Pratah Smaranam Lecture 2 on 19 November 2020

Uncorrected machine transcription

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जननीम् सारदाम् देविम् रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहरमुहुहु ।।

Oṃ jananīm sāradām devīm rāmakṛṣṇam jagadgurum |

Pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuhu ||

We are discussing the Prathasmarana Stotram and just in my last class I have given you what is just called an introduction. The most important point of that introduction is these stotras, stutis of several kinds and one of the most important especially that we are supposed to remember chant is early in the morning and we would like to delve deep into it. Adi Shankaracharya has given us many precious gems, beautiful verses for all sadhakas irrespective of country, time etc and these stotras are called Prathasmarana Stotram.

This is not the only one as I mentioned earlier on the Saguna Brahma there are many for example Lalitha Prathasmarana Prathasmarana. Practically Ganesha, Karthikeya, Lakshmi, Saraswati, every imaginable form of God or Goddess. Of course the most memorable nobody can forget especially in South India is Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam and we have one of our senior Swamis Harshanandaji Maharaj has composed a most beautiful hymn, that is, starts with Dharmasyaha nivabhidah paridrishyasi grham Kamaara pushkaraite pratite samruddhe Grame suviprasadane yavijata deva Sri Ramakrishna Bhagavan Tava suprabhatam Suprabhatam means good morning, good morning not only for other people but most importantly for us.

What is the most important suprabhatam? We have to remember what is life, what is our kartavya, duty and what, how we have to achieve it. So this is what we are going to talk about, especially these particular three verses are about Atma tattvam. Pratha smarana, we have to remember.

Atma means not somebody somewhere at a long distance, not in Vaikuntha, not in Kailasa, not in Ramakrishna Loka, but me. Atma means me. Tattvam means truth.

What is the truth about me? Ramakrishna had beautiful sayings, gems with deep meaning. So he says here that everybody in this world is mad. Everybody is mad.

Who is a madman? He who doesn't know who he is, he is a madman. But there are many such mad people who are far superior to who consider themselves as normal people. This is not my statement.

The great psychologist Jung used to say most of normal people I find in life are most normal and those who think they are most normal, they are the most abnormal people in this world. So Ramakrishna's words tally not only from a spiritual standpoint, even from a psychological standpoint also. So we have been studying this Pratha smarana stotram.

Purely it is a nirguna tattvam, which is nothing other than our own true nature. We are going to talk about it. So the first shloka goes like this.

In plain words it means I am the Paramatma and I am not what I think I am in this world, a combination of body and mind, B and M complex. I remember in the morning the self which shines in my heart, which is existence, consciousness and bliss, Chidananda and which is the goal to be attained by the Paramahamsa Sanyasis, which is called the fourth state because it is beyond the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. I am that Brahman which is indivisible and not the aggregate of the five elements, that is ether, air, water, fire and earth.

Now let us discuss one by one Pratha smarana. Early in the morning Pratha. So what does Pratha mean? According to Hindu sages, there are many sacred things in this world, sacred books, sacred people, sacred events, sacred times, sacred places which we call Tirthas.

What is sacred time? It is called Brahmi Mahota, a time of Brahman. What does it mean? It is much easier for anybody to remember God. Why? Because nature aids, helps all of us in making the mind very quiet, provided we fulfil certain conditions.

We eat early and we eat not to the full stomach, we eat what is suitable for us and then we go to bed, not jumping from the TV or internet or email to bed, but doing some japam, reading a beautiful book. You can also watch movies like Little Krishna, anything that makes our mind Godward and spiritual and with calm and quiet mind, if we go early to bed, we can rise early and usually the time between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock, this is called Brahmi Mahota. 5 to until sunrise, it is called Ushah Kaala.

So not only that, Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj, out of his own personal experience, used to tell this Brahmi Mahota differs from place to place. He said in Vrindavan, it is midnight. In Varanasi, it is after 3. Spiritual vibrations will be so deep at that particular time.

Anyplace we can find out a few days of experiment, if we can do, get up at 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock, find out when your mind, observe your mind, watch your mind is most quiet. Don't go by the books. You can take general advice, but don't go by the books.

Find out when you had very nice sleep, refreshing sleep and your mind is extremely calm, but alert at the same time, that is called Ratha Kaala. Also, it is not only Pratha Kaala, every devotee of Ramakrishna remembers early in the evening time. We call it Vesper service, Arathrikam time.

There also we have to remember. In fact, Aasuthehe Aamarana, Aamruthehe Kaalam Nahet Brahmachintaya Until we fall deeply asleep or until death overtakes us, we should strive to remember God. So in the evening Arathrikam time, after putting everything down, then we will have to sit and then remember what? Khandana Bhava Bandhana.

It is the divine Lord who He alone can cut, destroy our bondage. The whole essence of that Arathi hymn, beginning with Khandana Bhava Bandhana, is the very first line, Khandana Bhava Bandhana Vandhi Tomae. The whole world is only looking for it albeit unconsciously, but the whole world salutes because that is the greatest prophet in the world.

So also the greatest prophet in the world is to know who I am. So that is called Prathah Smarami. Smarami means I remember.

Prathah means early in the morning. Early in the morning means when my mind is absolutely quiet. Why am I dwelling on this such a long time? Because for some people 7.30 may be Prathah Kala.

That time may be the most suitable time. So it is not only the external time, but observe your mind when it is quiet and also most alert. That is Prathah Kala.

Smarami, remember. Why? Because we remember I am a man, I am a woman. Now I have to remember consciously with effort until it becomes an automated process.

Remember Sri Ramakrishna. Even though he was such a great soul, he used to at dawn and dusk, he used to clap his hands and take the name of different names of Gods. Ganga, Gaya, Gayatri, Krishna, Govinda, Mama Jeevanam, Mama Pranaha, etc.

It is for whose benefit? Not for his benefit, but to set an example to people like us when Sandhya time. That's why it is called Sandhya Vandana. We are still far away from Sandhya Vandana.

So we have to remember all the time, strive and pray to God. Oh Lord, let me remember you. Let me not forget you.

So what is early morning? Two conditions. Mind is very, very quiet and mind is very alert. At that time, whatever ideas sink in, they will be going deeply and helping us more.

But for different people, the morning could be different countries, different times. At the same time, there are certain general times, which are called meeting of the night and day and day and night. In fact, Hinduism says four times, early in the morning, midday and in the evening after sunset until it becomes dark and at midnight.

I have spoken extensively that the mind changes because we are still creatures of Prakruti, nature. Therefore, the entire Hindu musical system had evolved based upon this, the moods created by the external nature. So we don't sing a particular Raga at any given time, though nowadays people are violating them.

So early in the morning, one particular Raga, may be Bhairava, may be Bhairavi and when the sun gets up, may be Bhimapalasi. Then as the evening approaches, again Bhairavi Raga, Bhairava Raga, Malakosha, then midnight Ragas are there. Not only every day, but every season also, there are songs, Ragas to be sung in the rainy season.

There are songs to be sung at spring season. There are songs to be sung in summer, mid-summer season because nature has tremendous influence upon us. Not only that, when there are supposed to be eclipses, then the mind is supposed to be undergoing a peculiar mood.

This is not a superstition. Swami Vivekananda, when he was in East Bengal, in the house of Naga Mahasaya, an eclipse happened there and there is a rule, one has to eat food either before or after eclipse. There is also something very strange here.

Swami Vivekananda, he was the greatest rationalist in the world and yet he had certain beliefs based not upon superstition or blind, but upon experience. So he believed during the eclipse time, whatever a person does, he gets many fold result and he was lacking sleep. So he thought, I will eat food and I will try to sleep.

Then if I could manage to sleep during the eclipse, then I will get much more sleep in my life. But alas, that is not to be. He could not sleep.

Now my point is, I made deep research on this. I am making fun. Don't take it too seriously.

That since he tried to sleep and failed in it, his failure in sleeping will be a thousand fold more now from now onwards. So this Prathasmarami, early in the morning, what do I remember? Three things. What is Tattva? What is Purushartha? And what is Hita? Remember of course, Tattva is each soul is potentially divine.

So what is the Purushartha? To manifest this goal either by one yoga or the other. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature external and internal. This is called Purushartha, Paramapurushartha.

Hinduism crystal clearly divided life into the preparatory stage and the attaining stage, last stage. What are the preparatory stage? It's called Priya. What is Priya? Dharma, Artha and Kama.

What is Shreya? Only one, Moksha. That's why Hinduism divided life into four categories. That is Brahmacharya, student learning stage, experimental stage, semi-withdrawal stage and total stage of total self-surrender to God called Brahmacharya, Garhastya, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa.

Accordingly, the Vedas are also divided into four categories. What are the four categories? First stage, learn what is Dharma. Means these three things, Tattva, Purushartha and Hita.

Then enter into Grahastasrama. What one has to do? Grahastasrama, perform Nitya, Naimittika, Karyas, etc. Do not do any Nishaya, Karma, etc.

Then you worship God, slowly progress. Then when it comes, Vanaprasthasrama, that is called Aranyaka. Aranya means what Sri Ramakrishna used to call, develop more and more solitary state.

Try to remain by yourself, depending totally upon God and very happily, it's not a punishment, it is a goal, it is a necessary condition for developing, even for creative people like musicians, writers, etc., not to speak of Sadhakas. Of course, the ultimate stage is called Upanishad, which corresponds with the, what is called Sanyasa Ashrama with the sole goal or aim of Moksha. How beautifully our Vedas are divided into these four categories.

So, early morning, we have to remember, but it doesn't mean early morning any number of times because we are likely to forget during the course of the day and that's why in every Ashrama, practically, Vesper service goes on in the churches and in the mosques, everywhere, these evening reminders is there and especially Muslims, they call five times a day. Why? Because in case people forget, so, remember them and that is helpful for all of us also. Then, Pratha Smarana.

Remember. Shravanam Kirtanam Vishnoh. So, we have to, first stage is Shravana.

This Smarana is Shravana. Then only Smarana will come. You go on hearing this kind of hints, then slowly they will go inside.

What comes then? Then comes Smarana. Shravanam Kirtanam Vishnoh. Smarana comes only after trying to remember what we heard about God, about the goal of life.

Then, Hridi Samspurat Atmatatvam. Three words are there. Hridi, Samspurat, Atmatatvam.

Such beautiful meanings are there. We will go through them. So, also remember, even psychologists tell us the power of positive thinking.

A man has written a wonderful book that is Emotional Intelligence. Some other person has written Spiritual Intelligence. So, these are beautiful books based upon deep research, how man can be happy even in this world even if he is not spiritual.

But the funny thing is without being spiritual, not to label it as a spiritual life, but nonetheless living a spiritual life one controls one's mind, emotions, goals, etc. and such a person is likely to be more happy. So, we should remember only positive thoughts.

That's why what do we do when we meet each other? Namaste. Why do we do that? Because I am reminding you. Namaste means Oh man, I am not saluting you.

I am saluting real you, the Lord Narayana who is within you. So, also you do it. When Christians or Westerners meet, they shake hands as a token of friendship, say good morning.

Means what? Let your mind be filled with positive thoughts. So, what are the positive thoughts? We have to only remember our blessings. What are the blessings? We have seen in Vivekachudamani what are the three things are the result of God's greatest grace upon us, three great blessings.

What are they? The human birth and the desire for spiritual progress and favourable circumstances company of the holy. Dullabham Trayamevaitam Devanugrahahetukam Manushyathvam Mumukshathvam Mahapurushasamsayah So, we must remember the goal of human life. Why do we read the gospel every day? Why do we read Gita, etc.? Why do we attend these kind of classes? Only one purpose, for reminding ourselves our goal, etc., which is, what is that goal? Paramahamsagatin Turiyam What beautiful, precious gem-like words.

What is this? Paramahamsagati Each one of us have to reach Gati means the highest state of consciousness the ultimate goal, Paramapurushartha It is also called Turiyam. We will explore these things in future Paramahamsa means a person who had attained, who had become a saint, who had attained Atma Jnana, who is called Brahma Jnani, such a person is called Paramahamsa and every Paramahamsa attains to this state So, what are we talking about? We have to remind ourselves and there are only three ways to remember and attain the goal. So, what is that Smaraami? I remember or I contemplate on the Self, the truth of everything and His pure consciousness called Shuddha Chaitanya.

To count this blessing of my Swaroopam, Atma Swaroopam For this, every scripture and remember the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, the Gospel of Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda's works are nothing but pure Upanishads presented to us in such a simple English or local language So, the scriptures present us three Upayas, we call it. What are they? Shravanam, Mananam and Nididhyasanam So, Shravanam and Mananam is to really feel we are blessed and this is the goal of life and there is no other goal of life. What is Nididhyasanam? Approach a Sadguru get His direction, surrender completely to His teaching Actually, surrendering to the Guru means surrendering to His teaching and not simply falling at His feet and pulling His legs.

As I mentioned once I was in UK one devotee came and I was standing fortunately near a table outside the lecture room and this lady made Sastang Pranams stretched her legs, started pulling my legs so that my legs will touch her head. Instead of bringing her head to my feet she started pulling my legs. Fortunately, I realised the danger, caught hold of the table and saved myself So, surrendering doesn't mean that paying attention to the physical aspect of Guru but who is a Guru? His teaching that means follow His teaching.

He is the best person Ramakrishna illustrates this so beautifully. There was a rich man, he had a garden he had two gardeners one garden goes on praising and another garden never comes to the master but with back breaking work he makes the garden so fruitful Whom do you think the master will be pleased with? So, surrender to the Guru means surrender to the teaching. It doesn't mean you neglect the teacher because the teacher reminds us that's why teacher is given the highest place even better than God's place.

