[Advaita-l] saraswati

[Krishnarao Lanka]

>From :  Krishnarao Lanka

Date:-  24-02-06

Subject:- Saraswati



Priya mahAsayAh,



            "nArAyanam padmaBhuvam vasisTham

             Saktincha tatputra parASarancha |

             vyAsam Sukam gaudapadam mahAntam

             gOvinda yogiindram adhAsya SiShyam ||



             Srii SankarAchArya maDhAsya

             padmapAdancha hastAmalakancha SiShyam |

             tam trOtakam vArtikakAram

             anyAnasmadgurUn santatamAnato2smi ||



This is our guru parampara.  It mentions in it mainly of forteen names of
gurus.  These forteen names represent the forteen worlds we exist in.  The
gurupAduka mantra also contains only forteen mantras in it.  That is why,
Sri BhaskararAya in his book VarivsyArahasyam, just named it as
"chAturdaSi".  This chAturdaSi is a continuous flow of parampara containing
in three divisions as; divyauGha, siddHuGha and mAnavaugha.  This flow is
nothing else but the nectar flow of ganga which is flowing in all the three
Bhuvanas (worlds) with three names as; MandAkini in swargaloka, BhAgiiraThi
in BhUloka and as BhOgavati in the pAtAla lOka sanctifying all of the tree
lOkas with its sacred nectar in it.

                This streem is really the "saraswati" which emerged out from
the face (mouth) of brahma (gnAna).  It is flowing right from the mouth/feet
of nArAyana upto the mouth of my own guru and pouring down upon my head
(mind and intellect)  as aBhiShEka.  It is the "vAni" (word/speech) of the
whole parampara.  It is the effulgence of realization of my own self.  That
is why it is "Bharati".

          "idam kaviBhyah pUrveBhyo namovAkam praSAsmahE |


            vandEmahi cha tam vAniimamritAm AtmanahkalAm ||



So says BhavaBhUti, that this vAni is Atmanah kalA – it means that it is a
phase, belonging to the "self".  There are another two phases which emerged
out from the "self".  They are , BhArati and Ida.



"dEvIstisra tisrO dEvIh | saraswatyaSwinA BhAratIda"



All these three are vAgdEvatAs. They always live together and never break
apart from one another. This is the meaning of the reiteration of the word
'tisra' two times.  These three vAgdEvatAs remain in the same stream  in the
speech flow in the names of "paSyanti", "madHyama" and "vyKhari".



              paSyanti always remains with the "parA", which is the main
originator of all these three vagdEvatAs.  It has got another name as 'idA'
in the vEdas and it belongs to the 'agni mandala', promoting the first cause
of the nAda.  The second one "saraswati", which belongs to the 'vAyu mandala
(air), is acting as a transmitting force, and generally called as "madHyamA
vAk" to push it upwards for an intelligible pronunciation.  The third one
"BhArati", belonging to the sUrya mandala with another name as "vyKhari", is
audible to hear in distinct and clear language is situated in the 'sUrya
mandala' (the sun).



               saraswati being the representative of the 'air' force, is
actually the "prana Sakti" in all living beings, and is called as the
"sUtratma".

"mahO arNah saraswatii prachEtayati kEtunA | dHiyO viSwA virAjati" ||

maHo arNah means the great ocean i.e., inestimable ignorance and deep
sorrow. This indicates that it awakens and enlightens the ajnAni puruSha,
endowing with the benefit of great wisdom and makes him a self realized
soul.

               This saraswati is described as the   saxAt prakriti
chaturBhujA mahA saraswati, the creation of the  "aShta BhujA turiiya
mahAlaxmi".

This mahA saraswati is becoming the cause for the demolition of the "rudra
grandhi" and also establishment of "Ananda pratiShTha", by vanquishing
SumBha and niSumBha.



"gouriidEha samutpanna yaa satwaika gunASrayA |

  sAxAt saraswatii prOktA SumBhAsura nibarhiNii ||"




In the durgA saptaSatii ten names were quoted as her names

"mahAvidyA mahAvAnii BhAratii vAk saraswati |

  Arya brAhmii kAmadhEnur biijagarBhA cha dhiiSwarii ||"



Now it is evident that saraswati is the proprietor of all the vocabulary and
the sonority of sound phenominae and their resonances.



"mahABhagyAddEvata yA Eka AtmA bahudha stUyate ||

The 'self' is so powerful, mastering all the siddhis like aNima, laGhima,
mahima etc.,  She can display any number of forms at her will, and that is
the meaning of the word "mahABhAgya", although she is only one at all times
and none else is there other than her.  "EkamEvA advitiiyam brahma", "mattah
parataram nAsti kinchit".



            This saraswati is said to be a stream which journeying upwards
and flowing underneath (UrdhwavAhini and antarvAhini).  The stream which has
been pouring down from the face of brahma into the samudra (ocean) is in the
avarOhana (descending) and again when it is lifting the ajnAni jeeva
(samudra) upwards towards his abode in the brahmalOka, it appears like
ascending (Arohana).

 If you draw a round circle and start from the top point, we have to travel
downwards till we reach the bottom point and from there the circle appears
like going upwards until it reaches the top point.

The same mahAkAli who remains as the last lone remain after the total
dissolution of the universe, is becoming the first and lone remain to start
creation again in the name of saraswati.

"iiSwarAnugrahAdEva pumsAm advaita vAsanA"



                  Please forgive me if I have exceeded any limits, while
interpreting the subject.



krishnarao



--
Krishnarao Lanka