Guest guest Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 srImathE rAmAnujAya namah dear bhAgavathAs, I was reading through the first part of AchArya hrdayam and a specific sUtram caught my eye. I want to share the sUtra with you all. Before I do that, a few words about AchArya hrdayam from a layman's perspective. svAmi Azhagiya maNavALap perumAL nAyanAr, who is the younger brother of svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr, is incredible in his exposition of the philosophy. With svAmi maNavALa mAmuni's commentary, and the various tamizh translations of that, it is an incredible source of clarity for us. The first part of AchArya hrdayam, perhaps, is the clearest and most non-confusing exponentiation of the sampradAya that I have come across. svAmi minces no words when discussing things like karma, varNA, kainkaryam, sAstra and his clarity of thought is just divine. The specific sUtra that I want to share with you is the 32nd sUtra. This sUtra helped me clear in my head some of the typical confusions regarding karma etc. the sUtra is as follows: sAdhana sAdhyangaLil mudhalum mudivum, varNa dharmigaL dAsa vrththigaL enRu thuRai vERiduviththadhu. A paraphrasing of svAmi MM's vyAkhyAnam is as follows: for those who are involved in depth with kainkaryam, they have no togetherness (sErththi is the tamizh word) with those who are involved in depth with karma. i.e. sAdhanaththil mudhalum -the first step for the sAdhana ==> karma sAdhyaththil mudivum - the end of what is gotten ==> the most superior of things that one can obtain - i.e. kainkarya varNadharmi ==>one who is deeply involved with following only the specified rules of his/her varNa/Ashrama dAsavrththi ==>one who is the devotee of the Lord i.e. karma and kainkarya cause us to be unrelated {us ==> those who are focussed on following the rules laid down for their jAti, and those who are focussed on doing service to the Lord) There is an anecdote mentioned in the vyAkhyAnam for this sUTra. In thiruvahIndrapuram, there was a person by name of villipuththUrbhagavar. All the town people used to go to the same area in the riverbank (thurai) for doing the morning anushtAnams. However, he used to go to a differnt place along the riverbank for the daily morning rituals and come to town. One day, the brahmins in the town asked him "Oh jIyaa, why are u not coming to the place where we perform morning rituals?". For that he replied "Oh brAhmaNAs - we are vaishNavAs, devotees of Lord vishNu. You are all brahmins who perform the duties as laid out for the caste. There is no oneness between us who do kainkaryam to the Lord and you who focus on doing the duties as laid down for the brahmin caste"! What a clear thought process! Obviously he does not mean that a brahmin cannot be a vaishNava. What he means is that the mental mindset of a vaishNava is different! - i.e. a vaishNava is less bothered about the varnAshrama dharmAs, but more bothered about performing service to the Lord!. Though the above distinction can sometimes be obvious, it really is a key feature. In previous sUtrAs, svAmi clearly talks about karma being associated with the body and kainkaryam being associated with the soul. He further distinguishes between "sAstris" and "marma sparsis" - i.e. between those who follow the sAstra and those who focus on the inner meaning of the thirumantram. This attitude difference is apparent when we look at many things - even to this day, we have people who insist on the "superiority" of a brahmin birth (while svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr has clearly taught us otherwise), or who ascribe some sort of a superiority to being born in a srIvaishNava family. svAmi azhagiya maNavALap perumAL nAyanAr teaches us one thing - all these are related to your body and they are impermanent. Focus on things related to your soul! adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan, varadhan HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 ramanuja, Varadhan T A <tavaradhan> wrote: > srImathE rAmAnujAya namah > > dear bhAgavathAs, > > > Though the above distinction can sometimes be > obvious, it really is a key feature. In previous > sUtrAs, svAmi clearly talks about karma being > associated with the body and kainkaryam being > associated with the soul. He further distinguishes > between "sAstris" and "marma sparsis" - i.e. between > those who follow the sAstra and those who > focus on the inner meaning of the thirumantram. > > This attitude difference is apparent when we look > at many things - even to this day, we have people > who insist on the "superiority" of a brahmin > birth (while svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr has clearly > taught us otherwise), or who ascribe some > sort of a superiority to being born in a > srIvaishNava family. svAmi azhagiya maNavALap > perumAL nAyanAr teaches us one thing - all these > are related to your body and they are impermanent. > Focus on things related to your soul! Dear Sriman Varadhan, Thank you for the educating posting. However, all the things like taking birth in a brahmin family are not related to body. We have made them related! For example, as we know, Perumal Himself says varNa division is by karma and guna and NOT by birth. However, being called brAhmaNas brings us some sort of pride (ahankaram mamakaram - which are to be completely got rid of in our sampradAyam) in the society, though people like me are not into Vaidika profession. One advantage in taking birth in a SV family is we get some exposure to Alwars, Ramanuja their preachings etc. Other than that no specific advantage. If we look into Bhagavata purANa, follwoing are His devotees: 1.PrahlAda 2.Bali 3. guha 4.AnjanEya 4.sugrIva 5.jAmbavAn 6.vibhIshaNa 7.rantidEva 8.ambarIsha 9. rukmAngada 10. draupadI 11.pAndavas 12. vidura 13.akrUra 14. bhIshma 15.Suka 16.satyavrata 17.dhruva 18.gajEndra 19.vyAsa 20. kuntI 21. gOpIs and several others. more than 90% of them are not brAhmaNas even by profession! While many people say "gObrAhmaNEbhayah Subhamastu nityam", we say "adiyArgaL vAzha, aranganagar vAzha" at the end of our prayer. Also we are not supposed to do abhivAdanam when we prostrate before elders but are supposed to say "adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan" only. Similarly we have to skip things like sandhyAvandanam when there is a service in temple or when we have to serve a BhAgavata who has come to our house. We have to treat each other in paraspara naichyabhAvam and everyone has to consider hiumself/herself as inferior to others. One may question why one should skip sandhyA to attend temple service? By going to temple, whatever service we do, like chanting prabandham, or cleaning the temple, doing thirumanjanam for the images of Perumal, all are BhAgavat kainkaryams ONLY. Bhagavan does not need a single kainkaryam from us for He is avApta samasta kAman. By chanting prabanadham, we are prserving it. Also people present will get attracted by the ideas of Alwars. Also the people reciting are serving each other by enjoying His qualities together (I sing nicely, you enjoy it, I enjoy your singing nicely - that must be the spirit). By doing thirumanjanam, the images are maitained well for a long period and this will attract people by making them feel His presence. Best example of Bhagavta kainkaryam is chAmarOpachAram during purappAdu. Why should we do this fan service? Definitely not for Him nor for His parivAra dEvatAs (Consorts, Alwars etc.) but only for the comfort of His adiyAr bearing the pallanquin or some other vAhanam. The only selfish motive behind going to temple can be getting some mental peace. For that we can offer prayer to His picture or vigraham or sAlagrAma moorti at our house itself. So by going to temple, we are getting the additional privelege of being serviceable to others, which is the real qualification of a SV. > > adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan, > Vishnu > > > > > > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA. APPAN THIRUVADIGALE SARANAM. Dear Baghavatas, Accept my pranam. Sriman Varadan Swamy and Sriman Vishnu swamy have done appreciable service. Sree vachana Bhooshanam and Acharya Hrudhayam are treasures to be known by all Srivaishnavas. They contain THE REAL SPIRIT OF Srivaishanavism.. The caste factor, Asrama( Brahmachari, Yethi et.c) knowledge, Anushtanas( observances of karmas) of any body who does not have the correct knowledge on Emperuman ,his relation to him and his relation with others are to be disregarded. The first chapter (up to Sutras 86) of Acharya Hrudhayam deals with the greatness of Namazhvar and the various aspects of high caste and low caste in correct sense. The present day generation will not be able to understand it as it is. The construction of the passages are compiled with relevant phrases from Thiruvaimozhi(mainly) and other pramanas in a special style. The readers through the guidance of able persons only can understand this. The translation of them in English reflecting the spirit of sutras is also difficult affair. Many quotations are to be furnished to the readers, as the passages are such without which the purpose will be lost. If they are furnished it will become like a textbook which will not be relished by all. In spite of the difficulties Adiyen feel that all able persons should make effort in this regard for the reasons mentioned below. (1) The present day generation is not aware of the real Srivaishnavam (2) To day almost all are materialists. They want to enjoy the life or in other sense they care more for the body and are not interested in the real sense about the soul(Atma) (3) The temple worship is utilized for getting redress for their sufferances. Of course in earlier days too such kind of persons was more; but there were people in small numbers who cared for the soul. (4) Other people are misguiding and misinterpreting Srivaishnavism. (5) At