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Re: Upadesa to Lakshmi Thaayaar

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • December 5, 1995 


Murli writes:
*
* In the guru-parampara as described by Swami Vedanta Desika in his
* Rahasya-Traya-Saram (RTS), I am given to understand that the upadesham
* came from Lord Narayana to Goddess Lakshmi, and then on to Senesha (the
* Senadhipati of Narayana) and then so on and so forth to our present
* acharyas. If Lakshmi is Parama-Purusha (as some Visishtadwaitins believe)
* what was the need for the upadesham to be given to her. 

The question is a good one and can be stated in even 
broader terms.  Since Vishvaksena (Senesha) is a 
nitya-suri according to our sampradaaya, his jnaana
has been infinite for all time.  Therefore, even 
Vishvaksena does not need a specific upadesha.  Teaching
of this form is only necessary for errant jivas such
as ourselves.

I surmise that these stories about Lord Narayana
teaching Lakshmi, etc., are told just to arouse 
devotion in the aspirant, and are not to be taken 
as literal facts.  The same can be said for the
details contained in the sthala puraanas of the 
divya desams.

Mani