Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 108 on 26-March-2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

In our last class, we have started Sri Ramakrishna's visit to Eshwar Chandra Vidya Sagar. He is also called Pandit Eshwar Chandra Vidya Sagar. He also got a beautiful title, Daya Sagara, because he was really a very compassionate soul. So, why did Sri Ramakrishna wish to meet him? We have seen that Sri Ramakrishna had come to know that M was one of the teachers working in Eshwar Chandra Vidya Sagar's schools. And then he had a desire, and let us not forget that every thought that comes into the mind of not only an Avatar, but any Jeevan Mukta will be only from God. In this case, we call it the Divine Mother. So, why did Sri Ramakrishna wish to meet Vidya Sagar? Not only Vidya Sagar, but anybody who is great, great musician, great poet, great social worker, or anybody great in any field. Greatness belongs to God. That is what we have been seeing in the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Vibhuti Yoga. So, Sri Ramakrishna once expressed, if I do not visit these great people, then the Divine Mother will be offended. Of course, such a thing does not arise because he who sees Brahma, God, everywhere, the question of whether Sri Ramakrishna wants to visit or not with the question itself will not arise. Because actually, it is the Divine Mother who wants to see Herself everywhere. Not only that, there may be some other thing which we will come to know very soon. Every great person must have attained greatness, not because merely God bestowed it upon such a person. This we have to remember. Greatness is called unfolding or what is called discovery. All knowledge, all greatness, everything is within us. But if we use the appropriate means, for example, if someone wants to be a great musician, then he has to use musical practice to unfold his own musical manifestation. So, everything is a manifestation. Nothing comes from outside. That is the meaning of each soul is divine only. Potential divinity does not mean small divinity, not seed divinity. Potential means we are not aware. So, all our sadhana is to be aware that we are really divine. So, the beautiful description, M, he had tremendous power of observation. And whatever we are seeing in the gospel is a marvelous thing. Shri Ramakrishna had long wanted to visit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, learning from M that he was a teacher at Vidyasagar school. The master asked M, can you take me to Vidyasagar? I should like very much to see him. Why did Shri Ramakrishna want to see him? Because I was about to tell you that if these people can be made to see better, to understand better, then the influence of these people will be very great. Let me give you a small example. Swami Vivekananda had equal vision. He used to love to stay with the poor people, illiterate people, as well as with Rajas and Maharajas. Once somebody must have criticized Swami ji, why do you prefer to go and live with these Rajas and Maharajas? Is it to bolster his ego? No, that is what we think. Swami ji explained, you see, for me there is no great or big. And Swami ji had learned this beautiful lesson from a low caste woman, what we call Devadasi, a dancer. When Swami ji was at Khetri, Khetri Maharaja had arranged a beautiful dance program by a very talented dancer. She was not merely talented, but she was an extraordinarily Punyavati, must have acquired lot of Punya. What am I talking about? Because how did she happen to be caught by this Raja and appointed as the state dancer, royal dancer? Because she was going to meet her good fortune, her past Punyam is about to catch with her. And unfortunately we do not know what transformation had taken place in that dancer by coming into contact with Swami Vivekananda. Definitely we know what transformation had taken place when Girish Chandra Ghosh had brought some of the low caste actresses. In those days only no respectful woman will ever come into the public, much less act. So this Nati, Vinodini, who acted as Chaitanya, Tara, there were a few others. They became almost like monks and nuns coming into contact. Girish Chandra Ghosh himself had become a monk. Did he? Of course externally no. But how do we know? Because when later on Swami Advaitha Ananda had presented twelve ochre coloured cloths to Sri Ramakrishna, eleven he distributed to his would-be sannyasin disciples. And do you know for whose sake he kept the twelfth one? Girish Chandra Ghosh. So Sri Ramakrishna visited the Star Theatre. That was the theatre where Girish Chandra Ghosh used to write and then act and also make others people act. He was a superb actor. And some information, he was also a superb singer. He was also a superb poet. He was an extraordinarily talented drama writer. Such was his talent that three or four secretaries he used to keep