Signs and Symptoms of Śraddhā

[renuka]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp Email Share Link

Śraddhā bhakti badhao
Śraddhā bhakti badhao
Santan ki seva Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Many a times we have heard the word Śraddhā and most of us use it freely.

Well...the word Śraddhā is actually hard to translate in English becos Śraddhā seems more like a terminology rather than just a word.

Vaman Apte Dictionary defines Śraddhā as Trust,Faith,Belief,Confidence,Belief in Divine Revelation,Religious Faith,Respect and Reverence,Strong/Vehement Desire,Sedateness,Composure of Mind,Intimacy,Familiarity....lastly... the Longing of a Pregnant Woman for anything.


Such a multidimensional word.

Well at least being a female having an experience of Śraddhā as in desiring for something during pregnancy would have been an exposure to at least some aspect of Śraddhā!LOL

My post is about Signs and Symptoms of Śraddhā as in how can it be detected in self or another as to render anyone having Śraddhā or not endowed with it.

This is not to find fault with anyone and neither am I implying having Śraddhā
is a virtue and not having Śraddhā makes one an "Average Joe Aam Aadmi".


Its very easy to imagine that we have Śraddhā and others lack it but the question is "What are the Signs and Symptoms of Śraddhā?"

How can we be so sure we are endowed with it?

Anyone can imagine having Śraddhā as defined in Vaman Apte Dictionary ..but there is no actual evidence to even know if the Śraddhā one claims to have is real or just a projection of one's Ego.

Its not easy to differentiate Śraddhā from an inflated ego.

So how does one really know?

The word Śraddhā is an over used word when it comes in seeking knowledge of the Religious kind...but do we really understand it?

Any idea?

 

[tbs]

hi

shraddhaya kriyate iti shraadhaaa....idam.....shraaadham....

 

[zebra16]

My post is about Signs and Symptoms of Śraddhā as in how can it be detected in self or another as to render anyone having Śraddhā or not endowed with it.

Any idea?

Known examples are the best of examples. Let me start off with you (does not matter if it goes into your head and bloats your ego).

I have been a frequent visitor to this forum for the last 6-7 years and have had many discussions, debates, dishums-dishums with many, especially in matters of theology and scriptures of Hinduism.

Did not come across anyone else in this forum (except you) who did attempt to study and understand scriptures by studying the underlying language of Samskrutam first. It culminated in your reading and understanding of vAlmiki rAmayaNam without any bias.

Now in the absence of understanding of the language in which the original source material is written, anybody's understanding of that subject is only as good as that of the translators and everybody who uses translated stuff knows that only too well.

We did not see such an effort on others' part, though there may be many reasons for it or they may have not brought it (their enhanced skills in samskrutam) to our notice.

So the first step of SraddhA is intense desire to know a subject first hand without relying on side crutches. Other things may follow. If you follow any particular author/writer for a period of time, it is not that difficult at all to know if one flaunts his knowledge for ego or for genuinely showing references to his/her point of view.

It is easy to make passing comments by recalling what one heard or said, easier still copy pasting others' articles (without even reading it) but it requires commitment to know the subject as much as one can. SraddhA starts off from there I guess.

 

[prasad1]

Śraddhā is my belief, but when it comes to your belief, I will call it ego.

When you are biased for a person or belief, you only see goodness in that person or belief. But if you are biased against a person or their position you find all bad epitaph to hang on them.
Some of the self anointed medhavis claim:

Just as all my knowledge is original and Virgin, I ayaaaa can get it, all others are just regurgitating.

Zebraji, I have been called worse things by better people than you.

In spite of Mule kick in my direction, his praise for Renukaji is justified.

Śraddhā is a Sanskrit term loosely translated as "faith". It is important in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist literature and teachings. Among adherents of the spiritual traditions which use the term; without diacritical marks, it is usually written as Shraddha or Sraddha.
It can be associated with faith, trust, confidence, and loyalty. The teacher Ammachi describes it as the "constant alertness arising from Love", and when choosing a single word to translate it into English, has used "awareness". Other writers have also described the concept with emphasis on the intersection of faith and mindfulness, and it has been translated in this vein with words such as "diligence".
Śraddhā (श्रद्धा, shraddhaa) is loosely translated as only "faith".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Araddh%C4%81

But then again brilliant people have said:Isaac Newton in 1676: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".
And then others who are medhavis will claim all glory to themselves and demean others by degrading them.

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Renu,
I am NOT a Nithi fan or follower; but his speech on sraddha is interesting! :ranger:

Here is the link for you: சிரத்தை - YouTube

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Narayan Sir,

Good example shown by you but you could have avoided the latent 'attack' on a friend!

To complete any job meticulously, one needs sraddha; be it learning, cooking, cleaning, stitching or interacting with people.

What ever is done without sraddha will never be a satisfactory to anyone including the doer!

 

[zebra16]

Dear Narayan Sir,

Good example shown by you but you could have avoided the latent 'attack' on a friend!

I have to say that you are unintentionally pointing the arrow of "attack" at a person who I did not have in my mind and had no intention pointing the so-called "latent attack" at that poster.

Who I had in mind was the prolific copy-paster who had various handles and palindromes and who sort of caused storm in the tea cup quite recently. That poster was quite convinced that voluminous copy pasting was enough to browbeat others into submission even if much of the copy paste was near garbage.

There were many posts which contained typos and factually incorrect information that could have been easily corrected if only one had read them, but that person was too much carried away by the vociferous support of a few members and that poster felt egged on to continue.

 

[auh]

So the first step of SraddhA is intense desire to know a subject first hand without relying on side crutches.

I think sraddha means "steadfast positive faith" in definition. Consider the following statements:

1) A person may, with sraddha, do his father's bidding
2) A person, with sraddha, may strictly do the rituals prescribed for him
3) A person, with sraddha, may understand complex branches of knowledge
4) A person, with sraddha, may develop his physical abilities to a great extent

It indicates that having decided to do something, one has to have steadfast positive faith in its means. It implies a combination of will power and trust, desire being one of its propellers.

 

[auh]

Its very easy to imagine that we have Śraddhā and others lack it but the question is "What are the Signs and Symptoms of Śraddhā?"

How can we be so sure we are endowed with it?

Anyone can imagine having Śraddhā as defined in Vaman Apte Dictionary ..but there is no actual evidence to even know if the Śraddhā one claims to have is real or just a projection of one's Ego.

Its not easy to differentiate Śraddhā from an inflated ego.

So how does one really know?

The word Śraddhā is an over used word when it comes in seeking knowledge of the Religious kind...but do we really understand it?

Any idea?

I think the truly wise would refrain from calling out others as exhibiting "lack of sraddha" etc.

 

[renuka]

Known examples are the best of examples. Let me start off with you (does not matter if it goes into your head and bloats your ego).

I have been a frequent visitor to this forum for the last 6-7 years and have had many discussions, debates, dishums-dishums with many, especially in matters of theology and scriptures of Hinduism.

Did not come across anyone else in this forum (except you) who did attempt to study and understand scriptures by studying the underlying language of Samskrutam first. It culminated in your reading and understanding of vAlmiki rAmayaNam without any bias.

Now in the absence of understanding of the language in which the original source material is written, anybody's understanding of that subject is only as good as that of the translators and everybody who uses translated stuff knows that only too well.

We did not see such an effort on others' part, though there may be many reasons for it or they may have not brought it (their enhanced skills in samskrutam) to our notice.

Dear Zebra ji,

I really do not know how to respond to your post.

For the very first time in my life I feel that its easier to process Blame than processing Praise.

With Blame we can respond with anger,resentment etc..then wiggle out of that situation with improving ourselves etc.

But only today I am feeling extremely hard to respond to Praise...reason ? If I agree with your analysis about me..the risk of ego getting to my head can not be denied..BUT if I disagree with your opinion that's almost like not acknowledging your observation.

What can I say?

All I can say to you is Thank You for making me realize that Processing Praise can be more difficult than Processing Blame...that equals to me not being able to treat Praise and Blame alike...still a long long way to go for me.

Thank you for this very important lesson for me.

 

[Raji Ram]

I have to say that you are unintentionally pointing the arrow of "attack" at a person who I did not have in my mind and had no intention pointing the so-called "latent attack" at that poster.

Who I had in mind was the prolific copy-paster who had various handles and palindromes and who sort of caused storm in the tea cup quite recently. ..........

​Thanks for the clarification, Narayan Sir!