Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Reply to questions on Paramapada, etc...

From the Bhakti List Archives

RAVISANKAR YEKKIRALA • April 7, 1999 


DISCLOSURE: THE FOLLOWING IS MY RECOLLECTION OF THE GIST OF SEVERAL DISCOURSES ORGANIZED BY HIS HOLINESS SRI TRIDANDI SRIMANNARAYANA RAMANUJA CHINNA JEEYAR SWAMI. THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS EXCERPTS FROM THE TEXT "ARCHIRADI" WHICH IS DISCUSSED RARELY. PLEASE FORWARD YOUR QUESTIONS AND THANKS TO H.H'S EMAIL AT jethyd@hd1.vsnsl.net.in AND MISSIVES TO ME AS I MAY HAVE MISREPRESENTED WHAT I HAVE HEARD.

To begin with the physical remains of a "SANYASI" is never cremated(or incinerated), they will be interred and that place will henceforth be called his "BRINDAVANAM". According to the "YATIDHARMA SAMUCHHAYAM" a sanyasi should never touch fire(that is why they dont cook or do any thing with fire). Publications like "RK" are not supposed to be authentic as they are not written by people who may not know "SRIVAISHNAVA SAMPRADAYAM"(I don't intend to offend anyone here). The Deha(body) of a sanyasi is divine in nature whether it carries the soul or not. That is why there is no "ASOUCHAM(impurity)" involved with the remains of a sanyasi. The reason why dead bodie's of other's are cremated is explained in the "Bhagavadgita" as made of the pancha maha bhuta's(earth, air, space, water,fire). When the body is cremated it merges back into the five bhutas. It may be possible for a soul to remain with the body(thinking hypothetically) and even after cremating it, may stay with the 'asthikas' or remain's like bones. That is why they are immersed in the holy rivers so they may attain freedom.

Now let us leave this earthly subject and move to the topic on paramapadam. As we all know "PARAMAPADAM" means always being with the "DIVYA DAMPATHY". How a soul travels from it's earthly body to paramapadam is explained vividly in the Sampradaya text called "ARCHIRADI". The moment the soul of a Srivaishnava leaves the body it will travel to PARAMAPADAM  VIA a bath in the eternal VIRAJANADI( a river) where the soul pops out of the body with eartly Indriya's just like a seed of some plants(like KANAKAMBARAM) that ejects from its covering when you heat it. There after it attains a divya deham(body) that has all the qualities of a divya purusha. He will be received with great pomp and gaiety on the other side of the river by other NITYA KAINKARYAS(Residents of PARAMAPADAM). The welcome is so great that the DIVYA PURUSHA IS TAKEN IN A PROCESSION ON A PALLAKI(HE IS NOT MADE TO WALK) WITH ALL MELA THALAS(ALL KINDS OF DIVYA VAYIDYAMS), INCESSANT RAIN OF ALL KINDS OF FLOWERS, COLOGNE'S(OR PERFUME'S) AND FRAGRANCE POWDER'S(THEY ARE NOT MADE WITH HUMAN HAIR), ETC..(DON'T ASK ME WHAT NOT). WHEN HE RACHES THE ABODE OF THE DIVYA DAMPATHY THE WAIT IS SO MUCH THAT HE WILL RUSH TOWARDS(LIKE A CHILD WAITING TO GET INTO THE ARMS OF HIS MOTHER)DIVYA DAMPATHY WHO WILL SPREAD HIS ARMS WIDE SAYING "aha: manna, aha: manna"  AND ENTRANT WILL SAY "AHA: MANNADO".

HUMOR(If at all it's): That is why we all should make sure we don't anger any one here(especially in divine discussion groups) as they might show their anger there(I don't think we can sue anyone there) by massaging(blows) hear and there(if they still remember things we said here).
  
RAMANUJA DASUDU,
RAVI YEKKIRALA