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Vol 01.009
6 December, 1997

In this Issue: 
1. Note  from the Publisher 
2. Acharya  Vamsa  Vriksham  - Part  9 - Anbil  Ramaswamy 
3. Adiakkalap patthu of Swami Desikan : Part 1 - V. Sadagopan 
4. Saranagathi - Part 7 - Sampath Rengarajan

1.  Note From The Publisher

Dear  BhagavathAs,  I will try my best to publish  this journal in time in the  absence  of Sri Anbil and until he  returns to resumehis  responsibility.  In the meantime I request all the recipients to send us a feed back on the journal.  adiyEn Sampath Rengarajan

The   following  is  Sri  Anbil's   message:  (repeated   for  our recipients  from India to benefit  from this trip of Sri Anbil and communicate with him in India.)

Dear Bhagavatas,
VACATION
I am leaving for India on 27th November 97 for a 2 month vacation and hope to be back by first week of February 1998. I propse to attend the Tirunakshatram of our Jeeyar at Bombay on 8th December 97. I will be meeting with other Yathivaras and Acharyas there to discuss several matters. If you have any questions or doubts for clarification, you may send an e. mail to the following address. I will get authoritative replies for them.  nutech@ix.netcom.com

ARRANGEMENTS
During my absence, Sri V. Sadagopan will be in overall charge as the Acting President and Editor-in-Chief of Saranagathi Journal. Also, Sri Sampath Rengarajan in addition to being the Co- Editor,  will be the Publisher of the  journal in my place.

NON-RELEASE OF ISSUE ON 15th NOVEMBER 97
Due to administrative and technical problems, the issue due on Saturday,15th November could not be released. Every attempt will be made to have the releases on Saturdays.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS AND YOUR FEEDBACK
It is noticed that quite a few of the mails sent bounce. Some of them is due to typographical errors in the addresses (e.g ) undescore instead of hyphen and vice versa etc. We are fixing these . But, some others bounce even when the addresses are correctly typed. Some of them flash the message that they will be delivered say after 4 or 5 days. In the absence of a feedback, there is no way for us to find out if such mails have in fact, been delivered subsequently. Those who have missed one or more issues, for whatever reason, are requested to send an e. mail to srengara@ford.com calling for the missing issues. We will be happy to provide you the same so that you can have a continuous collection of the issues without break.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR
The New year 1998 would have ushered in while I am away. I take this opportunity to wish you all a very very happy New year and wish you a fruitful Satsangam in the days ahead.

CONTACT ADDRESS IN INDIA
My contact address in India will be:
Anbil Ramaswamy
C/O Smt. Mythili Krishnaswami
22 Prithvipakkam, Ambattur,
Chennai, 600 053
Tamil Nadu, INDIA

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
Publisher.



 
2. ACHARYA VAMSA VRIKSHAM Part - 9
PERIOD F:   BETWEEN  YAMUNA MUNI AND  RAMANUJA  MUNI  PERIYA  NAMBI
(MAHA  POORNAR , SRI  POORNAR) - (MARGAZHI-KETTAI)
 (Anbil Ramaswamy)

He was born as the Amsam of Kumudakshar, one of the Nityasuris in  Paramapada  (PPM).His  date  of  birth  is  placed  in 998  AD Hevilambi year, Margazhi month and in the  constellation of Kettai on a Wednesday (PPM and MKS).

Not much is known about him except that he was the direct disciple of Alavandaar  and that it was he who did Pancha  Samskaram to and destined to become the Acharya of Sri Ramanuja..

At the same time, the Lord of Kanchi  bade  Tirukkachchi  Nambi to send  Ramanuja  to  Periya  Nambi at  Srirangam  to learn  Vedanta Arthas.  In  deference  to  this,   Ramanuja  set  forth   towards Srirangam.  Both  Ramanuja and Periya Nambi met with each other at Madurantakam-   midway   between   Kanchi  and  Srirangam.  Having recounted  their mutual  experiences , Periya Nambi  performed the Panchasamskaram  to Ramanuja  there  itself.  According to PPM, he wrote a Granta called Tirup Pathithak Kovai..

