[Advaita-l] 📝"Concept of GOD in Hinduism", My Short Notes on the 2021 ShivaRatri Talk by Swami Paramarthananda

[Mahadevan Iyer]

Pranams,
*🕉*
*Concept of GOD in Hinduism: 2021 Shivaratri Talk*
📝 note: These are not the transcripts of the discourse. These are my
personal short notes of the " 2021 Shivaratri Talk by Swami
Paramarthananda".
🔴 topic: Concept of GOD in Hinduism.

🏁

   - सदाशिव समारम्भाम् शंकराचार्य मध्यमाम्
   - अस्मद् आचार्य पर्यन्ताम् वंदे गुरु परम्पराम्


   - To understand Hindu religion, Hindu spirituality & Hindu culture one
   needs to understand the "CONCEPT OF GOD" in Hinduism based on Vedic
   teachings. 🕉
   - There are several examples given in scriptures to teach the concept of
   God.
   - " The Spider " example is a significant example.
   - 🕷 The Spider Example
   - A spider is called "ūrṇanābhi" in Sanskrit. 🕷
      - ūrṇa = thread, nābhi = abdomen
      - 📚 Reference :  Mundaka Upanishad, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (
      2-1-20 ) , Bhagavatam, Uddhava Gita etc
      - A spider sits on the ceiling of a room.
         - When disturbed, it draws silk from its body and descends from
         the ceiling.
         - Afterwards, when that disturbance is gone, it withdraws
         (swallows) the silk back into its abdomen & ascends back into
the ceiling
         of the room.
         - Raw materials for the production of the silk is contained within
      the spider's stomach itself.
      - The spider uses its part of the body itself to create the web. 🕸
      - Bhagavan is like a spider in certain respects.
   - Spider is a conscious entity.✔
      - Bhagavan is also a conscious entity.✔
      - Spider has got a body that contains the raw material for producing
      the thread & later it can withdraw the thread back into itself.✔
      - Bhagavan also has got a body that contains the raw material for
      producing the entire cosmos ( matter, energy, time & space ) & can later
      withdraw it back.✔
      - Body of Bhagavan = Maya. 🔔
         - We can know the exact location of the spider before the creation
      of the thread ( ceiling ).❕
      - We CANNOT know the location of Bhagavan before the creation.❕
      - Reason:  Time & Space concept was resolved before the creation of
         space, time matter & energy.
         - Hence, questions like... Where is Bhagavan? What is the form of
         Bhagavan? Where is Bhagavan located? etc cannot be raised.
         - Because then Bhagavan becomes finite requiring a specific
         location in space & time.
         - Transcendental Bhagavan exists even before the arrival of time &
         space itself.
         - Spider produces the thread again & again & withdraws it back
      again & again.✔
      - God produces the creation not one time, but again & again &
      resolves it back again & again.✔
      - Maya -> Prapancha🌌
         - Prapancha -> Maya 💥
         - NO FIRST CREATION, NO LAST CREATION. ♻
         - Law of conservation of matter & energy-matter is neither created
         nor destroyed but conserved.♻
         - Hard to comprehend due to one's intellectual orientation.
         - Matter, Energy, Time & Space is an extension of Maya itself. *🕉*
         -> [✨ , ⚡ ,⌚,🧭 ]
         - Maya is eternal. 🔔
      - Bhagavan is sacred,  Maya is the body of Bhagavan, Hence Maya is
      Sacred.
      - The Universe is also Bhagavan's body, it is also Bhagavan.
      - Maya is sacred, Entire universe is the manifest ( visible ) part of
      Maya, Hence the UNIVERSE IS SACRED.
      - We think Bhagavan is sacred. The World is secular.
      - We should change our attitude towards the universe.
      - The secular sacred division is born out of ignorance of the spider
      example. 🕷
      - Nothing is secular in Hinduism, everything is sacred.🔔
      - Formless Bhagavan is limitless, Multi formed Bhagavan is also
      limitless.
      - Time & space are not outside Bhagavan TO LIMIT Bhagavan.🔔
      - Time & space are included in the body of Bhagavan.
      - before creation, time & space was potential in the Maya body of
      Bhagavan. ( Aroopa Īśvara )
      - after creation, time & space are actively in the body of Bhagavan.
      ( Anekaroopa Īśvara )
      - Bhagavan alone IS. Everything is included in Bhagavan.🔔
      - Bhagavan is the cosmic conscious being.🥚
      - We are like microorganism contributing to the health of Bhagavan's
      body.
      - We alone through our karma, determine the future.
      - The next creation is also dependent on our karma only.
         - How did the first karma came? ❓
         - "The First" idea must be abolished.
            - Karma - Shrishti - Karma - Shristi...... etc continues.
         - The Divinisation of the world is the religious evolution that
      our scriptures talk about.🔔
      - Change your attitude towards the universe.
      - 🎱 Ashtamurti Īśvara is a corollary for Spider Example ( 8 limbs ).
      - 📚 Refer: Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntalam ( invocation phrase )
         - *1️⃣*Primary Bhagavan: Formless-Multi formed God.
      - *1️⃣*Primary Knowledge: The World is part of Maya, Maya is
      Bhagavan's body, Therefore the Universe is Bhagavan's body.
      - *1️⃣*Primary Bhakthi : Changed attitude due to Primary Knowledge
      regarding Primary Bhagavan. ( Jnana Bhakti )
      - Scriptures prescribe various meditation. eg: Akasha dyanam, Vayu
      dhyanam, Lightning meditation etc...
      - Vibhoothi darshanam : Everything in the creation has glory. I see
      them as the glory of Bhagavan.
      - This Bhavana parivarthanam ( Transformation of bhavana ) is Jnana
      Bhakthi.
      - Today, instead of Janana Bhakthi, Prema Bhakthi is promoted.
      - *2️⃣* Prema Bhakthi is secondary Bhakthi.
      - *2️⃣* A personified GOD is given over important.
      - *2️⃣* Prema Bhakthi is valid for only a short while.
      - *1️⃣ *Jnana Bhakthi is based on Vedic study.
      - *2️⃣ *Prema Bhakthi should never overshadow Jnana Bhakthi.
      - A finite form symbolically is OK, but making Bhagavan himself, a
      finite being with a beautiful body & a beautiful feeling is an act of
      creating a degraded impression of Bhagavan as a finite person.
      - Prayer should not be "Artha Bhakthi" or "Artharthi Bhakthi", not
      for solving problem; for that, we don't pray, we use resources
Bhagavan is
      given.
      - Prayer should be "Jijnasu Bhakthi".
      - Jijnasu Bhakthi : Give me the knowledge of you. Let me get a Guru,
      Let me study the scriptures, by which I come to know Bhagavan, who is
      all-pervading.
      - Prema Bhakthi should not become an obstacle for Jnana Bhakthi.
      - Is there a Bhagavan?❓
      - There is nothing other than Bhagavan.
      - Bhakti : awareness of harmony of totality.🔔
      - Bhaktha is one who has Bhakthi.
      - When I am a Bhaktha, my life will be in harmony with the total. It
      is called Dharma.🔔
      - Jnanam will lead to Bhakthi. Bhakthi leads to Dharma.
      - Adharma : Disturbing the harmony with the total.🔔
      - In Shiva rathri, Before chanting Rudra, Dhyana sloka is chanted.
      - Dhyana sloka : Presentation of Shiva in 3 versions.
      - 1st Shiva as a symbol. ( Finite, for pooja , abhishekam etc )
      - 2nd Shiva as vishvaroopa Īśvara.
      - 3rd Shiva included as the Consciousness principle.


   - śuddhasphaṭika saṅkāśaṃ trinētraṃ pañcha vaktrakaṃ ।
   - gaṅgādharaṃ daśabhujaṃ sarvābharaṇa bhūṣitam ॥🎶


   - nīlagrīvaṃ śaśāṅkāṅkaṃ nāga yajñōpa vītinam ।
   - vyāghra charmōttarīyaṃ cha varēṇyamabhaya pradam ॥🎶


   - kamaṇḍal-vakṣa sūtrāṇāṃ dhāriṇaṃ śūlapāṇinaṃ ।
   - jvalantaṃ piṅgaḻajaṭā śikhā muddyōta dhāriṇam ॥🎶


   - vṛṣa skandha samārūḍhaṃ umā dēhārtha dhāriṇaṃ ।
   - amṛtēnāplutaṃ śāntaṃ divyabhōga samanvitam ॥🎶


   - digdēvatā samāyuktaṃ surāsura namaskṛtaṃ ।
   - nityaṃ cha śāśvataṃ śuddhaṃ dhruva-makṣara-mavyayam ।
   - sarva vyāpina-mīśānaṃ rudraṃ vai viśvarūpiṇaṃ ।
   - ēvaṃ dhyātvā dvijaḥ samyak tatō yajanamārabhēt ॥🎶


   - Bhagavan is being symbolised as pure, beautiful & bright like crystal.
      - 3 eyes ( 3rd eye: Attitude based on Jnanam ), 5 headed ( Pacha
      bhootham )
      - Carrying Ganga ( Flow of knowledge ), 10 hands, this is symbolism,
      All ornaments etc
      - Consciousnesses one part, Maya is the other part of Bhagavan.
      - Amrutham : Knowledge that gives immortality.🔔
      - Shiva includes the Consciousness principle also.
      - Maya -> Universe, Universe -> Maya.
      - Consciousness principle is not part, product or property of Maya (
   Matter or Energy ).🔔
   - Consciousness is an independent spiritual principle, which is eternal
   & all-pervading, which manifests in the matter when the matter has got a
   conducive configuration.
   - When the body is in a conducive condition, consciousness manifests in
   the body as a life principle.
   - When the body is dead, Consciousness is not able to manifest in the
   matter. But Consciousness is eternal & all-pervading.
   - Sarvatmaka Īśvara : Chetana-Achetanatmaka sarvarthmaka Īśvara.
   - Namah Shivaya: I surrender to Shiva.🔔
   - Nothing other than Shiva. I am also included in that Shiva.
   - Prema Bhakthi : Emotional Bhakthi
   - Jnana Bhakthi : Intelectual Bhakthi (Knowing the Universe as Bhagavan
   ) ( superior )
   - Emotional Bhakthi should be transformed into intellectual Bhakthi.
   - In this Shivaratri, let's worship Lord Shiva to remove our ignorance &
   give the knowledge that Bhagavan is not a finite person, Bhagavan is
   everything including me.
   - --- Poornam --- 🏁



Pranams,
Mahadevan Iyer