In the Indian spiritual tradition, we have the Veda's, the Shastra's, the Purana's, the Upnishada's (part/aspect, in a way, of the Veda's) and the Geeta, the very core of the Indian way of thinking and of the Indian philosophy, explained and interpreted the best way by Sant Dnyaneshwar.
In addition to these great texts, there are lovely and lyrical stotras that encapsulate an entire way of thinking, of being, of becoming. These are easy to understand, moreover. Not everybody, for example, can understand the "Amritanubhaw" by Sant Dnyaneshwar. His abhanga's, on the other hand, speak to each and every common man.
One such great stotra in Sanskrit is the Panjarika Stotra, composed by the great Adi Shankaracharya. There are different accounts of its origin, either as the basic advice/updeshamrut to Satykama Jabala by Guatama Rishi or as Adi Shankaracharya's exhortation of an old aged scholar at Kashi wasting his time on an empty analysis of syntax.
Whatever be story of its origin, the Panjarika Stotra is divided into two, the dwadash(twelve) and the charpat. The latter is an intense appeal to break the cage/the panjarika of the banal life commonly lived, and experience the genuine Atman.
The dwadash panjarika, I would say, is undoubtedly addressed to the common citizen, the ordinary man.Yet it is also an appeal to the high and the mighty, be it the ruler or the pandit/the vidwan to be "sarvatra samchitta", to be truly inclusive and equal because "in you, in me, in others, there resides the one and only Lord".
Most interestingly, the Adi Shankaracharya calls this divine principle all share as "Vishnu". In other words, the differences such as Shaiva-ites and Vaishnav-ites appear irrelevant to the great seer. He ends the great stotra with " if there is no "vivek"/the mature balance, the conscious conscientiousness, that sure paves the mighty road to the hell". Well, all the powerful of all sorts and types, I wish, would forever remember this wonderful insight, and flex neither muscles (either real or metaphorical) nor egos. What say?
Pratima@True inclusivity refers to paying due respect to each and everyone, without sacrificing self-respect, right?!?
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