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The Path of
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The Secrets of
SARASWATI
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MEDITATION TIMES
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Three Divine aspects of Saraswati
Goddess Saraswati
Saraswati the Hindu Goddess of Learning You can also visit
www.youtube.com\taoshobuddha01
Adoration of the Divine Mother
Saraswati and Her Consorts www.scribd.com\taoshobuddha
Hafiz http://meditationtimes.myeweb.net/
Paramahansa Yogananada
The Three Samadhis – Sri Chinmoy
The Role of the Guru – Sri Chinmoy
In our Next Issue
Reflections on Life – Swami Anand Neelambar
T
his month we introduce Saraswati in her And when the codes are understood the lost
multifarious dimensions. We shall secrets of the Vedic
explode the Vedic symbolism and Goddess shall usher
psychological aspects of Saraswati. As well as the dawn of a new era
the historical perspective on the controversial of knowledge that is
River that bears her name. Saraswati is certainly not divisive and
much more than meets the eye. The importance destructive but a
in Veda of the Goddess of learning has been a knowledge that is
perennial source of guidance and inspiration to uniting and used for Swami Anand Neelambar
all those seeking the deeper meaning of life and creative exploration.
living. Then humanity shall enter the realm of the Gods.
Saraswati is the deity of mysticism and her study We also take this opportunity to celebrate
unravels the mysteries of existence. One cannot Masters. And we have merely highlighted some
hope to comprehend any dimension of life of the Masters and their works. This is a
eternal without the intervention of the icon of continuing process. As every month we
intuition. introduce various Masters and paths to spiritual
dimensions.
Meditation Times is a document of inner life,
mysticism and meditation. And Saraswati Each seeker along the sojourn has to uncover his
embodies all three aspects of our approach. So it own path. The Master can only share his
was only appropriate that we dedicate an issue experience of the journey.
of this magazine to Her. It is important to
understand the relation between the River We hope you can find something in this issue
Saraswati and the Goddess of Knowledge of the that shall give you impetus to make your sojourn
Veda. to life eternal a worthwhile and enriching
pursuit. There are many places available where
We have sought to present Saraswati in her seekers can find solace and guidance. Ours is
multi dimensions and hope the earnest seekers merely a tavern where one can rest for awhile
along the sojourn can continue to unravel the and again continue his journey.
secrets of life eternal.
We wish to promote our recent publication “The
What we see as Saraswati is not what we as Secrets of Bhakti” by enlightened Master
seekers should be looking at. The purpose of the Taoshobuddha. This is a Sterling paperback
icon is to point in an inner dimension. The publication. We urge seekers to obtain a copy –
worship of Saraswati is merely and only a as it is of immense value in unravelling the
ritualistic map. The codes to decipher this map mysteries of Bhakti – the mystical path of
are found by exploring into the inner mysteries Devotion. Our other publications are also
of life eternal. The map itself contains the codes. available online at www.ebookmall.com
T
he Vedic concept of Saraswati were anxious: What would
was three-fold: First, she is like Kumbhakarna do once his desires
the sacred river which gave were granted? So, Saraswati confused
birth to the Aryan civilization. Kumbhakarna so much that when
Second, she was vak or speech Brahma asked him what he wanted,
personified, as expressed in the Rig he replied that he wanted to sleep
Veda’s Vak Sukta. 'Speech’ basically forever.
refers to the sacred-word or the Vedas
themselves. The third and most The Vishnupurana declares that the
important aspect is Saraswati’s name of our motherland is derived
identification with Gayatri, although from the name of Saraswati: “Bharata
the Gayatri mantra is worship of the is the country wherein resides
Sun-god, Suryanarayana. The Sun-god goddess Bharati (Saraswati)”. There
symbolizes three female deities: are various legends about her origin.
Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati, to be
invoked in the morning, noon and The Kalika Purana says that Saraswati
evening respectively. emerged out of Brahma. After her
birth, she was circumambulating
Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom, Brahma, who, in order to watch her
learning, music and all other fine arts. do this, created three more heads for
himself. When she moved upwards,
Both Valmiki and Vyasa were her Brahma created the fifth head. Angry
ardent devotees. In the Ramayana, with this behaviour, Lord Shiva
when Brahma came to grant the three severed Brahma’s fifth head, which
brothers Ravana, Kumbhakarna and stuck to Shiva’s hand - which is why
Vibhishana their wishes, the gods Shiva is also called Kapali.
According to the Brahma Vaivarta or the right nostril but the perfect
Purana, Saraswati was created by yogins breath through the Sushumna
Krishna from his tongue, symbolizing which cannot be perceived by others.
Saraswati as the speech-faculty of the Sushumna is Saraswati, who is antah-
Absolute. She wanted to marry Salila whereas the other two are
Krishna, but Krishna sent her to Lord Yamuna and Ganga respectively.
Vishnu, who is but Krishna’s four-
handed form. Lord Vishnu was Saraswati is the ninth Mahavidya and
already married to Lakshmi and is the presiding goddess of the Sun.
Ganga. According to the Markandeyapurana,
Saraswati is Chit, while Lakshmi and
Once, after a quarrel, the three Kali represent the Sat and Ananda
goddesses cursed each other - aspects respectively.
Saraswati and Ganga turned into holy
rivers and Lakshmi into the tulsi The universe floats on a great ocean
plant. of divine consciousness, the Brahman.
