Atma gunas

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas:

 

Namo Narayana

Srimate Srivan Sathakopa Sri Vedanta Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namah:

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrsimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Sathakopa Sri

Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Namah:

 

Sri Vijayaraghavan made a very important point regarding developing atma

gunas. Sri Anbil Swami's posts are an excellent daily reminder to all of us

about the attitude we should have in our day to day conduct as well as on

the net. Yet it would not be out of place to muse upon precisely what the

term Atma guna means?

 

Swami Desikan makes it very clear in Srimad Rahasya traya saaram, that the

jivAtma is the most precious among all of Sriman Narayana's possessions.

The atma should therefore always be aware of the primary meaning of the

ashtAkshara mantram which is that it is subservient to Sriman Narayana and

no one else. The atma comes inseparably with this Sariram which includes

the mind, intelligence, ego and the senses. Since it is the combination of

these that give us the general direction of how to act, we have to pause and

think each time before we do something whether or not it is in the service

of Sriman Narayana. Swami Desikan asks in Srimad RTS:

" What is the purpose of performing those manifold and great acts of service

which cannot be included among the commands to perform nitya and naimittika

karmas? " After a prolonged discussion of what these cannot be Swami Desikan

comes to the conclusion " He proceeds to perform them because it is evident

from the sastras that these acts of service have, for their fruit, the

propitiation of the Lord. As one in whose nature the quality of sattvam

predominates, he acquires a taste for pleasing the Lord and follows the

light shed by the lamp of sastras in trying to give delight to the LOrd who

stands in varied relationships to him, in the same way that he (the

Prapanna) shows his love to his friends, children and the like. "

 

It was with such a motive that Sri Dileepan submitted his post " So simple

and yet so difficult " .

 

There was some animated discussion between Sri Sampath Rengarajan and Sri

Mukundan and Sri Sampath Rengarajan was referred to as being arrogant,

immature, etc. From a purely material stand point, this statement can be

considered valid. Because from this standpoint, everyone can do whatever

one pleases and as long as you do not pointedly tell others anything

everything is fine. God exists in His realm and we have to muddle about in

ours on our own.

 

But once we start looking at things with the lamp of Saastras, things take

on a different perspective. We realize our eternal servitude to Sriman

Narayana. We try to ensure that each act is most pleasing to Sriman

Narayana. There are things that a jivAtma should and should not do. Within

a family an individual can and should teach dharmasaastras to his wife,

children etc. Also in group of Bhaagavatas like the Malola Paduka Sevaka

Net, one has both the right and the duty to speak out what is Dharma. As a

member of the monitoring committee, Sri Sampath Rengarajan was only doing

his duty in his discussions with Sri Mukundan. He perhaps lacked finesse,

but that is very insignificant. The important thing is what he wrote

regarding tattva, hita and purushArtham were strictly in accordance with

Saastra.

 

If one were to speak out his mind, but write knowingly write what is

contracdictory to all that sadAcharyas have preached, then that becomes the

most serious offence of all, the theft of the jivAtma.

 

Sri Venkat Kanumalla, for example has been singled out for criticism by many

people. Some points made by some of these people was perhaps valid. But

His single minded devotion to Sriman Narayana and boldness to say so in

front of everybody has resulted in praise from His Acharya as well as over

50 families including adiyen adopting the sAdhyOpayam. Now if Sri Venkat

has condoned the worship of anya devatas and people who are not fit to be

sadAcharyas, would these 50 families have adopted Prapatti, and even if they

had, would it have been effective had they not given up anya devata

Aradhana?

 

adiyen therefore wishes to submit that this topic of anya devata Aradhana

has to be stressed until it is correctly understood by everybody. We after

all are not going into the house of somebody whose karma has forced them

into this. We are only writing this on the net where everybody is a

follower of Swami Desikan. This is what our Acharyas have said going back to

even Vyasa and earlier.

 

Even in the last post of Anbil Ramaswami, the point has been succintly

brought out using the metaphor of cows that will not eat grass. Sri

Vijayaraghavan brings out a very important point. The benefits for which

people worship anya devatas can be obtained just as, or even more easily by

reading the divya prabandhams or Swami Desika Prabandhams or stotrams. With

the faith one gets in our Azhwars and Swami Desikan, one will from that

point on proceed to do Prapatti and stop asking for anything. It will be a

great service if someone can post the phalashruti of various Prabandhams and

stotrams.

 

adiyen aplogizes for this long post as well as any of the 4 sins of speech

that may have crept into this.

 

adiyen Ramanuja daasan,

jagan.

 

____