CHAPTER 7
HINDU WORSHIP
WORSHIP OR UPASANA
Worship is the expression of devotion, reverence and love to the Lord, of keen yearning to
be united with Him and of spiritual thirsting to hold conscious communion with Him. The devotee
prays to the Lord for granting him intense devotion and removing the veil of ignorance. He pines for
His benign grace. He constantly remembers His Name. He repeats His Mantra. He sings His praise.
He does Kirtana. He hears and recites His Lilas. He lives in His Dhama in the company of His
devotees. He meditates on His form, His nature, His attributes and His Lilas. He visualises the form
of the Lord with closed eyes and enjoys supreme peace and bliss.
Worship is the effort on the part of the Upasaka, i.e., he who does Upasana or worship, to
reach the proximity or presence of God or the Supreme Self. Upasana literally means sitting near
God. Upasana is approaching the chosen ideal or object of worship by meditating on it in
accordance with the teachings of the Sastras and the Guru and dwelling steadily in the current of
that one thought, like a thread of oil poured from one vessel to another (Tailadharavat). It consists of
all those observances and practices, physical and mental, by which the aspirant or Jijnasu makes a
steady progress in the realm of spirituality and eventually realises in himself—in his own
heart—the presence of Godhead.
BENEFITS OF WORSHIP
Worship of the Lord purifies the heart, generates harmonious vibrations, steadies the mind,
purifies and ennobles the emotions, harmonises the five sheaths, and eventually leads to
communion, fellowship or God-realisation.
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HINDU RITUALS
Upasana helps the devotee to sit near the Lord or to commune with Him. It fills the mind
with Suddha Bhava and Prema or pure love for the Lord. It gradually transmutes man into a divine
being.
Upasana changes the mental substance, destroys Rajas and Tamas and fills the mind with
Sattva or purity. Upasana destroys Vasanas, Trishnas, egoism, lust, hatred, anger, etc. Upasana
turns the mind inward and induces Antarmukha Vritti. It eventually brings the devotee face to face
with the Lord, frees the devotee from the wheel of births and deaths, and confers on him
immortality and freedom.
The mind becomes that on which it meditates in accordance with the analogy of the wasp
and the caterpillar (Bhramara-Kitaka Nyaya). Just as you think, so you become. This is the
immutable psychological law. There is a mysterious or inscrutable power (Achintya Sakti) in
Upasana which makes the meditator and the meditated identical.
You will find in the Bhagavad-Gita: “But by devotion to Me alone, Imay thus be perceived,
O Arjuna; and known and seen in essence and entered, O Parantapa” (Ch. XI, 54).
Patanjali Maharshi emphasises in various places in his Raja Yoga Sutras, on the importance
of Upasana. For even a Raja Yogi, Upasana is necessary. He has his own Ishta Devata or guiding
Deity—Yogesvara Krishna or Lord Siva. Self-surrender to God is an Anga (limb) of Raja Yoga and
Kriya Yoga. Patanjali says: “One can enter into Samadhi through Upasana.”
Of all those things which are conducive to spiritual advancement, Adhyatmic uplift and the
acquisition of Dharma, Upasana is one which is not only indispensably requisite, but eminently
beneficial to all classes and grades of people. It is easy too.
Eating, drinking, sleeping, fear, copulation, etc., are common in brutes and human beings,
but that which makes one a real man or a God-man is the religious consciousness. He who leads a
mere outward sensual life without doing any Upasana is an animal only, though he wears outwardly
the form of a human being.
SAGUNA-UPASANA AND NIRGUNA-UPASANA
Upasana is of two kinds, viz., Pratika-Upasana and Ahamgraha-Upasana. Pratika means a
symbol. Pratika-Upasana is Saguna-Upasana. Ahamgraha-Upasana is Nirguna-Upasana or
meditation on the formless and attributeless Akshara or transcendental Brahman. Meditation on
idols, Saligrama, pictures of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Siva, Gayatri Devi, etc., is
Pratika-Upasana. The blue expansive sky, all-pervading ether, all-pervading light of the sun, etc.,
are also Pratikas for abstract meditation. Saguna-Upasana is concrete meditation.
Nirguna-Upasana is abstract meditation.
Hearing of the Lilas of the Lord, Kirtana or singing His Names, constant remembrance of
the Lord (Smarana), service of His feet, offering flowers, prostration, prayer, chanting of Mantra,
self-surrender, service of Bhagavatas, service of humanity and country with Narayana-Bhava, etc.,
constitute Saguna-Upasana.
66
ALL ABOUT HINDUISM
Chanting of Om with Atma-Bhava, service of humanity and country with Atma-Bhava,
mental Japa of Om with Atma or Brahma Bhava, meditation on Soham or Sivoham or on the
Mahavakyas such as Aham Brahma Asmi or Tat Tvam Asi after sublating the illusory vehicles
through ‘Neti, Neti’ doctrine, constitute Ahamgraha-Upasana or Nirguna-Upasana.
Saguna-Upasana is Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of Devotion. Nirguna-Upasana is Jnana Yoga
or the Yoga of Knowledge. Worshippers of Saguna (the qualified) Brahman and of Nirguna (the
unqualified) Brahman reach the same goal. But, the latter path is very hard, because the aspirant has
to give up attachment to the body (Dehabhimana) from the very beginning of his spiritual practice.
The Akshara or the Imperishable is very hard to reach for those who are attached to their bodies.
Further, it is extremely difficult to fix the mind on the formless and attributeless Brahman.
Contemplation on the Akshara or Nirguna Brahman demands a very sharp, one-pointed and subtle
intellect.
THE BHAVAS IN BHAKTI YOGA
The Yoga of Bhakti or Devotion is much easier than Jnana Yoga or philosophical
meditations. In Bhakti Yoga, the devotee establishes a near and dear relationship with the Lord. He
cultivates slowly any one of the six Bhavas according to his temperament, taste and capacity.
Santa Bhava, Dasya Bhava, Sakhya Bhava, Vatsalya Bhava, Kanta Bhava and Madhurya
Bhava are the six kinds of attributes of devotees or Bhavas towards God. The Bhavas differ in type
and intensity of feeling. The different Bhavas are arranged in order of their intensity. Dhruva and
Prahlada had the feeling of a child to its parents. This is Santa Bhava. In Dasya Bhava, the devotee
behaves like a servant. His Lord is his master. Hanuman is an ideal servant of God. In Sakhya
Bhava, there is a sense of equality. Arjuna and Kuchela had this Bhava. In Vatsalya Bhava, the
devotee looks upon the Lord as his own child. Yasoda had this Bhava for Sri Krishna. Kausalya had
this Bhava for Sri Rama. Kanta Bhava is the love of the wife towards the husband. Sita and Rukmini
had this Bhava. The culmination is reached in Madhurya Bhava. The lover and the Beloved become
one through the intensity of love. Radha and Mira had this type of love.
The last Bhava is the highest culmination of Bhakti. It is merging or absorption in the Lord.
The devotee adores the Lord. He constantly remembers Him. He sings His Name (Kirtana). He
speaks of His glories. He repeats His Name. He chants His Mantra. He prays and prostrates. He
hears His Lilas. He does total, ungrudging, unconditional surrender, obtains His grace, holds
communion with Him and gets absorbed in Him eventually.
In Madhurya Bhava, there is the closest relationship between the devotee and the Lord.
There is no sensuality in Kanta and Madhurya Bhavas. There is no tinge of carnality in them.
Passionate people cannot understand these two Bhavas as their minds are saturated with passion
and lower sexual appetite. Sufistic saints also have the Bhava of lover and the Beloved, Madhurya
Bhava. The Gita Govinda written by Jaya Deva is full of Madhurya Rasa. The language of love
which the mystic uses cannot be comprehended by worldly persons. Only Gopis, Radha, Mira,
Tukaram, Narada, Hafiz and similar other great devotees of the Lord can understand this language.
67
HINDU WORSHIP
PUJA AND ISHTA-DEVATA
Puja is the common term for ritual worship, of which there are numerous synonyms such as
Archana, Vandana, Bhajana, etc., though some of these stress certain aspects of it. The object of
worship is the Ishta Devata or guiding Deity or the particular form of the Deity whom the devotee
worships—Narayana or Vishnu as such, or His forms as Rama and Krishna in the case of
Vaishnavas, Siva in His eight forms in the case of Saivas and Devi in the case of Saktas.
The devotee selects sometimes his Kuladeva or Kuladevi, family Deva or Devi, for his
worship. Sometimes, the Devata is chosen for him by his Guru or spiritual preceptor. Sometimes,
he himself chooses that Devata which most appeals to him. This form is his Ishta Devata.
An object is used in the outer Puja such as an image (Pratima), a picture, or an emblem such
as Saligrama in the case of Vishnu worship or Linga in the case of worship of Siva.
Whilst all things may be the objects of worship, choice is naturally made of those objects
which, by reason of their effect on the mind, are more fitted for it. An image or one of the useful
emblems, is likely to raise in the mind of the worshipper the thought of a Devata. Saligrama stone
induces easily concentration of mind. Everybody has got predilection for a symbol, emblem or
image. Idol or Murti (Vigraha), sun, fire, water, Ganga, Saligrama and Linga are all symbols or
Pratikas of God which help the aspirants to attain one-pointedness of mind and purity of heart.
These are all personal inclinations in the worshipper due to his belief in their special efficacy for
him. Psychologically, all this means that a particular mind finds that it works best in the direction
desired by means of particular instruments or emblems or images.
The vast bulk of humanity are either of impure or of weak mind. Therefore, the object of
worship must be pure for these people. The objects that are capable of exciting lust and dislike must
be avoided. But, a higher, advanced Sadhaka who has a pure mind and who sees the di
บทที่ 7ฮินดูบูชานมัสการหรือ UPASANAค่าของความจงรักภักดี ความเคารพ และรักพระเจ้า ของโหยกระตือรือร้นเพื่อเป็นบูชาอย่างสหรัฐ กับเขา และจิตวิญญาณ thirsting กุมสติร่วมกับเขา สาวกที่อธิษฐานกับพระเจ้าให้เขามีความจงรักภักดีที่รุนแรง และเอาม่านของความไม่รู้ ไพน์เขาสำหรับพระคุณที่อ่อนโยนของเขา เขาจำชื่อของเขาตลอดเวลา เขาซ้ำตราพระ เขาร้องเพลงสรรเสริญพระองค์เขาไม่ Kirtana เขาได้ยิน และ recites พระ Lilas เขาอยู่ในพระองค์ Dhama ในบริษัทของเขาเลือกสรรค์ สมาธิแบบฟอร์มของเขา ธรรมชาติของเขา เขาแอตทริบิวต์ และพระ Lilas เขา visualises แบบฟอร์มพระเจ้ากับปิดตา และสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกสบายสูงสุดและความสุขบูชาเป็นความพยายามในส่วนของ Upasaka เช่น เขาผู้ไม่ Upasana หรือ บูชา การถึงความใกล้ชิดหรือสถานะของตนเองสูงสุดหรือพระเจ้า Upasana ความหมาย นั่งใกล้พระเจ้า Upasana กำลังมาถึงตัวเลือกที่เหมาะหรือวัตถุบูชา โดยการใคร่ครวญในในถ้อยสามัคคีกับคำสอน Sastras และกูรู และอาศัยอยู่ในกระแสอย่างต่อเนื่องหนึ่งคิด เช่นหัวข้อน้ำมัน poured จากหลอดหนึ่งไปอีก (Tailadharavat) ประกอบด้วยทั้งหมดที่ observances และปฏิบัติ กาย และจิต ใจ ที่ aspirant หรือ Jijnasu ทำให้การความก้าวหน้ามั่นคงในขอบเขต ของจิตวิญญาณ และในที่สุด realises ในตัวเองซึ่งในของเขาเองหัวใจคือ Godhead ก็ประโยชน์ของการบูชานมัสการพระเจ้า purifies ใจ สร้างความสามัคคีสั่นสะเทือน steadies จิตใจpurifies ennobles อารมณ์ harmonises sheaths ห้า และในที่สุดนำไปสู่ร่วม สามัคคีธรรม หรือพระเจ้าปัญหา65พิธีกรรมฮินดูUpasana ช่วยสาวกนั่ง ใกล้พระเจ้า หรือ commune กับเขา เต็มใจสมเด็จพระ Bhava และ Prema หรือความรักบริสุทธิ์ของพระเจ้า ค่อย ๆ transmutes คนเป็นพระเป็นปัจจุบันUpasana เปลี่ยนสารจิต ทำลาย Rajas และทามัส และจิตใจด้วยการกรอกข้อมูลSattva หรือความบริสุทธิ์ Upasana ทำลาย Vasanas, Trishnas, egoism ลัสท์ ความเกลียดชัง ความโกรธ เป็นต้น Upasanaเปิดใจเข้าข้างใน และก่อให้เกิด Antarmukha Vritti ในที่สุดนำสาวกเผชิญหน้ามีพระเจ้า ช่วยให้สาวกจากกงล้อแห่งการเกิดและการตาย และ confers บนเขาความเป็นอมตะและเป็นอิสระจิตใจกลายเป็นที่ที่มัน meditates ตามเปรียบเทียบของ waspและหนอนผีเสื้อ (Nyaya Bhramara-Kitaka) เช่นเดียวกับที่คุณคิดว่า คุณ นี่คือการกฎหมายจิตวิทยาไม่อาจเปลี่ยนแปลง มีพลังลึกลับ หรือ inscrutable (สักติ Achintya) ในUpasana ซึ่งทำให้การ meditator และที่ meditated เหมือนกันใน Bhagavad-Gita: "แต่ ด้วยความจงรักภักดีกับผม คนเดียว Imay ดังนั้นการรับ รู้โอ อาร์ รู้จัก และเห็นในสาระสำคัญ และ ป้อน O Parantapa" (ช. XI, 54)Maharshi รมเน้นในสถานต่าง ๆ ในพระราชาโยคะ Sutras ในความสำคัญของ Upasana สำหรับแม้ราชาโยคี Upasana มีความจำเป็น เขามีเขาเป็นเจ้าของเด Ishta หรือแนะนำพระ — Yogesvara กฤษณะหรือพระศิวาการ ตนเองยอมจำนนต่อพระเจ้าเป็นการ Anga (ขา) ของราชาโยคะ และKriya โยคะ ปตัญชลิกล่าวว่า: "หนึ่งสามารถใส่ลงในซามาดฮีผ่าน Upasana"สิ่งเหล่านั้นทั้งหมดซึ่งจะเอื้อต่อการก้าวหน้าทางจิตวิญญาณ Adhyatmic uplift และซื้อของธรรม Upasana เป็นหนึ่งซึ่งไม่จำเป็น indispensably แต่คนประโยชน์ต่อการเรียนและเกรดของคนทั้งหมด มันเป็นเรื่องง่ายเกินไปกิน ดื่ม นอนหลับ กลัว ปี้ ฯลฯ มีทั่วไปใน brutes และมนุษย์แต่ที่ซึ่งทำให้หนึ่งคนจริงหรือพระเจ้าคน สำนึกทางศาสนา เขาที่นำไปสู่การชีวิตเพียงกระตุ้นความรู้สึกขาออกโดยไม่ทำการใด ๆ Upasana เป็นสัตว์เท่านั้น แม้ว่าเขาสวมภายนอกรูปแบบของมนุษย์SAGUNA-UPASANA และ NIRGUNA-UPASANAUpasana เป็นสองชนิด viz., Pratika Upasana และ Ahamgraha-Upasana Pratika หมายถึงการสัญลักษณ์ Pratika Upasana Saguna Upasana ได้ Ahamgraha Upasana เป็น Nirguna-Upasana หรือการทำสมาธิในเกม และ attributeless Akshara หรือ transcendental Brahman สมาธิในภาพสื่อ Saligrama พระราม พระกฤษณะ พระศิวา กายาตริเทวี ฯลฯ เป็นPratika-Upasana ฟ้ากว้าง อีเทอร์ pervading ออ pervading ทั้งหมดแสงอาทิตย์ ฯลฯ .,ยังมี Pratikas สำหรับทำสมาธินามธรรม Saguna-Upasana เป็นสมาธิคอนกรีตNirguna-Upasana เป็นนามธรรมการทำสมาธิฟังของ Lilas ของพระเจ้า Kirtana หรือการร้องเพลงของเขาชื่อ รำลึกคงที่ของthe Lord (Smarana), service of His feet, offering flowers, prostration, prayer, chanting of Mantra,self-surrender, service of Bhagavatas, service of humanity and country with Narayana-Bhava, etc.,constitute Saguna-Upasana.66ALL ABOUT HINDUISMChanting of Om with Atma-Bhava, service of humanity and country with Atma-Bhava,mental Japa of Om with Atma or Brahma Bhava, meditation on Soham or Sivoham or on theMahavakyas such as Aham Brahma Asmi or Tat Tvam Asi after sublating the illusory vehiclesthrough ‘Neti, Neti’ doctrine, constitute Ahamgraha-Upasana or Nirguna-Upasana.Saguna-Upasana is Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of Devotion. Nirguna-Upasana is Jnana Yogaor the Yoga of Knowledge. Worshippers of Saguna (the qualified) Brahman and of Nirguna (theunqualified) Brahman reach the same goal. But, the latter path is very hard, because the aspirant hasto give up attachment to the body (Dehabhimana) from the very beginning of his spiritual practice.The Akshara or the Imperishable is very hard to reach for those who are attached to their bodies.Further, it is extremely difficult to fix the mind on the formless and attributeless Brahman.Contemplation on the Akshara or Nirguna Brahman demands a very sharp, one-pointed and subtleintellect.THE BHAVAS IN BHAKTI YOGAThe Yoga of Bhakti or Devotion is much easier than Jnana Yoga or philosophicalmeditations. In Bhakti Yoga, the devotee establishes a near and dear relationship with the Lord. Hecultivates slowly any one of the six Bhavas according to his temperament, taste and capacity.Santa Bhava, Dasya Bhava, Sakhya Bhava, Vatsalya Bhava, Kanta Bhava and MadhuryaBhava are the six kinds of attributes of devotees or Bhavas towards God. The Bhavas differ in typeand intensity of feeling. The different Bhavas are arranged in order of their intensity. Dhruva andPrahlada had the feeling of a child to its parents. This is Santa Bhava. In Dasya Bhava, the devoteebehaves like a servant. His Lord is his master. Hanuman is an ideal servant of God. In SakhyaBhava, there is a sense of equality. Arjuna and Kuchela had this Bhava. In Vatsalya Bhava, thedevotee looks upon the Lord as his own child. Yasoda had this Bhava for Sri Krishna. Kausalya hadthis Bhava for Sri Rama. Kanta Bhava is the love of the wife towards the husband. Sita and Rukminihad this Bhava. The culmination is reached in Madhurya Bhava. The lover and the Beloved becomeone through the intensity of love. Radha and Mira had this type of love.The last Bhava is the highest culmination of Bhakti. It is merging or absorption in the Lord.The devotee adores the Lord. He constantly remembers Him. He sings His Name (Kirtana). Hespeaks of His glories. He repeats His Name. He chants His Mantra. He prays and prostrates. Hehears His Lilas. He does total, ungrudging, unconditional surrender, obtains His grace, holdscommunion with Him and gets absorbed in Him eventually.In Madhurya Bhava, there is the closest relationship between the devotee and the Lord.There is no sensuality in Kanta and Madhurya Bhavas. There is no tinge of carnality in them.Passionate people cannot understand these two Bhavas as their minds are saturated with passionand lower sexual appetite. Sufistic saints also have the Bhava of lover and the Beloved, MadhuryaBhava. The Gita Govinda written by Jaya Deva is full of Madhurya Rasa. The language of lovewhich the mystic uses cannot be comprehended by worldly persons. Only Gopis, Radha, Mira,Tukaram, Narada, Hafiz and similar other great devotees of the Lord can understand this language.67HINDU WORSHIPPUJA AND ISHTA-DEVATAPuja is the common term for ritual worship, of which there are numerous synonyms such asArchana, Vandana, Bhajana, etc., though some of these stress certain aspects of it. The object ofworship is the Ishta Devata or guiding Deity or the particular form of the Deity whom the devoteeworships—Narayana or Vishnu as such, or His forms as Rama and Krishna in the case ofVaishnavas, Siva in His eight forms in the case of Saivas and Devi in the case of Saktas.The devotee selects sometimes his Kuladeva or Kuladevi, family Deva or Devi, for hisworship. Sometimes, the Devata is chosen for him by his Guru or spiritual preceptor. Sometimes,he himself chooses that Devata which most appeals to him. This form is his Ishta Devata.An object is used in the outer Puja such as an image (Pratima), a picture, or an emblem suchas Saligrama in the case of Vishnu worship or Linga in the case of worship of Siva.Whilst all things may be the objects of worship, choice is naturally made of those objectswhich, by reason of their effect on the mind, are more fitted for it. An image or one of the usefulemblems, is likely to raise in the mind of the worshipper the thought of a Devata. Saligrama stoneinduces easily concentration of mind. Everybody has got predilection for a symbol, emblem orimage. Idol or Murti (Vigraha), sun, fire, water, Ganga, Saligrama and Linga are all symbols orPratikas of God which help the aspirants to attain one-pointedness of mind and purity of heart.These are all personal inclinations in the worshipper due to his belief in their special efficacy forhim. Psychologically, all this means that a particular mind finds that it works best in the directiondesired by means of particular instruments or emblems or images.The vast bulk of humanity are either of impure or of weak mind. Therefore, the object ofworship must be pure for these people. The objects that are capable of exciting lust and dislike mustbe avoided. But, a higher, advanced Sadhaka who has a pure mind and who sees the di
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