Purusha Suktam Lecture 10 on 27-July-2023

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURAM PADAPADME TAYO SRIDHVA PRANAM AMI MUHUR MUHUR OM TAT SHAYO RAVRINIM AHE GATUNYA JNAYA GATUNYA JNAPATAYE DAIVI SWASTHIRASTUNAH SWASTHIR MANUSHIBHYAH URDHVAM JIGATU BHESHAJAM SHENNO ASTUDVIPADE SHANCHATUSHPADE OM SHANTE SHANTE SHANTE HARE OM We are studying PURUSHA SUKTA. In the 7th part of this PURUSHA SUKTA, a beautiful description how Yajna has to be performed. How Devas, along with the help of Sadhyas, have been performing the Yajna. SAPTASYASAN PARIDHAYAH TRIH SAPTA SAMIDHA KRITAH DEVAYAD YAJNAM TANVANAH ABADHNAN PURUSHAM PASHUM The 5 elements and the day and night of this Yajna are the 7 limits, Paridhi. The 21 Tattvas have become unified. The Devas started performing the Purusha Yajna and tied Brahman himself as a Homa Pashu. So 3 fires plus 3 priests plus the sun above, this is called Paridhi border limitation protection. And what are the other interpretations? Vedas have to be expressed because they are going to chant so many mantras while offering Ghee, etc. And all these mantras have to be chanted in a particular way by different priests. So these mantras have to be expressed in a chantable form and that forms what is called meter. Just like any poetry in any language, every language has evolved its own grammatical rules, regulations and our Vedic Rishis were also interested in it. They also created certain meters and like Gayatri, Anustup, Tristup, Jagati, Prihati, Vushnik and Panti. There are many but these are 7. So what is it? Most of the mantras fall under one of these meters. That is one way of interpreting what is the border means what. A well-educated person, if he wants to deliver a talk, he must be thoroughly knowing the subject. There are many pundits who know the subject very well but most of them abominably fail to express. They themselves have the knowledge but they do not have the capacity to express and that is a severe limitation because the purpose of telling others is to convey what a person knows. If a teacher cannot come down to the level of the student and try to convey what he knows, then he will be a miserable failure. However good a person he might be. So this is one interpretation. But for the performance of Yagna, what it means is it needs to be protected first of all. Then it needs to be performed very well to the best of one's ability. For that, these protections are needed. Not only that, certain materials are needed. What are those materials? If you want to lit up a fire, you need firewood. Either kerosene or petrol or some dry wood, something is necessary. Similarly, to lit up the fire that is used in the Yagna, also one needs all these Samhitas. Samhita means the instruments of lighting up the fire and the fire should be kept on until all the rituals are completed. So Samhitas are called Samhitas and 21 Samhitas are there. These are all, remember, symbolic. The word Yagna is symbolic. The word Purusha is symbolic. The Samhitas are symbolic. The Paridhis are symbolic. Everything is symbolic. So what are these 21? Five sense organs, Gnana Indriyas, Five Karma Indriyas and Pancha Prana, 15. These are one type of number. Then we come to the mind itself. Mind is divided according to Vedanta into four parts. Manas, Chitta, Buddhi and Ahamkara. 15 plus 4, 19. But all these sense organs, with the help of the energy produced by the Pancha Pranas and a well-thinking mind, thinks rightly, determines rightly and executes rightly and for that energy is needed. But the goal and the means also must be the right thing. That right thing is called Dharma. Wrong way of actions is called Dharma. So Pancha Pranas, 10 Karma Indriyas, plus four parts of the mind, 19, plus Dharma, plus Adharma. These were also created. These are called 21 varieties of fuel to lit up the Yajna and perform the Yajna. Even a wicked person, when he lives an unrighteous life, he is doing Yajna only. What is the result of this Yajna? He himself is going to get burnt because the result will be according to the Sankalpa we make and everything should be in the right way and what is the right way, what is the wrong way is crystal clearly enumerated in our scriptures called Vedas. So these are the 21. Now the most important thing is, okay, you are doing the Yajna, etc. But what is the material from which all these are created? And that material is none other than Brahman himself. Brahman in the form of Brahma. When we say Brahma is the creator, Srishti Kartha, it is like clay. All the pots are made out of material called clay. But in the case of Brahma, in the case of ordinary persons like us, we require a material, we require also a conscious entity called an intelligent cause. But in the case of Brahma, the world itself was not produced. So there are no two things called the intelligent cause and also the