Idol Worship or idle worship? beyond names and forms?

[Guest guest]

Forms are as symbolic as they are real. For instance, one sees the

good fortune in a million dollars. A million symbolizes alot of

potential. Not everyone gets a million bucks. Many want to see a

million for their whole lives. When one gets the million they get

the empowerment to use it to fulfill their wishes.

 

Let's use Nataraj Murti at Chidambaran for an example - Tandava Siva,

is Siva there? Well, yes, of course, just like in your spouse there

is love for you. You may just see him or her, but the love is just

as real but you can't necessarily see it. But being in their

presence is affirmation and not being with them eventually makes one

bereft both of their love and the form of their body. Can one

separate the two things?

 

They exist together because everything is comprised from devata. The

saying "A million angels on a pinhead" is very nearly true. So also

the angels or devata exist everywhere and to seers must surely exist

also in say Nataraj Murti. And yet one can go beyond the form to see

the real deity installed there. Just as one can go beyond the bodily

form of ones spouse to see their love for you. This to me is going

beyond the form.

 

Physicists and chemists will go beyond the form when looking at even a

lump aof sugar. Initially one can see molecular components like

carbon, oxygen, etc, but later one goes even beyond this and sees

atoms, then wavelengths, then forcefields, then prions, etc....

Ultimately even in the lump of sugar one could find.....God. So even

in the example of the tumeric one can truely find God, but more

specifically, one can continually invoke the specific quality or

qualities of the devata that really already exist within everything

and that specific form. This is the idea of talismans, and amulets.

Kavachams, rudrakshas, Tulsi plants, and so many other things. Each

thing manifests the specific qualities of an aspect of God, and can

be a conduit for that.

 

So when one is in the presence of the object one does meet the

qualities of God represented. And if one goes beyond the form one

sees the deity installed, and if one goes even beyond that one

sees.....Dakshinamurti Guru, Tripura Sundari, Vishnu, Krishna, Siva,

Kali, Sati, or ones particular slant slant on ultimate formless

being.

[Guest guest]

An addon to it. Formelessness itself is an attribute as a formed one.

Its more difficult to describe with the given limitations of the mind.

The best is experienced. When a person is steeped in gnana or bhakthi

or yoga or karma, they feel infinite joy within them. This is an

experience of the presence in the lord. Words are too poor to

describe them, really.

There is an upanishad which starts to discuss god.

It goes on to accept anna as lord and then says prana is lord and then

when asked if there is anything greater than prana, it says ananda,

sat chit ananda is the lord and stops there. There is no further

discussion.

Maa can find it out, the name of the upanishad, quite easily.

- Seshadri.

- Kirk

Wednesday, April 24, 2002 1:09 PM

Idol Worship or idle worship? beyond names and forms?

Forms are as symbolic as they are real. For instance, one sees the

good fortune in a million dollars. A million symbolizes alot of

potential. Not everyone gets a million bucks. Many want to see a

million for their whole lives. When one gets the million they get

the empowerment to use it to fulfill their wishes.

Let's use Nataraj Murti at Chidambaran for an example - Tandava Siva,

is Siva there? Well, yes, of course, just like in your spouse there

is love for you. You may just see him or her, but the love is just

as real but you can't necessarily see it. But being in their

presence is affirmation and not being with them eventually makes one

bereft both of their love and the form of their body. Can one

separate the two things?

They exist together because everything is comprised from devata. The

saying "A million angels on a pinhead" is very nearly true. So also

the angels or devata exist everywhere and to seers must surely exist

also in say Nataraj Murti. And yet one can go beyond the form to see

the real deity installed there. Just as one can go beyond the bodily

form of ones spouse to see their love for you. This to me is going

beyond the form.

Physicists and chemists will go beyond the form when looking at even a

lump aof sugar. Initially one can see molecular components like

carbon, oxygen, etc, but later one goes even beyond this and sees

atoms, then wavelengths, then forcefields, then prions, etc....

Ultimately even in the lump of sugar one could find.....God. So even

in the example of the tumeric one can truely find God, but more

specifically, one can continually invoke the specific quality or

qualities of the devata that really already exist within everything

and that specific form. This is the idea of talismans, and amulets.

Kavachams, rudrakshas, Tulsi plants, and so many other things. Each

thing manifests the specific qualities of an aspect of God, and can

be a conduit for that.

So when one is in the presence of the object one does meet the

qualities of God represented. And if one goes beyond the form one

sees the deity installed, and if one goes even beyond that one

sees.....Dakshinamurti Guru, Tripura Sundari, Vishnu, Krishna, Siva,

Kali, Sati, or ones particular slant slant on ultimate formless

being.To from this group, send an email

to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the

[Guest guest]

Now, it is generally believed thar hindus worship

idols (images of gods and goddesses) and therefore

hinduism promotes and encourages idol worship.

 

what does worshipping a GOD through an image (pratika)

mean? -it is worshipping God through a substitute

(god's divine manifestation)and that substitute becomes

"brahman"himself. Thus in the upanishads, it is stated mind, sky,

sun, name, etc are regarded as pratikas (images) and

invoked as brahman.

 

now, in the ultimate analysis, anything other than brahman cannot

generate para bhakthi (supreme truth) and moksha (liberation.) if ONE

approachS idol worship in this fashion then it is idolatory

(not sinful but not productive either)-the worshipper has to view the

pratika(image/idol) as the ultimate expression of brahman and worship

the pratika (image)as brahman. thus, if a image stands for god

or saint, such devotion is useless but if it stands for one god (the

supreme reality) then the worshipper attains liberation through

his/her devotion.

 

tHE IMAGES OF GOD/GODESSESSES have more or less replaced the vedic

images of sun, fire, air, earth etc although some people still

worship nature.

 

the devotee first attains the vision of a god or goddess and then

through him or her realizes the ultimate Reality.

 

now what are these symbols?

 

These symbols can be divided into two groups: rupa (form) and nama

name).

 

To a devotee on the bhakti marga, nama and rupa are very important-

to a bhakta, contemplating on the name and the form of the god/ess by

itself is a meditative act.

 

to some devotees , visualization of forms or images are easy but

such devotees find it hard to focus on abstract ideas like sri

ramana's atma vicharra technique of 'who am i." they find it hard to

meditate on the self. to such people, nama japa or worshipping the

image of god/ess are more appealing... there are others who love to

hear sounds or focus on sound symbols --- they like to listen to

mandala music or casettes of lectures on divine subjects or topics...

tyhen there are some others who find both chanting of japa and

worshipping the image less attractive and like meditating on the

self... so aspirants belong to all different categories based on

their mental and emotional make up- there is nothing inferior or

superior about any of these methods !!!!

 

TThere are three kinds of upasana

 

1)pratikopasana (meditation on visual images),

 

2)namopasana (meditation on sound symbols) and

 

3)ahamgrahopasana (meditation on the self).

 

"Each aspirant should know which type of mind his or hers is: form-

oriented, name-oriented or self-oriented. This the aspirant can

easily find out by a little self-analysis and practice in meditation.

The aspirant must then choose that type of upasana which suits him or

her most.

 

It may be surprising to know that there are some people who are

totally incapable of visualizing forms. Such people find it very

difficult to meditate on the image of a deity. When they close their

eyes they only feel a blank with various ideas moving somewhere

inside. It is like listening to the gurgling of a stream in the dark.

They, however, find repetition of a mantra very easy and producing

great harmony in them. Whereas there are others who find such

repetition difficult, distracting and unrelated to their basic

spiritual urge."

 

but most of us can do all three types of upasana- form-oriented,

name-oriented or self-oriented. So they can easily combine all the

three types of upasana in their practice.

Pratika Upasana

 

Pratika (rupa) means a symbol–literally, "going towards," something

upon which the mind is focussed. Though words are also symbols,

pratika is generally used to mean visual symbols–images, pictures and

natural objects used as symbols.

 

when a stone idol or salagrama is worshipped as Visnu, the worshipper

forgets the stone and thinks only of the luminous splendor of Visnu.

or when you worship the 'tulasi' plant , you are only worshipping the

magnificent splendor of 'tulasi' devi, the divine consort of shri

krishna bhagwan, not the plant itself. .

 

now, some people worship the sun god. here, the symbol sun itself

represents the ultimate reality and upon this this symbol of SUN

the attributes of the Reality are superimposed, but the symbol is as

important as the attributes. M The Upanisad teaches, "The sun is

Brahman, this is the instruction."7 The sun with its dazzling

brightness has a striking resemblance to Brahman and can itself be

directly meditated upon as Brahman. All that one has to do is to

superimpose upon the sun the attributes of Brahman like infinity,

consciousness, bliss, ultimate causality, etc. THAT IS WHY IN ALL

TANTRIC SADHANA, one starts with doing the surya namaskar first....

shriman omprem can elaborate on this from a hatha yogi's point of

view.

 

so, it is not that deity worship is condemned but the idea is to

realize the 'deity' behind the symbol first and then through the

deity the ultimate reality !! first, get intimate with 'devi' then go

to the ultimate principle!!!

 

such pratimas include yantras (mystic diagrams), mandalas (psychic

diagrams), salagrama, siva linga, water pot, etc. These are used more

in ritualistic worship . The lotus symbolizing a chakra or center of

consciousness, the flame symbolizing the self, the sky symbolizing

space and similar impersonal symbols which are also for

visualization.

 

other pratimas include images of gods and goddesses and vigrahas,

murthis etc...

 

HERE IS THE IMPORTANT CATCH. " The Brahma-Sutra clearly teaches that

the PRATIMA s to be looked upon only as a symbol of Brahman. God

should not be lowered to symbols, but symbols are to be exalted to

God.9 In other words, the purpose of a pratima is to serve only as a

visual aid (dristi saukaryam) to concentration." A properly

consecrated pratima which is daily worshipped, acquires a special

sanctity and power and becomes a center of divine grace. According to

Sri Ramanuja there is a special manifestation of God known as arca in

the idol. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE CALLED ARCHA-VIGRAHAS.

 

so the gods and godessesrs are not mere symbols... or hinduism is all

about idolatory!!! Even the beloved adi Sankaracarya has not denied

their existence. Each deity represents a particular aspect of Saguna

Brahman, the Personal God, and is at least as real as the ultimate

Truth!!!

 

BUT, THE MAIN POINT IS TO GO BEYOND THE SYMBOL- BEYOND THE IDOL -

BEYOND THE PICTURE - BUT TO MEET THE DIVINIT embodied therin in the

depths of one's consciousness. that is the purpose of all rupo-

upasana or namo-upasana.

 

It is the search for the soul's eternal beloved!!!! that is why it is

said go beyond the name and go beyond the form!!!

 

First, implant the image of the deity in the inner sanctuary of your

heart.

 

then continuously gaze at that beautiful image in the lotus of the

heart.

 

as you keep on focussing on that image day after day throug upasana,

the image gets absorbed deep into your consciousness - so there is no

image only pure consciousness...

 

Thus image worship at best is only a tool to establsh a connection to

god'ESS for those beginners in the path of spirituality.

 

"you can worship anything , seeing god in it. forget the

idol and see the god there.....thus we may worship a

picture as god , but not god as that picture."

 

When a book becomes an end itself and more important

than god/ESS himself/HERSELF, , then the book also becomes a true

idol (image). The attitude towards vedas, the koran,

the bible, the gita, boddhisattva etc are

illustrative of this type of idol worship -nothing that is

said outside of scriptures is acceptable to such

fanatics -when new ideas are expressed, such fanatics

interpret the texts to state the meaning they want-thereby

sabotaging new ideas. thus, places of worship,

prayers to choosen images of gods/goddesses, reverence to

scripturesand teachers of religion etc are at best

physical aids to realize the BRAHMAN !THROUGH

CONTINUOUS PRACTICE AND STAEDFAST DEVOTION. BUT, the final

goal is to revere god/ESS as the formless, the infinite

-sat-chit-ananda.(truth, knowledge and bliss.)

 

thus to facilitate contemplation of god the infinite with our finite

capabilities, worship god in the form of images not images as

gods./ESSES!

 

"If a person wants to drink milk, he uses a cup

as he cannot drink it directly. For the quivering

and unsteady mind, there should be a visible form or

a symbol, the idol, so that it becomes a foundation

for his adoration. The idol form of God is akin to a

vessel which enables a man to drink the milk. Through

the instrumentality of an idol, a devotee comprehends

divinity." (swami vivekananda).

 

TO BE CONTINUED....

 

LOVE

 

PS RUSHING TO WORK .. I WILL COME AND POST ON NAMO-UPASANA THIS

EVENING....

[Guest guest]

HEY SESH,

 

i think it is from the taittriya - it is the famous conversation

between Varuna and his son BHRIGHU?

 

Bhrigu approached his father and said to him: "Master, Father, Sir,

teach me Brahman."

 

The father gave the following definition of Brahman and asked him to

contemplate on it: Yato va imani bhutani jayante; Yena jatani

jivanti; Yat prayantyabhisamvisanti; Tad vijijnasasva; Tat

Brahma. "That from which everything comes, or rather that from which

everything has come, that in which everything abides, and that to

which everything must return one day, - that is Brahman or the

Absolute."

 

SO BHRIGU WENT ON MEDITATING ON THIS DIFFICULT CONCEPT... He went on

meditating. He could not catch the full import at all. So he realised

that the whole material universe is Brahman. Annam brahmeti vyaja-

nath. He realised Anna, food, matter, the physical universe itself

is Brahman. Then he went to the father and submitted, "this is how I

realised. Please tell me is annam Brahman. Is it true?"

 

bhrighu replied, `Tapasa Brahma Vijijnasasva, Tapo Brahmeti'. "You

contemplate further, you will know what it is." He did not give any

answer. The father never initiated him into any further mysteries. He

simply said 'Tapas Taptva', "You restrain your mind more and more,

concentrate more and more, meditate more and more and you will

realise what Brahman is."

 

bhrighu meditated more- did more tapas... . then bhrighuy realized

that 'vital energy- prana is brahman' Prana. `Prano brahmeti

vyajanat'.

 

from physical "annam' bhrighu went to 'vital' the prana.

 

And bhrighu went to the father and said: "This is what I experienced.

Please teach me further." The father did not give any answer. He

said, `Tapasa brahma vijijnasasva' - "Meditate further and realise

for yourself." He was a very good Guru. He would not tell anything.

He simply said, "Meditate further." Perhaps he was the best Guru. It

is no use simply superimposing some ideas on the mind of the disciple

by saying something which the mind cannot grasp. So he

said, "Concentrate more, practise more, sit more and more for

meditation and see what comes out."

 

Then bhrighu realized that the cosmic mind is the supreme

reality. `Mano brahmeti vyajanat'. This is still subtler. The cosmic

mind which vibrates everywhere in the form of Prana or the vital

energy in the cosmos was realised by him in his direct experience.

Again he went to the father and said: "This is what I experienced,

teach me further." The father replied "Tapasa brahma vijijnasasva -

Meditate further and know for yourself."

 

Then bhrighu meditated more... and he realised the cosmic

understanding, the intellect or intelligence, Mahat Tattva as it is

sometime called, as Brahman. `Vijnanam brahmeti vyajanat'.

 

so after the realisation of the cosmic understanding, Mahat Tattva,

again bhrighu went to the father and said, "Teach me Brahman." The

father said, "Meditate further and realise for yourself."

 

Then bhrighu realised `Anandam brahmeti yyajanat'. "Bliss is

Brahman." The constitutive essence of Reality Is happiness. It is not

objectivity, it is not an attribute, it is not a thing.

 

but bhrighu was so abdeeply absorbed in this blissful state, he did

not rush to tell his father about his discovery . the father himself

went in search of the son and found his son bhrighu absorbed in that

blissful state and embraced his son and said, "son, now you have

realized the truth' !

 

 

so, that is it!!! this bliss is not external -it is not in an idol or

in other objects... it is internal- within us.. this bliss in not a

quality or an attribute...

 

'Sa yaschayam Purushe yaschasavaditye, Sa ekah.' What is shining

there as a lustrous sun in the distant skies, and what is within us

twinkling as the Atman, they are identical. T

 

`Etam Annamayam Atmanam Upasankramya,

Etam Pranamayam Atmanam Upasankramya,

Etam Manomayam Atmanam Upasankramya,

Etam Vijnanamayam Atmanam Upasankramya,

Etam Anandamayam Atmanam Upasankramya', Etat sama gayanaste'.

 

these are koshas our beloved ompremji talks about!!!

 

so this is the 'RASA' we are talking about - the rasa (of nama and

rupa and tapas) - PREMA OR ANANDA-

 

 

om sree sat-chit-ananda murthayaye namaha!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Kirk,

 

Thanks for this most illuminating post. It really helped put the

focus back on my spiritual perspective. If one does have the faith

that all other deities are not different from one's Ishta, there

really is no point meandering away from the wisdom teachings

belonging to a particular deva's sect; to study those belonging to

another deva's.

 

That concludes my curiosity about Shaktism.

Cheers and G'bye.

[Guest guest]

dear kirk ( sidda ho) , i am getting to know you and i am really

getting to like you more and more...

 

we are on the same wavelength... did you know that when you start

chanting on the rudraksha beads (the object) it assumes all the

qualities of god rudra himself? that is why such meditation beads

should always be treated with veneration and respect and be place on

a puja altar if you are not wearing them?

 

that is why all scriptures (like shrimad bhagvat gita, devi

mahatmiyam, , sree lalita sahasaranama etc,... ) should always be

placed on the deity altar when not in use?

 

Concentration can be practiced on any object. it could be on a deity

picture or a burning candle

 

but the ultimate objective of any form of dhyana or upasana is to

unite the individual self (jivatman) with the paramatman ( the

supreme self-

 

thanx kirk for a lot of 'illumination' !!!!

 

love

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

"Idol" murti worship is most powerful and most effective way of

connecting with one's Ishta Devata, and Guru etc.

 

The Idol or image is like a doorway, it opens a channel, direct

channel to who you are worshiping, you can reach God through devotion

and worship of the image, the image itself , until activated (ie the

deity invited to come into it) is just an image, but as soon as you

invite the deity inside the murti, then that murti is not different

from the deity itself.

God is so merciful that he accepts to come within images and idols so

that we can worship him on a personal devotional level!

 

The thing that Abrahamic religions dont see which is actually leading

them onto their false teachings is this: they put limitations on God,

like only one name, one form (rather formless) only one son or

prophet etc, only one way to salvation etc...they also limit God,

saying that he CANNOT manifest in Idols, saints, gurus etc...

 

That is the FIRST of their mistakes...limiting God, which is the

basis of their beliefs...therefore the whole of Abrahamic religions

are flawed.

They are afraid of idol worship because its power proves their faiths

wrong...that's why they ban it.

 

In this age of Kali yuga, it is even more appropriate to worship God

through his/her images , it helps bring pure devotion and love for

God, gurus, saints etc, it helps to transform everyday actions into

pure pious actions, through puja etc...and is a most appropriate way

to receive God's darshan and blessings!

 

To meditate on his/her forms or guru form is very effective too, so

when you have a favourite murti or image, then meditate on that

particular form, place it in your heart chackra and visualise it

there, inside your heart and it will really be there.

 

just my 2 cents...

 

Phil Das Bhakta

 

JAI MA KALI!!!JAI BAJRANG BALI!!! JAI PHIL COLLINS!!!

[Guest guest]

dear jpc, yes... true bhakthi is faith, devotion, dedication and

committment and service... only a true bhaktha like prahlador hanuman

can understand fully this bhava of devotion..

 

you know that famous story of hanuman and the pearl necklace...

since hanuman jayanti is just a few days away (april 26th) let me

narrate it here for the benfit of this audience...

 

 

Once, Hanuman was presented by certain saints a necklace, fully laden

with costly pearls. On getting the necklace, Hanuman plucked each

pearl and cracked it with his sharp teeth, looked inside, and threw

away all the pearls, one by one, with disappointment. The saints

asked him what he was doing. Hanuman replied: `They are no good. I do

not see my venerable Sri Ram and Sita in any one of them. What is the

use of such necklace for me?`

 

 

The saints were shocked. How was it possible to see the images of

gods inside pearls? Hanuman clarified:'My gods Sri ram and Sita stay

everywhere, in all living and nonliving things. They are inside my

heart also.Do you wish to see for yourself?' The saints asked for

proof. Hanuman closed his eyes and prayed with deep devotion 'Hare

Ram Jai Sita Ram.' Then, with his strong hands, he beat his chest and

opened his breast and showed them the images of Sri Ram and Sita

imprinted there!

 

 

The saints were wonderstruck with this miracle. They were extremely

happy with Hanuman's devotion to Sri Ram.

 

the point is a picture is just a picture to one who has no dsevotion

in his/her heart - a scriptural book is just a book who has no faith

and so on and so forth...

 

a guru is god/ess to one who has faith, respect and veneration -

 

so, it is all a mind-set...

 

but my question is do not worry too much about how a picture of a god

looks? have you seen indonesian paintings of rama. sita and laxman

and hanuman- they look very different from indian painting of the

same rama. sita, laxman and hanuman? so can you claim the latter is

more authentic than the former? that is why we need to look beyond

the picture of what it represnts...

 

rama stands for DHARMA or devotion to duty -the ideal king

 

lakshmana stands for what an ideal brother should be like -

reverential to an elder brother

 

hanuman- the ideal devctee

 

sita- the ideal wife , chaste and p[ure...

 

so, while the symbols are important - they are at best symbols only-

it is what they stand for -that is important....

 

you will worship your guru phil collins whether he here on this

planet in his physical body or not...it is what he stands for that

you adore- his music, his philantrophy etc... am i correct or not...

 

all in love, jpc... that is why we have to ook beyond names and

forms...

 

Rama represents dharma or righteousness NOT JUST A PICTURE OF A KING

WITH A BOW AND ARROW!!!

