Recently I was asked, at a Dinner,why while Lord Rama is venerated because of his loyalty to his wife,his vow and devotion to his wife,Eka Patni vrata,we also venerate Lord Vishnu who has two wives,Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi.
Is this not a contradiction?
What ,then, is Morality?
Which is morally correct?
Concepts of Hinduism are complex and it needs a thorough understanding of the Vedas ,the six systems of Indian philosophy, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana Mahabharata,Eighteen Puranas and Indian regional language texts.
Indian philosophy is the foundation is the rock on which Hindu practices are built upon.
Reality,Brahman, according to Vedas,the scriptures of the Hindus, is a Principle devoid of Qualities or Attributes.
We Attribute qualities so that we can comprehend and Realize It.
We,our minds,are limited by Space and Time.
We can not conceive of anything without reference to these two.
On the modern scientific side, especially Astrophysics ,one can not really comprehend Stellar Distances,which are calculated in Light years and AU,Astronomical Units.
We have only a vague idea that it is huge.
For more on Time,please read my articles on Time,by Googling Time+ramanan50.
However in the path to Realisation of Brahman,Reality,A Principle,Hinduism, knowing the limitations of Human mind ,has devised a method.
That of Worship of Gods.
In a way human mind can understand it.
That is by bestowing the Reality with Perfect Human Attributes.
This is the beginning Stage of Self Realization.
This is called Saguna Aradhana,Worship of Reality with Attributes.
The Mind,to be divested of its innumerable thought waves,has to be deceived.
When mind believes,it can make things Happen.
So eventhough Reality is a Principle,it also can appear as personal God as one believes and meditates upon.
That is why we have God experiences.
Hindu,Vedic texts provide minimum three meanings.
Literal,Symbolic representing Abstract Truth,and esoteric Tantra,Mantra.
Some texts provide more than three meanings.
The Concept of the Three Primary Deities,Brahma,Vishnu and Rudra are to be understood.
Universe is Motion and it is the Ultimate cause Science can unmask.
There are three types of Energy .
That is Energy at Rest.
Potential.
When it is in Motion,it is Kinetic.
One more is Energy at Rest,while allowing for some Movement,Kinetics.
It is Potentio Kinetic.
Brahma,Potentio Kinetic,
Vishnu, Kinetic and
Rudra a combination of both.
Rudra is an aspect of Siva,while Vishnu is an aspect of Narayana.
Brahma is the cause.
Vishnu is the Sustainer.
The term Vishnu is from the root Jishnu,that which Supports.
‘Vishnum Jishnum Mahavishnum Prabhavishnum Maheswaram’ -Vishnu Sahasranama.
For supporting Life, Consciousness,one needs sustanence.
This , during Life,in the Form of Health,Wealth…sixteen things.
Beyond Life, support is provided by Vishnu as Govinda.
The term Govinda is used for ceremonies conducted after Death.
As a concept of Vishnu,He sustains the Universe.
Earth supports.
This is not enough to sustain and nurture Life.
Earth is allegorically called as Bhudevi.
Other things needed for Life is represented by Sri,also called Sri Devi.
To explain the concept of Vishnu with necessary support systems, Vishnu is represented as having been married to Bhu Devi and Sri Devi.
Sri,an explanation.
Sri has a core meaning of “diffusing light or radiance or eminence”, related to the root śrā“to cook, boil”, but as a feminine abstract noun, it has received a general meaning of “grace, splendour, beauty; wealth, affluence, prosperity”.(Wiki)
Sree varchasvam ayushyam aarogyam maavithaath
Sobamanam maheeyanthe
Dhaanyam Dhanam pasum bahuputra laabham
Satha samvathsarm dheeragamaayuhu’
However at the Ultimate level,there is no Sin,Nothing Sacred.
‘Na punyam, Na Paapam…..
Sivoham’ Nirvana Shadgam by Sri Sankara charts.
PS.This is a philosophical explanation.
However, I have found, during my research into Hindu texts and events,these events may be Real.
I do not know.
Ramanisblog 
3 responses to “Rama With One Wife Krishna With More What is Morality”
Dear;
Very correct, Lord Rama was, EKAPATHNI.(single wife).
Lord Krishna has,8 Patta mahishi and around 64,000 further wives.
It is not wrong if people had gone through Srimadh Bhagavatham, in Rasaleela also he took multiple Krishna roopams as much as Gopikas counts. Furher he allotted as many houses to as many wives.Spent with all on alldays, again with as many Krishna roopams. You can no do such things, as he is bahavan, avathara purush. So no question of any wrong opinion, please. Please listen Mahatma Premi Anna’s prvachana Cds.
regards;
Kalyanam G.
Kalyanam G.
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The concept is simple. If we have a doubt in scripture, we understood it in wrong way. The clue to the question lies in symbol of the story. One can not take a parable to its literal meaning nor can they just decode it to its root elements. An Itihasa/Purana is an amalgamation of History with Wisdom of Veda (self as individual and as Universe).
Krishna’s 16000 wives are 16×1000. 1000 is Sahasra meaning a rhythmic breath (Sama) (Sa and Ha and Sa….)externalised by Ra/vocal utterance (Rik). 16 or Shodasa is the complete modal spectrum of Goddess/Nature in form of Moon’s phase. This externalisation of Prakriti periodically of Krishna is called 16000 wives (consort). Wife/consort because a feminine aspect can not leave it’s masculine aspect in Sanskrit: Sunlight can’t leave Sun.
Yet again, Krishna comes as a hero in Pitru Vamsa story of Bharata. Pitrus belong to Moon and hence 16. Rama comes as hero of Solar dynasty (ikswaku) and hence the Solar god or 1self with 1Nature ever germinating as Sita.
This is the clue.
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In my humble opinion, I believe that various activities leelas are performed by bagawan baghwathiyargal at various levels- (1) To impart lessons to humans for their betterment , (2) To reveal their true nature, (3) To facilitate the process of creation and changes to the worldly order, Human physiology and psychology, geographics etc., Stories explaining them cannot be understood literally. First to be understood is that Gods are completely bereft of emotions that are for their own benefit. Their emotions like Dhaya, Kshama, Karuna are for the benefits of Jeevathma’s moksham and they don’t depend on their indriya avayavangal/sense and body parts for deriving pleasure for themselves. Hence Krishna marrying how many ever wives, Shanmuga with 2, Vishnu in vaikuntam with 3+1 devis aren’t any human like husband wife relationships. Male God don’t marry for sensual pleasure. Only here comes a question of morality yet in reality even for humans there is no concept of morality. If a human is involved in sense based pleasure(aindreeyakam) he/she is going away from moksham the eternal bliss experienced out of sense(athendriyakam), that’s all- it doesn’t follow any society set morality. The problem comes when society first sees Man Woman then looks at God who ‘appears’ in male and female forms. While infact what is first to originate is masculine and feminine aspects out of Gods in which humans are by natural order acquire these two traits where generally but not necessarily, masculine is seen with men and feminine is seen with women. Here since the flow of observation is since from himans to gods but not gods first we start to accuse male gods practicing polygamy. While infact they represent the underlying masculine and feminine concept with which the entire creation is built and just pose in human forms for convenience of human to conceive.
Krishna with 16100 or 16108 wives are his leelas to show the Athma sambandham and not Deha sambandham. What is krishna going to do with body? He is beyond bodies and senses. The athamas of Gopikas and other sthree abducted by narakasuran are Jeevathams who had relationship with paramthma which represents atham aanantha anubham/ estacy and bliss experienced in moksham and not any bodily relationship. Krishna by his various leelas also performed Raasa leela to reveal hismelf as said in point 2 initially. But in Rama avatharam he by his patnivrata dharma showed what is necessary to be followed by humans esp men which fulfills point 1. So Rama and Krishna fulfilled different purposes as per their avathara nokkam and the right knowledge has to be understood by us for our own betterment and moksham.
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