Microcosm and Macrocosm

Bhagavadgeetaa  on Microcosm and Macrocosm.

"Bhoomir aapo analo vaayuh kham mano buddhir eva cha |Ahamkaaram   iteeyam  may  bhinna prakitir ashtadhaa (BG7_4)

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and egoism – thus is my Nature (Prakriti) divided into eight categories

Apareyamitastvanyaam prakritim viddhi may paraam, jeevabhootaam  mahabaho u yayedam dharyate jagat (BG7-5).

This is my lower Nature (Prakriti); different from this, O mighty  armed one, know the higher Prakriti of mine in the form of individual soul (Jeevaatma) by which this world is sustained.

Etadyoneeni bhootaani sarvaanyeetyupadhaaraya |
Aham kritnasya jagatah prabhavah pralyastathaa || BG 7-6).

Know that all beings have these two for their origin; I am the origin of the entire Universe as also its destroyer.

In these three slokas above Bhagavad Gita describes that humans are nothing but the miniature   representation of the Macrocosm. This applies to all living entities also.  Eight–fold Prakriti mentioned in 7-4 is lower energy.  The other Nature mentioned in 7-5 is called higher energy referred as Consciousness, Atma, Akshara, Purusha and Chetana (Sat-Chit). Prakriti is also described as Asat. It is the material cause. Prakriti is the original source of the material world consisting of three modes (Gunas), and eight basic elements out of which everything in the universe has evolved according to Sankhya doctrine. That which creates diversity as well as the diversity itself, and all that can be seen or known, including the mind is called material Nature (Prakriti)
In order to understand the subtle nature of Divinity in us it is very important to understand the difference between two. The eight-fold aspects of the Divine nature constitute the human body and the bodies of other creatures.  This s known as Apara Prakriti or gross manifestation. Beyond the gross is the subtle nature of the Divine   known as Para Prakriti which forms the essence of everything called Self or Atman.

Also Gita says:
Sarvatah paani-paadam tat sarvato-akshi-siro-mukhah | sarvatah srutimalloke sarvam-aavritya tishthati (BG13-14)
With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, He exists in this world, enveloping all.

Mattah parataram na-anyat-kinchidastidhanjaya | mayi sarvam-idam protam sootre maniganaa iva (BG7-7)
There is nothing whatsoever other than Me. All this is strung in Me as cluster of gems on a string.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.2.1 to 3.2-9) speaks of eight Grahas and eight Atigrahas in the body in the sense of grasping deities (sense-organas) and overseeing grasping deities (sense-faculties).

Graha means Indriya or sense organ (grinhati atmaanam svavasam karoti) that which grasps.  The nose is overpowered by odor; it is subordinated to the object of sense, of smell. The  faculty  of senses is more powerful than  the organ. Eight sense organs (GRAHAS) and the eight sense faculties (Atigrahas) are: Nose—Apana; Mouth—Name; Tongue—Taste; Eye—Roopa(color): Ear—Sound; Mind—Desire; Hand—Action; Skin—Touch. Thus all these have been deified Atigrahas being the controllers of Grahas. Though the Indriya is called Graha, the objects of the senses (faculties) are more powerful than the Indriyas (sense organs).

The analogy of man’s constitution with the temple architecture is a favorite theme of many canonical texts as Sri-prasna, Vishnu Tantra, Silpa Ratna Vaatulaagama and Aparajita Silpa. The texts insist that the devotee must approach   the temple as if it were the body of the Divine. A prayer verse describes the imagery as follows: “Deho devaalayah prokto jeevo devassanaatanah”, the human body is said to be the temple and the individual Self, the eternal Lord.

The Lord enshrined in the sanctum (Garbhagriha of the Hindu Temple) is the intelligent cause of creation.  The various structural components of the temple symbolize various limbs of the Lord as the material cause of the creation.  Vaastu Saastra such as Silparatnam and Aparajit priccha present the entire temple as the physical body of the deity for whom the temple is built. Vaastu texts visualize the sanctum as the head of the Lord; the tower above the sanctum as the braid of His hair; the Mandapams, the pavilions as His hands; and the gateway tower as his feet.  Agnipuraana, however, identifies the inner sanctum alone with the body of the Lord.

 It is interesting to note that the architectural  terms used in all the texts are the names of the human body; Paada=feet; Jaanu=knee; Janghaa=thigh; Kukshi=belly; Grieva=neck; Kandhara= shoulders; Naasika- nose; Mukha=face; Sirsaha=head; and so on, As a temple is laid out, it is said to picture a man lying own.  His feet connote the entrance-tower, his genital organs the flag-staff (dvaja stambha), his belly the assembly hall (ranga manddapa), his heart the porch (antaraala or sukanaasi), his head the sanctum, and the brows meet, the seat of the icon.

Vastu Purusha Mandala is the metaphysical plan of a temple incorporating course of the heavenly bodies and supernatural forces. This Mandala square is divided into (8×8 =64) 64 metaphysical grids / modules or pada for temples. (For dwelling places 9x9=81 metaphysical grids / modules or padas).  At this square  Vastu Purusha is shown lying with his chest, stomach and face touching on the ground - his head is shown at Ishanya (north-east) and his legs shown at Nairutya (south west).  The center point is known as Brahmasthana and at this vital energy point Lord Brahma presides over the temple site and protects it.

The temple is situated in Him, comes from Him, and is a manifestation of Him. The vastu-purusha-mandala is both the body of the Cosmic Being and a bodily device by which those who have the requisite knowledge attain the best results in temple building.”

Chakras are vital energy points (Kundalini energy) in the human anatomy, i.e. breath channels, or nadis, and the winds (vayus), that are centers of life force (prana), or vital energy. They include:  1. Muladhara, 2. Swadhisthana, 3. Manipura or manipuraka, 4. Anahata, Anahata-puri, or padma-sundara, 5. Vishuddha or Vishuddhi,   6. Ajna and 7. Sahasrara

According to Vastu Mandala Aajna is the sanctum. The vimanam and shikara forms the space element and the currents of life ascends through the 'Brahma-randra shila' or stone slab placed at 'griva' (neck) of the Vimana.  The finial of the Shikara of the Vimanam is the grid at which unseen Sahasrara is located.

Paying obeisance to Five Elements as Vyahrtis of Brahman
If you closely observe orthodox devotees visiting temple they take care to pay respect to Pancha bhootas or five elements of nature in their act of worship.  These five elements are often referred to as Vyaahritis or embodiment of   Brahman and so they are meditated upon as Brahman alone. Linga is worshiped as five elements in five famous temples in South India.  Orthodox Vaishanvites prostate before the flag-post with their eight body parts touching the soil and with folded hands called Sashtaanaga Namaskaaram. Then they touch the mother earth and place the little dust on their head. This is in veneration of Mother Earth (Prithvee), one of the elements.  As the devotee watches the Lord he receives the Aarati with respect and touches his eyes.  This is second obeisance to the element Fire (Agni) which he receives into his eyes. Then when the holy water is offered by the priest he first sprinkles a bit on his head; the next three little servings are consumed. This is his third obeisance to the element of water (Aapah). Then he circumambulates himself three times with folded hands. This is for paying obeisance to   the Self within (Aaatma Pradkshina). No prostration is done body touching the floor near the sanctum which is divine charged atmosphere to avoid pointing his feet towards some of the deities installed during Vaastu pooja. He then leaves the premises and takes a bigger circumambulation with folded palms (Namaskara Posture). He then feels the air (Vaayu) around, and in that posture pays obeisance to the fourth element Air. He then sits at the Northern end gazing at the cupola of the temple tower rising to great heights.  Here he pays his obeisance to the last element space (Aakaasa). He then leaves the temple premises chanting Om Namoh Naaraayana! This is his final obeisance to the Supreme Principle irrespective of whatever deity he might have worshiped. Thus his focus

Brahman and the five great elements in all his worship with which he brought us to this world and call back when we are refined or get rid of all Karmas!

It is worth recalling here the Vedic  Aachamana (Purification ritual) Mantra:
“Aardram  jwalati jyotiraham  asmi jyotrirjwalati brahmaahamasmi
yo aham asmi brahma
aham asmi ahamevaaham
maam juhomi swaaahaa.

The self-effulgent   waters are luminous. Fire is luminous.   I am Brahman.  I who am such a one (different from body and others) am having Brahman as my Self.  Being of that form as I am, I offer myself as an oblation unto the Supreme Consciousness (prajnaanam  Brahma).

This Mantra is expounding that the Aatman is distinct and different from the body, the Indriyas  and others. It is a wonder that though it is wet it burns. This is suggestive of body having 70% water being reduced to ashes at the time of cremation. This mantra suggests offering back of the pure Self to its original master for getting rid of the sin of having stolen it.

The mantra quoted above from MNU is generally prescribed for chanting during Aachamana or sipping water in a specified way for ceremonious self-purification. This symbolic action consists in taking a very small quantity of water by the mouth which should not pass below the throat.  These few drops of water are considered as an oblation made to the deities dwelling in the body; for all the Gods dwell in man. Taittariya Samhita says “Brahmano vai sarvaa devataa”—The Braahmana (Brahmopaasaka) is all the Gods.  That is why we touch twelve parts of the  body identifying with 12 names of sustenance aspect of Brahman—Vishnu during Sandhyavandana ritual.

The drop of water represents the finite Self. The fire in man (Jhataraagni) into which it is offered stands for the Supreme Light (light of all Lights), the Ground of all Gods. The Mantra, therefore, truly enunciates   the refunding of the individual Self into its source, the Supreme Self, or the realization of the identity between the Jeevaatma and Iswara when the clouds created by ignorance are removed.