February 2019 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Vasishta
I completed teaching a 20 hr five day program on Upanishad Vidyas @ Yoga Vahini Chennai for a compact group. Taught Sad Vidya from Chandogya Upanishad, Pancha Kosa Vidya from Taittiriya Upanishad, Pranava Vidya fro Mandukya Upanishad and a brief reference to Kathopanishad and Panchagni Vidya from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Thank you participants and Yoga Vahini for the opportunity to teach these subjects. Sri Krishnamacharya taught several upanishads in addition to texts on yoga, samkhya, hatayoga and others. Asana was only one shining aspect of his vast,varied brilliant teachings
In 2019 I am scheduled to teach the 100 hr Teacher Training program in Vinyasakrama yoga at three different locations, one in Chennai in Feb 2019, one at Victoria, Canada in June 2019 and then at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, USA, in July 2019. For more details visit the Events page of my website www.vinyasakrama.com/Events
I will also be teaching a 20 hour core vinyasakrama program at Om Yoga in New Delhi in March 2019 and also a similar program @ Centered City Yoga in Salt Lake City, Utah in Oct 2019. There is a weekend program scheduled on Sri Krishnamacharya's "Yoga Rahasya of Nathamuni" in Sep 2019 @Chicago Yoga Center in Chicago.
Vasishta
My father used to say a prayer first in the morning even sitting in his bed. It is a very popular prayer with of the older generations known as pratassmaranam (dawn remembrance) or suprabhatam ( auspicious daybreak). One of the verses in it is a prayer to 12 great sages whose immortal advice and mantras guide many of the orthodoxy. Vasishta is mentioned as one of the rishis (truth speakers and mantra seers). Again every morning many in India perform a sun ritual called sandhya vandana the main part of which is the japa or repetition of the gayatri mantra several times say 108 times. Prior to the japa the performer would sit down and do mantra pranayama ten times. Usually mantras if chanted formally should be preceded by nyasas of the rishi who discovered the mantra, the meter or chandas of the mantra and then the deity whose body itself is the mantra. For pranayama mantra the seven vyahritis are associated with seven rishis (sapta rshayah). Vasishta is in the center of the bunch, the others being atri, bhrugu, kutsa, gautama, kasyapa and angirasa. So Vasishta is regularly remembered.
Vasishta occupies an important place in the vedas and his advice are found in puranas itihasas and independent works. Even hatayogis have used his name for one of very elegant asanas Vasishtasana better known among modern yogis as "Side Plank". It is the forerunner of several other rishi named asanas as Viswamitasana, Kapilasana, Kasyapasana and others. Yogis interested in philosophy of yoga may be familiar with a popular vedanta introducing text called Yoga Vasishta (Yoga of Vasishta). In the form several captivating stories Vasishta brings a disciple of his, Rama, out of intense depression. Vasishta was also considered the mentor of Rama, an avatara of Vishnu the hero of the great epic, Ramayana. He taught Rama mantra known as bala and atibala for enormous physical and mental strength.
Even as he is a mentor and story teller, there are quite a few stories about his exploits. The most important is the one which narrates how a very prosperous emperor Kousika was provoked or shamed into giving up all his worldly possessions (para vairagya) and achieve the knowledge of Brahman the ultimate reality according to the Vedas. Kausika became a great Rishi and his discovery, the Gayatri mantra, became the most important vedic mantra only after pranava. He came to be known as Viswamitra or "Friend of the Universe". Vasishta was the inspiration for a rajasic king like Kausika become a satvic rishi Viswamitra. This episode can be read from one of my earlier newsletters Here is the link
Vasishta was married to Arundhati. Arundhati learnt the vedas from her father when she was young and then from her husband Vasishta. She became equal to Vasishta in course of time and Vasishta recognizing the vast knowledge and wisdom of Arundhati made her a coAcharya to teach vedas, the dharma and philosophy so very unusual in the old traditional times. But Vasishta and Arundhati were not an ordinary couple. Arundhati was regarded as an epitome of chastity, conjugal bliss, wifely devotion and equal to her spouse in wisdom and spiritual knowledge.
