FORMLESS GOD
Hinduism is not a religion, but a way of life is firmly rooted in the minds of people for quite a long time, thanks to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who said it. He was the one and only philosopher-President or the head of a State ever was, in any part of the world in any country. Luckily Nehru had the penchant for academic excellence, being himself highly educated and erudite, had introduced Dr. Radhakrishnan to the political post. There is no wonder, therefore, Hinduism is not merely democratic but equanimous with gender as well, in the modern context. So it has the highest respect for the feminine, as taught and projected in the scriptures as GOD in feminine form, in all its glow and resplendence which is but natural because, after all Nature is beautiful without which we are not there and Nature is the feminine form of God. Therefore, here is a culture which propitiates with fervent devotion that WOMAN also as GOD for, it is the real power behind any MAN or GOD. So goes the God system, that you have one Vishnu and his inseparable consort Lakshmi, engraved in his heart, as equally important, Shiva gave half of his body to his consort, Parvati or the Shakti(Power) and the four faced Brahma could not have been the author of Vedas but for the real power of erudition in his better half, Saraswati, the most adored God, known for education without whose grace there is no culture and no civilization. Isn’t this system rational and arguably the most scientific of all systems of life(no ill will or demeaning of other cultures please). As if to cap this all, is the incessant flow of sense into the minds of the discerning through the Maha Vakyas, PRAJNANAM BRAHMA, AYAMATMA BRAHMA, TATVAMASI and AHAM BRAHMASMI. Each Vakya is the synthesis of the Veda, it is from. Dwell deep into any or all the Maha Vakyas, you will come to the inevitable single conclusion that God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient, apart from being Genderless, Formless, Nameless, Placeless, Timeless, Limitless and without Attributes. Cannot be known through any word, mind or any special physical vision, but beyond all these only to be personally experienced and attain Moksha or the emancipation.
In such a conditioned atmosphere, we have to discuss the worship forms of Feminine God as one Mula Sakti upon which is dependent, the entire universe for birth, sustenance and annihilation. Mula is one of the stars of the 27 in the Indian Astrology on which the Shakti manifested herself as the SUPREME and ULTIMATE. Therefore, people born on this star are said to be powerful. Mula has become a powerful star because it is in a triangle Sagittarius(Dhanu/Bow) from the first constellation, Mesha of Indian zodiac. That is why MAA LALITA(embodiment of trinity namely Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati) is stated to be present in the (SRICHAKRANKITA BINDU MADHYA VASATIM) dot in the deepest Triangle or the crux matter of the Sri Chakra. If the final triangle is Lord Shiva the central point in it is Lalitha Para Bhattarika Devi, the ultimate feminine version of God variety. Somewhat aggressive manifestation of this soft Ultimate, is Durga and the real ferocious version of Lalita is Chandi.
Existence Consciousness Bliss is another word, unique to Vedic God, in which Existence is generally a Male form, Consciousness is Female form and Bliss or Ananda which is the result of a peculiar state of knowier that the Male God and Female God as one Unity. Feminine form of Godliness is also known principally as Basic Nature or Maya. Just as blissful nature in the physicality drags one into inexplicable love with it, Maya the Goddess traps the beings into inescapable ignorance, which can only be overcome by the grace of Him under whose control Maya is, a kind of explanation to, why ignorance on the part of people. People include Male and Female which is on the face of it, superfluous because there is a sort of Male instinct in all females and a glimpse of Female instinct in all Males which is why mankind is called Manava/Jeeva. In short both Maya and Consciousness are within the Being, to become a Meta Being. One should keep exploring this divinity within, which is what was most eloquently propagated by Jagadguru Adi Sankara.
Venturing to discuss any god in the Hindu ecosystem, the one and only dependable Guru is Jagadguru Adi Shankara, an embodiment of knowledge on Vedas and Upanishads and therefore, eminently qualified to speak or commentate on God and Godliness. Variety of Gods is actually the many faceted ONE GOD, to cater to multiple and complex needs of different people with innumerable worrisome desires. Before Shankara, Hindu religion was fraught with infighting among worshippers of different Gods. Jagadguru, presented the incontrovertible synthesis of Unity in place of diversity of Gods, so that basic tolerance is inculcated among people who tend to stick to one fundamental school of thought. Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti meaning one Truth but, mistakenly perceived as many. This kind of service to humanity and spirituality is unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of mankind.
Falling back upon this treasure of superior knowledge provided by Jagadguru, let us discuss a little on Soundarya Lahari, a spiritual poetry on Goddess Amba/Bhavani/Lalita, which easily made Adi Shankara, stand tallest in a galaxy of Sanskrit poets of all time to come what with names like Kalidas, Bharavi, Bharthruhari, Dandi, Sriharsha to name a few. UPAMA KALIDASASYA also has to be retracted if the similes present in Soundarya Lahari are analysed from the point of view of esthetic beauty and poetic timing and sense, exhibited by Jagadguru. There is a dispute among pundits on the precise timing of life lived by the greats like Adisankara, whose diehard fans take him to 3rd century BC, prior to Maha Kavi Kalidas and further assert that Kalidas followed the poetic brilliance of Adi Shankara. Notwithstanding historical evidence to the contrary, this timing also cannot be brushed, aside going by the divine characteristics of Adi Sankara, considered, Lord Shiva incarnate to establish spiritual integration by driving out or unifying 72 contradictory schools of thought within Hinduism, spread across this vast country in quick time, which unity lasted through centuries unhindered, in itself is an astounding wonder.
Intro is beyond limit, as always the case, overawed by the name Adi Sankara. Here is a gem of the verses from the divine poetry on, Maa Lalita in Soundarya Lahari which in fact is considered, commentary by Adi Sankara on the Lalitha Sahasranama Stotram, penned by Veda Vyas.
“ TANOTU KSHEMAM NA STAVA VADANA SOUNDARYA LAHAREE PARIVAHAH SROTAS SARANI RIVA SEEMANTA SARANIHI
VAHANTI SINDURAM PRABALA KABARI BHARA TIMIRA DWISHAAM BRINDAI BANDIKRITA MIVA NAVEENA ARKA KIRANAM ”
This is verse number forty four in a Book, containing hundred such. Title of this book namely SOUNDARYA LAHARI appears in this verse and is extremely popular for the poetic genius of Adi Sankara. Normally any poet or writer mentions the title of the book and its relevance either in the first verse or chapter or in the last verse or chapter. The reason for deviation has a background as believed by his ardent followers. Just as Acharya walked through the length and breadth of India, not once but thrice, did go to Kailash the abode of Lord Shiva and prayed Maa Parvati for her blessings, Pleased by the brilliance of Adi Sankara, she gave him a book containing one hundred slokas written on the beauty and elegance of Parvati authored by Lord Shiva. Who else can describe anybody better than Her Husband and vice versa. Lord Shiva gave him Five Shivlings for installation and Devi, this book comprising poetry about her beauty and Adi Sankara, having collected, was returning, when Nandiswara the sacred bull of Lord Shiva stopped him and took away some leaves of Toddy on which were written these verses, telling a dejected Sankara of the eligibility of mankind to know inside information of Kailash. Adi Sankara went back to Devi Parvati and told her of the incident. Maa smilingly told Acharya that it is destiny and better he writes his own poetry in replacement of the missing verses numbering 59 starting from verse number 42. There is no point in not believing this episode since it is believed that Adi Sankara is “SAMBHORMURTI CHARATHI BHUVANE SANKARACHARYA RUPA” meaning, Lord Shiva descended on mother earth as Sankaracharya for many divine feats of Adi Sankara in the course of his life of just 32 years.
Why propitiate, feminine version of the Gods assumes greater import in a male dominated society. Here God is worshipped as Jagan Matha. All of us including the non-believers have to agree that if creation has to happen feminine power is essential and therefore, Nature is viewed as Mother and we call mother Earth whose Mula Prakrti is Devi Durga, Chandi or Lalita. In the material world also we see all these manifestations in every mother. Jagadguru, in his prayer to the Jagan matha, describes the hair style of Maa Lalita who set her jet black hair in such an exquisite way, half to the left and another half to the right side with a crystal clear white line demarcating the separation, along which in our culture women wear a hanging ornament stuck to the hair at the centre of the head. In north India and these days in Southern India also we see women sporting a Kumkum Bindi at the start of the separation described above. Jagadguru. Metaphorically, describes Black Hair as Darkness or Tamas, Red Kumkum as Rajas and the White line as Satva or soft attribute — all within all beings. Here, the poetic beauty is the comparison of Bindi with Rising Sun at the Dawn when the rays are red or saffron in color, Black Hair as ignorance waiting like a waylaying robber on highway to rob the one travelling on the white line which is Satva, the most desired attribute from every being, for the world to be pleasant. In fine, Lalita, the Existence Consciousness Bliss is within us and also the Bhandasura, Rakta Bijasur or Mahishasur and all other daemons also are present within us to be tamed, only by invoking Goddess Durga or Chandi the Maya forms of Maa Lalita.
Wish and pray that this wisdom dawns on everybody around and the life journey is pleasant without turbulence and turmoils.
Happy Navratri,
G K VISWANATHAM.
