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                                       shree:
   
  shreemath  jayashreeji;
   
                   simply superb.Hats off to u.
   
  pranamams
   
  krishnapriya
   
   

Jayasree Saranathan <jayasree.saranathan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.


There are 3 questions involved in this.

(1) whether this is about 6 questions or not.

(2) Whether the questions were openly raised or not / or the answers
were provided by Deva-p-perumaL by mind-reading Ilaiaazhwar.

(3)Under what category of 5 questions, these questions come under.

Attempting to reply them..

(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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