Aarsha Vani (Voice of Sanatana Dharma)
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AArsha Vani (Voice of Sanatana Dharma) July 2016 Volume: 2 Issue: 06 “Śrī Guravē Nama:” Upcoming Pravachanams ‘‘Since times immemorial, Guru Puja is a widely prevalent tradition in Bhārata. Date: Jun 30 - Jul 6, 2016 Everyone performs special worship to their Guru on Guru Pournima day. This day Venue: New Jersey, NJ is also known as Vyasa Pournima. Why Date: July 8 -13, 2016 do we do Guru Puja? The very word Venue: Detroit, MI ‘Guru’ means one who is venerable, Date: July 15 - 17, 2016 adorable, and one who has to be Venue: Pittsburgh, PA respected. In our worldly life, it is Date: July 19 - 22, 2016 commonly observed that everyone Venue: Raleigh, NC respects those who helps, guides or Date: July 23 - 24, 2016 benefits them in material ways. A step Venue: Charlotte, NC higher than this is to respect those who Date: July 26 - 29, 2016 provide education, knowledge, Venue: Boston, MA information about some unknown Date: July 30 - 31, 2016 things etc. Among all types of Venue: Connecticut knowledge, the highest form of (For details visit http://rushipeetham.org/ Event Calendar – USA Tour or See Page 4) knowledge is about Brahman (Godhead). Whoever gives us the Traditions-Fulfilments ultimate knowledge about Brahman is ‘Sadguru’. When we worship Guru, we’re Offer Dhūpa, Dīpa and Naivēdya worshipping this fountain of knowledge within Him. Just like we offer turmeric, after each time, when Sahasranama is kumkum, flowers, incense etc. to the copper pot containing ‘Ganga Jal’, and chanted more than once. derive satisfaction that we performed ‘Ganga Puja’, we worship the ‘Jnana Ganga’ in Guru. His Upādhi (body) is like copper pot i.e. only an instrument for us to worship the ‘Jnana’ in Him. Jnana flows from Guru to disciple just like mantrahīnaṁ kriyā hīnaṁ electricity flows through copper wire. Washing His Feet, offering flowers and yatkr̥taṁ pūjanaṁ harēḥ incense etc. are all outwardly expressions of this reverence towards the Guru. A sarvaṁ sampūrṇatāmēti ‘True Guru’ awakens our intellect (Buddhi) and directs it towards the Supreme. kr̥tē nīrājanē harēḥ॥ Our Sanātana Dharma is indebted forever to Sage Vēda Vyāsa and Sri Ādi Śaṅkara (Nāradīya Samhita) Bhagavatpāda, who gave us this vast treasure of knowledge. Though the By offering ārati at the end of puja, all Supreme Lord is the real Guru, and every Guru is His form only, it is also very sins committed during the worship important to worship our Guru on this day. Everyone can recite the mantra ‘śrī either knowingly or unknowingly are cleansed. This grants complete results. śivāya guravē nama:’ known as the Parama Mantra Samrat, anywhere and anytime. Recitation of this mantra bestows the grace of the Ādi Guru, Siva, who shows us the right Guru. Let’s all pray Lord Siva to lead us from unreal to real, Reciting the twelve names of darkness to light and from mortality to immortality.” Vārāhi given below during the first nine – Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma. days of Āṣāda (observed as Vārāhi (Adapted from multiple discourses) Navartri) grants protection. Sadhu Vachanam “Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe fully, that Guru is the sole Actor or -:: Vārāhī Dvādaśa Nāma ::- Doer. Blessed is he who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to be Hari, pan̄camī daṇḍanāthā ca saṅkētā Hara and Brahma (Trimurti) Incarnate." — Sri Shirdi Sai Baba. samayēśvarī। tathā samaya saṅkētā Bharateeyam vārāhī pōtriṇī॥ śivō vārtāḷī ca “Whenever I have read any part of the Vedas, I have felt that some unearthly and mahāsēnā ājñā cakrēśvari tathā। unknown light illuminated me. In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no touch of arighnī cēti samprōktaṁ nāmaṁ sectarianism. It is of all ages, clans, and nationalities and is the royal road for the dvādaśa kaṁ munē॥ attainment of the Great Knowledge. When I read it, I feel that I am under the spangled heavens of a summer night.” - Henry David Thoreau, American Thinker & Author. - Brahmāṇḍa purāṇa. Spiritual Quest (Answers by Sri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma) Vēdas are called ‘Trayi’. Does it mean that there are only three Vēdas? Please clarify if Atharvaṇa Vēda is authored after Aaryan times. “All the Vēdas contain three types of mantras. 1. R̥kku 2. Yajassu 3. Sāmamu in the form of prose, poem and lyric respectively. Hence, they are called ‘Trayi’, but not because there are only three Vēdas. Vēdas are ‘Apourusheya’ i.e. not written. Multiple researches proved beyond any doubt that the Ārya and Dravida classification is completely false. Unfortunately, due to foreign infatuation, the same wrong history is still taught and taken as the basis. Vedic proclamation ‘Rig Yajussāma Rūpēṇa Mantrō Vēda Catuṣṭayaṁ’ confirms that there are four Vēdas since ages. Atharvaṇa Vēda contains ‘Siddha’ (Attainment) mantras. This is an illustrious Vēda, also otherwise known as ‘Āṅgīrasa’ and ‘Bhaisajya’. ‘Samanvaya is Sanātana – Sāmarasya is Bhāratīyata’ © Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma Guru as Trinity sadāśiva (nārāyaṇa) samārambhaṁ vyāsa śaṅkara mādhyamām asmadācārya paryaṁtāṁ vandē guru paramparāṁ’ “Guru Parampara exists since the creation began. In fact, ‘Nārāyaṇa Samārambhām’ or ‘Sadāśiva Samārambhāṁ’ indicates the same. Ādi Guru – The primordial Guru is Nārāyaṇa or Sadāśiva. Both are one and the same. They connote the ‘Supreme Parabrahman’. Narayana imparted all the knowledge required to do this creation to Brahma. In other words, His Shakti took the form of Brahma for doing creation. Later, Manus, Prajāpatis and Rishis emanated from Brahma, among which Rishis obtained this knowledge. Hence, second Guru is Brahma. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad mentions, “Yō brāhmaṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yō vai vēdaṁ ke prāhiṇōti sagaṁ hai dēvaṁ ātma-buddhi- prakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇaṁ ahaṁ prapadyē”- Because I desire liberation, gurur brahma gurur viṣṇuḥ let me surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who first gurur dēvō mahēśvaraḥ enlightened Lord Brahma in Vedic knowledge. The Lord is the original source gurur sākṣāt parabrahmā tasmai śrī guravē namaḥ of all enlightenment and spiritual advancement.” This divine knowledge Above sloka is taught to all of us in early mentions about two paths to reach the Supreme – Pravr̥tti and Nivr̥tti. Sanaka, childhood. This is very popular sloka. This Sanandana etc. took to the path of Nivr̥tti, wherein they realized that this sloka can be recited in front of any Guru. The world is transient. Hence they sacrificed mundane comforts, and always widely prevalent meaning of this sloka is to reminisced upon the knowledge of Self and attained liberation. Though worship Guru as the form of Trinity (Brahma endowed with true knowledge, sages such as Vaśiṣṭa, Prajapatis and others Vishnu Sivatmaka) and hence Parabrahma. embraced the path of Pravr̥tti, wherein they followed Dharma at each stage But, there is more profound and of their life i.e. in Brahmacharya, Gr̥hasta, Vānaprastha etc. Sage Vaśiṣṭa is the philosophical purport for this sloka. There is principal sage representing all the sages. He passed on this knowledge to his not an iota of doubt that a Guru is always the son Śakti, Śakti to his son Parāśara, Parāśara to his son Vyāsa and Vyāsa to his embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu & son Suka. Sage Parāśara is an intellectual beyond comprehension. His Maheswara. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva do creation, sustenance and dissolution contribution to humanity includes Vishnu Purāṇa, Parāśara Smr̥ti, Parāśara respectively. In other words, a Guru is Samhita, Parāśara Hora etc. His son Veda Vyāsa needs no special mention. A Brahma, Vishnu & Maheswara to a disciple by popular saying is ‘vyāsa ucciṣṭam jagat sarvaṁ’ i.e. every form of knowledge His actions. A Guru gives birth like Brahma, available today is nothing but the left-over of sage Vyāsa. He gave knowledge sustains like Vishnu and finally leads to about both the paths in Vedas, Brahmasutras, Mahābhārata, Srimad merger with the Supreme like Maheswara. Bhāgavata, and Eighteen Purāṇas. These are vast as well as profound. Vyāsa Though parents give birth to the body, Guru has many disciples. Jaimini, Sumanta, Paila and Vaiśampāyana spread Vedas. gives Dīkṣā Janma i.e. new life after initiation Sage Sūta spread Purāṇas. His son Śuka spread Sri Bhāgavata. Śuka’s disciple into spiritual life. Cycle of births and deaths is is Gaudapāda. Gaudapāda’s disciple is Govinda Bhagavatpāda. Govinda still possible after this worldly birth, but there Bhagavatpāda’s disciple is Ādi Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda. Ādi Śaṅkara established is no worldly birth after Guru gives dīkṣā four monasteries, made His four disciples the Pontiffs and entrusted them the (initiation). Thus, He is Brahma. Later, Guru holds the disciple steadfast in this resolution, responsibility of propagating Sanātana Dharma. Thus, the ancient Guru sustains this knowledge in the disciple, lineage is Nārāyaṇa or Sadāśiva, Brahma, Vaśiṣṭa, Śakti, Parāśara, Vyāsa, Śuka, protects in this mundane life and preserves Gaudapāda, Govinda Bhagavatpāda and Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda. This lineage disciple’s spiritual practices. Hence, He is or order of Gururs is called ‘Guru Parampara’. Anyone who promulgates Vishnu. Gradually, with his teachings and by Vedas and Sanātana Dharma following the dictums or cardinal principles of his actions, Guru develops contentment, Vedas elucidating Dharma, Yoga and Jnana, are Gurus or Acharyas. It is not dispassion, detachment, and gives an exaggeration to mention that just listing the names of the lineage all these knowledge about Brahman finally merging great Gurus takes days together. Some of the prominent incarnations of the the soul in divine. So, He is Maheswara. Thus, Supreme Godhead as Gurus are Kapila (Saṅkhya), R̥ṣabha (Avadūta), Nara- Guru is the embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu Nārāyaṇa (Penance & Protection of Knowledge), Dattātrēya (Siddha & and Maheswara. Hence, He is also the Vedanta) etc. Knowledge, traditions, culture, practices, customs etc. are Parabrahma. Guru is the Supreme Brahman that can be experienced directly by our passed onto next generations as ‘Sampradāya’. ‘Sam – Pra – Dāyam’ - ‘Dāyam’ senses.’ means given. ‘Pra’ is Prakr̥ṣṭa i.e.