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Thread: śivaḥ & destruction

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    śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    The 3 forms ( trimūrti) most are introduced to when regarding the Supreme is
    brahmā, viṣṇu, & śivaḥ ; they
    are assigned the creative, maintaining, and destructive ordinances and lordship of this universe…


    And from a more robust view
    śivaḥ is hailed as the 5 faced one:
    Pañcavaktrāya पञ्चवक्त्राय - pañ पण् is to honor or praise; pañca is 5; vaktra वक्त्र is face or mouth. Hence śiva the 5 faced One.
    What are those 5 faces? Some call this pañcakṛityavidhiḥ -
    śivaḥ's
    5 great acts. They are:

    • sṛiṣṭi - the creative act
    • sthiti - the protective or maintenance ( stability) act
    • saṁhāra - drawing back in ~ contracting~ ; some use the idea as 'the destructive act'
    • tirodhāna - the act of enfolding or concealing His nature
    • anugraha - that act of revealing his nature - His Grace

    So in both views – the 1st being the ‘standard view’ of trimūrti ( or of the 3) and the 2nd , from a view revealed in the various śaivāgama-s both suggest
    that
    śivaḥ destroys. What does He destroy ? And is this destruction hurtful (kṣati) or harmful (hiṁsā) ?


    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ




    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    Namaste yajvan ji,
    I love each of your thread, they are of plenty of knowledge. I am confused in this thread, in last you asked some questions, so you wanted answers from other members or part of posts are still coming? This thread left my mind with lots of question and as you are not online to solve my confusion I am just posting all my questions here.. So I am sorry if I put my post in between your incoming posts..

    My limited knowledge don't get the idea of destruction, there are many stories and beliefs behind this like-
    1. Lord Shiva does tandav and whole universe get destroys
    2. He opens his third eye and everything destroys
    3. Actually he is just destroyer of our miseries

    But what he really destroys? Is anything destructible, I didn't find anything related to truth which can be destroyed.
    He destroy universe, we are living in universe it means he destroy us? But we are indestructible soul! He destroys sun, moon, earth, pancha tattvās? But we worship them as God or Demi God and gods are also immortal!

    The main fact is that God is omnipresent, what is there which is not god? Sun is god, moon is God, air is God and even we are God (or according to dvaita we are part of God) then he destroys himself or his own creation?

    If I think about process of creation, preservation and destruction and role of prakriti in it and if one assume it like just play of god then I will like to.compare it with so much inferior example like play of child.. Child plays with his toys and then after playing he put them in the box.. So here process of playing is destroyed, play is destroyed but toys are there and he can again resume play..

    Many examples coming in my mind, it is just a process of dismantling, bringing the elements back to their core form so one can create something new which is better. It is just like process of death. After death we still are there as we are indestructible but then we are in our pure form. Our body dissolves in its original elements (prakriti) and from that same elements new body is form.

    So no creation can happen without destruction! But I think it's not a destruction it's just bringing the universe into its core essense, into its basic form so he can combine and create the new universe.
    How can one who drink poison for universe destroy it,
    But I think we can call it destruction of illusion, destruction of Maya.. As what we are perceiving now is just maya, our real essense is lies in our true nature, without form, without elements.



    When Shiva opens his third eye illusion destroy and there is possibility for creation.
    Likewise when we open our third eye I.e. wisdom, all ignorance and illusion vanish and our true self start shining.. And then we are not who we was... We will become extremely new person..
    Pranam. Sorry for long description and thank you for reading..
    Aasato ma sat gamay
    tamaso ma jotirgamay
    mrityorma amrutamgamay
    (Bring me from asat to sat, bring me from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowledge), bring me from death to immortality)
    Om Namah Shivay
    Om Vishnave Namah

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    I thought I would comment on this question posed.

    From my point of view and comprehension the answer to my question resides in the 1st kārikā of the spandanirṇaya offered by kṣemarāja-ji. It is his commentary on the spandakārikā-s. This work of kṣemarāja-ji is a ‘big deal’ in the trika view of Reality ( that is, non-dual kaśmir śaivism). This 1st kārikā is so profound that kṣemarāja-ji took the time and effort to comment on just this first verse only. That work is called spandasandoha.

