Hari OM
'Text-days' are for delving into the
words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.
First today, Shubh Diwali to all who
celebrate the Hindu festival of lights!!!
This month the prayer of focus will be the Mahaa-MRtunjaya Mantra.
Last week we saw the verse in its Sanskrit form, the transliteration and the
overall English translation as well as being given some further understanding
as the importance of chant metre and how this particular mantra is a key to
removal of fear and worry; particularly at times of physical strife.
Let us now look a little closer. First let us take the word
'triyambakam' - the three-eyed one. Okay, what are the 'three' eyes?
Lord Shiva's right eye is the eye of Justice; He shines it upon us
through our intellect and thinking capacity. Only with judgement can we keep
correcting ourselves to improve and avoid repeating any mistakes we make. For
every action there is re-action and if we want certain results then we must
understand this and act accordingly. We praise Him for providing us with the
faculty of judgement. Next is the left eye which represents Compassion.
Judgement alone is clinical and can be harsh, it needs balance; to ensure that
the judgement is fair and appropriate we need compassion, which arises from
Love Universal. Equally, we cannot live by emotion alone, so the two eyes must
be balanced, properly adjusted. How is the best balance achieved? Through the 'third eye', which is Wisdom.
Whilst in pictorial representations of Lord Shiva we clearly see the third
eye, it is actually present in all of us. We have to beware that it does not
become hidden to ourselves through excess of the first two. The level of wisdom
which comes when our third eye is equally balanced can often astound us; many
people refer to it as their 'gut instinct' or a kind of 'sixth sense'. There is
nothing actually mystical or magic about it though. It is merely the highest
function of being-ness that has been gifted to us, but it requires a pure and
clean personality to wield it well.
Another way to consider the presence of the three eyes is to think
of the triavasthaa - the three states of being; waking, dreaming and deep
sleeping states. Justice/Awake, Compassion/ Dreaming and Wisdom/Deep Sleep. In
the first we think we know what is going on and act in response to that. In the
second there is a tendency to get lost, were it not for the first. In the third
Reality is discovered, but it takes courage and balance to let it remain
permanently with us.
The next word in the mantra is 'yajaamahe'. It means to adore, to
worship or revere. We have to feel this sincerely if we are to gain the maximum
benefit of the chant. It equates to prostration and surrender of our egos. This
is such a key component in spiritual pursuit and it is not until one has properly lain in supplication to the Higher that this truly makes sense. There is also a
sense of sharing which comes from this particular word - the context is 'we'
and not 'I' making supplication. It is acknowledging that there is strength in
numbers and when all are pulling their weight in any given task, how much
easier does it become? How much sooner is it achieved? Sharing is Loving and
Giving. Forget not the importance of this.
