SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Instruction 37
vairAgya gyAna bhakthyAdhi guNavanthO mahAthmana: |
vaishNavAmsthAn mahAbhAgAn mathvA charama vigrahAn |
kArayEyusthu viSvAsam viSEshENa mahAthmasu ||
Simple explanation: When we see great SrIvaishNavas, who have auspicious qualities such as gyAnam, bhakthi, vairAgyam etc. we should consider that they have vimala charama vigraham, that is pure final body and we should have great respect and devotion towards them. gyAnam means knowledge about truth. bhakthi means devotion. Here it is implying devotion towards bhagavAn and bhAgavathas. vairAgyam means detachment from worldly aspects. So SrIvaishNavas must have these good qualities otherwise they will not be considered as good SrIvaishNavas. So, when such SrIvaishNavas are seen we will see usually their bodies only because we only see what our eyes can see. When we see such a SrIvaishNava with such body we should not think that body to be the same as our body or any other materialistic person’s body. We have to understand that they are very pure. They are in their final time in this world. Once they leave this body, they are going to ascend to paramapadham. Hence, bhagavAn himself desires such SrIvaishNava’s body greatly. We see in the case of nammAzhwAr, bhagavAn wanted to enjoy nammAzhwAr’s divine form. So, we have to understand that bhagavAn himself likes SrIvaishNavas’ body. Hence, we too should have great respect towards SrIvaishNavas and their body and treat them very respectfully with great devotion. That will be really pleasing for bhagavAn. We must respect SrIvaishNavas’ body and try to serve them as much as possible. This is what will please bhagavAn maximum.
Video link: https://youtu.be/6htXexcykY0?si=DcDi6uYWh5rUukAQ
Instructin 38
vairAgya gyAna bhakthyAdhi guNavanthO mahAthmakA: |
yE yE bhAgavathAsthAmsthAn udhdhiSya prIthimabhyasEth ||
Simple explanation: Those mahAthmAs, great bhAgavathas who are best in gyAnam, bhakthi and vairAgyam, that is knowledge about truth, devotion towards bhagavAn and bhAgavathas and detachment towards worldly aspects, wherever and whoever such persons are, we should develop great love towards them. In the previous instruction it was said that we should have great respect towards those who have knowledge, devotion and detachment. In addition to that respect, we should also have great love and devotion towards such bhAgavathas. In our sampradhAyam, it is greatly emphasised that we must perform kainkaryam to bhAgavathas, great devotees of bhagavAn. We serve someone only when we have love and affection towards that person. So here it is emphasised that we must nurture our love and devotion, love and affection towards great bhAgavathas who are complete in gyAnam, bhakthi and vairAgyam. Not everyone is like that in this world. Even among SrIvaishNavas, even among bhAgavathas, there are some who stand out due to their purity and their complete dedication towards bhagavAn and bhAgavathas. Such persons, whoever they maybe, we must spot them. It is not that we just go to temple and worship bhagavAn and then maybe learn a little bit of dhivya prabandham and some sthOthrams and focus our life on other things in this world. It is our primary duty to find out such bhAgavathas who are great in gyAnam, bhakthi and vairAgyam and completely serve them with great love and devotion. That is what is emphasised in this instruction by bhagavath rAmAnuja. Without love and devotion no service can happen. So, our ultimate goal is to serve bhAgavathas. For that we must develop love and affection towards them.
Video link: https://youtu.be/4d3lugOcAJs?si=j2TJYJz4gU4wtOi4
Instruction 39
na grAhayEdhvishNu thIrtham prAkruthAnAm gruhEshu cha ||
Simple explanation: In the materialistic people’s homes one should not even accept perumAL thIrtham, that is bhagavAn’s charaNAmrutham. Materialistic people means those who are driven by earning money, eating comfortably, wearing good clothes and enjoying life. In such people’s homes there may be bhagavAn’s divine form (vigraham) and they may be doing some pUjA and if we happen to go to such materialistic people’s place they may give us bhagavAn’s charaNAmrutham, that is thIrtham (sacred water) which was used in the pUjA. It is said that we should not even accept such thIrtham (perumAL thIrtham) from materialistic people’s homes. The reason for this is when they do pUjA (worship) bhagavAn, their mind will be fixated on getting materialistic benefits. So, their pUjA would have been done with that thought process and the resulting charaNAmrutham from that pUjA will also be tinged with that thought process. So, if we accept that we will also develop such desires for material comforts, material enjoyments and so on. Hence it is recommended that we should not accept anything from materialistic people. To do this, we should not be materially oriented. Only if we are situated in proper SrIvaishNava thought process can we say that other person is a materialistic person and we cannot accept even perumAL thIrtham from such materialistic persons. Even thIrtham or prasAdham, when they come in contact with materialistic people we cannot accept from them. That is because their interests and their intention would be mixed in those thIrtham or prasAdham and if we accept that, we will also develop such mindset. So, to avoid that we have to avoid accepting anything from materialistic people.
Video link: https://youtu.be/ACyjeLVSi0k?si=8NlP8QLLfqOEaywr
adiyEn vidhyA rAmAnuja dhAsi
Proofreading done by – vEnkatESa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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