Mandukya Karika Lecture 149 on 10-April-2024

Full Transcript (Corrected)

In our last class, we have more or less completed Karika number 96 in the fourth chapter called Alatha Shanti Prakaranam. And what Gaudapada wants to tell, a very interesting thing, is that all the Jeevas, all the living beings, they are all unborn. And how are they unborn? Because they are Brahman. One very important point Gaudapadacharya points out to us is that between the knowledge of Brahman and Brahman, there is no difference. And this has been a very big subject. The opposite schools of philosophy again and again try to bring this point that you say that Brahman knowledge is different from ordinary knowledge. In what way? Especially in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is called Mahavakya Bhashya. So, chapter 4, section 10, the whole discussion is about pure consciousness, that is Chit, and that is knowledge, and that is Sat, pure existence, and that is pure Ananda. They are not three qualities. What do we mean? Suppose you see a mango fruit. It is big, one quality. It is yellow, ripe, that's another quality. It is sweet, that's another quality. It is fragrant, it's another quality. And a lot of flesh, another quality. These qualities distinguish that particular fruit from every other fruit because there are literally thousands of varieties of mangoes out there. But the important point is there are qualities and the qualities can change. A fragrant mango may not be fragrant. A mango may not be yellow. It may be small. A flesh may be very little and it may be out of season. But Sat, Chit, and Ananda are not qualities. They do not limit the object. They do not separate an object. Why? Because if there are two objects, separate objects, then we require qualities. This is small, that is big. Even if there are two copies of the same book, one is old, another is a new edition. One is smaller, another is bigger. One is on the left, another is on the right side, above, below. One is fried, another is fresh. These are all to distinguish two objects. But Sat, Chit, and Ananda are not qualities that distinguish Brahman from anything else. Qualities are required for us to separate two objects from each other. But Brahman is one way of looking at Brahman is Sat. Another way of looking at the same Brahman is Chit. Another way of looking is called Ananda Swaroopa. That's why when an accident takes place, this is my favourite illustration. When an accident takes place, we can ask three types of questions. When did it happen? This is from the viewpoint of time. Where did it happen? This is from the viewpoint of a place, a particular space. The first is called Kala. The second is called Desha. And how did it happen? What is the cause? So that is called Nimitta.But these are all separate things. Desha, Kala, Nimitta, what do they do? They limit everything. If I am here, I am not there. If I am here now at this time, I am not elsewhere, not even one millimeter away from me. And if I am here and happen to be elsewhere, there must be some reason why I have moved from place to place. So you see, time, space, and causation, they limit everything specifically and distinguish one from the other. But Sat, Chit, and Ananda, they are three ways of looking at the same Brahman. Is it there? Yes, that is called Sat. And what is its nature? Chit. And what does it do? Give happiness. So existence, knowledge, bliss, they always go together. They cannot be accepted intellectually. They cannot be separated. So that is what is called real knowledge, knowledge of truth, knowledge which never changes. And it doesn't even tell us there is only one Brahman. Brahman is Ekameva Advaitiyam. Brahman is one without a second. When we use that word, it is not an accurate description of Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna, as he tells us, we have discussed it in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna just yesterday, that Brahman is something which can never be thought of. And if it is thought of, it becomes limited. When something becomes limited, when Brahman becomes limited, it doesn't become Brahman at all. So even Brahmakarupruti, that is to say, a funny way of expressing, I will tell you, if anybody says, "I am seeing God" or "I have seen God," then we have to take it for granted God is smaller and this person whose eye is much bigger. In fact, God is an object because this person has the utter freedom to think of God, not to think of God, or to think of God some other way. If he is happy and he attributes it, God is very kind. If he is unhappy, God is very cruel. And the moment this person thinks of even a mosquito, then God is gone. So a mosquito can replace God. What type of God is that? Who can be easily removed by the thought, another thought, even of a mosquito? So that which is beyond the mind, that is called true knowledge. But in fact, even the usage of the word knowledge is illegal. We should not use that word. Why? Because when you are in deep sleep, do you say that I am in deep sleep? Because if you say I am in deep sleep, you are separate. Deep sleep is separate. So even in our normal day-to-day experience, whatever we are experiencing, we are completely different. What we experience is changing, unreliable, of short duration, completely dependent upon the subject, whereas I may be seeing thousands of things one after the other, but I am not changing. Only the object is changing.

So I am permanent. I am the truth and knowledge of me. I don't need. Simply, I know I am. These are all human expressions, as I've told many times, even to say that Aham Brahmasmi. Before sadhana, I have to go on repeating I am Brahman, I am Brahman. But after realization, there will be nobody because there is no second person. Even my body mind is not there. So I can't even tell. But in our case, we have to tell every time I am so and so. Am I going to do something? Is it good? Oh, in my family, such great people are born. So I should congratulate myself. Should I do such a thing? Because it will bring a bad name to our family. All these considerations pop up. But with regard to Brahman realization, such things do not happen. That is why the most marvellous statement is given. A Brahmagnani doesn't go on strutting. I am a Brahmagnani. Ramakrishna puts it in his own beautiful way. A Brahmagnani or a gentleman doesn't go on saying I am a gentleman. If you hear any gentleman saying I am a gentleman, he is very much a suspect that he is not a gentleman. No thief will go on saying I am a thief. No liar will go on saying I am a liar. So this is that knowledge and the object denoted by that knowledge. They are absolutely one and the same. And this distinction between first of all true knowledge is knowledge of the Brahman which is unchanging, which is independent and which is secondly not different from the object. That is why it is said Brahmavit Brahma eva bhavati. And Shankaracharya is forced to give an example. But I am putting it in this way. Suppose there is a madcap. He thinks he is Napoleon. Then he has not become Napoleon but he thinks he has become Napoleon. He forgot who he is. He has been given treatment and if the treatment is successful, he gets rid of the notion I am Napoleon. But how does he get rid of it? I am so and so. Merely by knowing I am so and so, every other false notion completely disappears. So did this knowledge bring any change? No change has been brought up. Only the ajnana, the ignorance has been destroyed. This is called attainment. This is called realization. This is called reaching. This is called destruction of the ignorance or darkness etc.

And Gaudapada, in his own peculiar and sometimes confusing language, wants to tell us. So in our last class, as I said, 96th Karika.

अजेष्वजमसंक्रान्तं धर्मेषु ज्ञानमिष्यते ।

यतो न क्रमते ज्ञानमसंगं तेन कीर्तितम् ॥ ९६ ॥

ajeṣvajamasaṃkrāntaṃ dharmeṣu jñānamiṣyate |

yato na kramate jñānamasaṃgaṃ tena kīrtitam || 96 ||

96. Knowledge (consciousness), the essence of the Jīvas (who are unborn), is admitted to be itself unborn and unrelated (to any external object). This knowledge is proclaimed to be unconditioned as it is not related to any other object (which, really speaking, does not exist).

What does it mean? Knowledge, consciousness, which is the essence of every Jeeva. And according to Advaita Vedanta, every Jeeva is unborn. And the knowledge of the Jeeva that I am Brahman, I am that also unborn. Knowledge is also unborn. Be very careful in understanding this statement. The knowledge which is born is untrue knowledge, mithya knowledge. The knowledge which is unborn, that is true knowledge. Because that which is born goes through changes. If a person is born, Shadvikara, he grows up, he becomes young, he becomes old, becomes diseased, finally he dies and he suffers also. So, but that is not the truth. Knowledge and the object of knowledge are exactly one and the same. This idea we have to imprint on our mind again and again very strongly. There is no such thing called knowledge. Mango tree and knowledge of mango tree completely separate. But Brahman and Brahmagnana are not separate. So, according to Gaudapada, according to Advaita Vedanta, always we have to understand Gaudapada means Advaita Vedanta, but put it in a peculiar language. So, he is telling, just like every Dharma, which is unborn, means unborn Jeevas and that knowledge that I am Brahman, that is, it doesn't get attached to anything, any other object. Why? Because there is no object. If there is no second object, you can't get either attached or detached, either happy or unhappy, no such reactions are possible. If there is an object, it is possible. If you are the only person, I am a good person, I am an evil person, these are irrelevant. Why? Because I have to find somebody else like me to be qualified, I am a good person or a bad person, I am selfish or unselfish or if there is any object besides me, I am happy or I am unhappy and even mind is not there. So, these are all qualifications of the mind, happy mind, unhappy mind, etc. Since there is only Ekam and Ajam, then even attachment is impossible and even in our case also, you ask 200 years back, are you attached to your what is called jet 737, Boeing 737? You cannot ask such a question because there was no Boeing 737.

So, whether you are attached or not attached, how much it costs or how clever you are, those things do not come into consideration at all, and that is what we want to understand. Gaudapada wants to say, "Dharmeshu gnanam Isyate." We have to understand "Isyate" means we have to infer that the gnanam of a real Jeeva. Jeeva is Brahman, therefore Brahma and Brahmagnanam are separate. Just as Brahman cannot attach himself to anybody, Brahmagnanam also cannot attach to anything else. "Yato Nakramate gnanam" Since for this reason, the true knowledge is never attached to anything, "Asangam Thenaketitam" Because of that reason, not only Brahman, Brahmagnanam also, "Asangam Thenaketitam." Why is Gaudapada going on and on? Because this gives us a beautiful understanding of a Jeevan Mukta. So there were charges against Sri Ramakrishna. One of the charges is that he loved Narendranath more than anybody else. Now with the help of this 96th Karika, try to understand. In fact, it is a very thought-provoking incident. Somebody has accused Sri Ramakrishna directly, especially when it comes to the matter of distribution of sweets. Sri Ramakrishna used to preserve the best sweets and keep them for Narendra. When Narendra comes, very gladly he will go and not only give him, sometimes he will feed also. And Narendra tried to resist it, but he failed because Sri Ramakrishna will not allow him directly, otherwise he might give to somebody else. So he will push it into the mouth of Narendra. You may ask, why? So I have a favorite way of explaining it. You can also enjoy it. If you are a sheep farmer and you find a very valuable sheep, you go on feeding it because it will fetch the highest price. So Sri Ramakrishna thought, this is my sheep. Only he did not use the word sheep. He told, this is my monkey. Swami Vivekananda himself has said, he made me, this old man, he made me a monkey and made me go around half the world. Even now he is not giving me freedom to do what I like. Of course, we can understand it. Narendra is given freedom. Sri Ramakrishna, no Sri Ramakrishna. He would refuse to stay there for one millisecond. How do we know? Because the moment Divine Mother's work was done, he appeared in front of Shashi Maharaj. The previous night, he gave up his body. What did he say? "Shashi, Shashi, I spat out the body." But Sri Ramakrishna did not allow him to do that. So Swami, he was with such... I think he was extremely glad to get out of the clutches of Sri Ramakrishna.

And in fact, that is what we are also trying. Once we believe in Sri Ramakrishna, we have complete knowledge of Sri Ramakrishna, we want only Mukti. Because we had enough of him, so we want Mukti from him. Anyway, so a Jeevan Mukta can never be attached because a Jeevan Mukta, his knowledge is I am Brahman. And that knowledge is what? There is no second object. And therefore, politically, this has been expressed in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Fear comes out of the second. Fear means reaction. Good, bad, happy, unhappy and Dharma, Adharma. All these things come only when there is a second one. But since there is no second, such things will not happen in other worlds. Brahmagnanam is the most desirable thing in this world because it will give us what is called unimpeded bliss, infinite bliss. And that is what we all want. That is the essence of what we discussed earlier. And we will move on to the 97. And actually, all the shlokas are only telling one point that each soul is potentially divine and you are no other than divine. And for temporarily, for whatever reason, you are not aware that you are divine. Now that is a disease. That is the root cause of all problems. The moment you think I am somebody else, that is called dvitiya. All fear comes. Fear means kama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, matsarya, selfishness. Every evil springs only from there if there is a second one. And Advaita Vedanta's philosophy is you are Brahman, there is no other. Therefore, even if you wish, you can never be what is called selfish. Impossible for you to be selfish. But we are talking about selfishness because really speaking, selfishness is the only instrument which will lead us to be completely unselfish. I don't know whether you ever heard this statement from anybody. But I am telling you. So the whole life is to learn how to be more selfish. And when we become the greatest selfish persons in the world, then we only want one thing. Self, self, self. Previously, it was many things with a small s. Now we want only one Self and that is capital Self. All of us are searching only actually for our own true Self which we think we have lost, though really not lost. It doesn't matter really. These are all semantics.

So in the 97,

अणुमात्रेऽपि वैधर्म्ये जायमानेऽविपश्चितः |

असंगता सदा नास्ति किमुताऽऽवरणच्युतिः ॥ ९७ ॥

aṇumātre'pi vaidharmye jāyamāne'vipaścitaḥ |

asaṃgatā sadā nāsti kimutā''varaṇacyutiḥ || 97 ||

97. The slightest idea of variety (in Ātman) entertained by the ignorant bars their approach to the unconditioned. The destruction of the veil (covering the real nature of Ātman) is out of the question.

Gaudapada is telling that let alone what is called destruction of complete ignorance, complete destruction of the entire maya. Let it be. That is a very far-off thing. Even if the slightest difference is there, you see slightest difference, I can tell you a lot of things, but I want to simplify things. You see, suppose there is a mother and she has given birth to a child and all the love of both parents, especially mother is bestowed and goes on bestowing so long as that child is there, only child. The moment another child comes into this world, now the mother's attention is completely drawn to the just-born baby and then the canker starts in the elder son and he becomes very jealous. Somewhere this terrible obstruction has come. The shani graha has come. Previously I am getting all the love my mother, my father can bestow. Now not only they are bestowing all attention on the sibling, but they are even making me also a slave. You are responsible for your sister. She is helpless. I don't want. So they say sometimes some of these children when nobody is looking at it or when they think nobody is looking at it, they go take their finger and poke it into the eyes of the younger sibling. This is called sibling jealousy. So you see, we are all people of jealousy. We all feel, even though we do not admit it, who is free? Only a God-realized person is free. Why is he free? Because there is nobody to be jealous of. He cannot even be jealous of God also because he knows I am God. So there is no chance for him to exhibit his jealousy, selfishness, etc. That is why he is a perfect person. So anumatraipi vaidharmaya, the slightest idea of plurality, means separatedness, in atman, entertained by the ignorant, agnanis. That is why he says avipashchitaha. Vipashchitaha means a person who is wise, who knows the exact truth. Avipashchitaha is the opposite, completely ignorant person. There is in this knowledge, there is something very peculiar I want to point out. So nobody can say I am 10% right, 20% right, 50% right. No. Either I am right or I am wrong. So any person who knows, nobody can say I am 50% atman and 50% anatma. Such a thing can never happen. Even to say I am 50% anatma is admitting that I am 100% anatma only, non-self only. So such persons are called ignorant. In Sanskrit they are called avipashchitaha. So vaidharmye jaya maane, if multiplicity, what is ignorance? We are many. There are billions and billions and billions of galaxies and how many earths are there? How many living creatures are there in other planets? Even now scientists are searching for what is called extra life planets. So far we have not come across but who knows, the distance is so much, there may be many types of people. So vaidharmye jaya maane, if there is plurality, how much plurality? Anumatrik, even the slightest. Then asangata sadhanasti, forever this detachment or non-attachment is impossible. If there are two things, I like this one person better than the other one. Even between sweets, between friends, between parents, between children, between brothers and sisters, between books, between anything, we have some preference. We have even if it be slight preference but there is a preference is there. How do we know? Because when freedom is given, we lie, we run to grab what we like. So asangata sadhanasti, so long as multiplicity is manifest, the question of being non-attached doesn't arise at all. If this is our day-to-day affair, if this is the case, complete destruction of avarana. Avarana means avidya. Is it possible in this state?

What is the essence of this 97th Karika? Even if I say only two, may not be many, not three, not more than three, but only two. I am as ignorant as ever. And for me that ignorance is not one percent, but hundred percent. It is impossible. Either it goes completely or it is there completely. That means I have to remove multiplicity. I have realized that I am that one without a second. That is the meaning. What is this avarana chuti? It is a beautiful Sanskrit word. Chuti means destruction. Avarana means agnana. Those who are familiar with a little bit of Advaita Vedanta, remember this avarana chuti and vikshepa chuti, such terminology is not used by non-Advaitins. For Ramanujacharya and all other Advaitins, this world is not unreal. It is not what is called a product of agnana. It is real parinama. God really transforms himself. So these terms, that is covering up of the truth and making it appear as something else, this is what is called avasa, adhyasa. It doesn't exist at all for non-Advaitic schools.

But here we are talking about avarana means what? Covering the real truth. The real truth. And it automatically indicates vikshepa shakti also. And these two constitute what we call ignorance. Chuti means destruction. That is the complete destruction of agnana. There is nothing called partial destruction of agnana, as I was telling. There is nothing called partial destruction of the darkness. Complete darkness. If there is one percent darkness, there is darkness. So avarana means that which covers. So agnana covers each one of us, but it doesn't make us non-Brahman. It makes us think that we are non-Brahman. So the problem is in the mind. The solution is also in the mind only, just as in the dream. So if I am feeling hunger in a dream, real food will not help. So if you somehow guess this person is dreaming, he is very hungry, and you take some ice cream and he starts screaming. Instead of your screaming, he starts screaming. You destroyed my beautiful dream like that. So, so long as duality is there. Duality means multiplicity. It doesn't mean only two. Duality means the reaction in multiplicity, likes and dislikes, attachment and non-attachment, good and evil, darkness and light, and dharma and adharma. That is called the way we look at things. We judge things. That is called duality. But things are multiple, uncountable. It is not possible to count them. It is impossible. What is the essence of this 97th? 97th Karika tells that if you wish to know who you are, then you get rid of ignorance. How to get rid of ignorance? Get rid of the feeling of multiplicity. Look what follows. If there is no multiplicity, then everything is God only. If everything is God, who can cheat whom? Who can lie to whom? Who can do good to whom? Who can give happiness to whom? Who can do whatever he wants? If my right hand scratches my left hand, then my left hand doesn't thank because left hand does it exactly. Right hand knows this is my own me. Left hand also knows this is me. So the leg doesn't get jealous when your right hand is scratching your ears. I've seen so many people listening to talks. They're scratching their ears. There is no point in scratching the ears. Scratch your hearing. That is the real knowledge. So essence of 97th is get rid of multiplicity and that is called practice of divine qualities. That is called practice of morality. What is morality? Feeling that I am in the other also. Every object, living as well as non-living, everything. That is the idea.

Then we move on to the 98th. And again, he is reiterating the same fact that everybody is divine only. This is the essence.

अलब्धावरणाः सर्वे धर्माः प्रकृतिनिर्मलाः ।

आदौ बुद्धास्तथा मुक्ता बुध्यन्त इति नायकाः ॥ ९८ ॥

alabdhāvaraṇāḥ sarve dharmāḥ prakṛtinirmalāḥ |

ādau buddhāstathā muktā budhyanta iti nāyakāḥ || 98 ||

98. All Dharmas (i.e., Jīvas) are ever free from bondage and pure by nature. They are ever illumined and liberated from the very beginning. Still the wise speak of the Jīvas as capable of knowing (‘the Ultimate Truth’).

All Jeevas and, as I said, Gaudapada could have used the word "Jeevaha" instead of "dharmas." But unfortunately, I can't tell him now because he has become Brahman now. He doesn't listen. He doesn't have ears to hear my words. All Jeevas or dharmas are ever free from bondage and are pure by nature. They are ever rejuvenated and liberated from the very beginning. So still, the wise people speak of the Jeevas as capable of knowing the ultimate truth. Every dharma means Jeevas, every prani, but especially an intelligent human being who can understand what is the real teaching. Alabdha avarana. Avarana means just now earlier we used that word avarana chuti. Avarana means that which covers. What covers it? That means we don't see what is the nature of the object which is covered but we think it may be something else. Alabdha avarana. Complete uncovering. That means they are ever pure, ever free, ever knowledgeable. How? At one time were they bound and then they get some good picture and then they go on practicing and then they become free? No. Prakruti nirmala. They are pure. Mala means another word. Mala means impurity but earlier we used the word visharadha. Visharadha means purity. So by nature prakruti nirmala. Everybody is pure. What is pure? Uncontaminated by a second. That is to say dvithiya. There is no second. I am only one. Whenever we see some stain, some impurity, by definition what is impurity? When two things come together that is called impurity. Most of the time when we hear the word or read the word impurity, dirty, then our idea is here is water is dirty. Means dirt is an object and that comes. In fact dirt is as pure as anything else. But when that same dirt mixes with water, especially the water which we need to drink or cook something, then we hesitate to use that water. But of course if no choice and many many countries do not have that choice, they bring dirty water, contaminated water, impure water and so many chemicals are discharged into it by the so-called political powers and business people. They do their best by boiling etc. Sometimes they have no choice but to drink that water. And then what happens you know? People get immune. That is why when the people coming to India from western countries, even if they be Indians, even if they stay there for a few months, as soon as they come, they have lost their immunity. Here because we are living in that situation all the time, our natural immunity is very very strong. What can any germ do? Because we are producing that germs. So what are we talking about? Impurity is not necessarily always a bad thing. Coffee is impure. Payasam, rice pudding is impure. Why do we say it is impure? Because what is coffee? At least five things are there. Water is there. Sugar is there. Coffee powder is there. Milk is there. Hotness is there. All the five things can be completely separated.

So, what is the definition of impurity? When two things combine together. So, sugar and water - sweet water, sugary water - it is impurity. Salt water - that is impurity. Anything mixed with something else - that is, by definition, impurity. When Brahman is one, where is the question of its becoming impure? That is one. For a second object to make another object impure, the first condition is there must be two. And where there are two, there is finiteness. Since Brahman is infinite, that is why it is one without a second. And that is why it can never become impure. So, another way of understanding impurity is birth. Before birth, birth is a change. Change is an impurity. A new table, after some time, change has come. What change? So, stains, dirt, etc., accumulate on that table. So, that becomes impure. So, what is the idea? Since there is no second object, Brahman can never become impure at all. This is called Nirmalatvam. No mala, no impurity. Prakruti Nirmala. Here, Prakruti means by nature. The very nature of every Jeevatma, every individual soul, is what? They are, first of all, Alabdha, Avana. There is no ignorance. And one has to know every single thing that we call many people. And by nature, they are all divine, pure. Adav, Buddha. And they are one with knowledge. What is that knowledge? "I am Brahman." It is a very natural thing. So, if a wooden piece can speak, if you ask the wooden piece, "Who are you?" It can only tell you, "I am a wooden piece." Because that is its nature. So, when we are one, we don't require anybody asking. A very interesting thing. So, once a young boy entered into the room of Sri Ramakrishna. Because this boy had seen earlier that the room many times was full of people. And sometimes they are singing also. That did not interest the boy. But many times, the boy observed they were eating something. So, that aroused the interest of the boy. Now, one day he entered Sri Ramakrishna's room. Sri Ramakrishna, fortunately, was alone on his cot, and the boy entered. He did not see Sri Ramakrishna sitting there, but Sri Ramakrishna noticed him and said, "Who are you?" And the boy said, "He doesn't know how to even explain. I am so-and-so. I am the son of so-and-so. I have come here, etc." Simply he said, "Me. I am me." Then, the second question Sri Ramakrishna posed was, "What do you want?" So, this fellow's aunt taught him that there is a sadhu living in this room, and many times people visit him, and he gives upadesham. Unfortunately, when the aunt told this, "sadhu gives upadesham," this boy noticed they were munching something. So, he associated the word "upadesha" with eating, and that roused his interest. So, "Kee Chai, Upadesh Chai. I want upadesham." Sri Ramakrishna was superbly intelligent; he immediately understood. He called his nephew Ramlal Dada and told him, "There is some sweet there. Give this boy some sweet." Because that is what the boy wanted. This is an actual incident that happened. And many years later, this boy became a sort of intellectual pundit. He wrote a book, "Sri Ramakrishna Bhagavatam." Unfortunately, it is not translated into many languages. Recently, I believe it has been translated into the Kannada language.

But what am I telling? Adho Buddhaha. Everybody. Because Brahman knows I am Brahman. Because that is pure consciousness. Is ever conscious, "I am Brahman." And Tatha Muktaha. I am completely free. And that is what we think. We want to achieve freedom. Advaita Vedanta takes the trouble. You don't need to achieve. You cannot become free. You don't need to become free. It is impossible for you to become free. Because you are already free. Then what about all the spiritual practice? It is only to get rid of the thinking that I am not free. Just as when you are dreaming. You may be dreaming police came and dragged you into a jail. And they are having a heavenly time with some whips. But so long as you are thinking I am in the jail. You actually experience that condition. But if those policemen, they give a big beating and you wake up from that. And then you say there was no jail. There was no police. I never went there. So if this fellow says to anybody, I went to, I was dragged into a jail and I was being beaten. I was being beaten and smiling all the time. Then that fellow will be considered as a madcap. So we are all completely free by nature because we are Brahman. And those who understand that I am Brahman. I am free. I am absolutely pure. And there is nothing called even that a Brahman doesn't think. At one time, I was caught in the net of Mahamaya. Thank God. Thank to my Guru. I have become free by their grace. They showed me the way out. No, they will not even think like that. So does a Jeevanmukta, say Swami Vivekananda, ever thank Sri Ramakrishna for bestowing Sri Ramakrishna? Yes. Then what am I talking about? So long as they are in the Samadhi, they do not think anything. But the moment if they are Jeevanmuktas, living free, the moment they come out of that Jeevanmukti state, then the problem starts. What is the problem? Because they have to use language which we can understand. They understand they are Brahman. We don't understand neither that we are Brahman nor he is Brahman. If Sri Ramakrishna says I am Brahman. So if a Jeevanmukta goes to Ranchi Sanitarium and if some inmate asks him, who are you? Let us say Sri Ramakrishna goes to Ranchi Sanitarium and somebody asks who are you? If Sri Ramakrishna says I am a Brahmagnani, this inmate becomes delighted. He says you have come to the right place. Previously I was also telling that I was a Brahmagnani and now I know better. So don't worry. This is a very beautiful reputed institute. Very soon you will be also normalized. You will think like me. You will understand I am not Brahman. So those who understand after realization, they do not even remember at one time because their understanding is I was Brahman. I am Brahman. I will be Brahman. Never ever had I become anything other than Brahman.

And this is where Shankaracharya's superb commentary comes into our aid. The very Sanskrit is so mellifluous. So, here, there is a purpose why Gaudapada is telling. There is an objection. There is an objector. It has been stated in the previous Karika that according to the view of the ignorant, the destruction of the veil covering the real nature of Atman is not possible. So, earlier, if you remember, Avarana Chuti, Kimatha Avarana Chuti, complete destruction of the ignorance. It is impossible. So, the objector is now catching hold of that one. That means he has been listening very carefully. We have to note down if you want to raise any objection to my talk, first of all, you have to listen very carefully. If you don't, even the question to question, the question of questioning me doesn't arise at all. So, that is what we need to understand. It has been stated that there is an Avarana. There is an ignorance and it has to be gotten rid of. And now you are saying from the very beginning, there is nobody who is ever bound etc. What is this? Are you contradicting? Are you admitting duality called Brahman and Maya? For that, the reply is this. Actually, this Karika is the reply which we will discuss in our next class.