GITA 14.5

GITA 14.5

CHOLASIMHAPURAM TEMPLE

We have now come to the temple inside Cholasimhapuram or Sholingapuram. In this temple only, Sri Utsavar Sri Bhaktochita, is always gracing. Here we can also see Sri Kesava Perumal sannidhi. The Lord is Sri Adi Kesava [ஸ்ரீ ஆதி கேசவ பெருமாள்]. Today's [3rd March 2009] lecture is from this sannidhi. We can notice the magnificent construction and architecture of Pallava Kings and other Kings of Thondai mandalam.

A VIEW INSIDE THE TEMPLE

 This place is called Cholasimhapuram and two reasons are there for this name. It was constructed by a Chola King and so Chola Puram. Since Sri Simha [lion] is nearby, its name is also Simhapuram. This temple built in ancient times by Chola Kings got submerged inside the Earth for a long time. Later, Swami Doddayacharya aka Srinivasa Mahaguru, got this place excavated, arranged all streets and also got established a sannidhi for Sri Bhaktochita. All these happened in circa 1588. But the sannidhi of Sri Adi Kesava Perumal has been in existence much earlier. In the Garbha gruha, only Sri Moolavar is there, along with Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhudevi Nacchiyars. There is no Sri Utsavar. Sri Bhaktochita is the Sri Utsavar of Sri Yoga Narasimha, atop the Hill and graces from a separate Garbhagruha in front of Sri Adi Kesava sannidhi. Sri Adi Kesava graces with the Right hand in Abhaya mudra and the Left hand is Kati hasta, placed on the Left lap. Every Shravan day, the Lord graces Tirumanjanam. No annual festivals are conducted for the Lord here. As mentioned earlier, since renovation works are going on, Sri Bhaktochita is gracing with Sri Ubhaya Nacchiyar, atop the Hill. 

SRI BHAKTOCHITA

Whenever Sri Bhaktochita climbs up the hill or down the hill, He is carried in a cage like palanquin. Whether climbing up or down, the Lord is carried always facing the hill. Whenever, Sri Bhaktochita leaves for hill top, in His place an idol of Sri Nartana (Dancing) Krishna, holding butter ball in one hand and with lifted right foot, graces.

SRI NARTANA KRISHNA

 Swami Vedanta Desika in his Gopala Vimsati says that the Lord, neither running away nor staying still, dances for butter!

 Earlier we saw [in sloka 3 of Chapter 14] that gigantic is Prakriti, and it is the source for all living beings. The Lord said that in this Prakriti, He fertilized it with the collection of all Atman. That is Prakriti is impregnated with the collection of all Atman, by the Lord. Like a pregnant female delivers young ones, all living beings are born from this impregnated prakriti. One doubt may arise. Normally, a mother supports the foetus in her womb. Here mother supports and foetus is supported. Similarly, the Lord is the Father, Moolaprakriti is mother and collection of Atman is like the foetus. Therefore, Moolaprakriti should support Atman, as in the analogy of mother and foetus. But earlier, we have been learning that Atman is the supporter of body and not the other way! This is a practical knowledge we perceive clearly. Does this not contradict Prakriti supporting the collection Atman? Swami Vedanta Desika in his Tatparya Chandrika has clarified this doubt. This analogy of impregnation has not been used to define the concept of supporter and supported. But it is to explain Two features. One is the mother and foetus are inseparable; likewise, the collection of Atman and Prakriti are inseparable. Secondly, if a foetus is formed in the womb of a mother, who is the cause? Why one is born to a poor mother, instead of a queen? The cause is the beginningless accumulated Papa/Punya karma. Because of this karma, an Atman is in a foetus in the womb of a mother. Similarly, the Lord does not indiscriminately impregnate Prakriti with a collection of Atman. Here also the karma of individual soul is the cause for getting impregnated in Prakriti. This is the purpose of the analogy employed by the Lord in sloka 3. Now we will see sloka 4 of Chapter 14:

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita

"It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."

Now the Lord says that even the daily creations [nitya srushti] is carried out by Him. Earlier the Lord told that creation of Prakriti [prakruta srushti प्राकृत सृष्टि] and occasional creations [naimittika srushti नैमित्तिक सृष्टि] are done by Him. That is fertilizing Prakriti with the collection of Atman and creation of different species were mentioned earlier. Now the Lord mentions about the creation of lord Brahma, lord Shiva, Indra, even you and me and every living being born daily. One might doubt that these creations are done by the respective parents. The Lord clarifies that even these are created by Him only. He is the cause for these daily births of all living beings, also. Kaunteya = son of Kunti [Arjuna]!, sarva-yonisu = in species created by lord Brahma such as Devas, humans, animals, birds, insects, plants, etc., murtaya = bodies, sambhavanti = appear, tasam = they all, brahma = moola Prakriti, is the cause. But moola Prakriti by itself is not the cause. Moola Prakriti by being the body of the Lord is the cause. Aham = I [Sri Krishna] am, pita = Father, bija-pradha = fertilizing with seed [into the Prakriti. Just as a male impregnates a female, the Lord impregnates Prakriti with the collection of Atman. Thus the impregnated Prakriti becomes the cause for the birth of all living beings. In the case of individual births, the Lord is the Antaratma in respective male and female and becomes the Cause for the birth of the young ones. Other than the Lord, no individual is the cause for the birth of anyone. Prakriti also, as the body of the Lord, becomes the cause for the creation of species. Here some doubts may arise. What is the seed He is fertilizing? It is Atma samooham or collection of Atman. This is impregnated into Prakriti, which is His body, by the Lord as a Father. Thus the Lord is both Nimitta[doer] and upadana [means] cause for the creation. We have to note one difference here. While Prakriti is compared to a mother and the Lord to a father, in our life we see father and mother are separate souls and bodies. But here, Prakriti is the Body of the Lord and He fertilizes it with a collection of Atman. 

                                                                     (continued)