Guest guest Posted October 30, 2003 Report Share Posted October 30, 2003 SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha // SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha // SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/ SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya// KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: / SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm// ========================================================== SRI RANGA SRI VOL.05 / ISSUE # 04 dated 30th October 2003 =========================================================== IMPORTANT POLICY STATEMENT: Kind attention of contributors is invited to the guidelines in “Sri Ranga Sri” Issues 04/24 dated 06/05/03 and 04/25dated 06/06/03 and the amendment in 04/28 dated 07/29/03(archived at Messages 2678, 2691 and 2903). NO DISCUSSIONS will be allowed in the JOURNAL even on matters featured in the Regular Issues of the JOURNAL. Any such discussions, appreciations, comments, criticisms or responses may be addressed to -Satsangam. As only members can post, those desiring to post may enroll in the first place, by sending email to - Satsangam-Subscribe ========================================================================== EDITORIAL: IN THIS ISSUE: 1. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS – AN OVERVIEW –PART 13 THE GLORY OF GOUTAMA GOTRAM – 5 (Anbil Ramaswamy) (Based on Monograph of MahaamahOpaadhyaaya Sri Srivatsaankaachaar Swami, now Head of Dept. French Indolgical Research Institute, Pondicherry and “MaharishigaL Charitram” by Mimamsa SirOmaNi Mimamsa Vidvan Mimamsa Kovida, Ubhaya Mimamsa Saaragjna, Veda Vedanta ChooDaamaNi Sri N.S. Devanathachariar (referred by Sri Srivatsankachariar Swami) ---- 2. DESIKAMRUTHAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS- 4. By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore) “Srikaaryam” of the Board of Advisors of “Sri Ranga Sri” ---- 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: YAKSHA PRASNAM” Part 30: Prasnams 84 and 85 By Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami, Senior Officer of Govt. of India. ===================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ===================================================================== 122 Regular issues have been released, so far (besides several Special Issues) - - 27 Issues of Vol. 1 - 15 Issues of Vol. 2 - 42 Issues of Vol. 3 - 35 Issues of Vol. 4 & - 03 Issue of Vol. 5 These issues have been archived for public view at - by Sri Diwakar Kannan. We strongly urge you to kindly peruse the "Regular Issues" archived in the “Files” Section and view the Contents at “srsindex.html” (Not the individual postings allowed encouraging "Reader participation"). We are sure that you will be convinced of the quality of the contents. IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of “Sri Ranga Sri”: Tell your friends to join by sending an email to – "-Subscribe (AT) (DOT) com" IF not: Tell us, as to how we may improve. Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy Editor & Publisher “Sri Ranga Sri” ======================================================================= xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ======================================================================= 1. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS – AN OVERVIEW –PART 13 THE GLORY OF GOUTAMA GOTRAM – 5 (Anbil Ramaswamy) (Based on Monograph of MahaamahOpaadhyaaya Sri Srivatsaankaachaar Swami, now Head of Dept. French Indolgical Research Institute, Pondicherry and “MaharishigaL Charitram” by Mimamsa SirOmaNi Mimamsa Vidvan Mimamsa Kovida, Ubhaya Mimamsa Saaragjna, Veda Vedanta ChooDaamaNi Sri N.S. Devanathachariar (referred by Sri Srivatsankachariar Swami) ----- KRIPACHARIAR: This is the name of a great hero whom we encounter in Mahaabhaarata. He and his nephew, Aswathaama are regarded as one of the seven eternal beings “Chiram jeevis”. One of the sons of Goutama was Saradwaan, a great Tapasvi. He had two progenies, a son and a daughter. The son was “Kripa” who became known later on as “Kripaachaarya”- one of the preceptors of PaaNDavas and Kouravas. Sardwaan’s daughter Kripee married the famous DrONaachaarya and begot Aswathaama. Thus, whole generations of famous heroes were born in the Goutama GOtram. EKADAN, DVIDAN AND TRIDAN A trio of brothers was also born in Goutama GOtram. They were known as Ekadan, Dvidan And Tridan. All of them were equally great Tapasvis. After their father’s time, they enjoyed royal patronage. But, out of the three, it was Tridan who commanded greater respect than the other two. Tridan wanted to do a “SOma Yaaga”. The brothers gathered cows, money etc needed for the Yaaga under the leadership of Tridan. Ekadan and Dvidan were jealous of Tridan’s popularity and were biding for the right time to wreak vengeance on him and planned to carry away the cows and the booty. Tridan was leading and the others were following him. They traversed long distances in the search for the provisions for the Yaaga and at the time of late night one day, they reached vicinity of the river Saraswati, The brothers who followed deliberately slowed their pace and Tridan was far ahead of them. He was shocked to see suddenly a fox face to face howling at him threateningly. In his predicament, he slipped and fell into a deep well (Paazhum kiNau). He called his brothers aloud for long for help. But, they coolly walked away without coming to his rescue, thinking that if he were to die, it was good for them. And, if he happened to get out of the well alive, he would in any case be able to gather the materials again due to his popularity. Tridan was not afraid of death. He knew death was inevitable. His concern was different. After having prepared everything, to die without performing the Yaaga, without drinking the sacrificial Soma juice was not acceptable to him. Suddenly, he ogled a creeper hanging inside the wall of the well. Luckily, it was the Soma creeper that he was searching for. He took what little water was in the dry well, crushed the Soma creeper, and took out the juice. Mentally conjuring up the “YaagavEdhi” and “TrEtaagnis” he started reciting loudly the appropriate Veda mantras. His voice reached the Heavens. Indra came down to the well site with the band of celestials and accepted the “SOma rasa”. He ordered the nearby Saraswati river waters to swell. The surging waters lifted up Tridan and he came out unscathed. He got a boon from the Devas that anyone taking bath in the waters of this well should reap the benefits of performing Soma Yaaga. Such was the glory of Trida Goutama. When he came to know of the treachery of his brothers, he cursed them to be born as monkeys and bears. But, this is a different story. GOUTAMI: Goutami is the name of a Brahmin lady. It is not known whether she was the wife, sister or daughter of one born in the Goutama GOTram. In accordance with the tradition of this Vamsam, she is known by the Gotra Pravartakar of this GOtram. Mahaabhaarata takes a significant turn on account of her life. Anusaasana Parva commences with a reference to her. The great KurukshEtra war was over. Bheeshma Pitaamaha was lying on the bed of arrows awaiting the now famous as “Bheeshma Ekaadasi”. YudishTira was pestering him with lot of questions and clarifications and Bheeshma was answering him about Dharma with utmost patience. The great Chapter of “Saanthi Parva” was coming to a close. YudishTira could not avoid thinking of the events in the war in which the heroic acts of the warriors on the one hand as well as the treachery and deceit ruthlessly adopted with the blessings of Lord KrishNa Himself on the other - were passing in his mind like an endless procession of remembrance (yaadOn ki bhaaraat?). Totally confused, YudishTira asked Bheeshma why even after listening to the Saanthi Parva, his mind was still agitated. It was then that Bheeshma narrated the anecdote connected with Goutami. A poisonous snake bit the only son of Goutami and caused his instant death. A hunter by name, Arjunagan saw this and caught the snake, tied it tightly with ropes and dropped it in front of Goutami and asked her how she wished the snake to be killed whether by burning or by cutting it into pieces. Goutami would not have it killed saying that killing it would not bring her son back but would result in their rotting in hell endlessly. Here is her SlOkam: Hatvaa cha yEnamruta: syaad ayam mE jeevati asmin kOtyaya: syaad ayam tE AsyOtsargE praaNa yuktasya jantO: mrityOr lOkam kO nu gachEd anantam Because, as one belonging to the Goutama Vamsa, she knew the subtleties of Dharma, she would not be a party to the killing. When the hunter insisted on meting out capital punishment to the snake for the crime of murdering the young boy, she replied that it was because the life period of her son had come to a close that he had died and that the snake was not to blame. The snake suddenly started to talk in the tongue of humans and said: “Oh! Hunter! I am not at fault. I was ordered by the Lord of death to bite the boy. I have nothing to gain by killing the boy” KOnvarjunaga! DOsha atra vidyatE mayi baalisa/ Aswatantram hi maam mrityu vivasam yadasoosutath // Tasyaayam vachanaadhashTO na kOPEna na kaamyayaa/ Tasya tatbi kilbisham lubda! VidyatE yadi kilbisham // (MB 13.1.35, 36) The dispute between the hunter and the snake went on unabated. Lord of death appeared before them and said; “ Neither the snake nor myself is responsible for the boy’s death. I am also bound by the inexorable laws of Dharma and none of us act on one’s own volition” His SlOKam is: Nahi aham, naapi ayam mrityu: naayam lubdhaka pannaga: / Kilbishee jantu maraNE na vayam hi prayOjakaa: // AkarOd yad ayam karma tannOrjunaka chOdakam / Vinaasa hEtur nanyOsya vidhyatE ayam svakarmaNaa // (MB 13.1.70 & 71) The purport of the slOkam is that it is the inevitable result of the boy’s own actions “Karma” that was responsible for his death and none else could be blamed. The Lord of death, otherwise known as “Dharma devata” explained clearly the action- reaction phenomenon that worked inexorably in everyone’s life. Goutami who already was clear in her mind became clearer still and experienced great mental peace. She consoled herself saying: “ Neither Yama, nor the snake was at fault. He died because he was destined to die at the specific moment in a specific manner. I have also committed sins to deserve this trauma. So, every one of you may go to your respective abodes after releasing the snake” Here is her slOkam: naiva kaalO na bhujagO na mrityu: iha kaaraNam / sva karmabhir Ayam baala: kaalEna nidhanam gata: // mayaa cha that kritam karma yEna ayam mE mritah sutah / yaa tu kaalas tathaa mrityu: muncha arjunaka! Pannagam // (MB 13.1.78 & 79) Thus, Bheeshma gave the example of a mother who never became despondent in the face of the death of her dear son, to show that all that happened in the war were exactly in response to the karma of the respective characters. Listening to this profound truth, YudishTira felt great relief and attained peace of mind. Iti yEtad vachanam srutvaa babhoova vigata jvarah / YudishTirO mahaa tEja: paprachEdam cha Dharmavith // (MB 13/1/83) Male or female, every one of the descendents of Goutama GOtram were reputed for strict rectitude in conduct and perfect comprehension of the philosophy underlying such rectitude. Though each may have had a personal name, they took pride in calling themselves after the gOtra pravartaka, the great Goutama Maharishi. ----- To Continue ================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================== 2. DESIKAMRUTHAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS- 4. By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore) “Srikaaryam” of the Board of Advisors of “Sri Ranga Sri” - Of the five crucial concepts which everyone aspiring for emancipation must grasp, we have so far been looking at the first and foremost, viz., the Paramatma, His always being accompanied by His inseparable Consort, the total absence of any blemishes in Him, His being the sole repository of all auspicious attributes which defy enumeration, etc. All these make the Paramapurusha eminently adorable, worthy of being attained and served with love and affection. However, to form the object of our adoration and kainkaryam, He must have a form. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to adore and perform kainkaryam to an abstract Parabrahmam which has no form, figure or shape. Try as we might, we would find it unfeasible even to concentrate on a formless entity, however exalted it be, leave alone indulge in our aspirations for performing loving service. Hence the Lord, in His infinite mercy, presents Himself in the most magnificent of forms, to enable our worship and adulation. If we accept that the Lord too has a body like us, with hands, feet, face etc., would we not be laying Him open to the gradual degeneration and decay that all bodies and forms are subject to? Does He too, then, look young and bewitching in youth, mature and moderate in middle age, senile and unappealing in old age etc.? Does His skin shine with the glow of youth and later turn dry, scaly and shrunken in tune with the passing of seasons? Do His faculties too gradually lose their efficacy with the advance of age, making Him as susceptible to deafness, myopia and arthritis as we are? The Scripture tells us that though the Lord does sport a form, it is an unimaginably divine one, not subject to growth or decay as in human beings. It is always the same, unimaginably splendorous, brilliant, beautiful beyond conception and capable of enthralling anyone who can even casually think of it for a second. That Emperuman's divya mangala vigraham is unchanging and forever gorgeous is brought out by the prelude to the Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram-"sadA Eka roopa roopAya VishNavE sarva jishNavE". This tirumEni is eternal and imperishable, unlike its human counterparts, says the PAncharatra- "nitya siddhE tat AkArE tat paratvE cha Poushkara!” Though He might sport body parts just like we mortals, there is an ocean of difference between His magnificent form and our own frail ones, with absolutely no comparison between the two. His tiurmEni is magnificent, while ours can hardly qualify for the description. Even the most handsome of men and the most beautiful of women loses his or her good looks after some time, with the advance of age, whereas the Lord's bewitching beauty is permanent, unchanging and beyond the grasp of Time's tentacles. His form and ours are as different as chalk and cheese. Emperuman's tirumeni is huge beyond imagination, compared to our own puny statures. All this is brought out by the Vishnu Purana sloka - "tat visvaroopa vairoopyam roopam anyat HarE: mahat". Another important difference between our form and the Lord's relates to the matter of choice in assuming a particular body and the causative factors therefor. It is well known that we have absolutely no choice as to what birth we take, whether as an ant, an elephant, a dog, a tree or an inanimate object or as a human being, as our births are totally dictated by our crushing baggage of good and bad deeds collectively known as Karma. We have no say in what we are born as, as our Karma decides the same for us. The Lord, on the other hand, is born at will as what He wants to, of His own free volition. Be it a fish, a boar, a turtle, a man-lion, a dwarf or the most perfect of monarchs, the tiurmEni the Lord assumes is out of His own free choice, untainted by any constraints -"icchA griheeta abhimatOru dEha:" says the Vishnu Purana, highlighting the vast difference between our Karma-caused bodies and the divine ones of Emperuman. Acharyas opt for another endearing interpretation of this beautiful sloka, taking it to mean that the Lord takes whatever form His devotees wish for Him - here the word "icchA" is interpreted not as the Lord's own desire, but that of His devotees. This reading is based on the Azhwar's assertion, "tamar ugandadu evvuruvam, avvuruvam tAnE", underlining the Lord's penchant for assuming forms that please His votaries. The word "abhimata" denotes that whatever form the devotees would like to see Him in, is extremely dear to Him. Alternatively, "abhimata" may also be taken to denote the ardent wish of the votary to see the Lord in a particular form. All this boils down to the fact that while the Lord indeed possesses a tiurmEni, it is assumed of His own volition or to fulfill the wishes of bhaktAs, and not out of any compulsion caused by the KArmic bondage. If it is indeed true that the Lord has a body, then how does one reconcile this with the assertion in the Shruti that He has no hands or legs, no avayavAs- ("apANi pAda:” "na tasya kAryam karaNam cha vidyatE" etc.)? When the ultimate in scriptures denies Him a form, how can we assert otherwise? And what about the JitantA sloka, "na tE roopam na cha AkArO nAyudhAni na cha Aspadam", which emphatically tells us that He has no form, no defining physical characteristics, no weapons like the Shankha, Chakra etc.-in short, negating the very notion of a Lord with a physique and with all attendant paraphernalia? Swami Desikan answers this with a quote from the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, an epic which serves us well in the correct interpretation of Veda vAkyAs- "tadEva KrishnO dAsArha: SrImAn SrIvatsa lakshaNa: na bhoota sangha samstthAna: dEhOsya ParamAtmana:" What this tells us is - The Lord's tirumEni, unlike ours, is not made up of the five basic physical elements (earth, air, fire, water and the atmosphere). It is divine in its composition and unsusceptible to the normal changes every human body undergoes. Thus, when the Shruti denies the existence of hands or legs in the Parabrahmam, what it really rules out is the existence of a frail and fragile physique, comprised of the aforesaid elements and subject to decay and decline. The Varaha Purana too confirms that the Lord's tirumEni is comprised not of flesh, blood and bones, but of a material of His own fashioning, undying, un-decaying, unchanging and utterly and unimaginably beautiful- "na tasya prAkritA moorti: mAmsa mEdOsti sambhavA". Here too, what is ruled out is not the possibility of the ParamAtma having a sharIram, only that of His possessing one that is mundane and mortal. Having established the existence of the Divine form, Swami Desikan proceeds to catalogue its characteristics. Emperuman's divya mangala vigraham is endowed with four handsome hands. Any numbers of pramANAs are there for the Lord possessing four hands. In fact, the Taittiriyopanisad tells us that during the Varahavatara, the Lord sported a hundred hands - "uddhrutAsi VarAhENa krishNEna sata bAhunA". However, whether it is the epics, purANAs or the Tamizh Marai, all of them are unanimous about the Lord having four hands. Here is a sloka from Mahabharata, attesting to this and to the Lord's form being extremely special and entirely different from our own- "bhujai: chaturbhi: samupEtam Etat roopam visishtam divi samstthitam