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--- sudarshan madabushi <mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> To: tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> From: sudarshan madabushi
> <mksudarshan2002@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 13:14:05 +0000 (GMT)
> Subject: Re: [t'venkatam] sri vishnu sahasra naamam
> 7
> 

---------------------------------
Dear SwamIn,

You are right in reiterating that BhagavAn is full of
auspicious ("kalyANa") qualities ("gUnA"). (The very
word "BhagavAn" denotes possession of 6 divine
qualities ("shadguna") in consummate measure). Given
such, it would indeed look like a glaring
contradiction to call the ALmighty "nir-gUNan" -- One
who is without any attribute or qualities.

So how to explain or reconcile the seeming
contradiction?

In this context, I recall once privately asking, many
years ago, the 'mahAn' 'vaikuntavAsi' Sri Mukkur
Lakshminarasimhachari Swami to shed some light on the
subject. He explained it most wonderfully --- in his
brilliant and inimitable way (in a mixture of Sanskrit
and Tamil) by way by underscoring the fine
philosophical nuances of the word. 

Although I am sure it is beyond my capacity to
reproduce in English language the full and exact force
and beauty of his explanation, let me attempt below to
convey at least the broad sense and drift of what he
said -- even if it succeeds in only barely illumining
the interesting question now on hand.

                 ****************

The word "nir-gUnan" is really not so much to be 
interpreted as a "nullity" ("absence of auspicious
qualities") as much as it is to be regarded as an
"anti-thesis" (the opposite of "inauspicious
qualities").

Mukkur Swamy used to illustrate the above with a
touchingly simple but effective parable. 

An ardent devotee was offering "pushpa-archana seva"
(offering flowers) in worship to Lord Ranganatha. As
he placed the flowers one by one at the feet of the
Lord, the devotee kept chanting the divine "nAmAs" of
the Lord as given in the "sahasranAmavaLi". As the
devotee kept doing this, in time, he soon lost himself
in deep fervour, contemplating as he was deeply on
both the "archA" form of the Lord and the beauty of
each of the "nAmAs" as well. 

As devotion began to swell like a monsoon flood within
his heart, the devotee soon began to spontaneously
utter "nAmAs" of his own coining which he felt were
appropriate and fit enough to praise the Almighty ---
as appropriate as the "nAmAs" of the "sahasranamam"
even! Carried away by a paroxysm of "bhakti" and his
own creative Muse, the devotee's "nAmArchana" began to
assume original but unsual addresses to the Lord!

It is said that Lord Ranganatha, on hearing the rather
unusal "nAmArchAna", was both pleased and bemused! 

However, at one point in the course of such an unusual
"nAmAvaLi archana", the devotee addressed the Lord
as "Om dAridrAyai namah:!". It is said that when the
Lord Ranga heard this "nAma", he was shocked out of
his divine slumber! The "archAmurthy" rose from his
supine posture to angrily accost the devotee:

"O brahmin! What did you just call me? YOu call me
"daridran"?! Do you know the meaning of the "nAma"
that you just gave me? How dare you call me
"daridran"? I who lack nothing at all in this and all
the celestial worlds, am I a "daridran"?"

In Sanskrit the word "daridran" means one who is
"without a trace of wealth or good fortune" -- a
pauper, one who is bankrupt of any material worth,
means or virtue. The Lord at SriRangam who was the
abode of all goodness, auspiciousness and good
fortune, could not ever be described as a "pauper".
But this devotee had called Him just that
--"daridrAyai namah:"! It was unpardonable blasphemy 
the devotee had committed -- he had uttered a
profanity in the presence of the Almighty and he had
grievously sinned! Lord Ranga was understandably
extremely upset....

Mukkur Swami's story went on to recount that the
devotee was however totally unfazed by the wrath of
the Almighty at SriRangam. Calmly he seems to have
retorted:

"Oh Ranga, Lord Almighty! Do not try to intimidate me!
I called you a "daridran" and I will stand by it! It
is a fitting a "nAma" for you, it accurately describes
you. I can even prove it! But will You accept the
"nAma" of "daridran" for Yourself, if proven that it
behoves and aptly fits You?"

On being nonchalantly challenged thus by the devotee,
it is said the Lord of SriRangam, who was now seated
upright on His serpent-bed inside the sanctum, grew
even more livid with anger. He hissed menacingly,
"Alright, prove it to me, you who call yourself my
devotee, prove to Me that I am "daridran", a pauper,
and I will accept it henceforth as yet another "nAma"
to adorn and embellish my Supreme Nature,
Power and Glory!".

The devotee began to calmly explain to the ALmighty:

"O Lord, you are indeed a "daridran" in two specific
respects. One, you have no one in all the worlds,
earthly or celestial, who can be said to be your
equal. Second, there is none in all the worlds,
earthly or celestial, who may be said to be your
superior. 

"Thus, O Ranga, unlike ordinary mortals like us, who
have many peers and superiors amongst ourselves,      
you have none to either equal you or surpass you. In
those two particular respects, you will have to agree,
that You, who may otherwise be the Supreme Being, you
are indeed virtually a "pauper" -- a "daridran", who
suffers from a peculiar sort of poverty --- an utter,
absolute poverty of beings anywhere who are either
your equals or superiors!"  

It is said that after hearing this ingenious but
unassailable argument of the devotee who had called
him "daridran", Lord Ranga was duly silenced. He 
meekly went back to bed on his serpent-bed. It is said
that ever since that great moment, when a mere devotee
got the better of the ALmighty by calling him a
"pauper" with full impunity, Lord Ranga continues to
rest supine at SriRangam --- "floored" completely, as
it were, and yet to recover from the defeat in that
encounter, after all these ages!

                ***************

The moral of the story, as Mukkur Swamy finally
explained to me was this:  

Like the word "daridran" in the story above, the word
"nir-guNan" too, as used in praise of the Almighty,
does not carry any unsavoury connotations at all. 

The Almighty is deserving of praise for both
possessing "kalyAna-guNa" ("saguNan") as well as for
being utterly devoid of "nir-gunas" ("nir-guNan") ---
that is why He is said to be "amalan" (another "nAma"
for the Lord, one which is found in the famous
"amalan-Adi-pirAn" of TiruppAnAzhwAr. It means the
ALmighty remains ever un-sullied, un-besmirched,
un-tainted by even a hint or hint of inauspicious
qualities). 

Therefore, in view of all the above, we need not
hesitate to use the word "nirguNan" to address and
praise the Lord. In so far as He is absolutely devoid
of inauspicious qualities He is "nirgUnan". And in so
far as He represents the absolute plenitude of
"kalyAna-gUnA", He is to be regarded and worshipped as
the absolute "anti-thesis" of "nirgunAn". 

Thanks and regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan   




--------------------------
> 32. Om nir guNaaya nama: -- naamaa no. 844 occurring
in slokam 90
> > My point is Lord is full of auspicious
attributes/characteristics/gunas and
> Sri Shankara, based on his Nirguna/Nirishwara vada -
says that He  is without> any attributes.  But I
wonder whether Sri Bhattar also opines this 
way (or is this One beyond trigunas?).
> regards
> sukumar





                
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