By learning a little of the vedas one becomes a brahmana by learning the whole of a branch he is known as a srotriya by learning an anga he is known as anuvachana and by learning the kalpa a rishi- and by teaching a kalpa sutra to others a bhruna.
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
THE ORDER
ATHATHO BRAHMA JIGYASA.
JANMADASYA YATHA
SHASTRAYONITVATH
TATHU SAMANVAYATH
ISHATEARNA SHABDAM
GONASCHENATHMA SHABDATH
TANISTASYA MOKSHOPADESHAT
HEYATVA VACHANATH
PRATIGYA VIRODATH
SWAPYAYATH
GATHISAMANYATH
SHRUTHATVACHA
AANADHAMAYO ABHYASATH
VIKARASHABDHI NETHICHENA PRACHURYATH
THADVETHUVYAPADESHACHA
MANTRAVARNIKAMEVA CHA GEEYATHE
NETROANUPAPTHE
MEDHAVYAPADESHACHA
KAMACHANANUMANAPESHACHA
ASMINNASYACHATHADOAMSHASTHI
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Ahankara.
From the teachings of the Upanishad each element evolves from the preceding one through an intermediate condition known as tanmantra. Earth comes forth from Water through the Gandha tanmantra; Water from fire through the rasa tanmantra Fire from air through the rupa tanmantra Air from eather through the othesparsha tanmantra and eather from Ahankara through the sabdha tanmantra. Though in Sankhya they all come from Ahankara directly.
What is ahankara?
answer is:
- puff
- self-conceitedness
- self-consciousness
- EGO
- self-esteem
- Puff
- affectation
- seven deadly sins
- airs
- arrogance
- audacity
- cheek
- conceit
- ego
- haughtiness
- hauteur
- hubris
- pride
- proudness
Tanmatra (Sanskrit: तन्मात्र) is a noun which means – rudimentary or subtle element, merely that, mere essence, potential or only a trifle. There are five sense perceptions – hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell, and there are the five tanmatras corresponding to the five sense perceptions and five sense-organs.
Definition - What does Pancha Tanmatra mean?
Pancha tanmatra are the five perceptions or subtle elements that are the objects of the five senses. The term comes from the Sanskrit, pancha, meaning “five”; tan, meaning “subtle”; and matra, meaning “elements.” The pancha tanmatra are: rupa (form), gandha (smell), sparsa (touch), rasa (taste) and sabda (sound).
Vaishava dharma
Tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—The five qualities of the mahā-bhūtas that subtly manifest in the mind as sound, touch, form, taste and smell.
Purana and Itihasa
(tanmatra) The subtle physical essence.
Tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—‘rudimentary, undifferentiated, subtle elements from which a gross element is produced.’*
Monday, October 5, 2020
th
The commentary tradition is unique for Vaishnava literature in Tamil language. This has been brought forward by Guruparampara Sampradaya where one Acharya conducted tutorial sessions (Kalakshepam) with commentaries of Purvacharyas and this was followed to the letter by disciples. Some students, who delivered discourses used to quote them profusely in public lectures. For instance, the Tiruppavai discourses, which take place during Margazhi (December 16 to January 14). These are supposed to be based on the kalakshepams the lecturers have heard and as per Sampradaya under the tutelage of a preceptor. Earlier, we used to have such lectures on the Prabandham verses of Azhwars in each Divya Desam.
Dr. M. Varadarajan is one among those who has listened to the discourses on all commentaries in what is known as the Compendium of Nalayira Divya Prabandham. All these thoughts were revealed in in Manipravala style and kept as rahasya on a par with Veda Bhasya of Sayana or Bhatta Bhaskara. Now through the pens of contemporary scholars, they are presented in lucid English language. This volume will kindle the interest of the reader, who would like to go through the originals by learning the Tamil of Sangam literature. We find, in Melkote region, an invocatory verse, which is in vogue, for Periyazhwar Thirumozhi that like this:
Kattiaya sadagattin kandeerum kamavel
Pootiya valvillum pudumayile
kottiyare mallandatintol manivanna
kappennu pallanduraittan padi
It is only after reciting this paasuram that Periyazhwar Thirumozhi is rendered, during Sevakalam and Kalakshepams.
For Tiruppavai Muvayirappadi of Periyavacchan Pillai, Arayirappadi of Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar, Erayirappadi and Nalayirappadi of Ayee Jananyacharya are touched upon.\
Of Lord Rama’s magnanimity
Perumal Thirumozhi of Kulsekara Azhwar brings forth the magnanimity of Lord Rama. Periyavacchan Pillai has given commentaries on the prabandhams of all the Azhwars and that has been taken into account. Tirumalai takes one from being the devotee of God to being devoted to the bhaktas of the Lord. ‘Nedumarkadimai’ would denote Lakshmana, who followed Lord Rama, and ‘Adiyarkadimai’ is Satrugna, who followed Bharata, a devotee of Lord Rama. All these ideas are well depicted in the commentaries brought out in the compendium. The outpourings of the Azhwars come spontaneously in a metrical Andhadhi format. That is why it is considered equivalent to Sanskrit Vedas that were spelt out by the rishis. Azhwars were blessed with the same revelation and they address God as ‘Inbakkavipaduvittonai.’
The six prabandhams of Kaliyan, which is compared to six Vedangas, is commended well and Tirumangai Azhwar as Parakala Nayaki is depicted in a lucid manner. Four works of Nammazhwar, equivalent to the four Vedas, is depicted well and all its commentaries are touched upon. Both Vedanta Desika and Manavala Mamunigal have given an independent abridged version of Tiruvoimozhi in Sanskrit and Tamil viz. Dramidopanishad Tatparya Ratnavali and Tiruvoimozhi Nootrandhadi. It is believed to enlighten those who are interested in understanding the contents of Divya Prabandham in general and its commentaries in particular. This book can be prescribed as a reference material for any Sri Vaishnavism course and may also be stored in one’s personal library. After going through this volume, the readers are sure to ask for more books from the author as his appeal is wonderful.
AS
ANOTHERS POST.
The Maharaja of Mysore wanted to celebrate the golden jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen Victoria in 1891 and built a little beauty and named it Victoria Jubilee Institute. The building is a rare blend of classical European, Gothic, Corinthian and Romanesque architectural elements. Subsequently, the walls of this building were adorned by Hoysala sculptures brought from a destroyed Hoysala temple. There are some beautiful inscriptions in front of the building which give a heritage ambience to the structure.
Subsequently the building used to house thousands of rare palm leaf manuscripts and was called Mysore Oriental Library and now it is called Oriental Research Institute (ORI) and is a part of Mysore University. Queen Victoria is forgotten but this Research Institute is famous all over the world because it was here the first manuscript of Kautilya’s Arthasastra was discovered.
Around 1905 there was a librarian by name Rudrapatnam Shamasastry (1868 - 1944) who hailed from the celebrated village Rudrapatna on the banks of Kaveri, famous for Karnatak music. He belonged to the Sanketi Brahmin community and by 37 he had mastered Veda, vedanga, classical Sanskrit, Prakrit, English, Kannada, German, French and other languages. He had also learnt the various ancient scripts of India.
As the librarian daily he was examining each manuscript to know its contents. It was not an easy task either. Most of the palm leaf manuscripts were fragile and to handle them was a big problem. This routine examination continued day by day, month after month and even after years, without great success. But Shamasastry was hopeful of finding out some new spectacular manuscript which was not known to the world. His assistants always taunted him but unmindful of all these, Sastry continued his work with all devotion and sincerity.
One fine morning in 1905, he picked up palm leaf manuscript from a heap. He examined this palm leaf and was pleasantly surprised to know that it was a work on Arthasastra or administration written by an author called Kautilya, Chanakya or Vishnugupta before the dawn of Christian era. Some people thought that it must have been a hoax: others looked at this with suspicion; but the introduction written by Shamasastry in 1909 giving the details of the author and its authenticity convinced that it was a genuine literary wonder of the ancient world.
Fleet (London), Jolly (Germany), Winternitz (Germany), Thomas (London), Pelliot (France), Keith, Sten Konow and a host of others congratulated Shamasastry for heralding a new era in Indian administration. R. K. Mukerji, Ashutosh Mukerji, B. C. Law, C. R. Reddy and other Indian scholars paid handsome tribute to Shamasastry. Rabindranath Tagore specially expressed his happiness on this occasion. Thus Shamasastry overnight became a celebrity not only in India but all over the world in academic circles. The book was translated to French, German and many other languages.
Awards and recognitions followed immediately after its publication in 1909. Washington University (USA) awarded a doctorate; Royal Asiatic Society awarded its Fellowship: He was awarded Campbell gold medal. Calcutta University also gave him a doctorate and invited him to deliver a series of lectures on Arthasastra. Mysore University appointed him professor of History.
Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV gave the title Arthasastra Visharada; The Government of India made him a Mahamahopadhyaya. Varanasi Sanskrit Mandali gave him the title Vidyalankara and Panditaraja. Most of the Oriental Institutes in and outside the country invited him to visit their institutions and accept their honour. Unmindful of all these encomiums, Sastry continued his research work on many knotty indological problems and as Director of Archaeology of Mysore State published many annual Reports and discovered many inscriptions on stone and copper plates. He also did research on Tulu words in a Greek drama.
When Mahatma Gandhi was camping at Nandi Hills in 1927, Shamasastry met Gandhiji and presented a copy of his Arthasastra. Gandhiji was pleased by this scholarly work. An interesting conversation took place between the two. Sastry told Gandhiji, “Sir, in the ancient days there used to be guides like Patanjali, Hemachandra, Vidyaranya and others; But today’s rulers do not have such an advantage. You should lead the country to wards morality”. Gandhiji smiled and said “who will bell the cat? My orientation is slightly different; minds of our people have to be rectified first”.
A rare incident which throws light on his illustrious personality may be recounted here. Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV once visited Germany and was invited to address a meeting in a club. The Maharaja was introduced to the guests as His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore State. After the address by His Highness, a German gentleman came near the Maharaja and asked, “Your Majesty. Are you the Maharaja of Mysore where lives Dr. Shamasastry the discoverer of Arthasastra?” The Maharaja was pleasantly surprised that Shamasastry of Mysore was well - known in far off Germany. He felt proud of this great scholar and on return he called Sastry and said, “In Mysore we are the Maharaja and you are our subject; but in Germany, you are the master and people recognise us by your name and fame”.
Highly religious and simple in habits, always ready to help the younger scholars, Shamasastry gave self - respect to Indians in the matter of Indian administration. European scholars had always argued that ancient Indians learnt the art of administration from the Greeks with the contact from Alexander. But Shamasastry has falsified this idea and showed to the world the contributions of Kautilya which even the Mughals and British adopted in India. Today we salute Dr. Shamasastry on the centenary of the publication of Kautilya’s Arthasastra.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)