Ashtasloki Vyakhyanam - Introduction Conclusion.

[Guest guest]

sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

In the previous notes we saw the five points listed as 'Artha

Panchakam'.

In order to educate us on this issues several works have been presented

to us by the Lord. The chief among them are:

a. Vedas.

b. Ithihasas like Ramayanam and Maha Bharatham.

c. Puranas like Vishnu Puramam.

d. Dhivya Prabandam by Azhvars including Andal and Amudhanar.

All these have come to existence to elaborate the five points

listed in Artha Panchakam.

======End of Previous Post on Introduction====

There is another way of learning about ‘Artha Panchakam’

through the famous Rahasya Trayam, viz,

Thirumanthram, Dwayam and Charama Slokam.

These three mantras teach us the complete knowledge needed for us.

This path of learning is ranked higher by our

Acharyas.

One will be surprised to note that all the three mantras

were given to us by the all merciful and benevolent Lord Himself.

Therefore in our Acharya lineage the Lord’s name is

taken first.

Note the thanian given by Koorath Alwan,

“Lakshminatha samarambam’.

These three mantras though small in size having only few words,

contain all the essential deep meanings explained in the vast

literature of all the sastras put together. Therefore, our

earlier Acharyas (Purvacharyas) understood the importance

of these three mantras and were teaching their meanings to their

disciples.

The number of learners was very much limited. The teachings were

conducted in privacy and to a chosen few who stood the test for

imparting the knowledge. But with the advent of Swami Emperumanar

and by his order, the Acharyas (74 Simhasanathipathigal) broke the

tradition of teaching to only chosen few. This was

established by

Swami Emperumanar by his order to his disciples and also by his

own conduct. He could do so because of his large heartedness and

his deep concern for all of us. This fact has been acknowledged

by Swami Manavala Mamunigal in his work Upadesa Ratna Malai

" ooraan vazhiyaay, upatheesiththAr munnoor

*

eraar ethiraasar innarulaal *

paarulakil aasai udaiyoorkkellaam, aariyar kaal koorumenru *

pesi varamparuththaar pin * "

The only criteria prescribed and

followed for imparting

knowledge about the rahasya trayam is ‘deep interest in learning’

(aasai udaiyoork-ku-ellam)

Though the teaching was liberalized by Swami Emperumanar,

there was no known written work on the subject.

None came forward to create a work which will be useful for the

posterity. There is a reference in the later work by Swami Vedantha

Desikan to a work of Koorath Alwan, but that work is not

available.

The first and foremost work on rahasya

trayam that we have today

is by the son of KoorathAlwan, named Parasara Bhattar.

Swami Parasara Bhattar had the privilege of being

appointed

by Swami Ramanuja as his successor of the religious head at

Srirangam.

He accomplished the work entrusted to him and also gave his us his

successor Acharyan, Nanjeeyar.

This work contains only eight verses and is therefore named as ’Ashta

Sloki’.

The first four verses are devoted to explaining the meanings of the

first rahasyam, “Thirumantram”. This mantram

was revealed by Sriman Narayana

at Badri Ashramam to Nara, another form taken by Lord.

The next two verses explain the second rahasya manthram,

‘Dwayam’

The ‘Dwayam’ was delivered by the Lord to Sri Mahalakshmi and is

also

contained in the Vedas (Ghata Valli).

The last two verses explains the ‘Charama

Slokam’, the essence of Bhagwat Geetha,

this was uttered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.

In these small verses in AshtaSloki the

deeper meanings of all the rahasyas are

beautifully and briefly explained. The explanations given in this

write up are closely related to the commentary on ‘Ashta Sloki’

by Kanchi Maha Vidwan, Sri.U.Ve.Prithivadhi

Bhayankaram Annangaracharyar Swami.

==========================================================

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

Ramanuja Dasan

VP Srinivasa Varadan

For clarification on these posts, i can be contacted

in USA till 14 June : 312 850 1169

in India afterwords: 011 91 11 7561954