Sri:
Some clarifications.
If we look into Ramanuja's life history, we will
find that srivaishnavism is not what the acharya coined as such.
It was Thirukkottoyur Nambi, who on being
greatly moved by Ramanuja declaring the Thirumanthram for the sake of all,
embraced him and said that this dharshanam which until then was known as "
parama vaidiha siddhantham" would from thenceforth be known as "Emperumaanaar
dharshanam."
This information + the justification for why
vaishnava matham is anaadhi can be found in the book " Deva-p-perumaaLum
Ramanuja dharshanamum" written by Thiruvallikkeni adhyaapaka, Sri Thirumalai
Nallan Chakravarthi Srinivasa varadhan.
This Emperumaanaar dharshnam later came to be
known as Sri vaishnava siddhantham, perhaps due to the reason that it is the
same as Vaishnava siddhantham which you consider as different from
Emperumaanaar dharshanam.
The information on Brahma being the first Sri
vaishnavite or Vaishnavite as you may think, is told by Brahma himslef to
Narada (Brahma puranam I guess, for I read this information in the above
mentioned book which explains in detail every step involved in anointing
Brahma as Sri vaishnavite.) I deliberately add sri, because this narration by
Brahma includes the Sri choornam too on his forehead. Brahma also says
that it was Lord Hayagreeva who narrated him the relevance of Ashtaakshara
after he received the upadesa from Sri Vishnu. This is followed by Brahma
receiving the upadesa from Sri Vishnu on how to begin creation.
My opinion in my small undersatnding - It is not
correct to think that Bhagavad Ramanuja 'invented' the concept of Sri and
included it in his dharshanam. He could not and would not have done
unless it had existed in traditional texts. The above narration by Brahma had
been in vogue before Emperumaanaar dharshanam.
Please pardon me for mistakes if any.
jayasree saranathan.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 11:27
PM
Subject: Re: [Oppiliappan] Re: Origin of
SriVishnavisam
Sri:
I agree that vishnavisam existed before Ramanuja but not Sri Vishnavisam.
I would like to know the name of scripture in which Sri Vishnu applied urhdwa
Pundara to Brhma. Applying urdhwa Pundara means a Vishnavite mark and not
SriVishnavite Mark.
Your inference on quote 5(Para) is totally wrong. In this para it is
clearly mentioned that Krishna said "Teh Vaishnava" and not "Teh SriVishnava".
This is because Srivishnavism did not exist then.
Adiyen Krishna Ramanuja Dasan
jayasartn
<jayasree_saranathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
SrI:
Some
instances to show that vaishanvism existed before Ramanuja's
period.
(1) In the very early
times, that is, soon after creation,
it has been told in scriptures, that
Vishnu, after
doing Jatha karma and naama karma to His first
ever
uthpaththi(child) Brahma, proceeded to mark the
Shanku-chakra in
his shoulders and then applied
oordhwa pundaram that culminated in pancha
samskaram.
Brahma is perhaps the FIRST Srivaishnavan of
the
universe.This episode also clarifies that
Srivaishnavism does not
come as a birth right and as old as creation
itself.
(2) When Thirumangai
Alwar wanted to marry Kumuda valli, she said
that she could not
marry unless the person had
undergone pancha samskaram and the Alwar
rushed to
Thirunaraiyoor (naachiyar koil) and had the
samashrayan done
by God Himself. This is prior to Ramanuja's period.
(3) You will find in Thirunagai
(nagapattinam ) sannidhi, the 18
vaarthaigal advised
by
Thirukkottiyoor nambigal to Ramanuja written on
the
wall.
Vaishnavattwam is said to come at the 10th level
only.
Prior
to coming to attain it, the following must be
removed.
1. removal of
desire in samsaram
2. this leads to removal of ahankaara,
mamakaaram
3. this leads to removal of deha abhimaanam
4. this leads
to birth of athma gyanam
5. this leads to hatred towards aeishwarya
moham
6. this leads to onset of prema on bhagwan.
7. this leads to
shedding of interest in
vishayantharangal
8. this leads to bhara
thanthruva gyanam
9. this leads to removal of artha-kaama
ragadwesham
(ref: BG 4-10- Madhbhavam)
10. this leads to onset of
srivaishanttwam!
(4) It
happened in Kulashekara alwar's life.
When the ministers of the alwar
blamed srivaishnavites,for the
disappearance of the navarathna maalai in
the
thiruaaparana petti, the alwar refused to believe.
He was
steadfast in his belief that srivaishnavites are pure on
tri-kaaran -
they are pure in mind, vaak and body.
He even put his hand in a pot that
had a serpent
inside and pledged that he would not be bitten by
the
serpent, because no srivaishnavite can do such a crime. And he was
unhurt. This shows how deep-rooted the ethos which a srivaishnavite
is identified with. Unless a strong code culture for vaishnavites had
existed for long, the alwar could not have gone to such
extremes.
(5) A quote on the dialogue
between Yama dharma raja and Sri
Krishna. I think this comes in
Mahabharataha.
Yamadjharman instructed his messengers to prostrate before
the
srivaishnavites. A srivaishnavite can be identified in the following
way.
" Ye baahu moola parichinha shanka-chakra:
Yeva lalaada
palakelasa oordhwa pundra:
Ye kanda lagna thulasi nalinaaksha
mala:
Teh vaishnava: bhuvana maashubha vidhrayanthi"
The
srivaishnavite can be identified by the shanku-chkra chinnam,
oordhwa
pundaram and the thulasi maala.
(6) Sri
Krishna was said to have instructed his dwaara-
paalagas, before leaving
the fort of Dwaaraka, to
allow sv-s inside, who can be identified by
the
shanku-chakra dhaaranam and the oordhwa pundaram.
" chakraangitha:
praveshtavyaa:
Yaavadaagamanam mama,
Naamudhritha:
praveshtavyaa:
Yaavadaagamanam
mama"
Inference:-
Srivaishnavism with the significatory marks
and practices had existed
for very long. But it was Ramanuja who had
arranged or codified them
into a body of dos and donts for easy
following and hence came to be
identified as founder of
srivaishnavism.
Jayasree saranathan.
--- In
Oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, honganour krishna
<hokrishna@xxxx>
wrote:
> Dear Bhakthas,
> Followers of Vishnu are called as
Vishnavas. And a vishnava could
be a brahmin, Kshtarya, or Vysya. To my
knowledge nowhere in
Ramayana, Mahabharatha, or in Vishnu Purana a
single mention of
Srivishnava is mentioned. These being the great epics
and running in
volumes has no mention of Srivishnava brahmin but one
will come
across mention of mearly vishnava brahmin. Lord Rama and Lord
Krishna
who were Vishnavas never had Srivishnava Namam on their
fore-head. If
Srivishnavism existed in the days of Rama then atleast
single mention
of it would have been made in the Ramayana. We all know
Rama had come
across so many different catagories of people existing at
that time
in his journey from north to extreme south. It is very clear
that
Srivishnavism was not there during Rama and Krishna Days.
Srivishnavism must have been started some time later. In Hindu
culture most of the great people are very modest that they do not
claim there authorship or finding and Srivishnavism is one of
them.
>
> Adiyen Krishna Ramanuja dasan
>it your
home page
Honganour Srinivasarangachar
Krishna
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