God Is Lord Aniruddha - The Supreme Director of the Mind
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead eternally exists in His majestic quadruple expansions known as the catur-vyūha. Among these divine forms, Lord Aniruddha is the supreme directing Deity of the mind, ego, and senses, mercifully guiding the pure devotees toward perfect spiritual liberation.
The Quadruple Expansions
According to Vedic literature, the Supreme Lord expands Himself into four primary forms: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that these forms are absolutely identical in their opulences and reside eternally in the spiritual sky.
- Devotees believe that the Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself into four other eternal transcendental forms - Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
- In that (spiritual) sky innumerable planets float, and these are called Vaikunthalokas. In every Vaikunthaloka, Narayana presides with His four expansions: Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva - CC Intro.
- Each of these members (Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) is identical with the Supreme Lord in knowledge, opulence, energy, influence, prowess and potencies.
- In all Vaisnava literature it is said that worshiping these quadruple forms (Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha) is as good as worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vasudeva, who in His different expansions, complete in six opulences.
The Directing Deity of the Mind
Lord Aniruddha specifically functions as the presiding Deity of the mind and the total ego. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that as the true proprietor of all senses, Lord Aniruddha provides the spiritual inspiration required to execute pure devotional service.
- My Lord, as the supreme directing Deity known as Aniruddha, You are the master of the senses and the mind. I therefore offer my obeisances unto You again and again.
- When it is said that Sankarsana is jiva, this indicates that He is the predominating Deity of the living entities. Similarly, Pradyumna is the predominating Deity of the mind, and Aniruddha is the predominating Deity of the ego.
- Just as heat is the source of material energy, the inspiration of Lord Aniruddha is the energy by which one can engage in executing devotional service.
- Not only does Lord Aniruddha help fruitive actors by elevating them to the higher planetary systems, but He also helps the devotee engage in devotional service by dint of His inexhaustible energy.
The Prayers of Lord Śiva
Recognizing Lord Aniruddha's absolute control over the mind and senses, Lord Śiva offers Him profound prayers. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Lord Śiva begs for the strength to control his tongue and keep his mind eternally fixed on the Lord's lotus feet.
- Lord Siva prays to Aniruddha to be kind upon him so that his mind will always be in the perfect state of cleanliness and will be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.
- Lord Siva prays to the controller of the mind, Lord Aniruddha, to be pleased to help him engage his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.34): man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru.
- Lord Siva prays to Lord Aniruddha to give him strength so that he will not taste anything but the prasada of the Lord. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung a verse indicating that the tongue is the most formidable enemy among all the senses.
- Lord Siva prays to Lord Aniruddha to give him strength so he can become free from all obligation to the Pitas, demigods, general living entities and saintly persons and completely engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord.
Refuting Impersonalist Misconceptions
Māyāvādī philosophers falsely argue that the quadruple expansions are produced through mundane cause and effect. Śrīla Prabhupāda rigorously defends the pāñcarātrika principle, confirming that Aniruddha is never born and is fully absolute.
- Sankaracarya has tried to prove that Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha expand through cause and effect. He has compared Them with earth and earthen pots. That is completely ignorant, for there is no such thing as cause and effect in Their expansions.
- Sankaracarya can't accept devotees' idea that Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are equally as powerful as the Personality of Godhead, full in the 6 opulences of knowledge, wealth, strength, fame, beauty and renunciation, and free from the flaw of generation at a certain point.
- Srila Rupa Gosvami has refuted the charges directed against the devotees by Sripada Sankaracarya regarding their explanation of the quadruple forms Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
- Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are never born, but They can manifest Themselves in various incarnations before the eyes of pure devotees. This is the conclusion of all Vedic literature.
Incarnations in the Material World
To perform specific pastimes, the quadruple expansions descend into the material universes. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Lord Rāmacandra and His three brothers are direct incarnations of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
- Originally Lord Ramacandra is the incarnation of Vasudeva, Laksmana is the incarnation of Sankarsana, Bharata is the incarnation of Pradyumna, and Satrughna is the incarnation of Aniruddha, expansions of the Personality of Godhead.
- Lord Ramacandra and His brothers, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna are incarnations of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha respectively.
- With reference to the Visnu-dharmottara, the Laghu-bhagavatamrta explains that Rama is an incarnation of Vasudeva, Laksmana is an incarnation of Sankarsana, Bharata is an incarnation of Pradyumna, and Satrughna is an incarnation of Aniruddha.
- In some millenniums Lord Ramacandra and His brothers appear as incarnations of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, and in other millenniums They appear as incarnations of Narayana, Sesa, Cakra and Sankha.
The Authorized Object of Meditation
The ultimate goal of yoga is to focus the mind on the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that rather than concocting imaginary forms, true yogīs achieve perfection by meditating directly on Lord Aniruddha.
- My Lord, O Aniruddha, You are the authority by which the doors of the higher planetary systems and liberation are opened. You are always within the pure heart of the living entity. Therefore I offer my obeisances unto You.
- If Lord Aniruddha is pleased, He can help the mind engage in the service of the Lord. It is also indicated in this verse (SB 4.24.36) that Lord Aniruddha is the sun-god by virtue of His expansions.
- Nowadays they (the people) have manufactured so many objective (of meditation), but that is not authorized. The authorized is that you have to concentrate your mind upon the form of Visnu known as Aniruddha. That is the real meditation.
- The Hrsikesa name is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Hrsikesa means hrsikanam adhisvaram. So practically, the senses which you are using, the real proprietor is Aniruddha, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Conclusion
To perfectly control the mind and senses, one must seek the mercy of their true proprietor. Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms that Lord Aniruddha, as a primary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the absolute master of the ego. By offering sincere prayers to Him, as exemplified by Lord Śiva, a devotee receives the spiritual inspiration required to attain eternal liberation.
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