Vol 03.002 22 April 2000
Dear BhakthAs:
The mission of SaraNAgathi journal is two fold : (1)realization of significant contributions by sampradhAyic scholars to help us understand the glorious doctrines of SaraNAgathi (2) provide a forum for presentations on the SriSookthi of AzhwArs and AchAryALs at a level that could enhance the understanding of these auspicious works by the younger generation of Sri VasihNavAs in India and overseas. We seek the blessings of the SaraNyaDhampathis to serve you efficently in the months to come. Please let us know of your comments to help us serve you better.
In this issue, We have three articles. One of the articles is by one of the highly regarded ubhaya-VedAnthA scholars from Karnataka, Dr.N.S. Anantha RangaachAr Swamy. For the past 40 years, he has been helping many sishyAs understand the fine points of grantha chAthushayam and the works of AzhwArs and AchAryALs. He is an author of 90 books on our sampradhAyam in KannadA and English. In this article, Dr.N.S.Anantha RangAchAr provides a profile of vEdha VyAsA, whose Sri Sookthis form the foundation of our vEdhic sampradhAyam.
The second invited article is by Sri MAdapoosi SArangarAjan Hari, who is a software engineering consultant residing in Singapore. He belongs to the Ahobila matam sampradhAyam and has performed KAlakshEpam on the 9 Sri Sookthis of AchArya RAmAnujA and works of AzhwArs. He is currently conducting KAlakshEpam for a group of Sri VaishNavAs on Srimadh Rahasya Thraya SAram at Singapore. In his article, Sriman Hari focuses on PramANa and PramEyam after his earlier article on AdhikaraNa SArAvaLi summary slOkam (SaraNAgathi :Volume 3.001).
The third article is by adiyEn as a part of a series that started much before the new mission of SaraNAgathi journal was defined. The postings on this series will conclude soon, when we reach the 100th sathakam of this Sri Sookthi by Swamy Desikan .
Looking forward to hearing from you,
AdiyEn,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SdaagOpan
Editor , SaraNAgathi JournalDAsan ,
V.Sadagopan
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.srivaishnava.org/sgati/
2. An Outline of "PramAnA" in VisistAdhvaitA
S M HariPramAnA in Sanskrit means the source of knowledge- "from which one gets to know". PramEyA means the object known through the pramAnA. "PramatA" is the one who gets to know.
PramAnA : Authorities as proof accepted in Sri visistAdhvaithA SriVaishnava SiddhdAntham: "Authority/Source of knowledge" is PramAnam. There are three authorities accepted. They are, Sabdham (The vEdhas-Sruti:Pratyaksham (That which is observed & understood through our sense organs, AnumAnam (Inference based on observation)
AnumAnam is given least importance because it is susceptible to error. It is inference based on observation(s). For example, If one observes smoke coming from behind a mountain, one infers based on this observation, that there is fire behind the mountain. One may be right or wrong. It can be even a mist or cloud passing behind the mountain. So anumAnam is not fool-proof but still considered as a pramAnAm.
Pratyaksham is of certain importance but still it is also susceptible to error. This is what is perceived through our sense organs like eyes, ears etc., and understood by us. It is considerable & should not be rejected or accepted without proper & fool-proof enquiry.
Sabdham is vEdhas or Sruti. As we know, VEdhAs are apourusheyA ie., not authored by any one including the God Almighty. It is of infinite volume. BAdarAyana (VEdha VyAsA) only codified the vEdhAs into four and compiled them. That is why he is called VyAsA (In Sanskrit, VyAsA means compiler). Thus, no one composed vEdhas. In fact it is considered as the expansion of the sacred Pranavam "AUM" and as the divine breath of Lord Vishnu. It is natural, pure, the only authority by itself, accepted and free from all errors as it has got no author. It folds into Pranavam. It is remembered by Sri Vishnu and revealed / taught to "Sri Chathur Muka BrahmA" during the beginning of every creation. SriVishnu Himself protects the vEdhA as Hayagreeva & MadhusUdhanA. From him it is preached to other PrajAPathis who are Gotra PravartakAs & they in turn preach it to men. It has got six accessories guarding it. They are 1.SiskshA (The sounds, pronunciations, swaram), 2. Chandas (The meter of vedic verses like anushtub chandas, gAyathri chandas etc.), 3.VyAkaraNam (The grammatical part of vEdhic verses), 4. Niruktam (The methods adopted to derive the meaning), 5.Jyothisham (Rules regarding finding out the proper time to do the duties prescribed in vEdhas) & 6.Kalpam (Rules regarding the performance of rituals and duties prescribed in vEdhas).
The vEdhAs are also called nigama, Apta sruti, sruti, AmnAyam and parama sAstram. The term VEdha means knowledge & wisdom. It is called sruti because it is taught by the Guru vocally and heard by the student, repeated and memorized to remember. It is the store house of all knowledge (nigamam). It is called Apta sruti because it's always the only reliable source & authority of knowledge that can be depended upon. Thus it is the only supreme knowledge base which enlightens - (parama sAstram). It is called AmnAyam when its portions like mantram, Aranyakam etc. are viewed collectively. Sage SAyana has given a commentaries for the full of vEdhAs and it is called SAyana Bhasyam. The vEdhAs has two parts. They are Karma KAndam & BrahmaKAndam(otherwise called as nyAna KAndam). The Karma kAndam deals with the rituals like Yag~nyAs, hOmam, YAgas & such sacrifices and ceremonies that are part of all walks of life like birth, upanayanam, marriage, death etc.. It is the elaborate treatment of all materialistic knowledges. It is also called Poorva MimAmsa. Sri Jaimini Maha Muni(A sage who knows VEdha VyAsA and lived in his period) has written sutrAs (aphoristic formulas) regarding this called DharmA (KarmA) Sutras.
The Brahma kAndam (jn~Ana kAndam) VEdhAntham (Meaning Conclusion of VEdhAs) deals with the knowledge regarding the absolute root cause of the universe, the ultimate truth of Brahman - Sriman NArAyaNA ParamAtman. It is also called Upanishad (Upanishad is a term derived as Brahmani Upanishana Ithi Upanishad i-e., Upanishad is the one which is close to Brahman and talks about the reality of Brahman as such the truth). It is very vast, deep and requires highest intelligence, Bhagawath KrupA & AchArya KatAksham to comprehend and realize the concepts as explained in it. It is called Utthara MimAmsam. BAdarAyana Sri VEdha VyAsA himself has written sutrAs (aphoristic formulas) regarding this called Brahma SutrAs. It is also called SAreeraka SAstram.
Apart from the sruti as briefly explained above, few Smruthis like Manu Smruti are accepted as authorities. Smruti as the name indicates are different from Sruti. Smruti means memory - remembrance. Sages like Manu Maharishi learnt vEdhAs (sruti) and practiced it for several years and out of their knowledge and experience, they remembered the sruti and explained it through their works called smruti. Thus Smruti has author, whereas, Sruti has no author.
PurAnAs like Vishnu PurAnA composed by Sri ParAsarA (Father of VEdha Vyasa), bAgawatha Maha PurAnA are also accepted. All 18 purAnAs of VyAsA are not accepted. Only 6 of them called sAtvika PurAnAs are accepted. The other 12 purAnAs (RAjasa & TAmasa) are rejected as BrahmA (Chatur Muka) who actually revealed all purAnAs to rishis like Vyasa himself is only a Jeeva Atman bound to all 3 characteristics (Satva, Rajas & Tamas) of samsArA. His (Chatur Muka's) words are reliable only during his sAtvika period and not during his rajasic or tAmasic periods.
ItihAsAs - RAmAyanA of Srimadh Valmiki & MahA BharathA of VEdha VyAsA are also accepted in their original form only as composed by them.
Any authority can be accepted as authority only if it supports VEdhAs. If it contradicts VEdhAs, it has to be appropriately understood such that there is no contradiction to the Vedic authority or it should be rejected. One has to necessarily understand that VEdhAs & those supporting vEdhAs alone are the final authority, when it comes to pramAnams.
>From this NyAya, Tarka and other darsanAs are accepted in our siddhAntham. Everything however is rooted in the VEdhAs. The vEdhA is thus the eternal authority. Many sutrAs like VyAkarana sutrA, Yoga sutrA, Brahma SutrA and SAstrAs are also considered similarly.
The PrasthAna Thrayam & Its Significance In Our VisistAdvaita Sri Vaishnava SiddhAntham. The three authoritative scriptures taken collectively is popularly referred to as PrastAna Trayam. They are "The VEdhAs", - Poorva & Uttara MimAmsa together; "The Bhagawath Geetha: - Told by Lord Kannan Himself & recorded by VyAsA; "The Brahma SutrAs" - SAreeraka SAsthrA of VEdha VyAsa Bhagavan.
We have explained the nature of vEdhAs earlier. The Bhagawath Geetha has been preached by Lord Sri Krishna Himself to ArjunA in the battle field of Kuru kshEthram. It is the essence of all VEdhAs and it is of greatest significance as it is a sAstra which came as the divine message & order of Lord Sri KrishnA Himself. The brahma sutras are aphorisms (nearly 550 formula like short - precise - clear - error free - small verses) composed by VEdha VyAsA Bhagavan to explain the SAreeraka SAsthrA Of Upanishads. Our VisistAdhvaita SriVaishnava SiddhdAntham is based on this prastAna thrayam and the darsanAs.
3. Bhagavan Sri vEdha VyAsA
Sri Anantha RangachAriarThe name of Veda vyAsA is one of the most celebrated names among the great sages of India. He is the author of MahA BhAratham and the purANAs. It is this great sage, who classified the vast vEdic lore into several sections according to their content and purpose. He is also the author of the VEdAntha sUtrAs (Brahma sUtrAs).He is considered as an incarnation of Lord VishNu Himself on account of these stupendous achievements.
Sri KrishNa DvipAyana VyAsA (as he is known ) was born in an illusrious family of great sages. He was the great grandson of the famous Brahmarishi, VasishTA and the grand son of the sage Shakthi and the son of the eminent sage ParAsarA; latter was blessed by VasishTA and PulasthyA and on account of their blessings, ParAsarA was endowed with the true knowledge of the Supreme Reality. ParAsarA became the author of VishNu PurANam. VyAsA was born of this great ParAsarA and Sathyavathi. VyAsA was called "DhvaipAyanA" since he was born on an island . He was also called 'KrishNa Dhvai- pAyanA ' since his complexion was dark.As he had his hermitage in Badari kshEthram, he was also referred to as BAdarAyaNA. There is vEdic reference to him as "SahOvaacha vyAasah pArAsaryah".
The Skanda purANam refers to Veda VyAsA and his achievements and affirms that he alone was the author of the VedAntha sUtrAs. According to our tradiiton, it is an undisputed fact that Veda VyAsA was the classifier of the VedAs , author of the PurANAs and the composer of MahA Bhaaratham and VedAntha sUtrAs.
Sri vEdha VyAsA was a genius by birth. It is said that the great sages Yaj~nyavalkyA initiated him into the study of the sacred lore and the other branches of knowledge. VyAsA resorted to the quiet realms of the HimAlayAs (BadarikAsramam) and by performance of rigorous penance and austerities, he realized the Supreme Truth eulogized in the VedAs and Upanishads.
The VishNu purANam describes (3.3)elaborately how Lord MahA VishNu incarnates Himself in the form of VyAsA and classifies the vEdhAs during each DhvApara Yugam. The vEdhA was all in one mass, &people were not able to imbibe the teachings of the vEdAs. For the good of the people, VyAsA classified the vEdhic lore. The VishNu purANA mentions that this kind of classification was effected 28 times by the Lord in the form of VyAsA. ParAsarA's son, Sri KrishNa Dhva- ipAyanA is one of those VyAsAs and it is believed that the son of DhrONA would become the next VyAsA. The status of VyAsA is thus a very exalted one.
Sri KrishNa DhvaipAyana VyAsA took an active part in the events of MahA BhAratham (MB). The heroes of MB such as BhIshmA, DhritharAsh -trA, Sri KrishNA, DharmarAyA & others held VyAsA in great esteem. VyAsA advised the scions of the Kuru race to follow the path of DharmA. The MB was authored by VyAsA for the good of humanity. VyAsA taught the truth in MB that glory and honour could be achieved by the One imbibing and practising the cardinal virtues of life. He has illustrated this truth by means of the stories of VidhurA, DharmavyAdhe, TulAdharA and others.
The greatest achievement of Veda VyAsA was the collection, consolidation and classification of the Vedic lore. It was VyAsA, who brought about the different divisions of the Vedic lore as the four SamhithAs, the BrahmaNAs, the AraNyakAs and the Upanishads. The different texts required for the different classes of priests, such as the Riks, the Yajus , the SAmans and the Atharvans were separately codified by this great Master. VishNu PurANam says that VyAsA accepted 4 disciples & taught each one of them a particular VedhA. He taught Rig VedhA to PailA, Yajur vEdhA to VaismpAyanA, SAma VEdhA to Jaimini & the Atharva VedhA to Sumanthu; further, he taught the PurANAs to RomaharshaNA. The clasification of the VedhA was accomplished by VyAsA and later the different branches and sub branches (SAkhAs) evolved for each VedhA over the course of time.
Srimadh BhAgavatham (SB)describes that the Lord was born as VyAsA as the seventeenth avathArA for the purpose of dividing the tree of VedAs into its many branches.
SB describes how Veda VyAsA was overcome by frustration inspite of the fact that he had engaged himself whole heartedly for advancing the good of the people for years and years. He felt uneasy at heart and when he began to reflect with discomfort that his work was not completed, sage NAradhA called on him and advised VyAsA to sing solely on the glory of the Lord to overcome this mood of depression. Following Sage NAradhA's counsel, VyAsA composed Sri- madh BhAgavatham and taught it to his son, Sukha Brahmam.
The MahA BharathA describes how at one time even this great VyAsA felt that his words of wisdom (upadEsams)were not heeded by anyone. He said "I am shouting at the top of my voice, with both my arms lifted up, that DahrmA alone leads One to all auspiciousness here and in the hereafter. But alas ! no one listens to me!".
Sri vEdha VyAsA is an illustrious seer and a great exponent of the cultural heritage of India. We depend on him for gaining the wisdom from the VedAs, IthihAsAs and PurANAs and the knowledge about the Supreme Reality. VyAsA is the author of this eternal message: "Victory is there, where there is DharmA". The foundation of the Indian culture rooted in the VedAs has been laid firmly by him for all the world to follow.
4. PradhAna sadhakam - part 12
Translated by Sri V. Sadagopan
(Original in Tamil by Sri U.V.SrirAmadEsikAcchAr, "RahasyArttha vivaraNam - Sillarai RahasyangaL - part 3, in tamil)PradhAna Sathakam : The Importance of Bhagavatha Kainkaryam 58/100: BhAgavatha kainkaryam is pradhAnam over Sri Bhagavath kainkaryam. EmperumAn's thiruvuLLam is that any one who considers Him as the sarvasEshi could even abandon the Kainkaryam to Him, when it comes to serving His BahgavathAs first.
The categories of BhagavathAs and their PradhAnyams (59-63/100)
There are five kinds of BhagavathAs : sathkAra, sallAbha, sahavAsa, bheethi and preethi yOgya BhagavathAls. SwamiDesikan indicates the pradhAna purushans among these five categories in items 59-63 of PradhAna Sathakam.
59/100: SathkAra yOgya BhAgavathars : Samyak- Jn~AnadhikAran or the BhAgavathan with superior Jn~Anam is pradhAnam over all the BhAgavathAs possessing Bhagavath bhakthi .
60/100:SallAbha yOgya BhAgavathAs : SallAbham means communicating with each other. Among the SallAbhayOgya BhAgavathAs, the pradhAnam is the one who is nirvEdha adhikAran or the one, who truly suffers the pangs of pain from the sorrows caused by samsAric bonds. Among all the BhAgavathAs with whom one wants to have sallAbham (Conversations/exchanges ),the one shows the utmost nirvEdham over the afflictions of samsAram is the best.
61/100: SahavAsa yOgya BhAgavathALs: Among this category of BhAgavathALs with whom one wants to dwell together, the BhAgavathan who has utter detachment from SamsAram is pradhAnam. That type of BhAgavathan is known as VairAgya adhikAran.
62/100: Bheethi yOgya BhAgavathALs: One should have fear in approaching mahAns with great qualifications. One who approaches with reverenece and respect other BhAgavathALs is known as Bheethi yOgya Bhagavathan. Among this type of Bheethi yOgya BhAgavathALs, the one, who does not boast about one's superior qualifications and underplay them is pradhAnam. Even Sriman NArAyaNan de-emphasized His sarvEsvarathvam during His avathArams as RaamA and KrishNA.
63/100: Preethi yOgya BhAgavathars: Swami Desikan evaluates the pradhAna BhAgavathar in this category of BhAgavathALs using the counsel given by a slOkam of VishNu Tattvam, which states: That BhAgavath Bhakthan, whose eyes are filled with tears of joy, has horripilation through the Bhagavath guNAnubhavam and who constantly reflects on the anantha kalyANa guNams of the Lord is the one to be seen by all (sarva dEhibhi: dhrashtavya :). His cool eyes will be filled with tears of joy arising out of the experience of the bliss of Bhagavadh anubhavam (AhlAdha seetha nEthrAmbu). His hairs are standing on end from that experience (puLakIkrutha gAthravAn).
Based on the clear guidelines given by the above Sri sookthi, Swami Desikan recommends this category of Preethi yOgya BhAgavathALs, the one , who has Bhaashpa and ROmAnjalis from Bhagavath guNAnubhavam is PradhAnam.
April 23 - navAl pAkkam garuda sEvai, Sriperumputhur Adi kEsavar nAcchiyAr thiruk kOlam
April 23 - Sri ViswakshEnar nagar sOthanai in Srirangam
April 24 - Viruppan thiru nAL, dwijOrOhaNam, Srirangam
April 25 - Sri pArthasarathy thiru Alli kEni, Sri Adi kEsavar Sriperum pudhur, thiruthEr
April 27 - Sravana vratham, garuda sEvai Srirangam, Sri Adi kEsavar Sri perum pudhur & navalpAkkam theerttha vAri
April 29 - Sriperumbuthur udayavar uthsava Arambam
April 30 - ekAdasi vrtham, Sri Ahobila muth 32nd Jeer thiru nakshatram