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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00063 Jan 2003

 
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Dear Fellow Bhagavatas,
There has been a lively discussion on Devatantara
bhajana[Devata-God; Antara-Different; Bhajana-worship.
Eponymous words to Devantara are Bhashantara-Other
languages; Desantara-Other countries; Namantara-Other
names; Kalantara-Other times; Vishyantaras-Other
interests etc.]. 
Purvacharyas have not approved. Sri Ramanuja's
invocation of Devar moovulagum padaikka, Poovil
naanmuganaip padaitta, Devan oruvarkkallaal,Poovum
poosanaiyum tagume[errors in citation may be pardoned
as I am quoting from memory] , while reclaiming Embar,
sets the guideline clearly and unequivocally.
People not steeped in Sri Vaishnava traditions would
be troubled by the apparent ecumenical references in
Divya Prabandham[Taazh sadiyum neel mudiyum, muniye
naan mugane, avaa arachchuzh ariyai ayanai aranai
agatri etc. and the orthodox line in Purvacharya
vyakhyanas. Neeru sevve idak kaanil nedumaal adiyaar
endru odum and kariya meni misai veliya neeru siride
idum, periya kolat tadam kannan, have been interpreted
as Neeru-anjanam, as against the meaning as ash in
Tamil literature. 
Is it because of the time gap between Azhwars and
Acharyas and the consequent changes in dctrinesal
leanings?
Pillai Perumal Ayyangar, a 17th or 18th century poet,
was reputed to be a fervent Veera Vaishnava, but even
about him Pulavar Puranam says,
Sivanai nindanai seidavane ena
Ivanach chirchil il'am saivar esuvaar
Avan em Maayavan aagattil paadi endru
Uvandu paadiya paakkalum ulllave
When we come to Srimad Bhagavad Gita,we have to adopt
the idiom acceptable to all Hindus. In XI:39-40,
Arjuna says:
Vaayuh agnih varunah sasankah
Prajapatistvam prapitamahascha
Namo namastestu sahasrakritvah
Punascha bhooyopi namo namaste
Namh purastat atha prishthataste
Namostu te sarvata eva sarva
Anantaveerya amita vikramastvam
Sarvam samaapnotshi tatosmsi saravh
Sri Aurobindo translates the two verses as below:
"Thou art Yama and Vayu and Agni and Soma and Varuna
and Prajapati, father of creatures, and the
great-grandsire. Salutation to thee a thousand times
over and again and yet again salutation, in front and
behind and from every side, for thou art each and all
that is. Infinite in might and immeasurable in
strength of action and thou pervadest all and art
everyone."
To me, this translation appears to be lingustically
correct[though I see the word sasankhah-moon is
missed]. I understand from this couple of verses that
God is omnipresent in everything. It is the
culmination of the teaching at IX:39-42, which says,
"Nothing moving or unmoving, animate or inanimate in
the world can be without Me.I am the seed of all
existences.There is no numbering or limit to my divine
Vibhutis; what I have spoken is nothing more than a
summary . Whatever beautful and glorious you see in
this world, whatever is mighty and forceful, know to
be a very splendour, light and energy of Me and born
of a potent and intense power of my existence. But
what is the need for a multitude of details of this
knowldge? Take it thus, that I am here and everywhere,
I am in all and constitute all; there is nothing else
than Me, nothing without Me."
It is possible to take a view that even by worshipping
a diety other than Sriman Narayana, one is worshipping
only God. There is a saying connected with
Narasimhavatara,
Toonilum iruppaan turumbilum iruppaan
[He will be even in the pillar; even in a srap]
There is also a prayer,
Aakaasaat patitam toyam
Yathaa gachchati saagaram
Sarva deva namaskaram
Kesavam pratigachchati
[Like all rainwater from the sky going to the ocean,
so all prayers to any God reach Kesava]
Though I started with uncompromising adherence to
"nindra aadippiraan nirka matrai deivam naadudire", I
have started praying to Vinayaka, Subrahmanya and
Garbharakshambika of Thirukkarugavur. I feel that this
can be reconciled to Sri Vaishnava doctrine of
supremacy of Sriman Narayana.
I have presented my understanding of the matter for
consideration.
Adiyen siriya gnaattan,TCASrinivasaramanujan

=====
T. C. A Srinivasaramanujan
Email: tcasr@xxxx

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