saraswati

[Guest guest]

Priya mahAsayAh,

 

“nArAyanam padmaBhuvam vasisTham

Saktincha tatputra parASarancha |

vyAsam Sukam gaudapadam mahAntam

gOvinda yogiindram adhAsya SiShyam ||

 

Srii SankarAchArya maDhAsya

padmapAdancha hastAmalakancha SiShyam |

tam trOtakam vArtikakAram

anyAnasmadgurUn santatamAnato2smi ||

 

This is our guru parampara. It mentions in it mainly of fourteen

names of gurus. These fourteen names represent the forteen worlds

we exist in. The gurupAduka mantra also contains only forteen

mantras in it. That is why, Sri BhaskararAya in his book

VarivsyArahasyam, just named it as “chAturdaSi”. This chAturdaSi

is a continuous flow of parampara containing in three divisions as;

divyauGha, siddHuGha and mAnavaugha. This flow is nothing else but

the nectar flow of ganga which is flowing in all the three Bhuvanas

(worlds) with three names as; MandAkini in swargaloka, BhAgiiraThi

in BhUloka and as BhOgavati in the pAtAla lOka sanctifying all of

the three lOkas with its sacred nectar in it.

 

This stream is really the “saraswati” which emerged out from the

face (mouth) of brahma (gnAna). It is flowing right from the

mouth/feet of nArAyana upto the mouth of my own guru and pouring

down upon my head (mind and intellect) as aBhiShEka. It is

the “vAni” (word/speech) of the whole parampara. It is the

effulgence of realization of my own self. That is why it is

“Bharati”.

 

“idam kaviBhyah pUrveBhyo namovAkam praSAsmahE |

vandEmahi cha tam vAniimamritAm AtmanahkalAm ||

 

So says BhavaBhUti, that this vAni is Atmanah kalA – it means that

it is a phase, belonging to the “self”. There are another two

phases which emerged out from the “self”. They are , BhArati and

Ida.

 

“dEvIstisra tisrO dEvIh | saraswatyaSwinA BhAratIda”

 

All these three are vAgdEvatAs. They always live together and never

break apart from one another. This is the meaning of the reiteration

of the word ‘tisra’ two times. These three vAgdEvatAs remain in the

same stream in the speech flow in the names of “paSyanti”, “madHyama”

and “vyKhari”.

 

paSyanti always remains with the “parA”, which is the main originator

of all these three vagdEvatAs. It has got another name as ‘idA’ in

the vEdas and it belongs to the ‘agni mandala’, promoting the first

cause of the nAda. The second one “saraswati”, which belongs to the

‘vAyu mandala (air), is acting as a transmitting force, and generally

called as “madHyamA vAk” to push it upwards for an intelligible

pronunciation. The third one “BhArati”, belonging to the sUrya

mandala with another name as “vyKhari”, is audible to hear in

distinct and clear language is situated in the ‘sUrya mandala’

(the sun).

 

saraswati being the representative of the ‘air’ force, is actually

the “prana Sakti” in all living beings, and is called as the “sUtratma”.

 

“mahO arNah saraswatii prachEtayati kEtunA | dHiyO viSwA virAjati” ||

 

maHo arNah means the great ocean i.e., inestimable ignorance and deep

sorrow. This indicates that it awakens and enlightens the ajnAni

puruSha, endowing with the benefit of great wisdom and makes him a

self realized soul.

 

This saraswati is described as the saxAt prakriti chaturBhujA

mahA saraswati, the creation of the “aShta BhujA turiiya mahAlaxmi”.

 

This mahA saraswati is becoming the cause for the demolition of

the “rudra grandhi” and also establishment of “Ananda pratiShTha”,

by vanquishing SumBha and niSumBha.

