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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00109 Jan 2004

 
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Respected Sriman Mohan,

There is no doubt that we all give utmost importance to mUla mantra 
(ashtAksharI). I am trying to understand why many AchAryas do not 
prescribe japam of the mantra.

I was just suggesting in my first mail to chant it once during 
guruparamparA dhyAnam. Once can chant it umpteen times without 
anga/kara nyAsam and attaching any importance to such chant. 

Ritualizing the chant of the mantra and expecting spiritual benefits 
out of it goes against the very meaning of the mantra as given by 
AchArya ParASara Bhattar. This leads to conflict between gnAna and 
anushtAna. Hence many AchAryas do not prescribe it as a spiritual 
practice. 

Certainly the mantra needs to be meditated upon (thought over) but 
not the way gAyatrI/harE krshNa are chanted even without counting the 
number. Such meditation can be meaningful and complete only in terms 
of the meaning of the mantra.

The anushtAna of the meaning of the mantra is simple which involves 
faith that He is my means and goal and wishing serviceability to Him.
AlwArs interpret such serviceability to the extent of being 
serviceable to His devotees. Thus trying to adhere to the meaning of 
the mantra brings in samskAra in the devotee which may even influence 
one's material lifestyle. Hence the importance is for mantrArtha or 
meaning of the mantra but not for the mantra (in a ritualisitc way).

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Vishnu

--- In ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Madhuri and Mohan <m_raghavan@xxxx> 
wrote:
> I would beg to differ with Sri Vishnu on this. Mu:la Mantram is 
the 
> highest and most accessible of all mantrams, and can be chanted 
silently 
> at certain times of the day when prescribed by the a:cha:rya. From 
what 
> I have learned, contemplation on the thirumantram can follow the 
> ga:yatri during the performance of trika:la sandhya vandanam, and 
also 
> in place of ga:yatri by those who have not been initiated into it. 
It 
> should be noted, however, that unlike the ga:yatri, which has 
specific 
> count, the ashta:kshari should just be meditated upon without 
counting 
> the number of times that it has been chanted.
> 
> But, it is important to note that meditation on this mantram should 
only 
> be performed when it prescribed and how it is prescribed by an 
> a:cha:rya. And, as Sri Vishnu has stated, learning about and 
trying to 
> live life in accordance with its meaning is just as important as 
simply 
> meditating upon it.
> 
> Ramanuja dasan
> Mohan
> 
> 
> 
> > 
> >




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