World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 109

tency (sakti) between a ritual or positive action done, t1, and its maturation at some later time, t2. What gives us knowledge of this invisible enigma? And of time itself? Or do we remain occluded from its delayed mantric-effect by virtue of its non-presence to empirically-conditioned vision? The response of the Mimamsaka tends to suggest that we remain ignorant, for there is no cosmic inward-turned mystic-eyes (divyacaksu) to reveal such media. Although in his lapsed-Buddhist moment Kumarila appears to concede that the yogi might have some 'intuitional grasp' akin to pratibha (the explosive-flash of a new knowing), but he does not develop this insight further. Yogaja :
Being born of Yoga: this motif of the sadhu purportedly seeking darshan, mystic inner vision, of this beautiful devi-like minstrel (who I will call Sridevi) will symbolically inform my paper as I unravel the Nyaya phenomenology of yogaja-pratyaksa, literally 'perception born of yoga', as befits a yogi's transcendental stature. At first glance or for quite some dramatic time maybe - and certainly to all the by-standers and her own servants - this unexpected guest is the holiest among godmen who from the goodness of his own judgment has chosen to confer his darshan, blessed vision, and shower the prasada of consecrated gulabi-petals onto this lucky or karmically benign gharwalli, the household-newly arrived daughter-in-law. Two sequential processes are at work here (as the imperceptible adrsta erupts in noesis). (1.)
Sridevi's mind absorbs a certain kind of rasa or pathos and excellsius elicited by the mellifluous bhajan bellowing from this wandering paanchew, that render immediate contact with the inner cavity in the space between her ears that elicits sympathetic vibration to the recognized melody. The intentionality (arthibhavana) constituting her consciousness that arises as a result of this neuro-theologic impact of the sabdibhavana, 'grammar of testimony', is a direct replication (sarupya) of the intense passion, longing and desire of a man lost in some dreamscape, and a throw-back in time. But she listens inside her mind and grasps a tickling kinesthetic sensation in her womb of the universal (samanya) of lovingness, but a lovingness that cannot be straightforward bhaktirasa that a devout soul pours out in rapturous devotion peering towards the mandira's garbha at the istadevi or chosen goddess; and yet uncannily this is like that, suchmuch so-so. The exhortation to darshan is very subtle as is the process of darshan which takes an Indologist and Gayatrivacani over Ecknathi purity to capture fully in its de textualbhajanic puranic intricacy Pilee, pilee, piile, piile, hariinaam ka piyaalaHtorebina nindnahi aye...kaha giyo shaam're? Natawar-nachanananda bhajore mere govinda. (See Spivak in Devi catalogue of exhibition; and Greg Bailey's monumental work on the Ganesapurana.)
60