EE7.5 - Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

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Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 9
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

this version: is the printed Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 9 & 10, 1st edition, version (obvious spelling, punctuation and typographical mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition.

Originally published in Bengali
© 1980 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Central)

Registered office: Anandanagar
                           P.O. Baglata, Dist. Purulia, W.B.
                           India
Camp office:         527 VIP Nagar
                           Kolkata 700100
                           India

All rights reserved by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Translated from the original Bengali by
Deváshiiśa and Prof. Áditya Mohanty

Publisher's Note

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 9
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam (“Blissful Discourses”) series assembles all the known General Darshana discourses given by Márga Guru Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. General Darshana (GD) pravacanas, or discourses, were those given to Ananda Marga members, often as a part of daily routine, in whatever locality Márga Guru happened to be staying in at the time. Normally briefer and lighter in tone (though no less profound in their fundamental meanings) than the discourses given on the formal occasions of Dharma Mahácakra (DMC), these pravacanas were sometimes delivered in a very intimate way to relatively small groups of Márgiis.

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam series was first begun in 1978 when the author resumed, after a gap of some years, his practice of giving regular discourses to his followers – an audience that by then included spiritual aspirants from many countries of the world as well as from India. The series began with the GD discourses given by the author at that very time; it then for several years kept pace with, and maintained the sequence of, the GD discourses that the author gave over those subsequent years. Hence the series up through Part 22, which part contained pravacanas from the year 1984, was published by 1985. Each part was published at least in the original language of the majority of its pravacanas. And as regards English translations of those parts published originally in Bengali or Hindi, such translations up through Part 8 lagged only a little behind the originals; the English Part 8 was published in 1987.

Subsequently, from the year 1994 through the year 2000, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 23-34 came out, containing mostly GD discourses of the author from before 1978. And of those twelve books, Part 23, Part 30, Part 31, Part 33 and Part 34 came out published originally in English. But between 2000 and the present there was no publication in English of any of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series; hence the translations of Parts 9-22, 24-29 and 32 were much overdue. There has been a long-standing demand from our esteemed readers for these parts, and the present book, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 9 & 10, is a step towards the fulfilment of that demand.

Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 9 & 10 contains the author’s GD discourses given between February and April 1979, in Kolkata and at different places in India where the author stayed in connection with an extensive tour. These discourses are on varied topics such as spiritual philosophy, spiritual practice, history and culture; and truly contain the author’s valuable and practical guidance for all.

Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 1-3 and 5 came out originally in English. While reprinting those parts in 1986 and 1987, and while printing for the first time the translations of Parts 4 and 6-8, a decision was made to standardize the size of each part. The result of this was that a few of the discourses at the end of the Bengali Part 4 came out in the reprinted English Part 5; and this in turn affected subsequent parts. So now three discourses that appeared in the first Bengali edition of Part 8 appear here in the English Part 9. They are: “Always Do the Kiirtana of the Lord”, “Wherever My Devotees Sing” and “Take Refuge in Parama Puruśa with Unswerving Attention”. These three discourses should henceforward be considered as belonging to Part 9.

Weighing the feedback of our readers and all other considerations, we have now decided to print two parts of Ánanda Vacanámrtam to a volume and to use a bigger and more conventional book size than had been used previously for the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series. Henceforward, the various parts of the series will all be published in this manner.

Of the twenty-six discourses herein, fifteen were originally given by the author in Bengali and eleven originally in Hindi. The discourses “History of Bengal – 1” and “History of Ráŕhbhúm” had been translated into English in 1988 and had appeared in A Few Problems Solved Part 3, and “́Take Refuge in Parama Puruśa with Unswerving Attention’” had appeared in Discourses on Krśńa and the Giitá, 1999. (“́Take Refuge in Parama Puruśa with Unswerving Attention’” had appeared in Discourses on Krśńa and the Giitá as “́Bhajate Mámanyabhák’”. In the next printing of that book the title “́Take Refuge in Parama Puruśa with Unswerving Attention’” will be used.). Minor English re-editing of these three discourses has now been done by our staff. The rest of the discourses have been newly translated (in all cases from their Bengali versions) for the present book.

Within the present book, as within each part of Ánanda Vacanámrtam, the chronological order of the discourses has been maintained.

To assist researchers, it is our policy to indicate in the Publisher’s Note – in addition to the original language of each discourse, the date and place, by whom it was translated, and where, if other than in this book, it was originally published – whether or not a tape of the speech is in existence. At the time of this printing, however, not all the cataloguing of tapes has been finished. Further information as to tapes will be given in future printings.

Footnotes by the translators have all been signed “–Trans.” Unsigned footnotes are those of the author.

Many readers are concerned that the author’s discourses, as published, should adhere as closely as possible to the precise wording the author used in speaking. For this reason, in the case of discourses given originally in English, the editors do not alter pronouns and other terms which the author in his life time considered “common-gender” words. As the author once said, “You know, ‘man’ is not only masculine gender, ‘man’ is common gender also. ‘Man is mortal’ – here ‘man’ means both male and female.”

The author was a natural advocate of women’s rights and on at least one occasion indicated that “lopsided justice” in language should be eliminated at some future date. In keeping with his guideline and with present-day trends, it is our policy in the case of translated discourses (where the published wording will necessarily be that of the translators) to use gender-neutral language.

Square brackets [ ] in the text are used to indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets ( ) indicate a word or words originally given by the author.

The author used a certain shorthand for explaining the etymologies of words. Under this system, a minus sign (–) follows a prefix, and a plus sign (+) precedes a suffix. Thus ava – tr + ghaiṋ = avatára can be read, “the root tr prefixed by ava and suffixed by ghaiṋ becomes avatára.”

This book is the result of the assistance and the support lent by many persons in various ways. Their sincere efforts are helping us develop an ever more professional system of work, so that the immense contribution of Shrii P.R. Sarkar can be presented in the best possible manner. Some esteemed readers, or better to say, lovers, of Shrii P.R. Sarkar’s books have come forward to make arrangement for the continuous publication of his books over the coming years; thanks to them, progress is being made in building up a committed and dependable sales network. Any interested person can come forward to participate in this effort.

Ideally every new book translation undergoes initially a draft by the main translator, then “first editing”, then “second editing”, then final verification. Other important functions include coordination of the different steps, and the development and management of a sales network. Some of those who have contributed to these efforts: Deváshiiśa translated (from the original Bengali) all sixteen of the discourses taken from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Parts 8 and 9. Deváshiiśa also did the semi-final verification of the eight discourses from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10 that had not previously been published in English. Prof. Áditya Mohanty translated all of the eight discourses from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10 that had not previously been published in English. Gáyattrii Ghista and Táraka Ghista did the second editing of those same eight discourses. Gáyattrii Ghista and Shiva Mazzola re-edited the two discourses of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10 which had previously been published in A Few Problems Solved Part 3. Mádhava Basak did typing, DTP work and office work. Vasanthan Parameswara proofread the entire book after its second editing. Kirit Dave took on sales management and coordination work.

We are also indebted to many others who gave constant encouragement and necessary inputs. Final verification and parts of other tasks were done by the staff of Ananda Marga Publications.

If any defects be found, readers may be sure that they do not derive from the illustrious author, nor are they the responsibility of those who contributed to the work; rather they are the responsibility of the Publications staff alone.

“Always Do the Kiirtana of the Lord”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Hindi as “Kiirttaniiyah Sadá Harih” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 8, 1980. First Bengali publication in Bhaktirasa o Kiirtana Mahimá, 1996. Tr. from the Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Wherever My Devotees Sing”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Hindi as “Madbhaktáh Yatra Gáyanti Tatra Tiśt́hámi Nárada” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 8, 1980. First Bengali publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 8, 1998. Tr. from the Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Take Refuge in Parama Puruśa with Unswerving Attention”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Hindi as “Bhajate Mámananyabhák” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 8, 1980. First Bengali publication in Krśńatattva o Giitásár, 1994. First English publication in Discourses on Krśńa and the Giita, 2000, tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. (Retd.) Anil Banerjee, Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta. Partially retranslated from the Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Significance of the Word ‘Yuga’”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Yuger Tátparya” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Parama Puruśa is One – Countless are His Names”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Parama Puruśa Ek – Ajasra Tár Nám” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Meaning of a Few Names – 1”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Námer Artha – 1” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Meaning of a Few Names – 2”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Námer Artha – 2” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Discrimination in Rights”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Adhikár Bhed” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Primary Causes of Success”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Sáphalya Lábher Múliibhúta Kárań” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Parama Puruśa – The Source of All Momentum”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Parama Puruśa – Yávatiiya Saḿveger Utsa” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Vasu and Vásudeva”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Vasu o Vásudeva” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Source of Internal Stamina”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Ántarik Shaktir Utsa” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Man is Only an Actor in the Great Drama”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Mánuś Mátrei Mahánát́yer Abhinetá” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Parama Puruśa is Everywhere”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “ ‘Apáńipádo Javano Grahiitá’ ” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“The Means to Save Oneself from Sorrow”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Duhkha Theke Báṋcár Upáya” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“Parama Puruśa Knows Everything”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “ ́Puruśa Evedaḿ Sarvaḿ’ ” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 9, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

“On the Savitr Rk”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Savitr Rk” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“The Supreme Entity Transcends all Colours”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Varńa O Varńátiita” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“Parama Puruśa – The Primordial Cause”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “ ́Eko Avarńo Bahudhá Shakti Yogád’ ” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“Yatamána – The Stage of Perseverance”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Yatamána” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“The History of Bengal – 1”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Báḿlár Itihás” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. First English publication in A Few Problems Solved 3, tr. from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá.

“The History of Ráŕhbhúm”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Ráŕhbhúm” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. First English publication in A Few Problems Solved 3, tr. from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá.

“Vyatireka – The Stage of Control”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Vyatireka” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“Táńd́ava Dance – What and Why”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Táńd́ava” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. First English Publication as “Táńd́ava Dance – What and Why” in Saḿgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music, 2007, tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“The Supreme Entity – The Non-Doer”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “ ́Puruśa Akartá’ ” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

“The Witness-Ship of Parama Puruśa is of Supreme Importance”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “ ‘Phalasákśiibhútah’ ” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 10, 1980. Tr. from the original Bengali by Prof. Áditya Mohanty.

On the Savitr Rk

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Oṋḿ bhúrbhuvah svah oṋḿ tatsaviturvareńyam;
Bhargadevasya dhiimahi dhiyoh yo nah pracodayát oṋm.

[The Supreme Father who created the seven strata of manifestation – we meditate on His divine effulgence so that he may guide our intellect (unto the path of bliss, unto the path of supreme blessedness).]

This is the sixty-second rk of the tenth sukta of the third mańd́ala of the Rgveda, composed in homage to Savitádeva. Bhúrbhuvah svah – actually denotes the seven lokas [layers, or strata, of the Macrocosmic Mind.] So these three together used to be called Mahávyáhrti [the supreme utterance]. The original shloka begins in the following way – tat saviturvareńyaḿ bhargadevasya dhiimahi dhiyoh yo nah pracodayát.

Savituh means pituh [“father”]. It is the singular, sixth case ending of root verb su suffixed by trń. Savitá - savitárao - savitárah – in the sixth case ending, it becomes savituh. Savitá means pita [“father”]. The root verb su means “to create”. Savitá means “Creator”, “Father”.

You must be aware of the fact that the word savitr is masculine in gender. Many people mistakenly give the name savitá to their daughters, but it is better not to use the name savitá for girls. The feminine form of the word savitá is savitrii, if nic is used then it becomes sávitrii. Root verb su, with ńic and feminine uṋiip, sávitrii. The masculine form is savitr, in first person, singular, savitá. Savitr means “creative faculty”, in feminine form sávitrii, that is, the creative faculty in feminine gender. The faculty that creates with the help of others is sávitrii.

Bhúh, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah and satya – the seven strata of the flow of creation in order from crudest to subtlest. Who is the creator of this universe? Parama Puruśa is Savitá; He is the Creator, the Supreme Father. He is the Father of these seven strata of the creation. Saviturvareńyaḿ bhargadevasya dhiimahi. Savitu means “Creator, Father”. Whose Creator? I have said – tat vareńyam bharga. Tat means “that”, vareńyaḿ means “object of reverence, adoration”. Bharga means Brahmajyoti or “divine light”. Whose divine effulgence? The divine effulgence of the Creator of the seven strata – bhúh, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah, satyah. Asya saptalokasya savituh vareńyaḿ bharga; pújaniiyaḿ jyoti dhyánaḿ kurmmah⁽¹⁾. Kena kárańena dhyánaḿ kurmmah? Kathaḿ vayam dhyánaḿ kurmmah? Kena kárańena dhyánaḿ kurmmah vayam? Dhiyoh yoh nah pracodayát [we meditate on that adorable effulgence of the Supreme Father who is the creator of the seven strata. Why should we meditate? What are the reasons for which we should meditate? So that He may guide our intellect.] Yo nah dhiyo [our intellect]. Nah means asmákaḿ [“our”]. Nah dhiyo pracodayát. Yo asmákaḿ dhiyo. Dhiyo, that is, intellect, understanding. Pracodayát, that is, sat-pathi paricálanaḿ karotu. Sat bidhánaḿ karotu. Sat vyavasthaḿ karotu. Anena kárańena vayaḿ tat saptalokasya piturdevasya vareńyaḿ bharga dhyanaḿ kurmmah [So that He will guide our intellect on the path of Absolute Truth; in accordance with the precepts of Truth, in accordance with the order of Truth. For this reason, we meditate on the adorable effulgence of the One, who is Creator of the seven strata].

Tat, that is, bharga refers to brahmajyoti or divine effulgence. The word bharga is made up of three letters, bha, ra and ga. What does bha mean? Bha refers to a specific line or sentence. That sentence is: bhásayati imán lokán iti, that is, “that Entity which illumines all the strata, which makes everything shine, which makes all things radiant”. Ya bhásáti imán lokán iti, that is, “This created universe is illuminated by His light.” Bhásayati imán lokán: the first letter of this sentence is bha. He is not only the supreme illuminating Entity, He is raiṋjayati sarván lokán, that is, “He dyes the minds of every living being with the colours of bliss.” Here, the first letter of the word raiṋjayati is ra. What does raiṋjayati mean? He keeps every created being immersed in bliss, He gives pleasure to all expressed beings.

Human beings get pleasure from one object or another, however large or small those objects might be. Perhaps, on a certain day, you get pleasure from eating rasamálái [a delicious Indian milk-sweet]. You really like it. The next day, perhaps, you gave one to a friend and by doing so you felt a certain pleasure. May be the following day, during a meeting, you extolled the qualities of rasamálái and that also gave you a certain pleasure. In other words, in different ways, large or small, you are getting pleasure and only pleasure. Who is giving this pleasure? Parama Puruśa. It is not enough that He illumines all things, He also pleases everyone, through different ways and means, under different conditions. Parama Puruśa gives pleasure in accordance with one’s wishes.

Jenechi jenechi tárá tumi,
Je jan jebháve d́áke má,
Táte tumi hao anurágii.

[I have known, I have known, you are Goddess Tárá,
Whichever way one may call you mother,
You are always pleased.]

That is, “As one wishes [so one gets].” A certain pandit goes to Benares. He sits on the bank of the Ganges to do shava sádhaná [Tantric meditation with a dead body]. A certain businessman sees the place and thinks: “Ah, here would be a good place to start a flower business or a sweets business. People will buy them and offer them in worship.” Another person thinks, “Here I can pass my old age economically.” He stays there. Thieves think that a lot of people come here to take bath in the Ganges. There will be a lot of opportunity to pick their pockets. A thief goes there thinking that. People feel pleasure in different ways. And an old lady quarrels with her daughter-in-law and says, “I will go away to Kashi [Benares.]” Thus Parama Puruśa pleases human beings in different ways. Hence, ra is used in the sense of raiṋjayati imán lokán ityarthe [in the sense of “dyeing the mind of every living being of this world”].

What is the next letter? It is ga, for Gacchati yasmin ágacchati yasmádimá prajáh, that is, “Until the end all things are moving in that and all things come out of that.” Gacchati yasmin – “ensconced in that”, that is, “that movement” until the end (parágati). And ágacchati yasmát, that is, “that from out of which all things have come”. What is the first letter of the sentence Gacchati yasmin ágacchati yasmát? It is ga. So, bha-ra-ga, bharga uccate. Bharga stands for these three letters, bha, ra and ga.

Bheti bhásayati lokán, reti raiṋjayati prajáh;
Ga ityágachhatajasrah bharagát bharga uccate.

Bharga signifies the existential effulgence of the Supreme Being. Thus bharga – tat saviturvareńyaḿ bharga, “the bharga, the effulgence, worthy of adoration of the Supreme Father”. Dhyánaḿ kurmmah, vayam dhyanaḿ kurmmah, “we meditate.” Vayaḿ, that is, “we”. What do we have here? Collective spirit – not only I, but we. Vayaḿ dhyánaḿ kurmmah [“we meditate”]. For what purpose do we meditate on this universal effulgence? So that He will guide our intellect along the path of righteousness. Dhii means “intellect”. One who has intellect is dhiimán. One whose dhii is very good is sudhii. And dhii also means “unit mind”. This unit mind in a state without intellect is also called dhii. Dhiyo also means “intellect”, “understanding”. Since it is Vayam, that is, “we”, “our intellect”, then it becomes dhiya in plural. Dhii, dhiyam, dhiya. Dhiya yah. Ya means “he” or “respectable he”. Pracodayát sad vidhánam karotu – “so that He may guide our intellect unto the path of righteousness.” “We have to meditate so that He may guide our intellect, wisdom unto the path of righteousness.”

Dhiyo jo nah pracodayát. Nah is a Vedic word that means “our”. In Sanskrit it is asmákam and in Vedic Sanskrit nah. Since it is an old portion of the Rgveda, asmákam is not used here but rather nah. The full form of the word nah is nas. Na-s, this nas is pronounced as nah. You can pronounce na with this visarga [aspirated ending, transliterated by “h”]; you can also pronounce na by adding a hasanta [consonantal ending]; and you can also pronounce it nas. Since the Vedic language originally came from the Russian language, there is a close relationship between the two. The Russian nas and our nas or nah are somewhat the same.

What is the prayer in this? “I am meditating on that Savitá, or Father of the seven strata – bhú, bhuvah, svah, etc. – on effulgence worthy of adoration.” Why are we meditating? We are meditating so that He may guide our intellect and understanding along the path of righteousness. Let our intellect not be degraded, because if human beings’ intellect is all right then everything is all right. But if a person’s intellect becomes degraded, then no matter how many qualities one has, everything becomes spoiled. So, as long as a person does not get the path of sadhana, he or she should pray to god for one thing or the other. This prayer is called Vedic initiation. The younger ones learn this Vedic initiation from their elders; in other words, [they learn] “Tell me how should I pray to God.” Thereafter, when one gets the grace of God, one receives Tantric initiation. Mantras like iśt́a mantra constitute part of Tantric initiation. When God is satisfied as a result of Vedic initiation then the desire for salvation arises. It is said – Muktyákáuṋkśayá sadguru práptih [“When the desire for liberation arises, one gets the Sadguru”]. When the desire for liberation awakens, then by the grace of Parama Puruśa a person obtains Tantric initiation. Vedic initiation is only necessary as long as a person does not receive Tantric initiation. There is no need, nor will there be any need, for Vedic initiation, after a person gets Tantric initiation.

The name of this Savitr mantra is Savitr Rk. It is not the “Gáyattrii Mantra” because gáyattrii is the name of the metre. According to the rules of this metre, each line has eight metrical units. The convention of the Vedas is that each shloka is composed by a certain sage (rśi), and each shloka is written in a certain metre. What does each mantra contain? In each mantra Parama Puruśa is addressed by a certain name. The sage who composed this mantra, which is the sixty-second rk of the tenth sukta, third mańd́ala of the Rgveda, was not able to write it. I have already said that written script did not exist then. The name of the sage who composed this mantra was Vishvámitra.

We must keep in mind that Sanskrit grammar and Vedic grammar are not the same. Actually during the Vedic era, there was no grammar. By the time written script was used for the Vedic language, the Sanskrit era had arrived. It was then that Páńini wrote his grammar. During the Vedic era there was no grammar. It was only a spoken language, so when looked at from grammatical point of view, it has many errors. For example, the word Vishvámitra is grammatically incorrect. According to grammar, it should be Vishvamitra. However the sage’s name was Vishvámitra. So, the letter á had to be retained even though the meaning becomes reversed – he who is amitra of the universe, meaning “not friend”. Still his name was Vishvámitra. So, the name of the sage was Vishvámitra, and the name of the metre is gáyattrii.

I mentioned that the mantra has three lines and each line has eight metrical units. And what is the name of the deity? How is Parama Puruśa addressed in this mantra? He is addressed as Savitá. Tatsaviturvareńyaḿ – Savitá is the deity of this mantra. That is why the name of the Rk is Savitr Rk. No one should say gáyattrii mantra because that name is incorrect. Gáyattrii is the name of the metre.

Now, according to the old rule, girls did not have the right to hear this mantra. If they heard it they would have molten lead poured into their ears. It was even considered a sin to recite it where a girl could hear. What would happen if a girl heard it? It would be a sin. If it is a sin for a girl to hear the mantra then I am also committing a sin by reciting it. The point is that I am saying it then you [girls] are hearing it. I am taking on your sin.

There is another mistake that many people commit. While reciting the mantra, they do not repeat the oṋḿ in the middle. An oṋḿ is recited before the mantra [Oṋḿ bhúr bhubah svah] and another oṋḿ at the end [pracodayát oṋḿ]. And another oṋḿ is recited which comes from the original or actual mantra [oṋḿ tatsaviturvareńyam], that is, oṋm is repeated three times in this mantra. However, many people mistakenly do not repeat the second oṋm. It should be repeated. If not, the pronunciation is incorrect.

For those who have attained Tantric initiation, who have gotten iśt́a mantra, there is no longer any need for this mantra because, it has been said in this mantra – “Show me the way.” In Tantric initiation the path has been attained, so there is no more question of this. If you ask someone to show you Dharmatalla Street [in Kolkata] and he shows you, then now your task is to walk. Are you going to approach this person again and ask him to show you Dharmatalla Street? Of course, now the name Dharmatalla has been changed. Actually, it was Dharmat́hákur Talá, meaning that there was a temple there, thus Dharmatalá. There is also a Dharmatalá, Dharmat́hákur in Salkia.

During the Middle Ages, nearly everyone in Bengal was Buddhist. However the king at that time was Hindu. So he did not allow people to worship Buddha. Instead of taking the Buddha’s name, they used second refuge (sharańa) of the three refuges. The three refuges are – Buddhaḿ sharańaḿ gacchámi, Dhammaḿ sharańaḿ gacchámi, Saḿghaḿ sharańaḿ gacchámi [I take refuge in the Buddha, in the Dharma, and in the Saḿgha]. They were afraid of taking the name of Buddha, so they took the name of Dharma. Thus, they used to call the Buddha Dhamma. They called him Dhammat́hákur. They did not say Dharma because Dharma is Sanskrit. In the Prákrta language, it is Dhamma, Dhamma T́hákur. So, the Dharmatala in Salkia and the Dharmatalla in Kolkata came from the previous name Dhammat́hákur. That is what happened. Thus, there is no need of prayer for those who have already come to the path of sadhana because Prárthanárcaná mátraeva bhrama múlam⁽²⁾ [“Prayer and ritualistic worship are but a source of confusion”].

(1) Here the author proceeds to give a prose Sanskrit elaboration of the rk. –Trans.

(2) “It is useless to pray to God for something, for He is sure to give what is necessary. Solicitation or importunity in the name of worship is nothing but toadyism and flattery” – (Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram., 1995) –Trans.

The Supreme Entity Transcends All Colours

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Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Vedic initiation consists of praying to Parama Puruśa, “O, Lord! Please guide my intellect along the path of righteousness.” If the intellect moves along the proper path then liberation is inevitable. So “guide my intellect properly” means to ask for everything.

When we say “one” then we have to collect all our propensities and concentrate them on one point. All the thoughts of the mind have to be brought to one place, collected at one point. Then there is no scope for any other propensity to remain. There is absolutely no scope for it. Since all thoughts are collected at one point we call it “one.” When we say “two” or “three”, “four” or “five”, however, then one part of the mind moves in one direction and another part in another direction. So the mental one-pointedness we achieve when we say “one” is not achieved when we say “two”, “three”, “four” or “five”. That which is achieved through singularity is not achieved through plurality.

The mind must be one-pointed in order to attain Parama Puruśa. There is no other alternative. If any numeral is to be used with regard to Parama Puruśa, it is the numeral “1”, not more than 1.

A person whom I was very close to, a relative of mine, used to recite the following after taking bath: “Victory to mother Káli, victory, victory to Káli, victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá, victory to mother Káli of Dakśińeshvar, victory to Bábá Táraknáth, victory to Bábá Vaidyanath of Deoghar. O, Fathers! None of you should think that I am leaving out someone’s name.” After this he would say, “O, gods and goddesses, please forgive me if I have omitted any name inadvertently. Please assume that I have mentioned your name also.” Does this yield anything at all? One says “victory to mother Káli of Kálighát” and in the same breath one says “victory to mother Káli of T́han T́haniá.” It signifies that the mind is moving both towards Kálighát and T́han T́haniá. Can the mind becomes concentrated in this way? Certainly not.

Thus if any numeral is used to say something about Parama Puruśa it should be the numeral “1” and not “2”, “3” or any other number.

Avarńa. Varńa means “colour”. You know that all colours come from sunlight – VIBGYOR, i.e., violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red (Beniiáshkalá).⁽¹⁾ We have many such colours. We are able to know the existence of an object due to its colours. Think of any particular object. You will find that as soon as you think of it, you are also aware of its colour.

What is colour (varńa)? Colour is the external manifestation of the inner self. Within your existential reality, there are countless hues and colours. Suppose a person’s body emits a green glow or colour. The manifestation of green colour indicates that he is a person of scintillating intellect. Another person emits red. That red colour is the outer manifestation of cruelty. Every colour indicates a characteristic idea, psychic tendency or propensity. But that Reality, the Supreme Reality is devoid of any colour; He has no colour because He, Himself, is the Creator. So I say that He is colourless (avarńa) – He has no colour. He transcends all colours.

In the language of social psychology people with awakened intellect and the so-called intelligentsia and vipras are all of white colour [psychic colour]. The colour of the kśatriya⁽²⁾ is red. vaeshyas are of yellow colour and shúdras are known for having a black aura. Everything comes within the spectrum of colours, thus this social system is known as varńa vyávasthá. However, we have nothing to do with such caste discrimination. Only the mental colour should be the object of our consideration, neither the external colour nor the caste. Parama Puruśa transcends colour. He has no colour; He is beyond the domain of colour. Everything created and made by Him, is colourful but He Himself is beyond colour.

Varńáshramábhimánena shrutidásye bhavennarah;
Varńáshrama vihiinasca varttate shrutimúrdhańi.

[Those who proudly espouse the caste system are slaves of the Vedas, while those who have risen above it or kicked it aside, attain a place above the Vedas.]

Those who are bound by the fetters of caste, that is, those who accept caste while dependent on Parama Puruśa or the Creator, remain confined by innumerable mundane and psychic bondages. One who is above this caste discrimination, above the fetters of casteism, is indeed successful. Such a person is unique and beyond colour (eko avarńo).

(1) Short form in Bengali is beniiáshkalá, i.e., begunii, niil, ákáshii, savuj, halde, kamalá, lál. –Trans.

(2) Kśatriya – strong and brave; shúdra – those who earn their livelihood by performing manual labour; vaeshya – acquisitive mentality. –Trans.

Parama Puruśa – the Primordial Cause

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

The omniscient Supreme Entity is avarńa – beyond colours. Parama Puruśa does everything. Eko avarńo bahudhá shakti yogád – bahudhá means that which is divided into many or innumerable parts. That singular Entity does not have any colour. He transcends all fetters and bondages. He is the causal matrix of the manifold entities. He is the nucleus and very source of the various expressions, vibrations, colours and shades of light. He has been creating everything through that power of His to create multiplicity, or that propensity of His to create manifold bondages, that is known as Prákrta shakti or Prákrta Máyá. Whenever Parama Puruśa (that singular Entity) creates anything with the help of Prakrti, He does it by His power to create illusion (Máyáshakti). He accomplishes all work by the dexterity of Prakrti, by the power to create illusion. What does the word ́dexterity’ mean? Dexterity also means “plasticity”. Plasticity means a substance out of which many things have been created. It means that out of one entity many more entities can be created. It is the potentiality to create manifold entities. Bahudhá shakti jogád. Many things are created, many entities are born. This creative essence of Parama Puruśa is termed as Prakrti in Sanskrit. When this creative essence is engaged in the act of creation, it is called Máyá. Bahudhá shakti yogát, varńánanekán nihitártho dadháti – through the power of Prakrti or Máyá, Parama Puruśa has created variegated colours and continues to create them.

Wherever there is any semblance or sign of existence there is bound to be a corresponding vibration or wave, and that vibration must be associated with some inferential expression (tanmátra) or the other. Do you understand? A vibration is always dependent on an inferential expression (tanmátra). Different tanmátras are associated with different vibrations. That is how from these vibrations, inferences such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell continue to saturate the universe. Since they are associated with the tanmátras, sound, touch, form, taste and smell emanate from their respective vibrations and permeate the universe. So, wherever there are vibrations, there must be sound, touch, smell, form, taste, and they all come within the scope of perception. Varńa is also a kind of tanmátra. Different colours have been created due to the creative excellence of Prakrti and the dexterity of Máyá. But He who is the Creator of all these, the Primordial Cause, that Supreme Entity (Parama Puruśa) remains colourless, beyond the bondage of tanmátras, be it positive, negative or any other form of tánmátrik influence.

Varńánekán nihitártho dadháti. But why does He create all these tanmátras? Why such a variety of inferential expressions? Why such an emanation of inferential mani-festations from His supreme body, His supreme nucleus? Who can answer this? Why has He created the attributional world or colourful world full of diversity? Who has the answer to this? He was One. Why did He desire to become many? This is an internal secret, a profound truth. You and I can surmise this because when there is some action or another, it is undertaken either for the enjoyment of the doer, as a part of one’s duty, or as a part of the successful completion of an action. So this life, these acoustic expressions, luminous manifestations and panoramic diversities – everything is created for His joy. Our considered judgment tells us that whenever anything is accomplished, one does it for one’s own satisfaction or pleasure, not for the successful fruition of a task. But this is simply our limited thinking, analysis and judgement. It may or may not hold true as it relates to the Supreme Father. That is why the seer (rśi) says nihitártho dadháti, i.e., the secret is internal. Only the causal “Master” knows the secret. It may or may not be for His bliss, but the real cause is known only to Him. What does nihitártho mean? Nihitártho means “secret”. Dadháti means “an arrangement” [to do something] or “something to be done which has been done”.

We discover this truth at the beginning, at the very outset of creation. We find that truth at the root of all manifested actions, and thus, everything comes within the purview of the Supreme Truth. In this instance, what form does our prayer take? In other words, what should be our one and only prayer? What is the Vaedika mantra? What is Vaedika diikśá [initiation]? Give us righteous intellect. We seek righteous intellect. Let our thinking be goaded to the righteous path. Let our thinking be directed towards one goal and consummated in pinnacled intellect, so that it attains fruition by coming in contact with the nucleus, the supreme subjectivity (Parama Puruśa), and is established in all-round perfection.

Sa no buddhyá shubhayá saiṋjunaktu. No means “ours”. If no is prefixed to a vowel, it becomes na, but if it is prefixed to a consonant, it becomes nah or no. So, no buddhya – let Him guide “our intellect”. Shubhayá saiṋjunaktu – let Him guide our intellect on the path of truth, so that our life remains wedded to shubha. What does shubha signify? In Sanskrit, in paraśmaepadii, there are three words – shubham, kalyáńam, kśemam. When there is all-round progress in the physical, psychic and spiritual strata, it is known as shubha. When there is progress in two strata, it is termed kalyáńam. When there is progress in one stratum it is called kśemam. In Bengali, it is khemam. One of the names of Prakrti is Kśemauṋkarii. That is why our intellect should move on the path of Ánanda (Supreme Bliss).

While explaining the savitr rk, I said that its main objective is dhiyo no pracodayát, so that our intellect and dispositions are chanellized towards the Supreme Bliss. That is why the only prayer to Parama Puruśa is, “Let Him guide us for the attainment of supreme bliss.” This is termed as Vaedika diikśá. Tántrika diikśá gives direction for action in the physical, psychic and spiritual domains. Tántrika diikśá is not confined to mere prayers. Tántrika diikśá indicates the path of action, and helps one attain fulfilment through action. Vaedika diikśá is limited to prayer only. For those who have received Tántrika dikśá, there is hardly any need to pray by chanting Savitr Rk.

Yatamána – the Stage of Perseverance

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

It is observed that progress in every sphere of life takes place through clash and cohesion. In such progress, movement is the sole end. Obviously, there is movement; there is forward movement as there was before. But there is difference with respect to crest and trough. In Bengali one is called uha and the other is avoha. Uha [crest] is a kalá [systaltic phase] and avoha [trough] is also a kalá. The transformation that takes place, that is, the shortening of the kalá, when the kalá becomes smaller, is called káśt́há. When kalá finds no further scope for evolution; in other words, when káśt́há has evolved completely, can undergo no further transformation, it moves in a straight line. In that state it is called parákáśt́há. In the case of a great sinner, it [the sin] is called the parákáśt́há [culmination] of sin. If one is extremely greedy, it is termed as the parákáśt́há of greed. Parákáśt́há means the “final state”. In Durgá saptashatii, i.e., in the Márkańd́eya Puráńa, the following has also been mentioned about Paramá Prakrti [Cosmic Operative Principle] – Kalá kaśt́hádi rúpena. It means that Paramá Prakrti advances onwards in the form of kalá and káśt́há. The book is named Márkańd́eya Puráńa because it was the creation of Márkańd́eya, the great seer. From this work, there are seven hundred selected verses. The Márkańd́eya Puráńa is a voluminous work. The seven hundred selected verses comprise the book Durgá Saptashatii. Saptashatii means “Seven hundred”. The book Durgá Saptashatii is generally known as Shrii Shrii Cańd́ii in Northern India, especially in Bengal.

What happens when human beings move ahead on the path of progress? Differences are noticed in the nature of crest (uha) and trough (avoha). It may be that at the inception of your journey the crest and trough of your movement were of one kind. Later, they became different. In and through such a process, it becomes a straight line.

A spiritual practitioner is moving towards the cherished goal in life. Everyone moves towards a goal. In the absence of a goal all my labour goes in vain. For example, I am rowing a boat. I am exerting effort. But if I do not know for certain where I am taking the boat then all my labour goes in vain. What happens when the boat is caught downstream? It is pushed towards the deep sea and loses sight of the shore. When it moves upstream, this amounts to nothing more than straining the muscles. It does not yield any benefit in the long run.

When a boat is rowed downstream, how do you express it in Bengali? It is said – váṋt́ite cáláno hocche nauká [“the boat is being propelled downstream”]. There is no need of any effort at that time. If the sail is set, the boat moves smoothly. Since [in bhát́i, downstream movement] there is no need to toil, the song which is sung that time is called bhát́iyáli. Since there is no labour involved here, the boat is being propelled by the wind. The boat is racing along with the sail unfurled. Since one has more leisure, one has at least five minutes to prolong the sound while singing bandhure… [“Oh! My friend…” ] in an elongated style. But when the boat is moving upstream, one has to struggle against the tide. Then one has to utter a battling sound like hṋei… hṋei …[“pull… pull…”] while struggling against the current. It is a strenuous exercise for the oarsman as well as for the boatman. Under such circumstanes, there is not enough leisure to sing bandhure… in a prolonged style.

