NATARAJA: the Cosmic Dancer ~ Swami Chinmayananda

[Excerpts from articles by Swami Chinmayananda]

The MAHASHIVARATRI is an auspicious day when Lord Shiva bursts Himself into the ecstatic DANCE of NATARAJA. Shiva’s divine dance is the thrilling expression of God-realisation by one who has transcended the limitations of the material layers of personality. It represents the finite exploding into Infinite Stature. The dancing Deity has four arms delicately poised. The upper right hand, it will be observed, carries a little drum (damaru), shaped like an hour-glass for the beating of the rhythm and the opposite hand, the upper left hand, with the half moon posture of the the fingers (ardhachandra-mudra) bears on its palm a tongue of flame. The Divinity is represented as dancing with one foot firm on the prostrate body of a dwarfish demon (Apasmara- Purusha), and the other raised in posture well known in classical Indian dance. A ring of flames and light (prabhamandala) issues from and encompasses the Deity. On the auspicious day, Shiva, the Arch-Yogi amongst the Gods, lays down the Trident (trishula) with the prongs indicating the transcendence of the three Gunas namely, the sattwa, rajas and the tamas – and transforms Himself into the Divine Dancer. The dance posture, balancing on one foot, signifies His single-pointed attunement with the Absolute Reality. Thus when the dwarfish demon, the ego (or avidya) lies, conquered and crushed, one experiences within oneself the pure, transcendental Essence of Divinity. The control of lower nature becomes one’s dignity and glory and this is symbolised by adorning His body with a serpent. In whatever direction the Lord sees, the world gets annihilated by the Fire of Knowledge (Jnana Agni). 

To such a Man of Realisation, therefore, the world of plurality, with the pairs-of-opposites (dwandvas) disappears which is indicated by the term ‘ratri’ or night. The allegory of the Nataraja pictorially brings out the dual manifestations of the Non-dual Ultimate Reality, namely, the Absolute Tranquility of the All-Knowing Self and the dynamic expressions of the world. In the one form of the Lord, we find His blissful, silent countenance representing the Unmanifest, in significant contrast to the passionate agility of the swaying limbs representing the manifest – the world of plurality. The ring or halo of flames signifies the creatures (jeevas) of the world who emerge from the One Non-Dual Reality. The continuous creation-destruction of the universe, which emanates from Him, is indicated by the damaru and the tongue of flame supported by His two upper arms. The damaru produces sound which is associated with space, the subtlest of five elements from which emerges the Universe. The flame is the symbol of the destruction of the world. Lord Shiva’s tresses are long and matted, indicating the tapas or austerities undertaken by Him. In the triumphant, violent, frenzy of His untiring dance, the tresses loosen and expand, suggesting that the Ultimate Experience is TRANS-TAPAS. Thus, through tapas and annihilation of ego, one finds, in the allegory of the Cosmic Dancer, the path – from ignorance, passion and egoistic individuality to the Absolute and Higher Essence in one!

On this Shivaratri Day, Lord Parameshwara Himself, who is in constant meditation and tapas in Kailasa, is represented as getting up from His seat and dancing everywhere in ecstatic joy. Dance is a physical expression of inner joy. He is experiencing that Paramananda State of Total Mental Transcendence of the Pure Consciousness, and in that State of Sachidananda of the man of realisation, as indicated in ecstatic joy of self-mastery or realisation, He dances. In His dance, He opens His eye of wisdom, which recognises the Eternal, the Self everywhere, within and without. Then, when you look out through the eye of wisdom, you cannot see the BMI (body-mind-intellect), and therefore, the PFT (perceiver-feeler-thinker) is not available. Alas! The OET (objects-emotions-thoughts) are all burnt down. It is not that the world is literally burnt, but only in the “JNANA-DRISHTI” when He looks all around everywhere, He sees nothing but Himself ALONE; all else is burnt in the “fire of knowledge.”

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STORY-TELLING : A Seva-yagna for Children! ~ Swami Chinmayananda

[Excerpts from letters and articles by Swami Chinmayananda]

Story telling is an art that should be cultivated by all parents. There is a treasure of joy for the story-teller and a heritage of good that the innocent tiny listener can gain from the story that is told to them. Children can be readily held in attention only by the mesmeric enchantment of the rhythm in the movements​ of the theme of the story. Create an environment of affection, tenderness, concern for other living beings, appreciation for the good and noble and recognition of beauty in things. This is the right time for the higher and nobler values of life to sink in. This can be done through Puranic stories, stories of great Saints and Sages, and mighty heroes of politics and science. They will learn how, in the confrontation of good and evil, the good ultimately always triumphs.

While listening to the story a child is in a different mode as children alone can be. They are thrilled by their love for the fantasia. Their imagination lights up and their wide eyed joys are kindled. Children are at such moments in the very lap of Nature gliding on incredible​ patterns surging in their own hearts!

