Mandukya Karika Lecture 040 on 02 March 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur Om Bhadram Kanne Vishrunaya Madhevaha Bhadram Pashye Maksha Bhirya Jatraha Sthirai Rangaiye Stushtu Vagum Sastanu Bhi Vyase Madhevahi Tanyatayoh Swasthina Indro Vriddha Shravaha Swasthina Poosha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthina Starksho Arishtanimi Swasthino Brihaspati Hridadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om. O Gods, may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious. O worshipful ones, may we with our eyes always see what is auspicious. May we live our allotted life, hale and hearty, offering our praises unto Thee. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on all of 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. In our last class, after completing six mantras of the Mandukya Upanishad, we have entered into the Gaudapada Karikas. In our last class, we had explored the first karika wherein Gaudapada mainly wants us to understand. It is only one pure consciousness which puts on three particular types of dresses and works. In the waking world, he is called Vishwa or Vaishwanara or Virat and he puts on the dress called Sthoola Deha, Sthoola Indriyas. And same person, after some time, he gives up this dress and puts on a very fine dress. Or let me put it that he removes the outer garment, but the inner garment, which is called Sokshma Sarira, always remains. Better to keep this imagery in mind, first there is the finest material called Karana Sarira. Above it, a little coarse material and that is called Sokshma Sarira. And above it, there is grosser dress which is called Sthoola Sarira. So three dresses, one person. What is this analogy of dresses? Just as a person can remove all the three dresses, that is the first point. He is completely separate. He has nothing to do. But if anybody sees him, only with the outermost dress, his identity, his photograph, his everything, CV, everything will be identified with it. But if he removes that outer one, there are very few people who can really understand. We have explored this. When a person is in the state called dream, only it is his private world. Whereas in the waking state, if I see a tree, the whole world can see the same tree. So everything is experienceable by everybody else. But here also there is a point, not exactly in the same way. Some people like, some don't like it. And some see it with a narrowed vision, some see it with broader vision. Some have more knowledge, some have less knowledge. But more or less, we are able to act and interact with each other because we are meaning exactly the same objects whenever we refer. There is a tree, there is a car, there is a table, there is so and so, there is this woman, etc. But as soon as we give up the dress and enter into the dream state, we can only think of our private world. Nobody has any access to it, including the scientists, psychologists. Then what do the psychologists do? Well, they will ask us what dream you have and what is your likes, dislikes. Through that they can only infer. But they have no direct, nobody has direct access. That is the dream world. But when this Vishwa, giving up the identity with the external world, waking world, just keeps on two dresses. A finer dress which is called the subtle body, subtle world. And by the way, don't forget gross body is called Vishwa. And the entire world is called Virat or Vishwanara. Similarly, the individual in the dream is called Taijasa. And what he experiences, the entire world is called Hiranyagarbha. Then the third one, the individual who merges is called Prajna. But the counterpart, the cosmic person, that is called Ishwara. So one cannot live without the other. That means from Ishwara came Hiranyagarbha. From Hiranyagarbha came Vishwanara or Virat. What do I mean by came? That means when Ishwara, the causal, becomes manifest so that he can be experienced by each one of us, though privately, it is like our private show. This is called Hiranyagarbha as well as Taijasa. But when we seem to be interacting with each other, that word seem is very important. Because we think that something outside is there. No, no. It is all just a manaspandana, vibration in the thought. But there is some object, there is a common experience. So Virat and Vishwa, Hiranyagarbha and Taijasa, Ishwara and Prajna, they are all the time together. But the difference is because of the Upadi or the limiting adjunct. That is very important for us to understand. So in the first Karika, that is what Gaudapada wants to tell us. What does he want to tell? With regard to the six mantras that we have explored in the original Mandukya Upanishad, this is the essence. And these are the Karikas just explaining, highlighting certain points. What is the highlighting point? There are no separate beings called Vishwa and Virat, Taijasa and Hiranyagarbha, Prajna and Ishwara. They are exactly one and the same thing, not at all different. This is what he wants to tell. When the same pure consciousness, he is aware of the external world with gross body, experiencing the entire gross world. He is called Bahi Prajna, completely conscious of the external world. He is called Vibhohu, that means Virat, that means Vishwanara as the cosmic being. And he is also called Vishwa, that is individual. But when the same Vishwa and Virat, always together, they give up their dress. Now the funny thing is, as soon as Vishwa, that means I, you and everybody else, go to sleep, go to dream state, lie down on the bed and go to dream state, as if everybody in this entire world has also entered into the dream world, because we are not conscious of the, we are not functioning rather through the external world, external body. Therefore, when there is no external body, that means body consists of only 10 Indriyas, 5 of knowledge and 5 of action. If you remove these 10 sense organs, then there is no body. Body means 10 sense organs, the hands, the legs, etc., the eyes, the ears, etc. So when we give up that outer dress, as if we have given up all the 5 windows and 5 instruments, and then we enter into what is called internal world. But even while experiencing the internal world, we feel that we are exactly like the waking state. Remember, when we are dreaming, we don't call it dream state, we call it waking state. Only upon waking up, coming to this state called waking state, not deep sleep state. Because, you know why? Because in deep sleep state, there is no division. This is me, individual, and this is the world. So there is no Vishwavirat, Vaisesa, Hiranyagarbha. They all don't get destroyed, but remain covered up as it were, like the entire mango tree is covered up in that seed, mango seed, seed state. That's why it is called Karana. And again this seed manifests, so the unmanifested state of the tree is called the seed, the manifested state of the seed is called the tree. These are the beautiful ideas we have to keep in mind. When the same person goes, that means gives up identity with the external body, and then the external world disappears along with that, and he enjoys, he creates, recreates with all the memories, which is called dream state, dream world. Dream world is called Hiranyagarbha, and dream me, individual, is called Taiyasa. So that is what he wants to say. Antah pragnasthu taiyasa. Taiyasa is that, always remember, when we say taiyasa means also Hiranyagarbha, because in the first half of the line, vibhuhu vishvaha, vishvaha is the individual, vibhu is the universal. Here he did not use only the individual, taiyasa, we have to add Hiranyagarbha, taiyasa Hiranyagarbha. Then in the third state, then he goes beyond the dream world. What is common between the external world or waking state and dream state? There is subject-object, and then all the experiences, etc., subject and object get connected in both these states. As a result, some experiences come, all those things become completely merged, as if there is no subject-object division, but it is there very much, like the entire tree is in the seed, and thus we have to always remember, same one, same vishvaha, who when he comes to dream state is called taiyasa, same taiyasa when he comes into the third room or gives up the second dress, subtle dress, and puts on the, not puts on, he remains with the causal dress, he is called prajna, that means he is also Ishvara. So subject-object, when it completely becomes one, then who is to distinguish? One is individual, another is the universal. And what is the important point? Ekaha chaitanyam tritha sthitaha. It puts on, identifies with the three dresses, the same chaitanya in one dress is called vishvaha, another dress is called taiyasa, another dress is called prajna. That's all the difference. Now, Gaudapada is coming to the second verse. In this verse, what does he want to say? That there are two ways of experiencing these three states. One, we experience waking, after that we give up the waking, and then we go into the dream, after that we go still deeper, and we experience the deep sleep. And again, slowly we come out, either into the waking state or into the dream state. Either way, how? Like the great fish, which remains in the middle of the river, and sometimes it goes to the left, sometimes it goes to the right, that is the imagery given in the Upanishad, that we have discussed earlier. So, one chaitanya, he puts on three dresses, but there will come a time when he is tired of these dresses, when these dresses become worn out, holy, and dirty, and unusable. Then he puts on new dresses, and the physical dress, when it is removed, it is called death, and when pralaya kala comes, the subtle dress is removed, that is called pralaya, and after some time, maha pralaya comes, that is what is pralaya, nithya pralaya, every day, he is tired of these both dresses, if he just retains the third dress, or the nearest to the chaitanya, which is in the form of unmanifest, and that is called karana sharira, karana prapancha, and then these affairs continue, if it is nithya pralaya, he wakes up to a new time, new opportunity, to either grow or to diminish, through his efforts. But if it is death, he will be given a new body, but the sukshma sharira remains. How long? It will remain until next, until mukti is attained practically. Similarly, karana sharira is also retained until mukti is completely attained. This we have discussed earlier, the function, and the components, and the constituents, and everything we discussed earlier. So here, in the second verse, In the first karika, he is telling it is one chaitanya, putting on three dresses, but he identifies with that particular dress, and is called by a particular name, as Vishwa, Taijasa, or Prajna. Now the question comes, where is this Prajna mostly identified? That means, with what instruments? What is the most important instrument through which this Vishwa functions? Through what important instrument Taijasa functions? And through what important instrument this Prajna functions? Because you see, just as we have homes, we may roam all over the world, but we have a home, that's why it is home, and that is our abode until we quit this body, etc. So similarly, this person must have a waking state. What is the home? Sthula sharira. Sthula sharira means what? I mentioned earlier, the ten indriyas. But here, Gaudapada wants to pinpoint and say, even though it is like this, Sri Ramakrishna tells, a jameendar has vast jameendari. He has many houses, and each house has many rooms. But most of the time, people want to meet him because he is a jameendar, he is a landlord. So many affairs have to be managed. So even though he moves here and there, for most of the time, he should be available in one particular place. Like you go to the officer, the officer can go to any room in his office because he is the manager. But then, he has a specific office. If anybody wants to meet him and discuss any problem or perspective, then they have to go and meet. Similarly, when we are experiencing the waking state, or the chaitanya, he occupies the entire physical body. Importance is on the physical body because to experience the physical gross universe, we require physical gross body. But just like the entire body is the instrument, but the most important part of the instrument, that's what he wants to point out. So here, what is the instrument? Right eye. Now don't say, there are people who question, why specifically right eye? Well, I explained to you, first of all, eye means, eye is the most important instrument of knowledge. Therefore, even if we are forced to give up any other organ, but if we are given a choice, we would like to keep the eyes. Similarly, in the eyes also, somehow it is found out, both eyes do not function equally well. Both nostrils do not function equally well. Both hands, always, both legs, you will notice, if you notice very subtly, you can see, we favor one particular organ. So, similarly, most people, it is the right eye. But if there are some people who use the left eye, that is fine. Importance is not the right eye, it is just mentioned for the sake of Upasana. What is Upasana? I want to worship the Virat. Where can I think of Virat? In every organ. But it is the eye which gives us the most importance. That is why so many Darshana, we say Darshana, and then we say knowledge. I saw with my own eyes. I don't believe my own eyes. Somehow, unconsciously, indirectly, we are only referring to this eye as the most important instrument, which is true. We can do without ears. I mean, if we have to lose it, that's okay. Nobody will die. But the greatest disadvantage will be if we have to lose our power of seeing, because we can see miles and miles and miles together. Even hearing is not that powerful, especially if we climb to some height, we can see so many things. Okay. That is why Dakshina Akshimukhe Vishvaha. Vishva's main drawing room is the right eye. But as I mentioned, don't make too much of importance to it. This is purely for the sake of Upasana. You want to do Upasana of Virat, then think of him in the eyes. And in the eyes, automatically, we will be favoring one or the other of the eye. Probably, most of us prefer the right eye. That is all the significance. Don't pull it anything further. Then, when we give up this dress, where is that place? Manas Yantastu Taijasaha. Taijasaha means the Chaitanya who puts on that finer dress called subtle body, sporting in the subtle world. He is called Taijasaha. And this Taijasaha, where from he works? Manaha, mind. But in the mind also, there is some particular place there. That is called Chitta. Chitta means the abode of memories. Specifically, where all the memories are stored, it is called Chitta. Now, why there is so much of importance? That is why even Patanjali was forced by defining Yogaha Chittavrutti Nirodaha. Chitta means memories. Memories means emotions. And it is these emotions, namely the emotion of happiness, the emotion of unhappiness, which dictate every action and reaction in our entire life, life after life, until we get Mukti. What is Mukti? The eternal, infinite happiness. So your experience practically is judged only by the memory of how much happiness we are getting and how much of unhappiness some other object is giving. So run away from the cause of unhappiness. Run towards the cause of the happiness. So Chitta. And if we can control our memories and bring about memory of God. This is very, very important, this particular topic. All our Sadhana is dependent not on the physical body, of course not in the deep sleep, but on this Chitta. That is why we say, remember God all the time. Japa means remembering God, not repeating God's name. Tape recorder