Guest guest Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Dear Friends, I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" in the context of the following verse: dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam A possible translation is: One should meditate on the Guru shining like the crescent moon, holding the book of knowledge bestowing the desired boon. Thanks for any help, ---Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 I think it's a dvandva, meaning [holding, dadhAnam] 'the book of knowledge and (the gesture of) the desired boon'. So the Guru is to be visualised with a book in one hand and making varada-mudrA with the other. Valerie J Roebuck Manchester, UK At 8:38 pm +0000 10/1/07, Matthew Weiss wrote: >Dear Friends, > >I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" >in the context of the following verse: > >dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam >cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam > >A possible translation is: > >One should meditate on the Guru shining like the crescent moon, >holding the book of knowledge bestowing the desired boon. > >Thanks for any help, > >---Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Am Donnerstag, 11. Januar 2007 09:05 schrieb Valerie J Roebuck: Vienna, 11-01-2007 It works this way: dhyayet=meditate, gurum=the teacher, chandrakalavatamsam=one decorated by moon's light=shiva (guru is like his representative),chit=mind/intelligence (itself books) pustakabhisthavaram=stable/non-fickle,dadhanam= holding,held, foundation (is guru)=basis of stability.In other words, one should have full confidence on one's foundation based on guru's grace for success,and meditate. (no boon is involved, neither a book is involved mind intelligence is) -kulamarva balakrishna > I think it's a dvandva, meaning [holding, dadhAnam] 'the book of > knowledge and (the gesture of) the desired boon'. So the Guru is to > be visualised with a book in one hand and making varada-mudrA with > the other. > > Valerie J Roebuck > Manchester, UK > > At 8:38 pm +0000 10/1/07, Matthew Weiss wrote: > >Dear Friends, > > > >I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" > >in the context of the following verse: > > > >dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam > >cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam > > > >A possible translation is: > > > >One should meditate on the Guru shining like the crescent moon, > >holding the book of knowledge bestowing the desired boon. > > > >Thanks for any help, > > > >---Matt Kleistgasse 31/33, A-1030 Wien, Austria (Europe) Phone+Fax: +43-1-7997699 Mobile: +43-676-4953370 eMail: balakrishna (AT) gmx (DOT) at India: Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring (TTTMM) & International Centre for Social & Environmental Engineering Taravadu, Bengre, Padubidri 574 111, Karnataka, India Phone: +91-820-2577058 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 Dear Kulamarva, May I ask what would be the motivation or the justification for going with this translation rather than a more literal one similar to Valerie's which retains the imagery of holding a book, a mudra, the granting of boons, etc? Thanks for your response, ---Matt INDOLOGY, Balakrishna <balakrishna wrote: > > Am Donnerstag, 11. Januar 2007 09:05 schrieb Valerie J Roebuck: > > Vienna, 11-01-2007 > > It works this way: dhyayet=meditate, gurum=the teacher, > chandrakalavatamsam=one decorated by moon's light=shiva > (guru is like his representative),chit=mind/intelligence (itself > books) pustakabhisthavaram=stable/non-fickle,dadhanam= > holding,held, foundation (is guru)=basis of stability.In other > words, one should have full confidence on one's foundation > based on guru's grace for success,and meditate. (no boon > is involved, neither a book is involved mind intelligence is) > -kulamarva balakrishna > > > I think it's a dvandva, meaning [holding, dadhAnam] 'the book of > > knowledge and (the gesture of) the desired boon'. So the Guru is to > > be visualised with a book in one hand and making varada-mudrA with > > the other. > > > > Valerie J Roebuck > > Manchester, UK > > > > At 8:38 pm +0000 10/1/07, Matthew Weiss wrote: > > >Dear Friends, > > > > > >I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" > > >in the context of the following verse: > > > > > >dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam > > >cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam > > > > > >A possible translation is: > > > > > >One should meditate on the Guru shining like the crescent moon, > > >holding the book of knowledge bestowing the desired boon. > > > > > >Thanks for any help, > > > > > >---Matt > > > Kleistgasse 31/33, A-1030 Wien, Austria (Europe) > Phone+Fax: +43-1-7997699 > Mobile: +43-676-4953370 > eMail: balakrishna > > India: > Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring (TTTMM) & > International Centre for Social & Environmental Engineering > Taravadu, Bengre, Padubidri 574 111, Karnataka, India > Phone: +91-820-2577058 > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 INDOLOGY, "Matthew Weiss" <shalin327 wrote: > I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" > in the context of the following verse: > > dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam > cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam > Dear Matthew Weiss, If the general context is that of Tantra, then candra-kalA-prakAzam might mean "illuminating the meaning of the two parts of visarga" (For details on this see Abhinavagupta expositions of mantra sauH) and cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam then would mean the most desired gift, embossed in cit with cit having the meaning given to it in Kashmir Shaivism --- roughly speaking, "the Absolute Consciousness, that is substratum of all manifestation". "Embossed" gives an analogy with embossed paper where the substratum (paper) is just molded to make a manifestation of words, instead of having other substance added (ink). So the verse would mean One is to meditate on guru as illuminating the deep meaning of the two dots of visarga and bestowing that most desired gift, emblazoned in Consciousness as words embossed on paper. Whether this mystical meaning is relevant or the the more direct, that you presented, is --- is quite dependent on the general context of this verse. Hope this helps, Dmitri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2007 Report Share Posted January 25, 2007 Dear Dimitri. This comes from the middle section of the Guru Gita which is a dialogue between Parvati and Shiva said to belong to the latter part of the the Shree Skanda Purana. So I think a translation from the viewpoint of Tantra would be most welcome. Here is a little broader snapshot of the context of this verse and my suggested translations: 90. nityaM zuddhaM nirAbhAsaM nirAkAraM niraJjanam, nitya-bodhaM cidAnandaM guruM brahma namAmyaham. To the eternal, pure, without facade, without shape, without taint, Eternal wakefulness, the bliss of consciousness, to the Guru, Brahman, I bow. 91. hRdambuje karNika-madhya-saMsthe siMhAsane saMsthita-divyamUrtim, dyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzaM cit-pustakAbhISTa-varaM dadhAnam In the heart lotus resting in the middle of the pericarp on a throne rests a divine form, Meditate on the Guru, shining like a crescent moon, holding the book of consciousness and the wish- fulfilling mudra. 92. zvetAmbaraM zveta-vilepa-puSpaM muktA-vibhuSaM muditaM dvinetram, vAmAGka-pITha-sthita-divya-zaktiM mandasmitaM sAndra-kRpA-nidhAnam With white clothing, white paste and blossoms, ornamented with pearls; joyful, two-eyed, The divine shakti seated on his left lap, a gentle smile, a storehouse full of compassion. Thank you for your posting... ---Matt INDOLOGY, "Dmitri" <dmitrinet wrote: > > INDOLOGY, "Matthew Weiss" <shalin327@> wrote: > > > I am interested in the analysis of "cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam" > > in the context of the following verse: > > > > dhyAyed guruM candra-kalA-prakAzam > > cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam dadhAnam > > > > Dear Matthew Weiss, > > If the general context is that of Tantra, then > > candra-kalA-prakAzam > > might mean > > "illuminating the meaning of the two parts of visarga" > (For details on this see Abhinavagupta expositions of mantra sauH) > > and > > cit-pustakAbhISTa-varam > > then would mean > > the most desired gift, embossed in cit > with cit having the meaning given to it in Kashmir Shaivism --- > roughly speaking, > "the Absolute Consciousness, that is substratum of all manifestation". > "Embossed" gives an analogy with embossed paper where > the substratum (paper) is just molded to make a manifestation of > words, instead of having other substance added (ink). > > > So the verse would mean > > One is to meditate on guru > as illuminating the deep meaning of > the two dots of visarga > and > bestowing that most desired gift, > emblazoned in Consciousness as words embossed on paper. > > Whether this mystical meaning is relevant or > the the more direct, that you presented, is --- > is quite dependent on the general context of this verse. > > Hope this helps, > Dmitri. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 INDOLOGY, "Matthew Weiss" <shalin327 > This comes from the middle section of the Guru Gita This means that cit, prakAza, cidAnanda, candrakalA, etc. are used in the technical meaning, unless there is explicit and compelling reason to think otherwise. Here is a sample of these vocabulary: > > 90. nityaM zuddhaM nirAbhAsaM > nirAkAraM niraJjanam, > nitya-bodhaM cidAnandaM > guruM brahma namAmyaham. nityaM continuous (but beyond time and space) zuddhaM faultless, that is free from three types of mala-s nirAbhAsaM means having no perceptual qualities, like blue, sweet, etc. nirAkAraM formless, thus free to assume any form niraJjanam devoid of passion nityabodhaM ever wakeful, meaning being in the state of "beyond the fourth" cidAnandam full of camatkAra, or the bliss of svAtantrya As with many Tantric texts there are two meanings: one mandane for interfacing society at large, and the other, esoteric for "internal" consumption. It makes the task of translation very challenging, but the meaning very interesting. Hope this is not too confusing, Dmitri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Dear Dimitri, Thank you for your postings. I am familiar with the Shaivite philosophy presented in texts such as the Shiva Sutras, Vijnana Bhairava, Pratyabijna-hrdayam, etc. but cannot claim much technical expertise. In a previous posting, you mentioned the following: >candra-kalA-prakAzam >might mean >"illuminating the meaning of the two parts of visarga" >(For details on this see Abhinavagupta expositions of mantra sauH) Unfortunately, the mantra sauH is unknown to me and a search on Google yielded some interesting sites, but nothing truly satisfying. I did find a potential source on links.jstor.org, however it required a payment to access. Would it be possible to ask for your own elaborations on 'candra-kalA- prakAzam' in this context and/or suggestions for dictionaries or other reference material that might provide the esoteric meanings of the relatively common Sanskrit words that arise in the verses we have been discussing? Namaskar and thank you for all your help so far... ---Matt INDOLOGY, "Dmitri" <dmitrinet wrote: > > INDOLOGY, "Matthew Weiss" <shalin327@> > > This comes from the middle section of the Guru Gita > > This means that cit, prakAza, cidAnanda, candrakalA, etc. > are used in the technical meaning, > unless there is explicit and compelling reason to think otherwise. > > Here is a sample of these vocabulary: > > > > 90. nityaM zuddhaM nirAbhAsaM > > nirAkAraM niraJjanam, > > nitya-bodhaM cidAnandaM > > guruM brahma namAmyaham. > > nityaM continuous (but beyond time and space) > zuddhaM faultless, that is free from three types of mala-s > nirAbhAsaM means having no perceptual qualities, like blue, sweet, etc. > nirAkAraM formless, thus free to assume any form > niraJjanam devoid of passion > nityabodhaM ever wakeful, meaning being in the state of "beyond the > fourth" > cidAnandam full of camatkAra, or the bliss of svAtantrya > > As with many Tantric texts there are two meanings: one mandane for > interfacing society at large, and the other, esoteric for "internal" > consumption. > > It makes the task of translation very challenging, but > the meaning very interesting. > > Hope this is not too confusing, > Dmitri. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 INDOLOGY, "Matthew Weiss" <shalin327 wrote: Dear Matthew, A good source on sauH and contexts of visarga is the book The Triadic Heart of Siva by P.E. Muller-Ortega. It has a lot of references to original sources and to symbolism connected with alphabet and sounds. > Would it be possible to ask for your own elaborations on 'candra-kalA- > prakAzam' in this context and/or suggestions for dictionaries ... The meaning "shining like a crescent moon" would be expressed by something like candra-kalA-bhAs or candra-kalA-AbhAsa; prakAza is a very technical term to use as a metaphore. To render cit-pustakA as a book of knowledge is quite a stretch, given that knowledge would be expressed as jJana or vidyA, cit being the key technical term of the system to be used too loosely. On the whole the verses remind of key constructs of the philosophical system rather then paint guru as Christ Pantocrator. (http://www.oktoich.nl/html/rublev_pantocrator.html) :-) Other good sources (easily accessible) on the symbolism of the system are ParAtrIzikAvivara.na and Ziva Sutra by Jaideva Singh. Best, Dmitri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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