Post by radha on Jul 12, 2012 3:05:09 GMT 5.5
OM SRI GURUPYO NAMAHA:,RESPECTFUL PRANAMS TO SRI KANCHI MAHA PERIVA.
NATURE OF BHAKTI
What really is the core of bhakti? It is the condition of mind which is continously drawn to and anchored in the feet of the Lord of all creatures, the Pasupati. Sri Sankara has a verse which brings out the nature of bhakti by a few beautiful examples from Nature and human relations.
‘Ankolam nijabeejasantath' It is traditionally believed that there is a tree called the ankola tree. Its seeds fall down from the full-grown tree. By some internal compulsion of its nature, it moves of its own accord towards the foot of the parent tree. Having reached it, it gently ascends clinging to the trunk and enventually becomes one with it.
'Ayaskaantopalom soochikaa'. The needle is drawn to the loadstone, gets magnetised by it and becomes itself a magnet.
'Saadhvee naijavibhum'. A pativarataa woman in tensely long with all here heart and soul for the company of her lard who is all the world to her.
'Lata kshitiruham'. A creeper meandering on the ground is on the look out for a tree to twine itself round. Having found it, it envelops it on all sides and cannot be separated from it even with great force.
'Sindhussaridvallabhuam'. The rivers which take rise in distant mountains rush forth with turbulent avidity to flow into the sea. The rivers become one, with the waters of the sea and their water also becomes salty even as the sea water.
The attraction in all these cases is natural and spontaneous, not a calculated or artifical one. At the start they, feel separated from that to which each of them is attracted. But they cannnot subsist in their separation. The seed, the needdle, the saadhvee, the creeper and the rivers find the fulfilment of their being in the union and eventually, in their identify with that which alone makes for their completion. To the saadhvee i.e. the pativrata, the true wife, her husband is her all. He is her very life. Separation from him even for a second causes her intense anguish. The rivers rise on mountain tops, where clouds pour out what they took out from the sea, their original source and the ultimate goal. They flow in torrents and fall ill cascades, roaring with fury betraying their eagerness to meet their lord, the saridvallabha and then they merge in its bosom.
TRUE PRAYER
The true devotee prays to God to give Himself to himself. "Give me my own nature" 'madeeyam eva svaroopam dehi' In the last analysis, since each man's true nature is God Himself, 'Give me to myself means 'give Thyself to me'.
This truth is wonderfully brought out in another prayer that Sri Sankara sang in his saundaryalahri. The prayer starts with the words.
'Bhavanit twam daase mayi vitara drshtim Sakarunaam' .
Addressing the Mother of the universe as bhavaani, Sri Sankara prays: ‘Be pleased to cast Thy gracious look on me' Thy servant'. The interesting words here are 'bavaani twam" which means 'Oh Bhavani! Thou, (mayest be pleased to shed" The gracious look on me.)
Here 'Bhavaani' is the vocative case; it apostrophises the Supreme Mother With one of Her names. 'Twam' means Thou and in the sentence functions as the grammatical subject of what is to follow. But, 'Bhavaani' is also a verb in the first person singular future tense which means 'may I become' and tvam means ‘Thou’. The first two words of the prayer can also mean 'May I beome Thou'. Sri Sankara says that as soon as the Supreme Mother hears these first two words of Her devotee's prayar, with out waiting for what was to follow she immediately (tadaiva) bestows on him identify with Herself nijasaayujyapadaveem.
Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam
NATURE OF BHAKTI
What really is the core of bhakti? It is the condition of mind which is continously drawn to and anchored in the feet of the Lord of all creatures, the Pasupati. Sri Sankara has a verse which brings out the nature of bhakti by a few beautiful examples from Nature and human relations.
‘Ankolam nijabeejasantath' It is traditionally believed that there is a tree called the ankola tree. Its seeds fall down from the full-grown tree. By some internal compulsion of its nature, it moves of its own accord towards the foot of the parent tree. Having reached it, it gently ascends clinging to the trunk and enventually becomes one with it.
'Ayaskaantopalom soochikaa'. The needle is drawn to the loadstone, gets magnetised by it and becomes itself a magnet.
'Saadhvee naijavibhum'. A pativarataa woman in tensely long with all here heart and soul for the company of her lard who is all the world to her.
'Lata kshitiruham'. A creeper meandering on the ground is on the look out for a tree to twine itself round. Having found it, it envelops it on all sides and cannot be separated from it even with great force.
'Sindhussaridvallabhuam'. The rivers which take rise in distant mountains rush forth with turbulent avidity to flow into the sea. The rivers become one, with the waters of the sea and their water also becomes salty even as the sea water.
The attraction in all these cases is natural and spontaneous, not a calculated or artifical one. At the start they, feel separated from that to which each of them is attracted. But they cannnot subsist in their separation. The seed, the needdle, the saadhvee, the creeper and the rivers find the fulfilment of their being in the union and eventually, in their identify with that which alone makes for their completion. To the saadhvee i.e. the pativrata, the true wife, her husband is her all. He is her very life. Separation from him even for a second causes her intense anguish. The rivers rise on mountain tops, where clouds pour out what they took out from the sea, their original source and the ultimate goal. They flow in torrents and fall ill cascades, roaring with fury betraying their eagerness to meet their lord, the saridvallabha and then they merge in its bosom.
TRUE PRAYER
The true devotee prays to God to give Himself to himself. "Give me my own nature" 'madeeyam eva svaroopam dehi' In the last analysis, since each man's true nature is God Himself, 'Give me to myself means 'give Thyself to me'.
This truth is wonderfully brought out in another prayer that Sri Sankara sang in his saundaryalahri. The prayer starts with the words.
'Bhavanit twam daase mayi vitara drshtim Sakarunaam' .
Addressing the Mother of the universe as bhavaani, Sri Sankara prays: ‘Be pleased to cast Thy gracious look on me' Thy servant'. The interesting words here are 'bavaani twam" which means 'Oh Bhavani! Thou, (mayest be pleased to shed" The gracious look on me.)
Here 'Bhavaani' is the vocative case; it apostrophises the Supreme Mother With one of Her names. 'Twam' means Thou and in the sentence functions as the grammatical subject of what is to follow. But, 'Bhavaani' is also a verb in the first person singular future tense which means 'may I become' and tvam means ‘Thou’. The first two words of the prayer can also mean 'May I beome Thou'. Sri Sankara says that as soon as the Supreme Mother hears these first two words of Her devotee's prayar, with out waiting for what was to follow she immediately (tadaiva) bestows on him identify with Herself nijasaayujyapadaveem.
Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam
