Namaskar - An Expression of Love : Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati.

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What happens when you chant, reflect, meditate, deeply study and understand the powerful mahamantra that invokes the form of Lord Ganapati?

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Monday, September 05, 2022. 06:00
Namaskar - An Expression of Love :  

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The Bhagavad Gita contains a beautiful portion in which Arjuna, after having witnessed the Cosmic Form of Sri Krishna, sings eleven shlokas in adoration of Ishvara.1 If we understand these eleven verses deeply, we will be able to appreciate the greatness and glory of Ishvara. The Lord Himself has revealed Himself in the Scriptures.

Arjuna declares2 “Great siddhas and enlightened beings do namaskar to you and why not? You are truly worthy of being praised and worshipped. O Mahatma! You are the Supreme. You are the creator of even Brahmaji.

The Supreme Alone Is

Before the world came into existence, there was the one supreme Brahman. The whole creation came into being from that one Brahman alone. Creation is cyclic - everything emerges from, remains in, and again goes back into the Supreme. It is just like the little children who go to the beach and make castles and other figures from the sand. Once they have finished playing, they break the castle or it is washed away by the waves. The ‘stage’ is ready for another set of children to come and play.

Here the important thing to note is that the sand was always the same: when there was no castle, it was sand; when a castle was made, it was sand; when the castle was wiped out, it is still the same sand. Sand, without undergoing any change or modification appeared as the castle.

Similarly, Satyam, Jnanam, Anantama Brahman, without undergoing any essential change in Its nature, appears like this world.

Creation

The Scriptures point out that the world comes into being after dissolution, pralaya. After each pralaya, the first appearance is of Hiranyagarbha, Brahmaji. The first jiva is Brahmaji. His mind and intellect constitute the Total Mind and Total Intellect. Brahmaji meditates and brings forth the creation which was there before the pralaya into his mind - all the jivas, their bodies, their karmas - and creates the same world again.

Hiranyagarbha is born. Vaishvanara is born. Devatas are born. Tanmatras are converted into panch mahabhuta. They intermingle. Different types of subtle and complex elements are created. They become the body of animals, birds, plants and human beings. In this way the whole world comes into existence. Therefore, Bhagavan is called the Primal Cause - Adi Kartre आदिकर्त्रे-

The Infinite

Arjuna sees the Cosmic Form of the Lord and declares “You are ananta – Infinite”. Infinite is a very difficult concept to comprehend There are no limitations of any kind. The closest example we can understand of infinity is that of Space.

Arjuna continues, “You are the Ishvara of all the devatas. You are the supreme Lord. The entire world resides in You. You are the abode of this universe – Jaggannivas.”

The whole world with all the beings is Bhagavan’s glory. For example, water is just H2O, but it seems magical – it appears like liquid, solid and also vapour. It can appear fluffy like snow. You can add different things to water and it looks different. Similarly, Bhagavan is one, but His expressions are many.

Significance of Namaskar

All the above aspects of His glory should be kept in mind when we do namaskar to Bhagavan. Namaskar is not just folding hands and bowing the head mechanically. Our head should bow down because we understand His greatness. The hands should be folded in humility. The heart should have a feeling of surrender. ‘I am surrendering my karmendriyas, jnanendriyas and antahkaran to You, my Master.’

The physical posture helps us in expressing namaskar. The physical action of bowing down and folding hands itself makes us feel humble. In the beginning, it might be mechanical, but the sadhana of namaskar has the power to dissolve the ego. Then, we will be able to experience our oneness with God.

Goddess Ganga is doing namaskar to the Ocean right from Himalayas. She finally merges into and becomes one with ocean. We will realize our identity with Ishvara through namaskar. Namaskar is the greatest expression of love and bhakti.

1. Chapter 11 Slokam 36 - 46

2.कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात- ्मन्

गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोंS- ्यादिकर्त- रे |

अनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास

त्वमक्षरं सदसत्तत्पर- ं यत् || ३७ ||

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