Swami  Desika  in  Sloka  9 of his  Yathiraja  Saptadhi  pays  his respects to Mahapoorna thus:-

(Explanation)  When  there  was a  danger  from  other  faiths  to Visishtadvaita Siddhanta, Lord Tiruvarangan commanded Periya Nambi "  Whatever  you  have  learned  from  Alavandar,  you  pass on to Ramanuja  who is in Kanchi and through  him arrange for the growth of the  Siddahantam".  Periya Nambi  immediately set out to Kanchi to carry out the  command of the Lord of  Srirangam.  GLE  reports that  earlier, he  hesitated  to do this but later on relented and performed  it saying that it was by the command of his own Acharya that he was performing the Pancha Samskaram.

Both  returned to  Kanchipuram  where Periya Nambi did Upadesam to Ramanuja  of all  that he had  learned  at the feet of  Alavandar. Thus, Periya Nambi  fulfilled the wishes of Periya  Perumal and by initiating  Ramanuja  paved  the  way  for the  redemption  of our Siddhanta once again.

I take  refuge  at the feet of this  all-  round  master  (Desikam Poornam)  who  fulfilled  the  wishes  of  Lord  Vishnu   (Vishnoh Pooryatha Manorathah)

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy


3. The Scope of PramANa Paddhathi 
(V.Sadagopan)

The first of the ten chapters of Prapanna-  PaarijAtham is  PramANa  Paddhathi .  There are 17 slOkAs in this  chapter , which  refer to the ancient and  unimpeachable  sources of Prapatthi from  passages  found in Sruthis , Smruthis , PurANAs , AagamAs  and the  IthihAsAs  .  The  purpose  of this  effort by our  AchAryA  is to  establish  the Vedic  authority  of  Prapatthi  as a doctrine  and  practice  handed  down to us from  the  prathama  AchArya(  Sriman  naarAyaNA ) down to the current AchAryA .
 
SlOkam 1:

(Meaning ) :  The first and the foremost  authoritative  statement on  Prapatthi  is  found  at the  end of  Thaitthireeya  Upanishad (Sruthi  ) .  There it says  that  Prapatthi  has to be  performed under its name nyAsam  starting with the vEdha mantram  commencing with the word " Vasuranya :  " .  This manthram  describes for the first time  prapatthi  under its name of nyAsam and  prescribes as well its modus operandi .

(  comments ) :  We are  starting  here at the very  beginning  by looking for authoritative  and ancient  references to prapatthi or nyAsam in Sruthis .  The roots of Prapatthi in ancient vEdhams are recognized  from the many vEdha  mantrams  one comes  across in Rg Vedhic rks and KrishNa Yajur Vedhic mantrams .  Upanishads such as Taittireeya   NaarAyana   and   SvEthasvatAra    upanishads   have authoritative references to Prapatthi ..  A passage from Katavalli sruthi  is  another  oft-quoted  authority  for  the  doctrine  of Prapatthi's origin from Sruthis .

By choosing the word nyAsam , the Vedhic manthram  reminds us that this doctrine  refers to a pledge , a pledge of one's Self (Jeevan) to the Lord .

Dr.S.M.  Srinivasachari   has   connected   the   numerous passages  of Rg vEdham to the basic  principles  of  Prapatthi  or SaraNAgathi .  These rks refer to " an individual pleading his (or her )  inability  to  achieve  a desired  object " or goal such as freedom  from the  cycles  of birth and  death .  He or she  seeks prayerfully  divine  intervention  for  success in such  efforts (Gopthruva VaraNam ).

One of the oft-quoted rk ( Rg vEdham I.189.1)  starts with " AgnE naya  supathArAyE---"  .  This  manthram  is found again in IsAvAsyOpanishad and Swami Desikan has commented on this rk in his Bhaashyam on the above upanishad .  The manthram has the following meaning  :  " Oh , Agni !  lead us along  the  auspicious  path to remove all the  obstacles  coming in our way ; we shall offer unto Thee salutations with the expression of NAMA:  "(--tE nama- ukthim vidhEma) .  Swami Desikan has connected  the name Agni here to the AntharyAmi Brahman and the word " NAMA :  " to the act of the SELF seeking  the refuge in Lord and laying  itself at His sacred  feet (Athma nivEdhanam ) .

Another  Rg rk  found in the 7th  khAndham  (  VIII.66.13) invokes  reverentially  the  Supreme  Brahman  as the  only one to shower us with  favour  (Maha  VisvAsam ) and that the jeevans are totally  dependent  on  that  supreme  Brahman  .  It  says :  " O Resplendent  Self !  We are verily  Yours ,  therefore  , We , the worshippers  (  prapannAs  ) , entirely  depend on You .  There is none but only You to show us favor , O  Bounteous  divine  power , invoked   by   ALL   "(nahi    tvadhanya:   purUhutha    kascchana magavannasthi marDithA)

The whole VIII.66 section of Rg vEdham is a celebration of the Supreme  Brahman " as full of might and the revealer of wealth " , as " the powerful  Lord , purifier and master of all forces" . The third rk salutes  the Lord as the one , " who opens the closed gates of wisdom and destroys the devil of dark evil forces " .  In the fifth rk refers to the prayerful devotion of the Jeevan to the Lord this way :  " Oh resplendent Self , praised by all, we hasten to bring to You our  devotion  and  appreciation  , which You have been expecting to receive from Your sincere devotees since ancient times  (vayam  tattha  Indra  sam  BHARAMASI  yajnamuktham  thuram vacha:).

The  subsequent rk ( Rg VIII.66.7 ) eloquently  states the mood of the Jeevan's prayerful devotion in a state of helplessness to the Supreme  Brahman  this way :  " Today , Yesterday , and ALL the days , let the resolute will power  (supreme  Brahman ) accept our tribute to His full satisfaction .  We offer Him our reverence .  Let Him now hasten  here on hearing  our  admiration  ( tasma u adhya samanA sutham BHARA nUnam bhUshatha sruthE ) .

In the 14th rk , the jeevan  prays to the Supreme  Lord to deliver  it from its dire  (spirtual  ) poverty , hunger  (for His presence ) and calumny ( arising from  accumulation of sins due to doing things  prohibited  by sAsthrAs and  abandoning  karmAs that should be  performed  ) .  The  jeevan  continues  its  prayer for protection  with His  wondrous  might and  thought  .  The  jeevan declares  with  conviction  :  " O mightiest  !  only You know the right way " .

In  the  VIII.19.5  rk  ,  we  come  across  the  explicit statement  the  person(  Jeevan ) , " who offers  prayer  with the expression  of  NAMA  :  (  implying  self-surrender  ) is  to  be regarded as one , who has performed a good  sacrifice  (sOdhvarah:)  almost   equivalent  to  the  formal   sacrifice  done  in  the consecrated fire by offering the faggots  (samiths) along with the recitation  of the  manthrAs " ( ya samidhA ya aahUthee yO vEdhEna dhadhAsa marthO AgnayE I yO namasA svadhvara :  II ) .

The  above rk and the  others  of the VIII th  canto of Rg vEdham leads onto the climatic statement embedded in the famous rk quoted above ( VIII.  66.  13 ) , which unequivocally  states that none other than the  Supreme  Being is capable of  protecting  the Jeevan from " the ocean of bondage ( Maha VisvAsam ) ".

In a  subsequent  Canto  (  X.63.  9  and  10 ) , the  rks compare  the Lord to a  non-leaky  boat that alone can safely take the  jeevan  across  the  turbulent  ocean of  SamsAram ( dhaiveem naavam svaritrAm anAgasam asravantheemA ruhEmA svasthayE ) .  The Lord is  invoked  here as "  vessel  divine  ,  well-protecting  , spacious , shining and  unmenaced  , full of comforts , seamless , goodly  constructed  ,  fitted  with  fine  oars  ,  flawless  and unsinkable (never-leaking ) " .

