Srivaishnava lakshanam – 11

Srivaishnava dhinacharya (part 2)
 
sri:
srimathe ramanujaya nama:
srimad varavaramunaye nama:

sri vaanaachala mahamunaye nama:


In the previous article (https://granthams.koyil.org/2012/08/11/srivaishnava-lakshanam-10/),
we observed the general instructions on how to conduct our daily
routine. Now, we will understand in clear, crisp and specific
explanation from pillai lOkaachaariar on our dhinacharya in srivachana
bhUshana divya saastram.

Pillai lOkaachaariar in srivachana bhUshanam explains the greatness of bhaagvathas (https://granthams.koyil.org/2012/08/09/srivaishnava-lakshanam-8/) and cruelty of bhaagavatha apachaaram (https://granthams.koyil.org/2012/08/07/srivaishnava-lakshanam-7/).
After explaining this, at the end of the second prakaranam in sUtram
243, he explains through his masterful words (which are nothing but
collection of azhwars/acharyas srisUkthis), how a srivaishnava will
conduct his/her daily routine. Let us see the gist of that lively sUtram
which carries the essence of all our pUrvaachaaryas message.

  • First we have to understand that since we are in this samsaaram, we should think about
    • ourselves (our body mainly) as the aathmaa’s main enemy – since this is the cause of our ahankaaram (sva svaathanthriyam) and interest in materialistic aspirations
    • samsaaris
      (materialistic people) as snakes that we should fear – since they will
      develop our materialistic aspirations and keep us in the samsaaram
      longer
    • srivaishnavas
      as real relatives – since they will help us to come out of
      materialistic aspirations and have spiritual aspirations/interest in
      bhagavad vishayam
    • emperumaan as father – since he is thinking/doing the real good for us all the time
    • acharayan
      as how a hungry person will think about food – since we are starved of
      spiritual food (knowledge) and acharyan is the provider of that
    • sishyan
      as some one whom we love very much – since with sishyan we can share
      bhagavadh anubhavam and he will relish it, enjoy it and make us enjoy
      bhagavad vishayam as well
  • With this mind set, we should think that:
    • ahankaaram will lead to detachment towards our real well wishers (srivaishnavas) – well wishers of the aathmaa.
    • artham
      (material wealth) will lead to attachment towards avaishnavas – the
      moment we start going behind wealth, we will have to start saluting
      everyone and start looking for favours from avaishnavas. In such cases,
      we will develop admiration towards such avaishnavas (who may be good in
      whatever they are doing) – but this admiration is very dangerous since
      simply it is not about bhagavad vishayam and it will lead us also
      towards such deeds.
    • kaamam
      (lust) will lead to attachment towards opposite sex (even when they
      ignore us) – Krishnan says in gIthai – from attachment we get lust, from
      lust we get desires, from that we become mad and our intelligence
      diminishes, by that we will fall to the bottom of samsaaram.
  • With
    this in mind, we should develop full confidence that aathma guNangaL
    (samam, dhamam, sattvam, etc) cannot be created by ones own efforts but
    we get them by the grace/mercy of emperumaan through our own acharyan
    and so we should:

    • give up attachment towards materialistic aspirations
    • develop attachment towards bhagavad vishayam
    • start understanding that worldly/materialistic things are not truly enjoyable
    • to
      consume prasaadham as much to sustain our body or to consider that we
      consume prasaadham since it is the final part of thiruvaaraadhanam (once
      we prepare food and offer to emperumaan it becomes prasaadham and we as
      the offerer needs to also consume some part of it).
    • think that if we get sorrows/difficulties in our life we should accept that with pleasure thinking it is
      • our karma palam – since we have done so many punya/paapam so far and we have to bear the outcome of that, and by bearing we are only reducing our own karma
      • emperumaan’s
        krupaa palam – because we have surrendered to emperumaan, he has
        already forgiven all our sanchitha karma (the big baggage of karma) and
        he is only giving us a little bit of sorrow so that we will dislike this
        samsaaram and crave to reach paramapadham – if we just get a good life
        here, we may become too attached to samsaaram. So emperumaan out of his
        causeless mercy makes us suffer a little bit according to our karma and
        develops attachment to paramapadham.
    • give
      up the thinking that our anushtaanam is the upaayam to attain
      emperumaan and understand the favours done by emperumaan and do
      everything as kainkaryam to him.
    • have attachment towards the jnaanam and anushtaanam of pUrvaachaaryas and great srivaishnavas
    • have great attachment towards divyadhEsams – since they were occupied by emperumaan out of boundless love towards jIvaathmaas
    • do
      mangalaasaasanam – praying that nothing happens to emperumaan in this
      dangerous samsaaram  – as we can relate these days many archaa vigrahams
      are stolen, attacked/malformed, etc., – and we should always pray that
      emperumaan is safe. This is the highest level of bhakthi towards
      emperumaan as shown by periyaazhwaar, andal, emperumaanaar, etc.
    • have detachment in material things
    • have
      real desire to reach paramapadham – everyday we should be crying like
      nammaazhwar asking emperumaan when he is going to give us mOksham and
      kainkaryam in paramapadham for eternity
    • ensure that we practice humility in front of srivaishnavas and avoiding any service to avaishnavas
    • aspire for association with srivaishnavas
    • avoiding association with avaishnavas

It is said in the end of this sUtram that this is something every srivaishnava should try to practice in their life – i.e., it is not optional. If we
have our daily routine based on this, it is guaranteed by our pUrvaachaaryas that we will develop the adhikaari pUrNathvam (full
qualification to be a srivaishnava) eventually. Looking at this we may think it is very very difficult to follow most of these in the current
situation. Yes, there is some truth in it – it is very very difficult to follow all of these principles – that is why we have to constantly
remind ourselves how our purvaachaaryas lived and the high standards they have set for us based on their own lives. But there has to be some start in everyone’s life, we can start taking small steps and emperumaan will make that work for us. As said above it is emperumaan who makes this happen – so as soon as he sees little attachment towards him in us, he will develop the other qualities in us.

While this may all seem theoretical to us, our pUrvaachaaryas fully put this in practice in their and we can see one of our pUrvaachaaryas who was/is a role model for these principles and how emperumaan loved and rewarded him in our next article.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in
https://granthams.koyil.org

1 thought on “Srivaishnava lakshanam – 11”

Leave a Comment