The Vaibhavam of Sri Sudarsana(Narasimha) BhagavAn: Part III

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the previous posting , adiyEn summarized the response

to the first Question regarding Sri Sudarsana BhagavAn or

" Ezhil Aazhi iRaivan " as saluted by Swamy Desikan.

adiyEn will take up the next question : What is the meaning

of the Naamam , " Sudarsanan " ? adiyEn will summarize and

add to the commnets of ThirukkOttiUr Swamy .

 

adiyEn is glad that Thirukkudanthai Sampath Rengarajan

has started writing about The Sudarsana BhAgavaan's

Vaibhavam in the context of the Construction of the Yaaga

Saalai at Thirukkudanthai ChakrapANi Koil .

 

At this time , the wonderfully assembled CD ROM from

on the Vaibhavam of Vaikunta Vaasi , U.Ve. SalakshaNa

GhanapaaDi , Sri MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr Swamy

arrived . Among all the informative tributes assembled by

this MaahAn's dear devotees , there is a section on YajNam

and prepartions for the MahA Yaj~nams for Sri Narasimha

BhagavAn by Him . AdiyEn will describe this week end about

the rigors of constructing yaj~na Saalai , consecrating it

and the 32 steps in conductance of the SvAthi Yaj~nams

to conclusion as practised by the Maha Nrusimha Yaj~na Adhvaryu

Sreshtar. These are narrated by Srimans Sunder Rangachar and Vijay

BhAshyam and other devotees . Sriman Rajagopalan Srinivasan of

Minnesotta and his tireless team has released this wonderful

CD ROM to help continue the conductance of the 107 Yaj~nams

performed by this Guru Bhakthi Ratnam , Sri MukkUr Swamy .

He was an ardent disciple(Sishya rathnam ) of Sri Ahobila Matam

Jeeyars and His AchArya Bhakthi was exemplary.

As we approach the 76th birthday celebration of prakrutham

Jeeyar , HH Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha PaadhukA Sevaka SriVaNN

SatakOpa Sri NarayaNa MahA Desikan , the AchArya Bhakthi of

MUkkUr Swamy looms large before our minds . Please join in

the celebrations for the Current Azhagiya Singar as

He completes the his 75 years and enters into the 76th

year of Kaimkaryam to His AchAryAs and Aaraadhana Moorhty

Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan . Please contact adiyEn or Sriman

Dileepan regarding your participation of this mile stone

in the life of Sri NaarAyaNa MahA Desikan.

 

Now coing back to the second question posed by ThirukkOttiUr

Swamy , there are THREE answers given by him:

 

(1) That sankalpam of the Lord to create, protect and destroy

is beyond the control of any one since there is no one equal to

or superior to the Lord. His Sva-Sankalpam , SvyAdhikAram

is known as Darsanam prevails wihtout any kind of obstruction .

It is beyond the limitations of Kaalam and Desam & vasthu.

Since it is so uniquely magnificent and auspicious ,

the auspiciousprefix of " Su " is added to that word " Darsanam "

to yield the ThirunAmam of " Sudarsanam " , which is

the embodiment of Sudarsanar.This is the SusabdhArTam

for the Sacred name of Sudarsanam .

 

(2) This Sudarsanar is the sacred one, who confers auspiciousness

to one and all ( Suhrudham Sarva-BhUthAnAm ).He is Lord Sriman

NaarAyaNan's cool and rejuvenating KatAksham (nectarine glances).

When they fall on the human being at birth , then that person

is blessed with Saathvika GuNams leading to the ultimate

boon of Moksham:

 

JaayamAnam hi purusham yamm pasyEth Madhusoodhana:

Saathvikassa thu vij~nEya: sa vai mOkshArTachinthaka:

 

(3) That Lord has souseelyam and Soulabhyam as declared by Him :

 

" SamOham SarvabhUthEshu na mE dhvEshyOasthi na priya: "

 

He has no partiality and gives fruits based on one's

karmAs (VinaikaL).He has equanimity in His rulership.

His DhaNdadharathvam arises from His wish to free

the jeevan from the ills caused by for their trespasses

of His commands :

 

Sruthis-smruthi mamaivAj~nA yasthAmm-ullangya vartatE

ajn~AcchEdhI Mama dhrOhi Madh-bhakthOpi na VAISHNAVA:

 

Even the punishment He metes out is a KrupA Kaaryam

to rid them of their offenses and bring them back into

His fold and bless them . Looked in this manner , He

continues to be Sudarsanan ( NannOkku Udayavan in Tamil).

Offenders like Sage DhurvAsar was not destroyed by

Sudarsana BhagavAn , when the angry sage offended

a Parama BhAgavathan like King AmbharIshan. DhurvAsar

was chased by the Sudarsana Bhagavan until the sage

fell at the feet of the very same AmbharIshan , whom

he had offended. Then ,the benovolent Sudarsana BhagavAn

as a Suhruth left the Sage alone. Again , the Sudarsana

BhagavAn as AayudhEswaran chased KaakAsuran as the power

behind the BrahmAsthram sent by Lord Raamachandran .

Jaanaki Raaman consecrated a blade of grass with

the powers of BrahmAsthram to destroy the KaakAsuran

for his offences against His Devi. The Suhruth chased

KaakAsuran around the universes until He fell at the feet

of Sakala Loka MaathA , souhgt Her pardon and was spared .

 

In summary, by invocation of the name Sudarsanan , we

understand the meaning of that dhivya Naamam as :

 

(1) The uninterruptable (aprathihitham ) sankalpam

of the Lord , which arises from His svayAdhikAram

and svath-sankalpam.

 

(2) The most auspicious and benovolent katAksham

of the SarvalOka Suhruth, Sriman NaarAyaNan .

 

(3) That impartial , nectarine eye-glances , which

nullify the aparAdhams of erring jeevans and engages

in the krupA Kaaryam of meting out just punishment

and uplifting the Jeevans to His aasthAnam (Supreme

abode ).

 

May those Sudarshanams of Lord Sudarshana BhagavAn

protect us always as a Kavacham (shield)!

 

The Fourth Question:

*********************

What are the fruits or benefits by comprehending

the Tatthvam behind Lord Sudarsanan ?

 

A full understanding of His Tatthvams makes us realize

that we are not svthanthrAs with control over destinies.

By conducting ourselves with aanukoolya sankalpam

(performing only the deeds that please Him )

and Praathikoolya Varjanam ( staying away from

deeds that will be displeasing to Him ), we attain

the the full range of fruits that the four kinds

of seekers seek.

 

The Fifth Question

*******************

 

Is it enough to know His Tatthvam ? Do we need

to do anything else besides comprehension of His

Tatthvam to attain what we seek ?

 

Mere familiarity with His Tathtvams is not enough to

realize the sought fruits . For instance, we know that

one's hunger will be quenched , if one consumes food.

For quelling one's hunger, one has to eat the appropriate

food instead of just comforting oneself from the bookish

knowledge that consumption of food will remove hunger .

The hunger will not go away from the mere recollection

of the way to quench hunger. We have to take action by

engaging in the act of eating to banish the pangs of hunger.

 

The Fifth Question:

********************

 

What is the action that we should engage in ? Is it

just one act or more than one?

 

Since we desire so many kinds of fruits depending on

the multiple needs of individuals , we can engage in

a variety of acts(as Kaamya and nishkAmya karmAs )

that are appropriate to the occasion. NishkAmya KarmAs

invoking the principle of " LokA; SamasthA: SukhinO

Bhavanthu , MahAnthOnugrahNanthu " would be preferrable

for PrapannAs and paramaikAnthis .

 

The many approaches to worship Him are:

 

(1) Performing AarAdhanam to Sudarsana BhagavAn

 

(2) Recitation of Sudarsana AshtOttharam or

Sahasra Naamam daily.

 

(3) Thirumajanma with consecrated waters from one or 9 or

1008 kalasams of archA moorthys or Sudarsana SaaLigrAmams .

Sudarsana BhagavAN can alos be invoked (aavAhanam) in

Kalasam or Kumbham and the consecrated waters therefrom

can be used for sacred bath to overcome anishtams(misfortunes).

 

(4) NaivEdhyam (Offerings ) of chithrAnnams , Fruits et al

to those archA moorthys or SaaLagrAma Roopis.

 

(5) Performance of Sudarsana Homams in shaDkONa Yaj~na Kuntams.

 

(6) Prathishtai of ArchAs of Sudarsanan with 4 or 8 or 16 hands

holding the prescribed weapons . The front side will have

the archai of Sudarsana BhagavAn and the back side would

have Yoga Narasimha Moortham with four hands holding

four chakrams and sitting in the middle of two intersecting

triangles ( SahDkONa Yanthram).

 

The archA at Thirukkudanthai , adiyEn recalls , has 8 hands

holding the weapons and mudhrAs. The magnificent archais

at Kaanchi and Srirangam to my recollection have 16 arms

holding the weapons described by Swamy Desikan in His

ShOdasAyudha SthOthram . The most beautiful 16 handed

ArchA Moorthy of Lord Sudarsana-Narasimhan at the

Sri ranganAthA temple at Pomona , NY is one of the most

endearing on eto behold. Sri Ahirbhudhnya Samhithai, Sudarsana

Sathakam et al describe the savaroopam of Lord Sudarsanr .

 

(7) Sudarsana Yanthra AarAdhanai: Worship of the Sudarsana

Yanthram drawn on copper or gold plates in the proper way

is another way to recieve the blessings of Sudarsana BhagavAn.

Sri Nrusimha Yanthram with appropriate bhIjAksharams will be

on the other side. Sakala sampaths are within the reach of

YanthrOpAsakan , the constructor of this Yanthram and the one

who encourages others to create and worship such yanthrams.

 

Ahirbhudhnya samhithai passage celebrates the sarva Sidhdi

Pradhathvam ( yieliding of all siddhis) for yanthra Poojai:

 

SudarsanEna Yukthasya Naarasimhasya Yanthrakam

Ya: Kaarayathi TasyAnyO lOkO vasyO bhavEdhapi

yEthallEkhana maathrENa Sarvam SampadhyathE NruNAm

 

Sarva siddhi pradham sarva sampadhAm yEka kaaranam

parAbhchAra samanam pararAjya Pradham Subham

 

(8) Sudarsana manthra Japam : After initation from a Sudarsana

UpAsakar , Japam can be done for immense kshEmams. Manthra

Japam is considered even more beneficial for realizing

Sudarsana SaakshAthkAram than the performance of Homams.

 

The sixth and Final Question:

******************************

 

Sudarsana Yanthram /Archai : Since both Lord Narasimhan and

Sudarsana BhagavAn are present together in such Yanthrams and

archais , what is the proper procedure to worship them?Whose

AarAdhanai should come first. Who is parivAram to whom here ?

ThirukkOttiUr Swamy quotes from Ahirbhudhnya samhithai

ans Manthra SiddhAnthams about the proper procedure.

The key passages in response to this query are:

 

" ChakrAthmA HarirEva hi " .

 

Hence, worship of Sudarsana BhagavAn as Bhagavath Roopam

in prsence of Sri Yoga Narasimhan is sanctioned. This may

sound controversial. The example of a similar situation

is cited as Sri Raamachandran of Bhagavath Roopam worhipping

as parivAram worshipping Lord RanganAthA (Bhagavath Roopar)

at AyOddhyA as PrAdhAnyar ( " Saha PathnyA VisAlAkshyA

NaarAyaNam upAgamath " of Srimath RaamAyaNam).Sri Paadhma

Samhithai of PaancharAthra Aagamam also provides additional

pramANams on this matter.

 

In the concluding posting , adiyEn will make reference to

the salutations of the AzhwArs to Lord Sudarsanar .

 

Sri SudarsanAya Nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan