2/12/2016

SampradayamfortheYoung:UnderstandingSriVaishnavism

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SampradayamfortheYoung
FRIDAY,DECEMBER11,2009

UnderstandingSriVaishnavism
REligionmeansBhaktitowardstheDivine.IntheBhakthischools,there
arepeoplewho[1]worshipVishnuandMahalakshmiand[2]thosewho
worshipSivaandSakthi.VaishnavasareVishnuDasaswhoworship
VishnuandMahalakshmi..

BlogArchive
2009(12)
December(12)
WhetherthereisGod
UnderstandingHinduReligion
UnderstandingSriVaishnavism
AlwarsandAcharyas

VaishnavasarecalledSriVaishnavasbecausetheyworkshipbothSriand
Vishnu,i.e.MahalakshmiandSrimanNarayana,together.

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SriVaishnavasworshipSrimanNarayanainfiveforms,viz.Param,
Vyuham,Vibhavam,ArchaandAntharyami,asunder:

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1.ParamisthatformofLordSrimanNarayanawholivesinHispermanent
abode,SriVaikuntam.ThereHeissittingonAdiseshaalongwithHis
consorts.
2.VyuhamisthatformofLordSrimanNarayanawherefromhefocuseson
Creation,MaintenanceandDestruction,fromthepostureofVyuha
VasudevalyingdownonhisBedAdiseshainThirupparkadal,theMilky
ocean.

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3.VibhavamisthatformofLordSrimanNarayanainwhichHetook
Avatarainthisworldandwasknownindifferentnamessuchasas
Nrisimha,Rama,Krishna,etc.
4.ArchaisthatformofLordSrimanNarayanainwhich,havingbeenduly
invocated,HegivesDarshantoyouandI,invarioustemplesonthisearth.
Inthesetemples,HehadtakensuchformastheBhaktashavewishedand
givesthemDarshandaytoday.
5.AntaryamiisthatformofLordSrimanNarayanainwhichHeresides
withinallofusasoursoul,givingguidancedaytodaytopeoplewhocare
tolistentoHim.
SriVaishnavismisabroadbaseduniversalreligion,whichisopentoone
andallindependentofCaste,creed,gender,orscholarshipofthe
individual.
SriVaishnavaPhilosophy:
TheBasicTenetsofSriVaishnavaPhilosophyare:
1.SrimanNarayanaisSupremeGod,theParaBhamham.ThePara
BramhamisnotNirgunaorNirakaraasclaimedbycertainschools,but
possessesinifiniteauspiciousqualities.
2.SrimanNarayananotonlycreatedtheNatureandtheJivas,butalso
residesasAnthryami/Soulineveryoneandeverything.Thuseverythingis
inHimandHeisineveryone/everything.Thusthejivasarepartofthis
SupremeGod.
3.WhileultimatelyalltheJivashavetomergewiththeGod,thismerger
couldtakemanyJanmas/birthstilltheJivasqualifyforthismergerby
doinggooddeeds.
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SampradayamfortheYoung:UnderstandingSriVaishnavism

4.ThismergerwithSrimanNarayanacanbequickenedtohappenatthe
endofcurrentlifeitself,providedwedoPrapatti/Saranagatithroughan
Acharyaandleadarighteous/DharmiclifeafterdoingthePrapatti.
5.OncethesoulreachesSriVaikunta,theabodeofSrimanNarayana,
havingbeenfreedfromthecycleofbirthanddeath,thesoulengagesin
eternalservicetoSrimanNarayana.
SriVaishnavaLiterature
WeknoweverycountryhasaConstitution.Andeverycountryframes
variousActsandRulesundertheConstitution.AndundertheseRules,
Proceduresarewrittenup.AndtosupplementtheConstitution,Rulesand
Procedures,manyguidebooksarewrittenbymanyknowledgeablepeople.
Inthesameway,theConstitutionforourreligionisVedas.AndGod
HimselftookAvataras,gaveusRamayana,Mahabharata,Gita,etctogive
usRulesforleadingourdaytodaylife.TheProceduresforconductof
TemplesandworshipswerewrittenupintheformofAgamas.Thenmany
kritisweremadebyAlwarsexplainingthepathwaysforunderstandingthe
VedicphilosophyandTeachings.ThentheverylearnedAcharyasgaveus
manybooks/Granthamsforunderstandingandpracticingthecodes
containedintheVedasandotherreligiousliteraturethatwouldserveas
GuideBookstolaymen.
ThusSriVaishnavismhasaveryrichfivefoldliterature.Theyare:
1.TheVedas
2.ThePuranas,likeRamayana,Mahabharata,SrimadBhagavata,Gita,
etc.
3.Agamas,theProceduresforTempleconstructionandworship
4.4000DivyaPrabandhambyAlwars
5.VariiousBooks/GranthamswrittenbyAcharyas
Alwars:
Thereare12AlwarswhowereborntopropagateBhaktiamongthe
commonmen.Thoughtheyalllivedlikehumanbeings,theywereinfact
divineincarnationsofGodHimself.Thereisreferencetothefuturebirthof
AlwarsinSrimadBhagawatamasunder:
kalaukhaluBhavishyanthinarayaaaparayana:
kvachinkvachimahabhagadramidesuchabhurisa:
thamaraparaninadIyatrakrtamaalaapayasvinI:
kaverIchamahabhagaprathIchIchamahanadhI
(SrimadBhagawathamXI53839)
Meaning:InthebeginningofKaliyuga,personsexclusivelydevotedto
Narayanaandendowedwithspiritualknowledgewillbebornhereandthere
butinlarge
numbersinthelandoftheDraavidaswheretheflowofrivers
Thaamaraparani,Krtamaalaa(Vaigai),Payasvini(Paalaar),theholyriver
Cauveri,andtheMahaanadhI(Periyaaru),whichrunswestwards.
AlwarsinpureTamil"Azhwar"means"Onewhoimmerseshimself".They
really,deeplyimmersedthemselvesintheirdevotionandbhaktitowards
theLordSrimanNarayanaandburstoutbhaktiladengreatworksforthe
sakeofhumanity.TheworksofAlwarswereareplicaoftheVedas
themselvesandthereforecametobeknownasTamilVeda.
WehadstatedabovethatVaishnavismisabroadbaseduniversalreligion,
whichisopentooneandallindependentofCaste,creed,gender,or
scholarshipoftheindividual.Theproofforthisstatementisthe
compositionofAlwarsthemselves.Amongthe12Alwars,oneisalady[Sri
Andal]andtheothersaregents.Againamongthe12Alwars,onlytwo
belongtoBrahmincommunityandtherestbelongedtovariousother
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communities,includingfromthethenuntouchables.
TheAlwarKritiswhichweremostlymadeinthebeginningofKaliyuga,were
alloralandpassedfromonegenerationtoanother.Anywrittenrecordof
thesewereonpalmleaves.Withafewthousandyearspassedafter
Alwarskritisweremade,manywerelostoveraperiodoftime.
Acharyas:
SriNathamunigalwasborntowardstheendof9thCenturyAD.Heprayed
SriNammalwarbydoingTapasandreceivedtheAlwarKritisin
Upadadesam.ThusSriNammalwarwhomadethefirstUpadesam,isFirst
EarthlyAcharyaofSriVaishnavas.
SriNathamunigaltookgreateffottstocollect,consolidateandcodifyallthe
kritisofAlwarsandrevivedtheirrecitationinSriVaishnavaTemples.For
theabovecontributionandforhisownkritis,SriNathamunigalisreveredas
thenextAcharyaafterSriiNammalwar.
SriNathamunigalsSishyaSriUyyakkondarandandSriUyyakkondars
SishyaManakkalNambiwerethenextlevelAcharyas.
SriManakkalNambihandedtheinheritedspiritualtreasuirestoSri
Alavandar.SriAlavandarwrotemanyBooksandenrichedtheSri
VaishnavaSampradaya.HisheritageweretheninheritedbySriRamanuja.
AndallthesespiritualleadersareourAcharyas.
AlongsidetheaboveadventofSriVaishnavaSampradayam,Indiasaw
someotherreligionsenteringthemasses.TheBudhism,Jainismwerethe
mostprominent.ThepeopleweregettingconvertedintoBudhistsandJains
duringthisperiod.ThencametheinvasionbyMuslimsandagainHindus
wereatagreatdisadvantageandpressure.Manywerebeingforciblybeing
convertedintoMuslims.OurTempleswereattackedbymanyMuslim
leadersanditwasbecomingdifficulttofollowHinduismingeneralandSri
Vaishnavisminparticular.
InthisScenario,SankaracharyawasbornandhereestablishedHinduism
withhisAdwaitaPhilosophy.ManyHinduKingswereinfluencedbyhis
philosophyandembracedtheAdwaitaphilosophyandbecameSaivaites.
NowitwasthetoughtimeforSriVaishnavas.EvenRamanujawasunder
attackbytheSaivaKingsandhehadtoshiftfromSrirangamtoMelkoteat
Karnataka.
ComingimmediatelyaftertheadventofAdiSankarasAdvaitha,Sri
RamanujahadthehecticdutyofreestablishingtheSriVaishnava
Philosophyamongthemasses.Andhedidthatwithgreatabilityand
aplomb.Unmatchedbyhispredecessors,SriRamanujahadagreat
followinginhisdays.SinceSriAcharyaSriRamanujareestablishedthe
SriVaishnavaphilosophy,theSriVaishnavaSampradayamisalsoknown
asSriRamanujaSampradayam.
UntilthetimeofSriRamanuja,theSriVaishnavaSiddhantawashanded
downbyAcharyastotheirowndisciples.ButSriRamanujaappealedtothe
massestorecognizethegloryofSriVaishnavaPrinciples.Forpropagating
theseprinciples,heappointed74learnedmenandaskedthemtocarrythe
religiontothepeople.
AfterSriRamanuja,wehadaverygreatAcharyainSriVedantaDesika
whonotonlywrotemorethan125KritisforthebenefitofSriVaishnavas,
butalsowithstoodtheonslaughtofMohammedaninvasionanddestruction
ofourtemplesandreestablishedSriRamanujasiddhantamtoitsoriginal
glory.
AndafterSriVedantaDesika,manyacharyastookupthetaskof
propagatingSriRamanujaSiddhanta.Amongthem,SriAdivanSatakopa,
takingdivineinstructionsfromSriAhobilaNrisimha,establishedSriAhobila
Muttintheyear1398AD.
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SimilartoSriAhobilaMutt,otherInstitutionssuchasParakalaMutt,
SrimadAndavanAshramamwereallborn.
SincethenasuccessionofAcharyashavebeentouringplacesallover
IndiaandpropagatetheSriRamanujaSiddhantamtirelesslyamongthe
masses.
ThuswehavetheLord,AlwarsandmanyAcharyastoofferourdaily
obescienceto.OurlistofAcharyasisverylongandthesameiscalled
GutuParampara.
PostedbyR.Raghunathan at11:04PM

2comments:
DR.T.E.PARTHASARATHYsaid...
EXCELLENTANDTOTHEPOINT.
December29,2012at10:50PM
Srivathsaraoisaid...
Howdoyouprovethatkrishnaisparipurnain
vishistaadvaita?.....
becausekrishnaonlysaidthatheisparipurnainbhagavath
geetha...
but,accordingtovishistaadvaita...wearebrahman,atthe
sametime,wearenotparipurna...similarcaseappliesto
krishna...so,howiskrishnaparipurnainvishistaadvaita?
November24,2014at9:51PM
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