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Re: The meaning of Jagannatha
mani@srirangam.esd.sgi.com (Mani Varadarajan) wrote:
> In article <4df335$6b9@babbage.ece.uc.edu> dchakrav@netserv.unmc.edu (Dhruba Chakravarti) writes:
> > Jagannatha is not a
> > representation of Lord Vishnu, but simply the Lord of the World. It is a
> > complex subject, and unless you really want to know, Jagannatha is
> > Ishvara, and he is the creator, nourisher and destroyer of the world.
>
> How does ``Isvara'' or ``Jagannatha'' refer to anyone
> but Lord Vishnu, in a religious context? I have never
> heard this particular epithet used for Siva, or any
> other deity for that matter.
>
Really? Well, Jagan-natha used without any other description does refer to
Vishnu as far as I know, but NOT Iswara. Consider
1. In the Paadma purana, there is a Siva sahasranama which was given by Sadasiva
at the request of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara (clearly Rudra or Shiva).
2. In the Kurma purana there is a Brahma-Vishnu kruta Linga Sthuthi. Suta says
that Isvara came to answer their prayers, clearly Siva at work.
3. In the Maha-Narayana Upanishad there is a shloka:
"Ishanas sarva Vidyanam Iswaras sarva Bhutanam" etc. This is used only in the
worship of Shiva. So agian Isvara in this refers to Siva.
4. When smarthas in T.Nadu say Bhagawan without any explanations it refers to
Krishna and when they say Iswara they refer to Shiva.
I am by no means a puranic scholar. But, I have read the Shiva, Linga puranas
reasonably thoroughly. I have also read (not so thoroughly), the Kurma and
Markandeya puranas. In NONE of these, as far as I can remember, I seem to
recall Vishnu being called Iswara. Shiva is on various occasions referred to as
Iswara, Mahadeva or just as Shiva. The above instances are just a few examples.
I could cite, if I had the inclination and time thousands of other places where
Shiva is called Iswara.
Pl. don't give some a name from the Sahasranama calling Vishnu as Iswara, I can
produce Jagannatha from the Shiva Sahasranama. Iswara without qualifications
refers ONLY to Lord Shiva.
I have gone to scores of Vishnu temples and in none of these he is called
Iswara. Without exception, Shiva is always called Iswara - Kapalishwara,
Arunachaleswara etc etc.
Now, please explain to us why it's so self evident that Iswara refers to
Vishnu. It ain't self evident to me.
Ramakrishnan.
--
That it does not see in that state is because, though seeing then, it does not
see; for the vision of the witness can never be lost, because it is imperish-
able. But, there is not that second thing separate from it which it can see.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - IV.iii.23
