Samasthiti

A Balinese Offering I've always wondered what the big deal with names are. Whether you call me a yogi or a yogini, i remain the same person. My essence does not change, neither does my sense of self. It doesn't add anything to me, neither does it take away anything from the person I am. Then why the need to label me a yogini, I was happy being called a yogi. Until now. Here's a story - I promise it fits the post & isn't a rambling! When I was working at a corporate, a couple of years back, there was a movement to change the title of my job role to make it sound more fancier. It went from what the role has always been called in the market for many many years - in no way disrespectful or rude or harsh or demeaning - to a fancy three word "title". Before this change happened, there were emails sent to global HR, petitions, panel discussions on how to approach the "problem" and what could help achieve this goal. It would irritate me to n...

अहं निर्विकल्पॊ निराकार रूपॊ विभुत्वाच् सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् न चासंगत नैव मुक्तिर् न मेय: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् ॥ Literal Translation I am without any variation ( निर्विकल्पॊ)  or any form (   निराकार ) I am present everywhere , I am the underlying essence of everything ( विभुत्वाच् सर्वत्र) and behind all sense organs ( सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्) I am not unrelated ( न च असंगत) , neither am I free nor limited ( नैव मुक्तिर् न मेय:)   I am Pure Bliss and Consciousness  In the last five verses, Adi Shankaracharya took us through all the things that the Atman is not. And in this last one he finally tells us how to understand the Atman - what the characteristics and qualities are.  The first line, translates to mean that the Atman, is ever changeless and does not have variations or modifications or can not be broken into parts. I read this beautiful blog, that describes how everything in the Universe has 6 variations or changes that it unde...

न मे मृत्युर्शंका न मे जातिभेद: पिता नैव माता नैव न जन्म: न बन्धुर् न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्य: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् Literal Translation I am not bound by Death, nor by restrictions of caste and it's ensuing distinctions, I do not have a Father neither do I have a Mother, I do not have relations or friends, neither a teacher nor a student, I am pure bliss and consciousness.  This verse continues to explain the state of an Atman. The Atman, has gone beyond death and attained salvation ~  freedom from the cycle of samsara. There is no reason, in such a state, to fear Death - either the approach of it or what lies beyond. similarly, the distinctions that Caste raises do not adhere to the state of the Atman - these are all societal obligations and restrictions that are of no use anymore, these are boundaries, the one does not have to be enclosed or respect once enlightened. In this state of being, the Atman is alone, it does not have the need to attach hi...

न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दु:खम् न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा: न यज्ञ अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवॊऽहम् Literal Translation Merits and Sins both do not define me, I am not bound by sacred mantras/hymns nor pilgrimages Neither by scriptures or rituals I am neither an experience, nor an object to be experienced not even the one who experiences, I am Shiva, Pure Consciousness, Knowledge and Bliss. I need to do a good job explaining this one - because it is my personal favourite of all the six verses. I personally relate to it because my philosophy about religion, spirituality and the Divine Supreme is captured in this one verse. I do not identify with sins and merits, and my faith does not depend on the reading of scriptures or visiting holy places, and I want to attain the state of mind and soul that the second line of the verse embodies.  Adi Shankracharya continues to expound on the non-qualities of the Atman. The concept of mer...