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From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_alum.calberkeley.org)
Date: Mon Aug 13 2001 - 23:15:01 PDT
Furthering our discussion of Sri Sudarsana Chakra as
the sankalpa-Sakti of Bhagavaan, Sri Bharat sent this
followup email detailing what Sri Rangapriya Swami
graciously told him:
Re: KArtavIryArjuna:
Sri SudarSana once became proud and thought that since
he was the Mind and Sankalpa parts of the Lord the latter
was totally in his grasp.Since the Lord is the Mind behind
the Mind itself He knew his thoughts instantly and told him,
"if you want to test your theory,take birth will ALL your
power and I'll confront you only as an "AvESa AvatAra"
and let's see what happens."
Accordingly he was born as KArtavIrya the king of
MAhishmati.Due to his innate goodness and power
he he ruled the kingdom with total justice.Since he
was the principle of the Mind itself he knew the instant
any of his subjects had an evil thought and promptly
appeared before him to prevent it.He was so powerful
he once captured Ravana and tied him up as a "ten-
headed-insect" on his child's cradle as a plaything for
him.
Unfortunately Pride being his weakness he fell foul
of Rshi Jamadgni,killed him and thus made the
Lord enter the Rshi's son Parasurama as an AvESa
AvatAra and was nullified.
But he has his uses.He has got the power to locate
for his devotees things they have lost.As the SAstra
says-
<Nashta-dravyasya lAbhArtham KArtavIryArjunam
smarEt>
Swami said that this is literally true and quoted
various instances.
To this, I asked:
> Dear Maama,
>
> Thank you for the detailed writeup of what Swami conveyed.
> I have a rather naive question I hope you don't mind answering.
> Since Sri Sudarsana Alvan is a nitya-sUri, how can we speak
> of him getting puffed up with pride?
>
> Mani
>
Sri Bharat replied:
Right.I asked Swami just the same question.He explained:
If he doesn't leave Parampadam he has no problem.He doesn't even
have consciousness of his separate self since he is immersed in
the Lord.But if he comes into Prakriti Mandala as part of his
Kainkarya he may get influenced sometimes,as happened to
Garutman also.Sometimes the Lord Himself (being HrshIkESa)
may influence his mind (as He did to Arjuna)to point a moral for
the benefit of humanity.Even these cases (as in the present
instance) end up only to further glorify the Lord Himself.Hence
they also come within His Leela and the SEshabhUta's
Kainkarya.So there is no harm done to anyone.
Sri EmberumAnAr TiruvaDigaLE SaeraNam!
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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