Sri Ramayana Tatthva Deepika - Ba:la Ka:nda (10)

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha|

Sri Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam||

 

 

 

Krithajnatha, is an important quality for any

human being. What is ‘krithajnatha’?

 

Whatever help is received whether great or small,

either rendered intentionally or un-intentionally,

should be regarded greatly. One should always bear

in mind the help rendered to him and at the same

time he should not keep in mind the wrong done to

him. This is a very noble quality. SriRama has this

quality. When King Dhasaratha wanted to perform the

coronation ceremony of SriRamachandara and intimated

his subjects, their joy knew no bounds. They praised

His qualities to no end. While talking about one of

His qualities ‘krithajnatha’ they exclaimed:

 

“kadhamchith upaka:re:na

krithe:na ae:ke:na thusyathi|

Nasmarathyapaka:ra:nam

sathamasya:thmavathaya:||”

 

SriRama’s joy is unlimited when anyone

deliberately or inadvertently renders even a single

help. He forgets even 'one hundred' acts of betrayal.

Let us see the beauty in this sloka!

 

‘kadhanchit' means 'somehow'. Without his

intention. if SriRama received some upaka:ra

(help) either by his word or his deed SriRama

was eleated. The other person never thought

of helping him but it had happened. Even that

help was only single and it had never recurred.

In Sanskrit if singular is used it means one.

‘upaka:re:na’ is singular in number. Va:lmi:ki

added an adjective to that – ‘ae:ke:na’. Not to

mistaken 'upaka:re:na' as a collective noun, Va:lmi:ki

added the adjective ae:kena to stress the point

that the help received was only one. SriRama used

to be highly gratified even for a small, sole favor

He received. As it is important to feel grateful

for any help(upaka:ra) received it is also equally

important to ignore and forget the ‘apaka:ra’

(misdeeds).

 

If one’s misdeeds are remembered their memory

kindles hatred in one’s mind. SriRama used to

forget the apaka:ras. Va:lmi:ki uses 'apakara:na:m',

which means many misdeeds. He also adds an ajective

‘satham’ (hundred). SriRama's joy was boundless

even for a single help and at the same time He used

to ignore even a hundred treacherous acts of others.

This is His 'svabha:va' (nature).

 

What is the reason for this attitude? Is it

forgetfulness? No, never. This is His

speacial magnificent guna (attribute).

 

 

Bhagawa:n is krithajna. Kritham means karma of the

souls (us). 'Jana:thi' means one who knows it. He is

Bhagawa:n only. Our nature is to forget whatever we

did. He is 'sarvajna' (one who knows everything).

He is an embodiment of awareness and knows karma of

every being. He knows to make them experience their

karma at the right time, in the right manner and

in the right body. He awards all the souls (us)

the sukha and dhukha (happiness and pain) based on

their karma. So He is a ‘krithajna’. For whatever

tiny , small bit of favorable act rendered by us He

presents us with enormous benefits. For whatever

acts committed with enmity against Him, He tries to

evolve the soul by giving suitable bodies,

sa:sthras and gurus. Thus He tries to protect but

never thinks of punishing us for our sins. SriRama

shows and teaches such quality, 'krithajnatha', to

the world through His practice.

 

 

To be continued...

 

Jai Srimannarayana!

Ramanujamma Mudumbai

 

 

=============

ramanuja dasi

=============

 

 

 

 

 

_______________

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[Guest guest]

bhakti-list, "Ramanujamma Mudumbai" <mvtchary@h...> wrote:

> Thus He tries to protect but

> never thinks of punishing us for our sins.

 

Does this not contradict what is known as the 'nigraha-sankalpa'

of Bhagavaan? That is to say literally, does this not deny

His will to "punish" (nigraha) the errant jIva through the

instrument of karma?

 

Is it not an exaggeration to say that Bhagavaan never punishes?

I don't believe Sri Ramanuja would agree with that conclusion.

 

aDiyEn,

Mani

[Guest guest]

mani,

 

if we take punishment as a "correction process" then it is more parental,

like a time out for the naughty kid. punishment is sometimes taken as a

"revengeful action", But God is not revengeful. he always wishes the good of

a person whatever may be the situation.

 

However we may want to phrase it. WE can see punishment as an effect of

mercy and an act from a well wisher even though it is hard to swallow this

for person who had a bad injury or for a cancer patient undergoing

chemotherapy knowing well that he/she will have a painful time towards the

path of a known death. It is very difficult for ordinary people to feel OK

when things go wrong and feel that it is all for the pleasure of God and it

has nothing to do with them since even their existence is only for the sake

of GOD (seshin). this attitude is very difficult to develop. One should

develop it early in life. since that is what is required in this life which

is designed to eventually perish.

 

Krishna Kashyap

 

 

mani2 [mani]

Wednesday, April 24, 2002 6:42 PM

bhakti-list

Re: Sri Ramayana Tatthva Deepika - Ba:la Ka:nda (10)

 

 

bhakti-list, "Ramanujamma Mudumbai" <mvtchary@h...> wrote:

> Thus He tries to protect but

> never thinks of punishing us for our sins.

 

Does this not contradict what is known as the 'nigraha-sankalpa'

of Bhagavaan? That is to say literally, does this not deny

His will to "punish" (nigraha) the errant jIva through the

instrument of karma?

 

Is it not an exaggeration to say that Bhagavaan never punishes?

I don't believe Sri Ramanuja would agree with that conclusion.

 

aDiyEn,

Mani

 

 

 

 

-----------------------------

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[Guest guest]

bhakti-list, "Krishna Kashyap" <kkalale1@s...> wrote:

> if we take punishment as a "correction process" then it is more

parental,

> like a time out for the naughty kid. punishment is sometimes taken

as a

> "revengeful action", But God is not revengeful. he always wishes

the good of

> a person whatever may be the situation.

 

Krishna,

 

Thanks for the clarification. What you say makes sense and

this should have been apparent to me as well. I was somehow

sidetracked by the words "He never things of punishing" in the

original email, but I think I understand the intent. I apologize

to Smt. Ramanujamma for my slightly combative tone.

 

with regards,

Mani

[Guest guest]

SriRAmaJayam

SrimathE RAmAnujAya nama:

 

Dear Krishna,

Your explanation is very good. I would like to share

my feelings. I feel God is the Supermother of all mothers. Just as

a mother would have a softcorner for her baby/grown child(however bad

it may turn out to be)just for the sake of having carried that baby

in her womb,God will have softcorner for us because we are all coming

from His womb. A mother correctly interprets the blabberings of baby

and knows what it wants and so is God with respect to us. When God is

the epitome of kalyANa guNAs(there is no negative traits in

Him,that's why we call Him PuruSOtamA),will HE not forgive

us? "Attitude/feelings is more important than the act itself and this

is what God expects in us" I think. Did not SriRAmA forgive kAkAsuran

who did a grave mistake? Didn't RAmAnujA forgive his own wife who

made BhAgavad apachAram(ill treated RAmAnujA's teachers like

Tirukkachi Nambi,& the couple from whom RAmAnujA learns NDP)?

 

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr tiruvadigaLE saraNam

Sarvam krSNArpaNam astu

gita

 

Quote: God is subtle but certainly not malicious - Albert Einstein

[Guest guest]

Namaskaaram,

 

Adiyen have a few questions. They may sound naive or

have been already discussed in the list. But they will

definitely help to clear my mind of doubts.

 

1) We all take birth is this world and live our lives

according to our karma. But when did this karmic

process start initially and how?

2) Why did God create this world and the human beings?

(when He knows that the human beings are going to

suffer in this world with disease, losses, fights and

death)

3) According to Western religions, Adam and Eve are

the first humans in this world. According to our

tradition who are the first humans created by God? I

understand that this Kaliyuga has come after so many

yugas and hence it may be difficult to say who was the

first human.

 

Kindly excuse me for any mistakes in my message.

 

Thanks,

Vijay.

Sarvam Krishnaarpanamasthu!

[Guest guest]

Srimathe: Rama:nuja:ya namaha!

Sri Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!

 

Dear Sri Mani,

 

The root and basis for Sri Ra:ma:nuja Darsanam is

Sri Ra:ma:yanam. There is nothing in here, which

acha:rya Ra:manuja contradicts.

 

Bhagavad Rama:nuja:charya says if Peruma:l has

no 'nigraha' then He cannot be Purushottama.

Just as a farmer removes weeds to protect the good

seedlings/crop and just as a thorn stuck in the foot

needs to be removed by another sharp instrument,

similarly Peruma:l is 'nigraha sankalpa' for the

'hitam' of his kids.

 

Your comments are highly appreciated. Only

comments can bring out acharya rama:nuja's dharshanam

even more.

 

Dasohams

 

Jai Srimananrayana!

Ramanujamma Mudumbai

Ramanujadasi

[Guest guest]

SriRAma Jayam,

 

Dear Vijay Raghavan,

 

Your questions are very fundamental(difficult to answer

unless the person has supreme intuition and clarity of thought!)

Don't worry both of us are in the same boat affected by the same

questions/doubts!

 

(i)It's like asking "did universe exist forever or come into being at

some finite point in space-time?"

 

(ii)Every physical change implies a "cause" to generate that change

(effect). Nothing is created from non-existence. It's a firm belief

that there has to be a "cause". "Causality" is a belief from logic

which is supported by "Theory of Relativity". But according to

Quantum Mechanics "one does not always require a cause!" In short

without a cause one can have an effect! There are lots of heated

discussion in favoring this or that among physicists. Finally it

boils down to the "perception of the observer(psychology enters the

scene now!)". Quantum mechanics has so much philosophical

implications.

 

(iii)What's the First Cause of all causes? If you say that God

created us then the immediate question is "who created God?"

 

(iv)There was some debate going on regarding vEdAs vs women/sUdrA. I

still do not agree(simply it's illogical)with people who gave me

replies. Shubha had responded with some scholar's(it was anonymous!)

reply:That wise man had said that "women/sUdrA are not mentioned in

the vEdAs and hence one can come to a conclusion that they are not

eligible! Why can't one conclude that "women/sUdrA" didn't strike the

mind of the Author(whether sruti is authorless/authored by

superhuman/human/non-human form)in the first place?.

 

(v)Somebody said(I don't want to quote b'coz it's immaterial)karmA

and jIva are beginningless and they exist time immemorial! To this

day no mathematician has given any qualitative/quantitative

definition for "zero/infinity". It simply defies the mind. Our mind

is finite and we are trying to define the Infinite with finite

approximations. Obviously we are going to introduce errors!

 

(vi)We don't even understand "our own mind" completely let alone

the "mind of God". The so called Theoretical Physicist cum Atheist

Stefen Hawking says "I want to read the mind of God". You know why?

He is still living b'coz of sheer "miracle/mystery"

 

Since I am a science student I sometimes tend to go by logic but I've

realized that beyond certain point it becomes futile to worry b'coz

there is no way one can prove/disprove. Either you believe/don't

believe.

 

If there is a person who answers your question,I will give up "Sriman

NArAyaNA" and accept that person as "my God".

 

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts. I don't have answers

either! So I go by blind faith!

 

 

Sarvam krSNArpaNam Astu

gita

 

bhakti-list, vijay raghavan <vijayragmcc> wrote:

> Namaskaaram,

>

> Adiyen have a few questions. They may sound naive or

> have been already discussed in the list. But they will

> definitely help to clear my mind of doubts.

>

> 1) We all take birth is this world and live our lives

> according to our karma. But when did this karmic

> process start initially and how?

> 2) Why did God create this world and the human beings?

> (when He knows that the human beings are going to

> suffer in this world with disease, losses, fights and

> death)

> 3) According to Western religions, Adam and Eve are

> the first humans in this world. According to our

> tradition who are the first humans created by God? I

> understand that this Kaliyuga has come after so many

> yugas and hence it may be difficult to say who was the

> first human.

>

> Kindly excuse me for any mistakes in my message.

>

> Thanks,

> Vijay.

> Sarvam Krishnaarpanamasthu!