Digest Number 346

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Number of devotees have addressed the question

raised by SrI RanganAthan. SrI Mohan Sagar's response

is one of these excellent responses.

 

SrI RanganAthan need not find himself alone

in raising this question or be awe struck about

the implications of his question. Infact , he is

in a blessed state of mind and joins the ranks of

the ancient seekers , who engaged in Brahma VichAram ,

which is the first step in a long journey of

knowledge about the Supreme Being and His relationship

to the myriads of jeevans and the insentients .

 

The nature of Brahman as the BhUtha yOni (Source of

the Universe ) and not the other way round is

the subject matter of many Upanishads.

 

The nature of Brahman as the aadhAram (Support)

for the Universe and Jagath Kaaranam ( the cause of

the Universe and its beings ) has been saluted by

the Upanishads.

 

This Brahman as the Supreme Ruler , as the One

that remains after all beings created by Him

reach layam inside Him has been celebrated

by the Upanishas.

 

This Brahman has been identified as the Supreme Personal God

in our Darsanam and also as the One free from any blemishes

and full of auspicious attributes . Passage after passage of

Upanishads define and salute this Brahman as infinite in

Svaroopa and Dharma. The nature of this Brahman and

its distinguishing attributes have been described as

Aanandha or Bliss .

 

The relationship of this Brahman to Jeevan/chEthanam

and achEthanam/insentient has been the subject matter

of the central thoughts of Upanishads bequeathed to us

by the great Sages.

 

The Artha Panchakam ( the LakshaNam of Brahman,

the nature of Jeevan and its relationship to Brahman,

the Universe , its origin , evolution , decay

and its relationship to Brahman, the upAyam (means )

of attaining that Brahman and the The nature of

that Supreme Goal /Parama PurushArtham) is

the most significant outcome of such Brahma VichAram.

 

In the context of the Creation of the Universe

and the Lord's role as the Creator has been

repeatedly discussed between seekers and

teachers . Case in point is PrasnOpanishad,

where the Seeker /Student asks :

 

Whence are all the creatures born? How many

deities sustain these created beings ?

Who is the foremost among them ?

What is the relationship between the IndriyAs

(sense organs)of the body and the PrANA (Vital airs )?

How does PrANA originate ? What happens during

the states of dreams and deep sleep/dreamless sleep?

What world does one win , who mediates on PraNavam

(the syallable denoting Brahman ) attain until

the end of his life ?

 

Many great Rishis have addressed their disciples

and answered these most important questions ,

which have formed the core of Brahma VichAram .

The glory of the eternal being (Ucchishta Brahman,

who is Saasvatham ) and ways to seek Him and attain

Him arises out of these Brahma VichArams .

 

One chapter (Fifth) of KaThOpanishad provides

an example of reassuring and insights with

universal validity (Translation by DR.NSA Swamy ):

 

" He (The Supreme Person/ParamAthmA) keeps awake,

when others are asleep. All the worlds rest in Him .

None can transcend Him. He is the innerself of

all entities--Sarva BhoothAntharAthmA. He is present

in every form and outside also . There is eternal

bliss to those wise ones , who see that inner controller

as residing in them as their innermost self".

 

Regarding Creation /origin of the Universe ,

specific sections of the ancient Upanishad

(AitrEya )belonging to the okdest of the four VedAs

(Rg Vedam ) is important to study . Subalopanishad

describes Srushti/Creation in detail (First Chapter)

and provides important insight into the realtionship

between the Universe and Brahman (SarIra-SarIri Bhaava),

which is central to Bhagavad RaamAnuja SiddhAntham.

 

SrI RanganAthan ! May this question that yiu asked

lead you on to progress in your spiritual Journey

assisted by a SadAchAryan !

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyana !

 

V.SadagOpan

 

 

>>

>> Message: 1

>> Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:14:25 -0800 (PST)

>> vimalkumar ranganathan <panardasan

>> A very Scary Question!!

>>

>>

>> Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

>>

>> Respected Vaishnavas,

>>

>> When I ponder over this question that I

>am going to present, I always get a very unsettling, unhappy, even a

>shocking or a jittery feeling. The question is this: WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF

>GOD??

>>

>> Well, every "thing" should have an origin, atleast according to human

>perception. If Sriman Narayana is God, what about his origins, I mean, has

>he always been resting on the bed of Sesha?? The question thats arising in

>my mind is, shouldn't he have an origin, or something that created him??

>>