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dear sir,     pranams. your explanations are very good.i am happy  lot of 
thankful to you.                                     yours respectively,
                                                             
s.lakshminarayanan.                           

Sampath G <sampath_govindachari@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  Dear Mr, Sarangarajan ,
  Repeating the messages sent earlier. Kindly ack.
  Adiyen. G.Sampath.
  Quote.
  Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha ! 
  Srimathe Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha ! 
  Srimathe Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Divya Paduka sevaka  Srivansatakopa Sri 
Narayana Yatheendra Mahadesikaya Namaha ! !

1-4-2006.

Queries from Sarangarajan and clarifications.  

Your Query Nos .2 and 3. 

I am basically an aiyangar. I also have poonal. I still doubt why we call it as 
Brahmobathesam. Is it possible that anybody can teach what is Brahman . Is it 
so simple, then why people strain so much by going to forest and watch the tip 
of their nose?

I really forget what sloga they said while Brahmobadesam. Also I forget the 
meaning of that. Can anybody tell me about that? 

Clarification. 
  
  According to Sruthis  and Manusmritis in our Hindu culture , every Brahmin 
individual  is supposed to have the basic exposure to the  Vedas . Upananyanam  
is a ceremony  performed to young boys of 7+ years of age  in this  Hindu 
system  , to make the boy eligible to enter the Brahmacharya asramam of his 
life and to understand the importance of the ultimate truth . Upanayanam 
literally  means , bringing the ultimate truth nearer to the  sight. 
Brahmopadesam is nothing but ,  the initiation to the Gayathri Manthram , which 
is supposed to be recited by the individual , who has been thus  initiated , 
constantly all through his life there after . The young age was chosen because, 
 it is in that age the children  stop getting the benefits of the karmas from  
their parents and so will have to learn  and perform their own Karmas for their 
life .
   
   Some of the Brahma Gjnanis like Parasara, Vyasa, Sathyakama and Padmapada 
are not born in the so called ' high caste ? community  but  , as per the will 
of the Almighty ,  they  were responsible for codifying and organizing  the 
Vedas and compiling  all the karmas for the Upanayanam ritual . 
   
  The Upanayanam function starts with the holy bath of the ward  and his  
parents as well , for purification of the outer  body . After that ,  Yajnam is 
 performed , with the assistance of  the priest .Then the Yagnopaveetha Daranam 
( putting on the holy thread across the chest ) is done. From then on , the 
ward  is supposed to wear that sacred thread . 
   
  It consists of three threads with a knot ,  called  ?Brahmamudi? symbolizing 
Brahma ( the creator ) , Vishnu ( the protector ) and Siva ( the destroyer) . 
Also the three threads would remind him of his duty towards his forefathers , 
the second towards his Acharyas , sages and saints  and the third towards his 
Deities and natural forces. Then the Gayathri Mantram is taught to him by his 
father or teacher  as under : 
   
   ? Om ! Bhoor Bhuva Suvaha !  Thath Savithur Vareneeyam ! , Bhargo  Dhevasya 
Dheemahi !  Dhiyo Yo naha Pracho dhayath !! ? .
   
  This literally means , ?  Oh !  triple wonder of creation, protection and 
annihilation , splendor of the three interlinked worlds here ,  around and 
beyond ! Oh! adorable spotless One , May You , that Supreme Divine Being , 
stimulate our intelligence for our   self -wakening , so that we may realize 
the Supreme Truth !! ?.  
   
  Gayathri recitation leads to  intense sadhana towards God  and sadhana leads 
to success. 
   
  Thus one can note that the  Gaayathri manthram  has all the three elements ,  
which figure in the adoration of God : description, meditation and prayer. The 
first nine words of the mantra represent the attributes of the divine , Om 
Bhur-Bhuvas-Suvah Thath Savithur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya .  Dheemahi pertains 
to dhyaana (meditation). Dheeyo yo nah Prachodayaath is the prayer to the Lord. 
 The mantra is thus a prayer to God to confer all the  powers and talents to 
the individual concerned . By virtue of being initiated to  this Gayathri  
Manthram  ,on the Upanayanam Day , one?s  intellectual rays will dispel the 
ignorance which has been pervading through the mind of the individual. The 
darkness will be driven away  and  the person will be endowed  with 
intelligence. The person , then ,  is expected to recite the Gayatri Mantram , 
learnt  and perform Sandhya rituals three times every day, all through his life 
.
   
  Then the student  symbolically asks  for alms of rice from his mother and 
other women . This is only to make him  come out of that superiority complex 
and learn to develop humbleness in him  . He is then supposed to have been born 
again  , in the sadhaka World  and have become ready to learn the Vedas in the 
proper way  . 
   
  The above process of Upanayanam is  supposed to have reformed the student? s 
mind , purified  and rebuilt it ,  towards the understanding of the  Almighty , 
Sriman Narayanan .  Thus this day of Upanayanam is very significant in the 
lives of the people concerned  and they must be proud to remember this day  
with joy and thankfulness to Almighty  for having bestowed that opportunity to 
them . They should never try to run away  from God.   This  is the  prime 
responsibility of a Brahmin.   
   
  Every human being is a guru unto himself. All the required potentials are 
within him . Gayathri mantra emphasizes this very clearly  .   The Lord is 
supposed to be within us as ?Antharvyami?.  We all  have to be  aware of this.  
When we help or feed some one we should feel that the Divine within us is 
helping or feeding the Divine in others. Once we develop this feeling ,  there 
would be no cause for concern in this world. All our problems are due to the 
egocentric desires we all have developed since childhood . Despite knowing 
these, we are unable to overcome it , because of our Vasanas and poorva Karma. 
Understanding of the  Almighty  and surrendering to His Holy  feet alone can 
help us to attain liberation. 
   
  In Srivaishnava Philosophy , no one is required to go to the forest and watch 
the tip of their  nose to see or understand Brahman. However, ? Brahman ? is 
not a commodity to be  picked  up from shelf and display to all .  Ours is a 
simple doctrine. The ? Brahman ? is all pervading and all powerful . He is the 
father of Brahma  and also the father of all species of life. There is none 
equal to or greater than Him.  Still He  is in the minds of every one as ? 
Antharvyami ? . Since no one can see or observe within himself , the best way 
to understand Brahman is to fall under the Holy feet of the Almighty , Sriman 
Narayanan, as  ? Saranagathy ?  , with a total implicit faith that He alone  
will take care of us , as we are all His property. The Ithihasas and Puranas 
have enough material to prove the existence of  ? Brahman ? . One should have 
the perseverance, interest , faith and devotion to read those writings.   
   
  Constant thinking of Lord Sriman Narayanan would lead to ? Para Bakthi ? . 
Constant reading and analyzing the Thirukalyanagunas of Sriman Narayanan would 
lead to ?Para Gjanam ?. Holding the feet of the Lord in mind , praying Him and 
seeking liberation would lead to ?Parama Bakthi ? stage , the stage Prahlad and 
Droupathi reached  . Once we get there , we would be able to visualize the 
?Aathma Saashathkaaram ? , with HIS blessings. Remember . Lord Krishna gave 
Arjuna the DIVYA Chakshoos , for Arjuna to have Darshan of  his  Universal Form 
. So without the permission of the Lord , seeing or understanding he Brahman is 
next to  impossible. 
   
  Since you are quite young  and have the eagerness to understand our culture , 
 try to devote your free time to read and understand the books , mentioned 
above . Believe me . It would stand you in good stead. When it has done to 
others and me personally , it should do it to you as well. 
   
  Your Query No. 1. 
   
  I learnt that Maha kavi Subramaniya Bharathi and Swami Vivenakanda has 
objected anybody falling in their feet.  I am asking this as a doubt and not to 
wound anybody. Why do we still  follow this tradition. I think that we have to 
take blessings by falling in the feet of our parents, even if our parents are 
culprits, I think we have to continue this for the reason that without whom we 
would have not been in this world. Similarly we should fall to god, but why do 
we do this to acharyas (They are gurus no doubt, but still they also are not  
exception from 3 gungas) .
   
  Clarification . 
   
  The writer feels sorry to state that there has been a complete 
misunderstanding on the subject here . The reason why Mahakavi Bharathi and 
swami Vivekananda objected to falling on their feet ,  is to make people aware 
of the importance of worshipping the ever lasting ? Brahman ? instead of  the 
human race. It is prescribed in our  Sastras that  one can prostrate to his 
parents , his acharya , who has done Gjana Upadesam to him ,  other elders , 
who are God fearing individuals  and even young Bhagavathas ( if they are not 
related to the individual  )  , who excel him in the  knowledge of the Supreme 
.  By doing this one?s life time  improves , his strength also increases , he 
becomes famous, he inherits the right type of wealth and  he brings forth to 
this world , only  good children. On this , if one closely follows up the 
readings in Ramayan ,  where  Lord Sri Rama had  clearly exhibited to the world 
 , how one should conduct himself in this world , in  situations like
this , it   would help a great deal . Please go through the same. 
   
  As per our Srivaishnava Philosophy , Lord appreciates  more  a person ,  who 
gives respect to His  Bhagavathas instead of Bhagvan Himself . So prostrating 
to Bhagavathas , who are devoted to God is desirable. No student has authority 
to question the integrity or Gunas of his Acharya. This Almighty hates to the 
core. Acharya? s Gunas would be evaluated by his Acharya. So why should we 
bother ?  
   
  Thus , you would note that  , our Srivaishnava Philosophy is very simple and 
easy to understand and follow. It is only the WILL from our end , to read and 
learn that is required.   Being a clever  software Engineer , try to use your 
computer and internet knowledge , to understand and conceptualize the doctrines 
of our culture ,  instead of merely  arguing  for the sake of argument . It 
will never take you any where. Take it from me. 
   
  While the writer fully appreciates , your willingness to learn these , hope 
the explanations given above  are in a way clarifying  some of the basic doubts 
you had on the subject. You need not be very apologetic about your youthful 
days and the surroundings there in.   The lives of  many Acharyas and Alwars 
would reveal that one need not be in the best of surroundings to understand the 
Lord .  It is all an excuse for not doing a thing .  Bon in the ?Paanar Kulam ? 
 , Madhurakavi Alwar attained fame and glory as the best disciple and devotee  
. It is one?s mental make up and that  is ,  in our hands. 
   
  Understanding and appreciating your anxiety , the writer is marking a copy of 
this  to all the members of Srirangasri group , so that , your  friends, who 
are a bit shy to ask clarifications on this issue ,  can also be benefited. 
Trust you agree with me on this. 
   
  Pardon me to add this. For your kind information , the writer is  an Engineer 
from IIT  Chennai , after  B.Sc. and has retired from service in 1997 , having 
worked  as The President of a multinational Engineering company . But  all 
those are not  going to help the writer to attain  salvation.   Holding tightly 
 the HOLY  feet of the  Lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimha alone  would help  . 
   
  Trust this note would be of benefit to you .   
   
  God bless you . 
   
  Adiyen , Ramanuja dasan 
  G.Sampath. 
  1-4-2006
  Dear Mr. Sarangarajan , 
  Further to my reply , clarifying your query , please  note that in the last 
portion of the clarification  note ,   a mistake has happened . Instead  of ? 
Madhurakavi Alwar ? , it should be read as ? Thiruppaanaazhvar ? . He was the 
one born in ? Paanar Kulam ?.  Please read accordingly. 
  Regret the error. Regards.
  Adiyen , Ramanuja Dasan , 
  G. Sampath.
  Unquote.

                        
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