You are here: SriPedia - SriRangaSri - Archives - Dec 2006

SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00090 Dec 2006

 
Dec 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


SrI:
SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
=========================================================
SRI RANGA SRI VOL.08 / ISSUE # 09 dated 19th December 2006
==========================================================
EDITORIAL
Dear Bhagavatas:

As Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swami is in Cleveland, I am sending this on
his behalf.. Swami is available at:
25807 Iris Court, Westlake, OH-44145
Phone # (440) 716- 0771 Cell # (770) 876- 9188
You may contact him at Ramanbil@xxxxxxxxxxx

Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan Madhava Kannan
==========================================================
INTHIS ISSUE:
1. Panchaangam ? important dates for Maargazhi month
By Sri Madhavakannan
2. "THE MIGHTY AND THE ALMIGHTY ? A CLASH OF WILLS?? Part-7 
(Concluding Part)"
BY ANBIL RAMASWAMY
3. "DRAMIDOPANISHAD TATPARYA RATNAVALI" ? PART- 9":
BY SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO
=========================================================
ISSUES RELEASED
With this issue, about 233 Regular issues of SRS have been released
so far, apart from numerous "Special Issues" as indicated below:
27 Issues of Vol. 1
15 Issues of Vol. 2
42 Issues of Vol. 3
35 Issues of Vol. 4
28 Issues of Vol. 5
30 Issues of Vol. 6
50 Issues of Vol. 7 and
08 Issues of Vol. 8
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
These issues have been archived for public view at -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/srirangasri
By Sri Diwakar Kannan

You may also view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
maintained By Sri Srinivasan Sriram (ajiva_rts@xxxx)

We strongly urge you to kindly peruse the "Regular Issues" archived
in the Files Section and view the Contents at srsindex.html (Not the
individual postings allowed for encouraging "Reader participation").
We are sure that you will be convinced of the quality of the
contents.

IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of
"Sri Ranga Sri" -
Tell your friends to join by sending an email to
Srirangasri-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IF NOT:
Tell us, as to how we may improve.
Ever at your service
Moderator
"Sri Ranga Sri"
==========================================================
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxx
==========================================================
1. PANCHAANGAM- IMPORTANT DATES FOR VIYA ? MAARGAZHI MONTH

December 16, 2006-Saturday ?Maargazhi month begins [Thiruppavai 
recitation to commence]- 
Dhanu maasa pooja to commence- 
Sarva Ekadasi
December 20, 2006- Wednesday ? Sarva amaavasya- Thondaradippodi 
AzhwAr Thirunakshathram- Hanumath Jayanthi
December 23, 2006- Saturday   ? SravaNa vratham
December 30, 2006-Saturday- Sri VaikuNta Ekadasi 
January 11, 2007-Thurdsay - Koodaarai Vellum seer 
January 14,2007- Sunday- Bhogi paNdigai
January 15, 2007- Monday Thai maasam begins [pongal paNdigai]

2. "THE MIGHTY AND THE ALMIGHTY- A CLASH OF WILLS? ? PART 7- 
CONCLUDING PART

by Sri Anbil Ramaswamy, Moderator
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(Excerpts from Chapter 11of"Hinduism Rediscovered")
---------------------------------------------------------------------

KARMA AND REINCARNATION THEORIES 
AS RESTATED BY VARIOUS THINKERS 
(ORIENTAL AND WESTERN) 
==================================================================
** "It is only this doctrine that explains the mysterious problems 
of paradoxes, reconciles the real and apparent justice in life. When 
we observe the inequalities of birth and fortune, of intellect and 
capacities, when fools and profligates are honored while with all 
one's intellect and noble virtues far more deserving in every way 
perishing for want and of lack of sympathy - it is this blessed 
knowledge of 'Karma' alone which prevents us from cursing life" ? 
(Blavatsky, Mdm, in ' Secret Doctrine' (p.19-20) article in 'Karma, 
the Universal law of harmony", pub: TPH)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------- 
"All the great religious traditions have recognized this basic 
polarity. For the Buddhist, the recurrent cycle of births and deaths 
are subject to the law of interdependent origination, recognizing 
that the wheel is turned by man's own hand; for the Hindu, the 
inexorable law of karma, action which ever turns upon itself in 
reaction, operates throughout the universe; for the Christian, the 
assurance that "Whatsoever ye sow that shall ye also reap" is 
affirmation of a lawfulness pervading all universal processes" ? 
(Mills, Jay in the foreword (p.viii) to (1) above). 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
"Many Christians believe in the second coming of Christ as a day-
'the dies irae' - the day of judgment. This concept is only 
compatible with the Reincarnationist view. In fact, whenever 
difficulties attend the reincarnation doctrine, they apply exactly 
the same way to the indubitably orthodox Christian doctrine of the 
resurrection of the body... Even Plato following the Pythagorean 
tradition accepted the ancient doctrine of incarnation very 
explicitly putting into the mouth of the SOCRATES of the 
dialogues... 
** ?CARDINAL MERCIER is among the distinguished Roman Catholics, who 
have declared that reincarnationism has never really been officially 
or explicitly condemned by the church......If reincarnation is not 
accepted, and out of mercy, God cannot send a sinner to hell, all 
sinners would have to go to heaven. In other words, this means that 
one can go on committing sins. 'Reincarnation' gives one more 
opportunity to become good (devoid of sin). 'Purusha yatnam' - 
Effort of individual soul towards evolution is given one more 
chance. It is not correct to call it a 'doomsday' ? 
(Mac Gregger, Geddis in 'The Christening of Karma' (pp.13, 14 and 7) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
"It is a belief of almost all religions including Buddhism, Jainism 
and Sikhism. Even Christianity believed this till it was repudiated 
by the Nicene council in 787 AD. 
** Even so, the belief in the 'Second coming of Christ' still held 
by a majority of Christians is a reaffirmation of their faith in 
reincarnation"? 

** " Thinkers west of India who have entertained at best the idea of 
the cycle births and deaths ( usually referred to as the 
transmigration of souls) - if not also the idea of breaking the 
chain when one achieves Moksha- includes PYTHAGORUS, EMPEDOCLES, 
PLATO, CICERO, JESUS ( who said that John, the Baptist was a 
reincarnation of Elijah: - Vide Mathew xvii / 12 and 13 ), PLUTARCH, 
ORIGEN, PLOTINUS, BRUNO, HUME, GOETHE, NOVALIS, KANT, FICHTE, 
SCHOPENHAUR, WORDSWORTH (who said 'Our birth is but a sleep and a 
forgetting'), EMERSON, THOREAU, NIETZSCHE, TOLSTOY, CHARLES 
RENOUVIER, C.D. BROAD and C.J.DUCASSE" -  
(Gerber, William in Introduction' The currents and courses of Indian 
Philosophy' in "The Mind of India"(p.xxi)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Dr. Coomaraswamy referring to the wheel of Karma and the momentum of 
antecedent karma refers to "the brilliant simile of the potter's 
wheel which continues to turn after the hand of the potter is 
removed" ? 
(Coomaraswami, Anand in 'The wheel of Karma'(p.85) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
** "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". This 
is sometimes thought to be a statement of the law of Karma. But, 
Newton's three laws of motion consider only physical force, matter 
and motion. Karma includes life, consciousness and motive as well as 
physical force and matter" 

** "Every event in our lives, at whatever level is linked to a 
precedent cause, and generally also to a succeeding result, so that 
life appears to us to be a continuous flow of events" (Besant, Annie)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Linton in his "The side blows of Karma" cites the example of a fatal 
road accident in which X runs into Y, a total stranger and kills 
him. He argues that perhaps they were not such 'perfect strangers' 
as it appears at first thought. And, the two entities who are 
functioning on the physical plane as X and Y have met before in some 
previous incarnation, perhaps 'X' is settling some past score in 
which 'Y' has been involved and has to account for. He believes that 
whatever the reason, there must have been some antecedent cause for 
the occurrence, if one is to believe the moral law of universal 
justice operating in the world" ?"Or, again some chance meeting" he 
continues - "may bring about a lifelong friendship or some other 
good fortune for no apparent reason. Again, appearances may be 
deceiving and what appears to be accidental may be really the 
fulfillment of some cause set in motion earlier" 
(Linton in his "The side blows of Karma")  
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
"As no cause remains without its due effect from the greatest to the 
least, from a cosmic disturbance down to the movement of your hand 
and as 'like produces like', Karma is that unseen and unknown law 
which, 'adjusts wisely, intelligently and equitably' each effect to 
its cause, tracing the latter back to its producer. Though itself 
unknowable, its action is perceivable" 
(Blavatsky, Mdm in ' The womb of Time' (p.24). 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
"It is a law that brings every action to its right adjustment; a law 
that can be used beneficially in all of life's situations; but, 
through human ignorance, it is a law that, more often than not, 
operates to cause suffering, sorrow or destruction. 

** "Divorced from the element of superstition, Karma may be more 
truly conceived perhaps in a modern terminology as the 'feed back' 
system of the functioning Universe; it automatically rectifies 
inefficient or disharmonious use of the machinery of existence"  
(Perkins, (p. 33) in (1) above) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
** "Karma gives back to every man the actual consequences of his own 
action. It is an unfailing redresser of human injustice; a stern 
adjuster of wrongs; a retributive law which punishes and rewards 
with equal impartiality. It is no respecter of persons and it can 
neither be propitiated nor turned aside by prayer to it. Inexorably, 
thus, it achieves not only Mikado's sublime object of letting "the 
punishment fit the crime; It also compliments it justly by making -
 "the reward for the merit" 
(Smith, Leslie, Editorial staff of "TIME" in his Article)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
"If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and 
Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven" (Mathew 19 
of Jerusalem Bible). These words from him whom Christians 
acknowledge as Lord and acclaim as Savior and redeemer, leave one in 
no doubt that no Christian dare pretend to a means of bypassing the 
moral law which Jesus describes in almost exactly the same terms in 
which one would describe the law of karma"(Mac Gregger, Geddis in 
his ' Christening of Karma')
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
"A perfect equity adjusts its balance in all parts of life. The dice 
of God are always loaded. The world looks like a multiplication 
table or a mathematical equation, which turn it how you will, 
balances itself. Take what figure you will, its exact value, nor 
more nor less, still returns to you. Every secret is told, every 
crime is punished, every virtue rewarded; every wrong redressed in 
silence and certainty... Cause and Effect, means and ends, seed and 
fruit cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, 
the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the Seed..." 

** "?The ingenuity of man has always been dedicated to the solution 
of one problem - how to detach the sensual sweet, the sensual 
strong, the sensual bright from the moral sweet, the moral deep, the 
moral fair, that is again to contrive, to cut, clean off this upper 
surface so thin as to leave it bottomless, to get a one end without 
an other end" 
(Emerson, In his 'Compensation (p.101) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Dr. Whitmont draws a parallel with the development of action in a 
drama - using the concept of Greek tragedy as a 'mirror of soul'. He 
points out that the sequence of events on the stage works out as 
cause and effect-  If our past life is Act one, may be our present 
life is Act three depicting the denouement" 
(Whitmont, Dr. in 'The other face of Karma' (p.157) in his Article) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Chaudhry observes 
"It is thus the law of harmony which constitutes the ultimate 
foundation of both Science and Religion. On the one hand, it 
guarantees the conservation of all energy which is the cornerstone 
of science, on the other; it guarantees the conservation of all 
values which is the cornerstone of ethics and religion. By 
harmonizing seemingly conflicting forces such as matter and life, 
nature and spirit, body and mind, existence and essence, fact and 
value, it provides the right kind of environment within which the 
process of creative evolution may go on and the precious fruits 
thereof be duly preserved... 
Be it noted here in passing that karma does not mean any external 
coercive agency. It does not mean the kind of supernatural fate 
which was illustrated in the tragic dramas of the ancient Greeks. 
Nor does it mean any arbitrary fiat or predetermined command of the 
divine will (Kismat). That would be a violation of the ethical order 
of life (ritam) which the law of karma presupposes" 
(Chaudhari, Haridas in 'The meaning of Karma in Integral 
philosophy '(p.135)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Hanson describes the Karma theory as "a making perfect process or 
perhaps a more descriptive term would be the invincible divine will 
to perfection eternally in action... 
This gets away from the idea of something static and motionless or 
of something wholly mechanical. Rather it would seem to be perfect 
rhythm and perfect harmony or balance in simultaneity. The will to 
perfection is conceived of as the logical will, and its operation in 
maintaining the equilibrium of the universe is, one might say, 
sketched out in time and space. This might be termed 'Universal or 
Cosmic Karma"
(Hanson, (p.155) pub: TPH)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Linton remarks: 
** "When we get an acid stomach, we seek to overcome the difficulty 
by taking some patent medicine, rather than finding out what is 
wrong with our eating habits and correcting them or again, we raise 
our taxes in order to provide treatment and care for chronic 
alcoholics, while at the same time spending millions of dollars 
promoting the sale of alcoholic beverages, thus encouraging people 
to become alcoholics....."
 
"In general, few people stop to consider the underlying causes of 
many of the things that happen to them, being content to attribute 
these to circumstances, chance or fate. They are content to deal 
with results rather than to seek for basic causes. Life in the 
Western world today is so busy and hectic that few take the 
necessary time to analyze things and find out the why of them. In 
fact, few would be willing to admit that they are living and 
operating within moral and spiritual energy fields, the laws 
governing which are as unerring, impersonal and predictable as the 
laws governing the gravitational and electromagnetic fields. Many in 
fact would be loath to acknowledge that everything that happens to 
them is the result of actions which they themselves have set in 
motion at some time in the past either in this or in some prior 
incarnation" 
(Linton, George E in 'The side blows of Karma'(p.142-143). 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
** "Freud tells us to blame our parents for all the shortcomings of 
our life and Marx tells us to blame the upper class of society. But, 
the only one to blame is oneself. That is the helpful thing about 
the Indian idea of 'Karma'. Your life is the fruit of your own 
doing; you have no one to blame but yourself"
(Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers in 'The Power of Myth' p.202)  
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
CONCLUSION 
While writing the horoscopes, our ancestors used to commence with a 
stanza which says that "the position or status of a person in this 
life is solely and squarely due to the spiritual merit (PuNya) 
inherited by that person in a previous life".

Traditional verse written on horoscopes in Hindu households: 

Janani janma soukyaanaam vardani kula sampadaam/ 
Padavi purva punyaanaam likhyate janma pathrika".

Though it is true that those who talk about heaven and hell have not 
seen them (in the sense that they are still alive contemporaneously 
with us) and those who had perhaps gone there cannot narrate their 
experiences to us (since they are already dead and gone) - one thing 
is certain:
** Whether there is Heaven or Hell or not, Hinduism points to a 
disciplined way of Life to make this earth a better place to live. 
==================================================================

3. TAATPARYA RATHNAVALI ? SUBMISSION 9- SLOKAM 7 OF AVATARIKA

by Sri N.KRISHNAMACHARI SWAMI

SrImate SrI ra'nga rAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH. 
tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submision 9 - Slokam 7 of avatArikA. 
Slokam 7: 
deva: SrImAn sva-siddheh karaNamiti vadan ekam artham sahasre 
sevyatvAdIn daSArthAn pRthagiha Satakair vakti tat sthApanArthAt | 
aikaikaSyAt paratvAdishu daSaka guNeshvAyatante tathA te 
tat-tad gAthAguNAnAm anuvidadhati tat-pa'nktayah pa'nkti sa'nkhyAh 
|| 
In this Slokam, svAmi deSikan elaborates further on the organization 
of the grantham (in terms pASuram-s building into tens, and these 
building into the Satakam-s or hundred pASuram-s, and the whole 
grantham consisting of the 1000 pASuram-s) in describing emperumAn's 
guNa-s. 
The message that bhagavAn who is inseparably associated with SrI 
(devah SrImAn) is both the means and the goal to be attained ? the 
principal guNa of emperumAn extolled by the grantham, could have 
been expressed through just one pASuram by AzhvAr. Why did he choose 
to sing this one message (ekam artham) through a thousand pASuram-s? 
It is because of AzhvAr's intense desire in enjoying the guNa-s of 
bhagavAn that he chose to sing them through a thousand pASuram-s 
instead. The superb tattvam that bhagavAn who is inseparably 
associated with lakshmi is both the ultimate goal and the means to 
attain Him, is extensively elaborated by AzhvAr through the thousand 
pASuram-s ? `sva-prAptiyilE svayameva upAyam Avan'. We already saw 
in the previous Slokam of svAmi deSikan, that AzhvAr keys in on one 
principal guNa of bhagavAn in each Satakam (group of 100 songs). In 
other words, AzhvAr proceeds to identify ten guNa-s such as 
sevyattvam (the quality that makes Him uniquely fit to be 
worshipped) that facilitate His being the upAyam and upeyam, at the 
Satakam (hundreds) level. He then elaborates on each of the guNa-s 
such as sevyattvam through ten guNa-s such as parattvam (Supremacy, 
Lordship over everything and every one) at the daSakam (ten-s) 
level. Thus, at this stage, the ten guNa-s have been expanded into 
100 guNa-s and explained by them. Then, the guNa sung in each ten is 
further elaborated by the ten pASuram-s of the daSakam, and thus we 
have 1000 guNa-s of bhgavAn sung in the grantham, explaining and 
elaborating on the one supreme truth that bhagavAn is both the means 
and the end to be attained. 
One can think of AzhvAr's organized approach to singing bhagavAn's 
guNa-s in the form of a `tree structure', as we call it in computer 
language. One could imagine this tree formation growing upwards, 
starting at the `thousand' level at the root, with ten `branches' 
growing from the main trunk and representing the ten Sataka-s or the 
hundreds level, ten further branches from each of the Sataka levels 
branching into ten daSaka-s or ten-s level, and on to the level of 
the thousand pASuram-s as the leaves. 
- devah srImAn sva-siddheh karaNam iti vadan ekam artham sahsre ? 
Through the thousand pASuram-s, AzhvAr declares the one truth that 
bhagavAn inseparably associated with SrI or lakshmI serves as the 
sole means to attain Him who is also the One Supreme goal to be 
attained. 
- tat sthApanArthAt sevyatvAdIn daSArthAn pRthak iha Satakaih vakti ?
 To establish the above, AzhvAr proceeds to enumerate the ten guNa-s 
such as sevyattvam (the quality of being fit to be worshipped) at 
the Satakam level (grouping of hundred songs) 
- aikaikaSyAt paratvAdishu daSaka guNeshu tathA te Ayatante - Each 
of the above ten guNa-s are then further elaborated by the ten 
daSaka-s or ten-s (also called tiruvAimozhi-s) associated with the 
given Satakam. 
- tat-tad gAthAguNanAm anuvidadhati tat-pa'nktayah pa'nkti 
sa'nkhyAh ? The guNa-s sung in the ten daSaka-s of the first Satakam 
are a different set of guNa-s than the ones sung in the second 
Satakam, and so on. They follow each other in a `sequence', as it 
were, and each set evolves from the previous ones (tad pa'nktayah 
pa'nkti sa'nkhyAh anuvudadhati). 
It never gives me a feeling of repetition when writing on the topic 
of bhagavad guNa-s. R. Rangachari has translated the tAtparya 
ratnAvaLi Sloka-s into English in the form of English poems. I am 
including his translation for the current Slokam below: 
"The Lord, Consort of SrI, is attainment's supreme end 
for all, and He Himself is the means therefor" ? 
This, the burden of the song, in all the thousand hymns! 
To establish this, the Sage doth dwell, in turn, in his centuries ? 
On each of the ten noble qualities of the Lord ? 
"Worthy to be cherished" and so forth; 
Lo, these gracious attributes derive from the other Supreme 
qualities, 
Expounded in the Decads, Centuries, and the whole thousand hymns! 
Ah, what expanding numbers, parallel! 
Additional thoughts: 
SrI UV delves into the basis behind the tradition of enjoying 
tiruvAimozhi, consisting of over a thousand pASuram-s, through 
groups of 100 pASuram-s (Sataka-s), each of them through ten groups 
of ten (daSaka-s), etc. One could take the position that AzhvAr just 
sang the guNa-s of emperumAn ramdomly as they came to his mind, and 
there is no need to assign one main guNam as being sung by the whold 
grantham, and then subdividing it into many subunits elaborating 
guNa-s that stand to support the guNa at the higher level, etc., in 
an organized way. But we clearly see that this is not the case. 
Grouping of pASuram-s into 10 ten's (daSaka-s) is obvious, since 
AzhvAr himself has included a concluding phala Sruti pASuram at the 
end of each of the daSaka-s. But one can legitimately question the 
organization of the 1000 pASuram-s into ten Sataka-s. What is the 
basis for saying that these ten emphasize ten guNa-s, that these ten 
guNa-s together support a mahA guNam at the grantham level, and on 
the other side, that each pASuram stresses one guNa, that the ten 
guNa-s of the ten pASuram-s of a given daSakam stand in support of 
the one guNa that is the subject matter of this daSakm, etc., etc., -
 which is the subject matter of the current Slokam by svAmi deSikan. 
Is this all just creative thinking by svAmi deSikan? These questions 
are rhetorically raised by SrI UV in his avatArikai for 
tiruvAimozhi. 
SrI UV presents the following in support of the structured 
organization of tiruvAimozhi as stated in the current Sloka. He 
points out that na'njIyar and others have established that 
tiruvAimozhi has a main subject matter at the grantham level, just 
as there are other specific and unique subject matters for the three 
other aurLic-ceyals of nammAzhvAr. 
AzhvAr concludes each tiruvAimozhi consisting of ten pASuram-s with 
a uniue pASuram containing a specific phala Sruti; this not only 
supports the grouping of the whole grantham into 100 tiruvAimozhi-s, 
but also that each tiruvAimozhi addresses a specific subject, this 
being a specific guNam of emperumAn in each dAsakam (group of ten 
pASuram-s). tiruk kurugaip pirAn piLLAn has commented at the 
conclusion of the first tiruvAimizhi, that "this tiruvAimozhi is 
devoted to revealing emperumAn who is `ubhaya vibhUti viSisTan', 
thus indicating that each tiruvAimozhi is devoted to describing a 
specific guNa of emperumAn. For the third tiruvAimizhi, he has used 
the words "ASrita sulabhataiyai aruLic ceyyat toDa'ngi", and thus 
has indicated that saulabhyam is the subject of this tiruvAimozhi. 
These clearly support the organization of the grantham at the 
dAsakam level, and also the concept of the assignment of different 
guNa-s as the topic of the different daSakam-s. 
AzhvAr himself has used the words "pattu nURRuL ip-pattu avan SEr 
tiruk-kOLUrkkE" at the end of tiruvAimozhi 6.7 (uNNum SORu: 
tiruvAimozhi), thus explicitly stating that he considers the 
grantham as consisting of ten Sataka-s (ten hundreds). SrI periya 
AccAn piLLai also has indicated in his vyAkhyAanam at the conclusion 
of the first Satakam, that the first Sataka consisting of ten daSaka-
s has expounded ten guNa-s establishing that bhagavAn is One who has 
the Divine Feet that once and for all removes the sorrow of samsAra, 
and asking his mind to resort to those Divine Feet of His: "tuyar 
aRu SuDar aDi tozhudu ezhu en mananE". The IDu vyAkhyAnam also gives 
the same interpretation. These support the tradition of viewing the 
organization of the whole grantham into ten Satakam-s or groups of 
hundred songs. 
Thus, both the summary at the grantham level, and the expounding of 
guNa-s at the Satakam and daSakam levels are supported. The aspect 
that is noteworthy is that svAmi deSikan points out in his tAtparya 
ratnAvaLi that the guNAnubhavam extends to the level of the 
individual pASuram-s. Support for this is found in AzhvAr's SrI 
sUkti itself - AzhvAr uses the words `SIr toDai Ayirattu" in pAsuram 
1.2.11 (the concluding pASuram of tiruvAimozhi 1.2), and this is 
given the meaning "bhagavad guNa sandharbha rupamAna sahasrattilum" -
 the thousand pASurams that are strung together in singing the guNa-
s of bhagavAn (sandharbham ? stringing together). Thus, AzhvAr 
himself has declared that each of the pASuram-s sings the guNa of 
bhagavAn, and they are garlanded together to form one chain. 
It is possible to derive multiple guNa-s from any one pASuram when 
one goes through the pASuram word by word. However, svAmi deSikan is 
examining each pASuram in the context of the `string' of guNa-s 
(sandharbam referred to above), and identifies the guNam that is 
most relevant in the context and presents it in tAtparya ratnAvaLi. 
(We will see further elaboration of this in Slokam 9)

Regards
dAsan kRshNamAcAryan 
(To be continued)

===================================================




 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    mailto:SriRangaSri-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    mailto:SriRangaSri-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list