24 Keshavaadi rupagalu chintane

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shrI hari vAyu gurubhyo namaha

 

Srimad Bhagavatham says

 

bhagavAn brahma kartsyanEna

trIr anvIksya manIshaya

tad adhyavasyat kuTastO

ratir Atma yatO bhavet 2.2.34

 

The great personality Brahma, studied the Vedas intensely with complete concentration with a view to find out the highest perfection of spiritual endeavour. He assertained that devoloping a constant longing for the Lord, an incessant attraction to be engrossed in the thoughts of His glory is the final aim of all of all human efforts.

 

Ugrashravas the Suta tells Shaunakadi rishis in Naimisharanya that all Dharma anushTana is there to induce one to develop an interest in knowing more about the Lord, to develop an avid enthusiasm in exploring the glory of the Lord's greatness through manana - reflecting on the purport of the scriptures as interpretated by a sadguru.

 

All vratas, yagnas, homas, havanas, anushTanas and all knowledge acquired should result in conviction about the greatness of the Lord and His benefaction on all the jivas. Otherwise the time spent in these activities would be mere waste.

 

 

What is the significance of the Keshava aadi, 24 rupas of the Lord?

 

 

Vijaya Dasaru says :

AnaMda AnaMda matte paramAnaMda

Anandana kaMda enaMdadde vEdavriMda

 

A modalu shakarAMtha varnagalella

swAmiyAda vishnuvina nAma veMdu tilidavage

Ananda Ananda matte paramAnanda

 

One who knows that all the varnas beginning from 'A' and ending with 'xa' are all the names of Vishnu and can visualize His glory with every syllables that one utter, such a person will be in total ecstasy again and again.

 

With this in mind, one has to perform all nitya karmas. It implies that these karmas would naturally be directed at fostering such interest in knowing about the Lord. So while doing achamana, the 24 names of the Lord are said in the right order with the appropriate gestures indicating the presence of the Lord in these parts of the body, and His supreme control on all the abhmani devatas who have been placed in these parts to do the respective kriyas. This then leads to understanding the benefaction that the abhimani devatas are doing on the countless jivas.

 

The 24 roopas of the Lord have a similar form with variations in the aayudhas that are held in the hands. Making all possible permutation combinations of these four aayudhas result in the 24 roopas of the Lord. All forms of the Lord have similar attributes but for specific functions specific roopas have been ennumerated in the shastras. It enables the devotee to focus on the particular form and associated attributes. Here also one can observe God's benevolent nature. As with all things in creation the Lord due to His benevolence on the countless jivas and for their upliftment takes various forms and performs different karyas with different roopas. So exploring them within our limited abilities is one's bounden duty.

 

What's the merit we will get if we do activities like snana, sandhya vandane etc...without the knowledge that Sri Hari is doing all the karmas within us? It'll become useless like doing homa in the ashes. Having true knowledge & doing activities like sandhya vandana, japa, tapa, homa etc... as per dharma shastras will bring special merits.

 

Chaturvimshati Rupas of Vishnu

 

 

Guruvarya Sri Jagannatha dAsaru in His magnus opus, Harikathamruthasaara, 6th chapter, paMcha mahAyaj~na saMdhi describes about chaturvimshati rupa varna devathe & it's importance.

chaturaviMshati tatvadoLu tatpatigaLenisuva brahmamukhadevategaLoLu hadimuru sAviradeMTu nUradhika chaturaviMshati rUpadiMdali vitatanAgiddellaroLu prA

kR^ita puruShanaMdadali paMchAtmakanu ramisuvanu 6- 27, HKS

 

 

Meaning:

 

http://dvaita.info/pipermail/dvaita-list_dvaita.info/2005-August/001015.html

 

 

Sri Vadiraja Theertharu has written shlokas on these Chaturvimshati Keshavaadi rupagalu. Sri Sumatheendra Theertharu has described the respective positions of the Ayudhas (shanka, chakra, gada, padma) for each rupas. Also included are the associated Lakshmi rupas & the lakshanas of Chaturvimshati rupas all in sanskrit.

 

http://www.tatvavada.org/keshavadiroopa/

 

 

In my next postings, we will learn more about each keshavaadi rupas.

 

 

It is to be understood through shastras that each of the letters of the celebrated Gayatri hymn consisting of 24 letters, is represented by one of the 24 forms of Vishnu. And while performing the daily ritual of Sandhya, devara puje, anganyAsa, karanyasa etc... it is customary to recite the names of these 24 forms & consecrate the 24 spots in the body. Gayathri sara sangraha identifies the 24 letters of the mantra with deities presiding (abhimani devatas) over the letters & names of Vishnu.

 

 

The sixth Valaya of Chakrabja mandala http://www.dvaita.org/images/chakramandala.jpg consists of Lotus with twenty four petals. The twenty four Bhagavad roopas represented by the syllables of the Gayathri Manthra are to be meditated. The twenty four (Chathurvimshati) Bhagavad roopas (Keshava, Narayana etc) along with corresponding roopas of Mahalakshmi and the respective Abhimani devathas ( for ex.. Agni for Tha etc) of these twenty four syllables are also included for Dhyana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acharya Madhva quotes Chathurvedashikha in hisBrahmasoothrabhashya to say that the roopas or forms of the Lord could be grouped into the Vyuharoopas like Vasudeva, Ten forms such as Mathsya, hundred forms such as Narayana, a thousand forms such as Vishva, a very large number of forms (Amitha)

such as Para, and infinite forms (anantha) such as Aja.

 

The various rupas mentioned in the various avataras, Vyuhas and the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama are " different " via the strength of Vishesha.

 

 

 

For example, the same namas mentioned in the Dashavataras such as Vamana/Trivikrama and Narasimha and Sri Krishna are " different " from those mentioned in the 24 Keshavadi Namas.

Also for example, the sankarshana, aniruddha, pradyumna, vasudeva and narayana rupas are " different " from the same names mentioned in the 24 Keshavadi Namas. These are " distinguished " where the color of specific rupas are sometimes mentioned to enable one to make out that it is the pancha vyuha vs. the 24 vyuha etc etc.

And within the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama itself, there are multiple repetitions, which are " different " as well.

While doing the Kalasha puja where we invoke the 51 matrikas rupas , the 24 keshavadi rupas, the 10 avatara rupas, the 4 vAsudevadi rupas (Vasudeva, Pradhyumna, Sankarshana, Anirudha), the 4 vishvAdi (Vishwa, tejasa, pragnyA, turya) rupas and the 4 Atmadi (atma, antaraatma, paramathma, jnAnAthma) rupas along with Vedavyasa, dattatreya and Simshumara rupas as being repetitive!

Paramathma has neither birth nor death; neither growth nor decline and is devoid of all limitations and blemishes. He has hands and legs, head and eyes and other limbs everywhere. Our eyes can see only but cannot hear,smell, taste and so on, but there is no difference between Himself and

various parts of His body like limbs, nails, hair etc nor His variousaMtaryAmi rUpa-s. (svagata beda vivarjitha concept). shrI Jagannatha dAsaru in his Magnus opus Harikathamruthasaara, 2nd chapter, 8th, 9th verse....

 

 

jagavanellava nirmisuva nAlmoganoLage tAniddu salahuvagaganakeshanoLiddu samharisuvanu lOkagaLaswagata bhedavivarjitanu sarvaga sadAnaMdaikadehanu

bagebageya nAmadali karesuta bhakutarannu poreva

Obbanali niMtAduvanu hari

mattobbanali noDuvanu,beduva nobbanali nIDuvavanu mAtADuvanu beragAgi abbarada heddaivaniva mattobbaranu lekkisanu lokadoLabbane tA bAdhya bAdhakanAha nirbhita

In the feet, via JayaMta (pAdAbhimani), as dAmOdara rUpi ParamAtma, Hedoes the function of movement or standing and gives the feeling to the

jIva that he is doing this activity. In the eyes via sUrya (nEtrAbhimAni), as madhusUsadana rUpi ParamAtma Hedoes the function of sight i.e. He sees and makes us see.In the hands as daxaprajapati (hastAbhimAni), as padmanAbha rUpi

ParamAtma He does the function of accepting or giving gifts.

Similarly, all functions are carried out by the body with the help of Paramathma itself. Paramathma is capable of carrying out impossible & extra ordinary tasks.

There is neither real difference between Him and His various forms, attributes and actions nor among themselves.

Shasthras tell us that Upasana should start from within from the Parama chethana and proceed outward covering the Bhagavad Roopas, Parivaara Roopas,Chith Prakruthi, Thathvabhimanis etc and end up with Jada aspects like Kaala, Pancha Bhuthas, Mathrukas etc.

 

 

Sri Vadiraja tirtha has written a stotra called 'chaturvimshati mUrti stotra' (http://www.dvaita.net/pdf/vadiraja/chaturvimshati.pdf)

describing the 24 rUpas of the Lord. And also Sri SumatIndra Theertharu has also described 24 rupas of the Lord which we will be discussing in detail each rupas in my next postings.

 

contd in the next posting

 

Some of these contents was contributed by Smt. Parimala Raghavendran & Sri Venkatesh Mutalik in this particular posting.

 

haraye namaha,

bhAratIramaNamukhyaprANA.ntargata shri kR^iShNArpanamastu -- *shriishaH sharaNam.h*

mama svAmI harirnityaMsarvasya patireva cha*xemaM vidhAsyati sa no bhagavAn.h tryadhIshaH | trAtAsmadIyavimR^ishenakiyAnihArthaH*sarvAdhAraH, sarvakAraH, sarvaprerakaH, sarvasattApradaH,sarvashabdavAchyaH, sarvAchintyaH, sarvakarmakartA, sarvakarmapUjyaH, sarvakarmasAxI,

sarvadevAdivandyaHviShNuH sarvottamaH, anantaguNapUrNaH, doShadUraH, svatantraH, sarvasvAmI,sarvasR^iShTyAdikartA, sarvAntaryamI, sarvavyAptaH, mama anantopakArakaH,sa eva gurudevatAntargataH san.h pApAdi nAshayati, bhaktiGYAnAdi anugR^iNAti

taddAsohaM, nAhaM svatantraH na mama kArakANi, sarvANi taddattAnyeva, sarvaMtasmin.h samarpyatepUrNaH preShThaH paraH svAmI vyAptaH kartA upakArakaH | raxatyeva tadIyaMmAM karmArchyo gurudevagaHsarvarige preraka sarvakartabhokta

sarvatradali vyApta sarvashabda vAchasarvaguNa paripUrNa sarvadoShadUrasarvaGYAnagamya sarvashakta mUrtisarvesha cheluva gopAlaviThalareyasarvAntariyAmi sarvabauma namo