Sri VaishNava LakshaNam & Kaimkaryam

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends :

 

Few days ago , Sri Vijayaraghavan of NavalpAkkam

AchArya paramparai asked us to reflect on the attributes

and LakshaNam of a Sri VaishNavA and to share the reflections

in this sathsangham .This subject has been commented

upon by fellow bhakthAs already . Within the limits of my

understanding , I would like to share some of my thoughts ,

which fits very well with some of the initatives that

the members of this special group have already undertaken

and are about to launch such as :

 

1. Sri Oppiliappan RathnAngi Mutthangi Kaimkaryam

2. 45th Jeeyar's Seventieth Birthday celebration

3. Launching of Nrusimha Priya of North America,

NAMA Organization

4. Release of SaraNAgathi Journal

5. Creation & Maintenance of Bhakthi , Saranagathi ,

Sri Vaishnava archives

4. Organization of Bhaktha SammELanAs at Buffalo ,

Pomona and Denver

5. Thuppul BrahmOthsavam funds

6. KalyaNapuram JeerNOtthAranam funds

7. Sahasra kalasa AbhishEkam fund raising for

Kanakavalli SamEtha Sri VeerarAghavan

8. Funds for the publication of the PurvAchArya

commentaries on Thiruvaimozhi ( Sixth Patthu )

9. Funds for the Publication of the reprinting of

the Sillarai rahasyams of Swami Desikan - Part 3

10. Celebration of the 150th anniversary of

VeNNARangarai Andavan Swamy

11. Creation & Maintenance of ThiruviNNagar Home page

12. Initiation of the 108 Divya Desam CD ROM project

13. Abhinava Desikan"s 100th annivrsary celebration

14. MathurAnthakam Sanskrit Paatasaala support

15. Sri Bhumi Devi MaaNiccka Kondai , Maragatha

Parrot and Golden Jata kothsu samarpaNam :

Scheduled for SamarpaNam on the forthcoming

Panguni Uttharam day at Oppilaippan Koil

 

PLanned Projects for 1998 and beyond :

 

1. Funds for the reprint of the First volume of

Swami Desikan's chillarai Rahasyams , which is

out of print today

2. Support for the Parakaala Mutt Nithya AarAdhanam

3. Last of the AabharaNa kainkaryam for the Uthsava

divya Murthys of ThiruviNNagar ( Mutthangis for

Lord Ponnappan celebrated by NammAzhwAr in his

SaraNAgathi Pasuram and His consort , Bhumi Devi

( scheduled for SamarpaNam on kaisika EkAdasi day

of 1998 ). Half a lakh of Rupees have been raised

already by the BhakthAs in India and the remaining

50 K Rupees need to beraised to complete that kaimkaryam .

I will send a separate note on this project

for the benefit of those , who may wish to

participate .

4. nirmANam of Sri RanganAthA temple at Pomona , NY

5 . Other projects to be cleared and supported by

the different Thondar Kulams of Sri VishnavA groups

of North America .

 

After compiling this long list of projects undertaken

and those in planning stage , one wonders what is the

underlying principles that have given life and pushti

to the above projects in the context of ancient practises

observed by our AchAryAs and purvAs . One comes to

the conclusion that these are not haphazard activities ,

but are stricitly consistent with our Darsanam ,

which has been described as " akhila tama: karsanam

darsanam na: " ( the darsanam of ours that destroys

all the spiritual darkness ) .

 

What are the "net net " of all what our sampradhAyam

teaches us are three in number :

 

Bhagavdh -Bhagavatha SevA , AchArya Vandanam ,

ArchAvathaara Kaimkaryam

 

In SarvArtha Siddhi , Swami Desikan has underlined

the celebration of one's AchAryAs in our Darsanam

( Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnuja Darsanam ) and how it

kindles and grows our own Bhakthi to the Lord :

 

yEthadh darsana pravarthakAchArya prasamsayA

svabhakthimEvOtthambhayan

 

The glories of the AchAryAs of our Darsanam

are intimately conencted with them shining as

embodiments of JnAna- AnushtAna- VairAghyam .

Their glories are captured by the following

passage of sthOthram :

 

siddham sathsampradhAyE sthiradhiyam

anagham sthOthriyam Brahma Nishtam

 

Thus they qualify to occupy an exalted place

in our hearts and minds and are held in high

esteem as the veritable incarnations of the Lord .

Our Lord expects the recommendation of our

AchAryAs for granting Moksham to a PrapannA :

 

dhatthE Rangee nijamapi padham

DesikAdesa kAnkshee

 

Sri N.SrinivAsAchAr Swamy , the President

of RamakrishnA Mission academy and the President

of Sri Ahobila Mutt Samskrutha Abhivardhini SabhA

extolled the need for our unshakable faith in

our AchAryAs thru celebration of their greatness ,

following their preachings and adhering to our

sampradhAyam and Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnuja Darsanam

this way :

 

asithila Guru Bhakthi: tathprasamsAdhiseela:

bahumathi : Kruthavith anagha Vrutthi : I

gopayan sampradhAyam sareeram artham prANam cha

sadhgurubhyO nivEdayan II

 

Our Body , Fortunes and lives have to be dedicated to

the service of our AchAryAs according to the above

passage . Why ? The reasoning for such dedication

bearing great fruits for such kaimkaryam is

explained this way by our pramANams :

 

adhyAthma Grantha NirmANam

anEkEshAm cha BhOdhanam I

archAvathAra sEvA cha

thEshAm yethadh MAHATH PALAM II

 

Our AchAryAs are always engaged in

Saasthra , SthOthra anuvAdha Grantha NirmANam ,

Grantha Chathushtya KaalakshEpam , VedAntha

Pravachanam and in ArchAvathAra SevA and

AabhaharAnAthi Kaimkaryam . The celebration

of and Sevice to the ArchAmUrthys eulogized

by Our AzhwArs and PurvAchAryAs and presenting

them with Vasthra , AbharaNamas , Pushpa/TuLasi

samarpaNa kaimkaryams are an integral part of

their daily activities and to encourage us

to travel on these well -trodden paths .

 

In this context , what we have been blessed to do

sofar as a group is due to purva SamskAram from this

distance begins to connect to the sampradhAyic ways set

by our AchAryAs . Let us seek their blessings

and that of the Divya Dampathis to continue to

imbibe in us this Bhagavadh -Bhaagavatha

Kaimkaryam so that we become rich in Kaimkarya Sri

and become possessors of this SowbhAghyam .

 

It is appropriate to recall a Mahaan in

Chennai revered as Desika Bhaktha Rathna

SevA Swami , who has patterned his life

according to the following five principles

emphasized by Swami Desikan :

 

1. Nithyam NiraparAdhEshu KAIMKARYESHU

NIYUNKSHVA MAAM

 

( O Lord ! Direct me to tread the path

of blemishless service )

 

2. Nithya yOgO mahAbhOgai : tvadhEkhAnthibhisthu na:

( May there be an inseparable union for all

with the truly great )

 

3.SaareerakhA pravachana vrathamAdhriyEthA :

( May I pursue as a religious vow , the preaching

of Saareerika Saasthram championed by Sri RaamAnujA )

 

4. Paraspara HithaisheeNaam parisarEshu maam varthaya

( Lord ! May I be placed in the company of well wishing

BhaagavathAs by You ! )

 

5. upayukthEshu vaisadhyam thrivarga nirapEkshathA I

karaNa thraya sArUpyam ithi soukhya rasAyanam II

( A clear knowledge of things to know , discarding

of the lower three purushArhtams, synergy in thought ,

word and deed in pursuit of the fourth purushArtham :

these constitute an elixir of life and tonic for

the soul ) .

 

SevA Swami and other AchAryAs have been faithful

followers of these ideals and living reminders of

the importance of these central precepts for a

Sri VaishNavA . Their lives of transparnet purity ,

exemplary humility and constant service in

the dissemination of spiritual knowledge

( adhyAdhtmya VidhyA ) are the central messages

for us all independent of our own deficiencies

in JnAnam , AchAram and AnushtAnam .

 

Asmadh GurubhyO nama:

SaraNAgatha Vathsala SwaaminE nama:

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan