ThiruvahIndhrapuram series:Part XXVIII,Abaya PradhAna Saaram/Part 3

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study the second of the Ten chapters

of the SrI Sookthi entitled " para Tatthva NirNayam " .

 

SrImad RaamAyaNam is Veda UpabrahmaNam or the grantham

that explains the meaning of the VedAs. Among those works,

which serve in these categories is the SvEthasvathAra Upanishad,

which focuses on two cardinal points: (1) Sarva SaraNya Para

Tatthva vishayam ( The Lord serving as the Supreme Potector/

Rakshakan for one and all)(2) Sarva adhikAra SaraNAgathi Roopa

Parama Hitha vishayam( the supreme UpAyam , which is in the form of

SaraNAgathy that is open to all adhikAris).

 

1)Sarva SaraNya Para Tathtvam

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When it comes to the examination of who is the Supreme

most protector for one and all , who seek the refuge,

It is easy to prove that SrIman NaarAyanan taking

the different VibhavAtharams like Narasimhan ,

Raamachandran and krishNan is the Supreme Godhead(ParamAthmA).

Some times , the confusion about his fundamnetal truth

arises due to the competing claims of this status by

two Others : (1) BrahmA and (2) Sivan. Brahma is the son of

SrIman NaarAyaNan and Sivan is the son of BrahmA and therefore

is the grandson of SrIman NaarAyaNan.It is accepted that

SrIman NaarAyaNan has no equal or superior , when it comes

to being the unfailing Supreme protector of all , who seek

His rakshaNam. His parathvam (Supermacy) is considered as

" SarvasmAth Paraathvam " (Superior to every one).This is

acknowledged by BrahmA and Sivan themselves . Let us cite

some direct Quotations from BrahmA and Sivan about the fact

that PerumAl is indeed Sarva VilakshaNa Parabrahmam ( The One

with unique and unmatched glories as SaraNAgatha Rakshan):

 

1. Oh Raamachandra! You are the Unchanging Para Brahmam and is

eternal ( Aksharam Brahma Sathyam cha)--Yuddha KaandaM: 120-14).

These are BrahmA's words as he salutes his Lord , the victorious

Raamachandran in front of him .

 

2.You are the root cause of all the three Worlds and

their beings and is the Lord of them all ( Thvam ThrayANAm

hi lOkAnAm aadhikarthA Svayam Prabhu: Yuddha KhANDam: 120-19).

These are again BrahmA's own words.

 

3. Oh RaamabhadrA! The whole world is Your SarIram ( Jagath

Sarvam sarIram tE ; Yuddha KaaNDam:120-26).Quintessence of

VisishtAdhvaithanm is revealed here by the overawed BrahmA .

 

4. Oh RaamachandrA! You are the UpAyam/means and the fruit of

SadhanA for Moksham . You are the Moksham granting Lord

( SaraNyam saraNam cha Thvam aahu: Maharishaya:Yuddha

KaaNDam: 120.18).

 

The above are all the direct statements of Chathur Mukha BrahmA.

The following passage of SvEthasvathara Upanishad asserts that

SrIman NaarAyaNan created that BrahmA :

 

yO BrahmANam vidhadhAthi poorvam yO vai VEdAmsccha prahiNOthi Tasmai

tamm ha dEvAthmabuddhi prakAsam mumukshurvai SaraNamaham prapadhyE

...SvEthasvatharam: 6-18

 

( " I an aspirant after liberation seek refuge in

(Surrender unto ) that effulgent Lord , who creates

BrahmA FIRST (at the time of creation) and who endows

Him with the VedAs also and on account of whom

the intellect of mine shines out " ).This is the manthram

for performing SaraNAgathy at the sacred feet of the Lord.

 

BrahmA's message to SrI Raaman through Yama Dharman

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When the avathAra Kaaryam of Lord Raamachandran is completed ,

Yama dharma Rajan brings the message of BrahmA to the Lord at

AyOdhdi and requests Him to return to His natural abode ,

SrI Vaikuntam , now htat the avathAra Kaaryam is over .Here

is the plea of Brahmaa:

 

Oh Lord Raamachandra ! You created me(BrahmA) in Your navel

lotus and commanded me to engage in the creation of

the Universe and its beings. You gave me the power of

Jn~Anam and Sakthi to perform my duties of creation

without obstruction .You incarnated as VishNu from

the Para VaasudEva form for the sake of protection of

the world and its beings...You were born as the son of

King DasaraTA in the form of a human to destroy RaavaNa ,

who was causing harm to the dEvAs and all Janthus..RaamAyaNam,

Utthara KaaNDam: 104-7 to 11.

 

Our Lord serves as the protector even for BrahmA and

other Gods . They seek Him as their surest refuge. He is

therefore the Para Tatthvam defined by Veda BhAgams

and Upa Brahmanams like SrImad RaamAyaNam .

 

The above passage is in the Utthara RaamAyaNam , where He

(Lord Raamachandran)is requested by BrahmA to return

to His Supreme abode of SrI Vaikuntam now that

His avathAra Kaaryam is completed ; this establishes

His (Lord Raamachandran's) Parathvam.Here is the request

for the Lord to return to His Supreme abode as SarvEsvaran:

 

aagaccha VishNO Bhadram tE dhishtyA prApthOsmi Raaghava

BhrAthrubhi: saha DEvAbhai: pravisisva svakAm tanum

 

VaishNaveem thAmm mahaatEjastadhvaakaasam sanAtanam

Thvam hi lOkapathirdEva na ThvAm kEchana jAnathE

ruthE mAyAm VisAlAkshIm Tava poorvaparigrahaam

Yaamichcasi MahAtEjasthAm tanum pravisa svayam

 

--RaamAyanam: utthara KaaNDam: 110-8 to 12

 

(Meaning): Oh Lord VishNu! MangaLam to You !

Please return to Your aasthAnam ; that would be

our BhAgyam. Please take the form of Your choice

with Your brothers . Please take the form of VishNu

or whatever form You wish to take.You are the sole

refuge for all the worlds.Some do not know about this

cardinal truth .None except MahA Lakshmi , who never ever

leaves You , She alone knows fully about the full

extent of Your glories. Please enter into

the form of Your choice and return to Your

Supreme abode.

 

That Raamachandran is the direct avathAram of

SrI Vaikunta Naathan/Para VaasudEvan is referred to

by BrahmA here and His role as the unfailing

SaraNAgatha Rakshakan underlying His Parathvam

is emphasized here by none other than BrahmA.

Swamy Desikan establishes His Para Tatthvam first

before delving in to His power as a SaraNAgatha

Rakshakan .

 

In the next posting , we will study together

the upadEams by Swamy Desikan on " SaraNAgathy

Taathparya Prapancham " .

 

SaraNAgatha Rakshaka SrI Raamachandra PrabhavE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan