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//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 42 dated 24th February 2006
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EDITORIAL
Dear Bhagavatas:
Several Bhagavatas have been shooting out questions on the subject
surrounding SV, with a genuine interest to know the ?What?, the ?How? and
more importantly the ?Why? on many of the practices that are required to be
observed in our daily routines. We try to provide as much of information as
possible and to the best of our ability and understanding gained from our
Acharyas (like Sri Srivatsankachariar Swami) and heard during their
KaalakshEpams on AnushTaana Grantas (recorded on audio tapes and brought
from India,).
We do not, however, claim to vouch for the accuracy of OUR presentation. We
will be much obliged if the real AnushTatas in our forum offer their
constructive criticism and added inputs (with appropriate PramaaNams) so
that we can improve our presentation in future.
Any comments / suggestions may be sent to Ramanbil@xxxxxxxxxxx
and NOT to ?Sri Ranga Sri? Yahoo groups site.
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. SANDHYAA VANDANAM -? Part 2 - 3
FAQs AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VARIOUS OBSERVANCES IN "SANDHYAAVANDANAM"
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
2. TRI-MURTI IN TIRUVAIMOZHI - PART 20.
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
======================================================
ISSUES RELEASED
So far, 218 Regular issues of SRS have been released apart from
Special Issues:
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 and
41 Issues of Vol. 7
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Ever at your service
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Editor & Publisher, "Sri Ranga Sri"
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1. SANDHYAA VANDANAM -? Part 2 - 3
FAQs AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VARIOUS OBSERVANCES IN "SANDHYAAVANDANAM"
(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q 14 If SV is to be done without break, how can one do it when one is under
a spell of pollution (?theeTTu? a.k.a ?Aasoucham?) due to birth or death in
the family?
A: ?Performing SV should not be skipped during pollution on account of birth
or death in the family. The rites relating to the cremation of dead bodies
(of even one?s own parents) can be done only after completing the Nitya
Karma of SV.
Whether one is pure or impure, one cannot skip this Nityakarma says Dharma
Saastram? (Vide page 187 of ?Sri VaishNava Sadaachaara NirNaya? of Sri
Villivalam Krishnamachariar Swami (Prakritam Azhagiya Singhar, in his
Poorvaasramam).
He quotes the following authority for this.
?mrutakE sootakE vaapi sandhyaa karma na sam thyajEth /
Tatht kritvaa Eva puraa, paschaat pitrOh kuryaat ?sava? kriyaam/
Suchir vaapi asuchir vaapi nityam karma na sam thyajEth?
During Aasoucham times, Gaayatri Japam should be done only 10 times. (Vide
Page 63 of Sri Ranganatha Paaduka February 2006 Issue).
On all other occasions Gaayatri Japam is recommended to be done 28 or 108
times.
=============================================================
Q.15. Is SV to be done only by Brahmins?
A: I would like to invite your attention to a similar query by one who is
not a BrahmaNa as also the reply given to him. I am sure that this FAQ reply
will clear similar doubts entertained by many Bhagavatas in our forum.
Query:
?Adiyen has some doubts regarding the news letter you have sent. You have
explained the importance of Sandhaya Vandhanam and these rituals. To
introduce myself adiyen has undergone Bharnayasam under Sri Azhaghiya
singar. adiyen does not belong to Brahmin varna. Now my question is - who
all can do Sandhya. Adiyen presumes that I am not eligible to do that.?
Reply:
?All "TraivarNikas" (i.e. Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas) are required to
have Upanayanam and do SV.
It is not correct to say that those belonging to the fourth VarNa are not
"eligible" or that they are "barred". They are simply "NOT REQUIRED" to go
through these Samskaaras.
Just as the saying goes "The King can do no wrong", it should be understood
that those belonging to the fourth VarNa are treated as children and "they
can do no wrong? and not much is expected of them in such observances!
But, if one belonging to this group desires to do SV, the following ?Non ?
Vedic? style slOka can be recited at the appropriate times:
« prati purusha ManEkhaa pratyavastham vichitraah
Subha gatishu dhiyO yah chOdayatyam jasaanah/
akhila chid achith antaryaami tath vishNu sanghyam
savituuh aham upaasE tasya dEvasya bhargah //?
This is given on page 46 of the Sandhyaavandanam book published in October
1995 by Sri VisishTaadvaita Research Centre, Madras (of AhObila Matam), Sri
Thillasthaanam Kainkarya Sabha, Bangalore and Sri Poorvacharya Kainkarya
Sabha, Bangalore with a foreword by H.H. Sri Rangapriya MahadEsikan of
Ashtanga yoga Vigyana Mandiram, Hanumantanagar, Bangalore 560 019. It is
stated therein that this is as per "parasara Smriti".
It is further stated therein that "Anyone irrespective of caste, creed or
sex can meditate on the Lord in the orb of the Sun through the above verse
at the Sandhya periods"
Hope this helps.
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In the Question and Answer section of Sri Ranganatha Paaduka (February 2006
Issue) another Bhaagavata had asked and the reply given by Paduka are
reproduced below (Vide Q 6 on page 62 ibid)
Question:
?I belong to VishNu kulam. I am a Bhakta of Sri KrishNa. I belong to the
MOST BACKWARD class. I desire to do Saalagraama Pooja. Can I do this??
Answer given by Paaduka:
?You may approach a Qualified Achaarya and get ?SamaasrayaNam? (Pancha
Samskaaram) from him and with his niyamanam, you may do the Salagraama
Pooja, as desired?
>From this, it is clear that anyone not belonging to TraivarNika groups can
do not only SV but also SaaLagraama Aaraadhana after appropriate initiation
by a qualified Achaarya.
Please see also ?SudrO Sadhu? in Answer to Q.16 below.
=============================================================
Q.16: And, why even among Brahmins, women are prohibited from doing SV?
* Excerpts from ?Hinduism Rediscovered? book by Anbil Ramaswamy (pages 305
et seq)
A: * ?Once, a debate arose as to how and when with minimum effort (in the
observance of Dharma) maximum effect (of benefits) could be obtained and who
was entitled to such a course. The Sages went to the hermitage of Veda
Vyaasa, who had gone to the Ganges to have his bath. The sages waited on the
bank of the river under the shade of trees. Veda Vyaasa dipped himself under
water three times and came out. Every time, he muttered the following three
aphorisms as he rose from the water: ?Kali Sadhu, Stree Sadhu, SudrO Sadhu?
When he finally came out and finished his ablutions, he enquired the sages,
the purpose of their visit. When they told him about their doubts, he
replied that he had already answered them even while taking bath and
proceeded to explain:
?Kali Sadhu?
What one can obtain only by ?yOga nishTa? or ?Dhyaana? (Concentrated
meditation) in the Krita yuga, what one can obtain only by Yagjna (Severe
penance) in TrEta yuga and what one can obtain only by Archana (Intense
worship) in the Dwaapara yuga, can be achieved in Kali yuga by merely
reciting the names of Bhagavaan, known as ?Naama Samkeerthanam? and ?Daanam?
(gifts). Thus, with minimum effort, maximum effect could be achieved in Kali
yuga. Hence, I said ?Kali Sadhu?
?Stree Sadhu?
Only men folk had to perform lot of rituals and observance of penances
prescribed like ?Praajapatyam? etc. But, womenfolk derived half the ?puNya?
of their husbands by merely assisting them. And, conversely, their husbands
shared the sins committed by their spouses. Thus, both ways, women benefit ?
without any effort on their part!
For women, it is a ?Win- Win? situation both ways!
Thus, from Vedic period ?liberation of women? was integrated with lifestyle
itself, and there was no need for a separate ?women?s lib? movement!
That women were ?not allowed? to perform the rituals is another way of
saying that they ?need not subject themselves to the rigors of penances?,
not that they were ?denied? the privilege as some of our pseudo-advocates of
modern women?s lib movement would like us to believe.
May be, this freedom from obligation was itself based on biological reasons
of their propensity for pregnancy and other feminine disadvantages like
menstrual impurities?
?Child bearing and child rearing are very demanding. That is why women were
relieved from breadwinning responsibilities in the family.
?Veda Adhyayanam? has to done for years on end (in Gurukula vaasam) without
any break which is not possible for women as explained above. Also, the
sounds of some ?mantras? have to emanate deep from the ?Naabhi? (navel) and
this would put an unnecessary strain on the average womenfolk.
In the olden times, however, we learn that women Rishis like Karthyaayani,
MaitrEyi and others were as much ?mantra drashTas? as their male
counterparts, probably because they had overcome these disabilities by
virtue of their innate powers.
The very expectation of stricter norms of morality in women is an
acknowledgement of their natural superiority.
?SudrO Sadhu?
The ?TraivarNikas? could not act as it pleased them; their activities were
severely curtailed and bound by the Saastras, the severity of observance and
punishment for non-observance diminishing from Brahmins to Kshatriyas to
Vaisyas - in that order. But, in the case of Sudras, they not only do not
have to study Saastras, they do not have to perform any of the rites
enjoined on others. They are exempted from the rigor that binds the others.
By merely assisting others, they shared the benefit accruing from the
penances performed by the higher castes. The higher castes were ?higher?
only in their duties and responsibilities. On the other hand, the Sudras
were co-sharers of all the ?puNya karmas? done by these so called ?higher?
castes. Thus, they got maximum benefit without any effort at all?*
But for those who desire to observe SV, SaLagrama Puja etc, the alternatives
indicated in answer to the previous question would suffice.
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(SV 2-4)
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2. TRI-MURTI IN TIRUVAIMOZHI - PART 20.
(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)
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4.5.6 (29):
kariya mEni miSai veLiya neeRu SiridE iDum
periya kOlat taDam kaNNan viNNOr perumAn tannai
uriya SollAl iSai mAlaigaL Etti uLLap peRRERku
ariyadu uNDO enakku inRu toTTum ini enRumE.
The reason for studying this pASuram in our context is because of the phrase
?kariya mEni miSai veLiya nEERu SiridE iDumâ?. The literal translation for
the phrase is ?One who wears a little bit of the white power on His
dark-complexioned tirumEni?. There are those who jump at the words ?veLiya
neeRu?, and assign the meaning basmam or ash (SAmbal in tamizh) and thus try
to explain that emperumAn is the same one who wears the ash on his body.
Those who have studied the previous pASuram-s of AzhvAr and the message
conveyed through them all along know that the correct interpretation is NOT
the message that these people would like to advance. Let us see how our
learned AcArya-s explained this phrase.
SiRidE iDum: He who wears a small amount of
veLiya neeRu: the white camphor powder
kariya tiru mEni misaim: On His dark tirumEni
periya kOlam taDam kaNNan: has big and beautiful eyes like a beautiful pond
viNNor perumAn tannai: and One Who is the Lord of all including the
nitya-sUri-s in SrI vaikunTham
uriya SollAl iSai mAlaigaL Etti: By praising Him with the appropriate and
fitting words that describe His beauty and fame, strung like a garland
uLLap peRRERku: and having attained the good fortune to enjoy Him thus
enakku: I who have been already blessed with the flawless knowledge to
realize the truth about Him
ini enRum ariyadu uNDO: There is nothing that is beyond reach for me here in
this world, or hereafter.
The word veLiya in tamizh means white-colored, and neeRu means powder, or
more specifically, divya anga rAga or scented cosmetic. The term veLiya
neeRu has been interpreted by svAmi deSikan as white-colored camphor powder
in his tAtparya ratnAvaLi. In his sac-caritra rakshA, svAmi deSikan gives
an alternate interpretation: veLiya neeRu can be taken to mean pure powder
and can refer to the collyrium that is applied to the eye.
SrImad tirukuDanthai ANDavan refers us to tirumangai AzhvAr?s pASuram
ArArayil vERkaN anjanattin neeRu aNindu In any case; neeRu does not refer
to basmam or ash. Note that AzhvAr also qualifies the term as veLiya neeru,
rather than just neeRu, just so there is no confusion that he is referring
to the white powder.
SiridE iDum applied in a small quantity. The significance is that this is
not applied for enhancing the beauty of emperumAn who is incomparably
beautiful to start with, but it is applied for auspiciousness.
uriya SollAl - Through appropriate words. SrImad rAmAyaNam, SrImad
bhAgavatam etc., praise the Lord, but there are a lot of other things
included there as well. For instance, in SrImad rAmAyaNam, there is
elaborate description of the origin of GangA, the origin of subrahmaNyan,
etc., which take us away from the enjoyment of Lord SrI rAma?s life.
Similarly, in SrImad bhAgavatam, we start with the impression that we are
going to listen to the story of SrIman nArAyaNa, but then we get an
elaborate description of the quarrel between the two groups of cousin
brothers. Not so in TiruvAimozhi. Here, AzhvAr delights himself only in
bhagavad guNAnubhavam and nothing else.
As pointed out earlier, in his tAtparya ratnAvaLi, svAmi deSikan describes
the gist of this pASuram through the words karpUrAlepa Sobhe by the
enhancement of the beauty through a light application of camphor.
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