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Re: Of Hari, Green and Radha

From the Bhakti List Archives

Malolan Cadambi • February 12, 2002 


> But if the person did not know that the word Hayagriva
> applied to both the demon and God (Vishnu), he would
> obviously be thinking of the positive aspects of that
> name only and not the negative aspects, isn't it?

This does not mean that the person should not clear his/her doubt. And
Certainly there is no blockade from anyside.
If the mere name Hayagriva itself signified positive and negative aspects,
this is because of the person's faulty understanding that the name points
out towards the attributes, which clearly is not the case.

To back up my point, Muthuswami Dikshitar who sang on Rama in one of his
Krithis, referes to Vainatheya(Garudar) as Vinayaka. If you need further
info, I will be more than glad to send you an email about the Krithi. The
question here naturally arises. How is Vinayaka refered to as Vainatheya? I
will send a separate mail which enunciates the *need* to FULLY understand
Sanskrit Grammar before analysing Sruthi and Smruthi Vakhyams.

Coming to your point, the name Vinayaka can refer to pArvathi putra
Ganapathi and Vanitha putra Vainatheya. The attributes of Ganapathi and
Garuda are totally different. If one cannot distinguish between the both,
then I wonder that the same person would not be able to distinguish between
and Elephant and a Eagle even if the person saw them standing in front of
his/her eyes.

In the same way, without complete knowledge of the attributes of Bhagavan
Hayagriva, is it possible to worship while still in confusion about the
difference between the demon hayagriva and Bhagavaan Hayagriva???


>
> So, even if a person utters or praises a name without
> fully understanding all its attributes, he may still
> be saved by God. After all, Valmiki as a hunter was
> given the mantra Rama turned backwards (Mara) by the
> sages and he went on repeating the same and became a
> great Sage!

Rama spelled backwarads is not Mara. Moreover, mara means a dead person. Do
you expect a poet of the greatest calibre like Valmiki praise Rama as the
Dead Person???? Can you back your claim with a single shread of fact or a
single verse from Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam??

Rama spelled backwards is AMAR or Ama-rA to be exact. Amara means the
deathless one. This name of Vishu comes in the following Sahasranama stotra:

49   Amara-prabhuH

	PB:	Lord of all Gods. He effects creation etc. by bestowing on
		                the Gods authority (and directs them) for carrying them
out.
  	In srI rAmAyaNa brahma says to rAmA: "Lying on the waters of the great
ocean You created me  long ago".

	SA:	The Master of the devas or the amaras (the deathless ones).

(I picked this up from the Bhakti List Archives, so as to avoid typing out
the same once more, here is my source;
http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar96/0105.html)


> In Devi Puranam also, Krishna and Radha are portrayed
> supreme. I don't claim to have studied all the
> different schools of thought and hence don't wish to
> confuse the issues further with my limited knowledge.

Here is what Puranas are defined as. Please back up your claim with evidence
and a particular verse.
(From a Dialogue on Hinduism by Sri.V.N.Gopala Desikan) For a Complete
Article you may want to pursue the link:
http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/apr96/0055.html

Q.   Please tell me the Puranas that fall in these three
     groups.

A.

1.   The first set of six Puranas which are most sacred
     (Sattvika Puranas) are as follows:

     Vishnu Purana
     Bhagavatam
     Narada Purana
     Padma Purana
     Varaha Purana
     Garuda Purana

2.   The second set of six Puranas, which are not
     wholly authoritative, (Rajasa Puranas) are:

     Vamana Purana
     Brahma Purana
     Markandeya Purana
     Bhavishya Purana
     Brahmanda Purana
     Brahma Vaivarta Purana

3.   The last set of six Puranas, which are not very
     authoritative (Tamasa Puranas) are:

     Matsya Purana
     Kurma Purana
     Agni Purana
     Linga Purana
     Siva Purana
     Skanda Purana.

Q.   How do you accept these as authorities or
     Pramana?

A.   The basic rule is that the Vedas are the ultimate
     authority or Pramana.  So, in the Puranas,
     whichever does not conflict or contradict the Veda,
     can be taken as authority.

So where do you place the Devi Purana? Is the Devi Purana a Satvika,
Tamasika or a Rajasika Purana? Besides, there is no mention of the Devi
Purana in any of the above purana as a seperate purana, leave alone the
possiblity of the devi purana being a Satvika purana. Even if, the Devi
Purana is a subsection in the padma purana, it still cannot go above or
contradict the shruthi.

>
> I would like to make one appeal to the members of this
> elite group, that they correct each other with love
> and affection.

By commenting on the nature of the logic used by the purvapaksha
correspondent of my mail "Of Hari, Green and Radha" i drew the same word
from the correspondents' previous mail. There was no intention to
emotionally hurt the correspondent. Please do not assume actions that were
not meant to be.

Regards,

Malolan Cadambi

P.S I sincerely hope Bhaktas spend atleast a little time learning Sanskrit
before proceeding to make claims and suggestions without backing from Sruthi
Vakhyams. Add to this,  they should atleast try to follow what purvAcharyas
of the *Sri Vaishanava Sampradayam* say on Sruthi Vakhyams and Philosophical
discourses.

>
> Hari Om.
>
> S.V.Swamy



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