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 # 15 dated 17th February 2007 ==================================================================== EDITORIAL 1 Dear Bhaagavatas: We have great pleasure in informing you that our Co- Moderator, Sri Madhava Kannan Swamin of Singapore has been awarded the title of "SampradAya prachAra dhurantharar" by Asmad Acharyan His Holiness Srimad Andavan, Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam, Srirangam on the occasion of the Rajat Jayanti (Silver Jubilee- 25th Anniversary) of Sannyasa SweekaraNam of His Holiness celebrated last week. Reproduced below is the mail from Sri V. Sadagopan Swami, New York. Please join us in congratulating Sri Madhava Kannan who richly deserves the honor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL -2 Recently, I was asked to talk on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Wedding for Mrs. Hema- Dr Suresh of Cleveland, Ohio. The following is an excerpt from the talk delivered live from Atlanta through Conference call. Hope you will enjoy reading the same. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ISSUES RELEASED With this issue, about 242 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 15 Issues of Vol. 8 (including this) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You may view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia maintained By Sri Srinivasan Sriram 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" =================================================================== 1. "SampradAya prachAra dhurantharar" Title conferred on Sri Madhava Kannan Swamin, Co- Moderator of Sri Ranga Sri" Report from Sri V. Sadagopan Swamin of New York ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SrI: Dear Sri VaishNavAs: It is with great pleasure adiyEn wants to share with You all the wonderful news about Srirangam Sri MadhavakkaNNan's valued contributions to our glorious Sri VaishNavite SampradhAyam being recognized by his revered AchAryan , Paramahamsa ParivrAjaka Sriamth Poundareekapuram Andavan during the occasion of His Silver Jubilee celebration this week at Srirangam. The distinguished title conferred on Sri MadhavakkaNNan is : "SampradAya prachAra dhurantharar" It is a matter of great joy for us to know that the many likhitha Kaimkaryams of Sriman MaadhavakkaNNan has been recognized by his own AchAryan in front of his Parents and SishyAs at the Dhivya Desam of Srirangam. NamO Sri RanganAthAya ===================================================================== 2. SILVER JUBILEE OF WEDDING: Tele-Bridge Talk on Sunday, 11th February 2007 by Anbil Ramaswamy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGNIFICANCE OF MARRIAGE All Saastras proclaim the importance of the Grihasta-Asrama as the fulcrum of all other Asramas. Even as a mother supports all her children, Grihasta-Asrama supports all the other 3 Asramas of Brahmacharya, Vaanaprastha and Sannyaasa. People in these other Asramas depend heavily on the Grihasta for support and sustenance required to carry out their respective duties. The life of a Grihasta is, therefore, considered a 'Jiva yagjnya' - a lifelong saga of self- sacrifice for the benefit of others in society. The fact that 26 out of the 40 Samskaaras prescribed in the Saastras relate to marriage and after, highlights the importance of Grihasta- Asrama. Marriage is not meant as a means to satisfy carnal craving. It is regarded as a means to spiritual glory, a `sin qua non' for the development of lineage - a necessary link between the "dead past" and an "unborn future" that must come alive to be undertaken as a part of spiritual duty with devotion to perpetuate the family tradition. Marriage is an integral part of a Grihasta for it is said that no ritual is efficacious without the presence of the wife, the "Saha DharmiNi". The wife always accompanies the husband in discharging his duties. Marriage is no doubt, primarily for begetting children but it was also required for the proper performance of worship. Marriage is not only a contract between individuals but also a contract between families. Marriage is in NOT a license for sexual pleasures but a holy and irrevocable contract not only between the man and wife but also casts the burden of ensuring it to be so, till the very last, on the community comprising of the families of both sides. "Marriage is marriage" and is not a mere "love affair" which is nothing but an infatuation. Love affair is a relationship just for pleasure and when the pleasure wears out, the affair is gone. But, marriage is a life commitment to yourself, to your other half and represents the prime concern of your life. If you make a sacrifice, you are not sacrificing to that person. It is a sacrifice to a permanent relationship. If pain there is in such relationship, there is also life in it. Love bears all, endures all. If the relationship has pains, remember that life is also not all that blissful all through all the time. The stronger the love, the more pain it is prepared to bear and ultimately the pain would turn out to be even enjoyable. Partners who enter in wedlock are not 'paragons of virtue' as they appear in the first flush of enthusiasm. None is perfect and to seek for perfection in the partner is like `seeking a mirage in the desert'. Perfect relationship is created by conscious effort and not discovered all on a sudden. The incompatibilities have to be resolved by a continual mutual adjustment and reconciliation by a willing attitude of 'give and take'. Those that end in divorce or separation are misfits who fail in 'making it work' and deserve the real pain, indeed the devastating trauma attaching thereto. May be this trauma is not really so traumatic so far as American society is concerned because of the kind of family values practiced. For example, a lady may be celebrating the birthday of her child born of her say, third or even fourth husband and some of the earlier husbands might actually turn up to sing "Happy birthday to you" to the baby and present a bouquet too! Such a scenario cannot even be imagined in India! Conversely, the American society is not able to digest the practice in India that a husband and wife could continue to remain as husband and wife and also celebrate the Silver or Golden jubilee of their wedding, `without changing horses at midstream'! The difference in the family values as between those obtaining in India and in the West would reveal how different the expectations about marriage in these two cultures are. MARRIAGE RITES There are several rites to be observed in sequence prescribed in the 10th MaNDala of the Rig vEda and the Grihya Sutras and Kalpa Sutras and compiled by Sage Aaapatsthamba are purely religious- like Sumangali Praarthana, Pandakkaal, Nishcyataartham, Vratam, Jaatakama, Naama karma, Laaja hOma, GrihapravEsam, Ammi midittal, (flat grinding stone) Arundati Sighting, Paalikai, Wearing MeTTi (silver toe-rings) etc. There are other observances that are mainly social like Kaasi Yaatra, Oonjal, and Tiru maangalyam. The most significant part of the wedding ceremony as prescribed in the ancient texts are "PaaNigrahaNam" and "Sapta-Pathi" without which no marriage could be considered to be complete. The well known SlOkam that is invariably recited during tying of the "MangaLa Sutram" (including in TV Serials!) is NOT A VEDIC MANTRAM but it is recited by way of tradition. "maangalyam tantunaanEna mama jeevana hEtunaa/ kaNTE badnaami subhagE tvam jeeva saratas satam//" (vide page 23 of Vivaaha Mantraartha Bodhini" pub: Lifco Associates Reprint 1991) "PAANIGRAHANAM" This consists of 4 Mantras invoking celestials like Bagan, Aryama, Savita, Indra Agni, Surya, Saraswati and Vaayu praying for their blessings. There is a famous sloka in Srimad Ramayanam on this. King Janaka requests Sri Rama to grasp with his right palm, Sri Sita's right palm including all her five fingers. "iyam Sita mama suthaa saha dharma charee tava/ Prateecha cha yENaam badram tE paaNnim griheeshva paaNinaa//" Once this grasping of hand commences, the grasp cannot be given the go by till at least after "Saptapathi". "Nowadays, it is the norm to hold the reception on the eve of the wedding. It is, however, NOT a desirable practice to introduce the couple as husband and wife, even prior to the marriage ceremony. There is a tendency among the guests to rush to the dais, to shake hands with the couple, immediately after the "Maangalya DhaaraNam" is over. Instead, they should wait till the immediate post-marriage rituals including the "Seven steps" are completed, when alone the marriage gets fully solemnized." (Page27 of "Lakshmi Kalyaana VaibhogamE' Supplement to Nrisimhapriya Jan. 2005) "SAPTAPATHEE" This literally means seven steps. The groom is required to hold the right toe of the bride with his right hand and make her take 7 steps towards the north or east of the "hOma kuNdam"(fire-pit) reciting the relevant mantras for each step as follows: 1. EkamishE VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "Oh! Fair maiden! With this your first step, May Lord VishNu come with you to bless you with plentitude of grains etc. for a life without hunger" 2. dvE OorjE VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this second step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to bless you physical and mental strength and health in life" 3. treeNI vrataaya VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this third step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to bless you with the power and energy to do all your religious duties diligently" 4. chatvaari mayO bhavaaya VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this fourth step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to bless you with all happiness to at all times" 5. pancha pasubhyO VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this fifth step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to bless you with wealth in cattle" 6. shad ritubhyO VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this sixth step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to make all the seasons good and favorable for you" 7. sapta saptabhyO hOtraabhyO VishNus tvaa anvEtu// "With this seventh step of yours, May Lord VishNu come with you to give you the ability to fulfill all your duties in life by performing all the prescribed hOmas" After taking these seven steps, the groom says to the bride: (Meanings given after the SlOkas) sakhaa sapta padaa bhava, sakhaayou sapta padaa babhoova, sakhyantE gamEyam, sakhyaath tE maa yOsham, sakhyaan mE maayOshTaah, samayaiva sankalpaa vahai, sam priyou rOchishNoo, su-manasya maanee, eesham oorjam abhi sam vasaanou, sannou manaagumsi, sam vrataa sam uchittaany aakaram, saa tvam asya mooham, amooham asmi saa tvam, dhyour aham prithveetvam, rEto aham rEtO bhrutvam, manO aham asmi vaak tvam, saama aham asmi ruktvam, saa maam anu vrataa bhava, pugumsE putraaya vEttavai, sriyai putraaya vEttavaa yEhi soonrutE//" Meaning: "Having taken these seven steps with me, you have become my friend. Once we have taken these seven steps together, we have become partners. I take your friendship. I will not leave your side under any circumstances. Neither do you leave me. Let us be together always. We will live with mutual love and affection for each other. We will live with good intentions. We will enjoy our life together. We will be of one mind. We will do our Vratas (religious duties) together. Our wishes will be of the same kind. I will be the music and you will be the lyrics of the song of life. I will be the sky and you will e the earth. I will be the voice and you will be the mind. Oh! Maiden with sweet words! We will obtain all that is good in life. Please come with me" Saastras say that on taking seven steps together, friendship blossoms. Since the couple should remain friendly to each other throughout their lives, it is a vow addressed to the sanctity of this friendship. What is friendship? In weal and woe, the couple should stand united, face the joys and sorrows of life together without blaming each other, thus promoting perfect understanding between them. Just like "Rik" and "Saamam" are inseparable forever, the mantras seek to emphasize that the couple should remain inseparable at all times. ANDAL: Andal, the bridal mystic in "VaaraNam Aayiram" of her "Naachiyaar Tirumozhi" declares "I have a dream" and proceeds to narrate the sequence of the various rituals in her marriage with Lord Ranganaatha she sees in that dream. This is being sung invariably in all wedding functions of Hindus. SWASTI ASEERVAADAM {NOTE: When the person reciting the Aseervada Slokams reaches the word "anugrihNNantu", the elders in the audience should say "Tathaasthu" (equivalent to "Amen" in English)} Swaaminah svasti mantraas sathyaa: sa phalaas santu iti bhavantO mahaanto anugrihNNantu/* anayOr dhampatyOr vEdOKtam Dheergham aayushyam bhooyaat iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* Vivaaha Pancha Vimsati Poorthi Aseervachana muhoorthas sumoohoorthOstu iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* Tal lagnaapEkshayaa aadityaadeenaam navaanaam grahaaNaam bhagavad aanukoolyam bhooyaat iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* yE yE grahaah subha sthaanEshu sthitaah tEshaam grahaaNaam aaanukoolyam bhooyaat iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* asmin grihE maasi maasi subhatrayam bhooyaat iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* anayOr dhampathyOh sarvaabheeshTa siddhiprado bhooyaat iti bhavantO mahaantO anugrihNNantu/* SarvE janaah sukhinO bhavantu/ Samastha San mangaLaani santu/ utharOttaraapi vriddhir astu/ Harih Om/ ====================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== Yahoo! 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