[Advaita-l] The language Sanskrit / Veda maNtra and Ishwara Sakshaatkaara / brahma jnAna

Bhaskar YR bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com
Thu Mar 12 06:23:10 EDT 2020


praNAms
Hare Krishna

I was engaging in a discussion with whatsapp group with regard to Kannada article wherein it has been mentioned that the temple authorities adopting the new method of doing archana, pooja, saMkalpa, prArthana etc.  to the presiding deity  in a local language,  in this case Kannada.   To propitiate the any deity or to do daily pooja, archana, chanting dhyAna shloka during the pooja  the Sanskrit language is a must, the usage of  veda mantra-s as per vaidikAgama is mandatory?? This is my doubt after reading opposing views with regard to this 'new method'.    Is there any injunction with regard to usage of only Sanskrit language in the form of veda mantra / shloka / stotra  or prohibition with regard to usage of any other language other than Sanskrit ??  I don't think using the veda mantra-s for doing the devatArchana is a must since in non-dvija-s houses pooja archana being performed using / chanting only puraNOkta stotra-s.  For example, during the Navagraha aaraadhana, for sUrya graha we use japaa Kusuma saMkAshaM ityAdi shloka instead of veda mantra i.e. asatyena rajasa in Yajurveda or akrushNena rajasa in Rig...likewise for each and every graha, paNchaayatana devata we use shloka / stotra not veda mantra because the non-dvija-s (shUdra-s, in particular) are not eligible to even listen to the svarayukta veda mantra-s.  And now, with this can we conclude that  to propitiate Ishwara / saguNa brahman / kArya brahman/ sOpAdhika brahman veda mantra-s are not must but even shloka and stotra-s would serve the purpose??  And with the same devotion / shraddha if a bhakta does the pooja to Ishta devata by chanting the dhyAna, stotra, bhajana in his own language the sAkshAtkAra of Ishwara is possible !!??  If no, then there is a big barrier between bhakta/his bhAva and bhagavanta in the form of language...If No Sanskrit shloka, no Veda mantra then there is no possibility of having the darshana of bhagavanta.  And if I add to my doubts,  the person who does not know that there is a language called sAnskrit nor aware that there exists scriptures / shAstra called vedOpanishats and saNskrit mahAvakya-s like ahaM brahmAsmi, tattvamasi etc. whether he would get the realization after hearing / realizing the truth of these vAkya-s in his own language??  Ofcourse if at all he is samartha/adhikAri.  If the answer is yes ( the answer is YES only I think), then we would justify this case and at the same time to protect the traditional stand that shAstra (the scripture available in Sanskrit / devanAgari) is the ONLY pramANa for the realization,  by saying  the pUrva janma samskara would have fetched him that knowledge or since he knew the Sanskrit mantra and shloka and did the sAdhana in one of his pUrva janma-s he  got the final realization without the help of Sanskrit/vedOpanishat in this janma.  But anyway knowing the Sanskrit language in general and  vedOpanishat dictums in originals is a must whether it is in this janma or any other previous janma to realize or to get svarUpa jnana.  Is this the traditional way of handling this doubt or am I missing something here!?

Please educate.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar


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