pArAyaNa or artha, Dvaita or Advaita, bhArat or India..?
Jai Durga Devi!
This random title expresses the questions I have been asked of over the past couple of days.. and the post discusses their answers.
Yesterday evening we were invited to the Devi Puja celebrations at a friends’ place. Here all the ladies were chanting soundarya lahari. This chanting of sanskrit text culture is something relatively new to our circles.. less than 10 years… if I am right. In every local neighbourhood ladies gather together in the home of a teacher and learn how to chant variously, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lalita Sahasranamam. Soundary Lahari, Bhagavad Gita ad so on., in pristine Sanskrit.
About 20 years ago, it was Bhajans, to one or the other of the Sai Babas, generally in Hindi.
Prior to that I think ladies used to sing Mangala Arathi Songs.. in Telugu (Kannada). Now very few ladies know these songs, in our circles. The circle is the same by the way, chanting habits have changed.
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Parayanam : Today one of my bhagavad gita students said that he would like to learn “only the chanting” since it was the sounds that are very important. Chanting the Gita, Vedas, or any other text is called pArAyaNam. Many traditional schools believe only in pArAyaNam for several years at least. It is held that you must chant till it is perfect and then keep doing manana (contemplation) in your head.
I have started pArAyaNam (of Vedas and Gita) since Jan this year and find that it feels really good. Since I already know some level of Sanskrit and other languages, over repetitions, the sounds form into words and the meaning emerges in my mind. So I think that learning Sanskrit Bhasha together with parayanam is definitely beneficial. There are also pranayama benefits to this.
I think to some students the mystic sounds of the chants appeal, the sounds themselves. Even if they do not resolve themselves into words and meanings. This also has value.
Artha :
I love to know what things mean. What am I saying when I chant? What did it mean when it was first said? What has it come to mean now? How have other interpreted these sounds and words? Do I agree with the interpretation? Do I agree with the original idea?
I have been following the artha of various texts since my childhood and I have found it every bit as appealing as the sounds themselves.
vAk : artha :: parvati : parameswara.
aaah.. to choose only one and reject the other.. what a pity! what a limitation.
Dvaita :
Dvaita means duality. Dvaita holds that every jiva atman is unique and different from the paramataman and similarly that all dravyas are different from each other, as well as different from jiva atmas and from the paramatama. This seems to follow from our immediate experience of the universe. (anubhava). It also holds that the rewards in heaven (vaikunTa) are greater for the more pious atmans and less for the less pious souls. It hold that Vishnu values the virtuous more than the less virtuous. It sounds fair and encourages good behaviour.. it fits in with what people can infer from the world around them.
Advaita :
Advaita means the lack of duality. The jivaatman is the paramaatman and the jagat or world you see around you is an illusion (mithya).
To attain the advaita state of aham brahma, you have to first get attached to sat (sat-sanga) and then get detached from that also (nih-sanga), reach nir-mohatva (lack of fascination/delusion), nis’cala tatva (a state of unchangingness) and finally jivan-muktih – a state of being free while still in your body.
When you follow the advaita path and become a complete advaitin – you attain brahma padam – aham brahmAsmi – i am brahman. This is absolute oneness with the paramatma and the universe and all the indescribable bliss and knowledge that state holds.
dvaitins need to do good karma, advaitins need do nothing at all except for setting an example to society. People exercise their choice as per their nature… both require you to behave well in society... If you wish to realise the “Tat” in your embodied form.. advaita is the way to go.
bhArat :
The Vishnu Purana defines bhArata varSam as the area to the south of the mountains and to the north of the seas. The name is derived from bharata meaning great.
India :
Arrian defined India as the area to the east of the Sindhu, south of the mountains and to the north of the seas. The word is derived from the word Indus – originally Sindhu – meaning water or the river Sindhu
Our country is presently called both Bharat and India on coins and postage stamps. Recently someone left a comment insisting that I use only the word Bharat and not the word India.
Bharata is a fine word and names but one vamsam of all the kingly dynasties. Why not Ikshavaku or Dileep from Sri Rama’s Vamsam?
If we are going by the meaning bharata as great.. then why not sanAtana (ancient), puNyabhUmi or karma bhUmi or my favorite – devabhumi/divyabhumi ?
I am getting used to bengaluru, kolkatta, chennai and mumbai and if the govt, insists I will also get used to the name bharat.
I think if we want the most ancient name of all we should choose Gondwana and call ourselves narmadeeyas…
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