The Riddle of Manu, the Adam of Human Race

Gurucharanam Saranam

The Riddle of Manu, the Adam of Human Race

Mukundan P.R.

Manvantara Order and the Roots of Monotheism

   The fundamental principles of Hinduism could be seen resting on the concept of Manu and world teachers appearing in the epoch of Manu, which is known as Manu Parampara or Manvantara order. The sages in the Manvantara order believed that all human beings came from one source and they were created in the image of God. Man is constantly impelled to evolve to that divine status, for which, the soul incarnates innumerable times, the Divine in the form of an avatar, guru or prophet ever presiding over this spiritual evolution. The spiritual brotherhood of these masters is denoted here as Manvantara avatars or Manu Parampara. The dharma revealed by the sages in the Manu lineage is referred as Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma means the eternal or everlasting dharma guiding humanity. By its own definition Sanatana dharma is not confined to the religion of Hindus alone.

    The Manu in discussion here is not the writer of Manu Smriti, who, according to scholars like Sir Moneir Williams and Sir William Jones, lived around 500 BC or 1250 BC. The Manu of the manvantara order is considered as the first astral blueprint of human consciousness in a cosmic process by which the absolute impersonal Truth is ultimately transformed into a human medium in a physical universe.

   This ethereal human prototype in cosmic terms is named as ‘Purusha’ (The first form of Supreme Brahman is Purusha! - parasya brahmano ruupam purusha prathamam dvijah -Vishnu Purana, 2:15) from whose desire or cosmic brooding (sankalpam) the solar system, the local universe consisting of saptarshis (the seven patriarchs or planetary spirits) and all sentient and insentient beings in it including humans and angels took birth.

   Various worlds together with their guardian deities were formerly conceived in the limbs of Supreme Purusha - purushaavayamvaiiloke sapaalaaha puurvakalpitaah – Bhagavatam 2:9:11.

   The Rigveda mentions that ‘whatever exists here, that which is, and yet to be, is all verily the Purusha, the Supreme Being.( Purusha Evedam Sarva Yad Bhuutam Yaccha Bhavyam (Rigveda, 10:90:2).

   In the Yajurveda also manifestation of God is termed as a Purusha (Vedaahametma purusham mahaantam (Yajurveda 31:18).

According to Manu Smriti, the treatise on dharma, the creation of Manu, the First Born of God has been described thus:

This universe was enveloped in darkness- unperceived, undistinguishable, undiscoverable, unknowable, as it were, entirely sunk in sleep. The irresistible Self-existent Lord, undiscovered, creating this universe with the five elements and all other things was manifested dispelling the gloom. He who is beyond the cognizance of the senses, subtle, un-discernible, eternal, who is the essence of all things and inconceivable, himself shown forth. He desiring, seeking to produce various creatures from his own body, first created the waters, and deposited in them a seed. This (seed) became a golden egg resplendent as the sun, in which he himself was born as the progenitor of all worlds. The waters are called Narah, because they are the offspring of Nara; and since they were formerly the place of his movement (ayana), he is therefore called Narayana… That Lord having continued in the egg divided it into two parts (male and female) by his mere thought. Its (the egg’s) womb, vast as the mountains of Meru, was composed of the mountains and the mighty oceans were the waters, which filled its cavity. In that egg were the continents, seas and mountains, the planets and divisions of the universe; the gods, the demons and mankind. (Manusmriti, 1:9).

The Brihadaranya Upanishad mentions thus:

   In the beginning, this was but the Self in a form similar to that of a Man (Attmaivedamagra aasiit purushavidhah (Brihandaranyaka Upanishad 1:4:1).

The Bible echoes this idea of the First Born; ‘God created man in his own image, male and female he created them’ (Genesis:27)

The word Adam has derived from Adi, meaning the ‘first or beginning’ in Sanskrit, says Blavatsky, the Russian mystic and founder of Theosophical Society in her book ‘the Secret Doctrine’:

Even the name of the first man (Adam) in the Mosaic Bible had its origin in India… the words Ad and Adi mean in Sanskrit "the first"; in Aramæan, "One" (Ad-ad, "the only one"); in Assyrian, "father" whence Ak-Ad or "father-creator." And once the statement is found correct it becomes rather difficult to confine Adam to the Mosaic Bible alone, and to see therein simply a Jewish name. (The Secret Doctrine, Adam Adami, Page 44)

   The creation of Purusha alias Manu takes place astrally. In other words, it is the formation of the ethereal structure of the universe, from which proceeds the creation, like a tree from its seed. Therefore, the subsequent physical evolution of humans and other living beings on the earth is subject to the basic principles of evolution as expounded by Darwin.

   In contrast to this, trimurty tradition in Hinduism identifies itself with the exoteric teachings in the puranas and Vedas that extol the supremacy of gods and worship of deities through mantra and `tantra and a division of human society into four hierarchical caste groups in which the Brahmin is superior to all others.

   In the Padma Purana, for example, it has been mentioned that all Brahmins are noble, adorable always. Though filled with evils like stealing and bad conduct, the twice born Brahmins are noble and adorable, not a Sudra, even if he has attained control over the senses.

   Sarve api braahmanaah shreshtaah puujaniiyaah sadaiiva hi; Steyaadi doshataptaah ye braahmanaah braahmanothamaah anaachaaraah dwijaa puujyaah, na tu suudraa jitendriyaah (Padma Purana, Fifth Canto, Viyayoga Saara, Chapter 2:6:7)

   However, other schools of thought have not accepted the puranic version of Hinduism (trimurty tradition) because of its polytheism and caste based division of society. The birth of different spiritual movements in India like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikkism and sects and cults like Kabir Panth, Brahmo Samaj, Aryasamaj, Saivisim, Vaishnavism etc. and religious conversions of Hindus to Islam and Christianity as well as the birth of political and social movements inimical to Hindiusm such as Marxim, Maoism and others could be seen in the light of these differences and discrminations. Many Hindus forget these facts and try to wrongly interpret spiritual anarchy as religious freedom.

   According to the puranic version of Hinduism, the Supreme Being when manifest outwardly in association with three gunas (satva, raja, tamo) assumes the forms of Vishnu, Brahma, and Siva.

   That One Supreme assumes three forms, namely, Brahma, Visnu and Siva in association respectively with rajas sattva and tamas aspect of prakriti for creation, preservation and destruction of the universe. Out of these three forms, the manifold good of mankind accrues form Him whose form is sattvic and this is Visnu (Bhagavatam 1:2: 23).

   These forms are called as Gunavatars. However, the inner teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads (jnaana kaanda) and the six philosophical schools of Hinduism like Vedanta and Sankhya do not go by the trimurty concept of creation.

   God, in the conception of Vedas and Upanishads is Bliss (Aanando Brahmiiti Vyajanaat (Taittiriya Upanishad, 3:6) , which transcends prakriti of threefold gunas. It is termed as the pure white Radiance beyond all lights (Tat Shubhram Jyotishaaam Jyotih Tadhyadaatmavidho Viduh (Mudakopanishad, 2:2:9) - the ‘Ateeva Satyaprakasham worshipped by Santhigiri Guru Parampara.

   Monotheism, which is referred as ‘Jnaana tradition’ in Hinduism transcends the concept of Guna Avatars: The Vedas, Upanishads and also Puranas abound with the idea of monotheism:

Self-luminous is that Being, and formless. He dwells within all and without all. He is unborn, pure, and greater than the greatest, without breath, without mind says the Mundakopanishad. (Mundaka Upanishad, II, 1-4).

From God, who alone remains when all other perish, came out Rig, Sama, Chandas, Purana, Yajus and all the deities belonging to heaven (Atharva Veda 11:7:24).

The puranas also echo the idea of monotheism, when they do not overtly promote sectarian idea of God.

There was neither day nor night neither sky nor earth; neither darkness nor light nor anything else other than that only One Purusha, the Brahman, comprehending in Himself matter and its modification (Vishnupuranam, 1:2:23)

The various worlds together with their guardian deities were formerly conceived in the limbs of the Supreme Purusha (Bhagavatam 2: 9:11)

   When the attributeless Brahman becomes manifest, He is God, the Universal Father from whom emerges the Virat Purusha, the first Cosmic Person, who is denoted here as Manu. Brahman, the Supreme Being made Virat, which served as a city (puram) for Him and He reposing there, received the epithet of Purusha, says Bhagavatam.

Puram viraajam virajasya tasmin, svaashena vishtah purushabhidhaanamavaap (Bhagavatam 11,4,3)

   Thus the Purusha alias Manu becomes the authority of our solar system and the cycles of life in it. Brahman is equated to an ocean of Bliss, i.e. a plane wherein all ideas, forms and attributes have its ultimate consummation or riddance. In this way, Manu, the First Born of God, referred as Isvara alias Hiranyagarbha alias Virat Purusha mentioned in the Vedas became the Father of our universe and the epoch of a Manu came to be known as Manvantara, after his name.

   There is a series of fourteen such Manus in a cycle of creation referred as Kalpa.(Kalpa is Time-space continnum formed by billions of years (4,320,000,000 years), after which the created world meets with dissolution; the time period of one Manu is equal to 306,720,000 years constituting seventy one age-quartets, i.e. a cluster of satya, treta, dwapara and kali yugas).

   The spiritual authorities, who come in the lineage of Manu according to the partitions of ages are denoted as Manvantara Avatars. We can thus observe two distinct spiritual streams in Hinduism, namely, ‘trimurty tradition’ based on the polytheistic teachings and ‘Manu tradition’ based on monotheistic teachings of sages in the Manu Parampara. While the polytheistic teachings are based on the puranas, tantras and karmakanda found in the Vedas, the monotheistic teachings (jnaana kanda) are part of the Upanishads, the six philosophical systems (shad-darshanas) and Bhagavat Gita, Guru Gita etc.

The Forgotten History of Manu Parampara:

   Though Hindu religion is essentially based on monotheism, since the modification of puranas and interpolations by the scribes of different sects, much of its original character has been lost. Records containing the history of Manu parampara have also been lost to humanity. The Puranas record that Manu is the progenitor of humanity.

   The great sage Parasara reveals the details of past manvantaras and Manus in Vishnua Purana thus (Vishnu Purana, I.VII, Horace H. Wilson):

The first Manu was Swayambhuva, and then came Swarochisha, then Auttami, then Tamasa, then Raivata, then Chakshusha: these six Manus have passed away. The Manu who presides over the seventh manwantara, which is the present period, is Vaivaswata, the son of the Sun.

   The mention of Manu is also found in the Bhagavat Gita: ‘Vivasvaan Manave Praaha, Manurikshaakve Abraviit’, i.e. ‘Vivaswan (Sun god) revealed (this knowledge) to Manu and Manu to Ikshaaku’. In the scriptures, the Sun is equated to the eye of Brahman (Chakshoh Suuryo Ajaayata - Shukla Yajurveda, 31:12) which could then mean that Manu is the first born from the Brahman.

   The idea of Manu and the Saptarshis (the seven patriarchal rishis) can be found in Buddhism too. In the Tibetan Secret Book of Dzyan quoted by Blavatsky in her book ‘the Secret Doctrine’ it has been mentioned that:

The Lha (the great Spirit) which turns the Fourth (Globe, or our Earth) is servant to the Lha (s) of the Seven (the planetary Spirits or the saptarshis) (b), They who revolve, driving their chariots around their Lord, the One Eye (Loka-Chakshuh) of our world (Brahman), His breath gives life to the Seven (gives light to the planets). It gave life to the First (The Manu).

   Different from the sages and rishis coming under trimurty tradition, the manvantara avatars, do not go by the puranic version of creation, which postulates that from the navel of Vishnu, Brahma appeared and Brahma, desirous of creation, divided himself into two, i.e. Manu and Satarupa and from them came forth saptarshis and other beings (Bhagavata Purana, III:2:42-5)

   Here, the importance is shifted to trimurty from Manu. The Vedic Creator, as already mentioned, is described as Purusha or Hiranyagarbha, whose other name could be Manu and from whose sankalpam or desire the human universe of ours has evolved. That the age of our universe is calculated in terms of manvantara equivalent to the age of a Manu gives credence to this view. It would be understood from the differing concepts and myths that the idea of Brahma as the Creator is a later super imposition.

Manvantara Avatars – the Medium for God Realization:

   Much importance is assigned to Guru, who is a Manvantara avatar. The Katha Upanishad mentions that ‘taught by a teacher, who knows the Self and Brahman, a man leaves vain theory behind and attains to truth.’( Katha Upanishad, 1:ii:80).

   Words cannot reveal him. Mind is unable to reach him. The eyes do not see him. How then can he be comprehended save when taught by those seers who indeed have known him? says this Upanishad and gives this call to mankind:

Arise! Awake! Approach the feet of the Master and know ‘That’. Like the sharp edge of a razor, the sages say, is the path. Narrow it is, and difficult to tread.

  Mentioning that ‘the Guru who has realized his oneness with God is the true friend’, Srimad Bhagavatam says:

   'One who has conquered his senses, after realizmg that enjoyment of worldly pleasures ends only in sorrow, should become non-attached and approach a Guru, who is ever established in God consciousness and take refuge in him. His faith in Guru should be unshakable and he should be vigilant and should never find fault with him. He should serve Guru considering him as God himself till he attains the knowledge of Brahman.'

   Dukhodarkeshu kaameshu jaatanirveda aatmavaan, ajijnaasitamadharmo gurum munimupaavrijet, taavat paricharet bhaktah sradhaavaananasuuyakah, yaavat brahm vijaaniiyaat maameva gurumaadrutah: (Srimad Bhagavat Purana, XI:19)

   Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras advises meditation on the heart of an illuminated soul that is free from passion (Yoga Aphorisms, 1.37). Swami Vivekananda said that we cannot find any knowledge without teachers. Both Patanjali and Swami Vivekananda said that there is a teacher of all teachers, who is the infinite source of knowledge. Guru Gita, which is part of Skanda Puranam, mentioned that even the Trimurti gods become capable only through the grace of such a Supreme Guru:

Guroh Kripaa Prasaadena, Brahma Vishnu Maheswaraa

Saamarthyam Tatprasaadena, Kevalam Guru Sevayaa

Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara have attained their skills only through the grace of Guru which they have earned by serving Him (Sree Guru Gita, Page 53 (Santhigiri Publications)

Ancient History of Manvantara Avatars:

   The seven primordial rishis such as Vasishta, Kasyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Vishwamitra and Bharadwaja and their progeny are examples of sages coming under the category of Manvantara avatars.

   Sri Rama and Sri Krishna belong to the category of Yuga avatars in the Manu parampara. Sri Ram was the Yuga avatar in Tretayuga (the birth of Sri Rama is said to be eight lakh years ago at the end of Treta Yuga. The total duration of Treta yuga is 16 lakh years) who was superseded by Sri Krishna in Dwapara yuga, (The birth of Sri Krishna is said to be more than 5200 years ago at the end of Dwapara Yuga. The total duration of Dwapara Yuga is approx. 8 lakh years) as the yuga avatar. However, the truth of this spiritual transition occurring through the cycle of yugas has not been clearly perceived hy humanity.

   The great Yuga avatars of the manvantara order were brought under the umbrella of Guna avatars, namely Brahma, Vishna and Maheswara, in order to serve the interests of Brahminical Hinduism, which has been developed by the Vaidikas through temple institutions focusing on deity worship. The avatars have to be followed as occurring in the order of yugas: the spiritual intercession of Rama becomes irrelevant in the age of Sri Krishna in Dwaparayuga. Similarly, in the Kaliyuga, spiritual guidance comes through the yuga avatar pertaining to Kali yuga.

   The debacle of Hinduism is due to the ignorance of this yugadharma (spiritual transition). The Hindus, the ancient most custodians of spirituality, have deviated from yugadharma. Hinduism has refused to change largely because of the narrow selfish interests of the custodians of caste system. God had sent messengers to India from the beginning of this Kali yuga to correct this spiritual mistake through the medium of Sri Krishna, Buddha, Mahavir and others. But their opponents (the Vaidikas) either made them avatars of gods or distorted their teachings through myths and interpolation in the scriptures. When India did not heed the words of Krishna and Buddha, the Manvantara Avatars, God sent messengers to other parts of the world.

End of Time, not End of the World:

   The spiritual reformation of humanity can be seen occurring in wave-like cycles of time. After the age of Sri Krishna, Sri Buddha, Mahavir and Zarathustra, teachers such as Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed in the prophetical order are few monotheistic avatars relating to spiritual epochs of 2500, 2000 and 1500 years. In the measuring yard of the manvantaras, the ‘End of Times’ mentioned in the Semitic religions cannot refer to the end of time, but could mean only the end of a spiritual age with relation to the life of these prophets.

   The Divine in the form of a spiritual medium, as an avatar, guru or prophet appears at every crucial stage of human civilization for its spiritual growth. This process has been going on from the time of creation. Beginning from the microbial world to the stellar regions, everything pulsates under this law of evolution presided over by the Divine Will. As there is no finality to this divine process, no religion can overlook the truth of incarnations in the niches of eternal time nor claim that this or that prophet is the final prophet or the only way to humanity’s spiritual evolution.

The Decadence of Manu Parampara:

   The gradual loss of the importance of Manu and the Manu Parampara from the scriptures and the rise of trimurty gods is intriguing. The concept of Purusha and Brahman of the Vedas and Upanishads, which was the only one adorable Lord of the universe, slowly is replaced with the idea of ‘Atman’or ‘Self’. The Self of man began to be identified and equated with the Supreme Brahman. ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I am Brahman) - declares the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. (Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad, 1:IV:10)

   In the Chandogya Upanishad (xi-xv), Svetaketu is taught: ‘That which is the subtle essence – in that have all beings their existence. That is the truth. That is the Self. And that, O Svetaketu, That art Thou!

   The molecule of Brahman in the Self of man cannot be compared to Brahman. Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru said, ‘We should not say that we are Brahman, we are only part of it’.

   With the emergence of the concept of ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, deities and gods could be raised to the position of Brahman. For example, in the Padma Purana, Brahman - the instrument and first cause of creation is represented as Brahma, the trimurty God. The primeval, excellent, benefactor and Supreme Brahman in the form of Brahma and the rest, is the creation and the creator, preserves and is preserved, devours and is devoured, the first immaterial cause, being, as is common in the pantheism of the puranas, also the material cause and substance of the universe. (Padma Purna, Anaylsis of the Puranas, Horace Hayman Wilson, page 23-24.)

   In this way, the trimurti gods began to be identified and equated with Brahman in the puranic literature. The status of Manu, the First Born Purusha was lowered in order to accommodate the concept of creation, sustenance and dissolution by trimurtis and their grandeur over other deities.

   However, Brahma is not Brahman, if we go by the puranic literature, which states that trinity gods are Guna Avatars.

   The wrath of Almighty God followed, as Brahman, the Almighty God was mistaken as Brahma, Vishnu, Siva and other deities. Many civilizations lost their tracks in the spiritual cataclysm that followed when the manvantara order, the spiritual order did not work as willed by Almighty God. Successive deluges afflicted the earth and swallowed many continents. The lost continents of Lemuria or Atlantic remind us of the spiritual disorder, which is potent enough to cause more such catastrophes in future.

The Super Imposition of Brahma:

   With the development of trimurty system, a blurring occurred over the ages in the concept of Manu and Manvantara avatars. As already mentioned, Manu was replaced with Brahma as the first emanation from Brahman, contrary to the concept of ‘Purusha’ or the ‘Most High Seer’ clearly described in the Rigveda thus:

Darkness there was, and all at first was veiled in gloom profound – an ocean without light- the germ that still lay covered in the husk burst forth, one nature, from the fervent heat’… ‘Who knows the Secret? Who proclaimed it here, whence, whence this manifold creation sprang? The Gods themselves came later into being – who knows from whence this great creation sprang?’He from whom all this great creation came, whether His will created or was mute, the ‘Most High Seer’ that is in highest heaven, He knows it – or perchance even He knows not.(Rig Veda, X.129, translated by Max Muller).

Blavatsky, in her book ‘Secret Doctrine’ equates Brahma with the Manu, the First Born thus:

The Heavenly Man – Swayambhuva, who sprang from the Self Existent and Adam Kadmon of the Kabalist, and the Androgyne Man of Genesis Ch.1 are also identical. Manu-Swayambhuva is Brahma, or the Logos, and he is Adam Kadmon, who (Genesis iv.5) separates himself into two halves, male and female, thus becoming Jah-Hovah or Jehovah – Eve, as Manu Swayambhuva or Brahma separates himself to be one Brahma-Viraj and Vaach-Viraj male and female; Vaach is the daughter of Brahma and is named Satarupa, the hundred formed and Savitri, ‘generator’, the mother of the gods and of all living. She is identical with Eve, the mother of all gods and all living.

   According to Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru, the concept of Brahma was a later addition in the scriptures, when the memory of Manu and Manu tradition had been lost to humanity some twenty five chaturyugas ago (108,000,000 years). The concept of Brahma and Trimurty came into existence only in the seventh chaturyuga (30,240,000 years ago approx.) of the present manvantara, after a spiritual error in the Manu lineage as revealed by Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru in the following words:

The Sanatana religion means the culture of great souls who came from time to time. We find in history that cultures based on the worship of Sakti, Siva and Vishnu have tried to improve the quality of life. In between some preceptors have come up, following a religious parampara, but those who have emerged that way do not belong to the tradition of the primal Manu.

In the present manvantara, in the tradition of Vaivaswata Manu, at the end of the third chaturyuga to be exact, a preceptor called Satyatrana faltered in selfhood due to certain shortcomings, following which life deviated from the Cosmic Law given by the Almighty. Satyatrana’s concept was like a transformational ideology (parivarthanavadam).

Thereafter the trimurti tradition was brought in the seventh chaturyuga to actualize the Will of God….The Brahma of the trimurti tradition was misconceived as Brahman. Brahman is all pervading. Brahma is not so. Brahma relates only to the aspect of creation. Still it was made to believe that Brahma was above everything.

However, Brahma is not everything. The story of Brahma can be told only by Manu. As far as Manu is concerned, little is known. Thus a story was told that Manu, born of the Sun, gave it to Ikshwaku. In that history there was no place for Manvantara. Thus we fell into error. Vedic ritualism became dominant with the emergence of the four-fold caste division - Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra.

   Twenty eight chaturyuas ago (120,960,000 years) since the beginning of this manvantara of Vaivasvata Manu, when mankind lost the grace of God by the wrong perception of a preceptor in the manvantara order, when the world was lost in spiritual darkness there arose three spiritual authorities - Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. They were revered as gods and in the passage of long ages, they began to be equated with three aspects relating to creation, sustenance and dissolution.

   Trouble started when they were termed as Guna Avatars corresponding to three gunas, satva, rajas and tamas. The highest status was given to Vishnu, who is related to Satva Guna, followed by Brahma (Rajas) and Siva (Tamas). Tamas is equivalent to indolence and dark qualities. Siva, the god of Atlanteans was thus denigrated.

   Atlanteans were the inhabitants of the submerged Kumari continent (Lemuria) related to the ancient Dravidian civilization, the home of the last red root race. Douard Schure in his Secret History of World Religions mentions that ‘the four races which cover the globe at the present time are the offspring of different earth zones. Successive creations, slow elaborations of the earth in travail, the continents emerged from the seas at considerable intervals of time, which the ancient priests of India called antediluvian cycles (Manvantara) stretching over thousands of years, each continent gave birth to its own flora and fauna, crowned by a human race of different color. The Southern continent swalled up by the last great deluge was the cradle of primitive red race, of which the American Indians are merely the remnant, the offsring of troglodytes who comibed to the summits of the mountains when their continent crumbled to pieces. Africa is the mother of the black race, which the Greeks called Ethiopian. Asia brought forth the yellow race, represented by the Chinese. The latest arrival, the white race came from the forest of Europe…. In former cycles, red and black reigned successively in powerful civilizations, which have left traces both in Cyclopean constructions and in the architecture of Mexico. The temples of India and Egypt contained abridged traditions regarding these vanished civilizations. In the present cycle, the white is the predominating race, and, if the probable antiquity of Egypt and India be calculated, its preponderating influene will be found to date back seven or eight thousand years’. The Mayans and the American Indians are said to be the remnant the offsring of the lost Southern (Kumari) continent the cradle of the primate red root race, which was swallowed up by the last great deluge.

   A bitter struggle began between the ancient Dravidian root race and the Aryans to show the god of each sect in highest esteem. Brahma, who had been enthroned as a proxy to Manu, his head is said to have been cut away and his worship was stopped. There is only one or two temples in India dedicated to Brahma now (one among them is at Pushkar) whereas there are thousands of temples for Siva and Vishnu.

   In the battle for the supremacy of gods, the primordial spiritual order presided over by Manu and the Manu Parampara was sacrificed. Perhaps, in the Purusha Sukta of the Rigveda, wherein it is described that the ‘Purusha’, the first manifestation of Brahman with thousand heads etc, was sacrificed by gods and priests, might have some relationship with the history of the aforesaid curse of Almighty on the Manu Parampara. The said sacrifice has been mentioned in the Rig-Veda (X 90:7) thus:

'Taam yajnam barshishi proukshan, purusham jaatamagratah

tena devaah ayajantah saadhyaah rishayaschaye'

The devas, the priests and the wise, making the First Born Purusha a sacrificial animal, performed a sacrifice.

  The curse of God Almighty on humanity continues, so too the sacrifices of Manvantara avatars, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus and others who sacrificed their lives, resembling the sacrifice of ‘Purusha’ in the Vedas. The hidden secrets behind Creation and the history of ages could be revealed only by a Manvantara Avatar. The future course of humanity could rest securely only on the assimilation of this truth. The birth of Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru, the great Manvantara Avatar through whom these truths were revealed augurs well for the spiritual reformation of Hindus and the humanity as a whole.

   If Hindus are to survive as a glorious civilization, they have to recognize the deviations in their long spiritual history and follow the path of sages manifesting from time to time in the Manu lineage, who uphold the Oneness of God and equality of human beings, not in words but in practice. The Brahmin centered trimurty tradition must change. The root cause of the aversion to Hindutva in the present as well as in the past can be traced to Brahmanical Hinduism, which has fragmented Indian society and polluted its spiritual life. The faith of Hindus lies in the principles of Sanatana Dharma propounded by the great sages in the Manu lineage, which had always commanded respect in the past from all people in the world. If there is a universal and scientific concept of spirituality, that lies in the concept of Manvantara of Hindus.

Love in the Guru-Disciple relationship

Gurucharanam Saranam

Love in the Guru-Disciple relationship

((The Divine Words of Navajyotisri Karunakara Guru translated from original Malayalam)

In the beginning, during the ignorant ages, people lived like animals or evil spirits. Evolving from that state, today we have reached to the status of ‘Self Manifest Dharma’. (the spiritual status wherein one is able to perceive the self-evident cosmic Truth). What is the ‘radiant substance’ in that conceptual pursuit, how should I place myself in that – this is the present state of thinking in this Kaliyuga. This state is full of all qualities. Churning good and bad alike and absorbing its’ essence, the world is moving on in its track.

Imbibing in ourselves this efficiency of living and imparting it to our children, our effort is to foster it through the generation. Almighty God has shown to us to do it in the best way. For instance, different images surface in our mind without our being aware of it. When we say Bhakti, Yoga, Karma or Jnana, there arise in our mind different reflections on each of this. When small kids see their father, they have one image, while the grown ups have a different one. It is the same when we see the mother. Thus, when we come across with every person, different people will have different thoughts. Likewise, a painter or singer has different mental pictures.

How did this image come into the mind of man? That is because of the inner fragrance of each person. We develop this little by little. This is a secret within us even without our knowledge about it. Like this, several images develop in us, one toward God too. About God, we have a mixed image arising out of our different thoughts, which are then blended with beauty, humility, truth, fortune and self-esteem. That arises on its own from us. This is mind’s association in the nature of its evolution. It has to be experienced and cannot be communicated by words.

Bhakti (divine love or devotion) is like a great mountain of love. That is a path of love. That love is the feeling of blessedness towards everything, the feeling of sacredness, which comes in us spontaneously. For children, the love would be for toys or tasty things. With the progression of age, that will transform in two ways. One will be in performing work with all sincerity, while the other is of sensuality. This we know from experience, but cannot explain how.

Transforming thus ourselves, when we reach a Mahatma who embodies this truth and who acts with humbleness, truth and self-sacrifice, or to a concept similar to this, we become aware of its profundity. It is such a great blessedness. We are living in its companionship (i.e. Guru). What we, who live like this, should think is that ‘I should absorb this in my soul and develop it inch by inch and work for the benefit of my contemporaries, home, society and nation’.

Some may see and understand this and go. Some others are not like this. They would undergo whatsoever sacrifice for the sake of others and strive very hard. Although all are human beings, for some people, seeing this type of work itself will cause annoyance. For some others, (it will be) some selfishness in the nature of love; or, whatever others might do, there will be the ignorance to give value or respect and understand it. Thus, we have shortcomings in all aspects. We will have (good) culture only when we become prepared to change it. For that, (one has to) come to some public area of work and after understanding the vice and virtue in that, we should again come to the path that demands sacrifice. Like that, we have to elevate ourselves and proceed to take up the sacrifice of imparting the virtuousness of this blessed path to all individuals among us. It is through such doers of sacrifice, today we have got accustomed (to this path) this much.

How shall we take up this work? Through whom shall we take it? All of us have knowledge. There is also the interest to take up all this. But when the occasion comes, it will not be possible to do it; or if it is done, it will not be beneficial to each other. There will be many obstacles owing to which we will not be able to fulfill our actions. We should march ahead removing these obstacles. After thinking and deciding well what should be done for this, we should go in that direction.

For Hindus, first there is the ‘Bhajana Mattam’ (i.e. venue for devotional singing). Then there is the temple. After that is the ashram. Similarly, for Christians, there is the ‘Vanakkamaasapura’ (a dwelling for prayer), then the church, after that the Metrapolita. For Muslims, it is ‘Taikkav, Mosque and Mecca. It is in this order, the wise has been doing it. Each type of knowledge has been familiarized to us in this way. That knowledge has been enjoined in all religions. What is the meaning of this enjoinment? Combining spiritual and worldly matters through life, it has been brought up linked with each other like a chain. Otherwise, people will leave it off.

The Guru-Disciple relationship is not like that. Surrendering all protection as well as punishment at one place (at the feet of Guru), everything is gained from there and brought back (into our life). This is the love in the Guru-Disciple relationship. My savior as well as chastiser is only You! In a way, it is like the rule of a king. But it is not the relationship between the king and populace. It is the learning through life. Making him do something in every birth, with his life and devotion, love and respect, gathering all that he does with its purity, washing it with humility, indefinable love is being given by providence. There is no word for this except divine magnanimity. We should do every action absorbing this magnanimity.

There will be Father, Mother, Brother or Sister only when we give regard to it. The status that we give to God also is similar. Before we commence drinking water or eat something, we close our eyes for a second. We used to do that when we begin to break up earth with a shovel or take up tools or pen. It is a general belief that drivers, boatmen and mahouts do not respect anything. But the driver while holding the steering and the mahout while taking up the hook will for a moment remain there closing the eyes. The mahout is praying that when the elephant sees the hook, it should behave. It might trample him to death or pierce him down. Similar is the case with boatman. It is enough he observes a shred of raincloud, great would be the upheaval inside him.

Those who fly in the sky with great celebration, we might think that they are free like birds, but once he enters into it, his attention would be riveted to it until he touches down his destination. So, where all should be our attention? The duty of Guru is to keep us in such concentration(s) first.

Now, we are living in a small path of knowledge. Not only that, we have commenced the acting of a part. Then first it should be learnt how love in the innate human nature should be nourished. We have a habit of sharing love with and without bias. We should also learn how this love should be at every position. Let us be learned, ignorant or whatever, only by sharing this love, we can advance in this world. We are beginning to learn the greatness of love knowing it intimately in everything.

Devotion (Bhakti) is the fullness of love. In whatever way there would be other thoughts (knowledge or pursuits in life), it would not be possible for it to go above true devotion. The nature of devotion is to see one’s deity or Guru as God. A person, who desires God’s love, might experience limitless sorrows. That time, one should console himself that it is for removing the filth of his sins and strongly establish himself in love again and again. Since he would be able to undergo all sorrows filled with love and ambrosia, when his sacrifice is seen, it would not be understood as sacrifice. Sorrow should come essentially. Although he is convinced that whatever he does is good, if his contemporaries accept it, he will not know what sorrow is. Without experiencing lot of sorrows, it will not be known what sacrifice is. Let it be that sorrow is not experienced. Is it possible for him then to understand another’s sorrow? In that case, he will neither know it from self-experience nor able to know the sorrow of others.

The love that he will have for other living beings depends upon his surrender to God. His eminence will be in keeping the purity of his character by hating nothing and seeing everything with love. Knowing all sorrows, with loving behavior and knowing it experientially, become identical with it. Then the seat of sorrows as well as the seat of happiness is oneself. He can see the earth as a flowerbed and see the forests with full of stones and thorns as a garden. When he reaches at such places, through the bliss he experiences, he can enjoy the essence of all beauty in the world. He might see the vision of God through it. He will have an overflowing mind, which can see God in everything. This is what is said as ‘inner intelligence’ (mati buddhi). The devotion, which is unlike this, is for gratification of desires. That type of devotion will in the end, cause frustration.

When the pile of desires becomes broken, there will be sorrow. Even If the devotion is lenient, there will be sorrow. Let a person be a true devotee or otherwise, there will be many tearful surges of weeping. In fact, he sees with great delight the form of his personal deity in every sentient and insentient nature. Then he weeps unknowingly with the love that made him witness the glory of the Supreme. Thus, a devotee who has experienced God in different ways would shed tears out of divine love. Despite all this, those who have no knowledge to see and understand love, when he is tormented with tales about him about which he is not aware, he would weep thinking that these people torment me without knowing the truth and whether God does see this or not.

(75^th Janmadina Poojita Samarpana Souvenir)

The Way of Direct Knowing

GurucharanamSaranam

The Way of DirectKnowing

(The Sacred Words of Navajyoti Sri Karunakara Guru)

Thesolar system, as we know, consists of nine planets like the earth, each havingits own dimension. We reach the ‘generative character’ of the moon aftercrossing the earthly plane and four or five more celestial orbits. The journeyto the sun is only after reaching there. The course of an ordinary soul is insuch a way that it never become capable of reaching the sun.

Wehave among us many who had been worshippers of the sun. The world is sustainedby the sun, so we have a notion that by worshipping the sun we might gain greatmystical powers. But there are certain layers (spiritual dimensions) to reachthe sun. There is no possibility of reaching there, except through (these)layers. Only after reaching ‘Isvara Sannidhaanam’ (spiritual sky beyond theabode of celestial gods) one would be able to go there.

Thereare the spiritual skies (sannidhaanams), namely - Iswara, Daiva, Brahm and Parabhram. It is not easy for a soul to cross thesespiritual skies; it can dangle only under it. Our ancestors weren’t able to crossthese spiritual skies, and therefore, the course of their souls is obstructed.It is after seeing this spectacle (of obstruction) Prophet Mohammed said, ‘O’Almighty! I, who believed that nothing exists except You, what is being shownto me now?’

Whatis this force (of obstruction)? Many souls (of those) who followed the path ofyoga exist in the atmosphere as ‘yogabhrashtas’ (souls fallen from the path ofyoga). They subscribe to the doctrine of ‘soul truth’. These souls stand there blockingthe progress of other souls. We should understand this and have a wish for theemancipation for these souls who are stranded thus unable to cross this (hindrance).We can give them liberation. You must understand this and convince yourchildren too about this. Otherwise they will fall into a very ordinary life. Ifthese souls are liberated, our ancestral lineage who worshipped the pantheon(devi-devas) will get rebirth, otherwise bereft of birth and death, these soulswill get stagnated there. You who live as a family – father, mother andchildren should become virtuous by (your) life. Only then the virtue of your ‘formertradition’ will be gainful to you. You have no knowledge about the struggle of earningthe honor of the family through (your) life. Each one of your life style islike a craving for something or other.

Ifyou continue in this state, you will not set right anything. What can the parents do if the children inthe family do not reach a dignified status through their life? When he or she(son or daughter) goes to make a family, what virtue can be brought in thatfamily? They can only eat the pain.

Iknow souls who had been struggling hard through many generations and births forthe sake of attaining some virtue. After being born among us, they go backlosing everything; such a karma (path of life) remains with us. If we want toearn this virtue, we should make available the beneficence the souls of ourancestors require, as (our) dharma - duty. Only if we could liberate them, canwe pass through ‘this ‘mandala’ (sphere of blockade). Thus we must strive (hardenough) in order to pass through at least ‘isvara sannidhanam’ - thesuper-celestial abode.

Ifwe are unable to gain achieve this, there is no use of accepting sanyasa(renunciation) going in the path of devotion (bhakti). To receive the goodnessthrough our children for our family and society we should get this kind of knowledge.You – father, mother and children should live in one faith, a single faith tillyour last. This life is not only for earning money. It is not enough that we earnmoney, competence and wealth. When ignorant of you get money and competence,pride, arrogance and insolence will possess you and you will jump into thekarma (course of action) that displays any type of insanity.

WhatI was trying to tell you is this: salvation should be given not only to ourmanes but to the spiritual beings worshipped by us previously, whoever be it, adeity, a rishi (seer) or sanyasi (sage). Our children should realize this muchand they should be made to perform it. Having no means for livelihood in ourplace, people here migrate to other places, work hard and earn some money. Ifthey live showing off this earning, they will become like an empty shell; thiswill be the fate at the end.

Thefather wants to show the children that he is the ‘father’ (authority of thefamily); the mother wants to show them that it (the status of life) is not dueto fathers’ ability. Then the children have their own rivalries. Our way ofliving creates such axes of ruin. We must put an end to this way. For thateither a big government system should come enforcing the method to teach thechildren. Punishment should be meted out to people who do not teach in that method.

Anotherpoint is that most of the people teach and bring up children for a job. No onethinks that for how many people jobs can be given, say after fifteen years. Couldany government, howsoever big it might be, give employment to all those who geteducated in the country? If we look at the state of affairs in the country, bythe education being given here, the children would become like dried ginger, dryingraw. There will be nothing here even to eat and drink. Only when such a crisisoccurs, would all people learn just to look back. Then they will think: forwhat do we teach (the children) spending so much money. This attitude will comesoon. This situation will arise within thirty years. By the time today’schildren turn forty, the administrators will not be able to control the people.In the meanwhile if there is a war, calamity or plunder, some devastation willtake place or a stage will come when none will be able to do anything. Why am Isaying this? All people should have a long view of the future.

Weconduct Gurupooja (cleansing of harmful spiritual and ancestral influences) here.With that there will be a little beneficence. But if you do not nurture thatbenediction perfectly, you too will be there with those who are thus destinedto be ruined. If you are unable to do anything, when you get an opportunity toshare our love, respect and competence, the beneficence earned will all belost. Gurupooja is the earning the right to share this beneficence with ourchildren. Therefore, no error should happen in the tasks undertaken. Those who acceptand keep this virtue with love and reverence do see the Guru in vision at thetime of death. There have been several incidents here, wherein people wait forGuru (at their death bed) to die until Guru comes before them and they wash Guru’sfeet and drink that water.

Allgurus do not come like that. Then what comes (at the time of death) may be theevil spirits in the place of guru. If (the power) what comes is a yogi or karmi(who followed the path of action), they too would be standing in place of theseevil powers. These yogis and karmis are not entitled for mukti - liberation.But they will be witnessing the ritual of the washing of Guru’s feet by thedying person. With that, these forces, that have been restless for ages, willget the right to be born in this Guru lineage. Whether they take birth or die,by the end of this yuga, it is certain that they will become the authorities ofsatya yuga.

Thosewho have performed Gurupooja will understand this easily. For they have had theexperience of having seen the visions of such yogis, karmis, jnaanis (seers)and bhaktaas (devotees). Those who had seen thus also have the knowledge aboutthe potentials and limitations of such powers. It is only after seeing thus theybegin to believe that this Guru is truth. They have the visionary experienceand knowledge about the minutest sands of this knowledge. Liberated of birth inthe ‘characteristics of colors’ and established in ‘pure intelligence’, in thatstate of transformation, they can reach up to the awareness of the Conscious Principle(chit). This is darsanam (mystical vision) in its fullness. 7444 suchrealizations constitute one ‘stage’ (avastha). When that state is reached, the Guruwill try to bring us up in the aspect of a ‘far sighted seer’ (deerghadarshi).After that, the effort of evaluating the profundity of this vision, one by one,is extremely strenuous. This evaluation commences on the basis of (our) karma(actions) in the matters known, seen and heard by us and also according to the ideologicalstate of our mind.

Thus:

‘Theman, who abounds filling the firmaments of the three worlds, ascending it, hasnothing else to perform. But, the Light that shines after the disappearance ofthe ‘three-fold cosmic perceptions’ will not yield to false seers’ (SriNarayana Guru).

Itis this aspect we have to take care.

Thewhole characteristics of our mind from its origin have already been ingrainedin us. Now we have to be shown of the things to come. We can evolve only as perthe evolvement (qualification) of the person showing it. That is why it hasbeen ordered that (one) should not go without a guru.

Inorder to envision the Truth that lies beyond the fourth spiritual stage, onehas to reach the position of the Trimurti (trinity gods). After seeing thataspect, one has to reach what is called ‘the light abode’ (vettaveli). When onereaches there, Guru is indispensible for guidance from there. If Guru is notthere, (he) will try to define the ages and maintain it standing from whateverposition reached. The ages are four, isn’t it? Therefore, if there is no Guruto divulge the true time length of the chaturyugas (four yugas–satya, treta,dwapara and kali), in the authoritative aspect, we would become nothing.

Thekarma (work) of evaluating the significance of a chaturyuga is beyondintelligence. It is standing from the Trimurty stage one has to see this aspectof ‘light abode that abounds and fills the borders of the three worlds’. Fromthere when one moves still ahead and looks ascending above, there lie stilllarger ‘realms’! Along with that, we could also see the paths we havetraversed. We can see the paths we have covered in any ages. But for evaluatingthat age, the person who has seen this should have transcended the realm of theTrimurty.

TheTrimurty are the Gurus of the ages which belonged to them. They are standing inthe subtle. Guru is the one who cuts this subtle binding. The subtle is therefrom a dust of sand to the ‘Immutable Absolute Realm’ (akhandam). We have to thinkwhether this Absolute is related only to the world or does it exist beyond thattoo. There are various ‘Immutable Absolute Realms’. What is the way to go intothese Absolutes? Guru is that way. Otherwise, one can only stand stunnedreaching one such Absolute. The importance of Guru lies here. This Guru shouldbe the one who has transcended all these Absolutes. It is not enough that heexperienced and understood that ‘endless infinity’ but should be the ‘authority’of a course of action of accomplishing and understanding it.

Disciple:It is only a ‘perfected life’ that is brought as a Guru – isn’t it?

Guru:Yes.

Disciple:If so, why is it necessary for this Soul to start all over again repeatingeverything remaining in the human body?

Guru:A soul might take birth as a blade of grass; it evolves and evolves and growsto become all the trees in a big forest. In the character of trees it becomes abanyan tree, mango tree, akil, sandal tree, etc. and it is from there it isevolved to a different womb. Each blade of grass and each tree when it evolvesthrough its time, that soul, standing in the atmosphere, comes back in adifferent form. Just like a mango sapling grows and spreads it branches, humanbeings also sprout, grow and spread out. We see this expansive evolutionary actionin its subtle and gross effects.

Disciple:The human being comes after birds and animals, isn’t it? Or was everythingcreated at the same time?

Guru:At first the bird, then animal, after everything the human being.

Disciple:These creations happened at the same time?

Guru: Thehistory of a same age is shown in different periods. Everything would not beshown at the same time. Error will result if it is shown in that manner.

Disciple:Is Darwin’s theory of evolution authentic?

Guru: Itis authentic. But those disputing the theory of rebirth will find it difficultto agree with.

Disciple:But Darwin does not say that the soul transmigrates; he says the living beingsevolved from one to yet another.

Guru: Ofcourse, that indeed is correct. It is our duty to explain it further. Whenepochal changes occur, the characteristics of mist, rain, sun and darkness allwill change. Only if the characteristics of these changes are considered, onecould conclusively talk about what is beyond. It is to make it understandablethe ‘colors’ (aura) are being determined. Confined to that color, get the explanation.

Disciple:Is color not external?

Guru: Whatis in the external is present in the subtle too. Don’t we speak about thesubtle body? That subtle body exists in the subtle plane. It should be seen assumingwhat color it exists. Thus seven colors should be seen. Then the karma (theway) that combines the seven colors should be seen. There is a specific way to bifurcatethese seven colors from the white. (Thus) by the grace of God, the course ofthat Soul (the life of such a Soul who has become the authority of colors) isbeing given to us. Such a Soul - where, in what and when all has worked, thatis another course. The ‘Streamof Light’ that ascends in this way is called ‘the Light that shines upon the disappearanceof three-fold cosmic dimensions’.

Disciple:Will a soul who comes perfected in this life itself see this completely?

Guru: Itwill see. It has to end thus seeing, even though it might have seen this in allbirths, since this soul has got a new cage.

Disciple:Is it that sitting in this cage, all the old will be repeated? In case an errorhappens (sitting) in this cage, would it not whatever was correct earlier becomedeviated?

Guru: Itmight get deviated. That is why it is said that even if (one soul might have) reachedthe abode of Brahma, it might fall down.

Disciple:Does it mean that the Guru, even after coming as the perfect One, when residesin this cage, the suffering He undergoes is the same as that of ordinarypeople?

Disciple:He has to suffer even more.

Disciple:Was there any period in Guru’s life when there were no sufferings?

Guru: Howmany years have you been with me? Have you ever seen any comfort in my life sofar? What I am trying to say is this. Would you understand when I say that youought to do this or oughtn’t to do this? Your consciousness (jeeva) has notgrown to that extent; therefore, (you) are getting confounded remaining there. Arational thought will come there then. This is how you perish getting bedeviled.As a result, there will be untimely demise to the great work. It is a verydifficult subject. A zero watt bulb will not give light in the day time, isn’tit? The light will be on, but practically it is of no use. What is the use ofsaying everything is our ‘handiwork’? Reaching whatever level we work, only tothat extent our knowledge will reach. It is here I said that mistake hashappened.

Shouldn’twe get out of this? As for you, you have ‘bhagavan’ (god/s) and ‘bhagavati’(goddess). And why didn’t you reach the perfection of knowledge and luck? Isthere any family or a person who has thus reached it? Is there any karma (a wayof action) which will help you to reach at least up to the abode of Iswara?Whatever level the medium of your worship has reached and exists, you cannot gobeyond it. At the most, you can reach up to that.

(Janmadinaspecial issue 2002, pp 29-32)