Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 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 # 10 dated 4th January 2004 ========================================================== 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- ========================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: 1. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS – AN OVERVIEW – PART 18 THE GLORY OF AANGIRASA GOTRAM – Part 2 (Anbil Ramaswamy) ------------------------- (Based on Monograph of MahaamahOpaadhyaaya Sri Srivatsankachariar 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-8 By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore) “Srikaaryam” of the Board of Advisors of “Sri Ranga Sri” ------------------------------- 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: “YAKSHA PRASNAM” Part 35: Prasnams 92 and 93 by Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami, Senior Officer of Govt. of India. ------------------------------- 128 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of Vol. 1 - 15 Issues of Vol. 2 - 42 Issues of Vol. 3 - 35 Issues of Vol. 4 & - 09 Issue of Vol. 5 These issues have been archived for public view at - by Sri Diwakar Kannan(diwakark) You may also view the archives at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia maintained by Sri Srinivasan Sriram (ajiva_rts) 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 Srirangasri- IF not: Tell us, as to how we may improve. Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy Editor & Publisher “Sri Ranga Sri” ================================================================ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================================================================ 1. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS – AN OVERVIEW – PART 18 THE GLORY OF AANGIRASA GOTRAM – Part 2 (Anbil Ramaswamy) -------------------------------- (Based on Monograph of MahaamahOpaadhyaaya Sri Srivatsankachariar 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) ------------------------- UPANAYANA MANTRA There is great Mantram that a Brahmachari is required to utter at the time of receiving the investiture of the sacred thread (Upanayanam). It goes like this: mEdhaam mahyam angeerasah mEDhaam saptarshayO daduh / mEdhaam mahyam prajaapatih mEdhaam agnir dadaatu mE // (Mantra Prasnam 2.4.6) Meaning; “Oh! Aangeeras! Grant me wisdom; Oh! Saptarishis! Grant me wisdom; Oh! Prajaapati! Grant me wisdom; Oh! Agni (Firegod)! Grant me wisdom” It is only by uttering this Mantram that the boy should offer Homam in the sacrificial fire. Study of the Vedas that the boy is about to embark upon is no small affair. It requires a steady mind to assimilate the wisdom contained therein. Only if the boy is endowed with this wisdom can his efforts bear fruit. That is why he is made to pray to these entities renowned for such wisdom. It may be noticed that of all of them, it is Sage Aangeerasa who leads them all. It appears that Sage Aangeerasa is the one whose blessings are of prime importance for all those who wish to learn the Vedas. THE CHILD PRODIGY The Sage was born out of the four faces of Brahma who constantly recited the Vedas. No wonder, this child so born, was born as a child prodigy even at birth. He is said to have mastered all the Vedas even as a child, all by himself without any guidance from any preceptors. Even elderly scholars who witnessed his precociousness rushed to him to receive instructions on the Vedas. It is said that this child used to call the elders” Oh! Children! Come for doing Adhyayanam”! The one who grants wisdom is regarded as the father figure irrespective of age. This is attested by Manu in his Dharma Saastra thus: “adhyaapayaamaasa pitroon sisur aangeerah kavi / putrakaa iti hOvaacha jnaanEna parigrihya taan // (Manu Smriti 2/151) RAGHU VAMSAM Mahaakavi KaaLidaasa describes the lineage of Sage Aangeerasa in his famous “Raghu Vamsam”. Do you know who the progenitor of this Vamsam is? It is none other than Sage Aangeerasa. Sri Rama’s GOtra- Pravara recital makes this clear. It says “Aangeerasa- Ambareesha- Youvanasva”. It is Aangeerasa in whose glorious lineage that we find Sri Rama. This lineage accounts for great heroes like Dasaratha and his forefathers who were so renowned that the Lord decided to take birth in that lineage. All this is mentioned by Sage VasishTa while narrating the lineage on the occasion of Sri Rama’s wedding with Sri Sita. He recounts “Yuvanaasva’s son was Maandaata; Maandaata’s son was Ambareesha – all of them were descendents of Sage Aangeerasa. A MALE PREGNANCY! Yuvanaasva’s life is very interesting. He had no issues for long. So, he performed a Yagjna with the help of great Sages. But, because, there was a faux pas committed by him, the whole dynasty was about to be decimated. Luckily, thanks to the intervention of Aswini dEvas, the impending tragedy was averted. Yuvanaasva became pregnant! May be, this was the first instance of a male pregnancy. Let us see how this happened in the next posting. To Continue – ==================================================================== xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ==================================================================== 2. DESIKAMRUTHAM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore) “Srikaaryam” of the Board of Advisors of “Sri Ranga Sri” -------------------------- The Five Fundamentals-8 We saw that the main factor preventing our liberation from the mundane morass is the Lord's displeasure and consequent chastisement, occasioned by our continual transgression of His dicta, expressed in the form the Shruti and the Smrtis. Swami Desikan lists no less than 12 ways in which the aforesaid factor contributes to our remaining strangers to Paramapadam and Bhagavat PrApti. Depending upon our stage and status in the life cycle, Bhagavan nigraham affects each of us in a different way, as detailed below. Swami Desikan lists the ways in which we are affected by this and the consequences flowing out of such influence. 1. This divine displeasure results in our association with perishable matter, which is characterized by three attributes-Sattva, Rajas and Thamas. While the first-mentioned guNa, in its purest form, is the fountainhead of all good things, when mixed with the other two characteristics of Rajas and Thamas, loses much of its potency. The latter two contribute to almost all of our misdeeds. It is association with such matter or Prakriti that causes contraction in the JeevatmA's natural wisdom and makes it unmindful of its true nature and attributes. 2. From this association with Prakriti comes about the connection between the soul and the physical body and sense organs, which are but modifications of mundane matter. Thus results the eternal prison sentence passed on the erring AtmA, ensuring its confinement within a renewable material goal, bound inextricably by the unbreakable bonds of Karma- "thiNNam azhunda katti pala seivinai van kayittrAl puNNai maraya varindu ennai pOra vaitthAi puramE" says Sri Nammazhwar, describing the travails of the incarcerated Individual soul. This material body not only imprisons us but also completely subjugates us, making us abject slaves of our senses, helplessly toeing the line our body wants us to - "nee tanda Akkaiyin vazhi uzhalvEn" Sri Satakopa tells the Lord, describing the pitiful state of the Atma comprehensively conquered by the unbridled senses running riot. 3. In many cases, even if the senses do dominate, an exposure to the innumerable Scriptural texts telling us of our original glory and the way to regain the same, would provide relief from our misery. However, what if one is born as an animal, a bird, a worm or as a non-sentient object, which have absolutely no opportunity for scriptural enlightenment? Such births, in which one can do nothing to redeem oneself, are another effect of the Bhagavan nigraham. 4. Even if one is fortunate to attain a human janma, the aforesaid factor causes confusion in the mind, due to the influence of atheists, agnostics, heretics and those with a skewed perception of matters. Once a man comes under the sway of such people, he can very well be given up for lost, for such is the misleading but persuasive pressures they can exert. It is very few who can boast of coming back to the right path, after meandering in the maze set up by the aforesaid "BAhya" and "Kudrishti" influences. There is but one Ramanuja who could shake off the teachings of YAdavaprakAsa, only one VEdAnti (Nanjeeyar) who could give up a lifetime of allegiance to Advaita. And it is only mahAns of the caliber of Sri Tirumazhisai Piran, who can boast of having mastered Buddhist, Jain, Shaivite and other systems of philosophy and been convinced that VisishtAdvaita and Sriman Narayana Paratvam were the only tenets worth adherence to -Says he, "SAkkiam kattrOm, SamaNam kattrOm, SankaranAr Akkiya Agama nool ArindOm-bhagyattAl SenkaN kariyAnai sErndOm yAm teedilamE Engatku ariyadu ondru il" For ordinary mortals like us, these persuasive systems of so-called philosophy is extremely overwhelming. That we fall prey to them is again an inexorable effect of the Lord's displeasure. 5. Even those who manage not to fall in the pervasive net of the aforesaid faulty schools of thought, find themselves unable to resist the puerile but plentiful pleasures that this world has to offer- "iympulan karudum karutthuLE tirutthinEn manattai" says Sri Parakala. And once they become slaves to such addictive and ephemeral delights, their perceptions become perverted ("viparIta gnAnam"), which in turn prevents them from appreciating the true nature of the Lord and His attributes ("Bhagavat svarUpa tirOdhAnakarIM") Delighting in these juvenile joys, people think less and less of the endless bliss the Lord has to offer, since the former act as an extremely effective smoke screen, hiding the truth about the Paramatma and His glories and in fact creating totally false impressions about the things that matter. It is this that Sri Nammazhwar terms as "poy nindra gnAnamum pollA ozhukum" 6. And where does the addiction to these mundane delights lead us? To continued violation of the Code of Conduct prescribed by the Lord, pushing us deeper into trouble. Intent on wallowing in the mundane mire, much like a buffalo delighting in its habitat of mud, slime and dirt, we too omit deeds we ought to do and indulge in acts we ought not to – "akritya karaNam and kritya akaraNam". "SemamE vENdi teevinai perukki, terivaimAr uruvamE maruvi" is how Sri Parakala puts this state of affairs. 6. The first sin is always difficult to commit: one sin leads to another and thereafter, we adapt to sinning as a way of life. The conscience within, which is initially very vociferous in chiding us when we go wrong, becomes more and more muted in its protest, with every successive transgression. The Mahabharata says that misdeeds destroy one's reasoning intellect, and bereft of the faculty of distinguishing right from wrong, one hops with expertise and ease from one offence to another, till sinning appears to be a natural thing, shorn of its original stigma- "PApam pragyAm nAsayati kriyamANam puna: puna: nasthta pragya: pApamEva puna: ArabhatE nara:" This chain of sin naturally generates greater displeasure in the Lord's heart, resulting in our being inextricably and interminably caught in the vicious cycle of birth, old age, death and purgatorial residence, ad nauseam. 7. In their anxiety to ensure an endless enjoyment of puerile pleasures and attainment of petty baubles, people propitiate petty deities who are themselves prisoners of Karma and incapable of bestowing any but the most insignificant of boons ("PENilum varam tara midukkilAda dEvar"). This is how the worship of demigods, bhootAs, pisAchAs etc. gains currency, though they are little better than their votaries, as far as KArmic fetters are concerned. 8. Inebriated with the trivial bounties obtained from such petty deities, people consider themselves to have attained bliss, just as worms find pleasure in dirt and filth. 9. There are some who miraculously escape the aforesaid path of self-destruction and tread the exalted route of YOga. Even such people are not proof from Bhagavan nigraham, which makes them employ the sophisticated spiritual tool of Yoga in the worship of demigods like Indra, which can at best bestow limited fruits. Worse than this class of people are those who direct their Yoga towards contemplation of non-sentient things (like the glorious words of the Shruti, the faculties of speech and thought, Water or Atmosphere) as the Ultimate. Practitioners of this type of Yoga do derive minor benefits like the ability of unfettered movement anywhere. Satisfied with such things, they abandon the actual goal of all Yoga, viz., relief from all suffering and attainment of endless bliss. The types of UpAsanam mentioned here are to be found in the context of Bhooma VidyA, described in the ChAndOgya Upanishad. 