Jnana Sankalini Tantra is a beautiful and meaningful dialogue between Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati. In Tantric practices, both Shiva and Parvati are worshipped together, since the former represents consciousness and the latter, in the form of shakti, symbolizes energy.
In tantric meditation, inner bliss can be obtained by arousing energy latent in humankind, and uniting it with Shiva. Tantra uplifts consciousness in order to embrace the cosmic spirit.
Aspects of divinity Shiva and Shakti, play creates the entire universe.
The Jnanasankalini Tantra is a brief work of 107 shlokas (verses) which outlines the dynamics of this interplay.
The secrets of Pranava OM is described.
I have written articles on the fact Japanese worshiped Saraswati as Benzaiten and Mahabharata refers to Japan and its Vedic roots.
Numerous Hindu Gods do find a place in Japan.
Though Buddhism shunned Idol worship, the Religion ended up with worshiping Buddha and many Gods were borrowed from Hinduism into Buddhist Pantheon of Gods.
A sample list.
Deities of the 12 directions in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教), including the four directions and four semi-directions, up and down, and sun and moon. Deva is a Sanskrit term meaning god, deity, or celestial being. It is rendered as Ten 天 in Japan (天 literally means Heaven or Celestial). The Deva aredeities borrowed from Hindu mythology and adopted into Chinese and Japanese Buddhism as guardians of the monasteries of Esoteric Buddhism. They appear frequently in Japanese mandala. Among the 12,Bonten (Brahma) and Taishakuten (Indra) serve in the highest position. Also known as the Twelve Gods Protecting the World. For a larger listing of nearly 80 Devas.
Hinduism has Eight directions and one God is assigned to each direction.
In Japan there is a ix up of Brahma, Vauna, Agni in this group.
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The Twelve in Japanese Artwork. The Jūniten (12 Deva Guardians) originated from the Hindu guardians of the four cardinal and four intermediary directions (Jp. = Happōten 八方天). In later years, the gods of heaven and earth were added to create a grouping called the Ten Deities (Jp. = Jitten 十天), and still later the gods of the sun and moon were added to create the Jūniten (Group of 12 Deva). These twelve generally supplant the Shitennō (Four Heavenly Deva Kings) in esoteric artwork in Japan, although they serve the same role as the Shitennō in protecting Buddhism and crushing evil demons. As a group, the 12 appear from the Heian-era (794-1185) onward in paintings of the Taizōkai Mandala or as a set of processional masks. From the 12th century onward, they were depicted in pairs on six-paneled folding screens called Jūniten Byōbu 十二天屏風. The Kyoto National Museum possesses paintings and masks from the late Heian period. However, to my knowledge, statues of all 12 (as a group) do not exist. The 12 also appear in the Jūniten Mandala and the Anchin Mandala. Four of them also serve as guardians of the four directions and appear on the four directional sides of old steles.
Citation.
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-devas.shtml
Indian Philosophy, Hinduism does not shun those who deny the existence of God.
It is taken as a point of view of Life.
Though philosophical arguments were engaged in rebutting the Carvakas, there not harassed nor branded as Atheists and ostracized.
They were present during the Rig Vedic period, some 5000 years back and their later work is dated to be around 600 BC.
The CarvakaSyatem, the Indian Atheistic Hedonist Syatem is also also called Lokayata.,(worldly wise)
The flip side of this is that the Charvaka’s first Text,the primary source, which is lost to us , is credited to Bruhaspati, the Guru,Preceptor of the Devas!
This shows that though one is a Realized soul, Bruhaspati is One, one is not averse to exploring the other views as well and even propagated one so that to who ever these thoughts appealed they might follow.
Kapila, who is an Avatar of Lord Vishnu is the founder of Samkhya Philosophy,which denies God!
Samkhya is considered s one of the most respected philosophical systems of India.
Hinduism does not differentiate between one who believes in God and one who does not.
Astika system is one that believes in the Authority of the Vedas and others who do not accept the Vedas, Sabda, as the authority are called Nastikas.
Carvakas, Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivika are Nastika systems.
What does Carvakas say?
Carvakas do not believe in God, Vedas.
They do not believe in Rebirth and Karma or ceremonies.
They take Perception only as the means of knowledge and deny even inference as an Instrument of Knowledge.
Inference, the process by which, we come to know of things by things that are present before us.
The presence of electricity is inferred by the results it produces,like Light, Sound .
Carvakas, do not admit this knowledge , saying that the conditions for this inference may not always be correct.
They imply that One result may be caused by more than one Cause.
This is rebutted by Advaita and it proves that Inference is an essential tool, by describing Parinamavada and Vivartahvada, that is Cause is contained in the Effect and Effect in the Cause.
I shall write on this in detail.
For the Carvakas, Pleasure is the only Goal.
On Death, Birth, origin of the Universe , they brush every thing aside by saying it is Nature.
They do not go into the point of what Nature is.
This enquiry is done by the Astika systems like Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaiseshika,Mimamsa and Vedanta, apart from Vedas, which deals with this subject in detail.
Cārvāka means “agreeable speech” or “sweet talkers” (चारु, cāru – agreeable, pleasant or sweet and वाक, vāk – speech). Its traditional name, Lokāyata (Sanskrit: लोकायत) signifies “directed towards, aiming at the world” (लोक, loka which means “worlds, abode, place of truth, people”, and आयत, āyata means “extended, directed towards, aiming at”
Some observations by Carvaka.
‘The Carvaka epistemology holds perception as the primary and proper source of knowledge, while inference is held as prone to being either right or wrong and therefore conditional or invalid Perception are of two types, for Carvaka, external and internal. External perception is described as that arising from the interaction of five senses and worldly objects, while internal perception is described by this school as that of inner sense, the mind. Inference is described as deriving a new conclusion and truth from one or more observations and previous truths. To Carvakas, inference is useful but prone to error, as inferred truths can never be without doubt. Inference is good and helpful, it is the validity of inference that is suspect – sometimes in certain cases and often in others. To the Cārvākas there were no reliable means by which the efficacy of inference as a means of knowledge could be established…
Cārvākas denied metaphysical concepts like reincarnation, extracorporeal soul, efficacy of religious rites, other worlds (heaven and hell), fate and accumulation ofmerit or demerit through the performance of certain actions.Cārvākas also rejected the use of supernatural causes to describe natural phenomena. To them all natural phenomena was produced spontaneously from the inherent nature of things.
The fire is hot, the water cold, refreshing cool the breeze of morn;
By whom came this variety ? from their own nature was it born.Consciousness and afterlife.
There is no other world other than this;
There is no heaven and no hell;
The realm of Shiva and like regions,
are invented by stupid imposters.—Sarvasiddhanta Samgraha, Verse 8 [
The Sarvasiddhanta Samgraha states the Carvaka position on pleasure and hedonism as follows,
The enjoyment of heaven lies in eating delicious food, keeping company of young women, using fine clothes, perfumes, garlands, sandal paste… while moksha is death which is cessation of life-breathe… the wise therefore ought not to take pains on account ofmoksha.
A fool wears himself out by penances and fasts. Chastity and other such ordinances are laid down by clever weaklings.
—Sarvasiddhanta Samgraha, Verses 9-12No independent works on Cārvāka philosophy can be found except for a few sūtras composed by Brihaspati. The 8th century Tattvopaplavasimha of Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa withMadhyamaka influence is a significant source of Carvaka philosophy. Shatdarshan Samuchay and Sarvadarśanasaṅ̇graha of Vidyaranya are a few other works which elucidate Cārvāka thought.Lord Rama had a detailed discussion with Jabali, a Carvaka, Please read my post on this.Reference and Citation.
To what extent our History can be hidden, is amazing.
Sirr-i-Akbar by Dara, Introduction PersianTranslation by Chand Tara.
Though it is a fact that Islamic rulers of India raped women, killed people, destroyed Temples and forcibly converted Hindus to Islam, it is shocking to know that they could execute their own siblings for translating The Vedas directly from Sanskrit into Persian.
It is not about the common fanatic I am speaking about.
It is about Shah Jehan’s son Muhammad Dara Shikoh, who was also a great Sufi.
He went to the extent of saying that Islam had its roots in Hinduism, more specifically in The Vedas and the Upanishads, and they were revealed to the Rishis by God much before the advent of Prophet Muhammad.
( I am stating facts as I see them; I am not trying to legitimize Islam as many try.
I just point out the similarities between Hinduism and Islam.
That 786 is OM, Mecan is Shiva Temple,Ancestors of Arabians c0uld have been Tamils, Prophet Muhammad’s Uncle wrote a Hymn, Stuthi On Lord Shiva)
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Prince Muhammad Dara Shikoh (1627-1658 AD) the favorite Sufi son of Moghul emperor, Shah Jehan. Known the world over for his unorthodox and liberal views. He was a mystic and a free thinker.
Dara Shikoh, wrote in his Persian translation of the Upanishads.
“After gradual research; I have come to the conclusion that long before all heavenly books, God had revealed to the Hindus, through the Rishis of yore, of whom Brahma was the Chief, His four books of knowledge, the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda.”
He had learned Sanskrit and studied the Hindu scriptures in the original.
He translated the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Yoga-Vasishta into Persian directly from Sanskrit and called it Sirr-e-Akbar (The Great Mystery). Titled “The Upanishads: God’s Most Perfect Revelation” and then into Latin by Anquetil Duperron (1801 and 1802) under the title Oupnekhat, contained about fifty. The Quran itself, he said, made veiled references to the Upanishads as the “first heavenly book and the fountainhead of the ocean of monotheism.”
In his Majma-al-Bahrain, he sought to reconcile the Sufi theory with the Vedanta.
He was able to affirm that Sufism and Advaita Vedantism (Hinduism) are essentially the same, with a surface difference of terminology.
And in introduction to this work he says that one finds in Upanishads the concept of tawhid (the doctrine of Unity of God, the most fundamental doctrine of Islam) after the Qur’an and perhaps the Qur’an refers to Upanishad when it refers to Kitab al-Maknun (The Hidden Book). His work Majma-al-Bahrain (Mingling of the Two Oceans i.e. Hinduism and Islam) is very seminal work in the history of composite culture of India.
Two years after the completion of the Sirr-i-Akbar, Dara was executed on the orders of his brother.
“Dara subsequently developed a friendship with the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai. Dara devoted much effort towards finding a common mystical language between Islam and Hinduism. Towards this goal he completed the translation of 50 Upanishads from its original Sanskrit intoPersian in 1657 so it could be read by Muslim scholars. His translation is often called Sirr-e-Akbar (The Greatest Mystery), where he states boldly, in the Introduction, his speculative hypothesis that the work referred to in the Qur’an as the “Kitab al-maknun” or the hidden book, is none other than the Upanishads.[
Sirr-e-Akbar English Translation Download.
Citation.
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/connections/Islam.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dara_Shikoh
I often encounter questions on Sanatana Dharma, called Hinduism, as to why there are many Gods in it and one is confused by this.
Also while the other Religions talk of Only One God, why is it that Hinduism talks of many Gods.
I have been receiving a lot of queries on this and I am quoting one.
“Usually, we all say God is one but in Hindu Dharma we have Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva for Creation, Preservation and Destroy. Why it is so? Why other religion is praying and naming one God. Can you please explain”
As to other Religions , Christianity, Islam, hey talk of God in an Impersonal way.
Christianity talks of God as The Father and there are no descriptions or attributes except the generalities like All merciful and one who would condone your sins if you repent your sins through His Agent, Jesus Christ.
Hinduism does not believe in Agents nor does it absolve you from the results of your actions, simply because you repent.
One has to face the consequences of his actions, this includes the Avatars of Gods as well.
Godhood is a Principle and Impersonal and Laws do not distinguish between people.
In Islam the same generalities.
God is One who lays down the Rules,he punishes you if you do not follow Islam!.
Hinduism is different.
It knows Religion is an experience and it can not be dictated by Logic alone, even if the Logic is impeccable.
The Truth, according to Hinduism, is One.
It is called Brahman, The Reality.( This is different from Brahma , the Creator).
This Brahman is without Attributes, it is a Principle , just as Gravity is.
But it is difficult to know it through the Mind.
Just as we can not know Gravity, we think we know Gravity, but what we really know is because of the feeling of Gravity.
The scientific explanation is only an expression born out of the feelings of Gravity.
Imagine that we do not feel Gravity.
Would we have tried to form theory on Gravity?
So even if the Reality is an abstract principle,it has to be made understandable to be of use to us.
Hence even though the Reality Brahman is the Truth,Hinduism devised ways to reach/realize it.
The Truth, The Brahman, the Reality is Knowable, to Be Known.
That is the Truth.
This knowledge about Brahman is called ‘Apara Vidya'( beyond this world of names and forms)
The knowledge about Brahman and its attributes are called Apara Vidya.
The general descriptions of Brahman are Sat, the State of Being, Chit(Consciousness) and Ananda(Bliss)
Apart from this, the Upanishads,a part of The Vedas, the scriptures of Hindus, try to explain the qualities of Brahman by excluding the attributes normally known to us stating that the Brahman is Beyond all this and also this.
For example the Upanishads,describe Brahman as,
‘Neither Tall nor Short, nor of medium height,
Neither Male, Female,nor transgender ,
Neither the Knower nor the Known,
Yet It is All of These’
You would find this is difficult to comprehend even at the intellectual level.
Knowledge if it can not be understood or used is useless.
Therefore Hinduism devised a way.
If we have to Know, it must be easy for us to follow.
The instrument to know is the Mind.
The instrument to feel is the Heart.
For those who want to know a glimpse , Hinduism provides Gnana Yoga and Raja Yoga.
Raja Yoga is the path of Yoga being practiced by many.
Here one prepares the mind to understand Reality.
Gnana Yoga prepares one to discern the Reality by developing Vairaagya, the discerning capacity to distinguish between practical knowledge,Para Vidya and the Apara Vidya.
There are two more methods.
Bhakti yoga, the path of Loving God.
The other one is karma Yoga, the Path of Action.
For loving God one needs an object to concentrate for the Mind to enable the Heart to feel it.
So Gods have been named In Hinduism.
It is difficult for the Humans to empathize with qualities which are known to them.
The emotional connect is strong in the case relationships.
Father, Mother, Children, Wife, Children and relatives.
And if one attributes Reality/God with the qualities of Humans , it is easy for the Humans to understand.
So the Gods of Hinduism are attributed with Human qualities.
Then why many Gods?
Some love mother, some Father, some Lover, some friends, some a master
God in Hinduism is portrayed with all these qualities.
This makes it easy for Humans to relate to God than being asked to relate to an Impersonal God.
Once people start this step, over a period time, they will be able to feel the Impersonal God and the concept of god with Attributes withers away.
This first step is like LKG, while understanding, feeling Reality is like Phd..
After reaching Phd, the LKG would seem to be of no use.
But without that one could not have reached Phd.
At another level, there are principles that represent the Physical world.
Thus we have Brahma who represents the Potential energy, Vishnu, the Kinetic energy, and Shiva, the Potentio-Kinetic Energy.
Similarly all the Gods present the Principles of Nature as well.
Yet the fact that the Gods Rama ,Krishna, Shiva , Subrahmanya existed, as proved by Historical and astronomical Data, there is an unexplored area.
In short, Hinduism talks of not only Monotheism but Monism as The Truth but devised a way to understand them by Gods with attributes..
Kindly read my post Gods Hinduism, with name and form, Yes and No.
Another point is that even thought Gods with Names and Forms are only a tool to understand Brahman, these Gods, when prayed deliver results, as Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita.
‘What ever Form you worship, I deliver you the results in the form you worship”
( This is not a literal translation)
I received a question as to how to read and understand Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma.
The sender of this question is Professional in IT from IIT .
‘Would that be alright if I begin with the Brahma Sutra Bhashya of Shankaracharya?
It is difficult to understand.
Can you suggest any method’
I thought these some of the questions many are seeking answers for.
Strictly speaking the Vedas have to be studied for Twelve years minimum to have an idea.
Unlike the other Religions, Hinduism is based on Experience and Intuition and it takes time for one to grasp.
So it is difficult to understand the Vedas in the present day unless one decides to spend a lifetime on studying the Vedas, which is not practical now.
Then we have the Ithihasas Puranas Stotras Stuthis and Legends.
Where to begin?
It looks very complex and one is bewildered at the seemingly vast knowledge base and it appears at a first glance each contradict the other.
The one is also confused by the thoughts in Hinduism that the Reality is Not One(Advaita),
Qualified Not Two (Visishtadvaita)
Dualism(Dwaita).
33 Crore Gods mentioned in the Puranas,
You have Trimurthis,
Of the some say Shiva is superior, Others Vishnu and yet others Devi and so many versions.
And Hinduism , in the form of Karma Yoga asks one to forego the results of action.
Bhakthi Yoga says that One has to simply surrender to God and nothing else is needed.
Yet we have the Karmas sanctioned in the Vedas which are to be performed by very one.
We have Raja Yoga, in the form of Yoga where one learns to control the Mind and which says Mind control alone will do, nothing else is required!
Hinduism says that there is Destiny and your Life is prepared and at the same time says that one can raise by one’s effort.
Hinduism says that one should renounce things and be in the world.
Seemingly contradictory.
But they are not.
I have posted a few articles on each of these aspects.
Now to the question of Reading Hinduism.
I recommend the following,
1.Outlines of Indian Philosophy by Professor Hiriyanna. http://amzn.to/1PnBdSz
2. The Collected works of Swami Vivekananda( all the volumes) http://amzn.to/1L6V1Uk
3. The Eighteen Puranas.
These will give one the background
What is required is patience to form conclusions and answers for the questions that may arise one reads these.
They will be cleared as you go along.
Studying Hinduism.
Now one can read the Pancha Sukthas, Purusha Suktha, Narayana Suktha, Vishnu Suktha, Durga Suktha and Sri Suktha.
And Sri Rudram and Namakam.
Slokas Vishnu Sahasranama and Lalita Sahsranama.
As ou along these lines out shall get links to proceed further.
Hinduism is not text-based but is based on Experience and Divine Guidance.
Once you start in good earnest out shall get all the answers.
To understand Hinduism one has to live as prescribed in the Vedas and engage one self in Sadhana.
This will be facilitated by studying the Bhasyas of the three Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa.
Not to forget the Jewel The Bhagavad Gita!
This blog receives notice among the netizens and is often quoted in Texts, both in English and Tamil as well.
This is also rated as the 15th authentic site on Hinduism by a site and 30th in the world by another.
It is my duty to disclose my sources to lend more authenticity and credibility ,though I provide relevant sources and links in the Posts.
There is another reason.
Ramana Maharishi On Consciousnes..
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The colonial mindset implanted in us is so great that people even when they look at facts of Indian Origin and Indian Texts, refuse to look into them.
Brush aside as non sense.
Worse still is that some make funny remarks.
One of the readers in a Facebook community commented for the Post Shankaracharya Intellectual Giant,where I listed the His works as follows,
‘So, He could have invented sanitary Napkins!’
I did not respond to this comment.
The point is that we have to let it be known our treasures with authority, which was eroded by the British as they have done for the whole world, including their own Irish.
I will take personal insults.
But I can not take any disrespect to Adi Shankaracharya.
The information I am sharing here in the blog is not my invention nor I am a Gnani or a self-styled Guru.
I am more like a curious child who is awestruk.
I refer sources, cross check them and publish.
If contrary evidence comes along I publish it too.
The sources of my Posts( Relevant Link is provided in each Post)
1.Rig , Shukla, Krishna Yajur , Sama and Atharva Vedas.( Includes all the parts of the Vedas)
2.Satapada Brahmana.
3.Puranas, specifically,the Vishnu Purana and Bhagavatham.
4.Ramayana of Valmiki, Tulsidas, Kamban, Adyatma ramayana, Jain Ramayana.
5,Mahabharata By Vyasa..
6.Commentaies of Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Ramanuja, Vallabhacharya,
7.Buddha Deepika.
8.Lalita Sahasranama.
9.Vishnu Sahasranama.
10.Surya Siddhantha,
11.Varahamihiram.
12.Agastya Samhita.
13.Raja Tharngini .
14.Harsha Charitha.
15.Magha’s Sisupala vadha.
16.Raghuvamsa of Kalidasa.
17.Fahien.
18.Yuan susuang.
19.Akbar nama by Firdausi.
20.Tholkaapiyam.(Tamil)
21.Purananuru.
22.Pathiruppathu.
23.Paripadal.
23.Silappakikaram.
24.Manimekalai.
25.Natrinai.
25.Siddhar paadalgal.
26.Thirumurugaatruppadai.
27.u.Ve. Swaminatha Iyer.
28,Vaiyapuri Pillai.
29.PT. Srinivasa Ayyanagar.
30.Works of Swami Vivekananda,.
31.Theory of Relativity by Einstein.
32.Plato’s Republic.
33.Rene Descartes.
34.Spinoza.
35.Aritotle.
36.Socrates.
37.Pliny.
38.Edward Gibbon, the Rise of fall of Rome.
39.Leibniz.
40.Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Practical Reason.
41.Histroy of Time by Stephen Hawking.
42.Nicholas Tesla.
43.Lobsabg Rampa.
44.Bertrand Russel.
45.Bishp Berkeley.
46.David Hume.
47,Kierkegaard.
48.Neils Bohr.
49.Edward Schordinger.
50.Schopenhauer.
51.D.N..Oaks.
52.Sir John Woodroffe.
53.Maurice Maeterlinck,
54.Huston Smith
55.Pierre-Simon Laplace
56.Tarikh al-Yaqubi, The Foundations of the Composite Culture in India,
57.Carl Sagan.
58.Romain Rolland, The life of Vivekananda and the universal gospel
59.Zend Avestha
60.Indian Acheology .( Government of India)
61.Epigraphy.
62.Thirukoilur Plates.
63.Rajaraja Plates.
64.Arikkamedu.
65.Dwaraka Remains.
66.Rajeda Chola Plates.
67.Tectonic plate movements.
68.Stephen Knapp.
69.Grahama Hancock.
In addition Astronomy, Etymology are some of the tools I have used.Links have been provided in the Posts.
62.Archeology online,
63.Jayasree Saranathans Blog.
64.Space.com.
I can recall only this much off the hat.
Shall update frequently.
The Vedas are called Apaurusheya, not made by Man.
Vedas are the breath of God/Reality Brahman.
Hindu Scriptures List. Image credit.http://www.crystalinks.com/vedas.html
They are the Uswaasa and Viswaasa ,Inhalation and Exhalation.
Yet we find references that rishis have composed the Vedas, Sukthas of the Vedas.
And we have , for every mantra, Devatha, Adi Devatha, and Rishis.
And many women were also involved in the process.
Vedas are grasped from Ether by the Realized Souls.
For those who want to criticise this concept, let me remind them where their emails and files are if they have been saved in G Drive.
Those attuned to the frequency of the Mantras receive them intuitively.
To attain that level one needs practice and application.
It is Apps for reaching Reality.
These Mantras were grasped by more than one at the same time or at different time frames.
For every Manvantara the Saptha Rishis change.
They are in charge of grasping these Mantras, to be later compiled by some body else.
For Our Manvantara, the Vedas were compiled by Krishna Dwaipaayana Vyaasa.
It is the same Vyasa who wrote the Mahabharata and The Seventeen Puranas.
His Father Parashara wrote the First Purana, The Vishnu Purana.
There is also a view that this Vyasa could be differnt as the adjective Krishna Dwaipaayana is provided.
Krishna means ‘Dark/Black.
Dwaipaayana is his name,meaning Island born.
He was born on Island in Yamuna river near Kalpi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
There is also a view that he was born in the Tanahun district in western Nepal.
It is also stated that he was an extension of the Krishna Avatar of Vishnu, in the Dwapara Yuga.
( I am of the view that he was born in Yamuna Island . I shall be posting on this issue later)
Vyasa means compiler ,one who composes Prose.
So Krishna Dwaipaayana is a Vyasa.
I take the view that he is an extension of the Krishna Avatar of Vishnu.
Now to Vedas and Rishis.
Each Veda Mantra has a Rishi, who grasped the Mantra, Chandas, (the meter in which it is to be recited) and Adhi Devata,he Presiding Deity of the Mantra.
When one chants a Veda Mantra, one has to recite all the three.
For Gayathri, the Rishi is Savtiraya Rishi Viswamitra,Chandas is Nisruth Gayatri and the Presding Deity is Savitha.
( The adjective Savitraya Rishi to Viswamitra raises a question whether this is the same Viswamitra who antagonized Vasishta and with Lord Rama.i am researching into this.Scholars may contribute)
Maha Mantras have the same rules,
Vishnu Sahasranama has Rishi Agasthya, Chandas Anushtup and Presiding Deity Maha Vishnu.
For Sri Rudram , Rishi Agoora Chandas Anustup and the Presiding Deity is Sri Rudra.
For Lalitha Sahasranama Rishi is Vagdevata, Chandas is Anushtup and the Presiding Deity is Lalita Parameswari.
Please read my posts on Saptha Rishis, Rishi’s list, Chandas.
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/chandas-vedic-meters-details/
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/sages-of-india-list-a-timeline/
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/saptha-rishis-qualification-details/
Reference.
https://www.trsiyengar.com/id137.shtml
Sahasra Chandi Homa is being performed in July 2015 at toronto,Canada.
This is beiing organised by the Devotees/descendants of Bhaskararaya, who wrote the Bhashya of Lalita Sahasranama.
I have posted articles on Bhaskararaya and his contribution to Shaktha System.
Excerpt provided towards the close of the Post.
”
Lalita Sahasranaama contains both Nirguna Upasana and Saguna.
Broadly the Stotra has Nirguna and Saguna Upasana.
It describes the Devi with Attributes in Saguna Saradhana Section, also details the Nirguna aspect.
In Saguna ,The Devi is worshiped as The Mother, as who else can take care of the Child but the Mother!
Sahasra Chandi Mahayagna.
Sahasra Chandi Homa Programme.
Details of the Function/Homa.
‘Under the auspices of Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram, Sahasra Chandi Maha Yagna will be conducted during Ashada Navaratri in July 2015 in Toronto, Canada to commemorate the 113th Birth Anniversary of our Guru Sri Vimarshananda Nathendra Saraswathi Swamigal. This is the fifth Sahasra Chandi Yagna conducted by members of the Ashram with the grace of the Goddess and our Guru – twice in New Delhi, India and twice at the Ashram in Chennai. The 2015 Sahasra Chandi Maha Yagna is being organized by the Toronto Leadership team of Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram. ..
Nirguna follows the pattern of the Upanishads,’the neti Nyaya’ , that is not his, not this.
Nirguna, Nirahankaara….the list goes on.
And as a mode of worship of Shiva and Shakti it has Eykyaanusanthaanam, where the union of the individual and Universal Soul and of Shiva and Shakti are explained.
…
Lalita Sahasranaama also deals with the description of the Devi, Her Evolution, though not really She Evolves for “She Always Is’ the details of Her Dwelling place, Sri Pura and Sri Chakra,
The Stotra is Yantra Shastra because it deals with the Sri Yantra,
It deals with Tantra Shastra, when it deals with all the Tantra.
Akulaa Samayaanthastha Samayaachhara Thatpara’
It accommodates all the sects of Devi worship,Kulachaara,Samayaachaara,Vaamaachara, you name it , the Lalita Sahasranaama has it.
Lord Shiva divulged is and other stotras and it was later passed on to the others.
It is also on record that Sri Lalita Devi had ordered Her Yoginins to compose this.
The Stotra also has Yoga embedded in it .”
Bhaskara Raya.
‘
The reason for this post is about the The Giant who had written Bhashya, Explanation oh Lalita Sahasranaama, Sri Bhaskararaya.
He was born in 1690 in Bhaga, Maharashtra, India, is Mother Konamba and father Gambiraraya, a Scholar.
Gambirraya was conferred the Title ‘Bharathi by the Vijayanagar Empire.
He was of Viswamitra Gotra,
Gambiraraya administered the Saraswati Mantram and had Bhaskararaya trained under Sri Narasimha Advari in Benares,Varanasi.
Bhaskararaya was highly respected by the learned and won accolades from Kings and Scholars.
He was married to Anandhi and Parvati.
He settled in Benares and wrote over 40 books on Vedanta, Mimamsa,Vyakaran,Nyaya, Smriti,Mantra Shastra.
All the works are research papers!
Link for The Homa .
http://www.bhaskaraprakasha.com/sahasrachandi2015/
Webcast
https://plus.google.com/events/cklt8irv9emperaabc5ktqtaa10
..
Reference.
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/bhaskararaya-lalita-sahasranamam-details/
The term Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism are often used interchangeably.
I have also been using he same way.
Adi Shankaracharya Quote on the essence of Sanatna Dhama.
I am using this to enable people to find the information as many are familiar with the term Hinduism.
But are they really the same?
There are the same but with a minute difference.
Sanatana Dharma denotes oldest dharma, Dharma being translated as Righteousness.
On what Dharma is I shall be writing in detail.
The essentials of the Sanatana Dharma are.
Hinduism.
A name given by the west to denote people who were living on the Banks of the River Sindhu, Punjab.
The practices followed by these people, which was a corrupt form of Sanatana Dharma was called Hinduism.
Many Gods are worshiped.
Fire worship is more or less extinct.
Community worship is in vogue.
Worship In temples.
Many rules as Sampardayas or More are being practised, which do not have the sanction of the Vedas.
Following of Self styled Gurus, rather than a qualified Guru is being followed.
Prayer for Self aggrandisement is in practice..
Vedic Karmas are not being followed as much as they should be.
Sanatana Dharma, over years of practice deteriorated into becoming a belief of worshiping many Gods and indiscriminate performance of yagas and yagnyas without referring to Gnana Kanda.
This resulted in the erosion of the Sanatan Dharma.
It took a Buddha to found Buddhism, which revolted against Sanatana Dharma, but that was absorbed by Sanatna Dharma later is a different issue.
To restore Sanatana Dharma Adi Shankaracharya established the Shanmathas and systematized all the Yogas, Bhakthi, Karma, Gnana Yogas.
King Mahabali, Grand son of Prahalada, a Great Vishnu Devotee, was a powerful King and as He became arrogant he was destroyed by Lord Vishnu in His Avatar as Vamana.
King Mahabali composed the Hari Nama ala on Lord Vishnu.
Vamana Avatar of Vishnu
‘
According to the Brahma-Vaivarta Puranam, it was Lord Vishnu who positioned Bali in power to curb the pride of Indra.
The Bhagavata Purana reads “He (Vishnu) will take the kingdom away from Purandara (Lord Indra) and give it to Bali Maharaja.”
Composition of song: King Mahabali had composed a beautiful song ‘Hari Nama Mala Stotram” in honour of Lord Vishnu. Pandit Jasraj has a famous Bhajan by the name of ‘Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya’.
Translation of Hari Nama Mala by Sri. P.R.Ramchander.
Govindam Gokulanandam,
Gopalam Gopikapathim,
Govardhanodharam Dheeram,
Tham vande Gomathi priyam. 1
I salute that lord, who is dear to Saraswathi,
Who gives pleasure to the herd of cows,
Who brings joy to those in Gokula,
Who takes care of the cows,
Who is the Lord of all gopis,
And who is the hero who lifted the Govardhana Mountain.
Narayanam narakaram,
Nara veeram Narothamam,
Nrusimham, Naganatham,
Tham vande narakanthakam. 2
I salute the Lord who killed Naraka,
Who is the Lord Narayna,
Who has taken a human form,
Who is a great human hero,
Who is a great human being,
Who is Lord Narasimha,
And who is he lord of serpents.
Peethambaram, Padmanabham,
Padamaksham, Purushothamam,
Pavithram, Paramanandam,
Tham vande Parameshwaram. 3
I salute that God of all gods,
Who wears yellow colured silk,
Who has a lotus flower over his belly
Who has lotus like eyes,
Who is the purest among all men,
Who is purity personified,
And who is the greatest bliss.
Raghavam, Ramachandram cha,
Ravanarim, Ramapathim,
Rajeevalochanam Ramam,
Tham Vande Raghu Nandanam. 4
I salute that son of the clan of Raghu,
Who is Lord Raghava,
Who is Lord Ramachandra,
Who killed Ravana,
Who is the Lord of Lakshmi,
Who has lotus like eyes.
And who attracts all the world.
