She corrects both through advice.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Shloka 10
How does she express/deploy her Purushakaaram? When she is with the Lord, she corrects him, and when she is away from Him, she corrects the individual aatma.
When she is with the Lord, when the Lord gets angry with an individual aatma she changes his mind by recommending the aatma for moksha. When she is away from Him, she corrects the individual soul by changing its mind to become fixed on the Lord and seek His Sharanagati.
When she is with the Lord, when the Lord gets angry with an individual aatma she changes his mind by recommending the aatma for moksha. When she is away from Him, she corrects the individual soul by changing its mind to become fixed on the Lord and seek His Sharanagati.
Shloka 9
The Lady's Purushakaaaram happens when she is with Him as well as when she is away from him
Monday, February 21, 2011
Shloka 8
The Lady (in Sri Ramayana) separated first time to demonstrate Her Compassion; In the middle, (second time) to demonstrate her dependence on the Lord (Paratantryam); Final time to demonstrate her complete and only dependence on the Lord (Ananyaarhatvam).
Let us see how:
While the popular history states that Ravana separated her from the Lord, She remained a prisoner along with the wifes of devas in the prison, showing her compassion towards them and in the end getting them freed upon Ravana's death. Again during the same situation, even though She was apparently harmed/tortured mentally by the rakshasa women that were guarding her in Ashoka vana, she saved them from punishment upon Ravana's defeat, again demonstrating her compassionate nature.
The second separation came after she had become the queen of Ayodhya, when the Lord sends her to forest. She spent her time in the hermitage of Saint Valimiki. During this separation she demonstrates her implicit obedience of the Lord's order arising from "paratantrayam". She could have decided to end her life right at that time- but she did not do that citing reasons to Lakshmana that such an act would lead to bad name for Rama.
The third separation came when she decided to go under the earth (from where she ascended to her abode of Sri Vaikuntha). At this time, she states," May the earth show me the way if I have never thought of anybody else in my life other than my Lord"
Let us see how:
While the popular history states that Ravana separated her from the Lord, She remained a prisoner along with the wifes of devas in the prison, showing her compassion towards them and in the end getting them freed upon Ravana's death. Again during the same situation, even though She was apparently harmed/tortured mentally by the rakshasa women that were guarding her in Ashoka vana, she saved them from punishment upon Ravana's defeat, again demonstrating her compassionate nature.
The second separation came after she had become the queen of Ayodhya, when the Lord sends her to forest. She spent her time in the hermitage of Saint Valimiki. During this separation she demonstrates her implicit obedience of the Lord's order arising from "paratantrayam". She could have decided to end her life right at that time- but she did not do that citing reasons to Lakshmana that such an act would lead to bad name for Rama.
The third separation came when she decided to go under the earth (from where she ascended to her abode of Sri Vaikuntha). At this time, she states," May the earth show me the way if I have never thought of anybody else in my life other than my Lord"
Shloka -7 (Resuming posts)
When doing "Purushakaram" (qualities needed are) Kripai (Compassion/Grace), Paratantriyam (Being dependent on the Lord), and Ananyaarhatvam (Dependence only on the Lord).
Why are these three qualities important?
Compassion is "inability to bear the sufferings of others". When recommending the Jeevatma to the Lord for Moksha (doing Purushakaaram), it is out of the inability to see the suffering of the Jeevatma in the Samsara.
Paratantrayam is "being outside Him, but being dependent on Him". All Jeevatmas are Paratantrans to the Lord. The Lord created this Universe by transforming His own body merely by Sankalpam that "I wish to transform into the Universe". He is therefore the owner of all that is visible and invisible (material and non-material, chit and achit). When doing recommendation, the Lord may not be willing to listen. It is She, the Lord's consort, being dependent on Him, makes Him listen to Her recommendation.
Ananyarhatvam is being dependent only on Him - not having anybody else to go to with the recommendation. When She goes the Lord with the recommendation that He should acknowledge this particular Jeevatma, the Lord think - She does not have any other place to go to with this request - therefore she is only doing this for Me".
Why are these three qualities important?
Compassion is "inability to bear the sufferings of others". When recommending the Jeevatma to the Lord for Moksha (doing Purushakaaram), it is out of the inability to see the suffering of the Jeevatma in the Samsara.
Paratantrayam is "being outside Him, but being dependent on Him". All Jeevatmas are Paratantrans to the Lord. The Lord created this Universe by transforming His own body merely by Sankalpam that "I wish to transform into the Universe". He is therefore the owner of all that is visible and invisible (material and non-material, chit and achit). When doing recommendation, the Lord may not be willing to listen. It is She, the Lord's consort, being dependent on Him, makes Him listen to Her recommendation.
Ananyarhatvam is being dependent only on Him - not having anybody else to go to with the recommendation. When She goes the Lord with the recommendation that He should acknowledge this particular Jeevatma, the Lord think - She does not have any other place to go to with this request - therefore she is only doing this for Me".
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Shloka 6 commentary continues...(3)
Having understood what is Moksham, let us turn to Upaayam. The Indweller must first accept and agree given its limited intelligence and knowledge that Moksham is its final goal. While the Indweller realizes this in its pristine form, it takes effort in the present birth to agree with this goal. Once agreed upon, the Indweller needs to identify a means to achieve this goal. It is in this respect again, that Hindu Body of Knowledge - the Vedas, and its associated organs - the upanishads, the itihaasas (or history-as-it-happened), the Puranas (or History-written-after-the-fact) etc. help us with various strategies and means. Karma, Gnyana, and Bhakti are the most popular that almost every Hindu will instantly agree that most of these scripture have expounded. Within the Bhagwad Gita as well, Krishna has devoted significant time to explain the three to Arjuna. An important fact to remember here is that the three are not independent of each other - they are all mutually dependent i.e. the person that claims to be a follower of Bhakti yoga cannot renounce Karma and Gnyana. On the other hand - the standard progression is from Karma to Gnyana to Bhakti. Karma drives Gnyana. Gnyana drives Bhakti. The Saints of South India, the predecessors of the author insist on Gnyana in combination with Bhakti as an important driver in the spiritual quest (though not the means to achieve the goal).
There are also other means to achieve the goal. According to Yalgniki upanishad, there are 12 means. Given these many means/methods to achieve the goal, which specific means is the author referring to here?
The author belongs to the Srivaishnava sect, a follower of Swami Ramanuja, and the Aazhwaar saints of South India. The method he is referring to is the same method adopted by Swami Ramanuja, his predecessors and his followers - called "Nyasam" or "Sharanagati. (Surrender)"
In order to establish the connection between Purushakaaram and Upaayam stated in shloka 6, we need to understand "surrender" a little better. Who do you surrender to? Of course the Lord. So the real means to achieving the goal is not the "act of surrender" but the Lord Himself. This brings us to an interesting situation. The Lord sees each of us not as the beings that we presently are (in this human body), but as the Indweller with the Baggage of Karma lasting billions and trillions of years (actually it has no beginning...). The moment he sees the Indweller he cannot but feel angry towards all the sins committed by the Indweller in all the past lifes (which we in this human body are not aware of). He is determined not to grant Moksha to this Indweller. So the Upaayam is actually insufficient to achieve the goal. Then why call it a "means to achieving the goal?" Because it is the last thing an Indweller can do to achieve its goal. However, the means works through a supporting means - called Purushakaram. His Divine Consort, the Lady intervenes at that point and recommends Him to accept the Indweller despite all its sins and short-comings. This she does out of the compassion she has for the Indweller that has come to surrender at His Feet.
But Wait ...did we not say earlier that Moksha is realized when we have rid the Baggage off its good and bad karmas. Why should the Lord get angry now? Because, "Surrender" is the only means through which an Indweller can achieve Moksham even when the Baggage is still full.! On the other hand, means such as Karma, Gnyana, and Bhakti lead to Moksha when the Baggage is empty - and therefore could take another millions of years. It is only in "Surrender" that the Lord has assured (As Devaperumal of Kanchi to Thirukkachi Nambi) that an Indweller can achieve "Dehaavastaane Moksham" i.e Moksham when the "present body falls". Call it if you will - the short-cut to Moksham. Because that is what it really is. While there are still those great stalwarts of Karma, Gnyana, Bhakti Yogas - including the demi-gods and rishis, and saints of yester-yugas still waiting in queue for their time to reach Moksham, the Lord has assured that the ones that "Surrender" will be given Moksham in short-cut at the end of the present life.! However, for this "Surrender" to work two things are important - 1. The act of surrender itself. 2. The recommendation of His Lady. The two work together to assure the Indweller of Moksham in short-cut at the end of this Life, no matter what the Baggage of Karma still holds.
That is why the author has together stated Upaayam (the means) and Purushakaaram (the recommendation) in Shloka 6.
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