Adishankaracharya, when he wrote Shivah शिवः in his compositions, he used this to mean the eternal auspicious non-dual Advaita. Eg In the Brahmajnyanavalimala he ends it with ‘Shivosmyaham’ शिवःअस्मिअहं. Or in the Nirvan shatak he ends every verse with ‘Shivoham shivoham’ ‘शिवःअहंशिवःअहं’.
Today is Vaishakh Shukla Panchami, we celebrate Adi Shankarcharya’s birth anniversary today.
Also someone commented that Adishankaracharya wrote on the Advaita yet worshipped the deities by composing beautiful stotras in their honour. Apparently someone thought that the ‘Shiv’ he writes about is the deity Shankar, the embodiment of Tamo-gun (post here).
Adishankarcharya was a Sat-guru. In brief his life story is this. He took Sanyas at the age of 8yrs, then studied under his Sat-Guru at the banks of the Narmada till the age of 12yrs where his Guru said that he was ready, ie Jivan-mukt, the Advaita. He wrote his brilliant compositions, his Bhashya-s, his books on the Advaita, everything on the pure Jnyan till the age of 16yrs, all this in just 4yrs. He wrote about Himself as he was a realised Seer, a Sat-Guru. Then he toured Bharat giving discourses on the Ved(4 Ved-s, Vedanta, Brahmana, Aranyak) set up the 4 Maths in the 4 corners of Bharat, each one dedicated to one of the 4 Ved-s. Not deities, but to the Ved-s. The Ved-s are ‘worshipped’, read, taught and learnt even now in these Maths. He was/ is the highest Parmeshwar himself.
His work is not fully comprehensible to aspirants who are still on the path. Do not assume that he worshipped Shankar or any of the other deities of the Vedic/ Pauranic pantheon. These deities are a part of the manifested creation, ie in the domain of Mahamaya. He was/ is the Advaita, beyond the reach of Mahamaya. Also he wrote in the Devbhasha Samskrutam. So what he wrote and what you understand will be different. He, an Atmajnyani Mahapurush, ie the Advaita itself, and you, a sadhak, an aspirant. When you really understand what he has written, you will also become the Advaita.
Shivah शिवः has the following meanings in the Devbhasha Samskrutam, auspicious, bliss, benign, friend, kind, gracious, favourable, etc. And if you had to break down शिवः to get at its root energy it is something like this.
The true and pure emotion that you feel for your inner self, when you recognise yourself to be this highest state of consciousness. This constant state of this purity. The transcendence achieved after apparent duality is resolved to be a superficial illusion. The discarding of the illusion of duality so that you dwell in the eternal constant, unchanging, non-dual, unborn state that you really Are.
The Advaita is called ‘Shivah’, ie ‘the highest auspicious’. (In some parts of India, the personification of Tamo-gun is called Shiva which causes confusion. I am from Maharashtra, in Marathi language we refer to this deity generally as Shankar or Mahadev not ‘Shiva’.)
In this context, all of us at our core are Shivah. But we want to play the Game of Creation so we have no awareness of this fact. We have purposely put filters over our perception which do not let us recognise our essential eternal auspiciousness. We conceal our Shivah nature. The energy which animates us all is the same energy which animates the Tri-dev, Brahma-dev/Sarasvati, Vishnu/Laxmi, Shankar/Parvati, Indra,Agni and the other deities of the pantheon, every one of the 33 Koti devata, the Rudra, the Aditya, the Devi Lalita Tripursundari, Mahamaya herself. They too are all Shivah. Everything is Shivah. This essential auspiciousness शिवः is the only thing which really exists, the concepts of you, me, deities, Mahamaya are hollow, superficial, illusory.
This is the Nirvan Shatak.I will expand the meaning of just the last shlok.
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकाररूपो | विभुत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् | न चासङ्गतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः | चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् |
All alternatives, all variations, all options have gone away from my nature. All forms have dropped away, dissolved, vanished into nothingness like mirages dissolve. I exist as the basis of everything. I am the potential of existence. I exist as the covering of everything. I pervade all the organs of action and sense, ie I pervade the tattva-s of creation. I am all that Is. I do not have anything attached to me, nor do I cling to anyone. I am not the concepts of liberation or realisation or enlightenment. I cannot be measured in anyway whatsoever. I am the nature of the blissful intelligence. I am the eternal consciousness. I am the auspicious Advaita. The highest auspicious Advaita Am I.
This is the Brahmajnyanavalimala which I have referred to several times. I will expand the meaning of just the last shlok.
I am the light amidst. I shine within. I am the illumination seen in the inner eye. I am the Eye and I am the Light. I am the brightness which shines forth. I am the divinity which is always apart. I am the light of the eternal which illuminates the eternal. I am away from the transient. I am the eternal flash of lighting. I visibly shine with all power. I am the self-evident fire. I am the blazing flame, superior to the best. I am higher than the highest illumination. I am the radiance which gives power to fire. I myself am the celestial brilliance of the self. I am the eternal blazing flame of consciousness. I am the spontaneous light. I am the self-illuminated light. My nature is light. The highest auspicious Am I.
When you recite either of these compositions you are clearly invoking the pure Advaita within.
Now a bit on the word ‘Aham’. In grammar, it is the first person singular of ‘asmad’, ‘I’. In Sanskrit it means something like – I, self-radiance, indeed, verily, I grant, it is true, surely, certainly.
‘Aham’ broadly means the sense of the self. What you exactly understand your ‘self’ to mean. Your comprehension of what you are. What you experience your self to be? This is ‘Aham’.
Now at the lower levels of consciousness you understand yourself to be Rajiv, Anita, a boy, a woman, a professional, a home maker, a father, a grandmother, a human, confined in a body, having 5 senses, awake, going to work, sitting down to dinner, being born or dying etc. If you think of yourself as something like this, it is a very very limited sense of self. You are experiencing a very limited fraction of your immense Self. This is the ‘aham’ which represents the root cause of ignorance, the ‘ahamkaar’ which is the root cause of existential sorrow. When you put your ‘aham’ in words like this you are still playing the Game, your personal Lila.
But in your spiritual path there will come a time when you will think and experience yourself as the geometry represented by the Shri Yantra. You will experience your consciousness as the multidimensional Shri Chakra. You will see yourself at the central Bindu of this geometry. This is the first tangible step where you will know that the ‘aham’ is much much more than these simple words can define. You will now move towards experiences which cannot be described in words. And at one point you will transcend all these experiences too. This is the state where when you say that ‘Chidanandah roopah Shivah Aham’ or ’Shivah Aham asmi’ you will mean it completely.
