Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 077 on 03-January-2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Mohor Moho In our last class, we have been discussing extensively about the Gopis. We will pick up the thread from there and then we will continue. Sri Ramakrishna listens to all the conversation with full attention and goes into bhava. Here is the most marvelous thing. It is not only Sri Ramakrishna. Each one of us, we may not attain to that type of bhava or samadhi like Sri Ramakrishna. But at least our minds should be focused on Bhagawan. In this instance, it happens to be Sri Krishna but it could be any form of God. And that is the only way for us to enjoy any scripture. There is a beautiful story and any number of times I have narrated and I will be narrating in future. It is said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once went on a pilgrimage to South India. He happened to be in the compound of a temple and at that particular time, there was a Gita talk going on. A pundit was sitting and he was expounding the Bhagavad Gita. This is a pastime of most of the people. Now Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was also noticing and then suddenly his attention fell on a person. He didn't look like a learned person. Even a person with sufficient intelligence to understand Bhagavad Gita or any scripture but he saw that ecstatic tears were flowing down his eyes as he was listening to the exposition of the pandita. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu immediately went there because the antaryami, inner controller, he knows, he can understand what is our condition of the mind and he went and asked him. I think it is for our purpose because he knows everything. Do you understand what the pundit is talking about? And the person folded his hands and said, No sir, I do not understand a single word of what is being talked about. But I see Krishna directly in front of me. Now this is what we notice when we are studying the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, not reading any scripture but studying the scripture with shraddha, with tapasya and with brahmacharya. These are the most wonderful qualities when a person does upasana, omkara, it is said that God will endow him with these qualities, tapasya, brahmacharya and shraddha. What does it mean? Brahmacharya here means complete devotion to only God and tapasya means there may be mosquitoes biting, other people may be shouting, microphones may be blaring but his attention is there. Is it possible for us to have that kind of concentration? Yes, it is more than possible. And I give you an illustration. In fact Sri Ramakrishna gives this illustration in a different way but I will give you this illustration. Then I will go to Sri Ramakrishna's illustration. Supposing you are walking in a very busy street, so much of noise, vehicles are coming and going and you know in Indian streets all pell-mell and cars honking, auto rickshaws honking, cycles honking, everything is honking but suddenly your attention is drawn, there is a terrible accident and a person had fallen under a car and blood was flowing, all traffic came to an end, you have forgotten all the noise around you, forgotten all the people, everything, excepting for a few seconds, your attention is totally focused because that was a unique event. It doesn't happen every day. Accidents do happen but our witnessing in front of our eyes is a very very rare thing. So what happened to all that noise? Because that incident had made a person completely forgetful. Now the point to be noticed here, we did not mean it. The incident had pelled all the other thoughts from our mind, shut every single sight from our mind excepting that one sight of the accident because it is a very unique incident. But a sadhaka, he will be going on practicing janma janmantara, life after life and then he will come to this understanding that God alone is real. When that understanding dawns, even that understanding comes only by the grace of God, then the person, his whole mind will be focused upon it only. Just as if you are being chased by a tiger and your only attention will be how can I save my life by escaping from this danger? It could be tiger, it could be human tiger, it could be even a dog, it could be anything. Sri Ram Krishna's whole life, the only one reality is there, the reality of Brahma. So also Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So also these devotees, this particular devotee whom Chaitanya Mahaprabhu happened to come. And then that is the essence. Whether we hear a bhajan, we listen to the talk of people, whatever we do, this is the only reality. Are we really desiring? What is the strength, percentage of our desire? And that is what we have to pray and we have to strive our level best to attain. That is most important. Now I will tell you. All the gopis are like that. Now this happened. I will come to that point shortly. But Sri Ram Krishna gives this illustration. A man, a sweeper was sweeping the ground and he was chit-chatting. If he happens to come across some people whom he knows and suddenly somebody comes and tells, do you know so and so had died suddenly. This news enters into that sweeper's mind. What would be the reaction? Sri Ram Krishna is telling us the psychological interpretation. Supposing that person is known to this sweeper and he is not related in any way, he is not particularly friendly with that person, he is very bad, it has happened like that, but he goes on with the sweeping. But supposing that person who died is a member of his own family, suddenly he will come to his senses, the broom falls down from him, he gives a big cry, and then falls down unconscious. That is the most descriptive state. And this is the state this devotee had attained. And that is the state we have to attain. And for that two things are necessary. One is called Brahmacharya, deep intention. Another is called Tapasya. That means whatever we know to be the obstacle, we have to strive our level best. And that is how Sadhana proceeds further. Spiritual progress is achieved slowly, but albeit surely. Then the third one is Shraddha. And all these three are connected. Where there is Shraddha, there would be Tapasya, and there would be Brahmacharya. What is Shraddha? To believe this is the reality, this is the truth. Whether it is from the Guru's words or from the scripture's words. Now whatever we discussed today, three characteristics, Brahmacharya, Tapasya and Shraddha, they are the gifts of God. If we earnestly pray, and all these three will be strengthened. And the way it happens is also very interesting. It is not that God suddenly comes to somebody who is not at all interested, who is only interested in worldly prosperity, worldly enjoyment. He will not bestow that grace directly. Indirectly, yes. How does it come? This is what Holy Mother said. Misery is the gift of God. So even the happiest things in this world also will give us that kind of experience for us. That is, you enjoy something and it is Like that, if there is Bhoga, there is always the fear of Roga. It could be mild stomach ache, it could be purging, or it could be food poisoning. Anything can happen. So that fear is there in Sukha. And even if this fear is not there, another fear is there. Now I am enjoying, but I don't know whether I am going to obtain the same enjoyment in future. So fear comes from two factors. Losing what one has and getting frustrated that we will not get what we desire. These are the two sources, only two sources, of every type of fear that we have. But a sanyasi, a sadhaka is one who says, I have nothing to lose, I have nothing to gain. Why? Because I have God and God is everything. And God can never be lost. That was what Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells I myself will carry to that devotee and supply what he lacks and protect what he requires, what he has already. And it is literally seen. It is a literal fact. Not only a scriptural statement. I will give a small example. It is said of there was a saint in South India called Saint Thyagaraja. And one day he went to another place and unbeknown to him some amount of gold was kept because the person, his devotee, he knew that Thyagaraja would never accept. But of course, like any great saint, he will be having disciples who are only too eager to obtain the prasadam of the Guru. So the disciples required, they eagerly consented before the man could withdraw I am adding a bit of masala and it was kept under the carpet in the palanquin which the poor Thyagaraja never knew about it. And then the palanquin was moving but some robbers came to know and surrounded the palanquin and whole night they tried to attack him but they failed. Why? Very, very marvelous story in so many ways. And then early morning came and they came to their senses. The robbers understood here is not an ordinary person. So they went and fell at the feet of Thyagaraja and they earnestly requested Sir, please pardon us. And he said, pardon you? What for? What have you committed? He did not know what was happening. Of course, the disciples knew what was happening. Others knew but he himself was completely unaware. Then they told their secret we are robbers. We came to know there is gold and we wanted to steal it, rob it and we tried to attack you. Whole night we were following you. Thyagaraja said, if you had only approached me and asked me if there is I know there is no gold but he did not know. If I knew, I would have given it to you. You need not have robbed it. I would have gladly gotten rid of it. Then what happened? Why did you not approach me? Why did you not steal? Then they narrated whenever we made intention and tried to approach you there were two fierce warriors riding on two huge horses. One was riding in the front and one was riding at the back with drawn bows and arrows and then Thyagaraja he was becoming curiouser and still curiouser. Now, how did they look like? And then they described both of them were so handsome. We want to look at both of them but our attention is forcibly reverted on both of them. But sir, we have to confess but there is one, fair one. He was very attractive but there was a black one and that warrior smiled at us and then we have fallen like moths into fire. We could never resist. We cannot turn our eyes away from him. By this time, Thyagaraja understood. He started weeping and I think he composed a song. He said, Oh Rama, what is the justice in this gesture of yours? I have been moaning and weeping and singing and meditating and undergoing all sorts of things and you are not appearing to me. But here are robbers. How fortunate you are. What kind of whimsical attitude, whimsical person you are. You are bestowing your grace on them. Who came here? If necessary, they would have killed me and robbed me. And for them you have bestowed all night your darshan unceasingly and you kept me blissfully ignorant. Why did you not come to me and say, Hey Thyagaraja, there is some gold. You give it to us. I would have been more than happy to give it to you. But then, why did you not do it? So you see, Yogakshamam Vahamyaham. There are so many stories. Some stories are just for the sake of illustration. But some stories are a fact. But one thing I can tell you, this is a fact in the life of everybody. Not to speak of those great saints. I can tell you, whenever I honestly really required something and I prayed to Holy Mother and it comes. I was astonished myself that it is true. I don't have so much of faith in God as Ramakrishna had or other direct disciples had. But yet, whenever I genuinely required something and it just comes, I don't know from where it comes. After a few days, it just comes like that. So now what I am trying to tell you that this is the real bhava, real devotion. Scriptural study is okay. Listening is okay. But why are we not having? Because there is a dichotomy. There is a divorce between what we think we want and what we speak and what we do. So like three wives, so all three are rivals to each other. They cannot tolerate. They are plotting against each other. Our thought is plotting against our speech and action. Our speech is plotting against our thought and action. Our action, of course, is completely ignores everything and goes forcibly, draws us behind it in its own way. And making these three together is the greatest sadhana and that is called tapasya, the great tapasya. Ramakrishna is continuing. He listens to all the conversation with full attention and goes into bhava. He says the gopis are right. Then he begins to sing in the same sweet voice as if Bhagawan is talking to His devotees. I am not hesitant to grant mukti, liberation, but I hesitate to grant pure bhakti. It's a most marvelous bhajan. We have to really go into depth. You want to have mukti? There are many ways. Easiest way, what Swami Brahmanandaji used to talk, is enter into a house through the back door and that is called staying in Varanasi. I chose. It doesn't matter what people call it. Let it be back door, let it be lavatory door. If I get into the house of mukti, I am quite happy in that. There are some who earnestly pray to God and God, out of His infinite compassion, will bestow us also. It is easy to grant mukti because, you know, God is freed from all the burden of this every stupid devotee, if he gives mukti. But if he gives bhakti, that fellow even doesn't know how to tie his own kaupinam. God has to come. Like small children, after answering calls of nature, come running into the kitchen mom and point out. And the poor mom has to take them to the toilet, bathroom, and wash it, wipe it, and then put on the cloths. Sometimes even the cloths are soiled. So many things they have to do. So God is a very intelligent fellow. He knows. If I give bhakti, then I have to look after them. They don't know. That's why I am very hesitant to grant pure bhakti. And then the song continues. Who wins pure love surpasses all. He is served by all. Such a devotee climbs over the three worlds. Listen, O Chandravali, I will tell you of love. Incidentally, this song is part of what is called in Bengal Vaishnava Padavali, devotional compositions according to the Vaishnavas. And there are two important themes, separation and union. And of all of them, Gopi's separation, of all the Gopis, Radha's separation from Krishna. That will be the songs for half an hour, one hour, and terrible, tragic songs. And at the end, Sri Krishna comes, and then Radha and Krishna are united, and it ends in what they call milan, viraha and milan. And with that, all the devotees, jai jai kara, and then they go on singing happily, and then usually there will be some nice prasadam. May not be as good as Tirupati prasadam, but quite some prasadam, and just making fun sometimes, you know. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's favorite sweet is one kind of sweet, I forget the name, mixed with flattened rice, chivda we call it, mixed with sweet curds. And then this one, He loves to eat, and He loves to distribute it to others. Now you know what is the sweetest, a type of sweet, like laddu, was Sri Ramachandra's favorite sweet. You know what is Krishna's favorite? It is kheer, and then butter. And then what is the favorite of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Just now I mentioned. What is the favorite of Sri Ramakrishna? Jalebi. It so happened, one day Sri Ramakrishna had his lunch, and that day, it happened to be very tasty food. He had eaten to his stomach full. There is not much place for anything else. Just at that time, somebody brought a nice jalebi, said, Sir, I brought, please eat jalebi. Immediately Sri Ramakrishna snatched the jalebi, and said, you see, whatever may be the condition of the stomach, even the food may be up to the throat, but jalebi is like Viceroy. So all other foods have to make a way to this jalebi. And then in his own, what is called Kalidasa way, he described with a simile, you see, the jalebi is like Viceroy. What do you mean? In those days, the Viceroy used to live in Calcutta. So there would be some festivals, and you know Indians, festival means they go mad. So the whole place is full of guards, full of people, and there is hardly any place even for a mosquito to move comfortably. It is frightened to its life that I may be squashed in this crowd. In that condition, the Viceroy's carriage enters, and then every other carriage has to make somehow or other a way for Viceroy's carriage. So jalebi is like that Viceroy's carriage. That is what Ramakrishna used to compare. He was very fond of jalebi. So why are they so fond of jalebi? Because they want to also manifest their human nature. Spiritual life is not a dried Nanamarga. That is, a Gnani is one, what I call, a fellow who cannot even digest boiled water. That fellow has no option but to say, Jagat Mithya and Brahma Satyam. Neither Brahma is Satyam, nor Jagat is Mithya. Everything is Mithya only to such a fellow. He loses this world as well as the other world. But a bhakta, as Sri Ramakrishna praises in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Kalir bhakta ki kaun? What does a devotee of Kali lack? Ae dik, oe dik, do dik re khe. Khe ye chilo, do their body. So he enjoys, he has bhoga, he has yoga, he enjoys this, he enjoys that, ultimately he gets more. This is the glory of bhakti or devotion. And that is what Bhagavan Krishna wants to express. I hesitate to grant pure bhakti. Whoever wins pure love, surpasses all, is served by all. He triumphs over the three worlds. Listen, O Chandravali, I will tell you of love. One may gain liberation, but rare indeed is bhakti. Because of bhakti, I became King Bali's doorkeeper in the netherworld, who has become Bhagavan Vishnu, subdued King Bali. And then he granted him. What is the subduing? He put his own foot, like Krishna put the foot on the head of the, on the hoods of the Kali, the serpent, Kaliya. So also Bhagavan Vishnu put. And then where did he go? To Patala. And what is the footstep on the head of Bali? It is permanent presence of God to Bali. And where God is present, is it Naraka or is it Vaikuntha? Devotees have to think about these Puranic stories. Never ever mistake. Puranic stories are the greatest expositions of the purest Upanishadic Vedanta. So this footmark of Bhagavan Vishnu is my grace is forever with you. What is grace? Grace is nothing but God. Just like what is fire? Heat. If you have heat, there is fire. And if there is fire, there is heat. Is it possible for anyone to separate the fire and the heat? So also God and his grace. And what is God's grace? Grace means the manifestation of God as a Sat, Chit and Ananda. Or let us say as knowledge. What is the knowledge? I am God. I am a child of God. I am a devotee of God. This is called Leela Aswadhana. Sometimes that great Brahmarshi, that realiser of Brahman, he wants to play with God. So he divides himself. Sometimes he says, Oh Lord, I am the servant. You are my master. I will serve you. You will be served. Sometimes he will feel I am a part of you. So when a person says I am your servant, this philosophy is called Dvaita philosophy. But remember, this is not a Sadhaka's Dvaita philosophy. This is the Siddha's Dvaita philosophy. The person is already realised. But he is still alive. He is called Jeevan Mukta. And he wants to enjoy God in various ways. This is one way of enjoying it. This is called Dvaita philosophy. This is what Madhvacharya is telling. But Sadhana is the same thing. Whether you are a Dvaitin, Visishta Dvaitin, Advaitin, you are a Hindu, you are a Christian, you are a Muslim, you are a Buddhist, it doesn't really matter. What is the Sadhana? That you reduce the Aham. And then slowly merge it in God. That is common. Whichever path we follow. So this is what he is telling, that a devotee will want to enjoy. Sometimes he says that I want to be with you. I want also at the same time separate from you. This is called I am part of you. This is represented by Visishta Dvaita. But then he gets tired of the play. He wants for some time, I want to be one with you. And that is called Dvaita. So a Jeevan Mukta can be in any one of these states. That is what the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna or through the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna giving the illustration of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He teaches us. Why is he teaching? Because Sri Ramakrishna was so humble, so egoless. He doesn't want to say these are my states. But M, whom Sri Ramakrishna specially brought to describe, to collate his teachings. He says, Is Sri Ramakrishna hinting at his own states? So indirectly, what happened to Chaitanya is happening to me right now. What are the three states? So when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to be completely absorbed in God. That is the Advaitic state. There is no God. There is no devotee. Sarvam Karvitam Brahma. But he used to be aware a little bit. But this is called half conscious state. In that state, he used to dance like a mad elephant. And sometimes, his mind comes down to the body level. And in that state, he will be talking about God, singing of God. He will be giving Upadesham. He will be punishing his devotees. He will be doing all the Leelas. Like Bhagavan Krishna used to punish people. Now tell me, as I said, all the Puranas are marvellous. Marvellous explanations of pure Advaita Vedanta. For God, there is no enemy. Everyone is his own child. Everyone is a devotee. Kaliya was a great devotee. Why do you think he chose to come only to Bhagavan Krishna? Because he knew, if there is anyone who can make me, free me, fear of Garuda. Because there was a curse upon his head. And there was a curse also upon Garuda. Garuda can kill Kaliya anywhere. Kaliya was cursed. There is one place where Garuda will not dare to approach. Because if he approaches, even near to that place, he will be burnt into ashes. And that is why Garuda knew. So Kaliya knew. But that is not. That is a story. But what is the real meaning? Kaliya knows that this poison called Samsara poison can be removed only by Bhagavan's grace. And how can it be removed? If Bhagavan Krishna dances upon my hoods. What are all the hoods? All the Dasa Indriyas. Hundred Indriyas. Or hundred thousand objects of enjoyment. They are all sitting on our head. What do you think? Suddenly you have eaten food. And you are thinking now it is time for me to study the Gospel of Sairam Krishna. Suddenly the mention of Sairam Krishna eating Jalebi you happen to read. And immediately this Jalebi sits on your head and then starts beating you. I want to be eaten by you. I want to be eaten by you. And then probably you may have something stored. Because if you are intelligent like me, that is what you will do. You will go into the refrigerator, bring out the Jalebi and then finish it. Then go back and say after all what is there? Why was Sairam Krishna so fond of this Jalebi? When did this buddhi come to you? Only after eating. Before that it was dancing where? Upon your head. This is all the senses. All the sense organs. The fight between the senses and sense organs is called Kurukshetra war. What am I talking about? How many Pandavas? Five. What are those five? Representative of five sense organs. How many were the enemies? More than hundred. Who were they? Kauravas. What are those hundred? That means countless number of objects of senses. An eternal Kurukshetra is going on between sense objects who are telling we are the masters. Each one of us is a master. You are our slave. And then the sense organs say no, no, no. I am the master of you. If I choose, I will enjoy you. If I don't choose, I will not enjoy you. This Kurukshetra war is going on in the dream state, in the waking state. But the only time when this Kurukshetra war is temporarily declared like from sunset to sunrise that is in the deep sleep state that is why we get so much of peace of mind there. So Dasamukha Ravana, ten headed Ravana. What does it indicate? All the sense organs are dancing on his head that we are the masters. He could not control himself. Whereas look at the father of Rama. He is called Dasaratha. Ratha means chariot. Chariot means sense organ. And who is the charioteer? Dasaratha is the charioteer. Rama's father. And why is he called? Because he is the master. He can control all the ten chariots at the same time. After all, how do we know? Because God is, God comes into the heart or into the family of a person who can control all the sense organs as Dasaratha could control. You look at the lives of the parents of any incarnation all of them are pure, innocent, know nothing else excepting God, completely surrendered themselves to God, subdued their body and mind. Why Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned? Because Bhagawan out of His infinite grace said you be imprisoned. This is called solitary place. And Bhagawan Krishna said now is the opportunity. You have no other responsibility. You will be thinking only about Me. And that is what exactly Vasudeva and Devaki have done for nearly 12 years until Bhagawan Krishna fulfilled their desires and then He released them from the samsara bandhana. We are all prisoners in the samsara. There is no absolute doubt about it. Only God can release us from that. So this is what is telling one may gain liberation but where indeed is Bhakti? Because of Bhakti I became King Bali's door keeper. Only in Vrindavan can one find pure love. What does it mean? Vrindavan means the heart of every true devotee of Bhagawan, Makta. That is called Vrindavan. Haridhi Vrindavane Bhaskari. There is a beautiful Bengali song O Lord dwell in the Vrindavana of my heart because I have made it Vrindavan. What is Vrindavan? Where Bhagawan Krishna in all His Purnavatara manifests Himself completely. That is called Vrindavan. Is He not manifesting in other places? Yes. Somewhere 1%, somewhere 5%, somewhere 10%. But nowhere like Vrindavan. But Vrindavan is the heart. Whose heart? Gopi's heart. And what are these Gopis? I'll come to that very very shortly. So every devotee is a Gopi. Every Gopi's heart is Vrindavan and in the Vrindavan of every devotee's heart dwells Bhagawan Krishna and the devotee will be going on only thinking, serving, meditating, singing, talking, even quarreling only about Bhagawan. Everything is related to Bhagawan. And then the song continues. I don't know which blessed person has expressed. He must have understood something. Only in Vrindavan can one find pure love. But for cowherd boys and milkmaids, none knows its secret. Only those who dwell in the Vrindavan. Again remember. That means those who continuously think. Men, women, young or old who think of Bhagawan. They are the cowherd boys. They are the cowherd Gopis, Gopas and their milkmaids and they only know the secret of Bhakti, the bhava of Bhakti, the joy of Bhakti, the ecstasy of Bhakti. And then the Lord continues or the author continues. Because of Bhakti in Nanda's house taking him as my father, I carried his burden on my head. Every sentence in this song is profoundly meaningful. I think I am going to temple. Who is carrying you? The Lord in the form of your legs is carrying you. That is why Vishnu is the Pancha Devata of legs. But for the grace of Vishnu in the form of our legs, we could not have gone there at all. Then the hands Indra is the Adhishtana Devata. The hands fold in Namaskaram or they do Arhatrikam. It is all possible only by God supporting us in the form of Pancha Devatas, in the form of all these sense organs. That is why the sense organs in Vedanta are aptly named as Devas. And then we think this is my body, these are my sense organs etc. Nothing can be further from truth. Everything belongs to God only. Because of Bhakti, I carried his burden on my head. Our Mother Earth is carrying all of us, supplying us with food and she buries all that we cannot digest and then throw it out so that we can remain healthy and the Jala Devata is supplying all our water necessities and the Ushna Devata, Agni Devata is manifest in the sky of the sun on the earth as fire inside each living being's body as Vaishyanaragni. But for all these three, it would have been impossible to survive. Then Vayu Devata, every second, sixteen times unceasingly birth after birth, from birth to death, Vayu Devata is supplying us with oxygen. Where are you? How can you live without God? And then whatever we do, whatever actions, actions require space and that space is represented in the form of Akasha. This is the meaning. I just went off my head because somehow these thoughts came into my mind. So we have to enjoy them. Sri Ram Krishna is, until now this song was being sung by the Kathak, the narrator and Sri Ram Krishna running to the narrator is saying, the Bhakti of the Gopis is Prema Bhakti and he is qualifying it. It is Avyavicharini and a single minded Bhakti. Vyavichari means, you know the very word many women are called Vyavicharis. Even though men, how can there be Vyavicharini women unless there are also Vyavichari men. This is a men conveniently they ignore it, they don't publish it for every, what is called wrong woman, immoral woman. There must be many immoral men but the men do not admit it and they will suppress that fact. They give all, throw all the blame upon the women. So that is the interesting. Only the Bhakti of the Gopis is called Prema Bhakti. Why? What is called Prema Bhakti? Because they don't want anything excepting Bhagavan Krishna. That is called a Gopi. It is Avyavicharini, undeviating, completely focused upon. We don't want anything. We want no happiness. We want no wealth. We want no acquisitions. We only just want only Bhagavan Krishna about which again we will talk in a few seconds. This is called single minded Bhakti. Do you know what Avyavicharini Bhakti is? Bhakti mixed with Jnana. What a profound word. So Bhakti mixed with Jnana. In it, in this Prema Bhakti, one believes that Krishna has become all. He is the Supreme Brahman. He is Rama. He is Shiva. He is Shakti. But Prema Bhakti is not mixed with Jnana. This is a profound statement. Prema Bhakti is purest Bhakti. What is Jnana? Jnana means separation. I know all about Brahman and I am coming from Brahman. I am living because of Brahman and I will again merge in Brahman. I have studied so many Vedas. This kind of calculating buddhi is called Jnana. But here, the person, as the Pandit says to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, I don't understand a single word. I don't have that intellect. But I see Bhagavan Krishna teaching this Gita, giving this Gita Upadesha to Arjuna. All the time I am able to do it. Now, I want to narrate it for a beautiful story. Even in the, if you study the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, then Arjuna requests Bhagavan and then says, O Lord, you please tell me wherever you are manifesting. He says, I am manifesting everywhere and nobody knows. Why can't I get this knowledge about God from others? Because the pot can never know about the clay. The clay knows all about the pots. So, the cause knows everything about the effects. The effects do not know anything about the cause. That is why, Namay Vidur Devah. Devatas do not know because I have given birth to Brahma. Brahma has given birth to all these gods. So to say, I am the grandfather of everybody. Grand cause of everything. All these Devas are caused. Their cause is Brahma and Brahma's cause is me. That is why you see Vishnu's navel. Brahma is always represented sitting there on a lotus. That means Vishnu is the father. The container. The sustainer and in the end, the destroyer of Brahma. Srishti, Stithi, Vinasha. All the three is represented by that aspect of Brahma. So, now there is a story in the Bhagavatam and then Krishna was playing. Brahma, the creator vaguely heard that it is one great person is performing lot of miracles. So, people say, Bhagavan Vishnu himself is born. But I am an intelligent person. I know all the Vedas and nobody can beat me because I am the carrier of the Vedas. I know all the knowledge. Let me go and test this fellow. Uni fellow he is. You know this probably. Most of you know these stories. So, he comes to Vrindavan. At that time, Sri Krishna was sleeping with Gopas after long play at the noon. It is called afternoon siesta and then Brahma. He said let me test. So, in a twinkling of a second he put everybody to sleep. So, he thought and then he put them in a cave and then padlocked it and some password also he has given. So, nobody can open it and then he went away. Brahma. Remember Brahma. Now, let us see what happens to this play. So, Brahma went back happily smiling now I have stopped all this mischief of the mischievous fellow. But can you put Bhagwan Krishna who is the embodiment of your consciousness to sleep and then he smiled and said let me teach a loving lesson to my child Brahma. So, he became all the Gopas. He became all the cows, all the cows and as usual at the dusk they all started to return. Now, Bhagwatam describes so beautifully. That day we don't know what happened. And then all the Gopis who had given birth to these Gopas etc. So, their breasts were filled with unbearable amount of milk and the milk was oozing. Previously, they were praying to Bhagwan. So, let this monkeys of my son come late because they go on disturbing us. But that day, in and out they are running out to see whether their beloved child is coming. Their hearts cannot think anything excepting their beloved child. Every Gopi was experiencing this un-understandable love and of course, this is all Bhagwan's Vishnu Maya. And then when they beheld at some distance the dust, they could not hold themselves. They run embrace and try to feed the... I am adding a little bit of masala that is not there in Bhagwatam and started suckling their children even though those rascals have grown up them. And they were also happily drinking the milk. Plenty of milk was coming. And that day the cows had lot of milk. You know Indian cows, they give less. And then the owners take away. Only the coffee is used as a starting point, that's all. So that day, so much milk and every cow is anxiously looking, where is my child? Where is my child? And the fruiting trees bent themselves and doing what is called competing with each other let me serve Krishna. Let me serve all the Gopas. Let me serve all the Gopis. They don't know why they are doing it. So like this six months passed and then Brahma said, tomorrow is Sunday afternoon I will go and see what happened. So he came and then he opened and all of them were sleeping. I have seen what is this Krishna's greatness. Mysterious. And then he saw outside Krishna was playing. He went, ran inside. He saw all of them sleeping. Then he got confused. Is Krishna inside or is Krishna outside? He then, he fell to his senses. He fell at the feet of Krishna and there is a beautiful Brahma Stuti there. That's what I want to tell you very briefly. It's a marvellous story. Krishna becoming everything and the transformation that came in everybody in that Gokula because Krishna became everything. He is enjoying his one day life. Only one point you have to add to that. What is that point? That we are all nothing but only that Bhagwan Krishna has become I, you and then he only came in the form of Sri Ramakrishna. He only had taught this Gospel. He is only giving me that knowledge what to talk, what not to talk. He is only giving you the opportunity to listen to all these things. Everything is happening. This is what Sri Ramakrishna had. Bhagavata, Bhakta and Bhagwan. Now I have to quote what I promised earlier, Gopi Gita. His Gopis were not ordinary people. They were Rishis as I explained earlier. Only a Rishi can create this kind of highest Vedantic truths in the form of a beautiful song. His Gopis became proud. It is all our achievement that egotism came and even though Krishna was right inside and outside, they could not perceive and then they felt that tremendous pain Viraha Vedana and then they came to their senses and then they spontaneously from these Gopis these 17 verses have come out which in Bhagavatam is called Gopika Gitam Tava Katha Amritam Incidentally you remember this Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is the English title but the Bengali title is Katha Amritam and that word Katha Amritam has been bodily lifted by M who was a devotee of Bhagavatam from this Gopika Gita. I also explained the meaning earlier. Please recollect it or if in future if some opportunity comes we will do that. But important thing is they were not ordinary people. How do we know? I just selected two verses from there verses 4 and 16. The Gopis when they beheld Bhagavan when they were suffering from the disappearance of Krishna and they became Krishnas themselves some became Krishnas some became Gopis and they were playing like they used to play with Bhagavan Krishna and then they were expressing their knowledge Oh Krishna you are not the son of an ordinary milkmaid you appear like that but that Gopika who gave birth to you is also not an ordinary Gopi She is not mere milkmaid. She is the greatest knower of Brahman and you are born because what do all these Rishis cherish in their secret cave of their hearts only that Brahman. You are that Brahman and you are inside the everybody. As the inner controller as I quoted earlier from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad so from whom the earth came whom the earth do not know who is inside the earth and who rules over the earth and that is that Brahman and not anything else. Then how did you happen to be incarnated Vikhanasa Arthitaha Vikhanasa means Brahma prayed and incessantly for the good of the world Arthitaha you are requested you are prayed for as a Bhikshuka Brahma himself had begged you Vishwa Guptaye for the protection for the awakening of this entire world Sakha oh my friend Udayivam you are born here where Satvatam Kule in the lineage of Sattva then and here they are shouting at Krishna Hey Krishna you know very well we are here why who but a cheater like you so Kitava means a cheater who but a cheater like you Krishna who would abandon young women who come to see him in the middle of the night enchanted by the loud sound of his flute just to see you we have completely rejected our husbands children ancestors brothers other relatives most marvelous Shloka who is the Gopi Gopi is one who rejects everything not to speak of the relatives not to speak of the houses not to speak of their good name and fame oh this Gopi is a fallen woman who is running after some other person yes I am so glad I have fallen but I have not fallen for stupid idiotic fellows like you I have fallen for the only one for whom we have to fall and that is Bhagwan Krishna Oh Krishna so you are behaving like a naive like a scoundrel like a rascal like a thief you attracted us with the sound of your flute what is the sound of the flute like Shri Ram Krishna running to the roof of the Kuti Bhavan where he was staying say oh my children I cannot bear without seeing you my ears are filled with holes because of hearing these worldly talks and like a just a cow which has given birth to a calf just now and the udder is full of milk and it said like a mother suffers if the child if the baby doesn't suckle so the cow suffers I have seen it actually happening how the cow comes running I was in Charapunji and there was a cow shed and a cow has given birth early morning the cow has been driven for grazing and then this small kuchka fell early in the morning so cute and lovely started moaning lowly lowing they call it and hardly anybody can hear but the mother has pricked her ears the way it came running crossing the mountains there it is a sight for Gods to see it came and the joyfully the calf started suckling so we have all been your children and we have helplessly drawn like a powerful magnet draws all the iron filings and now you disappeared and you are asking us because Krishna says you are all chaste women how come at midnight you have come to a parapurusha a stranger and then that is why they are talking you are a cheater and of course he was very happy to hear re-cheat and we also want to be cheater we want to give up everything and only go to God. These words of the Gopis are great words of awakening uttishthata, jagrata, prapyavarana, nivodhata and these are the saurasya of this Gopika Geetam which happened to be mentioned here and it was sung I am sure about it in the presence of Ramakrishna Ramakrishna is none other than Bhagwan Krishna and all the earnest devotees who are they they were nothing but this Gopas and Gopis and we are also the Gopas and Gopis who are drinking the what is called sudha all the Geetamritam we are all Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetamritam Maha Gospel is nothing but this Geetamritam we will talk about it in our next class May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna