You are here: SriPedia - Knowledge Base

SriPedia Dreams

Home || Portal | Printer Friendly || Search:

1. Western Analysis

The western intrepretation of dreams is quite different than the Indian Intrepretation . If you have a Google search on Dream analysis , you will get 100,000 plus hits on Western approach to dream analysis . This will include dictonaries on dreams etc.There are pundits , who make a living on intrepreting people's dreams !

2. Eastern Analysis

Various Upanishads have taken up the state of Dream and reveal powerful truths about the happenings in dreams . There are four states : Wakefulness ( Jaagaratha ) , Dream (Svapna) , Dreamless sleep (Sushupthi) and the Fourth(Thuriyaa). In the Sushupthi state , the jeevan does not experience the agreeable and disagreeable objects and returns to the embrace of ParamAthmaa . Dreamless sleep(Sushupthi) is a state that is free from all desires or sorrows .

The jeevan in the dreamless state has no contact with punyaa or paapaa . This is supreme aanandham .

In the wakeful state, the jeevan engages in karmaas ; in the dream state , the jeevan roams around seeing the effects of the accumulated Paapam and PuNyam and

after seeing their effects returns to the wakeful state .

The passages in BruhadhAraNyaka Upanishad that describe the role of Jeevan , Indhriyams and ParamAthma are brilliant insights by our Maharishis .

Sage Yaj~nyavalkyA explains the dream state and the role of one's karmAs -good and bad- and how ParamAthmA ordains these dreams as Soochakams as well as rewards or punishments for Sukruthams(Good Karmaas) and dhushkruthams (Bad karmaas ) .

3. Some Passages from BruhadhAraNyakam

1.There is this world ( Earth) , the other world (Svargam , Sri Vaikuntam et al) and a third world (Dream world) in between the two worlds serving as a junction between them .

2. The experiences in the dreams are linked to the Punyam and Paapam that the Jeevan has accumulated and the Jeevan experiences them with a body that is different form its physical body in the awakened state ( Jaagrath state) . A different body is assumed in the dream state . The Jeevan having a new body in the dream state can see this world as well as the other world.

3. In the dream state , one sees both plesant and unpleasant things based on the substrate (aasraya) of Punyam or Paapam . Objects are created by ParamAthman in the dream state based on the individual jeevan's accumulated punyams and paapams and their vaasanaas ( residual effects) . The Upanishads identify the Lord as the Sakala Prapancha NaaDaka SoothradhAran and He is therefore , the karthaa of the dreams for the jeevans.

4. During the dream state , the jeevan makes the physical body inactive and moves out of its usual resting place ( Heart cavity) and moves about taking the sense organs with it . When the dream is over , the Jeevan returns to its laya sthAnam .

3. The objects we see in the dreams are created by ParamAtman . They are gone , when one wakes up.

4. Dreams in Srimath RaamAyaNam & Dhivya Prabhandham

Thirumangai Mannan's dream of NaacchiyAr KOil PerumAL described in Periya Thirumozhi Paasurams and Andal's dream of Her upcoming wedding with Lord RanganAthAn ( VaaraNam aayiram paasurams of NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi) are good referecnes in this context.

Our AchAryAs have studied extensively and cataloged the dreams in unique ways. There is a book called SvapnAdhyAyam that covers a lot of these dream analysis. I do not know where you can get a copy in India .

If you wish to get a glimpse of the indications from dreams you can refer to Thrijadai's dream at Lanka covered in the 27th Sargam of Sundara KaaNDam of Srimath RaamAyaNam. Thrijadai is the daughter of VibhIshaNan , who comforted Sithai at AsOka Vanam .

I will quote two verses relating to the slOkams from SvapnAdhyAyam here:

aarOhaNam  gOvrusha kunjarANAm
prAsAdhasailaagra vanaspatheenAm
vishtAnulOpO  mrutham cha
svapnEshvagamyAgamanam cha dhanyam
(Meaning ): When one dreams of traveling on the back of Cow, Buffalo , Elephant or dream that they are ascending the peak of a mountain , Tree or multistory building or weeping or seeing one as dead or uniting with some one , who is not to be united with , these are said to be harbingers of good tidings .

Here is slOkam 27.11 from Sundara KaaNDam about Thrijadai's dream that makes reference to these auspicous dream that she had :

Raaghavasccha mayaa dhrushta: chathurdhantham mahAgajam
aarODa: saila samkAsam chachAra sahalakshmaNa:
(Meaning) : I saw Raaman seated with LakshmaNan on a huge elephant(resembling a mountain ) with four tusks and coming towards Sithai.

Thrijadai goes on and says:

I saw Sitha jumping on that elephant , sitting on the lap of Her Lord and reaching with Her hands towards the Moon ( Sundara KaaNDam SlOkam 27.14).

The corrsponding SvapnAdhyAya slOkam is:

aadhithya maNDalam vaapi chandra mandalam yeva vaa
svapnE gruhNAthi hasthAbhyAm mahath raajyam samApnuyAth
(Meaning): The acquisition of a big kingdom is assured for one , who dreams of reaches out and touches Chandra or Soorya Mandalams.

Raama and VibhishaNa travel in the northerly direction wearing white Vasthrams , which is auspicious. Wearing of red or black vasthrams is inauspicious .

Thrijadai also dreams about her uncle , RaavaNan in that same dream : RaavaNan is lying on ground ; he is covered with gingely oil and is wearing red dress ; he is obese and is weaing a garland of alari pushpams. He is also seen by her as wearing black dress and with shaven head driving a cart drawn by a donkey towards the southern direction . These are all indicators of disastrous things that will happen , when dreamt. Raavana experiences death at the hands of Lord Raamachandra.

5. Auspicious dreams as rewards to those seeking Moksha

Nishkaama Karmaas alone does not grant you moksham . It prepares you and purifies you to gain Moksham and increases your desire for Moksham and makes you a Mumukshu. It is an attitude to develop and put it into practise for one's liberation from SamsAric cycles

The actual Moksha Siddhi is obtained thru the seeking a SadAchAryan and performing SaraNAgathy ( UpAya anushtAnam) and living in a state of freedom from the fear of the afflictions of SamsAram .

Meanwhile , during our stay on earth until the physical body falls down , we are not freed from performing Karmaas and the effects of them will be rewarded with auspicious dreams by Sakala Prapancha Naataka SoothradhAran , our Lord . The SaakshAthkAram of dhivya dampathis in one's dream and particularly at Brahma Muhurtham is a blissful experience to have .

Hence , persistence in doing NishkAma karmaas has no conflict with the aanandhAnubhavam of visualizing the Lord and His PirAtti in one's dreams . They are divine interventions and blessings .

The 7th and the 15th adhikAram of Swamy Desikan's Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram ( Mumukushthav and Utthara Krithya adhikAram) are very relevant to read in this context .

There are very many things to discuss about dreams . Bhagavath chinthanai and AchArya Bhakthi are the best medicine for destroying bad dreams ( Dhussvapna naasakam) .

Credits:: V.Sadagopan


Home || Portal | Printer Friendly || Search: