Sanskrit Studies: Recent Episodes
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In an instant everything changed.
Years and years (10 to be exact) of nurturing and development and just like that.
Just. Like. That.
I entered the hospital and discovered my Guru-Bhrata standing near the abandoned nurse’s desk, what a sight, old-time devotees scattered in a frozen state of disbelief.
Everyone was trying to comprehend the loss, the moment.
Time morphed, and bent – I recall everything became s-l-o-w.
A haze fell on me, on us all, like a light blanket of snow falls on a small town.
I heard a distant sound, a rhythmic rise and fall, a clickity machine hiss, that nudged me back to re-focus.
I walk up, but no one says a word.
There’s just the serious exchange of glances.
These looks say a thousand things all at once.
There is only silence.
In my mind, I turn away from the small exam room – Something tells me don’t look there.
It’s dark, and chilly, even from this far.
His daughter sees me, with her head down, she speaks in a low tone, “You can go see him. He’s in there.”
The matter-of-factness of her response is our familiar way of relating, and it offers a drop of comfort. Something is the same.
As I hear her words, I both want to see him, and I don’t want to.
I’m not afraid of a vacated body, I’ve seen that before. I’m afraid of the loss.
I’m unprepared for this moment. It’s obvious that the others have prepared. They still have their feet on the ground. They look hit, but they don’t look undone; they’re not about to vomit.
I step into the dark small room. Bow my head.
I want to ask Guru ji if he needs anything, as I’d done so many times before.
But the room is still.
Tears fill in my eyes and their drops fall on his cold feet. My thumb presses them away and they seep into his foot.
I offer a prayer.
I’m alone with him one last time, I try to snapshot in my mind, grasp his form, his feet, hands, face.
I stand before him, looking for what remains. I am a mix of shock and surrender.
Whispering something into his ear, I kiss his hand and rest my head there.
(If you think I’ll tell you what I said, uh nope. That’s between he and I)
Head to feet. Mine to his feet.
It’s slowly seeping in. I don’t know it yet, but I’m already mid step, of stepping off a cliff. Life will never be the same.
The vibe of, “Let’s see what you got kid,” hangs in the air, like a flashing neon sign.
I could give a sh**. I got nothing. I’m like a deflated balloon.
“What do you mean? How can you feel so sad. Aren’t you a meditator?” someone said months later mockingly.
They have no clue what they’re saying, they still live in idealizations. They don’t yet understand profound love, and the journey of loss.
They’ll learn.
A week later back at Guru ji’s house, on the side porch, sitting with Johannes, I say in disbelief, “I’m not ready, Jo. He left too soon.” My statement sounds more like a quasi-question I’m posing to the universe. Johannes senses this.
We toss stories of times gone by, back and forth, of how Guru ji’s passing happened, and who did what during that time.
All while sipping tea and doing our best to take in the enormity of the moment.
I stand up to leave and go to the main house.
As I walk off our teacher’s porch, Johannes’ voice trails off behind me, saying, “He must’ve felt you were ready. The Guru never leaves until the student is ready.”
I look over my shoulder, catching the light in his, they are warm and kind. I then turn and gaze out at the lawn in front, letting Jo’s kindness, and the truth of what he said land on me.
Turning back again, I say. “Mmm, you might be right. Either way it’s comforting to hear. Thanks, Jo,” and off I go.
In a couple of months, I realize:
Everything Guru ji did prepared me to meet this moment.
All the training. The studies. The humor. The care.
It’s my first realization after his passing:
Studying is the preparation. Immersing isn’t only so that you can recite mantras well. You recite mantras, you refine them, and in time, you merge with the mantra, and or the teaching.
Through formal practice, your character wholly transforms.
After years of immersion, you’re not the same, in the best of ways.
This study, this preparation with its transformation allows you to meet whatever happens in life both good and difficult with awareness and strength. That’s what teachings do, they prepare you, they make you strong in yourself, even on the days when it’s so bad that you only speak in glances.
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The post Loss & Gain: That Time Unimaginable first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
In Satsang, my guru, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, used to remind us all to engage the practice of Nada Yoga, to listen and meditate on the inner sound. He advised us first to listen to the inner sound on the right side and then to expand it over to the left.
In his Nada Yoga book, he didn’t go so much into the reason for this suggestion; leaving readers and practitioners a bit confused about why they should listen to the inner sound on the right side first.
Many people have contacted me over the years, saying, “I only hear nada on my left side not on the right, what am I to do?”
The whole question has to do with the right-brain, left-brain issue.
Remember, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati was a brain surgeon.
According to the Nobel prize winning, psychobiologist, Roger Sperry, the brain is a whole that is divided into two halves. The left side and the right side. According to Sperry, the left side governs logic, linear thinking, mathematics, and facts, while the right side of the brain governs imagination, holistic thinking, intuition, art, and rhythm.
My guru’s concept aligns with Sperry’s, when you take something in through the left-side, like the inner sound, you mediate that sound along with its knowledge through your logical and analytical center.
When you take something, like the inner sound, in through your right side, you activate the inner sound (and it’s knowledge) through your intuitive heart center.
This is the meaning and purpose of my guru’s suggestion.
Remember to mediate on any yogic teaching through the intuitive heart center.
This Sunday, I’ll be sharing Part 1 of my 3 part Nada Yoga Series via Zoom.
Come learn about the mystical sound of nada.
grab your spot below
Luminous Soul
Immerse in Nada Yoga
with Manorama
via Zoom
Sun, March 10th
10 am – 1 pm ET
*registration open only until Sat, Mar 9th, 6 pm et
*can’t make the live class? watch the recording!*
click here
The post Meditation on Nada Yoga first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Dashing up the light blue carpeted staircase up and around to the main house temple, my sari sash flowing behind me acting as a kind of makeshift cape. The resounding rhythmic sound of the group chanting bellowing out from the crowded room, out of the temple windows, drew me in. That and of course Guru ji himself.
The thing is in those days, it was hard to see where Durga stopped and Guru ji began. They were one.
“OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA… OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA …. OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA …..OMMMMMMMMMMM”
devi mahatmya text
Walking into the room, my usual sheepish late, I stooped slightly, and looked at Guru ji then hand to heart bowed towards him and stepped inside surveying the room. There were many people crowded in around him, around the glittering altar resplendent with the image of the cosmic mother. Lit candles reflected off the platform mirror underneath. Incense danced and curled up into the space, scenting the air with sweet sandalwood. It calmed the mind.
As I settled into my seat for the duration, Guru ji continued leading the chanting in his commanding and soothing voice:
“OMMMMMMMMMMM …OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA… OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA … OM NAMAS CANDIKAYAI SVAHA …OMMMMMMMMMMM”
When there was quiet, he said, “Feel, mother is not separate from you. No. Mother is first Guru. Cosmic Mother acts as a force of protection. Don’t believe anybody, but feel.”
Then the call and response fashion of chanting began again. Guru ji leading the group and they responding.
“OMMMMMMMMMMM OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OM DUM DURGAYAI SVAHA… OMMMMMMMMMMM.”
Chanting with the group, everything vibrating: The room, vocal chords, and space, suddenly we became prana… and the realization rose, we have always been prana.
The mantra I started chanting was now chanting me. I closed my eyes and let the mantra melt me into energy itself then as the chanting continued, and with the grace of my guru, slowly I dissolved into ether, silence, vast nothingness for a time.
Immense peace spread out within me and I lingered there in the timeless realm.
After the powerful chanting, we sat in silent meditation a while. The residue of the chanting working on us more and more.
If you’d asked any of us, I’m certain we would’ve each told you that we knew we were being given something special to be in his presence, to chant to Durga with him and to be guided by his grace.
It wasn’t that he was so great and we were nothing. No megalomania was on display.
It was the beautiful experience of mysticism in action and trust placed in someone worthy, who cared for others on a profound level, who elevated everyone in his vicinity, and if you were lucky, you got to stay awhile nearby and absorb his wisdom.
Such is the memory of those days.
Invoke the Devi Retreatwith ManoramaSat/Sun, Nov 11 & 12, 2023
via Zoom or in-personMeditate * Chant * Honor
Life is filled lately with world disruptions, political and social insecurities and war. It can leave you feeling baseline worried and stressed.
Join together with Manorama, via zoom or in-person, to immerse in honoring the Cosmic Mother. Chant mantras honoring her. Listen to stories of her glory and meditate on her light. Then remain still and feel her soothing shakti fill your heart and consciousness.
In Yoga, the goddess represents all things in manifestation. She is the one to propitiate when you want to bring alignment and harmony into your life.
You have a choice how you want to spend yourself. Choose to chant. Choose to be together virtual and or in-person and to honor and draw that light into your life.
It’s not denying shadows and such.
It’s inviting the blessing and who couldn’t use more of that in life?
Grab Your Spot Here
*Registration open until Tues, Nov 7 at 10 PM
© 2023 Luminous Shabda, Luminous Soul & Manorama
The post Hail the Goddess: Those Devi Days first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Let’s clarify and understand what the word and concept of Rishi means rather than just settling for the gist. We’ve all heard it said: Rishi means Seer. But if...
The post Reflections on Rishi first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
The practice of Sanskrit chanting is so fun and healing that most people dive in immediately and don’t even think about the details involved. It’s natural to immerse and enjoy....
The post 3 Keys to Great Chanting first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Yeah, I’ve had my fair share of overwhelm in life.
Haven’t you?
Whether it was when I was looking at densely presented yogic shastras, layered Sanskrit grammar or some complexity in a relationship.
Finding stillness and letting that overwhelm wash over me, and move out to sea, so to speak, was a skill, not a given.
But what does it actually mean to work with overwhelm in practice and in life?
Well it’s a few things…
In relation to Sanskrit grammar, the practice looks like this: You reminding yourself to re-read the lesson, breathe, stay calm, reason it out. In my training days, I recall a lot of similar self-talk, I’d say to myself, keep going and it’ll get clearer the more I practice.
And it did.
When learning Yogic wisdom, go over teachings again and again then identify your questions. To get to those questions, you’ll have to look at where your confusion is.
When I was first learning, instead of focusing on the resolution of a teaching, I’d often examine my confusion around it.
For example, let’s look at the word ‘Yama’ in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra.
Yama means the restraint.
Within the Ashtanga Path, Yama, represents the restraints which are:
Ahimsa (Non-violence), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (Non-stealing), Brahmacarya (Conduct focused on reality), Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness).
When I first saw the word ‘Yama,’ defined as restraint, I’d look at it squinting. In my mind, I thought, “How in the heck is restraint a path to yogic understanding?”
Little by little, I developed the muscle of returning to the question, What is ‘Yama? and slowly it opened up.
At the time, I wondered, what was restraint in the context of Yoga?
First I reasoned, is it constraint? This was one potential meaning in bopping around in my head.
No that didn’t even make sense…
Hmmm…
I wondered is the teaching saying that restrained people are better?
“No,” I told myself. “That can’t be true. It just doesn’t make sense.
We are all in our own way unique and valuable…” I reminded myself, “Yoga isn’t about style…”
So, what was restraint?
One day, after sitting with it for a while, I realized.
Most people live at the edges of the thinking mind.
If the mind tells you, this is your identity, you feel you are that.
So the key was to get beyond the mind.
When the mind is busy, it’s called full, and it also means there’s no inner space.
Let’s do the math:
Quiet mind happens from pulling in. When you pull in you develop strength in that muscle of restraint. The stronger that muscle is the more quiet you become and when you are quiet inside you have inner space.
Restraint = pulling back from this body and mind habit.
Restraint = cultivating the necessary muscle for Self-Realization.
Restraint = pulling back from the experience of identification with the body and mind, into what you truly are real ease and peace.
Pull back from the edges of your personality self, work the yama muscle, and inner quiet will evolve naturally. Inner quiet is the panacea to overwhelm.
The next time you come upon a yogic teaching that floods you, remember to breathe, stay calm and identify where your confusion is. Soon enough the teaching will open up for you.
©2023 Luminous Shabda, Sanskrit Studies & Manorama
The post Working With Overwhelm in Practice first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
I once had a dear teacher named Dr Sharma ji, say to me, “Manorama, you must make a decision.”
He saw I was strugglin’ to decide the best course of action between two things. Wise and dear lovingly Dr ji told me, “Use your wisdom and make the best choice that you see then don’t look back.”
His words helped me a lot. So, I sat with all that was on my table at the time and determined the best course of action and let go of the rest.
In honor of Dr ji, this week I am sharing this in Skrit-Style,
a new idiom add to your yogic lexicon
Three ways to use the Sanskrit idiom ‘to decide’ in your life…
in the present, past and future tenses:
niścayam + karoti – to decide
[etymology: niścayam = aim, determination + verb kṛ (karoti) to do/perform]
[[pronounced nish-chayam ka-ro-ti]]
tad yathā
-
ex., she decides to go to a yoga class
sā yoga-vāraṃ gantuṃ niścayaṃ karoti -
ex., she decided to go to a yoga class.
sā yoga-vāraṃ gantuṃ niścayam akarot -
ex., she will decide to go to a yoga class.
sā yoga-vāraṃ gantuṃ niścayaṃ kariśyati
practice pronouncing the above with me here
now it’s your turn…
let’s take Dr ji’s advice and look at all that’s on your table.sit with it and then decide your best course of action.
use this idiom in a sentence.
(be brave!)*
ahaṃ (add your aim here) niścayaṃ karomi
I decide (fill in the blank with what you decide)!
audio here
Start by sitting with all that’s on your table then make the best choice regarding all.
Remember: Whenever you decide something, you get to harness your energy and focus your efforts on that decision.
Deciding gives strength and determination towards your aim.
Enjoy bringing Sanskrit wisdom into your life and makin’ that choice.
Celebratin’ you Skrit-Style!
Besos,
Manorama
©2023 Luminous Shabda inc, Sanskrit Studies & Manorama
The post Make That Decision, You Got This first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Here are 6 Essentials ya gotta know about Sanskrit. These 6 keys I’m sharing with you are so helpful to effectively learn the language.
After reading these, go ahead and re-read them again, think about what I put here and work them into your practice.
- *Practicing the alphabet is key For most of us establishing ourselves in the wisdom of yoga needs practice. And by that I mean a lot of practice. Sanskrit, as a yogic discipline is no different. Put frankly, ya gotta put your time in and study the language.The first thing to do is to learn the alphabet. I know at times it can feel overwhelming, welcome to Sanskrit study time. Persevere. Keep at it. Because here’s the thing, ya gotta get good at pronouncing the alphabet* and reading and writing the Devanagari and Transliteration scripts. From this kind of grounding all the other elements of Sanskrit and mantra evolves.
- *Don’t let Sanskrit grammar scare youWe Americans can get so flummoxed by the concept of grammar. (our European brothers and sisters don’t have this same reaction) The thing is our country is large, and everyone generally speaks English. You might be the exception with a great inner grammar motivation, but if you’re not then I want you to invoke your curiosity. Bring your curiosity to your grammar studies rather than your panic. Remember: grammar is the structure by which a language flows. Don’t stress it.* Put your attention on learning rather than being a freaked out dead-weight on yourself. Pinky promise, you’ll learn a ton more when you re-direct your focus from nervous to focused.
3. Get a new notebook and lovely gel pen
Seriously, it sounds simple, but I find when I get a colorful new notebook and a fab pen, I get so excited to sit down and work on a current Sanskrit project. Inspiration around studying is key. For me it can often come in a simple action like getting a colorful notebook with a lovely gel pen. Try it out.
Here are my favorite Claire Fontaine Notebooks
And
very often my other favorite Inkjoy pens
*note: not pickin up any affiliate fee with these, just love em.’
- *Being with yourself is part of the practiceThere’s not a person alive or passed, who has studied Sanskrit that hasn’t spent a lot of time on it. When we approach the idea of Sanskrit development needing loads of time, we feel daunted and right there often throw in the towel.Let Sanskrit slowly reveal herself to you and let that steady practice show you how to be with yourself in the process. Remind yourself by saying:* I am here learning and focusing. Then breathe and continue. It’s a marvelous practice. Let yourself saturate in it.
Pro Tip: Don’t let life demands cut into your study. Make study time a priority.
5. Words shape our thoughts
Words shapes how we see ourselves, the world and our thoughts.
Sanskrit excels in this area.
This month, pick one Sanskrit word to align yourself with.
Here’s what I want you to do: Say it, meditate on it and all around consider it.
Then watch what happens.
[I got you covered with a mini list to jump start your practice.
Pick from the group below or select a new word on your own]
śraddhā – faith, saundarya – beauty, abhaya – fearlessness, santoṣa – contentment, viśvāsa – trust, śrīyā – prosperity, āśā – hope, pratiṣṭhā – stability, sṛjanā – new creativity].
also check out this cool video that echoes how language shapes thinking: http://t.ted.com/c9aPP5m
last but not least … drum roll….
- Sanskrit is a language of vibrationWhat I mean when I say Sanskrit is a language of vibration is when you study Sanskrit, you are knowingly, or unknowingly, learning about the world of vibration. The vibrational realm is an unseen universe where energy reigns supreme, and where the world of objects and manifestation are there for your growth. Hold to this as a North Star, as you work with the language.
That’s it, you made it through the 6 essential things ya gotta know about Sanskrit. Whoot, you did it.
Consider which of the 6 keys speaks to you most and start to integrate what I shared into your practice.
Don’t forget to select the one Sanskrit word you want to align with over the next month.
Copyright 2023 Luminous Shabda, Sanskrit Studies & Manorama
The post 6 Essentials Ya Gotta Know About Sanskrit first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9 verse 26
OM Patram Pushpam Phalam Toyam Yo Me Bhaktyā PrayacchatiTad Aham Bhaktyupahrtam Aśnāmi PrayatātmanahHe who offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water,
I receive that devotional offering from one who’s mind is restrained.
Devotion in the Bhagavad GitaIn the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna instructs Arjuna in how to live a yogic life. In the Sanskrit verse above, he tells Arjuna when one makes an offering with sincerity, even when it is something small, like a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, Krishna will receive that devotional offering. What does it mean for Krishna to say he will receive an offering? First let’s note that Krishna represents distinct and overlapping elements: He is the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe, who incarnated into form to help rid the world of suffering. And simultaneously, Krishna is as a loving teacher, who guides his capable student, Arjuna.
When Krishna says ‘he who offers to Me’ the capitalization of the ‘m’ in the word ‘Me’ throughout the translation, refers to Krishna as Supreme God, the avatar of the all-powerful Lord Vishnu. The reader must understand that when Krishna refers to himself, as Me with a capital ‘M;’ he is not simply referring to himself as an embodied being named Krishna, the capitalization is referring to Krishna as God itself.
When someone accepts your offering what happens? The offering becomes a part of him. Likewise when God receives your offering it becomes a part of him. Krishna tells Arjuna that he will receive the offering when it is extended with devotion. A devotional offering acts as a bridge linking the offerer to God’s full acceptance which is the realization of Self.
A Quiet MindWhat is a quiet mind? A quiet mind is a mind devoid of thoughts. Generally speaking, the mind moves from thought to thought, while a quiet mind remains still. Since the still mind is free from thoughts, (i.e. doesn’t jump from thought to thought), so, one who has a quiet mind doesn’t move through life by the mind alone. Instead the one absorbed in thoughtless reality, derives strength and inner guidance from what lies beyond the realm of thought. The verse says, Krishna will accept the devotional offering and that offering will merge in him, but that will only happen when the offering is made by one who’s mind is restrained. The job of the yogini-in-training is to quiet her mind. Luckily the great sages left us yogic practices, such as asana, chanting and meditation to support the cultivation of inner silence.
Luminous Soul MeditationSit quietly for 8 minutes
Pay attention to your breathing
Survey your body
Sense any tension bring your awareness there and soften
Watch your thoughts as they rise and fall
Don’t move to make meaning just watch
Venture out beyond mind and feel what you are beyond thought
Be with that
©2020 Luminous Shabda, Luminous Soul & Manorama
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_______________________________________________________
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The post Devotion in the Bhagavad Gita first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
After my mom passed, my sister became the keeper of the family photos, drawings and such. Now whenever I visit my sister Jen’s home, I feel like I’m simultaneously stepping back and forward in time. Her home, for me, is a shrine of sorts to our mom. I recognize almost every object there that is connected with her. The armoire that sat in our dinning room, as children, stands near her front door. The one we’d run past a thousand times. The one where sometimes at just the right moment you’d rummage through the bottom drawer and find tiny treasures. Or the small woodcut/painting above Jen’s kitchen sink that used to hang in our childhood kitchen. It holds the motif of the same country vibe. Ma used to say, “People say my style is shabby chic.” She’d follow her statement with an uproarious laughter and a wide smile. When you lean in and look closely at that miniature scene hanging there, you’ll glimpse the dotted pale blue and titanium white reminiscent of the south of France, somehow it stands as a nod to Ma’s bohemian style. There it is hangin on the wall, Ma’s eclectic, inclusionary nature, her quiet knowing.
Round the corner and I find the tall standing lamp in Jen’s living room whose dimmer nob sorta works. (Even now) it conjures memories of the times Ma would jimmy it to get it working. That was Ma, the quintessential figure-it-outer. The most can-do human I’ve ever known. She always found a way to make something work. She always found a way to turn the light on in any situation. In later years, as I matured and had the wherewithal to contemplate my parents more, I inquired of her, “Ma, how did you learn to enjoy life so much? How did you get like that?” She paused what she was doing and looked up above her glasses. She knew it was a moment of depth amidst the everyday so calibrating herself to drop a bit of wisdom, she said in that casual style of hers, “After my father’s death, I spent a lot of time with Mrs Applegate.” Returning to her stitching she went on, “Mrs Applegate taught me a lot about how to really enjoy life.”
With the loss of her father at 12 years old, Ma faced her biggest obstacle at that time. She loved him deeply. His exit left an incalculable loss for her. Yet what she did in the wake of all that was remarkable, she didn’t fold, she sought those who knew how to live life well beginning with Mrs Applegate. She found models of the joie de vivre and fashioned her own self out of that clay.
The month of December holds the anniversary of Ma’s passing. I find myself feeling grateful for all the colorful toothpicks Ma put in the food at our birthdays, all the ways she lit up when we walked into the room, all the soups she made us and all the joys she brought to our lives both large and small. She showed us how to live.
Love,
Manorama
_______________________
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Learn to connect daily with your innate sense of wholeness.
Be guided by Manorama in Meditation, Chanting, Yogic Teachings, and Wisdom Discussions.
Come away with great peace in your self and your sense of purpose.
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~ Manorama
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*Photos: 1. Angel drawing by Ma (Marlene D’Alvia). 2. Photo by Timur Civan Circa 2010.
C2022 Luminous Shabda, Sanskrit Studies & Manorama
The post Guides & Living a Remarkable Life first appeared on Sanskrit Studies.
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9 verse 26 OM Patram Pushpam Phalam Toyam Yo Me Bhaktyā Prayacchati Tad Aham Bhaktyupahrtam Aśnāmi Prayatātmanah He who offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I receive that devotional offering from one who’s mind is restrained. Devotion in the Bhagavad Gita In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna […]
The post Devotion in the Bhagavad Gita appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest Upanishad consisting of just 12 verses. This Upanishad is associated with the Atharva Veda and is also considered fifth among the canon of the 108 principle Upanishads. The Mandukya Upanishad focuses on elucidating the topic OM (or AUM) and the three states of, waking, dreaming and deep sleep, as […]
The post The Mandukya Upanishad appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
When you study Sanskrit, you engage two subjects at the same time: The scholarly and the mystical. In my classes, I often share that Sanskrit is a meeting place of high grammar, which includes mental gymnastics of the intellectual world, and it’s also a doorway to the world of mysticism. Learning Sanskrit shows the practitioner […]
The post The Beautiful World of Sanskrit appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
Baba Bhagavan Das was the Sad Guru of my teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. When I travelled with my guru in the 1980’s and 90’s, whenever he spoke of his own teacher, his eyes would well up, and he would be filled with emotion, as he attempted to say something about the man he knew. It […]
The post On The Subject of Baba Bhagavan Das appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
When I first met Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, I remember being amazed at how beautiful his teachings were. At the time, I couldn’t believe anyone had a clue the way he did. During those initial months of learning from him, it was as if he read my mind and was teaching everything that I had been […]
The post THE MYSTERY OF DURGA MATA & THE SACRED LINK BETWEEN GURU & SHISHYA appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
Contrary to popular understanding, karma is not a cosmic retribution scale. Karma is not you messed up and now (whatever bad there is) is comin’ for you. Karma is a field of energy. An energetic field of balance. Most people move about in life taking actions unconsciously and justifying the need for them. Yet every […]
The post How to Work with Karma appeared first on Sanskrit Studies.
The Sanskrit word for truth is Satya. In our current climate, individually, politically, socially and spiritually, it feels more than ever that satya is to be studied. But how do we do this without asserting that our views, our perception, is better than the other guy? How can we be sure that we are on the side […]
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The Kena Upanishad is called a mukhya, which means a Principle Upanishad. It centralizes around the first word in its title, ‘Kena,’ which, in Sanskrit, means ‘By Whom?’ The focus of the Upanishad asks the reader to ponder what is the force that is up underneath everything? ‘By Whom’ is everything moving, growing and decaying? […]
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The Upanishads form some of the oldest Yogic teachings. Within their verses and stories, the reader will discover the vision of the Rishis. It is this vision, a kind of Supra-Understanding, that the student wants access to. When you read the Upanishads and work to align with the vision of the rishis, you begin to […]
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Luminous Soul Definitions 1. Ātmā Ātmā the Self, the Absolute Reality. Manorama’s Commentary: Atma is your highest Self. In the Atmabodha text, Shankaracharya lays out non-dualistic, Advaita Vedanta philosophy for coming into union with your highest Self or Atma. 2. Sākshī Sakshī means the witness, the observer, Eternal. Manorama’s Commentary: In yogic dialog, the Sakshi […]
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