[Advaita-l] Digest of Paramacharya's Discourses on Soundaryalahari(DPDS-16)

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste
Recall that  the entire contents of the Digest are from the
Paramacharya’s ideas and words, except for my English rendering.
Wherever he uses specific English words himself, I have drawn
the attention of the reader to that fact. FOR NEW READERS of
this series, it may be worthwhile to go back to  the
Introduction  about the objective of this Digest and the Note on
the Organization (both at advaitin Message No.18425; ambaa-L
message no.5273; advaita-L message No.14046; Sadhana_shakti
message no.334).
V. Krishnamurthy

A Digest of Paramacharya’s Discourses on Soundaryalahari -  16
(Digest of pp.794 - 802 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th imprn)

Now let us come  to modern Science and see whether there is any
correlation with the set of ideas relating to Shivam and Shakti.
. Matter is inert and its nature is inertia. But we know that 
inert matter undergoes internal changes and in due course
evolves into more complicated matter and finally the universe
itself. What is the power which made inert matter non-inert?
(Readers, please note that these talks of the Paramacharya
 probably date back to the thirties or the forties 
of the 20th century !  VK)
In atomic science they talk about the interconvertibility of
matter and energy. This energy is our shakti. This is what makes
inert matter non-inert.  So Shivam, the immutable brahman, has
to be compared to the ‘inert matter’ of science; but the
comparison is not right since, brahman is consciousness so not
jaDam (that which has no consciousness), whereas  inert matter
of science is jaDam. Further, in the convertibility of matter
into energy there is a difference for, when matter becomes
energy, the matter that has become energy is now not there as
matter. But in our philosophies, when energy shoots forth from
Shivam, the Shivam still remains the same Shivam. 
After the Relativity theory of Einstein, science has come nearer
to advaita vedanta and the shAkta schools. Time and Space are
relative concepts, as far as I have understood these scientific
theories. Brahman is the only absolute. Everything else is
relative, says vedanta. Anything that appears as real, does so
because it is resting on the brahman-canvas. This appearance as
reality, is the relativity of science and the mAyA of advaita
Vedanta. Science which talks of the relativeness, does not say
what is the absolute. The only absolute is brahman , according
to our religious scriptures as well as philosophical schools.
Though western knowledge makes a distinction between religion
and philosophy, sanAtana Dharma does not make any distinction
between the two. In it the two are inseparable like Shiva and
Shakti ! And that Absolute has been experienced as Atman by our
great sages. That is the soul of all souls. 
But this fact has evaded science. Even if the scientists one day
accept it in theory, they will have to say “its ‘proof’ is not
within our jurisdiction; go to the shAstra of Spirituality to
know it”. Science can explain, through its laws,  only certain
‘movements’ of the grand cosmic dance of parAShakti; whereas it
is incapable of showing a path for  becoming the Absolute by
quelling the live Mind that vibrates in an integrated way
together with all the vibrations of the universe. Nor is it the
goal of Science. Only religious scriptures can show you the way.
But even then, the final gates will be opened only by ambaal.
Who else, except the One who originally separated us from the
Absolute, can reunite us with that Absolute?  
It is unfair on our part to find fault with science for what is
beyond science. In the same way protagonists of science must
realise that there is a limit to their scientific quest. They
have no right to say that what transcends their science is wrong
or false. That the two are complementary must be felt by both
sides. It will be fascinating to discover that several
scientific truths have been enunciated, though in a different
way, by some of our scriptural findings.
Why not think of the proton with a positive charge in the centre
of the nucleus, as Shiva and the electron with the negative
charge that goes round, as ambaal? 
There is a ‘still center’  for everything which is its peaceful
center. Even though it has no vibration it is not the emptiness
nor it is of zero potential. The equilibrium which we aim at
when we weigh a weight, is this still center. Every object has a
center of gravity. Even in a dreadful storm, there is a ‘storm
center’. Always the energy radiates from such a center and that
is why movement and action are produced. It is that center which
may be called Shivam and the energy that radiates from it and
revolves about it is ambaal.
When something is positive and the other is negative, it does
not appear to be equivalent. So to arrive at equivalence there
is another way of looking at it. Instead of saying that one is
in the center and the other revolves around it, think of each as
half and half. That is the ardha-nArIshvara form. The right side
is Shiva (positive), and the left side,  ambaal (negative). This
may be justified by the fact that the heart is on the left side
and supplies the ‘life’ for the entire body. If it does not work
properly,  the right side also cannot work: na khalu kushalaH
spanditum api, as the sloka 1 says.
(The ParamAcharya goes on like this irrepressibly !
 It must be enjoyed in the original. 
But I have to rush forward to take the readers
to the other slokas. So I am omitting a few pages. – VK)
Another observation about ‘left’ and ‘right’. What is ‘right’ in
the original is shown as ‘left’ in the reflection. And what is
‘left’, becomes the ‘right’. The  non-dual
nirguNa-brahman-Consciousness when it gets reflected in the
mirror of mAyA, becomes the saguNa brahman that creates and
monitors the dualities of the universe. This is an accepted
principle of the advaita school. In other words IT IS SHIVA THAT
GETS REFLECTED IN MAYA AND BECOMES THE AMBAAL!
(Emphasis mine – VK)

(To be continued)

PraNAms to all advaitins and Devotees of Mother Goddess.
profvk



 





=====
Prof. V. Krishnamurthy
My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/
You can  access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and Practice,  and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

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