BG 11.23

Sri Krishna Himself preached Gita. By understanding Gita, we understand all others. Without knowing Gita, there is no use in learning others. In order that we should all understand Gita well, Swami Ramanuja wrote detailed commentary, Sri Gita Bhashyam. As a further explanation, Swami Vedanta Desika wrote Tatparya Chandrika. We worshiped Swami Vedanta Desika yesterday. Today's [28th October 2008] lecture is from the temple of Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, nearby. As we enter we find the Dwajasthambam and the striking cleanliness around. The temple built in stones is attractive. As we go around the temple we can see green trees, plants and the exclusive Tulasi garden maintained for the Lord. The Lord is Vilakkoli [lamp light], and so we have to understand Gita in that Light only. Our practice has been First to visit Acharya, then Sri Thayar and finally the sannidhi of the Lord. We have already visited Swami Vedanta Desika's sannidhi. We will now proceed to Sri Marakathavalli Thayar [ஸ்ரீ மரகதவல்லி தாயார்]sannidhi. The Lord here is Sri Vilakkoli Perumal in Tamil and Sri Deepa Prakasa in Sanskrit. But the place is called Thiruthanka. Than [தண் ] in Tamil means cool and ka [கா] means place. Thus this is associated with Sri Thayar and a very cool and esteemed place. We should not confuse this with Thiruthangal [திருத்தங்கல்], near Srivilliputhur. There the Lord graces in standing pose in many colours. Since Sri Maha Lakshmi stayed [தங்குதல்], that place is called Thiruthangal. But this is a cool place. We first worship Sri Marakathavalli Thayar and recieve Her blessings. She shows abhaya by Her right hand and the left arm is pointing to Her Divine feet. The Lord is like the precious stone marakatham [மரகதம் emarald], in radiating green colour. Sri Thayar is gracing as the appropriate match for the Lord. We have seen part of the history of this Kshetram, while visiting Sri Devaraja and in Thiruvekkha. Lord Brahma performed Aswameda yagna. First he went to Pushkaram Kshetram in North. There the Lord appeared to him in the form of Water. He then proceeded to Naimisharanyam and meditated. There the Lord appeared to lord Brahma as a forest. In order to worship the Lord in Idol form, lord Brahma came to Satyavrata Kshetram. He started his meditation. But Saraswati wanted to prevent his meditation and yagna. Why did she want to prevent her husband's actions? Because lord Brahma performed the yagna with his other wife Savitri. Since she was not properly accorded a place in the yagna, Saraswati decided to prevent the yagna. So, First she created darkness so that yagna could not be performed. That time the Lord appeared as Sri Deepaprakasa and drove out the darkness. Thus the Lord was a great support for lord Brahma in performing the yagna. We will now see sloka 22, in the illumination provided by the Lord Sri Deepaprakasa. Arjuna earlier told that the Lord's radiance was more than the combined brightness of Thousands of Suns. Now, sloka 22:

rudraditya vasavo ye ca sadhya
visve ’svinau marutas cosmapas ca
gandharva-yakshasura-siddha-sangha
viksante tvam vismitas caiva sarve

"All the various manifestations of Lord Shiva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvedevas, the two Asvis, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder."

Sarve = all, vikshyanta = see, vismita = with wonder, tvam = You [Sri Krishna]. Everyone is viewing the Viswaroopam with wonder. Rudra = Rudras, aditya =Adityas, vasavo = Vasus [வசுக்கள் वसुनानी ], sadhya = Sadhyas. In Chapter 10 we have seen that some of these were mentioned. The Lord mentioned, there, that He was Shankara among Rudras, Vishnu among Adityas, etc. Now Arjuna is seeing the same. There he only listened to the Lord mentioning He was the Head among many groups. Though Arjuna believed what the Lord told, he had the doubt as how the Lord could be present simultaneously in Twelve Adityas, Eleven Rudras, etc. Besides, when the Lord mentioned that He was Shankara among Rudras or Vishnu among Adityas, we could not perceive that all of them were part of His divine body. But now we can see that everyone of them is a part of the Lord and all of them are supported by the Lord. Eleven Rudras, Twelve Adityas, Eight Vasus are mentioned. Visve sadhya means all the Nityasuris [நித்தியசூரி] in Vaikuntam. We should remember that excepting Sadhyas, who are in Vaikuntam, all others are in the Leela Vibhuti or Prakruti mandalam [as we are all]. Asvinau = Two Aswini devas, maruta = 49 Maruts [wind gods] [ Indra fractured the foetus in Diti's womb into Seven, and further fractured each of the Seven to another Seven, making 49 foetuses, by his vajra weapon]. Cosmapa = ancestors [the lecturer mentioned the word Ooshnata (could be a variance in the Gita edition), which means blood suckers - not the ghosts and spirits, we usually hear, as according to our sampradhayam, we do not believe in them and once we have surrendered to the Lord, nothing else would affect us. Here, it is to be interpreted as ancestors or pithrus [பித்ருக்கள்], like deceased parents, grand parents, and so on. Ooshnatha also means sucking atman. How can our deceased ancestors drink our atman? After all our ancestors were very much after our welfare. But when we perform the rites like tharpanam [தர்ப்பணம்] every amavasya or annual ceremony [திவசம்] on the particular thithi, in which they died, we offer pindam [பிண்டம் rice balls], sesama seeds [எள்] and water, they, in pithru form, drink them and so ooshnatha. Also it is said that a father's another form is his son. Thus we can say this atman shares the body of the children. Therfore, ooshnatha could mean drinking blood]. Gandarva = sky bound Gandarvas, yaksha =Yakshas, sura = Devas, siddha = accomplished persons, sangha = in groups. All these people see the Lord bewildered. The Lord's every action is fascinating, whether we hear about His Childhood pranks or His lifting Govardhana hillock. Naturally, Viswaroopam would be most astonishing to everyone. Another factor for their astonishment is that they see themselves in the Viswaroopam. Yakshas, Gandharvas, etc., are in their respective places, but they also see themselves in the Divine body of the Lord. This appears incredible to them and so astonished. in Upanishad - yatra poorve sadhya santi deva - sadhya means the residents of Vaikuntam, beyond Viraja river. Sadhya means those who had accomplished their ultimate desire [of reaching Vaikuntam]. Or, sadhyas could mean a separate division among devas.