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Fwd: SAtvika AhamkAram 4.03: "DO YOU WANT TO ASCEND TO PARAMAPADAM?

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Unknown Sender • Tue Nov 23 1999 - 07:15:40 PST 


Dear Bhagavatas
I give below the response from Sriman Muralidhar Rangaswamy in which he gives 
additional inputs on the topic, which I am sure you will enjoy.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy

attached mail follows:

Sri:

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

Dear Sriman Ramaswamy,

I thoroughly enjoyed the above summary. The connection between Bhagavad
Dhyana 
Sopanam and Tiruppan Azhwar's sublimal Anubhavam is extremely special.
I feel 
compelled to add the following observations in the spirit of sharing
them 
with a fellow Shishya of our Acharya Sarvabhouman purely for enjoyment
(not that you are not aware of them). 

In the Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna declares AksharaNAm AkarOsmi. In
keeping 
with the Lord's statement, Tiruppan Azhwar's AmalanatipirAn, Swami
Desikan's 
Bhagavad Dhyana Sopanam and Munivahana Bhogam as well as the Sri
Bhashyam 
commence with the Aksharam "A". Furthermore, the Aksharam "A" is the
EkAksharam 
for PraNavam, which unequivocally proclaims the supremacy of Lord
Narayana. 
Interestingly, AmalantipirAn is the shortest of the 24 Prabandhams.
However, 
in my personal opinion it is the sweetest of them all. Even more
significantly, 
this is the only Prabandham for which Swami Desikan wrote an extensive
commentary and finally it is one of the two Prabandhams which contains
the 
title in the opening verse. Nine epithets are used to glorify our Lord
in this 
wonderful work: Amalan, Adi, PirAn, Vimalan, Nimalan, Ninmalan, Vinnar
KoNe, 
Neetivanavan, VirayAr Pozhil Venkatavan. The last epithet is most
appropriate 
in the context of your description of the stairway to Paramapadam. In
fact,
the last epithet could denote the first step in the stairway to
Paramapadam. 

The conclusion of the Azhwar's tribute "En Amudhanai Kanda Kangal
Matraondinai 
KANAvE" is the condensed essence of Gayathri Saman. The uniqueness of
Gayathri 
Saman is that it exclusively extols the Lotus Feet of Lord Narayana.
Therefore, 
the Azhwar's attainment of Parama Padam through the recitation of
Gayathri 
Saman in chaste Tamil is a consummate illustration of the Vishnu
Sooktam Rk 
"Tad VishNO: Paramam Padagam SadA Pashyanti Sooraya:"

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara Dasan