iishaa vaasyaM ...

[Charles Wikner]

On Fri, 21 Jul 2000, Vivek Anand Ganesan wrote:

>     I have a doubt in the meaning of "jagatyAm jagat".
> I have hitherto understood it as "this and all the other
> worlds" i.e. the various "worlds" created by the Lord ( the
> number varies.  I have heard 3, 14 etc. ).

Although jagatyAm is singular it represents all worlds,
or if you prefer, it could be "in the universe", where
the universe contains all worlds.

> 1.  What is the real meaning of "jagat"?

Real ??   jagat: neuter noun = that which moves or is alive.
Jaldhar has given the root.

> 2.  What is the meaning in the above-mentioned context?
>     How is it that one jagat is "change" while the other is
>     the "world"?

jagatI: feminine noun = mankind, the world, universe.

Shankara explains idam sarvam as cara=acara - moving and
unmoving; jagat as dvaita-rUpa - apparent duality, or of
the nature or character of duality;  jagatyAm as pRthvyAm -
on the earth.  He adds that this is used metaphorically to
represent all names, forms and actions, that are founded on
change, i.e. mAyA.

If it helps to overcome the verbal problem, consider jagat
as that which manifests movement, and jagatI as the realm
in which the movement takes place.
=========


On Fri, 21 Jul 2000, Vishal Agarwal <vishalagarwal at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Notes: Mahatma Gandhi once remarked that if all the sacred lore of Hindus
> were to be consigned to flames with the exception of this verse, Hinduism
> would still have survived in all its beauty. Thus, according to him, this
> verse represents the essence of Hindu spirituality.

I can believe that as I slowly come to appreciate
the profundity and scope of it.
=========


On Fri, 21 Jul 2000, Ravisankar Mayavaram <miinalochanii at YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> The translation you wrote
> can be considered as a injunction even if written with "is" instead of
> "is to be".

Any translation is an interpretation.  All scriptures have
layers of meaning, according to the development of the student,
and hence the need to study the language in which the original
was expressed.

> God pervades all, the moving and unmoving. [Remember this always and]

That is fine: it captures the spirit of it and removes the
"doing".  The practice of such memory makes it part of one's
nature (saMskAra), so that it becomes an attitude of mind,
not even an act of memory.

> I very much like the idea you wrote (which I have underlined). I still
> do not like the "is to be", I prefer "is" instead.

The scriptures are there to help us, so please use "is".
Only remember the Lord!

> Since you are a Sanskrit scholar

I am far from being a scholar, and have no ambitions in that
direction; besides, as a student I can still be forgiven mistakes!

> I will take your word.

No, no!  Take the word of the Lord!
=========


On Sat, 22 Jul 2000, "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM> wrote:

> jagatyam is an adverb "changing"

?? I read jagatyAm as locative singular of jagatI.

> We come across so many people
> like this who amass wealth just for the sake of it.  They often do not
> even enjoy their gains and may even become quite miserable because of
> their material pursuits but they just don't know how to stop.

Every silver lining has a cloud.  :-)

> As the translation of Swami Gambhirananda was mentioned I would like to
> point out one misleading point of his commentary (though he got it right
> in the translation of the verse itself.)  At least it confused me until I
> got a chance to see the actual Sanskrit text of the bhashya.  Svit is
> called a "meaningless particle"  Actually this is what is called a nipAta
> in Sanskrit Vyakarana.  It is like in English you mighr say "nice weather
> today, eh?"  eh has no meaning in itself but adds an interrogative tone to
> the sentance.  In the same way svit adds emphasis.  "Whose indeed is wealth?"

Thanks for pointing that out.  It was rather crass to blithely
assume that anything in the scriptures is meaningless.  The word
is in M-W dictionary under svid, with the meaning as you have
described -- it helps to use the tools that one has, and not
jump to a confusion!
=========

Regards, Charles.

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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