 

“gouriidEha samutpanna yaa satwaika gunASrayA |

sAxAt saraswatii prOktA SumBhAsura nibarhiNii ||”

 

In the durgA saptaSatii ten names were quoted as her names

 

“mahAvidyA mahAvAnii BhAratii vAk saraswati |

Arya brAhmii kAmadhEnur biijagarBhA cha dhiiSwarii ||”

 

Now it is evident that saraswati is the proprietor of all the

vocabulary and the sonority of sound phenominae and their resonances.

 

“mahABhagyAddEvata yA Eka AtmA bahudha stUyate ||

 

The ‘self’ is so powerful, mastering all the siddhis like aNima,

laGhima, mahima etc., She can display any number of forms at her

will, and that is the meaning of the word “mahABhAgya”, although

she is only one at all times and none else is there other than her.

“EkamEvA advitiiyam brahma”, “mattah parataram nAsti kinchit”.

 

This saraswati is said to be a stream which journeying upwards and

flowing underneath (UrdhwavAhini and antarvAhini). The stream which

has been pouring down from the face of brahma into the samudra

(ocean) is in the avarOhana (descending) and again when it is

lifting the ajnAni jeeva (samudra) upwards towards his abode in the

brahmalOka, it appears like ascending (Arohana).

 

If you draw a round circle and start from the top point, we have to

travel downwards till we reach the bottom point and from there the

circle appears like going upwards until it reaches the top point.

 

The same mahAkAli who remains as the last lone remain after the

total dissolution of the universe, is becoming the first and lone

remain to start creation again in the name of saraswati.

“iiSwarAnugrahAdEva pumsAm advaita vAsanA”

 

Please forgive me if I have exceeded any limits, while interpreting

the subject.

 

sriparasukhanandanadha

 

krishnarao.lanka

sriparasukhanandanadha)

[Guest guest]

Respected devotee of Sri Saraswati Devi !

 

Your beautiful words are like the great streAm of Ganga devi flowing

from the matted locks of Lord Shiva aka as Gangadharan!

 

When one reads messages like these in this great group devcoted to

Sree Mata , it is a 'spiritually' uplifting experience.

>From Childhood, i used to love to pray to Devi Saraswati in our

mother's puja room. We used to have a beautiful picture of Devi

Saraswati in a white saree and holding a 'Veena' in her two hands -

the painting was done by a Kerala artist, sri Ravi Verma.

I remember how i used to pray with folded hands the famous Saraswati

vandana

 

Ya Kundendu Tushaara Haara Dhavalaa

Ya Shubhra Vastraavrita

Ya Veena Vara Danda Manditakara

Ya Shveta Padmaasana

Ya Brahma Achyutaha Shankara Prabrithibhih

Devai Sadaa Poojitha

Saa Maam Paatu Sarasvathi Bhagavati

Nishyesha Jyaadyaapaha

 

Oh Goddess Sarasvathi, who is fair as a jasmine flower, the moon or a

snow flake, who is dressed in white and whose hands are adorned by a

veena, who is seated in a white lotus, to whom Brahma, Vishnu and

Maheshvara pray, please protect us.

 

There is something very 'pure' and 'sublime' about the four -armed

Saraswati Devi. She radiates 'peace' and Divine Energy. At that time,

i was too young to know the full significance of her Vahana 'swan' or

the symbolism of the 'lotus' in her hand. After growing up , i have

come to know that both the 'swan' and the 'lotus' stand for purity

and detached knowledge and 'discrimination' or viveka!

 

Adi Shankara Bhagvadapada describes the glowing image of Devi

Saraswati beautifully in verse 15 of Saundarya Lahari

 

"s'araj jyotsnaa s'uddhaam s'as'iyuta-jataajoota-makutaam

vara-traasa-traaNa-spatika-ghatikaa-pustaka-karaam |

sakrunna tvaa natvaa kathamiva sataam sanniDaDhe

madhu-ksira-draakshaa-madhurima-dhureeNaah phaNitayah ||

 

 

 

O Tripurasundari! Thy appearance is like the unblemished autumnal

moon.Thou hast the moon as crown on Thy head.Thou hast the

abhayamudra offering protection from one hand and granting boons from

another , holding the crystal beads in a third hand and the Book of

Knowledge in yet another.Who shall not receive poetic competence as

if their tongue contains milk, honey and grapes all at once , once

they have worshipped you once?

 

Is this not a beautiful represntation of DIVINE MOTHER TRIPURASUNDARI

as Devi Saraswati? sHE IS BAVA-BHAYA HARINI ?( ONE WHO REMOVES FEAR -

THAT IS HER ABHAYAMUDRA) and she is 'DAYINI' ( THAT IS BOON GIVING

GESTURE- SHE GRANTS ALL THE FOUR PURUSHARTHAS -ARTHA, KAMA, DHRAMA

AND MOKSHA) . Saraswati Devi is hlding 'crystal' beads in her third

hand which signifies she is 'Dhyanasaraswati' and her holding the

book of knowledge ( vedas) in her hand suggests that she

is 'Jnanasaraswati' and also 'Vedavalli' .

 

one of the names of Sri Saraswati devi is ''catushshaShTikalAmayI'in

Sri Lalita Sahasaranama .Saraswati devi is well versed in all the

arts and fine arts . In fact , she knows the 64 arts from Linguistics

to Music to great yogic powers!

 

However, all this knowledge is 'bhoutika' vidya (material knowledge)

but Sri Saraswati devi is also one who guides us on the path

of 'atma' vidya .( spiritual knowledge) Adi Shankara bhagvadapada

sings in verse 31 of Saundarya lahari

 

catuShShaShTyaa tantraiH sakalamatisaMdhaaya bhuvanaM

sthitas tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH pashupatiH .

punastvannirbandhaadakhilapuruShaarthaikaghaTanaa

svatantraM te tantraM kShititalamavaatiitaradidam.h .. 31..

 

in the above sloka , the word 'tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH' is

important - that is the ultimate siddhi of knowing one's true nature.

i request any learned learned member here to provide the exact

meaning of this sloka and also its metaphysical meaning. But for our

purposes , it is enough to know that devi Saraswati PROVIDES BOTH

MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE . She is well versed in 64 tantras

too !

 

SALUTATIONS TO SREE Saradambika , the presiding deity of sringeri

mutt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- In , "sri parasukhananda nadha"

<sriparasukhanandanadha wrote:

>

> Priya mahAsayAh,

>

> "nArAyanam padmaBhuvam vasisTham

> Saktincha tatputra parASarancha |

> vyAsam Sukam gaudapadam mahAntam

> gOvinda yogiindram adhAsya SiShyam ||

>

>

[Guest guest]

Giving explanation on verse 31 of saundarya lahari:

in english by Sir John George Woodroffe,

Sanskrit commentary by kaivalyASrama.

Orignal kRuti by Adi Sa~gkarAcArya.

 

following trasliteration method of baraha

 

catuShShaShTyA tantraiH sakalamaBisaMdhAya BuvanaM

sthitastattatsiddhiprasaBaparatantraH paSupatiH

punastvannirbandhAdaKilapuruShArthaikaGaTanA-

svatantraM tE tantraM kShititalamavAtItaradidam || 31 ||

 

paSupati having known all things in the Universe by means of

Sixty-four tantrAs, was proficient in the Siddhis with which each of

these TantrAs deal.

But again on being pressed by Thee, he took down to earth this Tantra of

Thine, which is Svatantra and in which are brought together all the four

aims of human existence. (PurushArtha).

 

Commentary.

 

The Gloss of 'acyutAnanda' adds that according to tradition Siva

speaks the

Tantra to dEvi in kailAsa and gaNESa records it and when complete

communicates to maharShi or siddha on earth.

This is being done to the present day. The so-called "historic" attack on

some tantrAs as being without authority, because they are alleged to

be modern is according to orthodox views of no validity.

 

The tantra is eternal (nitya). The commentator sighting a saying:

purANAgamasiddhAntaM nityaM Ahur manIShinaH.

(the teachings of purANa and Agama are by the wise said to be

ever-existent).

 

The tantrAs however appear and disappear according to as they are

revealed or withdrawn.

Their authority does not depend on the fact that they were published

to men on a particular

date, but on the siddhi towhich they lead; that is, the actual result

flowing from them.

This result proves the authority of the tantra even though it were

revealed yeterday.

 

Siva or paSupati, Lord of the paSus or animal world or the senses,

became all-knowing

by His knowledge of the 64 tantrAs. Which are nitya and which were

promulgated for each of

the three krAntAs(please see Arthur Avalon's introduction to

"Principle of Tantra" to see

what is 'krAntA').

 

He at first, remained engrossed in the teachings(~jjAna) of the 64 by

reason of their greatness.

 

there after (punaH) on 'Thy(the dEvi's) insistence' (tvan-nirBandhAt)

"He brought down(avAtItarat);

to this world(kShititalaM).

'Thy tantra' (tE tantraM) in which are brought together all four human

aims (puruShArtha) or all the

siddhis, which is called "svatantra". Which here may mean independent

- that is, independent of

all TantrAs or that where by the aims of human existence are attained

(aKilapuruShArthaGaTanAt svatantraM)

 

According to BAskararAya in the introduction to his commentary on the

'nityASODaSikArNava", the

tantra here spoken of is the 'vAmakESvara'. others say it is the

'~jjAnArNava' and others again take it

to be the 'tantrarAja'.

 

The commentator lakShmIdhara, who is oposed to the Uttara Kaula

school, says that these 64 tantrAs

or AgamAs as also a portion of the 'miSra vAmAcAra'

(please see A.Avalon's Introduction to 'Serpent Power') are intended

for people who seek the

attainment of selfish objects through kAma and artha and are follwoed

only by SUdrAs,anulOmAs and

pratilOmAs (people of crossed and mixed parentage).

The twice-born who follow them should be ex-communicated for they as

also SUdrAs of good habits,

shuold follow the eight AgamAs, which are SAstrAs of

liberation(mOkShadharma).

 

The sanat-kumAra-saMhita, one of the five AgamAs(A.Avalon: which I

have not seen) is cited by paNDiT

anantakRuShNa SAstri as saying that outer worship(bAhya pUja) is

performed by kaulAs, kShapaNakAs,

kApAlikAs, and digambarAs and they are the followers of the itihAsAs

and such AgamAs as 'Bairava yAmala'.

 

lakShmIdhara says that " One will incur sin even if one thinks of such

men".

 

The inner worship(antar pUja) practitioners are brahmavAdins,

followers of the five AgamAs of the

good tradition (subhaga pa~jcaka) and become jIvanmuktAs.

 

In this view, the SAstrAs alleged to be concerned with kAma and artha

were supplemented by the

mOkSha SAstrAs of the samayA school to which this commentator(prasada:

kaivalyASrama paNDita) belonged,

and in which according to him the Sakti kuNDali is raised to the

sahasrAra for the attainment through

this continued practice of mOkSha. I am not however aware of the

authority for the statement, that

kaula is not a mOkSha-SAstra or that kaula worship is in the mUlAdhAra

only.Please see introduction to my

(A.Avalon's) "Serpent Power".

 

, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16 wrote:

>

> Respected devotee of Sri Saraswati Devi !

Adi Shankara bhagvadapada

> sings in verse 31 of Saundarya lahari

>

> catuShShaShTyaa tantraiH sakalamatisaMdhaaya bhuvanaM

> sthitas tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH pashupatiH .

> punastvannirbandhaadakhilapuruShaarthaikaghaTanaa

> svatantraM te tantraM kShititalamavaatiitaradidam.h .. 31..

>

> in the above sloka , the word 'tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH' is

> important - that is the ultimate siddhi of knowing one's true nature.

> i request any learned learned member here to provide the exact

> meaning of this sloka and also its metaphysical meaning.

> SALUTATIONS TO SREE Saradambika , the presiding deity of sringeri

> mutt!

> -- In , "sri parasukhananda nadha"

> <sriparasukhanandanadha@> wrote:

> >

> > Priya mahAsayAh,

> >

> > "nArAyanam padmaBhuvam vasisTham

> > Saktincha tatputra parASarancha |

> > vyAsam Sukam gaudapadam mahAntam

> > gOvinda yogiindram adhAsya SiShyam ||

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

OM SrIguruH sarva kAraNa BUtA SaktiH

OM SrIman mahA gaNAdhipatayE namaH.

 

I am only responding to this part- either/or to prof VK, SrI ravi

Sankar or

to the ever-present, ever-bestowing parama pUjya SrI

candraSEkharEndra sarasvati,

whoever quoted these:

--------

It was our Acharya who established the pure vaidic pUjA and

instilled life into it. It is true that even this pUjA contains some

of the mantras which owe their origin to the tantra way. When he

initiated the vaidic pUjA rituals in connection with the upAsanA

following the Shri VidyA tantra, he followed only the samayAchAra

discipline.

---------

Are you comaping your/our AchArya with somebody else?

Why should we do that?

 

When one(may be 'AchArya') can establish 'something'.

how volatile, that 'something' should be?

Instilling life into it - at sometime got life to it. so after

sometime what will happen?

So you insist that samayAchAra is the only discipline to (follow/to

accept/can give etc)?

please read your sentence from all angles - "he/(your/our)Acharya

followed only the samayAchAra

discipline"

 

How can one/you can quote on other disciplines, when not

followed/tasted them to any extent?

 

OR do you?

 

That is why Sloka tells, indeed Siva brought/followed all 64 tantrAs,

achieved this and that siddhis as well, no falsehood in those tantrAs,

they do bestow their siddhis.

but obviousely not the 'EkatvaM' oneness with the other half.

That is why here is Siva again in the bodies of SrI ravi Sankar

mAyavaraM, and in SrI prof VK, here in this

body that is typing this post, and all the bodies that reading this post.

 

So, now , the other half (vimarSa) tells us to follow her vidyA, as

the goal is to realize unison with her only.Yourself as HER only.

(artha-antara-nyAsa-ala~gkAraM) Like kAmasUtra written mAle audience

always gives expositions on female body only.

 

Nonetheless to say, Siva can be sporting male or female bodies.

"The consciousness" is Siva.

 

See the other way, I do not dragged towards money, because as one or

the other body, I already did that

tantra/business venture to get money, I got money, Am I happy? No,

obviousely not.

That is why here I am.

Like this, negate time and space. negate different bodies in which the

Lord is dwelling, then you see

some more meaning of this SlokaM.

 

Please forgive me for all my ignorances and arrogances with your

ever-pervading pure kindness.

 

OM aiM hrIM SrIM SrImAtrE namOnnamaH.

prasAda.

 

ps: Anyway, Arthur Avalon, himself TOO expresses some doubts about

kailyASramA's commentary on Saundarya lahari.

 

Please kindly use all commentaries with pinch of salt.

[Guest guest]

Shri Gurubhyo Namah.

 

Dear devotees:

 

Gurur Ekah.

 

I want to share a personal experience.

 

On invitation, I recently went to a gathering of bhakthas who went

to see their Guruji. They were all immersed in his glory, and I

felt the emotion as well.

 

At the end of all festivities, the host asked me what he thought of

the proceedings of the paada puja. At this point, I somehow sensed

that his love for his Guru flowed from himself, and he was keen to

gather others into his group of people.

 

I looked at him and said "If your bhakthi for your Guru is anywhere

near what I feel for mine, then you are truly blessed".

 

He looked at me, and understood that Guru Bhakthi is inherrent in

all shishyas, and therefore should be respected and encouraged.

 

There is a trend nowadays for people to decry the Guru of others,

while praising their own. This is destructive for the Guru-Shishya

sampradayam, and is not a good practice.

 

My Guru always spoke/speaks good of others. I have never seen any

Guru fighting with another, but Shishyas come almost to blows

sometimes. I wonder why. Some people would do well to think about

the nature of the Guru.

 

As the Bhaavanopanishad says, Kaama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and

Matsarya are the six enemies of mankind. Let us try to remove these

emotions from our being.

 

Saadar Namaskaarams.

Thanks and Regards.

KR.

, "Prasada Reddy" <prasada.reddy

wrote:

>

> OM SrIguruH sarva kAraNa BUtA SaktiH

[Guest guest]

OM SrIguruH sarva kAraNa BUtA SaktiH.

OM SrIman mahA gaNAdhipatayE namaH.

 

reply to the quote that you(SrI Ravi Sankar Mayavaram) quoted:

"but He has also manouvred

to distract the populace into the 64 tantras that give worldly

benefits and retained the supreme Shri VidyA Tantra which could give

the advaitic realisation to them."

<end quote>

 

With experience, I am telling Siva won't hide anything from you.

He JUST can't.

Think yourself, why?

"The Consciousness" is SivaM.

Same way, you can't hide anything from Siva as well.

That is why when 'bhakta kanakadAsa' was given a fruit(banana) and

being asked to eat that,

without letting Lord Siva to know his eating.

kanakadAsa could not able to eat it.

 

He only gives prEraNa to ask HIM(Siva) , and replies back to you;

as if he is telling something to you.

 

Siva is COMPLETE.

 

NOTHING flows in and out of Siva.

 

But to realize it, we tread the path of <timebeing> flow.

 

This <timebeing>, however time it takes, once it takes, it is just a

faded memory, like an instant of time.

Also at any given point of time, you are living in that minuscule

instant of time. everything else is

like a kshaNika memory, either acquired, or to acquire, which will not

make ANY difference.

So, Siva is only for a miniscule time treads the ~jjAna flow, as given

in original post "saraswati".

and forever Siva finds himself COMPLETE, as ever as he is.

 

That is why nacikEta do not fall in to the lures of the Lord of

mrityu.Thus he attained real mrityu.

Permanent dissolvation of his body and not to born again.

 

On outset, seems like, I am going against the vision that

SrIparasukhAnanda nAtha presented in the saraswati post,

by saying there is no 'REAL' flow.

But it seems, when I tread through that vision, this is what I get, as

of now.

How playful and wonderful is the Lord!.

 

Please forgive me.

 

OM aiM hrIM SrIM SrImAtrE namOnnamaH SrIM.

prasAda.

[Guest guest]

, "Kumar Ramachandran" <kramach wrote:

>

> Shri Gurubhyo Namah.

>

> Dear devotees:

>

> Gurur Ekah.

>

[ snip ]

> As the Bhaavanopanishad says, Kaama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and

> Matsarya are the six enemies of mankind. Let us try to remove these

> emotions from our being.

>

> Saadar Namaskaarams.

> Thanks and Regards.

> KR.

> , "Prasada Reddy" <prasada.reddy@>

> wrote:

> >

> > OM SrIguruH sarva kAraNa BUtA SaktiH

>

 

EXACTLY, this is why I always quote SrIguruH sarva kAraNa BUtA Saktih.

As SrIguruH is the only one, Lord Siva alone can teach.

He is sporting in all diiferent bodies, ways etc.

But it is the Lord Siva, or SrIGrurH, that is kAraNa BUtA SaktiH for

everything.

 

I am just reminding myself, to see Lord's presence everywhere, and to

remain myself like a spectator. Even you see my fingers are typing

something. Oh, this post.

 

let me send it.

[vedicyogi]

Hi All,

Anyone know an authentic powerful samaya or other tantra guru. Thanks. Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Blessings,

Cosmic