Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

The Bṛihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: Commentary on the Śānti Mantra

Opening Invocation

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM

That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

Introduction to the Study

So we are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. In our yesterday's class, I have given you, just to remember and to salute the author of this greatest of the Upaniṣads, who is called Yājñavalkya, or he is also called Muni Ṛṣi Yājñavalkya.

Salutations: Namaḥ ṛṣibhyo parama ṛṣibhyaḥ

Having saluted, this is part of the Brahma Yajña or Ṛṣi Yajña. Now we have to listen carefully to what these ṛṣis have got to say. That is also part of the Ṛṣi Yajña. And if we have understood, to give it to someone who deserves it, who is in need of it, if we can pass on—that is also part of the Ṛṣi Yajña that we have to perform. There is no other choice.

The Purpose of Śānti Mantras

Every Veda, as we know, has its own śānti mantra. The very word "śānti mantra" indicates that it is a mantra, a prayer that: "Oh Lord, first of all, let there be no obstructions. Second, there should not be any lacuna, something lacking—body-wise, external world-wise, mental-wise." Thirdly, it is also a prayer for the removal of ignorance in the form of obstructive saṃskāras.

So we have to replace these unspiritual, non-spiritual saṃskāras through proper saṃskāras. Lastly, we have to surrender ourselves to God. Surrendering to God is possible only by the grace of God.

The Nature of Surrender

This is to be understood very clearly. One cannot surrender because to surrender one requires an effort—an effort made by this ego, ahaṃkāra—that "I belong to you." Even that consciousness, "I am and I belong to you," also is only by the grace of God. Therefore, complete surrender is possible only by the grace of God. That's why Girish Chandra Ghosh had not surrendered to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa graciously asked him, "You surrender yourself to me. By my grace alone you will be able to surrender to me."

The Three Sources of Non-Peace

So these are called śānti mantras. Śānti also, as we all know, is called peace. So we do not have peace—that means we have got non-peace. And there are three sources of non-peace:

Ādhyātmika – If the obstruction comes from within ourselves, from our body and mind, from our personality, from our life
Ādhibhautika – If it comes from the external world
Ādhidaivika – If it comes by the infinite grace of God in the form of difficulties from presiding deities

So we have no other way except in praying to God: "It's only Your grace which can avert and save me from these three sources of affliction." So that is usually the prayer. And then, if that prayer comes from the bottom of our heart, God certainly responds.

The Divine Response

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa assures us: if the prayer is sincere from the bottom of the heart, God's grace must come. That is a law. When the receiver is ready, then the one who gives, the giver, is always ready. So what happens then? The person who has been given the grace of God becomes ready absolutely to receive the grace of God, and it comes in the form of God Himself, but assuming an appropriate form so that we can revere Him, worship Him, serve Him, question Him, and convey our doubts to Him. Such a person usually is called a guru.

The Role of the Guru and the Three Steps

Out of His infinite grace, God, through the instrumentality of the guru, initiates into the very first step. Until this time, the journey is to reach where that first step lies. But once we reach, through all these efforts and prayers and solely by the grace of God, then the first step is called śravaṇa—we have to listen. What does the guru teach?

The Universal Teaching

So his main teaching is only one. Every guru teaches only one thing. There is no special, separate, something different preached by different gurus. Every guru ultimately tells us: "Your goal is to know yourself." And that is the goal.

For that, you will have to:

Śravaṇa – Listen to me
Manana – Practice remembering it, molding your life accordingly. The process of manana is to remove every lingering doubt
Nididhyāsana – Once convinced, that very conviction leads to transforming one's life

That is why in our tradition we believe śravaṇa is the important part. Manana and nididhyāsana is to realize what we have heard from the guru.

The Essential Teaching

So that is what is being said here. What does the guru teach? That in your real nature, you are God. Each soul is potentially divine. You are a soul; therefore, you are potentially divine. And you have forgotten that you are divine. So I am here to remind you that you have to remember you are potentially divine. You are a prince. You have forgotten you are a prince. You have been kidnapped by this robber called Māyā.

Now, because of your great good fortune, the way you lived—that is what has brought God's grace to you. And God comes and says, "Come, my child, you belong to me." That is called upadeśa. "You belong to me" is a dualistic language. "You are me. There is no difference between you and me." And that is called upadeśa.

The Parable of the Lion

Swami Vivekananda illustrates this by giving the parable of the lion. The lion which fell as a baby into a flock of sheep, and then influenced by them, started eating grass, bleating like a sheep and thinking, "I am the sheep." But one day the guru lion comes and drags him and says, "Thrust a piece of meat!"—very poetical, dramatic way of explaining.

When Swamiji gives talks, his talk goes straight into the heart. It thrust a piece of meat. And once the grown-up lion who thought that "I am a sheep" has tasted that piece of meat, suddenly it remembered, "I am a lion!" Then it gave a big roar. What is that roar? "There is nobody else. I am the whole lot."

Aham annam, aham annam, aham annam

Ahaṃ ṛkṣasya reriva ketim pṛṣṭa gireriva

All these statements are there in the Upaniṣads, in the Taittirīya.

The Mahāvākyas

So that is the goal. So that mahāvākya—there are many mahāvākyas. I have spoken about them. But out of a great number of mahāvākyas, one mahāvākya is chosen by each Veda. And then that Upaniṣad which he teaches has become very popular. And this Vedic Upaniṣad mahāvākya is Aham Brahmāsmi.

The Initial Response

And when first time we hear that, we become frightened. My experience is different. "I am nothing, not anything else but Brahman"? Because Brahman means I am the only one—ekam eva advitīyam. There is nobody besides me. But my experience is there are number of things. So therefore the guru says, "Your experience is false. The truth is quite different. You are the only one."

And this is beautifully illustrated. We will talk in course of time. That is mahāvākya which teaches the word tat tvam asi. And this is a mahāvākya.

The Unique Śānti Pāṭha of Bṛhadāraṇyaka

So every Upaniṣad has to be started with a śānti pāṭha. And there is some peculiarity here. Unlike the other śānti pāṭhas—where "Let my limbs be strong and healthy, let my mind be full of Upaniṣadic qualities which alone can enable me to realize I am Brahman"—all these prayers are over. But here, simply the essence of this entire Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad is given in this form.

Context of the Mantra

We will very briefly explore it. Even this very brief one requires a little bit of explanation, since we have heard it so many times. When did we hear? When we explored Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad, then the śānti mantra is there. Actually, this śānti mantra doesn't come at the beginning of this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. It only comes at the beginning of the fifth chapter of this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

As we mentioned, mainly it is divided into three parts. Again, they have subdivided into two parts of each main three parts—so three into two is six. Only at the beginning of the fifth, this particular pūrṇamadaḥ is inserted there. And Śaṅkarācārya gives a beautiful commentary there, and that commentary in the light of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's teachings—that we will try to explore.

The Knowledge of Advaita

First, we have to remember the knowledge of Advaita. That is the last word in spiritual attainment. Advaita means "I am Brahman."

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Teaching on Advaita

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa categorically tells it many times in many ways. And one of his other teachings is: "First attain Advaita, and with that knowledge, do whatever you like. You want to marry? You marry. Thousand women, doesn't matter. Because once you know you are Advaita, you know that everything is God. Everybody is God. You are God. Your wives are God. Everything is God. So then there is no question of attached, detached. All these problems do not arise at all."

That was the reply Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives to some of the objections of the householders.

The Conventional Path vs. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Approach

"First let them get married, and then after enjoying, after discharging their duties"—meaning inside, that after tasting the pleasures of this world, body, mind, etc.—"then that would be the right time." Usually they are right also. That would be the right time also. That is why vānaprasthāśrama is withdrawing, or changing from the saṃsāric, transiting from the worldly life to spiritual life. That is the beautiful definition of vānaprasthāśrama.

But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says that once a person starts enjoying, there is every likelihood that this person will get attached, becomes drowned in the ocean of saṃsāra, and very few people have the capacity to come to the surface. Therefore, it is first better to get a deep knowledge of what is the reality and then get married. So that saves both intellectually and experientially the person.

The Common Misconceptions

And that is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa taught to all of his devotees: that first you lead a spiritual life. Then not only a person doesn't lose worldly happiness, he attains higher happiness which includes the lower happiness also.

In many of the devotees' minds, there is this dichotomy:

First dichotomy: worldly happiness and spiritual happiness are poles apart, completely opposite to each other
Second misnomer: the amount of worldly pleasure is far superior to the spiritual pleasure

Even if it is superior, it is only got after a long time, whereas worldly happiness is instantaneous. You want to enjoy a sweet now? Enjoy it right now, immediately. Whereas spirituality—after so many years you might enjoy it.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Correction

So now the scriptures teach us that we have to perform our dharma and then only the vānaprastha āśrama. They argue—the householders argue—"Even our ṛṣis, munis say first comes gṛhastha āśrama, then only comes vānaprastha and saṃnyāsa āśrama. We are well aware of it. So one should not become too spiritual. A little bit of spirituality to spice the worldly enjoyment is very good, actually. It enhances the flavor of the worldly happiness."

But then Rāmakṛṣṇa says, "This is absolute wrong knowledge. First of all, you get spiritual knowledge, and with every spiritual happiness, the quality of the worldly happiness becomes qualitatively and quantitatively more and more." But it will take time for us to understand.

Understanding the Śānti Mantra

So this particular śānti mantra, it is squeezing the very essence. If someone were to ask, "Sir, this is a very big Upaniṣad. We don't have time even for the smallest of the Upaniṣads."

The Shortest Upaniṣads

By the way, the smallest of the Upaniṣads are two:

First, the shortest Upaniṣad consisting of only twelve mantras is the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad
Second is the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad, which is about eighteen mantras

But they are one of the toughest mantras, Upaniṣads. As I said, one is advised not to start with Īśāvāsya as well as Māṇḍūkya—even tougher than that. But one can safely start with what we call Kaṭha Upaniṣad, then Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, then there are other Upaniṣads like Aitareya, and then come to other Upaniṣads according to Īśāvāsya or Māṇḍūkya or Kena Upaniṣad. Even Māṇḍūkya is tougher than, some people say, even Bṛhadāraṇyaka and Chāndogya Upaniṣads.

The Central Question

Anyway, the point is, this is a mahāvākya and we will try to explore this mahāvākya. And this is what really means Aham Brahma Asmi. That mahāvākya comes in this Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

So what does it mean? Aham Brahma Asmi—"I am Brahman. I am the Divine." How can I be the Divine? Because when we see in this world, what is the first thing we see in this world? We are the individuals. There are billions and billions of individuals. If we count not only human beings, non-human living beings, then what are called non-living things—who can count?

The Four Ideas About God

So that is the idea one has got. How can I be Brahman? Brahman is one. We have, as I mentioned earlier, even though even the most illiterate person ever cherishes four ideas about God:

God is everywhere
God knows everything
God is all-powerful—He can do whatever He likes
And He is all-merciful

And this is in practice, albeit unconsciously, of every, even the most so-called illiterate person. But consciously, the person doesn't think about those things.

The Apparent Contradiction

So I am an individual. I know very little. My powers are extremely limited. As a baby, even when a mosquito or a small ant, red ant, wants to bite me, I have no defense against it. I can only cry until my mother or somebody comes and then removes that. I am completely defenseless.

So how can I be that Brahman? So this mantra, this śānti pāṭha, tells us about that—Aham Brahmāsmi. How can I be Brahman? For that, this śānti pāṭha is very useful.

Analyzing the Three Parts of the Mantra

So let us explore statement by statement. So we have to divide this mantra into three parts:

Pūrṇam adaḥ is one part
Pūrṇam idam—these two together is one part (this is the second part)
This is the third part

Let us try to understand what it means.

Part One: Pūrṇam Adaḥ (That is Infinite)

So first of all, let us... pūrṇam adaḥ. Adaḥ means "that"—that means whatever is at a distance. Here, it does not mean that it is at a distance, except in a metaphorical sense. Suppose there is a hill and you point out and say, "That is a hill." I am able to see, I am able to experience that hill. And here is my mother. She is right here. Idam means "this."

