Ishwara- the Grand Finale!

[Guest guest]

Dearest Chitta !

 

Thank you so much for this final and concluding post on 'Real and

Unreal' with a glowing tribute to Ishwara and His Maya Shakti!

 

Beloved Chitta writes...

 

(Ishwara is not a product of Maya. Maya is Ishwara's incomprehensible

power of creation.)

 

YES!

 

"From his divine power comes forth all this magical show of name and

form, of you and me, which casts the spell of pain and pleasure. Only

when we pierce through this magic veil do we see the One who appears

as many."

(Shvetashvatara Up. 4:2-5, P.225)

 

Chitta observes

 

(And Maya is to be understood as the power through which Brahman

brings forth this universe)

 

Shevetashtara Upanishad Captures the essence of the above statement

in this way ...

 

"Know nature to be Maya and the Ruler of this Maya is the Lord

Himself."

 

CHITTA, I really loved the way you described Maya and HER vikshepa

shakti.

 

here, i would like to share with readers what i read on this

intriguing subject of Maya...

 

" In a psychological sense maya is the human tendency to regard

appearance as reality and reality as appearance. In an

epistemological sense it signifies human ignorance concerning the

difference between appearance and reality. In an ontological sense it

refers to the creative power of Brahman. (Collinson, Plant,

Wilkinson, 2000. p122)

 

It is not a deception, nor is it a falsehood, but rather an erroneous

or inadequate conception of reality, the result of a misunderstanding

which vanishes when it is ousted by knowledge. Sankara maintains that

the world of appearances is neither real nor unreal. It is simply an

incorrect conception of the true reality. (Collinson, Plant,

Wilkinson, 2000. p122) "

 

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Theology-India-Hinduism.htm - 235k -

 

 

A great Tantrik shakta by the name of Arthur Avalon states...

 

"The Maya of Shankara is a mysterious Shakti of Ishvara, by which

Vivartta is sought to be explained and which has two manifestations,

viz., Veiling (Avarana) and moving, changing and projecting

(Vikshepa) power. Ishvara is Brahman reflected in Maya; a mystery

which is separate, and yet not separate, from Brahman in Its Ishvara

aspect. The Shakta Maya-Shakti is an aspect of Shiva or Brahman

Itself."

 

And beloved advaitins, Shankara Bhagavadapada himself captures the

beautiful essence of Shiva-Shakti UNITY in the ARDHANAREESHWERA

STOTRA thus..

 

prapa~ncha sR^ishhTyunmukhalaasyakaayai

samasta samhaaraka taaNDavaaya |

jagajjananyai jagatekapitre

namaH shivaayai cha namaH shivaaya || 7 ||

 

SHE dances in delight with captivating beauty at face of creation

which springs forth from them. His dance of destruction is in fury

and the cosmos subsides back in them. SHE is the mother of this world

and He is the Father. Such is the wonderful nature of

ardhanaariishvara, I bow to shrii shivaa (consort of lord shiva) and

Lord shiva.

 

http://www.ambaa.org/stotrams/ardhanari.htm

 

IT IS FOR THIS REASON ADI SHANKARA SINGS IN THE VERY FIRST VERSE OF

SAUNDARYA LAHARI

 

shivaH shaktyaa yukto yadi bhavati shaktaH prabhavitu.n

na cedeva.n devo na khalu kushalaH spanditumapi .

atastvaamaaraadhyaaM hariharaviri~ncaadibhirapi

praNantuM stotuM vaa kathamakR^itapuNyaH prabhavati .. 1..

 

O Mother, only by uniting with you, Ishwara (Shiva) is able to create

the world. If He is not united with you, He will not have the ability

even to stir. While so, how can one who has acquired no merit through

earlier good deeds, can even dare to salute or praise You, who are

worthy of being worshiped by Hari, Hara, Viri~nci and others?

 

http://www.ambaa.org/saundarya/saundarya1.htm

 

AND ASK OUR VAISHNAVA MEMBERS SRINIVASA AND JAY , they will also

confirm without " Piratti' , EMPERUMAN CANNOT MOVE ! smiles!!

 

The LAKSHMI ASHTOTRA BEGINS

 

'Prakritiyai namaha; vidyãyai namah; sarva bhoota hitapradãyai

namah!'

 

ONLY WHEN THIS 'prakriti' joins Purusha , vyavahara takes plce.

 

AND ONE FINAL POINT.

 

so, what is the end of the story. ?

 

Is the world real or unreal?

 

Let me quote my favorite Leader and atma-jnani, bhakti yogi , karma

yogi MAHATMA GANDHI himself

 

"I am an Advatist and yet I can support Dvaitism (dualism). The world

is changing every moment, and is therefore unreal, it has no

permanent existence. But though it is constantly changing, it has

something about it which persists and it is therefore to that extent

real .. Joy or what men call happiness may be, as it really is, a

dream in a fleeting and transitory world ... But we cannot dismiss

the suffering of our fellow creatures as unreal and thereby provide a

moral alibi for ourselves. Even dreams are true while they last and

to the sufferer his suffering is a grim reality."

 

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OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO SHRIMAN CHITTARANJAN JI FOR A SPLENDID

EXPOSITION COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THIS GREAT TOPIC. iT WAS TRULY

EDUCATIONAL !!!

 

A heart welcome to counsellor Greg-ji as he embarks on the next

topic!

 

and as mani-ji stated so eloquently in his recent post - do we all

want to be ARMCHAIR VEDANTINS or do we want to be practicing

vedantins?

 

If all is 'braHman, this jagat is also Brahman !!!

>From bhogha, we go to Yoga!

 

BHUKTHI MUKTHI PRADAYINI, OUR GREAT COSMIC MOTHER !!!!!!!