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Lakshmi Narasimhan • March 28, 2003 


 
 Lakshmi Narasimhan  wrote:Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 16:21:28 -0000
From: "Lakshmi Narasimhan" 
To: bhakti-list-owner@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [SriRangaSri] Doubt

Srimathe RAmanujaya Namaha

> There are zillions of names for the LORD...Which is supreme, which 
> is best, which is the highest ? There cannot be a clear answer 
> since each is better than the other. Each is unique and distinct. 
> Each is relevant.

I would suggest the writer to read the Thirumanthrartha Prakaranam of 
Thattvathrayam by Swami Pillailokachariar and Rahasyathrayam by Swami 
Desikan.
Unlike all other manthrams, the three manthrams that more or less are 
close to defining the ultimate i.e the brahman - the vyapaka 
manthrams namely Narayanan, Vasudevan and Vishnu. The works by the 
purvacharyas show that Narayanan is the namam that best defines the 
lord. Om Namo Narayanaya is also called as the Thirumanthram and the 
Manthra-Rajan and this manthram explains the Athmaswaroopam and the 
Paramathmaswaroopam. And this is why it is usually believed that 
Narayanan is the best namam. So, the question posed was, if Narayanan 
is the best manthram i.e the king of the manthras, why is it placed 
next to Keshava in the Sandhyavandhana Sequence. I don't have an 
answer for this either, but I recall that, Shri Putthur Krishnaswamy 
Iyengar's father had published an excellent book called the 
Sandhyavandhana Bhashyam (not the one that was written by our 
Purvacharyar swamy Shri Sudarsana Suri Bhattar) quoting the 
purvacharya granthams. This book explains the Vishishtadvaita, 
Advaita, Dvaita, Meemamsa perspectives of each sub-ritual that is 
performed during this NithyaKarma. 

> There are six forms of worship. 
> Shiva / Vishnu / Skanda / Ganapathy /Shakti / Sauram (Sun)
I would like to know the source of this information. Kindly let us 
know about the same. As far as I know, Ganapathy is one of the siva-
ganas and not a son of Siva and had never been a form of worship as 
being portrayed now. Tracing back the history this concept more or 
less began some time after the azhwar's period. There is no reference 
to Ganapathy in the ramayana/mahabharatha though it has been a belief 
that Ganapathy wrote the Vyasa Bharatha with his tusk, which is not 
true as per the authentic texts. Neither do the Azhwars refer to this 
Ganapathy. But, Amudhanar does refer to this gana-pathy in Ramanuja 
Nootrandhadhi - "Karthigaiyanum, 'KARI-MUGATTHANUM', Kanalum Mukkan 
Moortthiyum modiyum veppum mudhugittu" - KARI-MUGAM means ELEPHANT-
FACE.
But in the puranas(?) there is a mention of Vishnu Ganapathy(one of 
the Ganas of the Senai Mudhaliyar has the elephant face - prasanna 
vadhanam - Vishwaksenam thamashraye) and Lakshmi Ganapathy, but I 
doubt whether they are being mentioned as the forms of worship.

> these six the basic three Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha are the 
> foundation
This is not so as believed and followed by the followers of Shri 
Ramanuja Sampradayam. Brahma and Shiva are also Jeevatmas who occupy 
a higher post. Vishnu is the very supreme self's form i.e one among 
the five different forms of the supreme - Para, Vyuha, Vibhava, 
Antharyami and Archai. There are lots of purvacharya works that 
explain and substantiate these beliefs and there are umpteen posts 
that are available in the archives regarding the forms of the 
ultimate etc. Again, learned scholars, kindly correct me if I am 
wrong. As the moderator had mentioned umpteen times, let us stick to 
the charter of this list and answer from that perspective..

Sarva Aparadhaan Kshamasva!

Yatheendra Pravanam Vandhe RAMYA Jamataram Munim

Adiyen RAmanuja Dasan,
Lakshmi Narasimhan

--- In bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com, s.ramachandran@h... wrote:
> There are zillions of names for the LORD...Which is supreme, which 
is best,
> which is the highest ? There cannot be a clear answer since each is 
better
> than the other. Each is unique and distinct. Each is relevant.
> 
> Among the millilons of names, the ancients through their 'mantra 
drashtr'
> i.e. inward looking eye through severe austreties and practice of 
various
> forms of Yoga, they interpreted the various Vedic mantras and noted
> Dwadashnama i.e. 12 most appropriate ones, which were broadly
> representative of all the various names. The purpose also was to 
ensure
> that these 12 would be such names whcih will give the ordinary 
mortals a
> good idea of the LORD's powers, capacities, qualities, compassion 
and so
> on.
> 
> Then the Rishis thought, since Kali Yuga is inevitable, Dharma will 
be
> tottering on one leg and before long there will reign utter chaos 
and
> misery on earth. So why not give the mortals a way out ?
> 
> Namaa chanting was thus concieved. To ensure that the Namaa 
chanting was
> followed rigourously it was built-into the Sandyavandanam.
> 
> Now comes Kesava, Narayana. Again, Kesava is 'KA' for Brahma 
and 'ISA'
> for Lord i.e. Lord of all. Another meaning in the Vishnu Purana 
is
> Kesava is Kesas or Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva i.e.all three. These are 
the
> only 3 basic forms of the same Brahman, Paramatama, or entire 
cosmos.
> There are six forms of worship. Shiva / Vishnu / Skanda / 
Ganapathy
> /Shakti Sauram (Sun) Off these six the basic three Brahma, 
Vishnu and
> Mahesha are the foundation. Brahma due to a curse was not 
destined to
> be worshipped. But his presence, relevance etc. continues to be 
high
> and equal to the other two.
> 
> Now Kesava therefore symbolised better than Narayana because 
right at
> the beginning of the Sandhyavandanm you use your primary limb 
i.e.thumb
> (without which you cannot normally function ) and bring to mind 
all the
> possible forms of the almighty. And therefore, it is Kesava. 
There are
> other meanings for Kesava too.
> 
> Narayana is next best. You may well ask, why not Purushotama as 
second.
> Hope you got the spirit of the logical order ?
> 
> Om Tat Sat
> Tat tvam asi
> 
> 
> 
> 

> "vijayalu" 

> list@yahoogroups.com>, 
> o.com.bh> 

> 
cc: 
> 03/23/03 01:09 Subject: 
[SriRangaSri] Doubt 
> 

> Dear Bhagavathas
> 
> While doing sandhyavandanam. we are first chanting kesava and then 
Narayana
> and then it goes on. If Sreeman Narayana which we all know is 
Paramartha
> and the Supreme why His Name comes second?
> 
> Please clarify
> 
> Thanks
> VKV
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




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