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" Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha !"
38. Q .: We know that Lord Venkateswara has manifested in Tirumala at the start of Kaliyuga. But in Vishnu Sahasranama we have a name "Vaikhanassagamayanamaha". Vishnu Sahasranama is tought by Bheeshma in Dwaparayuga.
(1). The Lord even before came to Tirumala, is he being worshipped according to Vaikhanasa Agama Shastras?
(2). Vaikhanasa Shastra is written even before Lord manifested in Tirumala or written after His manifestation.?
Ans .: Vaikhanasa Samhitha comprising of 1 crore slokas was preached by Sage Vikhanasa Maharshi ( U can see his statue along with his disciples Athri, Bhrugu, Marichi, Kasyapa in a Mandapam in NorthMada Street opposite to Varaha Swamy Temple).
Vikhanasa Maharshi preached (not written) those one crore slokas to his 4 disciples namely Athri, Bhrugu, Marichi, Kasyapa. These 4 disciples or Maharshis again shortened those 1 crore in to 4 lakhs slokas for ease of understanding and implementing. Each of these rishis has written their own texts named
Athri -- 'Tantras'
Bhrugu -- 'Adhikaras'
Marichi -- 'Samhithas'
Kasyapa -- 'Kandas'
The total Vaikhanasa samhitha is based on vedas infact it is considered to be krishna yajurveda taittiriya samhitha.
There's a very interesting sloka abt the incarnation of Vikhanasa Maharshi like When Lord Vishnu decided to manifest as 'Archaavathara' meaning idol worship, he asked all rishis as to whom will constitute a procedure to worship him at that time all the rishis were in great fear like how to invent a new sasthra in that process Vyaasa forgotten to breath, Suka has morphed in to a crane and flyed far from that place, Bodhayana in an unconscious like this great great rishis all felt that it is a gigantic task to invent a new sasthra. Then Lord Vishnu asked Brahma to create a rishi for this purpose then Brahma replied to create a person who will preach worship rules for u is out of my power.
Then Lord Vishnu with his nail on one of the fingers of right hand scratching his chest created Vikhanasa Maharshi. ('Vikhanasa' - 'Vika' means with great effort , 'naka' means nail) Vikhanasa Maharshi resembling Lord Vishnu with four arms holding Sanka and chakra on the upper arms and wearing a crown.
He is said to be created at the start of the Srushti means Swayambhuva Manvantharam(there are totally 14 manvantharas and each manvantahras inturn consist of 72 maha yugas and each maha yuga inturn consists of 4 yugas namely kruta,treta,dwapara and kali yugas, we are in to 7th Manvantharam now called Vaivaswatha Manvantharam). At Naimisaranyam (in uttar pradesh) on Sravana Maasam,Sravana Nakshatram he entered earth with his disciples and created Vaikhanasa Bhagavat Shasthrams the followers of Vikhanasa Maharshi are called Vaikhanasa's.
So vaikhanasa Agama is such an old one.the only way to find Vaikhanasa Agamam in the previous yugas is whereever there is yagnam or homam it is said to be performed according to Vaikhanasa Agamam. Becos the rites required for performing homams or yagnas is clearly specified thanin any other agamas.for eg. 'Puthra Kaameshti' yagam performed by King Dasaratha is specified in Kasyapa Gnana Kanda preached by Kasyapa. 'Satra Yagam' (or Daksha yagnam)performed by Daksha Prajapathi is also there.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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