SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava:/
SrI RanganAthO jayathu SrI Ranga SrIs cha VardhathAm//
===================================================================================================================SRI
RANGA SRI VOL. I / 018 DATED 24th January 2001
==================================================================================================================íITORIAL
On this Thai AmAvAsya day, we are glad to present the 18th Issue of
"Sri Ranga Sri"
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. SriRanga Vijayam Part 16: The 7 Enclosures (Saptha prAkArams)
- Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami
2. Greatness of Bhagavad RamAnuja Darsanam Part 1
- Anbil Ramaswamy
3. Greatness of Swami Desika Darsanam
-Abhinava Desikar Uttamur Swami
4. STOTRAS :
Dhruva StOtram from Srimad BhAgavatam - SkAndham 4, AdhyAyam 9
5. Quiz Program and Question Box.
6."Know this AchArya" An Introduction
===========================================================================================================================AN
IMPORTANT APPEAL:
If you are satisfied with the format and content, kindly spread the
word among your friends and others interested.
We request EVERY ONE OF YOU to enroll as many of your friends as
possible, and in any event, AT LEAST ONE MORE NEW MEMBER to your
favorite ejournal - "Sri Ranga Sri".
You may invite their attention to our URL to help them decide:
http://www.egroups.com/group/SriRangaSri
and encourage them to join by sending an email to
SriRangaSri-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx
As an alternative, you may suggest to us your friends who may be
"really" interested to join, so that we can add them on to our mailing
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We also request you to advise us with your suggestions to improve the
quality of the journal. You may send your feedback and comments to -
Sri_Ranga_Sri@xxxx (specially created for the purpose) and
NOT to the egroup address
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
Editor & Publisher
=========================================================================================================================================1.
SriRanga Vijayam Part 16: The 7 Enclosures (Saptha prAkArams)
By Purisai Krishnamachariar Swami
=======================================================================================================================================The
7 enclosures (AavaraNams) Sri RanganAtha are:
1. mADa mALigai soozh Tiruveedhi
2. mannu sEr thiruivikraman veedhi
3. AaDal mAran akaLangan veedhi
4. Aali nADAr amarndhu uraiyum veedhi
5. KooDal vAzh kulasEkharan veedhi
6. Kulavu rAsa mahEndran veedhi
7. TheriDariya Dharmavarman veedhi
Where do we start to enter the Enclosures?
The Lord reclines with His head on the West; His feet to the East;
He is facing the South. Let us "Catch His eye" by entering from the
South and proceed closer. He is facing South so that even the devotee
standing farthest may receive His benign direct vision and get His
blessings true to the saying- DuhkhApAya praNayinEE janE dhoora
dhaththa abhimukhyam"
=======================================================================================================================================2.
Greatness of Bhagavad RamAnuja Darsanam
{Note: This series was posted earlier in other Internet sites a while
ago. As per the request of a large number of readers who are not
members of those sites and those who had missed reading them, it is
being posted here. Those who have read the series earlier may kindly
refresh their memory or just skip excusing me for the repetition}
Anbil Ramaswamy
===================================================================================================================================GREATNESS
OF BHAGAVAD RAMANUJA DARSANAM (GRD 1 A)
AN INTRODUCTION (ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
============================================================================================================================================
Dear Bhagavatas:
Greatness of Bhagavad RamAnuja Darsanam is presented by critically
examining the philosophies of ADVAITA (MONISM), DVAITA (DUALISM) AND
VISISHTADVAITA (QUALIFIED MONISM - CUM-DUALISM)
Let me hasten to assure that these are not meant to create any
controversies but meant to enlighten the general readership on the
salient points of differences to help a better understanding of the
various streams of philosophy.
The views expressed herein are -- not entirely mine, but are derived
from
1. Swami Desika's "Para Matha Bhangam"
(i) by Villivalam Sri NArAyaNAchAr Swami
(PoorvAsrama elder brother of the Prakritam HH Azhagiyasinghar)
(ii) by Abhinava Desika Uttamur Swami.
2. Swami Desika's " Satha DushaNi" an excellent Introduction by Sri
SrivatsAnkAchAriar Swami for which a brilliant foreword was provided
in English (PP 50.and 64 and p.xii in Preface) - by Sri R. Kesava
Iyengar, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.
3. "AadhyAtmika sAra:" by Dr. SokkanAvur .V.NarasimhAchArya M.A, PhD,
AasthAna VidwAn, Srimad AhObila matam, published by Sri G.K.Dikshit,
Trichy.
4. "Sri BhAshyArtha Deepikai" (translation of "Sri BhAshyArtha
maNIpravALa Deepikai" of HH 40th Jeeyar of Sri Ahobila Mutt by above
Sri SokkanAvur .V. NarasimhAchArya.
5. "Bhagavad Vishayam" - "First 2 Tiruvoimozhi "- "Mudal Sriya:pathi"
published by Puttur Sri KrishnaswAmi Iyengar SwAmi containing the
famous VyAkhyAnams like Eedu 36000, Adaiyavalanjan Arumpadaurai,
Jeeyar Arumpadaurai etc. dealing with the various philosophies.
6. Sri RamAnuja on "Tattvamasi" and "Neti Neti" by Prof. K.S.
NarayanAchArya, Aasthana Vidwan, Sri ParakAla Mutt, Mysore and Head of
Dept. of English, Karnataka Arts College, Dharwad, published by Veda
Vidya Prakashana, Malola, Kalyananagar, Dharwad in February 1989.
7. "Brahma VidyA" (in six parts) by Sri S. JagannArAyaNan, Deputy
Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Govt. Of India, Chennai 28, published
from 1986 to 1990.
8. "Sri BhAshya sArAswAdhinee" by Vidwan Tirupputkuzhi Narasimha
Tatachariar of Sri Hayagriva Vidya Peetam, Tharamani, Chennai 113,
published in 1988.
9. "Sri BhAshya sAram" by Sri T.S. Rajagopalan Headmaster, Hindu High
School, Triplicane, Chennai 5, published by AzhwArgal Amudha Nilayam,
Komaleeswaranpet, Chennai 2 (1993)
10. "Life Divine" by Aurobindo, (Chapter II p7)
11. "Sri BAshya -on the philosophy of Brahma Sutra" by Prof.
RaghavAchAr (p.204)
12. "Indian Philosophy" by Dr. Vatsyayan published by Kedar Nath Ram
Nath, Meerut.
13. "Hindu View of Life" by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Former President
of India. published by MCM, NY, 1968 (pp.50 and 51)
14. " Hinduism" by Prof. Troy Wilson Organ published by Barron's
Educational Series, Inc, 1974. (p.50 and p.281)
15. "3 Ms -Man, Myth and Magic"- The illustrated Encyclopedia of
Mythology, Religion and the Unknown, Marshall Cavendish, New York,
London, Toranto, 1985, 12 Volumes, NY 1985 Vol.5 / p.1313
16. TukArAm SAnt, poem translated by John S Huyland, "An Indian
peasant mystic" London, Allenson & co]
17. Sathapatha BrAhmana, translated by Sir Monier- Williams and quoted
by Gerber, (p.3)
18. LOUIS RENOU in " Great Religions of Man" ) published by George
Brazillier Inc, NY, 1961.
19. THIBHAUT, G: The Vedanta Sutras-with Sankara Baashyam and
RamAnuja's Sri BhAshyam, Sacred books of the East, Oxford, 1879-1896.
20. Bhagavad RamAnuja's "VEdArtha Sangraha" by VeerApuram
SadagOpAchAriar SwAmi, 1997.
21. Points explained by various AchAryas during Kalakshepams, which I
had the BhAghyam to attend during more than half-a-century.
===========================================================================================================================================This
presentation forming part of my book entitled "Hinduism
Rediscovered" has been reviewed by the venerable HH Azhagiya Singhar,
Prakritam Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt, HH Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram
Ashramam, as can be noticed from their Srimukhams. (Copies already
posted in the various nets) and other AchAryas.
Several Bhagavatas like Sri M.K.Sudarshan, Sri Karalapakkam Anand, Sri
MAdhava Kannan, Sri Chandrasekaran and others have carefully
scrutinized the manuscripts and have offered valuable suggestions,
which have been incorporated. I offer my heartfelt thanks to these
Bhagavatas for their time, patience and efforts in improving this
presentation.
I would request Bhagavatas to kindly read through the entire series
and feel free to offer feedback and constructive comments. I will
gratefully acknowledge them and possibly incorporate in my next
edition.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
============================================================================================================================================
QUOTABLE QUOTES
"The worship of Vishnu reveals the agreeable and happy aspects of
Hinduism. In fact, as a religion, in the strict sense of the term,
HINDUISM can be summarized as VISHNUISM"
(Louis Renou - Vide 1tem 18 above (p37)
==========================================================================================================================================
"In some important points, RamAnuja's commentary more accurately
interprets the Vedanta Sutras than does Sankara's"
(George Thibaut - Vide item 19 above Volume 34 (p.cxxv)
==========================================================================================================================================
Contents Profile
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Sruti Passages in Support of the three streams Of
philosophy.
Section 3:Advaita vis-a-vis Other Schools.
(A) Nonduality
(B) Nirguna, Nirakara, Niravayava, Nirvisesha (Neti, Neti Etc)
(C) The Concept of Maya or Illusion
(D) Transitoriness
(E) Truth emerging from Untruth
(F) Are Dreams real?
(G) Liberation through Knowledge
(H) Jeevan Mukti (Liberation while living)
Section 4: Common grounds between the 3 streams
Section 5: Dvaita vis-à-vis other Schools.
Section 6: Conclusion - Comparing and Contrasting the three streams.
=======================================================================================================================================3.
GREATNESS OF SWAMI DESIKA DARSANAM -
Excerpts from the article of Abhinavadesikar Uttamur Swami-
Courtesy: "Seva Malar" 1957. Translation: Anbil Ramaswamy
=======================================================================================================================================Sriya:
Pathi Sarveswaran found that His message rendered for the
benefit of humanity, in His incarnations as Sri VarAha and Sri RAma
did not get well publicized. So, He reiterated the same more
elaborately in His incarnation as Sri KrishNa under the pretext of
advising Arjuna, explaining clearly the difficulties involved in other
means like Karma, JnAna and BhaktiyOgas and rounding it up with a
grand finale that Prapatti which he had earlier instructed was THE
BEST means for humanity to reach Him. To reinforce this message, He
appeared as ThiruvEnkaTamudaiyAn.
Despite the message being so loud and clear, people were found
ignorant of the full import thereof. So, He deputed Srimad NAthamuni,
Srimad YAmuna muni and Sri RamAnuja muni to expound the content of the
SAstras through SribhAshya, GitAbhAshya etc. as also the means to
practice (anushTAnam) Prapatti through "SaraNAgathi Gadhyam". During
the days of UDaiyavar, the message did sink deep into the minds of
people as seen in the affirmation-
"SrI RamAnuja DivyAjnA prathivAsaram ujjwalA, dighantha vyApinee
bhooyAth sA hi lOka hithaishiNee". Therefore, the doctrine came to be
known as "Sri RAmAnuja Darsanam".
But, due to the mushrooming of votaries of heretic religions
frantically trying to spread their faith, due to our Scriptures lying
scattered in different works without being uniformly codified and also
due to the loss of the works of Sri NAthamuni hailed as the crest
jewel of SAstras (Grantha rathnam), ordinary folk were misled by the
spurious arguments of charlatans.
Feeling that if this were allowed to corrupt people anymore, the whole
world would come to a naught, "Thirumalai ThiruvEnkaTamuDaiyAn"
Himself, out of infinite compassion came down as "Thooppul
ThiruvEnkaTamuDaiyAn". For over 100 years, as Thoopul Desika, He
revealed in Himself the aspects of IlayaperumAL of RAmAvatara,
BalarAma of KrishNAvatAra, and "Apara Hayagriva"- all in one.
He spent his whole life in giving kAlakshEpams in SriBhAshya,
GitAbhAshya, proving the hollowness of the arguments of opponents in
lively debates, creating works on our Darsanam for the benefit of
posterity, writing commentaries on Bhagavad RAmanuja's BhAshyams,
erecting impregnable fortresses to protect our SiddhAntam from alien
creeds through works like "NyAya Parisuddhi", "NyAya SiddhAnjanam,
"SarvArtha Siddhi", "Tattva mukthA kalApam" etc as well as refutation
of other faiths through "Satha dhooshaNi" etc.
The old PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram ANNan of those times selected just two
of Swami Desika's works and was all praise for them- viz. "SarvArtha
Siddhi" and "SathadhooshaNi."
In "NyAya Parisuddhi", Swami Desika has blessed us with 49 Sutras.
This one work itself is enough for everyone belonging to Desika
SampradAyam to name it as "Desika Darsanam" and publicize the same as
a bounden duty because the gems hidden in these Sutras will be
appreciated only by a close study. The same applies to his
"Paramathabhangham" and his "protective" works (Rakshai) where
Prapatti has been expounded with extraordinary clarity like "NikshEpa
Rakshai", "Srimad Rahasya Traya SARam", "NyAsa Vimsathi" and other
collects known as "Chillarai RahasyangaL"
Inspite of all these, if our Darsanam does not percolate among the
masses, it is not because of lack of works but because of lack of
interest among both the Scholars whose duty is to propagate the tenets
and the layfolk who need to be taught. When such treasure is readily
available for us, we see people squandering their time, wealth and
energy in useless pursuits. It remains to be seen whether, at least
now, in the face of potential danger of aggression by other creeds
that are trying to rear their ugly heads, we awaken to the need to
prove ourselves as true Desika Bhaktas.
Since, our Darsanam was established by ThiruvEnkaTamuDaiyAn Himself,
it would be appropriate to call it "Sri Desika Darsanam" or "Sri
VenkaTEsa Darsanam". If we look at it dispassionately, shedding
narrow-mindedness, the conclusion is inescapable that this IS "Swami
Desika Darsanam" ONLY.
Since it is said that Swami Desika SriSukti is "OUR" Darsanam -
"NAthOpagjnam pravriththam bahubhi: upachitham yAmunEya prabandhai:
samyak ThrAtham yatheendrai: idam Akhila thama: karsanam Darsanam
na;", it is only proper to call "OUR" Darsanam as "SwAmi Desika
Darsanam"
===========================================================================================================================================4.
Dhruva StOtram - Part 1 (SlOkas 6 to 11)
Dear Bhagavatas:
You will remember that sometime ago, we released in other egroup sites
a series on "PrahlAda StOtram" which was well received. We now present
a StOtra by another child Bhakta, Sri Dhruva.
=========================================================================================================================================Pleased
with the rigorous penance of Dhruva, the Lord appeared before
him. Dhruva became speechless and did not know how to address the Lord
and what to say. The Lord gently stroked his head with His Conch.
Dhruva instantly was able to deliver a stOtram. This occurs in
SkAndham 4, AdhyAyam 9, Stanzas 6 to 17 of Srimad BhAgavatam. We
present in this posting SlOkas 6 to 11 translated by Swami
Tap18asyananda.
SlOkas 12 to 17 will follow. StOtras by other Bhaktas and AchAryas
will be featured in this Section in due course.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
===================================================================================================================================Dhruva
said:
YO antha; pravisya mama vAcham imAm prasupthAm sanjeevyathi akhila
sakti dhara: svadhAmanA /
AnyAms cha hastha charaNa sravaNatvagAdeen prAnAn namO bhagavathE
purushAya thubhyam // 6
Meaning
"My salutations to the Supreme being, the possessor of divine
majesties, who, having entered my heart, has quickened my dormant
limbs, senses and vital powers and has presently awakened the power of
speech with which I can now express myself in this hymn"
Yekas tvam Eva bhagavan idam Aatma sakthyA mAyAkhyayOru guNayA mahadh
AdhyasEsham /
Srushtva anuvisya purusaha: tadasad guNEshu nAnEva dArushu
vibhAvasuvad vibhAsi // 7
Meaning
"Though thou art the one without a second, Thou hast, through thy
infinite power of MAyA constituted of the three guNas, projected all
the categories from "mahat" down, and then having entered into them as
their indwelling Self, hast manifested Thyself through their effects,
the several outward-going senses, each with its distinctive powers and
its presiding deity, just as the one fire expresses itself variously
through different kinds of fuel"
tvat dhriththayA vayunayEdam achashTa viswam suptha prabuddha iva
nAtha bhavath prapanna: /
tasya Apavargya SaraNam thava pAda moolam vismaryathE kritavidA katham
Aartha bandhO: // 8
Meaning
"By Thy grace alone could the great creator Brahma, who was like a
sleeping man awakening from his slumber, had come to the prescience of
the universe. How can a man of spiritual understanding then forget
Thee, Oh! Friend of the afflicted, who art the source of the
intelligence and power of Brahma himself and whose feet constitute the
sole shelter for those who seek salvation?"
noonam vimushTa mathaya: thava mAyayA thE yE tvAm bhavApyaya
vimOkshaNam anya hEthO; /
archanthi kalpaka tharum kuNapOpa bhOghyam ichchanthi yath sparsajam
nirayEpi nriNAm //9
Meaning
" They indeed are lost souls who approach thee - a veritable
wish-yielding tree that can bestow even liberation from the cycle of
birth and death - for the mean sensual satisfactions of this
cadaverous body, satisfactions which can be had even in an animal
body."
YA nirvritis thanu bruthAm thava pAda padma dhyAnAth bhavat jana kathA
sravaNEna vA syAth /
SA brahmaNi svamahimanyapi nAtha mA bhooth kim thvantakAsi lulithAth
pathathAm vimAnAth // 10
Meaning
" Even by absorption in Brahman, Thy own transcendent greatness,
aspirants do not get that intense bliss which they find in the
contemplation and service of Thee, the divine person, and in listening
to the narration of the stories connected with Thy devotees. What to
speak then of the satisfactions which the desire-filled people get in
the aerial cars of the celestial worlds, which are ever threatened
with destruction by the uplifted sword of Time!"
Bhakthi muhu: pravahathAm tvayi mE prasangO bhooyAd anantha mahathAm
amalA sayAnAm /
Yena anjasOlbaNamuru vyasanam bhavabidim nEshyE bhavad guNa
kathAmrutha pAna maththa: // 11
Meaning
"Oh! Infinite one! May I always enjoy the association of Thy devotees,
who are absolutely pure in mind and who are ever engaged in
cultivating loving devotion to Thee. Imbibing the accounts of Thy
excellence in their company, I shall be inebriated with devotion and
easily overcome this sea of unbearable troubles and tribulations that
SamsAra is."
=========================================================================================================================================To
Continue SlOkas 12 to 17
=========================================================================================================================================5.
QUIZ PROGRAM AND QUESTION BOX
A. QUIZ PROGRAM
Once in a fortnight, "Quiz Program" will pose queries inviting our
readers to provide replies within 7 days. The correct or best reply /
replies will be published in the subsequent issue to be released
thereafter, with the name of the member. We believe that this will
help in participation of readers.
We pose below 10 questions to provide you some food for thought:
You may please send your answers by email within 7 days to
"Sri_ranga_Sri@xxxx"
and NOT to the egroup address,
We start with RAmAyaNa -
1. What is "SathakOTi RAmAyaNam"?
2. How did "Sarayu" river get its name?
3. How did "Trisanku" acquire his name?
4. What is the meaning of the name "Vaidehi"?
5. How did "PanchavaTi" get its name?
6. What is meant by the word "KAkustha"
7. What is the age difference between Sri Rama and Sri Sita?
8. What is the origin of the word "MADabhoosi"?
9. How did "DhanushkODi" acquire its name?
10. How did RAvaNa get his 10 heads?
(More questions will follow in the subsequent issues)
===========================================================================================================================================B.
"QUESTION BOX"
Another feature for Reader participation proposed is to invite queries
from readers regarding their doubts on various matters relating to the
philosophy and practices of our Sath Sampradayam. While any query
based on genuine doubts is welcome, it would help if they are posed in
clear, concise and precise terms unless the query itself needs an
elaboration.
The queries may be addressed to the Sri_ranga_Sri@xxxx and NOT
to the egroup address.
The replies to such queries will be consolidated and issued within a
fortnight. If any consultation with source materials and / or AchAryas
is needed, it might take some more time and the fact will be intimated
to the member posing the query.
Now, Question us, please!
=========================================================================================================================================6.
"KNOW THIS ACHARYA" -An Introduction
In this Part, starting from the next issue, we propose to provide in
each issue, a brief thumbnail sketch of at least one of about 150
AchAryas who have enriched and are enriching our SathsampradAyam
This will not cover the AchAryas belonging to well known lineages,
being featured in our ongoing series - "AchArya Vamsa Vriksham".
We may not be able to cover details of all the AchAryas or all the
details of even those mentioned herein, mainly due to lack of
information. We will be grateful for any additional input on these and
any others left out by oversight.
=========================================================================================================================================
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