narasimha praised.

One of the names by which Lord Mahavishnu is praised in the Vishnu Sahasranama is Sandhaata. This is a reference to His avatara as Narasimha, said M.A. Venkatakrishnan in a discourse. As Narasimha, He calls out to devotees like Prahlada, and keeps them beside Him. The next nama is Sandhimaan. This means that not only does He draw His bhaktas to His side, but He also ensures that they are beside Him always, and are not separated from Him. Narasimha is Sthirah, which means that even if those who are with Him should err, while they are with Him, He willingly forgives them and overlooks their errors.

He is Ajah. This means that His birth is unusual. He suddenly sprang from a pillar. Vedanta Desika says that because of the Narasimha avatara, a pillar became Brahma’s grandmother! Vishnu is the father of Brahma, and since Vishnu as Narasimha, appeared from a pillar, naturally, the pillar becomes Brahma’s grandmother! Narasimha is Durmarshanah, because enemies cannot face Him. He is Saasta, because He punished the wicked in a way they deserved. He is Visrudaatma. This indicates that the story of Narasimha is one that should be heard by everyone. He is Suraarihaa, because He tore up the enemy of the celestials, namely Hiranyakasipu.

Ramanujacharya appointed 74 Simhasanadipathis to carry forward the Visishtadvaita philosophy, and for every one of them, Narasimha was the Aradhana murthi. Nammazhvar asks, will anyone study about anyone but Rama, for by association with Him, even blades of grass were liberated? In the following verse, Nammazhvar extols the Krishna avatara. But he finally says knowledgeable persons will not want to learn anything except the glories of the Narasimha avatara.

results of meditation.

The Supreme Brahman is beyond human thought and speech, say the scriptures and to search for the Nirguna Brahman who is transcendent, formless and without attributes is more difficult than to worship Saguna Brahman who can be approached by meditating on His gunas. Adi Sankara has indicated that though Nirguna Upasana is the final goal to be attained, Saguna Upasana is also equally efficacious to lead to the ultimate end, pointed out Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse.

In various instances in his bashyas, the acharya has shown that in essence both are one and the same, even as the two sides of a coin. Just as a judge adopts the suitable dress code when discharging his duty in court, Brahman too dons the Saguna aspect when engaged in Srishti, Stiti and Laya. But Brahman is the essence of eternal consciousness and bliss, Sat-chit-ananda. He does not depend on any of the indriyas while all of them depend on Him for their functioning. He can see without eyes and hear without ears. He is smaller than the smallest; like the tip of a grain such as barley, millet or mustard. He is also bigger, higher and greater than the biggest, highest and greatest.

The acharya has endorsed the advantages of Saguna upasana and in keeping with the saying, ‘As you think so you become,’ one begins to imbibe and incorporate Brahman’s attributes when meditation is practised in earnest. Gradually, one begins to understand that the same unique Brahman with and without attributes is also the indweller in the cave of one’s heart. His subtle presence holds absolute sway over the entire universe and creation both at the macro and micro levels. No being or aspect of the universe can ever exist on its own power or capacity. This awareness confers a sense of humility and serves to reorient individual perception of one’s own life and aims.

punishments for sin.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Suka tells Pareekshit about different kinds of sins, said P.T. Seshadri in a discourse. Suka talks about different kinds of narakas (hells) that await sinners, who are punished according to the nature of their sins.

A person who grabs someone’s property is taken by Yama’s men to a hell called taamisra. Here he is given no food or water, and is beaten by Yama’s men. He who hoards all his wealth and never gives to the poor will go to rowrava. People he had turned away take the form of venomous creatures called ruru, and bite him. A person who neglects his parents will go to kaalasutra. He will be made to stand in a vessel of copper, below which a fire will be lit. The Sun beats down on his head, and he will have to endure this heat for thousands of years.

A man who torments someone who is already suffering, will go to andhakupa, and there he will be constantly stung by mosquitoes and bitten by snakes. A bad ruler or even his servant who misuses power, will go to vaitarani. Here he will be pushed into a river of filth, and will be bitten by all kinds of germs. A man who gives false evidence, who promises dana, but goes back on his word, or a man who is dishonest in his business will go to aveechimaan. Here he is rolled down a hill, repeatedly. He doesn’t die, but is in agony. He who is proud of his family, of his lineage, of his wealth or his learning, will go to kshaarakardma.

deeds and results.

The law of karma binds one and all. Every being is born to experience the effects of one’s past deeds, good and bad. None can escape from facing the fruits of one’s actions. This truth clearly flashes in Dasaratha’s mind when, having sent Rama to the forest, he is in the grip of extreme sorrow and also realises that his life is going to end in this fashion, pointed out Swami Paramasukananda in a discourse. He is alone with Kausalya and seeks solace in her presence.

Accepting that he deserves every word of her harsh accusations, which clearly reflect her sorrow, the king pacifies her and very humbly asks her to refrain from committing any further sin of blaming her husband. He sees clearly that people easily commit sins when giving vent to their emotions like anger, desire, etc, unmindful of the terrible and fearful effects that quickly get attached to each one’s individual karma account. The suffering experienced by individuals is not something targeted on them indiscriminately; it is their own earnings from their past deeds. He recalls the act of adharma that he had committed long back in his past life when he was young and unmarried.

He had gone hunting in the forest and did not get any prey on that day. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone drinking water from a nearby pond and he presumed that it was an elephant. Skilled in aiming the target by sheer focus on the sound, he now sent an arrow that did not miss the target. But soon he heard an anguished cry and rushing to the spot found that he was guilty of killing an innocent man who had the sole responsibility of caring for his aged and blind parents. This crime is now chasing Dasaratha and he knows he has to endure the blind parents’ dying curse of putra soka he had incurred then.

ananda

The most wonderful result of the Lord’s avatars apart from the main purposes, protecting the good, destroying the evil and establishing dharma, is the fact that all including the learned and the unlettered are given a chance to realise the Supreme Brahman. This is exemplified in the soul stirring hymns on deities such as Rama, Krishna, Subramanya, Sharada, Bhavani, etc, of Adi Sankara, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse.

Reputed for his brilliant expositions of the highest Vedantic texts wherein reason and logic are handled by him to establish the Advaita doctrine of the oneness of Brahman, these stotras reveal the fact that worship of one’s favourite deity, the Ishta Deivam is also a form of Brahma Upasana. At the outset of the famous Rama Bhujanga Stotra, the acharya states that this hymn is the essence of the Vedas. It is held that the Vedas descended in this world as Ramayana during Rama avatar. By worshipping Rama one can easily imbibe the essence of dharma and thereby attain the highest, Brahman. So the upasana is by reading this hymn and always thinking about Rama.

It is reiterated that Rama in human form is also simultaneously the eternal Brahman of the very Sat-chit-ananda essence. This ananda swaroopa is not a quality but is His very essence. There is no God greater than Rama. To seek Him should be one’s purpose in life. He alone is enough to help us through our life in this world and also guide us to salvation. But all this is attainable only through His grace. Human effort is only as far as sincere meditation is practised. It is every individual’s good samskaras that prompt one to be aware of the higher truths and He enables this to happen. From this awareness one is led to pursue them in earnest.

gPP

Guru Parampara offers obeisance to the lineage of preceptors who have handed down the spiritual tradition to posterity from the hoary past. It is held that Lord Narayana instructed the Vedas to Brahma and is the primordial guru. The Vedas are ‘apaurusheya,’ meaning that they are not the work of any human being.

Adi Sankara is believed to be an avatar of Siva and Vyasa of Vishnu and the heritage has been propagated and fostered by the line of sterling disciples who have been instructed and inspired by them. To impress the importance of scriptural study under the guidance of a preceptor, Adi Sankara is held to have sought Govindapada as his acharya. Likewise, during their avatars, Rama and Krishna also underwent Gurukula vasa to foster this tradition. That the Guru is on a par with God and has the power to confer enlightenment on a deserving disciple is exemplified in the life of Adi Sankara, pointed out Sri Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. The circumstances leading to the composition of Totaka Ashtakam by one of Adi Sankara’s disciples named Giri who was considered dull by others establishes the subtle benefits of the acharya’s grace.

Giri was very devoted to his guru. Once, when Adi Sankara was about to begin his class Giri was late as he was washing clothes. The others became restless when they were asked to wait for Giri. Sensing their pride in their proficiency of sastra knowledge and to humble them, Adi Sankara instantly blessed Giri. Giri came from the river banks singing the wonderful Totaka Ashtakam in verses replete with poetic excellences that capture the various facets of Guru Bhakti Bhava in the disciple who seeks the feet of the guru. Giri became Totakacharya and the others were rid of their pride.

taraka

Adi Sankara’s Stotra granthas are capable of making a powerful impact on one who learns them with interest. While these hymns are noted for their extraordinary devotional quality, they are also packed with the profound Upanishad truths on Brahma Jnana. The devotee thus is inspired into a spiritual experience where bhakti and jnana get merged in a seamless manner.

For instance, in the Rama Bhujanga Stotra, the acharya while extolling the greatness of Rama avatar also indicates that Rama as the very Absolute Brahman is the ultimate end and goal, said Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Even at the outset, he salutes Rama and addresses Him as the eternal form of Taraka Brahma when he draws from the purana beliefs in the power of Rama Nama. In the puranas such as the Skanda and Padma, it is stated that regardless of one’s spiritual attainment or one’s karma bondage, if one happens to die in Kasi, he gets liberated because Siva chants the Rama Taraka Mantra in his ears. A verse in this hymn alludes to Siva’s chanting the Rama Nama thrice to liberate the souls in Kasi to show the special value of the Rama Nama in helping people cross the ocean of samsara. It is also held that when Siva first revealed the efficacy of the Rama Taraka Mantra to Goddess Parvati, He mentioned that chanting the Rama Nama is equal to chanting the Sahasranama of the Lord. In the famous verse ‘Sri Rama Rama Ramethi Rame Rame Manorame,’ Rama Nama is repeated thrice. The acharya reinforces the truth that Rama is the manifestation of the Absolute Brahman. Hence, meditation on the form and qualities of Rama also leads to the realisation of Brahman. Rama has taught by example the way to lead a life of virtue, dharma, viveka and vairagya and thereby to strive for liberation.