SrI :
On this AavaNi Svathy day dear to
Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan , adiyEn would like to initiate
a likitha Kaimkaryam on the above
controversial topic (!) , which was assigned as a topic
for
discussion by the Program Chairman
of the AchArya SmaraNothsavam Committee of
Ahobila Matam North America . The
celebrations took place at Sri RanganAthA Temple
at Pomona , NY on Sep 3 , 2005
. There was a spirited discussion , which was mediated
by MahA Vidwaan Dr.S.M.S. Chari in
an impartial manner .
AdiyEn and Dr.Murali Rangaswamy of
Boston argued in favor of Sanskrit and Srimans AMR Kannan
of Syrcuse and Sri Oppili Gopalan of
Washington DC argued in favor of Tamil . The Sanskrit Team
focussed on Vedams , Upanishads ,
AchArya SthOthrams as the source material for Bhagavath
anubhavam in all languages including
Tamil . The Tamil team grounded deeply in NaalAyira
Dhivya Prabhandham argued
effectively in favor of Tamil being the superior language
for
Bhagavath anubhavam . After
the friendly debate was over and a popular vote was taken
,
Dr.SMS Chari gave his impartial
judgement that both languages are equal in
superiority
for Bhagavath anubhavam and gave the
reasons in a scholarly manner . The debate was
enjoyed thoroughly . We agreed with
Dr.Chari's position . The debate was like the Kaliyan's
Paasurams , where one ghOshti sings
the praise of Raaman and the other of KrishNan
as the one with greater vaibhavam .
By copy of this note , I am
requesting SriamAns Murali Rangaswamy and A.M.R.Kannan
to summarize what they covered at
the debate .
After the debate was over , adiyEn
thought that the great genius , Swamy Desikan who
channeled his Bahgavath anubhavam in
a superior manner in the three languages of
Sanskrit , Tamil and Prakrutham is
the best AchAryan to study for illumination on
this subject (Ubhaya VedAntham) dear
to Sri VaishNavAs .
In this context , I remembered the
six introductory postings going back to October 1996
in Sri Ranga Sri on Taathparya
RathnAvaLi and DhramidOpanishad Saaram , the two
Sanskrit Sri Sookthis of Sw amy
Desikan . The topic of these two Sri Sookthis is Swamy
NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi . In
these two divine works , Swamy Desikan provided deep
insights in to AzhwAr's ThiruvuLLam
and AzhwAr's Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam .After the sixth
posting in that series , adiyEn
went off to other topics and forgot about them . This debate
brought me back to DhramidOpanishath
Saaram and Taathparya RathnAvaLi , the two
central Sri Sookthis for insights in
to ThiruvAimozhi as an anubhava grantham . Unfortunately ,
Swamy Desikan's detailed commentary
known as "Nigama ParimaLam " is no longer
available to us .
On this AavaNi Swathy day , adiyEn
thought that it will be good to get back to
these two Sri Sookthis and connect
them to Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam in Sanskrit
of ThiruvAimozhi and relate them to
various commentaries of this sacred Prabhandham
of our Kula Pathy , Swamy NammAzhwAr
. The subject is an ocean in size and scope .
Remembering the proverb , fools
enter , where angels fear to tread , adiyEn will start
this effort and seek
Lord HayagrIvan's
anugraham to complete
this Kaimkaryam , which may take almost an year
to conclude
even in a modest effort .
In view of the nature of the subject , not all
members might be interested
in this series . Hence , adiyEn will post them
in Oppiliappan , Saranagathy ,
Ramanuja Mission and Malolan Lists . Those of
you who are not members of
any one of
these Four lists are
requested to enroll as mmembers of one of
these lists for access to future postings . You can always capture them
in Sripedia?oppiliappan archives as well
.
Summary of my contributions to the
Sep 3, 2005 debate at Sri RanganAthA Temple
**********************************************************************************************************
1. There is enormous "PrAmANya SamarTanam " (ample
power of PramANams / valid
knowledge) for defending the position that
Sanskrit Language is the best for Bhagavath
GuNAnubhavam through Japam , SthOthram and Archanam .
1. Japam here is the
recitation of the sacred names of the Lord and enjoying
the deep and delectable
meanings behind them . Swamy ParAsara Bhattar
has engaged in such Japam in
his Sri Sookthi , " Bahgavath GuNa DarpaNam"
( A Mirror to the GuNams of
the Lord ).
2. SthOthram here is the keertanam of the Lord's Vaibhavam loudly as
eulogy
(with or without Music and
TaaLam ) . BhAvam is most important here .
3. Archanam is the elaborate
ritual worship or Bhagavadh AarAdhanam
with prescribed Aaasanams and
Veda Manthrams with deep Bhakthi .
Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam covers Roopa ,
Svaroopa , ArchA , Vibhava
and LeelA anubhavams as well .
The Six Major GuNAs of the
Lord
******************************************
Upanishads salute the Parabrahmam
tersely as " Sathyam Jn~Anam Anantham BrahmA ".
This Brahman of Upanishads is
rederred to in AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri BhAshyam as
Ubhayalinga VibhUthi NaaTan : (1)
One with a Dhivya MangaLa Vigraham and limitless
auspicious GuNams and (2) free from
any hEyams ( blemishes ). All the limitles guNams
fold in to SIX
Primary GuNams . They are :
1.Jn~Anam ( Omniscience ) , (2)
Sakthi ( Omnipotence) , (3) Balam (Strength ,
(4) Iswaryam ( Lordship) , Veeryam (
Energy ) and Tejas ( Splendour) .
All the other GuNams like Souseelyam
(Gracious condescense ) ,Soulabyam
(Easy accessibility ) , Vaathsalyam
( loving disposition ) , KrupA (Compassion) ,
OudhAryA (generosity) ,
BandhuthvA ( Friendly Relationship ) and the numerous
other auspicious attributes used by
AchArya RaamAnujA in His three Gadhyams
come under one or more of the six
primary GuNmas . Swamy Desikan brings
these insights in His Gadhya Thraya
, CahthusslOki and SthOthra Rathna BhAshyams
in Sanskrit brilliantly
.
When one reflects on the three
gadhyams of RaamAnuja , Panchasthavams of KurEsa ,
Swamy AlavanthAr's ChathusslOki and
SthOthra Rathnam as well as the profound
commentaries of Swamy ParAsara
Bhattar on (1) Sri VishNu Sahasra Naamam ,
(Sri Bhagavadh GuNa DarpaNam ) , (2)
GuNa Rathna Kosam , (3) Sri Rangaraja Sthavam
and (4) Thirumanjana Kattiyam fro
RanganAthA ; Swamy
Desikan's 28 moving SthOthrams
and DhramidOpanishath
Saaram/Taathparya RathnAvaLi are in Sanskrit . Now , one
wonders
why
these AchAryAs chose to
write in Sanskrit instead of in Agastya BhAshA . Swamy Desikan's
Commentaries on PrakaraNa granthams
are in MaNi PravALam
( a heavily Sanskritized
version of
Tamil ). The fact that they
wrote only in
Sanskrit has many answers form proponents and
opponents of Sanskrit as THE
medium of communication
for Bhagavath
GuNAnubhavam .
That formed the core of the debate
at the Sep
3 sessions.
AdiyEn has a biassed view here
to share : All of our AchAryAs cited above knew Dhivya
Prabhandhams
very well including
PiLLAn , who wrote the first commentary on ThiruvAimozhi in
MaNi PravALam ( 6000 Padi where the
two thirds of the words are Sanskrit ) .
Yet they chose Sanskrit for
Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam because no other language
has the SaguNa Texts ( pramANams )
except Sanskrit ( Vedam , Upanishads , IthihAsam
and Saathvika PurANams : all of
these are in Sanskrit ). They needed those SaguNA texts to celebrate
and highlight the
VisishtAdhvaithic View of Bhagavath GuNAs of Para Brahmam ,
the Tatthva Thrayams and the Rahasya Thrayams dealing with Tatthvam ,
hitham and
(Parama) PurushArTam . In addition to the SaguNa texts , Sanskrit has
unique
Sabdha alankArams , ArTa alankArams , VyAkaraNam , Metres for poetry (
SaardhUla
VikreeDitham , UpajAthi , Vasantha Tilakam , Manju BhAshiNi , SragdharA ,
Maalini ,
MandhAkrAnthA,SikhariNi , Indhra VrajA , Rukmavathy , SasikalA , PrastArikA
et al).
All of these enhances the depth of Bhagavath anubhavam ,whether one knows
these
topics are not .
BhagavAn Himself gives the clue for Bhagavath GuNAnubhavam in His
GithOpanishad:
macchitthA madhgathaprANA
BhOdhayantha: Parasparam
kaTayantasccha Maam nithyam
tushyanthi cha ramanthi cha
(Geethai : X.9
)
(Meaning) : "With their
minds focused on Me , inspiring one another
and always speaking of Me
, they live in contentment and bliss at
all times
.
Acharya RaamAnujA's
Commnetary on this slOkam : " MathchitthA: Mayi nivishta
manasa:
( They live with their
minds fixed on Me); Madhgatha: PrANaa: ( Their life is
centerd
on Me ); MadhgathajeevithA: MayA vinA AathmadhAraNam alabamAnA : ( Their
lives are centered on Me
and they are unable to sustain themselves without Me )
;
Svai: Svai: anubhUthAn MadheeyAn guNAn Parasparam
BhOdhayantha:
( They inspire one
another by speaking about My guNams , which have been
experienced by them );
MadheeyAni dhivyAni ramaNeeyAni karmANi cha
KaTayantha: tushyanthi cha ramanthi cha ( Narrating My
divine and adorable
acts , they live in
contentment and bliss at all times ). VakthAra:
tadhvachanEna
ananya prayOjanEna
tushyanthy ( The speakers are delighted by their own speech
,
because it is spontaneous
and has no ulterior motives) SrOthrAsccha
tadhsravaNEna
anavadhikAthisaya priyENa ramanthy ( the listeners too feel
the speech to be
unsurpassingly and
incomparably dear to them . They thus live in bliss )
.
That is the word of
GeethAchAryan !
Genius of Sanskrit
Language
***************************************
The extraordinary ease of
Sanskrit language is in summing up huge doctrines
in one word or few words
. Swamy Desikan used Sanskrit therefore to provide
the Quintessential
essence of NaalAyira Dhivya Prabhandha Pasurams . These
4000 are divided in to
decads ( Dasakam ) , Hundreds ( Sathakams) and ten
hundreds
( Dasa Sathakams ).
Swamy Desikan used the
inherent facility of Sanskrit for condensing entire decads ,
centums and Thousands in
to one word in terse manner without l;osing the core
meaning of the Paasurams
.
We will devote the
subsequent posts to introduce DramidOpanishath Saaram
and Taathparya RathnAvaLi
in this light .
With Prayers to Swamy
Desikan and Lord HayagrIvan , let us commence this journey
,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil
VaradAchAry Sadagopan
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