Devi Suktam Lecture 01 on 19 October 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

From today we have started another suptam called Devi Suptam. It is also alternatively called Vaak Suptam. And as I explained in my last class, why did I take up this particular suptam? There are many reasons. One of the most important reasons is that Durga Puja is coming. And many people chant Durga Saptashati Devi Mahatmyam, also called Chandi, consisting of a little more than 700 shlokas like the Bhagavad Gita. And at the end of the Durga Saptashati Devi Mahatmyam, the very end, we get this Devi Suptam. What is a suptam? When we were dealing with Purusha Suptam or Medha Suptam, we had explained so many Rishis, so many Rishikas. Rishika means a female Rishi is called Rishika. They are also called Brahmavadini. Brahmavadi is the male. Brahmavadini is the female. Who is a Brahmavadini? You are familiar with the word vada. Vada means theory. Vada means the conclusion, siddhanta. But that is not the meaning of the vada here. That is those who have become completely one with Brahman. Those who have realized, I am everything. I am Brahman. Such people are called Vadi or Vadinis. Not merely speaking like us, but out of the depths of their realization, they will be speaking out. These are called Brahmavadi, Brahmavadini. And he is also called Rishi or Rishika. Dhirga comes. In the female, some of you may not be aware of it. Like Rama is short for Krishna. But Rama or Rama, Lata, Sita, not Sita, Sita, etc. Dhirga comes. So indicating that they are more powerful than the males. So this is for the female applied. Rishika means she is a female Rishi. Who is a Rishi? Rishati janati iti Rishi. Rishi is one who knows through direct experience, I am God. Such a person is called Sheik. That is why whatever comes out from their mouth is called a mantra. Why? Because they will not speak out anything else, excepting what benefits us. Mananat trayate iti mantra ha. So these are the people who have realized, I am infinite. And that is what this Shanti mantra really indicates. Poornam adaha. That indescribable moolakarana, Brahman. Brahman cannot be thought about, much less spoken about. That is why Sri Ramakrishna says, everything in this world is polluted, excepting Brahma. So alternatively, Brahma to get rid of the confusion, whether we are talking about Saguna Brahma, who is called Brahma? Tirga. Remember, this is not male, but married Brahman is called Brahma. Why? Because he has acquired a big tail. Married, Mrs. Who is Mrs. Brahma? Prakruti, Maya, Avidya, these are the names. Because Brahma represents the entirety of this manifested universe is called Brahma. Just as a seed contains the entire tree. So that unthinkable, but only pointed, like Arundhati Niyaya, is called adaha. Adaha means that. Why that? When the infinite means it is everywhere, because we are not aware of it. Whereas God is anywhere else. He may be even within me, but within, without, these are all dualistic concepts. So Purna Madaha. But we do not know. It is invisible. But what we see is this universe, which is also Purnam, infinite. In the sense, even though there are many countable things, they are unaccountable. You can't simply come. It is one billion. So billions of galaxies are there. And that is indicated. Every species, if you count human beings alone, seven, more than seven and a half. And who can predict how many are there going to be there in the future also? And what is the relationship between Brahman and Brahma or all of us? Remember, all of us are part and parcel of, as Ramana Acharya points out, part and parcel of Saguna Brahma, Narayana. Purnat Purnam Udachyate. This is a manifestation. This infinite universe is a manifestation, experienceable object. Only because of the mind is nothing but that infinite only. Because Karana and Karya, cause and effect, can never be really separated. This is one of the greatest contributions of Advaita Vedanta. What is it? Take simple example. So don't take the example of milk and curds. Take the example of gold and ornaments. So what is gold? Cause, Karana. What is the ornament? Like necklace, like bangle, like a ring, like a earring, nose ring, etc. So this is called Karya effect. But we are talking, that is Karana. This is Karya. Is there really any difference? Are there two objects? Gold is only separate object and ornament is separate object. No, there are no two. Whatever exists is only one. Then what is it? Previously, gold was in, without any specific form, called a lump, L-U-M-P. But now an ornament, every single ornament, the same lump, has taken now a specific, usable, nameable form. So names and forms and utilities are the only differences. Object is one. Substance is one. But because of the names. For example, you can't put your ring finger, finger ring, round your neck or round even your wrist. But everything has got a special one. So you can't put it, probably, round your nose or round your ear. Everything has got its own special utility. And so we think of utility and we make a form. Goldsmith makes it and then it is named as nose ring, ear ring, necklace, etc. Substantially, there is no difference. Only difference in form, difference in utility and to separate one form from the other form, different names are given. But all of them do not differ from the Karana. That is called gold. Gold, gold, gold. So Purnasya, Purnam, Adaya. So even though we ignorant people think that the whole universe has come out of that formless entity called Nirguna Brahma. That is how ignorant people, less intelligent people have to be conveyed. There is a relationship like the popular figure, Brahma. He comes out, he is sitting on a lotus. But where from the lotus has come out? From the Navel of Bhagawan Narayana. And what type of Narayana? Chaturbhuja Narayana. Why Chaturbhuja? Because two hands to control himself and two hands to control his son, Brahma. So especially when they get cold, we require several hands to manage ourselves. So Purnasya, Purnam, Adaya. Actually, they are not different. Narayana is manifesting as Brahma. Nirguna Brahma is manifesting as Saguna Brahma. And Saguna Brahma is manifesting universal reality, is manifesting as this entire universe. And Shri Ramakrishna preferred to call it Ashakti. So this is Purnam, Adaya, Vashishti. When a person realizes, then what does he realize? There are no two. Whatever is there cannot even be called one. It is called one from our mind's point of view, transactional point of view, traveling point of view, but not existential point of view. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. May we realize the truth. And that is the only way to get out of this Samsara Bandhana, suffering of this bondage. And that bondage always comes in the form of Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika sufferings. That is Sthula Sharira, Sokshma Sharira, Karana Sharira, or our body, outside world and the presiding deities. So this is the Shanti Mantra we have adopted, even though we should have used the Rig Vedic Shanti Mantra, which we have been using in this Aitareya Upanishad, etc. So Devi Suktam from today onwards, it's a most powerful expression. There was a Rishika, her name was Ambrani. So Ambrani, very hard name. Ambrani was a Rishi and he was a realized soul. He produced, he had a daughter. And these are all very significant terms because most of the Rishis, as Swamiji pointed out, were married people. But they did not live like modern Grihasthas. They lived like more than Sanyasis. Only they considered that producing children is a sacred duty as commanded by Brahmaji himself. They were all highly developed souls. Prishati, Janathi, as I just now mentioned, they realized Aham Brahmasmi. So they have children. And such children also, many of them, they turn out to be divine beings, realized souls. So he had a daughter called Ambrani. That is the name of the daughter, Ni. Ambrana, Ambrani. This Devi Suptam is the outpouring of her realization. She was called Brahmavadini, not a speaker about Brahman like us, but a realized soul. After her realization, she was expressing her realization, her experience. Why was she doing it? Because for our sake. And how do we get benefit from our realization? That's what we are going to see in the further one. So this is a most marvelous thing. Instead of saying Aham Brahmasmi, she is telling that I was the one who support Vishnu, who support especially Rudra, who support every god and goddess. In the Mundaka Upanishad, we get several mantras without his order, or rather because of fear of him, Bhayat, Asmat, Agni Tapati, So Suryaha Tapati, So Surya, Chandra, Varuna, Vayu, Agni, Yamadevata, everything performed their function because of fear of Brahman. And that Brahman am I. This is the inner meaning. Pure Advaitic Purna conception is being expressed here. But the most wonderful thing is anybody who with faith resides in this Devi Suktam, like Medha Suktam, we get the same result. Now that is why it is called a mantra. So this Devi Suktam is chanted at the end of the Durga Parayana as I just now mentioned. Why? Because that there can be several defects. Our mind may not be having concentration. We might have committed mistake while doing renunciation etc. And also our mind may be wandering here and there. And also we may cherish lot of undesirable thoughts. This is only a small benefit. All those defects will be completely ironed over. We will not be affected by them at all. But that is only a small benefit. The real benefit is we will become like them. It is a meditation. Like So if anybody meditates upon Shri Ramakrishna in this form, we are not meditating on a particular personality called Shri Ramakrishna. We are meditating directly on Brahman himself. Prakruti Vikruti Shunyam Nityam Ananda Murtim Vimala Parama Hamsam Ramakrishnam Vajamaha Even this word Hamsa and Paramahamsa as I mentioned there is a Hamsa mantra is there. And Sanyasins are supposed to recite