Search:
Bhakti List Archives

quality of a srivaishanvan - ( more)

From the Bhakti List Archives

jasn sn • July 18, 2002 


SRIMATHE  RAMANUJAYA  NAMAHA.

Dear devotees,
Let me make a slight improvement over the contents
mentioned in my earlier mail on the ‘quality’ of a sv
in view of certain additions made by devotees.

Sri Parthasarathy Iyengar Swamy  brought to our notice
the importance of ‘Naichiya’ quality (humility – the
instant instinct to prostrate in front of another sv
on seeing him.)

Another swamy, by name, Sri Sampath Kumar Iyengar
swamy, who belongs to sri Manavala Maamunigal lineage,
whom I met yester day, added one more to the quality
of a sv. According to him, Sri Periya vaachchaan
Pillai has laid stress on  ‘Abhimaanam’-
“Srivaishnathvam  abhimaanam” 
This abhimaanam is  – “Kuraivu- niraivu, than agaththE
ninaikka vEndum–” (The sv must consider the ups and
downs of two types as of his own)
He must treat the ups and downs of a fellow sv – the
problems and bright spots of a fellow sv as of his own
and try to rectify in the case of  problems and feel
elated in the case of accomplishments of the fellow
sv. That is abhimaanam.

The abimaanam is applicable in emperuman too. This is
largely applicable in carrying out kainkaryam to
emperuman. Associating oneself with the Koil
kainkaryam, getting desperate on seeing the
dilapidated condition of a temple and elated in
carrying out uthsavams etc. 

Treating the  niraivu and kuraivu of both the fellow
sv and the emperuman as oneÂ’s own niraivu and kuraivu
is what has been explained by Periya vaachchaan Pillai
as abhimaanam.
The inclusion of the sv here brings out an important
duty for any sv.
People are ready to donate to temples and do manual
works too at the temple. 
But when it comes to a sv, in need of some help in
cash or kind, how many readily come forward to redeem
his problems is a question to ponder.
In the case of kainkaryam in temples, people have many
things in mind , such as the punyam, the way to
prapatti, acharya aagyai etc.
But when comes to helping a fellow sv, lot of
calculations come into fore –like whether he deserves
the help at all or it is his vidhi and the like. 
That is why, the sv has been expected to show
unadulterated abhimaanam to both emperuman and the
fellow sv.

Now the question before me is how / where to
categorise the two qualities, namely, Naichiyam and
abhimaanam in the previously made classification of
desirable, must – be and attractive quality.
Thinking of naichiyam, I think it will not be out of
place to quote an incident narrated by Sri Sampath
Kumar Swamy (with his kind permission).
 Sri Sampath Kumar, then a fresher out of college had
gone for the first time to meet Sri Karappan kadu
Venkatachar  Swamy, the legend of recent times. On
seeing sri Sampath kumar sporting a pattai thiruman,
Karappan kadu swamy, who was more than twice his age
then -  with a second thought or talk, made a
saashtaanga namakaaram with all the naichiyam  -
‘daasan’
Sri Sampath swamy says it took sometime for him to
understand what was happening. A great ‘vrudh’, older
age and in wisdom, doing complete prostration in front
of a young man like him is something unique that one
can find in srivaishnavism. This naichiyam  in
karappankadu swamy perhaps puts him in an exalted
stead and he still continues to be an incomparable
one.
Talking of  kanoÂ’s theory of Quality, there comes a
one-dimensional / uni- dimensional quality that is
placed in-between must-be quality and attractive
quality.
Requesting the readers to brush up their memory of
these concepts spelt in an earlier mail, let me say
that
Must –be quality is all about the essentials that a sv
must possess – like how a product must possess some
essential qualities in order satisfy the customer.
But that does not give the product a competitive edge
over other products.
But possession of one or a few more satisfying
features might create wonders.
When the product comes to possess that quality, the
resultant satisfaction is reflected in the market in
exponential terms and the market experiences steady
growth.
The feature / quality which has helped in maintaining
this growth is called One-dimensional quality, which
is placed above must-be quality but below attractive
quality, but anyway inching towards attractive
quality.

In Karappankadu swamyÂ’ case, Sri Sampath Kumar
instantly remembers his Naichiyam even after many
decades. This aspect is the glowing quality of the
swamy which takes precedence / prominence over his
other attibutes.  In having come to adorn it in its
fullest flavour, the swamy seems to have become a much
adorable sv than any other having comparable 
intellectual faculties. The law of diminishing
marginal returns does not seem to be in operation in
the case of dividends reaped by naichiyam.

So also with Abhimaanam.
Abhimaanam to emperumaan – No doubt about the results.
Abhimaanam to fellow sv – once again that will put the
abhimaani a shred greater than other sv-s.
Therefore it looks appropriate to club these two
qualities as
ONE- WAY DIMENSIONAL QUALITY in Kano heiarchy of
quality.

The more you have these two, the greater are the
returns in terms making you the BEST among the rest!!
IsnÂ’t this true?

Jayasree sarnathan


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes
http://autos.yahoo.com


--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/