Spiritual sadhana (Ramakrishna, Shiva...)

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Respected SanjayJi,

I had wrote to NarasinhaJi the meaning & benifits or how good it is to do GANESH AATHARVA SEERSH

but I guess he must be busy but please can you answer my question?

Also do you think this AATHARVA SEERSH can help me in my sade sati period at all.

please reply me.

thanks

rashmi patel

 

 

 

Sanjay Rath <sanjayrathsohamsa Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:12:35 AMRE: Spiritual sadhana (Re: Ramakrishna, Shiva...)

 

 

 

oṠgurave namaḥ

Dear Narasiá¹ha

Firstly, please thank your spiritual master for his beautiful words. They summarize the avadhuta in a nutshell.

However, if you remember, you had stated that the start of the spiritual sÄdhana is always with GaṇeÅ›a mantra dÄ«ká¹£a – particularly emphasizing on Ganapati homam. To this you had quoted the following –

Narasiá¹ha wrote:

> (1) Relevance of Ganapathi: Punaranic saying "Kalau Chandi Vinayakau" (Chandi and Ganapathi save one in Kali).> (2) Importance of Ganapathi worship at the beginning: The puranic story of how Ganesha became the ruler of overcoming obstacles. There can be obstacles even when doing sadhana of a specific deity (e.g. Krishna, Chandi, Shiva, Vishnu etc). Worship of Ganesha at the beginning is helpful. So, when asked which homam is good, I suggested to do Ganapathi homam for a while and then switch to whatever he feels an affinity to.> (3) Ganapathi being in the Mooladhara and taking care of material life: Ganapathi atharva seersham> (4) Ganapathi controlling the opening of sushumna: Ganapathi's puraanic prayer of 108 names

My answers to the above are –

(1) Kalau Chandi Vinayaka refers to the importance of handling the nodes RÄhu and Ketu during dark periods (can also be interpreted as Kali Yuga) through the worship of Chandi and Vinayaka. Now, you are missing the finer point here in that DurgÄ has many forms and the particular form for dealing with the evil of RÄhu is Chandi as She dances the TÄṇá¸ava with Chandesvara Åšiva. Similarly, there are many forms of GaṇeÅ›a and the particualr form associated with Kali Yuga RÄÅ›i (Makara – Capricorn) is Vinayaka as per the 12 names of GaṇeÅ›a taught by ÅšrÄ« NÄrada Muni. Therefore the particular dictum is far more precise in its meaning. In any case, it does not tell us that this is the way to

start the sÄdhana nor does it give any other purpose other than the overcoming of the nodal effects related to the evils of Kali Yuga rÄÅ›i (highest) or the darkness caused by this yuga.

(2) Worship of GaṇeÅ›a in the beginning is due to the blessings of Åšiva – every other reason you give is secondary. However, this again does not mean that the first dÄ«ká¹£a mantra which is done for sÄdhana should be that of GaṇeÅ›a. It only means that whenever there is any spiritual activity, we need to worship ganesa in the beggining to remove the obstacles. Hence the name Vighnesvara or Vighnaraja. Further, you advise to do GaṇeÅ›a homam for a while and switch over is not a good spiritual advise. If the person is going to be a GaṇeÅ›a sadhaka then he has to complete the number of homam which is prescribed in the shastra. He has to complete the purascharana for the completion of the

sÄdhana. To stop at any time based on whim and fancy is not good.

(3) MÅ«lÄdhÄra chakra is one of the seven chakras. These seven important knots (gaNThi in oriya, I don;t know what this is in hindi) are among the few thousand in the body of which about 64 are crucial. Among these most important nine, the seven rest along the spine (although spiritual spine would be better term). Now simply because GaṇeÅ›a is the devatÄ of the MÅ«lÄdhÄra, why should we have this as the first dÄ«ká¹£a mantra? In any case, how did you arrive at ganapati Atharva Seersham for the muladhara? What about the very pot that holds this shakti? Is that vessel, called *kumbha* not important and then how do we worship the kumbha if not as Viṣṇu with Varuṇa in the holy waters in

it? Therefore even from the kuṇá¸alinÄ« perspective, the first pujÄ should be to Viṣṇu and for this Yuga to Kṛṣṇa as He is the Viṣṇu Yuga avatÄra.

(4) Suá¹£umna is SarasvatÄ«, Gaá¹…gÄ and Yamuna being the other two important nÄá¸i interwining around the suá¹£umna. Every *creator* devatÄ has the power to open the suá¹£umna. Why only GaṇeÅ›a? Brahma has the first power as the spouse of SarasvatÄ« and this is how the nada starts when the vina of SarasvatÄ« plays. Every devatÄ is worshipped by the devout as *aja* to have this potential to open the suá¹£umna. So to say that only GaṇeÅ›a and that too only the 108 names of GaṇeÅ›a can do so is narrow to my mind. Further, is there any shastric refereence in any classical text to support your claim?

Narasiá¹ha wrote:

> Yes, mahamantra is unbelievably pure and eventually purifies one who chants it everyday (ideally, 16x108 times or more).

