It is believed and widely accepted- and wisely so, that experience transcends the boundaries of intellect, logic, arguments and proofs. An intellectual mind cannot experience silence as effortlessly as the stupid one. And yet, when intellect and silence meet, life blossoms like beautiful poetry. It combines playfulness and conscious action- the "keys" to tread the fine line- the middle path- between outward action and inner inaction, dynamism and peace, sound and silence, activity and rest, rust-out and burn-out, faith and reason, sensitivity and strength, wisdom and innocence, timelessness and evolution ,worldly and divine! This is the genesis of all that mankind has accomplished so far. Every creative genius has always produced his best works from such a state of mind- where doing and being are no different. They aren't two. It is all One! This is Advaita.
This is what lies at the heart of Yog(a) !
This is why our traditions have always placed Intuitive Knowledge at the highest pedestal. Reaching there, to that state of mind, through hardcore intellectual manoeuvres is not impossible, but it is the longer and more arduous path. Nevertheless, it is taken by many. And those are the tough ones, who manage to negotiate their way through the manners of the intellect. More often than not, they stick around for a longer time. Information, no matter how accurate it is, isn't valuable unless supplemented by an internalised analysis- which is what a sharp intuition signifies and simplifies. Any work of excellence and value is incomplete without an elegant touch of intuition. Imagine graphs and statistics without interpretation! Life would just be as bland without intuition.
Sanskrit shlokas, mantras and chants have such an effect. They are capable of transformational effects on the quality of our energies & consciousness. Yes, you need to be sensitive enough to perceive & feel the interplay of energy and consciousness/awareness around you, and appreciate the diverse ways in which it manifests in the Creation. Experience speaks for itself, even in silence.
When people are busier proving the worth or propriety of something, they miss out on the experience quite often. That is when intellect overrides intuition, instead of accompanying it. What is beautiful to you or me remains beautiful, despite naysayers. If we miss out on Sanskrit, we don't just miss out on our ancient roots. We also cut our umbilical cord from the vast storehouse of knowledge that has been accumulated by generations over millennia. Its analogous to wiping out history. Its like constructing a skyscraper on shallow foundations. And mere tokenism can do no justice to the beauty of the language and the literature that it has. People have to study the language for the love of it. We need more quality scholars, researchers and litterateurs in Sanskrit than students who just memorize it for scoring easy grades in a Third Language. If Greek and Latin deserve it, Sanskrit deserves even more.
While the leftists and rightists debate on giving Sanskrit its due, just forget that and everything else for a while and immerse yourself in these timeless verses from Adi Shankaracharya. They are as relevant for the materialist as for the spiritualist- and bring both these aspects into a perfect harmony. Ponder over these and your mind turns quiet! They transmit the experience of the universally pervading silence of oneness (Advaita). Its beauty is in its experience. Experience Timelessness.
You deserve this treat :) .
-( Ādi Śaṅkara)
मनोबुद्धयहंकार चित्तानि नाहं,
न च श्रोत्रजिव्हे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 1 ।।
I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor the reflections of inner self (citta). I am not the five senses. I am beyond that. I am not the ether, nor the earth, nor the fire, nor the wind (the five elements). I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पंचवायुः,
न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः ।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायु,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 2 ।।
Neither can I be termed as energy (prāṇa), nor five types of breath (vāyus), nor the seven material essences, nor the five sheaths(pañca-kośa). Neither am I the five instruments of elimination, procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ,
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 3 ।।
I have no hatred or dislike, nor affiliation or liking, nor greed, nor delusion, nor pride or haughtiness, nor feelings of envy or jealousy. I have no duty (dharma), nor any money, nor any desire (kāma), nor even liberation (mokṣa). I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं,
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थो न वेदा न यज्ञ ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 4 ।।
I have neither merit (virtue), nor demerit (vice). I do not commit sins or good deeds, nor have happiness or sorrow, pain or pleasure. I do not need mantras, holy places, scriptures (Vedas), rituals or sacrifices (yajñas). I am none of the triad of the observer or one who experiences, the process of observing or experiencing, or any object being observed or experienced. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः,
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरूर्नैव शिष्यः,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 5 ।।
I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth. I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth. I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो,
विभुत्वाच सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
न चासङत नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः,
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 6 ।।
I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes, and without any form. I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation (mukti). I have no wishes for anything because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
Verses & meanings from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atma_Shatkam
