SRS Vol 7-02 dated 10-17-05 - TN of TiruvenkaTamuDaiyaan and Swami Desika

[Guest guest]

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//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 02 dated 17th October 2005

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF TIRUVENKATAMUDAIYAAN & SWAMI DESIKA CELEBRATED IN

ATLANTA ON 12th OCTOBER 2005

2. TALK OF SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY ON THE OCCASION

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1. TIRUNAKSHATRAM OF TIRUVENKATAMUDAIYAAN & SWAMI DESIKA CELEBRATED IN ATLANTA

ON 12th OCTOBER 2005

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The tirunakshatram of TiruvEnkatamudayAn and swAmi nigamAntha mahAdEsikan and

vijaya dashami were celebrated on Wednesday October 12th.(purattAsi sravanam)

With sEvAkAlam at Dr. Sumati and Dr Bharat’s residence from 6.30PM.

 

The following were recited. In between, before Saatrumurai, there was a talk by

Anbil Ramaswamy, This is included in this posting, for your information.

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For TiruvEnkatamudayAn tirunakshatram:

Podhu Tanian-rAmAnuja dayApAtram and Srishailesha

Pallandu

kOvil TiruvAymozhi -Ulagamunda peruvAyA(6-10)

periyAzhwAr tirimozhii--Senniongu

periya tirumozhi-Kongu( 1-8)

dayA satakam (1-10 and 107,108)

 

For swAmi dEsikan's tirunakstram :

 

dEsika stotram

- Sri Hayagreeva stotram

- SRistuti

 

dEsika prabandham

- Mumanikkovai

- pillaiandAdi

 

Talk by Sri Anbil mama

 

sAttrumuraI:

 

pallAndu

 

tondarugakkum thunaiadi (pillaiandAdi)

vAzhi tirunAmam- Both vadagalE and tengale

 

dEsika mangalam

Songs on TiruvEnkatamudayAn

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2. TALK OF ANBIL RAMASWAMY ON THE OCCASION

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The talk commenced with a barrage of question posed by Sri Ramaswamy for which

he himself provided answers as follows:

 

1. How come, we have Birthday for the birth less Bhagavaan?

And, why do we have different criteria like Thithi for some and

Birth star for different avatars. Does any authority exist for this?

 

Answer:

Yes. We have the following authority for the observance on the specific days.

- Rama: Punarvasu / Navami = Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam

- Krishna: Rohini / Ashtami = Jayanti NirNayam

- Nrisimha: Vaikasi-Swati + Chaturdasi = Nrisimha Puranam

- Periya PerumaaL: Panguni-Revati = Sriranga Mahaatmyam

- TiruvenkaTamuDaiyaan: Purattasi-Sravanam = Venkatachala Mahaatmyam

 

2. Why do we celebrate Azhwar and Achaarya Tirunakshatrams?

 

Answer:

Azhwaars and Achaaryas are the ones who explained clearly the following:

i) The nature of the Universal Soul (Paramaatma0

ii) The nature of the Individual Soul (Jeevaatma)

iii) the “modus operandi” or the means by which the Jeevaatma can attain

Paramaatma

iv) The “phalan” or the fruits of such attainment and

v) The obstacles in the way of this process

Having learned the above, we Jeevaatmas can take efforts to follow the same.

 

3. Why do we celebrate our “Happy birthdays”?

 

Answer:

Our celebrating our birthdays is a kind of “Real Thanksgiving” to the Lord for

having given us an opportunity to know all these and strive towards this end and

also a “Prayer” for letting us continue our efforts in the days ahead.

 

Cutting cakes and blowing out candles not Vaidika karmas. Blowing out of lights

is deemed most sinful and is especially reserved only for

“EkOdishTam”, the 11th day ceremony on the death of a person.

 

4. Why do we celebrate Shashti abdapoorthi (60), Saptadi (70),

SathaabishEkam (80 and NOT 100) and Kanakabishekam (100)?

 

Answer:

The same rationale as explained above. As for SathaabhishEkam, it is to be

celebrated when a person has lived long enough and witnessed 1000 moons in life.

Strictly speaking this can come only around 82 because at the rate of say, one

full moon per month, it would work out to 82x12= 984. But sometimes, we get full

moon twice in a month and taking into account these extra months, roughly the

sighting of 1000 moons would happen only around the 82nd year. But, the

SathaabhishEkam is celebrated well in advance on completion of 80th birthday,

treating it as a watershed event.

 

5. It is said that taking Janma in human Sareera is indeed a rare privilege due

to enormous PuNYam done over several births. But, if this were so, why should

Azhwaars and Achaaryas despise the “Sarreram” so earned?

 

Answer:

No doubt, they despise it as the repository of flesh and bones inside and rot

and smell with obnoxious secretions outside. You make an incision on any part of

your body say to the size of a “cent” and leave it exposed. Very soon the

“scent” (pun intended) emanating from it would be so obnoxious even for you to

bear!

As stated by Nammaazhwaar:

- Aavi thigaikka aivar kumaikkam chitrinbam

- PaaviyEnai pala nee kaaTTi paDuppayO?

- KaNNapiraani viNNOr karumaaNikkathai amudai

- naNNiyum nagar killaan naDuve oru uDambil iTTu

- ThiNNam azhundak kaTTi pala seivinai vaNN kayitraal puNNai maraiya

varindu ennai pOra vaithaai puramE//

 

Also, the pleasures that flesh is heir to are “Asthiram” (transientt) and

“asaaram” (merit less). Again, Nammaazhwaar cites the case of an emperor who

ruled the world but lost his Kingdom. He desired to have a nostalgic look at the

kingdom that he once ruled with gusto. He visits under the shadow of night and

scales over a wall to gain entry without his erstwhile subjects identifying him.

Due to lack of light, he steps on a black dog that bites him. He falls on a heap

of pottery that breaks and rolls over with a thud.

 

In the melee, the sleeping citizens nearby wake up. The ex- emperor is exposed

to their like a mendicant. If this were to happen to a powerful monarch, it only

proves that no opulence is worth running after!

 

The Azhwaar advises us to resort to the Paramaatma who alone can save us from

all ignominy and grant us eternal bliss and beatitude.

 

Oru naaygamaai Oda ulaguDanaanDavar

Karunaai kavarnda kaalar sidagiya paanaiyar

Peru naaDu kaana immaiyilE pitchai taam koLvaar

Tiru NaaraNan thaaL kaalam pera chindithu uyyminO//

 

As for the fact that all of us who enjoy on the onset of the day and the arrival

of night do not realize that with every passing day, one day of our life is

ticked off. There is SlOka that explains this:

 

Nandanti uditaa aadityE nandanti astamitE ravou /

Aatmana: na avabudhyantE manushyaa: jeevita kshayam /

 

6. But, can we not adorn ourselves with fine clothes and jewelry during whatever

lease of life that we are blessed with?

 

Answer:

BhaTTar was once giving a Pravachanam on the despicability of Sareeram and how

it is futile to drape it with fine clothing and ornaments. Next day, day he was

seen dressed in the best of attires when Perumaal was coming on his rounds

through the streets. His Sishyas were aghast at the dichotomy of what he

preached the previous day and what he practiced the next day. One Sishya made

bold to politely question him. BhaTTar showed a pole supporting a canopy

(pandal) and asked if the pole was sentient or insentient. The Sishya

answered that it was insentient. BhaTTar asked why they had decorated the

insentient pole. Sishya answered that it was by way of honoring the arrival of

PerumaaL to the Pandal. BhaTTar replied that his own body was likewise an

insentient object like the wooden pole but he had dressed himself up by way of

honoring PerumaaL. The moral of the story is that decorating oneself and making

oneself presentable will be OK, when done in honoring PerumaaL and

not otherwise.

(Thanks to Sri M.K.Sudarshan Swami of Kuwait who provided this anecdote)

 

7. Does not Krishna say that he would accept a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even

water when offered with devotion? If this were so, would it not suffice for us

to please the Lord by offering anyone of them?

 

Patram pushpam phalam thOyam yO mE Bhaktyaa prayachati/

Tad aham BHAKTYUPAHRITAM asnaami priyataatmana //

 

Answer:

It should be remembered that the Lord uses the word “Bhakti” not once but twice

in the above SlOkam. The key word is Bhakti. The Lord does not assess the value

of our offering but looks at the attitude of loving devotion like that of

RukimiNi who offered Tulasi leaves, GajEndra who offered flower, Sabari who

offered fruit and RandidEva who offered just water- but with absolute and

unalloyed devotion. If we are capable of mustering this intensity of devotion in

mind, word and deed (ManO-Vaak-Kaayam), the Lord would happily accept this from

us also.

 

An interesting aside is that we see Andal reversing the order in her

Tiruppaavai, namely deed, word and mind - Kaayam/Vaak/ Manas:

 

“Toomalar thoovi thozhudu, Vaayinaal paaDi manathinaal sindikka

pOya pizhaiyum pugu taruvaan ninranavum Teeyinil thoosaagum”

 

8. Assuming that we mature to that level of Bhakti, are we assured of mOksham?

 

Answer:

Yes. But, Bhakti has to be practiced like “Thailadhaarai”- (incessant flow like

oil) for over several lifetimes and one can attain mOksham only when one

acquires “Charama Sareeram”-(the last body on earth)

 

For the rest of us, however, we have the easy, user-friendly and quick means of

SaraNaagathi as indicated by the Lord in the KrishNa CharamaslOkam.

 

Bhaktyaa Paramayaa Vaapi Prapatyaa vaa MahaamathE/

PraapyOham na anyathaa praapyO mama Kainkarya lipsubhih//

 

The Lord says that Bhakti and PrapaTTI are the twin direct means to mOksham and

other like Karma yOgam, Jnaana yOgam etc. are not direct means but are

preliminary steps to acquire Bhakti or PrapaTTI.

 

With these difficulties and delays involved in practicing Bhakti, the Lord makes

it further clear that except for Prapannas, others cannot aspire to gain

mOksham.

 

Prapannaad anyEshaam na disati mukundO nijapadam/

prapannas cha dvEdhaa sucharita-paripaaka-bhidayaa//

viLambEna praaptir bhajana sukham yEkasya vipulam/

parasya aasu praaptih parimita rasaa jeevita dasaa//

 

9. If one performs PrapaTTI and is assured of mOksham, and if doing Karma (which

is Karma yoga) is of no avail, why should one perform the Nitya and Naimittika

karmas AFTER performing PrapaTTI?

 

Answer:

The proper observance of karmas prescribed in the Saastras is meant to instill a

regularity and discipline for leading one to Bhakti and/ or PrapaTTI. The

Saastras are the commandments of the Lord. Even in our mundane plane, a person

who transgresses the law of the land is punished by the Government, the Lord

would treat those who transgress his commandments (contained in the Saastras) as

TRAITORS to him, even if they claim to be his Bhaktas, which means that they

cannot escape punishment.

 

Sruti smriti mamaiva agjnaa yad tad ullanghya vartatE/

aagjnaachEdee mama drOhi mat bhaktOpi na vaishNava://

 

10. What are the most important karmas that one cannot give up?

 

Answer:

The most important of these Karmas are the Nitya karmas like doing the

Sandhyaavandanam and Naimittika Karmas like TarpaNam etc on special occasions.

