Brahman, Almighty, Supreme Being, Ishvara or Purusha is “Neti-Neti” means “neither this, nor that". .It is found in the Upanishads helping a person to understand the nature of the Brahman by negating everything that is not Brahman. One of the key elements of Jnana Yoga practice is often a "neti neti search." The purpose of the exercise is to negate all objects of consciousness, including thoughts, Intellect and the mind, and to realize the non-dual awareness of reality, which cannot be defined.
Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma - one of the three faces of the Hindu Trinity) is said to be the Ultimate Reality - the unchanging or absolute truth behind ever changing phenomenal world. It is beyond mind and its limitations. Consciousness is the awareness of its existence (External or Internal). This Truth or Satyam is elucidated in Hindu Scriptures in depth. It has nothing to do with the common truthfulness which is related to ethics or morality. Truth or Satyam:
Ritam or Orderliness: In the Vedic religion, Ṛitam is the principle of natural order which regulates and coordinates the operation of the universe and everything within it. Satyam is Truth and Ritam is the law that governs the working of that Truth. So, although both words basically mean the same, there is still a subtle difference between the two. The Supreme Being (Purusha) holds together both Ritam and Satyam in blissful harmony. The Vedic Seers of yore reconciled the relativity of Ritam and Satyam in the concept of “Dharma", that is “Purusha”. In Vedic context Ritam and Satyam are the two inseparable aspects of the “Purusha” Who is the Whole Unified Universe. The first hymn, addressed to Agni, suggest the central conception of truth. Truth is truth of divine essence, not truth of moral sensation and appearance. It is “Satyam”, truth of Bring; it is its action Ritam, i.e., right, - truth of divine being regulating right activity both mind and body; it is brhat, i.e., large as opposed to the consciousness of sense-mind which is founded upon limitation. The one is described as bhuma, the large, the other as alpa, the little. Truth consciousness is Mahas which also means the great, the vast. We have for the instruments the senses, the sense-mind (manas) and intellect working upon their evidence, so for the truth-consciousness there are corresponding faculties, - drsti, sruti, viveka i.e., the direct vision of the truth, the direct hearing of its word, the direct discrimination of the right. Ritam is the symbol of dynamic orderliness. It is the principle of cosmic harmony. It is the Natural Law underlying all that moves and moves not. In Rig Veda (10.190.1) - ऋ॒तं च॑ स॒त्यं चा॒भी॑द्धा॒त्तप॒सोऽध्य॑जायत । ततो॒ रात्र्य॑जायत॒ तत॑: समु॒द्रो अ॑र्ण॒वः ॥ ऋ॒तम् । च॒ । स॒त्यम् । च॒ । अ॒भी॑द्धात् । तप॑सः । अधि॑ । अ॒जा॒य॒त॒ । ततः॑ । रात्री॑ । अ॒जा॒य॒त॒ । ततः॑ । स॒मु॒द्रः । अ॒र्ण॒वः ॥ “Truth (of thought) and truthfulness (of speech) were born of arduous penance, thence was night generated, thence also the watery ocean.” Hence, RV 10.190.1 indicates that Ritam and Satyam first arose from tapas (fervour / heat) and that the night (ratri) and the ocean were established after these. Similarly, RV 10.85.1 states that Satyam upholds the earth (satyenottabhitā bhūmiḥ) while the Adityas stand secure because of the Ritam.
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Sins committed & their consequences – Shiva Purana
The chapters 4 to 14 of Section 5, Uma-saṃhita of Shiva Purana discuss about committing sins and their consequences. Shiva is soul of all living beings. Shiva manifests as Brahma. Viṣhnu and Shiva. It is both three-symbolled and symbol less. There are eight classes of gods. Human beings constitute the ninth. There are five types of lower beings. Thus, there are fourteen types of living beings. All living beings past, present and future originate from Shiva, flourish in him and finally merge into him. All heroic beings, even Vishnu and mighty people, have been overwhelmed by the mighty Kama, born of the mind who has no other helper. Sins causing their fall into great hells.
The sinner has to bear the results of the auspicious and the inauspicious actions. Men who have performed auspicious rites who are of gentle minds, endowed with the quality of compassion, go to Yama’s abode through the gentle entrance at the East. Sinners, habitually performing sinful actions and devoid of charitable nature, pass through the terrible path and enter Yama’s abode (situated at a distance of 11.18 lakh Kms from the Earth) by the southern gate. They have by this time become ghosts. Having thus traversed the path they finally reach the city of the dead with great hardship. They are then ushered into the presence of Yama by the emissaries after due announcement. Consequences of auspicious actions - Yama welcomes with pleasure and due honour, all those who had performed auspicious rites in this world. Ascend the celestial aerial chariot and go to heaven to enjoy the pleasures in the company of celestial damsels and fulfil your cherished desires. After enjoying pleasures there, in the end when the merit is exhausted return to this place for reaping the fruit of what little evil you may have committed. They are purified gradually in the fires of hell (naraka). At the end of the seventh nether-world Tala, there are twenty-eight Narakakotis situated in terrible darkness. The great zones of hell (naraka-maṇḍala) are forty hundreds. In the hellish fires, the sinners are roasted and dried up by diverse tortures till their action is exhausted completely. Men who perform auspicious rites here, whose minds are gentle and who are merciful pass through the terrible path of Yama happily.
Planets and Zodiac
The planets have most powerful influences on the earth and inhabitants of the earth. All the planets perform the double function of not only revolving on their own axes once in day (from west to east) but also round the Sun. The velocity of each planet diminishes as its distance from the earth increases. As per Vedic astrology, nine planets are Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. These planets rules different signs (rashis). Aries & Scorpio are ruled by Mars; Taurus & Libra ruled by Venus; Gemini & Virgo by Mercury; Capricorn & Aquarius by Saturn; Pisces & Sagittarius by Jupiter; Cancer by Moon; Leo by Sun. Nature of Planets:
Relationships among Planets:
Relationship between Planets & Zodiac houses / signs - Planets become temporary friends in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th and 12th signs from any other planet. Those in the remaining signs become temporary enemies.
Attributes of Planets: Each planet has its own inherent qualities/traits and behaviour. All planets have a strong intrinsic relationship and mixed effects on a person’s life.
Rigveda is the oldest compilation of human wisdom. It is an amalgamation of four major components viz. the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aryankas and the Upanishads. The Samhitas are the texts involving the hymns to the deities and constitute the oldest section of the Rig Veda. The Brahmanas are the section pertaining to the commentaries for the hymns. The Aryankas are also known as the forest books and the Upanishads include other verses of religious text.
The main part of Rigveda belongs to Natural hymns, the hymns related with natural forces. In the hymns we find prayers for certain natural elements such as air, water, earth, sun, rain, dawn etc. The glorious brightness of the sun, the blaze of the sacrificial fire, the sweep of the rain-storm across the skies, the recurrence of the dawn, the steady currents of the winds, the violence of the tropical storm and other such natural energies, fundamental activities or aspects are glorified and personified as divinities (Devata). In Rigveda the names of major deities are, such as Agni, Indra, Vayu, Earth, Soma, Varuna, Vishnu, Aditya, Usha, Aditi, Parjanya, etc. Through Vedic symbolism we can understand the formation of Vedic deities. Aim of Rigvedic Mantras: Rigvedic Sanskrit mantras are built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. The ultimate aim of the mantras in Rigveda is to purify the human mind through knowledge. Darkness is symbol of lack of knowledge or illusionary living, which makes us devoid of justness and sagacity. In the Rigveda-Samhita we find a unique prayer for social unity. It is called Samjnana sukta. The term 'Samjnana' gives the sense of unity in thoughts. The unanimity and harmony on mental and intellectual level among the people gathered is its purpose. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda. The devotee invokes the Lord of creation to inspire mankind with the feeling of love, and the Lord commands that all should be bound together with a common aim, common thought and common will. Composition of Rigveda:
Symbolism in Rigveda: Sri Aurobindo and Sri Kapali Shastry suggest that Vedas have at least two interpretations, the surface or the external interpretation and the internal or esoteric or symbolic interpretation. The Vedic gods are described as children of Light, sons of Aditi, of infinity. Demons are opposite. They represent the struggle between the powers of the higher good and the lower desire. All the gods are conquerors and givers of Cow, the Horse and divine riches. Internally, the Cow (go, gomati) is the symbol of consciousness in the form of knowledge, Light. Horse (asva, asvavati) is the symbol of consciousness in the form of force; usually asva signifies a horse which is a figure of the Prana, the nervous energy, the vital breath, the half-mental, half material dynamism. This links mind and matter. The prana moves in the vital or dynamic plane. He purifies the nervous life in man and lift upward its impulsions and desires. Light of dawn is the symbol of inner illumination. The night is the image of inner darkness, obscure consciousness, and full of ignorance. Dasyus are identified with the Darkness. Heaven in Veda was a symbol of the mind. All their details symbolised man’s effort and his means towards a greater end, the acquisition of immortality. The Rig Veda itself asserts (1164.46 & 170.1) that the gods are only different names and expressions of one universal Being who transcends the universe; but from the language of the hymns, we are compelled to perceive in the gods not only different names, but also different forms, powers and personalities of the one Deva. For the external sense of the Veda the Gods are universal powers of physical Nature personified; in any inner sense they must be universal powers of Nature in her subjective activities, Will, Mind, etc.
