Guest guest Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Namaste, In the Srimadbhagavatam there occurs the Narasimhavatara, the story of the incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu as the Man-lion. The episode is also popularly known as Prahladacharitra. Prahlada, the devotee par excellence, gives a definition of the stages of Bhakti, devotion: ShravaNam kIrtanam ViShNoH smaraNam pAdasevanam | archanam vandanam dAsyam sakhyam Atmanivedanam || 25 of ch.5, canto 7|| This is the context in which the above verse occurs (22) Hiranyakas'ipu said. 'Now tell me Prahlâda my son, now you're so well taught, something nice about all that you, o love of my life, have been learning all this time from your teachers.' (23-24) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Hearing, singing, remembering Vishnu, attending to the feet, offering worship and prayers, becoming a servant, being a friend and to surrender one's soul are of all people offering the nine ways making up the bhakti that should be performed unto the Supreme Lord of Vishnu; the complete of that I consider the topmost of learning.' (25) Hearing his son saying this told Hiranyakas'ipu, with lips trembling of anger, thereupon the son of the guru [that was Prahlâda's teacher] the following: (26) 'You degraded brahmin! What is this, are you siding with the enemy so mischievously teaching this nonsense, not taking proper care of my boy, you fool! (27) Really, there are a lot of dishonest people in this world, who, cheating friends dress up for appearances; in the course of time can one of them observe the sin manifesting itself like a disease does with people living wrong. Now, in a discourse, the word ' Atmanivedanam' which means 'to surrender one's soul', was expounded in a different way. The compound word was split as 'Atmani vedanam' to give the meaning: Realizing the Lord in one's own Self. This novel way of expounding the word appealed to me being very Advaitic in nature. The exposition was done by a well-known scholar Sri Bannanje Govindacharya. The exposition, in Kannada, is very interesting, bringing out many subtle points pertaining to Indian culture, human psychology, greatness of poetry, etc. He is a great scholar in Sanskrit. As it is very enjoyable and beneficial, I am providing the links here for those Kannada-knowing members who are interested. One can listen one discourse per day. Narasimhavatara (by Sri Bannanje Govindacharya) (six discourses) http://www.udbhava.com/udbhava/songs.jsp?id=579 Again, the Valmiki Ramayana is expounded by the same speaker with special reference to the facets of Sri Hanuman's character. This is also an excellent exposition, in Kannada. He brings out the various aspects of human psychology in a very telling manner. Valmikiramayana (Sundarakandadalli Anjaneya) by Sri Bannanje Govindacharya (twelve discourses) http://www.udbhava.com/udbhava/songs.jsp?id=580 The Manku timmana kagga is a great work in Kannada by Sri D.V.Gundappa. It is a work on man's ultimate goal, Moksha. He lays down in beautiful poetry the ways of the world, how man reacts to them, how man ought to conduct himself and strive for Realization. The exposition by Swami Brahmananda of Chinmaya Mission, Bangalore, is very popular. I enjoyed listening to these recently online (although for the third time): Mankutimmanakagga (expounded by Swami Brahmananda in ten discourses) http://www.udbhava.com/udbhava/songs.jsp?id=58 Although all of the above are in Kannada, I thought I will draw the attention of the Kannada-knowing members to these. It would benefit all the members here if anyone presents on this List some of the very nice points from the above discourses. Pranams, subbu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Namaste Subbu, Thanks for your links on kannada discourse on line. I have been only listening to Swami Paramarthananda lectures online in English on Bhagavad Gita and The bhashyam on Mandukya Upanishad. The link is www.yogamalika.org. Since I live in Chennai listening to a Kannada talks are a remote possibility. I have heard tha Bannanje's lectures are very very good. Well now I can listen to them The only book I have read is Sri Ramayanada Mahaprasangagalu by Ks Narayana Acharaya which gives a different perception to some of the episodes in Ramayana. Thanking you once again om namo narayanaya. Lakshmi Muthuswamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Namastey Subbu'ravarey, MankuThimmanaKagga is really well narrated. And this nobel novel needs to be listened daily. Thanks for sending this. Hope all the Kannada knowing members will utilise this. -santhosh sharma (Tatvamasi - Look at others as yourself) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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