Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ganga - The sacred river having Lord Vishnu's Lotus Feet for its source

The river Ganga is considered to be sacred by followers of the Vedic Sanatana Dharma religion. The waters of the holy river, from time immemorial, are known for their power to cleanse one from all sins. Our dear Lord Narayana too, while enumerating the best of worldly forms and to highlight that He is indeed the indwelling Supersoul of even all those, says (Bhagavad Gita 10.31): "I am Jahnavi  (another name of Ganga) among rivers" (srotasAmasmi jAhnavI), thereby re-establishing the highly-held sanctity of this sacred river.

Sri Narayana Bhattathiri also confirms the excellence of this river in Narayaneeyam:
ga^ngA gItA ca gAyatryapi ca tulasikA gopikA candanaM tat
sAlagrAmAbhi pUjA parapuruSa tathaikAdashI nAmavarNAH |
etAnyaSTApyayatnAnyayi kalisamaye tvatprasAda pravRddhyA
kSipraM mukti pradAnItyabhidadhuH RSayasteSu maam sajjayethAH ||
(Narayaneeyam, 92-9)
[Sages have declared that, in Kali Yuga, eight deeds that take one to liberation easily -
* bathing in river Ganges;
* study of Bhagavad Gita;
* recitaion of Gayatri Mantra;
* Offerings of Tulasi leaves (holy basil);
* Sacred scented clay, Gopika Chandana;
* Worship of Saligrama (a deity form of Vishnu found naturally);
* Fasting on Ekadasi (eleventh day of each fortnight); and
* Chanting of Thy holy names (even if done without understanding their meanings)
- all of which need little effort, lead to swift liberation through propitiating Thee.
O Lord ! May Thou cause me to practice these with sincerity.]


Devaprayag, on the bank of River Ganga (Copyright: Vvnataraj)
Even the popular "Bhaja Govindam" hymn, attributed to Sri Adi Sankaracharya and his disciples, says --
bhagavad gIta ki~ncit adhItA
ga^ngA jala-lava kaNikA pItA |
sakRdapi-yena murAri samarcA
kriyate tasya yamena na carcA ||
[If one reads a little bit of Bhagavad Gita, drinks a few drops of the sacred waters of the river Ganga, or does a little bit of devotional service to Murari (an appellation of Lord Vishnu meaning 'the slayer of the demon Mura'), that person will not be having any unsavory encounters with Lord Yama (the lord responsible for punishing evil persons in hell after their death).]

Itihasas, Puranas, and the works of Acharyas attribute the sacredness of Ganga to its association with Lord Vishnu's lotus-feet. In fact, it is confirmed by them that the river itself has its origin there. We shall see a few instances in those works where these are mentioned.

Sri Adi Sankaracharya's direct disciple Sureshvaracharya says thus in Naishkarmya Siddhi, while saluting his Acharya:
"viSNoH pAdAnugAM nikhila-bhava-nudaM sha^nkaro(a)vApa yogAt
sarvaj~naM brahmasaMsthaM muni-gaNa-sahitaM samyagabhyarcya bhaktyA |
vidyAM ga^ngAM-iva-ahaM pravara-guNa-nidheH prApya vedAntadIptAM 
kAruNyAt-tAm-avocaM janimRtinivahadhvastaye duHkhitebhyaH ||"
- (Naishkarmya Siddhi, IV.76)

[Having worshipped (Acharya Sri) Sankara -- who is all-knowing, established in (the knowledge of) Brahman, accompanied by a host of sages -- with devotion, I obtained from him who is the treasure of most excellent virtues, knowledge which, like the river Ganga, is illuminated by the Vedanta, that follows the feet of Lord Vishnu, and that, while destroying the sorrow of worldly existence, Sankara had attained through yoga; and from compassion, I have set it forth for sufferers to overcome the cycles of birth and death and obtain liberation.]

The above verse is a beautiful word-play comparing Ganga to spiritual knowledge, and is also a double entendre on the name 'Sankara', which stands for both the name of the Acharya as well as Lord Siva who bears the Ganga as his crown. Sri Jnanottama Misra, the advaitic commentator who wrote the "Candrika" gloss expanding on the Naishkarmya Siddhi, explains here --

viSNor-vyApino jagat-kAraNasya padamadhiSThAnaM saccidAnanda-eka-rasam-anugacchatIti viSNoH padAnugA vidyA | ga^ngApi viSNoH puruSottamasya caraNam-anusRtya gacchatIti "vAmapada-a^nguSTha-nakha-sroto-vinirgatAm"-iti smaraNAt |

[The knowledge that bears the fruit of liberation flows from the feet of Vishnu, the all-pervading Creator of the universe. Also, the river Ganga is known to flow from the Divine Feet of Lord Purushottama (another appellation of the Lord, meaning 'best among men'). We read thus in the scriptures: "(The river Ganga) flows from the left toenail (of Lord Vishnu)".]

The full version of the verse quoted by Jnanottama occurs in the Vishnu Purana, the "Gem of all Puranas" (purANaratna), and is given below: 
vAma-padAmbuja-a^nguSTha-sroto-vinirgatAM |
viSNor-bibharti yAM bhaktyA shirasAharniSaM dhRvaH ||
(Vishnu Purana, II.8.104)

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, we are told that Lord Siva, having known that the river washed the feet of Lord Vishnu, bears Ganga on his head as he is aware of the principles of the religious:
tat-pAda shaucaM jana-kalmaSApahaM sa dharmavin-mUrdhny-adhadAt suma^ngalaM |
yad-deva-devo girishaH-candra-maulir-dadhAdara mUrdhnA parayA ca bhaktyA ||
(Srimad Bhagavata Purana, 8.18.28)

Sri Narayana Bhattathiri's Narayaneeyam, which forms a beautiful summary of the Bhagavatam in 1000 verses, explains the same:
prahlAda-vaMshajatayA kratubhir-dvijeSu
vishvAsato nu tadidaM ditijo(a)pi lebhe |
yatte padAmbu girishasya shiro(a)bhilAlyaM
sa tvaM vibho gurupurAlaya pAlayethAH ||
(Narayaneeyam, 30-10)

[The sacred water flowing from Thy feet, adorns the head of Lord Siva. Although a demon by birth, Bali, was fortunate enough to have it sprinkled on his head, perhaps due to his being born in the dynasty of Prahlada, or due to his sacrifices or because of his faith in Brahmins. Oh Guruvayurappa, May Thou of such glory, save me].

Lord Vishnu measures the universe in three steps, subduing Mahabali and the demons

Sri Sarvajnatma Muni, another early Advaita Acharya, writes thus at the end of the sa^nkSepa shAriraka, dedicating the work to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu:
avirala-pada-pa^nktiH padmanAbhasya puNyA 
caraNa-kamala-dhUligrAhiNI bhAratIyaM |
ghanataraM upaghAtaM shreyasaH shrotRsa^ngAt 
surasaridiva sadyo mArSTu mA^ngalya-hetuH ||
(Samksepa-Sariraka, IV. 61)

[Like Ganga -- the river of the celestials, let these auspicious words running to several thousand lines, from its association with the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Padmanabha (another name of Lord Hari meaning, 'one who has the primordial lotus -- the source of the universe -- springing from his navel'), immediately release one from darkness and ignorance upon hearing them, and serve them as a means for reaching auspiciousness.]

Srimad Ramatirtha, who wrote a sub-commentary "anvayA-artha-prakAshikA" to the Samksepa Sariraka, explains here that the author, Sri Sarvajnatma Muni, is dedicating his work to Bhagavan Narayana, the Lord. (etA kRtiM bhagavati nArAyaNe samarpayan sva-kRter-ma^ngalaM prArthayate).

Ramatirtha says further that Sarvajnatman is presenting this work to all, after having dedicated it to Lord Narayana in the form of Sri Padmanabha -- the form of the Lord residing in the city of Anantapuri, the modern-day Trivandrum/Tiruvanantapuram of Kerala -- by which process the book carries the dust of the lotus-feet of the Lord (padmanAbhasya shrImad-anantapurI-vAsinaH sheshA^nke shayAnasya nArAyaNasya caraNa-kamala-dhUli-grAhiNI taccaraNayoH samarpitA satI tathAvidhA).

The commentator explains the comparison with the river Ganga next: "Indeed, the river Ganga also carries the dust of the same Lord Padmanabha, the one who bore the form of Trivikrama -- the form to which the Lord expanded himself to measure the entire universe by three steps, during the divine Vamana avatAra. Hence, the sin-cleansing auspicious nature of the river Ganga is also meant. (ga^ngA tu padmanAbhasya trivikramarUpaMdhRtavataH caraNa-kamala-dhUli grAhiNI prasiddhA, ata eva puNyA pAvayitrI bhAratI ga^ngA ca ityarthaH).

Lord Ananta Padmanabha Swami of Tiruvanantapuram, Kerala

Finally, the Tamil poet Kambar, in his Kambaramayana (Tamil version of Sage Valmiki's epic Ramayana), re-establishes this Vedic doctrine about the river Ganga:

(1) "The river Ganga was produced from the sacred pot (kamaNDalam) of the four-faced Lord Brahma when he washed the feet of Vishnu" ("pa^nkayattu ayan paNDu tan pAdattin am kaiyin tarum gangaiyin nIrADinAn" - Kambaramayanam ayOdyA kANDam, gangaip paDalam, verse 16).

(2) In the verse that immediately follows, the poet illustrates the scene of Rama having a bath in the river, at which point the poet says that the river Ganga, which washes away the sins of those who take a dip in it, is rejoicing that her own sins are being delivered, since Rama, who as Vishnu was its own origin, took a dip in it! ("panni nIkka arum pAdakam pAruLor ennin nIkkuvar: yAnum inRu en tanda unnin nIkkinen. uyndenan yAn") Kambar clearly implies here that the sin-destroying capacity of the river Ganga itself is dependent on the Highest Lord, Sriman Narayana.



REFERENCES

[1] Narayaneeyam references: see end of this article.

[2] Naiskarmyasiddhi of Sureshvaracharya with the Chandrika of Jnanottama, Bombay Sanskrit Series No. XXXVIII, 1891 (edited with notes and index by Colonel G. A. Jacob). Readable online for free here.

[3] Samksepa Sariraka of Sarvajnatma Muni, with the anvayA-artha-prakAshikA Tiika of Srimad Ramatirtha. Readable online fore free here.

[4] Vishnu Purana with Sridhara Swami's "svaprakAsha" gloss, Saraswati Press, Kolkata, 1882. Read online for free here.

[5] Transcriptions of two episodes of Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami's Podhigai TV lectures on Bhagavad Gita, dealing with River Ganga and its history: [a][b].


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Unassailable Glory of Lord Narayana: Part 4 -- More from the Narayaneeyam




Little Krishna of Guruvayur
The Keralite scholar Sri Narayana Bhatta of the 16th/17th Century, in his devotion-laden work Narayaneeyam, conveys more about the nature of the highest Paramatma, Sriman Narayana, in the last two verses of the first decad. I will try to summarize the meanings and provide English translations of key portions from the old commentary by Desa Mangala Variar.

Verse 1-9: 
kAruNyAt-kAmam-anyaM dadati khalu pare svaatmadastvaM visheSAd-
aishvaryAdi-Ishate(a)nye jagati parajane svAtmano(a)pi-Ishvarastvam |
tvaiyyuccairAramanti pratipadamadhure chetanAH sphItabhAgyAstvaM
chAtmArAma evetyatulaguNagaNa-AdhAra shaure namaste ||
[Oh Shauri! Thou art omnipotent and the embodiment of all virtue and hence Thou hath the unique power to grant supreme bliss to Thy devotees instead of only desired objects, in contrast to other deva-s. Those who realize this truth are blessed at every step they take towards Thee. Oh Lord Krishna! I pray to Thee for such a blessing.]

Commentary:
kAruNyAditi | pare brahmAdayaH | kAruNyAd bhaktavatsalatayA | anyaM mokSavyatiriktaM kAmaM varaM dadAti | tvaM visheSAd vishiSTAd brahmAdyatishayitAt kAruNyAt svAtmadaH svAtmAnaM svarUpaM mokSamapi dadAsItyarthaH | ki~nca, anye brahmAdayaH aishvaryAd jagati asmin prapa~nce parajane svavyatirikteSu sthiracareSvena Ishate nigrahItumanugrahItuM vA shaktA bhavanti | tvaM tu svAtmanaH svarUpasya brahmaNo(a)pIshvaraH ... he shaure! shrI-kRSNa ! te tubhyaM namaH namaskaromi-ityarthaH ||
[O Shauri! O Krishna! I offer my salutations to Thee! Brahma and others, out of compassion for their devotees, grant to them all sorts of blessings that they wish for, other than final liberation. Since you are special -- being superior to deva-s such as Brahma, being extremely merciful -- being such, you grant Yourself -- Your own Supreme Station that is free from the cycle of births and deaths -- to Thy devotees. Moreover, Brahma and others are only lords of this visible universe consisting of plants, animals, and human beings. You however, by nature, are the Lord of even Brahma and others. It is only Thyself that is equal to Thee.]

This is another reason why the greatness of Lord Hari surpasses other devas, as He alone is the one who grants liberation, while the other deva-s are only able to grant material benefits. The ancient Tamil work paripADal says thus about Vishnu:
"Unless the One who wears a garland of fragrant Tulsi leaves (Vishnu) grants libeation, it is extremely hard to reach the same" (நாறு இணர்த் துழாயோன் நல்கின் அல்லதை ஏறுதல் எளிதோ வீறு பெறு துறக்கம்).

Lord Vishnu is ever consorted by Lakshmi
Verse 1-10:
aishvaryaM sha^nkarAdi-IshvaraviniyamanaM vishvatejoharANAM
tejassanhAri vIryaM vimalamapi yasho nispRhaish copagItam |
angAsa^ngA sadA shrIrakhilavidasi na kvApi te sa^ngavArtA
tadvAtAgAravAsin murahara bhagavacchabda-mukhya-Ashrayo(a)si ||
[Oh Lord Murari ! Ordainer of even great lords such as Shiva and others! Who excels all in splendor! Your famous pastimes are sought after and sung about even by great yogis. Lakshmi, who is the goddess of all riches, likes to reside in your chest always. Thou art the embodiment of all the six divine qualities of greatness viz., Sri (prosperity), Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (detachment), Aishwarya (sovereignty), Veerya (valour) and Yashas (fame) and hence the word Bhagavath is the most befitting attribution to Thee, who art the resident of the Guruvayur temple.]

Commentary:
aishvaryamiti | he vAtAgAravAsin! murahara! te tvaishvaryaM sha^nkarAdInAmIshvarANAM viniyamanaM tattadadhikArapravartakam | ki^nca, tava vIryaM vishveSAM sarveSAM tejaH parAkramaM harantIti vishvatejoharAH shrIsha^nkarAdayaH, teSAM tejaH prabhAvaM saMhartuM shIlamasyeti tathA | vakSyati ca 'muhustAvacchakraM' (10.82. 9) ityAdi | tava yasho(a)pi vimalaM pApashodhakam | nispRhair-muktair-apyupagItaM, tvaccaritAkRSTacetastayA taishvarNitamityarthaH | shrIshca sadA a^ngAsa^ngA tava vakSaHsthalamAshrityaivAste | akhilavidasIti | akhilaM svAtmAnaM svamAyAM tatkAryaM ca vittItyakhilavidasi tvaM | anye tvAM tattvato na jAnantIti bhAvaH | kvApi viSaye | te sa^ngasya vArtApi kathApi na shrUyata ityarthaH | tat tasmAt, yasmAdaishvaryayashaH shrIvIryaj~nAnasa^ngatAnAM bhagavacchabdavAcyAnAM tvayyatishayena vRttistasmAdityarthaH | bhagavacchabdasya mukhyAshrayo vAcyArtho bhavasi, anyeSu bhagavacchabdasya lAkSaNikI vRttirityarthaH ||
[O Divine Resident of Guruvayur! Slayer of the demon Mura! Thy sovereignty includes being the Lord of, the controller of, the one who gives orders to -- even Shankara (Shiva) and others! Moreover, Thy prowess is better than those of Shiva who is of very great potence himself. It is also said by Sri Narayana Bhattathiri elsewhere that the Lord's prowess is better than those of Brahma, Siva, Indra, Varuna, and Yama (82-9).

Your glory is also blemishless -- listening to the same removes the listener's sins. Even those who have conquered their senses, and those who have attained liberation sing Thy glory, having all their senses irresistably drawn towards hearing Thy Divine Pastimes.

Even Lakshmi (Shri), who is the Goddess of all riches likes to reside in your chest for ever, not wanting to be separate from Thou even for a moment. You are the one who is possessed of all knowledge of the entire cosmos and its beings. Others do not know these fully.

From this, it is clear that since Thou alone art the One possessed of unlimited Sovereignty, Glory, Wealth, Prowess, and Wisdom, the term 'Bhagavan' denotes Thee primarily. Thou alone naturally possess the title of 'Bhagavan' by Thy own nature. With regard to the others, it is only an acquired title.]

REFERENCES:

[1] Complete Narayaneeyam online
[2] Narayaneeyam of Narayana Bhatta, with the commentary, Bhaktapriya, of Desamangala Varya. Edited by T. Ganapati Sastri, Travancore Government Press, 1912




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Monday, June 7, 2010

The Unassailable Glory of Lord Narayana: Part 3 -- From the Narayaneeyam






In a previous post, we have learned a little bit about the Narayaneeyam, a devotional work by Sri Narayana Bhattathiri, a 16th Century Keralite scholar. The following verses firmly establish Sri Bhattathiri's conviction that Lord Narayana is the Supreme One:

Narayaneeyam, 82-9:
muhustAvacchakraM varuNamajayo nandaharaNe
yamaM bAlAnItau davadahana pAne(a)nila sakham |
vidhiM vatsasteye girishamiha bANasya samare
vibho vishvotkarSI tadayamavatAro jayati te ||
[Thy repeated victories over Indra, over Varuna (when Nandagopa was kidnapped by him while bathing), over Yama (by reclaiming from him the son of Thy preceptor, Sandeepani), over Agni (by Thy devouring the wild forest fire), over Brahma (when he stole the calves) and over Siva here in the battle with Bana, O Lord, amply prove that this avatAra of Thine as Krishna surpasses all other avatAra-s and is most superior.]

Narayaneeyam, 90-1:
vRka bhRgu muni mohinyambarIShaadi vRtteSu
ayi tava hi mahattvaM sarvasharvAdi jaitram |
sthitamiha paramAtman niSkalArvAgabhinnaM
kimapi tadavabhAtaM taddhi rUpaM tavaiva ||
[O Supreme Being ! From the episodes of Vrikasura, Sage Bhrigu, the Mohini incarnation, King Ambarisha and others, it is here firmly established that Thy glory is superior to, and transcends, that of Siva and all other deva-s. Thou art none other than the Nishkala Supreme Brahman, as also all the Sakala forms, and art that Indefinable One who doth shine as the essence of all.]

Sri Madhusudana Saraswati expounds on this further in his Gudhartha Dipika, in his commentary to verse 7-24 of the Bhagavad Gita:
"nanu janma-kAle(a)pi sarva-yogi-dhyeyaM shrIvaikuṇṭhasthaM-aishvarameva rUpaM-AvirbhAvitavati saMprati ca shrIvatsa-kaustubha-vanamAlA-kirITa-kuNDalAdi-divya-upakaraNashAlini kambu-kamala-kaumodakI-cakra-varadhAri-caturbhuje shrImad-vainateyavAhane nikhila-sura-loka-saMpAdita-rAjarAjeshvara-abhiSekAdi-mahAvaibhave sarva-surAsura-jetari vividha-divyaliilA-vilAsashIle sarva-avatArashiromaNau sAkSAd-vaikuNTha-nAyake nikhilaloka-duHkha-nistArAya bhuvamavatIrNe viri~nci-prapa~nca-asaMbhavi-niratishaya-saundaryasAra-sarvasvamUrtau bAlaliilA-vimohita-vidhAtari taraNi-kiraNojjvalavyapItAmbare nirupamashyAmasundare karadIkRta-pArijAtArtha-parAjita-purandare bANayuddha-vijita-shashA^nkashekhare samasta-surAsura-vijayi-naraka-prabhRti-mahAdaiteya-prakara-prANa-paryanta-sarva-svahAriNi shrIdAmAdi-parama-ra^nka-mahAvaibhava-kAriNi SoDasha-sahasra-divya-rUpadhAriNya-parimeya-guNagarimaNi mahAmahimani nArada-mArkraNDeyAdi-mahAmunigaNastute tvayi katham-avivekino(a)pi manuSya-buddhir-jIvabuddhir-veti?"

[Well, with regard to you who even at the time of Your birth had manifested that Divine Form itself which exists in the holy Vaikuntha, and which is an object of meditation for the yogis, and who at present possesses charming adorations such as the Srivatsa, the Kaustubha, a garland of flowers etc. reaching up to the feet, a crown, earrings, etc., who have four hands holding a conch, a lotus, the (mace called) Kaumodaki and an excellent discus, who have the graceful Vainateya (Garuda) as your carrier, who are possessed of the great glory of having been coronated as the Supreme King of kings by the entire heavenly world, who have conquered all the devas (celestial beings) and asuras (demons), who like to remain engaged in various divine sports, who are the crest-jewel of all avatAra-s, who are none other than the Lord of Vaikuntha, who have descended on the earth to help all people get rid of their sorrows, who are the embodiment of all that constitutes the essence of the unsurpassable beauty that is not to be found in the creation of Brahma, who outwitted Brahma by the divine sport of your childhood, who wear a dazzling yellow garment as bright as the rays of the sun, who are incomparably dark and charming, who defeated Indra to make him offer the Parijata tree as a tribute, who defeated Siva while fighting Bana, who took away everything including the lives of mighty demons such as Naraka and others who had defeated all the devas and asuras, who made an extremely poor person like Sudama greatly opulent, who had assumed sixteen thousand divine forms, who are endowed with virtues the excellence of which is immeasurable, who are possessed of great fame, and who are prayed to by the great sages such as Narada, Markandeya and others, how can even the non-discriminating persons have the idea that You are a human being or a jiva?]


In another place, Sri Narayana Bhattathiri cites the incident where the devas and asuras were churning the ocean seeking the amRta (elixir), with the aid of none other than Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi, the eternal companion of the Lord in His Vaikuntha abode, manifested herself as one of the by-products during the course of churning. She examined all the onlookers one by one, and finally chose our Lord Sri Hari as her husband. Sri Bhattathiri says thus:

Narayaneeyam, 28-7:
girishadruhiNAdi sarvadevAn guNabhAjo(a)pyavimukta doSaleshAn |
avamRshya sadaiva sarvaramye nihitaa tvayyanayA(a)pi divyamAlA ||
[Knowing that all the others such as Brahma and Siva, though virtuous were still not blemishless, she offered the divine garland to Thee, who art the eternal embodiment of perfection and charm.]

It is worth noting here that in Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Bhashya, Sri Sankara explains the name "shrIpatiH" as follows: "amRtamathane sarvAn sura-asurAdIn vihAya shrIrenaM patitvena varayAmAseti shrIpatiH" [He who was chosen by Laksmi after she rejected all the other devas and asuras during the churning of the cosmic ocean for nectar].

Sri Bhattathiri further confirms this doctrine in the following verse belonging to the section describing the deliverence of the elephant Gajendra:

Narayaneeyam, 26-8:
shrRtvaa stotraM nirguNasthaM samastaM brahmeshAdyairnAhamityaprayAte |
sarvAtmA tvaM bhUri kAruNya vegAt tArkshyArUDhaH prekSitobhUH purastAt ||
[On hearing the entire hymn, describing the impersonal nature of the Universal Being, Brahma, Siva and others, knowing that it did not refer to them, did not come there. But Thou, who art all knowing, manifested before him, seated on Garuda, impelled by Thy flow of mercy.]

Hence, our Acharyas have repeatedly emphasized the point that the glory of Lord Narayana surpasses that of the other devas such as Brahma, Siva, Indra, and others.


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Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Unassailable Glory of Lord Narayana -- Part 2: Unequalled and Unsurpassed Supremacy

Long before the advent of great Acharyas, ancient India had a glorious time during which Vedic knowledge had spread far and wide, owing to the unparalleled efforts of great sages such as Valmiki, Vasishta, Shakti, Parashara, Vyasa, and Shuka who propounded that knowledge among the masses through the Smritis, Itihasas, and Puranas. Their reach extended from East to West, and from North to South, all over the great nation of India. No wonder then that the Vedic conception of Lord Sri Hari as the "Supreme revealed in the Vedas" (வேத முதல்வன்) found its way into secular Tamil literature of the ancient times. The following invocatory verse of the literary work "naRRiNai" (நற்றிணை) bears testimony to this:


மாநிலஞ் சேவடி யாகத் தூநீர்
வளைநரல் பெளவம் உடுக்கை யாக 
விசும்புமெய் யாகத் திசைகை யாகப்  
பசுங்கதிர் மதியமொடு சுடர்கண் ணாக 
இயன்ற எல்லாம் பயின்றகத் தடக்கிய 
வேத முதல்வன் என்ப  
தீதற விளங்கிய திகிரி யோனே

Translation: "Having the earth for His tender reddish feet, wearing as cloth the oceans that contain pure water and resonating conch-shells, having the space for His body, having the directions as His hands, having the sun and the moon for His eyes, enveloping everything as His very body, He -- the One who bears the discus (Lord Vishnu) is praised as the foremost of all divinities in the Vedas."


Clearly, the author of the invocatory verse in naRRiNai is familiar with Vedic concepts, as he praises Lord Vishnu, following the manner of Mundaka-Upanishad, Purusha-Suktam, Narayana-Suktam, etc. (See this post). More such references to the Lord Vishnu as the "essence of the Vedas" are available in the work called "paripADal".


In the last post, we saw that Acharyas such as Sri Sankara clearly expounded this ancient Vedic wisdom alone, and did not deliberately invent anything on their own.


We now continue our discussion of the supreme glory of Lord Narayana as explained by our Acharyas. We explain the verses where our Acharyas have shown that the glory of Lord Narayana cannot be compared with those of the other devas, and that He is the one who rules all of them.

 The devas, headed by Lord Brahma revere Lord Narayana
Thanks: www.glimpseofkrishna.com.  Copyrighted image and caption reproduced with permission of the artist Smt. Madhavapriya Devi

'None is equal or greater to Lord Narayana': 

When Lord Krishna expounded to Arjuna the Vedic philosophy by revealing the Bhagavad Gita, He showed His Supreme Universal Form to Arjuna. Awed at that stunning magnified form, Arjuna praised Krishna thus, in the following Bhagavad Gita verse. Let us read the a part of one such verse (11.43) and then Sri Sankara's and Sri Anandagiri's explanations to the same.
na tvat samo(a)sti, abhi adhika kuto-anyo loka-trayo-api, apratima-prabhAva?
(Bhagavad Gita, 11.43)
[There is none who is equal to you, and when that is the case, how even can there be any who is superior to You in any of three worlds, Oh Lord, who is of unrivaled power?]

 Sri Sankara's explanation reflects the Acharya's opinion that the above mode of praise is not at all exaggerated. The Bhagavatpada-Acharya explains thus: "na hi IshvaradvayaM saMbhavati, anekeshvaratve vyavahAra-anupatteH" [Translation: For there cannot be two Supreme Gods, if so, the world as it exists now will not be able to function properly]. 

Sri Anandagiri confirms this further at the same place:  "IshvarAntaraM tulyaM bhavishyati-ityAsha^nkyAha -- 'na hi' iti | Ishvarabhede pratyekaM svAtantryAt-tadaikamatye hetvabhAvAt-nAnAmatitve ca ekasya sisRkSAyAM anyasya saMjihIRSAMsa-bhavAt vyavahAralopada-yuktaM-IshvaranAnAtvaM-ityarthaH" [Translation: The following presents itself as a doubt: can there ever be two Supreme Gods? The Acharya answers: Surely no. If there be several independent Supreme Gods, then their decisions will be independent, as there is no guarantee that they will be of one mind. The effort of one Supreme God in one direction will be neutralized by the effort of the other in the opposite direction. Then the world could not exist as it does now.]

'Lord Vishnu, the ruler of all other deva-s':

Commenting on Gita verse 10.2, Sri Sankara explains:
na me viduH na jAnanti suragaNAH brahmAdayaH | kiM te na viduH? mama prabhavaM prabhAvaM prabhushakti-atishayam, athavA prabhavaM prabhavanaM utpattiM | na-api mahaRSayaH bhRgvAdayaH viduH | kasmAt te na viduriti-ucyate -- aham AdiH kAraNaM hi yasmAt devAnAm mahaRSINAM ca sarvashaH sarvaprakAraiH
["(Lord Krishna says) 'neither the devas -- Brahma and others-- know; -what do they not know? My majesty, abundance of lordly power-or, derived in the sense of 'coming into being', it means origin. Nor even the great sages, Bhrgu, Marici, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha. This is because I am the Supreme Primordial Cause of all, including the devas and the sages.'"]
This is re-emphasized by the Acharya in his commentary to Gita verse 10.12 (Arjuna's words):
paraM brahma paramAtmA paraM dhAma paraM tejaH pavitraM pAvanaM paramaM prakRSTaM bhavAn ! puruSaM shAshvatam nityaM divyaM divi bhavaM AdidevaM sarvadevAnAm Adau bhavam ajam vibhum vibhavanashIlam | ishvaram
[ (Arjuna says) 'Oh Lord! You are the Supreme Brahman -- the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Light, and the Supreme Sanctifier. You are the eternal divine Person, the Primal deva since you preceded all the devas by time. You are birthless, omnipresent, and capable of assuming many forms.]
Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati, in Gudhartha Dipika, offers a very interesting explanation for a verse not very far (10.14) from the above verse.  Here, Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati says that Arjuna's addressing Krishna by one of His special Divine Names, "Kesava (keshava)" has a deep purpose: He says that the name "Kesava" is apt here since Arjuna is referring to Sri Krishna's supremacy --
tacca-sarvaj~natvAt tvaM jAnasIti -- keshau brahmarudrau sarveshAvapi-anukampyatayA vAti-avagacchatIti vyutpattim-Ashritya niratishaya-aishvarya-pratipAdakena keshava-padena sUcitam | ato yaduktam 'na me viduH suragaNAH prabhavaM na mahaRSayaH' ityAdi tattatheva -- hi yasmAt he bhagavan samagra-aishvaryAdi sampanna! te tava vyaktiM prabhAvaM j~nAnAtishayashAlino(a)pi devA na viduH na-api dAnavA, na mahaRSaya ityapi draSTavyam |
['And You know that since you are omniscient.' - this is indicated by the word keshava, by which is suggestive of 'unsurpassed sovereignty', according to the following derivative sense of the word: 'He who looks upon Ka and Isha, i.e., Brahma and Rudra,  as fit for compassion, even though they are great lords (compared to other devas and human beings).' Hence, what was said in 'Neither the deva-s nor the great sages know My Lordliness.' (10.2) is truly so. For, Oh Lord who art endowed with Sovereignty etc. in their entirety, neither the deva-s nor the demons, or even the great Rishis, comprehend your glory.]
- Madhusudana Sarasvati, Gudhartha Dipika, 10.14

One may wonder whether all the above statements by Arjuna, and by Acharyas like Sri Sankara, Anandagiri, Madhusudana Sarasvati are merely exaggerations for the sake of praising Lord Krishna. This doubt can be safely answered in the negative, as Sri Sankara himself says thus in his Brahma Sutra Bhashya (I.ii.17) where the Acharya is involved in serious polemical discussion, where he establishes the identity of 'the person in the eye' described in the Vedanta:
tathApi AtmatvaM tAvanna sambhavati, parAgrUpatvAt | amRtatvAdayo(a)pi na saMbhavanti utpatti-pralaya-shravaNAt | amaratvamapi devAnAM cirakAlAvasthAna-apekSam | aishvaryamapi parameshvara-Ayattam, na svabhAvikam; 'bhIshAsmAd-vAtaH pavate, bhISodeti sUryaH | bhISAsmAd-agniH-candraH-ca mRtyuH-dhAvati pa~ncamaH' iti mantravarNAt | tasmAt parameshvara eva-ayam-akSisthAnaH pratyetavyaH |
[Inner-self-hood cannot be ascribed to the sun (Aditya), on account of his externality. Immortality, also cannot be predicated of him, as Scripture speaks of his origin and his dissolution. For the so-called deathlessness of the deva-s only means their comparatively long existence. And their lordly power also is based on the highest Lord and does not naturally belong to them; as the mantra declares, 'From terror of it (Brahman) the wind blows, from terror the sun rises; from terror of it Agni and Indra, yea, Death runs as the fifth.'—Hence the person in the eye must be viewed as the highest Lord only.]

- Sri Sankara,  Brahma Sutra Bhashya, 1.2.7

Thus, the Acharyas have discussed at great length, the greatness and sovereignty of Lord Hari as per the Vedas.

REFERENCES

[1] For the naRRiNai and other Sangam and post-Sangam Tamil works, see here or here. (Flash player and font download required for first link; first link contains several commentaries by ancient and modern Tamil commentators).
[2] References for Bhagavad Gita commentaries etc. are as given in this post.
[3] Brahma Sutra Bhashya: See here and English translation here.
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