Sri VaishNava LakshaNam & Kaimkaryam
From the Bhakti List Archives
• February 22, 1998
Dear Friends :
Few days ago , Sri Vijayaraghavan of NavalpAkkam
AchArya paramparai asked us to reflect on the attributes
and LakshaNam of a Sri VaishNavA and to share the reflections
in this sathsangham .This subject has been commented
upon by fellow bhakthAs already . Within the limits of my
understanding , I would like to share some of my thoughts ,
which fits very well with some of the initatives that
the members of this special group have already undertaken
and are about to launch such as :
1. Sri Oppiliappan RathnAngi Mutthangi Kaimkaryam
2. 45th Jeeyar's Seventieth Birthday celebration
3. Launching of Nrusimha Priya of North America,
NAMA Organization
4. Release of SaraNAgathi Journal
5. Creation & Maintenance of Bhakthi , Saranagathi ,
Sri Vaishnava archives
4. Organization of Bhaktha SammELanAs at Buffalo ,
Pomona and Denver
5. Thuppul BrahmOthsavam funds
6. KalyaNapuram JeerNOtthAranam funds
7. Sahasra kalasa AbhishEkam fund raising for
Kanakavalli SamEtha Sri VeerarAghavan
8. Funds for the publication of the PurvAchArya
commentaries on Thiruvaimozhi ( Sixth Patthu )
9. Funds for the Publication of the reprinting of
the Sillarai rahasyams of Swami Desikan - Part 3
10. Celebration of the 150th anniversary of
VeNNARangarai Andavan Swamy
11. Creation & Maintenance of ThiruviNNagar Home page
12. Initiation of the 108 Divya Desam CD ROM project
13. Abhinava Desikan"s 100th annivrsary celebration
14. MathurAnthakam Sanskrit Paatasaala support
15. Sri Bhumi Devi MaaNiccka Kondai , Maragatha
Parrot and Golden Jata kothsu samarpaNam :
Scheduled for SamarpaNam on the forthcoming
Panguni Uttharam day at Oppilaippan Koil
PLanned Projects for 1998 and beyond :
1. Funds for the reprint of the First volume of
Swami Desikan's chillarai Rahasyams , which is
out of print today
2. Support for the Parakaala Mutt Nithya AarAdhanam
3. Last of the AabharaNa kainkaryam for the Uthsava
divya Murthys of ThiruviNNagar ( Mutthangis for
Lord Ponnappan celebrated by NammAzhwAr in his
SaraNAgathi Pasuram and His consort , Bhumi Devi
( scheduled for SamarpaNam on kaisika EkAdasi day
of 1998 ). Half a lakh of Rupees have been raised
already by the BhakthAs in India and the remaining
50 K Rupees need to beraised to complete that kaimkaryam .
I will send a separate note on this project
for the benefit of those , who may wish to
participate .
4. nirmANam of Sri RanganAthA temple at Pomona , NY
5 . Other projects to be cleared and supported by
the different Thondar Kulams of Sri VishnavA groups
of North America .
After compiling this long list of projects undertaken
and those in planning stage , one wonders what is the
underlying principles that have given life and pushti
to the above projects in the context of ancient practises
observed by our AchAryAs and purvAs . One comes to
the conclusion that these are not haphazard activities ,
but are stricitly consistent with our Darsanam ,
which has been described as " akhila tama: karsanam
darsanam na: " ( the darsanam of ours that destroys
all the spiritual darkness ) .
What are the "net net " of all what our sampradhAyam
teaches us are three in number :
Bhagavdh -Bhagavatha SevA , AchArya Vandanam ,
ArchAvathaara Kaimkaryam
In SarvArtha Siddhi , Swami Desikan has underlined
the celebration of one's AchAryAs in our Darsanam
( Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnuja Darsanam ) and how it
kindles and grows our own Bhakthi to the Lord :
yEthadh darsana pravarthakAchArya prasamsayA
svabhakthimEvOtthambhayan
The glories of the AchAryAs of our Darsanam
are intimately conencted with them shining as
embodiments of JnAna- AnushtAna- VairAghyam .
Their glories are captured by the following
passage of sthOthram :
siddham sathsampradhAyE sthiradhiyam
anagham sthOthriyam Brahma Nishtam
Thus they qualify to occupy an exalted place
in our hearts and minds and are held in high
esteem as the veritable incarnations of the Lord .
Our Lord expects the recommendation of our
AchAryAs for granting Moksham to a PrapannA :
dhatthE Rangee nijamapi padham
DesikAdesa kAnkshee
Sri N.SrinivAsAchAr Swamy , the President
of RamakrishnA Mission academy and the President
of Sri Ahobila Mutt Samskrutha Abhivardhini SabhA
extolled the need for our unshakable faith in
our AchAryAs thru celebration of their greatness ,
following their preachings and adhering to our
sampradhAyam and Sri Bhagavadh RaamAnuja Darsanam
this way :
asithila Guru Bhakthi: tathprasamsAdhiseela:
bahumathi : Kruthavith anagha Vrutthi : I
gopayan sampradhAyam sareeram artham prANam cha
sadhgurubhyO nivEdayan II
Our Body , Fortunes and lives have to be dedicated to
the service of our AchAryAs according to the above
passage . Why ? The reasoning for such dedication
bearing great fruits for such kaimkaryam is
explained this way by our pramANams :
adhyAthma Grantha NirmANam
anEkEshAm cha BhOdhanam I
archAvathAra sEvA cha
thEshAm yethadh MAHATH PALAM II
Our AchAryAs are always engaged in
Saasthra , SthOthra anuvAdha Grantha NirmANam ,
Grantha Chathushtya KaalakshEpam , VedAntha
Pravachanam and in ArchAvathAra SevA and
AabhaharAnAthi Kaimkaryam . The celebration
of and Sevice to the ArchAmUrthys eulogized
by Our AzhwArs and PurvAchAryAs and presenting
them with Vasthra , AbharaNamas , Pushpa/TuLasi
samarpaNa kaimkaryams are an integral part of
their daily activities and to encourage us
to travel on these well -trodden paths .
In this context , what we have been blessed to do
sofar as a group is due to purva SamskAram from this
distance begins to connect to the sampradhAyic ways set
by our AchAryAs . Let us seek their blessings
and that of the Divya Dampathis to continue to
imbibe in us this Bhagavadh -Bhaagavatha
Kaimkaryam so that we become rich in Kaimkarya Sri
and become possessors of this SowbhAghyam .
It is appropriate to recall a Mahaan in
Chennai revered as Desika Bhaktha Rathna
SevA Swami , who has patterned his life
according to the following five principles
emphasized by Swami Desikan :
1. Nithyam NiraparAdhEshu KAIMKARYESHU
NIYUNKSHVA MAAM
( O Lord ! Direct me to tread the path
of blemishless service )
2. Nithya yOgO mahAbhOgai : tvadhEkhAnthibhisthu na:
( May there be an inseparable union for all
with the truly great )
3.SaareerakhA pravachana vrathamAdhriyEthA :
( May I pursue as a religious vow , the preaching
of Saareerika Saasthram championed by Sri RaamAnujA )
4. Paraspara HithaisheeNaam parisarEshu maam varthaya
( Lord ! May I be placed in the company of well wishing
BhaagavathAs by You ! )
5. upayukthEshu vaisadhyam thrivarga nirapEkshathA I
karaNa thraya sArUpyam ithi soukhya rasAyanam II
( A clear knowledge of things to know , discarding
of the lower three purushArhtams, synergy in thought ,
word and deed in pursuit of the fourth purushArtham :
these constitute an elixir of life and tonic for
the soul ) .
SevA Swami and other AchAryAs have been faithful
followers of these ideals and living reminders of
the importance of these central precepts for a
Sri VaishNavA . Their lives of transparnet purity ,
exemplary humility and constant service in
the dissemination of spiritual knowledge
( adhyAdhtmya VidhyA ) are the central messages
for us all independent of our own deficiencies
in JnAnam , AchAram and AnushtAnam .
Asmadh GurubhyO nama:
SaraNAgatha Vathsala SwaaminE nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
- Next message: Shree: "Manobodha - 1"
- Previous message: Shree: "Raamadaasa Navamii"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]