The human mind which finds it impossible to visualize the Absolute, is provided with a form of deity with face, hands,legs etc., so that the mind has something to hold on to, rather than a formless Brahman.All worships generally are with respect to a form of the Absolute. This first is also known as Sagunopasana. Interestingly, in the path of Jnana itself, Adi Shankara stresses the Bhakti aspect.Īcharya has cleverly reconciled these two in his Vedantic definition of Bhakti as the individual meditating upon or worshipping himself. However, these are not mutually exclusive but have among themselves some amount of overlapping. State of Advaita, where the distinction of Jiva and Brahman ceases to exist.As mentioned earlier, there are three paths to liberation. Another way of explaining this is by saying Prakasha is the absolute Brahman and Vimarsha is the individual Jivatman, the guru representing the Guru Padukas are always referred to as Prakasha and Vimarsha. The Guru as the torch, remains the source of light and simultaneously the seen world. In a higher plane, the concept of Guru also is conceived as made up of the same principles of Prakasha and Vimarsha. This is the explanation of the Shakta system for the universe and the power that makes it toīe seen by all of us. The effulgence is the inherent characteristic of the first by which the seen world is illuminated, enabling us to see.
In this system, the potential form is refereed to as Prakasha (effulgence) and the kinetic as Vimarsha (illuminating). That is the profound principle with which Acharya’s Saundaryalahari starts.Ĭonsistent with the physical science, this Shakti can be of two forms again: potential and kinetic. Shakti is taken out, what remains must be something inert (jada). It is only logical that if one can conceive of such a dichotomy of a single individual being, when In other words, we try to conceive of the single entity Shiva as basic or residual Shiva and its Shakti separately. The substratum on which this Shakti inheres is referred to as ‘Shaktiman’, which is Shiva or Kameshwara himself. Hence the dictum, ‘ShaktiH shaktimatorabhedaH’. Separated from that of which this is the power. While for the sake of conceptualizing, the power or energy is viewed as a distinct entity, it is needless to say that it cannot be physically That way, this can also be viewed as worship of the energy aspect of the remaining five forms and therefore, this integrates al the six methods into one.
The principal form of worship here is that of Shakti or energy. Srividya Upasana) that is always reverentially referred to with the attribute ‘Sri’. Interestingly, of the six, this is the only Upasana (i.e. Of these, Shakta is the one where the form of Shakti is worshipped as Mother. As the name of each indicates, each one has a different form of deity as the object of worship the other paths of Japa, Dhyana and the ritual of puja are all the same. They are: Ganapatya,Saura, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta and Kaumara.
There are six Upasana paths known as the Shanmatas, properly codified andĭefined by the great Acharya, Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada. Indeed, Bhagavan Krishna assures us that he confers on the sincere devotee, unwavering devotion to the chosen form. There the form Devatas to be adopted as the object of devotion is also a matter of choice. Depending on one’s preference or inclination, one can stick to only one of the three or more of one and less of the others.The practice of Bhakti in all its three forms constitutes Upasana. Activities of the word of mouth like chanting prayers. Activities by the mind like Japa and Dhyana b. This Bhakti also consists of three distinct groups of activities: a. The Absolute that is formless, is allowed to be conceived of as having a form to enable the human mind to hold on to somethingĪnd make progress in the Bhakti route. Of these, karma directs the individual to perform faithfully all the duties, actions and procedures prescribed by the Vedas and Shastras as befitting a man’s Varna and Ashrama.The Bhakti path is where the individual is given the choice of a form of the Divine Entity to contemplate, worship,meditate, and perform Pooja etc. Hindu scriptures prescribe three different but intertwining paths to attain liberation and these are: karma(ACTION), Bhakti(DEVOTION) and Jnana(KNOWLEDGE)