Vol 01.026 | Pre-SaraNAgati Issues |
6 December, 1996
|
In this Issue:
1. Note from the Editor 2. From Chapter 9 of "Hinduism Rediscovered" " The Descending God" An attempt to understand to present a new look at some of the less known facts about the well known Avatars of the Lord and a list of Auxiliary Avatars- (Part 3 of 3) |
Dear Bhagavatas,
We conclude our series on Avatars with this posting. The next posting
entitled " The Condescending God" will highlight the rationale behind Archavatara
and related matters. Hope you enjoy these postings. Please feel free to
send in your valuable comments, so that a flawless account can be incorporated
in the final publication. Thanks.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
2. Excerpts From Chapter 9 of " Hinduism Rediscovered"
"The Descending God" ( Concluded)
1.7. RAMA AVATAR (The Prince charming-the personification of righteousness)
13
As most of our readers would be aware of the story of Ramayana, we
do not propose to retell the story except to HIGHLIGHT SOME LITTLE KNOWN
ASPECTS IN THE WELL KNOWN STORY.
RAVANA was the brother of KUBERA. He became so powerful that he even made the nine planets to be the steps leading to his throne. Because he attempted to rape RAMBHA, the wife of NALAKUBARA (son of Kubera), she cursed that Ravana's head would break into pieces if he attempted to rape any woman. Incidentally, that is why he did not force Sri Sita even though he abducted her.
Another instance of an incorrect interpretation which people make relates to the pious lady SABARI. The popular notion is that she bit the fruits and saved the good ones bearing her spittle for offering to Sri Rama. This is not correct. All she did was to taste a sample of fruit from each tree in her garden and threw away the bitten one but left the other fruits to remain on the same tree, if the one she had tasted, tasted good. This is because Sabari knew that it would amount to defilement to offer the remains of anything which she had partaken earlier.
The most important aspect of Ramayana is the vow of Sri Rama to protect those who surrender into him. This `mercy' of the Lord is aptly described by Sri Swami Desikan by referring to Rama as "KARUNA KAKUSTHA". In the hermitage of SUDEEKSHANA, Rama says to Sita that he would not mind laying down his life or deserting even Sri Sita and Lakshmana but he would never give up his vow to protect those who surrender to him even if it be his arch enemy, RAVANA.
Nammalwar asks, "Will any one who desires to learn , learn anything
other than Rama.?"
"KARPAR RAMPIRANAI ALLAL MARRUM KARPARO".14
Swami Desika has written in Gadya style a great work entitled "MAHAVEERA VAIBAVAM" otherwise known as `RAGHUVEERA GADYAM' in lucid style bringing out the glory of Ramayana.
This is a PURNA AVATAR ( Complete incarnation) Rama of Mahavishnu himself, Lakshmana that of Adhisesha (couch) Satrugna the aspect of Panchajanya (conch) and Bharatha the aspect of Sudarsana (Chakra).
1.8 BALA RAMA AVATAR ( Rama, the strong) 15
This Avatar and that of Sri KRISHNA happened in Dvaparyuga. Vasudeva's
first wife was Rohini. The second wife was Devaki. For the seventh time
Devaki conceived and it was Balarama. But, by Lord's `Yogamaya' the foetus
was transferred from the womb of Devaki to that of Rohini. Balarama was
the aspect of Adhisesha just as Lakshmana was in Ramaavatar.
Balarama was fair in color and he had a palm tree inscribed on his
flag staff. Balarama's weapon was the Hala (plough) .Swami SRI DESIKA calls
him HELAHALIN- One who wields the plough as his weapon. BALARAMA married
REVATI daughter of Raivata. He killed `RUKMI' brother of Rukmini when he
exceeded his limits in his misbehavior. Once he dragged the entire HASTINAPURA
with his plough when the Kauravas refused to free SAMBHAN son of JAMBAVATI
(one of the wives of Krishna). When the Kauravas surrendered he also released
Hastinapura.
During the Mahabharata war he did not join either Kauravas or Pandavas but left on a pilgrimage along with VIDHURA because both sides were his close relatives.
After the destruction of the Yadhavas, he took his serpent form, entered the sea and disappeared. BALARAMA AVATAR was not a PURNA AVATAR say some scholars. Some substitute in his place BUDDHA. This is not correct. Our Sastras do not recognize BUDDHA as one of the 10 major Avatars. At best, it can be considered an auxiliary Avatar.
In fact, in Mahabharata Santi Parva 46.107. Bhishma tells Krishna that it is Krishna himself who would mislead the wicked into wrong ways in his auxiliary incarnation as 'Buddha'
1.9. KRISHNA AVATAR (The dark one-Embodiment of love) 16
As in the case of RAMA AVATAR, most of our readers would be familiar
with the story of Krishna, his childhood pranks and exploits and his role
as GEETHACHARYA at the battlefield of KURUKSHETRA. We do not propose to
give the details of this AVATAR. We, however, HIGHLIGHT SOME
OF THE LESS
KNOWN ASPECTS OF THIS WELL KNOWN AVATAR.
One of the popular notions about the lifting of the GOVARDHAN mountain
is that Sri Krishna was holding it as a pyramid with his little finger
at the base. According to Bhagavatha Purana, this is not so. He made of
the mountain an inverted pyramid and was holding the mountain's tip by
his little finger.
Another aspect of Lord Krishna which draws lot of criticism is about the episode in which he concealed the dresses of the Gopis sitting on top of a tree and asking them to come out of the river in the nude. These critics read too much into this and try to impute motives imagining him to be a vile youth. This is not correct. It should be remembered that this episode happened when he was an adolescent and constituted a childhood prank as indeed so many other pranks played by him at that age.
And, Bhagavata Purana explains that this reminded the Gopis that they should not bathe totally naked as such bathing is prohibited in the Sastras.
"As for young Krishna's erotic exploits that have been the subject of much of the romantic literature, a discerning critic would recognize a faint but definite religious element ..... Invariably, however, the love of God for the cowherds' wives is interpreted as symbolic of the love of God for the human soul. The notes of Krishna's flute, calling the women to leave their husbands' beds and dance with him in the moonlight, represent the voice of God, calling man to leave earthly things and turn to the joys of divine love. So Jews and Christians alike have interpreted the 'song of songs' and so many mystical poets of all religions have depicted their spiritual experience. Despite its luxuriant eroticism, the legend of the divine cowherd produced great religious poetry and inspired many pious souls" 17
"In a story often cited, 60,000 sages wanted to become united with Vishnu in his incarnation as Rama. Rama tells the sages that he cannot oblige them in his present role, for as Rama he is sworn to monogamy. But he will oblige them in his next incarnation as Krishna; the sages can all be reborn as cowherd women (Gopis) and unite with him in love. In this view, all devotees are felt to be feminine; the Lord is the supreme male- the lover" 18
" Vishnu, in his incarnation as Krishna, is above all, a God of love and the ideal becomes intimate union and communion with the incarnate God, both in His timeless essence and in His ceaseless beneficent activity in the world of action. After the Gita, popular Hinduism becomes predominantly a religion of love"19
It is asked by some that if Krishna himself could indulge in such erotic orgies, what is wrong if we do the same thing. True. As Krishna himself has said that what great people do, others would follow and Krishna's activities with the Gopis would seem to confer a license of sorts for others to follow. Lord Krishna himself advises "What great men do, others less endowed or less evolved would follow their example"20.
And again he explains why he is carrying out his duties : 'If I do not carry out my duties, even those desirous of following their dharmic duties will give them up following my example and I will be responsible for spoiling them. That is why even though I as Bhagavan need not be bound by formalities laid for humans, I do observe them' 21
His marrying Rukmini and Satyabhama, his amorous pranks with Radha and the Gopis - all happened during his boyhood days. It should be remembered that in those eras, child marriage was the order of the day and it is not correct to impute any sexual misdemeanor either to Krishna or to his partners.
ALSO, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT KRISHNA'S UNION WITH THE GOPIS WAS NOT ON BASE, BLASE, BANAL, PHYSICAL LEVEL BUT ON A SUBLIME, SPIRITUAL, PLATONIC PLANE WITH NONE OF THE CARNAL INHIBITIONS WHICH WE IN OUR LIMITED, MYOPIC PERCEPTION WOULD LIKE TO ASSOCIATE WITH.
Also, even granting just for the sake of argument that the union was of the kind we have ' IN OUR MIND', we can also imitate him provided we are capable of imitating all other acts of his like sucking life out of the breasts of Buthanai, the demoness, or lifting on the little finger the huge mountain of Govardhan, or dancing on the hoods of the hydra-headed serpent Kalinga or proclaiming such lofty themes like Bhagavad Gita or even following them at the least. So long as we cannot even imagine doing such miracles, we have no right to question the deeds of Krishna from a mere mundane level.
In our own times, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa while walking on the road with one of his disciples stopped to drink some liquor on a wayside grove. The disciple thought that he could also do the same. After sometime, they found molten iron in the boiling cauldron of a blacksmith. Without any hesitation, Ramakrishna drank of the liquid as easily as one would gulp down water. The disciple realized that he could not repeat the feat. The moral is that we should follow what great people advise and not try to do what they do..
We hear of Krishna right up to his boyhood days. There is a big gap in the story of his life until he reappears on the scene as the friend, philosopher and guide of the Pandava princes by which time he was past 40 years of age. It is then that he went as a messenger of Pandavas, joined the Pandavas in their battle against the Kauravas and preached the gospel of BHAGAVAD GITA to Arjuna.
The name of CHRIST resembles that of KRISHNA. Except for the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, nothing was known about his boyhood days. All his exploits, encounters etc. took place during this period and upto about 40 years of age when he was crucified- the interregnum significantly obscure in the life history of Sri Krishna. Some scholars are tempted to believe that Krishna it was who appeared as Christ and on resurrection reappeared as the friend, philosopher and guide of the Pandava princes.
They adduce another similarity like both being born in humble surroundings like prison and the cattle shed and like Krishna tending cows and Christ tending sheep - the belief is reinforced. This cannot be correct because Lord Krishna was in the Dvapara Yuga some 6000 years back, while Jesus Christ lived less than 2000 years back and the belief is definitely baseless and represents a pathetic belabored attempt to integrate the two religions.
Almost all the ALWARS had enjoyed the innumerable episodes in the life of Lord Krishna. Swami Vedanta Desika calls him "KREEDA VALLABHA" to indicate that his impossible feats and the miracles he performed were done as if in a sport.
The magnum opus is his Bhagavad Gita which stands supreme as the essence of Hindu Philosophy and accepted as such the world over.
1.10. KALKI AVATAR ( The Apocalyptic Redeemer) 22
The present Yuga is KALIYUGA. Vishnu Purana gives a graphic account
of how evil forces would attain supremacy and virtuous people would suffer.
We are said to be in the 5098th year ( as of 1997) out of the total of
432,000 years of the KALIYUGA. The evil forces would progressively gain
control and destroy all good by the time Kaliyuga comes to a close. BRAHMA
is believed to have told NARADA about all the Avatars including the apocalypsal
KALKI AVATAR.
When the evil becomes unbearable, Lord Vishnu will be born in a village called 'SAMBALAM' as the son of a Brahmin couple called VISHNUYASAS and SUMATHI. He will be riding a white horse and will traverse the entire Universe in three nights destroying all evil forces and establishing a SATYA YUGA -THUS BEING THE HARBINGER OF THE 'GOLDEN AGE' ON EARTH.
Swami Vedanta Desika describes him as 'KALKAVAHANA DASA KALKIN'.
NOTES FOR SECTION 1
1. Krishnamurthy V. Prof. BITS, Pilani, India " What every NRI parent
should know about religious worship?"(p.4)
( unpublished as of 1989)
BG 4 /7 "Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbavathi bharatha
2. Abyuttanam adharmasya tad atmanam srujamyaham
BG4 / 8 Parithranaya sadhunam Vinasaya cha dushkritam
3. Dharma samstapanarthaya sambavami yuge yuge
BG 4/9 Janma karma cha mey divyam Evam yo vethi tatvatah
Tyaktva deham punar janma Na ethi mamethi so arjuna
4A YVS : Tasya Dheerah Parijananti Yonim
5.Var. P(.15.9.18) mentions 10 Avatars,( Bhag.P 3.6.25), Ahir.S. (5.50.57) list 39 and some others mention many more
6. Matsya Avatar: Mats. P.( Ch. 1),Bhag.P (.8.24), Agni P.(Ch. 2), Vara.P. ( Ch. 9), Sata. Br (.1.8.1.to 6), MB (3.190 ;2.156.) The accounts vary very slightly in details in the various narrations.
7. Kurma Avatar : Bhag.P (8.7), MB(.1.18), VR (1.45); Agni P. (Ch.3), Kurma P(.Ch.259),VP(1.9),Pad.P.(6.259), Sat. Br. (7.5and 1.5 ), Mark. P(58.47)
8. Varaha Avatar : Taitt.S.(7.1.5), Taitt. Br. (1.1.3to6), Taitt. Ar.(10.1.8), Sat.Br. (14.1.2to11), MB.(2.45, 3.144,1.29 and 12.208 ),VD.p.(1.3 and 1.12), Pad. P. (6.264), Vayu.P.(Ch.6) Agni P.(Ch.4 ), Brhm.P.(Ch.213), Linga P.(Pt.1 Ch94), Kurm.P.1-6,and VP. (1.4.45 to50)
9.NarasimhaAvatar:Avya.Up(.2.3),NrPTUp.(2.13),Bhag.P.(Ch.8to10), AgniP.(Ch.4),Mats.P.(Ch.161 to165), Brhm.P.(Ch.189),VP(1.17 to22), Pad.P.(Pt.6 Ch.265), Ling.P.41.Ch95-96), MB (3.273.57to 61), HV (3.42), Devi P.(4.16),Taitt.Ar.(10.1 to7,16)
10.VamanaAvatar:Vama.P.(Ch.25-31and89-94),Bhag.P.(8.17- 22),Agni.P.(Ch.5),Mats.P.(Ch.161- 167 &244-248), Brhm.P.(Ch.73 and 213), Pad.P.(Ch.266-267), VD.P.1.121.6 -7), Devi P.(4.16), MB 2.47.1-30 &3.273.62-71), VR ( 1.29 and 2.21). This Avatar has been referred to in Rigveda 1.2.2 and NrPT.Up.2.13 also.
11. TPV, stanza 3
12.ParasuramaAvatar: MB.(3.116-118),VayuP.(Ch.91-93), Bhag.P.(Pt.9.15-16), Agni P.(Ch.6), Brhm.P.(Ch.10), Pad.P.(6..268), Mats.P.(Ch.47), Devi P. (4.16), VR.(1.74-76)
13.Rama Avatar: The story of Rama occurs almost in the entire range of our scriptures and more especially in Pad.P(Pt.4.Ch.1-68,Pt.6Ch.269-271),AgniP.(Ch.5-11),Brhm.P.(Ch.213.2.2.3) Rapt.Up.(,1.1,1.11,4.18-19,4.7-16), DeviP.(3.28), Kurm.P(1.21) Ling.P.2.5), MB.2.50,3.98,149,150,274-293,7.59,12.28)Devi Up.(Ch.2), Tara.Up(.2.2-5)
14. TVM 7.5.1
15 Balarama Avatar: Bhag.P.Skanda 10 and 11 deal with this story. VP.Amsa (5), Brhm.P (Ch.7.33-34,182-210), AgniP.(Ch.12 ) rmd.P.(2.101-107) Kurm.P(.Pt.1Ch.24-25) Vara.P.(Ch.15), MB 5.7.31;9.61.3-12), BrmV.P.( Krishnajanma Kanda ,Ch.13)
16.KrishnaAvatar: This Avatar is the main theme of Bhagavata Purana .Agni P.(Ch.12-15),MB (5.1- 33), Brhm.P.(Ch.180-212), Pad.P.(Pt.4Ch.69-83andPt.6andCh.272-279), DeviP.4.23-24, Ling.P.(Pt.1.Ch.68-69),GPT.Up.1.5,),Kris.Up(.1.2and1.3), GUT.Up.(Ch.50), Kali Up.(Ch.2)
17. Basham,p.308
18. Ramanujan,p.153
19. 3 Ms,p.1313
20. BG 3 / 21 Yad acharathi sreshtah tat tadeva itaro janah Sa yat pramanam kuruthe lokahs tad anuvartathe 21. BG 3 / 23 and BG 3 / 24 Yadi hi aham na varteyam jatu karmanya tandritah Mama vartma anuvartante manushyah partha! Sarvasah Utseeedheyur ime lokah na kuryam karma cheth aham Sankarasya cha kartha syam upahanyam imah prajah22. KalkiAvatar This story is the main theme of Kalki Purana MB.(2.50,3.192),Bhag.P.(1.3,10,11,26),Brhm.P.(Ch.213), AgniP.9Ch.16), VayuP.(Ch.98-104), Ling.P.(Pt.1Ch.40), Vara.P.(Ch.15) Bavi.P(.3.4.26)
SECTION 2 AUXILIARY AVATARS
Besides the above 10 Avatars, numerous Avatars some of them by Anupravesa
(i.e.) entering the forms of worthy individuals and others by Avesa (i.e.)
giving extraordinary powers to certain individuals without entering their
forms have been mentioned. Swami Desikan mentions "thirty and odd" in 'Tatvatraya
Chintana' chapter of his "Rahasya Traya Saram" while Pancharatra Sastras
refer to 39 such auxiliary avatars. We give in brief a few of these auxiliary
Avatars in alphabetical order. Most of these Avatars have been described
in BHAGHAVATA PURANA. and
PANCHARATRA SAMHITA
11. AMRITHA HARANA
12.ANANTHA
13 BADABAVAKTRAN
14.BUDDHA (1)
15.DHANVANTRI (2)
16.DHARMAN
17.DATTATREYA (3)
18 DRUVANUGRAHA (4)
19 GAJENDRAVARADA (5)
20 HAMSA 21. HARI 22 HAYAGRIVA (6)
23 JANARDHANA
24 KALANEMIGNAN
25.KAPILA (7)
26 KRODATMA
27.KUMARA
28 MADHUSOODHANA
29 MANVANTARA
30. MOHINI (8)
31.NAIMISARANYA
32 NARA NARAYANA (9)
33 NARADA (10)
34 PADMANABHA
35 PARIJATHA HARANAN
36 PATALASAYANAN
37 PRITU (11)
38 PURUKUTSA
39 RAHUJIT
40 RISHABA (12)
41 SAKTYAATMA
42 SANAT KUMARA
43 TRIVIKRAMA
44 VADAPATRASAYEE
45VEDA VYASA (13)
46.VIHANGAMA
47 VISWA ROOPA
48.YAJNA (14)
NOTES FOR SECTION 2
1. Buddha:(the embodiment of delusion.)Mats.P.(47.247), Bhag.P.(1.3.24),
Bavi.P.(3.1.6), Agni P.(6),
2. Dhanvantari -( the divine physician.) Brhm.P.(Ch.11), Vayu P. (Ch.92- 93), Brm V.P.(Pt.4Ch.51), Mats.P.(Ch.251), MB,(1.18), Bhag.P.(8.8)
3. Dattatreya :(-the Magician ) Vayu P.(Ch.70 & 98), Brhm.P.(Ch.21), Mark.P.(Ch.17& 18,Bhag.P.((Ch,3), Mats.P.(Ch.47 & 243), VD.P.(Pt.1 Ch.25), MB.(2.48)
4. Druvaanugraha-(will power) Bhag.P.(Pt.1 Ch.8-12), Mats.P.(Ch.4), VP (1.11-12), MB. (13.6-15), Ling.P.(1.62), Brhm.P.(2.9-12)
5.GajendraVarada:(Rescuer of the elephant) Bhag.P.(Pt.8Ch.2-3), Vama.P(Ch.85), VD.P.(Ch.1.194), VP.(1.11-12)
6. Hayagriva (Horse-necked protector of the scriptures) MB.(12.357), Bhag.P.(2.7.11),
7.Kapila (the philosopher) Bhag.P(.3.24), MB.(3.106-107; 3.223.21),VR.(1.40)
8. Mohini (the enchantress) MB.(1.18& 19),Bhag.P.(8,9,10,12), VR.(1.45)Pad.P.(3)
9. Nara Narayana ( the preceptor and disciple) MB.(3.147,152), Vama.P.
(Ch.2), VP.
( 5.34.37)
10. Narada ( the divine bard) MB.(1.66.44), Brm.V.P.(1.8.41-48 and 1.22.2,1.12.30), Bhag.P.(1.5- 6,6.5.38 -43), Brhm. P.(Ch.3), Devi P.(Pt.6 Ch.28-29)
11. Pritu (the first ruler of earth.) Hence, Earth is called 'Prithvi' MB(12.107), Bhag.P.(4.13-15),Vayu P. (Ch.62),Mats.P (Ch.10), Pad.P.(1.17), HV.(1.2), Brhm.P.(Ch.4), AVS.(8.10.22- 23),Sata.Br.(5.3,5.4),VP. (1.13), VD.P.(1.109-110)
12.Rishaba ( the righteous king) VP.(2.1), Bhag.P.(5.4.6)
13. Vedavyasa ( the compiler of the Vedas) Bhag.P.(1.3.21; 2.7.36), Devi.P.(1.3.17 ;1.12.4), MB.(12.395.4-5), VayuP.(Ch.61) Brhm.P.(2.34), VP.(3.3.4)
14.Yajna (Ritual Sacrifice) VP.(1.7.19-21), Bhag.P.(1.3.12; 2.7.2)