Key Quotes Flashcards
“Neti Neti”
Kena Upanishads
“aathato brahman jijnasa”
And thus begins the enqiury into the Absolute Truth
“Brahman satyam, jagat mityam, jīvo Brahmaiva nāparah” - Śaṅkarācārya
Brahman is true, World and Atman is false. No difference, only truth is Brahman (Nirguna)
“Aham Brahmasmi”
I am Brahman
“Mama māyā duratyayā”
My maya is difficult to overcome - BG
“Jévera Svarüpa Haya Kṛṣṇera Nitya Däsa”
The constitutional position of the living entity is an eternal servant towards the Lord.
“Prajnana Brahman”
The highest and purest knowledge is Brahman.
“Tattvam-asi”
That art thou. You are that (Brahman)
“Sat, chit, anandam atmanam”
Existence, consciousness, bliss - that is the Supreme Self
Adiheyn ulhan, udhal ulhan
Lord resides within body of servant, and both enjoy there
“Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ”
The Lord is the well wisher of all beings
“ahiṁsā paramaḥ dharma”
Ahiṁsā is the highest dharma
“Dharma hiṁsā tathaiva ca”
- Vyāsa: But never refrain from violence in the protection of dharma
Atharva-Veda on Karma (applied to all ahiṁsā)
“There is no exception to the law of Karma… man reaps what he sows.”
Śaṅkarācārya’s sūkta origins?
Nāsadīya-sūkta (Ṛg-veda)
Rāmānujācārya’s sūkta origins?
Puruṣa-sūkta (Ṛg-veda)
Prof Schweig on intimacy.
“Intimacy with this divine is the one underlying motive across Hindū traditions”.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s standing on Śaktism
Embodying both right and left.
Followed Goddess Kali at Dakshineshvara.
“It does not really matter by which door one enters; once inside the house, all reach the same place.”
Śivānanda’s Yoga Āśrama and purpose
Vedānta Dhanwantari Āśrama
Founding (Risikesa āsrama) = very strict.
Modern = user friendly health spa.
“Serve, love, meditate, realise.”
Skanda Vale founder and purpose
Guru Subramaniam
“Community of the Many Names of God” - one religion of love.
Examples of divine feminine in Vedas
Hymn to Mother Earth (Pṛthvī-sūkta).
Worship of generous Mother Earth in form of cow (Gau-sūkta).
Hymn to Goddess of Wisdom, Devī-Gāyatri.
Hymn to Lakṣmī (Śrī Sūkta accompanying puruṣa-sūkta).
Invariable association of every male divinity with equal female counterpart.
Examples of divine feminine in Upaniṣands
Goddess Usha in Kena-upaniṣad.
Gargi defeating male counterparts in intellectual debates.
Ashish Nandi
‘Intimate Enemy’
Ram Mohan Roy
To return to ‘Golden Age’, must take it on the chin and reform from within
