MANTRA VARNA MALA 6

PHA

Pha is the acoustic root of bhaya vrtti [the propensity of

fear]. Though fear is generally caused by more than one

factor, it is mainly born otmoha ripu.

BA

Ba is the acoustic root of. avajina' vrtti [indifference].

When one ignores something which is actually unacceptable,

that is called upeks'a', but when one neglects something

which may actually have some value, that is called avajina'.

Avajina' is somewhat similar in meaning to avahela'.

Upeks'a' is not always used in a bad way, but avahela'

certainly has a negative connotation. It is said,

MaetriU-karun 'a '-muditopeks 'a 'n 'a 'm '-sukha-duhkha-

pun'ya' - Pun'yavis'aya'na'm' bha'vana'tashcittapra-

sa'danam.

Often when someone sees another person who is happy in

life he or she feels pangs of jealousy; but thJs is not an ideal

attitude. An ideal person will develop a benign attitude toward

the happy person, saying, "That person is in such a happy

frame of mind - may he stay that way forever." And for those

people who live in misery one should develop an attitude of

compassion. One should never feel happy upon seeing the

sorrows of others, but should think, "What a miserable life

that person is leading. I hope things get better for him soon."

Neither should one be jealous of a person who performs

many virtuous deeds and charitable actions. Rather one

 

 

should think well of the person since he or she is doing good

work. "Let his intellect continue to inspire him to perform

such virtuous actions. I fully support him." And if someone

is engaged in unrighteous deeds, his neighbours should ig-

nore his dark side, and should not repeatedly condemn him.

One should say, "Well, I'm not bothered by what he says or

does - that's his own business." But this attitude of tolerance

can only be accepted to a certain extent. If the person's sinful

orwicked actions harm society and disrupt social life, one can

no longer afford to be indifferent.

BHA

Bha is the acoustic root of the mu'rccha' vrtti. Here

mu'rccha' does not mean senselessness; it means to lose

one's common sense under the hypnotic spell of a particular

ripu. To avoid the unsalutary effects oimurccha' vrtti, one

should direct one's mind along the path of righteousness

through the practice ofpratya'ha'ra yoga.

Those who have not learned the technique ofpratya 'ha 'ra

yoga* should do kiirtana aloud or sing devotional songs to

escape the clutches of mu'rccha' vrttL

MA

Ma is the acoustic root ofpran'a'sha [the propensity of

annihilation]. It is also the acoustic root ofprashraya vrtti -

giving latitude [or treating with indulgence] - in Hindi

bar'hva' dena'.

 

 

YA

Ya is the acoustic root of avishva'sa vrtti [lack of confi-

dence], and is also the acoustic root of constant movement

(like the movement of air). You may have met people who

have no confidence in themselves at all, even if they are told

to be self-confident. Such people say right up to the end of

their lives, "Shall I be able to do it?" They can never accom-

plish anything great in this world. As they also lack confi-

dence in others, others have no confidence in them.

RA

Ra is the acoustic root of agnitattva or pra'n'ashakti —

vitality. (Ram' biijam' shikhinam' dhya'yet, trikon'am-

arun'aprabham.) It is also the acoustic root ofsarvaiw'sha

[the thought of annihilation]. Sarvana'sha causes people to

think, "I have nothing of my own. Everything is gone. I am

undone." Such a negative outlook can only be cured with the

constant auto-suggestion, "Parana Purus'a is mine," which

in the language ofTantra is called gum mantra. The feeling

that one is defeated in life is ra-biija'tmak [symbolized by

ra], and its cure is the auto-suggestion that "I have come to

win. I am destined to win." People of developed mentality try

to keep the minds of people of such negative outlook free

from the unhealthy effect of that mentality by outer-sugges-

tion. To do this is the duty of each and every good person.

We should see that our fellow human beings are never al-

lowed to throw themselves into the abyss of frustration and

disappointment; they should be rescued before they jump.

Ra is also the acoustic root of fire. So the monosyllabic

word ra means "fire".

 

 

LA

La is the acoustic root of krurata' vrtti [cruelty]. When

human beings encounter this propensity in other human be-

ings, they should counteract it with the propensity of compas-

sion. When one sees someone in the throes of misery one

should think, "Oh, what great misery the man is suffering

from! Is there anything I can do to reduce his misery? Al-

though the person is a human in all other respects, how crude

he is in thought and behaviour. Can't I help him to arouse his

latent intellect?" This attitude of compassion is the effective

counter-measure for krurata' vrtti.

