[Advaita-l] Athato Brahma Jijnasa

[Venkata sriram P]

Dear Mr. Murty,
 
Namaste.  
 
There is a fascinating story about neti neti vichara.  
 
Mother Sita alongwith Her friends was playing in a garden.  Accidentally, they all happen to see Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna in the same garden.  By then, Mother Sita got engaged with Lord Rama.  
 
Having seen them together, friends of Mother Sita ask Her to show Her husband Rama.
 
Keeping in view of the sAstra maryAda, Mother Sita neither uttered the husband's name nor pointed Lord Rama among the brothers with Her index finger.  This is Mother Sita's pativratA lakShaNa.  
 
The friends of Mother Sita, point towards Shatrughna, but Sita says No; then again point towards Bharata, Sita says No; they point towards Lakshmana, Sita says No.  Now, the only person left out was Lord Rama who was odd man out.  Invariably without questioning Sita, they understood that Lord Rama was Mother Sita's fiancee.  
 
So, the purpose of our study of sAstras is something similar to the method adopted by the friends of Mother Sita in identifying who exactly was Rama, the husband of Sita.  
 
Sita adopts the "neti - neti" method of elimination and when finally Lord Rama is left out, She shies away putting Her head down as a mark respect towards Her husband.  
 
Sastras shy away and become silent here.........
 
"jnAnAd eva tu kaivalyaM" says the Sastra and the Jnana is here defined as "sva-swarupa jnana" which is "sAkShi" & "nirguNa".
 
regs,
Sriram