If any of my readers feel this post resonating in your hearts, you are on a very high level of understanding, continue on your path. And even if not, its ok to continue thinking of ‘Shivah’ as Shankar or Vishnu or Brahmadev or your source of faith or whatever generates positive energy in you. Everyone should freely worship the energy they are drawn to. No one can judge you but yourself. You choose for yourself. No one can force you. Only you are aware of what you experience.
But this is not what Adishankaracharya intended when he wrote these lines. When he talks about Shivah शिवः he talks about the Advaita. Listen to his these compositions and with the Light of the Advaita, when the time comes, you too will experience what शिवः indicates towards.
This is my favourite Bhairav stotra. I use it often to get rid of negative energies or entities around me. And to recharge my personal energy. Its energies are Ugra, intense and can be terrifying if you are not prepared to understand that you are much more than just the physical body.
This is the audio
And I have written very briefly on the meaning of the verses using the regular meanings of the Sanskrit words, nothing too esoteric, else I would have to write a book on it. This is the beauty of Sanskrit (Devbhasha Samskrutam), a palimpsest, layers and layers of meanings.
Eg Teekshna तीक्ष्ण means pungent, vehement, sharp, also peppers, resins of certain plants like asafoetida, a few trees are called teekshna, sea-salt, rude, rough, poison, keen, iron, inauspicious, hot, haste, harsh, fiery, death, battle, ascetic, weapon, acid, zealous, severe, etc. But what ‘teekshna’ means in this stotra is a matter of understanding as well as experience. Reference to Context. The context is all important.
This stotra is in eight shlok/ verses. Each line begins with a beej mantra. The lines have to be understood in context of the beej mantra which precedes it.
This is a description of the Bhairav, the auspicious one, the fearless one, the terrible, formidable, the highest of the high. He is considered to be an Ugra energy, he will take your sense of tiny individuality firmly and finally merge it into the highest ie himself. He is the destroyer of creation or more correctly he is the one who remains after all creation is annihilated. He is the protector of the Kshetra, ie he protects the seat of the highest divinity within you. Thus he is the ‘nearest’ to the Kshetra (to understand the concept of ‘near’ read the Bhashya on the Mandukya by Adi Shanakracharya). This is the Bhairav of the Vijnyan Bhairav Tantra who helps you reach that highest state of attribute-less-ness which you really are. He is the Shivah, the ultimate auspiciousness itself, ie the Advaita.
(Bhairav is not the personification of the Tamogun (post here). Often the personification of Tamo-gun, is also called Shiv, causing endless and unnecessary confusion.)
The stotra beings with the sound of the Damaru which is the sound of OM. When you play the Damaru there are binaural beats created which create a subtle sound of Om. Om is the creation (pravrutti) or the moorti of the Advaita (nivrutti). Every stotra has to begin with the sound of Om, so here they have creatively used the Damaru to create the vibration of Om. Om is the conscious intelligence which is the thing of this manifested universe which is closest to the Advaita. Thus Om can be considered to be a Moorti of the Advaita.
Yang – This is the beej mantra indicating the omnipresent, the eternally pure and auspicious one. Every beej mantra recited correctly ends in the ‘ng’ sound (in this recitation they are not pronounced correctly, but the person reciting it has done it with a pure intention, thus there is power in his voice). The ‘ng’ akshar is the enchanting awareness, beautiful intelligence and the attractive consciousness which controls the power of sound ie vibrations.
He is the sustainer of the forms. He sets the ten directions as per the proper geometry as per the correct rules, ie creates and sustains the universe. The ten directions are the conscious Dasha Mahavidya (post here). He creates the conscious energies who organise the perceived universe. He sets this geometry, situation and objects into motion. He causes them to shake, tremble, vibrate, ie exist. He causes them to apparently change, ie he creates Time. He is everything that exists, all concentrated together. Everything that you see is drawn from him. He is the comprehensive description or a compendium of everything.
Sang – This is the beej mantra for the one who is the true reason for everything, the one who is the single true description of everything. Also the enchanting intelligence controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the conclusion, ie he remains always. The manifested creation is dissolved back into him. He contracts everything back into himself. He stops the illusion of apparent change. He annihilates duality. His is the energy of the fully expanded Sahasrara chakra, its ‘luminous petals’ stretching infinitely, encompassing everything. The illusions of karma and memories are powered by his energy. The energies of creation flow from the highest point ie him. His highest illumination is reflected off his highest point by his power, this radiance is seen in the third eye during spiritual practice.
Dang – This is the beej mantra for the one who causes increase by granting sustenance. Also the one extremely pleasing to visualise. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the depth of this created multitude. He is the only attainable one. He is the deepest sign. He makes all imperfections leave. All unnatural, artificial, misshaped agitations are annihilated by him. All diseased incompleteness is removed by his granting the true intelligence of the source. He makes all energies flow strongly upwards, ie towards the highest apex, towards himself. He is the one who cuts through all bindings strongly and decisively with his sword of light. He is also the mouth of the terrible single pointed energy which devours the illusion called creation.
Pang – This is the beej mantra of the one who destroys all forms of alternatives, duality, blocks and illusions. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He destroys all forms of evil ie notion of change and duality. All inauspiciousness, trouble, harm, wickedness are nullified, the biggest harm being ignorance of the self. Pran, ie the vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
Kam Kam Kam kaal pasham Druka Druka drudhitam jwalitam kamadaham
Tam Tam Tam divya deham, pranamata satatam, Bhairavam Kshetrapalam. (2)
Rang – This beej mantra indicates the one who burns, increases internal energy, grants special and unusual benefits. The enchanting intelligence controlling the power of vibrations.
He is beautiful, sweet, beloved and auspicious by nature. He uses the energy of sound to play this sport called creation. His attractive form is hidden. He is the subtle pivot of manifestation. He is the fiery, sharp single point, the terrifying energy of time which destroys all illusions and ignorance.
Ghang – This is the beej mantra indicating the one who grants all auspiciousness and stillness. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the sound of the bow string which launches the self towards the Self. He is the power of the vowels of Sanskrit and also the power of vibrations itself. He proclaims his presence with the eternal sound. He is auspiciousness, stillness, also the thundering, roaring, deep energy of the Naada. (Om is created from the Naada, post here).
Kang – This beej mantra takes away all dangers, duality and poisons. Also grants blessings and boons for positivity and welfare. The enchanting non-dual awareness which controls the power of vibrations.
