Volume III - Thaniyan 2 - Iraamaanusa Nootrandhaadhi Upanyaasam Translation
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• September 21, 2001
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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- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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