Q:  A book with the title "108 Upanishads" has been published and a few more Upanishads have been published.  Are all these true?

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha
Srimad Varavaramunaye Namaha

Swami Manavala Mamunikal Thiruvarasu

Sriman Narayana, out of his infinite causeless mercy blessed with divine and blemishless knowledge the one we now know as Prapanna Jana Kootasthar - Swami Nammazhwar. Azhwar often laments his inability to enjoy the nectarine actions of Lord Sri Rama and Lord Sri Krishna because of having been born in different times. The sorrow was much saddened for those who were born after Swami Ramanuja's times, since the pangs of separation were magnified severalfold. The incarnation of Parama Karunikar Swami Manavala Mamunikal did well to shower over the famines and blossom our barren lands after Swami Ramanuja's times.

A lot has been said and written about the times he spent on this earth. The "Yatindra Pravana Prabhavam" authored by Pillai Lokam Jeeyar chronicles his life and is a book that is alone sufficient to spend out entire lives reading and contemplating upon. Within the pages of this glorious book is detailed an important narrative, which goes as follows:

"In the year Rudrothkari, the month of Masi, on the twelfth day of the waxing phase associated with the Thiruvonam asterism which happened to be a Sunday (16.02.1444), the sun set on our glorious sampradayam, for that was the day on which, having been decreed by the Lord of the Two Worlds Swami Ranganatha of Srirangam, Swami Manavala Mamunikal proceeded to perform eternal service at His Lotus feet st Sri Vaikuntham Paramapadam and continue to carry out the orders of Swami Ramanuja."

No nobler figure ever stood in the forefront of our sampradayam. No known preceptors embodied the various qualities of both an Acharya or a Sishya in its pristine state as did Swami Manavala Mamunikal. His life is characterized by a lofty and serene sense of duty and never swerved from his task because of resentment, jealousy or lack of favourable circumstances, his tasks being the single minded focus on the goal of every prapanna - "Ramanujaarya Divjyagnya Vardhathaam, Abhi Vardhataam". He was known to impart instruction not through many words, but through a few deeds.

His mortal remains, as stated in his Arthi Prabandham pasuram "இந்த வரங்கத் தினிதிருநீ என்றரங்கர், எந்தை யெதிராசர்க் கீந்தவரம்" ("indha-arangath thinidhiru nee endru arangar yendhai Yathirasar kku eendha varam") were placed with the full honours of the residents of Srirangam Periya Kovil, led by Swami Jeeyar Nayanar at the lush banks of the Coleroon (kollidam), as was practiced by the Ascetics of our Sampradayam like Swami Alavandar and others.

An attempt at making some iconography, structure and presence felt is being undertaken by some very dedicated Srivaishnavas from Srirangam. Actively participating under the aegis of the "Divyadesa Parampariya Padhukappu Peravai", SriVaishnavaSri U. Ve. Krishnamachari leads the work in all areas pertaining to the upkeep and maintenance of the holy site. VEDICS Foundation brings to you a montage shot during the occasion of the inauguration of the premises and setting up a thirumeni commemorative of Swami Manavala Mamunikal's presence there. This includes a 20-min discourse delivered by Velukkudi Sri U. Ve. Krishnan Swami in the presence of several stalwarts of the sampradayam including Paramahamsethyadhi Sri Ranga Narayana Jeeyar, Sri U.Ve. Kabisthalam Swami, varthamana Periya Nambigal Swami and several others.

Some photos from the occasion can be viewed here.

Manavala Mamunikale, Innum Oru Nootrandirum!

Q:  How are the Vedas called in Sanskrit and in tamil and what do they mean or convey?

Sri:
Srimathe Rāmanujāya Namaha
Srimad Varavara Munaye Namaha

Letter from a Kainkaryapara Friend

The following letter was written to us by a volunteer who along with a few friends from college helped with the Tirunandavana(sacred garden) kainkaryam at Sri Kamalavalli Nāyika sametha Sri Appāla Ranganāthaswāmi Devasthanam, Koviladi (Thirupper Nagar) on 25th August 2013. 

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: mugundhan jagannathan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>;
Date: Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 12:38 PM
Subject: Trip to Koviladi

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Dear VEDICS Foundation volunteers,

Thanks for organizing the trip to Koviladi. It was indeed a great experience to take part in the grand scheme of helping establish a garden and supply flowers to the divyadesam kovil. It was a unique experience for all of us as we have never attempted to physically help in gardens, let alone in a divyadesam.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the whole day was the bath in the Cauvery river. All of us miss an experience like this since we haven't got the chance in a long time because of growing up in a city and moving off to college. 

The bhagavathar was also very kind and helpful and taught us first-timers how and what is required to be done when going about setting up a garden. He seemed a very experienced person and deftly handled a lot of difficult tasks and gave us plenty of advice and opportunities to help him.

The finishing touch was sharing our favourite Perumal, divyadesa, acharya anubhavams in the cool shade of the canopy built next to the garden. The more fun information was sharing the prasadams that everyone enjoyed to offer their perumals at home and their favorite portions of arulicheyal and stotra padams.  We finished by going over the story of Arulala Perumal Emperumanar from the Arayirapadi Guruparampara Prabhavam, whose life is a living example of humility, deep learning and great devotion - all are values which we youngsters should specially aspire towards. 

Fruits and refreshments offered to the Perumal were given to us at the end in plenty and we hope to get some more anubhavams, prasadams and opportunities to serve in future.

adiyen ramanuja dasan,
Mugundhan Jagannathan
II yr. SASTRA University
 

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VEDICS Foundation and our fellow volunteers from Kinchitkaram Trust take this as an opportunity to invite many more youngsters serve the lord. We have many ongoing kainkaryams which you can support with your time and efforts. There are several opportunities for short, medium and long term engagements with us and we would love to hear from you about the same. 

Q:  What are the merits of the Vedas?

Q:  What are the subjects elucidated in the two sections of the Vedas?

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Srimad Varavara Munaye Namaha

ஓங்கி உலகளந்த உத்தமன் பேர்பாடி
நாங்கள் நம் பாவைக்குச் சாற்றி நீராடினால்
தீங்கின்றி நாடெல்லாம் திங்கள் மும்மாரி பெய்து
ஓங்கு பெறும்செந் நெல்ஊடு கயலுகளப்
பூங்குவளைப் போதில் பொறி வண்டு கண் படுப்பத்
தேங்காதே புக்கிருந்து சீர்த்த முலைபற்றி
வாங்க* குடம் நிறைக்கும் வள்ளல் பெரும் பசுக்கள்
நீங்காத செல்வம் நிறைந்தேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

Ongi ulagaLandha uththaman pEr paadi
naangaL nam paavaikku(ch) chaatri neeraadinaal
theenginRi naadellaam thingaL mum maari peydhu
Ongu peRum senN nel oodu kayalugaLa
poonguvaLai(p) pOdhil poRi vandu kaN paduppa(th)
thEngaadhE pukkirundhu seerththa mulai patri
vaanga kudam niRaikkum vaLLal perum pasukkaL
neengaadha selvam niRaindhElOr embaavaay

Ongi (take up a large form)
This refers to the altruistic natue of Sri Vámana. Likewise, it refers to the even more altruistic Sri Rámánuja who cast aside many of the prevelant disparities and ordered that the preceptors hence forward preach to those who desire and not just those you appease you sufficiently.

ulagaLandha (measured the worlds)
To measure means to establish dominion over objects.

uththaman (elevated person)
Those who will persevere for selfless causes and in the process not worry about the corrosive effect that they indirectly inflict upon themselves. This is apparent in Thirukkoshtiyur when he announced from atop the Ashtanga Vimana that he can help throw open the gateway to the eternal heavens.

pEr paadi (to chant his names with elan)
To chant the names of Swami Ramanuja!

naangaL (us)
It refers to those of us who have taken Swami Ramanuja's feet as our sole refuge.

nam paavaikku(ch) chaatri (to sing to our Idol)
to sing the glories of Sri Ramanuja!

neeraadinaal (to bathe in)
to indulge in the mercy of Swami Ramanuja and to enjoy the beauty of his physique and appearance.

theenginRi (without evils)
to be free of evils such as attachment towards demi-gods, self-reliance in terms of deliverance, etc. Typically it refers to all the evils associated with the Kali-Yuga.

naadellaam (the whole world)
this world

thingaL mummaari peydhu (tri-fold rains shall shower)
The tri-fold nature can be understood to mean the following:
1. bheda, abheda, ghataka shruti vákyams
2. chit, achit, Ishwara thathva-trayam

In the first case, the rains can mean the unequivocal stance of the Visishtadvaitha Srivaishnava Siddhantham - Emperumánár Darshanam, which quell the fears of the Vedás. In the second case, the rains are the strains that relieve the world of its three-fold suffering.

Ongu peRum senN nel (salubrious, large alabaster rice grains)
This has allegorical references to:
(a) the gross bodies taken by an infinitesimal soul
(b) those with acute devotion ripened with vast knowledge
(c) those who radiate with a glow borne out of austere compliance with rituals such as Embár and Vaduga Nambi.

oodu (amidst)
amidst these people

kayal (fish)
Like the fish which cannot sustain itself without water, we shall cease to sustain if we were separated from Swami Ramanuja. We have for our sustenance, nourishment and indulgence the glories of Sri Ramanuja.

ugaLa (to frolic)
This refers to the lilt that people belinging to the fold of Swami Ramanuja seem to exhibit. It is the jovial way in which they conduct their business knowing well that the weeds affecting the fertile Vedás have been done away with by the efforts of Swami Ramanuja.

poonguvaLai(p) pOdhil (in the Lotus flower)
at the Lotus-Feet of Swami Nammázhwár.

poRi vanDu (lustrous bee)
The beautiful bee - Swami Ramanuja.

kaN paduppa(th) (with eyes gracing)
Gracing with Swami Ramanuja's Lotus-eyes.

thiingaadhE (tranquil)
this tranquility is one that arises from the lack of :
( i) indulgence in matters of materialistic nature
( ii) the company of those who are not Vaishñavás
(iii) egotism

pukkirundhu (situated in)
those situated in the knowledge that their greatest wealth is in being shletered at the feet of their preceptor.

seerththa mulai (full udders)
udders that are abounding with milk. the divine feet of one who has auspicious qualities that come out flooding. to a prapanna it refers to the feet of the Lord. to one resigned to his preceptor, it refers to the golden-feet of the preceptor.

patri vaanga (hold on to and obtain)
to hold on to it as a means of deliverance

kudam niRaikkum (filling pots to the brim)
to fill the hearts of the disciples with love for the Lord

vaLLal perum pasukkaL(generous, large cows)
It refers to our glorious preceptors. Cows are allegorical to those like Nammázhwár who preached from where they were.
Large cows are those who took it upon themselves to travel to where their disciples might be found and blessed them with knowledge.
Generous and Large cows are those who underwent empathic agony on behalf of us materialistic beings and felt that they would be unable to sustain themselves and went on to explain the great truths of the world and helped deliver us and in the process sustained themselves.

selvam (lasting wealth)
the wealth called Swami Rámanuja

neengaadha (lasting)
eternal

Azhwár Emperumánár Jeer Tiruvadigale Sharanam

Q:  Are Upanishads and Vedantha part of the Vedas?