SRI RANGA SRI - E- JOURNAL - VOL.09 / ISSUE # 12 dated 16th December 2007

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SrI:

SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //

SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/

SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//

KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /

SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//

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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.09 / ISSUE # 12 dated 16th December 2007

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. SARVAJIT – MAARGAZHI MAASA PANCHAANGAM DETAILS

2. YUDDHA KHAANDAM PART - 2 (SRIMAD RAMAYANAM DISCOURSES IN THE

HINDU TEMPLE OF ATLANTA by SRI ANBIL RAMASWAMY SWAMI)

3. TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 42- SLOKAM 17 -PART 4

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 275 Regular issues of SRS have been released

so far, apart from numerous " Special Issues " as indicated below:

27 Issues of Vol. 1

15 Issues of Vol. 2

42 Issues of Vol. 3

35 Issues of Vol. 4

28 Issues of Vol. 5

30 Issues of Vol. 6

50 Issues of Vol. 7 and

36 Issues of Vol. 8

12 Issues of Vol. 9(including this)

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1. Sarvajit varsha Kaarthikai maasa Panchangam:

 

December 16, 2007 – Sunday – Maargazhi month begins* (*- as per Seva

diary)

December 20, 2007 – Thursday – Vaikunta Ekadasi

January 6, 2008 – Sunday – ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr Thirunakshthram

January 8, 2008 – Tuesday – amavaasyai

January 8, 2008 – Tuesday – Hanumath Jayanthi

January 10, 2008 – Thursday – SravaNam

January 14, 2008 – Bhogi paNdikai

 

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2. " YUDDHA KHAANDAM " PART - 2 OF SRIMAD RAMAYANAM

(ANBIL RAMASWAMY)

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9. VIBHEESHANA SARANAAGATI

Iti uktvaa parusham vaakhyam raavaNam raavaNa anuja:/

Aajagaama muhoorthEna yatra Raama: sa lakshmaNa:// (17.1)

 

Uttering harsh words to Ravana, VibheeshaNa instantly came with four

of his like-minded attendants Anala, Sarabha, Sampaati and Praghasa

to where Rama was with LakshmaNa and was standing in mid-air. The

monkeys who saw him thought that he had come to kill Rama because if

Rama were to be slain, all others would also die. So, they started

pelting stones and trees at VibheeshaNa. VibheeshaNa was not daunted

by this and pleaded with the Vaanaras to announce to Rama that he

had come to take refuge at his feet, having been discredited like a

servant and chased out by his brother, Ravana who did not heed his

advice to restore Sita to Rama.

 

" I have renounced my wife and child, wealth and power. Please let

him know that I, VibheeshaNa am standing here " .

 

sOham parushitas tena daasavat cha avamaanita:/

tyaktvaa putraams cha daaraams cha raaghavam saraNam gata://

sarva lOka saraNyaaya raaghavaaya maha-atmanE/

nivEdayata maam kshipram vibheeshaNam upasthitam// (17-16 & 17)

 

10. THE FIVE ANGAS OF PRAPATTI

 

As per our Siddhantam, SaraNaagati or Prapatti to be effective

should have the following five 5 angas (accessories). Let us see how

VibheeshaNa's saraNaagati fulfills each one of them:

 

(1) Aanukulya Sankalpam: Resolve to act only in accordance with what

is pleasurable to him. VibheesahaNa's advice to Ravana to restore

Sita to Rama represents this.

(2) Praatikulya Varjanam: Resolve to scrupulously avoid all actions

not pleasurable to the Lord (i.e.) those opposed to the ones stated

under (1) above - VibheeshaNa tearing himself off from the evil

minded Ravana and leaving behind near and dear ones.(tyaktvaa

putraams cha daaraams cha)

(3) Maha Viswasam: Absolute faith and confidence that the Lord will

surely protect - VibheesahaNa's great confidence in Rama's mercy in

the face of the Vaanaras rejecting him. (sarvalOka saraNyaaya

raaghavaaya mahaatmanE)

(4) KaarpaNyam: Realizing the utter inability of the individual to

do anything except surrendering at the feet of the Lord. This 'Self

effacing' confession eliminates the ego, pride, possessiveness and

such other defects in the individual. Having been driven out by

Ravana, I have no go except seeking refuge in you. (sOham parushitas

tEna daasavat cha avamaanita: )

(5) Goptrutva VaraNam or Atma Nikshepam: A formal expression of

one's total dependence on the Lord for protection. He spells out his

surrender in so many words: (raaghavam saraNam gata:// nivEdayata

maam kshipram vibheeshaNam upa sthitam//)

 

11. THESE 5 ANGAS IN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

 

It may be doubted how one could cultivate the five " angas " mentioned

above. Day in and day out, we are adopting and practicing these in

our lives without our ever being aware of it.

12. DEPARTMENTAL

STORES

 

Take the case of your visit to a departmental store for buying some

article that you need. The fact that you go to the particular store

is a favor done to that store. This is Aanukulya sankalpam. That you

avoid going to another competitor of his is Praatikulya varjanam.

Since you are not capable of manufacturing the product is an

admission of your Aakinchanyam. The trust you place in the

particular store for delivering the goods in quality, quantity at a

reasonable price is your Mahaavisvasam, that impels you to go to

that stores. The fact of your picking up the product you need from

the aisle, putting it in the store cart and pushing it to the cash

counter for preparing the bill for payment in an implied request for

the item constitutes your Goptrutva varaNam.

13. BABY SITTER

To cite another example, when you have necessarily to go out under

unavoidable circumstances, you may have to entrust your kids to the

care of a baby-sitter, of course for a consideration. The fact that

you pay the baby sitter is your Aanukulya Sankalpam, towards that

person. Not entrusting the job to some other person is an act of

avoiding something unfavorable to that person. This is Praatikulya

varjanam. It is because of your inability to look after your wards

or take them with you for whatever reason is a tacit acceptance of

your helplessness. This is your Aakinchanyam. Your trust in the

babysitter for taking good care of your wards constitutes your

confidence or Mahaa visvaasam. What you request that person while

entrusting the job is the expression of Goptrutva varaNam.

The same analogy can be extended to any situation in real life where

one has to depend on another at whatever time or place or

circumstances. If we recognize the fact of adoption of these

measures even in our daily routine, it should not be difficult for

us to consciously adopt the same while performing Prapatti - and no

special training or orientation is needed to inculcate these

requirements.

dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

(To be continued)

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3.TAATPARYA RATNAVALI - SUBMISSION 42 - SLOKAM 17 -PART 4

(SRI N. KRISHNAMACHARAIAR SWAMI OF CHICAGO)

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SrImate Ra'nga RAmAnuja mahA deSikAya namaH.

tAtparya ratnAvaLi - Submission 42, Slokam 17

Part 4,

tiruvAimozhi 1.6, pASuram 1.6.7, 1.6.8.

pASuram 1.6.7:

 

nIL kaDal SUzh ilangaik kOn tOLgaL talai tuNi SeidAn

tALgaL talai vaNangi nAL kaDalaik kazhiminE.

 

Pass the ocean of time in this birth by worshiping the Lotus Feet of

the Lord who severed the shoulders and the heads of rAvaNan who was

the chief of LankA surrounded by the vast ocean.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the aspect of sukara bhajanatvam in this

pASuram with the words pAda Asakta prasakteh. He who is attached to

those who are devoted to His divine Feet (Asakti devotion,

attachment; prasakti attachment, devotion) tALgaL talai vaNangi nAL

kaDalaik kazhiminE. Those who possess the knowledge about Him will

realize that this samsAra is like an ocean. But they pass this

ocean easily by meditating on His great valor in destroying the

likes of the mighty rAvaNa. For those who are devoted to His Feet,

the ocean of time in this samsAra passes very easily. SrImad

tirukkuDanthai ANDavan explains svAmi deSikan's words - pAda Asakta

praskatan- as tan tiruvaDigaLait talaiyAl vaNangugiravargaLiDam

anugraham uLLavan. He who is benevolent to those who worship Him

with bowed heads.

 

SrI UV comments that rAvaNan with 10 heads and 20 shoulders wouldn't

even bow with just one of those heads, and so the Lord had to kill

him; all we need to do is surrender to Him with humility and with

bowed head at His Feet, and He takes care of getting us over the

ocean of samsAra and to His abode.

 

The aspect to enjoy in this pASuram is the extreme mercy that

bhagavAn displayed towards even the likes of rAvaNan. BhagavAn gave

ample opportunity to rAvaNan to realize his mistake and surrender to

Him. One day at the end of the day's fight, when He could have

finished off rAvaNan easily, bhagavAn told him instead: Go and

recoup some strength and come back; then we will continue the fight

gaccha! anujAnAmi, ASvAsya niryAhi . Even though several well-

wishers of rAvaNan advised him to surrender to Lord Rama, he came

back to fight and refused to surrender. Even then, the Lord severed

his head only one at a time, leaving behind the remaining heads and

thus giving him an opportunity to surrender till the last moment -

such is His mercy.

 

In the current pASuram, AzhvAr advises us to spend our time

meditating on the great story of Lord RAma and on all His brave

deeds that show His enormous mercy also simultaneously; our time in

this samsAra will pass very easily with His Grace. SrI UV points

out that bhagavAn keeps aiming the arrow of viveka (discernment) at

the devotee and thereby removes the confusion caused by the ten

indriya-s and the mind, and the devotee is thus able to attain Him

easily - 'daSa indriya Ananam ghoram yo mano rajanIcaram viveka Sara

jAlena Samam nayati yoginAm' (SASvata samhitA).

 

pASuram 1.6.8:

 

kazhimin toNDIrgaL kazhittu tozhumin avanai, tozhudAl

vazhi ninRa val vinai mALvittu, azhivinRi Akkam tarumE.

 

toNDIrgaL! kazhimin; kazhittu avanait tozhumin; tozhudAl, vazhi

ninRa val vinai mALvittu azhivinRi Akkam tarum Devotees! Desist from

attachment to things other than Him. Worship Him and surrender to

Him. As soon as you do, He will remove all the enormous sins that

stand in the way of rendering kainkaryam to Him, and offer the

eternal wealth of nitya kainkaryam to Him.

 

svAmi deSikan captures the gist of this pASuram through the words

sakRdupasadane mocanAt. He who bestows moksham even if one

surrenders just once (sakRt -once, on one occasion; upasadana

approaching, sitting at the feet) - avanait tozhudAl azhivinRi Akkam

tarumE. Surrendering to Him not only enables the devotee to cross

the ocean of time in this world easily (pASuram 1.6.7), but it also

will give the devotee the eternal abode of SrI vaikunTham at the end

of this life (current pASuram).

 

The pATham used by SrI venkaTeSAcArya and others is sakRd upasadana

mokshaNAt, whereas SrI UV has preferred sakRd upasadana mocanAt.

The first would mean that bhagavAn gives moksham, and the second

would mean He gives liberation.

 

SrI venkaTeSAcArya explains svAmi deSikan's words as orukkAl

upasatti paNNinArkku virodhi nirasana pUrvamAga a-punarAvRtti

lakshaNa mokshattaik koDukkaiyAlum. For those who approach Him even

once, He gives the eternal moksham from which there is no return to

this world again.

 

The basic message of AzhvAr is: First give up all other attachment;

then surrender to Him; He takes care of the rest; you are

guaranteed moksham. It is as simple as that sukara bhajanatvam

ease of worship. Having a part of us involved in vishaya sukham

attachment to worldly pleasures, and the other part in trying to

devote to Him does not work well; inevitably, more time and more

births are involved in attaining Him that way.

 

Regards

dAsan kRshNamAcAryan

(To be continued)

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