శ్రీ త్రిపుర సుందరీ దశ శ్లోకీ, श्री त्रिपुरसुन्दरी दशश्लोकी, Ten verses on Sree Tripurasundari

 

 

 

 

శ్రీ త్రిపుర సుందరీ దశ శ్లోకీ 

హృదయాబ్జేన భావమల్లికా ప్రసూనై: బుద్ద్యోత్పలా పుష్పై:

సద్వాసనా చంపకై: సుమధుర మకరందాన్విత వాక్ మందారై:

అలంకుర్వన్ సుగంధికున్తలాబాం శ్యామలాం మనోజ్ఞాం 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర  ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

సుహృద్భావ వీణానాదై: రస మృదంగ ధ్వానై: ఉచ్ఛ్వాస నిశ్వాస 

వాయులీనై: దేవీ శ్రీ దివ్య నామ మురళీ రవై: శ్రావయన్ 

స్వర ఝరీం రాగ గంగాం వీణా వేణు మృదంగ వాద్య రసికామ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

లసత్ కాంచన తాటంక యుగాళాం రసత్కింకిణి మేఖలామ్ 

తారాకాంతి తిరస్కార నాసాభరణ భాసురామ్ ఆనంద తాండవే 

ధిమి ధిమి సంయోజిత నూపురాం నటరాజ ప్రేయసీం రాజరాజేశ్వరీమ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

సకల వేదాంత సంసిద్ధ సుతత్త్వాం గాయత్రీం సర్వ వేదాంత 

సంవేద్యాం సకల భాషా శాస్త్ర కళా రూపిణీం సత్య సంపూర్ణ విజ్ఞాన

 ప్రదాత్రీం పరా పశ్యన్తీ మధ్యమా  వైఖరీ రూపిణీం తత్త్వమర్థస్వరూపిణీమ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

సత్యజ్ఞానానంద స్వరూపిణీం అస్తిభాతిప్రియాం  

సచ్చిదానంద స్వరూపిణీం చిదాభాసాం మాయాం ప్రణవామ్ 

సహృదయ హృదయంగమాం వేదాంత సరస్వతీం మౌన్యామ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

రామాం త్రిభువన మోహాం ప్రేమాం శ్యామాం లలితామ్  

సౌందర్య స్వరూపిణీం శ్యామకృష్ణ సోదరీమ్ ఉమాం కామామ్ 

శృంగార రస స్వరూపిణీం మహాకామేశ్వర రతౌత్సుక్య మహాకామేశ్వరీమ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

బాలా ప్రభృత దశ నామయుతాం దశ విద్యా సంస్థితామ్ 

ఆత్మదశాం మనోదశాతీతాం  నిర్మలాం నిగమాం సుందరేశ 

మనోల్లాసినీం మనోన్మణీం మీనాక్షీం మనహరీం శుద్ధమానసాం 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

సహస్ర నామ విరాజితాం నానార్థ స్వరూపిణీం తాత్పర్యామ్ 

తత్పరాం రస స్వరూపిణీం శాంతాం నారాయణీమ్ 

భావనా మాత్ర సంతుష్ట హృదయాం భగవతీం భవానీం భావాతీతామ్ 

వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

లలితకళా స్వరూపిణీం ప్రాణమయీం నాదరూపాం రాగిణీమ్ 

సంగీతనాట్యలోలాం కావ్యాలాపవినోదినీం ప్రీతి ప్రణయ 

స్నేహ స్వరూపిణీం రాగతాళయుత కాల స్వరూపిణీం కాళీమ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

పూర్వ సముద్ర స్థితాం శ్రియం లక్ష్మీం శ్రీదేవీం ఈప్సితదామ్ 

ఈశ్వరీం సకలాయురారోగ్య శుభా సంప్రదాత్రీం విజయామ్ 

అభయ క్షేమ స్థైర్య ధైర్య ఐశ్వర్య దాత్రీం విమలాం శాంకరీమ్ 

శ్రీ వేదపురీశ్వర ప్రణయినీం త్రిపుర సుందరీమ్ ఆశ్రయే 

శ్రీ త్రిపురసుందరీదేవ్యార్పణమస్తు!

श्री त्रिपुरसुन्दरी दशश्लोकी


हृदयाब्जेन भावमल्लिकाप्रसूनैः बुद्ध्योत्पलापुश्पैः
सद्वासना चम्पकैः सुमधुरमकरन्दान्वितवाक्मन्दारैः
अलंकुर्वन् सुगन्धिकुन्तलाम्बाम् श्यमलां मनोज्ञाम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

सुहृद्भाववीणानादैः रसमृदङ्गध्वानैः उच्छ्वास-
निश्वासवायुलीनैः देवीश्रीदिव्यनाममुरलीरवैः श्रावयन्
स्वरझरीम् रागगङ्गाम् वीणावेणुमृदङ्गवाद्यरसिकाम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

लसत्कान्ञ्चनताटान्कयुगलां रसत्किन्किणीमेखलाम्
ताराकान्तितिरस्कारनासाभरणभासुराम् आनन्दताण्डवे
धिमिधिमिसंयोजितनूपुरां नटराजप्रेयसीम् राजराजेश्वरीम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

सकलवेदान्तसंसिद्धसुतन्त्वां गयत्रीं सर्ववेदान्तसंवेद्याम्
सकलभाषाशास्त्रकलारूपिणीम् सत्यसंपूर्णविज्ञानप्रदात्रीम्
परापश्यन्तीमध्यमावैखरीस्वरूपिणीम् तत्त्वमर्थस्वरूपिणीम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

सत्यज्ञानान्दस्वरूपिणीम् अस्तिभातिप्रियांसत्यशिवसुन्दरीम्
सच्चिदान्दस्वरूपिणीम् चिदाभासाम् मायाम् प्रणवाम्
सहृदयहृदयं गमां वेदान्तसरस्वतीं मौन्याम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

रामाम् त्रिभुवनमोहां प्रेमां श्यामां ललितां सौन्दर्य-
स्वरूपिणीं श्यामकृष्णसोदरीम् उमां कामां शृन्गाररस-
स्वरूपिणीं महाकामेस्वररतौत्सुक्यमहाकामेश्वरीम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

बालाप्रभृतदशनामयुतां दशविद्यासम्स्थिताम् आत्मदशाम् मनोदशातीतां
निर्मलां निगमां सुन्दरेशमनोल्लासिनीम् मीनाक्षीम्
मनोन्मणीं मनोहरीं सुद्धमानसाम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

सहस्रनामविराजितां नानार्थस्वरूपिणीं तात्पर्याम्
तत्परां रसस्वरूपिणीं शान्तां नारायणीं भावनामात्र-
सन्तुष्टहृदयां भगवतीं भवानीं भावातीताम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

ललितकलास्वरूपिणीं प्राणमयीं नादरूपां रागिणीं
सङ्गीतनाट्यलोलां काव्यालापविनोदिनीम् प्रीतिप्रणयस्नेह-
स्वरूपिणीं रागतालयुतकालस्वरूपिणीं कालीम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

पूर्वसमुद्रस्थितां श्रियम् लक्ष्मीम् श्रीदेवीम् ईप्सितदाम्
ईश्वरीं सकलायुरारोग्यशुभसंप्रदात्रीं विजयाम्
अभयक्षेमस्थैर्यधैर्याश्वैर्यदात्रीम् विमलाम् शांकरीम्
श्रीवेदपुरीस्वरप्रणयनीम् त्रिपुरसुन्दरीम् आश्रये

Sree Tripurasundaree Dasa Slokee
Ten verses on Sree Tripurasundari


With the jasmine flowers of my emotion, the blue lotuses of my mind
With the champaka flowers of blissful memories, the coral of a voice sweet with honey
Do I adorn – my heart, a lotus, acts as the channel –
The purple-green goddess, enchanting with the overpowering scent of her hair.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


With the veena[1] melody of my heartfelt love, the drumbeat of rasa[2]
With a wind symphony of breaths, the flautist’s tune formed by chanting the words “Sri Devi”
Do I make music for the goddess as a stream of sound, the Ganga of ragas,
an aesthete of fine taste in the mridunga[3], the pipe and the veena -
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.

She whose ears glitter gold with her earrings as she jingles with her belt of gold and stone,
Her shining nose-ring eclipses the bright beauty of the stars
Her anklets ring in time and in tune with the steps of her blissful dance – for she, the queen of queens, is the lover of the lord of dance.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


Gayatri, the origin of the full and complete Vedanta, who knows all there is to know about the Vedas
She in whom exists all arts, sciences and languages, she who dispenses knowledge complete and true.
She is the four modes of speech – purport, import, sense, sentence and utterance -
She forms the very essence of the meaning of ‘tat tvam[4]’.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


She personifies the instinctual knowledge that is truth, charming as the light that is existence, beautiful in her blessed truth
She represents ‘sat-chit-aananda[5]’, a soul still shackled, illusion, the syllable ‘om’
She dwells within the hearts of the compassionate, Vedanta Saraswati, silence itself.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


Beguiling, she confounds all three worlds, adorable in her darkness and elegant,
She stands for beauty, sister of the dark-skinned Krishna, Uma.
As a lover she symbolises the love rasa, the great goddess of love passionate in her devotion to her lord the god of love
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


She answers to 10 names, starting with Bala, well established in the 10 branches of meditative knowledge
The stage of Atman, the phase that transcends the mind
Faultless she embodies the Vedas, brightening Sundareshwara’s heart, Meenakshi.
She enchants minds as a jewel does, pure at heart.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


Manifested through her 1000 names she means a million things
She is the purpose and the intention, the form of sound and rasa, peace itself, Narayani,
You need only to think of her to find contentment at heart, Bhagavati, Bhavani, the very quality that makes us rejoice.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.



