SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anupadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm//
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SRI RANGA SRI VOL.05 / ISSUE # 22 dated 24th June 2004
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR ?Snippets -Part 3(Anbil Ramaswamy)
2. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS ? AN OVERVIEW ? PART 25
THE GLORY OF AANGIRASA GOTRAM ? PART 9 (Anbil Ramaswamy)
3. DESIKAMRUTAM ?SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM?
?THE THREE TENETS?-4
By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore)
?Srikaaryam? Swami of the Board of Advisors of ?Sri Ranga Sri?
( ?The Three Tenets- Part- 3? was featured in Vol.5/20 dated 06/01/04)
4. FROM MAHABHARATA: ?YAKSHA PRASNAM?
PART 43: PRASNAM 107 and 108
By Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami,
Senior Officer of Government of India.
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1. SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR ?Snippets - Part 3
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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PERIYA TIRUVANTADI
Seeraal pirantu sirappaal vaLarndu
pEr vaamn aakakkaal pEraaLaa!- maarbaarap
pulginee UNDu umizhnda Boomi neer ErpariithE?
sollu nee yaam ariya Soozhndu
?How come? he asks ?without living up to your numerous glorious names and
being known as ?well born? and ?well bred?- you took the Avatar as a dwarf
with the name of Vaamana ? a despicable dwarf who cannot boast of any merit
of birth or upbringing? Perhaps, you thought that only by assuming such a
ridiculous form could you go abegging for a gift of earth.
And, what earth?
YOUR earth that you embraced; YOUR earth that you gulped: YOUR earth that
you released at the time of a new Kalpa. Even though such an earth was YOUR
VERY OWN, why on earth did you beg of Bali to ?gift? it to you with the
symbolic pouring of water?
I really need an explanation for this queer act of yours.
Pulgi: Embraced (Obviously a reference to Bhoodevi)
PEraaLan: Renowned with glorious names.
In Verse 75, he refers to ?CONTAINER BEING CONTAINED?
Puviyum iru visumbum ninakaththa nee yen
Seviyin vazhi pugunthu enn uLLaaai- avivinRi
Yaan periyan nee periyaai enpadanai yaar arivaar
Oonparukku UNmaiyeY! uLLu.
?Oh! Lord! You hold a discus which is capable of devouring all flesh; this
world and Paramapada are contained in you; thus, you are the Lord of both
the worlds (Ubhaya vibhuti Nathan). How come, while this being so, you chose
to enter me through my auditory faculty and you became contained in me and
that too permanently? Now that you are contained in me irretrievably, who
can say which one is greater than the other? You OR Me? If you know, you may
yourself explain this conundrum (and admit your defeat!)
In Verse 86, the Azhwar wonders how people could save themselves when they
have absolutely no thought of salvation which Lord Narayana alone can grant.
Kaar kalantha mEniyaan kai kalantha aazhiyaan
Paar kalantha valvayitraan paambaNaiyaan ?
seer kalantha solninainthu pOkkaarEl soozh vinaiyin aazh thuyarai
en ninianthu pOkkuvaar ippOtu?
?People of the world are wasting their time without experiencing the bliss
of the Lord?s names; The Lord is of the color of the azure skies; He has the
divine discus in his hand; at the time of deluge, he keeps the worlds in
?safe custody? in his stomach and protects them; He reclines on the serpent
couch. If only people should talk of these facts, they can free themselves
from all sins. Without doing this, why are they wasting their lifetime? I
wonder how they are able to do this and how else could they ever hope to rid
themselves of sins.?
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2. GOTRAS AND PRAVARAS ? AN OVERVIEW ? PART 25
THE GLORY OF AANGIRASA GOTRAM ? PART 9
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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AGNI HOTRAM
The Mantras cited above mention Atharva as the one who first discovered Agni
and also acted as the pioneer in establishing the rules of observing the
?Soma Yaga? and other sacrifices through agni. Another Veda vaakhya credits
these to Angeeras. Therefore, it appears that both Atharva and Angeeras
refer to the same person.
What are required for performing Agnihotra?
Of course, the foremost is agni. We have seen that Atharva alias Angeeras is
the one who discovered this and brought it to use.
But, for offering in the Agni, milk, yogurt etc. are also needed. They have
necessarily to be got from the cow. The cow would need green grass to eat
and survive and yield its products. Rain is needed for the grass to grow.
Again, only the cow that has given birth to its calf would be able to yield
an udder full of milk. You cannot allow the calf to consume all the milk of
mother cow. A delicate balance has to be worked out to determine how much is
good enough for the calf and when to wean it away. This weaning away should
not be resorted to during the first 10 days of birth of the calf. Atharva
alias Angeeras was so thoughtful about all these that he enunciated the
needed disciplines for all this and laid down the methodology for the
guidance of posterity. Taitriya Braahmanam vouches to this.
angeersaO vai satramaasata/ tEshaamprusnidharmadhug
aaseet/sjershENaaa jeevat/ (Taittriya BraahmaNam 2.1.1)
Angeerasas performed Satra yaaga. A multicolored cow gave milk for the
Yaaga. But, there was no a blade of grass for the cow to feed on due to
prolonged drought. They extracted juice from the plant called ?Soma? and
threw away the wastes. The cow survived on his waste.
tE abhruvan? Kasmai nu satram aasatE/ yesyaa Oshadhir na janayaama iti /
(Taittriya BraahmaNa 2.1.1)
They said: ?What is the use of our doing Satra yaagam when we are unable to
provide fodder for the cow??
tE divO vrishTimasrujanta / yaavanta: stOkaa avaapadhyanta /taavateer
OshadhayOjaayanta /
They brought rains from the clouds. Earth gave out as many edible plants
required as the number of raindrops that fell on it.
Taa jaataa: pitarO vishENaa limpan/taasaamjagdhvaarupyantyait/
A genre of ?GaNas? called ?pitrus? mixed poison with the plants that made
the cow fall sick
tE abhruvan/ka idamiththama keiti/
They asked: ?Who did this?
Vayam bhaagadEyam ichchamaanaa iti pitarO abhruvan /
?We only did this? replied the ?Pitrus? ?because we want a share in the
yaaga?
Angeerasas asked:
?Kim vO bhaagadhEyam iti??
?Which portion of the yaaga do you want??
Pitrus replied:
agnihOtra Eva?
?We need apart in the AgnihOtram only?
tEbhya yEtad bhaagadhEyam praayachchan/yaddhutvaanimaarshTi/
taO vai ta Oshadheerasvadayan /
They were offered the part desired by them. That is why, after the
completion of Satra yaagam, it was made mandatory to pour the Homa dravyas
on the southern side of the Yaaga KuNdam that belonged to the pitrus.
Having got their share, the pitrus removed the poison and made it possible
for the cow to enjoy the delicious food with relish.
tE vatsamupaavaasrujan/ idam nO havyam pradaapayEti/
Angeerasas then unleashed the calf.
sObhraveet varam vruNai / dasamaa raatreerjaatam na dOhan/
aasangavam maatraa saha charaaNEti /
The calf now petitioned:
?For the first 10 days after my birth, I should have the exclusive right to
drink my mother?s milk. Till then, you should not take any milk from my
mother?. I should be allowed to stay with my mother from sunrise to what is
known as ?Sangava kaalam? (i.e.) 7 ½ to 12 naazhigais) Then only, you can
make me part from my mother.
Tasmaad vatsam jaatam dasaraateer na duhanti /
aasangavam maatraa saha charati / vaarE vrutaim hyaasya/
?Access granted? from then on till today, this practice is being observed
meticulously by SishTas.
Tasmaad vatsai saim srushTdhyaim rudrO ghaatuka: / ati hi sndhaam dhayati??
If breaching this arrangement, the calf were to imbibe milk, Rudra would
kill it.
It is clear from the above that the various norms for the world?s welfare
were devised by Angeeras.
The mantra that praises the glory of all the Vedas also identifies Atharva
Veda as Angeerasa Veda. While allotting the four directions to the four
Vedas It specifically says:
rucha praachee mahatee dig uchyatE/
dakshiNaamaahuh yajushaamapaaraam/
atyharvaNaangeerasaam prateechee/ Saamnaam udeechee mahatee dig uchchyatE//
(KaaDakam 3.12.9.10
when referring to the Western direction, it says that it belongs to
Angeeras.
DAKSHINA DAANAM
Those who help the ?Yajamaana? in Sacrifices are called ?Ritviks?. The
Yajamaana is required to offer them something in return for their services.
This is called ?DakshiNa?. Even here, the form and manner in which it should
be given are all regulated by the Do?s and Don?ts in the Vedas. Those who
are receiving the DakshiNa can accept them only by uttering a prescribed
mantra. This mantra names ?Angeeras?. The Vedas stipulate that anyone
receiving DakshiNa should invariably utter the name of Angeeras enshrined in
this mantra.
Ka idam kasmaa aadaat/ kaamah kaamaaya/ kaamO daataa/ kaamah pratigriheetaa/
kaamam Samudram aavisa/ kaamEna tvaa pratigrihNaami/ kaamaitatE/ yEshaa tE
kaama dakshiNaa/ uththaanasva Aangeerasa: pratigrihNaatu// (Taittriya
AaarNyakam 3.10.1.2)
?Oh! DakshiNaa! Let Angeerasa receive you.?
Why this is so?
Taking DakshiNa is considered to be a heinous act.
YagjnaValkya?s Dharma Saastra makes it clear that even when one is fit to
receive another?s property, one should develop an attitude of renouncing it?
Pratigraha samarthOPi prasangam tatra vaarayEt/
Taitrriya Aaaranyakam 2.16 goes one step further to denounce the recipient
as one who demeans himself by accepting Daanam (gifts) for helping in the
performance of Yagjna.
Richyata iva vaa yEsah prEva richyatE yO yaajayati prati vaa grihNaati/
The same Vedas that denounce acceptance of gifts also prescribe that no
yagjna will be fruitful without offering gifts to the Ritviks!
How can we reconcile these contrary injunctions?
Would the Sage who devised the procedures for performing yagjnas even at the
dawn of humanity leave this an open question without an appropriate answer?
His final verdict is this:
?Oh! DakshiNa! Those who accept you should utter this mantra (Indicated
above) at the time of acceptance?
How does this solve the problem?
The point is that any stigma attaching to the acceptance of DakshiNa will
not affect the recipient, if he accepts uttering this mantra.
Then, where will it go? Will it taint Angeeras?
Yes. It will.
But, before it could reach Angeeras, it will be decimated and incinerated.
How?
It is because Angeersa is himself fire (anala) that devours everything. The
sin is also consumed by the fire power of Angeeras.
Is this possible? This is a valid doubt.
Let us analyze this with the help of Vedas themselves.
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3. DESIKAMRUTAM ?SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SARAM?
?THE THREE TENETS?-4
By Sri Sadagopa Iyengar Swamin (of Coimbatore)
?Srikaaryam? Swami of the Board of Advisors of ?Sri Ranga Sri?
( ?The Three Tenets- Part- 3? was featured in Vol.5/20 dated 06/01/04)
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Going slightly backwards, readers would remember that we were expanding on
the Sharanagati Gadya vAkya, "svAdheeena trividha chEtana achEtana svarUpa
stitthi pravritti bhEdam", which tells us that the essential nature
("SvarUpam"), the continued well-being ("Sttithi") and activity
("Pravritti") of the JeevAs, in all their variety, depend on the Iswara. Of
the three states, we have already seen how the Jeevas' SvarUpam and Stitthi
are entirely dependent on the Lord. Swami Desikan proceeds next to show how
their activity ("Pravritti") too is so.
The activity of Jeevas consists in-
1. their being the doers of a particular activity ("Kartrutvam"), and
2. their being the enjoyers or experiencing entities ("BhOktrutvam"),
deriving pleasure or pain from the activity.
The first aspect, viz., the Jeeva's Doership, is entirely subject to
Emperuman's will ("ParAdheenam"). This has been conclusively laid down in
the Vedas, with the Upanishad telling us that it is the ParamAtma who
inspires us from within to engage or refrain from a particular activity-"yam
AtmA anatarO yamayati". The Brahma SutrAs too confirm this-"ParAt tu tat
ShrutE:"
The second aspect indicated above, viz., the Jeeva being the experiencing
agent or enjoyer, is also for the Emperuman's purpose, and not our own.
The Lord induces such experiences in us, for His own sport and enjoyment. It
is through our enjoyment of pleasures and sufferings due to pain, that
constitute "leelA rasam" or sport for the Lord.
We thus see that both the Doership and the state of experiencing pleasure
and pain are solely dependent on and for the purposes of the Lord.
We have already been told that there are three classes of Jeevas-
1. the BaddhAs or the souls bound by SamsAric shackles, subject to the
vicious cycle of births and deaths
2. the MuktAs, who were originally BaddhAs, but have been liberated through
the adoption of an appropriate strategy for liberation like Bhakti or
Prapatti, and
3. the NityAs, who are permanent residents of Sri Vaikunttam, having never
been subject or exposed to samsAric travails any time, having been blessed
with eternal wisdom and service to the Lord.
Swami Desikan now deals with the activity ("Pravritti") of each of the
aforesaid three categories of Jeevas.
What distinguishes the Baddha Jeevas from the other two classes?
Five aspects of difference are listed here-
1. avidyA or ignorance-this takes two forms, viz.,
a) the illusion that the body itself is the Atma, without the realisation of
the latter being distinct and different from the former, and
b) the illusion that the Atma is independent and unaccountable.
These are respectively known as "DEhAtma Bhramam" and "Svatantra Atma
Bhramam")
2. Karma-these are the twin shackles of PApa or bad deeds and PuNya or
meritorious ones. These bind the Jeeva hand and foot, immobilising him from
undertaking any effort for liberation.
3. VAsanA-this is the indelible imprint left by the innumerable acts, good
and bad, done through the countless births we have gone through.
4. Ruchi-refers to the insatiable taste for enjoyment of mundane pleasures,
resulting from "VAsanA". It is because of the impressions resulting from
previous acts, done during previous births, that people develop an
attachment to similar acts in their succeeding births too.
5. Prakriti Sambandham-indicates the disadvantages resulting from the
Jeeva's association with matter, in the form of the body.
It is these five factors, which show the bound JeevAtma to be distinct and
different from the liberated souls.
The Baddha Jeevas or bound souls are different not only from the Muktas and
Nityas, but are characterized by differences among themselves too. Though
sharing the common appellation of Bound Souls, due to differences in wisdom,
enjoyment, etc., they can be as different from one another as chalk from
cheese. We thus find that the exalted deity, the four-headed BrahmA,
responsible for Creation is also a Baddha Jeeva, as is a lowly pillar
standing stationary in a deserted courtyard.
When both the mighty BrahmA and the insignificant pillar belong to the same
class of bound souls, what could the ocean of difference between them be due
to?
In accordance with the deeds of merit and demerit performed by different
Jeevas, they acquire bodies differing in social and economic status and in
other criteria of physical, physcological and other distinctions. We are
told by the Shruti that those who perform meritorious acts are born to
Kings, scholarly Brahmins or rich merchants, while those who are guilty of
heinous crimes take birth as the progeny of dogs, pigs etc.-
"RamaNIya charaNA: ramaNIyAm yOnim ApadyEran
BrAhmaNa yOnim kshatriya yOnim vaisya yOnim vA
Apooya charaNA: apooyAm yOnim ApadyEran
Sva yOnim sookara yOnim chandAla yOnim vA"
Thus, what we are is really a factor of what we have done.
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4. FROM MAHABHARATA: ?YAKSHA PRASNAM?
PART 43: PRASNAM 107
By Sri M.K. Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami,
Senior Officer of Government of India.
PRASNAM 107
YAKSHA:
?KO MATSARA: ITI SMRITA:??
?WHAT IS ENVY??
YUDHISHTIRA:
? HRIDTAAPO MATSARA: SMRITA:?
?ENVY IS THAT WHICH SETS THE HEART ON FIRE (DUE TO COVETOUSNESS?
NOTES:
YuhdishTira is indeed in an excellent position to know, on first hand basis,
as to what envy is all about. All his trials and tribulations including the
mortification of seeing all his brothers dead for all intents and purposes;
and, having to answer the stentorian questions of a Yaksha disguised as a
crane are all attributable to the consequences of the burning envy
experienced by DuryOdhana over the invincibility of the PaaNDavas and their
endless capacity to come out of every odd and in fact each one to their
advantage.
That DuryOdhana literally burned with envy over his cousins? fortunes and
achievements is well known because, he made no secret of it. After returning
from Indraprasta when YudishTira had successfully completed the Rajsuya
sacrifice, DuryOdhana felt extremely bitter and poured out his heart to his
maternal uncle and his father, the blind King DritaraashTra.
Taam drushtvaa PaaNDu putrasya Sriyam paramkaamaham/
Saantim na parigachaaami dahyamaanEna chEtasaa//
(Sabha Parva Ch. 45.35)
? I have witnessed the enormity and unequalled wealth and prosperity of
YudishTira. Thereafter, I have lost my peace of mind. I am burning inside?
?What riles me and makes me burn more fiercely is that none of my plots
against him and his brothers succeeded?
?kritO yatnO mayaa poorvam vinaasE tasya saubala
tath cha sarvam atikramyasa vriddhOpasviva pankajam?
(Sabha Parva Ch.43.33)
?What steps did I not take to exterminate YudhishTira?s from the face of
earth? Somehow, he manages to escape every time. What is worse, he seems to
flourish like a lotus blooming to an even fuller bloom?
?I am not able to tolerate their grandeur and I am burning with intolerance
and jealousy.?
amarshEna susampoorNO dahyamaanO divaanisam
(Sabha Parva Ch.43.21)
Envy is such a forest fire. Even a spark is sufficient to ignite. Once
ignited, it rages on uncontrollably or keeps smoldering interminably.
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PRASNAM 108
YAKSHA
?KO AHAMKAARA ITI PROKTA:??
?WHAT IS EGOISM??
YUDHISHTIRA:
?MAHAA AGJAANAM AHAMKAARA:?
?EGOISM IS ONLY ANOTHER NAME FOR PROFOUND IGNORANCE?
NOTES:
Incidentally, profound ignorance is another name for a confused, deluded
mind with a mechanical and instinctual way of acting but with illusions of
great self grandeur. All these are, in turn, synonymous with a Taamasic
nature or bent of mind.
Sri Aurobindo would say ?A Taamasic person remains well in its indolence and
inertia, its stupor and sleep, its blindness and its error?
What is the Taamasic ignorant knowledge? Again, in his words, it is ?a small
and narrow, a lazy or dull obstinate way of looking at things which has no
eye for the real nature of the world or of the thing done or its field or
the act or its conditions. The Taamasic mind does not look for real cause
and effect, but absolves itself in one movement or one routine with an
obstinate attachment to it, can see nothing but the little section of
personal activity before its eyes and does not know in fact, what it is
doing but blindly lets natural impulsion work and through its deed results
of which it has no conception, foresight or comprehending intelligence?
(Essays on the Gita Ch. Xix)
Thus, a person who is steeped in Taamasic ignorance leads a life making a
virtue of it. Remaining inert and inactive, he develops delusions of
unassailability and grandeur. Due to delusions of self importance, he does
not realize that he has made his life a cud chewing bovine existence.
Pitying the person who has fallen to such a state, YudhishTira reflects that
it is only very great ignorance that can beget egoism.
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