Hindu denominations

[Shuddhasattva]

All temples are representatives of Mt. Meru, but how this is presented differs markedly. In the North, it's a more smooth transition to the top which suggests the cosmic egg (hiranyagarbha), in the South they're ascending tiers. Nagara is Northern and Dravida is Southern - interesting how the names reflect the languages. (Dravidian languages)< and Nagari - the script of the Northern (Sanskrit languages). I'm not sure if there's connection here, but there would seem to be.

 

[Polarbear]

All temples are representatives of Mt. Meru,

Is Mt. Meru a real or metaphorical/spiritual mountain?

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Good question... In the Mahabharata, at the very end of the story, the Pandavas and Draupadi physically ascend Mt. Meru to reach heaven with all but Yudhisthir and a dog who has decided to accompany them falling on the way - a beautiful episode you may wish to read that, like so many stories poignantly involving Yudhisthira, illustrates the heart of the dharma.

Mt. Meru is first and foremost a spiritual mountain, it is the representative of all the worlds, the 'axis mundi' about which all the worlds turn, the palace in which all gods reside. Esoterically, it is the sushumna - the central channel, correlated in the human body to the spine, that energies/beings ascend up to god realization / heaven.

 

[Vrindavana Das]

This post might be helpful to you:
http://www.religiousforums.com/foru...-vedas-puranas-shruti-smriti.html#post2978526

And the poem after it by Dnyaneshwar - moreso the poem than my post.




This is why sectarians should not speak of other sects. They are totally misrepresented by this distorted view.

I think you are the one acting as a sectarian.

Asides, there are pages of 'poems' there. What poem are you referring to? Can you pin-point the point you are making here - o learned one!

 

[Shuddhasattva]

There are just two; the Amrtanubhav and the Haripitha, virtually all of it is from different sections of the Amrtanubhav I excerpted to illustrate the point made in the post - as for what that point is... well, read it and you might not need to ask such questions.

Gunning from the hip when you're entrenched in preconceptions, trying to fire across the no man's lands of personal acrimony is going to hit only the sandbags, if not your feet.

 

[Vrindavana Das]

Actually, I did read. There is nothing there that is contradicting what I said....except you. If you cannot explain why you made that remark...it is okay. I will think - like always...one more time

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Do you think that I posted that for you? It was for the OP. However, reading it does indeed refute your claim that:

What I understand is that &#346;akt&#257;s worship the material energy (wife of &#346;iva - Durg&#257; and her many forms) and not spiritual energy (like R&#257;dh&#257;, Lak&#347;m&#299;, S&#299;t&#257; etc.).

As would reading anything having to do with Shakti in the Shaiva or Shakta traditions.

 

[Polarbear]

Good question... In the Mahabharata, at the very end of the story, the Pandavas and Draupadi physically ascend Mt. Meru to reach heaven with all but Yudhisthir and a dog who has decided to accompany them falling on the way - a beautiful episode you may wish to read that, like so many stories poignantly involving Yudhisthira, illustrates the heart of the dharma.

Which book of the Mahabharata do I find this story and which chapters?

 

[Vrindavana Das]

Do you think that I posted that for you? It was for the OP. However, reading it does indeed refute your claim that:

As would reading anything having to do with Shakti in the Shaiva or Shakta traditions.

Can you also validate (for a change), as to how it refutes what I said? I said &#346;iva (&#346;akt&#299;m&#257;n) is the husband of Durga (&#346;akt&#299. How does that relate in a disagreeable way to 'Shakti in Shaiva or Shakta traditions?"

 

[Vrindavana Das]

Which book of the Mahabharata do I find this story and which chapters?

LOL! Don't tell me you are believing him!

You have cornered him with that question. You will not get an answer to that. Pandavas went to the Heaven from the Himalyas. The place from where they went to is known as 'Swarga ki sidi' translates to 'Staircase to Heaven' (something like that).

The place is further ahead of a very high altitude place called Badrinath ( a holy place of pilgrimage) in the Himalyan ranges. This place is quite remote and kind of inaccessible. Only the very fit and daring venture to go there.

EDIT: You can Google and find out more about this place in the Himalyas.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Which book of the Mahabharata do I find this story and which chapters?

Books 17 and 18 concern this, the specific episode I had in mind is the last part of book 17, after Yudhisthir has summited the peak with only the dog left and Indra invites him to heaven:
Mahabharata

Ganguli's translation is a bit stiff.

 

[Vrindavana Das]

I do not see any mention of Mount Meru.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Actually, if you read the second part (just before the one linked) you'll see that it is indeed Mt. Meru.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Can you also validate (for a change), as to how it refutes what I said? I said &#346;iva (&#346;akt&#299;m&#257;n) is the husband of Durga (&#346;akt&#299. How does that relate in a disagreeable way to 'Shakti in Shaiva or Shakta traditions?"

You are claiming that Sri Ma Shakti is the material energy, rather than the transcendental. Any Shaiva or Shakta text describes Her as transcendental.

All right, perhaps not /every/ Shaiva text, but certainly that of most traditions. Only a few neglect Shakti as the material, while holding up Shiva as the transcendental.

 

[Polarbear]

What is Brahmana? Yudhisthira compares the act of abandoning the dog to slaying one of them.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

The priestly varna (caste), which is the highest. Killing a brahmana is regarded as among the worst things you can do.

 

[Polarbear]

The priestly varna (caste), which is the highest. Killing a brahmana is regarded as among the worst things you can do.

So it's worse than killing someone of a lower caste? Why?

 

[Andal]

So it's worse than killing someone of a lower caste? Why?

Remember it is varna by inclination not birth. One who is a true Brahmana is a blessing to all living beings. The true Brahmana makes divine wisdom and experience available to the world. To kill a true Brahmana is not to kill one person but to steal from every being in the material world.

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Shuddhasattva]

So it's worse than killing someone of a lower caste? Why?

Brahmanas are reverenced. One must understand that a true brahmana is called so because he is a jnani; one who knows the Brahman (Supreme). That is what makes one a brahmin in fact, not birth.

Thus, to kill a brahmana, is like killing god incarnate.

 

[Polarbear]

Brahmanas are reverenced. One must understand that a true brahmana is called so because he is a jnani; one who knows the Brahman (Supreme). That is what makes one a brahmin in fact, not birth.

Thus, to kill a brahmana, is like killing god incarnate.

But, why is killing the incarnation of a god more wrong than to kill any other human being? aren't we all part of god according to Hinduism? can't a god just come back in a new body if they have something important to do?