kRshNa incarnation; He

reciprocated that love to her by gently touching her back, and gone

was the bend in her back, and she became a very beautiful woman.

 

svAmi deSikan beautifully captures this deep attachment that He has

to His devotees through the words " svA'nghri sakta aikarasyAt' –

another aspect of His sauSIlyam

 

 

-dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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