Re: A delicate question - how not to offend other (potentially greater) devotees?
Originally Posted by
yajvan
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté & hello
I'd like to add one more idea to the overall conversation. I do this because I see viraja as open to ideas and with an absence of malice. With that let me proceed.
When one has an spiritual experience, it is no doubt a wonderful thing. It uplifts us. This is all well and good. Yet note too it is an experience given to us on a personal level. So much so, that perhaps even the devāḥ would like to keep it personal and out of the lime light. Now how could I even suggest this? I look to the aitareya upaniṣad for my support. Let me explain.
The aitareya upaniṣad (aitareyopaniṣat) is from the aitareya āraṇyaka, which is a continuation of the aitareya brāhamaṇa, all appended ( some would say finding their home ) in the ṛgveda (rig veda) – hence it is vedānta or the end/culmination/summing-up of the vedaḥ. The ṛṣi of the aitareya upaniṣad is reviewed in the footnotes below for one’s consideration. Now, why mention all this? To let the reader know we’re in good company with the knowledge that is being supplied.
This upaniṣad in a nut-shell addresses the question of who¹, what, & why of all this (idam¹) world and ourselves. It is one of my favorites due to the density of knowledge contained herein and its brevity.
So, I’d like to point-out one offer found in aitareya upaniṣad (aitareyopaniṣat), section ( or khaṇḍaḥ) 1.3.14, as it says the following:
tasmādidandro nāmedandro ha vai nāma |
tamidandraṁ santam indra ityācakṣate parokṣeṇa |
parokṣapriyā iva hi devāḥ parokṣapriyo iva hi devāḥ || 14
This śloka’s full meaning cannot be gleaned without going deeper in to the previous 13 verses and that will take us off the present track. So, let me pull out the offer aligned to the theme/idea for this post.
It says, the devāḥ’s (devatāḥ) indeed (iva hi) favor (priyā) what is indirect, they are more agreeable of what is indirect.
The term for ‘indirect’ here is parokṣa which means out of sight, or beyond the range of sight. The term priyā means favor and kindness. Many have seen this term as preyas and it is defined as more agreeable, dearer. Hence, this is coaching and informing us that the devatāḥ find it more agreeable and favor what is more indirect. In fact the last line repeats the notion twice (parokṣapriyā iva parokṣapriyo iva)
What is the jest of this knowledge ?
If you have ever visited a temple , this parokṣa is done in a very simple manner. We stand to the left or right of the mūrtayaḥ (mūrti’s , the deities we see); we do not ‘face off’ or stand directly in front of them, that would not be indirect. Even when one visits the inner part of the temple called the garbhagṝha (garbha-gṛha) people look-in from the sides, standing on the left or right. This is physically the way (by our actions) of aligning to what the devatāḥ find more agreeable.
It is informing us ( as I see it) that devatāḥ like to be approached in this manner. They prefer & favor ‘parokṣa’ a more subtle approach out of the lime-light. This then suggests they do not like to be the center of attention. They like it behind the scenes, they like and favor this. So, when we are at times visited ( or open to) a spiritual experience that include a devaḥ, it seems to me they would like to keep it personal, between you and them. If our heart swells with happiness , so be it . It is the gift. It is a personal gift given to you and one is discrete about it.
इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ
- 1.3.14 in saṃskṛta for those that like to follow along.
तस्मादिदन्द्रो नामेदन्द्रो ह वै नाम ।
तमिदन्द्रं सन्तम् इन्द्र इत्याचक्षते परोक्षेण ।
परोक्षप्रिया इव हि देवाः परोक्षप्रियो इव हि देवाः ॥१४
- idam = ‘this’ , ‘this here’ , referring to something near the speaker.
- who ? अथ कोऽहमिति - atha ko’ham iti = then who am I ? 1.3.11 ; from the very last line of the śloka.
- The ṛṣi of the aitareya upaniṣad is aitareya mahīdāsa. He is called out in the chandogyopaniṣat, saying he lived to 116 years of age. It is said he was the incarnation of viṣṇu.
- We are told he was born of the woman known as itarā. This word itarā means ' the other' - this suggests this woman as 'the other' and not the legitimate wife of the father. She therefore did not have the the rights and privileges of a ~legitimate wife~.
So, as the story goes , one day his father is having a big yajña performed. It is custom for the yajamāna ( the one who performs and pays for the yajña, and in this case aitareya's father) to be present and seated at this event. He was denied a seat at the yajña. This was taken as a direct insult to itarā, aitareya's biological mother. Itarā-ma prays to bhūmi devī ,also known as mahī and asks for her atonement. Via her grace she appears and places aitareya-ji on a throne. She then proceeds to teach him the wisdom and knowledge of the Supreme. Aitareya means the descendant of itarā his mother, and mahīdāsa is the servent (dāsa) of mahī or bhūmi devī.
Namaste Yajvan ji,
This knowledge, sloka is new for me.. Thanks for always sharing such a deep knowledge..
I have some doubts about the post you made due to my limited mind.... but I will not spoil Viraj ji thread asking my doubts..
Pranam
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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