Bhagavad Gita Ch18 part 42 on 08 May 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURAMARTHANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM SARO PANISHADO BHAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA PARTHO VACHA SUDHIRU BHOKTA DOGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM YAT KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM We have entered into the 17th verse of the Bhagavad Gita. Truly speaking, the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita is over with the 66th verse where the Lord tells that we will have to completely surrender ourselves to the Divine Lord. Then the Lord in two shlokas expounded to whom this teaching should never be given because it will harm the persons who receive because they are not ready. And we see that in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna touched many people. May your consciousness be awakened on 1st January 1886 also to many other people including Hriday, Madhur Babu, etc. Even Swami Vivekananda Narendranath simply reacted, What are you doing to me? My parents are in Calcutta. So, it does harm to other people. Of course, it does harm to ourselves also. In the forum, they cavil at us, they criticize us, they dampen our enthusiasm, they try to bring our mind down and we are, as I mentioned, at a very sensitive stage. Most of the worldly people are not sensitive because of their selfishness. Realized souls have no mind. Therefore, there is no question of sensitivity or insensitivity. But in between, until we progress to a great extent by practicing sthita prajna lakshanas, the characteristics of a realized soul to a great extent and succeed, then we won't be affected by them. But until that time, we should not tell to certain people four characteristics we have discussed and then to whom it should be really given. Because if we do not give, we are not really loving God and we are also not rendering any service to God. So, we will not also become very dear to God. In our last verse, 69th verse, we have seen that there cannot be a more fortunate person either now, either in the past or present or in the coming future. Those who pass on this teaching, for those thirsty souls who are ever expecting this one, from which source, Bhagawan is going to bestow His grace by showing me the right path. And Bhagawan directs us because we have discussed it already that first of all, even if we think we are passing on the teaching, it's not we. The prerayapana, the inspiration, the chodana, that comes only from God. Therefore, the knowledge is God. The person who inspires that knowledge is also God. And the person who receives is also through God. And if the person manages to understand it and progress in life, that is also by the grace of God. Everything is the grace of God. Now, what about the people who are going on discussing? That is why in the Bhagavad Gita we have seen, great souls, very great devotees, what do they do? They like only one thing. They want to think about me, meditate on me and talk about me and they derive immense joy, bliss by exchanging talks. So you tell me about God. I want to listen and I will tell you about God. You listen. However much they listen, there is no satiation, there is no end to the glory of God. Truly speaking, nobody can come to the end of the glory of God. We have seen how Sri Ramakrishna one day entered into one of the Shiva temples, started reciting Shiva Mahimna Stotram and in that it is written that even Mother Saraswati herself, the Goddess of Wisdom, starts expressing, writing the glories of Lord Shiva. She will never come to an end because He is infinite. His glories are infinite. So whoever talks about it, for example, what we are doing? I am speaking, but truly it is not Swami Dayatmananda who is speaking. It is the Divine Mother who is speaking. It is Sri Krishna who is speaking because Bhagavad Gita is nothing but Krishna. Jnanam is nothing but God. That is why it is said, One who has this knowledge becomes Brahma. In fact, that is a truth which can apply to any type of knowledge. You have the knowledge, for example, that here is an enemy. He is going to finish me off and that knowledge will make you a fearful person. The thought, the knowledge of danger or fear will make you a person who fears. So any type of knowledge, it transforms ourselves into that bit of knowledge. This is the most marvellous thing about the nature of knowledge, Jnanam. What to speak of Brahma Jnanam? The knowledge about the Supreme Reality. It is nothing but Brahman. Jnanam and Brahman can never be separated. Jnanam and action, Jnanam and reaction can never be really separated because we act and react according to the knowledge. Not according to the information but according to the knowledge. So what is knowledge here? We are completely convinced this is the truth, this is the Sathyam and Sathyam