Ashtottaram 105

 

 

105) OṀ MĀNAVOṪṪAMA JANMA-

                     PRAKATIṪA BHŪMYAINAMAH:

        OṀ (AUM)-MAA-NA-VO'-ṪṪA-MA-JAN-MA-PRA-KA-TI-ṪA-BHOO-MYAI-

                           NA-- MA- HA

 

     (Mānavah: means- Human beings; Janma: means-birth, life, origin;

        Uṫṫama: means-the best, superior; Prakatiṫah: means- announcement,-

                                                                              - declaration)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There is day and night difference between the preaching that 'you are the sinner and our son of God was crucified for our sins' versus our Vedic and Upanishadic declarations that 'tatvamasi' (you are that-Brahman), 'Aham Brahmāsmi' (I am Brahman). When you hear every day that you are the sinner, it feels like somebody is pouring hot liquid lead in your ears. On the other hand, when you hear that 'tvameva pratyaksha Brhamāsmi' (meaning 'you are the perceivable Brahman')-your mind feels very happy and content. Our Upanishads also added that 'pūrṇatvāṫ purushah aham pūrṇah'; 'ātmā śuḋḋha chaitanya svarūpah'; 'ātmah satyajnā jnāna anṫa sarva kāraṇa pūrṇah' (meaning- 'you are the Self', 'Ātman is Brahman'). Vedas also said 'You are Brahman'. The Vedas are our means of knowledge and they declare that 'you are that Brahman you have been looking for all along'.

 

Vedas declare that the human is the most superior birth out of all the 8.4 million living species and is suitable to achieve the ultimate human pursuit of mokṣha (liberation). The human body is equipped with the body, mid and intellect faculties (kāryā kāraṇa saṇghāṫa) which helps us in the spiritual practice and it is surprising to learn that, even the deities don't have that opportunity and they have to come back from heaven and higher tiers, once their puṇyam (results of virtuous deeds) is exhausted. A 'theist' is defined as the one who takes the Vedas as pramāṇās (means of knowledge), Vedas are the 'Brahman', and 'Brahman' is the Vedas. The 'śruti' says that 'tat antike' meaning 'you are the ātma ṫaṫvam'. It wants you to realize the omnipresent nature of the ātma and declares 'Īśā vāśya miḋam sarvam' meaning- 'everything is Lord Parameswara's form and nothing is outside of Him'. The sugar dolls may have different forms but they all taste sweet and if you eat a candy at the center or the edge, it tastes same. Similarly, whatever name or form you perceive, there is only 'Brahman'. This is ṫaṫva jnānam meaning- spiritual wisdom. In Srimaḋ Bhagavad Gīta, Lord Sri Krishṇa says that there is no difference between Him and the Jnāni.

 

As you can see, all our scriptures, sacred texts, and the Vedas- declare that you happened to be the Brahman and because of the veil of ignorance about our body, we do not recognize that truth. No single doctrine of ours says that you are a sinner, as the other religions deliberate and engrain the minds of their followers.

 

As opposed to the teachings of the other religions, which claim that you are a sinner; our Sanātana Dharma declares that human birth is utmost superior to all the other living beings and hence, our land is the 'Mānavoṫṫama Janma Prakatiṫa Bhūmi'.