[Advaita-l] HH Sri Sannidhanam Speaks on a variety of topics

[V Subrahmanian]

On Sun, May 20, 2018 at 12:37 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> HH Sri Sannidhanam Speaks on a variety of topics
>

In the video, a question on the variety of deities that we worship and the
purport behind it is asked.  HH replies:  We worship Shiva (Shivaratri),
Rama (Ramanavami), Ganapati (Chaturthi), Devi (Navaratri), etc. What has
actually happened is that Brahman has been worshiped four times through
those forms. HH reiterates that it is one Brahman that takes on various
forms to enable the worship by various means. And then cites the statement
of Shankara in the Brahma sutra bhashya:

स्यात्परमेश्वरस्यापि इच्छावशात् मायामयं रूपं साधकानुग्रहार्थम् ।
(1.1.vii.20) (Ishwara, out of compassion, takes on, *by His Maya*, a form
to grace the spiritual aspirant.)

[The context in the BSB is that Brahman is devoid of any form but takes up
forms to help the aspirant.  In the Kenopanishad bhashya too Shankara lists
several deities Vishnu, Ishvara, Indra, Prana, etc. as upasya as Brahman]

Thus, the Sringeri Acharya brings out the purport of the Vedanta on the
question of multiple deities being the form of one Brahman; that whichever
form one worships, it is Brahman that is worshiped. There is no compulsion
like non-Advaitic schools that are akin to Abrahamic schools that one
particular person/form/deity alone is Brahman and the other deities/forms
are not-Brahman.

regards
subrahmanian.v

>
> Here is a talk by HH Sri Sannidhanam, Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Swaminjah
> of Sringeri, in Telugu, in the form of a dialogue.
>
> http://www.mediafire.com/file/akyoiqo41ekdleo/Sri_Sannidhanam_Telugu.mp4
>
>
> The questions posed to him are addressed in an extremely mature way.  The
> stamp of the Shankara Parampara is vibrantly visible in his replies,
> expositions, analogies, etc. His devotion and reverence to Acharya
> Bhagavatpada, his mastery of the Tattva, Shastra, Dharma, etc. and the
> manner of conveying their essence, is all so very well in tune with his own
> Guru and his purvacharyas,  Really feeling proud of him. Blessed we are to
> be in his times.  'Vidhushekhara Bharati, Sharada peetha saarathi.'
>
> Even others who are not familiar with Telugu can benefit a lot from the
> recording.   The URL to the video is useful in forums where videos cannot
> be attached. It is easy to share.
>
> Please share this talk with all friends, groups, etc.
>
> Om Tat Sat
>