Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 25 Su.36-38 on 19-March-2019
Full Transcripts (Not Corrected)
Opening Invocation
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.
Narada Bhakti Sutra: Third Chapter - Sādhanāpāda
Introduction to the Third Chapter
There are 84 sūtras in this Narada Bhakti Sutra, and it is subdivided into several chapters. We are dealing with the third chapter, which is called Sādhanāpāda - the chapter on spiritual practice (sādhana).
Every principle must be enumerated and there must be a way. That is what Hindu scripture tells us: tattva (truth), puruṣārtha (goal), and hita (benefit). So here, Nārada is telling us about ācārya - those who are truly devotees.
The Role of Ācāryas
They sing the sādhana, because when they sing, why do they sing? Singing is always a sign of joy. That is why Bhagavad Gītā - "Gītā" means singing, song, the song of the Divine Lord. So why? Because it reminds them of God.
Ramakrishna was an extraordinarily great singer. He used to be absorbed in divine ecstasy. And that singing itself is a kind of instruction.
So it is not like a professor trying to teach philosophy to people. Actually, the people who practice are called Ācārya. What is the meaning? "Ācaraṇena darśayanti iti ācāryaḥ" - through their very life, they become a source of inspiration and guidance to everybody. That is why he is called an Ācārya.
The First Steps: Renunciation
So the very first thing is viṣayāt tyāgāt, saṅgāt tyāgāt (renunciation of sense objects and attachments).
And in that order, what is gross, what is easier to break, is viṣaya (sense objects). Simply put, Ramakrishna tells us, he gives many illustrations. Suppose a person is in a room full of tamarind, and then he is advised, "Don't eat tamarind."
The very name of tamarind or pickle brings water to the mouth. That means our association is so deep. Why? It's called vāsanā (mental impression).
Understanding Vāsanā
What is vāsanā? We also have dealt with it very elaborately. We are all creatures of vāsanās. Not only in the spiritual sense, but in the literal sense.
We are people of smell. All of us. Men are attracted to women, women are attracted to men by smell. So the cosmetic industry is trying to make fragrances that can bring attraction to each other by studying the chemical structure of people. So we are all nothing but chemicals.
Our very sense of smell has made us survive so long. Of all the creatures, man is the longest living creature. Why? Because he is very clever, and he lives by smell.
Smell means food is available. So when we write "mango," immediately it gives a smell. Then guava. You know what is guava? Jāmphala. So you keep jackfruit. Many, many things. Your sambar, your dāl. We say it is tasty.
Tasty is 90% smell, and 10% only the masala. You know that? The aroma only. The aroma increases taste. Otherwise, how do you know? On a deep, cold day, when you don't smell anything, every food material tastes absolutely dull.
The Power of Smell in Detection
So viṣayāt tyāgāt means getting away from the objects of temptation, because we are associated - our attraction or our slavery to the world is through this smell.
So smell means we understand food smell, but we don't seem to understand that constantly animals are exuding some smell to such an extent that there are some specialist dogs which can smell a person who is going to have a fit. So they train them. How does the dog know? It is not a yogi. There is nothing to do with yoga.
Before that fit comes, some chemical change takes place, and the animal's acute sense of smell detects it. Immediately, it pulls the owner down, and the owner is also trained by the dog. When the dog does this, immediately, wherever it is, the owner just sits down. Otherwise, injury will occur.
The Case of Disease Detection Through Smell
Through smell, one woman was able to detect Alzheimer's disease. Did I tell you that one? There was a woman in America; she was married and was having a very good life with her husband - very happy. After 15-20 years, slowly she started smelling something different, and her husband's behavior was also changing. So after 5-6 years, he developed this Alzheimer's disease.
Then she understood: what I was smelling was that change of chemicals which was taking place. So he was admitted to the hospital, and this lady went and told the doctors, "I could smell it." America's greatness is they don't dismiss such things lightly.
Maybe this lady is having some ability, but they won't accept without testing. So they took something smeared, something used by those people. Some were having this disease, some were not having it at all.
She correctly, 100% identified, but they found a problem. With one or two, they thought she identified wrongly - they did not have anything according to medical tests. Some people had the disease, some people didn't have it, but just to make the test comprehensive, they put samples in bottles. She would smell and say, "This person has this disease, this person has this disease, this person doesn't have it." But she predicted that 2-3 people had this disease when, according to doctors, they never had it.
So they told her, "You are wrong." But after 2-3 years, those people developed that disease. Then they understood: it's all the work of chemicals.
So they now started a new branch - how to predict diseases by studying the chemical changes that take place in humans.
Application to Spiritual Life
So if I have to apply that to this teaching: whether we are suffering from kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mātsarya (lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, envy) - these strong feelings, even mental feelings, bring about a change in the body. Our body also can bring about a change in those feelings. Either can influence the other.
That is why viṣaya tyāga - keep them away. But the enjoyment we already experienced, that idea will not go away. That is called saṅga (attachment). That saṅga has to be slowly overcome, but first we have to be away from the objects.
That is why sannyāsins are supposed to stay away in some lonely place and then do whatever spiritual practice they need to do. Because before they develop that saṅga tyāga (renunciation of attachment), that external influence must become less and less. That is why I said in that order: viṣaya tyāga, saṅga tyāga.
Constant Devotional Practice
Then the next, the 36th sūtra: avyāvṛtta bhajana - constant thinking about God.
What is bhajana? Constant remembrance. So we have got a tendency - this is a well-known tendency - we are all creatures who can be brain-washed. What is advertisement? What is advertisement? Brainwashing only.
Brainwashing: "This is very desirable, this is very desirable, this is very desirable." Not only that, if I tell you something, it will be mind-boggling. I will be telling you now and then during these talks.
The Subjectivity of Beauty
See, the idea, the discussion came: what is beauty? Is beauty something which is objective, or something subjective? One percent objective, 99% subjective. So what is it?
If we are living in a particular environment, we are likely to consider somebody very beautiful based on our familiar image. So these white people thought they were very superior because their skin was white.
And then when they went to South Africa, where people were all jet black, they felt, "We white women are far superior." So this was a strong idea - even now it is there: "We are superior because we are white. Our intelligence is superior because we are white," which was exploded by several psychologists long back. I will not go into it.
So then some perceptive person went and asked the Africans, "What is your opinion about these people?" They said, "What? Pale skin - totally undesirable, like a disease."
Have you noticed? Here you will see some people with very pale skin, and instead of being attracted to them, you will get disgusted. But an Indian woman, for an Indian man, is most attractive. For an Indian woman, an Indian man is most attractive. Anyway, this is all perception - subjective perception.
The Psychology of Attraction
This is the first level. The second level is: why will a man who sees hundreds of women be particularly attracted to one particular woman? In his childhood, either in this life or in a past life, there would be a very pleasant association with that particular impression - either the hair, or the nose, or the voice (kanthasvara), or the particular type of smell that comes from her. In some way, that is associated with so much pleasure.
And because of that pleasure, this foolish person thinks, "This woman looks like that person who always gave me happiness." You remember what I discussed? So psychologists have devised some questions for young people: "Why did you like this particular woman?" They gave a number of questions.
Then the conclusion, after studying thousands of people, they came to this understanding: Say a small boy, two years old - his aunt or somebody visits. Whenever she comes, she will bring something very pleasant for this boy - some chocolate, some sweet, some toy, something which gives great pleasure to this boy. And that boy associates that particular person with pleasure.
We are all doing like that only - associating people with particular pleasures. A man thinks, "Oh, I can get a lot of pleasure from this woman," and vice versa.
So then that impression remains: "This woman's face is like that. This woman's hair is like that. The voice of the woman is like that" - something associated. And then he forgets. Then he grows up. And then he comes across this young woman, and something resembles that pleasant person from memory.
And so he imagines - he's got two delusions, you know. First, this is called "love at first sight." There is no love at first sight. This is all old sight - superimposed upon this woman. And then, "love is blind." So only after marriage does he discover that it is not such a pleasure for each other. This applies to both men as well as women.
Using Psychology for Spiritual Progress
So we are always having that sense association. And that association should be connected with pleasure - only then is it possible.
What are we talking about? Constantly we are dwelling upon this: "This food is good. This dress is good. And this music is good" - all the five sense organs. "This smell is good. And this climate is good." Like that, we are constantly associating and reinforcing these impressions.
Then it is reinforced. So why not use this same psychology for progressing in spiritual life?
First, people say, "God exists." "I am not sure." Then, "God doesn't exist." "I think there must be God." Next stage. Third stage: "Yes, definitely there is a God."
Also, by that time, if this person is wise, you know what happens? This person gets lots of disappointments from people upon whom he is depending. So he comes to the conclusion: there is no one dependable in this world.
That leads him to the next stage: "I am anxious. I am insecure. Is there somebody? Maybe God will save me." So he slowly distances himself from worldly dependencies and draws near to God.
The Practice of Pārāyaṇa
But avyāvṛtta bhajana - that is why in our scriptures it is said that pārāyaṇa is very effective. You know pārāyaṇa? Bhagavad Gītā pārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu Sahasranāma pārāyaṇa, then Sundara Kāṇḍa pārāyaṇa, Lalitā Sahasranāma...
What is pārāyaṇa? Pārāyaṇa means constant chanting leads to pārāyaṇa. "Pāra" + "ayana." Ayana means a place. Ayana means actually journey. Ayana means journey. Pārāyaṇa - this is the supreme place to which we have to journey.
So pārāyaṇa: slowly, by daily chanting, the belief becomes stronger and still stronger and still stronger until it becomes the truth.
The Formation of Identity
That is why we also have become "I am a man, I am a woman, I am a Hindu." How do you know you are a Hindu? As a baby, if you were brought up by a Muslim family, what do you think you would say? "I am a Muslim." If you are brought up by a Christian, "I am a Christian." If you are brought up by an atheist, "I am an atheist."
Simply we think that "I am so great, I am a Hindu." No, no. It is because from childhood constantly you are being programmed: "You are this, you are this, you are this."
Previously, women were conditioned by men: "You are lower creatures and whatever your husband may be - lame, blind, whatever it is - he is the highest God for you." Yes. But it worked. It worked because somebody has to lower the ego.
Nowadays, that has exploded. So now both are educated. Both are earning money. Sometimes the wife earns more money than the husband. So she has naturally developed her ego. And that is the reason why so much friction (gharṣaṇa) is happening.
A Humorous Story
There was a woman executive, a big company executive officer. The company undergoes some kind of ups and downs. Whenever she goes through some downturn, she becomes very depressed. Then she always carries her husband's photo. When she is depressed, she takes it out, looks at it, and then she cheers up and goes on.
Her husband noticed. He was very happy: "I give so much inspiration." He asked her, "I am such an inspiration for you?"
She said, "No, no, no, not like that."
"Then why are you looking at it?"
"You don't want to know."
"No, no, I want to know. What is it?"
She said, "Sometimes our company goes down, so I become very depressed. Then I take out your photograph. Then the thought comes to me: if I can live with this problem, what is any other problem compared to this problem? If I can manage this, I can manage anything in life."
Such is the inspiration!
Constant Divine Remembrance
So avyāvṛtta bhajana - constantly pray, take the name of God, sing the name of God, hear about God, and then read about God, and then visualize God.
See about God. Nowadays, this internet is such a wonderful thing. Any temple which you cannot imagine visiting, I can go to. Now in the future, in another 5-10 years, they are going to take photographs with such technology that you can go to Everest and feel that you are actually walking there. Yes, virtual reality.
Virtual reality. So how wonderful it is for those who are unable to travel physically.
Traditional Temple Practices
This system was there in our temples in the past. See, there are two types of mūrtis: mūla vigraha and utsava vigraha. Mūla vigraha cannot be moved, but utsava vigraha is meant for processions.
So why? Because there will be old people, there will be women during their prohibited period (monthly cycles), or there may be śūdras who were never allowed inside the sanctum. They have to have darshan of God.
Then the pūjārī will bring the deity in a chariot or palanquin, and then place the pādukā (sandals representing the feet of the Lord). They will place it like that. We were young; we experienced it, but we did not know what the meaning was. When you are not able to go there, God will come to your house, and then you can have darshan of the Lord.
This is how wonderful it is. Nowadays, of course, there is no bar - anybody can go to any temple - but in past times, that superstition was there.
The Gradual Development of Taste
So avyāvṛtta bhajana. Do you want to love God? How does it develop? Like neem (vēmu). As you go on eating neem, after some time - first it is very bitter. You know neem leaf? First it is very bitter. Afterwards, it is okay. And afterwards, "Without that I can't live."
Like that, our mind gets adjusted. Any climate, any type of people, we become adjusted to that. Avyāvṛtta bhajana.
So why avyāvṛtta? Vyāvṛtta means broken, interrupted. Avyāvṛtta means unbroken. Why? We don't know when death comes.
So it is also said in the Bhagavad Gītā: the last thought before death - "yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram" - whatever thought comes just before the prāṇas leave this body, our next birth is determined by it.
The famous story is an illustration: Ajāmila's story. So we don't know when death is going to come. So we have to constantly remember God.
Kulaśekhara Āḻvār's Prayer
That's why in Mukunda Mālā, Kulaśekhara Āḻvār - he was one of the greatest poet-saints in South India. He was a king, and yet he was one of the twelve Āḻvārs, like Āṇḍāḷ. Āṇḍāḷ was the only woman; all the other ones were men.
What marvelous greatness of this Āḻvār! So he was singing: "Krishna, O Krishna, let me enter into the cage of your lotus feet. I am the rājahaṁsa, you are the paramahaṁsa. You are the Paramātmā, I am the jīvātmā. Let my jīvātmā enter into the cage of your lotus feet, right now. Why?"
"Prāṇa is about to go." According to Āyurveda, these are the three things which determine our health or disease. When we are beset by these, why will divine remembrance not come?
The Reality of Death
So a man is approaching death. He is addressing his attachments: "Māmāta" - this intense attachment to worldly things - "You have not gone."
Ultimately, all attachments filter down to only one attachment. You know what it is? Body. There is no other attachment except body consciousness. You want to eat, you want to see, you want to hear, you want to smell, you want to touch - only body. This is the only obstruction. "I am the body" - that is the obstruction.
So when the body is in that distressed circumstance, where is your remembrance of God?
So the dying person is writing: "You have not gone." He is unable to speak. He wants to call his son: "Oh, my son, please come." The son is deliberately keeping himself away so that his father may not call him.
That fellow is looking that way, this fellow is looking this way. That fellow doesn't want to see, otherwise "I have to go and serve him."
Inside the house, they bring him outside into the courtyard. "Hey, fellow, you are about to die." Why? What is it called? He will pollute the house with bodily excretions. And some people, if they are certain the person will die, they will also bring the about-to-die body from the cot to the floor. Why? Because the cot they have to wash, the mattress they have to wash. They don't want to do that.
This is our condition only. So "nārī nikaṭa na dharate" - women stay outside. And when he dies, they are frightened to touch the body. "Vibhyati" - why? Because maybe that fellow will come in the night as a ghost, and if they touch the body, they have to go and take a bath.
This is what we are all doing. Nobody, even the direct disciples, after touching Ramakrishna's body when they cremated him, went and took a bath and then went back. But it has nothing to do with Ramakrishna - it's about the body.
The Reality of Body Consciousness
Śiva - if there is prāṇa, he is called Śiva (auspicious). If there is no prāṇa, he is called śava (corpse).
We are all doing śava sevā. From morning till evening we are doing what? Sādhana. Śava sādhana means serving the corpse.
Early morning: "Hey, bed coffee, bed coffee." Then we are running. Then breakfast, breakfast. After that, 10 o'clock tea. After that, 12 o'clock lunch. After that, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock tea. And then in between, some snacks.
From morning till evening, we are serving the śava. We are doing śava sādhana. "Oh, this śava is not comfortable in this heat - put on the fan and air conditioning." Everything is for śava.
One śava wants to embrace another śava. So true. This is the truth.
The Illusion of Beauty
That is why I have to tell you something. High definition TV is coming - it's called 4K (4000 pixels), crystal clear. Now 8K is coming. And the celebrities hate it. Why? Because when it is shown in such detail, all the bacteria that are crawling on the skin are all visible.
You think that you are kissing a beautiful person, but it is all covered with microorganisms. There are certain places where they live in colonies. So all these pores and depressions - they are full of bacteria. If you take a microscope and see, you will see them crawling literally.
But we don't want to see. "You look beautiful. I look beautiful."
Learning from Great Devotees
Bhajana means anything that makes us remember God. And it is also said in the Bhagavad Gītā that you will also have to get guidance from the guru. How that guidance has to come, we will also discuss.
"Loke 'pi bhagavad guṇa śravaṇa kīrtanāt" - in this world also, when we see great people and then analyze their life: How did they become great? How did Tukārām become great? How did Nāmdev become great? How did Mīrābāī become great? How did Tyāgarāja, Purandaradāsa, Kanakadāsa, Vijayādāsa, Jagannātha Dāsa - all these great people achieve sainthood?
There was one in Tamil Nadu, very famous for nāma kīrtana. One young man - I forgot his name. But there are many, many such saints. Sabhās (spiritual gatherings) are there.
So how did these people become saints? This is the sādhana: constantly they are doing avyāvṛtta bhajana.
The Three Aspects of Devotional Practice
So "loke 'pi bhagavad guṇa śravaṇa kīrtanāt" - three things: bhagavat (relating to God), bhagavān (the Lord), guṇa (qualities). These qualities, mahimā (glory). Guṇa means mahimā.
Then śravaṇa - we have to listen. Listening is one of the best ways of progressing in spirituality. So you listen: "Oh, this mobile phone is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful." You listen 50 times and then you are convinced. You are convinced that your phone is worthless, that other person's phone is very good, and you buy it and find that your phone, which you have thrown away, was far superior to the phone which you bought new.
So "bhagavad guṇa śravaṇa kīrtanāt" - then you listen and then you see. First you listen, then you see. And we discussed Prahlāda's nine steps:
- Śravaṇam (hearing)
- Kīrtanam (chanting)
- Viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (remembrance of Viṣṇu)
- Pāda-sevanam (serving the Lord's feet)
- Arcanam (worship)
- Vandanam (offering obeisances)
- Dāsyam (servitude)
- Sakhyam (friendship)
- Ātma-nivedanam (complete surrender)
Complete surrender to the Divine Lord. And that is the only way.
So even jñāna-mārga (path of knowledge) also is exactly the same: śravaṇam, mananam, and nididhyāsanam (hearing, reflection, and meditation).
A Beautiful Prayer
So always: "Bhadraṁ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ, bhadraṁ paśyemākṣabhir yajatrāḥ" - a beautiful prayer: "We have to pray: O Lord, grant me the opportunity to always hear only maṅgalakara vākyas (auspicious words)."
So that much we have dealt with so far.
The Supreme Method: Divine Grace
"Mukhyatas tu" - according to Nārada, "mukhyatas tu" - but the most important way to obtain Divine Love (prema, parama-prema) is:
"Mahat-kṛpayaiva bhagavat-kṛpā-leśād vā"
"Vā" means "athavā" (or) in English. "Mahat kṛpā" means mahāpuruṣa's kṛpā (grace of great souls). "Mahat" means "mahat-jana" - great people. Their kṛpā (grace).
Simply the moment they bless you, immediately the realization will come. The greatest example is on 1st January 1886. Ramakrishna was in that divine mood. Then so many devotees came. Just touching them, he said, "What else can I say? May your spiritual consciousness be awakened." The moment he touched them, they went into an ecstatic state.
Though they could not retain that state permanently, that was a different issue. So we have to do bhagavad guṇa śravaṇa, kīrtana, everything. But by doing this, we get the grace of great people. That is the idea.
The Beautiful Teaching of Nārada
Beautiful way Nārada puts it: "Mukhyatas tu" - the most important sādhana to obtain para-bhakti is mahat kṛpā. Only kṛpā, kṛpā, kṛpā. Grace, grace. "Kṛpāhi kevalam" - grace only.
Mahat kṛpā. So how does mahat kṛpā come? In Bhagavad Gītā, it is: "Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā."
"Tad viddhi" - that means you get their grace. "Viddhi" means to know. Know what is the highest truth. Know what is the best way for you.
By what?
- "Praṇipātena" - praṇipāta means full prostration. "Aham" (ego) - "I accept whatever you say."
- "Paripraśnena" - you have to ask. You have to ask the guru. The guru knows, but then he wants to hear from your own mouth whether you want it or not.
- "Sevayā" - of course, you have to please him.
Sevā means here: please him. Sometimes you please him by not doing sevā. Yeah.
You know, one person says... I am giving you an example. Previously, the guru was not having any pain. After you started serving him physically, his whole body started aching. He would be far more pleased by your not doing physical service.
The Meaning of Pleasing the Guru
Then sevā also means: you want to please him. What does it mean to please him? "What my guru says is parama satya (absolute truth)." It is called śraddhā (faith).
"Guru-śāstra-vākyeṣu satya-buddhi-avadhāraṇā" - what guru says, what śāstra says... Because what guru says is nothing else other than what śāstra says.
And if śāstra says everything, why is guru necessary then? It is because śāstra can mean many things to many people at different levels.
A Beautiful Story from the Upaniṣads
There is a beautiful story. It's difficult to understand śāstra directly. Guru makes it easier to understand. That is why guru is necessary, because he will make things extremely easy. That is a very important point we have to understand. And he will talk to the disciple according to his capacity.
There is a beautiful story in the Upaniṣads: Human beings, asuras (demons), and devas (gods) all went to Brahmā. They did tapasyā to Brahmā: "Please show me the way."
So Brahmā heard their prayers, and he answered: "Da, da, da." You heard this story? "Da, da, da" - the same word repeated three times.
So all the three groups understood in their own way:
For the Asuras: What is their nature? Cruelty (krūra). That word "krūra" and "cruel" - it comes from the same root. So "da" means "dayā" (compassion). "Dayadhvam" - be compassionate.
For the Manuṣyas (humans): What is the nature of humans? Miserliness. You don't want to let anything go. So "da" means "dānam" (charity). Give charity. You serve the people.
For the Devas: What is the nature of the devas? Too much enjoyment. Svarga-loka means, you know, morning till evening - whatever you desire is present according to your taste.
If there are five South Indians - one Tamil, one Kannadiga, one Telugu person, one Coorg person, and another - don't think their tastes are the same. Mangalore rasam and Bangalore rasam are different. And if you go to some other places... Swami Achalananda - the best rasam I tasted was in Swami Achalananda Saraswati's place in Kollur or somewhere. I never tasted such rasam in my life. For me, after coming back and eating this rasam...
So five people, if they have gone to svarga-loka, what gives the greatest joy to them? That will be present. That is called svarga-loka.
A Humorous Story about Heaven
Svarga-loka rasagullā doesn't give any diabetic effect. You can eat as much as you want - most tasty. You know that?
There was one husband who was diabetic for 40 years. And his wife - forget about letting him see rasagullā, she would not allow even talking about it. Seeing was forbidden. 40 years passed in that way. This fellow wanted to eat but she would never allow it. 24 hours she was watching him with a telescope, so to speak.
40 years passed and both of them died and found themselves in heaven. Saint Peter received them and assigned them one palatial home - it was all palatial homes. "Mano-mātram, icchā-mātram" (according to mind and desire).
Then the man entered. Immediately he almost had a heart attack. The whole hall was filled with heavenly sweets.
The husband said, "What are you doing to me? I am suffering for the last 40 years from diabetes, and you kept me away from sweets. 24 hours I had to look longingly and not be able to eat. And the worst thing is, my wife is eating them!"
So Saint Peter explained, "No, no, no. These are heavenly sweets. Eat as much as you want. You will be the healthiest person, happiest person in existence."
Hearing this, the husband turned to the wife and gave her one big slap.
She asked, "What for?"
He said, "But for you, I would have been here 40 years back!"
The Application to Spiritual Teaching
So what are we talking about? For the devas in svarga-loka, they are immersed in enjoyment from morning till evening. And that is why, for them "da" means "damyata" - control yourself. Same letter "da."
So for the devas: control your sense organs. For the human beings: be a little more charitable. For the asuras: be a little more kind and compassionate to other people.
This is the greatness of teaching. What does a guru do? He explains to the disciple according to his capacity of understanding. From there, he has to slowly bring him up.
The Three Stages of Development
So there are three stages: paśu, vīra, and divya.
Paśu means we are like animals. If you simply allow a person to eat whatever he wants, then he will never be able to come out of his animal nature. So "don't eat this, don't eat that."
Vīra: now you are sufficiently strong. Offer all the things which are tempting to God, but don't eat them yourself. Give them to others.
Divya: the highest stage of spiritual development.
A Story from Belur Math
You know, earlier they said at Belur Math, Swami Vijnanananda Maharaj, there was one swami who was the manager. Every day at noon, they would have a tough time, because the best things were offered to Sri Ramakrishna.
It's called anna-bhoga (food offering). Best rice, best sweets, and they say five varieties of preparations, best sandesh, best payasam. Every single day they prepare payasam at Belur Math.
As soon as the offering came down from the shrine, Vijnanananda would be waiting there. Immediately he would snatch it from the President and want to throw the whole thing in the Ganga. The manager swami would try to stop him.
So one swami was pulling towards the Ganga, the other swami was pulling in the opposite direction. Later on, someone asked, "Maharaj, why are you doing this?"
He said, "These things are not fit for sannyasins to eat. If they eat this kind of food, what kind of holy life will they live?"
Whereas the manager maharaj said, "So many devotees are coming, we have to give some prasada to them. They are householders, so they deserve it."
So in the tussle, something would fall into a bag. That portion he would bring, and then that became the prasada for the devotees.
The Food Habits of Great Souls
See, Mahapurush Maharaj (Swami Shivananda). The first offering goes to Mahapurush Maharaj, the President. What does he eat? He would put his finger there just to know that it has been prepared properly, that it is fit to be offered to God.
But the rest of what he ate was yava (barley gruel). Yava has no color, no consistency, no smell, no form - it is nirguna, nirakara, nirvisesha (without qualities, without form, without distinctions). Mahapurush's yava was famous as "Mahapurush yava." Nobody wanted to eat it.
Like Holy Mother's barley water. You know that story? Holy Mother was suffering at Jayrambati. You know the story? So it was summer season. The physician prescribed: "You have sugar-candy sherbet at three o'clock when the heat is at its highest."
So he told them how to prepare it: "Take a tumbler of water, take this rock sugar (kalkandi) - but not the powder, that big crystalline form. Put it in a white cloth, half-immerse it in water, so that over 12-14 hours, drop by drop dissolves. That is very cooling and very tasty. Then add a little bit of lemon juice."
So she was preparing it for three o'clock. The devotees would all gather: "Ma, sherbet, sherbet!" So she would give a little bit to each one. By the time her turn came, hardly this much was left.
So after some time, she fell ill. Then the doctor said, "Barley water." So Mother knew devotees would come, so she prepared a big pot at three o'clock. Nobody was coming. Nobody was coming.
Mother, you know, very innocent, asked, "Nobody is coming - what is the matter?"
Then somebody explained, "Ma, it is barley prasadam. They do not want barley prasadam. They are barely able to bear barley!"
Barley is "barely" - a play on words!
The Supreme Grace
"Mukhyatas tu mahat-kripayaiva" - only by the grace of great souls, you serve them. Their grace will come. When their grace comes, that means God's grace has come. Their grace is God's grace, because who works through them? Mahapurusha, Sri Ramakrishna.
When he blessed devotees saying, "May your consciousness be awakened," actually who was working? Sri Ramakrishna. God. Mother Divine Mother. That is the Shakti.
The Principle of Shiva-Shakti
We are all - whatever be the deity, whether it is Ganesha or Kartikeya or Vishnu or Brahma or Shiva - "Shiva-shaktyā yukto yadi bhavati shaktaḥ prabhavitum" (Shiva united with Shakti becomes capable of creation). The Soundarya Lahari begins with that śloka.
If Shakti were not there, Shiva becomes shava (corpse). That is why in the Kali idol, Shiva is lying like a corpse, because he is Mahakala (Great Time). And everything - srishti, sthiti, laya (creation, preservation, dissolution) - is done by Mother Kali.
But if She doesn't have the foundation, Shakti cannot work unless there is that shuddha chaitanya (pure consciousness) as a background. But shuddha chaitanya itself cannot function without Shakti.
So if you have an idea, you need an instrument for that idea to express itself. Otherwise it will just remain an idea only. You have an instrument but no idea - so people are divided into people with ideas but no instrument, and people with instruments but no ideas.
So one is blind, another is lame. When they come together, then the blind can walk (being carried), and the lame can sit on the blind person's shoulders and direct: "Walk left side, walk right side." Nowadays guide dogs, you know - they take the person home safely.
The Sufficiency of Divine Grace
So only by the grace of great people. Then he says: "Bhagavat-kripa-leshad va" - this much grace of God, you don't need that much. This much grace is sufficient.
So Ramprasad - see, Ramakrishna used to quote Ramprasad: "Oh Ma, you are like an ocean. If you just give one drop of your grace, my life will become complete. And what do you lose? You are not losing anything - you are an ocean. So why are you not giving? Why is Mother not giving?"
Now, because the child cannot bear it. That is what is illustrated on 1st January. So many people received the touch, but hardly anybody could retain the experience. Not only that, some became rogues also.
They say Ramlal - of course, he was Ramakrishna's nephew, Ram Kumar's son, Rameshwar's son. My God, how much trouble he gave to Holy Mother! He was there on that day when Ramakrishna asked him, "What do you want?"
"I want to see God."
Thakur touched him - he had darshan of God. What was the result? That's why we say: first character, then knowledge. Not the other way around.
Character without knowledge is much better than knowledge without character. If Hitler gets all the scientific knowledge, then he will destroy the whole world. And that's what is going to happen in the future.
The Unity of Divine Grace and Guru's Grace
So "bhagavat-kripa" and "mahat-kripa" - are they different? No, they are not different. Bhagavat-kripa and mahat-kripa are one and the same thing. The bhagavat-kripa only flows through the instrumentality of guru - that is mahat-kripa.
And if we have that, then what happens? We develop that faith: "Oh, what my guru says is absolute truth." Once you have that shraddha (faith), everything becomes easy. Only we lack shraddha.
The Crucial Role of Faith
And this point - what is the most crucial ingredient in sadhana? Shraddha. Having shraddha or not having shraddha.
This is so beautifully illustrated in the Kathopanishad. Kathopanishad is a beautiful illustration. His father (Vajashrava) was not having that much shraddha. But Nachiketa was completely possessed by shraddha.
He says: "Shraddhavitam ha kumaram Nachiketam, shraddha avivesha" - he did not merely have shraddha, he was possessed by shraddha.
If somebody possesses you, you are completely - what I call - out of your own control. It is only that bhuta (spirit) or whatever it is that controls you. And we are all possessed. We are all possessed by these ghosts.
What are the ghosts? Advertisement! Amazon and Google - they are showing you things. And then after a few repetitions, that ghost really possesses you. Advertisement is a ghost.
But the same principle can be used for spiritual life also.
The Next Teaching
So what do we get from this? Just a little bit of grace is sufficient.
In the next sutra, Narada is telling us that this mahat-sanga (association with great souls) is so precious - how do we get it? Only by the grace of God.
Why? "Tasmin" (in God) - there is absolutely no difference at all between the devotee and God.
In the Bhagavatam it is said: "I am in the heart of devotees, and who is in the heart of Bhagavan? The devotees."
The Mutual Love Between God and Devotee
A child is constantly thinking: "My mother will do everything for me." So he cries when he needs something, and he is pleased when he gets it.
But what is the mother thinking? Only about the baby. Even when she is planning two months ahead - "I have to go somewhere, what will be the things necessary for my child's welfare?" - everything she is planning, even one month ahead.
So one day, M came to Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was in deep meditation. Then the meditation was over. M was wondering: "What was Sri Ramakrishna's meditation about? Meditation is necessary to get God's vision, but he was always seeing God. Where is the need for meditation?"
Can M understand? No. Ramakrishna was thinking about the devotees: "Who has made how much progress? Why are some people not able to progress? What is the obstruction to their progress? How can I help that person to get rid of that obstacle?"
This is the meditation of an avatar (divine incarnation).
The Story of Narada and Krishna
The same thing happened in the Bhagavatam. Narada went to test Sri Krishna. Then he found Krishna in deep meditation. He waited. Krishna came out of meditation.
Then Narada asked, "Lord, everybody meditates upon you. What are you meditating upon?"
Krishna replied, "I am meditating upon my devotees. How can I advance their spirituality? How can I do something good for them?"
So if you think of God, God is thinking of you. In fact, He thinks more of you than you think of Him.
You know why? Because we think of God because we are in samsara (worldly existence) - that's the first reason. And then our time is very limited.
But He has got ananta kala (infinite time). How to spend it? So He thinks of His children.
The Divine Perspective
What is important for us to know? There is no bad child in God's vision. So there may be many... there may be children who appear bad externally. But for a mother, there are no bad children.
Because externally we may be dirty or we may be clean - but the mother's love doesn't change based on external appearance.
That is the idea.
Conclusion
Okay, we will stop here. May God bless you.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.
This discourse is on the Narada Bhakti Sutra, dealing with the third chapter on Sadhana (spiritual practice). The main themes covered include the importance of renouncing sense objects and attachments, the practice of constant devotional remembrance (avyavrutta bhajana), learning from great devotees, and ultimately receiving the grace of realized souls (mahat-kripa) which is identical to divine grace (bhagavat-kripa). The text emphasizes that faith (shraddha) is the most crucial element in spiritual practice, and that God's love for devotees is even greater than their love for God.