Deivathin Kural Series -147.

Om Namah Sivaya.

Deivathin Kural # 147 of 07 Feb 2007.

1. These e-mails, are chapter wise translations of the lectures given by, Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swamigal, of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Every day, after the daily Puja, He used to talk, on various aspects concerning Hinduism. These are published, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, as Deivathin Kural, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each.

2. To-day's talk is titled, 'Ariyum Sivanum Onnu' that is, Hari and Siva are One', in pages 678 to 680, of Deivathin Kural, Volume 1.

3. In the Puranas, in some places, Vishnu is depicted as having lost to Siva, in some competition of strength or artistry. There are also stories of Siva losing to Vishnu. In one place, Siva does Vishnu Pooja. In Ramayana, Sri Ram does Pooja to Easwara, before going to war. Siva is said to be chanting, 'Rama Rama', all the time. Thiruvannamalai Sthala Purana, describes as to how, Brhma and Vishnu, failed in their effort to reach the Head / Feet of Siva, respectively. From Ramayana, we get to know that, 'there was a competition between Siva and Vishnu, in which, Siva is said to have been defeated, and it is that Bow rendered defunct, which was broken by Sri Rama, while winning the hands of Sita.'

4. Thiruveezhimalai Puranam says, Vishnu did Siva Poojai once. At the end of the ritual, He ran out of flowers. So He is said to have plucked His eyes and offered them to Siva. Here, in this temple, the Easwara is known as 'Netra Arpaneswarar'. On another occassion, Siva is known to have been stained by 'Brhma haththi dosha', for having cut off, Brhma's head. To get rid of the 'dosha', He did Vishnu Pooja. This is the story in the Sthala Purana of Thirukkandiyur. Here Vishnu has a name, 'Hara Saapa Vimochanar', meaning, 'He who annuled Siva's curse'. There are many stories, which praises one at the other's cost!

5. You may object saying, "How can you say that they are one and the same, and then give credence to stories, in which one and the same God by the name of Siva or Vishnu, defeats the other? Then the question also remains as to, how can one do Pooja to oneself?" I will answer your question.

6. I told you about the history of 'Siva Danush', which Rama broke while trying to get it ready! This story about the 'Siva Danush', was told to Rama by Parasurama, only. After marrying Sita, as Sri Ram was returning to Ayodhya, Parasurama accosted Him. "You seem to have obtained super status, by breaking 'Rudra Danush', that was rendered defunct in Siva-Vishnu confrontation earlier! Now I will give you the Vishnu Danush. Try and see if you can do something with it!" Who is this Parasurama? He is Vishnu Avatara only. So is Rama a Vishnu Avatara. Did they not have a confrontation? Here one Avatara of Vishnu, by the name of Parasurama, looses to another Vishnu Avatara called Rama. This Rama, later on does a 'Siva Linga' pooja and installed Rameaswara!

7. God Himself shows the way of 'Bakthi Marg', or the Path of Devotion, by being a devotee Himself. That is why, in some places, Siva does, 'Vishnu Pooja'; and in some other places, Vishnu does, 'Siva Pooja'. Both are the same. Haran and Hari, join to become Hariharan. So is Sankaranarayanan. The idea is to attain to oneness through diversity. The twelve great devotees of Vishnu, collectively known as 'Azhvaars', saw their God as 'Hariharan', as exemplified by Pey Aazhvaar's:-

thaazh sadaiyum-neenmudiyum; onmazhuvum-chakkaramum
soozh aravum-pon naanum; thonrumaal soozhum
thirandaruvi paayum thirumalai mel endaikku
iranduruvum onrai isaindu.

8. In the above 'paasuram', Pey Aazhvaar, in each pair of letters connected by a hyphen, describes some distinctive sign of Siva followed by that of Vishnu. The last phrase, 'iranduruvum onrai isaindu', means, 'the two forms merge as one'. In another paasuram, Poigai Aazhvar too describes Siva and Vishnu, thus,

pon thigazh meni purisadayam punniyanum
ninrulagam thaaya nedumaalum - enrum
iruvarangathaal thirivarenum oruvan
oruvan angathu enrum ulan.

9. Meaning of this paasuram is like this. 'The Siva who has a golden body and flowing matted hair and the Vishnu, who meaured the entire cosmos with three steps; though may roam about in two different forms; are in each other forever!'

10. The great Kamban said, 'There is no 'saving grace', for those, who fight on the grounds of Siva or Vishnu being greater, than the other'. Let alone recognised great gnanis and scholors, just listen to small children, who say, 'Hariyum Sivanum onnu; ariyaadavan vaayila mannu', meaning, 'Vishnu and Siva are one; mud in the mouth of those, who do not know this'. This is the proverb prevalent for thousands of years and thus becomes a golden truth, because of it's inner integrity!

(KTSV adds:- This also shows that, even during the times of Kamban, Azhvaars and Sankara Acharyal, there has been fights between narrow minded devotees of every type of religion. There was a time, when there were 'Veera Saivas and Veera Vaishnavas', who would kill each other on sight. Internecine quarrels within religions have been quite common, when not confronted by other religions. Sankara brought in some balance, by establishing the 'shan mada sthapana'. Even to day, while doing the daily prayers, we start with, 'Sri Parameswara Preetyartham' [for the satisfaction of Parameswara] and end up with, 'Narayana arpanam asthu' {as an offering to Narayana}.)

Sambhomahadeva.