This topic has been nagging my mind for some time. Though it is not very relevant to the topics that I cover in this blog, I thought of sharing this. Every single day we read/see news in media about the increased crimes and the involvement of children, particularly school aged children in those crimes. It is indeed very sad to see such things but are we correct in blaming only our kids for this matter? Or is there something that we need to blame ourselves? I am not writing anything new here, but thought of stressing the point which everyone know already, "Moral Education",
Once, it was taught in schools as a specific subject (15-20 years ago) in India, but not anymore. Again, it is not the sole responsibility of schools to inculcate good habits in kids. We, as parents, have the main responsibility here. A practical solution is to teach morals to kids by adapting the age old technique of story telling. You might say that you are already doing that. But the kinds of stories you choose and the method of communication is more important here.
Remember, personal touch is the key. Apps, you tube videos, DVDs and Blue ray discs can indeed be an easy way of teaching kids about morals with awesome graphics, but without physical interaction, we cannot know if it had made the correct impact in the minds of kids. A story personally told by a parent or grandparent even for ten minutes can give fantastic joy to kids which they will cherish, rather than watching the videos alone. This involvement is crucial for them to understand the story and the moral it teaches. Make it an everyday practice and you can feel the great benefits it brings.
Making this "quality time" in spite of our busy schedule might sound tough initially, but it is certainly possible if we have the strong will. One of my friends named "Sabari" is a working woman, mom of two and she also enjoys doing intense workouts each day. Despite her busy schedule, she has the practice of singing "Barathiyar songs" to her kids whenever she has time. It is possible for anybody, all that is needed is little time management.
Okay, now we have the will and we have also made time, where can we go for stories? Nowhere much, other than your own religion and your own language. There are plenty of morals and values in them. Resort to "Stories from the Bible" if you follow Christianity, "Stories from the Quran" if you follow Islam or "Stories from the Vedas, Puranas and Ithihasas" if you follow Hinduism. Look out for morals in "Thirukkural" "Kondraivendhan" etc. if your mother tongue is Tamil.
I tried to compile resources from all over the net to provide some good links for stories to tell kids and here you go.....
I am here with a simple and quick post today, about the forehead marks in our tradition. Of course, there are various sects in Sanathan dharma and each sect has their own way/style and also use different substances to mark the forehead like Sindhoor, Kumkum, Holy Ash or Nama. We are not here to discuss about these variations today but about the primary idea of making a mark in the forehead and the reasons behind it. Marking your forehead is considered very important and there is even a saying in Tamil language; "நீறில்லா நெற்றி பாழ்" which means, "A forehead with no mark (with holy ash) is futile". Quick view is not given for this post.
What is the importance of Forehead ?
First, let us know some important details about forehead. The center of the forehead is the space between the two eyebrows but little higher. Remember!!! This is where Lord Shiva has his Third Eye.
In yoga tradition, there is one important meditation technique which emphasizes the concentration of mind and sight between the two eyebrows. The name of the technique is "Jangama Dhyana". It is said that in deeper practice of such dhyana, the mind concentrated between the eyebrows begins to automatically lose all external factors/diversions and focuses on concentration only on the inner self.
Kundalini Yoga defines many Chakras (energy points) in the body and according to that, the sixth Chakra, is called as "Ajna" (the Third Eye) which is the center of the forehead. Watch this video...
In Chinese Acupuncture, this place is referred as "Yintang" and considered as a special point. But they point it exactly between the brows but not slightly higher like us. They believe that by pressing this point with needle, mind calms down and also relieves a person from headaches, sinus disorders, insomnia, stress and anxiety.
In Acupressure too, the forehead is considered an important point which is associated with mind, memory, depression and anxiety. Though the points are different here, it is still located in the forehead. Look at this video....
Now let us go back to our Chakra system and learn little more about Ajna - The Brow Chakra, The literal meaning of the term "Ajna" is to command. This chakra is shaped like a five pointed star. There are two petals for this chakra. Many people have interpreted the two petals in different ways to symbolize the following :
It is also called as the "Third Eye", which is the eye of intuition and intellect. perceiving something through the mind. We all know that Lord Shiva has three eyes, In chakra system, every human being possesses third eye chakra but do not know the way to activate it. The way to activate it is also clearly given and this is known as chakra meditation. Please take a look at this video....
Why do we mark the forehead?
Now we know that the forehead is an important place, not only in our tradition, even in that of Chinese. But, only we Indians mark the forehead with Holy Ash, Nama, Chandan or Sindoor. Why do we do that?
First, when we apply these in forehead, we are gently pressing the forehead, which is involuntarily helping in activating the third eye.
While applying them, in that particular second at least, we think about God, which is helpful in the spiritual progress.
Holy Ash, Sindoor, Chandan, Nama all have medicinal qualities. Holy Ash, especially the one which is found as the residue after a Homa/Yajna is performed, is considered highly medicinal.
It is believed that the spiritual energy from the environment enters the body through this point "Ajna" and hence great care is taken to protect it with spiritually positive forces like holy ash, sindoor etc.
Medicinal qualities of Holy Ash and Kumkum and how are they prepared :
The substances that we use to mark our forehead, have medicinal qualities. For that we should know the ways in which they are traditionally prepared. I will try to keep this part short but will provide many links for you to refer.
Holy Ash :
Applying Holy Ash signifies a great truth of life. Everything in this world is finally going to become ash and it reminds us to reduce attachment and ego.
The remains of Homa is distributed as Holy Ash. There is another old method to prepare this by using cow dung (It is considered highly medicinal according to Ayurveda) during annual Shivaratri. The cow dung from Indian breed cows are gathered, prepared in cakes and dried in Sun. Then it is placed in layers in the form of a pyramid (Muttan). Viraja Homa is performed on the morning of Shivratri and once the Homa is done, fire is placed on the Muttan. This takes a couple of days and when it is fully burnt, what is left is considered as the Holy Ash (Viboothi).
By Salem iyer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Refer to these sources to know more about holy ash, its preparation and health benefits :
This is basically prepared from turmeric and we all know that turmeric is one of the best antiseptic and antibiotic herb. Turmeric is widely used in Ayurveda. I have given the traditional preparation, as given by Sankaracharya (Maha periyava).
Take an equal amount of whole turmeric (round one is better) and filtered seedless lemon juice. Cut the turmeric in small pieces. Mix Alum and Borox in the lemon juice (read the link given for exact measurements) and finally the chopped turmeric. Stir it thrice a day till turmeric absorbs all the liquid. Then dry it in shade and when it is dried nicely, powder it, sieve it and store it. Kumkum is ready to use.
By Annishaikh1990 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Traditional vs. Modern :
Traditional application of holy ash and nama generally covered the entire forehead in men, even the acupressure points told before.Women, apart from applying kumkum in the middle center of the forehead, also applied holy ash on top of that. But in modern times, due to fashion, lack of time and such other reasons, we neither prepare it in the traditional way nor apply it properly. It is also sad to note that these are prepared with added chemicals to give good color, fragrance etc, which irritates the skin and spoils the true idea itself (medicinal qualities, protection etc). We are helpless and we need to actually go with the flow. It is extremely tough to find 100% organic products these days and we do not have time to search. As far as the application is concerned, we either mark it as a tiny dot and in the wrong spot, or do not mark at all, except when visiting temples. So what are the possible solutions? Since we now know the importance of forehead and why do we mark it, we can take the initiative to do it in a proper way, at least once in a while, if not everyday. We can try to buy pure and organic products from trusted sellers, or whenever a homa is done, we can ask for more holy ash and store it. Just remember two popular proverbs. "Better late than never" and "Where there is will, there is way" .
Sanathan Dharma often faces this question over and over again. "Why do you have million Gods?" Yes... We all know that unlike other religions, Sanathan Dharma has no single holy scripture and no single God. We do not have one common rule to follow but instead, many many options and ways to choose. We also agree that the "Supreme Brahmam" is formless, changeless and ever blissful and in every holy scripture (of particular God), that God is declared as this "Supreme Brahmam". This is somewhat complex for people to understand and hence Sanathan Dharma (Hinduism) is considered as the most mysterious, difficult to comprehend and composite religion. We, the followers of Sanathan Dharma, too have the same question in our inner minds for which we are trying to get convincing answers. The explanations of Spiritual masters, who have declared that "God is one", are also complex to understand, the reason being our own limitation in perceiving such concepts. Spiritual masters have always stressed that enlightenment cannot be explained but rather to be felt. Due to this reason, they might have not revealed everything point blank. In this article, I have tried to bring out some simple convincing answers for our "multiple god" system and the possible reasons behind such idea. I have tried to analyse this from both believers' and non-believers' point of view. This is definitely an extensive article as I need to touch base about various facets of Sanathan Dharma before beginning the analysis. I request you all to read it completely to understand the essence. I have also included the views from scriptures as well as from scholars throughout this post to enable proper reasoning.
QUICK VIEW :
Key concept
Attempt to explain why many Gods and many Paths in Sanathan Dharma
Answers For
Believers'
One God manifested as many, For Universe to be in order, each force should be in order, Gods as celestial beings who live in different abodes with different powers, the step by step approach in reaching the ultimate truth (infinite).
Answers For Non Believers'
We are not alone in this Universe ; Powerful Gods could be celestial aliens ; Mantras are like codes to unlock the cosmic powers and to invoke a particular deity (super powered alien being)
General Details About Sanathan Dharma
The basic ideology, Six philosophies, Holy scriptures, Paths to salvation, The deities including Rig vedic deities.
The Basic Ideology :
"God - The Supreme Brahmam" is one. Sanathan Dharma agrees to this completely and there is no doubt that this is the basic idelogy. But, who is that supreme one and how to reach him? Here comes many variations. Shaivaites call that "Shiva" and Vaishnavites call that "Vishnu". The followers of Devi, call that "Shakthi" and so does the followers of other Gods. Advaits call that "Atman - self. The paths that lead to "The Supreme Brahmam" also have many variations like Karma, Dharma, Yoga, Bakthi, Gnana, Sanyasa and so on. Before going in depth about these concepts, let us take a look on what Spiritual Masters have told about "The Supreme Brahmam".
Adi Sankaracharya : "Brahma satyam jagan mithya jiva brahmaiva naaparah" - Brahman, the absolute alone is real. The world is unreal (Maya). The jiva or the individual soul is not different from Brahman.
Madvacharya : "Sriman Narayana is the lord of the universe, and the creation, destruction, sustenance, control etc are according to his wish. He is the one called Brahmam in the vedas and he is full of knowledge, bliss and power.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - More are the names of God and infinite are the forms through which he may be approached. In whatever name and form you worship him, through them you will realize him.
The Different Philosophies :
Sanathan dharma allows you to reason and choose a path of your choice, rather than sticking on to one principle and asking everyone to follow that. Where ever you stand in terms of knowledge and wisdom and which ever path you choose, you can attain worldly pleasures, peace, spiritual progress and finally salvation. This is its unique specialty. In this context, let us first see the six different schools of philosophy. They are :
Sankya : Emphasizes duality that the consciousness (Purusha) is different from that of matter (Prakriti). It believes that "due to ignorance that the Purusha identifies himself with Prakriti and absolute freedom arises with the realization that Purusha is different from that of Prakriti.
Yoga : This is Patanjali's school of thought. The eight limbed Ashtanga yoga, which deals with the discipline of body and mind and the psychic powers of mind. Here, the realization of self happens with intense control of senses, breath control called pranayama and constant meditation.
Nyaya : This school of thought is based on logic and reasoning. According to this philosophy, there are four sources of knowledge viz. perception, inference, comparison and testimony. The main ideology here is "the only way to get released from suffering is to obtain the true knowledge.
Vaisheshika : It is based on the concept of "atomic theory". It emphasizes that all objects in physical universe are the aggregation of atoms and Brahmam is the fundamental force that causes consciousness in these atoms and that "individual souls are eternal and pervade material body for a time period". According to Vaisheshika, there are nine classes of realities viz, Earth, water, light, air, space, time, direction, infinity of souls and mind and seven categories of experience viz, substance, quality, activity, generality, particularity, inherence and non-existence.
Purva Mimamsa : It is a system of vedic interpretation. It emphasizes unquestionable faith in vedas, especially to that of rituals mentioned in vedas (Brahmanas), like yajnas and sacrifices. This system believes that the power of mantras and yajnas are enough to sustain all the activities of this universe. As such, performance of vedic rituals are considered as primary dharma to attain salvation.
Vedanta : It concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads, rather than the ritualistic injunctions of the Brahmanas. The term "Vedanta" means "the end of vedas" which can be literally said as the "essence of vedas". The ideology of "Vedanta" is that "Self-consciousness is continuous with and indistinguishable from consciousness of Brahmam". Later, Vedanta separated into six categories viz, Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Dvaitadvaita, Shuddhadvaita and Acintya Bheda Abheda.
For detailed description about the six schools of philosophy, click the following links :
Mahatma Gandhi - When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me : and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of external tragedies and if they have not left any visible or invisible effect on me, I owe it to the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita".
Unlike other religions, there is no single holy book in Hinduism, but rather many. Each main classification has many many sub classifications, making an extensive list of holy scriptures. Although there are many scriptures, the well known among them are the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ithihasa and the Bhagavad Gita. The scriptures are basically classified into two main categories viz. Sruti - That which has to be heard , and Smriti - That which has to be remembered. I have compiled a chart (after referring to many sources) of these scriptures which is given below. I seek your apology in case if there are any errors or omissions.
connectsciencetodivnity.blogspot.com
Refer these links for detailed descriptions of various scriptures....
Though Hindu Philosophy has been divided into six classifications, when it comes to "path to salvation", there are four prominent ways, which are widely known. Bhagavad Gita gives clear accounts for all these four paths namely "Karma yoga", "Raja yoga", "Gnana yoga" and "Bakthi yoga", and emphasizes that, "Men can choose which ever path, and by following it correctly, can attain salvation". Detailed explanation of these four paths are not given here considering the length of this article but have provided links for those who are interested.
Karma Yoga - Salvation through right action
Raja Yoga - Salvation through "Ashtanga Yoga" (yoga and meditation)
Gnana Yoga - Salvation through philosophical research and wisdom
Bakthi Yoga - Salvation through pure devotion
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - "God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole."
Here comes the most important part, the deities. After looking into the different concepts, different texts and ways to be followed for salvation, we should understand about the deities to know "who is the subject matter" of all these concepts and scriptures. Before proceeding, please take a look into what scholars have told about the multiple God system.
Max Muller - "When these individual gods are invoked, they are not conceived as limited by the power of others, as superior or inferior in rank. Each god, to the mind of the supplicants, is as good as all the gods. He is felt at the time as a real divinity, as supreme and absolute, in spite of the limitations which, to our mind, a plurality of gods must entail on every single god. All the rest disappear for a moment from the vision of the poet, and he only who is to fulfill their desires, stands in full light before the eyes of the worshippers.....................It would be easy to find, in the numerous hymns of the Rig Veda, passages in which almost every single god is represented as supreme and absolute."
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - "You are son to your father, husband to your wife, father to your son, master to your servant and brother to your sibling. If, a normal man like you, can have these many forms to different people, then why not God, the creator of all?
Rig Vedic Deities :
Rig veda, the oldest among the Hindu scriptures, gives account to as many as 33 Gods (Devas), which are classified as follows :
When you look at the above chart, you can spot the names called "Dyaus" Prithvi". They are the Sky god and Earth god respectively. Please note that the term "Dyaus" is similar to that of "Zeus", sky god according to "Greek Mythology".
Zeus - Sky God of Greek Mythology
Trimurti :
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - The Trimurtis also called as "Hindu Trinity", are responsible for creation, preservation and destruction respectively. Brahma is often referred as "Prajapati". Vishnu's incarnations are well knows as Dasavathara. Both Vishnu and Shiva, have many many names and many many forms.
Tridevi :
The consorts of Trimurti, viz. Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati are collectively called as Tridevi. Saraswati is considered the God of education and arts, Lakshmi, for wealth and prosperity and Parvati for Power. These Gods too have many many names and forms.
Vinayaka and Muruga :
The sons of Lord Shiva, Vinayaka and Muruga, are popular deities too. Ganesha, the elephant faced God, is prayed to, before beginning any task as he is considered as the destroyer of all obstacles. Lord Muruga, also called as Kartikeya, is considered as God for "Tamil" language. There are innumerable names for these gods as well.
Rama and Krishna :
The most popular incarnations of Vishnu. Rama and Krishna, both are worshiped individually as supreme Gods. Rama is famously knows as "Eka pathni vratha" and Krishna as "Geethacharya", as he revealed Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
Apart from the above, we do have many many more including Hanuman, Dhanvantri, Ayyappa, Dakshinamurthy etc. We also have Devas (Demi gods). Though we do not know the exact number of Devas, there is generally a popular saying in Sanathan Dharma, that Devas are 33 million in total. (முப்பத்து முக்கோடி தேவர்கள்)
The analysis starts at this point. Thank you for reading this extensive post so far. In this analysis I have tried to provide convincing answers (logically) for both believers and non believers,as to why we worship many Gods and follow many paths. The ideas expressed here are purely my views and I am not a great spiritual master. Hence I do not claim that they are 100% correct. But I encourage you to consider the points, make your own analysis and decide whether to take it or leave it, according to your own judgement. The main criteria, which I have taken to substantiate my case (for both the cases), is "The Universe".
Convincing answer for believers :
Believers actually do not need the answers for why we are worshiping many Gods. They simply trust and offer their prayers to all Gods. But I thought of providing this answer for one reason, that there is no inferiority or superiority among Gods. Before proceeding, I encourage you to read the following articles.
When we see Sanathan Dharma Gods, everyone of them have separate tasks. Devas have their own assigned tasks and the Trimurtis have creation, preservation and destruction. If you closely observe the tasks of Gods, you will come to know that they are deities to preserve one force each in the Universe. Let me give more examples... Please take a look at the following images :
Surya - The Sun God
Agni - The Fire God
Soma - The Moon God
Varuna - The God of Water
Yama - The God of Death
Likewise, we have, Vayu - wind , Gandharvas - celestial musicians, Bhudevi - Earth, Saniswara - Saturn, Bhuda - Mercury, Dhanvantri and Ashwini Devas - celestial physicians and so on. Each and every deity has a nature force to control, be it celestial objects (planets, galaxies and space) or earthly elements (fire, water, wind, etc) or the various things needed (like wealth, prosperity, education, power) to lead human life happily.
Sanathan Dharma is famous for its massive time calculations (yuga, manvantara and kalpa) and million and trillion year old gods and different time periods for different worlds. It has mentioned different worlds (abode) for different deities, which are obviously, the celestial planets and has even given the distance between (in terms of yojanas) the different worlds. The image of Mount Kailash is given below. It is an Earthly manifestation of a celestial abode. We have many such manifestations and can understand them if we study scriptures deeply.
Now we have two approaches to answer "Why many gods?". The first one is what almost all the spiritual masters have told. "One God is what is manifested in many forms. God is in you and in me. He is smallest of smallest and biggest of biggest. Whoever you worship and whichever form you worship, you still worship the supreme lord, provided you do it whole-hearted".
Bhagavad Gita - "When he sees me in all and sees all in me, then I never leave him and he never leaves me. And he who in this oneness of love, loves me in whatever he sees, wherever this man may live, in truth, he lives in me."
The second approach is to closely observe the Universe. Just imagine Earth alone... If Earth has air and water but no fire, has water and fire but no air, how will it be? What will happen if one tiny system changes in the Solar system? Universe, in order to function in an orderly manner, need all forces to be in order. Scientists, even now, are puzzled that how this universe is made in perfectly measured manner. Sanathan Dharma Gods are universal forces who have taken responsibility in proper functioning of that particular force (celestial bodies, elements or basic needs of humans). Which force is superior and which is inferior? All are equally important, isn't it?
When we say, surya is the sun god, we should be clear about one thing. There are millions of sun in the Universe, but what we know with our limited knowledge is only, our sun, which is in the solar system. Surya could be the deity of this Sun or the deity of all suns in the universe... who knows? When we see Rig vedic hymns, it is said that there are 12 Adithyas. Same applies to every thing like, moon, planets, fire, water and so on.
Hence, all deities are equally important, though we understand that the supreme brahmam is formless, shapeless and changeless (The Infinite). Similarly, all mantras have equal importance and they specifically invoke a particular force (deity). None is superior or inferior and the Multi-God system in Sanathan Dharma is logically justifiable.
Please understand this saying from the "Isha Upanishad" :
"Purnam adah purnam idam purnatpurnam udachyate
purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavashishyate"
"What is here is infinite. What is there is also infinite. From infinite, infinite comes out. Taking infinite from infinite, what remains is also infinite."
But to understand the above, we should have enough wisdom. Sanathan dharma has provided step by step approach to get that wisdom. If the above saying is a "college lesson" then we need to finish primary school, middle school and high school before reading that. Isn't it? If we trust and pray in any God, through him we will get the wisdom to understand the infinite. Wise people, one among millions, understand this without studying preliminary lessons. But for the other average million people, we should understand that this (worshiping many gods) system gradually takes them to the ultimate goal.
Convincing answer for non-believers :
This section is for the Athiests. Hence the analysis is done having "Universe" and "Aliens" as the base. The word "Aliens" is used here as just a scientific term to understand the phenomena. It doesn't mean to hurt anyone in any way. Please watch the following video to understand how "Sanathan Dharma Gods as Aliens" are classically explained...
Athiests do not believe in God at all. Even that is perfectly okay with Sanathan Dharma, as it never compels any one. But they do accept "Aliens" as it is logical. Almost everyone of us believe that, in this vast universe (or multi-verse), there are more possibilities for life to exist somewhere (or in many places) apart from our own Earth. The term for such beings in modern science are "Aliens" and the vehicles they use for transportation are called the "UFO". Here, I am trying to establish here, with clear details of course, that the powerful Gods of Sanathan Dharma, are celestial beings (Whom we might be calling as aliens these days).
We live, here, in this milky way galaxy :
And these are the Sombrero and Andromeda galaxies :
There are millions and millions of galaxies in this universe. Watch this short video for knowing about the concept of multi-verse.
Now back to Sanathan Dharma, it has some very clear details for celestial beings. It has mentioned many worlds, (in this material universe alone), viz. 7 higher worlds and 7 lower worlds. The distance, people (deities) who are living there all are very clearly given. Unfortunately these are called mythologies. Take a look about the various worlds, along with their distances,given in our scriptures....
Celestial beings live a life which are somewhat similar to that of human beings. They have families, children, musicians and dancers for entertainment and even doctors and physicians for curing ailments. All these are told as beautiful stories in Sanathan Dharma. Here, we have Gods (or universal force) for everything...
"The Asvins are regarded as the physicians of the gods and are declared to be able to restore to health the blind, the sick, the lame and the emaciated among mortals. The leg of Vispala, that was cut off in the battle they replaced by an iron one".
Next, we need to look at the sanskrit veda chantings. Those mantras are always chanted in a specific modulation and that is why they have been passed on orally for many generations (to preserve the modulation of chanting... may be). These sanskrit mantras invoke the deities., Each mantra invokes a specific deity. Even modern scientists now agree (after various researches) that sound of mantra produces specific vibration in the universal force. When Gayatri mantra is chanted, for instance, it may produce vibrations in the sun which may trigger the positive energy. Likewise we have mantras for all deities (universal forces). Why can't Sanskrit mantras be codes to invoke/trigger a particular force? When we write software program, we do not use the same codes for all platforms right? When we say about celestial beings, these mantras are like codes to invoke them and to get a specific energy from them for the benefit of human society. Take a look at the following links to know the vibrations of mantras.....
Considering the above, the multi god system of sanathan dharma, is again, logically justified, even from the point of view of athiests. These beings, in our mythology, have their own abode, their own vehicles (UFO) and unique powers which are unimaginable for humans in Earth. It is even said that, "Devas, do not blink, nor their feet touch the ground and their bodies are beyond the five elements". These may be the beyond our dimension, but perfectly possible, if they live in another planet, in which another dimension exists. Their time span is also different. One human year is one day for the Devas, for instance. When we analyze planets and galaxies from the perspective of modern science, we very well know that the orbit time of each planet is different. This is nicely explained in the movie "Interstellar". Hence, if Sanathan Dharma Gods are Aliens, it is perfectly possible to have millions of them. Isn't it???
Conclusion :
For getting material pleasures in life viz.... education, career, marriage, finance planning etc, we take much effort to analyse various options and choose finally which is best for us. If we are ready to take so much pains for material stuff, why do we need single path when it comes to GOD? Why are we not ready to take up the challenge of analyzing the various options and chose one which is best for us and stick to it? We need immediate results. We worship today and expect good fortune tomorrow.. and if we do not get it, we say something is wrong with God.... This is not the required attitude to understand "GOD". Sanathan Dharma perfectly understands that, every person is different and hence there are many paths to choose according to the person's wisdom, understanding and maturity. I hope that I conveyed the points correctly in this article. Again, all the views expressed here are my own views and I welcome feedback... Let me conclude this lengthy article with the beautiful verses of Bhagavad Gita....
Almost all of us would have heard the famous Vedic verse "Ayathanavan Bhavati". This verse comes in "Mantra Pushpam" - A Vedic chanting, which is considered as the flower of vedic chants. To give a quick intro, this Mantra is found in "Taithreeya Aranyakam" of Yajurveda. Like all other Vedic Mantras, "Mantra Pushpam" also gives a simple meaning at the outset, but more deeper meanings when you ponder over and over. It talks about the source of water, but it has deeper meanings like creation concept, evolution, inter connectivity of elements and cosmos. "He who knows the truth, becomes established in himself" is the basic ideology of this Mantra.Let us know the simple meaning of this Mantra today, by understanding which, we can hopefully go to the next level of deep perception. I pray to the Almighty to grant us his blessings.
You can hear this mantra in this you tube video :
The Mantra and its meaning :
Yo pam pushpam veda
Pushpavan prajavan pasuvan bhavati
Chandramava apam pushpam
Pushpavan prajavan pasuvan bhavati
Ya evam veda
yopam ayathanam veda
Ayathanavan bhavati
Understand (this is) the truth of flowers
To become the possessor (lord) of flowers, children and cattle
Moon is the flower of the water
Understand this to become the possessor of flowers, children and cattle
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become an in-dweller (get established in your self)
Agnirva apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yo agner ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apova agner ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Fire is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about fire
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of fire
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Vayurva apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yovayur ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apovai vayur ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Air is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about air
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of air
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Asowvai tapannapam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yo musyatapata ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apova amusyatapata ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Flaming sun is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about sun
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of flaming sun
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Chandramavam apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yaschandra masa ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apovai chandramasa ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Moon is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about moon
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of moon
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Nakshathraniva apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yo nakshatranam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apovai nakshatranam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Stars are the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about stars
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of stars
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Parjanyova apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yah parjanyasya ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Apovai parjanyas ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopam ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati
Clouds are the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about clouds
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of clouds
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Samvatsarova apam ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Yassavatsa rasya ayatanam veda Ayatanavan bhavati Apovai samvatsara ayatanam Ayatanavan bhavati Ya evam veda Yopsu navam pratistitam veda Pratyeva tistati
Rainy season (of the year) is the source (dwelling place) of water
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
By understanding the truth (source) about rainy season (of the year)
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
Water is the source (dwelling place) of rainy season (of the year)
Become the in-dweller (get established in your self)
This is the truth
About the boat established (in the water)
Stay (dwell) in that.
The above paragraph has a hidden meaning (the last three lines). God is symbolized as "boat" here which helps us to cross the ocean of "samsara". One can get established in the boat (God) by understanding the real truth of the above verses. Refer to this "Thirukkural" where "valluvar" has compared life and death to ocean and how to cross that....
"பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார்
இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார்"
Rajathi rajaya prasahya sahine Namo vayam vai sravanaya kurmahe Samekamam kama kamaya mahyam Kameshvaro vai sravano dadatu Kuberaya vai shravanaya Maharajaya namaha
King of kings, We worship you by all means
We worship you, Kubera,
Who fulfills all desires and grants all victories
Bless me and fulfill all my desires
Oh kubera, the king of kings.
As you can see, this last paragraph praises Lord Kubera, who is considered as the regent of north direction and the Lord of wealth. This verse is generally recited by the priests during/after Deeparathana in temples, to get our desires fulfilled.
What ever we need in life, we can only ask God. As such, asking material wealth is also justified (in sanatan dharma) but at the same time, we should seek his blessings for attaining higher spiritual progress, which is the ultimate goal of life. This mantra serves that purpose very well.
