hell

[Guest guest]

Dear Prapannas

 

While we are debating the concept of hell, i would like to narrate to you a

incident in my life that may shed some light on what our Acharyas feel

should be the approach of a student in understanding such matters. I had

my Upanayanum around 10 years back and i used to do Sandhaya-Vandanum (SV)

quite regularly till my 12th standard. After i joined IIT, i slowly stopped

doing this (thanks to my new found understanding of the Darwinian evolution,

and my revolutionary theory that God was only a 'concept' and not reality).

 

when my father questioned as to why i have stopped SV, i retorted saying

i don't believe in these meaningless rituals and that they are just a waste

of time. In the same breath i went on to add that the very 'concept' of God was

just a fanciful concoction of a weak minded person, who can't face his problems

head-on and has to resort to the mercy of a fictitious person, namely the Lord.

my father tried to talk some sense into me, but i wouldn't listen. He then

poured out his heart to his Guru, the 45th Azghiya-Singer (during his

poorvashrama days). Azghiya-Singer asked him to bring me along next time and

told him that he will teach me what these 'rituals' mean and why all

Srivaishnava needs to do them without fail.

 

It was my ill-luck that i didn't make use of that opportunity and very soon

he entered the Sanyasa-Asramun and i came to this country. i guess it was

the earnest prayer of that noble soul to the Lord to induce faith in me that

i found myself reading and trying to understand more of our sampradaya after

i came to the US. When i went home last year, my father invited him for

doli-utsavum after which the Jeer called me to his side and told me that he

was sorry that he never got a chance to talk to me regarding SV. he than asked

if i was doing SV regularly. I gave him a big nod and quickly apologized for

my rash questions. with a smile of his face he said, "to question is a very

healthy attitude. don't accept something just because i said so. think about it

and see if it makes sense. If you don't understand, you should question to

discern the truth. But what is more important, once you understand the goal, is

to work toward it. If you make a sincere attempt, Lakshmi-Narasimhan will lead

you the right way."

 

hope this makes some sense

 

Acharyar rhiruvadigaleh saranam

ramesh

[Guest guest]

Sri Gurubhyo Namah:

 

Mani was correct in saying that this earth can itself be Vaikuntham

for one surrendered to Sriman Narayana and also hell for one steeped

in materialism. However for His own purposes, Sriman Narayana has

created other hells and heavens, just as there are other lokas and

Sri Vaikuntham. The only difference between leading a hellish life

on earth and suffering in hell, is that in the former case, one

continues to accrue Karma while this is not so in the latter case.

(This based on one of Ramanujacharya's works either Geetabhasya or

Vedartha Sangraha, I do not remember which one.)

 

Even in hell one can get relief by resorting to the Lord just as one

can on earth.

 

Yudhishthira was an example of a Prapanna. When he was shown Swarga,

he found that to be hell because of the presence of Duryodhana, who

was an enemy of Krishna and His closest Bhaktas. However when

Yudhishthira was taken to hell, he chose to stay there because he

found his Bhagavata brothers in hell. Also other residents of that

hell found relief from their suffering because of the saintly

presence of Yudhishthira.

 

Residents of Swarga sent all kinds of impediments in the way of

Dhruva's meditation, because they were afraid that if Dhruva earned

enough "punya" he would dethrone them. So even though they were in

Swarga they were not able to enjoy peacefully.

 

This is why Lord Krishna says in the Geeta "Antavatu phalam tesam..."

describes these pleasures as trivial and extremely temporary. Since

they do not help one get true happiness. The latter is possible only

by surrendering to the will of Sriman Narayana.

 

There are thus two descriptions of heaven and hell. For one in a

state of forgetfulness of Sriman Narayana heaven is what is

pleasurable to the senses and hell is what is painful. For a

prapanna heaven is rememberence or contact with Sriman Narayana in

any of the nine forms of sravana, kirtana etc and hell is

forgetfulness of Sriman Narayana.

 

For the former category there is a big difference between going to

heaven and hell or going through pleasure and pain on this earth.

The latter (the Prapanna) is not concerned with either since Sriman

Narayana protects him under all circumstances.

 

Jaganath.