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Sri Ramanuja Gayatri Mantra

Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf

Tad viddhi praNipaatena pariprashnena sevayaa l

Upadekshyanti te jnaanam jnaaninah tatvadarshinahaa ll 4.34 ll BG

Dear All:

During the evening Hanumaan pooja yesterday (Tuesday, Dec 4, 2012), when we

were chanting various Gayatris for the deities, it occurred to me that we should

also chant a Gayatri for Sri Ramanuja, whose vigraham was installed and

consecrated as part of inauguration of the Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes in the

new facility at 3325 Middlebelt Road, West Bloomfield, MI.

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Before I left the temple yesterday, the following Gayatri came to my mind and was

conveyed to our priest, Satagoparicar. He has already started reciting this Gayatri

today, Wednesday, December 5, 2012, during the deepaaradhana.

Amazingly, when I checked the Pancangam for the auspicious day of Tuesday

December 4, 2012, the month was the holy Karthik (Karthigai) and the nakshtram

was Ashlesha, which is also the birthstar of LakshmaNa, the younger brother Lord

Shree Rama.

The Lord as Ranganatha lying on His serpent bed Adishesha, as seen in

Srirangam. Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf

On Sunday, when the Kalyana Utsavam was celebrated, the nakshatram was

Punarvasu (Rama's birthstar). On Monday, the first day in the new temple, post

inauguration, the star was Pushya (Bharata's birthstar) and on Tuesday (when the

thought of Ramanuja Gayatri occurred) the star was Ashlesha (Lakshmana’s

birthstar). In the Bala KaaNDam, Valmiki says, in the sloka where the birthstars of

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the four sons of Dasharatha are given, “Saarpe jaatau tu Sowmitree”. Here

“saarpe” refers to the “serpent”. Lakshmana was the incarnation of Adishesha, the

serpent bed on which MahavishNu lies in the Milk Ocean. The dual verb form

‘jaatau’ is used, which means that the twins Lakshmana and Shatrugha, the sons of

Sumitra, the youngest of the three queens, were both born with the same

nakshatram.

Om Raamaanujaaya vidhmahe Tatvaarthadaaya dheemahi l

Tanno LakshmaNa-munih pracodayaat ll

ॐ रामानजुाय विद्मह ेतत्िार्थदाय धीमवह l

तन्नो लक्ष्मणमवुनिः प्रचोदयात ्ll

ஓம் ராமானுஜாய வித்3மஹே த1த்1வார்த2தா3ய தீ4மேி l

த1ந்ஹ ா லக்ஷ்மணமுனிஹ் ப்1ரஹ ா1த3யாத்1 ll

In the Saatrmurai (Vadagalai) verses, we encounter a sloka where Ramanuja is

described as ‘Vedantaarthapradaayine = Vedanta+artha+pradaayine’. The

“Tatvaarthadaaya” in the Gayatri version above means the same. The word ‘artha’

has two meanings. Tatva artha, or Vedanta artha, means the “meaning of the

tatvams” or the “meaning of the Vedanatas”. He expounded to us the real meaning

of the “tatvams” and “Vedantas”. But, ‘artha’ also means “wealth” or “treasure”.

We find the latter usage in both the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 7, verse 16) and in the

Vishnu Sahasranamam Phalshruti section (Dharmaarthee praapnuyaat dharmam,

arthaarthee caartham aapnuyaat). Ramanuja gave us this great “treasure” to

cherish and nourish forever.

The asterism (nakshatra) of the day is doubly significant since Ramanujaacarya

was named as Ramanuja, after LakshmaNa, and his name means the younger

brother (anuja) of Shree Raamaa. Although the baby name Lakshmana (modified

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in various ways) is used widely in North India, in South India, especially in

VaishNavite (Iyengar) families, the name Ramanjua is preferred. It not only

reminds us of Shree Raama and His younger brother but also our revered acaaryaa.

The epithet “LakshmaNa muni” used here in the Gayatri is also used for Sri

Ramanuja in the second of the two guru vandam verses of Ramanuja’s immortal

work SharaNagati Gadyam (see http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/030_sg.pdf or click

here) click here and here http://www.scribd.com/upload/rev_upload/115714616 ).

See also the biography of Ramanuja’s life by Sriman U. Ve. Anbil Ramaswamy

http://www.saranagathi.org/acharyas/ramanuja/articles/life.php.

Very sincerely

V. Laxmanan

December 4, 2012.

Nakshatram: Ashlesha and Thithi: Shashti and Paksha: KrishNa

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Slokas from the Bhagavad Gita in SharaNaagati Gadyam

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The Dvayam mantra is in two parts, hence dvayam.

ॐ श्रीमन्नारायण चरणौ शरण ंप्रपद्य ेl

ॐ श्रीमत ेनारायणाय नमिः l

‘Sriman Narayana Charanau Saranam Prapadye’

‘Srimate Narayanaya Namaha’

The first part is “Sriman Narayana Charanau Saranam Prapadye”. This means

“I seek refuge at the feet of Sriman Narayana.” The second part is “Srimate

Narayanaya Namaha”. This means “My salutation to Sriman Narayana.”