Friday, February 26, 2016

Shree Bhima Kali Ji Temple, Sarahan Bushahr ( Himachal Pradesh ,India )

With its unusual architecture and wealth of wood carvings, Shri Bhima Kali Temple at Sarahan is the major monument that is duplicated no where else in the erstwhile hill states. Dedicated to the mother goddess Bhimakali presiding deity of the Rulers of former Bushahr Sate, situated at 2150 mtrs MSL this magnificent temple is about 180 kms. from Shimla.With its capital at Shonitpur this former princely state was extended up to entire area of Kinnaur where for somtimes Lord Shiva disguised himself as Kirat.Today, the then Shonitpur is known as Sarahan. Banasur, the ardent devotee of Lord Siva, eldest among the one hundred sons of great oblative demon King Bali and the great grandson of Visnu votary Prahlad, during the Puranic age was the ruler of this princely state.

Due to Usha-Anirudh affairs Lord Krishna fought here with him and in this battle Lord Siva stood against the former.The legend goes that head of the defeatd king Banasur was buried in front of the entry gate now marked as a raised platform to the first courtyard. Reaching a few steps up from the road to this paved courtyard pilgrims enter into a different world. After Banasur, Pradyuman the incarnation of cupid and the son of Lord Krishna became the Ruler of this Kingdom. Since then this Kingdom was governed uninterruptedly by the descendants of this dynasty till the end of the princely states in independent India.In the State capital this ruling family got constructed a splendid temple palace complex and recognised mothergoddess Bhimakali as the presiding deity of the ruling house.

The goddess according to another legend was consecrated earlier in the wooden stick of a sage Bhimgiri. Another hearsay about the manifestation of the goddess is reported to the Daksha-Yajna incident when the ear of the Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship as a Pitha - Sthan.Presently in the form of a virgin the icon of this eternal goddess is consecrated at the top storey of the new building. Below that storey the goddess as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya is enshrined as a divine consort of Lord Siva. Another three temples in this complex are dedicated to Lord Raghunathji, Narsinghji at and Patal Bhairva Ji - the guardian deity.

An important deota often has another deota as its wazir and the wazir occupies a small temple adjoining the main one or his image is placed near the door.Thus Maheshra of Shingra is wazir to the temple of Bhima Kali at Sarahan ( gazetteer 1910 ). According to a report an erratic rock stone of a roof of the house, fixed on the way at the main entrance of this temple narrates the story of a royal traitor of ' Thoru'  village.



CONSTITUENTS OF MATTER IN SUKSHMA SHARIR OR JIVA

CONSTITUENTS OF MATTER IN SUKSHMA SHARIR OR JIVA


Matter consists of four (individual and) cumulative stages 1: Matter (Anna) 2: Life (Prāna) 3: Mind (Manas) and 4: Intelligence (Jnāna). Bliss (Ānanda) is the spirit. These are Kosas – sheaths: The four sheaths, layer upon layer veil the self. Self stands alone when the kosas fall; Self is King and likes his nakedness without all these sticky layers or Kosas. Self is self-supporting and self is Bliss. Self is the light of Purusa's consciousness by which we become aware of the insentient Prakrti (nature) and its gunas (modes).

The AnandaMaya kosa or the Bliss-Body or Pure Consciousness or the Absolute is Self itself, and is a chronicler and a repository of karma of this and past lives. This is the sheath of Consciousness and Bliss (Chinmaya) and made of Nada and Bindu.

Self is the companion of jivatma – the individual self and the Greater Self in the spiritual heart are like the two birds on a tree. The Self by itself is bliss, but man needs realization to find the light that is bliss. Man has four cumulative features but does not reach his inherent potential that is bliss, illumined Consciousness, if he does not strive for it. As you see, matter becomes finer from one stage to the next. Here is an illustration of evolution from the gross to subtle via Food sheath, Vital breath sheath, Mind sheath, Knowledge sheath and eventually to the Bliss sheath. When man strives for and gains perfection, he receives Ananda (Bliss); God according to the Vedas is Sat-Chit-Ananda– Satchidananda– Being, Consciousness, and Bliss. Bliss comes to man in Deep Sleep, when there are no mental Vrittis, modifications or thoughts. It is as if the individual self plugs into the Power Grid of the Universal Self (the origin of the individual self) every night in deep sleep. Without this infusion of nightly bliss, we are zombies.