My answers to the above are –

You have assumed that I said Mahamantra by which I assume you meant the Yuga Santarana Mantra of 16 words and 32 syllables.. Now I never said any such thing. I only said Kṛṣṇa mantra and clealy stated one authority *Mantra Mahodadhih* in support of my claim. The argument being that there are so many flaws even in mantras and unless one uses a prasiddha mantra, it is tough to get siddhi.

The paraá¹parÄ has recommended some very specific mantra and only these mantra are stated by me as well for everyone to start their learning with SJC. Different paraá¹parÄ may have different mantra. Spiritual paraá¹parÄ normally always start with the Kṛṣṇa bÄ«ja mantra – kliiM. At SJC we start with either *om kṛṣṇa guru*, *hare rama kṛṣṇa* ...or one of the others which are also Kṛṣṇa mantras (including that of VedavyÄsa – who was Kṛṣṇa dvaipayana). Importance is given to the oneness in the teachings of a lineage that emanates from this great union of ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Dvipäyana VedavyÄsa supported by all toher souls to re-establish dharma for the benefit of humanity.

Therefore only a kṛṣṇa mantra should be used as the starting point as He alone is the Yuga avatÄra and He alone holds the key to eveything else happening in this yuga. To be sure that whatever we do is always under His umbrella, we need to first have this as our first sÄdhana before we do other sÄdhana.

 

Narasiá¹ha wrote:

> Flaw is not in mantra, but in the mind. Each mantra protects the mind. The mechanism of this protection may or may not work fast depending on how impure and flawed a particular *mind* is.

My answers to the above are –

It is evident that you have not read any book, not a single one, on mantra shastra and are now trying to pose like an expert. I have nothing more to say beyond this. Unless you read, we cannot discuss further as there is nothing to debate about. You are talking about things you believe or imagine to believe whereas I am quoting a scriptural authority. This discussion is over.

 

Narasiá¹ha wrote:

> Agni (fire) is called paavaka, i.e. the purifier. He is not only the one who is pure, but also the one who *purifies*. When he is used as the medium for offering mantras, he purifies the mind, its surroundings and the delivery of the mantra. When Parasara taught various remedies in BPHS, he mentioned homam everywhere, for every problem. If you are not pure, take help of the one who is not only pure but also purifies whatever he comes in contact with!

My answers to the above are –

To that extent, those verses in Bá¹›hat ParÄÅ›ara are accurate as ParÄÅ›ara lived in another Yuga. He had passed before the advent of Kali Yuga, falling prey to wolves as he allow his son and another to make their escape. In that Yuga, the practise of hamam as a means of sÄdhana was considered most apporpriate as the general people were very learned and experts in these rituals. In Kali Yuga, the situation is different and your prescription of Homam as the ultimate means of sahdhana is definitely wrong. My reference is the Shiva PurÄṇa where the SÄdhana and Saadhya is specifically described and this ritual comes under the *medium or madhyama* sÄdhana. Once again you have interpolated and assumed that something is right based on what you believe rather than scriptural knowedge of the subject matter.

Secondly, you state that Agni is a carrier and the means to carry our prayers. And then you say that lighting a fire (physical fire – homam) will help to carry those prayers to God. Thats fine, butthere are other forms of agni which are far more potent than lighting that fire in the sacrificial pit and that too by one who is not qualified to do so. Pavaka refers to Agni alright but then so does jatavedas and so many other names.

And most interestingly, Agni has seven tongues and they have seven bÄ«ja mantra and then the most potent of these is the kliiM bÄ«ja as it is the carrier of prayers to the Gods ... now is this not the Kṛṣṇa bÄ«ja? Then the Kṛṣṇa bÄ«ja is also the Agni bÄ«ja for carrying the prayers to the Gods. So you see no matter where you trun, Kṛṣṇa is there. That is why He is JagannÄth.

If you study the daily spiritual practise taught in mantra Mahodadhih and other books, the first thing to do on awakening is always to remember Kṛṣṇa. The rest of the day, the pujas and everything else will fall in place. Those who miss this one thing have missed the sÄdhana for the day – the continue to sleep even with their eyes open and experiencing everything in the day.

In reality, there is only one purifier and His name is chanted at the time of all purification – it is the name of Kṛṣṇa (or Viṣṇu). This process is called Achamana. The *apavitra pavitro va ...* prayer is a clear confirmation of the purification we seek from His grace.

 

It is evident that you will keep arguing with me giving all sorts of silly arguments and points and without any shastraic references. So my debate and discusison end here. I will not be replying any further to you as I am not sure about the purity of your intentions in this regard. Strangely you seem to be on a binge to attack everything where the word tradition is added ... while trying to redefine it. Maybe it is the Sun in the 7th house ... something about the seventh Āditya.

Please do not write to me or disturb this list with your new theories of what you think ParÄÅ›ara meant and how the whole of India for the past thousand years or so, since varahamihira at least, is definitely wrong!!! There is a public forum for all that – Vedic Astrology list where everything under the Sun is acceptable. Please use that forum. I am not sure whether ÅšrÄ« JagannÄth Center would like to associate with that forum in the future as it has ceased to serve the purpose of its creation.

 

I will be saying goodbye. It was nice knowing you for the time we did associate.

 

PS. You will surely want to give a very long reply ..a book maybe, to this. You can send it to VA list. Someone will forward it to me.

Best Wishes

Sanjay Rath

WebPages: http://srath. com

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