The Tantras say that by worshipping
Coming from the puranas to the yogic Saraswati, we can come closer to
system, Saraswati again has a very Brahman. She can give us worldly
prominent place. As in the physical wisdom (apara vidya), but the wise
world, there is a Triveni-Sangam pray to her for the supreme
(confluence of three) within our knowledge (para-vidya) .
subtle-body (Sukshma-Sharira). There
is a Triveni at the spot between our The Chandi says the 16-armed
eyebrows, the ajna-chakra, which is Mahasaraswati killed the demons
the actual prayaga. He, whose mind Shumbha and Nishumbha. But
passes through this Chakra, becomes Saraswati is popularly worshipped in
one with the Absolute. The three vital the four-handed form. Her colour is
Nadis concur at this point - Ida, Pingala white, representing absolute purity of
and Sushumna. Normally people knowledge.
breathe through Ida or Pingala, the left
Goddess Saraswati
Fight Between Saraswati and Ganga: Besides Saraswati, Vishnu The Veena points to the collective sound of all our thoughts
married Ganga. One day Ganga was looking wistfully at her and actions as it is manifest as music in the cosmic universe; it
husband, and Vishnu was reciprocating the glances. This was marks the withdrawal of the senses and the focus needed to
too much for Saraswati who began to accuse Vishnu of attain knowledge. Placing the left hand on top of the veena
partiality. Vishnu left the place to give Saraswati time to calm closer to the heart shows that knowledge should be used for the
herself down. But this only served to anger Saraswati more. good of others. Placing the right hand on the bottom shows
She advanced threatingly to Ganga when Lakshmi intervened. that negative knowledge should be kept under control. The
Lakshmi held Saraswati away from Ganga. Saraswati then veena points to the potential for the negative and positive
cursed Lakshmi. Vishnu, having found out about what
purposes of knowledge--the choice is left to the person as to The idol is in white , symbolizing purity. The sari of the Deity
which type of knowledge is used. is white or yellow dyed in the natural dye made from "Shiuli"
flowers. The place where the idol is kept for the puja is
There is a special type of Veena called Saraswati Veena. The decorated with Rangoli and the design of a fish is considered
Sarasvati Veena is one of the oldest instruments of the world. It auspicious. A flat low stool made of wood is covered with
is a fretted organ which can produce notes in four octaves. yellow cloth and the idol is placed on it, facing East. Then, the
Four strings are attached to the main bridge and three extra face of the idol remains covered till the priest begins chanting
strings are used to keep count of the „taala‟ or the cycle of the mantras at the commencement of the puja. A green
beats. The drum to the right is the sound box, the drum to the coconut is placed on an earthen pot with a red checked cotton
left is used for support. The goal is to create a melodious, cloth called "Gamcha". For the actual puja, flowers are used
continuous sound or „taanam‟ which awakens the inner senses. but the most significant is the Palash or flame of the forest and
The Veena imparts a vocalized quality, or „Gayaki‟ which marigold flowers. Students place their books in front of the
creates the feeling that divinity itself is speaking through the goddess. The offerings to the goddess are mainly fruits: most
flow of music. The Veena is considered the spinal cord, and the significant are Berries from the wild plum tree. Other fruits
creation of music stirs the invocation of knowledge within the include tapioca. Sweets must include puffed rice, jaggery and
soul. yogurt. Family members bathe early and dress in yellow attire
and assemble in front of the Goddess. The earthen pot is tied
Saraswati: Connection to Yoga with a string which will be untied only on the next day by the
priest before Bisarjan. A havan puja is done by the priest using
Sarasvati gives the essence of one‟s self. She provides us with
special wood, ghee, joss sticks and incense. There absence of a
the mundane and spiritual knowledge of our lives. She is a
burnt smell signifies the success of the puja. A diya or lamp is
representation of the science of life, or the Vedanta, which
also kept lit along with the prasad. A handful of flowers
attempts to unravel the essentials of human existence and the
particularly marigolds and flame of the forest are given to each
universe concealed within. She points to the ultimate aim of
devotee to offer to the goddess as "pushpanjali"--Pushp,
human life which is to realize the true nature of the self even if
meaning flowers and Anjali meaning offering. The offering is
it requires an enormous amount of determination,
done in batches of devotees who repeat mantras after the
perseverance and patience. The knowledge that Sarasvati
priest. Arati is performed by the priest in the morning and
renders through continual worship, devotion and discipline is
again in the evening. this is done while chanting sanskrit slokas
one of an integral vision in which both temporal and spiritual
and accompanied by the blowing of conch shells and the
levels of study are meditated upon, practiced and developed.
beating of drums. The lit lamp used during the Arati is passed
Therefore, she allows one to exist in the material world while
around for each devotee to warm his/ her hand and touch their
striving for the plane of Brahman. The connection one forms
heads. Nobody touches books on that day. This signifies that
with Sarasvati is one with words and music, which are the very
the goddess is blessing the books placed in front of her that day.
source of the cosmos, the Brahman. She is the impeller of true,
sweet speech, she is the creative process with the syllable, Basant Panchami: is celebrated on the fifth lunar day of the
„OM.‟ She is the potent quality of sound. month of Magh, which is between the moths of January and
February. It is also celebrated as Shikshapatri Jayanti. On this
Sarasvati is the ocean of understanding, the consciousness
day, yellow is the predominant color as all are garbed in bright
which vibrates with different types of knowledge. She is the
yellow clothes. This has to do with the onset of spring and the
cause of all movements, the source of spiritual light, remover
blooming of yellow mustard flowers in the fields. There is a
of all ignorance and promoter of knowledge. Students that are
great deal of festivity with the flying of colorful kites. It also
here to discover, invent and create a new world fall under
happens to be the second most popular festival in Lahore,
Sarasvati'‟s grace, that is why we must be open and disciplined
Pakistan and the incorporation of this traditionally hindu
to acquire the knowledge which she can give to us. Sarasvati
festival into modern Islamic culture has an interesting story
shows that human destiny involves the refinement of nature.
behind it.
Being fully human necessitates molding, enhancing and refining
the natural world to make it habitable. Artistic creation as well Temples Dedicated to Saraswati
as knowledge of the sciences epitomize human culture;
integrated knowledge refines the world into something There are Saraswati temples in Deupatan, Kamalakshi, Thimi,
beautiful and special. Bhadrakali and Swyambhu, Neel Saraswati at Gairidhara,
among others in the Kathmandu Valley. Saraswati Temple in
Saraswati: Rituals and Festivals the University of Roorkee. Prthudakeshwara Temples in
Pehowa, Haryana. They were built by the Marathas in honour
Ritual worship of Saraswati in the Bengali Tradition:
of Saraswati. Saradamba Temple in Sringeri. Sarada Temple in
the Neelam Valley in Kashmir. Basar: Situated 50 Kms from Himalayan passes to Nepal, Tibet, Java, China and eventually
Nizamabad at Basara ,on the banks of river Godavari, the Sri Japan.
Gnana Saraswathi Temple is the only temple in South India
In Tibet, she is known as Vajra-Sarasvati and is often depicted
dedicated to the Goddess of Learning.
as wielding a Thunderbolt (vajra). In Japan, the goddess Benten
Saraswati: Connection to Other Religions is seen as a manifestation of Sarasvati. Her full name in
Japanese is Dai-Ben-Zai-Ten or The Great Divinity of
Sarasvati is well known in a variety of other religions outside of Reasoning Faculty. She is believed to confer power, happiness,
Hinduism. She appears in Jainism and Buddhism, and has made riches, long life, fame and reasoning powers. In later times she
her way from India to Japan as well as to other places around came to be regarded as one of the seven deities of good
the world. fortune. A myth in Japan speaks of a hideous pond dwelling
serpent that terrorized the villages and devoured the children
In Jainism, Saravsvati has been given many titles, a few of these
for miles around. Benten could not bear to witness such
include: The Dispeller of Darkness & Ignorance, The Remover
destruction. Therefore she stirred up an earthquake and
of Infatuations, The Destroyer of Miseries and The Bestower of
hovered above the serpent's lair in the dust clouds.
Knowledge. As in Hinduism, she also stands as a symbol of
Descending, she called it forth. At first Benten was filled with
purity.
loathing. But the serpent king wooed her with soft and tender
In the transition from early (Theravada) Buddhism to Mahayana words until her heart was melted, and--making him promise to
Buddhism, may elements of Hinduism were transplanted into mend his savage ways--she married him. It is interesting to note
Buddhism. In early Buddhist mandalas, various divinities were that Ben-Ten, as goddess of speech was won by words.
depicted of Mahayana Buddhism. In those early Buddhist
mandalas, Sarasvati is located in the south-west of the Names of Saraswati
innermost circle, between Brahma and Vishnu, symbolizing her
Bharati - eloquence; Mahavidya - transcendent knowledge; Vac
close connection with these two deities. In Buddhism, Sarasvati
- speech; Mahavani - transcendent word; Arya - the noble one;
is the Bestower of Knowledge, Intelligence & Memory; and she
Brahmi - power of the immense being; Kamadhenu - the wish
confers wisdom and learning upon her worshippers. She
cow; Bijagarbha - womb of the seed or womb of the elements
possesses many forms within Buddhism, including Vajra-
of speech; Dhanesvari - divinity of wealth; Vacdevi - divinity of
Sarasvati, Vajrana-Sarasvati, Vajra-Sarada and Mahasarasvati.
speech; Vinapani - the one that holds the vina; Sarada - giver of
During a period of Tantric dominance within Buddhism, many
essence; Vageshvari - mistress of speech; Brahmi - wife of
of the Mahayana Buddhist texts were transmitted through the
Brahma and Gayatri.
ENLIGHTENMENT – according to Dogen, and I agree with him absolutely – IS JUST LIKE THE
MOON REFLECTING ITSELF ON THE WATER. There is no effort on the part of the water, that the
moon has to be reflected. There is no commandment that has to be followed, no doctrines that
have to be practiced; no yoga postures ... so that the moon can reflect itself in the water. There
is not even a desire, not even a longing ... not even a faint longing. And the same is the situation
on the part of the moon – the moon has no desire to be reflected. Both are desireless, but the
reflection happens on its own accord. So does enlightenment. Just in a silent, peaceful
consciousness it suddenly reflects your buddhahood.
Enlightenment is just your naturalness. This is the great contribution of Zen. All other religions
are belief systems, Zen is not. All other religions will ask you to believe in God, in heaven, in hell.
All other religions will have a thousand and one beliefs. Zen has no belief system. Its whole
effort is to discover your natural self, which is covered with the dust of all kinds of good
intentions, of beautiful thoughts, of great beliefs. All that dust has to be cleaned off. And then
you are left alone in your naturalness.
OSHO – Zen Master - Dogen
The Adoration of the Divine Mother
A burning Love from white spiritual founts
Annulled the sorrow of the ignorant depths;
Suffering was lost in her immortal smile.
A Life from beyond grew conqueror here of death;
To err no more was natural to mind;
Wrong could not come where all was light and love.
The Formless and the Formed were joined in her:
Immensity was exceeded by a look,
A Face revealed the crowded Infinite.
Incarnating inexpressibly in her limbs
The boundless joy the blind world-forces seek,
Her body of beauty mooned the seas of bliss.
At the head she stands of birth and toil and fate,
In their slow round the cycles turn to her call;
Alone her hands can change Time's dragon base.
Hers is the mystery the Night conceals;
The spirit's alchemist energy is hers;
She is the golden bridge, the wonderful fire.
The luminous heart of the Unknown is she,
A power of silence in the depths of God;
She is the Force, the inevitable Word,
The magnet of our difficult ascent,
The Sun from which we kindle all our suns,
The Light that leans from the unrealised Vasts,
The joy that beckons from the impossible,
The Might of all that never yet came down.
All Nature dumbly calls to her alone
To heal with her feet the aching throb of life
And break the seals on the dim soul of man
And kindle her fire in the closed heart of things.
All here shall be one day her sweetness' home,
All contraries prepare her harmony;
Towards her our knowledge climbs, our passion gropes;
In her miraculous rapture we shall dwell,
Her clasp shall turn to ecstasy our pain.
Our self shall be one self with all through her.
THE SYMBOLISM of the Veda betrays itself but also the inner operations of the mind and
with the greatest clearness in the figure of the soul. If we have to conceive the history of
goddess Saraswati. In many of the other gods ancient religious thought as a progression from
the balance of the internal sense and the the physical to the spiritual, from a purely
external figure is carefully preserved. The veil naturalistic to an increasingly ethical and
sometimes becomes transparent or its corners psychological view of Nature and the world
are lifted even for the ordinary hearer of the and the gods—and this, though by no means
Word; but it is never entirely removed. One certain, is for the present the accepted view,
may doubt whether Agni is anything more than we must suppose that the Vedic poets were at
the personification of the sacrificial Fire or of least already advancing from the physical and
the physical principle of Light and Heat in naturalistic conception of the Gods to the
things, or Indra anything more than the god of ethical and the spiritual. But Saraswati is not
the sky and the rain or of physical Light, or only the goddess of Inspiration; she is at one
Vayu anything more than the divinity in the and the same time one of the seven rivers of
Wind and Air or at most of the physical Life- the early Aryan world. The question at once
breath. In the lesser gods the naturalistic arises, whence came this extraordinary
interpretation has less ground for confidence; identification? And how does the connection of
for it is obvious that Varuna is not merely a the two ideas present itself in the Vedic hymns?
Vedic Uranus or Neptune, but a god with great And there is more; for Saraswati is important
and important moral functions; Mitra and not only in herself but by her connections.
Bhaga have the same psychological aspect; the Before proceeding farther let us cast a rapid
Ribhus who form things by the mind and build and cursory glance at them to see what they
up immortality by works can with difficulty be can teach us.
crushed into the Procrustean measure of a
naturalistic mythology. Still by imputing a The association of a river with the poetical
chaotic confusion of ideas to the poets of the inspiration occurs also in the Greek
Vedic hymns the difficulty can be trampled mythology; but there the Muses are not
upon, if not overcome. But Saraswati will conceived of as rivers; they are only connected
submit to no such treatment. She is, plainly in a not very intelligible fashion with a
and clearly, the goddess of the Word, the particular earthly stream. This stream is the
goddess of a divine Inspiration. river Hippocrene, the fountain of the Horse,
and to account for its name we have a legend
If that were all, this would not carry us much that it sprang from the hoof of the divine horse
farther than the obvious fact that the Vedic Pegasus; for he smote the rock with his hoof
Rishis were not mere naturalistic barbarians, and the waters of inspiration gushed out where
but had their psychological ideas and were the mountain had been thus smitten. Was this
capable of creating mythological symbols legend merely a Greek fairy tale or had it any
which represent not only those obvious special meaning? And it is evident that if it had
operations of physical Nature that interested any meaning, it must, since it obviously refers
their agricultural, pastoral and open-air life, to a psychological phenomenon, the birth of
the waters of inspiration, have had a figure the stream of inspiration as an actual
psychological meaning; it must have been an stream of flowing water. Saraswati means, “she
attempt to put into concrete figures certain of the stream, the flowing movement”, and is
psychological facts. We may note that the therefore a natural name both for a river and
word Pegasus, if we transliterate it into the for the goddess of inspiration. But by what
original Aryan phonetics, becomes Pajasa and is process of thought or association does the
obviously connected with the Sanskrit pajas, general idea of the river of inspiration come to
which meant originally force, movement, or be associated with a particular earthly stream?
sometimes footing. In Greek itself it is And in the Vedait is not a question of one river
connected with pege, a stream. There is, which by its surroundings, natural and
therefore, in the terms of this legend a legendary, might seem more fitly associated
constant association with the image of a with the idea of sacred inspiration than any
forceful movement of inspiration. If we turn to other. For here it is a question not of one, but
Vedic symbols we see that the Ashwa or Horse of seven rivers always associated together in
is an image of the great dynamic force of Life, the minds of the Rishis and all of them released
of the vital and nervous energy, and is together by the stroke of the God Indra when
constantly coupled with other images that he smote the Python who coiled across their
symbolise the consciousness. Adri, the hill or fountains and sealed up their outflow. It seems
rock, is a symbol of formal existence and impossible to suppose that one river only in all
especially of the physical nature and it is out of this sevenfold out flowing acquired a
this hill or rock that the herds of the Sun are psychological significance while the rest were
released and the waters flow. The streams of associated only with the annual coming of the
the madhu, the honey, the Soma, are said also rains in the Punjab. The psychological
to be milked out of this Hill or Rock. The significance of Saraswati carries with it a
stroke of the Horse’s hoof on the rock psychological significance for the whole symbol
releasing the waters of inspiration would thus of the Vedic waters.
become a very obvious psychological image.
Nor is there any reason to suppose that the old Saraswati is not only connected with other
Greeks and Indians were incapable either of rivers but with other goddesses who are plainly
such psychological observation or of putting it psychological symbols and especially with
into the poetical and mystic imagery which was Bharati and Ila. In the later Puranic forms of
the very body of the ancient Mysteries. worship Saraswati is the goddess of speech, of
learning and of poetry and Bharati is one of her
We might indeed go farther and inquire names, but in the Veda Bharati and Saraswati
whether there was not some original are different deities. Bharati is also called Mahi,
connection between the hero Bellerophon, the Large, Great or Vast. The three, Ila, Mahi
slayer of Bellerus, who rides on the divine or Bharati and Saraswati are associated together
Horse, and Indra Valahan, the Vedic slayer of in a constant formula in those hymns of
Vala, the enemy who keeps for himself the invocation in which the gods are called by Agni
Light. But this would take us beyond the limits to the Sacrifice.
of our subject. Nor does this interpretation of Ila sarasvati mahi, tisro devir mayobhuvah
the Pegasus legend carry us any farther than to Barhih sidantvasridhah
indicate the natural turn of imagination of the “May Ila, Saraswati and Mahi, three goddesses
Ancients and the way in which they came to who give birth to the bliss, take their place on
the sacrificial seat, they who stumble not,” or against the last absurd supposition, but it
“who come not to hurt” or “do no hurt.” The negatives equally the naturalistic
epithet means, I think, they in whom there is interpretation. This characterisation of Mahi,
no false movement with its evil consequences, Saraswati’s companion in the sacrifice, the
duritam, no stumbling into pitfalls of sin and sister of the goddess of inspiration, entirely
error. The formula is expanded in Hymn 110 identified with her in the later mythology, is
of the tenth Mandala: one proof among a hundred others that light in
the Veda is a symbol of knowledge, of spiritual
Ano yajnam bharati tuyam etu, illumination. Surya is the Lord of the supreme
ila manusvad iha cetayanti Sight, the vast Light, brihaj jyotih or, as it is
Tisro devir barhir edam syonam, sometimes called, the true Light, ritam brihat.
sarasvati svapasah sadantu. And the connection between the words ritam
and brihat and is constant in the Veda.
“May Bharati come speeding to our sacrifice
and Ila hither awakening our consciousness (or, It seems to me impossible to see in these
knowledge or perceptions) in human wise, and expressions anything else than the indication of
Saraswati, - three goddesses sit on this blissful a state of illumined consciousness the nature of
seat, doing well the Work.” which is that it is wide or large, brihat, full of
the truth of being, satyam, and of the truth of
It is clear and will become yet clearer that knowledge and action, rtam. The gods have this
these three goddesses have closely connected consciousness. Agni, for instance, is termed
functions akin to the inspirational power of ritacit, he who has the truth-consciousness.
Saraswati. Saraswati is the Word, the
inspiration, as I suggest, that comes from the Mahi is full of the rays of this Surya; she carries
Ritam, the Truth-consciousness. Bharati and Ila in her this illumination. Moreover she is
must also be different forms of the same Word sunrita, she is the word of a blissful Truth, even
or knowledge. In the eighth hymn of as it has been said of Saraswati that she is the
Madhuchchhandas we have a Rik in which impeller of happy truths, codayitri sunritanam.
Bharati is mentioned under the name of Mahi. Finally, she is virapshi, large or breaking out
into abundance, a word which recalls to us that
Eva hyasya sunrita, virapshi gomati mahi the Truth is also a Largeness, ritam brihat. And
pakva shakha na dashushe in another hymn, (I.22.10), she is described as
varutri dhisana, a widely covering or embracing
“Thus Mahi for Indra full of the rays, Thought-power. Mahi, then, is the luminous
overflowing in her abundance, in her nature a vastness of the Truth, she represents the
happy truth, becomes as if a ripe branch for the Largeness, brihat, of the superconscient in us
giver of the sacrifice.” containing in itself the Truth, ritam. She is,
therefore, for the sacrificer like a branch
The rays in the Veda are the rays of Surya, the covered with ripe fruit.
Sun. Are we to suppose that the goddess is a
deity of the physical Light or are we to Ila is also the word of the truth; her name has
translate “go” by cow and suppose that Mahi is become identical in a later confusion with the
full of cows for the sacrifice? The psychological idea of speech. As Saraswati is an awakener of
character of Saraswati comes to our rescue the consciousness to right thinkings or right
states of mind, cetanti sumatinam, so also Ila existence is the goal, or else Truth is the
comes to the sacrifice awakening the foundation, Bliss the supreme result.
consciousness to knowledge, cetayanti. She is Such, then, is the character of Saraswati as a
full of energy, suvira, and brings knowledge. psychological principle, her peculiar function
She also is connected with Surya,t heSun, as and her relation to her most immediate
when Agni, the Will is invoked (V.4.4) to connections amongst he gods. How far do
labour by the rays of the Sun, Lord of the true these shed any light on her relations as the
Light, being of one mind with Ila, ilaya sajosa Vedic river to her six sister streams? The
yatamano rasmibhih suryasya. She is the mother number seven plays an exceedingly important
of the Rays, the herds of the Sun. Her name part in the Vedic system, as in most very
means she who seeks and attains and it contains ancient schools of thought. We find it
the same association of ideas as the words recurring constantly, - the seven delights, sapta
Ritam and Rishi. Ila may therefore well be the ratnani; the seven flames, tongues or rays of
vision of the seer which attains the truth. Agni, sapta arcis, sapta jvalah. these seven forms
of the Thought-principle, saptadhitayah, the
As Saraswati represents the truth-audition, seven Rays or Cows, forms of the Cow
sruti, which gives the inspired word, so Ila unslayable, Aditi, mother of the gods, sapta
represents drishti the vision. If so, since drishti gavah; the seven rivers, the seven mothers or
and sruti are the two powers of the Rishi, the fostering cows, saptam atarah , sapta dhenavah, a
Kavi, the Seer of the Truth, we can understand term applied indifferently to the Rays and to
the close connection of Ila and Saraswati. the Rivers. All these sets of seven depend, it
Bharati or Mahi is the largeness of the Truth- seems to me, upon the Vedic classification of
consciousness which, dawning on man’s the fundamental principles, the tattvas, of
limited mind, brings with it the two sister existence. The enquiry into the number of
Puissances. We can also understand how these these tattvas greatly interested the speculative
fine and living distinctions came afterwards to mind of the ancients and in Indian philosophy
be neglected as the Vedic knowledge declined we find various answers ranging from the One
and Bharati, Saraswati, Ila melted into one. upward and running into the twenties. In
Vedic thought the basis chosen was the number
We may note also that these three goddesses of the psychological principles, because all
are said to bring to birth for man the Bliss, existence was conceived by the Rishis as a
Mayas. I have already insisted on the constant movement of conscious being. However
relation, as conceived by the Vedic seers, merely curious or barren these speculations
between the Truth and the Bliss or Ananda. It and classifications may seem to the modern
is by the dawning of the true or infinite mind, they were no mere dry metaphysical
consciousness in man that he arrives out of this distinctions, but closely connected with a living
evil dream of pain and suffering, this divided psychological practice of which they were to a
creation into the Bliss, the happy state great extent the thought-basis, and in any case
variously described in Veda by the words we must understand them clearly if we wish to
bhadram, mayas (love and bliss), svasti (the good form with any accuracy an idea of this ancient
state of existence, right being) and by others and far-off system.
less technically used such as varyam, rayih
rayah. For the Vedic Rishi Truth is the passage In the Veda, then, we find the number of the
and the antechamber, the Bliss of the divine principles variously stated. The One was
recognised as the basis and continent; in this Purusha is in this early pastoral imagery the
One there were the two principles divine and Bull, Vrishabha, - the Mother of things taking
human, mortal and immortal. The dual form on the seven planes of her world-action
number is also otherwise applied in the two as energy of conscious being. So also, the seven
principles, Heaven and Earth, Mind and Body, rivers are conscious currents corresponding to
Soul and Nature, who are regarded as the the sevenfold substance of the ocean of being
father and mother of all beings. It is which appears to us formulated in the seven
significant, however, that Heaven and Earth, worlds enumerated by the Puranas. It is their
when they symbolise two forms of natural full flow in the human consciousness which
energy, the mental and the physical constitutes the entire activity of the being, his
consciousness, are no longer the father and full treasure of substance, his full play of
mother, but the two mothers. The triple energy. In the Vedic image, his cows drink of
principle was doubly recognised, first in the the water of the seven rivers.
threefold divine principle answering tot he Should this imagery be admitted, and it is
later Sachchidananda, the divine existence, evident that if once such conceptions are
consciousness and bliss, and secondly in the supposed to exist, this would be the natural
threefold mundane principle, Mind, Life, imagery for a people living the life and placed
Body, upon which is built the triple world of in the surroundings of the ancient Aryans, -
the Veda and Puranas. But the full number quite as natural for them and inevitable as for
ordinarily recognised is seven. This figure was us the image of the “planes” with which
arrived at by adding the three divine principles theosophical thought has familiarised us,—the
to the three mundane and interpolating a place of Saraswati as one of the seven rivers
seventh or link-principle which is precisely that becomes clear. She is the current which comes
of the Truth-consciousness, Ritam Brihat, from the Truth-principle, from the Ritam or
afterwards known as Vijnana or Mahas. The Mahas, and we actually find this principle
latter term means the Large and is therefore an spoken of in the Veda, - in the closing passage
equivalent of Brihat. There are other of our third hymn for instance, - as the Great
classifications of five, eight, nine and ten and Water, maho arnas, - an expression which gives
even, as it would seem, twelve; but these do us at once the origin of the later term, Mahas, -
not immediately concern us. or sometimes mahan arnavah. We see in the
third hymn the close connection between
All these principles, be it noted, are supposed Saraswati and this great water. Let us examine
to be really inseparable and omnipresent and a little more closely this connection before we
therefore apply themselves to each separate proceed to the consideration of the Vedic cows
formation of Nature. The seven Thoughts, for and their relation to the god Indra and
instance, are Mind applying itself to each of the Saraswati’s close cousin the goddess Sarama.
seven planes as we would now call them and For it is necessary to define these relations
formulating Matter-mind, if we may so call it, before we can progress with the scrutiny of
nervous mind, pure mind, truth-mind and so Madhuchchhandas’ other hymns addressed
on to the highest summit, parama paravat. The without exception to the great Vedic deity,
seven rays or cows are Aditi the infinite King of Heaven, who, according to our
Mother, the Cow unslayable, supreme Nature hypothesis, symbolises the Power of Mind and
or infinite Consciousness, pristine source of especially the divine or self-luminous Mind in
the later idea of Prakriti or Shakti, - the the human being.
Re-discovery of River Sarasvati
Mahasaraswati
A bit of Mother, a drop, was Krishna, another was Buddha, another was Christ. The worship of even one spark
of Mother in our earthly mother leads to greatness. Worship Her if you want love and wisdom."
I n 1927 Sri Aurobindo wrote an essay about the Divine Mother; this can be found in Volume 25 of the
Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, pp.1-41. Here is an excerpt from that work (p.24-25):
The Mother not only governs all from above but she descends into this lesser triple universe.
Impersonally, all things here, even the movements of the Ignorance, are herself in veiled power and her
creations in diminished substance, her Nature-body and Nature-force, and they exist because, moved by
the mysterious fiat of the Supreme to work out something that was there in the possibilities of the Infinite,
she has consented to the great sacrifice and has put on like a mask the soul and forms of the Ignorance. But
personally too she has stooped to descend here into the Darkness that she may lead it to the Light, into this
Death that she may turn it to godlike Life, into this world-pain and its obstinate sorrow and suffering that
she may end it in the transforming ecstasy of her sublime Ananda. In her deep and great love for her
children she has consented to put on herself the cloak of this obscurity, condescended to bear the attacks
and torturing influences of the powers of the Darkness and the Falsehood, borne to pass through the
portals of the birth that is a death, taken upon herself the pangs and sorrows and sufferings of the creation,
since it seemed that thus alone could it be lifted to the Light and Joy and Truth and eternal Life. This is the
great sacrifice called sometimes the sacrifice of the Purusha, but much more deeply the holocaust of the
Prakriti, the sacrifice of the Divine Mother.
From an early age Yogananda was fascinated with During his life Yogananda was able to meet with
meeting spiritual Saints and seekers. His many prominent spiritual, cultural and political
autobiography recounts many riveting occasions of figures. For example, during his period of running a
meetings with different Saints, (including school in India, he was able to meet the Bengali
Master Mahasaya, who was the author of "The Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore. In the mid
Gospel of Ramakrishna." ) Even as a young child 1930s he was able to meet Mahatma Gandhi at his
Yogananda spent many hours in meditation, aspiring ashram in Wardha. His autobiography also tells of
to attain God - Consciousness. fascinating meetings with spiritual illuminaries such
as Sri Anandaymoyi Ma and Sri Ramana Maharshi.
At the age of 17 Yogananda became a disciple of Yogananda was also the first Indian Swami to meet
Swami Sri Yukteswar who expertly guided him along with a US President (C.Coolidge in 1927)
the spiritual path. Sri Yukteswar was a direct disciple
of Lahiri Mahasaya Lahiri Mahasaya is credited with On March 7, 1952, Paramahansa Yogananda entered
reintroducing the ancient art of Kriya yoga into mahasamadhi, leaving behind a profound spiritual
modern society. After several years of strict spiritual legacy. His writings and life continue to give
training in his Masters hermitage, Yogananda was countless inspiration to many Truth - Seekers and
inspired to travel to America. With the blessings of God – Lovers.
his Guru Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda travelled to the
The Three Samadhis
The following excerpt was taken from The Summits of God-Life: Samadhi and Siddhi
by Sri Chinmoy.
T
here are various minor samadhis, and while less aspiring seekers reach a lower or a
among the minor samadhis, savikalpa middle rung of the ladder, where everything is
samadhi happens to be the highest. Right not so clear and vivid as on the highest level.
after savikalpa comes nirvikalpa samadhi, but
there is a great yawning gulf between savikalpa In savikalpa samadhi there are thoughts and
and nirvikalpa. However, even though savikalpa ideas coming from various angles, but they do
samadhi is one step below nirvikalpa, we do not not affect you. While you are meditating, you
use the term ‘lower’. We do not call savikalpa remain unperturbed, and your inner being
samadhi lower than nirvikalpa; they are two functions in a dynamic and confident manner.
radically different samadhis. Again, there is But when you are a little higher, when you have
something even beyond nirvikalpa samadhi become one with the soul in nirvikalpa samadhi,
called sahaja samadhi. But savikalpa and there will be no ideas or thoughts at all. Here
nirvikalpa samadhi are the most well-known nature’s dance stops. There is no nature, only
samadhis. infinite Peace and Bliss. The Knower and the
Known have become one. Everything is tranquil.
In savikalpa samadhi, for a short period of time Here you enjoy a supremely divine, all-
you lose all human consciousness. In this state pervading, self-amorous ecstasy. You become
the conception of time and space is altogether the object of enjoyment, you become the enjoyer
different. With the human time you cannot and you become the enjoyment itself.
judge; with the human way of looking at space
you cannot judge. In that samadhi, for an hour Nirvikalpa samadhi is the highest samadhi that
or two hours you are completely in another most spiritual Masters attain, and then only if
world. You see there that almost everything is they have achieved realisation. It lasts for a few
done. Here in this world there are many desires hours or a few days, and then one has to come
still unfulfilled in yourself and in others. down. When one comes down, what happens?
Millions of desires are not fulfilled, and millions Very often one forgets his own name. One
of things remain to be done. But when you are in forgets his own age. He cannot speak properly.
savikalpa samadhi, you see that practically But through continued practice, gradually one
everything is done; you have nothing to do. You becomes able to come down from nirvikalpa
are only an instrument. If you are used, well and samadhi and immediately function in a normal
good; otherwise, things are all done. But from way.
savikalpa samadhi everybody has to return to
ordinary consciousness. There were spiritual Masters in the hoary past
who attained nirvikalpa samadhi and did not
Even in savikalpa samadhi there are grades. Just come down. They maintained their highest
as there are brilliant students and poor students samadhi and found it impossible to enter into
in the same class in school, so also in savikalpa the world atmosphere and work like human
samadhi some aspirants reach the highest grade, beings. One cannot operate in the world while in
that state of consciousness; it is simply ordinary human being. One eats. One does the
impossible. usual things that an ordinary human being does.
But in the inmost recesses of his heart he is
Generally, when one enters into nirvikalpa surcharged with divine illumination. When one
samadhi, one does not want to come back into has this sahaja samadhi, one becomes the Lord
the world again. If one stays there for eighteen and Master of Reality. One can go at his sweet
or twenty-one days, there is every possibility will to the Highest and then come down to the
that he will leave the body. But there is a divine earth consciousness to manifest.
dispensation. If the Supreme wants a particular
soul to work here on earth, even after twenty- After achieving the highest type of realisation,
one or twenty-two days, the Supreme takes the on very rare occasions one is blessed with sahaja
individual into another channel of dynamic, samadhi. Very few spiritual Masters have
divine consciousness and has him return to the achieved this state—only one or two. For sahaja
earth-plane to act. samadhi, the Supreme’s infinite Grace is
required, or one has to be very powerful and
Sahaja samadhi is by far the highest type of lucky. Sahaja samadhi comes only when one has
samadhi. In this samadhi one is in the highest established inseparable oneness with the
consciousness, but at the same time he is Supreme, or when one wants to show, on rare
working in the gross physical world. One occasions, that he is the Supreme. He who has
maintains the experience of nirvikalpa samadhi achieved sahaja samadhi and remains in this
while simultaneously entering into earthly samadhi, consciously and perfectly manifests
activities. One has become the soul and at the God at every second, and is thus the greatest
same time is utilising the body as a perfect pride of the transcendental Supreme.
instrument. In sahaja samadhi one walks like an
Spiritual Masters are those rare beings who have realised there oneness with the Supreme, - the
highest transcendental Consciousness. Spiritual Masters have not only realised their true self but
also work selflessly to inspire humanity to seek the divinity within themselves.
A real spiritual Master is able to expedite the progress of his/her disciples through their close
connection to God and the grace of God.
Spiritual Masters have taught the timeless spiritual truths in a variety of ways, Their teachings
reflecting the environment and period in which they live.
Great Spiritual Masters like Krishna, Buddha and Jesus Christ have led to the formation of
religions dedicated to following the teachings of these avatars. Each spiritual master has offered
their own unique path towards the highest Truth. However although the outer forms may differ
the ultimate realisation is the same.
Sri Chinmoy
The Role of the Guru
By: Sri Chinmoy
A real spiritual Master is one who has attained God-realisation. Everyone is one with God, but the
real spiritual Master has established his conscious oneness with God. At any moment he can enter
into a higher consciousness and bring down messages from God to those disciples who have faith in
him. The Master, if he is genuine, represents God on earth for those seekers who have real aspiration
and faith in him. He has been authorised or commissioned by God to help them. The real Teacher, the
real Guru, is God Himself. But on earth He will often operate in and through a spiritual Master. The
Master energises the seeker with inspiration and, in the course of time, through the infinite Grace of
the Supreme, offers the seeker illumination.
1. You make a mistake when you take the Master as only a person, as the human body. You have
to feel that the real Master is inside the physical. Why have my disciples come to me? It is
because their real Master, the Supreme, is inside me. The Supreme is also inside them, but in
them He is still sleeping whereas in me He is fully awake. The Master and the disciple are like
two friends who have the same capacity, but one is sleeping and needs help in getting up
before he can manifest his capacity. The Guru is somebody who will come and touch his
brother's feet and caress his head and say, "Please get up. It is time for us to work for our
Father."
2. When a Master accepts someone as a disciple, he accepts that person as part of himself. If the
discipleis imperfect, then the Master also remains imperfect. In the disciple's perfection lies the
Master's perfection. I always say that I have no individuality, no personality. It is my disciples'
achievements that will take me either to Heaven or to hell. I have the capacity to remain all the
time in Heaven, but they can easily drag me to hell at every moment because I have accepted
them as my own.
3. A real spiritual Master tries to bring to the fore the inner divinity of the disciple from deep
within the disciple's heart. He knocks at the disciple's heart-door and awakens the divine child
in him, which we call the soul. He tells the soul, "You will look after the other members of the
family—the physical, the mind and the vital—and take care of them. They are making
mistakes constantly. Now give them new life, new meaning, new purpose."
4. It is the spiritual Master's job to make his disciples feel that without love, without truth and
light, life is meaningless and fruitless. The most important thing a spiritual Master does for his
spiritual children is to make them consciously aware of something vast and infinite within
themselves, which is nothing other than God Himself.
5. The highest transcendental Truth is within our hearts, but unfortunately we have not yet
discovered it. So I ask my disciples to go deep within and meditate on the heart, which houses
the soul. Eventually they learn how to contact the soul and start listening to its dictates. At that
time they have begun to make real progress toward discovering their highest and deepest Self.
6. If one is already developed, that is to say, if one has been practising the spiritual life in
previous incarnations and is in a position to listen to the dictates of his own inner being, it is
not absolutely necessary for him to have a spiritual Master. In that case he has only to go deep
within and practise the spiritual life most sincerely. Since he doesn't want a Master's help, he
has to depend entirely on himself and on the boundless Grace of God. But we have to know
that the spiritual path is very arduous; only on rare occasions have people realised God
without the help of a spiritual Master. Most spiritual Masters themselves took help from
someone for a day or a month or a year or ten years before they realised God.
7. As we need teachers for our outer knowledge—to illumine our outer being—so also we need a
spiritual Master to help and guide us in our inner life, especially in the beginning. Otherwise,
our progress will be very slow and uncertain, and we may become terribly confused. We will
get high, elevating experiences, but we will not give them adequate significance. Doubt may
eclipse our mind and we will say, "I am just an ordinary person, so how can I have this kind of
experience? Perhaps I am deluding myself." Or we will tell our friends, and they will say, "It is
all mental hallucination. Forget about the spiritual life." But if there is someone who knows
what the Reality is, he will say, "Don't act like a fool. The experiences which you have had are
absolutely real." The Master will encourage and inspire the seeker and give him the proper
explanations of his experiences. Again, if the seeker is doing something wrong in his
meditation, the Master will be in a position to correct him.