Sriman Naaraayanaya Namaha: Srimathe Ramaanujaya Namaha: Srimathe Vedaantha Desikaaya Namaha: Here is the second version of my humble composition to find answers to a splendid question about the equality of Sri BhagavAn and Sri SudarSana. Also it is worth learning about the Vedic references to BhagavAn and Sri SudarSana because we have celebrated the SrAvanam recently and should be embarking on Vedic studies. Sri SudarSana is normally said to carry shodasAutham ( sixteen Ayuthams ) including the cakra and conch of the Lord. Sri SudarSana is the most supreme among the visible forms of the Lord and is considered almost equal to the Lord himself as we graduate into the supreme realization of Him. Sri SudarSana's fame is extoled in satapada brAhmanam of Shukla yajur vedam. Numerous references to Sri SudarSana are found also in Krishna Yajur vedam and Atharva vedam. For scientific minds, we can say that Sri SudarSana is the all-pervasive visible star power of the universe. Also let us keep in mind that the Lord is the indwelling invisible force who rules the cit and acit as the material and efficient cause. We have to look at Sri SudarSana from various angles to understand the concept. Before we look at Vedic references, let us go to our favorite source, Sri Desika. His words would amplify the meaning of the Vedic utterances. Sri Desika would say in Sri SudarSanAshtakam verse 2 that Sri SudarSana is extolled in satapada brAhmanam: Subha jagathrUpa maNDana sura gana trAsa kandana Sadamaga brahma vandita **Satapada brahma nandita** prathita vidvat sapakshita bajadahirbutnya lakshita jaya jaya srI sudarSana jaya jaya srI sudarSana In verse 3 he would extol His brightness as that of agni and sUrya and lightning(Neela Devi). `sppuTa taTijjAla pinjara pruthutara jwAla panjara' and compare Sri SudarSana's divya vigraham to that of the divya thiruMEni of BhagavAn: `parigata pratna vigraha.' In verse 4 Sri Desika would extol Sri SudarSana's established reputation in Vedas by saying `nigama nirvUTha vaibhava.' In verse 7 Sri Desika would also mention He is the antharyami of all tatvams, cit and acit included, by saying `sakala tattva pratishTita'. In verse 8 Sri Desikaa refers to Sri SudarSana as `trayImaya', indicating that He is the three-Veda swarUpi. We normally refer to the Lord himself as the Veda swarUpi. Thus the equality of Sri SudarSana and the Lord is evident. Also in verse 8, Sri Desika would equate Sri SudarSana with three forms of agni by saying `savana tejas trayImaya'. Thus we can identify various Vedic elements in Sri SudarSana and the Bhagvan himself. Why? Because Sri SudarSana is the visible form of the BhagavAn. Further Sri Desika would equate Sri SudarSana with the time element as follows in Sri ShodasAyutha stothram verse 2: yatAyattam jagach cakram kAla cakram ca SaaSvatam pAtu vastat param cakram cakra rUpasya cakriNa: The Lord as Sri SudarSana is indicated by the phrase `tat cakra rUpasya cakriNa:'. The reference to time is in the phrase `kAla cakram'. Here time is considered to be contained or subservient to Sri SudarSana. The Lord as the creator of time is spelled out in a manthram in Maha Narayanopanishd 1.2.3. sarve nimeshA janjire vidyuta: purushAdadhi| kalA muhUrtA: kAshTAccAhOrAtrAshca sarvaSa: That the Lord is not seen mentioned in manthram 1.3.1: na sandruSe tishTati rUpamasya na cakshushA paSyati kaccanainam| However He manifests as Sri SudarSana and Adityas and all other rUpas by His will. Sri SudarSana rUpam is the most powerful of the visible forms of the Lord. How did the Lord become Sri SudarsanA? By his will and through the grand Havis ? `yath purushena havishA devA yagyama danvata' as indicated by the Purusha suktham. Sri SudarSanA is in general praised as the Veda, kAla, jyoti swarUpi that we all can see. The Lord seems to have willed that he should somehow make himself visible out of mercy for all of us, especially for those (even gopas) least capable of perceiving him: `utainam gopA adruSannadruSannuda hArya: utainam viSwA bhUtAni sa drushTo mrudayAtina:' The chAndogya upanishat would preach Sri SudarSana or Aditya upasanA and it is known as madhu vidyA. First Aditya or SudarSana is shown as madhu. Then there is even more of a madhu, and it is the Lord. First the chAndogya upanishat 3.1.1 would say Om asau va Adityo devamadhu. Gradually it would elevate the concept and in section 3.7 it would declare asmin anta: purushe jyothi. The nArAyana suktham also mentions the Lord as a brilliant object, a form with jyoti tejas: nArAyana parojyothirAtma nArAyana para: Thus the visible iridescent form of the Lord, Sri SudarSana, is a worthy object of worship. Sri SudarsanA as koti sUrya Aditya is praised in the upanishats and puranas. Aditya maNdala brahmopAsanam in MahA NaarAyana upanishat 14 mentions the Lord resides in the Aditya maNdalam and also resides as Veda swarUpi in it. AdityO vA esha etanmaNdalam tapati tatra tA rucas tat rucA maNdalam ... ... trayyeva vidyA tpati ya eshoantarAditye hiraNmagum purusha: Sri SudarSana is praised as sUrya nArAyanA and the Lord as Adi nArAyanA in tripAd vibhUti mahA nArAyanopanishat 1.5: sudarSana divyatEjo (a)ntargata: sudarSana purusho yathA sUrya maNdalAntargata: sUrya nArAyano (a)mita aparicchinAdvaita paramAnanda lakshaNa thejorASyantargata Adi nArAyanastatha sandruSyate. Its meaning is as follows: in the same way as Sri SudarsanA resides with his Sudarsana divya tejas as sUrya nArAyana in (koti) sUrya mandalam, Adi nArAyanan resides in Vaikuntam exhibiting limitless inseparable brilliance and happiness. Sri Krishna and Sri SudarSana are equated in another manthram uttered in the same breath in this upanishat: Om namo bhagavathe rukminI vallabAya swAhA om namo bhagavate mahA sudarSanAya hoom phat. This is referred to as Sri Krishna SudarSana shoDaSAkshara manthram. The dvaya manthram of the Srivaishnava sampradAyam is also found in this upanishat. The SudarsAna yanthram as the archa yanthram of the Lord is praised in this upanishad and the manthras are outlined in the form of Guru-Sishya samvadam. The moola manthram in Sudarsana homam praises the same equality we are discussing here: om asya sri sudarSana mahA mantrasya ahirputhniyOrishi: anushtup canda: sri sudarSana mahA vishnur devata: ? om klIm krishnAya govindAya gopi jana vallabAya parAya paramapurushAya paramathmane parakarma manthra yanthra tantra owshada astra sastrAni samhara mrtyor mOcayamOcaya om namo bhagavathe mahA sudarSanAya dIpthre jwAlA parIdAya sarvadikshobana karAya hoom phat brahmane paramjyotishe swAhA. Here Sri SudarSana is address as paranjyoti. We normally refer to the Lord as paranjyoti. Sri PanchAyutha Stothram mentions Sri Sudarsana as Koti Surya Rupi in its opening salvo: suprath sahasrAra sikAthi dIvram sudarSanam bAskara koti tulyam surath vishAm prAnavinAsi vishno: cakram sadA(a)ham saranam prapatye. Sri SudarSanAshtakam by Adi Sankara mentions him as sahasra sUrya prakasan: sahasrAditya sankAsam sahasraVadanam prabum sahasradam sahasrAram prapathyE (a)ham sudarSanam. SudarSana stothram would praise Sri SudarSana as koti sUrya: sudarSana mahAjwalaya prasIda jagada: pade tejorAse prasIda tvam kotisUryAmidapraba. The puranas expand on the Vedic truths. In this context, Sri MahAbhAratham takes up the job of extolling the virtues of cakra and hence Sri SudarSanA as the mind-boggling instrument and representative of the Lord. Also the Sri SudarSana kavacham in Brigu samhita would say: sudarsana mahAvishnur devata saprasakshate indicating the unity of Sri SudarSana and the Lord. The unity of the visible form and the invisible form of the Lord is easily realized through the vedam and prabandam as follows. Sri SudarsanA as sUrya nArAyana and all other amsams and Adi nArAyana are one and the same according to the following famous verse 1.164.46 from the Rig vedam: indram mitram varunamagnimAhu: ato divya: sa suparno karutmAn ekam sat vipra bhahutA vadanti agnim yamam mAdaricvaNmAhu: Sri nammAzvar would mention in a prabandam as follows: avane yakal nyAlam pataitidantAn avane yahtuNdumizhn tAnaLantAn avane yavanu mavanu mavanum avane marollAmu marintaname. In short he exhorts us to realize the Lord is this thing, that thing, and everything else. Thus all the power and brilliance of Sri SudarsAna is Him only, though it is a visible form for all of us to see. That is why in Bagavath geetha 11-12 the Lord appears in an infinite form with brilliance of thousands of sUryas: divi sUrya saharasya bhavedyugapadutitA| yadi bha: sadruSI sA syAtbhasastasya mahAtmana: Also we indirectly pray to Sri SudarSana more frequently than we realize. We all do Sandyavandanam as obeisance to Gayatri, SudarSana (sUrya nArAyanA) and the antharyami, Sriman nArAyana, residing in the sUrya maNdalam. It is customary to recite one or both of these slokams in dik devatha or sUrya nArAyana vandanam: nama: savitre jagadeka sakshushe jagatprasUti sthitinASa hetave| traImayAyatriguNatma dharine virinci nArAyana SankarAtmane: dhyeya: sadA savitrumanDala madhyavartI nArAyana: sarasijAsana sannivishTa: keyUravAn makara kunDalavAn kirIti hArI hiranmaya vabhuhu dhruta Sankhacakra: Sankha cakra gadA pAne dwArakA nilayAcyutA govinda punDarIkAkshA rakshamAm SaranAgatam. We are in fact praying to Sri SudarSana and the Lord himself. Finally yet another summary is provided in the Brahma sutram 1.20. 'because the Lord resides in the eye as well as the sUrya maNdalam ( Sri SudarSana maNdalam).' The chandogya upanishat verse 1.6.8 would say in utgIta upAsana: Ata ya esho antaraditye hiraNmayam purusho druSyate| This is similar to the slokam from the tripAd vidhuti mahA nArAyana upanishat mentioned earlier. Thus the Lord resides in intense brightness, and hence in Sri SudarSana. Of course he also resides in us since he is vishnu and viSwa. Finally an amusing fact must be noted. The vedam would enumerate the names of muhUrthams and the nights as follows: ... rhocano rhocamAna: Sobhana: SobhamAna: kalyAna:| darSAddrshTa darSatA viSwarUpA sudarSanA ... The name sudarSana is also applied to one of the nights in shukla paksham. It looks as though the night wanted to be associated with its opposite, the intense brightness, since it enables us to see Sri SudarSana as kOti sUrya through clear skies. Let us pray that Sri Sudarsana protect us all. Let the supreme Lord do the same. Adiyen Ramanuja dasan U. Ve. R. T. V. Varadarajan Ph.D. --- In SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jayaraman.S" <jai_2_u@xxxx> wrote: > Namaskaram, > > Thanks to Thiru.Anbil Ramaswamy swamin, Thiru.Vijaya > Raghavan swamin, Thiru.jayasarathi swami, > Thiru.T.R.Govindarajan Swamin for explaining about > performing homas for Anya devathas. (Reference to: > Email Subject: Doubts related to KankaabishEkam) > > Adyien understood the significance of workshiping the > lord Vishnu and not anyother anya devathas through > homa, etc.,. This discussion raises another question > about performing sudharsana homam. > > Thiruppaavai ("Pallandu Pallandu") > > "vadivaar sOthi valath-thuRaiyum, sudar-aazhiyum > pallaaNdu / > padaipOr-pukku-muzhangum, appaancha-sanniyamum > pallaaNdE //" > > We do not workship paanchajanyaa(Sanga/conch) or > aazhi(chakrathazhwar/disc) separetly from lord > narayana. paanchajanyaa and Sudharshana azhwar are > part of permal lord narayana. The Sudharsana Chakra or > the divine disc of Maha Vishnu is one of the Lords > prominent weapons in annihilating evil forces. > According to legend, poygaiaazhvaar was an amsam of > changu and Thirumazhisai aazhvaar was an amsam of > aazhi (chakkaram). > > "yeththavam seidhArkkum arul mudivadhu AzhiyAn pAl": > The result of any great tapas is granted only by the > bhagavan who holds the divine sudharsana chakra in his > hand. For those tapas, which are done towards brahma > or rudran the bhagavan who stays as antharyAmi inside > these devas grant the boon. > > "yO yO yAm yAm thanum bhakthi": > (Those who want to worship the devas who are part of > me with due respect, are granted that regard for the > devas by me. That jeeva thereby with due respects > worships the god of his like. And due to the worship > he attains the result I grant him) says bhagavan in > his bhagavat geetha. > > The results of any worship is ultimately granted only > by the ultimate lord nArAyaNan. > > Thus Can we say lord nArAyaNan grants boom when we > workship sudharsana or do sudharsana homam. > (OR) Is sudharsana and lord narayana is one and the > same? Is there any references available for this. > > Dasan, > Jayaraman > > > > _______________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Yahoo! Enter now. > http://promotions.yahoo.com/goldrush ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/VkWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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