MOST PERFECT OF THE PERFECT

Maha Vishnu dwells in Vaikunta where He does penance for the welfare of all the worlds and all the Lords of the different worlds. He is the embodiment of Sattwa guna and so He is called as Sattwaguna bodhan. "He who tops in Sattwa guna", said the Lord of Kurukshetra, "is the Lord of all Lords".

Sattvaguna means balance. The concept of balance tells us that he who has it is free from anger, ego and hatred. He who has Sattvaguna does not deviate from the right path, or show signs of imperfection. Such a person is personified as Absolute Perfection.

King Parikshit asked sage Suka: "Who is the most perfect among the perfect; who is the very embodiment of perfection and who is the balanced of the balanced". Suka said: "It is Mahavishnu who is the Lord of the Lords". I will tell you a story". So saying he related the experience of Sage Bhrigu.

Once the sages who lived on the bank of the river Saraswati organized a Sathrayaga. There arose a dispute among the sages as to who is the most balanced and who is the Lord of the Lords among Brahma, Rudra and Mahavishnu. They deputed Bhrigumaharaj to find out the Lord of the Lords who is the most perfect among the perfect.

Bhrigu agreed and he just visited the abode of Brahma first who was doing penance. Brahma had the vision that his own son was coming to test him of his perfection. Being his son Bhrigu did not sing any song in praise of Lord Brahma. So Brahma got angry and before he is cursed, Bhrigu left Brahma's place saying: "He is perfect but not the most perfect".

Next Bhrigu went to Kailas. On seeing the sage, Rudra came to embrace Bhrigu who said: "No no, you can't. You always spend your time in the cremation ground". Siva got wild and sought to throw his trisul, but his consort, Parvati Devi prevented him from doing so. Bhrigu said: "My purpose is achieved, he too is not the most perfect or most balanced. He is not a Satvika". So, he left for Vaikunta where he saw Mahavishnu taking rest with His head on the lap of Mahalakshmi, and body on the Aadisesha. "What a sight!", the sage thought. He waited for some time, as he did not want to disturb Mahavishnu. An idea occurred to the sage, he placed his foot on the chest of Mahavishnu who woke up and said: "Oh! Holiest of the sages. I did not see that you are here". Does your leg pain for having placed it on my chest, forgive me. Sit by my side. I will be pleased. The chest of mine will be the holy place as the greatest of sages has placed his foot on it. "It will be the home of Goddess Lakshmi". Now the sage said: "Lord! you are the greatest of the Lords, you are the most perfect among the perfect. You are perfection embodied. Above all, you personify Sattavaguna".

Bhrigu then returned to the banks of the river Saraswati and reported what happened. The sages said, "We know who is the Lord of Lords".

In 'Narayaneeyam', Meppathoor Bhattadiri supports this message of Bhrigu. He cites examples from the works of Sankara and Madhava to substantiate the report of Bhrigu in Dasaka 90 of his work titled after his name. The title of the Dasaka: "Vishnu is the Lord of the Lords" justifies the declaration of the sages. Bhattadiri has stated:

i. Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheswara and Sadasiva are called the Moorthi Panchakam and of these five Sadasiva is Mahavishnu Himself or Lord of the Lords. ii. Of the three Brahma, Mahavishnu and Siva, Mahavishnu alone is the embodiment of Satvika guna, what we need is this consciousness of Satva. iii. Sankara Bagavatapada has emphasized in his Puranasangraha that Lord Mahavishnu's Satya Loka is the seat of Vaikunta where the Lords of Lords dwells. v. Madhavacharya, in his Puranasara says that Vishnu, Siva, Brahma-all mean Mahavishnu. They are not separate but one. The Universality of God is brought out by Madhawacharya.

This illustrates that Mahavishnu is the Lord of Lords, the most perfect of the perfect. He is light in the light. (Jyotiul Jyoti). The Lord of seven hills is thus the Lord of the Lords. That is why he grants the wishes of all human beings. He dwells in us. Aadi Sankara installed two chakras at Thirumalai Shrine, one is Dhanakarshana Yantra and the other is Janakarshana Yantra.