Purusha Suktam Lecture 09 on 20-July-2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have been enjoying this Purusha Suktam. In our last classes we have discussed 6th and 7th part of this Purusha Suktam. The 6th part is that God had created Prajapati and also Virat. Prajapati represents the consciousness. Virat represents what we usually call non-living or world. Yat Purusha Hina Havisha Deva Yagnam Atanvata Pasanto Asya Asid Aajyam Rishma Idhma Sharath Havehi What did Devas do? They took Bhagawan Brahman Himself in the form of Prajapati and Virat and they made a sacrifice. What sacrifice? Mental Yagna. It means they started imagining how to do it. As I mentioned earlier, we discussed it. I hope you remember that every act is preceded by a thought. We are also doing Manasika Yagna. Even a dream is a Manasika Yagna. So that subtle thought, creative thought, later on it becomes, it fructifies, manifests into something very, what we call external, concrete. And whether a carpenter is making furniture, a goldsmith is fashioning ornaments, or a scientist trying to make a different code. What is a code? It is to do something physically with the help of the codes. We can compare roughly this Mental Yagna, Manasika Yagna is a code. And the familiar classic example of Yagna. Yagna requires firewood. With the help of the firewood, they kindle the fire. And when the fire is a little bit, then they pour ghee into it and it becomes very bright. And then into that, with the name of God, Swaha or Swadha etc., they offer various food materials. And that is even for obtaining those materials through which Yagna can be done. Mentally they imagined, I gave the example, if an expert surgeon, he knows how to do it. He has innovated some special method, but he requires some instruments. And he gives an idea to engineers, this is the type of instrument, you will have to make it and make it work. And that is how technology, science and technology go hand in hand. Science is Manasika Yagna, technology is what comes out as a result of this information or knowledge which is passed through. So these Gods, they mentally imagined, they kindled the fire and there was firewood. So the fire was burning brightly, blazing fire and into that they offered food materials etc. This being said, a Vaha Yagna Matanvata and Vasanta, that is a particular time is necessary to produce this plenty of ghee etc. And then summer season is necessary to obtain plenty of firewood. And at the end of the harvest period, then various food materials will be available. And out of those raw food materials, those who perform the Yagnas, they will prepare, for example, it could be ghee, it could be payas, it could be any material for that matter of fact. And they will offer it in the name of God. So Gods were created, Gods produce all these things and whatever is produced is offered back to them, a small bit of it, as a token of our gratitude. But without your grace, we could not have survived etc. That was the essence of the Sixth Mantra. What is the takeaway point? That whatever we do mentally, if it is done properly, then sooner or later it will become a concrete reality. Even today it holds good and that's what God also has done. He decided, may I become many and that mental act, He sacrificed Himself, He became Himself into the cross world, subtle world, causal world etc. Such a beautiful idea is a purely psychological fact is being so beautifully depicted in the Sixth Mantra and that is continued in the Seventh Mantra. Seventh Mantra with more details. When the Yajna has to be done, it has to be protected from opposing elements, evil elements, devils, what we call Rakshasas, Rakshognas. So for that purpose, for what is called successful completion of any act, we require certain protections. That is what we do when we are creating a door, creating a compound wall, employing a watchman or security guard. This is what He has done. I will give also some examples. So what did these devas, first devas and first creation, that is engineers who are going to transform the ideas of the surgeon, scientist into practical, what we call gadgets for that purpose. So first of all, Gods were created. Then special beings were created. They are called Sadhyaha. Of course, the Rishis were also there. Rishi means Mantra Drashtra and in the Seventh Mantra which we were discussing, they have given a very beautiful, symbolical, what we call sketch, like if you want to construct a house, the civil engineer, you will give him some details, so much land and I want so many rooms and in this particular way and he will draw a blueprint. And this blueprint is being discussed in the Seventh Part of the Purusha Suptam. Saptasya Sanparidhaya, the protective borderlands, the compound walls, the security elements, they were seven. And then Trisaptaha Samidhakritaha. Now we require firewood. Samidha means Samit Samidaha is firewood because fire is there but that very fire can only manifest through the firewood. So for that Trisaptaha, three times, three into seven elements are there. It could be more, it could be less but we should not say exactly 21. It is to give the idea what should be done, how it should be done. So seven borderlines and 21 firewoods, with that raw material, they wanted to bring about the whole Uttara Srishti, this entire creation consisting of Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Subarloka, the gross body, the subtle body, the causal body, etc. Devaaha, Yad Yagnam, Tanmanaha. So they performed Tanmanaha means they performed Yad Yagnam, they performed the Yagnam. This is a key point. If we want to do Srishti, Srishti means any creative act, whether it is a scientist wants to discover some truth or an artist wants to bring, you know, a beautiful song, beautiful sculpture, beautiful painting, beautiful instrumental play. You will be surprised, those who are born even 30 years back, there were very limited number of musical instruments. Now you look into the YouTube, you will see umpteen number, countless number of musical instruments and all the time they are innovating and they are even making hybrids. For example, guitar and veena, guitar with flutish sound. Like that any number of innovations, who knows in future how many more can come. But the point is somebody must be sitting and then taking the raw material of which they already know, remembering this is a flute and this is a veena and this is a sitar, etc., etc. And then creating how we can combine, like hybrid creation of anything. Even the music, North Indian and South Indian hybrid and Indian and Western hybrid and sometimes they do it really beautifully, marvelously. But it requires that speciality and that speciality is deep thinking, creative thinking. So for any creative act, deep thinking is necessary. And in our scriptures, deep thinking is termed as tapasya. As we have discussed many times, Varuna instructed his disciple Bhrigu that if you want to know God, you will have to do only through tapasya. I can show you the way, but you will have to progress, but progress is cognitive progress. It is not a physical progress. That means from little understanding, you will attain all understanding. That is the cognitive process. So devaha yagnam tanvanaha. But they require a special type of material to do all those things. What is that material? Only God was available. Sat, chit and ananda was available. And taking sat, taking chit, taking ananda, they created, they manifested. And how did they do it? This is how we have to understand. In this world, we classify everything into two. Living and non-living. Living has been made into, from Bharata, manifested sat, chit, ananda. And the non-living, only the sat part of it is there. But wherever there is sat, there will be chit. There should be chit and there should be also ananda. So as if Einstein is sleeping. Einstein is sleeping, he is not the famous, well-known physicist called Einstein. He is just an ordinary man sleeping. Until he wakes up, he is either same or worse than anybody else. Abadhnan purusham pasham. Here purusham means what? That is pure consciousness. They are imagining like light becomes the entire living, non-living on a screen. Pasham means an animal, an object, raw material. That's why Advaita Vedanta had refined this idea and said, what is called God is both the material cause as well as the intelligent cause. Because before creation, only God was there. So that is what these people have done. Now, what are these seven parithi? What is a parithi? A borderland. Our country and other countries, we share our country with other countries. There is a borderland. There is a no man's land. And one should not cross into another person's belongings. Even when two houses are there, there could be a compound wall dividing these two, or there could be a no man's land between these two. If there are two acres of land belonging to different people, there would be a borderland. And that is meant for the protection. This is mine. That part is yours. This part is mine. It is for the protection of everybody. So especially when a person is doing meditation, let us say, instead of the body yagna, our mind should be free. But more important, externally, people should not be making noise. And there should not be unnecessary disturbances there. The climate should be favorable. So many things should be favorable. Body, mind should be favorable. Then only it is possible. So if we do not have, or if we anticipate a problem, we have to employ security guards. These Parithis are the security guards. This is one interpretation. I will come to the other interpretation also. Now, So what is this borderlands? And Sri Ramakrishna also experienced it. Whenever we do something good, there are evil elements which can come and disturb. So there are certain types of mantras. And if we sprinkle water all around with that particular mantra, then the evil forces cannot come within that. If you remember, when Lakshmana was taking leave of Sita, forced by her, he drew a line, that is called Lakshmana Rekha. He said, Mother, so long as you are within this Rekha, nobody can harm you. The moment you go out, then you can be subjected to any type of evil. But she did not heed because she lost her common sense. First, she lost her common sense because she saw an impossible golden animal. There is gold like a rolled gold animal, not a gold animal. Secondly, she sent her own husband, knowing that there is a terrible danger in the forest. No woman in her common sense should ever do that. But when we are overcome by delusion, that is what we do. And Sita, very surprising, if you really read even Valmiki Ramayana, she accused him that you are eyeing me, you want to possess me, you want to enjoy me. That's why you are awaiting the removal of Rama. So that was terrible. Lakshmana could not be here because who was Lakshmana? He was an embodiment of Dharma. What was the Rekha he had drawn? That is called Dharma Rekha. So long as any person lives within the protective layer of Dharma. Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha. If we observe Dharma, Dharma definitely will protect us. The entire Karma Siddhanta is based upon us. If we become slaves of Adharma, Adharma will give the result. If it is Dharma, Dharma will Rakshati. Means what? It will give us, make our life very happy, very blissful, fulfilled, meaningful. As Viktor Frankl says that whole life is a search for meaning. Instead of saying life is a search for meaning, if he had put life is for knowing who I am. That is what he was only indicating though with partial knowledge. If I know my mind, then I will derive a meaning. And with that meaning will give me a sense of fulfillment. But he was not familiar surely with Vedanta etc. Then he would have extended the meaning. But we can definitely reinterpret the same words. Because spiritual journey doesn't start with spirituality. It starts with this gross physical body. Understand the body and keep the body in healthy condition. Then understand the mind. Keep the mind in fit condition through proper diet, through proper exercise. Most marvelous ideas. I am just deviating a little bit. So if we want to do something, let us remember every good thing is also paved with lot of obstacles. So that is why they say Shubha is beset with lot of problems. That is why as soon as some good thought comes, put it into practice. Otherwise you may never be able to do it again. So what is called so many vijnas are there for any auspicious action. So this Paridhi means that which can help us, protect us, make what we want to do successful. That is the meaning of this. The seven, there are different interpretations are there. So we have seen what are those sevens. Three fires, three boulders and one sun. This is one way of looking. Then there is another interpretation that seven meters. Meter means how to express something poetically. Especially Vedic meters called Chandas. The famous Gayathri Mantra is actually after a Chandas meter, Vedic meter called Gayathri consisting of 24 letters, subdivided into three lines, eight lines of each. That is why Om, Bhohu, Bhuvaha, Swaha are not part of the Gayathri Mantra. Only it starts from, If you count, if you know how to count Sanskrit alphabet, you will get 8 into 8 plus 8 plus 8, 24. So what does this mean? This means you have a brilliant idea and you want to express it. You want to praise God. You want to teach your disciple or your children. Whatever you want to do, you want to convey. Conveying is always possible only through language and language has a marvelous structure. And that structure, so if you don't know how to express that structure, you will never be able to convey however good your intentions are. Therefore, there are many many meters are there where some ideas can be expressed beautifully, especially in a poetical form. And there are many such meters. Of them, seven meters have been chosen and those seven meters as a Paridhi. Paridhi means what? Beautiful instruments to express. Either we want to praise God or we want to utter some mantras or we want to teach people. These are the seven borders. Borders means just like every human being has got some instruments. If I want to see, eyes. If I want to smell, my nose. If I want to hear, my ears. If I want to taste, my tongue. If I want to touch, then my whole entire skin. And similarly, I can also show something to somebody. I can also shout or express verbally, convey something which I want to do. In this way, this is a vehicle of expression through seven beautiful meters. And it can be applied to God. It can be applied to human beings. It can be applied even to animals. Those who train animals, they know it. This is another interpretation is there. So different interpretations are there. It doesn't matter. But another interpretation is equally valuable. Panchabhutas, that is five raw elements out of which these entire body minds are created. We know that famous story Panchabhutas. That is why the whole world is called Prapancha. This is with regard to the gross manifestation. Then there is a subtle manifestation. And for that subtle manifestation, the mind is divided into four. Manaha, chitta, buddhi plus ahankara. So that is why in the famous Nirvana Shatkam, Mano buddhya ahankara chitta aninaham etc. he starts. So these Panchabhutas, gross Panchabhutas with a peculiar process called Panchikarana. Five elements have undergone again further division and mixed with each other in different proportions. That is called Panchikarana. That is the main material out of which our bodies, entire living, non-living bodies as well as external things, living, non-living is created. Raw material. But the Sukshma Prapancha, that is the subtle world. And subtle world has to be fashioned only from the subtle elements. And these Panchabhutas, Bhutas, they are called Tanmatras. Means very subtle form out of which manas, chitta, buddhi, ahankara is formed. So this is Panchabhutas, raw material plus day and night. What is the day and night? It is symbolism of time. Day and night. Or Surya Bhagwan. What does Surya Bhagwan mean? We only know he gives light. But the most important part is everyday he rises, he sets. Don't bring scientific idea. I am giving the inner meaning. So when he rises, new day starts. That means what? We are counting time. For the sake of Yabahara transaction, we divided everyday into 24 hours. So much for activity, so much for rest, so much for personal needs, so much for rest, etc. We have created. This is the waking state, this is the dream state and this is the sleeping state. Our whole life is revolving around these things. So what are the seven of these things? For it is Panchabhutas plus day and night. What does it mean? The Panchabhutas is the raw material called space, desha and time. Time is represented by day and night. This is another idea. For any Srishti, raw material is necessary. Even the most innovative scientist also requires some foundation upon which he is standing. Taking that foundation, only he can innovate further ways. That is manifesting available raw material into new innovative ways. That is called creation. So that is another interpretation. But Paridhi actually means protective force. For that I will give you some examples. Why? Because we may think all the mantras are bunk, all these devatas do not exist, etc. But our Rishis and Munis have proved conclusively. Here are some examples. In Puja, we have a particular process called Bhutapasarana. That is removing the obstacles called some malvalent elements. So again, the rum. With rum, you sprinkle water around and fire will spring up. Just as nobody walks into the fire, even these elements, there is a special fire. Even Bhutas cannot walk. So we are protected. We can continue unobstructed whatever we have decided to do. And then I will give some examples. Sri Ramakrishna is born to prove all mantras are, all the scriptures are 150% real, true. Sathyam. Mundaka Upanishad, I think in the 7th or 8th mantra, clearly says, Etat Sarvam Sathyam, whatever has been described in the Vedic Karmakanda, they are all very real. And there also, specifically, the Mundaka Upanishad says, Saptajihva, when the fire is kindled, there is Kali, Karali, Manojava, etc. Seven different manifestations of one single fire, named very differently depending upon how it is burning, is mentioned. And if we can offer oblations into them, then truly there are certain Devatas. And at the end of our physical life here, they will lead us. Ehi Ehi Priyam Bhruvan Taha. So they welcome, they come with the sweetest smile, genuine smile. Not your over-stress, asking you, we are privileged, you are flying with us. And they don't add, we are also privileged, the hell you will be getting out of it very soon. Ehi Ehi, you have done wonderful things, you deserve it, we are very happy. And truly they will conduct you to higher Lokas all the time, giving us anticipated pleasure. So, that is what Upanishad is telling. And then, are you getting any doubt? That's why it says, Etat Satyam. The whole thing, what we have described is Satyam. But even though it is Satyam, it is just like leaky boats. So, a boat will take you, no doubt, but if it is a leaky boat, then you, the water drop, are likely in the danger of becoming one with the ocean water. So, that means they are not giving permanent results, full