Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 21 on 03 August 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Chandogya Upanishad, which belongs to the Sama Veda. In our earlier classes, we have been studying in the very first chapter about some Upasanas. As we discussed earlier, from the first to the fifth chapters of the Chandogya Upanishad, it is a preparatory stage for the knowledge of Brahman, what we call in normal language Sadhana. In the Upanishadic language, Sadhana is called Upasana. As Sadhanas are many, Upasanas are also many. Every Upasana consists of, of course, three divisions. The person who is a Upasaka or Sadhaka, and the object upon which he wants to meditate, approach slowly, slowly, nearer to that object, which generally we call Chosen Deity, our particular concept of God, and the process by which our body and mind, both can be attuned, so that slowly we lose our individuality and become completely one with our Chosen Deity. This process of shedding the individuality, or we can also say giving up identity with the gross body, which acts in the waking state, and giving up identity with the subtle body, which functions in the dream state, giving up identity with the deep sleep state, Sushupti state, through the causal body, and what remains? The being who is identifying all this time with these three states and saying, I am an individual, and at the same time, I am part of the entire nature. Now the emphasis is, give up the individuality and become one with the universal or cosmic. When we succeed in disidentifying ourselves as this particular individual body and identifying ourselves with the entire universe or universal body, cosmic body, we are called Virat Purusha. When we similarly give up our identity with our subtle body, called mind, and thereby give up that state of experience called the dream state, or the state of identifying ourselves with the universe in the mind, thoughts about the universe in the mind, and become identified with the universal mind, called Hiranyagarbha. And similarly, progressing further, we who used to think that I am the sleeper, I am the causal body, slowly give up this identification that is called Prajna, and identify ourselves with the universal, which is called Ishwara. Thus, the purpose of Sadhana, which is the same as Upasana, is to shed our separate identity and become one with the universal identity. And when we succeed completely merging ourselves with Ishwara, and Ishwara represents the Virat and the Hiranyagarbha, of course, what we call Saguna Brahma, the personal God. That is all we have to do. And Ishwara knows, I am also the formless. I am both with form, without form, also beyond the form. Then Sadhana is over. That is called Siddhi, perfection, that is called Sakshatkara, direct identification, in the form of Aham Brahmasmi. Until that time, the Guru guides him. You have to do the first step, second step, third step, and then we reach that final, which is to say, I am. I am not this or that or anything else, but I am. That is the most wonderful summary of what is called Sadhana, whether it be Hindu Sadhana, Christian Sadhana, Islamic Sadhana, Buddhist Sadhana, doesn't matter what name we give. It is to identify ourselves with the larger whole and remain there. And then what is that knowledge? I am Brahman. And even a Sadhaka, having reached this state, doesn't say that I am Brahman. Only when we are with this body-mind, we are able to say, I am Brahman. Just as a person in deep sleep never says, I am in deep sleep, but he becomes one with the deep sleep. So this is the process. This is the crux, the summary, the essence of any Sadhana, otherwise here called Upasana. And since people are many, mentalities are many, approaches are many, so the Upanishads give various Upasanas. Not that one Upasana, one single Upasana is prescribed for everybody. No. Different Upasanas. So that complete freedom, I want to choose what Upasana I would like to accept, adopt, tread, and reach that highest identity. That is completely left to the individual. This is one of the foundational pillars of Hinduism or Vedanta, the theory of the Ishta Devata. And this is what Sri Ramakrishna's crux of the teaching. As many paths or faiths, as many faiths, so many paths. If anybody tries to restrain, that person will be creating havoc. That person can become a fanatic. If a person is fanatic and doesn't express it, that is okay. But if the person, when he becomes a fanatic, he wants to impose what he thinks is the one and the only path. That is when problems start, quarrels, wars, involving the murder, the killing of millions, if not billions of beings, both human as well as non-human. Why do I say that? Because non-humans are being killed every day for the satisfaction of our taste, not thinking that we are murdering ourselves bit by bit. Anyway, in the past classes, we have treated the first section of the first chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad. In the very first section, how to contemplate