The Swan Emblem (Hamsa Mudra) in the Srimukham of Sankara Mutts

[Guest guest]

Dear advaitis,

 

I would like to share some information on the emblem of Swan which is the srimukha of sankara mutt.

All are aware of the emblem of Swan or Hamsa (Hamsa Mudra) in the 4 pithas which is also the Srimukha of the Pithas when the Acharyas bless anybody. All the 4 pithas ie., Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri & Badari Mutts have this Srimukha or the emblem. Well what exactly does this "Hamsa" depict? When i asked this question to my guruji, he shared his information with me which i would like to share our forumites. Shri Nilakantha Dikshitar, the grandson (according to some the nephew of the brother) of the great advaitic scholar Shri Appayya Dikshitar had composed a magnum opus on Devi Minakshi of Madhurai called "Anandasagara Stavah". In sloka no. 108, Shri Dikshitar mentions :

 

// Anandasagara Stavah //

 

Sloka No. 108

 

“Chatur Adhyaye Rupam Kalahamsa Vyanjanam JaganmatuhApara Brahmamayam Vapuh Antah Sasikhandamandana Mupaseâ€

 

Meaning:

 

// I Worship that form of Divine Mother which is "chatur adhyaye rupa" having "Apara Brahma" as an object of decoration on Her forehead and KalaHamsa (Swan) as the flag staff (dwaja) //

 

On going deep into the meaning, the following secret is revealed.

 

The “Chatur Adhyaya Rupa†is the Brahmasutra of Vyasa having 4 adhyayas. The 4 adhyayas are: 1) Samanvaya 2) Avirodha 3) Sadhana 4) Phala. This Adhyaya Chatushtaya is considered as ‘Apara Brahmamaya’ or ‘Shadamaya Brahma’ as this starts which “Athato Brahma Jigyasaâ€. ‘Shadbamaya Brahma’ or 'Sabda Brahman is also depicted with Pranava which is the upaasya in the brahma sutra. Having contemplated the abheda bhavana of Pranava and ‘Brahmasutra Adyaya Chatushtaya’, the form of ‘Chatur Adyaya Rupa’ of Brahma Sutra is depicted as ‘Kala Hamsa’ or ‘Swan’ or Hamsa. The mudra in the 4 amnaya peetas (Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Badiri) is ‘Kala Hamsa’ which is the symbol of 4 adhyayas of Brahma Sutra.

The presiding deity of the 4 Amnaya Mutts of Adi Sankara is Devi Sarada, which is described here as the Brahmavidya Swarupini, as She is the ‘Upaasya Devata’ in Brahmasutras. Adi Sankara keeping in view of the 4 adhyayas of Brahma Sutra, envisioned 4 Pithas representing 4 Maha Vakyas which are the essence of 4 vedas.

 

So, Chatur Amnaya Peetas are the symbolic representation of Chaturadhyaya Rupa of Brahma Sutras.

 

A few decades ago, Archeological Survey of India has excavated a dilapidated Siva Templecalled "Siddhinatha Temple" which is near Omkareshwar Temple of Madhya Pradesh. Indologists confirm that this was the temple in which Adi Sankara wrote Sutra Bhashya after meeting his guru Shri Govinda Bhagavatpada. Interestingly, one can find the emblem of "Hamsa" inscribed on the top of the the Siddhinatha Linga.

with regs,sriram

 

India has a new look. Take a sneak peek.

[Guest guest]

The designer of the cover for my book ‘Back to the Truth: 5000

years of Advaita’ came up with the brilliant idea of using a swan (you can see

this at http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/backto_truth/backto_truth.htm.)

And I gave the following brief explanation of the symbolism at the website

(unfortunately it didn’t make it into the book itself):

 

The swan is particularly symbolic in Advaita. Its ability to

move through water without wetting its feathers alludes to the life of the

realized man living his life totally unaffected by the world. In its flight it

represents the supreme spirit escaping the bondage of saMsAra. The Sanskrit for

swan is haMsa and the title parama haMsa is given to the highest ascetics, as

in Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. If the word ‘haMso’ is repeated as a mantra, it

mutates into ‘soham’, meaning ‘I am he’. Since ‘aham brahmAsmi’ – I am Brahman

– haMsa also stands for the non-dual reality, Brahman.

 

Best wishes,

Dennis

 

 

 

advaitin

[advaitin ] On Behalf Of venkata sriram

Monday, November 09, 2009 1:16 PM

advaitin

The Swan Emblem (Hamsa Mudra) in the Srimukham of

Sankara Mutts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear advaitis,

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to share some information on the emblem of

Swan which is the srimukha of sankara mutt.

 

 

 

<<   >>

 

 

 

with regs,

sriram

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

PraNAms to all

 

There is Hamsa gita as a part of Uddhava Gita where the Brahman appears as hamsa

and teaches sanatkumaras and caturmukha brahma - as reported by Krishna to

Uddhava.

 

This is from Bhagavatam and Swami Tejomayanandaji has written commentary on it

and it is available from Chinmaya Mission with the title Hamsa Gita.

 

Just for info.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite wrote:

>

 

>

> The swan is particularly symbolic in Advaita. Its ability to move through

water without wetting its feathers alludes to the life of the realized man

living his life totally unaffected by the world.

>

>

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Dennis

 

Namaste Dennisji,

 

As you and others probably know the hamsa bird is also

famous for its ability to separate milk from water

when the two appear to be inextricably mixed.

 

As far as I know this represents to ability to discern

satyam from mithya. What appears as mithya, a jnani

can discern, has satyam as its being.

 

Another object which is not penetrated by water

is the lotus. Water beads on a lotus leaf.

 

Thus the lotus is also a symbol for brahman

which cannot be touched by anything.

 

Best wishes,

Durga

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

As some of you may already know that the Advaita Vedanta homepage developed by

Sri Vidyasankar Sunderasan contains the Swan (picture from Sringeri Mutt) as the

logo. Sri Vidyasankar provides the following explanation for the Swan and its

special association with Advaita Vedanta:

 

" The swan has a special association with advaita vedAnta. The swan is called

hamsa in the sam.skRta language. The greatest masters in the advaita tradition

are called paramahamsas - the great swans. The word hamsa is a variation of

so'ham: I am He, which constitutes the highest realization. There are other

equivalences between the swan and the advaitin, that make the swan a

particularly apt symbol for advaita vedAnta. The swan stays in water, but its

feathers remain dry. Similarly, the advaitin lives in the world, yet strives to

remain unaffected by life's ups and downs. In India, the swan is also mythically

credited with the ability to separate milk from water. Similarly, the advaitin

discriminates the eternal Atman from the non-eternal world. The Atman that is

brahman is immanent in the world, just like milk is seemingly inseparably mixed

with water, but It can never be truly realized without the nitya-anitya-vastu

viveka - right discrimination between the eternal and ephemeral - that is

essential for the advaitin. The swan is thus a symbol for the jIvanmukta, who is

liberated while still alive in this world, by virtue of having realized

Brahman. "

 

Source: http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/#logo

 

With my warm regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

advaitin , " durgaji108 " <durgaji108 wrote:

>

 

> advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite@> wrote:

> >

>

> >

> > The swan is particularly symbolic in Advaita. Its ability to move through

water without wetting its feathers alludes to the life of the realized man

living his life totally unaffected by the world.

> >

[Guest guest]

Pranams,

 

Just a side note which is off the topic:

 

The Jnanarnava Tantra is supposed to be the oldest & authoritative literature in

Srividya. One of the chapters in this tantra deals exclusively in detail about

the bird Hamsa and extols it as Parabrahma Swarupa. The Hamsa's beak is Pranava

and its pair of legs is Siva and Sakti denoted as Ha and Sa. That which joins

these two is Bindu denoted as circle (o). The body of the hamsa is sakala veda &

upanishad sAra. This Bindu is Muka Akshara which denotes the " Great Silence " of

Guru Dakshinamurthy. " Ha " denotes the Lakshyartha of " Tat " ; " sa " denotes the

" tvam " of Jiva and Bindu or Mukakshara denotes the " Asi " . So, in other words:

 

Ha-m-Sa = Tat-Asi-Tvam

 

And hence, Hamsa swarupa is Parabrahma Vachaka which is also the objective of

Srividya and Srichakra Upasana. This is the reason why Acharya Sankara

installed Srichakra in all his 4 mutts which is presided by Devi Sarada. If you

observe carefully this Deity Sarada, Her form is similar to Guru Dakshinamurthy

having 4 hands that holds Chinmudra, Rosary, Amrita Kalasa and Pustaka. This

" chinmudra " is also held by Dakshinamurthy that denotes the Jiva-Brahma Aikya

Swarupa and also the " Tattvamasi " Mahavakya.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

regs,

sriram

 

 

advaitin , " durgaji108 " <durgaji108 wrote:

>

>

>

> advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite@> wrote:

> >

>

> >

> > The swan is particularly symbolic in Advaita. Its ability to move through

water without wetting its feathers alludes to the life of the realized man

living his life totally unaffected by the world.

> >

> >

> >

> > Best wishes,

> >

> > Dennis

>

> Namaste Dennisji,

>

> As you and others probably know the hamsa bird is also

> famous for its ability to separate milk from water

> when the two appear to be inextricably mixed.

>

> As far as I know this represents to ability to discern

> satyam from mithya. What appears as mithya, a jnani

> can discern, has satyam as its being.

>

> Another object which is not penetrated by water

> is the lotus. Water beads on a lotus leaf.

>

> Thus the lotus is also a symbol for brahman

> which cannot be touched by anything.

>

> Best wishes,

> Durga

>