aarthi

Om Jai Jagadish Hare
Swami Jai Jagadish Hare
Bhakt Jano Ke Sankat
Daas Jano Ke Sankat
Kshan Men Door Kare
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Jo Dhyaave Phal Paave
Dukh Bin Se Man Kaa
Swami Dukh Bin Se Man Kaa
Sukh Sampati Ghar Ave
Sukh Sampati Ghar Ave
Kasht Mite Tan Kaa
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Maat Pita Tum Mere
Sharan Kahoon Kiski
Swami Sharan Kahoon Kiski
Tum Bin Aur Na Dooja
Tum Bin Aur Na Dooja
Aas Karoon Jiski
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Tum Pooran Paramatma
Tum Antaryami
Swami Tum Antaryami
Paar Brahm Parameshwar
Paar Brahm Parameshwar
Tum Sabke Swami
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Tum Karuna Ke Saagar
Tum Paalan Karta
Swami Tum Paalan Karta
Main Moorakh Khalakhami
Main Sevak Tum Swami
Kripa Karo Bharta
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Tum Ho Ek Agochar
Sab Ke Praan Pati
Swami Sab Ke Praan Pati
Kis Vidhi Miloon Dayamaya
Kis Vidhi Miloon Dayamaya
Tum Ko Main Kumati
Om Jai Jagdish Hare

Deen Bandhu Dukh Harta
Thaakur Tum Mere
Swaami Rakhshak Tum Mere
Apne Haath Uthao
Apni Sharan Lagao
Dwaar Padha Tere
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Vishay Vikaar Mitaao
Paap Haro Deva
Swami Paap Haro Deva
Shradha Bhakti Badhao
Shradha Bhakti Badhao
Santan Ki Seva
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Tana mana dhan sab tera

swami sab kucha hai tera.(2)

Tera tere arpan 

tera tere arpan

kya lage mera

Om Jai Jagadish Hare
Swami Jai Jagadish Hare
Bhakt Jano Ke Sankat
Daas Jano Ke Sankat
Kshan Men Door Kare
Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Ramanuja as seen by RPMS.

IN A Foreword written By Sri Rangapriya Mahadeshika Swamy to a book on Ramanuja Nootrandhadhi.

He says the verses of Ramanuja  Nootrandhaadhi conjure's up before our mind's eye the resplendent picture of the great acharya Bhagavan Ramanuja, his golden character, and his position as an aacharya par excellence. this work also inspired later poets and writers in their works naming a few of them like Yathiraja Vaibhavam, Yathiraja Prapatti, Yathiraja Bhajanam. Vedanta desikar also prays to the lord to qualify him to be able to sing these verses.
Ramanuja Nootrandhaadhi shines as the final part of the illustrious Dravida Divya Prabhandham and serves as a divine composition for recitation during the Utsava outings of the Lord and the aacharyas.
He then lists out the qualifications of an acharya as put down by the revered Vedanta Desika.
"aachaaryaadiha devataam samadhikaam anyaam namanyaamahe."
An aachaarya should be considered by the disciple as god himself.
Ramanujacharya as portrayed in RN was the home of all the qualities of an aacharya. Though he was soft towards his devotees, he was a terror to the followers of six heretic faiths eg. charvakas,  bauddhas, pashupathas, jains, saankhya, yoga, whom he later disciplined. (This can be seen in the second chapter of the Sri Bhashya Avirodhaadhyaaya.) He was free from all blemishes and a home for all that is good and golden.
Just as Ramayana and Vishnu Sahasranama were written and recited in the presence of the heroes of it. so too Ramanuja Nootrandhadhi. the authenticity of the work is unquestionable.
Swamiji says just as the Svethaasvathara Upanishad states that he alone gets enlightenment (on teaching the Upanishad )cause he has the same devotion to his spiritual teacher as he has to the Lord.
The Author of R N says Ramanujacharya was like an all in one Father Mother Friend Teacher son master. {What a blessing to be a disciple of the great master}
Swamiji next narates an incident in Ramanujacharya's life when he was eager and enquired of Lord Varadaraja through his dearest devotee weather he would get Moksha and the fitting reply of the Lord saying "Whether Ramanuja gets liberation or not is a different matter, but all those recommended by Ramanujacharya are sure to get liberated."
This work he says can be compared to the work of Madurakavi alwar Kanninum Shirutthaambu. where the teacher is so very much important. that the disciple feels Guru to be every thing they are so engrossed in guru he is equal to Lord. {Such great attitude only the blessed can achieve. Its no wonder that their works are so important and extraordinary.}
Swamijithen says the work is compared to Gayathri mantra and says it is "Prapanna Gayathri."
He concludes by blessing the author and wishing for works to bring glory to him and the readers reciters alike.

contemplation of beauty can bring joy.

I almost always admire the nose ring worn by Thayar Alamelu manga it is so magnificent. she carries off the jewel so to say to enhance the beauty of the jewel. May be that is why the lord is decked with jewels cause we are so ignorant and seem to be wearing tinted glasses to view the world. so to help us see the beauty of the Lord he adorns jewellery. Or else why would the beautiful lord require any thing at all. We seem to be so blind to the truth that we need the assistance of beautiful clothes jewels and other decorations to make us aware of the beauty of the Lord. Just like when they adorn the lord aarthi is done so too just before he retires to bed each dress jewellery crown is removed and aarthi is done the hair do is opened for the goddess. her hair oiled and massaged and then aarthi is done. its very beautiful to watch. The jewels worn by the god play an important part when we come before the lord they help in removing the dhoshas we have and allows god to see our bhakti alone. Jewels when in contact with the Lord's give out a special brilliance they seem to be showing us the direction we should have in life. Just by following the guiding line we would be able to cross the ocean of samsara 

To Learn and to Understand. (A)

It is one thing to learn (apprehend) and quiet another thing to understand (Comprehend). In learning you take in a thing by your surface mind and it is something that comes in from outside. You do not absorb it or make it wholly your own, and if you are not mindful, leave it aside for some time it goes clean out of your memory. Understanding on the other hand is when you absorb it, get it live it in your consciousness within. when you have understood a thing in its true sense you never forget it, it never leaves you, it has become an element of your consciousness. example You read Einstein, read over and over again his formulas and equations and even commit them to memory- learn by rote; but after a time, if you loose touch with them, they vanish from your mind or  become very vague and may be you have to start all over again. but if you entered into the perception these forms embody, the inner principle that determine them. if Einsteinian's consciousness became  in some way your consciousness you would have understood and would never forget. it would not be a lesson but an experience. What is needed as we can see is the inner awakening by which you live a thing, identify yourself with it, unless there is this awakening this openness in the consciousness, however much you may learn a thing like a lesson thrust on you it would not enter you may learn but eventually it is forgotten.
One comprehends only what one already possesses, you must be involved make it your habit make it your nature you must have some thing of it at least of what you want to know and understand. Your mind should be tuned to the object you wish to understand to seize. the inner spark should be there to make it possible to receive the light outside and beyond.
 to be continued. 

The wonder of it all.(A)

The ordinary consciousness takes for granted the things that exist as they are. It does not question; it finds everything very natural and as a matter of course. It sees and expects to see the same old familiar things repeated and is not struck by any  extraordinary note in them. that is the unconsciousness of the ordinary consciousness. But when you begin to be conscious, when you look about and gaze at things, you awake, as it were from sleep, and begin to question, to wonder: why is it like this, how is it so, what is it, to what purpose etc etc. Normally you see the sun rise, rain fall, earth rotate but you do not spend a thought over any of these happenings, except that they are useful or simple nuisance. But when there is a light in you and you become conscious, conscious of yourself and the things around you then every thing acquires an importance, a sense and you are full of wonder, wondering at the wonderful creation. The more you advance the more the light grows in you. now all the more the wonder increases. As awareness increases, your interest too increases. a new beauty surrounds, flows out of every object and event. You do not take things for granted and let things pass mechanically, but meet with every one of them as a guest, with whom you wish to make acquaintance and be familiar, each one having a message for you and yourself something to deliver. that is the source of inexhaustible delight and of ever increasing knowledge.   

The Succession after Ramanuja.

According to the Tengalai accounts, Ramanujar appointed Parasara Bhattar his successor as Acharya. Bhattar wrote several Sanskrit hymns he also wrote in Sanskrit commentary on the ancient Vaishnava works the thousand names of Vishnu and a manual of daily worship.
The Vadagalai bographies state that Ramanujar appointed his Uncle Tirumalai Nambis son Tirukkuruhai Piran Pillan (Kuresa as his successor in the authoritative exposition of both the sanskrit and tamil scriptures. The very first of the written commentaries on the tamil hymns written in heavily sanskritized tamil is said to have been written by Pillan on the basis of Ramanujas own lectureson the hymn. earlier evidence however proves Parasara bhattar to be the successor. But it can be seen as a genius of Ramanujar that he set his disciples to different tasks depending on their talent and also his view of the needs of the community. today it however seems strange that the person who the northern school believe to be his successor had written the work assigned to him in Tamil and the Southern school believer  to have written in Sanskrit. and what goes to prove is that Ramanujar foresaw the change in the tradition of the teachings being orally handed down to be over taken by written literature. therefore he assigned his disciples duties so that each of them could see the greatness of both the Alwars works and the Vedic tradition to make it clear that he preached Ubhaya Vedanta. Ramanuja was not the originator of the traditions he articulated or the founder of the distictive sri Vaishnava community, but he had much to do with articulating those traditions in their synthesis in a way that made them known all over India and with the enlarging the Sri vaishnava community.

The recorded teachings of Ramanujacharya.

People outside of the Sri Vaishnava community in India and the west too know Ramanuja only as the author of the theistic commentary on the Vedanta Sutras called Sri Bhashya. and that too many have read only the very first sutra which itself is a wide ranging essay which is so comprehensive that they feel it is the summary of all of his works and his philosophy. a smaller group outside may also know of his commentary on Bhagvad gita yet again few among them may know that he has authored Vedartha sangraha a summary and meaning of the Vedas.
However within the two schools of Sri Vaishnava community there is agreement that he has authored nine works all in Sanskrit. Besides the above mentioned there are two brief commentaries on the Vedanta sutras, three gadyas and a manual of daily worship.
Divya Suri Carita containing a poetic history of the Sri Vaishnava saints and teachers gives the list in one verse. but this work seems to have ended before the end period of Ramanujacharya. The Author Garuda Vahana Pandita. has written a poetic drama giving the above details. but there is a doubt that this work may have been written 200 years later by one having the same name belonging to the same family it may be actually a title held by the family.
The first authentic reference is there fore by Sudarshana suri the last of the great teachers before the split of the Northern and Southern schools of the Sri vaishnava community.
But it is known that Sri ramanuja lectured in Tamil commenting on the hymns of the Alvars especially  the Tiruvaimoli. the first written commentary of this is said to have been written by one of his own disciples at his behest. It is written in a heavily Sanskritized Tamil called Maniparvala and many of the phrases are characteristic of Ramanuja.
The six thousand and the thirty six thousand etc have many of Ramanujas opinion scattered all over. Another work called Varttamalai which has a record of conversations of a number of earlier acharyas gathered together.this too shows no work in Tamil by Sri Ramanujacharya.
to be continued.