She symbolises the fine arts and is at essence prana[6], she is the quality of sound, empassioned,
Atremble with music and dance, she delights in poetry and prose, adored she is embodies love and affection
She is time as dictated by the tune and the beat, Kali
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


She dwells on the eastern coast, a revered goddess splendid in her wealth she distributes gifts long wished for,
A goddess victorious she brings all happiness, health and life
Pure and forbearing, she gives power, courage, patience, and peace free from fear.
It is to Tripurasundari, beloved wife of Vedapureshwara, that I turn.


Sree Vedapureeswara is Lord Siva, the presiding deity of Pondicherry and Sree Tripurasundari is His Beloved Consort.


[1] The veena is a stringed instrument associated with southern Indian carnatic music.

[2] Rasa literally means juice, but is also a technical aesthetic term which refers to the impact literature has on your emotions.

[3] The mridunga is a kind of drum.

[4] Tat tvam asi literally means “You are that” a sentence of huge import from the Upanishads indicating that the human self is identifiable with the whole.

[5] This compound literally means “Existence-consciousness-bliss”.  It refers to the experience of Brahman that a yogi aims to, and can, reach.

[6] Literally “breath” and thus the vital breath, life.


విన్నపము! PRAYER TO LORD VENKATESWARA!

అట నుంటివో ఇట నుంటివో ఎద ఎద నుంటివో

కంటికి కానరావు ఎట నుంటివో తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

ప్రవహించు గోదావరులు నీ వేగమో

ఊహించు కవులు నీ భావావేగమో

సాహసించు శూరుల ధైర్యము నీవో

వచించుము వన్నెలదొరా ! తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

కన్నెల సొగసులు రమణుల రంజనములు నీ రూపో

వారి వన్నెల చిన్నెల సింగారములు నీ కులుకో

ప్రేమ భక్తి అనురాగములు నీ కరుణలో

వాత్సల్యమున నను చేరదీయుము తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

అన్నమయ్య పదములు నీ నెలవో

త్యాగరాజు కృతుల నీ నివాసమో

రామదాసు కీర్తనల నెలకొంటివో

పలికించుము నన్నును తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

అష్టాక్షరిని ఊయలలూగెదవో

పంచాక్షరిని పూర్తిగ నిండితివో

షోడశాక్షరిని తల్లి పద్మావతితో నుంటివో

అందుము అక్షరరూపా! తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

ధ్యానములు తపములు ఉపాసనల నుంటివో

పూజలు భజనలు అభిషేకముల నుంటివో

జ్ఞానుల నిర్మల మానసము నీ తావో

తెలియగజేయుము తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

అట నుంటివో ఇట నుంటివో ఎద ఎద నుంటివో

కంటికి కానరావు ఎట నుంటివో తిరు వేంకటరాయా!

PRAYER TO LORD VENKATESWARA!

Where do you reside, here or there,

Andin every heart and inert piece?

But are not seen by the physical eye

Where do you reside Lord Venkateswara!

May be the flowing Godavaris are your speed,

Poets with beautiful imagination are the flow of your thoughts,

The daring warriors might be your courage,

Tell me,The Embodiment of auspicious qualities! Lord Venkateswara!

                                                                                                                                    

The shapes and curves of the young maidens

 And the bliss-giving pretty youthful women might be your form,

And their beauties are your charm;

Their love, devotion and affections are your compassion and care

Hug me with love Lord Venkateswara!

Might be Annamayya’s songs are your residence,

Tyagaraja’s compositions are your home,

And you live in Ramadasa’s verses,

Make me also sing your praise Lord Venkateswara!

Might be NarayanaAstaakshari is your swing,

Should be you pervade in Siva Panchaakshari,

Might be together with Godess Lakshmi

You frolic in Sodasaakshari,

Let me also reach you Lord Venkateswara!

Might be you reside in meditation, penance and intense devotion,

Performance of abhisheka (holy bath), worship, group-singing,

 And other deeds of unalloyed love,

The tranquil minds of the saints and sages might be You Yourself

Make me also know, understand and experience You Lord Venkateswara!

కొండవాగు, गिरिझरी, THE HILL-STREAM

కొండవాగు నా కవితాధార
ఎండి పోదు ఈ ఆర్ద్రత ఏ వేళా

హృదయ గిరులందు పుట్టి
ప్రవాహమై పరుగులిడుచు
గంతులేయుచు కిందికి దూకు
జలపాతముగ మారి

అడవులలో అందముల మధ్య అందమై
కదలుచు కదిలించు తీయని నీటి జాలు

నాగరికులెవ్వరికి కనబడని జల గమనము
గిరిజనుల మనము వలె కుళ్ళు లేని నిర్మలము

వాదముల సంస్కృతుల సిద్ధాంతముల ఉనికి తెలియని (క)
తనకై తాను  సాగే సామాజిక స్పృహ లేని వట్టి నీటి పరుగు

ఎఱుగదది పద గమన నిర్దేశనలు
ఉన్నట్టే తెలియదు దానికి నడకల సూత్రములు

అలంకారములు ఆర్భాటములు పట్టని తాను
కొండల కోనల స్వేచ్ఛగా విహరించే చెంచీత

రాలపై ఉదాత్తనుదాత్తముల వేగముగ చలించుచూ
శ్రావ్య రాగముల గానము చేయు కోయిల

ఎత్తుల పల్లముల ఇష్టమున గంతులేయుచు
నటనలు నేర్వకనే నర్తించే మయూరి

చిత్ర కారుల కుంచెలంచులు
దిద్దలేవు దాని ఒద్దికలు

ఛందస్సున కనుగుణముగ కదలు
గురు లఘువులు పట్టలేవా పరుగులు

ఆనవు వాద ప్రతివాద సంకులి(చి)త మానస దృష్టికి
దాని తీరు తెన్నులు సహజ గమన సౌందర్యములు

తావమాడరెవరూ గ్రోలరా నీటి నే దొరలూ
దాని ఉనికే తెలియదు
పురవాసులైన వేత్తలకు

నిర్మల మానస ప్రవాహము నా కవిత
దివ్య హృత్ ధ్యాన గమనము దాని నడత

ఆంద్ర సాహితీ గోదావరీ సలిలముల
మౌనముగ కలియుచు
తనదనము కోల్పోని కిన్నెరసాని!
నా కైతల కొండవాగు!



गिरिझरी

गिरिझरी मम कविताधारा
कदा न भवति शुष्का सा

हृदयगिरौ संजाता
प्रवहति धावति
लङ्घयति पतति
जलपातम् भवति

अटव्यां सौन्दर्यानां सौन्दर्यं भूत्वा
चलति स्पृशति सा मधुरसरिता

न जानाति पदगमननिर्देशनानि
न जानाति शब्दतत्त्वसूत्राणि
अलङ्कारानि आर्भाटनि न विचिन्त्य
संचरति पर्वतसानुषु गिरिकन्या इव

पाषाणेषु वेगेण चलन्ती
सृजति गायति श्राव्य गानानि रागानि

उदात्तानुदातौ प्लवन्ती
नर्तन्ती विनायासम् मयूरी इव

चित्रकाराणाम् तूलिकाङ्चलाः
चित्रितुं न शक्नुवन्ति तस्याः चलनानि गमनानि

छन्दोनुगुणेन प्रचलन्त्याः गुरुलघवः
रचयितुं न शक्नुवन्ति तस्याः लाघवानि

निर्मलमानसप्रवाहानि मम कविताः
दिव्यहृत्ध्यानगमनानि तस्याः चलनानि

नैजगुणम् अत्यक्त्वा
मौनेन संगमति किन्नेरसानि इव
साहितीगोदावरी सलिलेषु
मम कवितागिरिझरी


THE HILL-STREAM

The flow of my poesy is a hill-stream
Never will she run dry.

Born in the hills of my heart
She rushes, flows
Jumps and plunges,
A waterfall she.

A beauty among itinerant beauties
Tangible as she moves,

She knows not how to order her steps as she travels
Knows not the intricacies of rules and rhymes.
Without a care for embellishment, pomp and show,
She roams in the hills and valleys, a mountain girl.

Flowing swiftly over stones
She produces musical notes sonorous as if she were singing a raga,

Fluttering up and down, high and low,
Like an untrained dancing peacock.

The brushes of artists
Cannot depict her darting hither and thither;
Prosody has no relevance
For her marathon runs.

Her swift movements do not allow her to settle.
My verse is borne of a plain heart
Absorption in Divinity is the goal of her journey.
Silently she joins the waters of the literary Godavari
Without surrendering her own identity.
Kinnerasani! The hill-stream of my poetry.

TIME AND MIND

Time plays a significant, influential and useful role in our lives. Our daily routine is time-based and time-bound. The origin, being and cessation of things, objects, events, thoughts and life systems are time-related. All natural, man-made and man-initiated processes take place according to Time and its Passage. In all disciplines of learning Time has a prominent role to play.

We ‘know’ what Time is. Earth spins around itself and simultaneously revolves round the Sun. Based on these movements, day and night are created and the Passage of   Time is experienced and measured by us. We have knowledge of the extent of Passage of Time by referring to watches, clocks, various time-measuring devices, calendars, almanacs etc. The awareness of Time through these measures is only a facet of nature Time and is not comprehensive and complete. Awareness of nature of Time is varied and is not unique.  Like the understanding of Divinity, the understanding about Time is multiple. Time has many forms, structures, natures and has been viewed, defined and understood variedlyas movement, change or becoming.

We are all leading stressful personal and professional lives with the associated pulls and pushes straining ourselves; sometimes beyond our ability, capacity and capability. We long for calmness to fill in our minds and we have peace of mind. We pray the Almighty for peace of mind. Some of us who do not believe in God have our own ways of de-stressing ourselves. Thus we, the seekers of peace of mind desire and attempt to know the nature of mind and the way to relax. Some of us take refuge in our Protector. We follow the path of spirituality. We listen to (sravana), meditate on (manana) and convert the insight thus gained by contemplation into experience (nididhyasana) about Almighty or Self. Almighty and Self are synonyms representing Divinity, our original self. Self can also be taken as the natural or normal or original state of mind. We then can know about the Self and merge our self in a chosen quality of the Self. We can get Self-Realization and dwell in it and with it.

As part of this we now try to know and be aware of the nature of time, time-flow as past, present and future, and time-transcendence. It is known to us through our beloved Srikrishna Paramatma that He is both Time and Time-transcendence. Srikrishna famously said: “Aham kaalah asmi” (I am Time). To realize the nature of time-transcendence we must know about Time-its nature, structure, form and flow.

Time is of two kinds: physical and psychological. Time eternally flows transforming seconds into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days, days into months, months into years, years into decades, decades into centuries, centuries into millenniums and like that.

All this is physical time and its flow.

We get tuned to this physical time and happenings in it by attaching ourselves to these happenings with an egoistic mind as I, me and mine. Our tuning and attachment through the egoistic mind creates another time and time-consciousness in us. This creation takes place in the wakeful conscious state of mind and is experienced in wakeful and dream conscious states of mind. This is called psychological time or time-space.

The eternal Self (paramatma) transcends both these physical and psychological times and their flows. Self exists in us as prajnanam (Witness) and makes us be aware of physical and psychological times and their passages. During those phases of awareness, Prajnaam as seer makes us experience the respective experiences.

We can not stop the flow of physical time. The psychological time is experienced by us as past, present and future in different phases or conscious states of mind. It creates time-whirlpool in us and spins us in it.

Our mental time and its flow is the series of rising and setting of various phases of mind- wakeful, dream and deep sleep- and the acquiring of knowledge, skills, thoughts, feelings, experiences etc., or cessation of thought process happening during those phases.

“I, I am doing, it is mine, it has happened to me, I am hurt, I am happy, I am experiencing, etc.,” thoughts, feelings and experiences exist in our awareness and create in us moods. When we are learning, knowing, these acquisitions create in us experiences and these will from our memory. These memories will be within us in a long-standing way.

These memories of happenings though happened long time back in view of physical time flow or passage, get stirred and activated in the present causing happiness or unhappiness respectively. According to these we will get anger, lust, jealousy, arrogance etc,. We get thoughts and feelings accordingly and we will be disturbed in the present. Thus the remembrances and thoughts about past happenings and their impression on us form our psychological past. Because we do not have enough mental strength we can not come out of this past which is just psychological and torture ourselves and live mentally in the past only.

Future disturbs us equally as our past. We fear, become anxious and wildly or romantically imagine about future happenings based on what has happened to us in the past, what we know and experienced. Thus the future which we feel will happen to us, is our mere thoughts in the present as imaginations, doubts, fears or anxieties. Thus when we carefully observe we become aware that both our past and future are our thoughts in the present. If somehow we can manage to arrest these unpleasant thoughts we will easily come out of this vicious circle of yesterday and tomorrow and live in the present.

We need to submit ourselves before Divinity by thought, word and deed. We then offer our self-consciousness and ego to the Lord and submerge our selves in Him. When we do like this, we will avoid the thoughts relating to I, me and mine. These thoughts not only stop but will permanently cease to arise in us. This cessation of thoughts forms is time-or    mind-transcendence.

By God’s Grace we can transcend the psychological time-flow which exists in us in the form of thought-flow. Mind becomes calm and peaceful when we shed our ego and fill it with the insight about Divinity. Then we can live attributing every thing and happening to God’s will and take everything with equanimity in our stride. Then we have more pleasantness and mind acquires strength to face life. We will tackle all problems with courage and calmness. We will be rid of thoughts about past or future. We live peacefully and blissfully not getting reminded of ego transcending time. We live in the present. We live in tranquility.

Sources:

Ramabrahmam, V, Being and Becoming: A Physics and Upanishadic awareness of time and thought process, Ludus Vitalis, International Journal of Philosophy of Life Sciences, Vol. XIII, Number 24, 2005, pp.139-152.

Ramabrahmam, V., The Science of human consciousness, Ludus Vitalis, International Journal of Philosophy of Life Sciences, Vol. XV, Number 27, 2007, pp. 127-142.

Ramabrahmam, V. The myth of keeping universal time - the absence of absolute, true, mathematical time - a physicochemical insight. (communicated)

MIND AND MEDITATION

 

Gist:

 An Upanishadic insight of human consciousness, mind, their form, structure and function are analytically presented together with the description of phases and states of mind to get an idea of working of the mind. Calming the mind is presented as a process of de-learning illusory knowledge, relearning the real nature of human-being and then practice the knack of completely unlearning or be unaware of  all the new knowledge too but not the insight gained. It is pointed out that meditation and calming the mind are synonymous with Self Realization which are a process reverse to the process of generation of thoughts. A list and brief description of ten Upanishadic ways-Vidyas- for calming the mind and useful material for their implementation are presented. The essential possession of an open mind and faith for the aspirant is highlighted.

Article:

                                                                               

Talking about meditation and hence calming the mind has become the necessity of modern life. Many meditative techniques are in vogue currently intending to help humans to cope up with stresses and strains associated with modern life and life-styles. Many traditional meditation techniques are presently popularly encased in modern phrases. Attempts to calm the mind will be fruitful and give desired results if meditation is performed with knowledge about mind and its vagaries and also about the nature of meditation process.  

Upanishadic philosophy which is Sat-Darsana is synonymous with Sat or Truth revealed. The process of arriving at and experiencing TRUTH is technically termed as SELF REALISATION.  SELF-REALIZATION sets in calmness in mind and efficiency of mental functions increases. Possessing an absolute faith is a must to calm the mind; faith in the approach; faith in the text and teacher; and faith in oneself. Cultivating, engaged in and maintaining a stable and harmonious relationship with one’s near and dear ones and fellow-beings highly benefit the aspirant in attempts to calm the mind. And many times lack of such a harmonious relationship obstructs the setting of peace in the mind and mere observation or practice of a meditative technique in an academic or mechanical way many not help the individual in his/her aim or quest.

                Ego, the self-consciousness, the collection of thoughts about ‘I’ as body and associated personality traits, social status, ‘me’ and ‘mine’, creates vasanas (impressions/experiences/memories) within us. All cognition/perception/volition/urge-related experiences are created and retrieved by the antahkarana (inner mental tool) chittam. Egoistic thoughts and actions (with the thought and sense of ‘I’, where ‘I’ is identified with respective individual) in Awakened/Wakeful and Dream conscious states creates memories (vasanas). These memories get activated later (with reference to physical time passage) and cause happiness or unhappiness accordingly in the present of physical time The phase of mind bereft of egoistic thoughts, memories or other cognitions /perceptions/experiences is the state of Self (Atman, Ego-free, blissful, peaceful and is Time-transcendent). This state is called Jagrat Sushupti or Wakeful Sleep. The three other conscious states – the Awakened/Wakeful (Jagrat), the Dream (swapna) and Deep Sleep (Sushupti) - conscious states are transient super-impositions over thever present wakeful sleep (Jagrat Sushupti) conscious state simultaneously/alternately.  

                Memories and record of our experiences is our psychological past and our fears, anxieties, imaginations, expectations etc., are our psychological future The thought-flow concerning these past and future in the form of memories activated as remembrances and fear, anxiety, anticipation, apprehensions, imaginations etc., consist of our psychological past and future and gives us the awareness of time and feeling of passage of time. Thus thought-flow (reflected chit-energy transformations) is the psychological time and its flow. Living in the ‘past or future’ in the present leads to peacelessness. The aim of spirituality is to enable one to cultivate the habit of living in the physical present with peace.

     Such a spiritual tradition suggests that the aim of human birth is to cease to be ‘human’ and be DIVINE - Ego-free - , rather transcending human nature and live in eternal blissful ego-free state. The adjective ‘human’ in human-being refers to the ecstasies, excitements, grieves, aches, fears, anxieties, thrills, sense of achievements or disappointments and many other psychological comforts or discomforts felt or experienced by men and women during the course of life. A human-being is tired of these psychological pulls and pushes and craves for relief from this chain of states of emotional disorders and be peaceful. Some others study Vedanta for acquiring knowledge and to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. Arriving at Truth gives peace in both the cases and calms the mind.  Peace and Calmness are Divine Qualities. So are Pure Consciousness, Being, Bliss, Silence, Timelessness, etc. The mental process in which one can attain these qualities of Divinity or how a human-being transforms oneself into a Calm Divine Being is known as meditation on the SELF - the real Nature of the individual. SELF, BRAHMAN, ATMAN are other names for DIVINE BEING. 

     Eka Vastu Chintanameva Dhyanam – is a definition of the meditation. This means that meditation is contemplation on a Divine Quality and finally merging mind into that Quality and Be That Quality; this is also known as SELF REALIZATION.

     Theology proposes Bhakti – the path of devotion for this purpose. In this method the mind concentrates on a Name or Form of a choice Divine Being and meditation on that Name or Form- which are nothing but SELF’S  MANIFESTATIONS, mind becomes one-pointed. At the appropriate moment Divine Grace showers and makes the mind to merge in that Name or Form.

     Dhyanam Artha Bhavanam is another definition of meditation. This is the path of knowledge. This meditation process involves in concentrating the mind in the study and learning and hence understanding the Divine Nature. This is also the Path to calm the mind and live in and with peace.

     In short, meditation or calming the mind consists in concentrating the mind on a chosen thing or contemplating on a chosen concept or expression or insight.

     Upanishads contain descriptions of the SELF and many ways of meditation on the Self, known as Vidya or Upasana. The knowledge other than that of the Self is termed as Avidya by the Upanishadic Seers. According to their definition, Avidya consists of all sciences, arts, skills, learning- of languages and other disciplines and art-forms.

     Isaavaasyoopanishat counsels to make use of both Vidya and Avidya while meditating on the Self to attain calmness within and warns that using only one of them leads to darkness- the Upanishadic term for ignorance (sloka 9). Eleventh sloka of this Upanishad gives us the proper way of meditating on the Self,

                                Vidyaam cha avidyam cha yastadvedoobhyam saha

                                Avidyayaa mrtyum teertvaa vidyayaa amritam asnute

     This means that one must contemplate on and be aware of the Self by using both Avidya and Vidya. Through Avidya one crosses mortality and by Vidya one attains immortality. Immortality is release from births and deaths i.e., from the rise and set of egoistic mind (mithyaaham). Egoistic mind and self-consciousness are responsible for all the disturbances the individual experiences and suffers. Thus knowledge about both Vidya and Avidya is necessary for one to meditate on the Self and live as Self in and with calmness.

     The antahkaranas manas, buddhi, ahamkaaram and chittam are responsible for us to get, revel on, entangled in and come out of, the perceived and experienced external world and also for acquiring knowledge and make active the in-built tendencies- i.e., the arishadvargas. All this knowing or mental activity which is named as Tamas (ignorance), blocks the SEER (sat) and makes one view only the seen (jagat). Hence all this activity of antahkaranas with perceived or experienced external world and respective experiences, is Ajnana in Upanishadic terms.

     The term Ajnana herein is used not at all to belittle any of the acquired knowledge or their eminence but only to point out that Truth, Self, Pure Consciousness or Prajnaam outlives rather transcends all these perceptions, intellectual operations, self-consciousness, experiences and their recollections by Being, manifesting as and in, causing, maintaining and observing the origin, becoming and cessation of all these mental functions carried out by antahkaranas- and is the Ultimate Jnaana. 

     Mind as activities of antahkaranas is like a boat in the river of consciousness and the self-consciousness of the person is the individual traveling in the boat. The boat helps the person to move on in the course of the life and at the end the river, the boat and the individual together merge in the sea of pure consciousness. Thus meditation is a travel on the mind-boat by the meditator to reach the Self, the Divinity and BE IT. After this merger with the Divinity no trace of the meditator or the meditative tool (the mind) are left (remain). Only object-free meditation goes on-which is nothing but the Blissful State of the Self is continuously experienced which sets in and maintains calmness of mind.

     An individual by his samskaara gets attracted to the use of one of the antahkaranas as meditating tool and proceeds on with meditation. Different meditative techniques are available to suit the temperament and mental make up and mental preparedness of the individual. 

                SELF or Brahman or Atman or Prajnanam is present always. This is the revelation and the essence of Upanishadic Teachings. It is interesting to note that BEING, PURE CONSCIOUSNESS AND BLISS are the characteristics of the Self described in the Upanishads, the Sat, Chit and Ananda. Being is a present continuous form of the verb ‘to be’ and Becoming, the present continuous form of ‘to become’ – and both are present continuous forms, the becoming being the physical and psychological manifestation of the Being. The natural state of human-being is BEING, the present continuous  form of ‘to be’ and not becoming, the present continuous form of  ‘to become’ – which is limited by past – i.e.., the memories, the aches, the fears, the future – the anxieties, the fears and the imaginations. But normal state of a human being is a combination of series of Being and Becoming or Peace and Disturbance or Past and Future or alternates between all these and seldom is Being, the natural present continuous state-the blissful state. One becomes something when one cognizes an object or uses an antahkarana or the mind, else when mind ceases to cognize one comes back to or is in the natural state of Being. Becoming is a super-position and causes disturbance on this Being and makes one live in the unreal state of some becoming.

                Mind, in the form of antahkaranas, is responsible for human-being getting transformed into a human- becoming.  Luckily this transformation is transitory and reversible. These transformations of mind worry ordinary people. But the realized souls are always aware of the transitory nature of these transformations and the simultaneous presence of the two present continuous forms – the Being and the Becoming, which are consciousness and awareness – and ARE always BEINGS. They only view the becomings in the form of vasanas and jagat occurring within and without and are not concerned or touched by these ‘unreal’ happenings.

                Upanishads talk about Mithyaham or virtual Self or maya.  The virtual Self is the reflected Sat and is made up of the same stuff as Sat. This virtual Self is the first Becoming in the individual and is responsible and is contained in all mental functions, - which are its own transformations. Virtual self always – transforms itself as antahkaranas resulting in the perceptions and experiences (vasanas) which are viewed by and are aware to the Self in the different conscious states (Concept Diagram I). The various transformations of the virtual Self as various antahkaranas to perform various mental functions and back to itself are the forward and backward i.e., reversible becomings (vivartanam).  These becomings constitute the mental times and thoughts and the feeling of passage of time in the individual and identifies the individual to the body, psychology, gender, social status etc, the form and structure of ego and self-consciousness)

                If these becomings – the thoughts, feelings, intellectual functions, perceptions, experiences, understandings, urges, instincts, institutions, tendencies – all cease to happen or the virtual Self undergoes no transformations then it is Unoccupied Awareness, Bliss, Peace, Silence, Eternity and hence Timelessness. Thought-ego- and feelings-free consciousness their transcendence in the form of calmness and peace is experienced within and is observed by the Self as Prajnanam or Seer. Self as Seer is always present and is eternal or Timeless or Transcending is a present continuous BEING.

A reading of this transcript is itself a de-learning, relearning and unlearning process i.e., a way to calm the mind. 

Note: Method of meditation or calming the mind is not unique. Single general method with mass instruction will not be fruitful. Just as the psychologist treats each case individually so also method of calming mind is individual-specific and heavily depends on one’s mental makeup.

1. Meditation / calming the mind is putting veil on our ignorance and unveiling our knowledge.

2. Meditation / calming the mind is putting veil on our false identification and unveiling our real or true identity.

3. Meditation / calming the mind is putting veil on our unreal or apparent or misunderstood nature and unveiling our true and real nature.

Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Insight on Meditation:

4. Find out wherefrom this ‘I’ springs forth and merge at its source; that is tapas-meditation.

5. Find out wherefrom the sound of the mantra in japa rises up and merge there; that is tapas-meditation.   

In the above piece the Upanishadic insight of human consciousness, mind, their form, structure and function are analytically presented together with the description of phases and states of mind to get an idea of working of the mind. Calming the mind is presented as a process of de-learning illusory knowledge, relearning the real nature of human-being and then practice the knack of completely unlearning or be unaware of  all the new knowledge too but not the insight gained. It is pointed out that meditation and calming the mind are synonymous with Self Realization which are a process reverse to the process of generation of thoughts. The essentiality of possession of an open mind and faith together with cultivating and maintaining harmonious relationship with one’s near and dear for the aspirant are highlighted.

Reference:

Ramabrahmam, V., 2007 Upanishadic ways of calming the mind, Presentation at the national seminar on “The Indian Approach to Calming the Mind” on 25^th and 26^th August, 2007 at VedaVijnana Gurukulam, Bangalore.