Acharya Hridhayam - Azhwar's Attraction towards Archavataram

[Guest guest]

Message: 10

Tue, 17 Sep 2002 21:47:26 +0530

"Padmanabhan" <aazhwar

AchArya hridhayam

 

>Does these qualities exist in all the five forms? namely para, vyuham,

vibhavam,antharyAmi and archai? No certain qualities exist in each form but

all the >qualities exist in the archAvatAram and hence, AzhwAr is attracted

towards archAvataram to a great great extent.

 

Not true. The Jayakhya Samita of the Pancharatra Agam establishes unique

attributes to Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Vaasudeva who are the vyuhA

avatArams. The Para avatAram is the very repository of Suddha Sattvam which

is a quality. The ArchAvatAram is an mixture of excess of Sudhha Sattvam

with prakriti. Refer AgamapramAnyam of Yamunacharya (purvAcharya of

Ramanujar) for details.

 

Regards,

 

Malolan Cadambi

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya nama:

Dear Malolan,

What Sri PadmanAbhan said is very much true. Some information

from Ramanuja's SriBhASya and SaraNAgati GaDya.

 

The "five" forms of the Deity(As culminating in Ramanuja)

are "para,vyUha,vibhava,antaryAmi,archa". Let's see what Ramanuja has

got to say when he defends pAncharAtric system in SiBhASya!

 

Five defining attributes of Brahman/Self(para form, hence

paratva/Supremacy)-satya,jnAna,ananta,Ananda,amalatva

 

SampUrNa sadguNyavapus(vyUha forms)-

jnAna,bala,aishvarya,vIrya,shakti,thEjas

 

The four vyUha forms are vAsudEva,samkarshaNa,pradhyumna,aniruddha

 

SamkarshaNa-when jnAna and bala are manifested

Pradhyumna - when aishvarya and vIrya are manifested

Aniruddha - when shakti and thEjas are manifested

 

Ramanuja uses the word "paratva" three times in SBh 3.2.35 and once

in 3.2.37. and nowhere else he uses the term. His main aim was to

refute Shankara's "nirguNa etc" Brahman. Ramanuja always confines

himself to the point at issue. Ramanuja gives a detailed explanation

for the first sUtra "aThAthO BrahmaginyAsA" alone(runs more than 100

pages).

 

Ramanuja,in his defense of pAncharAtrAs,in SriBhASya mentions only

three[Cf SBh 2.2.41]: "subtle"(sUkshma),the fourfold "division" of

the Supreme reality(vyUha),and the manifestations in incarnations

such as RAmA and KrSNA(vibhava). Ramanuja quotes ViSNu purANam(where

these six kalyANa guNAs are stated) in SBh,to define the nature of

BhagavAn,which play an important role in the doctrine of the vyUas in

the pAncharAtra Agamas.

 

"The Supreme Brahman,called vAsudeva,whose body consists of the

complete(sampUrNa)group of the six qualities divides itself into the

different forms of sUkshma,vyUha,and vibhava and He is attained in

His fullness by the devotees who according to their

qualifications,worship Him by means of works guided by knowledge.

They teach that "from the worship of vibhava one attains to the

vyUha,and from the worship of the vyUha one attains to the

sUkshma,the Supreme Brahman,called vAsudeva" [sBh 2.2.41]

 

The two forms of the Deity that Ramanuja doesn't mention in the

section of the SBh,where he defends the orthodoxy of pAncharAtric

system,are the "Inner Controller(antaryAmi)" and "Consecrated Image

(archavatAra)". There are couple of reasons for this! Ramanuja

assigns the same function to both the vyUha and vibhava forms(God

assumes to enable His creatures to reach Him). All these forms have

their unique qualities but in archAvatAra,you find all the qualities.

This is one of the main theme of Ramanuja's philosophy(the

source/cause producing the product/effect leaves the

source "unchanged"). You don't see soulabhyam in "para" because he is

inaccessible! You can refer to BG verses. The paratva and saulabhya

are two extreme qualities(that's the beauty of R's theory!)

 

Ramanuja himself particiapted in worship to the "image/archAvatAra"

form of the Deity in temples and at home. Ramanuja quotes BG 4.11

which speaks of the Lord manifesting Himself to men in other shapes

(archa form) than those of His incarnations,suggests that Ramanuja

regarded consecrated images also as Dinine manifestations for the

benefit of worshipers. Ramanuja paraphrases the Lord's statement

as "although I'm beyond the grasp of speech and thought,I adapt

Myself to those who follow My ways,in such a way that they may not

only see Me but may enjoy Me with all their senses".

 

Ramanuja mentions all the qualities(during his conversation with the

archa mUrthy Lord SriRanganAtha)in the gaDyam while doing his

prapatti to the Lord and that's why AzhvArs and also Ramanuja got

attracted to the archAvatAram. Disregarding His Supremacy,out of

His own gracious will(to liberate the souls),He stoops Himself low

and takes an inanimate body and places Himself at the hands of

devotees to feed Him,dress Him up etc...That shows His extreme

soulabhya/accessibility(He doesn't lose His greatness/Supremacy by

being accessible)which you don't find in any of the other forms. He

is indeed "Jagathrakshakan".

 

>From where did you get the defn of "archAvatAra" because Ramanuja

doesn't talk about it in SriBhASya. This leaves room for people who

do research in SriVaishNavism to ponder over Ramanuja's thoughts(why

he did/didn't)! Can you please quote the exact passage/the sUtra no

(so that I can cross check)?

 

Note: Ramanuja uses terms like "sausIlyam" many times in SriBhASya

but doesn't define those qualities. Ramanuja takes certain things for

granted and assumes without defining them. His main concern was on

passages which were under the attack of Advaitins/non-advaitins and

those which needed clear clarification. That's Ramanuja's style.

 

Best regards

 

AzhvAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar TruvadigaLE saraNam

nappinnai