about directors subscription issues contents Feedback

Vol 01.007 Pre-SaraNAgati Issues
15 October, 1996

In this Issue:
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
2. FROM RAHASYA TRAYA SARA
   Adhikara15 Uttara Kritya Adhikara The manner in which one should conduct oneself after Prapatti
   Adhikara 16 Purushaartha Kaashta Adhikara: The farthest extent of our ultimate object
   Adhikara 17 Sastriya Niyamana Adhikara: The injunctions ordained by the Sastras
3. FROM CHAPTER 3 OF " HINDUISM REDISCOVERED" The Sruti Texts- The Vedas

1. Note From The Editor

Dear Bhagavatas,

It gives us great pleasure to welcome Mr. Kalale and Mr Sudarsan who have joined our Satsangam on October.15, 96. We will be sending them the previous issues and Question Box Reply # 1 published so far.

After posting 5 or 6 issues say in a fortnight, we propose to give a break in the following fortnight for the readers to frame queries and for us to refer to source materials and / or consult with scholars before venturing to reply, lest the answers should prove impulsive not befitting the serenity of the discussions and the demeanor of the erudite scholars in the group.

We welcome your valuable inputs and constructive criticisms as much as any words of appreciation, which will be gratefully acknowledged and incorporated in the final editions.

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy


2. RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM OF SWAMI DESIKA

ADHIKARA 15 : UTHARA KRITYA ADHIKARA
(The manner in which one should conduct oneself after Prapatti)
This Chapter lays down the duties to be performed by a Prapanna from the time of his doing Prapatti till attaining Moksha on death.
(a) A Prapanna should not slacken his attentions to and performance of his Nitya Karmas.
(b) He should continue to widen his knowledge by associating with Acharyas and others qualified.
(c) Even if he has achieved a mental evolution befitting him to a direct communion with God., he should not feel proud about it since he should be ever aware of his own insignificance
(d) He should keep his sense organs under perfect control
(e) He should continue to do service to the archa form of the Lord as also Nishkamya Karmas.
(f) He should consciously avoid all desire for worldly pleasures and carry on his daily routine with wealth earned through Dharmic means.
(g) He should always feel grateful to the grace of the preceptor who initiated him into Prapatti
(h) He should always utter the Dvaya mantra as advised by his Guru
(i) He should never boast about his own greatness (j) He should scrupulously avoid insulting or disrespecting the Bhagavatas and Acharyas.
(j) He should always be eager to perform service to Bhagavan, the Bhagavatas and Acharyas.
(k) He should eat only pious foods conducive to augmenting Satva guna.
What a Prapanna should do and what he should not may be summarized as follows:
(i)  Not to indulge in         Worldly pleasures and desire therefor
(ii) To remember               The great help rendered by Acharyas
(iii) Not to utter                 Words of Self-praise
(iv) To utter                       Dvaya Mantra
(v) To avoid in mind,           Disrespect to Bhaghavatas and
      word and deed            Acharyas
(v) To perform in mind,      Service to Bhaghavan, Bhaghavatas
     word and deed            and Acharyas

ADHIKARA 16 : PURUSHARTHA KAASHTA ADHIKARA
(The farthest extent of our ultimate object) If we probe into what is most pleasurable to the Lord, we will come to the conclusion that service to his devotees is the one that is so. Hence, service to Bhagavatas constitutes the farthest extent and most important aspect of our service to the Lord. As we saw, the ultimate object of a Prapanna is to do service to the Lord in Paramapada. But, one has to be trained in such service even while being in this world. Since Bhagavatas are ensouled by Bhagavan any service done to them constitute service to the Lord himself. As Bhagavatas are like God's favorite children, service done to them will please the Lord just like a parent being pleased with the one who pets his child. It is, therefore, that a Srivaishnava calls himself 'adiyen' which means "I who am at your feet". This concept also finds echoed in the expression "adiyar". This service which acts as a probationary period of service so that the Prapanna could taste the pleasure of service to God ' again for the first time' when he reaches Paramapada. This also saves the Prapanna from (i) Propensity to commit sins
(ii) Entertaining doubts in the authority of the Sastras (iii) Attachment to petty deities
(iv) Imagining pleasures as resulting out of one's own efforts and (v) Misappropriating the fruits of efforts for one's self instead of dedicating them to the Lord.

