ॐ नमः शिवाय
In the 2nd Skanda of Srimad Bhagavatham, Lord Narayana gives summary of Srimad Bhagavatham in 4 verses. These could be used for meditation on Brahman. These are verses 32,33,34, and 35; they are from 2nd Skanda 9th Chapter.
First verse talks about Brahman:
अहमेव आसमेव अग्रे नान्यद् यत् सदसत् परम् ।
पश्चादहं यदेतच्च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥
अहमेव आसम् अग्रे: Brahman alone existed in the beginning.
नान्यद् यत् सदसत् परम्: Nothing else existed; neither manifestation nor unmanifestation (Sat or Asat) existed.
पश्चादहं यद् एतत् All the pheonmenal world, at the time of Pralaya
योऽवशिष्येत that remains
सः अस्मि अहम् that I am (Brahman I am)
Brahman alone existed in the beginning. Nothing else existed; neither manifestation nor un-manifestation (Sat or Asat) existed. (Phenomenal world appears). Then at the time of Pralaya, Brahman alone remains
Second verse talks about Maya:
ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि ।
तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाऽऽभासो यथा तमः ॥
ऋतु order ऋतु अर्थं appearance of order, appearance of objects etc.
यत् प्रतीयेत that gets projected
न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि Not in Brahman
मायां प्रतीयेत in Maya, (these things) gets projected
तद्विद्यादात्मन: Those things are understood as of Brahman (mistakenly)
यथाऽऽभासो यथा तमः like illusion or (due to) misunderstanding
The appearance of objects, beings, order is a projection of Maya. What we understand as coming from reality (from Brahman) like an illusion or due to misunderstanding. Commentators sometimes use tiger in the dream example. Suppose in someone's dream the tiger is about to eat him or her. When the person gets up does he/she have to fear the tiger?
Third verse talks about effect of Maya: Jagat
यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु ।
प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥
उच्चावच॑ great and small भूतेषु (locative plural) in animals
महान्त great भूतानि elements (Five elements: space, air, fire, water, earth)
प्रविष्टानि प्रविश् to enter प्रविष्ट is verb form (कृदन्त क्त) becomes प्रविष्टानि entered अप्रविष्टानि not entered
The great elements followed into big and small beings (animals). Also not entered them as the elements are material cause of the animals. Similarly Brahman is said to have entered the animals (since I am the cause of great elements). Brahman is said to have NOT entered the animals since I am the only reality and they do not exist ( only temporarily they appear).
Fourth verse talks about Atma Tattvam (आत्म तत्वम्):
एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्वजिज्ञासुनाऽऽत्मनः ।
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत् स्यात् सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥
अन्वयव्यतिरेक presence or absence (for or against)
जिज्ञासु one who wants to know
तत्व inner meaning or message
One who desires to know can employ positive or negative arguments in the process of knowing the reality that exists all the time and everywhere.
In Bhagavatham and in other scriptures we see "Mind" being divided among four parts (chatur vuyha चतुर्व्युह)
- Intellect (Buddhi)
- Manas
- Ego or Ahamkara
- Consciousness or Chitta
Deity Pradyumna is invoked for intellect. Aniruddha is invoked for mind. Sankarshna is invoked for ego. Vaasudeva is invoked for Chitta. All the above names appear in Sri Vishnusahasra nama as well. The four slokas and chatur vuyha then both talk about the phenomenal world and the substratum that underlies the world.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
