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Smaarta Tradtion is more liberal, broad-based and non-sectarian tradition in Brahminism. Their philosophy is more suited to common form of worship conducted in Hindu temple-complexes popular outside India. They worship Ganesha, Siva, Sakti, Vishnu, Soorya and Skanda with equal importance, though all of them are not Vedic deities and even though the word Smaarta is derived from Smriti meaning strict adherence to Vedas. They give equal importance to all that is said in Vedas and accept all major Hindu deities also as forms of Brahman. They accept all the six manifestations of God as recommended by Sankara. They are known as Sanketis in Karnaataka. Most recent Upanishads like Ganesha Athrvaseershoepanishat and Kalisantarana Upanishad on Puraanic deities with lot of Phalasrutis (benefits derived by praying) fit into their philosophy including Bhajana Sampradaayam (prayer by singing hymns loudly).
Purushasookta says what humans know is only one fourth and what is hidden from them is three fourths. That concept is well demonstrated when we look at Linga images installed in temples. Only one third of the Linga is available for physical worship. On the dark but clear moonless night if we gaze at the wide expanse of the sky we see billons of star-clusters from millions of galaxies with their inscrutable silence. We live on a small-sized planet called earth which is almost comparable to a dot on the whole universe, which is again a planet of a medium sized star (Sun). We have limited knowledge of the Milky-way only amongst all galaxies. Our knowledge is mostly confined to Mother Earth and rest remains on speculation or mystery. Knowing the limitations of the human beings and the short span of life on this earth, Good Lord stopped at the odd number of 33 and even number of 48, without taxing us by extending it to infinity. Even here we do not know his original intentions. Hence I have speculated on these limited numbers like many others. May we therefore conclude this discourse with a prayer to the Supreme Principle for granting us that supreme Knowledge which can be attained only when Jeevaatman merges with Paramaatman in its final journey!
Vidhartaara(ga)m havaamahe vasoeh kuvidvanaati Nah| Savitaaram Nrichakshasa
---(MNU)
We invoke the Creator of the Universe
Who sustains the creation in many ways and
Who witnesses the thoughts in many ways and deeds of men
May He grant us plenty of excellent wealth!
APPENDIX
ELEVENTH ANUVAAKA PRAYER FROM CHAMAKAM
PRAYER OF SERIES OF ODD NUMBERS
" Ekaa cha may tisracha may pancha cha may sapta cha may nava cha may ekaadasa cha may trayodasa cha may panchadasa cha may saptadasacha may navadsas cha may ekavi(ga)msatischa may trayovi(ga)msatischa may panchavi(ga)msatischa may saptavi(ga)msatischa may navavi(ga)msatischa may ekatri(ga)msacha may trayastri(ga)msascha may ||
PRAYER OF SERIES OF EVEN NUMBERS
Chatasrascha may ashtau cha may dvaadasa cha may shodasa cha may vi(ga)msatischa may chaturvi(ga)msatischa may ashtaavi(ga)msatischa may dvaatri(ga)mscha may shat-tri(ga)mscha may chatvaari(ga)mscha may chatus-chatvaari(ga)mscha may ashtaa-chatvaari(ga)mscha may vaajascha prasavascaa-pijascha kratuscha suvascha moordhaa cha vysniyascha-antyaayanascha-antyascha bhouvanascha bhuvanascha-adhipatischa ||11||
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Om Idaa devahoor-manur-yajneer-brihaspatir-ukthaamadaani sa(ga)msishad-visvedevaah sookta-vaachah prithvimaatarmaa maa hi(ga)mseer-madhu manishye madhu janishye madhu vakshyaami madhu vadishyaami madhumateem devebhyo vaacham-udyaasa(ga)m sushrooshenyaam manushebhyastam maa devaa avantu sobhaayai pitaro-anumadantu || Om Shatih Shaantih Shaantih ||
[May I be granted the odd numbers1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33 as well as even numbers 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, and 48 to ensure food and its continuity and the urge to enjoy the origin of all creation—the Sun, the heaven, the head of all, the infinite, the all-pervading like the sky, time and the like present at the end of total consummation exists at the end of it on the earth as universal form, the Antaryamin, the immortal, the inner ruler of everything, the Omnipresent and Omnipotent. May Peace prevail, in all our inner struggles, external conflicts and Heavenly disturbances due to our own missdeeds disturbing the Universal orderliness that was given to us!]
[The sacred gods are implored by mantras on Kamadhenu, the granter of all wishes. Manu does the sacrifices and Brihaspati recites the pleasant Mantras. May these praises of Visvedevas and Mother Earth save me from sufferings! May my pleasant thought bring forth pleasant actions and resultant enjoyable fruits! May my joyous offerings bring forth fine and worthy speech and my words please the divinity, make men turn their tears to joy; May Gods enlighten me and invoke my speech very powerful and my ancestors (Pitrus) feel extremely glad over it and bless me to perpetuate it.]
This post is in continuation with the post Chamakam & its numbers
Courtesy:kn ramesh
Purushasookta says what humans know is only one fourth and what is hidden from them is three fourths. That concept is well demonstrated when we look at Linga images installed in temples. Only one third of the Linga is available for physical worship. On the dark but clear moonless night if we gaze at the wide expanse of the sky we see billons of star-clusters from millions of galaxies with their inscrutable silence. We live on a small-sized planet called earth which is almost comparable to a dot on the whole universe, which is again a planet of a medium sized star (Sun). We have limited knowledge of the Milky-way only amongst all galaxies. Our knowledge is mostly confined to Mother Earth and rest remains on speculation or mystery. Knowing the limitations of the human beings and the short span of life on this earth, Good Lord stopped at the odd number of 33 and even number of 48, without taxing us by extending it to infinity. Even here we do not know his original intentions. Hence I have speculated on these limited numbers like many others. May we therefore conclude this discourse with a prayer to the Supreme Principle for granting us that supreme Knowledge which can be attained only when Jeevaatman merges with Paramaatman in its final journey!
Vidhartaara(ga)m havaamahe vasoeh kuvidvanaati Nah| Savitaaram Nrichakshasa
---(MNU)
We invoke the Creator of the Universe
Who sustains the creation in many ways and
Who witnesses the thoughts in many ways and deeds of men
May He grant us plenty of excellent wealth!
APPENDIX
ELEVENTH ANUVAAKA PRAYER FROM CHAMAKAM
PRAYER OF SERIES OF ODD NUMBERS
" Ekaa cha may tisracha may pancha cha may sapta cha may nava cha may ekaadasa cha may trayodasa cha may panchadasa cha may saptadasacha may navadsas cha may ekavi(ga)msatischa may trayovi(ga)msatischa may panchavi(ga)msatischa may saptavi(ga)msatischa may navavi(ga)msatischa may ekatri(ga)msacha may trayastri(ga)msascha may ||
PRAYER OF SERIES OF EVEN NUMBERS
Chatasrascha may ashtau cha may dvaadasa cha may shodasa cha may vi(ga)msatischa may chaturvi(ga)msatischa may ashtaavi(ga)msatischa may dvaatri(ga)mscha may shat-tri(ga)mscha may chatvaari(ga)mscha may chatus-chatvaari(ga)mscha may ashtaa-chatvaari(ga)mscha may vaajascha prasavascaa-pijascha kratuscha suvascha moordhaa cha vysniyascha-antyaayanascha-antyascha bhouvanascha bhuvanascha-adhipatischa ||11||
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Om Idaa devahoor-manur-yajneer-brihaspatir-ukthaamadaani sa(ga)msishad-visvedevaah sookta-vaachah prithvimaatarmaa maa hi(ga)mseer-madhu manishye madhu janishye madhu vakshyaami madhu vadishyaami madhumateem devebhyo vaacham-udyaasa(ga)m sushrooshenyaam manushebhyastam maa devaa avantu sobhaayai pitaro-anumadantu || Om Shatih Shaantih Shaantih ||
[May I be granted the odd numbers1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, and 33 as well as even numbers 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, and 48 to ensure food and its continuity and the urge to enjoy the origin of all creation—the Sun, the heaven, the head of all, the infinite, the all-pervading like the sky, time and the like present at the end of total consummation exists at the end of it on the earth as universal form, the Antaryamin, the immortal, the inner ruler of everything, the Omnipresent and Omnipotent. May Peace prevail, in all our inner struggles, external conflicts and Heavenly disturbances due to our own missdeeds disturbing the Universal orderliness that was given to us!]
[The sacred gods are implored by mantras on Kamadhenu, the granter of all wishes. Manu does the sacrifices and Brihaspati recites the pleasant Mantras. May these praises of Visvedevas and Mother Earth save me from sufferings! May my pleasant thought bring forth pleasant actions and resultant enjoyable fruits! May my joyous offerings bring forth fine and worthy speech and my words please the divinity, make men turn their tears to joy; May Gods enlighten me and invoke my speech very powerful and my ancestors (Pitrus) feel extremely glad over it and bless me to perpetuate it.]
This post is in continuation with the post Chamakam & its numbers
Courtesy:kn ramesh