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. External Rituals for Material Prosperity: Externally, offerings are done in Vedic sacrifice (also called Yajna) to please the Vedic gods. The sacrifices of food, possessions etc., prayers and chants of Rig Vedic hymns in the ritual worship bring material prosperity and fulfilment of worldly desires.
According to the ritualist interpretation, food, fame or gold are the constituents of wealth desired by the Vedic sages. But even the prosperity, fullness of cows, horses, gold, men, chariots, offspring, is not a final end in itself, all this a means towards the opening up of the other worlds, the winning Swar, the ascent to the solar heavens, the attainment by the path of the truth to the Light and to the heavenly Bliss where the mortal arrives at immortality. The Upanishadic seers cautioned people against over indulgence in ritual practices, suggesting that ritual knowledge constituted inferior knowledge or ignorance (avidya), and was an obstacle to liberation. They cautioned them against overdependence upon rituals or ritual knowledge to resolve human suffering, and urged them to focus upon both ritual and spiritual practices by internalizing the rituals for liberation. Internal for Spiritual Upliftment & Immortality: Sri Aurobindo in his book “The Secrets of the Rig Veda” mentioned that the Vedas has disclosed the cosmic body is similar to human body. Rituals are the starting-point for a spiritual thought and experience. The central conception of the Rig Veda is the conquest of the Truth and Immortality. For the Vedic Ritam is a spiritual as well as psychological conception. Gods are clearly the symbols of sense functions in the human being. Soma, the plant which yielded the mystic wine for Vedic sacrifice, has not only the God of the moon, but manifests himself as mind in the human being. Adi Shankara explained that Hindu deities live or rule over the cosmic body as well in the temple of human body. They remark that the Sun deity is the eyes, the Vayu the nose, the Prajapati the sexual organs, the Lokapalas the ears, moon the mind, Mitra the inward breath, Varuna the outward breath, Indra the arms, Bṛhaspati the speech, Vishnu, whose stride is great, is the feet, and Maya is the smile.
The whole Rig Veda is a triumph-chant of the powers of Light, and their ascent by the force and vision of the Truth to its possession in its source and seat where it is free from the attack of the falsehood. “By Truth the cows (illumined thoughts) enter into Truth; labouring towards the Truth, the Truth one conquers; the aggressive force of the Truth seeks the cows of Light and goes breaking through (the enemy); for Truth the two wide ones (Heaven & Earth) become multitudinous and deep, for Truth the two supreme Mothers give their yield. Reference:
Punya & Paap (Good & Bad deeds) - Software of new Born
Vedas for Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha
Vedas are believed to be divine revelation in earlier Sanskrit language and are the oldest available scriptures of the mankind dates back prior to 2000 BC transmitted verbally from generation to generation. Vedic rites and rituals invoke auspiciousness, peace, goodwill, and the blessings of the deities. Vedic Mantras, the sacred formula, are powerful and effective if chanted with full consciousness and attention, and with an understanding of their meanings. Vedic Science & Modern Science: Renowned scientists throughout modern history, including Werner Heisenberg, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Carl Sagan, Erwin Schrodinger, and Hans-Peter Durr, publicly admit that the Bhagavad-Gita and Vedic texts illuminated their understanding of key scientific explanations and discoveries. Werner Heisenberg, German Nobel prize winner in Physics, the father of Quantum Mechanics, saw parallels between the Vedic concepts of non-duality and the principles of quantum mechanics, which describe the behaviour of particles in terms of wave-particle duality, uncertainty, and non-locality. He believed that the principles of quantum mechanics could be used to help explain the nature of reality and the interconnectedness of all things. Father of an Atomic Bomb, Julius Robert Oppenheimer quoted – Access to the Vedas is the greatest privilege this century may claim over all previous centuries. In fact, Vedic Maths is so versatile that even NASA has applied certain concepts from Vedic Mathematics to artificial intelligence. What are the Vedas: Vedas contain Hindu philosophy & rituals, scientific phenomena and knowledge accumulated by seers & sages (ancient Hindu scientists). Vedas are four - Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Rigveda contains prayers to Gods (Riks are the mantras). Yajurveda has methods to use Riks for sacrifices (Yajus - Yajna). Sama Veda introduces musical notes. Atharva Veda gives ways to make life successful. Each Veda has three sections - Samhita, Brahmana and Aranyaka. Samhita has prayers or Suktas. Brahmana has sacrificial methods. Aranyaka has Mantras and methods that are practiced in the forests (that is, not for grhasthas). Upanishads normally appear in the last part of Aranyaka and deal with spiritual philosophy. How Vedas impact: Albert Einstein said “Everything in life is Vibration”. Everything is pulsating with a form of energy. The Vedas have more than 20, 000 mantras and each mantra when chanted produces sound vibrations that impact specific neurons of the body. The basic aim of chanting mantras is to induce certain sound frequencies that impact our neurons coherently and synergistically. Vedic chanting is said to help develop one's mental powers and strength, ease stress, and take one to a higher level of consciousness. Regular chanting of mantras is believed to wipe out fear, anger and depression, and help relieve disorders of the respiratory, digestive, reproductive, circulatory, speech, intellectual and cognitive systems. Vedic chanting is said to help develop one's mental powers and strength, ease stress, and take one to a higher level of consciousness. Chanting also improves one's memory and power of concentration, so crucial if one wants to be an achiever. Dr. Howard Steingull, an American Scientist established that the recitation of Gayatri Mantra produces a frequency of 110,000 Hz. The cosmic energy associated with the Gayatri Mantra is the Sun. Chanting this mantra increase the blood supply to the areas of the brain and can significantly impact spatial and verbal memory. Moreover, chanting it the right way, with the right diction emanates a sound vibration that is great for the heart. It helps lowering heart rate and maintains a balance in breathing. Ideal is to chant it early morning at 6:00am. Similarly, sound frequencies of mantras like 1) Vakratunda Mahakaya Suryakoti Samaprabha, 2) Sarvamangale Maagalye shive Sarvartha Shardhike, 3) Mangalam Bhagwan Vishu, Mangalam Garunadhwajah and 4) Om Trayambakam Yajamahe Sugandhinam Pusthivardhanam, have the potential to produce Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta; Delta brain waves that can help improve alertness, concentration, creativity, relaxation, intuition, memory and good immunity. What are the Vedic Mantras: Each mantra will have a seer (rishi) who composed it, a rhythm or meter (Chhanda) which determines its sound, and a deity (devata) who presides over it and manifests when the mantra is correctly pronounced. It also contains a seed syllable (bija) which imparts to it manifesting power (Shakti) and a support (kilakam) which makes it strong or stable until it delivers the intended result. Because of these hidden components and their divine aspects, many rules are associated with the chanting of the mantras. The attitude and the personal purity of the person who utters them also matter. Pronunciation is of utmost importance in the use of mantras. Without right pronunciation and intonation, the deity in the mantra may not respond. Equally important is the intention for which a mantra is used, since the use of mantras for any purpose produces karmic consequences and influences the destiny of its user. Why Vedic Mantras: These mantras are used to invoke gods, communicate with them, pray & propitiate them to fulfil worldly desires and achieve peace and prosperity in life; to cleanse the mind and body for liberation or self-transformation; to restrain the mind and enter deep sleep or higher states of consciousness; to earn divine grace or the grace of a guru; to gain siddhis or spiritual powers (siddhis) etc. The purposes of Vedic mantras: The four puruṣharathas (purposes) of life as per Vedas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values); Artha (prosperity, economic values); Kama (pleasure, love, desires, psychological values); and finally Moksha (liberation, spiritual values). Vedic Mantras are for prosperity, long life, wealth, intelligence, family, children, food and liberation. In the Brahmanas and Aranyakas texts, various rituals are prescribed to get definite fruits related to worldly or divine pleasures. As per Upanishads, the union with the Brahman or ultimate liberation can be attained only by giving up non-knowledge (Ajnana) and by achieving knowledge (Jnana). How Vedic Mantras impact: As per International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (Volume-9 Issue-2S3, December 2019), the human neurological system has an effective impact by meditation, mantra therapy, music therapy, Raga therapy and Vedic chanting. The chanting of the Veda mantras have three aspects namely; purity of mind, purity of intonation and purity of pronunciation. 1. The Mantra, an acoustic signal is a combination of sound, breath and rhythm. “Omkara” chanting and other Vedic verses had profound influences on all the energy centers of the human body. The research paper presented the impact of chanting of Vedic mantras as under: 1. The interesting finding is the deviations in Electro Encephalograms (EEG) waves towards low frequency rhythms of OM chanting. 2. Vedic chanting producing distinct signal energy such as music has intense influence on human moods and emotions. The studies inferred that chanting mantras will create vibratory sensation around the ears and these sensations are transmitted through branches of Vagus nerve. Influence on limbic areas, amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus was also observed by Vedic chanting. These vibrations interfaces with the larynx, lungs, heart, liver, stomach, kidneys, bladder, little and digestive organ. 3. The acoustic sound generated by chanting Vedic mantras has a great influence on our psychic system. 4. Sounds of traditional Vedic chanting produce vibrations those have beneficial spiritual effects both on chanters and listeners. Six basic aspects of phonetics, which are important to Vedic chanting are Varna, Swara, Mantra, Balam, Sama and Santana, all these six aspects are inter-related. 5. Vedic texts, music or mantras have turned as a precious tool effecting significantly different parts of the human cerebrum. 6. Vedic melodies produce incredible sound vibrations that are fit for changing vitality at all degrees of development. They influence the psychological and arrive at the subliminal level where our karmic patterns are stored. The act of singing builds memory, expands fixation and deletes the impacts of past karma. 7. The best possible recitation of mantras can diminish stress and pressure. 8. Studies proven that “Hatayoga” to “Himalayan Meditation” practices yielded wonderful results in understanding our mind and body balance. In chapter 54 of Parvati Khanda in shiva Purana, description of the duties of the chaste wife have been narrated.
Duties of the chaste wife:
Spiritual Significance:
The Glory of Shiva Mahapurana
The Shiva Mahapurana, one of the eighteen Puranas is the greatest and the noblest of the sacred lore. It is the form of Shiva and as such is to be served and realized in this world. By reading this and listening to it the good man becomes very pious. Loving care to listen to it yields all desired results. By listening to this Purana of Shiva a man becomes sinless. After enjoying all extensive worldly pleasures, he will attain the region of Shiva. The Shiva Mahapurana contains chapters with Shiva-cantered cosmology, the stories of Sadashiv, the relationship between gods, ethics, Yoga, Tirtha (pilgrimage) sites, bhakti, rivers and geography, and other topics. Glory of Shiva Purana: The Shiva Purana talks about how the Supreme Being as Shiva created the universe and incarnated in various ages to spread righteousness, knowledge, and devotion among humanity. By understanding the mysteries of Shiv Mahapurana and singing its praises, a man attains greater virtues than that which could be attained by being charitable or by the performance of all the `yagnas'. Contemplating on the subject matters of Shivmahapuran give auspicious fruits just like a 'Kalpa-taru' (A tree which fulfils all the wishes). Benefits of Reading or listening Shiva Purana:
Precautions for reading or listening Shiva Purana:
Contents of Shiva Purana: The Puranas were first compiled by Brahma. Sanat kumara, a son of Brahma inherited them from his father and imparted them to Vyasa who in turn abridged them in 18 compendiums. The Shiva Purana originally, contains 100,000 shlokas and 12 Samhitas – Vidheshvara (10,000). Rudra (8,000), Vinayaka (8,000), uma (8,000), matr (8,000), ekadashrudra (13,000), Kailash (6,000), shatrudra (3,000), kotirudra (9,000), sahaskotirudra (11,000), vayviya (4,000) and Dharma (12,000). But Mehrishi Vyasa abridged it into 24,000 shlokas and 7 Samhitas (Vidhyeshvar. Rudra, shatrudra, kotirudra, Uma, Kailash and vayviya). Shiva Purana contains the exposition made of Suta ji on the inquiry made by sages. The various Samhitas or sections of Shiv Purana are as under:
A number of articles will be published on the various contents of Shiva Mahapurana in due course. Living beings are essentially governed by the rhythms of sun, moon and stars in the subtle ways. The basic unit of living beings, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule carries blue print of individual characteristics accumulated in millions of years. Molecule can be further break down into atoms. Each atom seems to be like a whirlpool of centre where cosmic forces are focussed. Hence, each particle in the universe is connected to the infinite.
The four paths of yoga can be represented in the deities of panch-parmeshwar (five deities in Hinduism – Sun, Ganesh, Shiva, Shakti and Vishnu). Sun has been termed as biggest karma yogi as it rises & sets without any break (Karma yoga). Ganesh ji can be a symbol of intellect (Jnana Yoga). Shiva & Shakti are the essence of Kriya Yoga. Bhakti movement and its various sects revolve around Bhagwan Vishnu and his avatars. Daily movement of sun (Rising sun, midday and setting) is also symbolized as the trinity (Brahma – the creator, Vishnu – the sustainer and Shiva – the destroyer to complete the cycle of universe). All forms of yoga develop willpower. All the different yogic paths mutually reinforce each other. Yoga means union, the union between the limited self (Jiva) and the cosmic self (Atman). The path of yoga is to explore the deeper layers of mind viz. sub-conscious realms of mind, unconscious realms of mind. Yoga aims to bring about total harmony between one’s fundamental drives, emotions, feelings, intellect, will and one’s interpersonal and social relationships. Hence, it tends to bring about mental peace and tranquillity as well as physical relaxation. Different Paths & one soul: There are so many paths of yoga such as Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, Raja yoga, Hatha yoga, mantra yoga, Kundalini yoga, Dhyana yoga, Swara yoga, Laya yoga, Kriya yoga etc. But, all paths of yoga incorporate action, devotion, introspection, benevolence & enquiry and aim at physical health, mental peace and higher awareness. Swami Sivananda said that one should: “Serve, Love, Give, Meditate, and Realize”. All forms of yoga develop willpower. All the different yogic paths mutually reinforce each other. In hatha yoga, the mind is made one-pointed by awareness of the breath or different parts of the body. In raja yoga the mind is made one-pointed by awareness of a fixed symbol or a psychic centre. In jnana yoga the mind is made one-pointed by total absorption in an enquiry. In karma yoga the mind becomes concentrated by complete absorption in one’s work. In bhakti yoga the same result, namely one-pointedness of the mind, is achieved through love and devotion. Salient features of different paths of Yoga: Karma Yoga: It is the path of activity or action. By the very nature, everybody is forced to perform actions. By totally absorbing the self in the work at hand, we tend to reduce his individuality or ego. In Karma yoga, one surrenders ego when one ceases to be the doer. The detachment from results (good or bad) leads to less emotional and mental upsets in the life. When work is done for a higher or spiritual purpose then it becomes karma yoga. The action is same, but the motive is different. The attitude must change. Higher states of karma yoga become meditation. Salient features are as under -
Bhakti Yoga: To gain lasting peace in life it is not sufficient to attain perfect physical health and some control over thoughts. The emotions must also be transformed in accord with every action and thought. Without gaining emotional harmony and one-pointedness it is impossible to gain mental and physical harmony. Bhakti yoga is the powerful means of harmonizing the emotions. It is path of channelling emotions into devotion. Bhakti comes from the heart, not the mouth or the head. The bhakta absorbs himself completely in his object of devotion, losing his individuality or ego. Emotional and mental problem disappears. Faith (Shraddha) and Bhakti are different. Faith implies that one believes in something. Bhakti is an experience. If one is emotionally inclined, then one can follow the path of Bhakti yoga. This involves intense concentration of one’s entire being on an object of devotion. This leads to a transcendental experience of overwhelming bhakti. Bhakti is both the means and the expression of higher awareness. Great works are an expression of the heart. The seed of bhakti lies in the heart of every person. Each person is potentially a bhakta. As Swami Sivananda said: “Love in the law of life. Love means constant awareness. Devotion means that there will be unceasing thirst, unforgettable, remembrance and unswerving aspiration to unite with one’s ishta. Love has two forms – ego-centred love (in which one loves another person, deity, saint or whatever with the expectation of love in return) and egoless love (without any expectation of love in return, that is bhakti). Ego-centred love will take one to the finite. Egoless love leads to infinite. Ego-centred love tends to quickly subside with time, whereas bhakti increases and grows with every passing minute. The burning aspiration for the supreme and when thought is continuous, then there arises unspeakable love and bliss. This is intense bhakti. Bhakti can be towards anything…Krishna, Christ, Rama… anything that spontaneously creates feeling of devotion from the heart. It should be something that one cannot stop thinking about. If one is a devotee of Krishna, then one can try to see Krishna, in form or essence, in everything. This is love of the divine in everything (madhura Bhakti). This leads to freedom from hatred, envy, malice, self-conceit. Blindly following rituals without any real feeling, is exactly opposite to the purpose of worship and bhakti. All the paths of yoga aim at reducing and eventually eliminating the compulsive grip of mind – ego. Bhakti does this by relegating all one’s impulses towards the object of bhakti. This eradicates the fluctuation of the mind and induce one-pointedness. In Uddhava Gita, Krishna said: just as fire steadily grows from a small flame to a blazing fire and burns fuel to ashes, so does devotion to me, blaze forth and consume all obstacles. This makes the mind one-pointed and the fit receiver for the grace of illumination and bliss. Prayer combined with devotion helps to purify the mind and reduce the power of the ego. The greater the level of bhakti, the less the ego. The path of bhakti provides a perfect method of expressing the unruly emotions. The essence of karma yoga is awareness, detachment and renunciation of the fruits of action. When bhakti and karma yoga are combined, it becomes almost easy to renounce attachment to the fruits or rewards of one’s actions. All rewards, praise and fruits of one’s work are dedicated to the object of devotion. This is the way to rapidly harmonize the mind and reduce egoism. If one adopts the following attitude: “I do not serve…. the Supreme along serves. It is feeling and sincerity which is important. A poor person can offer even meanest object as devotion with feeling & sincerity, is better than a rich person who gives vast wealth, but without slightest devotion. The essence of devotion to Krishna is summed up in the Uddhava Gita when Krishna says: “All the desires, which are rooted in the heart of the sage who worships me with the yoga and devotion, gradually wilt away and when he realizes me, the knot of ignorance which is lodged in the heart is destroyed. All his doubts are annihilated and his stock of karma is exhausted. Therefore, by bhakti yoga my devotee gains all that is gained by the other paths of yoga and by austerities, dispassion, charitable acts and pilgrimages.” Shankaracharya points out: “the characteristics of pure sattva are cheerfulness, realization of one’s self, peace, contentment, bliss and steady bhakti towards atman, by which the aspirant enjoys eternal bliss,” the cleaner the mind the greater the flow of bhakti and the mind becomes intensely one-pointed. The sadhana of the great bhakta Ramdas, mantra upasana included four steps –
Jnana Yoga: This is the path of Intuitive knowledge. In Sanskrit, jnana means knowledge. It means both knowledge acquired from outside since birth by listening, reading and watching, knowledge attained inside i.e., intuitive or illuminative knowledge. Jnana does not mean intellectual or logical knowledge. Jnana yoga requires to throw all concepts, dogmas, ideas and believe in the truth realized through personal experience. It requires obsession for answers to the enquiries, 24*7. Ask question: what is the thing called ‘I’; what is consciousness; is there any truth in the atma; why I should believe. The success depends on the intensity of the purpose to pursue the enquiries. The foundation of jnana yoga is that one should know and feel the limitations of intellectual thought. Examining any of the subject logically as well as contrary to it i.e., opposite of logical conclusion. The result will erode the prestige of intellect. Intense reflection on the subject reveals higher truth through intuitive flashes in relaxed mind. In Jnana yoga, one surrender ego by intuitive realization that the ego is not the totality of the Being. Raja Yoga: This is path of Introspection. One attempts to explore the different realms of the mind: conscious, subconscious, unconscious and beyond. The perception of external objects is cut off and directed towards inside. In Raja yoga, the surrender of ego is attained by understanding the vast underlying substratum of each human being and every manifested object. It has many forms -
Reference: A systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya – by Swami Satyananda Saraswati |
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