LalithA SahasranAma [790] parAparA

[Guest guest]

parAparA : Superior and Inferior.

 

The Sruti says, "Brahman is the servant. Brahman is ferry-men; and

Brahman is these gamblers".

 

Or, para, apara and parAparA : Para, others, apara, the Self; or

para, foe, apara friend. The Bh. gitA [iX. 29] says, "I have neither

foe nor friend". Para, he who is far off, apara he who is near. Bh-

gitA [XIII. 15] "I am far and near" The Visva says, "Para means

superior, enemy, distance"

 

[According to logic] the generality [sAmAnya] is threefold, namely

para, apara and parApara.

 

Para and apara, the two forms of Brahman, the unconditioned and the

conditioned. The Sruti [Pra. Up. V. 2]: "This is indeed, O

SatyakAma, para and apara" The Smr. also says, "Two Brahman are to

be known, one is Para and the other is Apara." Para [lit. posterior]

quality, energy; apara the thing qualified, ie Siva who is anterior.

By the relation of equal essence Siva conjoined with Sakti only is

called Parabrahman. In the Sruti "I approach with salutations the

Brahman [siva], the anterior of the two" Siva is declared as prior

to Sakti. In another Sruti, "This dawn posterior, the beloved of

heaven". Sakti is described as next to Siva. Dawn, the Sakti, when

she wanted to create, is praised as the dawn at the time of the

beginning of creation. For further details the reader is referred to

the SivAnandalahari.

 

Or para and apara, the twofold ether, or the twofold knowledge, as

described in the Mund. Up [i. 1.4]. The Linga Pr. also says, "Two

kinds of knowledge should be known, para and apara; apara, O

BrAhmanas, are Rgveda, Yajus, SAman and Atharvan which fulfills all

objects, SiksA, Kalpa, Grammar, Nirukta, Metre, Jyotisa. Para is

said to be the imperishable one, which is invisible, intangible

without family, caste etc... uncovered, that is, the Self. That is

the para knowledge and tehre is no other"

 

Pranava is twofold, para and apara. Su-sam, says, "The Pranava is

said to be twofold by dividing into para and apara. The para is the

highest Brahman characterized by consciousness, bliss etc. Because

the supreme Brahman is naturally praised [nava] much [pra]. The

Apara Pranava is the word very pure, as it is the cause of praise

[of Brahman], it is called Pranava, or because it is the cause of

obtaining the supreme Brahman."

 

or the twofold meaning of the scriptures. The same book {IV. 2.2]

says, "The meaning of the scripture is divided into Para and Apara.

The Para means the supreme which is beyond [all the things]. Apara

is dharma [religion] the means of obtaining the supreme.

 

Or in the Yoga-sAstras also knowledge is divided into three-Para,

apara and parApara. For it is said, "Knowledge is said to be

threefold by the division of para, apara and parApara. Of these, the

first is the Supreme Knowledge and is the cause of cognizing the

Lord, the bondage and the Self. The second, apara knowledge, is

simply the cause of cognizing bondage.The parApara knowledge is,

just as the change of the sight between a man and cat in the night,

it does not distinguish the marks [vilaksana]".

 

Or the worship is also of three kinds : Para, apara and parApara.

The NityAhrdaya says, "Your worship described in the NityA [Tantra]

is declared to be of three kinds, O Gauri, parA, aparA and parApara.

The first is the remaining in non-duality whatever methods is

practised ; the second is the worship by means of the [sri] Cakra

which I ever perform; O Devi, full of wisdom, the third is worship

of all the manifestation of Her".

 

Speech is twofold, parA and aparA. Again aparA is threefold, namely

pasyanti, etc..[madhyamA and vaikhari].

 

ParA and aparA are two states of consciousness. The first is the

state common [ to all the three], the aparA is three-fold, namely

waking state etc..[ dreaming and sound sleep states]. The

VijNAnabhairavabhattAraka says, "Wherever the minds goes whether

externally or internally there O, dear one, it is supreme, there is

the ParA state on account of its all-pervading power".

 

Homa is also twofold, para and apara; again the apara-homa is

twofold, gross and subtle. The Svatantra Tr. says, "The fire in the

MULAdhAra is the foundation of the ordinary gross homa. The subtle

homa is the PrAnAgnihotra..."

 

The para-homa is the state after the destruction of all dualistic

interpretations respecting the known, the knower and knowledge. "The

Para-homa is said to be that which being absorbed, does not arise

again, in the blaze of the great eternal fire of his own Self which

burns for ever without fuel".

 

ParAparA is a certain mantra which is included in the Mantra-

PArAyana. Devi is also threefold, ParA, AparA and ParAparA. The

VarAha Pr. says when speaking about the TrimUrtis :"The creative

[energy] is said to be ParA which has the white colour. Vaisnavi

which is red and long-eyed is AparA. The Raudri [energy] is called

parAparA. These three are attained by one who really knows Rudra"

ParAparA gives a four-syllabled mantra, this if added to the fifteen

syllabled, gives a nineteen-syllabled mantra; if added to the

sixteen-syllabled it gives a twenty-syllabled mantra."

 

 

 

 

BhAskararAya's Commentary

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry.

[Guest guest]

She is both friend and foe. She knows no distinction.

 

"param cA param brahma yadomkAraH: The Ultimate Reality and the

Reality of Appearance are both Brahman, signified by omkAra."

(prAnopanisat 5-2)

 

Also, there is parA and aparA vidya. AparA is all knowledge that can

be expressed, such as the Vedas, Puranas and Sastras. ParA is that

knowledge that words fail to express. She is both of these aspects

of knowledge.

 

And just as there is a parA-aparA distinction in knowledge, so there

is also in worship. ParA worship is called bAhyopacAra; i.e., using

an image, etc. AparA puja focues upon the deity who is without

attribute. She is propitiated by both types of worship.

 

- Dr. C. Suryanarayana Murthy, Commentary on the Sri Lalita

Sahasranama, 1962

 

 

 

, "NMadasamy"

<ashwini_puralasamy wrote:

>

>

> parAparA : Superior and Inferior.

>

> The Sruti says, "Brahman is the servant. Brahman is ferry-men; and

> Brahman is these gamblers".

>

> Or, para, apara and parAparA : Para, others, apara, the Self; or

> para, foe, apara friend. The Bh. gitA [iX. 29] says, "I have

neither

> foe nor friend". Para, he who is far off, apara he who is near. Bh-

> gitA [XIII. 15] "I am far and near" The Visva says, "Para means

> superior, enemy, distance"

>

> [According to logic] the generality [sAmAnya] is threefold, namely

> para, apara and parApara.

>

> Para and apara, the two forms of Brahman, the unconditioned and the

> conditioned. The Sruti [Pra. Up. V. 2]: "This is indeed, O

> SatyakAma, para and apara" The Smr. also says, "Two Brahman are to

> be known, one is Para and the other is Apara." Para [lit.

posterior]

> quality, energy; apara the thing qualified, ie Siva who is

anterior.

> By the relation of equal essence Siva conjoined with Sakti only is

> called Parabrahman. In the Sruti "I approach with salutations the

> Brahman [siva], the anterior of the two" Siva is declared as prior

> to Sakti. In another Sruti, "This dawn posterior, the beloved of

> heaven". Sakti is described as next to Siva. Dawn, the Sakti, when

> she wanted to create, is praised as the dawn at the time of the

> beginning of creation. For further details the reader is referred

to

> the SivAnandalahari.

>

> Or para and apara, the twofold ether, or the twofold knowledge, as

> described in the Mund. Up [i. 1.4]. The Linga Pr. also says, "Two

> kinds of knowledge should be known, para and apara; apara, O

> BrAhmanas, are Rgveda, Yajus, SAman and Atharvan which fulfills all

> objects, SiksA, Kalpa, Grammar, Nirukta, Metre, Jyotisa. Para is

> said to be the imperishable one, which is invisible, intangible

> without family, caste etc... uncovered, that is, the Self. That is

> the para knowledge and tehre is no other"

>

> Pranava is twofold, para and apara. Su-sam, says, "The Pranava is

> said to be twofold by dividing into para and apara. The para is the

> highest Brahman characterized by consciousness, bliss etc. Because

> the supreme Brahman is naturally praised [nava] much [pra]. The

> Apara Pranava is the word very pure, as it is the cause of praise

> [of Brahman], it is called Pranava, or because it is the cause of

> obtaining the supreme Brahman."

>

> or the twofold meaning of the scriptures. The same book {IV. 2.2]

> says, "The meaning of the scripture is divided into Para and Apara.

> The Para means the supreme which is beyond [all the things]. Apara

> is dharma [religion] the means of obtaining the supreme.

>

> Or in the Yoga-sAstras also knowledge is divided into three-Para,

> apara and parApara. For it is said, "Knowledge is said to be

> threefold by the division of para, apara and parApara. Of these,

the

> first is the Supreme Knowledge and is the cause of cognizing the

> Lord, the bondage and the Self. The second, apara knowledge, is

> simply the cause of cognizing bondage.The parApara knowledge is,

> just as the change of the sight between a man and cat in the night,

> it does not distinguish the marks [vilaksana]".

>

> Or the worship is also of three kinds : Para, apara and parApara.

> The NityAhrdaya says, "Your worship described in the NityA [Tantra]

> is declared to be of three kinds, O Gauri, parA, aparA and

parApara.

> The first is the remaining in non-duality whatever methods is

> practised ; the second is the worship by means of the [sri] Cakra

> which I ever perform; O Devi, full of wisdom, the third is worship

> of all the manifestation of Her".

>

> Speech is twofold, parA and aparA. Again aparA is threefold, namely

> pasyanti, etc..[madhyamA and vaikhari].

>

> ParA and aparA are two states of consciousness. The first is the

> state common [ to all the three], the aparA is three-fold, namely

> waking state etc..[ dreaming and sound sleep states]. The

> VijNAnabhairavabhattAraka says, "Wherever the minds goes whether

> externally or internally there O, dear one, it is supreme, there is

> the ParA state on account of its all-pervading power".

>

> Homa is also twofold, para and apara; again the apara-homa is

> twofold, gross and subtle. The Svatantra Tr. says, "The fire in the

> MULAdhAra is the foundation of the ordinary gross homa. The subtle

> homa is the PrAnAgnihotra..."

>

> The para-homa is the state after the destruction of all dualistic

> interpretations respecting the known, the knower and

knowledge. "The

> Para-homa is said to be that which being absorbed, does not arise

> again, in the blaze of the great eternal fire of his own Self which

> burns for ever without fuel".

>

> ParAparA is a certain mantra which is included in the Mantra-

> PArAyana. Devi is also threefold, ParA, AparA and ParAparA. The

> VarAha Pr. says when speaking about the TrimUrtis :"The creative

> [energy] is said to be ParA which has the white colour. Vaisnavi

> which is red and long-eyed is AparA. The Raudri [energy] is called

> parAparA. These three are attained by one who really knows Rudra"

> ParAparA gives a four-syllabled mantra, this if added to the

fifteen

> syllabled, gives a nineteen-syllabled mantra; if added to the

> sixteen-syllabled it gives a twenty-syllabled mantra."

>

>

>

>

> BhAskararAya's Commentary

> Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry.

>