Vamanam, Viswaroopam,
Vasudevam, cha Vittalam,
Visweswaram Vibhum Vyasam,
Tham vande Veda Vallabham. 5
I salute that Lord of all Vedas,
Who is Lord Vamana,
Who is the form of the universe,
Who is the son of Vasudeva,
Who is Vittala, the deity of Pandharpur,
Who is the Lord of all universes,
Who is the expert of knowledge,
And who is Veda Vyasa.
Vamadevam, Divyasimham ,
Dayaum, Deena nayakam,
Daithyarimdeva devam cha,
Tham Vande Devaki Sutham. 6
I salute that son of Devaki,
Who is Lord Vamadeva,
Who is the holy lion,
Who is store house of mercy,
Who is the protector of all the oppressed,
Who is the killer of all asuras,
And who is the deva of all devas.
Murarim madhavam mathsyam,
Mukundam dushta mardhanam,
Munjakesam Maha Bahum,
Tham vande Madhu Sudanam. 7
I salute the slayer of Madhu,
Who is the enemy of Mura,
Who is the consort of Lakshmi,
Who took the form of Fish,
Who grants salvation,
Who punishes bad people,
Who has hair like munja grass,
And who has long arms.
Kesavam kamala kantham ,
Kamesam kousthubha priyam,
Koumodhakidharam krishnam,
Tham vande kouravanthakam. 8
I salute the god of death of Kouravas,
Who killed the asura called Kesi,
Who is the consort of Kamala,
Who is the lord of Kama Deva,
Who liked the gem called Kousthubha,
Who carried a mace called Koumodhaki,
And who is black in colour.
Bhoodaram , bhuvananandam,
Bhoothesam, bhootha nayakam,
Bhavanaikam, Bhujangendram,
Tham vande bhava nasanam. 9
I salute him who destroys sorrow,
Who carries the planet earth,
Who is the cause of happiness for the world,
Who is the god of all beings,
Who is the king of all beings,
Who can be seen just by thought,
And who has an immeasurable form.
Janardhanam Jagannatham,
Jagad jandhya vinasanam,
Jamadagnyam Paramjyothi,
Stham vande jalasayinam. 10
I salute him, who sleeps on water,
Who gave pain to the asura called Janan,
Who is the lord of the entire universe,
Who is the killer of the darkness of this universe,
Who is the son of Jamadagni,
And who is the eternal light.
Chathurbhujam Chidanandam,
Chanura malla mardhanam,
Charachara gatham devam,
Tham vande chakra paninam. 11
I salute him, who holds the holy wheel,
Who has four hands,
Who is eternally, ever lastingly happy,
Who killed the wrestlers Chanura and Malla,
And who is the divine power of movable and immovable.
Sriyakkaram sriyonadham,
Sreedharam, Sreevaraprdham,
Sreevatsa lasitham soumyam,
Tham vande Sri Sureswaram. 12
I salute him, who is the lord of all devas,
Who grants all forms of wealth,
Who is the consort of goddess of wealth,
Who carries Goddess Lakshmi on his chest,
Who grants boons requesting wealth,
Who shines because of Sreevatsa,
And who is embodiment of tranquility.
Yogeeswaram yagnapathim,
Yasodananda dayakam,
Yamuna jala sachayam,
Tham vande yadunayagam. 13
I salute him, who is the lord of all yadavas,
Who is the god of all yogis,
Who is the lord of all yagnas,
Who is the source of happiness to Yasoda,
And who has the same luster as the water of Yamuna.
Saligrama sila shuddham,
Sanka chakropa shobitham,
Surasura sada sevyam,
Tham vande sadhu vallabham. 14
I salute him, who is the darling of all good people,
Who is as clear as the Saligrama stone,
Who shines holding the conch and the wheel,
And who is always worshipped by devas and asuras.
Trivikramam tapomurthim,
Trividhagouga nasanam,
Tristhalam theertha rajendram,
Tham vande thulasi priyam. 15
I salute him, who holds the thulasi as dear,
Who took the giant form of Trivikrama,
Who is the object of meditation,
Who destroys the three types of sins,
Who holds all the three worlds,
And who is the greatest sacred water.
Anantham aadhi purusham,
Achyuthm cha vara pradham,
Aanandam cha sadanandam,
Tham vande chaga nasanam. 16
I salute him, who cannot be destroyed,
Who does not have an end,
Who is the primeval man,
Who is one without change,
Who is the giver of boons,
Who is happiness,
And who is ever lasting bliss.
Leelaya Dhootha Bhoobaram,
Loka sathwaika vanditham,
Lokeswaram cha Sree kantham,
Tham vande Lakshamana priyam. 17
I salute him , who is dear to Lakshmana,
Who decreased the load of the world by simple play,
Who is worshiped by good people of the world,
Who is the Lord of the world,
And who is the consort of Goddess of wealth.
Harischa harinaksham cha,
Harinadham Hari Priyam,
Halayudha sahayam cha,
Tham vande Hanmathpathim. 18
I salute him, who is the lord of Hanuman,
Who is lord Hari,
Who has deer like eyes,
Who is the Lord of Hari,
Who is the darling of Hari,
And who was assisted by Lord Balarama.
Phalasruthi:-
Harinama krutha mala,
Pavithrapapanasini,
Balirajendrachopthascha,
Kandedharya prayathnatha. 19
Benefit:-
This garland made out of names of Hari,
Which is holy and destroys sins,
Which was composed by Mahabali,
Should be worn on the neck,
Even if it is difficult.
Sanskrit Text of Hari Naa Mala.
॥ श्रीहरिनाममालास्तोत्रम् ॥ गोविन्दं गोकुलानन्दं गोपालं गोपिवल्लभम् । गोवर्धनोद्धरं धीरं तं वन्दे गोमतीप्रियम् ॥ १॥ नारायणं निराकारं नरवीरं नरोत्तमम् । नृसिंहं नागनाथं च तं वन्दे नरकान्तकम् ॥ २॥ पीताम्बरं पद्मनाभं पद्माक्षं पुरुषोत्तमम् पवित्रं परमानन्दं तं वन्दे परमेश्वरम् ॥ ३॥ राघवं रामचन्द्रं च रावणारिं रमापतिम् राजीवलोचनं रामं तं वन्दे रघुनन्दनम् ॥ ४॥ वामनं विश्वरूपं च वासुदेवं च विठ्ठलम् । विश्वेश्वरं विभुं व्यासं तं वन्दे वेदवल्लभम् ॥ ५॥ दामोदरं दिव्यसिंहं दयाळुं दीननायकम् । दैत्यारिं देवदेवेशं तं वन्दे देवकीसुतम् ॥ ६॥ मुरारिं माधवं मत्स्यं मुकुन्दं मुष्टिमर्दनम् । मुञ्जकेशं महाबाहुं तं वन्दे मधुसूदनम् ॥ ७॥ केशवं कमलाकान्तं कामेशं कौस्तुभप्रियम् । कौमोदकीधरं कृष्णं तं वन्दे कौरवान्तकम् ॥ ८॥ भूधरं भुवनानन्दं भूतेशं भूतनायकम् । भावनैकं भुजङ्गेशं तं वन्दे भवनाशनम् ॥ ९॥ जनार्दनं जगन्नाथं जगज्जाड्यविनाशकम् । जमदग्निं परं ज्योतिस्तं वन्दे जलशायिनम् ॥ १०॥ चतुर्भुजं चिदानन्दं मल्लचाणूरमर्दनम् । चराचरगुरुं देवं तं वन्दे चक्रपाणिनम् ॥ ११॥ श्रियःकरं श्रियोनाथं श्रीधरं श्रीवरप्रदम् श्रीवत्सलधरं सौम्यं तं वन्दे श्रीसुरेश्वरम् ॥ १२॥ योगीश्वरं यज्ञपतिं यशोदानन्ददायकम् यमुनाजलकल्लोलं तं वन्दे यदुनायकम् ॥ १३॥ सालिग्रामशिलशुद्धं शङ्खचक्रोपशोभितम् । सुरासुरैः सदा सेव्यं तं वन्दे साधुवल्लभम् ॥ १४॥ त्रिविक्रमं तपोमूर्तिं त्रिविधघौघनाशनम् । त्रिस्थलं तीर्थराजेन्द्रं तं वन्दे तुलसीप्रियम् ॥ १५॥ अनन्तमादिपुरुषं अच्युतं च वरप्रदम् । आनन्दं च सदानन्दं तं वन्दे चाघनाशनम् ॥ १६॥ लीलया धृतभूभारं लोकसत्त्वैकवन्दितम् । लोकेश्वरं च श्रीकान्तं तं वन्दे लक्षमणप्रियम् ॥ १७॥ हरिं च हरिणाक्षं च हरिनाथं हरप्रियम् । हलायुधसहायं च तं वन्दे हनुमत्पतिम् ॥ १८॥ हरिनामकृतामाला पवित्रा पापनाशिनी । बलिराजेन्द्रेण चोक्त्ता कण्ठे धार्या प्रयत्नतः ॥ ॥ इति महाबलिप्रोक्तं हरिनाममालास्तोत्रम् ॥
Citation and Refernce.
http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_vishhnu/harinAmamAlA.html?lang=sa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabali
I received an interesting comment for my Post ‘Shiva Linga In Mecca, OM Is 786?‘
Principles of Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism
I am quoting it below.