on Omkara, the details of which we get in the Mandukya Karikas as elaborated by Gaudapada Acharya. There are also many other Upanishads. Then later on, we have taken up what is called Vaishvanara Upasana. Vaishvanara means an individual human being. Vaishvanara means Vishwa, means universal. So that becomes Vaishwa, universal. A human being shedding his individuality slowly becomes identified. This we have in fair detail had discussed about it. What is it? Any action done by any one of us, actually the action of the universal person called also Vishnu, or we can say Ishwara himself. In every religion practically, there are indications of it. Though we read, we hear, we study, it doesn't seem to strike our minds properly. So what is it said? As you reap as you sow. This is called Karma Siddhanta. What does it mean? Because the whole universe is one, if anybody hurts, harms others, he will reap, he will be hurt. Just as if I strike myself, my right hand strikes any part of my body, then I will only suffer. This is the real truth. This is also called practice of morality. But the real understanding should be I am nothing. That is the Lord, God, Ishwara, Divine Mother who is doing everything. When the beautiful Bengali song is sung, this is being expressed explicitly that whatever is going on, a person is eating. Who is eating? Divine Mother. Person is speaking. Who is speaking? Divine Mother. I also give the examples of Sri Ramakrishna. When somebody thanked him for a beautiful teaching, he said, I know nothing. It is my Divine Mother who speaks. I am just an instrument. I am the chariot. You are the chariot here. So this is the essence. What is it? Whatever we do, whatever any person does, that becomes an action of the Vaishvanarathna. This is the first way of expression. But the real way of expression is whatever is done by us is actually done by God only. This is not only elaborated, but given proof by Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad Gita. Just as a chess player goes on playing with the pieces on the chess board, so the Lord is playing the whole world. Only in this analogy, the opponents are both the chess players. It is only God. God as A. God as B. Funny thing, there are what is called world's best chess players. Sometimes there are competitions where the same chess player will be going around. There may be 100 chess players, fairly advanced chess players, not as experts, at the world's best. And then he goes from one place to another twice. He understands. This person, these are the moves, and for that his mind has already gone. If I make this move, on my 50th move, this king will be checkmated. Then he goes to the next. It is just a play for him. It doesn't take much time. Here in this case, both the opposites are Ishwara only. Similarly, two enemy kings. It is Ishwara only. The fight between the Jews and the Muslims. The Israel and the Hamas. From the Upanishadic point of view, it is only Ishwara really playing. It is very hard to understand. Harder to believe. Hardest to digest. But the truth is, that is the truth. So that is why, such a deep meaning is there. So, in meditation, by any individual, on the cosmic or Vishwanara means, every function that is going on in the individual is ultimately inseparable from the universal. And meditation, what is meditation? It is being aware, being conscious that what I am doing is only God doing. I will also give some examples of this one. So this is the essence of the Vaishvanara Upasana and this is what Swami Vivekananda had meant. Each soul is potentially divine. Life is an opportunity to manifest this divinity which is within each one of us. And how to do it? There are infinite ways, but usually they are classified into four paths. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga. Swami Vivekananda says, do this. Manifest this divinity either through work or worship or psychic control or philosophy by one, more, or all of these and be free. This is the truth about it. And such a marvelous truth has been discovered not only by Vedas, but practically every religion has produced what is called mystics. So for example, simple example, St. Francis of Assisi had meditated upon Jesus Christ and he became identified with Him and so the symptoms of Christ's stigmata had also become manifest in St. Francis. Was he the only one? No. It is Bhairavi Brahmani when she was guiding Sri Ramakrishna in the Vaishnava path. Sri Ramakrishna's body had started burning occasionally at least so far as I know three times. Intolerable burning sensation. And Bhairavi Brahmani when she came to know about it she said, my child, these are all real symptoms and they have been experienced not only by you, but by many people in the past, many great mystics and I can show, I can read out to you from the Vaishnava scriptures and I can also tell you how they had overcome this problem and peculiar thing. Once Sri Ramakrishna was suffering from this intolerable burning pain. Even he used to say, I used to go into the Ganges, put a wet towel on my head and just breathing only otherwise the whole body is immersed in the Ganga and Ganga is quite cold. But even then I suffered terribly and when Bhairavi Brahmani came to know about it, what did she do? She just took him to a room and then put a fragrant garlands made up of very fragrant flowers and pasted sandalwood paste all over his body and miraculously the burning sensation had disappeared and only when I read this it struck me. Why? Especially in South India in every temple God or Goddess is really speaking kgs and kgs tons of sandalwood paste is made, both white as well as red and put thickly upon the images. Why? Because out of His infinite compassion, God is absorbing all the sins and the body can be burnt. Is it true that a stone image feels? Because who is calling it a stone image? Only ignorant people like us. But there are stories in Sri Ramakrishna's life. Once he was watching one boatman had given a big blow upon a weaker boatman and the effects were felt on the body of Sri Ramakrishna. Of course Sri Ramakrishna was not an image but there was a Maharashtrian woman saint and her husband was beating. She only remembering Pandurang Vithala, that is Krishna's another name and then the priests were bathing and the blood started oozing out from the backside of the stone image. Well those who are sceptical they will ever remain sceptical and those who believe they will believe in it. There is nothing called a stone and incidentally I also mentioned Ramakrishna was one day walking on the banks of the Ganga and he saw that somebody was following, something was following him so he glanced, he did not see but there was a stone and from the corner of his eyes he noticed whenever he was going forward the stone also was jumping and following him. He could not believe his eyes he rubbed them and carefully observed when he moves forward the stone also was moving forward. What does it mean? It means there is nothing called stone or living or dead everything is pure consciousness and if we have the eyes to see we can see ghosts we can also see the stones a particular manifestation of consciousness at all. So, what are we talking about? That Vaishyanar Vidya Upasana what is Upasana and can we progress in spiritual life without Upasana? No just as we have to go to the roof through the staircase we have to climb the steps of the ladder to go to the roof or to reach a higher ground so also it is impossible to reach God. That gradual approach to God is called Upasana otherwise called Sadhana because there are infinite number of individuals infinite number of paths infinite number of Sadhanas infinite number of Upasanas. So a few of them have been explained. Even today a person who meditates on a Salagrama or a Shiva Linga or a Sri Yantra, he can also reach the same state. Anyway, the essence of it is to become one with the identify oneself with the universal and feel that I am not acting it is God who is acting there is a beautiful hymn about which I mentioned it is there as a hymn on Lord Shiva If I move my hands I am doing as per service to you and if my legs are moving I am going round and round you if I am speaking I am hymning you with beautiful stotras. So do we always speak only good words what we call impure words are also coming well even an impure word is made up of the same alphabet it is not the words that are problematic it is the ideas associated with the words that is the real problem. That is why when we were talking about Taittiriya Upanishad the very first discipline is how to pronounce properly and then Upanishad doesn't stop there now you learnt how to pronounce and six conditions are imposed what is called in that Siksha, how to pronounce what emphasis what speed and what type of volume and how to not to break, where to break where not to break etc so they all belong to the six limbs of what is called Vedanga in order to understand any particular Veda that is Hindu scripture one has to be first having at least some knowledge nodding knowledge of these six Siksha Vyakarana, Nirukta Chandas etc etc which we will talk about perhaps in our Taittiriya Upanishad class I really wanted to tell you first become a cultured person cultured way of speaking has a tremendous cosmic effect that is why Sairam Krishna in his simple, what appears to be very simple words he goes on telling even if you encounter a lame man there is a way of addressing him and say uncle how come you are having this problem hey lame fellow tell me what mischief you have done so that you have become this lame there is a way words come because of our thoughts and thoughts are the outcome of our mental culture Samskriti that is why the very language is called Samskruta refined language refined thoughts refined language leads to refined thoughts and refined thoughts generally lead to refined speech and refined speech has a tremendous effect upon what we call our actions but there is something even more as William James the 19th century psychologist in America had discovered that