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Sri:mate: Ra:ma:nuja:ya Namah

Sri:mat Varavaramunaye: Namah

Sri U.Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swa:mi completes Bhagavad Geeta discourse series in English

(Ranganatha Ramanujadasan reporting from Malleshwaram Bangalore, 15-6-2008)

It was a moment of historical importance in the world of Sri:vaishnavism when Sri: U.Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swa:mi completed his series of discourses on Sri:mad  Bhagavad Geeta in Malleshwaram , Bangalore on the 15^th of June , 2008.

Swa:mi’s programme has been running through 7 years ever since it started in September 2001. Swa:mi  has been adopting a wholly different style for these discourses. There have been power point presentations backing the discourse, compiled by Swa:mi himself. A booklet of important notes organized in a meaningful manner also written by swa:mi is distributed free of cost to the participants of the lecture , so that they can listen effectively with the aid of those notes. 

Swa:mi’s epic expedition is no ordinary and the organizers and residents of Bangalore made every last moment count . 17 chapters of the Geeta had been taught by Swa:mi during the last 7 years. On the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of June, Swa:mi took up the last chapter,  enlightening the masses.

I will not delve into the details of Swa:mi’s lecture. His style of rendering, his use of cues and his ability to convey the concepts are unique and there is no way somebody would not know of the relevance and greatness of Swa:mi’s lectures. 

Hence, I think it prudent to report the proceedings of the final day felicitation function which would be as much delight for the readers. The words of Swa:mi are always frozen in CDs. But, there is none other source to know the color of the proceedings of this function which marked a milestone in the history of our tradition. 

The function began at around 4.30 p.m. with the chirpy children of Bangalore singing their hearts out to the Lord. The musical category of Sri:mati. Malathi Singla:cha:r made sure the function kicked off to a great start. The visitors were thus invited by many involving strokes of music.

The ‘Man of the Occasion’, Sri: U.Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swa:mi , arrived at around 5.10 p.m. from Melkote.  The invocation song, sung by the same musical troupe (which contained a member of Antaryami – Sow. Vasumathi Sri:dharan) was quickly followed by the welcome address.

Sri: V.V.Raghavan Swa:mi, one of the senior members of the organization team, recalled and recaptured the memories of Swa:mi’s lectures since 2001 through a well – made power-point presentation.

One of the volunteers of the organizer team, Sri: Aditya gave an ‘emotional’ yet true account of Swa:mi, which echoes amidst the cheering of the audience.

With the prayers from the hymns of Azhwa:rs sung by Sri. U.Ve. Ilaya:zhwa:n Swa:mi, Mangala:sa:sanams from various Divyadesams and Abhimana sthalams arrived for Swa:mi.

Mangala:sa:sanams came from the presiding Lords of

1. Srirangam (Koil)
2. Tirumalai
3. Peruma:l Koil
4. Tiruna:ra:yanapuram
5. Tirukannapuram (Swa:mi’s favourite divyadesam)
6. Tiruche:rai
7. Tiruvallike:ni
8. Manna:rgudi
9. Sri:villiputtu:r
10. Tirukurugoor – both Polindu Ninna pira:n and A:zhwa:r
11. Sri:perumpudu:r – Emperuma:na:r
12. Doddamallu:r

There were also mangala:sa:sanams from Bangalore temple Lords :

1. Venugo:pa:la Krishnan
2. Narasimhan (Aho:bila mutt, Bangalore)
3. Guruva:yu:rappan
4. Tirupa:na:zhwa:r

To commemorate the occasion, the organizers offered a memento of Gi:to:padesa:m cast to Swa:mi. The title of ‘Satsamprada:ya Diva:kara’ was given again to Swa:mi. Another title ‘Tatva-vachana parka:saka’ was given to Swa:mi to mark this occasion . These titles were formally conferred by the dignitaries Sri. U.Ve. Vaduga Nambi Swa:mi and Sri: U.Ve. Sri:niva:sa De:sika:cha:r swa:mi.

For all the 7 years of teaching, the participants offered Guru Dakshina, that was collected by the organizers and offered to Swa:mi .

Captain Sri: Ra:ma:nujam Swa:mi gave the vote of thanks. A book on the essence of Geeta by Swa:mi in English language was also released.

Some accomplishments of Swa:mi:

1. Maintenance of Swa:mi Kulase:khara:zhwa:r temple in his avata:ra sthalam Tiruvanjikkalam in Kerala.
2. Lectures encompassing over 1000 titles spanning over 1 lakh hours .
3. Discourse on Sri: Ra:ma:yanam over 25 times
4. A single discourse on Sri:Vishnu Sahasrana:mam that runs over 1500 hours
5. Everyday talk on Geeta in Podigai TV for 15 minutes in a way to reach the concepts to the layman
6. Discourses on all 10 upanishads
7. Discourses on the major Pura:na:s
8. Many Ka:lakshepams  of Divya prabhadams
9. A discourse ‘Azhva:rkalum Tiruve:nkadamudaiya:num’ that was adapted and released by TTD
10. Detailed lectures on 15 of the 18 rahasyams of Swa:mi Pillai Lo:ka:cha:ryar.
11. Organizing the Pancha – Dwa:raka ya:tra which became a trend setter that Swa:mi Ya:tra plan came to be adopted by the Gujara:t Tourism Board
12. Conducting of the incredible ‘Sri:ra:ma anu ya:tra’ and  ‘Sri: Krishna anubhava ya:tra’ which included thousands of participants.
13. One of the forerunners of conveying the tradition in English language.

There is more to Swa:mi’s greatness!

Swa:mi’s appeal:

Amidst all this energy in the air, Swa:mi addressed the gathering with an earnest appeal to the world to make their children learn the Divya Prabhandams of A:zhwa:rs, the Stotra granthams of the Poorva:cha:rya:s and the Ve:da in santhai format. Swa:mi was disappointed over the lack of interest shown in learning these scriptures. Swa:mi stressed on the need for parents to send their children to such classes and called for greater dedication from youngsters .Swa:mi announced that students in classes 3 to 8 or 9 could enroll themselves into the classes conducted thrice a week for an hour by Ubhaya Ve:da:nta sabha and Yadugiri Yatira:ja matam in Jayanagar and Malleshwaram in Bangalore.

(Contact the above institutions or Kinchitkaram trust for more details)

 The visionary:

Sri: U.Ve. Velukkudi Varada:cha:riar Swa:mi , a stalwart of this samprada:yam in yester years and the father of our Swa:mi , enrolled our Swa:mi into English education with the vision that English would become the lingua franca of the common man in the coming days. True to His vision, through his causeless mercy, our Swa:mi has been gracing the world with wonderful lectures in English , making all understand the rich concepts. He is a pure traditionalist with a modern outlook in deliverance. He speaks the Geeta as it is and rather than taking Geeta to cheap concepts like management, he exalts the common man to the true science of God.

Long Live the Abhinava Geeta:cha:rya