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PHRASES IN THE GITA - 116
रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि ... (अध्याय १० - श्लोक २३)
ருத்ராணாம் ஶங்கரஶ்சாஸ்மி ... (அத்யாயம் 10 - ஶ்லோகம் 23)
Rudraanaam Shankaraschaasmi ... (Chapter 10 - Shlokam 23)
Meaning : I am Shankara among the Rudraas ...
Shri Krishna says , "Among the Rudras , Shankara is Me" . Who are the Rudras ? Who is Shankara ? For us common folks , Rudra and Shankara are one and same . Let us ponder over a more fundamental aspect brfore knowing these ...
Shri Krishna says , "Shankara is Me" . He does not say , Shankara is my assistant" or "Shankara is Junior to Me" . Some Krishna Bhakti organizations say so . Shankara is a Demi God" (small God) these say .
Shri Krishna says , "Shankara is Me" . He does not say , Shankara is my assistant" or "Shankara is Junior to Me" . Some Krishna Bhakti organizations say so . Shankara is a Demi God" (small God) these say .
Advaita unites . Advaita integrates . All is One says Advaita . Advaita encourages us to see the One in all . Other Ideas cause split and disjoint . These incite separatist vision . 'This is different . That is different' declare these . "Do not enter His Temple" .. "Do not take his names" . "Do not keep his names for your children" . "Do not read his books" . These ideas isolate followers with such suggestions . I had taken up a Gita yatra through the villages in Tamil Nadu . In one of the villages near Shivakashi , I had stayed with a Vaishna family for three days . On the third day , he asked me , "How do you talk with Bhasma or Ash on your forehead?" Probably this question was lingering in his mind for three days . "Veda is supreme for me and the Vedas talk only of Vibhooti or Bhasma . Other things have appeared later" , I replied . I do not know if he understood anything . We have a tradition of Rameshwara , wherein Shiva worships Rama and Rama worships Shiva . Vibhooti or Bhasma does not mean Shiva . It is a philosophy . It is something that bridges various and diverse communities in Bharat .
Advaita is the one Idea that sows seeds amicability in the society . It is an idea tha binds a person with other person , a community with other communities , a person with Nature , an individual with the whole creation . Yes . Shiva , Vaishnava etc . are paths of worship and dedication . One need not take all the paths . One must choose a path that suits self and tread on it with devotion and conviction . But , "All is One" must be the foundation .
We realize the greatness of Adi Shankara when we look at his life in this background . Born 2,500 years back in a small village in Keralam , he has written treatise not only on the Vedas and Upanishads but also on the Gita and Shri Vishnu Sahasranaama . He has composed devotional poems not only on Shiva , Ganesha and Devi but also on Shri Krishna and Shri Vishnu . His followers gleefully observe fasts and celebrate Shivarathri , Devi Navarathri , Shri Ganesha Chaturthi but also celebrate Shri Rama Navami and Shri Krishnashtami with the same enthusiasm and devotion.
Gita is an essence on Advaita . Shri Krishna's declaration here is wonderful . "Among the Rudras , I am Shankara" .
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