Dakshinamurti Stotram Part 32 on 08 April 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARDAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM YO BRAHMANAM VIDADHATI PURVAM YO VAI VEDAMSYA PRAHINOTHI TASMAI TAMMA DEVAM ATMA BUDDHI PRAKASHAM MUMOKSHARU VAI SHARANAMAHAM PRAPADYE In our last class, we have completed the 8th verse of the Dakshinamurthy Stotram. VISHVAM PASHYATI KARYAKARANATAYA SVASVAMI SAMBANDHATAH SISHYA ACARYATAYA TATHAIVA PITRU PUTRADI ATMANABHIDATAH SWAPNE JAGRATIVA YAHA ESHAH PURUSHAH MAYA PARIBHRAAMITAH TASMAI SHRI GURUMURTHAYE NAMAIDAM SHRI DAKSHINAMURTHAYE He who is the Purusha, veiled in Maya, sees the world in terms of cause and effect, diversely related as possessor and the possession, father and the son, teacher and the taught, both in the state of waking and dreaming. To him, the divine teacher, Shri Dakshinamurthy, is this frustration. Shankaracharya simplifies and classifies all the possible relationships into 5 categories. They are KARYAKARANA – effect and cause. SVASVAMI SAMBANDHA – that is to say, I am the possessor and everything is the possessed. SISHYA ACHARYA – the student and the teacher. PITRU PUTRADI – father and children, when both in the waking state as well as in the dream state, but not in the dreamless state because 50% of the duality is completely gone. Is there a duality in the deep sleep state? Yes, of course, there is a duality. If there were not duality, we would have been enlightened creatures. But this duality is a sort of non-duality because it covers all the Brahma dualities. This is the final duality which covers up all the other dualities but itself still remaining. Like when you go on rubbing something acid, something very minute ultimately remains. This is called BRAHMA or MOHA – delusion. We can reclassify these relationships into 5 categories. WAKER – dreamer and sleeper. POSSESSOR – possessed. CAUSE AND EFFECT – master and servant. TEACHER AND TAUGHT – father, mother, etc. Why has this subject come? I will give the essence of this 8th verse, then we know. The whole world that each one of us experience is a world of duality called DWANDWA. Duality means relationships. Where there is only one, there would be no relationship. Where there is more than one, even two, there is bound to be a relationship. LEFT SIDE, RIGHT SIDE, ABOVE, BELOW, FAT AND THIN, FAIR AND BLACK, GOOD AND EVIL, INTELLIGENT AND NON-INTELLIGENT, RICH AND POOR, POWERFUL AND POWERLESS, etc. This relationship is called SUBJECT AND OBJECT RELATIONSHIP. The subject is one but the objects are innumerable. Are they? No. There is only one object. That object is called MAYA and that maya acts like a mirror and the subject finds himself as innumerable beings because he is looking into the mirror of the maya. SUBJECT AND OBJECT – ATMAN AND NANATMAN SUBJECT IS THE ATMAN, OBJECT IS NANATMAN. TRUE AND FALSE – SATYAM AND MITHYA ATMAN ALONE IS SATYAM AND ANATMAN IS CALLED MITHYA. THE TRUTH – ONLY ONE INDIVISIBLE REALITY CALLED BRAHMAN AND THAT THOU ART – TATTVAM ASI REALIZE THIS AND LIVE WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE TILL THE BODY DROPS. UNTIL THEN, WE ARE CAUGHT IN THE WHEEL OF PARIBRAHMANA – BRAHMA CHAKRA OR BRAHMA CHAKKAR. PARIBRAHMANA MEANS MOVING ON AS IF ETERNALLY NOT REALLY LIKE IN A DREAM OR WE ARE CAUGHT IN BRAHMA CHAKRA. IN THE UPANISHADS, THIS IS CALLED BRAHMA CHAKRA. BRAHMAN – ETERNALLY, SEEMINGLY MOVING IN AN ENDLESS CYCLE, CIRCLE. THIS IS ALSO CALLED BRAHMA CHAKKAR. PURUSHAH MAYA PARIBRAHMITAH – WHY DOES THIS ATMAN DO? AS IF HE IS HELPLESS, AS IF SOME POWER GREATER THAN HIM IS MOVING HIM HELPLESSLY. MAYA PARIBRAHMITAH – THIS IS WHAT SHANKARACHARYA AGAIN IN ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SINGABUL STHOTRAM CALLED BHAJYA GOVINDAM PUTS IT SO BEAUTIFULLY – PUNARAPI JANANAM PUNARAPI MARANAM PUNARAPI JANANI JATHARE SHAYANAM IHA SAMSARI BAHU DUSTARI KRIPAYA APARI PAHI MURARI THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS MORASS CALLED SAMSARA IS THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH OUR GURU. THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE 8TH VERSE IN THIS DAKSHINA MURTI STHOTRAM. NOW THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE GET OUT OF THIS PARIBRAHMANA, THIS SEEMINGLY ETERNAL JOURNEY BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND HOW TO OBTAIN GOD'S GRACE? THROUGH BHAKTI. HOW TO GET BHAKTI? THROUGH UPASANA OF ISHWARA. UPASANA IS GENERALLY TRANSLATED AS MEDITATION. WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS THAT IN THIS 9TH VERSE. WE HAVE TO DO SADHANA