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core PRINCIPLES

Soul, its Journey & Empowerment

1/3/2025

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The purpose of this article is to explain soul, its journey through various bodies and gradual empowerment.
As Lord Buddha has rightly said, life is full of miseries. Even if you desire to take birth in a super-rich family and if the Creator grants your request, don't think that you will be free from miseries. There, miseries will be plethora and, as a human being, you will have to undergo misery for innumerable births.
Everyone has a karmic account and the better we understand it, the easier our lives will be. The soul gets liberation upon the karmic account is being exhausted.

Soul & Bondage –

According to Hinduism, souls are eternal and are not created, but are rather part of the supreme soul, Brahman. The soul, or Atman, is the essence of a living being and is present in all living things. The Atman is the basis of every living creature, and without souls, everything would cease to exist. 
 
Due to actions (Karmas) done in past lives, Soul is burdened and is in bondage with physical body. The bondage creates ignorance (Avidya) of its true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss).
 
According to Vedanta Darshan or Brahma Sutra of Shankaracharya (around 5th century BC), Soul is agent of Brahman (Supreme Consciousness, commonly known as God or Parmatama).
Shree Krishna has explained the attributes in Chapter 2 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita as under:
  1. Soul is imperishable, indefinable and eternal is soul and all bodies are perishable (verse-18).
  2. The soul is never born, nor it ever dies; nor does it become after being born. For, it is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not (verse-20).
  3. As a man shedding worn-out garments, takes other new ones, likewise, the embodied soul, casting off worn-out bodies, enters into others that are new (verse-22).
  4. Weapons cannot cut it nor can fire burn it; water cannot wet it nor can wind dry it (verse-23).
According to Ramanujacharya, Nimbakacharya and Madhvacharya, the medieval period saints, souls are countless quantitatively. Individual souls are qualitatively different in capacity. Souls are classified based on their bondage of karma and Samsara. Souls who are oblivious to spiritual values and are wallowing in worldliness, are in bondage. They are open to three gateways of Naraka – sexuality, anger and greed. Highly evolved souls are liberated. Some souls strive for the liberation.  Ignorance is the cause of bondage, and liberation is attained when ignorance is removed irrespective of whether the body is alive or not.
Soul & Consciousness –
Taittiriya Upanishad has described that soul has five sheaths or layers which is called as Panchkosh viz. Annamay kosh (Food Sheath), Pranmay kosh (Energy Sheath), Manomay Kosh (Mind Sheath), Vigyanmay Kosh (Intelligence Sheath) & Anandmay Kosh (Bliss Sheath or Casual Body). Due to ignorance, the soul identifies itself with the physical body and its constituents – mind, ego and Intellect which are products of Prakriti.
Everyone has three levels of mind - Conscious, subconscious and the Super conscious. Consciousness is the awareness of internal and external existence of the physical body. The subconscious mind is the hidden consciousness which records every thought, action and past deeds the individual soul. The Subconscious mind of all individuals is interconnected. Super conscious mind is the level at which each individual soul is aware of its relationship to God. This is what we try to tap into through meditation.

Soul & Karmic Account –

All souls are linked to other souls through a vast and complex network of karma, desires and debts.  Our interactions with others are largely determined by these three factors.  As a result, sometimes we like or dislike a person in an instance because of the karmic bonds that extend across several life times.  When we meet someone new, intuition kicks in and all the shared experiences we have had with that soul resurface to recreate the emotions we felt at our last meeting.  Whether we understand it or not, those deep-seated emotions will try to drive our relationship in this life as well.
According to Patanjali Yoga Sutras 12, 13, 15 & 31 -
  1. Karmic account is the root cause of miseries in current birth or future births. Karmic account is piling of karmas.
  2. Karmic account decides next birth, age and pleasures and pains. Till karmic account remains birth, death and re-birth continues.
  3. As per karmic account, person experiences miseries caused by natural calamities, diseases and other living beings. Miseries are created -
    1. by nature by earthquake, flood, cold & heat waves, tsunami, etc.
    2. by the seven types of waves created in mind - Lust or desire, anger or hatred, greed, delusory emotional attachment, ego or pride, passion and envy or jealousy.
    3. In the body by diseases, pain, infirmities etc.
    4. by other living being.

Soul Journey & Rebirth -

Depending on the sort of life we desire, the things we want to do, the sort of people we want to be with, provided we have the requisite karma balance, we take birth to carry on enjoying what we have enjoyed in the past. 
Depending on the karmic link between the souls involved, the child can be friend, foe, debtor, creditor, advisor or indifferent to the parents.  Some children bring happiness, success and wealth to their parents because that is what they are destined to deliver to their parents.  That is the karmic debt they have to pay off.  Some children cause unending misery to their parents, costing them time, money, anguish and worries because that is the relationship they have to fulfil with their parents.  We have to accept that nature is delivering the right results of our karmic debts. 
If a soul has sufficient karmic bonds to be ‘born’ of a couple but not enough bonds to stay with them, the resulting child can be born to a couple but won’t remain with that couple.   Bound by debt, and karma, the soul moves from one family to another.  Sometimes, the karmic links are such that a soul is born to poor, unmarried couple in one part of the world, spends some time in an orphanage, gets adopted and ends up living with a rich family in another part of the world.  Karmic links propel the soul from one stage of life to another till it is sufficiently mature enough to start creating new karmas.  
According to Madhva, souls are different in the stage of evolution as under -
  1. Souls who are positively evil in nature, go on degenerating more and more by their indulgence in evil actions, until the accumulated load of sins finally leads to eternal perdition (punishment). Their capacity of consciousness and bliss is completely effaced and reduced to inertness characteristic of material substances.
  2. Souls who delight only in worldly values and feel no need for ethical and spiritual life. Reaping the fruits of their own actions they pass through births and deaths eternally.

​Soul Empowerment –

Souls who are receptive to spiritual values, and through repeated embodiments they evolve into better and better person, and finally through concentrated spiritual disciplines and God’s grace gain salvation.
According to the chapters 23, 26 & 27 of Section 5, Uma-Samhita of Shiva Purana discuss about impure body and means purify it. Performing Japas, sacrifices and eulogies after purifying the soul with pure emotions a man acquires perfect knowledge and after death, he attains the worlds of persons who perform many sacrifices.
 
In Mahabharata epic, Yudhishthra, the eldest of Pandavas informed as under:
  1. By killing pride, one becomes dear;
  2. By destroying anger, one is free from sorrow.
  3. The destruction of desire is wealth;
  4. The greatest austerity in human life is to fulfil one’s own duties. Sympathy is wishing for the happiness of all. Straightforwardness is equanimity of mind.
  5. The absence of greed alone is happiness.
Souls are constantly improved & empowered by persistent practice of Truthfulness, Purity, Control over the Senses, Simplicity, Devotion, Service to needy, Compassion & Generosity, Equanimity and Contentment & Blissful state.
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Equality, the core of Sanatan Dharma

10/6/2024

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In the series of articles on Sanatan Dharma, another article on the Gender & Caste Equality is posted.  
 
World Equality & Peace:
The concept of World Equality in Sanatana Dharma is based on the premise that each one and everyone cannot grow unless there is equality and all are treated as one family. When world is treated one family, there will not be exploitation to harm one and gain of other. In this situation, people will not contribute to their best and world will not grow optimally and earn peace.
 
A few verses from Vedic system are as under:
  1. अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघु चेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥
Meaning - For those who have a big heart, the whole earth is a family, and those whose heart is small, they think that it is ours, it is theirs.
  1. सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया:। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद् दु:ख भाग्भवेत्॥
Meaning: May everyone in the world be happy, healthy, have good vision and no one suffers.
  1. संधिविग्रहयोस्तुल्यायां वृद्धौ संधिमुपेयात्।
Meaning: If there is an equal benefit in peace or war, he (the king) should choose peace.
  1. स्वस्तिप्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्तां न्यायेन मार्गेण महीं महीशाः। गोब्राह्मणेभ्यः शुभमस्तु नित्यं लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु॥
Meaning: May the well-being of all people be protected by the powerful and mighty leaders be with law and justice. May the success be with all divinity and scholars, May all (samastah the worlds (lokaḥ) become (bhavantu) happy (sukhino).​
 
Gender Equality in Vedic System:
Gender equality etc. are the terms evolved in last few hundred years. But in Hindu's ancient literature one can find, we come across the names of many Brahmavadini ladies like Lopamudra, Gargi and Maitreyi who took part in the great discourses and expressed striking knowledge of Supreme Self.
Women during the period of Vedic India was never treated as inferior to male personalities, but was always regarded only as two different forms inherently built in one singular entity. So, in the Vedic age men and women both played equal part in social and cultural life.
Many Ṛigvedic mantras were revealed to women. A virgin daughter inherited paternal property. In the Ṛigvedic period woman had the right to choose her husband. A girl was honoured in her husband's house. Altekar said a girl in the Vedic age was married when she was fully grown up.
It is in Atharvaveda that maiden was eligible to get married if she had proper educational training during her time of Brahmacharya (brahmacharyeṇa kanyanaṃ yuva vindate patiṃ). In the Vedic and post Vedic literature there are many such evidences when young maidens were given equal opportunity of receiving education and studying the different branches of knowledge. It is also described in this literature that there were families of teachers known as Gurukuls where female students used to reside with their Acharyas and received education along with their brother pupils.
 
The Vedic ladies were much respected in the society and this respect attained to such a height that they were personified with veneration as goddess Saraswati, the symbol of ultimate knowledge and also were named after other goddesses like 'Kāli', 'Lakshmi' representing the wealth and Shakti respectively.
 
In had been found in the Ṛigveda that both husband and wife together were performing and reciting sacrificial ceremony (ya dampati samanasa sunuta a ca dhavataḥ/devaso nityayasira'').
 
Brahmaṇa girls were taught Vedic lore and kshatriya girls were taught the use of the bow and arrow (parivṛkteva patividyamanaṭ pipyana kṛcakreṇeva sincan / eṣaiṣya cidrathya jayema sumangalaṃ sinavadastu satam//'').
 
There were many educated ladies who had chosen teaching as a profession. Sanskrit language coined a special word to distinguish between the lady teacher and the wife of a teacher.
 
This is evident from several mantras mentioned here: -
  1. यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यंते रमंते तत्र देवताः। यत्र तास्तु न पूज्यंते तत्र सर्वाफलक्रियाः ॥
Meaning – Where women are worshipped, the gods reside there and where women are not worshipped; it is futile to do all the work.
  1. कुसुम-सधर्माणि हि योषितः सुकुमार-उपक्रमाः। ताः तु अनधिगत-विश्वासैः प्रसभम् उपक्रम्यमाणाः संप्रयाग-द्वेषिण्यः भवन्ति। तस्मात् साम्ना एव उपचरेत्॥
Meaning: Women are like flowers; they should be treated very tenderly. No action should be forced unless full faith is instilled in the wife’s heart towards the husband.​
  1. राष्ट्रस्य श्व: नारी अस्ति. नारी राष्ट्रस्य अक्शि अस्ति. नारी माता अस्ति नारी कन्या अस्ति नारी भगिनी अस्ति. नारी अस्य समाजस्य कुशलवास्तुकारा अस्ति.
Meaning: woman is our tomorrow. woman is the eye of the nation. woman is mother woman is daughter woman is sister woman is everything. woman is the perfect architect of the society.
  1. चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: | तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ||
Meaning: BG 4.13: The four categories of occupations were created by Me according to people’s qualities and activities. Although I am the Creator of this system, know Me to be the Non-doer and Eternal.
  1. ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप | कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: ||
Meaning: BG 18.41: The duties of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—are distributed according to their qualities, in accordance with their qualities (and not by birth).
  1. मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः । स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥
Meaning: BG 9-32: For those who take refuge in Me. 0 Partha (Arjuna), though they are lowly born, women, Vaisyas, as well as Sudras, they also attain to the highest goal.
  1. इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः । मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥
Meaning: BG-13-19: Know you that prakriti (nature) and purusha (soul) are both beginningless; and know also that the forms and modes are born of prakriti (nature).
  1. प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि । विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥
Meaning: BG – 13-20: Nature is said to be the cause of effect, instrument and agent (ness) and the soul is said to be the cause, in regard to the experience of pleasure and pain.
  1. शोचन्ति जामयो यत्र विनश्यत्याशु तत्कुलम् | यत्रैतास्तु न शोचन्ति ह्मप्रासीदन्ति) वर्धते तद्धि सर्वदा ||
 
Meaning: The family in which women folks (such as mother, wife, sister, daughter etc.) are full of sorrow that family meets its destruction very soon; while the family in which they have not to grieve is always prosperous.
 
Caste Equality:
In today’s society, there broad classification as teacher, professor, industrialist, merchants, traders, service class, army man etc. likewise, in ancient India the society was divided into four principal varnas (castes), namely Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra, according to the avocation.
Many of India's major empires and dynasties like the Mauryas, Shalivahanas, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas among many others, were founded by people who would have been classified as Shudras, under the Varnas system.
An article by Padmanabh Samarendra published in Economic & Political Weekly dated 13th August, 2011 mentioned that between 1860 and 1920, “the British incorporated the Indian caste system and listed the castes. The birth of caste is directly linked with the census operations in colonial India. The purpose of the census was to count the population and classify it under different heads – age, sex, religion, caste, occupation, etc. The introduction of caste in census was accompanied with serious problems of identification and classification. The enumerators discovered during the surveys that society was not patterned according to the fourfold varna division comprising brahmin, kshatriya, Vaishya and shudra. Instead in their localities they encountered jatis – communities with unfamiliar names, uneven status and unalike characteristics.”
 The most revered Hindu scripture, in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (BG, chapter 15, verse 1 & 2 of Purushottam Yoga), Shree Krishna advised that all human beings are created formerly by Brahma. Hence, there is no distinction of Varnas. This whole universe is Brahman. The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita thereafter recites a behavioural model for Varna based on attributes (gunas) of the persons. These attributes arise from Prakriti (Nature). Prakriti is the conceiving Mother, of which, three gunas viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are arise and tie down the imperishable soul to the body (chapter 14, verse 5). There is no entity on earth, or again in heaven among the Devas, that is devoid of these three Gunas, born of Prakriti. The pre-dominance of the particular gunas say sattvika are to be of category Brahmanas irrespective of birth. The work or duties should be adopted according to in-born Gunas of the persons and the categories of work are described as Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras.
BG -15.1 & 15.2 - ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १५-१॥ अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
​Shudra is the name of a Caste considered of equal nature as any other caste. According to the Svacchanda-tantra (verse 4.539c-545) - all those who have been initiated by this ritual are of equal nature, whether they be Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, or others. They have been brought into a state of fusion with the nature of Shiva.

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The Divine Will & Will-Power (Sankalpa / संकल्प)

9/28/2024

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Social researchers discovered that proficiency in any field of human activity is directly correlated to two virtues of the personality.  One is the intellect and the second is the willpower.  Now, the intellect is somewhat innate—there is not so much one can do to expand it.  But willpower is something that is very much in our hands. Ordinary individual in his own egoistic limits, follows in his aims governed by desire, habits of thought or obscure subconscious impulses.   
The central part of our body is mind. Mind designs our life. It is the chief architect of the life. Desires, intentions and expectations generates thoughts in the mind and in turn mind becomes the agent to mobilise our senses to fulfil them. Desire and will are different things altogether. 'Desire' is a longing for certain possessions, while 'will' is the power of determination (Sankalpa) without any motive whatsoever to enjoy anything. Desire is sensuality which pertains to the mind; Will-Power is the power of conscious being and is effective behind the workings of mind and body.
Behind the Will-Power, Divine Will-Power stands. To achieve successes in both, material world and spiritual life alignment of Human Will and Divine Will is essential. Divine Will creates in us the divine strength of impulsion, an illuminated and un-decaying force and flame described as the steed of the plenitude, which brings us that goo and carries us to that goal. By invocation of divine Will-Power, ordinary mind is transformed into intuitive & inspired mind which leads us into blissful state.
This article is attempted to highlight roles of the Will-Power or Sankalpa & Divine Will-Power and modus operandi to attain enlightened mind.
Human Will-Power:
Human Will-Power is the strong determination that ensures achievement of difficult goals or even plausibly impossible goals. Will-power has been termed ‘the greatest human strength. According to most psychological scientists, Human Will-Power can be defined as:
  • The ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals
  • The capacity to override an unwanted thought, feeling, or impulse
  • The ability to employ a “cool” cognitive system of behaviour rather than a “hot” emotional system
  • Conscious, effortful regulation of the self by the self
  • A limited resource capable of being depleted
 
Human Will-Power & Divine Will-Power:
Human Will gave the world its prosperity and glory. The Divine Will-Power which acts always with a perfect knowledge, divine wisdom and builds up the worlds. The divine will shall give us what we eternally have and what we eternally are. What we eternally have is God’s Concern, and what we eternally are is God’s Perfection and God’s Manifestation.
Swami Sivananda said: As the lower mind emerges into the higher, and the higher into that which is wisdom, the aspect of Divine or pure 'will' emerges as the power of the spirit, self-determined, self-ruled, in perfect harmony with the Supreme Will.
Paramhansa Yoganand said: Whatever your position in life, it is you who put yourself there. The human will, when led by ignorance, causes nothing but confusion and trouble; but if it is tuned in with wisdom, it is guided by the Divine Will. Constantly carrying a thought with dynamic will power will strengthen that thought until it becomes an outward force. When your will power is developed to that extent, you can control your destiny. Always be sure what you want is right for you to have, then use all the forces of your will power to attain your objective, continually keeping your mind on God. Your efforts will then be crowned with success. In order to develop will power, you must realize that behind your will is the will of God. As often as possible, determine to do one little thing which you think you cannot do. When you have accomplished that goal, go on to something slightly bigger. Keep on exercising your will power in this way. Use your will power in the routines of everyday life, in business, and in meditation. It is Will power that has created everything, even your body. The stronger the will, the greater the force of energy and the greater, consequently, the energy's impact on material events. A strong will, especially, combined with awareness of energy, can affect miracles. It can cure diseases, and make a person well. It can ensure success in any undertaking. The seasons are obedient to the man of strong will power and of deep faith.
Ramana Mahrishi said: It is true the divine Will prevails all times and under all circumstances. Recognize the force of Divine Will and keep quiet. 
Sri Aurobindo said: The ultimate spiritual source of our human Will is the Divine Will, which governs the world. We can immeasurably enhance the power and effectiveness of our human will by aligning it with the Divine Will. Will, as it is usually conceived, is the elaboration of a thought, to which is added a force, a power of fulfilment accompanied by an impulse to carry it out. That is the description of human Will. Divine will is quite another thing. It is a vision united with a universal power of realisation. Human Will is uncertain, often wavering, always in conflict with opposing wills. It is effective only when for some reason or other it is in accord with the Divine Will, as a result of Grace or Yoga.
Agni, the Divine Will:
Vedas affirms that Vedic gods in cosmic body are physical Nature-powers and in human body, the psychic conscious forces behind.  Adi Shankara explained that Hindu deities live or rule over the cosmic body as well in the temple of human body. The same deities were at once internal and external Powers of universal Nature, and they managed its expression through a system of double values by which the same language (Vedic Mantras) served for their worship in both aspects. But the psychological sense predominates and is more pervading and coherent than the physical.
 