also can repeat God's name, but remembering can be done only by a conscious being and the abode of this memory is Chitta. So sitting in the Chitta and bringing all the memories, that was a happy experience. See, I got happiness at 4 o'clock. And what brought that happiness? Ah! Somebody had given me wonderful ice cream. Oh! So ice cream is a cause of happiness. So that is how first the memory comes of happiness and then the cause of the object which became instrumental in bringing me that happiness. And then finally, again we go to our mind. Okay? Command the eyes, command the legs, command the hands to go where it is. Oh! Eyes, you see whether any more ice cream is left out. After opening, even to open, even to go, we need the eyes. That is why eyes are so very important, but all other organs are very important. Eyes are the leader as it were. That's why it is said. And not only that, when we are in the waking state, we require light and without light, everybody is blind, even if they have eyes. That is why the Sun God, Surya Deva, he is called the greatest power of Narayana and he is the Adhishtana Devata for every eye. Without Surya, the eyes cannot function. So where does that Surya especially reside in the individual body? In the eyes because it is only the eyes which can make use of light, particular light. And therefore, that light is there in the eyes and as I said, we favor one particular eye using it most often and that is why here it is said, right eye. That's all. So this Taizasa will be there in the Chitta. So this is what he wants to tell. Then, so when a person gives up the gross dress called Vishwa, the subtle dress called Taizasa, then puts on, retains the only dress upon the pure Chaitanya and where does he reside? There is, it seems, in the heart. This heart, it belongs to the Karana Sharira and there is an Akasha, there is a space. The space is only a word for our meditation because supposing you buy an almirah, you have to keep it somewhere, so you need space. You buy a chair, you buy some food material, whatever you want to keep, you require a special place, that is called Akasha. Now the Prajna has to be kept somewhere. Where does he reside? In the Akasha. It is called Hridi Akasha or also called Chidakasha. That is the most important thing in this world. So Vishwa is he who cognizes in the right eye, Taizasa is he who cognizes in the mind within and Prajna is he who resides in the Akasha, in the heart. Thus only one Atman is conceived of as threefold in one personality. That is what. So earlier we also discussed what is the special symbolism of this one. So you please remember two points. One, there are two ways of experiencing these experiences, the world, by putting on these three dresses. One, first waking state, give it up and then keep this subtle dress which is called Taizasa and then that also, here giving up means you cannot really physically give up. It means getting rid of the identity. Get rid of the identity with the physical body for the time being when you are tired and that is called dream. Get rid of the identity with the dream world and that is called the deep sleep state. So it is temporarily we have the power, God has given us very natural power to disidentify ourselves. And if you really think this is the only time when naturally, automatically, as if we are endowed with that power that we can give up our identity and enter. But remember, it is not that we are entering, we are made to enter. That's why you can't dream unless the nature makes us dream. You can't be in the deep sleep. In fact, if you struggle, you determine now within 10 minutes I want to sleep. Within 10 minutes, within 9 minutes and then time is passing, the more you struggle, the less you are likely to sleep. And then you take up, I don't want to go to sleep. Take up some heavy philosophical book or listen to this Mandukya Karika and then you know what happens. So this is a natural thing. This is one meaning, one after the other experiencing. What is the other one? It is also one after the other, but all the three states experienceable in the waking state alone. This is the second meaning. Gaudapada wants to tell that you can have any number of dreams, still you close your eyes, remember something, you are in the dream world. Only people call it daydreams. But many daydreams end up in becoming concretized, in becoming physical gross objects by plants, etc. Okay. Then there is a third state. What is it? For a few minutes. In fact, there are two ways. One is that in between every two thoughts there is a state where you are not awake, you are not dreaming, but it is not identifying with the pure consciousness, but getting tremendous rest, just as the heart. Osan beating is a particular rhythm giving the heart rest so that it can function again. Heart is one of the organs which works from the time prana enters into the body until the time prana departs. Where from does it get its rest? It doesn't rest in the waking, it doesn't rest in the dream, it doesn't rest in sleep, but it goes on, beat, rest, beat, rest. Thoughts also automatically end. There is a resting point and there is a starting point and that is how there is no man's land. That is, if we can consciously