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Re: Digest bhakti.v004.n001

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Anand Karalapakkam • June 2, 1999 


SrI:
SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaha
SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaNN-
SatakOpa SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESikAya namaha

Dear SrI Sudarsan,
 namO nArAyaNA 


Sri Sudarsan Parthasarathy wrote:

>
> 1.In Aditya Hridayam, which is an integral part of Srimad 
>Raamayanam(Yuddha Kaandam), there is a verse "Yesha Brahmascha, 
>Vishnuscha, Sivas skanda Prajapathihi....".  I have to revisit 
>the translation from the Bhakthi list(since I remember only the 
>jist, and the article is treasured at my workplace).  But the 
>hymn casually address Sri.Vishnu with Brahma, Siva and Skanda 
>with no unique clarity on Parthvam to Sriman Naarayan.  That 
>too when we consider Suryan itself as Sriman Naarayanan("Suryae/
>Sathyam Jyothishi Jyohomi...").  A broader explanation on such 
>Ithihaasic verses will be nice to hear.

 Vishnu as a dEvata amongst all the dEvAs is an "avatAram"
 of SrIman nArAyaNA. This has been discussed and established
 very well by BAshyakArar (ie. bhagavad rAmAnuja) in vEdArtha
 Sangraha. This is the remarkable "Sowlabhyam" shown by our
 Parama Purushan SrIman nArAyaNA in identifying Himself as
 one amongst the dEvas. Our PerumAL, not only has parathvam, but
 also has intense Sowlabhyam and Sowseelyam. It is the same
 Supreme Lord SrIman nArAyaNA, who was tied into a mortar
 by YasOdhai. Why, even for that matter that same SrIman
 nArAyaNA is giving various sEvais in His archA avatArams
 and it looks as if His thirumEni is a stone devoid of 
 suddha sattvam ; and is identifying Himself in the  midst
 of even all of us !! Is this not a greater wonder than what 
 you have asked ?? Understanding only about the parathvam of
 SrIman nArAyaNA is incomplete knowledge. We have to 
 understand about His daya , Sowlabhyam etc kalyANa guNAs
 also. Thus, addressing Vishnu alongwith other dEvatAs
 is not to be understood as an insult and is not refuting
 the parathvam of PerumAL. The mood is to enjoy the 
 Sowlabhyam aspect of PerumAL as one amogst the dEvAs.
 There are various other texts which declare the parathvam
 of SrIman nArAyaNA. When one talks about such avatArams,
 parathvam will usually be not shown explicitly by PerumAL
 all the time. There are also some stories completely
 misunderstood by some ; Instead of understanding the 
 intense sowlabhyam and sowseelyam displayed by PerumAL,
 some mistakes it for the lower/equal status of Vishnu in
 comparison with other dEvatAs. Anyway, when one understands
 sAstrAs as a whole, as beautifully presented by our 
 pUrvAchAryAs, these things will become easy to understand.
   
 Also, a jIvAtma is given the post of sUrya. SUryanArAyaNA
 is the one who resides alongwith the jIvAtma SUrya ( 
 SandhyAvandanam mantrams/slokams describe SUryanArAyaNA;
 also, a Brahma Vidya on the meditation of this form of
 PerumAL is also there). 


> 2.In Devipatnam(Navabhaashanam), Sri.Rama prayed to the Navagrahas 
>and apparently Siva Lingaas at Rameswaram(since our Dhanuskodi
> Perumaal is now in Pammal).  These worship are not in the Mental 
>plane (like previously discussed Dhyaana Mantraas, where we have
> Dhyaanam of Sriman Naarayanan, and not Indra, Rudra, Sudarsan or 
>Mani), but in the Physical plane, which we are specifically
> encouraged as Sri Vaishnavites, not to practice.  In fact there 
>are many other instances found not only in Srimad Raamayanam, but also
> in Mahaa Bharatham. Any explanation on this topic is awaited eagerly.
>

  Already, devotees like Sri K.Narayanan, Sri Mohan Raghavan
 have well explained this. SrImad vAlmIki rAmAyanam doesn't say
 anything like that. Its pretty obvious that, all these are later
 concoctions (sources unknown).

 Even if PerumAL resorted to anya dEvatAs, it is only to shown His
 sowlabhyam etc kalyANa guNAs. For instance, Lord Rama performed 
 SaraNAgathi to Samudra rAjA !! One should not take the "utmost 
 asAram" here and conclude that samudra rAjA is superior to PerumAL. 

 adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
 ananthapadmanAbha dAsan
 krishNArpaNam