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Thread: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

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    The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    So I've been reading a few tidbits here and there about speech in Hindu dharma and I came across an interesting post by someone in another forum/group.

    There are four levels of speech, or rather, thought.

    It initiates the journey in Brahman as Para and then gets filtered through the body of the VirAt PuruSA culminating in the nAbhI (navel) as PaSyantI and then into subtle thought as Madhyama and then finally manifests itself as sound at the VaikhArI level.

    By the way, this ties directly into the importance of mantrA and why the proper recitation with the correct sIkSa (pronunciation), chanda (meter), and swarA (tone) are vital. Otherwise, the mantrA is rendered useless and in certain cases, can be harmful to the person reciting it. This is why the importance of gurU is also there; this message can be transmitted only from gurU to initiated siSyA (as they do in Upanayana Samskar).

    Can anyone give a more detailed explanation of each of these levels and what their pertinence is? What are the Scriptures that discuss these?

    So, to recap, the four levels are:

    1.) Para (Brahman)
    2.) PaSyantI (VirAt PuruSA/ViSnU)
    3.) MadhyamA
    4.) VaikhArI

    It seems like sound or speech is the manifestation of thought. That is why we have to be "careful" with our speech. Boy, I have some learning to do. heheh.
    Last edited by TatTvamAsi; 08 November 2012 at 01:21 AM.

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Thanks for the topic.Though at present i can"t elaborate it as i studied it very long back,but can say its absolutely truth.

    Words/Shabda is itself brahman and the pranav is the earliest syllable. when go through Chakra description,one can see MATRUka-VARNAMALA. Each chakra has certain letters arranged over the petals. Each chakra represents the subtlety of our creation as we ascend from mooladhar chakra upwards and the respective letters shows it"s subtlety of origin.

    Vaikhari is the sounds of a common man.and he can"s realize why and how such particular sentence he uttered.as one becomes more and more sudhha-sattva,he can realize how his thought taking shape of words and coming as speech ascending from mooladhar upto vocal chord.

    The sentences originating from manipor which is para-vakya instantly turns into result in physical world.

    Even those para vakya need not be uttered physically to be heard.A siddha never talk to another siddha physically.they just look at each other and smiles and talk each other silently.

    Sadguru gives instruction and also diksha to sisya thru para vakya.
    Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu.
    Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.


    My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the
    entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet
    of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Quote Originally Posted by anirvan View Post
    Thanks for the topic.Though at present i can"t elaborate it as i studied it very long back,but can say its absolutely truth.

    Words/Shabda is itself brahman and the pranav is the earliest syllable. when go through Chakra description,one can see MATRUka-VARNAMALA. Each chakra has certain letters arranged over the petals. Each chakra represents the subtlety of our creation as we ascend from mooladhar chakra upwards and the respective letters shows it"s subtlety of origin.

    Vaikhari is the sounds of a common man.and he can"s realize why and how such particular sentence he uttered.as one becomes more and more sudhha-sattva,he can realize how his thought taking shape of words and coming as speech ascending from mooladhar upto vocal chord.

    The sentences originating from manipor which is para-vakya instantly turns into result in physical world.

    Even those para vakya need not be uttered physically to be heard.A siddha never talk to another siddha physically.they just look at each other and smiles and talk each other silently.

    Sadguru gives instruction and also diksha to sisya thru para vakya.
    I am really glad you brought this up because I believe, personally, that this is how Sri Krishna related the GItA to Arjuna! Think about it logically; there are ~ 700 verses in the GItA. they were standing in the middle of a barren battlefield with thousands/millions of soldiers waiting anxiously for battle. It would have taken Sri Krishna a long time to actually narrate the GItA to Arjuna if it was at the VaikhArI level! It must have been at the Para level and since Arjuna was at an advanced stage already, he was able to perceive the real form of Sri Krishna (ViswarUp). And, if Sri Krishna actually narrated to Arjuna at the VaikhArI level, the others would have been ticked off thinking Arjuna was dozing off! LOL..

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Very informative thread, TTA ! Thanks. Anirvan has given some nice information already and I expect some more members to tell us more on this issue.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Quote Originally Posted by TatTvamAsi View Post
    I am really glad you brought this up because I believe, personally, that this is how Sri Krishna related the GItA to Arjuna! Think about it logically; there are ~ 700 verses in the GItA. they were standing in the middle of a barren battlefield with thousands/millions of soldiers waiting anxiously for battle. It would have taken Sri Krishna a long time to actually narrate the GItA to Arjuna if it was at the VaikhArI level! It must have been at the Para level and since Arjuna was at an advanced stage already, he was able to perceive the real form of Sri Krishna (ViswarUp). And, if Sri Krishna actually narrated to Arjuna at the VaikhArI level, the others would have been ticked off thinking Arjuna was dozing off! LOL..

    Absolutely right,Bhima,Duryodhana wouldn"t had waited to fight each other till 700 verses were over.
    Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu.
    Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.


    My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the
    entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet
    of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Any more inputs on this topic? I would like to read more about this but what Scriptures discuss vaK in (some) detail?

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    I am really glad you brought this up because I believe, personally, that this is how Sri Krishna related the GItA to Arjuna! Think about it logically; there are ~ 700 verses in the GItA. they were standing in the middle of a barren battlefield with thousands/millions of soldiers waiting anxiously for battle. It would have taken Sri Krishna a long time to actually narrate the GItA to Arjuna if it was at the VaikhArI level! It must have been at the Para level and since Arjuna was at an advanced stage already, he was able to perceive the real form of Sri Krishna (ViswarUp). And, if Sri Krishna actually narrated to Arjuna at the VaikhArI level, the others would have been ticked off thinking Arjuna was dozing off! LOL..
    Yuddhistira without his armour and weapons went to take his blessings from Bhisma, Drona and Kripa right before the battle started. They could have killed him right there in that instant, but these people were not barbarians. So it shouldn't be surprising that Krishna and Arjuna could have a conversation before the war started. The 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita are composed by Vyasa. It includes the conversation between Sanjay and Dhritarashtra and the description of feelings and surroundings. The Mahabharata is written entirely in shloka, but in reality nobody talks in shloka form. It takes less time to say something in ordinary prose than in verse. When you have a conversation in Sanskrit, you do not use as many superfluous words as in English. The conversation between Krishna and Arjuna may have taken a half hour or an hour. The communication could have been on multiple levels, but there is no reason to doubt that the conversation also happened on the Vaikhari level.
    Last edited by Sahasranama; 26 November 2012 at 04:06 PM.

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Quote Originally Posted by anirvan View Post
    Absolutely right,Bhima,Duryodhana wouldn"t had waited to fight each other till 700 verses were over.
    the time itself stopped to listen to BG.
    Last edited by yajvan; 05 December 2012 at 03:14 PM. Reason: removed negitivity
    तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
    उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्वदर्शिनः ॥

    उस ज्ञान को तू तत्वदर्शी ज्ञानियों के पास जाकर समझ, उनको भलीभाँति दण्डवत्* प्रणाम करने से, उनकी सेवा करने से और कपट छोड़कर सरलतापूर्वक प्रश्न करने से वे परमात्म तत्व को भलीभाँति जानने वाले ज्ञानी महात्मा तुझे उस तत्वज्ञान का उपदेश करेंगे. श्रीमद्*भगवद्*गीता-4.34

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Shabda is brahman.before creation, there was only light,and THEN this light manifest into NADA-BINDU WHICH WAS UNDIFFERENTIATED.

    The Bindu is param-shiva, and the Nada is parama-prakriti-kundalini-bhagabati shakti.

    This Adi prakriti is also called Para-prakriti adya-shakti and NADA-RUPA.She is sitting at the Muladhara lotus. From this Paraprakriti,pancha-mahabhoota manifested.and the starting Maha-bhoota is AKASHA(sky).The nature of Akasha is Shabda(sound).

    So the earliest undifferentiated Tattva is SOUND. And from this Shound(sukhma-maha-akash tattva) ,everything and anything gets manifested subsequently like other 4 maha-bhoota etc.(NADATMAKAM JAGAT".)

    The other name of NADA is PARA.This PARA VAK originates from Mula-dhara chakra.When it ascends to SWADHISTHAN,it is called PASYANTI,at ANAHATA CHAKRA its MADHYAMA, and in mouth (BISUDDHA CHAKRA) it BAIKHARI.

    In Bisuddha chakra,sits BAK-ATM.when any emotion/thought arise in our mind,the consciousness/knowledge of this vaktma takes the form of sound-Vaikhari.

    Swayam prakashya pasyanti sushumnashrita bhavet"
    Sauba hridpankajam prapya madhyama nadaroopini".

    Tha nada brahman arise spontaneously from muladhara padma and ascend through susumna upot Anahat.And at Anahat it becomes ANAHATA DHWANI(AN-AHAT-means without striking,sound arise).

    This nada which spontaneously arise from ANAHAT is called "SOHAM-HANSAM).

    If one can meditate ,he will able to hear this pranab shabda and listening deeper and deeper one will enter Samadhi.The easy way to hear this pranab are,1-bhramari pranayama,and 2-Navi-dhyana.

    Even chanting Japa continuously,one gradually go deeper and deeper from vaikhari to madhyama then pasyanti and finally Para into kundalini.

    Jayaguru
    Last edited by anirvan; 03 December 2012 at 09:11 AM. Reason: add
    Man-naathah Shri Jagan-nathah Mat-guru-shri jagad-guruhu.
    Mad-atma sarva-bhutatma tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.


    My Lord is the Lord of Universe; My teacher is the teacher of the
    entire universe; and my Self is the Self of all. My salutations at the lotus-feet
    of such a Guru, who has revealed such knowledge to me.

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    Re: The Four (4) Levels of Vak (Speech)

    Understanding vak metaphorically, and understanding all of manifestation of vak, since all is vibration, all is an aspect of paravak, is very important.

    One could also cross these ancient teachings with the modern aspects of analytical psychology. The collective unconscious is the paravak, the pasyanti the differentiation of personal manifestation, that produces a mind (madhyama) that finally produces outer speech.

    So yes, when Carl Gustav Jung said that Europe is "nothing but a peninsule of Asia and people there had a 2000 year head start in introverted psychology", he was dead right.

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