Mandukya Karika Lecture 115 on 09-August-2023

We are studying the third chapter of the Gaudapada Karikas called Advaita Prakaranam, which is expounding the seventh mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad. Wherein the mantra describes that the Turiyam, the Atman, Paramatman, Brahman, our real nature is beyond the three avasthas, Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti, beyond the three bodies, Sthula, Sukshma, Karana, beyond the Panchakoshas, Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, Atmanamaya. That is the first point. Second is, there is no world at all. That is why it is very hard to believe. Day and night, from birth to death, birth after birth, we are seeing, we are experiencing, we are enjoying, we are suffering. And to say that such a world doesn't exist seems to be extremely irrational. But the truth is that it is true actually, but because there is a mind. Why do we see this? Because of the mind. Swami Vivekananda gives a beautiful example. When we look at light from the prism, it appears as though divided into seven colors. Remove the prism and we will see only pure light. Similarly, remove the mind. Only Brahman remains. Keep the mind. And Brahman, as it were, is there, but with names, forms, qualities, Sukha, Dukha, and birth and death, and all sorts of infinite number of dualities. That is what we have to understand. What is the problem? After teaching everything what is the problem? After hearing everything I am still seeing the same world. And now you are coming and telling me that the world doesn't exist. For that, he says, yes, the world doesn't exist really. And many examples can be given. Suppose somebody has got jaundice and he sees everything as yellow. Is everything really yellow? Yes, there are some things which are yellow. We should not deny. We also see them. But this person sees everything coloured as yellow. What is the reason? The reason is the problem, the prism, his eyes, they have put on the specks of the colour yellow. Remove that colour by whatever means and he will see everything normally. This is an example. No example can be stretched so much. So the world also will disappear. Does it really disappear? Yes. Can you give me an example? Yes, every day, each one of us, when we are in deep sleep, there is no bondage. There is no liberation. There is no Mandukya class. There is no teacher. There is no student. There is no high and low. There is no man and non-human. There is no husband and wife, friend and enemy. Everything becomes Karya, Karana, both become one. What is the problem? Because this sushupti contains the seeds of again Jagrata Avastha and Swapna Avastha in the form of Vasanas, Samskaras. So what is the solution? Find out an eternally awakened state wherein there is no cause, no effect. How to achieve it? Find out what is the problem. What is causing us not to see the truth? Mind.

So for the last few Karikas or verses, Gaudapada is telling us, especially taking help from Patanjali Yoga Sutras. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. Yoga must be applicable to every Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga. That is why many times Raja Yoga or Patanjali Yoga is not mentioned there, but it is mentioned directly, Karma plus Yoga, Bhakti plus Yoga, Jnana plus Yoga. That Yoga means practically achieving that highest wisdom by controlling body and mind and finally by removing the identity with the body and mind. And Samadhi will come. What is Samadhi? We should never misinterpret the word Samadhi. There are a section of Advaitic teachers who go on boring people saying that no mind and Patanjali Yoga Sutras teach only removal, suppression of the mind and therefore if there is no thought, there is no Brahma Jnana. We have to pity how little they understand Patanjali Yoga Sutras. What Patanjali wants to say, identify with your true nature which is pure consciousness, Purusha. That is the essence. Forget about Prakruti. What is the obstruction? Prakruti. What is Prakruti? We can roughly say mind. Remove the mind. So he says Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha. Nirodha is not suppression, oppression. Nirodha is making the mind so pure like a mirror. Whatever stands in front of the mirror, the mirror should never distort. It must present the actual image. So when Purusha stands in front of Prakruti, he says I am the body, he says I am the mind, he says I am happy, unhappy, etc. I am young, old, born, going to die, etc. But if the same Prakruti which is here equated with the mind and everybody incontrovertibly accepts mind as the root cause of both happiness and unhappiness, we have to go beyond both dualities. So even Sukha is a duality because Sukha contains the seeds of Dukha. In fact, they go together. If we don't know what is white, we will never know what is black. If we do not know what is night, we will never know what is day. If we do not know what is male, we will never know what is female. This is the very constitution of the mind. So we have to go beyond the mind and abide as ourselves. And that is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It has nothing to do with suppression or oppression of the mind. Yoga is to make the mind completely pure. And that is called true yoga.

