vedabhASya - Vedic Studies

Background Janaka asks Ashtavakra to tell him the way he can attain jnAna (wisdom/knowledge) and mukti (freedom from worldly bondings). Ashtavakra tells him it is by developing thought detached from the body, just observing and witnessing this body and all other bodies such that all Universe is considered 'ours'. He also says that Atman manifests as this detached witnessing thought in us. Janaka understands and responds that our 'self' is distorted by the attachments and with this detached observing thought, the paramatma becomes visible in us (as it is the Atman that manifest as this detached witnessing thought) and thus Atman pervades in all of us. The knowledge of Atman makes us understand that it is the same Atman that manifests in us (as the detached observing thought),  that manifests in every matter and being,  as sweetness pervades all things made of sugar, water makes foam or bubble. Like the knowledge that makes the rope and snake appear to us in

Background Here is the post (4) that I made on a 'snippet' from dakSinamUrthy Stotram written by Adi Shankaracharya. The sloka and its meaning Vishvam Darpanna-Drshyamaana-Nagarii-Tulyam Nija-Antargatam Pashyann-Aatmani Maayayaa Bahir-Ivo[a-U]dbhuutam Yathaa Nidrayaa | Yah Saakssaat-Kurute Prabodha-Samaye Sva-[A]atmaanam-Eva-Advayam Tasmai Shrii-Guru-Muurtaye Nama Idam Shrii-Dakssinnaamuurtaye When we are sleeping, we see events happening around us. But that’s not the reality. It’s a perception. There is duality here. There is one reality and second our perception. This is dvayam. The Universe is like this, a ‘city’ seen inside a mirror. What we see inside the mirror is not the reality. It is the reflection of the City. The City has buildings, lanes big and small. The city has people moving all around. All these are inside (our) mirror. But neither the sizes, shapes, characteristics of what see in the mirror are original characteristics of the City. What we

Background Summary of Chapter 1 'I' or 'You' or 'Self' is just our 'thoughts' and not the physical bodies. Make these thoughts as observers of what's happening around. Make the 'I' (the thought that constitute the 'I') 'not the doers', but just observers.  There are multiple thoughts when attached to bodies, actions, forms, which keep changing continuously. There is one thought when un-attached to actions, forms, bodies and is just witnessing.  When there are are multiple thoughts, there is perception/illusion and another reality.  When there is one witnessing, thought un-attached to actions or forms, that thought is the reality. That reality is the Atman. That Atman is the 'I' or 'You' or 'Self'.  This peak of knowledge is advaitam, the state of non-duality. This is the state where only reality is present and perception is removed. This is the state where there is only one thought that is u

What is worship..? Worship in Vedic dharma is to get the divine inspiration from the characteristics of 'devatha' in us. Vedas talk about several 'forces' such as Atma, Purusha, Agni, Indra, Adityas, Rudras, Vishnu, vAyu etc that guide and evolve the Universe and its intelligence. During the vedic times several of these divine forces were extolled to invoke their power in us so that we evolve further in our intelligence, learn from these 'forces' and become capable of solving the challenges we face in our daily life. This was the concept of ‘worship’ in the Vedic dharma. Mantras, Yajnas, Homas and Poojas were meant to invoke the deity in us. pUrva-mImAmsa - The earlier reflection on Vedas mImAmsa is translated as 'profound thought' or 'reflection' or 'examination'. It is the 'reflection' or investigation of Vedic scriptures that resulted in development of Vedic worship rituals such as 'Yajna', 'homa' and

Background Rsis of the Vedas are not human beings. They are symmetry breaking events that originated everything in the Universe (4). The Rsis are described here (13) and here (14). There are ten types of Higgs couplings to particles which are the ten prominent avatars of Vishnu These ten types of Higgs couplings defeat the weak decays, win over them and establish the ten particle types over three births/generations. This is the story of ten avatars of vishnu defeating the daityas over three births/generations (18). The ten types of Higgs couplings are 1. Matsya - Higgs coupling to Top Quark 2. kUrma - Higgs coupling to Bottom Quark 3. varAha  - Higgs coupling to Charm Quarks 4. nRsimha - Higgs coupling to Strange Quarks 5. vAmana - Higgs coupling to neutrinos that spans across three generations (oscillates) 6. parasurAma - Higgs coupling to Down Quarks 7. rAma - Higgs coupling to Up Quarks 8. BalarAma - Higgs coupling to Tau lepton 9. Krishna - Higgs