Brahma gifted them, Vasishta and Arundhati, a divine sacred cow called Nandini who had the capacity to fulfill all the wishes of the sage. They had a comfortable life but one day Nandini was stealthily taken away. The Vasishtas fell into difficult times. One day Vasishta said he would go to the Himalayas for penance along with the six other rishis. Arundhati let him go. With the rishi gone away the school also was closed as there were no students without Vasishta, the teacher available. Arundhati was all alone in the ashram. Then there was heavy snowfall in the himalayas. With heavy landslides there was no way that Vasishta and the rishis could return immediately. Vasishta earnestly prayed to Siva for the welfare of his wife and Arundhati in the Ashram prayed Lord Shiva in the form Ardhanari (half shiva half shakti) also known as Umamaheswara for the welfare of sage Vasishta.
Soon thereafter, someone knocked at the door of the ashram and to Arundhati's surprise there was a young boy looking famished. It was a surprise how the boy made it to ashram as all the pathways were blocked with landslide. Arundhati apologised for not being able to feed him with rice and regular food but gave him a small quantity of dried grains to eat. Thereafter the young lad asked Arundhati about Vasishta and she said that he was away into the Himalayas and may not be home for an indefinite amount of time. The boy looked disappointed and said that he came all the way to study under the great sage. As he was about to leave the teacher in Arundhati said that she could teach as she had been authorized to teach by the great sage Vasishta himself.
The boy agreed to study under her and staying in the ashram and helping the lady with lot of work,he studied diligently for about a year. She taught him the vedas vedangas dharma and vedic philosophy. The student was brilliant and so was the teacher and it was a great endeavour. By the end of the year weather improved and Vashishta finally made it and returned home . After a brief exchange of endearment Arundhati pointed to the guest student and said that she had taken the liberty of teaching the boy in his absence. Vasishta looked at the boy and immediately recognized that the boy was none other than Umamaheswara or Lord Siva Himself. Answering the prayers of Vasishta Siva took upon Himself the responsibility to take care of his beloved wife.
Arundhati, now the teacher of even Lord Siva, thereafter was considered to be on par with Vasishta and given the same status as the seven famous rishis (saptarishi). Later on all the seven sages were given an exalted position in the sky in heaven and the region they occupied was known as sapta rishi mandala. It is said to be the Ursa Major in the sky. Arundhati on the other hand was made the star Alcor which forms a faint double star with Mizar which is identified with Vasishta in the Saptarishi Mandala. Friends may know the story of Dhruva who himself was given the position of North star or pole star due to his perseverance in achieving his rights. Please read Dhruva's story in another of my earlier newsletters
The rishi couple Arundhati and Vasishta came to be known as the ideal couple and the Lord made them as an example for others to emulate by giving them an exalted position in the sky. In the Indian marriages consisting of several rituals one involves looking up at the divine couple in the sky and vow to follow their footsteps. In the evening, after sunset, the groom shows the bride (prompted by the priest of course) the double stars of Arundhati and Vasishta as an ideal couple. This is better known as Arundhati darsana or seeing Arundhati. The star Alcor is a bit faint and so the groom slowly leads the bride by showing first the mandala then the Vasishta star and then zero in on Arundhati. This procedure of leading from the known to the unknown came to be known as "Arundhati Darsana Nyaya"
It could be seen that like siva and sakthi, Vasishta and Arundhati were coequals. They were both extremely wise, knowledgeable of the vedas and dharmas and were both outstanding teachers. They were peaceful, contended, willing to give and compassionate They loved each other dearly without any ego issues. Each one was appreciative of the qualities of the other. The Lord gave them a high position in the sky so that all can see them daily and be inspired to lead an ideal married life.
This summer when you do your yoga practice late in the evening (after sunset) on the terrace of your building or open space you may want to do "side plank". While in this Vasishta asana or side plank posture look up the sky and see Vasishta and Arundhati stars and take their blessings