The second most important Vedic Gods in Rigveda is Agni. The flame of Agni is the Divine Will-Power. Agni is the immortals in mortals, the divine power in man to fulfil their work in him. Agni, the divine force be kindled in front as head of the universal Power and human soul, will extend in harmony the effective inner action on the plane of the pure intelligence so that it may enrich itself there and attain beyond.
 
Agni as the light and flame of its far-extended existence, breaks the limitations of the material being and he is full of the joys of this new and rich supra-physical life. Now the third state, the free mental being, is to be perfected by a richly varied and luminous play of thought and word ending in the manifestation of the highest reach of the mental realms, the power of the supramental Light in the mentality; there begins the manifestation of the intuitive and inspired mind. Agni has to create the vastness and light and divinity of the Truth-knowledge and so crown with it the already attained free swiftness of force and wide range of life and enjoyment proper to the perfected and God-filled vitality.
 
Invocation & Manifestation of Divine Will-Power:
The divine Will is invoked to complete the manifestation of the divine powers after second state of soul when it has passed beyond the physical being and is full of the perfect energy of the vital plane.
 
The Rishi speaks of the birth of the divine Will by the working of the pure mental on the material consciousness. A state arrives in which man goes beyond the mere subtlety and fineness of the intelligence and reaches to a rich and manifold largeness of soul. Even though he is on right foundation, he needs a force greater than his to lead him; for largeness and multiplicity of soul-force and knowledge are not enough, there must be the divine truth in thought, word and act. For we have to attain beyond the enlarged mental being to the beatitude of a state beyond mind. Agni has the light and the force, the Word and the true impulsion, the embracing knowledge and the achieving power. He shall carry us towards the blissful state and the supreme good.
 
Agni, the Divine Will-Power generates the Maruts, the nervous forces of Life that become forces of thought; they, upheld by Agni, prepare the action of Indra, the luminous Mind, who is finder of the Truth and Right. Indra slays Vritra, the Coverer, dispels the darkness, causes Surya to rise upon our being and go abroad over its whole field with the rays of the Truth. Surya is the Creator or manifester, Savitri, who manifests in this mortal world the world or state of immortality, dispels the evil dream of egoism, sin and suffering and transforms Life into the Immortality, the good, the beatitude. The Vedic gods are a parable of human life emerging, mounting, lifting itself towards the Godhead.
 
A few Rigvedic hymns (with English Translations) are illustrated here regarding flame of Agni which gives birth to Divine Will-Power:
यो अध्वरेषु शन्तम रतावा होता तमू नमोभिरा कर्णुध्वम | अग्निर्यद वेर्मर्ताय देवान स चा बोधाति मनसायजाति || (Rig Veda I.77.2)
The learned person, who in the sacrifices is the priest of the offering, full of peace, truthful in thought, word and deed, is the giver of great bliss in yajnas (non-violent sacrifices) & giver of knowledge (Agni). He brings divine virtues and wisdom to men (helps in their attainment) as unite men with them with the aid of knowledge. 
स हि करतुः स मर्यः स साधुर्मित्रो न भूदद्भुतस्य रथीः | तं मेधेषु परथमं देवयन्तीर्विश उप बरुवते दस्ममारीः || (Rig Veda I.77.3) 
For he is the will, he is the strength; he is the effecter of perfection, even as Mitra he becomes the charioteer of the Supreme. To him, the first, in the rich-offerings the people seeking the godhead utter the word, the Aryan people to the fulfiller.
एवाग्निर्गोतमेभिर्र्तावा विप्रेभिरस्तोष्ट जातवेदाः | स एषु दयुम्नं पीपयत स वाजं स पुष्टिं याति जोषमा चिकित्वान || (Rig Veda I.77.5)
Thus has Agni possessed of the Truth been affirmed by the masters of light, the knower of the worlds by clarified minds. He shall foster in them the force of illumination, he too the plenty; he shall attain to increase and to harmony by his perceptions.
यस तवा हर्दा कीरिणा मन्यमानो ऽमर्त्यम मर्त्यो जोहवीमि | जातवेदो यशो अस्मासु धेहि परजाभिर अग्ने अम्र्तत्वम अश्याम || (Rig Veda 5.4.10)
O highly learned king, you are purifier like a fire, and with admiring heart we call upon you. I being an ordinary mortal and you being the immortal because of your glory know immortality of soul. I know emancipation along with all good people, those who are to be protected. Establish in us good reputation.
सुसमिद्धाय शोचिषे घर्तं तीव्रं जुहोतन | अग्नये जातवेदसे || (Rig Veda 5.5.1)
To the Will that knows all the births, to the Flame highly kindled, purely luminous offer a poignant clarity
तवाम अग्न रतायवः सम ईधिरे परत्नम परत्नास ऊतये सहस्क्र्त | पुरुश्चन्द्रं यजतं विश्वधायसं दमूनसं गर्हपतिं वरेण्यम || (Rig Veda 5.8.1)
Will who are by force created in us, you the pristine Power the pristine seekers of the Truth kindled entirely that they might grow in their being, the god in the sacrifice, who because he has the multitude of his delights establishes the all, domiciled in us, master of the dwelling, inmate supremely desirable.
अग्निर देवेषु राजत्य अग्निर मर्तेष्व आविशन | अग्निर नो हव्यवाहनो ऽगनिं धीभिः सपर्यत || (Rig Veda 5.25.4)
The Will is that which shines out in the gods, the Will is that which enters with its light into mortals, the Will is the carrier of our oblation; the Will seek and serve in all your thoughts
 
All of us have already attained degrees of will-power, the more the will-power directed Godward, the nobler the human being we shall become. 
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Virtues of Satvika (Pure) Person

9/20/2024

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Human personality is of triple qualities (Trigunatmic) viz. Satvika, Rajasika & Tamasika. Satvika (सात्विक) person refers to one who is full of purity (sattva). Satvika attribute is intellectual, pure, strong, healthy, possessing long life and equanimity. Rajasik quality manifests emotional, passionate, fiery and restless. Tamasik quality is evident as vegetative, lustful, ignorant and dull (comparable to dumb-witted, whose extreme form would be mental retardation). Everybody is mixture of the three qualities in different proportions and at different timings. This world remains in the continuous illusion with rajasa and tamasa natures. Men born with the satvika nature of goodness like yourself, easily lay aside this inveterate illusion, as a snake casts off its time-worn skin (slough). Absolute Satvik nature leads to liberation from re-birth.
 
Absolute fearlessness, perfect purity of mind, constant fixity in the Yoga of meditation and knowledge for the sake of Self-realization, and even so, charity in its Sattvika form, control of the senses, austerity, worship of God and other deities as well as of one’s elders including the performance of Agnihotra (pouring oblations into the sacred fire) and other sacred duties, study and teaching of the Vedas and other sacred books as well as the chanting of God’s names and glories, suffering hardships for the discharge of one’s sacred obligations and uprightness of mind as well as of the body and senses. Non-violence in thought, word and deed, truthfulness and geniality of speech, absence of anger even on provocation, disclaiming doer-ship in respect of actions (renunciation), peacefulness/quietude or composure of mind, abstaining from slander or crookedness, compassion towards all creatures, absence of attachment to the objects of senses even during their contact with the senses, gentleness, modesty, a sense of shame in transgressing the scriptures or social conventions, and abstaining from frivolous pursuits; Sublimity, forgiveness, fortitude, external purity, bearing enmity to none i.e. absence of hatred, absence of fickleness (indecisiveness), Vigour,  and absence of self-esteem/pride these are the marks of him, who is born with the divine endowments or Satvik attributes.
 
Triple qualities of Human Nature:
  1. Bhagwan Shree Krishna explained in Bhagavad Gita as under:
  2. Triple quality / mentality - Satva (Purity), Rajas (passion) and Tamas (inertia), born of nature, binds the body with soul. (Chapter 14.5)
  3. Satva, which from its stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds by attachment to happiness and knowledge. (Chapter 14.6)
  4. Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst (for sensual enjoyment) and attachment; it binds by attachment to action. (Chapter 14.7)
  5. Tamas to be born of ignorance, it binds by heedlessness, indolence and sleep. (Chapter 14.8)
 
  1. Brahmrishi Vasishta in Yoga Vasishta (Book 4, Chapter LX & Book 5 Chapter V) explained to Shree Rama as under:
  2. One who gets his liberation in or after his life time, he is said to have a Satvik birth; but whoever is obliged to be reborn by his acts, is said to belong to the rajas-Satvik class.  
  3. The Satvika person are righteous men, endued with the quality of goodness.
  4. The Rajasic person is the body politic, guided by the laws of society.
  5. Those that are born with the nature of Rajasa-satvika, remain highly pleased in the world, and are as gladsome in their faces, as the face of the sky with the serene light of the moon-beams.
  6. The Tamasic person is the ignorant rabble, and infatuated people.
The best way to guard the mind from delusion, is first of all the knowledge of the shastras, and next the exercise of dispassionateness, and then the society of the good, which lead the mind towards its purity.
Instincts or Tendencies:
Sage Patanjali in Yoga sutras explained the all the afflictions causing all sufferings in our life are classified into five types. (अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः क्लेशाः ||2/3) These are:
  1. Avidya: Ignorance, lack of awareness, illusion, misconception of reality, cognition of virtue in vice and good in evil; Once avidya is attended and removed totally, all afflictions get uprooted.
  2. Asmita: “I”ness, egoism, ahamkara. Ego has six aspects and it exhibits through one of them while dealing with the worldly affairs. These six aspects are
    1. kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (temptation), mada (arrogance) and matsara (envy).
    2. This ego is supported by five sense organs, five organs of action, mind and intellect. Chitta is behind the mind.
  3. Raga: Attraction, liking, attachment that one feels towards any object or person when any kind of pleasure or happiness (physical, emotional or mental). This attachment towards things, persons or situations is coated by happiness or comfort, but definitely, it is not permanent or long lasting;
  4. Dvesa: Repulsion, Aversion, dislike; the natural repulsion felt towards any person or object or situation which is a source of pain or unhappiness to us; It is aversion resulting from the sorrow.
  5. Abhinivesa: Clinging to life or fear of death; (the desire to cling to life) is inherent dominant desire of life both in the ignorant and the learned. “Desire to live” is an essential feature of evolution. According to Vyasa and Vacaspati, the fear of death comes from the memory of earlier deaths in past lives. Therefore, every human being is possessed by this fear of death resulting into abhnivesa, the will to survive. The desire to postpone death and cling to life or normal sense consciousness is certainly one of the greatest obstacles to enlightenment, attaining of super consciousness.
Patanjali has observed that there is a constant rhythmic interaction and harmony between all the element of the mind, that is, Cognitive apparatus, psychological self, Physical self and social self. The shat ripus (six foes) — Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Mada (Pride or aggression), Moha (desire) and Matsar (jealousy) or the primary instincts increase the vulnerability of an individual.

Divine Qualities:
Bhagwan Shree Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (verses 1-3 of Chapter 16) described godly divine possessions in detail about our harmony, virtue and good tendencies as follows: (अभयं सत्त्वसंशुद्धिर्ज्ञानयोगव्यवस्थितिः । दानं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वाध्यायस्तप आर्जवम् ॥ 16.1॥ अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् । दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥ 16.2॥ तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता । भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ॥ 16.3॥)
  1. Absolute Fearlessness (अभयम्) - The anxiety, nervousness, and possibility of evil is called fear. If we know the fact that this body is ultimately going to be consumed and mortal, then the question of fear does not arise. Acts done contrary to God; disobedience of the commands of one's parents, gurus, acharyas, saints, sages, sages, yogis, great men; conduct against the commands of parents, sages, acharyas, dignities & decorum and scriptures leads to external fear. Sometimes we feel scared from within due to sins, injustice and atrocities committed. We easily become fearless by abandoning all kinds of injustice and misdeeds. By being without affection, there is no fear of death and the seeker becomes fearless.
 
  1. Perfect Purity of Inner-Self (सत्त्वसंशुद्धिः) - The love for God, without attachment & jealousy from the world, is the purity of the inner-self. The main cause of defects in the interior is the goal of obtaining perishable goods. The means to achieve the purification of inner self are selfless service, worship and wisdom. Forgiving others also purifies the conscience.
 
  1. Constant Fixity in the Yoga of Meditation (ग्यानयोगव्यवस्थितिः): - It is necessary to stay in meditation yoga for seeking fundamental truth & wisdom (tattva-gyana). Rising above all kinds of conflicts (fame-ill fame, success-failure, loss-gain, blasphemy-praise, disease-health, joy-sorrow, etc.) is the great wisdom.
 
  1. Charity & Donation (दानम्) – Keeping in mind the deserving person as per country, time & situation and according to the need, one should generously donate according to one's ability, land, cow, items, food, clothes, medicine, fearlessness etc. for welfare.
 
  1. Complete control over the Senses (दमः) - The scriptural attitude should be for philanthropy by completely abandoning selfishness and egoism.
 
  1. Oblation or offering (यग्यः) - It literally means to give sacrifice. Performing yagya or havan, charity & donation, sacrificing selfishness and egoism, to follow the orders of parents, acharyas & gurus, to serve them, are oblation.
 
  1. Self-Study (स्वाध्यायः) - Chanting the names of God & Aum, reading of great texts like Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. is self-study. Self-Study also includes study of our own situation and instincts. It is our utmost duty, dharma and responsibility to purify our instincts.
 
  1. Austerity (तपः, Tapas) - To bear the sufferings, hunger-thirst, cold-heat, rains etc. for the sake of Vedic Dharma is austerity.
 
  1. Peacefulness / Quietude (शान्तिः) - The absence of afflictions in the inner self is called peace. Our aim should be to work without anger and hatred. We should be calm in every situation.
 
  1. Abstaining from Slander or Crookedness (अपैशुनम्) - By revealing one's fault to another person and creating malice against him is slandering and its complete absence is abstaining from slander or crookedness. One should never abuse, slander, taunt, etc. of others. This eliminates defect of vision and affliction of malice. Harmony is automatically awakened.
 
  1. Compassion (दया भूतेषु) - The goodwill of generated after seeing the sufferings of others is compassion. Those who are sad in the sorrows of others and happy in the happiness of others are categorized as saint-Mahatma. One should try to do such things without pride, which is for benefit & welfare of others.
 
  1. Absence of Attachment to the Objects of Senses (अलोलुप्त्वम्) - Absence of greediness for the material goods & objects is lust lessness or generosity. For this, one should keep control over the senses and avoid lust.
 
  1. Modesty (मार्दवम्) - The goodwill of tenderness in one's heart towards those who harm us, even those who hate us, is called Mardava. One should never behave abusive, with harshness and vengeance.
 
  1. Hreem (ह्रीः) - A sense of shame in transgressing the scriptures or social conventions, and abstaining from frivolous pursuits is called Hreem. By which, misdeeds can be avoided. One should achieve the supreme goal by abandoning the false egos of being seeker, curious, devotee, scholar, doer etc.
 
  1. Patience (अचापलम्)- The absence of hastiness or agility in the execution of any task is patience. Work should be done patiently, smoothly and in due time. Hastiness should not be in execution of duties & deeds.
 
  1. Tejas (तेजः) - By staying in the company of saints, sages, yogis, ascetics and great men, all the vices and misconduct eliminate. This inherent power of great men is called Tejas. This Tejas is divine virtue.
  2. Forgiveness (क्षमा) - Forgiveness is the strength to ignore the guilt of the offender even though one has the power to punish him. Forgiveness for attachment, fear and selfishness is not real forgiveness. Forgiveness automatically manifests itself by not expecting anything from anyone and not harming even those who harm.
 
  1. Fortitude (धृतिः) - The power to remain undisturbed in every favorable or adverse situation is called fortitude.
 
  1. Defecation (शौचम्) - External and internal purification is called defecation. Defecation leads to absence of desire to stay with the bad persons and impure intellect. For physical purification, it is absolutely necessary to take practical form of work-readiness, effort, hard work, simplicity, humility & gratitude and staying away from passion, laziness, convenience, taste- hobby. For verbal purification, it is necessary to speak truth, sweet & loving words while abandoning the telling of bitter and untrue words, condemnation, slandering / complaining. This paves the way for spiritual progress. For family purification, children should be educated, cultured & having moral values so that they benefit everyone equally. For economic purification, one should earn money justly, honestly, honestly and use it properly according to his ability to serve the poor, sick, famine-stricken, hungry, less fortunate than himself, etc. and to protect the cow. Along with this, scriptures and good literature should get printed for the promotion of Sanatan Vedic Dharma.
 
  1. Benevolence (अद्रोहः) - It is benevolence to give up our malice of vengeance against the wrongdoer. One should do deeds good for all and see God in everything.
 
  1. Humility (नातिमानिता) - Expecting the respect, glory, fame is called pride. Expecting honor, respect and hospitality from your teacher, guru and parents is called excessive pride. The absence of these prides is called humility. Due to wealth, knowledge, virtue, intelligence, ability, authority, high position, character and status, the feeling of superiority is considered worldly. Due to the manifestation of divine virtues, they are praised by others. This characteristic is called the transcendental pride.
 
Bhavanti Sampada Divimbhijatasya Bharat: (भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारतः) - Shree Krishna says to Arjuna that all these divine virtues are good. From them, the goal of attaining God is achieved. These qualities are obtained only by the grace of God. If we consider these qualities to be personal, then pride comes, which is a symptom of demonic wealth. There is no pride when this is a divine quality. There is exclusive love in God.
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Dualism to non-dualism

9/13/2024

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Deep Hindu Philosophy is based on the premise that there is only one absolute and ultimate truth – Brahman – Universal Consciousness and no other one. The universal consciousness along with Souls, the individual consciousness and Matter form an organic whole of the Universe. In the context of creation of the world, the doctrines of dualism and non-dualism are based on differentiation and non-differentiation of three eternals viz. Universal Consciousness (Brahman), Souls (Atman) and World (Jagat).
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Based on physical perception, we decide that the various objects are indeed different. This kind of differentiation is “Duality or Dvaita”. Duality is the foundation of all the actions and worship. According to Dvaita, the world is real. God is the creator of the world. According to Advaita, all the different elements have their origin from same energy. Single energy or Universal consciousness is beyond the reach of the sense organs. Brahman is the one and only reality and everything else is a mere appearance, projection, formation or illusion. Modern science is approaching nearer and nearer to Advaita thought.
The spiritual journey need to be from dualism to non-dualism. The start of the journey is change first in external behaviour i.e., behaving with others as we desire and then internally feeling no differentiation for living beings as entire world is appearance of universal consciousness or almighty. Pains gradually reduces as differentiation diminishes. So, non-dualism brings happiness and ultimately moksha. 
The interactions of the three are variously expounded in Hindu Scriptures & philosophies.
Philosophers of Dualism–Non-Dualism
Duality is the phenomenon of the world. Dualism or differentiation among Nirgun Brahman (universal consciousness, Ishwar), Atman (jiva, individual consciousness) and Jagat (material world) is variously postulated by Hindu philosophers as under –
  1. Dvaita – (Madhvacharaya’s Dvait Darshan, 1294 – 1317 AD, he wrote Purnapragya Bhashya) - According to Dvaita, Universe and Jiva are separate from Brahman. All these three elements (Jiva, world and Brahman) are real and different (द्वैत) from each other. There are five types of difference described between 1. Jiva-Ishwar, 2. Jiva-Jiva, 3. Jiva-Jagat, 4. Ishwar-Jagat and 5. Jagat-Jagat.
  2. Dvaita-Advait (Nimbarkacharya’s Dvaita-advait, 1028 – 1125AD, he (wrote Vedanta Parijat) - He believed in three eternal realities – Brahman, Jiva and Jagat. Jiva and Brahman can be considered different and also non-different. Brahman is efficient cause of material world. Jiva is Knower, the doer and the experiencer. Brahman is Controller, filler and witness.
  3. Shusha Dvait – (Vallabhacharaya’s Shuddha davit, 1479 – 1532, wrote Anu Bhashya) – According to Suddhadvaita, Brahman is the cause for Universe. Maya is not unreal but it is shakti (energy) of Brahman. Jiva is not different from Brahman. Jiva and world emanate from Brahman and conceal/absorb in Brahman.
  4. Vishisht Advait – (Ramanujacharya’s Vishishtadvait, 1017 – 1137 AD, he wrote Shri Bhashya) - It is known as qualified non-dualism as it asserts the non-duality of Jiva and Brahman in qualified way i.e., Jiva and Paramatma don’t exist differently - Parmatama always dwells inside Jiva - both can't exist separately. But Jiva and Parmatama are (not same) different.
  5. Achintya Bhedabheda - According to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Brahman is simultaneously one with and different from his creation. The relationship between Brahman and Jiva is like Sun and Sunshine. Qualitatively the Sun and the Sunshine are not different, but as quantities they are very different.
  6. Shankar’s Advait Vedant (788 – 820 AD) of Non-Dualism means that Brahman is the one and only reality and everything else is a mere appearance, projection, formation or illusion. Universal consciousness’s manifestation as plurality of Beings / objects is known to us as duality. But when the individual souls’ merges with cosmic soul (Parmatama) and becomes the ‘Advaitic Brahman’.
 
Advaita on the other had says that action-free, attribute-less “Nirgun Brahman” alone appears to exist as the active attribute-full Ishvara and conducts the business of the world through Maya.  According to Advaita, there is only one absolute and ultimate truth - Brahman. ब्रह्म सत्यं जगत् मिथ्या which means only Brahman is real and universe is unreal. Universe is appeared/realize due to ignorance (अज्ञान/अविद्या) only [Snake & Rope Analogy], it is unreal and just like dream. After attaining the jnana and satya universe/world doesn't exist.  वो ब्रह्मैव नापरः which means ultimately there is no difference between Jiva (Ataman) and Brahman. The individuality of soul is also due to ignorance and after attaining jnana the non-duality (अद्वैत) of Ataman and Brahman is realized. Advaita emphasise/insist on self-realization/jnana (आत्मज्ञान)
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita has expounded that Supreme Brahman has two concepts viz. Nirguna and Saguna. Nirguna Brahman is formless, without attributes or quality. Saguna Brahman, in contrast, was envisioned and developed as with form, attributes and quality.
Vedas
Vedas are dualistic in their impact. But the Vedas talk of non-dualism or Advaita at some places in the Samhitas and extensively in the concluding part, namely the Upanishads. It is concluded that Vedas first postulated Dvaita which is already known to us in our daily experience and later talk of Advaita which is not known to us but seek to establish. Just as the flower appears first and then it drops off leaving the fruit in position, first we have Dvaita and later leave it, and comes over to Advaita.
Shiva Purana
As per Shiva Purana, the manifest form of the formless Being is Shiva. Shiva then created the physical form Shakti from his body. This Shakti is called by various names - Pradhana, Prakriti, Maya, Para. Shakti is the mother of Buddhi Tattva (The cosmic Intelligence).
Kapila’s Samkhya Darshan
Maharishi Kapil propounded Samkhya Darshan wherein he postulated that Prakriti is root of material forms and is not produced. From Prakriti, Mahat (intellect) is produced which in turn produces ego. From ego manas (mind), five subtle elements or tanmatra, arises and they in turn produces five gross elements, five organs (instruments) of senses or perception and five organs of actions.  Other than Prakriti is Jiva (Soul, Purusha). These are 23 elements. Kapil discovered that when the unconscious Prakriti comes in contact with the intelligent conscious Purusha, evolution of the universe begins. Purusha is pure consciousness absolute, eternal and subject to no change.  Samkhya believes in dualism i.e. the creation is by Prakriti and Jiva. “The Purusha (Atma) is mere knowledge without any indulgence in activity. Prakriti is mere activity but without knowledge (Jnana) or life and animation, (Jiva Chaitanya). Such is the clear-cut differentiation, without explaining how it is possible for the Jada (inanimate matter) to transform itself into the other Tatvas. The only explanation offered is that the presence of the Purusha (Jiva Chaitanya) is responsible for such mutations of the Jada.
 
Mandukya Upanishad
Mandukya Upanishad has beautifully explained dualism and non-dualism by four aspects of Atman - Waking, Dreaming, Deep Sleep and Turiya. During waking state, we perceive differentiation between self and rest of the world. consciousness is turned outward to the external world and operates through its seven instruments (five gross elements, individuation & flow of energy) and nineteen channels (four antahkaran, five Vayu, five sense organs & five organs of action) it experiences the gross objects of the phenomenal world. During the dreaming state, consciousness is turned towards the inner world. It also operates through seven instruments and nineteen channels, which engage the subtle objects of the mental realm. During deep Sleep state, there is neither the desire for any gross or subtle object, nor any dream sequences. During Turiya, consciousness is neither turned outward nor inward; it is beyond both cognition and the absence of cognition. This is the real Self.
 
Patanjali’s Yoga Darshan
Patanjali’s Yoga Darshan’ eight limb is Samadhi which leads to Moksha (loosing dual state). Samadhi is the state, when the mind remains for long time as non-attached, afflictions decay which lead to moksha. Samadhi has four stages viz. Savitarka (mind still active), Nirvitarka, Savichar and Nirvichar. On attaining excellence in Nirvichar Samadhi, one becomes pure and witness Brahman.  In all these samadhis, because of the connection with the prakriti—the seed from which everything originates remains i.e. dualism remains. In Nirvichar samadhi you have a separate experience wherein the mind loses all its limitation and it is filled with a new light and all past impressions are completely wiped out. But when you come back, you realize that you were in a higher state so that impression is still there. When even that impression is lost, you are in Nirbija samadhi. Once you go into Nirbija samadhi, there is no coming back. In this seedless state of Nirbija samadhi.
 
Prayers for universal well-being believing Non-Dualism -
  1. There is a universal prayer in ancient Hindu texts -
In Sanskrit - “ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः । सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् । ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ “
In English - Om May all be happy, may all be free from illness, may all see what is auspicious, may no-one suffer. Means – if all will be happy, we shall be automatically happy. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.
  1. Another philosophical thought is on universal peace -
In Sanskrit - अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्। उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥
In English - or those whose heart is big, the whole earth is family and for those whose heart is small, they think it is their own, it is alien.
 
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Vedic Education System – Sanatan Dharma

3/29/2024

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In the series of articles on Sanatan Dharma, another article on the value-based Vedic education system is posted herewith which envisions to make better citizens.  
 
The Vedic education system was prevalent in ancient Bharat which aimed at developing character, physical, ethical, intellectual and spiritual powers of the students. It dedicated the first stage of life for education. The acquisition of education and the holistic development of student followed the principles of simple living and living together with the teacher in Gurukuls. Unlike modern education bought at hefty fees and other expenses, Gurukul education system was based on teacher-disciple system without any fee; where rich and poor, royal and pauper studied together. Shree Rama in treta studied in the ashram of Rishi Vashistha with Nishadraj (King of Fishermen) who was from other backward caste and Shree Krishna educated in the ashram of Rishi Sandipani with Sudama who was born into a poor Brahmin family.
Unfortunately, the modern system of education brought to India in the year 1835 by Lord Macauley was commercial in nature; developed competition among students rather than personality development, laid less stress on personality development & creation of moral conscience. It was aimed at making students job-oriented which gradually wiped-out various professional skills.
Guru in Vedic Education:
Guru is Gu and Ru; Gu is darkness and Ru is remover. Guru dispels darkness, sin, and ignorance. Once Guru purifies himself both externally and internally and assumes the body of the deity he worships and propitiates, the body of the Guru is the same as the deity; his disciple receives a bit of the effulgence from the grace of the Guru. Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva all rolled into one.
In Vedic education system, teacher disciple relationship was ideal.   There are three levels at which learning takes place. There are subjective knowledge, objective knowledge and meta-knowledge. Subjective knowledge teaches one about self, it is useful as it promotes wellness and peace in an individual, makes them better leaders and affords them with better social organization skills.
A few verses are mentioned as under: -
  1. गुरुर्ब्रह्मा ग्रुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ॥
Meaning: Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu, Guru is Shankar, Guru is true Supreme Brahman. I bow down to such a Guru.
  1. विद्यां ददाति विनयं विनयाद् याति पात्रताम्। पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति धनात् धर्मं ततः सुखम्॥
Meaning: Education gives us humility; Merit comes from humility and we get money from merits and with this money, we do the work of codes of conduct and remain happy.
  1.  न चोरहार्य न राजहार्य न भ्रतृभाज्यं न च भारकारि !व्यये कृते वर्धति एव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्।।
Meaning: Which neither the thief can steal, nor the king can take away, nor it is difficult to handle, nor it can be divided among brothers, it is the wealth that is filled by spending is the knowledge that is the best.
 
First stage of life dedicated for Education:
In ancient India an ideal life was considered to pass through four stages, and Brahmacharya, the first stage of life is considered as the period of education. The rules and conduct of a Brahmachari are given in Manusmṛti, Chapter 2. The four stages in life are – first ashram i.e., Brahmacharya (upto 25 years), second ashram i.e.   Grahastha (25-50 years), third ashram i.e., Vanaprastha (50-75), fourth ashram i.e., Sannyasa.
A few verses are mentioned as under: -
  1. प्रथमेनार्जिता विद्या द्वितीयेनार्जितं धनं। तृतीयेनार्जितः कीर्तिः चतुर्थे किं करिष्यति ॥
Meaning: If one who has not acquired knowledge in the first ashram, has not earned money in the second ashram, has not earned fame in the third ashram and then what will he do in the fourth ashram.
  1. प्रथमेनार्जिता विद्या | द्वितीयेनार्जितं धनं। तृतीयेनार्जितः कीर्तिः (पुण्य कमाना) | चतुर्थे किं करिष्यति।।
Meaning: In first stage (Brahmacharya), if knowledge is not acquired; in second stage (Grihastha), if money is not earned; in third stage (Vanaprastha) if fame is not earned; what will he do in the fourth ashram (Sannyasa)?
 
Gurukul System of education:
The basic principle of Vedic Sanatan Dharma transmission from one generation to the next is the gurukul education, the parampara (lineage) of Guru – disciple relationship. Gurukul is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms guru and kula (कुल). Gurukul refers to “centres of learning around great teachers (Guru)” and forms part of the ancient Indian education system, which aimed at both the inner and the outer dimension of a person.
 
Gurukul system was a comprehensive and all-encompassing system of education viz. Mathematics, Science, Astronomy, Languages, Early Medicine etc. This system of Education aimed at overall personality development and character formation.
The Vedic school of thought prescribes the gurukul (sacred rite of passage) to all individuals before the age of 8 at least by 12. From initiation until the age of 25 all individuals are prescribed to be students and to remain unmarried, a celibate. Students were divided into three categories:
  1. Vasu – Those who get education till the age of 24 years.
  2. Rudra – Those who get education till the age of 36 years.
  3. Aditya – Those who get education till the age of 48 years.
No differentiation of rich and poor was made for the study in the Gurukuls.
The fee of the Guru or Acharya was called ‘Guru Dakshina’. Begging was an important part of the celibacy fast thus being compulsory for all to follow. This helped the Guru run the Kul. Also, subsidies from the kings and the government, along with generous donations from the people around helped the financial administration of the Gurukul. 
अभिषेचनोपवास ब्रह्मचर्यगुरुकुलवासवानप्रस्थ यज्ञदान प्रोक्षणदिङ्नक्षत्रमन्त्रकालनियमाश्चादृष्टाय ॥ ६.२.२ ॥
Meaning: Ablution, fast, brahmacharya, residence in the family of the preceptor, life of retirement in the forest, sacrifice, gift, oblation, directions, constellations, seasons, and religious observances conduce to invisible fruit. (Vaiseṣika sutra 6.2.2)

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The science in Sanskrit & Hindi language

3/14/2024

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Every Syllable of Sanskrit & Hindi language has science & meaning. The research shows distinctive advantages of Devanagari script in brain activity. Sanskrit too has this advantage as it is written in Devanagari script. The National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) scientists have discovered that reading Devnagari script involves more areas of human brain than roman scripts. All European languages like French, German Spanish etc use roman script. This means learning Sanskrit and Hindi are more advantageous for human brain. No wonder Indian students are excelling intellectually all over the world.

The scientists at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have acknowledged that Sanskrit is the most scientific language in which the words are written exactly in the manner they are spoken or thought of. If talking computers become a reality in the future, Sanskrit would be the most useful language for them.

A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins. Syllables are often considered the phonological "building blocks" of words. They can influence the rhythm of a language, its prosody, its poetic metre and its stress patterns.

Sanskrit alphabets contain 46 letters (13 vowels - अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ऋ, ऋ, लृ ए, ऐ, ओ, औ & 33 consonants - क्, ख, ग, घ, ङ्  च्, छ, ज्, झ्, ञ्  ट्, ठ, इ द्, ण्  त्, थ्, द्, ध्, न्  प्, फ्, ब, भ म्  य् र् ल्, व्  श्, ष्, स्, ह्) and Hindi Alphabets contain 52 letters (13 vowels - अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ए, ऐ, ओ, औ, ऋ अं अः, & 39 consonants - क, ख, ग, घ, ङ, च, छ, ज, झ, ञ, ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण, त, थ, द, ध, न, प, फ, व, भ म श, ष, स, ह य’, ‘र’, ‘ल’ व  क्ष, त्र, ज्ञ, श्र  ड’ एवं ‘ढ)). The writing direction is Left-To-Right, Horizontal. Sanskrit was the classical literary language of the Indian Hindus and Panini (6th – 5th BCE) is considered the scholar who standardised the grammar of Sanskrit language and founded classical Sanskrit. The pre-Classical form of Sanskrit is known as Vedic Sanskrit. The earliest attested Sanskrit text is the Rigveda. from the mid- to late-second millennium BCE.

The official Hindi alphabet has 46 letters divided into 11 vowels and 35 consonants. On the other hand, the traditional Hindi alphabet has 46 letters including 13 vowels and 33 consonants. Hindi uses more consonants than English does, and some of them have no direct equivalent in English.
  • 3Velar consonants, pronounced by using the back of the tongue at the roof of your mouth:
  • Velar consonants, pronounced by using the back of the tongue at the roof of your mouth.
  • Palatal consonants, pronounced by raising the front of the tongue just behind the gums.
  • Retroflex consonants, pronounced by curling the tongue backwards and touching the roof of your mouth just behind the gums.
  • Flap consonants, pronounced by “flapping” the tip of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth behind your upper front teeth.
  • Dental consonants, pronounced by touching the tip of your tongue behind the back of your upper front teeth.

Hindi Vowels & Consonants are governing scientifically in their pronunciation. Vocal cords and use of tongue are scientifically designed.
Vowels –
  1. Root vowels (Hrasva or mool swar – अ, इ, उ, ए, ओ) Their pronunciation takes a certain amount of time to pronounce them.
  2. Long vowels (Dirgh swar - आ, ई, ऊ, ऐ, औ)– Their pronunciation takes twice as long as the root vowel.
  3.  Plut vowels (Plut swar) - The pronunciation of the plut vowel takes three times as long as the root vowel. Like ओउम्।
  4. Dependent Vowels - In Hindi, the vowels have a dependent form called matra (मात्रा). Each vowel has a definite symbol called Matra (मात्रा). They cannot be written alone and have to be accompanied by a consonant. आ (ा), इ (ि), ई (ी), उ (ु), ऊ (ू), ऋ (ृ), ए (े), ऐ (ै), ओ (ो), औ (ौ)
Consonants -
  1. Touch Consonants - These are those consonants whose pronunciation is performed with the tongue touching the original pronunciation places (larynx, palate, pharynx, teeth, lips). The first five groups of consonants (25) fall in the category of touch consonants. Tongue touches the following –
    • Larynx: क, ख, ग, घ, ङ (ka, kha, ga, gha, ṅa)
    • Palate: च, छ, ज, झ, ञ (ca, cha, ja, jha, ña)
    • Pharynx: ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण (ṭa, ṭha, ḍa, ḍha, ṇa)
    • Teeth: त, थ, द, ध, न (ta, tha, da, dha, na)
    • Lips: प, फ, ब, भ, म (pa, pha, ba, bha, ma)
  2. Non-Touching Consonants - The consonants that do not touch any part of the mouth. When they are pronounced, they are pronounced from inside the mouth. These are 4 - य, र, ल, व् (ya, ra, la, v)
  3. Heat Consonants – These consonants produce heat while being pronounced.  These are also 4 in number श, ष, स, ह (śa, ṣa, sa, ha).
  4. Combined Consonants – These consonants are formed by the combination of two consonants. क्ष (क्+ष) - kṣa (k+ṣa), (त्+र) - tra (t+ra), (ज्+ञ) - jña (j+ña), (श्+र) - śra (ś+ra)
  5. Labial consonants, pronounced by using the lips together.
  6. Semivowels are vowel-like consonants.
  7. Sibilant consonants, pronounced by using the tip of the tongue to push air out in a hissing noise.
  8. Glottal consonants, pronounced by using the glottis.
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Spiritualism in Sanatan Dharma

3/2/2024

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Sanatan Dharma is the outcome of collective wisdom and research done over thousands of years by ancient rishis (scientists). The beauty of Sanatan Dharma is nectar of scientific process viz. observations, calculations, testing and resultant values.
 
Sanatan Dharma is based on the premise of well-being of entire humanity, peace and progress. This is the ideal situation, anyone can envisage. It counts not only human beings, but also animals, plants and entire universe.
 
It, not only postulate the principles for living ones and but also after death. The dynamics of body, mind, self and universal self has been lucidly explained to achieve the liberation from cycle of re-birth and agonies of births.
 
A few verses are been selected to explain the core of spirituality in Sanatan Dharma as under: -
 
Spirituality:
  1. नद्यः स्वयमेव नाम्भः खादन्ति न स्वादु फलानि वृक्षाः। पयोधराः सस्यमदन्ति नैव परोपकाराय सतां विभूतयः॥

Meaning: The rivers do not drink their own water; the trees do not eat their own tasty fruits; the clouds do not eat the crop themselves, Wealth of the virtuous ones (should be) for helping others.
  1. ऐश्वरस्य विभूषणं सुजनता शौर्यस्य वाक्संयमः ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयो वित्तस्य पात्रे व्ययः। अक्रोधः तपसः क्षमा प्रभवितुः धर्मस्य निर्व्याजता सर्वेषामपि सर्वकारणमिदं शीलं परं भूषणम्॥

Meaning: Nobility is the ornament of greatness; restraint over speech, of courage; Calmness, of knowledge; obedience, of learning; wise spending of wealth; Control of one’s anger, of penance; patience, of efficiency, straight-forwardness, of dharma; Good character is the base for all the above qualities and is the greatest ornament of all.
  1. अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविन:। चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशोबलं।।

Meaning: Age, knowledge, fame and strength of a man increase who greets elders and a person who constantly serves the elderly.
  1. हस्तस्य भूषणम दानम, सत्यं कंठस्य भूषणं। श्रोतस्य भूषणं शास्त्रम,भूषनै:किं प्रयोजनम।।

Meaning: Ornament of hand is charity, ornament of neck is truth, ornament of ear is listening what is need of other ornaments.
  1. सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्माश्रिता सदा। सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम्।।

Meaning: Truth is God. The goddess of wealth always takes refuge in truth. Truth is the root of everything. It is supreme and there is nothing above it.
  1. धान्यानामुत्तमं दाक्ष्यं धनानामुत्तमं श्रुतम् । लाभानां श्रेय आरोग्यं सुखानां तुष्टिरुत्तमा ॥

Meaning: Skill is superior to material things; knowledge is superior to wealth; Health is superior to profits and contentment is the best form of happiness.
  1. क्रोधः प्रीतिं प्रणाशयति मानो विनयनाशनः । माया मित्त्राणि नाशयति लोभः सर्वविनाशनः

Meaning: Anger destroys love, pride destroys modesty, hypocrisy destroys friendship, while greed destroys everything.
  1. उपाध्यायान् दशाचार्य आचार्याणां शतं पिता। सहस्रं तु पितॄन् माता गौरवेणातिरिच्यते॥

Meaning: A preceptor is more than ten ordinary teachers, our father is superior to a hundred such preceptors, but our mother surpasses the glory of a thousand fathers.
  1. नास्ति विद्यासमं चक्षु: नास्ति सत्यसमं तप:। नास्ति रागसमं दुःखं नास्ति त्यागसमं सुखम्।।
 
Meaning: Meaning: There is no eye like knowledge, no penance like truth, no sorrow like attachment and there is no happiness like a sacrifice.
 
  1. गौरवं प्राप्यते दानात् न तु वित्तस्य सञ्चयात्। स्थितिरुच्चैः पयोदानां पयोधीनामधः स्थितिः॥
 
Meaning: Respectability comes from giving and not collecting. Clouds (attain) a higher position and the oceans, a lower one.
 
  1. सत्येनोत्पद्यते धर्मो दयादानैर्विवर्धते । क्षमया स्थाप्यते धर्मः क्रोधलोभैर्विनश्यति ॥
 
Meaning: Dharma arises from Truth. Through compassion and offerings, it grows. Through forbearance, it endures (remains in existence). Through anger and greed, it disappears.
 
  1. शान्तितुल्यं तपो नास्ति न सन्तोषात् परं सुखम्। न तृष्णायाः परो व्याधिः न च धर्मो दयापरः।।
 
Meaning: There is no penance like peace, no happiness like contentment, no disease like lust and there is no Dharma like kindness.
 
  1. अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः । यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥
 
Meaning: Whole beings are born from food, food originates from rain, rain comes from sacrifice and yajna is to be produced by prescribed actions.
 
  1. ज्ञानं यस्य समीपे स्यात् मदस्तस्मिन्न विद्यते। यस्य पार्श्वे भवेत् गर्व:ज्ञानं तस्य कुतो भवेत्।।
 
Meaning: Who has knowledge then He cannot have ego. one who has ego then He doesn't have the knowledge.
 
  1. रथः शरीरं पुरुषस्य राजत्रात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्यस्य चाश्चाः। तैरप्रमत्तः कुशली सदश्वैर्दान्तैः सुखं याति रथीव धीरः ॥
 
Meaning: The human-body is the chariot, the soul (intellect) is its charioteer, the senses are its horses. The person who holds them carefully, cleverly and wisely travels happily in the world like a superior Rathwan.
 
  1. धॄति: क्षमा दमोऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रह:। धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम्॥ 
 
Meaning: There are ten characteristics of 'Dharma' - patience, forgiveness, self-control, non- stealing, purity, control of senses, intelligence, knowledge, truth, non-anger.
 
  1. एषाम् न विद्या न तपो न दानम् ज्ञानम् न शीलम् न गुणो न धर्म: । ते मर्त्यलोके भुविभारभूता मनुष्यरूपेण मृगाश्चरन्ति ॥
 
Meaning: A person who is not educated, who is not ready to work hard, who does not donate whatever he has, who does not have knowledge, who does not have a good character, good qualities and one who does not obey dharma, such a person on this earth is just a useless person, he is as good as any other animal.
 
  1.  ईशावास्यमिदम् सर्वम् यत् किञ्च जगत्याम् जगत् । तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृध: कस्यस्विद् धनम् ॥
Meaning: In this moving world, whatever moves is pervaded by God. Therefore, you find your enjoyment by offering it to him. It belongs to no one, be no greedy to what belongs to others. Whatever animate or inanimate objects we witness in this world are the abode of the Almighty. Enjoy it with a sense of renunciation, do not grab, because it belongs to nobody i.e., the resources of the world belong to God and it is for his pleasure that they ought to be used.
 
  1. षड् दोषा: पुरूषेणेह हातव्या भूतिमिच्छता | निद्रा तन्द्रा भयं क्रोध: आलस्यं दीर्घसूत्रता ||
 
Meaning: One who wishes to prosper in this world, should keep back the following six faults sleep (too much sleep or ignorance), lethargy, fear, anger, laziness and miserliness (stinginess or procrastinate i.e., one who is slow in acting, takes too long for decisions etc.).
 
  1.  यथा धेनुसहस्त्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् | तथा पूर्वकॄतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति ||
 
Meaning: Calf recognizes its mother among the herd of thousands of cows; the same way, karma of previous birth (good and bad deeds) goes with the doer.
 
  1. एकवर्णं यथा दुग्धं भिन्नवर्णासु धेनुषु | तथैव धर्मवैचित्र्यं तत्त्वमेकम् परं स्मॄतम् || महाभारत

Meaning: The cows of different colours produce milk of one colour, in the same way, the principle taught by different religions is one.
  1. जरा रूपं हरति, धैर्यमाशा, मॄत्यु:प्राणान् , धर्मचर्यामसूया | क्रोध: श्रियं , शीलमनार्यसेवा , ह्रियं काम: , सर्वमेवाभिमान: ||
 
Meaning: The old age snatches away the beauty, hope takes away the courage, death defeats the life, hatred will destroy one’s noble attitude (dharmic behaviour), anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away ones 'sheela-bhava', uncontrolled desire will take away the shyness and false pride will take away all the good things!
 
  1. मैत्री करूणा मुदितोपेक्षाणां | सुख दु:ख पुण्यापुण्य विषयाणां | भावनातश्चिज्ञल्त;प्रासादनम् |
 
Meaning: Signs of good human being - Getting delighted and feeling friendly by seeing others joys, getting dejected by seeing others sorrows, feeling happiness and satisfied by seeing others good work ('punya karma') and feeling ignorant on the bad deeds of others.
 
  1.  चिज्ञल्त;स्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये | वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किंचित्कर्मेकोटिभि: ||
 
Meaning: The whole purpose of worship (Like chanting 'mantras', performing 'puja' etc.) is for purifying the mind and not for attaining the spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge can only be attained by deep thinking and reading and would not be attained even if anyone chants millions of 'mantras'.
 
  1.  अमॄतं चैव मॄत्युश्च द्वयं देहप्रातिष्ठितम् | मोहादापद्यते मॄत्यु: सत्येनापद्यतेऽमॄतम् ||
 
Meaning: Immortality and death both these reside in the body only. Death comes because of temptation; and immortality by the truth.
 
  1. शतेषु जायते शूरः सहस्रेषु च पण्डितः! वक्ता दशसहस्रेषु दाता भवति वा न वा !!
Meaning: There is a knight in hundred persons, a scholar in a thousand persons, a good speaker in ten thousand people, and there is only one donor in a million.
 
Time & its Component:
  1. तिथिर्विष्णुस्तथा वारो नक्षत्रं विष्णुरेव च  | योगश्च करणं चैव सर्वं विष्णुमयं जगत्   ||
Meaning: Tithi, Var and Nakshatra are part of Lord Vishnu and so are Yoga and Karan, it Meaning whole world is Vishnu.
The shloka explains five components - Tithi, Var, Nakshatra, Yoga & Karan. This is Panchang. Moon travels around earth which is Tithi. Time between sunrise to the next sunrise is called a day, Half of the day is Karan. The difference of a constellation between the Sun and the Moon is yoga. Yoga is ending moment for the angular relationship between the Moon and Sun.  One Yoga also equals 13 degrees and 20 minutes and there is 27 Yogas in 360 degrees. There is a total of 27 nakshatras and 27 yogas and 11 karans.
  1. चैत्रे मासि जगद् ब्रह्मा ससर्ज प्रथमेऽहनि। शुक्लपक्षे समग्रे तु तदा सूर्योदये सति।।
Meaning: - with sunrise on first day of Shukla paksha of Hindu month of Chaitra, Brahmaji started the creation of the universe.
 
Dynamics of Life:
  1. यथा ह्येकेन चक्रेण न रथस्य गतिर्भवेत्! एवं परुषकारेण विना दैवं न सिद्ध्यति !!
Meaning: Just as a chariot cannot run without a wheel, similarly no one’s fate can be proved without effort.
  1. विद्या मित्रं प्रवासेषु, भार्या मित्रं गृहेषु च! व्याधितस्यौषधं मित्रं, धर्मो मित्रं मृतस्य च !!
Meaning: Travelling of Knowledge, house for wife, medicine for patients and dharma for deceased are biggest friends.
 
Dynamics of body-mind-breath:
  1. योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ।
Meaning: Yoga is restraining the mind-impulses (Chitta-stuff) from taking various forms (Vrttis).
  1. यावद्बध्दो मरुद देहे यावच्चित्तं निराकुलम्। यावद्द्रॄष्टिभ्रुवोर्मध्ये तावत्कालभयं कुत:
Meaning: So long as the breath is restrained in the body, so long as the mind is undisturbed, and so long as the gaze is fixed between the eyebrows, there is no fear from Death.
  1. आशाया ये दासास्ते दासाः सर्वलोकस्य । आशा येषां दासी तेषां दासायते लोकः ॥
Meaning: People who are servants of desires are also servants of the whole world. For those to whom desire is a servant, the whole world also is a servant.
  1. मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः।
Meaning: The mind is the cause of man’s salvation as well as bondage.
  1. अभ्दि: गात्राणि शुध्यन्ति मन: सत्येन शुध्यति। ‪विद्यातपोभ्यां भूतात्मा बुध्दिज्ञाम्परानेन शुध्यति॥
 
Meaning: Body parts are purified by water. Mind is purified by truth. Soul is purified by learning and penance. While intelligence is purified by knowledge.
 
  1. इंद्रियाणि पराण्याहु: इंद्रियेभ्य: परं मन: | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धि: यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: ||
 
Meaning: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and the soul is even higher than the intelligence.
 
Liberation from rebirth:
  1. अमृतत्वस्य तु नाशास्ति वित्तेन ।
Meaning: Immortality cannot be achieved by wealth.
  1. विवेकख्यातिरविप्लवा हानोपायः।
Meaning: Uninterrupted practice of discrimination (between real and unreal) is the Meaning to liberation and the cessation of ignorance.​
  1. धनानि भूमौ पशवश्च गोष्ठे भार्या गृहद्वारि जनः श्मशाने। देहश्चितायां परलोकमार्गे कर्मोनुगो गच्छति जीव एकः॥
Meaning: Wealth remains on the earth, cattle in the cow-shed, wife inside the house, the relatives at the crematorium, and the body on the pyre, but on the way to the other world, it is one’s actions (Karma) that alone follows.​
Universal Being:
  1. ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते पूर्णश्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥
Meaning: You are the fullness. There is fullness, here is fullness. From the fullness, the fullness is born. Remove the fullness from the fullness and the fullness alone remains. Implied Meaning - That (Brahman) is infinite, and this (universe) is infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. (Then) taking the infinitude of the infinite (universe), it remains as the infinite (Brahman) alone.
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Liberation of Soul (Jiva) from Re-Birth

2/24/2024

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Soul (Jiva) means spiritual ego or “I” sense ensouled in a body. During material embodiment, it identifies itself with body-mind and is called Pseudo ego. Jiva is witness and endowed with consciousness & will - the powers to know, to act and to enjoy.
 
Due to actions (Karmas) done in past lives, Jiva is burdened and is in bondage with physical body. The bondage creates ignorance (Avidya) of its true nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). Rather, the Jiva identifies itself with the physical body and its constituents – mind, ego and Intellect which are products of Prakriti.
 
When jiva is suppressed by ignorance, its Outward consciousness (Dharmabhuta-jnana) is contracted. When Jiva is liberated, he continues to maintain his individuality, his Dharmabhuta-Jnana expands and becomes merged in that of God.
 
Destiney of Jivas:
Nibarkacharya explained that Mumuksus or Jivas who strive for liberation and perform good deeds, they depart to higher destiny as under:
  1. Path of Smoke (Dhumadi-marga) – The Jivas who have done good deeds but are not yet eligible for release, they go to this sphere. Several deities take them to the lunar sphere where they enjoy the fruits of their good deeds. After exhausting these, they come back for higher evolution.
  2. Path of Light (Arciradi-marga) – The Jivas who have attained Bhakti and are eligible for liberation through the God’s grace, go by this sphere. Jivas go clothed in the subtle body, which the gross body has been sheathing till death. Jivas clothed in subtle body, reaches Brahmaloka, passing through eleven regions – the Day, the Bright Half of the month, the summer Solstice, Year, Vayuloka, Adityaloka, Chandraloka, Vidyulloka, Varunaloka, and Prajapitaloka. From Prajapatiloka, the Jiva penetrates through the material boundary (Prakrta-mandala) and enters the precincts of Parama-dhama, the supreme abode. There the Jiva casts off his subtle body and meets Heavenly Beings who carry him beyond that region. Then the Jiva reaches the Vishnuloka where he gets a body that is not material (Aprakrta). He now becomes aware of the Purushottama, the Supreme Being. The Jiva realizes that he shares the nature of God in spite of his inherent difference from Him and never takes re-birth. He is liberated from all karma and attains Mukti.
Requisites for Salvation of Jivas:
According to Madhvacharya, the Jivas who are receptive to spiritual values, and through repeated embodiments they evolve into better and better person, and finally through concentrated spiritual disciplines and God’s grace gain salvation. These Jivas are called as Mukti-yogyas. The requisite qualifications for attaining the liberation are described as under:
  1. Performance of one’s duties and other noble works without any desire and as offerings to God (Niskama-karma).
  2. The foremost requirement is Vairagya or freedom from worldly attachment. Unless these attachments gradually get attenuated, no spiritual progress is possible.
  3. Sound ethics is the foundation of spirituality; and intense worldly attachments stand in the way of both.
  4. Kama (desires especially sexuality), Krodha (anger) and Lobha (greed), are the gateways to perdition, according to Gita. Persons who wants spiritual upliftment is asked to abandon them.
  5. As attachments grow less and less, the Jiva begins to develop faith in God, the Independent Being, and a sense of one’s dependence on Him. He becomes receptive to spiritual values. He is then fit for Sarvana (hearing from proper teacher, the meaning of the scripture dealing with the devotion to God), Manana (what he has heard and learnt he has to reflect upon and gradually making it as a part and parcel of his thought structure).
  6. When all his attachments have weakened and his intellectual doubts on God and his relationship of absolute dependence on Him, the one Independent Being, are cleared, then he is fit for Nididhyasana or one pointed and continuous meditation on Him and His attributes.
  7. There is need of competent Guru to explain the correct meaning of the scripture and guide one in one’s spiritual practices. The blessing of the Guru is considered to be essential factor in one’s efforts in the field.
  8. Long and intensive practice of Dhyana leads to direct realization (Aparoksanubuti). The intensity of one’s aspiration and efforts has special significance in this system.
 
Liberation or Salvation of Jiva from Re-Birth:
When all his evil tendencies must already have been erased before he attains this state of spiritual excellence, only virtuous actions in harmony with the divine dispensation will be performed by him.
 
Through spiritual discipline, the person realizes that his being is only a Sarra (body) of God and therefore he is Sesa (servant), he does not entertain the pseudo or false ego, and so all his actions are burnt in the fire of knowledge. He has no craving for the fruits of actions nor has he a sense of agency, except as being instrument of the divine.
 
In Advaitic conception of Mukti, the Jiva loses his individuality in Brahman, as river becoming one with ocean. In Dvaita system, the individuality of each Jiva as an individual differing from every other and having different grades of capacity for the attainment of bliss is retained in the state of Mukti also.
 
According to Madhva, Salvation is not Jiva’s death, but enjoyment of intense bliss while still retaining individuality.
  1. In Moksha, there is variation in the degree of enlightenment and bliss by the Jiva, and this depends on the degree of intensity of the practice.
  2. God’s grace is the ultimate cause of liberation.
 
The system recognizes the four-fold distinctions in Moksha as under:
  1. Salokya – Jiva has residence in the same region;
  2. Samipya – Jiva near Him;
  3. Sarupya – Jiva having a form similar to Him in many respects;
  4. Sayujya – Jiva having togetherness with Him.
 
The Jiva attain them according their eligibility. But no Jiva can get cosmic powers of God like creation. It is said that Abode has three regions – Svetadvipa, Anantasena and Vaikuntha.
 
After the Parabdha, there is destruction of the effects of Karma. It is followed by Utranti which means death of gross body, preparatory for the abandonment of the subtle body (Linga-sarira) which has been the subtle medium clothed in which the Jiva has been passing through the trans-migratory cycles. The Jiva passes through several subtle regions conducted by heavenly messengers and attains to the Brahma-loka where he remains with Brahma (Hiranya-garbha or the world soul) until the creative cycle ends and Brahma enters into the being of Vishnu, the Supreme Being. Along with him the released Jivas also enter that Supreme Abode known as Vaikuntha. Attaining to that blessed state the Jiva never returns to the spheres of transmigration. He enjoys its felicity through eternity. Having dropped the subtle bodies, the Jivas get bodies of Suddha-sattva. They can assume any form they like.
 
Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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Sanatana Dharma, Simply Great

11/17/2023

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