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Re: ** Namo Narayanaya

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Sampath Rengarajan • June 26, 1998 


Here in this email Sri Sampath Rengarajan has indicated an internal
pramanam given in the Naalayira Divya Prabandam.  However, this pramanam is
not acceptable in an inter-scholastic debate regarding "pranava". But, this
verily is important to a Shrivaishnava that Our Alwars did abide by the
varnashrama dharma.  For this very same reason in the Naalayira prabandam
vedic hymns or language were not used; but the meaning of the vedas were
well presented.  For a complete assessment of this statement one should
read the "Mysticism and the philosophy of the Alwars" by S.M.S Chari.

adiyen Krishna 




**********************************************************

The topic was originally raised as follows.


On Jun 18,  4:49pm, Mani Varadarajan wrote:
> all parts of the moola mantra, including
> the praNavam in sequence, .....

> However, many maintain the position
> that it should not be uttered or shared in such a manner.
>

In the course of the discussions  who can utter it and what can be
utterred by some etc were  discussed.  I still  consider  the main
question was whether or not this can be publicly  propagandaed  by
anyone ?

One can derive the  queation  as "could be that why this cannot be
publicly propagandaed by anyone ?

Answer:  Sri Venkat and Sri Kalale touched upon this earlier.  The
main issue  centered  around the inclusion of  "praNavam"  in this
mantram.  "praNavam"  has to be given by a qualified soul and such
receiving  soul  thus  becomes  qualified  soul to chant  it.  The
question  can be  simplified  as to why the  praNavam  is given by
qualified  (upadEsam)  and not taken by any means ?  ie., This must
only be received from reverred souls who have "adhikArams".

Who can chant (meidtate) it and who cannot ?

Answer:  And only those who has received from such reverred  souls
has  adhikAram  to chant it as well.  meaning that  "Reading  from
published books and hearing from other mens need not constitute an
adhikAram for anyone to chant it or pronunce it.


adiyEN would like to direct the interested readers to a "pramANam"
that is  derived  for both the  above  positions  from our  AzhwAr
pAsuram itself.


1424:
Othu vaaymaiyum uvaniyap piRappum
 unakku mun_thantha anthaNa Nnoruvan,
'kaatha lenmagan pugalidaNG kaaNEn;
 kaNdu neetharu vaayenak kenRu,
kOthil vaaymaiyi Nnaanunai vEndiya
 kuRaimu diththavan siRuvanaik koduththaay,
aatha laalvanthun adiyiNai yadainthEn
 aNipo zhilthiru varangaththam maanE     (5.8.7)
 				thirumangai AzhwAr on Sri Arangan


ie.,
"Othu vAimaiyum uvaNiya piRappum unakku mun thantha
anthanan oruvan" 			- periya thirumozhi

Othu - to chant

vAimai  -  praNavam  and  vEdam.  In  AzhwAr  pAsurams  vEdham  is
generally referred as "maRai" and here the "vAimai" is referred to
praNavam muthalAna maRai anaitthum ie., all the vedas including or
that begin with pranava.

uvaNiya pirappum - ubanayanap pirappu ie, the dwijan or the second
birth one attains due to ubanayanam and brahma upadEsam.

unakku - To Lord  HIMself

mun  thantha  anthanan  oruavn  - the  brahmin  who  gave  you the
"elegibility" here the word thantha is very key in many ways.

meaning  1:  thantha  means  one who gave  such  othu  vaimai  and
uvaniya pirappu (Surface meaning)

meaning 2 :  these two things are to be "given"  (or  ordained  by
some) ie thara vENum enbathAL, thantha  thAkirapadiyE.  ie., since
these are to be oradined by someone the word thantha" or "given to
you" or "someone who gave you" is used.  ie..  it is implied  from
this that these are to be received  from  someone  and not "taken"
from  other  means.  It  also  means  that  "unakku  pririthoruvar
thantha thAgaiyAL  enkirapadiYE".  ie., someone else has to ordain
this to you for you to chant  these  and not that  you  give it to
yourself by acquiring  through  someother means, and it is implied
that one "thAnE  thAnAKa  thanthu koLLa  villai".  ie., you didnot
take it or receive it by yourself from other means  eventhough you
or Lord  yourself.  On the other  hand YOU the Lord  observed  the
protocol and received these from an anthanan or brahmin.


meaning 3:  the someone who can give must be a  qualified  one and
such (in this case) is cited as an anthaNan or brahmin is  referred
here to an achAryAL of Lord in HIS incarnation.

meaning 4:  unakku thantha, means the  elegibility  that was given
to you by such.  ie, you became  elegible  to chant  "vAimai"  and
received brahma upadEsam from someone qualified.  ie One has to be
qualified  or  elegible  to chant  these and such  elegibility  is
mainly passed on by a qualified guru or AchAryAL.

thirumangai AzhwAr thiruvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan