AcArya rAmAmRtam - Dec 05 - 3

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SrI:

SrImate ra’ngarAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrImate SrInivAsa rAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrImate vedAnta rAmAnuja mahAdeSikAya nama:

SrI ra’nganAtha divya maNi pAdukAbhyAm nama:

SrI ra’ngarAmAnuja mahAdeSika divya pAdukAbhyAm nama:

 

AcArya rAmAmRtam - Dec 05 - 3

Translation of

SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam in tamizh by SrImad

tirukkuDandai ANDavan

 

As published in SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA by

SrI U.Ve. nATTEri kiDAmbi rAjagopAlAcAriyAr (Editor

of SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA)

 

SrImad ANDavan tiruvaDi,

kalyANi kRshNamAcAri

 

 

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SrI:

AcArya rAmAmRtam

SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam by SrImad tirukkuDandai

ANDavan

 

Since the SAstra-s declare that the association with

AcArya is essential – that is why – “tapasvAdhyAya

niratam tapasvI vAg vidAm varam”, the question arises

– what are the attributes of an AcAryan? This Slokam

describes the characteristics of an AcAryan and the

characteristics of a Sishyan.

 

tapasvAdhyAya niratam, vAg-vidAm varam, munipu’ngavam

nAradam paripapraccha – nAradar has 3 characteristics.

How many are described for a Sishyan? tapasvI vAlmIki

has just one characteristic. Because, Sishyan should

not exceed the AcAryan in anything. Even if the

Sishyan (in this case vAlmIki) thinks highly of

himself, he should not be giving himself more in the

Slokam (only a few people understand and laugh).

 

How should an AcAryan be? AcAryan should have tapas.

tapas also means kAya kleSam. Food should be taken in

controlled quantity. What is the use if he is

eating/drinking something in tea shops everywhere the

bus stops? He should be one who limits his intake.

SvAdyAya niratam – should know vedam. AcArya:

vedasambandha: purANaj~no viSeshata: - he should know

purANams. Should be able to deliver upanyAsam-s. Only

by doing upanyAsam, he can improve. Otherwise, he

cannot. He should at least teach the meanings of

vedams. nAradar is involved in tapas and practice of

Vedas – tapasvAdhyAya niratam. He will not be

indulging in food constantly. It is wrong to keep

eating constantly. One should limit one’s intake of

food. That is what we always say.

 

rAmar asks Sabari.- He went to Sabari’s ASramam. She

offered worship to Him.

 

We can understand what questions to ask of whom, by

reading rAmAyaNam. Otherwise, we will not know.

 

How should a brAhmaNan be addressed? How should a

kshatriyan be addressed? How should a Rshi be

addressed? All these are in rAmAyaNam. When rAman

enquires Sabari’s welfare, He asks “kaScit te niyata:

krodha: AhAra: ca tapodhane” (AraNya kANDam 74.9).

What a beautiful Slokam!. Just look at how these 16

letters are! kascit te niyata: krodha: AhAra: ca

tapodhane. samskRt words are so beautiful even to

read. “Mother Sabari! Have you got your anger under

control? Is your anger going down every day? Is your

food intake decreasing?

 

If our sambandhi (son’s or daughter’s in-law-s) comes

to our house, can we say “sambandhi swami! Is your

food intake going down?” (audience laughs). What will

he say? There is a protocol for asking questions to

different people. He (rAmar) is not asking His wife.

He is asking a tapasvi (saint). “AhAra: ca tapodhane!”

– Don’t get angry because I asked if food intake is

going down! tapodhane – I will not ask this question

to others. I will not ask this question of someone

living in the city. tapodhane – your wealth is tapas;

so, I am asking you.

 

tapas svAdhyAya niratam – He (nAradar) is involved in

tapas and svAdhyAyam. “tapo brahmetivyajAnAt -

taittreya Upanishad. tapo’tapyata - tapa: refers to

Brahmam; it refers to paramAtmA. tapas svAdhyAyam

means – svAdhyAyam that has tapa: as pradhAnam –

svAdhyAyam that has Brahmam as pradhAnam. In Upanishad

there is a part called niratar. vedam has two

parts. The first part talks about activities to be

done for happiness in this earth and in worlds like

svargam. We need rain, we need air, we need money, we

need cow, calf, we need bangalow, etc. when pancAti

(blessing) is said, these are uttered - “Ayu: ASAste,

suprajAstvam ASAste, divyam dhAmASAste”, “yadanena

havishASaste”; Ayu: ASAste – praying for a long life;

they drop very little annam in the agni; they will not

put more; but, what do they ask for – long life; they

ask suprajAstvam ASAste – want a good, beautiful,

intelligent boy who will gets first mark in the

Presidency. divyam dhAmam ASAste – want a big mansion;

all the activities in this respect are referred to in

the pUrva bhAgam. uttara bhAgam is upanishad. In the

upanishad part, the way to worship bhagavAn is the

only thing that is explained. tapas svAdyAya niratam –

brahma prAdhAna upanishad part. nAradar is interested

in this part. upanishads are the ones that talk about

bhagavAn. SanyAsi-s should chant only Upanishad, and

not the pUrva bhAgam. AcAryan is needed only to know

about bhagavAn; vAgvidAm varam – he knows how to talk.

Among those who can talk, nArada bhagavAn is the best.

If the darkness -ajn~Anam - in the Sishyan’s heart is

to be removed, what is the use if the AcAryan does not

speak? If a Sishyan goes to an AcAryan who is a silent

svAmi, what can he do for his Sishyan? At best, he can

feed him food. Will ajn~Anam be removed? AcAryan must

be one who can speak - vAg vidAm varam.

 

 

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End of December 2005

 

To be continued………