Ratha saptami
Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT]
sundararaman.v.subrahmanian at CITIGROUP.COM
Thu Feb 6 16:14:35 CST 2003
> And interstingly the ratha sapthami (shukla paxa sapthami of
> mAgha maasa),
> a famous day of worship for Lord suurya is tomorrow (check your local
> pancangam for accurate date). According to some, this entire
> maagha maasa
> is special for Lord suurya.
When I was young, I remember that on Sankranti, my mother used to draw the
sun and moon in a particular way on a wooden plank (palagai - Tamil) and
worship that. She used the change the configuration (I think) for ratha
saptami and pray on that day apart from the special ritual bath.
Can anyone explain these configurations and what they are for Sankranti and
Ratha saptami.
SVS
------------------------------
End of ADVAITA-L Digest - 6 Feb 2003 to 7 Feb 2003 (#2003-33)
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take me off the mailing list<BR><BR>>>>=20
LISTSERV at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG 02/07/03 12:00PM >>><BR>There =
are 4=20
messages totalling 204 lines in this issue.<BR><BR>Topics of the=20
day:<BR><BR> 1. Vivekachoodaamani<BR> 2. Savitri Mantra=20
(2)<BR> 3. Ratha=20
saptami<BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------=
----------<BR><BR>Date: =20
Thu, 6 Feb 2003 14:52:25 -0500<BR>From: Vidyasankar=20
<vsundaresan at HOTMAIL.COM><BR>Subject: Re:=20
Vivekachoodaamani<BR><BR>>>On devotion :<BR>>><BR>>>31. =
Among=20
all means to liberation devotion is supreme. To seek to=20
know<BR>>one?s<BR>>>real nature - this is said to be=20
devotion.<BR>>><BR>>>32. In other words, devotion can be =
defined as=20
the search for the reality<BR>>of<BR>>>one?s own Atman. The =
seeker=20
after reality of the atman, who possesses the<BR>>>necessary=20
qualifications, should approach an illumined teacher from whom<BR><BR>The=
=20
Sanskrit reads,<BR><BR>31 .... sva-svarUpAnusaMdhAnaM bhaktir ity=20
abhidhIyate<BR>32 svAtma-tattvAnusaMdhanaM bhaktir ity apare jaguH=20
...<BR> &n=
bsp;  =
; =20
^^^^^^^^^<BR><BR>The phrase "ity apare" (or anye, which also occurs =
often)=20
should not be<BR>translated as "in other words". It means, "others say =
that" ...=20
What the<BR>text is pointing to here is that different teachers have =
defined=20
bhakti in<BR>two slightly different ways.<BR><BR>sva-svarUpa-anusaMdhAna =
is a=20
close investigation into one's own nature.<BR>svAtma-tattva-anusaMdhAba is =
a=20
close investigation of the reality of the<BR>Self.<BR><BR>These can start =
off at=20
different points. The former may start with one's own<BR>assumptions of =
who one=20
is. One may be mistaken about these assumptions to<BR>begin with, but that =
is=20
besides the issue. The latter is an examination of<BR>the real referent of =
the=20
word "Self". It is a way of setting out what is not<BR>the Self and =
arriving at=20
the true Self.<BR><BR>In either case, proper anusaMdhAna needs the =
guidance of a=20
guru. That is the<BR>thrust of the two verses here. In the first case, we =
need=20
an illumined<BR>teacher to point out where the flaws in our assumptions =
lie. In=20
the latter<BR>case, we need guidance so that we don't misunderstand the=20
scriptural<BR>statements about the reality of the=20
Self.<BR><BR>Vidyasankar<BR><BR>------------------------------<BR><BR>Date:=
=20
Thu, 6 Feb 2003 15:42:37 -0500<BR>From: Shrinivas =
Gadkari=20
<sgadkari2001 at YAHOO.COM><BR>Subject: Re: Savitri Mantra<BR><BR>On =
Thu, 6=20
Feb 2003 10:22:37 +0530, Rajesh Sarin=20
<Rajesh_Sarin at RIL.COM><BR>wrote:<BR><BR>>Pranam,<BR>><BR>>Ca=
n you=20
please enlighten me on the below mentioned aspects=20
:<BR>><BR>>1 Can you please send the text =
of=20
Savitri Mantra ?<BR>>2 What is the significance =
&=20
importance of this Mantra in Daily Life ?<BR>>3 =
=20
Meaning of this Mantra ?<BR>>4 How, when, for =
whom=20
and where is it recommended to be recited ?<BR>><BR>>regards - =
Sarin=20
Rajesh<BR><BR>Namaste,<BR><BR>As Jaldhar pointed out, sAvitrI mantra is =
nothing=20
but the famous gAyatrI<BR>mantra. Look at the archives for the related=20
information.<BR><BR>You can do a search on the web and easily find =
meanings of=20
this mantra.<BR><BR>Here is some information that I have gathered in the =
past=20
year or<BR>so. List members might find it useful.<BR><BR>1. gAyatrI =
mantra=20
appears to be a prayer to the sun god. It is much<BR>more than that.<BR><BR=
>2.=20
The real meaning of this mantra either reveals itself to the sAdhaka<BR>or =
has=20
to be learnt from your guru.<BR><BR>3. This mantra is the key to unlock =
the=20
vidyA-trayi, the three fold<BR>vidyA of Rk-yajus-sAma.<BR><BR>4. It seems =
this=20
mantra is also the key to understand the shrI vidyA.<BR>(shrI vidyA =
mantra=20
itself might just be a more clearly spelled out<BR>version of=20
gAyatrI.)<BR><BR>5. gAyatrI/ sAvitrI vidyA is described in bRhadAraNyaka=20=
upanishad, 5.14.<BR><BR>6. Some accounts say that the famous brahmAstra =
is=20
invoked via a mantra<BR>derived from gAyatrI !!<BR><BR>Bottom line: =
gAyatrI is=20
THE supreme mantra, worthy of upAsanA.<BR><BR>Corrections are=20
welcome.<BR><BR>Best regards<BR>Shrinivas=20
Gadkari<BR><BR>------------------------------<BR><BR>Date:  =
;=20
Thu, 6 Feb 2003 17:04:01 -0500<BR>From: Ravi=20
<ravi at AMBAA.ORG><BR>Subject: Re: Savitri Mantra<BR><BR>On Thu, 6 Feb =
2003=20
15:42:37 -0500, Shrinivas Gadkari<BR><sgadkari2001 at YAHOO.COM>=20
wrote:<BR><BR>>On Thu, 6 Feb 2003 10:22:37 +0530, Rajesh Sarin=20
<Rajesh_Sarin at RIL.COM><BR>>wrote:<BR>><BR>>>Pranam,<BR>&g=
t;><BR>>>Can=20
you please enlighten me on the below mentioned aspects=20
:<BR>>><BR>>>1 Can you please send the =
text=20
of Savitri Mantra ?<BR>>>2 What is the=20
significance & importance of this Mantra in Daily Life=20
?<BR>>>3 Meaning of this Mantra=20
?<BR>>>4 How, when, for whom and where is =
it=20
recommended to be recited ?<BR>>><BR>>>regards - Sarin=20
Rajesh<BR>><BR>>Namaste,<BR>><BR>>As Jaldhar pointed out, =
sAvitrI=20
mantra is nothing but the famous gAyatrI<BR>>mantra. Look at the =
archives for=20
the related information.<BR>><BR><BR>AFAIK:<BR><BR>The [correct] name =
of that=20
mantra is sAvitrI mantra. That is how it is<BR>referred to in r^ishhi=20
nyAsa<BR><BR>saavitryaa R^ishhiH vishvaamitraH<BR>nichR^it gaayatrii=20
chhandaH<BR>savitaa devataa<BR><BR>Even in upanayana ceremony, the =
disciple asks=20
for initiation into sAvitrI<BR>mantra. However, this is popularly known =
as=20
gAyatrI mantra. Probably, the<BR>reason for this is the devataa's name we =
use in=20
dhyAna and aavaahanam.<BR><BR>Traditionally, devataa associated with =
this=20
mantraa in dhyAna is gaayatrii<BR>in morning, saavitrii in noon and =
sarasvatii=20
in evening sandhya.<BR><BR>For most part, only the combined (samashhTi) =
form of=20
these three devataa-s,<BR>is used in dhyAna. This collective form is also =
known=20
by the name gaayatrI.<BR>(mukta vidruma ... gaayatriiM varadaam ... =
bhaje). Even=20
if one says the<BR>dhyAna for the specific form, he should *also* include =
the=20
dhyAna of<BR>samashhTi form.<BR><BR><BR>nichrit gaayatri is one syllable =
short=20
(only 23) of the traditional<BR>gaayatrii chhandas. There is a version of =
the=20
same mantra in the<BR>traditional full gaayatri chhandas, This achieved =
by=20
modifying vareNyam to<BR>vareNiyam. This version of mantra which =
has=20
gaayatri chandas is used only<BR>for homa/yaj~na.<BR><BR>As it was pointed =
out=20
the "savitaa" has various interpretation. It can be<BR>interpreted =
on=20
ambaa or lord shiva (especially considering the word<BR>bhargaH) or =
narAyaNa. In=20
any case, you meditate on the deity as it is in<BR>the suurya maNDala -- =
yo=20
devaH savitaasmakam ..., savitRi maNDala<BR>madhyavartii -- so on.<BR><BR>A=
nd=20
interstingly the ratha sapthami (shukla paxa sapthami of mAgha maasa),<BR>a=
=20
famous day of worship for Lord suurya is tomorrow (check your local<BR>panc=
angam=20
for accurate date). According to some, this entire maagha maasa<BR>is =
special=20
for Lord suurya.<BR><BR><BR><BR>My 2c. Corrections are=20
welcome.<BR><BR>Ravi<BR><BR>bhAnu maNDala madhyasthaayai namo=20
namaH<BR><BR>------------------------------<BR><BR>Date: =
Thu,=20
6 Feb 2003 17:14:35 -0500<BR>From: "Subrahmanian, =
Sundararaman=20
V [IT]"<BR> =20
<sundararaman.v.subrahmanian at CITIGROUP.COM><BR>Subject: Ratha=20
saptami<BR><BR>> And interstingly the ratha sapthami (shukla paxa =
sapthami=20
of<BR>> mAgha maasa),<BR>> a famous day of worship for Lord suurya =
is=20
tomorrow (check your local<BR>> pancangam for accurate date). According =
to=20
some, this entire<BR>> maagha maasa<BR>> is special for Lord=20
suurya.<BR><BR>When I was young, I remember that on Sankranti, my mother =
used to=20
draw the<BR>sun and moon in a particular way on a wooden plank (palagai - =
Tamil)=20
and<BR>worship that. She used the change the configuration (I think) =
for=20
ratha<BR>saptami and pray on that day apart from the special ritual=20
bath.<BR><BR>Can anyone explain these configurations and what they are =
for=20
Sankranti and<BR>Ratha=20
saptami.<BR><BR>SVS<BR><BR>------------------------------<BR><BR>End of=20
ADVAITA-L Digest - 6 Feb 2003 to 7 Feb 2003=20
(#2003-33)<BR>*************************************************************=
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