33.
THE DIVINE RULER (Sastha)

SASTHA worship is unique in itself, in that the mere
mention of the name of Sastha is awe-inspiring and
brings before the mind's eye a vision of the Absolute and
the relative, of the unmanifest and the manifest, of
Knowledge and of Grace, of Hara and Hari, Siva and
Sakti (Creative power) and the culminating Inmost
Knowledge (swarupa-jnana) born out of unity in
diversity. In the background of this unity the diversities
are seen as mere variations not apart from it. This is the
grand Truth proclaimed by Hari-Hara's Son, which He
beckons us to realize for our release from the bondage of
the world (samsara).

      In the Knowledge and Grace of this unity is
experienced the Bliss of pure Being. In the Knowledge
and Grace of this unity of Siva and Sakti is experienced
the vision of Skanda, the destroyer of primal Ignorance.
In the Knowledge and Grace of this unity of Hari and
Hara is experienced the vision of Sastha, the bestower of
supreme Good.

      Hari screens Himself with His Vishnu-Maya and leads
His souls towards dynamic activity, not for His own sake,
but that the souls may evolve. In the perfection of their
evolution, He throws away the veil, and also helps the
evolved souls to cut asunder the Knot of primal Ignorance
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(hrdaya-granthi). All doubts are set at rest, and the oneness
of the Self and the All (Brahman ^[?]) is experienced.

      Herein is the aspect of Sastha's Grace: He teaches,
instructs, communicates and governs the Supreme
Knowledge, establishing the fundamental unity of the
individual with the manifested world, and of the manifest
and its abidance in the Absolute. He is the Essence of
Hari-Hara Unity (aikya) and equally so of the one Siva-
Sakti. He is Hayagriva; He is formed as Guru Govinda;
He is Dakshinamurti, He is Ishwara, Guru and the Self,
all in one.

      This is the interpretation of Dharma-Sastha in the
light of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's teachings.

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