The Yoga Temple : The Vedas

THE VEDAS

The Vedas are ancient sacred texts originating from India many thousands of years ago. The word Veda literally means, knowledge. The Vedas are divided into sections known as Riga Veda. From this primary knowledge there are many branches. The Vedic literature also reveals many mysteries of life including, the conception of space and time known as Yugas ( cycles of creation ). It also reveals Ayurvedic medicine, and multiple aspects of the divine nature of the Supreme personality of godhead, Sri Lord Vishnu and his many incarnations. The Vedas were revealed to divine seekers known as Rishis ( Sagas ). These pure devotees did not compose the Vedas, they obtained this divine knowledge through advanced mystical powers of communication.

SRI VISHNU

Lord Vishnu, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer supports all beings, and all things are composed of him. Vishnu pervades all, is the origin of all, and all things ultimately return to him. The Vedas teach us that Lord Vishnu is the indeweller of our hearts and is the protector of all that exists. He is the creator of life who enjoys in the highest dimension, Vaikuntha (In The Spiritual World) instituting and maintaining the sacred, moral and ethical order of dharma (Righteous duty / conduct, sacred laws) to ensure harmony in the three worlds. Whenever the universal laws are broken, or threaten creation, Vishnu through his inconceivable potency takes the form of man or beast to fight the forces of disorder and to re-establish righteous behaviour.

Through these incarnations e.g. Krishna, Buddha, Jesus etc. he maintains the integrity of the Cosmic fabric. Vishnu has no limitations on any level for his love, compassion, strength, power and beauty are inconceivable and mysterious to all. It is said that when Vishnu reveals his entire Self (vishvarupa), such is his magnificence that a thousand suns pale before his beauty and splendor. The name Vishnu is derived from the root 'vish' which means to spread, or in other words, all-pervading like the sun and its rays.

Vishnu is associated with certain features and symbols that distinguish him from his other incarnations, which grant seekers and devotees a profound insight into the sublime nature of divinity. Vishnu is the supreme artist and musician, for it is said that all things beautiful such as nature, art and music are all born from the devine realm. Vishnu is omnipresent
( being everywhere, or in an indefinite number of places at once ).

His four arms represent the four directions of the cosmos that he supports at all times,

a, Duty and Virtue
b, Wealth and success
c, Pleasure and enjoyment
d, Liberation and freedom

SHRI LAKSHMI

On Vishnu’s chest, is a beautiful curl of golden hair, which is the symbol of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune, his eternal consort and feminine aspect. Images of man and woman embracing, symbolizes love interdependence and completeness and therefore are considered auspicious and placed on temple walls. Due to the divine couple, male and female are innately and eternally attracted to each other. Lakshmi is also the mediatrix between the souls and Vishnu, as she is always acting as the loving mother. Vishnu is the Soul of the Universe, Lakshmi is its substance, he is the protector, she is the provider, he is the flower, she is the fragrance. This is where love in its purist form orginates from.

KRISHNA

Among Indian deities, perhaps none is as widely worshipped, admired, and adored as Krishna [also Krsna]. The worship of Krishna takes many forms, and he is encountered in numerous distinct regional traditions. The god Vishnu is most commonly worshipped in his aspect as Rama and Krishna, two of his ten incarnations; indeed, it is no exaggeration to suggest that Rama and Krishna have, in a manner of speaking, superseded Vishnu himself.

Where Rama is usually and preeminently associated with the Ramayana, Krishna has a rather more complex place in Indian narrative traditions. He appears, of course, in the Mahabharata, as the wise, some might say cunning, counselor of the Pandavas, whose timely and much-debated interventions in the great war lead the Pandavas to victory; even more memorably, perhaps, he appears as the charioteer of the Pandava prince Arjuna, passing down those teachings that got enshrined in the part of the Mahabharata that came to be known as the Bhagavad Gita.

However, for a great many Hindus, the preeminent text of Krishna worship is the Bhagavata Purana, and most particularly its Tenth Book, which recounts the childhood exploits of Krishna, his adolescence, and his life in Vrindavan and the Braj area amidst the villagers, gopis [cowherdesses], and his beloved, Radha.

SRI RAMANUJA

No account of the religious and philosophical tradition of India would be complete without reference to the contribution of Sri Ramanuja (A.D. 1017-1137). For eight centuries and more he has been the life-philosopher and spiritual guide of millions of Hindus, who have looked upon him as their pathfinder here and hereafter. In most homes and temples of India, especially in the South, deities are held, and the daily round of duty is gone through according to his writ. From his life and teachings, wave upon wave of inspiration has flowed, influencing many religious movements in this vast and ancient land. After the wane of Buddhism, if India rediscovered her Vedic spiritual self, it was not a little because of Sri Ramanuja. He provided the love of God with an enduring philosophy, and philosophy with an abiding love of God. A traditionalist by conviction, he was none the less a benign revolutionary who ventured to make creative departures from the beaten track for the greater good of mankind.

DIVINE SYMBOLS


DISCUS	VISHNU	CONCH

The ancient syllable "OM" is the shortest of the Mantras and in Indian tradition it is a word suggestive of God. The scriptures tell us that "OM" is the planets primordial vibration from which the entire universe has arisen. All other sounds are contained within it. It is believed that "OM" is the mother of all languages. Repetition of "OM" enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome obstacles and enable understanding. An analysis of "OM" as it is written in Sanskrit shows that it is made up of A, U, M and a symbol representing resonance. So "OM" has four aspects. The first is A, a sound that comes from the belly, is formed in the open throat, and is voiced with the mouth open. As with many alphabets, A is the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet.

The second aspect is the U, a sound that is formed in the middle of the mouth. The mouth is not as wide as it is for sounding the A. With the third sound, M the mouth closes. The sound rises to the nasal passages, from where the resonance, the forth aspect of "OM" issues forth. It is said that A represents the waking state. U the dream state and M the state of deep dreamless sleep. the fourth state, sounds in the resonance following M. Saying "OM" is actually a form of meditation.

DISCUS / VISHNU / CONCH

These eternal divine symbol’s represent and emanate pure spiritual energy in all its mystical wonder. One of there many functions is to act as devine protection, so they are placed on Temple’s, shrines, buildings, doorways and imprinted on cloth.
They also remind us, that the body is to be considered as a temple of the divine and must be treated with great respect and kept clean, inside and out. In the intiation ceremony the Discus and Conch are ritualistically branded into each of the shoulders of the devote as part of an initiation process, and as a sign of one’s complete dedication to the spiritual path.

DISCUS

This is the eternal wheel of life which reminds us that we are eternal souls who are not subject to the laws of time and fortune. It represents devotion to the spiritual path and service all living beings. Vishnu has on one of his fingers the discus, when it is released, it remains constantly within his power, it flies exactly to the point intended, decomposes that object back to its essential ingredients, then returns back to him, the supreme controller and creator of all that is.

VISHNU

The centre symbol is the mark of Lakshmi and Vishnu. It is painted on the forehead of devotees with clay which show and declare their devotion to the devine couple. The V shaped mark represents Lord Sri Vishnu, and the middle line representing his eternal consort, Sri Lakshmi, who is Vishnu’s supreme devotee and consort.

CONCH

Vishnu, the one that preserves creation, holds a conch which represents eternal space / time and all life that exists. The sound vibration of the conch (AUM ) symbolizes the primordial creative voice which is said to be the breath of Vishnu. The conch also symbolizes purity, righteousness and auspiciousness.

TEMPLES

Video of Tirupati Balaji Brahmotsavam Festival (Part 1)