SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
Instruction 49
dhEhAbhimAnibhis sArdham sahavAsam na kArayEth ||
Simple explanation: We should not stay along or live along with those who consider the body and the self to be the same. AthmA is different from dhEham. The first step in any spiritual education is to make people understand that we are not this body. ‘I’, the AthmA is different from this ‘the body’. Unless one gets this clarity, one cannot make any spiritual progress. In our SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam this principle of dhEhAthma abhimAnam, that is considering the body to be the same as the self is very much despised. We should never have the understanding that the body is same as AthmA. If we don’t get the understanding clearly that “I am not this body” then it will be very difficult to make progress in understanding the sampradhAya principles. Whenever we talk about the body we refer to as ‘my body’, ‘my head’, ‘my hand’, ‘my feet’, ‘my eyes’. So, when we say ‘my’ and an object then we can easily understand that the individual AthmA is different from all of those bodily aspects. So, it is very important for us to understand such a principle.
As a SrIvaishNava once we get that understanding we have to look around and see whom we are staying and hanging out with. Staying doesn’t mean just living with, but it also means spending more time with somebody. If someone has this concept of body and the self being the same (that is there is no difference) that means that they don’t understand the concept of AthmA. It means that they don’t accept that there is an AthmA which is distinct from the body. If we look at those people, then we have to avoid spending more time with them because we will also end up developing the same mentality. If we consider body and self to be the same, then we will just work for the body. Instead of catering to the needs of the AthmA, we will always cater to the needs of the body. We will chase material comforts and material enjoyment. To avoid all of this, we have to avoid materialistic people who consider body and self to be the same. Firstly, we should have that conviction and then we should avoid those who don’t have that conviction. In this way we can make steady progress in understanding our sampradhAya principles and practice the same.
Video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/KlgeV5iuzOQ?si=p3F2n9loFj4s5rNM
Instruction 50
SrIvaishNavAnAm chihnAni dhruthvApi vishayAthurai: |
thai: sArdham vanchakajanai: sahavAsam na kArayEth ||
Simple explanation: There are people who have physical appearance as SrIvaishNavas but are deeply engrossed in sensual pleasures and enjoying such pleasures. We should not stay along with or spend time with such deceptive SrIvaishNavas. Often we see people having SrIvaishNava attire wearing a dhOthi or a sAri, wearing Urdhva puNdram and appearing like a SrIvaishNava but when we get close to them and find out their real nature some of these people even though appearing as SrIvaishNavas, they may be deeply engrossed into material enjoyment and sensual pleasures. We should try to stay away from such deceptive people. They are called deceptive because they fake it. They appear like SrIvaishNavas but in their heart and in their actions they are not having SrIvaishNava qualities. A SrIvaishNava should be free from materialistic desires. Even if one is not 100% free from materialistic desires one should aim for such a state. One should minimise materialistic enjoyments as much as possible because the more we are engaged in enjoying worldly pleasures, our mind will get corrupted and our principles will be diluted and our actions will deviate from SrIvaishNava sampradhAya principles. So, for this reason we have to avoid the association of such people who only have physical appearance as a SrIvaishNava but not having any of the noble qualities of a SrIvaishNava.
Often, we are asked whether physical appearance is more important than internal qualities or vice-versa. Our AchAryas have said that both are equally important. Physical appearance is important and the internal noble qualities are more important. If we want to interact with SrIvaishNavas we have to ensure that those SrIvaishNavas are both externally and internally pure and have SrIvaishNava qualities both externally and internally.
Video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/qOs_cG6_46k?si=JxWuwk6BfohLagNi
Instruction 51
na bhAshayEchcha sathatham paradhushaNa thathparai: ||
Simple explanation: We should never converse with those who are engaged in blaming, abusing, accusing, and condemning others. We should avoid such people. We often hear the concept of power of suggestion. If someone repeatedly tells us something then over time we will start believing it. So if we are always conversing with those who are talking bad about others all the time then we will also become like that. We will also constantly think ill about others. We too will end up committing offenses like abusing others. Our mouth is given to praise bhagavAn and bhAgavathas. Our ears are given to hear the good things about bhagavAn and bhAgavathas. If we don’t use the ears and mouth in the proper way, then we will end up suffering. There are people who are always abusing others. If they are making some mistake, if they are committing offenses, it’s up to them. But we have the choice to avoid such persons. We have to exercise that choice by avoiding any interaction with people who are constantly abusing and blaming others, and finding mistakes in others’ activities. Acting as such will be detrimental for our spiritual progress. As a SrIvaishNava we must have dignified thoughts and speech. Our mind and speech should be noble. Our mind, speech and actions should help others. Instead, if we constantly discuss and converse with people who are abusing others, then we will become influenced by them and we will also start doing it. And that is not good for us. So we must avoid such people who are bad influences on us. As SrIvaishNavas we must always focus on sathsangam. sathsangam means being with good people and having good conversations and engaging well in kainkaryams. So, we must focus on sathsangam and not waste our time listening to people who are abusing others.
Video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/ymlHpLZJwWo?si=R-zM-6Bkaey87rgT
adiyEn vidhyA rAmAnuja dhAsi
Proofreading done by – vEnkatESa rAmAnuja dhAsan
archived in https://granthams.koyil.org
pramEyam (goal) – https://koyil.org
pramANam (scriptures) – https://granthams.koyil.org
pramAthA (preceptors) – http://acharyas.koyil.org
SrIvaishNava education/kids portal – http://pillai.koyil.org