I Never Get Freed AdiSankaracharya Nirvana Shatakam


Bondage, be it at the Transient or the Transcendental Level, needs  two entities.

One never gets Bonded or bonded to when only he Is Present.

In Indian Philosophy even yearning for Realization causes Bondage!

The fruit that accrues of it is  the eternal desire to be Free,

So to be a fully Liberated Soul, one is not to yearn for Realization , it as a Goal.

The goal is to be that of simply knowing One’s True Nature and not anything else.

This is true Moksha or Nirvana.

Unlike Buddhism the Nirvana is not Nihilistic,One Becomes a part of the Whole .

Lord Nataraja

Sivoham,Ananda Thandava of Siva

The Part can not rejoice having become one for it has been the Whole all the while and the impression of being a Part  is a temporary Illusive Phenomena,necessitated by Ignorance, impelled by Karma Vaasana,Remnants of the results of actions performed .physically and mentally.

Upon this Realization , verily there is No need for Freedom nor is there One really.

This is what the Acharya says,

अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकाररूपो
विभुत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
न चासङ्गतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥६॥
Aham Nirvikalpo Niraakaara-Ruupo
Vibhu-Tvaacca Sarvatra Sarve[a-I]ndriyaannaam |
Na Caa-Sanggatam Naiva Muktirna Meyah
Cid-aananda-ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||6||

6.1: I am Without any Variation, and Without any Form,
6.2: I am Present Everywhere as the underlying Substratum of everything, and behind all Sense Organs,
6.3: Neither do I get Attached to anything, nor get Freed from anything,
6.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.

I have written on Niravana Shatakam with a few of the explanations I thought of.

I am concluding this for the time being , I might post on the same later.

For Adi Sankaracharya is an Ocean.

You can drink as much as you can hold at a time.

As in Life, the measure varies at different times.

When I get some additional thoughts I shall post.

In the meanwhile I conclude this with Shankaracharya’s concluding Sloka of Soundarya Lahari, where he beautifully illustrates the inadequacy of words!

प्रदीप ज्वालाभि-र्दिवसकर-नीराजनविधिः
सुधासूते-श्चन्द्रोपल-जललवै-रघ्यरचना ।
स्वकीयैरम्भोभिः सलिल-निधि-सौहित्यकरणं
त्वदीयाभि-र्वाग्भि-स्तव जननि वाचां स्तुतिरियम् ॥ 100 ॥

“pradīpa jvālābhi-rdivasakara-nīrājanavidhiḥ
sudhāsūte-ścandropala-jalalavai-raghyaracanā |
svakīyairambhobhiḥ salila-nidhi-sauhityakaraṇaṃ
tvadīyābhi-rvāgbhi-stava janani vācāṃ stutiriyam || 100 ||

O Mother( the very source) of all words !  this hymn addressed to you with your own words is like doing neerajana to the Sun with the light of small lamps,  offering arghya  to the moon from the water of the moonstone and doingtarpan to the ocean by its own water.  [Note:  The sun is the source of all light which itself is used to worship the Sun.  The moonstone melts and becomes water in moonlight.]

No Guru Neither Disciple Sankaracharya


I recall n incident form the Life Sri Ramana Maharishi.

When Paul Brunton, Maharishi’s Biographer  requested Ramana to take him as His Disciple.

Ramana Maharishi replied,

 

“Who is Guru and who is Sishya, every one has to seek one’s own Salvation’

 

Height of Advaita.

 

At the Paramaarthika, Transcendental Level, there is no Identity except being One, even this I am not sure whether a part can identify itself a part of the Whole.

 

The World of Names and Forms are Real and Illusory, All at the same time, depends on one’s respective and stand point.

 

Watch a child start expressing its likes and dislikes, especially of people.

 

It expresses spontaneously without being able to rationalize.

 

It forgets them as soon as people are out of sight.

 

It lives in the present, no associations, consciously.

 

Otherwise the Child is Full of Happiness or Bliss.

 

Its smile conveys its Blissful State,especially when it is asleep.

 

This is Ananda, unsullied by Impressions.

 

This is Nirvana. The Original State.

 

न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यं
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥
Na Mrtyur-Na Shangkaa Na Me Jaati-Bhedah
Pitaa Naiva Me Naiva Maataa Na Janmah |
Na Bandhurna Mitram Gurur-Na-Iva Shissyam
Cid-Aananda-Ruupah Shivo[a-A]ham Shivo[a-A]ham ||5||

Meaning:
5.1: Neither am I bound by Death and its Fear, nor by the rules of Caste and its Distinctions,
5.2: Neither do I have Father and Mother, nor do I have Birth,
5.3: Neither do I have Relations nor Friends, neither Spiritual Teacher nor Disciple,
5.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.

Six Systems Of Vedic Worship Sankaracharya


Hinduism is like a Doctor, prescribes , but it leaves it to the individual to choose. as Hinduism is highly individualistic.

There are thoughts from the Vedic Times which include Atheism of Charvaka,Materialism.

Shanmatha

Shanatha Of Sankaracharya

One is left to choose what suits him the best.

Even the Vedas have Karma Kanda(Details of Duties),Gnana Kanda(Path Of Knowledge)

There is no recommendation of Idol Worship in The Vedas.

This was a later development.

All this had such an effect that people were following innumerable Gods and Goddesses,Minor Deities.

There were no system of worship.

To add to this muddle was the influence of Mimaamsa Philosophy which spoke of only Karma Kanda , with no reference to God.

Then there was Buddhism and Jainism advocating Godlessness, Nireswaravada.

Sankaracharya  came and reorganized the systems of worship.

As indicated in my earlier post, they are six in number,

Ganapathyam, The Worship of Loed Ganapathy,Ganesh.

Ganapathy is referred to in the Vedas and we have Ganoponishad

This has been given priority by Sankaracharya.

Next is Soumaaram, Worship of Lord Suryanarayan, the Sun God.

Surya is called’ ‘Prathyaksha Brahma’ ‘The Visible God’

One tidbit on this.

The concluding portion of Sandhyavandan , which is performed daily, was not found in the original text.

‘Nama Savitre Jagadeka Chakshushe…Kesavam Prathi gachchathi”

This was included by Lord Krishna, when he performed the Grahana Tharpan, when it was not due and was taught to Yudhishtir>

Kaumaaram, Worship of Lord Subramanya,

Lord Subramanya is not mentioned in the Vedas.

But Skanda is mentioned, this later became Subramanya.

The meaning of the word Subramanya is The Best Brahmin , Brahmin being the one who realized The Reality,Brahman, for it was Lord Subramanya who explained Pranava , Om,to Lord Siva.

Saivam,Woship of Lord Siva.

Lord Siva is not mentioned directly n the Vedas, but Rudra is.

In the Rudra Prasna the moola Mantra of Lord Siva is kept secretly in the Namakam in the middle of the eleven Anuvaakas, that too in the middle of the sloka

‘Nama Sivaya Ca, Sivadhrayaca,’

Saktam, Worship of Goddess Uma ‘Parvati’

Shakti is worship is mentioned elaborately in the Vedas by referring in the Durga Suktham,Sri Suktam,Neela Suktham.

One important reason that Sakthi worship is considered superior is the fact that the word UMA contains all the letters of the Pranava, OM

‘Akaaram, Ukaaram and Makaaram”

Vaishnavism, Worship of Lord Vishnu.

Lord Vishnu is mentioned in the Vedas.

The term Vishnu means ‘ one who supports’, from the word ‘Jishnu’, supporting.

Vishnu is considered to be an Amsa  a part of Naranayana,

Narayana means one sets example for Men as to How to Live ‘Nara Ayana’for Men How to Live(path)

Another meaning is ‘ one who Lies in Water”

The we have Purusha Suktham, which many people take it to refer Lord Vishnu.

It is not.

Purusha Suktham refers to and explains Universal Evolution and Cosmic Principles.

Thus we have Purusha Suktam,Narayan Suktham and Vishnu Suktham, each denoting a different, yet One Entity.

Thus the Six Systems of Hindu Worship was organised by Shankaracharya.

However there are  more Deities and they fall under the Category of Minor Deities,  Town”Village Deities .

I shall post about this later.


http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2013/06/16/six-gods-to-worship-sankaracharya/

Six Gods To Worship, Sankaracharya


Radha Krishna

Radha Krishna.

Radha Krishna

Radha Krishna

Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh

Lord Vishnu Viswaroopa.

Lord Vishnu Viswaroopa.

Goddess Abirami

Goddess Abirami

Lord Subramanya

Lord Subramanya

Lord Rama

Lord Rama

Lord Suryanarayana

Lord Suryanarayana

Lord Siva

Lord Siva

Before the advent of Adi Shankaracharya, there were more than sixty-eight different ways of worship of the Hindu Gods with corresponding Deities.

Sankaracharya, quoting the Sruthi, The  Vedas, streamlined the system of worship into Six, Shanmatha.

They are,

Ganapathyam, Lord Ganesh,

Soumaaram, Lord Surya, Sun.

Saivam,Lord Siva,

Saktham, Goddess Parvati.

Kaumaaram, Lord Subramanya and

Vaishnavam, Lord Vishnu.

He also laid down the rues for Panchayathana Puja, to be performed Daily

Wedding Other Function Invites Hindu Style.


Weddingis one of the most revered and important Customs in India, especially among the Hindus.

The procedures are elaborate, needs careful planning.

A typical Hindu Brahmin Marriage consists of, aside from seeing the bride to be, Betrothal, it has

Sumangali Prarthanai (read my post on this) when the departed Women who died leaving their Husbands behind are worshiped.

This is followed by Samaradhanai (Dahdhiyaaradhanai), th offering of Puja to the Family Deity.

Only after these are completed, Marriage ceremonies take place.

One of the important duties is the Inviting people for the Marriage.

Till about some years back, some twenty years,two different types of Invitations were printed now I think three,one formal/traditonal.one each by the Bride and by the Bridegroom.

The traditional invitation is meant for close relatives,the other one with Modern type which will be distributed to others,either by the parents or by the Bride or Bridegroom.

It was the practice to post the invitations to people who are staying elsewhere.

This has to be followed by a personal letter(hand written) inviting people individually, to attend the Function.

It was also the practice to reimburse their travel expenses incurred for attending the Function.

For those who are located in the same city, the Invitation is not be posted.

It has to be delivered by hand by the Parents in person with Kumkum, Akshata, Fruits and wherever required new clothes are to be handed over .

This process is backed up by a Telephonic reminder a week before the marriage.

To some, this entire process might seem funny.

But there are /were Families which do/did not remain on speaking terms for years together on a single misstep in this procedure..

Now how does one decide whom to call one while sending Invitations?

Close relatives, like Uncles, Aunts, First Cousins,In Laws of Daughter or Son can not be avoided, whatever be the circumstances.

For the others, and even to these essential people, if one wants to avoid them, there are always methods of inviting and at the same remain not inviting!

Let me explain.

I have a close friend of 43 years standing and I went personally with my wife to invite him.

He came and graced the occasion.

this friend of mine was introduced to me by his elder brother,

Hindu Marriage.

Hindu Marriage.

Some how my friend and my friend remain very close and not his brother.

So after the function was over my friend asked me why I had not invited his elder brother who introduced him tome.

My reply was that , I send invitations to people whose name occur to me spontaneously with out elaborate scratching of the head;others, I said, were not worth remembering and hence no invites, thought there is no animosity.

So there are three types of Inviting for a Function, I explained to him.

The First , you follow the procedure I explained already. by visiting  personally and following up.

The second is the trickiest, inviting them yet not inviting them.

Call them couple of Days before the Function making sure that they would not get reservation for transport and at a time most inconvenient to them.

They would not come.

Well if some one comes despite this, Bad Luck.

The third is not inviting them at all.

Note: Beware people who say, I do not care for Formality, Do not bother”

These are the people who care the most about proper procedure for inviting them for a Function.

But me, I expect Formality and personal Invites.

For Formality is the new name for Respect and Courtesy, let us be clear.

PS. I am given the short shrift by others much the same way I do to others!