Bhagavadgitausa
Mahabharata War (Tanjore painting)
Bhagavadgitausa
Articles, translation and commentary by V.Krishnaraj
Gayatri Mantra for all ages, nations and people
Om Bhūrbhuvah suvah
tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhīmahi
Dhiyo yonah pracodayāt
Om, earth, atmosphere, and heaven
That Light adore
Splendor divine meditate
Intellect who our inspire
Om earth, atmosphere, and heaven
Adore that light
Meditate on the divine splendor
May he inspire our intellect
(who inspires our intellect).
Gayatri Mantra sung by Anuradha Paudwal
Here is the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4o3PAYjX8
Bhagavan Krishna says in Bhagavd Gita (10.35)
Of the hymns in Sama Veda (I am) Brhatsama; of meters, I am Gayatri; of
months (I am) Margasirasa (Dec-Jan); of all seasons, I am flower-bearer
(spring).
The Most Articles:
| Kundalini Power | MAHAVIDYAS | TANTRA | BG04 | KALI |
| ANDALS_TIRUPPAVAI | Hymns of Sankara | Gitagovindam by Jayadeva | BG10 | MANTRA |
| Primer in Saiva Siddhanta | BG07 | BG18 | LORD OF DANCE Nataraja | GAYATRI |
| OM NAMASIVAYA |
Current Events Special :
sivagnana_siddhiar (complete) Philosophy of Saiva Siddhanta in verses and English translation with illustrations.
These articles listed below are completed as listed above. The above article covers both part one and part two.
Sivagnana Siddhiar by Arul Nandhi Sivanar (part 1)
SIVAGNANA SIDDHIAR PART 2 OF 2 (Part 2)
Current file under construction
Love in Tamil Country
This month's highlighted articles below
| ANDALS_TIRUPPAVAI | |||
| vadakalai_tenkalai | The above article was written by Prof. Mumme | ||
|
vadakalai_tenkalai
|
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photos
| St.Patrick's Cathedral in New York | Washington_National_Cathedral_Photos | |||
| CHENNAI SCENES |
Bhagavad-Gita:Chapters
| BG01 | BG02 | BG03 | BG04 | BG05 | BG06 | BG07 | BG08 | BG09 |
| BG10 | BG11 | BG12 | BG13 | BG14 | BG15 | BG16 | BG17 | BG18 |
Bhagavadgita Pages, Chapters 01 to 18
BG01 BG Chapter 01 Arjuna's Distress
BG02 BG Chapter 02 Samkhya Yoga- The Yoga of Knowledge
BG03 BG Chapter 03 Karma Yoga
BG04 BG Chapter 04 The Yoga of Knowledge
BG05 BG Chapter 05 Yoga of Renunciation of Action
BG06 BG Chapter 06 The Yoga of self-control
BG07 BG Chapter 07 Knowledge and Realization
BG08 BG Chapter 08 Brahman the Imperishable
BG09 BG Chapter 09 Yoga of Sovereign Knowledge and Sovereign Secret
BG10 BG Chapter 10 Manifestation
BG11 BG Chapter 11The Grand Vision
BG12 BG Chapter 12 Bhakti
BG13 BG Chapter 13The Knower, the Field, and the Nature
BG14 BG Chapter 14The Three-Guna Psychology
BG15 BG Chapter 15 The Supreme Person
BG16 BG Chapter 16 The Divine and the Demon
BG17 BG Chapter 17 Gunas and Faith
BG18 BG Chapter 18 Renunciation and Liberation
Vishnu Pages
| Visistadvaita by Desika-Satadusani | Gitagovindam by Jayadeva | NARAYANEEYAM | ANDALS_TIRUPPAVAI | Krishna pictures |
| vadakalai_tenkalai | vaishnava mantras | DHRUVA |
General Pages
| TILAKAM | THE BRAHMA SUTRA | Hymns of Sankara | Mother_Teresa | Hindu Cosmology |
POETRY
secular pages
Miscellaneous pages
| PEARLS | AUM-OM | CREATION AND DISSOLUTION | ETHER THE OPPRESSOR | Big Wheel of Brahman |
| Vishnu Weds Lakshmi | Conciliator | Govinda | Guru |
SIVA-SAKTI and Mother Goddess
| Sringeri | UNMAI_VILAKKAM | |||
| Kashmir Saivism | Siva-Ashtamurthy | DEVI MAHATMYAM | BHAIRAVI | KALABHAIRAVA- |
| 8 forms of Siva | Sakti Panegyric | Siva's energy | Southern aspect of Siva | |
| LALITA-MAHATMYA | GAYATRI | Primer in Saiva Siddhanta | Bhakti | Kamakshi |
| Sakti panegyric | Mantra | Saiva Sect | Devotion | Consort of Siva |
| TATTVAS-36 | MANTRA | BINDU | SIVA HEIRARCHY | LORD OF DANCE |
| building blocks of universe | origin of universe | Nataraja | ||
| Ganesa | DAKSHINAMURTI | TANTRA | Kundalini Power | OM NAMASIVAYA |
| Lord of beginnings | Siva | Siva mantra | ||
| MAHAVIDYAS | KALI | PATI | SIVAM | DURGA |
| 10 forms of Sakti | Siva | Sakti | ||
| FIERY LINGAM | SADASIVA | Siva-one is many | Sabda or Sound | Ardhanarisvara |
| Aniconic form of Siva | Siva- Grace giver | Androgynous Siva | ||
| Parvati | The Red Mountain | YOGI | Kularnava Tantra | PANCHADASI |
| Consort of Siva | Temple town-Siva | Brahman & Atman | ||