ADHIKARA .17 :SASTRIYA NIYAMANA ADHIKARA
(The injunctions ordained by the Sastras) We have been repeating time and again that one should act according to the injunctions ordained by the Sastras. Sri RAMANUJA, at the time of his death gave his disciples the following commandments that constitute the essence of these Sastric injunctions:
(1) The Prapanna should study the philosophy of SRI BASHYA and expound them to others.
(2) If he cannot do this, he should study the 4000 holy collects (Nalayira Divya Prabandham) authored by Alwars and expound them to others.
(3) If he cannot do this also, he can engage himself in such services in Divya Desas (shrines consecrated by the Alwars) like preparing offerings of prasada, preparing sandal paste, garlands etc to adorn the Archa forms of the Lord, lighting lamps in the sanctum sanctorum and around the temples etc
(4) If he cannot do even this, he must concentrate and unceasingly recite the Dvaya Mantra and meditate on its meaning constantly (5) If none of the above is possible, he must conduct himself in such a way as to become acceptable as a disciple to a qualified preceptor.
The Prapanna should bear in mind the following:- (i) Srivaishnavas (Bhakthas Of Sri Vishnu) are like his kith and kin and he should yearn for association with them and feel glad in their company like enjoying the fragrance of sandal paste flowers, moonlight, cool southerly breeze or a dear darling wife. (ii) Those opposed to Bhagavan should be shunned like poisonous snakes, fire etc.,
(iii) Others who are neither Bhaktas nor opposed to Bhagavan should be ignored as dirt. This category of people, if they show signs of being amenable to turning good, an attempt can be made to instruct them; if not , the Prapanna can only sympathize with them as being misled.
If out of desire for worldly pleasures one disregards a Bhakta or supports a non-believer, one is sure to incur the wrath of the Lord (which is another name for sin). If the neutral type of persons are supported for the same reasons, it is like not being able to differentiate between a gem and a clod of clay- and the Lord would ignore such supporters.
Hence, a Prapanna should be circumspect in offering his services only to the proper Bhaktas (To be continued)


3. FROM CHAPTER 3 OF HINDUISM REDISCOVERED

SECTION 2 : THE SRUTI TEXTS.

2.1. VEDAS
The word `VEDA' itself means `wisdom', `knowledge'. Scholars say that it bears resemblance to the English `Wit', the German `WIZEN' or the Latin `VIDERE; stemming from `VID' to See. The wisdom of the Vedas is absolute and inherent and not the material or empirical knowledge.

Vedas were not created by anybody - not even by God. Hence, they are called "Apaurusheyam" (Authorless ), the Vedic hymns were passed on by teachers to pupils through an oral tradition. It is essentially an auditory phenomenon. Vedas are supposed to have existed always. After every deluge (Pralaya) when the universe remanifested, God remembered the texts of the Vedas exactly as they were before the deluge and taught them to the fourfaced Brahma and through him to succeeding generations through Guru-sishya-parampara (generations of preceptor - pupil relationship). Even when an alphabet was sought to be introduced or altered there was strong opposition and the tradition was conveyed through `Sruti (heard or revealed) and `Smriti (remembered).

LE MAITRE, SOLANGE observes: "What is found in the VEDA has no equivalent anywhere in the religious history of mankind. A philosophic teaching of lofty range is expressed in hymns of exceptional poetry, powerful in their lyricism and often and deliberately in their symbolism, it seems the secret of the Veda must remain impenetrable to the profane". -5 Incidentally, `pro' means in front of and `fane' means temple. Hence, to be left outside the precincts of the holy.

It might take a whole lifetime may be many lives to study all that is contained in the Vedas and other scriptures or even to have a smattering. But, as Hindus, is it not necessary and desirable for us to know at least their names and briefly the basics as to what they stand for - before we proceed.?
HERE IS A RAPID LOOK AT THIS l
VEDA is also called `SRUTI'. `NIGAMA' and AMNAYA. `Sruti' : means that which is `heard' - a sacred knowledge heard by the ancient Rishis and transmitted through generations of pupils as already explained. They lay down rules of grammar, pitch, rhythm and intonation for recitation. Originally, the word `VEDA' applied to `mantras' (mental recitations) and `Brahmans' (manuals) but later extended to Upanishads and other works. When we say `heard' - it does not mean spoken by someone. The Munis (silent ones) and the Rishis (having power of knowledge) were believed to have heard through the medium of sounds the eternal truths which they grasped with their intuitive wisdom. " Purusha Prayatnam Vinaa Prakateebhutam". The word so heard itself became powerful when properly uttered by the proper person under the proper circumstances at the proper time. These materials cannot be conveyed by the printed texts.They could be transmitted only between the two minds - of theGuru and the Sishya both of whom should have the qualifications to give and to take respectively. The Auditorial character of Sruti is self evident.

`Nigama' : Means a settled text or work handed down. This is distinct from 'Agama" which is not based on the `Veda' but improvised later.

Aamnaaya' : Means what is learnt by a student and cherished by constant repetition and frequently thinking over the same. Originally, the Vedas were not classified. Great difficulty was felt in performing the Yaagas. Sage Vyasa with the help of his disciples Sumantu, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Bylar classified the Vedas into 4 groups consisting of 1131 branches. Hence, he is called Veda Vyasa.6
The four Veda collection of Mantras of praise known as `SAMHITAS'. They are briefly as follows

2.1.1. RIG VEDA (Oldest Vedic verses in oral form ) Hymns of praise. Relates to the function of `HOTA' or the person who sits in a place, tends the sacrificial fire and recites prayers (mantras). We will discuss more about mantras later. The collection comprises of 64 Chapters, 10,552 verses in 1028 hymns arranged in 10 books (mandalas) known as `Sakala' recension, the text used by the priestly school. It included 36 hymns called `Khilasuktas' (not in the original Rig Vedic nucleus). A subsequent arrangement divides the text into 8 each of which was subject to further divisions. Mandalas IV, VI and VIII represent three well known subdivisions of the `ANGIRASAS' namely the GAUTAMAS, BARADWAJAS and KEVAL ANGIRASAS. Books III, V and VII belong to the Non-Brigu-Angirasa gotras. II and VII are classified as `Family books' while IX is confined to the `Soma' ritual. I and X seem to be late compositions- 6 .

J.MUIR observes
"RIG VEDA provides far more illustrations of the workings of human mind, in the period of its infancy upon matters of religion, than can be found in any other literature whatsoever".7

2.1.2. YAJUR VEDA ( Hymns of wisdom of sacrificial rites chanted with cadenced intonation)
Rites performed by `Advarvyu' or person engaged in actual performance of the rituals (formulas). He handles the sacrificial instruments, measures quantities of materials for sacrifices and performs the actual sacrifice.

The Veda of the Yajus (Vishnu purana V 1.3) states that originally the Veda consisted of 27 Parts (in 40 Chapters, 7 Khandas, (Cantos) 82 Prasnas ( questions), 368 Anuvakas, ( Sections) and 1987 hymns compiled by `VAISAMPAYANA' who imparted them to 27 pupils; including `YAGNAVALKYA'. But, both of them quarreled on an interpretation on the prayaschitha (atonement) for the `Mahapataka' (great sin), on the preceptor killing his own sister's child. The quarrel resulted in YAGNAVALKYA leaving his preceptor after `vomiting' what he had learnt. The other pupils immediately transformed themselves into Taittri (Black birds) and picked up the texts and hence Taittriya samhita is called `Krishna Yajurveda' ( Black Yajurveda). Another legend says that VAISAMPAYANA taught YASKA and YASKA to TITTRI. Hence, TAITTRIYA. YAGNAVALKYA learnt the texts from SUN who acknowledged his homage by appearing in the form of a horse and revealed to him again the Yajur Veda. Hence. VAJASENEYI samhita or `Sukla Yajurveda' (White Yajurveda).

2.1.3. SAMA VEDA ( Hymns of wisdom set to melodious music)
Relates to the functions of `Udgata' or person who sings Samans or Musical notes (ie) chants set to music. In the Veda of sacred songs (samans), hymns were taken out from Rig Veda transposed and rearranged to suit ritualistic requirements. Of the 1875 verses contained in 2 parts of Sam Veda -only 75 are new ones, all the others being found in Rig Veda, ( mostly in Mindless VIII and IX.) Most of these verses are in Gayatri and Jagati meters and were meant to be sung.

They have been 'notated' for purposes of chanting with a special 'cadence' and a remarkable 'melody'. The three recensions of Samaveda are the Gauthama saka prevalent in Gujarat, Jaiminiya current in Karnataka and Ranayaniya popular in Maharashtra 8 The three together were known as `Trayividya' -( three fold collection of wisdom). A fourth Veda was added later.

2.1. 4. ATHARVA VEDA
Attributed to sage ATHARVAN describing the functions of `Brahma' - - the person who is the general supervisor of rituals - the master of ceremonies. But, ATHARVA Veda is also known as a `Weird' one dealing with charms and incantations dealing with spirits, witches, goblins and Imps.
Atharva Veda which deals with magic formulae is also called `BRIGUVANGIRASA' founded by BRIGU, ANGIRASA and ATHARVAN. Originally contained 18 books but 2 more were added subsequently. The 18 books comprise 9 branches, 20 Khandas, 36 Prasnas,143 Suktas and 5977 hymns. I to VII deal with charms and imprecations. VIII to XII sacrifice of goats and five rice dishes offered, the praise of VIRAJ and the UCHISHTA ( the sacrificial remains.). Other portions deal with mystic hymns, priestly riddles and human anatomy, special amulets, list of remedies for various venoms and poisons etc. XIII to XVIII are devoted to special subjects (eg) XIV to wedding and XVIII to funeral rites.
(To be continued)