The Practitioner of Bhakti Yoga
The one who practices or performs Bhakti Yogam is called an Upasaka.
| Sanskrit Term | Definition / Context | Grammatical Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Bhakti Yogam | Also known as Upasana or Sadhana in the Bhagavad Gita. | |
| Upasana | The practice of Bhakti Yogam itself. | Strilingam (Feminine) |
| Upasaka | The one who practices upasana (Bhakti Yogam). | Pullingam (Masculine) |
Note: The sources state that the nine chapters of the Gita discuss the Upasaka, referring to the different classes of devotees who perform Bhakti Yoga.
š Features of the Supreme Person (Paramatma)
The features of the Supreme Person, referred to as Paramatma, Parabrahman, or Bhagavan, are described across several traditional categories.
I. Six Essential Attributes (Shatgunya Paripurnaha)
The definition of Bhagavan requires the possession of six primary attributes (Shatgunya) and the absence of bad qualities (dosham), as given in the Vishnu Puranam.
The six qualities are:
- Gnana
- Bala
- Aishwarya
- Veerya (Virya)
- Shakti
- Tejas
Definition of Bhagavan: One who possesses these good qualities (Bhagava) plus has no bad qualities (un), resulting in the name Bhagavan. This absence of bad qualities is termed dosha rahat yam.
II. Essential Nature (Swarupa Nirupaka Dharmam)
The Upanishads define the essential nature of Parabrahman with the vakya "Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma".
| Essential Feature | Sanskrit Term | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Eternality/Truth | Satyatvam | Quality of not being controlled by karma. The Lord is born as a result of his own will (ichha). |
| Omniscience | Jnanatvam | Quality of having knowledge always. His knowledge is constant (sankocha vikasam). |
| Infinity | Anantatvam | Means Paramatma is infinite. He is not curtailed by space and time (desha kala rahityam). |
III. Distinguishing and Accessible Features (Niroopita Swarupa Visheshanam)
- Saushiliyam: This quality ensures that Parabrahman is very accessible to human beings. An example is Krishna's Avataram.
- These qualities are called Niroopita Swarupa Visheshanam, "adjectives that make Parabrahman very closer."
In the Bhagavad Gita, Gnanam refers to knowledge about Paramatma (his qualities), and Vignanam refers to the distinguishing features of Paramatma.
IV. Nature of Paramatma (Brahmam)
Paramatma is called Brahmam because he is big (Brihat) and makes the one that approaches him also big (Brihatvacha Brahmanatvacha).
V. Inaccessibility to Imperfection (Dosha Rahityam)
A defining feature is that Paramatma accommodates all existence (Sarvatrasti Sadasti), but no dosham (bad quality) sticks to him.
š¢ Katapayadi Sankhya System
Kathabhayadi Sankhya is a Sanskrit system where every letter has a number assigned, used to explain numerical patterns in the Mahabharatam.
| Term/Rule | Details/Example |
|---|---|
| Letter Correspondence | Ja is assigned the number 8. Ya is assigned 1. |
| Numerical Derivation | The word Jaya yields the number 81. |
| Reversal Rule | The resulting number (81) must be reversed to become 18. |
| Significance | 18 corresponds to the 18 parvas of the Mahabharatam, 18 adhyayas of the Bhagavad Gita, and the total 18 Akshauhinis in the battle. |
š Derivation of Bhagavan
The name Bhagavan is based on the six primary attributes (Shatgunya Paripurnaha):
| Attribute Pair | Sanskrit Letter Denotation |
|---|---|
| Gnana & Bala | Bha |
| Aishwarya & Veerya | Ga |
| Shakti & Tejas | Va |
- One possessing these qualities is Bhagava.
- The full derivation is Bhagava (good qualities) plus un (no bad qualities) which becomes Bhagavan.
š Rupam vs. Swarupam
| Term | Definition | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Rupam (ą¤°ą„ą¤Ŗą¤®ą„) | The external appearance or outward form. | What is seen through the Pancha Bhautika Shariram (physical body). |
| Swarupam (ą¤øą„ą¤µą¤°ą„ą¤Ŗą¤®ą„) | The innate feature or intrinsic nature. | The nature of the practice of Bhakti Yoga (Bhakti roopasya upasanasya swaroopam). |
In essence, Rupam is the outward form, while Swarupam is the inner, intrinsic nature.
š Understanding Prama, Pramanam, Pramata & Prameyam
These terms define the essential components for acquiring knowledge:
| Term | Definition | Example (Ramayanam) |
|---|---|---|
| Prama | Knowledge itself; quintessential knowledge. | The knowledge itself. |
| Pramanam | The source or means that dispenses knowledge (the grantham). | The scripture, Ramayanam. |
| Pramata | The knower; the one who understands the object. | The person reading it (us). |
| Prameyam | The object of your knowledge (understood through the pramanam). | The object understood, Sita Rama (or Paramapurusha in Upasana). |
š¤ Meanings & Derivations: Balaka, Kaaha & Keshava
Balaka
- Derivation: balaha kaha yasyasa balakaha.
- Explanation: The Boy (Balaha) who gave rise to Brahma (kaha) from his navel, referring to Krishna's birth vision.
Kaaha
- Definition: Kaaha (ą¤:) in Sanskrit is a name for the deity Brahma.
Keshava
- Derivation: Krishna is called Keshava because he accommodates two primary deities in his body:
- Kaha: Meaning Brahma (kaha iti Brahmono nama).
- Isha: Meaning Mahadeva or Shiva (Isha means Mahadeva, Shiva).
šŗ Reference
This blog post is based on notes taken from the following video :
Video Sources:
For a more detailed explanation, I highly recommend watching the original videos.
š Acknowledgment & Disclaimer
These articles are based on discourses by Sri Dushyanth Sridhar, who renders discourses in English & Tamil on RÄmÄyana, MahÄbhÄrata, BhÄgavata, Vishnu PurÄna, Bhagavad GitÄ, Vishnu SahasranÄma, and Divya Prabanda in the upanyÄsam, pravachanam, or kÄlakshepam style. Visit https://desikadaya.org for more information. These notes are presented solely for educational purposes to help viewers download and benefit from these teachings. Any incorrect interpretations or inaccuracies are mine and unintentionalāplease forgive me. For any feedback, please send an email.