And that is what Gaudapada is trying to tell us for the last three Karikas. And what is the way out? Who are we? We are Brahman. Why do we not understand we are Brahman? Because the mind is not allowing us. And if the mind doesn't allow, we are in bondage. Thinking I am not what I am, I am somebody else is called bondage. That is called Ajnana, Avidya or by whatever name we call it. And that is called bondage. And that bondage is the root cause. And that root cause comes from the wrong thinking. Thinking, vritti. I am body, mind. And that has to be removed. How? By purifying our mind. How to purify? Yama and Niyama. After that only, never, never should we forget. Without the foundation of Yama and Niyama, it is impossible to progress in spiritual life. So that is called practice of the yoga. Yama, Niyama. Then we can do Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara. What is Pratyahara? Try to withdraw the mind. Then fix it on some noble idea. And best idea is God. Then go on increasing that concentration. That becomes Dhyana. Dharana means the ability to keep the thought on one object without deviation. Pratyahara is the ability to withdraw from every other object. Dharana is that withdrawn mind should be directed to think only about one, and that is called God. And when this is done repeatedly, we progress. And when the duration of distractions becomes less and less and less, that is called Dhyana. And when this Dhyana progresses and there are only two beings, the subject and the object, the meditator and his idea about God, that is called Savikalpa Samadhi. And when this person finally is capable of breaking that barrier of duality, then that Brahma Akara Vritti and he becomes one. Or that Vritti is removed. And when the Vritti is removed, that means when the mirror is broken, only the person in front of the mirror alone remains. And that is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Abidance in one's own self is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. If we understand this, a lot of misconceptions, mis-expressions can be avoided. Not only these false teachers, immature teachers go on believing themselves, they go on propagating the same truth and spoil other brains also. Of course, there is a law. Only a person who has got a brain which believes I need to be washed will only approach that kind of person who promises I will wash your brain. But those who are determined I will not be washed, such persons will get such gurus who will say I will see that your brain will never be washed. What is the way to get rid of the brain? If you have got a headache, a permanent cure is to cut off the head. If you have got a toothache, permanently remove the tooth. That is called Vedanta.

So the only way is to abide in one's own self. And what is the obstruction? Mind. And when we are trying to meditate, focus the mind, four obstructions come. The first one is what? The mind says I am not interested in it. You may ask me to be interested. I am not interested. No, no, no, I want you to focus upon God. All right, you be there, I will go into deep sleep. That is called laya. And somehow, you splash water, drink strong black coffee, or vigorously exercise, etc. These are all methods advocated. I also advocate them at least for some time. Then, slowly, gradually, the tendency to sleep, that is called laya, becomes less and less. But then the mind goes on remembering. What is that? Oh, I have got to do that. You are asking me to focus the mind, but don't you know, you only gave me, you only employed me, you used to send me on a million, million objects to think about, to do about. And now, after giving the command, you are asking me now to withdraw. I am not accustomed to that. So, that is called vikshepa. Kshepa means, Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example, Kshepa means scattering. If a person has got a small packet of mustard seeds and he is walking, and somehow the packet breaks and all the seeds have fallen into the dust on the road which is full of dust and dirt and extremely difficult to gather. This is the state of vikshepa. But it has to be done because we require all those mustard seeds. What are those mustard seeds? Noble thoughts, spiritual thoughts about God. They are all mixed up with all this kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mata, matsarya. Sri Ramakrishna simply put it, kama and kanchana. It has to be gathered. It can be gathered. Every sadhaka has done it. So, we also have to do it. That is called vikshepa. So, what is the way? Slowly, slowly, it takes many, many births. śhanaiḥ śhanair uparamed buddhyā dhṛiti-gṛihītayā. Earlier, we have seen, like trying to empty an ocean with the tip of a blade of grass with patience, life after life if we do, will we ever be able to empty the ocean? No. But what can be done? Our sincere effort brings on the grace of God. And in one sweeping effort, all the different thoughts will be quelled just as the entire ocean becomes dried up. So also, with the help of God's grace, we can do that, we must do that. It has been done several times, billions of times, I would say. And whatever is proved, we can also follow it with closed eyes as it were. So, vikshepta manaha, how to do it? He is dealing with that. Then somehow, if we can overcome this scatteredness of the mind, then what happens? The mind becomes better. Why does it become better? Hey, you fellow, you have employed me and enjoy sweets, fruits, everything that is enjoyable, all the five sense organs. So all those memories now come to the surface and try to distract the mind. So this spiritual effort is I don't want that happiness, I don't want this happiness and the mind becomes bitter. This is our practical experience, common experience. You allow your child to do whatever he likes. And after some time, for his own good, the parents want to discipline the child. The child will not like it a bit. So he will go on crying, shouting. But if necessary, catch hold of his ears, take him to the school and hand him over to a very strict teacher, harsh teacher, even if necessary. And then slowly, slowly, he will understand it.

So I remember a very funny incident, many times. We have a school in Mysore. And all the well-to-do people, most of them, they want to send their children there. But our school is very strict. Only if they are meritorious, they will be taken. Now the children resent because at home they are provided with all luxuries, TVs, colour TVs, etc. And here, strict rules and regulations. From 5 o'clock in the morning till 10 o'clock, the child is on his feet, as it were. And if he doesn't do well in monthly exams, there will be private tuitions, etc. This is going on. So they bitterly resent. But their parents are very adamant, our teachers are adamant, and these people have no option but to pass brilliantly. As a result, they get good families, good jobs. Most of them, they get to go to the foreign countries and earn a lot of money. And then what do they do? While they are in the school they go on criticising the school teachers, Swamis everybody. But once they understand that what I am now is due to what I have gone through in the school. As soon as their children are born, first thing is they repeat, they force them to come to the school and then join there. So our mind also will not understand the benefits of this harsh disciplinary state at the beginning. So it becomes bitter. Bitter like Kashaya. That is the third obstacle. And somehow, if we can overcome it, then we come to the fourth stage, when as soon as the mind becomes prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate prasanna-chetaso hyāśhu buddhiḥ paryavatiṣhṭhate. A tremendous joy, bliss, never experienced before, start flowing, but not knowing. This is called Shamasukha. This has nothing to do with Brahmasukha, Brahmananda. The mind, as usual, doesn't want to deviate from it. This is called by Gaudapada, Rasaswadhana. Aswadhana means enjoying. Rasa means that bliss coming from the control of the mind. It is a lower happiness. It is not final happiness. It is Modha. It is Pramodha. But never Atmananda. So then, even one should not stay there, be trapped there in the lower Sukha. Sukha is divided into two parts. Objective happiness and subjective happiness. Having mode and being mode. I have happiness because it is coming from an object. But the object itself doesn't give happiness. The object removes the desire. Removal of the desire makes the mind quiet for some time. And one's own happiness is reflected in that peaceful mind. This is the psychological process of happiness which we mistake like the camel chewing the thorny bush that it is coming from the thorn but doesn't recognize it is coming. The sweet taste is coming from its own gums which are bleeding because of the thorns. We want to have not having happiness but being happiness. My nature is happiness. I was never unhappy. Nature is that which never can be separated from the object in the past, present and future. It is my Swaroopa. And that is what we never deviated but we are thinking we are deviated. We were never anatma. But we are thinking we are the anatma. That thinking has to be removed. And that can be removed only by the removal of the obstruction called the vrittis, chitta vrittis. This is the essence of it. With this background 44th Karika Gaudapada is telling the upaya, the remedies how we can progress in spiritual life.

लये संबोधयेच्चित्तं विक्षिप्तं शमयेत्पुनः ।

सकषायं विजानीयात्समप्राप्तं न चालयेत् ॥ ४४ ॥

laye saṃbodhayeccittaṃ vikṣiptaṃ śamayetpunaḥ |

sakaṣāyaṃ vijānīyātsamaprāptaṃ na cālayet || 44 ||

In four upayas is given. When the mind tends to go into sleeping state, sleepy mode that is called laya. That is why laya pralaya. Same words pra is a prefix pralaya sambodaya chittam. Mind you should not go. And if it doesn't listen you get up, you jump up and down, you run here and there or splash your face. I told you already. Somehow keep the chittam. Chittam means full of thoughts, awake. What is the second thing? Observe. The mind is getting scattered here and there because it doesn't want to remain. What should you do? Shamayet punaha. This is where Bhagawan Krishna says abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate. There must be vairagya. There must be also abhyasa. What is vairagya? The firm knowledge after discrimination this is going to be harmful to me, may not be now but in future. This making our mind understand correctly. Once we understand we don't need to put forth any effort. Once we come to know this is poison instantaneously the mind will not go there. Only thinking it may be poison to others but not to me. This is a defect in discrimination. Discrimination is not right. Right discrimination is instantaneously, automatically, naturally, without effort is followed by giving up what we understand to be either poison, or there is a higher state, this is only a lower state. This is how we have to slowly pacify the mind. Shamayet punaha Incidentally this word shama means what? Making the mind absolutely peaceful. Not temporarily by giving some medication or pacifying it but by convincing it there are higher happiness. The higher the happiness the longer the happiness. It goes together not only quantity but also quality. Both go together. Viksiptam manaha punaha shamayet Slowly we have to bring our control. This is where first obstacle itself is very difficult. Sri Ramakrishna used to give a beautiful example. A man went to hear one Harikatha and then the harikatha did not start. So he elbowed his way. Then he thought it will take some time for the Katakara, Harikatha Bhagavata to arrive. He spread his mat, slept. And Harikatha Bhagavata came, completed his Harikatha, and everybody is going. Somebody woke him up. Oh, what happened? Harikatha is over. Now you can peacefully return home and continue what you have been doing. It happened actually in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Once somebody came. He heard Sri Ramakrishna was coming, and he came to know it will take some time, spread his mat. Perhaps he was tired. Instantaneously he fell asleep Sri Ramakrishna came and he spoke, he sang, he danced. Many things have happened. This person never woke up and after Sri Ramakrishna left then he came to his senses. So this is what happens.

So when the mind is scattered here and there, with great effort like trying to dry up the ocean. Shanaihi Shanaihi Don't get impatient because impatience is adding to that restlessness of the mind and even regret. Oh, I did many wrong things. Okay, you have done wrong thing. You realize you have done wrong thing and resolve not to repeat that one. Oh, I have wasted my time, oh, I have wasted my time. And you are only adding in wasting more time. This is what Gaudapada is telling. Slowly slowly try to bring it under control. It will take time. It will take a lot of effort. It will take many births but what does it matter. Then the second obstacle slowly must be brought. All these things should be done at the same time. And then what happens? Somehow when the mind is there then spiritual effort appears to be like Kashaya, bitter medication. Why does it appear? Because we have not yet learned how to enjoy spiritual disciplines, Ishwara Ananda is not coming and this effort is not helping it. At the same time, the mind is remembering, Oh, I had wonderful time. That was a beautiful holiday I had etc. etc. etc. Sometimes very funnily this fellow goes on holiday and for one week he goes on wasting his time finding a place to stay, finding a place to eat nicely and then a little bit he will see here and there. After coming he forgot all these things. What a marvellous holiday I have. He forgot that whole week he spent only in searching how to settle down. But sometimes we have good time also. So the mind starts remembering. This is the greatest obstacle that allowing the mind to think of the past enjoyments and even when we become old, we recall whatever we have enjoyed before. In Sanskrit there is a beautiful word Chervita Cherva and slowly the mind is distracted. That fellow has done this, this person has done that. Remember all the pleasures. Forgetting the pains how much we have suffered for that. So that is that state of remembering only the pleasure part of the experiences, forgetting how much we have paid with our body, mind etc. That is called as kashaya. What is the way? Be a witness. Just as a Zen master had expressed. He was always happy. His disciples wondered how he could be so happy because winter was bitter and summer was severe. They asked him what is the secret? You are always happy. He says when summer comes I say it is summer. When winter comes I say it is winter. That means winter will be cold, summer will be hot so I accept them fully. So if it is hot I experience heat. When it is cold, experience cold. But I don't say why it is so cold, why it is so hot etc. So this is also funny. Suppose a bitter summer, terrible summer and then you are Uff like that but ok you are somehow wearing it and then somebody shouts do you know today it is 153 degrees. Finished. Your heat will increase in the same you who is not much bothered about that heat, immediately it becomes unbearable. So also today you know it is minus 5. I thought it is only minus 1. Immediately the unhappiness will increase. It is all both physical combined with mental reactions, adverse mental reactions. But what is the way. Just accept, ok, be a witness. When we become a witness then, ok, that person insulted. Ok if that person insulted, then that person's karma he will have to experience. Ok if that person has praised me. Ok if he has praised me. That is that person's karma he will get punya and he will enjoy it. What has it got to do with me? This is how every sadhaka must come to this state. Then after long time the mind becomes equanimous. That is called the state of prasada. prasade sarva dukha naam hane rasya upajayate prasanna cheta saha. Mind becomes extremely pleased aash buddhi pariyavatishtate The mind becomes absolutely blissful. And once it attains to that state where it cannot be easily swayed, then nachalaya, keep it as much as possible.

So these four obstacles. But the second, the last obstacle, fourth obstacle and that is being described how to overcome it. We will discuss about it. Now 45th Karika

नाऽऽस्वादयेत्सुखं तत्र निःसङ्गः प्रज्ञया भवेत् ।

निश्चलं निश्चरच्चित्तमेकीकुर्यात्प्रयत्नतः ॥ ४५ ॥

nā''svādayetsukhaṃ tatra niḥsaṅgaḥ prajñayā bhavet |

niścalaṃ niścaraccittamekīkuryātprayatnataḥ || 45 ||

This is the fourth obstacle. In fact the first obstacle laya is also a kind of sukha only the vikshep and kashaya are not sukha. So that is why we all love to sleep. So these three obstacles have been dealt with and they come in that order. First laya, then vikshepa, then kashaya. What is the fourth state? When the mind is advanced it is able to think about God. Tremendous happiness, bliss, never experienced before. Even sushupti ananda is not equal to that. That will be experienced now. But one should be like a witness na asvadayet, that sukham which is the result of the mind becoming perfectly waveless. na asvadayet, don't go on experiencing it, go on witnessing it. How to do it? Tatra when this sukham starts coming do not be attached even to this ananda pragnaya bhavet, be completely awake. This is the having mode of happiness, not being mode of happiness, because it is the ananda that belongs to the quelled mind, the mind which has been controlled. It belongs to the mind. It doesn't belong to the atman. So that is called pragna. One has to be careful about it and say, oh, this is the ananda what is called priya, moda, pramoda. We get this priya, moda, pramoda when Brugavalli is discussing about the anandamaya kosha and comparing it to a human being. First priya, then moda, then pramoda. What is the difference? Suppose a person is thinking I love a sweet and it will be wonderful. So his mind is dwelling because of the past experience on thinking about that. That pleasure which he had experienced before this is called priya. It is very dear to me like that. And then the object which the person is desiring somehow it comes into his hands. The sparsha sukha, darshana sukha of that object is there. It is no more a wish but it is only pratyaksha. It is there and it is for me to enjoy it. I can touch it I can see it, I can smell it, and that is called moda and when that object comes into contact with that particular sense organs. There are some chocolates with chocolate smell, one with strawberry smell. So many other types of fragrances are there. So the nose will be enjoying the fragrance. Our food also food has its own taste but it is the spices. So onion is being fried or dalchini etc are added, and that smell is coming. It has nothing to do with taste. So most of the happiness comes only from the smell. That is why when we have deep cold, the same food material even though it is having that fragrance of the spices, doesn't taste so good at all. So this ananda belongs when the sweet touches the tongue. Then the nostrils, the tongue, everything sparsha is very soft, it is very sweet and it is very fragrant etc Then that ananda is called pramodha. Priya is beautiful imagination. Modha, actual attainment of the object, pramodha is absolute enjoyment of the object. But all this belong to the objective level. Without that I must be happy, in my own happiness.

Let us not forget there is no objective happiness but the object brings forth. Just like the thorn brings forth the blood from the mouth of camel so also this the fulfillment, attainment of the object removes our restlessness of the mind. When the mind becomes quiet for a few seconds the atmananda is reflected in it. Actually there is no objective happiness. It is only atmananda, reflected happiness and real happiness. So priya, modha, pramodha belong to the reflected happiness. And that is what is telling prajnaya bhavet . This is not, atmananda This is indirectly I am looking at my reflection. I don't want I just want to break that reflection Then I will be myself. Then what happens? Slowly the mind becomes nischalam, becomes absolutely motionless, chalam nischaraha Then it will not go chara, means to move. That is to run hither and thither, nischaraha chittam. We should try. Even that is sadhana avastha, effort is necessary. If we are not, if we are careless even for a second bundu keliko like a ball fallen from the top of the staircase. As Shankaracharya described so beautifully in his Viveka Chodamani. Slowly jumping up and down, in no time the ball rubber ball comes down. So if we are not careful, if we just even for one second become careless, again in the Vivek Chodamani just like a man who is carefully swimming across the ocean of the world, one moment of inattention the graha called the mahamaya pulls that fellow down and down and down. So when we are watching the mind becomes absolutely nischala and then it also becomes nischaraha. That is it has lost as it were, not really, which one chitta. Chitta means thoughts. So go on keeping it in that sense and thinking about God, praying to God etc. That is what we have to experience. All these steps are involved and in the next Karika, 46th Karika, what happens?

यदा न लीयते चित्तं न च विक्षिप्यते पुनः ।

अनिङ्गनमनाभासं निष्पन्नं ब्रह्म तत्तदा ॥ ४६ ॥

yadā na līyate cittaṃ na ca vikṣipyate punaḥ |

aniṅganamanābhāsaṃ niṣpannaṃ brahma tattadā || 46 ||

What does it mean? When the mind does not merge in the inactivity, or oblivion, or laya, first obstacle, or become distracted by disappears desires vikshepa That is to say when the mind becomes quiescent even kashaya stage is also overcome and it does not give rise to appearances by remembering all the past enjoyments. It verily becomes brahman. That is the state when the chitta doesn't stand in between me and my own nature. And then I realize aham brahmasmi. That is what Gaudapada wants to say. yada in that state of spiritual progress, chittam, our mind, naliyate, it doesn't go to sleep. It is fully alert. That is why Swami Vivekananda uses this word utthishthata. That is utthishthata is the state that you wake up from this laya state. Then nacha vikshipyate punaha. Then it doesn't even get scattered here and there. That is called jagratavasta. Utthishthata jagrata. Jagrata means what? Be aware awake. Awake means what if I watch, oh this mind, is trying to go there. What is the nature of the mind? When it thinks nobody is watching it goes here and there. But the moment you keep a watch on it immediately, oh, my master is watching me. Like a very good servant it pretends to be a good servant and nacha punaha Again after getting up from the state of laya nacha vikshipyate. It is not trying to run here and there. Why? Because I am keeping an eye upon it. That's what Swami Vivekananda quoting from the Kata Upanishad, jagrata, be aware. Keep an eye and see that it doesn't go here and there. This is called be aware, be aware, beware beware beware. And then what happens? Aninganam That Bhagavad Gita also says, yatha deepo nivatastho nengathe sa upamasmruta na ingathe na ingathe na ingana is called aningana, it doesn't flutter. Imagine there is a lamp, and it is in a room, and you close all the doors, windows. The wind is not blowing at all. And then what would be the state of that lamp? Absolutely in a windless place as if it is burning steadfastly without the slightest flicker. That is called a state of aninganam, and then anabhasam. What is anabhasam? It does not bring on all the memories. I was insulted at that time, that person cheated me, but this person very good, he helped me. This is called abhasa. Abhasa means what? Appearance of past memories. Anabhasam, the mind, it doesn't flicker, it doesn't remember anything. But it does dwell on one thing. What is that? Nishpannam brahma tat tada There is only one thought. What is that thought? Brahma, aham brahmasmi, paddi uruse aham asi You are that brahman. What are the mind? At this stage you do aninganam, it doesn't deviate from the thought aham brahmasmi. So we should not mistake the language. Just see that suppose you say that if you commit a papa, something wrong. Who will get the Karma Phalaimmediately? Our Indian English is, You get. Meaning, I get. But he is pointing it to the questioner and say you get no aninganam anabhasam It is steadfast and it doesn't think anything but it is firmly fixed on one thought, nishpannam. That state is attained. Nishpannam means attained complete oneness with that state, aham brahmasmi, tada tat brahma. What is that? aham brahmasmi, aham brahmasmi, aham brahmasmi. This is called brahmakara vritti. That's what happened to Sri Ramakrishna also. Oonly instead of saying brahmakara he said Kalikakara. I can remove every other thought from my mind excepting the thought of my Divine mother. After once a person attains to that state that mind experiences such incomparable bliss if there is no chance of its falling down again. When once we reach there. There is no question of falling down at all. This is what Sri Ramakrishna says in the gospel so beautifully. What does he say? Only he described it in slightly different terms. I clearly saw that my kundalini rose. It far transcended all this muladhara swadishtana manipura anahata visuddha, came to the ajna chakra. And then I see clearly brahman as clear as a burning light, brilliant light. But there is still a small glass like obstruction but it is crystal clear. This we can remember but we forget what he said. After that he said once a yogi attains to that state then his mind at best it can come down only to anahata chakra, seeing everything as brahman. But it will never go below the heart chakra. That is important and this is the ajna chakra. Ajna chakra can be equated with brahma karavritti. Once it is then we cannot do self effort comes to be exhausted. What remains the person becomes completely free. And Bhagawan takes over complete self surrender comes and immediately he becomes one with brahman. And this is the state we are he wants to describe in the 47th Karika. Then swastham. The atman abides forever in its own self permanent peace. Not the peace that we call it is called paramananda. That is the highest nirvana uttamam means the highest happiness, uttamam sukham. And can you describe no pramananda can be experienced, can never be described. And what happens? ajam, that which is unborn which is the atman. Ajena that is when the jeevatma gives up the idea I am jeeva and identifies with self as paramatma. gnena that is jeevatma understands I am paramatma. And what does he become? sarvajnam, he becomes sarvajna parichakshate. He understands aham brahmasmi. This is the essence of 47th Karika. In our next class we will conclude along with the essence summary of this third chapter dvaita prakaranam, how it came etc.

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna