Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.2 1.15-20 Lecture 51 on 18 July 2026 Q&A

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Question: Pūrṇam and Infinity

Question: Mahārāj, two questions. One: the word "infinite" which we describe Brahman—it sounds very open-ended, as if it keeps on going, whereas the word pūrṇam sounds very close-ended, but both are Brahman only.

Response: Correct. But then, if we understand pūrṇam is infinity, infinity is pūrṇam. So that is infinite. And this world which has come out of that infinity, so this world is also infinite. That would be the right translation. Otherwise, "that is a hole; this hole has come from that hole; and even though this hole has come from that hole, that hole remains a big hole in our heads." Okay, let us not play with words. If we understand what we mean, that is enough. Yeah.

Questioner: Ok Maharaj.

Question: Bhakti Outside and Jñāna Inside – Two Paths

Questioner: Second question. It is said that Ṭhākur was all bhakti outside and jñānam inside, whereas Swamiji was all jñānam outside but he was all bhakti inside. There are different varieties of spiritual aspirants, Mahārāj, who may fall into either of these. What is the basic difference in the spiritual practices of both these categories? How do they differ?

Response: OK, the main difference would be—this is a very beautiful question. That is where most people stumble. Most teachers also stumble. The thing is, some people think they are knowledge-oriented because the mind has developed a capacity to think deeply—so-called intellectuals. There are people who are imbued with more emotions. So if the emotional aspect is more, he should follow the path of bhakti. Then emotion becomes less. How?

Suppose there is a person. Any event can trigger a terrible amount of either happiness or unhappiness—extreme emotions. OK, yeah, OK. Suppose he develops bhakti. What is bhakti? That God is full of love, and He loves me. So there will be times when this person will be happy. Then what should he do? He should say, "God has given me this happiness," isn't it? Yeah. And equally, when there are times of suffering, he should also say, "It is only God who has given me this suffering." If this person is really a devotee, his analysis doesn't stop here. He says, "If a mother is beating a child, there must be some purpose behind it. When a police arrests somebody, there must be some purpose behind it. It is not to torture a person; it is to teach him a lesson. You have done something you should not have done, and so you will have learned the lesson." So this should be the right attitude of a devotee. Then his dependence upon God—"God is my mother. My mother knows what is best for me"—so both I accept in the same light. So has this person's emotion become less or not? Yes. Not only that—it doesn't mean he becomes emotionless; it means his happiness... God is bestowing more grace upon me.

Swamiji was living in New York or somewhere—I do not remember. One lady used to come from a long distance early in the morning. She started at 3 o'clock; by 6 o'clock she would arrive. But Swamiji was scolding her—never ended. And she could not understand. One day she asked, "Swamiji, why is it you are always scolding me?" And he put up a very innocent face—remember, he was one of the greatest dramatic actors—and said, "Whom else shall I scold? Shall I scold somebody walking in the street? What would you think the result will be?" Then he said, "The people whom I love, I want them to be perfect; therefore them only I scold." From that time onwards, she started striving to get more scoldings.

You see, Prahlāda—totally dependent upon God. He would be happy: "Father, you want to throw me into the fire? Very good. I am very happy because God has given me a better siddhi. When I am in the fire, I feel that I am in an air-conditioned room." When you are in Varanasi at this time, you will understand what I am talking about. So the air-conditioner itself may suffer from heat, but it gives the person great rest.

So the thing is: whatever happens in one's life is God's grace. You should not stop at saying "It is God's will." You should say "God's grace." It makes a lot of difference, isn't it? "Will" means there is something I cannot accept. "Grace" means it is the most positive thing in the world. So this is how this emotional person slowly controls his emotion, and as he controls the emotion, that very bhakti turns into knowledge. That is the truth.