Amrita Bindu Upanishad Lecture 02 on 7 January 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

Oṃ jananīṁ sāradāṁ devīṁ rāmakṛṣṇaṁ jagadgurum pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाग्‍ँसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ।	Oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāgaṃsastanūbhiḥ vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyūḥ
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः । स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः । स्वस्ति नो वृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरिः ॐ ॥	Svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ svasti nastākṣaryo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no vṛhaspatirdadhātu Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ Hariḥ oṃ

Om, oh Gods, may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious,

Oh worshipful ones, may we with our eyes always see what is auspicious,

May we live our allotted lives, hale and hearty, offering our worship unto thee.

May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on all of us,

May the all-nourishing potion be propitious to us,

May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well disposed towards all of us.

May Brihaspati ensure all our welfare.

Om. Peace, peace, peace be unto all.

We have started the study of Amrita Bindu Upanishad, which belongs to the Atharva Veda. As I mentioned earlier, it has 22 mantras and there are 5 Upanishads ending with the word Bindu. And Amrita Bindu means a drop. Shri Ramakrishna used to say, just imagine a room dark for a million years and just a litting of one match is sufficient, the darkness will vanish. How many Bindus, drops, Bindu means a drop, how many drops does it take for us to become immortal? What is this Bindu? Bindu means knowledge. What is that knowledge? I am not a bound soul, I am not a Jeevatma, I am Paramatma, Aham Brahmasmi. Very appropriate name, just like the last Upanishad, Kaivalya Upanishad. That guarantees us Kaivalya, means my real Swaroopa, I am one without a second. Kaivalya, Kevala, only me, nothing else exists. Amrita, I am immortal. And this is the word Swamiji used very often, especially at the Parliament of Religions. It is a sin to call any human being a sinner, because sin is not the nature of any one of us, not only human beings, the whole creation. Sin is a thought that belongs to the mind. We are going to explore it further, but what Swamiji meant is Amrita. "Shrunvanthu Vishwe Amruthasya Putraaha", you are the manifestations of Amrita. Let us not again bring, Putra means son. So a son must have a father. So God is our father, we are his children. Again, there is a possibility of having a dualistic idea. No, here it means Ātmajā. Even in Vedanta, it says a father alone has become the son. That is why a son is called Ātmajā, oneself born again. So here it means Bhagawan is manifesting, to whom? To himself! Just as we create the dreams, to whom is the dream world relevant? Only to us. So Shrunvanthu, that is your real nature. That is the marvellous word Amrita. Every Puranic story, including Samudra Manthana, churning of the milk ocean, is symbolic. What is the Samudra? Samsara Sagara. This very world in which we are living, transmigratory world. But there is Shubha and Ashubha, good and evil. But if we can churn it, and for churning it requires 100% of the mind, not a divided mind. Let all the asuri part of the mind remain there. No, both the gods, as well as the demons, have to combine. Then churn. Then with 100% mind, the truth will come out. And that truth is brought by Dhanvantari. Who is Dhanvantari? He is the divine physician. Every Guru is called divine physician. Bhava-rōga-vaidya. So we are all called upon. You are not a human being. You are not the body-mind. You are Brahman. And that is how you listen first. Then do sadhana. And finally you know that you have never lost your immortality, but temporarily you have forgotten. That temporary forgetfulness has been destroyed by sadhana. And then he says Aham Brahmasmi.

So before starting any study of any scripture, we discussed yesterday. To successfully complete a scripture, which means to be able to master not only the science, not only the knowledge, but the ability to put it to practical usage. It must make us always happy, healthy and wise. So not to speak of scriptures. So, we have to pray to God because any effort is fraught, full of defects. It could be our own Prarabdha (past karmas, ready to be experienced through the present body). It could be external obstacles.

As it is said, three types of obstacles:

• Ādhyātmika (related to body and mind)
• Ādhibhautika (related to Bhuta, or living beings)
• Ādhidaivika (related to the Daiva, Divine or unseen forces)

That is why we have to pray to God. Every Shanti Mantra is a prayer to God. Yesterday, towards the end of the class, we have started this Shanti Mantra, Bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ.

Every Shanti Patha has got four different ends in view. What is it? The very first thing is "Ishwara Sakshatkara Prapti" (obtaining God realization). We have to realize God. Realizing God means not that God is real. God alone is real. And if God is real, I am God. I am also real. Then, for the good body, good mind, etc., "Devanam Anugraha" (Divine Grace), for our journey to be auspicious. That is what is called Swasthi. And for that, this whole creation has been divided into a triangle. Ishwara, then Ādhyātmika, Jiva and Jagat. That is Ādhyātmika, Ādhibhautika, Ādhidaivika. So we have to be in harmony. All the three. God's grace should be there. The manifestation of God in the form of various presiding deities and our own body, mind and right effort, our journey and sadhana, everything must be in harmony. And that is possible only purely, sheerly, by the grace of God. Devanam Anugraha. And this Devanam Anugraha, the grace of God, has been so beautifully put forward. How does the grace of God come? In the form of Sadbuddhi (right understanding). Diyonah Prachodayat. And Ramanujacharya. We have to be extremely grateful for him. He says that when we obey the scriptural commandments, vidhi and nishedha, then the firm conviction, shraddha, will arise by the grace of God. What is the conviction? Only God can save us. Rakshashyati iti vishwasaha. Nobody else can save us. Because avidya can be countered only by vidya. Ajnanam can be destroyed only by jnanam. Darkness can be destroyed only by light. And God, He is the swaroopa of jnanam. So by His grace, if we are ready to receive His grace, then we get that right understanding. He alone can save us. There is a beautiful reading in the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna spoke something. And later on he was in the habit of examining M. Because M's special task was to recollect all the sayings of Sri Ramakrishna through memory and put them in the form of, later on what we call Katha Amritam, or the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, or Vachana Amritam. Some people have translated Vachana Amritam, Katha Amritam, Vachana Veda, in Kannada. So he used to ask questions. What did I say? This is what you said, Sir. Ahh, what do you understand? This is what I understood. Right, right. It is God's grace that you understood it properly. Sri Ramakrishna not only approved, but added you would not have been able to understand this excepting by the grace of God. And even we will explore it further. Even for our body, for our mind to be healthy, hale and hearty, and to be strong and to listen to our true welfare, it requires God's grace. And then so many what is called wrong samskaras, samsaric samskaras, must be completely eliminated. That is why the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is totally devoted to the study of Daiva Asura Sampat, the description of such and such a person is a God. Not that there is a God, but if a person possesses these qualities then he is considered as a God. But if he is having lot of what we call satanic qualities it is called a rakshasa, asura or asurika sampat. Life is a continuous fight. Fight for what? So that dharma will obtain victory. And what is dharma here? Sadbuddhi or Sad Guna Prapti. Of course so many obstacles will arise and every obstacle is a grace of God. Every obstacle is tailor made for each individual. Like obstacle race. You must have noticed a person is running obstacle race how do they train? The first foot only a few inches high obstacle and slowly the barrier will be raised. Even high jump also. So like that, every obstacle is tailor made for our further evolution in our life. Evolution means approaching God, nearer and nearer. So this Vighnas (Obstacle), nobody should ever think that an obstacle is God's wrath or God is angry. No. God can never be angry. If God becomes angry, he becomes the opposite. He never remains as God. God is the embodiment of all the mothers. Whatever motherly quality in this world, we get. Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Matru Rupena Samsthita. All the motherliness, if it is combined together, is the divine mother. God is also called divine mother. So, no mother will ever put a Vighna. I have seen many times when the child is trying to walk and fall down the parents, wise parents never rush forward to help the child because they know falling down is also climbing the ladder. That is how the child first he gets frightened, then he becomes accustomed, then he has self-confidence, and then he starts walking with holding something, by holding something, and then he starts walking without holding, and in course of time he might become an Olympic runner. Who knows?

So these are the four important purposes ends in view of earnestly praying to God.

• Ishwara Sakshatkara Prapti (obtaining God realization)
• Devanam Anugraha (Divine Grace)
• Sadbuddhi (right understanding), or Sad Guna Prapti (obtaining virtue)
• Vighna Nivarana (obstacle prevention)

So whether it is we are striving for spiritual progress or material progress every effort for our future progress because you know everybody wants to progress only even an animal even a mosquito it attempts several times at the mosquito curtain and at last it finds a small aperture and it joyfully enters into it. If it simply sits "Oh I failed, there is a huge mosquito curtain. I will never be able to enter into it!", it will simply starve, shrivel and die. So, there are two factors to be taken. One is our own effort, and we must not be lazy, we must not hesitate to use all our efforts. In fact we do it when we are doing our favorite job, but when we think that it is somebody else's job, including government job or company job, then we try to say the least amount that is necessary so that one is not thrown out especially in India. Whereas in the west there is a marvelous thing that I have observed, many Swamis have observed. In India when an interviewer asks a person, in the interview, that "How much did you study? How many passes you have? How many certificates you got?", they never ask "What can you do?". In the west it is just the opposite, "I don't care how many certificates you get, what can you do for our company? Can you help us progress in our quest? Can you make us reach our target ,our goal?", if the person says yes and they test him and they find useless, hire and fire. And that competition, look at what it has done, so many developments are taking place. In America, in the UK, in even China, even though some of the things that China is doing is wrong, there are so many things I admire in them. How much those Chinese people, they are making effort to excel in everything, and they want to surpass every country in the world. And here in India we are trying to pull each other down. Everyday news is "Pull everybody down!", whereas the Upanishad is advocating that "Let the Gods help us", "Let human beings worship God", that is the burden, essence, of every Shanti.

So, how to enhance our own effort? The very chanting of the Shanti Matras will produce many positive Adrishtams (merits / unseen forces / invisible results), so that if there are some obstacles. So our prayers, the grace of Gods. I am using deliberately the word Gods, because God directly will not come. He comes in the form of Gods. What about Lord Venkateshwara Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Ramakrishna. They are also part of the Gods only, They are only incarnations. Ishwara, Saguna Brahma never comes in the form of Saguna Brahma. Always in the form of Rama, Krishna, Kali, Vishnu, Allah, Jesus, Buddha, etc. So there are as we know, many types of Shanti Pathas are there. Some of the Shanti Patas of these Upanishads. You know, as we know, there are four Vedas, and one Veda is actually of two versions. Shukla Yajur Veda and Krishna Yajur Veda. So five Vedas we can say in a way of speaking, they all have their own specified particular Shanti Pathas, but whatever they are, they are all meant for spiritual seekers. So there are what is called general prayers are there, specific prayers are there. For example the Sahana Vavatu. We all know:

Sahana Vavatu

Sahanau Bhunaktu

Saha viiryam Karavaavahai

Tejasvi Naavadhiitam-Astu Maa Vidvishaavahai

This is exclusively meant for a spiritual person, even secular person also, the attitude of the Guru and the Sishya they must be loving each other. Guru must love the disciple as his own child and the disciple must look upon the teacher as none other than Acharya Devo Bhava (The teacher is equivalent to God) and they should never entertain any negative thoughts Maa Vidvishaavahai dislike, hate, differ in disharmony with each other. So, these are very specific prayers for obtaining certain qualities, certain mindsets. So certain, creating certain environment in the mind, so that that specific purpose or goal of life is achieved. This bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ it is a prayer. Let anybody, a householder, a sanyasin, a secular person, or a spiritual person. Whatever it is. Even a secular person is a highly developed soul, if he doesn't do any namby-pamby, but solely relies upon the grace of God. This is where as I mentioned many years back, recently I have not mentioned.

Vedas are divided into two parts, Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda, and those who study Advaita Vedanta they develop very wrong notion "Karma Kanda it is not helpful very much, a little bit, it makes the mind pure and makes a person a fit person but ultimately they are like by roads, small roads, village roads, country roads, so all their function is to bring the traveller to the national motorway". That is completely wrong idea. Sri Ramakrishna never taught such an idea. [Unknown sanskrit. Timestamp 23:55] So there are so many people who attained through mere Karma Yoga, Siddhi. But as I mentioned, let us remember this, that without God's grace it is not Karma Yoga, or Jnana Yoga, or Bhakti Yoga, or Raja Yoga, that will give us realization. These only make us fit receptacles to receive the unbounded grace of God, which is always flowing. So no Yoga can give us realization, it is only God's grace. But to obtain God's grace there are many pathways are there. Jato Mat Tato Path (যত মত তত পথ ). As many faiths, so many paths. Every path takes one to the same reality, if you hear any teaching "only one path", "major path", "every other path will not take you", that person is not only a fool, he is following Andha Paramparā (the blind leading the blind). Even they quote sometimes Bhagwan Krishna, so even quoting Bhagwan Krishna and they try to interpret as Advaita Vedanta, Ramanuja tells, etc. Bhagwan Krishna crystal clearly enunciated:

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāns tathaiva bhajāmyaham

mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ

Bhagavad Gita. Chapter 4, Verse 11.

Whichever pathway a person follows, even if it is a wrong path, God knows. Provided a person is having Shraddha, God will come in the form of the right guidance. Sri Ramakrishna used to tell that story. A man was in earnest, he wanted to visit Lord Jagannath, but he started in the wrong direction, but on the way some people asked him and directed him in the right way. And who is that right person who guided him? "Do not go this way, Jagannath Puri Kshetra lies in the southern direction!", it is only God. Anybody who helps us. Anybody who takes us to a higher step, is a Guru. And every Guru is only Sachidananda, as Sri Ramakrishna mentioned so many times.

So there are some Shanti pathas. Shanti patha is an earnest prayer. Some are for general and anybody. So what is it that I wanted to tell you? That Karmakanda has a speciality. What is that speciality? Supposing somebody, as an example, wants to become rich. What can he do? He can study well, and pass brilliantly, obtain a good job, work very hard, and as a result definitely he is going to earn and become wealthy. Apply this to any desire. But there is another way, this is not the only way. So another way is to pray to Mother Lakshmi, or chant Sri Suktam, Kanakadhara Stavam, earnestly and by God's grace Kanakadhara Vrishti will come. Will it come? Yes, it will come. It may not be Kanakadhara, but somehow or other the money will come there is no doubt about it. So if somebody wants a child another example that they can try all the laborious laboratory means, or they can just do like Dasaratha, Putrakameshti, and he will obtain. This is proven by so many people. You want rain? You can put rain seeds, some chemicals, or you can pray to the Lord. There is a yagna, Homa. If they do, the Vrishti will come. Definitely. So, Karmakanda is a very sure way of getting our desires fulfilled. So one can work very hard without having faith in God or scripture, and obtain the result. This is the Karmaphala, but the same Karmaphala can be obtained by praying to God earnestly. That is what I wanted to point out.

In any case Shanti Pathas are very good, they are beautiful! So another is very general:

Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavantu

Sarve Santu Niraamayaah

Ma Kashchid Dukhabhaag Bhavet,

etc. So,

durjanah sajjano bhūyāt

sajjanah śāntimāpnuyāt

śānto mucyeta bandhebhyo

muktaścānyān vimocayet

So there are what is called two types of Shanti Pathas. One is for a specific purpose, another is for a general purpose. Even the Shanti Pathas meant for a general purpose are extraordinarily good. So this Bhadram Karnebhih is a general Shanti Patha. Anybody can start everyday, it is a marvelous prayer. So in this prayer they are praying earnestly to God, like Nachiketa prayed to Yama, Dharmarāja, like Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Divine Mother, like the Rishi in the Ishavasya Upanishad is praying.

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham |

tat tvaṁ pūṣannapāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye ||

"O Lord, without your grace nobody can remove the veil which you yourself have put on", this is what exactly Sri Ramakrishna was trying to tell. A police sergeant was going around at night with a powerful torch, and then nobody can see his face, but he can see everybody's face. So if anybody anyone wants to see his face, then he has to pray earnestly "Sir, please turn on the torch light on your own face". That is called the grace of God. So ultimately the grace of all the Devas. About this I will quote later on from the Bhagavad Gita especially in the third chapter. So why should we pray to Gods? Because Gods are none other than God Himself manifesting as Adhiṣṭhātṛdevatās (presiding Deity). That is for knowledge, Mother Saraswati, or here in this, Brihaspati, for wealth - Lakshmi, for Vighna Nivarana - Ganesha, or Vignesha, for success - Kumaraswami. So for anything. Sri Ramakrishna used to tell about Holy Mother, she is Mother Saraswati in the form of Bagalā. She incarnated, she is Jnanadayini. That is why every day we pray "sārade jñānadāyike pāpebhyo naḥ sadā rakṣa kṛpāmayi namo’stu te" (Prakritim Paramam Arati Hymn by Swami Abhedananda). So the Gods being prayed, they are giving us everything, not that they are waiting to bestow their grace, they are providing rains in time, crops all the things necessary for our happy journey in life, but we should never forget them. So, "parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha" (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 11). I will come to that later on. When we worship or propitiate the Gods they in turn bless us empower us and protect us. This is what Bhagavad Gita in the chapter 3 from 9-13th shloka. I am just briefly mentioning this idea of Bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ is reflected here. First of all Bhagavan Krishna says, the whole life is meant for a Yagna. What is a Yagna? Bali, sacrifice. What is to be sacrificed? Yajnapashu. That is our Ajnanam is Pashu. If we don't have Jnanam we are called Pashus. That's why Shiva is called Pashupati and we are supposed to sacrifice our animal nature. Animal behavior. Asuri Sampath. Instead of that, there are people who happily sacrifice, kill, living creatures not knowing how much of suffering we are giving them. So, yajña-arthāt karmaṇaḥ (Bhagavad Gita 3.9). If anybody lives as a worship, whole life is an offering to God, because God has given me the body, the mind through Pancha Bhutas etc. Otherwise, the person will have to struggle in this world for a long time called Karma Bandhana. And then, Bhagavan Krishna is declaring (Bhagavad Gita 3.10):

saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛiṣhṭvā purovācha prajāpatiḥ |

anena prasaviṣhyadhvam eṣha vo ’stviṣhṭa-kāma-dhuk ||

So when creation started, Prajapati the creator having created Gods as well as the whole world, he instituted this lineage of sacrifice, Yagnas, and then he declared. By this, that means by performing Yagnas, you multiply. Let this be your worship, and through this you worship Gods and they will bestow and fulfill all your desires. Continuing (Bhagavad Gita 3.11):

devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ |

parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha ||

You offer your worship to the Gods with this, and let those Gods nourish you. Nourishing one another thus, you shall attain the supreme good. And then what do they do if we worship Gods? They will be pleased, and they will grant us whatever we want. Rakshasas wanted worldly prosperity and Gods will grant them, but with one caveat, condition. What is the condition? As we saw earlier in the Devi Suktam. What is the condition? These Tripurasuras.

1. Lead a godly life
2. Never give up worship
3. Do not do any harm to good people

You be good people. Help other good people. Worship God. Lead a Dharmic life. And you will enjoy to the super relative degree, all the enjoyments of the world. That is the declaration, but unfortunately they forgot. They gave up worshiping God. Really speaking, giving up or non-believing in God, generally it means the person is immoral, is demonic, and he wants to do what is harmful. Thinking that thereby he is doing good for himself. Unnecessarily troubling other people, injuring other people, killing other people, as it is happening in front of our eyes. Not ever looking at the scriptures. As you sow, so you reap. As you do karma, so also it comes back to you. And so the gods being pleased with your worship (Bhagavad Gita 3.12):

iṣhṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ |

tair dattān apradāyaibhyo yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ ||

"But those ungrateful people who do not show their gratefulness to the gods, and go on trying to enjoy selfishly. Such a person is called a thief."

And just as thieves are punished, anybody who is ungrateful will also be punished. By whom? We don't need to bring any extra factor. Karma siddhanta tells your own adharma will punish you. Your own dharma will reward you. And if we can heed the teachings of the scriptures, yajña-śhiṣhṭāśhinaḥ (BG 3.13). Those who do everything as prasadam. This house is God's prasadam. This car, God's prasadam. This job, God's prasadam. These parents, God's prasadam. These family members, God's prasadam. Everything is God's prasadam. This is called partaking the prasadam at the end of it. You know after puja is over they are all waiting for prasadam (Bhagavad Gita 2.65):

prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate |

prasanna-chetaso hyāśhu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣhṭhate ||

So what happens, those who are ungrateful, they never acknowledge that God in the form of various gods, presiding deities. They are raining all the goodies upon us. But those who are ungrateful, he will only eat what is called sinful food, that food is completely sinful. And, Atma Karana (Unknown/incorrect transliteration), he becomes selfish. There is a beautiful story I remember. Now and then I will remind you. This is about Guru Nanak. Once Guru Nanak happened to be, he reached during his wandering time/days, a small village, and then it was already dark, nobody seeing his appearance, nobody welcomed him. But there was a cobbler. Seeing a sadhu, these poor people, the indigent people, they have tremendous faith in God. They heartily welcomed him and said "Sir, you can sleep in my small hut and if you are gracious, you partake of the same simple food that we prepare for ourselves". Guru Nanak was more than happy to do this. So gladly he saw sattva guna, so much manifest in that person happily he was eating. Meanwhile somehow people came to know about Guru Nanak there were so many rich people and they came running and said "Sir, you should not stay in this untouchable place. All our homes are open to you. Please come and stay here!". Guru Nanak said "I am very happy here, I don't need to go anywhere". But they insisted, he was a saint and he was a samadarshi. He doesn't mean he doesn't make any difference between low caste and high caste. So he went to a rich man's house and that rich man provided royal dishes in very costly golden plates, and it was served. And he was asked that "Please enjoy this food. We ourselves have prepared. Our own family members have prepared". Not ordered from online what is called so many restaurants and other things. But Guru Nanak looked at the food and flatly refused to touch the food, and they all said "Sir, what is wrong? Why are you not partaking?". And then Guru Nanak said "I see nothing but pure blood, pus, and rotten things here". And they were very upset by hearing this now it is from our own fields, our own money. Then he explained "How did you get this money? You are squeezing the sweat of the poor people whom you give the least bit of wages. Squeeze their life. You are not taking their labor, you are taking their life itself, and that is why their blood is seen here. I refuse to eat this one.", and then he went away. Same thing happened to Swami Vivekananda. Once before going to America he was wandering in Kashmir. There was a Muslim. Very poor woman. One day he went there at night "Maa, I am hungry. Give me some food." he begged, and the lady was very very pious lady. She welcomed him wholeheartedly, she was a very poor lady. She was preparing some chapatis. You know in north India, some chapatis. And Swamiji was very young, and he was ravenously hungry. Probably he did not get food. So he sat down and hot hot chapatis she was preparing and serving him with either dal or simple curry. And Swamiji later on said "I have never tasted such tasty food in my life. It tasted to me like nectar itself." and then what happened? You know, he of course blessed her and then he had nothing to give in return. He went to America, he came back again with his disciples. He was wandering and he remembered and then he quickly disappeared and then these disciples were wondering "Where did Swami Vekananda suddenly disappear?". Then they went in the direction that he was hurrying, hastening, and then they saw him in a small hut sitting in there. And then the woman was serving hot chapatis and whole heartedly he was enjoying it. Then he had some money, he gave her, "Maa, do you remember once I came before going to America? and I have never tasted such food. I had nothing to give you at that time, but now I have got something I can give you, share with you." and he gave quite some amount of money. But in Khetri also something similar happened, if your devotees should remember. That Swami Vivekananda was staying at Khetri. I think Khetri, it may be somewhere in Rajasthan, I do not remember exactly. And for three days and nights, people were attracted like flies. And they made him talk and talk and talk. Almost twenty hours a day. Nobody enquired whether he was taking, who was providing bhiksha for him. And he also did not ask. They made him sing. They made him talk, and they were very happy and they disappeared, and then there was a cobbler in front of where Swamiji was staying. He noticed it, and then he came "Sir, I have been watching. Three days you have not taken food. Will you accept my humble food?". Gladly Swami Vekananda went. Tears came to his eyes, and that food also tasted like nectar. And then when he met Raja Khetri. Immediately Khetri Maharaj invited him, and Swami reported this incident, and the Maharaja sent somebody to fetch him, this poor cobbler. And the cobbler went trembling, thinking that somebody reported him feeding the sadhu, and he will be punished severely. Yes, that was the condition at that time. But the Raja said "I am so grateful to you, you have fed the great Swami". He gave him sufficient wealth so that his whole life he could live. Incidentally feeding sadhus, gives also that result. But the point here is, this is called yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ (BG 3.13). Those who partake of, offering to God everything. That means, not only offering to God. Sometimes we see rich people also offering to God. That is not what is meant. That is, one who observes the scriptural teachings, never deviates from Vidhi and Nishedha. That is called real Puja, and whatever they get by that, and they are satisfied, this is Prasada given by God. Such food is called Prasada. And yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ, those who partake of that Bhagavat Prasada, they become santaḥ, that is wise Rishis, Munis, great people. What happens? Sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ mucyante, they become freed from all impurities, and then those who do not they become thieves, they will take a long time. This is just to tell. What did I want to tell?

That prayers to God - we have to be eternally grateful

I am healthy - I am grateful to God

I have a wonderful memory - I am grateful to God

I am able to understand - I am grateful to God

I am able, I have the opportunity to listen to all these beautiful talks - I am grateful to God

How many people do not have the time or inclination or opportunity for everything that is happening? Especially for these spiritual seekers, every breath. That is what he says, "Oh Arjuna, whenever you are eating, you are sleeping, and you are opening your eyelids, closing your eyelids, everything, anything. You are sleeping, you are working? Offer it to me. That is how you will reach me." Shvasa and Nishvasa all because of the [unknown sanskrit]. So this is the essence of the prayer. Here the word used is Bhadraṃ, also Mangalam. Sarva-Manggala-Maanggalye Shive Sarvaartha-Saadhike. In the entire creation, there is only one ultimate auspicious thing, and that is called God, that is called Brahman, that is called Bhagwan, that is called Divine Mother. That is why it is said in the Vishnu Sahasranama, in the Mahabharata "pavitrāṇāṃ pavitraṃ yō maṅgaḻānāṃ cha maṅgaḻam" before chanting the Vishnu Sahasranama.

So the prayer is "Oh Gods, may I hear, may I listen to Bhadram (auspicious)". That means may I listen only talks about God.

There was a wonderful story in the, I think Mahabharata or Bhagavata, I do not remember. There was a king called Khatvanga, he was a very strong person. Once Devendra requested him to help him fight with the Asuras, demons. King Khatvanga was taken to the heavens, and he fought, and along with him Indra obtained victory, and the war was over, and then he was about to return. Indra offered "I am so grateful, you helped me. Ask some boons. Whatever you want, I am capable of giving to you". What does a man want? Long life, healthy life, every material to make the mind completely free. This is what we desire, but this king was a very wise person, spiritual person. He asked first "Tell me how long am I going to survive? When is my death coming?" and Indra smiled and said "In two hours time you are going to die". "What am I going to do with whatever you give me? So what is the way for me to obtain Moksha?", and then Indra says "You just go to the Bhuloka. I will transport you instantaneously, and then you sit and forget the world and merge yourself in the thought of God", and within two hours Khatvanga obtained Mukti by the grace of God. It is the earnestness, it is not the time. King Parikshit obtained in just one week. That is why many Swamis, or devotees, they hold Bhagavata Satsanga. They call it Bhagavata Saptaha, because King Parikshit he had only taught entire Bhagavatam by none other than Shukadeva himself, just in a week. So one week is enough. One day is enough. Two hours is enough. One second is enough. Anta-kāle cha mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (Bhagavad Gita 8.5). So just one second remember, and God will be very pleased.

So we also have the opportunity always. What is Bhadram? Bhadram means think about God. The only auspicious thing in this world is God. Anything related to God. Sacred book, sacred place, sacred festival, sacred puja, sacred event, sacred prasadam, etc. Then it is a prayer to all the Gods. Svasti means well-being. Many times we really do not know what is good for us. We think we know, that is the stupendous ignorance which Socrates had found out. When the Delphi Oracle declared him the wisest man. It is said Socrates went round, met all the greater pundits than him, talked with them, came back, and declared now I know I am the wisest person. "How did you know?", "Because, everyone with whom I spoke, they said 'I know, I know'. I am the only person who can say I do not know anything". That humility, that is called wisdom. Oh Lord, let me hear about Brahman. Therefore through this prayer, so the ability to hear. That means a good body, a good mind, good environment, good circumstances. All this is possible. Sri Ramakrishna says beautifully, you know. Suppose there are two brothers. Younger brother is very sincere spiritual seeker, and then probably his elder brother was married, he was earning money, and so the family responsibility was taken up by the elder brother, and the elder brother does not expect anything from his younger brother. Lovingly looks after him. So without any worry he can, what is called practice, continue his spiritual practice. This is possible only by God's grace. Sri Ramakrishna often use it to cite Balaram Babu's family and said "It is through the Grace of Lord Jagannath. Every one of them is overflowing with Bhakti, including the servants who are working in Balram Basu's house". So then how long should we pray to gods? [unknown Sanskrit] So long gods grant us, how long are we going to live, and so long as we are living, our only, as Christian saints say "We are created by God, only to praise him, to meditate, to pray to him". So also Hindus also say "We are born only to praise God, and to think about God, and to progress in God". So how long? From the time we come to our senses, until this body drops off again. This is called [unknown sanskrit]. So long as the gods have granted us, so much time you will live. So how to pray? Prayer is not simply you utter some mantras, or sutras. We have to strive, this is called Sadhana. What is the Sadhana? Hinduism specifies we have to strive to acquire four fruits of life:

• Dharma
• Artha
• Kama
• Moksha

Let me spend my entire life in Ishwara Aradhana. Bhagvat Pooja. Whatever be the life allotted to me according to the law of Karma. Because God (gods? unkown) have no partiality. The only allotment. That is why God is called Vidhātā. According to what we have done, many times I told you Jaati (Species), Ayu (Lifespan), Bhoga (how much happiness and unhappiness). These are dependent upon our Purva Janma Karma. Devahitaṃ yadāyūḥ. So let the journey of our quest, God quest, spiritual quest, go on smoothly without any obstacles. Therefore, O Devas, may you all give me Bon Voyage. Svasti means "happy journey". Happy journey means "by your grace". May I not encounter any obstacles. May all favorable things like a boat, favorable wind. It can happen only by God's grace, and there is, we have to add svasti dadhātu. Dadhātu means what? "May God grant and supply everything for each one of us". Svasti naḥ dadhatu. Svasti means every type of auspicious thing. That is absolutely necessary.

In our next class I will deal with, but very briefly.

May Indra bless us with an auspicious journey.

May Surya Narayana, that is Ocean (unknown, verify), bless us with an auspicious journey, and

May, what is called Garuda, Ariṣṭanemiḥ, the destroyer of all obstacles. Tārkṣya (name of Garuda). Why Garuda? Many times I told you. Garuda what does he do? He brings God. Our Guru is compared to Garuda. Who is a Guru? He carries God to us where we are. Because we are not capable of going to God. God is brought by Garuda. That is why Garuda is called Guru. He is also called Ariṣṭanemiḥ. That means nobody can obstruct him. So also may he bless me with obstacle-less auspicious journey, and finally may Brihaspati bless us with an auspicious [journey? unknown]. That means, may he give us the right understanding at every step, so that I can reach God.

A few more points are there, we will talk in our next class.

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

Om jananīṁ sāradāṁ devīṁ rāmakṛṣṇaṁ jagadgurum pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ

May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.

Jai Ramakrishna!