My life [10]

[Guest guest]

About mantras:

 

While I was doing the philosophy course, I was also learning various mantras

from Sri Kotayyagaru simultaneously. Most of the mantras were esoteric.

You have to chant it for particular number of thousands of times and then

one tenth of that mantra total mantra you have to offer in while pouring

milk at Lord Shiva's feet --- called as "tarpana", and then one tenth of the

total mantra which you offered at "tarpana" has to be offered to all the

demigods through fire --- called "havis".

 

It works out like this: There is a mantra which will give you access to the

demigod who is responsible for the astral transformation. (i.e.. . brining

out things from one place to the other through thin air.) One has to become

the Master in order to use this mantra. Any such powerful Master is called

as "purascaraNa siddha". "purascaraNa siddhas" follow this particular

pattern in order to first get acquainted with the Mantra adhisthAna devata

(demigod responsible for the mantra)

 

For example:

Japa: Say, the mantra has to be chanted 11,000 times

Tarpana: One tenth of the japa. 11,000/10 = 1100 times --- chanting the

mantra 1100 times, one has to offer it to the Lotus feet of the omniscient

Lord Shiva, while pouring milk.

Homa: One tenth of the tarpana. 1100/10 = 110 times ---- chanting the mantra

110 times, one has to offer it to the demigods surrounding in the ether,

through the medium of sacred fire (homa).

 

All the "kamya" mantras follow the same pattern. One can fulfill any desire

by practicing these mantras. How ever, they should not be contrary to the

dharma. (i.e. One is forbidden from desiring certain things) Anyone who

ignores the warnings of the Seers will eventually see their own downfall.

We have examples of well known tantriks, who used their power in order to

gain political mileage/fame/power, and eventually landed in Jails and

deplored from their highest status.

 

All these mantras are from our vedas. Especially Yajurveda is a mine field

for these mantras. A mantra to attain astha siddhies, a mantra to get rid of

the ailments, a mantra to cure others from diseases.... You name it and it

is available there. All have to be performed in the strict sense of

"yagna bhavana". Yagna Bhavana --- means thinking of the welfare of the

fellow humans, thinking of the welfare of the mother nature, thinking of the

welfare of the over all society. All our vedic Seers have advised people

who practice their mantras to perform them only for the welfare of the

society. For example we have a prayer in Yajurveda which says "yagnEna

kalpEtAm". Entire chamakam is of this "yagna bhavana". There are eleven

anuvakas (11 cantos) in the chamakam. We have to divide the mantra and at

the end of each mantra --- add this "yagnEna kalpEtAM; which means "let

these things happen for the over all welfare of the society".

 

In Bhagawad Gita, Srikrishna says: "The desire that is not contrary to

dharma is me". This could be told as "yagnabhavana." The famous example

for this is in our TaittiriyOpanishad, where the Seer says "tatO mE

SriyamAvaha, lOmaSAM paSubhissaha svAhA...------ aamAyaMtu

brahmacAriNasvAhA....". It means "For that reason, I would like to possess

wealth, of milky cows along with their calves, I would like students to

visit me and learn things that I came to know from my teachers...". In

these mantras, the Seer wanted to have wealth, BUT only for the sake of

sustaining the deserving students. He does not want money for his own sake,

but for the sake of his students who would like to study and learn. This is

what we call as "yagna bhavana".

 

There are sanyasis who earn a lot of money. A part of the society thinks of

them in a different manner. They think that these people are hoarding

money. But the money they earn eventually goes in to a lot of welfare

activities. These sanyasis/yogies who are using their powers for the

welfare of the society are really paying back -- what they owe to our Vedic

Seers, it is called as "rishi runa". Offering them help and money is the

least thing that any householder could do for the sanatana dharma.

 

So it is clear that what ever we practice; we have to do it in yagnabhavana.

One should not use the powers given by the vedic seers for the sake of

personal gain. GOD has provided limbs, hence work; earn money; feed your

family. GOD has provided the veda with esoteric mantras; hence use them ---

for the sake of people who are in need. When you think of the welfare of

the society, you don't need to think about yourself. Because, in turn, that

society includes you also. When you pray that your country should become

prosperous, when fulfilled --- as a result of it, being a citizen, you also

will become prosperous. Mutual sharing and understanding of the highest

goals are necessary for any mankind to survive and flourish.

