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Re: VISHNU and SHIVA
On Wed, 6 Dec 1995, Pawan (softsols@aol.com (Soft Sols)
<4a4a7r$cn2@babbage.ece.uc.edu> wrote:
> Dr. Reddy, thank you for a wonderful exposition of the Puranas, and
> of the Trinity. I have only one comment to make with respect to your
> posting.
>
> The Trinity is just that: a Trinity. There can be no question of
> who is more powerful, because in a trinity, one does not exist without the
> others. If there were no Brahma, there would be no Vishnu or Mahesh.
> Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, and Mahesh the destroyer. In
> this world of constant change, one needs all three to support life.
> Change means the death of the old and the rebirth of the new. Mahesh
> destroy, Brahma creates. And what is created needs to be sustained until
> it has to be destroyed again.
First, I would like to thank Pawan for his interest and comments.
There is only one supreme being from whom everything emnated. Although
many people tend to equate Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, there is only one
supreme being from whom evrything emnated. The mahopanishath declares
Thadahu- Ekohaavai Narayana Aaseeth. Na Brahmaneshano.....
Na nakshathrani, na suryo, na chandrama. Sa Ekaki na rametha.
Thasyadhyananthasthya yagna sthoma muchyathe.....
In the beginning Narayana was alone (Ekovaahai). There was no Brhama
(nabrhama) there was no Shiva (na Eeshano). He was alone (Sa Ekakee).
Nasya pradhana samvathsara jayanthe. Samvathsaradadijayanthe.... Brhma,
Prajapathi, etc. were born out of him.
Adha punareva Narayanasoanyathkamo manasa adhyatha. Thasya
dhyananthasya lalatath thryaksha shulapaani purusho bhibrthsriyam, .........
thasyadeeshano maha devo maha deva.
Naraya again meditated. From the face (lalata) of the meditating Narayana
was born Rudra with three eyes and thejass. He had renounciation and
other qualities. Therefore he is regarded as Mahadeva instead of simply a
deva.
Also, the Narayanopanishad declares:
Om ada puruhohavai Narayanoakmayatha Prjasnayethi..... Narayanth
Brhmaajaythe, Narayanth Rudrojayathe, Narayanth Indrojayathe... Ethath
rugveda shirodheethe.
Brhama, Rudra, etc. everything emnated form Narayana.
The Yajurveda portion of the Naraynopanishad declares:
Adha nithyo Narayana. Brhma Narayana, Shivashya Narayana....Shuddo devo
eko Narayana Nadvithosthikatchit
Sa Vishnurevabhavathi, Savishnureva Bhavathi. Ethad Yajurveda shirodheethe.
Narayana is etarnal. There is only one (Nadvithosthi) Narayana. Brhma and
Shiva came from him.
The Athrava veda portion of the upanishad declares:
Prathyaganandam .....Brhmanyo Devaikiputhro Brhmanyo Madhusudanaohm.
Sarva bhuthasthamekam Narayanam. ... Ethadarva shirodheethe.
The pranav is refering to the parabramma who is Deviki's son
madhusudhaana. Narayana is everything.
In addition, the Purusha suktha, etc. (as described in my erlier
communication) clearly point out that everything emnated from Narayana.
Narayana Parabrahma srva karana karanam (Narayana is the cause of all
causes). Brahma and Shiva never claimed that they can give moksha. Only
Vishnu (Narayana) claimed that he can grant Mosksha.
Although Brhama is often reffered to as the creator, he is only a
nimitha karana or an instrument of Lord Narayana. It is Narayana who
created Brhama and Vishnu.
> Besides, if there were no creation, none of the three would ever
> exist, because their existence depends on manifest reality (maya).
The existance of Vishnu does not depend on Maya. He controls the maya.
Only, he alone can give moksha. Brham could not transcend Krishna's maya
when he stole cows and cowherd boys. Please read Bhagavatam ofr the
complete story. Even Shiva could not transcend Lord Vishnu's maya. For a
while, Shiva was thinking that Vishnu in his Mohini form is actually a girl.
The name Vishnu means all pervading. The purusha suktham (drawn from the
vedas) declares: Sahasra sheersha purusha....Athya thisdasangulam...
He is ten inches above all the abodes. He pervades much more than the
leela vibhuthi (his play ground) consisting of innumerable universes.
[Meaning He is beyond the maya]. Purusha evedagam sarvam....
When we go to a store, some times we find that even the manager or the
owner is working on one of the counters during rush periods. For the
customer who is interested only in purchasing, the store clereks and the
manager or the owner appear to be equal. For the customer, they are all
the store clereks. Yet, the manager or the owner is decides the policies
and is different. In a similar way, for a person who is seeking only the
material benefits, Brham, Vishnu, and Shiva appera to be equal.
Narayana has given Brhma the work of creation and Shiva the work of
distruction (in the material universe). Since, Narayana thinks that
the the work of maintenance requires intricate skills, he has kept the
work to himself. Three of them may appear equal, but only Vishnu can
take you out of the Maya and grant you moksha {Please refer to
Bhagavadgitha, or any of the six satvic puranans}. All the clerks
including the manager at the counter can sell you. But, only the manager
or the owner can give you a job or buy something from you.
Since everybody is rather familier with the Sathya Narayana Puja (drawn
form Skanda puran one of the six thamasic puranas), next time you go to a
temple and perform the puja, observe the sequence. First, you do the puja
to Navagraha (after Ganesh), then to the ashta-dikpalalkas, and then to
the panch loka palakas. These loka palakas are Ganesh, Brhama, Vishnu,
Shiva , and Parvathi. Then you start puja for Lord Sathya Narayana. This
indicates that the dikpalakas have more power than the navagrahas, the
loka palakas are controling the material world and have even higher
power, and above all is Narayana.
Take
> this away, and all you are left with is God, and none are superior to
> anything anymore. There is only God. So, God is and always will be
> supreme.
>
>
> - Pawan
Yes, the God (Narayana) is always and will be supreme because he is the
supporter of everything including the maya.
Narender P. Reddy, Ph.D.
npreddy@brain.biomed.uakron.edu
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