GITA 11.13
THE TEMPLE AND DWAJASTHAMBAM |
We are in an important sannidhi. We are at Parameswara vinnagaram [பரமேஸ்வர விண்ணகரம்], full of sculptures of Pallava period. The Lord graces in Three tiers in Three poses. At the bottom tier He is seated, in the middle, He is Sri Pallkonda Ranganatha, in reclining pose and in the top tier, He is standing as Sri Para Vasudeva. Today's [14th October 2008] lecture is from the mid-tier. The entrance to the temple is attractive.
TEMPLE ENTRANCE |
Nearby greenery, is pleasing. A very tall dwajasthambam, brilliant like the Lord, is seen. Like a king's fort guarded by trenches and compound walls, this temple is constructed.
PART OF PILLARS AND TRENCH IN THE TEMPLE |
In the ground floor, the Lord is seated as Sri Vaikuntanatha Perumal. All the sculptures are made in sandstone. We see a sculpture of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Once sage Bharadwaja was meditating and it was disturbed by a heavenly damsel. With her, he got a son. The son in later years became King Parameswara Varma Pallava. This can be seen in the sculptures.
BHARADWAJA, CHILD AND DIVINE COUPLE AS HUNTER COUPLE |
When Bharadwaja was wondering what to do with the child, the Lord and Sri Maha Lakshmi, in the guise of a Hunter and His Wife, agreed to take care of the child. That time in the Pallava dynasty, there were no children to continue to reign. The ruling King prayed and the Lord gave this child [of Bharadwaja] and asked him to take care. All these and the way the child learnt various arts are depicted in the sculptures.
THE LORD NURTURING THE CHILD |
The Lord took care of the Child and went even to lord Yama to prolong the life of the child. Those times, many Chinese travellers used to visit India and one such traveller Yuvan Suang, is also depicted, including his departure by ship.
CHINESE TRAVELLER |
As we go around, we can see a replica of Sri Para Vasudeva in the Third tier, depicted as a sculpture.
SRI PARA VASUDEVA SCULPTURE |
We are forbidden from going to the Third tier; as it was damaged by lightning. Similarly, Sri Vaikuntanatha Perumal also is sculpted.
SRI VAIKUNTANATHA SCULPTURE |
It seems it was done to fool invaders. It is also said that there was a tunnel here but was closed later. We now climb up to the Second Tier and see the Lord Sri Ranganatha gracing. Utsavar is Sri Varantharu Mamanivannan [ஸ்ரீ வரந்தரு மாமணிவண்ணன்]. On the walls, we can see the sculptures of Sri Varaha avatar, Sri Narasimha Avatar, fight between Vali and Sugreeva, churning of Milk ocean, etc.
SRI NARASIMHA ON THE SECOND TIER |
It is said that Parameswasa Varma Pallava ruled for 360 years and after him, 18 Pallava kings had ruled. The Lord Himself had taught the King all arts. This temple is named after that King. We have seen other Vinnagarams earlier: Oppiliappan Koil, Arimeya Vinnagaram, Kazhi Sri Rama Vinnagaram and Nandipura Vinnagaram.
Now we will see how the Lord Sri Parameswara was viewed by Sanjaya. In sloka 11, Sanjaya told that the Lord was beyond imagination, He was Divya [brilliant] and Anantha [endless]. To know about the brilliance, we are to see sloka 12:
divi surya-sahasrasya
bhaved yugapad utthita
yadi bhah sadrsi sa syad
bhasas tasya mahatmanah
bhaved yugapad utthita
yadi bhah sadrsi sa syad
bhasas tasya mahatmanah
"If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form."
(continued)
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