Why are we worshiping the Universal Being Hari in mere idol.. Imagining that He is the idol?
The inherent contradiction in our action of limiting Lord Narayana who is present everywhere to some Idol or a bundle of Dharbha or a pot of water is appreciated by the Sages who gave us the Agamas that prescribes the building and consecration of Idols in temple..
The slokas found in the Partishtaa prakaranam of Vaikhanasa Agamam bear testimony to this line of thought
Like the curd present in Milk,
Like the oil present in Til or gingely,
like fragrance inherent in flowers,
like sweet taste inherent in fruits,
like magnetic force present in Iron,
like fire inherent in logs of wood,
Narayana is present inherent in all things.
Where can we call and invoke such Divine being Narayana, and where can we ask him to go back after end of pooja?
Therefore Aavaahanam and Utsarjanam of Vishnu are considered improper and meaningless
Even then just to offer our respects and adoration for the Lord through physical worship like pooja the methods have been devised for Aavaahanam through mantras
If such a method is not followed, neither human beings, nor even gods can worship the Supreme Being Narayana.
By Avahanam, it is meant that the Lord Vishnu who is present everywhere , is meditated upon as being present in a particular object.
Just because Hari is extremely merciful towards his devotees, He is permitting us to view his glory and powers which are spread everywhere to be seen in some particular object.
Hari is just manifesting himself in a small idol like a peacock who can spread his feathers very wide just withdraws all of them and remains quiet.
Like the fire present all within the Arani log flares up when rubbed restrictedly in a particular place, when the devotee meditates upon Vishnu with intensity, the Lord Shines forth in the heart of such devotee.
This is the view of the great sage Markandeya.
We the ordinary mortals can never understand the greatness of the Lord Narayana.
However, sure, He manifests himself in the idol, in the piece of land, in a koorcha made of Dharba, or in the water, when He is invoked through Vedic and Agamic mantras and He would happily accept the offerings and worship made by us just because he is always nurturing great love and mercy for us His sincere devotees.
Alternately we can worship the Supreme Being Hari as present in the core of the Orb of the sun .. Hari who dresses Himself in Pitambara.. the yellow cloth, who is shining forth in dazzling Aura, who is manifesting Himself in a form with just a size of four inches.. Hari who is amenable to our thoughts when we concentrate on Him in deep meditation.. Hari who is adorned in all ornaments like crown or Kireetam.. Hari who is emitting bright glow like molten God..
क्षीरे सर्पिस्तिले तैलं पुष्पे गन्धः फले रसः।
यथायसि महासारः काष्ठेऽग्निरिव संस्थितः।
कुत आवाह्यते देवः कुत्र चोद्वास्यते पुनः॥
तस्मादावाहनं विष्णोरयुक्तमिति मन्यते।
तथापि पूजनामार्गे मन्त्रैरावाहनं स्मृतम्॥
अन्यथाऽभ्यर्चितुं देवं देवानां च न शक्यते।
सर्वत्र व्यापिनस्तस्य श्रीविष्णोः परमात्मनः॥
एकत्र स्मरणं यत्तदावाहनमितीरितम्।
भक्तानुकम्पया सोऽपि विभूतिं स्वां सुविस्तृताम्॥
संक्षिप्यैकत्र भवति कलापीव कलापकम्।
अरण्यां व्यापितो वह्निरेकत्र ज्वलितो यथा॥
तथा ध्यानेन भक्तस्य हृदि विष्णुः प्रकाशते।
मार्कण्डेयो महातेजाः प्राह चैवं महामुनिः॥
अस्माभिश्च हरेस्तस्य माहात्म्यं नावबुध्यते।
मन्त्रैरावाहिते बेरे स्थले कूर्चे जलेऽथवा॥
भक्तानुकंपया स्थित्वा पूजां गृह्णाति पूजितः।
अथवा हरिमर्कस्य मण्डलान्तर्गतं परम्॥
पीताम्बरधरं दीप्तं चतुरङ्गुलमात्रकम्।
ध्यानगम्यं किरीटादिभूषणैः परिभूषितम्॥
रुक्माभं स्वप्नगम्यं च तस्मादावाहयेत्तथा॥
kṣīre sarpistile tailaṁ puṣpe gandhaḥ phale rasaḥ|
yathāyasi mahāsāraḥ kāṣṭhe'gniriva saṁsthitaḥ|
kuta āvāhyate devaḥ kutra codvāsyate punaḥ||
tasmādāvāhanaṁ viṣṇorayuktamiti manyate|
tathāpi pūjanāmārge mantrairāvāhanaṁ smṛtam||
anyathā'bhyarcituṁ devaṁ devānāṁ ca na śakyate|
sarvatra vyāpinastasya śrīviṣṇoḥ paramātmanaḥ||
ekatra smaraṇaṁ yattadāvāhanamitīritam|
bhaktānukampayā so'pi vibhūtiṁ svāṁ suvistṛtām||
saṁkṣipyaikatra bhavati kalāpīva kalāpakam|
araṇyāṁ vyāpito vahnirekatra jvalito yathā||
tathā dhyānena bhaktasya hṛdi viṣṇuḥ prakāśate|
mārkaṇḍeyo mahātejāḥ prāha caivaṁ mahāmuniḥ||
asmābhiśca harestasya māhātmyaṁ nāvabudhyate|
mantrairāvāhite bere sthale kūrce jale'thavā||
bhaktānukaṁpayā sthitvā pūjāṁ gṛhṇāti pūjitaḥ|
athavā harimarkasya maṇḍalāntargataṁ param||
pītambaradharaṁ dīptaṁ caturaṅgulamātrakam|
dhyānagamyaṁ kirīṭādibhūṣaṇaiḥ paribhūṣitam||
rukmābhaṁ svapnagamyaṁ ca tasmādāvāhayettathā||
वैखानस प्रतिष्टाप्रकरणे ५-१४-२९
vaikhānasa pratiṣṭāprakaraṇe 5-14-29
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