T N Dhar Kundan
T N Dhar ‘Kundan’
There is a belief that everything under the Sun is divine dispensation. Sound is divine and is called 'Shabda-Brahma'.
Elements are divine. Creation is divine since it is the manifestation of the Divine. Universe is divine since it is the reflection of the Divine. Everything is self- regulatory and works with clock-like precision on the principle of cause and effect. Human being appeared on this planet earth and felt the need for communicating with others of his ilk. He, it is imagined, must have started this conversation initially by signs of his hands, head and other parts of his body. Love he must have shown by smiling. Anger he must have indicated by tightening his brows.
Calling near and sending away he must have pointed out by his hands. Disgust he must have expressed by hitting anything in front of him by his foot. In the process he must have shouted sometimes and shrieked sometimes. Then he must have heard different sounds like chirping of birds, thunder in the sky, hissing of breeze, roaring of animals and the music produced by running brooks and rivulets. These must have inspired him to use his tongue and mouth and other vocal cords to produce different sounds. That would have given birth to a language. He would have observed in due course of time that a new born child utters what are called now vowel- sounds like a, aa, e, ee, o, oo in the beginning and after quite some time, he starts uttering other sounds, which have come to be known as consonants, like ka, kaa, ma, maa etc. Language must have begun as an oral exercise at first and come to be written God knows after how many centuries. One thing is, however, certain that written language was at first pictorial and graphic and was in due course of time replaced by phonetic alphabets. This gave rise to a variety of scripts.
As regards the Devanagari script used for many languages including Sanskrit and Hindi, the conventional belief is that when Shiva in the form of Nataraja or a dancer finished dancing, he produced fourteen sounds from his hand drum called 'Damroo', at the request of some devout sages. These fourteen sounds are collectively called 'Maheshwara Sutrani'. This became the corpus of the script and the foundation for the Sanskrit grammar. It fanned into vowel sounds and consonant sounds as also some combinations of sorts. In Kashmir Shaiva philosophy this is known as
'Matrika chakra'. It has been given deep meaning by linking each alphabet with some aspect of the Divine and his Energy, Shiva and Shakti, the two inseparable aspects of the same entity. It is also connected with the will of the Divine to create the universe, including the initial apprehension and the eventual resolve.
Broadly, it is held that vowels are Shiva aspect and the consonants, the Shakti aspect. The first vowel 'a' represents consciousness of the Divine and the second 'aa', its elongated form His bliss. The third 'e' and the fourth 'ee', its elongated form, represent His un-agitated and agitated will, respectively, 'o' is his knowledge that thinks of creating the universe but the longer version 'oo' denotes some apprehension in this regard. Now this apprehension is overpowered by His consciousness and bliss, which gives rise to action of the Divine. This power of action is of four intensities, 'ai' as not vivid, 'aiy' as vivid, 'oa' as more vivid and finally 'au' as the vivid most. Now the reflection of the universe takes place in two forms. 'Urn', with one spot on the top, as unchanged Divine and 'Ah' as reflection, with two spots in front, representing the Divine and His Energy aspect. When the universal existence is at stand still known as 'Anaashrit Shiva', it is represented by four vowels, 'ri', 'ree', 'lri' and 'lree', collectively called 'Amrit Beeja'.
At this stage the reflection of universe takes place, and this is linked with various consonants collectively called Shakti aspect. The first group called, 'Ka-varga' comprising 'ka, kha, ga, gha and na' represents five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, respectively. The second group known as 'Cha-varga' comprising 'cha, chha, ja, jha and na' stands for five perceptions of smell, taste, form, touch and sound, in that order. The third group of consonants named 'Ta-varga' comprising 'ta, tha, da, dha, and na' denotes five motor organs of action namely, organ of recreation, organ of excretion, feet, hands and mouth. The fourth group of 'ta-varga' comprising 'ta, tha, da, dha and na' represents five organs of perception namely, nose, tongue, eye, skin and ears. The fifth group of five consonants named, 'Pa-varga' comprising 'pa, pha, ba, bha and ma', represents five subtle aspects of human existence. These are, mind, intellect, ego, nature and self, in that order.
There are a few other consonants too. The divinity of these has been described and explained very lucidly. In this process of creation when time and creativity combine, it is denoted by 'Ya'. The next consonant 'Ra' represents Vidya or knowledge. Again, when attachment and space combine in this process, it is represented by 'La'. The fourth letter in this group 'Va' refers to illusion or self-ignorance. This group is collectively named 'Antasth' or internal limitation. The next group also has four letters and is called 'Ushma' or the heat of Divine nature. It starts with 'Sha' denoting pure objectivity called 'this this'. Next is 'Shha' referring to objective subjectivity called 'this I', the third is 'Sa', denoting subjective objectivity called 'I this'. The last of the group is 'Ha', which represents pure subjective energy called T.
A language is the expression of thoughts and ideas deep rooted in human mind. This expression can be oral through one's mouth, expressed by symbols or written in a script as described in preceding paragraphs. When it is deep rooted in the mind, it is in the form of the Divine and is referred to as 'Para' or Supreme and subtle. In due course it takes three positions. The first is called 'Pashyanti' that is when the idea throbs to get expressed. The second position is interim known as 'Madhyama' or the middle one, when it crys- talizes to take the final form. The final third position is named 'Vaikhari' and at this position the idea gets expressed by word of mouth or in writing. In writing it forms a combination of vowels and consonants, the 'Shiva tatva' and the 'Shakti tatva' and in effect becomes the reflection of divinity as a result of the will of the Divine.
One of the oldest philosophic doctrine is that the Divine is sound, 'Shabda Brahma'. When we concentrate on the details about the alphabets given above, we find that in fact it is so. The sound takes different forms from the subtlest to gross. It permeates in the creation and yet remains in a transcendental position. This is clearly stated thus: 'Vishwaatmikaam tad-utteemaam - He pervades the entire universe but remains above it. In Purushasukhtam also the same idea is stated in this statement: 'Ati tishthat dashaan- gulam - He remains ten measures higher from the created universe'. No doubt the Divine is referred to as Sat, Chit, Aanand or the Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. The creation is His 'Laala' or play. He takes both the forms of the creator and the creator. He is the subject and object both and that is reflected in the last set of four consonants called 'Ushma' or the heat of His nature. An aspirant sees in the first instance only object. Then he sees subject in object and object in subject.
At the final stage of his spiritual quest he sees only subject and that is the liberation.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are T N Dhar ‘Kundan’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.
Courtesy: Spade A Spade January, 2019 and T N Dhar ‘Kundan’
T N Dhar Kundan
T N Dhar ‘Kundan’
There is a belief that everything under the Sun is divine dispensation. Sound is divine and is called 'Shabda-Brahma'.
Elements are divine. Creation is divine since it is the manifestation of the Divine. Universe is divine since it is the reflection of the Divine. Everything is self- regulatory and works with clock-like precision on the principle of cause and effect. Human being appeared on this planet earth and felt the need for communicating with others of his ilk. He, it is imagined, must have started this conversation initially by signs of his hands, head and other parts of his body. Love he must have shown by smiling. Anger he must have indicated by tightening his brows.
Calling near and sending away he must have pointed out by his hands. Disgust he must have expressed by hitting anything in front of him by his foot. In the process he must have shouted sometimes and shrieked sometimes. Then he must have heard different sounds like chirping of birds, thunder in the sky, hissing of breeze, roaring of animals and the music produced by running brooks and rivulets. These must have inspired him to use his tongue and mouth and other vocal cords to produce different sounds. That would have given birth to a language. He would have observed in due course of time that a new born child utters what are called now vowel- sounds like a, aa, e, ee, o, oo in the beginning and after quite some time, he starts uttering other sounds, which have come to be known as consonants, like ka, kaa, ma, maa etc. Language must have begun as an oral exercise at first and come to be written God knows after how many centuries. One thing is, however, certain that written language was at first pictorial and graphic and was in due course of time replaced by phonetic alphabets. This gave rise to a variety of scripts.
As regards the Devanagari script used for many languages including Sanskrit and Hindi, the conventional belief is that when Shiva in the form of Nataraja or a dancer finished dancing, he produced fourteen sounds from his hand drum called 'Damroo', at the request of some devout sages. These fourteen sounds are collectively called 'Maheshwara Sutrani'. This became the corpus of the script and the foundation for the Sanskrit grammar. It fanned into vowel sounds and consonant sounds as also some combinations of sorts. In Kashmir Shaiva philosophy this is known as
'Matrika chakra'. It has been given deep meaning by linking each alphabet with some aspect of the Divine and his Energy, Shiva and Shakti, the two inseparable aspects of the same entity. It is also connected with the will of the Divine to create the universe, including the initial apprehension and the eventual resolve.
