Vishvaksena ()
[Nayar p. 103] or Vishwaksena, is the commander-in-chief of the army of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
deity
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...
, additionally serving as a gatekeeper and chamberlain of his celestial abode of
Vaikuntha
Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, A ...
.
As the embodiment of the
tantras
Tantras ("''doctrine''" or "''framework''" or "''system''" ) refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The religious culture of the Tantras is essentially ...
, Vishvaksena is worshipped before any ritual or function in the
Vaikhanasas
Vaikhanasa is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism and primarily worships Vishnu (and his associated avatars) as the Supreme God. The followers are mainly Brahmins of Krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Shakha and Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra. The na ...
and
Sri Vaishnavism sects. He occupies an important place in
Vaikhanasa and
Pancaratra
''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities.[Kurma Purana
The ''Kurma Purana'' (IAST: Kūrma Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and a medieval era Vaishnavism text of Hinduism. The text is named after the tortoise avatar of Vishnu.
The manuscripts of ''Kurma Purana'' have survived into t ...]
'' describes Vishvaksena to have born out of a portion of Vishnu, carrying a conch (
shankha
A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure.
In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god ...
),
Sudarshana Chakra (discus) and
gada (mace) and wearing yellow clothes like his master.
The ''
Kalika Purana
The Kalika Purana ( sa, Kālikā Purāṇa), also called the Kali Purana, Sati Purana or Kalika Tantra, is one of the eighteen minor Puranas ('' Upapurana'') in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. The text was likely composed in Assam or Cooch B ...
'' describes him as an attendant of Vishnu, who has four arms, and is red and brown in complexion. He seats on a white
lotus, has long beard and wears matted hair. He carries a lotus, gada, shanka, and chakra in his hands.
[Dalal p. 462]
The
Pancharatra text ''
Lakshmi Tantra
The Lakshmi Tantra is one of the Pāñcarātra texts that is dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi and Narayana (Vishnu) in Hinduism. It forms a part of the Agamas. The Lakshmi Tantra is devoted to the worship of the goddess Lakshmi (the shakti of Vi ...
'' mentions Vishvaksena as four-armed and holding a shankha and a lotus. In another instance, he is said to carry a sword and a club, wear yellow clothes and have tawny eyes, beard and eyebrows, and four teeth. In a hymn, the remark is that Vishvaksena carries all attributes of Vishnu, including the
srivatsa
The Shrivatsa (Sanskrit: ; IAST: ''Śrīvatsa,'' ) is an ancient symbol, considered auspicious in Hinduism and other Indian religious traditions.
Hinduism
Origin
Shrivatsa means "Beloved of Shri", an epithet of Vishnu, and a reference to ...
mark and his weapons. The Vishvaksena icon of the
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...
has four hands and carries a conch (
shankha
A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure.
In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god ...
)
Sudarshana chakra (discus) in his upper hands and his lower hands are on thigh (''Gada hasta'') and in ''Avgana hasta''.
Literature
The
Brihad Bhagavatamrita
''Brihad-bhagavatamrita'' is a sacred text for followers of the Hindu tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Along with ''Hari-bhakti-vilasa'', it is one of the most important works of Vaishnava theologian Sanatana Goswami. While ''Hari-bhakti-vi ...
describes Vishvaksena in service to Vishnu at Vaikuntha:
The ''
Garga Samhita'' states that Vishvaksena guards the northern gate of Vaikuntha day and night.
In one of the
Puranas, it is mentioned that
Sugriva, the chief of The
vanara army that helped Rama (who was an incarnation of Vishnu) in
Treta Yuga
''Treta Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the second and second best of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Krita (Satya) Yuga'' and followed by '' Dvapara Yuga''. ''Treta Yuga'' lasts for 1,296,000 years (3,600 divine ye ...
was the avatar of Vishvaksena.
Vishvaksena does not appear in
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
or the
Dharma Shastra
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for ''d ...
texts, but his worship is mentioned in Pancharatra and other
Agama texts.
Vishvaksena is believed to symbolize the sacred Agama scriptures.
The twelve
Alvar saints of
Sri Vaishnavism sect are considered as manifestations of Vishnu in some form, and the Alvar saint
Nammalvar
Nammalvar (Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார், lit. 'Our Alvar') was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled ...
is considered as an
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
of Vishvaksena. The poet Bhattar, in his ''Srirangaraja Stava,'' has ''taniyans,'' or verses, praising various
acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...
s (teachers). Vishvaksena also has a ''taniyan'' dedicated to him in the later part of the work, incorporating him in the list of the traditional Sri Vaishnava
guru parampara (succession of teachers and disciples) starting from Vishnu's consort
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
(Sri) to Nammalvar. This indicates the influence of Pancharatra texts on
Sri Vaishnavism.
Legends
In one myth, Vishvaksena, the son of
Varuna
Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...
, prayed to
Venkateshvara at
Tirumala
Tirumala is a spiritual town in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the suburbs of the Tirupati urban agglomeration. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupati (rura ...
in order to become blessed with the title of the commander of his forces.
The ''
Kurma Purana
The ''Kurma Purana'' (IAST: Kūrma Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and a medieval era Vaishnavism text of Hinduism. The text is named after the tortoise avatar of Vishnu.
The manuscripts of ''Kurma Purana'' have survived into t ...
'' speaks of a visit of the god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
in the form of a cursed mendicant or beggar (
Bhikshatana
Bhikshatana ( sa, भिक्षाटन; ; literally, "wandering about for alms, mendicancy") or Bhikshatana-murti () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as the "Supreme mendicant" or the "Supreme Beggar". Bhikshtana is depicted as a nude f ...
, a form of
Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhaira ...
) to Vaikuntha. The Vaikuntha gate was guarded by Vishvaksena, who did not recognise Shiva and did not allow him to enter. Bhairava ordered his terrible attendant Kalavega to fight with Vishvaksena. However, Kalavega was defeated by Vishvaksena. As Vishvaksena charged towards Bhairava, Bhairava himself slew Vishvaksena with his
trishula
The ''trishula'' () is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism.
In Nepal and Thailand, the term also often refers to a short-handled weapon which may be mounted on a ''daṇḍa'' " staff". Unli ...
and impaled his corpse upon it. This form of Bhairava is known as ''Kankala'' or ''
Kankalamurti
Kankala-murti ("One with the skeleton"), also known as Kankala ("skeleton") or Kankala-Bhairava, is an iconographical form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is often associated with a fearsome aspect of Shiva, Bhairava and thus considered the latter's as ...
'' ("One with the skeleton").
Worship
Vishvaksena occupies an important place in the
Vaikhanasa sect of
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
, a sect dedicated to Vishnu. Any ritual or function begins with the worship of Vishvaksena. As the commander-in-chief of Vishnu's army, he is believed to protect the ritual or function from obstacles and evil.
This role is similar to that of
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
, who generally is the first worshipped god in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, especially the
Shaiva
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
(dedicated to the god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
) tradition.
In
Sri Vaishnavism, he is described as the "dispeller of difficulties" and the bearer of a moon-like shining complexion.
Ramanuja
Ramanuja ( Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents ...
remarks that the
Vaishnavas
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
worship Vishvaksena in the place of
Kartikeya
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesh ...
and Ganesha.
In the ''taniyan'' (hymn), Bhattar invokes Vishvaksena as one who facilities the life of Vishnu and Lakshmi and controls all creations by gesture of his hands to cause ''
chit
Chit may refer to:
* Chit (board wargames), a type of wargame counter
* Chit (name)
*Chit, a voucher or certificate with monetary value
*Blood chit, document requesting safe passage and assistance for military personnel stranded in enemy territor ...
'' (conscious) and ''achit'' (not conscious) to execute their duty.
In another hymn, Bhattar seeks happiness by appealing to Vishvaksena and his consort Sutravati.
Mantra and mudra
The ''
Lakshmi Tantra
The Lakshmi Tantra is one of the Pāñcarātra texts that is dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi and Narayana (Vishnu) in Hinduism. It forms a part of the Agamas. The Lakshmi Tantra is devoted to the worship of the goddess Lakshmi (the shakti of Vi ...
'' prescribe the worship of Vishvaksena and mention his
mantra
A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...
''om rhum vaum jnanadaya namah''.
[Gupta p. 187] The devotee should mediate upon Vishvaksena in the north direction.
Before making an offering of rice to Vishnu, Vishvaksena is prescribed to be worshipped with his
mantra
A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...
, portion of the rice offering and oblations. Apart from invoking Vishvaksena to the rites, he is also offered by the Chief Priest by reciting the ''anga mantras'' (''anga'' means "body" and "mantra" is hymns") with ''hasta mudras'' (hand gestures).
Vishvaksena anga-mantras recited at the beginning of rites is as below.
"''Om rhyram hrdayaya namaha (we salute your heart)
Om rhyrim sirasa svaha (salutation to the head)
Om rhrum sikhayai vausat (decorate the hairstyle)
Om rhraim havekcaya hum (decorate the hairstyle)
Om rhraum netraya vausat (decorate the eyes)
Om hrah astray phat.(decorate with armaments)''"
The
mudra for Vishvaksena mantra, which will enable a person to be free of all human bondage, is the following form. Three fingers of the left hand including the little finger are folded into the left palm itself, the index finger is held backwards away from the thumb. On the right hand three fingers, as in the case of the left hand, are folded into the palm. Then the hand is placed on the side of the nostril. The index finger is then doubled and placed on top of the thumb. The right hand is then raised up to show the mudra of throwing a disc. With this
mudra, it is stated that a person can achieve freedom from the human bondage.
Temple rituals
At
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...
(which follows Vaikhanasa tradition), Vishvaksena is worshipped before any temple ritual. The temple for Vishvaksena is located at the northern side of the main temple, in the ''Mukkoti Pradakshinam'' ('Pradakshinam' means: clockwise
circumambulation
Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol.
Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...
). Offerings of flowers and garlands (''nirmalya'') to the
central icon of
Venkateswara
Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, located in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Etymology
Venkates ...
(an aspect of Vishnu) are removed from it and then offered to the Vishvaksena icon. The temple festival
Brahmotsavam commences with the worship of Vishvaksena and his bronze icon is taken in procession around the temple precincts. Vishvaksena is believed to arrange for the festival and ensure that it goes on smoothly.
The ritual of offering of remnants of
puja offerings to the central or festival icon of Vishnu to Vishvaksena, before closing of the temple doors, is embedded in Pancharatra tradition. The poet Kuresha remarks that Vishvaksena sustains on the remnants of his master's food, which is a sign of approval of his master.
[Nayar p. 145]
The
Srirangam temple, dedicated to
Ranganatha
Ranganatha, also known as Ranganathar, Rangan, Aranganathar, Sri Ranga, and Thenarangathan, is a Hindu deity with his origin in South India, serving as the chief deity of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The deity is a resting form of ...
(an aspect of Vishnu), also celebrates similar festivals where Vishvaksena plays a role in the temple festivals. On the first day of the festival, images of Vishvaksena and
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
are paraded to the shrine of
Ranganayaki
Ranganayaki, is the presiding goddess of the Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam. Affectionately called ''Thayar'' ("Holy Mother" in Tamil), she is the consort of Ranganatha, the presiding deity of Srirangam. She is regarded as the manifest ...
, the presiding consort goddess of the temple. Soil from a holy
bael Bael may refer to:
*''Aegle marmelos'', commonly known as the Bael tree
*Bael (demon)
* Bael (wrestler)
See also
* Baal (disambiguation)
* Bail (disambiguation)
Bail is the conditional release of an arrested person prior to their trial, or the mo ...
tree and from the banks of the
Kaveri
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri (hill), Karnataka, Brahmagiri range in th ...
river are brought by priests, as though collected by the deities and seeds are sown in this soil as part of the ''Ankurarpanam'' (sprouting the seeds) ritual. Then as part of the ''Nagarasodani'', Vishvaksena is paraded again as though inspecting the streets before the commencement of the main procession of the central deity of the temple.
The temple festival Brahmotsavam of
Varadharaja Perumal Temple,
Kanchipuram also begins with worship and procession of the god on the day before the main days of
Brahmostavam, which is known as ''Sena Mudaliar''.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{HinduMythology
Hindu gods
Tutelary deities
Forms of Vishnu