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Re: Question on charam slokam

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Krishna Kalale • February 1, 1999 


At 08:41 PM 2/1/99 -0700, vasan@lexmark.com wrote:
>Please accept adiyens pranamams.
>Adiyen has a question in relation to Charama slokam. Everytime adiyen recites
it
>(irrespective of the time or place), adiyen feels uncomfortable. This is
>because, the slokam was given in "First Person" by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.
(The
>meaning of this slokam has been well discussed in this and other forums. So,
>adiyen will not discuss the details). 


Asmad gurubhyo namah
srimathe srivan shatagopa sri vedanta desika yatindra mahadesikaya namaha
srimathe sri lakshmi nrisimha divya paduka sevaka srivan shatagopa sri
narayana
yatindra mahadesikaya namaha.

With the blessings of elders and acharyas, let me express what little adiyen
knows :

All one needs to do is that when reciting this shloka, one has to understand
that this wonderful charamashloka is the pinnacle or the main jewel among the
rest of slokas of bhagavadgita which are themselves pearls of wisdom taught by
our dear lord Sri Krishna.  This is the culmination of the idea which was
hidden in the other yogas such as karmayoga, jnanayoga and bhaktiyoga, that we
cannot cross this samsara by ourselves - (mura amura na vayam chikitvah - rig
veda).  In fact everything depends on God.  With this idea, it has to be
understood that " This shloka was told by Lord Sri Krishna"  and that one
should offer himself / herself surrendering to that divine power behind this
universe ( Note : for those who have had their prapatti - this shloka is a
reminder that he/she has surrendered and it is the form of anubhava, since
prapatti cannot be done more than once.  For those who have not had prapatti
this shloka should act as a reminder that " what else can help us" and then
seek an acharya to do the needful).  With this meaning in mind,  one has to "
do anusandhanam" or remember and visualize that divine power behind everything
that moves or is stationary, manifest or unmanifest,  who took pity on all of
us (degraded souls) and descended from that "parama vyoma" or vaikunta and
taking the enchanting form of a cowherd's boy, as Sri Krishna,  he himself
promised to us using Arjuna as a vyaja or pretext that " I will release you
from
all sins, surrender un to me".  This is not just a meaning obtained from an
assessment of shastras but the very own words of Lord Sri Krishna.

this is in fact the meaning of the dhyana shloka usually uttered before japa -
( in brief )

yat prapattim vina sarvaih yasya maya duratyaya
dhananjaya rathastham tat prapadye paramam mahah

meaning - " without surrendering to that lord, no one can cross this divine
maya of that lord, hence I surrender to that divine Lord, the ultimate power
(behind this universe) who sat on the chariot of Arjuna."

Hope this helps,

note :  adiyen does not want to take a position of an acharya and explain the
meaning of charama shloka.  However,  adiyen has just simplified what a
general
book on Sri Ramanuja Bhasya on Gita would state.  One greatness of
charamashloka is that it is in Mahabharata which can be studied by all folks
without need of any qualification.  Unlike the other rahasyas,  this sloka is
in the "smritis".  The other rahasyas are vedic statements.

adiyen Krishna