Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 22 on 04 August 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have been studying the Chandogya Upanishad in our last class yesterday. We have covered up, first we covered up the essence of the Vaishnava Naravidya. Each one of us have to become, transit from the individual to the universal. That is the essence of Vaishnava Nara Upasana. Then we also had discussed that there is nothing called an individual. There is nothing called an individual action. So these three, the individual, the world outside and the presiding deities who become an unbreakable, inseparable triangle. Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. That knowledge should be obtained. Then we go out of bondage. And then we realize that there is no separate person. I am the only one. So for that an example is given. When we sit to eat food, especially the Brahmins, but every devotee, every person who believes in God, even the Christians, when they sit for eating anything, they should say grace. Similarly, Islam also, they call it, it is a sacrifice, halal. That is like our Mahavidya, offering to food and it becomes sacred. The idea is there in every religion. Why? Because every religion had definitely produced great saints who realized the highest truth. Whether we realize it or not, their teachings are absolutely the same. That is why the very utterance of every Muslim, means something can happen only by the grace of Allah, by the will of Allah. That is the essence. So whenever, especially the Brahmins, of course in the olden days, some people even now they do it, method what is called mechanically, not really doing any type of contemplation. So the first five morsels, I am not eating, but I am offering it to Prana or five aspects of the Prana. But who created this food? Food means the entire universe. Who created? The entire universe is created by the Divine Mother or Ishwara or the personal God, also called God. He is the generator. He is the organizer and He is the destroyer. Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. So He only has manifested or is manifesting in the form of creation, sustenance and dissolution. This is called Brahma Chakra. Continuously this wheel of transmigration is going on and on and on. So who created the wheel? Brahman himself has become the wheel. And who is hanging on the wheel? Brahman only is hanging on the wheel. Who is moving the wheel? It is only the God, Brahma, who is moving the wheel. There is a beautiful, as I said earlier, that every utterance of Sri Ramakrishna can be traced to the Upanishads because He is God and what comes from God is called Veda or in other religions it is called the scripture and it is nothing but manifestation of God's aspect of Chit or knowledge. Now Sri Ramakrishna, he says, many examples are there. I am going to give those examples also. He used to believe everything is the will of God and that has been stated in the Bhagavad Gita also. So many people have experienced when Sri Ramakrishna was eating, he was not eating but he was offering. But who was the offerer? That is also Brahman. What is offered? That is also Brahman. Unto which or into which it is offered? That is also Brahman. So every teaching is that it is the Divine Mother who is manifesting as the creation, sustenance and dissolution. So every upper class person, before eating food, he should utter with the first morsel Pranayasvaha, second morsel Dhyanayasvaha, third morsel Udanayasvaha, fourth morsel Apanayasvaha, fifth morsel Samanayasvaha. And who are these five? They are manifestations of what is called Hiranyagarbha, popularly known as Vayu. Vayu means the God of Air. But in Sanskrit we call it Pranavayu, our very prana, our life. Life means both a vital energy as well as consciousness combined together is called prana. So this universal prana is called Ishwara or Hiranyagarbha or Brahma or whatever name, blessed name we want to give. So He is only creating the food, He is only sustaining all the creatures and He is only eating and He is only working. So everything is done by Him only but because of some terrible power, we consider, no, I am doing it. This unnecessary I that intervenes in between God's work, that is the real problem. But that is also His sport, divine sport only. So this is the Pranagnihotra, how we have to offer. Even though food is given as an example, but we should not confine it only to the offering of food. I am breathing, that is also because of Pranavayu. That is why in the Shanti Mantra, Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmasi O Vayu, I am declaring that you are the perceptible, experienceable, direct Brahman in the form of Vayu. That same Vayu within each one of us is manifesting as Mukhya Prana, performing five important functions. What are those functions? Or what is the purpose of those functions? To keep the life going on, to keep the activities going on. What is the purpose of the activities? So that God is playing hide and seek. So He hides from whom? From Himself. Imagine you are having a dream and in the dream there is a granny and some grandchildren and she ties every child, she covers the eyes of every child and then she says, what is the game? You have to touch me. Whoever touches me, that child will be free. He will be the winner in the game. And this is the game. This is the dream. And then in the dream, the granny is different, children are different, the cloth which binds the eyes is different and the space is different. Everything is different. But when we wake up, our own mind has divided itself into that dream world, everything in the dream world. And that is the best analogy and we have studied these beautiful concepts in the Mandokya Karika. So, in the course of discussing this Chandogya Upanishad, especially from the 1st to the 5th chapters, which contain plenty of Upasanas. What is an Upasana? That which makes a bridge so that we can walk over the bridge, cross over this Maya and ultimately reach our Creator and become one with Him and that travel through the bridge. Upasana not only becomes the bridge binding the individual with the universal but also it will urge us, it will help us, it will carry us like an escalator carries a person to the destination and it goes round and round and round. So, I think there is a beautiful analogy in this Samsara. Just you go to any modern shop and there will be several floors, 1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor and in modern shops, especially in the West, so many escalators will be there. So, it is continuously going round and round. Some people get in, some people get out but whoever stands, it slowly carries them, slowly but surely, to the destination and then again they come down also. And this game of entering into the Samsara and moving on and attaining liberation and again being born, it goes on and on and on. Don't get frightened. So, if I work so hard and then get liberation and then in the end, I have again to stand on the escalator, yes, but who is doing it? We are doing, each one of us are doing and when we do it, before we try to step on the escalator, what is our knowledge? This is a beautiful game. Every child knows, before what is called, Achadi Grani, that I am going to play a game. This is not a permanent binding. This is a joyous game and Brahman himself imagines, I want to play the game with myself. Like solitaire games. So, this is the purpose of Upasana. It is like the escalator, slowly but surely, willingly or unwillingly, on our part, takes us to our destination. So, we have discussed in the first chapter, rather first section, Udgeetha Aumkara Upasana. Then I wanted to give some examples. Then Vaishvanara Vidya, beautiful Vidya, everything is interconnected. There is nothing called individual, separate action and probably, I don't know, in the modern scientific terminology, it is called the butterfly effect or the perception of holistic attitude. That is, everything is interconnected with everything else. That is the essence of Vaishvanara Vidya. Then we have seen, on our part, we know the goal. We have come from the infinite. We have to travel back to the infinite. How to travel? With the help of the contemplations called Upasanas. And one of the Upasanas, there are many, one of the Upasanas is this particular Upasana, Vaishvanara Vidya, Udgeetha Aumkara Upasana, Pranagnihotra. Because, one of the most important activities of every living creature, in fact, I would say, until a person becomes a cultured human being, though the only goal in life seems to be eating and procreation and nothing else. But once a person becomes a bit thoughtful, introspective, then the person, he goes forward. Now, where from have I come? And where am I? And where am I supposed to go? Though every person makes an attempt, knowingly or unthinkingly or unknowingly. How? The three mantras called Abhyaroha Mantras, which occur in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, tell us crystal clearly. Asatoma Sadgamaya, Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya, Mrutyorma Amrutangamaya. These are the unconscious prayers of every living creature. Let me be mortal, let me be the repository of all knowledge or let me know, who am I? And let me be infinitely, eternally happy. These are the three desires, three in one, one in three. And whether we know it or not, all our struggle is whether we want money, we want partners, we want power and position. They are not wanted really. They are only stepping stones, so we think. They are steps in the ladder for us to gain these three. But when a human being finally discovers that these are not going to take us to what I really desire, they are not going to give me, then he gives up the quest in the outside world and now turns his attention to inside the world and then starts the inward journey, which is called Upasana. In today's class, I will try to give you another beautiful example, but in yesterday's class, I promised Pranagni Uttara Upasana to give some examples. Here are three examples I am giving because every time we discuss some profound Upanishadic teachings or anything that is profound, then we will have to take some living examples. So, I just wanted to mention there is a Christian spiritual classic called The Cloud of Unknowing. The Cloud of Unknowing. And anybody who attempts to read that book will be puzzled what is the author talking about and that's what exactly the Upanishads are talking about that they are not talking about Brahman, they are not talking about Atman, they are talking about