So these words do not really carry [the full meaning] because neither idam is full nor adaḥ is also full. Adaḥ means that which is avyakta, unmanifest, indivisible. And what it means is the cause—the original cause, also called Brahman or Ātman, or called God in popular language. Who is the ultimate cause?

The Final Cause

We have seen in Taittirīya Upaniṣad, we have seen as one of the seven reasons: "I am made myself. I have made myself very well." What was the meaning we got there? I am the final cause. And don't question, because if you question "What is my cause?" then you are delegating me into the field of an effect. No, that is not the meaning. That is the final cause.

Adaḥ means that infinite which is invisible. In other words, it is unmanifest. These are technical terms. Even in Bhagavad Gītā also it is used. So everything has come—before a baby is born, is coming from the unmanifest. After death also, that so-called individual baby (you need not call him baby), that individual goes back from where he has come: came from the invisible, unmanifest, and he went back into the unmanifest.

Birth means from the unmanifest to become manifest. Death means going from the manifested state into the unmanifested state.

Understanding Pūrṇam (Infinite)

And then, lest we think that God is a limited being, it is said it is pūrṇam. Pūrṇam means infinite. Adaḥ means that invisible final cause from which this whole universe has come—that is infinite. We have to keep in mind that word "infinite." And we have to think a little bit deeply: what is infinite?

We use the word "finite" and "infinite." And if we use, we cannot use both actually. Either something is finite or something is infinite. There is no question of "finite-finite" and "finite-infinite" or "infinite-infinite." It doesn't make any sense. So we have to understand that properly, very properly.

So here, adaḥ, that invisible, that truth which is beyond the sense organs, that is called pūrṇam. Pūrṇam means full. Full means infinite—nothing is lacking. So that is infinite.

The Etymology of Brahman

And another name for that infinite, infinite means the biggest. Biggest is also called infinite. And Brahman is called infinite. The root etymological meaning of Brahman is bṛh-dhātu. The root, bṛh, means that which is the largest.

"Largest" is not an adjective, it is viśeṣa. Brahman is infinite. Infinity is not a quality of Brahman—it is Brahman itself. What does it mean? Any quality can be separated. Suppose a person is good, we call him good person. But sometimes, for whatever reason, he may not exhibit his goodness; he will exhibit his wickedness, evilness. Then that quality, that which can change, is called a quality.

And that quality is—in the early morning, a beautiful pink rose is absolutely perfect. But as the day progresses, it fades. That's why we don't relish that which is faded rose. An old person is not appreciated much. So everything has got its prime time.

Adjectives and Separation

So similarly, that which is an adjective is that which helps us to separate, to point out one particular object, and we separate that particular object to identify it as that object by separating it from every other object. And that process of separation is possible only because of the adjectives.

"It is a blue flower," so it excludes. It is not a red flower, or green flower, or white flower, small flower. It excludes from bigness. "It is a double petal flower." It excludes from every single petal flower, etc. The more adjectives, the more accurate knowledge we have of that object.

Brahman's Infinity

So Brahman is infinite. There is nothing other than Brahman, which automatically means that everything that we experience—the experiencer and the experienced, a subject as well as the object—must be nothing else, excepting that infinity only. But because of our mind, whatever we think about infinite is only finite. The extent of the mind is finite, limited. A limited [mind] cannot even imagine what is unlimited. That's why...

So the final cause, that which is invisible, avyakta, unmanifest, called also Brahman, called God, by whatever blessed name you call it, the final cause. Why do we call it a cause? Because the whole universe is an effect.

Part Two: Pūrṇam Idam (This is Infinite)

That is going to follow in the next word. So once we understand Brahman is infinite, we have to understand: in this world, which is so-called effect, appearing as effect, not really an effect—because a cause and an effect are two separate concepts.

Milk is separate. Curds are separate. You can't equate them together, even though it is the cause. But the final cause is manifest. Just as clay can become any number of pots, but there is no effect, real effect called "pot." Everything is only clay.

The Example of Clay and Pot

For example, you remove clay, every least bit of clay from any given pot. What remains? Nothing remains. Then what is this pot? Same clay with a particular form and given a particular name to distinguish it from others and serves a particular purpose.

Nāma, rūpa and prayojana, utility—that is called an effect. It is not a separate thing, but it is distinguishable from other effects. Every effect is nothing but the original cause. Every ornament is nothing but gold, as an example.

So if somebody has a diamond-studded necklace, then that diamond is separate. It has nothing to do with gold. Therefore, it is a separate object, and an object can be separated if it is not the same. So clay is not the diamond. Diamond is not the clay. It can be separated, but whatever golden is there, ornament is there, that is not different from gold. Only nāma, rūpa, prayojana, utility—as I said, that is the only difference.

The Effect Must Be Infinite

So if the cause is infinite, the effect must be infinite. But the scripture wants to tell us that the effect is also part of the mithyā. Mithyā means—say, here is clay, that is called the cause. Here is a pot. Where is our emphasis when we look at the pot? We are not thinking, "This is clay, this is clay, this is clay." We are thinking, "What a beautiful pot, what is a big pot, and I can do so many things here. I can cook and I can also store and I can hide many things inside it," etc.

We are not thinking about what is the real nature of the pot. We are only thinking the utility part of the pot. "It is a beautiful pot. It is a very old Chinese pot and it is an invaluable pot because it is made so many thousands of years ago," etc. But the reality is, it is nothing but its cause. Every effect is nothing but its cause.

Understanding Idam

So therefore, idam. Idam means that which is manifest, that which is visible, that which is interactable, that which is transactional, and that which is experienceable, and that which brings about an effect when we experience something. All these things fall under the category of idam. "This" means whatever falls within our five sense organs, including the mind—that is called the manifest universe, and we are part of the universe.

Vācyārtha and Lakṣyārtha

So this is what is called exoteric meaning, not esoteric meaning. Exoteric means a physical understanding, external meaning—also called vācyārtha.

The Two Levels of Meaning

Vācyārtha: when we use sentences, speech, and many times we use it in different ways. So there is something called vācyārtha, and there is something called lakṣyārtha.

I gave you many times, but it is worth repeating. Suppose you and your neighbor have just come out of the respective gates of your homes, and you don't have a car. Your neighbor has a car, and he just started the car, or about to start, and you go up to him and say, "Where are you going?"

Of course, the person understands why you are asking. "But if I am going to your office, that side, to the side where in the direction of your office, can you please give me, drop me near my office? Somewhere near my office." He says, "Yes, come in. I am going that way only. I will drop you near your office."

What was the question? "Where are you going?" The person is least interested where the other person is going. He was interested whether he can give me a ride. Understanding "where you are going" is called vācyārtha, and the reply will be lakṣyārtha: "I will drop you. Please sit down."

Examples of Vācyārtha and Lakṣyārtha

Sometimes we use vācyārtha. That is absolutely fine according to the situation. But many times, albeit unconsciously, we use this word lakṣyārtha. What do you mean by that?

For example, you know, "Mom, you have cooked this curry. It is so tasty." That is called vācyārtha. What is the lakṣyārtha? "You give me more. I like it so much. I enjoy it so much. I want another 2-3 servings if possible." That is what really the man's intention. But I don't say that directly.

The Esoteric Meaning

So that Brahman is the cause, and Brahman is infinite. And infinite cannot give rise to finiteness—impossible. That means infinite cannot be separated, cut into pieces. That is called infinite. And there is no cutter. There is no action of cutting. There is no person who can cut because it is infinite.

So that Brahman causes infinite. This visible universe which I am, we are all experiencing, is also manifest, visible, experienceable, interactable, transactional. This is also and must be full, because the effect must have all the characteristics of the cause only. That is what we have to understand here.

This is the external meaning, exoteric meaning, not esoteric meaning. What is the real meaning? So let me explain.

The One Consciousness

I see this world. I see you. I see a tree. I see an animal. This will do as an example. So I see a tree. The person who sees the eye, the person who sees the man, the person who sees the dog and the tree and everything else included, is only one person. But what is experienced, seen, can be many, many.

So this person who is experiencing, how is he experiencing? Through his consciousness. I am conscious this is a person. I am conscious this is a tree. I am conscious this is a dog. They are all different.

The Kṣetra and Kṣetrajña

In the thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, this is the subject: sarva kṣetreṣu—there are countless number of kṣetras or objects, experienceable things. But kṣetrajña sarva kṣetreṣu Bhārata—but the kṣetrajña, the knower of every field, every object, is only one.

So consciousness is one, and what it experiences can be as many as possible. So who is that, that is experiencing? I. And "I" means what? Body cannot experience without consciousness. Mind cannot experience without consciousness.

Jīvātman

Therefore, the only conclusion is: body-mind experience, which we call jīvātman, with the help of the consciousness. Consciousness is quite separate, nothing to do with body-mind. In fact, body-mind are also objects. We objectify: "This is my body." The moment you say "my body," it becomes an object of experience. And the moment I say "my mind, my mind is happy, my mind is unhappy."

And therefore, pure consciousness but experienced only through this one particular body and mind is called jīvātman. And the same thing we have to attribute: Brahman is pure consciousness. He is of infinite consciousness, and His infinite consciousness is unmanifest because there is no second.

The Illusion of Limited Consciousness

But this jīva's consciousness is limited. So we think—not really limited—because we are identified with body-mind, we think we are limited. You have your own consciousness. A dog has its own consciousness. But it is a grave mistake. Consciousness, dog consciousness, man consciousness, tree consciousness, my consciousness—there is no such division. Small consciousness, blue consciousness, sweet consciousness, bitter consciousness—there is no such thing.

But when the same consciousness identifies, then it is called: this is sweet, this is good, this is desirable, this is not desirable. They are the thoughts of the mind, not thoughts of the consciousness. That is why I can say: "My mind is thinking it is bitter, my mind is thinking it is sweet," etc.

Jīva-Brahma Aikyam

So the intended meaning is: Brahman is infinite, me the jīva necessarily must be infinite. So jīva-Brahma aikyam.

Part Three: Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate

Then what do we say? "How did I come to be a jīva?" Because I am an effect. Therefore, an effect must always have a cause. And therefore, pūrṇāt, from that infinite, as if, merely as if it happened, pūrṇam udacyate.

So this visible universe, including consciousness also, seems to have come from that one cause because it is one cause. If it is one cause, then everybody, everything must have come from that only. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate—as if this has come out of that. And again, this has come out of that. That is a thought.

The Mind's Limitation

And that thought is because of the inability of the mind to understand, because infinite cannot be understood. Therefore, the ṛṣi wants to tell us: even though it appears, this infinite universe is as an effect, and it seems to have come out from that cause, really speaking, infinite cannot be the cause. Infinite cannot be the effect.

Therefore, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate—even though this infinite seems to have come from that infinite, even though this universe seems to have come from that Brahman which is infinite, even though me, the jīva, seems as if it has come from that infinite Puruṣa, pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate—the real understanding, the truth, the reality is that only that Brahman alone is the truth.

The Ultimate Reality

Avaśiṣyate means what remains after all this calculation. And Brahman alone is, even though these are all appearances. And this is the highest truth.

The Path to Realization

Of course, we are not in that position to really understand. Therefore, we have to do manana. Manana is the process of clarifying the doubts in the mind. And nididhyāsana is to follow what I am convinced of without slipping into all these ignorant actions—wanting the result of actions, wanting only the happy actions, avoiding the unhappy results. All those things have to be given.

The Process of Spiritual Growth

That means my behavior becomes purely spiritual behavior. And then my mind becomes slowly full, concentrated, expanded. Understanding becomes better. I grow sattva guṇa. And then I will have a glimpse. And a glimpse will pull me forever into it.

But for that also, there may be obstacles from my own body-mind, from external world, and from Gods, etc. Therefore, may God be gracious. May God be gracious in the form of my guru's grace, and by the grace of my guru, who is none other than Brahman.

The Role of Obstacles

May these obstructions help me, not destroy me, but help me so that those very obstructions may help me to move forward in the form of producing vairāgya, passion, etc. These are the most essential point we discussed today, some minor points might be there, we shall disucss them in our class

Closing Prayer

Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum

Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh

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

Jai Ramakrishna!

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Santhi Mantra Lecture 08 on 15 February 2026