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Sri Vaishnava and Smarthaas

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Sampath Rengarajan • September 21, 1995 


          SRI BOOMI DEVI SRI OPPILIAPPAN THIRUVADIKALE SARANAM


The basis that our jeer 44th pontiff of ahobila mutt used to say in simple
terms
is one when peroforms the Baranyaasam worship only and only Sriman Naaraayanan
as per the pricnciples of saranaagathi. It is complete trust on HIM to render
the salavtion from birth and death first and moksham next. The second thing is
according to many
citations from various puraanaas, Moksham which is a higher stage as compared
to the relief from birth and death, can be sanctioned only and only by Sriman
Naraayanan or Mahaa vishnu. The concept of Moksham is different from
kailaasapatham or shushupthi or any other such state of being.(There are five
stages of aatmans being). The only resolve of a srivaishnava is to attain
moksham and serve lord Vishnu. The only giver of such patham is himself and
noone else. So the elders in family who had done Baranyaassam instructs the
youngers in the family to go to srivishnu temple only as a way to prepare for
the Baranyaasam stage. THOUGH THIS MUST HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR
SRIVAISHNAVAAS NOT GOING TO SHIVAN TEMPLE,  this is not in common practice
anymore among many srivaishnavaas living in major cities. But I donot see any
harm or wrong doing  in the elders view on following Baranyaamsam principles.
Even now when our Jeer visits thiruch chithrak koodam, the only temple where
Lord Nataraja and Lord Govindaraajan are next to each other the former facing
south and the later facing east (by chronolgy it is reversed ie Lord Govindan
(the one who knows all JIvans very well) comes first and Lord Haran next in
creation of various faculties), orthodox Vaishnavaas take the east entrance to
enter and worship only Lord Govindaraajan. There is a separate Dvajasthambam
and straight entarnce facing Lord Govindarajan available to facilitate this.
Lord Nataraaja is in the form of Ahaasa lingam and Lord Govindaraajna is in the
mode of Saathviham here as given by some quotes.

Maarkandeyaa muni is a classic example. He got immortality from Lord SHiva but
then he was wanting to attain higher stages of being. Shiva advised him to pray
Vishnu as HE alone can deliver this and that Shiva himself is bounded by Vishnu
maayaa (there are proof to this statement) and noone has the power to come over
vishnu maaya.

meaning that as long as one is governed by the Vishnu Maaya they cannot grant
moksham. The only other who can qualify a person for moksham is vishnu mayya
herself who is in the form of Kauveri Nathi. Th tradition is that Ganges (who
originated from the foot of Lord Vishnu and hence had the purity to dissole
sins) who clears all the sins of anyone and overloaded by virtue of it with
sins comes to kauveri at SriRangam on thulaa massam to clear her deposits of
sins and purify herself. This is stated in thulaa kauveri puraanam.
	 After going over to thirty two shekthrams praying lord vishnu,
Maarkandeyaa atained moksham from Lord vishnu at Thiruch chERai (thala
puraanam). Shankara's message also points to the fact that Lord Naraayaana can
only deliver this. This may be the reason why Smarthaas pray both Shivaa and
Vishnu, but srivaishnavaas pray only
Lord Vishnu. One can derive a meaning from Swami Desikan's work that  Lord
Vishnu is the creator of brahmaa and then came Lord Shivaa. SO even, as per
causa facta it only leads to Lord VasudEvan (Lord vishnu in his original form)
as the origin of everything and every possible demi gods. So why not worship
that eternal source only ?
There are seven shektraas which can grant moksham just by visiting there and
praying the lord in that shektram. Srirangam, Dwarakaa, and what others can
anyone post ?

The Y in thiruman stands for both the foot of Lord and U stands for only one
feet.
Sampath Rengi.