Guest guest Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Dear all, Again I am sharing some thoughts that came to my mind when I was waiting in line to have a darshan of Guruvayurappan. Another thing that gave me food for thought was the mirror kept above the door to the inner praakaaram (naalambalam). Those who have visited Guruvayur temple will remember the small corridor connecting the outer praakaaram and inner praakaaram. As soon as we enter the corridor we can see on the left, the place where Melpatthoor sat and wrote Naaraayaneeyam. I reached there and paid respect to the great devotee poet by bowing to the lighted lamp kept there and moved forward a few more steps. There was a big crowd and since the sanctum sanctorum or sreekovil was closed, I had to wait for about half an hour. I was too exhausted to chant prayers and I looked at the mirror above the entrance to the inner praakaaram . I could see all the waiting devotees in the mirror including me. I thought: " what does this mirror and the images I see in them teach me? " . All these images I see in the mirror remain there only as long as the mirror is there. So, is Bhagavan telling us that once we remove the mirror of Maaya or avidya or ignorance, we merge into Bhagavan? Is that the reason a mirror was placed at the entrance of the inner praakaaram? I would like to think that it was Bhagavan's idea to put that mirror there not only to see our images reflected, but also to tell us that between Bhagavan and us comes the mirror of avidya and once you go through or cut through the veil of ignorance, we can find Him. After all the waiting when I went beyond that mirror, at least for a split second I felt that I was with Bhgavan in the inner praakaaram. The experience lasted' probably for one millionth of a second, but the thought of it still fills my eyes with tears. I know that mirror has no significance, but when I started seeing the mirror as the mirror of Maya between Bhagavan and us, I was blessed with a special feeling of saamipyam (nearness) of Bhagavan. Even now I like to imagine going through that corridor, going past the mirror and reaching Bhagavan. But only once I had the special feeling of saamipyam for a very small fraction of a second. But I cherish that feeling. Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu Regards and prayers Savitri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Dear Savitriji, Your description of the mirror in Guruvayur temple as Maya is wonderful. When I read it I was reminded of Sankaracharya's Dakshinamurtistotram. There he points out that the world, which is a creation of Maya, is as unreal as the reflection of a city in a mirror-- visvam darpanadrisyamaana nagari tulyam. So your comparison of the mirror to Maya is very apt. Like Maya, the mirror also creates an unreal world which appears real. Best wishes, S.N.Sastri--- On Sat, 5/23/09, Savitri Puram <savitriopuram wrote: Savitri Puram <savitriopuram[Guruvayur] Namasthe- A Mirror 2Saturday, May 23, 2009, 3:24 PM Dear all, Again I am sharing some thoughts that came to my mind when I was waiting in line to have a darshan of Guruvayurappan. Another thing that gave me food for thought was the mirror kept above the door to the inner praakaaram (naalambalam) . Those who have visited Guruvayur temple will remember the small corridor connecting the outer praakaaram and inner praakaaram. As soon as we enter the corridor we can see on the left, the place where Melpatthoor sat and wrote Naaraayaneeyam. I reached there and paid respect to the great devotee poet by bowing to the lighted lamp kept there and moved forward a few more steps. There was a big crowd and since the sanctum sanctorum or sreekovil was closed, I had to wait for about half an hour. I was too exhausted to chant prayers and I looked at the mirror above the entrance to the inner praakaaram . I could see all the waiting devotees in the mirror including me. I thought: "what does this mirror and the images I see in them teach me?" . All these images I see in the mirror remain there only as long as the mirror is there. So, is Bhagavan telling us that once we remove the mirror of Maaya or avidya or ignorance, we merge into Bhagavan? Is that the reason a mirror was placed at the entrance of the inner praakaaram? I would like to think that it was Bhagavan's idea to put that mirror there not only to see our images reflected, but also to tell us that between Bhagavan and us comes the mirror of avidya and once you go through or cut through the veil of ignorance, we can find Him. After all the waiting when I went beyond that mirror, at least for a split second I felt that I was with Bhgavan in the inner praakaaram. The experience lasted' probably for one millionth of a second, but the thought of it still fills my eyes with tears. I know that mirror has no significance, but when I started seeing the mirror as the mirror of Maya between Bhagavan and us, I was blessed with a special feeling of saamipyam (nearness) of Bhagavan. Even now I like to imagine going through that corridor, going past the mirror and reaching Bhagavan. But only once I had the special feeling of saamipyam for a very small fraction of a second. But I cherish that feeling. Sreekrishnaarpanama sthu Regards and prayers Savitri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Dear and respected Shastriji, Thank you for the reference to Dakshinamurthi Stothra. I will try to find and read that sthothra to understand more. I have read in other articles and commentaries of Viveka Choodamani etc. where they have compared Maaya to a mirror and I really like the comparison. It gives a lot of food for thought for us. I pray Guruvayurappan for your Aayuraarogyasoukhyam. Regards and prayers savitri On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 8:20 AM, Nilakantan sastri <snsastri wrote: Dear Savitriji, Your description of the mirror in Guruvayur temple as Maya is wonderful. When I read it I was reminded of Sankaracharya's Dakshinamurtistotram. There he points out that the world, which is a creation of Maya, is as unreal as the reflection of a city in a mirror-- visvam darpanadrisyamaana nagari tulyam. So your comparison of the mirror to Maya is very apt. Like Maya, the mirror also creates an unreal world which appears real. Best wishes, S.N.Sastri--- On Sat, 5/23/09, Savitri Puram <savitriopuram wrote: Savitri Puram <savitriopuram[Guruvayur] Namasthe- A Mirror 2 Saturday, May 23, 2009, 3:24 PM Dear all, Again I am sharing some thoughts that came to my mind when I was waiting in line to have a darshan of Guruvayurappan. Another thing that gave me food for thought was the mirror kept above the door to the inner praakaaram (naalambalam) . Those who have visited Guruvayur temple will remember the small corridor connecting the outer praakaaram and inner praakaaram. As soon as we enter the corridor we can see on the left, the place where Melpatthoor sat and wrote Naaraayaneeyam. I reached there and paid respect to the great devotee poet by bowing to the lighted lamp kept there and moved forward a few more steps. There was a big crowd and since the sanctum sanctorum or sreekovil was closed, I had to wait for about half an hour. I was too exhausted to chant prayers and I looked at the mirror above the entrance to the inner praakaaram . I could see all the waiting devotees in the mirror including me. I thought: " what does this mirror and the images I see in them teach me? " . All these images I see in the mirror remain there only as long as the mirror is there. So, is Bhagavan telling us that once we remove the mirror of Maaya or avidya or ignorance, we merge into Bhagavan? Is that the reason a mirror was placed at the entrance of the inner praakaaram? I would like to think that it was Bhagavan's idea to put that mirror there not only to see our images reflected, but also to tell us that between Bhagavan and us comes the mirror of avidya and once you go through or cut through the veil of ignorance, we can find Him. After all the waiting when I went beyond that mirror, at least for a split second I felt that I was with Bhgavan in the inner praakaaram. The experience lasted' probably for one millionth of a second, but the thought of it still fills my eyes with tears. I know that mirror has no significance, but when I started seeing the mirror as the mirror of Maya between Bhagavan and us, I was blessed with a special feeling of saamipyam (nearness) of Bhagavan. Even now I like to imagine going through that corridor, going past the mirror and reaching Bhagavan. But only once I had the special feeling of saamipyam for a very small fraction of a second. But I cherish that feeling. Sreekrishnaarpanama sthu Regards and prayers Savitri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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