Sri Ranga Priya

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman ShreeKrishna Tatachar :

 

Many thanks for your sharing the anugraha BHAshaNams

of HH Sri RangapriyA Swamy . His insights , compassion and

Sama darsanam are unique .

 

I am sure you would not mind my sending your posting to

Oppiliappan and Saranagathy Lists .

 

On this First day of Marghazhi month , it is my pleasure to wish

you and your family a Happy ThiruppAvai Month !

 

Thanks again ,

V.Sadagopan

-

<Tatachar

<sgopan

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 11:57 AM

Sri Ranga Priya

 

 

> Dear Sriman Sadagopan,

>

> Thanks for sharing some gems from HH Ranga Priya swamy.

> Recently, Smt. Padmini Ranganath (poutri of Sri N.S. Anantha Rangachar)

> shared some gems from this mahAn. If you wish, you may share with the

> group. Many of these occured as response to quiries by my cousin during

> his recent visit.

>

> Gems as paraphrased by Padmini:

>

>

> 1. Regarding the vedic hymns about rudra, durgi etc etc, HH told that in

> Vedas, any mantra telling about any dEvatA should be taken as directed to

> Sriman Narayana. He gave such a nice example of tender coconut.(eLe

> neeru).He told that, when we tell someone to get a tender coconut, he

> brings the whole coconut consisting of the outer fibrous material, the

> hard shell inside and then within that the coconut water is there. Still

> the whole thing is called as eLe neeru. When someone shows that and

asks,â€what

> is thisâ€, the answer would be “eLe neeruâ€. Same way, all the mantras

> denote only the antaryami Sriman Narayana. Hence the brAhmaNA bhAga is

> called as the “antaryaami brAhmaNaâ€.

>

> 2. About Prapatti. HH gave a beautiful talk. He told that prapatti is en

> essential part of attaining Him, be it is done directly to attain

> paramapadam or as an “anga†to attain paramapadam thro’ other yogas. He

> also quoted that there are more than a lakh and a quarter yogas. Prapatti

> or surrendering to Him is important in that so that their respective yogas

> become fruitful.

>

> Prapatti is recognized by each and every system of yoga. Everyone agrees

> that they have to surrender to the Lord for the success of whatever yoga

> they are following. But in Vishistadvaita, prapatti is very highly

> glorified and since that prapatti is capable of giving us Moksha directly,

> why not use it as an independent means? This is the “siddhOpAyaâ€.The ony

> thing is the mahAvishvAsa or the utmost faith should be there.

>

> He also told that it has five angAs. He quoted the slokam from

> nyAsa-dashakam. There should be three types of (sacrifices) tyAga here.

> Kartrtva tyAga, bhOktrtva tyAga and phala tyAga. He quoted the slokam from

> nyAsa-dashakam.

> â€aham mad-rakSHaNa bharO mad-rakSHaNa plalam tathA……..â€

>

> He also quoted the angas of prapatti. “AnukUlyasya sankalpa:,

> prAtikUlyasya varjanam,rakShishayatIti vishvAsa:, gOptrtva varaNam tathA,

> Atma-nikShEpa, kArpaNye ShaDvidhA sharaNAgati:â€

>

> He showed the subtle differences between bhakti-yoga and prapatti yoga and

> drew a very fine between them. In bhakti-yOga, one has to be always very

> very careful about one’s conduct and there should be no break in his

> bhakti-yOga. It should be like the continuous flow of oil.

> “taila-bdArAvat-avichchinna-smrti-santati-rUpAâ€. There is also the

> compulsion of “antima-smrtiâ€. It is told that the next birth of a

> bhakti-yOgI is decided on the antima-smrti of his last month. The

> jaDabharatopAkhyAna could be remembered. He was in his bhakti yoga and as

> his mind was on the deer while he breathed his last, he was born as a

> deer himself!!

>

> But in prapatti, there is no compulsion that there should be any antima

> smrti. HH quoted the varAha-charama-shloka, “sthitE manasi

> vigrahE……..aham smarAmi mad-bhaktam nayAmi paramAm gatim†That is, I

will

> remember my bhakta during his last and take him to my abode. HH also said

> that , here “smarAmi†should be taken as “smArayAmiâ€. I will make him

> remember me.

>

> 3. Regarding Pashu-vadha referred to in Vedas, HH answered that it is no

> doubt told in Vedas if a certain bali is given, the yajamAna attains a

> certain fruit. But one is not compelled to do that. One may also have the

> pishTa-pashu (pashu made out of flour or hiTTu) and use that or one may

> simply offer fruits etc.

>

> 4. Then came the topic of the epics. HH told that the stories have a

> symbolic significance. It is easier to remember them as stories and then

> we can understand the purport behind them.

>

> 5. More on Yogas: HH told that in every yoga, the concept is that one

> particular yoga is loud and the others are hidden. For eg. , in prapatti

> yoga, prapatti is the main practice but there is definitely bhakti within

> that. In bhakti yoga, prapatti is definitely antargata becoz, without that

> that bhakti yoga will not be fruitful. SAme way karma yoga is also present

> in these places.

>

> To explain, he gave a very nice example. When you do the sankalpam for

> doing sandhyavandanam, you say,

>

> "srI-bhagavadAjnayA srImannArAyaNA-prItyartham prAtha: sandhyAm upAsiSHyE"

>

> Here, "srI-bhagavadAjnayA" denotes Jnana yoga becoz, the person is having

> the knowledge that nothing could happen without His sankalpam.

>

> Next, "srImannArAyaNA-prItyartham " denotes Bhakti yoga, becoz the person

> this is telling that His pleasure is the aim here. This shows the

> devotional love for Him.

>

> Finally, " prAtha: sandhyAm upAsiSHyE", denotes the Karma yoga.

>

> Likewise, in every yoga, there will be a prominent yoga and the others are

> hidden.

>

>

> This is my recollection from one of the forewords by HH on VishNu

> Sahasranamam 9VS):

>

> - HH went about discussing the research work done by western scholars on

> this and that of the epic and VS, such as was VS part or not or added or

> whatever else.

> He concludes this saying--well it is okay to have certain amount of such

> curiosities, however, we should not get carried away too much. For

> instance, when we are in a mango topu,it is okay to ask who planted it,

> how many trees are there or how old is the planttaion- however, trying to

> count how many leaves are and having a debate on that is unwarranted. We

> should not forget that the primary focus should be to relish the fruits

> there! All esle is secondary.

>

> dAsan

>

> K. Sreekrishna Tatachar

>

> PS: attached also a recent picture taken by my cousin.