In the previous rk the jeevan  offered a moving  prayer to the Lord in the unmistakable  spirit of a true PrapannA this way : " In our  conflicts or struggles  of our life , we invoke our Lord (who is known by so many  attributive  names as ) the  resplendent one , the  deliverer  from sins , the  virtuous , the Divine , the Creator  , the  Adorable  , the  Friendly  , the  Venerable  , the Glorious one .  We invoke You - for the acquisition of (spiritual) food and luxury and for our (spiritual) well-being " .

These are the Vedhic PramANams for nyAsam to establish its ancient roots .

V.Sadagopan


4. SaraNAgathi - Lord HIMself incarnates as acharyAL - part 8  (Kadagakudi Sampath Rengarajan)

Some of the commonly  asked  questions  are  repeated.  Is it  possible  that  simply  because  one asked for mOksham  through an achAryAL  the Lord  will  give  mOksham.  i.e.,  why  achAryAL  is  considered  a mediator  for  obtaining  the thiru aruL of the Lord  known as  saraNagathi.  Who are the  acharyALs  ?  Are  there  any  instances  that the Lord fulfilled  achAryAL's  requests (that are  meant for benefiting the bAgwathALs) ?.

In  Srivaishnava  sampradhAYam  achArya  sthAnam  and achArya  paramparai  is the most  important.  When Lord Krishna was present  in dwArakA,  madura kavi azhwAr still awaited the avathAram of our  thamizh  vedam thantha  nammAzwar.  When Sri Ramanuja  ascended to  Srivaikundam he meditated on the thiruvadikaL of Sri Periya nambi.  When Swami  Desikan  ascended to Sri vaikundam he meditated on the  thiruvadikaL   of  Sri   AppuLAr.  There   are   scores  of  other poorvAchAryAL  from whom this niyamanam can be learnt.  It is even  the  thiru  uLLam  of  our  poorvAchAryALs  to  mediate  upon  the thiruvadi of their  achAryAL  even though Sri Ramanuja  himself is  the thiru  avathAram  of  adiseshan  and Swami  Desikan  the thiru  avathAram of or temple bell (maNi) of thiru vEngada  mudaiyAn.  In  each and  every  achAryAL  there is an amsam of  perumal  known as  sudhdha saththvam that is embodied.  It depends on the thoNdars to  realize  this and worship our  acharyALs  as perumal  using  their  thaniyans all the time.  It is wrongful to think that achAryAs are  mere baddha jivAtmAs and such is the mOksha virOdha swaroopam that  the prapanna must  definitely  know.  (mOksha virOdha  swaroopam -  Swami  Desikan  in  sillarai  rahasyangAL).  The  Lord  paramAtmAn  saranyAn HIMself  incarnates as achAryAL who is full of compassion  and bless us by removing our anNyAnam.  (thakavAl mikka  dEsikarAy  26 - amirtha  swAthini ie., Lord HIMself  incarnates as achAryAn).  An  incident  from  vaibavam  can  validate  these  words of Swami  Desikan.

It is learnt  from the achArya  vaibavam  that after  several  years  of  Swami   Desikan's   vaibavam  in  this   boolOgam,  Sri  SrinivAsachArya swamin incarnated.  He went to ahObilam as per the  swapna  niyamanam of Lord azhagiya singar and AmmAL, he met with a  yathi (sanyAsi).  YathisArvabowmar initiated him into sannyAsramam  and gave him his  kAshAyam  (kAvi  udai) and  sangu  chakram  (for  performing  samAsrayEnam)  and  initiated  him  with  the  prEksha manthram (for performing  thiru arAdhanm of Lakshmi  nrusimhan and  baraNyAsam for the bAghawadhALs)  and the Thri DhaNdam (the staff)  from Sri  bAshyakArar  sannidhi  there.  He also named him that as  Sri sadagopa jeer.  Sri sadagOpa jeer (later on he became  AthivaN  sadagOpa   jeer   due  to   the   grace   of   lord   AthinAthan).  YathisArvabowmar  identified  HIMself  later  that it was HIM  who  appeared in the dream and wanted our jeer to come to Sri Ahobilam.

Swami  Desikan also  delivered  that (nal viNaiyil  padinthAr  thALil  paniviththu - amirtha ranchani 30) such Lord also makes us  surrender  at the holy feet of such  achAryAL  and  protects us by  paving  the  way  for  mOksham.  There  are  so  many   references  available in Swami Desika  Prabhandham  (SDP) on the importance of  achAryAL  and  Lord's  mercy  to  show  us  and  take  us  to  the sathAchAryan (sath achAryAn).

Thirumangai  on his last pasuram  prayed to  thirukaNNamangai  Sri Baktha  vatsala  perumAL  (Sri  Krishnan of one of the earlier  chathur yugam) Though it is an apachAram to describe the materials  of which the perumAL archcha  vigrahams are made, one can describe  the beauty of them so that those who have not gone there can enjoy  the  beauty of this lord  while  reading  itself.  This lord is so  tall (ie..  brahmAndamAna thiru uruvam; approximately 18 feet; and  I have not seen anyother  lord who is so tall in ninRa kOlam among  the 108 DDs than Sri  Bakthavatsala  perumAL; In thiru ooragam and  thiruk  koViloor Sri  uLagaLantha  perumAL's  moolvar is also very  gigantic but these postures of the Lord are  considered  "nadantha  koLam") and the kalyAna  guNam of gambeeram  can be seen from this  lord by the mere darshan.

     i.e.  Oh kannA, if you may desire (kurippu here means desire)  you may also learn this kavi's or poet's  (ie., his  thirumangai's  poems) poem.  It is said that even among the normal 21 births in a  yugam each and every thought of the AthamA becomes a birth.  It is said  that Our Lord  immediately  fulfilled  thirumangai's  wishes (these  wishes  of  thirumangai  are on behalf of us that the Lord  HIMself must write the  vyAkyAnams  for these  thamizh  vedams) by  becoming  HIMself as the  shishyAL  and student as periya  vAcchAn  pillai  (rOhini  nakshathiram  as similar to Lord  Krishna and Sri  Periya  vAcchAn  pillai had a thirunAmam in his bAlyam as Krishan)  and   thirumangai   incarnated   once  again  in  the  same  thiru  nakshathiram ie., kArthigai krithigai as Sri Nampillai and was the  achAryAL for Sri periya  vaachchAn  pillai.  Sri Nampillai had the  same name as  thirumangai  i.e.,  "kalikanRi".  There are  several  insights   from   these  two   achAryALs   thiru   avathArAm   and  thirumangai's  pAsuram  that  are  understood.  However  the  most  relevant insight for current context is such that the Lord HIMself  considered the achAryA sthAnam so important that HE HIMself became  a sishyAL.  And HE obtained  the thiru aruL of the  achAryAL.  And  HE learnt from  achAryALs  aruLichcheyaL  and became the  vyAkyAna  chakravarthy  Periya  vAcchAn  pillai  with the  blessings  of Sri  Nampillai.  And HE  served  the  thamizh  vedam  and  Srivaishnava  thoNdars  who read and  understand  thamizh  vedam  through  these  vyAkyAnams even this day.

One another  important  insight from achArya vaibavam is that  when Sri MaNavALa mAmunigaL  completed the delivering of year long  vyAkyAnam for  thiruvaay  mozhi in thiru  arangam, it is said that  Lord Arangan HIMself appeared as a small boy and sang the thaniyan  "srisaila thayApAththiram" in praise of the achAryAL.

Thus it is  understood  from all of the above  quotes  that  achAryAL is thiru aruL is the thiravukOl for thiru vAsAL (keys for  the thershold for Srivaikundam) for bhakthALs and their thiruvadis  are the  thirauppatham and their thaniyans are the manthirams ie.,  vehicle  that  takes the  bakthALs  to the  Destiny  mOksham  (for  Srivaishnava sampradhAyam).

Kadagakudi Sampath Rengarajan