that. Paramahamsa Gayatri Hamsa Gayatri What is that Hamsaha? Soham Reversed is called Hamsaha. With every breath we take, we say So is some whistling sound comes like that. And when we give up that, that carbon dioxide goes out Nishwasa Shwasa means taking in. Nishwasa means throwing it out like that. Ham Soham Soham Soham If we repeat several times, it becomes Hamsaha. That is why Tanno Hamsaha Prachodayat Where did you say? We have an emblem Ramakrishna order is an emblem and at the bottom you say Tanno Hamsaha Prachodayat May that Paramatman save me that means what? Let him take me out of this Samsara. That is the real purpose. A mantra means Mananath Trayate As we go on pondering over this mantra and that is what is really Japa. Japa is not repetition. Japa is remembrance. Every breath we have to remember what God is. So this Shanti Mantra itself is more than enough for us to realize it is a Mahavakya. So coming back to Devi Suktam that during the Vedic period and it is a very special period and there innumerable Rishis and Rishikas Brahmavadins and Brahmavadinis were produced. In fact most of the Riks by the way Rik means Mantra so all the Riks were the expressions of Rishis whether it is male or female their experiences that is why it is called Shruti. They passed on their experiences to their worthy children either their own children or disciples because even at that time there were so many who renounced the world. What have we got to do with this Anatmaloka this world which is full of Anatma duality. Now three desires are there what is Pitta Priyat so there is the desire for Pitta wealth Pitta means wealth what for for performing Yajnas and Yagas etc. The very word Yajna is a marvelous word why were these Rishis doing Yajnam for three purposes the first purpose is for obtaining may our bodies may our minds be pure strong as we have seen in every Shanti Mantra practically that is the first purpose let there be no obstacles what is the second purpose Yajna Yaga it is to transform their lives let my life be full of sacrifice Yajna Ardhaat Karmano Anyatra Lokoyam Karma Bandhanaha Bhagwan Krishna says in the Gita unless we transform our life into a Yajna that is Bali Bali means sacrifice what is a sacrifice is Ahamkara I am the body I am the mind that has to be given up gradually it doesn't come in one day let alone even one life also it may come Bahunam Janmanam Ante Gnanavan Mam Prapadyate a person goes on improving advancing progressing in a very life little by little such is the grip of the Mahamaya especially this identity with our body and mind three types of identities are there first of all our possessions secondly our bodies thirdly our minds when if by the grace of God if we can overcome these three things what does this person realize then like the Avadhota Gita we say Tasmai Mahiam Namo Namaha I am that indescribable Parabrahman and the salutation I salute myself it is not one person saluting another person instead of saying Aham Brahmasmi Tasmai Mahiam Namo Namaha so we have seen that in Astavakra Gita also through which Sri Ramakrishna had gradually transformed Narendra into Swami Vekananda and Advaita if there is anything that can save the world not only from ignorance of the one's nature but from even secular problems this is a highly interesting something Swami Vekananda had said Advaita had saved the world three times first time Gautama Buddha came and saved universally every Rishi was saying that only but most often individually for the simple reason at that time society was very fragmentary very small groups used to be there so this the concept of world as we understand now as a global unity never existed until now and then secondly this Shankaracharya came and saved by the preaching of Advaita and when is the third time in the form of Sri Ramakrishna even though he was a Bhakta Sri Ramakrishna advocated Advaitic realization as the highest goal only goal but the means to that he did not say Gnana Marga he said it it can be through Bhakti Marga dominant predominantly Bhakti Marga Kali Kaale Naradiya Bhakti Marga and that was what Swami Vekananda wanted to preach why did I bring up this subject suddenly while talking about Devi Suktam because this Devi Suktam is the highest outpouring of this Advaitic realization but what is the benefit of it anybody who does regular Parayana study with Shraddha remember Brahma with Brahma Eva Bhavati in a way Brahman becomes Brahman so if we decide this one that Rishika who realized I am Brahman that Rishika is not there any longer she has become transformed into Brahman that Brahman himself will bless us because we are calling through this Devi Suktam only that Brahman nobody else that is the power of the mere recitation but endowed with Bhakti Shraddha and Ekagrata these are the conditions we have to do it now why this topic has come because nowadays most of our attention is riveted on the world news the war that is going on in the Middle East now between Israel and other nation Middle East nations now the problem is it is not merely political deeply embedded what we call religious differences both of them claim to believe in God both of them claim that our God is superior to your God and this is called duality and so long as a person follows dualistic religion it there is bound to be wars finally all the wars can be traced only to what is called religion and irreligion even when a person he goes on proclaiming professing I'm a religious person unless the life is transformed a person cannot be called a religious person we should not care we don't care well as they say a fig for whether you consider yourself as a religious person or a religious person I have nothing to do with your faith that is your personal opinion but what I care is are you a good person are you a selfless person are you having love and consideration are you going to help not only yourself that everybody everyone of us does that but the whole world that is the concept Swami Vivekananda was mentioning Advaita means what I merely don't love myself or my sect or my religion or my country I love everybody because everything is divine this is the ultimate utility of Advaita Vedanta unless people understand it as a background the quarrels will never cease and that is why the Ramakrishna came and said why are you quarreling referring to the quarrel between Shaktas and Vaishnavas etc. etc. So this is the most wonderful thing that every Rishi is a realized soul every religion produced such realized souls and the official one religion Islam it prosecuted all the realized souls in realization of Islam there are people called Sufis Sufi means Safa pure white their heart is has become free from all trammels ignorances Tamoguna Rajoguna only pure Sattva Guna Sattva is always represented by whiteness that is why it is called Safa Anal Haq I am Allah I am that how many people have been killed burned tortured and killed because other people thought how dare you say that you are God so these marvelous stories are there about these great Mahatmas all realized souls they are irreligious people what do I mean unless we transcend the limitations of so-called religion we cannot become realized souls a realized soul is not a religious person a religious person is a highly limited person but to go beyond it is just like you know a pole vault pole is okay you take the help of pole and then you rise in the space and then you throw it out and cross over the pole that is why that vaulting it helps us any pole will help us to go beyond but you should not carry it there and those religions which have accepted this they become compassionate for example Buddhism for example Hinduism Hinduism is the most tolerant religion in the whole world even though there are Vaishnavas, Shaktas etc that really mass hysteria mass killings rarely seen there were some few instances are there rarely seen in Hinduism but in the name of God fight anyway I just referred to it the greatness of Advaita is Rishika Ambrani she has realized it like her father Ambrana like the father like the daughter so we have seen in the Vedic times several Brahmavadinis at least 30 or more of them mentions are there even though I do not remember most of them but we do remember in the Brihadaranyaka there was Maitreyi Agnivalika Maitreyi then Gargi Vachaknavi Vachaknavi means one who knows what she is talking about then there were also several others are there very important point I am going to make now so this Ambrani she is also one of them this Ambrani is also through whose expression of her experience has made this Devi Suptam or Vaksuptam Vagdevata Saraswati so Vani different names are there so we also get not only in the Vedic periods more in the Vedic periods but we don't know because whatever mentioned was a small number how many people really realized during that Vedic period we have no mention because we have lost thousands and thousands of branches Shakas Vedic Shakas we have lost but we get one Hemalekha and Swami Vivekananda was very fond of quoting one lady called Madalasa who started teaching this highest Advaita Dawa to that poor children and we get in the Yoga Vasishta one Sulabha Sri Ramakrishna refers to this what is called Brahmavadini called Sulabha and this Sulabha went and met King Janaka and then she sat very near to him and he went to his side because even though he was claiming as if I am a Brahmagnani then the Sulabha addressed him and said Oh Janaka even now you are body conscious though mine is a female body yours is a male body and you are remembering this one all these things are whatever is called that body consciousness when it goes who is a male who is a female and there are others also so there is a wonderful book which Ramana Maharshi used to highly recommend it is called Tripura Rahasya and there Dattatreya an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara combined he was also called an Avadhuta himself narrates how this Rishika Hemalekha guided and enlightened her husband as a Sadguru she became the Guru and he was in deep darkness and she guides him and whoever guides as such they are called real Gurus so we see Sulabha enlightening King Janaka whether they are the same Sulabhas we don't know what about in the Islamic literature especially Sufi literature what about Rabia I will narrate a small story incident because this is what I am here to do don't go on saying Devi Suptam Swami you are going far away from Devi no no this is to extol that this stupid idea males entertain and women have come to believe that we are far inferior to men just to rid of them each soul is potentially divine Swami Vivekananda never saw any difference between man or woman body is different he was not an ignorant person but the aspiration the teleological urge it is absolutely the same so there was a great woman saint called Rabia you might have heard about it so somebody asked so Rabia are you loving God because he might throw you into hell that was the teaching given there predominantly if you don't worship Allah you will be enjoying in hell and Rabia such a marvellous expression has come in the form of a prayer O God O Allah if I love you for escaping from the hell fire then throw me into the hell fire if I am loving you and worshipping you because I am hoping to gain entrance into heaven then exclude me from heaven but if I am loving you for the sake of loving you do not exclude me from yourself do not withhold me from yourself such a stunning statement from a woman who was young was beautiful her life definitely I advise you to go through her life and she was captured she was made a slave she was tortured but one day her master realized how great she was because light was coming out of her body then very few people of us are aware even though I post some of the sayings of desert fathers in the WhatsApp application they are called desert fathers beginning with Saint Philip Saint Anthony etc but the most important point is there were so many desert mothers they are called desert mothers and they did work in no way less in their austerities they have undergone through all the tortures of hell in that desert especially egyptian desert area like one of the those desert mothers was called Mary I'm not referring to the mother of Jesus this is Mary this desert wisdom desert monasticism has developed very much after the 300 years after Christ's passing away now coming back to our times what about Mirabai what about Andal what about in our own times means in our earlier times what about Gopala's mother very few of us realize what Gopala's mother was first she saw through Saguna Brahma her Gopala and Gopala identified himself with Ram Krishna and then she used to address Ram Krishna as my Gopala and so devotees started calling her you are Gopala's mother but what happened this was the first stage is seeing Gopala alone second stage she identified Ram Krishna with Gopala and started there was no difference between Maeshta Devata Gopala and Ram Krishna this was the what is what is called expansion of her vision then after a few days she started seeing the this Gopala started entering into the bodies of the prominent devotees and disciples of say Ram Krishna like Narendranath like Rakhal and other people and then slowly he more and more he will enter into a devotee's body comes out and she understood this is Gopala this is Gopala this is Gopala this is Gopala this is Gopala what is happening say Ram Krishna and his disciples and Harishta Devata there is no difference Harishta Devata is only manifesting as we say Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma this is the third stage slowly expansion of identity with everything else finally a day had come she had gone to Panihatti chariot festival and then she was describing later on I saw everything as Gopala the living the non-living the chariot the priests and the people who are pulling the chariot and the people who are watching the chariot good people evil people and all the idols and everything else the whole like Arjuna beheld the Vishwaroopa of Bhagwan Krishna and that day she said I shouted so much I raised a Kurukshetra you won't cry that day from that day onwards everybody became her Gopala and she never hesitated to live with what what other people used to call a Mleccha Nivedita for her holy mother was Gopala Nivedita was Gopala there was no male there was no female this is called Brahma Darshan Sarvatra Brahma Darshan and we have to exercise our imagination when we are reading these incidents suppose a dog comes to Gopala's mother what do you think she will see what do you think we see a dog what do you think she will see God there was no difference between God and dog sometimes he appears as God sometimes as a dog in whatever forms these are the marvelous secrets as we grow in spirituality our selfishness our identity with body mind which is called in other words Ahamkara should become less and less and that is what happens if we regularly with Shraddha chant this Devi Suktam so Gopala's mother was a Brahmavadi what to speak of holy mother then because she said I am the mother of all she declared I am the mother of of everybody even not to say what about Chandramani Devi who became the mother of all the Gods and Goddesses when she was carrying Shri Ramakrishna in her womb several incidents are there now connect the dots now how did this become Brahmavadinis that is important for us because I also we also want to become Brahmavadi how these Brahmavadinis like Brahmavadis dedicated their entire lives to learning teaching and spreading knowledge through their Tapasya and remained some of them unmarried some of them remained married also an example I'm quoting just to make us understand how we have to expand our understanding of Ramayana Gautama Rishi's wife called Ahalya and she slipped once as a human every human being is apt to err and then her husband who was a Gautama Rishi he cursed that there are so many defects my dear until you rectify them you cannot progress in life so it is said in the popular idiom she became a Sheela Sheela means an inert stone how can a human being become a stone what is the meaning that she was so much overcome repentant what she had done so she took a vow I will not come out like Valmiki until I become a realized soul then she became like practically like a stone Ramakrishna also was describing the same thing I became inert and then birds used to sit fearlessly on my head and forage for grains etc and scorpions and snakes used to crawl as if they are crawling on a stone but not on a living human being same experience came to Ramana Maharshi also so they used to live like that say Ramakrishna's marvelous description a glimpse into how these Rishis had lived they used to get up early in the morning and then go far away from their ashramas and meditate on the Nirguna Brahma whole day come back late at night and take a few roots and fruits and then sleep for a few hours and this continued day after day so this Ahalya was given that boon Gautama Rishi said that you will be coming to normal life by the touch of the feet of Rama Rama was Parabrahman so he went to she went she did tapasya she was so merged in the ashrama meanwhile Gautama Rishi not wanting to disturb her he went away and then they had a son also Ahalya had a and Gautama Rishi had a son and then this finally Rama came to this Dandakaranya and his feet touched immediately she came out what did what has happened what is the antaratha simply Rama said my dear devotee now you have become one with me now you lead an ideal life so that yourself and your husband Gautama Rishi both of you become what you call a Rishi and Rishika so that you will be inspiration for other people and that is how this is the interpretation that we have to hear from elderly people those who know there are some great preachers who know about it and this is called antaratha whether it is Ramayana's antaratha Mahabharata's antaratha or Bhagavatam's antaratha this is how we have to understand so some of them are married some of them are not married but they decided to become Brahmavadinis and there is only one way that way is Tapasya what is Tapasya complete dedication to the ideal without deviating allowing the mind to deviate here and there that is called Tapasya Tapasya Brahma Vizhigna Sasva Tapo Brahmati as Varuna commanded his disciple that is Bhrigu so that was the soul and whole goal of these Brahmavadins they are also called Sadyodhahas that is those who are married Sadhvi we call it that word sadhvi that is they are married people but they lived a pure life what we call Sati's life chaste life like Sita that there were also some of them were also some some of them great scholars like Gargi like Maitreyi etc who continued their education even after marriage also now this Devi Sutta is a marvelous expression of this Ambrini's expression show the high position woman seers enjoyed in the Rig Vedic times and this Devi Suttam is the 125th hymn from book 7 of the Rig Veda so with the Devi Suttam she is the beginning of the contribution of women seers so early how many thousands of years back our country is called sacred country and on the banks of Saraswati so many Rishis it is said how we connect the dots we don't know nearly 11,000 years back a great river called Saraswati used to flow freely in what we now call Punjab and part of Pakistan also and on the banks of there thousands and thousands of Rishis and Munis used to spend their time for the purpose of this one so who was the every Suttam is like we say that every Suttam must have a Rishi so that we can remember gratefully and the author of author means not like a writer sitting and then thinking and writing but spontaneous expression like the expression of all bhajans from the mouth of Tyagaraja, Parandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Tulasi Dasa, Meera Bai, Tukaram etc. so marvellous things they are not thinking at all and then saying this one they felt one