Guest guest Posted November 17, 2001 Report Share Posted November 17, 2001 OHM SHRI RAGAVENDRAYA NAMAH JAYA JAGANNATHA Namaste Lakshmi and friends, Lakshmi, your write-up on Light is great and you are honoured by Gurudeva by adding it in next Jyotish News issue. For the benefit of the new comers: Jyotish News is a free monthly e-magazine (ezine) from Sri Jagannath Vedic Center. You can to this magazine by sending a blank e-mail to the following e-mail address. jyotish-news- Varahamihira and SJVC are teaching e-groups. There is one more e-group forum from SJVC, it is called Vedic Astrology e-group, where all astrological matters are discussed. There is no screening or restriction for the membership. Hence, please send a blank e-mail to the following e-mail address. vedic astrology- Thanks Solai Kannan lakshmi ramesh [b_lakshmi_ramesh] Thursday, November 15, 2001 2:35 PM sjvc [sjvc] Light Om Gurave Namah -------------------- Shri Sanjay, Solai and friends, Namaste. From tomorrow, Kartika maasa, the month of Akasa deepa starts. Since Dakshinayana is a malefic period, and lighting of a lamp and praying to Shiva/Ishta devata is supposed to protect one from going to naraka (hell) “Traahimaam narakaath ghoraath, deepajyothi namosthute”, I just felt like sharing a few thoughts … please pardon (but do correct) any errors that creep into my modest narrative. What I am offering is just like a fistful of “arghyam” to the Almighty… “ Om Bhurbhuvassuvah Tatsa Viturvarenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyoyonah prachodayaat” The Gayatri mantra exhorts us thus ……Chanting Omkara, forget the "vaasana" and "vichara" of the three worlds, and concentrate on Surya alone, the “Trailokya timiraapah”. Let the Surya, the “Jyothiswaroopa” flood our hearts with His radiance. Let the effulgence of Surya engulf us, burn away the darkness, and sharpen our faculties. Let the intellect glow steadily, unagitated and unbiased. Let it remain chaste… unsoiled by the shadripu. This ancient invocation embodies the man’s perennial quest for Light, which is synonymous with the Supreme Being. All ancient religions in the world have revered “Light” from time immemorial and designated the time of conjunction between darkness and light (Sandhya samaya) as especially sacred for worship. While day represents “jagrithi” (wakefulness); night represents "sushupthi" (state of sleep), and the brilliant twilight represents "swapna" (the dream-state), the junction of the conscious and the unconscious, where everything gets dramatically coloured and highlighted. The fourth dimension is the “thuryavastha”, which is indefinable and permeates all states, like ether, the “Akasa tattwa”. Just to illustrate..this is most akin to the fleeting, trance-like state of the pale pre/afterglow. It is like the vibrating silence that follows “AUM”. It is where the soul is in its highest state of “nirvikara” … and closest to God. This is the time of “Nitya Deepaaradhana”, a daily Hindu ritual of lighting the lamp during dawn and dusk, which signifies man’s basic desire to stay close to Light/Dharma, and derive comfort, despite the apparent and sometimes, overwhelming darkness. Infact, Light is an inextricable part of Hindu sensibility. >From birth to death and even beyond, lighting of a lamp accompanies virtually all activities. The puranas have described the Lamp as “Suryamsa sambhavo deepah”(an aspect of Surya) and according to Rigveda it is Amritamaya ( full of nectar) . It is one of the 16 upacharas / services / offerings to God and is one of the 16 “mahadaanas”. The light of a lamp can be resolved into three components: Blue, White and reddish Gold, representative of Durga/Parvati, Saraswati and Lakshmi and lighting of the lamp is to ignite/launch/channel the three guiding shaktis (Iccha/Gyana/Kriya shaktis) of human destiny into action for our benefit. The lighting of lamp is usually accompanied by rendition of the sloka, “Deepam Jyothi parabrahmam Deepam sarva tamopaham Deepena saadhyate sarvam Sandhya deepam namosthute.” The lighting of lamp is not just a routine religious task and is highly symbolic : “Vairagya thaila sampoorne Bhakti varti samanvithe Prabodha poorna pathrouthe Jnyapthi deepam vilokayeth” Fill a vessel called “prabodha” (teachings of Guru) with oil called “vairagya”(detachment) and put a wick called “bhakti” (devotion)and let the lamp of wisdom glow gently within and without, at the feet of God. Where the heart is touched by the Divine Spark, the mind is truly enlightened and both are immersed in the constant contemplation of God, inner light pours out from every pore, says Taittiriya Upanishad. And that person will himself grow into a “Viswamurti”, because Lord Krishna in Bhagavadgita emphatically says that He’s the “Tejas”(brilliance) of the Sun, the Moon, the Agni and wherever else it is found. In Purusha sooktam, the description of the Viswamurti goes like, “chandrama manaso jaatah chaksho suryo ajaayatha…” establishing Eyes and Heart as the twin primary seats of Light/luminaries in the human body. Now, relate this to Jyotish Sastra which is identified with the eyes of kalapurusha…and there, in the center/core (Bhrumadhya) lies the Third Eye/Aagya chakra, the seat of wisdom and intuition, ruled by Jupiter, who alone can unlock a shimmering path into the sheer, translucent Light that is Sahasrara Chakra and Mother. As Guruji instructed, I will re-read Vishnu Purana (I read Ashtadasa Puranas when I was 7 years old, but thankfully remember quite a bit!); hope and pray for His guidance while writing, echoing what the sages said long ago in their infinite wisdom “Asatoma Sadgamaya Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya Mrityorma Amritamgamaya” Oh Lord, Lead me… from Untruth to Truth Darkness to Light Mortality to Immortality Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih! Regards, Lakshmi Find the one for you at Personals http://personals. Your use of is subject to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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