vedasArashivastava - 3,4,5

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girIshaM gaNeshaM gale nIlavarNaM

gavendrAdhirUDhaM guNAtItarUpam.h |

bhavaM bhAsvaraM bhasmanA bhUShitAN^gaM

bhavAnIkalatraM bhaje paJNchavaktram.h || 3||

 

I worship the Lord of the (kailAsa) mountain, the Lord of the gaNas,

whose throat is blue, who has mounted a bull (nandI), who is beyond

attributes (guNas), who is the origin of the world, who is

resplendent, whose body is smeared with bhasma (sacred ash),

who is the spouse of bhavAnI and who is the five-faced Lord.

 

In this verse, an important point is introduced regarding upAsana.

What is upAsana? This is loosely translated into "worship" and this

term "worship" means different things to different people. For some,

it is just going to the temple and getting a coconut broken and

offered to the deity. For some, it is what you give in return for

something you expect from God. "If God gives me such and such a

thing, I will offer Him such and such a worship at this sacred

place."

 

Because of the ambiguity in deciding what exactly is upAsana, we have

to look at what Shankara gives as a definition:

 

upaasanaM naama samaanapratyayapravaahakaraNam.h

(suutra bhaashhya 4.1.7)

 

Making similar ideas flow (continuously) is called upaasana.

 

Being defined this way, upAsana is close to dhyAna which Shankara

defines as:

 

tailadhArAvat.h santato .avichchhinnapratyayo dhyAnam.h,

 

dhyAna (meditation) is the continuous and unbroken thought, like the

flow of oil - (Shankara's gItA bhAshhya 13.24)

 

Some may ask: in either definition, Shankara has not used the word

"bhagavAn" or God in reference to upAsana or dhyAna. upAsana or

dhyAna may conceivably be about anything? What has these got to

do with God?

 

See what Shankara says in the sUtra bhAshhya (1.2.14)

 

nirguNamapi sadbrahma naamaruupagataiH guNaiH saguNaM upasanaarthaM

tatra tatra upadishyate...

 

Even though Brahman is nirguNa, yet It is instructed as possessing

qualities of name and form, ie. saguNa, for the purpose of

meditation by various texts.

 

So for purposes of upAsana/meditation, Brahman is taught as having

name and form. A question may be asked: Brahman/God is present

everywhere.

Why should we think of Him as being present only in some specific

names and forms for doing upAsana? If indeed one is so advanced as

to fix his/her mind on just about any name/form then that is

excellent. This person does not need any specific names and forms

to meditate on. However, for most of us, it is difficult to meditate

on any general object. So some specific symbols, such as the OmkAra,

are taught.

 

Therefore, vAchaspati Mishra says in his famous bhAmatIi (on 1.2.14):

natu nAnAsthAnatvaM nabhasa iva nAnAsUchIpAshA-

disthAnatvam.h | visheshhatastu brahmaNastAni tAnyupAsanAsthAnAnIti

tairasya yukto vyapadeshaH || (bhAmatI)

 

The many places assigned (to Brahman) are not just like the many

places, such as the eye of a needle, in which space occurs. The

specialty of the places where Brahman is said to occur

(specifically) is as places for (being utilized in) upAsana. By

(virtue of being places for use in upAsana), the mention of such

places is appropriate.

 

VAchaspati argues that the mention of certain places as the "abode"

of Brahman is not the same as casual mention of Brahman's existing in

different places. It is not the same as saying "Brahman exists

everywhere; It is also in the OMkAra." There is a specialty

associated with places that are mentioned specifically. And what is

this specialty? As a utility for upAsana.

 

 

shivAkAnta shaMbho shashAN^kArdhamaule

maheshAna shUlin.h jaTAjUTadhArin.h |

tvameko jagadvyApako vishvarUpa

prasIda prasIda prabho pUrNarUpa || 4 ||

 

O Beloved of PArvatI! O shaMbhu! O Bearer of the crescent moon!

O Great Lord! O Wielder of the trishUla! O Wearer of matted locks!

You are the One pervader of the everything in the world, O VishvarUpa

(One who is present everywhere)! Be gracious, O Lord who are

Infinite!

 

Ishvara is only One, without a second, as the shvetAshvatara

upaniShad says:

 

eko hi rudro na dvitIyAya tasthurya imAn lokAnIshata IshanIbhiH |

 

Rudra (Ishvara) is indeed one (unique), who rules these worlds

by His divine powers. (Knowing this) they (the knowers of

Brahman) did not wait for a second (deity).

 

parAtmAnamekaM jagadbIjamAdyaM

nirIhaM nirAkAramoMkAravedyam.h |

yato jAyate pAlyate yena vishvaM

tamIshaM bhaje lIyate yena vishvam.h || 5 ||

 

I worship the One ParamAtmA, the Ishvara, the primeval cause of the

world, One without desires, One without form, (but still) One who can

be known through the praNava (OmkAra), from whom the universe

originates, by whom it is maintained, and by whom it is destroyed.

 

This verse makes reference to the Brahma sUtra "janmAdyasya yataH"

(that from which the origin, etc. of the world takes place.)

 

Anand