भूत - bhUta - beings or ghosts?

In many Indian languages, the word bhoot/bhoota (भूत) would inspire some flurry of electrical current up the spine. It means - ghost. There are movies with names like bhoota bangalaa (ghost bungalow) that were the pioneers of the horror genre in India. And then the Bib-B starrer recent flick called Bhootnath (protector/king of ghosts!)

And yet, Shiva (शिव) is also called bhUta-nAthaH (भूतनाथः). This of course gives fan to the fire that Shiva is the Lord of the ghosts, and wanders the cemetery, smears the ashes of the burning grounds. And trust me, all this has deep metaphorical meaning that will scare 'The Brief History of Time' out of you. More on this below.

The verb 'bhU/bhoo' (/भू) is a very basic verb. Out of the ten classes of verbs, one of them is called bhu-Adi-gaNa (भू-आदि-गण) or bhavAdigaNa (भवादिगण) i.e. "group of bhU and other verbs."

bhU means - to be.
bhava - you be.
bhavati = she/he/it becomes.

It is slightly different from 'is'. We say -
He became angry.
Water becomes ice.
etc.

It is a state change.

That which *has* become - bhUta.

Now, who has become (past tense) is relative as well.
All beings you see, were not beings earlier, in these bodies. They were souls. Before that part of the Supreme Soul. Before that unmanifest 'unperceivable' para-brahma.
Upon birth (or conception, if you are a nit-picker) , they *became*. Before that they were not.
They were, but not in a form that could have been perceived by us.

So, all beings are called 'bhUta'. All of life, not just you and me, the supreme creation, but even the lowly earthworm is a bhUta.

Now, when someone dies, from this life's point of view they 'were'. Had been. Had become, not now anymore. They are also called bhUta - one who *had* become (past perfect?).

And hence the word for one who had been is bhUta. And if that "had been" tries to become "is being" we really get our spines jolted and scream - ghost!!

So, why is Shiva called bhUtanAtha? Well, Shiva is the deity of transformation, of time. And from unmanifest to manifest, spirit to matter and to spirit again, are all transformations. And at the cemetery, you change from is to has been. And turn to ash. His smearing of ash on his body signifies that all came from Time and go back to Time. Only Time rejoices in Time. All else is illusion.

So, you must be thinking how I can say that bhUta = all beings.
Is it extrapolation?
Modern day stretchable interpretation?

Well, look no further. Remember this shloka in praise of the Mother Devi?

या देवि सर्व-भूतेषु, शक्ति-रूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै, नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥   
yā dévi sarva-bhūtéṣhu, shakti-rūpéṇa saṃsthitā |
namas_tasyai namas_tasyai, namas_tasyai namo namaḥ||   

The Dévī who is well established among "all beings" in the form of Shakti (power, energy, ability), salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation,  salutation.


And why three times? Because 'Three is a charm'?

No silly, the three salutations are referring to the three forms of the Dévī – Sarasvatī, Lakṣhmī, Durgā. And why three Devi-s? Because three is a charm indeed! :)

Happy NNF.


The Nine-Night Festival!
May the Devi keep you safe, healthy and happy.





(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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सर्वार्थसाधिका - sarvArthasAdhikA - the realizer of all purposes

There are many names of the deities in Hinduism. They are all based on the characteristics of the concept of the divine.

So you have thousand names of Vishnu, of Devi etc.

When you understand the meaning of these names, you get a better understanding of the divine nature around us. Whatever we may call it, apart from the quantitative nature of science, there is a qualitative effect on us of our surrounding. The RiShi-s tried to explain that in simpler ways through metaphors, and hence all the stories started.

After all the understanding, you realize that the Divine doesn't work for you, but through you. So, understand it, rather than blame it for your misfortunes.

One among the many of the names of Devi is सर्वार्थसाधिका  (sarvArthasAdhikA) in this famous shloka:

ॐ
सर्वमंगलमांगल्ये = sarvamangalamAngalye = o mangala of all mangala-s (-A changes to -e when you are addressing)
शिवे = shive = o shivaa, auspicious one (-A changes to -e when you are calling out to shivA)
सर्वार्थसाधिके = sarvArthasAdhike = o realiser of all purooses
शरण्ये = sharaNye = o worthy of refuge
त्र्यम्बके = tryambake = o three eyed one
गौरि = gauri = o gauree (-ee change to -i when you are calling gauree)
नारायणि =nArAyaNi = o nArAyaNee (-ee changes to -i)
नमोस्तुते = namo'stute = नमः अस्तु ते = namaH astu te = salutations be for you

sarva artha sAdhikA = one who realizes/accomplished all purposes

The force of Life working through you, accomplishes everything. Devi resides in all of us in the form of power, hunger, sleep, mercy, compassion, valor, ... (yA devI sarvabhUteShu, या देवी सर्वभूतेषु ). We realize our goals by our karma, and Devi helps us do karma through our abilities.

The shloka says सर्वार्थसाधिके (sarvArthasAdhike). The last -A turned into an -e, as in aye, say, way.
This means O sarvArthasAdhikA! So we are directly talking to her, and remembering her many qualities.For words ending in -ee, the ending becomes short -i when calling.

May that Devi help you accomplish, realize all your goals through your own good karma!.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Navaratram - नवरात्रम् - the Nine-Night festival

Happy Navaratram to all!

On 13th, started the navarAtram (नवरात्रम्) , or navarAtra (नवरात्र) as commonly, the trailing m is dropped in many Indian languages.
The word comes from - nava = nine; rAtri = night; navarAtram = group of nine nights.

nava-rAtram is not "nine nights", it is "a group of nine nights", more on that below.

HOW MANY?
There are actually a total of five such groups of 'navarAtram' in a year, though major one is in sharat (शरत्) - just before winter, a little before the crops will come in (two fortnights from now).

Saraswati is called shAradA (शारदा), who onsets of sharat season. The Hindi word 'sardi' (सर्दी) comes from sharad as well.

WHAT AND WHY DO WE CELEBRATE?
Mother gives birth. Father may or may not be needed for propagation of life, but mother is always needed, at least one agent, to conceive, protect, and foster life.

Earth, giving everything that we need, is our Supreme Mother. Hence, the celebrations of the Mother force, just before the harvest season.

The Mother Force, or the Life Force will always win, and this victory is celebrated during this time. "Life will find a way" - from Jurassic Park may seem more modern and hip, but the idea is very ancient and very Indian.

For nine nights, after a long day's work is over, the Mother force is celebrated in all its various aspects - the knowledge, power, resource, wrath, justice. In contrast to today's entertainment outlets, our festivals were entertainment events embraced with spiritual metaphors, stories of awe and inspiration, reflection and coming together.
May you do that as well, along with shopping and revelry.


LANGUAGE:
Did you know that It is *not* nava-ratri (नवरात्रि) ! (Note the last vowel)
How could it be? Nine is plural, and rAtri is singular (night). Subtle language nit-picking?

Nine nights would be translated as 'nava rAtrayaH' (नवरात्रयः) = plural
navarAtram = a collection of nine nights! = singular

See the difference?

In modern times, in some regions, people say it as 'navarAtrA' (नवरात्रा) as well, that is more closer to the original that nava-rAtri. But it should not be a long 'aa' (आ) at the end, it is short but clear 'a', (अ) as in u of cut.



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(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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You are the last resort, O Devi!

शरणागत-दीनार्त-परित्राण-परायणे ।

सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

śaraṇāgata-dīnārta-paritrāṇa-parāyaṇe ।

sarvasyārtihare devi nārāyaṇi namo'stu te ॥

śharaṇāgata = one who has come (āgata) for refuge (śharaṇa)

dīnārta = the pitiable (dīna) and the one in pain (ārta)

paritrāṇa = complete rescue, protection

parāyaṇé = o one who is the last resort of refuge (parāyaṇā, fem.)

sarvasyārtiharé = o remover (harā) of everyone’s (sarvasya) troubles (ārti)

dévi = o devī

nārāyaṇi = o nārāyaṇī

namo'stu = salutations (namaḥ) be (astu)

té = for you

You are the last resort of refuge for the pitiable and paining people who come to take refuge. You remove everyone's troubles, O Devī,O Nārāyaṇī, salutations be for you.

Happy Navaratri.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Best words fall short to praise you, O Devi!

 सर्वभूता यदा देवी भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी ।

त्वं स्तुता स्तुतये का वा भवन्तु परमोक्तयः ॥

sarvabhūtā yadā devī bhukti-mukti-pradāyinī ।

tvaṃ stutā stutaye kā vā bhavantu paramoktayaḥ ॥

sarva-bhUtA yadA devI bhukti-mukti-pradAyinI |

tvam stutA stutaye kA vA bhantu paramoktayaH ||

sarvabhūtā = all (sarva) manifestation, people, world ( bhūta)
yadā = when
devī = goddess
bhukti = consumption (food, needs etc.)
mukti = liberation (of soul from bondage)
pradāyinī = giver (fem.)

tvaṃ = you [are]
stutā = [THE] praised one
stutaye = for praising [you]
kā = what
vā = or, ever, (to indicate what ever could be ..)
bhavantu = can be
paramoktayaḥ = greatest (parama) utterances (uktayaḥ)

When you [who are] devi, are all of manifestation, are giver of nourishment [in this world and] liberation [from this world], are the praised one, [then] for [your] praising, what ever can be great utterances.

That is, devi, you are beyond my ability to find words to praise you. greatest of the great words fall short of praising you. [but even then let me try].

Happy Navaratri.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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