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yajvan
29 May 2009, 04:36 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste
 
I wrote on a different post:

sura सुर- divinity , deity ; also a symbol for 33 - as we know of the 33 devatā; also the Sun (surya)
sūra सूर - a wise or learned man; at its root sū is an inciter; this too (sūra) is considered the Sun, sūrya. This name is also of Kuntī ( due to her marriage to the Sun).
surā सुरा- is to distill and is not connected with devatā-s. Perhaps looking at each grāhaka's¹ name may yield some insights into their nature:

Sun or sūrya सूर्य
sūra is the sun. If we consider it as sūra+ ya it is the sun (sūra) + mover (ya). This su means excellent , right , virtuous , beautiful , rightly , much , greatly , easily , willingly , quickly, to go and to move. It also means to possess supremacy, as the Sun is Supreme amongst the graha-s.
Yet what of sū सू? It means to grant or bestow. What is on this earth that is not bestowed by the Sun?


Since we have considered su as easy, beautiful, excellent, much, etc. We can apply it ( some what) to the śukra.


Venus or śukra शुक्र
śukra means bright , resplendent , clean, pure; it is also the essence of anything and associated with ojas¹, semen and the 'seed' of animals.
Śukra is śu + kra. Śu means quickly , swiftly + kra ( or kāra) which is making , doing , working , a maker , doer.
Hence śukra, the one that is bright, and a swift mover ( in the sky). Yet śukra is also associated with beauty from su, one of the verbal roots mentioned before.


Some other words that sometimes are associated with ( but are not) śukra.


sukara means easy, easy to be done .

śūkāra - that act of startling
Since we are talking of brightness, lets extend this to the moon.


Moon or candra चन्द्र
candra चन्द्र- glittering, shining; having the brilliancy or hue; a lovely or agreeable phenomenon of any kind. Note that 'ca' is pronounced cha like in church. This ca means pure. It also means moving to and fro.
We see this applies to the moon, as its purity ( white) that waxes and wanes ( moves to and fro) from new moon (amāvāsya) to full moon (pūrnīmā)¹ .


Some times people consider candra as caṇḍī (Chandi or caNDi) चण्डि.
This caṇḍī is defined as a passionate woman; also a female attendant of durgā¹ (some call umā). Yet can चन् ( recall 'ca' is pronounced 'cha') is rooted in 'kan' which means to shine, as this brings up back to candra चन्द्र- glittering, shining. Yet this 'kan' also means to please, delight, to enjoy and to be satisfied with.


The moon is associated with mother , the one who delights, nurtures, pleases. And the moon is associated with mind and emotions
that looks to be delighted and become pleased.


Lets stop here and do a few more names in the next post.


praṇām


words

grāhaka ग्राहक- one who seizes or takes captive ; from grāha ग्रह- seizing , laying hold of , holding i.e. a grāhaka ~seizes~ or influences the circumstances of the native. This is done via the tattva they manage and control.

ojas ओजस्- bodily strength , vigor , energy , ability , power; splendor, luster

More on new moon and full moon here on this HDF post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3354 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3354)

durgā is also known as durgatināśinī or durgati+nā+śinī - the one that removes (na) the race (śinī) from misfortune , distress , poverty (durgati)

yajvan
29 May 2009, 08:00 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste

Jupiter or bṛhaspati बृहस्पति also known ( more popularly) as guru गुरु
bṛhaspati bṛ́has-páti बृहस्पति bráhmanas-páti - lord of prayer , chief offerer of prayer and yajya (worship). We may also see this written as vṛhhaspati where the bṛh and vṛh sound is quite close.

He is brahmaṇas-pati as mentioned, 'lord of prayer or devotion' . He is the chief offerer of prayers and sacrifices , and therefore represents the brahmin order; also the purohita (appointed, one holding a charge or commission ) of the devatā with whom he intercedes for men, just as brahmin-s (possessing sacred knowledge).
Yet we know Jupiter too as guru. Guru गुरु is defined as heavy , weighty , great , large. We know from astronomy that Jupiter is the largest planet. It also infers the importance of the one with substantial knowledge.

We know that guru also is the spiritual teacher, preceptor, respectable, wise, realized and knowledgeable. Some like to look at guru as gu + ru. This 'gu' is rooted in 'ga' - to go after, to pursue. It also means to come into any state or condition. So we can see the connection to guru - the one to pursue, but he/she is the one that leads the individual to that state ( the pursuit) or condition of mokṣa¹. This 'ga' also means a path, and to come to an end…the end is mokṣa.

Now what of this 'ru' ? It is to make a sound, to roar, also to sing, even to hum. This 'ru' also means to break to pieces, to shatter.
We now can see that this 'ru' is to shatter ignorance - some say shatter the ego or the small self ( i or me).


praṇām


words
mokṣa मोक्ष - emancipation , liberation , release from worldly (mundane) existence

yajvan
30 May 2009, 02:45 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste

Saturn or śanaiscara, śani शनि
Consider śanaiscara :
This śanais शनैस् means quietly , softly , gently , gradually. So we have śanais as gradually, softly + cara चर moving, walking , wondering. Hence śani is considered śanaye kramati sa - the one possessing or containing ~ with the attribute~ (sa) who moves or preceeds ( krama) slowly (śani), quietly (śanais).

We know it takes śani some 29.7 years to make one complete trip around sūrya, his father - hence the slow moving one. From this we can deduce he owns the last day of the week ( slowest or arriving last).
He is high in patience, as patience comes with time and steadiness. This patience and steadiness gives way to being deliberate and purposeful. From this we can also see perseverance in difficult times. From this steadiness, one can groom devotion (bhakti).

Many fear śani for the wrong reasons (IMHO). More on śanaiscara at this hdf post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2941 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2941)

praṇām

yajvan
31 May 2009, 04:11 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste

Mars or maṅgal मण्गल् or maṅgala मङ्गल
Verbally rooted in maṅg meaning happiness , felicity , welfare, bliss; maṅgala is anything auspicious or tending to a lucky issue.

This maṅgala is also another name for agni. And another name for agni found in the the ṛg veda 1.1.6 is añgiras¹ which is flaming or glowing.
With this flaming or glowing ( heat, fire, luminosity) Mars is also called aṅgāraka अङ्गारक. This is heated (glowing) charcoal.
Mars is also known as kuja कुज- 'ku' कु is earth + 'ja' ज which means connected to or belonging to; Hence kuja कुज - born of the earth, or son of the earth.

Mars is also considered skanda स्कन्द the General of the devatā. He is the son of śiva and leads the army against the enemies of the devatā;
What I find interesting (too) is skanda is another name of Sanatkumāra¹ ('always a youth'). Some say it differently, that Sanatkumāra is a Skanda, but we can leave that for a different time.


Skanda is he who attacks the enemy of ignorance (the knots of the heart). It is he ( says the Chāndogya Upaniṣad) that brought wisdom and insight to Nārada.


praṇām


words

Sanatkumāra सनत्कुमार - one of the 4 sons of brahmā ; sanat + kumāra; sanat = 'ever' + kumāra - 'a boy, youth' .
aṅgiras - a noun for agni; We also know aṅgiras as a ṛṣi , author of many hymns in the ṛg veda; he is said by some to have been born from brahmā's mouth , and to have been the husband of smṛti , of śraddhā , of two daughters of maitreya , of several daughters of dakṣa.

yajvan
01 June 2009, 09:35 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste

Mercury or budha बुध
budha means intelligent , clever , wise , it means awaking. Budha is considered the son of soma (moon). If budha is the son of soma, he then can be called :

saumya सौम्य- 'resembling the moon' i.e. placid , gentle , mild
saumāyana सौमायन - which is sauma or belonging or related to soma + ayana which is going, path, way. Hence saumāyana is belonging to the pathway of soma i.e. budha.Some write budha as buddha बुद्ध. This buddha means awakened or awake. Yet we are now talking of the Buddha (circa 500 BC), a fully enlightened man who has achieved perfect knowledge of the truth and thereby liberated. Many know of him as Gautama, yet this is the race ( gotra¹ - lineage) to which his family belonged. His father ( as I understand it and read) was śuddhodana, of the śākya family , being the rāja of that district , and his mother , māyā-devī , being the daughter of rāja su-prabuddha. Siddhārtha Gautama belonged to the kṣatriya caste¹. Siddhārtha Gautama's original name was śākya-muni (sage of the śākya-s) or śākya-siṃha ( or lion of the śākya-s) hence śākya was his family name as I look to my reference material¹.


The point to be made is budha (Mercury) has this quality of wakefulness, intelligence, wisdom ~awaking~ that fully blossomed in the buddha , Siddhārtha Gautama, śākya-muni.

If we look at budha (Mercury) we see 'bud'. This 'bud' बुद् is to perceive, learn. And 'budh' बुध् is to perceive, notice, learn , understand , become or be aware of or acquainted with. We can see how Mercury then is an integral part of learning and expansion as it is the fundamental quality found in learning i.e. perception and awareness.


praṇām

words

gotra गोत्र- family , race , lineage from the root trai protection or shelter for cows , cow-pen , cow-shed , stable for cattle , stable
reference book - M.Monier-Williams Reference Dictionary 2002 edition; additional reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha)

yajvan
02 June 2009, 09:55 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste


ketu केतु and rahu राहु - the two lunar nodes ( south and north)

ketu केतु
is the decending node (south) ; ketu means bright appearance , clearness , brightness 'rays of light' ; intellect , judgement , discernment .
How is it associated with intellect? Because the word is rooted in cit चित् to perceive , fix the mind upon , attend to , be attentive , observe , take notice of.
Ketu is the kāraka¹ of mokṣa, liberator from the world. That is, he has no head - no mind for worldly pursuits i.e. non-attachment.
Ketu is a kāraka of intelligence, non-attachment, keen and deep insights, psychic abilities. When ketu is blemished, then derangement is possible.

rāhu राहु
is the ascending note ( north); rahu means 'the seizer' ; What does he seize? The luminaries during an eclipse.
rāhu is rooted in rabh रभ्- to desire vehemently to act rashly ; we will see this as we define rāhu's kāraka traits.
Rāhu is a kāraka or indicator of worldly activities i.e. fame, greed, manipulation, obsessive-compulsive behavior.
When rāhu is blemished then one may endure mass disease, dementia and inertia. Because of rāhu's compulsiveness rahu is known for its instance of actions and effects, randomness, uncontrolled growth, actions without wisdom or understanding. This is where one finds troubles, 'why did I do that!' or ' I don't believe what just occurred'.

It is said when rāhu's influences are used the right way, Rāhu can be instrumental in strengthening one's power and converting even the strongest enemy ( and traits) into a friend.

