Aitareya Upanishad Lecture 14 on 17 September 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have completed the third section of the first chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad in our last class. Let us remember that in the Aitareya Upanishad, there are three chapters. Now, at the end of the first chapter, in the third section, every Jeeva has three births, three houses, and that Avasatha, Avasatha, Avasatha. And what are those three? The father sees one, the mother sees another, and this body-mind complex is the third. 'I am Avasatha. I am Avasatha. I am Avasatha.' So, what are these three abodes? That forms the entire second chapter commentary on that. And at the end also, we have seen, 'Saha etam purusham tatamam brahma apashyat.' So, after many births, through various experiences, Jeevatma awakens, approaches the great and practices sadhana according to their directions, and ultimately, he will realize. What does he realize? The first realization is, 'I am Brahman, none other than Brahman.' Second, not only me, but everything is Brahman. 'Saha etam purusham tatamam brahma apashyat.' I realized very intensely, very intimately, that Purusham, that Brahman. And that will be commented on in the third chapter.

So, what is the first chapter? Samsara. Why samsara? Because we are stuck in samsara. And in what way are we stuck? We are going through various experiences. So, what is the main purpose of the Upanishad? In describing the samsara varnana and how Jeevatma, he forgets that he is the Paramatma, enters into this samsara, takes up body after body, life after life, and then sometimes he goes to lower worlds, sometimes higher worlds. So, at the end of the first chapter, we have seen how he enters from any world.

First, he enters into the clouds, becomes rain. And in the form of the rain, the plants absorb the rain, and those plants grow. So, the Jeevatma becomes the food in the form of the plants, and that is eaten by men and women. And in men and women, that food, which is eaten of the plants, etc., nourishes the body in both of them. And in that nourished body, from every part, the best essence of every part of the body transforms itself into a seed in both of them called Shukla and Shonita. The semen in the Purusha and the Stribeja, what is called Shonita or the egg within the woman. And when these two come together, they complement each other, and the next baby is born. So, this Jeevatma, eaten in the form of food, becomes the seeds in both man and woman. And when they come together, that seed awaiting a particular field, a ripe field, according to one's own Parabdha Karma, and it takes birth. First, it enters into the father, and then when the father meets his wife in union, then that Jeevatma, in the form of the Raitas in the father, enters into the woman and, mixing with the seed of the woman or would be mother, becomes the foetus, and that is the second Janma. And after nine months, when the mother, after growing fully every particular limb, she gives birth, and he enters with his own separate body and mind. And we have to learn a tremendous lesson here: the purpose, the role of the parents is only to give us this body, not the mind, not anything else, but only the body. And thereafter, we are born with our own Karma, but we are also given the freedom to build up our future Janma. Inevitably, every soul, at the end of a long time, born again and again, going through so many experiences, positive and negative, awakens to the fact that this Samsara is not desirable.

But there must be something which is desirable, and His earnestness brings the grace of God in the form of a Param Karunika Guru. And this person, not seeing it either way, takes complete refuge at the feet of the Guru, and the Guru lets him hear, beats a drum of Vedanta Bheri, making him listen to the truth. What is the truth? You are not a Jeevatma; you are the Paramatma. And then he does Sadhana, Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana, and one day he realizes. So the whole purpose of this Aitareya Upanishad is to take us to that further purpose, the condition we are in right now, and that is graphically being described. This is what Shankaracharya indicates.

That Samsara, which is hinted at in the first chapter, is elaborated here in the second chapter. What is implicit in the first chapter is made explicit here. So Shankaracharya says, and then he summarizes not only the first chapter, second chapter, but the entire Upanishads. Beautiful description from the pen of Shankaracharya. In this chapter, this is the real meaning of the Upanishadic teaching.

There is somebody who is the creator of the creation, the sustenance as well as layakrit, as Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, but his nature is what? Asamsara; he is completely beyond the Samsara. Sarvajnaha, all-knowing. Sarva Shaktimaan, all-powerful. Sarvavet, all-knowing. Sarvam Idam, and with those qualities, Idam Sarvam Jagat. This whole world consists of innumerable, indescribable, uncountable, unaccountable. Jagat Swataha, by himself. Anyat Asvantaram Anupadayaiva, without the help of any other object. For this simple reason, there is no second object besides him. How does he do it? Akasha de Kramena Srishtiya, creating the Pancha Bhutas. Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, and Prithvi. For what purpose? Swa Atma Prabodhanatham, he wants to play, let me play, solitaire game, let me pretend myself, I am the Jeevatma. But after some time, that is also part of the script. Swa Atma Prabodhanatham, for the sake of awakening to my own real nature. Sarva Nicha Pranadi Makshari Rane Swayam Prathivesha, he entered into every conceivable Jeeva, right from the amoeba until the highest realized soul. This is, I thought, a marvellous description. That is, what is there? Life is meant, creation is meant to realize what we really are. Of course, we do not know that we are Brahman, but the Upanishad reminds us again and again, and great commentators like Shankaracharya also, they squeeze the essence and then present that essence to us in the most understandable language, at least intellectually understandable language.

Now, we enter what is the commentary of the second chapter of the Aitareya Upanishad. Remember, the first chapter has three sections; we have completed. The second chapter has only one section, the third also has only one section. The second chapter is a beautiful graphic description of how a Jeevatma is born. Life after life, the same phenomenon takes place, whether it is a mosquito, a human being, or a Yogi Purusha who has to be born because of some incompleteness of Yoga Siddhi. So, this is the process. And for what purpose? Vairagya Siddhi Artham, to awaken us. With this understanding, let us go.

Now, one small doubt may come that we are in the Samsara; we are experiencing it every day. Why should the Upanishad tell us something which we are experiencing? Because we are not very intelligent people. We don't understand the very nature of Samsara. What is Samsara? Always changing. Do we understand? No. We think this is reality. The definition of reality is that which never changes. And here, everything changes. The moment we utter the second, that means the previous second and this second and next second, everything is changing. Time means changing. The purpose of this scripture is to awaken us to this fact that everything is changing. If everything is changing, so the logic goes, there must be somebody who understands everything is changing; that knowing subject should ever be unchanging. So, once we come to know that I am the unchanging, the next step is to identify ourselves with that unchanging. This is the purpose.

With this background, let us enter. In my last class, I told you we have already gone through the first mantra, which says if there are any pregnant women, let them go to the next room until this particular part is over. Why? Because they might feel shy. But it is not necessary that they should feel shy. Any spiritual sadhaka should be able to know this is the fate of every Jeeva entering into the father, mother, and then the third janma. First janma into the father becoming semen. Second janma coming and mixing with the mother's seed and growing up there. And the third is coming out and leading life after death again until we realize God. This process will go on. So, very briefly I will read out.

OM puruShe ha vA ayamAdito garbho bhavati yadetadretaH .

tadetatsarvebhyo.a~NgebhyastejaH saMbhUtamAtmanyeva.a.atmAnaM bibharti

tadyadA striyA.n si~nchatyathainajjanayati tadasya prathama.n janma .. 1..

This person (Jiva) is, at first, the germ in a man. That which is the semen is here called the germ. This semen is the vigor drawn from all the limbs. The man holds this essence of his Self in his own body. When he pours the semen into a woman, he procreates himself. This, indeed, is the first birth of the embodied soul.

In man, the soul that has entered the transmigratory cycle becomes at first that germ, that seed, which is God, the Rathus. And what is the nature of that seed? It is the essence gathered from all the limbs of the father, a male parent. And man holds this essence of his self in his own body. And when the father or the husband casts the seed in a woman, he procreates it. And that is the first birth of the Jeevatma. And this process is beautifully described in the next mantra. That is the second section, the second adhyaya, the second mantra.

tatstriyA AtmabhUya.n gachChati yathA svama~Nga.n tathA . tasmAdenA.n na hinasti .

sA.asyaitamAtmAnamatra gataM bhAvayati .. 2..

That semen becomes one with the woman-just like a limb of her own. That is why it does not hurt her. She nourishes this self of his that has come into her.

The Upanishad now describes the experiences which an ignorant embodied Jeevatma undergoes through this apparently endless chain of birth and death so that he may rid himself of desires which are responsible for repeated rebirths, cultivate renunciation and attain freedom and bliss. This is the introduction to the second mantra. I will read out the second mantra.

'tat sriya sthriya atmabhuyam gacchati yatha svamangam tatha tasmat enam nahinasti sa asya etam atmanam atragatam bhavayate.'

A beautiful way of describing what happens even though we know roughly, we may not know all the details.

'tat sriya yatha svamangam' - What does it mean? After the husband discharges the seed into the woman and that enters. What does it become? After this is coming from outside. We know that if any foreign body enters into our bodies, it becomes the most terrible agonizing enemy and our body has developed a particular system is endowed by God. It is called self-protection and if that protection for some reason disappears, people have to pay a heavy price. But this semen which comes, it doesn't behave like that. It becomes part.

'yatha svamangam' - Just like any other part of the mother or woman. 'tatha' - In that way, 'atmabhuyam gacchati' - The semen, that means it is the Jeevatma in the form of the semen, he says after mixing, of course, with the mother's seed. 'atmabhuyam gacchati' - I am part of my mother's body. I am not a foreign element at all. 'tasmat' - Because of that, 'enam' - the mother's body, 'nahinasti' - so the foetus doesn't behave like a foreign part. It behaves as if it is from the very beginning as if it is part of the mother's body. Therefore, it doesn't injure.

And then what happens? 'sa asya etam atmanam atra katham bhaveti' - About the mother, the mother also, etam, this foetus that entered because of the husband's seed. 'atmanam' - As if this is me. 'atra gatham' - My child, my body, it is not a foreign object. That is the feeling. And this is what the Upanishad wants to tell us in this. So that semen of the husband becomes one with the woman. That means with the seed of the woman, then the foetus starts. And how does it behave? Just like one's own limb, a limb of her own body. That is why this foetus doesn't hurt her at all. She nourishes; that means she means now the mother, nourishes this foetus which is newly born, growing inside her womb of that self of his, this self of his. Mysterious words. Self of whom? Her husband as it were. Because it is her husband's own body. Therefore, it is called husband's own self in the form of this foetus. And of course, she is not telling, but it is also a mixture of both father and mother that has come into her. So the woman's body is the second abode of this Jeevatma. What is the first abode? Becoming, entering in the form of food, nourishing every limb of the man, and thereafter the body has a special capacity.

That is why our scriptures are so emphatic on brahmacharya. Because brahmacharya means what? If we can preserve this energy, tremendous power, potential soul, then we can progress quickly in any field of life. Not to speak of only spiritual life, but any field of life. Whether a person is a great scientist or a great musician, a great artist, greatness in any form is only the potential development. And that potentiality is called preserving this seed, which is called brahmacharya ashrama.

So this woman's body is the second abode thereafter. The father also cherishes, which is going to come in the next mantra. But for now, this Jeevatma in the form of the foetus is lying in the womb of the woman. And she becomes the mother. Really, she becomes like a mother who is ever ready to sacrifice her life for protecting, for nourishing, and praying for the welfare. Because she now considers, this is me in another form. So this Jeevatma from the first birth now enters into the second birth.

And here the foetus has to be there for normally around nine months. And mother's body protects it, nourishes it, cleans it. Not only that, many many samskaras also have to be grown. This is very important for us, which is given in the next mantra actually. But I am foretelling it earlier. It is said that a foetus is acutely conscious of all the changes that take place in the body of the mother. So if the mother is angry, depressed, unhappy for whatever reason, or she hates somebody, correspondingly the body also manifests. And correspondingly it can affect the body of the foetus. This is amply proved not only in the case of the foetus, but our feelings, our emotions can make us.

That is why while discussing Purusha Suktam, 'so manasa chandrama jataha' or 'chandramaso manaha jataha', the lord of the mind is the moon. And the moon, how much it affects, that is why it is called lunar cycle. Therefore a person unable to control will be violently tossed about and if anybody carefully observes an ocean or even a river when the moon is in full moonlight or new moonlight, they can see definitely tremendous amount of changes, which because our body is containing 70% of our body's mass is nothing but water and the moon has tremendous influence upon any body of water. And so our emotions can create havoc.

That is why a child born to a great soul, great parents, they also are likely to become great. In fact, there is a correlation between what I am talking and the Karma Siddhanta. Any child is not born in any body. Every child chooses the particular parents, that which will be suitable for the development of his particular body as well as particular samskara, sukha, dukha, etc.

So the mother has to be extremely careful, the father also has to be extremely careful and how the mother is preserving as if her husband herself in the form of the foetus and the husband also how he is going to look upon this, his own, himself in the form of the foetus. That is why every child, every son or every daughter, you know what they are called in Sanskrit? Atma jaha, atma jaha. Jaha means born. Atma means one's own self is reborn in the form of the children. That is why we have so much of attachment because it is actually an attachment to our own selves.

Anyway, this is what is being conveyed here. So when this foetus, when it becomes a foetus, mixing with the seed, both the seeds, X as well as I think Y chromosomes are mixed together, the foetus, it doesn't behave like a foreign body, it behaves like as if it is part of the mother's body. Now what is the mother's attitude? How does the mother look upon? She lovingly undertakes protection. That is why even though she has her own personal likes and dislikes, but considering how it can affect the baby, she controls. Her whole mind becomes under control, what to eat, what not to eat, and if something is poisonous for the baby, she would not have minded it earlier even if it is hurting her body as we do, but because the baby is there, she becomes extremely careful and then there is something extraordinarily miraculous.

You know, as soon as a woman becomes pregnant, special, it is said women should understand better, special desires arise in the mind of the woman. Why do they arise? Because they will be in accordance with the needs after she conceives the baby and such desires, such cravings actually she wants, maybe something sour or something different. That means the body is indirectly telling, body, the greatest teacher, if only we pay attention to it, is teaching now that a baby is coming along and for the sake of the baby your body requires this kind of things and if we do not impose our own strong likes and dislikes, our body can make us extraordinarily healthy and then the mind also behaves like that.

So that form which belongs to the husband and she understands this image, the self of the husband, Atragatam, now it is in my womb, so what does she do? Bhavayate, sustains, protects, takes care and that is why she is called Jaya, that is one who gives birth to the baby is called Jaya.

There is a beautiful shloka in Manusmruti, 'Patih bhariyam sampravishya garbho bhutva yajayate.' Patih, the husband, bhariyam sampravishya, entering into the wife's body in the form of the seed, garbho bhutva, he becomes, she becomes pregnant, that means he becomes pregnant in her body, that husband, jayate, he is born, jayayaha tadhi jayatma, for the wife, that is called giving birth, yet asyam jayate punaha, that is why, therefore, Tasmat, that is Sri, Gurbani Sri is called Jaya, one who gives birth to whom? To the Jeevatma really, but we are talking about the physical body here, many times I reminded you, every Jeevatma that is born, we are only talking about the physical body, but the person brings his entire, what is called Samskaric life, that has nothing to do with father or mother, but there would be some comparative degree will be there, so Patih bhariyam sampravishya garbho bhutva punaha jayate, so the father alone is reborn as the child through the medium of the wife. So what do we understand? That the physical body of the Jeevatma takes the form of both the father and mother. So actually father is more emphasized here. So this is what the wife does, or the mother does. But what does the husband, how does he react?

Now the Upanishad wants to tell the husband also reciprocates, remember this is a very sacred act, marrying is a sacred act, and just I want to remind you, when a man and woman are married, according to the either Christian custom, I don't know about Muslim custom, but definitely our Vedic custom, at some point of time, just before the husband ties a thread around the neck, one has to go through seven steps, it is called Saptapadi, and at every step addressing Vishnu, one has to take as if a vow, what is it? This is very interesting, we are born as human beings, after so many lives, for what purpose? So that we can go to God, that means we must lead a spiritual life, so the inner meaning goes like this, both husband and wife have to utter, while it is like a kind of promise to Bhagawan, in the form of Agni, that both of us will lead such a life, we are like co-pilgrims, both of us are weak, but our greatest wish, only wish, is to go to God, so both of us will travel that path, if I become weak and stumble, she supports me, if she becomes weak and stumbles, I support her, and by the way, if God grants some children for us, we will also try to bring them up with the idea, that every human birth is meant only for spirituality, not for simply living in this world, etc. So this is the essence of the Saptapadi.

So here, after the wife becomes pregnant, and the husband also, what does he do? He also looks upon the wife, and she becomes most beloved, he has to protect, she has to protect the foetus, and he has to protect the wife, thereby indirectly protecting the foetus. I remember, suddenly an incident, once Holy Mother was there at Udbodhan in Calcutta, and the next spot of space is full of these workers, especially uneducated manual workers, and there was a low caste man, and his wife was pregnant, and once his food was getting delayed, he became very angry, he started beating her, ultimately kicking her on the stomach, etc. And Holy Mother heard her cries, helpless cries, looked out of the window. She got so excited, you wretch, are you going to kill her and her baby? The moment these words escaped from Mother, that fellow who was beating became like an earthworm, previously he was like a snake, now he became like an earthworm, and then he simply ran into the hut. And then Holy Mother noticed, he was making again reconciliation with his wife, and then they started leading a good life. After all, the shouting of great souls, that is called a curse in a way, and curses are always blessings from a great soul.

Now we enter into the third mantra, beautiful mantra. What is this mantra? This one, that both the husband and wife, they have to protect both first themselves, and especially the wife who is pregnant, through the protected wife, loving protection of the husband, the foetus grows up, a very happy protection means, samskaras, so many other things, we will discuss about it. What is the purpose? So that good samskaras can be sown, into that growing baby's life, so that soon he will realize what a human life is, and he can also proceed towards God, and as soon as possible realize God.

That is going to be described here, but in beautiful language.

sA bhAvayitrI bhAvayitavyA bhavati . ta.n strI garbha bibharti . so.agra

eva kumAra.n janmano.agre.adhibhAvayati .

sa yatkumAra.n janmano.agre.adhibhAvayatyAtmAnameva tadbhAvayatyeSha.n

lokAnA.n santatyA .

eva.n santatA hIme lokAstadasya dvitIya.n janma .. 3..

She, being the nourisher of the child , should be nourished. The woman nourishes the embryo. Immediately after its birth the father nourishes the child. Nourishing the child from birth onward, he thus nourishes himself for the continuation of these worlds. For thus alone are these worlds perpetuated. This is one's second birth.

So what was the first janma? In the father's body, in the form of the seed. What is the second janma? In the form of the foetus, in the garbha, in the womb of the mother. And then tritiyam janma, when the mother gives birth, that is going to be treated as the tritiyam janma. But here in this third mantra, what are the duties of the parents? That is mainly being emphasized. Beautiful expression. Saha, that means the wife or would-be mother, bhavaitri, she protects, she cherishes, she thinks always good thoughts about her baby. But she herself has to be sustained. So what happens? The husband now, in his turn, or the wife in her turn, bhavai tavya bhavati. This tavya pratyaya, she should be protected. If any husband, after the wife becomes pregnant, neglects to protect her, he is going to commit lots of sins. And then, as a result of that sin, he is going to suffer a lot. This also gives us indirectly the meaning that the purpose of marriage is not merely physical enjoyment. Of course it is there, but actually nature brings man and woman together so that the propagation of the species can take place, whether it is mosquito or man or mice, it doesn't matter. But what is important is the Prakriti, nature. That is the main purpose. Then, as if it is asking, and this is beautifully described by Richard Dawkins in that book called Selfish Gene. Nature says to man, now both you and that woman get married, I want children from you. That is my commandment. And then both man and woman, and as if they are replying, I care a fig for producing children. We don't want to go through all that trouble, especially the woman. Infinite amount of trouble she has to take. Sometimes she may die also. Many children used to die, in fact, in the past. And that is why we Hindus know, we say cow is our mother. Why did this concept come? Because in the past, lakhs of children, babies are born, and in that process lakhs of mothers used to die, and the baby has to be nourished. The best milk, which is almost equal to mother's milk, is considered to be a native cow's milk. Somebody had done research, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of it, but it is said our, what is called, native cow, which only gives either one litre, or one and a half litre, or three-fourths litre, that milk is the best milk. Not buffalo milk, because if anybody drinks buffalo's milk, he will become a buffalo. But the cow is considered a mother because the child practically grows up drinking that pure cow's milk. And really speaking, I used to see, most of us know in our childhood, those who are aged, that from this cow, curds are made, and from there the butter is made, from there the ghee is made. That marvellous, a particular fragrance of the ghee, it is indescribable. Nowadays, very hard to find it. So that is what the cow becomes very useful. And of course, milk is there, every part of the cow is very useful, every product of the cow, Panchagavya they call it, Panchamruta they call it. And even today, cows are worshipped in our temples, and it is our wretched Hindus, that they are eating cows, neglecting, protecting the cows. At least one animal should be a sacred animal, but for the sake of money, for the sake of power, for the sake of everything, but don't worry, the Karmapala will come back.

So what are we talking here? The mother considers the baby as my own body, and she does everything in her power to protect the baby, and now she also resolves, especially even today, when a woman becomes pregnant, she becomes very vulnerable, so she has to be protected in every way, especially by the husband. So Bhavai Tamiya means she becomes protector of the baby, and she becomes Bhavai Tamiya, to be protected in her turn. Tam Sri Garbhaha Ivarthi. Tam means that father, what is called husband's seed, in the form of the foetus, Sri, that woman, that is called Garbhaha, becoming pregnant. Ivarthi means she nourishes it, she cleans it, everything, not only food is supplied, but whatever comes out as undigested food, that also is taken back. This is a marvellous concept, as God has produced in every woman's body. Saha agraheva kumaram janmana agre adhibhavayati. Now, what is the husband's role? Agraha eva, that is before the birth of the baby, kumaram means his own son, kumari also, not only son, but it could be boy, it could be girl. So before the birth of the child, agre, janmana agre, and then adhibhavayati atmanameva tadbhavayati. Here agre is interpreted as before, during and after. His duties do not end in only producing the child, but he has to protect the baby before itself. He has to study properly, he has to earn money, he has to build a house so that for the children. Even birds prepare beautiful artistic nests.

Every mother finds out a suitable place for keeping her would-be offspring, not to speak of human beings. So the husband, saha, means the husband, evam, in this manner, kumaram, he would be born as soon as he comes to know, before, during the growth of the baby, in the womb of the mother, and anantaram, even afterwards. How long? As long as the baby becomes a young man, giving samskaras, sending to Gurukula, and looking after him, adhibhavayati, his parents' whole attention should be focused only upon the good of the children.

Sa yath kumaram, janmana agre, adhibhavayati, how does he protect? atmanameva tadbhavayati, this is me in the form of my child, just as one protects oneself, and that is how to protect the baby, esham lokanam santatya, this is the tradition, this is how parents are oath-bound by God's adesha, God's commandment, this is how you also become happy, but your main duty is to people this earth with good children. Evam, in this manner, santatahi ime lokaha, that is how, ime lokaha, all these words have to be santatah, that means they have to be propagated with the offspring, and so, tat asya vitiyam janma, when all these conditions are fulfilled, that means the baby is growing within the mother's womb, the father is very carefully protecting the baby, by protecting the mother, taking care of her in every way, so that for the good of the baby, who would be born very soon. And this is the second stage, dvitiyam janma means second stage as it were, that is the meaning, she becomes the protector of the child, because the child has to be protected. The mother bears the child in her womb, and then the mother herself becomes an object of protection, and the father, the husband here, bestows his cherishing care before the baby is born, when it is born, and after it is born, till the child can stand on his own feet. If it is a girl, train her well, so that she herself can bring her own children, serve her own husband properly, this is the Hindu ideal of marriage. That child whom the father has nourished with care at birth, and afterwards is in truth his own self. A doubt may come, why should I cherish somebody? No sir, that child is none other than your own self. By the way, Hindus, I think all people in the world, they have a special propensity, special only towards the male progeny, and in India nowadays, it has become a cherished goal. If a poor family has got 5-6 children, then the whole family's welfare is completely assured, because of the high dowry system, which is the worst evil, that is eating up our society. How many women have suffered, how many have committed suicide, even now suffering, because always the father-in-laws grumble. But Sri Ramakrishna's time, I would say, is a golden age, because at that time, boys have to pay to the girl, that is called Kanya Shulka.

Anyway, so the father has to nourish, protect his wife. Why? Because he knows, I am growing in another form in her womb. So before the birth, during the growth, or as long as the baby is within the womb, and after he is born in truth, the child is his own self, and whom he has cherished. The husband has cherished, so that this world of progeny may last without a break. This is a meaningful sentence. So indeed, this world of progeny continued without a break. This is how our ancestors, our Rishis have brought up, and our forefathers have brought up, and our fathers and grandfathers have brought up, and this is the tradition. We have to be born. Then only, the purpose of evolution will be formally served. Thus born the soul. This is called the second.

So, how does the husband do it? There are many stages. First of all, the Garbha Tana. That itself is a wonderful Samskara. In Hindu marriage, perhaps some of you know, but most of you may not know, that there are so many Samskaras before the birth of the baby. The first is Garbha Tana. As soon as marriage is done, the husband and wife do not come together. Nowadays, this is a different issue. In the past, we all remember that our sisters or brothers are married only at the first ceremony. At the second ceremony, the priest has to fix a special date, and that is called Garbha Tana Samskara. And then, if a wife becomes pregnant, so many other things are there. When the pregnancy progresses to about 7 or 8 months, I don't know exactly, there is a ceremony called Srimanta Unnayanam. Srimanta Unnayanam it is called. What does it mean? The husband has to come and he has to comb or separate the hair of the wife who is pregnant, the hair of the pregnant wife. So what does it actually mean? He is doing personal service to his wife, indicating their life. It is a symbolism that he is going to take care of every minute, the need of his wife because she is pregnant. Actually, it is because it is what you call, really he is taking care of the wife only for the sake of taking care of himself in the form of the Garbha, which is Atmaja. That is the idea. So, Saha Pita, Agre Evo Purvam Evo, Jat Matram Kumaram Janmanah, Agre Athi.

Before, and when it is growing, see that nothing happens, see that there is no break of the foetus, what is called abortion or any such thing. And then, what should do? Many Samskaras. What is one of the Samskaras? That you have to chant. Vedic Vedas have to be chanted because we think, what does this dumb child really understand? There was a great soul, probably some of you have heard, his name was Ashtavakra. His father was a Brahmana, great scholar, great orthodox Brahmin. So, every day, he used to chant the Vedas. Unfortunately for him, his wife was pregnant and that baby within was grown up some 5 or 6 years old. That fellow had developed keen sense of hearing and when the father used to close his eyes and recite and make mistakes, this fellow from within stopped. And then the father was stunned. What? Father, Baba, you are chanting it in the wrong way. That is not the way. The father got so offended. He said, you fellow, you are not even born. He said, you are trying to correct the wrong way of chanting. So, the egg comes out and then scolds the mother. So, this fellow, he was trying to correct. Because in his previous birth, he was far more advanced in spiritual life than the father. And the father got very angry. He cursed him, since you offended me, your body will be 8 times twisted. That is why he came to be known as Ashtavakra.

But what I am trying to tell you, who knows? Perhaps the parents of incarnations never knew who was going to be born or what type of thing. Sometimes they know who is going to be born but what really is the nature, power or knowledge of that baby, hardly anybody knew. Swami Vivekananda's mother, I don't think she ever realized who was born. A great Maharshi was born in her womb. So many of them, great people. Einstein's mother knew that such a world famous scientist is going to be born there. So, what is telling? That for the future, samskara of the child, the parents, the mother has to think about God, think spiritual thoughts, think positive, happy thoughts, should never become depressed, etc. And the father also should go on doing all sorts of ceremonies so that it has an indirect influence upon the baby. And this is why Arjuna was protesting against the war. kulakshaya pranasyanti kuladharma sanatana That is the most marvellous thing. So, if a father and mother go on doing what is absolutely prescribed by the scriptures and the purpose of sacraments, the samskaras, is precisely to instil spiritual samskaras into the body, into the mind of this would-be child. And we can see also, the modern scientists also tell, the baby is unfortunate to be born in what is called a scum area where the parents will be drinking, quarrelling, or the husband will be beating. Whatever it is, the children are not likely to become better children. It might happen, but very rare. Usually we are influenced by our parents, by our religion, by our society. Tremendous influence is there even though our samskaras are there.

I'll just give you one instance in today's class. Just imagine, there are some religions which are terribly fanatical. They are prepared to kill, to bite, to torture, to do anything for the propagation of their religion. And Indian history more than witnesses all this destruction of the temples, converting them into mosques, etc., etc. Supposing a Hindu baby is adopted by such a fanatical religious couple, and most likely that baby also grows up thinking that my parents cannot be untrue, like that. Supposing such a fanatical baby is brought up by a loving Hindu parent, and he is also likely to change his views. Real samskara will not change, but environment, social environment, family environment, bears tremendous influence upon our body and mind, especially upon our early mind. That is why lucky are the persons who have such tremendous great parents. Some days I am posting about Mahapurush Maharaj. He said, I was so lucky to be born to a father who himself was a great spiritual practitioner, and my mother, she was like a devata. She never made any difference between me and orphaned children. But he wants to tell that how much they influenced my spiritual life, only God knows. So we will continue. Another few mantras are there in our next class.