KK Bindu #272
KK Bindu #272
KK Bindu #272
Bindu
Circulation 5,375
Highlights
next column
Top right 2
canto of rmad Bhgavatam [9.4.63 and 68], the Supreme Lord told Durvasa Muni:
aha bhakta-pardhno hy asvatantra iva dvija sdhubhir grasta-hdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya My devotees are so dear to me, and I am so dear to my devotees! Although I am omniscient, all powerful, and supremely independent, still I have no independence. I am subordinate to my devotees. The sadhu, bhakta, has occupied my heart. My heart doesnt belong to me. sdhavo hdaya mahya sdhn hdaya tv aham mad-anyat te na jnanti nha tebhyo mang api
Those sadhu devotees are like my heart and I am the heart of those devotees. I dont know anyone other than my devotees and they dont know anyone other than me.
may be, he cannot understand the activities of a vaiava. [Cc. madhya 23.39] Goswami Tulsidas wrote the book Rma-caritamnasa, the activities of Lord Rama. His fame as a great devotee of Lord Rama spread far and wide. Once, the mogul emperor of Delhi heard that Tulsidas was displaying many wonderful, miraculous activities. So the emperor sent his men, Bring Tulsidas here! So Tulsidas came to the court. Then the emperor asked him, I have heard that you are displaying some miraculous activities. Will you please display some? Id like to see. Tulsidas is a great devotee of Lord Rama. He said, I dont know anything but Rama. I never display any miraculous activity. I only chant the name of Rama. I dont know anything but Rama. Then the emperor said, Oh! This person is cheating me! So he ordered, Put him into prison. He is not displaying any miraculous activity. So Tulsidas was put into prison, where he chanted, Rama, Rama, Rama The Supreme Lord always protects his devotees, because the devotees are so dear to him. In the ninth
Krishna always protects and keeps the prestige of his devotees. For example, when Hiranyakasipu, the great demon and father of Prahlad Maharaja, threatened Prahlad, Is your Lord in this stone pillar? Prahlad Maharaja said, Yes he is there. Will he come out? If he wont come out, then Ill chop off your head with this sword! He drew his sword, hit the stone pillar with his fist, and then suddenly Lord Nrsimhadev came out and tore open the stomach of that Hiranyakasipu. The Lord always protects his devotees. Shortly after Tulsidas was put into prison, suddenly innumerable monkeys came and started breaking the palace of the emperor. The emperor said, See this miracle! Now Tulsidas has displayed a miracle. Hey! Get him! Set him free from prison now! Tulsidas didnt display any miracle himself. It was the Lord who protected him. That means that although it seems that the dear devotee of the Lord can do such wonderful things, in actuality he doesnt do anything. The Lord does it for him. He is so dear to the Lord. Therefore it is said, vaiavera kriy mudr vijeha n bujhaya however learned or intelligent a person may be, he cannot understand the activities of a vaiava. [Cc. madhya 23.39]
From a class at New Govardhan, Australia, 1990.
Top left 3 rma rjamai sad vijayate rma ramea bhaje rmebhihat nicara-cam rmya tasmai nama rmt nsti paryaa paratara rmasya dso smy aha rme citta-laya sad bhavatu me bho rma mm-uddhara
(1) Rma May Rama, the crest jewel of all kings, be ever victorious. (Rama as the subject) (2) Rmam Let there be worship of Lord Rama, the husband and Lord of Ram-devi. (Rama as the object) (3) Rmea Hordes of nocturnal demons were slaughtered by Rama. (Rama as the instrument of action) (4) Rmya My obeisances unto Lord Rama. (Rama as the recipient of action) (5) Rmt No one is greater than Rama. (Rama in a comparative sense) (6) Rmasya I am a servant of Rama. (Rama in a relationship) (7) Rme Let my consciousness always dwell in the name, fame, pastimes and qualities of Lord Rama. (Rama as the shelter of an object or quality) (8) Bho Rma! O Rama! Please deliver me from material existence! (Rama being addressed directly).
r Rma-rak-stotra, verse 37, taken from Bhat-stotraratnval, published by Khemraj Sri Krishnadas, Sri Venkateshwar Steam Press, Bombay. Samvat 2013 (1957).
the victory flag of Lord Ranganath and the crest jewel of Vedic philosophers, be victorious!
paa-aa giri-khaana vajrada pracchanna bauddha makarlaya manthada vednta-sra sukha-darana dpada rmnujasya vilasanti munes-trida
He is a thunderbolt-stick that cracks the mountain-peaks of a multitude of charlatan philosophers. He is a churning stick that churns the ocean of Vedic philosophy and destroys the deepswimming makara fishes of covert Buddhists, who are externally Vedic but internally atheists. He is a lamp-stick that illuminates the blissful essence of the Vednta-sutra. These three sticks of Sri Ramanuja thus glow brilliantly!
critroddhra-daa catura-naya-pathlakriy-ketu-daa sadvidy-dpa-daa sakala-kali-kath samhte kla-daam trayyantlamba-daa tribhuvana vijayac-chhatra sauvara-daa dhatte rmnujrya prati-kathaka iro vajra-daam tridaam
He is a forest fire to the forest of charlatans, a heavy thunderbolt to the mountain-peaks of Charvaks atheistic philosophy, a brilliant sun for the dark night of the Buddhist philosophy, a chasing lion for the elephants of Jaina philosophy, and a Garuda to the snake-like myvds. May Sri Ramanuja,
Top right 4
The sacred Brahmin threads of Ramanuja are like the magala-stra (auspicious necklace threads) of the Vedas, like the support threads of a rope ladder by which one can climb up to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, like a threadwick which illuminates the lamp of true knowledge, like the threads of the death-rope of Yamaraj for killing the nefarious activities of Kali-yuga, like the
Srila Ramanujacharya
threads which connect and nourish the intellects of great personalities, like the fine threads within a lotus stem which connects those great personalities whose only wealth is their good qualities, and like a protection-thread [worn on the wrist] for great sages. All glories to that Brahmin thread (brahma-stra) decorating the chest of this king of renunciates.
paa sgara mah-vaab mukhgni r-ragarja carambuja mla-dsa r-viu-loka mai-maapa mrgady rmnujo vijayate yatirjarja
(According to the Vedic scriptures, there is a fire constantly burning in the oceans that consumes excess water, thereby preventing it from flooding land-areas. This fire comes out from the mouth of a vaab, a female horse. The poet thus prays:) He is the vaab fire which controls the ocean of charlatan philosophers. He is the devoted servant of the lotus like feet of Lord Sri Rangaraj. He is the pathfinder and guide of the path which takes everyone back to the decorated encampment of Lord Vishnus abode. May there be victory to Ramanuja, the king of renunciates!
Translated by Hari Parshad Das from r-Rmnuja-Stotrval, an Anthology on Bhagavad Ramanuja. Published by Ranjani Sujatha and Sri Shankara Jayanthi Mandali. Bangalore. 1977.