24 Forms of Vishnu

The system of yoga entails controlling the mind, and the Lord of the mind is Aniruddha. It is stated that Aniruddha is four-handed, with Sudarsana cakra, conchshell, club and lotus flower. There are twenty-four forms of Visnu, each differently named. Among these twenty-four forms, Sankarsana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Vasudeva are depicted very nicely in the Caitanya-caritamrta, where it is stated that Aniruddha is worshiped by the yogis. Meditation upon voidness is a modern invention of the fertile brain of some speculator. Actually the process of yoga meditation, as prescribed in this verse, should be fixed upon the form of Aniruddha. By meditating on Aniruddha one can become free from the agitation of acceptance and rejection. When one’s mind is fixed upon Aniruddha, one gradually becomes God-realized; he approaches the pure status of Krsna consciousness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga.

Ref. Veda Base SB 3.26.28

Note: 24 forms of Vishnu (Localized Personality of Godhead)

The forms are differently named in accordance with the placement of the weapons They hold in Their four hands. When describing the positions of objects in the hands of the Visnu murtis, one should begin with the lower right hand and then move to the upper right hand, to the upper left hand and finally to the lower left hand.

The twenty-four forms are
(1) Vasudeva – club, conch shell, disc and lotus flower
(2) Sankarsana – club, conch shell, lotus flower and disc
(3) Pradyumna – disc, conch shell, club and lotus flower
4) Aniruddha – disc, club, conch shell and lotus flower

In the spiritual sky the representations of Näräyaëa are twenty in number and are described as follows:

(5) Kesava, (lotus, conch shell, disc and club)
(6) Narayana, (conch, lotus, club and disc)
(7) Madhava, (club, disc, conch and lotus)
(8) Govinda, (disc, club, lotus and conch)
(9) Visnu, (club, lotus, conch and disc)
(10) Madhusudana, (disc, conch, lotus and club
(11) Trivikrama, (lotus, club, disc and conch)
(12) Vamana, (conch, disc, club and lotus)
(13) Sridhara, (lotus, disc, club and conch)
14) Hrsikesa, (club, disc, lotus and conch)
(15) Padmanabha, (conch, lotus, disc and club)
(16) Damodara, (lotus, disc, club and conch)
(17) Purusottama, (disc, lotus, conch and club)
(18) Acyuta, (club, lotus, disc and conch)
(19) Nrsimha, (disc, lotus, club and conch)
(20) Janardana, plenary portion of the Lord who controls the general mass (lotus, disc, conch and club)
(21) Hari, (conch, disc, lotus and club)
(22) Krsna, (conch, club, lotus and disc)
23) Adhoksaja (lotus, club, conch and disc)
(24) Upendra (conch, club, disc and lotus)

Ref. Veda Base Madhya 20.174,223

Hayasirsa-pancaratra that there are nine forms protecting the two Puris known as Mathura Puri and Dvaraka Puri. These nine forms are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Narayana, Nrsimha, Hayagriva, Varaha and Brahma. These are different manifestations of the prakasa and vilasa forms of Lord Krsna.

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Comments

David November 16, 2011 at 3:50am

Hare Krishna

This is very interesting, but complex to me.

Some of the combinations match up to be the same arrangement of conch lotus etc.
How will we know the difference?

Hare Krishna

Your Servant
David

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