190908 - 8th September 2019 : Brahma-Vidya

श्री  गणेश  मंदिर   -  शिक्षा वाणी

Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene Sunday Reflections 

8th September 2019 : Brahma-Vidya 

KEYWORDS:: Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Vidya, 

  

Last week we reflected on Bhagavad Gita and drawn a similarity between Gita and Brahma Vidya, and here we shall reflect on Brahma Vidya.  

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु 

om tat sat iti srimad bhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu 

ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे 

brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre sri krishnaarjuna samvaade 

  

Vid ("to know") is the root for Vidya (Knowledge) as per the Vedas. The ultimate Vidya to KNOW THE SELF is Brahma Vidya. Brahma Vidya is the spiritual knowledge of divine faith/God/existence/absolute truth itself. In the Puranas, this is divided into two branches - one dealing with the Vedic mantras called para vidya or former knowledge and the other dealing with the study of the Upanishads called the apara vidya or latter knowledge. Both para and apara vidya constitute brahma vidya. 

  

Brahman is the absolute Reality, pure Consciousness. According to ADVAITA VEDANTA philosophy, Brahman is the Absolute non-dual reality, and its essential nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss. Self and Brahman is one; the difference or duality between Brahman and the Self is a mere illusion. 

  

These days Brahma Vidya is seen as the spiritual path for seekers of ultimate reality, explaining the logic behind experiential and experimental sciences. According to Hindu philosophy Brahma is imperishable. For the imperishable to exist, a perishable object is to be Mundakopanishad says – Brahma vidya is the Sarva Vidyam Pratishtam, the foundation of all kinds of Knowledge. The Indriyas, the base of knowledge is from these sense organs of perception, thought, imagination, which are all managed by the Brahma. Learning and gaining this in all that we do is called Brahma Vidya. 

  

Infinite things around this world are reduced into 5 senses and then is preserved as impression implying that the world is only an impression. That impression in us is understood by the Brahma residing in the center of our heart-cave, shining in the form of the Self with immediacy as 'I'. [https://www.arunachala.org/docs/hrdaya-kuhara-madhye/] 

हृदयकुहर मध्ये केवलं ब्रह्ममात्रम्। 

hṛdayakuhara madhye kevalaṃ brahmamātram। 

  

Brahmavidya Upanishad is one of twenty Yoga Upanishads in the four Vedas. The Brahmavidya Upanishad has 110 verses. The key issues dealt with in the scripture are Brahmavidya– the knowledge of Brahman, the character of Brahman, the Om symbol and an individual’s nature of self-consciousness, human attachments and freedom therefrom. 

  

As it says Bhagavad Gita is the essence of Upanishads, Brahma Vidya and Yoga Sasthra, having reflected on Brahma Vidya now, next week we shall reflect Yoga Sasthram. 

  

----- Next Week 8th September 2019 – Yoga Sasthram ------ 

More from BLOGS/VIDEOS of DrTPS  at  www.drtps-shiksha.in 

190901 - BHAGAVAD GITA

श्री  गणेश  मंदिर   -  शिक्षा वाणी 

Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene Sunday Reflections 

1st September 2019 : BHAGAVAD GITA 

KEYWORDS :: Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, Arjuna, Kurukshethra War, Mahabharatha, Yoga, Upanishad 

  

Last week we reflected on Mediation in Action / Meditative Action or Dynamic Meditation and concluded by quoting Bhagavad Gita as a good handbook for  meditative action as prescribed by Krishna to Arjuna. Bhagavad Gita is composed of 700 slokas, split into 18 chapters by commentators for easy understanding. 

The first chapter - Arjuna Vishadha Yoga explains about the war field: Duryodhana preparing for the battle while Arjuna – the distressed disciple explains his desire to quit the war to his master Krishna. Second Chapter - Sankya (number) Yoga, sam (good) khya (declared) is the best communication of Yoga.  Chapter 3 - Karma Yoga talks about the nature of the action and how one has to approach. Chapter 4 Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga deals with Arjuna's questions on the detachment of Action from the result. Chapter 5 - Karma Sanyasa Yoga talks about Action without bondage. 

In Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga, Krishna explains Dhyana to Samadhi as parallel to Patanjali's Yoga Sastra. Chapter 7 - Jnana Vignana Yoga gives the distinction of External and the internal phenomenon as Prakruti and Purusha. Chapter 8 - Akshara Brahma Yoga is to elaborate on Krishna’s cosmic existence. Chapter 9 - Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga explains the existence and beyond. By the end of Chapter 10 - Vibhoothi Yoga, Arjuna attains realization and wanted to see God in His form. In Chapter 11 - Viswarupa Darsana Yoga, Krishna blesses Arjuna by providing his cosmic appearance. 

Chapter 12, Bhakti Yoga is on devotion. In Chapter 13 - Kshethra Kshethrajna Vibhaga Yoga, the field and consciousness are explained in detail. Chapter 14 - Gunathraya Vibhaga Yoga discusses Satwa, Rajas and Thamas. Chapter 15 -Purushothama Yoga talks about the nature of human existence and how to identify the self. Chapter 16 - Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga is to point out the human potential to choose divine or Demonic nature. Chapter 17, Sradhathraya Vibhaga Yoga talks about three fold characterization on thoughts and believes on actions. 

Chapter 18 - Moksha Sanyasa Yoga summarizes the various kinds of spiritual paths to follow attain Moksha, the ultimate goal of a human. By the end of this chapter after clearing the doubts, Arjuna thanks Krishna and promises to obey Krishna and be in Action to fight the war. 

First Sloka in Bhagavad Gita starts with a question by Drutharashtra (BG-1-1) “O Sanjay, after gathering on the holy field of Kurukshetra, and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?” 

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच | 

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः | 

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ||BG-1-1|| 

dhṛitarāśhtra uvācha 

dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ 

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāśhchaiva kimakurvata sañjaya 

for which Sanjaya answers in the last sloka (BG-18-78) “Wherever there is Shree Krishna, the Lord of all Yoga, and wherever there is Arjun, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be unending opulence, victory, prosperity, and righteousness. Of this, I am certain.” 

यत्र योगेश्वर: कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धर: | 

तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम || BG-18-78|| 

yatra yogeśhvaraḥ kṛiṣhṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ 

tatra śhrīr vijayo bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama 

Through Karma-Jnana-Bhakti-Raja-Sanyasa Yoga; any confused individual gets clarity on his own duty and understands that his actions should lead to a social benefit which is the core of Bhagavad Gita which is the essence of Upanishads, Brahma Vidya and Yoga Sasthra. In the coming week, we shall understand these Sastras. 

  

----- Next Week 8th September 2019 – Brahma-Vidya ------ 

More from DrTPS  at (www.drtps-shiksha.in /  https://rare-news-collection.blogspot.com/)