Jagat

Radha Raman Ju's abhishek in 2011. Photo from Vrindavan Experience. Here we continue with the arcana path. This is an explanation of the rationale of  Āvaraṇa-pūjā . Anuccheda 285 The Devas in Āvaraṇa-pūjā are Eternal Associates of Bhagavān श्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रे चैवमेव श्रीनारायणवाक्यं श्राद्धकथनारम्भे— नाचरेद्यस्तु सिद्धोऽपि लौकिकं धर्ममग्रतः। उपप्लवाच्च धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति नारदः॥ विवेकज्ञैरतः सर्वैर्लोकाचारो यथास्थितः। आ देहपाताद्यत्नेन रक्षणीयः प्रयत्नतः॥ इति। A similar statement about the significance of not abandoning Vedic karma is made by Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa in the Nārada-Pañcarātra at the beginning of His explanation of the śrāddha ceremony for the forefathers: O Nārada, even a perfect being who does not first execute his socio-religious duties brings about a deterioration of religious principles through the disruption of social norms. Therefore, all discriminating human beings should carefully attend to social duties as long as the body remains...

This is another important passage that discusses the necessity for initiation in relation to deity worship. Jiva Goswami raises the question of necessity for initiation if the mantra is stated to transcend such requirements. Note that the famous śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi  vers e is the principal response. Anuccheda 284 Difference Between Mantra and Name ननु भगवन्नामात्मका एव मन्त्राः। तत्र विशेषेण नमःशब्दाद्यलंकृताः श्रीभगवता श्रीमदृषिभिश्चाहितशक्तिविशेषाः, श्रीभगवता सममात्मसम्बन्धविशेषप्रतिपादकाश्च। तत्र केवलानि श्रीभगवन्नामान्यपि निरपेक्षाण्येव परमपुरुषार्थफलपर्यन्तदानसमर्थानि। ततो मन्त्रेषु नामतोऽप्यधिकसामर्थ्ये लब्धे कथं दीक्षाद्यपेक्षा ? A question may be raised as follows. Mantras contain only the names of Bhagavān. The difference between the name and mantras is that the latter contain certain special words, such as namaḥ , “obeisances to You.” Furthermore, they are infused with specific power, either by Bhagavān or the great sages, and establish a unique rela...

In the Padma Purāṇa there is a verse, which is unremarkable but nevertheless states something fundamental that I am trying to get at here. aviditvā tu mantrārthaṁ siddhiṁ naivādhigacchati na tu bhuktiṁ ca bhaktiṁ ca na ca muktiṁ varānane Without knowing the meaning of the mantra, you cannot attain success. O Varanane, you cannot attain sense gratification, nor devotion, nor liberation. (6.226.93) What we are doing here, in general, is inquiring into the meaning of the mantra . If encountering the symbol directly is the same as direct perception ( sākṣātkāra ) of the Deity, then mining the symbol for its meaning is a part of that process of encounter: śravaṇam, mananam, nididhyāsanam , then darśanam . Hear, reflect, meditate deeply and you will see. Saying the mantra as a prayer to God is not sufficiently meaningful. Yesterday someone came up to me after my Gita class and asked if Jehovah was the same as Krishna. I said no and he practically burst. I did not find myself particula...

Plus ça change, plus ça reste pareil. One thing I did not mention in speaking of the June McDaniel book, because it was not relevant then, is that I am quoted in it. The reason I mention it now is because now it has become relevant. June McDaniel interviewed me in Nabadwip back in 1984. Nitai introduced us, as she was a fellow student of his at the University of Chicago. Evidently, she did not find speaking with me particularly fruitful as she only quoted the one statement, in which I say, "In the Western system, people try to invent things for themselves. In India, we try to follow previous people, to do what they did and get it down properly, the way that it was done before." (Page 19) Maybe I was thinking of this verse: etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva “Fixed in faith in the Supreme Soul in whom dwelt the great souls of yore, I shall cross over the boundless ocean of darkne...