Friday, March 2, 2007

BG17

The next sloka is taken up:
papam evasrayed asman
hatvaitan atatayinah
tasman narha vayam hantum
dhartarastran sa-bandhavan

In Srirangam at the junction of East and South Chithirai streets is the Sannidhi of Swamy Sri Manavala Mamunigal, whose thaniyan starts :Sri sailedi dayapathram....
In the Sri Vaikuntam, Sri Narayana wanted His serpent bed Adisesha to be born in this world and to propagate bhakthi. Accordingly, in 1017 he was born as Sri Ramanuja and lived for 120 years till 1137. Though , Bhagwan wanted him to be present in this world for at least 200 years, Adisesha could not bear the separation for long and so he returned back after 120 years. But in 1370 he was reborn as Swamy Sri Manavala Mamunigal and lived for about 74 years. He was born in the Tamil month of Aipasi [Oct-Nov] in the star constellation Moola, in Alwar Thirunagari, Thirunelveli district, the same place where Sri Nammalwar propagated the Thiruvaimozhi and other Divya Prabandam. Sri Manavala Mamunigal remained in Srirangam and propagating Visishtadvaitam as explained by Sri Ramanuja and so he was considered as the second avathara of Sri Ramanuja. Sri Ranganatha was eager to listen to his lectures and so made a request to him and so for one full year he conducted the kalakshepam [time spending by learning the philosophy very intimately] and for that full year all the regular uthsavams[ festivals] were all halted. After this ritual was over Sri Ranganatha wanted to present His 'teacher' the usual 'kanikkai'[fees] and so He composed the thaniyan mentioned earlier. Sri Manavala Mamunigal's lectures had lots of quotes from Gita and so today's lecture is aptly from his sannidhi.
"Sin will be earned by even if we kill these Atatayees. Therfore it is not proper for us to kill these children of Dhridharashtra and other relatives" continues Arjuna.
Atatayee is one who tries to kill others with poison, fire or abducts others property and wives. Shastras permit to kill Atatayees without enquiry and it will not be construed as papa [sin]. We should know what are papa and punya.That by doing which we will become happy is punya and that by doing which sorrow will surround us is papa.So ancestors and great people have advised certain do-s and certain don't-s .By doing do-s and not doing don't-s we acquire punya and by not doing do-s and doing don't-s papas are accumulated by us. For example do-s like speak truth, respect mother and father have to be implicitly followed. Stealing and telling untruths have to be avoided. So by following our elders we can get punya.
But here Arjuna is not prepared to do even that permitted by shastras - killing Athathyee and says he will incur sin. Also, now he says not only he will not fight to kill them, all the five Pandavas will not fight

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