Jai Sriman Narayana

श्रीमते रामानज
ु ाय नमः

Glories to Purvacharyas and my Acharya for blessing me

Recently various people have tried to make various claims and allegations against Sri
Vaishnava sampradaya as Shiv Dweshis stating that we do not perform aaradhana to Shiva ji
and devatantaras.

It must be noted that ekantik bhakti is not something made up but it is prescribed by shastras
which we follow and I will be briefly explaining Ekantik Bhakti and its importance in our
sampradaya .

First of all one must understand that once A Sri Vaishnav takes deeksha the mumukshu
develops a Pativrata bhaw towards Perumal which is why Anya devata aaradhana for the sake
of Sharanagathi is not allowed and Hari Har bheda is well expounded by Pancharatra Agamas
and various shastras also speak of Ekantik bhakti towards Perumal and must not do anya
devata Aaradhana .

Mainly pancharatra agamas like Sattvata samhita clearly mentioned that a deekshit Sri Vaishnav
cannot do anya devata aaradhana which was quoted by Sri Parasara Bhattar which itself is
enough to say we are just following shastras but now let us view what shastras have to say
about Ekantik bhakti .
यस्य तरी पर्णा
ू ....... भव
ु नानि विश्वा ||(Rigved 1.154.4)

He who, by an eternal cause, creates the earths (planets) as luminous as the Sun etc. and creates

happiness by incorporating the three gunas (Satvik, Rajasik and Tamasik) in all things, He alone is worthy

of worship by all actions.

In the explanation of this mantra, Sayana accepts the meaning of 'Swadhayamadanti' as the meaning of

the happiness of the devotees who get all the fruits from the service of Lord Vishnu's lotus feet.

पर विष्णवे शष
ू मेतु मन्म ....... तरिभिरित पदे भिः ||(Rigved 1.154.3)

Apart from the infinitely powerful Shri Vishnu, no one else is capable of creating, sustaining, and

destroying this strange world, hence no one else is worthy of worship except him (Shri Vishnu).

विचक्रमे पथि
ृ वीमेष एना क्षेत्राप ..... सज
ु निमा एकार ।।(Rigved 7.100.4)

This Rigveda mantra indicates towards Kirtan, in which the seeker wishes to reach Vishnu through the

mantras chanted by him.

श्रद्धे ये ह्यप
ु वसन्त्यरण्ये ...... ह्यव्ययात्मा ॥ (1.2.11)

In Mundakopanishad, Bhakti has said to be the only reason for the attainment of Bhagavan Narayan

इत्य ् आहाति ह्य ् अन्यान ् एति नान्यान ् उपैत्य ् (Taittiriya Samhita 6.3.3.1)

We approach no other god but you, O Vishnu !

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा श‍ुच: ॥ (Bg. 18.66 )

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do

not fear.

18.66 Bhashya (Swamy Desikan’s Tatparya Chandrika)

Giving up the idea that karmas are subservient to other gods दे वतान्तरs or subservient to self -

दे वतान्तरशेषत्व स्वशेषत्वधीत्याग. Bhagavan told clearly अहं हि सर्वयज्ञानां भोक्ता च प्रभरु े व च (9- 24), स्वकर्मणा

तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः (18-46) and so on. That leads to thinking Bhagavan only as the object of

worship.

वैष्णवः परमैकान्तो नेतरो वैष्णवः स्मत

ृ ः (Harita 8/338)

अर्चयित्वापि गोविन्दम ् इतरान ् अर्चयेत ् पथ

ृ क् । अवैष्णवत्वं |

तस्यापि मिश्रभक्त्या भवेद् ध्रव

ु म ् ॥ (Harita 5/23)

Vaishnava can only be an Ekanti, others are not Vaishnavas. Even those who worship Govinda, but also

worship other Dieties, are non-vaishnavas due to mixture impurity in worship.

एकान्तभक्तः सततं नारायणपरायणः ॥

एष एकान्तिनां धर्मो नारायणपरात्मकः ॥

(Mahābhārata 12.358.71,81 )

An Ekanta devotee is always devoted to Narayana. The Ekanta Dharma is directed towards Narayana

alone.

ब्रह्माणं शितिकण्ठं च याश्चान्या दे वताः स्मत

ृ ाः। प्रतिबद्
ु धा न सेवन्ते यस्मात्परिमितं फलम ्

(Mahābhārata, Shānti Parva CCCXLII)

Meaning: The wise ones do not worship brahmA, Shiva, and other devatAs mentioned in Smritīs,

because the fruits that they give are limited.