with that Bhava and then that Bhava is coming and when we sing with that Bhava then we should be able to more or less experience the same feeling that is why there is something very curious at the end of every bhajan we get the name Tulasi so Tulasi kahe or Kabir kahe kahata Kabira suno bhai sadhu or if it is Purandara Vithala Purandara Dasa if it is Tyagaraja Tyagaraja if it is Muthu Swami Dixit or Muthu Swami etc etc we get the name now are these people aiming let these people who come in the future let them at least remember I have come we have composed this one Arramprasad Prasad Bole Prasada says like that Kamalakanta says like that no why are they writing because let people become like me like us only then they will be able to understand the spirit the real meaning the bhava of this particular bhajan etc Meera kahe so mere to dosara na koi mere to Giridhara Gopala dosara na koi there is nobody else and Meera kahe why because that is Meera's experience and unless we become Meera's we also experience there is nobody else excepting God we will never be able to really appreciate the meaning of the bhajan and the lyrics are okay but we have to meditate upon them Sairam Krishna's gospel is full of these songs and whoever heard those soul stirring songs they use it to temporarily get up very high in the spiritual atmosphere so the Sairam Krishna used to lift them up even if people never understood the lyrical meaning of those things even Totapuri who rarely understood Bengali language he used to weep and say Ekyaare Ekyaare what is this what is this he could not control himself this is the real reason why those people use it to really speaking write put their names at the end that if you also sing as I sing then you will be able to obtain the same thing so the author or the authoress of this Devi Suktam is the daughter of a great Rishi called Ambrina that is why the daughter is called Ambrini or Ambrina is credited with the Devi Suktam and this Devi Suktam is also known as Vaak Suktam and this Ambrini she is among the most ancient women poets of the world and this what is this Vaak Suktam or Devi Suktam the spontaneous outpouring of her realizations and divine experience she in this hymn identifies herself as the supreme goddess herself Adi Parashakti we can also see holy mother Sharda Devi Gopala Irma etc the same thing embodying the consciousness of the Devi or Shakti or Brahman she has composed the hymn on the composition it just pours out power vigor and strength unlike many other Suktams in which the Vedic say redresses a Devata this is composed from a state of divine ecstasy born out of being merged in Devi consciousness and therefore some people consider this as what Atma Stuti the word Atma Stuti has two different meanings beautiful meanings Atma means myself that is the one meaning Atma means the divine soul Paramatma so that is another meaning Stuti means a hymn a praise so this is a praise both of oneself and the Paramatma how can it be Stuti of both because the distinction between I am an individual and that is Paramatman that is the greatest crime we commit when we say that is Paramatma so what are we doing when as soon as we say that is Paramatma we are making the infinite as finite I am one finite you are another finite so you may be a slightly bigger finite but the same no not much different from me no this is Atma Stuti and some people call it Atmarpana Stuti so what is this Atmarpana Stuti that is complete oneness by surrendering by merging like rivers merge in the ocean that is called Atmarpana Stuti and in today's talk I want just to quote Shankar the great Shankaracharya has composed a great hymn and that goes by the name Soundarya Lahari don't say Soundarya Lahari then it becomes Hari Soundarya is one word Lahari is another word Lahari means wave Soundarya means the waves of beauty that people enjoy in this connection Ramakrishna told when he was worshipping Tantric sadhana there is no divine goddess equivalent to Rajarajeshwari she is truly Rajarajeshwari and as if her beauty her one glance is moving the whole world as it were so Srishti Stithi Laya at the moment of or just a slight moment of her birth and this Soundarya Lahari the very first shloka Shankaracharya gives which I will discuss of course in my next class Shiva Shatya Yukto Edhi Bhavut Shaktah Prabhavitam Nachayat Evam Deho Nakhalu Koshalas Panditum Api Athasvam Aaradhyaam Harihara Virinchadi Virapi Pranantum Stotum Vakatham Akrutha Punyaha Prabhavate United with Shakti Shiva is endowed with the power to create the universe otherwise is incapable even of movement therefore who except those endowed with great merits acquired in the past can be fortunate enough to salute or praise the oh mother divine who are the adored of even Harihara and Virinchi means Shiva we'll talk about this in our next class Om Jananim Sharadaam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Moho Moho May Jai Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Jai Ramakrishna