Reply to your query.

April 2, 2006

Dear Mr, Sarangarajan ,

Repeating the messages sent earlier. Kindly ack.

Adiyen. G.Sampath.

Quote.

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !

Srimathe Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha !

Srimathe Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Divya Paduka sevaka Srivansatakopa Sri

Narayana Yatheendra Mahadesikaya Namaha ! !

1-4-2006.

Queries from Sarangarajan and clarifications.

Your Query Nos .2 and 3.

I am basically an aiyangar. I also have poonal. I still doubt why we call it as

Brahmobathesam. Is it possible that anybody can teach what is Brahman . Is it so

simple, then why people strain so much by going to forest and watch the tip of

their nose?

I really forget what sloga they said while Brahmobadesam. Also I forget the

meaning of that. Can anybody tell me about that?

Clarification.

According to Sruthis and Manusmritis in our Hindu culture , every Brahmin

individual is supposed to have the basic exposure to the Vedas . Upananyanam

is a ceremony performed to young boys of 7+ years of age in this Hindu system

, to make the boy eligible to enter the Brahmacharya asramam of his life and to

understand the importance of the ultimate truth . Upanayanam literally means ,

bringing the ultimate truth nearer to the sight. Brahmopadesam is nothing but ,

the initiation to the Gayathri Manthram , which is supposed to be recited by the

individual , who has been thus initiated , constantly all through his life

there after . The young age was chosen because, it is in that age the children

stop getting the benefits of the karmas from their parents and so will have to

learn and perform their own Karmas for their life .

Some of the Brahma Gjnanis like Parasara, Vyasa, Sathyakama and Padmapada are

not born in the so called ' high caste ’ community but , as per the will of

the Almighty , they were responsible for codifying and organizing the Vedas

and compiling all the karmas for the Upanayanam ritual .

The Upanayanam function starts with the holy bath of the ward and his

parents as well , for purification of the outer body . After that , Yajnam is

performed , with the assistance of the priest .Then the Yagnopaveetha Daranam (

putting on the holy thread across the chest ) is done. From then on , the ward

is supposed to wear that sacred thread .

It consists of three threads with a knot , called ‘Brahmamudi’ symbolizing

Brahma ( the creator ) , Vishnu ( the protector ) and Siva ( the destroyer) .

Also the three threads would remind him of his duty towards his forefathers ,

the second towards his Acharyas , sages and saints and the third towards his

Deities and natural forces. Then the Gayathri Mantram is taught to him by his

father or teacher as under :

“ Om ! Bhoor Bhuva Suvaha ! Thath Savithur Vareneeyam ! , Bhargo Dhevasya

Dheemahi ! Dhiyo Yo naha Pracho dhayath !! ” .

This literally means , “ Oh ! triple wonder of creation, protection and

annihilation , splendor of the three interlinked worlds here , around and

beyond ! Oh! adorable spotless One , May You , that Supreme Divine Being ,

stimulate our intelligence for our self -wakening , so that we may realize the

Supreme Truth !! ”.

Gayathri recitation leads to intense sadhana towards God and sadhana leads

to success.

Thus one can note that the Gaayathri manthram has all the three elements ,

which figure in the adoration of God : description, meditation and prayer. The

first nine words of the mantra represent the attributes of the divine , Om

Bhur-Bhuvas-Suvah Thath Savithur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya . Dheemahi pertains to

dhyaana (meditation). Dheeyo yo nah Prachodayaath is the prayer to the Lord.

The mantra is thus a prayer to God to confer all the powers and talents to the

individual concerned . By virtue of being initiated to this Gayathri Manthram

,on the Upanayanam Day , one’s intellectual rays will dispel the ignorance

which has been pervading through the mind of the individual. The darkness will

be driven away and the person will be endowed with intelligence. The person ,

then , is expected to recite the Gayatri Mantram , learnt and perform Sandhya

rituals three times every day, all through his life .

Then the student symbolically asks for alms of rice from his mother and

other women . This is only to make him come out of that superiority complex and

learn to develop humbleness in him . He is then supposed to have been born

again , in the sadhaka World and have become ready to learn the Vedas in the

proper way .

The above process of Upanayanam is supposed to have reformed the student’ s

mind , purified and rebuilt it , towards the understanding of the Almighty ,

Sriman Narayanan . Thus this day of Upanayanam is very significant in the lives

of the people concerned and they must be proud to remember this day with joy

and thankfulness to Almighty for having bestowed that opportunity to them .

They should never try to run away from God. This is the prime

responsibility of a Brahmin.

Every human being is a guru unto himself. All the required potentials are

within him . Gayathri mantra emphasizes this very clearly . The Lord is

supposed to be within us as ‘Antharvyami’. We all have to be aware of this.

When we help or feed some one we should feel that the Divine within us is

helping or feeding the Divine in others. Once we develop this feeling , there

would be no cause for concern in this world. All our problems are due to the

egocentric desires we all have developed since childhood . Despite knowing

these, we are unable to overcome it , because of our Vasanas and poorva Karma.

Understanding of the Almighty and surrendering to His Holy feet alone can

help us to attain liberation.

In Srivaishnava Philosophy , no one is required to go to the forest and watch

the tip of their nose to see or understand Brahman. However, ‘ Brahman ’ is not

a commodity to be picked up from shelf and display to all . Ours is a simple

doctrine. The ‘ Brahman ’ is all pervading and all powerful . He is the father

of Brahma and also the father of all species of life. There is none equal to or

greater than Him. Still He is in the minds of every one as ‘ Antharvyami ’ .

Since no one can see or observe within himself , the best way to understand

Brahman is to fall under the Holy feet of the Almighty , Sriman Narayanan, as ‘

Saranagathy ’ , with a total implicit faith that He alone will take care of us

, as we are all His property. The Ithihasas and Puranas have enough material to

prove the existence of ‘ Brahman ’ . One should have the perseverance, interest

, faith and devotion to read those writings.

Constant thinking of Lord Sriman Narayanan would lead to ‘ Para Bakthi ’ .

Constant reading and analyzing the Thirukalyanagunas of Sriman Narayanan would

lead to ‘Para Gjanam ’. Holding the feet of the Lord in mind , praying Him and

seeking liberation would lead to ‘Parama Bakthi ’ stage , the stage Prahlad and

Droupathi reached . Once we get there , we would be able to visualize the

‘Aathma Saashathkaaram ’ , with HIS blessings. Remember . Lord Krishna gave

Arjuna the DIVYA Chakshoos , for Arjuna to have Darshan of his Universal Form

.. So without the permission of the Lord , seeing or understanding he Brahman is

next to impossible.

Since you are quite young and have the eagerness to understand our culture ,

try to devote your free time to read and understand the books , mentioned above

.. Believe me . It would stand you in good stead. When it has done to others and

me personally , it should do it to you as well.

Your Query No. 1.

I learnt that Maha kavi Subramaniya Bharathi and Swami Vivenakanda has

objected anybody falling in their feet. I am asking this as a doubt and not to

wound anybody. Why do we still follow this tradition. I think that we have to

take blessings by falling in the feet of our parents, even if our parents are

culprits, I think we have to continue this for the reason that without whom we

would have not been in this world. Similarly we should fall to god, but why do

we do this to acharyas (They are gurus no doubt, but still they also are not

exception from 3 gungas) .

Clarification .

The writer feels sorry to state that there has been a complete

misunderstanding on the subject here . The reason why Mahakavi Bharathi and

swami Vivekananda objected to falling on their feet , is to make people aware

of the importance of worshipping the ever lasting ‘ Brahman ’ instead of the

human race. It is prescribed in our Sastras that one can prostrate to his

parents , his acharya , who has done Gjana Upadesam to him , other elders , who

are God fearing individuals and even young Bhagavathas ( if they are not

related to the individual ) , who excel him in the knowledge of the Supreme .

By doing this one’s life time improves , his strength also increases , he

becomes famous, he inherits the right type of wealth and he brings forth to

this world , only good children. On this , if one closely follows up the

readings in Ramayan , where Lord Sri Rama had clearly exhibited to the world

, how one should conduct himself in this world , in situations like

this , it would help a great deal . Please go through the same.

As per our Srivaishnava Philosophy , Lord appreciates more a person , who

gives respect to His Bhagavathas instead of Bhagvan Himself . So prostrating to

Bhagavathas , who are devoted to God is desirable. No student has authority to

question the integrity or Gunas of his Acharya. This Almighty hates to the core.

Acharya’ s Gunas would be evaluated by his Acharya. So why should we bother ?

Thus , you would note that , our Srivaishnava Philosophy is very simple and

easy to understand and follow. It is only the WILL from our end , to read and

learn that is required. Being a clever software Engineer , try to use your

computer and internet knowledge , to understand and conceptualize the doctrines

of our culture , instead of merely arguing for the sake of argument . It will

never take you any where. Take it from me.

While the writer fully appreciates , your willingness to learn these , hope

the explanations given above are in a way clarifying some of the basic doubts

you had on the subject. You need not be very apologetic about your youthful days

and the surroundings there in. The lives of many Acharyas and Alwars would

reveal that one need not be in the best of surroundings to understand the Lord .

It is all an excuse for not doing a thing . Bon in the ‘Paanar Kulam ’ ,

Madhurakavi Alwar attained fame and glory as the best disciple and devotee . It

is one’s mental make up and that is , in our hands.

Understanding and appreciating your anxiety , the writer is marking a copy of

this to all the members of Srirangasri group , so that , your friends, who are

a bit shy to ask clarifications on this issue , can also be benefited. Trust

you agree with me on this.

Pardon me to add this. For your kind information , the writer is an Engineer

from IIT Chennai , after B.Sc. and has retired from service in 1997 , having

worked as The President of a multinational Engineering company . But all those

are not going to help the writer to attain salvation. Holding tightly the

HOLY feet of the Lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimha alone would help .

Trust this note would be of benefit to you .

God bless you .

Adiyen , Ramanuja dasan

G.Sampath.

1-4-2006

Dear Mr. Sarangarajan ,

Further to my reply , clarifying your query , please note that in the last

portion of the clarification note , a mistake has happened . Instead of ‘

Madhurakavi Alwar ’ , it should be read as ‘ Thiruppaanaazhvar ’ . He was the

one born in ‘ Paanar Kulam ’. Please read accordingly.

Regret the error. Regards.

Adiyen , Ramanuja Dasan ,

G. Sampath.

Unquote.

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April 2, 2006

dear sir, pranams. your explanations are very good.i am happy lot of

thankful to you. yours respectively,

s.lakshminarayanan.

Sampath G <sampath_govindachari wrote: