Miscellaneous - Religion   

God’s supremacy

CHENNAI: The scriptures state that the Supreme Being (Brahman) is infinite, eternal and blissful. The Vedic hymn Purusha Sukta opens with a graphic description of the Almighty to reiterate that He is beyond space (Desa) and then proceeds to describe that He is beyond time (Kala) and materiality (Vastu). The term “Purusha” is used here to refer to Brahman. As Purusha who is identified as Narayana by commentators is all-pervasive, He is not bound by space. He was in the past and in the present now, and will be there in the future also; so He is eternal.

In his discourse, Velukkudi Sri V.Krishnan said while the souls (Jiva) were beyond space and time, they differed from the Lord with respect to Vastu as they differed from one another, and also had different bodies during births. The Almighty is untouched by Vastu and indwells in every being as the Antaryamin. Brahman is the cause of this universe, and the insentient matter and sentient beings form the body of Narayana according to the philosophy of Visishtadvaita. The souls (Chit) and the universe with diverse objects (Achit) are different from one another (as Vastu) but form a whole in the infinite body of God. The example of a blue pot is helpful to understand this. While the pot’s characteristics (colour, material, design, shape and price) are different from the pot so also the creation with its diversity is different from God. The souls and the universe are the attributes of Brahman. If one understands that the Lord is within and also outside, then one will have a holistic perspective of His presence everywhere, and there will not be any room for conflict.

God is blissful and hence grants liberation, which is the state of eternal bliss. He is the one who grants all the four ends of human life (Purusharthas): righteousness (Dharma), wealth (Artha), desires (Kama) and liberation (Moksha). As it is obvious that one should seek something only from one who is capable of giving it, one should take refuge (Saranagati, Prapatti) in God who can give everything. All the instances of Saranagati of devotees cited in the scriptural texts illustrate that the Lord fulfilled whatever they sought, and also liberated them from rebirths.

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