Lord Dakshinamurthy and Four Kumaras
Sanaka, Sananda, Sanathana and Sanatkumara, also called as 'Kumaras', were born from the mind of Lord Brahma. When Brahma ordered them to procreate, they rejected the orders of Brahma. They were very dispassionate and not interested in material things. They began to think about the reason for existence of something called "Creation", and also the reason for their very own existence. Several questions sprang from their minds but there was none competent enough to answer their questions. They wandered for about one hundred years. The young Kumaras began to look old with grey hair as their quest for Truth intensified during the period.The almighty and all merciful Lord Shiva who is the indweller of all beings decided to enlighten four Kumaras. He himself appeared as a sixteen year old youth under the Banyan tree. When the four elderly Sanakadi rishis first beheld the sixteen-year-old Sri Dakshinamurti sitting under the banyan tree, they were at once attracted by Him, and understood that He was the real Guru.
They approached Him, did three pradakshinas(circumambulation) around Him, prostrated before Him, sat at His Feet and began to ask shrewd and pertinent questions about the nature of reality and the means of attaining it. Because of the great compassion and fatherly love (vatsalya) which He felt for His aged disciples, the young Sri Dakshinamurti was overjoyed to see their earnestness, wisdom and maturity, and gave apt replies to each of their questions. But as He answered each consecutive question, further doubts arose in their minds and they asked further questions. Thus they continued to question Sri Dakshinamurti for a whole year, and He continued to clear their doubts through His compassionate answers. Finally, however, Sri Dakshinamurti understood that if He continued answering their questions, more doubts would arise in their minds and their ignorance (ajnana)would never end.
Therefore, suppressing even the feeling of compassion and fatherly love which was welling up within Him,He merged Himself into the Supreme Silence. Because of their great maturity (which had ripened to perfection through their year-long association with the Sadguru), as soon as Sri Dakshinamurti assumed Silence, they too automatically merged into Supreme Silence, the true state of the Self.”
By the grace of Lord Dakshinamurthy, the indweller of all, Kumaras have become free from all kinds of doubts. They have become Jnanis(enlightened). They realised that they are 'Atman' ('Self') alone. Having realized Atman(Shiva) the Kumaras freed themselves from all fetters. They said :
Om nama pranavarthaya,
Suddha jnanaika moorthaye nama,
Nirmalaya prasanthaya,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.
Gurave sara lokaanam,
Bishaje bhava roginaam,
Nidhaye sarva vidhyanam,
Sri Dakshinamurthaye nama.
"Salutations to that Dakshinamurthy, Who is the meaning of the pranava, “om”, Who is the personification of unalloyed wisdom(Jnana), Who is always Pure And who is the epitome of peace. Salutations to that Dakshinamurthy, Who is the teacher of the entire world, Who is the doctor to those afflicted by the disease of birth and death, And who is the treasure house of all knowledge."
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Lord Shiva --- A story from Kena Upanishad and Shiva maha Purana.
Pinaaka Hasthaaya Sanaatanaaya
Divyaaya Devaaya Digambaraaya
Tasmai 'Ya' karaaya Namah Shivaaya
Meaning: Prostrartions to the sacred Lord who is the Yaksa incarnate, whose hairs are long and matted, who holds Pinaaka (trident) in His hand, who has the entire sky as His attire and who is embodied as the letter 'Ya'.
After Khseera sagara madanam, the Devas got Amrutam. The devas became very strong and easily defeated the Asuras. The Devas thought that it was their own strength which was responsible for the Victory over Asuras. They forgot altogether that it was only by the grace of Lord Shiva,the absolute brahman. The Devas started feeling very proud about their strength. They said to themselves :
"vijayo'smakamevayam mahimeti " ( ie., "Verily, this victory is ours; verily, this glory is ours only.")
Lord Shiva ,the omniscient, decided to teach the Devas a lesson. So he appeared before Devas in form of an Yaksha. The Gods decided to know about this new creature.
te agnimabruvanjataveda etadvijanihi kimidam yakshamiti tatheti
The devas asked Agni Deva : "O Agni! Find out who this great Spirit is."
Agni deva :"Yes,"
tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'sityagnirva
ahamasmityabravijjataveda va ahamasmiti
Lord Shiva who's in Yaksha form, asked him: "Who are you?"
Agni deva said : "I am known as Agni; I am also called Jataveda."
tasmimstvayi kim viryamityapidam sarvam
daheyam yadidam prithivyamiti
Yaksha said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?"
Agni deva replied: "I can burn all— whatever there is on earth."
tasmai trinam nidadhavetaddaheti |
tadupapreyaya sarvajavena tanna shashaka dagdhum sa tata eva
nivavrite naitadashakam vijnatum yadetadyakshamiti
Iswara put a straw before him and said: "Burn this."
Agnideva rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not burn it. Then he returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is,"
atha vayumabruvanvayavetadvijanihi
kimetadyakshamiti tatheti
Then the devas said to Vayu : "O Vayu! Find out who this great Spirit is."
Vayu deva said : "Yes," , then he hastened to It.
tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'siti vayurva
ahamasmityabravinmatarishva va ahamasmiti
Parameswara asked him: "Who are you?"
Vayu replied : "I am known as Vayu; I am also called Matarisva."
tasmimstvayi kim viryamityapidam
sarvamadadiya yadidam prithivyamiti
Lord shiva said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?"
Vayu replied: "I can carry off all— whatever there is on earth."
tasmai trinam nidadhavetadadatsveti
tadupapreyaya sarvajavena tanna shashakadatum sa tata eva
nivavrite naitadashakam vijnatum yadetadyakshamiti
Brahman put a straw before him and said: "Carry this." He rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not move it. Then he returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is,"
athendramabruvanmaghavannetadvijanihi kimetadyakshamiti tatheti
tadabhyadravattasmattirodadhe
Then the gods said to Indra: "O Maghavan! Find out who this great Spirit is."
Indra said: "Yes," and hastened to It.
sa tasminnevakashe striyamajagama bahushobhamanamuma
haimavatim tamhovaca kimetadyakshamiti
But the Lord shiva disappeared from him. Then Indra beheld in that very region of the sky a Woman highly adorned. She was Uma, the daughter of the Himalayas. In order to marry Lord shiva, she was doing severe penance. Uma knew the supreme nature of Lord Shiva.
Indra approached her and said: "Who is this great Spirit?"
sa brahmeti hovaca brahmano va etadvijaye mahiyadhvamiti
tato haiva vidancakara brahmeti
tasmadva ete deva atitaramivanyandevanyadagnirvayurindraste
hyenannedishtham pasparshuste hyenatprathamo vidancakara brahmeti
Parvati replied : "It is, indeed,Absolute Brahman Shiva . Through the victory of Brahman alone have you attained glory." Later, she taught Indra about the supreme nature of Lord Shiva. After that Indra understood that It was Brahman(Lord Shiva).
tasmadva indro'titaramivanyandevansa
hyenannedishtham pasparsha sa hyenatprathamo vidancakara brahmeti
Since they approached very near in comprehending the Supreme nature of Lord Shiva and were the first to know that the Yaksha was Brahman(shiva) , these devas, namely, Agni, Vayu and Indra, excelled the other gods.
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