Sagunopaasana and idol worship

[Guest guest]

My dear friends and like minded persons

 

I have been asked by a like minded person to write about Sagunoopaasana. I

have been watching the mails and I do not know where exactly I stand to write

anything on this subject before the core intellectuals of the group. Any way,

as a student, I may have to place before you all what I could understand about

the Sagunoo Paasana.

 

I have seen a mail in the group that everything is SAGUNOOPAASANA, either in

the form of idol worship or in the form of prayers or other methods adopted by

other religions. It is a fact. There are stages of worship. For example, I

did not realize the methods of worship at my childhood time; I was only

curiously listening to the stories of Mahaa Bharat and Ramaayan. Bhima and

Ravana thrilled me with all their doings in those episodes. Perhaps I would have

run away from the story teller had he thought of teaching me Dwaitha and

Adwaitha etc at that stage. The stage slightly modified, I started focusing on

other brave deeds of Lord Krishna and Lord Hanumaan.

 

I was imagining them in my dreams and there were some photographs then and

those pictures remained in my memory as and when I thought of them. At that

time, I liked only black granite Moorthis in the temple and not accepting marble

stoned one, at some other stage, I did not accept the posture of Goddess Durga

in Assam as the way the saree was tied to her was not appealing to the one in

the sourthern part of India.

 

There was another stage, I do not know whether it is a modified one or not,

the soomkshaartha of Ramaayana – Viswa Mithra – Viswa = Universe, Mithra =

Friend, i.e. Viswamithra – Varuna (The Holy God of Rain) is the media between

Lord Rama – Neela Megha Shyaama to touch the Halya – the desert Land, to make it

as Ahalya – a verdure fertile land. Had I not accepted and imagined Lord

Hanuman in my earlier days, perhaps I would not have realized the meaning of

Raamayana in a different form – totally different from the Story. The Great

Sages of Hindu Religion have built up everything in the form of Sagunopasana

only and unless one crosses the stages of Sagunopaasana, he will not realize

what NIRGUNA PARA BRAHMA TATVAM is.

 

By and large, I believe Sagunoopaasana is the BASIC STEPPING STONE for

attaining advancement. I go little beyond, even these letters of expression are

of SAGUNOPAASANA, letter like A B C D – are the forms of the sounds and they are

brought a shape by different people in different languages acceptable to

them. They are called MAATHRUKAAS. I can not read Kashmiri language even if the

same A B C D is written in that language.

 

This means, we accept language, letters, postures, symbols, idols to which our

mind is tuned. The greatness of Hindu Religion is that we accept Lord in all

forms – a serpent is worshipped in Tamilnadu so also in Meghalaya. We respect

all diversities. Take for example – Lord Shiva Family – Lion and Nandi are

enemies; snake and peacock are enemies; and they all coexist.

 

To sum up, SAGUNOOPPASANA is the stepping stone for Nirgunoopaasana. If a

child is not nursed/educated properly at the time of when he needs the support,

how any one can expect him to come up and start walking and earning bread of

himself. Nirgunoopaasana is an extreme later stage like a Doctoral level

which can not be thought of at the stage of 1st Standard. Idol worship is

therefore essential for a code of conduct and a kind of discipline.

 

The idols suggested by the Great Rishis are also not simple stones; they have

some meaning and some basic value. This has to be remembered, the HINDU

RELIGION/GREAT RISHIS OF INDIAN ORIGIN created an atmosphere – an in built

atmosphere for a disciplined and healthy life through varieties of worship and

varieties of idols. It is advisable to read my topic earlier pasted on “The

Chemistry and Mathematics of Shiv Linga and Sri Chakra”.

 

As I expressed myself as a student, this is what I learned and I have no

hesitation to accept any modification or refined application of the principle.

Yours affly

 

Respectfully at the Holy Sri Charan of Great Grand Father Bhagavan Krishna

Dwaipaayana Vedavyas & Great sages Holy Agastya Maharishi, Holy Sandeepani

Maharishi and Vamsa Rishi Holy Gowthama.

 

HARA HARA MAHADEVA DR P V SESHA SAI ASWAMEDHAYAAJI

 

Adhyatmitka Ratna, Sri Yaaga Vidya Praveena, Vedanta Visarada

Dr P V Sesha Sai Aswamedhayaaji

www.ashwamedhayaagam.org E Mails: shodasisai,

shodasisai, shodasisai 3724, Spencer’s Street, # 221,

Torrance, 90503 California, USA

Phones Mobile: 310 293 9066 Land Line 310 921 6138

 

19th July 2006