The Real and the Unreal -L ively and informative discussions.... l

[Guest guest]

Dear One and the Many !!!

 

It is indeed nice to see moderators taking part in these discussions -

very lively and informative.

 

I particularly enjoyed reading Sri RAM-JI'S little anecdote.

 

(The debate was not decided on the basis of the intellectual

abilities of these two great masters. Instead, the debaters were

garlanded with two identical flower garlands. These two great

intellects had the humility to bow down to faith in the miracle of

whether their respective garlands withered away or not. The debate

continued for several weeks. Sankaracharya was declared the winner

by the adjudicator, the wife of his opponent! The intellects who

assembled to witness the debate have also accepted the judgement

based on faith and intuition.)

 

Now, why do you think the GARLAND that adorned Sankara did not wither

away?

 

In any debate , it is always the 'Bhakta' who wins hands down.

Although our beloved Shankara Bhagvadapada was outwardly a Parama-

Jnani , in his heart of hearts he was a parama bhakta TOO. ALSO,

anyone on whose Tongue Govinda reSides, how can the flower Garland

wither away? For the Divine Lord lives in the hearts of all his

bhaktas. The two ( jiva and paramatma )become One in the inner

santuary of the Heart).

 

Yes!Dear advaitins! I know ! I know! Adi shankara gave us the

Bhashyas ( the commentaries) and the Prakarna Granthas( dealing with

the Fundamental aspects of Vedanta) But , our beloved Bhagvadapada

must have had in his mind all ignorant bhaktas like ME when he wrote

THOSE BEAUTIFUL, LYRICAL, stotra granthas - hymns on all

god/goddesses and meditational verses.

 

Any Discussion on 'Real and Unreal' WILL BE INCOMPLETE (OR

LOPSIDED) without a mention of Shankara's views on Sadguna Brahman.

( brahman with attributes) - HOW CAN ONE UNDERSTAND OR

COMPREHEND 'NIRGUNA' BRAHMAN except through 'upasana' of Sadguna

braHman?

 

The very first verse of ADI SHANKARA'S GOVINDASHTAKAM goes like

this ...

 

"satyaM jnAnam anantaM nityam anAkAzaM paramAkAzaM,

goSTha prAGNariGNa lolam anAyAsaM paramAyAsam mAyA

kalpita nAnAkAram anAkAraM bhuvanAkAraM kSmAyA nAtham

anAthaM praNamata govindaM param Anandam "

 

Translation

 

Worship Govinda who is supreme bliss, real, knowledge, infinite, and

eternal, who is free from ÁkáSa (and other upádhis), who is the

highest light, who was eager as a child to crawl in the cow-pen, who

is really free from difficulties, but who appears to be in

difficulties (or who is the abode of máyá, cause of all), who appears

manifold due to máyá, who appears as the world, who is the Lord of

the earth and Sri, and who has no Lord to control him.

 

http://www.kamakoti.org/shlokas/kshlok20.htm - 18k - Cached

 

 

in this verse , Lord Krishna is described as 'supreme bliss , real,

infinite and eternal"

 

and compare this with what the Taittiriya upanishad declares

regarding Brahman.

 

"Satyam Jnanamanantam Brahma."

 

So the personal Deity Lord Krishna has the same attributes as The

formless Brahman.

 

This is not paradoxical. Anyone who wants to know the real nature of

Brahman has to go through the Ladder of Krishna-BHAKTI STEP BY STEP-

..... . from the form to the form-less !

 

MY 1and a three quarter cents.

>From neti neti to Vasudevam OM ITI!!!!

[Guest guest]

Dear AdiMa,

 

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16>

wrote:

> Now, why do you think the GARLAND that adorned Sankara did

> not wither away?

>

> In any debate , it is always the 'Bhakta' who wins hands

> down. Although our beloved Shankara Bhagvadapada was

> outwardly a Parama-Jnani, in his heart of hearts he was

> a parama bhakta TOO. ALSO, anyone on whose Tongue Govinda

> reSides, how can the flower Garland wither away? For the

> Divine Lord lives in the hearts of all his bhaktas. The two

> (jiva and paramatma )become One in the inner santuary of the

> Heart).

> So the personal Deity Lord Krishna has the same attributes

> as The formless Brahman. This is not paradoxical. Anyone

> who wants to know the real nature of Brahman has to go

> through the Ladder of Krishna-BHAKTI STEP BY STEP-

> .... . from the form to the form-less !

 

I second that. You are absolutely right. Reason does not find its

mark without the goal in sight. The goal in sight is shraddha in the

heart. But a bhakta does not miss the mark - he simply dissolves into

the truth by melting the smallness of his heart in the Infinite

Expanse of Krishna. The sweetest flavour of that melting is madhura

bhava!

 

Love and regards,

Chittaranjan