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

[Girish S V]

Thanks. Is there a video recording of this talk available?

On Fri, 12 Mar, 2021, 12:04 pm Mahadevan Iyer via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> 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
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