WHEN TWO BECOME ONE
The Greatness of Arunachala, Arunachala Mahatmayam, a mythological narration of the emergence, splendour and spiritual significance of this sacred center, the Heart of the Earth, states that once, the mother goddess Parvati, playfully closed Lord Siva’s eyes by placing her palms over them. This caused great devastation in the cosmos as it was Siva’s open eyes that constantly protected creation. She recognized her folly and chose to punish herself by staying away from the Lord and doing penance, as expiation for her sin. Lord Siva blessed her by saying that at Arunachala he would reabsorb her, into himself. This unification –two merging into and as ONE –took place here!
💧︎
Bhagavan has pointed out, “The mind which sprouts from the Self, wanders about externally. But when posed with the question ‘Who am I’? It merges back into its source of emergence, the self. This total merging takes place at Arunachala with the greatest ease. That’s why it is acclaimed as the holiest of the holy places!” The mind is the active principle, Sakti, the mother goddess. The Self is the silent principle, Shanti, the supreme father, Lord Siva.
💧︎
T.K. Sundaresa Iyer records, how in 1948 His holiness Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhana Mutt, had his doubt cleared by Bhagavan, while being seated in front of him. He quoted a passage from the agamas, a branch of Hindu scriptures, “Hara Gauri samyogat ……… avachhaayaa yogaha”, and wanted an explanation for the term avachhaayaa yogaha. Bhagavan said, “The one Being–Consciousness which projects all these creations out of itself, sustains and withdraws them again, back to itself. Having swallowed all the projections of creation, it itself dances as the ocean of bliss, the reality or substratum of all that IS, was and shall be! This eternal dance of the ‘I, I’ is referred to, here.”
The Sankaracharya was immersed in the experience of spiritual splendour, conferred on him by Bhagavan’s presence and words of wisdom!
💧︎
By asking, ‘Who am I?’ and seeking its own Source, the ego ‘I’ gets merged in the Self ‘I, I’. When we inwardly raise the question ‘Who am I?’ this merger –the mind dissolving in the Self –takes place in our Heart, the seat of Arunachala. We thus re-enact the legend of Parvati, the mother goddess, merging with Siva, the supreme father!
The eternal dance of ‘I,’ getting totally dissolved into the supreme ‘I, I’ goes on!
💧︎