Friday, May 29, 2009

Maneesha Panchakam - Part 4 of 8

Dear Friends
Greetings to you all. From the time of last posting, in spite of my strong wish to post this fourth part of Maneesha Panchakam, various preoccupations of my time prevented me from reaching you sooner than this. From this post onwards, we will see the FIVE Jewel verses on the understanding of our SELF. These in fact are the "Maneesha Panchakam". Till now what we have dealt is only the preamble and building up the scenario for the main messages.
There are FOUR Mahavakyams from the four Vedas. These five Jewels of Maneesha Panchakam are based on the authority of these four Mahavakyams from Vedas.
Just to recapitulate, Lord Parama Shiva in the chandala roopam has put forth pithy questions into the mind of the leaned man which we have seen in our posts 1 to 3. These questions immediately made an indelible impression on the mind of that holy man and he at once perceived Lord Shiva and Mother Parvathi, in the couple opposite to him in the roopam of the outcaste. As this enlightenment dawned on him, the learned man now expounds the true nature of the self with in all - in these FIVE slokas. We will see the first of these five in this post.
These are recited extempore by the learned man with humility in reply to Lord Shiva.

The First slokam is as follows:

జాగ్రత్ స్వప్న సుషుప్తిషు స్ఫుటతరా యా సం విదుజ్జృంభతే

యా బ్రహ్మాది పిపీలికాంత తనుషు ప్రోతా జగత్సాక్షిణీ,

సైవాహం న చ దృశ్య వస్త్వితి ధృఢ ప్రఙ్ఞాపి యస్యాస్తిచేత్

చండాలోస్తు సతు ద్విజోస్తు గురురిత్యేషా మనీషా మమ.


जाग्रत्स्वप्न सुषुत्पिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते

या ब्रह्मादि पिपीलिकान्त तनुषु प्रोता जगत्साक्षिणी,

सैवाहं न च दृश्य वस्त्विति दृढ प्रज्ञापि यस्यास्तिचे

च्चण्डालोस्तु स तु द्विजोस्तु गुरुरित्येषा मनीषा मम

jaagratswapna sushuptishu sphutataraa yaa sam vidujjrimbhatae
yaa brahmaadi pipeelika anta thanushu prothaa jagat saakshinee,
saiva aham na cha drisya vastwiti drudha prajnaapi yasya asti chaet
chandaalostu sa tu dwijosthu gurur ityaeshaa maneeshaa mama.


The word meaning is as follows
jaagrat = In the wakeful state,
swapna = in dreaming state and
sushupti shu = also in the deep sleep state
sputa taraa = that which very clearly
jrumbhatae = shines in all beings and
sam vidu = perfectly knows every thing;
yaa = That which
protaa = embedded and indwelling
Brahma adi = from the Creator onwards
pipeelika anta = up to the ant,
thanu shu = all living bodies and
saakshinee = which is the witness (for)
jagat = all worldly activity;
sa yaeva aham = and that which is
na cha drusya = not to be perceived by us
vastvu iti = as an object to be
api drudha = in spite of firm
prajnaa = knowledge of material things;
asthi chaeth = It remains verily the same
asthu = may be he is
chandaalo = the down trodden (outcaste)
sa tu = in the same way
asthu Dwijo = may be he is a learned (Brahmin).
maneesha mama = My firm understanding is that
yaesha = that Great one who inculcates this concept
Gurur iti = is the real preceptor.

Purport or Bhava

Oh! Let’s learn that the indwelling (pratyag) atman is distinctly shining with in all the three states; namely the wakeful, the dreaming and the deep sleep states. It is the invisible thread embedded in us and it is the witness with in all from the Creator up to the tiny ant. It is not a cognizable object in spite of any amount of material intelligence. It is very much the same in one and all irrespective of any caste, creed or kind! My firm understanding is that the great one who inculcates this concept is the real preceptor.
Please view the short video narration given below.
See you next week, Bye till then.
Dr. Sarma


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Maneesha Panchakam - Part 3 of 8

Dear Friends
Greetings to you all
We have seen the first three sloakas in the introductory part of Maneesha Panchakam in the previous posts. In this post we will see the 4th and 5th slokams. Just to recall from where we have left, I have given the substance of the last slokam we have seen in the previous post: "Lord Parama Siva spoke as follows; Oh ! The perfect man of Self realization - Sir, I wish to know, whom are you addressing to get away from your esteemed presence out of hatred? Do you mean the physical body of us – it’s one and the same for all! If you mean the internal cosmic energy within us, it’s all the more same in all". Lord Siva is further questioning the learned man as follows.

The next slokam is as follows:

ప్రత్యగ్వస్తుని నిస్తరంగ సహజానందావవబోధాంబుధౌ విప్రో
అయం శ్వపచో అయమిత్యపి మహాన్ కో అయం విభేద భ్రమః

pratyagvastuni nistaranga sahajaananda avabodha ambudhou vipro

ayam swapacho ayamity api mahaan ko ayam vibhaeda bhramah ?

प्रत्यग्वस्तुनि निस्तरन्ग सहजानन्दावबोधाम्बुधौ विप्रो

अयम् श्वपचोयमित्यपि महान् को अयम् विभेद भ्रमः?

The word meaning is as follows
pratyag vastuni = The indwelling essence in all of us is
nis-taranga = the wave less and steady
ambudhou = ocean called the
sahaja ananda = innate, natural Bliss Absolute;
avabodha = This is the perfect understanding.
mahaan = O! Great soul, (for you too)
ko = why is
ayam = this (very hatred inducing)
vibhedha bramah = illusion of discrimination (that)
ayam vipro = one is learned and a Brahmin
ity api = and that the other
ayam shwapacho = one is an outcaste (Chandaala)

Purport or Bhava
Lord Parama Siva continues his query: Isn’t the indwelling essence in all of us the same wave-less and steady ocean called the innate and natural Bliss Absolute; While this should be the perfect understanding of the learned, (for you too) O! Great soul, why is this (indeed hatred inducing) illusion of discrimination (that) one is learned and a Brahmin and that the other one is an outcaste and is untouchable!

The next slokam is as follows:

కిమ్ గంగాంబుధి బింబితేంబర మణౌ చన్డాల వీధీ పయః
పూరే వా అన్తరమస్తి కాంచన ఘటీ మృత్కుమ్భయొర్వాంబరే?

kim gangaambudhi binbitae ambara manou chandaala veedhee payah

poorae vaa antaramasti kaanchana ghatee mritkumbhayorva ambarae?

किम् गंगाम्बुधि बिंबितेम्बर मणौ चंडाल वीधी पयः

पूरेवा अन्तरमस्ति कांचनघटी मृत्कुम्भयोर्वांबरे?

The word meaning is as follows
Ganga ambudhi = Be it in the sacred waters of Ganges
payah poorae vaa = or in the cesspools situated in
chandaala veedhi = the slum dwellers’ lanes,
bimbita = in reflected and shining
ambara maNou = the jewel of the sky, the Sun
antaram kim = what difference
asthi (vaa) = does exist ? and also
kaanchana ghatee = be it a golden vessel
mrit kumbha yor = or be in an earthen pot,
ambarae vaa = in the reflected sky too
antaram kim = what difference
asthi = does exist !! (Absolutely the same !)

Purport or Bhava

The precious jewel of the sky, the Sun, isn’t he shining in the same way in this very sacred and holy waters of this river - the mother Ganges and in the polluted cesspools there in the dirty lanes of the slum dwellers (outcastes)? Will the reflected sky be inferior in an earthen pot, compared to the one in a golden vessel ! Aren’t the Sun and the Sky absolutely the same without any difference?

These very pithy and piercing arrows of questions from the Lord posed to the mind of the learned man, the nija swaroopa of the Chandala (Lord in the disguise) is perceived by the holy man and the following 5 slokams form the firm conviction and understanding attained by the holy man. These will be discussed one each in the subsequent 5 posts.

See you next week, Bye till then.

Regards

Dr Sarma

I request you to see the video file given below which narrates the above slokas and meaning