RE: Vaidurya: Lapis Lazuli?- Gauranga Das

[Guest guest]

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Jaya Jagannatha

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font-family:Verdana">Dear Gauranga Das,

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font-family:Verdana">Yes, it is quite clear that it is a colour change gemstone.

Now, Chrysoberyl does not appear in the same pit as Spinel does with

corrundums. What we saw at Janpath is colour change spinel. So Vaidurya should

really be colour change spinel (and colour change garnet, as both are bluish-green

and change to red, though spinels have stronger blue hues, and the reds are so

similar to rubies that the famous discoveries originally thought of as rubies in

the museums now have been reclassified to spinel) and they are found amongst

one another. That makes complete sense now.

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font-family:Verdana">Yours,

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font-family:Verdana">Swee

swee (AT) brihaspati (DOT) net

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http://www.brihaspati.net/

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JAYA JAGANNATHA!

 

Dear Swee,

 

Hare Krishna.

 

Srila Prabhupada

in some places also accepts the version of Vaidurya meaning Lapis Lazuli (SB

3.15.20.):

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yat saěkulaŕ

hari-padänati-mätra-dĺńöair

vaidürya-märakata-hema-mayair vimänaiů

yeńäŕ bĺhat-kaöi-taöäů smita-çobhi-mukhyaů

kĺńëätmanäŕ na raja ädadhur utsmayädyaiů

SYNONYMS

yat—that Vaikuëöha abode; saěkulam—is pervaded;

hari-pada—at the two lotus feet

of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; änati—by obeisances; mätra—simply;

dĺńöaiů—are obtained; vaidürya—lapis lazuli;

märakata—emeralds; hema—gold;

mayaiů—made of; vimänaiů—with airplanes; yeńäm—of those passengers;

bĺhat—large; kaöi-taöäů—hips; smita—smiling;

çobhi—beautiful; mukhyaů—faces; kĺńëa—in

Kĺńëa; ätmanäm—whose minds are absorbed; na—not; rajaů—sex desire;

ädadhuů—stimulate; utsmaya-ädyaiů—by intimate friendly dealings, laughing and

joking.

TRANSLATION

The inhabitants of Vaikuëöha travel in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli,

emerald and gold. Although crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and

beautiful smiling faces, they cannot be stimulated to passion by their mirth

and beautiful charms.

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However this

does not decide the question as far as I feel According to hardness and

transparency it is out of the order to me also. On the other hand, we get a

hint from Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Vedanta Syamantaka as follows:

 

As a

vaidurya gem (lapis lazuli) manifests different colours when observed from

different angles, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests many

different forms. Of all these forms, His two-armed form is the most

handsome and has all the Lord's transcendental qualities in completeness.

The other forms are not like it.

 

Now it is

obvoius that the translators were not gemologists, neother Srila Prabhupada, so

they just seemingly followed His version.

 

However if we

look closer, Srila Prabhupada also accepts this quality of the Vaidurya stone

(Purport to Bg. 4.5):

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In the Vedas

also it is said that the Lord, although one without a second, manifests Himself

in innumerable forms. He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes color yet

still remains one. All those multiforms are understood by the pure, unalloyed

devotees, but not by a simple study of the Vedas (vedeńu durlabham adurlabham

ätma-bhaktau).

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Also in other

places he gives different meanings to the Vaidurya stone: a special diamond (SB

2.9.12. - The vaidürya diamond is especially meant for the Personality of

Godhead, but one who achieves the liberation of bodily equality with the Lord

is especially favored with such diamonds on his body.), emerald (4.9.64),

diamonds (4.25.15.), or simply vaidurya (7.4.9.). Then in purport to

10.3.11. He again says: The Vaidürya gem, which sometimes appears bluish, sometimes

yellow and sometimes red, is available in Vaikuëöhaloka. The Lord’s helmet and

earrings were decorated with this particular gem.

Then He quotes

from the Narada Pancaratra:

 

maëir yathä

vibhägena néla-pétädibhir yutaů

rüpa-bhedam aväpnoti dhyäna-bhedät tathäcyutaů

“The infallible Personality of Godhead can manifest His body in different ways

according to different modes of worship, just as the vaidürya gem can manifest

itself in various colors, such as blue and yellow.”

 

maëir yathä

vibhägena

néla-pétädibhir yutaů

rüpa-bhedam aväpnoti

dhyäna-bhedät tathäcyutaů

SYNONYMS

maëiů—jewel, specifically the jewel known as vaidürya; yathä—as;

vibhägena—separately; néla—blue; péta—yellow;

ädibhiů—and with other colors;

yutaů—joined; rüpa-bhedam—difference of form;

aväpnoti—gets; dhyäna-bhedät—by

different types of meditation; tathä—similarly; acyutaů—the infallible Supreme

Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

“‘When the jewel known as vaidürya touches various other materials, it appears

to be separated into different colors, and consequently its forms also appear

different. Similarly, according to the meditational ecstasy of the devotee, the

Lord, who is known as Acyuta [“the infallible one”], appears in different

forms, although He is essentially one.’”

 

So the main

point here is that Vaidurya changes colors. Sholud we conclude that it's

alexandrite? Or the nominous color-changing spinell that we got at

Janpath?

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I leave you to

meditate on that, but I woulkd definitely vote for something else than lapis.

 

Yours,

 

Gauranga Das

Vedic Astrologer

gauranga (AT) brihaspati (DOT) net

Jyotish Remedies:

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