Pramana for Vishnu Sarvottamatva – Shlokas 33-35

कविं पुराणमनुशासितारम् |
अणोरणीयांसमनु स्मरेद् यः ||
सर्वस्य धातारमंचिन्त्यरूपम् |
आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् || 33 ||

One who worships Vishnu with the understanding that he is omniscient, eternal and yet new, most subtle, controller of the entire Universe, bearer of the Universe, possesses unlimited greatness and bright like the morning Sun – such a person will be ridden of the burden of Samsara.

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् |
आदित्यवर्णं तमसस्तु पारे ||
सर्वाणि रूपाणि विचिन्त्य धीरो |
नामानि कृत्वाsभिवदन् यदास्ते || 34 ||

I have directly witnessed that great one (Sriman Narayana, extolled by the Vedas) who creates all (sentient and insentient) beings, grants them their identity (names), controls those who are liberated and unliberated (yet), one who is beyond Prakriti and one is radiant like the Sun.

धाता पुरस्ताद्यमुदाजहार |
शक्रः प्रविद्वान् प्रदिशश्चतस्रः ||
तमेवं विद्वानमृत इह भवति |
नान्यः पन्था अयनाय विद्यते || 35 ||

Vishnu has been extolled as the Supreme One by Brahma earlier. Indra, who knows all that is there in the four directions, has extolled him as the greatest. He who understands such a Vishnu to be full of all auspicious attributes will be liberated from this Samsara. There is no other way (than knowing Vishnu) to attain liberation!

Notes:

By quoting these three shlokas from the Bhagavadgita (shloka 33) and the Shukla Yajurveda (shlokas 34 and 35), Sri Madhwacharya highlights how the Shrutis and Smritis are full of Pramanas of the Supremacy and greatness of Vishnu.

By repeatedly driving home the point that it is Vishnu alone who is the granter of all our desires in this world and that he eventually grants Moksha as well, Srimadanandatirtha Bhagavatpada instructs us to perform all our activities with the only goal of pleasing Vishnu and obtaining his grace.

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