cultivate it, it is one way of practicing or experiencing waking, dream, and a dreamless state as it were. This is one way. Now there is another way of experiencing which I am foretelling what is called, what will have to come at the end. That is when a person completely knows how to detach himself from all these three states and remains purely what is termed as Turiya or Brahman, then he can also experience all these three purely as a Sakshi, as if we are all doing it. When I am looking at you, you are in the waking state and I am talking or you are talking with somebody, slowly your eyelids I see drooping while driving also sometimes it is possible and sometimes I see when I am giving a talk that a person is completely absorbed. After few seconds his conscience breaks and immediately he gets up and struggles mightily to keep his eyes awake. So again, I have seen many times. So it is possible like me, like you, we can witness our own state, not others, our own waking, our own dream, our own deep sleep also. So three ways we have found out. One, one after the other, first waking, thereafter dream, thereafter sleep. Second way, while completely in the waking state, so you interact with the world and after sometime close your eyes, remember certain things and then go on thinking, dreaming, daydreaming and after sometime, you just for a very short time, that is the difference, short time, you forget everything, get a little rest, come back and again plunge into day-to-day activity. This is the second way. Third way of experiencing it, let the body-mind, actually it is the body-mind which experiences the Chaitanya, remember the analogy. Chaitanya never identifies with these changes. So if you are moving into three rooms, room number one to room number two, then again room number three, again room number one, but you are not changing, only the room is changing. So also Chaitanya lending its consciousness to the body-mind complex in the waking state to the mind complex in the dream state and it lends a peculiar type of consciousness in the deep sleep state where you are completely awake. Chaitanya, that means Karna's prajna is completely awake, but he has nothing to experience, that means he does experience, it is not nothing, but he cannot distinguish it. That is a better word, indistinguishable experience is called the prajna experience, that is most wonderful. So three ways of experiencing. What is the bottom line? Bottom line is that just as a person can give up the banyan and then the warm sweater and then the coat above it, completely when he goes to the outside for jogging early morning, he puts on. When he enters into the office, he removes the outer coat and warm coating and one small shirt will be there. And when he is lying down or just relaxing, watching movie, etc., he will just have a banyan with air-conditioned room. But sometimes some people like to sleep without, for example, while taking bath, we have to remove everything. Like that, different times the same person, without changing, the same person goes on changing the roles from Vishwa to Taiyasa to Prajna, that is important. But what is the point? All these changes from Vishwa to Taiyasa to Prajna is forcibly done by nature. We don't do it, we don't decide, I will be in the waking state, I will be in the dream state, I will be in the deep sleep state. It is most naturally the occurring recycling process. But through spiritual practice, when a person goes on practicing witnessing attitude, a time will come when the body-mind, by their very nature, have to go through these three states. Every Jeevan Mukta has to pass through the waking dream as well as deep sleep state. But what is the speciality? First of all, he is a witness. Secondly, he is not affected just as a fish which moves to the left bank and then again to the right bank. It is not affected, whatever is happening on the bank. Similarly, this Jeevan Mukta, an awakened person, is called an ever-awakened person, not one-time awakened person. So we are not awakened. Even in the jagrat avastha, our consciousness is a little more manifest, but we are deeply identified with our body, with our sense organs, with our selfishness, with our ahankara. So this is what Gaudapada wants to tell. What is the point? And taking advantage of these three instruments, the eyes, and the chitta, and the akasha, hridyakasha, or it is called chidakasha, bahyakasha, chittakasha, chidakasha, he sports in this world and again he returns back. If we understood that one after the other, all these states contradict each other, all these states, whichever state we are in, that alone becomes for the time being the reality and other states become merely memories. But when a person realizes, all the three states become only like some movie the person is watching and good or bad can happen, but that person is not affected at all. So that is the... Then Shankaracharya brings a tremendous amount of what is called commentary. I want to skip this part of the commentary because it is very labored and it is not necessary excepting three points I want to bring out. What is it? That this right eye, Dakshinakshi. So why is the right eye given so much importance? Because the most important organ for us to experience the external world, the cross world, it is called Dakshinakshi. But unfortunately in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, I mean it is not the right word, fortunately or fortunately that there is a name given to the Chaitanya who sits in the right eye, that means in the eyes and then functions in the waking state. So he wants to connect it. What is that name? Indohavai nama esha yo ayam dakshine akshan purushaha. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. So this Shruti, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, Shruti means always Upanishads. The person that is in the right eye is known as Inda. Inda means luminous one. Indu, Indaha. So why is it luminous? Luminous means he who has the special capacity to illumine everything. But at the same time, the Adhishtana Devata, Surya, the Sun God, he is lighting up the whole external world, not the internal world, whole external world. And he is there specially manifest in the eye, meaning it is the eye alone which can take advantage of the sunlight. That is why it is said, Surya resides as an individual in every eye, especially in the right eye. Now, I said just something. Supposing there is a tree and there is light, sunlight, and then your eye falls. Now what happens? If the eye, and by eye, I do not mean this external, what is called gross organ. Here eye means that fine nerve which is connected with the brain and through that to the mind which has the capacity to experience the form, the colors of any object. And colors or form cannot be experienced without light. So as if when there is light and when a person is in full awareness and he opens his eyes and then he sees, and then as if the eye says, I see a tree, I see an animal, I see the sunlight, etc. So the eye is manifesting its special power of illumining the object as if the object is in dire darkness. Remember, it is daytime. Plenty of sunlight is there. But if your mind is elsewhere, you may see, you don't see anything. If your mind is elsewhere, even if the eyes are open, sometimes people are sleeping, their eyes are open, but they can't see anything. That is the point I want you to specially keep. The eye has got the special power of illumining every form in this world. Without the eye, we are blind, even if there is light. That is the difference between a blind person and a person capable of seeing. That is what is called Indho Hawai Nama Esha Yo Ayam Dakshine Akshan Purusha. So now, don't even get confused. Right eye means just to take it as an eye. Why? And Shankara goes further. Deepthi Gunaha Vaishvanara Vaishvanara means Surya Deva. Vaishvanara means the universal eye. It is called Vaishvanara. Actually, Vaishvanara, not only the universal eye, universal ear, universal nose, universal tongue, universal skin, that means the entire world. So Deepthi Gunaha, who is the Vaishvanara, or Vibhu, and also known as Virat, and he is Deepthi Gunaha. He has the power to illumine everything. Then, Aditya Antargato Vairaja Atma Chakshu Shicha Drashta Ekaha One perceiver. You look through the eyes, one perceiver. You hear through the ear, one perceiver. You smell something, and one perceiver. So the person who sees, the person who hears, the person who smells, tastes, touches, are not different. That is the point. So he is called Vairaja Atma, and the collective name for that is called the Sun God, and that is the Vaishvanara, is the Sun God, and his power is the power of illuminating everything, and the same Vaishvanara, in the form of Vishwa, sitting, functioning, through the five sense organs here, illumines, and the eye illumines, it is called form, ear illumines, it is called sound, etc. Now a person objects. See, remember, it is the same Vishwa who is called Taijasa. It is the same Vishwa who is called Virat. It is the same Vishwa who becomes Taijasa. Therefore, it is the same Taijasa who is also known as Hiranyagarbha. And here this person says that Hiranyagarbha is the universal mind. And here this person, who is the master of one single body, he is an individual person. I cannot accept your saying that it is the Hiranyagarbha or Ishwara who is functioning through every mind. That is to say, the Upanishad wants to tell you individual do not exist either as Vishwa or Taijasa or Prajna. Only what exists is Virat, Hiranyagarbha and Ishwara. And even Virat and Hiranyagarbha do not exist. Only Ishwara exists. But that Ishwara is more manifest in a subtle way that is called Hiranyagarbha. Even more gross way it is called Virat. And you, a chutka fellow, you are just a tiny, tiny cell in the body of the Virat. So actually, you belong to the Virat, you belong to the Hiranyagarbha, finally you belong to the Ishwara. You as the individual do not exist. You better have this knowledge as soon as possible. So here the objector says that who is the Sankhya, Sankhya philosopher. What does he say? I don't accept that there are so many bodies, so many personalities, so many minds, but only one. For that Shankaracharya says no. It is one Ishwara. That is, He is the only one. For that He gives some quotations. What is it? Ekodevaha sarvabhuteshu gudaha There is only one Chaitanya Deva who is manifesting in the form of Hiranyagarbha and