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Re: Is Brahman's form eternal?

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jaganath.Bharadwaj • February 15, 1996 


I have a couple of comments on Sri Krishna Kalale's posting on the
captioned subject based on what I have read of Vedanta Desikar's
works.

(1) Avataras are stated to be non eternal.  This may be partially
true that too only from the point of view of this one earth.  Sri
Vedanta Desikar writes in RTS that "in whatever form we worship
Bhagavan while we have this body made up of 3 gunas, Narayana will
reciprocate with us in that very form in Sri Vaikuntha after Moksha."
 Therefore for a Krishna Bhakta (say Meerabai) Para Vasudeva in Sri
Vaikuntha is Krishna and for Kamban, Para Vasudeva is Rama.  The same
Para Vasudeva will be viewed differently by different devotees
according to their Rasa.  This is possibly why the Para form has not
been defined (to my knowledge at least, please correct me if I am
wrong) in great detail.

Besides this material world itself is very vast with many many
Brahmas controlling various portions of it.  Avataras repeat
themselves in regular sequence.  While Krishna Avatara may have
finished His manifestation on this earth 5,000 years ago, His
manifestation continues in some other part of the material world (or
Leela vibhuti).

(2) Krishna Kalele writes to the effect that Narayana's manifestation
cannot be seen in its entirety in this world.  This is true if we
understand "this world" to mean what is available to samsara bound
souls.  Mukta and Nitya jivatma when they incarnate or descend,
(examples Ramanuja, Vedanta Desikar, Manavala Mamuni) will have a
very different view of this earth than samsara bound souls.

Jaganath.