SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya/ SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam samvardhaya// KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava:/ SrI RanganAthO jayathu SrI Ranga SrIs cha VardhathAm// ========================================================== SRI RANGA SRI VOL. I / 012 DATED 25th DECEMBER 2000 ========================================================== EDITORIAL: Dear Bhagavatas: In this issue, in addition to our regular features in Section I viz., "Sriranga Vijayam", "AchArya Vamsa Vriksham" and "SampradAya lessons" We present the following in Section II: Gitamrutham ?An Introduction ========================================================= Section I. Regular features: 1. "Sriranga Vijayam ? Part 10 A: The meaning of "IkshvAghu kula dhanam" Part 10 B: A clarification on the timing of the grant of the above. Part 10 C: Sri Ranga VimAnam in PAnchrAtra - Purisai Sri Krishnamachariar Swami. (Translation by Anbil Ramaswamy) 2. "AchArya Vamsa Vriksham" ? "Part 38: The line of Muni Traya Parampara continues ?6 VeLiyanallur Aandavan (common to Poundarikapuram Asramam and Periyaasramam) 3. "Learn our Sampradayam the easy way" Grade I- Lesson 16: "AvatAras" (Based on the original in Tamil "sampradAya pADa thiTTam" by Sri Seva Swamigal, Founder, maNi manDapam and Editor, Sri Desika Seva. (Translation by Anbil Ramaswamy). Dasoham Anbil Ramaswamy Editor & Publisher, "Sri Ranga Sri" ===================================================================== Section I: Regular Features 1. "Sriranga Vijayam ? Part 10 A: The meaning of "IkshvAghu kula dhanam" Part 10 B: A clarification on the timing of the grant of the above. Part 10 C: The "Kuladhanam" in "PAnchrAtra" - Purisai Sri Krishnamachariar Swami. (Translation by Anbil Ramaswamy) ================================================================== Part 10 A: The meaning of "IkshvAghu kula dhanam" ----------------------------------------------------------------- The word "Kuladhanam" means "the wealth of the lineage of IkshvAghu" - says GOvindarAjar. Before and after the killing of RAvaNa, VibheeshaNa was promised and actually crowned as King of Lanka. So, it cannot refer to Lanka. In Uttara RAmAyaNa, we see that when the Lord was about to ascend to his Nitya Vibhoothi (permanent abode), Sugriva, HanumAn, VibheeshaNa and others offered their obeisance. When Sugriva prayed to accompany, the Lord readily accepted saying that he would not go leaving him behind. When VibheeshaNa pleaded to accompany, the Lord asked him to stay back and perform his duties as King till such time as the Sun and moon existed and so long as Srimad RAmAyaNa was being told and retold. He added that VibheeshaNa should continue to offer TiruvArAdhana to "IkshvAghu kula dhanam" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 10 B: A clarification on the timing of the grant of the above. ------------------------------------------------------------------- It is not correct to hold, as some do, that Sri Rama handed over the ArchA vigraha of Sri RanganAtha at the time of his coronation (paTTAbishEkam) because after this he ruled for over 11,000 years. Did not the GitAchAryan say that He continued to do Nityakarma anushTAna because if He abandoned doing it, others would follow His example and incur sin? Therefore, we cannot presume that Sri RAma failed to perform TiruvArAdhana by handing over the Vigraha at the time of coronation till His ascent to Paramapadam. Like his forefathers in the IkshvAghu line, he also must have continued his daily worship during all these 11,000 + years. It is only appropriate to conclude that the grant of the Vigraha at the time of coronation was a promise offered and kept up the promise by actually handing over after the 11,000 + years when he ascended to Nityavibhuthi. This is like the preliminary coronation done on the Seashore even before the war commenced and was followed by the final coronation after the war. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 10 C: The Kula dhanam in PAnchrAtra --------------------------------------------------------------------- The 10th Chapter of kriyA khANDam of ParamEswara Samhitha in pAncharAtra confirms that Sri RAma handed over the VimAnam with the "IkshvAghu Kuladhanam" to his dear friend VibheeshaNa and the latter accepted and bore it on his head and headed towards his Capital in Lanka. Dadou VibheeshaNAya Asou priyAya priyakAriNE SastrOpadEsa poorvam thu VimAnam divya lakshaNam / Sopi thath sirasA gruhya yayou dEsam svayam prathi // ===================================================================== 2. ACHARYA VAMSA VRIKSHAM - Part 38 THE LINE OF MUNI TRAYA PARAMPARA CONTINUES - 6 SRIMAD POUNDARIKAPURAM ASHRAMA ANDAVANS (who were common to Poundarikapuram Asramam and Periyaasramam) M. 34. SRI VELIYANALLUR ANDAVAN (Anbil Ramaswamy) ===================================================================== M. 34. SRI VELIYANALLUR ANDAVAN ( Purattasi / Tiruvaadirai)(1825 - 1900 AD) (VED): " Among the distinguished disciples of Periya Andavan was one VedAnta Tatachariar of Sankarapuram. The Tatachariars who belong to ShadamarshaNa GOtram are descendants of Sri NAthamuni. Down their lineage we find such celebrated Savants as Periya Tirumalai Nambi, grandson of Sri YAmunAchArya. The Tatachariars distinguished themselves by devoted service to the temple notably the Tirumalai temple. They settled in five different places viz., Sankarapuram, Bukkapattinam, Satyamangalam and Surapuram. It was from the Sankarapuram branch that Sri VedAnta Tatachariar Swami came and sought the feet of Periya Andavan and studied the Vedanta SAstras under him. Sri Krishna TAtAchAr Swami alias Tirup Putkuzhi Swami expressed his inability to assume SannyAsa Asrama on account of his hereditary trusteeship of Lord VaradarAja temple at kAnchi. VedAntAchAriar SwAmi was considered. He was a NaishTika BrahmachAri (Confirmed bachelor), who knew no other God than his Acharya. He prayed for admission to the ascetic order, so that the remaining part of his life could be fully placed at the service of his Acharya. Periya Andavan acceded to his prayer and took him into the holy order. He was named "Sri Narayana Maha Desikan". Soon afterwards, Sri Narayana Maha Desikan left on a tour of Divyadesas and reached Attiyur where he remained discoursing on Ubhaya Vedanta SAstras and administering Pancha SamskAram, Bharanyasam to those who sought his feet. On hearing that Periya Andavan had attained the lotus feet of his Acharya, he returned to Srirangam and prayed in his BrindAvanam. He learnt that his cousin and co-disciple under Periya Andavan succeeded him as Acharya as "Chinna Andavan" in Periyasramam but had also passed away. He was greatly upset at the passing away of two yathis and desired to stay at Periyasramam to continue the work of Periya Andavan. But, as he faced many obstacles, he moved to Singar Koil where he stayed for a few days. Then, he proceeded to VenNNAr bank, ThanjAvur where he stayed till the end of his life. Here he organized the annual festivals to Swami Desika whose image had been installed in Thanjai Neelameghap PerumAL Koil by NainArAcharya. He passed away in his Asrama on the bank of VenNNAr and lies interred there. Since VeLiyanallur Andavan was a cousin of Chinna Andavan (1825-1895 AD) and slightly his elder and outlived him by a few years, we may place him between 1825- 1900 AD. His Tanian reads as follows: Sri VAsa Yogeendra KripAthabotham Sri Saila RAmAnuja Labda Chinham / VairAghya BhaktyAdhi GunaikadhAnAm NArAyaNAkhyam Munim AasrayAmah // "Let us take refuge in Narayana Muni who was a great Yogi full of mercy, a hall mark acquired at the feet of Sri Srisaila RamAnuja and who was full of auspicious qualities like detachment and dedication" ===================================================================== 3. Learn our Sampradayam the easy way (Course for Kids) Grade 1 for Beginners (Based on the originals in Tamil "sampradAya pADa thiTTam" by Sri Seva Swamigal) Lesson 16: AvatAras (Incarnations) (Anbil Ramaswamy) ================================================================= The word "AvatAra" means "Descent". The Lord is said to have five abodes. 1. SrivaikunTam. This is His "Para" abode and He is called "ParavAsudEva". 2. Vyuham: This is the famed milky ocean (KsheerAbdi). The Lord is seen here as Vyuha VAsudEva, SamkarshaNa, Pradhyumna and Aniruddha forms. 3. Vibhavam: The Lord descends to earth in various forms and names like fish, tortoise, boar, Lion-Man, Dwarf, ParasurAma, SriRAma, BalarAma, KrishNa and Kalki to protect the virtuous, to destroy evil and to reestablish Dharma. The Lord declared this in Bhagavad Gita "ParitrANAya sAdhoonAm, vinAsAya cha DushkrithAm, Dharma SamsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE" 4. Hardham: The Lord dwells in the hearts of all living beings 5. ArchA: his abode in the temples. Hearths and homes of His devotees. We deal in this lesson with the Vibhavam incarnations. Though He has taken several incarnations, the following 10 are considered the main ones: 1. MATSYA AVATARAM: (Fish) when Madhu and KaiTaba (the twin Asuras) stole the Vedas from Brahma (the creator), the Lord took the form of a huge fish. Killed them, retrieved and restored the Vedas to Brahma. 2. KOORMA AVATARAM (Tortoise) Vanquished by asuras, the Devas approached the Lord, who suggested to make a temporary truce with asuras and engage in the churning of the milky ocean for bringing out nectar that would give them protection against death and defeat. The mountain Mantara was to be the churning rod and the snake VAsuki the rope. When the mountain toppled, the Lord took the form of a huge tortoise and held the mountain securely on His back. When the nectar emerged, He had distributed to the Devas and saved them. 3. VARAHA AVATARAM ( Wild Boar- NOT Pig as popularly believed). When HiranyAksha (lit. golden eyed) abducted Bhoodevi (mother Earth), the Lord took the form of a wild boar killed the asura, and retrieved mother earth. He is also known as Aadhi varAhan, SvEtha varAhan, KOla varAhan and Yajna varAhan. It is in this AvatAram that He revealed to Bhoodevi the easiest means for the inhabitants of earth to attain Him. 4. NARASIMHA AVATARAM: (half lion- Half Man) HiraNyakasipu was another Asura who claimed to be God, having secured several boons of invincibility. His own son, Prahlada was, however, an ardent devotee of the Lord. The father tortured the son to reject Narayana and acknowledge himself as God. But, when Prahlada insisted on his conviction, the father asked the son to show him his God in a pillar and kicked it. Out came the Lord a unique half-lion half-man form to make the words of His devotee ring true, killed the asura by tearing his chest with His bare fingernails and saved Prahlada. 5. VAMANA AVATARAM: (Dwarf) MahAbali, a grandson of Prahlada acquired enormous powers, drove away Indra and annexed his kingdom. The Lord appeared before him as a BrahmachAri dwarf begged MahAbali 3 footlength steps of earth by his own feet. When MahAbali plighted his word to grant His request, the Lord grew so much in size that He could measure the entire earth with one step, the whole wide heavens with another. Aghast at this feat, MahAbali offered his own head. The Lord sent him down to the nether world to rule over there. This AvatAra is also known as "Trivikrama AvatAra"- an "AvatAra within an AvatAra" as it were. 6. PARASURAMA AVATARAM: (Rama with the Axe). Born as the son of Jamadagni, ParasurAma's weapon was the battle-axe. To avenge the death of his father killed by a Kshatriya king, he went round the world 21 times decimating all belonging to the Kshatriya clan. 7. SRIRAMA AVATARAM: (Rama, the Compassionate). RAvaNa, a RAkshasa, like the earlier Asuras acquired enormous powers by severe penance especially invincibility from all beings (except humans, whom he regarded as despicable). The Lord was born as Rama, son of Dasaratha of AyOdhya. RAvaNa abducted Sita, wife of Rama and held her hostage in his capital Lanka beyond the seas. With the help of a monkey battalion headed by Sugriva and HanumAn, RAma crossed the sea over to Lanka and in a terrific fight killed RAvaNa and retrieved Sita. In this AvatAram, the Lord revealed his compassion saying that if anyone surrendered to Him, it was his vow to protect them, come what may. Thus, He enunciated the efficacy of "SaraNAgathi"- Total and unconditional surrender to the Lord 8. BALARAMA AVATARAM: (Rama with the plough) born, as the elder brother of KrishNa, BalarAma was another incarnation of the Lord. His weapon was the plough. He performed several exploits along with KrishNa. 9. KRISHNA AVATARAM: This is considered to be a "PoorNa AvatAram"(Complete incarnation). He was born to DEvaki and VasudEva but was brought up by YasOda and NandagOpa, in the cowherd family. It is in this AvatAram that the Lord revealed that He was indeed BhagavAn and reassured humanity with the last verse (CharamaslOka of the Bhagavad Gita- the Song Celestial) that He would grant Moksha to anyone who surrendered to Him. 10. KALKI AVATAR: (The apocalyptic incarnation yet to be) The Lord is expected to be born to a Brahmin by name Vishnuyasas in the village SambaLam, at the close of Kaliyuga and riding on a horse with a sword in His hand would reestablish the golden age (Kritayugam) once again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS 1. What is meant by the term "AvatAram"? 2. Bring out the purpose of the first 3 AvatAras? 3. What difference do you notice between Sri Rama AvatAram and Sri KrishNa AvatAram? ===================================================================== SECTION II: GITAMRUTHAM ? An Introduction Anbil Ramaswamy ===================================================================== You will remember that we proposed to present excerpts from "Gita sAram" by (VaikunTavAsi) sAra sArajna mahAvidwAn Tirukallam SwAmi *AasthAna VidwAn of AhObila Matam and formerly Editor of Nrisimha priya journal)as a homage to the memory of the MahAn whose Platinum jubilee we celebrated recently. His book was published by Hindu DurairAja Iyengar Memorial Charitable trust, Chennai 600018 during the period 1982 to 1984. This is in Tamil and in 3 volumes running to about 1500 pages. Due to space constraints and my own incapacity to bring out the full import of this monumental work, it is proposed to present only very briefly selected excerpts bringing out some salient points mentioned by the author. The work by the SwAmi is perhaps the most authentic one faithfully reflecting the interpretations of our Poorva AchAryas as vouched in the Srimukhams granted by H.H. Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram Asramam, H.H. Srimad Srirangam Andavan of PeriyAsramam and H.H 44th Pattam Azhagiyasinghar of AhObila Matam. Any number of translations and commentaries on Bhagavad Gita have mushroomed and it has almost become fashionable for anyone with a smattering to write on the "Song Celestial". It is believed that there are more than 20,000 translations and commentaries of Bhagavad Gita in almost all the languages in the World, each presented according to their own lights by the respective authors but none reflecting our Poorva AchAryas' interpretations truly. H.H. Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram Ashramam has observed in his Srimukham that he directed the SwAmi to compile his work (then appearing in Nrisimhapriya) and publish it for the benefit of all, especially because many of our own people were being misled by the misinterpretations projected by all and sundry. Accordingly, the SwAmi completed his work but unfortunately did not live to see his work when published. During the first few years on arriving in the U.S.A in 1987. I had the opportunity to read various books on our religion by both Western and Indian authors. This convinced me of the veracity of the apprehensions voiced by Asmad AchAryan. Some of the books on "Bhagavad Gita" in English, which I happened to peruse are given below: ARNOLD, Edwin: Bhagavad Gita-The Song Celestial, The Heritage Press N.Y. BARRETT, L.D.: Bhagavad Gita (tr), McNichol's Hindu Scriptures, London, 1938 BOLLE, Kees W: Bhagavad Gita- a new tr., Uty.of California Press, Berkeley, 1979 DANIELSON, H: The essence of Supreme truth, Religious Texts translation Series, Leiden, Brill, 1980 EDGERTON, Franklin: Baghavad Gita (tr), Harper & Row, N.Y and Evanston, 1944 HAWLEY.J.S: 'Krishna- the Butter thief', Princeton Uty. Press, Princeton, 1983 HILL, W.D.P: (tr) The Bhagavad Gita, Oxford, Repr.1967 ISHERWOOD, Christopher: Vedanta for Modern man & Baghavad Gita, Collier Books, 1962 LAMOTTE, Etienne: Notes on Bhagavat Gita, Paris, 1929 LARSON, G.J: The Bhagavad Gita, Pub. JAAR, 43 (651-669), 1975 MASCARO, Juan: The Bhagavad Gita, Penguin Books, Baltimore, 1966 MINOR, R: Modern Indian interpreters of the BhagavadGita, State Uty. of NY Press, Albany.1986 STOLER, Miller: Love song of the Dark Lord, Columbia Uty. Press, NY, 1977 TELANG: The Bhagavad Gita, Pub. Sacred Bools of the East, Vol.8 ZEHNER, R.C: The Baghavad Gita, Oxford Uty Press, NY, 1973 (Note: There is another book "The Gita BAshya of RamAnuja" by Sri M.R. Sampathkumaran published by Anantacharya Indological Research Institute, Bombay in 1985. This also gives a comparison of the views held by other branches of our religion and establishing the correctness of those of Bhagavad Ramanuja) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What the Gita is all about? ------------------------------------------------------------- Bhagavad Gita considered as the very essence of Upanishads (Upanishad sAram) has 18 Chapters, divided into 3 shadgams. (A shadgam consists of 6 Chapters). The first shadgam deals with the Individual soul (JeevAtma tattvam) and the yOgas connected therewith for the proper understanding of the role of the individual soul. The second shadgam deals with the Supreme Soul (ParamAtma tattvam) explaining that the goal of the individual souls is to attain the Supreme soul, which is also the means to do so. Like the middle part of sugarcane is the sweetest, this middle shadgam is the sweetest part in Bhagavad Gita. The last shadgam clarifies in detail what is contained in the earlier 2 shadgams. All the three intra-religious heads have written BhAshyams (commentaries)including Sri Aanandagiri, Sridharar, Sri Raghvendra Swamigal, Sri Jayatheerthar and others. VisishTadvaita AchArya, Sri AaLavandAr has written in verse form "GitArtha Sangraham" (referred hereafter as A-GS) following which Bhagavad Ramanuja wrote "GitAbhAshyam"(R-GB). Swami Desika has written a Sanskrit vyAkhyAnam (explanation) for AaLavandAr's work "TAtparya Chandrikai" (D-TC) and one on Bhagavad RamAnuja's work, called "GitArtha Sangraha Rakshai (D-GSR) and a Tamil Prabandham called "GitArtha Sangraham".(D-GSP) We give in this posting a Synopsis of the whole Gita stated by A-GS and D-GSP as presented by Tirukallam SwAmi. The summary of the 3 shadgams as also the "ParamasAram" etc of the 18 Chapters will follow. A-GS: Sarva Dharma jnAna ? vairAghya - sAdhyabhaktyEka gOchara: / NaarAyaNa: param Brahma gitA sAstrE sameeritha: // Meaning The one who sang the Gita is NaarAyaNan. The one who is sung about is also NaarAyaNan.It is only through karmayOga and JnAnayOga that one can acquire BhaktiyOga. For all these, however, the sin-qua-non is detachment from worldly desires (vairAghyam) though it is not a direct means to any but is their integral part. It is mentioned as an independent means only to emphasize its relevance and importance. The nature and state (swaroopam) of karma, jnAna and Bhakti will be explained in detail in the relevant contexts. Bhagavad Gita avers that all the Vedas unequivocally declare NaarAyaNan as the goal and the means to attain Him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- D-GSP: Karumamum jnAnamum koNDezhum kAdhalum kore ilakkenru Arumarai uchchiyuL AadharithOdhum arum biramam ThirumagaLoDu varum ThirumAl enru thAn uraithAn Dharumam ugantha Dhananjayanukku avan sArathiyE Meaning First, one should control one's mind by practicing action(karmayOga). Then one should concentrate on realizing the nature of the self through Knowledge (jnAnayOga ) Then only one can acquire devotion (BhaktiyOga) Only through BhaktiyOga, one can attain Sriman NaarAyaNan,who is the goal. Lord KrishNa instructed this secret to Arjuna who surrendered to Him for getting a clarification of "that which sustains" (Dharma) AaLavandAr called the one referred in Bhagavad Gita as "NaarAyaNan". Swami Desika goes one step further and says that it is "NaarAyaNa who is the Consort of SrI" (SrIman NaarAyaNan) =================================================================== To Continue ==================================================================
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia |
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the list |