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Vedanta Section

The masters of the Upanishads unanimously declare that the 'truth is beyond words'. It is rightly said that 'God defined is God defiled'. Anything which can be objectively comprehended and communicated with words has to be necessarily limited. Yet we have an ancient heritage in the form of scriptures which have been enlightening the seekers. So here we have an apparent contradiction; on one hand it is said that words cant reveal, yet we have a sampradaya of study & teaching of the scriptures which is said to reveal the truth. Please note that it is not someone else who is revealing the limitation of the words, but these scriptures itself. So hint is obvious. The scriptures do not directly reveal the truth as an object, but use a different methodology to achieve their objectives, where they dont reveal yet they reveal. What is that methodology? This unique methodology is called as 'Adhyaropa-Apavada Nyaya'.

Before we see what is the exact meaning and implication of this Nyaya, let us bring to our mind as to what is meant by the realization of truth. Truth of our Self or for that matter of anything is an already existing fact about that thing, waiting for it to be discovered. Truth is that because of which the thing is what it is. It is right there in all its glory and the very question of knowing the truth implies that we may have taken it to be otherwise and have subsequently realized that our understanding is fallacious and needs to be corrected by right knowledge. So by our very wish to know the truth implies that we dont wish to know something beyond the clouds, but an existing fact, which is present right in front of us. Not knowing the truth of something is Agyana, ignorance, and to take it to be otherwise is called 'Superimposition'. Superimposition is our projection, our imagination, our fallacious perception. Not knowing a rope to be a rope we tend to take it as a snake etc. This baseless conclusion is our Adhyaropa. It is this baseless conclusion which is the cause of our pains & heartbreaks, because the very basis of our understanding was wrong. Superimpositions make the ignorance all the more dense.

Adhyaropa is defined as taking an object to be something which it is not. In our case it is not knowing the truth of ourself, and subsequently taking ourselves to be this body-mind complex. Body or mind is not adhyaropa, but taking our self to be these faculties is adhyaropa. Body etc are great faculties and instruments, and need to be taken that way alone, but to take their limitations as our limitations is adhyaropa. In the details of the adhyaropa comes the entire discussion and details of the 'creation'. How did this whole thing come about. So the details of adhyaropa are from the subtlest level of creation to the most gross visible world. The scriptures reveal that the whole story started with ignorance, which is comparable to darkness. The darkness which is trigunatmika, have the seeds of three gunas. Not knowing the truth invokes these latent gunas to manifest and we start coming to baseless conclusions.

Apavada is defined as a culmination of a deep & intense enquiry wherein we see the truth of the object as it is. There is complete absence of any other thing to eclipse the truth of the object in question. The other objects may be present, but they do not cloud our understanding at all, and the truth is seen in its immaculate glory. The body-mind intellect are all there, yet we see it very clearly that 'I am not these', but rather 'I am the pure self-effulgent blissful existence', which doesn't have even an iota of the limitations of this complex. Apavada is a reverse process. It is going from gross to subtle. It is a process of seeing the cause of an effect. To see a pot of mud as plain & simple 'mud' alone and not something limited or conditioned by any name or form, is negation of the pot. The cause always transcends the limitations of the effects. So we keep tracing the basic cause of an effect, till we see that there is just this immaculate cause existing in all its glory, free from any limitations of any name or form.

So when we see that I am just this pure unconditioned, transcendental, blissful, self-effulgent existence and not this body-mind complex is negation. Thus this is in short the Adhyaropa-Apavada Nyaya. It does not directly describe or define the truth, yet that objective is effortlessly attained. The clouds are removed and the sun was and continues to shine in all its glory. 

Festival

Celebrate Mahashivrati with Devotion

VMission Resources for Mahashivratri

1. What is Mahashivratri? How to celebrate it? - Read

2. Download and read our new ebook on Shiv Upasana. This a hindi book with 63 pages. It contains enlightening information about Lord Shiva; has collection of various sanskrit stotras with meanings; Shiv Puja vidhi; and 108 names of Lord Shiva. - Download

3. Hear a Podcast in English about Lord Shiva. (will be released on 4th Mar). - VM Podcasts

4. Read the Puja Vidhi, and hear the chanting of all the shlokas too. (PDF / Audio)

Quote

"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."

Story

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma, whilst resting on the bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, refers to the observance of Maha Shivratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows:

Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa, was observing a fast with his wife, it being the day of Mahashivratri. The sage Ashtavakra came on a visit to the court of the king.

The sage asked, "O king! why are you observing a fast today?"

King Chitrabhanu explained why. He had the gift of remembering the incidents of his previous birth.

The king said to the sage: "In my past birth I was a hunter in Varanasi. My name was Suswara. My livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. One day I was roaming the forests in search of animals. I was overtaken by the darkness of night. Unable to return home, I climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a bel tree. I had shot a deer that day but I had no time to take it home. I bundled it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. As I was tormented by hunger and thirst, I kept awake throughout the night. I shed profuse tears when I thought of my poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously awaiting my return. To pass away the time that night I engaged myself in plucking the bel leaves and dropping them down onto the ground.

"The day dawned. I returned home and sold the deer. I bought some food for myself and for my family. I was about to break my fast when a stranger came to me, begging for food. I served him first and then took my food.

"At the time of death, I saw two messengers of Lord Shiva. They were sent down to conduct my soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. I learnt then for the first time of the great merit I had earned by the unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivratri. They told me that there was a Lingam at the bottom of the tree. The leaves I dropped fell on the Lingam. My tears which I had shed out of pure sorrow for my family fell onto the Lingam and washed it. And I had fasted all day and all night. Thus did I unconsciously worshipped the Lord on the night of Mahashivratri, and my whole life got transformed fully. 

"I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages. I am now reborn as Chitrabhanu." I have now realized about the infinite love & compassion of Lord Shiva. Even unconscious acts of goodness are blessed in such a way, then what to talk of our conscious acts of expressing our love, respect and reverence for Lord Shiva. He is indeed Ashutosh, one who gets pleased very soon. Lord Shiva is indeed an embodiment of infinite love, love & compassion, that is why he is so easy to please. He showers us with his blessings at every moment of our lives, may we all devote this day of Mahashivratri to express our gratitude unto his feet. It is a very auspicious day. 

New Podcasts

The following are the new Podcasts released by VMission:

1. Advaita Makaranda - Shloka 1

2. Advaita Makaranda - Shloka 2

3. Advaita Makaranda - Shloka 3a

4. Advaita Makaranda - Shloka 3b

5. Advaita Makaranda - Shloka 4

6. Devata Series: Episode 2, Lord Shiva

Quote

"Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible."

Letter Section

Quote

"To succeed, we must first believe that we can."

Mission News

Earlier Programs

Imp Dates

Important Dates in March 2008

Forthcoming Programs

Mahashivratri Camp, Indore : 

A five days Sadhana Camp just before the Mahashivratri will be organized from 1st to 5th March 2008. Devotees will be taught the Shiv-Aparadha-Kshamapana Stotram, Shiv Mahimna Stotram, Shiv-Puja, and other details of Shiv Upasana. Conclusion will be with the celebration of Mahashivratri.

Mahashivratri, Indore : 

Mahashivratri is on 6th March this year. At the Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple it will be celebrated in a grand way with Rudrabhisheka, chanting, decorations etc. 

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow : 

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a Gita Gyana Yagna at Hari om Mandir Hall from 13th to 20th March. He will give discourses on the Drg-Dryshya Viveka and Gita Chapter 14.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai : 

Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji will conduct a Gita Gyana Yagna at Conference Hall of National College, Bandra, Mumbai from 16th to 20th March. She will give discourses on the 17th chapter of Bhagwad Gita and Sadhana Panchakam in the morning.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhavnagar : 

Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct a Gita Gyana Yagna at Swami Ramdas Ashram, Bhavnagar from  14th to 21st April. 

Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad : 

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a Gita Gyana Yagna at Ramkrishna Kendra, Maninagar, Ahmedabad from 26th April to 2nd May. 

Sadhana Camp, Rishikesh : 

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a Sadhana Camp at Arsha Vidya Peetha, Rishikesh from 18th June onwards for a full week. 

Contact

. Om Tat Sat .