ameyAtmA

Namaste Kaushik

Is Gaṇapatī your Ishṭa-dev? Perhaps He is telling you all devas are in Him . Did you recently have conflict of interest or trouble with focusing on "the other devas" ? and feeling guilty as a result? That happens with many people when it comes to the ONE favourite , Ishṭa .

Then again, perhaps it is Swami Samartha who is performing this trick on you so you get the point  He likes to performs these tricks to teach people how all devas are one.

Maybe, possible, perhaps ...

om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

|| om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya ||

stotra:   shrimad bhagvad gītā

chhanda: anushṭup

ṛshī:  kṛshṇa dvaipāyana veda vyās

devatā:  shri kṛshṇa paramātmā

So you see, Shri Kṛshṇa is GOD . Because He alone says  so, yes, but why does He say so? Because He is ParaBramhan', Paramātmā .

Therefore Shri Kṛshṇa is refered to as Shri Kṛshṇa Paramātmā

* So, one has to have dṛdha (firm) bhāvanā (consciousness) that Shri Kṛshṇa is  nirguṇ ParaBramhan' who attracts the entire multi-bramhānḍa (universes) to Him . (Kṛshṇa = ākarshaṇa , attractive, attraction owing to prema, paramānanda).

* This anādi- ananta  Bramhan' is very very very auspicious . Therefore Shiva is one of His names .

* This Bramhan' pervades everything, all existence. Therefore He is called Vishṇū.

* This Bramhan' cries in pain when He sees suffering in the world, and wants to extinguish it - therefore He is Rudra.

* This Bramhan' is the king of all senses, and facilitates their existence, therefore He is Indra.

* This Bramhan' is Sat-ChitĀnand, and Knowledge Pure, which burns of all seeds of sanchit & āgami karma, therefore He is also called Agnī

* This Bramhan' is cool and cools off agony by His charm, bliss and benevolence, therefore He is also called Varuṇa

* This Bramhan' is bright effulgence of knowledge, that destroys all neissance and dispells darkness, therefor He is also called Sūrya.

* This Bramhan' is extremely beautiful and brings happiness with His cool radiance. Therefore He is also called Chandra.

However, this Bramhan' is ALL of this and a lot lot more than we can put on paper , but can it be said that He is only Indra, only Agni, only Vāyū, only Sūrya, only Shiva etc.? No we cannot say this .  Therefore, He has to be described using many many names each bringing some aspect of His Being. How is this Bramhan'? It is such and such --- but ultimately, even though His compassion overflows for us and He takes all these forms and shapes, He is that sacchidānanda svarūpa alone, Pure Conscious Being. That alone is pure existential consciousness, that alone is Knowledge Itself, THAt alone is eternal bliss itself.

Suppose your name is ... let us say  uday  or meenākshī.

Does it mean being like the dawn or having fish-shaped eyes is all I can say about you? Of course not . You are so many other things in other contexts - but that is your personality. Ultimately, you are just you - the ātmā, being, the same one who is he she it they we you me I.

That is right . By ātmā I did mean sarvātmā, the infinite one and only all-pervading ātmā that is spoken of in shāstra. In Gitā and bhāgvat , plus some upanishads,  the word ātmā is used to denote the avibhakta (indivisible), sarvagata (all-pervading) anata (eternal & infinite).

avibhaktam cha bhūteshū vibhaktameva cha sthitam |

bhūtabhartru cha tadjñeya grasishṇu prabhavishṇu cha ||   Bhagvad Gītā 13.16

Despite being all-pervading and indivisible, that [bramhan'] appears to be divided into many entities . Also, the Bramhan' nurtures and holds all beings (by fascilitating their existence) as Vishṇu, manifests them as Bramhā and annhilates them as Rudra.

What is easy for the sādhak (aspirant) as a first step is to be the sākshī -- the witness . Soon you realize that what you took to be the witness, was just another wave of the ocean . So the trick is to be the real witness (witness of all existence) . This is very much doable, and an exercise everyone must undertake.  The least it can do is distinguish between the false-you (ego - ahaṃkār), the current object of focus, 'others', and the real ātmā - who is achala (steady unchanging)  sākshī (witness) .

Jai Shri Kṛshṇa

Harshith,

We know nothing about you. Where are you located? I know someone very good, who gives dikshā in Shri Vidya.

Can do the simplest thing of getting a s0adhak in touch with them . If you cannot post here, please send me  a PM

May Adi Shakti bless you

 Do you see any difference between atma and bramhan ?

No.

The problem arises when one thinks of anātmā as ātmā. That is all. The shāstra is consistent in saying that ātmā is Bramhan'. 

Even for the sarvātmā, going back and fourth between turiyāvasthā and leelāvasthā (Shri Kṛṣhṇa-n-me) is possible and harmless as long as knowledge (jñāna) is preserved... the oscillating may continue ... for  how long? depends... how long does it take to really really come to terms with the Truth ? Satyameva jayate.

________________

ameyAtmA

Certainly God is sarvakāraṇakāraṇam, the Cause of All Causes. The thing is, God is Param (highest) Ādi (most original) Purusha (Conscious Being or Existence, sat) and not Prakṛtī (His Nature), (Prakṛtī = not just material nature, all aspects of His nature).

Therefore, despite my utmost awe and reverence for the physicists/scientists and their hard work, no matter how many Higgs Bosons, quarks and strings and fundamental particles, theoretical physicists discover, it is PHYSICs of the PHYSICAL, i.e. within the realm of Prakṛtī .

We can say they have come very close to understanding the avyakta prakṛtī (unmanifest nature) OF Adi Purusha, but not Adi Purusha Himself.

Adi Purusha is Pure Original Consciousness? Perhaps too simple a word, but it is beyond the Boson or string or any supposed original sources of energy.

Science has shown that matter is really energy transformed -- this gives support to "world is His māyā" becs this māyā energy of His, is ever-dancing, transforming, twisting and twirling, and changing form -- so what is seen as matter is really a kshaṇabhangur (momentary) transformation of energy -- which goes back to being energy, which is Prakṛtī - no matter how subtle and unmanifest. Our scriptures describe this as pṛthvī (earth-solid) goes into aap (water-liquid), aap into tej (fire-heat), tej into vāyū (air-gas), vāyū back into ākāsh(space) and ākāsh further into avakāsh(substratum of vacuum?) and then Bramhan'.

In any case I agree with Avinashji here that the scientific curiosity is a gift from that Adi Purusha and may it continue with an open mind for existence of Govinda   - at least for the sake of those within Prakṛtī, even if they never get hold of that natkhat Govinda. Scientists are also humble and do not make wild guesses, but use honest methods of deduction and inference, based on evidence.

I say, why can't they be both - devotees with faith, as well as scientists? There are some like that, and they will or should give credit to God and our Vedic scriptures for what they use from it as axioms [yet to be proved].

dīpārchireva hi dashāntaram abhyupetya

dīpāyate vivṛta hetu samāna dharmā

yastāgra eva hi cha vishṇu tayā vibhātā

Govindam Ādi Purusham tam aham bhajāmī

--- Shri Shri Bramhan' Saṃhītā

Surrender to your Kānhāji. Make a firm resolve to realize your Self, and follow His instructions in Bhagvad Gītā. Best prāyaschitta you can offer . ātmanivedan

1. Study and understand its meaning. 2. take the shloka "to heart" or "into your heart" -- especially regarding Bhagvad Gītā type shlokas 3. visualize divine aspects of the shloka - as per what it talks about, if this is applicable - particularly in case of stutī and vandan --- glorification of a Deity (e.g. shlokas before and after Vishṇusahasranāma) 4. Say it everyday as part of your daily pūjā or whenever 5. If possible, hear it in master voices when and where you can . 6. If applicable, sing it in a standard tune.

________________

ameyAtmA

Hello I am surpriseḍ... Not a single post suggesting the Bhagvad Gītā ? Read, study and understand the Bhagavad Gītā. It is your only medicine IMHO. Do not give up intil you have studied it systematically in sequence. No jumping. Take shelter of that Lotus-Eyed Gītākār, Bhagvān Shri Kṛṣṇa. Let Him guide you, through His Words in this Gita at least . Rest will follow. May Shri Kṛṣṇa Govinda Mukunda Madhudūdan Murārī Janārdana Hari Madan Mohan Bihārī bless you.

gopi-manohara sundara hari om rādhe-govinda hari nārāyaṇa oṃ... Kāma is desire. Any [worldly] desire. Desire to be admired, desire to show-off, desire to be a part of a group, desire to follow others blindly, desire for name, desire for fame, desire for importance, desire for recognition, power, acknowledgement - yes even as basic as that . So what is this? It really boils down to the ego [false-ego if you will, in the language of some here]. Yes, Prabhupād has explained it really well . He said that all these desires (that look harmless) have a root in kāma as conventionally thought of. To the OP or whoever: Just remember this, Attachment to Shri Kṛṣṇa brings detachment from the worlḍ. May this be a mahāvākya (on par with aham bramhāsmi, tat tvam asi, prjñānam bramhan') for those who can relate or accept it . It does not matter if you are a man or lady. Kṛṣṇa is not a "womens' God" as many think - what a big myth. Surrender to that Most Beautiful , Most All- attractive, ParaBramhan', Ādi Nārāraṇ, bhakta-vatsal shr kṛṣṇa, who defeats koṭi kandarpa (million cupids). [kandarpa-koti kamaniya vishesha shobham, govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajAmi (Bramha SaMhItA)] Become HIṢ. Develop your Personal Relationship with Him . The world will fall on the side. It is certainly important - your roles and duties in it - but it will take secondary preference. Slowly, all the desires on the list above, will take back seats if not get erradicated completely. All that matters is The Lord of your heart . chhoti chhoti lakuṭi cḥoṭe cḥoṭe hāth , bansī bajāye mero madana gopāḷ. Some may not like thiṣ. Kṛṣna-Kṛṣṇāing all the time. OK, then, adopt that spiritual joy, bramhānanda as you see it . Fine. Discriminate between eternal and temporary (think lifetimes, not this life). Think of: junk food Vs prasad chips Vs wholesome meal soda Vs nectar kāma (towards the worldly) Vs prema ( towards the Divine) All the best . May the ananta-koṭī bramhānḍa-nāyak bless all with His Sweetness.

Dear Friend,

I do hear you. Whatever you choose, remember that the way of Hindu Dharma is to abide by shruti (what was heard). Our Shruti (what the seers -- ṛshī heard, as Divine Revelation), consists of the Veda and as part of these, the vedānta (end of veda) i.e. upanishads .

Veda are very cryptic, almost like a śecret code'  This secret code is diciphered for us by the same Vedavyās as smṛtī (the remembered). It is not really about just following a saint, mahatma or siddha. Shruti has the upperhand. If whom you follow is God, the shruti has to say so.

So, veda means knowledge that is TRUE at all points . It is like saying - "law of gravity holdṣ Newtonś Laws of motion hold true"

Similarly the revelation of the shruti is eternal Truth .

Once Jagatguru KRpALu ji Maharaj said "Even if God makes a statement against shruti we do not accept it. We accept bhagvad gita because it is a commentary on shruti, and not contradictory to shruti. Not simply because KRshNa spoke the Gita"

Regarding Smṛtī shāstra (remembered scriptures)   :

Consider this: sarvopanishado gāvo, dogdhā gopālanandana... (Gita dhyāna shlok, mahābhārat)

The upanishads are [like] cows, and Shri Kṛṣṇa is the milkman who milked them . Arjun was the calf who drank the milk first, straight from the cow, and the rest of us get the remaining milk . This milk is Shrimad Bhagavad Gītā .

You must be aware that the gītā is THE primer for almost all Hindus

Vedavyās divided the one veda into four for people in kali yug, and wrote the bramha sūtra (aphorisms, stmts of truth, on Bramhan' - the Hindu expression for the Absolute Truth).

It is claimed in the shāstra itself, that Shrimad Bhāgvat mahāpurāṇ is Vedavyās ' s commentary on his own bramha-sūtra. Vyās wrote many purāṇ and upa-purāṇ, itihās (mahābhārat). Yet, he remained unsatisfied and unhappy. Then Devaṛshī Nārad said he was unhappy because he had not written the most important thing - Nāma guṇa rūpa leelā of pūrṇa purushottam bhagavān shri kṛṣṇa(Highest Person, Most Complete in all respects, having all 6 oppulences in full - wealth, fame, strength, renunciation, beauty, love) -

The Bhāgvat further says, iti kalāmsha --- all the listed avatārs (bhāgvat canto 1 chapter 3) are either parts, fractions or parts of parts of the Supreme Absolute Truth -  pūrṇa nārāyaṇ,   However ... kṛshṇastu bhagavān svayam  ---- Kṛṣṇa alone is Bhagavān (definition of bhagavān = one with the 6 oppulences in full amount above) [bhāgvat 1.3.28]

Good news: Not only do the shāstra say that Shri Kṛṣṇa is God, nārāyaṇ svayam, bhagvān svayam, pūrṇa purushottam, but He is also our first hand teacher   He spoke the Bhagvad Gita, and many Gitas within bhagvat puran and mahabharat such as Uddhav-Gita (bhagvat canto 11), and uttara gita (mahabharat).

Both these scriptures

A] Bhagvad Gita

B] Bhagvat Mahapuran 

are full of Hari-bhakti ras and tattva-jñāna (philosophical knowledge of the Absolute - Bramhan , the Purest Conscious Truth). It teaches you what is Bramhan, who is Bhagvan, what to do (bhakti) and what are you (jñāna).

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya