Mandukya Karika Lecture 071 on 05 October 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Shritva Pranamami Mohor Moho Om Bhadram Kanne Vishnuyama Devaha Bhadram Pashyam Akshavirya Jatra Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Agam Sastanu Bhe Yashemadevai Tanyadayu Swasthina Indro Vriddha Shravaha Swasthina Osha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthina Starksho Arishta Neme Swasthino Brihaspati Riddha Dhatu 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 hail 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 all of us. May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well disposed towards all of us. May Brihaspati ensure all our welfare. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all. By God's grace, we have been able to complete the first chapter of the Mandukya Upanishad along with Gaudapada's karikas called Agama Prakarana. Agama means Veda. As we mentioned earlier, Mandukya Upanishad because of the Gaudapada's karikas which run as 29 karikas in the first chapter but this is called Agama Prakarana. Prakarana means a chapter. There are four chapters. All total there are about 250 odd karikas are there. Karika means verse. Verse means explanation. The whole Upanishad is divided into four parts. The very first part alone is called Agama Prakarana and it contains 12 mantras of the Mandukya Upanishad. Mandukya Upanishad is one of the shortest Upanishads and it contains only 12 mantras for which Gaudapada has commented in 29 verses are called karikas and of course, Shankaracharya comments upon both the original 12 mantras as well as on the karikas of the Gaudapada also. Before I summarize, I want to go back to what we discussed in our last class. We discussed the 12th mantra. Part of the discussion was last class and the mantra is defining the ultimate goal of human life by defining the very nature of all of our soul. It goes like this. That which has no parts, that means silent, soundless, actionless, incomprehensible, where the cessation of all phenomena takes place, which is all bliss and non-dual, such Omkara is the fourth. It is also known as Turiyam and verily this Omkara is none other than Atman and He who knows. This Omkara and the Turiyam is absolutely one and the same. Such a person becomes a liberated person. Such a person, if we still see his body-mind working, we call him a Jeevan Mukta. In our Ramakrishna literature, he is called a realized soul. Remember, only Jeevan Mukta is called a realized soul. Why? Because there are three types of Muktis. One is called Sadya Mukti. That is, as soon as a person obtains this final knowledge that I am Brahman, forthwith he will be liberated, but his body-mind also will drop away. Second is called Krama Mukti. A person progresses from a lower state to a higher state, goes even to higher worlds, ultimately to the highest known world as Brahma Loka, Satya Loka and there his realization becomes complete and then he will not return from there. So this progress stage by stage is called Krama Mukti, Gradual Liberation. But by God's will, some people even after realizing, their bodies and minds still continue to work and the liberated person who becomes one with Brahman now or Brahman himself manifests through that body-mind whom we call a Jeevan Mukta, a living free. He doesn't say I was the same person, I realized now I have become a Jeevan Mukta. Like a river which falls into the ocean and giving up its own specific name, form, qualities is henceforth known as ocean. So a realized soul is not an individual anymore but something happens and the body-mind seems to be functioning, we call him a Jeevan Mukta. So this fourth state, Turiyam, is being described in the last, which is the twelfth mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad, Amatraha. Amatra means that which can be sounded. A, U and Ma. But this is the fourth, Amatraha. Amatra means there is no way we can utter it. The person while uttering Akara, Ukara, Makara attains such a state where he goes as if, generally speaking we should not even use the word comes and goes, etc. But for conveying the message, to make it understandable, we have to use human language. So such a person as if he goes beyond the mind itself, body-mind complex, and he knows, that is our guess, that is what the scriptures say, that he knows, I am Brahman, even though no words are necessary and not useful, because when there is one, we do not need any words. So that is called Chaturthaha, Amatraha. Amatra means complete silence. Silence does not mean absence of consciousness, but full consciousness, 100% consciousness. And naturally, Avyavaharyaha, no transactions, no phenomena can ever take place. Why? Because phenomena takes place, remember, when there are two, the two here and something else, and the interaction between these two is called transactional. Prapancha Upashamaha, completely, the whole world, world means what? The waking state, the dream state, as well as the deep sleep state, they do not even exist. Upashamaha means they do not even exist, because for Brahman, there is no waking, dream, sleep states. And what is the nature? Only the scriptures can hint. Shivam. Shivam means pure bliss. Advaitam, absolute non-duality. Even we should not use the word non-duality. Whatever words we use, it means the opposite. If I say male, there is a female. If I say darkness, there is light. If I say good, there is evil, etc. Thus, evam, thus, omkaram, means all the three states, all the transactions, all the thinking that goes in these three states, he goes beyond that, attains Advaita state, and there is no name and no object corresponding to the name. Atma eva atmanam ya evam veda. He who knows the name and the named is but one. Atmana atmanam samvisati, as if he enters into himself, by himself. That means he knows, previously he knows, I am the waker, I am the dreamer, I am the sleeper, I am the Vishwam and Virat, I am the Taijasa and Heradigarbha, I am the Prajna, and I am also the Ishwara. Now, all these things completely, automatically disappear. Like Shri Ramakrishna describes, I cut the figure of the Divine Mother into two. Thereafter, who can describe such a state? So, such a person, he knows. What does he know? This is also human language. Aham Brahmasmi. Not even to say Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. Only Aham Brahmasmi. And if such a realized soul, if he becomes Jeevan Mukta by the will of God, then his view will be, he sees everything, like a person who has not known what is a mirage. But once he experiences a mirage, first he becomes deluded, there is a cooling, beautiful, vast body of waters, but later on realizes, it is nothing but an appearance called mirage. Thereafter, he still continues to see water, but he knows there is no substance, and that is called this knowledge. Ya Evam Veda. So, such a Jeevan Mukta is called a Muni. This is not the word of the Mantram, it is the word of the Gaudapada. So, Gaudapada has commented so many, about five Karikas are there. Now he comes here, Karika 29, Amatra Anantamatra Stha Dvaitasya Upashyamaha Shivaha Omkaraha Vidhito Yena Samunihi Naitarojanaha Yena by whom? Amatra, that pure silence, which is another name for Anantamatra, means infinity. What happens? Sarva Dvaitasya Upashyamaha All duality is completely gone. Shivaha, he becomes Shiva, he becomes blissful, he becomes Achidananda. By him, Samuni, by him, Omkaraha Vidhito, he knows now, what is the name by the Omkaraha, that is Aham Brahmasmi. Such a person, hands forward, will be known as Munihi. Munihi means a Jeevan Mukta, a realized soul, Na Itaraha, nobody else. Thus Gaudapadiya Karikayam Prathamam Prakaranam Samaptam One who has known Om, which is soundless, and the source of infinite sounds, and which is ever peaceful, on account of negation of duality, is the real sage, and not anyone else. Omkaraha is without sound, but at the same time, it is infinite sounds. What does it mean? It means, when a person is in that state, Turiyam, beyond the waking, dream and deep sleep, then there is no world, then there is no sound, there is no name, there are no names. So that is the meaning of Amatraha. But at the same time, if he becomes a Jeevan Mukta, as if he is able, he is seeing, he is hearing, like any one of us, he is walking, he is eating, everything he does eat. But at the same time he knows, I am everything. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma I am everything. Such a person is none other than Shiva, and he is called a sage, and he is no other person. So what happens? All sounds ultimately end in silence. How beautifully Sri Ramakrishna illustrates this through very ordinary, but common experience. There is a feast, so many people have gathered to enjoy. There are people to cook, there are people to serve, and of course there are many more people to enjoy. At first there is tremendous amount of noise. Is it complete? Is it cooked? Bring! And then the servers bring. Go that side. Go this side. To that person, give rice. To this person, you give curries, etc. Tremendous noise. Before the people start enjoying, experiencing the feast, tremendous noise. But as soon as they start, then only very little noise. Oh, this person, he is not having sufficient rice, sufficient dal. Go and serve him. And then as the feast progresses, the sound becomes less, and less, and less, and at last comes, of course according to Bengali tradition, curds. And when curds is served, the stomach is over full perhaps, only one sound is coming, soup, soup, soup. And once it is over, stomach is full, and there will be complete silence. That means the person has gone into deep sleep state. This is one example. Another example he gives, but this is the best example. Another example, when you are filling a pot with water, makes a lot of sound. Another example, when a honey bee is sucking the nectar, it makes, it hums, but when its stomach is full, it becomes silent. But then Ramakrishna's words are not ordinary words. He says, sometimes out of joy, a honey bee, even after filling its stomach, it starts humming with joy. That means that is the state of the Jeevan Mukta. Humming means what? So wherever he sees, whatever he sees, whenever he sees, sees only God, seeing God everywhere. And then in joy, he dances. Ramakrishna describes the state. Once Paramahamsa had come to Takshineswar, and then what does he do? Only twice in a day, he comes out. He looks at the clouds. What a Maya! What divine Maya! He dances with tremendous joy. And then again, in the evening also, he might come out and do the same thing. That's all. Rest of the time, he shuts himself in his room and he enjoys the bliss internally, perhaps without any sound. So Amatraha, Anantamatraha, means what? A Jeevan Mukta sees the Leela, the manifestation, the sporty manifestation of Brahman everywhere. Such a person is called a Jeevan Mukta. Whoever knows Omkara completely, he alone is the real Muni, a Jeevan Mukta, Realized Soul. With this, Gaudapada's Karika on the first chapter called Agama Prakaranam is over. And with this, completely all the twelve mantras of the Mandukya Upanishad are also over. And we get three other Prakaranas Vaithatya Prakaranam, then Advaita Prakaranam, then Alavata Shanti Prakaranam. They are all nothing but Gaudapada's Karikas. So the rest of the Karikas are Gaudapada's further analysis of the teaching, which are found in chapters 2, 3 and 4. Now, there are so many people who joined much later and they would like to... they have missed actually quite a number of lectures, probably more than 60 talks have been lost. So I am going to summarize for their benefit. But don't worry, these talks are available on our website. But I will give you a succinct summary of what we have discussed in perhaps two or three classes from now onwards. Now, to begin with, our authority for how to live a life is embedded in Shrutis called Vedas. The essence of the Vedas is called Vedanta. Vedanta is another name for Upanishads. And there are more than 200 Upanishads are there. But actually there were thousands of Upanishads which have been lost. Now perhaps a little more than 200 Upanishads are available. Of these, Shankaracharya had commented upon 11 Upanishads. So they are called Mukhya Upanishad. Mukhya means not that. Any Upanishad is very important to the exclusion of the other Upanishads. But because Shankaracharya commented, he was the first person to comment systematically upon 11 of the Upanishads, they have become Mukhya Upanishads, important Upanishads. But in fact, even the devoted study of even one single Upanishad, whether it is Mandukya or Isavasya or Mundaka or Kena, Katha, it doesn't matter. But the shortest of all these Upanishads so far as we know is this Mandukya Upanishad. Consisting of just 12 mantras. We also know the one Veda was classified into four Vedas and all the four Vedas are known as Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharvana Veda. And every Veda consists of four parts. Mantra, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad. These correspond to the four Purusharthas as well as four stages of life, spiritual life. We are not talking of ordinary life. What are the four Purusharthas? Dharma, one. Arthakama, two. Upasana, three. And of course, what we call Moksha. That is complete. Moksha means liberation. Liberation means to know who I am really. So the goal of life, that is why it is called Purushartha. That which is desirable. Not desired, but desirable. What is the difference between these two words? Desired means we desire so many things. Money we desire. Objects of enjoyment we desire. Name and fame we desire. Infinite number of desires are there. But are they desirable? Do they really help us in the long run? So short time desired objects are called desired. But the ultimate goal is we must desire only four things. That is why desirable, worthy of being desired. Dharma, Arthakama, Upasana and of course Moksha. Dharma, Arthakama, Moksha. The word Upasana is not often mentioned, but that is how it corresponds to the three stages of life. What are the three stages? According to our Vedanta, a life of a human being, because that is why it is called Purusha, means human life. The other lives, including higher lives also, are not so useful as a human birth. So we are talking about desirable goals of an intelligent, capable of thinking human being or four. And so we have to obtain these by stages. So the first thing is to learn all about life. Who am I? What is the goal of my life? And how am I going to attain, reach, realize that goal of life? This is in Vedantic language Tattva, Purushartha and Hita. And to learn these three things from a wise person who knows himself. A student goes to that Gurukula in the olden days. Not necessary. You can come to ashramas. You can listen to Swamis who know what they are talking about, who are leading a good life. And that is also Gurukula. And it can be done even online, if it is not possible to attend in person. Nothing to equate learning in person. Otherwise the next best is God's blessings in the form of scientific development. So we can hear any Swami at any time on any topic at our own convenience, even sitting in our bed, lying in our bed. And it is available. Only requirement is, first requirement, we should have keen desire to learn. Second, we must have that implement called the instrument. Could be a computer, could be mobile phone and we must have an internet connection. And it is available. We are blessed. So this is called to learn Dharma. And once we learn, we must have faith that this is a goal of life. It is not something casually somebody says it is good if you can do this. It is not like that. No doctor will say it is good to do exercise. It is up to you. You can also do without exercise. No. Every doctor says it must be done in your own way. If you don't do it, you will not be a complete person physically or even mentally. So to learn these three things, Who am I? So what can be the goal of life? And how am I going to attain? This is the very first thing every intelligent human being should do. This is called Brahmacharya Ashrama means knowing all about these three. Then we must actually practice merely learning. Intellectual pursuit will not help. And experimenting and experiencing that is called Grihastha Ashrama. So there are two meanings for this word Grihastha Ashrama. Grihastha usually means a married person. So every normal human being will have some bodily desires. So they can be, they must be fulfilled in a legitimate way, Dharmic way. For that, our scriptures called Vedas have made an adequate arrangement and the person finds out a good person, good partner, good spouse who is also Dharmic and both of them together travel. They take a vow we will travel together helping each other, inspiring each other, protecting each other. This is called Grihastha Ashrama. Grihastha means Griha means house. Grihastha means one who lives in a house. But if you take that meaning then all of us are living in some house. A monastery is also a house. Not only a house, it is a much bigger house many times than even the richest householder can afford. So the one meaning is married life, Dharmic married life. We must always add without Dharma that Grihastha Ashrama will be an animal life, not ordinary life. The second meaning is Griha means a dwelling place. A dwelling place means our body, our mind is where our Jeevatma dwells. So whether a person is married or single or a monk or nun, it doesn't really matter. But we have this. We can dwell in this house. It is a great help to us. But to think, to be attached to it and to misuse it, that is not required. So Grihastha Dharma means use this instrument properly to evolve further. What is evolution? Artha and Kama. You acquire the means. It means physically acquire some means so that we will be able to eat food, enjoy things legitimately after offering to God etc. At the same time, make the body also a fitting instrument, the mind also a fitting instrument for that right food at right times in a right manner and with accompanied exercises etc. All these things have to be done properly. That's why I said experiment and experience the positive consequences. That is called Grihastha Dharma. So what is the ideal? Artha means the objects of enjoyment and the instruments must be proper. Even if you want to dress vegetables properly, you require a sharp knife for one purpose and a serrated edged knife for another purpose. Another instrument called peeler for another purpose. So for every purpose, there is an appropriate instrument to make this body-mind an appropriate instrument for further evolution. That is called Artha. And we must also use it properly. That is called Kama. Dharmic way of doing things, making things fit is called Dharma Artha. And similarly, Dharma Kama means Dharmic way, right way, spiritual way of using what God has given us. Everything is given by God. Let us not forget body is given by God. Mind is given by God. This entire universe is given by God. There is nothing which belongs to us. Everything belongs to God. So to utilize this body-mind properly and to enjoy it as the Prasadam of God, as the grace of God and remembering God all the time is called Dharma Artha. And then if anybody practices, that person, whether man, woman, married, single or a monk or a nun, progresses. It is a not bodily, physical progress but not even intellectual progress. It would be a spiritual progress and then if he progresses enough, then comes third stage called Vanaprastha. What is Vanaprastha Shrama? We have done, the householder has done his responsibilities. Children have grown up. The mind has evolved through practicing the teachings of the Upanishads learned from the Guru at the Brahmachari Ashrama. The mind has become pure, acquired a lot of Punya and the mind has acquired more faith in God and more desire to preach God and then the person says now I must reduce my physical activities, external activities because body has become weak, though mind will remain even stronger. Now I must use the capacity of this slowly weakening body along with the ever strengthening mind to contemplate on God, on higher ideals. So the progress now onwards will be internal. In the Grihastha Ashrama state it is both external as well as internal. But in the third state called Vanaprastha Ashrama the progress will be purely internal and more spiritual called Upasana. Upasana means approaching God more and more, nearer and nearer by contemplating upon Him. That is the third stage and further that is the further evolution. Then a time will come when the mind it doesn't want anything excepting Moksha. I want liberation. I want to realize I know who I am through the scriptures. I want to realize actually I am the Atman. And so approaching a Guru a person surrenders to the teaching of the Guru with complete faith in the teaching of the Guru which is nothing but teaching of the Upanishads which is nothing but the words of God, the teachings of God, the compassion of God, the grace of God. Slowly with the help of the Gurudeva, he progresses further in spiritual life and finally one day he realizes that I am really Atman. I am Atma Brahma. This Atma becomes Brahma. And this comes in the second mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad. So this is the fourth stage called Sanyasa Ashrama and the purpose is pure spiritual life and the goal is to know that I am God. I am not potentially divine. I am divine. So these are the four Purusharthas and four stages of life and exactly corresponding to the four parts of the Veda, the first part is mantra, that is to learn all about Dharma. Second is Brahmana, how to put it into practice especially in the householder's life and slowly progress and then third stage will come Aranyaka means speaking. Aranyaka means it is a solitary place. What Sri Ramakrishna says, now and then go into solitude. So that is the third stage. Aranyaka doesn't mean that one has to go into a forest because something funny happens. Maybe in the forest the inconveniences are too many. Maybe the noise of the birds, noise of the animals and so many crickets, so many, not cricket match, cricket, that is small insects which make horrendous noise and then there will be lot of other disturbances, inconveniences as well but what Sri Ramakrishna calls solitude. Go into a place where you are not troubled by mobile phones and nobody comes, crashes, door crashes and wants to drag you out. You know that nobody is going to disturb you and wholeheartedly turn your attention to God. That is called solitude. But even that is not the true meaning. Sri Ramakrishna's words are pregnant with deep meaning. What Bhagavan Krishna calls pivikta means completely bereft of any type of disturbances and where there is nobody who can disturb you not physically only but mentally. That means where attachments are totally directed towards God only. Everything is related to God only. So here Sri Ramakrishna says nirjana means not that there is physically no human being to disturb us because as I said even birds are enough to disturb frogs croaking is also terrible disturbance and if you are disturbed anything can disturb you terribly and if you are not disturbed nothing can disturb you even the market's noise also cannot really disturb if we are not able to if we have attained that state. I will give you a funny incident Swami Sharada Ranji was there at Udbodhan and there is a small place he used to sit and be engaged not only in administering the whole Ramakrishna mission's affairs but in writing also the leela prasanga Sri Ramakrishna the great master so one day some young monks by near that outside the room somebody must have told a joke started laughing uproariously then Swami Shardanandaji he has heard this one but Golapama who was born with a built in amplifier in her throat she shouted you Sharath is writing and he will be disturbed don't make noise because such is the great respect she was given because she served Holy Mother and Sri Ramakrishna also but Shardanandaji heard her words as well probably he heard it even more than the monks laughing sounds so he told Golapama I am not disturbed don't stop them because they are thoroughly enjoying a joke that means they are very happy people that means they are leading a good spiritual life I told my mind oh mind oh ears you can hear oh mind but do not be disturbed by what the ears hear what a marvelous control over all the sense organs it doesn't mean he put some ear plugs and stopped the noise it means that I don't allow these sounds to come inside but when it is necessary suppose somebody calls him Maharaj I require your urgent blessing help definitely he will hear interrupting whatever he has been doing it but his mind is not disturbed his concentration is not disturbed it is not that he is forgetful of the world so this is the greatest spiritual development one is aware of everything and at the same time not at all disturbed by anything that is a perfect self control so that is the state we are talking about the fourth state mind is absorbed etc so the third part of the Vedas is called Aranyakam when the mind matures further through Upasana then the mind is now fixated completely it has only one desire what Sri Ramakrishna calls intense desire I want only God and nothing else so these are the Purusharthas now why did I tell all these things because whether it is east or west, Indian or non-Indian, Hindu or non-Hindu the scriptures we call Vedas are not meant only for Hindus but it is meant for every human being that is why these are called Apaurushayas but it doesn't also mean everybody should mug up Vedas, Upanishads no, Bible is a part of is another form of Veda, Koran is another form of Veda but at the same time we should be discerning enough discriminating enough to say what is spiritually helpful, what is only what is called excesses, that is explaining the meaning what is Arthavada only what is as an example some things come and they are they should be changed from situation to situation, from time to time but if anybody doesn't change it can lead to terrible consequences fanaticism, terrorism so many other things but Vedas means God's words that come to every human being but only every sincere human being becomes a proper recipient so the essence of all the Vedas is finally to know that I am potentially divine a goal of life is to manifest my divinity and know that I am God and for that four paths are specifically mentioned Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Gnana Yoga and according to each one Upanishads can be studied can be meditated upon can be practiced and the goal is attainment of God not quarreling with the paths but attainment of the knowledge and that knowledge that I am divine can be attained through Bhakti through surrender through intense meditation also through what is called the path of knowledge all the four paths now Vedas the very essence of the Vedas is called Upanishads. What is the meaning of the Upanishad? Upa means near Ni means completely without the least bit of doubt that teaching which leads us to our true nature which in simple words we call God Realization and makes us know that we are purely divine not even potentially divine not even partially divine but only divine, divine only anything that leads to us that is called Upanishad. Upanishad is really speaking a spiritual teaching that tells that you are God but at this stage we are in ignorance thinking that there are three stages. I am separate from God that is the lowest stage. I am part of God is a bit higher stage and I am God is the highest stage respectively known as Dvaita Isishta Dvaita and Advaita now this is the meaning given by Shankaracharya to Upanishads there are as I said so many Upanishads are there of these eleven Upanishads on eleven Upanishads Shankaracharya has written his commentary and that's why they have become important many other Acharyas have also written but we are following Shankaracharya but always in the light of Ramakrishna's life and teachings that's what I endeavour to do as much as possible so this is the meaning of the Upanishads and of these Upanishads on which Shankaracharya had commented one of them happens to be Mandukya Upanishad and this Mandukya Upanishad belongs to that particular part of the Veda which is called Atharva Veda Atharvana Veda and it has three important Upanishads Mundaka Mandukya this Mandukya and Prashna Upanishad so we have already dealt with Mundaka, Prashna we are dealing on Saturday, Sunday Mandukya we are talking on Wednesdays especially it started with a few devotees now a few more are interested and joined in that so this Mandukya Upanishad consists of twelve Mantras as I said it belongs to Atharva Veda and it is one of the shortest of the Upanishads so far as we know and on that a great Acharya called Gaudapada Acharya, Gaudapada Acharya was the Grand Guru, Paramaguru of Shankaracharya we all know about Shankaracharya his Guru is not so well known he was called Govindacharya and Govindacharya's Guru was Gaudapada Acharya and it is not his name Pada means holy feet Gauda means the person who belongs to Gaudadesha or what we call now Bengal so he must have been somewhere in Bengal he was a great learned person and his language betrays I wish he had used some simple words instead of trying to exhibit horrible words that is my comment but he has written a marvelous commentary and as I said this Mandukya Upanishad has 12 mantras on that Gaudapada has commented nearly 200 more than 200 and about 255 shlokas or karikas upon both of them the Upanishad as well as the karika Shankaracharya had written his commentary so when we are studying I was trying to give the essence without actually going into the real Sanskrit etc now the essence of this Upanishad is that it tells you are potentially divine and so by doing these things certain sadhana you will know in course of time that I am Atman I am Brahman and the whole world is designed so that each one of us can evolve using these instruments called body mind and interacting with this world with the help of the body mind and interacting with the object called the world with the help of this body mind we can slowly progress we must progress and for that we must learn how to progress and ultimately the purpose of the world is not to bind us but to liberate us to help us liberate and that is the essence of the 12 mantras mantra means that which helps us the more we think the more we understand the more it helps us to progress further that is why it is called mantra 12 mantras and every shloka in the Upanishad is called mantra actually and the commentary is called a shloka so now what is the speciality today's class I will briefly tell you how to progress in spiritual life so many methodologies have been evolved Bhakti Marga is one slowly develop bhakti towards God and what dualist bhaktas devotees call God is none other than Parabrahman what Sri Ramakrishna calls what Jnanis call Nirguna Brahma Brahma that is what I call Shakti personal God Saguna Brahma let nobody quarrel with words important point is to progress slowly to feel I am potentially divine I am part of the divine and I am divine that is the important point so through bhakti through karma yoga and through any other yoga the purpose is slowly to expand our identity I am not merely a person identified with this particular individual body mind I am slowly identifying myself with other bodies expand my identity first expand the body and the world as one as universal Vishwa into Virat of Sadhana Taiyasa into Hiranyagarbha that is expansion of the mind also then finally Prajna and Ishwara the individual cause, causal state is to be identified with the universal causal state called Ishwara so this methodology is called Adhyaropa Apavada methodology means Vedanta tells Adhyaropa means what really exists is Brahman but we are superimposing that Brahman we are superimposing our body mind complex upon Brahman and mistaking Brahman as the world like we superimpose a snake in semi darkness on a rope what we see what exists all the time is rope but because of ignorance our ignorance individual ignorance and because of the semi light, because of the similarity because of past remembrance of a snake we superimpose the snake we get frightened unnecessarily until somebody brings the light and the person who brings the light is called Guru and the person who is frightened is called Jeevatma, Dehatma and when the light is brought the person realises it is my mistake really there is no snake thus through the Guru's help I am not the body, I am not the mind so the whole world including me which is part of the world is nothing but pure Brahman Brahman with Nama Rupa is what we call the Jeevatma plus the Vishwa and Brahman without names and forms is called Paramatma or Brahman, that is the truth towards which we have to progress so this Adhyasa that is mistaking the world I am separate you are separate, everything is separate but the Guru out of compassion at once he doesn't say you are a fool, you are Brahman he says yes you are right but then you expand don't simply confine yourself to your this particular body mind expand it to your family, then to your village to your city to your state to your country, to the whole world, to the non-living to the other living creatures and non-living etc. This is called Adhya Rupa means accept from the ignorant person's point of view world is real God also is real and then Apavada slowly lead the individual from a lower stage to a higher stage how does the Upanishad do it? This particular Upanishad it uses the methodology of analyzing the three states which every living creature goes through a waking, a dream and the dreamless called respectively Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti and all these three states are completely different from each other all these three states every state proves the other two states as unreal so ultimately every state is unreal then what remains the experiencer of this state alone is real and that experiencer without these three he is the real Brahman this is called Apavada, first what is accepted first is negated later on in order to reveal the truth but at the right time and that is the methodology primarily employed in this Mandukya Upanishad which we will talk about in our next class as I said this is the recapitulation and I will go through all the twelve mantras very briefly but with succinct summary of what we discussed so far and if you are interested in detailed understanding you can go to our website and go through all these talks and I will try to finish it in as few classes as possible Om Jananem Sharadam Deveem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Dayo Sritva Pranamami Mohan Mohoh May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Ramakrishna