SriRanga Vimana, a Swayam Vyakta Vimana

This lustrous vimana at the left is SriRanga Vimana and still glitters in the temple town called as SriRangam, my birth place. Ever, wonder how did this vimana came to this place?

At the very beginning of time, the spiritual world brought forth the material Universe, within which Lord Vishnu reclined in deep cosmic slumber on Sesha, His serpent bed. While Lord Vishnu slept, a lotus stem grew from His navel. Atop of the stem was a lotus flower, on which Brahma appeared, the first created being. 

Brahma was asked to take the duty of Shrishti (creation). In the beginning, Brahma himself could see that there was only a sheer expanse of water. Brahma himself was confused and had lots of questions and could not discover essential answers to his questions. Brahma was puzzled not knowing what to do just when a swan (hamsa) who was none other than the Supreme Lord Sriman Narayana Himself came and chanted the Mantra 'OM' and disappeared. Lord Sriman Narayana is also called as the Para Vasudeva (The Supreme Lord)

Even today, in SriRangam and in many other kshetras, Lord Sriman Narayana come in the streets in hamsa vahana. Hamsa is a swan and vahana is a vehicle. Lord Sriman Narayana comes into the streets of SriRangam to give darshan for his devotees and I have been blessed to grow up as a child watching Lord Sriman Narayana in not just hamsa vahana but in many other vahanas.

SriRangam Perumal (Lord Narayana) in Hamsa Vahana

Not just in SriRangam, many other Vaishnava Kshetra brings the deity, Lord Sriman Narayana in hamsa vahana outside the temple.

After Lord Sriman Narayana enlightened Brahma as a Hamsa, Brahma started to chant the Mantra OM. 

Once again, Lord Sriman Narayana appeared in front of him in the form a swan and preached the Vedas. In Srimad Bhagavata, it is mentioned that Sri Bhagawan (Lord Narayana) said, "Brahma desired to attain the answer to the question that was puzzling him, and thus he fixed his mind on Me. At that time, in my form of Hamsa, I became visible to Brahma". Hamsa means "swan", and the specific ability of the swan is to seperate a mixture of milk and water, extracting the rich, milky portion. Similarly, the Lord appeared as Hamsa, or the swan, in order to separate the pure consciousness of Brahma from the confused modes of material nature. 

     स  मम  अचिन्तयद्  देवः 

प्रश्न पर तितिर्षया 

तस्याहं  हंस रूपेण 

सकसं  आगमं  तदा (SB 11.13.19)

sa mam acintayad devah

prasna-para-titirshaya

tasyaham hamsa-rupena

sakasam agamam tada (SB 11.13.19)

The four Vedas that the Supreme Lord gave to Brahma were later stolen by two asuras. Brahma hadn't at that time created any asuras. So, Brahma wondered how these asuras came into existence. Brahma had to again seek Lord Narayana's help to protect him and rescue the stolen Vedas. This time, Lord Sriman Narayana appeared in front of Brahma in the form of Matsya (Fish), promised Brahma that he will manifest Himself again, come back to rescue the Vedas. So, Brahma thought that this is his Lord's real form.

Later the same Lord Narayana manifested himself as Lord Hayagreeva (The Horse God) to rescue the Vedas from the asuras. Now, Brahma initially thought that the swan is his dear Lord who created him. Then, he realized that his Lord looks like a fish. Now, he was surprised to see his Lord manifest himself with a horse face. 

Read about who these asuras are, how they got created, how they stole the Vedas and how did Lord Narayana manifested Himself in a Hayagriva Avatara, here. 


Brahma's task of creating the Universe was in the beginning stage. He was so displeased since everything was transient and disappeared in course of time.  It is mentioned in SriRanga Mahatamya (Puranic Legend), Brahma went to Ksheera Sagara (Milky Ocean) to meet the only savior Lord Vishnu seeking help. And lo, this time Lord Vishnu appeared like a kurma (tortoise) and it indeed puzzled Brahma.Brahma could not believe that his Supreme Lord again appeared in a different form and this time He looked like a turtle. 

Initially Lord Sriman Narayana appeared like a Hamsa (Swan)

Then, Lord Sriman Narayana manifested himself like a Matsya (A Fish).

And then, the Supreme Lord appeared like Hayagriva (Horse faced) to rescue the Vedas. 

Lord Hayagriva - Vadiraja Mutt

Later, when Brahma went to the Ksheera Sagara, He looked like the Kurma (Tortoise). 

