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Re: Krishna/Vishnu in Bhagavatam

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Mrgerald • April 25, 2000 


Dear devotees

In a message dated 4/25/00 4:45:53 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
bhakti-list@egroups.com writes:

<< 
 >While I am certainly no scholar, I am under the impression that 
 >the Vaishnavas following in the lines of Vallabha, Vishnuswami, 
 >and Nimbarka Swami also accept that Krishna is the svayam 
 >bhagavaan in the same sense that the Gaudiyas do. 
 
 I have never heard of this, but as I lack access to the texts of these
 traditions, I cannot really say. Perhaps someone else has studied the
 writings of these acaryas and is able to provide references, either way?
  >>

In the Nimbarka tradition, there is Nimbarka's Dasa-sloki and its commentary 
by Giridhar Prapannam which was published as "The Theology of Nimbarka" by 
Gita Khurana, Vantage Books, NY, which  describes not only that Krishna is 
superior to Vishnu, but that the two-armed Krishna is superior to the 
four-armed Krishna form, from a rasa standpoint.

I am fairly sure that Vallabha also says Krishna is superior in the same way, 
but i don't have the references.

Regarding the Sri Vaishnava viewpoint, i met Sri Venkat of the Pomona temple 
in NY and this was his explanation:  Sri Narayana and Sri Krishna are both 
the original aspect of God, and 
Vasudeva/Sankarsana/Pradyumna/Anidruddha/Vishnu etc are other aspects of the 
original Narayana/Krishna.

The hierarchy of Vishnu forms is evident from the Pancaratra which frequently 
glorify Narayana as the source of other forms. However, various recent 
writers on Pancaratra refer to the Vihagendra samhita which states that even 
Narayana has His source in a two handed crystal colored form.  Since 
Vihagendra samhita is still unprinted, it would be helpful if someone could 
check the originals, Perhaps it is in the Adyar or Melkote collections. I am 
not sure who that two armed crystal colored form is, but presumably, even He 
has His origin in the two armed Krishna.

Gerald Surya

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