Gems from the scriptures—8———————————————–
Baghvan has to be praised as both means and ends. He controls internally, the jeevathmas,He directs them to perform deeds and give results. i.e. awards/ punishments, because the deeds themselves cannot grant awards/ rewards/ punsishments. The socalled awards etc for good acts operates as impediments for entry into heaven and in a way, this is also punishment, because as soon as the time of awardsends, one has to come to earth again by way of rebirth.The five senses i.e.smell, sight, taste, sound and touch have a meaning for them only in relation to the enjoyment with Baghvan. The senses’ enjoyment of other temperory things lead to ssorrow –painful-sorrow, forcing to do sins.–
Baghvan’s ever beautiful lotus like eyes highlight His supremacy. His thiru uthanam ( stomach )brings into focus His supremacy during Pralaya
as He keeps all jeevathmas in His stomach and protect them
. He does triple functions of creation, sustensation, and dissolution. He takes sustentation by Himself and carries out creation through Brahma and dissolution by Siva. Brahma and Sive are created by Baghvan like otherjeevathmas. Indra, Brahma , Siva are worshipped by many as their Gods, for material wealth etc etc. But, these Indra, Brahma, Siva etc are worshipping Baghvan Sriman Narayanan’s lotus feet by meditating HIm, all the time on His glory and goodness. In the forest , lion attacks the elephant ferociously , but at the same time, it gives milk to it’s cub lion with love which plays with mother lion.Sri Ramanuja, our revered Acharya, says that this isthe ferocity and love at a time of Sri Nrusimha, one of the Avathar of Baghvan’s ferociousness to Hiranyakasipu and love to Prahlatha.
Baghvan, as dwarf Vamana and then rising to an immeasurable stature as Trivikrama while dealing with Mahabali, with one step measured all the lower worlds,and with another step covered all the higher worlds. Not finding a space for third step, He placed His foot on the head of Mahabali, pushing him to the nether world and incidentally blessing him. With His earlier two steps He spanned the entire creation and showed His sovereignty. In fact Baghvan Vishnu’s stridng the three worlds ( trini pada vichakrame ) is cited as an indication of His Supremacy. It shows His manliness and power (paumsyam ). That Vishnu is the highest among the pantheon of gods is the basis of Srivaishnava doctrines.
Baghvan as the incarnation of Sri Rama eliminated all demons in Dandakaranya and Lanka including their chief Ravana just like a farmer mows down unwanted weeds with his sickle, to protect the crops. Baghvan is effortlessly protect the good souls from the machinations of the evil ones.
There was an happening in our Acharya Sri Ramanuja’s life. The Archa vigraha of Sri Krishna was there at our famous Acharyan’s house As usual,Our Acharya was worshipping Sri Krishna the child, fond of eating butter. . One day a disciple of Sri Ramanuja offered the vigraha of Sri Rama, for daily worship
along with Sri Krishna
Acharya exclaimed thus:—Oh, He, who did not impose the condition of seeking Him as sole refuge , has come ! Thus Sri Ramanuja conveys through this that Sri Rama was satisfied if one got asylum in Him , but once, saying that he belonged to Him and on the other hand , Sri Krishna laid down condition saying ”resort to Me as your sole refuge” as a spiritual rule.
Baghvan is our eternal Father as well as Mother and has an individuality which is very different from earthly parents. The parents in this world ( samsara) have their own limitations and they are not always dependable, because their own interest superseding those of the progeny. It is our karma during a particular birthin this world that binds us to our earthly parents and this artificial link gets severed with the severance of our own bonds of karma . But , our relationship with Baghvan is eternal and inalienable. no one should think Baghvan as the means for achieving personal ends. This will drift him from Baghvan once his ends are achieved. But, everyone should seek Him for His own sake. Devotion should be everlasting . Gajendra, in it’s single minded devotion to Baghvan without minding it’s struggle with the crocodile , called Him, to offer the lotus flower to Him while it wass still fresh.
Baghvan doles out the four purusharththaas, the ultimate values as elected by the votaries, with His four arms, one for each.Here is a story for this —To be contd as Jems from the scriptures–9
Sarvam Sree Hayagreeva preeyathaam
