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Bhagavad RAmAnuja Thirunakshatram

From the Bhakti List Archives

Anand K Karalapakkam • May 1, 1998 


                                  Sri :
          
             Srimate  Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

                  Srimate Sri Kanakavalli nAyikA sametha Sri-
                       VeerarAghava Para Brahmane Namaha

                       Srimate  ShatagopAya Namaha                                    

                  Srimate  Bhagavad   RAmAnujAya  Namaha      

                  Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha 

             Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka - 
         Srivan  Shatagopa  Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha      
             

     Dear  bhaktAs of Bhagavad RAmAnujA ,
    
     Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams. 

     Today is the most auspicious day of the year - the Thirunakshatram
(Birthday) of the greatest AchAryA of all times , the Ocean Of Mercy ,
Prince of ascetics ( YatirAjA) , well known as BhagavAn RAmAnujA (1017 AD
to 1037 AD) . He gave the true imports of the Upanishads (Brahma SootrAs)
& earned the eulogogy from Goddess Saraswati herself , who gave the name
"BhAshyakArA" to our RAmAnujA & named the BhAshyA as "Sri BhAshyA" . 
Without his mercy , no one can possibly enter into the Spiritual World of
Sri Vaikuntam . 

     The grand & eternal path of  prapatti ( SaranAgati) which is the
message of VedAs & other allied literatures  was made known to everyone ,
by Bhagavad RAmAnujA's mercy . Even the Supreme Lord Sriman NArAyanA  is
ever indebted to Bhagavad RAmAnujA , since it is only our dearmost  
EmperumAnAr ( Bhagavad RAmAnujA)  who made the true imports of vedAs known
to everyone & opened the gates of Sri Vaikuntam to all , irrespective of
caste , sex , age etc , through the path of SaranAgati. Sriman NArAyanA in
His incarnations as varAhA , RAmA & KrishnA has repeatedly advised
everyone to follow the path of SaranAgati ( 3 famous charama slokams .
Atleast the  charama slokam of Krishna , namely the "sarva dharmAn
parityajya " slokam is quite well known since it is in Bhagavad GitA )
.But , NArAyanA unfortunately couldn't get the appreciation of the people
for these things. It was none other than Bhagavad RAmAnujA who wiped the
worries of our Lord through his majestic pastimes .

     Upanishads glorify  prapatti ; IthihAsAs in unision proclaim the
glories of prapatti ; PurAnAs describe in detail about many prapannAs ,
who had Sriman NArAyanA as their sole refuge ; pAncarAtrA glorifies this
eternal  Prapatti sAstrA ; Name any vedic scripture , Doctrine Of Prapatti
holds the Central place . Even then people  out  of their sinful acts & 
 attachment to materialism  is not able to appreciate this Diamond of
Prapatti / Kainkaryam to Sriman NArAyanA . Still others , with their
naive understanding of Upanishads, speculate using their puny brain to
arrive at baseless conclusions ( mAyAvAdA ) , which is worse than athiesm 
.  

      Bhagavad RAmAnujA  achieved even what was not possible by the
Supreme Lord Sriman  NArAyanA in His incarnations -  making  people
realise the eternal sesha - seshi bhAvA  existing between Sriman
NArAyanA & the jIvAtmAs ; & glories of  prapatti . No one can
possibly find a parallel to Bhagavad RAmAnujA's  achievements ( including
great Rishis of various yugAs ,  including all  incarnations of Sriman
NArAyanA ) .   

       Go through all the pages of IthihAsAs & PurAnAs . Adiyen is sure 
that you cannot find a biography of the kind of Our EmperumAnAr's , which 
is the most enlivening & heart melting . Atleast for adiyen & for  sure ,
many other bhAgavathAs , the pastimes of our YatirAjar are more nectarian
( pAl , thEn , AkkAravadisil ; ArAvamudhu ) , to relish than even the
avatAra leelAs of Sriman NArAyanA . Just  like the name of Thenkurugoor
Nambi (NammAzhvAr)  was more nectarian than the name of Kannan ( Lord
KrishnA / NArAyanA  )  to Madhura kavi AzhvAr , the names of YatirAjar
like "RAmAnujA" , "EmperumAnAr" , "BhAshyakArA "  are more  nectarian to
adiyen & many other Sri VaishnavAs , than the Holy Names of Sriman
NArAyanA . Adiyen should confess for the loss of words to describe
our YatirAjar's glories.

     Let us take a oath that our life be dedicated only for kainkaryam
unto Bhagavad RAmAnujA . Kainkaryam is that act which  pleases the person
to whom it is performed for .  So , if we have to please Bhagavad RAmAnujA
, we have to follow his instructions . There is no use in simply calling
oneself as RAmAnuja DAsan ( from SamAshrayanam) & acting contradictory to
it . 

     18 upadesams of ThirukkoshtiyUr Nambi ( Sri MAdhavaKannan's
postings) & 5 main commandments of Bhagavad RAmAnujA ( Sri Muralidhar
RangaswAmy's postings) have deeper & deper implications . They are the
essence of all vedAntA . If one is not able to follow all of them , let
that atleast be memorized & recited daily as a first step. If sincerity is
there , EmperumAnAr would certainly guide us. A day will come when one
would burst out from their hearts in full ecstacy with tears rolling down
their cheeks, in the mood of "Senniyongu" of PeriAzhvAr ( Sri Sadagopan's
postings) which is possible only after the realization of
MadhuraKaviAzhvAr's  "KanninunsiruththAmbu"  & Thiruvarangaththu
AmudhanAr's "RAmAnuja NootrandAdi"  & SwAmi Desikan's  "YatirAja Saptati"
.  

    Let us all meditate on this glorious taniyan on EmperumAnAr ( adiyen
is not conversent with exact transliterations. Sorry for the same ) :

       "Yo nityam achyuta padAmbhujayukma rukma
        vyAmohadastadhidarAni trunAya mene
        asmath guror bhagavathOsya dayaika Sindoh:
        RAmAnujasya Charanau Charanam Prapadye " 

      " I take refuge at the feet of my illustrious preceptor Bhagavad
RAmAnujA , the Ocean of mercy , who due to his strong attachment to the
gold of lotus feet of Lord AchyutA , considered everything else as mere
straw " .

         Let us be strongly attached to the gold of Lotus feet of Bhagavad
RAmAnujA through the kainkaryams for our AchARyAs , BhAgavathAs &  Divya
DampatIs , & consider all else as straw .   
       
      All glories to the dust of the lotus feet of Bhagavad RAmAnujA .

                Long Live  Sri Vaishnavam          


   Namo NArAyanA

   Adiyen

   Sri Vaishnava DAsAnu dAsan 

   RAmAnuja dAsan  

   KaraLapAkkam KomAndUr ELayavalli Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan  


                      Sarvam  Sri KrishnArpanamastu