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Re: viShNu sthAnam

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Malolan Cadambi • December 1, 2001 


> The heart of the issue really, is that while SrIvaishNavas are
> vaishnavites, smArthas are *not* Saivites!  It is somewhat
> absurd to try compare a qualifier with a disqualifier - but
> that's as specific as it gets over there in the murky realm of
> numerous demigods and confusing messages.

Sriman Murali Seshadri's question was about anya-devata aradhana.The
heart of the issue addressed by my reply to Sri.Murali Sheshadri was,
what are the implications on anya-devata worship/bhajans some Sri
Vaishnava groups outside of India? 

It is understood from his email that due to physical proximity to
such groups, and consequently involvement in the group's activities,
what are the implications of anya-devata worship?

>From a Sri Vaishnava Stand point, it is circuitous to worship
anya-devatas or for that matter, to regard anya-devatas as
paramAtma.But given the fact of certain geographical constraints, and
a wider mode of participation, the Sri Vaishnava involved in bhajans
which extoll the anya-devatas as paramatma should realise that all
the namaskArams finally reach keshava who is undoubtedly the
"chaturvan" as Thirumangai Alvar describes him.


> 
> But IS there any confusion on the central question - i.e. that
> of supremacy of nArAyaNa (embodied by viShNu alone)?  There is
> none.  All SankarAchAryas (as legatees of AdiSankara) sign off
> their written statements with "nArAyaNa smrithi".  Further, the
> viShNupurANa is one of their source texts (alongwith Bhagavad
> geethA and the 10 principal upanishads).  So if at all there is
> some uncertainty it is because the smArtha tradition does not
> confine itself to viShNu alone (even as it recognizes the primacy
> of viShNu sthAnam) but includes other demigods in its worship.
> 

No there is no doubt that the ultimate veda swaroopi is lakshmi
sametha sriman nArAyana.

When adiyen sent a mail about Appayya Dikshita's literary works,
adiyed was seeking to extoll the uniqueness of the word nArAyana and
that nArAyanA is the parabrahman is doubtless.

Regards,

Malolan Cadambi




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