    Spanda is defined as ~ throb~ a slight movement as such ( that is how it is delicately said); It is the Supreme aware of itSelf. Hence it is synonymous (equal) with śakti, this slight throb/vibration is the Self- referral awareness of the Supreme of Himself. Hence the spandakārikā-s are the kārikā-s ( verses , concise statement in verse) on spanda, on this principle. And, the spandasandoha is the ‘milking’ (saṁdoha) of this first verse.

    Let me offer this kārikā now but explain it ( the best I can ) in an upcoming post for one’s kind consideration. Those that would like to read the 1st kārikā will only need to
    look for this work called the spandanirṇaya as mentioned.


    यस्योन्मेषनिमेषाभ्यां जगतः प्रलयोदयौ।
    तं शक्तिचक्रविभवप्रभवं शङ्करं स्तुमः॥१

    yasyonmeṣanimeṣābhyāṁ jagataḥ pralayodayau|
    taṁ śakticakravibhavaprabhavaṁ śaṅkaraṁ stumaḥ||1


    my view on this śloka:
    We praise (stumaḥ¹) that (taṁ) śaṅkaraṁ ( one who gives śaṁ¹ or grace ) who is the source , origin , cause (prabhavam) of the great/whole wheel (cakra) of power(s) (śakti) by the exertion (yasya¹) of opening (unmeṣa) and shutting (nimeṣa) His eyes dissolution, destruction , annihilation (pralaya) and coming forth/creation (udayau) of the world (jagataḥ) occurs.

    jaideva singh’s translation
    we laud that śaṅkara by whose mere opening and shutting of the eye-lids there is the appearance and dissolution of the world and who is the source of the glorious powers of the collective whole of the divine śakti-s.


    To the general eye viewing this kārikā one would say, yep it’s the end of the universe… and then a new one begins – end of story. Yet there is much more to this story then meets the eye. I wish to address this the best I can in an upcoming post. But before that it seems good council to offer just a few notions on destruction.

    Here are a few within the confines of the question posed regarding destruction. Let me not get so grand as the destruction of the universe but keep it closer to one’s own experience. This is important (as I see it) so one can comprehend the review of the 1st kārikā of kṣemarāja-ji’s commentary when offered.

    During the cycle of a day-and-night a person goes from wake to dream and then to deep sleep. Think about deep sleep. What is one aware of?
    Can you think of anything? When in deep sleep the universe, your surroundings are no more, there is no thing in one’s awareness.
    Some could argue that the person is purely unconscious. Others ( like rāmanaḥ maharṣi ) offer within this deep slumber one is aware of no-thing.
    There is just awareness resting in itself. The point to be made is, there is nothing in one’s awareness. So , in terms of destruction
    on a personal level all ‘things’, the diversity of things are no more , they have been destroyed by this deep sleep. From this point of view destruction is beyond hurtful (kṣati) & harmful (hiṁsā).


    What about thoughts? One thought comes only to be replaced by another. Where did that last thought go? It is no longer in this universe. We then can assume it too was destroyed. What about one’s age. My body was a child, as was my thoughts, feelings, understanding. That was some years ago. Where are they now ?

    And, from a spiritual point of view, one may experience samādhi ( pure transcendence, pure Self, pure Being) – the senses no longer function ( or are engaged), one does not even know if breath is occurring , no thoughts, feelings, emotions, just pure existence itself. What was destroyed?

    So, this notion of pralaya (dissolution, destruction , annihilation) can be better understood ( IMHO) with a deeper understanding of the 1st kārikā of the spandanirṇaya. We will take a look and see what it yields.

    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ

    words

    • stu – to praise (‘mas’ is a plural ending therefore it is ‘we’ who praise verses ‘I praise’ )
    • yasya – ‘yas’ to froth up; rooted in ‘yeṣ’ – to bubble up, to exert.
    • śaṁ = śam = ‘to put an end to’ , pacify , calm , soothe , settle; it is commented in the spandanirṇaya as ‘śaṁ karoti iti śaṅkaraḥ’
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    We praise (stumaḥ) that (taṁ) śaṅkaraṁ ( one who gives śaṁ or grace ) who is the source , origin , cause (prabhavam) of the great/whole wheel (cakra) of power(s) (śakti) by the exertion (yasya) of opening (unmeṣa) and shutting (nimeṣa) His eyes dissolution, destruction , annihilation (pralaya) and coming forth/creation (udayau) of the
    world (jagataḥ) occurs.
    For one to appreciate this 1st kārikā we need to understand some key terms . Let’s begin with the Supreme’s eyes. This is a symbolic idea. There is a higher/subtler (uccaistara - loftier) view on this opening (unmeṣa) and shutting (nimeṣa).

    We use the term unmeṣa as opening, yet too consider and keep in mind the following terms :

    • unmeṣa - appearance, expansion, display, revealing
    • nimeṣa as shutting, yet also absorption, submergence, suppression , disappearance, concealing


    Spanda – we called out as a ‘slight throb’; It is the Supreme aware of itSelf, it is creative impulse, it is Being’s svatantrya śakti or absolute freedom. We are
    told Being is never without spanda, it is ~perpetual~. ( note I use the term Being vs. this Being - this will be explained in time)

    We are also told that ‘we’ ( in the term stumaḥ) are identical with śaṅkara and it is the intent of this spandakārikā to destroy the perception of difference with this truth – that we are non-other than Being. That is why I mentioned in the post above, This work of Kṣemarāja-ji is a ‘big deal’ in the trika view of Reality ( that is, non-dual kaśmir śaivism).

    So, with the few ideas offered above let’s answer the question in destruction and get that out of the way. It is by the Supreme’s svatantrya śakti or absolute freedom (spanda) that the universe of diversity appears with the closing (nimeṣa) of his ‘eyes’. It is with unmeṣa ‘opening of the eyes’ which brings about the unity and wholeness of His nature, all diversity submerges. To comprehend this takes some getting use to and hence an example may be in order.

    Think of the night (nimeṣa) and look at the sky. It is dark. We see all the stars, the planets; some too may see some fuzzy patches which is the milky way. This is the night of diversity, of all the galaxies of things, stars, planets, moons, shooting stars, all that. Then what occurs? The dawn comes (unmeṣa as opening). The bright light of the sun (sun is seen as śiva and in this kārikā as śaṅkara) drowns out all the diversity of night, the stars and the like. All the differentiated things of night ( the diversity ) comes awash with total brightness of light (prakāśa – visible, shining, manifest). All the things of the diverse sky have been destroyed by the undifferentiated wholeness of prakāśa. It is the emergence (unmeṣa) of wholeness , fullness, unity ; What was destroyed? The diversity of the differentiated ‘night’.


    In us, the human condition the diversity and multiplicity of life is superseded by the unity of Being, the experience and expression of wholeness of awareness which is non-fractional ( split, fractured) . On one end we have the champion of diversity, the ego and on the other we have SELF which is non-different than śiva . With the ‘disappearance’ of ego, the Self is revealed (unmeṣa – open) . We did not have to go get it, build it, or buy it. It ( Self) is there all the time.

    If you recall śiva is shown as having a 3rd eye (anjna). Why only one? Because when it is open it is singular viewing ; it only sees one-ness, wholeness. This is even-ness of vision – all is seen as nothing but an extension of pure Being. Our śastra-s give us this ‘hint’ by informing us of this ajna and its alignment with higher consciousness. The ‘alignment’ is wholeness of being, only seeing Being everywhere – this is undifferentiated awareness. It is ‘unity’ vision. What then is destroyed (pralaya) ? Diversity (differentiated/fractional awareness).



    Recall from post 1 above,
    Pañcavaktrāya पञ्चवक्त्राय pañ पण् is to honor or praise; pañca is 5; vaktra वक्त्र is face or mouth. Hence śiva the 5 faced One.
    What are those 5 faces? Some call this pañcakṛityavidhiḥ - śiva's 5 great acts.
    They are:

    • sṛiṣṭi - the creative act
    • sthiti - the protective or maintenance ( stability) act
    • saṁhāra - drawing back in ~ contracting~ ; some use the idea as 'the destructive act'
    • tirodhāna - the act of enfolding or concealing His nature
    • anugraha - that act of revealing his nature - His Grace

    It is between the bookends of opening (unmeṣa) and shutting (nimeṣa) of the Supreme’s ~eyes~ that the maintenance of the world ,
    the concealment, and the grace of revealing His essential nature ( your nature or sahaja) occurs.


    Now, to go a step further… who is śiva? Why is He shown above with eyes half-open ?

    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ


    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté
    Now, to go a step further… who is śiva? Why is He shown above with eyes half-open ?

    Let me answer if I may the 1st part of this question.

    By his very name we are given a hint… śiva is rooted ‘śī’ defined as ‘in whom all things lie’. It is said this way, yatra sthitam – in whom it rests. The world ( code for everything) that comes out from Him rests in Him. Therefore every-thing resides with Him. So ~He~ is all of diversity everything seen and unseen; ~He~ is all of unity – all that is wholeness, fullness. He is you, me, the saint and the brute. The dog, the elephant, the ant and the dinosaur of ancient times.

    He has infinite variety and total wholeness-unity at the same time. That means there is no other. What can be outside of totality ?
    He is known as parā-saṁvīta or the highest (parā) + hidden (saṁvīta) or transcendental, but at the same time he is right in front us everywhere, as everything.
    The terms used is viśvottīrṇa (viśva + uttīrṇa) to pervade + traversed. So, viśvottīrṇa means pervading everything yet traversed/crossed or beyond range, and that is ‘transcendental’. The other is viśvamaya which is containing the universe, the world of multiplicity, of things, objects, space, time, place, people, feelings, thoughts, emotions, etc. He is the fabric of everything.


    He is the seer (mātṝ), the method of seeing (māna perception) and the seen (meya) the objects seen, felt, thought of i.e. what is discernible. Some call this the subject (pramātā), object (prameya) and the means of knowing (pramāṇa).The term ‘everything resides within Him’ suggest that everything is also made of Him ( philosophers call this ‘the material cause’) yet He is inexhaustible – that is, He is not used up. Unlike a potter that uses clay there is so much clay that is used, then the supply is exhausted. This is not the case with the Supreme. He does not need a panty to go and get more supplies.

    To say, 'oh yes there is me and then there is the Supreme, all the wonderful things yajvan pointed out', would be to really miss the point. He is both everything one sees and is; He is also the essential Reality of existence. This we come to know with the re-recognition of Our SELF ( Being , sahaja, essential nature). What one experiences right now is a ray of the Supreme. Many of us wish to know the fully-blossomed experience of SELF which then allows one the wholeness of śiva – both viśvottīrṇa and viśvamaya. It is not that you are not without both of these, it is it escapes your direct experience. You do not have to go ‘get’ it anywhere, it is there with you otherwise you could not exist. How can Anyone or anything exist outside of totality? Show me one thing.

    Why is He shown with eyes half-open ?


    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    I mentioned in the previous post the Supreme ( in this context paramaśiva, some call bhairava) is the fabric of everything…


    He is known as parā-saṁvīta or the highest (parā) + hidden (saṁvīta) or transcendental, but at the same time he is right in front us everywhere, as everything.
    The terms used is viśvottīrṇa (viśva + uttīrṇa) to pervade + traversed. So, viśvottīrṇa means pervading everything yet
    traversed/crossed or beyond range, and that is ‘transcendental’. The other is and viśvamaya which is containing the universe, the world of multiplicity,
    of things, objects, space, time, place, people, feelings, thoughts, emotions, etc.
    We find this in different words within the ṣvetāṣvatara upaniṣad (ṣvetāṣvataropaniṣat)

    sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt |
    sa bhūmiṃ viśvato vṛtvā atyatiṣṭhad daśāṅgulam ||3.14

    puruṣaḥ has thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet
    compasses the earth on all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.
    (This same mantra is found in the puruṣaḥ sūktam¹)

    apāṇipādojavanograhītā paśyatyacakṣuḥ sa śṛṇotyakarṇaḥ |
    sa vetti vedyaṃ na ca tasyāsti vettā tam āhur agryaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāntam || 3.19


    grasping without hands, moving without feet, It sees without eyes, It hears without ears.
    It knows what is to be known, but no one knows It. They call It the First, the Great, the Full

    There is just a few points I wish to make… as an ‘entity’ a localized being, does this Supreme have 1,000 heads, eyes and feet? No. This is how the wise talk when they wish to transmit a certain point. He is the fabric of all these… that is, He is the consciousness behind the eyes , yours, a deer’s eyes, a camels eyes. But the point of 1,000 is ‘code’ for infinitely full, whole and beyond all things, yet at the same time 'He' is there in daily life of seeing, walking, etc. 'Being' is an integral part of every-and-any thing, empowering.

    The Supreme grasps without hands and moves without feet clearly tells us it is His quality of consciousness that allows all movable things to do what they do. This is spanda, this is consciousness , the enabler that allows/empowers all actions ( and in-actions) to occur through the agent or ~ experient ~.

    So, here is the beautiful part of this śloka – the term ‘vedyaṃ’ is ‘to be known’ – it also is defined as ‘to be recognized’ which makes sense, as that is how someone would learn something about a subject. Yet the śloka says The Supreme knows or observes but no one observes or knows Him. Many say, then why even bother this pursuit the know the Supreme because it cannot be known.

    Here is the insight… because the Supreme is fabric of knowing (consciousness) it is the same stuff that is doing all of the knowing, all the perceiving. So, it ( the Supreme) comes to know itself though itself. There is nothing outside of the Supreme that would have this paramaśiva, or bhairava as an object for inspection. See the point?
    If I hold an apple in my hands I can inspect it, taste it. But in reality it is really the Supreme ( as consciousness)
    that is empowering the senses to do this ( some like to call this the organs of knowledge). So, when it comes to observe or know the Supreme and it is the consciousness itself that comprehends, what can be outside of it thatwould be able to take the Supreme as an object to be known ? It is ‘as if’ you are asking your own eyes to look at themselves ( no mirror included). This cannot be done.

    So, many ask – why can’t I feel this Supreme , why is it so elusive to my experience ? Well there are a few answers to this question:
    • One reason is, there is no reason… you ARE feeling the Supreme by being alive. You are none other than that.
    • But, because you are human, you are looking for contrast , that is how you come to see another condition. You say, I experience going from wake to dream and dream to sleep and I wake again. I can see the difference (contrast). I can discern the differences here in consciousness. I can experience hot from cold, large from small, I see the differences (contrast). Yet when it comes to the Supreme it is elusive. I do not see the contrast.
    • Another, in the bṛhadarāṇyakopaniṣat¹, puruṣavidya brāhmaṇa section ( 7th śloka), we're informed the SELF entered here (the body) up to (our) nail ends. That is, you are completely full of the SELF all the way to one’s nail ends ( in total) so there is nothing left out; you are complete , hence there is no contrast. It is as if a fish says, I cannot feel the water. It is like that, as the fish is completely submerged in the fluid, it feels no contrast.
    • Another, nija aśuddhi
      • nija = inate + aśuddhi = blemish or impurity. It is one’s own blemish. Now what is that? It is simply the notion that most humans ( 99.999%) are outward facing, extroverted. People are aligned and focused on gain, of all kinds. Gain of property, family, friends, wins, promotions, etc. The spandakārikā-s (9th kārikā) call this outward attention yadā kṣobhah or ‘when ever there is agitation, disturbance , tossing’ that is, stimulation of the senses in the outward direction/extroverted.

    These are just a few.

    What is the answer to come to remind yourself of your SELF ? Inward facing.

    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ

    words


    • sūktam – well or properly said
    • bṛhadarāṇyakopaniṣat = bṛhadarāṇyaka upaniṣad

      • ​What is being offered is a few things in this name. That the knowledge is being offered is bṛhat - vast , lofty , great , large. It is a vast forest of knowledge. It also infers that, like a forest, it takes some navigation to get around, to find one's way. Hence another definition of bṛhat is 'brightly' and is considered the light to find one's way as it is brightly lit.
      • Yet too this bṛhat is also of wholeness , of bhuman, because it is another name for brahman - fullness, wholeness itself. Hence from a forest perspective it is composed of all sorts of trees, shrubs, flowers, animals, but together there is the wholeness of the forest, bṛhat.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    Why is He shown with eyes half-open ?


    I thought I’d offer just a few notions on this question… by no means will it be complete & settled (nirṇaya), but aims at being aviguṇa (not incomplete or in bad form).
    I can think of several ideas on this matter…

    Unity in diversity
    Having His (śivobhaṭṭāraka = śivaḥ the great Lord) eyes half-open suggests He is both unmeṣa and nimeṣa – code for all fullness of this universe-of-diversity and all of the fullness of parā-saṁvīta or pure Being, the transcendent.


    The notion of diversity is also coined as ‘differentiated’ and the term bhinnavedyatā is used; bhinnavedyatā = bhinna+vedyatā bhinna = distinct , different from or other, ~differentiated~ + vedyatā = restrained or held ( yata) knowledge (veda) differentiated Awareness or knowledge.

    Everything in creation and in us – thoughts, feelings, ideas ( both good, bad, indifferent) all the differences we see, hear, think of, smell and touch and things, events, waves, particles, etc. that are not seen in the past present or future is not separated from the whole.
    Where do I gain support for this view?
    yatsattatparamārthohi paramārthastataḥ śivaḥ||
    that which is Existence (sattā) is the highest (param) Reality, the Universe is of the nature of that Reality,therefore everything is śivaḥ.
    This is from abhinavagupta's work parātrīśikā vivaraṇa


    So with that, the 1st notion of His eyes ½ open is that of unity of all diversity some say unity in duality.

    Is there another? Yes, I can think of several more:
    The gap
    With His eyes ½ open also suggest where you may find Him. And that is in-between or madhya, the center point, the even-ness of all things is found there. Where is that gap in us? I will review if there is interest in another post.

    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    śivaḥ’s eyes half-open …


    Let me add one more notion to consider then we will leave this idea alone for a bit.

    If śivaḥ’s ( properly written śivasya) eyes (cakṣan) are ½ open then too they are ½ closed. So we can say His eyes are ½ open-and-closed somewhat.
    They are unmeṣa and nimesa


    • उन्मेष unmeṣa = the act of opening the eyes
    • निमेष nimeṣa = closing the eyes

    Now the beautiful thing about saṃskṛtam’s grammar (vyākaraṇa¹) structure and its rules is that of vacana or ‘voice’ , that of singular, dual or plural. In English there is only
    singular or plural ( ‘I go’, ‘we go’ as an example) forms…one or many. The ‘dual’ form is considered ‘many’ or more than one in English. This is not the case in saṃskṛt grammar. If I say naraḥ that is a person and is singular; If I say narau that is 2 people, and if I say narāḥ that is the plural form and means many people.

    unmeṣa & nimeṣa
    Now we come to its use here for unmeṣa & nimeṣa. I can say unmeṣanimeṣau and it is the two. But there is more to this. It is the notion of the dvandva (dva = 2) compound (samāsa – putting together) used for two nouns of equal importance. So with unmeṣanimeṣau – they are both of equal importance. By saying unmeṣau it is a dual form. But of what? It is implying nimeṣau is there also because we have put it in dual form.

    Now if I describe śivaḥ’s eyes (śivasya-cakṣan) as either unmeṣau or nimeṣau the other condition is implied in either term used (and this is from the philosophical, richer point of view). Hence if I say śivau, the dual form of śivaḥ it is saying that śivaḥ & śaktī are there…both there and of equal measure.

    So , in germane terms if I ask ‘is śivaḥ’s eyes ½ open or ½ closed ?’ , the answer is ‘yes’. From a more robust point of view this is telling us that unmeṣau and nimeṣau is always there. That unity or the wholeness of consciousness is always present. The fullness of the God Consciousness is always there; wholeness cannot be separated or lost.

    If one is in the full brightness of God Consciousness as a daily reality it is there; if one is unaware of this God Consciousness in daily life it too is there. You can not be outside of it, it is impossible to be outside of it. Tell me one thing that is outside of totality? It is impossible.

    another view point
    Now from another view one can say the opening and closing of His eyes (unmeṣanimeṣau) is also a symbol for creation and destruction. All well and good, yet we need to modify the term destruction just a bit. The term dissolution may be a better fit. Then we can see the ebb-and-flow of things coming and going all around us and use this as an example of His eyes opening and closing (unmeṣau).

    Take the sprout of a plant as it grows. We can see this over time; it grows and at each state the previous condition of the plant is no more; it has transformed and or contributed to the next condition of the plant’s upward growth. One leads to the other. Take a child’s growth; the child continues to grow into adulthood at various steps…
    We can ‘see’ the steps in aggregate. That is, an infant to a child, to a teen, young adult, adult , senior citizen , etc. We see the distinct change but not the minute change, the instantaneous rate of change.
    Oh, how have you grown’ a relative will say, yet not able to see the minute level of change that is occurring all the time. Take a pair of pants over their lifetime. We can remember when they were new, yet in their existing condition they are worn out and faded in some places. We can remember ‘new’ and ‘now’ but that exact look on the 15th day is a bit more challenging to recall.

    what can be the point of these observations?
    The ~creation~ of dissolution must take place for something to be ‘destroyed’ ; the ~dissolution~ of destruction also must take place for something to be created. One is tightly coupled to the other to such an extent that is only for discussion purposes that we separate the two. That is the beauty of saying ‘unmeṣau’ as both processes are included.

    Yet there is one more thing on this… this instantaneous rate of change. This period just mentioned where there is this in-between period. In-between new and old. This in-between condition is sthiti, defined as ‘not falling’, ‘standing strait up’, maintenance , sustenance. It is quite important. Let me explain as it really rounds out the conversation.

    lolībhūtām
    This term lolī+bhūtām = swinging + actual occurrence; this is notion of unmeṣanimeṣau ( reviewed above). It is the notion that the actual occurrence of unmeṣanimeṣau is swinging back-and-forth, yet it also has sthiti, ‘not falling’, stability, within it. Let’s take a look.

    Think of sitting and moving on a swing. One swings and goes up and reaches a certain point then comes back down , with the assistance of gravity. The ‘up’ is from one’s motion of acceleration, and the down is from reaching the highest point allowed by the rope that is attached and ‘falling’ back. Yet think of these two end points. At the highest point there is this slight pause before one comes back down; that point is sthiti ( not falling). And on the other end when you have gone backwards all the way and coming back on the other end into your acceleration there too one finds this slight pause, and sthiti ( this slight pause) just before swinging down. That is the model for this part of the conversation, which allows me to add a bit more.

    Just like with the pair of pants that wear away with time it goes through this unmeṣanimeṣau + sthiti model. On day 1 of having the new pants they are fully new and the ‘dissolution’ of the pants have not yet begun but must be there, just not fully blossomed. This 'newness' is there ( for that moment) sthiti, not falling, not eroding. Said another way, sthiti allows or provides the condition for the pants to be fully created with no dissolution ( destruction) of the pants occurring for that moment. This sthiti keeps things managed and that is why another name for it is ‘maintenance’ ; It maintains the balance between creation and dissolution.
    Back to the swing
    At each point of the swing's progression up-or-down it's arc, sthiti is metering out this stability, this maintenance. It keeps the balance between acceleration and deceleration
    at the proper amount. Let’s say at the very top of the swing’s movement there is all stability (100%) for just that brief moment then that erodes and the acceleration downwards begins yet at each point down deceleration is acting to get ready once more for acceleration to begin and to keep both these forces in their proper amounts ; sthiti is there at every moment ( it never leaves) maintaining the balance. Think of it like lowering a person down a cliff by a rope.

    The person guiding the rope and the rate of the decent downward grips or loosens the rope in his hands to speed up, slow down, or stop the person descending gown the cliff. Hence from this example ( and I think we can see it all around us) that unmeṣanimeṣau takes on the nature of lolībhūtām ( swinging back and forth). Sun’s are created , maintained and destroyed, only for their material to return to space to make another sun and start again. We are created, we grow or are metered out at a certain rate ( if we live to 100, we are metered out at 1/100th per year) and we go from brand new to old . We are in creation, maintenance and dissolution every minute of every day.
    We regenerate all of our skin cells; of those billions of skin cells, between 30,000 and 40,000 of them fall off every hour and they are replaced. Yet at some point the ‘regeneration’ becomes somewhat challenged and dissolution takes on a bigger role, but is metered out properly by sthiti. Said another way it is an orderly ‘dissolution’.

    …but yajvan, how does this answer your original question ‘Why is He shown with His eyes half-open ?’. The notion is simple… with His eyes (śivasya-cakṣan) ½ open & ½ closed = unmeṣanimeṣau + the middle condition of His eyes = sthiti . Now we take unmeṣanimeṣau + sthiti = lolībhūtām ( swinging back and forth).

    The photo shows the nature of the Supreme , ābhāsa paramārtha ( the splendor of the highest truth, Reality), that It is fond of creation and dissolution simultaneously ; that It’s nature swings back-and-forth (lolībhūtām) in unmeṣanimeṣau.





    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ

    1. vyākaraṇa – grammar; grammatical correctness , polished or accurate language
    Last edited by yajvan; 30 May 2016 at 12:53 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  9. #9
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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté



    From post 3 above I offered the following:
    Let me offer this kārikā now but explain it ( the best I can ) in an upcoming post for one’s kind consideration. Those that would like to read the 1st kārikā will only need to
    look for this work called the spandanirṇaya as mentioned.


    यस्योन्मेषनिमेषाभ्यां जगतः प्रलयोदयौ।
    तं शक्तिचक्रविभवप्रभवं शङ्करं स्तुमः॥१

    yasyonmeṣanimeṣābhyāṁ jagataḥ pralayodayau|
    taṁ śakticakravibhavaprabhavaṁ śaṅkaraṁ stumaḥ||1


    my view on this śloka:
    We praise (stumaḥ¹) that (taṁ) śaṅkaraṁ ( one who gives śaṁ¹ or grace ) who is the source , origin , cause (prabhavam) of the great/whole wheel (cakra) of power(s) (śakti) by the exertion (yasya¹) of opening (unmeṣa) and shutting (nimeṣa) His eyes dissolution, destruction , annihilation (pralaya) and coming forth/creation (udayau) of the world (jagataḥ) occurs.

    jaideva singh’s translation
    we laud that śaṅkara by whose mere opening and shutting of the eye-lids there is the appearance and dissolution of the world and who is the source of the glorious powers of the collective whole of the divine śakti-s.
    In this school which is discussed in the spandanirṇaya ~ destruction~ is simply the following:

    All that is perishable, that is ~destroyed~ is none other than the submergence of 'this-ness'. That is, this ' this-ness' is the notion of seemingly disconnected objects and the differentiatedness of all 'this'; It is the seemingly fractional view of the world, of ourselves. What is destroyed (then) is this fractionalization/differentiatedness.
    And what is there when this-ness is ~destroyed~ ? Only wholeness. But it is NOT an either-or situation.

    Think about it
    You walk around and see nothing but things, actions, going on all the time, all around you, in your thoughts and feelings; yet the realized soul (the muni) sees nothing but wholeness and the unity of all. How can the same world be different? You see the world during the day as differentiated but what happens in sleep ? All the 'differentiated' has disappeared . It has been destroyed for the time being, yet you are still alive and the whole world is gone... how can that be? Yet it happens each night - destruction of the differentiated world occurs for the individual each night.

    This is the notion that is mentioned above as
    unmeṣa & nimeṣa. Opening and closing of the Supreme's eyes is that notion or symbol of how this wholeness goes from
    undifferentiatedness to differentiatedness yet never losing its divinity. That was the notion behind this swinging motion mentioned above:

    lolībhūtām
    This term lolī+bhūtām = swinging + actual occurrence; this is notion of unmeṣanimeṣau ( reviewed above). It is the notion that the actual occurrence of unmeṣanimeṣau is swinging back-and-forth, yet it also has sthiti, ‘not falling’, stability, within it.


    The point is , no matter what part of the swinging motion one is in, it is none other than
    śivaḥ.



    इतिशिवं
    iti śivaṁ
    Last edited by yajvan; 01 August 2016 at 01:07 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  10. #10
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    Re: śivaḥ & destruction

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    And, from a spiritual point of view, one may experience samādhi ( pure transcendence, pure Self, pure Being) – the senses no longer function ( or are engaged), one does not even know if breath is occurring , no thoughts, feelings, emotions, just pure existence itself. What was destroyed?

    Great thread and good point. I have jaideva singh’s translation myself and very much cherish it.

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