whom does the Soul(emperumAn) choose? (�charya rAmAnuja answers)

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SrI:

SrImatE rAmAnujAya nama:

SrI laksmI narasimha parabrahmaNE nama:

 

dear vaishNavAs,

 

The following is a passage from the English

translation(george Taibut) of SrI bhAshya of AchArya

rAmAnuja...

The passage clearly explains, in emperumanar's

opinion, how the Lord chooses some one to grant His

Mercy.

 

" The vAkyakAra then propounds a pUrvapaksha (prima

facie view), 'once he is to make the meditation, the

matter enjoined by scripture being accomplished

thereby , as in the case of prayAjas and the like';

and then sums up against this in the words

'but(meditation) is established on account of the term

meditation' that means -- knowledge repeated more than

once(i.e. meditation) is determined to be means of

release(mOksha).-- The vAkyakAra then goes on

'Meditation is steady remembrance, on the ground of

observation and statement.' That means -- this

knowledge, of the form of meditation, and repeated

more than once, is of the nature of steady

remembrance.

 

Such remembrance has been declared to be of the

character of 'seeing', and this character of seeing

consists in its processing the character of immediate

presentation (pratyakshatA). With reference to

remembrance, which thus acquires the character of

immediate presentation and is the means of final

release(mOksha), scripture makes a further

determination, viz. in the passage Ka. Up. I.2.23,

'THAT SELF(GOD) CANNOT BE GAINED BY THE STUDY OF

VEDA(REFLECTION), NOR BY THOUGHT ('MEDITATION'), NOR

BY MUCH HEARING.

 

WHOM THE SELF CHOOSES, by him it may be gained; to him

the sellf reveals its being.' This text says at first

that mere hearing, reflection, and meditation donot

suffice to gain the Self, and then declares, 'whom the

Self chooses' by him it may be gained.

 

NOW A CHOSEN ONE MEANS A MOST BELOVED PERSON; THE

RELATION BEING THAT he by whom the Self is held most

dear is most dear to the Self. That the Lord(bhagavAn)

himself endeavors that this most beloved person should

gain the Self, He Himself declares in the following

words, To those who are constantly devoted and worship

with love I give the knowledge by which they reach me'

(BG 10.10), and *to gum who has knowledge I am dear

above all things, and he is dear to Me' (BG 7.17).

HENCE HE WHO POSSESSES REMEMBRANCE MARKED BY THE

CHARACTER OF IMMEDIATE PRESENTATION (sAkshAtkAra), and

which itself is dear above all things since the object

remembered is such, he, WE SAY, IS CHOSEN BY THE

HIGHEST SELF, AND BY HIM THE HIGHEST SELF IS GAINED.

 

Steady remembrance of this kind is designated by the

word 'devotion' (bhakti); for this term has the same

meaning as upAsana (meditation). For this reason the

scripture and smriti agree in making following

declarations, ' A man knowing Him passes over death'

(Svet. Up. 3.8); 'knowing him thus he here becomes

immortal'(Taitt Ar. 12.7); 'Neither by the vEdAs, nor

by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I

be so seen as thou hast seen me. But by devition

exclusive I may in this form be known and seen in

truth, O arjuna, and also be entered into' (bha. gita

11.53,11.54); 'That highest Person, O pArtha, may be

obtained by exclusive devotion' (BG 8.22) "

 

sarvam SrI krishNArpaNamastu.

 

dAsOham,

SrIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.

 

 

 

you can downlaod sri bhAshya at

http://sriranganatha.tripod.com/sri_bhashya.pdf

 

 

 

 

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