Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Stories galore. Importance of preceptor.

The Story of Naciketas
This story is found in the Kathopanisad.
Once a person called Vajasravas performed a huge sacrifice to acquire great prosperity, and as is the custom in the end, he gifted
away all his possessions including his granary and cows to the priest who performed the sacrifice. But the cows which he so liberally gifted were all old and had gone dry. they could no longer calve or yield milk. Seeing this Naciketas, the young son of Vajasravas, thought it sinful for his father to donate useless cows; his father may not be considered to have conducted the sacrifice in the proper manner. He wanted to some how set right this defect even by giving himself up to any one who wanted him. So he aproached his father and said Sir, to whom are you giving me? the father kept silent, the boy persisted and questioned his father again. In sheer irritation, the father snapped I will give you to Yama. Naciketa sensed that his father was upset with him. He also wondered what use he could be to a great person like Yama. However to keep up his father's wprd he proceeded to the abode of Yama. there he found Yama had gone out and was to return only after three days. Naciketas lay at the door of Yama's residence without food or water. seeing Naciketas in that condition. Yama was moved, he asked Naciketas to ask for three boons from him. As the first boon Naciketas asked that his father should have peace of mind and should not be upset with him. Yama granted this boon. for the second boon Naciketas prayed for knowledge about the sacrifice which will bestow immortality and the pleasure enjoyed by the celestials. Yama granted this too. As the third boon. Naciketas asked for supreme knowledge about the self.
Yama refused to grant this boon and said that he will grant great imperishable wealth to naciketas. But the boy declined this wealth saying that it is of no use to him. He insisted on receiveing the supreme knowledge. seeing the tenacity of purpose of Naciketas, Yama was pleased and taught him the secret knowledge with great joy in his heart. Yama also blessed Naciketas thus: "There are few indeed who seek to know about the soul and the supreme person. It is also rare that a Preceptor can impart this knowledge. Even if one finds such a preceptor, where are the disciples who can grasp this knowledge properly? Only he who has great unlimited devotion towards the preceptor will comprehend this knowledge. How I wish I get a disciple like you"
The Story of satyakama Jabali.
This episode is found in the Chandogya Upanishad.
Once a boy called Satyakama, son of Jabali went to study under sage Haridrumata. The sage handed over the custody of four hundred cows to Satyakama and asked him to take them deep into the forest to gaze and not to return till they became a thousand cows. The boy obeyed the preceptor and went to the forest. Taking pity on the boy who was made to tend to the cows when he should be studying, a bull, the fire, a swan and a water bird taught Satyakama some sections of the Vedas. several years later the herd became a thousand strong. Satyakama brought the cattle before his master and awaited his further instruction. Sage Haridrumata saw the radiance on the face of Satyakama and asked him who had taught him the vedas, as a result of which his face was shining. Satyakama narrated all that had happened and prostrated before the sage saying, "Only that knowledge is sound which is learnt from the preceptor, So please teach me." (Acaryaddhaiva vidya vidita sadhistham prapat) Then the sage instructe the sixteen part Brahmavidya to Satyakama. This episode indicates that attachment and devotion to the preceptor is essential to acquire knowledge.
The story of Upakosala:
this story is also found in the Chandogya Upanishad.
Once a lad called Upakosala sought instruction on the Brahmavidya from sage Satyakama. For twelve long years, Upakosala stayed in the residence of the master, attending to all household duties and tending the sacrificial fire. However, Satyakama did not begin teaching Upakosala. whereas he taught other disciples. The Preceptor then went on a long pilgrimage. Upakosala became dejected but did not say anything. He went about doing his daily duties. The sacrificial fires, which he was dilligently tending, took pity on him and taught him a part of the Brahmavidya. They told him to learn the remaining from the preceptor. when satyakama returned after some years, Upakosala told him what had happened. he prayed that he may be taught the complete Brahmavidya. (bravllu me bhagavan iti tasmai hovaca) satyakama then taught him fully.
The story of Sanjaya.
This is from the Mahabharata. 
Sanjaya was a minister under the Kaurava king Dhratarastra. remaining in the palace itself, Sanjaya was able to see with his mental eye the entire battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, including the sacred instruction by Lord Krsna to Arjuna. Sanjaya tells the King "I have great devotion towards the supreme Lord. Equal devotion i have towards my preceptor sage Vyasa. My mind is pure. It is only due to the grace of my preceptor that i was able to hear the teachings of Lord Krsna. (suddha bhavam gato bhaktya sastrad vedmi Janardanam).
Moral: Devotion to preceptor should be equal to that of the devotion to the Lord. or else they will not be able to understand the teachings at all. the learning capacity and the grasping power of the disciple entirely depends on this devotion.
ONE MORE.
The story of Janasruti and Raikva.
Once there was a pious and noble king called Janasruti ruling his kingdom well. One night he heard two celestial beings in the form of swans in the sky, conversing about the knowledge of a sage called Raikva who was living in his kingdom. Keen to meet the sage, the king wandered to several places and ultimately found the sage lying under a cart and scratching his body which was full of sores. The King sought to become his disciple and offered him several cattle and much wealth. the sage being unmoved refused to teach the King. after a while the King again approached the sage and prayed to be taught. this time he offered him more wealth and also his daughter in marriage. moved by the king's perseverance, devotion and eagerness to learn the sage taught him the truths.
This episode is also from Chandogya Upanishad.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

The Hierarchy. The way things happened.



                                                           RAMANUJACHARYA
                                                         |
                         | ---------------------- | --------------------|
                  ENBAR                               TIRUKKURUKAI PILLAN
                         |                                                            |
                BHATTAR                                  ENGAL AZHVAN
                         |                                                             |
                 NANJYAR                               NADADUR AMMAL
                         |                                                             |
                NAMPILLAI                                     APPULLAR
                          |                                                             |
|-------------------|-----------------|                 VEDANTA DESIKAR
|                                                 |  
|                                                 |  
|                                                 | 
PERIYAVACHCHAN             |
PILLAY                              VADAKKU TIRUVIDIPILLAI
      |                                                                           |
PILLAILOKACHARYA         MANAVALLA MAMUNI.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

NISHTA CONCERNING PURUSHARTHA:

It has been said of the three, Your birth, continuance and perishing, why should you be anxious only about your continuance? In the same way as birth and death come of themselves (without any choice being left to you) your continuance in life also will not depend on anything done by you. and again the Goddess of Lakshmi comes of her own accord, to one who does not exert himself in any way. Another man who makes efforts does not obtain even the food he wants. This is in accordance with past karma. The prapanna whose understanding is firmly fixed in the purushartha would not feel anxious in relation to such things as maintenance of the body which are directed by Iswara in accordance with particular acts of past karma that have begun to operate in this life. He would reflect that even if he grieved or felt anxious about these things, nothing would happen except according to the will of God as stated in the passages:
"Though he flies in the air or enters the lower world called Rasatala or wanders about the whole earth, a man will not obtain what is not ordained for him. and again what ever work is done in the world is work done by me. so others propose but i dispose. When things not forbidden in the shastras come to him without any seeking of his and by the will of God, the prapanna realises that the debt that has resulted from past karmas that has begun to operate is now being discharged. Therefore he enjoys them without trying to avoid them. For it has been said in Parasaragits and elsewhere--"householders should receive whatever comes to them without any exertion on their part. As regards their dharmas on the other hand, it is my opinion that they should in all possible ways exert themselves and fulfill them". and so also "THE" wise man should not be anxious about his food. He should think only of his Dharma. Man's food comes to him along with his birth, this has been stated in "Ajagaropakhyana:- I do not avoid enjoyments which come to me of themselves and which are also in keeping with my dharma, nor do i seek any enjoyment which can be had only with painful effort.
The prapanna who has attained nishta in purushartha has neither pleasure nor pain, when he meets with or fails to get objects usually desired other than moksha. as taught in the following slokas "When one of these two pleasure and pain arrives, one should not feel delighted on seeing pleasure nor feel sorrow when one sees pain" and the man who meditates on the feet of the lord is not elated on possession of wealth, nor does he feel disoriented when what he has is lost." He on the other hand has a great longing for service to the Lord which is suited to his essential  nature and which is the supreme aim of his life.
to be continued.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Classification of a qualified person (VD)s

Verse:
Even though the desire for moksha is the same, a distiction arises among those who practice the vidyas or forms of meditation prescribed in the sruitis, as a result of their respective qualifications or competence in regard to such vidyas as madhuvidya,  sadvidya etc. In the same way a distiction arises between the adoption of prapatti and other vidyas (which are of the nature of bhakti or devout meditation) as a result of an unseen power or destiny depending on past karma which brooks no questioning.
(some aspirants for moksha are qualified for madhu vidya and others for sadvidya as a result of their respective competence or special forms of aspiration. So also some are qualified for prapatti, while others are for bhakti).

Two kinds of adhikaris:
Among those who resort to the practice of the dharmas of renunciation as a means for the attainment of the supreme goal of life MOKSHA. There are two classes of qualified persons those who adopt prapatti as the sole and direct means and those to whom prapatti is auxiliary to the chief means i.e. bhakti. Both these are prapannas, one adopting prapatti as an independent means and the other adopting it as an anga for bhakti. Both of them are called bhaktas because bhakti is the fruit for one and sadhana for the other. (Bhakti which arises as a fruit of prapatti where as bhakti is bhakti which leads to moksha.

Acharya nishta.

When a lion jumps from one hill to another the little lice and bugs on his skin also go along with him to the new hill. so also those who serve an acharya are led to the land of the lord. When the author of Sri Bhashya performed prapatti we too have been saved by that act.
Nyasa Tilaka says the blind man walks on being led by one who is not blind. The lame man is taken across by the boatman being placed within the boat. The children of the Kings servant enjoy the pleasures of the palace although they do not know the King. so also my acharya who is compassionate is capable of making me attain thee. O Lord of Srirangam.
The favour of Bhagavatas residence in holy places. Whether it be beast or man or bird- those who are held by bhagvatas as their own will go to the supreme abode of Vishnu for that very reason.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

16 daughters.

Daksha Prajapati the son of Brahma married Prasooti and got 16 daughters.
13 were married to dharmadeva.
swadhaa to Pitris
Swaahas to Agni and
Sati to Shiva.

Valmiki Narada Rama

Who in this world is a person:
1. of adorable and admirable character?
2. of great Valour?
3. of acute discernment about right and wrong?
4. that appreciates remembers and is grateful for the help received from every one?
5. that stands by his word all the time?
6. and pursues his goals to their completion unswerving?
7. who is a man of proven record and reputation?
8. Who always wishes and does good to all beings?
9. Who is well read about all aspects of life?
10. Who is capable of getting most challenging things done?
11. Who is also approachable, personable and pleasing to all alike at all times?
12. Who is a person of exemplary courage?
13. in complete control of his temperament.
14. of great intellect?
15. that is unbiased and does not indulge in slander?
16. and who's displeasure would be taken note by even the gods?

He is known by the name Rama.
He is the descendent of the Ikshwaku dynasty.
He is well balanced and complete control of his words thoughts and deeds.
He is a man of great valour. He is a person of steadfast character and radiant countenance.
He is intelligent, judicious learned.
He is endowed with all riches. he puts an end to all detractors.
His shoulders are broad,  arms are strong and big neck is straight strong and elegant like a conch and his cheek bones are strong.
His chest is broad, the bow in his hand is impressive, Bones at his shoulders joints are covered by thick muscles.
He keeps his detractors under tight control.
His long hands stretch to his knees, his head is imposing and his forehead is wide. His gait is like that of a lion. His body has perfect dimensions and symmetric all over. His skin radiates with translucent sheen. His chest is strong his eyes are wide. His features are majestic and reassuring. He is endowed with riches and virility. His sense of right and wrong is acute and unfailing. He honours his word always. He is constantly engaged in the welfare and wellbeing of the people.
His unblemished reputation reached far and wide. He has gained a wealth of knowledge from many sources. He is clean inwardly and out worldly. His focus is always on the welfare of people under his protection. He is comparable with Prajapati. He is resourceful and provides for everyone. He protects the people and ensures righteousness everywhere. He has through knowledge of all vedas and vedangas.  He is an expert in the art of science and archery.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

origin of srirangam

The origin.
The sanctuary (Vimana) rose out of the Ocean through the grace of the penance of Brahma. Who worshipped it and appointed the Sun god Surya to attend to the daily worship of Sri Ranganatha. Ikshvaku descended from the sun and shifted the sanctuary to his capital Ayodhya. Sri Rama the incarnation of Vishnu in the Ikshvaku dynasty presented the precious sanctuary to Vibhishana who had come to attend the coronation of Sri Rama at Ayodhya.  Vibhishana returned to Lanka carrying the sanctuary with him. On the way being weary he laid down the sanctuary at the valley of Kavery and rested. He was not able to lift the sanctuary when he decided to leave again. He became agitated and worried. The King Chola Dharmavaram who reigned over that region consoled him, he built a temple with enclosures round the sanctuary.  This being a region of valley the river kavery flooded the region burying the temple under sand. Eventually the forest grew and covered the land under which the temple lay buried. A descendent of the King Dharmavarma resting under a tree in the above forest heard a parrot sitting on one of the branches recite a verse (Kavery viraja …………….Pranavartha prakashaka.) which meant River kaveri is the same as the River Viraja in Vaikunta. The Srirangam temple is Vaikunta itself, the lord of Arangam, who is none other than Vasudeva, God’s eternal abode is here perceptibly. The vimana is in the form of the Pranava (OM) its four towers are like the four Vedas and Sri Rangasayee is expounding the import of the pranava.
The king in whose dream Vishnu appeared, reverentially cleared the sand dunes and discovered the Vimana underneath. He renovated the old temple and re-installed the Lord in all His glory. He constructed a kili mantapam (a colonnade) near the Perumal Sannidhi. The King there after came to be known as Kili cholan. He then built around the rediscovered sanctuary a temple with streets enclosures and flower gardens. He also improved the banks of both branches of the river enclosing the island of Srirangam. In Ahananuru one of the early sangam works in Tamil there is a mention of this temple with a reference to Arangam and Panguni festival of that temple. This work belongs to around the fourth century. Also in a later work Silappadikaram there is a mention of the temple. The Ramayana, the Padma purana and Matsya purana mention this temple of Lord Ranganatha giving a description of the lord. Prappannamrutham has numerous references to the temple. The Lakshmi Kavyam of the fifteenth century  describes the celestial wedding of Uraiyur Valli with Lord Ranganatha and also describes the Adi Brahmotsavam festival.  Works like Maduravijayam and Saluvabhyudayam refer to the Muslim occupation and subsequent restoration of the temple by Vijayanagar rulers. This is how ancient this temple is. All the Alwazrs have sung in praise of the Lord Ranganatha. Thondaradipodi  alwar lived here for a long time. Sri Ramanuja also lived here for a long time there are record evidence of the detailed instructions given by him regarding the manner in which the festivals (utsavams) are to be celebrated and the manner in which the different rituals are to be performed. He also classified thoroughly the manner of administration of the temple and their duties. These rules are being followed even today and if a doubt arises as to some details the instructions of are taken as authoritative. This is also the place where three famous women devotees of the Lord attained salvation and merged with the Lord himself. The first was Sultani a Mohamedan princess, daughter of a Delhi Badsha. She was known as Thulukka Nachiar. The second was Chola Kulavalli, daughter of a Chola King Dharma Varma, she is known as Woraiyur Nachiar. The third is the daughter of the Chera king Kulasekara, known as Chera Kulavalli. This is also the temple where Manavala Mamuni repeated Tiruvaimozhi for the benefit of Lord Ranganatha Himself. It is believed that the Lord and his Divine consort were part of the august assembly for the whole year and listened to these discourses. At the end of which he assumed the form of a young boy and uttered the following verse which is repeated even today both at the commencement and at the end of the recitals of divya Prabhandham;
“Sri Sailesa/ Rangesha, Dayapathram dhi bakthyathi gunarnavam
Yathindra pravanam Vande Ramyajamataram munim”
{three perumal temples which are remembered and reputed for the embellishment of their processional idols. 1.The Varadaraja Swami temple at Kanchi is famous for the beauty of the umbrella (Kodai Azhagu) 2. The Thirunarayanapuram (Melkote) is known for the beauty of the diamond Crown (Mudi Azhagu) while the Srirangam is known for the captivating and enthralling gait (Nadai Azhagu) of the utsava murthy.
There are 21 towers in the temple. Each one of them is a masterpiece, full of ornamental  images.
More details from related posts all having Srirangam as header.