The very story in the growing child will by itself instill the great truths and higher values of life as time passes on. Learn how to marshal the thoughts into a story-form. Learn to think the story out. Telling a story is different from reading a story. You must allow the theme and story to sink into you. Digest it well….More than the story, learn the “Art of building the Story!” Tell, never teach a story. Children learn more by a story well told than what we teach them through a story!

Introduce them to stories of Rama and Krishna. Stories about the spiritual giants of the world, their experiences and trials, their strength in overcoming temptations, the positive experiences of joy that they gained, may all be passed on to the children with appropriate emotions. The endless stories and analogies can take their minds on an independent trip to see for themselves a greater message of life and a larger value in life. When they ask questions about flowers, clouds, butterflies or frogs, be alert to spice your honest explanations with a hint about the play of God around us. Leave them with these small hints; don’t go into details.

Give the growing children an insight into the beauty of our culture through the enlivening stories of our eternal Puranas. Let them imbibe the spirit of Prahlada, Dhruva, Balaram, Krishna and Muruga. Let them be inspired by the life of Sankara, Buddha, Vivekananda and the child Ramana. Explain to them the general meaning of the Geeta verses. Explain to them Krishna-Gopas, Krishna-Arjuna to exemplify the need for surrender, service and sense of duty. Puranas are a treasure trove enough!!

Story-telling is very effective for children. Become the greatest story-teller for children. It is an art in itself. Very few can do it. It is a God-given blessing. Cultivate it. Develop it. India needs it. World is waiting for it. The national history, geography, philosophy, social customs, plants, birds, mountains, rivers, sacred places, character, ideals — all can be woven into them and held up for our children. (In character depiction) throw a little more colour into the emotions — bring out all emotions vividly. Our children must shed tears, weep in sympathy, love, affection, tenderness, devotion, obedience; sigh in relief; heave in the heroism felt, courtesy shown and goodness manifest. Make them weep — pant — surge — ready-for-action — ready-for-sacrifice. It is in these deep reactions that children get these qualities ever fixed upon their heart. Let them not forget that this was our Bharat, where Rama – Lakshmana – Bharat represent the ideal Hindu, the perfect Aryan, the exemplary Indian Janata. Guha and others represent the perfect people. Paint it thicker….take them all along the path of emotional ups and downs, through ashramas, river-beds, mountains — pause them to watch flowers, trees, tendrils, animals, insects — point out to them moon, sunrise, stars, sky, clouds — never forget even for a moment the innocent, wide-eyed, children of tomorrow gazing at you from all sides. Be in tune with the children and talk to them. Let hundreds of innocent chubby faces be uplifted to you all around!

This is really a glorious sadhana! A splendid Seva-yagna for the children!! Tell, never preach a story!!!

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Temple: A Place to “fine-tune” the Mind ~ Swami Chinmayananda

[Excerpts from letters and articles by Swami Chinmayananda]

God, the Lord is All-pervading, but to invoke Him we need an Altar. Even though Narayana pervades everywhere, He can directly be contacted in a TEMPLE. The Temple is a place conducive to ‘fine-tune’ your mental equipment in order to receive the Divine Message.

In every country it is a general practice to have monuments representing great national heroes. These monuments act as reminders and inspire the generations to live up to the ideals set by these heroes. Since ours is a spiritual culture, drawing sustenance and strength from the spiritual ideals lived and demonstrated by the avataras, it is our tradition to preserve and cherish the sacred idols of avataras in TEMPLES, for the idols represent the ideals they lived. TEMPLES served as holy halls of retreat for the masses. Their architecture provided an effective medium where the creative arts were fostered, and education for the cultural revival of the country was made available.

As a devotee visits a temple and in true spirit of devotion, kindled by the epics and puranas, is inspired by the vision of the idol he feels a thrill of joy and inner peace, inspite of the prevailing tensions around. It need hardly be emphasized how much more temples are necessary these days. They would serve as “speed-breakers” to soften our hectic blind rush-forward in life. They would also serve as source of inspiration and solace during times of depression and disappointments, which are mostly beyond our control. Building of temples was, therefore, considered as a sacred activity in ancient times, as sacred as any other community service.

Temples are the monuments of our Culture. Temple is a social centre and must become the place of cultural revival. A temple is a place of reverence (Sangam) where the love of the mind and respect of the intellect (Ganga and Jamuna) join together. Temples should function as the very heart of the community, responding most sensitively to all the changing needs of the society. The “Houses of God” in the past stood as intelligent guards protecting the needs of the community and therefore, they were extremely respected and revered and very devotedly served by the grateful members of the community. The love and care and the enormous sacrifice that they had made in building these edifices of beauty and grandeur eloquently speak volumes of their loyalty and gratitude. These are to be generated in their hearts by the service, both secular and sacred, rendered by the temples.

