... A dried-up stump

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~~~
Hello sadhaka,

There is a sutra (or stitch) in the Chhandogya Upanishad that says,
".... if one were to tell this (Truth) to a dried-up stump for sure, branches would shoot forth and leaves would spring from it". So, says Satyakama, the rishi, in the Chhandogya Upanishad.

What could be so powerful as to cause this? The metaphor is that of one being able to talk the Truth (therefore an enlightened being doing the instructing) and giving this knowledge to another * usually a sisya, or student.

We know this to be a vidya , or insight, a practice. Its also called sadhana (spiritual practice).

What is interesting is this vidya is called the prana vidya... some know prana as air, life force, etc etc. but as you can expect it is much more profound then air. This prana is a vital limb (prarika) of a key tenet of Brahman, or this Fullness (plenum) we discussed in other posts.

We know Brahman as Satchitananda - or Truth (Sat) of Being , Consciousness (chit) and Bliss-delight (ananda). Note this 3-in-1 relationship? We see this other places - The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in Christianity ( let alone many many other examples from the Upanishads). I would ask for your comments on some of the associations I draw below:

Brahman as akasha - all encompassing ether (akasha) and is the substance of delight of SELF-being ( Sat-Truth);
Brahman as prana is this active consciousness that is inherent in Brahman as Life-force, and is verily consciousness - it is undecaying and it's immortal - it is the power of the Spirit. Some call this the active force of consciousness that is breathed into all (into the individual, the jiva, or soul) - I can see this as the Holy Spirit, the holy Consciousness - Prana.

So we as mere small divine beings can appreciate Brahman as aksasa, and consciousness and can experience this Brahman somewhat from looking/contemplating and meditations and transcending to get a feel Brahman, yet still so vast and huge for us to really 'get it' until we live and breathe Brahman once enlightened.

So how does the Son fit in to this discussion? It is said in this Chhandogya Upanishad, there is a special being called Sanatkumara. This name is of great interest - Sana comes from "sanatana" or eternal + "kumara" or divine child.
There is a special function of the Son of the Creator (Sanatkumara) to dispel the darkness of humans and bring the light. For those that may read the bible, (John 14:6-21) Jesus points out, "No one comes to the Father except through me". This is the concept of Sanatkumara.

Jesus is declaring he understands this principle and is teaching it thus, as Sanatkumara. In the final episode of our development there is a helper, a deliverer. Jesus was one. The principle of Sanatkumara has been here for eon's....before and after Jesus, yet Jesus is Sanatkumara in the living flesh that recognized this and could act on it .

The final deliverer is there by HIS Grace, and is HIS Grace, that delivers one's self to the SELF to enlightenment and he does Brahma's (as Creator) work.

It is said that the SELF reveals itSELF to itSELF... we just prepare the land to get it ready with our prayers, meditations and good works... as Jesus said, (John 6:44-45) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,and I will raise him up at the last day". What is this last day? For me, its the last day of IGNORANCE of not personally and intimately knowing the SELF (Atman), Brahman, and the day Sanatkuma completes the task of deliverer for the sadhaka.

May Sanatkuma befriend you soon.

[sarabhanga]

And that little sanatkumAra always dwells in the heart !

[saidevo]

A dried up stump has the name stanu in Sanskrit. I understand this is also a name for Shiva. Kanchi Paramacharya in one of his talks has pointed out that Saivite Hindus have names such as Siva Stanu or simply Stanu. Even Englishmen have names such as Wood, Snow and so on, named after nature's manifestations. He also explained as to why Shiva is called a stanu, but I have forgotten the reference. Someone may please explain me the speciality of this name for Shiva.

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

A dried up stump has the name stanu in Sanskrit. I understand this is also a name for Shiva. Someone may please explain me the speciality of this name for Shiva.

Namaste saidevo,

Yes, this would nice to know...
Also, there are other names for Indra, Brahma, agni, etc... its said in the Upanishads they ( the deva's) like the indirect method. Just as we have various names for ourselves, our children, etc. the deva's like the indirect approach.

Perhaps we can start a new post and we can list out the root of names, their meanings, etc.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste,

sthANu is �standing, stationary, firm, fixed, immovable, or motionless�.

sthANu is �a stump, stem, trunk, stake, post, pile, or pillar� ~ anything stationary or fixed, or anything symbolic of motionlessness or fixation.

sthANu is �a spear or dart� or �the gnomon of a dial�.

sthANu praises Shiva and Soma as sthA-nu and as sthA-aNu or sthA-aNva.


Behold the Man whose name is �the Branch� ~ and behold the Rudra whose name is Sthanu !

[saidevo]

Namaste Sarabhanga,

Namaste,

sthANu is “standing, stationary, firm, fixed, immovable, or motionless”.

sthANu is “a stump, stem, trunk, stake, post, pile, or pillar” ~ anything stationary or fixed, or anything symbolic of motionlessness or fixation.

sthANu is “a spear or dart” or “the gnomon of a dial”.

sthANu praises Shiva and Soma as sthA-nu and as sthA-aNu or sthA-aNva.

Behold the Man whose name is “the Branch” ~ and behold the Rudra whose name is Sthanu !

The term sthANu is translated in Tamil as patta maram, literally wood or bark of a tree that has lost all its sap with no further possibility of growth. The term patta maram is applied to widows to indicate their status in life. Such a tree can never be watered and made to grow.

In this negative connotation, how does the term sthANu apply to Shiva? I remember to have heard this attribute of Shiva used for his Dakshinamurthi form. Perhaps the term implies the ultimate status of silent oblivion with dormant consciousness such as we feel when in deep sleep, and which corresponds to the status of Brahman between pralaya and shristi?

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Saidevo,

The dead pattA (husband) or paTTA (entitlement) maram (wood) cannot grow, and without water it will remain unchanged forever. It can never grow, not in any way. And this ageless, barren sthANu can only be consumed by the Fire.

rudra is known as the aja (unborn, and thus undying) ekapAda (sole foundation or single footing) sthANu (pillar, post, trunk, stem, stick, branch, staff, rod, etc.) ~ the auspicious sign or shiva li�ga.

The paTTA maram is surely NOT negative !