LALITHAMBIKAI

Lalita means The One Who Plays. All creation, manifestation and dissolution is considered to be a play of Devi. Tri-Pura means the three worlds and Sundari means beauty. She is the transcendent beauty of the three worlds. Tripura also signifies:- She is the ruler of the the three gunas of Satva, Rajas and Tamas; and sun, moon and fire - the zodiac and the planets, and therefore Time itself; She is also "tripura" as Will (Iccha), Knowledge (Jnana) and Action (Kriya). She is also "tripura" as intellect, feelings & physical sensation; and She is triple as the three states of the soul - awakening, dreaming and -sleeping states. Her five triangles also represent the Pancha Tatwas and the Pancha Bhootas. (This is what the verse in Lalita Sahasranama means by -"Panchami pancha bhuteshi pancha sankhyopacharini ". It is difficult to say what She is not.
Lalita holds five flowery arrows, noose, goad and bow. The nose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane bow represents the mind and the flowery arrows are the five sense objects.

Power of Thought

The power of mind over matter is the creative power of thought.

Yad bhavam / Tad bhavathi - you become what you think. The world is a manifestation of our inner state. The situations we come across, the people we meet, the problems we confront, the life experiences we have, are all projections of what lie within. We create our reality. We are the architects of our destiny. Perceived reality eventually becomes manifested reality. So you become what you think; you find what you perceive.
Thought has immense power: It can create. Every time we perceive or harbour a thought containing a charge or emotion, the process of creation is set into motion; an arrow has been released into the ethereal planes, or the 'thoughtsphere'. Once released, similar thoughts or arrows bundle together and when the threshold is reached, the "law of reciprocal action" is set in motion.
The thought you released has now materialised into deed. If the arrow you released was judgment, you will come across judgmental people. If it was betrayal, you shall be betrayed; if it was hatred, you will be hated and so on. You have created your reality and no one is to be blamed for this. The world is reflecting your inner thoughts and feelings. You cannot be one thing inside and experience another reality outside. The two have to exist in synchronicity.
When we ask, "Why did this happen to me?" we do not perceive the relationship between thought and deed. Perhaps it is difficult because of the time lapse between the two. From thought to deed, it may take a week, a month, a year, a decade or more. Constant review of our lives will help us see the connection. The speed of reciprocation depends upon the evolution of the individual. Sometimes reaching the threshold point could take a lifetime or more. If we do not find answers even after examining our lives in the light of these cosmic principles, only the theory of reincarnation can explain the rest.
The whole process of thought materialising into deed is a karmic cycle. So our life is a series of karmic cycles. An awareness of these eternal laws gives us the power to alter the course of karma but not while in the midst of a karmic cycle. We have the power of wisdom and choice of free will to review and make changes to our life but not before the cycle comes to an end. A frog in mid-air cannot alter the course of its flight. However, on landing, it can choose the direction of its next leap. For true transformation we have to discover love, for which we need divine assistance.
Karma can be classified as that pertaining to the individual, family, nation and all of humanity. When we ask: "Why is the world so bad?" the world we see is a manifestation of our negative thoughts and emotions.
Our negative charges not only manifest as a painful situation in our life but create a negative occurrence elsewhere in the world. Every time we see, hear or read violence, we create violence somewhere. Every individual, irrespective of his nationality, is responsible for the kind of world we live in. The violent world we see is an example of the collective karma of mankind. So individual transformation can mean global transformation.
Karma is a cosmic principle and God is cosmic intelligence. Karma is independent of God. If God were to judge man's thought and action, then we are talking of reward and punishment.

Guru and God

Gurus do not appeal to scriptures for their authority, nor are they prophets who declare the will of God. Indeed, there is an understanding in some forms of Hinduism that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. Some traditions claim "Guru, God and Self" (Self meaning soul, not personality) are one and the same. Saints and poets in India have expressed the following views about the relationship between Guru and God:

Kabir

Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?I bow before Guru who introduced God to me

Brahmanand

It is my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.

Brahmanda Purana

Guru is Shiva without his three eyes,Vishnu without his four armsBrahma without his four heads.He is parama Shiva himself in human form

Adi Shankara begins his Gurustotram or Verses to the Guru with the following Sanskrit Sloka, that has become a widely sung Bhajan:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.

(tr: Guru is the creator Brahma, Guru is the preserver Vishnu, Guru is the destroyer. Guru is directly the supreme spirit — I offer my salutations to this Guru.)

The guru-shishya traditionThe guru-shishya tradition is the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, गुरू) to a 'śiṣya' (disciple, िशष्य). In this relationship, subtle and advanced knowledge is conveyed and received through the student's respect, commitment, devotion and obedience. The student eventually masters the knowledge that the guru embodies.The dialogue between guru and disciple is a fundamental component of Hinduism, established in the oral traditions of the Upanishads (c. 2000 BC). The term Upanishad derives from the Sanskrit words upa (near), ni (down) and şad (to sit) — "sitting down near" a spiritual teacher to receive instruction

Purpose & Reason of doing Ashwametha Yaagam

Sri Aswamedha Yaagam was performed centuries ago in India as per Vedic Order of life for the over all welfare of the community, establishment of peace, timely rains, stable Political set up and in general for the well being of the country and countrymen. Due to the heavy costs involved in performing of this great yagna- A MEGA EVENT, only kings in the olden days performed this. People in the modern times are not forthcoming to shoulder this huge task due to cost and organization difficulties and ALSO DUE TO NON PRACTISING OF DIVINE MANTRA SASTRA PARTICULARLY IN RESPECT OF THE SACRED BRAHMASTRA, VAARUNAASTRA ETC., One great sage of Himalayan ranges reiterated the need for performing of this yagna in the present context of and situation of the country. The yagna has given needy results in ancient times. Similarly it is expected to give good results forever basing on the faith on Indian Ancient Traditional Systems All Devas performed Ashwamedha Yaagam to strengthen the Creator of the Universe Le Prajapathi as per Taittiriya Brahman 5.4.12 Ashwamedha Yaagam is considered the SUPREME KING among all Srout and Smartha Yaagaas AND SHOULD BE PERFORMED FOR THE PROSPERITY OF THE NATION as per SHATAPAATH BRAHMANAM 13.2.2.1.

Many number of sages from Himalayan ranges indicate that there is a need to Bring ONENESS AMONGST all religions/communities/sects etc and they reiterated that the environmental changes are necessary to protect the Human force from natural calamities. They said that the ancient trusted rituals are sure to rejuvenate the human strength besides keeping the race from undesirable polluted atmosphere. To enable people know about the Ashwamedha Yaagna, which was performed some centuries ago, and the script which is not easily available today. This yagna is expected to create an awareness amongst the new vedic students to know what exactly it is so that the information remains preserved for future. To help ourselves bringing changes in the ozone through this established scientific acts of yester years. This was scientifically experimented by the Vedic Schools in different parts of the country like Yogiraj Veda Vignan Ashram in Maharashtra. To reduce the differences between different religions/communities and promote communal harmony. We have seen many unmarried youngsters struggling for years. It is our intention to create an opportunity for timely marriages so that the youth. remain calm and peaceful. The Kanya Pasupatha prayog in the Yaagam will help us to a large extent.

Lord Hayeegreva is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Among all the four-leg animals horse is the only animal, which can identify colors. Due to this horses formed an important component of strength in wars in olden days. Power is always denoted in terms of Horse Power. Lord Sri Krishna in Geetha said that he is none other than uchaisravam i.e., the best horse (10th chapter -27th sloka). This horse has taken birth during the celestial churning of milky ocean. It is said in the puranas that Lord Bhrama performed 10 Ashwamedha Yaagams on the banks of river Ganges in Varanasi and even today the place is known by "Dasa Aa~wamedha Ghatasthali (location of 10 Ashwamedha Yaagams). Thus if we notice that Aswam i.e., horse - a special animal, considered to be another form of Lord Vishnu and people who seek special favors and society development and also peace, need to perform Ashwamedha Yaagam. Unlike in another Yaagams, particularly in Ashwamedha Yaagam Lords -Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara are given equal offering in the homas. Many other Lords' are also given special offering which leads to easy appeasement to the gods and seek their blessings for quick and desired result.

Ashwamedha Yaagams need to be performed for overcoming enemies, child Welfare and development, good marriage life, clearance of debts, not only for the benefit of an induvidual but for entire Society/Community/Country. Clearing of individual and country debts debts of all nature, is yet another purposes of Ashwamedha Yaagam. Considering the current societal condition, where violence anarchy,antisocial elements and other issues dominating our lives, it is difficult to imagine the living conditions of our future generations. People have moved away from calm and peace loving life style and have become restless, stressed perpetuating violence in many forms in society. Ashwamedha Yaagam can help the society to over come such problems. Clearing of self or country debts through Runavimochana Pasupatham; enhancing business through Kubera Pasupatham; pacifying planets through Navagraha Pasupatham; spouse well-being through Koti kukuma Archana; Karyasidhi through Satyavartham and many more can be performed under one roof simultaneously in Ashwamedha Yaagam only. Apart from benefiting individually, country's welfare, promotion of peace, good governance, stability can be obtained through Ashwamedha Yaagam.Ashwamedha Yaagam gives the benefit to the present, past and future ten generations leading to salvation. If we recollect, in every donation/ritual, we give/perform, we seek Ashwamedha Phala indicating the importance of Ashwamedha Yaagam. To put it simple, anyone participating in Ashwamedha Yaagam in any form will be bestowed with alround prosperity. Ashwamedha Yaagam is the easiest path for people who are wishing development in their life and salvation after life.

THE STAGES OF LIFE : CHANDOKYA UPANISHAD

Stages of Life

Hindus identify four successive stages (ashramas) of life. They are:

1. A student (brahmachari) who leads a celibate life, and studies under the guidance of a guru to-learn parts of the Veda as well as secular and ritual knowledge;

2. A married householder who brings up a family and contributes to the general welfare of society;

3. A 'forest- dweller' - someone who, with the arrival Of grandchildren, may withdraw from family responsibilities in order to seek wisdom in the forests; and

4. A renouncer (sannyasin) who sheds all social ties and devotes himself exclusively to the pursuit of moksha by becoming a wandering ascetic.

A human being is a living sacrifice. The first twenty-four years of a human's life constitute the morning sacrifice. During these years a human should pray: 'With divine help, may my morning sacrifice sustain my powers of life until I offer my midday sacrifice.' The next forty-four years of a human's life constitute the midday sacrifice. During these years a human should pray: 'With divine help, may my midday sacrifice sustain my powers of life until I offer my evening sacrifice. The last forty-eight years of a human's life constitute the evening sacrifice. During these years a human should pray: 'With divine help, may my evening sacrifice sustain my powers of life until I offer my death.' Those who lead good lives, and say these prayers, will live one hundred and sixteen years; and they will not suffer illness until death.

Chandogya Upanishad 3: 16. 1-7

A Brief about Mimamsam

Mimamsa is a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation, inquiry, discussion." The term was applied to one of the six Hindu philosophical darsanas, viewpoints. In this context Mimamsa would have fully meant "the investigation of the proper interpretation of the Vedic texts." The Mimamsa school is better known as the Purva Mimamsa school, meaning the Prior School of Investigation, because it is concerned with the earlier or prior section of the Vedas. Vedanta is alternatively called Uttara Mimamsa as it studies the later (uttara) part of the Vedas. Purva and Uttara are not only chronological terms but can be applied in a theological way with Purva as religiously basic and Uttara as religiously superior. Purva Mimamsa is sometimes called Dharma Mimamsa as it is an investigation into the dharma established by the Vedas. Another name is Karma Mimamsa because it is primarily concerned with sacrifice (karman).Dharma is a key word in Mimamsa doctrine, being used in the sense of sacred and moral duties. It also means the virtue obtained by following actions in accord with the dharma. Mimamsa claims that the scriptures are the only way of knowing about dharma, and only by following the scriptures can we attain dharma as the good.The main text is the Mimamsa Sutra of Jaimini, an ancient sage. Mimamsa deals at length with the ritual commands in the Vedas and ignores the hymns and much else. The Mimamsa Sutra describes the different sacrifices and what they are for, and elaborates the theory of apurva, which is the mysterious, transcendent power produced by a correctly performed sacrificial ritual, not through the action of gods. The results of the sacrifice often come after the death of the person performing the ritual. The Vedas are eternal and uncreated, thus precluding their divine origin. They are the expression in sacred words of the eternal, ritual, and moral order of the world. As the world is eternal, the idea of God as the ultimate cause is superfluous.

MIMAMSA : THE HISTORY

Mimamsa originated not as a school but as a successor to the ritual Sutra literature, whose purpose was to correctly interpret the Vedas. The focus was on ritual traditions found in the Vedas and also the Brahmanas. In using these texts for the sacrifices priests had met with numerous difficulties. The texts contain an imperfect and obscure description of the rituals and are interspersed continually with speculations on the mystical meaning of the separate ritual acts and the implements used. It was the function of the Mimamsa school to solve these problems by providing principles from their investigation which would give guidance in the interpretation of Vedic texts for performing the sacrificial rituals.The earliest Mimamsa text is also the most important, the Mimamsa Sutra of Jaimini, composed between 300 and 100 BCE. The first surviving commentary on Jaimini is by Sabara in the fifth or sixth century CE, who developed Jaimini's arguments and also defined dharma more exactly.The Vedic orientation of Mimamsa meant that as bhakti, devotional worship, developed it was rejected.The Mimamsa school divided into the subschools of the Prabhakaras and the Bhattas. The Prabhakaras followed their most important exponent, Prabhakara, who lived around the fifth to sixth centuries CE, while the Bhattas followed their main exponent, Kumarila Bhatta, who lived in the eighth century CE. Kumarila was influenced by the study of Buddhist logic developed by Dignaga (c. 480-540) and Dharmakirti (c. 600-670).Mimamsa was to provide the basis for Tantric linguistic or metalinguistic speculations.Only Mimamsa and Vedanta of the six Hindu philosophical schools have ongoing continuity into the present.

Guruji's Insightful answers.....

Radhe Krishna To All,

Our Swamiji is been receiving several questions from devotees on life, science & spirituality and have chosen five important questions to explain elaborately which commonly arise in many a human minds.Please read patiently

1. “Many opine that if one worships God he is relieved of sorrows in life, is cured of diseases and his financial status improves. But even those who do not worship God lead a prosperous life. Not only this but also those who are devoted to God face sorrows in life, suffer from diseases and face financial difficulties. While it is so [where and] what is the need to worship God?
There is a general belief that if we worship God many good things will happen to us in life. We think that visiting temples will secure good employment, will cure us of diseases, will help get a good spouse, will help score good marks in our examination, will bring success in our examination, etc.
Is it not with such thought that we love God? Do puja to God? When it is so, those who do not accept God, those who do not believe in God are doing very well in life. Not only this but also those who worship God undergo lots of sufferings. It is all right even if one does not enjoy happiness but we find them suffering sorrows. What is the reason for this?

Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji:

First of all, we should see why a person worships God. Life is categorized into two kinds - worldly and spiritual. One who lives in this world enticed by the desire for wealth, woman, and fame found in this world is said to be worldly. These enticements are called ‘kama’(lust), ‘kanchana’(wealth), ‘keerti’(fame). One who gives up all these and lives with the desire to attain God is called ‘ascetic’ (‘thuravi’ -one who has given up the world for the sake of God). We use these terms colloquially to denote such people. But, when we go deep into this it can be said that there are no two persons as one who seeks worldly desires and one who seeks God. Everyone in the world is seeking only God!Even those who seek worldly comforts are seeking only God, are searching only for God and a one who has given up the world for the sake of God(‘ascetic’) is also searching only for God. How? Can the one who desires woman, wealth and fame and a ‘‘ascetic’ be placed in the same category in the world? A question might arise in you, ‘how can you say that these two are the same? How can one who pursues worldly desires and the one who is searching for God be the same?’ Let us see how this is right. All creatures of the world are ceaselessly active. A butterfly is always flying. An ant is always moving about. Beginning from a tiny creature to Man everyone is carrying on some work ceaselessly . What is the reason? Man and all creature are seeking happiness/joy. Man desires to accumulate wealth. Why? Because he thinks, ‘if I have lots of money I can live comfortably.’ He desires high offices. Why? Because he thinks that he will earn happiness. He desires fame because he thinks that there is happiness in it. When he eats something he feels some happiness in it. When sitting in an air-conditioned room he feels happy. Does not every one of us moving about in this world seek happiness? But, if we appraise to see if we have really earned happiness the answer is a simple ‘No!’ We have only to say that we have not acquired happiness. We search for happiness. We deem something to be happiness. But, on evaluation we find that it is not happiness. There is only a illusion, a Maya (illusion) as if there is happiness. The reason for this is that even today in the world many who are wealthy are not happy. Even after seeing that those who are wealthy are not enjoying happiness we nurture the desire to earn wealth. Many who hold high offices are not happy.
Yet, the desire to attain high offices is not given up. Those who enjoy fame are not enjoying happiness. Still the desire to attain fame does not leave us. All these people do suffer in life. Money, post or fame is not the means for attaining permanent happiness. Even they suffer sorrows in life. They also suffer. Even they meet with death some day. Even after seeing these - the ‘moha’(delusion) for wealth, the ‘moha’for fame does not leave us. We possess such insatiable ‘moha’ for worldly things. The nature of the mind is the reason for this. Mind is one that goes towards the world. What do we understand from this? Man desires to be in happiness always. Even while desiring happiness he wishes it to be permanent. He desires to get married. Even after observing that many a married person is not happy.
What is the reason? ‘Moha’ (delusion)! Such a [great] Maya is covering [blinding] him. It is because of Maya he desires all these. Even while he desires such worldly things he knows that those who have sought these happiness are not happy today. Yet, he moves towards achieving these. Everyone desires happiness. It is only to be happy he gets married, begets children, studies, takes up employment, earns money and goes abroad. ‘I must be happy in some way. If I get all that I desire I will be happy,’ so he thinks. But once his desire gets fulfilled another desire takes hold of him. When this is fulfilled another desire arises. So it goes on. He goes on searching in this manner. He is only searching for happiness in the world.
Well! What does the ‘ascetic’ search? The ‘ascetic’ is also searching only for happiness. Why is he doing bhakti (devotion)to God? performs dhyana of God? If you put this question to him, he says, “I am doing dhyana only to be happy.” ‘ascetic’ is also searching for happiness. Here, let us take happiness to be ‘ananda’ (Bliss). A ‘ascetic’ is searching for ‘ananda’ and so does a man involved in worldly life. Where is ‘ananda’? Only God is verily the form of ‘ananda’ / Love.
Only when we attain God we will get ‘ananda’ or happiness and thus we, who are searching for ‘ananda’, we who are seeking happiness are searching only for God. The difference in a ‘ascetic’ man and a worldly man searching for happiness is, A ‘ascetic’’ knows the right place where happiness can be attained and the way to attain it. Whereas those involved in worldly life do not know where real happiness can be got and the right way to get it is the only difference between the two! You should not feel sorry for the one who has taken to ochre robe and embraced asceticism. There is no need for you to pity him, ‘Oh! It is a pity that in this young age he has given up worldly pleasures/comforts and is seeking God.’ You need not feel sorry for him in this manner. If a ascetic acknowledges your sympathy then he is not a proper ascetic. This is because it is only the ascetic who has to feel sorry for you! It is only the ascetic who has to pity you.
The reason for this is that has not the ‘ascetic’ given up trifling happiness and has undertaken the search for the highest joy? Has he not given up ordinary happiness and is seeking permanent Bliss (‘niranthara sukha’)? Then he is (certainly) more intelligent than we are. He is smarter than we are. So, there is no need for us to feel sorry for him; sympathize with him; pity him. Truly, it is only he who has to feel sorry for us looking at our condition!
This is because he is doingwhat has to be done. Worshipping God is (only) for permanent, eternal Bliss. That ‘ananda’ can be got only in God. It cannot be got in worldly comforts. The first and foremost idea behind bhakti is this only. Even if due to ignorance we do bhakti to God with the idea of securing money, good job, etc. gradually it will lead us to real bhakti; to seek real ananda; to know the ‘Atma swaroopa’; to know our real Self. Doing Bhakti for money, fame or for any otherworldly ends is very low.
If you ask, ‘Won’t God give all these?’ [The answer is] ‘Certainly He will.’ Now, when you raise the doubt, ‘even those who do not do bhakti are leading happy life,’ it is because enjoyment of ‘sukha’ (happiness) or suffering of ‘dukkha’ (sorrow) is only because of the ‘papa’ (sins) and ‘punya’ (good merits) done by him in his earlier births. If a man had done lots of good deeds in his earlier births but is an atheist in this birth God will not say, ‘I will not give you the ‘phala’ (fruit) for your good deeds.’ The results of ‘punyas’ done in earlier births have to reach him. He may be an atheist in this birth. He may or may not accept God.
This is not the subject matter here. In many of his earlier births he has done lots of good deeds and he is enjoying their fruits now. Those who are doing bhakti [to God] now might have done lots of ‘papa’ in their earlier births and hence are suffering their ‘phala’(result) now. If we are deeply devoted to God and if our hearts melt with love for God our sins will be erased and good things will happen to us. Deep devotion is required in bhakti to God. It should be true bhakti, right bhakti. It (bhakti) should be one done in the right way.
We should do bhakti with one-pointed mind. It is indeed true that through one-pointed devotion sufferings in our lives can be wiped out. Such things have happened. We have, while speaking on God/Mahans, spoken how many Mahans have performed innumerable wonders. It is not impossible. But, [you should realize] that it is not as you think - that if you go to temple just once such things will happen. Such things can be experienced if you have one-pointed, true, sincere bhakti. There is absolutely no doubt about this. So, [it is only] due to ‘papa’ (sins) and ‘punya’ (good merit) a man attains ‘sukha’ (happiness) or ‘dukkha’ (sorrow) in this birth. Whether he is a bhakta of God inthis janma (birth) or not is not the question. However, worship of God is only for the sake of God. Worship of God is only for attaining eternal Bliss (‘ananda’).
The true ascetic knows where real ananda is while the man of the world does not know. Since both are only searching for ‘ananda’ both are searching only for God. There is no doubt about this at all. So worshipping God is only to take us to a high state. Though we may be in possession of many things, though we may increase our comforts through various ways we cannot attain real ‘sukha’.!!!

More Insightful Q & A Will follow !!!visit www.namadwaar.org

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Words can't express spiritual experience

There are experiences and facts which cannot be expressed by language. There are things that cannot be put into words.

“Whereof we cannot speak thereof we must pass over in silence” is the concluding sentence of Tractatus Logico Philosophicus,the only book published during the lifetime of Ludwig Wittgenstein. When Wittgenstein said so, he had in mind problems relating to ethical, religious and aesthetical experiences. The issues and their resolutions in ethics, religion and aesthetics, unlike those in natural sciences, are transcendental. To understand such experiences one has to transcend language. As Wittgenstein puts it, “They make themselves manifest”. In Vivekachudamani, Shankara too says that Atman and Brahmn make themselves manifest, provided certain conditions are met. He says: “This Atman which is an ever-present reality manifests itself as soon as the right means of knowledge are present, and does not depend upon either place, or time, or ceremonial purity.” In the case of all spiritual experiences, saying is replaced by showing. To the one who has realised them or understood them, the sentences used to describe, or explain such experience are nothing but nonsensical. For him language is useless. Language is merely a means to reach the roof. Once he has reached the roof, he must so to speak, throw away the ladder he has used to climb up. The Rig Veda talked of the limitation of language. It can at the most be used as a tool or a ladder. It can describe our work-a-day experiences at the vyavaharik or practical plane. But the moment we try to use language to describe higher and deeper experiences and their knowledge it fails to communicate. The Rig Veda says, at the stage of brahmagyan the distinction between word and meaning disappears. Language has no place there. The criterion for judging whether our experience and its knowledge is about higher order or about mundane things is whether language is successful in expressing it or not. That is why it is said, where language goes on a holiday and there is nothing to be reflected upon, that is the highest stage of self-knowledge. The Kathopanishad says that the nature of Brahmn is such that it cannot be grasped by debates and discussion. It cannot be put in words. It can be learnt by experience alone. That is why the Kenopanishad says: “The one who declares he knows does not actually know It. On the other hand one who thinks that he does not know It, he alone knows. Thus for the claimers of knowledge It is unknown. And is known only to those who confess ignorance about It.” Rahim puts the same thus: “One cannot either convey through language or understand through it, the nature of Brahmn. One who knows It does not describe it in speech. The one who does not in reality know It, alone speaks about it”. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tries to convince Arjuna about His godly qualities. But for Arjuna they are mere words. Ultimately, when Arjuna’s queries do not end, Krishna reveals His viraat swaroopa, cosmic form. Once Arjuna sees It, he is fully convinced of the true nature of Krishna. When Ramakrishna failed to convince Vivekananda through discussion that he could see the Mother as clearly as he was seeing him, he makes the disciple experience it for himself by touching his forehead. Then there are no doubts left in Vivekananda’s mind and he is transformed. Language in both these cases fails. What succeeds is not saying, but showing.

(By: ASHOK VOHRA.The writer is professor and head of department of philosophy, Delhi University.)