Conception of Parashakti

In Mooka Panchasati, Sri Kamakshi is referred to as darkish blue in colour in the Stuti Sataka, and as saffron in colour in the Aarya Sataka. Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada, in his Soudarya Lahari, describes Ambika's colour as aruna varna, splendrous red of the rising sun. Why is the colour of the same Goddess described as dark-blue in one place and red in another?

According to Devi Mantra Sastraas, Kameswara, who transcends the Trininty, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, is actionless and unattached. Sri Kameswari, the Supreme Parasakthi, seated on the left of Sri Kameswara, is described to be red in colour. The sameness of Parvati, who is dark, and Paraasakti, who is red, is indicated in Mooka Panchasati by attributing both these colours to the Supreme Goddess.

Sri Kameswara's swarupa is like that of a pure sphatika, a colourless solid which becomes invisible when immersed in water. He is thereby conceived as formless even though He has a form. Vishnu and Paravati, both dark-blue, are twin manifestations, are also Siva and Saraswati, both white, and Brahma and Lakshmi, both golden yellow.

Value of Prayer

In this life we are faced with various kinds of difficulties, afflictions and sorrows. We go to a doctor to get relief for our bodily ailments. We approach numerous authorities for obtaining solution for our worldly problems. We also pray to God. Our great men have given guidance as to how to pray and what to pray for. There is one school of thought which says that we should pray to God only for our spiritual salvation. But there are others who think that we owe a duty to the members of the family, and, in the discharge of that duty, we have perforce to invoke the blessings of God by prayer. This is a proper approach and, therefore, even when we have to go to human agencies to get relief, we should first submit our difficulties and troubles to God.

Lord Sri Krishna says in the Gita :

Chaturvidhaa bhajante-maam janaah sukritinorjuna;

Aarto jijnaasur-arthaarthee jnaanee cha bharatarshabha.

Bhagavan mentions four categories of persons who pray to God. The first category is denoted by the term Aartah, i.e., those who are suffering physically and mentally, afflicted by diseases, pain, poverty, troubles, difficulties, etc. They pray to God to lighten their burden and make their existence tolerable. The second category of persons is denoted by the term Jijnaasu those, who are thirsting for knowledge and are eager to get at the truth of things. The expression Arthaarthee denotes the class of people who are fairly well off in the world, but desire to be blessed with more of the good things of life, so that they can live free from troubles and sorrow and also serve others. The last category of persons is denoted by the term Jnaani, those who have acquired Jnaana or wisdom and realised the Supreme Truth. They are people who have realised that there is nothing outside God and that all is God. Yet they too pray. Their prayer is described in the Gita as prayer with the realisation that Vaasudeva is all (Vaasudeva sarvamiti).

Adherence to the Sastras

According to our tradition, there are fourteen branches of knowledge which are common to both general education and dharma. They are described as the sources of vidya and dharma. (Vedaah sthaanaani vidyaanaam dharmasyacha chaturdasa - the fourteen (chaturdasa vidyaas are, the four Vedas, the six Vedaangaas and the four Upaangaas. The six angaas (limbs) of the Vedas are: siksha vyaakaranam, cchandas, niruktam, jyotisham and kalpam). The Tamil expression, sadangu is derived from shadanga or six angaas. The four Upaangaas are: the puraanaas, which illustrate Vedic truths through stories-projecting the truths as if through a magnifying lens-nyaaya, meemaamsa and the smritis. The smritis deal with the Dharma Saastra portion of the Vedas. Between the vedaangaas and the Upaangaas, almost all branches of knowledge are covered. The jyotisha saastra, one of the Vedaangaas, covers the entire field of astronomy, astrology and the technique of prediction. A detailed study of this saastra will prove that our ancient Rishis had perfected what is now known as higher mathematics, long before the science of mathematics, was developed in the West. The Tamil expression saangopaangamaha i.e., with angaas and upaangaas, used to denote a work well done, is very significant. It coveys to us the idea that a job has been done correctly and well, without forgetting even the minutest details.

Advaita Vedanta

The school of thought or sidhaanta expounded by Sri Adi Sankara, is known as Advaita. Greater thinkers who lived before the time of Acharya have also dealt with it. Wise men who came after Shri Acharya have also written profusely about Advaita pouring into their writings their own experience (Swaanubhava), of the Advaitic truth. There are such works not only in English, but also in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi and Hindi. Some of them are original works of Advaita. Persons belonging to other schools of Hindu religious thought and persons professing other religions have also written on Advaita, out of the abundance of their rich spiritual experience. Some of the names that come to mind are Tattvaraya Swami, A Madhava, Mastan Saheb, a Muslim and Vedanayagam Pillai, a Christian. In recent times we have the example of the late A.V. Gopalacharya, who has written a number of treatises and essays on Advaita.

It is worthy of note that whatever their mutual differences may be, all thinkers belonging to schools other than Advaita, are one in their attack on Sri Adi Sankara's views. This should be regarded as a tribute paid by them to Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada. Each of them singled out Advaita, as expounded by Sri Acharya, as the only system worthy of taking notice of for the purpose of criticising. According to Advaita, the ultimate bliss is the experience of non-difference between the Jivatma and the Paramatma. Acharyas of other schools of thought would wish to have at least a tract of distinction between the two so that the Jivatma, standing apart, may be able to enjoy the realisation of the Paramatma. Thus the difference between the several systems of Hindu religious thought is slight, as all are agreed upon the ultimate realisation of the Supreme. But when it comes to a question of expounding each system, this difference got magnified to the point of violent opposition. And yet we find that in their ultimate reaches, all of them speak the language of Advaita. This shows that the expansive heart of Sri Adi Sankara accommodated all views of the ultimate reality and all approaches to it. Though other systems quarrel with Advaita, Advaita has no quarrel with any.