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Can You please tell the background of Divya Prabandhanam given by Alwars?

[Shri Ramakanth asked:- Swami, can You please tell the background of ‘Divya Prabandhanam’ given by Alwars, which is revered in Sree Vaishnava tradition? Also, can we recite the hymns from it by attempting to understand it’s meaning?]

Swami replied:- As long as you read the prayer to God in any language, you must know its meaning. Word (Shabda)-Meaning (Artha)-Essence (Taatparya)-Feeling (Bhaava)-Devotion (Bhakti) is the sequence. Without knowing the meaning, reciting the Veda like an inert tape recorder is useless. Worships done with such priests are also a waste. The word ‘Veda’ itself means knowledge and knowledge comes only if the meaning is known. This point was very much stressed by Shankara, who condemned Puurvamimamsakas believing that mere recitation of the Vedic words is sufficient.

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