Seeing the Self - Shri Bijaykrishna

Shri Bijaykrishna Chattopadhyaya, in his book RtambharA gives these two analogies for becoming aware of the presence of the AtmA.

If one sees a house in a distance, with light streaming out of the windows, one assumes without seeing it directly, that there is a lamp lit up inside. When one looks into a mirror, one sees the images reflected by it without generally observing the mirror; but one can divert attention and actually look at the mirror itself. Shri Bijaykrishna used these analogies for observing our perceptions and the objects in the world leading to these perceptions, to lead us to an awarenness of the self.

These are reminiscent of the analogies in the dakSiNA murti stotram by shrI shankarAchArya. In verse 1 there is a reference that the universe being like the reflection of a city viewed in the mirror of the self.  Verse 4 tells about  a lamp lit inside a pot with many holes being like the self emanating through the senses.

Dr. Mahanambrata Brahmachari

One of the most profound Vaishnava scholar saints of modern times, Mahanambrata Brahmachari composed a series of insightful expositions and commentaries on many of the classic Indic scriptural texts. Mahanambrataji was born in Barishal district of what is now Bangladesh in 1904.

He came to the United States in 1933 to speak at the World Fellowship of Faiths. He earned his Doctorate degree in religious studies from the university of Chicago in 1937. In the next 60 years he authored over 50 books. He is one of the most articulate exponents of dharma and philosophy of the Indian subcontinent.

Sri Sri Ram Thakur

Sri Sri Thakur Ramchandra Deva (Sri Ram Thakur) was born in February 1860 in Dingamanik in what is presently Bangladesh.

From around 1907, spanning the period between the two world wars, Sri Thakur spread his faith to all, irrespective of cast, creed or belief. He is regarded by many as the incarnation of Sri Satyanarayan. The nature of his teachings may be gleaned from excerpts of his letters published in three volumes by Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee, as veda vani.

AdyA stab transliteration

oM, nama AdyAyai *
shRNu batsa prabakSyAmi AdyAstotraM mahAphalam
yaH paThet satataM bhaktyA sa eva viSnuballabhaH. 1
mRtyurbyAdhi bhayaM tasya nAsti kiJchit kalouyuge
aputrA labhate putraM tripakSaM shrabaNaM yadi. 2
dbou mAsou bandhanAnmukti briprarbaktrAt shrutaM yadi
mRtabatsA jIbabatsA SaNmasaM shrabaNaM yadi.. 3
noukAyaM saGkate yuddhe pathanAjjaya mApnuyat
likhitbA sthApayed gehe nAgNichourabhayaM kbachit.. 4
rAjasthAne jayI nityaM prasannaH sarbadebatAH
(oM hrIM)
brahmANI brahmaloke cha baikuNThe sarbamaGgalA. 5
indrANI amarAbatyAmbikA varuNAlaye
yamAlaye kAlarupA, kuberabhabane shuvA. 6
mahAnandAgnikoNe cha bayabAM mRgabAhinI
naiRtyaM raktadantA cha aishanyaM shuladhAriNI. 7
pAtAle vaishnabIrupA siMhale debamohinI
surasa cha maNIdbipe laGkAyaM bhadrakAlikA. 8
rAmeshbarI setubandhe vimalA puruSottame
virajA ouDradeshe cha kAmAkSyA nilaparbate. 9
kalikA baGgadeshe cha ayodhyAM maheshvari
varaNasyAm annapurNA gayakSetre gayesharI. 10

kurukSetre bhadrakAlI, braje kAtyAnI parA
dbarakayaM mahAmAyA mathurayAM mAheshbarI 11
kSudha tbaM sarvabhutAnAm belA tbaM sAgarasya cha
nabamI shuklapakSasya kRSNAsyaikAdashI parA. 12
dakSasya duhitA devI dakSaya yaJga vinashinI
rAmasya jAnaki tbaM hi rAvana dhbaMsakAriNI 13
chanda munda badhe devi raktabija binashinI
nishumbha shumbha mathanI madhukaitabha ghAtinI. 14
vishnubhaktipradA durgA sukhadA mokSadA sadA
AdyAstabamimaM puNyM ya pathet satatam naraH 15
sarba jbara bhayaM nasyAt sarbabyadhi binAshanam
kotitIrtha phalaM tasya lavate nAtra saMshayaH. 16
jayA me chAgrataH pAtu vijayA pAtu priSThataH
nArayaNI shirSadeshe sarbaGge siMhabAhinI 17
shivadUtI ugrachanDA prataGge paramesvarI
vishAlAkSI mahAmAyA kaumArI sankhinI shibA 18
chakriNI jayadAtrI cha raNamatta raNapriyA
durgA jayantI kAlI cha bhadrakAlI mahodari 19
nArasiMhi cha bArAhI siddhidAtrI sukhapradA
bhyaGkarI mahAroudrI mahAbhya vinAshinI 20

iti brahma-yAmale brahma-nArada-saMbAde
AdyAstotraM samAptam.

*Modified Harvard Kyoto Transliteration scheme; the palatal 's' given by 'sh' instead of 'z'.
Copyright 2008 Adyakalidas.

Brahmarshi Satyadev

Brahmarshi Satyadev (1883-1932) is the author of the book 'Sadhan Samar' (The spiritual battle). His disciple Sri Narendra Nath Brahmachari is the founder of Dev Sangha Ashram which has a monastery and temples in Deoghar, Jharkhand, India.  Brahmarshi was himself initiated by Sri Bijoy Krishna Chattopadhyay (1875-1947) who was known as 'Howrar Thakur' (the thakur of Howrah). 

'Sadhan Samar' is an enlightened commentary on the 'Sri Sri Chandi' or what is also known as the 'Durga Saptashati' or the 'devI mAhAtmyam'.  It is said to be a 'brilliant interpretation' of the original scripture.

Adya Dhyanam

ThisHymn was composed by Sri Kalipada Tarkyacharya. The "dhyanmantra" is a meditation hymn, written for Adya Kali and usedduring the puja (worship). It is a mechanism to focus on her"form" (roop or akaar) as opposed to the "formless" (niraakaar)nature of the divine.

Nikashaw prasthara-shyamang shirshay mukuta-manditaam.
Lalatey netra-chinhena trinetri-krita- bigrahaam.
Aghoraang padma-patraava bishaala-smita-lochanaam.
Sukrishna prajalla-drupa netra-dwaya-kaninikaam.
Drishtyaa sakarunaa-vaasaang jataa-tritaya-shovitaam.
Suprasanna mukhaad-vojang naanaa-bhushana-bhushitaam.
Urdhay baama-karay khargang nrimunda bibhrati-madhah.
Abhayancha barang dakhsha-karayo kathita-kramam.
Lola-jihvaang padaalambi-mundamaala-bimanditaam.
Saalang-kaarang baraa-kaarang kara-kaanchi-bibarjitaam.
Padmaakriti-shilaapithay shyaana-Shiba-bakhshashi.
Sthitang-dakhsha-padang nasya-tadah-kharou paranm padam.
Ameyam-abhayang debing para-bramha-swarupinim.
Dhyaey-Adyang manaa-adyantang chitra-rupa dharang-Paraam.

Meditation Hymn of Adya Kali
She is dark as a black rock, wearing a jeweled crown.
The sign of a third eye is on her forehead,
She, the Goddess with three eyes.
Like lotus petals, Her eyes are large,
They shine like two bright jewels.
Her glance showers compassion.
Three locks of matted hair adorn her.
Her face radiates contentment and,
She is gowned with much splendor.
Her raised left hand holds a sword,
a human head in the lower one.
Her right hands grant sanctuary and boons to all.
Her tongue shows between her lips,
the garland of skulls hanging to her feet
Bejeweled, of heavenly form, there is no skirt of human arms.
She stands on a lotus base,
Her right foot on the chest of Shiva sprawled at Her feet.
Her other foot is on his right thigh.
She grants freedom from fear.
She the Goddess, is the expression of the ultimate Brahman
Meditate on Adya, the infinite,
She who embodies the extreme beauty in form.

From the posting in the "Cleveland Kali Group" web site.