10. Considering the contemplation of one's own soul to be by far superior to the aforesaid types of upAsanam, others engage in four types of upAsanam of the JeevAtmA- a) Meditation on the JeevAtmA, as accompanied by its shell of perishable matter (Prakriti), considering the former as verily the Ultimate: b) Meditation on the individual soul, along with its material attachments, as an entity distinct and different from the Brahmam: c) Contemplation of the pure soul, uncontaminated by matter, as the Parabrahmam itself, and d) Contemplation of the individual soul, in all its glory and shorn of its mundane associations, as oneself (aham). All these four types of meditation (known as "Prateeka upAsanAs) do yield fruits (known as "Kaivalyam") vastly superior to those resulting from those mentioned previously, but which are still nowhere near the indescribable bliss that BrahmAnubhavam affords. Further, inferior as they are, these upAsanAs, when their effect is exhausted, push the upAsaka down again to the earth, to get entangled once more in the cruel web of SamsAra, destined to be born and die endlessly. 11. Even if one rises well above the puerile pleasures afforded by the aforesaid strategies and remains steadfast in one's quest for Liberation, Bhagavan nigraham is inescapable. Realizing the lowliness of AtmAnubhavam as detailed above, the wise man opts for the infinitely superior BrahmAnubhavam or the blissful contemplation of the Paramapurusha. This Bhagavat upAsanam is again of two types- a) The PanchAgni VidyA, in which the emphasis of contemplation is again on the JeevAtmA. However, the Jeeva is contemplated as one with the ParamAtmA as the inner dweller. b) The other type of BrahmOpAsanam is that in which the ParamAtmA is given pride of place and is meditated upon as one who has this JeevA as His sharIram. Here, a few words about the PanchAgni VidyA, which is one of the MOksha mArgAs finding place in the ChAndOgyOpanishad. This strategy for liberation, which was originally the exclusive preserve of Kings, was later imparted to a Brahmin named Goutama uddhalaka. In this VidyA, five entities--Swarga, the Cloud, Earth, Man and Woman—have been rerpresented as five fires. When a person of righteous conduct dies, the subtle forms of his faculties are first sacrificed in the fire called Swarga. After experiencing pleasures there with an appropriate physical form, the subtle form reaches the fire represented by the Cloud. Through the rain precipitated by the Cloud, this subtle form reaches the Earth and enters grains like paddy and wheat. Eaten by Man, this subtle form is then sacrificed in the fire represented by Woman. Acquiring a normal physical form again due to the coming together of Man and Woman, it stays in the woman's womb for 10 months, is born into this world and undergoes the aforesaid process again. One who understands this and worships the Paramapurusha with devotion, reaches Paramapadam through the arcchirAdi mArgam. Those who practice munificence and philosophy with an eye on the merits that would accrue reach the Svarga lOka through the PitruyANa or the path of the forefathers and attain delectable sharIrAs like that of the Moon. After exhausting the merits acquired earlier, they return to the earth through the Atmosphere, Smoke, Cloud, Rain and Crops. These crops are then consumed by Man and result in progeny when they reach the Woman. Thereafter, depending upon the accumulated Karma, good, bad or ugly and high/low births result. There are however some accursed souls who, due to their repertoire of unalloyed misdeeds, traverse neither of the paths (arcchirAdi mArga or the Dhooma mArga) and remain in this world, being born time and again as lowly worms, mosquitoes etc. This, then, is the PanchAgni VidyA. Coming back to the upAsaka, one would think that having come this far on the uphill path and almost reached the crest of BrahmOpAsanam (contemplation of the Ultimate); with the unfailing strategy of Bhakti YOga, the upAsaka would be proof to any further pitfalls. Alas, no, says Swami Desikan. Since the PanchAgni vidyA leads first to the lesser but infinitely captivating pleasure of AtmAnubhavam, many get satisfied and prefer to remain at the lower level of bliss itself, forsaking the highest of pleasures resulting from attaining the Lord. And by the time they realize their folly, eons would have passed, resulting in that much delay in attaining he Ultimate. Similar ephemeral delights in the form of attainment of ashta siddhIs (aNimA, maNimA, gharimA, laghimA,vasitvam, aishvaryam, PrApti etc.) ensnare the upAsaka. Other upAsakAs, especially those who take recourse to the "Madhu VidyA", get diverted with the attainment of exalted posts like those of the eight Vasus, which again delays the journey to the gates of Paradise. Yet others get ensnared by the attainment of distinguished posts in the pantheon of demigods like BrahmA, enjoying bliss which the Upanishad describes as "sa Eka: PrajApatE: Ananda:” The trappings of the delegated power of Creation and the attendant importance are so inebriating that those caught in this mode wake up only late to the reality of their having stopped far short of the desired goal of Paramapadam and thereafter rue the loss of precious millions of years. To those who wonder about the "Madhu VidyA" mentioned above, here is a brief explanation from the ChAndOyOpanishad, which depicts the Sun as a beehive, secreting nectar (representing the fruits of sacrifices prescribed in the VEdAs, itihAsAs and PurANAs) from all the four sides and the top. Five types of deities-- the Vasus, RudrAs, AdityAs, Maruths and the SadhyAs—imbibe this nectar from each of the five directions. One who contemplates the ParamAtmA as the Inner Dweller or antaryAmi of the entire contingent (consisting of the Sun and the other dEvatAs), experiences bliss equal to theirs and ultimately reaches Paramapadam in due course. This is the Madhu VidyA. There are thus umpteen ways in which the Lord's displeasure makes us get diverted from the principal goal of attaining Him, distracting us with pleasures, which, in themselves, are delectable but are petty and puerile, when compared to the Eternal Bliss that Bhagavat anubhavam can afford us. How ironical would it be, if, when the date for his coronation is at hand, bringing with it the exalted pleasures of royalty, the Prince develops an infatuation for the chamber maid! Whither the lofty delights of royalty and whither those afforded by the lowly servant! It is thus that we get distracted from the pursuit of the Ultimate in all pleasures. --------------------------- To Continue – ============================================================ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ============================================================ 3. FROM MAHABHARATA: “YAKSHA PRASNAM” Part 35: Prasnams 92 and 93 by Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami, Senior Officer of Govt. of India. -------------------------- PRASNAM 92 YAKSHA: “ KAS CHA VYAADHIRANANTAKAH?” “WHICH IS THE INCURABLE DISEASE?” YUDISHTIRA: “ LOBHO VYAADHIRANTAKAH” “ IT IS GREED OR AVARICE THAT IS THE MOST INCURABLE AILMENT” NOTES: Contentment does not come by itself. Nor is it acquired easily. Man is restless by nature and tends to assess his achievements and importance through fresh conquests or acquisitions. Mind grappled by the senses does not satiate easily. Man, therefore, keeps goading himself on and on. Thus, greed operates as a pernicious illness. PRASNAM 93 YAKSHA: “KEEDRUSAS CHA SMRUTAH SAADHUH?” “WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE BENEVOLENT AND GOOD NATURED? YUDISHTIRA: “SARVA BHOOTA HITAH SAADHUH” “A BENEVOLENT PERSON IS ONE WHO HAS COMPASSION TO EVERY LIVING BEING” NOTES: A benevolent person has many qualities and virtues. The Vana Parva of Mahaabhaarata, the third book has a long section where a butcher who is spiritually advanced imparts knowledge to a Brahmin, who though born high, lacked the essential virue of humility and had at best, an imperfect knowledge of all that is fit to be known. Referring to benevolent and benign persons known as Sadhus, Dharmavyaadha (that was the name of the spiritually advanced person) who by profession was a butcher said- “Sarva bhoota dayaavantO ahimsaanirataah sadaa, parusham na prabhaashantE” (Vana Parva Ch.198.80) He will be full of compassion towards every living being, totally dedicated to non-violence and will never utter a harsh word. A Saadhu is a person who is adorned by many qualities like truthfulness, control over his senses, control over his mind, deep wisdom, charitable disposition and a sense of justice and fair play etc. However, YudhisTira chose to lay emphasis on compassion. This is because, it is only compassion that prompts a person to perceive his self in others and others too in his self and makes him deeply committed to the noble attribute of “samatva”, considering everyone and everything alike without differentiation. --------------------------- - To Continue – ============================================================ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ============================================================ _______________ Make your home warm and cozy this winter with tips from MSN House & Home. http://special.msn.com/home/warmhome.armx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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