A Temple becomes famous not because of its elaborate architectural beauty nor its dimensions. When a large number of devotees continue to visit year after year, day by day, the center gathers a growing glory of divine presence. Within a community, such temples declare the beauty and culture possessed by the society. Temples are where large masses of people congregate and thereby develop in their thoughts and actions a RHYTHM, at once loving and divine. For centuries, temples and worship of the Deities held the Hindu society together, providing a common bond of love and devotion, creating among them a great sense of pride and brotherhood. Temples: community inspiration centres from where spiritual ideas and thoughts are spread out into the community.

To revive a true interest in the Temples, we must gain a clearer understanding of what are the significance of their “Divine Representations” (Deities) and in what way each one of them is suggesting some aspect of the Infinite Self within. No piece of stone in any temple can provide for the devotee his life’s goal of achieving happiness and peace. But, without an idol self-improvement ‘is impossible’. The method of superimposing a meaning upon an object is the technique called IDOL-WORSHIP. The idol is the means; self-discovery is the goal. To confuse the means with the goal is the Grand Trunk Road leading to sorrow. The idol serves the spiritual aspirant as a spring-board to heave himself out of samsara and plunge into himself. The IDOLS in temples are to remind the devotee of the IDEAL, the Supreme. To the earnest devotee, the idol appears as a living embodiment of his Lord.  All “poojas” are techniques by which you learn the art of putting the mind where the hand is working. However, it is necessary to remember that the idol is NOT God, but represents God.

TEMPLES are only places to discipline one’s mind. The mind must be perfectly tuned to receive the message of the Divine. The temple visits and worship should elevate the mind of the seeker and help him to keep his mind in a higher plane. A temple fulfils itself successfully in a “bhakta” when he comes to enquire into the nature of Godhood, the nature of himself, the structure of the world and the relationship between these three. At “this” moment the integrated personality of the “bhakta” though physically standing in front of the “sanctum sanctorum”, has grown to such a stature that he no longer can be contained within the confines of any Gopuram….

Just as a gymnasium is for the science of health, the temple is for the science of Reality. Temples are gymnasiums for the mind. You have to go there and apply your mind in it. Remember that it is a mental gymnasium. Surrender the mind in devotion unto Him. He will purify it and return it back to you immediately. You must go to the temple, and tune up yourself in order to get the message of the Divine.

In India, we don’t build a temple because we have money or we can collect money. It is always ordered or commanded by an Acharya. When an Acharya decides what deity or deities should be installed in the temple, thereafter there is no difference of opinion amongst the public. Temples are built by the members of the community, through a temple building committee. But every such temple committee is fulfilling the wishes of a Guru, or of an Acharya. The Guru accepts the plan, sanctions the administrative set up, decides upon the altar to be raised, and generally lays down the tradition to be followed by that DEVASTHANA. He watches over its conduct and appoints one or two of his people into the Executive Committee to be his eyes and ears in the day-to-day affairs and conduct of the temple.

Religion is to bring out the best in man by helping him to shed his animal passions still lingering in his mind which has evolved through the animal stage. This self purification is gained through devotion to the Lord, by everyone, through meeting and interacting in a common place like a TEMPLE, which serves more than the modern concept of a community Hall. Temple has to serve as a total schooling for the growing children. MAY WE USE THE TEMPLE IN THE CREATIVE FIELDS OF MOULDING THE CHILDREN AND THE YOUTH OF OUR COUNTRY.

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Navaratri Devi Pooja – Significance

SRI LALITHA MAHA TRIPURASUNDARI, the Mother of All, is invoked during the auspicious Sharannavaratri. The Sharad-Kaala (Autumn Season) represents the Creative Aspect of Nature. Since CREATION is synonymous with MOTHERHOOD, the Divine God-Principle is invoked as the MOTHER (Mathru-swaroopini) of the entire Universe of things and beings, of which we are also a part of. On the Mahalaya Amavasya day, Devi is invoked in her Jagat Prasuti Form – One who has delivered (created) the universe. With her grace and blessings alone the seeker can hope to totally dispel (Maha-Laya) the spiritual ignorance (Ama-Vasya) within himself. During the next nine days referred to as NAVARATRI, Devi is invoked and worshipped as MAHA DURGA (first three days), MAHA LAKSHMI (next three days) and MAHA SARASWATI (last three days). The sequence of worship of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati is different in different traditions and states, but the significance remains the same. The tenth day after Navaratri is known as VIJAYADASAMI (the day of Everlasting Victory – Mukti or Enlightenment).

DEVI DURGA is invoked during the first three days. Durga means “one who helps us to overcome our difficulties and negatives.” It is with her grace alone that the seeker can eliminate all the negative qualities lurking in him. They are represented as the various rakshasas whom Durga annihilates. She is depicted in red attire to represent Activity. In her hands, she carries different instruments of annihilation to destroy the various rakshasas. Mother’s destruction is ‘constructive destruction’ – it is creative and purposeful, it is for the sake of Dharma. Hence Durga is depicted as riding on a Simha (lion). SIMHA stands for Righteousness or Dharma. Its opposite is HIMSA which denotes violence and adharma. Simha also stands for “fearlessness”. 

The next three days, GODDESS LAKSHMI is worshipped. Lakshmi means “to guide” the seeker on the path of spirituality to reach the Ultimate Goal of Self Realisation (Lakshya). Lakshmi represents the WEALTH of Sattvik qualities (Lakshana-s, like Truthfulness, Humility, Nobility, Devotion, Faith, Compassion, Courage, etc.) that an individual has to nurture and nourish within himself. Sri Lakshmi’s attire is depicted in different colours depending on what she represents: White for Purity and Knowledge, Red for Selfless Activity and Material Wealth, Green for Plenty, Prosperity and Food, etc. The lotus which is associated with her represents Knowledge, Beauty, Symmetry as well as Moksha. She represents both, the Standard of Life and Standard of Living. When Goddess Lakshmi signifies material wealth she is portrayed as riding on the owl. She rides on an elephant when she is invoked for a higher and purposeful life. As the bestower of Mukti (Liberation), she along with her consort, Lord Narayana are shown seated on Garuda (eagle).

During the last three days, SRI SARASWATI is invoked and worshipped. SARA means “essence” and SWA means “one’s own”. Saraswati means “one who facilitates the individual to understand and experience his true Higher Nature (State of Immortality) within himself.” Therefore, Sri Saraswati represents Spiritual Knowledge and the Higher Divine Experience. She is always depicted in white attire indicating a pure, tranquil and contemplative mind. In one hand she holds a mala which signifies the akshara-mala or the alphabets. In the other hand she holds a book signifying knowledge. SARASWATI is invoked at every stage – right from AKSHARA-ABHYASA (initiation into the alphabets) through VIDYA-ABHYASA (study of scriptures) to DHYANA-ABHYASA (practice of contemplation). She sports a veena in the lower pair of hands. The veena represents an individual who has totally surrendered unto Mother Saraswati as an empty and willing instrument. When she uses such a devotee to accomplish her divine work, her Will and the Expression of it becomes the beautiful music of life – the Glory of a Man of Realisation! Goddess Saraswati’s vahana (vehicle) is the Hamsa (Swan). Hamsa is a mystical bird which has the ability to separate milk from water from milk-water mixture. This signifies the discrimination between the Real and the Permanent (milk) from the Unreal and the Impermanent (water). Therefore Hamsa represents a Man of Realisation. The Jivanmukta is known as “Supreme Swan” – PARAMAHAMSA. 

Alternatively, in some traditions, the sequence followed is: Maha Lakshmi, then Sri Saraswati and finally Sri Durga. Initially, a spiritual seeker invokes Goddess Lakshmi to cultivate within himself the noble and virtuous qualities. After that Sri Saraswati is invoked for Adhyatma Knowledge. Finally, Goddess Durga is invoked. By her grace alone, Mahishasura, the ego can be annihilated. Mahishasura is destroyed with the help of her trident (Trishula), which signifies the transcendence of the tri-groups (three gunas, three states of consciousness, three periods of time, the three equipments – body, mind and intellect, the three worlds, etc). This leads to the State of Self-realisation.  

During Navaratri, apart from the parayana of Durga Saptashati, Lalitha Sahasranama, Devi Stotras, etc., there is a beautiful tradition of singing Sri Kamalamba Navavarana Krithis (composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar) or Sri Kamakshi Navavarana Krithis (composed of Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer). The krithis are based on Sri Vidya Upasana and are structured around the 9-layered Sri Chakra. The 11 Krithis (1- dhyana, 9 – one for each of the 9 days, and 1- mangala), are deep in mysticism and rich in their significance. The krithis signify the seeker’s spiritual journey from the outer pluralistic world to the Innermost Divine Centre within himself. It is the unveiling of the Divinity present within us. It is the transcendence of our outer personality-layers to ultimately reach Sri Maha Tripura Sundari, the personification of Parabrahma – the Sarvanandamaya State within ourselves.

Therefore, the entire Navaratri Puja wherein Mother Goddess is invoked as Devi Durga, Maha Lakshmi and Sri Saraswati represents the spiritual journey of a seeker from the darkness of Spiritual Ignorance to the Light of Spiritual Knowledge – from the State of Mortality to the State of Immortality – from Mahalaya Amavasya to Vijayadasami !!

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Buddhi Roopena Samsthita I

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha II 

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Lakshmi Roopena Samsthita I

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha II

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Shakti Roopena Samsthita I

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha II 

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Mathru Roopena Samsthita I

Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha II

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