He is the edge of Time, the boundary till where Time/ Space can exist. He is the fetters which tie the individual soul to fate. He is massive energy at the entrance of the Sushumna. He keeps the Sushumna inaccessible, tightly closed. He is also the fortress of the Eternal. He is the established, fixed, certain, complete, consistent, whole. He is the eternal fiery radiance, always burning. He destroys all illusory enjoyments, pleasures, desires, purposes, longings and also the subjects/ objects of such desires.
(Time or Kaal is relative. We measure time in reference to changes that we see around us. In Jyotish we measure Time by the movement of the Sun, the Moon, the Nakshatra, Jupiter and the time from sun-rise to sun-rise. These are the 5 types of calculations for ‘year’ that we use in Jyotish. Actually there are 9 ways of measuring Time, of these 5 are used in Jyotish. And there is nothing called ‘Time’. Kaal is a matter of observing one type of change against another type of change, it is basically a series of changes. Might write a post on Kaal.)
Tang – This is the beej mantra which grants all material and subtle things required for true prosperity and is always radiant, true, pure and pleasing. The enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is manifest as a splendrous divine, beautiful, heavenly, auspicious form. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
The third shlok
Lam Lam Lam Lam Vadanatham La La La La lalitam dirgha jivha karalam
Run Run Run rundamalam ravi tama nighatam tamra netram karalam
Nam Nam Nam nagnabhusham pranamata satatam Bhairavam Kshetrapalam. (3)
Lang – This beej mantra indicates the one with the highest radiance covering all including the the sport called creation. Also the enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the single point of the apex. He is the act of creation of vibration and also its cessation. He is the entrance of the Sushumna. He is the brightest shining extent of creation. (Sushumna is the brightest thing you can see, the light of a million suns and the coolness of a million moons is the actual experience here) He is the graceful, delightful game created by desire. He is the deepest aware energy inherent in all vibrations, ie all changes, ie Kaal. He is the unchanging substrate underlying all apparent change. He is the tongue of fire and the terrifying understanding of Time which burns all illusions.
Dhung – This beej mantra indicates the one who destroys the illusion of duality, poison, heat of passion and impulse. The complete, abundant and prosperous one. The one with all strengths and the essence of everything. This beej mantra allows the removal of all troubles and allows one to endure in difficult situations. Also the enchanting awareness controlling the power of vibrations.
His form is obscured. His greatness cannot be precisely described. He is dark, ie he has no attributes which can be described in words. His truth is great, unusual and cannot be exactly determined. (Experiencing him is experiencing that the creation is an illusion. This can be a terrifying thought for spiritual aspirants). He is extraordinary, diffused yet apparent. He is certain, evident, real, extensive, spread all over. He is the form of a strange powerful, tremendous, conscious radiance.
Rung – This beej mantra indicates the one who one who burns, increases internal energy, grants special and unusual benefits and has all possible strengths and is the essence of everything. The enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the destroyer of all fake, fraud, artifice, illusory also the gun (post here). He especially destroys the Satva gun (the Raja and Tama are absorbed in Satva again during the course of your spiritual practice. Satva is destroyed by him so that you reach the tri-gunatit avastha, ie Advaita). He removes the darkness which surrounds the internal Sun, ie he provides true aware illumination. He is the third eye, is the depth of the radiant eternal fire burning here. He destroys the illusions of the created worlds with this fire.
Nang – This is the beej mantra indicating the one who is ever still, silent, peaceful. It grants the ability to enjoy the game of creation and also attain Moksh. The enchanting intelligent radiance controlling the power of vibrations.
He is uncovered, ever new, ever fully visible always. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
The fourth shlok,
Vam Vam vayuvegam natajana sadayam Brahma saram param tam
Mam Mam mayi rupam pranamata satatam Bhairavam Kshetrapalam. (4)
Vang –This beej mantra indicates the one who makes everything travel, ie go through its life-cycle in time/ space and also travel towards the Eternal. Also attribute-less, enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the speed of the Pran vital energies, ie he controls the Pran. He is the impulse which drives the Pran to fulfil illusory desires, ie causes changes in the Pran. He also gently bends the Pran within each living being to reach the zenith, ie curves the Pran towards himself. He is kind and compassionate, the essence of the highest divine. He is the main point knowledge and the real meaning of wisdom. He is the energy of consciousness, the substance of intelligence. He is the eternal of the eternal.
(Karma at the very basic is the change in the flow of pran. These changes are caused by intentions. So be very careful about what you intend in life)
Khang –This is the beej mantra for the one who causes tremors, agitations, disturbance, excitement in everything, ie puts everything into motion. Also omnipresent enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations..
He is the one who dissolves, annihilates the three worlds, (Bhuh Bhuvan Svahah) also the three states of Jagruti, Swapna and Sushupti. He is the terrible tremendous radiance of consciousness. He is the one who can be apparently moved, yet is immovable.
Chang –This beej mantra destroys everything , ie self-ego, all living beings, all individual souls, the panch Maha-bhoot (post here). The fierce, terrifying and formidable enchanting awareness controlling the power of vibrations.
He apparently creates this universe through vibrations but he is essentially still. He is apart from the movement of matter, objects, worlds and creation. He is beyond limits, beyond extent, beyond creation, beyond place or position.
Mang –This is the beej mantra indicating the one who is One, Advaita. Also the one consciousness which enchants all rivals and enemies and controls the power of vibrations.
He is the form of Maya, illusion, unreal, conjuring, deception, enchantment. He is ‘not this’. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
Ang Ang Ang Antariksham, pranamata satatam, Bhairavam Kshetrapalam. (5)
Shang –This is the beej mantra which grants all auspicious benefits of positive actions. The most pure auspicious enchanting intelligence controlling the power of vibrations.
He is Om, all mantra, all vibrations, all sound. He is abundance prosperity and every thing. He is the kundalini which has reached its goal. He is awareness. He is dazzling, pure, without attributes, without blemish, beautiful, bright, illumination. He is the perfect and complete radiance of the realization of Moksh.
Mang – This is the beej mantra indicating the one who is One. Also who enchants all rivals and enemies. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the greatest superior teacher, the Sat-Guru. He is the one who makes the kundalini free from the muladhar and carries her up along the seven chakra towards himself, the highest point. He is the secret mantra which perfectly and constantly brings the kundalini away from her limited set of lower chakras towards the apex.
Yang –This is the beej mantra for the omnipresent, eternally pure and auspicious one. The enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the protector of auspiciousness. He is the lord of all jiv-atma, individual souls. He possesses all prosperity, all worlds, all five mahabhoot all creation. He is the pivot, the pin around which the universes are bound. He is separate from the worlds yet his energy is subtly felt throughout. He is hidden in every bit of existence. This is his game, an amusement for the living beings who inhabit the worlds. He is the understanding of the most highest Intelligence.
Ang – This is the beej mantra indicating the power of attraction. That essence which is always pulling towards the Self. The omnipresent, eternally present, ubiquitous one. The enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the awareness pervading the ‘emptiness’ of space. Everything is filled with the consciousness that is him. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
Khang – This beej mantra indicates the one who causes tremors, agitations, disturbance, excitement in everything, ie puts everything into motion. Also the omnipresent enchanting awareness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the sharp change in perception once you cross over the sword-like sharp boundary of the manifested creation. He is the one who stops the illusion of change. He destroys the concept of ‘division’, ie he is non-dual. He is eternal. The pain which one might feel in knowing that the creation is illusion is immediately converted into the realisation of the Eternal Truth.He is the destroyer of that destroyer Time. He is the end of death. He is without attributes. He is the sharp sword who strongly breaks the illusion of creation.
Kshang – This beej mantra indicates the one knower of the essence who exists in the manifested creation as well in the unmanifested consciousness. The form of the highest flame which radiates true illumination. The enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the intense impulse for self-realization which seizes the individual soul, jiv-atma. He intensely burns the illusions around the jiv-atma. He completely destroys the concept of individual soul, ie the jiv-atma is completely consumed in his violent irresistible force and is completely absorbed in him. He is the blazing, fiery, burning flame of awareness, intelligence and consciousness.
Houng – This beej mantra indicates the one whose essence is the power and beauty of sound, speech, words, vibrations. Serene, resplendent and pure controller of everything. The one without attributes. The enchanting intelligence controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the roaring thunderous consciousness which creates the Om, ie creation. His presence is announced by the involution of the Om into the even more magnificent Naada. In your spiritual practice, he becomes evident when the Om is absorbed back into the Naada. His denseness, solidity, is manifested only when space/ time is destroyed. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
Vang – This is the beej mantra for the one who makes everything travel, ie go through its life-cycle in time/ space and then towards the Eternal. Also the attribute-less enchanting consciousness controlling the power of vibrations.
He plays the game of creation by apparently creating several living beings. He has devised this sport for the amusement of these living beings. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
The seventh shlok,
Sam Sam Sam siddhiyogam sakala gunamukham devadevam prasannam
Sang – This is the beej mantra indicating the one true reason for everything, the one who describes everything. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the supreme union of understanding, fulfilment, prosperity, intellect, fortune etc with enlightenment. He establishes the complete attainment of perfection. He is the source of the three gun, Satva, Raja, Tama. He is the vibrations which create the material world. He is the divinity which energises all sense organs. He is the auspicious bright Light which is the source of all radiance. He is lucid, serene, true, pure, pleasing, kind, just, distinct, tranquil and gracious.
Pang – This is the beej mantra indicating the one who destroys all forms of alternatives, duality, troubles, blocks and illusions. The enchanting awareness controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the source of Time, ie he causes the illusion of change and the ability to sense this illusion. He is the opening where the kundalini resides. The centre of strength. He has within him, men, vibrations, worlds, Suns (post here) etc who are all destroyed and re-created in a cyclic manner. His true form is veiled behind the three eyes (right – Sun, left – Moon and third eye – Agni).
Aing – This is the beej mantra for the one absolutely pure and faultless essence. All the individual souls are dependant on this one essence. The enchanting aware energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the owner of all possible prosperity and auspiciousness. He has dominion, supremacy, sway over all. He is uninterrupted, perpetual, constant and eternal. He takes away fear as surely as a sharp sword can cut. He removes the biggest disease ie ignorance. He is filled with radiance. He is the complete, strong, auspicious, perfect, full, entire, contented, abundant, excellent Emperor of all. He is the unknowable cipher. He is always in his own form. The individual soul, jiv-atma is a form of His own splendour.
Roung – This is the beej mantra which burns, increases internal energy, grants special and unusual benefits. Also indicates the ultimate controller whose essence is the power and beauty of sound, speech, words ie vibrations. The enchanting consciousnesses controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the original untamed, unsullied, pure form. He is the formidable fierce irresistible Radiance. He is the fire and also the cold. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
The eighth shlok,
Han Han Han hansayanam hasitakalahakam muktayogatahasam
Hang – This is the beej mantra of the one who is the essence of everything. The power of vibrations. The pure, unmodified source. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He rides the Hamsa mantra, ie achievable after the use of the Ajapa mantra. He has surpassed, defeated all the sources of turbulence. All sources of disagreements, imbalances, arguments, fights, quarrels have been effortlessly neutralised by him. All bindings and associations have been released by him. He scorns the concepts of fake, fraud, illusion, tricks, action, attachments, etc. All unions and combinations dissolve in a easy manner by him.
Dhang – This is the beej mantra which destroys the illusion of duality, poison, heat of passion and impulse. indicates the one who is complete, abundant and prosperous. Having all types of strengths and being the essence of everything. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is in the form of the guide seen at the third eye, conducting the individual soul, jiv-atma along a twisted route, towards the highest of the high point towards the root of all creation. He finally decisively unites the jiv-atma who has take a single pointed fixed pledge to realise itself with the highest apex experience ie the Advaita.
Tang – This is the beej mantra which grants all material and subtle things required for true prosperity and is always radiant, true, pure and pleasing. The enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the sound of the sword which cuts off the sense of individual ego and limited self-pride. He dissolves the Om back into the Naada. He dissolves the three Gun back into the perfect base of everything that he himself is. He takes away all illusory desires, impulses, intentions etc. He removes all pride, sense of self-ego, arrogance and individual ego.
Bhrung – This beej mantra finally silences the individual self-ego. It illuminates the eternal in the living beings. It alleviates the illusion of separation. It grants eternal calmness, peace and contentment. It is formidable strength which strikes terror in all inauspiciousness. Its energy encourages the internal flame, increases the internal fire and grants special and unusual benefits. Also the enchanting energy controlling the power of vibrations.
He is the lord of all existence, all individual souls, all living beings, the five pancha-mahabhoot, all worlds, all creation and everything. Pran, ie vital energies are reined in, inclined towards, course towards, are channelised by, always continuously, perpetually, eternally, by such a Kshetrapal Bhairav.
Namo Bhootanatham
I bow down to that one who is the lord of all individual soul, jiv-atma-s, the five mahabhoot-s, all property, all worlds, etc. The holder of all that there is.
Namo Pretanatham
I bow down to that one who is the possessor of all that has concluded.
Namah Kaalkaalam
I bow down to that one who is the destroyer of all illusions of change. Time is measured in terms of change.
(Change means that there are two things, two states ie duality. He is the destroyer of the illusion of duality.)
Namah Rudramalam
I bow to the one who wears a garlands made of pure awareness and the conscious energy of vibrations.
Namah Kalika premalolam karalam
I bow down that one who out of love (for the seeker, spiritual aspirant), lights up the dark blackness visible at the third eye by a flash of conscious lightening.
(Thus the Kundalini enters the cavernous opening of the Sushumna and in one sweep merges with the Bhairav at the Sahasrara. Thus destroys the illusions of creation and realises the non-dual, Advaita.)
Namo Bhairavam Kashikam Kshetrapalam
I bow down to that one fearless one, the most high, eternal Non-dual awareness. The protector of the highest awareness. The sustainer of the eternal consciousness. The self illuminated, Radiant. The Advaita.
(Kashi when used in the esoteric context is the third eye. The Ajnya chakra is the Kashi-kshetra of the body you reside in. The individual jiv-atma resides here in an ashtapadmadala chakra ‘behind’ the Ajnya chakra or the Kuthastha (post here))
Namah means more than just ‘bow down’! This word means something like the Ultimate power which is the paradox of illusion and wisdom united together. Depth of stillness and flowing movement together. The eternal unborn one in solitude.
I sometimes recite this beautiful Teekshna Danshtra Bhairavashtak endlessly. Listen to it on a loop for days from time to time. It enchants my mind, silences it, removes all negativity, energises my soul. I was doing this for the past week, immersing myself in it, so thought of writing about it in brief.
(I have used images of the Shivlingam in this post. Again, the Shivlingam is not connected to the personification of the Tamogun. The Shivlingam is a visual moorti or sign or mark used for the Advaita.)
There was a question “Is that the reason why the Veda samhitas have absence of some key devas and deities like Ganesh , Kali , mahavidyas , avatars of Vishnu. They have been lost or is it by design that rishis want us to explore them via indra?” and the answer became too long so posted it as a post.
A simple question and here is a longish answer.
First a bit about Sanskrit, the language in which all these texts, Ved, Vednant, Puran etc are written. One thing you have to remember is that Sanskrit, Devbhasha Samskrutam has no proper nouns. Am sure this sounds odd to you. So, a brief explanation,
Eg This sentence, ‘I am Samantha’. In this sentence ‘Samantha’ is a proper noun. It is a girl’s name and by this sentence you understand that I am a girl named ‘Samantha’. The word Samantha has no meaning in itself. Thus it is a proper noun. That is the end of it, no more meanings here.
Eg This sentence ‘I am Manish’. Here Manish is a Sanskrit word. It has a meaning in itself. Every word in Sanskrit has a meaning. Every word can be used as an adjective to describe something. If you think of ‘Manish’ as a noun, then you will understand that I am boy named ‘Manish’. But if you think of ‘Manish’ as an adjective then you will think that I am ‘someone who can be described as Manish’. There is a very big difference in these two levels of understanding. The Sanskrit word ‘Manish’ is a samas/ compound word, it is expanded to ‘Mansaya Isha iti Manish’. The simplest translation of this compound word would be ‘the Highest God of the Mind is Manish’. So our sentence ‘I am Manish’ completely changes its meaning depending on ‘Manish’ being understood as a proper noun or adjective.
Sanskrit is a highly esoteric language, it has layers of meanings. Understanding it depends on the capacity of the person who is reading it. Enlightened Rishi-s wrote these texts so there are secrets within secrets. That is why I always say never read Sanskrit books which have been translated into other languages. Or if you read them never believe that the translator has got the correct meaning of what the Rishi actually wrote. Best is to learn Sanskrit yourself.
Now if I write this same sentence in Sanskrit. ‘Aham Manishh asmi’, then here is what you get. ‘I, self-radiant, truth, certainly, surely, indeed, verily am the wisdom, reflection, intelligence, idea, desire, conception, power, master, strength, the Lord of the Mind.’ This is the power of Devbhasha Samskrutam. Now tell me can you ever trust ‘translations’ of Sanskrit texts?
So, if you can, think of our deities names as adjectives. Shankar means happiness. Shiva is the auspicious one. Ganapati means the energy which enters the individual souls and causes change. Nandi is intelligence. Laxmi is the one who has a recognisable sign. Sarasvati means the one who flows. Ganga is the one who moves very fast. Krishna means the unknowable blackness which pulls. Ram is happiness. Dev is radiance. Bhagwan is the one who has all auspicious qualities. Each of these Sanskrit words has several meanings in addition so every deity of Sanatan Dharma is more like a collection of attributes. The deities are not humans, even though we have got used to seeing them as humans. Deities in Hinduism are pure consciousness defined by some attributes. Their names are not proper nouns but are adjectives. Think of them in this way and you will get more insight into their real natures. (I wrote on meaning of the Navavarna mantra post here)
Now what is Sanatan Dharma/ Hinduism? To understand Dharma you have to understand the Shatdarshan shastra. I have written a post here on these 6 darshan shastra-s. It is not the work of one lifetime, but you carry on whatever you have learnt into your next lives.
Our ‘God’ is the highest conscious intelligence, non-dual, Paramatma, Parabrahma, Paramtattva, Nirvishesh Brahma, Advaita etc. This is the key deity of Sanatan Dharma, the only ‘deity’. You yourself are this Parabrahma. So essentially you worship your Self.
The Ved (Ved, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad),are the final authority for everything in our Dharma. The crowning glory of the Ved are the Vedanta, which deal with the Advaita in great clarity. The 10 major Upanishads with the Mandukya Upanishad occupy the highest place. The beautiful Mandukya has only 12 lines about the Om and the Paramtattva.
So now about Om. Om is also not the actual Paramtattva. Om is the nearest thing to it. Something like a ‘Moorti’ of the Advaita. A Moorti that you see in temples is made from stone, metal etc. But here you are required to visualise a Moorti made of conscious energy. Om is a Moorti of the Paramatma. You have to visualise Om with this intention and understanding. This is difficult for beginners on the spiritual path.
The course work has to suit to the student. You cannot teach a 1st std child, the syllabus of a PhD. Ved and the Vedanta is PhD course work.
In Sanatan Dharma the main texts are the Ved (Ved, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad), these have the highest validity, they are the source of everything. Then are the Itihas, histories, eg Ramayan, Mahabharat, the actual incidents are given in detail. They also have philosophy ie attaining Moksh and practical stuff like how to manage a kingdom (ever read the original Mahabharat or Ramayan, it is much much more than a simple story).These Itihas conform to the Vedic principles. Then we have the Puran-s. In these additional historical incidents are given, more philosophy, more practical stuff etc. And anything written here has to conform to the Vedic concepts and the broad outline of the Itihas. The 18 Puran-s written by Ved-Vyas are given more prominence in this category. And there are the several commentaries, Bhashya, treatises, practical work, more philosophy etc written on these texts by enlightened Guru-s like Adi Shankaracharya and others. This broadly is the corpus of texts available in Sanatan Dharma. Regular Hindus never read these texts, unfortunately.
All Shastra, all pujas, all yajnyas, all mantras are secretly hidden in the Ved. It is a huge huge repository of knowledge. eg the entire Shri Vidya which deals with the worship of the Devi Lalitatripursundari, the Maha-vidya-s etc is from the Ved. It is one of the many Vidya-s mentioned here. Another Vidya is the Chakshushi, I have written about it briefly in this post. All these Vidya-s will take you to the Parabrahma if used in the correct manner. Jyotish is also a Vidya.
These different texts describe the same Reality in different perspectives in different words which are suited to people of different mindsets. eg If you read the texts on Devi Lalita, it is given that the Devi just looked at her toe-nails and the 10 Vishnu-avatar-s manifested from here, did their work and again got reabsorbed in her. This is obviously different from what we popularly know about the Vishnu-avatar-s. In the Shiv Puran, there is a Shiv Gita which Bhagwan Shiv narrated to Shri Ram at Rameshwar before his war with Ravan. eg Bhagwat Gita, most people believe that this is the only Gita, the highest teaching. But if you open the Ishwar Gita, it is very similar to Bhagwat Gita. If you read the Shiv Gita, this is also similar and also has a Vishwaroop darshan. Then you read the Anu-gita which Krishna taught to Arjun after the war, and this is very different from the Bhagwat Gita which he taught first. There is a vast ocean of philosophy, spiritual practices, teachings, discourses in Sanatan Dharma. If you randomly read from here and there, you will get extremely confused.
In the past and even now, Dharma is facing a lot of challenges. The Dev-Asur Sangram, ie the constant war between radiant and dull energies is always on at different levels. It is still going on now and will always occur. Sometimes the Dev will have the upper hand and sometimes then Asur might seem to be winning.
There are numerous examples where our temples, libraries, universities and their custodian Brahmins were very viciously destroyed. The horror in Kashmir where specifically Tantra and its genuine practitioners were systematically wiped out over the last 500yrs or so. The oldest physical book of Valmiki Ramayan was burnt when the Britishers burnt the libraries in Kolkata about 200yrs ago. Tipu burnt ancient libraries, manuscripts and their custodian Brahmins in South India about 300yrs ago. More insidious was that the invaders injected nonsense in our books and are still doing it. People who do not follow Sanatan Dharma are writing translations of these texts with the express purpose of altering their meanings.
It is difficult to find authentic texts and more difficult to find a real Guru. Also we have forgotten our mother-tongue Sanskrit, thus are a highly confused directionless lot.
Back to Om. Vedanta clearly states the Om to be theParamtattva. Focus on the Om and you will gain that realization. The Ved describe Om and how it has manifested the universe from itself. Om is the first vibration, the first movement. The main deities described are the 33 koti devata ie the 8 Vasu, 11 Rudra,12 Aditya, Prajapati and Indra. They further create the universe and everything else in it. These are the backbone of the creation and they actually exist in our backbones, in the Sushumna nadi.
You create your own universe. This concept is also rather difficult for beginners to comprehend. I have put posts on using energy consciously, try doing some of these exercises to actually experience how you can create. Once you succeed at an ‘energy experiment’, your perception changes forever.
Indra as well as all the other Vedic deities are pure energy. They are not human figures. Now for the students who could not comprehend the highly esoteric Ved-s, more human looking deities was introduced in the Puran-s. All the energies were given human forms. Prakruti was given a Moorthi of the beautiful Devi Lalitatripursundari. The tri-Gun, Satva, Raja, Tama were given human forms so we have the Tri-dev etc. All these Puranic deities are also conscious energies, but described in more human terms so that we can relate to them more easily.
But every shloka, every stotra, every sukta in this vast ocean of Sanatan Dharma describes only the Advaita. This might be difficult for beginners to believe but eg. every one of the 1000 names in the Vishnu sahastranama are ultimately dedicated to the Parameshwar, from the first ‘Vishnu’ to the last ‘Sarvapraharanayudh’ all are linked to this Parabrahma. The Dasha-Mahavidyas are the energies of the 10 directions, the intelligence of space, their essential nature is also the Paramtattva (post here). Now open the Devi Atharvasheersha, She says ‘Aham Brahma swaroopini’ in the first line. If you open the Ganapati athavasheersha, it says that Ganapati is the ‘pratekshya tat tvam asi’ in the first line itself. ‘Tat tvam asi’ is a Mahvakya of the Ved. So all deities are essentially Parabrahma.
There is only one thing that is worthy of being known. That is Parabrahma and we do it through his Moorthi, Om. You are Om, I am Om, we worship Om and whatever we do or see is all Om. Eg In all stories/ allegories, you see that the Tri-dev are generally in Dhyan or in deep contemplation. Who are they doing Dhyan of? Who is the essential consciousness within them? In the Puran-s, it is mentioned that the Tri-dev did intense Sadhana to get to this position that they enjoy. Whose sadhana did they do? To become aware as ‘Indra’, 100 ashva-medh yajnyas are necessary, who are they dedicated to? So just think, to become aware as ‘Om’, what level of intensity will be necessary?
In our pantheon of deities and the humungous mass of stories/allegories, if you get into who was whose husband, whose wife, who was the father, who was the son, who came first and who came later, you will get very confused. The Ved say this same thing, the serious aspirant must focus on the ultimate reality, not on anything else.
You should not think of yourself as Indra or Vishnu or Shankar etc or any of the Vedic or Puranic deities. Think of yourself as Om, the Parabrahma. Try to explore and locate that Supreme consciousness within.
And finally to sum up this discussion.
Do what your Sat-Guru teaches you to do. Practice under the guidance of a Guru. Follow what he tells you. This is why the Sat-Guru in Sanatan Dharma is so essential. Without the blessings of the Guru you cannot do anything and cannot realise anything.
Eg if your Guru teaches you from the Bhagwat Gita of the Mahabharat. You will think of Shri Krishna as your adored deity. First as a Vishnu-avtar, then as you go deeper into him you will realise that the Gita talks about the Advaita. The real Krishna, who ‘pulls’ you inwards is the Advaita. The ‘unknowable blackness’ is again a negation of this created universe. Your Guru will help you experience this essential attribute of ‘Krishna’.
Eg if your Guru teaches you to worship Devi Lalitatripursundari. You will worship the Shri Chakra/Meru with mantras. Initially you might think that you are worshipping a beautiful Devi wearing red sari, jewellery, 4 hands etc. You might call her Mother, Maai, Aai, Mataji, Maiiyaa, etc but later you realise that her name Maa is most apt. I have written this post on this word ‘Maa’, it is a negation, essentially means ’No’. Her subtlest nature is a resounding negation of the creation you see around you. She is Advaita. This realisation will come at the highest levels of your sadhana.
Eg if your Guru teaches you Gayatri puja. You might think that you are worshipping a beautiful Devi with 5-faces etc with her Gayatri mantra. But later as the mantra pulls you inwards you realise that the ‘Savitra’ in the Gayatri mantra refers to the internal illumination. Your are worshipping your own Luminous Self. And this is the Advaita.
Eg if the Guru starts off with the pure Vedanta. This is a rare Guru and an equally rare student. You will then go directly to the Upanishad. He will teach you ‘na iti, na iti’, not this not this. Again the negation of the Maya of creation and the single pointed focus on the pure Om. Read about the Om, practice Om, experience Om and thus the Paramtattva whose Moorti Om is.
A Guru teaches what he has achieved, ie he can teach only what he has the ‘adhikar’ to teach. ie, a History teacher will teach History not Math and a 1st std teacher will not teach PhD students. If a Guru has practiced the Gayatri mantra he will guide you with the Gayatri mantra. If he visualises the Gayatri as a Devi in a red sari then he will teach you this same visualisation. If he has visualised the Gayatri as the Advaita then he will be able to guide you till this final destination. When you get blessings of a Sat-guru, the Atma-jnyani Mahapurush, the Jivan-mukt, ie the Parabrahma only then will you attain Moksh.
So choose your Guru very carefully. Guru is a force which pulls you towards your Self. And there are several pretenders who claim to have got enlightenment or claim to converse with the deities etc. Evaluate carefully before accepting someone as your Guru. If you do not have anyone around, try to follow some daily routine (post here on daily pujas). Get your own intention moving, desire to know your own reality. If you desire it, it will happen. When the student is ready the Guru will manifest.
So Dear Reader, this is a rather rambling answer to your question, see if it helps you in some way.
Devbhasha Samskrutam aka Sanskrit is the original language of this universe. It derives from OM, the seed of this universe we exist in. Rishi Panini ‘saw’ its grammar from Akash and wrote it. Sanskrit is linked to your DNA and is the perfectly arranged language of Light. It cannot be translated as there is nothing you can translate it to. And just because someone has learnt to read/ write it, does not mean that he has understood the texts of Sanatan Dharma or its texts, Sanskrit has layers and layers.
A simple example. There is this very common Sanskrit shlok in the praise of Shri Ganapati,
OM Agajanana padmarkam, Gajananam aharnisham, anek dantam bhaktanam, ek dantam upasmahe OM
It is generally translated as ‘Ganapati is the beloved son of Devi Parvati. Her face lights up with love for him and thus that radiance falls on him. Similarly the blessings of Ganapati fall on his many devotees who worship him with devotion.’
The pictures I have put in this post are of the soft-grey colored Shri Dhoomraketu Ganapati. This is his form in the current Kaliyug. He destroys the Ahamkara, self-ego, sense of individual ego and thus grants Moksh.
And this shlok also means this,
Om – is the seed of this universe, the pranav-mantra.
Agajaa would mean ‘the child of the mountain’, ie the Kundalini rests on the highest energy point of the Mooladhar chakra which is linked to the Pruthvi tattva. Kundalini or Devi Shakti is also called Parvati, the daughter of the mountain/ Parvat Himalaya.
Anan means face, access, door, entrance and its also indicates non-movement, non-animation etc. The Kundalini at rest is the Agajaa-annan. She rests/ sleeps with her ‘face’ blocking the entrance of the Sushumna.
Padma as I have mentioned in an earlier post, is the conscious energy of time-space and the rest of the dimensions. It also means lotus, chakras, a serpent, sinous movement, an elephant with its massiveness and can also indicate a complete merging.
Arka is the light of the internal sun of self-awareness experienced at the end of the twelve chakras, at the Dwadashanat. The ‘Light of the Self’.
Gaj-anan is the opening of the Sushumna located at the Mooladhar chakra. I have mentioned somewhere that Gajanan/ Ganapati is the deity whose permission is necessary for gaining access to the Sushumna. (Deity means conscious intelligence, there is no classical ‘god’ in Sanantan Dharma)
Gaja is earth tattva, the foundation from which the Kundalini will make her move. Or also the solidity, steadiness of your spiritual practice.
Aharnisham means continuously, constantly, steadily, day/ night. But it also means the illusion of the individual soul/ Jivatma being separate from the Parabrahma.
Anek-dantam-bhaktanam is ‘a separated point’. The best way I can describe this is something like the school physics experiment of interference of light waves. A single point is viewed as being divided into multiple points. The same point is ‘divided’ into many. How can a point be divided? Ask your physics teacher if he can explain. Or ask a quantum scientist and be amazed when he speaks of Sanatan Dharma.
Ek-danta means one single point or focussed concentration or the Ultimate realisation. Or the original point which is perceived as ‘a separated point’. The non-dual Advaita which is perceived as multiplicity.
Upasmahe is the verb, the past perfect tense of Upasna. This word has several meanings, but the most interesting meaning is to throw off, or to remove firmly. So this will mean the action of removing the illusion of the multiple points from the one single point. It is in the past perfect tense of the verb. So this action has already been completed. A paradox.
So this simple seeming shlok/ verse has completely different hidden depths. A real genuine Guru would be able to add more meanings and perhaps also grant the experience of this Shloka. See what you make of it?
So to address the question that someone asked me.
How genuine are the translated Sanskrit works? The answer is that someone understands something as per his level of understanding. And understanding depends on the level of experience. And experiencing Devbhasha Sanskrutam requires contemplation. You have to do continuous Dhyan over it to experience it. eg When you are doing your Dhyan with the ‘Soham’ mantra you are experiencing, understanding it. More you meditate on Sanskrit more deeply will you experience/understand it. Sanskrit is a palimpsest, layers and layers of meanings. So if you choose to read a translated book, choose after evaluating the translator well. And at least read the original Sanskrit shlokas/text if you can.
Adi Shankaracharya is the Jagat-guru, the Guruof the entire Universe. Today, the Vaishakh Shukla Panchami, 5th day of the bright fortnight of the Vaishakh month, is celebrated as his birth anniversary. There is no clarity on when he actually lived in his physical form, but he is the essential AdvaitaNirvishesh Brahma so life/death are meaningless words in his context.
I feel very deeply about him, Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya, he is the Sat-guru. He is the reason why I am able to, albeit dimly, understand the highest philosophy, Advaita and progress surely towards myself. The force/Guru which pulls me towards the Sat/Truth. ‘I am the Truth’, I wish to experience this realisationin its entirety.
His books and literary compositions are immense, voluminous, full of real enlightenment, Jnyan. Books include Vivek chudamani, Upadesha Sahastri etc. Commentaries include the first ever commentry on the Bhagvat Gita, ‘Bhagvat Gita Bhashyam’. The epic commentary on the Brahma-Sutras, on the several Upanishads etc. Several verses which describe the Eternal Advaita, eg Nirvan shatak and my very own favourite Brahma Jnyanavali mala. Verses in praise of the deities and Prakruti, ie Soundarya lahari, Kanakdhara Stotram etc. All his work is in Devbhasha Samskrutam, Sanskrit. These books are all translated into various languages and you will find them in bookshops near you if you wish to read.
Adi Shankaracharya established the four Math-s for the 4 Ved-s in the four corners of Bharat. In these Math-s the Ved-s are worshipped ie taught and learnt, pure knowledge. His Samadhi is at Kedarnath behind the Kedarnath temple. (if you are a follower of Sanatan Dharma, you should try to visit this Samadhi if you can travel physically.)
Adi Shankaracharya is the Sat-Guruof every single soul who desires to know himself in the real sense. If I desire Sadyo-mukti, I am requesting guidance from the Advaita none other. That is why listening or reading his works is important, he writes with the authority of experience of the Self. When I listen to his upadesh/ teachings, I realise that I am listening to my own self. I am to realise My Self, so I will do it only when I listen to descriptions of myself. As I contemplate on myself, meditate on myself, bit by bit I remember myself. I become myself.
I listen to the Brahma Jnyanavali Mala once a day.
A pdf with the text and a reasonably good translation Brahma Jnaanaavali Mala, there are 20 shloks/verses.
The first Shlok is this,
“asangah aham asangah aham asangah aham punah punah, sat chit anand rupah aham, aham evah aham avyayah”
Unattached am I, untouched am I, unconnected I am, ever and always. I am the truth, pure, eternal happiness. I am the only one. I am. I am indestructible, unchangeable.
And the last shlok is this
“antah jyotih bahir jyotih pratyak jyotih paratparah, jyotih jyotih, svayam jyotih Atma jyotih, Shivah asya aham”
I am the inner light. I am the outer light. I am the light within the light. The greatest light, higher than the highest light. I am self- luminous. I am the light of the ever-lit Self. I am the ever auspicious One.
In this short composition, Adi Shankaracharya, very succinctly, clearly unambiguously declares that ‘I am the Unchanging, I am’, in the strongest words possible. Even more than his ‘Nirvan Shatak’, the ‘Brahma Jnyanavali Mala’, resonates with indescribable power of the Advaita
This composition, is the essence of all philosophy in the simplest words. The power of these words in Sanskrit shakes me to the core, dissolving the Illusion of the creation that surrounds me. If I have time, I try to contemplate on every word in this Brahma Jnyanavali Mala. This will help me realise that I am the ‘Light’ the Advaita, and the power of this Light, Atma-Jyoti.
I am required to contemplate on the concept of ‘Aham sakshi’, ‘I am the Witness‘. Saying these words ‘Aham sakshi’ is rather easy, but bringing it in practice when I have the entrancing dance of creation before me is difficult. That is why I listen/read these words again and again. So that I gain the mental strength to continue focussing on what really matters, ‘Me’.
When I really desire to know myself, I feel an intense internal turmoil, just like a fish is breathless out of water. I know what I am deep within me, but the illusions of Prakruti, do not allow me to experience myself fully. Then appears the Sat-guru,the one who grants clarity, dissolves the illusions. When I give myself over to the power of the Guru, I do not get deeply caught in even more illusions of this world. He makes me realise that the ‘karma’ which I thought bound me is in fact insubstantial, imaginary, does not exist. At one point of time I used to think that I have this karmic pendency or that I owe this other person something. And unless I give it back or experience its negativity through, I won’t be free. I would think that I had to complete the karma I had created in my past lives etc. But nothing is complete in this incomplete illusionaryworld. So I disregarded this thought of ‘completing the karmic baggage’ and instead focused even more sincerely on ‘Me’. I am the only Reality. So best focus on Me. My one single mantra, my Soham. And as this got even more intense, these other ‘karmic ties’ evaporated as if they never existed over me. I experienced all of them in my dreams or during Dhyan, I died several times in my swapna-avastha, travelled astrally, did the work in the astral realms, let the astral body suffer, break down, get hurt, all the karma was experienced by this body. Then my Guru repaired the bodies, while I did even more Dhyan. The only use of these bodies is to do Dhyan. So if you do your Dhyan, your so-called ‘pending karma’ will get resolved in dreams, like the dream they actually are. Whatever level of Karma may exist, it will be dissolved if you do your Dhyansystematically and regularly. (This is a bit difficult to understand if you do not do Dhyan. But if you do Dhyan, you will notice that you also are doing this same thing.)
You get deeper and more powerful glimpses of your own self as you focus on your self. There is only one thing which deserves your focus and this is your Own Self, none other. But then the created illusions, Maya, also tests you, so you need support from such verses, books, commentaries, which help you navigate thorough these tests. Use your Intelligence and the blessings of the Guru, and keep focussing intently on Your Own Self..
May you and me both realise that we are the Advaita, the Non-Dual, in the gentlest, happiest and kindest way possible.
Dedicated to the Lotus feet of the Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya, the Nirvishesh Brahma, the Advaita Himself in all gratitude and Shraddha/faith.
This is a photograph of the Palkhi, palaquin of the Kedarnath Mahadev taken yesterday. In the winter months the Moorthi of the deity comes to his temple at Ukhimath and then goes back to Kedarnath in the summer. The temple at Kedarnath is to be opened on 29th April. In this current lock-down situation, 6 people are travelling with the Palkhi, barefoot, carrying Him over 25kms in the snow, rocks and through the cold Himalayan streams. In reality He is carrying his devotees in all his love and compassion. Jai Kedar! Har Har Mahadev!
psychologically astrology 