cha" The Lord's tirumEni is something beyond the mundane confines and the darkness of ignorance and evil, and is adorned with the Divine Discus, the Cosmic Conch and the Magnificent Mace. This is how MandOdari, Ravana's enlightened wife, perceives Sri Rama- "Tamasa: paramO dhAtA Shankha Chakra GadAdhara:" >From all the above, it would be abundantly clear that Emperuman's divya mangala vigraham is delightfully divine, with none of the frailties or fragility of mortal coils. It is bewitchingly beautiful, totally devoid of blemish and assumed at will, not out of any compulsion. Ipso facto, this divine form forms the object of universal adulation and adoration. It is thus that we should think of the Paramapurusha, whenever we do think of Him, which, alas, is not often. However, we come across vividly varied descriptions of the Lord's tirumEni, in various parts of the Scripture. At one place, He is reported to sport four arms and at others, two, sometimes, eight. He is to be found standing, sitting, reclining and in a variety of other postures. Apart from the discus and the conch, some of His forms are adorned with the Mace, while some others hold a lotus or bow and arrow. How do we account for such divergence, if Emperuman is one and the same? The answer to this query is to be found in the PAncharAtra SamhitAs like Sri LakshmI Tantram, Sri SAtvata SamhitA etc. These works, carrying the full authority of the Shruti, tell us that the Lord is to be found in five forms. The first and foremost is the Para vAsudEva, the Lord as He reigns resplendently at Sri Vaikuntam, under the canopy of and seated on the nAga paryankam or the snake-bed, with His Divine Consorts, with four beautiful arms - two holding the Discus and the Conch, one on His knee and the other placed on AdisEsha, with one leg slightly bent in an endearing posture, dazzling like a thousand Suns shining simultaneously and lending his brilliance to His innumerable adornments like the Kireetam, Makara Kundalam, VaijayantI HAram, the Koustubha MaNi et al. This is the Lord's form that the Celestials can't prise their eyes from and drink in without blinking, for fear of losing that second of blissful experience - "sadA pasyanti sooraya:” The beauty of this divya mangala vigraham is beyond description, with Sri Alavandar and Sri Ramanuja attempting vivid portrayals, but giving up midway, in their Stotra Ratnam and Sri Vaikunta Gadyam respectively. The second of the Lord's forms is the VyUha vigraha, where He divides Himself functionally into VyUha VAsudEva, in apparent slumber ("uranguvAn pOl yOgu puNarnda oLi maNi vaNNan") on the snake bed amidst the Milky Ocean ("pArkadal sErnda Paraman"), PradyumnA, aniruddhA and SankarshaNa. The Lord is born time and again in this mundane world of ours, for protecting the good, destroying the evil and for reestablishing Dharma on a firm footing, whenever it is endangered- "yadA yadA hi dharmasya glAni: bhavati BhArata! AbhyuttAnam adharmasya tadAtmAnam srijAmyaham". These visits of the Lord to the earth, for emancipating mankind, are popularly known as "avatArAs" and represent the play of His infinite mercy, concerned at the plight of suffering humanity. Sri Nammazhwar is moved beyond measure by the Lord's soulabhyam in being born as one among the mortals, in assuming varied forms, as warranted by the occasion, as a lowly fish, boar or turtle - "uyiraLippAn ennindra yOniyumAi pirandAi imayOr talaivA!” Though Emperuman's avataras are innumerable, ten are highlighted as the principal ones - "dasadhA nirvartayan bhoomikAm". This is not to undermine the importance of the other forms the Lord has chosen to assume, such as HayagrIva, Hamsa etc. In the Rama and Krishna avataras, Emperuman underwent the ultimate indignity that the Supreme Being can be put to - that of Garbha vAsam or the ten-month sojourn in a mother's womb - all for our sake. While the Para and VyUha forms of the Lord are totally inaccessible to us, we are still able to talk about, identify with and draw inspiration from His avatarAs, despite their having taken place in other YugAs, millions of years ago. Till this moment, the tales of Nrisimha, Rama and Krishna continue to enthrall us and will to do so for generations to come. The fourth of Emperuman's forms is that of the antaryAmi, the one in which He resides in all our hearts, no larger than one's thumb, privy to all our thoughts and deeds, however clandestine they be. "ManatthuLLAn mAkadal neer uLLAn" says Azhwar, wondering at the Lord's soulabhyam in residing in this mortal coil of ours, full of blood, filth and refuse. It is the Lord who resides in the exalted Srivaikuntam, the one who has the sprawling TiruppArkadal as His abode, who also resides willingly in our bodies, as the "HArda". "uLLatthE urayum MAlai uLLuvAn uNarvu ondru illA kaLLatthEn" says Sri Tondaradippodi, telling us that this form of the Lord, though it is within us and perhaps nearer to us than all other forms of His, is difficult to discern, but for the most accomplished of YOgIs. The fifth and the most accessible to us mortals is the arcchAvatAra, the form in which the Lord resides in various divyadEsams and other sannidhIs, contracting His form to make His abode in vigrahAs made of metal, clay, wood and any other material His devotee lovingly fashions for Him. It is only this tirumEni of the Lord that can be the object of adulation, veneration, admiration and worship for us, for He waits patiently for us at these temples, happy to see us whenever we go. He even saves us the trouble of visiting Him at the sannidhi, through His frequent outings on the flimsiest of pretexts like the Pancha parvAs, tirunakshatrams of Azhwars and Acharyas and so on, when He comes right down to our doorstep, as part of the "tiruveedi purappAdu". The Lord's penchant for going in search of His devotees, even in the arcchAvatAra, has earned Him the sobriquet "VeediyAra varuvAn" from Sri Andal. It is this form of the Lord that has evoked feelings of great depth and resulted in inspired outpourings by Azhwars and Acharyas. Sri Tirumangai Mannan considers the arcchAvatAra so superior to the other forms of Emperuman that he prefers the same to so-called emancipation and serving the Paramapurusha in person- "ErAr muyal vittu kakkai pin pOvadE". Comparing the arcchavatAra to readily available and delicious flesh of a rabbit and the ParavAsudEva at Srivaikuntam to the flesh of a yet-to-be-caught crow, which is anyway of mediocre taste, Sri Kalian wonders why anyone would prefer the latter to the former. The same partiality for the arcchAmUrthy is voiced by Swami Desikan, when he prefers an eyeful of the endearing and enthralling form of Sri Varadaraja, to permanent residence in Srivaikuntam, with its unimaginably glorious benefits: he is so firm on this point, that he is prepared to swear to it- "Saytam shapE VAraNa saila nAtha! Vaikunata vAsEpi na mE abhilAsha:" No one in our great Bharata Varsha can say truthfully that a divyadesam or a Bhagavat sannidhi is too far for him to visit - such is the affinity Emperuman has for us, that He ensures that He is always accessible, geographically and in other senses, to seeking devotees. The 106 divyadesams on this earth which the Azhwars have sanctified with their nectarine verses and the innumerable other abodes the Lord has chosen for permanent residence, reflect His anxiety that none should fail to find the right path, merely for want of His proximity. We can thus conclude that of all divine forms, the arcchAvatara is perhaps the best, the most accessible to common people like us, the most amenable to adulation and adornment with the choicest of flowers, dresses and ornaments which we may select for Him and, for all this, none the less effective or powerful than His other forms, be they the Paramapurusha, the VyUha MUrthies, the Vibhava avatArAs or the antaryAmI. -------------------- To Continue =================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx =================================================================== 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: YAKSHA PRASNAM” Part 30: Prasnams 82 and 83 By Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami, Senior Officer of Govt. of India. -- PRASNAM 82 YAKSHA: “ SRAADDHASYA KAALAM AAKHYAAHI?” “WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR SRADDHA?” YUDISHTIRA: ” SRADDHASYA BRAAHMANA: KAALA:” “THE BRAHMIN IS THE ONE WHO SETS THE TIME FOR SRAADDHA” NOTES: Here “Sraaddha” does not necessarily and exclusively mean the rites performed to honor the departed ancestors. YudishTira has answered in reply to an earlier question (# 76) about Sraaddha, that it ought to be performed with the help of a learned Vedic scholar. Here “Sraaddha” could refer to an act to be done with concentration and dedication. YudishTira has shrewdly noticed the possibility of the dual meaning or interpretation for the word and recalled as well that he has answered a question earlier about rites due to the ancestors. Therefore, he deliberately chooses to reply with a dual meaning. If the word is interpreted as the rites for the departed ancestors, then the reply could convey that such rites cannot get going unless a good learned Brahmin scholar. is along to officiate. However, if the word is interpreted as a display of concentration, seriousness and dedication, then what YudishTira means to convey is that a Brahmin is one who has become aware of the self, the Brahmam and as such he is a wise and far seeing person. Whenever one meets such a person, that opportunity should not be passed up but utilized to soak in some valuable lessons. “Sraddhavaan labhatE jnaanam tatpara: samyatEndriya: “ (BG Ch 4.39) The man of Sraddha, the devoted, the master of his senses obtains knowledge. How does he do that? He recognizes a spiritually evolved person as soon as he sets his eye on him. He then approaches him with humility and seeks clarifications for his doubts or an affirmation or a renewed affirmation of what he has absorbed and what he believes to be true. No greater example of such a person with great Sraddha exists than YudishTiara himself. Though he was soaked in wisdom, he approached with great humility, Bheeshma who was lying on a bed of arrows with an eagerness to learn even more. Vineetavadupaagamya tastou sandarsanEgratah (Santi Parva Ch.55.18) He approached Bheeshma with great humility and stood before him respectfully in the line of his vision Athaasya padam jagraaha Bheeshmacha abhinananda thum (ibid SlOka19) He touched with reverence the feet of Bheeshma and expressed his salutations. A serious attitude to learn more, to imbibe more, has to be purified and enhanced through humility. Lord KrishNa advises Arjuna: Tad viddhi praNipaatEna pariprasnEna sEvayaa/ UpadEkshyanti tE jnaanam jnaaninah tatva darsinah // (BG Ch. 4.34) By prostrating, by asking questions so that the truth can be better grasped and understood, by serving the revered teacher, you must seek enlightenment. The wise will impart to you what they have come to know. ----------------------- PRASNAM 83: YAKSHA: “ TAPAH KIM LAKSHANAM PROKTAM?” “WHAT TRULY CONSTITUTES PENANCE?” YUDISHTIRA: “ TAPAH SVA DHARMA VARTITVAM” ” PENANCE CONSISTS IN OBSERVANCE OF ONE’S OWN DHARMA” NOTES: In the ordinary sense, the word “penance” implies an act of foregoing and observing several austerities in a rigid manner. Thus penance brings to mind, going without food, sleep, eschewing communication, standing for a length of time on one leg and so on. YudishTira’s reply clarifies that it is not proper to hold that adherence to such rigors would alone constitute true penance. It does not mean that there is no value in such practices. But, such practices do not ensure any special reward. According to YudishTira, it is quite sufficient for a person to stay in his line of duty or calling and complete all the tasks required of him in that calling. Why should this be regarded as propitious, virtuous and fruit yielding? Because, there is little else that a person can do. So, it seems! A peculiar law is seen to hold the sway. It operates evenly, justly and uniformly on every one. It also obeys implicitly an ordinance, which it has imposed upon itself. The essence of the law is: PraaptavyaanEva paapnOti gantavyaanEva gachchati / LabdhavyaanEva labhatE duhkhaani cha sukhaani cha // (Valmiki Ramayanam VII.55.16-17) A person receives or obtains only those things that he is destined to receive or obtain. He goes only in those directions or to the places he is destined or pre-ordained to go. This is true not only of happy good tidings or events but also of those that cause grief. A wise person who notes this phenomenon reflects and comes to the conclusion “bhaataani sarvaaNi vidhirniyungktE”. The arbiter of destiny so wields that every living being does exactly as determined by him. ”na karmaNaa aapnOti anavaapyam artham” Whatever be the effort a person may put in, he ultimately gets what is apportioned as due to him, he does not get what has not been set as “Not for him”. Therefore, such a wise person who realizes these decides “Yathaa niyuktOsmi tathaa charaami” Let me do as ordained. Let me go in the path that has been designated as my path. Who should get what and when remains a well-kept secret. The creator has kept this knowledge away from beings deliberately because such knowledge would only cause vexation and grief and induces the person to commit more transgressions and accumulate more sins. In the Rama Rajyam, everyone was happy and contented. “sarvam muditamEva aaseet” Why? BraahmaNaah KshatriyaaH vaisyaah sudraa lObha vivarjitaah / Sva karmasu pravrtantE tushTaah svairEva karmabhih // (VR VI.128.104) All those in the four orders remained involved in their respective tasks and duties. They were happy and went about without any trace of greed or jealousy. The attitude of remaining within one’s own calling and discharging one’s obligations in that calling ensures an excellent sense of well being. This attitude does not come naturally. It has to be cultivated. That is why YudishTira refers to it as penance. ----------------- To Continue ================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================== _______________ Fretting that your Hotmail account may expire because you forgot to sign in enough? 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