with him. I am talking about Girish Chandra Ghosh, not Vidyasagar. He used to dictate by turns. Such a flow used to come. Three or four different dramas by turns. He will dictate some portion. By that time, the secretary could note it down. Remember in those days there were no tape recorders, etc. Gramophone record and cassette record. Then afterwards, digital recorder. They were all much later developments. But that is for good. Because had we been hearing, we would have lost faith in Sri Ramakrishna. Because familiarity breeds contact. So, so many actresses, they came into contact. And then they became world renouncing nuns. Literally, they went out of their home. Some of them stayed in Puri and dedicated their whole life for the worship of God. As Mother Kali, as Bhagavan Krishna, etc. Now, we have no doubt. We can also think the same thing. This young woman dancer in the court of Khetri Maharaja must have been an extraordinarily fortunate woman. Fortunate means she deserved it. Khetri Maharaja invited Swamiji. Swamiji refused because I am a young monk. And monks are not allowed to watch because any type of lustful thoughts could arise in the minds of these people. But this lady with 150% sincerity lifted up her divine voice. Prabhu mere avaguna chittanadharu. Samadha rishi hai. Namati haru. Chahe to para karu. And then the meaning goes very beautifully. Since we are studying the Gospel, these are the characteristics that we get in every Jeevan Mukta. So, a piece of Loha metal lies in the house of a butcher to kill animals. And the same piece of iron shaped in the form of an image will be there in the temples. But one we worship and one we fear. But when both of them are touched by what we call Parashavedi, philosopher's stone, both of them equally turn into gold. So there is pure Ganges water and there is sewage water. And when the sewage water falls into the Ganges water or Ganges water falls into the sewage water, both of them turn into the purest, most sacred Ganga water. So this is called Samadarshitva. And when this lady sang, Swamiji said, Fire upon me. I am supposed to be a Brahma Gnani. I am supposed to see Brahman everywhere. Why am I thinking this is a young woman? So if anybody says this is a woman, then he is aware that I am a man. So immediately he came down and he heard with the greatest, must have been greatest to delight. No M was there to record this event. And he must have wholeheartedly blessed her. Swamiji says nothing but Divine Mother. Later on, he worshipped so many virgin girls as the Divine Mother. After he retired, after his second visit to the West, and he used it to be a Paramahamsa, wearing only Kaupeenam, for the sake of people like us. Kaupeenam Antaha, Kalubhagya Antaha. So why all this topic we are discussing? Sairam Krishna visits, and by his very presence, whether the other person is aware of it or not, he will bring about a change. In that context only, we were telling, if Swamiji, he explained, stays in rich people's houses, Raja's houses, he explained, if I can influence a Raja, then he can do a lot more good than ordinary people who might feel like doing good, but do not have the means to do it. So it is not because they are puffed up with such and such a Raja, he honors me, so I must be very great. We should never think of a great Sanyasin's mind in that particular way. So now coming back, M immediately agreed. Then Sairam Krishna asked M, and M should ask Eswar Chandra Vidya Sagar, and of course, he gladly agreed, because by that time, through Keshav Chandra Sen, Eswar Chandra Vidya Sagar had come to know about Sairam Krishna, but he himself never expressed any wish. Not only that, even after promising Sairam Krishna, he never came to visit Dakshineswar. But a sort of funny conversation had taken place at the beginning of their meeting. So Eswar Chandra Vidya Sagar agreed that M should bring the Master some Saturday afternoon at about 4 o'clock, because that will be the day all schools will be closed. Then he asked M, what kind of Paramahamsa the Master was saying? Does he wear an ochre cloth? We have been discussing in the Paramahamsa Upanishad. No. He is the Asha Ambaraha, the Gambaraha. He might even put up. That's not the point. Because he is completely unconscious of the body idea, he doesn't feel that whether I am a male or female. So he is like a small baby. They are never conscious of their bodies until we train them. So M answered, Eswar Chandra Vidya Sagar, No, Sir. He is an unusual person. As I mentioned earlier, M was a tremendously great observer. He is an unusual person. He wears a red bordered cloth, which is usually worn by high class people and rich upper class people and polished slippers, both of them. He lives in a room in Rani Rashman Stimple Garden, that is at Dakshineswar. In his room, there is a couch with a mattress and mosquito net. He has no other indication of holiness. This is important for us. He has no outer indication of holiness. But then immediately, M qualifies. But he doesn't know anything except God. Every night, he thinks of God alone. This is the most beautiful description. If we can remember this, we can understand Paramahamsa Upanishad much better. So, on the afternoon of August 5th, the Master left for Dakshineswar in a hackney carriage accompanied by Bhavnath, M and Hajra. Vidya Sagar lived in Madhur Bhaga in central Kolkata about 6 miles from Dakshineswar. On the way, Ram Krishna talked with his companions. But, at the carriage near Vidya Sagar's house, his mood suddenly changed. He was overpowered with divine ecstasy. Not noticing this, M pointed out the garden house where Raja Ram Mohan Roy had lived. See, we have to observe these things very carefully. M is writing all those things. Because, as we noticed, he was a great observer. So, M wanted to show. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, in those days, used to be considered as a great social reformer. Really, truly, he was not only a Raja, he was also a great person. Greatest social reformer. It's mainly due to him that I don't know how many, lakhs and lakhs of women had been burnt literally by Hindu society, Hinduism. All in the name of Dharmashastra, where no such thing is ever found in the Vedas, that a widow has to commit suicide. This is literally suicide. But, there are so many social reasons why this has been introduced. Many of us think Hinduism is a wild religion. It doesn't kill people. It is true that it doesn't like some other religions. It doesn't go to war with other religions. But, the way Hinduism had suppressed women, suppressed widows, suppressed the so-called low caste people, only Swami Vivekananda was the first person to point out, highlight it and point out and say that India's degradation, degeneration started the day it started hating people. These are all Vedic words. Vedic knowledge. We have to understand. Literally, that is the truth. And, it applies the same thing to the West. Particularly, some religions, they just degrade women. They have no souls. And, they are not fit accepting to be what is called child wearers and good cookers. And, even now, if there is some adultery is done, they will be stoned to death. We find it even in Judaism. Jesus Christ comes across Mary Magdalene who was found out in adultery and the elderly leaders, the punishment is they throw stones. Very interesting. I am bringing out all these things because we have to remember these things. So, this lady was there and Jesus Christ also came and by that time, the leaders of the Judaism, Jewish religion, they have developed an antipathy to Jesus Christ because he was becoming very popular. So, they wanted to test. What is the test? If Jesus Christ tells anything against the written law in the Judaic scriptures, then there is a legitimate reason he can be ousted, he can even be killed. In fact, they only killed him in the name of religion, in the name of orthodoxy. Later on, they did not leave him. So, this lady was brought and everybody is having big, big stones so that they can pelt her to death. Why can't you just kill her, take a sword and cut off? That would have been the merciful death. But no, they have to kill. Now, the point is, how can a woman be an adulteress unless there is a man who corrupted her? No. Man is completely free. But woman and Hinduism has not treated them any less way, excepting a few people like, say, Ramakrishna, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, etc., etc. So, this is very interesting things we have to note down. That Raja Ram Mohan Rai, he requested and he pressurized and then British government, they did not want to interfere in the religious affairs, lest Hindus may become antipathy and then throw them out. So, they brought the law, widows should never be burned. And then Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was the one who helped the widows remarriage. So, here is something interesting. At the Raja Ram Mohan Rai house, his house was on the way to Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar's house, probably that was the route him had taken. Now, he wanted to... That is the house Raja Ram Mohan Rai lived. But as Ramakrishna was approaching, as in many other cases that we can notice, his mind is gradually becoming inward because he will be possessed of a pure spiritual consciousness. Only then he will talk out. So, on the way, Ramakrishna talked with his companions but at the carriage near Vidyasagar's house, his mood suddenly changed. He was overpowered with divine ecstasy. But him, unfortunately, great observer I said, but not noticing this, M pointed out the garden house where Raja Ram Mohan Rai had lived. The master was annoyed and said, I don't care about such things now. He was slowly entering into an ecstatic