Re:ThiruvahIndhrtapuram RathnAngi Series: Sub-vyUham

[Guest guest]

At 03:28 PM 4/3/03 +0530, you wrote:

> " Lakshminatha samarambham Nada yamuna madyamam

>asmadhaachaarya paryantham vande guruparamparam "

>

>Dear Bhakthas,

>

>I have few interesting(May be) questions to ask.

>What are sub divisions in the four Vyuha Murthys - VaasudEva ,

>SamkarshNa ,PradhyumnA and Aniruddha?

>

>Could any one explain these to all who read the mail??

>

>Narasimha Raghavan

 

SrI:

 

Dear SrI Raghavan:

 

I will attempt to answer the above question based on

the knowledge gained from reflections on HH SrImad NaarAyana

YathIndhra MahA Desikan's ( the Current Jeeyar of AhObila matam )

upadesams . All the credit goes to this revered AchAryan of adiyEn

and the deficencies in conveying His noble thoughts are mine.

 

In view of the complexity of the subject dealing with Upanishadic

passages and the cross references , I will be brief and highlight

the information points revealed in detail by SrImad Azhagiya

Singarin His own inimitable way.These are the thoughts

based on Vedic and Upanishadic pasages by PoorvAchAryAs

from Swamy NaaTa Muni, Swamy AlavanthAr, AchArya RaamAnujA,

Kuresar , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar and the subsequent AchArya

Paramparai.

 

The Five unique GuNams of SarvEsvaran

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

1. For a clear understanding of Isvara Tatthvam ,

five of His guNams need to be grasped. These 5 GuNams of

SrIman NaarAyaNan are:(a) Sathyathvam (b) Jn~Anathvam

©Ananthathvam (d)Aanandhathvam and (e) Amalathvam.

 

Upanishad Vaakyams as well as Sruthi manthrams back up

as attestations for these 5 GuNams that characterize

the Brahman/SrIman NaarAyaNan .These guNmas distinguish Him

from all others(gods) and these are proof positive to delineate

His svaroopam as being uniquely different than anyone else

and hence are recognized as Svaroopa Niroopaka Dharmams

(LakshaNams).

 

(a)He is thus Sathya Svaroopan ( no shrinking or expansion

in Svaropam and always stays with out change or vikAram).

 

(b)He is Jn~Ana Svaroopan (He is Svayam prakAsan . He does not need

Dharma BhUtha Jn~Anam to illumine Him) .

 

©He is Anantha Svaroopan ( He can not be limited by Desam ,

Kaalam or Vasthu. He is nithyan/eternal and therefore not

limited by Time ; He is everywhere and is Vibhu and therefore

is not restricted or confined to this place (dEsam) or the other;

He is the indweller of all the sentients and the insentients and

hence He is not restricted to this vasthu or that vasthu.

 

(d)He is Aanandha Svaroopan and is of the form of bliss Supreme.

 

(e)He is Amala Svaroopn and is totally free from any blemishes

whatsoever.

 

These then are the five GuNams that are used for

the Niroopanam/proof of Isvara Tatthvam (Svaroopa NirUpaka

dharmam ).This then is the ParamAthma Svaroopam

that is uniquely different than all others.

 

Other GuNams (Niroopitha Svaroopa ViseshaNams)

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

In addition to the above 5 lakshaNams/guNams , there are

other GuNams associated with the Isvaran to describe Him:

Jn~Anam , Balam , Sakthi, Isvaryam , Souseelyam ,

Vaathsalyam , His divine body ( dhivya ThirumEni/

dhivya MangaLa Vigraham ) , His two vibhUthis

(possessions/wealth): Leela and Nithya VibhUthis.

These serve as VisEshaNams for Him . These are recognized

as Niroopitha Svaroopa VisEshaNams ( the atributes that

qulaify or define the five Svaroopa Niroopka Dharmams

(Sathyathvam , Jn~Anathvam , Ananaththvam ,Aanandthvam

and Amalathvam).

 

The Categories of GuNams

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

All of His limitless guNams and their visEshaNams

can be linked to two major groups :

 

(1) Those linked to His Parathvam /Supermacy

with out equal or Superior

 

(2)Those linked to His Soulabhyam or easy accessibility by

one and all independent of their rank or level of education

or wealth .

 

Links of the GuNams with Parathvam and Soulabhyam

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

The six guNams that are relevant for His Supermacy

(Parathvam) are: Jn~Anam , Balam , Isvaryam,Veeryam ,

Sakthi and Tejas .

 

The GuNams that come in to play to reveal His Soulabhyam

are Souseelyam , Vaathsalyam and others that AchArya

RaamAnujA saluted in his saraNAgathi Gadhyam.As Souseelyam ,

the Supreme and the Mighty Lord mingles readily even with

the lowly ones. Vaathsalya GuNam lets Him overlook the blemishes

and permits Him to extend His affection.

 

All these GuNAs linked with His parathvam and Soulabhyam

never disassociate themselves from the Lord .They become

" SvaroopAsritham " . They stay attached to Him in a steadfast

manner.

 

GuNams coming to the fore based on His status

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

Although all these guNams are linked with His Svaroopam

at all times, He illumines for His UpasakAs , selected guNams

in different states such as Param , VyUham , Vibhavam ,

Archai and AntharyAmi.

 

In the state of Param , He shines as Para VaasudEvan

with all the Six guNams (Jn~Anam , Balam, Isvaryam ,

Veeryam , Sakthi and Tejas) that are relevant to display

His Parathvam.

 

In the state of VyUham , the Lord has four states

Known as VaasudEvan, SankarshaNan , Pradhyumnan and

Aniruddhan. These are known as Chathur VyUhams or

Four states unique to VyUham ( structure, assemblage ).

 

As VyUha VaasudEvan , the Lord has all the six GuNams that

Para VaasudEvan has and is identical to latter. In view of

this , some AchAryAs reduce the VyUha states from four

to three. For instance , KurEsar sticks to the Chathur VyUham

concept that includes VyUha VaasudEvan among the four states.

KurEsar's son , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar prefers the three

VyUham view consisting of three ( SankarshaNa-Pradhyumna-

Aniruddhan) Moorthys only. The three vyUham view fold think that

VyUha VaasudEvan is indistinguishable from Para VaasudEvan

and hence reduce the count from four to three.

 

Now comes the division of the dominant Six guNams

for each of the three VyUha Moorthys. A distinct pair of

GuNams are linked to each of the three VyUha Moorthys.

 

Bhagavan as SankarshaNa VyUha Moorthy has the pair of

GuNmas, Jn~Anam and Balam as predominant ones. Pradhyumna

Moorthy has Isvaryam and Veeryam and Aniruddhan displays

Sakthi and Tejas.

 

With Jn~Anam and balam , SankarshaNa Moorthy performs

the duties of SamhAram (Dissolution) and creates Saasthrams

for the world.

 

With Isvaryam and Veeryam , Pradhyumna Moorthy performs

the duties of Creation and spreads the Dharmam among

the sentients of the Universe.

 

With the display of Tejas and Sakthi, Aniruddha Moorthy

engages in Protective duties and instructs the world about

the Tatthvam . Bhagavan HayagrIvan , the VidhyA Moorthy

is therefore linked to Aniruddha VyUha Moorthy.

 

One thing that needs to be emphasized is that the Lord

incarnating as the three VyUha Moorthys still has all

the six GuNmas although they illumine their pair of

GuNams for the benefit of their UpAsakAs.

 

The aarAdhana kramam for the individual VyUha Moorthys

be they three or four is provided by PaancharAthra Aagamam.

 

Four Types of UpAsakars

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

The Upasakars of the four VyUha Moorthys are grouped

under four categories depending on their state of

proficiency. These four UpAsakars are recognized as

Jaagrath , Svapnavath, adhyalasa and ThurIya PrAyars.

 

The Jaagrath prAyarsare at the early stages of UpAsanai.

They are like the ones , who are wide awake and are more

involved with the anubhavam of external objects .Their dhyAnam

or MaanasIka VyApAram will be less compared to outside vyApArams.

 

The Svapnavath prAyar are like the one , who is in a dreaming

state. Their external indhriyams/sensory organs have limited

activities as in dream state , when the mind alone is reflecting

on external anubhavam . Maanasa anubhavam dominates for

this type of UpAsakAs.

 

The Adhyalasa PrAyar experiences the state similar to

Sushupthi or dramless sleep. Their external awareness/

involvement and the Maanasa anubhavam of those external

Jn~Anam is absent in this Adhyalasa state. During their

VyUha DhyAnam , the advanced status of their Yogic

capabilities comes to the fore and they engage in

DhyAnam without the help of Indhriyams/sensory organs .

Only the involuntary activities like breathing take

place in this state of UpAsanai.

 

The Fourth category of the VyUha UpAsakar is ThurIya

or Moorchitha PrAyar. They are the most advanced Yogis,

who has no distracting expeience from KarmEndhriyams or

Jn~AnEndhriyams. Their DhyAnam is the most ripe and

perfect. This UpAsakan becomes Bhagavan Mayan .

 

These four orders of states/Kramams of UpAsanai are similar

to the four kramams described by GeethAchAryan in the chapter on

Jn~Ana Yogam: YathamAna , VyathirEka , yEkEndhriya and VaseekAra

dasais/Stages.

 

Each of these FOUR VyUha Moorthys have Four subdivisions.

Thus 4X4 becomes 16 VyUha Moorthys in detail.Each of the 16

VyUha Moorthys have their own colors , weapons .They are

defined to be present in SrI Vaikuntam in the Suddha Sathtva Form

as the body of the Lord. This form of the Lord is seen like

the trunk of a tree with four branches at four levels from

ground. The four branches at the lowest level is that of

Jaagrath state for UpAsakAs and the highest level (ThurIya

State) is for fully matured/accomplished UpAsakAs. Four

hierarchical branches of the VisAka Yoopam/SthamBham

with four branches of their own constitutes 4X4=16 sub-

VyUhams.The branches of this VisAka SthamBam has been

described in SrI VaradarAja PanchAsath as : " SthamBAnukAri

pariNAma VisEsha BhAja: " . This VisAka SthamBham in the humans

is invoked in the heart lotus like the trunk of a plant

growing out of there with 4 branches at differing heights.

The MahAns (Yogis) blessed with abundant satthva guNam

visualize this trunk of a plant with four branches and

progress in their dhyAna yOgam .

 

There are also another set of VyUhams arising from

the Chathur VyUha Moorthys . These are the set of

Twelve known as VyUhAntharams: Kesavan , NaarAyaNan ,

Maadhavan, Govindhan, VishNu ,Madhusoodhanan, Thrivikraman ,

Vaamanan, SrIdharan , HrushIkEsan and DaamOdharan.

All these Twelve VyUhAnthara Moorthys have their own colors ,

directions , weapons that are unique to Them. We invoke

them in the 12 PuNDra SthAnams on the body , when we

as VaishNavAs adorn the 12 Urdhva PuNDrams.

 

SrImad Azhagiya Singar TiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan