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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00044 Jul 2004

 
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Namaskaram.
 
Your query is very interesting.  And, It made me introspect.  I don't know
the perfect answer.  Only our Acharyas can give that.  But, Let us share our
thoughts in this satsang.  Please take it as opinions and not an answer.
 
Our scriptures have given different roles for purusha and stree. However,
the scriptures don't try to assign "higher" or "lower" levels to anyone.   A
very careful scrutiny of the sashtras will reveal that they tend to protect
"stree".  That is because a female form is more important and more crucial
to our religion.  (In chess,  Whom do you protect - a king or queen?).  Our
anushtanam (daily scriptures) will be preserved only through the support of
ladies.  Without anushtanams, our religion will go the way of Christianity.
 
A purusha has a tough life prescribed in sashtras.  A stree can just obtain
the same result by simply taking care of his family and purusha.  (This
however is not acceptable to modern feminists.  But, that is another
horrible manifestation of our times!)
 
As per sashtras, for example, a stree gets 50% punyam done by his purusha.
Also, He gets 50% SINS committed by the lady.  But, the lady retains ALL
100% of the punyam done by her.  This equation works always to the advantage
of the lady.
 
The kind motherly scriptures have personified God in the general form of
Man.  Because, A Man is the active part of the world.  (He is the matter and
She is the power (shakthi) for operating that matter!). 
 
This is to synchronize the "personification" with the scriptures so that our
mind can accept both the Godhead and also the scriptures.    This is like
super-imposing the human values on animals in panchatantra so that we will
learn correct values.  We aspire Him.  And also follow him and the sashtras
without apparent conflict of mind.
 
Also, Worshipping of a female form with an "impure" mind is more difficult.
A female form will conflict with our emotions and feelings for a beginner.
He / She will then find the path more difficult.  Only people with good
poorva-punyas will get true bhakthi to Thayar.
 
Aradhana of a female form is also much more stringent.  Chariots, vahana
sevai, abhishekam, kalyana utsavam etc. are very delicate and will require
more perfection of mind.
 
But, The God head has no gender.  We should get this very clear.  For
example, in shree-studi, our acharya clearly says that Shriman narayana
creates his mayas only to please and play with Thayar.  In effect, He is the
creator for the pleasure of Thayar.  There is no "higher" and "lower" levels
here.
 
Bhakthi requires a platform of form.  Certain assumptions have been made to
make this Bhakthi grow faster. The aim is to fully become a bhaktha and not
dwell in the means to it.  
 
Imagine re-writing the decimal system into binary system for everyday use.
Will it be easier?  Decimal system is not superior to binary, but has
evolved.  Imagine, re-writing the analog clock to decimal system  (100
seconds = 1minute) will it be easier?
 
But, the truth is, You can perceive the supreme brahman in any form you
want. 
 
Islam doesn't personify God.  Their Allah has no form or gender.  Buddhism
says the ultimate truth is "shunya" - an emptiness.  Christianity talks of
Holy Ghost without any form.  So,  In my opinion, they are unlike what you
have said.
 
Hare krishna!
 
Jayaraman
 


  _____  

From: Suchitra Srinivasan [mailto:suchisrini@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: 05 July 2004 19:49
To: SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Fwd: RE: [SriRangaSri] Why does God have 2 wives?


Dear Sri Jayaraman,

Thank You for your explanation! It is very
enlightening!
Your statement " He takes a personification to help
enable limited grasp of the unrealised mind" is
wonderful and clarifies my question.

I have one follow-up question to clear up my mind and
understand this in full -

I understand there is one Supreme Purusha and he has
no forms and all forms belong to him.

But while personifying God, don't we emphasize more on
the "man" part by attaching a "man's" form to God. 
Our scriptures do depict Goddess Mahalakshmi, Kali
taking various forms to destroy evil. 
But the balance seems to be in favour the "man" form
of God.

I think this has been the general trend in other
religions as well be it Christianity, 
Islam, Buddhism etc., where in the personification of
God predominantly seems to be in Male
form. 

The question I have is -
Is this personification of God predominantly in male
form/favour a general trend due to the way society has
evolved in man's favour ever since (thus helping the
common person understand the concept of God better by
relating to the evolutionary world we live in)

or 

Is there any subtle difference here that I am failing
to understand.


Thank You.
Srinivasan.

--- Jayaraman <jayaraman.v@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> From: "Jayaraman" <jayaraman.v@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "'Suchitra Srinivasan'" <suchisrini@xxxxxxxxx>,
>    <SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: [SriRangaSri] Why does God have 2
> wives?
> Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 19:12:00 +0530
> 
> Namaskaram
>  
> I have no scholarly skill to quote scriptures and
> pramanas for your query.
> That will of-course come from eruidite scholars of
> this sacred forum
> shortly.  
>  
> But,   I venture out to express the clarifications
> of our gurus which I have
> heard in this regard.
>  
> The Godhead Shriya:pathi is everywhere.  He is
> vibhu.  He is vishnu.  He is
> omnipresent.  He has no form and all forms belong to
> him.  This is to be
> understood very clearly.  That is why Vedam worships
> god in all the elements
> of nature and also in pure chit (which is
> consciousness).
>  
> But, this consciousness has anata kalyana gunams. 
> (Unending sacred
> qualities).
>  
> For an unrealized soul,  God is conceived through
> various archa and other
> avatarams.  He takes a personification to help
> enable limited grasp of the
> unrealised mind.
>  
> During such personification,  The God head takes the
> purusha form.  This is
> not the same like male / female combination of this
> evolutionary world.
> Purusha is independent and all other forms are
> dependent on him.  Vedam says
> clearly that all living beings are dependent on this
> purusha.  he is the
> only male out there.  By Male, here we mean the
> "manly" qualities a common
> being will attach to.
>  
> During such perceivement,  All the sacred kalyana
> gunas of this God head are
> represented as his vibhutis.  They are generally
> represented as the female
> consorts of the God.  They are not "Wives" in the
> normal colloquial sense.
> They are in no way different from him.  To quote the
> famous kalidasa,  they
> are as united as the word and meaning (vAgarthAviva
> sambruktau...).  Shri is
> no different from sridharan.  Ma is not different
> from madhavan.  
>  
> We can't say God has two "wives".  That is putting
> it little - pardon me
> saying this - crudely.  He also has divya devis like
> brinda, shri, bhu,
> neela and other vibhutis.
>  
> Apart from these female consorts,  The God head also
> has many other special
> attributes which are also treated as female
> personification.  Vishnu mAyA is
> one of them.   Mother Ganga arose from his feet, so
> we can personify them as
> its daughter.  And so on.
>  
> Please excuse me if there are any mistakes in this.
>  
> Thanks
>  
> Jayaraman
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: Suchitra Srinivasan
> [mailto:suchisrini@xxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: 05 July 2004 18:02
> To: SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [SriRangaSri] Why does God have 2 wives?
> 
> 
> Hello All,
> 
> I am new to this forum and I have been a staunch
> devotee of SriManNarayana ever since I was born.
> 
> However off late I have been struggling with a few
> questions off late in my mind -
> 
> 1) I am starting to question the fact that why did
> God
> have 2 wives? Is this whole concept of Vishnu with 2
> wives, a concept created by a man-dominated society
> in
> the past? 
> 2) Why wasn't having 2 wives considered unethical
> when
> God is expected to set an example for us all.
> 
> I would appreciate your view points in this regard.
> 
> Thank You.
> Srinivasan.
> 
> 
>             
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