Re: Agree? Disagree?
If one views the literal meaning of Shakta means worshipping mother goddess and Vaishnab means worshipping krishna,it will be naive and immature.The devotee who loves and worship Mata kali or mata durga in the form of dear mother and with raga-marga ,how can one tell him as shakta???
When Ramakrishna was worshipping maa kali initial part of his sadhna,it was purely raga-marga.it can"t be said as shakta. Again when during his 64 yogini sadhna,he was pure shakta.when he entered Nirvikalpa samadhi under guidance of Tatapuri,he was pure advitin-jnana marga.
When he became immersed in union with love of maa kali again,he was pure vaishnab.
So its the propaganda of some sectarian vaishnab that those who worship Male god,that too the avtars of Vishnu are only vaishnab is totally un-wise and irrational.
What I have studied and what i was taught by my Gurudev ,its rationally different definitions regarding vaishnaba and shakta.
Shakta--- means the stage of sadhaka.when one is in struggling stage,one has not conquered the 6 senses and prakriti,he is shakta. Shakta means in search of shakti,the power to conquer one"s own prakriti,senses and ascend to gain knowledge.This is equivalent to KUNDALINI UTHHAN.
So a shakta can be follower of Tantra or yoga or bhakti or jnana marga.
In contemporary sense ,shakta means upasan of SIVA OR MAA in the way described in tantrik texts.but again in present time,majority of worships in temples,even bhakti marga is followed as instructed by Tantra.Go to Jagannatha pur or Guruvayur,padmanabha or any where,everything is according to tantra.
Vishnaba- the state of pure bhakti.its not state when a beginner starting chanting name or doing kirtana. Its a state when the devotee is able to see his beloved sitting in the heart of all including him,has get rid of Maya/senses forever.The devotee is in the higher realm of consciousness where he is eligible to feel and love God as his own.We at a lower level of consciousness can"t able to love god as man can"t love god,but only becoming god,one can relate the loving relationship with god.
So in all practical sense,how can one reject one"s loving relationship with goddess mother or fatherly love with sadasiva??? They are as valid and equal devotion as one has with Rama or Krishna.
One must remember Siva is known as Maha-vaishnaba,where as when Lord Rama was doing Durga puja to gain shakti to kill Ravan,he was maha-shakta.
Even when you look at the KATYANI BRATA performed by Radharani and Gopis,to get their desired love towards Krishna,one will realize that without shakti,jnana and devotion is impossible.Thats why they call " without shakti,mukti is second to impossible" .same thing can be said to bhakti too.without shakti,bhakti is impossible.
Last edited by anirvan; 23 February 2012 at 01:20 AM.
Reason: ad
Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu.
Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the
entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet
of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.
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