We continued with the Ramayana. We began with the painful journey of Rama, Laxmana and Sita from Ayodhya, the death of Dasharatha in sorrow over the loss of his most beloved son. The return to Bharata to Ayodhya and his anger at the acts of his mother Kaikeyi, him reaching Chitrakoota and begging Rama to return and be king. He takes his army, his guru Vashishtha and all his mothers in an attempt to convince Rama to take his place as king and let him finish the 14 years in the forest. However, Rama is not dissuaded.We continued with the symbolism topic this week. Goddess Durga symbolizes the destruction of tamoguna (laziness) and animalistic tendencies within us. As Kali, she removes the negativity from our lives. We discussed the meaning behind each of her weapons.
Goddess Saraswati , meaning Essence of One's Self(Saara+Sva) is the giver of knowledge (Self Knowledge). The Japa Māla in one hand helps in concentration and training the mind, while the Scriptures/scrolls give us the knowledge. Seated on a rock that stays firm around flowing water, or on a lotus that remains pure despite its surroundings, Saraswati embodies the the strength in Purity and Knowledge. The Hansa bird is known to separate milk from water, while her white attire is a symbol of purity.
While on the topic of Mothers(Goddesses), the question that arose was, 'Why is Nature referred to as Mother? Is it because of a mother's nurturing quality? A discussion for another class…
Goddess Saraswati , meaning Essence of One's Self(Saara+Sva) is the giver of knowledge (Self Knowledge). The Japa Māla in one hand helps in concentration and training the mind, while the Scriptures/scrolls give us the knowledge. Seated on a rock that stays firm around flowing water, or on a lotus that remains pure despite its surroundings, Saraswati embodies the the strength in Purity and Knowledge. The Hansa bird is known to separate milk from water, while her white attire is a symbol of purity.
While on the topic of Mothers(Goddesses), the question that arose was, 'Why is Nature referred to as Mother? Is it because of a mother's nurturing quality? A discussion for another class…