Miscellany: Counting Letters, Samputa ....Chi, Sanjay Rath

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Dear Chi.Sanjay,

I had already written as follows.

quote,

The on going discussion on Chanting of Gayatri Mantra and other previous topics is slowly beginning to look like "oneupmanship" to my eyes. May be I am wrong and senile.

If I am wrong...please proceed with the arguements.

Unquote

Since you say "OTHER" feels that your discussion is ONEUPMANSHIP...you have chosen to ignore what I wrote that I may be wrong. I really wish I am.

I also wish you had read my post.

Some times, "ignorant and unquoth " people like me can be meddlesome.

Please continue with your shashtrarth.

Tatvam-Asi

 

 

Sanjay Rath <guruji (AT) srath (DOT) com> wrote:

Dear Narasimha

 

1. Thats a typo...everyone knows is bhargo devasya dhimahi.

2. Brilliant analogy about the Rice and the Bowl. You can be very

innovative in your analogies.

 

3. I really appreciate the fact that you have accepted the error you

made about panchakshari and shadakshari. Narasimha, I have no

intention to ever show that this path is right or that is right. After

all who are we in this huge universe. All I tried to do was to prevent

others from having *notions* about right and wrong.

 

To Mr Arjuna: Narasimha please also see

4. The reference in the Siva Purana is extolling the greatness of the

rudraksha after describing the mantras for the different types of

Rudraksha. For example the 12 mukhi rudraksha is for Surya and 10

mukhi is for Vishnu. If you are using this specific face rudraksha and

also doing the mantras of Surya or Vishnu or any other devata based on

the number of mukhi, it is fine.

 

When we use the word Rudraksha in general, it refers to the

panchamukhi rudraksha. The pancamukhi is for the panchamukha devata

and to my knowledge this is ONLY LORD SHIVA (Brahma had 5 heads, but

lost one due to indiscretion, so He is chaturmukhi). This rudraksha is

the best for panchakshari or shadakshari mantra sadhana, especially if

the mantra initiation has been done on a panchami.

 

Hope this clarfies.

 

5. To other who think this debate is one upmanship (I have not read

the mails, but was told that there is some thing like this).

 

How can we ever dream of improvement if we do not question? Are we

Indians destined to languish in the darkness of the middle ages? Can

we not come out of that by questioning and learning. Just see how much

knowledge has been exchanged due to this process of questioning. OK

agreed that Narasimha and I can get at each others throats

occasionally, but then deep inside we know that it is ultimately for

the knowledge that we came together in the first place.

 

Sanjay

> Dear Sanjay,

>

> > tat savitur vareNyam ...1st pada

> > vargo devasya dhimahi...2nd pada

> > dhiyo yo nah prachodayat...3rd pada

>

> The first word in the second pada is not "vargo". It is given as

"bhargo" in all printed versions I have seen.

>

> This is the first time I am seeing "vargo". I am guessing that it is

a corruption. The word "bharga" means radiant energy or effulgence. It

is vital in the meaning of the mantra. I cannot see "varga" fitting here.

>

> Do you chant the mantra in your japam as you wrote above? Is this

how your guru taught you?

>

> * * *

>

> Dear Ajit,

>

> > > This is regarding the Gayatri to which I have a very clearcut

answer and

> > know at least 25 samputa or maybe more

> >

> > You do not have to reply to this publically if you wish. However,

when you

> > are so firm about the 24 sounds of the mantra, why did you bother

to find

> > out about 25+ samputas which will naturally change the chandas of the

> > mantra? Or have I misunderstood something?

>

> Regarding the assertion above ("naturally change the chandas of the

mantra"), I beg to differ.

>

> Let me make my argument using an analogy, starting with the word

used by Sanjay - "samputa". What does that word mean? It means a bowl

or a container!!!!

>

> If I prefix the mantra with Om and suffix the mantra with Om, Sanjay

is rightly calling it "samputa" (and he says he knows 25+ samputas).

They basically form the "container" for the mantra.

>

> Now, if I put rice in a bowl, does the bowl become part of rice? No,

it is still a bowl that happens to contain rice. Similarly, if I put

pasta in a bowl, does the bowl become part of pasta? No, it is still a

bowl that happens to contain pasta.

>

> Similarly, the samputa (container) used does not become part of the

mantra. Mantra remains mantra (like rice and pasta in the above

analogy) and samputa just acts as a container that provides space for

the mantra.

>

> Now, one important point needs to be made, in order to complete this

analogy:

>

> If a bowl is dirty, the dirt can get into rice and change its taste.

If a bowl contaminated with sugar syrup is used to contain rice, rice

becomes sweet due to the sugar syrup. Similarly, some samputas can

change the "nature" (not chhandas) of the mantra. Thus, one has to be

careful with certain samputas.

>

> However, Om is pure aakaasa (space). Thus, doing samputa of Gayatri

mantra with Om...Om creates empty space (aakaasa) for the mantra to

occupy and does not change the nature in any way.

>

> Thus, I maintain that the samputa suggested by Swami Vivekananda

(Om...mantra...Om) neither changes the chhandas (metre) nor changes

the nature of the mantra.

>

> However, some of the 25+ samputas that Sanjay said he knows may be

different in behavior. While those samputas remain samputas

(containers) and do not become part of the mantra, they can affect the

nature and effect of the mantra. If one wants good health or wants to

overcome addictions by controlling the mind or wants knowledge or

something like that, one may choose an appropriate samputa as taught

by a guru. But, if the goal is Brahma jnaana, I humbly suggest that

the basic samputa suggested by Swami Vivekananda is appropriate.

>

> * * *

>

> Dear Sanjay,

>

> > You have not expressed your views about the panchakshari mantra.

Does your

> > tradition still believe that it is the same as shadakshari mantra?

So then

> > your tradition does not recognise the Rudra Yamala or

alternatively does not

> > accept the teaching of Shankara.

>

> I humbly take back my point on Panchakshari and Shadakshari.

Whatever I said in that regard was my own view and not my guru's.

>

> I made a wrong point that can (did) divert the discussion. Please

read what I wrote to Ajit above.

>

> * * *

>

> Dear Pandit Arjun ji,

>

> > it is clearly written in shivapuran that doing japam of any mantra

> > with a rudraksha mala is the best. hence rudraksha mala is not

> > prohibited for chanting any mantra, rather it is put above par with

> > all other malas like pearls, corals, crystals etc.

>

> Thank you for the reference! Contrary to this (and contrary to my

own guru's teachings), Sanjay ji vehemently maintains that Rudraksha

must not be used with Gayatri mantra. Let us wait for him to give his

reference!

>

> * * *

>

> Dear Neeraj,

>

> > I greatly appreciate your feedback. I do need it and I

> > will devote some time on the Narayana Sooktam with

> > voice as well as text and will try to improve on the

> > intonation and pronounciation part.

> >

> > I hope, I can do it correctly with some practice and

> > with your blessings.

> >

> > I already have the image and the humming of the

> > gayatri mantra that you gave us. I will practicse on

> > that.

>

> Who am I to bless you?

>

> I met several people who were given Gayatri long back, but do not

practice it now. Having seen the power of Gayatri, I convinced them to

restart and guided them in pronunciation. After doing it physically

with a few people, I wanted to do it virtually, to reach a larger group.

>

> I am only sharing what I know and practice, not because I know a

great lot, but because even the little I know may be useful to some.

>

> I have absolutely no pretensions of being a guru or a learned man or

one who can bless people.

>

> Yes, I have seen people perfect the swara of this mantra with

practice. Do practice.

>

> When I taught people physically, I hummed it while moving my finger

on the text (like in karaoke). Unfortunately, the resources I have

uploaded lack in that dimension and it is less easy to follow the

humming and text together. That is why I think listening to the Sri

Sooktam audio I mentioned yesterday and understanding the meanings of

accent symbols practically is a good approach.

>

> Sarvam SreeKrishnaarpanamastu,

> Narasimha

> -------------------------

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> -------------------------

>

>