May 08, 2013
Bangalore, India
I am going to give you a
challenge. Are you ready to take up a challenge?
Say ‘Ka’ without saying ‘Aa’. Can
you do that? You can’t do it. You cannot say ‘Ka’ without
saying ‘Aa’.
Okay, let us try ‘Ga’, or ‘Cha’, without ‘Aa’.
Can you do it? No!
This is how the consonants and vowels are arranged in Sanskrit language.
AA II UU RiRi LiLi E Ai
O Au Am Ah – these are
vowels. The consonants are, Ka Kha Ga Gha Na, Ca Cha Ja Jha Na, Ta
Tha Da Dha Na, Ta Tha Da Dha Na, Pa Pha Ba Bha Ma.
You cannot say the consonants without a vowel. Got it?
When you say ‘Ki’, ‘E’ has to be there.
This is so scientifically arranged, that is why Sanskrit is called Deva
Bhasha; the language of the Gods, because it is aligned with nature.
When you say ‘Aa’, it
is creation, everything opens. When you say ‘Uu’ it continues,
and when you say ‘Mm’ it closes.
How is a sound
generated? This has been explained very beautifully by one of the Rishis. When
the self, conjoining itself with the intellect, again joins hands with the
mind. That enhances the heat or energy in the body, and that energy moves the
air through the voice box, and sound is generated.
So how does sound get generated, this is so beautifully and scientifically
said.
This knowledge is not
just for the heart or just for the head. It is a perfect combination of the
head and the heart. That is the spiritual wisdom.
Also, if you observe the
musical notes, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni, it all corresponds to
the tune of particular animals. Sacorresponds to the tune of
peacocks. Re to cows; Ga to
goats; Pa to nightingales; Dha to
horses and Ni to elephants. Though elephants are so
big, their sound is very high pitched and very small.
So each animals’ sound is what the musical notes are – Sa Re Ga Ma
Pa Dha Ni Sa.
In the same way, consonants are arranged with the animals. Ka and Cha, relates
to the birds. Birds make only these two sounds, except parrots and mynah; when
we train them they can speak the whole language.
Then comes Ta and Tha, these consonants
relates to amphibians. The amphibians in the water and on land, like frogs and
other animals, they say Ta and Tha.
Only mammals are in the last set of consonants, i.e., Pa Pha Ba Bha Ma. Goats,
sheep, cows, they all make these sounds.
So the way the
consonants are all arranged is so close to nature. Nobody made this, it is a
gift; or downloaded. TheVedas are called Shrutis because
no Rishi wrote it intellectually, so he did not take credit for it. He simply
said, I went deep into meditation and I downloaded it; I heard it. So they are
called Shrutis; that which was heard in deep meditation.
Sanskrit mantras are what was heard in deep meditation. This is what is said.
Expand
all Q&A
Gurudev, what is Anugraha? How and when can we
receive it?
Sri Sri: Anugraha means
grace. Nothing is possible in life without anugraha. When you
receive a lot without making efforts for it, then it is said that you are
blessed with anugraha. Do you understand what I am saying?
Usually
you work hard at your job and then receive your salary. So you say, ‘I have
earned my money’. But if someone gives you a gift, you do not say, ‘I have
earned these gifts’. Can something that is earned be called a gift? No. You
receive gifts without any efforts. So when you receive a great gift or an award
that you feel you did not deserve, then that is called anugraha.
When we receive something that we are not deserving of, or which exceeds our
capabilities, then that is what is called Grace. When we see that in
our life, we have received far more than what we deserve or are capable of,
then gratitude dawns in us. We become thankful, complaints
disappear and abundance grows.
A
person who is grateful never experiences lack of anything.
Who experiences a lack in life? One who thinks that ‘I am so capable yet I got
nothing’.
Once
there was a person who wanted to become the Prime Minister. He did not even
have the capability to oversee a herd of donkeys, yet he wanted to become the
Prime Minister. Now what do you say to such a person? His complaints will never
reduce. He will be full of them. Being grateful means all your complaints in
life simply disappear.
When you have this feeling in your heart that you have always received more
than what you asked for, or more than what you deserved, then deep gratitude
arises in you. When there is gratitude, there will never be a lack of anything
in life. For such a person, whatever he wishes for will keep getting fulfilled.
Now
you might say that this is quite difficult. Yes, it is difficult. It is never
easy to achieve something. But when you take one step towards this, you will
find that it is very easy.
