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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00030 Dec 2002

 
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Sri:
Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:
Srimad Vara Vara Munaye nama:

Dear bhAgavatAs,

Salutations to all. This post is just a preface to the 
series of posts on Divya Desas that is about to start. 
Devotees/readers are welcome/free to give suggestions or pass 
comments on forthcoming articles and are also requested to share with 
fellow-members if they know more authentic information, be it 
historical or technical related.

NArAyaNa/VAsudeva/ViShNu is the Lord. The "nArAyaNa 
mantra" is the best and among the pantheon of Deities, NArAyaNa is 
the supreme and among the mantras,Tirumantra/the AShTAkshari is the 
king. Narasimha purANa highlights that there is nothing superior to 
Tirumantra. Sri PiLLai lOkAcAryAr gives two reasons(why VAsudeva and 
ViShNu are relegated) in his Mumukshuppadi[Cf Mumu:8-12](i)the other 
two nAmAs(vAsudeva and viShNu)are handled by unorthodox and the 
heretics who deny the Lord's form and attributes (ii)their not being 
complete except in a limited sense. The two mantras speak the Lord's 
immanence,but neither deals with the why and wherefore of it,
although "vAsudeva mantra" has a slight edge over "viShNu mantra" 
so far as "manner of pervasion" is indicated in it. It's only 
the "nArAyaNa mantra" which describes the rUpa,swarUpa,kalyANa guNas 
of the God and hence COMPLETE and the other two mantras can not claim 
parity with the "nArAyaNa mantra". Also note that it's only NArAyaNa 
mantra which is mentioned first in the "ViShNu gAyatri". HE is the 
indweller and the Atma of all. Sriman NArAyaNa in Paramapada/VaikuNTa 
is being constantly worshipped by nityasUris and HE creates this lIla 
vibhUti to redeem us from this samsAra and He manifests Himself in 
five forms "para", "vyUha", "vibhava","antaryAmi" and "arca".

1)Para 
In Paramapada,the Lord ParavAsudeva/VaikuNTanAthan is in a 
sitting posture along with Sri,BhU and NILA devis. Only nityasUris 
live here and always do mangaLAshAsanams(singing pallANdu)and 
praising the Lord in sAma gAna. Here nobody experiences thirst,sleep,
hunger,pain,exhaustion and other worldly problems we undergo. 
NityasUris are always immersed in the kalyANa guNAs of the Divine 
Couple. NityasUris are those who have never undergone the cycle of 
samsAra. Details can be seen in the article on "Tiruparamapada or 
SrivaikuNTa or TirunAdu"

2)VyUha 
Sriman NArAyaNa expands Himself(with the thought of creating 
the lIlavibhUti) in vyUha form(from Para)and He(kshIrAbdinAthan),with
NILA devi(kadal magaL nAcciyAr)and BhU devi at His feet, is in "yOga 
nidra" posture on AdisEsa in the Milky ocean(kshIrAbdi/pARkadal).
NammAzhvAr says about this posture of the God as "uRanguvadu pOla 
yOgu seidu". The word "vyUha" means expansion and He expands as a 
smiling "vAsudeva" facing east,lion-faced "samkarShaNa" facing 
south,varaha-faced "pradhyumna" facing north and rudra-
faced "aniruddha" facing west. During praLaya(deluge),the other three 
forms namely samkarShaNa,pradhyumna and aniruddha merge with vAsudeva.

3) Vibhava
Vibhava means "coming down". For the sake of devotees,to 
establish dharma and to protect the world,He comes down to bhUlOka 
assuming a form/body of His own(which is not affected by prakrti. 
SriRama,SriKrShNa and other bhUlOka avatArAs are called vibhava and 
they are of three types viz,pUrNa,amsa and AvEsha. SriRama, 
SriKrShNa,vAmana and ParasurAma are pUrNa avatArAs. Matsya and VarAha 
are amsa avatArAs while Narasimha is an AvEsha avatAra.

4) AntaryAmi
He as antaryAmi supports each and every jIvAtmA. He is
invisible to the naked eye yet residing within us(our body and soul)
enlivens our heart and expresses in the form of energy. 

5) Arca
For ordinary people,it is very difficult to realize the 
above-mentioned four forms. There can not be a better and easier 
means than arca worship for us. Arca worship has been extoled by 
AzhvArs as it is the reservoir of redemptive mercy and most of their 
hymns are devoted to the Lord in arca form. NammAzhvAr claims in his 
TiruvAymozhi that the Lord spoke through him[Cf TVM:7.9.1-meaning 
seventh hundred(EzhAm paththu),ninth decad(onbadAm tiruvAymozhi)]to 
establish that Divya Prabandham is "revelations or vEda". The Lord 
has taken arca form with the sole purpose of redeeming us. Sri 
MaNavALa mAmunigaL says that NammAzhvAr has shown us clearly that 
arcAvatAra is the easiest means for our salvation.

"seiyya paraththuvamAy sIrAr viyUhamAy
thuyya vibhavamAyth thOnRi ivaRRuL-eidhumavarkku
innilaththil arccAvathAram eLidhenRAn
pannu thamizh mARan payinRu"

NammAzhvAr(who explained the vedas in tamizh)points out the 
five forms of the Lord.

"viNmIdhiruppAy, malaimEl niRpAy,kadaRsErppAy
maNmIdhuzhazhvAy,ivaRRuL engum maRaindhuRaivAy
enmIdhiyanRa puRavaNdaththAy enadhAvi
unmIdhAdi urukkAttAdhE oLippAyO?"

1)viNmIdhiruppAy - paratva(paramapada)
2)malai mEl niRpAy - vibhava(came down as avatAra puruSha)
3)kadal sErppAy - vyUha(expands Himself in tiruppARkadal)
4)maN mIdhuzhazhvAy- arca(arca mUrty in divya deshas and other 
sthalas)
5)en mIdhiyanRa 
puRa vaNdaththAy - antharyAmi(mixing with us as antharyAmi)

Reference:A EthirAjan:108 VaiNava Divya Desa sthala varalARu and 
other pUrvAcAryAs' texts.

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TiruvadigaLE saraNam
Nallan Chakravarthy Nappinnai






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