 

Where there are people who think of the collective welfare of the society,

there you can see no draught, no calamities. Pandavas are the finest

example for this. Duryodhana desperately tries to find Pandavas who are in

disguise (agnatavasa). Finally, his uncle Sakuni advises him to find a

place which has become quite prosperous! Because, where Pandavas live that

place is bound to become prosperous... Another example is about the power

of Satarudriyam described in vayupurana. "rudrAdhyAyee vasEdyatra grAmENa

nagarEpivA..." where a person who contemplates on namakam lives, there will

be no fear of thieves or draught.

 

Times have changed and people have started becoming increasingly self

centered. Hence, these mantras, though they are very powerful, their usage

and practice has been declining because of various reasons. A prominent

reason that strikes my mind is that -- a person who practices these mantras

can not gain any thing personal for himself. He who practices these mantras

for his own personal gain will eventually see himself fallen to "hina yonis"

(i.e. born as imbeciles, getting punishment, involving in accidental death)

This conditioning applies for the practitioners of the path of Yoga also.

The second reason which I see, for the declining practice, is that the

people who can perform these mantras are becoming near extinct; since he can

not practice them for his personal sake --- he has to find his own means of

earning daily bread and butter. He has to find a means of surviving his

family. Earlier days, Kings used to employ and feed these practitioners.

Now, times have changed and we hardly can find people who are willing to

help in order to make survive this esoteric education. Rationalism has

taken its own toll. People who are with doubting minds started listening to

the non-believers. Faith is almost perished. All these eventualities are

only because of the raise of egocentric thoughts and desires!

 

A striking fact is that these mantras have been surviving in the homes of

staunch believers of Advaita Philosophy. It is because of the fact that a

follower of advaita could see himself everywhere and could identify himself

with the sufferings of the others. He is ever there to help, offer the

helping hand. Jagadguru Adishankara has shown to the world the power of

these esoteric mantras. There are various episodes of Adishankara

performing miracles, told in the biography book "Shankgaravijaya" written by

Sayana Madhava (a.k.a. Sayanacharya, a.k.a. Vidyaranya) For example look at

the episode of Kapalika. A kapalika approaches Shankara and expresses his

desire to offer Shankara's head at the altar of his personal deity. The

kapalika argues that --- since Shankara advocates that the world is brahman,

he could give his body for the sake of brahman. Shankara does not say a

single word, he quietly offers his body to the kapalika. But then his

immediate disciple kills the kapalika and rescues Shankara. Had shankara

wished --- he could have saved himself, but he did not do so! Why! because

he confirms his teachings.

 

 

Astral transformation:

 

This is not a trick but a genuine siddhi. How ever, now a days magicians

are performing them by the speed of their hands. This can be achieved

either by the means of Yoga or by the means of Mantra. You could achieve

this through mantra but I would prefer not to write much about this. But for

a brief period of time in my life I experimented and witnessed this:

 

One day, while I was in Bombay I realized that I can transform things, which

are small, from one place to the other. I have seen this being done my many

siddhas who I know, but I never thought that I could achieve this with out

much effort. Any way, I was excited and went to meet my guru and tell her.

Before doing it, I bought a few silver coins from the local gold shop and

stored them in my pooja room. I traveled and reached the ashram.

 

I was bursting with enthusiasm. I wanted to show this to my teacher Swamini

Amma about this achievement.

I went to Trikoota ashram where Amma was staying.

 

I prostrated and told her "amma, I have got this power of transforming

things".

Amma smiled and asked me "what could you transform?"

I told her "Amma I would like to present you a silver coin" and I closed my

eyes and wanted to have the silver coin which is kept in my room in Bombay

to be transformed in to my hand. with in no time, I had that silver coin in

my hand. I handed it over to Amma. She took it and looked at it and asked

"so you have been using your power for these petty things? What is so

impressive about it? Even magicians can do this".... I felt stunned. She

immediately questioned me "where did you store these coins, in Bombay?" I

nodded my head and explained her the whole thing how I achieved it.

 

Her message was "look for higher, do not fall flat for these siddhies". I

walked out of her room and went to Swamini Nirmalananda, I have given her

another coin. She refused to accept and gave it to me back. There ends the

story. Never ever again I opted for this power. I gave it up.

 

It is useful with saints who could transform it in to a great amount of

Social Work and Social welfare. I am sure, this is not useful to me, I

would have become equal to another magician in the minds of people :-)....

But, I do not doubt the saints/siddhas who can perform this. No matter how

much a magician tries to imitate a siddha he can never bring down a genuine

siddha to the magician's level.

 

[To be cont...]