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Re: Archavataram origin - Idol Worship ....

From the Bhakti List Archives

vijayalu • December 1, 2002 


Dear Members,

Sri Krishna premi Anna's  views cannot be paralled  . All said and done,
when you visit a temple, you get an exhilarating spiritual experience and
peace of mind and enables you to forget your worries after placing it at the
Lotus Feet of Perumal. In this modern age of fast pace life , to see God in
fellow beings is almost an impossible attempt for a mundane mind. Through
the beautiful Idols enshrined in temples, we are able to offer Archanai ,
and  able carry the Bliss back home.

Thanks
V K Vijayarghavan


----- Original Message -----
From: yamini suresh 
To: 
Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 12:01 PM
Subject: Archavataram origin - Idol Worship ....


> ArchAvatAram :
> With the recent discussions on Idol worship, I thought
> I'd  write down what I have heard on the same.
>
> Source : - Discourse on Sri Ranga MAhAtmyam by Sri
> Krishna PrEmi Swmigal.  Audio cassettes, cassette no.
> 2 and 3.
>
> While I am attempting to translate the relevant
> portions of Sanskrit verses in English, errors  if
> any, are due to my ignorance. The discourse is in the
> following format - the Verse recited  followed by the
> translation. For the sake of brevity, I am putting in
> the translation directly. I am unsure about what text
> these Sanskrit verses belong to. I would request our
> learned  members to enlighten us on the same.
>
> My submission :
> The story goes like this.
> Once, the dEvAs, KinnarAs, yakshAs, gyAnIs etc. went
> to SatyalOka (Abode of  BramhA) for Satsangam.
>
> BramhA posed a question to them on how each of them
> worshipped God.  To this,  they gave their respective
> methods of worship.
>
> NityasUrIs - Bramhaswaroopam in Vaikuntham
>
> GyAnis - SarvavyApa Vishnu in all roopams
>
> Yogis - Chith-roopam in Hridayam, Bhroomadhyam etc.
>
> Rishis - GAyathri Manthram in the middle of the
> Suryamandalam
>
> Devas - KshirAbdhi Shayana PerumAL
>
> As ordinary mortals do not have an access to the above
> forms of PerumAL easily, he  thought that 'perumAL'
> should be accessible to all , even pApIs.
>
> A small comparison can be made with Water, it's
> various forms and how it is accessed to put it to use.
> Forms of water & it's access :
>
> a. Water which is the kAraNOdayam (root cause) for
>
>    ulaga sristhi (creation of  the world)
> b. AkAsh Gangai - Water in the clouds- Not
>      accessible to us
> c. PAthALa Gangai - Water deep down - Should bore deep
>
>    down for  use(borewells).
>
> d. Rainy season - All can use it but for a limited
>    period during the  season.
>
> e. Water in dams, lakes etc. -Available easily even in
>
>    peak and harsh  summer (kadum kOdai).
>
> Similarly God is accessible -
>
> a. As Vaikuntha Pathi during Jagat Srishti. However,
>    there is no direct access  to mortals.
> b. In KshirAbdhi like the AkAsha Gangai for Devas.
> c. In the Hridayam (Heart)- Gyanis bore down and
>    concentrate and achieve him  like water from the
>    PAtALa Gangai.
> d. As AvatAra PurushAs - available only during the
>    specific period. Like the  rain that showers
>    everywhere without bias the AvathAra purushAs were
>    available  at that particular time and place
>    irrespective of the worth of the being.
>
> e. BramhA found a gap here. Like Water available in
>    kadum kOdai (peak summer)  he wanted God to be
>    available to all in kadum kali (Kaliyugam)
>    easily .  He wanted to bridge this gap. Bramha's
>    kripai  for mortals led him to visit the
>    KshirAbdhi SAyee.
>
> Bramha, along with the devas, kinnaras etc.,
> requested Sriman NArAyanA to be  available to
> everybody. At this point, the Lord said that he will
> come as 'ArchAvatAram' in the Vigraha Roopam. As all
> of them did not know what to expect,   Bramha  and
> others waited at the shores of the milky ocean
> (pArkadal).
>
> A bright light illuminated the place blinding their
> eyes and slowly they could see the Ranga VimAnam
> Kalasam rising from the Ocean. The PranavAkAram,
> Garudan in between, the Jaya -Vijaya DwarapAlakas,
> SEnapathi VishwaksEnar and  Yagna VarAhar .
>
> The GAyathri Mandapam with 24 pillars signifying the
> 24 aksharams in the  GAyatri matram. The 2 pillars in
> the garbhagraham signifying the Dwayam  (Sharanagathi
> manthram).
>
> The 1000 headed AdisEshan was providing the light to
> PerumAL. The  ratnams on each of AdisEshan's heads
> shone and lit up PerumAL. Subsequently, the  Utsava
> murthy, Sridevi, Bhoodevi also emerged.
>
> All of them watching this scene were overwhelmed and
> their outpour was in  Gadyam (prose) form as stuti of
> PerumAL
>
>
> This is how the Archamurthi came to us-.so that we are
> fortunate enough to  experience Him in this Kaliyugam
> in such a simple and easy manner.
>
> Ram Ram
> Ramanuja dasi
>
>
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