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RE: demigod worship

From the Bhakti List Archives

madhav.vasudevan • August 25, 2000 


Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya  Namah:

Dearest Bhagawathas,

Thanks very much for your encouraging words on adiyEn's rambling. Thanks to Sri
TV Venkatesh for repsonding one of the queries.

Other queries are:

1. Sri Rajaram wrote:

Q.1
What is the sastric definition of demigods are devatas. Does it refer to
Indra & his courtiers alone or does it also include Siva. If yes, what is
the sastric evidence, if any ?

Answer:

Yes. Siva is also included.Mahopanishad says $B!H(BFrom NarayaNa, Rudra was born$B!I(B.
Rudra is clearly mentioned that Sriman NarayaNa had created him. upanishad says
$B!H(BNarayaNaath Brahmaa jaayathey; NarayaNath Rudro jaayathey$B!I(B confirming the
above again. The Veda has clearly declared the birth of Rudra, which is because
of his Karma. Therefore it is ascertained that Rudra is a baddha jeevaatman
subject to the three qualities of the material universe namely satva, rajas and
tamas, just like four faced BrahmA. Thirumazhisai AhzwAr says: Naanmuganai
NarayaNan padaitthaan; naanmuganum thaanmugamaay sankaranaitthaan padaitthaan.

Q.2
We read that great devotees like Arjuna worshipped Siva for pasupathastra
and Indra as well.
Gopis worshipped Karthikayini to get Krishna as their husband (SB).

Answer:

Arjuna had worshipped even Siva offering flowers on his head and found the same
flowers at the feet of Sri KrishNA. This Karthikayini nOnbu was discussed in the
list. (in 98). Sri Anand Karalapakkam had written beautifully when he wrote on
ThiruppAvai. (I have no internet access and will search and keep you informed
later, if you are not able to locate
==========
2. Sri Jaisimman had asked:

Could you please elaborate more on the Markandeya pastime. Most of the time
this point is not mentioned at all in books ! They only mention the pastime
with Lord Shiva.

Is this the same Markendeya Rishi who had the bhagyam to see the Lord on the
aalilai during pralaya kaalam ?

Answer: Sri TV Venkatesh wrote this: "nakkapiraan anRu uyyak koNdadhu
naaraayaNan aruLaal"- It is very much true. Siva came, saved MaarkaNdEyan from
yamA and then asked MaarkaNdEya (when he had asked Siva to save him from future
births), to meditate on Narayana. Then is the history. Sri BhUmi PiraaTTi also
appeared as his daughter and married Oppiliappan (Peerless Lord- Sriman
Narayanan). (one can have a darshan of Oppiliappan and Sage MaarkaNdEyar at this
sthalam along with BhUmi piraaTTi).

(Please remember Siva is the great Bhagawatha of Sriman narayanan, who composed
"manthararAjapadha sthOthram" on Sriya: Pathi.)

The same MaarkaNdEyar is the One (saakshi) who had the Bhagyam to see the Lord
as you rightly asked.

=====================

Sri Alavandhar- asks:
a. Who saved the Vedas and returned them to Chathurmukha brahmA (when the Vedas
were snatched away by Madhukaitabhars?

b. who removed the curse of Sivan, with the skull stuck in his hand?
It is all our most merciful Sriya: Pathi Sriman Narayanan.

========

"maRRumOr deivam uLadhu enRu iruppaarOdu, uRRilEn.. says AzhwAr. I will not
associate myself with those who say there is other god (than Sriya: Pathi Sriman
Narayanan). With no disrespect to any of demi gods, let us surrender at the feet
of "NaaraayaNan". Sri Mani wrote beautifully on this thread and it is true that
we are not here to preach others. We are only cautioning and reminding ourselves
of "our" relationship with Him (which is ozhikka ozhiyaadhu). PeriyAzhwAr says:
yerutthukkodiyaanum piramanum indhiranum maRRum oruttharum ippiRavi yennum
nOykku marundhu aRivaarum illai" (Sivan, Brahman, Indran- and others- There is
none who knws the medicine to get rid of this disease of births and deaths-
(other than Him.)

==========
3. Sri Sridharan had asked:

Also, there seems to be more than a mere coincidence to the avatars
of Vishnu starting with Matsya avatar and the evolution of life.

No. The avtaars sequence is not in the same order as what we think they are.

The jIvans, the beings - all exist with the same capacity, potential, from time
immemorial. Darwin's theory does not fit into our Vedic religion. (Erudite
scholars -please correct me if I am wrong)

(This subject again was discussed and Sri Mani superimposed excellently Darwin's
theory with our sampradic views. Let me tell the exact month in which it
appeared later- someone else can search and inform please.)

===============
when you know that NarayananE NamakkE.. then, you have mathi niRaindha nannaaL..
(says ANdAL). when we think there are other Gods, then we are all "mathi yillaa
maanidargaL"- says ThoNdaradippodi AzhwAr (anubhavam of Sri Anand of Singapore)

Regards
Narayana Narayana
adiyEn Narayana dAsan




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