whom does the Soul(emperumAn) choose? (�charya rAmAnuja answers)

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SrI:

SrImatE rAmAnujAya nama:

SrI laksmI narasimha parabrahmaNE nama:

 

dear vaishNavAs,

 

The following is a passage from the English translation(george Taibut) of SrI

bhAshya of AchArya rAmAnuja... The passage clearly explains, in emperumanar's

opinion, how the Lord chooses some one to grant His Mercy.

 

"The vAkyakAra then propounds a pUrvapaksha (prima facie view), 'once he is to

make the meditation, the matter enjoined by scripture being accomplished thereby

, as in the case of prayAjas and the like'; and then sums up against this in the

words 'but(meditation) is established on account of the term meditation' that

means -- knowledge repeated more than once(i.e. meditation) is determined to be

means of release(mOksha).-- The vAkyakAra then goes on 'Meditation is steady

remembrance, on the ground of observation and statement.' That means -- this

knowledge, of the form of meditation, and repeated more than once, is of the

nature of steady remembrance.

 

Such remembrance has been declared to be of the character of 'seeing', and this

character of seeing consists in its processing the character of immediate

presentation (pratyakshatA). With reference to remembrance, which thus acquires

the character of immediate presentation and is the means of final

release(mOksha), scripture makes a further determination, viz. in the passage

Ka. Up. I.2.23,

 

'THAT SELF(GOD) CANNOT BE GAINED BY THE STUDY OF VEDA(REFLECTION), NOR BY

THOUGHT ('MEDITATION'), NOR BY MUCH HEARING.

 

WHOM THE SELF CHOOSES, by him it may be gained; to him the sellf reveals its

being.' This text says at first that mere hearing, reflection, and meditation

donot suffice to gain the Self, and then declares, 'whom the Self chooses' by

him it may be gained.

 

NOW A CHOSEN ONE MEANS A MOST BELOVED PERSON; THE RELATION BEING THAT he by whom

the Self is held most dear is most dear to the Self. That the Lord(bhagavAn)

himself endeavors that this most beloved person should gain the Self, He Himself

declares in the following words, To those who are constantly devoted and worship

with love I give the knowledge by which they reach me' (BG 10.10), and *to gum

who has knowledge I am dear above all things, and he is dear to Me' (BG 7.17).

HENCE HE WHO POSSESSES REMEMBRANCE MARKED BY THE CHARACTER OF IMMEDIATE

PRESENTATION (sAkshAtkAra), and which itself is dear above all things since the

object remembered is such, he, WE SAY, IS CHOSEN BY THE HIGHEST SELF, AND BY HIM

THE HIGHEST SELF IS GAINED.

 

Steady remembrance of this kind is designated by the word 'devotion' (bhakti);

for this term has the same meaning as upAsana (meditation). For this reason the

scripture and smriti agree in making following declarations, ' A man knowing Him

passes over death' (Svet. Up. 3.8); 'knowing him thus he here becomes

immortal'(Taitt Ar. 12.7); 'Neither by the vEdAs, nor by austerities, nor by

gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be so seen as thou hast seen me. But by devition

exclusive I may in this form be known and seen in truth, O arjuna, and also be

entered into' (bha. gita 11.53,11.54); 'That highest Person, O pArtha, may be

obtained by exclusive devotion' (BG 8.22)"

 

sarvam SrI krishNArpaNamastu.

dAsOham,

SrIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.

 

 

you can downlaod sri bhAshya at

http://sriranganatha.tripod.com/sri_bhashya.pdf