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Re: Re: Of Hari, Green, Radha

From the Bhakti List Archives

Malolan Cadambi • February 14, 2002 


Sri:

Dear Sriman(s) Lakshmikumar and Gururaj Rao,

I have addressed this email with sections as written to me by
Sri.Lakshmikumar and as well as Sri.Gururaj Rao. At one point, both their
questions were the same as to how the advaita and the dvaita sampradaya
recognise krishna vis-a-vis narayana.

> > Radha in the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya is recognised
> as an amsam of > the Vaanaras who re-incarnated during
> the Krishna Avatara as
> > Gopikas.
>
> Could you please cite any SrI Vaishnava achAryA's work
> in proof of this statement?

Yadhavabhyudhayam of Swami Desikan apparently deals with the identity of
Radha. I do not have a samskrutham copy here with me in the United States. I
will however post a translation at my earliest possible. Moreover, the
Srimad Bhagavatam refers to the relationship of Radha and Krishna as one of
the highest forms of maha vishwaasam. Nappinnai is not to be confused with
Radha. A search in the archives will be of utmost help.

Sri.A.Bharath in an old post quoted U.Ve.E.S.Bhuvarahachariar as follows:

"So too in today's pASuram "keezhvAnam",said Sri BhoovarAhA-chAriAr in his
discourse on TiruppAvai,there is a girl who is a special favorite of KrishNa
..She has apparently not got up and the others come to wake her.They say,"We
know that you are more partial to the BhAgavatas than to the Lord Himself;
and in fact that is the reason He gives you a special place in His heart.And
today you're demonstrating your liking for us by waiting to be awakened by
us.That would give us the credit(taram) in the eyes of the world. And you
are doing it deliberately for the good of our Being (nAngaL sattai
peruvadarkAga),just as the Lord does it with
His devotees,and RAma did it with His army leaders on the seashore."

The Detailed mail can be found here:
http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/dec98/0185.html

Concentrate on the particular line ".....and RAma did it with His army
leaders on the seashore"
This implies that the Vaanaraas who were RAma's army leaders during the rAma
avatara have come to enjoy maha-vishvAsam with gopAla now. I hope this
clears your doubt and the proof given is concrete. If you want more proof, I
will be more than glad to study more and supply as much as proof I can infer
with my limited intelligence and by the grace of purvAcharyas.

>
> > Radha is refered to in Swami Vedanta Desikar's
> Yadhavabhudayam.
> > Yadhava-bhudhayam was commented upon even by the
> Advaitha Scholar
> > Appayya Diskhita. This also means that the advaita
> school or as a
> > matter of fact even the dvaita school do not
> recognise Krishna as
> > the supreme god-head, but Krishna is recognised only
> as an avatara > of Sriman naarayana.
>
> Could you please explain how *this* also means that
> advaitis or dvaitins do not recognize SrI krishna as
> the Supreme Godhead?

First let us consider Advaitam: (Thanks to Prof.D.V.N.Sharma for the
translation)

This is the commentary of Sridhara Swami (Advaitin) on Srimad Bhagavatam

(EtE) puMsah paramESvarasya kEcidaMSAh kEcit kalA vibhUtayaSca. tatra
matsyAdInAmavatAratvEna sarvajnatvasarvaSaktimatvE2pi   yathOpayOgamEva
jnAnakriyASaktyAvishkaraNam. kumAranAradAdi-shvAdhikArikEshu yathopayOgam
aMSakalAvESah. tatra kumArAdishu jnAnAvESah, pRthvAdishu
SaktyAvESah. kRshNastu bhagavAn sAkshAt nArAyaNa Eva,
AvishkRtasarvaSaktitvAt.

Most Important Verse "kRshNastu bhagavAn sAkshAt nArAyaNa Eva"

Tr.
These (avatArAs) of the purusha i.e, the Supreme Lord are some  partial and
some  only kalAs(sixteenth parts).In matsyAvatAra etc. though omniscience
and omnipotence are there, the power of knowledge and the power for action
are exhibited only to the extent  useful (for the job on hand). In case of
avtArAs of authority as those of sanatkumAra and nAraDa the endowment of
aMSa or kalA is only to the extent useful.

In case of people like sanatkumAra knowledge is endowed and in case of
people like pRthu it is the power for action that is endowed. But because of
the
exhibition of full power (of knowledge and action)Lord kRshNa is verily
narayaNa.

Thus according to Sridhara Swami, in some avatArAs though omniscience and
omnipotence are there, they are exhibited only partially. In some avtArAs
the
presence of power itself is partial. In kRshNa the full powers are manifest.

However, we have to consider the fact that the brahman in Advaitam is
ultimately nirgunam. Now, progressing towards a debate on advaitam is not
required or not even necessary as of now and as of relevance to this thread.

Coming to the Madhava Siddhanta School of Thought (Dvaita School or
Bimba-Prati-Bimba Vaada)

Take the most important Sholka which outlines the Dvaita School in a
nutshell: (Credits to Sri.Shrisha Rao of http://www.dvaita.org)

"Sadhagamaikavijneyam Samathithaksharaksharam
nArayanam sada vande nirodhoshasheshasadgunam"

Translation:
(Whom) it is possible to know well only from good scriptures, (who is)
comprehensively beyond all that is destructible and indestructible; (that)
Nârâyana I worship always, who is flawless and of the nature of an
uncountable number of good qualities.

>
> SrI krishna is considered the Supreme God by SrI
> vaishnava achAryAs. Just to make your statements
> clearer, for SrI vaishnavAs, Lord SrI krishnA = The
> Supreme Godhead (para-brahman) = SrIman nArAyNa. The
> vEdAs and other shAstrAs, in one voice, speak this
> truth.
> (Reference:- Tattvam, Hitam, PurushArttam - Telephonic
> discourse by HH SrImad Azhagiya Singar)

Srimad Azhagiya Singar's upanyAsams can be considered as "sruthi". However,
one *must* understand fully what the vakhyam means. Please pursue the
article "KrshnAstu Bhagavam Swayam" of Sri.Anand Karalappakkam for your
answer. It is written in detail there. The Article is in the Bhakti List
Archives which everyone can pursue.

One must understand that all Sri Vaishnava Acharyas of universal calibre
like Srimad Azhagiya Singar undertake a very deep study of sastras before
delivering upanyasams. During Upanyasams, they bring the nectar of the
sruthis to simple terms for us to understand. When one gets doubt, one has
to undertake a study of the sruthi under guidance from sri vaishnava
acharyas.


> Sow. Kalaivani has a great bhakti at her age of 20,
> which many of the older, more learned people do not
> have. aDiyEn understands from her posts that she has
> willingness to learn and also has so much meekness,
> that a lot of us lack either in writings, actions, or
> in the thoughts. These great qualities of her
> definetly merit appreciation.
>

The point of the fact is I never meant to hurt Smt.Kalaivani's feelings by
merely correcting her posts. If my posts have been construed as a triade
against Smt.Kalaivani, I wish to emphasise the fact that I did not in the
first place intend to hurt her feelings. This should not be assumed or
presumed. This was not meant to be. I greatly appreciate her willingness to
start learning the shruthi/smrithis and purAnams and I pray to the divya
dampathi to bless her in her philosophical/religious pursuits.

Regards,

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Malolan Cadambi



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