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The Vaibhavam of Sri Sudarsana(Narasimha) BhagavAn: Part III

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • October 19, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

In the previous posting , adiyEn summarized the response
to the first Question regarding Sri Sudarsana BhagavAn or
"Ezhil Aazhi iRaivan " as saluted by Swamy Desikan.
adiyEn will take up the next question : What is the meaning 
of the Naamam , " Sudarsanan"? adiyEn will summarize and
add to the commnets of ThirukkOttiUr Swamy .

adiyEn is glad that Thirukkudanthai Sampath Rengarajan 
has started writing about The Sudarsana BhAgavaan's 
Vaibhavam in the context of the Construction of the Yaaga 
Saalai at Thirukkudanthai ChakrapANi Koil . 

At this time , the wonderfully assembled CD ROM from 
on the Vaibhavam of Vaikunta Vaasi , U.Ve. SalakshaNa 
GhanapaaDi , Sri MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhAcchAr Swamy
arrived . Among all the informative tributes assembled by 
this MaahAn's dear devotees , there is a section on YajNam
and prepartions for the MahA Yaj~nams for Sri Narasimha 
BhagavAn by Him . AdiyEn will describe this week end about
the rigors of constructing yaj~na Saalai , consecrating it 
and the 32 steps in conductance of the SvAthi Yaj~nams 
to conclusion as practised by the  Maha Nrusimha Yaj~na Adhvaryu 
Sreshtar. These are narrated by Srimans Sunder Rangachar and Vijay
BhAshyam and other devotees . Sriman Rajagopalan Srinivasan of 
Minnesotta and his tireless team has released this wonderful
CD ROM to help continue the conductance of the 107 Yaj~nams 
performed by this Guru Bhakthi Ratnam , Sri MukkUr Swamy . 
He  was an ardent disciple(Sishya rathnam ) of Sri Ahobila Matam 
Jeeyars and His AchArya Bhakthi was exemplary.
As we approach the 76th birthday celebration of prakrutham
Jeeyar , HH Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha PaadhukA Sevaka SriVaNN 
SatakOpa Sri NarayaNa MahA Desikan , the AchArya Bhakthi of 
MUkkUr Swamy looms large before our minds . Please join in 
the celebrations for the Current Azhagiya Singar as 
He completes the his 75 years and enters into the 76th
year of Kaimkaryam to His AchAryAs and Aaraadhana Moorhty
Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan . Please contact adiyEn or Sriman
Dileepan regarding your participation of this mile stone 
in the life of Sri NaarAyaNa MahA Desikan.  

Now coing back to the second question posed by ThirukkOttiUr 
Swamy , there are THREE answers given by him:

(1) That sankalpam of the Lord to create, protect and destroy
is beyond the control of any one since there is no one equal to
or superior to the Lord. His Sva-Sankalpam , SvyAdhikAram 
is known as Darsanam prevails wihtout any kind of obstruction .
It is beyond the limitations of Kaalam and Desam & vasthu.
Since it is so uniquely magnificent and auspicious , 
the auspiciousprefix of "Su " is added to that word "Darsanam " 
to yield the ThirunAmam of "Sudarsanam " , which is 
the embodiment of Sudarsanar.This is the SusabdhArTam 
for the Sacred name of Sudarsanam .

(2) This Sudarsanar is the sacred one, who confers auspiciousness
to one and  all ( Suhrudham Sarva-BhUthAnAm ).He is Lord Sriman
NaarAyaNan's cool and rejuvenating KatAksham (nectarine glances).
When they fall on the human being at birth , then that person
is blessed with Saathvika GuNams leading to the ultimate
boon of Moksham:

JaayamAnam hi purusham yamm pasyEth Madhusoodhana:
Saathvikassa thu vij~nEya: sa vai mOkshArTachinthaka:

(3) That Lord has souseelyam and Soulabhyam as declared by Him :

"SamOham SarvabhUthEshu na mE dhvEshyOasthi na priya:"

He has no partiality and gives fruits based on one's 
karmAs (VinaikaL).He has equanimity in His rulership. 
His DhaNdadharathvam arises from His wish to free 
the jeevan from the ills caused by for their trespasses 
of His commands :

Sruthis-smruthi mamaivAj~nA yasthAmm-ullangya vartatE
ajn~AcchEdhI Mama dhrOhi  Madh-bhakthOpi na VAISHNAVA:

Even the punishment He metes out is a KrupA Kaaryam 
to rid them of their offenses and bring them back into
His fold and bless them . Looked in this manner , He
continues to be Sudarsanan ( NannOkku Udayavan in Tamil).
Offenders like Sage DhurvAsar was not destroyed by 
Sudarsana BhagavAn , when the angry sage offended 
a Parama BhAgavathan like King AmbharIshan. DhurvAsar
was chased by the Sudarsana Bhagavan until the sage
fell at the feet of the very same AmbharIshan , whom
he had offended. Then ,the benovolent Sudarsana BhagavAn
as a Suhruth left the Sage alone. Again , the Sudarsana
BhagavAn as AayudhEswaran chased KaakAsuran as the power
behind the BrahmAsthram sent by Lord Raamachandran .
Jaanaki Raaman consecrated a blade of grass with 
the powers of BrahmAsthram to destroy the KaakAsuran 
for his offences against His Devi. The Suhruth chased
KaakAsuran around the universes until He fell at the feet 
of Sakala Loka MaathA , souhgt Her pardon and was spared . 

In summary, by invocation of the name Sudarsanan , we 
understand the meaning of that dhivya Naamam as :

(1) The uninterruptable (aprathihitham ) sankalpam 
of the Lord , which arises from His svayAdhikAram 
and svath-sankalpam.

(2) The  most auspicious and benovolent katAksham
of the SarvalOka Suhruth, Sriman NaarAyaNan .

(3) That impartial , nectarine eye-glances , which
nullify the aparAdhams of erring jeevans and engages
in the krupA Kaaryam of meting out just punishment 
and uplifting the Jeevans to His aasthAnam (Supreme
abode ).

May those Sudarshanams of Lord Sudarshana BhagavAn 
protect us always as a Kavacham (shield)! 

The Fourth Question:
*********************
What are the fruits or benefits by comprehending
the Tatthvam behind Lord Sudarsanan ? 

A full understanding of His Tatthvams makes us realize
that we are not svthanthrAs with control over destinies.
By conducting ourselves with aanukoolya sankalpam 
(performing only  the deeds that please Him ) 
and Praathikoolya Varjanam  ( staying away from 
deeds that will be displeasing to Him ), we attain
the the full range of fruits that the four kinds 
of seekers seek. 

The Fifth Question
*******************

Is it enough to know His Tatthvam ? Do we need 
to do anything else besides comprehension of His
Tatthvam to attain what we seek ?

Mere familiarity with His Tathtvams is not enough to
realize the sought fruits . For instance, we know that 
one's hunger will be quenched , if one consumes food.
For quelling one's hunger, one has to eat the appropriate
food instead of just comforting oneself from the bookish 
knowledge that consumption of food will remove hunger .
The hunger will not go away from the mere recollection 
of the way to quench hunger. We have to take action by
engaging in the act of eating to banish the pangs of hunger.

The Fifth Question: 
********************

What is the action that we should engage in ? Is it 
just one act or more than one? 

Since we desire so many kinds of fruits depending on
the multiple needs of individuals , we can engage in 
a variety of acts(as Kaamya and nishkAmya karmAs ) 
that are appropriate to the occasion. NishkAmya KarmAs 
invoking the principle of " LokA; SamasthA: SukhinO
Bhavanthu , MahAnthOnugrahNanthu" would be preferrable
for PrapannAs and paramaikAnthis . 

The many approaches to worship Him are:

(1) Performing AarAdhanam to Sudarsana BhagavAn 

(2) Recitation of Sudarsana AshtOttharam or 
    Sahasra Naamam daily.

(3) Thirumajanma with consecrated waters from one or 9 or 
    1008 kalasams of archA moorthys or Sudarsana SaaLigrAmams .
    Sudarsana BhagavAN can alos be invoked (aavAhanam) in
    Kalasam or Kumbham and the consecrated waters therefrom 
    can be used for sacred bath to overcome anishtams(misfortunes). 

(4) NaivEdhyam (Offerings ) of chithrAnnams , Fruits et al
    to those archA moorthys or SaaLagrAma Roopis.

(5) Performance of Sudarsana Homams in shaDkONa Yaj~na Kuntams.
    
(6) Prathishtai of ArchAs of Sudarsanan with 4 or 8 or 16 hands 
    holding the prescribed weapons . The front side will have
    the archai of Sudarsana BhagavAn and the back side would 
    have Yoga Narasimha Moortham with four hands holding 
    four chakrams and sitting in the middle of two intersecting
    triangles ( SahDkONa Yanthram).

    The archA at Thirukkudanthai , adiyEn recalls , has 8 hands
    holding the weapons and mudhrAs. The magnificent archais 
    at  Kaanchi  and Srirangam to my recollection have 16 arms
    holding the weapons described by Swamy Desikan in His 
    ShOdasAyudha SthOthram . The most beautiful 16 handed 
    ArchA Moorthy of Lord Sudarsana-Narasimhan  at the 
    Sri ranganAthA temple at Pomona , NY is one of the most
    endearing on eto behold. Sri Ahirbhudhnya Samhithai, Sudarsana
    Sathakam et al describe the savaroopam of Lord Sudarsanr .
 
(7) Sudarsana Yanthra AarAdhanai: Worship of the Sudarsana
    Yanthram drawn on copper or gold plates in the proper way 
    is another way to recieve the blessings of Sudarsana BhagavAn.
    Sri Nrusimha Yanthram with appropriate bhIjAksharams will be
    on the other side. Sakala sampaths are within the reach of
    YanthrOpAsakan , the constructor of this Yanthram and the one
    who encourages others to create and worship such yanthrams.

    Ahirbhudhnya samhithai passage celebrates the sarva Sidhdi
    Pradhathvam ( yieliding of all siddhis) for yanthra Poojai:

    SudarsanEna Yukthasya Naarasimhasya Yanthrakam
    Ya: Kaarayathi TasyAnyO lOkO vasyO bhavEdhapi
    yEthallEkhana maathrENa Sarvam SampadhyathE NruNAm
   
    Sarva siddhi pradham sarva sampadhAm yEka kaaranam
    parAbhchAra samanam pararAjya Pradham Subham 

(8) Sudarsana manthra Japam : After initation from a Sudarsana
    UpAsakar , Japam can be done for immense kshEmams. Manthra
    Japam is considered even more beneficial for realizing
    Sudarsana SaakshAthkAram than the performance of Homams.

The sixth and Final Question:
******************************

Sudarsana Yanthram /Archai : Since both Lord Narasimhan and 
Sudarsana BhagavAn are present together in such Yanthrams and 
archais , what is the proper procedure to worship them?Whose 
AarAdhanai should come first. Who is parivAram to whom here ?
ThirukkOttiUr Swamy quotes from Ahirbhudhnya samhithai
ans Manthra SiddhAnthams about the proper procedure.
The key passages in response to this query are:

"ChakrAthmA HarirEva hi".

Hence, worship of Sudarsana BhagavAn as Bhagavath Roopam 
in prsence of Sri Yoga Narasimhan is sanctioned. This may 
sound controversial. The example of a similar situation 
is cited as Sri Raamachandran of Bhagavath Roopam worhipping
as parivAram worshipping Lord RanganAthA (Bhagavath Roopar)
at AyOddhyA as PrAdhAnyar ( " Saha PathnyA VisAlAkshyA
NaarAyaNam upAgamath " of Srimath RaamAyaNam).Sri Paadhma
Samhithai of PaancharAthra Aagamam also provides additional
pramANams on this matter.

In the concluding posting , adiyEn will make reference to
the salutations of the AzhwArs to Lord Sudarsanar .

Sri SudarsanAya Nama:
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan 



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