Month: August 2016

It is revealed when Acharyar’s gracious eyes falls on a person , his salvation is for sure even if he is deaf or dumb , fool or wise , old or young , man or woman . Swamy Ramanuja was showering his mercy on all the mortal beings at Srirangam few hundred years ago .

The Chola King during those days was against the Srivaishnava sampradaya and did not like the citizens worshipping Lord Narayana . He was bent upon destroying the Sri Vishnu temples and prosecuting the srivaishnavas . The King who lived in Gangaikonda cholapuram was so bigotted and adherent that he adopted coercive measures to bring all the citizens into the fold he followed .

He was called Krimikanta Chola ( the worm necked ) . He embarked on a crusade of sacrilegious iconoclasm . He tried his best to ravage them but could not succeed .  His goal was to destroy Srirangam and the nearby temples  . His advisors told him that Lord Ranganatha  were of specifically mystically consecrated class and the thought of demolishment would be followed by his own death .

The King was pondering on any other method to adopt his nefarious plan . One general approached the King and reflected upon the device of appointing a competent sorcer who would make himself invisible by applying to his eyes a magical collyrium ,  thus unseen he would  enter the temple sanctum sanatorium.

From here he would extract the spiritual power from the deity and then destroy  them . The King was overjoyed . He commanded to assemble all the noted sorcers for the mamoth task and announced they would be rewarded in bounty .

The news reached Jagath Acharyar Swamy Ramanujar . Deeply upset with the Kings tyranny and grave concern for Lord Ranganathar , he quickly  marched to the Ashram of his Acharyar Swamy  Peria Nambigal.

With dejection he said …

Acharya !!

Am sad that the King who is supposed to protect the  temple and  citizens has turned out to destroy the legacy . Am afraid  what is in store for our Lord …

Acharyar was listening to Ramanuja with attention ..

No … Never … such things will never happen …No harm will enter this divine place . My child !

Listen …With mercy of Peria Perumal , let me provide a cordon of protection  …

Ramanuja he said …

. I need a disciple of your’s to come with me for this task

and………………………..

he should simply follow me with no questions .

He must be following me and obey my instructions . He  must be submissive  and well resigned as if he is my shadow without any iota of thought of self as having an independent will of his own ….

He must be a gem among the disciples .

Swamy Ramanuja was confused …  Acharya !! he said ..

Peria Nambi remarked ..

You have Kooresa a soul to be sure …

Swamy Ramanuja was immensely pleased .

He advised Kooresa to meet Acharyar immediately .

Both the great revered Acharyas walked all around the boundaries of the holy town of Srirangam on a full moon day in the night ,  marking with some auspicious powder  silently chanting  sacred hymns praying Supreme Lord to protect ……

Swamy KoorathAzhwan further sacrificed his eyes when the cruel King punished him for not  embracing the faith he followed .Read the divine pastime in the appended blog post

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2015/02/07/kooresa-the-disciple-who-gave-his-eyes-for-swamy-ramanuja/

.Thus both condoned the entire town of Srirangam which resulted in our srivaishnava sampradaya flourishing ..

  The most revered srivaishnava Acharyar  Swamy Parasara Bhattars  was conducting a class at his Gurukulam .

He was explaining the three stages of love to LORD …….

Recollection   ,  Trance    and Rallying … 

Recollection is recollection of all the past ravishment’s  of soul ..vouchsafed by LORD

Trance or Fainting is consequent on desolation at this recollection not yielding to the present enjoyment

Rallying is the sudden lucidity whilst in this state of trance which is considered as a  extreme advanced state  in devotion which our Azhwar’s possessed……..

Bhattar continued with an example from Swamy Nammazhwars hymnal 1000 verses called Thiruvamozhi dedicated to LORD Ranganathar of the Holy  Capital SriRangam ..

Swamy Nammazhwars amorous longing and panting to see LORD found vent in a pasuram ( song ) of his in which Azhwar considers  himself to be a mistress in love with LORD and seized with deep emotions swoons .

The speechless heart at such juncture is however revealed orally  through  another person which Azhwar  himself adorns as a mother of the helpless daughter and describing the latter’s condition to her neighbors  are out poured  on the spot …..

Day and night she  does not sleep

In floods of tears her eyes swim

Oh Discuss …Oh Conch  she cries …

And clasping her hands , and bowing to them

Oh Lotus eye one…she weeps and reels

Ah !! how is that without you I can bear

She pants and feels all earth for HIM……………………………

Oh Lord Ranga …………………abiding where      waters abundant flow …

and where fish  maddened with joy all leap and dance……

How …and…… How with my daughter will you deal …

Bhattar meditated on this verse and with intense emotion placed both his palms over his head and shed tears  and felt   sad ……………………………..

Stone hearted  we are … …….

……..how are we going to realize the depth of Azhwar’s love as uttered in this divine pasuram …..

we who cannot realize  in the least of his sentiments ……..

we who cannot understand his heart ……. …

when  SUPREME LORD is eager to be with us …..

 

 

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Pics : Courtesy Google images uploaded by advanced devotees

Video credits : HG Ranga  Padmanaban

In the Gurukulam at Srirangam , the revered Acharyar  Swamy Parashara Bhattar was explaining the incident in Srimad Ramayana the scene about  the Ocean King  .

When Lord Rama decided on coercing the King of Ocean to put in his appearance by driving a shaft into his bosom , the  ocean king was stuck with terror .He forthwith offered humble obeisances to Lord Rama and offered apologies for ignoring his call.

Lord was  pacified but said that  the bow is never lifted in vain .Once lifted  its fury must vent somewhere and so as pleaded by the Ocean king the arrow was fired at northward direction where the Abhirakshas lived .

Thus Lord pardoned the king and transferred the punishment prepared for  him  to  his  enemies .

There was a new disciple who was not looking convinced with the explanation  . Bhattar  understood the mood of his disciple and thus related with a comic anecdote.

He said , my child Listen !!  There was a  land owner whose head was bald . He was busy measuring out the new harvested paddy on his land .

A beggar approached him and said …Sir ! How are you ? and How is it you are busy with grains while your fine locks uncared for ?   He praised the landowner  repeatedly ….

 

The landowner was glad to hear  him .. as it was music for his ears and replied ..

How is that friend,  you came so long and what brings you here ?   The beggar replied … Nothing particular ..I just came to simply see you my master …..

The landowner was pleased .He  offered one sack of grain and placed the same on his head . The beggar was pleased and  en route when a wayfarer inquired about the unusual  full sack of grain being carried by him , he  replied …

Look …there that bald headed man gave me this .

The wayfarer went to the landowner and told him the impolite way the beggar spoke about him .

The landowner became too angry . He gave the beggar a hot pursuit .

The beggar turning around said .. Oh Master !!     Listen …..

What makes you run this fashion thy fine locks so dancing ?

The Pride of the landowner was flattered again and forgetting his own baldness said ..

My friend………  I just came to remind you that you were supposed to take one more sack of grain along with you ..

When anger turns to friendship by praise even among men ….

How much more so is LORD won by dependence and devotion …

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Pics : Courtesy Google images

 

 

One morning Swamy Ramanuja was conducting  a discourse  about the doctrine of free grace to frail humanity as illustrated in Srimad Ramayana.

Swamy narrated the wonderful  incident of surrender to Lord Rama by Vibhishana the  rakshasa .

Pillai Urangi dasar the new disciple was listening .

( More information  about this great disciple  of Swamy Ramanuja .. ..please click  here …

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2015/05/12/the-wrestler-and-the-most-beautiful-eyes/

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2015/05/14/caste-verses-virtue-swamy-ramanujas-lesson-to-disciples/

Swamy continued Vibhishina though born among Rakshasas ( demons) was quiet saintly in nature .

He tried his best to dissuade his sibling Ravana from his evil ways , but he would not listen .

With disappointment , he severed himself swiftly from all connection with him and his kingdom , Vibhishana  soaring into the sky crossed the ocean along  with four  of his attendants to surrender to Lord Rama. 

Lord   was encamped with his army on the other shore  Sethu near Rameshwaram.

Vibhishana descended from the skies and with folded hands approached the august assembly …and spoke ..

Oh Lord !! I am Vibhishina ..Ravana’s brother , disgraced by him !!!

I seek  refugee …..

From Lanka , ..

I left my  wealth , honor  friends ,children and my wife and come here for life …Please accept me  my Lord ……he pleaded ….

The vanara chief was watching the rakashas .. ..

He got up and  pleaded LORD to permit him to  punish him  and kill all of them having come from the enemy camp ….

Bhaktha Hanuman swiftly  interrupts  and  certify s  vibhishana  good qualities .He confirms the assembly that Vibhishina  follows  dharma  and he has seen his behavior in the royal palace . 

Looking at the vanaras discussing in confusion  ,

Lord  Rama  smiles and announces  my dear friends …………………………….                              .  “not only Vibhishanan, 

even If Ravana approaches me  with remorse I shall protect him too  .

I am accepting vibhishana as my brother immediately …..

On hearing the sweet pastime , Dhanurdasar stood up and cried………………………… My Master !!    

  If  Vibhishina who left his wealth , honor , wife , children and all in order to seek refuge with Lord Rama deserved to be punished   by the vanara chief ,       

how much more indeed do I deserve that kind of treatment as  I who have made no renunciation at all like Vibhishina !!

Swamy Ramanuja with abundant compassion replied , Listen to me my son ! I will unfold the secret of salvation ……..Sridevi  the spouse of Lord Narayana ever stands by HIM as our mother -mediator  .

She is the personification of the most exalted attribute of Lord , grace of mercy ..

When our Lord through Sridevi is ever anxious to shower HIS mercy unstintingly on HIS erring children on earth , what fear is there for us ?We have a unbroken chain of apostles reaching down from LORD ..first grace to Sri the next  saint Satagopa and he has declared in unmistakable terms that he has obtained salvation ( Moksha) .

As he has won ,

Saint Nathamuni has won  and as  Nathamuni has won , our Yamauna has won , and Yamuna winning my  guru above me  Periya Nambi ,Manakal Nambi , Periya Thirumala Nambi , Thiruvarangathu Arayar ,Thirukachi Nambi , Thirukoshtiyur Nambi have won and as all of them have won , 

I have surely won and when I have won indeed all of you have won …...

Child !!!  Take comfort from this thought ..

   Dwayam  mantra which has been initiated on all of you declares that  the unity of Lord with His grace Sri and an unbroken chain binds LORD and his creatures in one bond from which it is impossible to escape and stand aloof.

My child !!

When Vibhishana was  allowed to approach Lord Rama , no separate invitation was needed for the four attendants who accompanied him,  and  had the vanara chiefs wished to drive those four separately ..and remember , With me goes my entire flock ….the flocks have more merit than the shepherd ..

Shatruguna had more merit in following  Bharata and

Bharata had more merit  in following Lord Rama ,

and our Madhurakavi Azhwar had more merit in following Nammazhwar ..

\and Andaal had more merit  following Peria Azhwar

……….Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Images : Google pics

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