Purusha Suktam Lecture 02 on 01-June-2023

Full Transcript

We have started studying this most marvelous Suktam called Purusha Suktam. I mentioned earlier that different sects do not chant merely one Suktam. What is called Pancha Suktam, meaning five Suktams. But in South India, especially in the Vaishnava community, the Pancha Suktams are slightly different. Naturally, Vaishnavas include what is called related to Vishnu. What are the Suktams? Purusha Suktam, Narayana Suktam, Sri Suktam, Bhu Suktam, and Neela Suktam.

And this Purusha Suktam specialty is practically seen in all the Vedas. That is why it is considered the very essence of the Vedas. And this Suktam, what is it about? It is everything to do with Purusha. That is why it is called Purusha Suktam. And this equation is famously given in Tat Tvam Asi Aham Brahma Asmi. What does it mean?

The scriptures of Hinduism are called Vedas. And these Vedas—Veda is only one but divided by Veda Vyasa into four categories. First actually, there were only three: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda. That is why they are called three Vedas. And accordingly, Brahmadeva also is depicted as having three faces. But later on, a great Rishi had come. His name was Atharvana, and he became very popular. So, there was no choice but to add all his discoveries also into the Vedic literature. So it came to be Atharvana Veda, the fourth Veda.

So now, whenever you see Brahma having four faces, but personification, imagery of knowledge that is obtained in the four Vedas as Brahma. Moreover, it is also said creation, sustenance, and dissolution take place because of the Vedas, Vedic knowledge. That's why even Brahma, he created a mold as it were, and once he prepared the mold, every time he pours the raw material which is himself into that mold, which is called this world, creation. Everything created is nothing but himself because there is nothing besides him.

That is why an important Vedic concept, Vedantic concept is Abhinna Nimitta Upadana Karana. Who is God? He is both the intelligent cause and the material cause of this entire universe. But at the same time, he can also be thought about not as a cause but as a non-cause. He is the Karya effect; he is the Karana, the cause; he is Karana Karya Atheetha, and that is what Advaita Vedanta wants to emphasize. So that idea, there is no actual creation, it is only seeming creation.

To indicate this, the Upanishads, essence of the Vedas are stating this truth that there is nothing excepting Brahman. Of course, this concept, understanding can be done only by conscious beings, living beings. Of all conscious beings, not by everybody but only by human beings. Of all human beings, only the highly evolved human being can really understand this concept. So that is why it is called Mahavakya, the greatest piece of knowledge. How many Mahavakyas are there? Plenty of Mahavakyas are there.

Why am I talking about Mahavakya while talking about Purusha Sukta? Because Purusha Sukta is nothing but an elaboration of Mahavakya practically with every sentence. Every sentence, every line is only speaking of this Mahavakya. But because of our poor memory, some wise sages have selected from each Veda only one Mahavakya.

In fact, there is a funny story, a very ancient story. So this God had created or manifested Himself as the Vedas, and these Vedas are practically infinite. And He commanded man, having created, "I have created a manual for you; you go and study." And then the man looked, the manual, part 1, part 2, part 3 is filling like this a thousand football stadiums filled from the basement to the ceiling only with these Vedas. That is why it is called Vedas are Ananta, not only Apaurushaya, but also Ananta.

So who was the creator? Supposed to be Brahmadeva, Creator. So he ran and said, "Did you not say that you created a manual for me?" "Yes, of course, but my life is short, my buddhi is very small, how am I going to understand or even to read, it will take billions of years, let alone understand." Brahma said, "That is true, I never thought about it, nobody told me about it, thank you very much." So he took up what is called a big mixie and put all the Vedic knowledge and then spread it out, and it came out in the form of the three Vedas earlier, Varsha, and he gave.

That was even too much. The man took one look and said, "I don't have time even to study part of one, let alone three." So what did he do? "You please summarize it, simplify it for me." So Brahma looked at the man, understood, what did he understand? The man is intelligent, I am stupid, I am putting such a huge burden on this child who cannot understand, I should have understood him. So he put again each one of the Vedas, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda into the mixie, and it is Brahma's created mixie. So it squeezed better than a short GPT file and out came Bhuh, Bhuvaha, Suvaha. Bhuho, these are called Mahavyahrtis and he said to the man, "Look what a nice job I have done; you are not congratulating me."

The man looked at him and said, "This Bhu is the root cause of our Bhool. I cannot remember all those things. Can you not make it simple?" Brahma hewed a sign of despair and put each one of them—Bhuh, Bhuvaha, and Suvaha—squeezed the juice out of it, and came out with Akara, Okara, and Makara. Will this do? The man happily said, "Yes, this is manageable; I can deal with it. So, thank you very much; you have done a marvelous job. Even without my complaint, you should have thought about it first. That is why, while we are chanting the Gayatri Mantra, we start with Om and elaborate it into Bhuh, Bhuvaha, Suvaha."

By the way, that is not part of the Gayatri Mantra at all. Gayatri Mantra, the real Gayatri, is a meter, is a Chandas. The rule is, it must have three lines, and each line must have eight letters. In total, there should be 24 letters. So, this is called Gayatri Chandas, like Anustubh Chandas, etc. "Om Bhur Bhuva Suvaha" is only to understand the essence but not reality. "Tatsavitur Varenyam" is supposed to be from Rig Veda, "Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi" is from Yajur Veda, "Diyo Yonaha Prachodayat" is from Sama Veda. They are all one, actually.

So, what is the meaning? Three important words, Vidmahe, Dhimahe, Prachodayat. Our life is broken, full of suffering. So, we want to become eternal, infinite, and you are eternal, infinite. By knowing that only one infinity, one eternity can be there, all our problems will be solved. For that purpose, we have to do Sadhana. But for Sadhana, we must have a very keen desire. That desire is expressed in the form of Vidmahe, that Mumukshutvam, that intense yearning, that is called, that is expressed as Vidmahe. And then what shall we do? Only your grace can reveal because who can reveal God? Only God can reveal God. Our ancients understood it. So Dhimahe, we surrender ourselves to you. Only when we surrender, then you will take over, not otherwise. This is called Dhimahe. If 100% self-surrender is achieved, then he will take over; that is called Prachodayat, that is his Ahamkara, which is ruling our personality until now, is totally sacrificed. That is called Bali in common parlance. And when we succeed in trying to get rid of it, most of it, really we cannot do it, only God's grace can do it. Then that last bit can be removed only by God, and He will remove. If we do the rest of the work, He will remove that last impossible task, and then He will be succeeded. That is the realization, Aham Brahmasmi; that is the person's separation is completely gone.

So again, why am I talking about Mahavakyas? There are four Mahavakyas, Tattvamasi, Aham Brahmasmi, Prajnanam Brahma, Ayam Atma Brahma, in the Mandukya Upanishad. The very second mantra tells us Ayam Atma Brahma. So what is the purport of this Purusha Suktam or Narayana Suktam or any Suktam for that matter? It is to say, the purpose is to know that who am I? As Ramana Bhagwan used to say, "Find out who you are." So what is the purport of any Mahavakya? It is transcending the Having mode into Being mode. Every sadhana starts with the Having mode, ends up with the Being mode. Every experience is a sadhana, in fact. Supposing you have a desire to eat a sweet; this is called Having mode. The desire starts with an activity, how to acquire, how to possess that sweet. This is called having mode. But possessing will not do; it has to be used, whether it is food or money or a house or a car or a refrigerator, anything. Possession will not help; it should be used.

So, in this example of mine, you get the Rasagulla; still you are in the having mode. Then you take it, and you are hungry also, offer it to God perhaps if you are a devotee and you eat it. What happens when you eat? The distinction between the subject and the object, experiencer and the experienced, it completely disappears. Only one thing remains; that is called Mahavakya. So even in ordinary affairs, it is so, but there is a difference. That is what I am going to give as an introduction so that we understand what is the real purport of any Suktam, especially I elaborated it in the Narayana Suktam. Narayana Suktam is a Mahavakya. What is the Mahavakya? Sarvam Kalvidam Narayanaha; everything is Narayana. What is the purport of Purusha Suktam? Sarvam Kalvidam Purushaha; what does the Upanishads say? What do they say? Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma, but there are steps there that we need to follow.

So, there was one marvelous author; he was a social psychologist, he studied societies. His name is Eric Fromm, and he wrote many brilliant books. One of them is "To Be or To Have," and really brilliantly he analyzes our constitution and says, man is madly running after having more, never trying to enter into being more. That is the problem which very few people understand. Our ancient Rishis understood, the Rishis of any religion have understood. That is the meaning of God realization; it means Being mode. God is somewhere; it is a Having mode. Being mode means I am God; that is called Being mode. Swamiji brilliantly brings out this idea. So many people claim we are religious, but for them, the meaning of religion is just like having a society lady as a beautiful nose ring. She has got fancy dress, she has got a beautiful house, and she has what is called her own special God. That possession, 'I have a God,' is only having mode. And some of them are so mad really; they quarrel with each other. "My psychologist, my psychiatrist is more famous, better psychiatrist than your psychiatrist, so who requires a better psychiatrist, they don't have the brain to understand unless you are terribly mad, you don't require; an ordinary psychologist would do." So, I have a psychologist, I have a husband, I have a God, I have a house, I have a car, I have a religion. What is this mode? This is called having mode, but what is spirituality? Moving from having mode to being mode. 'I have a God' is fine to begin with, but I am God, is the culmination of being mode. So, if you have time, and if you are sufficiently interested to know, please go through this book, at least the essential points of it, by Eric Fromm, E-R-I-C-F-R-O-M-M, To Be or To Have. So how does this work in spiritual life?

I am presenting this as an introduction because it is a brilliant opening. How does this work out in our day-to-day life? First, stop looking outward. Second, start looking inward. Third, purify the buddhi. How? Through Medha Suktam; surrender to the Divine Mother. Fourth, change the looking glass, the buddhi. Progress is not going or gaining but removing the wrong notion and recovering the right notion. "Smritir labdha, nashto mohaha, smritir labdha, tvat prasadat maheshwara." Arjuna categorically replies to Krishna. So, this is cognitive changing. It is not gaining something but recovering the right smriti, which is called spiritual progress. Then slowly, see the Divine inside because a person can see what He is. Yatheshwara and Maharaj, my Guru, used to say something very, very nice. They used to say, every person's concept of God depends upon his concept about himself. If a person thinks, "I am a wretched fellow," then God is worse than that. If somebody is a depressed fellow, his God will be the most depressed. If somebody is a cruel fellow, his God or Goddess will be a cruel God or Goddess. This is called tribal mentality. So first, let us change the inside. That is done through the prayer to Medha Devi. That is why Medha Suktam is the first Suktam I have taken. See the Divine inside and through that prism, let us see everything; whatever we see, Divine outside everywhere. This is the Purusha Suktam. So that is, see God everywhere.

And I will bring relevant examples from Shri Ramakrishna's vision. Let us take a living example. There was a great devotee of Shri Ramakrishna, a widow called Gopala's mother. How did she progress? First of all, through 33 years of unbroken Japam, she had attained Ishta Nishta. Especially, Shri Ramakrishna used to say, every Sadhaka, every aspirant must adopt a particular Bhava. "I am a servant," "I am a friend," "I am a child," "I am the parent," or "I am beloved." These are called Shanta, Dasya, Sakya, Vatsalya, and Madhura Bhavas.

So, through unbroken remembrance of prayers, Saranagati, for 33 years, this widow's life has been centered around only her Gopala. What is her Bhava? Matru Bhava. Matru means Vatsalya Bhava. She is the mother, and God is the child, like Kausalya, like Yashoda. After 33 years, God brought her to Shri Ramakrishna. The moment she came, she felt an inalienable attraction. Very soon, sitting early morning, she had a vision of Gopala crawling all over her, as she was thinking of Gopala.

Why should we say that she had a vision of Gopala? If you think of God as Rama, Rama will come. If you think of Kali, Kali will come. If you think of Christ, Christ will come. That is how we have to think. The next day, she came running to Dakshineswar. Slowly, the expansion of the inner vision—this Gopala started entering into Shri Ramakrishna and coming out, making even Gopala's mother understand, "My Gopala means My God." Remember, when Gopala's mother is thinking of Krishna as her child, she is not thinking like any mother thinking of her beloved child because the mother knows, "I am a limited being, my child also is a limited being." But Gopala's mother is thinking about God. Her purified mind knew that God is the only substance, and I am also none other than God. It is not expressed in that way, but it started expressing in the form of having a vision.

