Sri Lalita Trishati (28. ekAgrachittanirdhyAtA - part 2 of 2)

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|| AUM mahAgaNapataye namaH ||

|| AUM shrI sha.karAchAryavaryAya namaH ||

|| AUM shrImAtre namaH ||

 

28. ekAgrachittanirdhyAtA

She who is to be meditated on by single pointed minds

 

(contd. from yesterday)

 

asamprajnAta samAdhi has three stages. They are

 

1) R^itambhara

2) prajnAloka and

3)prashAntavAhita.

 

1) R^itambhara

 

R^itam means truth, i.e., brahman signified by sat-chit-Ananda.

The first stage mentioned above is the bearer of brahman (bhara

means to bear, so R^itambhara literally means bearer of the truth).

In this stage, consciousness by extension of itself objectifies

itself as brahman. "Atmanyeva vasham nayet" [bhagavad gIta]

 

2) prajnAloka

 

This is the second stage. Through continuous practice, first

stage (R^itambhara) ripens into an unbroken objectivised brahman.

In this state all limiting factors are destroyed. According to

the shruti "prajnA-pratiShTA" [aitAreyopaniShad], prajnA means

knowledge of brahman. "Aloka" means realization or sAkShAtkAra

(sAkShat AkAram). This is known kAraNa vijnAna or causal knowldge.

According to "yasmin vijnAte sarvamidam vijnAtam bhavati"

[muNDakopaniShad] which means 'by knowing which all this is known'.

It is the knowledge of one becoming the knowledge of all. If

according to the good tendencies of previous births, if one desires

to see the entire cosmos superimposed on the single Awareness, then

the Universe becomes radiant with the radiance of that Awareness and

appears as something in a dream. purANas vouchsafe to us that sages

like bhAradvAja had this experience. When the mind is in this

bhUmikA or stage, it is without any impressions, its faculties are

controlled and its form is destroyed.

 

3) prashAntavAhita

 

In a jIvana mukta state, mind with its form dissapears and this

stage is called prashAntavAhita. It meanas very peaceful and

continuous flow.

 

manaso vR^itti shUnyasya brahmakArataya shtithiH .

asamprajnAtanAmeti samAdhiryoginAm priyam ||

 

When the mind is functionless and has the form of brahman it results

in the asamprajnAta samAdhi, which is dear to yogis. "prashAnata

manaso hyenam" [bhagavad gIta] which means one with very peaceful

mind.

 

"prthvyapte joniloke samutyate panchatmake yoga guNe pravR^ittena

tasya rogo na jara na mR^ityuH" [shvetAshavatAropaniShad]- When pancha

bhutas are in harmony, the five attributes of bhutA such as "gandha"

etc will manifest in the yogi, and the fire of yoga will be kindled

and the boody will be full of that fire. To a such yogi, there is no

disease, old age or death. The disciple mentioned above is only the

fruit of the past actions. SHE is meditated uponn by yogis of this

class. Their dhyAna culminates in the state where distinction between

the meditator and the object of meditation is lost. In such a state,

the Self alone shines. According to shruti " brahma veda brahmaiva

bhavati" One who knows brahman becomes brahman.

 

According to another reading of the name, nidhyAta (not nirdhyAta),

SHE can be realized by intense process of shravaNa, manana and

nidhidhyAsa.

 

AUM ekAgrachittanirdhyAtAyai namaH