me, you, everybody else. Self-knowledge. I am that Brahman. So, let us recall from the life of Sri Ramakrishna, Krishna and Holy Mother. Sri Ramakrishna was once coming back from a devotee's house from Calcutta to Dakshineswar by a boat and then on the way, they became very hungry. There were some devotees also. So they anchored the boat at what we call a Ghat and they were not really expecting to be hungry, so they just had a little bit of money. So they collected all the money that they were carrying and with that one person was sent out and then he brought a pot full of sweets. Of course, the first share should be offered to Sri Ramakrishna but to everyone's great surprise that instead of just taking a little bit, he ate up the whole lot and then probably belched. It is not given whether he belched or not. Like Krishna belched, so he belched meaning that I am completely satisfied and there is a verse, a beautiful verse Tasmin Tustey Jagat Tustam If God is pleased, every creature will be pleased because every creature is none other than God only. So the devotees were wondering what is this? One is supposed to be a saint and at least he should give. Okay, since you are the Guru you might take a larger share but absolutely nothing, we get nothing but to their great surprise as soon as Sri Ramakrishna finished and then probably belched, I don't know, that description was not there, I am adding it. Immediately, everybody felt all their hunger has miraculously disappeared and this is not one example like that so many and we do not know how many times it happened. Second example is of course in Mahabharata we get once Duryodhana had served a great sage called Durvasa and when Durvasa was pleased and then granted a boon unnecessarily unthinkingly and Duryodhana got the advantage and then he said that you go to Yudhishthira Pandavas after they have finished this food probably Duryodhana knows about the Akshaya Patra that Yudhishthira obtained from the sun and then demand food. How many of them? 101, one Guru 100 disciples and what type of people were there? Each one was like an elephant and then they entered and Durvasa now started regretting why did I unnecessarily promise this man, he is a wicked person anyway he went to fulfill the boon that he has given and demanded food. Now by that there was a special condition of that Akshaya Patra and the story is worth recollecting because there were so many Brahmins, elderly people who never wanted to leave the Pandavas and Yudhishthira how can he eat food without feeding these Brahmanas. Then somebody advised him and he prayed to Lord Suryadeva and Surya came and said I am giving you a small utensil let Draupadi cook and whatever is there, as many numbers are there, as many dishes as they want, this Akshaya means unending food will be supplied through this but one condition she should be a last person to eat and then afterwards she should wash the utensil and till next day it will not give a single grain of food then Draupadi had finished because they were not expecting anybody but Durvasa to fulfill his promise he entered just after all of them had finished and then they said O Yudhishthira we are starving so please feed us now he could not say no he can't say yes so he told them of course he completely surrendered himself to Krishna so he told them oh revered sirs please go and have your bath because that is a condition and it will take little time and then they all went to take bath and then he came and then informed Draupadi Draupadi said I had just now eaten I have already washed now it will not give us any food Yudhishthira like a typical husband he said now somehow you have to manage it and Sankata Kaale Venkataramana whenever there is grave danger remember God so she always used to pray only to Krishna on a very necessary occasion and then she prayed and then Krishna came and then he was a young man and he said oh my god I have not finished food so I am starving give me something now what can she do already hunted one and she prayed to Krishna to bring relief now he added himself to this now 102 she said Krishna this is what has happened what can I do oh you have already washed see look into the pot whether anything is left out there is one grain by the will of God was sitting there or probably Draupadi did not clean it properly I don't know what is the truth anyway give me quickly that little bit of grain of food and then she had no option but she gave and then he took that and said I am completely satisfied and the moment he said that if God is pleased everybody is pleased and then here these 101 people and they were waiting that we will go and then eat wholeheartedly belly full but they felt what did they feel if we force one grain of food into our mouth then 100 past lives food all that food that we have eaten will immediately come out of our stomachs and then he said it is not proper it is struggle curses if we don't go let us run meanwhile Bhima Sena he also was sent by Yudhishthira and he came and then he found all these fellows were trying to run away he was trying food is ready please come I don't know how food was ready how he came to know food was ready but they all ran away so what happened now the mystery for you and me and many people how can this grown up man and that too at noon one grain of rice after he travelled from Dwaraka to Hastinapura how could he be satisfied we have to have a little more thinking power we have to say he is God and he could assume any form and my imagination is he must have assumed the form of a smallest insect for which one grain of rice not only fills the stomach but over fills and that is what he did I am satisfied as that smallest of the creatures naturally the whole universe was satisfied and then that is how on so many occasions Bhagavan Krishna had saved the Pandavas that is the second story then third story Holy Mother was at Jairambati and she became Mother Annapurna and whoever goes to Jairambati whatever time they must be fed properly and once what happened they were not expecting many people so whatever number of people were there they cooked the food suddenly a large group of devotees I don't know may be from Calcutta or from somewhere they arrived at Jairambati and Jairambati is such a village in those days where you cannot go and buy either ready made food like Marks and Spencers etc. they will have to even to buy raw food materials they have to walk several miles so the cook came running and said a large number of devotees had come the food we are cooking is not at all sufficient it is not even sufficient for even the ordinary people then Holy Mother she became excited what my children have come taking so much of trouble I will not feed them it is impossible she herself had girded as it were her loins and went to the kitchen started cooking did she bring any extra material? No same material and then all the devotees were asked to sit and they had their stomach full and then so much was left over did it happen? Do you recall? let any bells ring the biblical story in the New Testament how Jesus Christ went preaching there were only five loaves and there were about I don't know 500 or 5000 people were there they were all starving and then he said that he offered it to God and then he said distribute it and even after everybody had eaten his or her full even then so much of bread and so many fishes were still left over this is considered one of the miracles what we consider a miracle is no miracle at all because anybody who performs this Pranagnihotra even if he puts one grain in his mouth he is not saying I am eating he says the Divine Lord is eating and then people will be satisfied and then the result of it also we discussed such a person will have plenty of everything he will have long life, he will have a healthy body of course healthy mind and this is one of the benefits of Upasanas the mind will be not only mentally free from all worries anxieties etc afflictions but it will be full of spirituality so that is the result and he and his family and his generations to come together there will be plenty anytime any guest can come and then any poor person can come and then they can feed them also and the more they do that he will be the happiest person what is the result of Upasana he will be very happy in this world, healthy in this world, long lived in this world because all the karmas he is doing are only spiritual karmas not only that but slowly he will progress towards God and ultimately by the grace of God he will have what is called Atma Jnanam, he knows who am I and then he becomes freed forever everyone of these Upasanas whether the Christians call it Upasana or not whether the Muslims call it Upasana or not in every religion the Upasana, contemplation is done properly and it has miraculous effects so the essence of this third Upasana what was the first Udgeeta Unkar Upasana what was the second, Vaishwana Upasana what was the third Pranagnihotra Upasana three as a sample we have been discussing because I want to jump from this first to fifth and then enter into the sixth and without going through this bridge as it were nobody can understand these three chapter 6th, 7th and 8th and each is a relationship with the other which we are going to discuss of course in future now I want to conclude the next Upasana, it is called Samvarga Upasana Samvarga Upasana is a most wonderful Upasana and where does it come, there are many Upasanas in the Chandogya in the Briharanika in the Taittiriya practically Niburu Panchat we get it why are they given, because that is yesterday I told you it is called Sadhana spiritual practices so that we can progress spiritually it is like climbing steps of a ladder and leaving behind the lower places we climb to higher and higher places so nobody can attain this in the Chandogya Upanishad in the 4th chapter and remember each chapter is subdivided into several what is called sections called Khandas so in the beginning 4th chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad from the first to the third practically this Samvarga Upasana is there so this there is as I also told you there are some stories like Kathopanishad there is a story how this there was a person who wanted to go to heaven and he had a son called Nachiketa and I told you every story is like a peg it is only to hang on the real teachings so here also there is a story and a story of King Janashruti and Raikwa and I will tell you that story this Raikwa was a person who had this knowledge Samvarga Vidya and then he imparted it, taught it he gave that instructions to King Janashruti but Samvarga what does it mean Vidya means of course contemplation or meditation or Upasana Samvarga means all absorbent that is to say every effect in this world that we see finally came from one single cause called Brahman and that Brahman was by various names Eshwara Hiranyagarbha Vayu Prana etc so Samvarga Vidya that is all absorbent meditation that is to say in our mind we have to contemplate that this world is not consisting of billions and trillions of parts but it is one single whole which is called holistic view we have got what is called holy view full of holes everything is different but even scientists are forced to recognize there is one unseen invisible connection between everything in this world and they have given a peculiar name that is called the butterfly effect ok so there was a sage his name was Raikwa he was a very poor man and always he used to live under a village cart you know Indian cart what is called bullock cart and he had somehow whether he had a cart or some cart was discarded by somebody and always he used to live and he was not in a healthy condition at all because he was not taking proper bath he doesn't have any dress doesn't have proper food always it is described beautifully he had a skin disease and he went on scratching himself because his whole body was itching and nobody would go near him probably he was also smelly I don't know and nobody ever recognized that a great realized soul is living here but he had a special knowledge that is called Samvarg Vidya and he reached the ultimate of this Samvarg Vidya and what is that power that by he can contemplate everything into himself with this technique of Samvarg Vidya and then what is the result result is he is completely happy by himself as if billions of people were serving him in every way that can be imagined what is the story once upon a time in that region there was a king named Janashruti Janashruti means one who is very popular among his people he is the great grandson of one Janashruta therefore he is called Janashruti and he was a great king he is a highly charitable person who used to make large donations tremendous love and respect he used to arrange huge quantities of cooked food for the people and he made many rest houses all over his kingdom he enjoyed people coming staying in rest houses and enjoying his food that was served and as a result of it people came to know that he is a marvelous king very loving person he cannot tolerate anybody that is hungry or suffering in any way not only giving food but serving his people like his own children and grandchildren in every way that was possible as a result he became much beloved of people that is why his name is Janashruti means his name was on the tongue of everybody so one evening the king was resting on the roof of his palace and he noticed that there were two swans a couple of swans flying above him in the sky beautiful stories like your Aesop's fables where animals can talk birds can talk etc and in Panchatantra Indian counterpart of the Aesop's fables is this Panchatantra so these swans were actually people who came to awaken they were sages who took on the forms of these swans in disguise and they wanted to instruct Janashruti because they also loved him they knew that he became they obtained Chitta Shuddhi through all these actions so these swans started talking just when they were hearing of this king Janashruti and then one swan, one of them flying behind made a joke called out to the one which was before, hey you short sighted one don't you see that the brightness of Janashruti had spread all over the sky like daylight because take care, you do not touch it see that it doesn't burn you because this king had obtained so much of power if your shadow casts on his body you will be burnt to death that is the power that is emanating from this king that was the kind of one sage was cautioning to the other sage but both of their purpose is only to awaken this of course we imagine that the king must have been exceedingly happy to hear that the birds are remembering his good name and fame and telling people about it, talking about them who doesn't if somebody especially unknown people are talking about like that about my greatness, goodness etc naturally it will swell my pride and I will be swelling also in every way but it will make me very happy notice this psychological fact if somebody comes and praises you, that will give you definitely some sort of happiness but if you come to hear that a third person, somebody conveys, you know I met such and such a person and he is highly praising you a third person who is not in contact is praising me thinking highly of me will give me much much more happiness than hearing directly because this person who is trying to praise me directly he may be having some ulterior motive to gain something from me but a third person who never comes to me but he has high opinion about me definitely it will please any one of us so this was how the swan behind was calling out to the swan in front and talking that is to say Janashruti is a great man so let not your shadow fall upon him but all in the hearing of the king and on purpose and the swan in front he was replying so do you think that this Janashruti is a great man then you must be the most ignorant fellow in the whole world the way you are talking one would assume that anywhere he is near or equal to sage Raikwa who always stays underneath the cart and then the other swan as if he doesn't know asked oh I never heard about this who is this Raikwa with a cart you are referring to then the swan replied I have not heard just as in a game of dice when a person wins the tossing called Krita that is you know when a person tosses something you know in a gambling like that then there is a particular what is called like card queen's card or something like that he automatically wins every the whole game in the same way whatever good work people do goes to the credit of Raikwa if anyone knows what Raikwa knows if anybody can acquire a knowledge of Raikwa he also becomes equal like Raikwa that is how I would describe Raikwa and this was in the hearing of the king Janashruthi who was a what is called an Adhikari he has become a fit disciple to move further that is how the gods call the awakening call comes to him so this remark of the one of the swans heard by the king and then probably he was quite proud of his good name naturally and he became a little bit probably annoyed or he felt humiliated by what the swans I thought I was the people are thinking I was the greatest person but here is a swan telling that there is somebody much greater in my kingdom of whom I never heard so maybe it may be true I may not know the truth see the person's mind maybe I do not know unless I examine I test how can I know maybe I am ignorant maybe that person is great instead of getting annoyed instead of becoming jealous he wants to tell let me go to him and find out so let me find out so he could not sleep that night next morning he called one of his attendants and then said find out who is this Raikwa and what is the hint he will be always under a tree so the attendant went and of course so he could not find out then Janashruthi said to the attendant well you are searching in the wrong places because ignorant villagers will never know who is staying near them go to the forest find out why is Brahmin sages and ask them they will tell you and the attendant again went and then they must have directed and he went to a village and then he found a man sitting under a cot what was this man Raikwa doing scratching his body because of some rashes sitting down close to him the attendant asked sir are you Raikwa who stays under the cot the man indifferently replied yes I am then the attendant thought ok this is the person my king is asking then the king Janashruthi came to know from the attendant he went there and then he understood this person must have been very great to be praised by these wise Brahmins then he went with because he was a king and he was a rich man 600 cows a gold necklace and a chariot drawn by mules he approached and said oh sage Raikwa all these 600 cows a gold necklace and a chariot drawn by mules are for you please tell me about the god you worship or the deity that or the knowledge that you know and then Raikwa got a little annoyed and said that you think that you want to get this highest knowledge by bribing me with a few what is called trinkets like these things then the king understood this time he became humble and then said no I want to be your disciple I am giving you a thousand cows this golden necklace and this chariot drawn by mules and I know that you are poor man and you are also a young man so I am also offering this daughter of mine to be your wife and also this village in which you live please do not reject me now sir please teach me and this time Raikwa understood the humility not because he was offering a woman not because he was offering riches so he said that this time I accept and then he agreed to teach and he started teaching that is called samvarga vidya I know this samvarga vidya what he said this is the essence the air swallows everything when the fire becomes extinguished it disappears into the air when the sun sets the sun disappears into the air when the moon sets it disappears into the air when water dries up it disappears into the air and the air is the swallow air of all these this is the worship of what is called Adi Daiva what was Raikwa what was he teaching teaching that I know you know something but it is all a little bit of everything and this kind of teaching we get in Chandogya Upanishad also and as well as in Brihadaranyaka when the time comes I will refer to that but here what he wants to say that the whole universe comes out from one cause and it merges back because every effect must merge back into the cause even if there are a billion pots every pot must completely go back to the clay out of which they have come every ornament made up of gold must ultimately when they lose their forms they lose their names when they lose their forms they lose their uses and it becomes a lump of gold what it was before so Raikwa continued but it is the same thing next is the worship concerning the body and this is called Prana Prana swallows everything when a person sleeps the speech, the eyes, the ears and the mind all these merge into the Prana so Prana swallows all these therefore I told you about two things Air is one Prana is another but if you compare these things Air is called Prana Prana is called Air Prana is called Vayu