AcArya rAmAmRtam - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. September 06. Part 2)

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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 - (from SrI ra’nganAtha pAdukA dt. September 06. Part 2)

 

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

 

 

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

SrI:

AcArya rAmAmRtam

SrImad rAmAyaNa upanyAsam by SrImad tirukkuDandai ANDavan

 

When one is doing ArAdhanam to bhAgavatA-s, it should be done with respect, and

they should be prostrated with devotion. It should not be done casually

[without sincerity]. dAtavyam annam vidhivat sarve varNA: yathA pUjAm

prApnuvanti (bAla. 13.14) – all castes must be served. Not in the temple; in

the yAgam premises. yatA vidhi – You should serve in such a way individuals

will be happy per sAstram and everyone is happy. na cA’vaj~nA prayOktavyA kAma

krodha vaSAt api (bAla. 13.15) – no one should feel disrespected through

passion or anger. They should be served with great respect. There is a story.

 

When uDaiyavar was present, there was goshTi tadIyArAdanai. Everybody was

eating. Everyone was being served. BhAshyakArar used to come and glance over

sometimes when food was being served (there is a practice even today to do

that, to make sure everyone is being served). One of the svAmi-s loved vaDai

(dumpling). The vaDai was very good; it was tayir (yoghurt) vaDai. When the

serving svAmi was serving on one side, this svAmi, who was sitting on the

opposite side, said, “svAmi, please serve vaDai”. The serving svAmi threw the

vaDai from the other side. BhAshyakArar saw this from behind. The svAmi who

was serving did not know this. Immediately, BhashyakArar touched the serving

svAmi on his back. When the latter turned around, he saw BhAshyakArar. “Do

not serve like this! If someone asks from the other side, go there, bend and

serve with respect. Do not make this mistake again”, said BhAshyakArar. The

serving svAmi placed the vaDai container on the floor and prostrated before him

and said, “even though I made a mistake, it turned out to be good. Why? It

led to my coming in contact with your tirumEni”.

 

yogaNaivAn kavarAda uDambinAl kuRaivilamE (tiruvAimozhi 4.8.9)

 

This is an account given when the tiruvAimozhi pASuram ‘ERALum iRaiyOnum’

(4.8.1) is explained. na tu avaj~nayA dAtavyA – one should not serve with

avaj~nai – disrespect. Food should be served with respect. Even though that

serving svAmi made a mistake, it ended up in something good. Otherwise, would

BhAshyakArar have touched him? It is said that even second-rate sanyAsi-s of

these days should not touch anyone (AcAryar laughs slightly). There is no

purity or anything (nowadays). Just saffron cloths, that is all. Will

BhashyakArar touch anyone? He (serving svAmi) got His (rAmAnujar’s ) SarIra

sparSam.

 

nammAzhvAr says –

 

ERu ALum iRaiyOnum tiSaimukanum tirumagaLum

kURALum tani uDamban kulam kulamA asurargaLai

nIRAgumpaDiyAga nirumittu paDai toTTa

mARALan kavarAda maNi mAmai kuRaivilamE. (tiruvAi. 4.8.1)

 

nammAzhvAr composes 10 pASurams – uDambinAl kuRaivilamE, uyirinAl kuRaivilamE,

taLir nirattAl kuRaivilamE. He says that he does not need any thing that is

not useful for bhagavad kaimkaryam.

 

na deham na prANAn na ca sukham aSEshAbhilashitam

na cA’tmAnam nAnyat kimapi tava Seshatva vibhavAt |

bahirbhUtam nAtha! kshaNamapi sahe yAtu SatadhA

vinASam tat satyam madhumatana vij~nApanam idam || (stotra ratnam 57)

 

ALavandAr talks in person to perumAL in his stotram. He says, “I am promising

svAmi! na deham, na prANAn na ca sukham aSeshAbhilashitam, na cA’tmAnam nAnyat

kimapi tava Seshatva vibhavAt bahirbhUtam ….

 

Anything must be useful for kaimkaryam to You. If it is not useful for that, I

do not need that deham (body) or that life. na ca sukham aSeshAbhilashitam – I

do not need the comforts that everybody wants. na cA’tmAnam – Nor do I need

this AtmA – soul. nAnyat kimapi – I need nothing. tava seshatva vibhavAt

bahirbhUtam – if it is not useful for Your kaimkaryam; na kshaNamapi sahe – I

will not bear it even for a second. Let this body, sukham or this soul –

SatadhA yAtu – shatter into hundred pieces. Let even AtmA go; let everything

go. vinASam tat satyam madhumatana! vij~nApanam idam – I make this

declaration with all truthfulness. What is the use for this body and

everything else? If it is not beneficial for bhagavad kaimkaryam, why do we

need this body and all the other things? “uDambinAl kuRaivilamE” – the serving

svAmi said “You touched me, that is enough for me”.

 

There is no other purushArtham than when AcaryAs and perumAL touch a person.

When offered moksham (by rAmar), A’njaneyar said that he would not come. He was

willing to go if he could go with the body he had. What is so special about

his body?

 

esha sarvasva bhUtastu parishava’ngo hanUmata: |

mayA kAlam imam prApya datta: tasya mahAtmana: (yuddha. 1-14)

 

So saying, had not perumAL embraced SiRiya tiruvaDi?

 

tiruvaDi said, “if I can come with this body, I will come to moksham;

otherwise, this body itself is good enough for me”. Can’t he be a monkey in

moksham? Not so in our philosophy; it is possible in mAdhvA philosophy.

 

They say, “However we are here, that is how we will be there too. It is not

different there”. In other words, the differences continue there [in SrI

vaikunTham] also. We do not have the differences in our philosophy. Because

there is sAyujyam (jeevan attains equality with perumAL), there are no

differences [except in the ability to create, protect and destroy].

 

When we go to SrIra`ngam, first we will see toNDar aDippoDi AzhvAr sannidhi;

then tiruppANAzhvAr sannidhi. Next is A’njaneyar sannidhi. The three will be

together. The three will be in the front entrance. There will be a lot of

stores. Why are the 3 sannidhis together? These three did not want mokham.

tiruppANAzhvAr became one with ra`nganAthan. tonDar aDippoDi azhvAr said.

“iccuvai tavira yAn pOi indira lOkam ALum accuvai perinum vENDEn ara`ngamA

nagaruLAnE” (tirumAlai 2). Anjaneyar said,

 

“sneho me paramo rAjan tvayi nityam pratishThita: |

bhakti: ca niyatA vIra! bhAvo nAnyatra gacchati “ (uttara. 40.16)

 

So, they all refused moksham. I just happened to remember this and so I am

mentioning it along these lines.

 

He (daSarathar) said that prasAdam must not be served with disrespect. So

saying, daSarathar started his dIkshai for yAgam. They did hOmam in the yaj~na

site as laid down in the SAstra-s. All the Rshis did the aSvamedha yAgam with

devout interest and completed it. vAlmIki says a lot about the yAgam. It was

so great.

 

dIyatAm dIyatAm annam – serve a lot of food. vAsAmsi vividhAni ca – give a lot

of clothes.

 

iti sa’ncoditA: tatra tathA cakru: anekaSa: (bAla. 14.12)

 

Accordingly, everybody got served well and given ample gifts.

 

aho tRptA: sma: bhadram te iti SusrAva rAghava: (bAla. 14.15) [daSaratha heard

everyone say that they were delighted and extremely satisfied].

 

tRptAsmaha: tRptA: sma: - so said everyone who came there, happily. daSaratha

cakravarti asked everyone. That yAgam took place in such a great fashion.

 

How were the ones who came to that yAgam? There was not one person who had not

learned sAstram.

 

na ashaDa’ngavit atra AsIt na avrato na abahuSruta: |

sadasyA: tasya vai rAj~na: na avAda kuSalA dvija: || (bAla. 14.21)

 

Everyone in that audience was a vidvAn (learned person). They had all done

veda adhyayanam in a proper way with all their six a’nga-s or parts. They were

all strict in practicing proper prescribed conduct as per SAstra-s (sadAcAra

SIla-s). Such kind of vidvAns officiated in the yAgam. Then, they were ready

to start the putra kAmeshTi yAgam. Okay. Bur first they should be given

dakshiNai (fees) for the aSvamedha yAgam.

 

Listen to this carefully here. When they said, ‘give dakshiNai’, he

(daSarathar) said ‘oh, yes, I shall give’.

 

prAcIm hotre dadau rAjA diSam svakula vardhana: |

adhvaryave pratIcIm tu brahmaNe daskshiNAm diSam || (bAla. 14.43)

 

udgAtre ca tathA udIcIm dakshiNaishA vinirmitA || (bAla. 14.44)

 

He donated the whole land in the East direction to the hotA [chief priest –

associated with Rgvedam]. He donated the land in the whole West direction to

the adhvaryu [priest who carries out the actual sacrifice – associated with

yajurvedam]. brahmaNe dakshiNAm diSam – he gave the whole land in the South

direction to the one who was brahmA [associated with atharvedam]. udgAtre ca

tathA udIcIm dakshiNaishA vinirmitA – udgAtA [one who intones the hymns with

the chief priest – he is associated with sAma vedam] was given the whole land

in the North direction. He gave away everything in the four directions. There

is no more rAjyam. Look at how he did yAgam. What wealth was he going to leave

for his sons? He donated everything in all the four directions. There was

nothing left. What did the brAhmaNa-s do after that?

 

ritvija: tvabruvan sarve rAjAnam gata kalmasham |

bhavAneva mahIm kRtsnAm eko rakshitum arhati ||

na bhUmyA kAryamasmAkam na hi SaktA: sma pAlanE |

ratA: svAdhyAyakaraNE vayam nityam hi bhUmipa ! || (bAla, 14-46,47)

 

The priests who performed the yAgam accepted (the donations). Then they said,

“svAmi! We do not want this bhUmi. You keep it. We got dakshiNai. yAgam is

completed. But, we do not want these”. Why? “How can we take care of this

land? We cannot protect it. na bhUmyA kAryam asmAkam – what will we do with

this bhUmi? na hi SaktA: ca pAlane – we cannot maintain this. What is our

duty as brAhmaNa-s? ratA: svAdhyAya karaNe – we will be doing veda adhyayanam.

We will perform homams mentioned therein. We do not need bhUmi. You take it.”

cakravarti said, “this is all for you, please take it.” The brAhmaNas

requested him to take them back.

 

gavAm Sata sahasrANi daSa tebhyo dadau nRpah, daSa kOTIs suvarNasya rajatasya

caturguNam (bAla. 14.50) – he gave away a lakh of cows, ten crores of gold, 40

crores of silver etc. The vidvAns accepted them and shared among themselves.

They did that without any fight. tata: te nyAyata: kRtvA pravibhAgam

dvijottamA: (bAla. 14.52) they shared the offerings between themselves

equitably.

 

When we go to temples, if we give 2 rupees, they (priests) will not share

without a fight. They will say, “That person did not even come to work today”.

They are going to get only a trivial amount; shouldn’t they refrain from

fighting for that!

 

tata: te nyAyata: kRtvA pravibhAgam dvijottamA: - dvijottama-s (the best among

brAhmins) took their fair share without any fight. Why this story? Why is

vAlmIki describing about giving dakshiNai? “daSarathan gave everything in the

four directions; they said they won’t be able to protect that and gave it back;

cakravarti bought back the bhUmi by giving them the full value of the land in

money”. There is a story here – it is said that vAlmIki wrote all this for a

reason.

 

The story goes like this:

 

daSarathan had a flaw. When bharatan had gone to his uncle’s house, daSarathan

decided to do coronation (for rAma); why? He had already given his promise to

kaikeyi that if she has a son, he will give him the kingdom. When he went to

kekaya king to ask for kaikeyi’s hand in marriage, the king said – ‘You have

other wives. You want to marry kaikeyi too. You do not have a son’.

Sometimes, when a husband marries a second wife, the first wife will beget a

child. More special than this – sometimes, after a child is adopted, an own

child will be born. Sometimes, mother-in-law will get a child after the

daughter-in-law gets one. All these are because of karma in the world. ‘If

kausalya gets a son, you will not give the kingdom to my grandson. If you

promise that you will give the kingdom to my daughter’s son (if one is born), I

will let you marry her’. kUrattaAzhvAn refers to this through the words -

mAtAmahe samASroushIt All these are talked about when bharatAzhvAn comes to

request (rAman to come back) in citra kUTam. Thus, the marriage took place

after his promising the kingdom for kaikeyi’s son – kanyASulkam dadau rAjA.

 

But daSarathan loved rAman very much. Some say that because of this extreme

fondness, he decided to do coronate rAma when bharatan was not around. They

say that he tried to hide satyam (truth) and do the coronation. daSarathar was

not veracious; that was why the coronation got cancelled – there are 5 or 6

Slokams there in ayoddhyA kANDam. It is conjured that he told rAman: “bad

dreams are coming; symptoms are all bad; be coronated immediately; it is okay

if bharatan is not in town”. So they try to assign fault to daSarathan as an

untruthful person. In other words, they say that he had a flaw. PerumAL thinks

about who He should choose for His father and decides to choose a person who

has no flaw at all. “pitaram rocayAmAsa tadA daSaratham nRpam” (bAla. 15.32,

16.8) is the Slokam. He had decided that He was going to be born to one who

was very good in this world - because, there are some issues in being born in

some places. People may ask, “Who was He born to? What kind of family?” etc.,

and someone will respond: “perumAL Himself was born; but His father was a bad

character”; People will say anything they like.

 

[The story on why vAlmIki goes into details of daSarathan’ gift of the lands to

the brAhamaNa-s and of his buying the lands back, is unfinished, and will

continue in the next write-up].

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To be continued …..

 

 

 

 

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