With the blessings of Mahaavtar Babaji, my revered Guru, I am placing before you a highly significant piece of knowledge.
Sri Vidya is not just keeping a Sri Yantra
Are you in the process of taking Shrividya Diksha, one of the most pious dikshas in the world?
Or have you already completed it? But do you really feel it or has it become part of you?
How you are practising it in your life?
All these questions are significant and need to be raised by every sadhak. The reason is that Shrividya is a wholistic sanskar. The necessary bhava cannot be created simply by having Shriyantra or putting up a photograph of Guruji. It has to be much deeper. One of the most important question, a sadhak has to answer is whether or not he respects his wife. Many sadhaks fail on this count.Many sadhaks do not respect their life partners, fail to understand and honour their emotions and chide them due to some family reasons and sometimes just to dominate and have an upperhand on them. The moment it happens so, Shrividya stands destroyed. A natural form of Shrividya resides in the woman who needs to be worshipped. The Guru of Shrividya also starts by imparting the gyan of super power of Shri Lalita Parmeshwari immersed in the body of Sadhak’s wife and familiarizes the Sadhak with the world super-power. This is an identification of true Shrividya Guru.
It has been commonly observed that thousands of people come to attend the Shrividya Shivir. Many of them do not come on their own and have been compelled to do so. They do not show any interest in the Shivir and even fall asleep. Such sadhaks and Gurus need to be condemned. Both can be said to be suffering from pashubhava. In Shrividya, the Guru should give personal attention on sadhak to sadhak basis.
Let us now try to understand what is Pashubhava
Unless we have the right emotion or bhaava, Shrividya gyaan is not possible. Pashubhava or animal instincts imply dark cover of agyaan or ignorance, lacking feeling of Advaitatmak gyaan and dominance of Tamsic (materialistic) mentality. It can be in two states – Uttam (high/best) and madhyam (medium). Shrividya talks about three states – Diyabhava, Veerbhava, and Pashubhava, also referred to as Saatwik, Raajsik, and Taamsik, respectively. Of all, Pashubhava is considered to be the lowest or worst emotion.
Shrividya saadhana implies getting deep within and creating emptiness internally by getting freedom from all thoughts and emotions. It implies attaining complete inactivation. It is not possible to be totally inactive all the time as long as you are alive. But one should try to be inactive for some time during the day. While you are active, you should strive for Divyabhava and avoid Pashubhava. Sadhana and Dhyan should be done regularly. It should be practised as a way of living rather than part of life.
Forces operating on you while you are active are obstacles in the way of achieving complete emptiness. One has to learn how to get rid of pashubhava emotions one gathers during phases of activity. Another way of achieving this is to treat work as a game and play it like that without getting involved unnecessarily. Life should be lived in a way where we have nothing to lose and nothing to gain as small children do.
There are seven forms (aachar) of sadhana
Vedachar, Vaishanavachar, Shaivachar, Dakshinachar, Vamachar, Siddhantachar, and Kulachar. The first four are meant to be imparted to the Pashubhava sadhak, the fifth and sixth for the Veerbhava sadhak, and the last one for the Divyabhava sadhak. Let us examine the relationship of the seven forms with Shrividya.
One cannot be a Shrividya sadhak simply by having a photo of Shrilalita on the wall or possessing a Shriyantra or taking Diksha from a Guru. A true Shrividya sadhak has to go through a long process. It is just like undergoing courses leading to become a doctor, an engineer or a legal practitioner. These cannot be acquired overnight and take years for completion. Shrividya process is still longer. It takes time, hard work and close proximity with the Guru for becoming a Shrividya sadhak.
In Shrividya, sadhak has to rise above Pashubhava and transform into a Pashupati. In Shivapuran it has been stated that a person in Pashubhava exhibits Moolvegjanya reaction practising tit for tat implying abuse for an abuse and violence in reaction to violence. A Shrividya sadhak has to be above this.
Krishna also told Arjun to focus only on Karma and leave the rest (outcome/result)to the Almighty. This is the essence of Geeta and the most basic quality to be nurtured and inculcated by a sadhak. For a sadhak life should merely be treated as a game or leela and led accordingly. Arjun also felt quite puzzled that if life is a game and nothing is in our hands why we should fight and kill in a battlefield. The entire life of Krishna was just a leela and his performance no more than acting. He did everything as a pleasure with a detached and non-serious attitude without ever worrying for results. This was something very difficult for Arjun to understand. This was simply because that Arjun was always worried about the outcome or result. His concern was that on either side of the battlefield the warriors were his close relatives and friends and it would be personal defeat for him whether the battle is lost or won because finally there would be no one to appreciate his performance and celebrate victory.
The sadhaks are also looking for results – Devi Maa will be pleased and give Darshan to the sadhak, as if there is some contract between the sadhak and Devi Maa. It can happen so, but only when you move from Pashubhava to Divyabhava. For this to happen, the sadhak has to rise above jealousy and safeguard against losing the basic nature of self. The sadhak has to do lot of self introspection. It is believed that those who do not touch the Shriyantra with reverence, do not recite the mantra, do not believe in sacrifice, doubt the tantra, look upon mantra as a set of alphabets, idolize their knowledge, and just bathe repeatedly are Pashubhavalambi and need to rise above that.
What Shiva told Parvati about Pashubhav
Every person like any other biological being is Pashubhavapradhan, characterized by dominance of animal instincts. The idea is to transform Pashubhava into Devbhava. Pashubhava is the primary stage and Devbhava the third one. In between there exists the human or manushyatav stage. The system for making this transformation possible is SADHANA.
At birth every person is a Shudra, implying full with animal instincts. It is through Diksha that he is able to attain Dwij awastha. Dwij means to be born twice. Becoming human is like getting reborn. Then, intensive study of Shastras and spirituality makes him a Vipra. Following the stage of Tantriki Diksha (mental-spiritual sadhana), he attains Brahmuplabdhi and becomes a Brahmin.
Does this mean that a person with Pashubhava is defenceless or with no one to take care and ensure his welfare? Of course yes. God is present in every living being, even the one with animal instincts. The concerned revered deity is Pashupati.
It is necessary for Guru to impart this Gyan to his sadhak face to face in a very personal way. In imparting Shrividya there should be no discrimination and all sadhaks be treated equal. Shrividya is a way of life which should be passed on by the Guru to the sadhak.
In case of a new sadhak, the Guru should talk to him and know completely about his nature.
Shrividya being a big inheritance, has to be imparted with great care only to the right sadhak. Hence, knowing about the sadhak, his family background, his conduct, maturity level, and his weaknesses/strengths is necessary because Shrividya Sadhana is a big heritage.
Taking Diksha is not enough. The foundation should be improved and strengthened by the Guru. Shrividya is a step forward in the direction of becoming human (manushyata) and divine (devetva).
The sadhak has to rise to a level where he is in complete control of himself, with neither regret nor pride, becoming a master of his mind much above the common animal instincts. The Guru has to help him out in achieving self actualization.
Conversation between Bhairava and Bhairavi (form of Shiva and Paravati) on Pashubhava in Rudrayamal Tantra.
Bhairavi addresses Bhairava by explaining the process to be followed whenever there is violation/obstacle in Pashubhava vrat (committed effort to overcome animal instincts). In such instances, the sadhak should make 1000 recitations of the mantra. Other actions which can help in achieving this Mahasiddhi are daily Pitra tarpan in the evening, Deva darshan, Peeth darshan, Teerth darshan, obedience to the Guru, and regular worship of the Ishtdeva. Pashubhava is for animals, Veerbhava is for the brave and Divyabhava is for the divine sadhaks.
Bhairava next requests Bhairavi to explain the process of having darshan of Maa Bhagwati.
Bhairavi states that the time immediately before the sunrise is the time for Pashubhava. After routine morning chores, the sadhak should sit back on the bed and meditate for Guru in the Sahasrahar.
The above conversation underlines the significance of Pashubhava and Pashubhava sadhana.
In Vaamkeshwartantra, it has been stated that Pashubhava extends over the first sixteen years of life followed by Veerbhava upto the age of 50 with Divyabhava during the last and final phase of life.
Bhairavi has highlighted the need to follow inherited family rules, customs, and values, and worshipping of Kuldevi and Kuldevta. One should have blessings of ancestors for winning over animal instincts. It is also necessary to give up unholy traditions and stick to the holy ones. The daily routine should also be improved.
A way of invoking Guru in the Sahasrhar as stated by Bhairavi is to recite Gurupaduka mantra in Mrugi mudra. This is part of Shrividya Diksha to be done daily on regular basis. We should live life like a game deriving full pleasure out of it. One should free himself of all complexes. Last but not least, one should learn to be contented and happy with the peace and satisfaction derived from Shrividya rather than always being satisfied and always expecting something bigger from Pashubhava sadhana.
Begin your Divine Journey
Begin the epic journey of Sri Vidya that will help you burn your past karmas and open your path to self realisation. This course offers a systematic amd in depth programme that reveals the mysteries of this sacred science one by one. Enroll into the satsang-course Sri Vidya Essentials NOW.
