30-31

After welcoming me with humor,  jyeshta mahasanndanam said I should not unduly worry about ‘eating rudra’. “ After all, our relationship with external universe is through the instrument called jiva, which is an aggregate of gross body and subtle body we have. So, having any element of nature as rudra and worshipping is perfectly fine. Linga is but a mark or symbol of Ishwara. Eating the fruit is also a sacred process.We are not idol worshippers; we invoke our ishta devata into a form of our choice to worship. Once the worship is over, we see the ishwara off by a process called visarjana. Once Ishwara leaves, the fruit becomes a sesha prasada. So you did the right thing in eating it”.

This explanation not only gave me relief but also gave me an understanding of how logical and scientific our shastras are. As usual this made me dive deep for years on trying to ascertain how, we as human beings, grasp the external universe. More importantly, why every individual has a different perception , differing knowledge of the same event or entity. 

This Inquiry took me to Shankara Bhagavat Pada’s Atma Bodha. He writes about how we exist in three ‘bodies’, viz, sthoola , sukshma and kaaraNa shareera.

The gross or sthula shareera is made of five basic elements of Agni, Apa, prutvi, vayu and akasha through a pacIkarana combination process. These are mere sensors picking up external signals. 
पञ्चीकृत महाभूतसंबवं कर्मसंचितं 
शरीरम् सुखदुखानाम् भोगायतनं उच्यते 

The sukshma or subtle body is the virtual image of the physical signals picked up. This image is what we deal with as individuals. The components of the sukshma shareera are Mind, Intellect, five prana, five sense elements Indriya and five post processors tanmatras. We can see clearly that our belief systems, physical energy balance in the body, likes and dislikes, all influence the specific understanding of a situation. This is the reason why every individual understand the same situation differently.
पञ्चप्राणं मनो बुद्धि दशो इन्द्रिय समन्वितम् 
अपञ्चीक्रुत भूतोत्यम् सूक्ष्म अङ्गं भोग साधनं 

Logically speaking, while we see that we are different from the gross or subtle body, we are at a loss to explain why we are trapped into believing we actually are them. Since the physical universe and the jivahood has no beginning , we can logically conclude due to some inexplicable reasons, we are trapped into a causal body that houses gross and subtle bodies to enjoy and suffer in samsara. The solution lies in experiencing the reality that we are different from all these three bodies 
अनादि अनिर्वाच्या कारणोपाधि उच्यते 
उपाधि त्रितयात् अन्यम् आत्मानाम् वधारयेत्  

So, what are the steps to be taken to understand that we are different from the three bodies?
1) First step is to recognize that Ishwara is all pervading element and not restricted to any specific form. We can worship him in any form we like to.
2) Second step is recognize that all relationship with universe, including the concept of Ishwara, bondage, liberation etc belong in the realm of three bodies, sthula, sukshma and kaarana. 
3) Third step is to gain experiential wisdom that we are not these three bodies. नित्य शुद्द विमुक्तैकं  अखण्डं आनन्दं अद्वयं 
सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं यत् परम् ब्रह्म अहमेव तत् 

Be that as may, our primary starting point is with the physical universe and we need to deal with gross and subtle bodies. While this is recognized, our Shastras have ingeniously embedded the crux in every karma anushtana.

Our forefathers made this a way of life and embedded these concepts in every step of the way. For example, many of us have heard about  panca mahabhuta lingam temples in Tamil Nadi. Appu lingam  in Thiruvanaikaval, Teyu in thiruvannamalai, vayu in Kalahasti, pritvi in Kaanchi, Akasha in Chidambaram. As the five mahabhutas are the fundamental particles of  the universe, they are seen as Ishwara- no physical matter, no substrate for physical experience.
When we go to visit these temples we need to understand the principle behind them.

Muthuswamy dikshitar, who along with Tyagaraja and syama sastry formed the Carnatic music trinity, wrote a succinct but clear articulation of this in his song panca Bhuta kiranavali.
पञ्च भूत किरणावळिं चन्द्र मौळिम्
भावयामि गुरु गुह तातं सन्ततम्
पञ्ची-कृत प्रपञ्चातीतं अगणितं
फणि राजाभरणं पल्लव जय चरणं
वाञ्छित फल प्रदं बृहन्नायकीशं
बृहदीशं जगदीशं स्वयंप्रकाशम्

A very beautiful rendering by Thiruvanadapuram Prince Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma can be enjoyed in the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30u-2WhX6A

In other words, the metaphysics, philosophy,  theology, liturgy, karma, anushtana, and  cultural element are all harmonized for the same goal in sanatana dharama. Modern management theory took couple of thousands years to come out with its catchup concept of Goal flow down.

Another statement that jyeshta mahasannidhanam made a few months back came back to my mind as I stood in the footsteps of Adhishtana Mantapa. He had scolded a half baked scholar not to get stuck on forms of Ishwara- “is there Vishnu in the gap between arms? If there is, where does the form begin and end? If Vishnu does not exist in the gap, then he is not all pervading, belying the name itself let alone his prowess” .

If the form is not relevant, why give that particular form at all , I wondered. For example why should Karthikeya Muruga have six heads , hold a spear , ride a peacock stepping on snake ,and  fly a flag of rooster ?  Why? 

Skanda  Avatara’s purpose was to defeat Taraka asura who could only be slain by a child of seven years, born to a Brahmachari Yogi.  How can a brahmachari yogi give birth to a son? How Cana 7 year old balaka kill all powerful demon Taraka asura ?

While many Puranas give an account of Skanada , let us look at Valmiki Ramayana - the oldest of Itihasa , with some historicity. 

It gives a graphic account of Skanda avatara. Shiva & Uma indulge in sexual activity and even after 100 years Shiva does not ejaculate. Brahma & devas are worried as to what kind of a child will be born after such a prolonged copulation. So they appeal to Rudra not to release the semen in Uma’s womb.

तस्य संक्रीडमानस्य महादेवस्य धीमतः |
शितिकण्ठस्य देवस्य दिव्यम् वर्ष शतम् गतम् || १-३६-६
न च अपि तनयो राम तस्याम् आसीत् परंतप
सर्वे देवाः समुद्युक्ताः पितामह पुरोगमाः || १-३६-७

Shiva agrees to their request but says whatever portion released can’t be stopped and releases it on earth as advised by Brahma. 
एवम् उक्तः सुर पतिः प्रमुमोच महाबलः |
तेजसा पृथिवी येन व्याप्ता स गिरि कानना || १-३६-१६

Brahma requests Ganga Mayya to hold the embryo, who in turn deposits into reeds unable to bear the potency.
इह हैमवते पार्श्वे गर्भो अयम् संनिवेश्यताम् |
श्रुत्वा तु अग्नि वचो गंगा तम् गर्भम् अतिभास्वरम् || १-३७-१७
उत्ससर्ज महातेजाः स्रोतोभ्यो हि तदा अनघ |
यत् अस्या निर्गतम् तस्मात् तप्त जांबूनद प्रभम् || १-३७-१८

Literally taken, Lord Shiva’s virya (semen) was swallowed by Agni who could not take the heat and transferred to Rishi Patnis, who dropped it on Himalayas; which in turn transferred to Ganges that washed it to Reeds where six headed Karthikeya was born.The boy is called skanda- who spurted out of copulation. The six faced child is suckled by six krittika stars.

This baby kills taraka asura when he grows into a warrior general at the age of seven ! How can we believe all this ? There has to be a hidden meaning. 
Allegorically what does this story represent? 

From the Tantra perspective, this is about how the Virya shakti (representing individual identity), which is usually dissipated in the recreational sex, is channelized through the ‘Sushumna’ naadi, travels through the six chakra lotuses to be united with Shiva consciousness at the reeds of Sahasraara chakra, so that Gnana is born.

From vedantha perspective the six faces of Skanda represents the Six Darsanas (Nyaya, Vaise-shika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, vedanta) ; His weapon is spear, representing a long term effort to collect wandering mind into a point; he rides a peacock a showy bird, symbolizing keeping our ego under check; snake is the Kundalini shakti; his flag is Rooster cock that searches for and eats all insects keeping the land clean, the way the kalmasha in the mind have to be destroyed. It is to be noted that among all the Gods, only Skanda took to penance, who understood the meaning of AUM, and so on. Avatara’s purpose was to defeat Taraka asura who could only be slain by a child of seven years, born to a bramhachari Yogi. Among many other meanings, Taraka means ‘Pupil of the eye’, the gate way to the external world.

So, if we wish to decouple our senses from external stimuli, we need to master the six darsanas, tantric meditation, raise the Kundalini through the six lotuses and get the Turiya anubhava as it reaches Sahasrara. The seventh birthday always comes after six years-representing crossing six chakras or mastering six darsanas.

This view is not just of mayavaadis ; let us look at Purandara dasa song.
Ako Haangihana? Iko Hingahana?
Para Brahma Narayana hengihane andare.
Kaalillade nadesiuva, kai Illade Hidisuva, Hallilade Tinisuva, 
Hottillade Unisuva Kannillade Kaanauve, Kivi Illade Keslisuva Kannige Kaanisidante Olage Horage thumbhiruva
Shweta Dweepadalli Kulitu Anantaasadi Malagida Khyata vaikuntadalli Ninta Naatha purandara Vittala

What does Purandara Dasaru convey in this song?

“ Is the Lord look like that ? Or is He like this?
If you wonder how Para Brahma Narayana looks like
He has no feet and yet helps us walk,
Nor does he have hands buy yet guides,
Without teeth he will help eat
Though without stomach he will help digest 
He has no eyes but he is our eyesight
He has no ears but he is the one that makes us hear 
He is not seen by our eyes, but fills in and out of everything

Resting on the Anantha Sayana, In the midst of milky ocean
Living in famed Vaikunta, Is the Lord Purandara Vittala

Let us examine the words ‘Shveta Dwipa’ , ‘AnantAsana’ a little differently.
One of the meanings of Shveta is Crystal; Dvipa has another meaning – shelter. Ananta means infinite; Asana means support. So, ‘Shweta Dweepadalli Kulitu Anantaasadi Malagida Khyata’ means infinite properties supported by crystal - meaning Prurandara Vittala has no characteristic like crystal but can assume infinite characteristics . No wonder Shrimad Ananda theertha muni defines  Vishnu as the one with Anantha kalyana guna .

When I reported back to Umesha on my visit and thought process, he asked a pointed question.”Have you studied Ishwara Krishna’s Samkhya Karika with Gaudapada commentary ?”