results. Permanent, non-permanent and partial result. If you want full and permanent, you have to give up all these things and ask. That is what happens to Vajashravasa in Kathopanishad. He understood after some time, though I suppose I was desiring heaven, but now I understand there is something far superior to heaven itself. And then, how do we know? Because as soon as he went to Yamadharma Raja. Yamadharma Raja is a Brahmagna Purusha, a teacher of Brahma knowledge. So, he wanted to test. He offered everything that is available on earth and in heaven. But Nachiketa firmly refused and said, I know these are not unreal, but they are temporary. And they don't give full pleasure, full happiness. Why? Because, supposing, I am just giving, a glutton has become old and he has been supplied with the most tastiest food, full plates, plate after plate, even though the material is available, the body is not in a condition to enjoy it. How many times when we become old, do you know what is the tragic thing? So, when we are young and capable, we don't get. And when we are old and not capable of eating or digesting, so many things will come. So, Drishti Bhoga, we have already become Gods. When we look at them and our children, grandchildren, servants especially, will be enjoying all those things. So, firmly Nachiketa rejected and said, that whatever you offer, I know that they are very rare, but they neither give full happiness nor give permanent happiness. Temporary happiness and partial happiness definitely it gives. Mithya means exactly that, partial and impermanent. That is why we should seek for something which will be permanent. And that is what we are really seeking. Sairam Krishna, he was taught the traditional way of puja. And whenever he sat, he said, when I use it to utter the word Ram and sprinkle water, I actually saw a wall of fire springing all around me and protecting me. Vishwamitra, he was performing Yagna. And so many Rakshasas had come. And then Putana, not Putana, what is that name? Taraka, Trataka. So, she was a lady, terrible. But Vishwamitra himself could not protect. And Dasharatha said, when you want a small boy, I will come. Vishwamitra knew these offending inimical elements are far stronger. Dasharatha will not be able to tackle them. So, he insisted on Rama. Don't worry, Dasharatha, Rama is more than capable. I will see that he will not come to harm. And then he taught him so many mantras, etc. It is a marvelous episode. This is a proof that whenever we do some puja or Yagna, some obstacles will be there, small elements will be there. That is also part of the drama created by the Divine Lord. So, when Rama was about to fight with Ramanasura, he knew that it is very difficult. That's why Agastya Rishi came and taught him Aditya Hridayam. And then only Rama recited that, obtained the blessings of Surya Deva Aditya, and then he became free. Now, there is an incident in the life of Sriram Krishna's disciple, Yogiyan Maharaj. Once he was traveling with Holy Mother. Suddenly, a ferocious Goddess appeared in his dreams and said that I wanted to finish you today. But Paramahamsa Deva came and he prevented me from doing any harm to you. When you reach, I don't remember exactly, but Jaipur or some place, then you offer worship to me and I will have to be mollified with that. And next day, when they were going from temple to temple, suddenly Yoganandaji had seen in a small niche, the image of a ferocious Goddess. Immediately he recognized it. He pointed it out to Holy Mother, Ma, this is the Goddess who threatened me. And then Holy Mother bought some sweets and offered it. Now the point is, I never understood what this poor innocent man had done. Why that Goddess had become suddenly so offended? There must be some reason, but I don't know. And I think that it is better not to delve into it. Malvalent Goddess. And then one day, Swami Sharadanandaji, in the earlier days of Velur Math, they had just finished food. They had only insufficient food and just somehow they polished up the whole thing. And Sharadanandaji was about to lock the kitchen and come out. Suddenly he saw a ferocious Goddess trying to enter into the kitchen. Then he spread his hands, preventing her. Mother, who are you? She looked at him and said, I am the Goddess of Cholera. You see, Sharadanandaji said, with folded hands, Mother, we are poor monks. There is nothing you will get out of here. You better go elsewhere. So she looked at him for a second or two. I don't know what she thought. Immediately she rushed to the side, to the backyard of Velur Math. And the next neighboring place, huge place, which we have recently acquired from that place, a huge piece of land. They used to construct bricks, manufacture bricks. And so many hundreds of workers used to work there. And this Goddess had appeared there. And many of them had incurred this cholera. And then they died also. Anyway, it is also a mysterious appearance. Sri Ramakrishna used to go to the Kamarpukur crematoriums with a pot of cooked food. And then he used to offer it to these Bhutas. And mid-air, the Bhutas will come and they take the pot of the rice which was offered to them. And mid-air, that pot used to disappear. Now either you believe in Sri Ramakrishna or you have a choice. But don't say no. Don't say scripture is wrong. You choose whether you want to believe or not. You have a choice. But it is only a temporary choice. After some time, when a Rakshasa catches hold of you, then you will be the first person to rush to me. And is there any Parihara like that? Anyway, these are some of the examples. There are many examples out there. These are only some of the examples. So, I have given you what is Paridhi, that which can protect us, so that we can continue our worship, our Yagna. That is one. What is the second interpretation? That words are necessary to convey this knowledge. Because one creative act can be conveyed to the other person who is not creative, so that it becomes common property. For that Chandasar, beautiful ways of expression are there. When some teachers talk, it is very easily understood. When some others talk, then it will be like the fellow who heard the entire Ramayana, he said, I understood the whole lot, excepting only who this Rama was, Sita was, and that part I did not understand. It will be like that. So, then what is the Trisaptaha, Samidahakritaha, 21 Tattvas? What are they? All these elements, this whole universe has come. What are these things? According to what is called Bhattabhaskara's interpretation, five sense organs, that is eyes, nose, ears, mouth and tongue, five Karmendriyas. In other words, five Indriyas of action, five Indriyas of knowledge. Five Indriyas of knowledge are inputs, five Indriyas of action are outputs, or what should we do with that knowledge. Five Pranas, Pancha Prana, Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana. Then four parts of the mind, mind, intellect, will and ego. Just count ten sense organs, five of Karma, five of Mana, ten. Then Pancha Prana, fifteen. Then four of this mind, intellect, will and ego. These are the equipment. Then what are the... only nineteen. What are the other two? Dharma and Adharma were created. Why? Because are you walking in the right path or are you walking in the wrong path. This Karma was created. And Karma will have inevitable Karmaphala. Karmaphala depends upon whether we are walking in the right direction or wrong direction. So all these together make the 21 Tattvas symbolic of the entire creation, both outward and as well as inward. In this way, the external and inner natures became the collectives of Yagna, what we call BMC, Body-Mind-Complex, Body-Mind-Jagat. So what was the material? Because all these were created. What was the material? Purusha, pure consciousness. That is why Sarvam Kalvidam Brahman. But our understanding of this statement, everything is Purusha or pure consciousness, everything is Brahman, can come only when we have progressed a lot, almost we have reached the end, then only. So out of Purusha, creation had come. That means what? He was the sacrificial animal. And then from imagining that He was there, all the Devas and Rishis and Sadhyas performed this Manasika Yagna. And out of this Manasika Yagna, all these things have been produced. Now even today, as I mentioned many times, every creative act is done the same way, every time by everyone, whether it was in the past, present and future. Now I want to tell you an anecdote. And then Swami Vivekananda, he was also a non-believer in all these miracles and all those things. So he himself narrated graphically an incident in his life. Once he went to Hyderabad. There he heard about a Brahmana who had got miraculous powers, who could create anything that he desired or anybody desired who met him. And this is not a magician producing, actually production of things is possible. Swami Vivekananda was not a person to believe easily all this. Because so many cheats are there. If there is one genuine person, there will be a million cheats will be there. That proves a wonderful fact. If there are million superstitions, there must be one piece of truth there. So if this whole world is Mithya, there must be a Satyam. If there are a million cheats, then it proves that there must be a genuine person. This is a great fact. So Swami Vivekananda, he met the Brahmin. And frankly he expressed, he went with some friends, four or five friends, and he was graphically narrating that he met the Brahmana. At that time, that Brahmin was suffering from fever. And then he had faith in Sadhus. He said, a holy person like you, if you place your hand on my head, I will be cured of this. I will definitely show you when I become better. And Swami, of course, he said, I don't know whether I have the power to cure you, but definitely I will bless you. And he extended his hand and put it, touched the person's head. Probably he felt immediately some relief. Why? Earlier there was an incident. Once Narendranath was invited to sing in an event. But he came, but he could not open his mouth. Then he was asked, why are you not singing? Because his was the greatest voice anybody had ever heard. We don't know how that voice, we can only imagine. Gandharva Nindita Kantha Then Swami Vivekananda, that is Narendranath said, I am suffering from a severe headache, which proves that he has really a headache. And he said, I cannot sing because of the headache. Immediately Ramakrishna touched his forehead and instantly Ramakrishna touched, immediately the headache totally disappeared and Swamiji saw that miracle. Many other miracles he had seen. Anyway, this was a terrible event. And then the Brahmin showed. He said, you tell me what things you want me to produce. And this person was not even having something to cover. Otherwise, you already are storing some materials and you are bringing them out. So some people desired grapes, some people desired something else, some people desired French roses and whatever they were desiring, the Brahmin was producing. And he said, this is not a trick of the hand, slight of the hand. You can actually eat. So they started eating. He also started eating and then that was a wonderful experience. Now this Brahmin also asked them, Swamiji and a few others, that whatever you write something, whatever thought comes into your mind and write it on a slip and roll it and put it into your pockets and later on I will ask you to tell you that one. And then they wrote something and then they put it in their own pockets. Nobody knew what they have written and then after an hour or so, after this conversation, production of plenty of flowers, Swamiji said, so many roses have been produced, still they are glistening with the snowdrops that was falling on them in the gardens, fresh from the garden. How he got it, God alone knows. And if the French government comes to know, I am sure they will sue. Hyderabad government, I don't know what they are going to do, but that is a fact. That was a fact. After one hour, the Brahmin said, now you bring out those slips of paper and then read out. And they were astonished because everybody was asked to think something. Somebody wrote in Sanskrit, somebody wrote probably in Arabic language, like that different people wrote, which the poor Brahmin never knew anything of these things. And then they were astonished to say that he told, this is what you are going to write or think. Now you open your slips of paper and they were astonished. He was able to tell them, this is what you thought. Is it right or wrong? And they had no answer because that was all right. Anyway, another incident comes to my mind in today's talk. Swami Vivekananda, he was not a believer in all these miracles, etc. Until he experienced these things personally and then he said, how can I deny all those things? I have personally experienced. Once he went to a Himalayan region and there were some fire walkers there. Blazing fire will be there and burning coal will be there and people nonchalantly moving, not hastily running, but moving leisurely from this side to other side many times and their feet were not burnt at all. So they were doing this one and then they were also, what they were doing, they were heating an axe until it became red hot and then they were touching this axe to those fire walkers. Nothing happened, not even a little bit of swelling, let alone any pain. Swamiji thought, is it some kind of trick? Let me test it. So he asked that axe to be brought, said, gingerly, I touched the edge of it for a millisecond and for three days, I suffered from terrible burning pain. How can I say that there are some things, O Horatio, Shakespeare says, there are so many things written or not written in your scriptures and that is what exactly has happened. These people, they created this entire universe. What is the raw material? Purusha himself. And what did they do? First they created a few initial workers. Devas, Rishis, Sadhyas and afterwards, those people who were commissioned. Now you carry on. In Puranic language, this is what we call, Bhagwan Narayana was the Purusha and he created Brahma. That Brahma is depicted to have come out from the navel of Narayana. Kamalasanastam Brahmanam Isham Kamalasanastam Kamalasana means lotus and he asked him to continue. There is a funny story also. Brahma wanted to create. In the Devi Mahatmya, we get a very peculiar story. Brahma wanted to create. Vishnu was sleeping. That means creative power was sleeping. He required creative power. That is called Purusha. But two terrible demons came out from Narayana's earwax because he was the creator. Who are they? Madhu and Vaithava. And they wanted to swallow Brahma. Creative act. What is that? Symbolically, I have spoken about it. But symbolically, very briefly, what it means is that Brahma, the creative power within each one of us wants to express. Each one of us is potentially divine. That divinity wants to manifest itself. But we will not allow it to manifest because two demons are haunting us. They have made us our slaves. What are those demons? Madhu and Vaithava were from the earwax of Vishnu. And what is this? Madhu means if somebody speaks, Aha! You are such a marvellous person. You are incomparable. Nobody in this world is like you. You are Indra. You are Chandra. Vandi Magadheesh. Go on doing it. Flatterers. Flat demonic flatterers. And then what do we do? We also know we are not like that. But we want the whole world to know we are like that. And after some time, we start believing truly there must be something in me. So this is what is called we are slaves to other people's sweet words whether it is male or female. I love you is one of those poisonous words. Be careful. Now who is Kaitaba? Kaitaba means bitter. That means what? If somebody criticizes us with all good intentions, I find this evil quality, unspiritual quality in you. We would never like even to listen to that. How are we expected to progress? It is impossible. So we have to be very very careful with regard to this one that if we want to progress, we have to get out of the this is what Bhagavan Krishna is telling Mana and Appa Mana. Stuti and Ninda. We have to rise above. I am what I am. People cannot make me what I am not. If I am good, I am good. If I am evil, I am evil. And I should know about it. I don't care. I don't want to know about myself from what the other people say. I want to know what the scriptures tell about me. And if I am sincere, I will awake to that fact. That is called Uttishthata and Jagrata. Be careful. You have not manifested the divinity. You are rather manifesting the demonic nature. Be aware. Get up. And then Jagrata. Beware that you should not slide back. And there are people who can show you because so many people or I say everybody is travelling in the same path and I say that you will also reach that path but you have to sit humbly. Tad viddhi pranipatena paripraśnena sevaya Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninaḥ tattva-darśinaḥ Definitely, Bhagawan comes in the form of a Guru to lead us to His lotus feet if only we allow Him to do it. That act of allowing God to guide us to His lotus feet is called Shraddha. Intense faith that God is there. He will help me and He can send. He will help me means not necessarily He will come but He will send. That is why many times I told you Guru is comparable to Garuda. What does Garuda do? He carries Bhagawan Narayana to His devotees whenever they require His blessings or some help to protect. Protection or blessings or moving forward whatever it be God has to come to us and Garuda is the one who carries us. Guru is the one who carries Bhagawan in his heart and conveys Him to you. Here is your child and you should recognize. God knows we are His children but we do not recognize our true parents. That is why a sincere person Shraddha van labhate purushaha if only we have Shraddha. That is what Sri Ramakrishna used to say that Girish Ghosh had got 125% of faith and once a person has obtained faith he has obtained Sarvam. Everything he has obtained. So what are we talking about? That there are things which are divine which we call miracles which are possible. There are demons there are bhutas pretas visachas siddhas ekshas kandarvas so many are described. That is why 14 lokas 14 different types of creatures and in each loka billions and billions of creatures will be living there. This information we get only from the scriptures and he who denies vehemently this is all superstition will go to hell no doubt about it. So yogi sankalpa shakti or intense desire because of which he has become one with God by Ishwara's sakshatkara by His grace he becomes as good as Ishwara and his sankalpa can create this world the rishis sadhyas and the devas were such type of people that is why if you remember the Puranas that Brahma created manasa putras what does it mean? manasa putra means putras are children created through sankalpa that is what it means and they were so great also. So we are also created by God and we also share that divinity that pure consciousness everything in this world came out of Purusha the final message is sarvam kalvidam brahma So what did these people do? In that igna we will discuss in our next class. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Dayo Saritva Pranamami Mohur Mohu May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna