Kurai Ondrum Illai-chapter 23

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sri:

srimathe srilakshminrusimha parabrahmane namah

srimathe srilakshminrusimha divyapaduka sevaka srivann satakopa sri

naaraayana yateendra maha desikaya namah

 

namo narayana

pranamams

 

Chapter 23

 

Vidvans say that Vamanan is understood through the visva sapdam. Who is a

vidvan? Vidvan is one who can bring forth a devata on whom he's talking

about. A vidvan is not someone who merely says some mantras...can you bring

forth Parabramham? Can you show it to me? These are the qualifications of

a vidvan. We're not like that. We repeat mantras which are taught to us by

elders--that's about it though! In the olden days, the people used to have

very very strict vrathams and nonbus--we don't practice it like them

nowadays. The vidvans brought forth the devathas through their intense

upaasam and asked so that everyone in this world has what they need-and

those were obtained and kshemam spread.

 

Through a vidvan's upansanai, Bhagavan as sarvavyapi and visvayapi, as

Thrivikraman, took the avataram and was spread throughout the world.

Whomever does a yaagam for the visvam, he will recieve all the palans.

Usually to perform a yaagam, there are many 'rithvijgal' and they get

dakshinai. Only after this is done, is the yaagam completely finished. The

people who perform the yaagam should be free from worries right...? If they

have even simple worries, the yaagam will go to waste. Therefore, when

inviting the 'rithvijgal' to the yaagam, they used to give some part of the

dakshinai upfront; and the rithvijgal took the money and kept it aside-after

finishing the yaagam they got the rest of the dakshinai. In lowkeekam, we

call this as an 'advance'! Apasthambar tells us how to perform the karmas;

he mentions on what to give as dakshinai--he mentions that for dakshinai,

one should give a short cow along with the calf!

 

Why can't we give a tall cow...? Vedam tells us to give the short cow so

that we can remember Bhagavan's vamana roopam! Therefore we have to give a

short cow; and depending on the 'romangal'(hairs) on the cow's body--the

person giving the cow will have that many years in svarga lokam. The One

who reminds us of Him, when looking at the cow, is also the same One who

measured the three worlds. Vedam celebrates Him many times as 'the One who

measured the Universe'.

 

I mentioned that Narmadai nadhi theertham lost it's visvam right...? It

came to that nadhi at first as Vamana Rupan. Vamana avataram is known by

the visva sapdam- we use this sentence to praise the avataram. But didn't

we use the same thing for Nrusimha avataram? Didn't we say that He was 'The

Best' when we were talking about Him?(HE is the best--no questions asked!)

But from now on, as we speak about every avatharam, I will speak highly of

each one. But that doesn't mean that any one of them will lose their

mahimai--all avatharams are 'the best'. So let's get to Vamana

avataram...But before we can know about the avataram's mahimai, we have to

know about Acharya mahimai first.

 

Swami Desikan(Smt Praveena's speciality!) says that no one is higher than

our Acharyan. All the ways that we think of Bhagavan we have to apply that

to Acharyan also--Upanishads say this. Who is an Acharyan...? Acharyan is

the One who has studied alot of saashtram. All the vidhya sthananams will

dance at His fingertips--He can answer any question and His words are

golden. Vidyai is permanent--objects(wealth) is not--it comes and goes.

Can we do anything counting on the money that might come tomorrow? Acharyan

is not onlythe One who has all the vidyays which are long lasting with Him.

He has to also follow all the things He says(practice what you preach??).

If a person does not follow what he speaks, he can never become an Acharya.

 

There is a prarthanai " krishnam vande jagadgurum " . He(Krishnan) is the guru

of this universe; Narayanan is the One who is said to the guru, and

paramacharyan by all sasthrams. That Narayanan gave upadesam as

Geethacharyan during Krishnavataram; and He practiced what He said in the

Rama avataram. Therefore, Acharyan is One whom practices what He learnt as

a role model for others. What He thinks in His mind, He should say that

through His tongue. What He says through His tongue, He should practice

that through His actions.

 

We take many medications to stay physically healthy, but sasthram says that

those are not medicine. Then what is good medicine...? Thought, speech and

action all in unision is the best medicine. If the thoughts are one thing,

while speech and action are both different, those people who are like this

are dhuraathmaas(bad people). Mahathmaas have these three(thought, speech

and action) in unison. What is the gain of having mahathmaas as our

Acharyan...? There is a story for this:

 

All of us have seen Thirupathi malai. There is a peak here and a peak

there. One small ant...it is travelling on one peak. But it wants to go to

the other peak which is very far away. That small ant(alpamaana jeevan)

does not have the capacity to go from one peak to the other. But it still

reached the other peak...how? One lion was going from peak to peak and the

ant thought that this lion might also go to the final peak. Right then and

there, it jumped onto the lion and held tight. As the lion jumped the peak

and reached the other, so did the ant!

 

Therefore, if we hold on to Acharyan's Thiruvadi, when He crosses the peak

of samsaram, we can also cross it with Him. Acharyas are the One's who can

get us to the Highest State i.e. moksham. One who possesses dhanam(wealth)

is dhanavan; one who has gunam is gunavaan. But no matter what qualities

one has, he is nothing without Acharyan Sambhandam. " Acharyavaan purushO

vedha'--never stand alone. You should always have acharya

sambhandam--sasthram says this.

 

Suryan shines in the sky...a lotus flower blossomes right after suryan's

rays shine on it. We have to think on how this process works. There is a

huge thadaakam(pond, container??) with lots of water, and right when the

sun's rays shine, the lotus blossoms. But what if there's no water? What

would happen if the sun's rays hit the lotus now? The lotus will only become

dry, not blossom! So, for the lotus to blossom, the water is key. Suryan

is the one who makes the lotus(which is in water) bloom. The same way,

Bhagavan helps the jeevan which has Acharya sambhandam. The lotus is

jeevan, the water is Acharyan, and the suryan is Paramathma. Just as

theertha sambhandam for the lotus, we have to have Acharya sambhandam. To

get moksham, we DEFENETLY need Acharya sambhandam.

 

There was an Acharyan who was excellent at yogam. If he sits in the samadhi

state, he could see Emperumaan face to face! One day, he was in yogam and

watching Peruman face to face. Usually he would see Perumal without

interruption, but this time he was distracted. His vision seemed to go

elsewhere. This yogi was worried and anxious due to this distraction. What

was the reason for the distraction from Bhagavan's vision...?

 

 

--Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadigale Saranam

 

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