Potential of the Mind

[Sankaran Jayanarayanan]

On Sat, 22 Jan 2000, Dennis Waite wrote:

> In shrii sha~Nkara's commentary on the bhagavadgiitaa (Samata Books) P. 46,
> is a section entitled 'Knowledge of the Immutable Self is possible'. In
> this, sha~Nkara seems to be saying that it IS possible for the mind to
> 'appreciate' the truth of the Self. Otherwise, for example, what would be
> the point of the Scriptures, he asks. In response to the objection 'Because
> the Self is inaccessible to any of the senses', he answers 'Not so. For the
> Scripture says "It can be seen by the mind alone."'
>
> Here, he quotes the bR^ihadaaraNyaka upanishad.h iv. 19. This says: -
>
> manasaivaanudrashhTavyam.h, naiha naanaasti kiM cana : mR^ityoH sa mrtyum
> aapnoti ya iha naaneva pashhyati.
>

Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the Br. up. with me, but I plan on
getting one soon. There should be a good translation available from the
Ramakrishna mission Vedanta book store. I do have a translation of
Shankara's BG BhAshhya published by the RK mission though. If you can tell
me the verse number in the BG where it occurs, I can look it up for you.

With my meagre knowledge of Sanskrit, this is what I'm able to make of the
quote from the Br. up.:

manasA eva anudrashhTavyam.h na iha naanaasti kiMchana. mR^ityoH sa
mR^ityuM aapnoti ya iha naanaa eva pashyati .

"There truly isn't any multiplicity here observed by the mind.
 Whosoever sees multiplicity here achieves death after death."

Here is a rough word by word meaning:
manasA : by the mind
eva : only, truly, verily
anudrashhTavyam.h : observation
na: no
iha: here
naanaa : several, multiplicity
kiMchana : any, even a little
mR^ityu : death
aapnoti : achieve
ya : who

> Can anyone provide literal and paraphrased translations of this? Also is
> anyone able to say what shrii sha~Nkara actually said in the giitaa
> commentary (i.e. literal translation of the Sanskrit?

Which shloka is being commented on?

> Would anyone like to
> try to explain how this can be (that the mind can see the Self)? My
> understanding was that (ignoring the fact that body and mind do not really
> exist anyway) the mind is so much more gross than the Self that it could
> never apprehend the Self in any way whatsoever. Even if we allow that, by
> mind here, is not meant manas or the senses but a 'purified intellect',
> still this seems a contradiction of fundamental principles of advaita (as
> well as of the statements of Kant and Schopenhauer).
>

I was puzzled by something similar in Ramana's teachings. Ramana has said
several times that the mind does not exist, as does Shankara in his
upadeshasAhasrii. But in one specific place in "Talks," Ramana says, "The
mind is the Self." And later into the conversation with the disciple, he
says, "It is the mind turned in on Itself."

> Dennis
>

-Kartik

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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>From  Tue Jan 25 13:12:56 2000
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Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 13:12:56 +0000
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From: "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at COMCO.COM>
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Subject: [Fwd:  saundaryalaharI - 8]
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ambaa-l] saundaryalaharI - 8
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 06:21:48 -0330 (NST)
From: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
Reply-To: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
To: ambaa-l at egroups.com


shrI lalitAyai namaH

sudhAsindhormadhye suraviTapivATI parivR^ite
maNidwIpe nIpopavanavati cintAmaNigR^ihe
shivAkArema~nce paramashivaparya~NkanilayAM
bhajanti tvAM dhanyAH katicana cidAnanndalaharIm.h      8

O bhagavatI,

sudhAsindhormadhye:   in the midst of the ocean of nectar
suraviTapivATI:   rows of kalpa vR^ikshAs
parivR^ite:   surrounded by
maNi dvIpe:   island of gems
nIpa upavanavati:   with a garden of kadamba trees
cintAmaNi gR^ihe:   in a mansion built of cintAmaNi (wish-fulfilling)
                    stones
shiva + AkAre:   of the form of shiva (the multi-triangular shrIcakra)
ma~nce:   in the bed
paramashivaparya~NkanilayAM:   who is reclining (dwelling) on the
                     mattress called paramashiva
cit + AnandalaharIm.h:   in the form of flood of Consciousness and
bliss
tvAM:  you
katicana dhanyAH:   a few blessed ones
bhajanti:   worship


O bhagavtI,  blessed are those few, who worship You, You in the form
of Consciousness-bliss, who is reclining (seated) on the mattress of
paramashiva, on the couch of the (multi-triangular) form of shiva,
in the mansion constructed of cintAmaNi gems, attached to the pleasure
garden of kadamba trees, surrounded by an avenue of kalpa trees and
situated in the midst of amR^ita samudra or the ocean of nectar.


commentary:

This verse gives a succinct description of shrImAtA's abode. In the
middle of the ocean of nectar, there is the island of precious gems
of infinite variety. All around the periphery of the island, there
are rows of celestial desire-granting trees. There is a palatial
mansion inside these groves of celestial trees. The mansion is built
of celestial cintAmaNi gems. All around the mansion, there are
pleasure
gardens of kadamba trees. Inside this mansion, in the central hall
there
is a regal seat which has for its four legs brahma, vishNu, rudra and
IshAna. Over this cot is spread a couch which is said to be
paramashiva.
On this couch is seated sadAshiva on whose lap is seated shrIdevI in
the
form described in the previous verse. shrI shankara says that those
who
worship shrIdevI, as in this abode, are blessed as they attain
infinite
bliss thereby.

shri shankara's other works also contain descriptions of shrIdevI's
abode very similar to given in this verse
(tripurasundarI-vedapAdastava,
verses 7, 8, 9, 10; mantramAtR^ikApuShpamAla, verse 1). I can post
exact
verses if there is sufficient interest.

shrIlalitAsahasranAma stotra verses 22 and 23 say

cintAmaNigR^ihAntasthA pa~ncabrahmAsanasthitA
mahApadmATavIsaMsthA kadambavanavAsinI
sudhAsAgaramadhyasthA kAmAkshI kAmadAyinI

kAlidAsa has a similar description for shrImAtA's abode in
ShyAmalA danDakam.h

sudhAsamudrAntarudyanmaNidvIpa saMrUDha bilvAtavImadhya -
 - kalpadrumAkalpakAdambakAntAravAsapriye

[to be continued]



Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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>From  Tue Jan 25 13:16:26 2000
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Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 13:16:26 +0000
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        <ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
From: "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at COMCO.COM>
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Subject: [Fwd: saundaryalaharI - 8 (contd. 2)]
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ambaa-l] saundaryalaharI - 8 (contd. 2)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 06:49:59 -0330 (NST)
From: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
Reply-To: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
To: ambaa-l at egroups.com


shrI lalitAyai namaH

commentary (contd.):

verse 8 again:

sudhAsindhormadhye:  stands for the baindavasthAna, the quadrilateral
seat of the bindu, which is the essential one and brings the
forty-three
triangles of shrIcakra into its scope, this shrIcakra forming the
mansion
of shrIdevI.

suraviTapivATI parivR^ite:   The five triangles pointing upward may be
said to represent the five rows of kalpa trees forming a fence around
the mansion.

shivAkAre ma~nce:  The ma~nca or seat on which shrIdevI is seated
is described thus:  According to purANAs, brahma, viShNu, rudra and
IshAna are shrIdevI's servants and they assume the form of the four
legs of the cot on which shrIdevI is seated - brahma being the
southeast leg, viShNu the southwest, rudra the northwest and
IshAna the northeast leg. Paramashiva, the nirguna brahman, is the
all-witness transcending the three guNAs.

dhanyAH katicana:  blessed are the few; few are those rare souls
who through internal (or external) worship of shrIdevI, who through
their affinity to the pa~ncadashAksharI, who through the pure life
they lead during their last incarnate existence in this world, and
these are the few that are really blessed because they have
discharged the duties incumbent upon humans and they are ready
to being merged with satcitAnanda.

bhajanti tvAM:  worship You, i.e., worship You in shrIcakra.
shrIcakra has also alternate name viyat cakra. viyat is AkAsha
or space. This is samaya form of worship, internally in the
etheral space, dahara, of the heart. Samaya form of worship
requires a very high degree of concentration of the mind and
a strict control over the senses (the entire worship is done
mentally in the heart). In this mental worship, meditation of
shrIdevI in the form of shrIcakra has to be done in the
shapeless AkAsha. [The mode of worship indicated in this verse
is of the form of shrIdevI, as abiding in Her mansion shrIcakra.
She assumes the special form described in the previous verse.]
The meditation is on this form. This meditation is on the union
of shakti and shiva in their inseparable, creationistic aspect.
The essence of this meditation is the union of cit-shakti
with brahman. shiva is samaya and shrIdevI is samayA. samam yAtIti
samayaH. The identity of shiva and shakti is five-fold. They are:

adhiShTAna sAmya:  similarity in abode
anuShTAna sAmya:  oneness in activity, such as creation
avasthA sAmya:  equality in state, for e.g. dancing
nAma sAmya:  similarity in name
rUpa sAmya:  similarity in form, color etc

Kameshwara sUri interpreted this verse in a unique (alternate) way
as follows:

sudhAsindhoH:  - himAcalamArabhya setuparyantaM madhyadeshe - from
                the himalayas, the abode of the white glaciers to the
                southern ocean
suraviTapivATI: full of pilgrim centres, such as shrIsaila and other
                places that are reputed to bestow the heart's desires
                of pilgrims (like the kalpa trees)
maNidvIpe:      places that are specially fitted for meditation
nIpovanavati:   surrounded by kadamba trees
cintAmaNi gR^ihe:  temples studded with cintAmaNi gems
shivAkAre ma~nce: - atidhavalatvAtsphaTika ramaNImaya tayA
                    shivasadR^isomancyata iti ma~nce pujye kailAsa -
                as Mount KailAsa which is as white as crystal and thus
                resembles shiva in aspect
paramashivaparya~NkanilayAM:  blessed as being placed on the lap of
                the divine couple, pArvati and parameshwara
cidAnandalaharIM.h :  the stotra by name AnandalaharI describing the
                pure cit aspect shrIdevI


Thus, various commentators read in this verse worship of shrIcakra in
diverse ways and this verse is considered as one of the pivotal verses
of this great stotra.


Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUM shrImAtre namaH
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--
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>From  Tue Jan 25 13:19:21 2000
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From: "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at COMCO.COM>
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Subject: [Fwd: saundaryalaharI - 8 (contd. 1)]
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ambaa-l] saundaryalaharI - 8 (contd. 1)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 06:44:47 -0330 (NST)
From: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
Reply-To: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
To: ambaa-l at egroups.com


shrI lalitAyai namaH

commentary (contd.):

description and construction of shrIcakra:

shrIdevI's abode is shrIcakra. Before we continue on this verse,
I would like to give a description of shrIcakra as a prelude to
this verse and upcoming verses of AnandalaharI.

The following construction is given by KaivalyAshrama for the
building of shrIcakra. Describe a circle, with an imaginary vertical
line of a suitable length as its diameter. Divide the diameter into
forty-eight equal parts and mark off the sixth, twelfth, seventeenth,
twentieth, twenty-third, twenty-seventh, thirtieth, thirty-sixth and
forty-second divisions from the top. Draw nine chords, at right angles
to the diameter, through the nine points marked off, and number them
accordingly. Rub off 1/16th part of No. 1, 5/48ths of No. 2, 1/3rd of
No. 4, 3/8th of No. 5, 1/3rd of No. 6, 1/12th of No.8, and 1/16th of
No. 9, at both ends of each. Draw triangles with lines, Nos. 1, 2, 4,
5, 6, 8 and 9 as bases and the middle points of Nos. 6, 9, 8, 7, 2,
1 and 3 respectively as their apexes. Draw also the two triangles with
Nos. 3 and 7 as their bases and the lower and the upper extremeties of
the diameter as apexes respectively. Thus we get forty-three triangles
pointing outwards, composed of one in the middle, eight triangles
around it, two sets of ten triangles around the eight triangles,
one set above the other, and fourteen triangles around them. Then,
by marking of eight points in the circumference equidistant from one
another, commencing from the upper extremity of the diameter and
construct one petal over each of them, form the eight-petalled
lotus. Then, circumscribe a circle touching the outer extremity of
the petals. Divide the circumference of the circle so described into
sixteen equal divisions and draw symmetrically sixteen petals over
them, as before. Then circumscribe a circle round the sixteen-petalled
lotus, as before, and enclose the second circle so described in two
concentric circles at equal distances from each other. Construct
three squares about the outermost circle, with sides equidistant
from each other, and the innermost square not to touch the outermost
circle. Mark off four doorways on the four sides, each equidistant
from either extremeties, and rub off the interspaces. The figure thus
formed is the shrIcakra. The centre of the circle is known as the
bindu.

VAmakeshwara tantra says that the five triangles with their apexes
pointing downwards are indicative of the shaktI and the four triangles
with their apexes pointing upwards are of shiva.

shrIcakra according to saMhAra-krama

LakshmIdhara, the well-known and reputed commentator of
saundaryalaharI
holds that, in shrIcakra, the five triangles pointing upwards are of
the
shaktI and the four pointing downwards are of shiva. He (lakshmIdhara)
speaks of the construction of the shrIcakra as consisting of two
different
processes , the saMhAra-krama, from without inwards, and the
sR^iShTi-krama, from within outwards. The shrIcakra of the
saMhAra-krama
can be obtained by turning the shrIcakra recognized by the
vAmakeshwara
tantra upside down. This will be further discussed as part of
commentary
of verse twenty-two.

shrIcakra according to sR^iShTi-krama

This is the shrIcakra as per the samayin-s.  Draw an isosceles
triangle
with its apex pointing upwards and its base parallel to the bottom
line
of the sheet. Place the bindu, a dot, a little above the base, in an
imaginary vertical line bisecting the base. A little above the bindu,
draw a straight line parallel to the base, intersecting the sides of
the original triangle. Draw an isosceles triangle with apex pointing
upwards over this line. Draw a straight line through the apex of the
first triangle, parallel to its base and construct an isosceles
triangle on it, with apex pointing downwards, so that its sides may
pass through the points of intersection of the base of the second
triangle with the sides of the first triangle. These two points,
where three straight lines intersect each other, are technically
styled Marman-s, to distinguish them from the points of
intersection of two straight lines, which are known as saMdhi-s.
Thus, the eight corner-triangles are formed pointing outwards,
which together are known as the aShTakona-cakra. Produce the
topmost and the bottommost of the three horizontal lines both
ways and construct two isosceles triangles, one of them with apex
down and and the other with apex up, so that the sides of the former
may pass through the extremeties of the bases of the two triangles
pointing upwards and the sides of the latter triangle may pass
through the extremeties of the base of the original triangle
pointing downwards. By producing the sides downwards of the
inner triangle with apex up and drawing a straight line parallel
to the base, through the apex of the triangle pointing downwards,
a new triangle is formed. Similarly, by producing the sides upwards
of the triangle with apex down and drawing a straight line parallel
to the base, through the apex of the first outer triangle with
apex up, another triangle is formed. At this stage are obtained
ten corner-triangles pointing outwards, which together form what
is known as the 'antar-dashAra', the inner ten-spoked cakra.
Similarly, by producing the horizontal bases, drawing the arms
of trianglesat corner points so as to form Marman-s, and drawing
straight lines parallel to the bases, through the apexes of
triangles pointing up and down, the ten corner-triangles
pointing outwards and known as the 'bahir-dashAra' or the
outer ten-spoked cakra, is formed. Again, by producing both
waysthe bases at the top and the bottom of the 'antar-dashAra'
and constructing isoscles triangles with apex down and apex
up; and again by producing the sides of triangles whereby
Marman-s could be formed and drawing straight lines parallel
to the bases , passing through the apexes of the freshly
constructed triangles, the fourteen corner-triangles pointing
outwards known as the 'catur-dashAra', the fourteen-spoked cakra,
will be obtained. Thus, we get, in all, forty-three corner-triangles
including the innermost one, twenty-four saMdhi-s and eighteen
Marman-s.

The geometrical construction of the shrIcakra is presented above.
Much mathematical research is being done on the geomtry of the
shrIcakra and a sample of that is presented at
http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~mikel/sriyantra/sriyantra.html
and the references contained therein.

The shrIcakra of the sR^iShTi-krama, as constructed
by lakshmIdhara will be discussed as part of commentary of verse
thirty-one and also earlier in other verses as well.

The devotional aspect of shrIcakra as the abode of shrIdevI
and the kunDalini will be presented in the latter verses.

The Divine Mother is the shaktI, the one that gives spandana
to Ishwara (verse 1). The Divine Mother is the cosmic power.
The jeeva without attributes is the same as Ishwara without
attributes. KuNDalinI is the segment of that cosmic power of
the Divine Mother and gives the spandana to the jeeva. Further
discussion on this is in verse 9.

[to be continued)


Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
---------------------------------------------------------------------

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AUM shrImAtre namaH
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