Rough Alignment SSrimathe Ramanujaya Nama: ‘Srimad Varavara Munaye Nama: KINCHITKARAM TRUST 6, Bheemasena Garden Street, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. ‘@ 044 - 2499 2728, E-mail: kinchitkaram@yahoo.co.in, wwwkinchitorg tel ENPANI BOOKLET 1 (October 2019) ENPANI 57: THE NAMES OF RAMANUJACHARYA Bhagwad Ramanuja is known by many a name, notable amongst them being Emperumanar, Udayavar, IMayazhwar, Sri Bhashyakarar, Godagrajar, Yathirajar.... When (on which occasion) and by whom were each of these ‘names’ and titles bestowed on him? Although his given name at birth was Tayazhwar, he is popularly known as Ramanuja — Rama's anuja (younger brother), namely Lakshmana. Just like Lakshmana, Ramanuja too served the Lord all his life. It is believed that Ramanuja who was born in this, the Fourth Yuga, was the Adisesha avatar in the First Yuga, and Rama’s brother Lakshmana and Krishna's brother Balarama in the Second and Third Yugas respectively. No less than Namperumal of Srirangam, bestowed on him the title of Udaiyavar’ (Possessor) of both Nithya Vibhoothi and Leela Vibhuti. Nithya Vibhoothi refers to the eternal Srivaikuntham - that which is beyond the realm of srishti and samharam (creation and destruction) while Leela Vibhoothi which consists of all the other worlds including our world and is subject to creation and destruction. The lord ordained that He would grant Nithya Vibhoothi to all those followers who are recommended by Ramanuja. Most of us have heard the narrative about how Thirukoshtiyur Nambi made Ramanuja walk all the way from Srirangam to Thirukoshtiyur several times before preaching the Thirumanthiram and Charama slokam to him onRough Alignment condition that he would not preach the same to anyone before putting them through similar rigorous tests. Ramanuja agreed upfront, but the moment the Acharya’s back was turned, flouted the injunction and immediately preached it to all of those who were desirous of learning. The preceptor was furious and threatened him by saying that he would go to hell for his disobedience. Ramanuja replied “If I were to go to hell for helping many attain Vaikuntham, then so be it.” The Acharya was moved by Ramanuja’s compassion and spontaneously bestowed on him the title Emperumanar ~ one who has been a ‘perumanar’. Ramanuja is hailed as the King/ Head of ‘Yatis’ (Sanyasis) and came to be known as Yathirajar or Yathipathi. It was Goddess Saraswati Devi (Sharadamba) Herself who at the Sribhandaram Library in Kashmir conferred on him the title of ‘Sri Bhashyakarar” for his authorship of the Sri Bhashyam, as the most appropriate commentary on Vedavyasa’s Brahmasutram, In her pasuram, ‘naaru narum pozhil maalirum solai..., Andal had vowed to offer 100 tadas (measures) of akkaravadisal sweet dish and 100 tadas of butter to Lord Azhagar of Thirumaalirum solai. How could such a young girl fulfil this, vow before she attained the Lord? Ramanuja, who was born eons later felt compelled to honour her unfulfilled commitment and offered the same to Lord Kallazhagar on her behalf. He then went over to Srivilliputtur to inform Andal about the act. She was so overwhelmed by the gesture that she (as in, her Archavataram thirumeni) came out to greet him and addressed him as her elder brother, as only a brother would fulfil the desires of his younger sister. Thus he became ‘Goda’s’ (Andal’s) elder brother or ‘agraja’ or ‘Godagrajar’ Appouritsstr smivacr SmupASs protested aumipairost [pret iss nsinennyevdit TpuTGw eiw aPynot 2 Dssoovd AsPeople Gaius Sosunsleoy (2. uGsayBler wrens) kkk EN PANI 57: CONCEPT OF LAKSHMI In our Siddhantham, Sri Mahalakshmi holds pride of place. A jeevatma tries to attain Brahman. Mahalakshmi forms the bridge between us and Bhagawan. A highly esteemed distinctive feature of our Sanatana dharma is that ~2~Rough Alignment from ‘aadi kaalam’ (times immemorial) the Goddesses — be it Sri Mahalakshmi, or Parvathi Devi — are worshipped as a couple with their respective consorts Narayana and Shiva. A woman is placed alongside of the male, and the Lord is revered along with His consort; Thus Sriman Narayana and Sri Mahalakshmi are worshipped as a couple. Why should we worship the goddess? Why do we have a separate sannidhi for Her in temples? If we want to seek favours why can’t we approach Bhagawan directly? Why do we worship so many goddesses ~ Sridevi, Bhoodevi and Neeladevi? We have so many faults and accumulated sins. If we directly approach Bhagawan, He will view our demerits and merits as per the laws prescribed in the Vedas and mete out commensurate punishment/ rewards and will not forgive our sins although he is capable of doing so. And rightly so, because what use is, it to have laws if they can be broken at will. However that being the case, how can we make amends? Also we might he so scared and not even go over to Him — an angry male God — for fear of punishment. He therefore has Mahalakshmi permanently ensconced in His chest and has Sridevi and Bhoodevi by his side to make it easier for us to approach Him. That is why there are also separate ‘sannidhis’ for Piratti and Nachiyar in temples. So what is Her role? Another name for Mahalakshmi is Sri: . Haven't we seen invitation cards printed with Sri: on the top. What is the significance of the word? 1. We go over to worship Her first and She in turn worships the Lord on our behalf. She approaches him f and appeals to Him to pardon our faults. 2. When we make mistakes or commit sins and seek Sri Mahalakshmi’s pardon, She gives us a patient hearing and then puts in a word to Him before we approach Him or go over to His Sanndhi. We can’t go to Perumal direetly. It is advisable to use Her good offices to approach Him. ‘That is why one must go to Him only after praying to the Azhwars and Acharyas, then approach Sri Mahalakshmi and finally go over to Perumal.Rough Alignment 3. She forgives us our trespasses and unites us with the Lord. Lakshyate anaya iti lakshmee: meaning we will be the beneficiaries of Her benevolence. What does the word Kamala mean? ‘Ka’ refers to Perumal while ‘Ma’ represents the Jeevatma and ‘la’ means ‘give’ and ‘take’ — give the ‘jeevan’ to Perumal and take the Perumal to the Jeevan. We pray to Mahalakshmi to do ‘Purushakaaram! i.e, intercede on our behalf to the ‘Purushan’ — the only Giver who is the Supreme Lord. Although His capacity to ‘give’ is infinite, he doesn’t give us because of our faults and sins. The Goddess intercedes on our behalf, and asks him to ‘give’ us what we seek. While He is boiling with rage — ‘veneer’ (boiling hot water) She is akin to ‘thanneer’ (water) and cools Him down. Another role She plays is to egg us on when we are scared and dithering to approach Him. So what will happen if She becomes fiery too, one might wonder. Well she is always ‘cool water’ so the question of cooling her down does not arise! Hence let us follow the tradition of worshipping Mahalakshmi first, prior to approaching the Lord. kok * EN PANI 37: ADARSHA DAMPATHI Let us now take up a particularly relevant and important but sensitive topic — marital ‘compatibility. What can we do to enrich our family life? Have our Vedas and Ithihasa- puranas thrown light on this? Sri Rama and Sri Sita, SriRanganathar and Sriranga nachiyar are hailed as the ‘ideal couple’ (‘Adarsha Dampati’). They are absolutely perfect — a ‘Made for Each Other’ couple - both in terms of ideals and beauty. In Sri Ramanuja’s words, this is “Bhagawan Narayana, abhimata anukula’. Abhimata Dampatyam is when both husband and wife are equally good- looking and wealthy and complement each other. When there is oneness of mind and the couple share the same ideals and values it is Anukula Dampatyam. A unique feature of our Sanatana Dharma that is held in high esteem, by foreigners and other religions alike, is that the Goddess — be it Sri Mahalakshmi or Parvathi Devi - is considered to be on par with their respective consorts. Why not we tread the path set by the divine couples? We at Kinchitkaram are maintaining the ‘nandavanams’ {temple gardens) in five temples. When the plants in one of the gardens were found to be dying a horticulturist was called in to identify the problem. He explained it thus: For comparison if one were to assume that Bhoomi (soil) is the male partner and ~4~Rough Alignment water is the female partner in a marital relationship, even if the soil quality were to be only so-so, but the quality of water were to be good, the plants would thrive. However if it were the other way round, excellent soil but bad/salty water it would spell disaster for plants! The horticulturist had underscored the importance of the role of the wife for the success of a marriage by pointing out that if the husband was average but the wife was good and capable of adjusting with others and keeping the flock together the family would thrive but not vice versa. Let us now take a look at a few aspects that could enrich our ‘dampatyam’ (marital life): 1, Tolerance is of utmost importance in a marriage. It is imperative that the husband and the wife understand that individual preferences of either partner cannot be accommodated and some sacrifices are essential to maintain a cordial family relationship. The initial 3-4 years into a marriage — the golden period - calls for a high degree of tolerance. 2, Instead of thinking of the marital relationship as a husband for the wife and vice versa, if each partner decides to work towards one common goal Bhagawan ~ there would be team work and fewer disputes. While each of one’s own pair of hands works in tandem with the other, they might engage in fist fights with, say, a neighbour's hands. The Brihadharanya Upanishad states ~"Navaa patyuh kamayah patipriyo bhavati atmanastu kamayah patipriyo bhavati”. It means that we are not here for each other. Both of us are here to serve Bhagawan and for performing virtuous deeds (dharma karyas). 3. Making time for shared common interest(s), enjoyed by both husband and wife (like sports, literature or music), creates a closer bond between them. At the same time it is also important for the couple not to have any expectations from each other in areas that are not of mutual interest. 4. Fourthly, shortcomings are generally mentioned during arguments. A better practice would be to sit together and discuss them when the couple is relaxed and in agreement. This helps in coming to an understanding. 5. Identifying each other’s nature and accepting them for what they are is crucial in the relationship. 6. In the relationship, there are some duties like bringing up the child, performing daily rituals for god and household work that come naturally and easily for the wife while responsibilities like earning, financial dealings ete are easier for the hushand. Times have changed and now both partners are capable of sharing each other's work. However, we need to be accommodative when the spouse finds a task that is not his/her natural forte, difficult. ~5~7. During times of discord, identify an impartial and a virtuous (Bhakthiman) person or couple and take your problems to him/her/them for a resolution. 8, It is said that losing to your wife, makes your life interesting and happier. Sri Rama Himself has demonstrated this by intentionally losing to Sita during a swimming contest in the Godavari. Sri Rama was delighted to witness her elation when she won. ‘We should all aim to be an ideal couple (‘Adarsha Dampati’), else strive to become an ‘Anukula Dampati’, or at least try to be an ‘Adjusting Dampati’ by maximising compatibility. kok