”
But isn’t Hinduism a derivative of Buddhism and Jainism?… don’t you think Hinduism is just a black hole constantly changing and sucking in everything around and changing according to the geography and beliefs…. being purely pagan in its birth and then realizes knowledge and starts to adapt and reform around peoples beliefs?….
I am an amateur in my history of religion but it has always intrigued me.,… Hinduism i thought purely was a way of life….not a religion, that over the millenniums changed like Chinese whisper from location to location…. so much so there’s a depiction of Jesus Christ idol in a temple in Tamil Nadu.
I am not religious at all, because of what humans have turned GOD into…. but i am intrigued at our ways to story tell that has changed to belief over thousands of years…. Some where out there is the truth, but we can all only have an opinion of it…”
Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma is not a derivative of Jainism or Buddhism.
Jainism came later to Sanatna Dharma nd Buddhism later.
It is the other way around… Hinduism in the sense that while these two systems do not believe in the authority of Vedas,
hence called Nastika System, believe in Karma theory, Moksha called Nirvana and Rebirth.
Jainism is a strict follower of the Ethics of the Vedas more than the Vedas in emphasizing Truth, righteousness.
Buddhism reaches th Stage of Advaita but falls short of it by declaring the Reality as Sunya, Zero, Nihilism.
So much is Buddhism similar to the Advaita of Adi Shankaracharya that He was accused of being a Pseudo-Buddhist!
These systems which decried the excessive rituals( Justifiably so) of Sanatana dharma ended up with Rituals.
They decried idol worship, landed in worshiping The Tirthankara, Mahavira and Buddha!
Yes, to an extent the statement that Hinduism is like a Black hole is true, it sucks the best out of every system and assimilates it.
The reason is that while other religions were founded , had a founder and an intention to have followers.
Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma was not founded by any one nor does it have a rigid text to follow.
It observes Life, tries out various methods to face life and after life and presents them all.
One can take any thing out of it and discard what does not suit him/her.
It is based on experience and intuition along with Reason .
It listens , never dogmatic.
By assimilating what is best it consumes other religions with out a fight for it is after Truth, what ever be the source.
Let noble thoughts reach my ears from everywhere-Rig Veda.
Bhatram Karnobhi Srunuyaama Deva
Yet one point to be noted is that it precedes all religions as evidenced by archeology, astronomy, etymology of Sanskrit and Tamil
When one starts questioning other religions, one does not get as authentic proof as in Hinduism.
Rama, Krishna, Ravana, Mahabharata,Ramayana, Agastya, Shiva ,Parashurama, ..all of them have left trails that can be verified.
If one were to ask fundamental questions as to what was before Christianity you get Judaism.
For Judaism, Sanatana Dharma.
For Islam the History of the middle east just before Prophet has been erased to such an extent that one lands with Sumerian civilisation.Minoan!
The traces of Hinduism are found in Islam , Sumeria, Minoan civilization, Mayas, Incas,Polynesian Religions;
World languages trace their origins to Sanskrit and Tamil.
One finds evidence of Sanatana Dharma and Tamil, which is /was a part of Santaana Dharma,
In,
Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia,japan, Korea, New Zealand, Fiji, Mauritius, Australia,Oman, Saudi Arabia,Romania, Bulgaria, Germany,Ireland,England, Denmark,France,Greece,Egypt, Africa, Peru, Chile, US, ….
Yes Hinduism is like a Black hole it that it is so vast one finds it difficult to comprehend it!
Vedas are the signposts informing people about the route to be taken by one who wants to realise the Fundamental Cause, The Reality, the Brahman.
This can be only through experience and not by logic alone.
Logic is to be used to reinforce Faith, not to destroy it.
Logic can take only a few steps, while experience with honest Logic can take you places.
What is Honest logic?
The Logic that tells you that Logic ends here and only experience alone can take you further.
This is done by the Vedas.
The Vedas were not written by any one.
They are the experiences of great realized souls and as such contain gems of Truth.
As with experiences, they are varied.
People react differently to experiences.
The impression en experience leaves on one differs from the other.
Some times the same experience might leave different impression at different times.
And our grasp of, reaction to Experience is determined by Disposition.
So the though the Truth is One, the Perspectives are Many.
All are correct.
For, each perspective is unique.
Therefore the Path to God is varied.
The experiences are given in the Vedas, and other Texts of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma.
Each experience is unique.
They are expressions of experiences which ae, as I said earlier, by Dispositions.
One might like to be busy, work.
Another emotional.
Yet another highly intellectually disposed.
To suit these dispositions there are three various Paths in Hinduism.
Broadly classified as,
Gnyana Yoga, the Path of Knowledge.
Karma Yoga, Path of Action,
Bhakthi Yoga, Path of Surrender,Bhakti,Love to God,
Raja Yoga, Path of Mind Regulation.
There are two systems in Raja Yoga.
One is Yoga by Patanjali and another is by Thirumoolar.
Though essentially they are the same, minor differences in application may be noticed.
Then we have Siddhas, both from the South and North of Vindhyas in India.
Generally these Siddhas of the North follow Patanjali, and in South the Siddhas follow Agastya, Bhogar.
Patanjali is reported to be a disciple of Bhogar.
For all the First Siddha is Shiva.Shiva
Of the Siddhas of from the Himalayas, Kriya yogi Mahavtar Babaji is well-known.
But some basic details, most of us are unaware of.
It is presumed that He is from the North of Vindhyas,possibly from Himalayas.
Though it is incorrect to assign geographically limit these realized Souls, I am providing some information for the records,
‘Mahavatar Babaji (IAST: Mahāvatār Bābājī) is the name given to an Indian saint and yogi by Lahiri Mahasaya and several of his disciples[2] who met Mahavatar Babaji between 1861 and 1935. Some of these meetings were described by Paramahansa Yogananda in his book Autobiography of a Yogi, including a first hand telling of Yogananda’s own meeting with Mahavatar Babaji.[3]Another first hand account was given by Yukteswar Giri in his book The Holy Science.All of these accounts, along with additional meetings with Mahavatar Babaji, are described in various biographies of those mentioned by Yogananda.
..There are very few accounts of Babaji’s childhood, one source of information is the book Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga tradition by Marshall Govindan. According to Govindan, Babaji was named Nagarajan (king of serpents) by his parents. V.T. Neelakantan and S.A.A. Ramaiah founded on 17 October 1952, (they claim – at the request of Babaji) a new organisation, “Kriya Babaji Sangah,” dedicated to the teaching of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga. They claim that in 1953 Mahavatar Babaji told them that he had been born on 30 November 203 CE in a small coastal village now known as Parangipettai, in Tamil Nadu, India. Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas Trust (Kriya Babaji Sangah) and their branch organisations claim his place and date of birth.He was a disciple of Bogar and his birth name is Nagarajan’
|
Mahavatar Babaji – a drawing fromAutobiography of a Yogi, commissioned by Yogananda and based on his own meeting with Babaji
|
|
| Born | Nagarajan 30 November 203 CE[1] Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu,India |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Titles/honours | Deathless spiritual master; Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj; Maha Yogi; Trambak Baba; Shiva Baba |
| Order | Self-realization |
| Guru | Bogar |
| Philosophy | Kriya Yoga |
| Notable disciple(s) | Lahiri Mahasaya and others |
For More about Him and His System follow the last Link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavatar_Babaji
http://www.babajiskriyayoga.net/
Those who a little of Sanskrit and hinduism would know what an Intellectual Giant Adi Shankaracharya was.
But not many know the logic that has gone behind his establishing the four Mutts.
He chose four directions to found the Mutts.
| Shishya (lineage) |
Direction | Maṭha | Mahāvākya | Veda | Sampradaya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padmapāda | East | Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ | Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman) | Rig Veda | Bhogavala |
| Sureśvara | South | Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ | Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) | Yajur Veda | Bhūrivala |
| Hastāmalakācārya | West | Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ | Tattvamasi (That thou art) | Sama Veda | Kitavala |
| Toṭakācārya | North | Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ | Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman) | Atharva Veda | Nandavala |
All the Four vedas have been represented
Padmapadacharya (fl. 8th century CE) was an Indian philosopher, a follower of Adi Shankara.
Padmapāda’s dates are unknown, but modern scholarship places his life around the middle of the 8th century; similarly information about him comes mainly from hagiographies. What is known for certain is that he was a direct disciple of Shankara, of whom he was a younger contemporary. Padmapada was the first head of Puri Govardhana matha. He is believed to have founded a math by name Thekke Matham in Thrissur, Kerala. Keralites believe that he was a Nambuthiri belonging to Vemannillom, though according to textual sources he was from the Chola region in South India.
Sureśvara (also known as Sureśvarācārya, c. 750 CE) was an Indian philosopher, who studied under Śankara. Śankara is said to have entrusted to Sureśvara his first monastic institution, the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Suresvara is believed to have founded the famous Naduvil Matham in Thrissur…
Little is known for sure about Sureśvara’s life. According to a strong tradition within Advaita Vedānta, before he became a disciple of Śankara, Sureśvara was known as Maņdana Miśra, a Mīmāmsāka. After being defeated in debate by Śankara, Miśra renounced his life as a householder, and became a sannyāsin. Whether this Maņdana Miśra was the same as the author of Brahmasiddhi is questioned by modern scholars, on the basis of textual analysis.
Hastamalakacharya (IAST Hastāmalakācārya) (c. 8th century CE) was a disciple of Adi Shankara, the Advaita philosopher. He was made the first Jagadguru (head) of the Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ, the monastery founded by Adi Shankara in Dwaraka. Hastamalaka founded a matha by name Idayil Matham in Thrissur, Kerala.
The Mādhavīya Śaṃkaravijayam states that when Adi Shankara was at Kollur, he accepted invitations by brāhmaņas to have Bhikşa (alms or food) at their houses. On such an occasion he visited a village called Śrī Bali (present day Shivalli), where every house was said to emit the holy smell of the smoke of Agnihotra sacrifice, to accept Bhikşa. That place was inhabited by about two thousand brāhmaņas who were learned in the Vedas and performed the Yajnas prescribed in the Vedas. There was also a temple dedicated to Shiva and Parvati.
In that village there lived a brāhmaņa, Prabhākara, who was noted for his learning. He had a son who though appearing quite handsome, behaved rather like an idiot. Though upanayanam was performed for him, he did not take to studying the Vedas, instead preferred to sit around doing nothing. Hearing about Adi Shankara’s visit, Prabhākara approached the Acharya (teacher) with a load of fruit and prostrated before him. He also made his son prostrate before him. Prabhākara explained to Adi Shankara that his son behaved rather like an idiot and sat idly throughout the day.
Then, Adi Shankara addressed that young boy and asked him who he was. The boy replied in 12 verses containing the gist of theAdvaita philosophy.[1] Thus Adi Shankara was immensely impressed with him and accepted him as his disciple. He was named Hastāmalaka (one with the amalaka fruit in his hand) since the knowledge of the Self was natural to him like an Amalaka fruit in one’s hand. Adi Shankara took the boy into his party and started towards his next destination..
Totakacharya (IAST Toṭakācārya) (c. 8th century CE) was a disciple of Ādi Śaṅkara, the Advaita philosopher. He was made the first Jagadguru (head) of the Jyotirmaṭha Pīthaṃ, the northern maṭha founded by Ādi Śaṅkara near Badrinath. He founded a maṭha by name Vadakke Matham in Thrissur, Kerala…
he Mādhavīya Śaṅkaravijayam states that when Ādi Śaṅkara was at Śṛṅgeri, he met a boy named Giri. Ādi Śaṅkara accepted the boy as his disciple. Giri was a hard-working and loyal servant of his Guru, Ādi Śaṅkara, though he did not appear bright to the other disciples. One day, Giri was washing his Guru’s clothes, when Ādi Śaṅkara sat down to begin a lesson on Advaita Vedānta. He however did not start the lesson saying he was waiting for Giri to come back from his chores and singing lessons. At this, Padmapada pointed to a wall and said that it would be the same if Ādi Śaṅkara taught to this dumb object as he taught to Giri. Now, Ādi Śaṅkara wanted to reward Giri for his loyalty and devotion. Thus he mentally granted Giri the complete knowledge of all the śāstras (sciences). The enlightened Giri composed extempore the Toṭākāṣṭakam, a Sanskrit poem in the toṭaka metre, in praise of the Guru Ādi Śaṅkara. Thus the dumb disciple Giri became Toṭākācārya.
Look at the way Shankaracharya appointed Pontiffs, from deep south to west and from North to South.
And three of these Mutts are a part of falling into a pattern of same lattitude.
Geographically speaking the char Dham make a perfect square with Badrinath and Rameswaram falling on the same longitude and Dwarka (old) and Puri on the same latitude, representing the farthest north, east, west, and south points of India (at that time, before coastlines changed)
Badrinath, coordinates. Longitude.
Rameshwaram Longitiude.
Dwaraka latitude.
Puri Latitude.
* Present alignment.
Citations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_Dham
http://www.distancesfrom.in/odisha/puri-latitude-longitude/46.html
God is an Experience.
He can not be reasoned out.
He is beyond Mind.
Tamil calls Him ‘Kadavul’, one who is beyond the Mind.
You can not hold the Ocean in your palms.
How does one explain hunger, Pleasure, or Pain?
They have to be felt.
Many who have experienced the ecstasy of God have attempted to explain it.
The fact is those who explain it in detail have not seen or experienced God,
Those who have experienced can not explain..
‘kandavar Vindilar,
Vindavar Kandilai'(Tamil)
But some great souls have attempted to try.
Ramakrishna Parahamsa was one.
He was seen as a Lunatic, when He was in Ecstasy!
Similar descriptions of god may be found in Tamil.
Abhirami Bhattar was one such.
He was One who had seen Her, Abhirami of Thirukkadavur.
I shall write on him and his poem Abirami Andhadai in detail
The poem is in a special format, Andhadi, where the last word, letter of the preceding verse is the first word or the letter of the succeeding verse, mostly the former.
The last verse shall end with a word that would be the first word of the Andhadi(Beginning of the End)
விரும்பித் தொழும் அடியார் விழிநீர் மல்கி, மெய் புளகம்
அரும்பித் ததும்பிய ஆனந்தம் ஆகி, அறிவு இழந்து
கரும்பின் களித்து, மொழி தடுமாறி, முன் சொன்ன எல்லாம்
தரும் பித்தர் ஆவர் என்றால் அபிராமி சமயம் நன்றே.
அபிராமி அம்மையைப் பக்தியோடு விரும்பித்தொழும் அடியவர்களின் கண்களில் நீரானது பெருகி, மெய்சிலிர்த்து, ஆனந்தம் ததும்பி, அறிவு மறந்து, வண்டைப் போல் களித்து, மொழி தடுமாறி, முன்பு சொல்லிய பித்தரைப் போல் ஆவார்கள் என்றால், அப்பேரானந்தத்திற்கு மூலமான அம்பிகையின் சமயமே மிகச்சிறந்ததாகும்..
Tamil Poem explanation by Poet laureate Kannadasan
‘Tears stream down from the eyes,
Loses identity, with goose-pimples,
Overflowing with ecstasy , loses Mind,Discrimination,
Language falters, words get jumbled,
All this for those who immerse themselves in Abhirami and if this be the fruit of Her , it is the Best Religion to follow’
Well, that’s it.
As English translations are not available on the web, I have tried translating.
Definitely does not convey what Abhirami Bhattar intended.
I have tried.
Please check for a translation and enjoy the experience.
http://www.projectmadurai.org/pm_etexts/utf8/pmuni0026_01.html
Most of us are aware of the fact that Janamejaya was Arjuna’s Grandson and the Grandson of Abhimanyu.
He conducted the Sarpa Yaga, sacrifice of the Snakes to avenge his father Parishits’ deat at the hands of a Snake.
What makes him great is that he was the king who consolidated the Kuru Dynasty and stabilised the Bharatavarsha.
He had the Karma Kanda portion of the Vedas systematized and had them as Srauta.
These actions to be performed by an individual during the course of his life in various stages,
Brahmacharya,
Gruhastha,
Vanaprastha and
Sanyasi.
It is a different matter that these practices were carried to the extreme and they were followed more by rote than by conviction and understanding of the Gnana Kanda of the Vedas.
The message of the Vedas is that , the Ultimate Aim being the Realization of Brahman, The Reality, the performance of actions are to be a tool in the path Realization as Brahman is identified with Knowledge.
Unfortunately, the spirit was lost and the practice of performing Srauta Karmas reached a peak with the advent of Mimamsa.
And innumerable Deities were worshiped, causing confusion.
This caused a revulsion and result was the emergence of Buddha, a Brahmin of Gautama Gotra to question the existence and authenticity of the Vedas.
Buddhism ran rampantly till Shankaracharya stopped the tide and reorganised Hinduism by establishing Shan Mathas , Six Modes of Worship and streamlining the procedures.
Srauta Karmas generally relate to the Yagnyas, which are around 400.
Read my Post on this.
Śrauta (Devanagari श्रौत) traditions are conservative ritualistic traditions of the historical Vedic religion in Hinduism, based on the body of Śruti literature. They are still practiced in India today although constituting a small minority within Hinduism…
Shrauta traditions.
The Shrauta tradition places more emphasis on the performance of rituals rather than having a set of beliefs. The practices of the Shrauta tradition mainly consist of yajnas. Theyajnas are divided into two categories, nitya-karma and kaamya karma. Nitya-karma refers to those yajnas that have to be performed daily or as per occasion. Kaamya-karmarefers to those yajnas performed with a particular purpose, such as wishing for rain, cattle, overlordship or for a son (e.g. Putrakameshti).
It may be noted that since the Srata is from Sruti, it has more authority than Smritis.
But following Sratha is to be tempered with the total understanding of the Vedas, mainly the Gnana Kanda which states that Knowledge and attainment of Liberation is the goal of Life , not mere performance of Karmas.
However Karma Yoga states that performance of actions is a tool by itself.
But as Krishna puts it performance of Karma is the renunciation of the fruits of action in the Mind, more a Sankalpa.
Contrary views welcome.
Janamejaya.
Janmejay (Sanskrit: जनमेजय) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th or 11th century BCE). Along with his predecessor Parikshit, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns into collections and the development of the orthodox srauta ritual, transforming the Kuru realm into the dominant political and cultural center of northern Iron Age India. He also appears as an important figure in many later legends and traditions, such as theMahabharata, where he appears as the listener of the first narration of the great epic
Citation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrauta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janamejaya
Sri Rudram is a powerful Mantra, where Lord Shiva is worshiped in his aspect as Rudra.
This is probably the only one Hymn of the Vedas where Shiva is directly mentioned , though in secret, while Hymns on Agni, Varuna,Narayana, Vishnu .. are many.
I have written on this in a separate Post.
The Portion Rudram praises Rudra and in Chamakam the devotee asks Rudra for everything a Human being could wish for.
There are many ways of chanting the Rudra, depending on intonation(Gana) and the results vary for each.
And there are different types of conduction of Sri Rudram, in terms of how many people, and how much each one chants at the same time.
This also determines the result of the Rudra Upasna.
‘
Worshippers of Lord Siva recite Rudram with 11 sections followed by Chamakam with 11 sections as a routine prayer every day. This is called the daily nyasam or mode of worship. In the Rudram part, the devotee pays repeated obeisance to Lord Siva and prays for his blessings for human well being. But on special occasions, the number of times the recitation is done is increased.
In Rudra Ekadasi, Rudram is recited 11 times and Chamakam is recited once. After Rudram is recited once, one section or anuvaka ofChamakam is recited in order.
In Laghurudram, Rudra Ekadasi is done 11 times, that is, Rudram is recited 112 or 121 times and Chamakam is recited 11 times.
In Maharudram, 11 Laghurudrams are recited; that is, Rudram is recited 113 = 1331 times and Chamakam 112 = 121 times.
In Atirudram, 11 Maharudrams are recited; that is, Rudram is recited 114 = 14641 times and Chamakam is recited 113 = 1331 times.
The Chamakam mentions completely the ideal of human happiness and defines in the highest degree the desires to be fulfilled without delimiting those to be asked for or to be granted..
DNA and Mathematics in Sri Rudram.
‘
In the Chamakam, in anuvakas or sections 1 to10, the devotee prays for almost everything needed for human happiness and specifies each item. But in the 11th anuvaka or 11th section of Chamakam, the devotee prays for the desired things not specifically but in terms of numbers, first in terms of odd numbers from 1 to 33 and later in multiples of 4 from 4 to 48, as follows:
“Eka cha me, thisrascha may, pancha cha may, sapta cha may, Ekadasa cha may, trayodasa cha may, panchadasa cha may, saptadasa cha may, Navadasa cha may, ek trimshatis cha may, trayovimshatis cha may, Panchavimshatis cha may, saptavimshatis cha may, navavimshatis cha may, Ekatrimshatis cha may, trayatrimshatis cha may, panchatrimshatis cha may, Chatasras cha may, ashtou cha may, dwadasa cha may, shodasa cha may, Vimsatis cha may, chaturvimshatis cha may, ashtavimshatis cha may, Dwathrimashatis cha may, shatstrimshas cha may, chatvarimshas cha may, Chatuschatvarimshas cha may, ashtachatvarimshas cha may”
which means:
“Let these be granted to me. One, three, five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty one, twenty three, twenty five, twenty seven, twenty nine, thirty one and thirty three as also four, eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty, twenty four, twenty eight, thirty two, thirty six, forty, forty four and forty eight”.
Traditional scholars and pandits explain the significance of these numbers as follows:
ODD NUMBERS:
1 = Nature or Prakriti
3 = The three gunas, namely sattwa, rajas and tamas
5 = The five mahabhutas, or the five basic elements, that is, prithvi, ap, tejas, vayu and akasha, (earth, water, energy or agni or fire, wind and space).
7 = The five sensory organs and the mind and intellect
9 = The nine openings in the human body, called the navadwaras.
11 = The ten pranas and the Sushumna nadi
13 = Thirteen Devas
15 = The nadis or nerve centres in the human body
17 = The limbs of the human body
19 = Medicinal herbs
21 = Important vulnerable parts of the body
23 = Devas controlling serious diseases
25 = Apsaras in heaven
27 = Gandharvas
29 = Vidyut Devas
31 = Worlds
33 = Devas
MULTIPLES OF FOUR:
4 = The four ideals of human life, namely dharma, artha, kama and moksha,
(righteous way of life, wealth, desire, and salvation)
8 = The four Vedas and the four upavedas
12 = Six vedangas and six shastras.
16 = Knowledge to be obtained from God
20 = The Mahabhutas
24 = The number of letters in the Gayatri metre
28 = The number of letters in the Ushnik metre
32 = The number of letters in the Anushtup metre
36 = The number of letters in the Brihati metre
40 = The number of letters in the Pankti metre
44 = The number of letters in the Trushtup metre
48 = The number of letters in the Jagati metre
According to Dr Sasidharan, these numbers represent a polymer chain of molecules that form apa or water that enables evolution of life and intelligence, and apa is nothing but the nitrogenous base pairs of the DNA. The numbers 1 to 33 represent the 33000 base pairs of mitochondrial base pairs of DNA. The numbers 4 to 48 represent the 48 million nuclear bases of DNA. The two sets of DNA bases combine to provide sustenance of human wellbeing and onward evolution of human life. When the devotee prays for the blessing of these numbers, actually he is praying for bestowing on him all these DNA bases which conduce to sustenance of human wellbeing and happiness.
Citations.
Sri.S.Balasubramanian.
https://sites.google.com/site/mathematicsmiscellany/mathematics-in-chamakam
