Ramanisblog

Tag: Aarti Mantra

  • What Is Mantra, Definition Explanation

    Salvation,Self Realization is made possible by disciplining the Mind.

    Unlike western philosophy, Indian philosophy considers Mind as an organ like Eyes,Ears,Nose,Mouth and Body( Panchendriyas,the Five Organs).

    The difference between Mind and other organs is that Mind is Subtler and more powerful than the other organs.

    It controls other organs.

    To realize Self or Reality,Mind has to be stilled,by a process of regulation.

    What we perceive initially,when we come into contact with objects, is a jumble of various inputs conveyed to us by various organs like Eyes,Ears…

    This reaches the Mind as unconnected stimulii

    At this level,Mind just collects information , without collating them,categorising them.

    The next level of Mind,Buddhi collates the information,categorises them,tags them as correct or incorrect from a factual point of view and also passed value judgements like Good or Bad.

    Why a particular event is designated as Good or Bad,or why amidst multitudes of stimulii being present around us and are being received by Mind as raw information,only a specific event or fact is taken cognisance of,forms a different and exhaustive study.

    To put it simply,Buddhi selects event/s at any given point of time,as directed by Chitta,the higher plane,which exists,to understand the concept,one may say,than the Mind.

    Consciousness ,one of the Attributes of the Soul is Realized by stilling the projections made by the Chitta when it comes into contact with objects of senses.

    One of the methods to regulate the Mind is Mantra.

    ‘

    • मननात्‌ त्रायते इति मंत्र: ।’ manan means bringing only one thought to one’s mind repeatedly and trayate means to protect. In other words mantra refers to that which when thought of repeatedly protects oneself and also that which protects one from the mind or that which helps to bring about the dissolution of the mind. At a further stage Mantrayoga also means that state in which contemplation (manan) stops during chanting, there is dissolution of the mind, cessation of the mantra, dissolution of the triad (triputi) that is, of the mantra, the one chanting the mantra and the act of chanting and the seeker attains the state of dissolution (layavastha).

    • B. ‘Mantra refers to the collection of letters which assists in acquisition of the favourable and the vanquishing of obstacles. The word mantra is derived from mantri, a Sanskrut word which means secret speeches (guhyabhashane). It has various meanings like acquisition of secret objectives, acquisition of secret meanings, invoking a deity for a specific cause, etc. Philosophically it means that by contemplation (manan) of which, knowledge about the oneness of the entire world, that is the embodied soul (jiva), Brahman and the universe is bestowed upon oneself and that by which the embodied soul acquires Liberation (Mukti) from worldly bondages and <span class=”glossary” title=”Practicing Dharma i.e. Dharmacharan”>Righteousness (Dharma), wealth (artha) and desire (kama) are achieved in this world.

    • C. “मंत्रा: मननात्‌ ।” means a mantra is that on which one contemplates (manan) and from which one acquires the knowledge about sacrificial fires (yadnya), God and the soul (Nirukta 7.12).

    • D. मकारो मननं प्राह त्रकारस्त्राणमुच्‍यते ।
      मननत्राणसंयुक्‍तो मंत्र इत्‍यभिधीयते ।।

      The meaning: In the word mantra ‘ma’ (म) refers to contemplation (manan) and ‘tra’ (त्र) to protection (tran). Thus that which consists of contemplation (manan) and protection is called a mantra.’ (1)

    • E. The word mantra is derived from ‘man’ (मन्‌) and ‘tra’ (त्र). ‘Man’ refers to the mind and ‘tra’ to vital energy (pran). That which is done with the fusion of the mind and vital energy is called a mantra.

    • F. According to the science of Tantra: ‘According to the sorcerers (tantriks) sound (nad or dhvani) being the fundamental frequency of creation appears foremost in the origin of the universe. Sound is a subtle part of the divine energy (chit shakti) of the embodied soul (jiva). Just as sound waves are produced in the atmosphere due to air currents, so also in the body of the embodied soul sound waves are generated due to flow of a type of vital energy (pranvayu). A word is generated from this sound. Later, a mantra originates from it. The energy contained in a mantra is beyond one’s imagination.'(Source. https://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/article/what-is-a-bijamantra.html#1https://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/article/what-is-a-bijamantra.html#1)

      Reality is One,but it appears to be many.(Advaita)

    • The world of Name and Form has only relative existence.
    • Once Knowledge dawns, differentiation disappears.

    When one perceives,three things are needed.

    The Perceiver,

    The Perceived and the process of

    Perception.

    By Mantra,one can discipline the Mind and the differentiation between the Three,The Perceiver,Perceived and the process of Perception is dissolved and one becomes a part of Reality.

    As an empirical spinoff,one gets his wishes granted and obstacles removed.

    Will write on the effects not Mantras,the process and composition.

  • Word Reveals World Deeparadhana Mantra Gauri Mimaaya

    Mantras grasped by the Sages point the Reality through Sound.

    There are many sounds grasped thus, starting from Gayatri to various Sukthas.

    There is a Mantra in the Vedas which serves as a key to all these Sounds.

    Tat Tvam Asi.jpg
    Tat Tvam Asi, You Are THAT, Veda Mantra

    It explains the various sounds that denote Reality.

    It explains the universe of Names and Forms that has evolved or appears to have evolved.

    This Mantra can be interpreted from Advaita,Visishatdwaita, Dwaita and the various Gods being worshiped as Saguna Brahman.

    this Mantra is known to all the Hindus who perform Pooja.

    This is recited during Deeparadhana for Deities.

    Especially for the Devi though it has to be recited for all the Deities.

    This Mantra appears in

    Taittiriya Brahmana     2.4.6.11
Taittiriya Aranyaka     1.9.4 (as part of the aruNaketuka mantras)
Aitereya Aranyaka       1.5.38
Atharva Veda            9.10.21, where gaurI is rendered gaur
Rig Veda                1.164.41, its original source

This is also a part of Navagraha Namaskara Mantra for Soma,

'Aapyaayasvaaya Samedhuthe Viswathassoma Visniyam' Navagraha Namaskara Mantra-4.

    This is the Mantra.

    "Gauri mimaaya salilaani takshatyeka padi   dwipadi sa chatushpadi
ashtapadinavapadi bhabhuvushi sahsraaraparame vyoman"


    "The cow, having bellowed, produces waters, becoming 1 footed, 2 footed, 4
footed, 8 footed, 9 footed, is of 1000 syllables in the highest heaven"

Tradition uniformley ascribes the cow as the Divine Word vAk, for example,
 we have the mantra "dhenur vAgasmAn, upasuSTutaitu" from the Rig Veda.
    Bhattabhaskara, in his commentary on this mantra in the Taittiriya Brahmana,
gives the following for the symbolism behind the "words"

ekapadI         The sound Om, the breath of the Supreme
dwipadI         Together with the vyAhrti's (1), the sacred sAvitrI mantra,
the
                gAyatrI (+1=2)
chatuSpadI      The four Vedas
aSTApadI        The 6 vedAnga's,plus purANa's (1), plus dharmashAstra's (1)
                , giving 8
navapadI        mImAmsA, nyAya, etc, plus Ayurveda, dhanurveda,
                gandharva veda, giving 9

The mantra's original setting, in the Rig Veda 1.164 , is wholly
appropriate. This is the famous suktam, beginng with "asya vAmasya...".  
It is a hymn well worth serious study by students of advaita, 
as it directly communicates the nature of the Supreme, 
as revealed through the Divine Word, the setting of which is the Yajna. 
We see in the hymn that Yajna's purpose is to declare the identity 
of the yajamAna with the Supreme.
 Very much like Shakespeare's Hamlet, it has famous verses throughout
 the hymn that are often quoted and appear in other places time and again.  
Here are a just afew by way of example:

Verse 20        "dwA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA..."

This verse is quoted in the the Mundaka (3.1.1)and Swetaswatara 
Upanishads (iv.6), describing the empirical nature of distinctions 
which give rise to an indivual agent that seems to be acting, experiencing, 
enjoying,as opposed to the witnessing principle sAkhI that remains.
 when all distinctions disappear:

"Two birds, united, intimate friends,perch on the same tree. 
 One of them
(the jIvAtman) tastes the fruits, the other, shines, looks on (sAkshI)"

Verse 31        "apashyam gopAm..."

This verse appears in the pravargya mantras which identify the self 
with the sun, and in turn with brahman, and describes the experience of
brahmAnubhava:

"I have seen the universal protector, travelling upwards and downwards.
Invested with radiance, he moves in all dimensions"

Verses 33, 34   "PrichhAmi twA...."

Verse 33 has a series of questions, which are answered in 34:

"I ask thee:

i)      The ultimate limit of the Earth
ii)     The navel of the world
iii)    The seed of the horse
iv)     The ultimate apode of  Speech"

The answers are:

i)      This vedI
ii)     this yajna, in the famous lines "ayam yajno bhuvanasya nAbhihi"
iii)    soma is the seed
iv)     The Supreme Brahman

Verse 39        "rcho akshare parame vyoman..."

"The rik's are established in the highest abode, where the shining ones are
seated.  He who does not know, what will he do with the rik? Those who know
it, come close to Him"

One is reminded of the mantra quoted in the Brihadaranyaka and the
Taittiriya Brahmana "nAvedavinmanute tam brhantam" 

"He who does not know the Veda does not know the Supreme"

Verse 41        "gaurIhi mimAya..."

The subject of this posting

Verse 45        "chatvAri vAK parimitA padAni.."

The 4 levels of speech. I have already translated this mantra in my posting
on gaNapati sUktam.

Verse 46        "Indram mitram varuNam..."

This contains of my dIpa mantras "ekam sad viprA bahudhA vadanti" , 

meaning
"That one truth the wise men call by many different names"

Other References to vAk

As I write the above, another famous sUktam comes to mind, 
namely Rig Veda X 71, which has as its devatA "jnAna" or brahmavidyA.
 Again, it talks to the nature of Divine Revelation through the Word, 
and its opening lines have been virtually repeated at the beginning of
 English translations of the bible ("In the beginning was the Word...):

"In the beginning, oh Brihaspati, the sages sent The Word, giving names 
(and forms to their vision). 
This Speech that was their best was stainless-
it revealed with love the Divine Mystery within them.  
And when they created the Word, sifting it with the Spirit as they 
sift the flour with a sieve(for somayajna), therein have friends 
discovered their friendships, of which
the beauties lie hidden in the Word"

In verse 4 we have some beautiful imagery:

"One looks but does not see vAk, one listens but does not hear her.
But to another, she has revealed her noble form as a loving wife,
 finely robed, reveals herself to her husband"

Questions for clarification on this are welcome

Citation.

http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/1998-October/009628.html

    

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