Vedas and Adi Sankara - Part 7 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji.

[Guest guest]

Radhe Krishna To all,

 

Even when Bhagavan took Rama-Krishnadi-avatars we find that they have also had a

Guru. Thus, our Religion is one that envelops everything. It contains various

kinds of Smritis, Vedas, Paths, etc.

 

In the Gita, Bhagavan says that it is He who created all these. To each,

according to his taste (‘ruchi’).

 

Taittiriyopanishad says, “If not, follow the path that your family follows.â€

This should not be a blind following. If your father has not followed a proper

way then take the path adopted by one in the family who took to a genuine path.

Follow the one who had led a dharmic life in your family. If this also does not

work then listen to the words of the Guru.

 

Our religion encompasses everything. It contains all that the world speaks of.

Our religion has ‘Nyaya matha’, ‘Sankya matha’. To explain the ‘sankya

tatva’ in simple words -- “while speaking of two entities i.e. Bhagavan and

those that are apart we say take hold of Bhagavan so that the rest leave you.

But the ‘Sankya tatva’ says ‘shirk off the rest and then Bhagavãn alone

remains’. While saying ‘neti’ ‘neti’ (not this; not this) that which

cannot be shirked off is ‘Ishwara swaroopa’. This is ‘Sankya tatva’.

Japali speaks of lokaya matha. Look at whatever is seen with the eyes.

 

All siddantas are spoken of - the worldly, atheism etc. in the form of question

and answer (‘prasna vadam’). What was the condition of our country at the

time of Adi Sankara’s birth? Bhagavan says, “Whenever dharma is threatened I

take ‘Avatar’!†What was the threatening faced by Bharat (India) at this

time?

 

Various religions had sprouted up without proper base. Each had its philosophy

propagated. Some religions preached that just as nothing is left with the lamp

burning out nothing remains when life burns out. After long years of tapas they

declare that it is only desire that is the cause for all problems. But this has

been said in the Vedas and is nothing new to be found after prolonged tapas!

And, to shirk desires should not become another desire in itself! Sankara

opposed the philosophy that ‘atma’ is ‘kshanika’, i.e. the ‘atma’

keeps changing as time passes until one dies and the ‘atma’ is no more.

Sankara pointed out that it cannot be so because one is able to recognize a

person whom he had met, say, some ten years back. If it were to be a changing

‘atma’ he would not have been able to recognize him after this interval. So,

it goes to show that there is in you something, which is stable.

 

There were other religions that were not sure about their own philosophy! They

were neither able to say a strong ‘yes’ or a strong ‘no’ to the presence

of the ‘Atma’. Such religions were opposed to Vedic dharma. Their spiritual

practices were very weird. So, at the time that Sankara took birth in Sanatana

dharma innumerable such religions had sprouted and taken hold of the country.

And at this time it was not the Muslim-Hindu conflict that was the uppermost but

Vaishnava-Saiva conflict. They were at loggerheads to prove their Lord (Lord

Vishnu, Lord Siva,respectively) as the Supreme. Everyone ignored the Upanishads,

which comes in the end of the Vedas. In those days yajnãs were performed using

various types of ‘pasu’. But it was pointed out that these yajnãs were

performed for selfish ends and for nothing better. They harassed the ‘pasu’

used in such yajnãs.However, there was a sect which used ‘pasu’ made out of

rice flour.

 

At the time of birth of Sankara there were innumerable religions of varied

beliefs all at loggerheads with each other. On the one hand were those who

declared that nothing really existed while on the other hand there was a

sectarian war between the Vaishnavas and Saivites. There were those who were

offering animals into the sacrificial fire for their own selfish ends.

 

It was those with belief in the Sanatana dharma who were deeply affected by all

these storming controversies. They knew not what and whom to look upto. It was

at this time when people were groping in the dark and deeply yearned for a hold

to lead them on that the birth of Adi Sankara took place in Kaladi Kshetra on

the banks of the Purna nadhi (river).

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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