[Advaita-l] Three models for worship

[Shrinivas Gadkari]

Namaste Bhadraiah,

The most important model is missing in your enumeration ...
The model of gItA chapter 15: kSara puruSa, akSara puruSa,
and uttama puruSa.
(I have discussed this model in some details in past on this
list).

Most certainly this model does not fall in 1, and 2 below. For
sake of arguing one can stretch Model 3 below, to look like
the model of gItA Chapter 15,  but that is not very satisfactory.

Regards,
Shrinivas


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Dear Sadanandji,

It looks like there are three different models getting mixed up here. 

1. Dvaita model: You and your ishtadaivaM (can be your family deity or one approved by puranas ans smrtis): There is no need for Maya here but as you quoted Gita, it is fine to include Maya. Your ishtadaivaM is ever willing to merge you into himself, no politics here.  

2. You, any deva and Maya: Here you can woship any deva, such as Indra, varuNa etc. You will come under Br.U.I.4.10, where the devas will treat you as explained therein. You will fight back or become their self. 

3. You (atma) and the Maya: This is a simplified version of Br.U.I.4.10 as explained by Sankara. When Maya goes away you discover you are nirguNa brahman. 

You are well covered in your answer whatever is choice, but somehow clarity is missing what path you are talking about. When a questioner says "I will keep exploring" it means we did not offer the food the questioner was asking for.  

Now, as usual I warn about picking up any non-standard deva for the dvaita template. In cases like when you pick Maya, you don't worhship Maya. If you pick vRtra, you might as well have to become Indra, kill him, then realize yourself, so it gets more complicated. Puranas prohibit picking Brahma (was it Brahman?), probably because it is going to be nirguna vs jiva which doesn't make much sense.

Pranams
Bhadraiah