"sandhyavandanam" and Sri.Sridhar Srinivasan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri.Sridhar Srinivasan,

 

Like Mani Varadarajan you too are way off the mark. So I am simply going to

repeat to you what I told Mani yesterday by way of clarification i.e.:

 

"My position is stark and simple. I repeat it here for the sake of clarity:

 

(1) Between performing 'sandhyAvandanam' imperfectly (for whatever

reasons…good, bad and indifference) and not performing it at all… the former

is better than the latter. For less than perfect performance (resulting from

either inadvertence or incompetence) there is "prayaschitta". There is none,

however, for non-performance.

 

(2) Our duty to perform "visEsha-bhagavath-kainkaryam" supersedes the duty

of "nitya-karma" only in the order of sequence and not in the order of

importance."

 

I don't think I can make myself any clearer. So I don't see the need to say

anything more on this matter.

 

********* *********** ************

 

Below I give my responses to a few of the statements made by you in your

note:

 

(1) You wrote: "In fact, the charama slOkam allows you the luxury of

relinquishing all dharmas and attendant karmas and pursue Him as the

ultimate dharma."

 

Sri.Sridhar, have you carefully watched an expert pole-vaulter? Have you

watched him pick up the long pole, holding it firmly and steadily, begin

running with it,gather speed and momentum with it… and then approach the

vault at full steam…? Have you noticed how the graceful athlete then digs

the pole into the pit and vaults himself off the ground? Holding the pole

tight, the vaulter hoists his body high into space and then propels himself

towards the high beam. Have you noticed how during all this time he never

lets go off the pole?

 

At the final moment when he knows he has reached the apex of his parabolic

trajectory and at the exact moment when he knows he must sail over the beam…

it is at that precise moment, have you noticed, and only at that climactic

moment… that the athlete lets go off his pole, and soaring over the high

beam, he completes the vault and lands safely across on the other side.

 

Use the analogy.

 

The athlete is the "spiritual seeker". The "pole" is Vedic "dharma"/

"karma". The athlete's track-way is one's lifetime. The high-beam is the

"goal".

 

If you are a true "spiritual-athlete" you won't let go off the "pole" of

"dharmA/nitya-karma" until you have attained, like the professional

pole-vaulter, a certain "critical mass, force and speed" along the journey

of your spiritual quest. You hold on steadfastly to your "dharmA" right

until the moment you are in sight of your "goal" and are reasonably sure you

will sail over it successfully.

 

You let go off the "pole" ("sarva-dharmAm parithyaja…" of the B-G

"charama-shlOka") only when you are ready for it… not a moment too soon… not

a moment too late…

 

Next time when you talk of the "charama-shlOka", you should give the

pole-vault analogy a serious thought. Who knows, you will never again

misunderstand its true meaning.

 

********* ********* ***********

 

(2) You wrote: "Is it all one needs, a modicum of reverence, to obtain

equivalence with the ultimate reward?"

 

No, I did not say that "a modicum of reverence" "is all" that is needed.

 

But I do say that it is the minimum necessary to perform "sandhyAvandanam".

 

Let me tell you a story.

 

A great "maha-rishi" was journeying through the forest. He came across a

devout brahmin sitting beside a pot of water and a mound of ritual-fire

("agni-kundam"). This brahmin looked very despondent. The maharishi asked

him the cause of his trouble. The brahmin said, "Sire, my problem is that I

have to perform rites for my forbears ("pitr-kAryam") and I need the

presence of at least 3 good brahmins to grace the ritual. I cannot find

one."

 

The maharishi was puzzled. "Why so? Do you mean to say you can't find

suitable brahmins for this purpose here in this forest? I am sure there must

be many of them here who can help you!".

 

The brahmin replied, "There are many, of course, Sire, but not one of them

in my opinion is suitable or really competent. None of them possesses truly

the quality of "sAttvA-guNA" that I feel is required if I were to call upon

them to serve me in these rites. My fear is that if I bring in incompetent

brahmins to perform rites, the rite itself may be rendered useless."

 

The maharishi on hearing this became very silent and pensive.

 

After a while the brahmin got up and put out the ritual fire. He then picked

up the pot of water (meant for the ritual) and was about to decant it when

the "maharishi" asked him, "What are you doing?".

 

The brahmin replied, "Sir, the time is up. I don't think I'm going to find

anybody worthy to aid me in my "vedic-kAryam". So I may as well wind up this

show as it is pointless to conduct this rite. It is going to be futile. I

have put out the sacrificial fire and now I am going to pour the

ritual-water down the drain. Then I will go home and call it all a day."

