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|| VANDE GURUPARAMPARAM ||
FIRST ACHARYA
SHREEMAN NARAYANA – OUR FIRST ACHARYA - PART
Article and Art by Smt. Malathi Balaji
BHAGAVAN SHREEMAN NARAYANA is the first preceptor (prathamAchArya), and foremost preceptor (paramAchArya) of our GuruparamaparA. He is the supreme self (paramAtmA or parabrahman), the supreme reality (paratattva), the supreme being (parama purusha), the supreme effulgence (paranjyoti), and the supreme Lord of the entire universe (paramEshwara). He is the primordial Lord (AdidEva) who is the principal cause (moola kAraNa) of sRushTi (creation), sthiti (maintenance) and samhAra (dissolution) of the multiverse. He is the material cause (upAdhAna kAraNa), instrumental cause (nimitta kAraNa) and supportive cause (sahakAri kArNa) of all things and processes of the myriad universes. He is eternal (nityam), existing in the past, present and the future. He is the protector of all (sarvarakshaka). Lord nArAyaNa is fondly called in tamizh as “emperumAn”. He is the beloved husband of ShreedEvi and hence is always referred with a prefix “Shree” - Shreeman nArAyaNa or Shriya:pati. The vedas praise Him as the Purusha who has more than thousand heads (sahasrasheershA purusha:), thousand eyes (sahasrAksha:), thousand legs (saharapAt), and extends beyond the ten directions. Lord nArAyaNa pervades all movable and non-movable entities and hence he is called “ViShnU”. (The root word “vish” means to pervade, the suffix “knu” means the person who innately has the said quality)
NARAYANA SOOKTAM
नारायण परं ब्रह्म तत्त्वं नारायणः परः ।
नारायण परो ज्योतिरात्मा नारायणः परः ।
नारायण परो ध्याता ध्यानं नारायणः परः ॥
nArAyaNa paraM brahma tattvaM nArAyaNaH paraH |
nArAyaNa paro jyotirAtmA nArAyaNaH paraH |
nArAyaNa paro dhyAtA dhyAnaM nArAyaNaH paraH ||
nArAyaNa is the one to be known, the one to be worshipped as the soul of the universe (collectively and individually), the supreme brahman, the supreme truth, the supreme effulgence, the supreme soul, supreme meditator and the supreme meditation.
THREE MEANINGS OF NARAYANA SHABDAM:
1. “nAra” means water. “ayana” means resting or reclining. Lord VishNu rests on water and hence the name nArAyaNa.
2. “nAra” means beings. “ayanam” means movement. He pervades every being inside and outside (nAra: ayanam yasya) - Hence the name ‘nArAyaNa’.
3.“ayanam” means abode or resting place. He is the abode for the jeevAtmAs called “nAra” (nArANAm ayanam yasya) - Hence the name nArAyaNa.
DEVADIDEVA – THE LORD OF ALL DEVAS
Lord nArAyaNa is the Lord of all dEvas (dEvAdidEva). The whole gamut of gods perform their duties and report to Lord nArAyaNa like His subordinates.
भीषास्मात् वातः पवते। भीषोदेति सूर्यः।
भीषास्मात् अग्निइन्द्रश्च। मृत्यु र्धावति पञ्चमः |
bheeShAsmAt agni indrashcha| mRutyur dhAvati panchama: |
It is out of fear of the Supreme Brahman that the wind, vAta is blowing; out of fear of Him that soorya, the sun regularly rises and sets; and out of fear of Him that agni, the fire is burning. It is only due to fear of Him that the devas like the Chandra (moon) and indra (king of devas), and yama (death) perform their respective duties.”
NARAYANA TATTVAM OR VISHNU TATTVAM IN VISHISHTADVAITA PHILOSOPHY.
BhagavAn Shreeman nArAyaNa is the supreme soul (paramAtmA) and all other people and things found in this universe are His body (shareeram).
VEDANTA SARAM
श्रीमते निर्मलानन्दॊदन्वतॆ विष्णवॆ नम: ॥
shreemate nirmalAnandOdanvatE viShNavE nama: ||
Swami rAmAnuja says: I bow to viShNu, who has for His body all sentient and insentient beings, who is the soul of all things, who is always associated with Goddess Shree, who is without any blemish, and who is the ocean of endless bliss.
BHAGAVAT SWAROOPAM: NATURE
BhagavAn's nature or divyAtma swaroopam (svarUpam) is truth (satyam), self-effulgent (gyAnam), blissful (Anandam), all auspicious (kalyANaikatAna, shivam), infinite (anantam), imperishable (avyayam), permanent (shAsvatam) and distinctly different from all others (samasta-vastu-vilakshaNam).
BHAGAVAT ROOPAM: BEAUTY
His divine form is called the divya mangaLa vigraham (rUpam). This divya mangaLa vigraham is unique (Eka rUpam), divinely wonderful (divyadbhutam), imperceptible (achintyam), eternal (nityam), faultless (niravadya), incomparable (niratishayam), resplendent (oujvalyam), charming (saundharyam), well-built (lAvaNyam), fragrant (saugandhyam) gentle (saukumaryam), and ever youthful (yauvanam). (The divya mangaLa vigraham is called ‘ShubhAshrayam’, having both auspiciousness and fit to be meditated upon - It has both shubhatvam and Ashrayatvam).
BHAGAVAT GUNAM: QUALITIES
He is called “bhagavAn” because He has the six supreme characteristics (shaDguNa-s or bhaga-s) namely knowledge (gyAnam), will (balam), lordship (aishwaryam), capacity (veeryam), power (shakti), and splendour (tEjas). He is opposed to all that is negative. He is different from anything that is pointed out. Eternal knowledge and bliss are His nature (ananta gyAna Ananda Eka swaroopam). He is the treasure trove or the ocean of countless auspicious qualities (ananta/asankhyEya kalyANa guNas) like motherliness (vAtsalyam), graciousness (sausheelyam), ease of access (saulabhyam), mArdavam (lenience), Arjavam (sincerity), compassion (kAruNyam), generosity (audhAryam), friendliness (sauhArdam), sweet (mAdhuryam), stableness (sthairya), courage (dhairya), shaurya (valiant), victorious (parAkramam), profound (gAmbheeryam), successful (satyakAmam) and promising (satyasankalpam), ever active (kRutitvam), and thankful (kRutangyatA). He is the sole granter of mOksha which can be attained by following the path of bhakti yOga or prapatti yOga.
SHARANAGATI GADYAM BY SWAMI RAMANUJA
अनन्तज्ञानानन्दैकस्वरूप ! स्वाभिमतानुरूप एकरूप अचिन्त्य दिव्याद्भुत
नित्यनिरवद्य निरतिशय औज्ज्वल्य सौन्दर्य सौगन्ध्य सौकुमार्य लावण्य
यौवनाद्यनन्तगुणनिधिदिव्यरूप !
स्वाभाविकानवधिकातिशय ज्ञानबलैश्वर्य वीर्यशक्तितेजस्सौशील्य वात्सल्य मार्दव आर्ज सौहार्द साम्य कारुण्य माधुर्य गाम्भीर्य औदार्य चातुर्यस्थैर्यधैर्यशौर्यपराक्रमसत्यकामसत्यसङ्कल्पकृतित्व
कृतज्ञताद्यसङ्ख्येयकल्याणगुणगणौघमहार्णव !
ananta-gnyana-AnandaikasvarUpa ! svAbhimatAnurUpa ekarUpa achintya divyAdbhuta nitya-niravadya niratishaya aujjvalya saundarya saugandhya saukumArya lAvaNya yauvanAdy-anantaguNanidhi-divyarUpa !
svAbhAvikAnavadhikAtishaya gnyana-bala-aishvarya veerya-shakti-tejas-sausheelya vAtsalya mArdava Arjava sauhArda sAmya kAruNya mAdhurya gAmbhIrya audArya-chAturya-sthairya-dhairya-shaurya-parAkrama-satyakAma-satyasankalpa-kRutitva kRutagnyata-Adi-asankhyEya-kalyANa-guNagaNaugha-mahArNava!
BHAGAVAT AISHWARYAM: SUPREMACY OF LORD NARAYANA
Shreeman NArAyaNa is the supreme Lord of the entire universe. His supremacy or lordship over everything and everyone is referred by the term “aishwaryavatvam” or “Ishvaratvam”. He is one without a second (adviteeya). He is totally independent (svatantra). He is the ultimate director (prEritA) under whose orders all things and processes work. There is no one equal to or greater than Him (न तत् समश्च अभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यतॆ na tat samashcha abhyadhikashcha dRushyatE - ShwetAshvatarOpanishad).
SARVAVYAPAKATVAM: OMNISCIENCE OF LORD NARAYANA
NARAYANA SOOKATAM
अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः ॥
antarbahiShca tatsarvaM vyApya nArAyaNa: sthita: ||
Whatever manifestation is seen or heard in all the worlds, nArAyaNa pervades within and outside of it and remains established in that.
EXPANSIONS OR FORMS OF SHREEMAN NARAYAANA
The purusha sooktam declares: “ajAyamAnO bahudA vijAyatE” अजायमानो बहुधा विजायतॆ – Although the Lord is unborn, He takes up diverse forms, for the functioning of the universe. These forms are broadly classified into five main categories. They are:
1. para (supreme state), पर
2. vyUha (expanded state), व्यूह
3. vibhava (incarnated state), विभव
4. archA (worshipable state - as idols in temples), अर्चा
5. antaryAmi (immanent state inside the AtmA). अन्तर्यामि
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