Dakshinamurti Stotram Part 02 on 02 January 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMIM ORMOHOH OM YO BRAHMANAM VIDADHATI PURVAM YO VAI VEDAM SYAPRAHINOTITASMAYI TAMHA DEVAM ATMA BUDDHI PRAKASHAM MUMOKSHU RUVAYE SHARANAM AHAM PRAPADYE OM VISHWAM DARPANA DRISHYAMANANAKARE TULYAM NIJAM TARGATAM PASHYANATMANIMAYAYA BAHIROT BHUTAM YATHA NIDRAYA YAKSAKSHAT KURUTE PRABUDHA SAMAYE SWATMANAME VADBAYAM TASMAI SHRI GURUMURTHAYE NAMAIDAM SHRI DAKSHINAMURTHAYE We have been studying this most wonderful hymn composed by Shri Shankaracharya in our last class. We have been discussing what are the main characteristics of any hymn and we said there are six characteristics. What are they? Namaskaraha, salutations also by implication meaning self-surrender. Asishaha, we require the blessings. Without the Guru Kripa, Bhagavad Kripa, it is impossible to get either Bhukti or Mukti. Then Siddhanta Ukti, most hymns really posit some profound truths of the scriptures which is called Siddhanta. The conclusions of every scripture, the very essence of the scripture and some hymns also extol, glorify the greatness, the prabhava, parakrama, valor of the Devata who is glorified. Then Vibhuti Hi, what are the special powers we have seen in the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The very chapter is named as Vibhuti Yoga, glorification and really speaking one who is a Noira Brahman. A Noira Brahman is none other than Brahman and he is none other than this world, this whole universe including ourselves. We are the very glory. What does it mean? This is called self-hypnosis, auto-suggestion. If my mother is the divine mother, then I am the child of the divine mother. By implication, I am also divine because I am the glory and there are some very beautiful conclusions. Always a quality, a guna cannot be separated from the substance. For example, we can never get separate redness or blueness, shortness, tallness, etc. from any object. Always a qualification takes recourse, stands on a particular object. A Brahman is the only object we have to say, that is why Shankaracharya says in Vivekachudamani, Shraddha is that Yaya Vastu Upalabhyate, by which that only worthy object which is God can be realized. That unwavering faith called Shraddha, so that is called Parakrama or Valour and there is Vibhuti, the glorification. We are all the Vibhuti. These are the characteristics of every Stuti. Without these Lakshanas or characteristics, a hymn usually is not complete. If we find any hymn not explicitly expressing these qualities, we have to understand implicitly they are expressing these qualities. And this particular hymn called Dakshinamurthy Stotram, it is specifically addressed to Dakshinamurthy. Now it is very surprising in a way but very appropriate that it is Rama Stotram, Narayana Stotram, Bhavani Stotram or Ramakrishna Stotram. Particular deity is implicated there by the very name but here it is called Dakshinamurthy. It is a specific name but with a very special significance. We will come to it very soon. So Dakshinamurthy is glorified by whom? By Shankaracharya himself. There are so many hymns, innumerable hymns attributed to Shankaracharya. And as I mentioned in my introduction in the past classes, Shankaracharya's works can be classified into the first category is called Bhashyas. Elaborate commentaries specially on the Upanishads and the second category is called Prakaranagrandha. What is a Prakaranagrandha or a specialized, partialized text? I will come to that very shortly. The third category is called hymns, Stotras. There are hundreds of Stotras, very beautiful Stotras having these characteristics which we now discussed. But what is very important is many people doubt that the Adi Shankaracharya, original Shankaracharya himself had composed all of them. But in India there is a tradition, a blind tradition. Why do we call it blind? Because authors of the compositions, they themselves would not want their name to be mentioned. If I take the name of some great person, for example, Mahabharata as composed by Vyasacharya was only having 2000 verses. It was called Jaya but it went on getting added and added story within story like Bhul Bhalaya of Lucknow until it reached nearly 76,000 shlokas in the end. There are so many Shankaracharyas. As we know Shankaracharya had four disciples and Shankaracharya was not only a realized soul, he was also a very wise person. He knew Indians definitely quarrel with each other and that's why he established four separate mathas, monasteries and divided India into four parts, handed over one part of India to each one of his disciples and said you have no right to preach in any other part of India excepting your own part. These four disciples and he created ten particular names Darshanami Sampradaya. The head of every one of these mathas until this time also by proxy are called Shankaracharyas. Any other Shankaracharya might have added but it is not a fault. Why is it not fault? First of all, they do not differ. In essence, we are all praising. Whoever it may be the compositor, he is only praising the Divine Lord. Secondly, they all have that humility that without the grace of Shankaracharya or the Guru, it is impossible to compose. If we have any knowledge, if we have any capacity, literary or otherwise, it must be attributed only to Guru Kripa. It is not a kind of deception but it is humility. Thirdly, whatever helps a human being is absolutely fine. This principle of not using one's own name has also some defects. One such defect is in India, so many parts of history have disappeared. That is why some wise crack has said for Indians, history is not the catalogue of what happened in the past. History is His story, God's story and even some historical philosophers. What does it mean? Historical philosophers mean some philosophers who have philosophized history in the West especially. Some of them came to this conclusion that history is nothing but the unfoldment of the Divine Will. Of course, there is variation because some historians do not believe in the very existence of God but we do believe. That is why for Indians, history is nothing but His, Bhagawan's story only. We are not bothered about it but what about this particular Dakshina Murthy Stotram? It is definitely written by Shankaracharya. How are we so sure about it? Because one of his own disciples called Sureshwaracharya had written a very elaborate commentary and that is he aptly named it Manasor Lasa. Now I will have to tell you something here. Among those who write commentaries, there is one particular special commentary called Vartika. And this Sureshwaracharya had written three particular Vartikas. One on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one on Taittiriya Upanishad and the third is this elaborate commentary on this Dakshina Murthy Stotram which he very aptly named as Manasor Lasa. What is the speciality of a Vartika? A disciple and especially it is written only not by somebody else but by a follower, intimate follower of some Guru. He can criticize the Guru in a very creative manner, positive manner. Called Uktam, what is said by the original teacher, what is called Duruktam, what is not properly presented by the original writer and Anuktam, what is not said but implied in many of these sentences or Bhashyas. And a Vartikam is a commentary on the commentary called Bhashyam of the original person. That is called a Vartika if the disciple thinks my Guru had slipped his feet and or it is not expressed properly. He doesn't hesitate to criticize his Guru but we do not call it criticism, we call it creative explanation. Now Ureshwaracharya had done such a thing and in quite a number of places in these Vartikams, especially in the Brihadaranyaka Vartika, he quite elaborately differs from Shankaracharya in some ways. He explains even more explicitly where he thinks the explanation has not been properly done but what would be the reaction of the Guru? How dare you criticize me? Say my disciple it is actually me who has written this Vartikam. It is only Kripa. Is it sustainable? Can it be accepted? Yes. How do we know? Whenever God incarnates as an Avatar, He clarifies some of these doubts. Now Ramakrishna, we believe, billions of people believe today whether directly or indirectly. What does indirectly believe mean? Directly means they mention the name of Sri Ramakrishna, they have studied Sri Ramakrishna, they accepted Sri Ramakrishna and they acknowledge the special gift of Sri Ramakrishna to the world. What does indirect mean? It means many people perhaps do not even know such a person called Sri Ramakrishna exists but his ideas have spread very unconsciously. I will give you a simple example. Perhaps there is somebody in Bulgaria and he doesn't know who is Sri Ramakrishna or Swami Vivekananda but among the priests there, some of them have been actively taking to this idea of Sarva Dharma Samanvaya. God has not created only Christianity or Islam. He has created a pathway for everybody. If God is like a mother, a mother will never neglect especially sick children. She will pay more attention. She must have been sustaining, nourishing everybody. So no religion should be ever criticized or found fault with or looked down as a pathway at best. We have got several ideas, several ways of establishing relationship with each different religion and the latest of this is called phenomenal view. What does phenomenal view mean? It is simply this. If you want to understand the other person's religion, you will have to get out of your own religious view, stand in the shoes of the other person and look at his religion or her religion from that particular person's viewpoint. This is called phenomenological view and this is getting more propagated right now. I am also including some of the latest news where welcome changes have been brought in some of the religions. Christianity, a few days back, the present Pope has been bringing several changes and one of these is the acceptance of every religion as a God's will. Though the person may not 100% accept what Sri Ram Krishna says, Sarva Dharma Samanvaya, the harmony of all religions, but this is a very great advancement from what the view that these religions had and there is a special reason for it. Christianity is a religion which goes on continuously interpreting their own scriptures in a creative manner whereas there are certain religions, they are absolutely dead and they say what the founder or prophet had interpreted that is the only way even in the 20th century. Swami Vivekananda makes a beautiful contribution to this idea. If you want to criticize anybody, find out where that person was living, in which time he was living. For example, if you wish to criticize some characters in Ramayana, you have to understand the particular circumstances where the society was living and breathing certain particular ideas. This is called in German language the spirit of the age. But living in the 21st century, we standing in the 21st century with the presently popular ideas, prevalent ideas, we should never criticize even people 50 years back. That would be simply not acceptable by anybody. Anyway, coming back, there may be many Shankaracharyas, all of them with their blessings, they might have created hundreds of hymns but every one of the hymns will be suited to some particular mentality. And just in case you have forgotten, if a person is studying the path of Jnana Yoga, Prathasmarana Stotram is wonderful. If somebody is studying the path of pure Bhakti, of self-surrender, then Bhavani Stotram, that is complete Sharanagati. I do not know, oh mother, anything. I only know you. I completely surrender myself to you. So this is most suitable for that particular person. If a person indirectly also can pray, as I mentioned in my last class, Annapurni, Niksha, Jnana, Vairagya, Siddhirtam, oh mother, give me alms. What alms? Not physical food. Knowledge and discrimination and dispassion and by implication control of the body and mind and above all that tremendous desire to attain to your lotus feet. Shri Ramakrishna had accepted all this. That's why we call it Sarva Dharma Samanvaya, acceptance of everything. Being such a great teacher and even surpassing Kalidasa, Ramakrishna gives several analogies. These are called in Sanskrit language Upama, similarities, similes. So what is the simile? There is a mother. She has several children. She cooks food but she only feeds everybody according to the suitability of their stomach. Here mother stands for the divine mother and every religion is a particular child, particular path. Every religion ultimately leads one but not only every religion. The most important point is in every religion four yogas are implied there. Even in Christianity, for example, there is Master Eckhart who trod the path of Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge but many of them have only chosen to take the path of devotion and especially complete self-surrender to Jesus Christ. That's why one great 12th century master of the novices, Thomas A Kempis has written a most popular book. It is called The Imitation of Christ. Walk in the footsteps of the Jesus Christ. This is called in direct words Sharanagati, the path of self-surrender. So many hymns are there and they have all reflected different modes. Practically in every religion we have got the expression some less and some more. I will give one more example. In Christianity, in the Catholic variety of Christianity, there is a particular path. There is a great lady saint called Saint Teresa, not of Avila. Saint Teresa of Lisieux where she followed that vatsalya bhava, parental attitude. Jesus is my child. I am the mother and some people represent Jesus as a heart. It means my heart is totally offered to Lord Jesus Christ. What is the point I am telling? Even though non-Hindu religions are there but every religion implies without any choice, choicelessly what is called Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. They may not explicitly express it but the idea is implied. For example, we have to serve people as though we are serving Jesus Christ. What is it? Nothing but pure Karma Yoga. Shiva Jnana, Jiva Shiva. Coming back to our subject, whoever has composed but we have no doubt it was Shankaracharya because his own direct disciple Sureshwaracharya has composed this Vartika. As I said, in Vartika what is said is elaborated. What is not properly expressed is properly expressed. What is not at all expressed that is also brought out. If something is not correct, the Shishya has the right to correct. But this is no way any criticism because before starting even this commentary Sureshwaracharya boused down several times without whose grace this act of my composing this Vyakhyana, Bhashya Vartika would not have been possible. If any mistakes are there, it is the Guru's mistake because I am only an instrument. That humility is there implied. So we are 100% sure that it has been composed by Shankaracharya. If you are not sure, forget about it because what is implied is most marvelous medicine and it is wonderful. The very speciality of this which I am going to dive deep just now is Namaidam Sri Gurumurthai Dakshinamurthai. It is a Guru Stotra. We may not know whether God exists but certainly we know Guru exists. We got the grace of God and this God is none other than a pure representative of the Lord. That is how we have to understand. Another important point because we are talking about the Dakshinamurthi Stotram. In Hindu tradition, this teaching that comes is coming directly from God. That's why at the beginning, Evai Vidadati Brahmanam, the knowledge is eternal. Brahman means Brahma Jnanam and Brahman are not separate. This is a philosophical as well as a psychological idea. It is both a philosophical as well as a psychological idea because whatever knowledge we have and that is what we are. If I believe God doesn't exist, that is how I act and react. If I believe 100% God exists, then I cannot but behave as if God is in front of me. The story of Kanakadasa very well illustrates. God is watching me every time. It is impossible for me to eat the banana that you have given me. There is a tradition. God himself is the Adi Guru and through GPS, Guru Parampara system, the teaching is coming down to each one of us and that is why many people, what do they do? Sadashiva Samarambham Shankaracharya Madhyamam Asmadaacharya Pariyantham Vande Guru Paramparam It was started from Shiva himself. Now here Shiva means Brahma Jnana not one of the deities that is called Shiva. Both meanings can be applied. I will come to that. This Stotram is called Dakshinamurthy Stotram. This Dakshinamurthy is none other than a manifestation of Lord Shiva as Adi Guru and that is why we say Sadashiva. Sada means the Shiva who is eternally there in the form of knowledge and knowledge is eternal. That is why one of the definitions of Brahman. Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam, Brahma, truth and knowledge and infinity. This is the definition of Brahman. We get this particularly in the Taittiriya Upanishad and in the Middle Valli called Brahmananda Valli. Why is Shiva called Dakshinamurthy? Dakshinamurthy means not any particular saint but Lord Shiva. He is called Dakshinamurthy because he is the person who in the form of a Guru is doing something very wonderful. So there are several meanings attributed to this particular combination. There are two words here. One is Dakshina, another is Murthy and this word can be split into two ways. Dakshina that is southern side, short Akara. Second is Dakshina, our mother Kali at Dakshineshwar. What is she called? Dakshinakali. And if we understand the meaning, we will understand why she is called also Dakshinakali. That's why she is called Bhadrakali. Now one meaning is Dakshinamurthy, S S S Dakshinamurthy. One who has got the south facing form. Murthy means form, Dakshina plus Murthy, Dakshina means south, south facing form. And this has a specific connotation because of Hindu's belief. What is it? Hindus never put their head in the south. Only when a person is dead, his Shiva, his lifeless body is kept on the cart facing towards the southern side. Why is it done so? Because according to Hindu belief, the four quarters that is east, west, south and north and they are again subdivided into the angles between east and south, south and west, west and north, north and east. Eight sides are ruled by eight particular deities. In Hindu pantheon, everything is ruled by a God. A small plant, for example Tulasi is ruled by a Devata. He is called Tulasi Devata. So below Riksha and they are closely associated with Lord Shiva or Vishnu etc. Interestingly, I noted in case you have forgotten, most of these plants associated are medicinal plants. Therefore, we don't want to take them usually, but if they are given as a Prasada, Tulasi Prasada, then they will serve both as Prasada and also as medicinal plants. And really the whole modern, what is called medicinal science, they are all derived only mostly from plants and some from animals also. What is the significance? One significance is the direction south, Dakshina Disha stands for death and so people never put their head. But here this Shiva in the form of Dakshinamurthy is always facing south and the devotees are facing, looking at him towards the north. What does it mean? The north represents fearlessness, salvation, pure knowledge. We are frightened of Yamadharma Raja. The southern direction is presided over by Yamadharma Raja. It's a beautiful verse. Every word has a significance. Devotees always face towards the north. That's why there is a rule when we want to worship a God, either we should be facing towards the east or we are facing towards the north. But here the Lord is facing, what can Mrityu do to me? Not only what it can do to me, but what can it do to you who is my devotee? The greatest example is Markandeya. Markandeya took refuge in Lord Shiva, embraced him. So Mrityu Devata came to claim him and Lord Shiva gave a kick and Mrityu had to just fold his hands and go away. So that Markandeya Stuti is also there. Chandrasekharamashraye Kimkarishyati Oh! So beautiful it is. One significance is south is supposed to be the direction of Yamadharma Raja, Lord of death. Now what does Yama mean? Every word, you know Pranayama. We all know the word, familiar with the word Pranayama. What is Yama? Control. Control mortality, control Prana, you will become Pranadhipati. You will control Prana, you will control the mind, you will control ignorance and you will become free. Deathlessness, that is why they say if you do Pranayama, you will live a long long time. Many diseases can be cured according to Pranayama. Mortality means finitude. Finitude means fear. Here Shiva is called Mrityunjayaha. Mrityu here stands for another meaning. Mrityu means death. Death means Samsara, ignorance. Really there is no birth, there is no death. But we are terrified of death, cycle of birth and death. So usually people are extroverted and they go actually toward the south. What does it mean? They are attached to this world and they die and they are reborn and when they die, they said the soul travels towards the south and that is one of the reasons why people believe ardently like Bhishma that Dakshinayana is not a good time for people to die. Uttarayana means I go towards the north. I go towards immortality. Dakshinayana means I have to be reborn. That's why Shuklagati and Krishnagati, Uttarayana, Dakshinayana, so many beliefs are there. So this is one meaning. The north is presided by Shiva who is having a Kamandalu, a pot of Amrita in the form of knowledge. So south stands for not only physical mortality but ignorance. North stands for knowledge or immortality and Shiva who is there facing the south, he tells to his children, devotees, do not fear. I am here. This death is none other than me and when Shiva is doing Tandava Nritya, if you notice beneath the feet of the Shiva, there is a figure of death in the form of a small body and then when we also explained Mother Kali is represented by time. Kali is deified as Kala. Kala means death but Mahadeva who is timeless, Mahakala means eternal time. Eternal time means changelessness. So this Kala cannot stand apart from Mahakala. Therefore this birth and death cannot stand excepting on Brahman who is eternal. That is why Shiva represents. What does he represent? Fearlessness and also pure knowledge. Spiritual aspirants, Sadhakas who have got the goal of immortality. They are indicated by facing the north direction and Shiva is giving them Upadesha. So he will be facing the south. He means the aspirant is facing, Lord Shiva is facing south and the devotee is facing and then a dialogue takes place. That is why Lord Shiva is called Dakshinamurthy and also Bhagavan Dakshinamurthy is facing Lord Yamadharma Raja. This is even physical death also. It is escaped if we only take refuge in Lord Shiva. Shiva says as it were, I am facing death. I am not frightened of death, physical or ignorance. Why am I not facing? Because I have and I am Brahmavidya, knowledge of Brahma. I am fearless, I am deathless, I am changeless, I am Nitya, Eka, Advaita, Akhanda and if you merge yourself in me, you are also going to become exactly like me and this is one meaning implied there. If I have Brahmavidya, I can also face south though there is nothing to worry. Therefore, Shiva is called Dakshinamurthy and now the second meaning is there where we split Dakshinamurthy through Sandhi has become one word. Two words through Sandhi have become one word. Dakshina means southern side and murthy one way because in Sanskrit language it is wonderful. I don't want to go. Short akara and long akara. A plus A is A. A plus A is also A. A plus A is also A. A plus A is also A. So we can split it and Dakshina and murthy. Dakshina means southern side but here it is taken as in this light. Dakshina means what? Dakshaha. Dakshinaha means one who is tremendously capable and then Amurthaha. Dakshina, Amurthaha because A plus A. Dakshina, Dakshina, A, murthy. Dakshina, murthy. I hope you are getting what I am talking about. One who is amurthy, formless. One who is very capable. Samarthaha, Dakshaha. That meaning also applies to Mother Kali. She is Samarthaha. Samarthaha means what? She is capable. Capable of what? Creating, sustaining and destroying the very samsara. This very portion of the world. Physically she can save us only for some time. It is foolishness to say that Mother will give me a boon and I will be living forever. In fact if she does that after sometime you will fall at her feet and say oh Mother, please kill this body. I am not able to function properly. Anyway, so Dakshinaha and Dakshaha. Very capable. Creating, sustaining and destroying. When we say the world we have to understand what is the world? It is nothing but duality. Duality means change. Change means birth, death. The six fold changes. Shadur means. When we say Srishti sthiti laya, srishti sthiti vinashanam, shakti bhute sanatani Gunashraye gunamayi Narayane namostu te This we have to understand. There is no real death. There is no real birth. Many times we are reminded becoming manifested. Earlier something was unmanifested that is called birth. And from this manifested state going back into unmanifested subtle state is called death. That is another meaning that we get. Now, what is the greatness of this Dakshinamurthy Stotram? How does it help us? This is very important for us. Before we go into that we will have to understand something very important. Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda again and again emphasized one particular path that is called Sharanagati. Complete surrender to the Divine. There is no other way. Sufis have expressed it in a most wonderful way. A Sufi's journey starts in God, progresses in God and ends in God. So, this is very aptly expressed. Our birth comes from God. We are living in God and ultimately we merge back into God. Vishnu and Brahma creates. Vishnu sustains. Shiva, He takes us back. Here we should not understand Shiva is the destroyer. What does He destroy? If you carefully observe the form of Shiva, there is one Trishula, Trident. It is called Trident. Instead of one spike there would be three spikes will be there. Everything is symbolic here. I will just give you very briefly what is the symbolism because I explained about Mother Kali. Now, I will explain briefly about Lord Shiva. He has a Trident in His hand. What does the Trident really symbolize? Every Jeeva has got three bodies. Gross, Subtle and Causal. God doesn't deal in retail. He always deals only in wholesale. Lord Shiva is very gracious. He destroys all the three bodies. That means He destroys what is called ignorance completely. Trishula represents destruction of ignorance in the form of three worlds Gross, Subtle and Causal. In the form of three bodies Gross, Subtle and Causal. And then the Shiva is adorned with snakes. Snake represents like in Kundalini that is Master of Yoga. That's why He is called not only Yogeshwara Lord of Yoga but He is also called Yogeshwara. Now remember that in our Khandana Bhava Vandana also Jagadishwara Jirumbhita Yuga Ishwara Jagadishwara Yoga Sahay Sri Ramakrishna is that incarnation who helps anybody who is training any particular Yoga. And funnily one Swami also told not necessarily spiritual Yoga there is also Dhana Yoga Bahariya Yoga and what is called Adhikara Yoga Yes, He will give example Upendranath Mukhopadhyay He wanted money Sri Ramakrishna said simply bring Jalebi and I will make you very rich. I will eat up your Dharidriya Dharidriya Dukha Dainya Nashakaha They can do. Somebody wanted a position. Sri Ramakrishna has given him that position. Somebody was suffering from sleeplessness. Sri Ramakrishna touched his forehead and then he had no problem at all. I wanted some Posto and Divine Mother next day brought it. Anyway, so He fulfills not only Bhukthi Dayaka but also Mukthi Dayaka. Like a Divine Mother even ordinary Mother She will give everything that is possible. My Divine Mother will give me everything. Who is Shiva? Nothing but knowledge in the form of the Divine Mother. But every Sadhaka He cannot progress without grace. That is emphatically repeated again and again by Holy Mother, Swamiji, Brahmanandaji, everybody. That's why our path is Sharanagati Path. Now every Sadhaka needs grace and this grace comes in six forms. Grace comes in six forms. What are the six forms? Ishwara Kripa, Guru Kripa, Mantra Kripa, Shastra Kripa, Bhakta Kripa and Atma Kripa. To briefly recollect what we had discussed elaborately in earlier classes God's grace of course is the final grace. That is called Ishwara Kripa and that Ishwara Kripa manifests in front of us in the form of Guru. So that is called Guru Kripa. If anybody has got a Guru he is assured that God has come to him. Like Sri Ramachandra sends Guru to Sita the Jivatma to Sri Lanka in the form of Hanuman. Who is a Guru? He builds a bridge between God and the devotee and not only that, if you recollect Hanuman not only built a bridge but he carried Rama and Lakshmana on his own shoulders took them to Sri Lanka and then released Sita Devi. Now Guru carries two things on his shoulders symbolically. What is it? The first thing is called Dharma the second thing is called Mukti. So Dharma, that is why the first part of the Vedas what is it called? Dharma Kanda. What is the next part? Brahma Kanda or Jnana Kanda. So without Dharma Brahma cannot stand, spirituality cannot stand. That's why the whole Gospel the assertion that God exists, my mother exists is only very little. The rest of it is nothing but Upadesha. This is the idea to get and that Upadesha is represented by Guru. What does the Guru do? He transforms the disciple and that power of transformation act of transformation is called Mantra Kripa. Sri Ramakrishna for example on 1st January just remember yesterday we celebrated the Kalpataru day. Why? Sri Ramakrishna had initiated many people and initiation is of three types. One is called Mantra Deeksha another is called Sparsha Deeksha or Siddhi Deeksha and this is called Shambhavi Deeksha. Sri Ramakrishna in this form he gives Sparsha Deeksha. He touched every one of the devotees. First he gave the Mantra Deeksha. What shall I say to you? May spiritual awakening take place in each one of you. Then as the devotees started to bow down to him he also touched them. Very often Sri Ramakrishna used this Sparsha Deeksha. Deeksha that means awakening the inner spiritual knowledge through mere touch. This is called Sparsha Deeksha and there is another Deeksha it is called sometimes Siddhi Deeksha sometimes Shambhavi Deeksha. In Tantric language scriptures these are very beautifully explained. What is Shambhavi Deeksha? There is Guru somewhere. There is disciple somewhere and the Guru is beyond time and space. That means a Guru who is 10,000 years back and disciple is here. Or a Guru is here but the disciple is in Australia or Alaska. But they can come into contact with each other and that mysterious union of Guru and Sishya through which a Guru passes his knowledge into the disciple is termed in the Tantra Shastra as Shambhavi Deeksha. Here Dakshinamurthy represents Ishwara Kripa, Guru Kripa and Mantra Kripa. Then we have got Shastra. Shastra Kripa is necessary. Now I forgot to tell you Mantra Kripa means when a Sadguru imparts the mantra and it is a living mantra and that mantra sits there like what is called chemical agent it goes deep down and starts burning all impurities and it unifies that is what is called Mahavakya the Sadhaka with Brahman. This is the Mantra Kripa. When mantra through practice awakens it is called Mantra Chaitanya and when Mantra Chaitanya takes place you don't need to repeat the mantra. The mantra itself repeats and you have to go along with it. I will give you one example. In the earlier days there were jeeps and to start the jeep you have to take what is called one bent rod, put it in the front and go on a few rounds then only it will catch. Now the same phenomena even today but it is done with a mere switch. Just press the switch. This is called self-starter. A mantra first of all we have to do with effort that is like taking that rod and going on whirling it round and round until it catches and when it catches that is called Mantra Chaitanya. This is the example for us to understand. Now an actual example would be I will give two examples actually, two events. Those who have read the book called Way of a Pilgrim there was a Russian spiritual soul extraordinarily great soul and he approached a Guru and the Guru told him Jesus Mantra 5000 times and he started repeating it and he found his heart is getting warm and it is filled with joy and after a few days he could repeat it without any effort then he went again now you repeat 10,000 times it took him a few days and 10,000 times repetition of God's name has become very easy. Then again he went to the Guru he said now repeat 15,000 times and within a few days that became very easy and then what happened he did not go to the Guru then he was describing the mantra had caught hold of me and whether I am sleeping, awake, working, walking it goes on repeating itself and it draws my heart forcibly to it like a magnet, powerful magnet attracting a small pin and it will not allow me to think of anything else and this is very beautifully seen in the life of Gopala Irma the devotee Gopala's mother for two months continuously Gopala Bhava will not leave him and that is example of that there are many examples but on Kalpataru day this has happened to some people continuously from within spontaneously the mantra starts repeating itself and that is called mantra kripa that mantra what does it do? we have to remember the definition mananatrayate iti mantra ha only when the mantra awakens then only it justifies the name mantra this is called mantra kripa again it only belongs to Guru or Bhagwan Ishwara then shastra kripa what is shastra kripa? that whatever we read we are immediately able to understand it instantaneously correctly and that is called shastra kripa and that is why many followers of jnana yoga say the moment a worthy disciple hears the Mahavakya immediately he realizes it by plunging into Samadhi who is the example? no other than Sri Ramakrishna himself as soon as Totapuri initiated him and then asked him to go and sit instantaneously he plunged into Nirvikalpa Samadhi and Totapuri was astounded 40 years I have to struggle who is this man? ekya daivimaya hai and this is called shastra kripa Mahavakya kripa then for those who are struggling we need scriptures that is why study of the scriptures is one of the requirements for sustaining strengthening and moving forward in spiritual life then we need this is the fourth kripa the fifth kripa is bhakta kripa means the association with holy people this was the first commandment of Sri Ramakrishna cultivate holy company satsanga and this is called bhakta kripa why? if I am tumbling stumbling slipping other devotees can pull me up and how if we do not have satsanga what dire results it can bring I will give an illustration in our next class that is next Thursday so this is called bhakta kripa satsanga kripa and it includes holy places and holy books and holy words holy stories holy bhajans everything but even though a person may have all the five kripas but for the lack of one kripa he will go to atma kripa this atma kripa is not paramatma kripa it is one's own mind the kripa of the mind we have everything in our favor only one thing is pulling us down what is that? the mind but if we can get our own mind cooperates with us like a great soul it is God's grace and how this mind also can come under our control I will give certain illustrations in our next class may sri ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with bhajans may sri ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with bhajans