This temporary life-sustaining nightly Bliss should not be mistaken for the Eternal Bliss that comes with liberation. The first four outer sheaths are matter; Matter and Mind have to come to a standstill for the individual self wrapped in Anandamaya Kosa to enjoy the Bliss of the Universal Self.


Thursday, February 25, 2016

THE NATH SAMPRADAYA

THE " NATH SAMPRADAYA "

adesh adesh

जय श्री आदि नाथ जी -------------
------------------नाथ सम्प्रदाय -------------------
नाथ शब्द अति प्राचीन है ! अनेक अर्थों में इस का प्रयोग वैदिक काल से
होता रहा है ! नाथ शब्द नाथृ धातु से बना है ,जिसके याचना ,उपताप
,ऐश्वर्य ,आशीर्वाद आदि अर्थ है ! जिससे ऐश्वर्य ,आशीर्वाद कल्याण मिलता
है वह ,,नाथ ,, है ! नाथ शब्द का अर्थ -राजा ,प्रभु ,स्वामी ,ईश्वर
,ब्रह्म ,सनातन आदि भी है !
ऋग्वेद के दशम मण्डल के सूक्त 130 में ,, नाथ ,, के बारे में कहा गया है !
यह सृष्टि कहाँ से हुई ? इस तत्त्व को कौन जानता है ? किसके द्वारा हुई ?
क्यों हुई ? कब से हुई ? इत्यादि विषय के समाधान करता ब पथ दृष्टा नाथ ही
हैं ! इस प्रकार प्राचीनतम ग्रंथ ,ऋग्वेद ,में नाथ का प्रयोग सृष्टिकर्ता
,ज्ञाता तथा सृष्टि के निम्मित रुप में मिलता है ! ,अथर्ववेद , में भी ,
नाथ , एवं ,नाथित , शव्दो का प्रयोग मिलता है !
नाथ सम्प्रदाय के विश्वकोश ,गोरख सिद्धांत संघ्रह , में उद्धृत ,राजगुह्य
एवं शक्ति संगम तन्त्र ,ग्रंथों में नाथ शब्द की व्याख्या दी गई है !
राजगुह्य ,के अनुसार नाथ शब्द म,ना ,का अर्थ है है अनादि रुप और ,थ ,का
अर्थ स्थापित होना !
इस प्रकार नाथ सम्प्रदाय का स्पस्टार्थ वह अनादिधर्म है !जो भूबनत्रय की
स्थिति का कारण है ! श्री गोरख को इसी ,कारण से ,नाथ ,कहा जाता है !
शक्ति संगम तन्त्र ,के अनुसार ,ना , शब्द का अर्थ नाथ ब्रह्म जो मोक्ष
दान में दक्ष है ,उन का ज्ञान कराना है और ,थ ,का अर्थ है ज्ञान के
सामर्थ्य को स्थापित करने वाला !
चूंकि नाथ के आश्रयण से इस नाथ ब्रह्म का साक्षात्कार होता है ! और
अज्ञान की वृद्धि स्थगत होती है ! इसी कारण नाथ शब्द का व्यवहार किया
जाता है ! संस्कृत टीकाकार मुनिदत्त ने ,नाथ ,शब्द को ,सत्गुरु ,के अर्थ
में गृहण किया है ! गोरख वाणी , में सम्पादित रचनाओं में ,नाथ ,शब्द दो
शव्दो में ब्यबहुत है !
1- रचियता के रुप में
2- परम तत्त्व के रुप में
गोरख सिद्धान्त संग्रह , ग्रंथ के प्रथम श्लोक में सगुण और निर्गुण की
एकता को नाथ कहा है !
नेपाल के योगीराज नरहरि नाथ शास्त्री के अनुसार नाथ शब्द पद ईश्वर वाचक
एवं ब्रह्म वाचक है ! ईश्वर की विभूतिया जिस रुप में भी जगत में विद्यमान
है ,प्राय नाथ के नाम से प्रसिद्ध है ! जेसे -- आदिनाथ ,पशुपति नाथ
,गोरखनाथ ,मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ ,गण नाथ ,सोमनाथ ,नागनाथ ,वैद्यनाथ ,विश्व नाथ
,जगन नाथ ,रामनाथ ,द्वारकानाथ ,केदारनाथ ,बदरीनाथ ,अमर नाथ ,एकलिंग नाथ
,पन्डरिनाथ ,जालंधरनाथ ,धुरँगनाथ ,रतननाथ ,चंदननाथ ,कायानाथ आदि असंख्य
देवता हैं ! इनकी पावन स्मृति लेकर नाथ समाज नाथांत नाम रखता है ! ईश्वर
अंश जीव अविनाशी की भावना रखी जाती है ! नाथ सम्प्रदाय के सदस्य उपनाम जो
भी लगते हों किन्तु मूल आदि नाथ ,उदय नाथ ,सत्य नाथ ,संतोष नाथ ,अचल नाथ
,कन्थड़ नाथ ,चोरँगिनाथ ,मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ ,गोरखनाथ ,आदि नव नाथ चौरासी
सिद्ध तथा अनन्त कोटि सिद्धों को अपने आदर्श पूर्वजों के रुप में मानते
हैं ! मूल नव नाथों से चौरासी सिद्ध हुए हैं और चौरासी सिद्धों seसे
अनन्त कोट सिद्ध हुए हैं ! एक ही अभय पंथ के बारह पंथ के बारह पंथ तथा
अठारह पंथ हुए एक ही निरंजन गोत्र के अनेक गोत्र हुए ! अंत में सब एक ही
नाथ पंथ में लीन होते हैं ! सारी सृष्टि नाथ ब्रह्म से उत्पन्न हुई ! नाथ
ब्रह्म में स्थित होती है ! नाथ ब्रह्म में ही लीन होती है ! इस तत्त्व
को जानकर शान्त भाव से नाथ ब्रह्म की उपासना करनी चाहिए !



WORSHIP OF NATURE IN BHARAT ( INDIA )

WORSHIP OF "NATURE" in BHARAT ( INDIA)

  The worship of "nature" first discussed in the oldest text of the world ,the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda provided us a scientific approach to nature. It was the for the very first time when we came across our pure wealth , nature.  Anyone, with a logical mind knows that Man alone can not survive on this planet – Trees and shrubs provide us valuable Oxygen and Food; Birds and Bees pollinate the flowers to form Fruits and later disperse their Seedsspreading the green cover; Terrestrial and Aquatic animals provide numerous products used by mankind since time immemorial.
Yet, in his greed for more and more resources, Man has managed to cut-down millions of hectares of forests and wipe out innumerable species off the face of this planet!!
Ancient Sages of Hinduism, recognized the importance of this diversity and with their immense fore-sight and ingenuity, included them in the popular Mythology.

The Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) herb is anti-infective and sacred and should be worshiped every morning; the Cow (Gau-Mata) is compared to a Mother as it provides nourishment and its milk is an essential supplement to the vegan diet; plants should not be disturbed at night coz they are asleep (shows the knowledge of Nyctinasty!!); the Prasadam offered to God can not include articles obtained from killing animals etc..

 The scriptures contain innumerable references to plants/animals/birds and marine life and consider each living being on this planet essential for a holistic growth and an Indian kid would generally imbibe and keep following these basic principles even after he grows up.
Even the oldest archaeological civilization of the Indian sub-continent, theIndus-Saraswati Culture had elements of animal worship as evidenced by the Zebu Bull, the Unicorn Seals and numerous mythical powerful animals depicted in their artwork.

Ecology in Hinduism

1. The FIRST and the Most Important Concept in Hinduism, is the belief of being related to every living being on the planet.
Mythologically, it finds mention in the legend of Rishi Kashyap who is considered the Father of not only the Living beings on this planet, but ALL other life forms in our Universe!

All living-beings including the demigods are siblings!


LIFE ON WIND DIET

पवन हारी सिद्धि  (LIFE ON WIND DIET)

In pranayam of sidh nath panth , there are certain techniques when expertised gives yogi a sidhi called पवन हारी सिद्धि , in this yogi can live without food for months, years. THIS PRANAYAMS ARE PRACTISE BY THE YOGI TRADITIONALLY IN SOME RARE, LINEAGE OF NATH YOGIS,Here we are giving breif reference of the same

यह सिद्धि योगेश्वर उत्तम प्राणायाम द्वारा करते हैं ! योगेश्वर ऊँची
पहाडियों में या पर्वतीय क्षेत्र में जहाँ शुद्ध हवा प्राप्त हों ऐसी
एकांत जगह चुन कर वहाँ प्राणायाम क्रिया द्वारा पवन को शरीर में भरता है
! योग्य प्राणायाम विधि युक्त अभ्यास करते हुए आसन का समय बड़ा कर आसन
सिद्ध करते हैं तथा मन्त्र (गुरु मन्त्र )या ईष्ट मन्त्र की मात्रा बढ़ाते
हैं ! अपने शरीर के योग्य पात्रता अनुरूप प्रथम दो समय का भोजन लेते हैं
! कुछ समय पश्चात एक समय के भोजन की शरीर को आदत लगाते हैं ! फ़िर कुछ दिन
पश्चात दो समय फल ,दूध तदन्तर एक समय फल या दूध लेते हैं ! फ़िर केवल दो
या बाद में एक समय केवल दूध लेते हैं ! इसके पश्चात केवल जल लेते हैं !
अन्त में शरीर को इन आदतों से कम मात्रा करते हुए अन्त में केवल
प्राणायाम द्वारा पवन का आहार लेते हैं तथा काकी ,खेचरी जैसी मुद्राओं का
अभ्यास करके आहार पूर्ण नियंत्रित करके पवन आहार लेते हैं ! और इस प्रकार
पवन हारी क्रिया से अनेक सिद्धियों को प्राप्त होते हैं ! यह क्रिया सबसे
उत्तम ब श्रेष्ठ मानते हैं ! इससे पाँच तत्त्व के ऊपर विजय प्राप्त कर
पंच तत्त्व वशीभूत करते हैं ! इस साधना का समय काफी लम्बा तथा ज्यादा दिन
लगते हैं ! क्योंकि शरीर की आदतों को कम करना और मन के संस्कार को मिटाना
बहुत कठिन है ! जिसको ज्यादा दिन लगते हैं ! अन्त में योगेश्वर शून्य
समाधि जड़त्व ध्यान तथा समाधिस्थ अवस्था प्राप्त कर अमृत पान करते हैं !
योगी दीर्घायुशी होते हैं ! जल वंशी जल पर चलना ! पवनवंशी हवा में उड़ना
,अपने स्वरूप को अति सूक्ष्म तथा अति विशाल बनाना ,ब्रह्मांड विचरण करना
,सिद्ध महात्माओं से प्रत्यक्ष दर्शन तथा वार्तालाप इत्यादि सिद्ध या
साधना प्रगति क्रमानुसार मिलती है ! अति उत्कृष्ट साधना योगेश्वर को
इक्कीस शून्य लांघकर ज्योतिस्वरूप की प्राप्ति करवाती है ! इस प्रकार की
साधना आदिनाथ तथा गुरु गोरखनाथ जी ने की है


THE SATTVA ,RAJAS AND TAMAS ELEMENTS

THE SATTVA , RAJAS AND TAMAS Tattavas..

 Sattva (absolute goodness) is intelligence; Rajas (Passion) is motion; and Tamas (darkness) is matter. Sattva is Maya. When Sattva is the pure element in Prakriti, it is called MAyA or MAya-Prakriti. When Sattva is contaminated with Rajas and Tamas, it is called Avidya or spiritual ignorance. When Brahman is reflected in Maya, He becomes Isvara. That's Isvara with Sattva guna. It is Maya-Brahman, who controls Maya.

Isvara or Maya-Brahman is Being (Sat), consciousness (Cit) in the process of creation and becoming, owns and controls Maya. Maya's becoming is a conscious process that runs unobstructed. MAyA-Sarira = Maya-Sarira. Avidya is a perishable Sarira. Sarira means body, not the kind with hands and feet. Body of knowledge does not have hands and feet. Avidya is a body of ignorance, negated or rendered extinct by body of knowledge. Likewise, Maya-Brahman or Isvara with Maya-Sarira has Maya under His control. His Will is MAyA-Sarira, by which He creates this world and thus is omniscient and omnipotent. PrAjna Sarira = Body of ignorance or Avidya.

The individual soul and not Brahman is the repository of Avidya PrAjna Sarira is Avidya; PrAjna is ignorance, which is experience of non-knowledge (I don't know anything). Ignorance or Avidya is the Causal Body, which obstructs the knowledge of ultimate truth, which is our own nature. Avidya is a mixture of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva is intelligence and Taijasa or shining. Thus this Avidya has some knowledge (trace of Sattva) within it. Take the gold-bearing slurry: very little gold and a ton of slurry. This is known as Prajna within PrAjna (Supreme knowledge within ignorance). When the individual soul gets rid of Rajas and Tamas, and Sattva becomes his body, he sees past the world of objects (experience), perceives Brahman (Counter-experience) and understands his identity with Him. Rajas and Tamas are the slurry, upon removal of which the gold (or Sattva) becomes visible.


THE MAHAMAHAM FESTIVAL ( KUMBHA FAIR OF SOUTH INDIA )

THE MAHAMAHAM FESTIVAL ( KUMBH FAIR OF SOUTH , Tamilnadu, India )

Mahamaham is a Hindu Kumba Mela festival celebrated every 12 years in a temple-town called Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. The festival takes place at a particular time as determined by astrological position: during the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai (February-March) when the conjunction of the moon with the lunar asterism (Maha Nakshatra) and when Jupiter is in the constellation of Leo.

 During this festival, thousands of Hindu devotees come to Kumbakonam, and take bath in a tank named Mahamaham tank. The tank is surrounded by 16 small Mandapams and a "Nava Kannika temple" in the Eastern Side, Sixteen Mandapams and stone steps around this tank.

There are 20 theerthams in the tank & bathing in the waters of each theertham rids of a specific sin & bestows a specific blessing.

The 20 theerthams in the Mahaamaham tank

1.  Indra Theertham - provides moksham  
2.  Agni Theertham - rids Brahmahatthi dosham  
3.  Yama Theertham - rids fear of death  
4.  Nruthi Theertham - rids from fear of evil spirits  
5.  Varuna Theertham - provides long life  
6.  Vaayu Theertham - rids diseases  
7.  Gubera Theertham - provides prosperity  
8.  Isaana Theertham - moksham (to reach Lord Siva's feet)  
9.  Brahma Theertham - pacifies ancestors  
10. Gangai Theertham - provides Kailasa padavi  
11. Yamuna Theertham - provides wealth  
12. Godavari Theertham - fulfills wishes  
13. Narmada Theertham - provides physical strength  
14. Saraswathi Theertham - provides Gnaanam (enlightenment)  
15. Cauveri Theertham - provides knowledge  
16. Kumari Theertham - blessings to pets  
17. Payodini Theertham - provides joy  
18. Sarayu Theertham - removes mental strain  
19. Arubathaaru(66)kodi Theertham - removes grief & provides hapiness  
20. Deva Theertham / Naaga Theertham - rids of all sins & provides Devendra's post /  
rids of Kaala Sarpa dosham

After a dip in the Mahamaham tank, devotees should take a dip in the Potraamarai kulam & the Cauvery river to complete the ritual.