Bharatheeyam : ( 08/11/2012. )

Nahi jnanena sadrisam pavitramiha vidyate. Knowledge is incomparably pure. Thus says the holy Bhagavad Geeta. Our life is a gradual march towards purity – the purity which is the souls own nature. This purity can be achieved only by pure knowledge. Therefore, knowledge is the greatest treasure of the mankind. It is the panacea of all our evils. It is the knowledge which makes man superior to other God's creations. Human being minus knowledge is just an animal with two legs. The world has seen many seers, who came down to earth, to propagate the divine knowledge among the needy. But for them, the world would have drowned in the vast oceans of ignorance. After the advent of Kali Yuga, the noble souls lost their way in the dense forests of samsara. They sank to great depths of ignorance, doubt and bewilderment. The graceful Vishnu was moved by their plight. He wished to uplift his devotees and bring them back to the right path. As He has no avatar in Kali Yuga, He Himself d...

Sri Madhvacharya was born in the year 1238 A.D, on the Vijayadashami day of the month of Aswayuja in a village about three miles from Udupi in South Canara. His father was a pious brahmin belonging to Bhagavata Sampradaya and a pauranic by profession. Sri Madhvacharya was born at a late period in his father’s life after constant prayer and dedication of vows to Ananteswara in Udipi. Madhyageha Bhatta, the father, was therefore happy and proud in no ordinary degree in his son whom he christened Vasudeva. Boy Vasudeva was very precocious and his father taught him the three Rs in the privacy of his house. Not even had the boy attained his teens, when he felt an inner urge he could not resist, to taking to the holy orders and took sanyasa under Achutaprekshacharya in Udipi. Achutaprekshacharya had been brought up in the then current Adwaita school of thought but the philosophy of that school did not appeal to the new sanyasi. Achutaprekshacharya was somewhat displeased with...

Summary :  The SAMPRADAAYA (COMMUNITY) which our Guruji represents is knows as THE RAMANUJ SAMPRADAAYA, named after Saint Ramanujacharya. This community though is originally known as THE SRI SAMPRADAAYA.   To name a few great saints who have spread the name of the Supreme Lord under different communityheads or Sampradaayas are SHRI SHANKARACHARYA, SHRI YAMUNACHARYA, SHRI VALLABHACHARYA, SHRI MAADHAVACHARYA, SHRI NIMBARKACHARYA and SHRI CHAITANYA.   Shri Ramanujacharya was a great devotee of the Supreme Lord Narayana, and a thorough propagandist of the VISHISHT ADVAITA THEORY.   He was a virtuous, pious, patient and a very learned saint.   The son of KESHAV BHATT, born in the south, in TIRUKUDOOR, He lost His father at a tender age. He then headed for Kanchi, and started the study of the Vedas under the watchful eyes of GURU YAADAVPRAKASH.   Shri Ramanuj excelled in the study of the Scriptures, character, and lov...

EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF SRI RAMANUJA  (Continues....) (11) After Mastering the Bodhaayana Vritti of Sage Vyaasa, he wrote several works like Vedanta Sangraham explaining the various viewpoints of Sankara, Yadhava, Bhaskara and others, Vedanta Deepam, Geetha Bashyam etc.  (12) During Panguni Uttram, he did Prapatti before the Divya Dhampathi in Serthi and submitted his famous Gadhyatrayam (comprising Saranagathi Gadhyam, Sriranga Gadhyam and Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam ),  (13) Later, he wrote a Grantha called Nityam detailing the Tiruvaradhana Kramam  (14) While he was on his Sancharam, it is believed that the Lord himself appeared before him at Tiruk Kurum Kudi as a Srivaishnava got Samasrayanam from Udaiyavar (PPM)  (15) When he visited Saraswati Peetam, Goddess Saraswati was so impressed with his commentary on Brahma Sutram that she named it "Sri Bhashyam" and conferred on him the title of "Bhashyakaarar". It must be noted that while the other comment...

(7) Yadava prakasa, his old Guru had by then returned to Kanchi, became Ramanuja's disciple assuming the name of 'Govinda Yogi'  (8) Ramanuja used to go round the streets for his Biksha. An evil minded fellow had mixed poison in the biksha. His wife while serving the biksha fell at Ramanujas feet with tears in her eyes. Ramanuja understood that there was something wrong. When the Sishyas sorted out the biksha for cooking, they found out that poison was mixed with it. Ramanuja went on a fast with a view to cleanse the mind of the evil-doer. On hearing this, Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi rushed all the way to Srirangam. When Ramanuja heard of the coming of his Guru, he rushed to the banks of River Kaveri to receive him. It was the height of summer. Ramanuja ran towards him in the hot Sun to receive him and fell at his feet on the burning sands on the banks of river Kaveri. Nambi did not ask him to get up. Such was his Acharya Bhakti. At that time , Kidambi Aachaan, who was ne...

EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF SRI RAMANUJA (1) Within 16 years of age, he had mastered all the Vedas and Sastras. At age 17, he married Rakshakaambaal ( Tanjammal, in Tamil) (PPM)  (2) Ilaya Perumal was placed under the Advaitic Sannyasi called YADAVA PRAKASA at Tirupput kuzhi for training in Advaita Purva Paksha Sastra of Vedanta. Once during this period, Alavandar who desired nominating Ilaya Perumal to succeed himself visited Tirupput kuzhi, met with him but had no opportunity to speak to him and had to return to Srirangam.  Very many occasions arose when the Saivite Guru clashed with Ilaya Perumal when the Guru misinterpreted Vedantic statements. Ilaya Perumal fearlessly pointed out the errors in the Guru's interpretations and corrected him. This enraged the Guru. Fearing that one day, Ilaya Perumal would demolish Advaita philosophy, he plotted to kill Ilaya Perumal by drowning him in Ganga while on a pilgrimage tour of the country with his disciples.  Learni...

HIS BIRTH::CHITRAI- TIRUVADHIRAI) His date of birth is placed differently by different authorities.As per PPM, he was born in Kaliyuga year 4119 which corresponds to1017 AD. PPM fixes even the exact date as 13th April 1017 AD, interms of English Calendar.  PRA, though notes the year as 4118 Kali , maintains the year as 1017 AD only and gives additional information that the Rasi was Karkataka and the time of birth was exactly at noon.  VAC, MKS and MSR also agree on the year 1017. PTA gives a few more details like the Yogam being Ayushman, Karanam being Bhadra, Gotra being Harita, Saakha being Yajus, Sutra being Apasthambha and Sect being Vadama ( Vide p.45 of GLE).  PPM and ATA mention the year as Pingala, month Chitrai and the constellation Tiruvadirai. PPM adds that it was a Sukla Paksha Panchami, a Friday.  It will be for the Research minded scholars to piece together all these details to arrive at the correct date, time etc.  Vriddha P...