dvaMdva

[elmec]

Sankaran Jayanarayanan wrote:

> There was recently a discussion about the manifestation of the supreme in
> the dvaMdvas (dualities) of the world. The following is the prayer of the
> gods to Vishnu when they were defeated by the demons, which illustrates
> the diversity of manifestations of the supreme being. All -- from the
> compassionate sages to the cruel demons -- are nothing but manifestations
> of the same Vishnu.
>
> [From the translation of the Vishnu Purana by H.H. Wilson]
>
> Book 3, Chapter 17
> ------------------
>
>  Glory to thee, Govinda, who art all demons, whose essence is
> arrogance and want of discrimination, unchecked by patience or
> self-control. Glory to thee, who art the Yakshas, whose nature is charmed
> with sounds, and whose frivolous hearts perfect knowledge cannot pervade.
> Glory to thee, who art all fiends, that walk by night, sprung from the
> quality of darkness, fierce, which is the instrument of recompensing the
> virtues of those who abide in heaven.

> Glory to thee, who art one with the serpent race,
> double-tongued, impetuous, cruel, insatiate of enjoyment, and abounding
> with wealth.

> Glory to thee, Janarddana, who art man, the agent in
> developing the results of that activity which proceeds from the quality of
> foulness. Glory to thee, who art brute animals, universal spirit that
> tends to perversity, which proceeds from the quality of darkness, and is
> encumbered with the twenty-eight kinds of obstruction.

> Glory to thee, who art the cause of causes, the supreme
> spirit; who art distinct from us and all beings composed of intelligence
> and matter and the like, and with whose primeval nature there is nothing
> that can be compared. We bow to thee. O Lord, who hast neither colour, nor
> extension, nor bulk, nor any predicable qualities; and whose essence,
> purest of the pure, is appreciable only by holy sages. We bow to thee, in
> the nature of Brahma, uncreated, undecaying; who art in our bodies, and in
> all other bodies, and in all living creatures; and besides whom there is
> nothing else. We glorify that Vasudeva, the sovereign lord of all, who is
> without soil, the seed of things, exempt from dissolution, unborn,
> eternal, being in essence the supreme condition of spirit, and in
> substance the whole of this universe."
>
> --
> bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

Thanks to Sri Shankar Jayanarayan for taking trouble to quote from Sri
Vishnu
Puraana the passage in which there is a very clear description of  how
both
the good and the evil are  but  manifestation of the same Brahman.

This makes it clear that those in whom we see an excess of evil
disposition
have only been born to expiate the bad deeds done in a previous birth
and
those in whom we see very divine disposition are born to expiate the
good
karma phala of a previous birth. Therefore we should not outrightly
condemn a
person as bad as his nature may be beyond his own control. We should be
sympathetic and even empathetic with such a person to help him overcome
those
negative qualities (Rajas and Tamas) by constantly exposing him to the
positive aspects (Sattva) of life and slowly wean him away  from those
evil
tendencies. This definitely requires Ishwara's grace upon that person.
We
ourselves can pray God on his behalf to show him the right path.

Regards,
Hari Om,
Latha Vidyaranya

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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