Please clarfiy - 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 22, 2000


Dear Bhagavatottamas,

following  matter is pasted from what Sriman Mohan Sagar posted to Bhakti
list on Sept 20, 1999.

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The Third Remover of Obstacles is the Most
Powerful of All - and really is the only One that
we need - having 19 heads, each adorned with
Urdhvapundram, and 4 arms. MAndukya Upanishad goes
into great detail on describing this 4th and only
true Remover of Obstacles as being Sriman Narayana
Himself.  Perumal Himself as the Protector and
Benefactor of each and every soul, removes the
obstacles that stand between Him and His
Devotees.  This avathAran of the Lord is always
seen standing with ThAyAr as Sri
LakshmiGanapathi.  Sri HH touched upon how the
ignorance of the masses has led to a severe
misrepresenation of this Avatharan, and how we
should not let this sway us from our recognition
that Sri LakshmiGanapathi is Sriman Narayana
Himself.

Sri HH went on to analogize how the three Ganeshas
(other than Sri Prasna) are each a controller of
one of three states of an individual's
consciousness, jAgrath dasa, swapna dasa, and
shusupthi dasa.   In the first state, the waking
state, we are responsibile for the performance of
karmas, the adherence to proper conduct, and the
fulfilment of both material and spiritual
pursuits. Consequently, it is this stage that is
most important to the path of the spiritual
aspirant.  While the other two Ganapathis protect
us in the other two stages under the direction of
the Lord, the Lord Himself as Sri LakshmiGanapathi
protects and helps us in each and every aspect of
our waking state, whether or not a jivan knows His
presence or not.
------------------------------------------------

I have read many translations of mAndUkyOpanishad in the net but nowhere it
is said that Vaiswanara has an elephant head at the centre and is seen with
lakshmI.

What is the official Srivaishnava position on this? While I do know the
answer, i would like to hear it from learned members.

Dasan
Vishnu
 

http://www.iitian.com : An Extraordinary place for Extraordinary people

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