Káiye dhán kháilore
Khedáner mánuś nái,
Kháivár beláy ácche mánuś
Kámer veláye nái,
Kamer mánuś nái.

[Look, the crow eats up the paddy,
There’s no one to scare it away;
Most men only eat, do not work,
People of action are indeed scarce.]

Háth páo thákite torá
Avash haiyá raeli,
Káyie ná khedáiyá torá
Kháivár vasli.
Káiye dhán kháilore.

[Having hands and legs, you remained idle,
Without chasing away the crow, you sat down to eat;
Look, the crow eats away the paddy.]

E páŕáte pát́á nái put́á nái
Maric bát́e gále,
Tárá kháilo táŕátáŕi
Ámrá mari jhále.
Káiye dhán kháilore.

[In this locality, there is neither mortar nor pestle,
People turn chillies into paste on their cheeks,
They eat fast, while we die of pungent bites,
Look, the crow eats up the paddy.]

So, there is a great deal of effort. Then there is no scope to sing bandhure in prolonged style. The song that one sings while rowing the boat upstream, is also called ujániyá.

There are different expressions in human existence. What do these expressions signify? Some are concerned with existence, livelihood, life and death and some others pertain to the domain of Nandana vijiṋána. Nandana vijiṋána – “aesthetic science” in English – is the science which has for its basis the joy derived from the expressions of the mind at different stages or from the various ways in which the mind becomes concentrated in its different expressions.

The influence of the environment on various expressions of aesthetic science can hardly be denied. Although they are basically psychic in nature, the definite influence of the environment can never be disputed because a certain environment, a certain ambience, leads the mind to a certain state. The song which you feel like singing in the blinding darkness, the kind of thoughts that come to your mind, the kind of sadhana you yearn to pursue, are not what they would be on a moonlit night. For that is altogether different environment.

The struggle against all odds which is very natural in the darkness of the night, is not so very natural on the full moon night. That is why the Tantrics of bygone days used to do shava sadhana [Tantric meditation sitting on a dead body] in the darkness of the new moon night, and not on the full moon night.

Waging war against the forces of time (kaláshakti), uttering d́imboḿ d́imboḿ sud́imbaḿ sud́imbaḿ pac pac..., is possible in the dense darkness of the new moon night, not in the full moon night. In the full moon night, one sings songs of lighter flavours (rasas). At that time one becomes fascinated by the beauty of flowers, the ripples on the river, the colour of the leaves and the scintillating sky. But in the new moon night, one finds one colour alone – black – which surrounds [is conducive to] the static propensities (támasika vrttis) of the person. One will struggle fiercely against such staticity.

Similarly, every expression of life, every existential vibration, is dependent on the environment. Birbhum, Bankura, Manbhum – they constitute the red soil of Ráŕhbhúm. There one finds layers of undulating red soil stretching for miles. There is no big river, only small hills. With the end of winter and the onset of spring, the storms blow over the land of this red soil, and cloud of red dust swirl from one horizon to the other. In such surroundings, the mind is overwhelmed with pathos and excitement. Along with the shedding of leaves, the mind sheds itself and feels like rushing to the other end of the horizon in a veritable dance. At that time, the expression of the mind is not like that of a normal person. It is the expression of a semi-insane person. In Sanskrit, a person who is semi-mad is called bátul. The Bengali word bául is derived from this bátul. For this reason the bául songs have their origin in the land of Ráŕh.

What is kiirtana? There is the reverberation of leaves and trees. The water and the leaves sport with joy. As if the sky is also dancing with joy – all are dancing. Amidst such an environment, the mind of a spiritualist tends to dance, to rush ahead. On one side, there is the fertile land of the Gangetic plain, and on the other side, lies the dry terrain of Ráŕh. This environment of complex diversity is favourable for kiirtana. That is why the low-lying areas of Birbhum, i.e., the landmass that stretches towards the river Bhagirathi, is the birth place of kiirtana. Because the very environment is conducive to it. That is why Mahaprabhu (Shrii Caitanya Dev) desired to do kiirtana to the tunes of Ráŕh, in the styles of Ráŕh and in the words of Ráŕh (ráŕhiisure ráŕhii bole ráŕhii ákhare kiirtana karive).

Environment has a tremendous impact on every human expression. The gigantic River Padma is racing ahead. Neither side of it can be seen. One is overtaken by the feeling that unfamiliar environment surrounding me is verily my friend. Because there is no other friend around. There is no one else by my side. Then, whom do I find as my friend? Yes, I find the “unknown environment” to be my only friend. Hence addressing this unknown environ-ment, I sing out bandhure [“Oh, my friend”], prolonging, in particular the re [“oh”] sound so that this elongated re sound, while floating along with the sonic vibrations of the nature, merges with the unknown friend. This is the speciality of bhát́iyáli songs. And what is the speciality of bháoyáiyá [the song which is sung when the boat is moving upstream]? The characteristic of bháoyáiyá is that it will propel human’s working power, working will and working zeal to work, towards a known environment and not towards the Unknown Friend. I am toiling hard to move towards my own home. The bháoyáiyá of Bengal is based on this.

Human progress can take place in the material world or in aesthetic science. What is the speciality of this aesthetic science? When does aesthetic science become sweet and fascinating? It becomes so when internal psychic expressions move towards the supra-sensuous. It becomes crude in the absence of the supra-sensuous. But when there is dominance of the supra-sensuous, it establishes human beings in intuitive ideation (prajiṋábháva). When we cultivate a particular part or aspect of the science of music or aesthetic science, it is to be remembered that aesthetic science will have to be based on mysticism. What is mysticism? Mysticism is the never-ending endeavour to find out a link between the finite and the Infinite. I do not find any proper synonym in Bengali. I call it mystikváda. Some call it rahasyaváda. But it is not logically sound.

Humanity, in its all-out quest for this aesthetic science, attained spirituality. One must acknowledge this. Herein lies the excellence of aesthetic science. For this reason, I have given my whole-hearted and explicit support for nandana vijiṋána. You know that there are certain religions which do not encourage aesthetic pursuits. You will notice that in those religions inertia, inferiority complexes and a sense of violence are predominant.

So, in the course of such advancement, onwards and onwards, when, one fine morning, human beings reach the state of the supra-sensuous, they would be able to discern the link between the finite and Infinite. Then one finds that although one was confined to a body compsed of five rudimental factors, this quinquelemental frame did not characterize one’s real identity. One’s real identity is not to be found in this quinquelemental base.

Thus although one lives within a finite boundary, one has established a relationship with the Infinite. So we cannot undermine anyone as an insignificant creature. Rabindranath says –

Ámi ye rúper padme karechi arúp madhu pán,
Duhkher bakśer májhe ánander peyechi sandhán,
Ananta maoner váńii shunechi antare,
Dekhechi jyotir path shunyamaya ándhár prántare.
Nahi ámi vidhir brhat parihás,
Asim aeshvarya niye racita mahat sarvanásh.

[In the lotus of forms, I have tasted the sweetness of the Formless One,
In the bosom of sorrow, I have found bliss,
Inside my heart I have heard the voice of infinite silence,
In the blinding darkness of the void, I have seen the path of light.
I am not simply a great joke of fate,
Was I created from boundless wealth, merely for annihilation?]

This is neither complete ruin (mahat sarvanásh) nor complete annihilation (mahat vinaśt́i). It is not total annihilation as related in the Vedas. Human beings are a part of the Cosmic Entity, are children of that Cosmic Entity. One day or the other, they will be one with the Great. When becoming ́That’ is a foregone certainty, then if this ascent to the Great takes place today, now, this very moment, what will happen as a result? As a result of moving forward, progressive expansion will become possible. A person will feel that they are moving to a higher plane than ordinary human beings. And the mind will be surcharged with joy. So at the first stage, when there is progressive march and the kalá gets transformed into kást́há, it is termed as yatamána. In Sanskrit yatamána means “perseverance”.

One, who is persevering, who is engaged in the effort to become better, nobler, and eager to achieve something unique, is not a completely ordinary human being. One is not a normal person for the simple reason that the kalá [curvature] of their psychic expressions are being gradually transformed into káśt́há [linear flow].

It is true that, such a person is a normal human being, but unlike others whose kalá remains as kalá, their kalá is gradually and unconsciously transformed into káśt́há. This state of transformation is yatamána. Since yatamána is a state of transformation, the environment exerts its deep influence on it. While at home, one may remain in the state of yatamána. It may be that one’s family members are creating great obstacles, and forcefully saying, “Eat this” or “Do this now,” “Now we will not let you do this” – in this manner they create all kinds of barriers. Now one has fallen amidst multiple obstacles and tests. Maybe, for some, such obstacles and tests are of a lesser degree. In case of a person who experiences such obstacles to a lesser degree, the kalá is not properly transformed into káśt́há. At that moment, obstacles are a great necessity. Obstacles should appear. One should invite obstacles. What is the benefit if obstacles come along the path? The transformation of kalá [sysltaltic flow] into káśt́há [linear flow] will be accelerated. Obstacles will appear in personal life, in the collective life, in social life, in all spheres of human life. Obstacles need to come and are desirable. If you struggle against obstacles, you will stand to gain and will never lose. That is why obstacles are to be considered as friends.

Let us suppose, some one throttles you and says, “I will not let your natural expression of language manifest itself.” If you oppose such a person and you are determined to fight against them, then what happens? Your kalá will get transformed into káśt́há, because when your kalá is pitted against crude external obstacles, it is transformed. This is the state of yatamána.

The History of Bengal – 1

Published in:
A Few Problems Solved Part 3
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

official source: A Few Problems Solved Part 3

Varśa means “that which is being showered.” It is a masculine term. In its feminine form it is Varśá (the feminine suffix á is added). The second meaning of varśa is “a large island”. In the Vedic age the world was divided into several vast islands or continents – Jambudviipa, Ságardviipa, Kraoṋcadviipa, etc. The name of ancient India was Jambudviipa. This island extended from Central Asia to the frontiers of Burma. One of the regions of Jambudviipa was Bhárata Varśa. Another name of Burma was Suvarńadviipa. All the areas of the vast Jambudviipa were not equally fertile, nor equally rich in mineral resources. The particular portion of Jambudviipa which was fit for human habitation, with an abundance of food and water, was called Bhárata Varśa. Ancient Tibet was called Kiḿpuruśa Varśa. Of course, in the nomenclature of “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”, there is some humour. Tibetan males have hardly any beard or moustache, and from a distance people may wrongly think they are women. From their appearance, at least for outsiders, it was difficult to distinguish between men and women. That is why outsiders used to joke, “Are they males or females?” or Kiḿ puruśah? in Sanskrit. Varśa means “land”. Thus, Tibet came to be known as “Kiḿpuruśa Varśa”.

The Sanskrit verb bhr means “to feed” (bharańa). So the government food department is called “Janasambharańa Vibhága”. A husband’s duty is to support his wife, that is, to provide food and drink. So a husband is called Bharttá in Sanskrit. Bhárata means the land where there is an abundance of food and drink, and ample scope for all-round development. India has not been named after King Bharata, who lived and ruled long afterwards. In the Indian constitution, “India” or “Bhárata” is mentioned, but in actual fact, the name of the land is not “Bhárata”, but “Bháratá Varśa”. Bharata + suffix śńa = bhárata. Having added the word varśa we get the compound word Bhárata Varśa. So, at the end of this compound word, the term varśa or desh should also be used. Otherwise it will be grammatically incorrect.

Instead of dwelling upon the ancient history of India [[as such]], I would rather concentrate on the Bengali New Year’s day. Here, we will have to use the term varśa in a special sense. [[Varśa can also mean “year”.]] Bengal is situated in the far eastern part of Jambudviipa or Bharata Varśa. The boundary between two countries is the line regarding which the people on one side say, “This is the limit of our land,” and the people on the other side also say, “This is the limit of our land.” For example, Srinagar District is in the north of India, but Baramulla District is the northernmost extremity of India because it borders on Pakistan. Bengal is the easternmost area between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

You might have already heard from me that civilization advances along river banks and river valleys. If one moves even 500 miles along a river bank, one will encounter a similar type of civilization. But if one travels 40 miles inland, away from the river, the outward expression of the civilization will be quite different. For example, the river Ganges has its source at Gauṋgottarii (Some people wrongly say Gauṋgotrii, but this is incorrect). Gauṋgottarii is the place where the River Ganges originates (uttarań), and it ends at Gauṋgáságar. On either side of the Gangetic valley, the same type of civilization can be easily discerned. The civilization at Varanasi is quite similar to the civilization found at Patna, because the entire area is situated within the Gangetic valley. But if one moves only 40 miles south from Varanasi, one will notice a different culture and civilization, since that area does not come within the Gangetic valley civilization. If we study the various expressions of civilization along the river valleys, we find a certain blended civilization in Bengal.

Take the case of old Gondwanaland. In the distant past, some areas of India did not exist: There was neither the northern India area, nor the D́abák area, nor the Samatat́ area of Bengal, but there was old Gondwana. That was about 300 million years ago. At that time, the major parts of Sind, the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and major parts of Bengal did not exist. They were all submerged under the vast oceans. The Himalayas also did not exist. But the Vindhya mountain range and its sister ranges– Sátpurá, Sahyádri, Rajmahal and Rámgarh – did exist. These mountains were very high, and always snow-covered. Because of these snow-packed mountains, the rivers originating from them used to have melted snow water year round. They never dried up. The Suvarńarekhá, the Kaḿsávatii, the Keleghái, the Haldiá, the Rúpanáráyańa, the Dvárakeshvara, the Shilávatii, the Jayapáńd́á, the Gandheshvarii, the Damodara, the Ajaya and the Mayurákśii – these are the rivers of Gondwanaland. The litho-spherical order is from the west to the east, so the rivers also flow from the west to east.

This was the soil of Ráŕh, the original homeland of the Bengali civilization. The soil of Ráŕh is 300 million years old. Later on, the Himalayan mountain range was formed as a result of a tremendous earthquake resulting from a volcanic eruption. Many rivers started to flow down the Himalayas – the Ganges, Yamuná, Gharghará, Táptii, Koshii, etc. With the sand and alluvium carried by these rivers, the vast plains of northern India came into being. With the same alluvium, Bengal was also formed. Ultimately, a huge land mass was formed between the Himalayas and Ráŕh. According to history, the eastern part of Ráŕh, that is, Tamluk Subdivision of Midnapur District, Howrah District, Hooghly District, the eastern part of Burdwan and the western part of Murshidabad District – these areas were formed out of the alluvium carried by the rivers of Ráŕh. These areas do not have the same soil as the original areas of the 300 million-year-old Ráŕh. The oldest soil is in Manbhum, Bankura, the major part of Midnapur district, the western part of Burdwan district, and Birbhum. The soil of this part of Bengal is the most ancient.

The oldest manuscripts of Bengali literature will be found, and are being found in this western part. The script which was discovered written on a rock on Shushunia Hill is the oldest Bengali script. At Beletoŕ village or Baŕjoŕá police station of Bankura district, the oldest manuscript of the Bengali language was discovered. Shrii Krśńa Kiirtana, written by Baŕu Cańd́iidása, was composed in Ráŕh. In the village Jáydá of Candil police station of the former Manbhum (Singbhum) District (now in Bihar, but in a Bengali-speaking area), the oldest Bengali script Abhijiṋána Patra – has been discovered. All these should be carefully preserved.

However, let us come to the original topic. Bengal is situated on the boundary line between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa. The civilization that grew along the banks of the Mayurákśii, Ajaya and Damodara, later blended with the civilization which developed in the areas of Paond́ravardhana Bhukti (North Bengal), Samatat́ [mid-Bengal], and D́abák [mostly now in Bangladesh]. A new civilization was born in Bengal – a blending of the Ráŕh civilization of Gondwana and the Gangetic civilization. That is why the people of Bengal are not exactly the same as those of northern India. The modes of worship and the priesthood system are different from those of northern India. Bengali script and intonation are also different, as is the physical appearance of the Bengalees. From their facial lineaments, one can conclude that these people are of the Bengalee stock. These are the especial characteristics of a blended civilization.

Not only that, even the type of thought varies between the different communities. The blending of the dark-complexioned people of Ráŕh with the fair-complexioned Aryans led to the formation of the Bengalee race. But this is not the end of the story. The River Brahmaputra flowed from the interior of Tibet, where its name was Sang Po (Son of a God), into India. In other words, it came from within a Mongolian⁽¹⁾ country. The people of Tibet are Mongolian of the Indo-Tibetan group. The Mongolians are divided into a few branches, one of them being the Indo-Tibetan group. The Brahmaputra, or Sang Po, River carries that Mongolian civilization and not the Gangetic civilization. That Mongolian civilization was criticized by the Aryans in the Karma Puráńa:

Sarve máḿsaratáh múŕháh mleccháh gobrahmaghátakáh,
Kuvacakáh pare múŕháh ete kút́ayonayáh,
Teśáḿ paeshácikii bháśá lokácáro na vidyate.

“They do not protect cows and Brahmans. They eat fish and meat. When they eat fish, what sort of Aryans are they? By these acts of theirs they have degraded themselves even more. Their style of pronunciation is full of defects.”

Later on, the Bengali intonation was recognized as a Gaoŕiiya style of intonation. At Allahabad (Prayag) there was an assembly of the Brahmans of Jambudviipa (India) about 1200 or 1300 years ago, in which they declared that the culture of Bengal was different from that of other areas. It was a blended civilization, a blending of Ráŕhii and Mongolian civilizations. It cannot be accepted as a Vedic culture. So ten categories of Brahmans were recognized as the bonafide Brahmans of India. Regarding the other Brahmans it was declared that they were non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames. Those ten recognized categories of Brahmans are: 1) the Sárasvat Brahmans of Punjab and Kashmir, 2) the Gaoŕa Brahmans of Rajasthan, 3) the Kányakuvja Brahmans of Uttar Pradesh, 4) the Maethil Brahmans of Mithila of Bihar, 5) the Nágar Brahmans of Gujrat. These five categories were declared “Paiṋcagaoŕii,” that is, the five recognized groups of northern India. [[And the]] five recognized categories of Brahmans of southern India[[, known as “Paiṋcadrávid́ii,”]] were: 1) the Citpávan Brahmans of Maharastra, 2) the Utkal Brahmans of Orissa, 3) the Kannad́a Brahmans of Karnataka, 4) the Támil Brahmans of Madras [Tamil Nadu] and 5) the Traelauṋga Brahmans of Andhra Pradesh. Those are the only recognized classes of Brahmans of India. The remaining – Ráŕhii, Bárendra, Dakśinátya Vaedik, Páshcáttya Vaedik – are not recognized Brahmans but rather have been declared as non-Brahmans using Brahman surnames.

The Mongolian civilization that flourished in the Brahmaputra Valley blended with the Ráŕhii civilization and the Gangetic civilization, resulting in a new blended civilization, the Gaoŕiiya or Bengal civilization. Tantra had its origin in such a blended civilization. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra meet at Goyalanda in Bengal. Thus we see that the Bengal civilization is a mixed civilization, a blending of the Gondwana civilization of Ráŕh, the Gangetic civilization of northern India, and the Mongolian civilization of Tibet and China [whose access was via the Brahmaputra Valley]. That is why it is said that this Bengal civilization flourished in the border areas between Jambudviipa and Suvarńadviipa.

In the Bengalee race the blood of these different civilizations is mixed. Because of the blending of Australoid and Dravidoid blood, the people of Bankura, Midnapore and Purulia are mostly dark-complexioned. A certain amount of Mongolian blood is also present. The Bengalee farmers, the Rájvaḿshiis and Chákmás, have come from the Brahmaputra Valley. They are flat-nosed. As a result of the permutation and combination of these various small groups, the various castes and sub-castes of West Bengal emerged – the Brahmans, the Kayasthas, the Vaedyas, and a host of sub-castes. But the source of all these castes and sub-castes is one and the same – the blended culture of the Ráŕh, Gangetic and Brahmaputra valleys. If we take Bengal as a distinct land, it has a speciality of its own. This is due to the influence of the river valleys.

The geographical environment influences human expressions. Consequently, different schools of music and dance arose in various parts of Bengal. The same thing is taking place even today and will do so in the future as well. The topography which has resulted from the meeting of the three rivers has exerted a great influence on the Bengalee mentality. By temperament the Bengalees are a sentimental people. Sometimes they tolerate injustice for a long period without any murmur, without even a whimper. Suddenly they decide not to tolerate injustice any longer, and they rise in revolt. In a few days they get involved in a bloody rebellion. They were subjected to endless torture, insult and humiliation. They tolerated all the wrongs and injustices like a nation of lifeless corpses. But suddenly, they may erupt in strong protest. These are the symptoms of a sentimental race. The people of Bengal, particularly the people of the lower stratum of society, had to undergo tremendous torture and humiliation in the past. Suddenly they revolted and embraced Islam in large numbers. They are also Bengalees – in bone, flesh and blood. They became Muslims as a reaction to the exploitation by the contemporary society. The Jains of Bengal, particularly those of Bankura, Midnapur and Purulia, discarded the Jain religion and accepted the Vaeśńava religion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in large numbers. Even today, there are Jain temples, but there are no Jain worshippers.

This typical sentimentality is one of the specialities of the Bengali character. The Bengalees, by struggling against the primitive culture of ancient Gondwanaland, the original cultural trend of the Gangetic valley and also the pure Mongolian culture of the Brahmaputra valley, have built a new, integrated Bengalee culture of their own. This typical Bengalee culture emerged about 3000 years ago. That is, about 3500 years ago, the Bengali language had its very old structure. That old structure of the Bengali language, through successive changes, has taken the form of the modern Bengali language. Modern Bengali is about eight hundred to one thousand years old. Thus, after the Bengalees distinguished themselves in so many ways, they thought that the ups and downs of their social life also should be directed in a particular flow, which is neither wholly in conformity with the full-fledged matriarchal system of Gondwanaland, nor the full-fledged patriarchal system of the Gangetic valley nor the Mongolian female-dominated system of the Brahmaputra valley.

In the ancient social system of Bengal, the women had a preponderant role. Members of that society would introduce themselves by the name of their mothers. As a rule, to find out the identity of a person, people would ask a person, “What’s your name? What’s your mother’s name? What’s your grandmother’s name?” Among the Khásiyás of Meghalaya, this system is still in vogue. Bengal has discarded the system long since, because it was not conducive to the growth of the Bengalees. The Bengalees built a diverse social system which contained certain characteristics of both the matriarchal and patriarchal societies, according to necessity.

For instance, in the rest of India, the property of the maternal uncle, if he dies without an heir, goes to the relatives of the father. The property of Mr. Shukla will be inherited by his nephews, though they might be his distant relations: Mr. Shukla’s own sisters’ sons will not be entitled to the property. But Bengal’s social system is different. If a maternal uncle dies without any heir, his property will be inherited by his sisters’ sons and not the more distant relations. This is the law of inheritance of Bengal, which is quite different from that of the rest of India. In the rest of India, property is not inherited by members of different lineages. If the maternal uncle’s property goes to the sister’s son, it means it goes to a different lineage. If the maternal uncle is one Mr. Banerjee, and the sister’s son is a Mr. Chatterjee, and Mr. Banerjee belongs to Sháńd́ilya lineage and Mr. Chatterjee to Káshyapa lineage, the property of the Sháńd́ilyas cannot be inherited by the Káshyapas. So it is seen that the property of the maternal uncle in northern India does not go to other lineages, which is possible in Bengal.

There is yet another speciality of the Bengalee social system. In the rest of India, a daughter, after marriage, loses the identity of her father’s family. But in Bengal this is not the case. According to social law in Bengal, a girl, after marriage, becomes a member of a new lineage no doubt. Suppose a girl of the Bose family [[marries into]] the Mitra family, she still retains her old blood. This fact cannot be ignored. She may marry into the Mitra family but she still carries the blood of the Bose family. That is why a system was introduced whereby a girl, even after marriage, will have to observe ashaoca [a purificatory period of mourning] for at least three nights after the death of any of her parent’s family. But in the rest of India this period of mourning is not required for a married woman, because now she is a member of a different lineage. Bengal adopted a system of its own because its culture is not the unmixed Gangetic culture, but a blended culture of Gangetic, Ráŕhii and Brahmaputra Valley cultures. This is how the issues of practical necessity have been inculcated in the social system.

Next comes the question of the law of inheritance. The rest of India is governed by the Mitákśará law of inheritance, which is based on the Manu Saḿhitá [as interpreted] by Vyasadeva. Bengal is governed by the Dáyabhága system which is based on the interpretation of the Manu Saḿhitá by Jiimútaváhana. In northern India, sons are entitled to ancestral property even during the lifetime of their fathers. In fact, the children, even when they are in their mothers’ wombs, acquire the right to property. When they are grown up, they can get their share by filing lawsuits against their fathers. But this is not permissible in Dáyabhága laws. As long as the fathers are alive, they [fathers] are the sole owners of the ancestral property. And if a father so likes, he can deprive his sons of their ancestral property: he may disown his son, or he may transfer the property right to other persons outside his own family. In the rest of India, there is no law to disown one’s son. Only Bengal follows that system, the Dáyabhága system of inheritance.

Not only this, there is proof that girls have a particular type of legal relationship with their parents in Bengal. One hundred years ago there was a rule. Suppose a girl’s name is Máyá, and she was born into the Basu family and married into the Mitra family. How will she maintain a relationship with her parents? Before marriage she writes her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [daughter], whereas after marriage she writes her name as Máyá Mitra Jáyá [daughter-in-law]. Even after marriage, if she so wished she could write her name as Máyá Basu Duhitá [or Máyá Basu-Mitra]. After all, she was a daughter of the Basu family. This proves the fact that even after a girl’s marriage, her relationship with her parents is not permanently severed.

Bengal’s culture and civilization emerged from its own soil, whereas the culture and civilization of the rest of India is a product of its environment. There is some difference between the two. The Bengali civilization is indigenous, as Bengal is predominantly a land of water. People have to remain constantly vigilant as to whether there is solid ground under their feet or not. There are some places in east Bengal where the land remains under water for seven months during a year. As long as there is sufficient water in lakes and rivers, the girls can easily go to see their parents. But the rest of the year they cannot, as there is no land route.

Phiirá áisyá bandhu ámár guyápán kháio,
Náo laiyá sháon másere bandhu náiyor laiyá yáio.

[Return, O friend, and taste betel nut and betel leaves.
Come back in the month of Shrávań and take back the daughter to her father-in-law.]

This poem shows that the month of Shrávań [August-September] was a good time for married girls to visit their parents.

Now let us consider the influence of kings on the social system. In the rest of India, kings came to power through hereditary rights. But in the history of Bengal, in a number of cases, the situation was different. You should remember that 99% of Bengalees are the indigenous population – they are the children of the soil. There are only a few communities who are the original Bengalees, the forefathers of the Bengalee race: the rest of the castes and sub-castes have descended from them. Those who are regarded as the so-called upper castes – like delicacies placed on top of a pile of offerings – are also born from these original Bengalees. They are 1) Kaevartta, 2) Máháto, 3) Gop, 4) Namashudra, 5) Rájvaḿshii and 6) Cákmá. The Cákmás are the original Bengalees. Today, unfortunately, the same Cákmás are treated as tribal people of the hills. These six communities comprised the original Bengalees. Due to the intermixture of these different groups, the so-called upper castes evolved, and they later became the social parasites. These six ethnic groups are the pillars of the Bengali society: they support the Bengali social structure. They can be likened to the lamp stand, whereas the so-called upper castes are the lamp, sitting on the ethnic Bengalees. The oil trickles down the lamp stand. When only the five categories of [[Paiṋcagaoŕiiya]] Brahmans and the five categories of [[Paiṋcadrávid́ii]] Brahmans were recognized (not only the Brahmans of Bengal but also the other upper castes of Bengal were unrecognized), it was decided according to the Raghunandan social system of Bengal, that the Brahmans who were not recognized by northern India would be treated as the Brahmans of Bengal, because they were the persons who had to conduct the religious worship. The remaining non-Brahmans were declared as shúdras.

According to the Vedic system, there are four classes (catur varńa) in the society – Vaeshya, Vipra, Kśatriya and Shúdra. But in Bengal there were only two classes – Vipra and Shudra. Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas were conspicuously lacking in the society of Bengal.

In the rest of India one of the main sources of livelihood for the Brahmans was the practice of Ayurveda. But, as the Brahmans of Bengal were not recognized by North India, so those Brahmans who continued the practice of Ayurveda in Bengal were also not recognized. They were considered as a separate caste, Vaedya, whereas in fact they are also Brahmans. So, since there is a difference from the scriptural point of view, there is also a difference regarding the system of worship.

Kings ascended to the throne through the hereditary system in the north of India. Only recently in India, a certain queen wanted to install her son as king. This is possible in northern India but not in Bengal. In Bengal, the monarchy was not a hereditary institution. That is, whenever a king was found to be not properly discharging his royal duties, then those six ethnic Bengali communities would revolt against him. The Kaevarttas of Midnapur created tremendous problems for the kings of Orissa and the nawabs of Bengal, and Kaevarttas of central Bengal organized a rebellion during the reign of Devapála II during the Buddhist period. That is why when the kings of Bengal installed their heirs on the throne as crown princes, they requested their subjects to extend support to their (the kings) decision. The kings of northern India, however, when installing their princely heirs on the throne, used to request their subjects to accept them as the new kings, and to ratify the new directives. Actually this was not a request, but a virtual order. This is how the social system of Bengal evolved, as a result of which many discrepancies with other parts of India occurred during the historical battles.

During the war between the Kaoravas and the Pandavas, the kings of Bengal did not take part. “The war will do no good to Bengal,” they thought, and hence they did not want to engage themselves in unnecessary spilling of blood. “Why should thousands of soldiers die for nothing,” they argued. So they remained neutral. Due to this psychology, the kings of Bengal have always fought against the emperors of Delhi, from the Hindu era through the Moghul and Pathan eras. They have always waged war against Delhi. There has been a constant ideological conflict between Delhi and Bengal.

An interesting thing about North India is that the year is calculated according to the lunar calendar. It was supposed that the earth is stationary and the moon revolves around it. Of course, in reality the earth is not fixed but revolves around the sun. The moon also rotates, and it takes about 28 to 31 days for the moon to complete one rotation (lunar month). If we multiply the lunar month by 12 we get a lunar year of 354 or 355 days. In northern India this system of calculation is prevalent. The 11th or 12th day of the fortnight is determined according to the zodiac. In northern India ekádashii means the 11th day of the month and dvádashii means the 12th day of the month and trayodashii means the 13th day. On the 11th day, if there is tryáhasparsha (the meeting of three tithiis or lunar days in one 24-hour span) – that is, if the moon touches the three constellations – then the eleventh day will be followed by the thirteenth day in North India. So the dvádashii or twelfth day will not occur. Obviously there are many disadvantages in this calculation. You might have noticed on many occasions during the Durgá Pújá festival, the seventh day (saptamii) is followed by the ninth day (navamii). This happens due to this very reason. This is highly disadvantageous because people will not be able to utilize the intervening day. The astrologers of Bengal pondered deeply on this problem. The viḿshottariiya system of astrological calculation, followed by the Varanasi astrologers, is different from that of the calculations of the astrologers of Bengal. Let me state this fact more concisely. Let us suppose that if a person lives an average of 120 years, and if the calculation is made accordingly, the system is called viḿshottariiya, and if a person lives for an average of 108 years, the system is called aśt́ottariiya.

Now the question is, whether human beings can survive for 120 years or not: usually they do not. Whatever that may be, their system of calculation is different. The authorities of ayurveda in northern India act according to the ayurveda of the Vedas, and the Vaedyas (physicians) of Bengal follow the vaedyak shástra [Tantra]. There is a vast difference between the two. In vaedyak shástra there is a provision for the dissection of dead bodies; but in northern India, there is no such provision. Anyone doing so will run the risk of becoming an outcast. And so there is a standing rule in northern India that the Vaedyas of Bengal are not recognized as Brahmans, although, according to the liberal social system of Bengal, the Vaedyas should be recognized as Brahmans. I do not believe in casteism; I am just trying to point out the facts.

So it is seen that the systems of astrological calculation are different in Bengal and northern India. There is a clear difference in the systems of the lunar calendar and the solar calendar. I will try now to explain briefly the system of the solar calendar. Let us suppose that the earth is stationary and the sun is moving around the earth. Of course, the reality is different; the sun is stationary, and the earth is moving around the sun. In actuality, the sun is also not fixed. The sun, together with the planets, satellites, etc. is moving in its orbit in the galaxy.

A father, mother and their children sit close together in a railway compartment, talking among themselves and eating dainties and delicacies. Are they motionless or static? They are not motionless: they are also moving along with the train, and they also reach Delhi from Kolkata. In the same manner, the sun, together with the planets and satellites, is also moving, although the mutual distance between them appears to always be the same. It seems that the sun is fixed, but actually the sun is moving.

Now, if the earth is taken to be fixed, the sun takes about 365 or 366 days to complete one round of movement around the earth: this is one solar year. In the case of the moon, there is the month first, and if those months are multiplied by 12, this is the lunar year. In the case of the sun, first there is the year. By dividing the number of days in the year by 12, we get the months. How do we divide? The void containing the sun and the moon is a 360 degree void. In this path of movement lie the different stellar constellations, each one of which resembles a certain figure. There is one constellation that looks like a goat (Aries, or Meśa in Sanskrit); another looks like a bull (Taurus, or Vrśa in Sanskrit). Thus we get the 12 signs of the zodiac covering 360 degrees – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. These are the Roman names. The corresponding Arabic names are Barak, Toŕá, Dopáttar, Kalaktor, Shushk, Kárádum, Gárádum, Nimak, Bahik, Dul, Mahik, etc. Each one forms an angle of 30 degrees at the centre. So the 12 signs make 360 degrees. The time taken by the sun to cross a particular arc opposite the 30 degree angle comprises one solar month. So, if we divide the year by 12 we also get one month. According to the Bengali calendar, the first part of the arc does not enter the calculation, only the last part. The first part of an arc is added to the previous arc; this is the system of reckoning in Bengal. But in Punjab or Kashmir the first part of the arc and not the last part is taken into the calculation. That is why yesterday [the day before the Bengali New Year’s day] was New Year’s Day in the Punjab, because they calculate on the basis of the first part of the arc. The Bengali month thus ends one day after the Punjabi month. And what has the Punjab done? They have calculated the time according to the last part of the arc. This is the system of the solar calendar.

Regarding the solar calendar, I would like to add something more here, because there is only one similarity between North India and Bengal. Ancient Bengal rejected the North Indian system of calculating time a long time ago – about 3500 years ago. So we see that the Bengali culture is at least 3500 years old, perhaps even older. The northern system of calculation is the lunar system, which centres [[around]] the full moons. The full moon has to take place in the moon of that particular planet. So the moon has to move along a similar orbit.

So a Bengalee month is named after the Zodiac sign within which the full moon takes place. For instance, to cross the area of Aries (Meśa) it takes 31 days (this Zodiac sign is not very big). There are Zodiac signs which are even larger, and it takes 32 days for the sun to cross them. The Bengali months Áśáŕh and Shrávań are as long as 32 days. Of the two calendars, Bengalee and English, the Bengalee calendar is more scientific. The Bengalee calendar mentions the exact number of days which a planet takes to cross the area of the zodiac concerned, but ordinary people do not realize exactly how many days takes – 30, 31 or 32. So although the English is unscientific, still it has one practical advantage: the number of days of each month is fixed. The sun exists in a thirty degree arc-centre for the whole Bengali month. The full moon takes place within the constellation of Vishákhá; so the name of the Bengali month is Vaeshákh (Vishákháyah puttrah ityarthe]. In the next month, the full moon takes place within the Jyaeśt́ha constellation. So the name of the month has become Jyaeśt́ha. But in Kerala, this month is called Meśa because it is in the zodiac sign of Meśa.

The people of Bengal noted that if 354 days make up a year according to the lunar calendar, then the year will advance by twelve or thirteen days in one year and by one month in three years. So while people harvest in the month of Agraháyń this year; after three years the time of harvesting will fall in the Mágha month. But that is not actually the time for harvesting. So harvesting time would have to be adjusted with the months. However, if we follow the solar calendar, then sowing, harvesting, etc. will maintain adjustment with the seasons. So the lunar calendar is impractical and we should not follow it; rather we should follow the solar calendar. Only the religious worship of deities, shráddha [last rite] ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, etc. may be conducted according the lunar calendar in the North Indian style, for these social ceremonies must be performed within a particular auspicious period, and this cannot be determined by the solar calendar.

Now, while adjusting with the people of North India, some practical difficulties arose. The people of northern India suggested, “All right, every three years, one month will have to be increased.” But how can the extra month be adjusted? It was determined that every third year would comprise 13 months, after which there would be some sort of adjustment with North India. Since then North India has declared that every third year consists of 13 months. Suppose that the additional month comes after the month of Kárttik (because that additional month will come after 30 days); the people of northern India will call it “Adhik Kártiik”. After this Adhik Kárttik comes the Agráhayań month. This additional Kárttik is called “Malmás” in Bengal.

This system of astrological calculation was first introduced in Bengal by King Sháliváhan of southern Bengal. Here southern Bengal means the area from the point where the Suvarnarekha River flows into the Bay of Bengal – that is, from Ramnagar Police Station, Bhográi-Káṋkśai, Bhográi, and Baleshvar – to the point where the Náf River in the west of Bengal meets the Bay of Bengal (up to the Chittagong-Arakan border). This was the area of southern Bengal which was once part of the Sundarban Forest. Now the Sundarban Forest has been cleared in many districts; only some forest is left, about 4000 square miles. Out of this total area 3400 square miles of forest are in Khulna and 600 square miles are in 24 Parganas. Formerly it was a vast forest area.

In olden days southern Bengal was known as Samatat́. Later on, the Samatat́ area meant Murshidabad, Nadia, Jessore, Khulna, 24 Parganas and Kolkata. The area lying on the west of the Bhagirathii was called Ráŕh. The area on the north of the river Padma was called Borin (in Sanskrit it was called Barendra) and the area east of Padma was called Vauṋga. Then Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Barishal, and the further eastern part which was known as Cattal or Shriibhúmi (Sylhet or Shriihat́t́a). Bengal comprises of these five parts.

King Sháliváhan was the king of this Samatat́. He said that the lunar system would not suit Bengal. These days the Persian word sál is used in the sense of year; the adjective form is sálána, but actually the original word is sál. It is sál because king Sháliváhan introduced this system of astrological calculation. The calculations of the solar year were performed in ancient India according to the reckoner (ephemeris) called Sárańii in Bengali. This gave the idea of táká (rupee), ánná (1/16 of a rupee) and pái (1/192 of a rupee) in Bengal. The astrologers used to calculate the degree of angular position of the sun in detail with the help of this reckoner (Surya Siddhánta Sárańii). Even today, the reckoner is used.

Now the sun is changing its course, and the stars and planets are also changing their courses; the solar and lunar calendars are prepared according to the changing course of the stars and planets. Similarly the sidereal calendar (Nakśatra Varśa or Nakśatra Paiṋjiká) may also be adjusted. So the reckoner system will not suffice at all times. Suppose it is indicated in the almanac that a lunar eclipse will take place at 6:30. Now, if you follow the almanac, that is, the reckoner, you will not see the lunar eclipse, for the eclipse will take place 100 minutes later. So almanacs are now outdated and incorrect. This defect in the system of calculation will be easily discovered by common people. It may be in the almanac that an eclipse will be at 6:40 P.M., but actually it takes place at 7:40; then people blame the astrologer. Just to avoid this predicament, astrologers consult the marine almanac and follow the course of the flow-tide and ebb-tide. Thus they write the exact time of eclipse in the reckoner according to marine almanac. But in reality, the calendar is wrong.

About 600 years ago, a great scholar was born at Vikrampur, who with much effort prepared a new reckoner. He was very young – about twenty or twenty-three years old – but he was very intelligent and active. He showed his new reckoner to the scholars of Navadwip.⁽²⁾ It gave the exact calculations, avoiding all mistakes. The Brahman scholars of Navadwip grew extremely jealous of him. That evening at 7:00 o’clock, an eclipse was to take place; but according to that young man the eclipse would be seen at 7:30. He challenged the Navadwip astrologers to verify whose calculation was correct. That night at 7:00 sharp, the young man took a jug of water and squatted down to urinate. The elderly scholars objected, saying, “What a sacrilege! You dare to take a jug of water⁽³⁾ and urinate at the time of an eclipse!”

The young man replied, “No, no, I am not doing as you say.” Then he said, Ámi Nader mate muti. This latter utterance may be interpreted in two ways: 1) “I am urinating [at the eclipse time] according to the Nadia system of calculation;” 2) “The Nadia system of calculation is so defective that I am urinating on that system.” According to some people, the young astrologer was murdered. If that brilliant man had been allowed to survive, he could have introduced remarkable changes in the system of astrological calculation.

Another great scholar, Jayanta Páńigráhii, was born in the Contai area in Midnapore. As a result of his great effort, he also introduced a new reckoner. His views on astrological calculation remain true even today. But many more changes have since occurred, so the present reckoner should also be revised. Perhaps you know that the same Bengali calendar is prevalent in a vast area – Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Bangladesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Chotanagpur, Santhal Pargana and Purnia.

In Orissa, another great scholar was born, whose name was [Chandrasekhar Samanta]. He prepared a new almanac with great pains. Generally speaking, that almanac is still popular, but that, too, has to be revised. The astrologers of Siddhánta Paiṋjiká are trying to submit a correct calculation. I cannot say which one is perfect; but surely we will have to calculate accurately.

Thus in the path of movement through various changes, we now enter the year 1386 (Bengalee year). The sun enters the zodiac Aries. As long as the sun is in Aries, the month of Vaeshákh will last. Thus time moves on, it knows no end.

I have given you a brief survey of Bengal’s history and also the highlights of Bengal’s astrological calculation. The scholars who used to do astrological calculations in Bengal were called ácárya Bráhmań. They had a powerful centre at Bali (Howrah District). Prior to that, they used to live in Kolkata. But following the execution of Maharaj Nandakumar [by the British Government], the reputed Brahmans deserted Kolkata. They thought that the killing of a Brahman was an extremely heinous act and that had been committed on the soil of Kolkata. Most of them settled at Bali, for Kolkata was then considered an unholy land. The pandits of Bali do calculations even today as is done by Navadwip (Nadia District) and Bhát́páŕá (North 24 Parganas) scholars.

(1) [[Since in ancient times Mongolia was an empire, and symbolized all of north and northeast Asia, “Mongolian” here means the Oriental, or yellow, race. –Trans.]]

(3) [[It was the custom to wash with water after urination in order to ensure cleanliness. –Trans.]]

The History of Ráŕhbhúm

Published in:
A Few Problems Solved Part 3
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Published in A Few Problems Solved Part 3 as “The History of Ráŕh”.

Not in the Ráŕh of black soil, but in the Ráŕh of laterite (red) soil, lie the following villages: Bandyogháti of Birbhum district (the original abode of the Bandyopádhyáyas, or Banerjees); Mukhot́i village of Bankura district (the original abode of the Mukhopádhyáyas, or Mukherjees); Chát́uti of West Burdwan (the ancestral home of the Chat́t́opádhyáyas, or Chatterjees); Ghośli of Manbhum (the ancestral home of the Ghośáls); and Gauṋgolii of West Burdwan District (the ancestral home of the Gauṋgopádhyáyas or Gauṋguliis). All these villages are located in the land of laterite soil; none is in the area of black soil. The Baul school of music also originated in the area of laterite soil. In the study of history, this significant fact should be remembered.

Still more [[remarkable]] is the fact that all the principalities whose names end in bhúm are situated in the land of laterite soil. For example, the northernmost region is called Birbhum. Birbhum comprised Rampurhat Subdivision, Kandi Subdivision, Pakur Subdivision, Sahebganj and Rajmahal.

In the Austric language, biir means forests; so biirbhúm means “the land of abundant forests”. Next to Birbhum is Gopabhúm, which comprised Suri Subdivision, Dumka Subdivision, and Deoghar Subdivision. The Sadgops with the surname of Ghosh used to be the rulers in this area, hence it was called Gopabhúm.

Next to Gopabhúm was Sámantabhúm, which comprised Durgapur Subdivision, Asansol Subdivision, and Jamtara Subdivision of Santhal Parganas. All these are areas of laterite soil. South of Sámantabhúm was Mallabhúm, comprising the present-day Visnupur Subdivision of Bankura District. Then Senbhúm comprising of Bankura Sadar Subdivision. The Vaidyas having the surname of Sen were the rulers here: hence the principality was known as Senbhúm and Senpáháŕii was the capital. Later King Banku Rai built a new city which was named after him, Bankurai. This was subsequently changed to Bankura.

To the west of Sámantabhúm was Shikharbhúm, which extended from the Barakar River to Parashnath Hill after Dhanbad. Parashnath Hill was the last boundary of Ráŕh, but the area was known as Shikharbhúm because the name of the hill was Sametshikhar. There is a temple there to Parashnath, but the hill is far more ancient than the temple, so the land was called Shikharbhúm.

To the west of Senbhúm was Manbhúm, which was named after King Mansing. Manbazar was its capital. South of Manbhúm was Barahabhúm. Two Munda brothers, Adibarah and Keshbarah, founded this kingdom. Barahabhúm comprises Bagmundi, Barahabazar, Balarampur, Candil, Patamda, Icagarh, and Bandoyan. Bandoyan is situated beside the Binpur police station of Jhargram Subdivision of Midnapore District. Barahabazar (Barabazar) was the capital of Barahabhúm. (Many people wrongly pronounce the word Barahabazar as Barabazar).

South or southwest of Birbhum is Singhbhum, and close to Singhbhum is Dhavalbhum. Tatanagar comes within this Dhavalbhum area. All the villages around Tatanagar are Bengali speaking. East of Dhavalbhum is Shavarbhum, which comprises Midnapore North and South Subdivisions. The Shavaras or the Kheriyamundas were its rulers, so the area was named Shavarbhum. The Kheriyas and the Cuyáŕs were the original inhabitants of Shavarbhum, and at the southwest of Dhavalbhum and Shavarbhum was Bhaiṋjabhum. The rulers of Bhaiṋjabhum used to place peacock emblems on their crowns and on their thrones: thus Bhaiṋjabhum was also known as Mayurbhaiṋja (mayúr means “peacock”).

Thus this vast area extending from Birbhum on the north to Bhaiṋjabhum in the south was known as Ráŕhbhúm, the land of laterite soil. All the people of this area spoke almost the same dialect of Bengali – Ráŕhii Bengali. Of course, there was some difference in the Ráŕhii dialect spoken in Birbhum and the dialects spoken by the Mahatos of Bhaiṋjabhum. There are some similarities also. The main speciality of the Ráŕhii dialect of Bengali is that in the future and past tenses, the suffix ek is used for transitive verbs. For instance, Kii bal-lek? [“What did he say?”] or Kuthá yábek?, [“Where will he go?”].

Formerly it was written in the third-class compartments in trains, Śát́ jan basibek [“Seats for sixty people”]. In Bengali poetry also, the suffix ek was used. In the Bengali compositions of Vidyasagar, ek was widely used. In Bengali poetry, the poet Bharatcandra wrote:

Tathástu baliyá Devii dilá baradán,
Dudhe bháte thákibek tomár santán.

[The goddess Devi granted a boon, saying, “So be it. Your children will live amidst plenty.”]

There are other specialities of the Ráŕhii dialect. In Bengali, the suffixes e and te are used in the seventh case ending; but in the second case ending, they also use e and te to indicate directions. For example, if one says, “He lives in, or at, Kolkata,” the Bengali sentence will be, Se Kalkátáy áche.

Similarly, if one wants to say, “He is going to Kolkata,” a person speaking Bengali, will say, Se Kalkátáy yácche. That is, for three prepositions – in, at, and to – the same suffix is used in Bengali.

In standard or recognized Bengali, the suffix is the same, but in Ráŕhii Bengali it is slightly different. The suffix ke is used to denote direction, and e or te is used as the 7th case ending to denote position in something (like standard Bengali). For example, Se ghare áche [“He is in the house”]. It is the same in Ráŕhii dialect and in standard Bengali. But if we say, “He is going to the house” in Ráŕhii Bengali, people will say, Se gharke yácche.

A woman has gone to a pond for a bath. In standard Bengali we will say, Bhadramahilá pukure gechen [[literally “The lady has gone to the pond”]]. But in Ráŕhii Bengali it is said, Bhadramahilá jalke gechen [[literally “The lady has gone to the water”]], because the direction is towards the pond.

The poet Rabindranath Tagore has written, Belá ye paŕe elo jalke cal [“the sun sets, let us go to the pond”]. In a Bhádu song [folk songs of Ráŕh] it is said,

Sát bhádute jalke gelo
Ámár bhádu kár báŕi,
Chay bhádute gharke elo
Ámar bhádu kárbáŕi.

[Seven damsels went to the water.
Which one is my nearest?
Six damsels came back home.
Where is my dearest?]

There is still another speciality of the Ráŕhii dialect of Bengali. For “can” and “cannot”, the standard Bengali uses párá and ná párá. But in the Ráŕhii dialect, it is different. For instance, in standard Bengali one says, se párbe [“he can”], but in the Ráŕhii Bengali dialect, it is u párbek. In standard Bengali it is said, se párbe ná; in Ráŕhii Bengali, u lárbek [“he cannot”] or u párbek nái. But better to say, u lárbek.

So this land of Ráŕh is composed of laterite soil. The eastern part of Ráŕh is composed of black soil, because that part has been formed from alluvial soil carried by the rivers. It is not exactly red because pacá gáchpála [humus or decomposed vegetation] is also mixed with the red soil. Thus the eastern Burdwan, Howrah and Hooghly Districts are very fertile. The remaining portion of Ráŕh, which is composed of laterite soil, is gradually eroding.

But how was this laterite soil formed? It has come from the constant erosion of the hills. The small hills which we see today were medium-sized hills in the past, and the undulating highlands of red soil were once great hills. Now those hills have been reduced to mere anthills. And where the land is still very high, we must infer that these were once extremely lofty peaks which in the gradual process of erosion have been reduced to small mounds. The land of Ráŕh flows in waves of hills and valleys: where the crests are lower, these areas were once valleys and smaller hills; and where the land is comparatively high, there the hills were extremely lofty. All of these hills have undergone, and are still undergoing, a gradual process of erosion. If someone travels past Bolepur station by train, one will invariably come across huge areas of extreme soil erosion (khoyái in Ráŕhii Bengali): it seems as if the skeletons of the hills are exposed. And when that soil gradually flows down towards the sea, it creates new fertile lands. By large-scale afforestation, this type of extreme erosion can be checked – there is no other alternative. In fact, it is extremely necessary now to create large new forests by afforestation, so the roots of the trees will hold the soil and prevent erosion. Of course, it is not true that the entire red soil has been lost.

Previously this whole area was completely hilly; in fact Birbhum, West Burdwan and Bankura were all hills. Thus we find this vast area of undulating land today. If there is a slight increase of rainfall, tea cultivation will be very successful. In fact, tea plantation requires just this type of land. Even coffee and cocoa may be cultivated there, because the land is sloping.

Along these high slopes one may discover many heavy minerals. In the ancient past this was a belt of hard rock; it was neither an area of sedimentary rock created by volcanic eruption, nor igneous rock; rather it was metamorphic rock (formed by extreme pressure under the ground). Wherever the land is undulating in Bankura, Birbhum, West Burdwan, Purulia etc., one can discover heavy minerals buried deep within the earth. Actually these are being discovered even now: there is a strong likelihood that great deposits of gold and copper will be found there. If the people of Bengal prepare a detailed plan for the future, they will have to take these possibilities into consideration, and accordingly they can develop industries in the area. But this will not be easy; it will demand hard labour. As Swami Vivekananda once said, nothing is accomplished without toil.

The old Bengali word for the verb “come” or “came” was ásila. What is its colloquial form now? In old Bengali this verbal form was not in existence; it was áila. In medieval Bengali, the correct term was ásila, but in colloquial language, even in ancient days, ásila was not used; the proper term was áilen or elen. The poet Krttivas Thakur wrote:

Deshete áila Ram, ánanda sabár;
Shunila Kaekeyii ráńii shubha samácár.
Abhimáne Kaekeyiir báripurńa áṋkhi;
Kathá kii kaben Rám Má baliyá d́áki.

[Ram returned to his country to everyone’s delight. When Queen Kaekeyii heard the news, her eyes were full of tears from the pain of her wounded heart. Will Ram approach her and address her as “Mother”?]

So we find the old form áila here, and now the latest colloquial form of áila is ela. The Bengali language, through gradual changes along the various river valleys, has developed into its present standard form. These river-valley languages have joined with one another in Samatat́ Bengali, from Kolkata to Goyalanda. Thus it is generally accepted that Nadia [[with its Nadia dialect]] is the central point of the Bengali language.

Vyatireka – the Stage of Control

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Kalá [systaltic flow] gets transformed into káśt́há [linear flow] as a result of pulsating movement through crest and trough. What happens then? At specific points in time, one begins to gain control over particular thoughts. It is noticed that sometimes one has control over a particular thought but may not have such control at another point in time. Sometimes one has control over a certain thought, and at other times over some other thought. Sometimes one has control over anger but no control over greed. It may so happen that one does not have a weakness for wealth, name and fame but has no control over oneself while taking food. There was a chief minister who was well known to me. He was a good person who never used to accept bribes. He was good in all respects, but when he was given flattened rice (cuŕá), curd and sweet cake (peŕá), he would pay no heed to how much he had eaten. And so it goes.

In one matter we have no greed, but in another we have tremendous greed. These all belong to the category of vyatireka. It is called vyatireka because when kalá is getting transformed into káśt́há (it is not always the case that kalá shall be transformed into káśt́há), sometimes káśt́há becomes smaller than the kalá, while at other times, under the pressure of káśt́há, the subsequent kalá becomes larger than its normal state. That is why the state of vyatireka is very perplexing. For example, some women may have no greed whatsoever for food but strong weakness for saŕis. That is also a kind of greed. In certain cases, one has control and in other cases one is unable to maintain that control. Someone insults her in an abusive manner, and she endures it all quietly. People will say that she endures like mother earth. But she flies into a rage if anyone criticizes members of her father’s family. Sometimes she has full control and at other times she has no control at all. People are like this. This stage is known as the state of vyatireka. In this state one must remain vigilant so that one might be able to exercise this control in all situations.

In the stage of vyatireka the obstacles appear more from within than from without. These obstacles are psychic in nature. For example, when in the course of sadhana one attains the state of yatamána, then obstacles appear from all sides. Family members create obstructions. The environ-ment creates obstructions. But in the stage of vyatireka there is hardly any external obstruction. The disorder is internal. In one matter one gains control and in another one does not. There are some people who perhaps do not get angry, no matter what. So-and-so is a very good and innocent person but he becomes irritated when he sees specific individuals. It may be that a man is dreaded like the god death by his subordinates in the office because of his stern personality but at home he gets broom lashings from his wife. There he endures it. That means that his characteristic sternness is not always present. You will find many such persons in the world. You laugh when you hear me say this, but it is a significant aspect of human psychology. Do you understand? You have to exercise control at this stage.

Consider the matter of food. A certain person has no greed in all other matters but he is crazy for roasted brinjal. What an ordinary thing it is, roasted brinjal, you see, but he is under its sway. This type of psychology is very delicate. One has to deal cautiously with such issues. While dealing with such a person if we wrongly think – “He is a great man, should he be so crazy for roasted brinjal?” – then we are grossly mistaken. Rather we should give that great man puffed rice with roasted brinjal. Then only you can influence him.

Now in the state of vyatireka, it is easy to discover what type of weakness a person has. If you study behavioural psychology then when you see this state of vyatireka you will be able to understand where an indivi-dual’s weakness lies. Evil-minded persons can accomplish many things by taking advantage of a person’s weakness. This is how cunning people serve their interests, by taking advantage of that person’s foolishness. You should remain vigilant that when you are in such a state of vyatireka you should be conscious of your weaknesses, so that others do not become aware of them. You may have the opportunity to know the weaknesses of others, but you should not let others have the same opportunity.

Táńd́ava Dance – What and Why?

Published in:
Saḿgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music [a compilation]
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

You know about the cultural diversities among the Aryans and the non-Aryans. In the land of the non-Aryans, the instrument by which paddy and other such grains are threshed is called dheṋki in Bengali. According to the system of Aryan civilization, that which is used for threshing is called udukhala.⁽¹⁾ In Hindi, it is kupri. There is no Sanskrit equivalent of dheṋki. Dheṋki is an indigenous expression.

So the Aryans used the term udukhala. One has to strain oneself more while using the udukhala. One has to exert the strength of the hand for threshing. This is not done while using the dheṋki, only the leg is used. In udukhala, one has to thresh using the hands. Particles jump up while the dheṋki is used; so is the case with the udukhala. The rice granules bounce about, and in the course of this jumping, rice is prepared. Rice cannot come out of the paddy without this jumping. So, that whose nature is to jump is called tańd́ula in Sanskrit. Tańd́u + la + da become tańd́ula. The Bengali equivalent of tańd́ula is cául. In contemporary Bengali, it is cál. Cául used to be sold [in the market] during the period of the Mauṋgalkávya.⁽²⁾

In the Mauṋgalkávya, there is a description: One day at noon, on returning from the cremation ground, Shiva said to Párvatii, “Give me rice.” What did Párvatii reply? “Do you ever care to keep track of the supplies? There is nothing, the earthen pot is empty.” Then what did Shiva say?

“Shák nái, shukta nái, vyáiṋjana yadi nái
Cáulo váŕanta tabe phen bhát cái.”

[“Well, if there are no vegetables or other dishes,
And if there is no rice, then give me only rice gruel.”]

Then Párvatii observed, “If there is no rice grain, how can there be cooked rice?” Indeed, how can there be rice gruel (phen bhát) without rice (cául). Shiva retorted, “What is the matter? I received so much rice and pulse as alms; is everything exhausted already?” Then Párvatii explained the reality –

“Bhándárete rákhá chilo páli chay dhán,
Gańesher muśáte karilo jalpán.”

[“We had some six measures of rice in our storeroom,
But the mouse of Gańesha ate them for breakfast.”]

The Bengali word [for dhán, uncooked rice] is cául. How is cául derived? As “that which has been cálá [winnowed] >by a súrpa or kulo [a winnowing basket].” How is it winnowed? First the chaff is separated out, then the khud [small fragments], then the husk; then only does one get cául or cál [uncooked rice]. The word khud is derived from the Sanskrit word kśudra. So, that which is left after being sifted is called cául. In old Bengali it is cául. Anything which has been winnowed [cálá] is called cául. It may not necessarily be rice grains.

Táńd́ava is that which is related to jumping (lamphan). Táńd́ava involves ullamphan. What is the difference between lamphan and ullamphan? Lamphan involves jumping while remaining connected with the earth. One can jump while standing and touching the earth. However, when jumping high, there must be separation from the earth. This is called ́ullamphan’ (ut-lamphan = ullamphan). So what is the táńd́ava dance? Is it ullamphan or lamphan? It is ullamphan.

Sadáshiva introduced the táńd́ava dance. Why did He do that? How did He do it? There are many lymphatic glands and endocrine glands in our body. Hormones secreted from these glands permeate the entire body. The hormones secreted through táńd́ava generate greater manliness and courage in the person. That is why hormones are secreted from the lymphatic glands and greater manliness is produced in those who practise táńd́ava.

Since the practice of táńd́ava stimulates manliness, it is prohibited for women. What are other results that follow? The pineal gland (sahasrára cakra) and pituitary gland (ájiṋácakra) are activated. As a result of this, the memory is enhanced and the brain is strengthened. Cells in the brain are also strengthened. There is no specific exercise for the brain. Táńd́ava is the only exercise for the brain. So considering all these, táńd́ava dance was introduced.

But what do the dancers carry in their hands? Completeness in human life is brought about through struggles and clashes. One who loves struggle, will have to wade through struggles, and one who does not like it, will also have to pass through struggle. One cannot afford to avoid struggle. If someone says, “I do not want to struggle,” it is an impossibility. What shall such a person do when one is hit by a hammer? Then, they will go to those who love struggle and say, “Save me, brother, save me.” Is it not better that while bearing the blows, one prepares oneself to counter the challenges ahead?

If a person has the potential to give a strong counter-blow, what is the point in shying away from encounters? Now, what is the significance of objects which the dancers carry in their hands while doing táńd́ava? They signify, “I am moving ahead, wading through clashes and counter-clashes.” Force can be applied for the collective welfare as and when it is necessary.

There are three pathways in Tantra – dakśiń márga [rightward path], váma márga [leftward path] and madhyama márga [middle path]. In Buddhist philosophy there is neither right nor left path. There is only the middle path (madhyamá márga or madhyam márga). What are the things that find a place in the dancer’s hands? The dancer, may, for instance, hold a human skull in the left hand and a dagger in the right hand. Or in the daytime one may, if one wishes, hold a snake in the left hand. [At night] one may hold a d́ambaru [a small drum shaped like an hourglass] or a mashál [torch] in the right hand. One can recognize everything by the light of a torch and can understand by the sound of a drum. Otherwise at night, neither a skull nor a snake can be recognized. In the left hand, there is the symbol of destruction and death.

How does the individual move ahead? There is Hari on one side and Hara on the other. On the one side there is progress; on the other side there is destruction. While Hara symbolizes destruction, Hari symbolizes creation. The world moves on through the clash of Hari and Hara (Hariharátmaka). A small and beautiful bud appears on a plant.The flower blooms, unfolds itself completely. Till now, there is the sport of Hari. Thereafter the play of Hara begins. The petals wither and fall off, one after the other. As there is creation on the one hand, destruction awaits on the other. Sometimes we die and sometimes we live. The individual has to move ahead through struggles. One has nothing to fear. Why should one fear death? People have to attain immortality by waging war against death. This is our sadhana. Humanity is moving ahead with great speed, with the vigour and power of the Supreme Entity. Why should one yield to any obstruction? Nothing should awaken fear. Even if fear stares one in the face, one must not fear. Having been defeated, the fear will rapidly recede. The God of struggle, Sadáshiva, is the death of death. That is to say, He is as dreadful as death, for death itself.

So the individual has to keep on fighting. A person must continue to fight without any respite. The dagger is the functional symbol of struggle. So wage a vigorous struggle against obstacles that have come or shall come on the path of progress. And what should one have as one’s garment? The tiger skin or a red garment. The tiger skin (vyághracarma) in actuality means mrgacarma [forest-animal skin]. In Sanskrit, mrga means animals that live in the forest. Many think that mrga means only deer. But this is not so. All those animals that live in the forest are called mrga. Monkeys are called shákhámrga because they live on the shákhá [branches] of trees. In olden days kings used to visit the forest for hunting (mrgayá), but not only to hunt the deer. So the animal skin or the red garment means, “I am using it as my cloth by annihilating the brute force.” A red garment means that I am sitting on the mutative force and I am using the mutative quality as my outer clothing. The red colour is indicative of the mutative quality.⁽³⁾

Mrtyu tore dive háná
Váre váre pábi máná,
Ei tor nava varśer ashiirvád
Ei tor rudrer prasád.

[Death will ever haunt you,
You will be forbidden again and again,
For you, let this be the New Year’s blessing,
Let this be the grace of Lord Rudra.]

(2) Poetic works by various thirteenth and fourteenth century poets in Bengal such as Dharmamauṋgal, Candimauṋgal, Annadámauṋgal. – Trans.

(3) The reference about tiger skin has come here in connection with the author’s explanation of a shloka, and in that context he also explained the true meaning of the word mrga. His own teaching regarding garments for táńd́ava dance is to wear an orange garment. –Trans.

The Supreme Entity – the Non-Doer

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Puruśa akartá phalasákśiibhutah bhávakendrasthitah guńayantrakashca.

[Puruśa (the Supreme Cognitive Principle) does not control the operation of energy. On the contrary, Puruśa being established in the nucleus of the guńas (binding principles), controls those very guńas, through which energy emanates. The Supreme witness-ship of every entity lies in Puruśa.]

Puruśa akartá. Puruśa shall carry no visarga [voiceless aspirant sounding like ah]. This is so because here śa is followed by a vowel, the a of akartá.

Then, phalasákśiibhutah; sákkhiibhutah or sákśiibhutah, which one would be correct? Sákkhii, Why so? Why not sákśii? Since ka is followed by śa, the correct expression should have been sákśii. But in Sanskrit, as per the rule, it is sákkhii. In the Rgveda, it is pronounced as cerebral śa and in the Yajurveda, it is cerebral kha. So in the Yajurveda, it is pronounced as sákkhii, and according to the Rgvedic pronunciation it is sákśii. About seven or eight languages of India, for example, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya and Punjabi, follow the Yajurvedic pronunciation. They pronounce it as sákkhii. If I had to say which is correct, I would say that both are correct; one is the Rgvedic style and the other is the Yajurvedic style.

Puruśa akartá phalasákśiibhutah bhávakendrasthitah guńayantrakashca.

Is it pronounced jantrakashca or yantrakashca? While chanting before goddess Cańd́ii should one say, jádevii sarva bhuteśu or yádevii sarva bhuteśu? Is it jantra or yantra? The rule says, Padánte padamadhyasthe ja kára ya uccate [“When ja occurs in the end or in the middle, it is pronounced as ya”]. The semi-consonant ja and semi-consonant ya are not two letters but one. If it occurs in the beginning it is pronounced ja, and if it occurs in the middle or at the end it is pronounced ya. For example, the semi-consonant ya + o + ga = joga but bi + ya + o + ga = biyoga, because here ya occurs not in the beginning but in the middle. Similarly sa+ma+ya is samaya, not samaja because it does not occur in the beginning. Considering that children would find it difficult to know when to pronounce ja and when to pronounce ya, Shrii Ishvar Chandra Vidyasagar put a dot below ya where ya is to be pronounced ya so that small children could understand how it should be pronounced. In Bengali when a dot is added it is pronounced ya.

Actually the semi-consonant ya is a single letter, not two. The ́dot’ is added for the sake of convenience. When it occurs at the beginning it is ja. So, the expression jantrakasca is correct. The expression jantra is correct. Jádevii is correct but not yádevii.

Similarly, when the two letters d́a and d́ha occur in the beginning, they are pronounced d́a and d́ha. But when they occur in the middle or at the end, they are to be pronounced ŕa and ŕha respectively. In Bengali the rule is to put a dot under d́a to identify it as ŕa, i.e., the dot under d́a and d́ha. In Sanskrit there is no letter with a dot beneath the letter. One understands from the context. Since they do not occur in the beginning, we say ŕa and ŕha. It is áśáŕha but it is d́háka (without dot under d́ha). It is áŕhambar (d́a with dot beneath) but not ád́ambar (d́a without a dot beneath) because it occurs in the middle.

Now what does Puruśa mean? Pure shete yah sah Puruśah. Pura means “that in which one takes shelter”. Remember that everyone needs shelter, that is, no one can live without a shelter. Everything needs a base (bhúmi or basu). In Sanskrit vasu means “that in which one lives”. The place where one lives and that provides shelter is vástu, and that which needs a base or place for its existence, is called vastu [object]. The base in which something exists is called pura. Many villages and towns are suffixed by pura because people live there. So pure shete yah sah Puruśah. That which takes shelter within this pura in the form of the body is the átmá [unit consciousness]. That is why átmá is called Puruśa. Why is the word shete used? What does shoyá mean in Bengali? Shoyá may denote a state wherein one is lying down awake and also the state wherein one is actually asleep. In Hindi soná refers to the singular state where one is really asleep. One has to note the difference. In Bengali shoyá means you are lying flat on your back or lying on your side but you are awake, and in Hindi sona means you are completely asleep. There is a great difference between Hindi and Bengali. Shoyá in Bengali refers to a state wherein one is lying down but awake. It is termed as let́ná in Hindi. Here – pure shete yah sah Puruśah. Puruśa is that which sleeps in the pura or body. This signifies that [Puruśa] does not take active part in any action. It does not get involved in any action whatsoever. It does not get attached to any action. Nonetheless it is present in every action.

Those of you who are students of science know what a catalytic agent is. A catalytic agent is that which helps in bringing about chemical change in another substance without undergoing any change. What is the function of a catalytic agent? When a chemical reaction takes place in a substance, then the catalytic agent does not become a part of the chemical reaction. For example, gold is used to prepare makaradhvaja [aqua regia] and afterwards the gold is also retrieved.

Puruśa akartá. Puruśa is that which lives in the pura of the body (deha pure). Secondly, Purasi shete yah sah Puruśah. Purasi means – “in the front”. Purasi hitam karoti yah sah purohitah – one who comes forward to bring about your welfare. Similarly, one who lies quiescent before you is Puruśa. In whatever direction you go, you find Him before you. There is no way to ignore or bypass Him. Thus Puruśa akartá.

In Sanskrit kr refers to when objects change their place, are moved from one point to another, when there is change of place. There is a pillow in one place; I move it from that place to another. What has happened? I have performed an action as a result of which the object has changed its place. It is called action. Kr is used in this sense. In this sense Puruśa is akartá [a non-doer]. It does not cause the spatial change of the object. Then what causes the change of place? That which causes this change is called Paramá Prakrti or creative faculty. This is the significance of the term Prakrti. Pra – kr + ktin, that is, Prakrti is that whose nature is to cause an action or bring about an action. But Puruśa is a non-doer. How so? Like a catalytic agent, its very existence is necessary. Its presence is indispensable. Similarly there is a necessity of the headman in ceremonies, festivities, rituals, sacrificial rites and marriages. The headman does not serve dishes like curd, sandesh, luci,⁽²⁾ curry etc. He simply observes who is giving water or serving luci. Suppose someone, by mistake, serves sweets before luci. The headman observs everything that is taking place. Everyone remains alert simply because of his presence. The headman must be present. The bride-groom’s party also has a headman. In every such function there is a headman. He does not do anything by himself. Nonetheless he commands great esteem. Everyone respects him and due to his presence everything functions properly.

Puruśa akartá. Everything takes place because of His existence. Take an eye, for example.There is the optical nerve, the eye itself and the light. Even then the eye cannot see if there is no átmá [unit-consciousness]. Often it so happens that the mind of a person stops functioning. There is no átmá either. Again, many times it so happens that the unit-consciousness is there but the mind stops functioning. The mind and the sense organs stop functioning. The doctor says that the person is dead. His physical death has occurred but he is not actually dead. There are many people who are not actually dead but rather their mind is suspended. Since the mind is in a suspended state there can be no expression of unit-consciousness. The person is not able to see, hear or do anything. We cremate such people thinking that they are dead or we put them in a grave. It may be that after five or six hours the person regains consciousness. Then he finds that he is inside a grave.

The person struggles desperately but there is no one to save him. The person meets his real death inside the grave. Such incidents happen very often. Occasionally the mind becomes suspended and inactive due to acute suffering during a disease. Then the existence of the witnessing subject (Sákśii Puruśa), the non-doer Self (Akartá Puruśa), is rendered meaningless because in such a state there is hardly any mental function. In such a state, if a person dies due to some disease, the mind becomes completely suspended.

Such incidents happen in the case of smallpox and snakebite. Thereafter the suspended mind regains normalcy. The suspended mind may start functioning again and the unit-consciousness becomes expressed. With this in mind in ancient times, instead of cremating the body immediately, people used to let the body float on water. If the mind started functioning due to the water’s cool air, then the person might be saved. Wherever the person might float to, at least they would be saved. That is why there was the custom that if a person met sudden death due to an accident, snakebite or acute suffering from smallpox, the person was not to be cremated immediately. In the past, the bodies of people who died due to snakebite venom and smallpox were consigned to the water. When the mind is suspended, the doctor may declare that the person is dead. However, the mind is only in a suspended state. It has not become completely non-active.

Now, what does the witnessing átmá do in such a state when the mind is inactive? It remains as a witness to all that has been done. With the help of light you see everything. What does the light witness? It sees that an actor comes to the stage, recite something and departs. A dancer comes, dances and goes back. A singer comes, sings and goes. What is the feminine gender of a gáyaka (singer)? Is it gáyiká? No, it is not gáyiká. This is a common error. It should be gáyakii. As per the Sanskrit grammar, gáyiká is incorrect. Similarly the term seviká is incorrect; it should be sevaká. You should not make this mistake any more. The light that was observing the stage, perceives all that is happening on that stage even now. It witnesses everything, even when there is no one on the stage. It sees that nothing is taking place on the stage; it sees the void. It is the witness. Thus, when the mind remains in a suspended state or when it goes beyond the body, that is, when it leaves the body, then what does the átmá witness? It sees that the mind is in a state of suspension. Now it is not in a position to do anything, think anything or remember anything. In the case of a living person, the unit consciousness continues to see everything. In that case, the átmá witnesses all that the mind thinks, does, remembers, how it regulates the active sense organs, how the person talks, how the person thinks. “I will eat this food, I shall sit here, I will exploit these fools in such and such a way. I shall sit with my body smeared with ash. If any erudite person comes, I shall send my disciple and tell him to say that today Sádhujii is observing silence; so I won’t have to answer his questions. I shall observe silence.” One has entertained all these thoughts and one has decided accordingly. The átmá has heard everything.

What is the thought process? It is an internal monologue. You think internally, “I shall go to Navadwip and I shall meet my maternal uncle.” To think in this way is to talk mentally. Whenever you think of anything, you will find that you are talking within your mind and the átmá is the witness of the mind. So, all internal conversations are being tape-recorded. In other words, nothing is hidden. No one can hide anything. Whatever you are thinking in your mind is being recorded internally by the átmá. Everything is stored. So it is utterly futile to try to hide anything. You are thinking mentally, “Let Mr. So-and-so be harmed, let So-and-so be destroyed, let So-and-so die. Then I will get my promotion.” One may think like this but afterwards one reaps the consequences according to one’s thoughts. One only harms oneself when one thinks ill of others because the thought of harming others is simply a mental action and the mental reactions follow. How shall these reactions accrue? The reactions materialize in the form of harm to you. So, if there is ill feeling in your thinking,i.e., if there is a feeling of malevolence, then that which you wish to happen to others will happen to you. Because somehow the mind has to be restored back to its normal state and that will happen through you. Then, you will say, “O Lord, I have committed no sin, then why did such and such things happen to me?” People behave like this. When one thinks ill of others, one does not say, “O Lord, how much harm I think of doing to others?” In other words, one acts completely to the contrary. This is nothing but deceit and hypocrisy.

Nrtyashálástha diipavat. Like the light on the stage, Puruśa remains as the non-doer. Puruśa akartá, meaning sometimes He sees this and sometimes He sees that, and sometimes He sees that nothing is taking place. When a person remains in a state of ignorance, or when the mental function become suspended for some reason or other, the mind becomes detached from the body, which we term as death. Then what does the átmá witness? The átmá witnesses that the mind is not doing anything at the present time.

The existence of mind is demonstrated while it is engaged in worldly actions. Children play marbles. While playing, the marble is released by the fingers using a particular technique. Then only the marble shoots away. At that moment, there is a thrill in the mind of the child. There is a change in the psychic state. The mind takes on a definite form because of that particular thought. However, the mind will have to return to its normal form. How can it return? It is restored to its normal state through the nerve fibres and nerve cells. But after death, or when the mind is in a suspended state, the mind has no connection with the nerve cells. When a person is dead, they no longer have any physical existence. They do not have any nerve cells, cranium, or nerve fibres; they have nothing at all. Hence, at that moment, there is no scope for the mind to return to its normal state from the state of distortion (vikrti), which occurred when the person was alive or conscious. When is it possible? Only when one can activate the nerve cells and nerve fibres. Hence the need for a new body, because these mental distortions still persist. The mind seeks to return to its normal state, even after death. So what kind of body will it receive? The mind needs an appropriate body with which it can return from the state of distortion to the normal state through the medium of actions, through the medium of its nerve cells and nerve fibres. What will happen if it gets an unsuitable body? The mind will be unable to return to its normal state through that body. So it needs an appropriate body.

Gold ornaments cannot be fashioned with a blacksmith’s hammer. A goldsmith’s hammer is necessary. According to the nature of the task, an appropriate instrument is necessary. The body is an instrument. So one needs an appropriate body. Suppose a person is obsessed with the thought of doing this or that, to harm another person. They will receive the body of a pig or a dog. One who desires to do something good and noble, will receive a good physical body accordingly, because the mind has to be restored to its natural state by whatever means necessary. After death, the distorted mind moves about the cosmos under the impetus of the mutative force (rajoguńa), searching for an appropriate physical base according to its reactive momenta (saḿskáras). For example, a person dies in Kolkata. They may take rebirth on a different planet or a satellite, because they have to go to that place where they can find an appropriate body for their saḿskáras, those yet unexhausted reactions of their previous actions. One may be born in Kolkata, even in the same family, or one might go to another planet and inhabit an appropriate physical body there. One needs an appropriate base.

Today I am explaining Puruśa akartá. Now, given what I have explained, what should an intelligent person do? You see, while working one is likely to commit some mistake. What is the way out? An intelligent person will definitely find a way. Suppose someone donates a large sum of money and thinks that he has done a very good thing. All right, he has done some charity, quite a bit in fact, but he can hardly sleep that night. The next morning while taking tea, he looks for his name in the newspaper that Mr. So-and-So, the great benefactor, has donated such a vast sum. He is restless until he sees this in print. It means the propensity of greed is further increased by such acts of charity, which were done in order to earn virtue (puńya). The very next day, he has a desire to see in the newspaper how much he has donated.

Whether one be a philanthropist or a star athlete, one desires to see what is written about them in the newspaper. This means that in trying to do some good work, what are they really doing? They are falling under the sway of one propensity, the propensity of greed. Now if this act is encouraged by the society, that is, if the newspapers dedicate a lot of attention to such news, or if people in general say, “Sir, whatever you are doing is unparalleled in history. Sir, we are not eulogizing you. We are simply telling the truth” – if they praise such a person in this way and then try to extract some money from them (there are such intelligent people around) – then what does it amount to indirectly? The propensity of greed increases. Which animal is the greediest among the animals with which we are all very familiar? It does not like to give up greed in spite of ill treatment and humiliations. It is the cat. Yes, after moving a few steps ahead, the cat forgets that it was beaten. So, that particular person is reborn as a cat after death, because that body affords an opportunity for the satiation of their greed. When the housewife looks around inattentively, the cat sneaks into the kitchen through the small opening in order to reach the milk or fish in the kitchen. So in order to exhaust the saḿskáras one needs an appropriate body. Some people obtain a new body immediately after death and others obtain it later. But one has to obtain it somehow.

One who is doing philanthropic work today, tries to find out tomorrow whether or not their name appeared in the newspaper. They have no desire to read the other news. They read the news that relates to themselves twenty times but do not go through the other news with much enthusiasm. If someone asks they might say that today there was only one important piece of news, nothing else. That is how a person comes under the sway of a propensity and remains subject to the cycle of birth and rebirth. But when they perform the act of charity, átmá or Parama Puruśa witnessed it. He heard the language of their mind while they were performing that act of charity. Parama Puruśa also sees when a particular person in the form of a cat steals milk and rice, and this saḿskára will come to an end when the saḿskára of greed is exhausted. Only then is one elevated to a higher state. From a cat one may become a dog, and from a dog one becomes a monkey, and then one day they get a human body in the process of exhausting saḿskáras, because an animal cannot do anything independently. The animal, of course, is guided by instincts, inborn saḿskáras.

By looking at a buffalo we can say that this is the nature of a buffalo. From seeing a cat we can tell what is the nature of a cat. But we cannot say this by looking at a human being. Every person falls into a unique category. For example, one person refuses to eat because of a slight affront. But another person will have hardly any sense of shame and will not mind taking food even after being thrashed with a broom or a stick. Human beings each have their own characteristic nature. This is how people are capable of independent thinking. This is the characteristic of the human species. A person’s movement is according to the nature of their actions, because they are capable of independent thought. However, an animal does not move according to its actions. Gradually it moves to a higher level by possessing a body with greater consciousness. A cat becomes a dog, a dog becomes a monkey and a monkey becomes a human being. Human beings possess greater consciousness. They are the most conscious of all beings. So, what is the means to escape from this karmic cycle?

The means is an intelligent path because dharma sadhana [spiritual practice], Ishvara sadhana [meditation on the Supreme] or Ishvara prema [love for the Supreme] are the prerogative of the wise. That is why Thakur Narottama Das has said –

Krśńa nám Harinám baŕai madhur,
Yei jan Krśńa bhaje se baŕa catur.

[O human beings, take the name of Lord Krśńa. All other entities are unreal. If you forget the Lord where will you go? The God of death is waiting just behind you. The name of the Supreme Entity is the sweetest. Wise are they who take His name.]

Taking the name of Krśńa is the wisest way. One should take the name of the Lord everyday and sing kiirtana. What happens then? That person lives in the awareness of being existentially and intricately bound to Parama Puruśa. The benefits of living in intimate proximity with Parama Puruśa are twofold. First of all, one grows averse to ignoble and lowly actions realizing what they are doing; and secondly, if at all you commit a mistake and you go to hell, the Lord is with you. If the Lord is with you in hell, then it is no longer hell; it is heaven. Therefore, Vidyapati Thakur says –

Kiye mánuś pashu pákhii kiye janamiye
Athavá kiita patauṋga;
Karama vipáke gatágati punah punah
Mati rahe tuyá parasauṋga.

“I become a man, a bird or a worm according to my actions. O Lord, I have only one prayer for you. Whether I become a man, animal, bird or worm, let my mind always remain in you.” This is the way of the most intelligent. For this you should remember that when you are doing sadhana, you are then engaged in sadhana. But when you conduct your worldly activities, beginning with buying supplies from the ration shop, buying tickets for a sporting event or buying a railway ticket, everything is fraught with anxieties. Whatever you do, repeat your Guru mantra in your mind. In other words, while doing your work take the name of Parama Puruśa so that your action will be sanctified. If you find that you are not in a position to do anything else, then sing kiirtana loudly. In this way you will always remain close to Lord.

What do you gain by doing kiirtana? Several sense organs become engaged. The tongue is occupied. So during that time you won’t have thoughts like, “I will eat this, eat that;” no kind of greed will remain. The sense of taste and taste buds are obstructed. The ears are busy hearing the kiirtana, so they have no scope to go elsewhere. The mind is always thinking of that, so it also has no scope to go elsewhere. And if kiirtana is combined with dance then one’s attention is directed to the rhythm of the dance. As a result of the dance, hormones are secreted from the glands. So under no circumstances can the mind degenerate. There is no way for it to go down. This is the way of the wise.

(2) Luci – saucer-shaped bread fried in ghee. Sandesh – an Indian sweet made from fresh cheese and sugar. –Trans

The Witness-ship of Parama Puruśa Is of Supreme Importance

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Puruśa akartá phalasákśiibhútah bhávakendrasthitah guńayantrakashca.

Phalasákśibhútah. What is the meaning of phala in Sanskrit? Parińáma (pari – nám + ghaiṋ). Parińáma means the reactions that begin accruing after an action is complete. Pari means specific form, nám means one’s identity. [We say], what is your name? What is your identity? One meaning of phala [fruit, consequences] is parińáma. Certain actions of ours are performed consciously while others are performed unconsciously through force of habit. Of these habitual actions, some are dependent on others while some are independents. There are certain conscious actions that are often done unconsciously. For example, certain words come out from one’s mouth unconsciously. Why does this happen? Because one’s nature has been moulded thus. Certain actions are also performed consciously. However, they are not motivated by any specific purpose. If you want, you may look to the right or the left. Moreover, without being prompted by anyone or persuaded by any motive, you may look in any direction inadvertently. While sitting, a person may look in this direction or that without any specific intention.

It may so happen that a person is sitting and wants to know what So-and-So is doing, and suddenly looks in that direction. This happens; there is nothing good or bad in such actions. For instance, there was a person who was a notorious bandit. He had murdered many people. But later in his life he grew penitent and felt inspired to righteous actions. Afterwards, he became a good person, a very good person. At one place in North Bihar, the monks of Ananda Marga were singing very beautiful kiirtana. That person was formerly a bandit. When he heard that the monks were singing beautiful kiirtana, he felt drawn there, and said, Báh! Báh! Már lát́hi, már lát́hi [“Strike with a stick”]. Others thought: “What is going on? The monks are singing such beautiful kiirtana but this gentleman says, Már lát́hi, már lát́hi. ” Then the bandit explained, “Previously it was my nature that whenever I used to find anything good and exciting, I would say, ́már lát́hi,’ and now, out of force of habit, I said it again.” He did not say it consciously. It was his habit. Hearing such excellent kiirtana, other people would say, “Oh! Very good!” and other exclamations, but this man said, “Már lát́hi, már lát́hi.” Things like this happen.

Back to phala. Actions, done unknowingly and independent of others, are not included in one’s account; one is not culpable. Only those actions that have the backing of the conscious mind are included in one’s account. You are walking. You do not commit any sin if an insect is crushed under your feet while walking, because you just have walked along without any specific intention. So there is no sin and no injustice on your part. But if you step forward and crush a crawling insect under your shoes intentionally, then you have done this at the behest of the conscious mind. If that insect is not your born enemy [játashatru] – i.e., a snake, a scorpion, etc.–you are definitely guilty of the act of killing. You commit just as much a sin in killing that insect as you would commit in killing an ox or a buffalo. Compassion for living creatures is the highest dharma (jiive dayá parama dharma). This is quite true. In this case what is the meaning of jiiva [living creatures]? The creature that is not one’s born enemy is the ajátashatru. There are various born enemies of human beings, such as tigers, poisonous snakes and scorpions. There is no question of virtue or sin with regard to the killing of born enemies. If you do not kill them, they will kill you. If one does not kill them, one paves the way for suicide or self-annihilation. This is foolishness.

But those who are not your born enemies, such as, the oxen, buffaloes, and goat that live around you, if you kill them, it is an injustice; it is a hundred times more sinful. So if you are a large-hearted person and you desire that living creatures and animals not be killed, then you may try again and again to help people understand this, but you should not apply force. You can help someone to become good by making him understand, but no one becomes good through the application of force. You may persuade, you may bring them onto the path of righteousness by helping them to understand. This you can certainly do. If the sinner is engaged in sinful acts or keeps moving ahead on a sinful path, you can prevent that person from doing so by the application of force. But you cannot rectify him in this way. If you have great compassion for the world of living creatures (this is a very good quality and is indicative of tenderness of heart, it is very positive), then you can take a firm stand for the non-killing of every creature, from the Cosmic Entity to the tiniest blade of grass (ábramhastamba), from the elephant to the ant. In this way you can encourage and inspire your fellow human beings. But if you persuade and exert pressure on people by saying that only ants or only cockroaches should not be killed, then you will be guilty of one-sidedness. It means there is partiality in you. Why should you invite the criticism that you do not have as much love for the buffalo as you have for the ants and goats? This is certainly not correct.

You are responsible for the actions that you have done consciously and knowingly, induced by personal considera-tions. So the mind undergoes no distortion by actions that do not have the backing of the mind and wherein the mind remains non-attached. The mind becomes overjoyed when actions that have the support of the mind turn out to be good. But your mind becomes constricted if you come to learn later that a particular action of yours was bad. “What did I do? Why did I do? It would have been better not to have done it.” Such repentance overwhelms a person after repeated mistakes. But by then it is too late. Whenever the mind supports an action, it then remains subject to distortion by those actions. The normal state of one’s psychic flow is disturbed, be it righteous or unrighteous.

According to the laws of nature, another type of karmabhoga [experience of requitals] must be undergone in order to restore the mind to its normal state. If the original action is righteous, then one must undergo the good consequences of such righteous action, and if the original action is unrighteous, one has to reap the adverse consequences of such an action.

Ná bhuktaḿ kśiiyate karma kalpakot́i shataerapi
Avasyameva bhoktavyaḿ krtaḿ karma shubháshubham.
Jávannakśiiyate karma shubhaiṋcá shubhamevaca
Tábanna jáyate mokśo nrńám kalpashataerapi.
Yatha louhamayae páshae páshae svarńamayaerapi
Tathábaddho bhavejjivo karmáviscá shubhae shubhae.

[Unless one undergoes the requital of one’s mental reactive momenta – good requitals for good actions, bad requitals for bad actions – one cannot attain liberation. Whether an action is good or bad, the reaction must be experienced. Unless one’s good or bad saḿskáras (mental requitals momenta) become completely exhausted, one cannot attain mokśa (non-qualified liberation) even in crores of kalpas (aeons). Just as chains, whether of iron or gold, are still chains, so people bound by saḿskáras, whether good or bad, are nevertheless bound.]

There is no escape even if one performs a good action. One has to return again and again to this earth in order to reap the auspicious consequences of such actions. The idea that the disembodied mind experiences the auspicious consequences of its good actions is indeed a fantasy. This fantasy world is called heaven. It means that if one has performed a good action, then one will reap the consequences of that auspicious action after death. But the mind can experience its good consequences, if and only if, it has a body. One experiences joy and agony, pleasure and pain only if one has a brain, nerve cells and nerve fibres. If there is no physical body, how can there be any experience? So the thought of experiencing that pleasure in heaven is nothing but sheer fantasy. There is no logic behind it. That is why, in Ánanda Sútram, it is said, Na svargo na rasátala [“There is neither heaven nor hell”].

Where is the question of pleasure and pain in the absence of the physical body! So the fantasy of heaven is completely erroneous. Yes, one has to come to this world again in order to experience pleasure and pain. You have to come to the world again so that the saḿskáras of the past attain fruition. It is correct, because one has to perform actions in order to restore the mind to its normal state from the distortions (vikrti) caused by previous actions. What does a wise person do then? When the five Pandavas were in exile, they were spending their days in great suffering, even though Yudhisthira, as the king, had performed great acts of charity. What great suffering they endured during their exile in the forest! Then, Draopadii caustically remarked to Yudhisthira, “Very well, very well.”

Sahasra sahasra Bráhmań kańaka pátre bhuiṋje,
Ámi kari paricaryá sevá hetu dvije.
Dvijere suvarńapátra dáo ájiṋá mátre,
Ekhan vaner phal bhuiṋja vanapatre.

[Thousands of Brahmans you once fed on golden plates,
I attended them and served them;
You offered them golden plates at your slightest bidding,
Now you eat wild fruits on forest leaves.]

So what did Yudhisthira say then? “I do not expect anything in return whenever I do anything good. I desire no result. I want to offer the good results of my good actions to the Lord, and I should reap the bad consequences of my bad actions. I will not give those to the Lord. I should not come to this world to reap the consequences of good actions that are done through me. Whenever I do anything, I offer it to the Lord – ‘O Lord, take the consequences of this auspicious action.’ I also say, ‘Let me have for myself the inauspicious consequences of my inauspicious actions.’”

Karmakari yei jan phalákauṋkśii hay
Vańiker mata sei váńijya karay.
Phalalobhe karmakare lubdha bali táre
Lobhe punah punah paŕe naraka dustare.
Ámi yáhá karma kari phalákauṋkśii nai
Samarpańa kari sarva Ishvarer t́háinn.

[Those who solicit the fruits of their actions are no better than merchants. He or she who acts for gain is called a greedy person and acting under the influence of greed; they are carried to the darkest hell. I do not act for any fruit; rather I surrender all my actions unto Brahma – the Supreme.]

This is indeed the path of a pure, saintly and truthful person. This is the secret behind escaping from the good consequences of a good action. One may say that it is nice to undergo the good consequences of one’s righteous actions. “I shall lie in a golden bed and stretch my legs on a silver cot and someone shall come and offer me hot delicious cakes (málpoá). I will only have the trouble of chewing and swallowing them. I will only have to take this little trouble.” But this is not the way things are. There is no real good gained by this.

While experiencing the good consequences of one’s righteous actions one may commit three or four wrong acts. Thus one has to then come again to reap the consequences of such unrighteous acts. One has to transcend the cycle of actions and reactions. One must desist from wrong actions. “I will restrain myself from unrighteous actions. I shall not do anything unjust, come what may. I shall fight against evil. I shall fold my hands before a righteous person.” This is the lifestyle of a righteous person. “I shall be vociferous against injustice and shall remain humble before a righteous individual. I shall commit no evil. I shall do as much good as possible, and while doing so, I shall tell Parama Puruśa at every step that I desire no reward and want nothing auspicious, in return for my good deeds. Let these be Yours.”

Phalasákśiibhútah. The mind is the doer of all actions, good or bad. They are not done by the átmá. The átmá [unit consciousness] is not involved in any action. But the fact is that the mind remains attached to the átmá, it remains integrally, inseparably related to the átmá. Therefore, the distortions in the mind caused by sinful acts leave their impression on the átmá. But the unit consciousness remains as unaffected as before though the distortions leave their imprints on the surface. Gold remains as it is. When gold is coated with enamel then the impurity remains on the surface, but when that enamel is removed, the gold is found intact. Indeed, the gold has not become impure though the enamelling leaves its imprint. So in the case of a sinner, the distorted mind remains along with the átmá. That átmá can be considered as the sinful-self (pápátmá). The self is addressed in different manners as the evil-self, virtuous-self, noble-self and sinful-self (durátmá, puńyátmá, mahátmá, pápátmá), but the self is neither sinful, noble, evil, nor anything else. Some time ago in India, a particular person who was a mixture of virtues and vices – of course, every one has both virtues and vices – used to be adored as “Mahátmá” [“Noble Soul”]. All átmás are the same. No átmá is noble and no átmá is abominable. These are only flattery and mere sycophancy. Some people use this means to further their own interests. You should be aware of such people. You know, excessive admiration is a sign of deception.

So átmá is neither noble nor ignoble . Átmá is átmá. If the sinful mind (the distortions which the mind has undergone due to sinful acts) is associated with the unit consciousness, or in other words, if the mind which has provided the impetus for a sinful act, remains associated with the átmá, it is called pápopahata caitanya or pápopahata átmá [consciousness or soul apparently assailed by sin]. Similarly, when the mind is engaged in righteous actions it undoubtedly imbibes positive saḿskáras [reactive momenta] and undergoes positive distortions. It is called puńyopahata caitanya or puńyopahata átmá [consciousness or soul apparently affected by virtue]. Terms such as puńyátmá [virtuous self] and pápátmá [sinful self] are not proper because the átmá as such is immune to vice and virtue. Since a virtuous mind or a sinful mind gets associated with the átmá, it is called phalasákśiibhútah, for it remains as the witness. The átmá remains as the witness of the phenomena of action and reaction.

Dvá suparńá sayujá shákháyá samánaḿ brkśaḿ pariśasvajáte;
Tayorańyah pippalaḿ svádvattya nashnanna nyoabhicákshiiti.

[Two birds of golden plumage are perched together in a tree. One of them tastes the sweet fruits; the other simply witnesses without tasting.]

There are two entities in one body. There are two birds, as it were. One bird, i.e., the átmá, witnesses and does not eat the fruit [as the other bird does]. It witnesses; it remains poised on the same tree. Here tree refers to the physical body. Suparńá means “beautiful wing” or “golden wing”. Sayujá sakháyá means “intimate companions”.

I said yesterday that everything is being recorded. Nothing is hidden from view. There is no way to conceal anything. Someone once told me during personal contact, “I do a great deal of charity and noble deeds.” “You have done very good things,” I told him, “Really very good. You have done charity and alleviated the suffering of others. How can I tell you how happy I am to hear this? But there is one thing that troubles me. You have stolen your friend’s radio.” Then, he burst into tears. Such is the nature of human beings. One remembers one’s good actions and says, “I have done this, I have done that,” but forgets the wrong actions one has committed. They do not realize that both good and bad actions are being tape-recorded (just as Rámánanda is taping what I say).

Phalasákśiibhútah. Átmá remains the exclusive witness. It sees everything, understands everything and enforces necessary discipline from time to time. The very act of witnessing is its action. It does not do anything by itself. It is the non-doer. The kartá [headman] in a marriage ceremony or at a festival remains seated in a chair. He witnesses and observes everything. Regarding Parama Puruśa it is said that He is Paramacakśuśmána, i.e., the Supreme Witnessing Entity. Often it is said that when So-and-So says something hurtful to another person, Parama Puruśa may or may not take notice. I do not say that He takes notice nor do I say that He does not take notice. But when So-and-So expresses his grievance before Him, then, of course, He is aware. So His witnessing faculty is of supreme importance. How so? Sákśiibhútah, the witness-ship is explicit in Him. His duty is only to know. There is no way to do anything in secret, no matter how intelligent one may be. Hence Phalasákśiibhutah.

Glossary

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 9
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 10

Notes:

Words in this glossary have been alphabetized according to the English alphabet, not the Bengali. Accented letters have been treated the same as unaccented (e.g., Á the same as A).

ÁJIṊÁ CAKRA. Sixth, or lunar, psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus; the “yogic wisdom eye”. See also CAKRA.
ANÁHATA CAKRA. Fourth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus; the “yogic heart”. See also CAKRA.
ÁNANDA. Divine bliss.
ANANDA MARGA. Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Ananda Marga organization).
ASTEYA. Not to take possession what belongs to others, non-stealing.
ATHARVAVEDA. The last Veda, composed approximately 3000 years ago, older than the Jain scriptures.
ÁTMÁ, Átman. Soul, consciousness, Puruśa, pure cognition. The átman of the Cosmos is Paramátman, and that of the unit is the jiivátman.
ÁYURVEDA. The Vedic system of medicine.

BARENDRA. The portion of Bengal to the north of the River Padma, comprising of all North Bengal districts.
BHAJANA. Devotional song or songs.
BHAKTA. Devotee, spiritual aspirant who has devotion.
BHAKTI. Devotion.
BRAHMA. Supreme Entity, comprising both Puruśa, or SHIVA, and Prakrti, or Shakti.
BRÁHMII SCRIPT. An Indian script invented at least seven thousand years ago, now obsolete. It was written from right to left.
BUDDHA. One who has attained bodhi, intuition. Lord Buddha, the propounder of Buddhism, appeared approximately 2500 years ago.

CAKRA. Cycle or circle; psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus. The cakras in the human body are all located along the suśumná canal which passes through the length of the spinal column and extends up to the crown of the head. Some cakras, however, are associated with external concentration points. The concentration points: (1) for the múládhára cakra, the base of the spine, above the perineum; (2) for the svádhiśt́hána, the genital organ; (3) for the mańipura, the navel; (4) for the anáhata, the midpoint of the chest; (5) for the vishuddha, the throat; (6) for the ájiṋá, between the eyebrows; and (7) for the sahasrára, the crown of the head. There are two other cakras which are needed in certain spiritual practices, so the cakras are nine in number.
CITISHAKTI. Cognitive Principle, Puruśa, Pure Consciousness.

D́ABÁK. Literally “Oft-Flooded Land”; its other name was Vauṋga. A part of ancient Bengal composed of modern day Mymensingh District; Dhaka District; Faridpur District excepting Goalanda and Gopalganj; and the major portion of Bakharganj District.
DÁYABHÁGA. A system of inheritance in which the heirs’ right of inheritance is subject to the discretion of the father, who has the right to disinherit any of the heirs. Another feature of this system is the right of inheritance for women.
DHARMA. Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.
DHRITARASTRA. Literally, “the entity that holds the structure of human beings”; “the blind mind”. In the Mahábhárata, the blind king of the Kaoravas. He had one hundred sons.

GANDHARI. Pious and righteous mother of the hundred Kaoravas.
GAUṊGÁSÁGAR. The place where the River Ganges empties into the Bay of Bengal.
GAUṊGOTTARII. The place where the River Ganges originates.
GAŃESHA. In mythology, the son of Shiva; the god of commerce; half man, half elephant.
GAOŔIIYA. Related to Bengal.
GONDWANA, GONDWANALAND. An ancient continent, now, due to geophysical changes, no longer intact.
GUŃA. Binding factor or principle; attribute; quality. Prakrti, the Cosmic Operative Principle, is composed of: sattvaguńa, the sentient principle; rajoguńa, the mutative principle; and tamoguńa, the static principle.
GURU. Gu means “darkness”, ru means “dispeller”; hence “dispeller of darkness”; spiritual master.
GURU CAKRA. The inner side of the SAHASRÁRA CAKRA, or pineal
plexus; occult plexus. See also CAKRA.
GURU MANTRA. “Important” mantra, learned as a lesson of Ananda Marga sadhana.
GURU PÚJÁ. The offering of mental colours to the Guru.

HARA. Literally, “the entity which is instrumental for the withdrawal of everything” (the word is derived from ha and ra – ha is the acoustic root of the ethereal factor and ra is the acoustic root of energy) or “one who undergoes no change under the influence of others”; other names of Lord Shiva.
HARI. Literally, “that which steals”; one who steals others’ sins to lighten their burden and pave the way for their liberation; another name of Parama Puruśa – the entity responsible for the preservation of unit beings.

JIṊÁNA. Spiritual knowledge, self-realization, understanding.
JIIVÁTMÁ. See ÁTMÁ.

KAORAVAS. Hundred sons of King Dhritarastra, the adhármik forces in the Mahábhárata war.
KHAROŚT́II. An Indian script invented approximately seven thousand years ago, now obsolete. It was written from left to right.
KIIRTANA. Collective singing of the name of the Lord, combined with instrumental music and with a dance that expresses the spirit of surrender.
KÚRMA NÁD́II. Energy channel related to vocal cord.
KURUKŚETRA. Literally, a field always saying “kuru, kuru,” “do something, do something;” hence the world, the entire universe; the place where the Mahábhárata war was fought; a town near Delhi.

MAHÁBHÁRATA. “Great India”; the name of a military campaign guided by Lord Krśńa around 1500 BCE to unify India; the epic poem written by Maharshi Vyasa about this campaign.
MAHAPRABHU. Literally, “a great master”; Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who propounded the Gaoŕiiya Vaeśńava religion five hundred years ago.
MAHÁSAMBHÚTI. When TÁRAKA BRAHMA utilizes the five fundamental factors to express Himself through a body, this is known as His Mahásambhúti.
MAŃIPURA CAKRA. The third psychio-spiritual centre, or plexus; the controlling point of the pancreas. See also CAKRA.
MANTRA. A sound or collection of sounds which, when meditated upon, will lead to spiritual liberation. A mantra is incantative, pulsative and ideative.
MANU SAḿHITÁ. An authoritative collection of social rules, customs, and etiquette for Hindus compiled by Manu, who lived about two thousand years ago in the post-Buddhist era.
MITÁKŚARÁ. Mitákśará entails the heirs’ equal rights of inheritance, not subject to the father’s discretion; mostly prevalent in Northern India.
MOKŚA. Spiritual emancipation, non-qualified liberation.
MÚLÁDHÁRA CAKRA. Lowest, or basal (or terranean), psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located just above the base of the spine. See also CAKRA.

NANDANA VIJIṊÁNA. Aesthetic science.
NÁRÁYAŃA. The Supreme Entity; literally, “the Lord of Nára (Prakrti)”.

PAIṊCA BHÚTA. Five rudimental factors – ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid.
PANDAVAS. The five sons of King Pandu, representing the dhármika forces in the Mahábhárata war.
PANINI. The world’s first grammarian; he wrote the first Sanskrit grammar.
PARAMÁ PRAKRTI. Supreme Operative Principle.
PARAMA PURUŚA. Supreme Consciousness.
PARAMÁTMÁ, PARAMÁTMAN. Supreme Consciousness as the witness of His own Macropsychic conation.
PARAMESHVARA. Supreme Controller of the universe.
PARÁSHAKTI. Introversive pervasive force.
PARASMAEPADII. Terminologies of conjugation in Sanskrit grammar.
PÁRVATII. Colloquial version of “Parvata Kanyá” – “Daughter of the Mountains”; one of the three wives of SADÁSHIVA.
PRÁKRTA. The seven spoken languages that developed from Sanskrit; prákrta also means prákrta jana, that is, “common people”.

RÁMÁYAŃA. An epic poem of India. It is the story of King Rama, or Ramchandra.
RÁŔH. The territory, mostly in modern-day Bengal and Jharkhand, stretching from the West Bank of the Bhagirathi river to the
Parasnath hills.
RGVEDA. The oldest Veda, composed over the period between fifteen thousand years ago and ten thousand years ago.

SADHANA. Literally, “ sustained effort”; spiritual practice; meditation.
SADGURU. Spiritual master.
SÁDHU. Virtuous person, spiritual aspirant.
SADÁSHIVA. SHIVA (literally, “eternal Shiva”).
SADVIPRA. Spiritual revolutionary.
SAHASRÁRA CAKRA. Highest, or pineal, psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the crown of the head. See also CAKRA.
SAIṊCARA. In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from the Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter. (Saiṋcara literally means “movement”.)
SÁMAVEDA. Sáma means “song”; the song portions of three Vedas collectively made up the Sámaveda. So the Sámaveda is not a separate Veda.
SAḾSKÁRA. Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction.
SAḾSKRTA, Sanskrit. The classical language of India. It first emerged during the Post-Shiva period, and as a spoken language it began to be supplanted by Prákrta prior to the Krśńa period. Although not a spoken language today except in very limited circumstances, it is still important for its vast literature especially spiritual literature. Sanskrit and English are the languages of the world that have the richest vocabularies. Sanskrit pronunciation was perfected by non-Aryan Tantrics in such a way that each of the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet constitutes one acoustic root of Tantra.
SHIVA. A great Tantric guru of 5000 BCE who guided society while His mind was absorbed in Consciousness; hence, Infinite Consciousness, Puruśa. First advent of tÁraka Brahma.
SHAEVA TANTRA. Shiva Tantra. The applied, or practical, side of spirituality as taught by Shiva.
SHRII KRŚŃA, KRŚŃA. Literally, “the entity which attracts everything of the universe towards its own self”, Parama Puruśa. A great Tantric guru, the historical Krśńa of about 1500 BC; second Táraka Brahma or Mahásambhúti.
SHLOKA. A Sanskrit couplet expressing one idea.
SITA. Wife of Rama.
SIXTEEN POINTS. The central pillar of Ananda Marga conduct rules: sixteen rules of hygiene and conduct amid which are reiterated all other conduct rules.
SVÁDHIŚT́HÁNA CAKRA. Second, or fluidal, psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus. See also CAKRA.

TANTRA. A spiritual tradition which originated in India in prehistoric times and was first systematized by Shiva. It emphasizes the development of human vigour, both through meditation and through confrontation of difficult external situations, to overcome all fears and weakness. Also, a scripture expounding that tradition.
TÁRAKA BRAHMA. Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect.

UPANIŚAD, UPANISHAD. Literally, “that which brings one near”; certain philosophical sections of the Vedas.

VEDA. Literally, “knowledge”; hence, a composition imparting spiritual knowledge. Also, a religious or philosophical school which originated among the Aryans and was brought by them to India. It is based on the Vedas and emphasizes the use of ritual to gain the intervention of the gods.
VISHUDDHA CAKRA. Fifth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, related to the vocal cord and to the thyroid and parathyroid glands; controls sixteen propensities. See also CAKRA.
VRTTI. Mental propensity.

YAJURVEDA. A Veda composed over a period between ten thousand years ago and seven thousand years ago. There was no script at that time.
YAMA AND NIYAMA. Ten principles of moral conduct.
YOGA. Spiritual practice leading to unification of the unit átman with Paramátman.
YOGI. A practitioner of yoga.