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maRRai nam kAmangaL mAithEl! - Please destroy our "kAmangaL"

From the Bhakti List Archives

VXMADHAV • November 9, 1997 


				Sri:
Dearest sisters and brothers,

While I was going through a book (from the Library) on Vishishtadvaita by
Arvind Sharma, I saw an interesting passage, which I wished to share with
you all.

It is about Bhagavad Gita slokam 42 Chapter 3.

The meaning is: The senses, they say, are great; Greater than senses is the
mind; Greater than the mind is the intellect and Greater than intelligence
is He.

Now It is mentioned that He is interpreted by Adi Sankar as the Atman,
whereas Sri Ramanuja interprets as KAma(desire). 

Because the verse 3.41 also refers to "Destroy the lust by regulating the
senses", it appears to be interpreted rightly by Sri Ramanuja as Kama which
is He.

The author (Arvind sharma) agrees with this argument and even refers to
Otto shrader's(?) statment "Which by the way (Ramanuja's interpretation) is
the only correct view.. because according to Gita(3.40), the evil one can
penetrate only so far as the Buddhi and according to 3.43, kAma can be
successfully combated only by one, who is beyond buddhi, i.e. the Atman."

It is interpreted by Sri yatirAja (Sri Ramanuja) in the psychological
sense, that the desire precedes action and forms the basis. The it can be
said that it causes thoughts in Buddhi and filter to the lower mind, manas,
and activate the sense, indhriyangaL.

May be that is the reason for Sri ANdAL's cry for "maRRai nam kAmangaL
mAithEl!"-Please destroy our desires for worldly things!.

Ram Ram

adiyEn madhavakkaNNan