..16-23..Sri vaikunta virastaya swami pushkarini thate‘ – on the banks of the great temple pond Swami Pushkarini! Today’s [8th June 2009] lecture is from Swami Pushkarini, to the South of which is the sannidhi of Sri Srinivasa [we can see Ananda Nilaya vimanam].This pond is of not recent origin; but is existing from Kruta yug! On another bank of the pond is gracing Sri Varaha Perumal..Theerthavari of the Brahmotsavam takes place in this pond only. Theerthavari means the Lord takes a dip in the water; but normally, the Sri Utsavar idol will not be dipped and Sri Sudarsana idol would be dipped. Kulasekara Alwar says ‘koneri vaazhum kurugai pirappene! [கோனேரி வாழும் குருகாய் பிறப்பேனே!]’ – let me be born as a sparrow in Koneri! Swami Pushkarini means, this pushkarini is the leader of all pushkarinis in the World! Or, the Swami‘s or Lord’s pushkarini! Or, those devotees who bathe in this pushkarini, become lord or swami, and so Swami Pushkarini! In Tamil, this is called Koneri [kon =king, yeri = lake]. Many great persons have bathed in this sacred pond. Yearly once, it is believed that all sacred waters
yaḥ śāstravidhim utsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim 16.23..
..Ya = [he] who, mostly with Asura qualities, utsrjya = violates, sastra = Vedas, vidhi = rulings, but, vartate = lives, kamakarata = to his liking..Sa = he [that type of person], siddhim = higher form of life in heaven, na avapnoti = will never attain, na sukham = never happiness [in this life in this world], na param gatim = never the highest level [of being in Vaikuntam and reach the Lord]…
Ramanuja’s Commentary for sloham 16-23..The word sastra refers exclusively to the Vedic scriptures. Vidhi means the injunctions and ordinances within them. The Vedic scriptures are the Supreme Lord Krishna’s mandates. Whosoever foolishly abandons these instructions and utsrjya or transgresses the injunctions and ordinances to drift whimsically wherever their desires aimlessly take them will never achieve siddhi or perfection beyond mundane conceptions, never achieve sukham or happiness of any longevity or param gatim the supreme goal of human existence. ..sloham 16-24..Today’s [9th June 2009] lecture is from the sannidhi of Sri Varaha Perumal, on Swami Pushkarini. Demon Hiranyaksha, hid Sri Bhudevi in the pralayam ocean. The Lord took the form of a gigantic Boar! He dived into the water and brought out Sri Bhudevi on His tusks. After killing Hiranyaksha, He graced with Sri Bhudevi on His lap! To take rest, He ordered Garuda to bring His vimanam from Vaikuntam. Since the vimanam came from Vaikuntam, this hill is called Vaikuntadri. Since it was for the Lord to play, the hill is called Kreetadri! Since it was for Sri Varaha, it is called Krodadri! Since it was brought by Garuda, it is called Garudadri! Garuda brought the hill with Vimanam from Vaikuntam in Kruta yug! The Lord Sri Varaha found this to be an ideal place for resting! Thus this is Varaha Kshetram. Tirumazhisai Alwar said just verpu [வெற்பு] meaning mountain. But later realized that it meant Tiruvenkatam or Tirumala! Even now mere mention of malai [மலை] means Tirumala only! Alwar says that for mere mention of Tiruvenkatam, the Lord was pleased to grant Moksham! He wonders, what great action he did to get Moksham! Nammalwar, as a very infant girl, used to fold ‘her’ hands, at the mere mention of Tiruvenkatam! For good education, concentration, all round development and for family happiness, Sri Varaha is to be worshiped here. Both Sri Lakshmi Devi and Sri Bhudevi, argue with the Lord and ensure our requests are fulfilled! Tirumazhisai Alwar calls Sri Lakshmi as ‘Noolatti [நூலாட்டி]’, meaning She is the Head of all [Vedic] literature. He
tasmāc chāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau
jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartum ihārhasi 16.24
He tells Arjuna, iha = in this world, karma = Karma yoga, then Bhakti yoga, kartum = to do, arhasi = [Arjuna is] well qualified.In this Chapter the theme was Entity [tatvam तत्त्वं தத்வம்], which is the Real. The tatvam in Vedas is the Lord or Sri Varaha! Bhakti marg was means to reach Him. Thus the means and the Destination, have to be understood by Vedas only. This is the theme of this Chapter. Tasmad = therefore…te = to you [Arjuna], karya = actions to be done, akarya = actions should not be done, vyavastitau = to be decided, sastram = Vedas, pramanam = are axioms or basic reference. Pramanam or axiom is that which helps in getting true knowledge. Vedas impart true knowledge..Sastravidhanoktam = clarified or decided by Shastras or Vedas, tatvam or God, jnatva = understand…
Ramanuja’s Commentary for sloha 16-24.. Sastra meaning the Vedic scriptures is the sole absolute supreme authority deciding all matters of existence guiding all creation as to what is to be done and what is not to be done. What the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures enjoin along with their auxiliaries such as the Puranas, Upanisads, Itihasas, etc reveals that the highest truth is the Supreme Lord Krishna, that all activities should be engaged in as devotion and propitiation to Him and that this in itself constitutes the means of attaining Him. Realising these ultimate truths to be absolute reality, nothing more is required and one should sagaciously act with full faith in accordance therewith. In Seventeenth Chapter, these are told. Which are? Krtsnam = without any residue, asastram = all those which are against Vedas, asuram = all are Asura quality.Sastriyam = those in accordance with Shastras, gunata = according to qualities, prthak = are separate [in Three categories]. Those is accordance with Vedas are sub-classified into Satva, Rajas and Tamas qualities. Firstly, the Lord broadly classifies all actions as either in accordance with Vedas or against Vedas. The latter are all with Asura qualities. Those in accordance with Vedas are sub-classified into Three categories. Sastra siddhasya = those Karmas, like Yagna, accepted by Shastras, are, with , tridha = Three, laksanam = identifications. These are Om, tat and sat. Thus the Shastras accepted Three sub-classifications are further identified by Three classes..
In chapter seventeen Lord Krishna classifies the three divisions of faith, revealing that it is these different qualities of faith in the Supreme that determine that character of living entities. These three types of faith determine one’s consciousness in this world. Thus this chapter is entitled: The Three Divisions of Material Existence.
..The Jeer is officially known as Srimad Paramahamsetyadi Srimad Vedamarga Pratishtapanacharya Ubhaya Vedantacharya Sri Ramanuja Siddhanta nirdharana Periya Koil Kelvi Appan Sriranga Ramanuja Jeer [shortly, Periya Jeer] and Siriya Koil Kelvi Appan Ramanuja Jeer [shortly, Chinna Jeer]. To confer authority, seal from Hanuman sannidhi is with the Jeer and this is used to show the authority..when Swami Ramanuja visited, Swami Anantalwan mentioned that the heat of separation from his Acharya was burning him, Swami Ramanuja dipped his feet in a pond and asked him to meditate there. It is called Sri Pada pushkarini. Thus this service is going on..
..sanga nithi/pasma nithi at the entrance..kodaliyum sevikalaam nuzai vaayilil..We find the statues of Venkata Raya, Achyuta Raya and his wife and Krishnadeva Raya and his Two wives. These are the people who have contributed enormous services to the temple. On the left, inside, we see Ranganayaka mantapam…1923 padai yeduppaal Nam perumaal ezunthu aruli erunthaar..On the left we can see the famous Meyan Venkatam [மேயான் வேங்கடம்], or Sri Varadaraja Perumal sannidhi…In Sampangi pradikshanam, we can see Phoola bhavi [flower well] -perumaal soodiya pushbangallai poda -and Potu or the main kitchen.Daily about 150,000 laddus are made here for offering to Lord and then distribution. [Inside is Potu Amma or Sri Madaippalli Nacchiyar, Who is Sri Maha Lakshmi!]…We see the grand Ananda Nilaya Vimanam.
..Swami Ramanuja had inscribed Sri Varaha Swamy, Sri Narasimha Swamy, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Venkatesa on each of the Four sides. Sri Vimana Venkatesa is a famous image…we can see Bangaru bhavi or the golden well..Further inside are Three mantapams. First is Koluvu mantapam. Lord Sri Koluvu Srinivasa is gracing to supervse income/expenditure and listening to Panchangam daily.After crossing Koluvu mantapam, we come to Ramar Medai [ராமர் மேடை], where Sri Rama had come.
..Now Sri Rama idol is inside garbhagruha itself. After this we come across Sayana mantapam and Oonjal mantapam. Here Lord Sri Bhoga Srinivasa daily arrives in the night to sleep, through out the year, except in Margazhi, when Sri Krishna arrives to sleep. Next is garbhagruha. But before that we can see the step called Kulasekaran padi [குலசேகரன் படி]. Once we cross it we are in Vaikuntam! Thus in Tirumala, Kulasekaran padi separates Vaikuntam from Leela vibhuti or our Universe!..Swami Alavandar condenses the theme of Chapter 17 in one sloka in his Gitarta Sangraha:
a´s¯astram.¯asuram.kr. tsnam.´s¯astr¯ıyam.gun.atah.pr. thak |
laks.an.am.´s¯astra siddhasya tridh¯a saptada´soditam || (21)
ye śāstravidhim utsṛjya yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
teṣāṃ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ 17.1
In this sloka Arjuna asks the Lord, to clear a doubt. As mentioned earlier, Arjuna classified people into Three categories:
1. Those , who act according to their will and pleasure, caring little for Vedas.
2. Those, not doing anything according to Shastras, but doing actions sincerely, so that they could get at least some benefits.
3. Those, who act according to Shastras, and to get maximum awards.
Ye = [those] who, sastravidhim = commands of Vedas, utsrjya = neglected, yajante = perform Yaga and Yagnas, sraddhayanvita = [but] with sincerity. There are persons doing actions not conforming to Shastras, but doing sincerely. Tesam = such people’s, nishta = status, ka = what, krsna = Krishna? Krishna means grammatically, He, Who brings pleasure to land [persons living]. Sattvam = [will they be] involved in satva quality? aho = or, rajas tama = [will they get benefits for] rajas and tamas qualities?..
Ramanuja’s Commentary for sloham 17-1..In chapter sixteen the Supreme Lord Krishna delineated the difference between those endowed with the divine nature and those possessing the demoniac nature. The conclusion of that chapter is that the absolute truth and highest benefit for all creation as well as the means by which to attain communion with the ultimate reality of the Supreme Lord is based exclusively on the authority of the Vedic scriptures and no other source.In this chapter it will be illustrated that activities performed in contradiction to the Vedic scriptures actually oppose the divine will of creation and prove to be destabilising and destructive. The question involved is not concerned with contradictory activities. The question refers to religious activities performed not contradictory to the Vedic scriptures whether in sattva guna the mode of goodness, raja guna the mode of passion or tama guna the mode of ignorance corresponding to the intent and motive and if they are performed with faith what is the difference in results. If one is indifferent or not knowledgeable about the veracity of the paramount position of the Vedic scriptures and performs instead with faith the traditional rituals that one was born into, does that constitute sattva guna, raja guna or tama guna and what are the results.
Questioned in this manner Lord Krishna refrains from speaking about the utter futility of performing any activity contrary to Vedic scriptures even with faith and immediately expounds upon the relationship of the three gunas or modes of material nature.
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