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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00074 Oct 2003

 
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I cannot recall ever having written anything in which I doubted whether
Vedas ever proclaimed the supremacy of Sriman Narayana, but if I did, it was
at a time where I failed to place myself under the mercy of an AchAryan who
could clear up these doubts for me. And, now that I am learning from a
teacher, I realize that using my limited intellect to try to explain the
vast difference between the nature of the debates in this forum and what is
actually understood by those who truly know our Vedic culture would
either result in my offending someone or in someone questioning the validity
of my Acharya.

But, since Mr. Kasturi Rangan has somehow decided that my name should be
used to validate his doubts, I suppose I should throw in my two cents worth:

There are a great number of incorrect assumptions being made in arguements
like this which are largely based on our primary school level of education
in a language called Sanskrit, and our egotistically believing that we can
use it it to interpret the the Veda. We have gone so far to even limiting
the term Veda as being just four books, and then based solely on our blind
faith either in ourselves or our teacher trying to argue some point how a
very subjective perception of Deity either does or does not define the
Absolute Reality.

If we can all begin to humble ourselves a bit, as I had to the hard way, we
will understand that Veda is the sum total of all knowledge and includes
everything, itihAsas, purAnas, prabhandams (which are not just in Tamil),
the six theistic systems of philosophy, the six atheistic systems, along
with 1131 sAkhas of a sabdam of which we only know the famous four, being
just a part. The language of all this wisdom is not Sanskrit or Tamil in
the sense that it has a particular script, contains x number of letters, and
can easily be understood by those who have taken a course or two in it or
because of geographic origin speak some language that emerged from it. It
is a language all its own, with no particular script and a very precise
meaning that requires years of study and meditation to even begin to
understand.

But, in the sum total of all of that, one word has stood out in the minds of
all those who sought to understand the Veda in its totality - Narayana.
This term, of course, conjures up in our mind a four-armed deity lying on a
thousand-headed serpent. But, this is only because those seeking to worship
and contemplate on a form that will cultivate Sattwa guna recognized this
concept of Deity to be the most sweet and accessible. But, the form is not
as relevant as a proper understanding of the name. Narayana is one term
that helps to define the Reality behind all that makes this Universe what it
is; He (and we use this gender since it allows us to understand that this is
a Personal Being) is the energy behind all of us and hence the true doer of
all action; He is the ultimate Beneficiary and ultimate Benefactor for this
Universe as this Universe is the body for Him, who acts as its Soul, and it
is He who is the very mystery and wonder of Love.

Meditating upon that Reality, advaitins, dvaitins, and visistadvaitins
offered slightly different interpretations of the truth. And, they all
realized that this Reality is the only one being referred to in all the
rituals, as it is the action of that Being in the Fire that makes Him known
as Agni, the energy behind all of the processes that lead to rain that makes
Him known as Varuna, His Energy and Movement being referred to as Rudra,
etc., etc. If seen from this perspective, then the arguement really
becomes moot, because whatever name and form we wish to give to Him, He will
assume for our sake.

Please note that what I have shared above is only a small sampling of the
crude understanding of a well-intentioned "American Joe" who is trying very
hard to learn something from his Teacher. So, please either go easy on me
easy, or better yet, keep me out of this.

Ramanuja dasan
Mohan




----- Original Message -----
From: "amshuman_k" <amshuman_k@xxxx>
To: <ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 12:38 PM
Subject: [ramanuja] Re: Vedas & Supremacy of Sriman Narayana


> Dear Shri Nappinnai,
>
> "Did the question arise due to the doubt in your mind or someone
> else's mind? "
>
> Very much in my mind. On a side note, I discovered similar issues
> discussed by Shri Mohan Sagar in the old archives of Bhakti list.
>









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