Yesterday I got small small booklets explaining the meaning behind various mantras. I was shocked to learn that Mantrapushpanjali is signing glories to Kind Kuber.
It literally says that King Kuber is the greatest king and let his empire expand etc.. etc..
The only constant thing in the world is change, does that apply here? Kubera was the king at that time and after Gods its King's turn... Is he still THE king?
May be its worth knowing at high level atleast what the shlokas mean?
Actually I have a very good friend who is very straightforward. He says why say it in a language which we don't understand. Why not simply translate and say it... Prayers i s not able sacred words, its about sacred feelings...
Are we allowed to change the tradition? Should we simplify ?
Reference:
1. Mantrapushpanjali
2. One of the booklets:
Gyan prabhodhini Ganesh Pooja book - See page 10.
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6uRaEzrbhlRNGIyYjQ1ZGEtYzRjNS00NjVjLWI5MzgtMWMyNWYyNGM2OTRl&hl=en
21 comments:
thank you very much...the treasure i was looking for finally got through your post...thank you once again....god may complete all your good wishes....Yogesh
Seems like you and your straight forward friend have not experienced the effect of these sounds...These are Mantras...they have meaning and at the same time when u chant even without knowing the meaning they affect ur mind...pity that u dint experience this...if u had then this question wouldnt rise at alll abouty is this not in a simple language...Google about 'Sanskrit' and try to understand this...the word itself carries that feeling with it..
I just read this thread and want to express my opinion. May be will not fit with your thinking..
First of all--- Sanskrit is the ancient language which was used by our so called all mythological figures. One to give respect we still use this.
Second -- I believe that with the increasing technology and quest to learn various different lngs., if we think that we can't learn Sanskrit because it is hard to understand or we dont want to, then I would say that without technology people were far better in learning and retaining the things. With every possible forward movement we are not supposed to forget the back-steps taken for that progress. So if Sanskrit is not simple then I am so ashamed to say that why people even call themselves as descendants of Aryans or Hindus who used Sanskrit as a sacred language.
Those who are willing to know the meaning they should learn the Sanskrit first and then should think that if it is valid to say that those mantras are hard to understand or it is just a part of our negligence.
Finally-- These mantras produce sound and vibrations which so called simple language cant do. Why in the morning one prefers to listen some soothing music or something which should relax the mind instead of the drum beats. If someone doesn't know the meaning of the mantras then that is fine. Only your gratitude should be there while praying not that how much you know and how easy can you make the mantra.
I would finally ask: if someone doesn't know that what does OM Namah Shivaya means then will it be easy to say that -- it is panchakri mantra which tells about the creation and the five elements of this universe. Strage!!! we don't do that..!! does this mean that if we will put it in some simple words we will lose the essence .. No, it simply means that we respect this mantra as it is and tend to feel that gratitude in our heart, where everything is simple and pure.
Again these are my opinions and they can very well differ with millions of others. So if you dont know the meaning then just be with the mantra-- ur devotion will not decrease just because you dont know the meaning. :)
Love and blessings,
Ranjita
I see your point R.sharma... Thanks for an elaborate view point...
So to start witheverybody agrees about Kubera... we are saying something meaningwise that's factually incorrect...
About Sanskrit ...that's the conflicting view...
I think its a language like english and french etc... just a language... just like we talk in english today.. people of those times used to talk in Sanskrit. period. and others feel... sanskrit language itself makes it pure and more...
About the vibrations part - Sanskrit creates special vibrations?
If I translate that into lets say english give it very similar or beautiful tune and people say it with devotion.. is it less good /inspiring etc.. may be not...
we have many bhajans in art of living which are in english but are very equally transcendental...
It is your feelings that makes the difference I feel...
Finally Om Namah Shivay is very simple and known so no need to change... but again if we talk about complex mantras which we even don't understand meaning of... think again...
these are of course just my views... comments are welcome....
Just one sentence:
If people are illiterate then this does not imply that language is illiterate or devoid of something.. :)
Sanskrit is a "perfect" language, unlike English, French etc. (refer wikipedia: Sanskrit) Therefore Sanskrit pronunciations are more powerful than any of the other languages. If recited properly these slokas will affect you body, mind and soul. (Yes words affect people, thats why authentic yogis who speak just the truth have the power to bring about what they say - Refer Autobiography of a Yogi : Paramhans Yoganand). Use your curiosity to question and learn and understand and grow, not to mock and despise something that is beyond your comprehension !
Just to give an example.. muslims say Arabi is perfect language hence their prayer is not even allowed to be translated... so now we have 2 perfect languages !
Sanskrit was a language.. its the meaning and feelings (rightly said by R.Sharma ) that give it a meaning... take a kid and against his wish make him say geeta every day for a month... how useful it is for him?
just step back and see from other peoples perective... other religions call us PEGANS (in their areas pegans vanished!) we lost 1/3rd of our land and people already.. its because we forgot the true meaning and just follow rituals blindly... resulting in social evils like caste and sati and what not... brahmin said so follow it no need to know the meaning...
I am not against mantras... all i am saying is go little further know meaning as well... that would invoke more feelings and help better that's all..
Kelkar, Are Gadhva, Tu nakki Brahman Ahes na?
Hi Shriram,
Thanks a lot for sharing this info.
I am also of the opinion that there is no sense in chanting all our ancient mantras unless one understands the true meaning that they are conveying.
This is great job you people are doing. All my good wishes are with you. Shubhastey panthana santuh.
kknasery@yahoo.co.in
These are all eternal truths. In ancient India, we never condemned wealth, Sex and other such things which are naturally required for leading a good life. I don't understand at what point of time we started disbelieving and abusing our literature. Hindu is a way of life and has a deep understanding with the adhyatma, the spiritual science.
Shriyut Kelkar... By asking such questions u are joining the club of intellectuals... ok fine for me...
By reading some science u think u can talk about Sanskrit... I am only warning u that you are repelling the very people who can actually answer ur question... But u r not serious... Its a casual thought of an "Intellectual"...
First learn to ask only serious questions. Second... Such answer can be sought only when u do a "Samvad" and not a "Vivad".... Inteligent people do not know what is samvad.... so they do only vivad... a casual intellectual entertainment... yielding nothing. Samvad happens when a shishya clears his doubts from his Guru.
Intelligence is only a subset of whole (Pradnya) (english has no parallel words to translate the concepts of higher level)... so handle it carefully... Otherwise intelligence will handle u...
To Mandar,
Its like saying I will not get into the water until I am an expert in swimming
Mandar said that meaning of mantra must be known before chanting.
Dear Shri Nasery...
You said rightly that These are all eternal truths. The truth never changes but the human race being on earth undergoes a hell change through the cycle of chaturyug...
Earth has just finished its Kaliyug and started back into the Dwapar... That is why the scientists started sprouting everywhere... Now consider science like a newborn child and growing into youth... trying to argue with his father "You know nothing, I see what u have done to urself".
Until the science grows enough into dwapar it will keep arguing. Soon it will realise that it was arrogantly fighting with the very truth... Then the vivad will convert to samvad... Then the human race will again qualify for the truth
The title and the post was too dramatic :) This explains puspanjali more better http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantrapushpanjali
Btw. thanks for the uploded file.
Best
Hello ! I also keep looking for meanings of the Sanskrit shloks that we recite. Regarding this particular shlok, what I read was thatone has to have their fill of wealth, power, prosperity, and all the rich and luxurious things this world has to offer. And thus, the prayers to Kubera. It is only after satiety sets in, that you actually begin to think , now what ? And then the journey towards self realisation, or becoming one with the universal force, begins. Once you embark on this journey, you renounce all wordly life, and your thoughts turn inward !
Hello, Thanks for sharing the meaning of Mantra-Pushpanjali.
The discussion that ensued in this forum is quite telling of our times. Few people outright accused you of even being ignorant. It is enlightening to see that even this day n age we are not allowed to open a discussion about things that we are curious about. We still don't afford ourselves freedom to question things not because we don't like them but because we are curious. Our mindsets have not changed even after >70+ years of freedom. We still want to be slaves to the thought process that governed our way of life for more than 2 millennia.
I applaud you for thinking about this in the right context.
Best!
What vibrations "ॐ" Can give.. try getting those with any other word. Its not compulsory that only one language be perfect. But sanskrit does hv n edge. Its a matter of experience. Nobody can explain unles u urself experience. The air in the sinuses of human skull actually vibrates wen some sanskrit words r pronounced. No pressure on anyone. To each its own.
King kubera was considered God of desires. Its a prayer saying grant me my wishes and desires (of course good ones) :)
What vibrations "ॐ" Can give.. try getting those with any other word. Its not compulsory that only one language be perfect. But sanskrit does hv n edge. Its a matter of experience. Nobody can explain unles u urself experience. The air in the sinuses of human skull actually vibrates wen some sanskrit words r pronounced. No pressure on anyone. To each its own.
King kubera was considered God of desires. Its a prayer saying grant me my wishes and desires (of course good ones) :)
We actually doubt the language our ancestors wrote and spoke coz we can't comprehend it, thanks to globalization.(mantra language/Sanskrit)
No match for the ancient language, infact most language are derived from sanskrit.
It's coded and not as simple as English or any other language.
Our seers coded it so only a few chosen ones can decode them.
Translations always come with personal experience and perceptions of the authors. Thus, it is worth learning Sanskrit, if you are trying to read, understand and get some benefit from these ancient scriptures. It is also applicable for any scripture written in any language. Knowing the language and culture definitely help in understanding.
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