our thoughts produce gestures in our physical body and consciously adopting these gestures and practicing them also bring about corresponding change in our words, in our thoughts and in our very outlook upon life that is why there are certain types of what is called both music as well as dance, for example Bharatanatyam, I don't know how to translate it into English language it is one form of dancing and what does it consist of? It is only gestures that is what we call all these with hands and eyes, the expression of the eyes, etc etc, this is called Mudra with hands now a Rishi had discovered it, he was called Bharata Rishi that is why it is called Bharatanatyam so what William James was telling that if you are angry, your hand automatically becomes a fist and pointing to the person upon whom we are angry but if we are very affectionate like a loving mother towards the baby then her very look, her very eyesight, her very what is called intonation everything becomes absolutely loving towards the baby if we go on practicing those things then correspondingly it brings about a mental effect and William James more or less gave a beautiful example so you go on making a fist and then go on shouting pretending that you are shouting pretending that you are angry and this pretense of being angry ultimately makes a person very angry also, mentally so taking advantage of this, these various types of Upasanas on the Yantra, on the Mantra, on the Tantra etc that is the whole purpose of worship because Upasanas in the beginning stage of Upasana is called what we call Pooja and there are also several Mudras like Matsya Mudra Korma Mudra etc but so many Mudras are there, while offering food also we have to show so many Mudras those who are watching from outside they will, what is this person doing with his fingers, with his hands but if we explore that we will be astonished how marvelously this is a way of bringing about a change in our entire outlook and physically when we do that it becomes mentally also altering our consciousness towards a higher level of consciousness that is the purpose of what we call Pooja and modern times we call it Pooja and earlier times they used to call it Yajnas, Yagas and during that time these Upasanas are very common, that is why they are called two types of Upasanas Karmanga, that is when they are doing Yajna, Yaga etc Karma, some Karma and Karma means Ritual Ritual and this particular way of doing things how to arrange bricks etc in Kathopurusha we have seen forms the very first part of the Vedas etc so nobody can advance towards self knowledge until we practice these Upasanas and what is the Upasana? like climbing a staircase gradually leaving behind our identity with the limitations and slowly moving towards the unlimited both in the form of time and also space and along with that goes also causation, that is the purpose of this Vaishvanara Agni means let me become the universal at the moment what is bondage, I think I am the individual, how to get rid of all the consequences of limitations Desha, Kaala, Nimitta only by shedding our individual identities this is beautifully explained in the Taittiriya Upanishad second chapter Brahmananda Valli but more elaborately in the third chapter called Bhrigu Valli where as if we are putting on or the soul has covered itself with five types of dresses starting with Annamaya, Pranamaya Manomaya, Vignanamaya and Anandamaya what is spiritual practice slowly identifying ourselves with the universal at the Annamaya kosha and then shedding and going inside then individual Pranamaya then universal Pranamaya individual Manomaya universal Manomaya individual Vignanamaya then transcending that universal Vignanamaya then individual Anandamaya and finally with the universal Anandamaya which is called Ishwara which is also called Saguna Brahma which is also called the Divine Mother what marvelous pathways are shown to us now I said before we start the Chandogya Prashad I will give a few examples in today I am going to deal with Pranagni Vidya so a specific action that any action that is taken up by us can be converted into Prana Agnihotra or the sacrificial offering to the universal fire what does it mean we used the word action action means doing something doing something means conversion of energy into a particular type of action is called action so it is the conversion of energy and that energy is called Prana so the Chandogya Prashad 5th chapter we get from the 19th to 24th chapters this Prana Agnihotra Vidya a marvelous this thing and here like in the 4th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita where every devotee practically belonging to any particular section of Hindu society they do this Brahma Arpanam Brahma Havihi or simply put together offering to God but the word Brahma Arpanam is called the highest type of Agni and it is usually it is done only just before taking food as an example not that it should be done only before taking food you are breathing Brahma Arpanam can be done you are walking Brahma Arpanam can be done so you are seeing you are smelling you are hearing you are tasting you are touching so it offering food is only one aspect of this what we call tasting Shabda Sparsha Rupa Rasa Gandha identify them with the 5 elements of which the whole entire cosmos is the creation is the manifestation and each one of us is only a part of that manifestation we always forget the world is not different from us we are part of the world just as any part of an engine if it is disturbed then the engine will not work properly so if any one of us malfunction then entire universe will be affected and the consequence of that will be our karma phala individual karma phala so that is what is going to be pointed out especially with reference to one particular action called food now what happens is especially Brahmins for eating food then they will take what is called each morsel first 5 morsels they are not supposed to open their mouth and swallow it so they have to say Pranayaswaha, Apanayaswaha Vyanayaswaha, Udanayaswaha Samanayaswaha that is this is an offering to one particular aspect of Prana, function of Prana called Prana then this is for the Apana, Vyana Udana Samana Prana is one but depending upon what type of function it is mainly doing it is given a particular name so this Prana, Apana, Vyana Udana Samana refer to 5 specific functions of the Prana so here in the context of taking food this is given and as I said just now Brahma Pranam is not confined only to what is called a Rasa that is only eating but any action Shabda, hearing Sparsha, touching Rupa, seeing, tasting of course Rasa and smelling that means our whole life is only going through these 5 types of actions and their consequences they can be bondage or they can be liberation depending upon how we do it so how do we get liberation with this action if we can somehow inject this Prana Agni Vidya Prana Agnihotra Vidya and just practice it with eating food and slowly become expert in that and extend it to every type of the sense organ after all body is nothing but sense organ we contact the world with the 5 sense organs etc so this particular meditation which comes in the 5th chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad from sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 5 chapters this is called Prana Agnihotra Vidya or Upasana so this Upanishad Chandogya Upanishad makes out that this Agnihotra is what is happening perpetually taking place in our own bodies of which we have to be conscious how do we become conscious not that this Agnihotra goes on only when we consciously remember consciously or unconsciously who is breathing Prana is breathing who is digesting Prana is digesting who is acting Prana is acting who is throwing out Prana is throwing out who is distributing all energy Prana is distributing this is only just as a sample so whether my legs move, hands move or any part of my body moves any what is called sense organ of action or knowledge function is all because of the Prana and if we can associate it consciously that I am not doing it, it is a Divine Lord who is doing it, it becomes a part of the Upasana and when we become perfect then it becomes automatic just as we breathe, we don't breathe actually with consciousness awareness unless of course a person is suffering from asthma or some breathing problems, it is an automatic function but whatever we do we are doing automatically only we talk automatically, we eat automatically and we do most of the things automatically and what is spiritual life to remove this automation and do it with complete awareness that is called spiritual life, you do any mantra and any type of sadhana, this is the crux of the matter and a few examples are given and these Upasanas as I mentioned one can take up according to one's taste and Upanishads are very generous they will give you now in the Vedic lore this fire is very important and the fire is equated with Prana, so in the Vedic times three types of fires, I will not go into details but just I am mentioning Garhapatya, Anvaharya Pachana and Ahavaniya, every person, Brahmana especially upper caste person who is doing leading a normal householder's life, he should maintain these three fires that's why they are called household fires and those fires in those fires one has to offer things and when something is offered into these fires a mantra is uttered that is called Swaha, so when we are eating something this first five morsels Pranayaswaha, Apanayaswaha Yanayaswaha, Udanayaswaha Samanayaswaha that is what we need to do and I just want to give you a few samples, the Sanskrit how it goes, just a few, so Prathama Ahuthin Juhayatutam Juhayat Pranayaswaha Iti Pranah Tripyati Prane Tripyati Chakshu Tripyati Chakshushi Tripyati Aditya Tripyati Aditya Tripyati Deohu Tripyati Divi Tripyatiyam Yatkinchat, Dauscha, Adishcha Aditishtat Tat Tripyati Tashi Anutriptin, Tripyati Prajaya Pasubhi, Anadhyena Tejasah, Brahmavarcha Sena Iti, what does it mean that if anybody devoutly says first morsel I am offering to Prana Prana, what is called Saguna Brahma, Divine Mother or Rama I am offering it to Jesus and that is what Jesus Christ said that whatever my flesh my blood, He is not telling every flesh is my flesh every blood is my blood so offer it I am offering it so when we are thinking about our flesh we have to think this is not my flesh this is not my blood this is Jesus himself this is called following or imitating Christ, imitation of Christ there is a beautiful book in this 19th section of the 5th chapter God says first when a devoted sadhaka spiritual aspirant sits and starts doing this is only an example I said for eating food he will sit and then what does he do first morsel before putting he will think of the Pranayasvaha I am offering it to Prana and then Prana becomes satisfied and then when Prana becomes satisfied the I is satisfied when the I is satisfied the God of the I, Aditya the Sun God becomes satisfied when Aditya is satisfied the whole Antariksha the whole Akasha space becomes satisfied and when everything gets satisfied the whole climate becomes satisfied and when the whole climate becomes satisfied that there would be proper rains there would be proper growth of the all the food materials everybody Prajaya all the beings not only humans, non-humans then everything becomes satisfied when everything becomes satisfied we become satisfied and our mind becomes highly satisfied we get the highest joy if we really do that then such a person is blessed by God by lot of animals, plenty of food and then spiritual splendor and Brahma Varchasena finally with the knowledge of the Brahma the same thing we have to apply to the other things also so this is just a sample then when the second morsel is eaten then what do you say? Vyana is Vaha. So same thing follows whatever I have spoken about the first section then we will go to the third morsel what we will say? Apana is Vaha fourth morsel before eating, Samana is Vaha that is another function of the Prana Prana only and then finally then fifth offering with the fifth morsel then Udana is Vaha then what happens that by that the whole universe becomes satisfied, everybody becomes satisfied and everybody's happiness becomes my happiness and I will be endowed with everything that is blessed. This is the what is called essence and then what is called squeezing the essence of these five mantras the Chatur Vimsha the fourth Khanda what does it say? The person who does this Agnihotra while eating without knowing the meaning of this one, that means selfishly he is eating then what happens? Just as something very nice you cook and the whole thing falls into fire and becomes ashes, turned to ashes, that is what we call when we hear some horrible news, whatever we are enjoying, it turns into ashes in our mouth, in English language we say that one so Yatha Angaaraan Apohya Bhasmani Juhiyat Tadra Siyat when something is poured into the ashes it becomes ashes, that means he will not get, not only he will not get the result, but he will get the opposite result but Ya Eta Devam Vidvan Agnihotram Juhothi Tasya Sarveshu Lokeshu Sarveshu Bhuteshu Sarveshu Atmasu Udambhauti but when a person with full knowledge offers that is he is eating and he doesn't say I am eating I am offering to Lord Vishnu he is eating and Vishnu becomes completely satisfied and then when Vishnu is satisfied the whole universe becomes satisfied all his impurities are completely they turn into ashes that means he will be free from all the whatever impure activities he has done and then so even if such a person eats the uchishta of a chandala then that chandala also becomes, low caste person also becomes blessed and then this person of course not to speak, he will also become and in the end the Chandogya Upanishad is closing this one Yatha Iha Kshudita Bala Mataram Pariyupasate so just as a hungry baby approaches the mother with that baleful eyes Evam Sarvani Bhutani Agnihotram Upasate Agnihotram Upasate so just like that every being in this world considers this person who is performing this kind of Upasana as a small child and everybody runs, we see this crystal clearly in the life of Bhagwan Krishna when he was a child it is said when he is hungry, so beautifully expressed every gopi in that locality her breasts are filled with milk and she is running like a mad woman to feed Krishna, why? because he identified himself with everybody where did this happen? of course you may question we never heard this thing first time we are hearing I am referring to when Brahma unable to understand Krishna's glory, who Krishna was has hidden the entire, what is called the children, male children and the cows and the cows of entire Gokula in a cave leaving Krishna alone thinking what he is going to do then Krishna himself assumed everybody's form and it is such a marvelous description, I cannot I don't have words to speak about it and all other days the mothers were praying to God, prayer after prayer, let this rascal come a bit late O Lord, the moment he comes my whole life is upset but the day Krishna had assumed and returning, unaware what they are doing they are running looking forward where is my child, where is my child I cannot bear so much milk is coming out of me, I cannot withstand this pain how quickly I can feed my child similarly the cows, the cows because cows were also Krishna cows were also Krishna and other days we don't know how much milk the cows were giving that day, so unending streams of milk were flowing automatically and probably the cows which is none other than Krishna himself is drinking wholeheartedly liters and liters after liters of this one that beautiful description if you can just refer in the 10th chapter of this Bhagavatam Dashamaskandha then you will become blessed so this is the result of Pranagnihotra whoever does it becomes a child adored in the whole universe terms, why? because it is not the individual anymore it is Bhagawan Vishnu himself so all the gods and goddesses are ready to please him automatically and that is the meaning so just a beautiful analogy Prana as we saw is given 5 different names according to the activities known, they are called Prana Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana is one single Prana working as 5 different functions, 5 vital energies, so with each morsel Pranayasvaha, Yanayasvaha Udanayasvaha, Apanayasvaha Samanayasvaha, etc the first morsel Pranayasvaha, what happens when the Prana is satisfied when this mantra is uttered, I am offering to Prana, just as a devotee, I am offering it to Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna will be pleased, Holy Mother will be pleased, Swamiji will be pleased, direct disciples will be pleased, all the devotees will be pleased and that's why we call it Prasada even the any ordinary devotee also becomes eager feels blessed by eating the Prasada because it is sanctified food coming from the deity Ramakrishna himself and that is what happens, all beings are satisfied because it is the Prasada of the Divine Lord so when the Prana is satisfied Upanishad says so because of the invisible inward connection of the individual especially here in this case, the first morsel, the eyes are satisfied when the Prana is satisfied the eyes are satisfied when the eyes are satisfied the sun is satisfied this is a translation of what I quoted earlier and because the sun according to Vedic lore is the Adhishtana Devata is the deity of the eyes, when sun is satisfied the whole atmosphere is satisfied and because he is the presiding deity of the entire atmosphere, when the entire atmosphere is satisfied, whatever is the support of both the atmosphere and the sun is also satisfied heaven itself is satisfied and with this little act of taking food, with this feeling that I am offering it to Prana in a meditative fashion what happens? happiness as it were, the reaction comes what is the reaction? the glow as it were, the person who is offering is happy and the person who is hearing is happy the person who will receive the Prasada is happy, the waters are happy the winds are happy the sun is happy, the atmosphere is happy, all beings are happy and we are also happy and such a person will be bestowed endowed with wealth, lustre glory, plenty and power, apply this to all the other sections, only thing is second morsel Vyana Asvaha, then what happens the Vyana is responsible for the movement of the blood stream in our body then what happens? ears are satisfied then everything that is around us in the form of the directions from which sounds come is satisfied and all the causes are satisfied and then the meditator is filled with plenty, prosperity, power and glory as Vaishvanara is satisfied, same apply third morsel to the Apana Asvaha, Apana is related to speech when speech or walk is satisfied fire is satisfied because fire is the god of the speech and then when fire is satisfied, the source of fire, that is the very earth is satisfied, all beings are satisfied and with the fourth morsel Samana Asvaha then what happens? Samana is satisfied, mind is satisfied because mind is the presiding deity of the Samana everything connected with the mind the rain god, the heavens are satisfied and then higher realm is satisfied then such a person is endowed with the results as mentioned earlier then with the fifth one Udana is offered Udana Asvaha, then that is Sparsha the touching, the sense organ of touch is satisfied and its deity is Vayu, air when air is satisfied, sky is satisfied, when sky is satisfied, everything is satisfied, when everything is satisfied, all actions are satisfied and everybody will be satisfied such a person will be completely what we call is bubbling with joy and the person who does this he will be, his whole life will be transformed into the greatest happiness this is the essence which I will a little more, some examples I want to give, I will do that in our next class Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagad Gurum Adapadmetayo Saritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Jai Ramakrishna