 

love

[Guest guest]

Dear Maa,

 

Thanks for posting this great story of Hanumanji!

 

It is my favourite! So inspirational!

 

If one strives to be like Hanumanji, one will become the ideal

devotee!!!

 

JAI BAJRANG BALI!!! JAI MA KALI!!! JAI PHIL COLLINS!!!

 

Phil Das Bhakta

 

, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16>

wrote:

> dear jpc, yes... true bhakthi is faith, devotion, dedication and

> committment and service... only a true bhaktha like prahlador

hanuman

> can understand fully this bhava of devotion..

>

> you know that famous story of hanuman and the pearl necklace...

> since hanuman jayanti is just a few days away (april 26th) let me

> narrate it here for the benfit of this audience...

>

>

> Once, Hanuman was presented by certain saints a necklace, fully

laden

> with costly pearls. On getting the necklace, Hanuman plucked each

> pearl and cracked it with his sharp teeth, looked inside, and threw

> away all the pearls, one by one, with disappointment. The saints

> asked him what he was doing. Hanuman replied: `They are no good. I

do

> not see my venerable Sri Ram and Sita in any one of them. What is

the

> use of such necklace for me?`

>

>

> The saints were shocked. How was it possible to see the images of

> gods inside pearls? Hanuman clarified:'My gods Sri ram and Sita

stay

> everywhere, in all living and nonliving things. They are inside my

> heart also.Do you wish to see for yourself?' The saints asked for

> proof. Hanuman closed his eyes and prayed with deep devotion 'Hare

> Ram Jai Sita Ram.' Then, with his strong hands, he beat his chest

and

> opened his breast and showed them the images of Sri Ram and Sita

> imprinted there!

>

>

> The saints were wonderstruck with this miracle. They were extremely

> happy with Hanuman's devotion to Sri Ram.

>

> the point is a picture is just a picture to one who has no

dsevotion

> in his/her heart - a scriptural book is just a book who has no

faith

> and so on and so forth...

>

> a guru is god/ess to one who has faith, respect and veneration -

>

> so, it is all a mind-set...

>

> but my question is do not worry too much about how a picture of a

god

> looks? have you seen indonesian paintings of rama. sita and laxman

> and hanuman- they look very different from indian painting of the

> same rama. sita, laxman and hanuman? so can you claim the latter is

> more authentic than the former? that is why we need to look beyond

> the picture of what it represnts...

>

> rama stands for DHARMA or devotion to duty -the ideal king

>

> lakshmana stands for what an ideal brother should be like -

> reverential to an elder brother

>

> hanuman- the ideal devctee

>

> sita- the ideal wife , chaste and p[ure...

>

> so, while the symbols are important - they are at best symbols only-

> it is what they stand for -that is important....

>

> you will worship your guru phil collins whether he here on this

> planet in his physical body or not...it is what he stands for that

> you adore- his music, his philantrophy etc... am i correct or

not...

>

> all in love, jpc... that is why we have to ook beyond names and

> forms...

>

> Rama represents dharma or righteousness NOT JUST A PICTURE OF A

KING

> WITH A BOW AND ARROW!!!

>

> love

[Guest guest]

Thanks again Adi, you're too gracious for this cook. And you raised a

good point which may be a good question in iteself. Some objects are

said to be full murtis of God without consecration and invocation,

such as Shaligrama, Narmadeshwar Lingas, Rudraksha, Tulsi, and are

there others? I believe that there are no paralels in the West. Did

you all know Himalayas are the youngest mountain range on Earth?

Which is why it is still the tallest and most roughhewn. I think

some miraculous objects still exist in India because the land (not

the culture) is still young and verile. But this isn't the case in

Middle East or West. There are no actual natural objects of divinity

here. If there had been then perhaps Moses's abolishment of murti of

God would not have been commandment # 1. However, #1 says no images

of thing under sea or in air or on land caqn be worshipped, but the

above objects (rudraksha, etc, books even) are not images of things

but are themselves things. What other svyambhu objects are there?

-

adi_shakthi16

Wednesday, April 24, 2002 6:39 PM

Re: Idol Worship or idle worship? beyond names and forms?

dear kirk ( sidda ho) , i am getting to know you and i am really

getting to like you more and more... we are on the same wavelength...

did you know that when you start chanting on the rudraksha beads (the

object) it assumes all the qualities of god rudra himself? that is

why such meditation beads should always be treated with veneration

and respect and be place on a puja altar if you are not wearing them?

that is why all scriptures (like shrimad bhagvat gita, devi

mahatmiyam, , sree lalita sahasaranama etc,... ) should always be

placed on the deity altar when not in use? Concentration can be

practiced on any object. it could be on a deity picture or a burning

candlebut the ultimate objective of any form of dhyana or upasana is

to unite the individual self (jivatman) with the paramatman ( the

supreme self- thanx kirk for a lot of 'illumination' !!!! love To

from this group, send an email

to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

Groups is subject to the

[Guest guest]

my rudraksha kirk,

 

i would like to share with you and others regarding the worship of

shaligrama shila and tulasi plants - these objects of worship are to

be treated with a lot of respect and veneration- they are not to be

treated as mere 'symbols' or 'possessions' ---

 

here is the story on the origin of shaligrama shila ....

 

Shalgrama literally means 'found in the village where the sal tree

grows'. Shila means 'stone'. However the shalgrama shila is not a

stone but an ammonite fossil, found in different shades of black. It

is considered to be a stone and worshipped by Vaishnavas, who believe

it originated from different parts of Vishnu's body. Shalgrama shilas

have holes with spiral grooves on the sides, which are said to

resemble Vishnu's discus.

 

The Brihaddharma, Bhagavata and Kurma Puranas all testify to the

sanctity of the shalgrama shila; in fact, the Kurma Purana

identifies 'shalgrama' as a village on the banks of the river Gandaki

(a tributary of the Ganga), so named for its sal trees.

 

The shalgrama shila is worshipped in many homes even today. It is

believed that worshipping the shalgrama shila frees one from the

cycle of rebirth ). It is supposed to be owned only by Brahmins, and

is treated like an heirloom. The Atharva Veda (see Veda) states that

a Brahmin's Shilahouse without a shalgrama shila is as impure as a

cremation ground. The water in which a shalgrama shila is washed is

considered to be a cleanser of sins. It is also believed that

imbibing just one drop of shalgrama water gives the same merit as can

be achieved from performing every sacrifice and bathing in every

tirtha.

 

in this context 'brahmin' does not refer to caste but who who

observes and performs all the rites requored of a brahamana... like

wearing the sacred thread, performing gayatri jpa three times a day

etc... avoiding meat eating, drinking and smoking etc and

no 'promiscuous' sex outside oa marriage -these are strict rules that

are to be followed....

 

The Varaha Purana forbids women from touching the shalgrama shila. It

states that all the merits they have earned by following their karma

and by praying are nullified if they touch the stone. They are

permitted, however, to worship the shalgrama shila from afar or

through those men allowed to worship it. Even Brahmin women are not

permitted to worship the stone nor can they inherit it. If there is

no male heir, the stone is passed on to another Brahmin.

 

The most popular legend about the origin of the shalgrama shila is

the one associating it with tulasi or basil. According to the Devi

Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu had three wives: Sarasvati, Lakshmi and

Ganga. Once Lakshmi and Sarasvati quarreled and cursed each other.

Sarasvati's curse turned Lakshmi into a tulasi plant and forced her

to live on earth forever. Vishnu, however, intervened and modified

the curse, saying that Lakshmi would remain on earth as tulasi until

the river Gandaki flowed from her body. In the meantime, he would

wait by the riverside in the form of a stone to take her back to

heaven. This stone was the shalgrama shila, which remained on earth

as a representative of Vishnu.

 

Therefore, the shalgrama shila and tulasi plant is always worshipped

together as Vishnu and Lakshmi. Since they are so closely associated,

every year in the month of Kartik, the Vaishnavas marry a tulasi

plant to a shalgrama shila in an elaborate ceremony.

 

Today, the stone can be found in the bed of the Gandaki river, which

flows down through present-day Nepal and joins the Ganga in Bihar. It

is also found near the Narmada river. The largest and heaviest

shalgrama stone can be seen at the Jagannath Temple, dedicated to

Vishnu, at Puri in Orissa.

 

so, kirk, these shilas are found in NEpal and are very 'powerful'

symbols and are not 'toys' - in fact, once you bring them home, you

are supposed to install them as a deity in your altar and do regular

worship -

 

love

[Guest guest]

The contemplation of the Absolute is the highest form any religion can

take. But this enterprise of the mind requires of it an understanding

of the universal situation far beyond normal human comprehension. The

popular minds of the masses need a religion they can appreciate and

absorb into their daily life, and they demand a religious goal which

they can intelligibly plant in the soil of their feelings. The Epics

and Puranas have the avowed purpose of providing the average man with

a religion which he can practise with ease and confidence. It is

almost impossible to visualise the transcendental Being of the

Upanishads. Its manifestations in terms of Creation alone seem to be

possibly accessible to the common mind. God as related to the

Universe in the various phases of his revelation becomes the theme of

the theological teachings and discourses in the Puranas, risen out of

the subjects dealt with in the Epics, especially the Mahabharata.

 

The theology of the Puranas mainly centres round the Trinity,--Vishnu,

Brahma and Siva,--as also the incarnations of Vishnu and the Saktis of

the Trinity,--Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Durga,--and the two sons of Siva.

 

Though the worship of the gods and goddesses had its origin in the

Epics, and the Puranas only amplify the religious aspect of this

manifold adoration of God, there is some difference between the Epic

concept of these divinities and its religious magnification in the

Puranas. The Epics, for example, look upon the three gods as on an

equal footing and the notion of superiority or inferiority among them

is a development later than the time of the Epics. The Epic religion

is thus more catholic and dignified and it appears to be the first

movement of the religious ideology descended from the notion of the

Universal Being of the Upanishads. It is likely that there have been

several intereferences with the contents of the Puranas from zealots

of the religious dogma which diversified itself into many cults and

creeds as time advanced. In our treatment of the nature of the

different gods of the Indian pantheon, we shall confine ourselves to

what, in our opinion, is the genuine essence of the religious ideal

behind these developments of religious thought, as prior to and

different from the subsequent degradations of the purely spiritual

religion of the Upanishads and the Epics into various sectarian

ramifications in the form of cults of segregated and even contending

gods. As it is in the case of every religion in the world, certain

sections of Hinduism had their own immature and fanatical adherents

who tended to bring about an ideological dissension among people,

rather than unify hearts into a single whole of spiritual fervour,

which is the central aim of religion.

 

NARAYANA OR VISHNU

 

According to the Epics, the primeval God from whom the Universe

emanated through the creative will is Narayana, a term signifying,

according to these texts, the divine being who reposes on the

universal waters of the primordial condition of the Universe, or one

who is the goal, ideal and destination of all individuals. There are

references which make out that Narayana is prior to the division of

the phases of God into Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, though, later on,

Narayana got slowly identified with Vishnu. It is this identification

that has been the source of disagreement among the Vaishnavas and

Saivas as to the nomenclature of the One God, the one group asserting

that it is Vishnu and the other affirming that it is Siva. It does not

appear that originally the scripture had any intention of giving rise

to a contention between the devotees of Vishnu and Siva, because this

difference seems to be a later travesty of an initially great

religious urge to name the original God. As we have noticed earlier,

the Upanishads, at least the older ones, do not designate God by any

name that would create a sense of partiality in the minds of the

followers of religion. As it was found that the popular mind could

not grasp the too lofty concept of the Upanishads, the Epics

attempted to make God's relation to man more personal, so that the

human heart may yearn for him through its own limited feelings for

the Creator. Though the word 'Brahman' is retained both in the Epics

and the Puranas as an epithet of the Supreme Being, and the

supermental glory of God is still sung in the spirit and tone of the

Upanishads, the need for making religion a practical affair of

day-to-day life was a greater concern of these later scriptures than

merely an enunciation of Truth as it is. In addition to the term

Brahman, God is now addressed and referred to as 'Paramatman',

'Purusha', 'Ishvara', 'Bhagavan', and the like. The name 'Narayana',

therefore, as applied to God was not meant to be in opposition to the

possibility of God being called 'Siva'. The bigoted differences of

later times in religious policies and practices were due to a gross

anthropomorphism of the idea of God and a bringing down of the higher

God-ideal into the lower rung of a humanised God whom ardent followers

were eager to utilise as an instrument in fulfilling their own pious

wishes circumscribed to a nationality, a community, or even a single

family. Religion, thus, got diluted into petty, private notions and

communal cults which ended many a time in battles and wars, a

consequence which is far from the religious ideal, as the poles of

the earth standing apart. The name Narayana may be safely taken to be

an impartial reference to the Supreme Creator, as larger than and

prior to the manifestations of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, and not

affiliated to the specialised Vaishnava doctrine in any way. This

non-dogmatic attitude is substantiated by the descriptions of God in

the Srimad-Bhagavata. God may equally be called Paramasiva, in the

terminology of some of the Puranas. The Supreme Being, for the sake

of sustenance of the world, appears as Brahma, Vishnu and

Siva,--Brahma creating, Vishnu preserving and Siva, as Rudra,

destroying everything in the end. It is this Supreme Narayana who is

hymned in the Purusha-Sukta and the Narayana-Sukta of the Veda.

 

Vishnu is hailed as having his abode in Vaikuntha, with his consort,

Lakshmi. The Vishnu Purana describes Narayana and Lakshmi as an

inseparable reality, the one not capable of being distinguished from

the other. In a sense, Lakshmi is inherent in Narayana as his Sakti

or energy. He reposes on the great serpent, Mahasesha, who is

regarded as the support of the whole earth. Vaikuntha is situated in

the Milk-Ocean (Kshira-Sagara). Vishnu's weapons (Astras) are the

discus or Chakra called Sudarsana, the mace called Kaumodaki, the bow

called Saranga and the sword called Nandaka. His powerful conch is

called Panchajanya. The weapons of the Lord, called Astras, are

mystically driven forces, as different from the ordinary weapons

known to the world, which are called Sastras. The Astras are not

material instruments but powers that can be directed by even a

thought or will. Garuda, the bird, is the vehicle of Vishnu. The

Lord, as the protector of the Universe, incarnates himself now and

then for the welfare of everyone, through the establishment of Dharma

in the course of time. From the navel of Narayana, which is described

as a huge lotus, issued forth Brahma.

 

According to the Pancharatra doctrine, God is manifest in five forms.

These are called Para or the supreme form of his transcendent being;

Vyuha or the group of his forms called Vasudeva, Sankarshana,

Pradyumna and Aniruddha, who may be compared to the cosmic

consciousness, the cosmic intellect, the cosmic mind, and the cosmic

ego respectively; Vibhava or his glory seen through his incarnations

or Avataras; Archa or his presence manifest in his idols and images

worshipped by devotees; and Antaryamin or his immanent presence

within the Universe.

 

The Avataras of Vishnu are many. In the Srimad-Bhagavata at least

twenty-two are named, of which ten are the famous incarnations,

called Dasavataras. As is declared in the Bhagavadgita, the Lord

incarnates himself whenever there is decline of righteousness and a

rise of unrighteousness, for the sake of the protection of the good

and the righteous and putting down evil and wrong. For the

establishment of truth and justice he reveals himself in forms

suitable to the occasion. Among the Avataras, there are full

revelations of Divinity called Purna-Avatara and partial revelations

of it called Amsavatara or Kalavatara. Sri Krishna, according to the

Bhagavata, was a Purna-Avatara or complete manifestation of God.

 

Among the incarnations of Vishnu, which are not included among the ten

important ones, we should particularly make mention of a famous Divine

manifestation in the forms of Narayana and Nara, who are said to have

appeared again as Krishna and Arjuna for the benefit of the world.

The spiritual power and glory of Narayana and Nara is extolled to

great heights in the Epics and Puranas. The Mahabharata says that

their radiance and glory overshadowed even the greatness of Brahma,

the Creator. The Epic sings that their lustre fills the whole world

and reaches the heavens, that they glow like fire and are invincible

in all creation. They are bright like the sun, strong like the wind,

lustrous like fire, and beautiful like the moon, says the

Mahabharata. Their power was partly revealed when king Dambhodbhava

challenged them for battle, and when Indra with his retinue tried to

seduce them from their austerities. Dambhodbhava was overthrown most

humiliatingly and Indra made to hang his head in shame.

 

The Matsya Avatara, or the incarnation as the Fish, was assumed by

Vishnu for saving Manu and the seven sages from the raging flood at

the end of the Manvantara and rescuing the Vedas from destruction in

the cataclysm. As the Kurma Avatara, or incarnation as the Tortoise,

Vishnu supported the Mount Mandara on his back when it was used as a

churning rod by the gods for recovering Amrita or the celestial

nectar, and many other treasures which were lost in the cosmic ocean

at the time of Pralaya. In the Varaha Avatara, or the incarnation as

the Boar, Vishnu slew the demon Hiranyaksha and lifted the earth sunk

in the cosmic ocean. As Narasimha, or the Man-Lion, Vishnu destroyed

Hiranyakasipu, in spite of the latter's having received the

protection of boons from Brahma, against death through the

celestials, men and animals, both during the day and night, and from

weapons of every kind. Unfortunately for Hiranyakasipu, Narasimha was

neither god, man nor animal, for he bore the head of a lion and the

body of man and tore the Asura with nails which were not any weapon,

at dusk, which was neither day nor night. Bursting from a pillar with

the sound of the thunderbolt, Vishnu, as Narasimha, proved his

immanence even in material objects. The day of the revelation of

Narasimha (Narasimha-Jayanti) is observed by devotees on the 14th day

of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha (about the month of May).

As Vamana or the Dwarf, Vishnu strode the three worlds with his three

steps, covering the whole universe with his body, and overcame Bali,

the Asura king, consigning him to the nether regions. As Parasurama,

or Rama with the axe, Vishnu came to rid the earth of the arrogant

Kshatriyas who had overstepped the limits of decency and good conduct

and had become a menace to all righteous life. He raged round the

world twenty-one times, like a fierce fire, and destroyed the

Kshatriya race with his invincible axe. In the Rama Avatara, or

incarnation as Rama, Vishnu set the great example of Dharma on earth.

 

It is the glorious history of Rama that is the theme of the great epic

of Valmiki. Rama, the son of king Dasaratha, became an embodiment of

the perfection of all virtues and an ideal of every conceivable

quality of goodness. Valmiki, in his magnificent poetry, describes

Rama as a repository of strength, self-restraint, fortitude,

understanding, power of expression, extreme fineness of demeanour,

and as a protector of all and saviour of Dharma, learned in all the

scriptures and all the arts, dignified like the ocean, majestic like

the Himalayas, world-destroying fire in times of anger, and the very

earth itself in forgiveness. Rama is portrayed as one with raised

chest, long arms, rounded head, graceful forehead, of symmetrical

limbs, attractive colour, broad eyes, and most beautiful. His bow is

Kodanda, and the surety of the action of his arrows is proverbial as

the 'Rama-Bana'. Under the instigation of the youngest queen of the

king, the arrangements for Rama's coronation were foiled, and to

fulfil a promise made by the father to this queen, Rama repaired to

the forest, as a good son, whom his brother Lakshmana and consort

Sita followed. It was in the forest that Rama had to encounter the

Rakshasas or demons, who were a threat to the peaceful life of the

Rishis, the chief of the Rakshasas being Ravana. The occasion for a

war with the Rakshasas as a whole was the recovery of Sita from the

custody of Ravana, who had managed to carry away Sita stealthily from

the forest, while she was alone, and with this end in view, Rama made

alliance with Sugriva, the monkey king, who was in a similar

predicament due to his defeat at the hands of his brother, Vali. Rama

helped Sugriva in destroying Vali on the understanding that Sugriva

would make necessary arrangements for a search of the lost Sita. A

great hero in the Ramayana, next only to Rama, was Hanuman, the

minister of Sugriva. Hanuman's strength is a byword in every home,

and his great feat of jumping over the ocean to Lanka, the capital of

Ravana, expanding himself to a gigantic size, is exquisitely described

in the charming poetry of Valmiki, making one's hair stand on ends.

His heroic deeds in Lanka, his valour that struck terror even to the

undaunted Ravana, and his unselfishness, servicefulness,

self-restraint and wisdom have made Hanuman an immortal son of India,

whose glories are sung even today by thousands of devotees in the

land. Hanuman is recognised as one of the Chiranjivis or those who do

not die till the end of the world.

 

When the war with Ravana ended on his death at the hands of Rama, and

Sita was recovered, Rama returned to Ayodhya and was installed king.

Rama's exemplary rule is called 'Ramarajya'. Valmiki says that during

Rama's reign there were no widows, no fear from wild animals, no

disease, no anxiety due to wicked people, no calamity of any kind, no

child ever died, and all were happy because Dharma ruled the earth.

There was no mutual enmity among people and everyone was free from

sorrow. Everywhere people talked about Rama's greatness. Rama's name

filled the whole country when he ruled as king. The Avatara of Vishnu

as Rama was intended to set an ideal before humanity, an example of

perfection that man can ever reach morally, intellectually,

materially and spiritually, even when living a social life in the

world. The birth of Rama is observed on the 9th day of the bright

half of the month of Chaitra (March-April), as 'Ramanavami'.

 

It is commonly believed that while Vishnu came as Rama to demonstrate

human perfection, he came as Krishna to exhibit divine perfection.

There is a marked difference between the ideal and the conduct which

these two Avataras taught and revealed in the world of men. While

Rama is Maryada-Purushottama, God setting forth the ideal of

discipline, law, conduct and righteousness, Krishna is

Lila-Purushottama, God playing the divine sport of his transcendent

and supermental magnificence, glory and perfection in the world of

mortals.

 

Narayana and Nara, the great sages who are supposed to be performing

eternal penance in the holy shrine of Badrikashrama (modem

Badrinath), and who are the representations of Vishnu's presence on

earth, are regarded to have taken birth as Krishna and Arjuna,

respectively, for the redemption of the world from sin and evil.

Krishna, who is considered to be the Purna-Avatara (full incarnation)

of Vishnu or, according to some, of the Universal Narayana who

transcends even Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, revealed himself in Mathura

as the child of Vasudeva and Devaki. We need not go into details of

the miraculous and dramatic events of his early life in Vrindavana,

such as the spontaneous opening of the gates of the prison where

Vasudeva and Devaki were confined; the ebbing of the river Yamuna

when Vasudeva tried to cross it with the child Krishna; the

destruction of Putana and other Asuras like Sakata, Trinavarta,

Vatsa, Dhenuka, Baka, Agha, Pralamba, Kesi, Chanura and Kamsa at the

hands of the boy Krishna; the release of the sons of Kubera from

their curse due to which they were born as trees; his

self-multiplication as thousands of cows, calves and cowherds in

place of the real ones that were lost; the subjugation of the serpent

Kaliya; the swallowing of the forest fire; the lifting of the

Govardhana mountain and the humiliation of Indra; the bringing back

of the dead sons of Sandipani; and several other incidents of this

nature which revealed the divinity of Krishna even at an early age.

The most intriguing and significant incident in the early life of

Krishna is what has been called the Rasalila or his love-dance with

the Gopis of Vrindavana. Commentators have tried to interpret the

romantic seeking of Krishna by the Gopis and his response to their

search in a dalliance that surpasses understanding as the eternal

quest of objects for the Universal subject which is present in

everyone of them as their Atman, the seeking of the individual for

the Absolute in an ecstasy of feeling that the intellect cannot

measure or estimate, a rapture of love for God in which all

rationality is hushed, and the divine reaction from the Supreme Atman

in a revelation of multiple immanence or a universal

Self-manifestation, a state of spiritual super-consciousness in which

one forgets one's own personality and becomes conscious only of God's

existence everywhere in an emotion of love which bursts the bubble of

individuality, which, indeed, was the condition of the Gopis. There

was nothing of the human lust or physical passion in the immortal

dance of Rasa, when especially the age of Krishna was only of a small

boy who could not be expected to excite carnality in the minds of

elderly women in such large numbers. Another interpretation regards

this incident as an occasion when Krishna, though to physical

perception he was a small boy, appeared as a charming young hero in

the eyes of every Gopi, with everyone of whom he was individually

present by a multitudinousness of form which he assumed in the

majesty of the power of his Yoga. To a doubt expressed by Parikshit

on this question, sage Suka gives an adequate answer. The Lord, Suka

replies, appeared in human form to shower his grace on those who came

in contact with him and to create devotion in those who listen to the

greatness of his deeds and of his life. It is strange that the

husbands of the Gopis never missed their wives, having had them, by

the power of the Lord, always by their sides, even when the Rasa

dance was going on. How then, can human judgment of values be

applicable here? Further, Suka prescribes a study of the Rasa

chapters of the Bhagavata as a remedy for lust and a means to acquire

self-control and mastery over all desires.

 

While the early life of Krishna stimulates the tenderness of divine

devotion and love for a spiritual union with God through Madhurya

Bhakti or romantic aspiration and a silent melting of oneself in his

sweetness, his later life opens an entirely new chapter in the book

of human evolution, and stirs in one's mind Aisvarya Bhakti or

devotion by an irresistible attraction for the glory of his power and

knowledge.

 

Krishna closes his sportful life as a child and an adolescent with the

destruction of Kamsa, and suddenly assumes a stern outlook of life and

turns his attention to the work of freeing the world from all sources

of wickedness. The first serious opponent whom Krishna had to meet

was Jarasandha, king of Magadha, a worshipper of Rudra and a menace

to all good and Sattvika natures. He attacked Mathura repeatedly and,

after being harassed several times, Krishna and his elder brother

Balarama determined to rout his forces, sparing his life alone to

allow him opportunities for collecting larger forces which were

destined to be uprooted. It was here that Krishna assumed the weapons

of Vishnu, which all descended from the heavens, together with a

celestial chariot which he rode in war. With a view to the fulfilment

of future purposes politically manoeuvred by him as the world's

greatest statesman and spiritually ordained as the world's greatest

Yogin, Krishna got constructed a mighty and gorgeous fortress at

Dvaraka, in the Western ocean, from where he began to rule the

fortunes of people. The first question that arose in his mind was to

enquire into the fate of the Pandava brothers, with which errand he

sent Akrura to Hastinapura. His first meeting with the Pandavas was

during the marriage of Draupadi in the palace of Drupada. After the

marriage, Krishna offered them costly presents as a mark of respect.

When Yudhishthira expressed his desire to perform the Rajasuya

sacrifice, Krishna pointed out a great obstacle to it in Jarasandha

and cleverly arranged to get rid of the latter through a private deal

with Bhima. The occasion of the Rajasuya sacrifice of Yudhishthira

became also the scene of the death of Sisupala whose head Krishna

severed with his discus, Sudarsana. This event is the theme of a

famous poem of that name by the poet Magha and the incident may be

regarded as the background of the bigger and more complicated scenes

of the Mahabharata war. In the celebration of this sacrifice Krishna

is said to have allotted more honourable duties to other kings and

reserved for himself the humbler service of washing the feet of the

guests who came for the function and of removing the remains after

the banquet served by Yudhishthira to all those who attended the

sacrifice. It is here again that the divinity of Krishna was publicly

announced by Bhishma, to which Sisupala took exception and with

insolent words challenged Krishna for battle. Krishna met the

Pandavas now and then even while they were in exile, encouraging them

with comforting words and promise of help to vanquish their foes and

regain the kingdom. The incidents of Krishna's miraculous help to

Draupadi in the form of unending clothes in the court of the Kauravas

and his sudden appearance before her in the forest and demanding of

her a little food by the acceptance of which he filled the stomachs

of sage Durvasa and his large following of disciples are too

well-known to need any description. On the completion of the period

of exile by the Pandavas, Krishna arranged for a conference in the

court of Virata to decide the question of taking up arms against the

Kauravas. As a measure of intelligent statesmanship, Krishna,

however, accepted to go for a mission of peace with the Kauravas,

though he knew well that the mission was not going to serve its

purpose. As he himself expressed in his talk with Yudhishthira, it

was more a diplomatic move than a step that was really necessary or

meaningful. Sanjaya's description of Krishna to king Dhritarashtra in

his court is again a public proclamation of the divinity of Krishna.

Krishna revealed his powers to the apprehensive Yudhishthira when he

said that if the Kauravas attempted to do him any harm when he went

to them for peace, he would not wait for the war to destroy them, but

burn them down, single-handed, and relieve the burden of Yudhishthira.

The mission of Krishna to the court of Dhritarashtra, his famous

speech in the assembly and the stunning cosmic form which he showed

before the Kauravas, mark a wondrous scene in the great drama.

 

The next scene is the delivery of the gospel of the Bhagavadgita at

the commencement of the war, the contents of which we have briefly

explained elsewhere. His going for Bhishma with the Chakra, his

hypnotisation of the Kaurava forces by his looks, the confusion he

caused in the minds of the opposing army by making everyone in the

battlefield look like Krishna and Arjuna his dextrous moves which

assisted Arjuna in vanquishing the Samsaptakas, his intelligence

which destroyed the invincible Bhagadatta, his Yogic power which

worked in overcoming Jayadratha, his clever stratagem, again, which

foiled the Sakti of Karna while simultaneously getting rid of the

demoniacal Ghatotkacha, the way in which he saved the Pandavas from

the Narayana-Astra of Asvatthama and invoked the help of Rudra

himself in the war for the victory of Dharma in the cause of the

Pandavas, the power which he exercised in vanquishing Karna's weapons

sent against Arjuna and in the saving of the latter from being burnt

while his chariot itself was reduced to ashes by the Astras of

Bhishma and Drona, his common-sense in the event of the killing of

Duryodhana, and the mysterious instructions of his which saved the

Pandavas from being destroyed by the icy hands of Asvatthama, his

succour of the child in the womb of Uttara, his great understanding

which saved Bhima from being crashed at the embrace of Dhritarashtra,

are all highly interesting and instructive episodes described in the

Mahabharata. He showed his cosmic form four times in his

life,--firstly to his mother Yasoda, secondly in the court of the

Kauravas, thirdly to Arjuna on the eve of the war, and fourthly to

sage Uttanka. The prayers offered by Kunti and Bhishma to Krishna, as

recorded in the Bhagavata and the Mahabharata, are magnificent not

merely as forms of literary force, but also as specimens of the

glorification of God in his Avatara as Krishna.

 

There are many other incidents in the personal life of Krishna

mentioned in the Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata which inspire

one spiritually and provide a stimulating reading in the biography of

one who demonstrated to the world the character of all-round

perfection. The birth of Krishna is celebrated on the eighth day of

the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September) every

Year.

 

The purpose of the Krishna-Avatara was not only to destroy

unrighteousness but also to reveal to the world the glory and

greatness of God. In the well-adjusted integral conduct of the life

of Krishna is manifest the majesty of the Almighty.

 

The last two Avataras among the ten mentioned are those of Buddha and

Kalki. Often the Buddha-Avatara is identified with the advent of the

Sakya prince, Gautama, son of king Suddhodana, who is known to the

world as Buddha. It is the opinion of many historians that Hinduism

wished to absorb Buddhism into its fold by recognising Buddha as an

incarnation of Vishnu. But there is also an orthodox view which holds

that Buddha, the incarnation of Vishnu, was a different person

altogether, who came with the purpose of deluding the Asuras in order

to overcome them for the establishment of righteousness. The Avatara

of Kalki is yet to come and is supposed to be a corrective force of

God, descending at the end of the Kali age, to root out

unrighteousness when it reaches its extreme and becomes intolerable.

Kalki is said to come riding on a white horse and brandishing a

flaming sword, flying like the wind, judging and destroying the

wicked, saving the good, the just and the divine and restoring the

Krita-Yuga once again in the world.

 

The glories of Narayana or Vishnu are sung in the Purusha and Vishnu

Suktas of the Rig-Veda, the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa, the six

Vaishnava Puranas, the Tripadvibhuti-Mahanarayana Upanishad, the

Vaishnava Agamas and the songs of the Vaishnava saints.

 

SIVA

 

Siva or Rudra is one of the Trinity and is regarded as a great

benefactor of the Universe, having his abode in Mount Kailasa, with

his consort Parvati, his children Ganesa and Skanda, and his vehicle,

the bull, called Nandi. Siva has three eyes representing the Sun, Moon

and Fire, the third one usually closed, except at the time of the

destruction of things. He wears a Jata or matted hair, supports Ganga

on his head and the crescent moon on his matted lock, holds a trident

in his hand, besmears himself with Bhasma or holy ash, is decorated

with snakes in the head, neck and arms, and has a blue neck due to

his having drunk poison during the time of the churning of the ocean

by the gods. He is clothed in tiger-skin, or, sometimes, the skin of

the elephant. His bow is called Ajagava and his main Astra is

Pasupata. He remains mostly in a state of meditation for the good of

the Universe and is called Yogisvara or the master of Yogins. His

glories as the immanent Divine Presence are sung in the Namaka and

Chamaka sections of the renowned hymn of the Yajurveda, called the

Rudra-Adhyaya or Satarudriya. He is Mrityunjaya or Conqueror of

Death, and devotees meditate on him as such to avert calamities of

every kind. His final sport during the dissolution of the Universe is

called Tandava, a form of terrific dance with wild rhythm, spelling

death and devastation everywhere. In this form he is called Nataraja

or the Lord of dancers. He is worshipped mainly in the form of Linga

or a rounded stone which is often erroneously identified with the

emblem of the phallus. The Linga has a deep significance in mystic

psychology, representing formlessness and infinity. Siva is called

Pasupati or the Lord of beasts, for, from the point of view of divine

perfection, all created beings are like beasts in their nature. The

main incidents that are narrated in his Lilas or sportful deeds are

the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice, the burning of Manmatha

(Cupid) with the fire of his third eye when the former tried to tempt

him by distracting him from meditation, the destruction of the

Tripuras (three cities) in which work Brahma and Vishnu assisted him,

the drinking of the poison arisen from the churning of the ocean, and

the bearing of Ganga on his head. He is also said to have taken the

form of Dakshinamurti, a personality he assumed to impart knowledge

to the seeking Kumaras or the first-born sons of Brahma. The famous

annual worship of Siva, called Sivaratri, or the Night of Siva, falls

on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Phalguna

(February-March). He is the supreme God of the Saivas, as Vishnu is

of the Vaishnavas, though, as we have observed earlier, no marked

distinction between them is made in the earlier scriptures. The more

informed ones continue to adore Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, not as three

gods but three facets of the Supreme Being.

 

The Rudra-Sukta of the Rig-Veda, the Satarudriya of the Yajurveda, the

Saiva Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the six Saiva Puranas, the Saiva

Agamas and the songs of the Saiva saints sing of the glories of Siva.

 

GANESA

 

Ganesa or Ganapati, as he is called, is the first son of Siva and is

elephant-headed, pot-bellied and holds weapons like the trident, the

noose, etc. He is the god who is always worshipped first in all

functions, rituals, ceremonies and every auspicious undertaking, as

the remover of obstacles and bestower of fortunes. Ganesa is adored

as the emblem of wisdom which is indicated by the elephant's head.

His vehicle is the mouse. The mouse which is the smallest of animals

and the elephant which is the biggest as embodied in his form are

regarded as symbols of his mastery over everything, from the lowest

to the highest. There are many legends connected with his enterprises

which endear him to everyone and make him the beloved god worshipped

by every cult or sect, in all good beginnings. Ganesa is worshipped

annually through an all-India festival, which is as famous as either

Ramanavami, Krishna-Ashtami or Sivaratri, on the fourth day of the

bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).

 

People undertake a special observance in honour of Ganesa, called

Siddhi-Vinayaka-Vrata, for the attainment of particular ends in view,

usually for clearing oneself of false accusations, recovering lost

objects, regaining lost status, or removing of obstacles on one's

way.

 

The Ganesa Purana and the Ganapatyatharva-sirsha Upanishad are devoted

to the glorification of Ganesa.

 

DEVI

 

Vishnu, Siva and Devi may be regarded as the chief deities universally

worshipped in Hinduism. The concept of Devi, often identified with

Durga, has a very ancient origin. Reference is made to the great

goddess in the Rig-Veda and the Mahabharata. The hymns devoted to her

in this Veda extol her as the embodiment of divine Power by which the

Universe is sustained. The great Mother sung in the Veda appears as

Uma of golden hue in the Kenopanishad. In the Mahabharata, she is

mentioned as the sister of Krishna and thus bears a relation to

Vaishnavism. She is also adored by Saivas as the consort of Siva.

Yudhishthira offered prayers to Devi for relief from suffering and

for protection in distress. Krishna asked Arjuna to pray to her

before the commencement of the war. But the most famous scripture

which sings the glories of Devi is the Devimahatmya or Saptasati,

regarded almost on a par with the Bhagavadgita. The Saptasati is a

part of the Markandeya Purana. Devi is referred to as Chandi, Durga,

Kali, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. She is often indistinguishable from

Parvati, the divine consort of Siva. The goddess is annually

worshipped in a nine-day festival called the Navaratri Puja, during

the first nine days of the bright half of the month of Asvayuja

(September-October). The adoration of Devi grew into a philosophical

and mystical worship of Sakti as the inherent power of the Absolute,

which transcended the exoteric ritualism of the Veda-Samhitas and

Puranas.

 

In the Devimahatmya, the goddess is described as having manifested

herself in three significant forms, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and

Mahasarasvati. In the first form she woke up Vishnu from his cosmic

sleep, to encounter the Asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, who had risen in

the cosmic ocean. In the second form she met the forces of the demon

Mahishasura and slew him with his forces. In the third form she

destroyed the Asuras Sumbha and Nisumbha with their forces and

brought peace to the gods in heaven and to the world of men. These

three forms of Devi are identified with the revelations of Divinity

through the primordial qualities of Tamas, Rajas and Sattva,

respectively. They are also equated with the manifestations of the

Universal Powers of action (Kriya), Desire (Ichha) and Knowledge

(Jnana). The hymns to Devi in the Devimahatmya are charged with a

fervour of feeling and charm of expression which are rarely seen in

religious literature.

 

Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati are the spouses of Siva, Vishnu and

Brahma, respectively, inseparable from their Lords, as heat from

fire, which hints at the truth that the manifestations of the Saktis

are ultimately God himself in action. Durga rides on a lion.

Sometimes she is depicted as riding on a tiger. Though her abode is

Kailasa, with her Lord, Siva, she manifests herself everywhere in

creation as the beloved saviour of her worshippers. She is said to

have eight hands and holds the various weapons of the gods. She is

the goddess of transformation, destruction, war and pestilence, of

disease as well as its medicine. She is the Samhara-Sakti or the

all-destroying power of God as Siva or Rudra. Lakshmi is worshipped

as seated on a lotus and also holding lotuses in her hands. She is

the protective and sustaining power of God as Vishnu. She is the

goddess of prosperity, wealth, fortune, peace and plenty. She is the

preservative power of God and, being the consort of Vishnu, is also

worshipped as Sita, the wife of Rama and Rukmini, the wife of

Krishna, as also Radha, the favourite of Krishna in his early life.

Lakshmi is regarded as having her particular presence manifested in

cattle, grains and gold. Sarasvati is the creative power of God as

Brahma and is portrayed as seated on a swan and holding a lute (Vina)

and a book in her hands. She is hailed as Vak, or speech, in the

Rig-Veda Samhita and is the presiding deity over all fine arts,

especially music and literature. She is the favourite deity of

students, writers and musicians.

 

The Saktas, or worshippers of Sakti, adore Devi as Tripurasundari and

Rajarajesvari, the great reality of the Universe.

 

The Devi-Sukta of the Rig-Veda, the Sakta Upanishads, the Mahabharata,

the Devimahatmya, the Devi-Bhagavata, Lalitopakhyana, the Sakta Agamas

and the works of Bhaskararaya glorify Devi in her various aspects.

 

BRAHMA

 

Though Brahma is one of the Trinity of gods, he is not one of the

deities commonly worshipped in religion. There is only one temple, in

Pushkar, dedicated to him and, strangely, he is not the favourite god

of any section of the Hindu faith. The Puranas describe his

manifestation from the lotus of the navel of Vishnu, before creation.

It was he who invoked Devi, Durga, as the Sakti of the Almighty, for

the first time, to wake up Vishnu from his divine slumber

(Yoga-Nidra) during dissolution (Pralaya). Brahma is the creator of

the existing Universe in all its planes. He is, thus, called the

grandfather (Pitamaha) of Creation. He is four-headed and is the

revealer of the Vedas to his creation. In the scriptures, his status

is stated to be very important and he is worshipped through penance

by those who aspire for invincible powers, especially the Asuras,

whom he blesses, unfortunately, to the woe of the Devas or

celestials. Brahma is also called Hiranyagarbha, the first-born

Creator of all things. He is sung in the Rig-Veda and identified with

the cosmic Prana in the Brahmanas and the Upanishads. He is also

identified with the Cosmic Mind or the Cosmic Intellect, regarded as

the first movement of the Absolute. The mystic weapon or Astra in

which he is invoked is called Brahma-Astra, the most deadly of divine

missiles, used by experts in ancient warfare. He is the progenitor of

the four Kumaras and the ten Prajapatis, and from his forehead arose

Rudra or Siva. Brahma divided his body into Manu and Satarupa and

became the source of the diversity of beings. Though six of the

eighteen Puranas are supposed to be devoted to him, he is scarcely

worshipped today, either in private or public.

 

The name, Brahma, used in the masculine gender, is to be carefully

distinguished from Brahman, a designation of the Absolute, used in

the neuter gender.

 

SKANDA

 

Skanda, the second son of Siva, and the younger brother of Ganesa, is

also known as Kumara, Karttikeya, Shanmukha, Subrahmanya, and by many

other names. His banner is the cock and vehicle the peacock which

stands clutching a serpent in its talons. His Saktis or inseparable

powers are Valli and Devasena whom he assumed in the course of the

great history describing his multi-formed life of a series of

exploits both in the celestial and temporal realms. The devotees of

Skanda form a large part of the population especially of Southern

India, and constitute one of the important sections of the religion

of the country. The advent of Skanda was the background of occasion

when Siva burnt Manmatha with his third eye, a penalty he inflicted

on Kama or the god of love for disturbing him in his meditation. The

story goes that the sparks which flashed forth from the third eye of

Siva rushed through space, which Vayu and Agni carried and dropped

into the river Ganga. Ganga, being unable to contain the divine

energy, shoved it on to her banks, upon a shrub of reeds known as

Sara. There is thus a combination of the ether, air, fire, water and

earth principles in the depositing of the Tejas or energy of Siva in

the world. The cumulative force which combined the forms of the five

elements impregnated with the divine power of Siva (Divya-Tejas)

manifested itself as a sixfold divinity with six faces (Shanmukha),

including both the unmanifest and manifest elements in a single

being. This is the child of Siva, of mysterious birth, mysterious

bringing up, under mysterious circumstances, for a mysterious purpose

which the gods alone knew. The third eye represents the principle of

intelligence and Skanda, thus, as a revelation through the third eye

of Siva, is said to stand for an incarnation of Divine Knowledge.

 

The principal weapon of Skanda is a spear (Vel), pointed at its end

and tall in stature. Devotees understand by it the need for

one-pointedness of mind in slaying the demon of ignorance, which is

expected to be sharp and sure in its aim. The gods, under the advice

of Brahma, connived the birth of Skanda through the instrumentality

of Siva and his consort Parvati. The Asuras,--Surapadma, Simhamukha

and Taraka,--who wrought havoc everywhere in creation, could be

destroyed only by the son of Siva manifested as a special divine

Power. Skanda became the General of the celestial forces (Senani) and

he is worshipped as the martial god of Hinduism. The day on which he

slew the Asura is celebrated on the sixth day of the bright half of

the month of Karttika (October- November) according to one tradition,

and the month of Margasirsha (November-December) according to another.

 

The Skanda Purana is devoted to the glorification of Skanda and his

sportful routing out of the Asuras. The great battle between the

celestial forces led by Skanda and the Asuras is an epic by itself.

Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava is a famous Sanskrit poem on the birth of

the war-god. The Tamil poem, 'Tiruppugazh', by the saint

Arunagirinathar, is held in as much esteem by the devotees of Skanda

as the Vedas in Sanskrit or the 'Divya-Prabandham' in Tamil

Vaishnavism and the 'Tevaram' in Tamil Saivism. His 'Skandaranubhuti'

and 'Skandaralankaram' are other renowned songs on the love and

experience of God as Skanda. It may be safely said that the cults of

Vishnu, Siva, Sakti, Ganesa, Surya and Skanda form the six great

sections in the book of the religion of the Hindus. Some would like

to add the Pasupata cult, which is a minor group of the worshippers

of Siva in a particular form. The Mahabharata recounts the principal

deeds of Skanda. The Kumara Tantra forms an important literature on

the worship of Skanda. The Skanda Purana is a sacred book devoted to

Skanda, and in its Tamil recension records the mighty deeds of the

god.

 

SURYA

 

The sun-god is known as Surya or Aditya and his greatness is sung in

the Rig-Veda in sections specially devoted to him, where it is

declared that 'Surya is the Soul, both of the moving and unmoving

beings' (Surya atma jagatas tasthushas cha). 'This Aditya is, verily,

Brahman' (Asavadityo Brahma) says a renowned passage. It is also said

that 'Surya is the visible God' (Suryah pratyakshadevata). It is not

difficult to imagine the indebtedness of everything in the world to

the existence of the Sun. The life of all creatures on earth, of men,

animals and plants, is vitally influenced by the solar energy and,

inasmuch as nothing can survive without it, the Sun is veritably the

Soul of all things. The power that the Sun exerts on the earth is

such that the religious observance of Sandhya-Vandana or the prayer

to be offered during the three junctions of the day in relation to

the Sun,--morning, noon and evening,--is considered obligatory on the

part of every orthodox Hindu who has been invested with the sacred

thread (Upanita). The solar power actuates the body, Prana and even

mind, without one's knowing it, and the health and growth of beings

axe much dependent on the Sun.

 

The Sun, in India, is not regarded merely as a bright heating orb,

packed with atomic energy that is released into a form of forceful

activity. To the religious mind, Surya is the resplendent Divine

Person (Hiranmaya Purusha), a representative of God in the world,

manifesting himself as life-giving power and sustaining strength

everywhere and bringing the message that God is the great Light of

all lights (Jyotisham jyotir uttamam). The stirring prayers to the

Sun in the Rig-Veda form the Mahasaura-Suktas, which identify the

immanent divinity in the Sun with the One Reality (Ekam Sat). The

Sun is an eye of the Virat-Purusha, and is the presiding deity over

the eyes of all. The soul which reaches Krama-Mukti (gradual

salvation) passes through the region of the Sun--Surya-Dvara. The

Vedas are full with ecstatic declamations on the glory of the Sun,

who is a divine colossus striding over the world with dazzling beauty

and all-inspiring splendour. The Isavasya Upanishad has a special

prayer offered to the Sun by a dying man. The Prasnopanishad

identifies the Sun with Prana (vital energy) and the Chhandogya

Upanishad visualises in him the face of God and makes him the centre

of the mystic meditation called Madhu-Vidya. A special physical

exercise called Surya-Namaskara is devoted to the worship of the Sun

and is daily practised by devotees during their morning prayers

(Sandhya-Vandana). The deity of the celebrated Gayatri-Mantra of the

Veda is the Sun (Savita). In the Valmiki-Ramayana the sage Agastya is

reported to have initiated Rama into a particular form of prayer to

the Sun, called Aditya Hridaya, to enable him to bring about the

destruction of Ravana. Yudhishthira prayed to the Sun, when he was in

penury, and obtained a celestial vessel from the god, which supplied

him inexhaustible food.

 

The time when the movement of the Sun towards the northern hemisphere

of the earth commences is called Makara-Sankranti (the junction of

the capricorn), when the Sun enters the tenth house of the Zodiac,

about the middle of the month of January, which is regarded as a kind

of New Year by many. Bhishma of the Mahabharata fame waited for the

beginning of the Northern course of the Sun, to leave his mortal

coil. The seventh day of the bright half of the month of Magha

(January-February) is called Rathasaptami, and is supposed to be the

day on which the Northern movement of the Sun takes definite effect,

and is traditionally regarded as the day when the chariot of the Sun

is diverted to the North by his charioteer, Aruna. The plant which is

sacred to the Sun is called Arka, whose leaves are placed by people on

their heads when they take the sacred bath on this day.

 

HANUMAN

 

A great hero in the Ramayana is Hanuman, an unparalleled source of

strength, self-control, knowledge and the spirit of service.

Tradition sings of his birth as a child of the deity of the wind

(Vayu) through Anjana, a celestial woman of the simian species.

Hanuman was blessed by Brahma, the creator, and all the gods, with

invincible powers and deathlessness as a recompense for the hurt

feelings of Vayu when his son was pushed down by Indra on the

former's attempting to rise up to the orb of the Sun and catch it, in

the playfulness of childhood. It is reported that Hanuman, with the

matchless powers thus bestowed on him by the goodness of Brahma and

the gods, ravaged the sacrificial grounds of the Rishis, in sheer

mischief, and the Rishis, knowing the power of Hanuman, cursed him to

a state of forgetfulness of his powers until he was reminded of them

by someone. Hanuman was immediately reduced to a state of

powerlessness due to this incident and he lived for long years in

Kishkindha as a minister to king Sugriva, but without consciousness

of his strength. The time came when he had to be sent in search of

Sita, the wife of Rama, and it was here that Jambavan, the

bear-chief, reminded Hanuman of his early life and the powers he

possessed. Valmiki says that, on thus being reminded, Hanuman

immediately grew big in size and struck his tail with force and

demonstrated an awe-inspiring form which delighted everyone on the

possibility of success in the mission.

 

Valmiki's description of Hanuman's jumping across the ocean, to reach

Lanka, is vivid and picturesque. Hanuman shook the mountain on which

he stood and carried some trees which flew with him due to his force.

He entered Lanka after overcoming the obstacles that stood on his way

in the form of three superhuman powers called Surasa, Chhaya and

Lankini. Having discovered Sita in Lanka after great effort,

Hanuman's mind worked in a most unexpected manner, and he began to

contemplate an aspect of work which was not exactly a part of the

mission with which he was sent. His anger on Ravana took shape, and

he determined to cause a general destruction of the beloved grove of

the latter, not only to manifest his strength but also to see the fun

of the Rakshasas getting devastated at his hands. He assumed a

terrific form, with a gigantic size, towering like a mountain, and

resplendent with the glory of the supernatural in him. He made

short-work of the Asoka grove of Ravana and began to rove like a

ravaging tempest. When news of this reached Ravana, he sent his armed

forces, all of which Hanuman crushed in mere play. Ravana, then, sent

eminent leaders, who were all pounded at the hands of Hanuman, and it

looked that the whole of Lanka would be broken down if necessary steps

were not taken. When Indrajit, the son of Ravana, applied the Brahma-

Astra against Hanuman, the poet says, Hanuman deliberately yielded,

not only with a view to give respect to the Astra of Brahma, but also

to seeking opportunity for seeing Ravana, face to face. Hanuman,

hound, was taken before Ravana, where he had a bold speech with the

Rakshasa king, at which the enraged king ordered his tail to be set

fire to with rags soaked in oil. The result was that Hanuman, with

his tail in flames, expanded his size and, crushing the Rakshasas

near him, jumped from one house-top to another, setting fire to the

whole city, when, it is said, a powerful wind blew, increasing the

fury of the flames, as if Hanuman's father was pleased at his

heroism, and Lanka was in the panic of death threatening all over.

 

Having seen Sita, again, to ensure that she was not burnt by the

flames, Hanuman jumped back across the ocean to convey to Rama the

good news of his having seen Sita. After the happy news was received,

Rama rattled forth to Lanka with huge armies of monkeys to fight the

forces of Ravana, in which epic battle Hanuman played parts of

immortal honour. Hanuman is hailed as master of all the Vedas and all

the nine grammars. He is supposed to be the candidate for the post of

Brahma in the next cycle (Kalpa) of creation. Hanuman is one of the

seven Chiranjivis or those fortunate ones who will not die till the

end of the Universe.

 

The Sundara-Kanda of the Ramayana, which describes the exploits of

Hanuman, is generally read to avert fear from enemies.

 

MINOR GODS

 

Sasta: A legend in the Puranas states that when, during the churning

of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras, nectar rose from it, Vishnu, in

the form of a charming damsel, bewitched the Asuras into a state of

infatuation and, when they thus forgot themselves, she shrewdly

distributed the nectar to the gods. News of this incident reached

Siva who expressed a desire to see the form which Vishnu took to

beguile the Asuras. When Vishnu demonstrated that form, Siva is said

to have been so enchanted by it that he ran and embraced Vishnu in

that feminine form. The energy of Siva which was released at that

moment became the reason for the birth of Sasta or Harihara Putra

(son of Vishnu and Siva), as he is called. This desire of Siva need

not intrigue the minds of devotees, for it is only indicative of the

intensity of the beauty into which Vishnu transformed himself. To

tempt him who reduced to ashes the god of love, beauty should have

assumed a form no mortal can ever imagine. The possibility of

temptation transcends the resources of the Universe. The incident is

both a lesson to the seekers of Truth and a peep into the richness of

God's powers.

 

Sasta is commonly known as Ayyappan in Southern India and his

spiritual presence is believed to be concretely manifest in the great

temple dedicated to him in the Sabari hills (Sabarimalai) in the state

of Kerala. Devotees regard a pilgrimage to this temple as a sacred

ritual and a spiritual Sadhana and this vow of pilgrimage to the

temple in the Sabari hills is, in the solemnity and sacredness

associated with it, akin to the Kavadi Yatra performed by the

devotees of Skanda or the Varkari vow of devotees of Vitthala in

Maharashtra. Though Sasta is specially worshipped in the South, the

cult is now slowly spreading to the other parts of India.

 

The Loka-Palas: Theguardian deities of the different directions are

called Loka-Palas or protectors of the world. Indra is the ruler of

the East, Yama of the South, Varuna of the West, Kubera of the North,

Agni of the South-East, Nirriti of the South West, Vayu of the

North-West, and Isana of the North-East. Dyaus is regarded as the

deity of the atmosphere above and Prithivi or Bhudevi of the earth.

Indra is the famous god sung in the Vedic hymns, wielding the

thunderbolt, lord over the clouds and rains and king of the heavens.

The weapon of Indra is Vajra and his capital is Amaravati. Yama is

the god of death, the dispenser of justice to the souls of the dead,

and in this capacity he is known as Dharma-Raja or the lord of

righteousness. Though the function of Yama is dispensation of natural

retributive justice, like that of a judge, the tendency of people is

to look upon him as a fierce god of punishment to the souls after

their departure from this world. He is regarded as the son of

Vivasvan or the Sun, and so he is called Vaivasvata. He is also the

lord of the Pitris or ancestors who have gone to the other world. The

dreaded rod he wields is the Danda (known as Yamadanda). His vehicle

is the buffalo and his capital is Samyamani. His clerk is Chitragupta

who records the deeds of everyone for judgment by Yama on them. Varuna

is the lord of waters, regarded often as the deity of the ocean. He is

lord over all aquatic beings. Kubera is a sort of fairy-god and lives

in Alakapuri. He is regarded as the treasurer of Siva whose abode is

Kailasa. Agni is the fire-god, famous in the Veda as the carrier of

oblations offered in sacrifices to those who are addressed by the

Mantras. He is the all-purifier and is invoked in every sacrificial

altar where oblations are offered. Nirriti is a demi-god evidently of

a low cadre. Vayu is the wind-god. Isana is a special manifestation of

Siva guarding a direction. Dyaus is the spirit of the atmosphere and

Prithivi the spirit of the earth. Sometimes the moon-god is regarded

as the presiding deity of the North.

 

Kama: The Indian love-god or Cupid is called Kamadeva. Though he is

identified with the Kama that is mentioned in the Nasadiya-Sukta of

the Rig-Veda and thus is a kind of self-born being, it is evident

that the Kama of this Sukta is an epithet of the cosmic creative Will

and cannot be identified with the Kamadeva of the Epics and Puranas.

Kama (desire) is described as a handsome youth with a bow of

sugarcane decked with a row of bees and with arrows made of flowers.

His principal shafts are said to be five, perhaps referring to the

senses. His wife is Rati (pleasure). He is always attended by a

troupe of celestial nymphs called Apsarases, thus forming a force of

erotic attraction. He is deputed to tempt sages performing Tapas, to

wean them away from their purpose. This is clearly a personification

of sense-desires which obstruct any attempt at the spiritual

unification of the Soul. Kama tempted the Rishis, Narayana and Nara,

who put him to shame by producing with their power an Apsaras more

beautiful than those of his party. He tempted sages like Visvamitra

and his temptation of Buddha as Mara is a famous episode in the life

of the saint. In his attempt to distract Siva he got destroyed

through the fire that issued from the third eye of the former, which

occasion is celebrated all over India as Kamadahana, or burning of

the love-god, on a day called Holi, which falls on the full-moon day

of the month of Phalguna (February-March). Thenceforward, Kama had

the name Ananga or the bodiless. Kama is associated with the spring

season when desires are said to be more active in living beings.

 

OTHER DEITIES, DEMI-GODS AND OBJECTS OF WORSHIP, REVERENCE AND AWE

 

Besides the Devatas or deities whose characteristics have been briefly

stated above, almost every village in India has a presiding deity

(Grama-Devata), most of whom are goddesses ultimately identified with

Durga. These local gods and goddesses of the villages are represented

by images in small shrines or even a fetish adored under a sacred

tree. Apart from these, ancient cities in India had their own

guardian deities. Also, some of the cities themselves were and even

now are regarded as sacred, e.g., Badrikashrama (Badrinath),

Kedaranath, Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar or Kanakhal, Kasi (Varanasi),

Dvaraka, Avanti (Ujjayini), Puri (Jagannath), Pushkar and

Manasasarovara in North India, and Kanchi (Kanjeevaram), Ramesvaram,

Madurai, Tirupati, Srirangam, Tiru- Anantapuram (Trivandrum), Palani,

Kanyakumari and many others in the South. Also, the confluences of

sacred rivers, called Prayagas, are regarded as very sacred, the main

Prayagas being Bhatta- Prayaga (Allahabad), Devaprayaga, Rudraprayaga,

Karnaprayaga, Nanda-Prayaga, Vishnu-Prayaga and Kesava-Prayaga. Except

the first one, all the Prayagas are in the Himalayan regions, along

the lines of the rivers Ganga and Alakananda.

 

The Rishis are a set of superhuman beings who may be living in any

plane at their will and are repositories of spiritual dignity and

power. The most famous among them are the ten first-born sons of

Brahma, viz., Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu,

Bhrigu, Vasishtha, Daksha and Narada, as well as Vyasa (Dvaipayana),

Agastya, Brihaspati, Kasyapa, Bharadvaja, Gotama, Jamadagni, Suka,

Dattatreya, Vamadeva, Visvamitra and Durvasa. The Rishis are

worshipped on Rishi-Panchami which falls on the fifth day of the

bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August- September). The

Siddhas are a class of perfected saints supposed to be residing in

the heavenly regions. The Pitris or the spirits of the ancestors are

regarded as residents of Pitriloka and Chandra- Loka. The Pitris are

offered an annual worship on the New-Moon day of the month of

Bhadrapada.

 

The Nagas are a group of snake-spirits, often portrayed as having a

half-human form with a serpent's tail. Their abode is Bhogavati in

the nether worlds. They are the guardians of the treasures

underground and may bestow some of them on human beings when

propitiated. The Nagas can take human form if they so wish. As their

emblem, the snake, especially the cobra, is revered and worshipped in

villages. The snake has a traditions of respectful descent from such

snake-deities as Sesha and Vasuki. The Nagas are specially worshipped

on Naga-Panchami which falls on the fifth day of the bright half of

the month of Sravana (July-August). The Yakshas have Kubera as their

lord, living in Alakapuri in the Himalayas, and constitute a group of

semi-celestial gnomes or fairies. The Gandharvas are the heavenly

musicians who entertain Indra in his court. The Kinnaras are also a

set of celestial musicians. The Apsarases are the consorts of the

Gandharvas and are supposed to be excessively beautiful and tempting.

It is the Apsarases whom Indra sends to obstruct the penances of the

sages. The Vidyadharas live in aerial cities magically constructed in

the Himalayan areas. They can fly in the air and change their forms at

will. The Asuras are the great demons of popular mythology supposed to

be offering perpetual opposition to the Devas. The Rakshasas are a

more violent set of fierce demons who could even materialise

themselves on earth. Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyaksha, Ravana and

Kumbhakarna were Rakshasas. The Pisachas are low spirits of a lesser

cadre still. The Pretas, Bhutas and Vetalas are the spirits of the

dead ones supposed to be haunting battlefields, cremation and burial

grounds and places of violent death, to whom the ritual of the

Sraddha ceremony has not been performed. They are said to trouble

their surviving relatives, especially if the latter are weak-willed

and impure in mind.

 

The Vedas are the most sacred of books and they are regarded as

Apaurusheya (without any individual authorship). The Brihadaranyaka

Upanishad says that the Vedas are the expiration of God, and their

knowledge is only revealed to the Rishis whose names are attached to

the different hymns of the Vedas. The Himalayas are the most sacred

of mountains, apart from the legendary Mount Meru and Kailasa, the

abode of Siva. The Bhagavadgita specifically refers to the Vedas,

Mount Meru and the Himalayas as the manifestations of God's glory.

Ganga is the most sacred river whose greatness is sung in every

scripture, right from the Vedas. It is believed that Ganga was

originally in Brahmaloka, from where she was drawn down when Vishnu,

during his incarnation as Vamana, kept one of his feet on the

celestial regions, and Brahma washed the sacred feet with the holy

waters of the Ganga. She was borne by Siva on his matted locks to

prevent her descent too fast on the earth, at the request of

Bhagiratha who performed great austerity to bring Ganga down to the

earth. The river Ganga, thus, has the holy historical background of

having been sanctified by the touch of the greatest of gods,--Brahma,

Vishnu and Siva. Devotees believe that a bath in this river ensures

purification from sins and bestows salvation to the soul. The custom

of consigning dead bodies or at least the ashes or bones of the dead

ones to this river is based on the scriptural declarations that the

soul whose body has been offered to Ganga shall attain spiritual

salvation. Bhishma, the grandsire of the Pandavas and Kauravas, was

the son of Ganga through king Santanu. Biologists are discovering

these days that the waters of this river possess some incredible

power to destroy disease-germs.

 

Next to Ganga, the other holy rivers are Alakananda, Yamuna, Sarasvati

(which is said to flow underground these days as Gupta-Vahini),

Narmada, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. All the tributaries of Ganga

are also sacred. Gangottari at its source, Kasi in its middle and

Ganga-Sagara at its mouth are holy places of pilgrimage. All the

tributaries of Ganga above Haridwar are also regarded as different

forms of Ganga.

 

The cow in India is an object of worship. The celestial cow

'Kamadhenu' is described as having risen from the ocean when it was

churned by the Devas and Asuras. The daughter of Kamadhenu is the

famous Surabhi who inherits the glories of her mother. The milk,

curd, ghee, urine and dung of the cow, formed into a mixture, are

called Pancha-Gavya, which is taken as a purifying medium by orthodox

ones, in all ceremonies. The bull is adored as the emblem of Nandi,

the vehicle of Siva. The image of the bull as Nandi can be seen in

every Siva temple. In famous Siva temples a stud-bull is dedicated to

Siva and adored as the form of Nandi. Airavata is Indra's sacred

elephant and Ucchaihsravas his sacred horse. Garuda, the divine-bird,

is Vishnu's vehicle. The sacred tree, Asvattha (peepul) is an object

of worship. The Vata (banian), Nyagrodha, Asoka and Palasa are all

sacred trees. The Tulasi or the holy basil is the plant sacred to

Vishnu, and is grown in the courtyards of every religious community.

The Bilva is the leaf sacred to Siva. The Soma plant is most sacred,

as sung in the Vedas. The Kusa or Darbha is a grass regarded as

sacred, made more so as it is believed that the pot of nectar brought

by Garuda from the heaven was placed by him on a bush of this grass.

It is universally used as a necessary item in all sacrifices (Yajnas)

and especially in rituals of offerings to ancestors (Sraddha). The

Durva grass is sacred to Ganesa.

 

Among stones, the Saligrama is sacred to Vishnu, the Siva-linga

(particularly available in the Narmada river) to Siva and Sphatika to

Surya. The gems connected with the planets as well as the nine famous

gems like Padmaraga, are all highly valued as possessing

superphysical significance.

 

The Indian concept of God is one of Universal Presence, and Divinity

can be invoked through anything, anywhere and at any time. The

Absolute is not limited by space, time and objectivity.

[pranay2]

To some God is present everywhere "but Idols" Our God is Present everywhere in Idols Too.he is All powerful, he is not fearful to be bound if worshipped in Idols.I am an Idol worshipper and am Happy, and care less if others are or not.If you respect your father's photograph, to me you also are an idol worshipper.

[RadheRade1657]

 

JAI PHIL COLLINS!!!

Why Phil Collins (if you don't mind my asking)?