Bhagavad Gita Ch15 part 04 on 11 July 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURAMARTHANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA PARTHO VATSHA SUDHIR BHOKTA DUPTHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT MOOKAM KARUTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM YATH KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MAHADHAVAM We are studying the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Purushottama Yoga, Uttama Purusha. What is the nature of this Samsara, this world and what is the nature of God? And if we can have right knowledge of the world, then only we will develop discrimination, dispassion. What is our normal idea about the world? First of all, it is eternal, it is real, it is unchanging, it is most desirable. So this brahanti, delusion, until we understand its real nature, we will not be able to develop dispassion towards it. And that is the knowledge the Lord is giving to us in the first few shlokas, practically three shlokas. In our last class, we had discussed about the very first verse. URDHVAMUHULAM MATASYAKHAM ASHVATHAM PRAHURAVYAYAM CHANDAMSI YASYAPARNANI YASTHAM VEDASAVEDHVIT The Lord said, they speak of an imperishable Ashwatha tree with its root above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedas and he who knows it knows the Vedas. What does it mean? Those who know the Vedas and Vedas give us the knowledge both about the world and also Bhagawan, Paramatma. That this world is nothing but a misunderstanding, partial understanding of Paramatma. This is put in childish language, the cause and effect relationship. This world like a tree must have a seed and that seed is Bhagawan. This world is protected by knowledge. First, worldly knowledge. Worldly knowledge produces worldly desires. Worldly desires lead to worldly actions. Worldly actions lead to either good result or bad result depending upon how we do it. So we get happiness or unhappiness. Hoping that we follow the righteous way, if we have implicit faith in the Vedas, then we follow what is called Dharmic way, righteous way and the result will be higher types of happiness. But at the same time, this happiness develops attachment and this attachment makes us again perform activities. Activities reinforce our impressions. Impressions make our desires stronger. Impression, desire, activity and attachment or detachment, remember both attachment or detachment. Sukha or Dukha, likes and dislikes, both go together and both are bondages that lead to another janma, another birth. So another birth, so another birth. How many times? Until we understand the true nature of this world. After all, what are we after? We want no death, we want no ignorance, we want no suffering. Sat, Chit, Ananda. Once we come to know that's our true nature and not the worldly nature that we at present are laboring under in the form of I am the body, I am the mind. When this is removed, then only we really come to know our true nature. Once we come to know the nature of this world, then we develop what is called discrimination, dispassion, mind control and a longing to be ourselves. Sadhana, Chaturstha Sampat. That's why the Lord is giving this whole universe is huge compared to a huge tree, only difference is that the root of this tree which is called the seed is from Bhagawan himself and that important law that the cause and effect are not two separate things. The effect is nothing but manifestation of the cause and the cause is nothing but the unmanifested state of the effect. Once we understand it, then there is a chance for us to get out of this world. That's what we discussed in our last class. Then how is this tree of samsara, how is it developed? That is being so beautifully explicitly put forth by Bhagawan Krishna. We are all living in this world of human beings, Manushya Loka and it is praised. Manushya Loka, a human world is praised. Why? Because this is a world of activity. If we go to higher worlds, only enjoyment will be the only activity. If we go to the lowest world, lower worlds, then suffering will be our activity. Experience of higher happiness, experience of suffering is the main preoccupation, both these worlds. Only this world is praised. But we have to understand the nature of this world compared to a huge Ashwatha tree. Please do not mistake it to Banyan tree. Ashwatha means ever-changing tree. This world is ever-changing. We have seen at least 9 to 10 analogies, comparisons with the tree. Hugeness, incomprehension, having two numerous branches covered by leaves, giving shelter to thousands of living creatures, giving flowers and fruits, exactly like this world. But the most important comparison is a tree can be completely uprooted. It can be cut. So also this world can be cut. That's going to be described here. Athascha Udhvam Prasrutaha Tasya Shakaha First I will give you a simple meaning. Above and below, spread the branches nourished by the gunas, sense objects are like the buds of a tree and its clustering roots spread downward in the world of man, giving rise to various actions. So this huge Samsara Vriksha, the tree of Samsara, Tasya Shakaha, Tasya means the worlds, Shakaha means branches. What are the branches we are talking about? Talking about various worlds. How many worlds are there? Broadly the divine worlds are heavens, hells and the Manushya Loka. But we have to understand every individual soul, every Jeeva lives in its own world. An ant lives in its world, a bird lives in its world, an animal lives in its world, a human being lives in his or her own world and every individual creates by its past karma its own special world. So these are the Shakas. So this tree has upper branches, lower branches, middle branches. Upper branches means higher worlds. Lower branches means worlds of suffering called hells. Middle world means the world of human beings where good and evil, happiness and unhappiness, all the dualities can be experienced but can be also controlled all by it slowly but surely. So the Shakaha branches. And how are these branches nourished? Gunaprarudha, they are completely controlled by the Gunas. What Gunas we are talking about? Recollect the 14th chapter. Sattva Guna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna. The goal of life is slowly from lowest Guna called Tamoguna go upward towards the lower Rajoguna, then higher Rajoguna, from there to lower Sattva Guna. What is lower Sattva Guna? A desire for higher happiness by following the instructions of the scriptures. Highest Sattva Guna means to become spiritual human beings. So all these branches are nourished. Gunaprarudha, they are nourished by Gunas. Then Vishayapravalaha, every branch. If you notice any growing plant, first a small bud appears. It's called a shoot. Slowly it spreads outward more extensively. The bud can also be called as a shoot. A bud becomes a shoot. Shoot means it shoots forth. So Vishayapravalaha. So what are these buds? Vishayas, objects of enjoyment. When the sense organs come into contact with the sense objects, depending upon what type of sense objects. Tamasika people, they prefer certain sense objects. They have a liking for those. Rajasika people have different sense objects. Sattvika people have different sense objects. So that is how slowly we interact with the objects. Objects give us both happiness and unhappiness and also bind us with likes and dislikes. If it is happiness, we want more. If it is unhappiness, then we will run away from it. And that is how we are caught in the net of dualities called Raga and Dvesha, likes and dislikes. These shakhas, Urtha, Atham and in the middle. So that is we have already discussed it. These branches, they do it. So what happens when the senses, because of the particular dominance of the gunas, come into contact with sense objects? Then certain actions, activities take place. First, we seek an object. Then we have to do action to get it. After getting it, we enjoy it. After enjoying it, certain impressions are produced. And these impressions, depending upon the quality of the guna, they go on again to produce deep impressions. And these deep impressions again manifest in the form of more liking, attachment to certain things and dislike for certain objects. So these vishayas, vishaya means sense objects, objects of experience, objects of enjoyment. So these lead you to karmānubandheni, activities. Activities again, as we elaborately discussed in the last chapter, that either they are dominated by tamas or rajas or sattva. What happens when they are dominated by tamo guna, pramada, moha, nidra, alasya, inadvertence, danger, alasya, procrastination, laziness, moha, delusion, misunderstanding, wrong understanding, and nidra, sleep, eat more than stomachful and go on sleeping, brain also goes to sleep. But if it is raja guna, then mind becomes even more restless and it produces lobha pravrutti, I want to possess more and more and more as much as I can. If it is sattva guna, two things happen. I hope your memory is jogged now, that is jnanam and sukham. One is right knowledge, another is happiness. But even sattva guna, guna means a rope, a rope that binds. All gunas bind as Ramakrishna story of the three robbers adequately elaborate there. So this is what happens, manushya loka in this world. And when we are talking about the worlds, that means rebirths, depending upon our activities, up to the world of Brahma, the highest heaven or it could be the lowest called patala. In short, all the 14 lokas are there. So gunas, sattva guna, raja guna, tamo guna. And where from this Bhagavan Krishna is telling? He seems to be quoting from the Katha Upanishad. Remember, sarvopanishadhoga ho dogdha gopalanandana ha. So we say in the Katha Upanishad, sthanum anye anu samyante yatha karma yatha shrutam, yonim anye prapadyante shariratvaya dehinaha. Each individual soul, anye yonim, another birth, prapadyante, that's another body. It could be sthanu. Sthanu means that which is immovable. It could be even a stone as in the Ramayana, Ahalya was cursed. Not really what is called a stone but a mind like a stone unable to do anything excepting suffering. Like somebody is bound and then he is completely under the control of whoever is binding or controlling that person. Anu samyate, according to our actions, our births, our experience of happiness or unhappiness depends. Patanjali delineates jati, aayu and bhoga in which species we are born and how long are we going to keep that particular body and what is our deserving happiness and unhappiness, quantum quality as well as quantity of both happiness and unhappiness. It is a very important mantra reinforcing punar janma. Some people compare life to the game of snake and ladder. Most of us know what it is. If the required number falls, we can go up but next number can bring us very down also. Go up, go down, go up, go down. So this is how the game is there. Go to swarga loka, come down, do something wrong, go down and again realize and regret, change the habit and again go up. For a long, long time we will be doing all these things. These gunas are very important for us to understand and sense objects, as I said, this is called buds, sound. What are the sense objects? In the form of five objects. What are they? Sound, shabda, sparsha, rupa, rasa, ganda. Corresponding to the five sense organs that we have. So all these sense objects are like the shoots which are responsible for the branch. Initially the branches only emerges in a small way like a shoot and so Krishna says the sense objects of the world are responsible for the type of activity I choose and every sense object, what does it do? After experiencing, it produces a desire either to run towards it or to run away from it. So you see this infinite loop. Sense objects are responsible for desires. Desires are responsible for actions. Actions are responsible, controlled by the gunas, for accumulating either punya or papa, dharma or adharma, sukha or dukkha and they reinforce the impressions that is the nature of this samsara. Objects to desire, desire to action, action to the result of the action and the result reinforcing the impressions etc. etc. The Lord talks about roots. So many roots are there but important for us is the root of the samsara is above but once it comes down, it firmly gets attached to the earth and it develops several types of secondary roots. What are all those roots? Attachments to various objects, various bodies, various persons, various places, various activities and go up and down. That is how we are all completely controlled by these things. That is why we have to remember what is the primary root? It is God, Brahman, Paramatman but there is something very special. If you go up, there is no chance of progress. If you go down, there is much less chance of progress but if we are given the blessed opportunity to be born as a human being then we can slowly turn our attention away from worldly attachments and develop certain required spiritual qualities and move forward. So that is the essence of what we discussed in this particular verse. Then when we look at this world, we see it is so vast. Even scientists are unable to comprehend how big is this universe. They are proposing so many models. Multiverse universe, multiverse mirror image verse universes like in a barber shop etc. Can we understand it? No, we can't understand it because to understand the effect, we have to understand the cause and the cause is Bhagawan. Unless we understand Bhagawan, it is not possible to understand the samsara. That's why Swami Vivekananda was forced to tell each soul is potentially divine. Potentially divine but it has to be slowly developed. In this third verse, The form of this tree is not perceived here. There is no, it has no beginning, it has no end. That which has no beginning, no end, middle also you cannot find out because to find out you are in the middle, you have to know what is to your left, what is to your right, what is above you or what is below you. It is not possible. Here sampratishta means how is it, where is it, what is its substratum, what is the middle of it. So no beginning, no end, no middle. It is so vast. What does it really mean? I will come to that explanation. What is the point? Do not try to understand samsara because for two reasons. First of all, if you want to understand, it is too big for our understanding. I remember a beautiful incident. There was a great American black, American scientist, Washington Carver, George Washington Carver and because of him the peanut butter has come later on. He was in the habit, he was like almost like a monk. He was in the habit of getting very early in the morning. All great people, they get up in the morning. It is only the horrible people that get up late and if you study the lives of these horrible people, sometimes they get up at noon, sometimes even in the afternoon and they are very active at night and that is why they are called Nishacharas. These are those who move at night, Prakshasas. But Ramakrishna used to get up early, Holy Mother used to get up early, Swami Vivekananda used to get up early. All these saints and sages get up very early. Why? Daytime is an activity of delusion. Nighttime, mind becomes calm, clear and it aids better understanding, deeper understanding. So what is the point? First point is it is too vast. This George Washington Carver used to walk and he used to talk to God during his walk. That is what we call practice of the presence of God. He was such a great soul and one day he was talking. Of course, you think it is monologue. It is not monologue. God is there by the side. Does he answer? Yes, yes, every time he answers. Every prayer you utter is answered. Most often the answer is a capital N O. Now one day this Carver asked, Lord, you tell me, you unveil the mystery of the universe and this George Washington, a very small man, is less than probably five feet like that, very lean and thin man and physically he was not impressive at all. No physical personality. Once he was invited in Washington by a big, into a big, to attend a big conference and he accepted, came to the railway station with his box and these people were looking for a big personality. They didn't find. They returned back. So he had to carry his own box and when he reached, they were astonished because they thought he was a negro and a negro slave. He was not worth even looking a second time. This man asked, explain to me the mystery of the world. God said, George, ask something of your size and he was a very humorous man. He said, okay, okay, Lord, explain to me the mystery of peanut and God said, yes, that is the right size for you and out of peanut he had discovered more than 300 products. By the way, so do not waste your time. It is enough to know it is a place full of bondage, very limited and birth is misery, growth is misery, youth is even more misery, old age is even more misery, disease is even more misery, decay is even more misery and at that time only we should turn to Vedanta. When all our teeth fall down, that's when we have to do it. Anyway, this is a very wonderful topic by itself. Then of course, death nobody wants but is there any way out? Yes. The divine Lord says, yes, this tree of samsara, tree of our life in this world, this whole tree, it is Shedhya Yogya. In fact, the very word Vriksha, Vriksha means, the Sanskrit word Vriksha means tree. It is Vrishchanath. The Sanskrit root Vrishchanath means what? That you can cut it, uproot it, destroy it completely and even if you don't do it, time will do it but it can be done, a forest fire by an axe. Here one has to cut it by an axe. This whole third shloka is meant to tell, what is it meant to tell? That you cannot find out what is the origin, etc. Neither you can know about God nor you can know about the beginning. I'll just give you a small explanation. What is it that we want to understand about this world? We want to know, first of all, we want to know where from the world has come and a great scientist said it all came from Big Bang. Natural question that followed was, what was before Big Bang? Because if there is something, then only Big Bang can happen. So it is point of singularity and how did that point of singularity has come? I am reminded of a beautiful story, Swami Vivekananda told in the West, in America. A Christian preacher was preaching and he wanted to tell about how this world was created and he started preaching and God created man and woman out of mud and he put them on the fence for drying and one of the audience got, he shouted, Padre, you said first God created man-woman, who created the fence and the preacher got so annoyed. He said one more question like that and you smashes all theology. So who created this point of singularity? Now scientists are telling it is beginningless. Srishti is beginningless. I will explain, it's a beautiful concept. So what is it? Like a seed, do not take a seed and we can also take the example seed and nutrient, which is first? You can never determine. So which is first? Egg or chicken? Why two examples? One for vegetarians and one for non-vegetarians. Okay, so let us ask. So why did I get this birth? Because of Hinduism, you know, was its previous birth, previous birth and why did the previous birth, how did it come? Previous birth and so you go on. When did I get first birth? Birth means creation. Creation means always takes place in time and space. So the scientists even, they recognized creation means creation of time and space. So what was before time? You cannot put that question because timelessness is something we can never conceive. When you say time, what time? You presume before that there was some time. Say you came here at 7.30. So where were you? At what time did you come? I came at 7.30. So what were you doing at 7.29? The time exists. So what was there before creation? There must be some time. If it is a time, it is creation because time and space go together. Space also, it was created. What was before space? Infinity. What was before time? Eternity. So you cannot pose that question otherwise infinite regress will come. For example, if you say this time was created from some other time then you ask that when was that earlier time created? So this is called infinite regress. It means useless question, unanswerable question. Swami Vivekananda puts it in his Jnana Yoga. He says, how did the infinite become finite? He cannot answer. So he said, ask a logical question, I will give you a logical answer. What is illogical here? Infinity can never become finite. Finite can never become infinite. Infinite cannot be divided because to divide you have a paper, you have scissors, then you can cut that paper into several parts. But when there is no paper at all, how are you going to cut it? When you are not there, then who is to think about it? It is the mind which thinks of time. It is the mind which thinks of space. It is the mind which thinks of causation. So this theory of the law of cause and effect is only for beginners but it doesn't stand even for a millisecond if you probe further. That's why the whole Mandukya Upanishad, creation is not there at all. This is another meaning you cannot understand. Why can't I understand? Because there is no world. You cannot ask a question about some non-existing thing. When did this non-existing thing come into existence? When did this son of a barren woman born? When did this mirage water come into existence? Several examples are given like that. This whole world is nothing but an image, a thought in the mind. How do we know? Because in the waking state as well as in the dream state, thoughts are filled in the mind but when you go into deep sleep, do you ask what is the nature of this world? Do you ask what is the cause of this world? Do you ask when was this world created? And how was it created? Who created? And what is the nature of that miserable fellow? Who created this miserable world? You never ask the question but it doesn't mean there is nothing. You are there because upon getting up, what do you say? I slept well. I did not know anything. To say I did not know anything is tantamount to admitting that I was there, nothing else was there. This is the profound essence of the teaching of Mandukya Karika. So here this is what is said, you can never understand it. Why? Because the first answer is this God is infinite, world also is infinite because the world is nothing but a mirror image of God. If God is infinite, the mirror image is also infinite. What is the mirror? Mind is the mirror. What is the reflection? Our thought is the reflection. This is one answer but the final answer is the world doesn't exist at all and many of you get confused. Then why am I listening to the Gita? So you have to understand that by listening to my talks, one day you will suddenly become intelligent and say I should not listen to Gita because it is completely useless. When you come to that right understanding, you already have known your true nature. Then all the teachings become redundant, completely useless. So that is why it is said that it is impossible to know Rupa. Rupa means form. Form means what? Swaroopa. Swaroopa means what? Nature. The nature of the world can never be understood. I will give another reason also. This world is ever changing. Suppose there is a pot and you see the pot ten days, you saw the pot ten days back and after three days somebody comes and sees the pot and it has changed by that time and then after three days somebody else comes. Now it has changed. How do you know what is its nature? That which is ever changing, you can never determine its nature. To determine something's nature, you will have to find out its permanent nature. Permanent nature this world doesn't have. Only God is said. Is God infinite? Is God eternal? Is God immortal really? I tell you something. I hope you will not get annoyed with me. These are thoughts about God. Any thought about God is unreal, untrue, it is limited. Can you think about infinite existence? Can you think about infinite consciousness? Can you think about infinite bliss? You can never think. Vastness means very huge. Billions and billions of miles of light years. That is all a thought in the mind. There is no world at all. There is no Srishti at all. There is no Sthithi at all. There is no. Then why are we studying? To know that there is no Srishti at all. For that you have to study all these things, develop spiritual disciplines, understand that is you attain to your own nature. Why was I wondering? That thought also will not come into your mind. What is the essence of this third verse? It is impossible to determine the nature of this world because its nature is continuously undergoing change. We don't know its beginning. We don't know its end. What does it mean? It is eternal. Anadi. So that which is beginningless is also endless. A profound thought but very real thought and it is called Ashwatham, means ever-changing. Doesn't sustain even one day. But Swirodha Moolam, deeply rooted. Our Janma, Janmantara, life after life, millions of life of Samskara as a mosquito. Do we have really impressions of mosquito? Yes. Whenever you pass critical remarks about others, you are manifesting what Samskara? Mosquito Samskara, biting the other people. So this is deeply rooted. But what is the good news? It can be Chitva. It can be cut, destroyed. But how to do it? Dhridhena. It means completely uprooted, completely destroyed. But you require an instrument. What is that instrument? Asanga Shastra. Shastra means weapon. Instrument of instrument. And what is it called? Detachment. What is detachment? I am not the body. I am not the mind. But how do I know that I am not the body-mind? That is called having faith, deep faith in the teachings of the scriptures developed. So spiritual qualities have to be developed. What kind of spiritual qualities we are talking about? If many times I have mentioned them, if you remember them, Sadhana, Chatursthai, Sampathi. Whatever path you follow, whatever religion you practice, first you must know what is right, what is wrong, what is superior, what is inferior. Then you will understand that I want only what is superior, what is infinite, what is eternal, which is I want God. Secondly, develop a deep sense of not wanting, not depending. I can do without that feeling. It is called Vairagyam. Dispassion gradually. Dispassion, it will take many many births. But we have to develop. There is no other way. What is dispassion? I don't want anything in this world. Why do I not want? Because they are worthless, they are binding, they are dissatisfactory and they always come with their opposite. When we understand the nature of this disease called the worldly disease, then there is a cure is available. Then control of the body, control of the mind. Shamadhamadi, Shatka Sampathi. Viveka, discrimination. Vairagya, dispassion. Shamadhamadi, Shatka Sampathi. Both external and inner, inner controller and accordingly our desire for God to manifest our own potential divinity develops. So that is how we have to go. This is how Prudena Chitva. But how to cut it? So there must be a way to cut it. What is the meaning of cutting? First of all, you must have a desire to cut. Secondly, you must have some object to cut. Thirdly, you must have a proper instrument. This is to be, this is cuttable, destroyable, uprootable and then you should apply the instrument firmly to that. How to do it? What does it mean? Remember, this is not a physical tree. This is really a tree of samsara and what is the axe? All the instruments put together, sharpened together as we have seen in the Mundaka Upanishad that the arrow of the knowledge, Atma Jnana should be completely fixed to the bow of our deep desire for liberation and aiming with one-pointedness we should discharge it with complete concentration and Sharavath Tanmayo Bhavet. We must become like the arrow, strikes the target, becomes firmly fixed. Our individual soul should become firmly identified with the Paramatma. What should be done? We will have to develop certain qualities. That is very important for us to think about it. What are the qualities? Asanga Shastrayana, Vridayana Chitva, Asanga Shastrayana and he will tell us, Bhagavan Krishna is going to tell us what to do about it, how to go about it but before that, what is the target? The target has to be completely understood. What is that target we are talking about here? The target is our, what is called, understanding of what is this world, understanding of what is our goal but we can never have that desire, that Viveka, discrimination, Vairagya, dispassion and body and mind control and deep desire for getting out of this world. It can only be obtained by the grace of the God. That is what the Lord is telling now very beautifully here. What is He telling? Ashwatthamenam Suviroodhamoolam Asanga Shastrayana Vridayana Chitva Completely cut off this forendry tree and then what to do? Tathah Padam Tath Parimargitavyam Esmen Gathana Nivartanti Bhuyaha Tamevacha Adhyam Purusham Prapadye Yathah Pravrutti Prasrutha Purani First of all, before we cut, we will have to stand on a ground. Even if you want to cut a tree, you will have to stand on a firm ground so that when the tree falls, it falls onto something and it will not fall on your head. This is the truth of every activity that we can think of this one. Now the Lord is telling to us. So first of all, pray to God. Take refuge in Him. Pray to Him wholeheartedly and unless we do that, we are not going to, really speaking, we are not going to develop dispassion and discrimination etc. etc. That is being said. Tathah Padam Tath Parimargitavyam Esmen Gathana Nivartanti Bhuyaha Tamevacha Adhyam Purusham Prapadye Yathah Pravrutti Prasrutha Purani This is what Sri Ramakrishna had done. He had prayed to the Divine Mother before he even undertook the spiritual practice. Oh Mother, I am a fool and until we understand we are all fools, we are only fooling ourselves thinking that we are wise people even though we are otherwise people. So he prayed, you guide me, make me do what you think is good for me. You make me speak what you want me to speak. Do what you want me to do. Talk what you want me to talk. Do everything according to your desire. This is called the path of complete self-surrender. Many Upanishads reinforce this idea that this desire for spiritual life cannot simply spring from human effort. So he says that having cut means even if we have to understand if you have cut the tree, you are free from problem. If you have cut the samsara tree, you are already free from problem. But even to cut that samsara tree, you have to identify the tree. You must get the proper instrument and you must be ready to be able to you must have the physical and mental energy, stamina, time, patience, etc. to do that. But for that pray to God. So one should pray, take refuge in God. Who? Who is that God? Tamevacha Adhyam. He is the cause. He is the seed from which the entire universe at the moment we understand has come from Him. Purusham. He who is spread everywhere. He who pervades everywhere. Prapadye. I take complete refuge in Him. And then he says Yathaha. From whom? Pravrutti Prasrutha Purani. He is beginningless. Birth, desires, activities, impressions. In other words, the whole world. From whom this whole world has come. I take refuge in Him. So what happens when I take refuge in Him? Yasmin Gathaha Na Bhuyaha Nivartante In the past, many many people have taken refuge in God and they have practiced by His grace discrimination, dispassion, mind control, body control, control of the objects and sense objects and developed deep desire for Him and then they have travelled the path as guided by the Divine Lord in the form of Guru and they have become liberated. Na Bhuyaha Nivartante They will never again enter into this world of samsara. That Tata Padam Tat Parimargitavyam That supreme state, that supreme goal, manifestation of a divinity has to be sought by reaching which one can never return. How? By taking refuge in the Lord, by praying to Him. By His grace, deep faith will come, energy will come, discrimination will come, dispassion will come and mind control will come. Deep desire for Him, deep love for Him comes. That is what I take refuge in that primal being from whom has streamed forth this eternal activity and seek that goal from which they who have reached it never again return to this world. And then now we go back to the third verse and say what is that axe? Axe means developing certain spiritual qualities. That's being outlined in this fifth shloka. First quality free from pride and delusion. First thing is pride. What is pride? I know. I am a knower and my knowledge is right. What is the knowledge? I am this particular body and mind. I am this particular individual. This is called pride in spiritual language. Complete identity with the body and mind. Naturally, this is a delusion. Delusion because a madcap says I am Napoleon and he is convinced. Everybody is deluded. Everybody is mad excepting himself. Free from pride and delusion. Having conquered the evil of attachment. Then what to do? Slowly, gradually develop. What to be developed? Are you happy? Remove all these doshas, faults, mistakes, terrible delusion of attachments. Attachment, detachment. Detachment means not spiritual detachment. Likes and dislikes is the better word because both influence us. Both keep us in the samsara. First of all, mana, moha. Mana means pride. Moha means delusion. Remember, the first adhyaya, Arjuna Vishada Yoga. Vishada came from delusion. The chapter of Arjuna's delusion resulting in his great suffering. Then slowly you understand that I am attached to this. That means my mind is desiring this again and again. And then I don't like that one. I am trying to run away from that one. These are called doshas. Raga dvesha and the whole world I tell you is nothing but the network of raga and dvesha likes and dislikes. Everything springs from there. Jita, try to be detached. Try to be the master. Conquer. Slowly. But albeit surely it will take time. This is the axe we have to develop. These are the spiritual qualities. And in the past chapters we have adequately discussed these things in the 13th chapter, in the 12th chapter, end of the 2nd chapter and also in the 6th chapter etc. Adhyatma Nityaha. Let whatever come. I am happy to think of God. Continue. I am not happy. I don't get any joy. But continue. Whether you like it or not, you go on eating food. So in the same way you eat food, you take rest and you are wanting to mix with people. You want to continue activities. Doesn't matter. That capacity to hold on without giving up that is called Adhyatma Nityaha. Firmly rooted in the practice of spiritual disciplines. Vinivrutta Kama Gradually reduce the desires. Find out first what is the strongest desire. Second strongest desire. Third strongest desire. And slowly, slowly don't try to overnight to remove those things. It will take time. That is how Dvandvaihi Vimukthaha We become free from Dvandva. Dvandva means realities. Realities means Sita, Vishna heat and cold Sukha, Dukha happiness and unhappiness friends and enemies likes and dislikes This is explained in the next few words Sukha, Dukha So towards happiness Sukha means happiness Dukha means suffering Towards happiness we develop attachment Towards suffering we develop dislike That is called free Let happiness come fine Let unhappiness come fine A wonderful saying of a Zen master A disciple asked him Sir, Master What is the secret? You are always happy He said beautifully If it is summer that means very hot I say it is summer and it is the nature of the summer to be hot And when winter season comes in the nature it is very cold and I say it is nature of the winter So I just accept summer I just accept winter I will try not to be too much suffering from there Ramana Maharshi was a great example Ramakrishna was even a greater example Swami Vivekananda is the greatest example Holy Mother is the great greatest of the greatest examples That's why she is called So Sharada Devi is Kshama Swaroopini of the nature of forbearance So if we can develop then what happens Mudaha Deluded people Stupid people Idiot people Gacchanti They will become wise people Otherwise people slowly through these means become wise people and they take to spiritual practices Gacchanti They attain Padam They attain to that highest state Padam means highest state Avyayam Imperishable The state of Parabrahman How they How do we do it? We will discuss a little bit in our next class May Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Jai Ramakrishna