cannot make us pretend to be otherwise. Even if a person pretends to be a fearless person, his blood pressure is rising, his heart is racing, he may even have a heart attack also. So any type of knowledge transforms us into that particular type of knowledge and our actions and reactions follow this particular knowledge. So the glory of knowledge. In this 17th verse, the Lord is talking about अध्येश्यते च यः इमं धर्म्यं सम्वादं आवयोः घ्न्यान यग्नेन तेनाः तेनाः अहम् इष्टः स्याः इति मे मतिहेः Not only he who teaches but with whomsoever we are talking about Bhagwan, to whomsoever listener we are passing, whoever reads this, it doesn't matter. Reading means listening, listening means reading. The problem is that we are dealing only with the knowledge. And this knowledge, what is the type of knowledge? धर्म्यं, इमं, यह, whosoever, whichever person, is not telling the Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Indian, non-Indian, anybody. There is no caste. There is no literate, illiterate, rich or poor, bright or dull, nothing, anybody. But only one caveat and that is complete sincerity. Shraddha, with that Shraddha, इमं धर्म्यं, this marvellous teaching or scripture called Bhagavad Gita, called the Upanishads, called Bible, called the Koran, Tripitaka, whatever name you call it. And it is in what form? आवयोः सम्वादम, a dialogue between you and me, between Krishna and Arjuna. But this word आवयोः can be taken by the teacher as well as the disciple or anybody who is talking is a teacher, anybody who is listening is a disciple but they can also exchange their places. Sometimes devotee A is speaking and devotee B is listening. B means any number of people, not necessarily one. And sometimes B is speaking and A and other devotees are listening. So आवयोः सम्वादम in the form of this beautiful dialogue. Why dialogue? Shankaracharya gives in his introduction to Kena Upanishad this dialogue between the presumed Guru and presumed disciple. Presumed because really speaking there is no mention of a particular name unlike Brihadaranyaka Upanishad between Yajnavalkya and various Rishis, various scholars, Yajnavalkya and Gargi, Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi or between Yamadharma Raja and Nachiketa etc. Even if we take the example of Isavasya Upanishad, there is no mention of the teacher, instructor. But it is a dialogue nevertheless. Somebody must have asked the question and the teacher is clarifying beautifully. So this is called dharmiyam. What is dharmiyam? Most marvellous. Why is it most marvellous? I will come to that point later on. And this is what Bhagawan Himself says that Gnana Ignena, this is called sacrifice. Sacrifice means what we call in modern language pujas, worships. But what sort of worship? Gnana Ignena. Here there are no materials involved, no rituals are involved, no temples are involved, no particular times or rules and regulations are involved. Because as Ramakrishna used to say, you can enjoy a sweetmeat from any angle. From the left, right, above, below, from the corner, it only tastes sweet. So Gnana Ignena. If we talk about God, about divinity, that is called Gnana Ignena. It can happen between friends, between enemies, between husband and wife, between parents and children, of course not to speak of between devotees. Thena, through this performance of this Gnana Ignena, Aham, I become Istasyam, that I become very beloved of the devotee and the devotee in my turn becomes very beloved. How? Supposing there are two people, A and B, they are at a distance of 50 feet and they love each other. And then A moves towards B. So as if B also is moving towards A, even though he is not moving. Or B moves, A stands still. But as if both are coming near, not who is moving, not who is not moving, but they are coming near to each other. When I think of God, God is very near to me. When God thinks of me, He is very near to me. In fact, He is always me only, but this is a symbolical language we have to understand. So I become very dear to them because this is the principle psychology of advertisement. The more we go on brooding, dwelling upon a particular subject, either we love or we hate, it applies in both ways. If we start loving somebody, that person becomes more beloved. If we start thinking of some negative way about some person, then the dislike, the hatred becomes more and more. But the tragedy is, the more I think of that person in a hateful manner, that person comes nearer to me, I go to that person, ultimately I become him. So thinking of that person in the beginning as an object of hatred, I am thinking of that person. Slowly, now the focus changes from that person to hatred. I become, because hatred is the knowledge I am meditating upon, ultimately I become hateful. This is the fate of finding fault also. In Telugu language, there is a beautiful word that those who find fault, they acquire those faults. That is what Holy Mother had confirmed. The more you think of the other person's fault, and you will become like that other person. So even for the sake of our own happiness, our own peace of mind, we will have to stop finding fault. You will see our mind becomes calm, concentration becomes better, joy will spontaneously come out, and whatever we do, it expresses itself as an action of joy. The beginning, the middle, and the end. All become joyous. I am not even speaking about spiritual life. I am talking about purely worldly wisdom. That's all. So this is what the Lord is saying. Who will study this sacred dialogue of ours? Ours means both by Myself, between Myself and Arjuna. By Him shall I have been worshipped through knowledge as a sacrifice, such is My judgment. And the one who studies or recites this dialogue, wherein the knowledge of Brahman, Brahma Vidya is praised. Remember, at the end of every chapter, it is Upanishad, Upanishad Vakya, Brahma Vidyayam, Yoga Shastra. Then only comes Shri Krishna, Arjuna Samvada. It is a Yoga Shastra, practical spiritual guide. It is nothing but Upanishads. Every sentence is a sentence from the Upanishad. Sarvo Upanishado Gavo. This is the essence. Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the Upanishads. And what do the Upanishads really teach? Brahma Vidyayam. Only knowledge of Brahman. Vidya, knowledge of Brahman. What do I become? By having knowledge of Brahman, I become Brahman. And then I become immortal, unborn, infinite, eternal. Shankaracharya says here, this word one by one we are going to understand. There is a beautiful word Bhagavan Krishna himself uses. It is called Dharmiam. The word Dharmia is derived from the word Dharma. What is Dharma? I gave three meanings. Please remember. That's why I am repeating them again and again and again. What are the three meanings? First meaning of Dharma is duties. Most external meaning of Dharma. Second meaning of Dharma is internal. Morality. Practice. What is morality? Identifying oneself with everything else. Not only with the living but with the non-living. I am the mountains. I am the forest. I am the rivers. I am everything. And now sadly humanity is coming to that understanding that we have done a lot of damage. And damage can be done only to something which we consider as separate, different, not me. And that is what we used to think. Some religions go to the horrible extent. God created the world and then God said to man, I have created this world for you. It is for your enjoyment. And you can do whatever you like. This is their interpretation. And what is that? Whether it is animals or pollute the rivers, break the mountains and cut down the forests, kill the other people and label some other people as not human beings. They are all animals. If they are animals, there is unrestricted right to kill, to destroy even when we are not able to use them. Just to say, I am citing an example. We have to be a bit more thoughtful than what we are right now. There was one B.S.C. disease. At that time I was in UK. And I think half a million cows have been mercilessly butchered just to prevent. So I will not get that B.S.C. disease. And we are killing the birds in millions. Not only we are bringing up the birds in the most hateful manner. If I become a bird in such situation, then only I can understand. Billions of human beings are being manipulated by people who have the selfishness. And they only look at everything from there. What is useful for me? Do I get votes? And how can I make them slaves? You study the history as I mentioned, as Will Durant had most aptly, wisely remarked. If you study history, you will not find God there. You will be wondering, is this God's creation? If God created, is He sleeping? If He is not sleeping, this is many people's doubt. Why do we find so much of evil? There are only two conclusions. Either God is evil, therefore it is His nature to create evil. He makes fun of people. He enjoys at the cost of every human being. Or He is very good, but He is totally useless, helpless, powerless. So either He must be evil or He must be powerless. This is the conclusion of most of the materialists, people who think that they know how to think. This is what we have to avoid. Those who hear this Samvada, then what is the subject matter? Dharma. What is Dharma? I gave two meanings. First, duties. Wherever we are, whatever we are, for each one of them, each one of us, we have our duties. As children, as students, we have our duties. As children, do we have duties? Yes. A child's duty is to eat and sleep and grow. Be happy, play and grow. That's all. A student's duty is to put studying and developing his physique by playing games, etc. and become a socialite. If he is a householder, specific duties. If he is a retired person, don't poke your nose into your family, your children's affairs. They are eager to dispose you off and take over because they say you had your fling. Let us have, give us an opportunity to have our fling. And then not to speak of monks and nuns who have renounced the world. Oh my God! How much evil is going on. All because we do not perform our duties. Then morality. What is morality? You do not judge the other person. Whether he is evil? No. Suppose I am in that person's shoes. Maybe I will do exactly the same thing. This is what most psychologists tell us. Put yourself in the shoes, in the place of the other person. Think what you are going to do. And we have to bend our heads down and admit that if I had been in the other person's shoes exactly, I would be doing no different but exactly what the person has been doing. But every person has a time. The time will come and the person is going to change because each soul is potentially divine. So second meaning is develop empathy, sympathy, identity. Put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Develop this. This is what I call horizontal internal evolution. Then the most lonely evolution will come. Spiritual evolution. And that is where I have to say goodbye to everybody else. And then this is the vertical, inner but vertical evolution. Until our human birth, it is vertical biological evolution. And the rest too is internal, through the mind. And the third one, having sufficiently progressed, detach, destroy the mind itself, completely separate from the body, from the mind. And this is beautifully illustrated through what we call the Chin Mudra, Jnana Mudra, which we have explained. So whatever is related to Dharma, three meanings you remember. First meaning is duties. Second meaning is development of morality. Third is finding out who am I, our spiritual life. Now because that is our nature, why should I take to spiritual life? Because I am not the body, I am not the mind. And then who am I? I am the immortal soul, Amrutasya Putra. And I have to understand that. I have to listen. I have to ponder over it. I have to remove all doubts. And I have to come to the realization I am Brahman. Even though we know that we are Brahman all the time. But this sadhana is necessary to remove all the opposite, wrong notions about our self-identity. That is called first Srimana, then Manana, then Nididhyasana, deep contemplation until we know I am Brahman. Here this word Dharmiam can be taken in two meanings. One is relative meaning, one is absolute meaning. What is the relative meaning? Relatively, the word Dharmiam deals with Dharma as first of all Karma and Sadhana. I mentioned also earlier, everybody jumps to the stupid conclusion that Karma Yoga means he understands or she understands it. There are three stages in Karma Yoga. First is called Sakama Karma Yoga. I am body oriented. I am unthinking. All my desires are oriented around my body. And so I have complete faith in God in the scripture. And the scripture tells, My child, I understand your position. You have a lot of unfulfilled desires. So I will provide you a means of fulfilling them. Here is a great psychological truth. Without fulfilling our desires, at least to some extent, there is no way we can progress in life, whether it is worldly life or spiritual life. Ramakrishna used to say, Unless a man is born and gone through a life situation of a lavatory cleaner to a landlord or a king, it is not possible for him to develop discrimination and dispassion. Of course, we need not go through billions of births, but at least we must have some experience. And every experience brings twofold result, positive and negative. And when the wisdom dawns, we see the negative side and then we want to avoid it. That is when a person becomes an inquirer. What is the truth? I want happiness. I want permanent happiness. I want unbroken happiness. But I don't want to pay any price in the form of Dukkha. Remember, the payment for Sukha is Dukkha. And, obviously, the payment for Dukkha is Sukha. The higher the height from which we fall and the greater is the pain that we suffer. So, we are talking about three types of Karma Yoga. First stage is like a child. I want sweets. I want dolls. I want playmates, etc. This is called Sakama Karma. Why are we calling it Karma Yoga? Yoga means that which brings us nearer to God. And this faith in God and doing everything that God prescribes us, asks us to do, that is called Sakama Karma Yoga. But here it is fulfillment of desires. That is the goal. Therefore, it is called Sakama Karma Yoga. Only when the desires have been quelled somewhat, they have been made peaceful. And then we look up and say, there is a higher goal. And that is called Atmakama Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga is done. This time, I don't want to have anything from God. I want only God. This is called Atmakama. Desirer of Atman. And then finally, by the grace of God, the person understands, what I am seeking is what I am already. Aham Brahmasmi. But for that, simply it will not come by sitting. One has to go through all these rigmaroles. And then such a person, if God keeps him still in this body-mind, it is through God's will and God's pleasure for the good of the world. And that is called Nishkama Karma Yoga. Nishkama means absolutely motiveless, desireless. Why is it called motiveless? Because he has become infinite. There is nothing that can be added, that can be subtracted, that can be multiplied, or that can be divided. So he has nothing to do. In fact, he is not there. It is only God who is doing. Only God can do Nishkama Karma Yoga. That is what Swami Vivekananda says, the greatest Karma Yogi was Buddha. Who was Buddha? An enlightened soul. Only an enlightened soul can become a Nishkama Karmi. Until that time, he is either Atmakami or Sakami. This is what we have to understand. So these are the three meanings of Dharma. The relative meaning of the word Dharmiyam is for persons, here is a way you can not only enjoy your life here, you can also enjoy after death, in higher world, higher happiness. Higher world means higher happiness. But the second one is absolute. Dharmiyam is I don't want anything, I want only one thing, I want to know who I am, and through scripture I come to know I am Brahman. But I want to make that knowledge my own knowledge. I want to know that I am Brahman. I know it intellectually. I want to really feel it, call it realization, call it Samadhi, whatever blessed name you want to call it. So whoever studies the scripture, what Bhagavan Krishna says here, I am invoked, I am worshipped. How? Because the student is only studying the Gita. But actually what is Gita? Supreme knowledge. What is supreme knowledge? Ishwara. So devotedly, with one pointed mind, studying this Bhagavad Gita is meditating on Ishwara. This is called Jnana Yagna. Any form of ritual requires certain things. So materials are required, certain ways of doing is required, proper time, proper place, proper everything. Here none of those things are there. We have seen how many types of austerities in our earlier 18th chapter. There is what is called Tapo Yagna, the Yagna of Austerity, Mantra Yagna, Japa Yagna, Karma Yagna. So many types of Yagnas are there. But this is purely Jnana Yagna. Worship through Jnana. Thinking of God is called Jnana. Listening to scriptures is called Jnana Yagna. Studying the scriptures is Jnana Yagna. But only one caveat. That caveat is we want only God. Not Sakama but only Atmakama. By whom? By a sincere seeker, Jignasu, a devotee. So the above teaching that means whoever studies applies to all the scriptures. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, complete works of Swami Vekananda, Gospel of Holy Mother and this is all that is there. Sri Ramakrishna once called Swami Turiyananda and he sang a beautiful song. Oh Mother, you are this world, you are the other world. You are both God and world. You are my everything. And then at the end of it, of course Swami Turiyananda was completely moved. Sri Ramakrishna said, take up any one among these myriad forms of ideas. Take up one idea and make it your main sadhana. And that is enough. It will take you to the goal. Beautiful Bengali song is there. Now this is what he is telling, whoever studies this one, whoever talks, whoever teaches, all of them are blessed. They become beloved of God. Not only now, in future also there will be nobody who is dearer to God than the person. Why? Because this person wants to go to God. He only longs for God. He wants to become one with God. So God beloved. Love means what? That becoming completely one. Oneness. One meant. One atonement. That is called truly love. That is called bhakti in spiritual language. This is the essence of the 70th verse. Whoever studies are with shraddha, with bhakti, with one goal. I want liberation. I want knowledge of Brahman. Such a person is most dear to me. And this very study is called Jnana Yagna. I am highly pleased. Such a person comes nearer and nearer to me. Ultimately there will be no difference between him and me. We now enter into the 71st verse. Concluding, Bhagavan Krishna says that not only the one who teaches this Gita, this scripture, the essence of all these scriptures is the most beloved to him. But even one who studies this, or not necessarily, even just recites, repeats the verses of the Gita is praised here. This is not hyperbolic. There is a saying in Bengali which is very, very significant. There is somebody, he doesn't like a particular dish, but let him go on eating and he will develop a liking for it. Not only that, a time will come when he won't be able to be away from it. So even the person who recites, at first he thinks, so it is said, I will get some punya, which is no doubt about it because whatever comes out of the mouth of Bhagavan must become truth. The thing that comes out of a realized soul, it must come true. Innumerable incidents are there in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and everybody. Sri Ramakrishna says, Whomsoever I think, very soon that person will come to me. We know the story of Nagamahasaya. When Sri Ramakrishna was suffering from cancer, he had a craving for eating amlaki, a very sour fruit, but full of vitamin C. And that was not the season. They are available only in proper season. But this person, Nagamahasaya, just was entering to visit Sri Ramakrishna, heard these words, he knew, whatever comes out of Sri Ramakrishna's mouth, that must come true. So silently he went out, searched for three days, and then he did not return until he got a few of those fruits and gave it to Sri Ramakrishna. I narrated this incident also. Now, what is the essence, what we are going to read, not only who reads, but even who listens also with faith, he will also get the same result. This is very useful. Because there are so many people even today, especially in India, who are illiterate, old people, they cannot read. And even if there are people who are literate, they might have become blind, they must have lost their sight, they are suffering from cataract, any other obstruction may be there, they may not be able to do it, or it may be old age, but even if they listen to it, and this is an age, when what I call, the audio science has developed very much, you can practically turn everything. And by the way, I mentioned many times, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and some of the works of Swamiji are beautifully read by one of the most enchanting voices I have come across in my life, by Brahmachari Joe, who resides in the UK centre. And they are available on that website, vedantauk.com You can download them and you can listen whenever you are doing something which is not important, you can definitely do it. So now this is the idea, that not only who teaches, but not only who studies, but those who read or listen, they also become blessed. So he must have two qualities, which he had mentioned earlier, but again Bhagawan is repeating them. First of all, he must be endowed with Shraddha, Anasuyaha. Anasuyaha means really, a person who has complete faith that the words, each word, each letter that comes from the mouth of the Lord is absolute truth. Such a person, who is devoted in other worlds and who wants to hear more and more, Sushrushave, earlier we have seen, Anasuyaha, that means absolutely no doubts in his mind, even such a person, Shuniyatapi, even if he listens, Shuniyat, just merely listens, Sahapi Mukthaha, he also becomes very soon free. But supposing that person has some worldly desires, by listening to this Gita, he does the recitation, listening, reading, or the teaching of Gita, only gives liberation or spiritual knowledge. Can it give any other knowledge? Yes, it can give also. This person, slowly, slowly, these words, this scripture, takes him to higher and higher, but maybe on the way, for a short time, he may have to go to higher worlds. That is why he says, Punyakarmanam Shubhan Lokan Prapnayat. Such a person, if he doesn't straightaway get liberation, if he obtains Prapnayat, he attains, he reaches, what does he reach? Shubhan Lokan. Those auspicious worlds, and they are available, obtainable by what? Punyakarmanam. Only those who do according to the scripture-oriented activities, that means two types of things, that is, doing what is prescribed in the scriptures and completely refraining from what is completely forbidden by the scriptures. So, here goes the 71st verse. Shankaracharya adds that even if you don't study the Gita, not only this study Gita, but even the entire Gita, but even only one, I would say, suppose you ask me, Sir, I don't have time to read the whole Gita. Give me just a small, which I can read within half a second. Like Shankaracharya, somebody came and asked him, you have written cartloads of books. What is the essence? What is it you want to convey to people? And then he said that Brahman, God alone is real. Everything is temporary and you are none other than God. So here, this one shloka is there. That is, giving up reliance upon anything in this world. Take total refuge in me. Surrender yourself to me. And I will take your responsibility. I will first release you from all the Papa's sins and then I will release you from all the obstructions which are standing in the way between you and me. And then, when there are no obstructions, you are me, I am you. This is beautifully put forward. There is this Mahakasha. This is infinite space outside. There is the Ghatakasha, a pot space. As soon as a pot is created, inside there is empty and that is called pot space. And it seems to be the pot space is separate because the outer walls of the pot, as it were, is separating from the real space. But as soon as the pot is broken, the pot space becomes one with the real space. But even to say it becomes one, as if it was not one. Only human expression, it was never divided. As I explained before, and it will never be divided. It can never be divided. So like that, even a person who resides, in course of time, he will go to higher lokas, enjoys, and then he understands these are all very ephemeral, temporary. And every time I have to top up, like we have to do, pay subscription for the mobile phones, etc. I want one-off payment. What is that one-off payment? Complete self-surrender to the Divine Lord. So Shankaracharya, even though he was a follower of Jnana Yoga, even though he was favouring only the path of Jnana, Shravanam and Nidhidhyasana, but remember, he was one of the greatest devotees. He adds that not only you don't study the Gita, but you recite it, or you listen to it, you get the result equivalent to the kind of result you get from rituals, Upasanas, that as a deity, Devata, as its object. Not only that, there is a Purana, Purana mythology called Paraha Purana. And in that, this Gita Mahatmya, the glory of the Gita, is extolled. I am just quoting a few shlokas from it, and I will give you the essence, summary. yatra yatra patah pravartate Wherever this book called Bhagavad Gita is studied or listened to, tatra sarvani tirthani prayagadhine tatrave all the holy places are gathered there. yatra gita vicharascha Whoever is deeply pondering over this Gita, patanam patanam shrutam either he is reading, or he is making others read and listening, tatraham nishchitam So I am present there. How is God present there? When Gita book is being read, how is the Lord present there? Because the knowledge advocated in the Gita is none other than Bhagavan Himself. Gita shastra midam punyam yeh patet prayatah puman With Shraddha, regularly, when a person recites this book called Gita, vishnupadam abhapnoti He attains to that state abode of Vishnu. Vishnu means all-pervading. That means, he will become all-pervading like Vishnu. bhaya shokadivarjita He will be free from fear, from grief, everything. After all, Arjuna was suffering from this grief. Gita adhyayana silasya He who is almost addicted to this study of the Gita, pranayama parasyaja and he also practices a bit of pranayama so that he can place more mind upon this Gita shastra naivasanti papani Soon, all his sins will be dissolved. Even if he has started doing things from a billion births, everything will be like a mountain heap of cotton is completely destroyed by one matchstick. Gita gangodakampitva punarjanmanavidyate He who drinks this sacred pure water of the Ganga which is called Bhagavad Gita teachings punarjanmanavidyate For such a person, there is no rebirth. That means, he becomes liberated. And that is the praise here. Don't think it is praise. Don't think it is hyperbole. Don't think it is advertisement. Whatever comes out of the mouth of Bhagawan, it is absolutely true. But don't expect that the result... Just now I recited and then immediately I open and say, where is Brahman? I have not become Brahman. No, it will take time but it will definitely happen. Shankaracharya comments, What to talk of the one who has the knowledge of Brahman? Even by listening to the Gita, a lot of sin gets destroyed for the one who has Shraddha because these are the words directly coming out of the mouth of Bhagawan. Thereby, one can gain an auspicious world. Svarga di loka. Until Brahma loka. That is one thing. But suppose, such a person studies the Shastra and understands the meaning. Then what to speak? He will gain liberation definitely. We can understand that the one who studies this Gita is worshipping Ishwara in the form of Jnana Yagna and need not worry. Oh, I am doing this one. Is it sufficient? I have not done my puja, regular ritual. Am I to worry? Will God get angry? Will He throw me into the hell? No. No need to. Because Bhagawan Himself says that even when they study this scripture, and it applies to all scriptures, remember, not only to Bhagavad Gita, whether it is Bible and if you want to have the right meaning of the understanding of Bible, go to the imitation of Christ. Then you will understand it. If you want to understand Koran, don't go to these orthodox mullahs. You go to the Sufi saints and they will explain it to you. So, either a person slowly progresses or if he is sufficiently progressed, he will get liberation. Either Krama Mukti or Sadyo Mukti. Either slow liberation, such a person, a student of Gita with Shraddha, he will go to higher Loka, from there to another higher Loka, finally he will reach Brahma. That means he understands I am Brahma. Or if a person has already gone through these things, he will straight away attain liberation. Now, we are entering into 72nd. This is where the only question, one question, only question asked by Bhagavan Krishna. What is the question? The word Dhananjaya, very meaningful. Dhananjaya means one who acquired so much of wealth, different type of wealth, material wealth, intellectual wealth, moral wealth, because Bhagavan himself calls him you are a Mahatma. Sanjaya calls Arjuna a Mahatma. We will come to that point later on. And Bhagavan himself certified Arjuna, do not grieve, do not worry, you are born with divine qualities. Now, this is the duty of every teacher. Having concluded the teaching, a teacher simply Purnamadaha, Purnamidham, Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishna, he will not stop. Such a teacher is an incomplete teacher. So, as soon as the teaching is over, the first question is to his pupils, one or thousand, it doesn't matter. Have you understood, my children, this meaning? What is the point? Suppose the student says, Sir, I have not understood. Then the teacher should think, this way I taught, and this person could not understand. Is there any other way through which I can teach the same thing so that the student can easily understand it? Or if someone says, I have understood somewhat, not completely understood, not completely ignorant, but I have some doubts about it. Doubts can come only when you have studied something. If I don't know anything about something, I will never have doubts. So, here is a teacher, his goal is to somehow convey the knowledge and he will not keep quiet. So, the very purpose of asking this question is that if you had listened carefully, with attention, with Shraddha, then this should be the result. And I want to ask you whether the result has come or not. Any patient who goes to a doctor, he gets treatment. How do we know if the doctor is good or bad? Not how many degrees he has, not how many tests he has done. The only proof, the patient has to say, I am no more a patient. I am free from all the diseases that I have been suffering from, one or many. And if he still says, I am very patiently becoming patient, your treatment has not worked at all and that is not good. The only proof is that the person will not visit the student. There is a funny story here. Ramakrishna mentions it. There was a great sage called Shukadeva and he was doubtful about his own realization because he naturally had this knowledge. So, he thought, he went to his father. Father, this is what I understood. Am I right? And father said immediately, Yes, my son, you are right. You have understood it rightly. But the son started having doubts. My father naturally loves me. So, he wants to please me. That is why he may not be telling the truth. Vyasa, the father understood, sent him to Janaka Maharaja. Janaka Maharaja tested Shukadeva. Seven days, he was completely neglected. Seven days, he was feated with the most lovely young girls, dancing day and night and it is beck and call but Janaka Maharaja, who was perfection himself, who was a Siddha, perfect master, a Naira Brahman, he observed the whole thing through CC cameras. He was observing the whole thing and then he came and said, Sir, your knowledge is perfect. Why? Because I did not observe even the slightest bit of the effect of either when you are neglected, when you are being cared, as if I myself bowed down, I gave my own bedroom, I gave my own bed, I gave my own food, I was feeding you for seven days and everything. In another version, it goes at the end of the seven days, Janaka, a final fire test. He gave a small vessel and full of oil and put it on the head of the Shukadeva and said, Go around this city seven times and then Shuka being what he was, he was a Yogi. Who is a Yogi? Chitta vritti nirodha is vrittis. Oh, will I be able to do? Suppose I become nervous and suppose I sleep, no thought has come. Absolutely still like a log. He went three times. Janaka Maharaja saw not one millionth of a drop has even moved from where it was and then said, your Brahman knowledge is complete. But what is important for us? Very, very funny thing. Ramakrishna mentions it. Shukadeva goes to Janaka Maharaja and Janaka Maharaja said, First, you offer me my fees, Guru Dakshina. Shuka was not a fool. He said, Sir, you have not even started teaching me and you are demanding. Janaka Maharaja said, My son, once you have this knowledge from me, you won't see any difference between me and you and God. Everything becomes ekakara, one. Therefore, better you pay your fees first to me, then only I will open my mouth and tell you. In reality, Janaka Maharaja did not teach him anything. Simply observing him, he said, that you have reached the goal. I am certifying you that you are a truest Brahma Gnani. This is what we see. Beautiful incidents. We will talk further issues in our next class. Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Janura Martanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.