Sri Bharatamata

Ashtottaram 28

 

 

28)  OṀ SĀRASATVA-BHŨMYAINAMAH:

OṀ (AUM) - SAA - RA - SAT- VA - BHOO- MYAI-

             - NA--MA- HA

 

 

(Sārasatva: means- sampradāya-that which is given or handed over, in succession;

sāra: means-best, essential, highest, genuine; satva: means-inner disposition,guṇa, tradition)

 

Sampradāya or tradition, where in a knowledge or a way of life is handed over from a guru (teacher) to a disciple or a group of students has a very important place in Hinduism. Many a time, a guru does not impart all that he knows to his disciples. From among those who live with him and serve him, he may choose one or two as the fittest to receive that knowledge he has kept back. It is this that often matters, more than the open teaching or the books. Because of this reason, sārasatva or sampradāya is all important.

 

A peculiar trait of Hinduism is that all sciences and arts are often traced to God Himself as the originator. Sometimes it may be a great ṛishi, seer or sage also. Sampradāya may also mean the body of the founder-teachers and their immediate disciples. There are different sampradāyās and sārastvās in each of the sciences or arts or fields of wisdom. It is strongly believed that those veda mantras which are not handed down through a sampradāya, are useless and hence do not produce their results. Some works like the Śaktisangama-tantra' give long lists of sampradāyās such as Vaikhāna, Rādhavallabhī, Pāncharātra, Virāvaishṇava, Bhāgavata, Nimbārka and Vrundāvanī.

 

As time passes by, there are many divisions occurred in these traditions like Vaikhānasa, Vālakhilya, Samprakshālula, Marīchakula, Asmakuṭula, and so on...In the guruparampara tradition, in vaishṇava sampradāya the list of āchāryās start with Sri Ramānujāchārya to current Tridandi Jeeyar Swamis; in saiva and advaitatradtion- from Sri Ādi Śankarāchārya to current pontiffs of the maṭhās. My guru, Late Sri Dayananda Saraswati belongs to this tradition.

 

We see the same traditions and āchāras handed over from family to family, generations down in different forms including food habits, dressing, worships, daily rituals, and so on...

 

In the land where, for thousands of years practicing our daily rituals without giving a second thought is none other than 'Sārasatva Bhūmi' (Sampradāya Bhūmi).