Bhagavad Ramanuja Vaibhavam- 1.18- Samsaaric afflictions - why and how to get rid of?

[Guest guest]

SRI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all

All – you, me- everyone- every being exists and strives only for maximum

attainment of pleasure and happiness. No one wants to be unhappy. No one moves

even his little finger to become unhappy or to get pain. But as the life

progresses, one begins to realize (if blessed by Bhagawaan and with the

individual any past unintentional good karma) that however hard one tries to

attain pleasure, there is a pain (more pain) associated with every pleasure in

life. There is something always missing in material and worldly happiness. One

gets scorched by samsaaric affliction. Everything changes. Pleasure alternating

with sorrow for ever; partings, deaths, old age, diseases, poverty, accidents,

untimely deaths of near ones; - all these in addition to happenings due to our

own- bring extraordinary unhappiness and frustration.

Material possessions do not give us happiness; It is in only giving that we

receive; Having things or being something, provide some temporary meanings and

fleeting pleasures; it may bring illusionary satisfaction to lots of people. Not

to blessed one.

The blessed one gets the dawn of knowledge and realization that he needs to do

something; he looks for someone who can guide him; a GURU… Thus, our religion

points out that all attainments including the attainment of Bhagawaan Himself

depend thus upon the vivEka (or discriminating knowledge) that could be gained

from the instruction of Guru (Acharya). So, this is an introduction to the

spiritual endeavor of an aspirant for attainment of the ultimate goal- namely to

get rid of further births and attain Absolute Bliss. Don’t we want the same?

 

One should first gain nirvEdam (or regret / repentance) for having missed so

long of this bliss and divine communion on account of our own karma and our own

involvement of bodily pleasures and ungodly pleasures of the world. When one

realizes that the results of karma are not everlasting, he develops nirvEda that

he can not gain the supreme thorugh these karmas and he rushes to Acharya for

gaining knowledge of Supreme. Thereafter, he undertakes the discipline as

enlightened and instructed by Acharya who is most compassionate to us in spite

of our past transgressions, verily like the most merciful Bhagawaan Himself.

This origination of a desire to know the truth about Him, about us, and our

relationship with Him; the way to attain Him and the destination (i.e. Him). We

also get to know what are the hurdles on track. They are covered as artha

panchakam.

 

The athma (Jeevathma) is treated by Bhagwawaan as His very precious gem stone

that he adorns on His divine chest, Kausthubha gem. Swami Desikan mentions the

same in a sloka, maNivara iva sowrE: …

 

The meaning of the verse (in Srimad Rahasyathraya sara) is: The Jeevathman who

is very dear to the Supreme Lord just as the Kausthubha gem, has not gained the

sovereignty of the eternal kainkaryam and enjoyment of the Lord on account of

covering of his real nature by the beginningless prakruthi or matter due to his

own karmas for aeons. Though the jeevathman is qualified for that supreme state,

he has been laboring under the burden of his karmas and is bound. Though he is

thus bound, being blessed and caught by the kind glances of the Supreme Lord at

some appropriate time (like now for us), on account of some casual

(unintentional even) good deed done knowingly by the jeevan, he will be blessed

with the instruction of the peerless preceptors (acharyas) and will save himself

by taking up the discipline prescribed by acharya therefor.

 

In this verse, it needs to be understood, every jeevathman is thus qualified

regardless of creed, caste, colour, sex. It does not matter who he or she is;

where he or she is born. Anyone can. Jeevathman is fully qualified for the

divine bliss and communion with the Lord. But he had missed so long for his own

karma; on his involvement in kaamya karma or interested (self interested)

actions on account of the fact that he is not endowed with the true wisdom of

tattva (entity), hitha(means) and purusharttha (Goal)

 

Being ignorant of his nature, he is involved in samsaara, this ignorance of his

will be destroyed by the acharyas at a proper time, when an opportunity comes

due to some good deed performed knowingly or unknowingly and then he will know

his true nature and takes a genuine turn in his life

[From Dr Sri U Ve NS Anantharangachar Swami's book on Essence of Srimad

Rahasyathraya saram]

 

More of it - next post

Acharyan ThiruVadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

namo narayana

dAsan