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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00039 May 2002

 
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Respected Swamins/Bhagavathas,
Some days back there was a query from one of the
members to clarify whether Brahman is identified with
Lord Narayana, whether there is any authority to
state that Vaikunta is His abode. I have attempted to
answer the queries.
Brahman is the ultimate reality which evolves
itself as this world. Brahman isthat which
spontaneously bursts forth as nature and it is also
the ultimate cause 0f this universe. This is
accepted by all the aasthika schools of philosophy. 
In Vaishnava philosophy as propounded by Sri Ramanuja
Brahman is identified with Lord Narayana.
The following is available in Narayana sooktham 
which is recited as part of Purusha Sooktham .
naaraayanaparamm brahmatattvam,
naaraayanahparah..... 
He is param jothi, He is paramaatma, and so on.
sa brahma, sa shivaha, saeindrah, paramah swaraat 
and so on. This is established in Varahapuranam,
Ramayanam, Mahabharatham, Vishnupuranam,
BhagavathGita, Harivamsam, Bhagavatham etc. Sage
Vyasa has said in sahastranama
sataam, satyam, punahsatyam, udhruthya bhujamuchhyathe
vedaat shastram param naasti, na deivam kesaavath
param.
All the above are accepted as pramanams or authority.
Vaikuntam is described in Kaushitaki upanishad. 
Sri Ramanuja has followed this in his Vaikunta Gadyam
Brahman is described as Nirguna in the Upanishads. 
Sri Ramanuja says Nirguna means without bad qualities.
So we say Lord Narayana is endowed with all
auspicious qualities. This is available in the Vedas.
Sri Ramanuja fuses the immanent Upanishadic Absolute
withthe transcendent God of the Panchantra or Bhavatha
theism. God as the perfect personality is devoid of
all demerits and possesses all merits. He has His
consort Lakshmi, the symbol of power and mercy. He is
called Naaraayana or Vaasudeva. He lives in His
citadel Vaikunta which is made of Suddha satthva or
Nitya vibhuti. His qualities like knowledge, power,
and mercy etc are eternal, infinite, numberless,
unlimited, undefiled, and matchless.(Tattva-traya)
(pancharaathram is accepted as pramanam or authority).
I may be excused if I have wounded the feelings of
anybody or if my information is imperfect or based on
ignorance.
Adiyen, T S Rajagopalan.


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