least some body if not many, may take advantage of these informations and get benefited. (6) Postings on selected Sutra may be handled by able persons for the benefit of Baghavatas.. (7) Adiyen’s prayer to Emperumanar and Emperuman is to bless me to do something in this regard. (8) Adiyen’s humble request that no body should get offended by this posting Adiyen Ramanujadasan, T.Parthasarathy. On Sat, 10 Aug 2002 vsmvishnu wrote : >ramanuja, Varadhan T A <tavaradhan> wrote: > > srImathE rAmAnujAya namah > > > > dear bhAgavathAs, > > > > > Though the above distinction can sometimes be > > obvious, it really is a key feature. In previous > > sUtrAs, svAmi clearly talks about karma being > > associated with the body and kainkaryam being > > associated with the soul. He further distinguishes > > between "sAstris" and "marma sparsis" - i.e. between > > those who follow the sAstra and those who > > focus on the inner meaning of the thirumantram. > > > > This attitude difference is apparent when we look > > at many things - even to this day, we have people > > who insist on the "superiority" of a brahmin > > birth (while svAmi piLLai lOkAchAriAr has clearly > > taught us otherwise), or who ascribe some > > sort of a superiority to being born in a > > srIvaishNava family. svAmi azhagiya maNavALap > > perumAL nAyanAr teaches us one thing - all these > > are related to your body and they are impermanent. > > Focus on things related to your soul! > >Dear Sriman Varadhan, > >Thank you for the educating posting. However, all the things like >taking birth in a brahmin family are not related to body. We have >made them related! For example, as we know, Perumal Himself says >varNa division is by karma and guna and NOT by birth. However, being >called brAhmaNas brings us some sort of pride (ahankaram mamakaram - >which are to be completely got rid of in our sampradAyam) in the >society, though people like me are not into Vaidika profession. > >One advantage in taking birth in a SV family is we get some exposure >to Alwars, Ramanuja their preachings etc. Other than that no specific >advantage. > >If we look into Bhagavata purANa, follwoing are His devotees: > >1.PrahlAda 2.Bali 3. guha 4.AnjanEya 4.sugrIva 5.jAmbavAn >6.vibhIshaNa 7.rantidEva 8.ambarIsha 9. rukmAngada 10. draupadI >11.pAndavas 12. vidura 13.akrUra 14. bhIshma 15.Suka 16.satyavrata >17.dhruva 18.gajEndra 19.vyAsa 20. kuntI 21. gOpIs and several >others. more than 90% of them are not brAhmaNas even by profession! > >While many people say "gObrAhmaNEbhayah Subhamastu nityam", we >say "adiyArgaL vAzha, aranganagar vAzha" at the end of our prayer. >Also we are not supposed to do abhivAdanam when we prostrate before >elders but are supposed to say "adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan" only. >Similarly we have to skip things like sandhyAvandanam when there is a >service in temple or when we have to serve a BhAgavata who has come >to our house. > >We have to treat each other in paraspara naichyabhAvam and everyone >has to consider hiumself/herself as inferior to others. > >One may question why one should skip sandhyA to attend temple service? >By going to temple, whatever service we do, like chanting prabandham, >or cleaning the temple, doing thirumanjanam for the images of >Perumal, all are BhAgavat kainkaryams ONLY. Bhagavan does not need a >single kainkaryam from us for He is avApta samasta kAman. By chanting >prabanadham, we are prserving it. Also people present will get >attracted by the ideas of Alwars. Also the people reciting are >serving each other by enjoying His qualities together (I sing nicely, >you enjoy it, I enjoy your singing nicely - that must be the spirit). > >By doing thirumanjanam, the images are maitained well for a long >period and this will attract people by making them feel His presence. >Best example of Bhagavta kainkaryam is chAmarOpachAram during >purappAdu. Why should we do this fan service? Definitely not for Him >nor for His parivAra dEvatAs (Consorts, Alwars etc.) but only for the >comfort of His adiyAr bearing the pallanquin or some other vAhanam. > >The only selfish motive behind going to temple can be getting some >mental peace. For that we can offer prayer to His picture or vigraham >or sAlagrAma moorti at our house itself. So by going to temple, we >are getting the additional privelege of being serviceable to others, >which is the real qualification of a SV. > > > > > adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan, > > Vishnu > > > > > > > > > > > > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > > http://www.hotjobs.com > > > >azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam > > >Your use of is subject to > > ________ Give your Company an email address like ravi @ ravi-exports.com. Sign up for Rediffmail Pro today! Know more. http://www.rediffmailpro.com/signup/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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