Now there is a story in the purāṇa-s¹ of rāhu drinking amṛta¹ ( nectar for immortality) at the Churning of the Ocean - called samudra manthan¹.
This story can be found in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. The question for us is comprehension and wisdom ( or symbolism , saṃketa) the story offers. Perhaps we can address this at a different time.

praṇām

words

kāraka कारक- as a noun - 'instrumental in bringing about the action' ; in general , making or doing. In this conversation it is the grāhaka¹ ( the ~planet~) as one who produces, creates or influences a condition to unfold. Sanjay Rath is sympathetic to the notion of influences vs. directly controls on how the graha-s function.
samudra manthan:
samudra समुद्र(ocean or sea) - "gathering together of waters " , " the aerial waters " , " atmospheric ocean or sky"
manthan or mantha मन्थ- churning or stirring.
amṛta अमृत(some write amrita) - immortal , imperishable; world of immortality , heaven , eternity i.e. final emancipation
purāṇa पुराण- belonging to ancient or olden times , ancient , old : there are considered 18 principle purāṇas grouped in 3 divisions:

rājasa, exalting brahmā
sāttvika, exalting viṣṇu
tāmasa, exalting śiva
saṃketa संकेत- a hint , allusion , preconcerted sign or signal or gesture

yajvan
03 June 2009, 10:03 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

Namaste

We have reviewed the 9 grāhaka above.
Yet what of this word grāhaka? We have these definitions:

grāhaka ग्राहक - one who seizes or takes captive from;
grāha ग्रह- seizing , laying hold of , holding i.e. a grāhaka ~seizes~ or influences the circumstances of the native. This is done via the tattva they manage and control.
grāha ग्राह - a rapacious animal living in fresh or sea water; any large fish or marine animal i.e. crocodile, shark, serpent, alligator, or hippopotamus
gṛhya गृह्य- 'seizing by' ; Yet this word graha ग्रह is another name for the seizer (eclipser) rāhu ; it also is a name for nine, indicating the 9 ~plants~. This word can be used for anyting seized i.e. ones spoils , accumluations or as pirates used to call it 'booty', from their seizing other ships.

It is also a name for a crocodile (grāha). Why so? what does a crocodile do? it graps or seizes (gṛhya¹) its prey, or grasps for its defense.
The key to this conversation is found in the root in grah ग्रह् to be grasped or taken; that of the grāhaka-s influence or the clutches ( gṛhya - seizing ) of the crocodile, shark, serpent, or alligator.


praṇām

yajvan
04 June 2009, 09:28 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~

Namaste

lagna लग्न ( the 'a' sounds like the a in 'but' , hense lugna) is the ascendent.
The word lagna means adhered , adhering or clinging to , attached to , sticking or remaining in , fixed on , intent on , clasping , touching , following closely.

So what is this 'attached to' ? It is that moment when something is born ( a person, an event, a thing) and the zodiacal location/position on the eastern horizon. That is, the point of contact or intersection point where the horizon intersects the ecliptic (the path of the planets).
The lagna of this event - my typing this sentence occurred at 10º 36' 38" Cancer. This was its birth on the 3rd of June at 9:12 AM i.e. it is attached to this time and astronomical location.

Now the lagna is also the whole sign this event occurs in.In the example just given, the specical location was given e.g. 10º 36' 38" Cancer. Yet the sign (rāśi) of Cancer is now considered the 1st house (bhava).

Lagna लग्न can also mean the following:

one who has entered on a course of action
meeting, intersecting , cutting consumed by
immediately ensuing
a moment or time fixed upon as auspicious (lucky) for beginning an action
a bard or minstrel who awakes the king in the morningpraṇām

yajvan
28 July 2013, 07:10 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste




 

Perhaps looking at each grāhaka's name may yield some insights into their nature:

Sun or sūrya सूर्य
sūra is the sun. If we consider it as sūra+ ya it is the sun (sūra) + mover (ya). This su means excellent , right , virtuous , beautiful , rightly , much , greatly , easily , willingly , quickly, to go and to move. It also means to possess supremacy, as the Sun is Supreme amongst the graha-s.
Yet what of sū सू? It means to grant or bestow. What is on this earth that is not bestowed by the Sun?
Since we have considered su as easy,beautiful, excellent, much, etc.

I thought to add just a few more ideas to this post. I have mentioned 'su' above. I take note that sura = divinity. Just as a+sura = not divinity, as the asura-s regarded as the children of diti. From sura we arrive again at sūrya. Yet there is more to digest here.


Sura no doubt is divinity but also a form of fire. We get here via su + ra. We know some of the definitions of 'su' from above, yet we add in 'ra'. This 'ra' is fire/heat. We see then su+ra is that which grants and bestows (su) heat/fire (ra) - the sun. It is also worth mentioning that surāṇāṃ is the son of tapas. How many posts have we connected tapa with fire, to one's practice ? This is a most noble alignment of tapas to sura = sūrya , as the sun is the natural kāraka of ātman. And one way to ātman is via tapas.


There is more to this as we need to see how savitṛ, sāvitrī and possibly sāraḥ may fit into this point of view. We will take a look in the next post.


iti śivaṁ

yajvan
29 July 2013, 02:34 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste


There is more to this as we need to see how savitṛ, sāvitrī and possibly sāraḥ may fit into this point of view
What is the difference between between savitṛ & sūrya ? Some say savitṛ is the divine influence and vivifying power of the sun , while sūrya is more of the concrete entity we visually see. It would be mis-leading to call the planet sun 'graha' , as the sun is the ambassador of the idea of 'graha' - that which binds or holds.

We know of savitṛ's praise found in our gāyatrī hymm. Sāvitrī is a decendent of savitṛ¹. When in masculine format (sāvitrá) we once again find it connected to agni ('ra' from the post above). Wherein we are informed sūrya is in the heavens and on earth we have him as agni. Hence many of the homa-s and havan-s are agni-centric as essentially all comes from the sun and returns to the sun. The homa-s are sun-centric at its core as the sun is repsonsible for all.

But what of this notion of sāraḥ ? It is sā +ra . We find that sā is rooted √ in san which = giving , bestowing , granting. We have seen this definition from the post above for 'sa'. We know 'ra' is connected with fire/heat and therefore agni.
Yet it is a interesting thing that sāraḥ has a few meanings… one that fits is 'the essence or marrow of anything'. It applies nicely to both savitṛ and sūrya - as they are the essence of all that exists not only on this earth, but within creation. Nothing can exist without energy (sakti) and Being (savitṛ or śiva).

I also take note of some interesting names…such as sarasvatī and that if sūrat (some spell sūrata). We can see the influence of sa+ ra and sū + ra . It clearly suggests by deduction these phonemes (syllables of saṃskṛta¹) are connected with the sun, savitṛ, and agni.

We know of sarasvatī as that devatā of eloquence and learning, knowledge & wisdom. She is also connected with well formed speech.
Sūrata - means calm, tranquil. well disposed towards , compassionate .
These qualities then must be connected with the fundamental values of savitṛ & sūrya and agni.

A wealth of information comes to us when we look at sarasvatī like this: sa+ra+sva+tī and as sa+ras+vatī. And if we look at sūrata in these two formats: sū+rata and sū+ra+ta. We will address these if there is interest.

Yet there is something that is not discussed and is rarely known by most. That sūrya is connected with the sūrya nāḍī within us, and this is connected to gaṅgā (sometimes mentioned as jahnāvyā) , connected to knowledge (jñāna) and the veda, and connected to yajñopavīta¹ or sacred thread. We find the connection with savitṛ to jñāna to the sacred thread.
How is this so ?
 


iti śivaṁ
words
 

savitṛ - some say the sun before rising is called savitṛ , and after rising till its setting sūrya ;
saṃskṛta - refined , adorned , ornamented , polished , highly elaborated; applied to highly wrought speech - the language of saṃskṛt
yajñopavīta worn by the twice-borns; the sacred thread is worn over the left shoulder and hanging down under the right ,
yet changes from right to left for specific rituals. It too goes by a few names:
upanayan-saṃskāra - upanaya = initiation, bringing near ; the ceremony to install the thread onto the person ( a male).
yāgasūtra - the thread
vītasūtra - the thread
upavīta can be the thread and / or the process that installs the thread on the person for the 1st time.

Mana
30 July 2013, 12:42 AM
om gurave namaḥ

Namaste,

What fascinating rites of passage; such a civil culture I should truly have loved to experience such a civilization, realizing the true depth of its connection to the Universe as Vasuedeva is to Naryana.


A wealth of information comes to us when we look at sarasvatī like this: sa+ra+sva+tī and as sa+ras+vatī. And if we look at sūrata in these two formats: sū+rata and sū+ra+ta. We will address these if there is interest.

I have considered ta in relation of sūrya in the course of another thread, as such; I would be fascinated to hear a little more.
Might we find here within the root of sūtra?


We find the connection with savitṛ to jñāna to the sacred thread.
How is this so ?

Such a beautiful tradition, to realize the nature of the Gayatri.

The thread is given in The sacred Upnayanam ceremony, in which the second born receives the rites to wear it, indicative of higher cast. Although far less common; it is also conducted for girls.

The strands of the sacred thread have symbolic meaning that varies by community and region. The sacred thread has three strands. A bachelor wears only one sacred thread where as a married man wears two of them making it six strands. If the man has married and has fathered a child, he wears three, which makes it nine strands.

The three strands sometimes symbolize three debts that must never be forgotten:

The debt to one's teachers ones Guru, i.e. those who have taught the wearer;
the debt to one's parents and ancestors, those who have nurtured the wearer and made possible his existence.
The debt to the sages/scholars, those who discovered knowledge, both spiritual and secular, over the ages, which now enriches the wearer's life.
In some versions, the debt to the sages is replaced with debt to God.
Upon marriage, sometimes the number of strands increases to six, because the man is expected to assume the debts of his wife as well.

The three strands may symbolize; Devi Gayatri, Goddess of mind; Devi Saraswati Goddess of word; Devi Savitri Goddess of deed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanayana

Thank you for highlighting such an interesting topic, with such relevance here amongst the grāha; grāhyato grāhaka.

Kind regards.

yajvan
30 July 2013, 02:26 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste

From post 10 above,

Yet there is something that is not discussed and is rarely known by most. That sūrya is connected with the sūrya nāḍī within us, and this is connected to gaṅgā (sometimes mentioned as jahnāvyā) , connected to knowledge (jñāna) and the veda, and connected to yajñopavīta¹ or sacred thread.


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/B60 Note to the reader... this is a bit advanced and some ( or many) may not comprehend the ideas and knowledge offered. Not to worry. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/B60

There is much here to understand so, let's establish a foundation , then we can make the connections in the next post:

sūrya nāḍī - what is nāḍī ? It is defined as the tubular stalk of any plant or any tubular organ (as a vein or artery of the body).
Some in tantra consider it a very subtle vein within us, that runs along the vertebrae of the spinal column. Others see it as a channel of energy (prāṇaśakti) within us.
There is the sūrya nāḍī and the candra or soma nāḍī (moon nāḍī). They are on either side of the madhyanāḍī (central or middle most nāḍī).
Some know theses nāḍī-s as iḍā¹ and piṅgala¹. So the sūrya nāḍī ( like the candra nāḍī ) is a channel for the passage of śakti
gaṅgā - we know this as a river; consider it flow or flowing. If we talk of gaṅgā we also must talk of yamunā ( Some spell jamunā or Jumna).
Yet to think of these tributaries as 'rivers' is off-the-mark for this conversation. They are those 'rivers' or channels within us that flow. It is said the one that follows sūrya follows gaṅgā; the one that follows candra follows yamunā.
These 'rivers' are the right and left nostils respectively. The one that 'follows' is the one that worships/praises sūrya; it represents
The right nostril; the other, the left nostril. Now what can this represent ? We will connect the dots in the next post.
jñāna - we know as knowledge. If we are talking in spiritual matters (ādhyātmika¹) then we must too bring in bhakti (devotion , homage , worship).
Jñāna is considered higher/spiritual knowledge. The highest is the most bright, luminance, brilliant - what is more brilliant then the sun (as a example of this brilliance)? When one looks at the sun all else is blocked out - nothing else can enter the eyes. There is
no diversity, there is only brilliance. So, it is said the one that follows jñāna follows the sun.
The one following bhakti uses devotion and the swelling of the heart. Hence he/she follows the moon.
One must be clear that from a tantric POV both lead to ājñā cakra (center of command) , many call bhrūmadya the center (madhya) bwtween the brow (bhrū).
yajñopavīta - we know it is made up of 3 strands; and if one pays attention they too you will find 3 knots on this string. We can talk more of this, but of import here is this yajñopavīta is also called jahnāvyā which is another name for gaṅgā. If we are talking gaṅgā from the information above we are once Again inferring to the right side of the nostril and to the worshiping/praise of sūrya. When we are in praise of sūrya/savitṛ it suggests the upliftment by jñāna or spiritual knowledge. They support each other.
If you recall from post 10 I mentioned sarasvatī ? She is that devatā that is rooted In sa+ra - the fundamentals 'sa' giving , bestowing , granting + 'ra' offering light, brilliance, agni i.e. divine knowledge.So I hope one begins to sense the connection of sūrya + gaṅgā + jñāna + yajñopavīta + agni and how this begins to come together.
  

iti śivaṁ

words


iḍā - offering , libation ; a stream of praise; it is the nāḍī on the left side; See the connection of 'fluid' and moon ?
note iḍa is a name of agni who is to be addressed with prayers , or invoked with the stream or flow of praise
piṅgala - yellow or gold colored; hence connected to the sun as a quality; it is on the right side.

yajvan
30 July 2013, 08:09 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste

A view from a slightly different angle...

Sun = rāma = perfect adherence to dharma

Rāma - rāma = rā= agni, fire, heat; brightness , splendor; it also means granting and possessing.
ma = is to meter out and is therefore time. Yet too 'ma' is another name for the moon.So, within rāma we have sun + moon without even having to go to His full name of rāmacandra.

Moon = kṛṣṇa = blossoming of emotional maturity and devotion

Kṛṣṇa - ṇa = nirvṛti = complete satisfaction or happiness , bliss , pleasure , delight; emancipation
Kṛṣ = master, lord. It also means to draw to one's self , drag , pull , drag away How can we think of śiva and śakti within this frame work of say rāmaḥ ? Let's take a look.

We have talked of pūrnīmā in past posts on HDF. This pūrnīmā is another name for the full moon; from pūrṇa meaning filled , full , filled with or full.
We also looked at a tithi's¹ prada - the giving , yielding , offering , granting , bestowing , causing , effecting , uttering, influence.
The moon via the tithi expands and contracts, some call this spanda. The expansion to the fullness of pūrnīmā and the contraction
to amāvāsya (new moon). This happens in 15 stations of the moon's motion.

This amāvāsya is made up of amā + vāsya: amā means together, at home + vāsya means to be covered or enveloped. So how does this apply ? The sun (sa) + the moon (umā) are together, enveloped in amāvāsya . That is sa + umā, coming together. ( the t is dropped in sat).

A closer look reveals the beauty here.
Who is this 'sa'? We have established in the posts above that 'sa' easily gets us to the core value of savitṛ. But as you would expect there is more. Within the trika system this 'sa' is called out as the 3rd Brahma. This 'sa' is held in the highest regard.

From 'sa', we have sattā , existence itself, satya or truth, saṃpat or acquisition. But why the attention on this? It’s a way of looking at brahma as oṁ tat sat. The 3rd quality is sat. And what is this sat ? it is Being, That (tat) which really is.
Who says this? Kṛṣṇa-ji in chapt 17, sloka 23 of the bhāgavad gītā says oṁ-tad-sad iti nirdeśo brāhmaṇas. What this says is oṁ-tad-sad is the indication/identifier (nirdeśo) of brahman ( the Supreme).

So we know Sat is Supreme, Brahman. And umā is = śrī devī = pārvatī and tightly coupled (non-different) to śiva .
Now when sa(t) comes together (amā + vāsya) with umā what is created ? So+ma. That is, when a+u are joined in saṃskṛta we get 'o'.
Hence s(a+u)ma = soma. What do we call the moon? Soma. When śiva and pārvatī are joined together we get soma.

Hence for amāvāsya, the new moon, śiva and pārvatī come together, are enveloped, become soma. And what is this soma filled with ? 'sa' + 'ma' . It, like rā+ma, meters out (ma) the brightness of light (ra) and 'sa'.

Perhaps this is why śiva is always seen with the crescent moon over His head.

iti śivaṁ

words and references

sat - Being, existence, real, actual, that which really is.
umā - is śrī devī, pārvatī; this is also splendor , light ; tranquility, night (as when the moon is present)
candra glittering, shining; having the brilliancy or hue; a lovely or agreeable phenomenon of any kind
tithi qualities - http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=23311&postcount=3 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=23311&postcount=3)

Sudas Paijavana
30 July 2013, 08:40 PM
Moon = kṛṣṇa = blossoming of emotional maturity and devotion

Kṛṣṇa - ṇa = nirvṛti = complete satisfaction or happiness , bliss , pleasure , delight; emancipation
Kṛṣ = master, lord. It also means to draw to one's self , drag , pull , drag away


Namaste,

I have been trying to look for that definition of "Krishna" that you provided, but I can't find it. Maybe you can provide me with a link to that definition?

All I keep finding is that it means black and all-attractive.

Paijavana

yajvan
30 July 2013, 09:39 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste


Namaste,

I have been trying to look for that definition of "Krishna" that you provided, but I can't find it. Maybe you can provide me with a link to that definition?

All I keep finding is that it means black and all-attractive.

Paijavana

Let's see if I can be of some help. First my source is the M.Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary... you may wish to google it to find multiple locations on the internet.

Note too the following:
Kṛṣṇa by definition is black , dark , dark-blue; yet we can go deeper and find the definition of kṛṣṇa identified with viṣṇu himself.

Yet the additional defintions I offered in the above post comes when we dis-assemble his name Kṛṣ+ ṇa . Then we define each part by component and according to M.Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary.

ṇa = nirvṛti = complete satisfaction or happiness , bliss , pleasure , delight; emancipation
Kṛṣ = master, lord. It also means to draw to one's self , drag , pull , drag away

The same is true for rāma... I hope this assists you in your reading.

iti śivaṁ

Sudas Paijavana
30 July 2013, 11:14 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
Namaste



Let's see if I can be of some help. First my source is the M.Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary... you may wish to google it to find multiple locations on the internet.

Note too the following:
Kṛṣṇa by definition is black , dark , dark-blue; yet we can go deeper and find the definition of kṛṣṇa identified with viṣṇu himself.

Yet the additional defintions I offered in the above post comes when we dis-assemble his name Kṛṣ+ ṇa . Then we define each part by component and according to M.Monier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary.

ṇa = nirvṛti = complete satisfaction or happiness , bliss , pleasure , delight; emancipation
Kṛṣ = master, lord. It also means to draw to one's self , drag , pull , drag away

The same is true for rāma... I hope this assists you in your reading.

iti śivaṁ

Namaste,

Thank you, Yajvan-ji! That was an awesome post! +1

Paijavana

Mana
31 July 2013, 02:13 AM
Namaste,

Wonderful Yajvan, thank you for your explanation; I do enjoy the study of etymology, even if my level of understanding is rather basic.
Sanskrit is such a beautiful language; it is as if; time unfolds quite simply for our delight, as we experience in revelation the intricacies of mātrkā, of her more subtitle form.
So that that which is described is then seen, or perceived, rather than understood by way of any intellectual cognition.
Might these knots be symbols of karma, reflections of the triloka form in the nature of Gaṇḍānta junctions?
A fundamental reminder that karma is the cause of our incarnation.
The universe it would seem, is so very willing to demonstrate this to us; should it be that we choose to investigate ...

Would you be so kind as to explain a little of Budha, you previously mentioned his being the child of Soma, might we think of the children of śiva, Skanda and Ganesha?
We equate Ganesh with prithvi and the mulādhara, skanda has also the Mangala or agni relation.


Kind regards.

yajvan
31 July 2013, 06:00 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste



So I hope one begins to sense the connection of sūrya + gaṅgā + jñāna + yajñopavīta + agni and how this begins to come together.
 
Back to these terms and ideas. If one understands yajñopavīta, initially it was the sacred thread that was installed for brahmins that begin their study of the ved. The notion is of upanayan-saṃskāra - upanaya = initiation, bringing near. But bringing what near ? Brahman. This term upanaya also means initiation. For many it is the beginning of the initiation of gāyatrī hymm.

Now you will note that from post 10 above gāyatrī and savitṛ is tightly coupled. Infact gāyatrī at times goes by the name sāvitrī , As the first few sound-forms within that matram is tát savitúr.

So , we take stock in the notion that yajñopavīta + upanaya + gāyatrī + sāvitrī ( and therefore 'sa') are tighly coupled. We also take stock in the notion that sūrya nāḍī + gaṅgā + jñāna (considered higher/spiritual knowledge) are also
Tightly coupled. That in both lines of thinking the sun (sāvitrī) is the common denominator. This yāgasūtra ( the thread) promotes that flow of śakti, that promotes the flow of knowledge for the intellect to blossom in the study of the veda. It is within the currents (nāḍī) in the body that the yajñopavīta is used to promote or make available to the wearer of this thread.

Many say the 3 strands stand for this or that ( 3 debts, etc.) yet when we think of the currents in the body we are concerned with the flow (gaṅgā +yamunā) that is considered iḍā , piṅgala & suṣumnā (also called madhyanāḍī).

If you recall the 2 channels are sun & moon related. Left and right nostril (yamunā and gaṅgā). So it is this yajñopavīta that is used to raise more of the śakti to promote the path of knowledge ( of jñāna). To stimulate the 72,000 nāḍī-s within the body to become 'blind' - that is, to rid The person of differentiated knowledge by promoting fullness or undifferentiated knowledge.

We take special note of the 72 within the 72,000 is 7+2 = 9. The 9th house has to do with what ? Dharma, virtue, spiritual pursuits, meditation, not to mention the indicator of the 1/9th divisional chart.
And who is the kāraka of the 9th house ? The sun and jupiter ( the natural ātmakāraka and guru).

We see the beauty on how all this fits in and the depth and breath of the lineage that is in command of this wisdom. Every once and a while they allow us to take a peak into this knowledge to better understand it.

This is the tip of the iceberg as they say, and perhaps this will inspire the reader to go deeper and wider ; to learn even more on this matter.
 
purāṇamokaḥ sakhyaṃ śivaṃ vāṃ yuvornarā draviṇaṃ jahnāvyām |
Your ancient home, your auspicious friendship, O' heroes, your wealth is on the banks of the jahnāvyā¹
(jahnāvyā = gaṅgā and this brings us back to our total theme of this string and the last several posts )


 iti śivaṁ

words

iḍā - offering , libation ; a stream of praise; it is the nāḍī on the left side; See the connection of 'fluid' and moon ?
note iḍa is a name of agni who is to be addressed with prayers , or invoked with the stream or flow of praise
piṅgala - yellow or gold colored; hence connected to the sun as a quality; it is on the right
From the ṛg ved - 3.58.6
purāṇamokaḥ sakhyaṃ śivaṃ vāṃ yuvornarā draviṇaṃ jahnāvyām |
punaḥ kṛṇvānāḥ sakhyā śivāni madhvā mademasaha nū samānāḥ ||

Sudas Paijavana
31 July 2013, 07:01 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste

 
Back to these terms and ideas. If one understands yajñopavīta, initially it was the sacred thread that was installed for brahmins that begin their study of the ved. The notion is of upanayan-saṃskāra - upanaya = initiation, bringing near. But bringing what near ? Brahman. This term upanaya also means initiation. For many it is the beginning of the initiation of gāyatrī hymm.

Now you will note that from post 10 above gāyatrī and savitṛ is tightly coupled. Infact gāyatrī at times goes by the name sāvitrī , As the first few sound-forms within that matram is tát savitúr.

So , we take stock in the notion that yajñopavīta + upanaya + gāyatrī + sāvitrī ( and therefore 'sa') are tighly coupled. We also take stock in the notion that sūrya nāḍī + gaṅgā + jñāna (considered higher/spiritual knowledge) are also
Tightly coupled. That in both lines of thinking the sun (sāvitrī) is the common denominator. This yāgasūtra ( the thread) promotes that flow of śakti, that promotes the flow of knowledge for the intellect to blossom in the study of the veda. It is within the currents (nāḍī) in the body that the yajñopavīta is used to promote or make available to the wearer of this thread.

Many say the 3 strands stand for this or that ( 3 debts, etc.) yet when we think of the currents in the body we are concerned with the flow (gaṅgā +yamunā) that is considered iḍā , piṅgala & suṣumnā (also called madhyanāḍī).

If you recall the 2 channels are sun & moon related. Left and right nostril (yamunā and gaṅgā). So it is this yajñopavīta that is used to raise more of the śakti to promote the path of knowledge ( of jñāna). To stimulate the 72,000 nāḍī-s within the body to become 'blind' - that is, to rid The person of differentiated knowledge by promoting fullness or undifferentiated knowledge.

We take special note of the 72 within the 72,000 is 7+2 = 9. The 9th house has to do with what ? Dharma, virtue, spiritual pursuits, meditation, not to mention the indicator of the 1/9th divisional chart.
And who is the kāraka of the 9th house ? The sun and jupiter ( the natural ātmakāraka and guru).

We see the beauty on how all this fits in and the depth and breath of the lineage that is in command of this wisdom. Every once and a while they allow us to take a peak into this knowledge to better understand it.

This is the tip of the iceberg as they say, and perhaps this will inspire the reader to go deeper and wider ; to learn even more on this matter.
 
purāṇamokaḥ sakhyaṃ śivaṃ vāṃ yuvornarā draviṇaṃ jahnāvyām |
Your ancient home, your auspicious friendship, O' heroes, your wealth is on the banks of the jahnāvyā¹
(jahnāvyā = gaṅgā and this brings us back to our total theme of this string and the last several posts )


 iti śivaṁ

words

iḍā - offering , libation ; a stream of praise; it is the nāḍī on the left side; See the connection of 'fluid' and moon ?
note iḍa is a name of agni who is to be addressed with prayers , or invoked with the stream or flow of praise
piṅgala - yellow or gold colored; hence connected to the sun as a quality; it is on the right
From the ṛg ved - 3.58.6
purāṇamokaḥ sakhyaṃ śivaṃ vāṃ yuvornarā draviṇaṃ jahnāvyām |
punaḥ kṛṇvānāḥ sakhyā śivāni madhvā mademasaha nū samānāḥ ||


Namaste,

Dear Yajvan-ji, can you please, please, please do a word by word translation/symbolism break down of the Gayatri Mantra? Please?

Paijavana

ps - Is the God Savitur a female or male in the Rig Veda?

yajvan
31 July 2013, 07:37 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste


Namaste,

Dear Yajvan-ji, can you please, please, please do a word by word translation/symbolism break down of the Gayatri Mantra? Please?
Paijavana
We can do this, yet there are several posts on this already...
But, a good place to begin is from one that knows, svāmī lakṣman-jū .
Not only is svāmī-ji the jñāna but the vi+jñāna.

See his review of gāyatrī and savitṛ here:

http://www.universalshaivafellowship.org/the-sun-of-all-these-three-worlds/#.UfmqlsDn9Qo

iti śivaṁ

Mana
01 August 2013, 12:27 AM
om gurave namaḥ


Namaste,

Thank you for such thought provoking posting ...

I am fascinated by this count of the numerals in regard to the Nadis.


We take special note of the 72 within the 72,000 is 7+2 = 9. The 9th house has to do with what ? Dharma, virtue, spiritual pursuits, meditation, not to mention the indicator of the 1/9th divisional chart.

We hear also swami Ji referring to 78, which seems fitting in context, 78 : 7+8 = 15 . I wonder might this be a reference to the 3rd house, second harmonic; 8th from the 8th.


BG Ch15.12 That light existing in the Sun that illumines this whole world, and also that light existing in the Moon as well as in the fire, know that light to be me.


That light, the agni in every being.


Kind regards.

yajvan
01 August 2013, 08:02 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste

One must ask ( at least I do :) ) we talk of kṛṣṇa, rāmaḥ, śrī devī, pārvatī , brahman, umā, etc. Where does rādhā fit in ?


If you recall from the posts above we talked of sūrya nāḍī¹ and its alignment/support to jñāna ; We then mentioned candra or soma nāḍī (moon nāḍī). It is the side /flow / current that we find the devotional approach and hence the alignment to kṛṣṇa and therefore rādhā-rāṇī ( rāṇī = rājñī¹).

What do we know of her name ? How does she fit into this overall conversation ? We are told kṛṣṇa-s had 16,108 wifes. They are considered gopī-s. How does rādhā-rāṇī fit in ?

rādhā = a gift , favor ; prosperity; it is also a the name of a nakṣatra called viśākhā which means branched or forked
rāṇī is from raṇa = delight, pleasure ; also means going, motion.
Note too that rāṇī in this word form came from rājñī¹ meaning queen/princess. This tells us of how to view rādhā, but does it bring us closer to a more insightful meaning ? rā + dhā may just help a bit. This 'rā' we know is fire/heat and is another name for agni. It is defined too as brightness , splendor. And what of dhā ? It is holding and possessing.
So, we could surmise that rā + dhā is that which holds and possesses brightness/splendor. But there is more.

The 'hold' part is of great value ( to me). If we take rā + dhā and make it dhā + rā we now have dhārā which is a stream or current ; recall gaṅgā ? The counterpart of sūrya nāḍī is candra or soma nāḍī, and it is aligned to yamunā, that river that flows as we discussed within
us via the nostril ( see above posts for the core idea ).

But the 'hold' part of dhārā is from dhāra that is rooted in dhṛ holding , supporting , containing The same corellary root we can apply for dharma ( that which upholds). Yet we are not yet to the final ' ahh-ha ! '
We see 'dha' in dhāra - to hold and fix in place. The act of of bearing , holding in place is dharaṇa. And for meditative practices we write it like this dhāraṇa. This dhāraṇa is the meditative practice of holding in place ones practice, one's focus, ones worship, one's Lord.

And who is rādhā's lord ? None other then kṛṣṇa. So, we can say rādhā-rājñī is the queen of holding her Lord in place. Look at all the stories of her. Her mind is constantly absorbed (dhṛ held) in her Lord.

She is the paradigm of dhāraṇa (dhā + rā) to hold the Supreme in place, in one's awareness. This is the beauty of her name.

iti śivaṁ

words

sūrya nāḍī - what is nāḍī ? It is defined as the tubular stalk of any plant or any tubular organ (as a vein or artery of the body).
Some in tantra consider it a very subtle vein within us, that runs along the vertebrae of the spinal column. Others see it as a channel of energy (prāṇaśakti) within us There is the sūrya nāḍī and the candra nāḍī (moon nāḍī). They are on either side of the madhyanāḍī (central or middle most nāḍī). Some know theses nāḍī-s as iḍā¹ and piṅgala. So the sūrya nāḍī ( like the candra nāḍī ) is a channel for the passage of śakti
rājñī = a queen , princess , the wife of a king ; yet further definition is of the western quarter or that which contains the Soul of the Universe

yajvan
02 August 2013, 06:12 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~
namaste

Now this talk of the the gaṅgā with the yamunā begs another question , where is the sarasvatī ? Let me explain.
 
Most know of kumbh mela¹ (we could also call it milāpaka). This gathering is a ~big deal~ (maha) when it is held at triveṇī saṃgama...where is this ?

triveṇī = 'triple-braided' , the place of confluence at prayāga (Allahabad) where the gaṅgā (some like to spell ganges) yamunā
and the sarasvatī meet.
saṃgama - union, connection; point of intersectionIf you go to this location, where will you see the river sarasvatī ? Is it there ? From the posts offered above we know the inferences to the gaṅgā and the yamunā .



Now we need to add the sarasvatī to bring this idea to its fullness.
We will look at this in the next post.
 
iti śivaṁ 
 
words

kumbha is rooted (√) in kumbh meaning covering ; kumbha is a water-pot , small water-jar i.e. some call an urn.
'mela' is really 'mil' - come together , assemble , concur ; we could say milāpaka - one one who obtains the gathering ( mil-āpaka).
for more see this HDF post: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=48204&postcount=60 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=48204&postcount=60) )

Mana
04 August 2013, 03:07 AM
om gurave namaḥ


Namaste Yajvan and all else who may be reading,

I have been reading a little about Eastern scales and music this morning and have come to think again of this thread: Although admittedly tangential, perhaps you will find inspiration to expand upon this thought a little, should you see fit?




A wealth of information comes to us when we look at sarasvatī like this: sa+ra+sva+tī and as sa+ras+vatī. And if we look at sūrata in these two formats: sū+rata and sū+ra+ta. We will address these if there is interest.

sva+ra



"Svara means a note in the octave. The seven basic swaras of the scale are named Ṣaḍjaṃ, Riṣabh, Gāndhār, Madhyam, Pañcam, Dhaivata and Niṣād, and are shortened to Sa, Ri (Carnatic) or Re (Hindustani), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam (the word is an acronym of the consonants of the first four swaras). " ... wikipedia

Sound, vibration, discordance, harmony, rhythm and all of its forms; seeming to enter the conciousness effortlessly, and at such a profound level.

Kind regards