Srī Parāshara bhattar(1062-1174) quoted in Bhagavadguna Darpanam

Quoted by Vedanta Desika in Gita tatparya chandrika

हरिरे काः सदा ध्येयो भवादभिः सत्त्वमस्थितैः ||

(Mahābhārata-Harivamsha-3-89-8)

ओमित्येवम ् सदा विप्र पथता ध्याता केशवम ् ||

(Mahābhārata-Harivamsha-3-89-9)
Hari alone is to be meditated upon by you all, who are established in sattva!By the praNava mantra

(“Om”) you must always recite and meditate Keshava.

This has been quoted by Vedanta Desika in Rahasyatraya

चतर्वि
ु धा मम जना भक्ता एव हि मे श्रत
ु म ् ॥ ३३ ॥

तेषामेकान्तिनः श्रेष्ठा ये चैवानन्यदे वताः । अहमेव गतिस्तेषां निराशीः कर्मकारिणाम ् ॥ ३४॥

Mokshadharmaparva 341.34

You have heard from Me that the afflicted, the curious, the seeker of wealth and the wise—these four

kinds of men are My devotees. Among these, those who worship Me alone and do not consider other

gods as their worshipers are the best.

तस्मात ् पज्
ू यतमं नान्यम ् अहं मन्ये जनार्दनात ्।

Mahabharat Sabha Parva

Therefore I do not consider anyone other than Lord Janardana to be the most revered.

Various other places in Mahābhārata mention greatness of Ekanta Bhakti

येऽर्चयंति सरु ानन्यांस्त्वां विना परु
ु षोत्तम । ते

पाखण्डत्वमापन्नाः सर्वलोकविगर्हिताः ॥ Padma 6 / 225/58 ॥

Those who worship other dieites than You, Purusottama, they are stained with hypocrisy and are

criticised everywhere in scriptures.

नान्यं च पज
ू येद्दे वं न नमेत्तं स्मरे न्न च ।

न च पश्येन गायेच्च न च निदे त्कदाचन ३४ ॥ Padma 5/82/34 ॥

Do not worship any other Diety, nor bow, nor think. Do not view, nor sing, but also never criticise

आश्रित्य चातकीं वत्ति

ृ ं दे हपातावधि द्विज । सरः समद्र
ु नद्यादीन्विहाय चातको यथा । तषि
ृ तो म्रियते वापि याचते वा पयोधरम ्

|| Padma 5 / 82 / 37-38

Shiv ji himself says, Just like a Chataka bird even when thirsty and dying, does not drink water from well

river or sea, only takes water of Svāti, similarly a Vaisnava should surrender to Hari in this manner of a

Chataka

प्रवत्ति
ृ मार्गेण न पज
ू यन्ति ह्यापत्काले परदै वं तदन्यम ् ।

ते वैष्णवा वैष्णवदासभत्ृ या अन्ये च सर्वेऽवैष्णवमात्रकाः स्मत

ृ ाः ॥ Garuda 3.1.38॥

Those who dont worship other dieties even in dire situations for material purposes are Vaisnavas, rest are

Non-Vaisnavas.
मन्मायामोहितधियः परु
ु षाः परु
ु षर्षभ ।

श्रेयो वदन्त्यनेकान्तं यथाकर्म यथारुचि ॥ (Bhagwaątam 1.14.9)

Those in illusion of my power consider taking shelter in various anyadevtas thinking as beneficial for

liberation. They perform their rituals towards any unworthy diety according to their fondness.

Padma puran 3.40.19-20

Therefore see and worship vishnu alone, who has no beginning or end. Those who look vishnu and

another deities as equal will go to terrible hells"

नारायणे च संतष्ु टे संतष्ु टाः सर्वदे वताः ॥ ( BVP 1.11.15)

With the pleasing of the Lord Nārāyaṇa all the gods are pleased.

मम
ु क्ष
ु वो घोररूपान ् हित्वा भत
ू पतीनथ ।

नारायणकला: शान्ता भजन्ति ह्यनसय

ू व: ॥ २६ ॥

Bhagawatham 1.2.26

Those who are serious about liberation are certainly non envious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the
other gods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu .
Sri Parasara Bhattar quotes Shree sattvata-samhita": "Where he says any Sri Vaishnava initiated into the

worship of Bhagavan Sri Narayana (Bhagavan Shree Achyuta) must avoid other devatas aradhna

(worship), because all these devatas (shiva, brahma, agni, skandha and etc.) belong to antaras

The worship of bhagavan shree narayana's archa form, vyuhas and vibhavas is allowed

Sri Parasara Bhattar swami also quotes "Shree vedanta-sutra", 2.3.42- stressing out the fact, that all

existing devatas are just "Amshas of the amshas of bhagavan Shree Narayana".

Shree pillai lokacharya in tattva traya ( sutram 106 )says "Brahma, shiva, agni, arjuna, indra, skandha and

etc. are never to be worshipped by mumukshus, because all of them belong to the "Gauna-pradurbhavas

(non-essential manifestations of bhagavan shree narayana). These "Gauna-pradurbhavas" and are also

simple jivas with sansarik ahankara. Bhagavan shree narayana uses these jivas for specific operations

(for example, the destruction of the jagata as in shiva's case creation of jagata as in brahma's case.

Quoted Vishwaksena samhita

विधिशिविपावकव्यासजामदग्न्याजु नवित्तेशादिरूपा गौणप्रादर्भा

ु वाः सर्वेऽहं कारयक्
ु तजीवाधिष्ठातत्ृ वान्मम
ु क्ष
ु ूणमनप
ु ास्याः
जानन्ति ते महाविष्णंु किञ्चिन्नान्यं मनागपि । सर्वदा हृदयाम्भोजे ध्यायन्ति परमादृताः ॥ ९३ ॥

Sattvata samhita

They know nothing but Lord Vishnu, the great devotee, and meditate on Lord Vishnu in the lotus of their

hearts with utmost respect.

A doubt may arise here - Because paramatman is the inner-self of all deities, worshipping any deity is

actually worshipping Paramatman only and this Bhagavan knows very well. So even if the worshipper is

not aware of this, because Bhagavan knows this, why not HE bestow the Yogakshema of the form of

Moksha to all?

This is clarified by the word त.ु ये तु अन्यदे वताभक्ताः in 9.23 bhashya

सर्वस्य मच्छरीरतया मदात्मकत्वेन इन्द्रादि शब्दानां च मद्वाचित्वात ् वस्तत

ु ो माम ् एव यजन्ते, अपि तु अविधिपर्व
ू कं यजन्ते

- Performing sacrifices to worship Bhagavan with the knowledge that HE is only the inner-self of all Gods

and so all these sacrifices are in reality for worshipping Bhagavan only is विधिपर्व
ू क.

While performing sacrifices with the knowledge that only those respective deities such as Indra and

others are worshipped is अविधिपर्व

ू क. The Karmakanda vakyas mention the names of Indra and others as
objects of worship. But their real nature is that because Bhagavan is present is the inner-self they become

objects of worship and the main person worshipped is Bhagavan only and this is the teaching of

Vedantas. So there is no contradiction between the karmakanda and Vedantas. Shrutis such as अन्तः

प्रविष्टः शास्ता जनानां सर्वात्मा (य.आ. 3-10-2), यस्य आदित्यः शरीरम ् (ब.ृ 9-4) and others which declare that

everything is body to Paramatman. Since Bhagavan has done antah-pravesha, every word in reality

connotes Bhagavan only. Even directly they are the names of Bhagavan. In the Brahmasutra

साक्षादप्यविरोधं जैमिनिः this is established. The word Indra means Paramatman through the root इदि

परमैश्वर्य one who has paramaishvarya. Agni is अग्रं नयति इति अग्निः and so on.

Sri Nampillai also comments on devantara bhajan for Srivaishnavas.

One person came to Nampillai and asks "you are worshipping devantaras (like indra varuna agni, surya

etc) in your nithya karmas but why not in their temples?". Sri Nampillai gives an instant and brilliant reply

that "Why do you worship agni in yagya and stay away from agni from a burial ground? The same way,

since sastra says nithya karmas must be performed as bhagavad

Aradhana keeping in mind that Vishnu is antharyami for all the devatas, we do it. The same sastra says

we should not worship anyone but Vishnu only so we dont go to other temples. Also, when these devatas

are installed in a temple, they tend to develop rajo guna and start thinking they themselves are supreme,

and since we (srivaishnavas) are in sathva guna so that s why we Srivaishnavas dont worship any of The

devatas who have rajasa guna". So Sri Nampillai also instructed srivaishnavas to not do devantara

bhajana
As I have clarified by citing Pramanas from Shruti vakyams , Itihasa , Panhartra , Samhita , Puranas

which directly indicate ekantik bhakti and restriction of Anya devata Aaradhana for Sri vaishnavas , and

yet if people think we are Shiv Dweshis then it is their failure to understand shastras or respect the stance

of Purvacharyas.

But yes we are following shastras and Purvacharyas properly and this much clarification is enough for the

wise .

रामानज
ु स्य चरणौ शरणं प्रपद्ये