Shri Shankar Shikshayatan organised a National Seminar on Sharirikavimarsha on September 30,2023. It was the sixth seminar in the series on Pandit Madhusudan Ojha’s Sharirikavimarsha. The seminar focused on the 13th chapter of the book. In this chapter, atma’s seven forms are explained. These forms are–nirvishesh, paratpar, purusha, satya, yajna, virat and vishwa.
Of these, nirvishesh, paratpar and purusha are nirguna (without attributes) forms. The other four are tangible forms. The author has defined nirguna as asritha-dharma or dependent nature of reality. As the sun is reflected in a river–the reflection of the sun has taken refuge in the river. The dharma of river thus is asritha-dharma. If the water remains still, the reflection too will remain still; it if it moves, the reflection too moves. The sun is stationery. The elements that decline to accept asritha-dharma are nirguna or pure form. The pure form of atma or Brahma do not cause creation. When the pure form meets with maya, then only the process of creation begins. The Brahma tatva assumes both nirguna and saguna forms.
According to Pandit Madhusudan Ojha, atma has the following seven forms:
–Nirvishesha–Brahma is rasa. That which is pure rasa and has no limits is nirvishesha. The term pure has to be understood like this. Like, a bread cannot be made from pure wheat flour, it requires water and fire to bake a bread or roti.
–Paratpar–Brahma is known as paratpar. All-powerful bala exists in paratpar and is limitless.
–Purusha–This element is limited by bala named maya. This purusha has 16 characteristics.
–Satya–Atma, prana and pashu make for three forms of satya. These elements are known as jnana, karma and artha.
–Yajna–Anna, annada and avapan gives prajapati its three forms. The one which is eaten is anna, the one who eats is annada and the place where the seed or anna is sown it is avapan. During yajna, havi or offerings are made in fire. The offerings are anna and the place where these offerings are made is avapan.
–Virat–The yajna in which ten types of offerings are offered in ten different types of fire makes it a virat yajna.
–Vishwa–Vishwa is free of paap. It is atma-jyoti element.
Among the speakers were, Prof. Madhusudan Penna of Kavikulguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University, Ramatek, Maharashtra, Dr Vinay P of Karnataka Sanskrit University, Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla of Jawaharlal Nehru University and convener, Shri Shankar Shikshayatan and Dr Anaymani Tripathi of Central Sanskrit Unviersity, Jammu.
The meeting was organised by Dr Manishankar Dwivedi and Dr Lakshmi Kant Vimal of Shri Shankar Shikshayatan.