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At 03:16 AM 8/9/00 -0000, you wrote:

>Why do we all go to a temple....it is said ..the heart is the place

>of god...then why temple...

>

Dear Srimathi Priya:

 

Srimans MadhavakkaNNan, Hari , Venkatesh Elayavalli have

already given valuable inputs related to your question.

They indicated that the Lord manifests Himself in 5 states

and described the ease of acces of the Lord in His archA

roopam at the temples. I will add a few more points on

the important question that you asked.

 

You referred to one of those five states : Haartha or

AntharyAmi Roopam and asked about another(Archai),

who is resident in Temples consecrated by Aagamic rules.

 

The Isvaran in the heart cavity is present in His

sookshma (most subtle) roopam . This is the AntharyAmi.

The sacred text known as AntharyAmi BraahmaNam

states the the Lord is present in all sentients

and insentients (ChEthana -achEthanams).The upanishadic

text in support of this anthryAmi savrUpan

is: " Ya: Aathma thishtan , aathmAnam antharO yamayathi " .

The Sruthi Vaakhyam also explains the Lord being on top

of an agni jwAlai with the dimension of the head of a wheat

seed : " NeelathO yadhamadhyasthA--TasyA SikhAyA MadhyE

ParamAthmA vyavasthitha: "

 

Achaarya RaamAnujA and other AchAryAs have saluted this

Sookshma SvarUpi residing inside our heart lotus :

 

sEyam dahara PuNDarIka MadhyAkAsa VardhinI

Vahni SkhA Svaantharnihitha NeelathOyadhApa

PARAMAATHMA SVAROOPAA --(VedArhta Sangraham ,

AchArya RaamAnujA).

 

The skills obtained from the practise of

AshtAnga Yogam are indispensible for meditating

upon and seeing this AntharyAmi Brahmam . After

the success in Aathma (antharyAmi Brahma)

SaakshAthkAram , One is qulaified to engage

in Bhakthi Yogam. This is the most difficult

route and only a very few upaasakAs can have

this SvAthma-SaakshAthkAram thru AshtAnga Yogam

after completing Karma Yogam and the Jn~Ana Yogam

steps as a prerequisite .Great Yogis like

Sri Ranga PriyA Swamigal can and have succeded

in these difficult efforts in modern times.

This route is not for us ,the simple folks ,

who do not have the qualifications to succeed in

this effort to see the antharyAmi Brahmam

and go on form there to practise Bhakthi Yogam

to gain Moksha Sukham .

 

Because of His infinite DayA for us , the Lord

takes on an easily accessible state known as

Archai or ArchAvathAram . " avatharathi " means that

He descends from Sri Vaikuntam to this earth and

stays with His dhivya ThirumEni in consecrated

Vigrahams . The Para and VyUha Roopa Moorthy

descends down to bless us and makes it easy for us

to enjoy Him and perform AarAdhanai for Him.

With His anugraham ,we get sadAchArya sambhandham

and perform Prapatthi under their feet and qualify

ourselves for Moksha Siddhi through an easier route

(Prapatthi) than Bhakthi Yogam .

 

This ArchAvathara PerumAL 's presence in

consecrated images has been described by

Sawmi Desikan as:

 

" BhimbhAkruthyAthmanA BhimbhE SamAgathya

avathishtathE " .

 

His saanidhyam (presence )is there in these

consecrated images made of Gold, Silver, Granite,

Wood or Clay. He enters into them and is present

in His Suddha Sathva ThirumEni.Once He responds to

the AavAhanam (invocation ) and enters in to

the PrAkruthic metal or wooden images ,

there is no difference anymore between

this Suddha Sathva ThirumEni and the

PrAkruthic material that He has entered.

 

Those who worship and meditate on this ArchA Moorthy

who is very visible to our maamsa Chakshus

( Flesh based eyes, Humna eyes) in contrast to

AntharyAmi Svaroopan are blessed to attain

sadAchAryan , perform prapatthi and gain

Moksham.

 

The ArchA svarUpi at the Temples is therefore not

a metallic image or wodden image . Due to the power

of PrathishtA VisEsha Manthrams , that earthy material

gets transformed into Aprakruthic , Sudhda Sathva

dhravyam and has the presence of Para VaasudEvan in

Sri Vaikuntam. That which is beyond the speech and

mind of the Yogis become accessible to our fleshy eyes

as revealed by Swami Desikan in his commentary on

Bhagavath Githai:

 

" athra YoginAm vaangmanasAgOcharamapi

chakshurAdhikaraNai: ithivachanAth

ArchAvathAra RoopEapi PararoopathavAnusandhAnam

darsitham " .

 

That is why the AzhwArs lost themselves at

the dhivya Desams and sang with ecstasy about

the anantha kalyANa guNams of the Lord with His devis

in their NaalAyira dhivya prabhandhams so movingly.

 

That is why our AchAryAs pointed the way for us

by creating a temple-focused code of conduct.

The involvement of these AchAryAs

at the temples of Srirangam , ThiruvEnkatam ,

Kaanchi et al are legendary. Here were born

their Sri Sookthis . Some entered into sanyAsAsramam

in fornt of these ArchA Moorthys. Others spent their lives

in kaimkaryams to these ArchA moorthys , who talked

some times to these AchAryAs by breaking their

ArchA Samaadhi.

 

When we stand before Sri RanganAthA and reflect

upon the merger of Godhai and ThiruppANar with

Him , when we reflect upon the daily Maalai

Kaimkaryam of ThoNdardippodi AzhwAr , When we reflect

upon the SaraNAgathi Gadhyam of AchArya RaamAnujA

on a Panguni Uttharam day ,we are transported to

another world .The thought of the sacredness of the dust

from the holy feet of these AzhwArs and AchAryAs

at our temples remind us of our links to this

ancient tradition of temple-rooted culture.

 

The palpable fruits of worshipping ArchAvathAra

Moorthys , performing kaimkaryams to them , enjoying

their many uthsavams and spending lives close

to them have been well illustrated by our

AchArya Paramparai. That is why we worship

the consecrated Moorthys at the temples instead of

traveling on the well nigh impossible route of

experiencing and worshipping the antharyAmi Brahmam

for our Moksham.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Sriman Sadagopan Swamin,

 

Adiyen was delighted to read your input. The penultimate paragraph

is a brilliant summary of the insights contained in the opening

verse of the Padhuka Sahasram " Santa: SrirangapruthvIsha charaNa

trAna shekara: jayanthi BhuvanathrANa padhapankajarENava: " .

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan