SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GEETA – HSS F334
ASSIGNMENT - 1

VIBHUTIES AND THEIR ROLE IN SPIRITUAL PURSUIT
OF VARIOUS YOGIS

Instructor: Dr.Aruna Lolla

Name : Monica Adusumilli Id No :2014A7PS005H
Date of Submission:30-October-2015

Introduction
Bhagavad-Gita might have been delivered in the setting of a battle field, but illumined minds have found it very relevant in the past, present and future as well. "Here I am present as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am the Supreme”, says Krishna in Bhagavad-Gita. Understanding, knowing and experiencing the supreme in total magnitude is beyond the capabilities of humans. In an attempt to advance as a spiritual being, it is essential that we understand the divine opulence.

What is a Vibuthi?
A Vibuthi might be a person, place or an object in which the divine manifests himself to a greater extent. The opulences (Vibuthies) of the Lord are infinite. Indeed, the Lord alone knows his internal potency and his manifestations are innumerable and countless.
Only by the grace of the Supreme Person, origin of all, Lord of all beings, God of gods, Lord of the universe, one can try and understand the opulences of the Lord.

Role of Vibhuties in Spiritual Pursuit: Lord SriKrishna in Vibuthi Yoga of Gita elucidates about some of his Vibuthies knowing about which, the supreme absolute can be easily attained. A lot of Yogis have identified themselves with the divine through Vibhuties. There are several occurrences where the gods, demi-gods, rishis, yatis, rakshasas attained the divine by mere focus on the Vibuthi and by identifying and yoking themselves with the part of the supreme Lord that manifests in the Vibuthi. The role of Vibhuties in the spiritual pursuit of a lot of Avatara-Purushas and Karana-Janmas who attained moksha is greatly significant. The ways in which each Vibuthi helped the yogis in their pursuit of attaining the supreme is analyzed and discussed with facts in the following paragraphs.

Methodology
The study involved collecting the existing information about vibuthies and analyzing their role in spiritual pursuit of various yogis. Facts about the vibuthies were directly taken from Vibuthi Yoga of the song of the Lord, the divine scripture of the Land, Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. Role of each Vibuthi and the effect, a Vibuthi has on physical and psychological being was found out with the help of the life histories of various yogis. Stories relating to role of Vibuthies from several puranas and Itihasas were taken and used appropriately. Recent scientific studies were also taken into consideration while mentioning the effect of Vibuthies in order to enhance the study in an effective manner. All these facts were compiled in accordance to Bhagavad-Gita for the study to stay in close relation with the facts mentioned in Gita.
Analysis
The listing of some of the divine opulences and the analysis of each of their roles in done simultaneously in the lines following.

Some of the Vibuthies:

“devarsinam ca naradah”-“Of all the sages and demi-gods, I am Narada”, says the Lord.
Narada was the one who told Valmiki about Lord Rama and became the reason behind spiritual enlightenment of Valmiki thereby providing the great Itihasa of Ramayana to the mankind.
Narada was the sole reason behind srikrishna tula-bharam through which he destroyed the “ego”(ahankaara) in Satyabhama. Through this, it is also depicted that it is not the offering that matters but the love and devotion with which it is given that matters. Not only this, but through every act of his, Narada delivers a valuable message to the man-kind, thereby helping yogis to reach the absolute.

“sthavaranam himalayah”- “Of all the immovable things ,I am the Himalayas”, says Lord Krishna.
Himalayas are considered to be the abode of Lord Siva according to the puranas. A lot of Yogis till date have achieved salvation here. Even today, we can find numerous sanyasis doing their penance here. Himalayas, being the natural barriers of the country protect the country from all kind of physical and natural destructible phenomena thereby showing their significance of the Vibuthi.
Vasishta ,parasurama, shankaracharya, dattatreya, vidyaranya yati are some among the people, in whose spiritual pursuit, Himalayas played a significant role.

“vedaanam samavedosmi”-“Of all the vedas,I am SamaVeda”,mentions the Lord.
“vainateyas ca paksinam”- “Among birds I am Garuda, the feathered carrier of Visnu.”,says the Lord.
In Srimad Bhagawad,it is mentioned that Brihadatta and Rathamtar,the two divisons of SamaVeda,are in fact his two wings. Thus when Garuda flew, his flapping wings produced the sound of rhythmic recitation of Sama-Veda. Living in the close proximity of God, by being his vehicle, Garuda always remained engaged in his service. Being a continuous server of the God, Garuda was a great help to the devotees.
The mention of garuda can be found in sri venkateshwara suprabhatam
“uttishta garudadhwaja”.In this manner,garuda not only served the God, but also helped the devotees and incarnations of Lord in their spiritual pursuit.Also,sama veda,the great musical veda paved way for a lot of yogis in understanding the supreme mystic.

“vitteso yaksa-raksasam”-“Of all the yakshas and rakshasas,I am kubera (lord of riches)”,says the supreme being.
Lord himself in his birth as srinivasa takes loan from Kubera for his marriage with padmavathi .He promises to repay the debt by the end of kaliyuga with all the offerings of the devotees at Tirumala. Srinivasa, who is believed to be the “kaliyuga prathyaksha daivam” himself,has taken Kubera’s help,which reveals the fact that every opulence of God is meant for a unique purpose in spiritual pursuit.

“vasunam pavakas casmi”-“I am Meru among all the Mountains”,says the supreme absolute.
Meru is considered as the center of the universe.It is so sacred because it is the abode of yakshas,sages,rishis and at the top of the hill,lives the supreme Lord.Meru is very famous for many rishis had their spiritual realization here.

“giram asmy ekam aksaram”- “Of all the vibrations ,I am the transcendental
Om”,says the Lord.
Om not only helps yogis in their spiritual pursuit, but also helps the common people to experience and unite with the divine.
Om is considered the monarch of all mantras.All bijamantras and mantras originate from it.Om is the representative of supreme God principle(Parabrahman).
The energy associated with Om is of the un-manifest (nirguṇ) God principle. The unmanifest energy of God is the same energy used to create the entire manifest (saguṇ) Universe. As a result, a lot of energy is generated when one chants Om.

“asvatthah sarva-vrksanam”- “Of all trees ,I am the holy fig tree,”says the Lord.
Buddha attained salvation under the fig tree. Fig tree is considered to be sacred and worshipped as it is considered to be an opulence of God. Yogis have done rigorous penance to achieve the absolute under this tree for years. “ramah sastra-bhrtam aham”- “Of all the warriors, I am Rama”,says Krishna.
Pitru-vak-pari-palakudu, eka-patni-vrathudu, paripaalana-dakshudu are some of the names with which Lord Rama is praised. Lord Sri Rama has set some standards in every aspect of life. As a warrior, we consider him as a Vibuthi because he not only knew “how” to fight, but also knew “when” to fight. He was ready to make ravana the king of ayodhya if ravana had agreed to give up the war. In the spiritual pursuit of various sages and tapasvis, rama is set as a supreme goal and try to reach him in every way possible. “ramabaanam”,is a commonly used term even today to emphasize it’s correctness in reaching the target.

“yajnanam japa-yajno 'smi”-“ Of all the sacrifices, I am the chanting of the holy names [japa]”,says the Lord
“srotasam asmi jahnavi”- “Of the flowing rivers, I am the Ganges.”,says the supreme mystic.
The Ganga starts from Gangotri in Himalayas. She encounters many obstacles on her way, but she finally reaches the goal—the ocean. Similarly, the Sadhaka should never give up his struggle, however insurmountable the obstacles in the path may appear to be. All difficulties and obstacles will be removed through the grace of the Lord if he is sincere in his Yogic practices, and he will reach the goal.
To have a look at the Ganga in Rishikesh is soul-elevating. To sit for a few minutes on a block of stone by the side of the Ganga is a blessing. To stay for some months in Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganga and do Anushthana or Purascharana is great Tapas which will take the aspirant to the abode of Lord Hari.
The water of the Ganga is extremely pure and sanctifying. No germs can flourish in this. This has been tested by various scientists in the laboratory. Rich in minerals this water cures almost all kinds of diseases.Hence through japa on the banks of ganga,one can achieve the absolute.

“gayatri chandasam aham”-“Among the Vedic Hymns,I am the hymn known Gayatri”,says the supreme being.
Gayatri Mantra:
Om bhur bhuvah svah
Tat savitur varen(i)yam
Bhargo devasya dhumahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat

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The Gayatri Mantra enabled Sage Viswamitra to use rare weapons which bowed to his will when the Mantra was repeated with faith. The Gayatri Mantra is addressed to the Immanent and Transcendent Divinity.Vidyaranya Yati also achieved salvation with the help of gayatri mantra.

“vrsninam vasudevo 'smi”-“I am vasudeva among descendents of vrsni”,says Krishna. Though the Lord can be attained in several ways, attaining Lord through himself (in the form of Krishna) gives supreme bliss. Sri Aurobindo directly received orders from the supreme impersonal absolute and executes them not only for his salvation but also that of the mankind.

“pandavanam dhananjayah”- “I am Arjuna among panadavas”,says the Lord.
Arjuna being a great warrior, student, disciple, etc. Lord SriKrishna mentions that Arjuna is his vibuthi among the pandavas. It can also be told that Arjuna was one of the prominent reasons behind our having the holy scripture,the song of the Lord,Bhagavad-Gita which not only helps the yogis,gods but also acts as a daily guide for every aspect of life.

“nanto 'sti mama divyanam vibhutinam parantapa esa tuddesatah prokto vibhuter vistaro maya”

“O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.”,says Lord Krishna in Gita. The opulences of the Lord are limitless and so are their roles. Whatever might be the Vibuthi or the path, all of them aim at helping the sadhaka to achieve the supreme celestial being.It is the choice of the sadhak to choose the way which suits him/her in attaining salvation.
Discussions
Although the study focuses on achieving the Lord through his opulences, there are several ways in which the supreme can be attained. Humans and sages have achieved divine through the practice of karma yoga and gyaana yoga as well. But, Vibuthies have a significant role in spiritual pursuit because it is easy for the humans to closely relate to the animate opulences of the absolute being. It can also be said that by constant chanting of the divine names and glories and striving for supreme realization, devotees can unite with the supreme mystic. The Lord also emphasizes on the devout worship with a focused mind on him or any of his Vibuthies, one can achieve the Lord. However, constantly throughout the divine scriptures and the Gita, the Lord says that those who are constantly devoted to serving him with love, he gives the understanding by which they can attain the supreme.

Conclusion
The study of splendorous divine manifestations is a continuous process. However, with the help of this study, we can conclusively state that each and every opulence of the Supreme mystic paves a unique way to achieve the indestructible. Several Yogis have achieved the divine and united with the absolute by the means of opulences such as tapas, mantra chanting, etc. Whatever might be the method of spiritual pursuit, the ultimate goal being the eternal, transcendental, supreme, immortal, absolute, any opulence of him can lead to the Lord of the universe. It is important for us to realize that God is all pervading in his various manifestations and is constantly leading us to yoke with himself through any of the karma, gyaana or bhakti yogas.

References
SrimadBhagavadGita-by Gita Press, Gorakhpur
“Bhagavad-gita As It Is” by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada.
Wikipedia
Sayings from the Bhagavad-Gita by Ashok Diwali Himalayan Masters-A tradition by Pandit Rajamani
Everyday Yogi by H.S.Siva Prakash
Ashtadasa Puranas
Mahabharata by Veda Vyaasa
Valmiki Ramayana http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-health-benefits-of-chanting-the-gayatri-mantra-pa1214/ http://scriptures.ru/gayatr_l.htm http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritual-practice/mantra/om-chanting/ http://ritsin.com/lord-vishnu-borrowed-lord-kubera.html/ http://vivadacruises.com/ganges.html http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/ http://sivanandaonline.org/newsupdates/ganga/ http://www.ishwar.com/hinduism/holy_bhagavad_gita/chapter10.html