Atma vichara is shastra vichara

When we do shastra vichara, to know the atma, we rely on the guru to unfold the meaning of words of the shastra.

Take for instance the meaning of the word satyam. Satyam is sometimes translated into english. And understood as substratum. Any english translation can be used, but it is crucial to understand the appropriate meaning of the word used. If I use the word substratum, many meanings are possible for substratum.
Substratum can mean that, the soil is the substratum of a lawn. So there is soil as substratum, and grass grows on top of the lawn. So is that the same as satyam. Answer is NO. That is not what we mean by satyam as used in shastra. So what does satyam mean in shastra.

Shastra gives example, one of which is gold and chain and bangle etc.
If you take any form of gold, say a bangle. Here the bangle is all in all GOLD. It is fully gold alone. However the bangle is still present. we cant say there is no bangle, there is only gold. No I can wear the bangle, so something called bangle IS. The bangle has no existence of its own. Bangle draws its existence from gold. Bangles existence is gold, but bangle has a certain meaning. Shastra calls the bangle, the chain, the earring as mithya. And gold as satyam. As you can see the bangle, chain, earring all are gold, all are satyam alone. You dont need to FIND the substratum , deep inside, there is no need to go underneath. If we go underneath, break down gold further, we will get atoms of gold, we wil get electrons, protons, neutrons etc.
This doesnt say anything , simply says even gold is not satyam. Gold is also mithya. So how to define satyam, what is the lakshana (unique definition) for satyam?
Simple, satyam is 'that which does not draw its existence from anything else', 'is 'self existent'.
Shastra uses another word gnanam. Gnanam means that which IS, the knower, known knowledge all the three is gnanam. The gnanam is from the root word 'gna'. Gna is the root for gnata, gnanaa and gneya all the three. The content of knower, known, knowlege is gna. This gna is conscious. Is there any source of consciousness other than atma, other than you? NO, only source of consciousness or gnanam, or gna dhatu, is you. So you are the gnanam, and you are self evident, self existent, you do not need to become evident to yourself, yo uare self evident. You are self existent, you ARE, hence you meet the definition of satyam. So you are satyam. So are you the substance of all that is here, as satyam. Answer is YES.
So is the tree you?
Yes! Since the tree is satyam. The treeness is an attribute of satyam alone. We have already seen the need for a 'self existent' ISness. And that is you alone. So you are the tree as well.
How can you say that? I cant be a tree...

Arre, when it is being said you are the tree, it is implied we are talking about you are the satyam, and tree is satyam, Hence you are the tree.
We know already that the attribute tree IS, attribute Mind IS. But what Is is satyam alone, which is you.

By being the sky, does satyam become less satyam than it is being the tree? So is there two satyams? the tree satyam and the sky satyam? Arre when you count satyam, there is only one. Advayam brahma. this is non dual.

Words have to be understood, shastra is all about shabda pramana. Words are unfolded by guru and understood by sishya, in same way as understood by guru. Which is gnanam. Which is atma gnanam.

Harhara parvati pataye
harahara mahadeva.

An ode to a sanyasi

Perhaps here
in a sound old family
I spend my years
wondering how

The saffron robed
solitary master
How does
he live without

Perhaps the earth is his mother
The sun his father
The trees are his friends
And night his lover

The birds are children
The sky his heart
The stumbling jeeva
A friend in need

Love is his job
And wonder his income
Blessing his expenditure
But incurs no loss

Truth his embellishment
Ahimsa his crown
Vaidika dharma
His passion abound

I really do wonder
From my sacred pond
His oceanic grace
Are those drops of rain.

Assimilating the spiritual vision of reality

When we say the mind, we refer to the thinking person I.

We do not refer to just some organ called brain in our head, physically located. Why? Since the thinking person is the entire human being. Without brain of course he cant think, but if his organs arent working , his thinking is affected. Even an unhealthy person, cant think well. So in general instead of saying mind, let me say the thinking person, oneself.

This thinking person, faces a problem of ignorance. This much has been established for any vedantin, that the problem of ignorance plagues the thinking person. So upanishads offer knowledge, a gift to the thinking person, a gift which makes him see his own beauty based on this knowledge. The thinking person can use the words of the upanishad, well understood as a means to dwell one ones own beauty, ones own wholeness, purnatvam.

This wholeness is not limited, wholeness by definition is not limited. In fact wholeness is ishvara.

Thus the words of the shastra, are a means for the thinking person to appreciate wholeness in every thought, since wholeness alone pervades all thoughts. 

So the thinking person, becomes an appreciate person, appreciative of oneself, and of the entire ishvaras manifestations, of all the names and forms and glories of ishvara. Sad darshana ( knowledge of truth) in the form of prayagatma ( oneself atman, chit, or I) empowers the person, to appreaciate jagadishvara, the parameshwara, in every thought and action.

Earlier if you thought of a tree, it would be just a tree, either useful or not useful to you, since the person is plagued with ignorance and seeking joy through material means, through karma.

Now if you think of a tree, you can appreciate tree, for what it is, to be ishvara. 

The reality we live in is a spiritual reality. Our thoughts are spiritual, and thoughts lead to actions, so our actions are also spiritual.

This is the vision of our gurus which he seeks to transfer to us and for that we must prepare ourself as well as dedicate ourself through:

1. Chitta shuddhi through svadharma anushtana ( purify self through right actions)

2. Exposure to shastra ( listening to shastra)

3. Shastra vichara ( dwelling on shastra )

These three help us to understand we live in a spiritual reality, and be accomplished in the true sense in life.

har hara parvati pataye,

hara hara mahadeva.

No teaching is complete without ishvara

Ishvara has to be understood, since this world has to be understood.

This 'has to be', when i say 'has to be', I do not say it because it is 'my' desire or wish, or it is some moral code to be followed, however it is a reality that every human is faced with.

We are faced with the reality, that we are ignorant. That we do not know the answer to , where did this world come from?, who created it?, who am I? etc. we do not know, and we want to know.

It is a default setting, to want to know is a default setting, every human wants to know, we cant escape it forever though we can postpone.

So if this creation has to be understood, my place in it has to be understood, the creator also has to be understood.

Jiva, jagat and ishvara have to be understood.

Vedanta says 'isavAsyam' idam sarvam. All that is here is ishvara. It is non dual, ishvara alone exists. In fact there is no difference between jiva, jagat and ishvara, it is one, non dual reality. Hence that which you want to know is yourself.

This has to be unfolded, its appears to be a brave statement, not believable, but it is true.

This is not left unto faith, it can be taught, you can be taught that you are ishvara, and all that is here is ishvara.

Shastra teaches that, our sampradaya teaches that. Our gurus have taught this alone. It can be passed on through teaching, Through guru sishya.

harih om.

The one who is ever accomplished loved and loving is the self

The self is ishvara.

Ishvara is the self.

The one who is the cause of this universe,

The one who is the creator of this universe.

The one who is present in the very creation as the very creation,

The one who accomplishes the unaccomplished with ease

The one who is the victory in every victory

The one who is desired as victory in every defeat

The one who is the loving creator

The one who is the loving creation

The one who is desired for

The one who is loved

The one for whose sake there is love

The one who is love

Is the ever accomplished self

One oneself

is chitanananda rupaha

Shivoham Shivoham

All that is here is ishvara

Non separate from ishvara

Just as an actor is every role he plays

ishvara is all that is here

And that ishvara is satchitananda svarupa

And that is none other than you.


HaraHara PArvathi pathaye
hara hara mahadevA

Vairagya DOES NOT EQUALS not having desires

We talk about vairagya being a necessary sadhanam for knowledge.
A necessary qualification.

However there is many a confusion about what vairagya truly refers to.

Vairagya is understood to refer to sometimes an ability to shun the world, or go to the himalayas etc.
A tendency to avoid luxuries etc, a sort of denial.

While indulgance is certainly a huge chain of bondage, denial is also truly speaking a bondage.

The truth is to KNOW that one is already free, however to know that one needs vairagya.

So if vairagya is not denial, then what is really vairagya?

Vairagya is a maturity in understanding of how we relate to the world as an individual.

To be objective in ones understanding is vairagya.

What does that mean here?

It means here that when we relate to the world, we fully understand that any action, any karma cannot give me 'self approval', it cannot solve the problem of 'self disapproval' and lead to 'self acceptance'.

Any karma or its result cannot lead to 'self fulfilment' which is moksha or freedom centered around self.

This is since ignorance is the cause of self disapproval and hence knowledge ALONE can solve that problem.

Knowing thus, I can relate to the world appropriately in terms of expectations I have from the world.

When I relate to someone , I need not expect HIM/HER to approve me or accept me.

When I perform an action, I need not expect that the result of the action will lead to I accepting myself or approving myself.

While I do expect a certain result from an action, that IS a desire and its very much needed.
When I type this post and submit I DO expect it to get posted in the blog so people can read it.

There is a desire to write a post and there is an expectation from that desire.

However the writing the post succesfuly in no way affects me in terms of me approving myself.

Hence I can relate to the world objectively, since I am not giving a hook to the world, to GIVE ME APPROVAL. I can relate to the world objectively as it IS. This relating in this manner is freedom. It is ishvara.

If the world is ishvara then who am I?

For this I rely on upanishadic knowledge.

Shruti makes it clear that , I am a conscious being. And this conscious being which I am, is satyam and anantam. Which means it is not limited by space, which means I does not define itself in terms of a location or a point in time.
So being anantam chit, I is also sat says the shastra.

This is a very significant statement. I which has been stripped off body mind buddhi, and identified to be a conscious being, shastra now says I is SAT. Sat implies existence itself. That which exists is existance. Now how to make assimilate meaning of sat, it is through example of pot and clay , and gold and jewels. That way I can understand the meaning of sat, as that which exists independently and on which anything that exists has to get its 'existence' from. That is sat.

If shastra says you are satchitanantham, how to now account for the universe , the jagath.

Now shastra has to come in and say, depending on sat are space, air, fire, water and earth which arose in that order. And they all combined with 3 gunas to from the jagath that includes the body mind and the sukshma sharira.

Since they arose depending on sat, they are mithya or maya.

Which includes my body mind also and all that is here.

So I am that satchitananda brahman , on which all that is here depends.

Think about it, that sat , from which everything depends, has to be chit also, has to be intelligent. Since if not, how about all the knowledge the intelligence with which the jagath is desined. So it is an intelligent conscious sat. And other than I, the concious being, is there any other consciousness.
There can only be one conciousness, since it IS conscious. Consciousness itself means to be conscious, so if I am conscious, it means I am consciousness.  And if I am consciousness, then I am sat, and since I am sat, I am also anantam. And being satyam gnanam anantam, I am the cause of all that is here.

In fact you can understand as satyam alone is chit, and chit alone is satyam, as in, satyam is intelligent and chit is existence, which mean what we refer to as satyamgnanam anatham is ONE brahman and that brahman is what you are.

All that is as jagath is due to maya shakti which is non separate from me brahman. It is my shakti. Inherent in brahman is shakti called maya. This is the shakti to create and to provide material.

Like a spider , I am looked upon as a 'all knowledge' , when seen from the standpoint of maya creation or nimitta karana ( intelligent cause). I am satyam, looked upon from standpoint of maya as the intelligent cause become ishvara.
And when looked from standpoint of my body jagath, I am looked upon as maya itself, the upadana kAranA ( material cause)
Maya is mithya. Since maya is a parinami karana ( a cause which undergoes change).
Hence I am ishvara with maya upadhi.

Same satayam gnanam anatam brahma, I am the knower of the body mind when looked at from the standpoint of body mind, I am chetana, chaitanya, concious being behind the body mind. And when looked at as the body , I am a jiva, a participant in the creation which is ishvara.

From the standpoint of brahman itself All that exists is brahma alone. Maya is satyam, clay, just as pot is clay.

Atma is a sadhya vastu

Generally the human pursuit is for achievement and success in the form of acquisition.
And it is certainly necessary for all human beings to acquire that which is of 'good' to them.
I am deliberately not using words such as 'beneficial', 'useful' etc., since I am trying to translate the sanskrit word 'kshemam' or 'hitam' and am unable to find a english word that would do so immediately, hence I am simply saying, every human has to necessarily 'acquire' that which is of 'good' to him.
The moment we say 'hitam' we have brought in dharma. The order of dharma. That which is of greatest good to a human, in terms of acquisition, is that which is acquired by means of dharma.
Anything acquired by 'stealing', 'hurting' etc. is not of good, since the human in addition to the material acquisition , additionally acquires pApA, which is in no manner 'good'. Hence in his pursuit to acquire, a human necessarily has to follow dharma, not because it is someone elses mandate ( such as a overruling god in heaven), rather since follwing dharma and acquiring, not only lets the man enjoy the acquisition ( sadhanam), however it also leads to punya, which translates into situations conducive to even more punya.

This is really the mandate of the karma kanda of the vedas. The vedas initial portion known as the karma kanda, enable man to fulfill all his kAmAs or desires, righteouslu in concomittance with dharma.

Such a human who has led a life of dharma is a ripened candidate, fit for receving that by acquiring which . everything else is acquired.

This is an 'aha' moment for most, however for a dharmic individual who has over and over strived for acquistion of sadhanAs for happiness, at some point does realise the futility of searching for 'that which he desires' through finite means.

Born in a vedic culture, he has also understood from elders, there is such a thing as moksha, which is the fulfillment of all desires at once and acquiring which, all of ones desires are fulfilled at once.

Also naturally for a human who has established that relationship of kAmI and kAmAdhyaksha, with ishvara, the person being one who desires and ishvara being the one who fulfills the desire, naturally for mosksha also, the mumukshu relies on ishvara.

Hence when a vedantic guru is present, the guru is reverred as ishvarogururatmeti. As ishvara himself in the form of guru.

The guru is the wielder of moksha shastra, that which confers the moksha , which fulfills the aspirant through 'fulfilment of all desires at once' as promised.

Now what is this moksha shastra, this is where the teaching begins.

The teachings begins by clarifying that moksha is of the nature gnana.

Why?

Desire is three fold, in every action a human desires happiness, immortality and knowledge. Basically freedom from sorrow, freedom from mortality and freedom from ignorance of any kind.

Since what the sishya is looking for , is limitless ananda. Any ananda obtained from limited means and ends , will always have a beginning and always have an ending. Since it is limited by time.
Therefore the moksha promised has to be ananda, which is in now way limited by time.

Also the sishya is looking for immortality, if I say ok, you will have limitless ananda, however only till you are alive, again sishya wont be satisfied, he will say, I want limitless ananda, I also want to be immortal.

Now guru may say, OK, I will give you limitless ananda, also you will never die, however, you wont know who you are, and what this universe is, you will simply keep experiencing happiness forever.

Again sishya will be hardly satisfied, since he is a vairagyin, for him knowledge is more important than some experience of joy, neither is he afraid of death, but no, he doesnt want to be ignorant.

Now how will the guru give all these three that he has promised in the form of some sadhanam? in the form of some object?

Is there ever such an object at all?

Is there some kamadhenu cow? Even if he gives a cow, how to remove sishyas ignorance about where the cow came from?, how the cow was created? who created the cow?
etc.??

Therefore necessarily guru has to give sishya gnanam.

However gnanam can only remove ignorance, how can it give immortality and also make the sishya limiltess ananda?

Yes it can says guru, since again the gnanam will not be about external vastu. Any gnanam to be total gnanam has to include the knower or gnata. If I tell sishya, ok I will tell you everything about gneya vastus but not about you the gnata, is that complete gnanam? No.

Ok if I tell sishya, ok i will tell you gnanam about yourself, but not about gneya vastus and what they are etc. that is also not total gnanam,

If total gnanam is gnanam of discrete objects, the objects are infinite, which means it is impossible to get total gnanam.

However, guru and shastra says it is possible, and hence sishya now has to listen with shraddha.

Now guru unfolds.

The cause of your sorrow and limitations is agnanam centered around yourself.
You take yourself to be a limited body mind and you identify with all the limitations and drawbacks of the body mind, and boast at the achievements of the body mind.

This up and down merry go round is called samsara.

However, what you take yourself to be, you are not.

You are not the body, or mind, or sense organs, you are not your hunger, thirst body, you are not the one who desires, you are not the one who acts. In fact you are the one who is the witness to all that you are. you are witness who is unchanging, you are the one who is conscious of all that IS, include the three states ( waking dreaming sleeping) as well as changes in your body mind.
That unchanging conscious witness is chit.

Also you are not just chit, you are satchit.

Sat means that which IS and which Is the truth of time itself.

What is meant by truth of time? What is meant by truth itself?

Time is changing, and time is ever present. What is present AS time is Sat. That sat is chit, you are.
Which is anantha, or not limited by time or space or any manifestations.

Time and space are manifestations. they are manifestations of the same satchitananda brahman

When it is said that something is true, it has to be always true , then only it qualifies to be as true as 'sat' in the context of vedanta 'sat'. vedanta 'sat' means anantam sat, that which is always true.

Now for us there is no object or experience to assimilate this always trueness. Always trueness cannot mean forever true, as in forever refferring to a long period of time. Since that will be infinite.

However it can mean the very content of time, it itself being that which makes time to BE time. Existence itself, which is existence when we say time IS or EXISTS. Since time IS, space IS. Air IS, water IS, fire IS, earth IS.
Sky IS, tree IS, I AM, wife IS, mother IS, god IS.

When we say IS, we refer to that which IS.

Now if we analyse any object we find it depends on something else for its existence, which means it has no existence of its own.

The table has no existence of its own, the table IS wood.
Wood IS some atoms.
Atoms is What?

what really IS? we dont know.

That IS , is satyam, that is chit says shastra, and chit is YOU.

Hence you are THAT.

Tat tvam asi.

That limitless sat, which IS the all that is, is YOU.

Hence I am that brahman satyamgnanamanatham brahma.

Chit is used to point to YOU.

Sat is also pointing to YOU, however, sat also clarifies that YOU is that sat, which is the sat of ishvara also, which is the sat of all that is here as jagat.

Hence Time is a devata, which IS satchidananda brahman.

Space is a devata which IS satchidananda brahman.

There is a human body which IS satchidananda brahman.

From the standpoint of all that is here, there IS a nimitta karanam status/intelligent cause status, which IS satchidananda brahman.

From the standpoint of all that is here, there IS a parinami karanam status/material causal status, which IS satchidananda brahman.

Hence that brahman which you ARE, alone IS, paramartha.

And all the difference is maya kalpita kAryAm, brahma or vyavaharica.

Hence you are not a sadhanam,you are a sadhya vastu. You are what you want to be.

Atma is sadhya vastu, since it is you.

Surrendering raga dveshas

In this world i am engaged in performing actions for the sake of the lord. Many raga dvesha asuras seek to interfere in this work. But i never negotiate with raga dvesha asuras. Who am I to negotiate with them. I am not aware of how to handle them. I am the loyal servant of the lord simply doing his bidding. I hand over custody of asuras to the lord. I am neither required to fight them nor give them protection nor nourish them. Asuras are clever they can promise me this and that. But I am a servant loyal servant of the lord whom alone i adore. I dutifully handover the asuras to the lord. If they wish to negotiate with me I reply with humility that I am neither the right person to negotiate nor do i have any powers. My existence itself is because of the lord hence i ask the lord to handle them as he sees fit with absolute confidence and trust in the lord. Hence i am neither favorable nor unfavorable towards the asuras. As a dutiful loyal servant i trust lord to handle them as he sees fit. Swamiye sharanam ayyappa.

Shiva manasa pooja

Does not require any material. Still it is superior, but more difficult. Dravya pooja one can do mechanically, mind roaming all over the world. For manasa puja, mind should be in field of worship.

Manasa puja is hence suppossed to give more punyam.

Manasa puja is there with regard to many dieties. Dakshinamurti, Devi, however, Swamiji has taken siva manasa puja, not because of any non preference for any other god, but simply since the shiva manasa puja is very short.

We have to learn the shlokas by heart, and as even we chant the shlokas mentally we can visualise the puja being done. 

As even I chant, mentally I can offer flowers and so on.Manasa puja is very long if it is devi or others. 

Since shiva manasa puja is only 5 shlokams, swamiji has taken this.

Vishnu is also shiva only, shiva means auspicious lord, hence shiva is vishnu. One of the vishnu nama in vishnu sahasranamam is "sarva shiva", shiva can mean vishnu also. Even vishnu bhaktas can chant the shlokas and do pooja to saligrama,

This manasa pooja can be used for any diety, Even christians can make use of it for worshipping cross or something.

Any lord which is auspicious. 

 Is it mental worship done BY shiva? or a mental worship done to lord shiva?
Answer is, It is a mental worship done by US to shiva. Shiva bhakta is kartrka , shiva is karmaka. By bhakta to prabhu.

Let start with slokas.

Ratnaiḥ kalpitamāsanaṁ himajalaiḥ, snānaṁ ca divyāmbaraṁ, nānāratnavibhūṣitaṁ mṛgamadāmodāṅkitaṁ candanam|

Jātīcampakabilvapatraracitaṁ, puṣpaṁ ca dhūpaṁ tathā , dīpaṁ deva dayānidhe paśupate, hṛtkalpitaṁ gṛhyatām||1||

Ratnaiḥ kalpitamāsanaṁ 

A simhasan made of jewels, a crown of jewels.Even the poorest person can offer mentally "ratna simhasanam".


himajalaiḥ 

Cool waters coming from himalayas, gangajalam.

divyāmbaraṁ 

divine dress.

nānāratnavibhūṣitaṁ

the dress being decorated by various gems and jewels.

mṛgamadāmodāṅkitaṁ 

sandalpaste, mixed with, "mrugamada amodaha", which means 'The musk' of the musk deer. Amoda means fragrance, sandal paste mixed with 'musk' fragrance.

Jātīcampakabilvapatraracitaṁ puṣpaṁ

Floral offerings. Can imagine all offerings,and mentally do flower worship, as though saying krishnaya namaha, govindaya namaha and so on for each flower.

dhūpaṁ tathā

Incense I am offering.

dīpaṁ

Dipam darshayaami. Offered mentally, light in a deepam.

paśupate hṛtkalpitaṁ gṛhyatām

Unto pasupati at his place of residence , which is my heart.

Sauvarṇe navaratnakhaṇḍaracite, pātre ghṛtaṁ pāyasaṁ, bhakṣyaṁ pañcavidhaṁ payodadhiyutaṁ, rambhāphalaṁ pānakam|

Śākānāmayutaṁ jalaṁ rucikaraṁ, karpūrakhaṇḍojjvalaṁ, tāmbūlaṁ manasā mayā viracitaṁ, bhaktyā prabho svīkuru||2||

Sauvarṇe navaratnakhaṇḍaracite pātre ghṛtaṁ pāyasaṁ

Pure ghee payasam(kheer, or milk with sugar), offer in a gold vessel.The vessel is Inlaid with pieces of navaratna gems, in that vessel payasam is kept. Not only payasam but the following as well.

bhakṣyaṁ pañcavidhaṁ

5 varieties of food.You can add anything you like for 5 bhakshyam or varieties of food.

payodadhiyutaṁ

Milk and curd

rambhāphalaṁ

Plantain. Vaazhpayam.or banana.

Pānakam

This is for Digestion. Steamed water with ginger etc.After the lord has eaten well.

Śākānāmayutaṁ

Ten Thousands of vegetables.

jalaṁ rucikaraṁ

herbal water. Scented with karpūrakhaṇḍojjvalaṁ, with karpooram. karpooram means camphor. Camphor smelling water.

tāmbūlaṁ

Offering tambulam. Betel and nuts or Vethallai paku.

 manasā bhaktyā prabho svīkuru

I am offering all of them with devotion, mayā viracitaṁ mentally, to prabhu , please accept.

Chatraṁ cāmarayoryugaṁ vyajanakaṁ cādarśakaṁ nirmalaṁ vīṇābherimṛdaṅgakāhalakalā gītaṁ ca nṛtyaṁ tathā|
Sāṣṭāṅgaṁ praṇatiḥ stutirbahuvidhā hyetatsamastaṁ mayā saṅkalpena samarpitaṁ tava vibho pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa prabho||3||

Chatraṁ

I have treated and fed the lord. Now I respect the lord by giving varities of entertainment, treating him like a king. In the palace, above the simhasanam (crown) , rajas (kings) umbrella is kept, it is not for protection from rain or sun, but symbolic of royalty and sovereignty. Treating him as emperor of universe.

Cāmarayoryugam

There is a type of dear called chamari, it has a special type of hair in tail. A fan made out of the chamari tail is called chamaram, by keeping a pair of chamara, with both hands I fan you. This is also an insignia of royalty.

ādarśakam nirmalam

I am showing mirror, for yourself to see the decoration I have done for you, that which shows your face, is called adarshaka, pure clean mirror I show, afterwards I want to give entertainment.

vīṇābherimṛdaṅgakāhalakalā gītaṁ nṛtyaṁ tathā

Vina, bheri drum, mrdanga drum, kahalam musical instruments , I give ‘kalA’ gitam. That’s joyous music. Gitam music I sing, for your entertainment. Also dance.

Sāṣṭāṅgaṁ praṇatiḥ

Sashtanga Namaskaram, where eight limbs are touching the ground. Mind also should touch the feet of the lord.

stutirbahuvidhā hyetatsamastaṁ mayā

Bahuvisha stutihi, I chant various stotrams, each one is called one one upachara, respectful offering, stotram is one type of upachara.

All are offered by me.

saṅkalpena samarpitaṁ tava vibho pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa prabhu

By my mental sankalpa I offer, to you who is ‘vibho’ which means all pervading, vishvarupa. Prabhu means omnipotent, omnipresent is vibhu. Hence vibhu prabhu.

  

Ātmā tvaṁ girijā matiḥ sahacarāḥ prāṇāḥ śarīraṁ gṛhaṁ pūjā te viṣayopabhogaracanā nidrā samādhisthitiḥ|
Sañcāraḥ padayoḥ pradakṣiṇavidhiḥ stotrāṇi sarvā giro yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaṁ śambho tavārādhanam||4||

Below is some vedanta in this pooja

Ātmā tvaṁ girijā matiḥ

I am worshipping you outside, but you are me, the atma alone, the very mind is parvati (uma devi consort of shiva, there is no shiva without shakti and no shakti without shiva). atma is assisted by the mind, mind is  parvati. Through the mind alone, consciousness works in the world, just like husband also does everything with the help of wife. Atma is assisted by mind, by vyavahara. Word used hence is matih.

Matih means feminine gender, mind.

sahacarāḥ prāṇāḥ

All the panchaprana are 5 pranas, are attendant of shiva the atma.

śarīraṁ gṛhaṁ

Sharira gruham, body is the house of the lord. Everyday we install the lord in our heart, so that lord is travelling with us in the heart.

pūjā te viṣayopabhogaracanā

Every experience is the puja offering to the lord. All of them (experiences) necessarily end in the lord the atma. Visaya means sense objects, upabhoga means doing, archana means puja. So every experience gained by sense organ is a puja to the consciousness the lord, which I am.

nidrā samādhisthitiḥ|
Sleep will be Samadhi. During sleep everyone merges into the lord alone, who is pragnaha. There is advaitam in sushupti, there is also mukti and ananda in sushupti.

Sañcāraḥ padayoḥ pradakṣiṇavidhiḥ

The movement of the feet ( anywhere I go) is pradakshinam, Pradakshina vidi is samchara, ( moving is lord alone, for lords sake I move).

stotrāṇi sarvā giro

Sarva giro, or every word, is stotra, or every word is the name of the lord alone. All the names in dictionary refer to lord, hence every word I say I am doing koti archana. Whatever karma I do

yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilaṁ śambho tavārādhanam||4||

Whatever karma I do, work is worship, It is aradhana to you, alone.

Karacaraṇakṛtaṁ vākkāyajaṁ karmajaṁ vā śravaṇanayanajaṁ vā mānasaṁ vāparādham|
Vihitamavihitaṁ vā sarvametatkṣamasva jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho||5||

Karacaraṇakṛtaṁ

Through any sense organs.

vākkāyajaṁ

Through words

karmajaṁ

Through actions

śravaṇanayanajaṁ

through hearing

mānasaṁ

and mentally

vāparādham

any apradha, or sins or

Vihitamavihitaṁ

commissions or ommissions I did.

sarvametatkṣamasva jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho

All those you please forgive hey shambho, who is karunabdhe, the compassionate one, sri mahadeva, the victorious one,shambho!

Value of mental discipline

Our shastras and gurus talk about yamas and niyamas.

In bhagavat gita, lord talks about the jneyas, values that a seeker should have.

Lord mentions 20 values, I am taking from SDSjis book 'value of values'.

1. Amanitvam- Absence of conceit
2. Adambhitvam - Absence of pretense
3. Ahimsa- Not Hurting
4. Ksantih - glad acceptance
5. Arjavam - Straight forwardness
6. Saucam- Inner and external purity
7. AcAryopAsanam- service to the teachers
8. Sthairyam- steadfastness
9. Atmavinigrahah- Mastery (relative) over the mind
10. Janma-mrtyu-jarA-vyAdhi-dukha-dosAnu-dasrasanam-
      reflection on limitations of birth , death, old age, sickness and pain
11. Asaktih- Absence of sense of ownership
12. Anabhisvangah putra dara grhAdisu- Absence of obsession over children, spouse, house etc.
13. Nityam samacittatvam ista-anista-upapattisu - Constant equanimity towards desriable and    
      undesirable results
14. IndryArthesu vairagyam - dispassion towards sense objects
15. AnahankAraha- Absence of self importance
16. mayi anyaya yogena bhaktih avyabhicArinI - unswering devotion to the lord characterised by non      separateness from the lord
17. Vivivktadesasevitvam - preference for secluded place
18. Artih janasamsadi - absence of craving for social interaction
19. Adhyatma gnana nityatvam- Understanding of the ultimate validity of self knowledge
20. Tattva jnanArta darsanam- Commitment to self knowledge


These values are both the means as well as the end of moksha purusharta.

A relatively high measure in these values is required for shravanam to be fruitful, and even after shravanam, niddhidhyasanam aims at assimilating these values through tattva darshanA.

Vairagyam certainly means that one has to have a certain value for self knowledge over anything else in life. With the onset of such a variagyam it is certainly difficult to remain indisciplined and allow mind to be swayed by sense pleasures.

One has to focus the mind on the knowledge of the self, and this has to change from a deliberate action such as meditation ( postural.breathing), into knowledge.

Knowledge implies truth and false.

Knowledge always implies ignorance. Which implies a binary format.
No one can have partial knowledge.

Either knowledge is, or knowledge is not.

Either I know or I dont know.

So if i know, I must behave like I know.

If I dont know, i must seek to know.

Hence in the life of a sadhaka, there is no room for intellectual dishonesty.

The above values have to be imbibed one way or the other, either to achieve the goal or to assimilat the phalam of knowledge.

Hence the value of mental disciplines cannot be less emphasized

Mind does have a tendency to 'stray'. Mind is never stationary.
This has to be recognised as a fact.

Mind should not be chastised, as though there is a separate entity called mind.
Instead the buddhi , is to be mastered through knowledge, of the buddhiman, the one who wields the mind 'I'.

Since 'I' consider myself to be a limited entity, I get swayed by mind, but 'I' should realise that I am the master of the mind, the atmaramaha, the one who is non separate from ishvara, the pure satchit, brahman I am, with this 'knowlede' i am never swayed by the mind. Infact mind IS, because' I am'.
So every thought is non separate from me.

Dilution of value of dharma

The value of dharma as a goal is under diminishment.

Under the influence of kali yuga, humanity is unclear as to where lies true happiness.
Fear, doubt, confusion, imputence, hastiness, anger, mutual suspicion, impatience and agressive posturing have become the norm of the day.

Every citizen is affected, including new children being born in such a society.

The balance of dharma in humanity was maintained in ancient india through a framework that emphasised on duties over rights.

In the hindu framework, dharma and moksha are the primary purpose of a human birth and kaama and artha ( luxuries and sustenance) are only considered supporting goals, that ultimately only provide a support to the primary goal of moksha and dharma.

The pursuit of artha and kaama are valid, but not at the expense of dharma. This was since unless a person leads a life of dharma, moksha will eternally remain out of his range.

Each human being seeks happiness alone through all goals. Moksha is defined to be the only lasting happiness and peace in the hindu meaning. Moksha implies permanent peace and happiness, and freedom while living. This is referred to as jivanmukti.

In the hindu lifestyle, jivanmukti is not a status whose aspiration is limited to only sanyaasis in himalayas. On the other hand, every human starting from a simple labourer in a farm to a most learned teacher is an aspirant.

Bhagavan Krishna makes this clear with the defining teaching of karma yoga.

Karma means action and yoga means the attitude with which each action is performed.

There are two definitions bhagavan gives for karma yoga.

1. yogaha karmasu koushalam

This means while the action is performed, it is to be performed appropriately. Which means at any given point, the response to a situation, or a goal or ambition is to be chosen and action is to be performed in accordance with dharma alone. Dharma means to do unto others, only that which oneself would expect. Dharma also means much more, it means to acknowledge the presence of a dharmic order in each action.
Every action produces a result. Bhagavan makes that clear, that even the rains are caused by the renunciate actions of wise men, And in a society devoid of wise men, there will be no rain.

Bhagavan is an order, an order that gives appropriate results for specific actions.
If a action is in accordance with this order of bhagavan called dharama, it produces a pleasurable result, while actions against dharma produces painful results.
In fact, the receiving of a painful result is in dharma, or in order, as per our past actions. This wholeful order is dharma.

All humans are aware of dharma as ethics, which means you should not do that which is inappropriate, This need not be taught. Any self respecting man will not insult or show anger unjustifiably since he himself wont expect that. This is nothing but self awareness of what is 'right' . This awareness is present by birth and need not be taught. We worship this sense of what is right, as the presence of ishvara.

Hence when an action is performed, we must not go against this sense of what is right, it is our service to the lord, as dharma.

Similarly when we procrastinate, we omit what must be done. We fail in dharma by ommission. By ommitting what must be done, we do something else, which autmatically at that moment becomes commission of adharma.

Hence each moment of life, is to be led in awareness of ishvara as this order of dharma, and our actions should confirm with what is to be done.

This is growth. A person grows from being a governed by ones own likes and dislikes, moods and fancies, into a greater human, someone who can contribute. the person grows from being a consumer to being a contributor.

Contribution here does not refer to money etc. rather refers to a person who can be trusted, to act in a manner that will be non detrimental to the happiness and well being of others.

2. samtvam yoga uchyate

The second definition of karma yoga bhagavan gives is 'samattvam'. How one responds to a situation.

Every action produces a result as per bhagavans order of dharma. hence any result comes from bhagavan alone. The action is performed by us, we perform with a goal in mind , expect certain result, and we give all our effort to the factors that can be controlled. But there are million factors that define a result. This is called 'adrushta' or unseen. The vedas tell us that this unseen results are governed by our own past actions, and bhagavan is the orderly giver of these results, based on whats most suitable to us at that time for our growth.

hence every result is to be accepted with 'sama buddhi' sameness of mind as ishvara prasada,
When we go to a temple we get prasaadam. Sometimes its sweet, sometimes we get a bitter tasting rice, sometimes tasty sometimes not so tasty.

But we eat with joy, since it is a prasaadam.

Simiarly we accept the results of our own actions, as ishvara prasaadam. Hence we are able to meet each situation in our life objectively and are not overcome by the situation, rather we learn and grow and sense the presence of ishvara in each result and situation, thereby getting closer to ishvara.

Not only acceptance of results but even performance of each action is possible with the aid of a body, mind, situations, support, instruments, and conditions which are all made available by ishvara.
This available situations in the form of ishvara, is simply reformatted by our will, to achieve a desire.

In fact bhagavan in geeta says , I am that desire in human heart which is not against dharma.

Bhagavans wish as a mother is for her children to use the free will in a responsible manner.
Also we develop a strong , stable, calm, peaceful mind, a mind that is ready for knowledge that leads to moksha.


So --
As we saw dharma is inseparable from karma yoga.

Without karma yoga, moksha is a distant dream.

And without moksha, there is no lasting happiness for the human being.

In fact in the very practice of karma yoga, a person achieves a great degree of peace, stability and happiness that is much greater than happiness from earning millions of dollars via unfair means.

It is inner happiness, which is the only lasting happiness.

Our hindu way of living imbibes this teaching in every pore of its skin. From morning to night, we believe in worshipful living. Ours is a great vedic heritage, that dreams of a society which is truly integrated, peaceful, healthy and fulfilling.

This dream is to be preserved, not for the sake of preserving, but for ones own sake, and for the sake of the future generations of the world.

The vedas are gods greatest fruit and the vedic culture its greatest garden.
This garden is to be preserved by those who inherit the garden. The duty and responsibility lies with its inheritors. To expect others to preserve this garden is to fail at ones duty and to put the burden on those who do not realise its value.

I urge every  indian and vaidika to consider ones main duty, over and above personal success, and strive to raise higher to achieve ones own true destiny.

Harih om.

Relationship with ishvara

As a human being you have many relationships. Which means you are related to your wife, to your parents and siblings, to your children, to your emplyers, to your country, to the flora and fauna and everything.

There is a certain relationship here.

This relationship is defined in a certain way, some are acknowledged and some are not acknowledged. For eg: while we are deeply involved in our personal and professional relationship, we are not so involved in our relationship with the flora fauna or planet.

Others such as environmental activists are probably more involved.

One also has a relationship with oneself, which is , a sense of self approval-disapproval ( it’s a range and spectrum and its dynamic) which is very much based on the other relationships.

Which means one is related to the parents and siblings and to the wife and children and to the employer , and the reactions in that relationship governs primarily ones own sense of self approval or disapproval. Although the relationship with onself is primarily governed by other relationships, at the same time, the one who deduces self approval or disapproval is ultimately oneself.

Now what Vedanta does, is brings into this relationship, ishvara.

What is ishvara here? We think in talking about the various relationships, we have already  talked about all possible relationships.

What is this new relationship, called ishvara relationship?

Let us spend some time to understand it.

It is very true that the effect of actions on relationships in our life is not understandable. It is not like operating a computer. We do not know if pressing enter, will really send the cursor to the next line ( in a human relationship, unpredictable relationships)

Yet everywhere in nature we are witness to order, we see there is order and intelligence everywhere starting from the human body , upto the planets and weather and animals and psychology and physiology and what not. There is an intelligent order.

This is given, but still we haven’t discussed about our relationship to this?

When we are engaged in our relationship with any human, or with nature, there is a law or order that governs the relationship.

When you talk to your parents there is a certain expectation or law, that governs it. When you run 5 miles each day, there is a certain intelligence or order you trust that will reduce your weight, when you  do your day job on a computer, there are certain physical laws that you trust in, when you are walking on this earth there is a law of gravity that you are trusting in , to make sure you don’t fly away.

As you live, you trust that you will be breathing, and your heart beats on its own.

As you cook and eat, you trust that you know what is good for your health and you trust in that order that if you eat this much you will feel happy.

This order is an intelligent orderly existence. And intelligence implies knowledge. Knowledge implies a conscious entity, which means a knowledgeable entity.

In fact there is continuous evolution, and nature responds to changes. We are still not sure about how and why or so many things, but we know there is some law or order that governs it, and as scientists we try to study it.

So each and every moment we are governed and are in relationship with this order.

This order is what hindus call as ishvara.

We go one step further, we talk about the order governing every action and its result through the law of karma. The order is present , the orderly being is present, ishvara is present in as the order of dharma. When our actions confirm to dharma we are in harmony with the order. When our actions are against dharma, the order responds with painful experiences.

This order is a wholesome order, it has  certain intelligence that pertains to this creation.

Hence ishvara becomes the srushti sththi and srshti laya.

Isn’t that true in our experience. Isnt an order governing our actions and its results every moment?

When I type, the words appear on screen, is it ‘me’ that makes this work? Or is it the order?

When my heart beats, who makes it breath.

When I hear a sound, who makes the sound to be heard?

So nobody can deny the permanent relationship with ishvara.

If ishvara were a person, then we can have a special relationship with him.

Some people believe that too. They say there is ‘my god’ and ‘your god’ is not the same.

Your god is false.

God is god, there is only one god. In fact there is only god.

You cant find something outside of god. If you find something outside god, then where is the outside, means god is inside space. Then who created space? God cant create space sitting inside space. So is he outside space? No he cant be, since concept of inside and outside arises due to space exists. So then only alternative is god IS space. Which means the spaceness  IS god, which means god IS AS space, god IS as time, god IS as gravity , god IS as air, fire, water, earth as all elements and all the different things.

Then what shall we conclude, are there possibly many gods? Which means space god, time is a god, air is a god and so on? Then where is the ruler of all these, what keeps them together as one whole universe?

We can say that is one biggest god, that god is formless god, and he rules the other gods with form, like a CEO.

Like an organization has a leader, one Parama order One ring that rules them all.

So we can say these are not the same god, but various gods.But there is one supreme god.

This is a valid hypothesis and is not against reason.

The supreme god created all other gods and humans as well.

This is the dvaita point of view.

Some look at this as pure dvaita, where the supreme lord does not include you and the devatas.Is that possible? , if supreme lord does not include all others, the where did intelligence and material come for all other gods and humans? That means there will be another supreme lord, which means we need another overarching supreme supreme, and this will go on to ad infinitum.

So obviously we have to now negate that assumption and get down to visishta advaita.

We say the smaller gods and humans are all a ‘part’ of the supreme lord. Which means I am a part of that lord.

Whoever if I am a part of that lord, how can I have free will, I can if supreme lord allows it.

Also let me consider I am part of that supreme lord, so when I die, does a part of supreme lord diminish?

No it can’t that’s not logical, how can supreme lord diminish, which now means this supreme lord remains supreme in my absence or presence.Even after I die, when I say I die, I refer to the body, the body is the five elements , so the supreme lord is who controls and has as his part all 5 elements, does not undergo any change. Then what changes? what changes is the laws that mix the different elements. Laws connect the elements, based on certain degree of knowledge. That is what creation is , full of knowledge, properties and laws and behavior.

Material is also subject to conversion.

When water is heated it becomes vapor or air, so the different parts of god are undergoing changes.

So what is the material of god, its not water, or air, or space alone, since these are subject to change since water becomes air, liquid changes to gas and gas particles disintegrate when heated.

So what is god now, we know the effects of god, we know his parts change in nature and we know he exists in the form of laws and we know he governs all, including our body and mind and psychological order, and he gives us free will, but what is this god?What is his essence, this we don’t know.

We are given a means of knowledge by god himself to know this.

It is called vedas.

Vedas tell us, ishavasyam sarvam idam, all that is here is ishvara.

And svarupa of ishvara is satchitananda.

Which means non negatable existence which is conscious.

What is existence? We know that, something is, is existence, but I don’t know god still, what is conscious, I know that, how? I know that since, I am conscious.

I know, I am a knower, I can know various things.

I am a conscious being.

I am aware of objects and my own body.

But I don’t know god still.

Now shastra says, this satchit svarupa god, became al this.

As we established earlier there is a conscious being, who is all knowing.

And he himself is the universe.

I am also a conscious being, not all knowing. I know and have limited powers.

But I know I have limited powers, I also know ishvara has unlimited powers.

But shastra doesn’t stop me here, it questions me, do you know who you are?

Do you know you are not this body mind?

This body mind is ishvara already, then who are you?

You are , it says, which means I am.

I am includes knowing that I am and the fact of my existence.

It is knowledge and existence. My satchit svarupa, which is I, I am satchit svarupa, alone.

I am svarupa alone.

I am svarupananda.

Ananda svarupa.

I am the truth.

This I am is the ishvara.there is no other ishvara.

Other than me.and that is what is advaitam.

One without a second.