Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Narada Bhakti Sutras - Commentary and Discussion

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum

pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu

Introduction: The Need for Bhakti in Kali Yuga

We are discussing Narada Bhakti Sutras. Why? Because Sri Ramakrishna said we have to follow the path of Bhakti in this Kali Kaala. But who is the appropriate guide even for Bhakti? And we have to be extremely alert in this matter.

There are certain sects who also teach and preach Bhakti, but exclusive. For example, Hare Krishna movement. Very... unless you worship Krishna, there is no salvation.

Sri Ramakrishna never entertained these kind of narrow ideas. You worship God in any form, with any name, etc. And there are certain definitions given, we have already done.

The Four Teachers of Bhakti

So, how to develop Bhakti, that was the subject matter in the four teachers. One is Veda Vyasa, another is Garga, another is Shandilya, fourth is Narada himself.

External Path (Veda Vyasa)

Just briefly, if anybody takes delight in doing puja and such activities, means more external than either verbal or mental, some people delight, for them that is the path.

The Story of Ekalavya: Intuitive Knowledge Through Devotion

There are wonderful stories about it. The best story that comes to my mind is Ekalavya. Ekalavya's Guru Bhakti, a Guru refused to teach him.

So he said, "I have accepted you as Guru, I am not going to give up." He went to the forest, fashioned one small image, and he really felt, "God is presenting himself in this Guru form," and as though intuitively he was telling. So, important thing for us to understand, there are ultimately the highest truths in any field, must come intuitively from within.

That's what Swami Vivekananda said, that all knowledge is already inherent within us, external, these are all suggestions to bring about that which is already within. So Guru is also a suggestion. Otherwise, it will never come.

So Ekalavya really felt, "My Guru is alive here, and he is God," and he practised, he became better then. So, what are we talking? For that person, that particular method, is the method which took him to his goal.

Verbal Path (Garga)

Then other teachers are there, Vachika, Katha, Vishwadi, Gargaha.

Another teacher says, you speak about God, you listen about God, you read about God, you enjoy God, singing, or dancing, etc., but this is more verbal than physical. That is the difference. If somebody says, "Puja is going on, no, I'm not interested, I'll be here, I'll be doing japa."

So we should not force. Okay, you develop in your own way. Because people are not same.

Individual Path (Shandilya)

Some people like pujas, some people like to sing, etc., but there are other people. Atmarati avirodhene tu shandilyaha. Do anything you like, protecting yourself, whatever, be alert, whatever can take you away from God, keep it at a distance.

Atmarati avirodhena, that means anything favourable for developing our devotion, you follow it, follow your mind.

Sri Ramakrishna's Example: Divine Guidance Without Human Guru

That's what exactly the first sadhana of Sri Ramakrishna, no guru was there. What did he do? Pray to the Divine Mother, "O Mother, I'm a fool," that beautiful prayer, "Here is your dharma, here is your adharma, here is your virtue, here is your voice.

"Here is your good, here is your evil. Take them both and grant me pure devotion to the Lotus Feet." But then he added, "I could not say, here is your truth, and here is your untruth."

Very interesting. Why? Because if he says "I'm offering truth," that means your whole prayer is based upon untruth, upon nothing. So it should be truthful.

I cannot give up truth. Then only all this prayer becomes really sincere, effective prayer. And then Mother showed him everything.

God is Ever Ready When We Are Ready

So what does that prove? Many things it proves. First of all, if there is somebody who doesn't have the privilege of the guidance of somebody, you don't worry, God is everywhere, and He will listen to your prayers, and He will guide you exactly in the right way. There is no question of delay.

And don't think that God doesn't come, or He will come late. When we are ready, God is ever ready. So this is our faith.

That means what? That God is waiting for us.

Beautiful Bengali Song: God's Yearning

I cannot refrain myself, there's a beautiful Bengali song, Aru Pashayare Leelala Hari. Swami Prameshwara.

The last says: "Koto Jugo Goto Tomari Ashayi

Shamshaya Jato Aaji Tirodhi

Jaya Che Amar Laho Upahar

Shapi No Jeevan Tava Shevayi"

So, the devotee seems to be praying, "Koto Jugo Goto Tomari Ashayi" - hoping that one day I will get you. With this hope, I have spent so many yugas. How many yugas? Ever since creation, until this moment.

"Shamshaya Jato Ella Sandhegad Aaji Tirodhi Ivatte Drishad Vitthi" - I am seeing you. I got you. All my doubts are completely removed because I am seeing you right now.

"Jaya Che Amar" - Whatever I have, "Laho Upahar" - I am offering it to you. "Shapi No Jeevan Tava Shevayi" - Let me offer my life from now onwards in your service.

Reinterpreting the Song: God's Perspective

This is supposed to be a devotee's expression when he has the assurance of God that I am here for you.

But I made it to... God is telling how many years I have been waiting for you, my child. I was almost losing hope that you will never come to me. But today, you turned to me.

All my doubts are completely removed. "Shamshaya Jato Aaji Tirodhi" - All my doubts, whether you are ever going to turn back to me have completely been removed. As if God is telling.

My child, whatever I have belongs to whom? "Jaya Che Amar Laho Upahar" - Whatever I have, I am offering it to you. What has God got? What God has got? Or what God has not got? So, it means God... You know what God says? I am offering myself to you. "Shapi No Jeevan Tava Shevayi" - My whole life, eternity I will be only serving you.

God's Continuous Service to Us: The Aratrika Metaphor

Because parents are only the child. "Shapi No Jeevan" is a beautiful word, expression. Extraordinarily great expression.

You know only the expression? We are doing Aratrika. How much time? How much time you show the lamp? Few minutes. But how much time God is showing us the lamp? Morning and evening.

24 hours a day He is showing us the way. Is it not? Light. So, 24 hours.

The Five Elements of Divine Service

Then what is the second thing? Water. What is the second thing? Water. So, how much water we are giving to God? And God is giving us water 24 hours a day to all of you. Isn't it?

And then what is the third thing? Cloth. Means He is protecting us from inclement weather, etc. Forever and ever it is going on.

So, is it not wonderful? And then what is the fourth thing? Flowers. How many flowers do you offer to God? And that too you find out which is the cheapest flower. And God is giving us all these flowers.

Who is giving to us? Only God. And finally as you are fanning Him after 10 minutes, slowly the hand is drooping down because how long can you hold it? But God is fanning you. If He stops fanning you for one minute "I want a break."

We will also break. We don't want break. We will break.

God's Unconditional Service

God is serving us. Who else is serving? This is the meaning. But most wonderful truth is whether God will serve us only for a short time. Only when we become devotees. See, we know whether we believe in God or we have faith in God or we think of God. Only after long time.

But God has been serving us even when we have not become devotees. He knows that we belong to Him. We don't know that we belong to Him.

Three Steps of Spiritual Evolution

Madhusudana Saraswati's commentary on Bhagavad Gita. So, three steps of spiritual evolution. I belong to God.

When we advance, God belongs to me. And then third step, we belong to each other. I am God. God is me.

Exactly reflecting Hanuman's reply to Sri Rama. "How do you look upon me? When I think I am the body, you are my master. I am your servant. When I think I am the jiva, you are the whole and I am the part. And when I think Atmavudhya..."

That is what is being reflected here.

The Philosophy of Removing Ignorance

That how to develop slowly. Important part is, we are already what is called potentiality is there. Only we have to remove the obstruction.

This is put so beautifully in this work. A sculptor is sculpting. So, there are two ways of looking at it. A sculptor is making an image of Krishna. This is one way of looking at it. Usually that is the way we look at it.

But even a better way is there. What is the sculptor's business? Anything unnecessary for Krishna, he is chipping them off. That is the true meaning.

The Snake-Rope Analogy

This is Hindu philosophy. You are not gaining something. You are removing the ignorance.

When the ignorance is removed, then whatever is there. This is the famous analogy that when you mistake and see there is a snake, you are not removing the snake. You are not bringing the rope.

What are you doing? You are simply removing that darkness. Then, snake also will go away. Rope also comes.

It doesn't come. It is already there all the time. Only we were unable to see. That is the philosophy.

Death as a Teacher

So, whatever helps us to remember God, do that. And, this is wonderful to understand even certain things which people consider as extremely negative can be our greatest grace of God.

Somebody whom we love, the person dies. This could be the greatest blessing. That would be a learning lesson.

But, okay. So, if that person dies, then anybody can die. I can also die, isn't it? If it doesn't remind us that fact, then we are foolish people.

Ashaucha: Remembering Impermanence

That's why, for one year, you should not go here, you should not go there. Rule is there. Ashaucha we call it.

What is the point of Ashaucha? Many people wonder. It is not Ashaucha. It is dead body. It is gone. There is nothing called Ashaucha or impurity. We tend to forget this fact of death.

Therefore, to keep it reminding, we will have to not follow, indulge in all these pleasurable activities. Like that, there is a rule.

So, some people come and ask me, "Can we visit the temple?" Why not? Why not? After all, anything spiritual, anything related to God is absolutely fine. Don't do anything that makes you forget the fact of life. What is the fact of life? Everything is temporary. And we don't know how temporary it is.

The Universal Fact of Death

Every day we hear, you know how many people die every day? Nearly 200,000 people. One day tsunami, 200,000 people died. But then, it is an everyday fact.

Plus or minus, 7 or 8 percent, this is a fact of life.

Narada's Method: Total Offering

So, what is Narada's? He says, all these are included in Narada's methodology of attaining bhakti. "Naradastu tad arpita akhila acharata tad vismarane parama vyakulata."

So, what is "arpita akhila acharata"? Whatever we do.

In the Bhagavad Gita, there is a beautiful verse, you know, "Pashyan shrunvan sphurshan jigran ashnan swapan gachchan swasan nimishan unnimishan" - breathing in, breathing out. Fluttering the eyelids. Then eating food.

Looking, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. That means 24 hours, whatever we are doing, we have to offer "brahmanyadaya karmany." We have to offer it. "Your brahmarpanam" epitomises the whole thing. Everything is brahman. This is the truth.

Learning Through Experience

Now, what is the truth? If something is the truth, we have no choice.

What is the choice we have? Either you learn easily, quickly, or suffer and learn. Three types of rings. And then, three types.

Everything. Breathing. What is pranayama? Breathing for God.

What is eating? Brahmarpanam. Who is eating?

Sri Ramakrishna's Eating Incidents

You know that incident? One day, Sri Ramakrishna sat down for eating. And 5C He always used to be surrounded with 5-6 more dishes.

One lady devotee. Devotees are only the critics. The more devotees, the better.

Because if somebody misses something, the other person will notice it. So, immediately, the thought came, "Oh, he loves lots of dishes." Immediately, Sri Ramakrishna looked at that devotee and said, "Do you know why I came? The natural tendency of my mind is to merge in Nirvikalpa.

"With all this, I want to eat supta, I want to eat... I keep the mind a little bit down by all these creating desires." So, sometimes he used to go into samadhi. Slight external consciousness will be there.

At that time, "I want to drink water." So, one day, some devotee brought. Other devotee explained, "He is trying to bring his mind down." This is one.

The Snake Incident

Another day, he was about to eat. Same scenario.

And one devotee said, "Oh, he likes to eat. Good man. Spiritual man, but a little bit of weakness is there. Excusable. You know, we are all like that." And she was serving.

Sri Ramakrishna took one handful and brought it to his mouth. What did the devotee say? A snake came from inside, snatched it and went down. Sri Ramakrishna was smiling. And this lady was shocked.

What was that snake? Kundalini, you can say. Within us, there is God.

God outside is called Surya and Soma. Surya and Chandra. He provides the food material for us.

And God within has to digest in the form of Agni. That is called Jathara Agni. That is what Bhagavad Gita 15 chapter.

"I manifest inside every living creature in the form of Jathaveda Agni. And I digest for him all sorts of food that has been offered to him." Sri Ramakrishna is illustrating this.

Everything is Brahman

It is not me. The food is Brahman. And the offerer is also Brahman. And the one who is eating is also Brahman. And the one who is digesting is also Brahman. Everything is God.

That is why it says, It is the Prakruti in the form of body and mind who is doing everything. In between, why do you butt and say that I am the doer? So if you are the doer, you are the sufferer. If Prakruti is the doer, who will be the sufferer? Prakruti.

It has nothing to do with me. This is the truth illustrated in the life of every saint and sage in a graphic manner.

Continuous Devotion: No Break in Bhakti

Anyway, means there is no break in devotion. There is no break in bhakti. So now I am sleeping. "Nidra Samadhi sthithi."

I mentioned once, you know, for a devotee, sleep is an intense spiritual activity. What does it mean? It means, if you sleep well, you have to pray to God, "O Lord, let me sleep well, so that my body, my mind will get well rested. So that when the body-mind gets rested, next morning, I will be able to serve you, remember you, meditate upon you in a better manner."

Humorous Interlude: The Afternoon Classes

That is why, you know, Chitra, when devoted, usually afternoon my classes. So I tell them, "Before you attend my classes, have at least two hours of deep sleep and come. I don't want you to agree with whatever I say."

Like this. Bella. "Yeah, yeah."

Most of my devotees, you know, they fall into... they are so devoted to me. Whatever I say, they just close. "Why do you close your eyes? In order to be able to hear you, concentrate."

After that, slowly, hypnotic voice, you know, hypnotic voice. Second, my devotees are so good, we don't want our Swami to suffer. So they come with a fresh mind.

They come in, they wash everything. "What did we discuss last week?" Washed away. No, no, they don't remember. Washed away.

The Necessity of Repetition in Learning

So fresh mind is always welcome, you know. But anyway, one thing though I'm making fun, we have to repeat the same thing billion times if necessary.

How many times? No, as many times as necessary until we learn our lesson. That is why in the Brahma Sutras, a question has been raised, why are you going on talking the same thing again and again? Then the answer given is because you have not learnt the lesson. Once we learn the lesson, it won't be repeated.

Life as School, Gymnasium, and Leela

What is its practicality? Do you know what is practicality? In life, I mentioned Swami Vivekananda was asking what is life? He gave three answers. What is life? It's a school. What's life? It's a gymnasium. What is life? It is a circus. We don't say circus, Swamiji said, it's a leela.

So what is it? Life is meant for learning lessons, what to do, what not to do.

It may take many lives to know I should not do this, I should do only this. Dharma and Adharma. It's a school.

What is the second one? Gymnasium. What is gymnasium? Learning is intellectual. Gymnasium is to put it into practical use and become what we wish to become.

So you go to gymnasium for what? For strengthening the muscles. So not only external muscles but moral muscles and also spiritual muscles. Life is meant for that.

That's why the scripture gives us the guidelines and when we encounter situations, that is the gymnasium. Here it is wonderful, you know. The moment you go, all the devils are waiting.

Problems. This is the second. What is the third thing? If we learn our lessons, you enjoy it.

The Repetition of Life Lessons

So the second one is important. If we do not learn our lessons, that same lesson will be given to us.

I hope you are following. Suppose there is a situation. We react inappropriately.

Until we learn how to react appropriately, the same situation will be repeated to us until we learn. Once we learn the lesson, the situation disappears because its purpose is finished.

The Hindu Scheme of Spiritual Evolution

Anyway, that's what I'm making fun of, you know. Hindu's scheme of life is, so how long can you be a married person? Once you learn the lesson, if I want not to suffer, suffering, avoid suffering, then I should not get married. Though I'm putting jokingly, it's a fact of life. That's why Brahmacharya Ashrama.

Mind you, every state we are in is an ashrama. If we forget, it is shrama. So it must be converted into ashrama.

That means we can progress spiritually if we learn our lessons and do what is appropriate for that situation. And so, married life is only meant for to purify our mind, to strengthen our spiritual and moral muscles, then move on to the next higher stage, which is withdrawal from the world. And then ultimately, we are all, I said, sannyasins.

We Are All Brahmins and Sannyasins

We are all brahmins, we are all sannyasins. You remember? We are all initiated. Initiated means, initiation means second birth.

Second birth means second parents. Our parents are Sri Ram Krishna and Holy Mother. Who were they? They were brahmins and they were sannyasins.

Brahmins means not jati brahmana. "Brahma, jnati, iti brahmana." One who realises brahman is brahmana.

We are all children. You say, Thakur, Ma, we say Ma. Be careful.

Call Holy Mother Ma and call Sri Ram Krishna as grandfather. He gets very angry. "Am I so old?" Like that, you know.

No, no. He is our father and mother is our mother.

Inevitable Spiritual Evolution

So, that is the lesson we have to learn.

What I am telling, life is meant for learning the lesson. So, we have to evolve in course of time. It is inevitable.

That's why our Vedanta tells us, we are standing on an escalator. You are evolving. Biologically, you can't stop evolving.

But now, deliberately you have to stand on the moral and spiritual escalator. It will happen. But if we lend a helping hand, then time will be compressed.

Otherwise, nature will take us. Because our real nature cannot be suppressed. Sri Ram Krishna used to say, "If you put a seed even within a stone, it will break the stone and then it will come out."

We Are Heliocentric

Heliocentred. We are all heliocentred. Means light.

Seed, wherever you put, whichever way you put, will grow only towards light. This is the best example we can give. We are growing spiritually, maybe slowly, etc.

But if we can consciously do it, it will be better.

Complete Offering and Forgetting God

So, that process is called "Akhila Tad Arpita Akhila Acharata." So, what is Karma Yoga? What is Karma Yoga? What is spiritual life? Whatever we do, our life is meant only to offer to God.

Offering flowers and fruits, it is just a way of reminding us. Then whatever happens, That's what Narada means. And if we happen to forget God, we should be terribly upset.

This is what we discussed. Then the listener, the disciple might have a This is a wonderful idea. Are there practical examples? Plenty. Not one. Not two. Not in the past.

Every time there are plenty of examples. Only thing is, these people won't come forward and say, "I'm a spiritual person." The more spiritual a person, the more he wants to be known not as a non-spiritual person.

The Story of the Disguised Brahmagyani

Deliberately, he goes. I'll tell you one small story. There was a brahmachari who thought, in Kankhal, who thought, he could judge a good sadhu from a bad sadhu.

Rajya Maharaj was fortunately his guru. So one day Rajya Maharaj said, "Come, let's go for a walk in Kankhal." So they were going out and a huge procession was passing.

Mahamandaleshwar gorgeously decorated with gold and other things on a horse or elephant, horse I think, like a Maharaja. We are all called Maharajas. Great.

You know we are the inheritors of Guru Maharaj. His children, what do they become? Rajas and Radis. That is the truth. We have to claim our inheritance from there.

So Rajya Maharaj was going and they were standing and watching and Maharaj was observing his disciples and they were disgusted. Then he asked, "What's your opinion about this sadhu? Is he a sadhu? Is he worse than a worldly person?" Like this.

Rajya Maharaj laughed and laughed and laughed. He said, "You stupid fellow. He is a brahmagnan. Deliberately he is doing it to mislead stupid fellows like you. He dressed himself like this so that anybody who has got a dross of worldliness says, 'Oh this Maharaj is enjoying like that. What sadhu? But sometimes maybe if I join him as a disciple I may have a remote chance of one day riding like this also could come.'"

See, we misjudge people. The more spiritual a person, the more he withdraws from external recognition because the moment you recognise somebody is spiritual, what is your tendency? To go and mix with him and he might feel it is a terrible nuisance there.

The Anguish of Forgetting God

So, "tad vishmarane." Forgetting God. "Parama." What have I done? And this has been practically demonstrated in Sri Ramakrishna's life.

Every after sunset, you know, Akul will go and then say, "Oh Ma, another day has passed. I have not realised it."

Are there examples of this? Swami Vivekananda said, "At any given time, at least there will be four or five brahmajna purushas, jeevan bhukthas in this world at any given time."

But so many sincere spiritual aspirants, they will not come and then advertise, you know, "We are spiritual people." They won't do it. But how to know? Because when we are ready, we somehow happen to come in contact.

God will arrange that. So the problem is, or the onus of responsibility is upon us. We have to get ready.

That's why Sri Ramakrishna said, "If anybody had prayed sincerely only once in his life, he is bound to come to me." Now you imagine. Don't say Sri Ramakrishna. It could be Rama, it could be Christ, it could be Buddha, it could be anybody. So it is, so it is.

The Example of the Gopis

There are so many examples are there. And then give some concrete examples. "Yatha prajagopikanam" - Examples are gopis.

Now in Indian spiritual literature, gopi stands for the devotee of the highest calibre.

Because they did not know anything, so the gopi geetam is something worth investigating. And it says, "I see only God everywhere." Every gopi is telling that "I am not seeing an ordinary person. I am seeing akhila dehinam antaratmadrik."

If that is their vision, or were they women, were they men, who were they? Were they devotees? Not devotees. Not men, not women, not devotees. They were liberated souls.

Sri Ramakrishna's Radha Bhava

That is why Sri Ramakrishna, when he wanted to have krishna darshan, "We must become like gopis." He meditated upon Radha. He became Radha. Psychologically, it is the most wonderful thing. I will not go into it today.

"Yatha vraja gopikana," as for instance, in the case of the cow-hedges of Vraja, Gopala. Then, ordinary people's idea, they were women. They saw a handsome man and then they were attracted to them. No.

Understanding the Sutras

Narada anticipated or discussed, one thing you have to remember, the sutras are mnemonics. That means they might have, the guru might have discussed this topic for days and months together and he is summarising this thing in the sutra so that when the disciple remembers, like your, you know, cues.

What is it called? Bookmarking. Like bookmarking or highlighting. These are highlights. When you remember this, you remember the essence of the whole thing.

The Gopis' Divine Recognition

So, "Na tatra api mahatmya jnana vishnuti apavadha" - It cannot be said that even there is a blemish, the absence of recognition of divine glory. That means to say the gopis are fully aware who Bhagavan Krishna is.

What is our problem? We are not aware of the glory of God. If we are aware of the glory of God, then naturally, our relationship will be divine or human.

You see, this is wonderful, worth discussing. We come across another person. "Oh, this person is very beautiful person, very desirable person for whatever reason." So, this is worldliness.

That means we don't know what that person really is.

Swami Vivekananda's Beauty and Wisdom

And this happened even to Swami Vivekananda. You know, when he was most handsome person.

You know what I say? Supposing Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda stand for beauty contest. Who will win hands down? Not Ramakrishna. Nowhere.

He will not even get his deposit. Hands down. So handsome, you know.

So, when he went to America, multi-millionaires, beautiful, young, educated, talented. Madly they fell in love. It's not only spirituality.

And then, Swami Vivekananda knew everybody. Their minds are like in a glass case. Every thought he knows.

And he used to look at them mysteriously and say, "If you cherish thoughts like that, you will become green frogs." And nobody... "You don't want to become green frog, isn't it? You know green frog?"

The Green Frog Story

One lady was cursed. Her beloved, a prince, for some curse, became a green frog.

I think that Shrek one or two like that, that one comes there. So what should the princess do? When you get that green frog, you have to kiss. But to kiss any frog, let alone green frog, is a very horrible thing.

But if she doesn't do it, the curse will not be removed. And then they won't be She will remain what? Unmarried. Unrequited love.

Useless, stupid words. Unrequired love. Not unrequited love. Unrequired love.

So, this is the story that goes. These fellows are grown up with those stories.

So you see, "You will turn into a green frog." Because some people are there like that, worldly people.

Warning About Physical Attraction to Spiritual Teachers

And why I am telling this specially, there is a purpose whenever I say something.

When you come across some Swamis, there could be also this physical attraction. You know, young sadhu, handsome, and very popular, especially musicians. First class song, all ladies gaga.

All the rock singers and all those fellows, you know, all these, they dress like rakshasas. Have you noticed? Chanda mama rakshasas, literally they dress. But for the ladies, sakshat, manmatha, manmatha, it will be like that.

So, something attracts. We have to say, "I am coming to a spiritual person."

The Rasa Leela: Beyond Physical Attraction

So, the Gopikas, were they looking upon Krishna as a handsome human being or as what? Anyway, the topic had come.

Bhagavatam tells us that these people had at midnight on a full moon, midnight in atom season, they all gathered there. Then, there are so many incidents have happened and then they were all united. Rasha, Leela went on.

Early morning, all of them, Sri Krishna tells that "Your desire is fulfilled, go back." Now, what was the condition of the people at home? Were they missing them? They were not missing them. As if they were there all the time.

How can you explain that?

The Story of Brahma's Test

For that, we have to take another incident. Brahma did not know that Krishna was Mahavishnu. And one day he said, "If this Krishna is really," you know that incident? He came and hid the cows because when Krishna was sleeping and then the others were, you know, grazing, looking after and when Krishna opened, none was visible.

He searched here and there and all of them, footsteps were leading to a cave. And then, he understood, he opened his third eye, he understood what did Brahma do? Put them in the cave. What is that cave? Brahmaloka.

That means, as if they were asleep. And then he went away. Six months, then let us see what Krishna did.

What did Krishna do? He became his friends and all this, so the cows, everything he became, green grass, everything and returned.

The Changed Behavior of the Mothers

Then Bhagavatam is telling, every day the mothers looking, son said, "Oh my God, please stay for some time so that the fellows will return a little bit late. We will have some rest."

That would be their usual prayer. But that day, every few seconds they are running out. "Is my child coming back? Where is he?" They could not wait for the children to come back.

That what is called nasty fellow, the son who gave so much of trouble to become the most pleasurable person in the world. The moment they saw it, they couldn't hold. And then milk was flowing from their breasts.

We want to. So they did not understand. So, this is in the evening.

Early morning, when they were about to go, they could not bear the separation even for a second. Tears were flowing. They were looking again and again and again and again.

They did not understand until yesterday evening. "We were happiest people when these fellows were absent. But for whose absence we would not have continued our life."

Brahma's Realization

So, six months passed. Then Brahma said, "Let me come and see what is happening." Old man, forget six months. What about their breakfast? What about their lunch? What about their evening tea and all those things?

So he came and he saw he went into the cave. Everybody was in a comatic state sleeping. "Oh, then what is happening outside?" He saw exactly Krishna was lying. All the fellows were crazy. And then he observed. Nothing was missing. Nobody was missing anything.

On the contrary, as they say, when the cows had returned home, the cows which were left behind, newly cowed cows, they were looking "When is my mother going to come?" And then they were crying. And the mothers also and then six months only beautiful weather.

And when these cows want to eat something, the trees are bending so that they can eat without any problem. Nobody noticed this change. It is as like as though it is a joyous festival for six months and how time passed.

So Brahma then came to his senses, came and said, "Brahma stuti" is there in Bhagavata. Beautiful stuti, you know. These are things which we need to go deep into it.

The Nature of Divine Knowledge

Now what am I talking about? These people, they were not ordinary, ignorant, stupid women, milkmaids. They were Purna Gnanis. Purna Gnanis because who can know about God? Who will know about God? We don't know anything about God. We don't even know about ourselves. Not to speak of it today. Yeah.

Humorous Astrologer Story

Two astrologers, you know. Two cartoons are there. Two astrologers. Roadside. Early morning they spread their mats and these parrots and all those things. One fellow is telling, "Tell me now, predict how many customers am I going to get today?"

If he is an astronomer, astrologer, why should he ask? He should know about it, isn't it? But even better than, one astrologer came and the whole day no customer came.

He was winding up his shop. He was telling, "Had I known nobody would have come. I would have gone."

Anyway, so, we are all in this maya.

The Gopis' Divine Awareness

"Tatrapi na Mahatmya Vismruti Apavadhaha." You can't blame them that they were completely ignorant of the glory of Bhagwan Krishna.

They were 150% knowers of the glory of God. To direct realisation, how do we know? Because Bhagavatam gives a hint. Sri Ramakrishna gives the explanation.

64,000 Dandakaranya's rishis, they wanted to enjoy the leela of an incarnation of God and they expressed their desire and Rama said, "I will fulfil your desire when I am reborn as Krishna." That is why they were able to have the knowledge of God and then able to say, "Bhagavan Akhila Dehinam Antara Madhrik."

The Gopis' Spiritual Vision

And also there is a verse which says, "Why this Brahma? He seems to be a stupid ignorant fellow. Why did he create the eyebrows? Why did he create these eyebrows? Because eyebrows doesn't allow me to see Krishna without interruption. Every now and then like this, like this, you know. Eyelashes."

That is why what his mother called Meenakshi. Meenakshi means like eye of the fish. That means it doesn't have eyelash.

Then that means she has to watch her children, people like us, unblinkingly. Otherwise, in one blink anything disaster could happen. This North Korean leader might... She has to look after and say, "Baba, don't do it."

Then you know when he is about to go, one mosquito will come and bite him. And then he is put off like that or something malfunctions. It's all these things. Mother does all these things. She does both. Srishti as well as Pradaya also.

Mutual Divine Recognition

It cannot be said. You cannot say gopis are completely ignorant of the real nature of Krishna. Now here is Swaraj.

If I know really who you are, will I not know who I am? Because if I know you are God, then I will know. In fact, who will know that you are God? Only a person who knows he is God will also know the other person is also God. There is so much of psychology involved here.

Similarly, we were discussing if we see any fault in other person, what is the first condition? I must have that fault. Otherwise, I will never know that if I am ignorant of a particular fault, I will never know about the other person's fault. It applies the other way also.

If I have to recognise some good quality in others, I must have at least some good quality, same quality I must have. Then I go, "Oh, this person is better than me."

So, the gopis, what is Narada saying? The gopis are enlightened souls who know what they are doing.

Rasa Ananda vs Brahmananda

Then if they know about the real nature of Krishna, which is that he is Brahman, why do they want this sport? Why do they want this leela? Because already they know. That means they are enjoying Brahmananda. He says, no.

This rasa ananda is far superior to Brahmananda. Open your eyes, rasa leela ananda. Close your eyes, Brahmananda.

That is another type of, this is nirguna leela and this is saguna leela. And that is why Madhusudana Saraswati is constrained to express "dvaitam advaitadapi sundaram." So, before realisation, dvaita is for bondage. After realisation, dvaita is better than advaita. It is a fact.

That's what Swami Vivekananda found in Sriram Krishna. That's what he found in Pavahari Baba. Pavahari Baba. He said, "This man is enjoying," you know, there is a swing.

Radha and Krishna is there. Swamiji asked him, "You are a realised yogi. Why do you want all, these are all supposed to be for the ignorant people, beginners."

That is, for beginners, it is a hell. For accomplished people, it is called leela. So, enjoy leela.

Types of Karma Yoga

So, in this connection, it is said, karma yoga is of two types. What is one type? Sakama karma yoga. What is the second type? Atma kama.

What is the sakama means what? Worldly desires. Atma kama karma yoga, "I don't want anything of this world. I only want God." And after realisation, the nishkama, means "I have nothing to want. I attained everything." This is the final. Only a realised soul can do nishkama. We cannot do nishkama.

There is a fourth word, Sri Ramakrishna says, enjoy nitya, enjoy also leela, because nitya and leela are opposite and reverse of the same God, Brahman and Shuddha.

Sri Ramakrishna on Nitya and Leela

So, one day, you meditate, some singing or something was going on. "Why do you want all this?" Sri Ramakrishna says, "What do you mean? When I sit and close my eyes, I enjoy God in one way. And when I open my eyes, I also enjoy God. This is leela swadhana, prasad swadhana."

Of these, which is greater? Both are great, but so long as body-mind is there, life is there, jiva is there, then which is better? Leela.

And there is another reason also. You have to understand. Only from me, you will get it.

Once you kick the body, you have to put a ghar-kota away. You have to do, live family life with Parabrahman for eternity. But this variety, only is short to life span.

So, forget about Brahman, enjoy, squeeze as much as you can, and then kick the bucket.

The True Nature of Divine Love

So, he says, the gopis are fully aware of the glory of God. Then he says, Narada is telling, if you are not aware of the glory of God, what will you become? A public woman.

That's why he says, "tad-vihinam," tad means mahatmya, "vihinam." If a person doesn't know the real glory of God, "jara-na-mivah." A public woman doesn't know what is chaste love.

You see a customer, you pay this much money, get your objective, and get out. Is that so? Is that Gopika's love? Are they jaras? Because some people say that, you know, "This is what you did, you are the wives of so many people, you are coming to Krishna."

Wonderful! Bhagavatam explains it.

Krishna's Divine Manifestation

So, there are also certain hints given there. If he is a man, not God, how could he become, you know, for every gopi, there is a Krishna? For which man can say this much? You cannot say about it. You can sit here.

"It's okay, I'll sit here. No, no, no. Come and sit here. You should have done that earlier." Yeah. Anyway, everything has got a benefit, everything has a minus point.

If you were sitting there, she can't agree with you. She goes and agrees with me. So, she can't say, "I don't agree with you."

But if she sits here, she can agree with everything that I say. Okay. Why do I say all these things now and then? How much I have to work hard?

The Ignorant Devotee vs. True Devotee

So, "tad vihena jara anami vaha." Our love also, when we go to God, Sri Ramakrishna tells you, you know, if a beggar obtains the pleasure of a king, the king says, "Ask me whatever you want, I will give you." He says, "Give me one kumda." Pumpkin.

What do you think that fellow says? "He's a most foolish fellow." That means, he doesn't know what the king is capable of giving.

So, if we know what God is capable of giving, do we ask only "Give me a little money and give me one more ring"? Many people go to Tirupati for one more ring.

"Give me three rings. I am not happy with one ring. I want three rings."

Isn't it? Either it may be a son, it may be a daughter, "Why my children are not having children, whether I should be elected." All these are what? "Jara anami vaha." Public woman.

You go there and you say, "Give me this and I will give you this and then this is public woman's relationship." We should not say that. Devotees will get offended.

But I am taking refusal what Narada is telling. So, you can't blame me. Yes, it is truth.

Understanding God's True Capacity

But if we know he can give us eternal happiness, why do we want these coloured glass beads? We want the highest thing. But why are we not wanting? Because we do not know that he is capable of giving and he has it. He can give to everybody and there is no, nothing will become less.

So, only when we become aware that the purpose of going to God is to get eternal, infinite, unbroken happiness, that is called true bhakti. Until that time, "tyara nami vaha." This is the truth.

We Are Like Children

But you know, we are like children. Another way of looking at it, we are like children. Had we known, we would have asked, like one Bhagavata convicted.

There was one small boy and big story, I will not tell you now. One day, he happened to enter into the room of Sri Ramakrishna, four or five years old, in those days, not now. Sri Ramakrishna was sitting alone and Sri Ramakrishna noticed the boy, but he did not notice Sri Ramakrishna sitting.

You know, if you enter this way, Sri Ramakrishna's cot is like that. So, straight he was looking, he did not notice. Sri Ramakrishna, "Hey, who are you?" "Who is it?" He says, "Me."

He was in such a way, he could not even say, children, you know, me. For everything, me. Yeah, like that.

"Ki chai?" What do you want? "Upadesh chai." Because he noticed when he came near that Sri Ramakrishna's room was full of people and sometimes they were seen eating. His curiosity was aroused.

So, he asked his aunt, "What is happening here?" She said, "There is a sadhu and what does he do? Upadesh." He connected upadesh to eating. So, he asked, "Ki chai? Upadesh chai."

Sri Ramakrishna, "Ramlal, there is some sweet there, give it to me." This man had grown up, he had become a sort of pundit. He wrote a book, in fact.

It is now translated in Kannada. Sri Ramakrishna Bhagavatam. In Kannada.

It was done a few years ago. So, immediately he got. After, when he grew up, then one day, on his birthday, or Sri Ramakrishna's birthday, on All India Radio, he was giving a talk, narrating what happened.

"Had I known what Upadesham is, I would not have been satisfied with this."

Another Humorous Story

Anyway, another funny story was there, you know. When Swami Shankaranandji Malar, one of our presidents, past presidents, he was there. One day, a family came. A small boy also had come. And what happened, two, three days before these people came, Dr Rajendra Prasad, our president, he passed away.

So, that day, accidentally, the conversation topic, you know, turned to Rajendra Prasad. They were talking, Rajendra Prasad. Then, Maharaj seeing this young boy, gave him some sweet.

So, they brought one Raj. Rajbhog. Rajbhog. Rajbhog. It's a big sweet, inside like Rasagulla, and so many things will be there. And I cannot describe it.

Either you have it, or you don't have it. So, he was given. He liked it immensely. And he was hearing about Rajendra Prasad.

Next time, when they came after 15 days, the moment he saw Maharaj, he said, "I want to eat Rajendra Prasad. I want to eat Rajendra Prasad."

Rajendra Prasad. Maharaj understood immediately and gave him another sweet.

The Four Purusharthas

So, had we known that we come to Sriram Krishna, when devotee appears, goes to God, he has got usually four things he will ask.

Any of the four things. Either he can ask for Dharma, he can ask for Artha, or he can ask for Kama. Rarely people will ask for Moksha, because they think they don't have any idea about Moksha.

But a time must come, will come, when we understand these are all, not even now, don't think it is all now. Class is nice. Supposing, when we are having this class, there is plenty of ferocious mosquitoes biting.

God appears. What would we want? Freedom from? Freedom from? Mukti? No. We are all like that.

So, this is the truth about it. All of us slowly we have to evolve. That is called evolution.

The Relationship Between Knowledge and Desire

This is what Narada is telling here. Until that time, we are all in polite language, worldly people. Only when we understand what is the nature of God.

So, God means what here? Highest, unbroken, infinite, eternal happiness. When we understand that is God, then we will not want anything less. Otherwise, we think God is a person and he is capable of giving some things.

Our immediate needs, you know, when I am hungry, rarely the thought of God comes to me. But God in the form of chana jalebi.

The Chana Jalebi Story

Three, four days before, we were talking and there were people who don't know that jalebi inside full of chana.

You heard about it? So, this happened. I just happened to describe graphically. And then, yesterday one devotee invited me to his home.

I went. And then, what was present? Specially that person, that Taj Mahal hotel fellow, he ordered it. So tasty.

Had you been here, I would have brought it. But I thought, tomorrow, tomorrow, whether it will be there or not, who knows.

The Core Teaching

So, what is Narada telling? Very important.

If we do not know what God is and what God is capable of giving us, then we will not also ask Him what He is capable of giving. What we think He is capable of giving, that only we will ask. This is the truth.

Suppose a person is in imminent danger of being cut to pieces, but he knows God is Satchitananda. He will not ask, "Save me." He will not ask.

Only a person thinks "I am the body," then "God also some sort of body, but He is more powerful, He can save me." This is the relationship between our knowledge and our Kamana, desire.

Our desire is proportionate to our knowledge. This is a very important point.

So, that is what he is telling. It is like a public woman's bhakti. That means business bhakti. That's all. But that's not the end.

All of us are evolving. We are like children. God also understands.

Upendranath's Example

So, one example is Upendranath Mukhopadhyay. He started coming to Thakur. Thakur asked him, "What do you want?" "I want money."

Thakur said, "Okay, bring jalebi." He did not specify chana jalebi. That's why I think he brought only ordinary jalebi.

Just for that he got only money. Had I been there, I would have taken chana jalebi. Then he would have given money and also moksha.

See, I am making fun, but certain truths have to be understood. Once we know what we are capable of getting, then we will not ask anything less.

The Psychology of Asking

I am talking again and again because that idea has to come.

Supposing you are in need of money. As a simple example. And you know somebody, a friend or well-wisher, and that person, whatever you ask, he will be ever ready to give you.

But your idea of that person is, "He is only capable of giving a certain amount of money." So you will never exceed your desire. You will ask only that much because your knowledge of that person is, "He is only capable of only this much."

The moment you are capable, actually he is a multi-billionaire. Even if he gives away one million, ten billion, it makes no difference to him. And he is ready to give.

What will you do? Will you ask for five paisa? Five hundred rupees or anything? This is the psychology. So we have to...

Ramachandra Dutta's Wisdom

That's why one Sri Ram Krishna, one devotee was there. I think it was Ramachandra Dutta.

Sri Ram Krishna one day asked him, very interesting. So one day, Ramachandra Dutta, he got mantra in dream. And Sri Ram Krishna, and he was repeating it.

And then one day, they were alone. Then Sri Ram Krishna told me, "That that mantra I gave you in your dream, return it to me." Immediately, Ramachandra Dutta, he wrote it on a gelpatta and offered it.

Then Sri Ram Krishna asked, "What do you want?" Ramachandra Dutta, very intelligent you know. He says, "I don't know what I want. You know better than me what I want. So you decide for me, what you are able to give me or what you want to give me."

Understand? What do you think God will give you? He will give you some silly small things. He will give.

So that is why he says, "O Mother, I do not know what is good, what is not good. You decide for me, what's for my good." This is the best prayer anybody can make.

The Highest Love: Gopi Bhakti

"Naasthieva Tasmin Tat Sukha." What is that? "Naasthieva Tasmin Tat Sukha Sukhitvam."

So this is the highest type of life which Gopikas have. And Mahatmya Jnana is there. And they are not like public women, who do not know the greatness of Krishna. But what is this love?

"Oh, I know you are God, so I want liberation." No.

This is the highest love Gopis. "Tasmin" means Indat Bhakti. "Tat Sukha Sukhitvam" - What makes you happy, I want only that.

I don't care whether I am happy or I am not happy. That is completely immaterial. So I do not wish to be happy.

Jaras "What is there for you? I don't care what you are. I want to be happy. Because I am happy, I want to love you." No.

"I want to love you and I want your happiness. I don't want any happiness of mine." What this idea is, we will discuss next time.

Closing

Once Sri Ramakrishna had said that scriptures are to be studied in the light of Swamiji, Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings. Had not Sri Ramakrishna come, all these things would not have been clear for us. Now you see how beautifully all the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna are written.

This is nothing but Sri Ramakrishna's teachings. Only we are taking the advantage, it is Narada who has written. If somebody had written, this would have been the Sri Ramakrishna's Bhakti Sutras.

In fact, once Swami had done Sri Ramakrishna Bhakti Sutrani. He took the quotations from Sri Ramakrishna, compared it like that and he created it in a photograph. Then it was subsequently translated into English also.

Beautiful. How much of spirituality is involved, how much of psychology is involved, how much of science is involved and how much of common sense is involved in these so-called simple looking sutras. Just imagine.

Closing Prayer