Guest guest Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 since today is shiavratri, im sensing the group an explanation given by swami sivananda on shivratri. the main highlight in his explanation is the particular care taken to effect a synthesis of Yoga—Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. hope all of u reading it are benifitted by it. hari om preeti SHIVARATRI THIS FALLS on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark half of Phalgun (February-March). The name means “the night of Shiva”. The ceremonies take place chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati on this day. People observe a strict fast on this day. Some devotees do not even take a drop of water. They keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is worshipped throughout the night by washing it every three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra Om Namah Shivaya continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made to the Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred as, it is said, Lakshmi resides in them. Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta or Ravana’s Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung with great fervour and devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. He who utters the Names of Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many pilgrims flock to the places where there are Shiva temples. The Story Of King Chitrabhanu 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 Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as follows. LORD SHIVA Om Namah Shivaya 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 Maha Shivaratri. 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 bael 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 bael 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 Shivaratri. 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 worship the Lord. “I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for long ages. I am now reborn as Chitrabhanu.” Spiritual Significance of the Ritual The Scriptures record the following dialogue between Sastri and Atmanathan, giving the inner meaning of the above story. Sastri: It is an allegory. The wild animals that the hunter fought with are lust, anger, greed, infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle is the fourfold mind, consisting of the subconscious mind, the intellect, the ego and the conscious mind. It is in the mind that these “wild animals” roam about freely. They must be killed. Our hunter was pursuing them because he was a Yogi. If you want to be a real Yogi you have to conquer these evil tendencies. Do you remember the name of the hunter in the story? Atmanathan: Yes, he was called Suswara. Sastri: That’s right. It means “melodious”. The hunter had a pleasant melodious voice. If a person practices Yama and Niyama and is ever conquering his evil tendencies, he will develop certain external marks of a Yogi. The first marks are lightness of the body, health, steadiness, clearness of countenance and a pleasant voice. This stage has been spoken of in detail in the Swetaswatara Upanishad. The hunter or the Yogi had for many years practised Yoga and had reached the first stage. So he is given the name Suswara. Do you remember where he was born? Atmanathan: Yes, his birthplace is Varanasi. Sastri: Now, the Yogis call the Ajna Chakra by the name Varanasi. This is the point midway between the eyebrows. It is regarded as the meeting place of the three nerve currents (Nadis), namely, the Ida, Pingala and the Sushumna. An aspirant is instructed to concentrate on that point. That helps him to conquer his desires and evil qualities like anger and so on. It is there that he gets a vision of the Divine Light within. Atmanathan: Very interesting! But how do you explain his climbing up the bael tree and all the other details of the worship? Sastri: Have you ever seen a bael leaf? Atmanathan: It has three leaves on one stalk. Sastri: True. The tree represents the spinal column. The leaves are threefold. They represent the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadis, which are the regions for the activity of the moon, the sun and fire respectively, or which may be thought of as the three eyes of Shiva. The climbing of the tree is meant to represent the ascension of the Kundalini Shakti, the serpentine power, from the lowest nerve centre called the Muladhara to the Ajna Chakra. That is the work of the Yogi. Atmanathan: Yes, I have heard of the Kundalini and the various psychic centres in the body. Please go on further; I am very interested to know more. Sastri: Good. The Yogi was in the waking state when he began his meditation. He bundled up the birds and the animals he had slain and, tying them on a branch of the tree, he rested there. That means he had fully conquered his thoughts and rendered them inactive. He had gone through the steps of Yama, Niyama, Pratyahara, etc. On the tree he was practising concentration and meditation. When he felt sleepy, it means that he was about to lose consciousness and go into deep sleep. So he determined to keep awake. Atmanathan: That is now clear to me; you certainly do explain it very well. But why did he weep for his wife and children? Sastri: His wife and children are none other than the world. One who seeks the Grace of God must become an embodiment of love. He must have an all-embracing sympathy. His shedding of tears is symbolical of his universal love. In Yoga also, one cannot have illumination without Divine Grace. Without practising universal love, one cannot win that Grace. One must perceive one’s own Self everywhere. The preliminary stage is to identify one’s own mind with the minds of all created beings. That is fellow-feeling or sympathy. Then one must rise above the limitations of the mind and merge it in the Self. That happens only in the stage of Samadhi, not earlier. Atmanathan: Why did he pluck and drop the bael leaves? Sastri: That is mentioned in the story only to show that he had no extraneous thoughts. He was not even conscious of what he was doing. All his activity was confined to the three Nadis. The leaves, I have said before, represent the three Nadis. He was in fact in the second state, namely, the dream state, before he passed into the deep sleep state. Atmanathan: He kept vigil the whole night, it is said. Sastri: Yes, that means that he passed through the deep sleep state successfully. The dawning of day symbolises the entrance into the Fourth state called Turiya or superconsciousness. Atmanathan: It is said that he came down and saw the Lingam. What does that mean? Sastri: That means that in the Turiya state he saw the Shiva Lingam or the mark of Shiva in the form of the inner lights. In other words, he had the vision of the Lord. That was an indication to him that he would realise the supreme, eternal abode of Lord Shiva in course of time. Atmanathan: So it appears from what you say that the sight of the lights is not the final stage? Sastri: Oh no! That is only one step, albeit a difficult one. Now think of how the story continues. He goes home and feeds a stranger. A stranger is one whom you have not seen before. The stranger is no other than the hunter himself, transformed into a new person. The food was the likes and dislikes which he had killed the previous night. But he did not consume the whole of it. A little still remained. That was why he had to be reborn as King Chitrabhanu. Going to the world of Shiva (Salokya) is not enough to prevent this. There are other stages besides Salokya. These are Samipya, Sarupya and finally Sayujya. Have you not heard of Jaya and Vijaya returning from Vaikunta? Atmanathan: Yes, I have understood now. Lord Shiva’s Assurance When creation had been completed, Shiva and Parvati went out to live on the top of Mount Kailas. Parvati asked, “O venerable Lord! which of the many rituals observed in Thy honour doth please Thee most?” The Lord replied, “The 14th night of the new moon, in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is my most favourite day. It is known as Shivaratri. My devotees give me greater happiness by mere fasting than by ceremonial baths and offerings of flowers, sweets and incense. “The devotee observes strict spiritual discipline in the day and worships Me in four different forms during each of the four successive three-hour periods of the night. The offering of a few bael leaves is more precious to Me than the precious jewels and flowers. My devotee should bathe Me in milk at the first period, in curd at the second, in clarified butter at the third, and in honey at the fourth and last. Next morning, he should feed the Brahmins first and, after performing the prescribed ceremonies, he can break his fast. O Parvati! there is no ritual which can compare with this simple routine in sanctity.” Parvati was deeply impressed by the speech of Loid Shiva. She repeated it to Her friends who in their turn passed it on to the ruling princes on earth. Thus was the sanctity of Shivaratri broadcast all over the world. The two great natural forces that afflict man are Rajas (the quality of passionate activity) and Tamas (that of inertia). The Shivaratri Vrata aims at the perfect control of these two. The entire day is spent at the Feet of the Lord. Continuous worship of the Lord necessitates the devotee’s constant presence in the place of worship. Motion is controlled. Evils like lust, anger, and jealousy, born of Rajas are ignored and subdued. The devotee observes vigil throughout the night and thus conquers Tamas also. Constant vigilance is imposed on the mind. Every three hours a round of worship of the Shiva Lingam is conducted. Shivaratri is a perfect Vrata. The formal worship consists of bathing the Lord. Lord Shiva is considered to be the Form of Light (which the Shiva Lingam represents). He is burning with the fire of austerity. He is therefore best propitiated with cool bathing. While bathing the Lingam the devotee prays: “O Lord! I will bathe Thee with water, milk, etc. Do Thou kindly bathe me with the milk of wisdom. Do Thou kindly wash me of all my sins, so that the fire of worldliness which is scorching me may be put out once for all, so that I may be one with Thee—the One alone without a second.” At the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the Shivaratri festival is celebrated in the following manner. 1. All spiritual aspirants fast the whole day, many of them without taking even a single drop of water. 2. A grand havan is performed for the peace and welfare of all. 3. The whole day is spent in doing the Japa of Om Namah Shivaya and in meditation upon the Lord. 4. At night all assemble in the temple and chant Om Namah Shivaya the whole night. 5. During the four quarters of the night the Shiva Lingam is worshipped with intense devotion. 6. Sannyas Diksha is also given on this day to sincere seekers on the path. Offer this inner worship to Lord Shiva daily: “I worship the jewel of my Self, the Shiva residing in the Lotus of my heart. I bathe Him with the water of my pure mind brought from the river of faith and devotion. I worship Him with the fragrant flowers of Samadhi—all this so that I may not be born again in this world.” Here is another formula for the supreme worship of the Lord: “O Shiva! you are my Self. My mind is Parvati. My Pranas are your servants. My body is your house. My actions in this world are your worship. My sleep is Samadhi. My walk is circumambulation of you. My speech is your prayer. Thus do I offer all that I am to you. PRADOSHA VRATA ALL THINGS in this vast creation function upon definite laws. There is always a beautiful system and sound rationale governing every phenomenon and process, mundane or mystical. Just as the gross elements and physical forces operate differently under different states and conditions, so also the subtler and higher forces respond and react in the inner mystic planes, and in the purely spiritual processes like meditation, prayer, worship, etc. Therefore, you will find definite injunctions for performing certain types of worship in the morning, certain other injunctions for the midday prayers, and still others for the evening worship. Again, some observances are meant to be performed during certain phases of the moon, some when a particular star is in the ascendant, or at the time of a particular conjunction of planets. The Pradosha worship is to be done in the evening twilight on the 13th day of each lunar fortnight. It is the worship of Lord Shiva for victory and success in all undertakings, and the fulfilment of all your heart’s cherished desires. When you desire to obtain a favour from a superior person, don’t you naturally approach him at a moment when he is likely to be in a very pleasant frame of mind? You will perhaps see him after he has had a good dinner and is happily chatting with a friend in a hearty, expansive mood. Even so, the Hindu, especially the Hindu who is engaged in the motivated type of worship, usually selects the most pleasant aspect of God for his worship. He performs it at a time which the ancient Rishis experienced as being the most helpful and efficacious in propitiating the Deity. The Pradosha worship is based on such mystic psychology. Pradosha is the worship of Lord Shiva and Parvati when they both are in an extremely propitious mood. Repeatedly worsted in war by the demons, the gods approached Lord Shiva to bless them with a leader for their celestial hosts. They came to the Lord at twilight on the thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight and found Him in the blissful company of His consort, Parvati. Hymned and glorified by them, Siva immediately granted their prayerful request. Hence, the extreme auspiciousness of the period. The Skanda Purana relates how Sandilya Muni prescribed this Vrata to a certain Brahmin lady. She came to the sage with two boys, her son, Suchivrata, and an orphan prince, Dharmagupta, whose father was slain in battle and the kingdom overrun by enemies. Acting upon the advice of the sage, the woman and the boys performed the Vrata with great devotion. After four months, that is, in the eighth Pradosha, Suchivrata obtained a pot of nectar and drank the divine ambrosia. Prince Dharmagupta won the hand of a celestial princess and, as ordered by Lord Siva, with the help of the celestial king himself, his enemies were slain and his kingdom restored to him. Then Dharmagupta attained the Lord’s supreme abode. So easily, and yet so greatly is the Lord of Kailas pleased by this Vrata. One who takes this Vrata fasts on that day, and keeps vigil at night after the fast is over. Bathing an hour before sunset, the worshipper first performs a preliminary worship of Lord Shiva, together with all the others of His divine family, namely, Parvati, Ganesha, Skanda and Nandi. After the worship of Ganesha, Lord Shiva is invoked in the special kalasha placed on a square mandala with a lotus drawn in it and spread over with darbha grass. After the formal worship has been completed, a Pradosha story is read and heard by the devotees. This is followed by the recitation of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra 108 times. In the end the sacred kalasha water is partaken of, the sacred ash is applied to the forehead, and the water which was used to bathe the Lord, is drunk.Agift of a pot, a cloth and an image of the Lord is given to a Brahmin to conclude the worship. A very important point to be remembered in this connection is that during this auspicious period all the hosts of celestial beings and gods come down from the heavens and attend the worship in their subtle forms. This adds immensely to the sanctity of the worship. This Vrata is highly lauded by the scriptures and is of very great sanctity and importance to worshippers of Lord Shiva. The mere sight of the Deity in a temple during this period will destroy all sins and bestow bountiful blessings and Grace upon the fortunate beholder. Even a single bael leaf (leaf taken from the wood-apple tree) offered to the Lord at this unique, auspicious moment equals a hundred Mahapujas. It is usual to have special additional lights in the shrine during the Pradosha. To light even a single wick at this juncture is highly meritorious and productive of untold benefits, spiritual as well as material. Most fortunate and blessed is the person who performs the Pradosha Vrata, for upon him Lord Shiva showers His choicest Grace and blessings in a very short time. Here is the Yogic interpretation of the Pradosha: According to the Shiva-Raja Yoga, concentration is directed towards the central point in the middle of the eyebrows, where the spiritual light can be perceived by the Yogi who turns the vision inwards. The Yogi passes through various stages, all of which are subdivisions of the four states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the Superconscious State or Samadhi. Each one of these states is further sub-divided into four states, for example, the waking-dreaming, waking-sleep, waking-fourth, and waking-waking. It will be seen that when the states are sub-divided in this way, the first three states comprise a total of twelve sub-states. The thirteenth is the fourth-waking. There is correspondence between this and the 13th day of the lunar fortnight, either bright or dark. Those who worship Mother Shakti have certain beliefs of their own, one of which is that the Goddess that is worshipped acquires one ray on each of the days of the bright fortnight, starting from the first day. Thus, on the full moon night, the Goddess would have received fifteen rays and would be ready for the final form of worship intended to benefit the devout worshipper in all ways. That is why the Navavarana worship is always conducted on the full moon day. The moon is believed to have a direct influence on the mind. Incidentally, the word mati means both the moon and the mind. According to Shiva-Raja Yoga there are two channels through which the Prana flows. These are the Ida and the Pingala, ruled respectively by the moon and the sun. Midway between these two there is a third, known as Sushumna. The Yogi is asked to start the practice of Yoga when the breath is passing through the lunar channel. This coincides with the flow of the breath through the left nostril. If, however, at the time of practice the flow is through the right nostril, the Yogi is asked to perform a special exercise by which to change the flow to the left. When the Yogi concentrates on the point between the eyebrows, he transcends, stage by stage, the first twelve sub-states. The current of breath continues flowing through the lunar channel. The “moon” is gaining more and more strength. When the 13th day is reached, the spiritual power of the Yogi has correspondingly increased, and he is in a condition to see the lights which appear in the nerve centre in between the eyebrows. In inverse proportion to the increase in concentration is the duration of the Yogi’s breath. At the start of the practice, the breath will occupy a space of 16 fingers (inches approximately). The moment the concentration has led him from the waking to the dream state, the length of the breath becomes only 12 fingers. In this way, when he reaches the thirteenth stage, only 4 fingers of breath would remain. As this breath now circulates only within the nostril, no breath is noticeable at the tip of the nose. From that moment the light is fixed permanently at the centre between the eyebrows, and the Yogi would have realised the object of his practice. Let me now describe the actual process of Shiva-Raja Yoga: The Yogi sits in utter darkness, with the head and body erect, eyes open, and the gaze directed to the centre of the eyebrows. He utters the Mantra in his mind and, without restraining his breath, concentrates his gaze at the middle of the eyebrows, ever on the thought of the appearance of the lights. The deep concentration resulting thereby yields the following fruits, in order. First, he overcomes the distractions of his mind. He reaches a stage wherein he seems to hear somebody talking somewhere in the distance. The words are not distinct, but a sort of murmur is heard. Nevertheless, since his mind is elsewhere, he pays no attention to it. In fact, the sound comes from nowhere outside. It is his own mind that produces these sounds. The mind is actually functioning in its form as sound. Soon afterwards, this sound ceases, and he begins to see all sorts of visions, in the same manner as we see pictures in a movie. It appears (as if in a dream) that he is passing through hills of varying degrees of beauty, through seas and lakes of all sorts of colours and shapes, and through clouds of different hues. The clouds appear dark and thick at first and thin out gradually. These are scenes which are very pleasant to witness. But they are only thought-forms, an imagery created by the mind as it is functioning as a form. It is in this stage that the Yogi may hear musical notes as well—of the flute, violin, cymbals or any other instrument. The Yogi then passes through an entirely different experience. He suddenly awakens from a deep sleep. He does not remember when he got into the sleep state, but he is conscious of the sudden awakening. The truth is that he had not slept at all. His mind became a complete blank, he lost consciousness of the workings of the mind, which was nonetheless still active all the time. When he regained consciousness, he suddenly felt his awareness once again. He is now tempted to examine himself to ascertain if his posture is still erect and if his eyes are still fixed between his eyebrows. Finding no change in these he realises that the temporary loss of consciousness was only a stage which he passed through in his Yoga. Next comes the stage when he feels as if something of the nature of a hot nail is pricking him at the centre of his eyebrows. In the earlier period of his practice there will only be this sensation, but as he advances, this is followed by the appearance of the lights. Even then there are various stages which have to be passed before the lights get their proper shape. At first a yellow and a red light appear, the red being in the centre and two yellow flame-like lights on either side. After a few days, all these colours pass away and he begins to see a steady light of the shape and colour of the moon. As his practice advances, this grows brighter and brighter, and the whole room in which the Yogi sits is gradually illumined, starting with the intensity of twilight until it becomes a flood of bright light. Yet in this state nothing that is in the room is seen; other things which are not there, begin to appear. They come and go with amazing rapidity, and reveal many things to him. Thus far, we have dwelt upon only the first four stages of the entire series of sixteen stages which have to be passed through by the Shiva-Raja Yogi before he finally attains union with Lord Shiva. The details of the experiences at each stage vary from man to man, as also from day to day. But, in the main, these are the stages: At first, the Yogi is aware of what transpires about him. He is in the waking part of the waking state. Then the pictures come in the dream part of his waking state. The feeling of overpowering sleep occurs in the deep sleep part of the waking state. The appearance of the light occurs in the fourth part of the waking stage. The dream and the deep sleep states also have their four sub-divisions which have to be passed. When the Yogi comes to the thirteenth stage, he is in the waking part of the fourth state. The vision of Lord Shiva in the form of Self-Consciousness now begins. The form of the Lord appears before him as though coming out of the lights, which began at stage four of the sixteen stages. From this stage onwards the mind loses its sense of separate activity. It becomes deeply absorbed in the Self within. On the 13th lunar day Nature assists the worshipper in waking up from his mental deep sleep and in becoming aware of the fourth state. The Yogi who practises his Yoga on the Pradosha day gets these experiences of Lord Shiva quite readily. Similar to the above is the significance of the worship of Lord Ganesha on the 4th day of the lunar fortnight. This corresponds to the Fourth part of the waking state, when the lights are first seen. On the 8th day or the Ashtami, Mother Durga is adored. This corresponds to the fourth part of the dream state. Ekadashi or the 11th day corresponds to the deep sleep part of the deep sleep state. In this state there is complete unawareness of the mind. This is the most favourable moment for a direct contact with God, the indweller. If we fast and pray on this day, we can reduce our bodily activities to the minimum and can have the vision of the Lord who resides in our heart. If we thus analyse the rationale of our holy days, we discover that our ancients took particular care to effect a synthesis of Yoga—Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. Happiness keeps u Sweet, Trials keep u Strong, Sorrow keeps u Human, Failure Keeps u Humble, Success keeps u Glowing, But only God Keeps u Going..... Start your day with - make it your home page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2005 Report Share Posted September 1, 2005 Just by offering pujas and vrats to God or Lord Shiva we wont please Gods, we have to do good karma, do you think God is like our boss who will get impressed by praising him and impressing him. There is no great way to impress god or Lord shiva than doing good deeds, Good Karma and Righteous Living is only way to impress God. Lord Shiva is symbol of Love, Kindness, Compassion, Sacrifice and Responsibility, I belive these are the only ways to God. -- preeti <preets_pearls wrote: > > namaste, > > > > since today is shiavratri, im sensing the group an > explanation given by swami sivananda on shivratri. > the main highlight in his explanation is the > > particular care taken to effect a synthesis of > Yoga—Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. > > > > > > hope all of u reading it are benifitted by it. > > > > hari om > > preeti > > > SHIVARATRI > > > > THIS FALLS on the 13th (or 14th) day of the dark > half of Phalgun (February-March). The name means > “the night of Shiva”. The ceremonies take place > chiefly at night. This is a festival observed in > honour of Lord Shiva. Shiva was married to Parvati > on this day. > > People observe a strict fast on this day. Some > devotees do not even take a drop of water. > > They keep vigil all night. The Shiva Lingam is > worshipped throughout the night by washing it every > three hours with milk, curd, honey, rose water, > etc., whilst the chanting of the Mantra Om Namah > Shivaya continues. Offerings of bael leaves are made > to the Lingam. Bael leaves are very sacred as, it is > said, Lakshmi resides in them. > > Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva, such as the Shiva > Mahimna Stotra of Pushpadanta or > > Ravana’s Shiva Tandava Stotra are sung with great > fervour and devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara > Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya. He who utters the Names of > Shiva during Shivaratri, with perfect devotion and > concentration, is freed from all sins. He reaches > the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is > liberated from the wheel of births and deaths. Many > pilgrims flock to the places where there are Shiva > temples. > > > > The Story Of King Chitrabhanu > > > > 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 > Shivaratri by King Chitrabhanu. The story goes as > follows. > > > > LORD SHIVA > > > > Om Namah Shivaya > > 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 > Maha Shivaratri. 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 bael 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 bael 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 Shivaratri. 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 worship the Lord. > > “I lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine > bliss for long ages. I am now reborn as > Chitrabhanu.” > > > > Spiritual Significance of the Ritual > > > > The Scriptures record the following dialogue between > Sastri and Atmanathan, giving the > > inner meaning of the above story. > > > > Sastri: It is an allegory. The wild animals that the > hunter fought with are lust, anger, greed, > infatuation, jealousy and hatred. The jungle is the > fourfold mind, consisting of the subconscious mind, > the intellect, the ego and the conscious mind. It is > in the mind that these “wild animals” roam about > freely. They must be killed. Our hunter was pursuing > them because he was a Yogi. If you want to be a real > Yogi you have to conquer these evil tendencies. Do > you remember the name of the hunter in the story? > > > > Atmanathan: Yes, he was called Suswara. > > > > Sastri: That’s right. It means “melodious”. The > hunter had a pleasant melodious voice. If a person > practices Yama and Niyama and is ever conquering his > evil tendencies, he will develop certain external > marks of a Yogi. The first marks are lightness of > the body, health, steadiness, clearness of > countenance and a pleasant voice. This stage has > been spoken of in detail in the Swetaswatara > Upanishad. The hunter or the Yogi had for many years > practised Yoga and had reached the first stage. So > he is given the name Suswara. Do you remember where > he was born? > > > > Atmanathan: Yes, his birthplace is Varanasi. > > > > Sastri: Now, the Yogis call the Ajna Chakra by the > name Varanasi. This is the point midway between the > eyebrows. It is regarded as the meeting place of the > three nerve currents (Nadis), namely, the Ida, > Pingala and the Sushumna. An aspirant is instructed > to concentrate on that point. That helps him to > conquer his desires and evil qualities like anger > and so on. It is there that he gets a vision of the > Divine Light within. > === message truncated === Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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