elapse of centuries with significant changes in the regional lifestyles, the dharmika
sampradayams of this place are well preserved and even today beam triumphantly within
the precincts of the tenets laid down by the Paramacharya. Even an atheist who
inadvertently comes to this place ends up becoming a theist. Such is the glory of this place.
Revered Acharya, kindly drench us all with the divine nectar of your wisdom and
sampradayic instructions”.
Swamy replied back suitably and in the affirmative to this vijnapana-patram. The essence of
which follows – “Bhagavad Ramanuja shone with the rare brilliance of inherent auspicious
virtues. He is abundantly generous like the vast sky. He is one of the foremost in our lineage.
He was adept at the scriptures and gave us all the experiential learning from those. The Lord
manifests as Archamurthy and takes His abode at several kshetrams and temples along with
his eternal consort Sri Mahalakshmi. Swamy Ramanuja has shown to the world as to how
the Lord eternally resides in those kshetrams and does the upliftment of the sentients. The
kshetram of Velapuri (Belur) is a towering example of his successful endeavors in that
direction.
Belur is famous in a multitude of ways. It is a divyakshetram with an extraordinary temple of
the Lord. Secondly it is a resort of exquisite cultural heritage and art. It enshrines in itself,
one of the finest sculptural treasures in the world. The Lord’s manifestations could be seen
in five different forms mainly – para, vyuha, vibhava, antaryami and archa. His divine form
at Srivaikuntham is the Pararupa, at Ksheerabdhi it is the Vyuharupa, incarnations of Rama,
Krishna et al are His Vibhavarupa and His form inside the Jeevatma is the Antaryamirupa.
These four manifestations are beyond the realms of our realization while in our present
form. But his divyamangalavigraha form in temples is the Archarupa. It is in this form alone
that ordinary souls could worship Him, meditate upon Him and seek His protection. We
could worship any of his forms in Archarupa. It is the most easily accessible form of the Lord
and every soul without any restriction is free to worship Him in this form to attain
deliverance. The scriptures quote that the divine forms of the Lord could be made in stone,
metal, wood, sudha (special admixture) and the Supreme could then be consecrated
(aavahana) in them in His entire splendor (sanidhyam). Just as how we would serve a master
being live in-front, so could we serve the Lord’s Archarupams and seek His protection.
The Azhwars have immeasurably sung the glories of such Archarupa forms of the Lord at
hundreds of divya kshetrams. They have composed delightful verses in His praise. They have
held Him in epiphany and have experienced his Supreme glories in His Archarupa forms.
Our Acharya Ramanuja has consecrated one such divine manifestation of the Lord in the
form of Soumya Keshavaswamy at Velapuri. It was done with the noble intention of allowing
one and all to seek the Lord’s blessings and to get immersed in devotion. As per the
statement ‘रथस्थां के शवांदृष्ट्वा ...’, the Lord is most benevolent while He seats on a Chariot. It is
indeed a very fortunate and noble deed to conduct the Lord’s rathotsavam. It is further a
great kainkaryam that the old ratham has been renovated, consecrated again and is made
fit to conduct the Lord’s utsavams with much more grandeur. The kainkaryaparas here have
enabled several disciples to have such wonderful darshanam of the Lord in these utsavams.
May the Lord Soumya Keshava bless you all with abundant auspiciousness and happiness”.
G-41