La is also the acoustic root ofks'ititattva, the solid factor.

Lam' biijam' dharan'iim' dhya'yet

Catura 'sra 'm ' supUta 'bha 'm.

VA

Va is the acoustic root ofdharma. Dharma means enscon-

cement in one's original stance. The innate propensity of

human beings is to move along the path towards subtlety in

the psychic and spiritual spheres, and finally to merge into

Parama Purus'a. The unbroken movement of the human

mind towards Parama Purus'a is called ma'nava dharma. It

moves one from a state of ordinary happiness ever forward

and eventually establishes one in the realm of Supreme Be-

atitude.

Sukham' va'inchati sarwo hi

Tacca dharma samudbhu'tah;

Tasma 'ddharmah soda 'ka 'ryah

Sarvavarn 'aer prayatna 'tah.

 

[All living beings long for happiness. Dharma originates

from that innate propensity. Hence dharma should always be

observed meticulously by all people.]

*    *    *

Dhriyate dharma itya'huh sa evapararnam' prabhu.

[Dharma is that which sustains.]

The seed of humanity cannot sprout and flourish unless it

is planted in the soil of dharma. To diverge from the path of

dharma means to rush headlong towards total annihilation. In

all one's actions one should keepParama Purus 'a as the goal,

and be well-established in dharma.

Va is also the acoustic root otjalatattva [the liquid factor],

and the acoustic root of the mythological rain-god Varun'a

Deva. Jalatattva means not only water, but any liquid.

SHA

Sha is the acoustic root otrajogun'a [the mutative princi-

ple]. It is also the acoustic root oiartha [psychic longing].

Of the four vargas [basic goals of life], one, already men-

tioned, is dharma, whose acoustic root is va; the second varga

is artha, which brings about the temporary cessation of

worldly wants. (That which brings about the permanent ces-

sation of worldly wants is Parama'rtha.)

Sha is the acoustic root of both artha and the mutative

principle. Ra is the acoustic root of energy. So shra is indica-

tive of the mutative principle supplemented by vitality. Shra

+ uniis' (feminine suffix) = shriL

The expression of vital energy arising due to the influence

of the mutative principle on one's existence is natural for

human beings in the mundane sphere. Hence the practice of

using shrii before someone's name [as a blessing on one's

dynamism] has been the custom since ancient times.

 

 

S'A

S'a is the acoustic root of tamogwt'a [the static principle],

and is also the acoustic root of all kinds ofworldly desires -

desires for things such as wealth, opulence, name, fame and

social position. The word ka'ma is used in Sanskrit as the

collective term for these desires and longings.

Dharma [psycho-spiritual longing], artha [psychic \ong-

ing], ka'ma [physical longing], andmoks'a [spiritual longing,

the longing for unqualified liberation] are the four recognized

longings or goals of human life.

To avoid any confusion, I say once again in unambiguous

terms that ka'ma means all types of physical longings.

 

 

SA

Sa is the acoustic root of moks'a [salvation, unqualified

liberation]. (As mentioned, va is the acoustic root ofdharma,

ensconcement in one's original stance; sha is the acoustic root

ofartha, the removal ofworldly wants; and s'a is the acoustic

root offal 'ma, worldly [and especially physical] wants.) Each

of the letters is the acoustic root of one of the four vargas. Va

is additionally the acoustic root of the liquid factor; sha is the

acoustic root of rajogun'a; s'a is the acoustic root of ta-

mogun'a; and sa is the acoustic root of sattvagun'a [the

sentient principle].

HA

Ha is the acoustic root of the ethereal factor, ofdaytime, of

the sun, ofsvarloka,  andofpara'vidya' [intuitional sci-

ence]. Opposite to ha is fha, which is the acoustic root of

 nighttime, of the moon, of bhu'varloka,* and of the

ka 'mamaya kos 'a. *

Ha + ao = hao, which is the acoustic root of Shiva in His

posture of dancing ta'n'd'ava. But the acoustic root of Shiva

in His role of spiritual preceptor is aem'. (It has already been

noted that aem' is also the acoustic root of one's preceptor

and of the goddess of learning -Aem' gurave namah; Aem'

Sarasvatyae namah).

KS'A

Ks'a is the acoustic root of mundane knowledge, and is also

the acoustic root of material science.

 

 

   

 

MATERIAL FOR BA PART 3 PAPER 5