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Answers to Sri Mani + Info repeated again (Anuvaadham)+ Some history

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K.S.Venkataraghavan • October 23, 2002 


Dear Sri Mani

My answer was to Sri Visu who mentioned it was a latter interpolation 
that Visnu was identified with Narayana

As I havent done any traditional Kaalkshebam on Vedartha Sangraham I am 
not in any capacity to comment or quote from the same.

But whatever "kriukal"(Scribbling) I did was from mere Textual Knowledge 
(from reading books) which is really dangerous..

(I had to take a chance and still dont know how many abathams I have 
commited and that I am going to commit.)

Mani as you said the Riks under consideration doesnt really indicate the 
Supremecy of Vishnu unquivocally.

But let us analyse this.

Agni is partyaksa devatha..  The offerings to devathas are done through 
agni and hence channelized through agni and offereings that are made to 
all devathas go to Vishnu. Which is why it is stated that Agni is lowest 
of all devas and Vishnu the highest and that Yagna Purushan is Vishnu.

That is the "Lakshyaartham" of the above Rik..

Note if textual meaning is found against the meanings of other 
statements in Vedas one must inclined to "Lakshyartham"(Conceptual Meaning).

******
You said...
******
 >>
Recall that Vishnu in the traditional grouping is one of the
Adityas, and therefore one of the solar deities, and can be
classified with Surya for this purpose.
 >>

I am not sure about such an interpretation. However I can recall that 
traidtional Baashyams conclude that Paramapurushan is been praised as 
the one who is the centre and highest in the Aadithya Mandalam. I will 
confirm this though with exact Paramanas and Baashyams though.

(Which is why Parama Vaideekas... hold that Gaayathri Manthra indicates 
and Praises Parama Purusha who is none other than Vishnu/Naarayana)

In Vedas you have many "Purovadas" and "Anuvadhas".. That is (the 
meaning of  a sentance is repeated again elsewhere in another sentance 
(in another form)and still retaining and implying the same meaning as 
before..

One can identify many such instances/statements in Vedas.

Sree Baashyakaara turned to Statements which explicitly imply the 
Parathvam of Vishnu(as you said) and which identify the Supreme diety it 
with Narayanaa.

That is to say that Parama Purushan who is Narayaana is the deity who is 
popularly known as Vishnu so he turned to such statements and leaned 
more towards those statements (which are nearly innumerable) that hold 
Parama Purushan , Paramaathmaa as Naarayanaa .

Whatever the reason for which you kindled this discussion....:).... I 
believe and am under impression I have answered  (a doubt??) you..
 
Neverthless  pardon Me as I am still not yet convinced with whatever 
answer I msyelf have provided with to  (because of the reason I cited 
earlier) and also that there could be more "Samaadhaanams"  if 
supposedly(or for sure that) your claim is true for which I am sure that 
I must do some homework.

Period...
-------
According to Meemmsa Nyaayam any "Saamanya Sabdham" must end in "Visesha 
Sabdam".

There are many generic statements/terms in Vedas that indicates the one 
who is fit to be worshiped..

Vedas call the worhsiped(the one fit to be worshiped rather) as Param 
tathvam Para Brammam Paramathma with generic statements/terms.

And with each of such generic statements a special name/term is 
mentioned many times.

This special name/term is none other than Narayana and this is used 
along with all generic statements/terms (mentioned before) many times.

The questions that araises are. as follows

What does this term Narayanaa mean??

Who is this Narayana??

Why cant we indicate any one by inferring the term Narayanan
(after splitting the name and arriving at the meaning)??

Th answer is......as rules of Panini doesnt allow this .. as the way the 
term Naarayanan is spelt it could only be a Proper noun (Roodi Sabdham) 
and can never be a Common noun(Youwkeegam)

**********
Some History
**********
It is good that Sri Visu raised this because this surely exposes the 
Strength of Vishnu Parathvam.

As Sri Visu did (analyzing names standing in different planes and 
MISSING the obvious) Sree Appaya Deekshitha tried the same few centuries 
before.

An example of one his few "Kainkaryams" is quoted here as follows.

Infer the meaning "NaarayanaParam   Bramham" as "Naarayanath Param 
Bramham" (Trying to prooove that Para Bramham is different and higher 
than Naarayana) But couldnt establish as in Maho Upanishdh  the same is 
stated as "Naarayanaha ParamBramaha."

Sree Appaya Deekshitha tried to the follwing and procedded from one to 
the other as mentioned below  as he failed to achieve the objective (
(and dont miss what he did atlast..)

1) Tried to Identify Siva as ParaBramhan(SivaParathva Vaadham)
2) Tried to Introduce another Bramhan or Paramathma Higher than Siva or 
Naarayana.(Thureeya Vaadham)
3) Tried to Put Siva and Naarayanaa in the same plane.(Samathva Vaadham)
4) Tried to identify Siva and Naarayana( I-kiyaa Vaadham)
5) Wrote a Stotra on Dhevaperumal ie Lord Varadarajan and also wrote 
Nayamayuka Maalika.

(Or would some one bounce back and say He took/did the last one first 
and revrsed the order?)

regards
Venkataraaghava Dhaasan




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