Mandukya Karika Lecture 021 on 20 October 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Shritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur Om Bhadram Kanne Vishrunuyama Devaha Bhadram Paschim Akshabhirya Jatraha Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Vagum Sastanu Bhi Yashai Madhevahitai Yadayu Svasthina Indro Vriddha Shravaha Svasthina Poosha Vishwa Veda Svasthina Starksho Arishta Nimi Svasthina Om Brihaspati Hridadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om O Gods, may we hear auspicious words with our ears, may we see auspicious things with our eyes. Worshipping the Gods with steady limbs, may we enjoy a life that is beneficial to all. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness upon us. May the all nourishing potion be propitious to us. May Garuda, the destroyer of evil, be well disposed towards us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Om Peace Peace Peace be unto all. So we have been exploring the Mandukya Upanishad along with Gaudapada's Kharika in our last class. We have been studying the Shankaracharya's commentary on the very first mantra. As we discussed that this Mandukya has got 12 mantras. First mantra is talking about the nature of Omkara and the second mantra is talking about the nature of Atman, Brahman and in this second mantra which we are going to explore soon is that one of the Mahavakyas and that Mahavakya is I am Atma, Brahma. Now in the first mantra Omkara is everything that was in the past, in the present and in the future and Omkara is also everything that is whatever is beyond time also. That is to say both the cause is also Omkara, effect is also Omkara, whatever is experienced including the experiencer is nothing but Omkara. Second mantra takes the other view that whatever we experience including our body, mind, everything is nothing but Brahman. As if externally it is called Brahman and internally it is called Omkara. External object, internal knowledge, external rupa, internal nama and this is how it goes. Just a second. So we have been seeing the Bhashya Sarvam Eduktam Omkara Mithi Tadetat Brahma Tatya Brahma Paroksha Avitam Pratyakshata Viseshana Nirdisati I am Atma Brahmithi. So this is what we are going to experience now. So we have to understand Sarvam Eduktam Omkara Matram. Whatever anybody has experienced, is experiencing, is going to experience including that which is non-manifest, unmanifest. Remember whatever is manifest that alone can be experienced. Whatever is non-manifest, it cannot be experienced excepting inferring that there must be a cause. Whenever we see an effect, there must be a cause. But the relationship is absolutely inseparable, cause and effect cannot be separated at all. So Shankaracharya is telling Eduktam Omkara Matram Iti Tadetat Brahma and whatever is outside it is Brahma, Tat Brahma Paroksha Avitam. So until now, oh it is that, that experienced, whatever is experienced is Paroksha, Tat. But now, so everything is Brahman and if everything is God, then I am also in everything, therefore I must be also God and that is being said Pratyakshata. Don't say that is Brahman because whenever we use the word that, we are separating it from us and say this is me and that is something different from me. No, but everything, the word everything includes everything, including me, including what is inside, what is outside, what is internal, what is external. Everything is included there and therefore Pratyakshata. One should through sadhana understand that one, direct experience, direct realization. Viseshayana, this is what Sri Ramakrishna calls Vijnana, Visesha Jnana is Vijnana. So Viseshayana, that I will be able to tell I am Atma Brahmeti. Not only Brahman is everywhere, everything, but that same Brahman is me. First referring to the individual consciousness, but gradually to everything that is there. Once we come to know that here is a rope, so there is no harm. We can imagine it is a snake, we can imagine it is a garland, it is a bent stick, it is a streak of water, anything, and it will only give joy because we know there is nothing there. Even if we say it is a most ferocious snake, cobra, but that cobra is a Kalpana cobra who is the creator, I am the creator. So the creator can never be affected or harmed anyway by the created because the Karana alone is pervading the Karya. The pot cannot do anything to the clay. Suppose I will dash against something, then you will die. What happens? The pot will die, that means it becomes broken, but nothing happens to the clay. You take a hammer and break any number of ornaments, that form of gold, name of gold will change, but gold will never change. See now it has become an indistinct, unclear form, therefore you cannot give a particular name excepting, oh there is a lump of clay, lump of gold, etc. That is what is telling Pratyekshata Viseshana Nirdeshati, so a realized soul, but in this case a guru, he calls the student, points out like this. He points out like this, says you, Sishya, you are Brahman, I am Atma, this Atma of yours is Brahman, this is called Abhinaya, that is what it is telling. So Ayam iti chatushpattvena pravibhajyamanam pratyagatmataya abhinayena nirdeshati ayam atma iti, ayam iti, ayam means this, what is this, chatushpattvena pravibhajyamanam, that