Summary of JUly 15,2006 UpanyAsam( First in the series of 8) by Srimath Azhagiya Singar on SaraNAgathy Gadhyam / PravEsam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri RaamAnuja SampradhAyins :

 

Last week, Srimath Azhagiya Singar blessed us with

the introduction to SaraNAgathy Gadhyam .

 

190 Aasthikaas form USA , Singapore , Europe took part in

the UpanyAsam that reached them by the global Telebridge .

 

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The second UpanuyAsam is scheduled for Saturday , July 22

at 7 AM Eastern Standard Time , USA instead of the usual 9.30 AM

due to PradhOsha AarAdhanam that Srimath Azhagiya Singar has

to perform .

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Please register TODAY for the July 22 UpanyAsam by getting

the Bridge Telephone number and the Code to join in :

 

http://www.ahobilamutt.org/upan/signin01.asp

 

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The First UpanyAsam by Srimath Azhagiya Singar

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This morning , adiyEn was blessed by Srimath Azhagiya Singar

to go ahead and summarize the UpanyAsams for the benefit of

aasthikAs ,who could not attend . adiyEn is grateful . Please

bear with me in this Kaimakryam since listening to the unique

style of Srimath Azahgiya Singar to come down to our levels of

awareness of sampradhAyic matters is some thing very special.

 

HH is using PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai's (PVP's)and Sudarsana Soori's

Commnetaries for SaraNAgathy Gadhyam as a reference . HH

plans to introduce complimentary ideas from Swamy Desikan's

VyAkhyAanam for SaraNAgathi Gadhyam as he progresses.

 

Sri PVP's Commentary is terse like Soothrams(aphorisms) and

one needs an explanatory text to understand each sentence ,

which has layers of meanings. HH helps us here immensely

to comprehend the deeper meanings of the MaNi PravALam text .

 

The Commentary Text on PVP's Gadhya Thraya VyAkyaanams can be obtained

from : Sri VaishNava Sri , 214 East Utthara Veethi , Srirangam , Trichy 6.

It is priced at 60 Indian Rupees . This book also contains Sudarsana

Soory's short commentary in Sanskrit . Having this book to follow

Srimath Azhagiya Singar will be a great help for you .

 

There are 137 pages devoted to the SaraNAgathy Gadhyam commentaries of

the two AchAryAs . HH covered 5 of these 137 pages during the last week's

UpanyAsam , which adiyEn will summarize now :

 

The Taniyan for PVP is :

 

Srimath KrishNa samAahvaaya NamO Yaamuna SoonavE

Yath KaDaakshaika LakshyANAm sulabha: SrIdhara: sadhaa

 

PRAVESAM /INTRODUCTION

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Original MaNi PravALam Text of PVPis given below to show the complexity

of the long sentences and the deep meanings of PVP's VyAkhyAnams,

which will be difficult to understand without a SadAchAryan's help .

Once again , we are indebted to Srimath Azhagiya Singar's mahOpakAram

here .

 

The typical First Paragraph consisting just two sentences are :

 

Sri BhAshyatthil "Tathtvamasi" ithyAdhi vaakya janma jn~AnamE

MokshA saadhanam yenRum , Karma Jn~Ana samucchayamE

Moksha Saadhanam yenRum solluhira kudhrushtikaLai

nirasikkaihA karmAngamAi , vEdhana -dhyAnOpasanAdhi Sabdha

vaachyamAi , bhakthi roopApannamAna upaasanAthmaka Jn~AnamE

VedAntha prathipAdhyamAna Moksha Saadhanam yenRu ivar

niscchayitthu aruLic-cheykaiyAlE , ivar Moksha saadhanamAha

aRuthiyitta artham ithuvE yenRu koNDu tammuduya ruchi-

parigruheethamAna arthatthayE viSvasitthirukkum sAthvikar

itthayE visvasithirukka-koodum yenRu pArttharuLi ,AchArya-

parigruheethamumAi m tamakku tanjamAha thAmm aRuthi ittirikkum

artham prapatthi yennum idatthai iggadhya roopENa veLiyittu

aruLihirAr.

 

The above is just One (First) sentence .

 

Comments on the First Sentence :

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Swamy PVP starts along the lines established by

AchArya RaamAnuja in His Sri BhAshyam's PravEsam .

 

AchArya RaamAnuja wanted to defeat the Para Matham

that held the view that this world is false (illusory) and that

even Iswaran has nesciece ( ajn~Anam) , which are inconsistent

with the purport of VedAs. Such view holders believe that

Brahmam is nirvisEsham ( attributeless) ; they divide Brahman

into SaguNa Brahman and NirguNa Brahman and that the former

(SaguNa Brahman ) is not a mukhya vasthu and it is only an

UpalakshaNam for NirguNa Brahman , the mukhya vasthu .

 

AchArya RaamAnuja rejected all these views as unsustainable

from a Vedic pramANam point of view . He held on to the view

that Adhvaithin's point of view that that the tatthva Jn~Anam

arising from the study of Mahaa Vaakyams like Tathvamasi

is not the cause for Moksham . In Sri BhAshyam , AchArya

proved that UpAsanam conencted to one or the other of

the Brahma VidhyAs elaborated by the Upanishads alone

can lead to Moksham .This is " the VedAntha PrathipAdhya

Moksha Saadhanam". The Bhakthi roopa prapannamAna

UpaasanayE Moksha Saadhanam . The Jn~Anam assembled from

KarmAs like Yaagam are not again the Moksha hEthu( KaaraNam)

but only Bhakthi yOgam realized thru UpAsanam ( ceaseless

Bhakthi thru meditation ). One of the Brahma VidhyAs is NyAsa

Vidhyai ( SaraNAgathy Yogam or Prapatthi Yogam). AchArya

RaamAnuja wanted to make sure that all righteous ones do not

get deluded by the views held other Para Mathams ( Adhavitham ,

BhEdhAbhEdham ,

 

AchArya RaamAnuja elucidated the Brahma SutrAs in

athesitic style , " asserting the metaphysical eminence of

Brahman, without supplementary thesis of world denial

(Jagan MithyA) and the denial of the individuality of

the finite Selves ( opposite of Brahma Jeeva Eikyam) and

promulgating knowledge of Brahman as arising from

Karma -YogA and maturing into Bhakthi " through the practise

of one or other Brahma VidhyAs.Here is a Monism without

illusionism (VisishtAdhvaitham) put on a rigorous basis by

AchArya RaamAnuja followign the path of His poorvAchAryAs .

 

The central theme of the first sentence of PVP's Commentary is :

" Knowledge ( Tatthva jn~Anam) which is enjoined is not the means

for release but only UpAsana linked to Brhama VidhyAs.He went on

to establish the other means , which are not the route to Moksham:

 

(1) Yagams are not the means of VividiSaa ( desire to know

Brahman) but of Vedanaa ( Knoeledge of Brahman) .

 

(2) Verbal testimony is not by itself the means of immediate

knowledge about Brahman.

 

(3) Nithyaa-anithya vasthu viveka and the other three means

are not a necessary pre-requisite of inquiry about Brahman.

 

His central point is UpAsanA thru Bhakthi yOgam or Prapatthi

Yogam are the only successful means for Moksham .

 

AchArya performed his own SaraNAgathy at Srirangam on a Panguni

Uthiram day to set an example to His sishyAs about the absolute

soundness of SaraNAgathy as the unfailing means and the birth of

the three gadhyams in a spontaneous manner is the testimony to

the efficacy of that SaraNAgathy. That then is the purpose of these

Gadhyams for posterity .

 

The second sentence is :

 

AanAl , ipprapatthi tannayE koNDu , kudhrushti nirasanam

paNNaathozhuzhivAn yEnn innil : BrAhManan chaNDALanukku

Vedatthai upadEsitthArppOlE dhUrastharAna varhaLUkku

Parama RahasyamAna ivvartthatthai veLida oNNAthu yenRu

pArtthu , avarkaL izhintha Saasthra mukhatthAlE avarkaLai

nirasitthu, Saasthra TaathparyamAna SvasiddhAntthatthai

immuhatthAlE veLiyiduhirAr.

 

(Meaning): He demolished the arguments of Advaitham

and other Mathams intrepreting Vedam in a distorted manner

( Kudhrushti Mathams) . He did not want to reveal the secret

(rahasyam) for the non-believers thru Sri BhAshyam , where

He dwelled on the other route : Bhakthi yOgam thru upAsanaa.

In Sri BhAshyam , he chose the weapons desired by Advaithins

( Saasthrams) and defeated them . He showed the invalidity of

their views there. He did not want to elaborate on the top most

rahasyam of Prapatthi yOgam there , since it would be like teaching

Vedams to ChaNDaLans ( Unfit adhikAris) . He reserved the Gadhyams as

the right place to establish the essence of Saasthrams( Saasthra

thAthpayamaana) Sva-SiddhanthAm ( his darsanam).

 

Third Para : Page 2: VedAnthAs recognize the supermacy of

the means of Prapatthi yOgam over Bhakthi yOgam for Moksham.

Prapatthi is considered as Mahaa PaTam( Raaja Margam).It is practisable

by any one ( without the limitation by Sex or caste ) , easy to practise

compared to the demanding Bhakthi yOgam , fast to yield the great

phalan of Moksham . Prapatthi is for any one (SarvAdhikAram) , where as

Bhakthi yOgam is for only the first three VarNams.Prapatthi is easy to do

( Sukaram) , where as Bhakthi yOgam is difficult to practise (dushkaram) .

Prapatthi yield results fast ( aviLambha Phala pratham) compared to

Bhakthi Yogam , which may take more than one life. It is siddham and

SvaroopAnurUpam for gaining the PurushArTam of Moksham.

 

Prapatthi(SaraNAgathy) is VedAntha siddham ( sanctioned by the VedAs).

Upanishath declares that it is the highest in status compared to Sathyam ,

Tapas ( body hurting penance), dhamam ( indhriya Nigraham/control

over senses) , Samam . dhAnam , dharmam , PrajOthpatthi , Agnis ,

agnihOthram,Yaj~nam ( Mental meditation) ,Maanasam ( Bhakthi).

Therefore the Upanishad asserts that SaraNAgathy ( NyAsam) is

the top most UpAyam for Moksham : " tasmAn nyAsamEshaam

tapasAm athiriktham aahu: ". SaraNAgathy is also AchArya Ruchi

parigruheetham ( adopted by AchAryAs as their preferred/chosen

means): It is Vaidheeka Parigruheetha tatthvam ( sanctioned by

the Veda PramAnams).This route of SaraNAgathy is VedAntha

siddham. It is SaraNya Hrudhaya anusaari ( follows the upadEsam

of SaraNyan /Charama slOkams) .

 

AchArya RaamAnuja wanted to make sure that the righteous ones

do not get deluded by Para Matha Vadhins and through His parama

krupA instructed us through the three gadhyams and practising

what he advocated right in front of the SaraNya dampathis at Srirangam.

 

The question may arise as to whether AchArya RaamAnuja was violating

SaasthrAs by performing SaraNAgathy more than once . SaraNAgathy is

required to be done only once for Moksha Saadhanam . Doubts may arise

whether AchArya RaamAnuja might already have performed Prapatthi

at the sacred feet of his own AchArya , Periya Nambi . Here PVP quotes

Swamy NammAzhwAr's AarAvamudhan Paasurams , ThiruvAimozhi

5.8.3 and 5.8.8. In the first one , AzhwAr says : " Oh Lord ! I do not need

any technique or any one except You to reach You . Til the last moment of

my life here , I must go about and do things , at all times , only clinging

to Your feet as a prop". In the second Paasuram , Azhwar declares:

" Oh My Lord of Thirukkudanthai! I should mention that I have no other

helper, now I feel that my body yields gradullay. A day will come whem my

life will be out....My only request to You is that with the present steadfastness,

my clinging to Your feet must remain fast even then (during my last moments)".

 

AchArya RaamAnujA follows the route of the AzhwArs . PVP says :

"SamsAra Bhayamum , PrApya ruchiyum ganakka ganakka , oru kaal SaraNam

pukkAppOlE , onpathin kaal SaraNam puhuhirAr.Aaha, SamsAra nivrutthi

poorvamAha , Kaimkarya siddhikku Periya perumAL ThiruvadihaLilE

SaraNam puhuhirAr".

 

AzhwAr's fear about samsAram grew along with the taste for Moksham

and therefore he performed SaraNAgathy nine times instead of once.

The other explanation is that AchArya RaamAnuja performed SaraNAgathy

for Moksham once and performed the other SaraNAgathy for Kaimkarya

Siddhi. It is absolutely correct to beseech the Lord thru additional SaraNAgathy

for serving Him . The SaraNAgathy for Mopksham is however done only once.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan