No:1 Divya Desam ?

From the Bhakti List Archives

• September 2, 1998


Dear Vaishnavas,

Our perumal has 64 divine qualities and none of them diminish
in any of the Divya Desams.So is his Daya (mercy). Therefore all 
arguments based on qualities/mercy cannot be taken into account. 

We also cannot decide based on individual experiences.Each one of us
would have had many different experiences in several Divya Desams.

Now what are the other attributes /features we can use in  coming
to a proper conclusion ?

1. Can we decide by the blessings the Lord offered in each of the 
   sthalams ?
2. Can we decide based on the lila's in each place ?
3. Can we decide based on Alzwars that graced the place ?


My humble opinion in this matter is we should look at the glory of
the devotee (Alzwar) who visited each of these places and sang about
the perumals there. ( A vishnu temple becomes a Divya Desam because it 
was  visited and sung  about by the Alzwars If I am not  mistaken)

This is the only bench mark that gives an edge for one Divya Desam over 
another.

This argument brings forth this question :

Alzwar kulle endha Alzwar osathi ? 
(Among Alzwars who is the highest/Best ?)


How do we determine who is the highest devotee ?

1.By the number of thier works ?
2.By thier individual literary achievements ?
3.By thier devotion to Perumal ?

I would take the 3 option in this determination.

This Brings the point to the RAsa or Bhava in which each Alzwar 
served/(associated with)  the  Lord.Of the RAsa's highest is the 
mAdhurya Rasa, 
therefore my humble opinion  is all Divya Desams graced with songs from 
the 
Alzwar who served the Lord in  the highest Bhava, all deserve number one 
status 
and subsequent gradations.

My vote is for Sri Andal.

adiyen

Sriram,Balaraman





















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