IN THE FORM OF UPASANA. EVERY SADHAKA HE HAS TO DO THIS UPASANA. WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF UPASANA? IT IS TO CONSUME THE EGO, TO DESTROY THE EGO, TO MITIGATE THE EGO, TO REMOVE THE COVERINGS OF THE EGO, LEAVING THE ATMAN IN ALL ITS GLORY. THIS IS BEAUTIFULLY EXPRESSED IN THE, I THINK, 16TH VERSE OF THE ISHA VASYA PANSHATH. HIRANMAYENA PATRENA SATHYASYA APETAMUKHAM TAT THAM PUSHAN APA BRUNO SATHYA DHARMAYA DRISHTAYE O LORD, YOUR TRUE NATURE IS COVERED BY THIS EVER DELUDING MAYA SHINING LIKE PURE GOLD. UNLESS YOU REMOVE THE COVERING OVER YOUR FACE, I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE. AND THE LORD LISTENS TO THE SINCERE DEVOTEE'S PRAYER AND REMOVES. AND THEN THE SADHAKA BEHOLDS, O LORD, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DIFFERENT, I WAS DIFFERENT. YOU WERE SUPERIOR, I AM INFERIOR. YOU ARE INFINITE, I AM FINITE. BUT NOW I KNOW, THERE IS NO I, THERE IS NO YOU. YO SAVA SAV PURUSHAHA SOHAM ASME. SO THIS IS THE ONLY WAY. WHAT IS UPASANA? THROUGH SINCERE PRAYER, CONTEMPLATE UPON THE DIVINE LORD FIRST AS WITH GLORIES, GUNAS AND SAKARA, SAGUNA. WITH FORMS, WITH NAMES, WITH AUSPICIOUS QUALITIES. GO FORWARD. AND WITHOUT ANY NAMES, WITHOUT ANY FORMS, AND ONLY WITH PURE GUNAS. AND THIRD STEP, GO FORWARD. NO NAME, NO FORM, NO QUALITIES. ONLY ONE IS THERE. WHERE THERE ARE TWO, THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS. EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS NOTHING BUT AN EXPRESSION OF GUNA, QUALITY. RICH AND POOR, BIG AND SMALL, LEARNED AND IGNORANT, POWERFUL AND POWERLESS, HERE AND THERE, HINDU OR CHRISTIAN, MAN OR WOMAN, FATHER OR SON, TEACHER AND THE STUDENT, AND THE HOUSE OWNER, AND WHAT IS OWNED BY HIM, ETC. THIS IS CALLED MAYA. HERE, EVERY SADHAKA CAN OBTAIN THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH PRAYER, UPASANA. I will deal with that subject very shortly. Most wonderful subject called Upasana. Now, Sureshwaracharya, as I mentioned, had written a beautiful vartika upon it. And then, as an introduction to this 9th verse, which we are going to discuss, he opens it with a very precise, beautiful verse. कतम् एवं विधा माया निवर्तत इति पृच्चतः ईश्वर उपासना रूपः तदु पायः प्रक्रियत्यते। If it is asked, how can कतम् एवं विधा माया, this type of uncrossable maya, how can one cross it? निवर्तत इति पृच्चतः, if someone has to question, there is only one way. What is it? ईश्वर उपासना रूपः. Contemplate Bhagawan. Pray to Him. Surrender yourself to Him. This is the only way. तत् उपायः इति प्रक्रियत्यते। This has been so beautifully hymned. शरणागति is the only way. There is no other way. This is how the great Sureshwaracharya, the disciple of the great Advaita teacher Shankara, while commenting upon this Dakshinamurthy Stotram, he gives the introduction. Here comes the role of Upasana. To know the reality, which is Brahman, we have to neutralize Ahamkara and Upasana is the way to neutralize. What is Upasana? It consists of two words and with a Samasa. Upasana. Upa means near. Come nearer and still nearer and still nearer until there is no demarcation, one or two, I and thou etc. For example, if you bring a piece of wood and a nail together to hold it, this is called the lowest type of union. They are together but completely different, completely visible. But second is higher. You add sugar or salt, anything that melts in liquid and then we can only see one, either water or milk or juice, whatever it is. But the other is palpably present. When you taste the water or milk, you get the sugary sweetness, the taste will be there. But the highest type of Upasana is like water poured into water, like milk poured into milk, like oil poured into oil. These are the three examples given. Swami Brahmanandaji was about to give up his body. He was suffering from severe dehydration. The physician was present who was his own disciple probably and Maharaj felt thirsty. He said, give me something to drink and he was given lemonade. And the physician approached him and said, Maharaj, here is lemonade. Please open your mouth. And then Brahmanandaji utters indicating the highest level where his mind is. Pour Brahman into Brahman and that's what exactly happened to Sri Ramakrishna. That's what happens to every Jeevan Mukta. When the disciples of Thakur Sri Ramakrishna pressed him to pray to the Divine Mother so he can eat through his own body. He prayed, pressurized, forced by his disciples. Then he had a vision. Divine Mother showed him that why are you not eating through all these mouths? This is called Sarvatma Bhava which we are going to deal very shortly in the 10th verse. That is to say that the Guru initiates the Sadhaka Tat Tvam Asi and the Sadhaka realizes by the grace of Ishwara in the form of Guru's grace, in the form of teaching Shramana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana, Aham, Brahmasmi and thereafter he sees that one infinite reality called Brahman everywhere. This is called Samadarshana, seeing the same reality everywhere, no falsity, no Brahma, no Mithyatva. To know that reality which is Brahman, we have to neutralize Ahamkara through Upasana. Worship of Ishwara or meditation or contemplation upon Ishwara means God. It requires an altar of Ishwara. If you want to meditate, you have to keep the photo or the image somewhere either on the floor, on a carpet, on a table, on a Vedi made up of marble or granite or whatever it is. So that altar, this entire universe is that altar. Then what is the Murthi? Everything that we see, we perceive in this universe, that is the Bhagawan. That is what this 9th verse is going to show us. This 9th verse presents us with an altar which is closest to and the best representative of the supreme reality. Brahman, seeing Brahman in this world. First of all, we have to understand this 9th verse is a Upasana of Ishwara. What is Upasana? Are there many types of Upasanas and how many types of Upasanas are there? I will deal with this subject. First let us chant this 9th verse. With this 9th verse Rakshnamurti Stotram is practically over. Actually with the 8th it is over. But this is Upasana added. He whose eightfold forms are the earth, water, fire, air, ether, the sun, the moon and the Jeeva, Jeevatma. The whole world is nothing but a combination of the Pancha Bhutas, five elements plus the sun, plus the moon and plus the Jeevatma. And that Lord manifesting himself as this universe consisting of the movable and the immovable objects. And besides which the supreme all-pervading Lord. Besides that Lord there exists nothing but for whom? For those who reflect well, who understand well. Those are called realized souls. To that Paramatma, the divine teacher Sri Dakshinamurthy is this prostration. We can divide this whole shloka into three forms. First what is the whole universe? It is an altar. And what is there on the altar? The divine Lord sporting as the Pancha Bhutas, as the sun, as the moon and the Jeevatma. That is the first part. Second part, besides him nothing is there because Brahman is appearing, manifesting as this universe. But with names, forms and qualities this is the universe. There is nothing else. And third point is only those who realize their Gnana Chakshu is open. Gnana Anjana Vimala Naina Vikshane Moha Jai. For them the whole universe is nothing but a manifestation of the Lord. It is not a creation of the God. I mentioned in my last talk the first idea is a potter makes a pot. Potter is separate, the clay is separate, the potter's wheel is separate. The second is, this philosophy, this understanding is called Dvaita. Then a little bit higher and there through the grace of God a man enters into the second stage, higher stage and subtler stage. This is called Vishisradvaita. I am not separate from God. I am not one with God. I am not different from God. I am a part of God. Sesha Seshi Bhava, the whole and the part. That is the relationship. This is Vishisradvaita. But a person goes beyond that and he attains that Advaita Bhava. There is no I, there is no you. Tat tvam asi, that is the teaching of the teacher and the instruction of the teacher and through Shramana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana of this Mahavakya, the disciple realizes again by the grace of God, by the grace of the Guru, Aham Brahmasmi. This is the highest state. This highest state is again subdivided into two parts. Those, as Shri Ramakrishna says, who kick off this body or the body falls off in the state of Samadhi after 21 days. The question of seeing Brahman in the world doesn't arise. But for those whose body and minds are kept by the will of the Divine Mother, for them they are called Jeevan Muktas. They roam on this earth completely free and above all the gunas. Nishtrayi gunye pati vicharathah ko vidhihi ko nishedah. There is no injunction, there is no prohibition. For those who are Jeevan Muktas, they see nothing but their own self everywhere. That is called Samadarshanah. For this can come, this highest stage of seeing Brahman, Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma comes only by the grace of God. This is a Upasana for the Sadhaka that what a Jeevan Mukta naturally experiences. We have to elevate our mind by seeing God everywhere. That's why start with something familiar. Start with Mother. There is no dearer object than a Mother. Then the second is Father. Third is Teacher. Fourth is everything. But it is not put that way. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava. Fourth is very interesting word. Atithi Devo Bhava. Tithi means an appointed way. Atithi means one whom we encounter without prior information. That means barring these three, Mother, Father and Teacher. Every person, every object that we encounter is Atithi. This is how we expand our vision from Mother is God, Father is God, Teacher is God. Finally everything is God. From the very beginning, this is the refrain, the main song of Vedic hymns. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma Ekam Sat Viprah Dhahudahavadanti But this can come only by the grace of Guru and Ishwara and the grace can come only when we contemplate upon that Ishwara. That's why in the Shweta Shvatara, beautifully it is put, Yasya Deve Parabhakti Yatha Deve Tatha Gurav Tasya Ete Kathitah Hi Arthaah Prakashante Mahatmanah Those who realize this truth everything is God, they are called Mahatmas. Maha Atma. There are no Atmanah plural. Only one Atma. But how do they get to that state? First he starts with supreme devotion. Parabhakti Deve. In God. But he can't see God. So his mind is brought down. Yatha Deve Tatha Gurav A Guru is to be considered as Atman, Paramatma, Parabrahma. That is why Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha and if anybody has so much devotion to the Guru, by the grace of the Guru, for such a person, Tasya, for such a person, Ete Hi Arthaah All these truths. What is the truth? God is real. Atman is real. I am Brahman. Everything is Brahman. Kathitah Prakashante Crystal clear. Just as a person with sight can behold light everywhere. No light can hide itself. Like that this great truth is realized for such a person who has got a supreme devotion to God, to the Guru and he will be getting it. Now what is Upasana? Upa plus Asana. I will give an example first. Suppose there is fire and you go nearer it. First you feel very little warmth. As you approach nearer your body also, the heat of the fire is transferred into your body. This is a very important point and then finally you come so near that your very body becomes fire just as the other fire. You become the fire. You get warmth. It becomes hot and then you become fire ultimately. If we have understood this meaning then contemplate upon Guru as God. Then slowly if my Guru is divine, I also must be divine because there cannot be divine and non-divine. Atman and non-atman. And when we go very near, I am part of the Atman. My warmth is part of the fire and finally there is no other truth other than pure fire. This is called Upasana. And in these Upasanas, how many ways are there? They are mainly divided into three parts. One is called Angava Vada. Another is called Pratika. Another is called Vidya. There are sub classifications. I will try to make it as simple as possible. In the Vedic rituals, perhaps a person is doing Jyotishtoma Yagna and as a part of that, that person has to meditate upon certain aspects of Agni Devata. So that is called Angava Vada means as a part of a main ritual, a subsidiary, secondary ritual. This is one type of Upasana. For example, whenever we worship Sri Ramakrishna, after doing Saucha, Aachamana, Manasika Dhyana is there. So that is called Upasana. This is called Angava Vada means as a secondary detail. Then there is Pratika. Pratika means Swami Vivekananda beautifully explains in his Bhakti Yoga. Prati Gacchati Iti Pratika. There is something and that which helps us to come nearer to that something, that is called Pratika. And this Pratika has been divided into two categories and I will come to that shortly. Then in the Vedic times, these Upasanas, they were called Vidyas. For example, Gayatri Vidya, Panchagni Vidya, Sandhya, Savitri Vidya. So many Vidyas are there. Mainly some scholars have divided them into 32 Vidyas. But those Vidyas are not very much relevant in our times. Now Pratika Upasana. Pratika means anything that reminds us of what is called the idea of God is called Pratika. And this Pratika is subdivided into two. Those which are symbolic and those which are realistic. Pratima, aniconic, iconic. And then we will come to that something. So Pratika means to go nearer to God. It is a symbol literally going towards. Something upon which the mind is focused. So words are also symbol and that's why Nama Upasana is there. So during the Vedic period, the Pratika Upasana was more important. In fact, they did not know what was called Pratima Upasana. How are they contemplating upon God? As the fire, as sun, as air, as mind etc. And these were treated as Pratikas to represent Brahman. Okay. What is Pratima then? Then Pratima means a realistic figure. For example, we have Mother Saraswati's image, picture, Lakshmi's picture, Shiva's picture, Brahma's picture, Krishna's picture and not only picture but image either made up of stone or of wood or of basalt or some kind of gold. Sometimes we get small Gopalas or silver or iron or a mixture. What is called mixture of several metals. Panchaloha, Astaloha etc. are there. In Hyderabad, we have a temple. It is, I believe, made up of Panchalohas. Okay. This is called Pratima. A Pratika is a symbol like the cross, like the Shiva Linga etc. But a Pratima is too gross, an ordinary person cannot think of God. Therefore, it is like an image. Then Guru's image is there, Nandi's image is there, Shiva's image is there. But Shiva Linga is what we call a symbol, Pratika. Shiva's image actually with a beard, with a trident, with a moon, Ganga trying to fall upon him etc. This is called Pratima. Very gross way of doing it. There are two types of Upasanas are there. Two types of Upasanas. First of all, I said Pratima and Pratika and then there are two types. They are called Sampad Upasana, Adhyasa Upasana and Ahamgraha Upasana. So what is Sampad Upasana? We take an inferior object and use it as symbol to represent something very superior. For example, we take a cross. What is a cross? Two pieces of wood or metal put across each other. But it is an inferior object. But then for a Christian, devout Christian, it's not two pieces of wood. It is something extraordinarily great. It only represents, flashes in the mind the whole Christ. So here the symbol is unimportant but the attributes, the cross is only just a starter. But finally it ends with Jesus Christ. For example, Salagrama as a Vishnu. Shiva Linga as nothing but Vishnu. This is called Sampad Upasana. Then we take something called Adhyasa. Adhyasa means superimposition. In Adhyasa Upasana, always remember Upasana means contemplation with complete concentration meditation. So in Adhyasa means superimposition. Like we superimpose a snake upon a rope and get frightened. But we can also use it to go nearer to God. What is it? The symbol chosen is itself a superior object and dominates the meditative field. For example, the sun, we will not find another star which is greater than the sun because our whole life both animate and inanimate, moving and non-moving. It is all a part of the sun. Though we say that sun is the cause of life, energy, sustenance and also death. Srishti sthiti vinasha. But really speaking, what we should say, like the clay becomes the pot, like the gold becomes golden ornaments, the wood becomes the furniture, the sun is nothing but manifestation in the form of this entire universe. Thinking of the sun as the most supreme object and thinking of that as God, that is called Adhyasa Upasana. So the sun with its dazzling light, brightness has a striking resemblance to Brahman and can itself be directly meditated upon as Brahman. Another example, air is called Vayu. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, very first Valli, Siksha Valli, Shanno Mitra Shamurnaha, Thamev Prateksham Brahmasi. Vayu is considered as direct because if Vayudeva takes leave for one second, there will be no life at all. Thameva Prateksham Brahmavadishyam Brahma Vadishyami Ritam Vadishyami Satyam Vadishyami Tanmam Avatho Tadvaktharam Avatho Avathumam Avathuvaktharam Prateksham Brahma The sun and the air etc. This what is called iconic and aniconic symbols as well as Prathimas. And then these symbols also, Yantras. Yantras are very famous. Mandalas, Salagrama, Shivalinga, Water pot. What is water pot? Mother Sitala is invoked in the water pot in many of the Bengali families. Meditation and a lotus. The lotus symbolizing a chakra is the center of consciousness. The whole Kundalini, all the chakras, these are all symbols. They all fall under this meditation. So Prathimas we know and then one example I will give you Prathima. For most of us, we cannot lift our mind beyond the Prathima which is Prateeka. There was one Maharaja in Rajasthan and one day he advised Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji Maharaj, people should be advised not to worship idols and we all know that story and Swami Vivekananda thunders and says that there is a picture of your grandfather spit upon it. After all what is there? There is nothing but a piece of paper and some scribbling upon it. Of course then Swamiji explained, see by looking at that picture everybody is reminded the greatness of your grandfather, your father, your great-grandfather etc. So also every symbol it reminds us. That is why when we prostrate before Shri Ramakrishna's form as an example or a picture of Shri Ramakrishna or a tree. There are many people who worship snake. People don't know that snake worship has nothing to do with worshipping the snakes. It is nothing but secretly worshipping and visualizing the chakras that is inherent in every human body. These are the main three things. Pratika, Pratima, again Sampad Upasana and Adhyasa Upasana. But there is a Upasana which is superior to every Upasana and that is what Advaita Vedanta it highlights and points out. Aham Graha Upasana. What is that? Aham, I. We take this I which we use every time and identify it with the body-mind but this time I remove that body-mind. Aham Brahmasmi. I am Brahman. This is called Aham Graha Upasana. There is a beautiful quotations are there. Aham Manu Rabhavam. I have become Manu by contemplating on Manu. Sri Ramakrishna's life, every step we get the examples by meditating upon Hanuman, he had become Hanuman, not a monkey, the greatest devotee of Rama. By meditating upon Radha, he acquired Mahabhava. Radha is not a woman. Radha is a Gopi. A Gopi is the mind which knows nothing excepting Bhagavan Krishna. This is called Aham Graha Upasana and this is most popular in Advaita Vedanta. But Prathima, Pratika, then Sampad Upasana, then Adhyasa Upasana, Aham Graha Upasana, these are gradual steps from a lower step to the highest step and this is pointed out again in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. He who dwells in the earth, that is within it, whom the earth doesn't know, whose body is the earth and who controls the earth from within is the inner ruler, your own immortal self, etc. Through this contemplation, what is the contemplation? The ninth verse identifies the entire world perceived by us with the Ashtamurthis, the eightfold forms of Shiva or Paramatma to facilitate meditation on the universal self. I will just give you a brief example. What are the eightfold forms? First of all, Panchabhutas. That is why in South India, there are five different manifestations of Shiva. These are called Panchalinga Devalayas, Panchalinga. So five, Shiva in the form of earth, Shiva in the form of water, Shiva in the form of air, Shiva in the form of fire and Shiva in the form of Akashalinga, Jyotirlinga, etc. Arunachaleshwara, for example, is the brightest example of what is called Jyoti, Agnirupa. The whole universe, my body, your body, my mind, your mind, everything is consisting of these Panchabhutas. But these Panchabhutas are working because of the sun and the moon. That's why contemplate on the sun, contemplate on the moon. The sun is the Adhishthatru Devata of the eye. The moon is the Adhishthatru Devata of the mind itself. And through that, what do we see? Day is illumined by the sun. Night is illumined by the moon. And what is illumined is called Panchabhutas. And when you see the earth, anything made up of earth, for example, a mountain, a river and a cloud of earth, a fruit, an insect, human body, anything, salute it. Bhudevata. That's why Lord Venkateshwara has got Bhudevi and Sridevi. Okay. When you see water, without water we cannot live. That is Jala Devata. We cannot live without certain warmth. This is called Agni Devata. We cannot live without air, of course. That is called Vayu Devata. We can never live without Akasha because moving is impossible. Action is impossible. So in this way, you go on contemplating upon whatever we see. These Pancha Devasas manifest as what? Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa, Gandha. All our experiences, we see, we hear, we smell, we taste and we touch. The entire universe is nothing but each other experiencing everything in this fivefold manner. And that is called the manifestation of five elements. And this is the element made possible only by the sun and the moon. This is what is called the very essence of this particular ninth. So if we can do contemplation, what is it? Oh Lord, you are sustaining me. I am made up of the Pancha Bhutas and I am living because of the sun and moon. And finally, I merge myself in you. Yathova imani bhutani jayante, ena jatani jivanti, yath prayantya visam vishanti iti. Tad vijitna sasva tad brahmeti. From where everything has come and by which everything is sustained and unto which everything returns. That is the ultimate reality and that is Brahman. And through tapasya, deep thinking, through viveka realized to be that everything is Brahman. Therefore, I am also Brahman. With this the ninth verse is over. If we can conceive, contemplate of this universe as the Brahman divided into the subject and object and then that upasana gradually frees us from the trammels, bondage, avidya, grandhi and then we become completely free. This is possible only by the grace of the Guru which is nothing but the grace of Ishwara. So I salute my Guru and I salute Dakshinamurthy and through them I salute none other than Paramatman and ultimately I am only saluting myself. Now tenth verse is not a part of it. It is called phalashruti. What do I get out of it? This tenth verse contains the phalashruti, a statement of the results that accrue to a person who studies this work, meditates upon its meaning and finally realizes the truth described in these eight verses. Dakshinamurthy stotram. So what is it? Shravana. What then? Manana. Thereafter what? Nidhidhyasana. Thereafter what? There is no sadhaka, there is no Guru, there is no Siddhi. Everything is Brahman. The rest of the verses are in invocatory nature. It is very likely that they did not form part of the original hymn but might have been added later or we don't know. It doesn't matter. Shankaracharya himself might have added this. It doesn't really matter. Whoever has added, we can consider him as Shankaracharya only for whose welfare? For our welfare. So here goes 10th. The knowledge that all this Atman, Sarvatman has been explained in this hymn and so by hearing it from the Guru, by reflecting and meditating upon its meaning and by reciting it, one will attain that divine state endowed with the glory of all selfhood along with the permanent eightfold holy powers of Godhood. What is the result of the Dakshinamurthy stotram? First of all, one must recite it, one must hear the meaning from a good teacher, one must think deeply and understand it and what one understood, one must practice in life, manifest it in life and by the grace of the Guru, by the grace of God, one becomes free and if he is still alive, means body-mind is there, he will become a Jeevan Mukta. So this is the Phalashruti, whoever recites it, whoever has faith and then that very recitation, he attains to that highest knowledge, I am Brahman. But suppose somebody says, I don't want Brahman, can I get any other result? Yes, yes, you will also get other result. What is this? Eight Animaadi Ashta Siddhi by reciting it but we will not go into it. We want only to think about God and we want to progress in spiritual life. Here is something important, there are eight Siddhis are there and as I mentioned many times, we are all Maha Yogis because Yogis only get these eight Siddhis. We are one-third Yogis because we have three Siddhis. What are the Siddhis? First of all, Doura Shramana. Second, Doura Darshana. Third, Akasha Gamana. We can listen what people are talking in Australia, in America, South America, telephone. Doura Darshana, what cricket match is going on, what indescribable atrocities are going on in Burma or anywhere, we can see clearly, this is called TV or Doura Darshana. Now because of the knowledge, these two are possible. What is the third one? Akasha Gamana. I can reach Varanasi in two and a half hours. Previously in Telugu they say, if any person starts for Kashi, it is like a dead person. Why? Because most likely he may die on the way, robbers may rob him and kill him and because of the different places and waters, he might get Covid Amma, Cholera Amma, Maramma, any Amma and then he can give up his body. Lucky is the person who reaches Kashi and then dies there very quickly. These three Siddhis are there. Doura Sravana, Doura Darshana, Akasha Gamana. The only one we want now, Laghima, that is how to reduce our fat and appear to be extremely thin, floating in the air, the fashion shows, adequately shows us. We have, by the grace of God, able to contemplate and go quite deeply into this Dakshinamurthy Stotram and before I end, I will try to summarize. The entire ten shlokas, eight shlokas are important. Of these eight shlokas, the first four shlokas are important. In the first very verse, Vishwam Darpanadrushyam Ananagari Tuliyam, the highest truth is told that this world is Maya and the only truth is Atman. Besides the Atman, there is nothing else and this world is also nothing but Atman and Dau are to that. And that is a little bit elaborated. Second verse gives us what is called Tvam Vadartha. In the Mahavakya, Tat Tvam Asi, we can reverse it a little bit and say Tvam Tat Asi, Thou that art. Second verse elaborates the nature of the Tvam, means every Jeevatma. Third verse elaborates what is called Bhagawan, the whole, what is Atman. The fourth verse Asi Vadartha, that is Tat and Tvam, Brahman and Jeeva, Jeevatma and Ishwara, Jeeva and Ishwara, Jeevatma and Paramatma and non-different. And the rest of the verses, this world which we see is also nothing but Brahman because if Brahman alone is the reality, it is impossible to conceive of something second to it. This Shankaracharya summarized for us the entire scripture, Brahma Satyam, first that is elaborated in the first verse itself and then Jagat Mithya, that is from the fifth to fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth. But this is only provisional, temporary, everything is nothing but Brahman, that comes only upon Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana, at the end of the Nidhidhyasana. Then Jeevaha, man realizes that Brahman is truth, I am different but the world is Mithya. Second step, I am Brahman, this world is Mithya. Third step, I am Brahman, nothing else exists besides Brahman. And the final truth, Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma, everything else is nothing but Brahman. So this entire Dakshinamurthy Stotram is nothing but the essence of Prasthanatraya. Prasthanatraya means that is the very foundation of Hinduism, that is Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and Bhagavad Gita. And the Gita is nothing but essence of the Upanishads. And Brahma Sutras is nothing but the essence of all the Upanishads, removing certain what is called misunderstandable statements, conflicting statements we can find in the Upanishads. And all the Smritis, Puranas, Tantras, everything is dependent upon the Shruti, which is the Upanishads and everything else is only elaboration, simplified form. And this Dakshinamurthy Stotram, if anybody reads this, especially the first four shlokas, he has understood the entire essence of it. That is what the essence of this one. That is then rest is an elaboration ending in Phalashruti. What is the Phalashruti? Anybody who even resides with Shraddha and Bhakti, gradually he will progress, he will understand I am potential divinity, gradually manifest that divinity and then he understands finally, I am nothing but Brahman and then he understands ultimately, besides Brahman, nothing else exists. Prajnanam Brahma and Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. And then we again take the help of Sureshwaracharya and he ends by writing this particular verse as the most wonderful prayer at the completion of this Dakshinamurthy Stotram. Prakashatmikaya Shaktiya Prakashanam Prabhakaraha Prakasheti Yo Vishwam Prakasho Ayam Prakashatam Prakashatmikaya Shaktiya Prabhakaraha Just like the sun illuminates with his light the entire universe, that Paramatma is manifesting and lighting up the universe, the both the living as well as the non-living and it is his power, Shakti. Prakashatmikaya Shaktiya By the power of revealing everything, Prabhakaraha, the revealer. Prakashanam Prakasheti He is illumining everything. What illumination? In darkness, it is all Anatma. In darkness, it is a snake. In light, it is nothing but pure rope. In the light of knowledge, everything is nothing but Brahman. And what is he illuminating? Yo Vishwam, the entire Vishwam. And O Lord, that light of yours which is illuminating the whole universe. Prakashatam Mahyam Let it fall upon me. Let me also become illumined like a thing that falls into the blazing fire, itself becomes part of the blazing fire. Let me also become that light, the light by whose illumining power all luminaries get illumined, by whose light the whole universe is lighted up. May that light of Brahman enlighten us all. Hari Om Tat Sat With this, by the grace of God, by the grace of Dakshinamurthy, by the grace of our own Gurus, we have been able to complete this Dakshinamurthy Stotram. And for the next few weeks, there will be no classes until they are announced, until I move to Varanasi. Then we will see. Hopefully, everything will be all right. Om Jananem Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Dayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur May the Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.