Bhagavad Gita Ch17 part 07 on 20 November 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURAM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MOHOR MOHO OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDHANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGAD GURAM SARVO PANISHADO GAHO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DOGDAM GITA AMRITAM MAHAT MOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM VYATHKRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM In our last class, we have been discussing what Bhagawan Krishna is advising us to do. How to progress in spiritual life? Progress in spiritual life is a journey from a lower state of consciousness to a higher state of consciousness and this progresses in three states, actually four, though fourth is not considered as a step. From Tamas to Rajas, first Rajas to Sattva, second Rajas to Sattva and once a person reaches Sattva, Sattva also binds then but it helps us like a person who jumps from a high pad into the swimming pool, take-off point, so that is the three steps. We can only practice two steps but how to go beyond Sattva, there is something which can happen only by the grace of God. So that is what we have to understand here. So let us think about it. Alright, so in our last class, we have discussed about types of food and in that two points have to be remembered. First of all, the foods are divided into or they have three defects. One is called Jati Dosha, by nature they are defective. Then by accidental coming into contact, that is second type of Dosha, Nimitta Dosha but most important is through whose hands, through whose touch these things are coming to us. If it is an impure person, just as when we shake hands with another person's hands, which are very dirty, evil smelling, some of it will be rubbing off upon us. So this is called Ashraya Dosha. This is very well recognized by all Hindu sages and then there are three types of foods, Sattvika food, Rajasika food and Tamasika food. So what are the two points? First of all, we have to see that they are free from these three defects. Secondly, we have to cognize a person who is in a particular state of mind naturally is attracted to a particular type of food. Tamasika person to Tamasika type of food, Rajasika person to Rajasika food, Sattvika person to Sattvika food. So that is the foods themselves are like that but by changing the types of foods with effort, even though we may not enjoy them at the beginning, by changing them we can also gradually bring about a change in our nature which is from Tamas to Rajas, Rajas to Sattva, Sattva to go beyond Sattva. So we have discussed these things in great details. So the progress, it progresses in four points, food, worship, austerity, uncaring and sharing. Now the second way, how we can progress? Yagna, as I mentioned in many times, in the olden times, Rishi Munis, because the world was very small, they used to be in lonely places, they were endowed with a tremendous amount of Shraddha and they had faith in the scriptures that there is a God, there are Gods who are nothing but the powers of Gods, there is life after death and there are worlds, not only the earthly world, not in our cosmos, but subtler and subtler but both higher worlds as well as lower worlds. So they used to worship Gods. Now we also have to do the same thing but in a modified way. A modified Yagna is called the modern worship, worshipping Gods and Goddesses etc. that is being described in the 11th Shloka which I very briefly mentioned at the end of our last class. It goes like this, यग्नः विदित्रिष्टः यह इज्यते यस्तवियं एव इति मनः समाधाय सह सात्विकः Now first of all, the Lord is setting up, the highest ideal is how does a Sattvika person, a person who is almost knocking at the door of liberation, Moksha, what type of worship is there? What is his mental attitude? What is the condition of his mind? And with what goal and in what way he does all this worship? That is being so graphically described in this 11th verse. First of all, he says such a person is a Sattvika person. That sacrifice, here we have to substitute it as worship. That worship is of the nature of a Sattvika person or Sattva guna, which is offered according to the scriptural rules by those who expect no reward and who firmly believe that it is their bounden duty to worship the Divine Lords. So here three characteristics are clearly mentioned here. What is it? They do not wish to have any kind of result. It is odd. Anybody who is in bondage, he can never do anything without expecting any result. Only a person who has become liberated, who is a knower of his own self, who is endowed with self-knowledge, God-realization, he alone doesn't want anything. Why? Because he has attained what needs to be attained. He has become infinite, eternal and so he doesn't have anything. In fact, there is no mind also. There is no duality at all. But apart from that, even a Sattvika person, he also has some goal. But then the Lord is telling here that here is a person, he is a Sattvika person, his worship is of the nature of Sattva guna and he is Apalakankshavi, that is not wanting any result. No, he also wants a result. But what is the result? He wants to attain such a state, which is called Moksha or liberation. Having attained which, there remains nothing to be gathered. In the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna, we get a beautiful bhajan, Bengali bhajan. O mind, let us go to a particular tree. The name of that tree is called Kali. And this particular tree, it yields fourfold fruit. They are called the four goals of human being, according to Hinduism, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. But here is a person. He is enlightened, sufficiently purified. He doesn't want three, the first three results. In other words, he doesn't want prayers. But he wants prayers. He wants to attain God. And that is why he knows without the grace of God, it is impossible to become free. It is only our sadhana becomes only successful, only by the grace of God. So for that purpose, O Lord, I don't want anything else. I want only your grace. So that is how his only desire is to please the Lord, so that the grace of the Lord, of the pleased Lord, will descend upon him. How? Lord himself says in the Gita, we have seen. Out of compassion for such people who please me, I grant them right understanding. What is the right understanding? You are me. You are divine. Each soul is potentially divine. I am divine. And I will give them that buddhi. Once a person is given that understanding, that knowledge, that knowledge possesses him and he will not allow him to do anything. In my past classes, I also referred. There is a strange quality of any type of knowledge. So any type of knowledge means, if you say this is a wrong type of knowledge, the statement is not put forward correctly. Because when we say this is a false knowledge, when can we issue such a statement? Only upon knowing when there is a correct knowledge. Until correct knowledge has come to us, whatever knowledge we have, it is not considered as false, but it is considered as truth only. So whatever be the knowledge, once we believe, once we know this is a snake, then the result is inevitable. Fear, heart beat, the impulse to run away, or if it is a piece of silver, a piece of gold is lying, and then here is a very desirable object, then the person has no option. That truth possesses him like a ghost and will not allow him to do anything else. And in the reverse way, he cannot pretend, I know the truth, but I pretend as if I do not know the truth. Yes, he can play games, but his real actions and reactions can never follow what is false. So this point we have to keep in mind. So this person, he knows God alone is the truth, and by God's grace, that knowledge has been bestowed by God. Once that knowledge comes, it possesses him, it makes him do everything in this particular way described in this 11th verse. Vidhi-drishtaha means as it is sanctioned or explained by the scriptures. This is how you have to do it. He cannot do any other way. And what is those things, we will come to that in the next shlokas because graphically that is what other people will not do, especially Tamasika person. And by reading that verse, we will come to know what should be done and how it should be done, with what attitude it should be done, what should be desired, etc. But here he says exactly according to the prescription of the scriptures, yaha ijyate, he who worships God, approaches God and adores Him, worships Him, meditates upon Him, etc. Remember, this worship also is of three types, that is physical and verbal, oral and mental. So when we are capable, body is okay, we should better do physical along with control of the speech and full of pure thoughts. But if we are unable to do, there is a vocal worship. For example, making hymns, singing hymns, singing bhajans, etc. But with feeling. This is called vocal or oral type of worship. And Sri Ramakrishna did all the things. But when a person attains to a higher state of purity of mind, he can meditate, he can do mental worship and that is called Upasana. And our Upanishads are full of those Upasanas. So what is the first characteristic? That he doesn't want any result excepting the highest result which is called Param Purushartha or intrinsic value which is liberation. He wants it because that is his nature. Here also one truth we have to remember. Whatever is not our nature, we can never desire it. But everybody wants to live long because that is his desire. Everybody wants to have right knowledge because that is his nature. Everybody wants to be always happy because that is his desire. That is why three prayers which we have discussed many times. And then this person also He makes his mind becomes one-pointed and says it has to be done. If I don't do it, I will be the greatest loser. This was what in our Thursday classes we are going to discuss. Bhaja Govindam classes. Oh man, you are behaving like a foolish fellow that when death is confronting you, death has surrounded you, anytime anything can happen to anybody at any time, at any place, in any way. That discrimination when a person is lacking, such a person is called a foolish person. When death comes, again you have to start all over. If you have misbehaved in life, you may even go to lower lokas. Therefore, so take care now, right now. What should be done? Bhaja Govindam. Foolish one. Worship Govinda. Right now, Govinda means not only Krishna, Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Devi, Christ, Buddha, any idea of God, anybody has got. So, This worship of the Gods is not only my duty, it is the only duty. The only duty. Because if I worship God, then He will give me everything. I don't need to go anywhere. In fact, nobody can give me anything. If I get anything from anybody, it is also because of two reasons. One reason is I must deserve it through my own karma, past karma. Second is the manager of our karma and karma phala, who always knows what we have done, when we have done, what should be done, what should be given, how much should be given, in what form it will be given and all these things, the all-knowing divine will alone knows. He is called Ishwara. So, these are the two points. Astaviyam. So, all these days, I have worshipped either for the sake of Dharma or for the sake of Artha or for the sake of Karma, accumulating wealth and enjoyment of life and after long foolish activities, after terrible suffering through many lives, now I have become a little bit wiser. I know if I don't do right things, then I will have to suffer. Once that understanding comes, this Astaviyam, I have to worship God, whether I want worldly happiness, much more spiritual happiness. So, Astaviyam eva iti manasamadhaya. There is absolutely no doubt in the mind at all. The mind doesn't raise any doubts. Mind doesn't become, what is called non-enthusiastic. It doesn't get, Oh, I am forced to think about God. I am forced to read scriptures. How wonderful if I can read James Bond or watch movies. No, all those things I have done and the result, not that I did not enjoy, but it was very ephemeral, temporary and it comes and goes and every time it ends, it brings tremendous amount of unhappiness in its wake. Now, I have come to my senses. I will worship only the Lord. These are the three characteristics that we have discussed. What are the three? First of all, I want only one result, that is Moksha, liberation. Secondly, so exactly the scripture prescribes me and thirdly, that in my mind, no doubt about it. What is the doubt? I have to please the Lord. Any worship is, it is not worship by itself, has no value unless the person 100% believes God exists, He is my own and He is always ready to bestow upon me. I belong to Him and He is ready to bestow, but I have to make myself ready to receive what He gives. So, this capacity to receive what God is ever ready to give, that is called worship. These are the three characteristics. So, that sacrifice is of the nature of Sattva Guna which is done according to the scriptural injunctions and by those who expect no other reward excepting liberation, Mukti and who firmly believe that it is their only duty in this life. When these three characteristics are completely fulfilled, such a type of worship is called Sattvika worship. Why is it described? Because that is our goal. All of us are not Sattvika people. So, this point we have already discussed. A Rajasika person is helpless. He can only worship God in a Rajasika way. A Tamasika person is helpless. You can't simply take his hair by hand and pull him up to the Sattvika level, but slowly by performing whatever he is doing with faith, with sincere prayer, with tears in his eyes, with self-surrender, he will slowly come to the understanding that there is a higher type of worship where my reward is much more great. And so he comes to Rajasika worship and then he comes to Sattvika worship and by the grace of God, he knows I am a child of God, I am of the same nature as God and I am going to attain Him. So, these are the things. Here the Lord has given in this one, this is called Karma Yoga. What is Karma Yoga? In another way of putting the same ideas that whatever I do, I worship, not through the physical body, through my speech and through my thoughts. I only do things for the pleasure of God, for the grace of God. Ishwara Arpana Buddhi is the first characteristic of Karma Yoga. What is the second thing? I can do only my best. Having done, do not regret, do not become proud. Simply say, Oh Lord, now I have done what best I have done. Now you do what you think is best for me. Not that he cannot give. A mother will not give a huge amount of food to a baby. That was what Sri Ramakrishna was trying to describe to us. A mother cooks same curry, but in different ways to suit the stomachs of a baby, a child, a grown-up young man, a middle-aged person or a person who is sick, a person who is absolutely healthy because she wants everybody's good. So if these three conditions are fulfilled, then that person is sure to attain what is called Mukti again by God's grace. This is the essence of Karma Yoga. Now we enter into the twelfth shloka. What is the twelfth shloka about? What type of worship or sacrifice is that which is called Rajasika worship, Rajasika sacrifice? In the twelfth verse, But that sacrifice which is performed in expectation of reward and for the sake of ostentation, know that to be of the nature of Rajas. So two characteristics are enumerated here. What is the first thing? Earlier he said, without expecting any result. That is called Satvika type of worship. But here Rajasika. No, just the opposite. He wants a phalam. It could be Artha, it could be Kama. What is the first thing? Even though we are using these words, everything comes in a particular order. First comes Dharma. What is Dharma? A right means of performing any action. A scientific way of performing any action. It involves not only the physical effort, the vocal effort, but most important, the mental attitude. That is called Dharma. So here, first Rajasika person must pay attention to what is Dharma. Dharma here, don't think, even a Satvika person wants only Dharma. But he has already obtained it. Without being a Dharmic person, he can never be a Satvika person. But Rajasika person in the midway, he has some Dharma. But he has tremendous energy. Mind is restless. And restlessness comes only because of so many unfulfilled desires. So to fulfill them, he has a special goal in life. I want wealth. Any type of wealth. It could be money. It could be house. It could be job. It could be power. It could be beautiful spouse. It could be children. It could be respect and name and fame in society. All these things he wants. So, His mind is filled up. This is the purpose for which I am worshipping Gods. But one thing you have to understand. This person is also endowed with Shraddha, faith. What is it? If I worship Gods, then they are sure to give me because they have the power to give me. Here also another fact we have to understand. A person can give only when that person has something. A wealthy man can give wealth. But a wealthy person who doesn't have knowledge, for example, you know, a biology professor cannot give knowledge of chemistry, knowledge of medicine, knowledge of art. Only a person must be artistic or he must be a chemist or he must be a man full of medical knowledge. Similarly, a person who is unhappy, he can never make you happy. Even though, I remember an incident. A man went to a psychiatrist and psychiatrist asked him that what is your problem? Oh, I am not happy. I don't know why. Please let me examine and tell me how I can be happy. So, doctor examined him and he said there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. But do one thing. Every Thursday night, there is a comic show and there is a man. He will make your mind go up. He will make you very very happy on such and such a channel. The man said but doctor, I am that comedian. I may make other people happy but I myself am not happy. Unless a person is happy, he cannot give happiness to others. Unless a person has knowledge, he cannot give knowledge to others. Unless a person has wealth, he cannot give wealth to other people. And these Akshas and Rakshasas about whom we discussed earlier. Rajasic people, what do they do? They worship these Akshas and Rakshasas and they have got this kind of powers because they are also that some Tapasya obtained them and whosoever can please them and they are capable of bestowing upon them what they have. But since they do not have self-knowledge, they cannot give self-knowledge. But they can give to some extent worldly happiness or worldly goods. So first two things, this Rajasic person wants either wealth, second, health, third, the opportunity to enjoy. This is the tragedy of modern life. The man is so much engrossed in time. There is absolutely no time for him to enjoy. Even though he may be earning money, but enjoyment requires a frame of mind, time, and favorable environment, circumstance, then only happiness is possible. Enjoyment is possible. But unfortunately, you have everything. But you gulp down a fast food or you push it with a bottle of Coca-Cola, etc., because you don't have time. You are running and running, running like a hare. That is not going to help anybody. So here, the Rajasic person, he has so many unfulfilled desires. So what does he do? So, sometimes he worships God. But there is a desire in his mind. What is the desire? I want to be known all over the place. Of course, the whole world will not recognize. It is impossible unless a person becomes exceptionally great. Like, for example, Einstein, Max Planck, Beethoven, Kalidasa. But even these people, an illiterate villager, will have no idea who these people are. But a few scientists know. Most of the laymen, they also do not know. It is impossible to be known by everybody. That is an impossibility. Probably, there is a better chance. If a person becomes terribly wicked, like Genghis Khan, then most people will be forced to read about them in the history books. And I tell you, it is not easy to become even an evil person. You don't have, we don't have that courage, that guts, that nerves even to become wicked. As soon as we see a policeman, we start shaking all over the body. So that also requires tremendous amount of certain characteristics which we of course do not have at all. We lack those things. So, Damba, means ostentation. My puja, wonderful. That fellow has done puja. But you see, it was, the deity was not decorated, the hall was not decorated, the food was not plenty, but I will advertise, I will invite people and first class decoration, first class musical performance, first class entertainment, first class food, this person is prepared to spend. But unfortunately, what happens is, many of us also want to be known, but we become stingy and miserly. We want to have the good name and fame, but we do not have that heart to spend money, even for our own selfish purposes. But here also, there are some persons who are prepared to spend that kind of attention, money, and time, everything. So you see, even there are lawyers, they earn a lot of money. That is why they say time is money. As soon as a client comes, they start this clock, time counting clock, and it's every millisecond, so much of money they are earning. But unfortunately, they have to work very, very hard to become a Rajasic person. What I am trying to tell is, it's not an easy thing at all. It requires tremendous amount of energy. That's why to be a politician, we all crave for the powers of the politicians, but we are not prepared that any time, any politician is in danger of being killed, being ousted, and they have to be always on their toes as every MP, Minister, Prime Minister, President, everybody knows they require hundreds of people to protect them, but they have tremendous willpower. The moment their head touches the pillow, they go to sleep unlike us. If somebody even scratches us with a simple word, we may require months to get back our normal sleep. So, very important for us to understand that even these people, they become like buffaloes. Who? Politicians. And that's a tremendous quality because let any number of people discharge their arrows of poisonous words, etc., but my heart will not mind care for them because my mind is focused totally upon what I want. Even that is a great quality. That's why if a politician is a high ideal, even for me, I cannot stand criticism, but everybody is not going to praise me and the praise is very tapid, the praise is very temporary and if I tell them something, after that they will never contact me. So, this very fragile situation, such people definitely are not going to progress in any life. So, here is a person, Thambartham. What I am trying to tell you, this person, ostentation, he advertises, he wants as many people as possible to come and admire him, but don't criticize him because be prepared to see how much time, how much energy, how much money, how much influence this person is ready to expend in order to get this kind of name and fame. That we have to keep in mind. Then Ijyate Bharata Shrestha Tamyagnam Vidhi Rajasap That kind of worship of Gods, Yakshas and Rakshasas, Arjuna, he who performs and that is called Rajasika Ijna It is much higher than Tamasika, but much lower than Sattvika Ijna. That sacrifice which is performed in expectation of rewards and for the fulfillment of desires and for the sake of name and fame, ostentation, know that to be of the nature of Rajas. So, two characteristics. One is to fulfill many unfulfilled desires and he will not do only for once. He will do many times. Here, the Lord uses a word Tu. Tu means but. But means it is to distinguish the worship done by the Sattvika people, Sattvika worship, which we discussed in the previous one. So, this is the first one to fulfill one's desires. Second, to be known to in the society that here is a great man. He gives large donations, photographs, newspaper headlines, so many things will be there and it's not bad because even for this purpose, if he is prepared to do, that's really great. That is the point we have to take we should never criticize these people. Take the good points. Now, in the 13th verse, what is called Tamasika type of worship. Tamasika Pooja Tamasika Yajna What is it? Vidhihenam Ashrishtanam Mantrahenam Adakshenam Shraddhaavirahitam Yajnam Tamasam Parijakshate So, there are five types of defects in the Tamasika type of worship. That is being beautifully said so that when we are worshipping, we have to be objectively observing and say am I fulfilling all the five conditions so that my worship will not be a Tamasika worship. So, what are those things? Vidhihenam Ashrishtanam Mantrahenam Adakshenam Shraddhaavirahitam And that sacrifice which is not performed according to the scriptural rules that is the first one. In which no food is distributed that is the second one. No mantras or hymns are chanted that is the third defect. And no Dakshina fees are paid either for the Pujaris, the people who do the worship etc. Or even the guests who come and the people who attend, for them also food is not provided. That is the fourth defect and which is divide of faith. This person doesn't have real faith because if he has faith he would have done either like a Rajasika person or a Satvika person. But it doesn't mean he doesn't have faith at all. His faith is very weak faith. Okay, if I don't do, maybe somebody will be displeased. Bhuta, Preta, Eshacha, Yaksha, Rakshasa, Gods may be displeased with me. At least let me do something for the sake of my own satisfaction. But he doesn't take care to fulfill all the conditions. What are the conditions? First of all, this is the translation, that sacrifice which is not performed first of all according to the scriptural rules. Secondly, no food is distributed. Thirdly, mantras, hymns are not chanted or even chanted, they are not chanted according to the rules and regulations. There are certain rules are there. And fourthly, no satisfaction is given to the people who worship, they are all poor people otherwise they would never come to you for especially performing a puja from a terrible fellow like you, Tamasika fellow like you. And no food is distributed to all those people who come in the hope of not only having to be witnessing the puja but at the same time in the hope of getting good prasada. That is why I joke often Hindu worship is consisting of two characteristics, bhajan and bhojan. Bhajan means beautiful singing of bhajans and bhojan. And at the end of the worship, a very satisfying food is distributed. And so many poor people also expecting that every day we have to work very hard but today we will get good food because this person is doing puja. No! This person, even if he gives food, it is horrible type of food, it is better not to touch that kind of food. And of course, all these things are done by him only because his shraddha is of that type. He has shraddha but not deep faith. It is very weak faith and he thinks that if I do somehow then I will get satisfaction. I don't know whether he himself can get satisfaction but sometimes I have seen people, they do that satisfaction. They do get that satisfaction. So they say that ritual is tamasam which is bereft of stipulations of shastra. That's why how do we know what is the stipulation of a scripture? You don't need to do. There are people who are experts in it. Invite them to do puja and they know what to do but provide them with all the materials like Ram Kumar did the puja at the opening ceremony of the Dakshineswar Kali temple. You don't need to worry about all those things. There are people who know just please them, welcome them and then satisfy them. That is what is important. So that is the first one. Without distribution of food either to the pujaris or the attendants, attendees and all these things, that is the second one. Without proper recitation of mantras, that is there is a rule. A mantra has to be done in a particular way keeping shruti and then sama and then chanting every Vedic mantra as what is called notations, where to raise the voice, where to lower the voice, where it would be even without raising or lowering. All these things are so beautifully, udatta, swarita and anudatta. Without observing any of these things. So that is one and he is a person. He may have lot of money. He is a miser. He doesn't want to give anything. So without distribution of wealth and without much shraddha. If anyone of us come to witness this kind of puja, we should immediately classify it as a tamasic shraddha and it does yield. Every karma yields some result but often it brings in tremendous amount of misery. That is very important. So a ritual is supposed to be performed according to the injunctions of the scriptures. This fellow does the opposite and when a special puja is being done, so one is supposed to feed people, the brahmins, the priests and the people who come to enjoy. Many people expect here is a puja is going on. So at least by God's grace we will get some satisfactory food to our stomach full. It is part of the ritual. No, this person will not fulfill. Mantra heenam, that is again, either he doesn't recite mantras or he recites them improperly and he may even omit. Sri Ramakrishna makes when some pujaris, that is priests, they do puja, half the mantras they omit because they want to go to some other house, finishing this particular puja, collecting their fees and go and earn more money. So because it is recited in Sanskrit, very few people come to know this is done practically everywhere. Every religion this kind of people are there. So this is called mantra heenam. Adakshinam, every puja, people have to be given respect to servants expect, helpers expect, onlookers, audience expect. The people who do the puja, they expect. All poor people, they have expectations and to send them disappointed is a great sin. So that has to be taken into account. Shraddha virahitam. Finally, the real problem, why he doesn't do all these things? On the contrary, a sattvika person, he does everything according to the dictations. Vidhi drishtam. Apala kankshavi, the vidhi drishtam yai jyate. Exactly as the scripture prescribes. Here the scripture is there. This person also reads the scripture or comes to know about it but his faith is, who is going to see? Somehow or other if I do, that is alright. And this applies not only to puja, when we are doing japam, meditation, who is observing it? Early morning, at night or in the evening, when we sit, we close our eyes. People see only, we are closing our eyes and sitting like a stone but what is going on inside, only God knows. But we have to, the all-witnessing Divine Lord, He is witnessing. So if a person is only doing it mechanically, he also falls under this category of tamasika japak, tamasika meditator, etc. because he thinks so outside people see, they admire me but inside the mind is running right, so that is what is most important. These are the three types of worshipping the Gods. Then the Lord is moving on to the next step, which is called austerity. This is a most marvelous thing. Usually the moment we hear about austerity, we think about a person without cloths, stands outside in the cold or he goes to a cold river and stands neck deep and goes on doing. There are some people who did that, for example the guru of Shivaji, Ram Das, he used to go every night but he was a great saint, he was not doing for ostentation but that kind of tapasya alone is not the tapasya. Some people take a bow for years together, they will not sit. Some people will not talk, not for years together, they will not talk but some people take a bow and one day in a week, I will observe silence. But they are hypocrites. Ram Krishna is a very keen observer. So he says, this Vaishnava who is observing, he is repeating, doing japa because he has a japa bag, Hare Rama Hare Krishna japa bag is there. Inside there is a Tulasi mala is there and he is doing it but he wants to buy fish. He goes, he doesn't want to talk, points his finger that means how much and the shop keeper tells something and then he shows like this, there that fellow has offered for much less why are you doing it? They do everything only through gestures. This is called observance of mauna, this is pure foolishness. Instead of that, you finish your business in a few seconds and then go back and do your japam and dhyanam properly. So you know we get this kind of people all over the world and in a particular state, that is a common thing everybody has to grow from a childhood to adolescence to youth to middle age to old age and so everybody has to grow from tamasika state to rajasika state and to again to sattvika state. What is important is that which helps us progress in life, that is called tapasya and that can be even by killing people if a soldier goes into a battle a soldier and he fights people who are unnecessarily and what is called adharmikali, that is an unjustified declaration. As many countries are trying to grab other people's lands, other people's houses, other people's spouses, other people's jobs, other people's wealth by hook or by crook, whether we do it in a small way or in a global way, it doesn't really matter. Nowadays people are trying to do this kind of thing but trying to avoid these things, that is a great tapasya. So what is tapasya? Tapasya means austerity. How do we know what is austerity? Here is the infallible test. What is it? That which helps us to move towards nearer towards God and how do we know? Because we progress in three areas. In the area of sat, in the area of chit and in the area of ananda. If we are progressing through spiritual practice, proper spiritual practice as instructed by a really great teacher, then what happens? Our health will grow, our mind becomes calm. So this healthy frame of body and mind that grows. And then secondly our knowledge becomes very rational, very intuitive. First rational, then intuitive. That's why Swami Vivekananda said always the progress is made from instinct to rationality and to intuition. Always in that order. First of all, we are animals. Animals behave instinctively. As soon as we become, come to the human body, we are supposed to develop rationality. That's why Aristotle has defined man a rational animal. But more animal is manifest in most of us than rationality. What we do is, we justify our animality in finely constructed words, etc. We have to take care. No. When a person progresses really, he progresses in chit. Chit means intuitional knowledge, right knowledge, truthful knowledge and that brings us tremendous amount of joy. So have physical and mental health called sat and rational and intuitive knowledge called chit and finally every person he grows from a small happiness to bigger happiness, from a lower happiness to a higher happiness, from low quality happiness to high quality happiness and whatever helps us to grow in this way that we can broadly take it as an austerity. So the Lord is describing here in beautiful graphic language that how there are three types of austerities are there. Why are there three types of austerities or three modes of austerities? Because every human being has got three instruments, three instruments through which we conduct our human life. What are those? First of all the body, second the speech and the third is the mind or thought. These are the only three. Body, mind which includes the speech. Every action starts with a thought, then it is expressed in the form of speech and it finally manifests in the form of an action. So that is why three types of austerities sharir ka, physical body, vajika either oral or vocal austerity and mental austerity. The Lord is telling this is not, we are not talking about Sattvika, Rajasika and Tamasika. We are talking about beautiful descriptions, what is real austerity that belongs to the body, what is the real austerity that belongs to the speech, what is the real austerity that belongs to the mind or to the realm of thought or knowledge. With this background, let us go into the 14th verse. First of all, He is telling eight characteristics belonging to the, what is called physical or bodily austerity. Eight characteristics. So worship of the Gods, worship of the Brahmanas here, Dwija, twice born, worship of the wise teachers and worship of the wise people whether teacher or no teacher. They are the, first of all four, that worship of the four type of people, beings. Worship of Gods, worship of the twice born, worship of the teachers, worship of the wise people. We will come to the details later on. Then cleanliness, both internal as well as external which is called Shoucham. Then, straightforwardness, uprightness, that is no hypocrisy at all. Called Arjavam means child is a greatest example. When a baby, look at baby, we all love babies. Why do we love? Instinctively we love because we know we can trust this baby. Why do we trust? Because a baby doesn't know what is called guile, what is called hypocrisy. Later on we teach them that until they learn, until we teach them, they are purest beings and what is that? They live what is called, what psychologists call, an authentic life. When they feel like laughing, they laugh instinctively and without any hypocrisy and when they feel like weeping, that is also wholehearted weeping. So their emotions are expressed not as we try to show to other people but just as they feel what is called open mind. This is what Ram Krishna used to say, like things that are kept in a glass case. So here people can see these things crystal clearly. That is what we all see in babies and that's why unless there is a human brute, a rakshasa, a demonic person, every baby is loved irrespective of whether he is a Hindu, non-Hindu, whether Christian or American or Indian or whether rich or poor, all babies are loved by everybody who has got even a modicum of common sense. Okay. Then brahmacharya. Brahmacharya here means control of the both external senses as well as the inner senses. Ahimsa such a person that bodily, knowingly, unknowingly he might, he will never injure anybody and there are sects who go to the extremes not to eat after sunset and not to walk after sunset and they also sometimes to stop injuring they cover their face, their mouth etc. with a piece of cloth like we do nowadays so that we cannot breathe, etc. So, ahimsa, shariram tapavichyate. So, I said 8 characteristics. What are they? First of all, 4 types of adorations. Gods, brahmins, gurus, and wise people. 4. Shaucham, 5. Cleanliness is the 5. Arjavam, straightforwardness having no guile, guilelessness is the 6th one. Brahmacharyam, complete control of the body and mind, sense organs is the 7th. Ahimsa is the what we call the 8th characteristic. These are the 8 characteristics. Most beautiful all of them to be done externally through the body and it is beautifully described. Wonderful points are there. We will talk about them in our next class. Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsachanuram Arthanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Tomorrow we will be meeting. Jai Ramakrishna.