Mananam

"The snake does not exist, but only the rope exists — it merely appears as the snake." Questioner: I have a question as a student of Vedānta. Why do we need nimitta-kāraṇam or upādāna-kāraṇam when vivarta-kāraṇam seems like the most logical explanation in support of Bhagavatpāda’s teachings? The creator of the pot or the clay does not in reality exist. The snake does not exist, but only the rope exists; but it appears to be a snake. What am I missing? Responder: Anna — I I've taken time to prepare a pramāṇika exposition . Hence the time to respond. (Something I'm sure you will enjoy, as one āstika enjoys tīrtha-snānam ). Good point — very valid as well. Yet, there is a nuance here. The problem in communicating Advaita epistemology (i.e., pramā , pramāṇa-tattvam ) lies in straddling two horses at the same time — the language of pāramārthika (where non-duality alone is) and the language of vyāvahārika (the relative plane of duality). All discussions on...

Simple Nididhyāsana Exercise with Vijñāna Bhairava In the depths of the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra , we find some of the most profound instructions for nididhyāsana —the meditative absorption on the nature of the Self. Unlike other techniques that rely on ritual or verbal repetition, this method uses the raw power of awareness itself to dissolve all distinctions. But the prequel to nididhyāsana is śraddhā-pūrvaka mananam —the contemplative reflection upon śruti and Bhagavān bhāṣyakāra -vachanam PREQUEL Mananam before Nididhyāsana: On Gha ṭ ākāśa and the Self Before we sit for nididhyāsana —that silent soaking of the mind in the truth heard—we must contemplate . Not as intellectual gymnastics, but as mananam in the Advaitic tradition: firming up conviction ( niścaya ) that what the śruti says is indeed so. Let us take one such idea— gha ṭ ākāśa , the space in a pot—and follow it across the Upaniṣads , Gītā , and the works of Śri Śa ṅ kara and Sureśvara . 1. Gha ṭ ākāś...

 viṣ ṇ o ḥ stavarāja-nirūpa ṇ e (Chapter Sixteen of the Śrī N ṛ si ṃ ha Purā ṇ a) śrīśuka uvāca— 1. sa ṃ sārav ṛ kṣam āruhya dva ṃ dvapāśaśatair d ṛḍ hai ḥ / badhyamāna ḥ sutaiśvaryai ḥ patito yonisāgare // NsP 16.1 Having mounted (āruhya) the tree (v ṛ kṣam) of worldly existence (sa ṃ sāra), he is firmly bound (badhyamāna ḥ ) by hundreds of strong (d ṛḍ hai ḥ ) snares (pāśaśatair) of dualities (dva ṃ dva) and, fettered (badhyamāna ḥ ) by sons (suta) and riches (aiśvarya), plunges (patita ḥ ) into the ocean (sāgara) of wombs (yoni).   2. ya ḥ kāmakrodhalobhais tu viṣayai ḥ paripī ḍ ita ḥ / baddha ḥ svakarmabhir gau ṇ ai ḥ putradāraiṣa ṇ ādibhi ḥ // NsP 16.2 He who is tormented (paripī ḍ ita ḥ ) by sense‑objects (viṣayai ḥ ) through desire (kāma), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha), and is bound (baddha ḥ ) by his own (sva) secondary (gau ṇ a) actions (karmabhi ḥ ) such as the craving (eṣa ṇ ā) for sons (putra), wife ...

sa-bindu-sindhu-suskhala-ttara ṅ ga-bha ṅ ga-rañjita ṃ dviṣatsu pāpa-jāta-jāta-kāri-vāri-sa ṃ yutam k ṛ tānta-dūta-kāla-bhūta-bhīti-hāri-varmade tvadīya-pāda-pa ṅ kaja ṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 1.. I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-pa ṅ kaja ṃ ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which are adorned (rañjita ṃ ) by the breaking (bha ṅ ga) waves (tara ṅ ga) that flow turbulently (suskhala) in the ocean (sindhu) filled with bubbles (sa-bindu), which are accompanied (sa ṃ yutam) by the waters (vāri) that destroy (kāri) the accumulation (jāta) of sins (pāpa) of enemies (dviṣatsu), which serve as armor (varmade) removing (hāri) the fear (bhīti) of death (k ṛ tānta-dūta), time (kāla), and ghosts (bhūta).     tvad-ambu-līna-dīna-mīna-divya-sampradāyaka ṃ kalau malaugha-bhāra-hāri-sarva-tīrtha-nāyakam su-maccha-kaccha-nakra-cakra-vāka-cakra-śarmade tvadīya-pāda-pa ṅ kaja ṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 2.. I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lot...