Gurudev, it is said that speech is of four types: Para,
Pashyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari. What is their
significance in Sadhana (spiritual practices)?
Sri Sri: This conversation that we are having now is what Vaikhari is.
Human beings are capable of interacting only by using this Vaikhari mode
of speech. It is said, ‘Chatvaari vaak parimitaa padaani taani vidur
braahmaanaa ye manishinaah. Guhaa trini nihitaa neaengayanti turiyam vaacho
manushyaa vadanti.’ (Rigveda Samhita (1.164.45)) So
human beings speak to each other using the fourth type of speech. The other
three: Para, Madhyamaand Pashyanti are used in
communications which are at a much deeper level, where no language is used.
A
state in which no language is used, yet the entire essence is understood
completely is called the Para Vaani.
After death, when a person leaves his body, he also drops his ability to
communicate using language. At that state, he simply observes all that happens,
and by observation he gains knowledge. This is called Pashyanti (derived
from the Sanskrit word ‘Pashya’ meaning to see or observe).
The Madhyama mode of speech is in-between the states of Para
and Pashyanti.
Many
times it happens that someone is speaking in a language that you do not know,
yet you are able to understand what they are trying to say. Madhyama is
such a state. For example, when the child is in the mother’s womb, neither has
the child seen the mother, and nor has the mother seen the child. Yet they
understand each other completely. There is no exchange of language in that
state, then too, communication happens that is beyond language. This isMadhyama.
That
is why this entire creation is called as the Hiranyagarbha (meaning
the Golden Egg or Golden Womb). We are all present inside this Cosmic Womb and
do not know what exists outside it.
Just like how the mother knows the child within her womb but the child does not
know the mother; in the same way God knows us yet we do not know Him. That is
why He is referred to as Agyeya (that which is
ever-present but is unknown). You can never know the Divine, but you can
experience it. And how can you experience it? By reposing in yourself. So Para
Vaani is that speech in which no language is used, and it is also
beyond feelings. In Pashyanti we communicate using our
feelings also.
When
we go into deeper levels of Consciousness, every sense organ of our body
becomes capable of performing all functions. That means the functions of all
the five senses happen through one organ.
So in such a state, by a single touch you are able to feel, see, taste and also
gain complete knowledge about the object.
So every organ becomes capable of performing all the functions of the five
senses (see, smell, taste, hear, and feel). So when the Panchendriya (five
senses) dissolve and become one (sense organ), then that state is the state of Para-Chetna (pure
Consciousness). That is the speech of Para Vaani.
That is why it is said, ‘Jaanat tum hi tum hi ho jaaye’ (when the
knower, knowledge and the known all become One). That is why we say, one who is
deeply devoted to the Lord becomes the Lord himself. Similarly, one who has
attained the knowledge of the Brahman becomes the Brahman. In
such a state, the lover, the beloved and the love are not separate from one
another. They all dissolve and become one. This is the state of Para
Vaani.
When
you think of language, then there has to be one who speaks and another who
listens. Two are needed for this (meaning a sense of duality). This is where
you need Vaikhari. Vaikhari means the diversity that is
present all around you. That is why there are so many languages in the world,
and not just one. But there is only one Para Vaani, and
everything is contained in that.
In Para Vaani, even before a word is formed you have instantly
understood the meaning. So words are not needed at all.
All
this appears very technical to understand. So when you have a scientific
outlook, then it is easy to understand.
Gurudev, neither Mirabai (a great female saint of
India and a devotee of Lord Krishna) nor Sant Tukaram (a great
saint from Maharashtra in India) had learnt classical music. Yet they are
remembered even today for their bhajans (devotional songs). I also do not know
how to sing. Please tell me if I will ever get a chance to express my devotion.
Sri Sri: Yes, of course! It is already done.
A flower never asks or waits for a chance for its fragrance to spread. Where
the flower is, its fragrance will spread, that is inevitable. So wherever there
is love and devotion, it cannot be hidden from anyone.
See, love is something that cannot be hidden. You cannot hide love, nor can you
express it fully. Every time we try to express our love, we feel we have not
been able to express it fully, and this is the problem of every lover. No
matter how much they try to express their love, they find it is incomplete.
Gurudev, we have heard such beautiful knowledge from you over the
years. But I am not able to implement it. What should I do?
Sri Sri: You are stuck in making efforts to implement the knowledge. Just
relax. You do not need to do anything! Everything is happening by itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment