VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA TEMPLE INDIA

The Origin and the qualities of Prakriti (nature or un-

modified cause, which produces several
Significance of Temples changes of state), which afflict all else,
S. SATYAMURTI AYYANGAR the heya-gunas or base qualities, the
material limitations and imperfections

G od is everywhere but He is very much

here! wrote a friend to me, years
ago, from holy Badrinath. For a moment, it
generated by the triple gunas, Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas. What then are the gunas
possessed by God (the Saguna aspect)?
left me guessing whether it was at all a The scriptures specify the six main
scholarly pronouncement from a truly attributes of God, namely, (i) Jnana, that
knowledgeable person or a mere flourish- is, that He is the centre of all knowledge;
of the pen for which my friend had a flair. (ii) Shakti, the power of achieving
But soon, I realised that what was alluded everything including what might be deemed
to is the special impact of the Deity, over unattainable by others; (iii) Bala, strength,
there, on the worshippers. Well, how does the power of containing everything within
God, known, in common parlance, to be Himself, including the so-called
all-pervading, permeating all things and incompatibles; (iv) Aisvarya, the power of
beings all over, remain stationary at a containing all the treasures of the entire
particular spot and make Himself visible to universe and keeping them in order; (v)
all and sundry, assuming a distinct form, in Virya, the power of being immutable, with
which He could be worshipped by the no vikaaras or changes, unaffected by the
yearning devotee, casting His spell on the created world of differences and
latter? How does one correlate the two modifications evolved by Him; and (vi)
widely divergent aspects of Godhead, Tejas, brilliance, that is the power by which
namely, the ‘akhandaakaara’ or ‘vishvarupa’ He holds Himself superior to all else. Saint
aspect of the all pervading One, invisible Nammaazhvaar, (looked upon as the
to the naked (physical) eye of even the monarch of all the Aazhvaars, the peerless
most exalted devas in the higher echelons, devotees sunk deep in the oceanic depths
and the personal God of finite form? An of divine consciousness) has right in the
authoritative examination of these issues opening line of his scintillating hymnal of
brings one right into the thick of the subject unparalleled excellence, Tiruvaaymozhi,
on hand. thrown open the flood-gate of his mystic
Reference to Brahman, the Supreme Lord, vision of the Lord. The saint has described
in the scriptures, as Nirguna, has given God as a fountain of inexhaustible bliss that
rise to a school of thought, which holds cuts out all fatigue, as full of compassion
that He is no more than a cold, icy, abstract and a host of other auspicious traits, the
entity, devoid of attributes. This does not, repository of all conceivable excellences
however, seem to be valid, seeing that of unlimited dimensions, the very antithesis
every reality must have attributes and of the icy-cold, abstract God, formless and
Brahman is a reality indeed. What is really colourless, conceived by others. No doubt,
meant is that Brahman is totally devoid of God is shapeless, formless and colourless,

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in His universal aspect, as the Omnipresent, the heart-region of every being, as the
the all-pervading and the infinite, the entire Internal Controller; Archavigraha is the
universe constituting as it were, His body. Image form in temples and houses of
He can, however, take upon Himself any worshippers, in which the Lord is
form or body, at His volition. The Sruti consecrated and which is thus the visible,
says; “Jaayamaano bahudhaa vijaayate”. worshippable form He assumes, in
(The unborn gets born, in many ways.) He accordance with the wishes of His
is signified by all names, some directly and devotees. The image which a devotee
others indirectly. ‘Naaraayana’, ‘Vishnu’, makes, consecrates and worships, is as
‘Vaasudeva’, ‘Raama’, and ‘Krishna’ signify much an avataara or manifestation of the
Him directly. In fact, the two aspects of Lord as Raama, Krishna, etc. and not a
nirguna, the akhandaakaara or vishvaroopa mere child-play or beginner’s tool, a mere
and the Saguna, the personal God are aid to concentration in the earlier stages
complementary to each other and not as the sceptical and half-hearted believers
mutually exclusive. among us would want us to think. They
The five-fold form or manifestation of God, are perhaps inclined to think that an image,
which helps Him to govern His very vast made by man according to his own whim,
kingdom is sure to make interesting reading, that is, unilaterally, without prior
in this context. Sri Pancharatra, which is consultation with God, can hardly depict
the valid scriptural basis of Taantrik religious the living presence of God, the very basis
experience and practice, describes the five- for worship. These persons will do well to
fold hypostatic manifestation of God. They turn their attention to Sri Krishna’s own
are: para, vyuuha, vibhava, antaryaamin declaration in Bhagavad Gita “Ye yatha
and archaavataara. Paravigraha is the maam prapadyante taan tathaiva bhajaa-
transcendental form in which God manifests myaham” (IV-II). That is, He would deign
Himself in the Vaikunthaloka (Heaven); to present Himself before His devotees in
“Vyooha” denotes His self-assumed whatever form the latter desire to see and
operative forms as Vaasudeva, commune with Him. The general featuring
Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, of the Divine person naturally follows from
the seat of activity shifting from High the most desirable formation of the human
Heaven to the Milk-ocean. Vibhava is form, and it should not be lightly brushed
incarnate forms, such as Raama and aside as idolatrous, fetish loyalty, or
Krishna, the Lord assuming a form of His something anthropomorphic.
choice, eminently suited for the purpose It is only on the strength of Pancharaatra,
of the particular avataara (incarnation), the oldest aagama of unquestionable
when He freely mingles with one and all, authenticity, extolling the archaka aspect
high and low, and exhibits many a rare of God, that the several holy shrines, extant
quality in superb abundance. throughout this sprawling sub-continent
Antaryaamivigraha is the pervasive form and elsewhere too, have been instituted
of the Lord, pervading all things and beings and God is made visible therein to our fleshy
everywhere and at all times, dwelling in eyes. There are, of course, numerous other

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aagamas which are of later origin; the appreciated that, situated as we are, all
Vaikhaanasa, the Saivaagama, propounded the four anterior hypostatic manifestations
by Lord Siva, and regarding Him as the of God are of no avail and we have to
supreme deity; and the Tantric form of draw spiritual nourishment and sustenance
worship obtaining in Kerala, etc. Each of only from the last mentioned archaa
these acts out its own stipulations for the manifestation. Put briefly, the Para or the
location and structure of the sanctum transcendental form of the Lord is like the
sanctorum and its appurtenances, specific waters, surging, on the outer periphery of
featuring of the icons etc, and formulating the vast universe; the Vyuuha is centred
its own disciplines for the conduct of in the remote milk-ocean, not easy of
worship. The Pancharaatra is also known access; the Vibhava or the incarnate forms
as the Bhagavat Saastra for the reason of the Lord, like Raama and Krishna are like
that Narayana, the Supreme Brahman, as the swollen floods in rivers whose waters
revealed by Vedanta, is Himself its have long ago rolled own to the ocean.
promulgator. This sets forth His proper form The fourth, namely the antaryaamin aspect
and the means of worshipping Him. Being of God, no doubt, puts Him on very intimate
Bhagavat Saastra, it has always been terms with us, as He resides in the heart-
deemed to be canonical. This does not region of everyone, as the Internal
mean that there were no detractors who Controller. And yet, it is just like
challenged the authority of the said underground-water, deep inside the earth,
Saastra. The main adversaries were the which can be got at only by the Yogins,
Mimaamsakas of the Bhatta and devoutly absorbed in single-minded
Prabhaakara schools, the Advaitins and the devotion. On the other hand, the archaa-
Nai-yaayikas. In his Aagama Praamaanya, avatara (iconic manifestation) alone can
Yamunaa-chaarya has firmly established the be invoked by all, at all times, like unto
authenticity of Pancharaatra, with the deep pockets of water, cool and
exceptional dialectical skill and a wealth of refreshing, in the river beds, the aftermath
incontrovertible evidence, covering a wide or legacy of the flood. It was only in this
range of problems. The Pancharaatra texts aspect of God, the archavatara, the great
abundantly reveal that they had grown out Aazhvar saints, known for their profound
of temple service and recorded practices, Divine wisdom, imparted to them by God
such as the Panchakaala rituals which have Himself, shorn of doubts, discrepancies, and
been in vogue, since long. distortions, did prapatti, that is, took
Our concern can and shall be only with a refuge, the Archaa (duly consecrated idol)
God, who is nearest, dearest and most being a veritable store-house of
patent to our heart and understanding, innumerable excellences, the final essence
whose greatness lies not in His might and of all essences.
majesty, as the Lord of Heaven, in a Temples derive their significance, rather
transcendental setting, but who has in His acquire a meaning only in terms of the deity
grace loving condescension and easy they enshrine, even as houses have a
accessibility. It will, therefore, be readily meaning only when they house people and

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not when there are rows and rows of vacant precincts and are enticed by His exquisite
buildings. We are discussing here the live charm. Having enticed them and
temples, full of dynamism, the effective engendered them the requisite taste for
centres of spiritual attraction, conducive God-head, He is right there to redeem
to calm contemplation and deep meditation, them, who, with their new-found avidity,
as distinguished from the temples in ruins, cling to Him and seek refuge in His image-
denuded of idols, and having mere form. In fact, the very purpose of His
archaeological interest. Nobody builds manifestation in archa is only to get hold
temples with their elaborate lay-out, tall- of His errant subjects, straying away from
towers, majestic mantapas and all that, Him.
unless there are specific idols on hand, And when He gets His catch all right, His
needing to be enshrined. Actually, the gratification knows no bounds. The Lord’s
temples derive their names from the deities, stay in the temple is not an end in itself,
enshrined within, such as but only the means for the reclamation of
‘Sriranganathaswamy temple’, ‘Sri His subjects His ultimate destination being
Parthasarathyswamy temple’, ‘Sri the heart-centre, of the spiritually
Kapaaleeswarar temple’, ‘Sri Meenakshi rejuvenated subjects. The temple, that is,
temple’ and so on. And so, when we deal the pilgrim centre, as we can call it now,
with the origin of temples and their is just the spring-board where God could
significance, the best part of our attention reach the heart-centre of His devotees.
naturally goes to the significance and There is a vast volume of literature on
efficacy of Idol worship, as such. temples and iconology-the lay-out of the
This, therefore, emphasises the relevance temples, their location structure of
of all that has been said, so far, which gopuras, vimanas, dhwajasthambhas,
could still admit a little more elaboration. mantapas, the garbha-griha, the special
It is in His iconic manifestation that the featuring of the Icons of the different
Lord achieves what the vociferous saastras deities in the Hindu pantheon, the deification
have failed to secure. At a time when rank of the idols of gods and goddesses, the
materialism is running rampant, and the stationary Moola Vigrahas, the mobile
people, caught up in the vortex of earthly Utsava Murtis taken out in ceremonial
pursuits, have scant regard for the procession, conduct of the diurnal worship
saastraic decrees and injunctions, reducing during stated periods, the periodic and
to naught the chances of their pursuing annual festivals etc.
the paths of discipline prescribed for their The Aagamas governing these are broadly
spiritual uplift, the Lord in His iconic form classified as Vaishnava and Saiva Aagamas.
casts an irresistible spell on the hitherto Saakta theology is closely allied to the
ungodly subjects, determined to run away Saiva. There are two Vaishnava Aagamas,
from Him. Even those, who seldom go to namely, Pancharaatra and Vaikhaanasa:
the temples, lacking the inclination therefor, likewise the Saivaagama comprises the
are sought out by the Deity, during the Kaaranaagama and Kaamikaagama. The
ceremonial processions, outside the temple temples themselves fall under different

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