Prana is called Prana so Air among the gods and Prana among the organs individually it is called Prana but cosmically, universally it is called Vayu so this is the knowledge is called Samvarga Vidya and then he tells something to illustration and this is a bit related to that Pranagmi Hutra which we discussed yesterday there was a story, Raikwa was telling this to Janashruthi King Janashruthi once Shaunaka, the son of Kapi and Avipratarin, the son of Kakshasena were being served their meals they were eating food, these two people and suddenly a hungry Brahmachari appeared and begged for some food but they refused to give him any then the Brahmachari said so one god has hallowed four sages who is he who protects this world O Kapiya O Avipratarin that god exists in many forms but human beings cannot see him, the food is meant for him but you are not giving it to him what does this Brahmachari what is he telling, if you you refused to give me food, that means you are refusing to give food to the Devata who is giving you food you are a thief, that is why he is called Pratarin, so the food is produced by god food is manifesting as you and me and the food he produces he is eating himself so this idea beautifully comes out in the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita there are two ideas I am giving you gama visheshabhutane ushnami chaushadi sarvaha somo bhutva rasatmakaha and I produce food in the form of the sun and the moon and then all the creatures eat that food and then who digests that food aham vaisvanaro bhutva praninam dehamashyataha pranapanasamayuktaha pachamyannam chaturvidam so I am the producer I am the eater and I am the digester you do not exist so the brahmachari is giving the teaching to them that do not refuse food to anybody who comes hungry because then you will be remaining without food because you are offending the god who is giving you food who is sustaining you because who comes god only who comes in the form of the beggars what does the christ teach that you fed me when I was hungry you clothed me when I did not have any dress you nursed me when I was sick and therefore I am highly pleased with you even though you did not know but because you served the poor, you served the hungry you served the people who do not have any dress and then you actually served me only this is called seeing god seeing brahman in everything so it is not correct that we should not know him he is prajapati he creates, he destroys everything he is the self of all and he is also the destroyer of all he is supreme and all wise people worship him only wise people understand this and then worship him shavanaka and the other person then advised his servant to give food to the brahmachari and they gave him alms so the first five having said this story to illustrate what raikava was trying to teach to janashruti he continues the first five what are they the vayu, the fire, the air the fire, the sun the moon and the water and the second five which are manifesting in the individual the prana, speech, eyes the ears and the mind together they make ten and this is krita these ten are the ten directions and they are the food and what is the krita the whole w h o l u purnam he becomes all pervasive everything is his food by that virat all this is seen he who knows this virat he becomes virally virat himself he becomes all pervasive and everything becomes his food this was the teaching raikava gave to janashruti and raikava said in this creation there are many elements and they are really worshipped as gods there is fire that burns up everything there is the vital breath which activates every living creature and then there is the entire creation is a complex instrument that is carrying out the will the behest of the universal spirit called ishwara o king, have neither pride nor vanity for the charities that you dispense go thou great king to thy place and contemplate the teaching i have given you give in charity but not cherish pride give generously but not with egotism give freely but not with an aim to gain fame give but not as something that is yours but as something given to you by ishwara by god for giving to others for sharing with others he who sees this truth is indeed a seer and to him nothing is wanting and he becomes the enjoyer of everything not only through his individual body but any creature that enjoys becomes his enjoyment the king janashruti was highly satisfied with these words of wisdom that were coming from the raikava and while departing he gave a thousand cattle gold coins, chariots and his own daughter in marriage to raikava and this time raikava did not reject all these things just like similar story we get in the brahadarnika what is the whole essence of it try to become universal and that is the purpose of upasana so in this today's class i have more or less given you what is upasana what does it do what can we do without upasana and some examples of these upasanas some living examples from the lives of great people from next class onwards we will straight away enter into the skip from 1st chapter to 5th chapter of the chandogya upanishad and straight away enter into the 6th, 7th and 8th which has really the vedanta may Ramakrishna holy mother and Swami Vikananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna