The gist of SribhAsyam on chatussUtrIby Dr.NSA

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Dear BhAgavatAs,

 

SrImathE RAmAnujAya namaha

 

This is padmini Ranganathan. I am the grand daughter of

Sri.U.Ve.Dr.N.S.Anantharangachar.

 

Dr.NSA is a deep student of VishisTAdwaitha, who studied vEdAntha in

the traditional way under his master Sri.U.Ve.Krishna Tatachar Swamy.He

has trained a no. of batches in Sribhasya & other classics of

VishisTAdwaitha. His book on Philosophy of VishiaTAdwaitha is published

30 years back by the university of Mysore. His latest work is " RAmAnuja

sUkthi mukthavaLi " , wherein he has given the original statements of

RAmAnuja with their translation to present an authenticated version of

VishiaTAdwaitha in the very words of RAmAnuja.

 

I had thought of releasing a weekly serial on " the gist of Sri Bhasya

on chatussUtRI (the 4 sutRas) " , which will be done by Dr.N.S.A.,on the

Bhakti list. Then Sri. Anand Karalapakkam suggested that, this may be

posted to the malolan net too. As per his wish,it is posted here also.

 

Thank you

RAmAnuja dAsI

Padmini

 

 

BhagavAn RAmAnuja has composed two invocatory verses before commenting

upon the " vEdAnta sUtrAs " of BAdarAyaNa. The opening verse is,

 

akhila bhuvana janma sthEma bhangAdi leele

vinata vividha bhUta vrAta rakshaika deekshe |

s`ruti s`irasi vidIpte brahmaNi srInivAse

bhavatu mama parasmin s`EmushI bhaktirUpA ||

 

Before commencing a work, it is customary to pray for the completion of

that work without any obstruction. NamaskAra, AshI: or benediction and

vastunirdEsa or narration of the theme in brief - are the three aspects

of the invocatory verse. MangaLAcharaNa is meant for the successful

completion of the work. It is also meant for guidance of the disciples.

All these three are to be found in this invocatory verse.

 

The meaning of this verse may be summarized thus :

 

May my mind be filled with devotional knowledge towards the Supreme

Brahman, Lord SrInivAsa, who is exquisitely revealed in the upanishads,

who sports in creating, protecting and destroying the entire universe,

who has taken the one vow of redeeming the hosts of beings, that devote

themselves onto Him.

 

Let us now try to understand the significance of the verse. The verse

starts with the letler " A " ( first syllable in sanskrit), which is the

first name of that Supreme (narAyaNa) and this ensures, all mangaLa or

auspiciousness, would accrue. The first gaNa in the verse is, nagaNa,

that is akhila and the usage of nagaNa is also suggestive of all

auspiciousness. All the 6 attributes in the locative case or saptamI

vibhakti, relating to Brahman, declare that Brahman is the prApya and

the prApaka.

 

PrApyatvam brahmaNa: sidhyEt

BrahmaNatvasya kIrtanAt

SvaprAptE: sAdhanatvam hi

Brahmaatvam ivOchyate -----tatvatIkA - 13

 

The word Brahman means " brhatvam " and it also means " brmhaNatvam " .

The meaning is, by nature, it is great. This term, therefore, signifies

that Brahman is the prApya and for its prApti, that alone is the upAya.

 

The word leelA, declares that, Brahman is paripUrna and this is His

spontaneous play or sport.

 

The first quarter of this verse condenses the meanings of the first

chapter of the vEdAnta sUtrAs. The word " leelA " , found in the first

quarter suggests the theme of the second chapter of the sUtrAs. The

second quarter of the verse namely, " vinatavividha………… " ,condenses the

last two chapters of the sUtrAs.

 

The first pAda expounds that Brahman is the cause of the universe &

this signifies the supremacy or " paratva " of the Lord.

 

The second pAda i.e. " vinata………. " , declares the accessability of the

Lord and expounds His " mOkshapradatva " .

 

The third pAda, points out the pramANa, by means of which, Brahman is

known. The impersonal sruti, which is svayampramANa, is the authority

to know Brahman. Though Brahman is known in the form of Agni, Indra,

Vayu and others, in the pUrvabhAga of the vEdAs, He is exquisitely

illumined in the uttarabhAga or the upanishads. The term vidIpte,

points out this. The two words " brahmaNi " and " srInivAsE " , signify the

Supreme reality. Brahman is a general term which culminates in the

particular term sriNIVaSa. The term srInivAsa declares that, the Lord

is the consort of Goddess " Shree " and it suggests the " nityavibhUti " ,

which is, as real as the " leelAvibhUti " . This also establishes the fact

that " srImannarAyaNa " alone is the Supreme Brahman and discards the

view that, one of the trinity may be the Supreme or equality among the

trinity or someone higher than the trnity, may be the Supreme cause of

this

 

 

universe. " parasmin " signifies the Supreme object of attainment and

excludes the attainment of any other thing, as the highest object of

life.

 

The last pAda of the verse, points out the means of attainment of that

Supreme Brahman. The two terms " s`hEmushI " and " bhaktirUpA " ,are

significant.

 

Bhakti may mean worship and others. " s`mushI " is of the from of

reflective knowledge. Both these are implied in the combination of

" s`mushI bhaktirUpA " . It is knowledge of the form of meditation or

" UpAsanAtmakam jn`Anam "

 

VedAnta dEsika points out as follows.

 

BhaktE: pUjAdimAtratvam

dhiya: chintAdirUpatAm

vyavaccHettum ihanyastam

s`EmushyAdi padadvayam ------------ tatvatIkA - 72.

 

By this, the views of others, that state that " vAkyArtha j`nAna " or

" j`nAnakarmasamucchaya " is the means to " mOksha " is refuted.

 

The significant truths of this school are also concisely expounded in

this invocatory verse.

 

The characteristics of Brahman are to be noted as follows.

 

1. " akhilEtyAdinA sarvakAraNatvam " ----- Brahman is the one cause of

all effects as suggested by the terms akhila bhuvana janma etc.

 

2. He is the one to be known and meditated upon, in all the modes of

upAsanAs, meant for attainment of " mOksha " .

 

3..He is to be known exclusively from the host of upanishads.

" sarvOpanishadEkapratipAdyatvam "

 

4. He, who is characterised by the above is, " srInivAsa " . The idea is

that, the s`ruti, " nEti nEti " , should be understood, in the light of

all these characteristics and without contradicting any one of them.

 

Summarizing the truths expounded here, we may point out thus:

 

1. Brahman is the main topic of the " s`Astra " ------ " pradhAnavishaya: "

 

The prayOjana or the benefit from the study is, the attainment of

Brahman. The process of relationship between the " adhiKarI " and

" prayOjana " is thus: By means of " vichAra " or enquiry, one will

ascertain thetrue nature of the Supreme object of attainment and also

will understand that Brahman itself is the prApaka or the means of that

attainment.

 

2. When this is ascertained, that is, when " jij`nAsA " leads to the

" vidIpti " of Brahman, the aspirant will, on account of that itself,

observes " vinati " or self surrender, under the Lord. This absolute

surrender under the Lord, will be the cause of the generation of the

grace of the Lord, which leads to one's " rakshA " or protection, which

will be the ultimate " prayOjana " .

 

Thus, in this invocatory verse, everything that is to be known about

the tatva, hita and purushArtha, is expouned.

 

RAmAnujar thiruvadigale sharanam

RAmAnuja dAsI

Padmini

 

 

 

 

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