Virat and as well in the form of Prajna, Taijasa and Vaishya. And he is supporting his answer. Who? Shankaracharya is supporting his answers by quoting profusely from the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc. What is he telling? Earlier he said, Ekodevaha sarvabhuteshu gudaha This is from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. Next he is taking Bhagavad Gita and we have studied it. Kshetragmen chaapimam viddhi sarvakshetreshu bharata Every body and every mind within that body is a Kshetra, field. And it looks as though there are billions and billions of fields. But the knower of the field is only one. That same Ishwara, a little bit He is shining in this field, a little bit in that field, just as the same sun He is shining in this field, in neighbor's field, in this country, in the next country, etc., etc., etc. Again Bhagavad Gita, another quotation. Abhivattam cha bhuteshu vibhattam eva chastitam It is Mrutescha. So, even as if He is divided, really speaking, it is only as if He is not really divided. A good example would be that supposing there are a mirror and there is sun shining and the mirror reflects one sun. Supposing somebody takes a big hammer and breaks this mirror into a thousand pieces. Now how many suns you will see? Thousand suns. Are there really thousand suns? No. Because the mirror is broken into thousand pieces, the reflections are many, but the real sun is only one. So, everybody's mind is a mirror and the real Vibhu is Ishwara and He sports both as an individual and also universal. Individual is called Prajna, Paisesa and Vishwa and universal is known as Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha and Perat, Vaishwanara, Vibhu, etc. It's a most marvelous thing. Ultimately, what is the takeaway point? Takeaway point is I, you, anybody, this is all pure avidya. We are all like a mirror broken into a billion billion bits. A mosquito is one bit, an ant is another bit, a dog is another bit, a cow is another bit, human being is another and Indra is one and Hiranyakashyapu is another, but these are all broken pieces covered with different layers of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, but the real sun is only one. Sri Ramakrishna ends this one by giving an example. Suppose there are ten pots filled with water and one sun is shining. How many suns you see? One real and ten reflections. You break one, nine reflections plus one real. You break nine, one reflected sun and one real sun. Break the last one. Some clever fellow goes to answer, there is only one sun. Sri Ramakrishna's hammer comes down and says, because you are that last one, even you are not there, what is to say there is a real sun? When there is no mind, there is no sun at all. This Chit in our personality is called Chit and that Chit is a mirror and in that mirror what reflects is called Chitabhasa. So the pure Chit is one, but when it is getting reflected in every individual Chitta, that is called Chidabhasa and that Chidabhasa, like the screen in a cinema theatre, so it takes various forms. I have just closed this talk with one example. Take a plain paper and you ask a child, what is this? This is a white paper and you make a boat out of the paper and you ask the same child, what is this? It is a boat. You make a bird and it is a bird. Like that he makes. Now the child makes a separation. White paper is forgotten and now that white paper is mistaken as a separate object. There is no separate object. My point is this Chidabhasa, Abhasa, the light of the Chit, when it falls on the Chitta, that Chitta, when it reflects a tree, it becomes like a tree. When it reflects a boat, it becomes like a boat. When it reflects a tree, it appears to be this thing. But then again, it is not one object. Imagine there is a huge curtain, a screen, and five people are working on it. One person shapes it into a boat, another person into a house, another person into a tree, another person into a man, another into a woman. Now imagine the whole world is nothing but like the painting. And that is the analogy given by Vidyaranya in his Panchadashi. When the occasion comes, we will talk about it. But the takeaway point is there is only pure Chaitanyam. He puts on three types of different dresses and appears to be three entirely different persons, but he is one, he is uncontaminated, and he just merely witnessing moves. All the changes take place like the boat is a change in the paper, but the light revealing that paper and boat, no change has taken place. Like that, the whole universe is like a huge piece of paper. And Swami Vivekananda compares it. It is a huge book consisting of billions and billions of pages. And the past history occupies a few pages. The present is a few pages. And the infinite future is going to be filled up, the future. But after all, it is nothing but when there is something scribbled on the paper, then you call it writing. And when you wipe it out like the blackboard, it is pure white paper. So nothing happens to the Chaitanya. The illumining, the light, that is illumining the book without any writing. That is illumining the book with writing on it, with an image on it, etc. I will stop here. And if any questions are there, I will take it out.