UPAASANA--MOORTI
POOJA OR IMAGE WORSHIP
(Compilation for a Discourse by N.R.Srinivasan, March 2013)
Every object in the world, animate or inanimate, is a manifestation of God. If one realizes this truth he will not feel anger or disgust or hatred for anything or any person. By eschewing the mental distractions and agonies arising from anger and desire, we realize God is everything around us. Until a person achieves the Supreme Consciousness of God in all objects, he should keep striving peacefully. He should begin seeking to see God at least in one object through concentration upon that particular object as God. The grace of God resulting from such intense concentration will enable him to go further and see God manifests on all that exists and thereupon he will be free from limitations arising from non-experiencing of the truth that God is in all things. This is the fundamental basis of Moorti upaasana or Sagunopaasan ( A form of Hindu worship). Now-a-days this is derided as Idol worship unfortunately.
Upaasana in Sanskrit means to sit near to think of the Lord. It is
generally translated as worship or meditation. It is mental
activity whose object is the Lord. For meditation one requires a support, in
the form of a symbol. When the symbol used is a form, the meditation is known
as Pratima Upaasana. When the symbol used is a name, the meditation is known as
Prateeka Upaasana. The Upaasanas are based on the Vedic wisdom that the Lord is
not separate from the creation and therefore can be invoked in any desired
form. Upaasanas help one to attain a tranquil mind and an appreciation of the
Lord. The true worshipper of a Moorti never feels that he is worshipping a
stone or a piece of metal or picture. He thinks only on Supreme Being
forgetting all else.
Hindu religion is criticized by persons of founded faiths and also
by those belonging to the Arya Samaj as being idolaters. Muslims do not worship images because
according to their faith God has no body. Islam is so much against the worship
of idols that its followers do not countenance even a picture of their Prophet.
If opportunities provide, each devout Muslim takes a pilgrimage to Mecca. The
culmination of this life-time pilgrimage ritual is the circum-ambulation called
Tawaf, in which the pilgrim circles the Ka’ba shrine and kisses the black
stone, all the while offering prayers. Protestant Christianity does not believe
in idols. Catholics worship the image of Virgin Mary and Christ and are
idolatrous to that extent. All Christians, however, hold the cross in
great reverence and worship it as sacred symbol. East Africans and
Canadian Indian and aboriginals of New Zealand worship idols. Buddhism also disclaims against idols,
though strangely a good number of Buddhists have erected the statues of the Enlightened,
at various places and worship them; also they worship the relics of their
teacher, like his tooth etc. Relics are worshipped in Islam also (Hazrat
baal--prophet’s hair). In the Orthodox Church, an icon is blessed (similar to
Pranapratishta), so it can be installed in a church, home or any other suitable
place. In return, the icon sanctifies the place where it is set up; it is for
the faithful a tangible reminder of the divine presence. According to
orthodox theology, to pray before an icon is to pray in the presence of Christ,
or of the Mother of God, or of the saint depicted. The icon is the point where
the heaven and earth meet. One could thus see the Vedic influence of Moorti
Upaasana in many later religions and beliefs, though Hindu religion comes in
for condemnation as if worship of idols is a sin against a
religion. It is necessary to be clear about the meaning of
worship of idols. It is not the idol as such; it is not the stone, metal or
wooden object that Hindus worship. It is the Deity present in the object or symbolized
by it that Hindus worship. The Saaligraama stone symbolizes Vishnu. The Linga
represents Siva. The crystal stands for Surya. So do other objects. They remind
us of the deities that they are considered to represent. So, when one offers
worship to an idol or image, one does so to the particular aspect of the
Supreme represented by it, to the God in it as it were. While so doing, the
mind is directed to God in a prayerful contemplation and supplication. During
this process, one gets rid of one’s ego and is suffused with god-consciousness
and dedicates to Him, the best one can offer and, finally offers
one’s Self, whole and entire.
It is customary to make statues of departed leaders or venerated
Kings and pay respect to those statues of the deceased periodically on specific
dates. In Origin of Civilization Lubock says: “Worship to idols characterizes a
somewhat higher stage of human development”. We pay respect to National Flag, a
piece of cloth which stands for the country as a symbol.
Hindu religion recognizes the psychological limitations of
ordinary men. Not all of them can at one bound contemplate God in his
abstraction from physical features. For directing the mind towards God and
keeping it steady during contemplation on Him, a concrete image or idol is of
invaluable help. The frail mind must move from the concrete to the abstract,
from the forms of God in images to God without form. It is true that God is omnipresent,
but for purposes of worship, He is conceived of as localized in a particular
object.
It is not self-contradictory in thinking of the Supreme God as
having a form or even a multiplicity of forms. If it is granted that God is
all, even though in the ultimate conception He is formless, there is nothing inherently impossible, in
His assuming a variety of forms for the sake of devotees. That is only a mark
of His condescension to satisfy the needs of those who wish to worship Him
according to the promptings in their heart. For God who has created human or
other living beings it is not impossible to assume one of the forms he himself has
created.
Water has no color or any particular shape. But it assumes the
color and shape of the vessel that contains it. Even so, God by Himself may
have no form. But the mind that thinks of Him is a conditioning medium. It
seizes hold of Him in its folds and would like to visualize Him after its
manner. Thus a rapport is established between the devotee and the Deity and an
atmosphere of devotion is
engendered.
Before an idol or image is worshipped, a process of making it
divine is gone through. This is known as the process of ‘Praana
pratishta” (Consecration). Every human being is a compendious expression of the
cosmos. He is made up of five physical elements, “pancha bhootas”. God in
His cosmic form inheres in the “pancha bhootas”, which are crystallized in the
human body and expressed as five sense organs, each functioning in terms of
those elements. In ‘Praana pratishta ‘the devotee first performs “Aatma pooja”,
that is he meditates on his inner Self encased in his body. By appropriate
mantras he first purifies his body including his ‘praanas’ and his sense
organs. The vital airs and the organs of perception activity animating in him
as microcosm of the Universe, which is the macrocosm, are transferred by
gestures to the accompaniment of mantras on to the idol or the image wherein
the manifestation of the Supreme (Ishta devata) is devoutly invoked.
The following prayer is chanted during the process of consecration:
“Svaatmasamstham ajam suddham tvaamadhya
paramesvara; aranyaamiva havyaasam moortau aavaahayaamyaham”-- “O Lord of the Worlds, you are unborn and
pure. You are in my heart. I invoke you in this Moorti. Make yourself visible to me in my
concentration even as the fire in ‘arani’ wood comes out by friction”. It is
also like the oil conceale3d in sesame seeds which can be seen after squeezing.
There upon it becomes instinct with divinity and becomes fit for
worship. After this process is complete the worshipper does not consider it any
longer as a material object. It becomes God itself. Then the sixteen
items of ritualistic worship that are offered with fervor and devotion are
followed.
The forms of the images are modeled after the description of the
several divinities in our Puraanas, which are recessions
from the Vedas adapted to popular understanding. These Puraanas
celebrate each particular manifestation of the Supreme to draw the man’s mind
to it and hold their attention. They serve to visualize the divinity spoken of
in the Puraanas and in their features emphasize the super-human and the
mysterious that go with the concept of God. Thus we have the image of Devi with
sixteen hands; Siva with a third eye, Ganapati with elephant face,
Vishnu with four hands, Kaartikeya with twelve hands and six faces etc. To a
person of an alien faith these may appear grotesque and bizarre, but to the
devotee they signify a puritanical anecdote that evokes his belief and faith.
The names by which the several manifestations of the Supreme are called are not
of random devising; they are significant of the nature and beneficence of those
Deities. In the Hindu religion, the names are equated with those deities and
this is vouched for in the experience of great saints who have
realized the Supreme by “naama japa” and ‘naama sankeertana’ the repeated
utterance and singing of these divine
names.
Three things are associated with the worship of deity. They are
the ‘Yantra’ or ‘Chakra’, the mantra and the ‘pratima’. The Yantra is a
geometrical design of a particular type with mystic significance for every part
of it. The deity is looked upon as residing in that Yantra. The Mantra consists
of mystic Sanskrit sounds known as Beejaaksharas, associated with them. Their
utterances have the effect of invoking the deity associated with them. The
repeated utterances of the mantra surcharge the atmosphere
with the divine presence. The devotee and the image are both enveloped by that
divinity. The Pratima is the physical object consecrated for worship. All
these three, the Yantra, the Mantra, and the Pratima together constitute the apparatus
of image worship among Hindus.
Some of the other forms of worship (upaasana) are ahamgraha
upaasana and Sri Chakra upaasana. In ahamgraha upaasana, one meditates on
himself as “Brahman’, while in Sri Chakra upaasana, Sri Devi is super imposed
on a tantric symbol, which is made up of lines arranged in a particular
geometric pattern. Yantra is highly symbolic and is esoteric form
of invoking.
Tantra is yet another highly symbolic esoteric form of worshipping
elaborate esoteric rituals based on tantric philosophy. There are two main
forms of Tantra seen in India .
Vaamatantra is practiced in Kashmir and Bengal .
A variation of Tantra saastra called Dakshinamaarga is observed in
Kerala.
The word Linga means symbol. While the abhisheka (bathing
ceremony) water is poured on the crystal Linga, the Linga is hardly visible
through it, its colorless form being completely lost in that of water that
flows over it. When colored substances like sandal paste or vermilion or
colored flower are placed on it, it takes on the color of those substances
though it has no color of its own. Thus the Sphatika Linga is taken
as the best representation of Nirguna Brahman of the Upanishads, the
all-pervading Paramaatma who is without any attribute and who for
our sake takes on qualities and exhibits Himself as the “Saguna Brahman”, the
personal form. When a devotee observes the abhisheka, he has this
uppermost in his mind.
The Lord Himself has not imposed upon us any one form of ‘upaasana’
as seen in the Bhagavadgita; Yo yo
yaam yaam tanum bhaktaha
sraddhayaa architum-ichchati tastya
tasyaarchanam sraddhaam taameva
vidadhaamyaham”--‘Whatever form or deity a devotee with faith may wish to
worship, I make his faith unswerving’.
Founded religions regulate the mode of worship and attach
importance to congregational prayers on specific days and specific times. Hindu
religion has no such limitations.
Idol
worship and rituals connected with it are only the beginning of religion. There
are different grades of worship. The supreme state is Self -realization.
Second in rank is the meditation on the Supreme Self. The third in rank is the
worship of symbols. The fourth in rank is the performance of rituals and
pilgrimage to holy places. The Saastras and the Guru are like mother. They take
hold of the hands of the aspirants and take them step-by-step till they are
established in the highest super-conscious state. The same Hindu scriptures
which prescribe idol worship and rituals for beginners also speak of meditation
on the Infinite or the Absolute and contemplation on the significance of “Tat
tvam asi”, (That thou art) for advanced aspirants. The Jewish Religion calls
Him “Jehovah” meaning ‘I am that’. ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am Brahman) is the
well-known vedic principle that means the same thing as Jehovah. Before one can
meditate on the unlimited, one must begin with the limited. Starting with
devotion to God limited by name and form, if one realizes the unlimited nature
of God, the limited will be transcended. To realize the unlimited, one
must start with devotion to the limited. Upon the realization of the true
nature of God through such ‘bhakti’ (devotion), one ceases to separate from
Him; “visate tadanantram”, that very moment one becomes that God. The Bhakta
turned Jnaani merges in the waters of the Infinite like a block of ice in
water. Rivers have different names and forms before they enter ocean. Once they
flow into it, their individualities disappear in the all-encompassing waters of
the ocean.
[I had the privilege of
presenting the above Upanyaasa (religious discourse) to Vedanta Class in
Nashville, originally delivered by His Holiness Sankaracharya in
Tamil to the learned audience in India, with my added notes here and there some years
back. Now I have added the Epilogue learning from the Wisdom thoughts of His Holines
to focus your attention on this most
criticized topic in Hinduism
--N.R.Srinivasan,
Nashville TN]
EPILOGUE ON IMAGE WORSHIP
(BY N.R. SRINIVASAN)
The question that arises in the mind of a devout Hindu is whether idol worship has Vedic sanction. Our Saastras say “Vedokilam dharma moolam” --Vedas are the final authority. Geeta says, “Tasmaat Saastram pramaanam te”—when in doubt Scriptures (Srutis and Smritis) are final authority. Surprisingly, there are number of references to the images of Gods in all the four Vedas and also Incarnations of Vishnu as well as Personal God Siva (Rudram of Rigveda) The art of sculpturing was current even around 3000 B.C.E. Bronze images have been unearthed at the Harappa sites of excavation around 3000 B.C.E. Baudhaayana Grihyasootras not only mentions about the images of Vishnu, Ganesha and Yama but also give the details regarding their consecration and worship.
It is becoming increasingly evident that there is no ground
for the distinction that used to be made by Western and Western educated
Historians between Dravidian and Aryan races as distinguishing Indus and Vedic
civilization. The Vedic Gods were 33 in number--Earth, Heaven, Twelve aspect of
solar energies (Aadityas), eleven frightening forces of the atmosphere (Rudras)
and eight deities of directions (Vasus). They were symbolized as Vyahritis
(emanations) of Supreme Principle.
Famous temples of Balaji and Jagannth Glorified in Rigveda
A Rigvedic (8-8-13) hymn says: “Aaraayi kaane girim gachcha sadaanve | sirim bithasya satvabhih tebhishtvaa saatayaamyaci || (When you have lost your vision of wisdom and wealth, and you are helpless join the crowd of devotees, ascend the seven hills and reach the seat of Sridevi (Lakshmi) and pay your obeisance to Lord Venkatesa who is in the company of Lakshmi). This refers to the popular and famous shrine of Balaji in Tirupati. Another Rigvedic Hymn says: “Aado yaddaaru plavate sindhoeh paare apoorusham | tadaarabhasva durhanoe tenagaccha parastaram”(10-155-3)—Sayana well known commentator of Vedas interprets this as: Follow the blog of wood that no man has created floating on the seas and casting on the shore; meditate upon that Supreme whom no one has conquered and under its protection reach the Paramapada (abode of Vishnu). Evidently this refers to ancient and historic holy shrine of Jagannath of Puri where deities are made out of blogs of wood and worshiped.
Reference to Dasaavataaras in Vedas
Matsya—“tam matsyah
praabraveet”( Yajus samhita;
Satapatha Braamana)
Koorma—“Koormam
bhootagam sarpamtam” and “sayatkoormoenaama”(Taittareeya Aranyaka1-2-3;
Satapatha brahmana—7-4-1)
Varaaha—“sa
varaahoe roopam kritvaa upanyajjamat”; “taam varaahoe bhootvaa aharat”
(Taitaareeya Brahmana1-1-3; Taitt, Samhita 7-1-5; “Uddhritaaci varaahena”--Mahaanaaraayana
Upanishad.
Vaamana—“Treeni
padavichakrame vishnurgoepaa adaabhyah”(Taittareeya Brahmana 7-4-1)
Narasimha—“Mrigoenaa
bheemah kucharoe girishthaahm| yasyoerushu trishu vikramaneshu— Chandogya
Upanishad 4-3-7; “aatmaa devaanaam janitaa prajaanaam | hiranya damshtroe
babhasoe anasoorih ||”—Rigveda Samhita 10-3-3
Krishana—“Brahmanyo
devakeeputroe madhusoodanoem” Naraayanopanishat, Atharva Veda; “Ghora
Aangeerasah krishnaaya devakee putraaya uktvaa uvaacha apipaasa eva sa
babhoova”—Cha.Up. 3-17
There is also a reference to Vasishta
as Kulaguru of Srirama in Yajussamhita which has missed the attention of
commentators but found in recitation practices. Yajurveda Samhita 2-2-6-1 says:
“Devenaayatane yajate’’ indicating the existence of Temple. Aayatana means temple. There can be no temple
without an image.
Historians say that Puraanic period
followed much later and Vedas are oldest. The date of Rigveda has varied from
4500 B.C.E. (B.G. Tilak) and 2400 B.C.E. (Hang) to 1200 B.C.E. (Max Muller). Modern
European scholars assign the period 700 B.C.E. to 600 B.C.E. to the Upanishads. According
to Tilak and scholars that concur with him, the Upanishads belong to the period
2500 B.C.E to 2000 B.C.E. It is therefore surprising to find so many references
to Incarnations of Vishnu in Vedas as a predator to Itihaasas, Ramayana being
the Adikavya. Incarnations of Vishnu are most favored in Moorti worship by
Vaishnavites. Rudra, the Vedic God is projected as Personal God Siva in Rudram
with all Puraanic details in Rigveda. Rudra is strongly believed to be Brahman
alone. Probably all these confusions gave an idea to Max Muller to push the date of
Vedas to a much later date to equate it with Bible. The age of Epics according Western Historians
is 185 BC.E. to 320 A.D.
Institutionalized religions have a
wrong notion that Hindus are idolatrous. Images are symbols of power and glory
of Supreme Principle. The image acts as symbol of link between Supreme
Principle and the worshiper. When through such adoration and worship mental communion
with Supreme Principle is established worship ends. Then there is no need for
images. This is the principle behind why Hindus discard the images after
worship and immerse them in either lakes or rivers or seas. Ganesha and Durga
worshipers follow this custom traditionally on a grand scale with a worship
called Visarjana (Farewell to the image) followed by a procession. Limited group of Vaishanvites also do
Lakshmipooja in the form of an elephant and do visarjan. Principle of
Navkalebar is similar to that where the image of non-durable wood material are
discarded like the clay images of Durga and Ganesha when deterioration of the
image is believed to start or as a caution before-hand. Here a secret and sacred thing called Brahma-
padartha is supposed to get transferred from the discarded image to the new
consecrated image. The worshiper finds no use for the clay images once the
communion with the Supreme Principle is established. Devotee even finds temple
visits are not necessary. That is why temple visits have not been made
mandatory for a spiritually oriented person who is able to establish communion
with Supreme Principle. Further not all
the images of deities available in the market are suitable for worship. He has
to develop a feeling of divinity in them by consecration as well as daily
prayer. Normal worship begins with self-purification of the worshiper and
recognition of the divinity even in the consecrated image.
But what inspired Hindus to present
day popular form of Moorthi Upaasana—image worship? Upanishads say the world
rises out of Supreme Principle, is supported by him and gets dissolved back in
him. He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. He sees, hears and knows
although none can see or hear or know him.
He responds to our prayers and grants us whatever we seek. He is our
ultimate goal. To meditate upon him, the
Upanishads described Him as Purusha, bright, brilliant, of golden hue, with all
parts of his body of golden color and his eyes resembling a fully bloomed red
lotus. Fire is his head, the sun and moon are his eyes, the quarters are his
ears, the Vedas are his speech and the earth is his feet (Purusha sookta).
Sometimes he is also described as having thousand heads, thousand eyes and
thousand feet in his cosmic form. There are pictures illustrating his
Viswaroopa (cosmic form) whichare also
used in Moorti Upaasana. This form
recommended for meditation is the Aupanishada-Purusha or Upanishadic
Moorti. This description of Purusha gave
Puraanas ample scope to come out with pantheon of Gods for the development of
Moorti Pooja and iconography.
Worshipers used fire as the symbol of
Supreme Principle (Brahman) during the Vedic period. Since God is present
everywhere, anything existing in the Universe can be selected as his symbol!
They chose fire, the dispeller of darkness, the symbol of purity and the giver
of warmth as the Symbol (Vyaahriti) of Brahman. This got extended to other four
elements and then to 33 Vedic Gods mentioned above. The sages of Upanishads
bogged down by the fear of death as focused in Vedic prayers “mrityoer maa amritam gamaya” and “mrityoer
moksheeya maamrutaat” focused their attention on life after death of human
beings. Therefore their focus was on Repentance
(Paschaattaapa), Meditation (Dhyaana) and Surrender (Saranaagati) at the feet
of the Supreme Principle towards spiritual evolution and on sacrifices as you
read in all Upanishads. Image worship was few and far between, though in
existence during Vedic period which gained momentum after Puraanic period and
the deities for worship went even beyond 33 crores. Today many saints,
philosophers and imaginary deities (Bhaarat Maata) are being worshiped in exclusive temples built
for them, which has given scope for criticism from Western and Middle East religions.
A Note on the Hindu
Religious Practice of Aavaahana
and Visarjana in Moorti worship
Hindus
treat God as the most honored guest in their worship at home as well as in
temples. Aaraadhana (worship) is an obligatory part of every individual after
taking bath and cleansing his or her physical body. At home this is done by the
head of the household while others participate and in temples priests do the
job on behalf of devotees. Any worship begins with an invitation for the
presence of the Lord (Supreme Being) in the idol and then at the end of the
worship a fitting farewell is given to rest for the day and return back. Even
in individual’s busy modern life
thoughts are centered on this whenever they bow before a symbolic idol feeling
the divine presence in the art piece. Being all pervading the presence of
Brahman (Supreme Being) is always felt in any worship of any symbolic object. Every Hindu before retiring bows before the
idol and retires for the day. There are fitting prayers for every act of one’s
daily duties. Aavahana is the process of inviting divine presence by a set of
prayers. Visarjana is a farewell with reverence for temporary or permanent
retirement of divine presence in the idol by a set of prayers. When mind is set
for marching towards spiritual path of Paschattapa
(atonement for sins committed), Dhyaana (meditation)
and Nyaasa (surrender at the feet of
the Lord), then on idols play a very little part in Hindu Worship.
1) Pooja at home forms
the essential Nityakarma (daily ritual) of a Hindu. This is more important than
occasional visit to temples. A devout worshiper goes through a process of self-purification
and consecration of the idol by a set of prayers each day before worship. Idols
at home do not undergo elaborate consecration ceremony as done in temples.
Therefore this procedure is necessary daily at the commencement of
home worship. The following prayer is chanted for this purpose: "Svaatmasamstham
ajam suddham tvaamadhya parameswara | aranyamiva havyaasam moortau aavaahayam
aham"-- Oh Lord of the Universe ! You are unborn and pure! You
are in my heart! I invoke you in the Moorti! Make yourself visible to me in my
concentration even as the fire in 'arani' wood reveals itself by friction. (The
invisible fire is generated by friction by rubbing two woods for Yajna or
fire sacrifice). Invisible Brahman is invoked who is like the invisible fire in
the matter, wood. People who simply bow before any image of a deity,
invoke Supreme Being through that medium, just as we salute a flag
(otherwise a piece of cloth) paying our respect to the nation symbolically.
What is important is to do any act of worship with proper understanding. Even
at home after the Pooja is over, the Moorti with divine power charged by a set
of prayers and treated as an honored guest for a while, is given a
warm send-off only to be re-invoked the next morning before Pooja. This should
be clearly understood before we start any Pooja at home. It would be
ideal to make daily temporary idols for worship as is done for annual
celebration and discard (visarjan) them properly. Time, skill and economic
considerations call for these permanent bronze idols to be kept, in Pooja room.
2) Both in Puri Jagannath
and in all Hindu Temples consecration ceremony is performed every 12 years as
per Aaagamas invoking divine powers within the idol by an elaborate process
lasting several days. This facilitates any repair needed for the
foundation or replacement for the symbolic idol and to get them recharged with
elaborate Pooja ritual periodically.
3) In the temporary
clay models used ion annual functions the process is not so elaborate.
They are also discarded after the Pooja is over and after the mind is set
on Supreme Being by a long process of prayers. Even for Visarjan
(discarding) after the mind is set on the Supreme prayers are offered to give a
reverential send off with a request to come back again for the next annual
event in which ritual the remaining divine power in the clay model is either
withdrawn to merge with the Self with a set of prayers or allowed to merge with
its source Mother Earth, Universal Mother.
In the concept of
Puranic religious worship Lord Ganesha comes to us heeding to our prayers
to take care of our worries and troubles during Ganesha Chaturthi time and
goes back to his abode Kailasa building comfort and happiness in us
and after the religious visarjana ceremony joins his mother, Gowri
(Mother Earth). That is why the idol is immersed in deep waters or
in running waters.
4) Idols exhibited in drawing rooms,
exhibitions or on display for sales in shops, which do not undergo daily rituals of
Aavahana, not used as medium of concentration on Supreme
Principle and which are not
subjected to Visarjan (proper
send-off) are considered as art
pieces only and not divine charged idols for worship. This divine thought behind is sacred and not
the appreciation of art piece in display.
Followers of other religions who do not know about the
significance of these specific ceremonies of Aavaahanam and Visarjanam and also
the Symbolism of Moorti Worship blame Hindus as idolatrous out of ignorance.
REFERENCES:
1) Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of
Hinduism, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India
2) Varadaraja Tirumale, Vesda Maarga,
Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva Trust, Bengaluru, India
3) Ramachandra Rao, Indian Temple
Traditions, Kalpataru Research Academy, Bengaluru, India
4) Jagadguru Chandrasekaranada
Saraswati, Dharma, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, India.
5) N.S. Anantarangacharya, Principal
Upanishads, Bengaluru, India.
APPENDIX
Upasana and Bhakti
By Courtesy Dr. Panchanan Satpathy
Bhakti: Two primary meanings; 1. Love of God 2.
Worship of God.
Bhakti as love of God:
Love is an attitude enjoyed by
the bhaktas toward Isvara. It is not a particular action to be performed at a
particular time and place.It is an attitude enjoyed by the mind towards Isvara
all the time.
Bhakti as the love of God can be
of three grades:
1. Sadhana
visaya prema
2. Saddhya
visaya prema
3. Siddha
visaya prema
Bhakti as Worship:
Worship of Isvara is a spiritual
sadhana by the seeker. We will explain later.
Sadhana Vishaya Prema:
We are exposed to God, puja,
prayer, Rituals, temple etc. by our parents, relatives, friends and the community.
If we love, believe, and pray to God all our problems will go away and we can
fulfil our desires and achieve our goal.
The goal is different to different people like good job, better comfort, better
profit and better life etc. So God is used here as a means (sadhana) to achieve
our goal. This is called sadhana visaya Prema. This is the bhakti of lowest
grade; also called Manda Bhakti. Here Bhakta pursuits only for artha and kama.
Saddhya Vishaya Prema:
After sometime the bhakta grows
slowly and matures. Bhakta realizes the goal of name, fame, wealth, position,
status are all temporary within samsara. Today it is there; tomorrow gone. All
are finite. The bhakta thinks, get some knowledge, some Viveka. Then he
decides; I really don’t want these worldly things. I want God Himself as my
goal. He knows now, he likes his goal more than the means. It is saddhya –
possible. He prays not for the worldly
things but for God Himself. There is a big shift in his attitude from artha,
kama to Lord. This called Saddhya Visaya Prema. This is also called Maddhyama Bhakti.
Siddha Vishaya Prema:
As the Bhakta matures further; he
wants to know who is God, what is God, what is His true nature? He looks for
help, guidance, sastra and Guru etc. Now he is doing Vedanta Vichara; Vichara:
enquiry about God. To his surprise he discovers; God is infinite. So One, who
is infinite, cannot be away from me or anybody at any time. This Bhakta
realizes; the division, the gap, the distance between him and Bhagavan is not
there at all. He also discovers Bhakta is not different from Bhagavan. Bhagavan
and Atma are one and the same. God is in me as Atma. God / Atma is Siddha
Visaya, so this love is called Siddha Visaya Prema. This is love of highest
order. Uttama Prema.
This is said by Lord Krishna to
Arjuna again and again in Bhagvat Gita
“Caturvidha Bhajante Mam.” There are four types of devotees. This is all due to
their Punya or Sukrutinah. They recognize and worship me. The degree of
recognition, their attitude, approach and prayers are different.
1. Artah:
The one, who is in trouble, grief or sadness, distress, discomfort and in
crisis, is called Arti. When the person is captured by grief or distress, whom
he will call as a last resort? If he has some Punya Karma there is Isvara in his life and he will call
upon Him. He calls only when he is in distress – till then he does not think
about God. This is Artah Bhakta. God is used here as Sadhana (means); so sadhna
visaya Prema. Manda Bhakta. Nothing wrong with it.
2. Artharthi:
The devotee, whenever he wants to accomplish something like artha and kama,
like wealth, security, power etc. he
invokes the grace of God to control certain factors, which he cannot do on his
own. He wants to fulfil his Kamya Karmas by using God as means to fufil it. Devotee
prays for dukkha nivruti and sukha prapti here. This is also Sadhana Visaya
Prema, therefore Manda Bhakti.
3. Jijnasa
Bhakti: Jijnasa is one, who desires to
know the truth of Isvara; Isvara Tattvam. He does not use Lord as means. Lord
is his goal. He uses Isvara’s grace to know Isvara. He does his nitya and
naimitika karmas for antah karan suddhi
and to gain knowledge. His prayers are not for limited things within
Samsara like kamya karmas, but he is a
Karma Yogi and wants to know Isvara. He has got some Viveka; a different kind
of devotion. God is his goal. So Jijnasa
bhakti is Sadhya bhakti, therefore madhyama bhakti. Also madhyama bhakti in time becomes Jnana bhakti but not yet.
4. Jnana
Bhakti: Also called Siddha bhakti or Uttam Bhakti. He is the Jnani, who knows
the truth of Isvara as Atma. The devotion in form of absolute love. What is
absolute love? Between the object of love and the person who loves, there is no
difference at all. The love consumes all the differences. This is only in the form
of knowledge. The truth of Isvara and Atma is one and the same no difference,
this knowledge is known to Jnani. This is also called Ananya bhakti: Ananya
means no Other. The Lord and the devotee, the alter of bhakti, are one and the
same. This is devotion of a Jnani. Bhakti is fulfilled here. All the above
three bhaktas also have union with the Isvara temporarily , for them Isvara is
other than themselves and therefore Isvara still remote to them;( Paroksa).
Jnani bhakta is always in union with Isvara. Isvara is immediate to jnani ( aporoksa). Jnani is
isvara. Isvara is Paroksa for Artah, Artharthi and Jijnasu. Paroksa means
Isvara is known indirectly. For Jijnasu there is possibility of Isvara becoming
aparoksa in time. Other bhaktas also can fulfil same things in time. Lord
Krishna says in Gita, Artah, Artharthi and Jijansu Bhaktas are dear to Me, but
Jnani is ME.
Bhakti is a
union between Jiva and Isvara. Jnani is most exalted bhakta among all forms of
bhaktas Jnani is the one, who has accomplished what devotion can accomplish.
Jnani is Tattva-vit. He knows truth of Isvara as Atma. Isvara is not separate
from anybody, but they don’t know it. Jnani knows – he is Isvara. Devotion is
only for this knowledge. If I know Atma as Isvara, then devotion resolves. Till
then it is a devotion. Devotion culminates in Jnanam. The devotion is not after
knowledge. Knowledge itself is devotion of highest order. So bhakti is a union
between Jeeva and Isvara. We have to know, how by jnanam. The devotion fulfils
in Jnanam.
Now let us look
at the second meaning of Bhakti as worship. Worship is a spiritual sadhana.
There are three types of worship.
1. Karma
Lakhya Bhakti
2. Upashana
Lakhya Bhakti
3. Jnana
Lakhaya a Bhakti
Karma
Lakhya Bhakti:
This is
actually Karma yoga. All karmas are done as offering to Isvara. This is called
Isvara arpana buddhi. Karma gives result called Karma Phala. Karma Phala is
given by Isvara; so Isvara is called Karma phala Data. Whatever comes from
Isvara, we call it Prasad. Prasad is accepted gladly without any resistance and
is called Isvara Prasad Buddhi. What is the benefit of the Karma Lakhyana
Bhakti? It produces anthahkarana suddhi; the purification of the mind. So mind
will be calm, quiet, and peaceful . There is tranquility, Samatvam and shanti
in mind. Mind is now ready for
knowledge.
Upasana
Lakhya Bhakti:
Upasana is
worship as meditation. Meditation is satvit mental activity kepping Isvara in
view. So it is called Sativka Manasa Vyaparam. Lord Krishna prescribes two
types of meditation.
1. Saguna
Brahma Upasana or Dhyana or Aka-Rupa Upasana: Here meditation is done in
particular form of Isvara. This helps to build concentration and purification
of the mind.
2. Nirguna
Brahma Upasana or Nitidhyasana (Contemplation) or Viswarupa Upasana: Here meditation
is done on Nirakara, or nirguna form of
the Brahman, Atma, or self. It also includes Viswarupa of the Lord. Here you
see the Universe as the Lord. Here the meditator, meditation and the Lord
becomes One and the same. This gives rise to universal love, respect,
generosity, magnanimity and divine qualities. As Vivekananda said Upasana
establishes living relationship to Bhagavan.
Jnana
Lakhya Bhakti:
Here Bhakta is
not doing any Karma or meditation. Here he is pursuing knowledge – Vedanta
Vichara, enquiry into the Upanisads. Only through knowledge, we will know the
true nature of Isvara. Some say jnana is dry, no bhakti there. Lord Krishna
negates that. He discusses various Yajnas, Pranayams, Astanga Yoga, various
rituals and homas etc. At the end He
says Jnana Yajna is Yajna of highest order. Jnana Yajna is culmination of all
yajnas, bhaktis, upasanas and worships. All finally fulfil in Jnanam alone. The
student and the teachers of Vedanta by their discussion are only worshipping Me
in form of Jnana Yajna. Bhagavat gita , vedanta clases are jnana yajna only, why? Because the
subject mater is isvara.
Worship and
bhakti are not something different. Upasana and bhakti are not different.
Bhakti is not separate from Jnanam. Bhakti itself, in form of Karma Yoga in the
beginning, slowly progresses to Upasana and finally culminates in Jnanam or
Jnana Yajna.
THE USE OF IMAGES AND MURTI PUJA IN THE VEDA
(By Padma Bhushan David
Frawley)
Some scholars say there is no Murti
puja, image worship or what is sometimes called idol worship in the Rigveda. We
beg to differ and explain how the use of images and symbols is an essential
part of Vedic worship, the Vedic language, Vedic mantras and the Vedic Rishi
Vision.
Everything we see
is a manifestation of this Divine Vedic speech and reflects its secrets.
The Rigveda is the most ancient teaching of
the Hindus, its Śruti or revelation, dating back five thousand
years or more. The text consists of the mantric hymns of the Vedic Rishis.
These Vedic hymns are highly poetic and
imagistic, lauding the Divine powers or Devas in the forces of nature from Sun,
Moon, Fire and Waters, to human relations of various types starting with mother
and father, with the bull and cow as the most sacred animals. The main type of
Vedic worship is the yajna or sacred fire, which has a
multileveled symbolism.
The question arises whether there was any
formal image worship or murti puja as part of the Vedic worship to go along
with these poetic images. Some groups have insisted that there was not, quoting
Vedic verses like na tasya pratimā asti from the Yajurveda,
that, “the Divine has no form or representational image”. Yet, I would suggest
otherwise.
Manu’s view of
images in the Rigveda
Let us begin with two hymns of Manu Vivasvan,
the legendary seer at the origin of the Vedic teachings. The numerous Devas of
the Rigveda have various forms, appearances and weapons. “The thirty three
Devas who sit on the sacred grass. They are our guardians from the west, north,
south and east for all peoples. In groups of seven they carry seven spears,
have seven lights and seven splendours.” Rigveda XXVIII 1-5.
Here the deities are invited to sit on the
sacred grass, much like how they are invited to pujas. They have
different forms and glories that suggest various qualities and actions. This is
made clear in the next hymn.
Rigveda VIII. XXIX.
1. “One deity
(Soma) is a youth brown, manifold, joyous, adorns himself with gold.
2. One (Agni), sits at the source, flashing forth as wise among the Devas.
3. One (Tvashta) carries a copper knife in his hand, standing firm among the Devas.
4. One (Indra) holds the thunderbolt (vajra) in his hand, by which he slays the serpents.
5. One (Rudra) carries a pointed weapon in his hand, bright and fierce, with healing medicines.
6. One (Pushan) like a thief guards the pathways and knows the source of the treasures.
7. One (Vishnu) with his wide stride has made three great steps through which the Devas rejoice.
8. Twins (Ashvini Kumars) with a single consort ride on winged horses, journeying like travelers along the way.
2. One (Agni), sits at the source, flashing forth as wise among the Devas.
3. One (Tvashta) carries a copper knife in his hand, standing firm among the Devas.
4. One (Indra) holds the thunderbolt (vajra) in his hand, by which he slays the serpents.
5. One (Rudra) carries a pointed weapon in his hand, bright and fierce, with healing medicines.
6. One (Pushan) like a thief guards the pathways and knows the source of the treasures.
7. One (Vishnu) with his wide stride has made three great steps through which the Devas rejoice.
8. Twins (Ashvini Kumars) with a single consort ride on winged horses, journeying like travelers along the way.
9.
Two Kings (Mitra and Varuna) rule in the highest station in heaven,
worshipped with the sacred oil.
Here we see Vedic deities with specific
weapons (āyudha), including key aspects of their appearances. One could
easily imagine representational depictions from these verses.
Mystic images of
the Vedas
The Vedas highlight mystic images like the
Cosmic Bull. “Four are his horns, three are his feet, two are his heads and
seven are his hands – RV IV.58.3.” Note also the Vedic Cosmic Horse
“with wings of a falcon and limbs of a deer – RV I.163.” Such
depictions remind us of the mystical animals of the Indus seals that combine
body parts of different animals together. Indra, the supreme Vedic deity, is
said to be the pratimāna or image of the entire universe. “You are the pratimāna (counterpart)
of the Earth. You are the lord of the vast heaven and its great heroes – RV
I.52.13.”
The Upanishads quote a similar verse from
Rigveda. Indra is the pratirūpa or counter form of all forms. Here Indra or
Ishvara by his power of Maya assumes innumerable forms.
Rūpam rūpam pratirūpam babhūva
tad asya rūpam praticakṣaṇāya.
Indro māyābhir pururūpam īyate yuktā hyasya harayaḥ śatā daśa
Indro māyābhir pururūpam īyate yuktā hyasya harayaḥ śatā daśa
For every form, he is the counter form. That
is his form for the counter vision. Indra through his Maya power has manifold
forms. His horses (powers) are employed in a thousand ways. – RV
VI.47.18, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad II.5.19.
Vedic Vak as imagistic language
The Vedic view of Vak or speech is relevant
here. “The Devas generated the Goddess Vāk. Her animals of all
forms declare – RV. VIII.100.” Everything we see is a manifestation
of this Divine Vedic speech and reflects its secrets, particularly the forms of
animals as are commonly mentioned in the Vedic hymns.
Vedic Temples
Some scholars deny that there was temple
worship in the Vedas. This also may be incorrect. Rishi Vasishtha enters into
the vast temple (bṛhantam manām) of Varuna with a thousand doors (sahasrasthūṇam – RV
VII.88.5). The Atris speak of a temple to Mitra and Varuna with a thousand
pillars (sahasrasthūṇam – RV V.62.6), where the two
deities sit on a throne. The term puja does occur in Rigveda, in which Indra is
said to be worshipped by his wife Śaci as Śācipūjana – RV
VIII.17.12.
Embracing the
divine as both Saguna and Nirguna and as the Self of all
The use of images was likely less common in
Vedic times in which the yajna was primary, but there is
nothing to show it was excluded or frowned upon. In fact, representational
forms were likely both imagined and depicted. There is certainly no
condemnation of the use of images, much less their destruction in Vedic texts,
as in some aniconic traditions.
Vedic artisans worked with gold (hiranya)
and copper (ayas), as well as clay, wood or stone. Indus Valley seals
similarly reflect Vedic deity images or symbols, notably the sacred bull on
their seals. The iconic traditions of Tirupati in South India following
Vaikhanasa traditions mentioned in the Vedas go back to the Hiranmaya
Purusha, the golden person in the Sun of the Vedas, which became Surya
Narayana.
The Hindu acceptance of both Saguna and Nirguna,
form and formless approaches to the divine must be remembered, as in the case
of Paramahansa Ramakrishna, who both worshipped Ma Kali and taught the highest
Self-realization according to Vedanta. Adi Shankara who taught Advaita or
non-dualist Vedanta composed numerous stotras to the Devatas in which murti
puja is an integral part. While the deity transcends all forms, the deity
includes all forms as the Self of all, not as a deity apart, Sarvam
Khalvidam Brahma, Everything is Brahman.
Even the Bible and the Koran, often said to be
against the use of images, abound in poetic images. This raises the question,
if poetic images can be used to worship the Divine why not representational
forms? After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Of course, Hindu worship
does not literally worship the form as is indicated by the prana
pratishta necessary to make a form suitable for worship.
We must honor all
types of worship with form or without form, if we wish to appreciate the
spiritual aspiration of all humanity. And we must ultimately recognize that the
supreme divinity is Atman or pure consciousness as the Self of all, not any
deity apart from ourselves or the universe.
--From Facebook
[Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)
is a world-renowned teacher (Acharya) of Vedic knowledge, including Yoga,
Ayurveda, Vedanta and Jyotisha. He has received the prestigious Padma Bhushan
award from the government of India.]