Ecstasy from: Karunanidhi Krishna das, Melbourne

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Letter COM:2179289 (234 lines)

Internet: Kumar Panchapakesan <Kumar.Panchapakesan (AT) amcor (DOT) com.au>

Avadhut (das) GRS (BI Bombay - IN) [2824]

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Hare Krishna Avadhut Prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I enjoyed reading the life history of Srila Ramanuja Acarya which you have

posted. It is very wonderful.

 

I am sending out the following writeup which I found on internet to our

Vaishnava friends here. I am attaching it for your reading pleasure. You

may be already familiar with these pastimes of Srila Ramanujacarya. Also I

am attaching some bigger pictures of Srila Ramanujacarya.

 

Thanks for your association.

 

Your humble servant

Karunanidhi Krishna dasa

 

Attached files: <<Ramanuja.jpg>> <<ramanuj0.jpg>>

 

 

-------------------Srila RAMANUJA ACARYA-------------------

Sri Ramanuja Acarya appeared around 1017 A.D in a pious brahmanafamily. He

became the formost Acarya in the Sri Sampradaya and was reputed to be the

incarnation of Laksmana, the younger brother of Lord Ramacandra.

 

He was a boy of extraordinary intelligence and placed himself under the

charge of Yadavacarya, a renowned Sankarite scholar. His guru was struck

with his marvellous intellect and became very uncomfortable on account of

his firm faith in Bhakti. One day while taking a massage, Yadavacarya was

explaining to ramanuja a sutra "tasya yatha kapyasam pundarikamevamaksini"

(Chandogya 1.6.7), saying that according to Sankara, the two eyes of

Pundariksa are like two lotuses which are red like the posterior of a

monkey.

 

On hearing this interpretation with the unbecoming and low simile,

Ramanuja's soft heart, tender by nature and further softened by devotion,

melted and as he was massaging, tears rolled down from the corners of his

eyes like flames of fire and fell on the thigh of Yadava Prakash. Looking up

at the source of the hot tears, Yadava understood that something was

troubling his disciple.

 

Ramanujacarya explained his dismay at hearing such an unbecoming

explaination from his guru. He thought it sinful to compare with the

posterior of a monkey the eyes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead - who

is endowed with all gracious qualities and who is the repository of all the

beauty of the universe. Yadava was angry at the boys audacity and told him

to explain the verse if he could. Ramanuja analysed the word kapyasam to

mean `blossomed by the sun' and the verse to mean "The eyes of that Golden

Purusa are as lovely as lotuses blossomed by the rays of the sun."

 

After a few more such incidents where Ramanuja corrected his guru,

Yadavacarya thought him to be a threat to the Sankarite line and plotted to

kill him. Later it came to pass that Yadavacarya was to become the disciple

of Srila Ramanujacarya.

 

Yamunacarya the formost exponant of Vaisnava philosophy of the time, knowing

of his extraordinary ability and purity, called for Ramanuja with the intent

of placing him in charge of the mission after his disappearance. Ramanuja

was on his way to see Yamunacarya when he received the news of Yamunacarya's

departure from the world. Arriving at Sri-Rangam, Srila Ramanujacarya went

to have his last darshan of that great soul. There he noticed, three of

Yamunacarya's fingers were clenched.

 

Ramanuja then made three vows:

- he would make the people surrender to God andinitiate them by the

panca-samskara.

- he would write a commentary on the Vedanta sutra which was later called

Sri Bhashya.

- He would also write what is like an encyclopedia on the Puranas and would

name one greatly learned Vaisnava after Parasara Muni who wrote the gem

among the Puranas, the Visnu Purana.

 

Later Ramanuja took sannyasa and travelled throughout India vigorously

defeating atheists and impersonalists by preaching the Visista-advaita

doctrine. He never failed to win over a rival in spiritual disputations.

 

His philosophy is visistadvaita. Brahman is Narayana -(cit-acit-isvara),

Narayana with Laksmi - (transcendental form), Four Vyuha forms, Vaibhava

forms. The qualities of Brahman are both nirguna and saguna. The soul is

real, eternal, individual, not omnipresent, not independent of Isvara but

part. Isvara is the efficient cause of creation. It is from His will out of

delight.

 

The cause of bondage is beginningless karma. The process of release is

Bhakti based on Pancaratra and Visnupurana followed by detached karma that

brings jnana - Prapatti. The goal is to attain the same nature of Isvara and

companionship with Him. He does not return and has no power of creation,

etc.

 

Once while Ramanuja Acarya was staying in Jagannath Puri he offered prayers

to Lord Jagannatha, who became very pleased. Lord Jagannatha appeared before

Ramanuja and said, "Ramanuja, go and visit Sri Navadwip Dham, for very soon

I shall appear there in the house of Jagannatha Misra. Sri Navadwip is My

most beloved abode and is a part of the spiritual sky manifest in this

world. As my eternal servant and aleader amongst My devotees, you should go

there. Let your students stay here, for they are absorbed in dasya rasa

(servitorship in awe and reverence) and will not understand the advanced

devotional mood, so travel there alone. Any living entity who does not go to

see Sri Navadwip has been born uselessly. Just one portion of Sri Navadwip

contains Ranga Ksetra (Sri Rangam), Venkatesvara (Tirupati) and Yadava

Acala. Therefore go to Sri Navadwip and see My form of Gauranga.

 

After gaining the Lord's blessing go to Kurma Sthana and rejoin your

disciples.

 

"Folding his hands, Ramanuja humbly requested Lord Jagannatha, "My dear

Lord, You have mercifully told me something about Gauranga, but exactly who

He is, I do not know?"

 

The Lord answered, "It is known to you that Lord Sri Krsna, the Lord of

Goloka, is the Supreme Absolute Truth. That much is well known to My

devotees. That same Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in Sri

Vrindavan Dham is fully manifest as Sri Gauranga, and His beloved abode, Sri

Vrindavan, is manifest as the holy land of Sri Navadwip. Navadwip is the

Supreme spiritual abode and it is transcendental to the influence of the

material nature. In that divine land, Lord Gauranga eternally resides. By My

mercy that holy abode has come to exist within the universe, and it remains

completely unaffected by maya. This is the verdict of the scriptures. If

anyone thinks that Sri Navadwip is only a material location, then whatever

devotion he has developed will wither and perish. By My will, My

inconceivable energy preserves this transcendental abode within this

material world. Simply by studying the scriptures, one will not

be able to understand the Absolute Truth. Only by My mercy can My devotees

understand."

 

Hearing these words of Lord Jagannatha, Ramanuja was filled with ecstatic

love. "My dear Lord," he said, "Your pastimes are truly astounding. The

scriptures cannot fully describe Your opulences. Why is Gauranga-lila not

described in the scriptures?

 

Upon reflection, I find some hint of Gauranga tattva in the srutis and

puranas. Now, however, all my doubts are gone and I am ready to execute Your

will. If it is Your desire, I will goto Sri Navadwip and from there, I will

set out to preach about Lord Gauranga through-out the three worlds, giving

evidences from the scriptures to all, converting them to the devotional

service of Gauranga. Please instruct me. You have just to give me Your

order."

 

Lord Jagannatha replied, "Ramanuja, do not broadcast in this way. Keep these

secrets of Lord Gauranga's pastimes as they are for the present. Only after

He has concluded His pastimes will the people in general come to understand

them. Preach about me on the level of dasya-rasa as you have always done,

but within your heart, worship Lord Gauranga constantly."

 

Following Lord Jagannatha's order, Ramanuja secretly cultivated his

attraction for Sri Navadwipa. Being very merciful, Lord Narayana led him to

Vaikunthapura and showed him His transcendental form, worshipped by

manifestations of His different energies. Ramanuja felt himself

mostfortunate to see this, but, as he watched, the Lord manifested His form

as Gauranga, the son of Jagannatha Misra.

 

Ramanuja's mind became stunned by the brilliance of His shining golden form.

Lord Gauranga then placed His two lotus feet upon Ramanuja's head and

Ramanuja, filled with inspiration, began to offer prayers.

 

Ramanuja said, "I must see Your pastimes when You appear here in Navadwip My

Lord. I shall never leave this place."

 

Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu replied, "Your wish will be fulfilled, O son of

Kesava. When My Navadwip lila is revealed you will again take your birth

here."

 

Lord Gauranga then disappeared. Greatly satisfied by the Lord's promise,

Ramanuja returned to Kurma Sthana, where he joined his disciples. During his

life he preached devotional service to the Lord in the mood of dasya rasa,

or servitorship throughout the south of India, whilst internally he was

absorbed in meditating on the pastimes of Lord Gauranga. By Lord Gauranga's

mercy, he was born again in Sri Navadwip as a devotee named Ananta to assist

in the Lord's pastimes.

 

When Lord Caitanya made His appearance in Sri Navadwipa Ananta Vipra

was already quite old, He lived in a cottage which was situated beneath a

huge old banyan tree. There, within his humble abode, he would worship his

Deities of Laxmi-Narayana. None could describe the pure way in which he

worshipped Them. (Extract from Sri Navadwipa dham).