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Vol 02.003
22 January, 1999
In this Issue:
1. Editorial
2. Acharya Vamsa Vriksham - Part 27 - Anbil Ramaswamy
3. pradhAna sadakam - part 8 - V. Sadagopan
4. UpakAra sangraha - part 1 - U.Ve. Anantha NarasimAchAr
5. SampradhAya pAda thittam - part 4 - Anbil Ramswamy
    Learn our tradition the easy way A lesson for beginners/kids

1. Editorial

Dear BhagavathAs:

At the beginning of this UttharAyaNa puNya KAlam, it is my pleasure to extend to you all the best wishes from all of us involved with the creation and the release of the saraNAgathi Journal. May Sri Lakshmi HayagrIvan continue to bless this kaimkaryam and bring us closer together !

AchArya Saarvabhoumans of the Ahobila Matam and the PoundarIkapuram Andavan Aasramam have now addressed twice the Sri VaishnavA Community in USA through an International telephone bridge. In their anugraha BhAshaNams, they have particularly blessed the SaraNAgathi Journal and the Swami Desika Darsana Sathsangam (SDDS) and the many conferences it has organized or co-sponsored. One of the AchAryAs was moved to state that he had RomAnjali ("Mei Silirtthathu"), when he read the agenda of one of the conferences organized by the SDDS.

It is a great BhAgyam to have our humble efforts recognized by these two great AchArya Saarvabhoumans, whose scholarship, anushtAnam, AchAram and VairAghyam are legendary. It is our prayer that their blessings will energize us further to release many more issues of the Journal with very high quality articles related to Sri VaishNavism in genral and SaraNAgathi doctrine and practise in particular. We have active plans to expand our coverage by requesting distinguished scholars and AchAryAs from India to contribute articles and help us understand further the greatness of the important topic of SaraNAgathi as taught to us by the current PeetAthpathis and purvAchAryAs as well as AzhwArs .

AchAryan AzhwAr , Divya DampathigaLs thiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
on behalf of all of us involved in this Kaimkaryam.

2. AchArya Vamsa Vriksham - Part - 27
Period I : [C.15/7] Swami DesikA & his times - 7 III. Co-eval Contemporaries of Swami DesikA

[ T.15 (a ) ] PiLLai lOkAchAryA
PiLLai lOkAchAryA was the son of Vadakku Tiruveedhip PiLLai. He was born in 1205 AD (Krodana) at Srirangam in Mudumbai Kulam, Srivatsa Gotram, in the month of Avani and in Rohini Nakshatram His other names were Ulaga Aasiriyar and lOkAchAriAr. In fact, the latter name was conferred on him by his AchAryA NampiLLai.

Though PiLLai lOkAchAryA was about 63 years older to our Swami, he perceived in his young friend ( our Swami) the potential to become a World Savior through his works. He was the foremost AchAryA of Tenkalai branch of Srivaishnavas. Yet, this did not detract from his being an ardent admirer of our Swami and attended his KAlakshEpams. He worked very closely with our Swami in rescuing the idol of Lord Ranganatha during the raids by Muslim predators. He was so sincere in his praise of our Swami and composed the Pasuram:

Seeronru thoopul thiru vEenkata mudaiyAn pAr Onru Sonna pazha mozhiyuL |
OronRu ThAnE AmaiyAdhO dharaniyil VAzhvArkku vAnErap pOmalavum vAzhvu ||

No greater acknowledgment of the greatness of Swami Desika is needed in the light of this unambiguous declaration by this doyen of TennAchAryA sampradAya. His works include - Mumukshup Padi, Sri vacchana bhushaNam, sAra sangraha, sriyah pathip padi, yAdrichikap Padi, Tattva Trayam, Artha Panchakam and other rahasya granthAs. It was he who advised his brother Azhagiya PerumAL nAyanAr to write AchArya Hridayam.

His SishyAs included- Azhagiya ManavaLa PerumAL nAyanAr (his brother), Koora KulottamadAsa nAyanAr (different from Koora Kulottama dAsar), ManaLpAkkathu NambiAr, Thigazhak KidanthAn, Annan (different from prathivAdi Bhayankaram Annan) - (ATA) TiruvAymozhip piLLai: who became a prAchAryA of vAna mA malai Mutt to follow him after his disciple maNavALa mA munigaL when bhattar pirAn took over as the prathama Yathipathi of the Mutt. Please also see Table under Vadakku Thiruveedhip PiLLai.

[T.15 (b) ] Azhagiya MaNavALa perumAL nAyaNAr,
Younger brother of PiLLai LOkAchAryA and another doyen of TennAchAryA sampradAyA, he was also a close associate and admirer of Swami Desika. He remained a bachelor throughout his life. His works include - AchArya Hridayam, vyAkhyAnams including 6,000 Padi of TiruppAvai, Amalan AadhiPiraan, Kanni nun SiruthAmbhu, PattOlai Rahasyam etc.

[C.14] KidAmbi AppuLLAr
Born in 1221 AD (Vishu) in Chitrai, TiruvAdirai Nakshatram (MSR), he must have been 47 years of age at the time of birth of our Swami. We have already described how AppuLLAr (Swami's maternal uncle) became his AchAryA at the behest of NadAdur AmmAL, how he acquired the title of "vAdhi HamsAmbhu vAhar" from Sri Nadadur AmmAL for having returned triumphant defeating the leaders of other faiths. We have also given his Thanian for this Acharya.

3. pradhAna sadakam - part 8 - V. Sadagopan

33/100 : The Importance of Dhvayam among SaraNaagathi Manthrams
There are a number of manthrAs for performing SaraNaagathi. Some of them are: PraNavam, Dhvayam and mUla manthram. Among the above triad, Dhvayam is the most important. Why? It is because the first section of Dhvayam (Sriman NaarAyaNa CharaNou) refers to the SiddhOpAyam of BhagavAn as well as the SaadhyOpAyam of Prapatthi to be done by us (SaraNam prapadhyE). The second section (utthara bhAgam) refers specifically and clearly to the great phalan of Moksham through the passage, " SrimathE NaarAyaNaaya". Thus, Dhvayam is prAdhAnam among the prapatthi manthrams.

34/100: What is PradhAnam among the meanings of Dhvayam ?
The Dhvaya manthram points out to the sacred feet of the Lord through the statement : "I take refuge at the sacred feet of the Lord, Sriya: pathi (Sriman NaarAyaNa charaNou SaraNam prapadhyE)". The target for that prapatthi is the holy feet of the Divine Consort of MahA Lakshmi, Sriman NaaraayaNan.

Our Lord has both ThirumEni (subhAsrayam) and SvarUpam. Among these two, ThirumEni is the easier to grasp and contemplate on (easy to realize). The very thought of Thirumeni will cleanse us of all sins. Even those who do yoga, hold on to Thirumeni for their meditation Line SvarUpa dhyAnam is not easy to perform. That kind of dhyAnam does not last in a durable manner in their minds. If they have difficulty, we can imagine readily the extreme difficulty that we would have to engage in SvarUpa dhyAnam about the Lord.

The dhyAnam on the subhAsrayam (Saalampana mahA yOgam) on the other hand makes it easier to maintain the dhyAnam through concentration on the divya mangaLa vigraham of the Lord, His soundharyam, weapons and bhUshaNams (asthra BhUshaNAdhis) as well as His hEyaprathanIka (blemishless with out admixture of amangaLams) kalyANa guNams.

In view of this, our Lord's SubhAsrayam (ThirumEni) becomes prominent over svarUpam. Even in the ThirumEni, the sacred feet of our Lord becomes the most prominent. When we hold firmly His sacred feet, His heart overflows with DayA for us and He can not run away from us. Therefore, Dhvayam points to us the Thiruvadi (sacred feet) of the Lord as the pradhAna upAyam (means). In this context, Swami Sri Desikan recalls an isloated statement (mugdhakham) of Bhagavadh RaamAnujA : "anathikramaNeeyam hi CharaNa - grahaNam" (if one holds on to the feet of the Lord, He can not shake that grip off and walk away).

35/100: Sriman NaaraayaNan is however the PradhAnOpaayam
Even if we point out to the importance of the loftiness (prAdhAnym) of our Lord's sacred feet as the means (Upayam) for saraNAgathi, the possessor of those holy feet becomes the PradhAnOpAyam. He is the One, who wills (has the sankalpam) to bless us with the fruit of SaraNAgathi. Hence, He becomes the most prominent as UpAyam.

36/100:UpAya-prApya eikyam pradhAnam
Our Lord, Sriman NaarAyaNan is the ancient upAyam that exists before any others (SiddhOpAyam). Similarly, He is the most ancient upEyam (phalan). Hence, He is recognized as SiddhOpEyam as well. The Upanishads reveal to us that that there is unity between the UpAyam and prApyam and thus He is both SidhdOpAyam and SiddhOpEyam without any contradiction.

There may be doubts about Him serving as both UpAyam (Means) and prApyam (upEyam/Phalan). Although ordinarily, upAyam and Phalan are distinctly different entities, the uniqueness of the Lord as revealed through the Dhvaya Manthram rooted in the Upanishads is that He is the one and only Supreme being who is the amsam of both upAyam and phalan. Thus, there is nothing inconsistent in Sriman NarAyaNan being both the prApakan and the PrApyan.

4. UpahAra SangrahA - part 1
by Shri U. Ve. Anantha NarasimhachAr SwAmigaL of Srirangam

For the emancipation of the human beings from the bondage of Samsara, Sri Vedantha Desikan, the greatest Sri Vaishnavite Acharya next to Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Bhagawad rAmAnujA Swami Desikan composed 120 works of several categories like Stotras, PrabhandAs, KavyAs, RahasyAs and on VishistAdvaitha philosophy (Sri Bhagawad rAmAnuja's Philiosophy).

The Rahasyas are 32 in number and the language used in Rahasyas is known as 'Manipravala' which is a mixture of Tamil and Sanskrit. Rahasya means the teachings of the Acharya (Preceptor) to the Sishya (Disciple) without anybody else overhearing it. These Rahasyas can be taught to one and all without the distinction of caste, creed or color. All the Philosophical points and principles contained in Vedas, Upanishads Ithihasas, Puranas, Divya Prabhandham of Azhwars and Sri Bhashya are explained in the Rahasyas with a clarity.

The Rahasya of Upakara Sangraha is 25th in the series of 32 Rahasyas commencing from Sampradaya Parisuddhi and ending with Paramatha Bhangam.

In this Rahasya, Sri Vedantha Desikan lists out beautifully the various acts of help done, being done and going to be done by the Lord Sriman Narayana to all beings in this Universe. This Rahasya comprises three chapters known as Adhikaras, the second and the third Adhikara named as Sadhana and Niryana. The acts of help done to us by Lord Sriman Narayana are listed below:

(1) Controlling the essential Nature, Characteristic and actions of all the objects in the Universe (objects include both Sentient (Jiva) and Non-sentient (Achethana) and making the Jiva to be an eternal entity without destruction and making the Jiva to be eligible to attain Salvation which is the eternal bliss.

note: Our sincere thanks to Sri Vijayaragavan for typing this artcile and sending it to us.

5. Learn our Sampradayam the easy way - Part 4
(Course for Kids) Grade 1 for Beginners Lesson 5: Good habits
Anbil Ramaswamy

Good habits enrich life; our forebears have time and again proved this for our welfare and the welfare of posterity. Great ones have laid out standards of good habits by observing strictly the dictates of Dharma Sastras and thus setting an example by their experience.

What are the good habits that they have so exemplified? The good habits fall into two categories viz.

1. Those that should be avoided and
2. Those that should be cultivated.

Some of the habits that should be avoided are:

  1. We should not hurt others in thought, word or deed
  2. We should not cause any harm to any living being
  3. We should not indulge in falsehood
  4. We should not be selfish
  5. We should not give room for intolerance or jealousy
  6. We should not talk ill of others
  7. We should not covet others' belongings
  8. We should not carry tales about others
  9. We should not needlessly interfere in others' affairs
  10. We should not be afraid of doing what is good


Some of the habits that should be cultivated are:

  1. Respect God, Vedas, Elders and good people in general
  2. Develop humility in all circumstances
  3. Help others according to our capacity and their needs
  4. Read only those literature that teach morality and justice
  5. Have faith in the customary observances and traditions based on scriptures
  6. Listen to the words of wisdom of elders and Acharyas
  7. Yearn to learn the tenets of our Siddhantam
  8. Try our best to live in accordance with the sacred laws
  9. Endeavor to improve our spiritual standards
  10. Learn the Stotras of our Lord and recite them constantly.


These are good habits; those contrary to these (listed at 1 above) are bad ones which should be avoided at all costs. The bad habits are called in Tamil "Alvazhakku". Swami Desika clearly emphasizes that as followers of ALavandAr, we shall never get into these bad habits. "ALavandAr AdiyOam PadiyOam Ini Alvazhakke".

Whether it is an individual, a family, a Society, a City, a State or a Country - all benefit by those who follow good habits. Education that does not teach morality and good habits is sheer waste and cannot make for a meaningful and purposeful life. Earning money is, no doubt, necessary but that should not be the only aim in life. It is not wise to be prepared to give up everything just for the sake of money.

Remember that even for getting a job (and earning money) we are required to produce a Conduct certificate! This only emphasizes that good habits and god conduct are indispensable even for mundane existence, let alone, leading a spiritually fulfilling life.

QUESTIONS

  1. What is meant by 'Good Habits'?
  2. List a few good habits to be imbibed?
  3. List a few bad habits to be avoided?
  4. Think for yourself whether you want education for improving the moral standard of your life or you wish to settle for an education that helps only in earning money?
  5. What is meant by the term 'Alvazhakku' and why should we not get into the same?
  6. How did Swami Desika emphasize the importance of avoiding bad habits?
  7. What should you do to cultivate good habits?