The power which turns galaxies into dust and simultaneously turns dust into galaxies has been explained in this sextet hymn by Jagadguru Bhagavatpada Adi Shankaracharya. It is referred to as both, Aatma shatakam and Nirvana shatakam. All of the Jagadguru's works (in Sanskrit) are available at: www.samatabooks...
This hymn is described at: happiness-beyon...
as:
These verses are a personal declaration and celebration by Shankara of his own Self Realization. They are a powerful demonstration of the breadth and range of understanding encompassed of enlightenment. Many of the verses seem evident and easy to grasp and accept. Others challenge the depths of your identity and understanding.
In this approach, every attachment, belief, experience, sensation, bodily segment or function is systematically considered and negated. Realizing that you cannot be both the subject and the object, each of these objectified elements is in turn rejected as being not me. After negating everything that can be found to investigate, you are left with only the observer, and the investigation refocuses on the observer. When no observer is found, the entire dualistic structure collapses and everything is found to be That, One, or Beingness.
The complete hymn in devnaagri script, english transliteration and translation is available at: www.chinmayauk....
Alternative translations available at:
www.swamij.com/...
en.wikipedia.or...
www.adi-shankar...
happiness-beyon...
www.stutimandal...
www.celextel.or...
A nice group rendition is available at:
• Nirvana Satakam.
To understand Sanskrit better, visit: sanskritdocumen...
The audio track is from the cd: Sacred Chants of Shiva - From the banks of the Ganges, by the singers of the Art of Living Foundation. Craig Pruess produced and arranged it with inspiration and guidance from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The devotional female voice singing this hymn belongs to Bhanumathi Narasimhan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's sister.
This production heralded the re-contact of the urbanised middle-class in India with its spiritual legacy in the mid-90s and is still immensely popular. Ganga and the Himalayas, until then as exotic and remote to this segment as to anyone from Sao Paulo, suddenly evoked a sense of self-identity. Spiritual music entered the expanding urban middle-class: age, gender, class or caste segment, geography, language, politics or anything else was no bar.
Sanskrit had been brought back home, bang into the midst of where it had been made to disappear from. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Craig Pruess are thanked for this stroke of genius. The last track, with the single chant of Om Namah Shivayah is excellent for meditation, under any circumstances.
The photos are almost all from hubblesite.org, mostly of the womb of stars and galaxies thousands of light years away. Dim or reduce all other light and sound + watch without interruption for better impact.
Many of Kabir's verses say the same as this hymn, in his dialect of Hindi. Gyaneshwar, Eknath, Sri Raman Maharishi and Sai Baba (Shirdi & Puttaparti), Ma Anandamayi, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Amma, Neem Karoli Baba are some of those who have borne witness to these words (and others from the Shruti) in their own experience. As did Rumi and Jesus Christ.
Compare this peerless hymn with Sri Dasashloki, Sri Nirvana Manjari, Sri Hastamalastotram and Sri Nirguna Manasa stotram.
14 окт 2024