Broadly, it is held that vowels are Shiva aspect and the consonants, the Shakti aspect. The first vowel 'a' represents consciousness of the Divine and the second 'aa', its elongated form His bliss. The third 'e' and the fourth 'ee', its elongated form, represent His un-agitated and agitated will, respectively, 'o' is his knowledge that thinks of creating the universe but the longer version 'oo' denotes some apprehension in this regard. Now this apprehension is overpowered by His consciousness and bliss, which gives rise to action of the Divine. This power of action is of four intensities, 'ai' as not vivid, 'aiy' as vivid, 'oa' as more vivid and finally 'au' as the vivid most. Now the reflection of the universe takes place in two forms. 'Urn', with one spot on the top, as unchanged Divine and 'Ah' as reflection, with two spots in front, representing the Divine and His Energy aspect. When the universal existence is at stand still known as 'Anaashrit Shiva', it is represented by four vowels, 'ri', 'ree', 'lri' and 'lree', collectively called 'Amrit Beeja'.
At this stage the reflection of universe takes place, and this is linked with various consonants collectively called Shakti aspect. The first group called, 'Ka-varga' comprising 'ka, kha, ga, gha and na' represents five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether, respectively. The second group known as 'Cha-varga' comprising 'cha, chha, ja, jha and na' stands for five perceptions of smell, taste, form, touch and sound, in that order. The third group of consonants named 'Ta-varga' comprising 'ta, tha, da, dha, and na' denotes five motor organs of action namely, organ of recreation, organ of excretion, feet, hands and mouth. The fourth group of 'ta-varga' comprising 'ta, tha, da, dha and na' represents five organs of perception namely, nose, tongue, eye, skin and ears. The fifth group of five consonants named, 'Pa-varga' comprising 'pa, pha, ba, bha and ma', represents five subtle aspects of human existence. These are, mind, intellect, ego, nature and self, in that order.
There are a few other consonants too. The divinity of these has been described and explained very lucidly. In this process of creation when time and creativity combine, it is denoted by 'Ya'. The next consonant 'Ra' represents Vidya or knowledge. Again, when attachment and space combine in this process, it is represented by 'La'. The fourth letter in this group 'Va' refers to illusion or self-ignorance. This group is collectively named 'Antasth' or internal limitation. The next group also has four letters and is called 'Ushma' or the heat of Divine nature. It starts with 'Sha' denoting pure objectivity called 'this this'. Next is 'Shha' referring to objective subjectivity called 'this I', the third is 'Sa', denoting subjective objectivity called 'I this'. The last of the group is 'Ha', which represents pure subjective energy called T.
A language is the expression of thoughts and ideas deep rooted in human mind. This expression can be oral through one's mouth, expressed by symbols or written in a script as described in preceding paragraphs. When it is deep rooted in the mind, it is in the form of the Divine and is referred to as 'Para' or Supreme and subtle. In due course it takes three positions. The first is called 'Pashyanti' that is when the idea throbs to get expressed. The second position is interim known as 'Madhyama' or the middle one, when it crys- talizes to take the final form. The final third position is named 'Vaikhari' and at this position the idea gets expressed by word of mouth or in writing. In writing it forms a combination of vowels and consonants, the 'Shiva tatva' and the 'Shakti tatva' and in effect becomes the reflection of divinity as a result of the will of the Divine.
One of the oldest philosophic doctrine is that the Divine is sound, 'Shabda Brahma'. When we concentrate on the details about the alphabets given above, we find that in fact it is so. The sound takes different forms from the subtlest to gross. It permeates in the creation and yet remains in a transcendental position. This is clearly stated thus: 'Vishwaatmikaam tad-utteemaam - He pervades the entire universe but remains above it. In Purushasukhtam also the same idea is stated in this statement: 'Ati tishthat dashaan- gulam - He remains ten measures higher from the created universe'. No doubt the Divine is referred to as Sat, Chit, Aanand or the Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. The creation is His 'Laala' or play. He takes both the forms of the creator and the creator. He is the subject and object both and that is reflected in the last set of four consonants called 'Ushma' or the heat of His nature. An aspirant sees in the first instance only object. Then he sees subject in object and object in subject.
At the final stage of his spiritual quest he sees only subject and that is the liberation.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are T N Dhar ‘Kundan’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.
Courtesy: Spade A Spade January, 2019 and T N Dhar ‘Kundan’