Chandogya Upanishad 5.4.1 Lecture 165 on 20 December 2025

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :

Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः

श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।

सर्वम् ब्रह्मोपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म

निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म

निराकरोद निराकरणमस्त्व निराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।

तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते

मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ

śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi.

sarvam brahmopaniṣadam mā’haṃ brahma

nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma

nirākaroda nirākaraṇamastva nirākaraṇam me’stu.

tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste

mayi santu te mayi santu.

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Translation

May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me who am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace be unto all.

Introduction to Panchagni Vidya

So we are studying the Panchagni Vidya. This is a most marvelous upāsanā. In my last class, I talked of how creation arises through five elements called Pañcabhūtas: Ākāśa, Vāyu, Agni, Āpaḥ, and Pṛthvī.

The Cycle of Creation and Dissolution

So that is called involution. And immediately after involution, we will have to go back to the origin. The effect must go back and always goes back. This is an eternal cycle—must go back to its cause. So, all Śṛṣṭi, Sthiti and Laya, they go on and on and on. And this process of creation, sustenance and dissolution is a Yajña.

We are also participants, albeit unknowingly. So, every action that we do is a yajña. If our actions are bad, as if we are pouring into the sacred fire called life something which is unsuitable, and the result will be suffering. And if we do something right, good—so that is the right fuel.

The Story of Śvetaketu and King Pravāhaṇa Jaivali

So, this imagery of Agni, we are going to discuss a little bit before we actually delve into the Jaivali, Pravāhaṇa Jaivali's teachings to Gautama Ṛṣi, the father of Śvetaketu.

As we recollect, when Śvetaketu visited Pravāhaṇa Jaivali, the king, he wanted to perhaps exhibit his knowledge. He was received well, but the king asked him five questions, and Śvetaketu was not able to answer even one of the questions. I am not going to repeat the questions, but we have to understand what is the concept of the yajña.

So, Pravāhaṇa Jaivali is now answering of the five questions put. He was not taking from the beginning, but he took up the last fifth question and answering. I also told you that why did the king answer the fifth question? That is to say, there are certain hidden meanings, symbolisms very highly useful for our life.

Understanding Creation and Causation

We are going to discuss them very briefly and then go into the original mantras. So, we are all called effect. Jagat means Śṛṣṭi-Sthiti-Laya. And this creation is an effect. And then we have this effect—every effect must come from a cause. And every effect in the end must return back to the cause.

Tracing Our Origin

So, we have to find out where from we have come. So, we can only go back to our cause from wherever we are. In this instance, we consider ourselves as the created, let us say, human beings. Where from we have come? From our parents. Where from they came? From their parents. On and on, until finally, we find that the earth, the fifth, last, grossest element, is the cause from which everything, the living, the so-called non-living.

I always prefer to call it so-called non-living. Because if the life has come as the effect, it must be there, however, potentially hidden in its cause. So, what the scientists call inorganic, that means lifeless—that is not correct. If life was not there in the inorganic, if the cause doesn't contain something, it can never produce an effect which is totally opposite to it. So, lifeless cannot produce life, but it can be hidden, non-manifest. That is the meaning.

Examples of Creation and Dissolution

So, everything, including the Parvatas (mountains), they have a birth, they have a growth. As an example, you look at the Himālayas. In fact, you look at the various, what is called continents. At the beginning, the geologists tell us that the whole earth is one. Then, by some mysterious, unimaginably powerful tectonic effects, they started breaking away. That breaking away, symbolically, can be called the Śṛṣṭi. And they gradually, very slowly but gradually, separated themselves into different continents.

And these different continents, according to the people, they divided it. This is my country, this is your country. So, as an example, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka—they were all part of India earlier. Now, these splinters have gone out for whatever reason. That's not our topic here. So, who knows, they may become one in future also, and they must, if not in this creation, in the next creation, because it is a repetition.

So, there is a Śṛṣṭi, there is a growth, and there is a dissolution. And this dissolution can come in the form of pestilences, or floodings, or earthquakes, or what is called famines, or world wars. Whatever the reason, whatever has come into manifestation must go back into non-manifestation.

The Purpose of Life and Spiritual Practice

So, the question at some point of our evolution that comes is: where from have I come? And that is the answer in a different way given by the king to Gautama. That world is there. That is why in Vedānta, we say that another name for Yajña is Viṣṇu: Yajño vai Viṣṇuḥ. There is a saying.

The Trinity and Their Functions

So, why do we call? Because if Brahmā created and Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara are three names of the same Īśvara because of three different functions. When Īśvara is creating, he is called Brahmā. When he is sustaining, maintaining and enforcing law, he is called Viṣṇu. And when he is withdrawing everything back, that is what is called a dissolution, going back into the cause.

Similarly, waking goes back into dream. Dream goes back into Suṣupti, which is called the causal body. So, in every individual and the whole universe together is manifesting and remaining for some time, growing of course, and then goes back to its cause. This is an inevitable process, so aptly called Brahmacakra.

The Awakening to Spiritual Life

So, when a person after many a life awakens to the fact that, like the chick of the Homa bird, that I am falling down and destruction will be my fate, it turns back. This turning back, going back to our origin, is called spiritual practice. It is called evolution, and all these lives are only preparation for that.

The Five Lessons of Panchagni Vidya

So, this Panchagni Vidya, what is its purpose? We have to go back to our origin, which is God. That is the purpose of this meditation. When if a person succeeds in this upāsanā by practicing it again and again, so he starts turning his mind towards God and slowly to ascend to his real nature.

This Panchagni Vidya teaches us five important lessons, which we must have complete śraddhā (faith). What is it?

First Lesson: No Death

Really, there is no death. What is death? As Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says, like changing, discarding old, non-useful dress and putting on new dress, new body, so that we can progress. It teaches us there is no non-existence, which we call death, usually. That is the first lesson.

Second Lesson: Punarjanma (Rebirth)

Second lesson: Punarjanma. Hinduism, along with Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which are offshoots of Hinduism, teaches us from the very beginning—that is the second lesson—until we reach God, this process of creation will create, will continue. Why? Because the purpose of the creation is to help us to go back, to awaken us through various experiences and then take us back to God. That is the second lesson, Punarjanma.

Third Lesson: Karmaphala (Law of Cause and Effect)

Third, the theory of Karmaphala. Whatever we do consciously, schemingly, with a fixed purpose—that must yield its result. This is called Karmaphala Siddhānta. And next life is meant for not only exhausting what we have earned, good or evil, happiness or unhappiness, but a fresh opportunity to reform ourselves and move forward. That is the third lesson.

Fourth Lesson: Gradual Evolution

And fourth lesson is: this reaching our original cause called God is not going to happen in a twinkling of an eye. It takes a long time. This is called gradual evolution. It may take millions or billions of years, but all the time it is doing. At the same time, we have also the notion—Saṃsāra, this transmigratory existence is comparable to a wheel. Just as that which is at the top goes down, as the wheel starts moving, goes through various stages. Similarly, until we reach Brahman or God, until we manifest our potential divinity, this evolution will not stop.

But it must also give us the idea of involution. Simultaneously, something is coming from God and something is also going towards God. That is called gradual evolution.

Fifth Lesson: Life as the Way to God

And every life is a pathway to God. These are the five lessons: No death, Punarjanma, Karmaphala, gradual evolution, and life is meant for us to unfold our divinity. It is called way to God.

The Fifth Question

So now, we will just go through this. First of all, what was the fifth question the king put to Śvetaketu? "Do you know, my boy, how at the fifth oblation, the liquid oblations or unseen results of actions, Karmaphala, come to be designated as man?" The fifth oblation, that means fifth sacrifice, at the fifth stage, which is to come down from our origin and then come to this world—a process of involution. How does it begin?

"No, indeed, revered sir."

So then, the Pravāhaṇa Jaivali himself describes.

Understanding the Components of Yajña

So, what does he say? Before we go to that, we have to imagine vividly in our mind: what is a yajña? How is a yajña performed?

The Traditional Fire Ritual

Usually it is like this. First of all, a clean place is designated. Then a fire is lit in a particular place. Nowadays, it is called Agnikuṇḍa. Earlier, it is only a special place which is cleaned up and faggots are arranged, etc., and fire is lit. And that was obligatory to most of the higher castes. That is called Agnihotra.

We have to understand what is this Agnihotra, and then only we can understand the meaning of this King Jaivali's descriptions or answers to these five questions. He himself had put, he himself is answering—not to Śvetaketu who left in a huff, because he was full of pride, egotism and arrogance. But his father truly represents a man of knowledge: Vidyā dadāti vinayam (Knowledge gives humility).

The Six Components of Yajña

Whenever we are thinking about a Yajña, we have to understand six things. And what are the first things?

First of all, fire has to be brought up. Agni has to be lit up. That Agni is the receiver, into which, unto which, so lot things are offered, called oblations. But then the fire also has to be stoked. Otherwise the fire will go out. So continuously it has to be kept up. For that, firewood has to be given.

What is it? First of all, without firewood, fire cannot be got up. So we have to imagine some firewood is already kept there and it is lit. And then slowly firewood is added to keep the fire going. So first get up the fire and then go on adding firewood—and in between these two, fire and Samit.

1. Agni (Fire)

Samit means firewood or that which keeps the fire going on, which is nothing but firewood. That is why it is called firewood. Fire will be kept going on when we add firewood.

So usually what we do in our āśramas, we keep some camphor. Camphor catches fire very quickly. So we keep ready some camphor. Whenever the fire seems to be getting cold or getting, becoming, going out, about to go out, then we put a little camphor. Immediately it blazes up. Then we add some more firewood. This is the secret we have to understand. The witnesses, devotees may not see it.

2. Samit (Firewood)

So this is first of all fire. And then we have to—what is the fire lit up? We have to give oblations. And as the oblations are given, the fire has to be kept going on by adding lot of Samits.

3. Dhūma (Smoke)

And then, naturally, smoke comes out. And then, slowly, slowly, as we go on adding, and then the smoke becomes less.

4. Arciḥ (Flame)

And the flames go upwards. And then, slowly, slowly, Aṅgāra.

5. Aṅgāra (Embers)

So that is to say, the embers grow. And we have to see that these embers are live and ready to receive further support, etc.

6. Viṣphuliṅga (Sparks)

And then sometimes there would be sparks. Whenever we offer something or stoke, try to stoke the fire with some firewood, some sparks will come.

So six components herein are outlined, imagining ancient Agnihotra. What is the first one? The main one: Agni. Get up the fire. What purpose we have to offer? And then how is the fire to be kept going on? Samit. So firewood, whatever keeps the fire going on, is called Samit. You can pour kerosene, you can pour petrol, etc. And sometimes the resultant of these two will be: smoke will be there, flame will be there, embers will be growing, and sparks will be growing. These are the six important components of any Agnihotra when fire is got up.

Spiritual Life as Yajña

Now let us try to imagine our spiritual life—how it is going on, how spiritual life continues.

The Awakening

So at some point of time, we wake up and then Avṛta cakṣuḥ amṛtattvam ichan (With veiled eyes, desiring immortality). A deep desire arises: "I have seen what is to be seen and therefore now whatever I have been devoted so far, so long, for so many countless number of births, now I am not stopping this process, but I am changing the direction."

Life as Fire

So then what happens? Whether I am worldly or spiritual, life is the fire. Our life is the fire. And before I go further, we have to also understand what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says. If we fail to convert our life into a fire, then we will be bound more and more.

Worldly life called Preyas is for binding. Śreyas, it takes us to God. Preyas takes us away from God. But both require fire. Don't think worldly life doesn't require fire. Life is a sacrifice, yajña, whether we understand it or not. But depending upon what we are pouring into that fire called life, the result will be also either unhappiness, lower happiness or a higher happiness depending upon what we are giving. And we receive what we pour. And if it can be given to God, then life becomes much more blessed. Ultimately, complete unity with God is achieved. This is the purpose.

The Choice Between Śreyas and Preyas

So let us try to imagine when we or anybody turns towards God, then same life. Please keep in mind that whether we know it or not, understand it or not, or turn it or not, life is a yajña. And as time goes on, we go on stroking. And what is that we pour? Our desires will be that which continues. Our desires will be the firewood. But whether those desires are worldly desires or spiritual desires, that is a point we have to very carefully observe. Both have their own results.

Śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etāt, tau samparītya (The good and the pleasant approach man, having examined the two). Kaṭhopaniṣad tells us: both Śreyas and Preyas approach a man. And if a man chooses Preyas, so he will have to go a long way and suffer a lot before he understands. Life is meant for learning. But if we are open for learning, alert, Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata (Arise, awake), then our journey can be very short. Otherwise, it will take a long time.

Nobody will be deprived. God will draw everybody, but some are merged in playing for a longer time. And game means life is a game. Game means there will be victory, there will be defeat, there will be trouble, there will be labor, there will be small profit, big profit. All these things are involved.

Transforming Life into Spiritual Yajña

So coming back, first of all, we have to resolve: let me make my life into a yajña. Naturally, the question that comes is: why should we turn? Because Yajño vai Viṣṇuḥ is—as I mentioned several times—the creation itself is called Agni.

The Puruṣa Sūkta

In the Puruṣa Sūkta, we have seen: Taṃ yajñaṃ prakṣaṇam, taṃ puruṣaṃ pariṣiṣi praukṣanṃ devāḥ (The gods sprinkled that sacrifice, that Puruṣa). So the devatās offered Puruṣa, that is Brahman himself, Saguṇa Brahman himself, into this fire, what is called ablation. So that out of Puruṣa then what happened? He evolved into this Pañcabhūtas and then the entire creation—this is according to Upaniṣadic description.

Life Events as Yajña

So now we are all doing yajña. I mentioned earlier, being born is a yajña because as if parents do the yajña—this marvelous concept that marriage is a yajña, life is a yajña, birth of a baby is a yajña and death is also a yajña.

That is why Pavahārī Bābā at the last minute he used to do lot of these yajñas and yāgas and at the last second before death he lit up the fire and then he offered himself as the oblation. Only when his body was burning, the smoke, the smell of the burning body let people understand who were a little bit further away that the great ṛṣi had offered himself.

The Story of Dadhīci

So many stories are there in the Mahābhārata, just because the topic had come. Once Indra wanted to defeat the demons, but he did not have the strength. So he approached a ṛṣi called Dadhīci. Dadhīci graciously asked him, "How can I help you, Indra?"

Indra frankly said, "We want to defeat all the demons, rākṣasas, asuras. We are not able to do that. We don't have the strength. We need a weapon. And that weapon—you can become that weapon. How? You just die. And your backbone, that is backed by the tapasyā, intense tapasyā, that will be my special weapon—will forge out of it." And that is what Indra has done.

So Dadhīci smilingly said, "I am ready to sacrifice my life if it can help good people." Devas means those who are endowed with the qualities of divine beings, Daivī Sampat. And the opposite is called Asuras, endowed with Āsurī Sampat. And these Sampats will change. So a God can become a demon by behaving like a demon. A demon can also become a god.

Examples of Transformation

Several examples are there, whether it is Hiraṇyakaśipu, Hiraṇyākṣa, Rāvaṇa Asura or Śiśupāla, Dantavaktra. Have you ever heard Śiśupāla, Dantavaktra—rākṣasas? That is, whoever is leading an ungodly life, he is called an asura. So they have to be reformed.

So their instruction is also a great sacrifice. In fact, they have sacrificed their lives in deliberately choosing the birth of an asura so that they can develop intense devotion to God. Devotion doesn't mean only positive emotional feeling. Remembering God in anger. That is why in Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī, separation from Kṛṣṇa is one of the greatest qualities. Intense fire of separation from Kṛṣṇa. That is another example. Then Rādhā also becomes inflated with egotism. That is another sign of her devotion to Kṛṣṇa.

So these so-called rākṣasas, they have become rākṣasas in order to reach God quicker than what is called the normal religious paths. What tremendous meaning is there in these Purāṇas!

The Components of Spiritual Yajña

I mean, like coming back. So the first thing is: life must be converted into a yajña. And then what is the Samit? Samit means firewood. So that is what? What is the fire?

The Fire: Faith and Purpose

I must—I have faith in the scriptures and the scriptures tell me that my real nature is divine. Each soul is potentially divine. So my goal is to reach my own divinity, know who I am. So my whole life will be dedicated for that purpose. Every yajña is got up only for the sake of achieving some goal. Otherwise it is not a yajña.

The Firewood: Spiritual Practice

So in this yajña, firewood has to be kept. So what is this Agni in spiritual life? It is our own, or my own rather, imagination. Life is a yajña. And what is it meant? What do I want? Like every person who does yajña and there is a Saṅkalpa. What is the Saṅkalpa? Declaring for the purpose of achieving this particular end or goal, I am performing this homa or yajña.

So what is the purpose? My life is a yajña. But what is the purpose? Why do I want to convert my life into yajña? For the realization of God. That is what Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān says. Yes, now I quoted: Tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara (Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform action for His sake, free from attachment).

To become completely detached from this world or change my attitude towards the world and see God in the whole world, that is called Mukta-saṅga. You perform yajña. Samācara means perform yajña.

Therefore, fire is got up in the form of intense desire, but it has to be kept up. That is where Samit comes. Samit means firewood. What is the firewood? So, regular sādhanas as indicated by these scriptures called Vidhi and Niṣedha and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's five commandments.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Five Commandments

So cultivate holy company. Now and then go into solitude and call on God intensely as if there is nobody in this world for you excepting God. And then always discriminate between what is permanent and what is temporary. And then every action that we do, it is meant only to know who I am. These four commandments, for what purpose? God realization is the sole aim of human life. What Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says. These are the five commandments of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

The Practice

So what is the Samit, firewood? Regular sādhana. So approach a guru, get the directions. What does the guru do? He gives the directions. Move in this direction. And that is what is it. Every day do japa, dhyāna. Study scriptures and discriminate. And then you perform your duties in a spirit of detachment, Śivajñāne jīva sevā, Vaiṣṇava, etc., etc. This is the Samit. And until we reach God, this fire has to be kept alive. The firewood has to be supplied. Sādhana has to be done. Sādhana, when it ends in God-realization, comes to an end. Until that time, we have to carry on.

The Smoke: Signs of Progress

Then as we start traveling towards God, and as we go on adding firewood, Dhūma arises. Smoke arises. What does smoke indicate? Yatra dhūmaḥ tatra agniḥ (Where there is smoke, there is fire). Wherever there is smoke, there is fire. So the smoke should indicate that there is a fire. Even if you see smoke coming from the mouth of a fellow, there is something burning there, good or bad. So that is what we have to understand. The fire is lit and it is working and the visible sign that the fire is going on is this Dhūma.

So what is this Dhūma? Our various reactions to our meditation, repetition of God's name, study of the scriptures—and slowly, slowly we get various ideas. Maybe at first very vague, just like smoke covers up, but smoke indicates a very important point. Fire is going up. Without fire, there would be no smoke.

And various some small, small experiences, emotional outbursts also come. Say as an example, in the case of thinking about Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, I am meditating for a long time and every day it is a hard task. But now and then I get extraordinary more happiness, joy spontaneously and then I feel very good. I feel life is full of joy. So this is just like smoke, sometimes small, sometimes big smoke, etc. So various sādhanas that I do in order to keep up my firewood. So that is called smoke.

The Flame: Growing Attraction to God

So Arciḥ. And slowly, slowly, as you go on doing, you know, in Indian households, at least earlier, you go on blowing the air, "oof, oof," like that. And then the embers start glowing. And then slowly they catch and become into a flame.

What is that flame? Our attraction to God grows, our yearning grows, and correspondingly our spiritual practice also grows. We can imagine like that.

The Embers: Growing Devotion

Then Aṅgāra. Aṅgāra means what? So embers will be there. That is to say, even the fire that leaves some leavings will be there behind. That is called embers. So what is the ember? It contains tremendous potential fire and still the charcoal is burning, charcoal but burning. So slowly, slowly our life is being cooked in this embers. Devotion grows. So like that, the Aṅgāra will be there.

The Sparks: Higher Visions and Transformation

Then Viṣphuliṅga—sparks. What is sparks? Sometimes we have higher visions. Sometimes we have got what you call very divine dreams, etc. With regard to this Aṅgāra or embers, as our devotion grows, some things grow. You know what grows?

When we study the same scripture, which we have been studying earlier, that scripture becomes more understandable. What you have understood after studying gospel ten years back, it is not the same understanding now. But if it is the same understanding, that means the fire is dead, there are no embers, there is no Arciḥ, etc.

So, our life becomes transformed. Previously, the slightest, some unpleasant event makes me get angry, makes me upset. But now, it takes a long time for that effect to come. That means I am gaining Śama-Dama more and more. In fact, all the Sādhana-catuṣṭaya-sampat will be growing. This is the result of Viṣphuliṅga.

And why say? Because Viṣphuliṅga means the sparks. The sparks always come out and become visible even from a distance. So this is how we have to imagine that our life is a yajña. Our body is turned into fire. Our mind also is turned into fire. And we stroke the scriptures, Guru Upadeśa, Satsaṅgatva, discrimination, etc. And slowly embers start glowing and then smoke starts coming. That means other people can see something happening in this person's life. And then sometimes the flames come up. Aṅgāra. And then we understand, people understand, we also understand, some progress is taking place. And finally, our understanding becomes very good.

The Nature of Imagination and Reality

So this is just an imaginary substitution for what Pravāhaṇa Jaivali is trying to tell. In fact, that is the correct understanding. This is how we have to transform our imagination.

After all, something you have to understand here clearly. Everything is an imagination. "I love somebody" is an imagination. "Somebody loves me" is an imagination. "I am happy" is an imagination. "I am unhappy" is also imagination.

Understanding Dreams and Reality

Lest you may not understand what I am talking—again and again, I have to repeat many times. Supposing you have nice dinner, went to bed, and the food was good and very suitable, and your body is very healthy, and then you go to bed, you have a dream. Imagine you have a dream. And then imagine that you have gone to a nice place and then you are enjoying the place very nicely. Very nice people. So that is, is it an imagination or is it a fact?

Or it could be also somebody is—a tiger is chasing you and then you are frightened, you are crying, shouting, etc., etc. That is also an imagination. Imagination means a concrete thought is called an imagination. If there is no concreteness, it is called daydream. If it is a concreteness, it is called night dream. That is the only difference.

The Ultimate Truth

So whether somebody loves me, I don't know. But if I think someone is loving me or somebody is also hating me, then it is my imagination. In this world actually, nobody loves, nobody hates. You have to understand that great fact. Do I love somebody? No, no. I love somebody because that person becomes the cause of my happiness, my own happiness.

So that is why in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, in the fourth, this Ātman is the most dear, dearer than a son, dearer than anything in this world. It is a beautiful topic. When we take Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, we can analyze those beautiful portions.

But what I am trying to tell you here, that everything—"I am this body," is also a dream. "I am having a mind," is a dream. "I am happy," "I am unhappy." "I am married," "I am not married." "I am good," "I am bad." Everything is a thought in the mind. What is a thought? It is nothing but an imagination.

Why do we say imagination? Because fact is, there is—I don't love anybody, there is nobody else. Only Ātman is there. I don't hate anybody. It is only the Ātman. There is nobody else.

Summary: Life as Yajña

Anyway, the whole point is that life is a Yajña and that Yajña can be for good or evil, for evolution or involution. We can go down. That is why Holy Mother says, those people who suffer, it is all Karmaphala. Suffering is the result of Karmaphala. And Holy Mother says, as Veda-vacana (the words of the Vedas), every word is...

When the disciple asks, "Everything is Karmaphala?" she says, "Yes, what else?" And that Karmaphala depends on karma. And that karma depends upon our concept of what should be done, what should not be done, whether I should have faith in the scriptures or should not have faith in the scriptures.

The Transformation

So let us imagine life is a Yajña. So many lives I have spent for Preyas. Now let me turn it into Śreyas. Then I must put forth Satsaṅga, Nididhyāsana, exclamation and Śivajñāna, jīva-śiva—this is the Samit.

Then slowly smoke will arise. That means the fire is slowly catching on and I am progressing in spiritual life. And then Viṣphuliṅga will, what is called a little bit of flame will come out. Now and then we have spiritual experiences. So that is called the flame.

And then the side effects, there will be a lot of sparks. That means the way we sit, the way we walk, the way we act and react with other people, that indicates that our life has become a spiritual yajña. And slowly we are progressing.

In the Viṣphuliṅga, as I said, beautiful dreams of gods and goddesses. Or it could be deeper understanding of the scriptures and more tolerance towards the worldly effects that affect us. All these things are sparks that indicate we are in the right direction and progressing slowly.

Beautiful concept of yajña.

Conclusion

And then we will go deep into the Upaniṣadic mantras from next class onwards.

Closing Prayer