mahAvAkyaratnAvaliH- Translation No. 24

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Stoker,

 

You have asked----

 

You have asked----y

 

Siva and vishNu and all the deities seem to be

aspects of Brahman that carry certain qualities. I

wonder if an individual jiva will want to worship that

deity who has the qualities of the jiva?

 

My reply:----

 

 

It is true that according to advaita both jIva and ISvara are mithya, the

former with the adjunct of avidya (or mind) and the latter with the adjunct

of mAyA. But there is a big difference between the two. ISvara (God) is

always aware of his real nature as brahman because the veiling power of mAyA

does not affect him. He is the controller of mAyA. jIva is ignorant of his

real nature and is under the control of mAyA. So, in order to cross over

mAyA, the jIva needs the grace of God who controls mAyA and so the jIva has

to worship God. This is the explanation on one level,

 

But if we examine the procedure laid down for all pUjAs (worship) and the

principles that apply to them, it will be clear that the advaitic vision is

always kept in mind even during worship of God. I shall explain how,

 

 

 

The fundamental principle in every pUjA is that the worshipper has to look

upon himself as the same as the worshipped God. The principle is, " Sivo

bhUtvA Sivam pUjayet " . One should worship Siva after becoming Siva. In

accordance with this dictum, the following Sloka is chanted at the beginning

of every pUjA:--

" deho devAlayaH proktaH, jIvo devH sanAtanaH. tyajet ajnAnanirmAlyam, so

ahambhAvena pUjayet "

The meaning is:-- The body itself is the temple. The jIva is the eternal

deity. Removing ignorance.which is like the faded flowers of previous pUjA,

one should perform the pUjA with the idea " I am He " .

Sri Sankara in his bhAshya on vishNu sahasra nAma, quotes the following

Sloka from MahAbhArata:--

One who is not vishNu should not sing the praise of vishNu, he should not do

archana to vishNu, should not meditate on vishNu; one who is not vishNu will

not attain vishNu.

 

Even now we are brahman because if we are not brahman we can never become

brahman because a thing can never change its nature. It is to impress this

truth on our mind that we are asked to consider ourselves as vishNu when we

worship vishNu. Sankara also quotes a sentence from the brihadAraNyaka

upanishad which says that a person who worships God thinking himself to be

different, does not know, he is like an animal to the gods . He serves the

gods in the same way as cattle, horses, etc., serve human beings.

 

In order to enable the worshipper to think of himself as the God worshipped,

what are called 'nyAsa' are laid down.The worshipper touches his fingers and

some othe parts of the body while uttering the mUla mantra of the particular

deity to identify himself with the deity.

Another important point in every pUjA is " AtmapUjA " by which the worshipper

first wordhips the divinity or AtmA within himself. Then he transmits the

divinity in him to the picture or image which he uses for worship. Thus what

he worships is not the picture or image before him, but his own divinity

which is temporarily considered as residing in the picture or idol. At the

end of the pUjA he withdraws the divinity from the picture or image into

himself. This also shows that what is worshipped is brahman tself, with the

help of a picture or image for concentrating the mind.This is why, when an

idol is used only temporarily for worship,as in the case of the annual

Ganapati pUjA, the divinity invoked in the idol is withdrawn at the end and

the idol is thrown into the sea or a river.

 

 

Thus the fundamental tenet of advita that the jIva and ISvara are in essence

brahman is kept in mind during worship. By not giving up this principle of

non-duality even during worship the worshipper will ultimately attain as an

actual experience, the realization of his identity with brahman, which he

now knows only intellectually. In essence this worship is also one kind of

upAsanA or meditation.

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Shri Shastriji Periyavargale ! Satangha Namaskarams .

 

i am indeed enjoying this 'interlude ' on Advaitic Bhakti ! Just

when i was wondering now that our beloved Professorji has gone back

to his Janmabhoomi , who is going to write about Advaita bhakti in

this group ? Thank you shastriji for stepping into that role with

such spontaneity and enthusiasm. and now we will wait for our

beloved VISHISTA ( SO SPECIAL) ADVAITIN to pen his thoughts on this

 

i am familiar with sadaji's writings from 1998 although i joined

this list only in 2003 ( i think) Let me tell you something about

sadaji and his wife Mrinalini - they are verily like Shriman

Narayana and smt Lakshmi devi - the divine couple ! For vyavharika

reasons , Sadaji maintains a low profile( says about differences in

bank balances ) but the parmarthika satyam is different! His beloved

dharampatni Mrinalini has given many charity dance performances in

the u.s.a and donated the proceeds to the CHINMAYA MISSION ! AND

SADAHJI HIMSELF IS RUNNING AN ORPHANAGE whereby he is spending time

and money for the betterment of the unerprivileged kids! so, now you

know sadaji is not only humble but he is divinely humble! my

oprannams to you to your lotus feet, sadaji!

 

May i also be to post a few comments in this context? Before i sit

on that 22 hour flight to Janmabhoomi Bharatadesam , these hands

ONLY want to write only about Shriman Narayana - the goal ( Ayana)

of all Nara ( jivas) ! Om Namo Narayana !

 

Adi Shankara Bhagvadapada poses this penultimate question in a

famous text called " Prashnottara Ratna malika " . and that question

is

 

Who is called Bhagwan and Maheswara?

 

Kanchi Mahaperiyavall provides this divine explanation in one of his

discourses tiotled Namo Namaha'

 

Our Acharya does not in reply give the names of Siva or

Vishnu .Advaita Acharya gives the reply as the one Atma which is a

communion of Siva and Vishnu. Even there he does not use Siva –

Vishnu or Hari – Hara but has used Sankaranarayanan.

 

Q: Kascha Bhagwan Mahesah?

A: Sankara Narayanatmaikah

 

Therefore it is appropriate that this Sankara also gives a special

niche for the name Narayana.

 

Thus it is clear that the Acharya has referred to the great causal

principle of the Jagat by the name NARAYANA. "

 

to read this four part article, please go to

http://www.kamakoti.org/Miscl/namoh3.html

 

in the Prusha sukta a verse reads

 

vedAhametam purusham mahAntam

Aditya varNam tamasaH parastAt |

tam evam vidvAn amRta iha bhavati

na anyaH panthA vidyate 'yanaaya ||

 

This great Purusha, brilliant as the sun, who

is beyond all darkness, I know him in my

heart. Who knows the Purusha thus,

attains immortality in this very birth.

I know of no other way to salvation.

 

This Purusha is none other than Shriman Narayana from whom all

Creation arose . This purusha has been described as having thousand

heads , thousand eyes and thousand feet! But how many hearts that

this purusha has ? Only 'ONE' and we all of the jivas , naras( the

entire creation) resides in the heart of this Purusha! yes ! a

superior devotee never says 'sriman narayana is in my heart' rather

he/she should say 'i reside in the heart of Narayana' !

 

Our beloved friend Michal ( ombhurbhusvaha) is fond of saying " The

bhakta merges, the jnani emerges. " What an apt statement !

 

Folks , in conlusion i would leave you all this verse to

contemplate on from Shrimad Bhagvatam

 

nimna-ganam yatha ganga

 

devanam acyuto yatha

 

vaishnavanam yatha sambhuh

 

purananam idam tatha

 

Srila Prabhupadha's tranlation

 

Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the

supreme among deities and Lord Sambhu [siva] the greatest of

Vaishnavas, so Srimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.

 

on this note , please join me in saluting

 

Om Namo Narayana !

 

Om shabnkaranarayanaya namaha !

 

jaya jaya shankara ! Hara hara shankara!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

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