This original Vishnu is beyond the material world, but in order to give his children the opportunity to evolve, he manifests himself as the purusha avataras in the material dimension. The first of these purusha avataras is Karanodakasayi (Karanarnavasayi etc) also called Maha Vishnu.
He sleeps in the ocean of causes (karana) and at each breathing cycle the pores of his body emanate and reabsorb all the innumerable universes, similar to golden eggs. This Vishnu is also the guna avatara of sattva, as he exists permanently in the material world beyond creation and annihilation. This causal ocean is also called mahat tattva, and is the primordial formless form of the material energy, Viraja, or eternal Time, mother Kali.
Garbhodakasayi Vishnu originates as an expansion of Maha-Vishnu. While among those who appear without help are Matsya and Hamsa avatars. There are six types of avatars of the Supreme Lord namely Purusha, Guna, Lila, Manvantara, Yuga, and Shaktyavesha avatars.
In each of these brahmandas (the eggs of brahman) the next purusha avatara appears, Garbhodakasayi, who also lies at the bottom of the space, and from the lake of his navel a lotus flower grows occupying the entire space of that particular universe, and in that lotus Brahma is born with a fully developed body made of creative energy, as the second guna avatara (controlling rajas).
Meditating on Vishnu in tapasya, Brahma proceeds to manifest all the planetary systems and the various species from his own body, and from his own body he generates his manasa putras as prajapatis (with similar bodies made of creative energy) to populate the planets with all the species. People with a mechanicistic mind who try to explain devas as mere aliens with bodies that are just a bit more powerful than human bodies cannot begin to understand this process.
So, MahaKarana Vishnu, Garbha Vishnu, Kshirodaka Vishnu are the Purusha avatars of Vishnu. Ksirodakasayi Vishnu resides in the heart of every living creature as a four hand expansion similar to that of Mahavishnu. He is also referred to as Paramatma or supersoul. His abode is the Vaikuntha.
The four earthly emanations or Vyuhas, are identified as Samkarshana (Balarama-Samkarshana, son of Vasudeva by Devaki), Vasudeva krishna (son of Vasudeva by Devaki), Pradyumna (son of Vasudeva Krishna by Rukmini), and Aniruddha (son of Pradyumna). Incarnation of Vishnu as Matsya; Kurma; Varaha; Narasimha; Vamana; Parashurama; Rama; Krishna; Buddha or Jagannath and Kalki.
When all the planetary systems are formed, the third purusha avatara appears as Kshirodakasayi, who reclines in the island of Svetadvipa in the milk ocean (kshira) that is on planet Dhruvaloka in the constellation we know as Ursa major but in Vedic astronomy is called Sapta Rishi. This planet is also called Prapanchika Vaikuntha, because it is a sort of embassy for the spiritual world, where people from this universe can go and visit Vishnu.
Brahma takes the Devas there to present requests for help when the universe is under very serious attacks. The Puranas describe how the Kumaras (chatur sana) and Durvasa Muni also went there. Kshirodakasayi Vishnu also expands in unlimited forms as antaryami paramatman residing within the hearts of all beings including molecules and atoms, and takes the form of Shiva Mahadeva as the third guna avatara controlling tamas and producing the ahankara element, that is the origin of the concept of duality or mahamaya.
Brahman is that, knowing which everything is known. Timeless Brahman is eternal, immeasurable and expansive. Bhagavata Puranam and its epitomic successor, Narayaneeyam expound Vedic and Upanishadic Truths couched in stories of Krishna. Brahman is Parabrahman (Supreme Brahman). Isvara is Mayabrahman (Brahman with Maya). The individual soul is Avidyabrahman (Brahman with ignorance).
Mayabrahman and Avidyabrahman are terms coined by me to show the three levels of Brahman. We are all Brahmans with a difference. We came from him and we go back to him. He took two forms Mayabrahman (also known as Isvara) and Avidyabrahman or Brahman with ignorance. When Isvara sheds his Maya and Avidyabrahman sheds his Avidya or ignorance, both go back and merge with Parabrahman. Isvara is God, while Avidyabrahman is man.
Isvara is a powerful intermediary between Avidyabrahman and Parabrahman. The Isvara and avidya states are a clinical condition, while Parabrahman transcends these states. Mayabrahman, commonly known as Isvara, the Controller or simply God, uses Maya to create, maintain, and destroy this world and helps the soul expunge its sins and impurities, infuses the soul with Brahman Knowledge (Brahma Vidya) and eventually facilitates re-absorption (involution or merging with Brahman).
Coming to Isvara and Brahman, Upacana is worshipping Para Brahman through Isvara (worshipping Vakya Sakti through Vacaka Sakti). Ishtamantra is the Deity-specific Mantra, which brings the aspirant to Ishtadevata (God or Goddess of his liking). Vakya Sakti is Parabrahman without attributes; he is the goal of Upasana; ordinary mortals except perfected Yogis cannot realize him.
Tantrics worship Vacaka Sakti, the clinical Brahman, Sabdabrahman, Saguna Isvara, Saguna Brahman, Mayabrahman or God with form and name all preceding names are synonyms. Vakya = meaning of Mantra and Vacaka = words, phrases and sentences of Mantra.
Every Mantra has two Saktis (powers); Vakya Sakti and Vacaka Sakti; the former is the seed and latter is the flesh of the fruit. The former is life of Mantra and the latter is the sustainer of life; the Vakya Sakti is subject and transcendent, and Vacaka Sakti is object and immanent. One cannot get to the seed without going through the fruit; one cannot understand the meaning and true nature of Vakya sakti without worshipping Vacaka Sakti (they are like Brahman and Isvara).
Vakya sakti is without attributes (Brahman), Vacaka Sakti is with attributes (Isvara); Vakya sakti is seed and Vacaka Sakti is the tree; seed and Vakya Sakti are latent and dormant, and tree and Vacaka Sakti are awake and florid. Vakya Sakti is white light and Vacaka Sakti is spectral or rainbow colors, yellow, blue, red and more of Kundalini Devi. Paramatma is Vakya Sakti, while the son of Devaki (Krishna) is Vacaka Sakti.
Vakya is meaning; Vacaka sakti is words, phrases and mutterings of Mantra. God, who is the subject of Mantra, is Vakya Sakti and Pratipaadya (to be explained, meaning); Devata and God, who is Mantra itself (God's sound body = Mantra), is Vacaka Sakti in his manifest form. Vakya Sakti is like clouds and Vacaka Sakti is like rainwater. (one cannot quench his thirst with the cloud; rainwater serves the purpose well; Nirguna Brahman is the cloud and Saguna Brahman is water.) Vakya Sakti is unlimited; Vacaka Sakti is delimited.
Vakya sakti is all-pervasive and unmanifest, while Vacaka Sakti is all-pervasive and manifest. Siddhi of Sadhakas awakens the Vacaka Sakti of Mantra; with the help of Devi, they step into the monistic world of Brahman knowledge. (White light, spectral or rainbow colors, seed and tree, cloud and rainwater are input from author.) Vacaka Sakti is the road to Vakya Sakti; the former is the means and the latter is the goal.
Yogis are capable of meditating on Brahman without going through the preliminary step of worshipping and meditating on Isvara (Vacaka Sakti). In this instance, the yogi is the seeker of Nut, which is outside the fruit; somehow the Yogi coaxes and brings out the nut from inside the fruit; it takes a Yogi to meditate on attributeless Brahman.
Manifest God or Goddess, Sabda Brahman or Sound Brahman is the object of worship. Sabda Brahman is immanent and pervades the universe and beings; Virat Purusa is the one with manifest body (Virat sarira) and comes down to earth as Avatara (incarnation). Five gross elements, ten senses (five of motor organs and five sensory organs), five vital airs, Manas (mind as an organ), Buddhi (intellect), Ahankara (ego), and Citta (thinking) make the body of Sabda Brahman.
Worship of Sabda Brahman is at the level of human consciousness and worship beyond that is Turiya, where the Sadhaka and formless Brahman become one. That is Vakya Sakti. When you see jewelry, you see gold; when you see pots, you see clay; when you see the world and the universe, you see Brahman. When you see people you see Brahman (That Thou Art); He is the Knower in each one of us. For more details on Brahman and Atman, go to Panchdasi equates Parabrahman with Mahavishnu / Narayana, and Krishna with the manifest Brahman (Mayabrahman, Sagunabrahman or Isvara), Guruvayurappan.
Parabrahman without attributes or conditions is not an entity receptive to worship or approach. His manifest surrogate with complete potency (Purna avatar), Krishna-Guruvayurappan is the manifest god or Saguna brahman for worship. What is unapproachable and unreachable in Parabrahman becomes approachable and reachable in Krishna. Parabrahman is Niskala (without parts), while Krishna is Sakala with parts.
Although Parabrahman is omnipresent in the universe, Bhattairi worships Him in the likeness of Krishna-Guruvayurappan, because he cannot see Him in the universal form. There are very few people who saw Him in His universal form; one among them was Arjuna. His medium of worship is Bhakti, devotion or love of Ishta-devata. His Bhakti colors all he sees, feels, says and writes about; Your form is Suddha Sattva, which is like the waves on the surface of a deep ocean, that is Pure Supreme Brahman, a treasure-house of pearls of liberated souls.
We mortals have in our constitution three Gunas: Sattva Rajas and Tamas (Virtue, Passion and darkness.) Krishna's constitution is Pure Sattva: Suddha Sattvam. Since Krishna is a manifestation of attributeless Parabrahman, Vyasa states that His constitution is Pure Sattva without the contaminating Rajas and Tamas. Pure Sattva does not exist in nature; it is always admixed with Rajas and Tamas. Suddha Sattva is His internal constitution (Swarupa Sakti) in contradistinction to his external sakti, Prakrti, which in its equilibrium consists of equal amounts of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. He is Purna avatar as opposed to other partial avatars.
Bhagavan: One who is endowed with Bhaga (Grace) is Bhaga-van. Bhaga consists of six attributes: Aisvaryam, Viryam, Pukaz, Tiru, Jnanam, and Viaragyam (Supremacy, Power, Glory, Sacredness, Wisdom, and desirelessness or detachment) others list the following attributes: knowledge of creation, maintenance, destruction, origin and sublation of all life forms, Supreme Truth, and Avidya or ignorance.
He is Ignorance and Knowledge at the same time; He is everything; there is nothing He is not. Some say that the attributes correspond to nine angles of Yantra, which is a mystical diagram made of lines, curves, alphabets and syllables etched on metals and stones, whose purpose is to invoke God for progeny, health, and wealth.
Krishna being the waves and Parabrahman being the ocean, he sees no difference. To the stickler to semantics, there is a world and ocean of difference. Others list the following: Sri (Auspiciousness), Virya (Power), Jnana (Wisdom), Vairagya (Dispassion), Kirti (Glory), and Mahatmya (Greatness). Bhaga is Grace and any desirable quality such as dignity, majesty, distinction, excellence, beauty, loveliness, love, affection.
Achintya Bheda-abheda: (Incomprehensible difference - nondifference) According to this, the individual souls are like sparks in the fire and depend on Krishna. These atomic souls are like the rays of the sun, but the rays are not the sun. The individual soul is the wave and the Parabrahman is the ocean. The wave is different and yet there is non difference between the wave and the ocean. Each soul is partly divine in its likeness to God and partly animal because of its animal nature; the latter is ignorance, and māyā affects it. Once the jiva earns release, it goes to God but never merges with God.
The same simile is applied to Parabrahman and Krishna. There is a difference between the Krishna-waves and Parabrahman-ocean and yet there is no difference between the waves and the ocean. To reduce Krishna as a surrogate and Parabrahman as Higher Being runs counter to the notion that Krishna is real and resides in the idol. Why would anybody parley one's devotion into liberation by worshipping a lesser or a surrogate God.
However, we should not make the fatal mistake of thinking that Mahadeva and Mahamaya are to be blamed for our personal ignorance and duality, because ahankara and maya also offer us all the opportunity to evolve by turning respectfully in a spirit of service towards the Father and Mother of all, who actually are the jagat guru and yogamaya. This is why Adi Shankara, an avatara of Mahadeva, appeared to teach Advaita.
Expansions of Maha Vishnu (different forms) as Shri Jagannath Part (l)
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"Kalki Overview; the 10th Avatar of Vishnu" next post ...
ॐ श्री विष्णवे च विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नो विष्णुः प्रचोदयात् ॥
Authored by Anadi Sahoo
