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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00055 Sep 2001

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Gopaladesika Mahadesikaya namah:

Dearest Vaishnavas,

The terrorist attacks and the tragedy that struck was described by adiyEn's father to asmadhAchAryan His Holiness Srimad PaRavaakkOttai Andavan Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan Swamy. Sri C Seshadri Swamin
of Chennai also visited Srirangam and was narrating the gory attacks.

Sri Ve Anantha Narasimhachariar Swamin and asmadhAcharyan Srimad PaRavaakkOttai Andavan Swamy immediately were shocked and were concerned about the situation of innocent victims and more particularly
of us, who are residing overseas (especially in USA).

Swamy out of His compassion, with motherly affection spontaneously said, "I will recite daily in the morning and the evening, Swamy Desikan's abheethi sthavam and Dasaavathaara sthOthram for the safety of Srivaishnavas in US and pray to Divya Dampathi Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri Rangantahan and Acharya Saarvabhouman Sri Vedatha Desikan to shower Their benevolent dayA on us, dispelling the fear (uneasy tensions) from our minds.

Sri ANC Swamin also pledged to do the same. Swamy also has asked and instructed Srivaishnavas all over the globe to recite Abhiti Stavam and Dasaavathara sthOthram of Swamy Desikan everyday for the safety and welfare of every one of us.

(From Srivaishnava Home Page by Sri Mani Varadarajan- http://www.ramanuja.org ), This stotram Abheethi sthavam has a historical background. The great centre of Sri Vaishnavism Srirangam had fallen into the hands of the Muslim invaders led by Malik Kafur in the 14th Century A.D. Before that, the shrine of Lord Ranganatha had been closed after secretly sealing the sanctum sanctorum, and the utsava-murti removed to places of safety by the pious people of the place. Several great acharyas lost their lives, and several others, Vedanta Desika among them, ran away from the place in fear and panic. Desika stayed at Satyamangalam near Kollegal now in Mysore State. It is from there he sang this stotra in praise of Lord Ranganatha, praying to Him to banish the fear of his devotees and return to His abode. Sloka 20 voices the prayer to banish fear in Srirangam and restore it to its former glory, and sloka 22 prays to the Lord to wield His weapons and remove their fear caused by the turushkas and the Yavanas. The Stotra refers to the Lord's five weapons (panchayudhas), which He always holds in His hands for our protection, in four places 11, 21, 22 and 23. Fear and/or freedom from fear figure in nearly half the total number of slokas of this stotram. Sloka 19 refers by name to eight staunch devotees of the Lord who obtained complete freedom from fear by taking refuge at the Lord's feet and prays for a similar benefit and blessing for all of us.

A paaraayanam of this stotram has been prescribed by elders for securing freedom from fear of any sort.

Let us contemplate the rich meaning (so apt for us now in the present context) of Slokam 22 - This slokam tells us about the attack on Arangam by turushkAs and yavanAs:

kalipraNidhi lakshaNai: kalitashAkyalOkAyatai:
turushka-yavanAdibhirjagati jrmbhamANam bhayam |
prakrshta-nijashaktibhi: prasabhamAyudhai: panchabhi:
kshiti tridasharakshakai: kshapaya RanganAtha kshaNAt ||

May the spread of fear in this world due to anya mathams like boudhdha,
chArvAka (with kali purusha gooDhachAra lakshaNam) and also due to the
attack of turushkAs and yavanAs, be completely eliminated with the use of your divya Ayudhams in a second.

A SRIVAISHNAVAN IS ONE-
who feels the pain of and empathizes with the suffering.
who says, aiyO" and cries when he sees someone suffering.
who rushes to rescue and help the suffering.

It is not just enough to watch the CNN and feel bad about the attacks and weep for the victims. Let us pray and recite Abhethi Sthavam and Dasaavathaara sthOthram as instructed by asmadhAcharyan and help us to help each other. The most compassionate Acharyan has also started sicne 15th and has been reciting daily for our safety and welfare. adiyEn has already started reciting at Singapore.

Let us be true vaishnavas and feel for the suffering.

This also reminds me of Narsi Mehta ( A gujarathi poet)'s "VaishNav JanatO"poem. Given below is the text and Translation
(from bhakti archives)

Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je
[One who is a vaishnav]
PeeD paraayi jaaNe re
[Knows the pain of others]
Par-dukhkhe upkaar kare toye
[Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery]
Man abhimaan na aaNe re
[Does not let pride enter his mind]
Vaishnav...

SakaL lok maan sahune vande
[A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world]
Nindaa na kare keni re
[Does not say bad things about anyone]
Vaach kaachh man nishchaL raakhe
[Keeps his/her words, actions and thoughts pure]
Dhan-dhan janani teni re
[O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed (dhanya-dhanya)]

Vaishnav...

Sam-drishti ne trishna tyaagi
[A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed & avarice]
Par-stree jene maat re
[Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother]
Jivha thaki asatya na bole
[The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies]
Par-dhan nav jhaalee haath re
[Does not even touch someone else's property]
Vaishnav...

Moh-maaya vyaape nahi jene
[A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments]
DriDh vairaagya jena man maan re
[Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly pleasures]
Ram naam shoon taaLi laagi
[Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram]
SakaL tirath tena tan maan re
[For whom all the religious sites are in the mind]
Vaishnav...

VaN-lobhi ne kapaT-rahit chhe
[Who has no greed and deciet]
Kaam-krodh nivaarya re
[Who has renounced lust of all types and anger]
BhaNe Narsaiyyo tenun darshan karta
[The poet Narsi will like to see such a person]
KuL ekoter taarya re
[By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation]
Vaishnav...

Bonus:
Sri C Seshadri Swamin of Chennai has also come out with a BONUS Plan of performing Archana to the Lord of Srirangam on behalf of us (those who pray and recite Abheethi sthavam). Those interested, may please send an email to: padhukasavagan@xxxx with your name, star and Gothram. He will perform Archana and send you the archana ticket details by email back. IT IS FREE OF CHARGE.

Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Narayana Narayana
NarayaNa dAsan madhavakkannan


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