which seemingly is divided into 4 quarters, 4 states, chatushpatt means 4 quarters, pratyagatmataya, where is this Atma, it is not outside, where is the witness of the waking, dream, dreamless, it is within, pratyagatma means inside, as our own inner soul, abhinayena nirdeshati, so when the guru teaches, it is guru's experience, when the student realizes, says Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahman, I am Brahman, I am Brahman, guru says you are Atma, you are Brahman and then after realization the student says I am Brahman, that is what he said, that the very self, that is going to be presented as divided into 4 parts, that is going to be presented, we have already taken an outline of it, but that is going to be discussed in greater details into 4 parts, not really 4 parts, 3 parts and that which pervades all the 3 parts, but for the facility of easier understanding, 4 parts is mentioned, is going to be pointed out as one's inmost self, by the word I am this, that Brahman which seem to be somewhere paroksha, outside at a long distance, no, no, no, this means you with a gesture of the hand, so I am Atma, omkara avidheya, and that Atma, what is the name? You can call it Atma, but the best name for the Atma is omkara avidheya, avidheya means name, designation, so through this designation called omkara, I am Atma, Atma is designated, name is omkara, named is Brahman, but now in the form of Atma, para aparatvena, so I worship Vishnu, I worship Shiva, I Vishnu, I worship God, I worship Allah, what about them? Well, it is the same Brahman, but with name and form, what is the difference? It is between you and Vishnu and Shiva, when you say I am this, you are confining yourself only to your body, mind, but when you say Vishnu, the collective name for everything in this world, that is called vyapakathvat Vishnuhu, all pervading, because of all pervadingness is called Vishnu, so also Shiva, where is not Shiva, he is everywhere, Shiva is another name for everything, everywhere, but if you say Shiva or Vishnu, then you cannot simply say it is like a mango tree or even a tree, tree means a species, mango means particular name of a species, the best word is sarvam, Vishnu is sarvam, God is everything, Shiva is everything, Vishnu is everything, Devi is everything, that is why so beautifully expressed that if you see motherliness in anybody, that is Devi, if you see compassion, that is the mother manifesting a little more noticeable in that particular individual, so parat, that is called aparatvena, sagunabrahmatvena, then para, but sagunabrahma is also a thought in the mind, what about parabrahma, it is not a thought in the mind, but that which makes the thought come alive, that is called parabrahma, but you are using sir, the word parabrahma, well, it is to for the purpose of teaching, not because parabrahma can be called parabrahma, so whatever a human being does, he has to think and anything that is thought can be named, that is why in Shri Ramakrishna's world, everything has become polluted excepting Brahman, but you have used that word Brahman, yes, that is also a pollution, that is how we have to understand, this omkara is the name both for the sagunabrahma as well as nirgunabrahma, so avideha yavasthitaha, and how is it placed, yavasthitaha means that is its nature, but for our sake, it is to be explained into chatrushpaat, means for what was possessed of four quarters, quarter means one fourth, so four quarters make something whole, if you take the number 100, then 25, 25, 25, 25, 4 into 25, 100, that is the idea that is given here, but Shankaracharya, he says this chatrushpaat, four quarters is not like a cow, it is karshapanavat, I will explain what it is, na gauriva, it is not like a cow, gauriva, like a cow, na, not so, not like a cow, what does it mean, a cow has got four legs, so this idea here is not like four legs, why, because the legs of the cow are independent, cut off one leg, cut off second leg, cut off third leg, still one leg remains, no, no, it is not like that, then what is it like, karshapanavat, vat means like, so it is like a coin, let me take as an example, it is like a, take one rupee coin, especially in the olden days, one rupee was divided into, we used to call it one-fourth rupee, pavala, one-fourth, pavala means one-fourth rupee, there were coins like that, so you take four coins like that, now you take one-fourth coin, what is its value, one-fourth rupee, then you take a half rupee coin, now what is its value, it is 2 one-fourth, means 50%, what is the idea, the idea is that this one-fourth also is there and 50% is also there and yet it is only one, then you take three-fourths of a rupee, three-fourths of a rupee, imagine I have not seen 75 annas, this one was not there, but imagine there is a coin like that, what does it contain, all the one-fourth into 3, 75% annas are there, but you take one rupee, then all the 4 such, values of 4 such coins. Now like the legs of the cow, you cannot cut this one rupee coin into 4 and then you cannot simply say this is one-fourth is one-fourth, cut it into 2, one-fourth and three-fourths, cut it into half, 2 separate, cut it into 4 bits, then it loses its value, no, no, it is not like that, it is to count the value, so what is this example for, just like this coin Turiya, pure consciousness, when it is undergoing a particular experience, it is called Vishwa, when it is undergoing waking experience, the same Turiya goes by the name of Vishwa, when the same Turiya is going through dream experience, which is subtler than the Chagradavastu, waking state, as if it has become half rupee coin, like that, so then it goes by the name of, what name is that? The name will be Thaijasaha, then you go to sleeping state, what are you called? Pragnya, so the same Turiya, because it seems to be enclosed, limited by the waking experience called Vishwa, seem to be limited by the experience called dream, called Thaijasaha, seem to be limited by the experience called sleep, deep sleep, called Pragnya, but the same Turiya without any of these states is called the Turiya, so Turiya is not a fourth state, it is not like the cow's legs, but it is that which contains all the Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti plus beyond everything, so the Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti can be equated to Saguna Brahma, but the Nirguna Brahma is beyond that, without Parabrahma, without Nirguna Brahma there cannot be Saguna Brahma, but without Saguna Brahma there can be Nirguna Brahma, now this is the idea like a coin and when it can be looked upon as 4 NS into 4 or 8 NS into 2 or 12 NS that is also included in the rupee coin, but it does not limit the rupee coin, this is only 4 NS, no, it is only 8 NS, no, it is only 12 NS, no, it contains and yet it transcends all the three, much more value, remove the rupee, none of these other coins will have any value, so this is the idea we are inferring that you remove the waking state, Parabrahma will remain, remove the dream state, Parabrahma will remain, remove the deep sleep state, Parabrahma will remain, it will be there in the past, present, future, it is within time, it is without time, it is both beyond time as well as timelessness, that is what Sriram Krishna means, God is having form, God is also formless, God is also beyond both form and formlessness, that is the idea that Saha, I am Atma, that self that is such is signified by Om and exists at the higher and lower Brahman is Chaturshpa, possessed of 4 quarters, that is why I took time, do not misunderstand this Brahman has got 4 quarters, no, the 4th quarter is its real nature but you should not call it 4th quarter, that which is limited can be called a quarter, that which is unlimited that cannot be called a quarter, then why are we using because our present knowledge is only either I am in the waking state or in the dream state or in the dreamless state but I have never experienced as it were consciously that which is beyond these 3 states slowly leading to that state, so similarly another example is suppose 4NS coin and somebody gives you another 4NS, now the value is 8NS, half rupee, now somebody else gives you another 4NS or you require now 12NS, so the value of 4NS is enhanced at each stage, so 4NS is merged in the 8NS, 8NS is merged in the 12NS and 12NS is merged finally into the 1 rupee coin as a unit, that unit having unity is the real understanding we must have. So the other understanding very wonderful point is, so the subtle is always subtler than the grosser, the grossest state we experience is waking, merge that waking into the dream, merge the dream into dreamless and merge a dreamless into that which is the Adhishtana, a substratum and yet beyond all these 3, so this is how Pravilapana, 4NS is merged in 8NS, 8NS into 12NS, finally 12NS into 1 rupee, so also merge of course knowledge wise, cognition wise, so merge the waking state into dream state, dream into dreamless, dreamless into that which is beyond all the 3 states which is called Turiya, which is called Brahman, whatever name you choose to call it by. Now what is the speciality of what we are talking now? In the waking state, the Atma is severely limited, it cannot, the time is very very slow and the space is also very vast, that means even if you have to walk, especially if you are an old man, to walk 1 mile or half a mile is a big task, but you just go into the dream state, what walking? You think of Mars, you are in the Mars, think of USA, you are in the USA, think of anywhere you are there, now in 2 ways, the moment you think, next second you are there, so you transcended as it were, extended as it were, you became tremendously powerful time wise and space wise as if it is just 1 step, so you are here, you take 1 step forward, so you are in India and then you go to Mars just 1 step, any place in this world, that means the infinite has become very very finite indeed, that is the power of subtlety, that is what is being explained here. Now even subtler, the causal state is the subtler, subtlest state, so as soon as you get out of this dream, merge the dream, remember you merge the waking into dream and you now dream state has got 2, subtle form of external vasanas and you are playing them at the present time, the past and the present you have combined there as it were, now when you merge in this causal state, you have gone even beyond the limitations of time and space, time and space do not exist in the deep sleep state, that is what is called that which is beyond time is also Omkara, is also Brahman, this is the state where everything as it were is merged as it were, there is only the absence of everything but it is not a state of liberation because it is called causal state, if there is a cause, sooner or later it is going to become effect, when you see a seed, you have to imagine what it is going to become, even though you can't see the details, when you see an effect, you will have to imagine this Karya, Karana, Sambandha relationship between the cause and the effect can never be separated even intellectually, that's why here and there, black and white, day and night, light and darkness, happiness and unhappiness, you can never separate them, even when you are thinking happiness, how do you cognize this is happiness because as contrasted with unhappiness, this is happiness itself, as contrasted with the black, this is white, as contrasted with darkness, this is light etc., so this is what he wants to say, not like a cow, the cow but it is like a coin where the greater values go on merging, the lower value merges in the higher value, higher value merges in the still higher value and that still higher value, a time will come when you merge in the most what is called valueless, now that word valueless is a most valuable word, why because so a thing is valuable only when somebody values it, when there is nobody, it is completely valueless, so that which contains all the values from 0 to 100%, that is called immeasurably valuable and that is what is called turiya avastha, that is what we have to understand, so what is the point of this discussion? You are pulling and pulling and you are talking about waking and not only talking, this is only a suggestion, the details are going to come from the third mantra onwards, so what is the use for that Shankaracharya is answering, trayanam vishwadheenam, vishwaadheenam, vishwa that means vishwa, taijasa and prajna, that is the meaning, adhi means what beginning with vishwa and then progressing into taijasa indicating dream state, vishwa indicates waking state and prajna indicates deep sleep state, trayanam, these 3, poorva poorva pravila apena, by merging the gross into the subtle, the subtle into the subtler or subtlest and the subtlest is that which can never be described, so poorva means that which is first, merge the first into the second, second into third, third into fourth, so that is how the just now I mentioned waking into dream, dream into dreamless, dreamless into turiya, poorva poorva pravila apena means merging, completely dissolving, then what happens? What do you get out of this? Because you become unlimited, the moment you merge the deep sleep into turiya, turiyasya pratipatti iti, turiyasya pratipatti, attainment, realisation of turiya, oh! I was thinking I was only this body and mind, then I knew that I have much greater powers in dream state and I know I can go beyond time and space, what is it that limits us? Time and space, so in deep sleep I go, I become unlimited, how? By just going beyond time and space but even it is limited because I cannot live there for a long time but there must be something where I don't need to come down again, from deep sleep we come down into again waking state or dream state, it is continually like a circle, it is going on and on but once a person attains turiya, once I attain turiya, there is no question of coming or going because I become everything, I become Virat, I become Hiranyagarbha, I become Ishwara and I go beyond Ishwara also, turiyasya pratipatti sambhavati, realisation of that turiya state is possible only through this method, merge the gross into subtle, subtle into subtler or subtlest and go beyond that also. That is why karana sadhanaha pada shabdaha, turiyasya padyate ithi karma sadhanaha pada shabdaha, so the word pada means either a foot or a quarter, the second meaning applies here, a karsapana, a coin is divisible into some 16 units, 4 of these form a quarter and 8 of these forms a half karsapana and the smaller units lose their individuality in the larger ones, so Vishwa merges in taiyasa, taiyasa in prajna and prajna into turiya, so that is how we have to understand it. Now here Shankaracharya says the waking state, dream state and dreamless state, they are instrumental in attaining to the highest, that is why it is called karana sadhana, karana means instrumental, so the gross state which is called waking is an instrument which is merged in its cause which is called dream state and the dream state along with its enveloped, that which is contained within it, the waking state that is called dream state. So those 2 states predominantly that dream state which contains waking state is now merged into its causal state which is the deep sleep, so these 3 gross, that is waking state, dream state, dreamless state, deep sleep state, these 3 becomes instrumental in taking one from the bigger limitation to a smaller limitation and much smaller limitation, but even that word limitation has to be completely forgotten and that is why turiyasya tu padhyate ithi karma sadhana padu, that which becomes identified, so the deep sleep slowly merges and claims, I am the turiya, I thought I was the deep sleep state, but now I know and this is possible only through spiritual practice, that is why all these 3 states waking, dream, dreamless becomes instruments whereas the last state that is not instrumental state, what does it mean? It means the waking is merged in dream, dream is merged in the deep sleep, deep sleep is merged in turiya, now turiya has to merge in what state, is there another state beyond turiya? No, that is the final where everything is merged in it, everything is contained in it, but it contains everything, there is no more turiya, it is wrong to say turiya is going to merge in brahman, another name for brahman is turiya, turiya is another name for brahman, so they are not different at all, itaradahi abhidhana tantra abhidheya pratipatriti abhidheyasya abhidhanatvam gaunam iti asankasyat. Now supposing this abhidhana, abhidhana means name, abhidheya means that which is named, both are exactly one and the same, looking at a coin from either this side or that side, but then what happens, there are ignorant people, quarrelsome people, no, no the form of a God is very limited, no, no the name of God is very limited, like that they go on quarrelling, therefore this doubt may come which is important, which is primary, which is secondary, so Shankaracharya is telling do not even think of that thought, there is nothing primary, there is nothing secondary, you think of ankara, you think of brahman, you think of ankara, of course these two are only when we are thinking in the mind, but a stage will come when we go beyond the mind, then who is to think, what is the name, what is the named, who is great, who is inferior, who is superior, to think all these things mind is necessary, but when one goes beyond the mind, who is going to think of what, even to use that word brahman is everything, is from a lower point of view, because there is no everything, there is only one and even that word one, it can be uttered only from the mind's point of view, once you merge, just like in your deep sleep, you don't say this is the superior state, I am now in the deep sleep state, you won't say because you are not there to say it, there is nobody to be told so, so if that is the state, if even deep sleep, what to speak of brahman, there is complete oneness is achieved, so therefore even that oneness, I am brahman, even that idea aham brahmasmi is a thought only in the mind, so tattvamasi, that is also in the mind, everything is in the mind, when one goes beyond the mind, that was what Dottapari Maharaj wanted Sri Ramakrishna to attain, I am enjoying my divine mother and he says don't enjoy the divine mother, become the divine mother, when Sri Ramakrishna became the divine mother, who became what, is it divine mother, is it Ramakrishna, when Sri Ramakrishna merged in the divine mother as a divine, that is another name for divine mother, another name for Sri Ramakrishna, then who is deity, who is devotee, who is great, who is small, just imagine, I am trying to convey this idea, a small drop, you take it and drop it in the ocean, after that do you search for the ocean or do you search for the drop of water, because even that word ocean is stupidity on our part, because there is no ocean, there is no drop, water is water only by the volume, by the what is called the limiting adjunct, huge shore is there, so it is ocean, small shore is there, it is a drop, so water becomes one with water, all these shore business, everything because who is telling this is big shore and that is small shore, it is the limited water which is telling, one limited water is telling I am a drop, another limited water is telling I am the ocean, much bigger than you, but both of them when they merge realise I am not big, I am not small, but I am the water, then where is the difference between either a drop or an ocean, so where is the difference between Jeeva and Brahman, where is the difference between I and Brahman, it is all thoughts in the mind, when one goes beyond the thoughts then even that word Brahman will not be there, but what will be there, if it is Durya state, not deep sleep state, then pure consciousness unlimited by time and space will be experienced as me, I, is only to express in words, but that person will not say I am now experiencing Brahman, that is the idea. Ekatva pratipatyescha prayojanam avidhana avideyoh eke neve prayatnena yugapat pravilapayan tad vilakshanam brahma pratipadhyeti itihi, why then Omkara is one pathway, Brahman is another pathway, Nama is one pathway, Rupa is another pathway, you worship God either as form or as name, you cannot separate name and form, when you succeed in understanding this one, you go beyond both and when you go beyond both, whatever is attained that is called Brahma, that is the essence of this particular Shankarabhashya, Ekatva pratipatyescha, why all this time the mantra is telling Omkara is Brahman, Brahman is Omkara, name is object, object is name, so why he is telling that they are one and the same, what is the prayojanam, that by a little bit of eke neve prayatnena, either you take name Omkara or you take the form Brahman as Vishnu, as Shiva, as formless aspect of God in whatever way you like, it is all Saguna Brahma only, when you do sadhana, everything is Saguna Brahma, yugapat instantaneously, pravilapayan that you merge, you go beyond into merge into what tadvilakshana, that means nama, rupa, vilakshana, completely separate that means that which is beyond name, beyond form that is called Brahma for the sake of teaching, pratipadhyata iti, one attains that so that is why it is said the quarters are the letters of Om and the letters are the quarters, what does it mean, so what are the padas here, pada means A is one pada, U is another pada, Um is another pada and what is the other pada, Amatra, it is called Amatra, A is a matra, U is a matra and Um is a matra and Amatra that which can only be merged with but can never be a matter of accepting for upasana that indescribable something that is called fourth quarter, is only by proxy, always keep in mind there is no fourth quarter, similarly Brahma has got four states, the waking, the dream and the dreamless and the Turiya, remember Turiya is not a fourth state, it is the only state which goes by these three different names of the, this is waking and the Turiya, I am the waker, Turiya I am the dreamer, Turiya thinks I am the sleeper but when somehow if we can get rid of these three states that which is beyond all the three states that is called Turiya, it is not a fourth state remember, tadvilakshana, completely separate, so A is equated with waking state, U is equated with dream state, Um is equated with the deep sleep state and that fourth Um, Om, that Um is called Amatra, Om is three Matras but after saying Om, Om, Om, that Um I have to convey to you, so that Um that is the Chaturtha, so these two Akara is Brahman, so Omkara, Omkara is Brahman, Omkara has got four Padas are there, A, O, Um and Amatra and Brahman has got four states, the waking, dream, dreamless and Turiya, A is equated with Vishwa, U is equated with Taijasa, Um is equated with Prajna and that Amatra is equated with Brahman which is beyond, what for? So that one can realize I am Brahman, I have to use that word I am Brahman in language but a person who understands I am Brahman, he doesn't think, he doesn't say, there is nobody to be told, when there is nobody, remember you are not going to talk, therefore it is said Sarvam hi etat Brahmeti, everything is Brahman, so that is the explanation for the first Mantra. Now in the first two Mantras, Upanishad introduced two types of enquiries, one is Omkara Vichara in the first Mantra, Brahma Vichara in the second Mantra. From third to seventh, the nature of the Atman as the waker, as the dreamer, as the sleeper and as beyond these three, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Omkara Vichara 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 5 Mantras that is the scheme this Upanishad has adopted. Now what is the essence of the second Mantra, before we take up the second Mantra, I have to tell you, so in the second Mantra, what is the first Mantra, Omkara Vichara, enquiry about Omkara, what is the second Mantra about, Atma Vichara. So what is the Atma Vichara, Brahma Vichara, Brahma Vichara means Brahman what, everything that has a form, of course it has a name, that everything that is manifesting as something experienceable as body, as mind, as the external world, everything that which was in the past, present and future and that which is within time and without time, everything is Brahman. This second Mantra is going to analyse the nature of that Brahman and briefly indicate this I am Atma Brahman that your own self, I am this is that Brahman, this Atman is that Brahman, this and that, that is the human limitation. So there is no this and that, by analysing one Brahman, we can know everything, by knowing everything, I know that I am Brahman, so I am Brahman, I am everything, so I know everything, that is the idea, Atman is nothing but Brahman, so I equate Brahman with myself, that is the meaning you know, Tattva Masidhi, Guru comes and tells you are that Brahman, that is the Mahavakya from the Guru and a Sishya who is a Yogya, a qualified disciple, as soon as he hears it, he has faith in it but his experience is just opposite to that, Guru says you are Brahman and I feel I am anything but Brahman, but I have faith, I think I am mistaken, that is the first awakening, when Guru says such thing, it is a what nonsense are you talking, I am Devadatta, I have a body, I have a mind, I have my parents, I am a Brahmana, I am a Kshatriya, I am 50 years old, all these things, he is identifying with the body, this is called Pratyaksha Virodha, my experience is terribly contradicted, I will not believe you but when a person understands, my Guru will never tell untruth, so he is telling I am Brahman, if I am Brahman, I cannot be this body-mind because body-mind is that which is limited, Brahman is that which is unlimited, body-mind is false within time-space causation, Brahman is beyond time-space causation, so first listen, then get rid of the doubts which is called Manana, then do Nidhidhyasana, continuous prayer, meditation, O Lord, Dhyo Yonah Prachodayat, give me that buddhi to understand what my Guru is telling to us, so this is what he is trying to tell you. Now, how is this Brahman is everything that is what in this mantra, in this from second to seventh, we are going to explore, how is it? How is it? Because what is it? From birth to death, every single creature goes through only these 3 experiences, waking, dream and dreamless, continuously, cycle is going on, so this Brahmavichara, Atmavichara is that I know myself as the experiencer of waking state, similarly I know as the experiencer of dream state, similarly I know I am the experiencer of the deep sleep state, now enquiry comes, these are the 4 quarters, 4 aspects of the 4 facets of the Brahman, what is the 4th one? 4th one is called Turiya, 4th one is that which is not limited by the waking, dream and dreamless, always let us keep this in mind, so briefly this mantra 3 describe the first quarter, which is first quarter is called waking state, mantra 4 describe the second quarter, which is called dream state, mantra 5 and describe the third quarter, which is called Sushupti, but mantra 7 describes what? 4th quarter, no, that which is beyond the 3 quarters, which cannot be called a quarter at all, because that 4th one is not something experienced but that which is the experiencer, now something unique we have to tell, in many of the Upanishads it goes like this, this world is the effect, if there is an effect there must be a cause, so who is the creator of this world, God, so that is how we infer that I have my parents, my parents have their parents, so this world must have parents and that is called God, so therefore God is the cause, the world is the effect, so that is how the Karya is merged in the cause, okay, what do you get by that, what do you get because here let me give you first an example, supposing there is a necklace made up of gold, take the example of this necklace, what is a necklace? It is an ornament, ornament fit to be worn only round the neck, you can't put it round your waist, can't put it round your leg or hand or much less your finger, only in a particular place, so every particular limb requires a particular form and with a particular name, now most of us think, oh this is a necklace as if it is a object, it is not an object, it is nothing but gold in a particular form and this necklace is not a substance, necklace is not a substance, so if we can understand that whatever we experience is not a substance but whatever is the experiencer, whoever is the experiencer, he is the substance, the necklaces come and go, necklaces can become new and old, necklaces can be broken, any ornament can be broken but gold will not be broken, gold will be a lump of gold even if you cut it into a million pieces, so what is the substance? Gold is the substance and what is the object? What is this necklace? It is only gold with a particular name and form, so what is the idea we are discussing? Discussing this idea that the substance is only one but any number of ornaments are nothing but only the same substance with different names, different forms, different names, different prayojanas, utilities, this is the idea that every Upanishad takes but then Mandukya Upanishad takes a different tack altogether which we will discuss in our next class. I am going slow because these ideas any number of times you may hear but they have to get into our mind, these are profound ideas, we have to listen even if it necessary billion times until when, until when we know that that is the truth, may Ramakrishna, holy mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all, today is a very special day, Kozhagiri Lakshmi day, it is also Poornima day, you remember on this day Ramakumar went to do worship in a next village and Chandramani Devi, his mother was very anxious and she was every now and then going a little bit towards that village to find whether she can spy her son returning, suddenly she saw a very beautiful young woman full of golden ornaments never seen before, so she had the darshan of mother Lakshmi and then as a woman she forgot totally about her son, as soon as she saw said Oga, what is that ornament round near your ear, so that lady said it is called Kundala, like Kanna's Kundala, Kanna Kundala, Kanna means ear also, so she talked and then suddenly she remembered that why is not my son coming, who is this woman and who is your son, how are you supposing that this lady knows your son, all these things completely vanished from the mind of Chandra Devi, such is called the anxious anxiety and then this lady strangely replied that is your Pooja had become taken a little time, so he will be coming in a very short time, you will see him, then it struck, this is a night time, even though full moon is there and this lady, young lady with all these awaranas in those days, dacoits were there, my child where are you going, oh I have to go a long distance, why don't you stay tonight in my house, tomorrow morning you can go, no, no, no, I have to cover a long distance, I will come some other time and she came in the form of our holy mother, anyway this lady soon started walking and went in the wrong path and Chandra Devi observed it, immediately ran behind her to point out my child that is not the way, this is the right way to go beyond the village, but she could not find anybody, she got a suspicion, it may be today's Kozhiyagari Lakshmi Pooja, may be the divine mother has appeared to me and when she went and reported, Shri Ram confirmed, yes, it is mother Lakshmi out of her infinite grace, she has bestowed and so she is going to come in the form of mother Sharda Devi soon, anyway may mother Lakshmi also bless all of us on this special day.