Arunachala. अरुणाचल - 21.

~~~~~Arunachala. अरुणाचल -21.~~~~~
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SHAKTI AND SHAKTA.

(शक्ति एवं शक्त)

(THE ETERNAL POWER AND THE 

IMMUTABLE PRESENCE.

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Devotee.- The trinity Triputi, (त्रिपुटी) of knower,

known and knowledge is an appearance; you say

that there is a unity, behind it, supporting it. What

is this unity, is it a powerful one ?

Maharshi. - It is an All-powerful existence.

Devotee. - You have often said, and the books also say,

that Brahman (ब्रह्म) is immobile (अचल). Now you say,

it is All-powerful. Does it not then move ?

Maharshi. - Power implies movement. Though Ishvara

(ईश्वर) moves by his power (शक्ति), which is movement,

He transcends the movement, He is achala, atIta (अचल,

अतीत).

Devotee. - Is there no difference between Shakti (शक्ति)

and Shakta (शक्त), the Power and the Powerful ?

Maharshi. -No. That depends upon your attitude. There

is only one Truth. Looking at the movement, one calls

it Shakti (शक्ति), Power, settling himself in the support of

the movement, Ashraya (आश्रय), another calls it (तद्वस्तु),

Achala (अचल). If the former is activity, vyapara (व्यापार),

the latter is its support, Ashraya (आश्रय), -Substance.

Shakti (शक्ति), and Vastu (वस्तु), force and substance, are

inseparable, are indeed two aspects of one and the same 

Truth. Only without the Shakti-Vyapara (शक्ति-व्यापार) 

or the movement of the power, the Real substance (वस्तु-

स्वरूप) is not apprehended. 

(विना शक्तिं नरश्रेष्ठ स्वरूपं न प्रतीयते )-रमण गीता 12:20.

Devotee. - What is the true character of Shakti (शक्ति) ?

Maharshi. - It is coeval with the eternal Ishvara (ईश्वर);

it has no existence apart from Him. It is the eternal act-

vity Vyapara (व्यापार) of Ishvara (ईश्वर),creating the 

myriads of worlds.

Devotee.- Worlds are created and they perish. How can

you say that this activity , -Vyapara (व्यापार) is eternal ?

Maharshi. - Supposing all the worlds in course of time 

are dissolved, still they persist in activity through lying

latent (लीनवत्‌) .

   That is to say, Shakti (शक्ति) does not perish. What 

then is this movement ? Every moment there is creation,

every moment destruction. There is no absolute creation,

no absolute destruction. Both are movement, and that is 

eternal.

Devotee. - Then shall I take it that Shakti (शक्ति) and
Vastu (वस्तु), Vyapara (व्यापार) and Ashraya (आश्रय),
both are aspects of the same Truth ?

Maharshi. - Yes, but this whole movement, the creation, 

called a play of Shakti (शक्ति) is a formulation (कल्पना)
of the Lord (ईशकल्पना) . If this Kalpana is tanscended,
what remains is Swaroopa (स्वरुप).

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~~~~~~Concluded~~~~~
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~~~॥ ॐ नमो भगवते श्रीरमणाय ॥~~~~