[INDOLOGY] nAdevo devam arcayet

[Dr. T. Ganesan]

Though Vedanta has the concept of aham brahmasmi, etc. THOSE CONCEPTS 
ARE NOT USED AND NOT MEANT TO BE USED IN DAILY RITUAL BY THE VEDANTA 
FOLLOWERS. These MahAvAkya-s of the VedAnta are strictly for meditation 
with the sole aim to realise the oneness or identity. In none of the 
VedAnta traditions and especially in the Advaita vedAnta tradition also 
this visualisd identity is _not prescribed as a preliminary to daily 
worship._ In fact, it is the opposite of it: According to VedAnta, after 
realisation of aham brahmAsmi, there is no further ritual to be 
performed. !!

But the Saiva Agamic/Tantric context is entirely different where this 
non-difference between the individual self and Siva is first visualised 
by the self and then the ritual of worship is performed. This visualised 
identity is the precondition for any worship in the SaivAgama. For that 
the _SaivAgama-s need not import it from the VedAnta_. And, there is no 
evidence also to prove such a borrowing.

Further, visualising (dhyAna, bhAvanA) oneself as Rudra , Siva, etc. in 
the Agama/Tantric system is also fundamentally different from meditating 
ahaM brahmAsmi as prescribed in VedAnta. For, in the SaivAgama tradition 
the worshipper visualises himself to be Siva in all His full attributes 
as conceived and as prescribed in the respective SaivAgama-s by 
performing the various nyAsa-s, and reciting the mantra-s,  whereas, 
herein lies the basic difference, in the VedAnta, the meditator 
meditates on Brahma without attributes or on Brahma for whom the VedAnta 
does not give any complete physical attributes as it is against the very 
vedAnta principle, and this meditation is done in vedAnta tradition 
without any nyAsa or mantra recitation.

By the way, there are quite a few fundamental differences between the 
concept of Advaita and its connotations as proclaimed in the VedAnta  
and in the Saiva Agamic systems.


Ganesan




On 30-09-2014 11:09, Nivedita Rout wrote:
>> Also, nArudrO rudramarchayEt is seen expressed in revert ways in 
>> early "Saiva canons and in later paddhati literature, for example: in 
>> Ni"svaasa uttarasuutra, 2.8.: "/s'ivi-bhutah. prasanna-tma- 
>> s'ivasya-rcanama-caret"; in Sarvaj/ña-nottara tantra, 5.2. 
>> "/s'ivi-bhu-tah supu-ta-tma- s'ivasya-rcanama-rabhet" and in many 
>> "Saiva Paddhati literature -"//s'ivo bhu-tva- s'ivam. yajet". 
>> Morever, it is a Vedantic concept of identifying oneself with Brahman 
>> (aham brahmosmi, so aham), and implemented in "Saiva philosophy as 
>> well in "Saiva rituals and worship as Prof. Nagaraj Paturi mentions./
>> /
>> /
> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 30, 2014 9:45 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [INDOLOGY] nAdevo devam arcayet
>
> This basic concept and the statement to that effect is found in almost 
> all Saiva systems and the allied SAkta systems such as the SrIvidyA. 
> But in all probability, it seems to be absent ( or not so prominent ?) 
> in the VaiShNava tradition, especially in the PAncarAtra system.
>
> Ganesan
>
> On 30-09-2014 00:57, Nagaraj Paturi wrote:
>> nArudrO rudramarchayEt is usually quoted by the performers of 
>> mahanyAsa pUrvaka rudrAbhishEka ritual as an explanation for the 
>> anganyaasa karanyaasa portions of the ritual in which the performer 
>> does aavaahana (the supernatural process of bringing and filling the 
>> spirit into one's own self)  of rudra onto himself.
>> Similar anganyaasa karanyaasa portions form the early part of 
>> archanaa of many other dEvas. nAdevo devam arcayet is probably an 
>> extension of the statement nArudrO rudramarchayEt to the rituals 
>> other than rudrAbhiShEka.
>> -- 


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