 

So saying the brahmin turned the pot down in a bid to decant the water….

 

The maharishi bellowed, "Stop!".

 

The brahmin froze.

 

The water in the up-turned pot too defied gravity and froze, as it were! It

did not pour down! It hung in the air… suspended!

 

The maharishi then spoke sternly to the brahmin: "What on earth do you think

you are doing? Is this right? How dare you do a thing like this? If you need

to perform your "pitr-karmA" do you expect "muktA-s" and "siddhA-s"

(liberated souls) to always be on call to help you with the rites? How

unrealistic of you to expect that? Why do you think you need the presence of

such high-souls to grace your "karmA-kArya"? What rubbish! Get on with your

"kArya"! Find anyone… anyone, I repeat… any ordinary soul who at least knows

how to recite the "gAyatri-mantra"… and with the help of one such ordinary

soul, proceed to perform your ordained "karmA"! There is no need for

"maha-purushA-s" to aid you in your "karmA"! Anyone who has performed

"sandhyavandanam" after due 'achamanam' (purificatory sip) is good enough

for your purpose! Put the pot back where it was! Light the fire again! And

begin your "kArya" again, brahmin!".

 

The brahmin trembled and did what he was told with further ado.

 

The maharishi came to be thus called "aapastamba"! As the name itself

suggests, he was the mighty one who, through the power of his vedic 'tejas'

(power), arrested water from flowing out of an up-turned pot!

 

Even today, as you may already know, all of us swear by that maharishi and

by what he said to the brahmin … which is, indeed, hallowed instruction to

all posterity to punctiliously perform ordained 'vedic-karmA' (like

"sandhyAvandanam" and "pitr-kAryam") unmindful of all flaws, external and

internal to us!

 

Which is why, even today, when we introduce ourselves by uttering the

"abhivandanam" ("abhivaadayE… etc.) and before revealing our 'gOtra" and

name, we first say, don't we, that we are steadfast followers of

"aapastamba-sutrA"?

 

Tell me now, Sri.Sridhar, how can we as the followers of "aapastamba-r" say

that a foremost "nitya-karmA" such as "sandyAvandanam" is "useless ritual"

or "flawed ritual", even granting that it is performed with anything less

than lofty mental equipoise (the perfect state of "dhyAna" you speak of)? Do

we not all sound a bit like that misled brahmin who encountered the ire of

maharishi "aapastambar"?

 

********* ************ ************

 

(3) You asked me: "Is this another step in the path of the modernistic

interpretation of "acharyas" (along the lines of may be Sri ART who was

referenced on bhakti recently) to usher sharaNAgathi and sacred vEdic,

essentially mental processes, practices into the new millenium?"

 

Have you read anything that Sri.Agnihotram Ramanuja Tatachariar has written,

Sri.Sridhar? Have you met him and discussed matters? Do you know really what

is it that the learned gentleman is espousing?

 

Well, I don't. So I won't let Sri.ART or his ideas be dragged into this

discussion.

 

So can we please leave it here?

 

******** ********** *************

 

Finally, Mani Varadarajan (and perhaps you too!) demands "pramANam" for my

stated position in this discussion.

Tell me, please, why do I have to furnish "pramANam" to show that I am my

mother's child?

And the "gAyatri" of the "sandhyavandanam"… is she not my Vedic Mother?

 

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

____

Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

[Guest guest]

********* *********** ************

 

[Krishna Kalale] Here are adiyen's responses to a few of the statements

indicated in your

note:

Sri Sudarshan Madabushi wrote:

(1) Sri Sridhar Srinivasan wrote: "In fact, the charama slOkam allows

you the luxury of

relinquishing all dharmas and attendant karmas and pursue Him as the

ultimate dharma."

 

Sri.Sridhar, have you carefully watched an expert pole-vaulter?

 

.............

[Krishna Kalale]

stuff deleted for brevity...

 

Sri Sudarshan Madabushi's views continued:

If you are a true "spiritual-athlete" you won't let go off the "pole" of

"dharmA/nitya-karma" until you have attained, like the professional

pole-vaulter, a certain "critical mass, force and speed" along the journey

of your spiritual quest. You hold on steadfastly to your "dharmA" right

until the moment you are in sight of your "goal" and are reasonably sure

you

will sail over it successfully.

 

You let go off the "pole" ("sarva-dharmAm parithyaja?" of the B-G

"charama-shlOka") only when you are ready for it? not a moment too soon?

not

a moment too late?

 

Next time when you talk of the "charama-shlOka", you should give the

pole-vault analogy a serious thought. Who knows, you will never again

misunderstand its true meaning.

 

********* ********* ***********

 

[Krishna Kalale] Adiyen's views :

 

[Krishna Kalale] Both the views presented above regarding charama sloka

are actually views of "ADVAITA" and is not supported by Visistadvaita.

 

View (1)

above which suggests total relinquishing of dharmas (karmas) is clearly

advaitic. Visistadvaita s to the view that one should only leave

the karma-phala or fruits of karmas and kartrtva ie. not consider that the

he/performer is the agent of the karma. Please note that I did not get the

original email of Sri Sridhar Srinivasan. this comment is only based on

how Sri Sudarshan has quoted Sri Sridhar Srinivasan. Visistadvaita does not

for karma-svarupa tyaga or total relinquishing of the activities

themselves.

 

Even the view 2 - is sort of advaitic. Visistadvaita has a slight twist to

the view indicated here. According to visistadvaita even till the last

breath of his life for a yogi, karma should not be relinquished. The type

of karmas which are part of karmayoga can be relinquished when a person

gets atmasakshatkara or self realization. This view is indicated in the

verse : of 6th chapter

 

arurukshoh muner yogam karma karanam ucchyate

yogarudasya tasyaiva shamah karanam uchyate

 

translation:

 

ie. for one who is yet seeking to aschend to Yoga, karmayoga is the right

path and for one who is already established in yoga, the cessation of

activity is appropriate. In other words all who seek self realization in

the sense of attainmnet of a perfect immediate understanding of the nature

of the self must adopt the way of activity.

 

This verse only refers to karmayoga not "agnihotra and nitya naimittika

karmas".

 

****** important conclusion below********

 

One should clearly bear in mind that in visistadvaita nitya naimittika

karma (sandhyavandana etc.) is not included within karmayoga!!. In fact, in

our HH Azagia singar's analogy, Karmayoga is like OT (over time) and

nityakarma is like duty. One cannot say he will do only OT and avoid duty.

Hence, nitya naimittika karma have to be performed as long as one lives.

Note that one who is already attained self realization, will not engage

only in the activities that lead to self realization. On the otherhand he

can definitely engage in any "kainkaryam" type of activities. In fact that

person will dedicate his actions in the area of bhaktiyoga which also needs

daily performance of nityakarma. According to our great preceptor

Yamunacharya - tribiranyonya sangamah, meaning - regarding these paths

karmayoga, jnanayoga and bhaktiyoga, each one of them has an an element of

the other two yogas. Hence there is no pure bhaktiyoga without an element

of karmayoga and jnanayoga accompanying it.

 

In short, nitya naimittika karma is not included in karmayoga

and nitya naimittika karma (sandhyavandana etc.) should never be

relinquished even for a karmayogi or a jnani or bhaktiyogi till his last

breath

 

This is just to make the record straight as per visistadvaita, since there

are so many views floating around regarding this subject.

[Guest guest]

Srimaan Krishna Kalale wrote:

> Visistadvaita s to the view that one should only leave

> the karma-phala or fruits of karmas and kartrtva ie. not consider that the

> he/performer is the agent of the karma.

> Visistadvaita does not

> for karma-svarupa tyaga or total relinquishing of the activities

> themselves.

 

I am glad Krishna, a veritable export on the Gita, has clarified

things for us. What Krishna has written is exactly in line with

what Swami Alavandar explains in sloka 31 of the Gitarthasangraha:

 

[The highest devotee] performs all acts, from the enjoined

ones upto bhakti, only out of selfless love of the Supreme.

Abandoning the notion that these various activities form

a means (upAya) to moksha, he should consider the Lord himself

as the means thereof.

 

nijakarmAdi-bhaktyantam kuryAt prItyaiva kAritaH |

upAyatAm parityajya naset deve tu tAmabhiH ||

 

The enjoined religious acts are not abandoned. What is abandoned is the

fruit of any of these activities (karma-phala-tyAga), the notion that one

is the doer (kartRtva-tyAga), and the notion that any of these activities

(karma-yoga, sandhyAvandana, or even bhakti) are a "means" of getting moksha.

The Lord himself is the means.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mani