Para-Pashyanti-Madhyama-Vaikhari : Four types of speeches in Sanatana Dharma

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क्षेमालागी जीव

उतावीळ माझा

म्हणवोनि स्फुरताती बाहो

क्षेम देऊ गेले तव 

मी ची मी एकली

आसावला जीव राहो...

“My jīva & hands were so eager to embrace Him. But when I actually did I found out that I was the only One there. Whilst I experienced the advaita, I still yearn for dvaita”

पाया पडू गेले तव पाऊलचि न दिसे

उभाचि स्वयंभू असे

समोर कि पाठिमोरा न कळे

ठकचि पडिले कैसे....

“I tried to touch His feet. But I could not see His feet nor the base. He was standing on His own, unsupported by any foundation. I could not even make out which way He was facing”

शब्देंविण संवादु 

दुजेंवीण अनुवादु

हें तंव कैसेंनि गमे

परेहि परतें बोलणें खुंटलें

वैखरी कैसेंनि सांगें

“The conversation that we had was wordless. There was no ‘pashyanti’ to translate. When the ‘parā’ was active, all speech ceased. How then can I describe it in ‘vaikhari’?

There are four “layers” of “speech” in dharma. 

1. Vaikhari : one which we talk in to discuss routine things. Origin - Indriyas

2. Madhyamā : One which we utter after putting significant adhidaivik thought. Origin - manas / buddhi

3. Pashyanti : the vāNi which originates from the deepest core of our prakruti. Origin - ahamkāra

4. Parā : the vāNi that comes straight from the chètanā. The seer. Purusha. Ātmā. This vāNi comes from beyond the realms of prakruti.

I pray I get to hear at least one syllable in parā vāNi in this birth. 

The primordial syllable... 

ॐ.....

Thoughts on Importance of Surya Upaasanaa

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I dream of all six darshans and all five dèvatā sampradāyas (Sūrya, vishNu, shiva, dèvī, gaNapati) flourishing in India. We need Sānkhya-nyāya-vaishéshika-mimāmsā to find guru-shishya tradition again. We need a strong resurrection of independent saura and gāNapatya sampradāyas. 

Sūrya = hiraNyagarbha = brahmadèva = creator 

viShNu = investor = sustenance

shiva = destruction

dèvī = māyā

gaNapati = anugraha

Sūrya upāsanā is upāsanā of hiraNyagarbha brahmā

All five are important. We have focussed a lot on sustenance and destruction in past 1000 years. Times were such. Sustenance and destruction were key traits needed to Hindus. Hence vishNu and shiva are the most prevalent dèvatās in last 1000 years. Dèvī is extremely prevalent too. Māyā needed to maintain the dvaita and do required puruShārtha and parākrama to defend dharma. gaNapati prevalent only in mahārāshTra. And here and there in other KrishNa-Godāvari basin states. 

Other regions have very few temples where gaNapati is the main presiding deity (except those built by Marathas). But anugraha part is at least alive in some parts of India. But the creation or the creative part is sūrya-brahmadèva. Now brahmadèva in his four-headed form cannot be worshipped widely (BhRgu’s shāpa). But we used to worship creator/creativity in form of sūrya nonetheless. There is a reason why Shruti calls viranchi as hiraNyagarbha. Hindus have neglected it in last 1000 years. 

Hindus need to worship and invoke the creator now. Rest of India needs to worship and invoke anugraha kāraka gaNapati now (happening slowly in cities - surprisingly thanks to Bollywood actually - but I will take it). I believe preserving gāNapatya tradition gave a certain edge to western coast of India in medieval times as opposed to rest of India. First deed that Shivaji did was jīrNoddhāra and punah-prāNapratishTHāpanā of a desecrated and abandoned gaNapati in Pune. 

We need to popularise sūrya upāsanā to jumpstart Hindu creativity. We need to popularise gaNapati upāsanā in rest of India to jumpstart Hindu “awakening”. Yes. When Hindus gave up daily sandhyā Vandana (which is mandatory to every Hindu), we threw away our best asset. Even Brahmins are giving it up now, kicking away the ladder that put them where they are. And looking at this downfall of Brahmins, others feel it’s OK too.

Surya upasana is important for Hindu creativity in sense of Hindu birth-rate too. Hindus need to produce more "suprajaa" (good offspring). The issue of "suprajaa" (not just numerical but qualitative too) is most important. 

I wish and pray that surya upasana revives again in India with fervor.

How Buddhism is (was) an attack on the very foundation of sanatana aastik dharma

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Since time of siddhārtha Gautama himself the aastika and naastika “split” happened. It is based on much deeper level of drashTā. The split manifested on sociopolitical level too. Look at behaviour of Buddhists when Menander invaded India.

The urge to “overthrow restrictions of varNāshrama” using some adhyātmik experiences of siddhārtha gautama is very old. Many wanted to “use” this to stage a coup. Hence bauddha darshan was one of THE biggest challenges thrown to sanātana dharma on far deeper level of existence. It is very myopic to look at all dèvatās which are common & then claim ki see how much similarity

Even Sānkhya prescribes worship of all these dèvatās and many more w/o acknowledging existence of Īshwara. That is NOT the focal point of this “revolt” against vèda & varNāshrama. The split not just happened on level of adhyātma. As I said it manifested on social and political and economic level too. Because a section of public was chaffing to rebel against varNāshrama. Why rebel? Because of the restrictions that the system puts on “YOLO” type people. 

The tension between Kshatriya and brāhmaNa was always there. Bound to be there. Perhaps that is the whole point - that all powerful Kshatriyas remain subservient to beggar Brahmins. This has manifested many times in past. Whole vashishTHa-vishvāmitra feud is precisely this. Parshurāma comes in this line only. Rāma was coordinator and restored balance. 

But after MBH Great War, and mass-deaths of Kshatriyas on kurukshètra, this balance was almost skewed. Rise of vaishya+shudra kings (mahā-padmananda) is another defining point who were chaffing. It is this class which joined the Buddhist bandwagon en masse when Ashoka embraced bauddha-darshan as his “adhyātmik mārga”. These & YOLO type freeloaders too.

It became a difficult problem because it attacked vaidika system not from outside, but from inside. At level of drashTā. It is a very curious case of an adhyātmik experience being used to stage a sociopolitical and economic coup in India. Very unique. And very much dhārmik or Hindu.

The only problem which manifested was, the teachings of Buddha could not produce more Buddhas. 😊

This has very briefly (and a bit shallowly) addressed by Hermann Hesse in Siddhartha. The path taught by Buddha cannot grant that final liberation. Because even Shruti declares it is very fickle and one cannot hope to make a syllabus and a SOP to attain moksha (what Buddha did). Just as by giving a textbook and printed instruction manual does not make role of guru redundant, same this happened here. 

Mind you, People who joined Buddhist bandwagon were not shallow people. They understood the meaning and importance of adhyātma. They just wanted to make this process free of some “shrotrīya and brahmanishTHa guru” who will address their needs as per their guNa-karma composition. In long run we know, it does not work that way. While vashishTHa-vishwāmitra feud ended in vishwāmitra becoming a great brahmarShi, similar things did not happen here. 

Because we CANNOT wish away a guru and replace him with SOP. Took centuries to understand this.

The chaffing of the YOLO type people under sobering responsibility that varNāshrama forces people to own-up has its root in one more deeper question. kriyamāNa karma Vs prārabdha/Sanchita karma. Or as Abrahmics like to put it - question of free-will. YOLO emphasises, prima-facie, on importance of kriyamāNa karma over Sanchita. Which is absolutely true. KriyamāNa is the only thing we have in our hand, since Sanchita is already done and awaiting to bear fruits.

But YOLO (includes Abrahmics) tries to wipe-out Sanchita. The argument looks very “sexy” when it hits you. The patron hero of YOLO is karNa who proudly claims :

सुतोवा सुतपुत्रोवा योवाकोवा भवाम्यहम्

दैवायत्तं कुले जन्म: मदायत्तं तु पौरुषम् 

(Whether a suta or sutaputra, whoever I am. My Birth is up to fate, but my valor is up to me)

We applause and cheer this for we are educated under influence of liberty-fraternity-equality values of modern education. But while karNa accepts “दैवायत्तं कुले जन्म:” part, his kriyamāNa karma doesn’t correct it. For all his life he lamented this fight against his Sanchita. Abrahmics, in the name of free-will, offer to completely wipe-out Sanchita (if one chooses to accept the messiah). An easy cop-out. Similar to how Ashoka might have attracted to Buddha dharma (as per popular narrative of Kalinga war effect on him). By overthrowing varNāshrama, there is a way out to overthrow Sanchita karma. As if nothing matters. Complete reset, all that is said and done in past is erased. 

Now bauddha Darshana is inherently a dhārmik darshana so it does not overrule karma. But this urge to “have a clean slate” is enticing nevertheless. With varNāshrama constantly reminding one that “whatever you are is effect of your own karma” - forces one to take up responsibility of whatever that is happening to us as fruit of our own doing. It is not surprising that there always was, is and will be a section who would wish to overthrow this constant reminder (like a teenager kid wanting to rebel/overthrow disciplining parents meaning good).

Samartha Rāmadāsa Svāmī beautifully explains this : 

जननी-जनक माया लेकरू काय जाणे

पय न लगत मूखीं हाणितां वत्स नेणे

“What does a child know the love of parents - who like a cow pushing/disciplining her ignorant calf so that it can drink milk properly”

Except here, the “cow” is our own past karma, not some external God with grand plan. The fact of the matter is - there is no escaping from Sanchita karma. It improves (and deteriorates) slowly and requires consistency in kriyamāNa karma. And irrespective of the quality of your consistent kriyamāNa karma, you still HAVE TO face the fruits of your Sanchita. The moment this truth seeps in deep and realisation dawns, is the moment when we attain the second of the three “shānti” that we chant after every recitation of every stotra there is. 

The adhidaivika shānti : 

of manas-buddhi and ahamkāra. 

Of chitta. 

Of antahkaraNa. 

Moral of the Story : 

So in the end know that

1. Dèvatā (including big 3 or 5) are not main focus of sanātana dharma.

2. Chètana DrashTā (ātman/purush/Indra) and his moksha/kaivalya is the main focus. Because that chètanā is raison d’être

3. Guru, varNāshrama, Īshwara are there to help achieve 2

4. Guru and varNāshrama (based on past+present karma) are absolutely essential. Contrary to popular belief, even Īshwara can be optional (not recommended but each to his/her own prakruti)

5. When you realize that drashTā is sitting behind ALL the layers of prakruti, you are free.

PS :

No matter how wildly one differs with fellow dhārmik on ideological and adhyātmik or social issues, DO NOT betray them by colluding with mlechha. Some Buddhists in their blind hatred of varNāshrama dharma, did that too. They were first to die under mlechha or yavana yoke. It is very sad (for me personally) to see great human beings (nāgārjuna for example) colluding/giving upadèsha etc to mlechha invaders due an “adhyātmik disagreement”. 

it affected political scenarios in India. Same thing repeated in Sindh and Bengal. There always is a section of bauddhas who, out of their absolute dislike towards vedas and varNashrama, end up helping absolute worst invaders. this is an example of same mentality. But then she is a globalist and not a nationalist (Communism, Xianity and Islam are globalist ideas - All land belongs to God/Proletariat, hence we do not believe in petty nation-states. Islam and Communism more so). It is painful to see dharmik people (i.e. a section of people belonging to dharmik darshans like Buddhism, Sikhism) indulge in same narrative and effort.

Eventually what happens is varNashrama saves Vaidik Hindus, but it  obliterated these sampradayas. In Sindh, after generations of Bauddha darshan following kings, a brahmaNa named Chaacha became a king and started reinstating vaidik hindu dharma. Result, at opportune moment (after successfully stopping Arabs for 80 years), seeing Qasim win at Deval, a section flipped. Resulted in absolute wipeout of dharmik power. Hindus at least survived because they ghettoed themselves in their strongholds (and Rajput + Chalukya response began from interior). 

But seeing Hindus cannot be obliterated, they turned towards Buddhists & destroyed them instead. Those who could not fight, converted en masse. Same movie repeated almost painfully similarly (in broader strokes) in Bengal 500 years later. After Buddhist Paala empire, Senas (Vaidik hindus) conquered Bengal and started reinstating mainstream hindu dharma there. Before job was completed, Khilji raid occurred, Senas retreated to east of Ganga (which was predominantly buddhist)

West of Ganga remained Hindu (mostly) - due to reinstatement of Vaidika Hindu dharma by Senas. East of Ganga, job was half-done perhaps. Almost all converted slowly. Dalits and Neo-Buddhists buying into friendship with MIM like parties should read this history. Jogendra Mandal is too recent an example. But this is one mistake these people have been repeating again and again.

Ideas are powerful. Do not let them be too powerful. 

Experience and Anubhuti trumps ideas. 

श्रीराम.... 

Thoughts on photo of desecration of an Armenian church by Turkish / Azerbaijani soldier

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A  photo of (probably Turkish) soldier affiliated to to Azerbaijani army gives a call to Azaan from top of a captured Armenian Church. This happened on 14/11/2020. More things change, more they stay the same.

In the year of us reclaiming Shri Rāmajanmabhūmī after 500 years, this picture is sobering one. This is what our ancestors endured. NaMo’s victories should not put us at ease. And this is what awaits Somnath, Ayodhya, Thanjavur and Kāmākhyā again if Hindus fail in their vigilance. 

Just imagine the vigraha of rāmlalla and linga of Somnath and brihadīshwara being desecrated and broken by hammers (or bulldozer). Imagine cows being slaughtered in the garbhagruha of these temples. Imagine some pious Hindus stealing the vigraha before desecration and throwing them in some well/lake/river/sea. Imagine these vigrahas of your favourite dèvatā finding themselves installed/thrown in gutters, toilet septic-tanks etc just to show the idol-worshipers their place. If you think I am exaggerating, this is what happened to Hindus in last 1000 years. 

This is how the Sun Temple of MārtanDa and Multan was desecrated. This is how bhavāni temple of Tuljāpur was desecrated. This is what happened to earlier vigraha of Rāmlalla Virājmān in Ayodhya. This is what IS happening in some parts of West Bengal today during Durga Puja. This is what happened to Somnath 17 times!! 

If we think of forgetting our history - remember this picture. This is what awaits your gods too. Again.

Yoni and Importance of sustainability and manushya janma

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Due to human activity, many jīva-s who should have spent more time in pashu-yoni are being born as humans. Because humans have made extinct so many pashu-yonis, the jīva-a cannot spend their karmic backlog there & “earn” human birth. Hence so many animals among humans these days. 

Availability of a “right yoni (womb)” is very critical for all of us. We have spent lot of time, many times, either due to our ability of choice (some adhyātmikally progressed ones) or due to compulsions of our own past karma (most of us) - finding the right yoni so get a body. Availability of yonis (good, puNyavāna) is the biggest filter in the journey of every jīva towards moksha. This is one more reason why Hindu numerical (and qualitative) superiority is essential.

So many talented jīva-s (who were destined to shine due to their sanchit) missed out on being born in the yoni of a Hindu mother : because of limited availability of Hindu mothers in some parts of subcontinent. Since prevalent abrahmic system in those places no longer permits “तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय” journey, they shine once like fireflies and die-out - rescinding back to lower yonis (or more destitute humans). 

This is why is yoni utmost important? 

Because - शरीरं आद्यं खलु धर्मसाधनम् (Physical body is the primary asset of achieving Dharma). 

Let us try and make our boys and girls “puNyavāna” - so that they in turn become conduits for great-jīvas to find body - shine - and move upward.

Thoughts on Durga and Athena

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I find story of Durgā very interesting. And the seed of this new understanding is actually in Stephen Fry’s observation on Sherlock Holmes - he is born a fully developed character the moment we meet him first. He doesn’t “grow” in story to become a great detective. We see Sherlock Holmes for the first time we meet him - as a fully formed, fully armed character. He stays like this throughout. 

Stephen Fry likens Holmes to Greek Goddess Athena. Her birth story is fascinating. She emerges from Zeus’s head - fully armed, all wise, fully formed. 

I have read Durgā saptashati many times (all Hindus should - especially during Chaitra and Ashwin navarātra). I always wondered how dèvī (in her Durgā form) just comes into being - all-knowing fully armed (by all dèvatā- for one purpose - to kill mahishāsura). We all know the story. So I won’t repeat it. 

Other avatāra (with exception of Narasimha, kūrma and varāha) have a growth story. How they eventually grew (physically, in character sense, in sense of a journey in life). They did many things. Apart from their momentous task. 

But not Durgā. SHE just comes into being. All powerful, all-armed, all knowing - for one single purpose. WAR and Destruction of mahishāsura. That’s it. This single-agenda of durgā (also varāha-narasimha-kūrma) avatarāra is what really sets HER apart. From other avatāra.

Beautifully captured in famous Marathi ārati of durgā

हारि पडिलो आता संकट निवारी

(I am about to lose now, just remove the sankaTa) 

चारही श्रमले परंतु न बोलवे काही

सहाही विवाद करता पडले प्रवाही 

(Vedas are tired now, cannot be uttered. All six darshans argued but to no avail). When all our world-views (darshans) argue, brain-storm and fail at finding an amicable, sustainable and dhārmik resolution to problem of asuras... 

When it starts threatening to the very existence of Shruti... That is when Durgā appears. For complete physical destruction.

It is important that the due process of argumentation, brainstorming, experimentation and genuine conflict resolution is tried out first. Most of the problems (even a fundamental one like Buddha) was solved this way. 

Not everyone is Durgā. Heck - even dèvī is not Durgā every time. When times are so bad (or about to be so bad) that it denies any scope of organic response to asuras, that is when Durgā comes into existence. For one single purpose. 

I shudder to think what happens then. We don’t want HER to be coming into existence every now and then, do we?

Thoughts on how Sangh will evolve in coming times

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 If and when time demands, a sangh 2.0 will emerge from current sangh - better adapted to deal with newer problems. It will emerged fully armed this time. Like Durgā. Or Athena. It won’t be born and grow and evolve like current sangh had to. Whatever Sitaram Goyal says, this learning curve and adaptive process that Sangh had to go through in last 100 years is and was extremely crucial for Hindus. In my opinion, Goyal got too impatient. Too abrahmic.

You cannot expect Hindus with no experience of Organization, International Politics and Conflict resolution for 1000 years to suddenly start resolving a problem as deep-rooted and complex as Abrahmic religions. Because abrahmic religions are not a spiritual problem like Buddhism. They are a socio-politico-economic problem. And Hindus had no experience in resolving these sort of problems proactively in last 1000 years. We HAVE to reinvent the wheel here and bring it up-to-date.

You cannot flog your child to win a race. The child HAS to go through learning process, evolution process, assimilation process. Ppl like Sitaram Goel are like those parents who pressurize their kids to score 100% AND win medals in all exams and sports - right from Jr KG

Link : https://twitter.com/Kal_Chiron/status/1330000464050495490