Appearance of Lakshmi Devi

Vivekam (discrimination) is spiritual wisdom consisting of 7 elements.

1. Knowing the difference between soul and body. (Soul is eternal and body is mutable and subject to decay and death.)
2. Knowing the difference between Sat and Asat (Paramatman is Sat; matter is Asat; Jiva is Sat-Asat.)
3. Knowing the Agonists and the Antagonists of spiritual progress (Sattva is Agonist; Rajas and Tamas are antagonists.) Agonist = facilitator.
4. Knowing the difference between the Real and the unreal. (Self is Real and non-self is unreal.)
5. Knowing the soul belongs to Him.
6. Knowing the soul's yearning to interact with its source (Atma Nivedanam /samarpanam = dedication of soul.)
7. Knowing the Supreme objective of human pursuit (Parama purushArtham) is bliss with Paramatman (Bliss).

Transformation on Entering Vaikuntam

As soul Enters Vaikunta he transforms into appearance of Parmatma with

Conch, Discus, Pitambharam and Chakra - Only Difference Lies is

Supreme Parmathma(SuperSoul) will have Kaustub (Diamond) Exclusively

500 Angels Who Welcome inside Vaikuntam

Five hundred Apsaras(Angels) come running towards him;

1. 100 of them carry flower garlands;
2. 100 of them Sandal paste;
3. 100 of them Dhupam and Eyeliner;
4. 100 of them silk garments.
5. 100 of Them with Ornaments

They decorate the Mukta Purusha with all these accouterments. Upanishad says that

this is the best and the highest Alankaram.(Decoration)

Question Asked by Lord When You Reach Vaikuntam

"where had you been all these days?"

8 Delusions Affecting Living Entity

Becoming servile to God is loosing the delusions that afflict man.

1. Delusion that body is soul.

2. Delusion that one is independent and self-directing

3. Delusion that we serve someone other than Narayana.

4. Delusion that relatives other than Narayana help us.

5. Delusion that Moksam is attainable by means other than devotion and surrender.

6. Delusion that worldly pleasures are permanent.

7. Delusion that we are the doer by our own motivation and power.

8. Delusion that irreverence to BhAgavatAs goes unnoticed by Narayana.

Three Elements of Samarpanam = Dedication

I. one’s Atma(Soul) is dependent and subservient to Bhagavan (svarupa samarpanam),

svarupa = natural state of quality, nature.

II. one surrenders himself to the protection of Bhagavan (bhara samarpanam),

Bhara Samarpanam = bhara = load; samarpanam = dedication, offering. This consists of five angas:

1. AnukUlya Samkalpam (friendly disposition, will, purpose). Performing god-pleasing acts.

2. PratikUlya Varjanam ( praticUlya = unfavorable; varjanam = avoiding) = avoiding displeasing acts.

3. KArpaNyam = pitiful circumstances. Conditions are so pitiable that he cannot protect himself.

4. MahavisvAsam = Great faith that Bhagavan will protect him. VisvAsam = faith.

5. GoptRtva VaraNam = preserve and protect + wishing, wooing, praying. Praying to Bhagavan to protect him.

III. one surrenders all the fruits of existence (phala samarpanam).

SAttvika TyAgam: virtuous sacrifice of self-interest. BhagavAn is the owner, enjoyer, doer and so all efforts and fruits belong to (are sacrificed to) BhagavAn. That is the road to liberation or Moksa. This has three components.

1. kartRtva tyAgam: privilege of doing an act + sacrifice. God is the doer and uses us as his instrument. It is His act.

2. mamatA tyAgam: self-conceit, vanity + sacrifice. One should not have self-conceit and think that doership and fruits are his.

3. phala tyAgam: fruit + sacrifice. All fruits go to Him and one des not consider the fruits belong to him.

Four Kinds of Saranagati

He who accepts God (Krishna / Narayana) as his sole (only) refuge= prapannan is Saranagati

1. Ukti Nishta: The qualified aspirant receives a mantra from the Guru and surrenders to Bhagavan.
2. Suva Nishta: This is Self surrender by pure souls without outside help from Guru or Acharya. One example is Ramanujacharya. These are highly evolved souls.
3. Acharya Nishta: Here Surrender is obtained through Acharya who worships Bhagavan by chanting Mantra on behalf of the aspirant.
4. BhAgavata Nishta: Tried and true devotees of Bhagavan can introduce the aspirant to Bhagavan and implore Saranagata Raksa (surrender protection) on behalf of the aspirant.

The beauty about Saranagatti/Prapatti Raksa is there is no bar on any one based on external inequities.

Saranagati (Surrender) Mantra

Dwayam (Saranagati Mantra / Mantra Ratnam) is two lines and a total of six words

SrIman nArAyaNa charaNau = Sri Lakshmi, the auspicious Narayana- His divine feet
SaraNam = take refuge (His feet are the refuge of Chetanas (souls) and the means for liberation.
prapadyE = fall at His feet (We accept His feet as the refuge.)

SrImatE = Lakshmi (and) Lakshmi of the form mercy, and mediator between Narayana and the Chetanas
nArAyaNAya = Narayana, the supporter and maintainer. aya = wishing an impeccable service.
nama: = not mine. This destroys the attitude of "I am the doer, enjoyer, knower and the only devotee."

Sriman Narayana, I fall down and surrender at your feet Sriman Narayana, my obeisance to you.

Comment:

I hold Lakshmi-associated Narayana's feet as the object of my surrender.

It is on account of Lakshmi-associated Narayana.

Dwaya Mantra has two lines and condenses a ten-point reference as follows:

1. Goddess Lakshmi is the mediator between the Jiva and the Lord
2. They are the divine couple, always together.
3. The Lord is of auspicious nature.
4. His form is divine.
5. His feet are the means of liberation from the world of Samsara.
6. We accept His feet as the means of liberation.
7. Lakshmi and Narayana are our goal.
8. His control and power are inimitable.
9. We worship Him.
10. We destroy the inimical stance of “I and Mine,” the enemies of our soul.

4 Types of Living Entity Based on Spiritual Level

Baddha Samsaris: One who pursues worldly life). They have to grapple with everyday problems and needs for food, clothes and shelter. They have to contend with enemies and competitors. They are tied down to their family, friends and relatives. They seek relief from such needs as mentioned above.

Mumukshus: They are averse to the Samsaric misery and want to attain the abode of God. They don't seek rebirth; living in this world with the body is an impediment. They want to break the cycle and seek the feet of Narayana in Vaikuntham.

Muktas: They have broken the ties of Samsara, dissolved their karma, and reached the feet of Narayana. They don't want to break the service they do at His feet in Vaikuntham. Their impediment is anything that breaks their service to Narayana.

Nithyasuris: They are the permanent residents in Parmapadam always rendering service to the Lord. They don't brook any impediment in their service.

Meaning of Namo Narayana

Offerings of Flowers to Laxmi Vishnu

Nothing is too small or too unimportant when the devotee makes the offer in the spirit of devotion, piety, and purity. Every one of us, even the poorest of the poor, can afford to make offerings of a few drops of water to Bhagavan, who likes the metaphorical eight flowers from his devotees. The flowers blossom out of the heart of the true devotees of Bhagavan. These eight flowers have universal appeal to all.

1. The First and Foremost is the flower of non-violence (Ahimsa prathanam pushpam.

2. The flower of control of the senses (pushpam Indriya Nigraha)

3. The flower of compassion to all living beings (Sarva Bhutha Daya Pushpam)

4. The flower of tolerance, patience and equality (Kshama Pushpam Visedhadha)

5. The flower of Spiritual knowledge (Jnanam Pushpam)

6. The flower of Inner spiritual flame--meditation (Tapa Pushpam)

7. The flower of contemplation (Dhyana Pushpam)

8. The flower of Truth, the most delightful one (Satyam-ashta-vidam Pushpam Vishno Preethi-karam bhaveth) to the One who is all-pervasive.

The worshippers of Mother Goddess offer these flowers:

1) AmAya = Guilelessness

2) AnahamkAra = Absence of egotism. An+Aham+KAra = the opposite of Ahamkara.

3) ArAga = Absence of passion; detachment; absence of anger. A + RAga = No passion.

4) Amada = absence of pride.

5) Amoha = absence of delusion.

6) Adambha = absence of duplicity; straightforwardness; absence of hypocrisy.

7) Advesa = lack of enmity

8) Aksobha = absence of mental perturbation.

9) AmAtsarya = absence of envy.

10) Alobha = absence of greed.

11) Ahimsa = non-injury.

12) Indriya nigraha = Control of senses.

13) DayA = Mercy.

14) Kshama = Forgiveness; patience, tolerance.

15) Jnana = Knowledge of what is important and what is not important; Spiritual knowledge.

Milky Way Galaxy is Milky Ocean of Laxmi Vishnu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_of_milk