Remembering our Lord during final moments..

[Guest guest]

According to our sri sampradAya as taught and spread by Bhagawat

Ramanuja, it is not necessary on the part of a departing soul to

remember Him (Antim Smaranam Not necessary).

 

This is the view of almost all the Jeeyars adiyEn has had the bhagyam

of listening to.

 

:- Yet, we find almost all our Acharyas who followed Sri Ramanuja

 

I am sure our Acharya's (of Sri Sampradaya) said something & their

message got misread by some here & there.

I would request you to seek clatification with the same Acharya whom

you think has said this.

 

Some people in Chicago discussions (we have had some wonderful

discussions here) hold the opinion that per Thenkalai Sampradaya

Antim Smaranam is NOT required, but as per Vadakalai Sampradaya

it is required. adiyEn differs in this view point. (If we follow

Bhagawat Ramanuja, we do NOT need to worry Antim Smaranam)

 

This is just adiyEn's opinion.

 

azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam

 

adiyEn rAmAnujA dAsan

Mukundan Vankipuram Pattangi

[Guest guest]

In this regard we may also remember the poignant nal-vArttai

of Nanjiyar, recorded in Sri Pillai Lokacharya's

'SrI vacana bhUshaNa':

 

Once Nanjiyar paid a visit upon an ailing disciple of his.

Seeing his acharya, the disciple asked, "In such a condition

as this, what is our refuge?"

 

Nanjiyar graciously replied, "The refuge in one's final moments

is to give up the thought, 'What is our refuge?'"

 

[ "`antima-kAlattukku tancam ippOdu tancam en'

engira ninauvu kulaikai," enRu jIyar aruLicceyvar. -- svb 69 ]

 

The idea is that one should forever rest content with the

knowledge that the grace of the Lord is with you and will

always protect.

 

'antima-smRti' or remembrance of the Lord at the time of death

is vital only for the bhakti-yogi, for whom this comes naturally

as the fruition of his or her spiritual practice.

 

Incidentally, this opinion is shared by all acharyas,

Vadagalai or Thengalai. There is no difference of opinion

in this matter. This should be obvious from the citations

of Swami Desika by Sri Madhavakkannan and others.

 

rAmAnuja dAsan,

Mani

[Guest guest]

I have been following this discussion and would like to share my understanding.

 

In B.G. KrishNa says:

 

sthitvaa asyaam antakaalepi brahma nirvaaNamRichchati||

 

and

 

antakaalecha maam eva smaran muuktvaa kalebaram

yaH prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastya samshayaH||

 

in referring to the last moments before death - if one thinks of me

they reach me, the parabrahman. The key words in both sloka-s -

antakalepi - the 'api' and antakalecha - 'cha' need to be emphasized.

Essentially it points to the fact that 'even' if one thinks of me in

the last moments one reaches me. By emphasizing the word 'even', it

stresses as a sufficient condition and not as a necessary condition.

 

Now, a question can be raised, how can that be possible? - if one has

never thought of the Lord all his life and only thinks of the Lord as

the last thought, how can he also reach the Lord. The logic is very

simple. When I go from environment to the next, it is driven by the

last thought that I have as I am leaving the previous environment.

If I am at the office and after I complete my work at my office, I

move to a different location. It could be going to my home, or a

shop on the way or to meet a fried or to pick up someone at the

airport, etc etc. Where I go depends on the last determining thought

- thus if I need to go to airport that will be my last determining

thought. Similarly to a shop or to meet a friend or to home

directly. I would not randomly go to airport without the

pre-determined thought in my mind. Like wise when I leave this

world, the last thought would direct me to the place where I need to

go. Mind involves thought flow and flow involves direction and the

direction for the flow of thoughts is set by my Vasana-s which are

like grooves for the flow of thoughts- They are the same as

samskaara-s. It is possible to have such last noble thoughts because

of my samskaara-s set in previous life if not in this life. Take the

case of Gajendra, because of the previous life's samskaara only he

was able to think of the Lord when he was ready to face the jaws of

the death. In Telugu Bhagavatam, Potana brings this mental state of

Gajendra so very vividly -' laavu okkintayu ledu, dhairyamu

vilolambaaye .." - saying that I have no more energy to fight and

death is fast approaching and I surrender completely at your feet -

evolving from his initial doubting stage out of his pains '....kalaDu

kalanDanedivaaDu kalaDO lEDO?" Everybody says that He is there but

He is there or not I do not know? He evolved to complete

surrenderance at His feet all in few minutes as the jaws of death was

fast approaching.

 

If the last thoughts are also dictated by our prior samskaara, we

should not kid ourselves that we can postpone thinking of the Lord to

the last minute. Hence Shree Kulashekhara says;

 

praaNa prayaaNa samaye kaphavaata pittaiH

kanTaavarodana kR^itou smaraNam kutaste||

 

When the body is all dilapidated and all the organs of actions and

sense are failing to function and even the voice chord is also

failing to function, how can I think of the Lord at that time. There

is no guarantee. Hence his solution is "chintayaami harim eva

santatam..." I am thinking of Him all the time. That is the only

valid approach to ensure we can think of Him 'even' at the time of

death. We need to establish that samskaara. Unfortunately when the

death comes we do not know. Anything can happen at anytime. Hence we

should have proper 'Life-Insurence" that covers next life before it

is too late to start investing. That is the intelligent approach.

If we are seeking eternal life in His abode, let us make sure we have

appropriate insurance to cover that.

 

Hence the point is not to worry about the last thought what is going

to happen at the time of death - let us follow Shree Kulashekhar's

teaching - Let us think of Him now and surrender ourselves at His

infinite wisdom. He knows the best what is the best for us.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

K. Sadananda writes:

> antakaalecha maam eva smaran muuktvaa kalebaram

> yaH prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastya samshayaH||

>

> in referring to the last moments before death - if one thinks of me

> they reach me, the parabrahman. The key words in both sloka-s -

> antakalepi - the 'api' and antakalecha - 'cha' need to be emphasized.

> Essentially it points to the fact that 'even' if one thinks of me in

> the last moments one reaches me. By emphasizing the word 'even', it

> stresses as a sufficient condition and not as a necessary

> condition.

 

Dear Sri Sadananda,

 

At first glance your interpretation sounds plausible.

However, the deep study of the text done by Sri Ramanuja

and in turn Sri Vedanta Desika have led them on very good

grounds to a different conclusion. After studying these

great scholars' commentaries, I am sure you will agree

that your interpretation must be discarded in favor of

Sri Ramanuja's.

 

In this matter, the particular sloka you quote above, Gita 8.5,

is mentioned by Swami Desika as a reply to Arjuna's question in

the 2nd verse of the same chapter -- "How do these yogis know you

at the time of death?" (prayANa-kAle ca katham jneyo'si?)

 

The 'ca' ("and") is indicative only of the next answer to

Arjuna's series of doubts. It does not mean "even if one

thinks of me..." On the contrary, it means that for all

three classes of aspirants -- those who seek the Lord for

material or physical good, those who seek the Lord to

experience the bliss of the individual self, and those

who seek the Lord purely out of love for the Lord --

the remembrance of the Lord at one's time of death is

of vital importance and is necessary to all (idam api

trayANAm sAdhAraNam -- bhAshya on 8.5).

 

This is very clear in Sri Krishna's teaching in the subsequent

verse that "whatever object one thinks of at the time

one leaves one's body, that nature alone will one attain."

(yam yam vApi smaran bhAvam tyajaty ante kalevaram |

tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tadbhAvabhAvita: ||)

Sri Ramanuja cites the well-known story of Adi Bharata

(a.k.a. Jada Bharata) as an example. Adi Bharata was a

great yogi but grew attached to a deer late in life.

As he breathed his last he thought only of the deer

and was reborn as one in his next life.

>From this, we gather that the final recollection

of the Lord at the time of death is capable only by the

highest of yogis. To explain, consider what the mature state

of bhakti-yoga is. It is known as 'para-bhakti', and consists

of lovingly meditating upon the Lord's form and infinite

perfections with such a degree of clarity that in the mind of

the yogi it is like sight itself. Such meditation in the state

of para-bhakti is clear and uninterrupted, like a "continuous

flow of oil", as both Sri Ramanuja and Sri Sankara write.

And we all know that we remember best that which we see.

Most of us, not having had a vision of the Lord, have a hard

time visualizing Him in our noisy minds. Even sitting down

and concentrating without distraction for one minute on

Him is difficult. How can we contemplate thinking of the

Lord during the final stages of death?

 

The yogi, obviously, is different from this, and can

visualize the auspicious form of the Lord at will.

To such a yogi, remembering the Lord during one's final

moment will require far less effort than a non-yogi. In fact,

one can say it is impossible for a non-yogi to have this

final recollection of the Lord through his or her own efforts.

 

If such a final recollection is a necessary prerequisite

for attaining the Lord, the next question before us is

what of those who seek the Lord for refuge and place their

burden of protection upon Him. These people have already

declared their inability to think of Him during their final

breaths along the lines of Periyalvar, Kulasekhara in the

mukunda-mAlA, etc.

 

Swami Desika clarifies this issue in a chapter of Srimad

Rahasya Traya Saaram appropriately entitled "On the Departure

of the Self" (niryANa-adhikAram). He describes the despair

felt by many sishyas of Sri Ramanuja during Sri Kuratt-alvan's

final moments, when they observed Sri Ramanuja whispering

the sacred dvaya-mantra into Alvan's ears. The sishyas

doubted they would be fortunate enough to have the great preceptor

recite the mantra in their ears as they left their body.

Sri Ramanuja, seeing their anguish, consoled them by saying

that what he did was not to complete the surrender of Alvan

(i.e., make sure it was efficacious), but was only to make his

final moments sweeter, "like putting some sugar candy and

camphor in his mouth." In other words, helping Alvan remember

the Lord during the his final departure from his body was

not necessary, as Alvan had already sought refuge with the

Lord. Hearing Sri Ramanuja's gracious words, the sishyas felt

relieved.

 

Swami Desika further clarifies that what this means is

that the person who has found refuge with the Lord need not

*of their own effort* try to think of the Lord at the last

moment. The Lord Himself, remembering the devotee's earlier

prayer for protection, will manifest Himself in the mind of the

prapanna without any need of effort on the latter's part.

Swami Desika quotes the Lord's words from Saranagati

Gadya, 'kevalam madIya dayayA' -- "purely out of My grace".

 

So, those of us who have sought refuge in the lotus feet

of Bhagavaan Sriman Narayana need not worry about how

we will be able to remember Him in our final thoughts.

He Himself will show Himself to us at that time and guide

us along the shining path to moksha.

 

emberumAnAr, desikan, tiruvaDigaLE saraNam

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mani

[Guest guest]

Shree Mani Varadarajan wrote:

>K. Sadananda writes:

> > antakaalecha maam eva smaran muuktvaa kalebaram

>> yaH prayaati sa madbhaavam yaati naastya samshayaH||

>>

>> in referring to the last moments before death - if one thinks of me

>> they reach me, the parabrahman. The key words in both sloka-s -

>> antakalepi - the 'api' and antakalecha - 'cha' need to be emphasized.

>> Essentially it points to the fact that 'even' if one thinks of me in

> > the last moments one reaches me. By emphasizing the word 'even', it

>> stresses as a sufficient condition and not as a necessary

>> condition.

>

>Dear Sri Sadananda,

>

At first glance your interpretation sounds plausible.

However, the deep study of the text done by Sri Ramanuja

and in turn Sri Vedanta Desika have led them on very good

grounds to a different conclusion. After studying these

great scholars' commentaries, I am sure you will agree

that your interpretation must be discarded in favor of

>Sri Ramanuja's.

 

......

>So, those of us who have sought refuge in the lotus feet

>of Bhagavaan Sriman Narayana need not worry about how

>we will be able to remember Him in our final thoughts.

>He Himself will show Himself to us at that time and guide

>us along the shining path to moksha.

>

>aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

>Mani

>

 

Thanks Mani for providing the beautiful analysis of the achaarya-s.

 

From what I gather from your input, achaarya-s seem to state as a

necessary condition but the necessary condition is fulfilled by the

Lord for those who have surrendered at His feet. If one examines

carefully my previous post in total, the implication is exactly that.

The prior samskara-s are essentially to propel one to have that last

thought and as I mentioned that the samskara-s determine the

direction for the last thought. The sufficient condition is

automatically fulfilled by prior necessary conditions! Seeking

refuse is part of one's samskaara.

 

But if one looks very carefully surrenderance and having worry are

contradiction in terms. Those who have worries have not surrendered

yet. From my understanding true surrenderance (underline true)

occurs only once. Till then one is only trying to surrender - it is

like sleep - one who is trying to sleep has not slept yet and for the

one who has slept all trying has ceased. I agree that those who

truely surrendered, Lord will take care of everything - and that is

the essence of charama slokam too.

 

Personally I did not find any disparity in terms of what aachaarya-s

said versus what I wrote, only presented differently. If there is I

will be happy to know.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

 

 

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

Pranaams,

There is an interesting inversion of this that Kulashekar alwar gives in

the mukunda mala, where instead of talking about remembering Srimannarayana

at death, he talks about the "contingency plan" for NOT remembering him:

 

prAna prayaNa samaye, kapa vAta pittaih

kaNTAvarodana vidho, smaraNam kutasthe|

cintayAmi hari me vasantatam, manda manda hasitAnanAmbujam...

 

-Murali Manohar