Jagadguru Speaks: One God Manifests as Many

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted

on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )

 

 

https://www.tattvaloka.com/uploads/jagadguruSpeech/pdf/2131506625Jagadguru%20%20-%20OCT%202022%20%20--One%20God%20Manifests%20as%20Many.pdf

 

 

Paramatma, referred to as Bhagavan or Isvara, is eternal,

omnipresent, all-powerful, part-less and self-effulgent

(svayaMjyotisvabhAva). It is at the behest of the all-pervading

Bhagavan that even time runs systematically, and the units

of time such as seconds, muhurtas, days and nights,

fortnights, seasons and years are fixed (without undergoing

a change in their respective durations).

 

The Upanishads state -

  etasya vA akSharasya prashAsane etasya vai akSharasya prashAsane gArgi nimeShA muhUrtA

  ahorAtrANyardhamAsA mAsA R^itavaH saMvatsarA iti vidhR^itAstiShThanti ..

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)

 

The Sastras reiterate -

 

  yastvevaM lakshito yogibhihRRidayaH IshAno bhUtabhavyasya sa eva nityaH

  kUtastho.adyedAnIM prANiShu vartamAnaH sa ushvo.api vartiShyate

 

It is Isvara who is the Lord of the past and future, and

perceived in the heart of yogis. Eternal and changeless, He

exists in all beings now; indeed He alone will exist tomorrow

as well, says the Brahma Sutra Bhashya. In a nutshell,

Bhagavan permeates the entire universe.

 

As such, a conception of Bhagavan in His absolute nirguna

aspect cannot be conceived by ordinary mortals. Isvara

Himself assumes different names and forms through His

maya in order to bless devotees -

 

  syAt.h parameshvarasyApi ichchhAvashAt.h mAyAmayaM rUpaM sAdhakAnugrahArtham.h

 

By making Himself accessible for worship through various

manifestations having different names and forms, like Siva,

Vishnu, Ganapati, Lakshmi etc., He provides an

opportunity for one to have his Kuladevata or Ishtadevata,

depending upon the devotee's preference, competence,

tradition, prenatal tendencies etc.

 

Thus, though Paramatma is one, His names and forms can

be many. Everyone should remember that it is the one

Paramatma who alone is worshipped in His different

manifestations.

 

We bless everyone to understand this, foster steadfast devotion and

make life fruitful.