state. The carriage stopped in front of Vidyasagar's house. The master alighted, supported by M, who then led the way. And M was giving a beautiful description. And it is forever Leela Dhyana. In the courtyard were many flowering plants. As the master walked to the house, he said to M like a child, pointing to his shirt button, My shirt is unbuttoned. Will that offend Vidyasagar? See, Ramakrishna's one way of testing people is whether people care for the external paraphernalia, proper dress, etc. Remember, when Sairam Krishna wanted to visit Devendranath Tagore, then Mother Babu took him there. And Sairam Krishna said, Dress was not very properly arranged. But Maharshi, as he was called, Devendranath Tagore was very particular. And he was shammed. And he also invited Sairam Krishna, please come. But next day, a man came with a letter that perhaps it is not good for you. People may get offended. First, I think, he himself got offended. Which means the invitation is withdrawn. What for? Because Sairam Krishna did not, does not dress properly. So, what was Devendranath's idea about Tagore? Did he have this idea? This is a Paramahamsa. So, one Paramahamsa should have recognized the other Paramahamsa. One Maharshi should have recognized the other Maharshi. But no. So here, Sairam Krishna, he remembered this. My shirt is unbuttoned. Will it offend? But M.H. reassured him, Oh, no, sir. Don't be anxious about it. Nothing about you will be offensive. This is not really true because there are some people who are sticklers to social etiquette. You don't have to button your shirt. And Sairam Krishna, like a child, accepted the assurance simply like a child. And Vidyasagar was about 62 years old. Much older to Sairam Krishna. Remember, Sairam Krishna passed away in 1886 and his age was only 50 years and 6 months. And here is a man 62 years old. 16 or 17 years older than the master. He lived in a two-story house built in the English fashion with lawns on all sides and surrounded by a high wall. And what does that indicate? He was a reasonably prosperous man. He was the principal in some of the colleges. He earned quite a good lot of money, but to his great credit, he had also spent a lot of money in charities. That's why he was called Daya Sagar. So, Sairam Krishna and his devotees entered a room at the far end of which Vidyasagar was seated facing them with a table in front of him. To the right of the table was a bench. Some friends of Vidyasagar occupied chairs on the other two sides. Maybe they came to know or they have come in course of some work. We don't know. But there was a young boy there. We will come to that later on. Vidyasagar rose to receive the master to show his respect. Sairam Krishna stood in front of the bench with one hand resting on the table. And what was he doing? He gazed at Vidyasagar as if they had known each other before and smiled in an ecstatic mood. And in that mood he remained standing a few minutes. What was Sairam Krishna doing? He was gazing at Vidyasagar. What was he gazing at? Because Sairam Krishna could grasp what is the inner nature. Sairam Krishna many times he had said, when I look at a person, his inside is like a glass almirah. Whatever things are there, through the glass anybody from outside can see. I can see his janma janmanthara, purvathara. In fact about him he had said, I know your past, I know your present, I know your future, don't I? And then he surrendered himself completely. Here is my Guru who knows everything about me. So Sairam Krishna why does he gaze at Vidyasagar? Because he is a great man. Can this person be really helped? And through that gaze what is his greatness? What is his spiritual progress? And what are the obstructions? And how Sairam Krishna if possible can help? If Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, this is my reading, if only he was a little more believer in God etc., then perhaps he would have got lot of benefit because as we will see what is going to happen. He did not take advantage of that. And Sairam Krishna assessed Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar now and then to bring his mind back to normal consciousness he said, I shall have a drink of water. Of course Vidyasagar did not know about it and Calcutta also quite hot. You must remember it is the month of August 5th. So he might have thought maybe Sairam Krishna is thirsty so he is asking. But of course you know in Bengali there is a beautiful word it is called Jal Khawana. Jal means that is eating water. But nobody eats water because in Bengali language everything is only eaten. He is eating air, he is eating water, he is eating a cigarette or a churad, he is eating food, he is eating his wife's scoldings. Everything ends only khatche. Hawa khatche, Jal khatche, Bhat khatche, Cha khatche, Coffee khatche, Ganeer gala gali khatche. So this is very peculiar and so easy also to learn. So Sairam Krishna was guessing he must have what is called estimated Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and according to him only he will give instructions. So he must have seen something good and not something so good also whatever it is. Sairam Krishna still in an ecstatic mode sat on the bench. Earlier I mentioned a young man 17 or 18 years old who had come to Vidyasagar to seek some financial help for his education was seated there. And of course Sairam Krishna wanted to poke his nose into other people's business I don't know. So the master sat down at a little distance from the boy saying in an abstracted mode, Mother, this boy is very much attached to the world. He belongs to the realm of ignorance. Of course there was no need to pass such a remark but in an ecstatic mode the Divine Mother herself was speaking that is why he was keeping a little distance. Vidyasagar told someone to bring water not understanding that maybe Sairam Krishna doesn't need water. He is trying to bring his mind down and asked him whether the master would like some sweetmeats also. This is what earlier I was saying. Jal Khavana means what? So if somebody asks water in a good Bengali house, they just merely don't supply water. They also bring something to eat. This is called Jal Khavana. Anyway, so since M did not object, Vidyasagar himself went eagerly to the inner apartments and brought the sweets and must have served and they were placed before the master. Bhavanath and also Hajra received their share. But when they were offered to M, Vidyasagar said, Oh he is like one of the family. We need not worry about him. I don't know. I tried to find out whether later on he offered. I don't get any record of M really got the sweets or not. Probably Vidyasagar was not very sweet about M. I don't know. Anyway, so this is the condition. Why did M not object? Why? Because he knows that anybody if any great person visits a householder, he must offer something. Remember Kata Upanishad when Nachiketa went and then M was not there. Three days he had to remain at food and that incident really I have not been able to understand it. Why should the man stay unfed for three days? Could not his wife or his children or his servants could not they serve him? I don't know. Anyway, what this scripture is meant I don't understand. But probably that was his good fortune that he was not given because he was given actually five boons. How many? Five boons. You may wonder. In Leo of each day that you passed at my house without eating, I am going to give you three. Later on, what was the fourth boon he gave? Nachiketa asked for a fire, a ritual called fire ritual. Then he was given the understanding that this very ritual will take anybody who will do it to heaven and that is to the realm of the very great happiness. And then Yamadharma Raja taught him everything in detail, how many bricks, how to arrange, what way, what mantras, what comes first, what comes next, what comes last, everything. Having taught him, Nachiketa repeated the whole thing because he was Ekashruti Dhara, completely in that order. Whatever the teacher taught him, exactly the same thing he remembered. He had such tremendous, what we call memory power, like Sairam Krishna. That means a tremendous concentration. So concentration, memory, interest, joy, everything belongs, that is only upwards and reverse of the same coin. Now, so here also, Sairam Krishna used to say, if any house was visited by Sairam Krishna and the modern hosts, they do not know this tradition, Sairam Krishna used to say, give me some water. Sometimes he used to ask also, give me a bit of sweet also. And if any visitors are coming, and they are quite capable of bringing, the first thing he instructed him, was whenever you come, bring a paisa worth of something here. Sairam Krishna was not interested in eating or drinking. He was only trying to revive. And Sairam Krishna had instructed M, if any sadhu visits your house, give him at least one small bit of sweet and a glass of water. And throughout his life, as long as M was living, any sadhu, any brahmachari visiting, he would get very nice sweets. Though M was not alive, when I visited his house in Calcutta, his grandchildren, they offered me also very nice sweets. And I was very young at that time. And really, I can appreciate it was very nice. Anyway, this is the reason why M did not object, not because Sairam Krishna required sweets, because Sairam Krishna visited M's house, and it will do a great good, the blessings of such a great soul. And for that, this is a tradition. I don't know whether later on Vidyasagar Hitler kept up this tradition or not. We don't know. But at least Sairam Krishna could do this much. So after taking some of the sweets, the master with a smile began to speak to Vidyasagar. Meanwhile, the room had become filled with people. Some were standing and others were seated. Somehow the news spread. And so many people who did not know, they all came and the whole room was completely filled. And the room is quite big also. And then Sairam Krishna started the conversation in a funny language. Master, today at last I have come to the ocean. Up till now, I have seen only canals, marshes or a river at the most. But today, I am face to face with the Sagar, the ocean. Sairam Krishna making pun Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar. And the way Sairam Krishna speaks, you see, there are some people who try to tell jokes. But it only makes other people serious. What are we supposed to do? But Sairam Krishna was not only a fun master, a pun master also, which we will see very soon. So all burst out into laughter. And Vidyasagar also started smiling. But he was also making pun. Then please take home some salt water. Everybody laughs because the sea contains the salt water. And then immediately Sairam Krishna retorts, Oh no! Why salt water? You are not the ocean of ignorance. You are the ocean of Vidya knowledge, Vidyasagar. You are the ocean of condensed milk. I think Sairam Krishna went a little bit further. You are Kshirasagara. That is a condensed milk. Vidyasagar, he became serious. Well, you may put it that way. Sairam Krishna really appreciated Vidyasagar because not only he had got Vidya, he did a lot of social service. He used his money, his power, his prestige, his social standing to bring about lot of good to the society and he was a very truthful person as we had discussed earlier. Once he gave his word to his mother and he swam a big river at night because he promised his mother I will be present at the wedding of his brother. Sairam Krishna now said, Your activities are inspired by Sattva. Though they are Rajasic, they are influenced by Sattva. Compassion springs from Sattva. Though work for the good of others belongs to Rajas, yet this Rajas has Sattva for its basis and is not harmful. Sairam Krishna is explaining one of the profoundest truths. This whole universe is the outcome of manifestation of Triguna, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. All the castes, so called the Jati that we now consider by birth. But Bhagwan Krishna says, Chaturvanyam Mayasrishtam Guna Karma Vibhagasah According to the Gunas, Sattva Guna is prominent. He is a Brahmana. Rajoguna prominent but supported next by Sattva Guna is called Kshatriya. But Rajoguna supported by Tamoguna is called Vaishya. And Rajoguna or Tamoguna supported by Rajoguna is called Sudra. This is how we understand but further we have to understand castes are not four. There is a lot of mixture is there. So many combinations, culminations and combinations are there. So Sairam Krishna was raising that your activities are inspired by Sattva. Every activity is not inspired by Sattva. Many activities can be inspired by Tamas. For example, if people mercilessly killing whether it is women, whether it is babies, whether it is young people completely unconscious of what is happening steadily approaching them. We can see everyday news what is happening and this is pure Tamoguna but supported, inspired by Rajoguna. Why? Because if somebody is having pure Tamoguna, it will never become. The thought may be there but for the thought to transform itself into activity Rajoguna is necessary. Otherwise, people will just go to sleep. That's all. So Sairam Krishna understood what is the explanation himself is giving. Compassion. You are Idyasagara. Compassion springs from Sattva. Though work for the good of others belongs to Rajas. Activity belongs to Rajoguna. Yet this Rajas has Sattva for its basis and is not harmful. That means it is very helpful. That means very soon he will be progressing further. Later on Sairam Krishna said Idyasagara is not aware it is pure gold. Only a little bit of digging he can discover his gold. Here gold means Sattva. But we don't know what happened. Certainly if not this life next life he will be definitely progressing. And then Sairam Krishna gives always comparison, analogy. Shoka and other sages cherished compassion in their minds to give people religious instruction to teach them about God. But Ishwarchandra Idyasagara is not Shukadeva, not Shankaracharya, not Narada. So he says you are distributing food and learning. Food means to poor people. Idyasagara became Dayasagara. There is a beautiful incident. One day Ishwarchandra Idyasagara was walking down the street and there was a post box. In those days you know people used to write what is called letter based post cards. They write and then they go and put in the nearest post box. So he saw a poor boy trying to put a letter into the post box. And he did not even know how to put it. He was struggling and Idyasagara noticed it, went there and asked the boy child to whom are you writing the letter. He said I am writing to Ishwara, God. And do you know the address? Yes yes Ishwara Swarga Loka Heaven. And what for? So I am very poor sir. I am asking God to give me some money. And immediately Idyasagara made a beautiful fun with that boy give me the letter because I know where Ishwara lives and I will see that it reaches him and here is some money. He took out money and immediately gave to the boy and then the boy ran with joy. And wherever Idyasagara saw people suffering. Earlier we mentioned in our last class that he refused to ride in horse carriage because these people who run these horse coaches drawn by horses they don't feed them properly they are just like corpses just returning from the what is called as and then they whenever they these mules or horses refuse to move forward and because of the fear of this somehow they go. Ramakrishna's experience also was like that many of this one and he used to make fun of so he will only pay twelve annas for which the horses, horsemen they look as if they are just returning from the crematorium. Ramakrishna was a fun master you see. So you are distributing food and learning that's good too. If these activities are done in a selfless spirit they lead to God but most people work for fame or to acquire merit their activities are not selfless. Beautiful observation most of the people who give, they give for two purposes one is my name is a great generous person, is a charitable person, my name should come in the newspapers he has donated so much of money or some people they don't want name and fame do you know why? Because once people come to know this person is very charitable then they will make a beeline. I know what I am talking about everybody writes our centre is very poor we are constructing a temple please send money, please send money please send money, like that hundreds of centres will be so when we come to know we write the same letters or visit the same places because we know them anyway I know so many stories that is not the point here but either for name and fame or punya because some people think if we do some charitable job and that is called poortha in Vedantic Vedantic language there are two types of works Ishta and Poortha Ishta means worship God etc Egna, Yaga, Pooja, etc personally done and the other is Poortha. Poortha means digging wells constructing pilgrims houses or distributing food etc. we have seen in the Kathopanishad there was a great soul called Vajashravasa Vaji means Annam so he used to give lot of food Shravasa means who has become famous for giving so much of food, he must be giving very tasty and good food, plenty of it to people whenever he was doing rituals like Egna, Yaga whoever comes, they will never go with empty stomach so these activities are not selfless, that means they expect something do they get karmaphala? Yes, definitely they get and then Shri Ram Krishna turned a little bit more fun, besides you are already a Siddha you are a Siddha means there are two meanings are there three meanings are there for the word Siddha, that is a person who is a Siddhi is called a Siddha and there are three meanings, what is the first meaning, so if you are boiling rice or potato, it is cooked very properly that is called a Siddha boiled well cooked well second meaning is Siddhi means some of the eight fold powers Akashagamana, Dora Drishti Dora Sramana Dora Darshana Dora Sramana Laghavatvam, Anima, Mahima Garima etc this is another meaning of Siddhi and in that sense that Vishwa Chandra Sagar Vidya Sagar was none of them the third meaning is a person who had become perfect you are a Siddha and Vidya Sagar of course did not understand, that means nobody had ever called him a Siddha how is that sir? Ramakrishna laughing when potatoes and other vegetables are well cooked, they become soft and tender and you possess such a tender nature and why you are so compassionate and the way Ramakrishna uttered everybody felt like laughing and Vidya Sagar also laughing because this novel interpretation, he liked it perhaps but when the he retorts but when the taste of Kalai Pulse is boiled, it becomes all the harder what is this Kalai Pulse? Kalai Dal we call it, Pulse means Dal, you know in Idli, Dosa, South India the Dal which we use this is called Kalai Dal black and then it has got a what is called slimy character and in Bengal it is very popular whenever they prepare this Posto Curry, this Kalai Dal goes along with it so I have become only half Bengali because I liked Posto but I never liked this Kalai Dal it is all for you but many of the people they like it very well and then Sir Ramakrishna started comparing who is a real Pandit? because you are Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar so comparison of dry Pandits with vultures, dry Pandits means they have erudition they have dry knowledge intellectual knowledge but not accompanied by actual transformation of life and Sir Ramakrishna gives here Master but you don't belong to that class mere Pandits are like diseased fruit that becomes hard and will not ripen at all such fruit has neither the freshness of green fruit nor the flavor of ripe so like a diseased fruit but there is a another type of fruit is there and especially beautiful mangoes when they are ripening it is said if a parrot called Shuka and then it tastes it making a whole and then afterwards it becomes so perfect so sweet so flavorful so soft so tender so juicy that is why Bhagavatam gives a beautiful description so that Bhagavatam came out from the mouth of Shukadeva that is Shuka Shuka Mukha Nirgatam it came out from the mouth that means it has been tasted by Shukadeva and who can describe the glory of that Bhagavatam and Sri Ramakrishna is not using that analogy telling it is a diseased fruit such a fruit is not acceptable to any what is called human being and then he gives the what is called toughest description of Pandits this kind of Pandits whose minds are always tied to woman and gold that means for pure worldliness vultures soar very high in the sky but their eyes are fixed on a rotten carrion on the ground what is the analogy the book learned are reputed to be wise but they are attached to woman and gold what is woman and gold anatma what is anatma anything that takes one's attention away from atma is called anatma and anatma in Advaita Vedantic language remember not according to Advaita not according to Vishishta Advaita but only according to Advaita this Srishti this world is called Mithya what is Mithya that which is mistaken to be real that which is ever changing that which is completely dependent for its very cognizance by upon somebody else in consciousness such a thing is called Mithya so woman and gold what do they do they distract the mind from God that is why there is a wonderful point here we have to understand according to Vedas Purusharthas are four Dharma Arthakama and Moksha and Dharma Arthakama are compared to prayas prayas means a gymnasium a training ground so that then once they successfully acquire these things then only the highest truth can be taught which is called prayas so Dharma and Moksha and Arthakama that is what exactly it is called only Kama and Artha woman and gold woman doesn't mean woman here woman means the sexual attraction gold means what is called credit card and credit card is better than gold why is it so because even today the money reserve of any country is measured only by the amount of gold there is nothing else that is the highest measuring rod but then here gold means what gold can be converted into anything you can buy cloth you can buy a house you can buy an aeroplane you can settle in foreign countries if you have sufficient amount of money and UK will be welcoming you with red carpet and give refuge there and even if India says this fellow pilfered and he had robbed millions of people but they are not they will smile and say we are more than willing to return him but unfortunately our courts are not have to decide the fact they hide behind the veil of the court of course who designed that court only this government so Shri Ramakrishna continues the vultures they are in search of carrion they are attached to the world of ignorance that means they are ignorant people that means it will take a long time for Shri Ramakrishna divides ignorant people into two categories the learned and then the unlearned and for the unlearned perhaps it is easier for them to get wisdom they don't have that fetter I am a learned person Shri Ramakrishna was a great pan master he used to tell that if anybody had high degrees passed higher examinations then he used to say pass or pasha every title, degree that comes is a big what is called bondage that makes the egotism get inflated but a person who is ignorant he is at least free from that it is easier for him to progress towards God and then Shri Ramakrishna says compassion, love of God and renunciation are the glories of true knowledge and here Shri Ramakrishna is only translating the Upanishadic words into these common words we have seen in the last chapter 86th karika Vidwan, a learned person the realization of Brahman is itself the humility natural to the Brahmana their mental equipoise is also declared to be spontaneous they are said to have attained perfect sense control as it comes quite natural to them he who thus realizes the Brahman without which is all peaceful himself becomes tranquil and peaceful Vidyasagar listened to these words in silence the others to gaze at the master and were attentive to every word he said we will talk about it is a beautiful chapter every chapter is beautiful every word that comes out of Shri Ramakrishna's mouth is beautiful but we will enjoy it in our next class May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti Jai Ramakrishna