Bhagavad RAmAnujA & AshtAksharam

[Guest guest]

Sri :

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

 

Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -

Srivan Shatagopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha

 

Dear bhaktAs of Sriman NArAyanA,

 

Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams.

 

Adiyen would like to discuss about the much propagated episode of

Bhagavad RAmAnujA shouting AshtAksharam :

 

First of all Bhagavad RAmAnujA didn't violate any of the sAstrAs in

the episode of preaching to Sri VaishnavAs. It is wrong to say that

Udayavar shouted the "thirumantram" (ie. AshtAksharam ) openly . Somehow

or other this thing has spread widely .

 

Sri Krishna KalAle quoted the verse from SeshA samhitA (14.50) which is

in turn from Srimad Rahasya Traya SArA (SRTS) :

 

" The wise man should reveal (the greatness of) his guru & guard the

mantra with GREAT CARE. By the omission to reveal the former & the

omission to guard the latter ,a person's wealth (material & spiritual) &

term of life suffer diminution ".

 

There is a very strong sAstric injunction "mantram yathnena gopayeth".

The mantrAs should be revealed by the AchAryA on an ear to ear basis ie.

other than the ears of the AchAryA & the disciple , no one would hear it.

For instance , during Brahmopadesam in Upanayanam , the father acts as

the AchAryA & the son as a disciple in receiving the GAyatri Mantram. Both

of them are covered by the vastram & the upadesam is performed on an

ear-to-ear basis.

("kAdoda kAdA sollu" is a general usage also ) .

 

PramAnam from SaranAgati Gadyam on the recital of Dvaya mantram in mind

itself was also given earlier.

 

There are many more pramAnams which echo the same point . AshtAksharam

being a Supreme mantrA of all mantrAs , the restriction is much more

(rahasyA) .

 

A very well known quote from VishnuDharmA(6.31) in which Sriman

NArAyanA Himself says very strongly :

 

"Sruthi & SmruthIs are indeed My commands. He who transgresses them

violates My commands. He is My dhrohi. Though he may be devoted to me , he

shouldn't be called a VaishnavA "

 

So, obviously Bhagavad RAmAnujA didn't violate any sAstric

injunction.Previously , the _meanings_ of AshtAksharam , Dvayam & charama

slokam were highly guarded ,apart from the mantrAs themselves , since they

are the topmost cream of knowledge . One should sincerely strive for

it without any doubts in mind , having full devotion to Sriman NArAyanA &

AchAryAs etc etc ( so many constraints ) have to be met out for one to be

eligible to know about rahasya meanings. Even Bhagavad RAmAnujA was

considered as unqualified for a while by Peria NambigaL.

 

The gist of the rahasyAs are our seshatvam to Sriman NArAyanA & the

esoteric doctrine of prapatti . Udayavar called upon the fellow Sri

VaishnavAs ( had samAsrayanam ) & did a upanyAsam (discourse) on the

rahasya mantrAs. Ofcourse , the Sri VaishnavAs were highly dedicated &

sincere . Their devotion to Sriman NArAyanA & AchAryAs were already

exemplary . Bhagavad RAmAnujA could easily see that all of them were

qualified , for they were already dedicated in their kainkaryams.

 

The qualification expected by peria NambigaL was too high. But

Bhagavad RAmAnujA , the ocean of mercy , gauged the minimal qualification

(samAsrayanam ie. becoming a Sri VaishnavA ,which itself shows lot of

sincerity to follow Sri Vaishnavam ) & propagated the most esoteric

doctrine of prapatti , by which one is sure to reach Sri Vaikuntam .

 

This was a huge drastic step taken by Bhagavad RAmAnujA & everyone

started eulogizing Udayavar for his ocean of mercy ( If prapatti wasn't

revealed to the Sri VaishnavAs that time , hardly any one would have

managed to go to Sri Vaikuntam till today) . All the Sri VaishnavAs were

overjoyed for they have got the ultimate solution for their release from

repeated births & deaths, & thereby serve Sriman NArAyanA eternally

without any hinderance , eventhough they can't do Bhakti YogA ie. UpAsanA

through AshtAnga YogA . The greatness of prapatti is beyond words . It is

a pitiable thing that such a great diamond is taken very lightly these

days by many .

 

In later days , AchAryAs like SwAmi Desikan made the esoteric

meanings of rahasyAs available as a granthA , so that the future Sri

VaishnavAs needn't suffer .

 

Anyway , the point is that Bhagavad RAmAnujA didn't violate any sAstric

injunctions & didn't do some act just like that out of his whims &

fancies . Udayavar just made an UpanyAsam on the rahasyAs for the Sri

VaishnavAs & made them understand the esoteric doctrine of prapatti. An

AchAryA becomes highly adorable only because he strictly adheres to the

sAstrAs , the divine commands of Sriman NArAyanA . We reject the

preachings of X,Y, & Z who doesn't adhere to sAstrAs.

 

If someone says that Udayavar shouted the AshtAksharam openly , it is

only a great insult to Bhagavad RAmAnujA & doesn't glorify the AchAryA.

Anyway , this episode of shouting AshtAksharam is somehow told to

exemplify Udayavar's dayA . AchAryAs in adiyen's GuruparamparA have

unanimously said the above .

 

EmperumAnAr thiruvadigaLe saranam

 

Namo NArAyanA

 

Adiyen

 

Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan

 

 

Sarvam Sri KrishnArpanamastu