Full Transcript (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.

Discourse on Narada Bhakti Sutras: The Path of Supreme Devotion

Why Are Holy Mother and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Called Jagadgurus?

Jagadguru means teacher of the whole world. What does that mean? Is he great? He is great. Why is he called so great?

Among avatāras, Kṛṣṇa is considered to be Pūrṇāvatāra, the greatest avatāra. Of course, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was considered the greatest avatāra by Swamiji: Avatāra Varishṭhāya Rāmakṛṣṇāya Te Namaḥ.

In what sense do we mean by greatest? Not comparative. Because all the incarnations, they are all the same. It is not that different incarnations are different gods. Same one God only—same Rāma, same Kṛṣṇa, same Buddha, same Jesus. Everybody is the same. But that person whose teachings are most applicable to many people—in that way, Śrī Kṛṣṇa was the greatest.

The Completeness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Avatāra

Simple example: Kṛṣṇa could be Gopī Kṛṣṇa—Madhurabhāva, sweet attitude. Rāma cannot have Madhurabhāva. Ask him to dance with gopīs—he could not dance with anybody. Only one person. So he was a good father, good husband, good brother, good master, but not suited for all bhāvas.

So there are also people who worship Rāma as a child—Bālabhāva: Ṭhumaki Chalata Rāmachandra, Bājata Painjaniyā. Kṛṣṇa, of course, you know, he can mix with everybody. That is why he was called Pūrṇāvatāra.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Universal Appeal

Why was Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa called Jagadguru? Because his teachings apply to everybody, including a nāstika (atheist). So how does a nāstika become a religious person? Through belief.

The Nature of True Belief

What is belief? What is true belief versus just verbal belief? People say, "I believe in Dharma," and then they will all do Adharma. Most people do Adharma.

So that belief which does not transform our character should not be considered as a belief at all. If somebody says, "I believe in God"—there is that famous banana incident with Purandara Dāsa and Kanaka Dāsa. Remember? Where God said no one should be able to see you eating.

The Story of Kanaka Dāsa

Kanaka Dāsa could not eat. Everybody else ate. Everybody else, if you ask them, "Where is God?" they say, "God is everywhere."

"Is He here?" "Yes." "Is He inside me?" "Yes." "Is He outside me?" "Yes." "Is He watching whatever I do?" "Yes."

How could they eat? But they forgot conveniently. They thought, "God is in Vaikuṇṭha. First of all, there's distance. After that, it is cloudy weather. Then somebody put each other in between. How could God see?"

Whereas Kanaka Dāsa thought, "God is here and He is seeing me. How can I fulfill your condition?" That is the experience of every saint.

The Practice of the Presence of God

Even if we don't see God, we must be able to feel the presence of God. That is called the practice of the presence of God. But this requires very strong belief.

The Story of Brother Lawrence

There was one great saint whose teachings have come down to us in The Practice of the Presence of God. His name was Brother Lawrence. He was a lame fellow. Very lame. He joined a monastery.

How did he join a monastery? Winter season was slowly coming to an end. The ice was slowly melting. One day, he saw a tree. You know, in winter season, most of the trees, they completely become bare. Why? Because if you have one leaf, you have to maintain it. Maintaining means energy. And there is no sun available. That's why there will be no energy—just maintenance.

Incidentally, there is a frog which becomes completely, almost dead—completely frozen. It will be alive only for three weeks. As soon as the spring season comes, all the snow melts, it comes to life, and then it starts calling for a mate. Mating is over. Then small babies are born. And within three weeks, they have to mature. There are flowering plants—within three weeks, they have to grow. They have to bloom the flowers, and cross-pollination has to take place. And then they become dormant. In Arctic areas, that's what happens. So within those three weeks, they have to do everything.

So this Brother Lawrence was walking, and he saw a completely bare tree, as though it was dead. Slowly, a beautiful new leaf was coming. You know how tender a new leaf would be—a little greenish, a little copperish. That is the essence. "What a miracle of God! This tree, which looked like a dead tree, now it is sprouting anew." With that, he became converted. He joined the monastery.

Brother Lawrence's Trust in God

And his head of the monastery must have been a very blind, deaf, idiotic fellow—should have been—because he assigned him, a lame person, to go and do the marketing, buy wine and other things.

Then he said—he was writing in his autobiography—"He said, 'Oh God, you know I am lame. You know that I cannot bargain. So, you take over the responsibility of buying for me and arrange the transportation.' And he said, 'Every time I went out, somehow God manages. I could buy cheaper than everybody else there. And He would also arrange for the transportation. Safely I come.'" That's what he said.

The Struggle for Uninterrupted Awareness

Then later he was telling, "I had to struggle more than 10 years to feel uninterruptedly the presence of God."

Sarvadā Sarvabhāvena Hariḥ Eva Smaraṇīyaḥ, Kīrtanīyaḥ, Mananīyaḥ (Nārada Bhakti Sūtra)

So that is how he became one of the greatest people. Sometimes, during his early days, he said, "I forgot to feel the presence of God." Then what happens? Suddenly he remembers, "Oh, I forgot God." Then he is accusing God: "You are responsible for my frailty. Because if you don't hold me up, this is what happens to me. I am going to fall down. So it is your responsibility to always make me remember you."

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Surrender to the Mother

That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said: "Oh Mother, I give up everything. Here is dharma. Here is adharma. Here is good. Here is evil. But let me never give up truth." Because his prayer will be useless prayer if he gives up the truth.

Conveniently, we surrender ourselves to God. Our surrender is to be truthful. We have to be truthful. "I surrendered in the morning." But "I don't have anything to surrender." For 20 minutes, we forget, take ourselves back. Evening also we offer. Every day we offer. How many times every day we are offering? So that should not be there.

Introduction to Nārada Bhakti Sūtras

So anyway, what are we going to discuss? Supposedly, we have completed the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras. Then somebody requested that we should have what we call a recapitulation of the essential points.

Who Was Nārada?

Nārada was a great saint. There were so many references about Nārada. In Vedas also there is Nārada. In Purāṇas also there is Nārada. Our idea, concept of Nārada is also different. He was one of the greatest devotees of God. Otherwise, nobody could ever have written without authority.

This is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to call: "Did God authorize you?" Then whether you speak or whether you write, it becomes authentic.

The Test of Spiritual Content

So some great person had made a beautiful remark: "Whatever remains for a long time while getting the same reverence and worship, that must be only spiritual. Whatever is not spiritual, its value will be very temporal."

Whether it is a building, Michelangelo's paintings and sculptures—why were they remembered even today? Because they are related to spirituality. It is all about God.

Even today—but much better earlier—all the Indian music is directed only towards God. Even this Muslim music also is devoted only to God. What you call ghazal—it is the outpourings of a devotee. That is what the Sufis always call God: "my beloved." And there were so many poets. Al-Ghazali was one of the greatest. Rumi was another. These people's works are what you call immortal. Why are they immortal? Because they deal only with spiritual subjects, with God.

The Spiritual Nature of Great Literature

So literature—Kālidāsa's literature—all that he wrote, he did not write anything for entertainment. Either it is about Kumārasambhava, or Abhijñāna Śākuntalam, or Raghuvaṃśa—everything is related to God. And his very name, Kālidāsa, means "the greatest devotee of Mother God." By her grace, he had got all that.

This is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say: "If you see anywhere any greatness, that greatness belongs to whom? Only to God. Only from God and from nothing else." This is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said. That is the attribute Śrī Kṛṣṇa declared—Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said anything great belongs to God.

That is why Swami Vivekananda said that anything that comes and remains permanent must be coming only from God.

Nārada's Authorization

So this Nārada was the authenticated person. He was authorized by God—not only for writing the Bhakti Sūtras, but he was authorized by God for propagating bhakti. That is why he is called Triloka Saṃcārī—he has unobstructed entrance into the three worlds.

One of the greatest things about Nārada, which very few people notice: even if he is... Devotees, of course, welcome him. Saints welcome him. But even rākṣasas, they welcome him. Nobody will say, "No, we don't want you to come." They say, "Yes, you come."

Not only that, another thing also is there. If he wants to go to Antaḥpura, where the ladies live—you know, you can't enter into this Muslim's inside house, excepting the people who live in that house. Even the children, when they grow up—male children—they are not allowed to go in. Only when they are babies, they can come. But Nārada has unobstructed entry. Strictly.

The Uniqueness of Nārada's Character

What is the reaction of the husbands when he goes inside? They are not frightened that he will do some mischief with the women. They are only frightened something happens to them when Nārada comes. Everybody's heart is beating: "Because when he comes, what quarreling is he hatching now?" Like that, the opinion is there. But God has blessed him.

According to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, he is called Nityamukta—ever free. But so long as this Kali Yuga lasts, according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Bhakti Mārga is the best mārga for Kali Yuga. And the greatest bhakta is Nārada.

Śukadeva was the greatest jñānī. But he started his unique life with the preaching of bhakti—the Bhāgavatam.

The Origin of the Bhāgavatam

So the story of Nārada comes in the Bhāgavatam. Very strange. Our Purāṇas are very strange.

Nārada Counsels Vedavyāsa

So one day, Vedavyāsa was sitting there, morose, unhappy. Then Nārada happened to come there. Nārada is Triloka Saṃcārī. Then he saw Vedavyāsa very downhearted, morose. Then he asked, "Maharṣi, why are you so morose?"

He said, "I don't know. I am really feeling downhearted. I can't find out why. Can you tell me why?"

Nārada became—now what?—a personal psychiatrist. He has to find out why he was morose. And Nārada found out: "You wrote, you edited the Vedas. You wrote thirty-six Purāṇas. You wrote so many things. You wrote everything. So many things you have done in so many ways. But one thing you have not done: you have not praised Lord Hari. Now you write a book."

"What shall I write?"

"I will give the synopsis, the essence." That is the Bhāgavata's essence. And the whole Bhāgavata is what is called Parama Bhakti Śāstra, the greatest.

The Rāmāyaṇa and Bhakti

Rāmāyaṇa—if you want to be a devotee, then you read, especially Rāmacaritamānasa. You get everything. You get bhakti, you get knowledge, you get karma. It is such a wonderful book.

That is why in North India, they go on—even if a person sits under a tree and chants, immediately—I saw in Belur Mutt many times—one person, day after day, whether it is raining or shining, he used to come. Now he must have died or something like that. And ten, fifteen, twenty people will join there under a tree, happily listen to this Rāmacaritamānasa and go. North India is very powerful in this regard.

So Bhāgavatam, according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, is the greatest book on bhakti. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Kathāmṛta is—nothing but Bhāgavatam. How do we know? The very title he has given is from Bhāgavatam—Gopikā Gīta has come only from there.

Nārada's Role in the Rāmāyaṇa

So Nārada briefly narrates in the Rāmāyaṇa also. He told Vālmīki, "This is what you have to do." And then he gave the whole life of Rāmacandra. And then Vālmīki writes.

So Bhāgavatam also describes all the avatāras very briefly, like sūtras. And that is how the huge Bhāgavatam had come into being.

Nārada's Own Story

In that Bhāgavatam, Nārada's own story is there. His mother was a maidservant, and she was serving some āśrama. So the ṛṣis in the āśrama decided to move their place, go somewhere else. What happened? This Nārada's mother died of a snake bite. Then this small boy was left.

Nārada's Initiation and First Vision

He was initiated like Śabarī. She was initiated by the ṛṣis and they said, "Now you go and meditate on Lord Viṣṇu." So he goes and meditates. Immediately, within a short time, he has a beautiful vision of Lord Viṣṇu, just for a millisecond, like that.

Then Nārada was downhearted. He says, "What is this? You gave me the vision. My heart is not at all satisfied."

That's what happened to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. The first vision of Mother Kālī—he had a wonderful vision, he fell down unconscious. That vision increased his desire for having uninterrupted vision of Mother Kālī, which led to subsequent sādhanās.

The Divine Promise

Then a divine voice came—Ākāśavāṇī: "Oh Nārada, I gave you a test to prove to you that whatever you have received is not just cock-and-bull stories. It is all truth. Because we cannot deny our own experience. So now your heart will ever be longing, because now you know what you are going to experience. But uninterrupted vision of me you will have."

What is that vision? It doesn't mean form. It means the practice of the presence of God. God is here. God cannot have a form. If God has a form, anything that has a form becomes limited. Form means limited.

The Nature of Form and Limitation

See this maidan. What was it before? One hundred fifty years before, it was just maidan. Then somebody put up four walls. Now it has a form, and it became limited. Limited. And they called it Āśrama. Ever since that time, śrama (labor) is going on. To maintain an āśrama, how much śrama has to be done? How many servants? How many swamis? How many things have to be done? It's not easy to create.

So when you are able to give up śrama, it becomes āśrama. So long as you go on working, it becomes only śrama. That's why brahmacārya also is śrama. Who is a sannyāsī? One who gave up brahmacārya—he is a sannyāsī. Isn't it? A brahmacārī gives up his status and becomes a monk. What did he give up? Brahmacārya? Yes.

Nārada's Mission

So what are we talking about? That Nārada goes on, life after life, for a long time. Ultimately, he had become a Nityamukta. Then he received a commandment: "Go and propagate bhakti."

Always he sings Hari Hari. That's why he was given a divine vīṇā—Mahati. It is called Mahati. With that Mahati Vīṇā he goes about. He never takes any name except God's name.

The Nārada Bhakti Sūtras

So this was Nārada. And he must have taught this Bhakti Śāstra—elaborate Bhakti Śāstra—to some of his disciples. But what he taught, whom he taught, we don't know. But somebody must have condensed it.

The Nature of Sūtras

This is called a mnemonic. A sūtra is called a mnemonic. A sūtra is like a thread. What is it? Like a thread, you know. There is something inside. Then you don't want anybody to know about it, but there is a small thread. Only you know where that thread is. Even if somebody is there, they think that it is some cobweb or something like that. But you know that if you look where it is and if you can open it, your treasure is there.

So a sūtra contains a cartload of meaning, earlier expounded by the teacher to his disciples. But they know because this is like a mnemonic. You know what is a mnemonic? An aid for memory.

Examples of Mnemonics

You know, most of the things we make mnemonic. So P-L-U-S—very hard to remember. Plus and minus. All these symbols are what? Mnemonics.

So 10²⁵. How much? You know what you do there? Add another zero. Already 20 zeros are there. Add another zero. Twenty times if you write 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0...

That is how the chess game story has come. You know that? There was a king, and once somebody had made this chess game. Why did he make it? This fellow helped the king in solving some problem. He said, "Whatever you wish, you ask, I will give."

He made this chess board with 64 squares. He said, "On the first square, put one grain. On the second square, 1 × 1. On the third square, 2 × 2." You understand now? What is there in the previous square? You square it.

The king thought, "What is this fellow asking?" He said, "You know, just one grain of rice." But when he—even before he reached half—the whole kingdom of the king doesn't possess that much rice.

The Mathematical Progression

Can you understand what I am talking about? Suppose you come to 100. The next square will be 100 × 100. How much? 10,000. Yes, it is 10,000.

Someone joked: "In the 22nd century, one genius was born—the world's greatest genius. What is it? He could multiply, he could add 2 plus 2." So 100 × 100 = 10,000. 10,000 × 10,000? You go and experiment with it.

This foolish king thought it is nothing. By the time he covered one-third of it, or even less than that, his whole kingdom—whatever grains are there—were not sufficient to give to this fellow. How clever this fellow was.

Nārada's Method of Creating Devotion

So he was authorized. He goes there. Wherever he finds two devotees stuck, not able to progress further, he will create a problem between them so that there is what we call a quarrel. But with that quarrel, what is the end result of this quarrel? Both of them—their egotism will vanish, and they become greater devotees of God. The only purpose of Nārada is to propagate devotion.

The Commentaries on Nārada Bhakti Sūtras

So he must have expounded it, and that must have been codified in the form of sūtra—a small mnemonic. That is the moment they remember: "Our Gurudeva has taught so much about it." And then, in the course of time, as it happens, that śiṣya paramparā had come to an end. But these sūtras had come down to us. Now we don't know what was the exposition.

So great souls had come and they commented. So that is how there are a few commentaries there. Our swamis—Swami Tyāgīśānanda was one of the greatest commentators on the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras. And then came Swami Bhūteśānanda Mahārāj. He gave a series of talks in Japan, and the first time we in UK published it in our magazine, Vedanta magazine. And then the Advaita Āśrama caught hold of it. They wanted to publish it. So when Mahārāj was alive, they wrote down everything and they read it to him. He made necessary corrections. With his approval, it was published.

It is much simpler. But Nārada Bhakti Sūtras as expounded by Swami Tyāgīśānanda was great. Now so many—Swami Śivānanda, Swami Viṣṇu Tīrthānanda—like that, so many people have commented upon it. So the essence of what we talked was, I have taken the help from some of them.

The Structure of the Nārada Bhakti Sūtras

There are 84 sūtras in this text—84. And they have been roughly divided. Nārada did not divide it; it is a later teacher's division.

The Major Divisions

What is the first one? Parābhakti Svarūpa—what is the nature of the supreme devotion? What is the glory? What can it give us?

Then Parābhakti Māhātmya—the glory. Why glory? Because we always want to know what is the usefulness. Who is the best doctor? You will always seek out. Even if a small scratch is there, you want the greatest doctor to attend to you. It is our nature. So we want to know what is the māhātmya—Gītā Māhātmya, like that, Parābhakti Māhātmya.

Then Bhakti Sādhanāni—what are the means to achieve that bhakti?

Then what is the definition of prema?

Then what is the description of supreme devotion?

What is the description of lower devotions?

Then again sādhanās. In between, you know, sādhana—a little bit of theory, a little bit of practice. It goes on, interspersed.

Then who are the greatest bhaktas—Mukhya Bhakta Mahimā, glory of the chief devotees.

Summary of Key Themes

So just to recapitulate: Tīrthi Kurvanti Tīrthi—the great saints, they purify the tīrthas, the puṇyakṣetras.

For example, if you go to Kanyākumārī, Rāmeśvaram—somebody had made them very great. When we go there, it's like a small pond. Very nice water is there. You go on taking. After some time, what happens? It gets exhausted. Somebody has to take a tanker and fill it.

These great souls, what do they do? First they visit to borrow. Then they visit to pay with compound interest. They fill it so that it will be useful for other people. Then after some time, somebody else will come and they will fill it up. This constant filling up is necessary. If it is not done, that place will soon lose its greatness. Because if you go to a bank who is ready to borrow from you but not give to you, who is going to visit that place?

Then again, some sādhanās are there. And also, bhakti can be manifested in many ways. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say: as many human feelings can be expressed, every expression of a human feeling—and I am very proud to say, including hatred of God, anger toward God—you abuse God. If you want to abuse God, you abuse God. He will be very happy. You know why? "You fellow, you forget—he is at least thinking of me only!" Whether you glorify or abuse, you are only thinking of God, and that also will purify in the course of time.

The Supremacy of Bhakti Mārga

And finally, all the greatest teachers, they all have one opinion. What is the opinion? Of all the paths, the path of devotion is the greatest.

So this is the very essence of Nārada Bhakti Sūtras. Now I am going to tell you, here and there, I will select some sūtras.

The Importance of Clear Definitions

Whenever a person writes anything, the first thing is there must be a clear definition. What is this book about?

That's why there is an intelligent way of studying books. What is the first thing? See the title. The title must reveal what is the subject matter. Then you read the introduction, because any author who doesn't put forth "These are the things which I am going to expound in more details"—he is a stupid author. And if he is a good author, at the end he will also summarize.

Now that trend is coming. This is not necessary for what are called novels, because if you read the essence of the novel, you don't feel like reading at all. It should be always a mystery. But every other book—the introduction you read, you know what the book is completely about.

How to Study a Book Effectively

Then you read what is called the Viṣaya Sūcikā—the table of contents. What are the subjects expounded? How one point must lead to the other point. Then you know where you want reference. And then with this, if it is a well-written book, come to the end of the book—summary of this book in a little more detail about that book. With this you start. You will just run through. You don't need to plow through. There is plowing through and running through.

The Opening Sūtra: Athāto Bhaktim Vyākhyāsyāmaḥ

So with this we will start. The first thing is: what is the definition of bhakti? First he promises. So there are three words there:

Athāto Bhaktim Vyākhyāsyāmaḥ

Now, therefore, we are going to expound the science of devotion.

The Meaning of "Atha" (Now)

So now—what does that word "now" convey? Śaṅkarācārya has written so many pages of commentary on this particular word "now." You don't need to go through all this because I am there to go through, digest it, and present it to you.

What is it? A man who has gone through this cycle of saṃsāra for many, many janmas—he is tired. He is looking: "Can I get rest out of this bondage of saṃsāra?" It is called mukti. "Can I get it?" The answer is categorical: "Yes, you can get."

"So I know that I can get mukti, but I am here. So which path? There are many paths there. Which path is the best path?"

Then somebody has to expound, study him, and say—like Kṛṣṇa said to Vijaya Kṛṣṇa Goswami: "You don't belong to Brahma Samāj. You belong only to Caitanya Prabhu's Bhakti Mārga."

The Role of the Guru

Like that, a Guru's main purpose is to study the character of the disciples and show him the path which leads him the quickest way, in the shortest time, to that goal. Otherwise he is a useless guru. Yeah, he is not a guru. An authorized person, through God's grace, he will come to know everything.

So here is a person who has gone through all the saṃsāra for many, many—how many lives? Caurāsī lakṣa janma—eighty-four lakhs—right from amoeba and all the donkeys in the street, all the horses and buffaloes, everything like that. You know, when you are driving, you see some buffaloes on the way, leisurely they are walking. You have to stop. Majestically they are moving, like that.

The Readiness of the Disciple

Ultimately, the person wants to get out. Then he gets an assurance: "Yes, I can get out. But who is going to show me the right path? Who is the Guru?" Then he has to acquire certain qualities. This is the most important one: the person who can give is ready, but are you ready to receive it?

So how to receive? You must develop that capacity to receive. That capacity to receive comes only by struggling through cultivating many qualities. See, for example, a child can go to Einstein and say, "Teach me your theory of relativity." Very simple. But has he got the capacity?

So he has to go through nursery school, then kindergarten, then elementary school, middle school, high school, pre-college, college, university, and finally he must acquire a PhD. After that, you understand—PhD: Permanent Head Damage! After that, he may be ready.

The Meaning of "Ataḥ" (Therefore)

So "atha" means: have you acquired the qualification to receive? That is the meaning of "now"—you are ready.

Then what is the next word? "Ataḥ"—therefore. Therefore means: therefore you are ready, here is a right teacher for you, and be very humble, accept him, don't ever mistrust him, always never question him. These are the three conditions laid down: complete surrender.

What Questions to Ask the Guru

Ask him by going to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, but don't ask, "What is the secret of South Indian rasam?" Don't ask such a silly question, because he won't be able to answer it. He may be Bhakti-jña, but not Rasa-jña! He doesn't know what is the—why am I referring to this?

Once Swami Vivekananda delivered one of the most inspiring talks in the US—very serious. Then afterwards, his devotees were driving him down in a horse carriage, and he was sitting at the back seat. They were sitting in the front, all completely silent, because he was in such a grave mood. All of a sudden, he said, "Now I know it!" Everybody was startled: "What greatest spiritual secret does he know?"

"Now I know how this Tamil rasam gets that flavor! It is this curry patta—you know, curry leaves. That is the secret!" Everybody was shocked. "What are we thinking? What were they thinking?"

So don't ask Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa how to make first-class idli. Any ordinary cook in South India would be able to tell you nicely. You ask only these things.

The Three Conditions for Learning

Praṇipātena, Paripraśnena, Sevayā (Bhagavad Gītā)

Therefore, now—praṇipātena—complete surrender, don't question. Paripraśnena—ask the right questions. Sevayā—you serve him. Because otherwise, just come, ask the questions, and then go away without anything—that's not a proper thing to do. So these are the conditions.

So since you fulfilled the conditions, now I am going to expound, because I know you have the qualifications. I know you asked the right questions. Now I am going to expound. This is a promise, like a Guru's promise on dīkṣā day.

The Mutual Commitment of Guru and Disciple

It is a mantra dīkṣā day—not only a dīkṣā for the disciple, it is also a dīkṣā for the Guru. What is the Guru's dīkṣā? "I shall not leave you until you reach the goal."

But don't think, "Swami Gautamānanda's body will be..." When Swami Gautamānanda surrendered himself totally to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, who remains? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Who came out of him to give you dīkṣā? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa only. So he will be there, but this is a physical form through which the dīkṣā mantra has come.

So the Guru takes—that means Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, "I will not give up your hand until you become free." The disciple also takes a dīkṣā—it is not just the mantra: "I will not give up spiritual sādhana until I reach you. Then only I will let you go. Until that time, there is a what is called contract between us. Then I go." Then complete. This mantra dīkṣā is so holy. I will tell you.

The First Sūtra: Definition of Parābhakti

Then immediately he goes:

Sa Tu Asmin Parama Prema Rūpā

The definition of Parābhakti—not Vaidhi Bhakti, not secondary devotion, not preparatory devotion. He says preparatory devotion is called Gauṇī Bhakti, Vaidhi Bhakti, Aparābhakti. Many names are there. No—highest devotion.

The Nature of Supreme Devotion

What is that? Sa Tu Asmin—in God—Parama Prema Rūpā—supreme devotion. Man is capable of supreme devotion to the Supreme. Both are supreme. God also is supreme. My love for God also will be supreme.

Why both ways? It doesn't work otherwise. If the object is not supreme and your devotion is supreme, that fellow will run away from there! If God is supreme and our devotion to Him is also very small, we are not going to reach God.

The Law of Mutual Love

That's why there is a law we discussed in our class: if you love some worldly person too much, that person will run away from you, because you are forcing that person to love you back. If somebody loves you, you have no choice—you have to love back. And you don't want to love. So there are only two options: either love that person or run away from that person.

It's a tragedy. Most marriages—one person, one party—A is running after B, B is running after C, C is running after A. This eternal triangle is going on!

Matching the Devotion to the Object

So Sa Tu Asmin Parama Prema Rūpā—it is the supreme devotion, supreme devotion towards the supreme object. Yeah, I will give a small illustration to make us understand.

If there is a small pool and you take a bucket full of water—not pool, a small glass—you put it, the whole thing becomes waste. If there is a huge lake and you take one glass full of water, that also doesn't serve the purpose.

The Story of the Tea Cup

There is a beautiful anecdote. Once a man had entered into a Zen monastery, and the Zen master was a realized soul. So he went and asked, "Please teach me." The master said, "Teach me how to pour a cup of tea."

So the custom was they bring an empty cup, then they put tea in a big pot. And then this man brought it from inside and he went on pouring. The cup was full, then he stopped. The master said, "I asked you to pour, not to stop."

So this fellow looked at the master askance and went on pouring until the pot was totally empty. Then all the tea was flowing on the table, on the floor, everything. He didn't understand.

Then the Zen master smiled and said, "You are asking a question, but your mind is already full like this tea cup. It will be totally useless. First empty your cup, and then come. Then I can fill it up."

It is true. That's why some people, you cannot teach anything, because before you open your mouth, they will be filling you up. "Yes, yes, yes..." There are some people, you know. That's why when we go to swamis, however paṇḍits we are, we have to keep quiet and listen to what they are saying, because they are telling from their experience. You are talking from bookish knowledge. It is not going to help you.

The Nature and Results of Prema

So this—the nature—prema rūpā. And also the nature of it is prema rūpā. And in the subsequent sūtras, what is prema? What is the result?

What Do We Get from Devotion?

Immediately, prayojana means: what is the usefulness? "Okay, if I go to so much trouble to do sādhana, acquire prema, what do I get out of it ultimately?"

So I sometimes pose a very peculiar question—theoretical question. Suppose you are praying to God: "You give me happiness. I love you. You give me happiness." God comes and says, "See, I am not happiness. If you want to love me, that is fine. You are free. But I don't have happiness. Therefore I can't give you happiness." How many people will desire God? Will anybody desire God?

So are they desiring God? They are desiring happiness. If He says, "I don't have happiness," naturally you go to somebody else.

The Analogy of Sugar and Butter

"Give me a little bit of sugar." And that person says, "I don't have sugar." Will you again ask, "Give me sugar"? Well, he doesn't have it.

Suppose you go to a neighbor and you ask him, "Give me a little bit of butter." He says, "I have butter, but I can't give you." "You have butter? I want it, but you can't give me?" "Why?" "It is there in the milk." That is practically useless. I want the butter now.

So truth is, yes, he can't say, "I don't have butter." Butter is there, but in what form? It should be in usable form.

The Result of Devotion: Amṛtatva

Like that, you know—amṛtasvarūpāc ca—it is of the nature of, first thing is, amṛta. What is amṛta? Death-lessness. Amṛta—immortality. You become immortal. That means there is no death. That means there is no death of happiness.

This is our prayer:

Asato Mā Sad Gamaya Tamaso Mā Jyotir Gamaya Mṛtyormā Amṛtaṃ Gamaya

What is mṛtyom here? Duḥkha. Mṛtyom means duḥkha. When do we want to die? When you are very happy, do you want to die? There is an expression like that: "I am so happy I want to die! I am unable to hold this!"

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Humor

If you see, Rāmakṛṣṇa used to tell such humorous jokes—and non-vegetarian many times. Do you understand? Jokes are of two categories: vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

So whatever jokes I tell you are pure vegetarian. If I start telling you non-vegetarian jokes, you will run away from here!

Swami Smarānanda Mahārāj—he went to Delhi or somewhere. We had one Punjabi brahmacārī. Even now he is there. He has left the mission and he is doing his own good work. Plenty of jokes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

Mahārāj heard his name. He went and asked him, "Hey, I heard that you can tell nice jokes. So please tell us some jokes." He frankly asked him, "Do you want vegetarian or non-vegetarian?" Mahārāj had to tell, "When I am in public, vegetarian. Privately, non-vegetarian."

Remind me, I will tell you one semi-non-vegetarian joke. What is the time now? Ten minutes to six. Okay, ten minutes. So remind me if I forget that one semi-non-vegetarian joke, like that. Okay.

The Nature of Immortality Through Devotion

So it is of the nature of immortality, because God is immortal. And the love is supreme—parama prema. So when there is parama prema, what is the nature of God? Parama prema. He is not a person. He is not an object. He is of the nature of parama prema.

So therefore, I have parama prema. Then what is the difference between me and God? He is also of the parama prema. I am also of the parama prema. There is no difference. That is called amṛta means I become God. There is no difference. This beautiful idea I will expound after a few ślokas.

The Qualities of One Who Attains Prema

So the next sūtra: Having obtained this love, man becomes siddha—means perfect. Perfect means there is no more desire.

Then, already he has told, he becomes eternally content, because there is nothing for him to obtain. No desire will be there. When we become perfect, there will be no desire.

The Complete Satisfaction

Then, having obtained which, he does not want anything, because he got everything. He got God. God means everything. Everything means God. So absolutely there is not a single thought...

Rābi'a's Declaration

Rābi'a once declared a statement—most marvelous statement: "O Lord, if I am loving you with the motive of entering into heaven, then exclude me from heaven. If I am loving you because of the fear of hell, then throw me in hell. But if I am loving you for your own self, do not exclude me from you."

Then somebody came and reported, "Such-and-such person, some person is criticizing..." Then she said, "I have no time to think of either friends or enemies, because my heart is full of God's love."

That was the nature of Ṭhākur, Mā, and all the realized souls. He can't hate anybody, because wherever he looks, whom does he see? Only God.

The Fullness of Divine Love

He is not enjoying, "Oh, you brought rāsagullā! I am so very happy! Previously I was this much happy, now I am this much happy." No, he is already full. So when you offer something to God, who becomes happier—you or God?

That too—miserable! Some flowers, miserable fruits, you know—miserable flowers and fruits.

The Story of Swami Latu Maharaj and the Offering

See, Latu Maharaj was living in Vārāṇasī. Once a devotee from Calcutta visited Vārāṇasī. He brought some Calcutta sari to be offered to Mother Annapūrṇā. So he told Mahārāj, "I brought something. Please come, let us go to Mother Annapūrṇā."

Latu Mahārāj was very glad. He was a Mother's bhakta, so he was going slowly. Suddenly, Latu Mahārāj had a doubt about this devotee. Then he asked, "Let me see that sari." And he saw that it was a sari—only in pūjās they offer to God—what is that? Only it covers only this much.

Latu Mahārāj got so annoyed. "You go and put it to your own mother! Will you dare to do that? And what you don't dare to do to your own mother, you want to do to Divine Mother, who has given all these things?"

The Principle of Quality in Offerings

Then he told, "Never offer anything. If you can't offer, Mother is not wanting. She knows it. So you just buy one good fruit. Instead of a dozen—'I offer dozen fruits'—rotten bananas... One good fruit you offer, Mother will be very happy. But don't show all these things."

This was one occasion. On another occasion, another devotee came and he said, "Let us go to Mother Annapūrṇā." He agreed. At that time, Holy Mother was staying at Lakṣmī Nivāsa. Halfway through, Latu Mahārāj turned towards him: "Where do you want to see? Living Mother is there! Come, let's go and offer it to our Holy Mother." That was his devotion.

Quality Over Quantity

So what is that incident? Don't offer thinking, "A huge quantity..." Don't count quantity.

Similarly, japa also: "Today I offered 10,000 japas!" How many times did you remember God? What is japa? Japa is not repetition. Japa is remembrance, repeating also.

A cassette player also will... Somebody asked, "I don't have time. I record the mantra on the cassette player and make it play. Will I get mukti?" He said, "I don't Know..." Definitely, Cassette player will get mukti!

Human beings are so miserly, and yet they want bhakti. Of course, God only created all this miserliness—lust, anger, greed, delusion, egotism, jealousy—all came from whom? From God only. He wants to play with Himself. That's all. He wants to become miserable. Who can stop Him? Yeah.

The Devotee's Intoxication and Self-Absorption

So then, he is so full of enthusiasm, he doesn't undertake any activity. All that he wants to do is to remember God.

Three qualifications: Having obtained which, he becomes intoxicated. Intoxication can be used only for one word. What is that? Joy. Intoxicated with joy.

Stabdho bhavati—the vision of God. He becomes stunned, because he doesn't understand, "Can there be anything equal in this world which can stun him?" Doesn't...

Ātmārāma Bhavati

Then ātmārāmo bhavati—he doesn't want to say anything. What is ātmārāma? He is sporting with his own self. Who is his own self? Only God.

So God divides Himself into devotee and then God. Sometimes God becomes the devotee and the devotee becomes God. Sometimes the devotee becomes the devotee and God becomes God. This is called vātsalya bhāva. So all varieties are there—wonderful varieties are there.

Conclusion and Summary

So we summarize in a few classes this one.

Closing Prayer