Together, these are known as “Aagjnaa Kainkaryams”

 

Daksha Smriti says that a person who does not perform sandhyaavandanam is deemed

a polluted person who forfeits his right to do any religious duties and if one

does other karmas, they will be of no avail, in the absence of Nitya and

Naimittika Karmas ordained by the Lord as aforesaid. H.H. Azhagiyasinghar used

to say that these Agjnaa kainkaryams are like “duty” and other kainkaryams

(known as anugjnaa Kainkaryams) can at best be deemed “Overtime”. “Overtime” has

meaning only with reference to regular “duty” one cannot say that one would do

"OT withou doing duty!

 

sandhyaaheena: asuchir nityam anarha: sarva karmasu/

yad anyat kurutE karma na tasya phalabhaag bhavEt//

 

11. We find that so many of us have skipped doing Sandhyaa vandanam for so long.

What can we do now? Is there no redemption for us?

 

Answer:

Azhagiya singhar once said that in the first place, one should feel REALLY

REALLY sorry for the lapses so far and then resolve never again to commit such

lapses in future, come what may. This is called “NirvEdam”- (Sincere regret.)

and this NirvEdam is the “Parihaaram” for the sins of commission and omission.

It is never too late in life to resume doing duties. One need not be ashamed of

resuming doing Sandhyaa vandanam.

 

If you are heading the wrong way, God allows you a "U" turn!

 

If for some unavoidable circumstances, it is not possible to do the rite on any

particular occasion, one should “pull up” the arrears at the earliest

opportunity. There is actually a special “Sankalpam” for this. It runs like

this;

 

“PoorvEdhyu: ananushTitam……. Karma adya aham karishyE”

 

The bottom line is that from now on, the performance should NEVER be given up.

If and when your “NirvEdam is genuine, you will not commit the same mistake

again.

 

12. Azhagiya Singhar once cited that not only we, but the Lord himself has felt

“NirvEdam” on three occasions and resolved never again to commit lapses. What

were these occasions and how do these matter to us?

 

Answer:

The three instances took place in three yugas, namely, Kritayugam, TrEtaa yugam

and Dvaapara yugam. In our Sampradayam, there are 3 CharamaslOkams: Varaaha

Charama slOkam in Kritayugam, Sri Raama Charama SlOkam in TrEtaa yugam and Sri

KrishNa CharamaslOkam in Dvaapara yugam.

 

(1) Varaaha Charama SlOkam in Krita Yugam

This reads as follows:

sthitE manasi suswasthE sareerE sati yO narah/

dhaatu saamyE sthitE smartaa viswaroopam cha maam ahjam//

tatas thum mriyamaaNam tu kaashTa-paashaaNa sannibham/

aham smaraami mad bhaktam nayaami paramaam gatim//

 

Meaning:

 

“If a person who while having mind and body in good shape with all the natural

elements in fine fettle, thinks of me as the birth less one, when such a person

reaches the time of death lying insentient like a log of wood or stone and

becomes unable to think, I will remember that person at that time and take him

to the highest state”

 

But, did the Lord keep up his word?

 

For this, we have to allude to the Gajendra Story:

 

Indradhyumnan, a great and virtuous king was absolutely devoted to Bhagavaan

(Parama Bhaagavata) was once cursed by Sage Agastya to become an elephant.

Similarly, Hoohoo, a Gandharva was cursed to by a Mahrishi to become a

crocodile. But, they secured reprieve from the curse, when the Lord himself

would come to their rescue.

 

Though Indradhyumna became an elephant, Gajendra, he was conscious of his

intense devotion to Lord VishNu and used to pluck lotus flowers from ponds for

offering to the Lord. Once, when he was in the act of plucking flower in a pond,

the crocodile caught the leg of GajEndra. A “tug of war” ensued in which

GajEndra was pulling the crocodile out of the water while the crocodile was

pulling the elephant into the waters, because land and water were the areas

where the elephant and crocodile respectively were feeling at home and strong.

 

The war of attrition dragged on interminably long for 1000 divine years

(Devamaanaa Varusha). The elephant became emaciated by the long drawn war and

was fighting a losing battle until it had lost all hope of survival. It was then

that the pachyderm pathetically cried and pleaded to the Lord calling him

“AadimoolamE!” Gods other than Lord VishNu did not venture to its rescue saying

“I am not! I am Not! I am not the Aadimoolam”. It was then that the Lord mounted

on his divine bird vehicle and rushed to the spot. It was then that he directed

his Chakra disc that like a professional surgeon cut the crocodile’s throat

without harming the elephant’s foot! Though this is known popularly as “GajEndra

mOksham” in reality, who got MOksham first?

Elephant or Crocodile?

 

This point of the story is not relevant for us. What is relevant for us (and the

elephant) however, is the question why knowing fully well that as King and then

as elephant, Indradhyumna was his inveterate devotee, the Lord did not rush to

his succor for so long as 1000 DEvamaana years.

 

What came of his proverbial mercy (KaaruNyam)? Was he waiting for the

elephant to lose all consciousness and lie like insentient log of wood or stone

“KaashTa paashaaNa sannibham” being unable even to think?

 

Azhagiyasinghar explained that this is what caused “nirvEdam” for the Lord for

the first time!

 

However, in this incident lies a Rahasyam. The Lord would not help unless and

until the jeevan specifically prays for protection, which in Rahasya parlance is

known as “Goptrutva varaNam”- one of the 5 angas of SaraNaagati, others being

Aanukoolya Sankalpam, (doing what is pleasurable to the Lord) Praatikoolya

Varjanam (Avoidance of doing all that is opposite of this), Mahaa Viswaasam

(Absolute faith in the Lord’s extending protection) and KaarpaNyam (feeling

one’s utter helplessness to save oneself)

 

TrEtaa yuga

Let us see what happened in TrEtaa yuga. Everyone knows the popular story of

“VibheeshaNa SaraNaagati”VibheeshaNa had left his brother RaavaNa when the

latter called him a traitor and drove him out, was surrendering to Lord Rama

standing in mid-skies, pleading pathetically for acceptance at the feet of the

Lord saying that he had abandoned Lanka, friends, wealth, kingdom, comforts,

sons, wives and everything one holds dear and near, to surrender himself

wholeheartedly at the feet of “Raaghava”.

 

- parityaktaa mayaa lankaa mitraaNi dhanaani cha

- bhavad gatam mE raajyam cha jeevitam cha sukhaani cha

- Tyaktvaa putraams cha daaraams cha raaghavam saraNam gata:

- nivEdayata maam kshipram/

 

At this critical juncture, what did Sri Rama do? Did he rush to accept him?

 

No. The “KaruNaa Kaakutstha” summoned a conference of all his advisors to

assemble and debate whether VibheeshaNa could be admitted to their side or not.

The unending debate went on and on, each giving his reasons for NOT accepting

VibheeshNa until Hanumaan recommended acceptance. It was then that Sri Rama

declared that he would never forsake anyone who approached him extending his

hand of friendship

 

“MitrabhaavEna sampraaptam na thyajEyam kathamchana//

 

The famous Rama Charama SlOkam was born at that juncture when Sri Rama declared:

 

SakrudEva prapannaaya tavaasmeeti chaYACHATE/

a-bhayam Sarvabhootebhyo dadaami yEtat vratam mama //

 

The key words here are “YaachatE’, “abhayam” and SarvabhootEbhyO:”

The supplicant should literally “beg” (YaachatE) for protection.

And, what does Sri Rama give in return? “Abhayam”= Freedom from fear. And, fear

from whom? From “BhootEbhyO”= all creatures that are born.

 

There is not even a whisper of “mOKsham”!

 

That Sri Rama felt regret and expressed his anguish in delaying acceptance of

VibheeshaNa is well brought out by Swami Desika in “Abhaya Pradaana Saaram”

 

“If seized by RaavaNa, had VibheeshaNa surrendered from the other shores, I

would have been obliged to rush to his place with utmost speed (athi-tvarai) of

VainatEya, he has spared me from this by coming over to my place to offer his

surrender.. This is like the waters of the Ganga falling on the head of a lame

person at the place where he sits!"

 

And, he addresses VibheeshaNa saying: “Oh! VibheshaNa! If only I had

accepted you the moment you came to me you would not have had to undergo the

long and traumatic wait. Since this did not happen, the fault is entirely mine”.

Thus, Sri Rama assuaged VibheeshaNa.

 

To Quote From “Sillarai RahasyangaL- Part II by Vangeepuram Sri Rama

Desikachariar Swami, published in 1980 by V.R Ramaswami Iyengar, Advocate,

Tanjore:

 

“RaavaNa graaha griheetanaai kaDalukku akkaraiyilE ninru “Raaghavam SaraNam

gata:’ enraan aagil, naam athi-tvaraiyODE VainatEya gatiyaalE akkaraikkE sella

vENDi irukka, naan irunda iDathilE ‘pankhOPari gangaa nipadana’ nyaayathaalE

vanda ivanai naam viDumbaDi enn? Oru nOnDi irunda iDathil avan talaiyil gangai

taanaaga vandu vizhuvadu pOl avan vandu sERndirukkiraanE!” (Page 463)

 

“VibheeshaNarE !ippozhudu naam ummai yErpadarkku munn neer paTTa

sirumaiyellaam emmaal yErpaTTana! Neer vanda uDanEyE emmiDam paadukaappaip

petruk koLLa nErndirundaal emakku sirumaiyE irundiraadu. Adu nEraamaiyaal naamE

sirumai aDaindu kutravaaLaraai keTTOm” enra muraiyil pala iniya sorkalaalE

vibheeshananai uruga seidu…” (Page 513)

 

Dvaapara yugam; Draupadi’s distress

 

When Draupadi was dragged to the huge assembly for being disrobed, she cried

pathetically to Lord KrishNa appealing to him

 

“Dwaarakaa nilayaa achyutaa! Govindaa! PuNDareekaakshaa!

Raksha maam SaraNaagatam”

 

At the crucial moment, did Lord KrishNa rush to her help?

NO.

He sent the unending stream of draperies to guard her modesty ONLY AFTER she

called him “Hridaya kamala Vaasaa” –‘”Oh! You are the one who resides in the

lotus of my heart”. PaaNDavas were the darlings of KrishNa and he had a special

respect for Draupadi. Yet, he did not rush succor to her in the first place

itself. This left a permanent scar in his heart. KrishNa himself acknowledges

this saying:

 

“The delay in rushing to Draupadi’s help when she called me and pathetically

cried to me for protection is weighing heavily on my heart like a debt that I

owe her which seems to augment with ever mounting burden of usurious interest!”

 

GOvinda! Iti yat aakramaat krishNam maam doora vaasinam/

RuNam pravriddhamiva mE hridayaat na apasarpati//

 

That is why in the Sri KrishNa Charama slOkam the Lord assured that he will

never again forsake one who surrenders to him. At long last, it is as KrishNa

that the Lord uses the word “mOkshayishyaami”, which was not used as Varaaha, or

Sri Rama in the respective CharamaslOkas. Lord KrishNa does not stop with this.

He proceeds further to reassure us by saying “Maa Sucha!”- Do not grieve!

 

After all, As Swami Desika puts it this is the Sruti promise,

the expeller of all grief- “sOgam tavirkkum Srutip poruL”

 

Sarva dharmaan parityajya maam yEkam SaraNam vraja/

Aham tvaa Sarva paapEbhyO MOKSHAYISHYAAMI/

MAA SUCHA//

 

Meaning:

“Leaving aside all Dharmas that you are unable to perform, surrender to me. I

promise to relieve you of all sins and liberate you. Do not grieve”

 

So, Bhagavatas:

Let us take heart that "achyuta will never let us down!

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