[Advaita-l] Narayanaya in Advaita

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste
On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 12:46 PM, H S Chandramouli
<hschandramouli at gmail.com>wrote:

> For that matter, they also ask what is the status of Reality of Lord
> Krishna himself . We can answer <<like shruti, he is also mithya >> . While
> they have no problem in accepting shruti as mithya ( even interpreted as
> Unreal ) they do have a mental  obstacle in accepting the same for Lord
> Krishna.
>
Many people here have said Krishna is also Mithya. There is a counter
point. Everything is Brahman also. Krishna is Brahman but the stone lying
in the street is also Brahman. Can we bring that stone home and worship it
like Krishna? No.
The stone is Mithya and Krishna is Mithya. Can we stop offering Puja to
Krishna's Saligrama because it is a stone? No.

The Principle is everything is Brahman but some things are closer
approximations to Brahman. The stone on the street is Brahman but Saligrama
shila is better approximation to Brahman.
Similarly, a man on the street is Mithya and Krishna with human body is
also Mithya. But man on street is more Mithya than Krishna. We will not
worship man on street.

Conclusion. In a way everything is Brahman. But some things are closer to
Brahman. In a way everything is Mithya but some things are less Mithya than
other things.

Example is given by Pandita Sri K. S. Varadacharya in introduction to Sri
Bhashya. He is telling Advaitis not to treat all Vastus equally. Ganga
river flows from Himalaya to many places. In some places it is flowing near
temples, in some places it is flowing in gutters and ditches. Will you take
bath in gutter water because it is Ganga? Is gutter water same as Gangotri
water because both are Ganga? Like this everything is Brahman but we cannot
give same respect and importance to all things.






>
> Regards
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 12:40 PM, H S Chandramouli
> <hschandramouli at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > By << status >> I mean status concerning Reality.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 12:36 PM, H S Chandramouli <
> > hschandramouli at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> HS Chandramouli
> >>
> >> Sri Subrahmanianji wrote
> >>
> >> << In the Vivekachudamani we have a verse  नारायणोऽहं नरकान्तकोऽहम्...[I
> >> am
> >> nArAyaNa the slayer of naraka/asura] .where it would hardly be correct
> to
> >> think the name 'nAraayaNa' means the Lord who is the consort of Lakshmi.
> >> In Advaita expressions like  नारायणोऽहं , शिवोऽहम् do not refer to the
> >> personal God.
> >>
> >> In the above verse 'nArAyaNa' refers to JnanasvarUpam/akhaNDAkAravRttiH
> >> and
> >> 'naraka' / narakAsura refers to ignorance/avidyA. >>
> >>
> >> I am not interpreting any particular verse or shruti vakyas as referring
> >> to a specific form/name. All I am saying is that in our puranas there
> are
> >> any number of references to Narayana as residing in Vaikuntha/milky
> ocean
> >> etc. And many of my friends were keen to know the status of such a
> personal
> >> God like Narayana in advaita . That is all.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 10:15 PM, V Subrahmanian <
> v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >>> In the Vivekachudamani we have a verse  नारायणोऽहं नरकान्तकोऽहम्...[I
> am
> >>> nArAyaNa the slayer of naraka/asura] .where it would hardly be correct
> to
> >>> think the name 'nAraayaNa' means the Lord who is the consort of
> Lakshmi.
> >>> In Advaita expressions like  नारायणोऽहं , शिवोऽहम् do not refer to the
> >>> personal God.
> >>>
> >>> In the above verse 'nArAyaNa' refers to JnanasvarUpam/akhaNDAkAravRttiH
> >>> and
> >>> 'naraka' / narakAsura refers to ignorance/avidyA.
> >>>
> >>> subrahmanian.v
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 7:33 PM, H S Chandramouli
> >>> <hschandramouli at gmail.com>wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > HS Chandramouli
> >>> >
> >>> > So many shruti vakyas have been cited in this thread to highlight the
> >>> > advaitic concept of Narayana. However there are so many references in
> >>> our
> >>> > shastras , shruti/purana etc , to Narayana with a definite form,
> >>> endowed
> >>> > with ayudhas/ornaments etc , and involved in so many activities .
> Many
> >>> of
> >>> > my advaita friends have always had a doubt on advaita's stand
> >>> regarding the
> >>> > reality status of this Narayana vis a vis rest of the creation. This
> >>> has
> >>> > been eulogized so much that while they have no difficulty in
> accepting
> >>> the
> >>> > mithyatvam of rest of the creation ( mostly interpreted as
> >>> unreal/false )
> >>> > same is not so with regard to this Narayana. Sri Ramanujacharya cites
> >>> the
> >>> > Narayanasukta which according to him refers to this Narayana as the
> >>> only
> >>> > authoritative shruti to identify the Highest Truth ( supported by Sri
> >>> > Vishnumaha Purana ) . Ofcourse in most of their discourses the
> >>> dvaitins do
> >>> > not forget to mention that advaita does not  accept the reality of
> even
> >>> > such a Narayana !!!!!!!! Perhaps there is a need to answer the
> question
> >>> > with specific reference to this Narayana. I have tried to answer them
> >>> as
> >>> > follows.
> >>> >
> >>> > << Narayana as distinct from/different from/ separate from /
> >>> independant of
> >>> > I the Consciouness is Mithya.
> >>> >
> >>> >      Narayana as same as / nondifferent from / nondistinct from /
> >>> identical
> >>> > with I the Consciouness is Sathya  >>
> >>> >
> >>> > May be better ways are available to answer the question.
> >>> >
> >>> > Regards
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 6:09 PM, Venkatesh Murthy <
> vmurthy36 at gmail.com
> >>> > >wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> > > Namaste
> >>> > >
> >>> > > The Narayana name is very holy because Mahabharata and Bhagavata
> say
> >>> -
> >>> > > Naaraayanam Namaskrutya Naram Chaiva NarOttamam. In Bhagavata the
> >>> story
> >>> > of
> >>> > > Ajamila is given. He was a great sinner. But he called his son's
> name
> >>> > > Narayana at the time of death when Yama Dootas were pulling him but
> >>> God
> >>> > > Narayana protected him.
> >>> > > The Naaraayana Ashtakshari Mantra is compulsory for Vaishnavas.
> When
> >>> they
> >>> > > do the Purusha Sukta homa also they say every line from Pursha
> Sukta
> >>> and
> >>> > > then Om Namo Naaraayanaaya Swaahaa" after each line. It gives a
> good
> >>> > effect
> >>> > > for Purusha Sukta Homa.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > In Advaita Naaraayana is Brahman only. Narayana Upanishad is saying
> >>> > > 'Naaraayana Evedagm Sarvam Yadbhutam Yacca Bhavyam. Nishkalo
> >>> Niranjano
> >>> > > Nirvikalpo Niraakhyaataha Shuddho Deva Eko Naaraayanaha. Na
> Dviteeyo
> >>> Asti
> >>> > > Kashchit. Ya Evam Veda. Sa Vishnureva Bhavati. Sa Vishnureva
> Bhavati.
> >>> > > Everything in past, present and future is Naraayaana only. He who
> >>> knows
> >>> > > this becomes Vishnu. He becomes Vishnu. The Naaraayana Ashtakshara
> is
> >>> > given
> >>> > > next by the Upanishad.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Complete text of Upanishad.
> >>> > > http://www.sathyasaiottawa.org/pdf/Vedam/Narayana_Upanishad.pdf
> >>> > >
> >>> > > Namo Naaraayanaaya. Namo Venkateshaaya.
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> > > --
> >>> > > Regards
> >>> > >
> >>> > > -Venkatesh
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-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh