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Sri Vishnu Puraana ****Classes conducted online by Sri A **Narasimhan **Notes prepared by Dr Amarnath ****Organized by Sri Tirunarayana Trust in memory of ****Mahavidvaan U Ve Sri V T Tirunarayana Iyengar Swamy ****************************************************** Sri Tirunarayana Trust, ShanbagaDhama-Yaduvanam *Villa 16, Brigade PalmGrove,Bogadi Road **Mysuru 570026. India. **Tel:91-97311 09114 *Trust Website: www.tirunarayana.in
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Classes Started on : 15 August 2018
[[1]] Sri Krishnaya Parabrahmane Namaha Sreemathe Ramanujaya Namaha
Sri Vishnu Puraana
Offering our pranaamams to Mahamahopaadhyaya Dr. N S Anantharangacharya Swamin, and to Maha Vidwaan Sri V T Tirunaarayana Iyengar Swamin, and all the Aachaaryaas, with whose grace we are blessed to be part of such kainkaryam. Offering our pranaamams to all the Bhaagavataas in this Satsanga.
Sri vishnu chitta pada pankaja sangamaaya cheto mama spruhayate kim
atah parena | No chet mamaapi yatishekhara bhaarateenaam bhaavah katham
bhavitum arhati vaagvidheyah |
Sri Vishnu Puraanam is a very great work. Mere paaraayanam of this work itself bestows all good. It propounds the loftiest of thoughts, and established the nature of all the realities, tattva, hita, purushaartha, as established in the Vedaas. This is one Puraana, which is referred to by all commentators, and is well known as Puraana Ratnam, as told by Sri Aalavandaar, who in his Stotra Ratnam, offers pranaamams to Paraasharar who has graced us this Puraana Ratnam.
Vedeshu pourusham sooktam puraaneshu cha vaishnavam | Bhaarate bhagavad geethaa dharma shaastreshu maanavam ||
[[2]] This Vishnu Puraana is very well known and accepted. This is said to be Puraana Ratna, like Stotra Ratna and Mantra Ratna. The ten qualities of a ratna, a gem are all to be found in this Puraana, says Swami Deshikan in his Stotra Ratna Bhaashya. It is 1. Atraasam, faultless. Traasa is a defect found in gemstones, and stones which do not have it are atraasa. The Vishnu Puraana is like that. 2. Maanadam, brings respectability to those who study it, 3. Sthiram Ratnam, very stable, lasts for a long time, 4. Bhogyam, most enjoyable, because it is all about the *svaroopa, roopa, *vibhava, of Paramaatman, 5. Prakaashakam, causes delightful experiences to one who studies, 6. Mahaargham, highly valuable, priceless, 7. Mangalam, considered most auspicious, 8. Maanyam, deserves to be handled with great respect, 9. Suraksham, worthy of being protected, with great care, 10. Sugraham, can be handled easily also. All these are qualities of a ratna, found in Vishnu Puraana, and so is rightly told as Puraana Ratna by Sri Aalavandaar.
Among all the vidyaa sthaanaas that one has to study, fourteen in number, Angaani vedaah chatvaaro meemaamsaa nyaaya vistarah | Puraanam dharma shaastram cha vidyaah hi etaah chaturdashaah || Puraana is one of the fourteen, essentially to be studied by all. One has to understand the meanings of the shrutis only with the help of *itihaasaas, *puraanaas, etc. which are called upabrahmanaas. Upabrahmana is that which details the meanings of the shrutis, because the shrutis are most difficult to understand. Upabrahmanaas are written by great sages. [[3]]
There is a famous statement: Itihaasa puraanaabhyaam vedam samupabrahmayet | Bibheti alpashrutaat vedo maamayam pratarediti || Veda is scared of those who study the shrutis without the help of upabrahmanaas like Srimad Raamaayana, Srimad Bhaagavatha, Sri Vishnu Puraana, etc. One has to take the help of these upabrahmanaas to understand the teachings of the Vedaas. Bhaashyakaarar says in Sri Bhaashya, quoting this shloka, that ’ *Iti shaastrena arthasya itihaasa *puraanaanaam upabrahmanam kaaryam’, one has to take the help of these upabrahmanaas. Bhaashyakaarar gives a wonderful definition of *upabrahmana, ‘Upabrahmanam naama vidita sakala veda sadarthaanaam **prayoga mahima saakshaatkruta veda tattvaarthaanaam vaakyaih *svaavagata veda vaakyaartha vyakteekaranam’, meaning that those who have understood all the meanings of the Vedaas, and the purport of the Vedaas, extolling the greatness of Paramaatman, establishing the svaroopa, roopa, vibhava of Paramaatman, having realized those meanings, having perceived directly the realities, putting in words very clearly and vividly the meanings of the Veda Vaakyaas. This is the importance of Upabrahmana. Here, the meaning of Veda is said to be Vedaanta, because dharma shaastraas do upabrahmana of the *poorva *bhaaga (karma kaanda) of the Vedaas; whereas itihaasaas and puraanaas do upabrahmana of the latter part ( jnyaana kaanda or brahma kaanda) of the Vedaas. In *dharma *shaastraas also, brahma pratipaadana is found; the purpose is establishing the fact that karmaas are all aaraadhana roopa of Bhagavaan. Whereas in the uttara kaanda, they are established very clearly. In itihaasaas and puraanaas also, we see karma pratipaadana, which is meant for establishing the karma as accessories to brahma upaasana. The main purpose of itihaasa and puraana are for vishadeekarana of the meanings of Vedaanta. Dharma shaastraas are meant mainly to explain the meanings of the poorva bhaaga. This is as explained by Sri Sudarshana Suri.
[[4]] These works given to us by the Rishis and Aachaaryaas are most valid. They are the ultimate pramaana for us. Aapastambhar says *Dharmajnya samayah *pramaanam, and Vedaascha. First he gave importance to the works of those who have understood the meanings of the Vedaas - what they practice and do anusthaana. Gautama Rishi says *Vedo akhilo dharma moolam tadvidaam *cha smruti sheele.
It is necessary to understand the greatness of this work Sri Vishnu Puraana, and the praamaanya, validity of this work, which is established in great detail by Sri Sudarshana Suri in the celebrated work Shrutaprakaashikaa. He explains why Vishnu Puraana is *parama pramaana. Prasiddhi atishaya labdha *sajaateeya prabandha prakarshatvaat. Sri Vishnu Puraana is sattva moola, a saatvika puraana. Saatvika puraanaas are those which are in line with shrutis. Though the number of puraanaas where Shiva paaramya is seen are more, they are all said to be raajasa and taamasa puraanaas. Even though there are thousands of statements made out of bhraanti, one vaakya which is established without bhraanti would be more valid, says Shrutaprakaashikaachaarya. He gives many quotations, *Agneh shivasya **maahaatmyam taamaseshu prakeertyate | Raajaseshu cha maahaatmyam **adhikam brahmano viduh | Saatvikeshu atha kalpeshu maahaatmyam *adhikam hareh | Teshu eva yoga samsiddhaah samishyanti paraam gatim |
By this, it is known that Vishnu Puraana is *samyak jnyaana nishpaadaka **sattva moola. Anyathaa jnyaana vipareetajnyaana hetu bhoota tamo *moolatva abhaavaat | This puraana establishes the realities without any doubt, and there is no defect of the form of anyathaa jnyaana, thinking of the dharmaas of one as different, like thinking that deha is *nitya. Vipareeta *jnyaana is sarvaarthaan vipareetaan cha buddhih saa paartha taamasi, perceiving differently the dharmi itself, thinking that deha itself is aatman. None of these are found in Vishnu Puraana’s upadeshaas. This is one reason why it is more valid, pramaana for us.
[[5]] In Moksha Dharma it is said that through *Bhagavat kataaksha, sattva guna *moola samyak jnyaana nischaya is told. This also establishes that Vishnu Puraana is saatvika puraana. There is no kaarana dosha for this puraana.
The next aspect is prasiddhi; this is a very well known *puraana. *Shankaraachaarya quotes hundreds of shlokaas from Vishnu Puraana in the Bhaashyaas. He says ’ Tat uktam puraane’ without qualifying the word puraana as Sri Vishnu Puraana. This shows the prasiddhi of Sri Vishnu Puraana.
Another aspect told by Sri Sudarshana Suri is that there is no *baadhaka *pratyaya like other puraanaas. Everywhere in this *puraana, Sriman *Naaraayana is only established as the sole cause of creation, etc. The very first question asked by Maitreya Rishi was a very generic question - from whom did this universe arise, and questions like that. The reply was very specific pointing out Vishnu as the cause. This is different from other puraanaas like Lainga puraana, where the question at the beginning uses the word linga; when the question is like that, the answer is also like that, and there is no atishaya in this. But when the question is generic and the reply is pointing specifically that Vishnu is cause. This shows the atishaya of the puraana. It is well known in the shrutis that *Sriman *Naaraayana is the sole cause, in general and specific terms also. They clearly declare that others are not the cause. By this, we can know that other puraanaas which are declaring the kaaranatva of Brahma or Rudra, are opposed to the shrutis. Sri Sudarshana Suri notes that even in *Lainga *Puraana, Naaraayana kaaranatva is declared clearly. We also see this in Manu and other dharma shaastraas. This establishes the praamaanya of Vishnu Puraana.
Sri Sudarshana Suri says Vaktru vailakshanya, as Paraashara Muni is telling this; paraan aashrunaati iti paraasharah, one who torments the disputants [[6]] with unassailable logic. Shruti declares the greatness of Paraashara. This is also told in Lainga Puraana.
One more is *Pulastya Vasishta varadaana labdha vara devataa *paaramaarthya jnyaanavattvam. This is going to come in Sri Vishnu Puraana itself. Paraashara Muni tells about this vruttaanta, when Maitreya reminds him of that. In Lainga Puraana also, it is extolled that Paraashara had devataa paaramaarthya jnyaana. This is another greatness of this Puraana.
Sri Vishnu Puraana has all the Vedaarthaas. It is told that Vishnu Puraana is sarva vedaartha samyutam. This is why it bestows the knowledge to attain all the Purushaarthaas. Prabandha vailakshanya and vakrtu vailakshanya are clearly established. And Vishnu’s paaramya is told in other puraanaas.
With respect to these puraanaas, some parts may be lost. There may be some objections that the last part may have something else. Since this is a well known puraana quoted by many, and told everywhere, there cannot be some parts lost in this puraana. And it is not like Mahaabhaarata where a hundred thousand shlokaas are there. This has got six thousand shlokaas. This is anati vistrutatayaa, there is no prakshepa shankaa.
Sri Sudarshana Suri quotes a praakruta shloka, which establishes the prasiddhi about one person who had gone astray, and with another woman, and that person says that ‘Now I have heard Vishnu Puraana, and will not do anything wrong, will do all praayischittaas and go back to my wife’. He teaches the other woman to also do the same. This shows the prasiddhi of this puraana, how it can transform people.
[[7]] To establish Vishnu paaramya, this is not the purpose with which this puraana was told. Because the question is a very generic question, but the answer is very specific. This also establishes the authenticity of this work.
Like other puraanaas there are no self contradicting statements in this puraana. This is completely dedicated the greatness of *Bhagavaan *Vishnu. Sri Sudarshana Suri establishes the validity of this puraana in great detail. He establishes that this is the most authentic work which we can accept for understanding the meanings of the Vedaas.
A puraana generally has Sargascha pratisargascha vamsho manvantaraani cha | Vamshaanucharitam cha iti puraanam pancha lakshanam || There are five aspects - *sarga *(about srushti), *pratisarga *(about pralaya), the various vamshaas, the manvantaraas, the vamsha anucharitaas.
Srimad Raamaayana is telling a story. Is the story more important there? It is not, because it is told in the beginning as veda upabrahmanaarthataaya, that Valmiki taught Lava and Kusha who were well versed in the Vedaas, he chose them to spread this Raamaayana. It is well known that that is the purpose.
The author of this Puraana is Sri Paraasharar, who taught this to Maitreya. Swami Deshikan says that this puraana is like a Gangaa river, we get immersed in that so that we get purified. Sages like Paraashara are doing their effort like Bhageeratha, he did not give up till his poorvajaas attained punya loka.
[[8]] The teachings of this puraana is told by Sri Aalavandaar. *Tattvena yah chit achit eeshvara sat svabhaava bhogaapavarga tat upaaya *gateeh udaarah | *Sandarshayan niramimeeta puraana ratnam tasmai namo munivaraaya *paraasharaaya || The first half of this shloka summarizes the contents of this puraana. Sri Paraashara is most benevolent, most compassionate. There are three realities in our siddhaanta, chit, achit and eeshvara. Chit is all the jeevaatmans, achit is all the inert matter, and Eeshvara is the supreme Lord. Their svabhaavaas, along with *bhoga *(all *iha, aamushmika *sukhaas), *apavarga *( moksha upaaya), the means to attain them are also told here. The purushaartha which one attains are told here, various gatis, including the various narakaas. This is all the teachings of this puraana, is the conclusion of Aalavandaar.
This puraana has got one commentary by Sri Engal Aalwaan. Sri Engal Aalwaan was aachaarya of Nadadur Ammaal. Sri Sudarshana Suri is well known author of Shrutaprakaashikaa, which is prakaashana of what he heard through kaalakshepaas, taught by Nadadur Ammaal. It is the teachings of Sri Nadadur Ammaal, on the Sri Bhaashya. Sri Nadadur Ammaal went to Tiruvallarai kshetra where Sri Engal Aalwaan was there. Sri Engal Aalwaan has written a wonderful commentary and this has been published by Prativaadi Bhayankaram Annangaaraachaarya Swami; there is also a very old book not easily available. This is called Vishnu Chittiya. This is in Sanskrit.
Sri Vishnu Puraana has 6000 shlokaas, in six amshaas. Sri Engal Aalwaan gives mangala shlokaas in the beginning. He offers his pranaamams to Purushottama, from whom everything is created, in whom everything exists, and in whom everything goes and merges. This is what is told in the Brahma Sutra, Janmaadyasya yatah. He is antaryaami, Purushottama, I offer my pranaamams. I offer my pranaamans to Paraashara Muni who has given us this Vishnu Puraana. [[9]]
Yasmaat idam jagat ajaayata yatra tishati ante samastam idam astam
upaiti yatra | Tasmai namah sat asat aadi vikalpa shoonyah chaitanyamaatra
vapushe purushottamaaya ||
Veda has got six angaas; one has to study the angaas to understand the *Vedaas - Shikshaa, Vyaakaranam, Chandas, Niruktam, Jyoutisham, *Kalpa. Just like this, Vishnu Puraana is like Vedaa itself, having six amshaas. All the Vedaarthaas can be found here in these six amshaas.
For Namaalwaar’s Tiruvoimoli, there is a vyaakhyaana by Thirukurai Pillan Piraan called Aaraaryirappadi. It is said that he wrote this like Vishnu Puraana, with 6000 padis.
We shall take up study of the shlokaas and also the vyaakhyaana. In the beginning Sri Engal Aalwaan gives an introduction.