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 (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.