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Dasavatara Sannidhi

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Ahobilam • January 13, 1997 


Sri Ranganatha Satakopa Yateendra Drishtam Lakshmi Nrsimha Shathajit
Karunaika Patram.
Sri Rangaveer Raghurat Satakopa Hridyam Vedanta Desika Yateendram Aham
Prapaddye
Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yateendra Mahadesikaaya Namah:

Dear Friends,

I thought that I would share a discussion, I had with my wife a few days ago
on Srimad Ramayana.

My wife wanted to know how could Bharata call His mother a prostitute.  She
was very indignant about this.

Since my mind readily thinks of ideas contrary to what someone else has said
no matter what, the following occured to me.

How could Bharata who is the Panchajanya Shankha Himself and a Nitya suri be
wrong and how could he do something contrary to Dharma?

Bharata's harsh conversations with Kaikeyi were out of his love for Rama.  At
this stage of Bhakti, one can do almost no wrong.  But from a standpoint of
Dharma, one has to treat one's parents equal to Daivam.  From this point of
view, even Bharata was wrong in the way he spoke to his mother.  This episode
explains Swami Desikan's statement in the Rahasya Traya Saram, where He says
that even Nitya Suris have to be very careful of committing apacharams, even
though this may happen for the good of the world.  This also explains why
Srimad Mukkur Azhagiya Singar explains that Rama protected Bharata when the
latter did Sharanagathi.

However returning to the original point of calling Kaikeyi a prostitute, is
this in anyway correct or is a mere outpouring of emotions with no basis in
truth?

Going by what most of us know of the Ramayana, Kaikeyi could not have come
even remotely close to being a prostitute.  Then are these empty words of one
who is given the foremost place among Jivatmas in our Sampradayam?

If we examine the conclusion of all the Vedas as explained by our Acharyas,
or the Divya Prabhandams where the truth has been declared boldly by our
Azhwars, the Jivatma exists to serve Sriman Narayana and no one else.  When
we do Prapatti, we enter into a marital sacrement with our Lord.  Rama was
therefore Kaikeyi's Lord and husband as much He was to Sita.  That being the
case, when Kaikeyi considered Rama an outsider, and Bharata as her son (and
therefore her property), she is serving not her Lord and master Sri Rama, but
her material senses.

This makes her no better than a prostitute, or in fact no different from a
prostitute.  When I was given this realization, I also realized that I was no
different.  I give work etc as an excuse for my laziness and inertia, which I
have been unable to shed, because of lack of sufficient anushthanam.  I too
continue prostituting or serving my material senses instead of serving Sriman
Narayana.

When I was contemplating, how to get out of this situation, I realized why
successive Jeers of Sri Ahobila Muth make sure that sumptious Prasadam made
for the Lord, by carefully handpicked devotees, is served to one and all and
which benefits everyone from a begger to Bill Gates.

Keeping this desire of Mukkur Azhagiya Singar in mind a few of His disciples
have contined the tradition of making Prasadam available from the Dasavatara
Sannidhi to the visitors to the sannidhi.

An amount of $500 can feed the visitors for a whole year.  The people who
make the Prasadam serve their Acharya.  The people who eat the Prasadam make
rapid progress towards Moksham.  Those who contribute serve both Acharya and
Bhagavatas.  Even a contribution of $11 per person can easily raise the
amount required for 1997.  Please respond to this email when you pledge your
contribution and mail your contribution to:

Sri Ahobila Muth
5539 Columbia Pike, #808
Arlington, Va 22204.

Since I will be leaving for India on January 31, please email your pledges to
me and I will include your contributions when I am in Srirangam whether I
receive your check by January 31 or not.

Adiyen.

Jaganath.