So, that's why we say Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara I have mentioned earlier that there was a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Brindavan and he was extremely harsh towards his disciples and the disciples and you have to remember the presiding deity of Brindavan is not Sri Krishna but Radharani just as the presiding deity of Ramakrishna Sangha is Holy Mother the presiding deity of Varanasi is Mother Annapurna that's why even Shiva had to take a begging bowl and stand in front of her to get Annapurna, Sadapurna but what is the viksha she gives Gnana, Vairagya, Siddhyartham, Viksham, Dehicha, Parvati Annapurna Stotram, please refer to it ok, so to count these greatest blessings to remember then what we need to do, first we have to Shravana, then only Manana then the idea takes deep root in our unconscious mind that is why even Prahlada's nine stepped way a ladder consisting of nine steps Shravanam, Kirtanam Vishnu, first Shravana then Kirtana, what is Kirtana? Manana, it is identified with Manana, then only Smarana will come so the Shravana Manana is there to make this idea go deep within our minds, that is why early in the morning we chant as I mentioned Sri Ramakrishna Tava Suprabhatam, Sri Saratheshwari Tava Suprabhatam Swami Vivekananda's also Tava Suprabhatam etc, so this counting this blessing should be done in the morning, why? because generally the mind is more calm more alert after deep sleep relaxation etc and do not forget that certain conditions to be able to sleep without fulfilling those conditions you can have nightmares or disturbing sleep, the result is early in the morning you do not feel ok, you carry on with the help of a black cup of coffee etc, that's not desirable, we must get up happily looking forward to jump into the days, when is the day going to start? Joyfully that is possible only if we fulfill those conditions, that's why it is said Brahmi Muhurta, what is Brahmi? When remembering God becomes much easier than before, therefore we have several Prathas, Smarana Stotras like Lalita Stotra, Prathas, Smarana Shiva, Vishnu and all sorts of things are there but one particular Stotram is extremely liking, it is called Govinda Damodara Madhaveti I don't remember who composed it but this is a beautiful Stotram, very less known but the idea is early in the morning Gopis in Vrindavan, they get up and after washing and finishing the ablutions what do they do? They were all cow headdresses, they have put the milk to make it into butter or curds, then they take up in a pot, they have to churn the butter at that time all the Gopis will be doing this Govinda Damodara Madhaveti with every Shloka so beautiful, there is no end we are so rich in all these things, let us remember it and finally Khandana Bhava Bandhana, so then where to remember, where is the place is it in the mind, is it outside or which part of the body, that's why it is good, Hridi Prathah Smarami Hridi Hridi means heart very often in the Upanishads we get this one, Hridi is in the heart as a symbol of cave, so we get in the Katha Upanishad, just now we have finished it, the very 17th, the penultimate mantra in the 6 sections of this Katha Upanishad Angushta Matraha Purushaha Antaratma Sada Jananam Hridaye Sannivishtaha, so where is this Atman, Jananam Hridaye, in the hearts of the people always Sada Sannivishtaha it is not that he has some time, every time you go there, he will be there and he is there, so that you can conveniently contemplate upon him, not as Arjuna gets frightened Angushta Matraha, why Angushta after hearing the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna got frightened, but when you see a ferocious Saint Bernard or an Alsatian dog, I am sure your heart will break, but there are very cute, small dogs are there they are even smaller than cats and with that soulful eyes when they look at you, you will lose your heart forever and will you get frightened about it, that's why Angushta Matraha means that contemplation of the divine form which will invoke in you no fear absolutely and the greatest joy and he is always available so this Atma Tattvam is always with us where, in our Hridaya and it is hidden deeply in the cave of our own hearts, Nihitam Gohayam, Hridi heart is the cave, the deepest recess of your own being that's really this ultimate being, you have to be very cautious in not allowing this thought to slip out at any time, namely your deepest recess of existence cannot be outside the deepest recess of the cosmos Sri Ramakrishna says the heart is the drying room where we meet the rich person or Jamindar so this is what we have to understand it, Hridi is the best place, once a devotee asks Sri Ramakrishna, this comes in the gospel, says sir, what is the best place to think of God why? so the most marvelous place is Desh Jayega, in Bengali this is the Hridaya why Hridaya? I remember something, I have to share it with you even some of you might know about it Swami Virajanandaji was the direct disciple of Holy Mother and he was a man of contemplation, even he created in that Mayavati that was not sufficiently solitary enough, he built a place called Shyamalathala Shyamalathap it is called and most of the time he used to go and meditate after several years he had got what is called migraine headache and he had to come down to Belur Math he asked Swami Brahmanandaji and Brahmanandaji Maharaj knew the trouble but to increase his Guru Bhakti he asked you go and meet your Guru, Holy Mother so of course with greatest joy he went into Holy Mother and he entered into the room Holy Mother had one look said Baba where are you meditating that means in the body where is your concentration is it in the what is called Sahasrara or Ajna Chakra in the forehead, he said in the forehead, my son only highly evolved few souls should meditate there it is completely wrong I don't know who instructed you to do this just for a few days stop meditation otherwise the old Samskara will come up and then joyfully she started cooking and feeding and making him very happy after few days that migraine headache totally disappeared then she told him meditate always in the heart so Swami Brahmanandaji used to say if you meditate on the forehead many people are likely to get headache and they become headache to others and they become the greatest headache to God himself and Guru himself because they don't know what they are doing very briefly I will explain to you what is the psychology behind it see in this body so much of blood is flowing and if any part of the body becomes injured immediately there would be pain, pain is the mind reminding us there is something wrong here you must attend it to it immediately and there blood gathers so when blood gathers it has two purposes first of all it washes away all the germs which are not travelling from China they are there all around us the moment they get one small opportunity immediately they try to rush it immediately the blood will flow what is it doing? it is not doing danger to us it is washing away like we wash dirt with water all the germs and then second function is it completely seals that area which forms a scab in course of time what is the point to remember not the scab but wherever the mind goes blood flow increases so if we start to meditate upon the stomach that's what happens when we are hungry we are reminded of the stomach you say you are hungry which part of the body your mind is stuck in it generally this if you have a very what is called erotic feeling then the organs appropriate organs they are swelling with blood etc they are all right for that particular purpose this is only to illustrate somebody without getting qualification without able to control the mind starts to think anything not only of God but concentrating in the forehead that will create blood flow will come and then if the person is not able to control it then migraine will be natural result so Brahmanandji said heart is the place and physically immediately the heart the physical heart affects and then what happens when the blood gathers its natural function to distribute this blood throughout the world that is how this psychological condition psychologically psychosomatic affect can be controlled Hridaya that is the place to remember God that is why most of our Upanishads where to think of God Hridaya that's why Sri Ramakrishna said every word of Sri Ramakrishna is very very precious for us that's why he says that rich man can be anywhere but usually he is found in the drawing room what is that drawing room our hearts so samspurat atmatattvam samspurati spurati the most beautiful word spurati means something is shining all by itself swayam prakasha like light even the external lights the sun, the moon the fire, the candle light, even the speech etc. they are all external lights but they must be an internal light to recognize the external lights so that is why to remind us everyday we are singing what are we singing jyothira jyothi the light of the lights ujjvala hridikandra oh lord reveal yourself as the light of lights in the recess of hridaya kuhara and here I have to tell you something very very important when we are studying the Upanishads we come across to see anything there must be space akasha you see a tree it is in akasha you see a house it is in akasha this is called bahya akasha external space similarly to find out thoughts in the mind there must be an akasha because every thought is an object what is an object whatever the subject experiences is an object so I am experiencing the object in the mind I am happy, I am unhappy I am rich, I am poor I am healthy, I am famous etc. all these thoughts are crystal clear objects in the mind therefore there must be for us to experience those objects there must be an akasha space what is that akasha it is called chitta akasha don't say chitta akasha chitta akasha chitta means mind then for thinking of god because god is sat chit ananda god cannot be really thought in the chitta akasha god has provided us another akasha and that is called chitta akasha don't confuse with chitta akasha the external sense organs function in the bahya akasha the mind functions in the mind space which is called chitta akasha and the spiritual thoughts meditation in the advanced stages functions only in the chitta akasha and that chitta akasha is called hridaya chitta akasha is called the gufa so so many names are there there this atman is shining as I said sphurati how is it doing it sphurati means automatically nobody need light it up in fact it is the one which makes us recognize every lighted object so that jyoti jyoti light of the light it is always shining there how sam sphurat by itself and that is called consciousness chaitanya and that is called sat chit ananda so what is it doing there s c i v s puranam in the dakshina murthy stotram actually when we study dakshina murthy stotram we get this prathasmana stotram is an essence of this dakshina murthy stotram so what is it telling in the third shloka of the dakshina murthy stotram he by whose light this unreal universe is lighted up and appears as real that is called s c i v s puranam in the seventh shloka so beautifully it is said avasthasu api vyavruttasu anuvartamanam aham iti antahas purantham sada aham aham me in jagradhavastha waking state me I am the waker in dream state I am the dreamer in deep sleep state I am the sleeper so there are special names for this in the advaita vedanta technological terms what is it called vishwa thaijasa and prajna so what is telling I was in the dream state I was in deep sleep state I am in the waking state did you notice this grammar you cannot talk about dream as well as deep sleep I am in dream state you don't talk I am in deep sleep that means you are not in deep sleep but you can't talk I was in the waking state that you cannot talk you will have to talk only in the present tense I am in the waking state so find out where are you now so svatmanam prakati karoti this what is this in the hridaya kohara this bal yadishu in the childhood in youth in middle age old age until death what is telling I I was a child I was an adolescent I was youth I was middle age I was old age etc similarly jagrat swapna sushupti sarvasu api avastasu what is it doing I am the waker I am the dreamer I am the sleeper all the time that I never disappears the states will change states of the conditions of the body will change but that I never changes so svatmanam prakati karoti bhajatam yo mudraya bhadraya rasmai sri gurumurthaye namaidam sri dakshinamurthaye very interesting word bhadraya mudraya so that most wonderful mudra you know what is mudra that is various parts of the body are joined together of all these things one mudra is the greatest that is called gnanamudra so if you look at gnanamudra it is also alternatively called chin mudra chit means gnanamudra you can see the thumb and index finger are joined together the other three fingers they are separate what does it mean for a non realized soul that index finger indicates jivatma the thumb represents paramatma the other three fingers represent consecutively the waking state the dream state and the deep sleep state when a person through sadhana can separate saying I am not the waker I am not the dreamer I am not the sleeper then who am I? then that is called joining the index finger with the thumb then the other three will not disappear but he knows I am not the body I am not the mind I am not the karana sharira also this is called bhadraya bhadra mudra bhadra means that which saves a person is the safest place to live that is called tasmai sri gurumurthaye nama idam sri dakshinamurthaye so we come to the next sat chit sukham paramahamsagatim turiyam there are five words are here sat chit sukham paramahamsagatim and turiyam beautiful words as if he picked up the very essence ho shankaracharya the essence of all the scriptures not only hindu scriptures but whether they are christian bible or tripitaka or koran so what is it? the goal to be attained by the paramahamsa sanyasis which is called sat chit ananda and it is done through the discrimination between real and unreal and this is the highest state this is called paramahamsagati and it is called turiyam those who have studied the three states waking and dream and deep sleep and apart from that that other state is called turiyam but turiyam is not a fourth state though many times it is translated as the fourth state the moment we say fourth we have to remember three, two, one that would lead us to very wrong conclusion so that adhishtana substratum without which that waking, dream deep sleep cannot take place what is that substratum? I am in the waking state I was in the dream state I was in the deep sleep state what was changing? waking, dream and deep sleep what was not changing? I, so the three states from birth to death waking, dream, dreamless are continuously going on not only at particular periods of time but very often at all periods of time is going on you have been listening for almost 50 minutes now and how many times you have gone to America to Australia, to India how many times you have forgotten what was that state you were dreaming if only I win this lottery ticket wonderful, how many times your mind has gone blank that is called dreamless state and again now and then coming back and say ok Swamiji is still there and he is continuing all the time so the goal to be attained by these great Paramahamsas we would put it the other way one who attained that goal he is called Paramahamsa and what is that goal? it is called Turiyam Turiyam means the Adhishtana substratum which is nothing but me, I I in the waking state I in the dream state as well as I in the dreamless state what is my nature? here Sat, Chit and Sukha means Anandam here instead of Anandam uses the word Sukha Sat means, Swami Vivekananda translated existence absolute Chit means knowledge absolute Anandam means bliss absolute absolute means what? that which doesn't have any manifestation existence without manifestation, knowledge without manifestation and bliss without manifestation that is the true nature of God we will finish today's talk with one reminder which I will expand day after tomorrow if God permits so it is this, this is one of the most interesting means of teaching the disciples so the Vedanta scriptures especially Upanishads adopt two methodologies the first one is what is called Tatastha Lakshana to describe Brahman or real me and the second is called Swaroopa Lakshana Tatastha means something accidentally is there, so for example you go to a colony where there are hundred houses exactly the same you want to meet someone whom you know and you do not know which is the right house, then you ask somebody and he says look there is a red cloth hanging for drying and that is the house you are seeking, so that hanging of the red cloth is only very accidental because after one hour the red cloth may be replaced by no cloth or green cloth or a crow is sitting there this is called Tatastha Lakshana Lakshana means Lakshayate Lakshayati Iti Lakshanaha by which we come to know definitely this is this, that is called Lakshana characteristic, this is called Sat, Chit and Ananda or Srishti Stithi Laya, creation as well as maintenance, as well as destruction are called Tatastha Lakshanas, whereas Sat Chit Ananda, they are called Swaroopa Lakshanas, what is Swaroopa and what is Lakshana It is a beautiful intellectual topic, not only interesting, it sharpens our brain and we will talk about it in our next class.

Oṃ jananīm sāradām devīm rāmakṛṣṇam jagadgurum |

Pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuhu ||

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