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Re: material pursuits

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • July 5, 1999 


Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah:

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

Sri Ravi Desikan, (A nice name!) wrote:
====
Unlike most other religions,sanatana dharma or the vedic religion,enjoins 
one to live life with due emphasis on dharma ,artha and kama leading to 
liberation or moksha
====
A good post from you! But your nicely intended writings may
be construed /misunderstood by lowly selves like myself, that here's a 
Bhagawatha, who has asked me to go right ahead in pursuing material and 
sensual pleasures; Let me jump into it happily.. NO! That's not you 
intended, I guess.

As you rightly said: "the objective of this life is to live,enjoy all the 
glorious things of life as enjoined in the karma kaanda of the vedas,go 
through all the ashramaas the brahmacharya,the gruhasthasrama,the 
vaanaprastha and finally the sanyasa
asramaa".

BUT... we don't go to the higher ashramam at all. Even while we are 
performing "Gruhasthaashramam"?, (that too,.... wrongly..., against 
saasthraas) and till death, we do that alone...How many of us
(except for few Great mahaans) go to even Vaanaprastham stage?
Though it is not necessary to take up sanyaasam, (like Swami Desikan), 
BUT...Swami lived like a recluse with such Vairagyam...  When he recited Sri 
sthuthi, there is a heavy down pour of Gold coins, and he told that Brahma 
chari boy "ambi! evLO vENumO edutthukkO.." (Whavever you need, take them.. 
").he simply walked off.. when he himself was poor (materially..), he
was not at all tempted.. How great is He!

Your mentioning of Dharma, artha, kaama, mOksham reminded me of
Ramanuja NooRRandhaadhi of Amudhanaar..(40th Pasuram!)

chEmanNal veetum poruLum tharumamum cheeriyan^aR
kaamamum enRivai naan_genpar; naan_ginum kaNNanukkE
aamathu kaamam aRamporuL veetuthaR kenRuraiththaan
vaamanan cheelan iraamaa Nnuchanintha maNmichaiyE

Emperumaanaar- Sri Ramanujacharya- whose qualities are only
equal to the Lord Vamanan, preached the world with great truthful, Vedic 
philosophy without their even asking for it. He is so merciful. Moksham, 
Dharmam, artham, and kaamam, are the four goals of life; so they say. But 
Yathiraajaa, a celibate like Vaamanan, says Kaamam (Desire) for union with 
KaNNan is the only worthy goal; The other three are just to support this 
divine passion. Dharmam removes the sins that stand as a hurdle for this 
kaamam. Artham is used for giving alms and thus aids for going towards the 
goal. MOksham also aggravates the longing (Kaamam) for KaNNan. Thus, Kaamam 
(for KaNNan) is the Best.(What an enjoyment of YathirAjarÂ’s greatness by 
Amudhanaar!.)

WE NEED MATERIALS, We NEED SENSES, WE NEED AAYUSH, AROGYAM-
all for SINGING, TALKING, PRAISING HIS NAME AND GLORY...

When we are married, have children, eran money, - all that we can do is: to 
talk about Sriman Narayanan, AchAryAs, their glories, their greatness, to 
our wife, our children, pray together, set an example to them (at least by 
posing outwardly..) and allocate some money (again 5% at least of our 
income) to any or all Kaimkaryams that we come to know !!)

again my another two cents worth..

Regards

Narayana Narayana

Narayana dAsan


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