Vedanta Desika & Manavalamaamuni

[Guest guest]

I bought three cassettes all on the life and works of Manavalamaamuni by Sri

Krishna Premi Maharaj - one of the most entertaining and knowlegeable

speakers on srivaishnavism. I will make this email short and to the point.

Obviously the cassettes themselves are excellent and has a bulk of

information. I will just summarize some key points here.

 

Sri Krishna Premi Maharaj says:

 

Most people dwell on the differences (vettrumai) between the two great

srivaishnava stalwarts; but I will dwell on some major similarities!! We

all know the major trends in prapatti doctrine: Marjala nyaya and Markata

nyaya ( the analogy of the kitten being carried by the cat and baby monkeys

hanging on to the mother monkey) each analogy supporting either prapatti by

self-effort (with saatvika tyaga) or prapatti mainly understanding that God

is the final resort. Alwar's paadals support both views here and there.

There are occasions where alwars perform a prapatti and in some cases leave

everything to God and give up, realizing the ineffectiveness and triviality

of self effort. Sri Vedanta desika even though supports a prarthana purvaka

arthitva - ie. asking, God for moksha through a surrender using a prayer

(via an acharya), has taken the other side in some of his slokas - "tvayi

rakshati rakshakaha kimanyaihi tvayicha rakshati rakshakaha kimanyaihi" - O

Lakshmi Nrisimha, if you have taken the stance to protect me what is the

need for other protectors; if you have decided not to protect me what is the

use of other protectors!. Protectors could be dieties or even any other

means. Replace the term protectors by "means" such as prapatti or bhakti-

will yield a stance very close to Manavala maamuni's. (There is another

quote from krishna premi - using a sloka which has a direct implication

close to Manavala maamuni's view- I will find that quote later)

 

Sri Manavala Maamuni doctrinally states that one should not "ask" for

surrender because it violates the very nature of jiva - ie. his complete

dependence on God; Like a piece of wealth will not ask it's owner to

protect it, similarly, it is in God's hands and one need not ask for one's

deliverance. So the upaya is only to "know" that Srimannarayana is the

protector.

 

On the other hand, when Sri Manavala Maamuni was in his ripe old age, he

wrote a work called "Arthi Prabandam". In this prabandam, it seems Sri

Manavala Maamuni actually performed an "ARTHA" PRAPATTI ie. prapatti done

with prayer to Lord Srimannarayana to put an end to this life immediately

and take this aspirant to Vaikunta to begin an new eternal era of continous

kainkaryam. Completing this work, it seems Sri Manavala Maamuni attained

the feet of the Lord!

 

My knowledge of historical events is very little. I dont even know how

historians relate works to events in lives of saints. Other learned folks

here can probably throw more light on this.

 

Srimathe Srivan Satagopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha

Srimathe Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Divya Paaduka Sevaka Srivan Satagopa Sri

Narayana Yateendra Maha Desikaya Namaha.

 

Krishna

Krishna Kalale

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