SVB # 5

[Guest guest]

Adiyen Dasanudasan

 

Herewith the next installment of my humble offering.

If there are any learned Ramanuja dasans who wish to

offer an alternative interpretation of any of the

sutras please I beg you to enlighten us all so that

together may we improve on our understanding, knowledge

and kainkaryam.

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lOkAchArya gurave krishna pAdasya soonavE

samsAra bhOgi sandaShta jeeva jeevAtavE nama:

_____________

 

Sutra 12.

By counsel, the dependence on Karma of both the Lord and

the jiva is annulled.

 

Without the mediation of the Goddess, the embodied Self

(jiva) believes that it is bound to experience the rewards

of its previous positive and negative deeds (karma-s) and

the Lord is committed to the management and administration

of the Karmic consequences of deeds. The good counsel of

the Goddess assists both the jiva and the Lord in laying

aside this karma-dependant relationship.

 

Sutra 13.

If not rectified by counsel, the jiva is rectified by Grace:

the Lord is rectified by beguiling charms [of the Goddess].

 

If the jiva is not convinced through the teachings of the

Scriptures and the acharyas then it will be reconciled to

the Lord through Divine Grace. The Lord is so in love with

Mother Lakshmi that He does whatever she suggests.

 

Sutra 14.

The greatness of upaya is demonstrated in the Mahabharata by

Krishna's taking upon Himself the duty of acharya, revealing

completely the teachings which were unknown and [revealing

Himself] both as purushakara and upaya.

 

As acharya, Krishna is the teacher, mediator and the means

to liberation for Arjuna. He gave him detailed teachings

and instructions, removed all barriers standing between them,

and revealed Himself to be the only means to ultimate

well-being and liberation. And finally He suggests to Arjuna:

consider well, all that I have taught you and then do as

you please! (Gita 18:63)

 

Srirama Ramanuja Acharya

http://www.srimatham.com

 

_____________

lOkAchArya gurave krishna pAdasya soonavE

samsAra bhOgi sandaShta jeeva jeevAtavE nama:

_____________

[Guest guest]

Dear Srirama,

Fond Greetings!

 

A slight qualification to your posting about Srimad

Bhagavad Gita:

 

> "Srirama Ramanuja Acharya" <excogitator

> Mon Jul 22, 2002 7:27 pm SVB # 5

> And finally He suggests to Arjuna: consider well,

> all that I have taught you and then do as you please!

> (Gita 18:63)

 

Please note that this is not the final statement that

Lord Krishna makes in Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

 

Lord Sri Krishna says:

"A mumukshu needs to know about the super secrets of

karma-gyana-bhakti yogas. I've revealed and explained

all that you need to know about these secrets which

are more secretive than secrets themselves. After

completely analyzing & contemplating on these, depending

upon your capacity & qualifications practise in your own

way karma yoga or gyana yoga or bahkti yoga"

 

The gyanam in this sloka refers to the science of "karama

yogam and gyana yogam and bhakti yogam".

 

Lord Krishna has given multiple choices and asks Arjuna

to select from the choices provided. Again Sri Krishna,

wanted to make sure that we select the right choice. Hence

He goes on to clearly clarify furthur which option to

choose as we are very dear to Him. That is what "do as

you please" means. One can do what ever one pleases but

within the norms and rules laid out by Sri Krishna in the

previous 17 chapters.

 

The next three slokas form the basis of our sampradayam.

To obtain Him, He will get rid of all the obstacles-papa

in the path. Since He is taking that extra burden of

clearing all our papa - obstacles which are preventing us

from attaining Him, Lord Sri Krishna is secretively conveying

that the Prapatti (saadya bhakti) version is the one which

He likes as He takes that extra mile of taking us closer.

 

Hare Ramanuja Hare Ramanuja Ramanuja Ramanuja Hare Hare|

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare||

Rushikesa

[Guest guest]

Adiyen Hrushikesha

 

thank you for your attention, but I think that you

have missed the point I was trying to make. In the

Three semetic religions (Christianity, Judaism and

Islam) all their teachings are commandment based

which means God gives orders and his followers obey

unquestioningly.

 

In the Gita on the other hand there are no "commandments"

only upadeshams which are gentle suggestions directed

at our personal well-being - Krishna is did not command

Arjuna because He is God but taught him with counsel as

a friend.

 

In the former there is no option but to do the will of

God in the second there is an option and we ourselves

suffer from our wrong choices (karma) - we do not incur

the anger of God!

 

Daso'ham

Srirama Ramanujacharya