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Volume III - Thaniyan 2 - Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi Upanyaasam Translation

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Unknown Sender • Fri Sep 21 2001 - 07:12:22 PDT 


Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi - Volume III

Volume Title :- "The qualities of a True Devotee" (Contd.. from 
previous posting)


Thaniyan
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Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi Thaniyan - 2


2."Nayantharu perinbamellaam pazhudhanri nannninarpaal
   Sayantharu keerthi iraamaanusamuni thaalinaimel
   Uyarndha gunathu thiruvarangathamudhongum anbaal iyambum
   Kalithurai andhaadhi odha isai nenjame"

The above second thaniyan was given to us by Embaar.

Meaning :-

Oh !! my mind..!!, always sing the verses or paasurams :-

	- That were composed in the Andhaadhi style of composition,
	- Also composed in a Kalithurai Yaappu (A Gramatical Style of 
          composing tamil paasurams),
	- On the divine feet of Emperumaanaar Sri Raamaanujar, whose 
          lotus feet to which when we surrender, can destory all the 
          materialistic comforts that we experience in our life
	  namely Kaamaa,  Krodha, Lobha, Madha, Maathsarya, which are 
          the five powerful enemies of a jeevaathmaa that prevents 
          from understanding or realizing the supreme being,
	- Which was composed for those who have surrendered to the 
          lotus feet of emperumaanaar, leaving the materialistic 
          comforts
	- Which was composed out of immense love and bhakthi on 
          Emperumaanaar by the greatest of the greatest Daasan, 
          Thiruvarangathamudanaar

**********************************************************************
Note :- Pl. write to the Vedics Raamaanuja Team if anyone would like 
to know what "Kalithurai" and "Andhaadi" means, as it is out of 
context for the topic under discussion.
**********************************************************************


Nenjame 			- Oh my mind
Odha isai 			- Always wish to recite
Iyambum Kalithurai Andhaadhi    - The verses that were composed in 
                                  the andhaadhi style, Also
				  composed in a Kalithurai Yaappu (A 
                                  Gramatical Style of
				  composing tamil paasurams)
Sayantharu Keerthi Thaalinaimel - On/For the feet of emperumaanaar 
                                  that has the divinity and
Iraamaanusa Muni 	          divine grace and those feet which  
                                  show us the way to realize
				  the supreme soul and to attain the 
                                  feet of emperumaan
Pazhudhanri Nanninarpaal        - For those people who have 
                                  sacrificed and left the
Nayantharu Perinbamellaam       - Materialistic comforts
Ongum Iyambum Anbaal		- The verses that were Composed out 
                                  of immense love and bhakthi
Thrivarangathamudhu	        - By Thiruvarngathamudhanaar
Uyarndha Gunathu		- Who has all the characteristics and 
                                  qualities of a true Daasan or 
                                  bhaagavthaa


We might want to know why the materialistic comforts has been 
indicated by the word "Perinbam", whereas that word is usually used 
only for the true happiness, which is eternal bliss. From 
the materialistic person's point of view, it is considered as 
the "Perinbam", but from the view of those who have left these 
material comforts, it is not so.

The following explains the term "Nayantharu Perinbamellaam" in the 
above thniyan :-

Now the question is, is it difficult to leave our materialistic 
qualities ? 

Those qualities are:-

Kaamaa  - Desire   (things that we desire to get)
Krodhaa - Anger    (the anger that comes when we don't get the 
                   desired things)
Loba    - Jealousy
Madha      - Ahankaaram (The feeling 'I' within one's self)
Maathsarya - One who doesn't like others happiness and success

The answer is "Yes"; it is difficult to destroy all these 
materialitic qualities and comforts. Even Lord Krishna in Bhagavadh 
Gita says that

"Hey Arjunaa..!! there is nothing that you can achieve in the world; 
the least you can do is destroy the five qualities that are the 
sources, which don't allow you to realize the supreme soul.
Always think that you should succeed and conquer these five enemies 
with immense vairaagyam or stubbornness. These are considered to be 
five enemies of a jeevaathmaa that prevents one from
performing bhagavath bhakthi and realize the supreme being."

The Vedaas also quote the same as follows, and gives us guidelines to 
do bhagavadh bhakthi :-

Leave all the following :-

  - Leave all the those things which are not permanent in this world,
    which are nothing but the materialistic comforts.
  - Leave all those that prevents you from doing bhagavath bhakthi
  - Leave all those thoughts that tells you that you are doing the 
    karmaa (Ahankaaram). The feeling of "I" in one's mind.

Enjoy all the following :-

  - Enjoy all those that shaatraas tell you to enjoy
  - Enjoy those things that doesn't prevent you from doing bhagavath 
    bhakthi,
  - Enjoy those things that relates just to the body but not apply to 
    the Aathmaa or soul

With these guide lines we can get answers for all questions such as :-

1. Can I marry or not
2. Can I earn money or not

Etc., and many more questions like this. To answer all these just 
refer the questions with the guide lines give above by Vedaas. If the 
karmaa you do is in anyway preventing you to do bhagavath bhakthi, 
never do it; if it doesn't prevent you from doing so, then enjoy it.
If one doesn't follow these guidelines, then one can never become a 
Sri Vaishnavaa or one can never realize the supreme being. As far as 
anything that we enjoy is to enrich our thoughts that leads to 
bhagavadh bhakthi, we can enjoy those things.

One can become a Sri Vaishanava not by knowledge or not by learning 
vedaas or scriptures but only by leaving all these materialistic 
comforts. Again leaving materialistic comforts doesn't mean that we 
should leave them totally. It means that we should enjoy all these 
thinking that it is only for the body and not for our aathmaa or 
soul. We can enjoy anything in which we don't have the feeling "I" 
did it, or "I" enjoyed it etc. One can become a True Sri Vaishnava 
only by their Anushtaanam of these good qualities in their daily life 
and not by anything else. Why are we always referring to  "Raamaanuja 
Thiruvadi" in order to destroy these materialistic qualities? What 
does it mean by "Raamaanuja Sambandham", How do I get it ? Our elders
say that if we get the Samaashrayanam or Pancha Samskaaram from an 
aachaaryan, then we get Raamaanuja Sambandham. Even then we hear many 
of us raising the questions in our mind that if we get the Pancha 
Samskaaram from one of the achaaryaa in the lineage of the
74 Simhaasanaadhipathis that emperumaanaar appointed to spread 
vaishnavism, then we can consider that we can get Raamaanuja 
Sambandham because, all the simhaasanaadhpathis were direct disciples 
of emperumaanaar. But today if we go to any aachaaryaa and get Pancha
Samskaaram how can we say that we get Raamaanuja Sambandham ? What 
are we going to get if we get Pancha Samskaaram done ? How can one 
prove that the aachaaryan from whom we get Pancha Samskaaram, has 
Raamaanuja Sambandham ? All these questions are those of many of us 
who ask or think. What is the answer for these questions ?

The answer is, if we keep thinking like this, we will never get 
Raamaanuja Sambandham. Moreover one cannot get Raamaanuja Sambandham 
by just getting the Pancha Samskaaram done from an aachaaryan. The 
Pancha Samkaaram where we get the Shankam and Chakram embossed on our
shoulders is a kramam that shows to the outside world that we are a 
Sri Vaishnavaa, but this actually doesn't get us the Raamaanuja 
Sambandham. So what should one do to get Raamaanuja Sambandham ? It 
is just that one should stop thinking like this and asking such 
questions and just believe that the Shaastraas have clearly told us 
about Pancha Samskaaram and it has to be done through an aachaaryan 
who has come in the lineage of Bhagavadh Raamaanujaa. How
do i know whether the aachaaryan has raamaanuja sambandham ? Again 
one should believe and feel that our elders have showed the 
aachaaryan who they believe and truly follow that the aachaaryan has 
the Raamaanuja Sambandham.

We have never grown in this world by asking questions for everything. 
We have beleived so many things for which we dont have proof. We have 
believed so many things as it is. Hence one should stop asking 
questions and believe our elder's words and what our Shaastraas say. 
If we believe in what we do as a Pancha Samskaaram, then we get the 
Raamaanuja Sambandham automatically due to our belief itself. Instead 
if one keeps asking questions, then one will never get Raamaanuja 
Sambandham at all. Now the answer for why should we have "Raamaanuja 
Sambandham" is: in order to destroy all our materialistic comforts 
and qualities and get the knowledge of the supreme being. Why should 
one get it from "Raamaanua Sambandham" ?  Because our emperumaanaar 
was the only one who was a True Sri Vaishanavaa who had all these 
materialistic qualities destroyed within himself and also followed in 
his Anushtaanam or Practice. As we already quoted that a true Sri 
Vaishnava is one who leaves all the materialtic comforts and follows 
the same in his anushtaanam or practice. Hence our emperumaanar is 
the only one who makes easily detach ourselves from these 
materialistic comforts and shows us the way to attain the lotus feet 
of our beloved emperumaan at Sri Vaikuntam. Hence one should  
get "Raamaanuja Sambandham". Thats why Manavaala Maamunigal in 
his "Yathiraaja Vimsathi" says :-

  "Kaamaadhi Dosha Haramaathma padaasrithaanaam,
   Raamaanujam Yatipathim pranamaami moordhnaa.."

"I pay respect at the lotus feet of Sri Raamaanujaa in order to 
destroy all my materialistic  qualities such as Kaama, Krodhaa etc. 
and to attain the the bhagavath sannidhi."

Same way even Krishna Paramaathmaa who preached Arjuna to leave all 
these materialistic qualities, himself came as Bhagavadh Raamaanujaa 
as an lokaachaaryan to help all the Jeevaathmaas realize the supreme 
soul; to get into the path of bhagavadh bhakthi because emperumaan 
followed all those which was preached by Krishna Paramathmaa. 
Emperumaan Himself thought that the jeevaathmaa can be corrected only 
through an aachaaryan (another jeevaathmaa)and hence was born here as 
emeprumaanaar. This is clearly illustrated in the"Iraamaanusa 
Nootrandhaadhi" paasuram number 33 that begins as "Adaiyaar 
kamalathalarmagal kelvan.." which was clearly explained in the 
previous posting.

The quality "Kaamaa" is the reason for all the fights and wars that 
we see today in this Kali. If we destroy the Kaamaa within each one 
of us, then most of our day to day fights and problems that bothers 
each one of us in this Kali will be solved. If "Kaamaa" increases, it
in turn increases Ahankaaram (The "I" feeling in one's self), and 
other unwanted qulities described earlier. If this has to destroyed 
one should have Satva Guna within one's self. When Satva Gunam 
reduces within ourselves, then we will not listen to our elder's 
advices, when we fail to listen to our elder's advices, then we will 
tend not to follow our aachaaryaas, and when we don't follow our 
aachaaryaas, then we wont have bhakthi on emperumaanaar and when
we dont have Raamanauja bhakthi, then again the materialistic 
qualities will increase within us. Hence all these are connected in a 
chain. Hence one should have Satva Guanm and to get Satva Gunam one 
needs a sadaachaaryan who can guide and lead us to practice 
Saathwikam in our day to day life in order to do bhagavadh bhakthi. 
So one should approach an aachaaryan thinking and feeling that we 
dont know anything and aachaaryan has to lead us to the right path. 
When we approach our aachaaryan thinking in this manner, our 
achaaryan never says no or fails to guide us until the end of our 
life or until we get into bhagavadh bhakthi.

This is what the above thaniyan says about "Emperumaanaar's 
thiruvadi" by indicating "Sayantharu Keerthi Iraamaanusa Muni 
Thaalinai Mel". All the above explanation refers to the 
word "Sayantharu Keerthi" of emperumaanaar.

Thus we can destroy all our Kaama, Krodha and other unwanted 
qulaities by just following emperumaanaars life history and hearing 
it. Once emperumaanaar went to Thirunaaraayana Puram along with swamy 
Mudaliyaandaan, leaving Koorathaazhwaan behind in Sri Rangam. On the 
way going to Thirunaaraayana Puram they stayed in a place 
called "Mithilaapuri" where those people failed to accept what 
empermaanaar advised about bhagavadh vishayam and aaraadhana kramam. 
Hence emperumaanaar called Mudaliyaandaan swamy and told him to keep 
his feet in the water, in a tank where those people use it for their 
daily Anushtaanam. Swamy Mudaliyaandan also did what emperumaanaar 
said. As usual those people came and completed their Anushtaanam in 
the tank. The moment they finished their Anushtaanam, they 
automatically came to emperumaanaar and surrendered to him. Thus when 
the Thiruvadi of Adiyaar or Daasan to emperumaanaar can change 
one's life drastically, then we should think the divinity of the 
lotus feet of our beloved emperumaanaar. We should also be able to 
visualize how great Mudaliyaandaan's Thiruvadi is as he surrendered 
at the lotus feet of emperumaanaar.

Similarly once Mudaliyaandaan swamy said to the people of 
Mithilaapuri that after the daily ghoshti emperumaanaar will get the 
first perumaal theertham and then Mudaliyaandaan swamy
wanted to get the theertham after emperumaanaar. But the local people 
objected for it, saying that "since emperumaanaar is a parama yati 
and Sri Vaishnavaa, he gets the first theertham and then since they 
are the local people they should get the next theertham." But
Mudaliyaandaan swamy wanted himself to get the next theertham after 
emperumaanaar. Hence the local people complained about this to 
emperumanaar. Immediately emperumaanaar went and stood as the last 
person in the ghoshti. Searching for emperumaanaar and finding him at
the last in the ghoshti, and when asked why he did so, emperumaanaar 
said that since in this town local people has the first authority to 
get the theertham and since Mudaliyaandan swamy wanted to get the 
second theertham after emperumaanaar, he allowed the the local people
to get the first theertham and then he wanted to get it so that even 
mudaliyaandaan swamy is satisfied and the local people were also 
satisfied. Such a parama bhaagavthaa was emperumaanaar, he lowered 
himself amongst all the bhaagavathaas and showed his divine
qualities and also practiced it in his day to day life and showed us 
the way to attain bhagavadh sannidhi.

So surrendering at the lotus feet of our emperumaanaar will give all 
the success in our life towards anything that we would wish to 
achieve. Hence let us surrender all our mind and body at the lotus 
feet of our beloved and most lovable emperumaanar. 

This posting, along with Volume II posting completes the Lecture 2 of 
the Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi. Lecture three will be posted soon.


RAAMMANUJASYA CHARANAU SHARANAM PRAPADYE, SRIMATHE RAAMAANUJAAYA NAMA:

					(Thodarum - To be continued)

The Vedics Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi Team
http://www.radioramanuja.com

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