SrI: Dear Sri RaamAnuja SampradhAyins : Last week, Srimath Azhagiya Singar blessed us with the introduction to SaraNAgathy Gadhyam . 190 Aasthikaas form USA , Singapore , Europe took part in the UpanyAsam that reached them by the global Telebridge . ******************************************************************************** The second UpanuyAsam is scheduled for Saturday , July 22 at 7 AM Eastern Standard Time , USA instead of the usual 9.30 AM due to PradhOsha AarAdhanam that Srimath Azhagiya Singar has to perform . ************************************************************************************* Please register TODAY for the July 22 UpanyAsam by getting the Bridge Telephone number and the Code to join in : http://www.ahobilamutt.org/upan/signin01.asp ************************************************************************************ The First UpanyAsam by Srimath Azhagiya Singar ************************************************************* This morning , adiyEn was blessed by Srimath Azhagiya Singar to go ahead and summarize the UpanyAsams for the benefit of aasthikAs ,who could not attend . adiyEn is grateful . Please bear with me in this Kaimakryam since listening to the unique style of Srimath Azahgiya Singar to come down to our levels of awareness of sampradhAyic matters is some thing very special. HH is using PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai's (PVP's)and Sudarsana Soori's Commnetaries for SaraNAgathy Gadhyam as a reference . HH plans to introduce complimentary ideas from Swamy Desikan's VyAkhyAanam for SaraNAgathi Gadhyam as he progresses. Sri PVP's Commentary is terse like Soothrams(aphorisms) and one needs an explanatory text to understand each sentence , which has layers of meanings. HH helps us here immensely to comprehend the deeper meanings of the MaNi PravALam text . The Commentary Text on PVP's Gadhya Thraya VyAkyaanams can be obtained from : Sri VaishNava Sri , 214 East Utthara Veethi , Srirangam , Trichy 6. It is priced at 60 Indian Rupees . This book also contains Sudarsana Soory's short commentary in Sanskrit . Having this book to follow Srimath Azhagiya Singar will be a great help for you . There are 137 pages devoted to the SaraNAgathy Gadhyam commentaries of the two AchAryAs . HH covered 5 of these 137 pages during the last week's UpanyAsam , which adiyEn will summarize now : The Taniyan for PVP is : Srimath KrishNa samAahvaaya NamO Yaamuna SoonavE Yath KaDaakshaika LakshyANAm sulabha: SrIdhara: sadhaa PRAVESAM /INTRODUCTION ************************************* Original MaNi PravALam Text of PVPis given below to show the complexity of the long sentences and the deep meanings of PVP's VyAkhyAnams, which will be difficult to understand without a SadAchAryan's help . Once again , we are indebted to Srimath Azhagiya Singar's mahOpakAram here . The typical First Paragraph consisting just two sentences are : Sri BhAshyatthil "Tathtvamasi" ithyAdhi vaakya janma jn~AnamE MokshA saadhanam yenRum , Karma Jn~Ana samucchayamE Moksha Saadhanam yenRum solluhira kudhrushtikaLai nirasikkaihA karmAngamAi , vEdhana -dhyAnOpasanAdhi Sabdha vaachyamAi , bhakthi roopApannamAna upaasanAthmaka Jn~AnamE VedAntha prathipAdhyamAna Moksha Saadhanam yenRu ivar niscchayitthu aruLic-cheykaiyAlE , ivar Moksha saadhanamAha aRuthiyitta artham ithuvE yenRu koNDu tammuduya ruchi- parigruheethamAna arthatthayE viSvasitthirukkum sAthvikar itthayE visvasithirukka-koodum yenRu pArttharuLi ,AchArya- parigruheethamumAi m tamakku tanjamAha thAmm aRuthi ittirikkum artham prapatthi yennum idatthai iggadhya roopENa veLiyittu aruLihirAr. The above is just One (First) sentence . Comments on the First Sentence : ****************************************** Swamy PVP starts along the lines established by AchArya RaamAnuja in His Sri BhAshyam's PravEsam . AchArya RaamAnuja wanted to defeat the Para Matham that held the view that this world is false (illusory) and that even Iswaran has nesciece ( ajn~Anam) , which are inconsistent with the purport of VedAs. Such view holders believe that Brahmam is nirvisEsham ( attributeless) ; they divide Brahman into SaguNa Brahman and NirguNa Brahman and that the former (SaguNa Brahman ) is not a mukhya vasthu and it is only an UpalakshaNam for NirguNa Brahman , the mukhya vasthu . AchArya RaamAnuja rejected all these views as unsustainable from a Vedic pramANam point of view . He held on to the view that Adhvaithin's point of view that that the tatthva Jn~Anam arising from the study of Mahaa Vaakyams like Tathvamasi is not the cause for Moksham . In Sri BhAshyam , AchArya proved that UpAsanam conencted to one or the other of the Brahma VidhyAs elaborated by the Upanishads alone can lead to Moksham .This is " the VedAntha PrathipAdhya Moksha Saadhanam". The Bhakthi roopa prapannamAna UpaasanayE Moksha Saadhanam . The Jn~Anam assembled from KarmAs like Yaagam are not again the Moksha hEthu( KaaraNam) but only Bhakthi yOgam realized thru UpAsanam ( ceaseless Bhakthi thru meditation ). One of the Brahma VidhyAs is NyAsa Vidhyai ( SaraNAgathy Yogam or Prapatthi Yogam). AchArya RaamAnuja wanted to make sure that all righteous ones do not get deluded by the views held other Para Mathams ( Adhavitham , BhEdhAbhEdham , AchArya RaamAnuja elucidated the Brahma SutrAs in athesitic style , " asserting the metaphysical eminence of Brahman, without supplementary thesis of world denial (Jagan MithyA) and the denial of the individuality of the finite Selves ( opposite of Brahma Jeeva Eikyam) and promulgating knowledge of Brahman as arising from Karma -YogA and maturing into Bhakthi " through the practise of one or other Brahma VidhyAs.Here is a Monism without illusionism (VisishtAdhvaitham) put on a rigorous basis by AchArya RaamAnuja followign the path of His poorvAchAryAs . The central theme of the first sentence of PVP's Commentary is : " Knowledge ( Tatthva jn~Anam) which is enjoined is not the means for release but only UpAsana linked to Brhama VidhyAs.He went on to establish the other means , which are not the route to Moksham: (1) Yagams are not the means of VividiSaa ( desire to know Brahman) but of Vedanaa ( Knoeledge of Brahman) . (2) Verbal testimony is not by itself the means of immediate knowledge about Brahman. (3) Nithyaa-anithya vasthu viveka and the other three means are not a necessary pre-requisite of inquiry about Brahman. His central point is UpAsanA thru Bhakthi yOgam or Prapatthi Yogam are the only successful means for Moksham . AchArya performed his own SaraNAgathy at Srirangam on a Panguni Uthiram day to set an example to His sishyAs about the absolute soundness of SaraNAgathy as the unfailing means and the birth of the three gadhyams in a spontaneous manner is the testimony to the efficacy of that SaraNAgathy. That then is the purpose of these Gadhyams for posterity . The second sentence is : AanAl , ipprapatthi tannayE koNDu , kudhrushti nirasanam paNNaathozhuzhivAn yEnn innil : BrAhManan chaNDALanukku Vedatthai upadEsitthArppOlE dhUrastharAna varhaLUkku Parama RahasyamAna ivvartthatthai veLida oNNAthu yenRu pArtthu , avarkaL izhintha Saasthra mukhatthAlE avarkaLai nirasitthu, Saasthra TaathparyamAna SvasiddhAntthatthai immuhatthAlE veLiyiduhirAr. (Meaning): He demolished the arguments of Advaitham and other Mathams intrepreting Vedam in a distorted manner ( Kudhrushti Mathams) . He did not want to reveal the secret (rahasyam) for the non-believers thru Sri BhAshyam , where He dwelled on the other route : Bhakthi yOgam thru upAsanaa. In Sri BhAshyam , he chose the weapons desired by Advaithins ( Saasthrams) and defeated them . He showed the invalidity of their views there. He did not want to elaborate on the top most rahasyam of Prapatthi yOgam there , since it would be like teaching Vedams to ChaNDaLans ( Unfit adhikAris) . He reserved the Gadhyams as the right place to establish the essence of Saasthrams( Saasthra thAthpayamaana) Sva-SiddhanthAm ( his darsanam). Third Para : Page 2: VedAnthAs recognize the supermacy of the means of Prapatthi yOgam over Bhakthi yOgam for Moksham. Prapatthi is considered as Mahaa PaTam( Raaja Margam).It is practisable by any one ( without the limitation by Sex or caste ) , easy to practise compared to the demanding Bhakthi yOgam , fast to yield the great phalan of Moksham . Prapatthi is for any one (SarvAdhikAram) , where as Bhakthi yOgam is for only the first three VarNams.Prapatthi is easy to do ( Sukaram) , where as Bhakthi yOgam is difficult to practise (dushkaram) . Prapatthi yield results fast ( aviLambha Phala pratham) compared to Bhakthi Yogam , which may take more than one life. It is siddham and SvaroopAnurUpam for gaining the PurushArTam of Moksham. Prapatthi(SaraNAgathy) is VedAntha siddham ( sanctioned by the VedAs). Upanishath declares that it is the highest in status compared to Sathyam , Tapas ( body hurting penance), dhamam ( indhriya Nigraham/control over senses) , Samam . dhAnam , dharmam , PrajOthpatthi , Agnis , agnihOthram,Yaj~nam ( Mental meditation) ,Maanasam ( Bhakthi). Therefore the Upanishad asserts that SaraNAgathy ( NyAsam) is the top most UpAyam for Moksham : " tasmAn nyAsamEshaam tapasAm athiriktham aahu: ". SaraNAgathy is also AchArya Ruchi parigruheetham ( adopted by AchAryAs as their preferred/chosen means): It is Vaidheeka Parigruheetha tatthvam ( sanctioned by the Veda PramAnams).This route of SaraNAgathy is VedAntha siddham. It is SaraNya Hrudhaya anusaari ( follows the upadEsam of SaraNyan /Charama slOkams) . AchArya RaamAnuja wanted to make sure that the righteous ones do not get deluded by Para Matha Vadhins and through His parama krupA instructed us through the three gadhyams and practising what he advocated right in front of the SaraNya dampathis at Srirangam. The question may arise as to whether AchArya RaamAnuja was violating SaasthrAs by performing SaraNAgathy more than once . SaraNAgathy is required to be done only once for Moksha Saadhanam . Doubts may arise whether AchArya RaamAnuja might already have performed Prapatthi at the sacred feet of his own AchArya , Periya Nambi . Here PVP quotes Swamy NammAzhwAr's AarAvamudhan Paasurams , ThiruvAimozhi 5.8.3 and 5.8.8. In the first one , AzhwAr says : " Oh Lord ! I do not need any technique or any one except You to reach You . Til the last moment of my life here , I must go about and do things , at all times , only clinging to Your feet as a prop". In the second Paasuram , Azhwar declares: " Oh My Lord of Thirukkudanthai! I should mention that I have no other helper, now I feel that my body yields gradullay. A day will come whem my life will be out....My only request to You is that with the present steadfastness, my clinging to Your feet must remain fast even then (during my last moments)". AchArya RaamAnujA follows the route of the AzhwArs . PVP says : "SamsAra Bhayamum , PrApya ruchiyum ganakka ganakka , oru kaal SaraNam pukkAppOlE , onpathin kaal SaraNam puhuhirAr.Aaha, SamsAra nivrutthi poorvamAha , Kaimkarya siddhikku Periya perumAL ThiruvadihaLilE SaraNam puhuhirAr". AzhwAr's fear about samsAram grew along with the taste for Moksham and therefore he performed SaraNAgathy nine times instead of once. The other explanation is that AchArya RaamAnuja performed SaraNAgathy for Moksham once and performed the other SaraNAgathy for Kaimkarya Siddhi. It is absolutely correct to beseech the Lord thru additional SaraNAgathy for serving Him . The SaraNAgathy for Mopksham is however done only once. Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam , Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/2pRQfA/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/ <*> 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/
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