What is a vision? A continuous, constant, purified thought taking a concrete form is called a vision. First, she had a vision of Gopala. Still, that Dvaita Bhava was there. Then this Gopala started entering into Shri Ramakrishna's body. This is the third stage. The first stage is Ishta Nishta. The second stage is vision. The third stage is seeing Gopala, expanding Gopala not only in that vision but in the living creature called Shri Ramakrishna. The fourth stage. Then this Gopala made her understand that I am not only in Shri Ramakrishna but also in others.

So, in the prominent disciples, devotees of Shri Ramakrishna, especially the future monastic members like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Brahmananda, Narendra, Tarak, Rakhal, etc., her vision slowly extended from an inside vision to the outside. When she looks inside, that is called Gopala. When she looks outside, that is also Gopala. Finally, after a few months, according to her reminiscences, she attended a chariot festival, Rathotsava, in a place called Panihate. On that day, she said, "I had a universal vision like Arjuna had." Unlike Arjuna, she accepted everything joyfully. From then onwards, she started seeing God everywhere—Sarvam kalvidam Brahma. Instead of using the word Brahma, she used to say, "I am Gopala." So her name had become, "She who could see Gopala everywhere," that is Gopala's mother.

This is how progress happened in her case. Now, use your intelligence and imagination; apply this to Shri Ramakrishna, apply this to any saint, and say everybody has to go through the same process. This is the pattern of spiritual progress for every seeker, regardless of religion, yoga, or philosophical system they claim to follow. The important point is, once again, I am coming back to having mode and being mode.

So, what is the mode of worldly people? Preyas. Preyas is having mode. But slowly, they will progress and enter into Shreyas mode. What is Shreyas? It is being mode. "I have" is having mode. "I am" is being mode. Religion is having mode. Spirituality is being mode. Bhoga is having mode. Yoga is being mode. This is what Purusha Suktam wants to tell us crystal clearly.

So, what does this Purusha Suktam talk about? It talks about Brahman in both Saguna and Nirguna aspects. This is what Shri Ramakrishna continuously talked about. I culled some of his teachings, very important teachings, and I am going to present them here. These are all the sayings of Shri Ramakrishna. Existence, knowledge, bliss absolute is one and only one, but it is associated with different limiting adjuncts due to the different degrees of its manifestation. That is why one finds various forms of God. A devotee sings, "Oh my Divine Mother, Thou art all these. Wherever you see actions like creation, preservation, and dissolution, there is the manifestation of Shreya. Water is water, whether it is calm or full of waves and bubbles. The absolute alone is the primordial energy that creates, preserves, and destroys. Thus, it is the same, Captain, whether he remains inactive or performs his worship or pays a visit to the Governor General. Only we designate him by different names depending upon his activities."

In the same state, Shri Ramakrishna said, addressing the devotees, "That which is Brahman is verily Shakti. I address that again as the Mother. I call it Brahman when it is inactive and Shakti when it creates, preserves, and destroys. It is like water, sometimes still, sometimes covered with waves. Incarnation of God is a part of the Leela of Shakti," and Shri Ramakrishna continues, "He and his power, Brahman and its power, nothing else exists but this."

In a hymn to Rama, Narada once said, "O Rama, you are Shiva and Sita is Bhagawati. You are Brahma and Sita is Brahmani. You are Indra, Sita is Indrani. You are Narayana, Sita is Lakshmi. O Rama, you are the symbol of all that is masculine and Sita of all that is feminine." This primal power, Mahamaya, has covered Brahman. What is Shri Ramakrishna saying? This primal power, Mahamaya, in our case, is manifesting as the mind, in the form of the mind. The mind is Maya. What is the mind? Time, space, and causation. What is Maya? Time, space, and causation. So, this Mahamaya has covered Brahman. Covered means what? It is like looking through a colored glass. Suppose you have a yellow colored glass. Usually, if a person develops a disease called jaundice, it is said he sees everything as yellow. As soon as the covering is withdrawn, one realizes, "I am what I was before. I am thou, thou art I. God alone is true. His manifestations as living beings and the world, Jeevan Jagat, are untrue in the sense of non-eternal."

We have to be very alert. When we say "untrue," it means non-existence, outside Brahman, other than Brahman. No, it means when we see through a moving prism, the unmoving appears to be moving. Our perception of the unmoving, because of the prism of our mind, that is called Nitya. But whatever we are experiencing is nothing but God only. We have to be very careful because so many times casual reading of this word "Maya" and "Mithya" can bring terrible misunderstanding.

So, the same personal deity known also as Ishwara, Maya, and Shakti. When the Supreme Being, Ramakrishna continues, when the Supreme Being is thought of as actionless, neither creating, sustaining, nor destroying, I call him by the name of Brahman or Purusha. But when I think of him as active, creating, sustaining, and destroying, I call him by the name of Shakti or Maya or Prakruti. It's a very interesting statement. Every activity, whatever we do, whatever anybody does, falls under how many categories? Creation, sustenance, and dissolution.

A simple example: You are hungry, you want to eat food. So you create food; you prepare food or you buy food, but for buying, you have to work hard. It all falls under creation. Then what do you do? You keep it, and especially if you are keeping it in the refrigerator, that is called sustaining. And afterward, when it goes out of the power of sustenance, what will you do? Destroy. Every time you eat food, you have any one of the five sense organs; it is called Annam. Only we don't call it all the time Annam. Only what the tongue tastes, the mouth tastes, that is called Annam. But no, everything is Annam. The whole universe is nothing but Annam and Anadaha. Annam, food, and the eater of the food or experiencer and what is experienced, subject and what is called object. This is what Sri Ram Krishna is trying to tell. Don't think that all the Ishta Devatas, Gods and Goddesses are creations, but they are the manifestations of the same Brahman. That manifestation is dependent not upon Brahman but upon my mind.

"If we can understand this simple fact, we can live in enmity, brotherhood, and we can help each other. But if you think objectively there is a God and one God is superior to another God and fight, kill or convert, this is called tribal mentality. As Swami Vivekananda used to say, we are far from tribal mentality. We are all tribals only. That means we have not evolved much. If anybody says my religion is superior, he is a tribal living 50,000 years back. He has not progressed one iota in buddhi.

Now coming back to the same Purusha Suktam. Purusha is what every Upanishad is talking about. Dvaha, Suparna, Sayuja, Sakaya, Samanam, Ruksham, PariSshasva Jate in the Katha Upanishad or in the Bhagavad Gita, which is nothing but the essence of all the Upanishads. So in the 15th chapter, At the end, this Lord says, I am Uttama Purusha. So, I am superior to Kshara, I am superior to Akshara, and I transcend both Kshara and Akshara.

That Purusha, we have already seen but any number of times we have to remember what is the meaning of Purusha? Purusha is not a male human being. Purusha means, there are many meanings are there. I will give you two meanings, many etymological meanings. Purushayate iti Purushaha, he who is animating within every personality, body, mind complex, he is called Purusha. Second meaning is Purayati Sarvam iti Purushaha, he who pervades everything, he who is everywhere and what is known as the Jagat or Vishvam, that is Purusha. That is why before uttering the word Vishnu, the word Vishwam comes first in the Vishnu Sahasranama.

So, this is the essence of the 15th chapter. So that is the Purusha we are talking about, and Bhagavad Gita is much later but the idea has been taken from the Rig Veda itself. So, Narayana in his form as Parama Purusha, Purushottama, Virat Purusha, he is the source of all creation, means he is Brahman. He is also Shakti, he is Nirguna Brahman, he is also Saguna Brahman, and this is what every Suktam practically wants to tell us.

So what is the benefit? A person who realizes everything as God, he will become Anandamaya Purusha, Paramananda. Even he transcends what is called Anandamaya Kosha. Etam Anandamayam Atmanam Upasankramati, just as the same person transcends Etam Annamayam Atmanam Upasankramati, Etam Manomayam Atmanam Upasankramati, Etam Anandamaya Atmanam Upasankramati. What is the source? Taittriya Upanishad. This is the state of a realized soul, but he can come back, just as Shri Ramakrishna says, nobody can go inside the inner house, but a prince, a child of the king can go outside, can rush inside, he has access. A Jeevan Mukta has access to both Nitya and Leela. That's what Shri Ramakrishna was commanded by the Divine Mother, Bhava Mukhe Thakur. Always live in the mood, either sometimes as Nitya, sometimes as Leela, but never anything else. There are only two states.

So, to know the Purushottama is all, he is the Karana, he is the cause, he is the Srishti kartha, he is the Srishti Karya as well, and he is both Karana, Karya, Atheeta, he is beyond Karya, Karana, everything. This is the meaning, Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma, Sarvam Kalvidam Narayanaha, Sarvam Kalvidam Purushaha. So, this is the essence, if you have heard this essence, you have grasped not only the essence of Purusha Suktam, but every Suktam and every Upanishad teaching, every Upanishad, every Gita, every scripture in the world.

Then don't go on dancing, this will be the last time I will be attending the class, I got the essence because very soon you will forget. It has to be yours, what you get is information, but when you do Sadhana, it will become knowledge. There is a huge gap between information and knowledge. Information remains only information. As Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj used to often give the quotation of somebody else about modern education. Modern education is that mysterious process by which all information passes from the notebooks of the professors on to the notebooks of the students without passing the brains of either. This is not what is wanted.

That is why whether it is the story of Satyakama Jabala, or it is the story of Sukadeva, or it is the story of Swami Vivekananda, it is all this evolution from the having mode to the being mode. That is very important. I have a God is good, but I am God in the only realization, final realization. So like any other Suktams, Upanishads, Vedas, this Purushottama is also a traditional Shanti Patha about which we have discussed in our last class, but it is well worth to recollect it.

The meaning of Shanti Mantra is as follows:

Om Thachmyo Ravrunimahe Gathum Yagnaya Gathum Yagna Pathaye:

• "Om" is the universal sound, representing the essence of the ultimate reality, Brahman.
• "Thachmyo Ravrunimahe": We meditate upon and adore the divine light of self-awareness.
• "Gathum Yagnaya": May we be led to the divine through selfless acts, sacrifice, and service.
• "Gathum Yagna Pathaye": May we be led to the divine path of sacrifice.

Daivee Swasthi Rasthu na:

• "Daivee Swasthi": May there be divine well-being.
• "Rasthu na": Let it be for us.

Swasthir Manushebhyaha:

• "Swasthir": Well-being.
• "Manushebhyaha": For all humans.

Urdhwa Jigathu Beshajam:

• "Urdhwa Jigathu": May there be upward growth.
• "Beshajam": Of that which heals.

Sam no Asthu Dwipadhe Sam chatushpade:

• "Sam no Asthu": May there be for us.
• "Dwipadhe": In beings with two feet (humans).
• "Sam chatushpade": In beings with four feet (animals).

Om Shanti, shanti, Shantihi!:

• "Om Shanti": May there be peace in the physical world.
• "Shanti": Peace in the mental world.
• "Shantihi": Peace in the celestial world.

This is brought out beautifully in 3rd chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad, particularly the Brugavalli (or Ananda Valli), it's indeed a profound text describing the journey of a seeker approaching a Guru. The seeker, after completing the study of the first two Vallis (sections) of the Upanishad, approaches the teacher for the knowledge of Brahman.

This story emphasizes the significance of having a qualified spiritual teacher (Guru) for gaining the knowledge of the ultimate reality (Brahman). The seeker's earnestness, humility, and sincerity play a crucial role in the process of learning.

The journey from the material world to the spiritual realm is beautifully depicted, and the teacher imparts the knowledge of Brahman in response to the sincere inquiry of the seeker.

The Taittiriya Upanishad, in general, is a treasure trove of philosophical insights and practical guidance, and the Brugavalli is particularly rich in its teachings on the nature of reality and the path to spiritual realization.

Then what is the first truth? I cannot really teach because Brahman cannot be described directly, but he can be described indirectly. And what did he say? "My son, life starts from God, life continues, life is a travel from God; this is called evolution. And again, we are going back to God; that is called evolution. When we reach God, that is the end of this journey." So, we started the journey with involution, the end of the journey with final evolution, which is not only to have a human birth but to know Sarvam—not only Aham Brahmasmi but Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma.

And further purpose, my body should be healthy, my mind should be healthy, my environment should be healthy; there should be no obstacles in any form whatsoever. And it is impossible to progress, thinking that I am separate from everybody. Everybody is none other than me. At least the seeker has what is called Upanishadic information that everything is God. So, who is my neighbor? God. Who are my parents? God. Who is my teacher? God. Who are my friends? God. What about my enemies? They are also God. What about animals? They are also God. What about non-living things? They are also God. There is nothing other than God. That is the greatest truth discovered by our ancient Rishis. To help aspirants, they have chosen some particular things, for example, some birds, some trees, some plants, some animals, some human beings as a representative of the special manifestation of God. And we see it is very clearly exposed, expounded where? In the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Vibhuti Yoga. In the end, the Lord says that other than me, nothing else exists. Everything is me only. Then he says, wherever you see special manifestation because normal manifestation, as God takes a longer time, special manifestation instantaneously attracts our attention.

"Yad Yad Vibhuti Matsatvam Shri Madhur Jitamevava Tattva Deva Avagachatvam Mamate Jo Amsha Sambhavam". A great musician, a great statesman, a great ruler, king, and a great Praja ruled, a great cook, a great painter, a great in any form, including the greatest wicked person. Am I joking with you? No. I am telling you the truth. So, I use it to encounter this kind of questions. So, every dictator in our country as well as outside, they are aspiring to become Hitlers. They only want to become hitmen. But most of the time, they are hit rather than hitting others because God is not manifesting in them. So, think over deeply. Was it the Divine Mother, or do you use empty words? Without the will of God, even a leaf will not move. Even an ant will not crawl. Shakali Tumari Ichcha. Is it only just an empty uttering of mechanical words, or is it a fact? It is a fact because God is the creator. God is the creator. It is His own play. It is so difficult for us to understand. But one thing can help us, that if you believe in the Karma theory, nobody can kill you, nobody can harm you, nobody can take anything from you unless you deserve to be killed, unless you deserve to be stolen, unless you deserve to be suffering; nobody can give. The others are instruments, and you are an instrument. The same thing for other people also.

So there are so many stupid, stupid, idiotic people I meet every time. 'I am a great devotee. Oh, what is your diet? Oh, I eat, you know, this Ilish match??.(48:00) So tasty. Oh, so you don't feel that you are eating God? No, no, no, no, it is God who created that food for me. So if you are really seeing God everywhere, because what can God create? Only God. So God is coming in the form of Ilish match. That is fine. But without knowing that fact, for your taste, you are going on doing all these things, so many unnecessary things, and yet you claim to be, 'I am a great spiritual because I do some goody-goody japam or attending Swami Dayatmananda's classes.' I don't guarantee it. If you want to guarantee yourself, that is your headache. So, what am I, what are we talking about?"

Nothing happens in this world. If anything happens, it happens because we deserve either good or bad. And if you don't believe in it, you don't believe in the Vedas, and if you don't believe in the Vedas, you cannot be a good spiritual aspirant. Now come to terms with this. Everything that is happening in this world is by the sweet will of God and for good or bad. Because God is praised every day. 'Sarvamangala mangalye Shive Sarvaartha Sadhike Sharanye Tryambake Gauri Narayane Namaskute!' So, we have to accept that idea. Then only we can understand what is the Purusha Sukta. Just to give you a hint, Purusha is coming in the form of your parents, your husband, your wife, your children, and your boss, your well-wisher. Only here is coming in the form of your critic or the person who is trying to rob you or to kill you or to remove you from your job every single second. These are all things that are happening, and if you only attend the class Purusha Suktam and don't try to understand it at least intellectually, then one has to be pitied for all those things.

So that is why this beautiful prayer is there. We earnestly pray to God: "Let everybody be happy. Sarve Bhavantu sukhinah, Sarve Santu Niraamaya! Sarve Bhadrani Pashyantu, Ma Kashchit Dukha Bhaaghbhavet." Let nobody suffer because if God is everything, who is suffering? God. Who is enjoying? God. And who am I? God. So if I am enjoying, who is enjoying? God. We have to move from this having mode into the being mode for this wonderful prayer.

And then the ritualists, the priests who are performing some Yagna because the Purusha Suktam is also all about how to transform one's life into a Yagna, continuous Yagna. "Gaathum Yagnaaya," may we be able to sing thy glories. "Gaathum Yagna Pathaye," may we sing to you. So that let this ritual be perfect so that the person who organized it, took the trouble, sustained it, because of whom it is possible, let all blessings fall upon Yagnapathi. He is called Yagnapathi, an organizer of this thing.

"Daiviee Swasthi rastunaha," may divine blessings be on all of us. What about other people? "Swasthir Manushebhyeha," what about Pakistanis? What about Chinese? What about the residents of China? Should you pray for their welfare or not? Yes. Are they doing something against God's will or is he doing something with God's will? Divine Mother said, as we say, "think over it deeply." "Swasthir Manushebhyeha," not only that, nobody can be sustained without food. Food comes predominantly from plants. Plants are eaten by other animals. So man eats both plants and animals. So "Uddham Jigathu Bheshajam," Bheshajam means medicine. Let all these medicinal plants grow beautifully as they are meant to grow by the grace of God.

"Sam no Astu Dhipadhe," all the two-legged creatures like human beings, like birds, etc. Let God bless them with all the best things. "Sam chatushpade," not only two-legged, all the cows, all the buffaloes, all the horses, there are billions of creatures who move only on four legs, even including monkeys. So let them all, let God's grace be bestowed upon everything. Nothing should be excluded, and if that happens and if the prayer is sincere, definitely God will fulfill at least for that person and then what happens? That person will be able to move, to easily transit from having mode to being mode.

O Lord, please protect us from the three tapas. "Adhyatmika," that is trouble stemming from my own body and mind. "Adhibhautika," whatever I come across, whether I come across or not, whether it be neighbors, weather, climate, rivers, mountains, earthquakes, let there be only beneficial reactions from there. And there are Gods, if there are rules, there should be enforcers of the rule. They are called "Adhidaivika Devatas." So let them bless us, let there be, because of their blessings, let there be no suffering, no affliction from any source. Then only I can make my travel easier, and for that prayer is very necessary. "Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti." We will talk about the first mantra of the Purusha Suktam in our next class. Why did I go through all this introduction? Because once we know what we are going about, like this is like a preface in a huge book. Every good author has to write what, in short paragraphs, he tries to explain what you are going to get in this entire book and if he is a good writer at the end, he will also summarize it and that is the methodology whether we are speaking, whether we are writing or whether we are listening also, we must follow the same methodology.

The discourse touches upon profound truths and echoes the essence of Vedanta philosophy. Here's a breakdown and reflection on some of the key points:

1. Life's Journey and Evolution:
   • Life is depicted as a journey that begins with God (involution), continues in the manifested world (evolution), and ultimately leads back to God.
   • The purpose is not merely human birth but the realization of the oneness of all existence.
2. Oneness and Unity:
   • The fundamental truth emphasized is the oneness of all beings. The idea that everything is God is a central teaching in Vedanta.
   • Recognizing God in everyone and everything, including neighbors, parents, teachers, friends, enemies, animals, and even inanimate objects, is a key understanding.
3. Special Manifestations of God:
   • Special manifestations of God, highlighted in the Bhagavad Gita's Vibhuti Yoga, are exemplars in various fields—artists, rulers, musicians, etc.
   • The idea is that exceptional individuals are channels through which the divine expresses itself.
4. Understanding Divine Will:
   • The understanding that nothing happens without the will of God.
   • The analogy that even a leaf won't move without God's will emphasizes the omnipresence and control of the divine.
5. Karma and Deservingness:
   • The concept of deservingness in relation to actions and their consequences.
   • The belief that harm or gain comes based on one's deservingness, and others are instruments in this process.
6. Living in Awareness:
   • Living in constant awareness of God's presence in everything, including the food one consumes.
   • A critique of superficial spirituality, highlighting the importance of genuine understanding and practice.
7. Acceptance of Divine Will:
   • The teaching to accept everything as the sweet will of God, whether perceived as good or bad.
   • Encouragement to align oneself with the Vedic understanding to be a true spiritual aspirant.
8. Reflection on Purusha Sukta:
   • The Purusha Sukta is not merely to be recited but to be deeply understood.
   • The idea that Purusha manifests in various forms, including parents, family, and challenges in life.

The discourse encourages a profound shift in perspective—from a limited view of oneself to the realization of the divine in all aspects of existence. The emphasis on understanding, internalizing, and living the truths expounded in the Purusha Sukta reflects the essence of Vedantic teachings.