Thread by @DefiledGod

Producing commentary of shrimad vIrarAghavAchArya, a great Sri vaishnava guru on the bhAgavata shloka 8.7.33+

https://twitter.com/gymbrahmin/status/1322144429440864256

evaMbhUtaM tvAM ye nindanti te mUrkhAH ityAha -- ye tviti | ye tu tvAm umayA bhavAnyA saha charantaM nitarAM kAminaM katthante pralapanti tathA shmashAne charantamugraM krUraM paruShaM hiMsraM cha katthante, kathaMbhUtam? +

"Those who belittle you (Shiva), who are of (exalted) nature are fools. Those who call you promiscuous for giving umA your body, by calling your activity (of taking away lives) as fierce, your residing in graveyard as uncultured -- what are these type of people? (they are fools)"

AtmArAmashcha ye guravo vishvahitopadeShTArastairhRRidi chintitama~NghridvandvaM yasya tathAbhUtamapi tapasA.abhitaptaM te nUnaM tava Utimavindanniti kAkuH tvadIhitaM naiva vidurityarthaH+

They do not know the reasons behind these activities of yours that are marks of upAsaNa, who are scorched by penances, whose two feet are contemplated in the minds of gurus absorbed in Brahman, who preach welfare for the Universe. Indeed, they (the abusers) are shameless+

ataste hAtalajjAH gatatrapAH yAni kAnichit tvannindA vachanAni teShAM tadrahito nindAnyAyena itarastutau tAtparyamiti bhAvaH ||

The purport of this bhAgavata verse is: Where there is so called nindanaM of Shiva, there is exaltation of another - ie, one superior to him, nArAyaNa+

In comparison to Hari, other gods are like ants. So while praising Hari, one can say, "brahmA, rudra, indra etc are like ants, they cannot match you" etc. That is acceptable. But nindanaM that doesn't have Hari stuti as the aim, or is done deliberately to insult gods, is Asuric+

Thus, where you find belittling of devAs in works of AchAryAs or Azhwars, it is never done to insult devAs, but to point out their inferiority to Hari and to show prapatti mArga is superior to bhakti mArga//