answer to query reg Brahman, Lord Narayana and Vaikuntam

[Guest guest]

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.

 

 

 

 

LAUNCH - Your Music Experience

http://launch.

[Guest guest]

Purusha Suktam which has the unique qualification as

being part of all the four vedas

also has these lines

hreeshca te lakshmeeshca patnyau | ahorAtre pArshve |

nakshatrANi roopam | ashvinau vyAttam |

which essentially says that the Purusham has Lakshimi

and Hree has HIS consorts.

And Purusha Sukta is the Big Bang as per vedic

religion. It is a vivid description of everything

manifested. And to whom everything belongs.

 

Please visit musicindiaonline.com and follow links

on devotional/sanskrit links to get to Sukta.

 

We have to suppress our temptation to question

and start examining to nth degree the significance

of numerals as we know it.

 

Sahasranama also starts with 1000 faces etc...

but that would be limiting and will render many

other vedic statements that declare Brahman to be

unlimited.

JagadGuru Adi Sankara in an essay available over the

net at the kanchi peetam elaborates more on the

significance/or insignificance of select numerals used

in our vedic literature. A thesis is that these

numeric references are not to be taken literally.

 

There is nothing significant about a four armed

Sriman Narayana. Whether Sriman Narayana has any

arms at all is not worth pondering.

P. Suukta clearly says

Eta Vanasya Mahima (everything is HIS glory)

yad bhUtam yac ca bhavyam (ultimate reality is beyond

time)

Because Sriman Narayana can will any arm in this world

to do just about anything. Sriman Narayana does not

need arms that belong to him. It appears such

descriptions are similar to the way modern scientists

conjure up alien life forms that look much like

human being.

 

Adiyen is not qualfied in terms of mastery over

these scriptures but adiyen has ventured purely from a

common sense

point of view. Having admitted the fore.

What is Brahman, Who that is Brahman really is

beyond my speculative or my domain of reason.

no disrespect/offense is meant to anyone or any group.

Adiyen having enjoyed and benefitted the knowledge

of Purusha Sukta would recommend reading and

understanding Purusha Sukta to everyone who has

not had the privilege yet. If you need reference

to Purusha Suukta or a CD with a beautiful rendition

(Tadatmanananda) please send me a note by email.

 

Om Namo Narayana

[[ an attempt to render adiyens feelings in

Thiruppavai language

Ummakey Naam Aatchaivom

Matrai Num Kaamangal

Matralore Embavai

]]

Anandavalli Dasan

T

--- Rajagopalan Iyengar <mayuramtsr wrote: