Vishvaksena

Did you know that Vishvaksena, the Vaikunta Senaanee, the commander-in-chief of the army of the God Vishnu, serving as the gate-keeper and chamberlain of his celestial abode, bestowed Tridanda. automatically on saint Ramanujacharya?

Vishvaksena, son of Varuna (Vedic deity of Oceans), as a celestial Being, occupies an important place in Vaikhanasa and Pancharatra temple traditions of Sriviashnavites and Vaikhanasas, and is a mandatory deity in all their Vishnu temples depicted as the Vaikunta Senaanee, the commander-in-chief of the army of the God Vishnu, serving as the gate-keeper and chamberlain of his celestial abode Vaikunta. Though not directly mentioned in the Vedas and Dharma sashtra texts, however, there is plethora of references to Vishvaksena's lore and importance in Puranas, Tantras and in the Agamasashtra dictums of Vaikhanasa and Pancharatra tradtions of worship practiced in the Srivishnava temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. He is the all-conquering aspect of Lord Vishnu and is treated on par with Lord Ganesha. He is worshipped at the start of any undertaking to avoid obstacles. The Vishwaksena Puja is performed by chanting Vedic mantras and Lord Vishwaksena’s powers are invoked for the smooth functioning of the ritual. He makes sure all the activities of Lord Vishnu are executed to perfection without any hurdles.

Vishvaksena's divine form, identical to that of Vishnu, is described in the Kurma Purana as carrying a conch (shankha), Sudarshana chakra (discus) and Gada (mace) and wearing yellow clothes like his master. Further, the Kalika Purana sates that he has four arms and is red and brown in complexion. He is also shown seated on a white lotus, have a long beard and wearing matted hair. Lakshmi Tantra of Agama shastras mentions Vishvaksena as four-armed and holding a shankha and a lotus. In the Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra temple traditions, temple festivals begin with his worship and procession (utsavams), particularly notable as in the temples at Tirumala Venkateshwara, Srirangam Ranganatha Swamy, and the Kacheeepuram Varadaraja Swamy. Authorised by Lord Vishnu it is the prerogative of Vishvaksena as in charge of sending the angels to depute the emissaries to the people to help them.

Vishvaksena, accompanied by his consort Sootravati, is also described as the immediate disciple of Goddess Lakshmi, consort of Lord Vishnu and that at the tip of his waving cane rests the governance of the entire cosmos. It is also said that he appeared as Yatiraja with his vetra cane or lathi (one of his adornements)) and bestowed the Tridanda (hall mark of Srivaishnava Sanyasis), the triple staff in sage Ramanuja's hands.

At some stage during the rivarly of Vaishnavaites and Shaivites Ganesha is identified as member of the Vishwksena 's army. In Tirumal Balaji temple, where Vishvaksena shrine is located at the northern side of the main temple, in the Mukkoti Pradakshinam, there is no Ganesha shrine as part of the main temple complex, but is located outside. In Sri Vaishnavism, Vishvaksena is described as the "dispeller of difficulties" and the bearer of a moon-like shining complexion. Saint Ramanuja said that the Vaishnavites worship Vishvaksena in the place of Kartikeya and Ganesha.

According to a legend in the Kurma Purana, Shiva who had beheaded Brahma and had to beg for alms , holding the skull of Brahma in his hands, came to beg from Vishnu, but Vishvaksena as Vishnu's doorkeeper, would not let him in. Shiva then beheaded Vishvaksena and then continued to wander as Kankala or Kankalamurti ("One with the skeleton"). In one of the Puranas, it is mentioned that Sugreeva, the chief of The Vaanara army that helped Lord Rama (who was an incarnation of Vishnu) in Treta Yuga was the avatar of Vishvaksena.

In the Trumala temple of Lord Venkateshwara, where Vishvaksena is worshipped before any temple ritual, the offerings of flowers and garlands (nirmalya) made intially to the central icon of Sriniavasa are removed from it and then offered to the Vishvaksena icon. This siss considered as Vishvaksena sustaining on the remnants of his master's offerings, which is a sign of approval of his master. In the Srirangam temple of Ranganatha Swamy, Utsava images of Vishvaksena and Hanuman are paraded to the shrine of Ranganayaki, the presiding consort goddess of the temple. Soil from a holy bael tree and from the banks of the Kaveri 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 (inspection of the city), Vishvaksena is paraded before the commencement of the main procession of the central deity of the temple. In a similar fashion, the temple festival of Brahmotsavam of Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, begins with worship and procession of the Vishvaksena on the day before the main days of Brahmostavam, which is known as "Sena Mudaliar".

Among the many hymns recited before the start of any worhsip by the Shrivaishnavas, the most celebrated first two hymns are from the Vishnusahsranam which reads:

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।

प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥ १॥

śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam .

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye .. 1

यस्य द्विरदवक्त्राद्याः पारिषद्याः परः शतम् ।

विघ्नं निघ्नन्ति सततं विष्वक्सेनं तमाश्रये ॥ २॥

yasya dviradavaktrādyāḥ pāriṣadyāḥ paraḥ śatam .

vighnaṃ nighnanti satataṃ viṣvaksenaṃ tamāśray

The purport of above prayer is seeking refuge at the feet of Lord Vishnu which is all pervading as He can remove all obstacles in our path from any corner. Then we take refuge at the feet of Lord Vishvaksena, the commander in chief of Lord Vishnu who makes sure all the activities of Lord Vishnu are executed to perfection without any hurdles.

Narasipur Char