material cause. There were no two such things. Then how is it possible to create? That is why he himself became the intelligent cause. He himself is also called the material cause. Abhinna nimitta upadana karana. And he first created, as we discussed earlier. So for running a factory, first the scheming is made, land is purchased, and then they appoint some persons as the supervisors, as the creators of that factory itself. So for that, some engineers, some managers, etc. are created. So Brahman has created Devas, Sadhyas, and Rishis. And with their help, now you go on creating. In Puranas we get this, Narayana created Brahma. That is why he is depicted symbolically as having come out of the navel of Narayana, simply indicating that Narayana created. And then he assigned to him, you will be the creator, I assign this responsibility to you. And then Brahma is considered, since that time, Srishti Karta. So this Brahma himself, later on, split himself into three. Because if you produce something, you are called creator. But once you produce, you have to maintain it. That is called Srishti Karta. So Brahma, now as creator, that power is called Brahma. As maintainer, that same power is called Vishnu. And after some time, everything, remember, moves in a cycle. Birth, stay for some time, and death. So sun rises, and sun moves, and sun sets. So everything moves in a circular way. That is why it is called Brahma Chakra. And that person, that being, who takes it back into the unmanifest, is called Shiva. Same person, which is called Purusha, becomes Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. And how does he do? He himself is the material. That is called Upadana Karana. He himself is the intelligent cause. Through the help of that material, just like out of one single material called clay, any number of pots, small, big, any shape, are created for different purposes. So like that, what is the main material? Only material is called Brahman. But that Brahman here is called Purusha. So the work has to be done as a Yajna to the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, we also get, in the Bhagavad Gita, life is given as a Yajna. If it is really Yajna, but I will just give a small illustration. Here a man and a woman, they get married. And then they have a desire. We want to procreate. We want to spread out. We want to multiply. So they get united. But they will let us have a child. That is the desire. Crystal clear, this is what we want. And they do what needs to be done. But the point I wanted to bring out is, when the wife becomes pregnant, then both parents together, we see this all over nature, they create, my child will come out, where is he going to sleep, what is he going to eat, what type of cloths he needs, what type of protection he needs, everything is planned out. And exactly Brahma, the creator, has to plan out. And that is what we see in this Purusha Sukta. The men have to be created. And everybody else will be created later on. But as a preparation, there should be a place for man to stay. There should be food for that person to eat, and then grow up, and then do certain activities, and then procreate himself, etc. So the forests, the animals, the birds, the rivers, the mountains, everything that is needed for a successful life to continue, living to continue, for the sake of the human beings, has been created, everything. But if we go a little bit deep, we can say that he himself created himself. He himself created all the materials necessary, food, etc. He himself created the sun and the moon. Remember, what an important part the sun and the moon play in human life. The first thing humans are searching for any other planet, any other place, where life can be extended, where we can go and settle down there. First thing is, are there favorable conditions for us to settle down, to build houses, and to cultivate food, etc. And for that, the water should be there, and the cultivable land should be there, a proper season should be there. All these things have been created by Brahma in this world. Same replication we are searching, is there somewhere else, which is equivalent to our earth. As some great man had made a right remark, we have ruined our planet here. Now we are looking for other planets to go and ruin there also. And that is also part of God's plan only. So we are not responsible. That is a fact. Srishti, Stithi and Laya also is part of the plan. Not only Satya Yuga, but this Kali Yuga is also the will of the Divine Mother only. So we are not really responsible. That is the truth. When we understand that truth, then our whole life becomes a Yajna. As we discussed, Bhagavan Krishna, this is what he pointed out, Karma Yoga means in simple words, we have to transform our life into a Yajna. And who is the Divine Lord? Brahman. And we have to offer ourselves as Ajna. As ghee is offered into the fire, so we have to offer our life. That means, it doesn't mean death, it means everything that we do. Breathing, eating, procreating, moving, anything that we do. Ashtan, Gachchan, Swapan, Chhasan, Pralapan, Unimishan, Nimishan, Brahmanyadhayakarma Anisangantyaktva Karot, Yeha Lipyate Nasapapena Padmapatram Iva Ambhasah. That is why, I have quoted earlier, Sahaijnaah Prajaah Srishtva Puravach Prajapati. The same Prajapati is being mentioned in this Purusha Suktam. Here, instead of Prajapati, the word Purusha is used. So, this Purusha, having created this world, having created Gods and human beings, he addressed both Gods and human beings and said, Anena Prasvishyatvam Vaha. So, by this, you will prosper. Vaha means both of you. And Astu Ishta Kamadhu. So, the Devas will give us whatever is necessary for a happy life on this earth, for all the human beings. And in turn, human beings adore, worship, and do hymns to the Gods. Parasparam Bhavayantaha. And if we can do that, what happens? Ignas Ishta Asinaha Santah Muchyante Sarvak Kilvishaihi. Thus, we become purified if we follow this rule. What is the rule? That God, through the Gods, is sustaining us. We have to be grateful to the Gods who are only representations of Brahman. And through this process, if we live that kind of life, we will be freed from the factors of illusion or Maya. And then, Papa E Pachanti. What happens? All the Papa Sarvak Kilvishaihi Pramuchyante. But a person who doesn't follow this, what does he do? Atma Karanat Pachanti. Those who live his life purely for selfish purposes, Stena E Vasaha. They are comparable to thieves. And just as a thief will be kept behind the bars, and he will have to suffer, that means we will lose our freedom. Of course, not forever, but for a short time. Now, this is the Yagna. Nowadays, those Yagnas are rare. We don't know what is the process, but something we know, that is called Homa. And then, there are always people, and there are some objections raised against this Yagna Karma. So, what are they? Some serious objections have been raised. Who do not know the spirit of the Vedas? Who do not understand the teachings of the Vedas? And who are not living a good life themselves? If somebody is living, they are vehemently opposite. One of the greatest qualities of Indians is anybody doing good, there will be a thousand people to pull him down. That is the specialty of every Indian. Whatever be the religion, whether he is a Christian, a Muslim or a Hindu, there are no Indians at all in India. There are Christians, there are Muslims, there are Hindus, there are Maharashtrians, there are Tamilians, there are Telugu people, all these people are there, not one single Indian. Maybe if he is there, I have not come across. What are they? Against these religious actions, many people are against, all in the name, and they sometimes, as they say, they will quote scripture. So, these people also quote Bhagawan Buddha and other people. What are the objections? The very first objection is I am offering something in lit fire here, how can it produce a result somewhere else? This is not a new objection. This was thoroughly threadbare, discussed in Purva Mimamsa. They say if we do something, I am offering something here, how can it take me to Swarga Loka after some time? Well, there is always, if there is an action, there will be a reaction. If there is a cause, there must be an effect. So, how is it possible? But we don't know many invisible factors. So, Ramana Maharshi used to give a beautiful example that a poor man's son, he was well-educated by his father, suffering so much, undergoing so many difficulties, and this boy studies well, passes his examinations well, and becomes brilliant, and he is offered a job in America. And then he goes there, and he remembers his father. He has suffered so much for my sake, I must now elevate his position, I am earning money. What does he do? He will go to the post office there, in the olden days. Therefore, the post office example is given. Nowadays, Paytm or Viz Transfer, or things like that can be used. International transfers can be done. Whatever it is, this person goes to a post office, fills up a form, gives the address, his name, etc., pays money in dollars, and goes home taking a receipt. And then after some time, a postman comes to a village, where the father was staying, and he takes the signature, hands over the money in rupees. In between what happens, nobody can see my dollars, whether they are in Italy, or on a ship. It is all accountable, but not visible. This is called Apurva. Apurva means, we also use the familiar word, Adrishta. Drishta means seen, Adrishta means invisible. So, like that, Ramana Maharshi said, you do some good karma here, and in this life, in the other life, your account is kept by somebody. That somebody is called Vidhata. And he will connect the result with the performer of the duty, at some point or the other, wherever he is. That's why our prayers to our parents will also connect wherever they are, even if they are dead, and somewhere else. So, there is a relationship, and the effect must always connect with the cause, that is called Karmaphala, and it is inevitable. And the modern scientists also have received this wisdom. What is that? They posit, I don't know how many of us can understand it, even I don't understand it, that every particle has its double somewhere. And if we are doing something to one particle, either here, particle here, or somewhere else, it has the same effect, and it's a double. Can we understand it? It is a fact, scientific fact. They have proved it, but can we understand? Understanding is not there. So, faith. We must only work with faith. If that is possible, a karma done in this life, why can't it connect it? That is why it is said, Yajnavai Vishnu, Vishnu, Bhagavan, the Supreme Brahman, Himself is the Yajna. So, outwardly, we see fire, but really, spiritually, it is Brahman. So, whatever we offer here, prayers, etc., offerings, etc., they are received here physically, they are burnt in the fire, but if it is done sincerely, the effect will come to us. That is why, I have given a peculiar name for God, it is called Interloka Insurance Company. Whichever loka you go, your account will be open there. You can always operate it. So, there is no doubt. Are there proofs? Yes, there is proof. We remember, it all depends upon faith. You can't explain many things. In fact, you can explain nothing. It all depends on the faith only. Why? There is an accident. Can you explain? Nobody can explain. Only people will say that two cars met and there was a crash and some effect is there. This is not explaining the reason. This is describing how it happened, not why it happened. So, this Kshudiram went to Gaya and with great devotion performed the apshakis of his forefathers. He had a vision of them. Not only a vision of them, he also had a vision of Bhagavan Vishnu who predicted, I am going to be born as your son. So, that is one proof. Then, there is a popular story. There was a Maharashtrian saint, a great Krishna Bhakta, a lady called Sati Sakubai and her husband was torturing her, beating her black and blue. And what was she doing? She was completely absorbed in the thought of Pandarinatha, Sri Krishna. And then the priests were shocked. Blood was coming out of the backside of the image of Sri Krishna there. The husband was beating the wife here. But the real effect was coming on God. Why? Because she had offered herself completely in mana spiritual yagna into the fire of Krishna herself. That is why he was receiving it and she did not feel anything. Only he was feeling. The same thing happened in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Once two boatmen were quarreling and one boatman had given a big blow to the other and here Sri Ramakrishna who was watching, who happened to identify himself with the whole world, he felt the blow. How many such examples are there? But if you don't think I am stretching a point, I can also give another example. Suppose you are a mother and your child is playing and some neighbouring child who was elder and stronger, he gives a blow to your son. Who feels more pain? The mother or the son? So we are not physically receiving but sometimes physically also the psychosomatic effect, we fall sick. So there is an effect. We have to stretch it not only in this life, in the other life also we have to do. That is the first point and of course I cannot prove it scientifically but if I have faith and if I am doing it and if I am happy, I don't understand why you are having headache. Second point, so many animals are killed. Now do scriptures approve of killing of animals? For that, what is the reason? Is it not an act of cruelty? Killing. The real point of Bali is to kill the evil within us. That is called real Igna. But many times we misunderstand and we actually bring goats, buffaloes, chickens etc. So that is the first objection. Is it not a cruelty to the animal? Second point is, our rishis were very fond of eating flesh and meat and they were ritually, religiously eating to get rid of the guilt. That is the second objection. So what is the answer? Answer is meat eating is a very common phenomenon. Whether you call it halal, so if you feel guilty, call it halal. If you feel guilty, offer it to Mother Kali. But supposing there is no Mother Kali, what will you do? Well, anyway you are going to eat. The scripture cannot prevent us what we want to do. Such is the power of our gluttony, our desire to hurt or kill or whatever it is. The scripture understands it. If it advises us not to do, then we won't listen. That is why it says, you want to eat meat, offer it to God, Goddess, and then eat it as sacred prasada. This idea of offering to God and eating as prasada is injected into the persons so that it becomes slowly, slowly an effective counter thought, Pratipaksha Bhavana, and then a time will come if somebody hurts me, I feel the pain. So if an animal is hurt also, it will feel the pain. Once we reach that state, we don't need to be told, automatically we give up. So in the old ancient times, meat eating was a very common thing. But our Rishis wanted to reduce it not only for themselves, but for other people also. So they invented this, you want to eat, first of all you pray to God, you do lot of Japam, and you lit a fire, and you kill the animal, that too, kill the animal painlessly, as painlessly as possible. That's why many people are not aware that the animal to be sacrificed should not be tortured, it should be killed in one stroke. Otherwise, you will get Papa. The idea behind is to not create any suffering for the animal, if you have to sacrifice. But it is not for the sake of killing, because they want to regulate, they want to limit the way they sacrifice. Unnecessarily people have to do, only what you are capable of eating, do it. But the idea is, slowly purify the mind, and forcibly one cannot be made to give up, slowly, slowly, slowly, it has to be made to be given up. So, these are the two rules. You offer it to God, accept it as Prasada, in course of time, that will improve our spiritual life, and we become conscious, and we automatically stop giving pain, not only to animals, the whole moral life is, that what you wish to do others unto you, that you do unto others also. And nobody wants to be hurt, so we should not also hurt, or cheat, or do any harm to other people, that is the essence of morality. What is the essence of morality? That if I harm other person, I am harming myself, because there is not much difference between that person and me. And for those who do not understand, this is given in the Karmaphala, if you hurt somebody, Karmaphala will come to you. Another way of saying, that everywhere God is there, that is called moral life, Dharmic life, that is the answer to it. Third, animal sacrifices, if you think they are so common, and they are forced, that is completely wrong idea. Animal sacrifices form very, very small percentage, because there are many types and varieties of sacrifices, for example, Paka Yagna, Haveri Yagna, etc. And there is one thing, that is called, that you take some grains, and then you fashion a small body, and then you offer it in the sacrificial fire, and that is why, in our Vedic sacrifices, the sesame seeds, sesame seeds are offered there, Tila, Krishna, Tila, Shweta, like that, with that. So, whatever is our favorite, that I offer to God, and many times, especially in South India, they take a pumpkin, or what is called, ash gold, instead of an animal, they will make two eyes, etc., and then offer it, in place of a living goat. But we should not forget, even ash gold also has life, there is no doubt about it. And the most popular thing is called coconut. Coconut is a representation of human head. So, these are all substitutes. Slowly, as our Sattva Guna increases, our propensity to hurt or harm will also decrease proportionately. This is a slow way of bringing a definite change, permanent change, by the compassionate scriptures. So, the things that are made out of some paste, of some grains, etc., it is called Pista Pashu. An animal is fashioned out of the grinding of these grains, etc. Now, another objection against sacrifices is, especially modern homas, you waste a lot of ghee, and you also many times, very costly saris, etc., you burn there, and these things. There is some reason there, but if we look at it, it is not really reasonable, because there are certain rules. So, what are those rules, etc.? First of all, the people who perform, they are performing only out of their own salary. They are not doing it out of taxpayers' money. How much the government servants are doing a sacrifice of all of us, they will collect funds, money from us, in the form of income tax. Income means, income for the minister, according to the position. And then, they will do these things. We will allow you to ride our buses without any ticket. And all these promises they do, they will not give a single penny of their own. It is all people's money collected, taxpayers' money. And they waste it. And who is going to find out? So, if a little bit of a person wastes his money, but then, the same scriptures also tell us, whenever you do any yajna, this kind of yajna, you will have to do, feed thousands of people, as many as you can. That is, people forget. Annadhana, Vastradhana, Godhana, Dhanadhana, and then, this Dhanyadhana, so many varieties of dhanas are given. So, they are all compulsory aspects of every yajna. Remember the story of Bali Chakravarti. God himself has come to beg him so many things. Because every yajna involves so much of sacrifices there. So, whenever a sacrifice is performed, they must give dhana. And there are varieties of dhana. One type of dhana is called Antarvedi dhana. That is, those who perform the actual ritual, the Purohitas, and their assistants, and whoever is assisting in the whole affair, that is called Antarvedi. It means, because we have actually employed them. Then, Bahir Vedi dhana. That is, these are the two types of dhanas. Whoever comes to attend, they must be provided with good food, good shelter, and accordingly, it must be done. Remember, beautiful story of how after the Kurukshetra war, the Yudhishthira wanted to perform a great sacrifice. And so much of money was completely spent. And so much of dhana was done. And the story of a mongoose also, half golden mongoose also is very famous. I hope you remember it. What is the point? A little bit of money is wasted, but a vast amount of money is also imposed in the form of annadhana, godhana, vasradhana, dhanadhana, any type of this thing is there. So, the final thing is, all these activities should make our life into a spiritual vehicle. That is the final thing. Purification of the body and mind. Whenever any person does a special puja, he should not eat, he should take bath, he should enter into the shrine room. Several hours he has to perform a very hard task of performing. And then at the end of it, the prasada that is offered is allowed to be taken by the person and that definitely purifies the person. Forgetting all these rules and regulations is very easy to do this. And who are the criticizers? The fellows who are the most selfish, they are the people who criticize. Neither they do, nor they can bear, tolerate other people doing it. Now, we have seen, these are the answers we have given. Ponder. Listen carefully. Do manana carefully. Ponder over these things. You will understand that yajna is the only thing worth doing in life. We must transform our whole life into a marvelous yajna. These are some of the things that we need to discuss in relation with this concept of yajna. Before moving further, what we have to understand is who was the yajna pashu? That is, yajna pashu means raw material out of which this whole creation has to be fashioned. It is none other than Brahman. In simple words, Brahman was the performer. Brahman was the performed and Brahman evolved himself into this universe and so excepting Brahman, there is nothing else. Who are we? Nothing but Brahman. Who are the animals? Brahman. Who are the trees? Who are the birds? Who are the mountains? Who are the rivers? Remember, everything has come out of pancha bhutas, both gross as well as subtle. These pancha bhutas came from manifestations of or grossification of Brahman. The whole universe is nothing but the different manifestations with different forms, different names, nama, rupa, prayojana, etc. All of us are none other than Bhagawan Himself. I gave you many times the example. Suppose you are dreaming. Everything that you experience in your dream is none other than you. You yourself have become your entire swapna prapancha. If you can understand that, you can understand the srishti krama also. So before going further, the whole thing is a mental projection and Brahman Himself is the ajna. Brahman Himself is the performer of the ajna. Brahman Himself is that God to whom everything is offered and the result of everything is also nothing but Brahman and that marvellous idea that accepting Brahman, nothing exists. That is what we are supposed to remember whenever we try to eat food. brahmaarpanam brahma abhi brahma ajnao brahmanahutam brahma eva tena gantavyam brahma karma samadhinam These are some of the thoughts the purusha sopta or vidyaranya or shayanacharya, etc. They want us to understand. Now we will proceed into the 8th mantra. taiyagnam varhishe praukshannam purusham jatam agrathaha tena deva ayajanta sadhya rishayascha e This is the 8th part of the purusha sopta. So what did they do? They means devas, sadhyas and rishis. Remember they were the people brahma appointed you will be creating this entire factory called this world. Before even the factory comes out there must be people who will be working to make that factory a reality. So these are the three devas, sadhyas and rishis. These were born. But whom did they do? Where is the material? Because even they required material. If you want to construct a house first of all there should be a land then there should be material wood, iron and then the instruments for shaping the wood etc. All these things, material is necessary and all this material is fashioned out of all the elements. Either it is iron or silver or gold or wood or mud, whatever it is there must be raw material and who is that raw material? It is none other than Brahma. In Vedanta this raw material is, what is it called? That material is God himself there is none other. So the intelligent cause as well as the material cause both are nothing but it is only Brahma. That is called here Purushaha. So what did they do? These people they took the raw material and fashioned it into Nama Rupa. That is all they did it. Nothing else. So this both this Upadana Karana and Nimitta Karana it was there already and that is called Brahman and these people what did they do? They took the same Brahman as the Upadana and they borrowed some intelligence from Brahman. That is called Nimitta Karana and they started thinking like a creative person, like engineers as I gave the example that this is how we will construct the house or a factory or this is how we will plough the land etc. For even ploughing there must be land. Then there must be a ploughing instrument. Then there must be some animals to pull that plough. Nowadays even tractor. All these things were created but the raw material don't forget. Out of air nothing can be created. So what is the raw material? Brahman. Who are the people who started using that raw material? Brahman. What is the use of what is the result of using this raw material with their intelligence? Different things in this world which is none other than Brahman only. So that is the idea. If we keep this, the entire Purusha Sukta becomes crystal clear. So what did they do? Tam Yagnam. They means what? Devaha, Sadhya, Rishaya. They were the first people created. You create the universe. What did they do? They took the raw material called Purusha. Then what did they do? Probably the Purusha was a little bit hard and dried. So they sprinkled some water. This is a way of purifying everything. We do it at every puja time. We drink water and we sprinkle it outside also. So in this Yagnam, Yagnam means transforming the raw material into finest material. That is called Tam Yagnam. What is in this Yagnam? means sprinkled. Sprinkled with what? Sprinkled with water. What is the purpose? Whatever is sprinkled with Jala, that becomes pure, means fit to be made what we desire to make it. Purusham Agrataha Jatam. Purusha means raw material. Agrataha means earlier. Earlier, long before even Devas, Sadhyas, Rishis were made. Jatam means not born. Jatam means that which was existing earlier and for infinity of time, eternally existing. They took hold of that a bit of that raw material. Why do I say a bit? We have already seen that only infinitesimal part of that Bhagawan, with that the whole universe has been created. We have seen both in the Narayana Suktam as well as this Purusha Suktam. We also have seen it a little bit in the Medha Suktam also. This is a process of performing yagna, that is purifying. Purifying whom? Apparently the material but really purifying ourselves. What is purification? I must be intelligent, I must know how to do something, that is called purifying. Everyday we purify after eating food, while eating food, after getting up, we take bath, we are doing it all the time. If something dirt comes, we again take water and then we purify ourselves. Water is one of the purifying agents. In short, what did they do? They, means Rishis, Sadhyas and Devas, immolated on the sacrificial fire that sacrificial offering which is none other than Purusha or raw material who was born, that means who was existing before anything can be thought of. And with this offering God, Purusha Abhinna Nimitta Upadana Karana, the Gods, the Sadhyas and the Rishis performed the sacrifice. So, important points in this mantra is sprinkling on Brahma. That means what? Purifying. Purifying means what? Making a material fit. Simple. Everyday that is what we do. Our mother wants to cook rice. What does she do? She simply doesn't take the rice and then puts it on the fire. She washes it thoroughly three times, four times with water and then when all the dirt and dirt is removed, that is called purifying, then she will add some pure water and then only puts it in a pot and puts that pot on the fire. That is a kind of Yagna. That is exactly the same thing we are talking about. And what was the result? Yagna, if it is done properly, then it must produce a result. What is that result? It is like a scientific formula. H2O. You combine that hydrogen, some hydrogen particles and then oxygen particles. Two particles of hydrogen, one particle of oxygen. And it must never deviate. Only water is produced. Like that, whatever intention is there, those mantras make sure that that intention becomes manifest. Manifestation is the word for creation, not a dissimilar act. That is very important. So what did they do? They have emulated, started the Yagna, Yagna Krama. So what happens when this happens? Srishti sadhana yogyaha Prajapati prana roopaha Tadanu koolaha Rishayo mantra Prashtarascha So Rishis, Sadhyas and Devas etc. Srishti sadhana yogyaha Whatever raw material for the purpose of Srishti etc. needed like prana etc. Panchabhutas etc. That is called Tad Anukulaha Whatever is completely necessary for this creation. So they all came out. How did they come out? Again remember, they have not fallen from the sky. They have transformed the raw material into the useful thing. Like you take some iron, melt it and shape it into a particular form. That is the form you really required it. Whether it is an axe, an anvil or a vessel, whatever it is. This is what they have done. But how did they do it? Those people, by their penance, they themselves became purified, were capable of accomplishing the work of creation. Gods who represented the life and senses or the active powers of Prajapati and the Rishis called Vedic seers, with the help of the Sadhyas, they started performing this Yagna. What happened? So remember that they had a vision. We want these things to come out. This raw material, just like a potter, he has already an idea that I will take this bit of clay and make it ready by adding water etc. Put it on the potter's wheel and shape it according to what I want to create. This is what exactly the gods etc. have done. And then, what they did? Later on, they wanted to create not only the world but the experiencers of the world. Who are the experiencers? First of all, human beings, then non-human beings. All these people, pranis, can be divided into several categories. So for example, the smallest creatures called amoeba, then plants, then birds, then animals, then human beings. But first of all, they wanted to do this. This perfectly accords with modern biological evolutionary teachings that we have learned from Charles Darwin. Everything comes different. The lifeless becomes full of life, manifest life. That means the inorganic has the potentiality or prana in the form of potential prana. But in the course of time, when the climate etc. is suitable, it starts manufacturing the prana. First one-celled, then two-celled, then multi-celled etc. evolving into various forms. Now the point I wanted to give is that before human beings were created, before these pranis were created, the world has to be created for their sustenance. Just as a mother gives all the baby food etc. even before the child is born. Similarly, Bhagawan also wants to create food, a suitable house, suitable building place, suitable environment, suitable everything which is called the world. And the whole creation can be divided into two, subject and object. The enjoyer and the enjoyed. This is also a very interesting subject. I will take it up later on because this absolutist division that some people are the enjoyers, the rest is the enjoyed, it doesn't exist. Everybody is enjoying everybody else. But I will for now, today's class I will give you a simple example. For example, that you create an animal or food and then you want to enjoy it. So you create sweet corn and you want to enjoy it. And the sweet corn, in that sweet corn a mosquito is born. And that mosquito wants to enjoy you. So in your case you are the subject, sweet corn is the object. And then that mosquito which grew up there becomes the subject and you become the object. So you want to eat fish, you want to eat birds, you want to eat many animals and the tigers and the hyenas and the wolves and so many other creatures want to eat you up. In fact the biggest creature is eaten up by the smallest creatures. Inside you, there are plenty of bacteria who are sitting there and enjoying you day and night. So we will discuss about it more in there. So what happened in the ninth mantra, this is given, the smath yagna, from that yagna what happened sarvahutaha, that yagna is called, that is the whole universal yagna. Big yagna. Sarvahutaha means universal world yagna. And then these people have offered some aajya, aajya means whatever is to be offering. Then what happened? Pashu gus, chakre, vayavyan, aranyan, ramyasya. Animals have come out, different types of animals. Then birds have come out. Then there are animals which live both in the villages as well as in the forests. And then the forests have sprung up and also the villages have sprung up. For what? So if they are domesticated animals, they will live in the villages. But if they are wild animals, they will live in the forests. So forests have to be created and villages have to be created and those who are fit to live in the forests and those who are fit to live in villages, everything is created. This is like mother storing up baby food. Later on, importance is for the human beings. And this ninth mantra we will discuss in our next class. Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Tvada Padmetayoh Sritva Pranamami Mohamoham May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.