The Six Answers by Lord Varadaraja for Ramanuja,

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sri:

 

The first vaarthai :- "BedhamE dharshaNam"

The 2nd vaarthai :- "Para-tattwam naame"

=> These two form the basis of Emperumaanaar dharshanam.

 

The 3rd vaarthai is ­ "Upaayamum prapatthiyE"

The 4th vaarthai:- "Anthima smruthiyum vEndA"

The 5th vaarthai :- "SharIra avanAshatthilE Moksham"

The 6 th vaarthai:- "Peria Nambi ThiruvadigaLilE Ashrayippadu."

 

"Jayasree Saranathan" <jayasree.saranathan

 

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

(1) Since by tradition, the 'Aaru vaarthai' exits, this is enough

proof that there were 6 questions or issues for which Illaiaazhwar

wanted PerumAL to answer.

 

(2) Going by the accounts on this incident, (those who have access to

original manuscripts, please reproduce them to know how the events

unfolded. Here I am going by the account given by Sri Desoor Nallaan

Chakravarthy Srinivasa Varadhan, former adhyaapaka of Sri

Parthasarathy sannidhi, Triplicane, in his book " Deva-p-perumALum,

IrAmAnusa DharshaNamum" 1973 edition, Ratnam press) Illaiyaazhwar

expressed his 'mana-klesham' to Thirukkachchi NambigaL and requested

him to get replies from dEva-p-perumAl. Here a question may arise why

Ramanuja himself didn't ask PerumAL. The reply to this question

contains all answers on this issue.

 

Ramanuja was then passing through a difficult period in his sojourn.

It was on the suggestion of his mother, he approached Thirikkacchi

NambigaL since he was close to Deva-p-perumAL ('andharangar to

Deva-p-perumAL').

 

He has just then received the biggest blow of not being able to

surrender unto SrI AlavandhAr, in him having left for Thiru nAdu. It

was Thirukkachchi NambigaL who consoled him that PeraruLALan would

certainly show him the way and assured that he need not entertain any

fear ("anja vEndaa"). It is for the kind of relationship that NambigaL

enjoyed with Deva-p-perumAL and he enjoyed with Illaiaazhwar, that

things took this shape. Ramanuja placed his request to NambigaL and

NambigaL conveyed the request to PerumAL. When we, the simple mortals

have been blessed by Him by receiving guidance when needed, without

even asking for them, there is no need to doubt whether the questions

were put forth by mouth or not. If we look at the supreme connection

between Uadayavar and Deva-p-perumAL, we know that this was the time

chosen by Him to get-start the mission of Ramanuja. Because after

receiving these Aaru vaarthai only, Bhagavad Ramanuja's Avatara

mission started, by receiving pancha samakaaram at Madhuranthakam. So

we conclude that PerumAL gave the Aru vaarthai, to satisfy the 6

questions that were in Ramanuja's mind.

 

This is further supported by NambigaL's enquiry when he conveyed the

replies to Ramanuja, whether these were the thoughts in Ramanuja's

mind. This shows NambigaL had not known the questions. He has only

conveyed Ramanuja's ViNNappam to PerumaL and re-conveyed what the

Lord had answered.

 

(3) What were the Aru vaarthai? Bhagavan never says anything which are

incomprehensible to His subjects. He may give them concealed, but

never out of their reach. Particularly, at this important juncture in

Avatara mission of Srimad Ramanuja, Bahgavan will utter in such a way,

that posterity (we , the ordinary mortals too) understand His

upadesam.

 

Looking at the Aru vaarthai, we automatically get to know the questions.

 

The first two (not given in Sri Padmanabhan's mail) were to do with

Ramanuja's klEsham arising from altercations with Yadhava prakaasha.

 

The first vaarthai :- "BedhamE dharshaNam"

From this the question is deduced ­ " What is right, bedham or

abedham? ( Or) What is Dharshanam? (This arises from the then

existing allegiance to abdEdha arguments promoted by Purva pakshins)

 

The 2nd vaarthai :- "Para-tattwam naame"

From this, the question deduced is ­ "Who then is supreme?" (or)

"Which is para-tattwam?" (Here again Ramanuja would have wondered

about how to reconcile the Mandukya advaitic passages with the oft

repeated upanishadic verses of two birds sitting on a tree, one

shining and the other eating karma) Bhagavan has sided with the 2-bird

theory, thereby giving a clear signal on how to proceed, as this forms

the basis of the doctrine of Seshatwam. This clarity given by

Bhagavan is seen to be reflected in the final passages of Brahma

sutra, where Ramanuja effectively establishes the 'no' to cosmic

activity for the Released soul.

 

These two form the basis of Emperumaanaar dharshanam. These are about

the "End" and the other 4 ( already mentioned in Sri Padmanabhan's

mail) are only about the other features that shaped 'process' or

'means' to attain Him. On the basis of this, my humble conclusion is

that these two vaarthaigaL must have very much been the Declaratory

vaarthaigaL of Bhagavaan.

 

Now the derivation of the 3rd question.

The 3rd vaarthai is ­ "Upaayamum prapatthiyE"

The obvious question is " Which is the upaayam" (Because there were as

many as 32 vidyas or methods of doing bhakti like Dahara vidya, Madhu

vidya etc, approved by Upanishads. But they were all to be followed

with strict austerities. Therefore Bhagavad concurrence was needed for

an easy upaayam to be promoted among the masses.)

 

The 4th vaarthai:- "Anthima smruthiyum vEndA"

The deduced questions is :- "Does one need to think of Him at the time

of death?"

This question must have prompted by Gita vachan on what one thinks at

the time of death, one gets after death. What kind of salvation can an

ordinary mortal get, who can not think of Him at the final moments.

This is the genuine and compassionate concern for ordinary people like

us, that must have troubled Ilaaiyaazhwar. Bhagavan gave the green the

signal.

 

The 5th vaarthai :- "SharIra avanAshatthilE Moksham"

The deduced question is :- " When does moksham occur?"

It is after the destroyal of body. Which body? Just the mortal body or

the body that carries works and gunas with it? It is here Bhagavad

Ramanuja formulated his prescription for how to shed the body with all

its attached materials. It is hereby "sarva phala tyaagam" outlined by

Bhagavan at the battle field is held as the supreme way to achieve it.

 

The 6 th vaarthai:- "Peria Nambi ThiruvadigaLilE Ashrayippadu."

The obvious question is " To which Acharyan, should I surrender?"

The back ground details shed more light.

Sri ALAvandhaar has left.

Ramanuja had made a pledge that he would fulfill ALavandhaar's wishes

and found his folded fingers straighten on making this pledge. There

were obstacles to make all the wishes happen. But he had the word of

consolation fromPeriya nimbi "ShrEyOmsi bahu vignAni bhavanthi

mahathaam api" ( many obstacles do come in the way of people of

shereyas ­ but he must not lose his heart.). Such was the troubled

time for our Udayavar.

 

 

Coming to the question to which of the 5 questions did Ramanuja's 6-

questions belong, here is the reasoning.

 

When NambhigaL made the ViNNappam, to PerumaL, He thought "The one who

knows in detail all these, is asking Me as how I asked Saandheepani

(in krishnaavathara)" and decided to clear his samshayam.

 

Since Bhagavan Himself was said to have compared Ramanuja's

questioning with Himself questioning Sage Saandeepani in

Krishnaavatara, it is 100% clear that Ramanuja knows the answers. And

even other wise we know that he has known the answers and only that he

wanted concurrence from Perumaal. He wanted to be 100% sure.

 

 

ViDaiyai-th-thandavan vishayatthil irukkum ­ adu

 

That was about clearing Ramanuja's samshayam - doubt whether he has

got them all right. Since Bhagavan made ThiruvulLAm to remove his

'klEsham', it is known that it was for the purpose of removing

whatever little doubt is there in his mind. Added to this is the 6 th

question, as Ramanuja must have been feeling rudder-less. Bhagavan

has given the assurance and also the go-ahead signal by these aaru

vaarthaigaL.

 

That is why this comes under 'Iyyam theerdal' - asking to clear

doubts, like how Yudhishtira asked Bheeshma, something discussed By

Sri Sadagopan Iyengar in his mail on 6 questions.

 

Regards,

Jayasree saranathan