Miscellaneous - Religion   

Devotee’s glory religion

CHENNAI: The sacred shrine of Lord Ranganatha’s in the middle of River Cauvery in Srirangam is hailed as Bhuloka Vaikuntam, verily the primary abode of the Supreme Being (in Archa form) in the Earth. According to hagiographical tradition this deity adored as Namperumal was given by the Lord Himself to the creator, Brahma, who worshipped it in his realm, Satyaloka. He gifted it to Sun-god, who worshipped it in Suryaloka, and he, in turn, bequeathed it to the Ikshvaku rulers of this world (Bhuloka).

The Lord in His descent as Rama is believed to have worshipped it. After His coronation when Rama gave away gifts to everyone, He presented His family deity to His dear devotee Vibhishana. When he carried the image south to his kingdom (Lanka) Vibhishana halted where the deity is now (Srirangam), and when he wanted to go further, try as he did, the deity refused to budge, which tradition explains was due to the penance of the ruler there then. And there Lord Ranganatha willed to reside to grace His devotees in this world.

Nammazhwar’s Tiruvaymozhi was a eulogy on Lord Ranganatha, whom he identified as the Supreme Being, said Sri M.V. Ananthapadmanabhachariar in his discourse. Nammazhwar is revered in tradition as the manifestation of Lord Ranganatha’s Padukas (sandals). He underscores that the Lord in His manifestation as Srinivasa in Tiruvenkatam shows explicitly by pointing to His feet that He protects those who take refuge in them. Nammazhwar has shown us the way: “Falling at Your feet, this self, who has no other refuge, has found his refuge (in Your feet).”

In his hymn in praise of the Padukas, the Padukasahasram, Vedanta Desika states that the Padukas (Nammazhwar, who is the foremost devotee) are capable of nullifying whatever a person has in store (willed by God) which even the Lord cannot. This is based on an incident in Krishna’s life when He was in Sandipani’s tutelage. Krishna found to His dismay that He could not rub what He had written on a slate when His teacher told Him to erase it with the water that His friend (devotee) Sudama had performed his ablutions in. And it did!

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cartoonscape
The Hindu Crossword No. 9090
Solution to puzzle 9089
Devotee’s glory religion
dated December 10, 1957: India’s unity
dated December 10, 1957: D.K. & D.M.K.
dated December 10, 1957: Tobacco and cancer
Weather

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu