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Question: zriimad ashtaaksharam & zriimad dvayam

From: Ram Gopalaswamy (gopalram_at_erols.com)
Date: Mon Jul 06 1998 - 18:06:12 PDT 

Dear VaishNavas,

just an academic, speculative question. 
i apologise if it is inappropriate for public discussion. 

 - Are zriimad askTaaksharam, and zriimad dvayam eternal mantras (ie. zruti) ? 
  or are they revealed by an avataara of Bhagavan from time to time
  as necessary (ie. smrti) ?

in other words,

 - [The mantras are said to have been revealed, respectively, 
   by badarikaazrama-vaasii zriiman-naaraayaNa rshi and lakshmii-naaraayaNa 
   rshi.]
  Are the rshi-s avataara of zriiman-naaraayaNa for the purpose of
  revealing mantras or are they svayam zriiman-naaraayaNa Himself ?

[ In the Bhagavad Giita (4.1, 4.2)  Lord KrshNa says that He had previously 
  taught the same Bhagavad Giita to the Sun God, Vivasvaan who taught it 
  to Manu; Manu in turn taught it to ikshvaaku. but the discplic succession
  was broken in course of time. ]

.Ram