New article published: "Vaishnava-para upabrimhana of certain Shrutis in Puranas"

We are pleased to bring out the next long article we are publishing in our site. If you would like to skip this journal entry and rather read the whole article, here is the link. For those who need a bit of an overview first, you are currently reading a quick introduction.

It covers two topics: “NARADA-BRAHMA SAMVADA IN ANUSHASANIKA PARVAN / NARASIMHA PURANA” and “SHLOKAS ON NARASIMHA IN THE NARADA PURANA”

On the fist topic, here are some snippets giving a quick overview:

This upAkhyAna is very popular among Vedantins including Shankara who have quoted it in their works. It is an upabhR^iMhaNa of the Narayana Suktam and shows in a crystal-clear manner that the parabrahman in this sUkta and other upaniShads is none other than Lord Vishnu. It thus dispenses with silly, new fangled ideas of Narayana being Tripurasundari (as propagated by that imbecile running the Mahapashupatastra blog) or that “Narayana is strictly Nirguna Brahman and not the four armed Vishnu” (as propagated by the equally imbecilic Vishnu hating Veerashaiva).

…

puNDarIkaH purA vipraH puNyatIrthe japAnvitaH .
nAradaM paripaprachCha shreyo yogaparaM munim ..
nAradashchAbravIdenaM brahmaNoktaM mahAtmanA ..  

Meaning: In ancient times, a brAhmaNa named puNDarIka was performing penances in puNyatIrthas. He asked Narada, the sage, who is engaged in yoga regarding what is the best for welfare. Narada indeed narrated as follows, what was told to him by the great soul Chaturmukha Brahma.

…

nArAyaNaH paraM brahma tatvaM nArAyaNaH paraH .NS
parAdapi parashchAsau tasmAnnAsti parAtparaH ..

yaccaki~ncijjagatyasmin dR^ishyate shrUyate.api vA .

antarbahishca tatsarvaM vyApya nArAyaNaH sthitaH ..NS

Meaning: Narayana is the supreme Brahman, the Highest truth is Narayana. He is Higher than the High. Hence, there is nothing Higher than the Highest. Everything seen and heard in this universe is pervaded from inside and out by Narayana. Thus He remains.

ekaM yadi bhavecchAstraM j~nAnaM niHsaMshayaM bhavet ..

bahutvAdiha shAstrANAM j~nAnatattvaM sudurlabham .

Meaning: Indeed, if there was only one shAstra, the Highest Knowledge would become known to the universe without doubt. This knowledge is now difficult to attain due to the multitude of shruti and smR^iti texts.

This shloka also justifies the existence of tAmasa purANAs. By it, silly questions of Shaivas like “why would vyAsa deliberately delude people?” is quashed. Not all are eligible for the truth, hence the shAstras are couched in mysterious and confusing language while the tAmasa purANAs exist to delude people.

AloDya sarvashAstrANi vichArya cha punaHpunaH .
idamekaM suniShpannaM dhyeyo nArAyaNaH sadA .. SB
tasmAttvaM gahanAnsarvAMstyaktvA shAstrArthavistarAn .
ananyachetA dhyAyasva nArAyaNamajaM vibhum ..

Meaning: Having enquired into these shAstras of various kinds, and analysing them repeatedly, the following one truth is brought forth: that Narayana is always to be meditated upon. Hence, you shall renounce these long and difficult shAstras and their explanations. Thereupon, without resorting to any other, meditate on Narayana, who is birthless and unlimited.

...

nAradenaivamuktastu sa vipro.abhyarchayaddharim .
svapno.api puNDarIkAkShaM sha~NkhachakragadAdharam ..
kirITakuNDaladharaM lasachChrIvatsakaustubham .
taM dR^iShTvA devadeveshaM prANamatsambhramAnvitaH ..

Meaning: Having instructed thus by nArada, the brAhmaNa (puNDarIka) worshipped Hari. Even in his dream, he worshipped the lotus-eyed Lord with conch, discus, and mace as His weapons who wears a golden crown, earrings, and possessing the marks of shrIvatsa and kaustubha. Seeing Him the Lord of all devas, puNDarIka prostrated with great awe.

Note that the text says Pundarika worshipped Lord Hari “who has lotus-like eyes, carries a conch, discus, mace, shrIvatsa mark, and kaustubha jewel”, after hearing the mAhAtmya of parabrahman spoken of in the Narayana Suktam and other portions of shruti as “Narayana”. What a pity that our Veerashaiva clown does not even know the basics of advaita to ascribe the name “Narayana” that describes a person with attributes (etymologically interpreted as resort of the nAras, one who has the nAras as his resort, he who is the means, etc all of which are attributes) as a “name of nirguNa brahman”.

...and a few key snippets from the second part of the article titled ‘SHLOKAS ON NARASIMHA IN THE NARADA PURANA’:

...certain portions of the Vedas which praise the Narasimha rUpa are also explained in the nArada purANa, which is  a sAttvika purANa. This is a section of the purANa that describes the worship of nR^simha for wealth, warding off diseases and other such minor puruShArthAs.

…

bhujaiḥ parighasaṃkāśairddaśabhiścopaśobhitam /

akṣasūtraṃ gadāpadmaṃ śaṅkhaṃ gokṣīrasannibham // NarP_1,71.54 //

dhanuśca muśalaṃ caiva bibhrāṇaṃ cakrasuttamam /

khaḍgaṃ śūlaṃ ca bāṇaṃ ca nṛhariṃ rudrarūpiṇam // NarP_1,71.55 //

Meaning: His arms are shining resembling ten iron maces (with) string of beads, the Kaumodaki mace, the lotus, the conch which resembles a cow’s milk (in whiteness), bow, club, bearing the excellent sudarshana chakra, the Nandaki sword, trident and the arrow. Narasimha has this form that bestows good (rudrarūpiṇam).

…

The final few shlokas we quote from this section again eulogize Narasimha as described by names occurring in the Shatarudriyam:

tato dhyāyeddhṛdi vibhuṃ nṛsiṃhaṃ candraśekharam // NarP_1,71.133 //

Meaning: Then, one shall meditate in the heart, on the all-pervading Narasimha, who shines brilliantly at the peak of the Veda, ie, the Upanishads (Candraśekharam).

śrīmannṛkesaritano jagadekabaṃndho śrīnīlakaṇṭha karuṇārṇave sāmarāja /
vahnīndutīvrakaranetra pinākapāṇe śītāṃśuśekhara rameśvara pāhi viṣṇo // NarP_1,71.134 //

Meaning: One who has the beautiful body of half-man, half-lion (śrīmannṛkesaritano)! One who is the sole (true) relative of the Universe (jagadekabaṃndho)! One who has a beautiful wide open black throat (śrīnīlakaṇṭha)! One who is the ocean of compassion (karuṇārṇave)! One who is the King of the Samans as they sing his praises (sāmarāja)! One whose eyes are like fire and moon showing anger and grace, whose hands have sharp nails (vahnīndutīvrakaranetra)! One who wields the abode (the conch Panchajanya) that abounds in bliss as it is always bathed in the nectar of his lips (pinākapāṇe)! He who has cool rays emanating from the gem studded crown (śītāṃśuśekhara)! The Master of Rama (Lakshmi)! O Vishnu, Protect me!

Read the article fully here.