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Re: pA'ncarAtra - An Overview - Part 7.

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murali_kadambi • December 14, 2000 


Dear SrimAn Krishnamachari swAmin,

As always, your articles are very delectable to read and full of 
information.  I enjoy reading them.

I do have some (dumb) questions, purely resulting from my ignorance.  
So, if you could kindly answer them I would really appreciate that.

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In Part 6 of your series you have written the following regarding the 
para aspect of the Lord:
		The three modes are together called
	the Supreme Deity, called variously as vAsudeva,
	nArAyaNa, bhagavAn, AtmA, paramAtmA, vishNu,
	kshetraj~na, etc.  In this para or transcendental
	mode, the Deity is like an ocean of nectar
	altogether devoid of waves, quiet, profound,
	limitless, unfathomable, pure consciousness,
	the abode of the six qualities in fullness,
	altogether non-material in nature, devoid of
	attributes (nirguNa), devoid of aspects
	(nishkala), without discernible forms (nirAkAra,
	nira'nga), an embodiment of Absolute Bliss and
	Peace. VAsudeva is in a plane where knowledge
	and bliss abound unobstructed.

Adiyen:

Question:
1.  You have said that in the para-vAsudeva form, the Lord is 
essentially not discernible.  Does it mean that he does not have a 
divya-mangaLa vigraha bedecked with infinitely precious jewels, 
weapons, and the like?  Can we infer that this form of the Lord is 
not accessible even to the muktas and nithyas let alone to yOgis?


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In Part 7, you have written the following regarding the antaryami 
aspect of the Lord:
		The antaryAmi mode is the extension of
	aniruddha in the hearts of all devotees, WITHOUT
	ASSUMING A SHAPE.  As indicated earlier, not all
	samhitA-s list the arcA and antaryAmi modes as
	separate modes.  The sAttvata samhitA considers
	the para and vyUha as the ones in SrI vaikuNTham,
	and the vibhava as all the forms on this earth.

Adiyen:
(NOTE: For clarity, I have taken the liberty of upper-casing the 
relevant text.)

Question:
Same as before.  How, then, do yOgis visualize Him in the cave of the 
heart?  In order to appear to yOgis, He must have some form such as 
mAdhava having maces (gada) in all four hands, right?


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You write the following regarding the vyUha emanations:
	The concept of the vyUha emanations from
	para-vAsudeva is related to the pillar of
	light resplendently located in SrI vaikuNTham,
	and said to be assumed by the Deity for the
	purpose of meditation by the yogi-s. The pillar
	has four nodes, each facing one of the four
	principal directions.  The topmost node is
	altogether bright light, representing vyUha-vAsudeva.

adiyen:
Question:

First off it was hard for me to visualize the pillar with four nodes 
"one above the other."  I am assuming that a node is a corner.  Do 
you mean anything else with the word "node?"

Secondly, if all the vyUha forms are in Sri-Vaikuntham and these 
forms are responsible for the worldly activities of creation, 
sustenance, and dissoluation, then would it not imply that such 
activities occur "in" (or at least "from") Sri Vaikuntham?  At the 
time of dissolution (praLaya), then, will the nascent forms of the 
jeevas and prakrti be absorbed back into Sri-Vaikuntham?  The reason 
I ask this is because I was under the impression that all worldly 
activities happen "outside" of Vaikuntham.  At the time of praLaya, 
the prakrti and baddha-jeevas are absorbed back into the Lord, but 
these will not "reside" in Vaikuntham.  Vaikuntham has described as 
"rajasah parAke" and "tamasah parastAt" both broadly meaning "beyond 
prakrti."

Also, what is the role of the Lord in the milky ocean (ksheerAbdhi-
nAthan)?  Is He also a vyUha form?

(I can fully understand that the concepts of "inside" and "outside" 
are very vague in such a context, but how else can I express them.)

--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much for your answers.

|| sarvam srI krSNArpaNamastu ||
-adiyen, murali kadambi



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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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