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sri:

 The first vaarthai :- "BedhamE dharshaNam"
 The 2nd vaarthai :- "Para-tattwam naame"
=> These two form the basis of Emperumaanaar dharshanam.

 The 3rd vaarthai is ­ "Upaayamum prapatthiyE"
 The 4th vaarthai:- "Anthima smruthiyum vEndA" 
 The 5th vaarthai :- "SharIra avanAshatthilE Moksham"
 The 6 th vaarthai:- "Peria Nambi ThiruvadigaLilE Ashrayippadu."

From: "Jayasree Saranathan" <jayasree.saranathan@xxxxxxxxx>

 SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.
 (1) Since by tradition, the 'Aaru vaarthai' exits, this is enough
 proof that there were 6 questions or issues for which Illaiaazhwar
 wanted PerumAL to answer.

 (2) Going by the accounts on this incident, (those who have access to
 original manuscripts, please reproduce them to know how the events
 unfolded. Here I am going by the account given by Sri Desoor Nallaan
 Chakravarthy Srinivasa Varadhan, former adhyaapaka of Sri
 Parthasarathy sannidhi, Triplicane,  in his book " Deva-p-perumALum,
 IrAmAnusa DharshaNamum" 1973 edition, Ratnam press) Illaiyaazhwar
 expressed his 'mana-klesham' to Thirukkachchi NambigaL and requested
 him to get replies from dEva-p-perumAl. Here a question may arise why
 Ramanuja himself didn't ask PerumAL. The reply to this question
 contains all answers on this issue.

 Ramanuja was then passing through a difficult period in his sojourn.
 It was on the suggestion of his mother, he approached Thirikkacchi
 NambigaL since he was close to Deva-p-perumAL ('andharangar to
 Deva-p-perumAL').

 He has just then received the biggest blow of not being able to
 surrender unto SrI AlavandhAr, in him having left for Thiru nAdu. It
 was Thirukkachchi NambigaL who consoled him that PeraruLALan would
 certainly show him the way and assured that he need not entertain any
 fear ("anja vEndaa"). It is for the kind of relationship that NambigaL
 enjoyed with Deva-p-perumAL and he enjoyed with Illaiaazhwar, that
 things took this shape. Ramanuja placed his request to NambigaL and
 NambigaL conveyed the request to PerumAL. When we, the simple mortals
 have been blessed by Him by receiving guidance when needed, without
 even asking for them, there is no need to doubt whether the questions
 were put forth by mouth or not. If we look at the supreme connection
 between Uadayavar and Deva-p-perumAL, we know that this was the time
 chosen by Him to get-start the mission of Ramanuja. Because after
 receiving these  Aaru vaarthai only, Bhagavad Ramanuja's Avatara
 mission started, by receiving pancha samakaaram at  Madhuranthakam. So
 we conclude that PerumAL gave the Aru vaarthai, to satisfy the 6
 questions that were  in Ramanuja's mind.

 This is further supported by NambigaL's enquiry when he conveyed the
 replies to Ramanuja, whether these were the thoughts in Ramanuja's
 mind. This shows NambigaL had not known the questions. He has only
 conveyed Ramanuja's ViNNappam to PerumaL and  re-conveyed what the
 Lord had answered.

 (3) What were the Aru vaarthai? Bhagavan never says anything which are
 incomprehensible to His subjects. He may give them concealed, but
 never out of their reach. Particularly, at this important juncture in
 Avatara mission of Srimad Ramanuja, Bahgavan will utter in such a way,
 that posterity  (we , the ordinary mortals too)  understand His
 upadesam.

 Looking at the Aru vaarthai, we automatically get to know the questions.

 The first two (not given in Sri Padmanabhan's mail) were to do with
 Ramanuja's klEsham arising from altercations with Yadhava prakaasha.

 The first vaarthai :- "BedhamE dharshaNam"
 From this the question is deduced ­ " What is right, bedham or
 abedham? ( Or) What is Dharshanam?  (This arises from the then
 existing allegiance to abdEdha arguments promoted by Purva pakshins)

 The 2nd vaarthai :- "Para-tattwam naame"
 From this, the question deduced is ­ "Who then is supreme?" (or)
 "Which is para-tattwam?" (Here again Ramanuja would have wondered
 about how to reconcile the Mandukya  advaitic passages with the oft
repeated upanishadic  verses of two birds sitting on a tree, one
shining and the other eating karma) Bhagavan has sided with the 2-bird
 theory, thereby giving a clear signal on how to proceed, as this forms
 the basis of  the doctrine of Seshatwam. This clarity given by
 Bhagavan is seen to be reflected in the final passages of Brahma
 sutra, where Ramanuja effectively establishes the 'no' to cosmic
 activity for the Released soul.

These two form the basis of Emperumaanaar dharshanam. These are about
 the "End"  and the other 4 ( already mentioned in Sri Padmanabhan's
 mail) are only about the other features that shaped 'process' or
 'means' to attain Him. On the basis of this, my humble conclusion is
 that these two vaarthaigaL must have very much been the Declaratory
 vaarthaigaL of Bhagavaan.

 Now the derivation of the 3rd question.
 The 3rd vaarthai is ­ "Upaayamum prapatthiyE"
 The obvious question is " Which is the upaayam" (Because there were as
 many as 32 vidyas or methods of doing bhakti like Dahara vidya, Madhu
 vidya etc, approved by Upanishads. But they were all to be followed
 with strict austerities. Therefore Bhagavad concurrence was needed for
 an easy upaayam to be promoted among the masses.)

 The 4th vaarthai:- "Anthima smruthiyum vEndA"
 The deduced questions is :- "Does one need to think of Him at the time
 of death?"
 This question must have  prompted by Gita vachan on what one thinks at
 the time of death, one gets after death. What kind of salvation can an
 ordinary mortal get, who can not think of Him at the final moments.
 This is the genuine and compassionate concern for ordinary people like
 us, that must have troubled Ilaaiyaazhwar. Bhagavan gave the green the
signal.

 The 5th vaarthai :- "SharIra avanAshatthilE Moksham"
 The deduced question is :- " When does moksham occur?"
 It is after the destroyal of body. Which body? Just the mortal body or
 the body that  carries works and gunas with it? It is here Bhagavad
 Ramanuja formulated his prescription for how to shed the body with all
 its attached materials. It is hereby "sarva phala tyaagam" outlined by
 Bhagavan at the battle field is held as the supreme way to achieve it.

 The 6 th vaarthai:- "Peria Nambi ThiruvadigaLilE Ashrayippadu."
 The obvious question is " To which Acharyan, should I surrender?"
 The back ground details shed more light.
 Sri ALAvandhaar has left.
 Ramanuja had made a pledge that he would fulfill ALavandhaar's  wishes
 and  found his folded fingers straighten on making this pledge. There
 were obstacles to make all the wishes happen. But he had the word of
 consolation fromPeriya nimbi "ShrEyOmsi bahu vignAni bhavanthi
 mahathaam api"  ( many obstacles do come in the way of people of
shereyas ­ but he must not lose his heart.). Such was the troubled
 time for our Udayavar.


 Coming to the question to which of the 5 questions did Ramanuja's 6-
 questions belong, here is the reasoning.

 When NambhigaL made the ViNNappam, to PerumaL, He thought "The one who
 knows in detail all these, is asking Me as how I asked Saandheepani
 (in krishnaavathara)" and decided to clear his samshayam.

  Since Bhagavan Himself was said to have compared Ramanuja's
 questioning with  Himself questioning Sage Saandeepani in
 Krishnaavatara, it is 100% clear that Ramanuja knows the answers. And
 even other wise we know that he has known the answers and only that he
 wanted concurrence from Perumaal. He wanted to be 100% sure.


 ViDaiyai-th-thandavan vishayatthil irukkum ­ adu

 That was about clearing Ramanuja's samshayam - doubt whether he has
 got them all right. Since Bhagavan made  ThiruvulLAm to remove his
 'klEsham', it is known that it was for the purpose of removing
 whatever  little doubt is there in his mind. Added to this is the 6 th
 question, as Ramanuja must have  been feeling rudder-less. Bhagavan
 has given the assurance and also the go-ahead signal by these aaru
 vaarthaigaL.

 That is why this comes under 'Iyyam theerdal' - asking to clear
 doubts, like how Yudhishtira asked Bheeshma, something discussed By
 Sri Sadagopan Iyengar in his mail on 6 questions.

 Regards,
 Jayasree saranathan





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