Puzzled Brahma prayed to the Lord to show His real form. The Lord asked Brahma to worship Him through the ashtakshara (eight lettered mantra) "OM NAMO NARAYANAYA". 

So, Brahma lost himself in penance and contemplation by chanting this ashtakshara for many years. As a result, a beautiful vimana emerged out from the Ksheera Sagara. In the vimana was a lustrous Lord Sriman Narayana (Para Vasudeva) with his four arms and underneath the vimana was a reclining Maha Vishnu, Sri Ranganatha. Brahma awoke from his penance and prostrated before the vimana. This is the same vimana with the reclining Lord Sri Ranganatha who is still blessing the whole Universe from this Divya (divine) kshetra called as 'SriRangam'. 

Art work displayed in Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, SriRangam, Trichy, Tamilnadu

Brahma was amazed to see this form of Para Vasudeva whith four arms (with a Shanku, Chakra, Padma and Gada) in his hands. Brahma stood up chanting the four vedas through his four mouths. Lord Sriman Narayana also referred as Para Vasudeva or Maha Vishnu described about the four types of idols and vimanas to Brahma. The first type of idol is the 'Swayamvyakta', meaning God himself choosing to show up as an idol. Hence, SriRanga vimana is a Swayamvyakta vimana and is one of the earliest of all other eight vimanas of the first class, viz Swayamvyakta. 

Lord Sriman Narayana (Para Vasudeva) and Sri Ranga Vimana at SriRangam, Tamilnadu

In Garuda Purana, in a conversation between Garuda and Chaturmukha (four faced) Brahma, it is stated that SriRangam in Tamilnadu, is one of the eight swayam vyakta kshetras - others being Srimushnam in Tamilnadu, Venkatadri in Andhra Pradesh, Saaligramam in Nepal, Naimisharanya in Uttar Pradesh, Totadri in Guntur District (Andhra Pradesh), Pushkara near Ajmer and Badri Narayanashrama. 

ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಂ ವೇಂಕಟಾದ್ರಿಶ್ಚ ಶ್ರೀಮುಷ್ಣಮ್ ತೋತಪರ್ವತಂ ಸಾಲಗ್ರಾಮಂ ಪುಷ್ಕರಂಚ ನರನಾರಯಣಾಶ್ರಮಂ

ನೈಮಿಶಮ್ ಚೇತಿ ಮೇ ಸ್ಥನನ್ಯಸೌ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿವೈ ಯೇತುಸ್ವಷ್ಟಾಕ್ಷರೈಕಾಕ: ವರ್ಣಮೂರ್ಥಿರ್ ವಸಾಮ್ಯಹಂ

ತಿಷ್ತಾಮಿ ಕ್ರಿಶ್ಣ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರೇ ಪುಣ್ಯ ಸಪ್ಥಕೋಗಥ: ಆಷ್ಟಾಕ್ಷರಸ್ಯ ಮಂತ್ರಸ್ಯ ಸರ್ವಾಕ್ಷರ ಮಯ ಸದಾ |

श्रीरंगं वेंकटाद्रिश्च श्रीमुष्णम् तोतपर्वतं सालग्रामं पुष्करंच नरनारयणाश्रमं

नैमिशम् चेति मे स्थनन्यसौ मुक्ति प्रधानिवै येतुस्वष्टाक्षरैकाक: वर्णमूर्थिर् वसाम्यहं

तिष्तामि क्रिश्ण क्षेत्रे पुण्य सप्थकोगथ: आष्टाक्षरस्य मंत्रस्य सर्वाक्षर मय सदा |

Brahma installed this vimana in satyaloka at the banks of River Viraja and started to worship Lord Narayana. He worshiped the Lord for many years, appointed Vivaswan, the sun God to offer pooja (prayers) for the Lord. And this is how Lord Narayana in this form appeared all by himself in this vimana to Brahma in the very beginning. Brahma himself at first knew Lord Sriman Narayana only in this form, that form of Lord Sriman Narayana who is the Supreme, who existed in Karana Ocean (causal ocean). Sriman Narayana, Para Vasudeva in this form is still visible to the eyes of human beings, in this Kshetra SriRangam which is also called as 'Bhuloka Vaikunta' (Heaven on Earth), even today. 

Large reclining Sriman Narayana (Maha Vishnu, Para Vasudeva) inside the Sri Ranga Vimana, Sri Ranganatha at SriRangam, Tamilnadu, India

Read more to know how Lord Sri Ranganatha (Lord Sriman Narayana) reached SriRangam from Satyaloka. 

Jai Sriman Narayana