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Re: meaning of pranavam

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tg_ramkumar • May 1, 2003 


> [...]
> by all this my point of arguement is narayana is the parabrahmam 
> and is represented by the 'ohm'. all other devatas including vishnu 
> are anyadevatas who derive their power from ohm. 
> [...]
> balaji
> 

) As many may be aware, the famous vedic pancha-SAnti unambiguously 
  identify the Brahman with nArAyaNa, vAsudeva, vishNu, 
  lakshmI-pati & hari.

  Thus vishNu is not an anya-devata and 
  vishNu remains untouched by karma 
  and so unlike anya-devata-s, the praNavam would directly refer to 
  vishNu, kRshNa, rAmA, nRsimha and His other avatAra-s.
  
) Sometimes SrIman-nArAyaNa Himself directly  takes up a 
  cosmological position such as a manu, a prajApati,
  or an Aditya normally filled by a jIva.

   "tata: tvam-api durdharsha: tasmad-bhAvat sanAtanAt |
    rakshArtham sarva-bhUtAnAm vishNu tvam upajagmivAn || "
          -- SrI  vAlmIki rAmAyaNam 2.101.26

    Meaning: catur-mukha-brahmA said to vishNu,
             "At my request, You the insurmountable Supreme Self,
              incarnated as vishNu amidst Siva & myself 
              in order to protect all."

  But nArAyaNa remains untouched by karma when He assumes an avatAram.
  
  Interestingly mahA-bhAratha talks about catur-muka-brahma & rudra 
  as being positions to a bondaged jIvAtmA is elevated upon 
  performance of special yAgha-s.
  but there is no such reference to vishNu as being a position
  attained to by a jIva.

  "yuga-kOTi-sahasrANi vishNum-ArAdhya padma-bhU: |
   punas-trailOkya-dhAtRtvam prAptavAn-iti SuSRuma ||  "
          -- mahA bhAratham, kuNTataropAkyAnam

  Meaning: Worshipping Lord VishNu one thousand million yuga-s, 
           catur-mukha-brahmA attained the ability to create 
           the three Worlds.
  


  "mahA-deva: sarva-medhe mahAtmA hutvA AtmAnam deva-deva: babhUva "
        -- bhAratham, SAnti-parvam 20.12

  Meaning:  Having performed sarva-medha-yAgam, mahA-deva (ie Siva) 
            then achieved greatness amongst deva-s.



  "sa-brahmakA: sa-rudrA: ca sendrA devA maha-rshaya: |
   arcayanti sura-SreshTham devam nArAyaNam harim" ||
         -- bhAratham, Santi-parvam 350.30

   Meaning: All catur-mukha-brahmA, Siva, indra, deva-s 
            &  rshi-s worship nArAyaNa a.k.a hari,  
             the highest amongst them.


   Above are just a few from the long list of pramAnam-s quoted by
   svAmi Srimat vedAnta deSika to help us understand that
   vishNu (=SrIman-nArAyaNa) is the Highest worshipable Truth.


rAmAnuja-dAsan
//Ramkumar





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