| CREATION CASCADE | The Saktas | SIVA'S FURY | Mahisasura | MULAR'S VIEW OF EVOLUTION |
| Sakti worshippers | Buffalo demon | |||
| Avadhuta | CREATION AND DISSOLUTION | |||
| one who divorced the world |
TiruManTiraM TMTM: Saiva Siddhanta:
| TMTM Epilogue | TMTM01 | TMTM02 | TMTM03 | TMTM04 |
V.Krishnaraj
Copyright © 2004. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/17/08.
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Here is a link for you to look up the meaning of Sanskrit words
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/etgloss/sar-sec.htm
You may post missives on this board:
http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/cgi/discus/discus.pl
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You see many stars in the night sky but not when the sun rises. Can you therefore say that there are no stars in the heavens during the day? O man, because you cannot find God in the days of ignorance, say not that there is no God.--Ramakrishna on God
BHAGAVAD-GITA
Welcome to my Web site!
BHAGAVAD-GITA
Friends: I translated the
verses in simple English and tried as much as possible not to bring the reader
to a standstill with a need to dive and delve in the dictionary. I did all the
needed diving and delving necessary to understand the difficult words and
phrases and present them to the reader in the clearest and the most objective
manner. Materials from reputable Sanskrit-English Dictionaries and Hindu
religious books helped me explain the Sanskrit words and phrases and keep the
flow supple, simple, and fluid. Here I am a student as much as you are.
This is a labor of love. This book’s intent is not to advance a particular religious slant, for all religions have universal Truths, which I find in Bhagavad-Gita. You will find reference to all religions and their Truths in the commentary section.
Religion (re + ligare = back + tie, bind, fasten, bring) tells that religion ties the man back to his source or brings man back to his source. Ligare, ligate, ligature are cognate words. Hindu religion calls it Nvirrti (involution-- centripetal movement of the soul to the Great Soul). It tells that man is disconnected from his Source, the Being, Atman; religion reestablishes the connectedness between the individual soul and the Great Soul of the Universe. Thus all souls upon being tied back to its source become one with the source; that is absorption, liberation from the material world, Nirvana or Moksa.
To the Western, Indian Religion generally seems a "jungle" of contradictory beliefs amidst which he is lost. Only those who have understood its main principles can show them the path. Sir John Woodroffe.
Below, you will find explanations why Hindu gods have more body parts than usual. If you ask any mother with four youngsters, she will tell you that she wished she had four hands. Another facet that fascinates people in the west is that the Hindu gods are married and have children like the human counterparts. Let me assure you that they are not married. Their so-called consorts are their powers. If god happens to have four wives, that means he has four extraordinary powers (Sakti), portrayed as four wives. Devout Hindus believe that the Gods and Goddesses are married and have families. You heard the expression from an angry wife to her husband: "Are you married to me or to your job?" That job is compared to a spouse.
Bhagavad-Gita, as the saying goes, is the Lord's song. It was a two-way
communication between God and man, between friends, and between relatives. It
tells us, on the one hand that Arjuna surrendered to Lord Krishna as His
devotee and on the other hand, they were friends and blood relatives. Put
yourself in Arjuna's place: Arjuna like any other rational human being had his
doubts about the authenticity of Krishna Himself and His advice.
Take a look at Chapter Four:
4: Arjuna said: Your birth was later and
Vivasvat's birth was earlier. Then how am I to know or understand that you
declared this to him (Vivasvat) in the beginning?
5: Sri Bhagavan said: Many of my lives have
passed. You also had many births. O Arjuna, I know them all but you do not, the
chastiser of enemies.
6: Though I am unborn, imperishable and the
Lord of beings–Isvarah, and although established in My own nature, I come into
being by My own māyā power (Ātma-māyāyin).
It took Lord Krishna most of eighteen chapters to tell Arjuna that He
is the original source of the known and the unknown. Krishna displayed His
patience, kindness, compassion, composure (in the face of doubt, dread, doom,
and gloom), and love. He also showed the true nature of a gentleman, a friend,
a charioteer, a relative, a philosopher, a guru, and a God in allaying the
fears of a doubting Arjuna.
We are all devotees
of Krishna or God who extends his friendship to us, and our “self” is a chip
off the Old Block, the Greater Self or Lord Krishna or God. By extension, all
humanity and all living souls are chips off the Old Block. We are chips in a
figurative and literal sense. According to Nimbarka, each soul is
individualistic and at the same time organically dependent on Brahman. The
Higher Self does not dwindle or contract; It (the Self) is like a lit candle,
which does not become less bright when it gives light to other candles.
However, the original light source is like the sun and of great effulgence and
we are like the little candles. Ramanuja says that our individual souls are
like sparks coming off the fire. All living beings are reflections of the
Higher Self as all reflections in jars of water are reflections of the sun.
We are all related
to one another and related to God. Science offers proof that all living
entities share some common genes and qualities. Genetic studies prove this
unity in existence. Bacterium and man share some genes. This is called
horizontal transfer from bacteria. Scientists say that
the bacterial genes came into the human cell and set up housekeeping outside the
nucleus of the cell. These bacterial genes came to be known as Mitochondria. The
human nucleus found some uses (symbiosis) for these bacterial mitochondrial genes and
incorporated some of them into human chromosomes.
James Gorman in his NYTimes article puts it humorously the following tidbit.
I’m delighted to be related to flies, yeast, frogs, chimps and blue-green algae. I find the serenity of algae restful and the ambition of yeast admirable. Frogs are great jumpers. Chimps have hands at the end of their feet, sort of. And fruit flies, well, I never met a fruit fly that I was ashamed to share genes with, and I certainly can’t say that about human beings.
Human Insulin gene introduced in bacteria produces human insulin, that we use everyday. By extension, those bacteria have the potential to become a human being. According to Richard Dawkins in his book The Ancestor's Tale, page 13, our history is evolutionary and all living creatures are cousins. Humans and bacteria have DNA sequences which are so similar that whole paragraphs are word-for word identical (Page 24). (As we look at the Grand Tree of Life, we see Origin, Grand Confluence, Trunk, Primary branching points, secondary branches, rendezvous points at many branching Vs, terminal branches and the rest, we trace life back to a repository of DNA of all life, the Stem Substance, Avyaktam (the Unmanifest) and Aksaram (the Indestructible).
This is the message of Hinduism. If bacteria have the potential to
become a human being, the latter should have the potential to become god. This
means that a human being can become more sattvic (virtue, goodness) than he is
now. Man is an incarnate of God in a limited and restricted sense. All beings
from plants to bacteria to animals to man have sentience, which the plants and
the bacteria have in the least amount, the animals have in a small amount and
man has in the most amount. That common sentience is the basis for nonviolence
to any, or at the most as slight (a violence) as possible.
What is the purpose
of all these beings from bacteria, through plants through animals to human
beings? It is the evolution of the soul and it has a cosmic compulsion in it:
All souls have this compulsion to excel. The mouse becomes man by moving up the
soul's evolutionary ladder; it is the soul's ascent and the body can range from
that of an ameba to man. The chimp in its cosmic compulsion to excel loses its
tail, walks on two feet, struts along, and becomes a champion of a human being.
On the same cosmic compulsive trait, man becomes god. Our lower traits recede
and the higher traits evolve or take hold. We left our tail, we left our jungle
habitats, we are now human beings, and we are on our way up the ladder. In the
pursuit of higher transcendental consciousness, the yogis, the Rishis and the
Munis are the trailblazers: Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus.
Let me explain the seeming incongruities in the presentation as far as
evolution of the soul and the body containing the soul. The soul is important
here; the body is secondary, and the latter is only a vessel holding the
individual soul. The individual soul can ascend or descend up and down the
ladder of flora and fauna, depending on its Prārabda karma. When I say
that we left our tail and that we are human beings now, it means the individual
soul cast off the body of the chimp or any of the members of the kingdom of
flora and fauna and now has taken residence in the human body. It is the soul's
journey through the plant, animal, and human bodies, until it reaches the
Greater Soul.
While a roundworm
and a fruit fly have 19K and 13K genes respectively, a human being has only 30K
active genes. Take a flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. The common name for
this weed belonging to the mustard family and containing 25k genes is mouse-ear
cress. How is it that a human being is so much more complicated, and yet has
only twice the number of genes as a roundworm or a fruit fly and that he is
only 5K genes above a flowering plant? So much for our pride and ego. Man has all the genes that a mouse has; we have only 300 genes
that are special to human beings: Genetically
speaking we are mouse first and human later.
It appears that every step or rung of the spiral DNA ladder that is new
and advanced and that we climb, we become that much more complicated. The
coding regions, namely the exons, join (splice) together in different
sequences, or one or more exons dropped or new ones added, to produce cascades
resulting in new proteins. Man’s DNA structure and proteins are the most
complicated and highly evolved in the animal kingdom. Man's genes undergo
mutation twice as fast as the woman’s do. It can spearhead an evolutionary
process or produce maimed bodies or minds. This goes to back the Christian view
of Adam and Eve, and the Hindu view of Prajapati splitting into two parts,
resulting in two beings, a man and woman.
There is a
commonality of DNA among all members of the flora and fauna; that DNA is basis
for the physical body. Those DNA strands are interchangeable between animals
and plants. There is a soul in all sentient beings and insentient objects. This
individual soul in every member of these two kingdoms is the same, but its
distance from and degree of awareness of the Greater Soul makes the difference
between the men and mice. We share DNA and soul in varying degrees of
sophistication from ameba to man; the body and soul come from the Lord who
pervades the whole universe. That is why the Lord’s other name is “All
Pervader,” Vishnu.
The gene machine that makes proteins in our body is similar to the gene
machine in animals. The insulin that we make in our body is no different–with
minor variations– from the insulin, which pigs or other mammals make. You see
the biological connection here.
The Lord appeared in this world in many forms. The Avatars in
chronological order were Varaha, Narasimha, Kurma, Matsya, Vamana, Parasurama,
Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. Kalkin the future Avatar will come in the
form of a Brahmana or a warrior riding on a white horse. A reference to the ocean as the source of life occurs in
Text 12 of Brahmasamhita. The ocean sprang from Lord Narāyana, who is the
resting-place of the ocean. Nara: the waters of the causal ocean. Ayana: the
resting-place.
From left to right:
1. Matsya (Fish)
2. Vamana (Dwarf)
3. Narasimha (Man-Lion, Chimera)
4. Kalkin (Yet to incarnate)
Enlarge the pictures for greater details.
Kurma is tortoise; Matsya is fish; Varaha is boar; Narasimha is man-lion: the upper part is lion and the lower part is human. Narasimha, the man-lion, is a chimera (a composite) in a subtle and gross sense, a transitional being between animal and man with no dilution of the efficacy of the avatar. Narasimha Avatar indicates that Bhagavan exists in animals, human and insentient objects, the last because he emerged from a palace pillar to save His devotee, Prahalada from his own father's cruelty. Vamana is a human dwarf. Parasurama, Rama, and Krishna are the other human avatars (incarnations). It is my understanding that any sensed evolutionary model in these incarnations, in consideration of chronological aberration, does not hold water, though an existence of evolutionary concept in the incarnations can not be ruled out. Fish, Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, and Dwarf incarnations suggest an evolutionary thread in that fish with rudimentary limbs and a mobile neck from the sea came on land, morphed into a land animal, later to a chimera of animal and man through very many links, and still later a dwarf (the first men were dwarfs compared to us). The recent discovery of a fossil (Tiktaalik, 2004 Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada) of a four to nine feet long flat fish (that lived 375 million years ago) with a rudimentary neck and limblike fins that could propel it from out of water to land is widely acclaimed as the missing link of evolution coming out of the seas.
It is said by the devotees of Krishna that sterile writings of historians depict Krishna as a composite and a conflation of four personalities: Cowherd, Casanova, Machiavelli and Yogi of Yogis. To the devotees he is an Avatar and a conflation of Sat, Chit, and Ananda.
The Ten Avatars of Vishnu (Dasavatara): 1. Fish, 2. Tortoise, 3. Boar, 4. Narasimha, 5. Vamana, 6. Parasurama, 7. Ramachandra, 8. Krishna, 9. Buddha, 10. Kalki.
There is a battle raging between creationists and evolutionists. There is a new entrant in the fray. His advocacy of “Intelligent Designer Theory” rests on the belief that certain complexities in proteins cannot explain simple evolutionary theory. The Designer Theorists believe there is an Intelligent Being designing the complexities and putting them into biological processes. Some denounce "intelligent design as a religious belief masquerading as a secular idea."
We have not seen the end of this pursuit
yet. The Brahman is too complex for the human mind to grasp. However, every step
is in the right direction towards Truth, which reveals itself more with each
step. Upanishads still lead in revealing “Truth”. Could it be possible that
“Intelligent Designer” is another name for Brahman?
A common question faced by Hindus is why Hindus worship so many gods
and goddesses. I suppose they mean that one generic god should be good enough.
A reasonable question. Yes, Hindus do have a generic God, namely Nirguna
Brahman, a nameless, formless God or Entity without attributes, which do not
connote a moral dimension. It means the human mind is so limited to fathom the
depth, breadth, and form of a God that God is without attributes.
All Hindu Gods are names and forms of this Nirguna Brahman. Generics are as good as patents. However, who is listening? A car with four wheels, a roof, an engine, and a steering wheel takes you where you want to go. Why do people go shopping and test-driving different makes and models of cars? You like one car and not the other. Hindus call this liking “Ishta.” Hindus go shopping for their Ishta-devata, meaning a god of their liking. When it comes to gods, we can make a choice: true democratic values. It is all about choices. Particular Ishta Devata fits well with the psychological makeup of the votary. Joseph Campbell observes, "The Indians speak of one's "chosen" deity; one's own peculiar psychology is what determines the image that will speak to one most eloquently and carry one onto the higher planes."
Hindus know that God takes a person
from this material world to a spiritual world or heaven, as a car takes a
person from one place to another place. Hindus would rather have a reliable,
patented, certified, documented, tested, and true God loaded with choices. The
brand name Gods come in different colors, shapes, power, options, and
warranties. Periodic maintenance includes festivals, fasts, yogas, prayers, and
pilgrimages. We believe in one God, but give Him many names, forms, and
attributes.
Nirguna Brahman manifests as Isvara and projects many aliases: that is his
Maya. People of different religions are
deluded (by his maya) into thinking that alias Krishna, Siva, Allah or The Lord is different from that Universal God or Isvara, whom I call the
Polynomial God – a Sum of gods, each god has a variable raised to a power and
multiplied by a coefficient.
When was the last time you thought of your father or mother as a
formless abstract idea? A form and a name help connect a name to a form. It is
difficult to imagine God or Goddess as formless and nameless, though He or She
is such. The mental image of a form and a name helps the mind anchor and focus
on God. According to Sankara, who believes in a formless and nameless Brahman,
image worship, chanting of mantras, meditation, and contemplation on one's own
self are the many means towards realization; sequentially, the latter is better
than the former and the last is the best and the highest form of worship. When
realization sets in, the means mean nothing and fall by the wayside.
Do you want to worship a God who sits in His impersonal glory in the heavenly palace up there in deep freeze, out of reach, looking down, dispensing justice, and not caring? I do not think so. You want somebody who is personable, friendly, close and understanding, but not awe-inspiring, forbidding, formidable, jealous, and punishing. He wants to be kind, loving, caring, and helpful. He invites attachment, love, friendship, Vatsalya (mother-child relationship), and devotion. He does not even mind hatred, fear and any of the other myriad feelings towards Him. He seems to say, "Love Me once, you are free (liberation/moksa); hate Me once, your are free; ignore Me once, you will fry in hell. The Gopis attained liberation (moksa) by love, Kamsa by fear, Sisupala by hatred, Pandavas by friendship, Yadhavas by attachment, Narada by devotion. The key is thinking and remembering the Lord in love, fear, hate, friendship, attachment, devotion or any one of myriad feelings. The Lord seems to say, "Ignore me at your own peril." That is why Hindus have given names, forms, and attributes to God for them to worship.
The resulting personal gods come from that one Nirguna Brahman, with special emphasis on their individual marks. Carbon is the common element among graphite, graphene, diamond, soot, charcoal, nanotubes, nanofoam, and buckyballs (Buckminster Fullerines). They are of the same basic element, but of different qualities and usefulness. Each entity differs in its configuration and arrangement of atoms. Same is true of gold. An aggregate of 20 gold atoms make a pyramid; 16 atoms make a cage. This is true of different gods and yet they are all derivatives of One Nirguna Brahman.
Hindus worship gods ranging from wind, earth, fire, to Nirguna Brahman.
Would you like to explain the intricacies of Dvaita and Advaita philosophies to
a snake worshipper? I do not think so. However, such a supposition runs counter
to the notion that we are all equal in the eyes of God. God by His nature and qualities
must be an egalitarian. Ecclesiastic and scriptural elitism must rise above
sophistry, and nourish the devotees with sops worthy of easy digestion
and understanding. Should the scripturally naive worry about superimposition, sublation, time, space, and causation? One sees the all-powerful God in the
snake and the other sees God in Nirguna Brahman. Their love for God is equal,
and the Love that God has for both is equal. It is the love and devotion that
matter, not the “object” one worships.
The Self is the same in the snake worshipper and the yogi practicing
Jnāna yoga. The Self at both ends of the spectrum and in-between sees
unequalness only in the excellence of the mind; yet all have the potential for
eventual moksa (liberation).
If one wants to worship
an egg as God, one should have that freedom and choice. Hinduism has a god for
everyone ranging from an atheist and animal worshipper to a monist. That an
atheist denies the existence of God is a declaration that he is God Himself.
The great Vāc (Great Saying) “Tat Tvam Asi,” “That Thou art” stands
witness to his stance.
The Lord is Sarvatma (atma of all beings); therefore, He is Jivatma and Paramatma (the individual soul and Supreme Soul); there is no difference between Jivatma and Paramatma; Jivatma is another name for Paramatma from whom Jivatma came. This is what is meant by Tat tvam asi, --That thou art.
Hindus face this question every day:
Why do Hindu Gods have extra body parts?
Let me tell you right off that God did not ask for any appendages or
body parts. Man realized the limits of his own body and body parts, and the
omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of God. How is man going to translate
these awesome qualities of God in physical and mental terms? Man knows well
those body parts that he owns himself.
According to Sruti mantras, God does not have any of the anthropomorphic features or human body parts. He is Consciousness; He has no hands but accepts any devotional offerings; He has no feet, but can go anywhere; He has no physical eyes but can see anything. Brahma-samhita says that each of the special senses of God and other organs are omniscient, omnipotent and “omnifunctional,” meaning that His eye can see, hear, eat, taste and grasp. He fertilizes by His glance. There is a condition in human beings known as synesthesia, by which a synesthete (the person) tastes shapes, feels colors, sees sounds; and perceives sounds, letters, and numbers as colors. There must be something in the wiring of the brain which facilitates sound perceived as color. If man has this ability, it is not hard to imagine that God can do all functions with one or no organ.
He is the undeclared and the Real Father
of all living beings; we share His DNA base by base; He is the soul in each one
of us.
God's extra body
parts are symbols of extraordinarily divine qualities. The gods also hold their
body parts in certain special ways to tell a meaning or Truth and this is Mudra
or symbol. Let me explain a common symbol or mudra that we use every day. When
you oppose the thumb with the forefinger at their tips to form a circle with
the other three fingers extended, we mean that everything is perfect or the
intended goal is in sight. This particular mudra, called Bhadra Mudra,
symbolizes silence. A Guru, seated in front of his disciples, in Bhadra Mudra
pose, is telling the pupils that reflection on a Truth in silence is more
revealing than much verbiage. It also means the union of the individual soul
with the Higher Soul, namely Paramatman.
Vishnu holds the discus, the lotus flower, the conch, and the club by
the right upper, the right lower, the left upper, and the left lower hands
respectively. The conch represents the origin of primal sound OM, and the call
Vishnu makes to draw the attention of man to His Higher Self. The club
represents His power to inflict punishment or subdue; the discus represents the
time (wheel of Time) that remains in Him and it stands for mind, concentration,
and control of body. The lotus flower is the symbol of purity and peace. The
fully bloomed lotus also represents blossoming Vijnāna, intuitive divine
wisdom in a man who turned a leaf and became a yogi. This carrot-and-stick
approach (the lotus flower and the club) helps the soul go forward to its
destination: moksa, without gathering any karma on its long march.
Brahma, the God of
creation, has four heads and four hands, all for good reasons: each head represents one Veda, book of
revelation. Since he is the creator, his hands symbolize the evolving
constituents of prakriti namely the mind, the intellect, the ego, and the
consciousness. He sits on a lotus flower, which represents unfolding of the
universe and wisdom. Lord Vishnu created Brahma, who by His portfolio had
to be skillful, both in cerebral and physical ways. Imagine that each head is
an independent processor or thinking apparatus. All four heads or processors
put together have much brainpower: you may call it one-god or one-person think
tank. He creates and so needs that redundant brainpower.
Siva has a vertical third eye
(with upper eyelashes to his right) in His forehead; it has multifarious roles; it is
the high point of divine vision and wisdom, and when it opens, it is the
annihilator of the universe with dissolution of duality, forms, and names. The
third eye is also the destroyer of darkness (Tamas), and the epicenter of
wisdom (Jnāna), and that glabellar meditative locus is a plane in
Kundalini Yoga.
Ganesa, the elephant-faced God, can create and remove obstacles for man
and gods. Lord
Ganesa was all ears, when He learned Vedanta and that is why He has large ears.
He is a good listener; He has the memory of an elephant; once He hears, He
never forgets. That is why Sage Vyasa dictated Mahabharata to Lord Ganesa.
His Vāhana (vehicle of transport), the mouse, stands for the desire that
eats (expunges) all good merits and therefore man should control the desire in
him, and attain liberation.
His trunk is so versatile that it has the delicacy and the sensitivity
to pick up a blade of grass and the strength to lift heavy objects; further, it
symbolizes his highly evolved intellect, discriminative wisdom, and
unparalleled awareness of the inner workings of gunas– Sattva, Rajas, and
Tamas. His two tusks represent the dualities, such as pleasure and pain, love
and hate, good and evil, right and wrong; the trunk between these two tusks
symbolizes the discriminate choice he makes between the two components of each
duality; and the broken tusk symbolizes transcendence of the dualities. His extraordinary
and humongous appetite symbolizes the zest for life under all conditions. His
grace helps roast the karmic seeds easing the passage of the soul into moksa.
There are goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. Mahalakshmi, Sarasvati, and
Durga are known and worshipped all over India. There are many others, some of
local fame.
Mahalakshmi, commonly known as Lakshmi, is the primary and first consort of Visnu. Her other names are Sri, Padma, Kamala, Cancala and Ashtalakshmis. She came out of the milk ocean with a lotus in her hand and was taken as a consort by Visnu according to her wish and by choice of the Lord himself. She is sakti of Visnu or Narayana. She is the primary goddess from whom all other goddesses emanated, and so, is the Mother goddess. When Lakshmi emerged from the milk ocean, she had four arms (like Vishnu) with conch, disc and lotus. She is amsa of Vishnu, having emerged from Vishnu in Srikalpa. Does it not remind you of Eve coming out of Adam? She is the resident agent for creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe. She is a form of Brahman.
She is endowed with Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, manifesting each as the occasion and the role demand. Visnu Purana eulogizes her in the eighth chapter. She is eternal, imperishable, all-pervading, and omnipresent. She is the mediator between the devotees of Visnu and Visnu. Her role in relation to Visnu is complementary, though Visnu by himself needs no complement from any one. While Visnu is meaning, Sri is speech. When Visnu takes on the role of Siva, she becomes Gauri, the consort of Siva. Sri is the heavens and Visnu is the space. She is the light and he is the moon. Sometimes the role is reversed. Lakshmi is the light and Hari (Visnu) is the lamp. He is Yama and she is his spouse, Dhumorna. Visnu is the tree and Sri is the vine. He is all that is male and she is all that is female.
Whatever form Visnu
takes in the universe, Sri is always his consort. Their names change but they
are always with each other from beginningless time till eternity. There are many associations of Lakshmi with
many gods. According to BG10.41,
whatever being has vitality, splendor, and power, know that to be a
manifestation of a fragment of my splendor. In whoever you find that fragment
of the Lord, one sees Lakshmi there too, because they are inseparable.
At sublation, she plays the role of Mahakali, also known as Durga, who
has ten emanations of her own: Durga; Simhavahini, the rider of the lion;
Mahasuramardini, the killer of Mahisa; Jagaddhatri, slayer of giants; Kali, the
killer of giant Raktavija; Muktakesi, the killer of more giants; Tara, the
killer of Sumbha; Chinnamasta, slayer of Nisumba; and Jagadgauri, the protector
and deliverer of gods from demons. As
Parvati, she is the consort of Siva.
Mahalakshmi’s emanation, Mahasarasvati, is the goddess of learning,
arts and music. Sattva guna (virtue) is the dominant mode in Sarasvati, whose
powers are Sraddha, faith; Rddhi, prosperity; Kala, arts; Medha, intelligence;
Tushti, satisfaction; Pushti, prosperity; Prabha, radiance; and Mati, judgment.
A river was named after her, which is only a dry riverbed now. Because she is the goddess of learning,
image of her carrying the Vedas and a Vina, the stringed musical instrument, is
hung in the libraries and worshipped with flowers.
Some students of Hindu mythology believe that Laksmi represented
certain desirable qualities for king and those qualities assumed an ontological
form. The qualities are power, radiance, fortune, beauty, spirituality, and
auspiciousness. Her depiction with elephants and lotus flower represents
royalty, fertility, fortune and spirituality.
Mahalakshmi is Yoganidra in Visnu. (Yoganidra is personified as
Mahalakshmi.) When the creative process is about to happen, Yoganidra power in
Vishnu jumps out of slumber in the form of Mahalakshmi who fulfills the
function of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.
Lakshmi is worshipped and celebrated during Deepavali festival for prosperity in one’s chosen field. It is a festival of lights, which drives away Lakshmi’s sister Alakshmi who is an embodiment of poverty, hunger, and want.
Krishna Lila titillates the prurient fancy of many in the West, India, and the rest of the world. The scenario depicts eight Gopis in various poses and stages of undress in the lake and Krishna sitting on a tree by the lakeside with their clothes. This is the explanation. The eight gopis or milkmaids are personification of eight bonds; the stolen clothes represent the inauspicious qualities that mislead the Jiva (soul) into Samsara without any possibility of escape. When the qualities are removed and the jiva is separated from the bonds, Jiva attains liberation from Samsara (metempsychosis, birth and rebirth).
◄►To the Western, Indian Religion generally seems a "jungle" of contradictory beliefs amidst which he is lost. Only those who have understood its main principles can show them the path.
For the Hindu there is the Agama which contains forms of discipline which his race has evolved and are therefore prima facie suitable for him. This is not to say that these forms are unalterable or acceptable to all. Others will adopt other forms of Sadhana suitable to them. Thus, amongst Christians, the Catholic Church prescribes a full and powerful Sadhana in its Sacraments (Samskara) and Worship (Puja, Upasana), Meditation (Dhyana), Rosary (Japa) and the like. But any system to be fruitful must experiment to gain experience, The significance of the Tantra Shastra lies in this that it claims to afford a means available to all, of whatever caste and of either sex, whereby the truths taught may be practically realized.
◄► Sir John Woodroffe, 1918.
I am One and many are my forms.
Students who are familiar with various Hindu religious sects read self-description of major gods that he or she is the Primary God. Some of the following self-descriptive statements bear this out. I am Brahman; I am second to none; if you remember me at the time of death, you will attain liberation and be free of miseries of the world and samsara. If you worship other gods, you are really worshipping me alone, because I am the recipient of all sacrifices.
Mother Goddess (there are several--Devi, Mahalaksmi, Sarasvati, Mahakali and more), Siva and Vishnu (Krishna) make exactly the same statements. It goes to confirm that they are one and the same and their manifestations are many for the benefit of the devotees. The Mother Goddess claims that she gave birth to the three gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesvara (Siva). Do not let that confuse you. Mother Goddess is Sakti; with Siva she is Siva-Sakti. How could she be a Mother while she is also a consort of Siva? This is where the concept of "One is many" comes in. The Cosmic show is one-person act; One player takes many rolls. He or She can take forms any way that will bring benefit to the devotee. Let me elaborate on the Mother aspect of manifest Brahman. This subject needs more attention and study. Mother goes on to claim status of the Primal One and the First Goddess to the exclusion of all genders (male and neuter). I am Brahman; I assume the role of female form. I give birth to the universe. I am Sakti; Purusa joins me and becomes Sakti-Siva, which every one should worship to attain enjoyment and liberation. I provide Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa to all beings including Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesvara. I am Isvari. I am the source of Maya, which is the material cause of the universe and yet I am far away from it (meaning that she is transcendent and Pure Consciousness and she is immune to her own Exomaya, which afflicts Jiva.) In my unmanifest form of Brahman (Daksinakalika), I have no attributes; Maya-created Jiva cannot perceive me because I am so far away from and beyond the reach of Maya. My body is made of Mantras and Tantras and all Sastras proceed from me. I am Mahakaala (The Great Time); at the time of dissolution, I swallow and destroy the universe. Many times these self-descriptions come in the form of eulogy from Siva.
Thomas Carlyle says, "If a book come (sic) from the heart, it will contrive to reach other hearts; all craft and authorcraft are of small amount to that."
Sankaracharya says in Bajagovindam, "Adore Govinda (the Lord), O fool, rules of grammar will not save you, when you have a tryst with Time (Death). The purport is that Apara Vidya (arts and sciences), inferior knowledge, will not help you at the time of death; Para Vidya (knowledge of the Supreme) will take you home, when Time calls on you.
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Bhagavadgita Pages, Chapters 1 to 18
BG01 BG02 BG03 BG04 BG05 BG06 BG07 BG08 BG09 BG10 BG11 BG12 BG13 BG14 BG15 BG16 BG17 BG18
V.Krishnaraj
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