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Srimahavishnu Vinjamuri • March 12, 2000 


Srimad Venkata Lakshmana yativaraya namah.

Dear Bhagavatas,

It is good that Sriman Sampathkumaran swami has exposed us to one of the books publishd by TTD, notorious for publishing such stuff.

anyone knowing sanskrit can interpret vaikhanasa in his own way. from the info provided by Sri sampath swami, the author does not appear to be a vaikhanasa. also one need not have read vaikhanasam to refute what the author has written.

 my information
>comes from Sri.N.Ramesam's excellent book "The
>Tirumala Temple" published by the TTD(1979).
>Sri.Ramesam was one time Chairman of the
>Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam.
>
>In the above book, giving graphic iconographic details
>of the "moolavar", Sri.Ramesam first catalogues in the
>form of a check-list all the characteristics of a
>Vishnu idol laid down in the "mArichasamhita" of the
>VaikhAnasa-agama. Then he tries to fit the actual
>features of the idol with the check-list. He then does
>the same with another check-list of features laid down
>in the "bhrighu-samhita".
>
>With the "brighu-samhita" the author says:
>Quote:
>"The 33rd adhyAya of the brighu-samhita shows that
>Vishnu has 4 hands invested with 5 weapons or
>aayudhA-s; the 2 halves of the body are symmetrical
>and beautifully shaped; that he wears all the
>divya-aabharanA-s; SriDevi ever abides in his form and
>that he is full of kalyana-gunA-s and wanting in none
>and he shines with his 6 gunA-s (shadguna).
>

 at how many places He has 5 weapons? how can the auhtor say Lord's thirumeni does not conform to vaikhanasam by quoting a few passages from here and there?

>"But this description is not a detailed one for
>Venkateshwara. The divya-aayudhA-s, not all the
>weapons are in SriVenkaeshwara's hands."
>(Unquote)
>

Lord of thiruvengadam was having sankha and chakra in His archa form at one point of time which He gave away to His father-in-law's younger brother i.e. king Thondaman or Sankharaja ("Sankharajhasya thushtidah" says His sahsram) to save Him for enemies. later it is bhagavadbhashyakarar Who did samasryanam to Him. 
at that time Sridevi was not visible on His chest.
It is ramanujar who installed Her golden archa
on His chest. Thus he is His guru-cum-father-in-law
("Sri venkataachaladhisa sankha chakra pradaayakah
sri srinivaasassvasurah sriramaa sakha desikah"
says andhra poornar in ashottaram of udayavar.)

HOwever, i repeat that there was nothing avaishnavite about His divine features.

sahsra namam also says 
"sankitaakhilah" which means He is always subject to suspicion by evrybody.



>After similar and careful iterative process (4 full
>pages) of matching the features of actual idol, one by
>one, with other aagama specs (like those of the
>"maricha-samhita")the author finally concludes:
>
>(quote):
>"From a detailed examination of the aagamic rules, (we
>see that) the idol of the Lord does NOT correspond to
>them. One can therefore only come to any one of the
>following two conclusions:
>
>(1) The idol of Lord Venkateshwara was conceived and
>executed at a time before the aagamA-s were codified
>and came into being; 

 He is premordial! nothing like conceiving or executing. He is self-manifested out of soulabhyam!    

It is rugveda which describes jagatkaranan as Purusha with lakshmi as His consort. It laos says somewhere that that purushan is nArAyaNa
(adha purushohavai nARaYaNah). thus it tells us that jagatkaranatvam, sriyahpatitvam and nArAyaNa sabda vaachyatvam are the essentila characteristics of the parabrahman.
 
 same rugveda advises jeevan to go to Venkatachalam where there is a god having Sri on His vakshassthalam. thus asmatswami is the only archa perumal known to have a mention in veda.

we will try to cover a rough translation to the vyakhyanam of ramanuja for the relevant mantra
in a separate posting. this is also supported by a purana sloka in QUITE SIMILAR WORDING.

also Lord of Venkatam is decribed as Sankha chakra dhari and sriyahpati in many puranas at many many places. 

ananthalwan thiruvadigale saranam
dasan
vishnu


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