VISHNU AS THE SUPREME DEITY:
Continuity of Devotion and Supremacy of Vishnu
from the Rig Veda to modern times.
History has told us that
the great Seers, such as Nimbarkacharya (c.3000BCE), Vallabhacharya,
Madhavacharya, Ramaujacharya and even Adi Shankaracharya (c.500BCE) have lauded
Sri Vishnu in his various avatars or incarnations as the Supreme.
Although Shankaracharya was an Advaitacharya, he composed the Bhaja Govindam in
dedication to Sri Krishna as the Supreme, as also his own family deity (kula
devata) was Krishna.
Parahamsa Yogananda the great Kriya Yogi and author of “Autobiography of a Yogi” has also noted his Sadguru or Primal Guru was Babaji, himself in the consciousness of Krishna – hence referring to Krishna as the Supreme. He also translated the Bhagavad Gita of Sri Krishna and used it as the authority text on Yoga.
Guru Nanak, the founder of
the Sikhs also himself used the terms Hari, Govinda, Rama, Krishna etc. to
denote the Supreme or “Adi Purush” (Primal Man), which is himself Vishnu.
Sikhism itself also employs the Gita text, and devotion (Bhakti) as well as japa
(chanting) for salvation, which are Vaishnava methods.
Their main temple in Amritsar in Panjab is the ‘Hari Mandir’ (Temple of Hari or
Vishnu).
Others such as Sri Chaitanya devoted their entire lives to the great lord
Narayana, Vishnu or Krishna as the Supreme. Female Saints such as Meerabhai
attained salvation through devotion to Krishna-Vishnu – and the south Indian
Alvar Saints devoted their lives also to him.
Vaishnavism itself also has different lineages, all coming from the deities,
which shows that all universal beings see Vishnu as the Supreme:
The Nimbarka Sampradaya derives from the Four Kumaras and the Sun, Surya.
The Vallabha Sampradaya comes from Rudra or Lord Shiva (Agni).
The Ramanuja Sampradaya comes from Rishi Bhrigu and Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu.
Shankaracharya’s own lineage derives from Shri Dakshinamurthi, the silent Seer
who is associated with a form of Lord Shiva as Soma in the Vedas.
The Madhava Sampradaya derives from Lord Brahma, the creator.
In the Puranas, there is also the story of Rishi Bhrigu, who after being angered
by the ignorance of the deities Shiva and Brahma, found compassion in Vishnu
alone, lauding him as the Supreme.
Others such as Rishi Narada are known to have found Vishnu as the Supreme deity.
Narada appears in the Chandogya Upanishad as a disciple of Sanat Kumara, which
shows that his system of Natya-Yoga or dance-Yoga originates as an offshoot of
the Nimbarka Sampradaya, which come through the Sanat Kumars.
In the Rig Veda, Vishnu is
known as Jatavedas (he who knows all births, the Jivatma) and Vaishvanara
(Cosmic Man), both being forms of Agni, the inner flame of consciousness and
awareness.
This Agni in the Rig Veda is also commonly called a youth (yuva) or boy
(kumara), referring to the youthful form of Vishnu or Krishna. It shows again
here, that the Rig Veda shows Vishnu as the Supreme.
Indeed, “Param padam” (the transcendental abode) in the Rig Veda, is stated to
be the home of Vishnu, in the Vishnu Suktas. It is also the place of cattle
(go), hence making reference to Gokula. Go also means lights, which are jivas.
It is said that the two Ashwini Kumars (gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya – called also Vasus and Rudras – Rig Veda.I.158.2) and the King Varuna (lord of demigods of the heavens) wait upon the will (kratu) of Vishnu (Rig Veda.I.156.1).
The Ashwini Kumars are also the two Vishnudutis who took Dhruva the Seer to the Vaikuntha realm in their flying chariot or Vimana in the Bhagavat Purana. Their flying chariots are discussed at length in the Rig Veda, as also their great powers or shaktis, also extolled.
Dirghatamas, the father of the historical avatar
of Vishnu, Dhanvantri, the father of Ayurvedic Medicine is also himself
responsible for the hymns to the medicine gods the Ashwins, and Vishnu Sukta sas
well as others in the Rig Veda (hymns 140 through to 164). He himself hence
lauds Vishnu as the Supreme.
It seems the Rig Veda documents this era rather well, through Dirghatamas.
Dhanvantri’s own disciple was the Seer Sushruta (one who hears well), who is
himself mentioned in a hymn to the Ashwins in the Rig Veda (II.39.6), seeing the
Ashwins as “two ears as Sushruta (the one who hears well)", being a play on
words. The god Indra and his deeds are also called like Sushruta, meaning
famous, renowned or heard-well (III.36.1, X.74.1), which may also be an indirect
reference to the Seer – good deeds being viewed as Ayurvedic doctors’ actions.
In one hymn (I.158.6), Dirghatamas relates his
age to the “dasha-yuga” or tenth age. This would be the third cycle of the Treta
Yuga (each yuga having four divisions, thus the second cycle of the third Treta
Yuga, the second of these divisions, which gives an indication as to when the
Dhanvantri incarnation was about, and these hymns were composed by Dirghatamas.
This may also refer to the Brahma-Sarvani Manu however, which is the
protogenitor that appears in the Tenth Yuga Cycle.
There is also a reference
in the same hymn of Dirghatamas’s hymns (I.158.6) to the Ashwins (as noted,
connected to his son Dhanvantri, father of medicine as divine doctors, and also
as Jaya and Vijaya, Vishnu’s gatekeepers), which refers to him the “Brahma /
Brahman” (Supreme) of the waters (apas) – which refers to himself as Vishnu, who
himself arises from the cosmic waters. It also refers to him as the charioteer.
He hence associated himself with the Supreme (Brahman) here – the charioteer
being the Self.
But, it may also refer and have a dual-meaning, since his son, Dhanvantri
himself is said to have been born from the ocean of milk in the Deva-Asura war-
or also that Dirghatamas will grow old on the earth-plane at the time of
Brahma’s son, Manu Brahma-Sarvani in the tenth yuga cycle, as stated in his
above hymn!
It hence shows that some of the tales in the later Puranas such as Bhagavata and
Vishnu Puranas devoted to Vishnu, have truths in the older texts as the Rig
Veda, as from clues left behind from Dirghatamas and others! Especially in
regards to the Yuga cycles, as t is clear the Brahma Sarvani Manu of the Tenth
Yuga Cycle is mentioned or referenced here, even if by indirect association.
We hence find this interesting that the father of an avatar of Vishnu himself
praises Vishnu as the Supreme Deity, and a direct reference from a Vedic Seer
who himself praises Vishnu.
We also note in the Rig Veda that, just as Indra’s avatar in later times (namely
Arjuna) is unable to defeat the Kauravas without the help of Vishnu’s avatar
Krishna, so in the Rig Veda, Indra must get Vishnu to help him kill the demon,
Vritra. He is hence called Indra’s sakha or friend.
Mitra and Varuna are also two gods in the Rig Veda as forms of Vishnu. Mitra being the Surya-Narayana (The Sun) or golden-form of Vishnu known as Satya-Narayana and Varuna the god of waters being the Nila-Narayana or Blue-form as the God of the Waters.
The two also have
chariot-temple festivals in the hymns of Vasishtha in the Rig Veda, that seem to
relate to Jagganatha’s of later times. The triad of Aditi, Mitra and Varuna
hence become Subhadra, Balarama and Krishna in Puri.
Aditi herself like Subhadra, is also a form of the Goddess Maya or Illussionas
Durga-Kali, pervading the Cosmos:
"Aditi (The Primal Being) is Heaven, Aditi is the Atmosphere, Aditi is
Mother(Mata), Father and the Son (putra) .Aditi is the Universal Deities, Aditi
is the Five Races, Aditi is all that has been and will take birth".
-Rig Veda.I.89.10
Varuna of the Rig Veda is hence Jagganatha and Dwarkadesha. Varuna is also called Samraja (World Ruler) in the Rig Veda, which is cognate to the form of Jagganatha or Lord of the World, showing this.
Dyaus and Prithvi as Heaven
and Earth in the Rig Veda, the Cosmic Father and Mother principle as Purush and
Prakriti – Cosmic Man and Mother Nature, are also Vishnu and Lakshmi as Lakshmi-Narayana
– the Lord of the color of the sky (Dyaus), and his consort, the Earth –Lakshmi
or Shri.
Hence, the many forms of Vishnu as the Supreme are described in the Rig Veda.
Of the names used by
Dirghatamas for the One Reality with many names in the Rig Veda (I.164.46) are
the terms Yama, Suparna, Garutman, Mitra, Varuna, Agni. Indra and Matarishvan.
Agni as discussed is consciousness as Vishnu – Vaishvanara and Jatavedas, the
Cosmic Man and Soul or Jiva; Indra is Lord Shiva, his greatest form; Mitra and
Varuna his two forms as Satya and Nila Narayanas; Garutman or Suparna are his
mounts – Garuda; Matarishvan is the Wind – being Vishnu as Prana (the breath of
life), and Yama (“Controller”) being the god of death.
Garutman or Suparna here is Garuda, the bird upon which Vishnu flies. This bird
is also the falcon (shyena) of Indra that brings him the Soma juice,once he has
destroyed the serpent, Vritra (RV. IV.18.13; VIII.84.3), and Indra (Shiva)
himself is described as the falcon (IV.26.4-7) and a whole hymn is addressed to
Indra as the Falcon or Shyena – IV.27.
This coincides with Garuda of later times, who is the enemy of serpents (hence
also in the Rig Veda associated with killing serpent Vritra), and is also an
avatar or manifestation of the god Shiva(Indra of the Rig Veda).
So, we see that the whole Garuda tale and his attributes as a Shiva-avatar and
enemy of serpents dates back to the Rig Veda itself, the oldest text.
The “Soma” here that the Falcon (Garuda) beings to Indra-Shiva after his battle
with the demon Vritra is also personified as the Goddess Lakshmi (Wealth and
Fortune), the spouse of Vishnu.
Just as Vishnu helps Indra-Shiva kill Vritra, and just as Garuda also aids him
and hence brings the ‘Soma’ at the end of the battle – the Goddess Lakshmi and
thus representing him going beyond his “sin” of killing the Brahmin, Vritra.
This reminds us of the Puranic tale where Indra looses his Kingdom, and must
attain back the goddess Shri or Lakshmi, which represents his kingdom and
wealth. Likewise in the Rig Veda, the gods also abandon Indra, until the falcon
grants him the Soma (IV.18.13).
This means that Garuda brings Indra the goddess Lakshmi, and again shows us the
eternal message of how easy it is to loose the grace of the spouse of Vishnu.
There are also many mantras
in the Rig Veda to Agni – who as noted is twofold as Vaishvanara (Narayana or
Purush) and Jatavedas (Knower of all births – the Jivatma or Atman as Vishnu),
which show his compassionate nature:
"You, O Saviour, must be
known as our Deliverer, Mother and Father of mortals, forever."
- Rig Veda.VI.1.5
"For he
who knows all births, we offer the ambrosia, may he consume the wealth of our
enemies. May the Divine Fire carry us through all of our obstacles, through
distress, as a Ship across the Ocean".
- Rig Veda.I.99.1
'For you I call the glorious effulgent inner-guide, the guest of mortals, rich in offerings, of who all must strive to win, even as a friend!' - Rig Veda. II.4.1
"Controller of future and present
births, the lover of virgins, and the lord of matrons.'
-Rig Veda.I.66.4
The last verse here, we note that Agni-Vishnu is much like Sri Krishna of
later times, as the great lover-seer. Krishna, then, is the jivatma (self) form
of Vishnu as the avatar, Rishi and Seer.
Hence we note the hymns to Jatavedas or Agni-Vishnu as the Atman or Self relate
to Krishna, whereas Vaishvanara is more Vishnu.
In the same hymn above (I.66.1) we also note that Agni is likened to Prana or
the breath of life. This also follows on with another verse
(X.5.1) where Jatavedas is the One that views
from within everyone’s heart – hence Jivatman or Self.
We also note that Agni is also called ‘Vasu’ (Wealthy One) in the Rig Veda multiple times, along with youthful one (as noted above), like later Vishnu-Krishna, who is Vasu and Vasudeva, His own mantra is “Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya!” (I bow unto the auspicious Vasu, the shining one!).
In another Rig Vedic hymn (II.1),
Agni as Vaishvanara or Cosmic Man is also Vishnu, the Cosmic Pervader who
assumes the forms of all the gods (more specifically, Vishva-devas, Cosmic
Gods). As the Supreme, Vishnu-Agni in the Rig Veda hence pervades all as Prana
or the Self, and pervades the inner world (as jatavedas) and cosmic world (yogic
body of seven chakras or the cosmos as Purush, Vaishvanara or Vishnu).
Another hymn to Agni (RV. II.35) addresses him as “Apam Napata” or Child of the
Cosmic Floods or Waters (Apas), which again relates to Vishnu or Krishna as the
youth that arises from the primal oceans. In this hymn, he is attended to by
youthful maidens, and assumes as golden form (hiranyarupa, RV. II.35.10),
showing him as Suryanarayana or the Solar form –Mitra or Satyanarayana. It is
also noted that Sri Krishna is himself sometimes white or golden in color.
We note here that the Golden Form of Apam-Napat is very important, as this
“Hiranyarupa” or ‘Golden Form’ is also the basis for the term “Hari” (Golden)
for Vishnu in later times. Hari of course is also his sacred name.
Verse 13 of the same hymn itself also notes the son of the waters (Agni) as an
infant sucking and in regards to reincarnation. Hence again, we see Agni
Jatavedas as Krishna, the Atman who is reborn many times within all beings.
Like
Krishna-Vishnu, Agni as the ‘Apam Napata’ (Water’s Child) is also the friend (sakha)
worshipped with sacrifice or offerings (yajna) and surrender or reverence (namas)
– RV.II.35.12.
Likewise again, there is the connection with bountiful cattle (sudugha dhenu.
RV. II.35.7), which is a reference to Vaikuntha or Gokula also, the abode of
Vishnu where such cattle dwell.
Vishnu, as discussed is also always lauded with his wife in the Rig Veda, under
the terms “Dyaus (Sky) and Prithvi (Earth)” as a dual-deity, Dyavaprithvi when
invoked, like later Lakshmi-Narayana. Rig Veda however also confirms that Vishnu
rules with his spouse (I.156.2).
Dyaus and Prithvi as Father and Mother or Sky and Earth appear in the Rig Veda
(I.146.33), just after a Cow-Herd (Gopa) is mentioned, and elaborates on him
travelling through the worlds, and his relationship with his mother
(I.164.32-33), which seems a reference to Krishna of later times.
Moreover, Vishnu is also the Cow-herd (Gopa, Rig Veda.I.22.18), like Krishna
(who is Gopal). The birth of this child or form of Agni is also described as
secret (Rig Veda.V.2.1-2), where Agni is described as a boy-child (kumar) like
Krishna, and makes reference to his step-mother and secret-birth.
Agni's particle banner or form or spark (drapsa)
is also "nilava" or of bluish colour (VIII.19.31), which also refers to the
colour of Kali and Krishna as both Blue (Nila) and Black (Krishna), both being
forms of Agni in his inner-blue form or the inner flame (hence drapsa here means
more flame than spark). It again seems to relate to Krishna-Vishnu.
This is much like Krishna who has two mothers – Devaki and Yashoda, and who’s
birth was hence secret and mysterious, and hence the tale of changing wombs. It
appears here to apply to Vedic Agni who seems to be Krishna.
Radha is clearly noted as in later times, as a form of Prithvi or the Goddess
Earth.
We had noted earlier that Lakshmi is a personification of the Vedic Soma, which
also represents prosperity, and is often associated with wealthy power (Shri),
as also with other gods such as the Ashwins, as a daughter of the Sun-God Surya
(Rig Veda.
VI.63.5-6).
There are also many references to
the spouse of Vishnu in the Rig Veda (later Lakshmi or Shri), as her names
appear as Chitramagha (She who grants wonderful gifts, VII.75.5); Ratnabhaj
(Possessor of Wealth, VII.81.4); Revati (She who is auspicious,
IV.51.4, III.67.6); Shri (She who is Auspicious,
VI.63.5-6); Subhaga (A common term meaning ‘auspicious one’). Terms such as
Dhishana and Revati, meaning auspicious and wealthy are also common terms in the
RigVeda.
The chanting and singing of Vishnu’s names is also a theme in the Rig Veda also,
as it is in later times. Those who know his name (nama) offer it by singing or
chanting it (bhajamahe) and attain his grace (sumati) – Rig Veda. I.156.3.
Bhaja is the root of bhajan or songs of later times, and also means reverence
and devotion.
This reminds us of later Bhakti Saints – especially Sri Chaitanya, and his “Hari
Krishna” mantra, which contains the names of Vishnu, to attain his grace.
This same verse also makes reference to the
“Stotaras” (those who sing the stotras or songs of praise) – showing that
stotras to Vishnu are perhaps as old as the Rig Veda itself. Although it is a
generic term used here in the sense of singer – we note that it shows of
devotional practices, such as singing praises for grace of the deity, are as old
as the Rig Veda.
These mantras are by the former mentioned father of the Ayurvedic avatar of
Vishnu called Dhanvantri – the Seer Dirghatamas.
We hence see that the Vaishnava traditions that we have today, differ little
from the Vedic philosophies that they were founded upon, and that the same Vedic
Rishis also have an important place in history, as also do the avatars of
Vishnu, and the Vedic gods that explains his various attributes.