[Advaita-l] Regarding Padmanabhaswamy

[Aditya Kumar]

Thanks for the reply V Subrahmanian.
I tried to get info from the official temple website but could not get a clear answer. If we observe the idol, Lord Ananta is assuming a jnana mudra and is clearly seen worshipping the Linga. It resembles how we worship the linga by keeping a water pot on top a linga, water dripping incessantly. However, the body is asleep. So I thought, is this yoga nidra? May be, may be not. Hence the doubt.
I am also interested to know about the historicity of this deity. It is said to be quite old. So I am wondering if this is the original representation of Narayana/Vishnu and that Ranganatha was conceived later by Ramanujacharya.  

    On Friday, 16 June 2017 4:14 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:
 

 

On Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 3:19 PM, Aditya Kumar via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

Namaste All,
Thank you for considering my request. I had posed the same question earlier in Yahoo Advaitin group but it was withheld for some reason. Hoping that my email will go through in this list.
Recently there was some news about Padmanabhaswamy temple of Tiruvanantapuram and incidentally I saw the idol of the deity. Here is how it looks : http://cdn2. theeventchronicle.com/wp- content/uploads/2017/04/Sri- Padmanabhaswamy-Temple- Mahavishnu-Idol-32-KG.jpg

Please notice the right hand is over Shiva Ling as if dripping water/(consciousness?) continuously. May be this indicates Yoga Nidra?
And I have personally seen the idol of Ranganatha deity in Sri Rangam where the right hand is under the head of the deity, as if taking rest below a tree. Here is an image : https://cdn.dollsofindia. com/images/products/vishnu- pictures/lord-sri- ranganathaswamy-AD71_l.jpg
My question is, why is there so much difference? What is the significance of this?


Regarding the presence of Shiva Linga here is an explanation:
http://www.ananthapadmanabhaswamytemple.org/deities.html

//The presence of Lord Shiva under the hands of SriPadmanabha is said to be related to the story of Lord Vishnu vanquishing the demon Keshi. Some also say that it is related to the story of the demon Bhasmasura. Thus to symbolize the protection of Lord Shiva, we can see the Shivalinga under the hands of the Lord SriPadmanabha (SriPadmanabha Daasa Maharaja Swathi Thirunaall says this in his Keerthanam "Chinthayaami the padhaneeraruham" as "Anthakaari Kamalaasana Sevitha"). // 
Another explanation:
http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org/deities.htm

// From the navel of the Lord emerges a lotus on which Lord Brahma, the Creator, is seated. Just below the stretched right arm of the Lord is the Shiva Linga of the Destroyer. Brahma, Vishnu(Padmanabha) and Shiva represent the ‘Srushti, Stithi and Samharam’.//
Yet another: https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple-the-insid-story-choodie-shivaram/
//Padmanabhan, on April 21, 2016 at 2:54 pm said:It is too late for a reply. I am a local person at Thiruvananthapuram. There is a Siva Linga at the tip of the right hand of lord Padmanabha’s idol. The sivites say that he is worshiping lord Siva, The vishnavites claim that it is protecting symbol to Siva Linga.//One more:https://indianmandirs.blogspot.in/2014/02/sri-anantha-padmanabha-swamy-temple-in.html
//Lord Krishna came appeared before Sage Divakara as a mischievous small boy. The boy swallowed the Saligrama that the sage had kept for his puja. The sage was enraged and chased the boy who hid himself behind a tree. This tree fell down and became Vishnu in reclining Anantha Sayanam posture.
Recognizing that the tree was Vishnu himself, the sage pleaded and begged the Lord to reduce his size. Lord Vishnu shrunk and asked the sage to worship him in three doors. Lord Shiva can be worshipped in the first door, Lord Brahma in the second and the feet of Lord Vishnu in the third, which leads one to salvation.//
Just one more:http://www.indiadivine.org/content/topic/1091168-ananthapadmanabha-swami-lord-vishnu-worshipping-lord-shiva/
//Lord Vishnu is not worshiping any God, He only worships His own beloved devotees, who cannot bear the separation with Him even for a fraction of second. Lord Siva is the most devoted Vaishnava, according to Srimad Bhagavatham. There it is mentioned"vaishnava:nam yadha: sambhuh". So Lord Vishnu kept Siva, always under His abled shade of His Divine Hand. Do understand the Lords'act.Jai Srimannarayana!=chinnajeeyar=//Just one last of the never ending reasons perhaps!!
http://www.goroadtrip.com/explore/india/kerala/thiruvananthapuram/attractions/padmanabhaswamy-temple-3478
// The Lord’s right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam that symbolizes synergy between both deities. //  synergy means: the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
You can discover more and more. Each one gives a reason that is driven by his samskara, upbringing, sectarian beliefs, etc.regardsvs 
 
Thanks

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