[t'venkatam] Do Vaishnava Tantras Exist & are they in Practise

[Guest guest]

Dear SrI Sreenivas :

 

There are a lot of questions in your mail that

need detailed answers .

 

For now , let me answer the quick ones .

 

1. ParamaikAnthis do not ask for anything

from the Lord except Moksham . If they ask for

anything , it will be to have the material to perform

His aarAdhanam or wanting to have a vajra sarIram to engage

in His Kaimakryam and AarAdhanam . It will be to have

a husband or wife to perform AarAdhanam for

the Lord well . Our Lord can give every thing

(Kaamya Phalans ) including the highest of

PurushArTam , Moksha Sukham that He alone

can give.

 

2. Mantra/Tantra/Yantra are intricately related.

There are a few postings in the Bhakthi andOppiliappan

Lists by myself from previopus years . I will write again

in detail and add a new perspective on their interrelationship.

 

3 . In Kerala , Nrusimha Tantram in particular is

most famous. Whatever you referred to about

its omnipotence of Nrusimha Tantram is True.

The Yanthram consecrated by SrI NrusimhAnushtup

manthram is one which can not be matched in

power or PrabhAvam . Lord GuruvAyUrappan is

worshipped in KrishNa Tantram methods .

 

4 . Yanthrams are usually worshipped with

the ArchA Moorthys . Those Yanthrams are

inscribed on Copper plates and consecrated .

The DhanaakarshaNa Yanthram at Lord SrinivAsan's

sannidhi at Thiruppathi is an example. Sri Raja RajEswari

Yanthram at KaamAkshi Amman Sannidhi at Kaanchi

is another example.

 

5. SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA sahasram's Chithra

Paddhathi has many powerful Yanthrams ; some are

drawn as Kolams on each day of the week before

their home altars and the japam on appropriate

SlOkam is done for the realization of specific wishes .

The hand written Yanthram by Swamy Desikan on

Raama Padhuka (SlOkam 949) with the ashta daLa

Padhmam ( Eight petalled Lotus with Raama PaadhukAs

at the Center ) is a powerful Yanthram for worship .

 

6. Mantra Saasthram is closely linked with Aagamaas

and Tantra . Mantra Saasthrams teach us on the ways

to draw Yanthrams ( geometrical representation of

Manthrams) for bhAya AarAdhanam of Archa Moorthys .

Mantra MahOdadhi of Mahidhara ( composed in 1588 C.E

based on earlier texts ) , TantrasAra Sangraha of KeraLa

are good sources on MantrAs and YantrAs.

 

7. Aagama and Tantra are closely tied to the VedAs.

Nigama (Vedam) and Aagama are the two pillars of

Sanaatana dharmam .

 

8. VedAs deal with performance of Yj~nams and UpAsanaa for

as the means for enhancing the knowledge of the Supreme

Self . The Tantraas deal with the practical details of

the saadhana of UpAsana .

 

9. Aagama and Tantras can be broken into six categories :

Saiva , Saaktha , VaishNava , GaaNapahtya , Soura and KaumAra.

SivAgamAs are 28 in number .

 

10. For us the most important are the VaishNava AagamAs:

PaancharAthra and VaikAnasa aagamams. Aagamams in

general deal with four aspects : Charyai , Kriyai ,

Yogam and Jn~Anam . The first two deal with the devotee's

duties and the Temple worship procedures . The root of

PaancharAthra Aagamam is rcognized as yEkAyana

Veda Saakhai and hence the links of Aagamam ( Tantram)

are clear. Further Paancha Raathra Samhithais arose

from the Lord Himself.

 

11. PaancharAthra Aagamam has many samhithAs

( NaaradhIya , Paadhma , Isvara, Saathvatha , Paushkara ,

JayAkhya , Hayaseerasha , SrIPrasna et al.

The importance of Aagamams have been established

by the PoorvAchArya works ( Aagama PrAmANyam ) and

PaancharAthra RakshA by Swamy Desikan .

 

12. There are siddhAntha BhEdhams in PaancharAthram:

Aagaa SiddhAntham , Manthra SiddhAntham ,

Tanthra SiddhAntham and TanthrAnthara SiddhAntham .

All of these are recognized by Swamy Desikan

as leading to the realization and attainemnt of

Brahman ( Brahma PrApthi).

 

13. These four siddhAnthams should not be mixed up

in observances . ParihAram should be performed if

there is sankara dhOdsham ( admixtures).

 

14. VaikAnasam and PaancharAthram should not

be observed in the same temple. For instance ,

Prathishtai done in VaikAnasa Method will require

Aaraadhanam by VaikAnasa Bhattars and not by

PaancharAthra Bhattars. You have to be born into

VaikAnasa Family and can not be inducted later .

PaancharAthra Aagamam is more geenrous as to

who can be given dheekshai.

 

15. At Sri RanganAtha Temple , Pomona , NY ,

JayAkhya Samhitha method of worship is followed .

Oppiliaapan Sannidhi , Thiruvaheendhrapuram

sannidhi follow VaikAnasa Aagama . Srirangam and

Kaanchi follow and most other temples follow

PaancharAtra Aagamam .

 

This amil has gotten longer than I intended .

Hence I stop here .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

-

"Sreenivas" <sreenu_518

<tiruvenkatam>

Monday, August 09, 2004 2:29 AM

[t'venkatam] Do Vaishnava Tantras Exist & are they in Practise

 

 

> Dear Members,

>

> I have some questions on Mantra/Yantra/Tantra Perspective of Lord

> Vishnu

>

> 1) I understand that the ultimate goal of vaishnava is Parama

> Padam....by doing prapatti...which is dwelt on by acharyas....but do

> they allow using of Vishnu Mantra s in getting Material

> Benifits...Such kind of Mantra s / Tantras exist....

>

> 2) Can Yantra be used to pray to LORD , instead of Vigraham....i

> think it might be used , but do acharyas advocate using it...OR any

> acharya use s it in there poojas

>

> 3) I Heard in Kerala....they is some thing called as Narasimha

> Tantra.... , they say that any Mantra...can be counter acted by other

> Mantra....But Narasimha Tantra when used cannot be counter acted by

> anything.....anything...

>

> 4) I read Sri Madhava Acharya of Dwaitha Matham has written

> TantraSara , which i think Deals with Vishnu Tantra s....I Read in

> Kerala near Guru VayurAppa Temple , People who use Krishna Tantra s

> exist

>

> 5) Does Ramanuja Matham also has any similar....Tantra Grandhas

>

> 6) Were these kind of Vaishnava Tantras , existed prior to "Archarya

> Ramanuja".....may be in Vedic Period

>

> 7) In MahaBharat i think there are Vaishnava Mantras used in

> War....like...BhagavathDatta...throws Ankusha (by using Vaishnava

> Mantra to make it Potent) at Arjuna....Lord Krishna saves Arjuna by

> accepting it as garland...

>

> I agree that Bhakthi is best thing for Lord Vishnu`s Grace , but

> these above questions i asking out of pure curiosity

>

> & also i would like to ask does "Myths & Miracles" to be published

> by "Sri Anbil RamaSwamy" (as written on back cover of Hinduism Re

> discovered) will cover this kind of topics ?

>

> Thanks