INSTALLATION OF THE LORD

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INSTALLATION OF THE LORD

All ritualisms start in Hinduism with a beautiful

function-the installation of the Lord in the devotee’s

own physical form. This is technically called as

Anga-Nyaasa and Kara-Nyaasa. The “Installation in the

Limbs”, and the “Installation in the Palm”. This is a

method by which the seeker with wilful thoughts and

deliberate physical signs sanctifies himself to be a

Divine Temple and installs various sacred deities in

himself.

This helps the student to realise that though he is

worshipping the Lord as a Goal (or an Ideal) other

than himself (bheda or anya), in fact, he is to seek

his identity with no traces of differentiation (Abheda

or Ananya), between himself and the Lord. The final

realization is a perfect identity indicated in the

Mahaavaakya. “I am Brahman”. (Aham Brahmaasmi).

Neither in the Northern texts nor in the original

Mahaabhaarata do we find this ‘subjective installation

ceremony’ (Anga-Nyaasa) prescribed. However, pundits

of ritualism in the South employ the Anga-Nyaasa; and

it being such a beautiful act, so very helpful to the

seekers, we give here below the most popular one

practised widely in the South.

This “Installation Ceremony” declares to the devotees

that the enchanting form of Vishnu is to be ultimately

realised as One Infinite Reality without names or

forms-in which the recognition of even the distinction

of the meditator-meditated- meditation is to cease.

Beside this deep significance, even though it be only

for the time being, the student is also given a

temporary sense of purity and sanctity in himself.

Just as a devotee feels highly inspired in the divine

atmosphere of a sacred temple, so too, after the

Anga-Nyaasa, however shattered we might have been,

before we entered the Pooja-room, we can artificially

work ourselves up into a divine mood of peace and

purity.

The body itself is rendered as the temple of the Lord,

wherein the various limbs become the altars upon

which, with a heart of love and faith, the devotee

invokes and installs various deities. In this process,

in order to bring the full blast of the sacred

suggestions to him, the repetition of each of these

mantras is emphasised by a corresponding physical

sign. The idea is only, as we have already explained,

to establish the correct mood for devoted

contemplation.

A. asya Vishnu-sahasranaama-stotrasya veda-vyaasa

Rishih

For this sacred chant, the “Thousand Names of Lord

Vishnu”, Sri Veda Vyaasa is the Rishi.

Great mantras of deep spiritual significance and

sublime Vedic dignity are not mere poetic compositions

by mortal fallible intellects. When a. mastermind

through meditation transcends the lower levels of his

personality and soars into the higher mental

altitudes, through his contemplation, there he

‘receives’ certain ‘revelations’ which are faithfully

repeated by them to the world. Such ‘heard’ statements

(Srutam) alone have the power to stand against the

onslaught of the intellect, the ravages of time, the

forces of criticism etc.

Such statements when contemplated upon by lesser

seekers, they too, in the spiritual cadence of these

mantras, get unconsciously uplifted into realms

unknown, and there they come to live a world of

experiences unfrequented by the ordinary multitudes.

The ‘author of the mantra’ is thus termed in our Vedas

as the ‘Seer’ (Mantra- Drashtaa). Such Rishis

themselves admit that they did not manufacture,

compose or create the mantra, but they had a

revelation or vision (Darsanam) of the mantra.

The Mantra- Drashtaa, the Rishi, is the guru of the

seeker, who is seeking his path with the help of that

particular mantra. The Rishi of a mantra is installed

at the roof of the head and the seeker, in his seat of

Vishnu-Sahasranaama-chanting, first of all chants this

mantra in his mind, and, with his right-hand thumb,

middle-finger and ring-finger touches the top of his

head.

B. Anushtup Chandah

The metre in which the revealed mantra comes to the

teacher is also mentioned because it orders the

discipline that should be followed while chanting the

mantra. Anushtup is the name of the particular metre

in which this thousand-name- chant on Vishnu is sung.

The chant is to come out through the mouth, and

therefore, the ‘altar of the metre’ can be only the

mouth. The fingers that were touching the roof of the

head now come down to touch significantly the lips,

when the mantra ‘B’ is repeated in the mind by the

seeker.

C. Sri Vishvaroopo Mahaavishnur-Devataa

Lord Vishnu of the form of the entire universe of

variegated names and forms (Vishva-roopah) is the

deity of the mantra. Vishnu is the theme of the chant.

The Lord of Vaikuntha is the altar at which the

devotee is preparing to offer himself in humble

dedication and utter surrender. Since Lord Vishnu is,

to the devotee, the Lord of his heart, the very centre

of his personality, while chanting mentally the mantra

'C' the student, with all sincerity and devotion,

installs the Lord in his heart, bringing the fingers

from the lips down to touch the centre of his bosom.

D. Devakee-nandanah srashteti Saktih

Every deity is a manifestation of the mighty

Omnipotency of the Supreme. The creator and sustainer

(Srashtaa) of Dharma, the son of Devaki

(Devakeenandana), is the manifested power of the

Almighty. This creative power of righteous- ness and

peace is installed at the navel (naabhi) point, and,

therefore, the fingers come down from the heart region

to the navel.

E. Sankha-bhrit nandakee chakree iti Keelakam

The mighty Creative Power invoked and established on

the navel region cannot be as such conceived by the

mind. Therefore, to ‘nail’ it down (Keelakam) and

establish it in our comprehension, this mantra

conceives the Power as the Lord, who bears the Conch,

the Sword, named Nandaka, and the Discus. This is only

to show how the total cosmic Power, expressed in terms

of our present understanding as creation, sustenance,

and destruction, is but a manifestation of the Lord.

The conch (Sankha) represents the ‘call’ of the

Reality, the Lord’s own declarations stated in the

scriptures. Nandaka, the sword that punishes to bring

joy (Nandana) into the community and the destruction,

without which evolution is impossible, is represented

by the concept of the Discus (Chakra).

Here it is also to be noted that the blowing or the

conch represents speech; wielding the sword represents

action and the discus that takes off from Him at His

will, represents his thoughts. Thus this great Power

installed at the navel expresses itself in the world

through speech, action and thought.

To conceive fully this form is to hold firmly the

Lord’s own feet, and, therefore, when this mantra is

mentally chanted, the fingers move away from the

navel, and with both hands the seeker touches his own

feet.

Here it is to be carefully noted how the Guru is kept

at the roof of the head, the Veda in the mouth, the

Lord in the heart, the Power in the navel and,

thereby, the seeker himself becomes so sacred that he

prostrates unto himself by holding his own feet. Can

there be a better method of preparing the devotee to

realize ultimately his identity with the Lord?

F. Saarnga-dhanvaa-gadaa-dhara iti Astram

Whenever there is a large wealth in a box it becomes a

treasure and it is locked and safely protected; when

this divine installation has taken place, and

therefore, the body has become the Temple of the

Almighty, and therefore, it has become a scared

treasure house to be protected. But the seeker himself

has no power to protect, and so, he invokes the very

weapon (Astra) of Vishnu, the protector of the world,

to stand by for the defence of the sanctified bosom.

Saarga is the name of the Bow (Dhanus) of Vishnu and

the Mace (Gadaa) is another of his weapons. These two

form the artillery of defence; which are manned by the

Lord himself. At this moment when this mantra is

mentally chanted, it is significant that the student

lifts the palm away from the feet, and with the

stretched out index and middle fingers of the right

palm snaps them on the open left palm.

G. Rathaangapaanir-akshobhya iti Netram

Lord Vishnu as Lord Krishna played the part of the

charioteer and gained the name “Rein-handed”

(Rathaangapaani). A charioteer has to guide every step

of every horse in order that the chariot be safe, and

the travel be pleasant. Of the sense organs eyes are

the most powerful and once they are well guided, all

others also follow their heels. When Lord Vishnu, the

charioteer, Himself is installed in the eyes, the

individual is safe in his spiritual pilgrimage.

Therefore, invoking the Divine Driver, with reins in

his hand (Rathaangapaani), He is installed in the pair

of eyes, and at the moment of mentally chanting this,

both the eyes are touched by the tip of the fingers.

H. Trisaamaa saamagah saameti Kavacham

He (Tri-Saamaa) who is glorified by all the three

type, of Saama songs (Deva-Vrata-Prokta), He who is

the very theme that is glorified by the Saama songs

(Saamagah), He whose glory itself is the manifested

Sama Veda (Saama), He is none other than the Supreme

This great Lord is installed a, an armour to wear for

self-protection While chanting this in the mind the

seeker first touches with the tip of his finger, of

each arm, the same shoulders, and afterwards crosses

the arm, in front of him making fingers of each palm

touch the other shoulder-as if he is actually wrapping

himself and wearing the divine armour.

I. Anandam brahmeti Yonih

The Supreme Brahman, the Infinite Bliss is the very

womb (Yonih) from which the universe has emerged out.

The procreated world of endless variety has only one

Eternal Father, and this source is immaculate Bliss.

When this is chanted the seeker installs the Bliss

Infinite at the very place of procreation in himself.

It is a spot in this great divine temple of the body,

wherein is the one source, from which the world has

emerged out, manifesting itself as the power of

procreation (Taittireeya).

J. Visvaroopa iti Dhyaanam

The entire band of experience gained through the

instruments of the body, mind and intellect in terms

of perceptions, emotions and thoughts together is

indicated by the term Visva. He, who has manifested to

be the total world of experiences (Visva), must

therefore be Visvaroopah. The cosmic form of the Lord

(Visvaroopa) is the total universe. Thus to meditate

(Dhyaanam) upon Him as the whole universe, is a method

of installing Him in our intellect. At this moment the

student locks his fingers and sits in meditation.

K. Ritam sundarasnah kaala iti Dikbandhah

Truth (Ritam), the lord, and his weapon, the discus,

called Sudarsana, and his annihilating power, Time

(Kaala)-these three are the mighty forces that guard

this scared temple of life in the seeker at the outer

frontier of his world of influence (Dik-Bandhah). To

be truthful and ever to seek the great Reality

(Ritam), to discriminate and see the play of the Lord

in all situations (Su-Darsanam), and to control the

very instrument of the time (Kaala), which is

intellect in the seeker, is to guard the frontiers of

one’s spiritual world, against the hoards of inimical

forces. At this moment the student snaps his middle

finger with the help of his thumb and runs his palm

around his head. After all, the universe dwells in our

own concept.

L. Sree-mahaa-vishnu-preetyarthe jape Viniyogah

Having thus installed through sankalpa the Lord in

himself and having come under the protecting wings of

the mighty lord, here is the declaration how he is

going to employ himself in it. He is going to engage

himself (Viniyoga) in japa (jape) of the “Thousand

Names of Lord”. Now the question is: with what motive

should be undertake this chanting? The answer is in

the very statement that it is only for the grace

(Preetyarthe) of Sree Maha Vishnu. After chanting this

declaration in the mind, the saadhaka, takes a spoon

of water (Teertham) in his right palm and pours it on

the floor in front of him.

A true seeker is not desire-ridden for material

satisfaction, and, therefore, he can have only one

intention-the grace of lord, which will manifest in

him as contemplative power.

These twelve ‘slogans’ are chanted for invoking and

installing these refreshing and spiritually benign

ideas on the limbs of the devotee himself. At this

juncture this makes him inspired sufficiently for

higher meditation upon the truth as indicated and

directed by the thousand terms in Sahasranaama.

This beautiful subjective ritual is known as

‘Installation on the limbs’ (Anganyaasa). Not only

that the student temporarily discovers a new surge of

inspiration, but even beginners feel highly relived,

at least temporarily, from the load of his senses of

‘sins’. When this is properly performed with a right

attitude and devotion, to an extent the student gains

identification (saaroopya) with the Lord of his heart,

at least at the outer levels of his personality.