[Advaita-l] 📝"Concept of GOD in Hinduism", My Short Notes on the 2021 ShivaRatri Talk by Swami Paramarthananda

[Mahadevan Iyer]

It's available in the Yogamalika website.

*Regards,*
Mahadevan.N.Iyer



On Fri, 12 Mar 2021 at 12:56, Girish S V <girishsv at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks. Is there a video recording of this talk available?
>
> On Fri, 12 Mar, 2021, 12:04 pm Mahadevan Iyer via Advaita-l, <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Pranams,
>> *🕉*
>> *Concept of GOD in Hinduism: 2021 Shivaratri Talk*
>> 📝 note: These are not the transcripts of the discourse. These are my
>> personal short notes of the " 2021 Shivaratri Talk by Swami
>> Paramarthananda".
>> 🔴 topic: Concept of GOD in Hinduism.
>>
>> 🏁
>>
>>    - सदाशिव समारम्भाम् शंकराचार्य मध्यमाम्
>>    - अस्मद् आचार्य पर्यन्ताम् वंदे गुरु परम्पराम्
>>
>>
>>    - To understand Hindu religion, Hindu spirituality & Hindu culture one
>>    needs to understand the "CONCEPT OF GOD" in Hinduism based on Vedic
>>    teachings. 🕉
>>    - There are several examples given in scriptures to teach the concept
>> of
>>    God.
>>    - " The Spider " example is a significant example.
>>    - 🕷 The Spider Example
>>    - A spider is called "ūrṇanābhi" in Sanskrit. 🕷
>>       - ūrṇa = thread, nābhi = abdomen
>>       - 📚 Reference :  Mundaka Upanishad, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (
>>       2-1-20 ) , Bhagavatam, Uddhava Gita etc
>>       - A spider sits on the ceiling of a room.
>>          - When disturbed, it draws silk from its body and descends from
>>          the ceiling.
>>          - Afterwards, when that disturbance is gone, it withdraws
>>          (swallows) the silk back into its abdomen & ascends back into
>> the ceiling
>>          of the room.
>>          - Raw materials for the production of the silk is contained
>> within
>>       the spider's stomach itself.
>>       - The spider uses its part of the body itself to create the web. 🕸
>>       - Bhagavan is like a spider in certain respects.
>>    - Spider is a conscious entity.✔
>>       - Bhagavan is also a conscious entity.✔
>>       - Spider has got a body that contains the raw material for producing
>>       the thread & later it can withdraw the thread back into itself.✔
>>       - Bhagavan also has got a body that contains the raw material for
>>       producing the entire cosmos ( matter, energy, time & space ) & can
>> later
>>       withdraw it back.✔
>>       - Body of Bhagavan = Maya. 🔔
>>          - We can know the exact location of the spider before the
>> creation
>>       of the thread ( ceiling ).❕
>>       - We CANNOT know the location of Bhagavan before the creation.❕
>>       - Reason:  Time & Space concept was resolved before the creation of
>>          space, time matter & energy.
>>          - Hence, questions like... Where is Bhagavan? What is the form of
>>          Bhagavan? Where is Bhagavan located? etc cannot be raised.
>>          - Because then Bhagavan becomes finite requiring a specific
>>          location in space & time.
>>          - Transcendental Bhagavan exists even before the arrival of time
>> &
>>          space itself.
>>          - Spider produces the thread again & again & withdraws it back
>>       again & again.✔
>>       - God produces the creation not one time, but again & again &
>>       resolves it back again & again.✔
>>       - Maya -> Prapancha🌌
>>          - Prapancha -> Maya 💥
>>          - NO FIRST CREATION, NO LAST CREATION. ♻
>>          - Law of conservation of matter & energy-matter is neither
>> created
>>          nor destroyed but conserved.♻
>>          - Hard to comprehend due to one's intellectual orientation.
>>          - Matter, Energy, Time & Space is an extension of Maya itself.
>> *🕉*
>>          -> [✨ , ⚡ ,⌚,🧭 ]
>>          - Maya is eternal. 🔔
>>       - Bhagavan is sacred,  Maya is the body of Bhagavan, Hence Maya is
>>       Sacred.
>>       - The Universe is also Bhagavan's body, it is also Bhagavan.
>>       - Maya is sacred, Entire universe is the manifest ( visible ) part
>> of
>>       Maya, Hence the UNIVERSE IS SACRED.
>>       - We think Bhagavan is sacred. The World is secular.
>>       - We should change our attitude towards the universe.
>>       - The secular sacred division is born out of ignorance of the spider
>>       example. 🕷
>>       - Nothing is secular in Hinduism, everything is sacred.🔔
>>       - Formless Bhagavan is limitless, Multi formed Bhagavan is also
>>       limitless.
>>       - Time & space are not outside Bhagavan TO LIMIT Bhagavan.🔔
>>       - Time & space are included in the body of Bhagavan.
>>       - before creation, time & space was potential in the Maya body of
>>       Bhagavan. ( Aroopa Īśvara )
>>       - after creation, time & space are actively in the body of Bhagavan.
>>       ( Anekaroopa Īśvara )
>>       - Bhagavan alone IS. Everything is included in Bhagavan.🔔
>>       - Bhagavan is the cosmic conscious being.🥚
>>       - We are like microorganism contributing to the health of Bhagavan's
>>       body.
>>       - We alone through our karma, determine the future.
>>       - The next creation is also dependent on our karma only.
>>          - How did the first karma came? ❓
>>          - "The First" idea must be abolished.
>>             - Karma - Shrishti - Karma - Shristi...... etc continues.
>>          - The Divinisation of the world is the religious evolution that
>>       our scriptures talk about.🔔
>>       - Change your attitude towards the universe.
>>       - 🎱 Ashtamurti Īśvara is a corollary for Spider Example ( 8 limbs
>> ).
>>       - 📚 Refer: Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam ( invocation phrase )
>>          - *1️⃣*Primary Bhagavan: Formless-Multi formed God.
>>       - *1️⃣*Primary Knowledge: The World is part of Maya, Maya is
>>       Bhagavan's body, Therefore the Universe is Bhagavan's body.
>>       - *1️⃣*Primary Bhakthi : Changed attitude due to Primary Knowledge
>>       regarding Primary Bhagavan. ( Jnana Bhakti )
>>       - Scriptures prescribe various meditation. eg: Akasha dyanam, Vayu
>>       dhyanam, Lightning meditation etc...
>>       - Vibhoothi darshanam : Everything in the creation has glory. I see
>>       them as the glory of Bhagavan.
>>       - This Bhavana parivarthanam ( Transformation of bhavana ) is Jnana
>>       Bhakthi.
>>       - Today, instead of Janana Bhakthi, Prema Bhakthi is promoted.
>>       - *2️⃣* Prema Bhakthi is secondary Bhakthi.
>>       - *2️⃣* A personified GOD is given over important.
>>       - *2️⃣* Prema Bhakthi is valid for only a short while.
>>       - *1️⃣ *Jnana Bhakthi is based on Vedic study.
>>       - *2️⃣ *Prema Bhakthi should never overshadow Jnana Bhakthi.
>>       - A finite form symbolically is OK, but making Bhagavan himself, a
>>       finite being with a beautiful body & a beautiful feeling is an act
>> of
>>       creating a degraded impression of Bhagavan as a finite person.
>>       - Prayer should not be "Artha Bhakthi" or "Artharthi Bhakthi", not
>>       for solving problem; for that, we don't pray, we use resources
>> Bhagavan is
>>       given.
>>       - Prayer should be "Jijnasu Bhakthi".
>>       - Jijnasu Bhakthi : Give me the knowledge of you. Let me get a Guru,
>>       Let me study the scriptures, by which I come to know Bhagavan, who
>> is
>>       all-pervading.
>>       - Prema Bhakthi should not become an obstacle for Jnana Bhakthi.
>>       - Is there a Bhagavan?❓
>>       - There is nothing other than Bhagavan.
>>       - Bhakti : awareness of harmony of totality.🔔
>>       - Bhaktha is one who has Bhakthi.
>>       - When I am a Bhaktha, my life will be in harmony with the total. It
>>       is called Dharma.🔔
>>       - Jnanam will lead to Bhakthi. Bhakthi leads to Dharma.
>>       - Adharma : Disturbing the harmony with the total.🔔
>>       - In Shiva rathri, Before chanting Rudra, Dhyana sloka is chanted.
>>       - Dhyana sloka : Presentation of Shiva in 3 versions.
>>       - 1st Shiva as a symbol. ( Finite, for pooja , abhishekam etc )
>>       - 2nd Shiva as vishvaroopa Īśvara.
>>       - 3rd Shiva included as the Consciousness principle.
>>
>>
>>    - śuddhasphaṭika saṅkāśaṃ trinētraṃ pañcha vaktrakaṃ ।
>>    - gaṅgādharaṃ daśabhujaṃ sarvābharaṇa bhūṣitam ॥🎶
>>
>>
>>    - nīlagrīvaṃ śaśāṅkāṅkaṃ nāga yajñōpa vītinam ।
>>    - vyāghra charmōttarīyaṃ cha varēṇyamabhaya pradam ॥🎶
>>
>>
>>    - kamaṇḍal-vakṣa sūtrāṇāṃ dhāriṇaṃ śūlapāṇinaṃ ।
>>    - jvalantaṃ piṅgaḻajaṭā śikhā muddyōta dhāriṇam ॥🎶
>>
>>
>>    - vṛṣa skandha samārūḍhaṃ umā dēhārtha dhāriṇaṃ ।
>>    - amṛtēnāplutaṃ śāntaṃ divyabhōga samanvitam ॥🎶
>>
>>
>>    - digdēvatā samāyuktaṃ surāsura namaskṛtaṃ ।
>>    - nityaṃ cha śāśvataṃ śuddhaṃ dhruva-makṣara-mavyayam ।
>>    - sarva vyāpina-mīśānaṃ rudraṃ vai viśvarūpiṇaṃ ।
>>    - ēvaṃ dhyātvā dvijaḥ samyak tatō yajanamārabhēt ॥🎶
>>
>>
>>    - Bhagavan is being symbolised as pure, beautiful & bright like
>> crystal.
>>       - 3 eyes ( 3rd eye: Attitude based on Jnanam ), 5 headed ( Pacha
>>       bhootham )
>>       - Carrying Ganga ( Flow of knowledge ), 10 hands, this is symbolism,
>>       All ornaments etc
>>       - Consciousnesses one part, Maya is the other part of Bhagavan.
>>       - Amrutham : Knowledge that gives immortality.🔔
>>       - Shiva includes the Consciousness principle also.
>>       - Maya -> Universe, Universe -> Maya.
>>       - Consciousness principle is not part, product or property of Maya (
>>    Matter or Energy ).🔔
>>    - Consciousness is an independent spiritual principle, which is eternal
>>    & all-pervading, which manifests in the matter when the matter has got
>> a
>>    conducive configuration.
>>    - When the body is in a conducive condition, consciousness manifests in
>>    the body as a life principle.
>>    - When the body is dead, Consciousness is not able to manifest in the
>>    matter. But Consciousness is eternal & all-pervading.
>>    - Sarvatmaka Īśvara : Chetana-Achetanatmaka sarvarthmaka Īśvara.
>>    - Namah Shivaya: I surrender to Shiva.🔔
>>    - Nothing other than Shiva. I am also included in that Shiva.
>>    - Prema Bhakthi : Emotional Bhakthi
>>    - Jnana Bhakthi : Intelectual Bhakthi (Knowing the Universe as Bhagavan
>>    ) ( superior )
>>    - Emotional Bhakthi should be transformed into intellectual Bhakthi.
>>    - In this Shivaratri, let's worship Lord Shiva to remove our ignorance
>> &
>>    give the knowledge that Bhagavan is not a finite person, Bhagavan is
>>    everything including me.
>>    - --- Poornam --- 🏁
>>
>>
>>
>> Pranams,
>> Mahadevan Iyer
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