International Ramanuja Society, USA

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Presents

A pioneering CD-ROM on the life and works of Bhagawan Ramanuja

Opening Screen

Pooja

Works of Azwars

This multi media presentation focuses on the greatness of Ramanujacharya, his lige and works. It is a remarkable work that excels in its grandeur, and depicts Bhagavan Ramanuja precisely as He was.

Opening Screen

The Opening Screen begins with a verse sung in traditional Indian Classical style. The visual is in accordance with the meaning of the verse whose meaning is as follows :

"The sun called Ramanujacharya rose, in this world, to dispel the darkness of sin and to make the lotus of virtue and righteousness bloom". This verse very concisely tells us the main aim of the appearence of Ramanujacharya.

Main Menu Screen

The Menu Screen shows the different menus that leads the user to different parts of the software. In the middle is the photograph of the image of Sri Ramanujacharya, from Sriperumbudur, near Chennai in South India, the place of His appearence. This image too, almost life-size, is very significant and truly portrays His divine presence. In fact tradition tells us that He Himself acknowledged that the image portrayed all His features and was most fit to be worshipped by all His devotees.

The presentation has five mail sections,

Charitram - Life History of Sri Ramanujacharya

Granthamala - Works of Ramanujacharya

Vaibhavam - Anecdotes depicting the greatness of Ramanujacharya

Aradhanam -Performing of Pooja according to the instructions of Ramanujacharya

Vinodah - Fun (Four sections viz. Quiz, Video(1), Video(2) and Website-connection)

Charitram(Life History ) - This section shows the life of Sri Ramanuja in six different subsections, Incarnation, Ramanuja's formative years, Ramanuja's spiritual quest, Ramanuja and Srirangam, Ramanuja at Tirumalai and The retreval of Tirunarayanapuram. Audiovisual effects in the motion picture in each section, elevate the viewers to a rich vibrant state of spiritual ecstasy.

Granthamala(Works of Ramanujacharya) - This section is dedicated to the nine works of Sri Ramanujacharya. The order of the works are according to the chronology in which they were composed by him. Each work of his is presented in a nutshell with audios of shlokas sung in a traditional manner. Further, a narration lets the user more about the essence of each work.

Vaibhavam (Anecdotes depicting the greatness of Ramanujacharya) - This section deals with incidents that depict an anecdote of Bhagavan Ramanuja. The shloka which is sung in the background, gives a list of holy places, like Srirangam, Kancheepuram and so on, which Ramanujacharya patronised with great devotion, and are of great importance to all Srivaisnavas

Aradhanam(Performing of Pooja according to the instructions of Ramanujacharya) This section instructs the users about the procedure to perform Pooja or worship (popularly known as Aradhana) of the Lord, as instructed by Ramanujacharya. The Pooja, as Ramanujacharya says, has six main components, plus two preliminary sections. Audiovizuval instructions and explanations are provided for each step .

Vinodah(Fun) (Four sections viz. Quiz, Video(1), Video(2) and Website-connection) The video section presents the Tirumanjanam of Bhagavan Ramanuja, and theVairamudi Utsavam of the lord at Thirunarayanapuram. Web sites connected to Srivaishnavism and an Online quize also entertain the viewers.

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Purchase Information

This invaluble presentaiton cost just $25. To purchase this CD-ROM, Please contact

Dr.V. Sadagopan. sgopan@computer.net

Viewers feedback on Acharya Ramanuja CD-ROM

Balaji C.G
Browsing through Acharya Ramanuja CD-ROM was a great experience. The presentations, the renderings and the music are all excellent.

The Charitram, though concise, highlights the most important phases in the life of Bhagavad Ramanuja. The animations have been well handled. The GranthamAla section is one of the highlights of the CD-ROM, I feel. All the Sri Sookthi-s of Sri Ramanuja are presented in a way, that can inspire many to learn more about them through kAlaksepam-s, sathsangam-s etc.

The AchArya Vaibhavam, I feel is something very important for a shishya to know. The episodes selected for this section are again very apt. The first episode, which depicts a milkmaid who performs SaraNAgati, reiterates the importance of an AchArya for a person to perform SaraNAgati. PerumAL is ready to accept anybody unconditionally to His abode, with just one word from the AchArya. I also feel it upholds the importance of AchArya vAk.

The second episode similarly upholds the significance of an AchArya as a "mArgadarshaka:", I liked the first one a lot. The ArAdhanam procedures are very finely represented. It is very easy for anybody to learn Bhagavad ArAdhanam with the material presented. Dr. NSA was very much impressed and said that it is a well-researched presentation and was very happy to see the glories of Ramanuja being spread to the world through the electronic media. He also said that he remembers seeing certain portions of the CD-ROM at Thirunarayanapuram, where Sriman Alwar had given a presentation earlier. He was very happy to know that, a second project of the same kind "Azhwars and 108 Divya Desams", is already in the making, and has wished every success in all such future projects and divine endeavors.

Govindarajan T. R.

It is an extremely hard work to bring out a CD of this kind on the great Acharya. The effort is tremendous. Please keep doing this service to Sri Vaishnava community.

Jayakrishna Vijayaraghavan.

The CD ROM is very informative in terms of performing aradhana and also giving details about our acharya Bhagwan Shri Ramanujar. It is indeed a real Compact disc carrying a plethora of information on Sri Vaishnavism. I was really happy to listen to all the aradhana part. All these days I was illiterate to many procedures and this CD has certainly opened my eyes to a wealth of information. I am not sure whether it was intended to be slow and steady, but in some areas the video is quite slow but nevertheless it helps to observe what is being done more closely. In all the CD-ROM is definitely an asset for all Sri Vaishnavas and I would highly recommend it to each and every bhakta in our group and outside our group. I would greatly support the cause for many more of such kind of CD's.

Kannikeswaran

I browsed through the CD Rom last night. It is fantastic. It is very informative, and very aesthetically done. The musical rendering is very good. I also noticed Chowdaiya in one of the instrumental sections. Another instrumental section seemed to feature the pkhawaj and the surmandal -. The sketches are tastefully done. Also, the image of Tirunarayanar is beautiful. I was expecting more images from Tirukkoshtiyur, Tirupperumpudoor etc.

Lakshminarasimhan

I had gifted an extra CD that i had got of Acharya Ramanuja to boston koil balaji bhattar. He is extremely enthusiastic about the way things have been done in the CD. He had said many times "romba pramadhama irukkuda lakshminarasimha" from his heart.

Madhavakkannan V

Your mamooth kaimkaryam and that of Sri MA Alwar, for this CD ROM on AchAryan Sri Ramanuja, sponsopred also by Sri Ahobila Mutt, is one of the greatest kaimkaryams to future generations of Srivaishnavam. AchAryan - There can never be one - there never will be one equal to our AchAryan Emperumaanaar.

Swamy Desikan says beautifully: The clouds are like Emperumaan. Both are black; Both are merciful showering evey where with no partiality. Both roar with thunderous sound (Emperumaan with His Conch shell). Both have that beautiful lightning (Sriya: Pathi has that "minnal kodi" Periya PiraaTTi). Cloud takes the water from from the oceans and showers. Where does Emperumaan get His dayA. From none other than Emperumaanaar Sri Ramanuja.. who used to go running from the well to Sri Varadarajan sannidhi, trying to do "theertha kaimkaryam" as much as he could. That is how Emperumaan has got "never-ceasing" waters (dayA) with him (as given by "dayaika sindhO:" Sri Ramanujacharya) that shower on us always. What an anubhavam of Swamy Desikan! May Divya Dampathi shower their dayA on us as always.

Praveen

Srimad Ramanuja's CD-ROM was exceptional. Our million thanks to all the devotees who have put in their efforts for the successful completion of the CD-ROM

Saranga Kidambi

The CD-ROM on Acharya Ramanuja is just fantastic and hats off to the wonderful job done by you and your partner I have been studying a Telugu book on Alwars biographies (written sometime>in early 1900s). This book has help me understand and appreciate my predecessors. If I can accomplish something of the magnitude of their hair tip, I feel that the reason for my existence on this earth is fulfilled.

Sampath Rengarajan

Athma sambhandam

adiyEn is reminded of this pasuram of Swami Desikan.

thEsamelaa mukanthidavE perumpoo thoorir

siththiraiyi laathirai naaL vanthu thOnRikkaasinimEl vaathiyarai venRa rangar

kathiyaaka vaazhntharuLu mEthiraasaamun

poosurarkOn Riruvarangath thamutha naarunponnadimE lanthaathi yaakap pORRip

pEsiya naR kaliththuRai nooR Rettup paatum

"pizhaiyaRavE" yenak karuL sey pENi neeyE - Swami Sri Desikan

As per his niyamanam, thiruvarangaththamudanaar, served sri kooraththaazhwaan as his sishyan and also delivered the "thodarbu" or smbandham that Sri bAshyakArar and AzhwAr's paasurams in "kattaLaik kalith thuRai" (a poetic style) and in "anthAthi" meter with 108 paasurams. As Similar to that this CD is bringing out our Athma sambhandam with Bagawath Sri Ramanujar. I pray that Such special nool, slOkam etc be understood clearly and prayed upon with thehelp of this CD in many illams.

Shyamsundar Sreenivasan

Viewing the CD-ROM give me immense pleasure and I was awestruck by the excellent art work and multi-media effects on those arts. The charithram of Sri Ramanuja is very clear and concise enough to capture the full attention of the listeners. I think, the size of those stories is concise and very nice.

Venkatakrishnan (I.V.K. CHARY)

I have installed the cd on my pc and have gone through it many times frame-by-frame. Each and every screen is a visual delight and pleasant to the ear also. CONGRATULATIONS to you and all others associated in conceiving, designing and producing this excellent product. Srivaishnava community is indebted to you all for this yeoman service.

Samplings of Feedbacks on the AchArya RaamAnujA CD ROM

(1) " -- the CD ROM on the Life of Sri Ramanuja has a great section on AarAdhanam. The graphics and the accompanying audio sections as well as the text are excellent and "user Friendly ".Even my teen age son (who just turned 19 thought it was "awesome". I am saying this because we know, how difficult it is to impress teen age children these days. It is so important to use relevant technology to impart understanding of our tradition. Truly , education imparting knowledge of one's heritage is one of the primary DharmAs in a pluralistic and secular world. This CD ROM is a venture that has been truly an enterprising one trying to make aspects of our great tradition accessible to a whole new generation of people in India and in the diaspora "

... Bhakthai from Florida.

(2)"The CD ROM and its graphics , the music , the commentaries are all superb and sublime. I am dumbfounded by the intense dedication with which the developers have produced this interactive , multimedia edition"

.. Bhakthar from Massachusetts.

(3) "Congratulations to all the developers! I was quite stunned by the superlative quality of the presentation on ThiruvArAdhanam. This section will be a boon to those aspiring to learn or verifying these procedures"

... Bhakthar from New Jersey.

(4) "This Kaimkaryam is mamooth. One of the most important Kaimkaryam to the generations of SrivaishNavaas"

..Bhaktharfrom Singapore

(5) "Every Sri VaishNavA family should get one copy and show it to the children , so that they can learn about their glorious heritage"

..Bhakthar from New Jersey.

(6) "Lord VaradarAjA in the background in the AarAdhanam section is indeed a great choice ( Kanchi PerumAL was dear to both Sri Ramanuja and Swamy Desikan; they were born in nearby agrahArams ")

..Bhakthar from New York.

(7) "Truly wonderful creation! We have been enjoying it very much . our heartfelt gratitude for sharing so much of your time and knowledge in producing this CD ROM "

..Bhakthar from Texas

(8) " This CD ROM is simply superb. Presentation is excellent. I like the CD Very much. I am not able to fully appreciate the recitations from Sri RaamAnujA's original texts in Sanskrit. I am learning Sanskrit now and hope to be able to appreciate the recitations one day at a much higher level"

.. Bhakthar from Canada

(9) " Thanks for your excellent Kaimkaryam of making EmperumAnAr's life and granthams accessible to common folks"

.. Bhakthar from Chennai , India

Dr. V Sadagopan

Both Dr.Alwar and myself are heartened by the favorable responses , constructive criticisms , changes and suggestions for additional work . We recognize the problems of intercontinental coordination, multiple revisions , some affected accent in pronouncing AchArya RaamAnujA's name properly inspite of many rehearsals and other dhrushti dhOshams. All in all, we have done our best given the circumstances and thank every one of You , who have supported this novel venture of using new media to present our ancient sampradhAyam to reach out across the generational gap. Seeking AchArya RaamAnujA's and our current AchAryA's blessings for future endeavours,

Daasan , OppilA-appan Kovil Varadachari Sadagopan

Send your feedback

* Life and works of Azwars *

A pioneering CD-Rom on the life and works of Azwars is under production

For more details contact - Dr.V. Sadagopan. sgopan@computer.net