| You are here: Sri Vaishnava Home Page : Bhakti List : Archives : May 2000 |
From: Muralidhar Rangaswamy (rangaswamy_m_at_hotmail.com)
Date: Tue May 16 2000 - 15:52:13 PDT
Sri:
SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,
AhobilE Garuda shaila madhyE krupAvashAth kalpitha sannidhanam
lakshmyA samAlingitha vAmaBhAgam Lakshminrusimham sharaNam prapadyE
Dear Bhaktas,
For the most sacred Nrusimha Jayanthi, Adiyen wishes to share the
following reflections on Bhagavan Nrusimha on this list. The avataram
of
Bhagavan Nrusimha is eloquently described in the Srimad Bhagavatam
salutation "Satyam viDhAtum nijaBhrutyaBhAshitam vyAptim cha
BhUtEshu aKhileshu chAtmana: Adhrushyata atyadhBhuta rUpamudhvahan
sThamBhE SaBhAyAm na mrugam na mAnusham". The
avataram of Bhagavan Nrusimha took place at the Kshetram of Ahobilam,
where the Lord remains enshrined as the Archa Murthis of the Nava
Narasimhas.
Lord Vishnu is saluted in the Vedas as Mantraroopi Mahavishnu. The
most powerful Mantram in this context is the blessed
NrusimhAnushtup Mantram. Very aptly, the 9 padams employed in this
Mantram are eloquently expounded on by Ahirbudhnyan in the
Mantrarajapada Stotram of the Ahirbudhnya Samhita-an important
Pancharatra Agama text. Specifically, verses 2-10 of the Mantraraja
pada
stotram elaborate on the individual padams of the Nrusimhanushtup
Mantram. As a result of the nine Padams, the nine verses of
Ahirbudhnyan
extolling their significance, and the nine Narasimhas of Ahobilam,
the
number 9 assumes special importance in the context of Bhagavan
Nrusimha. The Mantrarajapada stotram was discussed by Adiyen in a 11
part series elsewhere.
A number of reasons have been evinced for the avataram of Bhagavan
Nrusimha. The Nrusimha puraNam states that the Avataram of
Bhagavan Nrusimha took place to rescue the Devas from HiraNyan's
persecution (cf: RuNa vimOchana Stotram salutation "DevatakArya
sidhyartham saBha sThamBha samudhBhavam"). Some commentators opine
that the Avataram took place to rescue Prahlada from HiraNyan's
tyranny. However, U.Ve. Sri Mukkur Lakshminarasimhachariar Swamin
argues that all these positions while valid are not the primary
reason
for
the Lord's incarnation. Swamin notes that had either of these reasons
been valid, the Lord need not have waited for so long to incarnate.
Instead, the Lord chose to emerge from the pillar primarily to uphold
the words of Prahlada who declared "He is present everywhere
including
this pillar". It may be noted that these words of Prahlada embody
the
quintessence of Our Sampradayam, wonderfully stated by Lord Krishna
in the Bhagavad Gita declaration "Vasudeva sarvam iti". Swami Desikan
pays tribute to the pillar which housed Bhagavan Nrusimha in the
Dashavatara stotram and declares that the pillar is verily the
grandmother of the four-faced Brahma.
The avataram of Bhagavan Nrusimha is unique for a number of reasons.
(1) In all other incarnations of the Lord, his avataram took place
easily due to His sankalpam. However, the avatara karyam was
difficult
to
accomplish. In the case of Bhagavan Nrusimha, the reverse is true.
The
avataram was rendered difficult due to the fact that the Lord
had to satisfy every condition of Brahma's boon to HiraNyan. However,
the avatara karyam itself was swiftly accomplished.
(2)H.H. the 45th Jeeyar of Ahobila Matham stated in a tele-upanyasam
"All incarnations of Lord Narayana prior to Bhagavan Nrusimha had
animal forms and all incarnations following Bhagavan Nrusimha had
human forms. Bhagavan Nrusimha was the only one who combined the
traits of the human and animal forms."
(3)The mane of Bhagavan Nrusimha emerging from the pillar was
beautiful to behold-this is glorified in the Vishnu sahasranamam
salutation
"Narasimhavapu SrimAn". This is because he simultaneously personified
terror for HiraNyan and compassion for Prahlada.
(4) A unique trait of Bhagavan Nrusimha is that of Pida Pariharam for
Bhaktas and Pida Pradanam for Dushtas. Swami Desikan glorifies this
aspect of Bhagavan Nrusimha in the KamasiAshtakam salutation
"Satapatala BheeshaNE...". This salutation set to the Shardoola
Vikriditha
meter is a most beautiful glorification of the Avataram features of
Bhagavan Nrusimha.
(5) Among all the avatarams of Lord Narayana, Bhagavan Nrusimha is
the
only one seen constantly wearing his Padhukas. This is illustrative
of
His anxiety to uphold His assurances "ParitrANAya sAdhunAm vinAshAya
cha dushkrithAm".
(6) Swami Desikan eloquently glorifies the avatara Adbhutam of
Bhagavan Nrusimha in the KamasikAshtakam. Specifically, Swami Desikan
states that the hands of Bhagavan Nrusimha were in competition to
grace Prahlada and destroy HiraNyan. Swami also adds that Bhagavan
Nrusimha's eyes simultaneously denoted fire for HiraNyan and
compassion for Prahlada.
(7)The Purva and Uttara Tapaneeya Upanishad of the Atharvana vedam
glorify Bhagavan Nrusimha and contain a majestic Gayathri Mantram
for Bhagavan Nrusimha. Bhagavan Nrusimha is eulogized in this
Upanishad as having three eyes-Sun,Moon, and Agni. Swami Desikan
pays his tribute to this aspect in the second verse of the
KamasikAshtakam. The underlying message is that the benevolent glance
of
Bhagavan Nrusimha destroy the sins of a supplicant, absolves one from
the three kinds of debt (Deva RuNam, Rishi RuNam, and Pitru
RuNam), frees them from the three kinds of afflictions (Adhyatmika,
Adhi Bhowdhika, and Adi Daivika), confers true knowledge about
Tattva trayam, and most importantly assures one of the efficacy of
the
path of complete, unconditional surrender to His Lotus feet.
Vedic tributes to Bhagavan Nrusimha include the Vishnu sooktam
salutation "mrugO na BhIma kucharO giriShtA:", the Taittriya
Upanishad salutation "BheeShAsmAd vAta: pavatE BheeShodEti sUrya:
BheeShAsmAdhagnischEndrascha mrutyurDhAvati Panchama iti", the rg
vedam salutations "Bhadram KarNE...", and "
Ya AtmadA baladA yasya vishva upAsatE prashiSham yasya devA: yasya
cChayA amrutam yO mrutyumrutyu: kasmai devAya haviShA
viDhEma " . Each of these salutations is most potent in invoking the
blessings of Bhagavan Nrusimha.
Verse 9 of the Mantrarajapada stotram contains in a nutshell the
essence of Bhagavad Ramanuja Darshanam as practised and propagated
by Swami Desikan. In a recent Upanyasam, H.H. Sri Rangapriya
Mahadesikan Swami remarked "Bhagavan Nrusimha is addressed as
Ugram, BheeshaNam and Mrutyumrutyum. These are really terrifying
aspects of Bhagavan Nrusimha. Even Devas like Brahma and Rudra
shuddered in fear at this sight. How is it that Prahlada was
unperturbed and calm at this sight?" Swami then answered the question
as "For Prahlada, Lord Narayana was manifest in everything sentient
and insentient. As a firm believer (Maha Vishvasam) in the
declaration vasudeva sarvam iti, Prahlada beheld Lord Nrusimha in
everything. Therefore, why should he be terrified by the form of
Bhagavan Nrusimha?" Swami then continued "Bhadram is the name of
Bhagavan Nrusimha and Bhadra is the name of his consort-Sri.
What is the protection (Bhadram) offered by the the Divine Couple
together? It is the act of granting SharaNagati to a supplicant. Such
protection is elevating, ennobling and permanent (Moksham resulting
in
Nithya Kaimkaryam for the pleasure and at the pleasure of the
Divine Couple). As a by product of this act, the Divine Couple
(Bhagavan Nrusimha and his consort) also
confer the boons of Dharma, Artha, and Kama. Therefore engage in
daily
recitation of the Mantrarajapada Stotram" Swami Desikan
refers to the elevated nature of the protection offered by the Divine
Couple in the KamasikAshtakam salutation "Tvayi rakshati
rakshakai: kimanyai: tvayi cha arakshati rakshakai: kimanyai:" (when
You have decided to protect someone where is the need for
other protectors? When You have decided not to protect someone of
what
use are other protectors?)
Adiyen wishes to conclude this posting with the following passage
from
the Linga Aspotita Nrusimha Gadyam, which appears in the
Vishnu puraNam
JnAnaIshwarya Shakti Bala TejOguNAtmaka!
Parama Purusha! PadmanAbha! Hayashira:! AdIvarAha! Narasimha!
Vamana! Trivikrama! RAma! RAma! VAsudeva! SankarshaNa! Pradyumna!
Aniruddha! Purusha! Satyashruta!VAsudeva! Adimadhya Nidhana
ChEshtita!
ChEstAtma MAyA AhOrAtra YatimAnjishta! ShuklavAsa:! SuparNatAla
Makaradwaja!ParamavidyAkarmakAlanABha! Svasti Asmabhyam, Svasti
PrajAbhya:!
TvamEva Mantram Tvam RakshA, TvamoUshadamanuttamam I
TriviDhadapi DukhAnmAm PramOchaya JagatpatE II
Sri Sudarshana-Narasimha ParabrahmaNE Namaha,
Namo Narayana,
SriMuralidhara Dasan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need extra cash? Get the cash you need fast with a refinance or home
equity loan. Needmoney.com, a division of New Century Mortgage
Corporation is an approved Equal Housing Lender.
http://click.egroups.com/1/4171/4/_/716111/_/958517633/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@eGroups.com
Visit http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/ for more information