SRI RANGA SRI VOL.10 / ISSUE # 11 dated 13th July 2009

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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.10 / ISSUE # 11 dated 13th July 2009

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IN THIS ISSUE:

 

1. Aadi Maasa Panchangam

2. VEDIC RITES- 2 by Sri U Ve Anbil Ramaswamy Swami, USA

3. AZHWAARS and SWAMY DESIKAN (2.3- PeyAzhwAr and Swamy Desikan – Part 2)

4. Srivaishnavam – Part 4

 

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ISSUES RELEASED

With this issue, about 298 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

36 Issues of Vol. 8

27 Issues of Vol. 9 and

11 Issues of Vol. 10

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1. Panchangam- Virodhi varsham – Aadi month

 

16.7.09- Aadi month begins (tharpaNam)

18.7.09- Saturday – Ekadasi vratham

21.7.09- Tuesday – Aadi amavasya

22.7.09- Wednesday – Solar eclipse

1.8.09- Saturday - Ekadasi vratham

4.8.09 – Tuesday – Utthiraadam - Alavandhar Thirunakshathram

5.8.09- Wednesday – Avani avittam Yajur upakarma

6.8.09- Thursday – Gayatri Japam (and Rk Upakarma)

16.8.09- Sunday – Ekadasi vratham

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2. VEDIC RITES – 2

Sri Anbil Ramaswamy USA

CHAPTER 2

ARRANGEMENT OF THE VEDAS

It is believed that the earliest Vedas arranged by " VEDA VYASA " comprised of the

RIGVEDA, SAMAVEDA, and YAJURVEDA. But, ATHARVAVEDA attributed to the sage

ATHARVAN was a later addition to the " TRAYEE VIDYA " (referring to the earlier

three).

RIG VEDA (Oldest Vedic verses in oral form) Hymns of praise.

This relates to the function of `HOTA' or the person who sits in a place, tends

the sacrificial fire and recites prayers (Mantras). The collection comprises of

64 Chapters, 10,552 verses in 1028 hymns arranged in 10 books (MaNDalas) known

as " Sakala " recension, the text used by the priestly school. It included 36

hymns called " Khilasuktas " (not in the original Rig Vedic nucleus).

J.MUIR observes:

" RIG VEDA provides far more illustrations of the workings of human mind, in the

period of its infancy upon matters of religion, than can be found in any other

literature whatsoever " - 7

Rig Vedic hymns, however, contain only some oblique references to " Rites " like

how it is difficult to secure a husband for a girl without a brother

(RV.II.17.7) or a girl who is long past her marriageable age or references to

Aasura and Gandarva forms of marriage.

YAJUR VEDA (Hymns of wisdom of sacrificial rites chanted with cadenced

intonation)

Rites performed by " Advaryu " or person engaged in actual performance of the

rituals (formulas). He handles the sacrificial instruments, measures quantities

of materials for sacrifices and performs the actual sacrifice.

`Vaisampayana' imparted them to 27 pupils; including `Yagnavalkya'. But, both of

the teacher and the pupil quarreled on an interpretation on the praayaschitha

(atonement) for the `Mahaapaataka' (great sin), on the preceptor accidentally

killing his own sister's child. The quarrel resulted in Yagnavalkya leaving his

preceptor after `vomiting' what he had learned. The other pupils immediately

transformed themselves into Taittri (Black birds) and picked up the texts and

hence Taittriya samhita is called " Krishna Yajurveda " (Black Yajurveda).

Another legend says that Vaisampayana taught Yaska and Yaska to Tittri.

Therefore it is called Taittriya. Yet another legend says that Yagnavalkya

learned the texts from Sun who acknowledged his homage by appearing in the form

of a horse and revealed to him again the Yajur Veda. So it is called `Vajaseneyi

Samhita or " Sukla Yajurveda " (White Yajurveda).

 

Yajur Veda presents an advanced stage in the evolution of rituals. It describes

the duties of different priests engaged in the performance of sacrifices, the

formulas to be observed by Adharvyus etc. In general, the concentration of Yajur

Veda was the Srauta Sutras and not on the Grihya Sutras.

SAMA VEDA (Hymns of wisdom set to melodious music)

Relates to the functions of " Udgaata " or person who sings Saamans or Musical

notes (i.e.) chants set to music. In the Veda of sacred songs (saamans), hymns

were taken out from Rig Veda transposed and rearranged to suit ritualistic

requirements. They have been 'notated' for purposes of chanting with a special

'cadence' and a remarkable 'melody'. The three recensions of Samaveda are the

Gauthama saka prevalent in Gujarat, Jaiminiya current in Karnataka and

Ranayaniya popular in Maharashtra. - 8

Sama Veda does not reveal much of the procedures involved in rituals because its

concern was more to musical rendering of the hymns of Rig Veda than detailing

the rituals.

The three Vedas together were known as `Trayividya' - (three fold collection of

wisdom). A fourth Veda was added later.

ATHARVA VEDA (Miscellaneous)

Attributed to sage Atharvan describing the functions of " Brahma " - the person

who is the general supervisor of rituals – in modern parlance, the " master of

ceremonies " . But, Atharva Veda is also known as a `weird' one dealing with

charms and incantations dealing with spirits, witches, goblins and Imps. Other

portions deal with mystic hymns, priestly riddles and human anatomy, special

amulets, list of remedies for various venoms and poisons etc. There are separate

sections dealing with wedding and to funeral rites.

It is in Atharva Veda that we find a plethora of information on religious rites

and ceremonies touching almost every aspect of human life both spiritual and

mundane, for example prayers for longevity (Ayush karmaNi) and therefore, more

attuned to domestic rituals elaborated in " Grihya Sutras

 

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3. AzhwArs and Swamy Desikan

3.1- Peyazhwar and Swami Desikan – Part 2

 

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Continuing on PeyazhwAr and Swamy Desikan- we will now enjoy the remaining part.

The same is echoed by Swami desikan in his dEhaLeesa sthuthi sthotra –

 

7th verse- kaasaara poorva kavimukhya vimarttha janmA..... noonam samAsrayathi

noothana SarkarAthvam "

 

Oh Lord Dehaleesa! You are verily a special quality sugarcane, I would dare say.

The three saints (mudhal azhwars) Poikai, Bhutham and Pey azhwArs enjoyed a

special squeezing experience with you in the narrow " dEhali " on that dark rainy

night. You were perhaps squeezed into an extraordinary variety of juice that

precipitated a novel sugrac candy by admixture with the nectar exuded by lotus

flowers that your Feet are.

 

Neither the starting material- sugarcane, nor the product is the ordinary one.

The special sugar candy is the most delectable to the special category of

bhaktas, referred to us as Paramaikanthins (i.e. those who spurn any god or any

goal other than You). Here Swamu Desikan refers to 300 verses when he speaks of

unique ambrosia.

 

vishNO: padE paramE maDhva: uthsa: - says Vedas

Nammazhwar says: acchuvaikkati enkO? aRusuvai adisil enkO?

 

PeyAzhwAr queries the Lord:

 

Munnulagam unDumizhndhaaykku avvulgam eeradiyaal

pinnaLandhu kOdal peridhonRE.. – ennE !

thirumaalE ! senkaNNediyaanE! engaL

perumAnE! Nee idhanai pEsu . (3-20)

 

for the one who had swallowed and spat the worlds that day (during cosmic

dissolution and later in evolution) –is it anything great if He took huge

Trivikrama avathAram to measure the worlds? Oh Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayana! Our

Lord! Please tell.

 

Poikai AzhwAr mentions the same query: (1-69)

 

Baalan thanadhuruvaay yEzhulaguNdu aalilayin

mElanRu nee vaLarndha meyyenbar- aalanRu

vElai neeruLLadhO viNNadhO maNNadhO

sOlaisoozh kunRedutthaay sollu.

 

Oh Govardhana giridhaaari! During praLayam, you had swallowed the earth, the

fire, waters, air and space into your stomach, and reclined as a small baby on a

little banyan leaf floating in the waters. Did that leaf float on water? (which

waters?), was it floating in the skies? Or was it on earth? Where was it?- the

Lord did not respond obviously. He is maa maayan maadhavan.

 

Nammazhwar queries the same in his periya thiruvandhaadhi

 

Seeraal piRandhu siRappaal vaLaraadhu

pErvaamananaagaakkaal pErALA – maarbaarap

pulgi nee unDumizhndha bhoomi neerERparidhE

sollu neeyaamaRiyac choondhu. (16)

 

Kuresa enquires in his sthothra:

 

tvannirmithA jadaragACha tvayitrilOkee

kim bheekshaNaadhiyamruthE BhavathA dhurApA

 

Your creation this world; Your spit – this world; Your entire property is this

universe. For such a property of Yours, You took birth as Vaamanan, and begged

for the same; and measured and took it back? Is it a big deal? Tell me.

 

Vedanta Desika on similar lines queries Lord Rama

 

You had angered on that day on Samudra raja (ocean) and said, " give me the

asthra Lakshmana! I will dry this ocean in one arrow and let all these army of

moneys walk on the dried land… But not a single drop of water could evaporate

even with your brahmAstra. Why?- Tell me.

 

Rama did not respond.

 

Desika gives an answer himself.

 

From Nandhirgamam, Bharata is performing Aradhanam everyday to Your padhukas and

those waters (perumAL padhuka theertham) unite with Sarayu nadhi and that river

of Sarayu waters come and unite with the ocean. Because of that padhuka power of

Yours, your asthrA could not do anything- enjoys Swamy in Padhuka sahasram.

 

What a great anubhavam by masters of our Sampradayam, who are blessed with

paripoorNa jnAnam! We are so great to be blessed with such AzhwArs, Acharya

purushas! Let us read their sreesukthis, listen from erudite scholars and

acharyas and enjoy their anubhavams.

 

Swamy Vedantha Desikan blessed:

 

Maamayilai ..

 

Sri Brahmathanthra swathanthra jeeyer blessed us with

 

Thulaa sathabhishak jAtham mayuoorapuri kairavaath |

Mahaantham mahathAkhyAtham vandhE srI nandhakaamsakam ||

 

Third Brahma thanthra swathanthra jeeyer blessed us with:

 

Thiruppolindha maamayilai nagar udithhaan vaazhiyE

Seer aippasi sadhayam siRandha vaLLal vaazhiyE

Nerukkmudan idaikazhiyil ninRa piraan vaazhiyE

nEsatthaal thirumaalin vadivu kaNdaan vaazhiyE

thirukkaNdEn nooRu sonna selvatthOn vaazhiyE

seeraazhi vaNNanaiyE deivam enRaan vaazhiyE

perukka migumazhisaiyar kOn yEttha ninRaan vaazhiyE

peru nilatthil pEyAzhwAr iNai adigaL vaazhiyE

 

AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Desikan ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

Narayana dAsan madhavakkannan

 

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4. SRIVAISHNAVAM – Part 4

 

SrI:

Dearest all,

 

Continuing our journey:

 

Under all situations and in all avataars, He is always accompanied by Sri

MahAlakshmi -Periya Piraatti. She stays in His chest. She is

NiyAnapaayinee. She is also of same nature and powerful as Sriman

NarayaNan and is also unbounded and limitless. (Being a mother, She is

more merciful at us, the paapAtmAs and forgives us immediately and

recommends us to Him for redemption- There is no word to describe Her guNAs-

" sreerithyEvacha nAmathE bhagawathI bhrUmah kathas thwAm vayam) " Except for

Piraati and Sriman NarayaNan all others are jIvAtmAs. BrahmA and Sivan are also

described as positions or posts/designations like IndrA, which the Greatest

puNya jIvAtmAs occupy and get these glorified posts to render service to Sriya:

pathih.

 

ISwaran's Divine body (ThirumEni) is of five types., viz., Param,

VyUham, Vibhavam, Antharyaami and Arcchai.

 

1. Param: The Lord who is at Sri Vaikuntam.

2. VyUham: The Four Moorthys addressed as VasudEvan, SankarshaNan,

Pradhyumanan and Aniruddhan. (Explanation of these mUrthys is beyond the scope

of this article.)

3. Vibhavam- Raman, KrishNan- such avataars - there are many avataars taken by

the Lord; Out of them, the important ten are the DasAvathAram;- other are like.,

Hayagreevan, PadmanAbhan, Hamsam, et al.

4. Antharyaami- the sUkshma status of the Lord Who exists inside the cave of

every being's heart. (Hrudaya kamalam).

5. Arcchai: In all Divya dEsams and in other temples- The Lord- Sriya: Pathih

is the ArchAvataara ThirumEni.

 

SarIra - Athma bhAvam:

 

This is the most important concept in Sri Ramanuja Siddhaantham or

SriVaishNava Siddhaantham. SarIra Athma bhAvam. That means: The chEtanan and the

achEtanan (as described in earlier post) - these two tatvams - that implies all

beings and non-beings;) are all the sarIram (body) for Emperumaan and Emperumaan

is the AthmA for these chEtan-AchEtanAs.

 

This concept has been described clearly by Vedas in great amount of

details, with examples. This can even be called the life line of our

Siddhaantham. So, let us have a closer look.

 

What do we call sarIram (body matter, mind and intellect- all Gross,

Fine and Finer matter)? And AthmA?

 

1. AthmA is the support for sarIram - without AthmA, there is no

sarIram- AthmA only holds the sarIram. As long as AthmA stays inside the

sarIram, there is life.

2. AthmA only employs and directs the sarIram (body, mind and

intellect). SarIram is being directed by the AthmA.

3. For the benefit and enjoyment of AthmA only, the sarIram (body, mind and the

intellect) acts and does all; sarIram is a lifeless

matter(achEtanam) and hence, there is no benefit or enjoyment

exclusively for that. There is no bodily pleasure when there is no life; one can

not satisfy his intellect by reading a book when he is dead; one can not see a

scene and think about some joke and laugh, if there is no life; the sarIram is

still there; but no athmA; He has gone; the same shoulders of the husband whom

you hugged, are still there with the sarIram; you do not even want to go nearer-

it stinks; because there is no AthmA anymore. SarIram is only achEtanam. The

AthmA is the master for which the sarIram works for AthmA's enjoyment. By

nature, there is NO ENJOYMENT for sarIram. Through sarIram, AthmA enjoys.

(Clear? That is sarIram is the sEshan- servant - adimai- property for AthmA).

 

So, these three are the normal sarIra-AthmA relationship. Now, if it is clear,

let us take a further step. (If it is still not clear, read the above three

points again, until it gets drilled into the head.)

 

As per our Siddhaantha, Emperumaan is the AthmA and holds all chEtanAs (the

jIvAtmAs) and all achEtanAs in His ThirumEni . i.e. our AthmA as well as our

sarIram are His Body. (interesting!).

 

Please Pay Attention!

Thus, We, the sarIra of Emperumaan-our body, mind, intellect as well as our

jIvAthmA are His servant, His body, His property- His sEshan (as was seen in

point no.3 above) and are MEANT ONLY FOR HIS ENJOYMENT. We have to render

service to the Master only and THERE IS NOTHING UNNATURAL ABOUT IT. THAT IS THE

ONLY NATURAL THING. If we (our mind, body, and intellect as well as jIvAthmAs )

DO NOT carry out any activities for His enjoyment, THAT IS SOMETHING UNNATURAL

AND UNORTHODOX. That is SOMETHING THAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO OR BE. )

 

Now, next step: If the sarIram of Emperumaan is jIvAtmAs and achEhatnAs, then

logically the sarIram does not have any enjoyment. But DUE TO THE LIMITLESS,

GRACE AND MERCY / DAYA of Emperumaan- our master, our sEshI, our AthmA, the

Param AthmA the jIvAthmAs, i.e we are given free will, intellect, the sixth

sense to experience enjoyment. IS IT NOT APPROPRIATE to utilise to the Greatest

extent end enjoy the Absolute Bliss by rendering service to our AthmA (for which

we are the body) and make Him enjoy and be pleased! Anything that jIvAthmA (by

itself or thru' its body, mind and intellect - either here in this life or at

SriVaikuntam ) does to please the Emperumaan, the master is thus, NATURAL.

Anythinh else, IS NOT NATURAL and against the Law. Hence, this is called

VishishtAdvaitam.

 

Regards

 

Namo narayana

dAsan

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