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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00033 Jan 2003

 
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Sri Padmanabhan Swamy's guidance has been utterly exemplary. He has 
advised me just as my Acarya would- with a mother's love that always 
seeks the best for her child. I put forward the following moot- 
points to get my thinking further appropriately streamlined with our 
purvacaryas counsel.

--------------------

Swamy Padmanabhan said: "So the question is whether dhEvadhAndhra 
bhajanam is acceptable as it at least allows shEShathvam? Here I do 
not concur . . . " 

Respected Swamy Padmanabhan- i wholeheartedly agree with your point, 
and fear that the brevity of my note had left room for a 
misunderstanding. In my footnote comments, I did not mean to suggest 
that for A SRIVAISNAVA, worshiping devas is at least better than 
worshiping oneself. As Pillai Lokacharya clearly states in 
Mumuksupadi sutras 62-3:

"Enslaving the soul which belongs only to Him, to another samsaari is 
like giving the oblation from a yagna which is meant for Indra and 
other Devas to a lowly dog. More important than being enslaved to 
Him, is not being enslaved to another" [trans. TCA Venkatesan, 
available on the list archives/ Acharya.org]. 

My intention was not to hint that dhEvadhAndhra bhajanam isnt so bad, 
or even remotely beneficial for A SRIVAISNAVA , but that :

Out of: 
(1) A person who does not know Sriranganath is the Lord and hence 
worships other deities and
(2) A person like me who knows Sriranganatha is Supreme, yet 
continues to worship his own self, 
person (2) is in a more unfortunate (worse) state of affairs than 
person (1) . 

Trying to think where this idea came from, i went back to Swamy PB 
Annangaracharya's commentary on Mumuksupadi sutra 81:

"Mumuksupadi 81. piRarkkuriyanAnavanRu than vailakshaNyaththaik kAtti 
meetkalAm; thanakkennumanRu yOgyathaiyum kooda azhiyum. 
Meaning: If a person becomes enslaved to another then it is possible 
to shown him the difference between others and the Lord and correct 
him. If he is enslaved only to himself (living as I and mine), it is 
difficult to bring him to the right path (therefore, it can be taken 
that removal of anya sEshatvam is connected to the removal of 
svasEshatvam, which is shown by the nama:). 
Sri PBA Swami's Sarartha Deepikai: Between anya sEshatvam and 
svasEshatvam, it is svasEshatvam that is more dangerous. If a person 
is enslaved to another, it means that the person is agreeable to that 
idea; then it is easy for Him to show this person His divine 
qualities and the difference between Him and others and enslave him. 
When a person becomes enslaved to himself, it is difficult to correct 
him and make him enslaved to the Lord. 
Therefore, as svasEshatva nivrutti is more important than anya 
sEshatva nivrutti, it is that which is shown in the nama: part. 
[trans. TCA Venkatesan]"

Does this not imply that:
A) For a non-Srivaisnava, worshiping minor devas (dhEvadhAndhra 
bhajanam) DOES at least allow shEShathvam. 

Whereas

B)for someone like me who has Ramanujasambhandhan, serving oneself IS 
even worse than the worshiping of minor devas by the non-Srivaisnavas.

If my understanding is incorrect, please put me on the right track.

Finally, please allow me a personal note. Not only Swamy Padmanabhan 
but Swamy TCA Srinivasaramanujan , Smt. Nappinaai and others have 
blessed me with their guidance. Moreover, before posting my original 
note, i sought the counsel of one highly illustrious member of this 
group. He advised: 

". . . our intention is not to contradict. It is just an addition or 
like adding a spice for the food. If somebody could read in between 
the lines, let us correct ourselves with this great satsang". 

True indeed. Without love, we are nothing at all; and i am deeply 
grateful to the Ramanuja List members who have shown me such love 
whilst correcting me. It makes me feel privileged to be a member of 
this not only learned, but kind satsang. 

Your grateful servant, S. Ramanujadasan.




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