By : Meera Tadipatri
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| Refer below for kaksha of the devatas... |
In the Chandogya upanishad, 7th adhyaya, there is an episode where Narada, kaxa # 14, pleads Sanatkumaara,
kaxa # 8 [also known as skanda/Shanmukha Chan.7.26.2 ] to instruct him on the co-relation of 'sciences' and its importance with respect to understanding Bhagavan.
Sanat kumara asks him what he has learnt so far so that he can proceed from there. Narada says that he has only 'read' the Veda-s, Pancharatra Agamaas, Itihaasa-Puraana-s, vedanga-s and treatise, knowledge of Pitru devata-s, other devata-s[sarpa-deva-jana vidya], sciences dealing with Mathematics[rAshi], spirits[bhUta vidya], Astronomy, political science, etc., but not the Bhagavan.
For this, Sanatkumara says that Narada has only studied 'names', and instructs him the deity in whom [Bharatiramana Mukhyapranantargata] Bhagavan should be worshipped -- starting with nAmAbhimAnini Ushadevi, wife of Ashvini devata-s, belonging to kaxa # 24.
A good chunk of this adhyaya [about 15 khanda-s] focuses on knowledge and importance of taaratamya leading to Bhagavan present in the Mukhyapraana. Without His anugraha/prasada, moxa is not possible [cf. Atharvana 3.2.3]
Here is the crude gist of those adhyaya-s pertaining to the abhimaanidevata-s of mind.
[khanDa 4 of this adhyaya starts with Ushadevi, the abhimaani for all 'names', followed by Svahadevi,
kaxa # 22, the abhimaani for 'speech'/vak. Above them is Parjanya, the deity for Mind.]
Deities of mind:
1. Thinking part of mind:
This is to do with thinking and directing of such thoughts. His grace is needed to move ahead in sadhana.[*the wives of Varuna, and Sanj~na, Rohini, DhArmI and virat.h should also be meditated as abhimaanini of this aspect of mind -- all belonging to the 19th kaxa].
2. saN^kalpa:
This is determination/vow to do something every morning [not necessarily that of doing]. Mitra, the deity for the daytime is its abhimaani devata and he is not 'awake' during night time.[* NiR^iti, BR^ihaspati's wife Taara, Pravaha's wife Pravaahi -- # 17 kaxa].
3. Chitta:
This is the 'flickering' short span of memory [astira smR^iti].Pradhaana Agni is its abhimaani. [*kaxa #15 -- BhR^igu, Daxa's wife Prasuti are the deities].
4. Dhyaana:
This is the 'contemplation' aspect of the mind.Varuna is the abhimAni[13th kaxa].
Those who have his grace get the gift of dhyana, and in loukika, stop being mean and abusive [kalahina]
5. vijnana:
This is deep knowledge of an individual.Chandra is its abhimaani. [* all those in 12th kaxa like surya, Yama, Svayambhuva's wife ShatarUpi are also its abhimAni devata-s].
6. Manobala:
This is strength of mind due to its yukti-j~nAnabala.Pravaaha, the bhUta vaayu, is its deity, kaxa # 11
[ yuktijanyanirnAyavatrUpamAntaram balam....balanAma bhUtavAyuH pravahaH, chan. # 7.8.2].
7. Inner tR^ipti:
This is adhyatmika joy of the mind[referred as "anna"] due to j~nAna -- "j~nAnajanyaratirUpaM Antara annaM".Aniruddha is its abhimaani. [* Svayambhuva, Daxa, BR^ihaspati, Sachi, Rati are its abhimaani -- all from kaxa # 10].
8. Indifference to external pleasures /Ap["water"]:
This is withdrawal from external sensory pleasures.Its abhimAni is Ahampraana, kaxa # 9.
"Apo.api j~nAnaratyA jAyamAnavishhaya alambuddhirUpa truptilaxanaH"
Basically it is anyatra vishaya alambuddhi -- i.e., indifference to external vishaya sukha.
9. Contentment of mind/tejas:
This is a different kind of "alambuddhi" -- "j~nAna ratijanya tR^iptirUpa vishhayA alambuddhi"Becoming content only with Bhagavat j~nAna/Bhagavat vishhaya.
Indra is its deity -- kaxa # 8
[cf.Acharya's take on alambuddhi, trupti, Atmarati in Gita bhAshhya # 3.17 and a totally different take in tAtparya]
10. Buddhi/firm knowledge/A-kAshha:
This is the power of reasoning or firmness of knowledge -- "sthirapratibhArUpantara".Uma is its abhimaani. [* Suparni and Vaaruni are its deities -- all in the 7th kaxa].
11. Firm memory/smara of the mind:
This is uninterrupted memory -- achchhidra-smR^iti.Its abhimAni is Rudra.[so also *Garuda, Shesha, kaxa# 5].
12. Asha/'faith'/'hope':
This is the shraddha to do all aparoxa j~nAna sAdhana. She is the giver of astikya buddhi and sukha based on that.Sarasvati and Bharati are its abhimaani devata-s.
Just like the spokes of a wheel are held together in the center, everyone is controlled by Mukhyapraana. The very name Praana means the leader/preraka/lord of all.
He is present in father, mother, sister, brother, teacher /guru-s. If one abuses any of them, he/she in turn abuse the Bhagavan present in the MukhyaprAna -- when he withdraws the life force from the chetana-s, one can burn or bury the body and no one will call him a 'killer' [Chan. 7.15.1]; thus the anugraha/'presence' of Mukhyaprana matters. He who knows MukhyapraaNa as the best adhistana/abode of Bhagavan will get mukti[cf. Atharvana # 3.2.1]
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