Sarasvati Puja question

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktas,

 

I was looking at the Bahudhanya Samvatsara calendar

that Anand had posted earlier:

 

http://thondar.busi.utc.edu/bhakti/archives/jun98/0078.html

 

In it he has written this paragraph:

> 4. Kindly note that Vaishnava Saraswati PoojA falls on Sep 30th. Sri

>VaishnavAs don't celebrate this as a function (not even be a vyAjA for

>performing a special HayagrIva ArAdhanA that day ).

 

and the source cited is Sri U.Ve. V.N. GopAla DesikAchAryA.

 

I specifically asked my acharya Sri Rangapriya Svami about

the status of Sarasvati, and specifically whether the Goddess

of Learning should be thought of as "anya-devatA".

Rangapriya Svami very clearly said, "illai; anya devatA anRu, appadi

ninaikka koodaadhu." He asked a sishya to bring a paTham of b

Lord Hayagriva seated on a white lotus (pundarIkam). [This paTham

should be familiar to many, particularly Karnataka Sri Vaishnavas,

as it has been distributed for many years by sri parakAla maTham.]

 

Rangapriya Svami then said that the goddess sitting on

Hayagriva's lap, dressed in white, was none other than

Sarasvati -- i.e., he said that Sarasvati should be

thought of as none other than Lakshmi.

 

This cleared up many doubts for me, since I had also seen

a Sarasvati paTham in the sannidhi of my grandfather, a

very devout Sri Vaishnava and close associate of Uttamur

Viraraghavachariar Svami. Subsequent to receiving upadesam

from Sri Rangapriya Svami, I also visited the home of my

wife's grandfather in Madras, also a ati-vIra-Vaishnava,

and I noticed a Sarasvati paTham in his sannidhi as well.

 

Could it be that some Sri Vaishnava families view

Sarasvati in a different light? Of course, one should always

follow one's own family tradition, guided by the dictates

of one's acharya, but I am posing the question to get

more information from fellow readers.

 

Thanking you,

adiyEn Mani

[Guest guest]

shrii kR^shhNaaya govindaaya namo namaH

 

Dear shrii. Mani and vaishhNava-s,

 

I was also under the impression that Goddess sarasvati was the consort of

lord brahma-deva, until I just checked shriimad brahma-saMhitaa itself:

 

-Ram

 

[ I am quoting the following excerpt from a book by His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhaanta Sarasvatii Gosvaami Thaakura, for the sake of

MERE INFORMATION ONLY. ]

 

 

 

shriimad brahma-saMhitaa - TEXT 24

 

uvaaca puratas tasmai tasya divyaa sarasvatii |

kaama-kR^shhNaaya govinda he gopii-jana ityapi |

vallabhaaya priyaa vahner mantram te daasyati priyam ||

 

uvaaca - said ; purataH - in front; tasmai - to him;

tasya - of Him (the Supreme Lord) ; divyaa - divine;

sarasvatii - the goddess of learning ;

kaama - the kaama-biija (kliiM); kR^shhNaaya - to kR^shhNa ;

govinda - govindaaya, to Govinda; he - O;

gopii-jana - of the gopii-s; iti - thus; api - also;

vallabhaaya - to the dear one;

priyaa-vahneH - the wife of agni, svaahaa (the word svaahaa is uttered

while oferring oblations);

mantram - mantra; te - to you; daasyati - will give;

priyaM - the heart's desire.

 

TRANSLATION

 

"Then the goddess of learning Sarasvatii, the divine consort of the

Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahmaa who saw nothing but gloom in

all directions, "O Brahmaa, this mantra, viz., kliiM kR^shhNaaya

govindaaya gopii-jana-vallabhaaya svaahaa, will assuredly fulfill your

heart's desire. "

 

PURPORT

 

"The mantra, consisting of the eighteen divine letters prefixed by

the kaama-biija, is alone superexcellent. It has a twofold aspect.

One aspect is that it tends to make the pure soul run after

all-attractive shrii KR^shhNa, the Lord of Gokula and

the divine milkmaids. This is the acme of the spiritual tendency

of jiiva-s. When the devotee is free from all sorts of mundane desires

and willing to serve the Lord he attains the fruition of his heart's

desire, viz., the love of KR^shhNa. But in the case of the devotee

who is not of unmixed aptitude this superexcellent mantra fulfills his

heart's desire also. The transcendental kaama-biija is inherent in the

divine logos located in Goloka; and the kaama-biija prevertedly

reflected in the wordly affairs satisfies all sorts of desires of this

mundane world."

[Guest guest]

Dear Anand,

 

A reading of your eloquant posting on Pativratyam of the jeeva in conjunction

with the picture of Saraswati (wife of Brahma) sitting on the lap of Lord

Hayagriva sounds a little odd. What happens to HER Paativratyam ? What do you

imply ?

 

Even in our own work-a -day world, the daughter sits on the lap of her father

only when the bridegroom ties the Tirumangalyam in her neck. But, we do not

countenance a situation where a daughter-in-law sits on the lap of her father-

in-law under any circumstances !. (Since Brahma is Lord Narayana's son,

Saraswati, Brahma's wife becomes Lord Narayana's daughter-in-law.)

 

So, I should think that this projection in the picture may not present the

correct position. May be this is a fit case to seek clarification from our

Acharyas back home.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

[Guest guest]

Sri :

Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha

Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -

Srivan Shatagopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha

 

Dear Sri Mani & other bhaktAs,

Namo NArAyanA . kindly accept adiyen's pranAmams.

 

As far as adiyen understands , Goddess Saraswati is a jIvAtmA

given the status of "Goddess of Learning" by Sriman NArAyanA.

Ofcourse it is well known that she is the consort of Lord

BrahmA . But , pirAtti is also obviously goddess of Learning for

she can benedict anything .

 

adiyen still has doubts with regard to the position of

Goddess Saraswati being the consort of NArAyanA . Sri Ram quoted

from "Brahma SamhitA" (BS) which is not the famous "Brahma SamhitA"

of pAncarAtrA . So , that quote cannot be taken as an authoritative

text . " BS" whose authorship is unknown ( ofcourse it is not

apaurusheyA) eulogizes Sriman NArAyanA & in that light can be

relished . But those portions which are against the teachings of

vedAs has to be discarded . Ofcourse Sri Ram also explained his good

intentions behind that post .

 

Is Goddess Saraswati none other than pirAtti ? As far as adiyen knows

, it is not so . If it is so , then How can pirAtti as Saraswati be a

consort of Lord BrahmA ?

------------------

Regarding the photo :

 

PirAtti can ofcourse take the form of Goddess Saraswati similar to

how NArAyanA takes various forms . Probably pirAtti might have taken

the form of Goddess Saraswati & sat on the lap of Lord HayagrIvA .

 

The other possibility is that the jIvAtmA with the position of

Goddess Saraswati can be blessed by Lord HayagrIvA by allowing her to

sit on His lap. So , we should be highly respectful to Goddess

Saraswati who has such a previlege from Lord HayagrIvA . Probably

this was intended by Srimad RangapriyA swAmi ( Sri Mani : Please

correct if adiyen is wrong ).

 

--------------------

 

Goddess Saraswati became pratyaksham to Bhagavad RAmAnuJA &

gave the title of "Sri BhAshyakArar" for blessing the baddha

jIvAtmAs with the proper interpretation of Brahma SootrAs . The

bAshyam was named as "Sri BAshyam" by Goddess Saraswati & also

gave BAshyakArar the archA mUrthy of the unparalleled Supremely

Merciful Lord of Knowledge - Lord HayagrIvA . The same PerumAL is

still worshipped by ParakAla Matam AchAryAs as their ArAdhana

mUrthy . So, Goddess Saraswathi is indeed dear to us .

 

Ofcourse all demigods are also dear to us . Lord ShivA is

also unquestionably a bhAgavathA .

 

But, adiyen would like to discuss about the paramaikAntitvam as

observed by many prapannAs .

 

Prapatti is the wedding of jIvAtmA with the paramAtmA Sriman

NArAyanA .A prapannA is in the bhAvA of a chaste wife with NArAyanA.

 

In materialistic world , a chaste wife will be dedicated in serving

her husband . The man in the next house may be very good having

exceptional character , knowledge etc. But a chaste wife won't

be bothered about his presence . She won't keep that man's

photo in her room . She doesn't go to his house either .

 

Similarly, a prapannA doesn't worship demigods & doesn't enter

demigod temple because of his (jIvAtmA) relationship with NArAyanA

after prapatti. This doesn't mean that the prapanna disrespects

demigods. They respect them very much . But their relationship with

NArAyanA doesn't allow them to do such things as stated above. This

is similar to how a chaste wife respects other men , but doesn't

equate them to the status of her husband .

 

But a chaste wife moves with the relatives of her husband (

his father , mother , sister etc ) . Similarly , a prapanna has no

problems in entering the sannidhi of Nitya soorIs like Peria Thiruvadi

(GarudAzhvAr) , SudarsanAzhvAr .

 

The other reason for not entering the temple of demigods is the usage

of AgamA procedure . In a temple for Lord ShivA, the prathishtA might

be as if he is the Supreme Lord . So , prapannAs don't enter such

temples since it is against the teachings of vedAs.

 

But , if prathistA for Lord ShivA is performed as a bhAgavathA ( as

in Thiru Anantha puram , receiving the blessings of Lord Anantha

PadmanAban in the garba gruham ) , a prapannA has no problems. This

has been pointed out by Sri Sampath swAmi some months back & many

discussions on this topic has taken place in the past .

 

Coming to Goddess Saraswati : Sri U.Ve. Vankhipurm GopAladesikAchAryA

swAmi might have felt that a paramaikAnti / prapannA being in the

bhAvA of pati vratA strI towards NArAyanA, shouldn't observe a special

function for Goddess Saraswati , a demigod . adiyen doesn't know the

practise of Sri Ahobila Mutt & other AchArya paramparAs . Ofcourse , if

they observe Saraswati PoojA , they will have proper reason ( without

affecting the paramaikAntitvam , as in the case of worship of Peria

Thiruvadi & the like ) .

 

Namo NArAyanA

Adiyen

Anantha PadmanAbha dAsan

Sarvam Sri KrishnArpanamastu