On This Day Of Deepavali - the festival of 'Lights' .........................

[Guest guest]

Deepavali Greetings Satsanghis!

 

i was delighted to read all the wonderful names of Sri Lalaita Maha

Tripura sundari on the group page .

 

May i also add one more name to this impressive list? This name

has a special significance on this Day !

 

Sri Dyuti DharA (768)

 

Simple meaning

 

' She who is full of light and splendor; She who has an aura of light'

 

Sri Dyuti-Dhara

 

— The Light.

 

Sri Lalita Sahasranama

(Sri Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and

Printers, 1989.)

 

 

"What is that illumines Atman? If another kind of consciousness is

assumed for that purpose, then the question may be asked as to what

illumines the second consciousness. Thus one faces the difficulty of

an infinite regress. On the other hand, if it is said that Atman is

illumined by the light that belongs to Atman alone, then an objection

may be raised that the answer hardly gives any satisfaction. It may

be contented that the ignorant man does not know the nature of Atman

at all; therefore his ignorance can hardly be dispelled by the

statement that the light of Atman manifests Atman."

 

Swami Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge

(S. Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge [Atmabodha], 1989, p. 144.)

 

and JAgadguru ADI Shankara Bhagvadpada says in verse 300 of Viveka -

chudamani ( crest jewel of didcrimination)

 

Free from the grasp of feeling oneself the doer, one achieves ones

true nature which is, like the moon, pure, consummate, *self-

illuminating*being and bliss.

 

key word is 'self-illuminating'

 

Do we need an 'outside' Light to kindle the 'Light' within ?

 

May i quote this verse from 'Totakashtakam'?

 

bhavatA janatA suhitA bhavitA

nijabOdhavichAraNa chArumatE |

kalyEsvara jIvavivEkavidam

bhava sankara dEsika mE saraNam ||

 

By Thee the masses have been made happy, Oh, Thou of noble intellect,

skilled in the quest of *Self-Knowledge !* Enable me to understand

the wisdom relating to God and the Soul. Be Thou my refuge, Oh,

Master Sankara!

 

Yes! only an ATMA-JNANI ( like Adi Shankara Bhagvadapada ) can dispel

the darkness (ignorance/avidya) in our minds and fill it with the

immortal 'Light' OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE!

 

In the very first Verse in Sri Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam asstotran, Adi

Shankara Bhagvadapada sings thus :

 

Visvam darpana drisyamaana nagaree tulyam nijaantargatam,

Pasyannatmani maayayaa bahirivodbhootam yathaa nidrayaa;

Yah saakshaatkurute prabodhasamaye svaatmaana-mevaadvayam,

Tasmai sreegurumoortaye nama idam Sree Dakshinaa-moortaye.

 

simple explanation

 

(The universe is the reflection of a mirror. The Truth is the supreme

Brahman, the one without a second. The mind, senses and intellect are

all able to only discern the reflection of the Atman. The

identity of the brahman and the Atman is apparent after self-

illumination.I offer my profound salutations to the auspicious Guru,

who is an embodimentof Dakshinamurti, and whose grace is responsible

for the illumination.)

 

 

Detailed explanation:

 

In darkness, a rope is mistaken for a snake. But when examined with a

light, we will find that the supposed snake is only a rope. The

superimposed snake disappears, when light (knowledge) is thrown on

it. Even for an illusion, there must be a basis in reality. the bases

in the above example being the rope. All illusion will be

superimposed on truth, and conversely what remains after the illusion

is dispelled is the truth. When a person wakes up from a dream,

everything seen and felt in the dream disappears, and what remains is

only the dreamer. It means that we project ourselves into the objects

of our dream. When the dream passes away on the dawn of awakening, we

realise that there is nothing outside us. Similarly, the reflection

in a mirror has no substantiality, but is only an appearance of what

already exists. When we realise, with the aid of jnana, that God is

the only ultimate Truth and everything else is illusion, anger,

desire, hatred, pain, grief and other emotions will not affect us. We

begin to dwell in the fullness of Supreme Bliss.

 

(www.kamakoti.org)

 

On this Beautiful Day Of Deepavali , Let there be 'Light'

 

oM asato mA sad gamaya,

tamaso mA jyotir gamaya,

mRtyor mA amRtaM gamaya

 

oM SHANTI! sHANTI! Shantihi!

 

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I.3.28)

 

Om.

>From the unreal lead me to the REAL.

>From darkness lead me to LIGHT.

>From death lead me to IMMORTALITY.

 

Peace! Peace! Peace be upon you!

 

Jaya Jaya Shankara !

 

Hara Hara Shankara!

 

oM shri Gurubyo Namaha !

 

Love and blessings to one and all!