Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 12 on 09 April 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PAHADA PADME TAYO SHRITVA PRANAM AMI MUHUR MUHUR OM SAHANA VAVATO SAHANAO BHUNAKTO SAHA VERYAM KARVA VAHAI TEJASVI NAVADHITAM ASTUMA VIDVISHA VAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARIHI OM OM MAY BRAHMAN PROTECT US BOTH MAY BRAHMAN BESTOW UPON US BOTH THE FRUIT OF KNOWLEDGE MAY WE BOTH OBTAIN THE ENERGY TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE MAY WHAT WE BOTH STUDY REVEAL THE TRUTH MAY WE CHERISH NO ILL WILL TOWARDS EACH OTHER OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL We have been studying the second chapter of the Shweta Shatra Upanishad in which we have, in our last class yesterday, completed the fourth mantra. Now, the first chapter tells us Tattva, Purushartha, and from the second chapter onwards, most of the chapters explain to us Hita. In case you are wondering what is this particular word, Tattva means what is the reality, what is the truth, Brahman is the reality and we are all Brahman, potentially, because we do not know, only from the scriptures we come to know. Then, what should be the goal of life? We are all searching for that state which would be changeless, deathless, and Paramananda Swaroopa, of the nature of complete bliss. That should be the goal, simply stated, Moksha, but what is the way? That is called Hita. Purushartha is what should be desired by every man capable of thinking. Every man is capable of thinking, doesn't mean he thinks, but most of the time we think that we think, that is the tragedy, but we do not. So what should be the goal? That to know who we are, that is called liberation, and Hita means what is the pathway to attain to that goal, and that is what will be described in detail. This is called Sadhana, this is called Yoga, so many other names are there, and that is going to be described, already it has been described in brief, but it is going to be described in elaboration, how to practice Sadhana, and how to know whether we are progressing, what are the signs of progress, using the yogic language, we will discuss those things when it comes in this fourth mantra, which we discussed yesterday, we have to pray to the Divine. So it is said here, युञ्जते मन पुत युञ्जते धियो विप्राह विप्रस्य वृहतो विपस्चितः विखोत्रा दधे वयुणा विदेख इन्मही देवस्य सवितुः परिष्टुति Mainly what it meant is, the highest manifestation of God that we can perceive through our body and mind is the Surya Deva. He is the creator, He is the sustainer, and He is also the recycler. There is no death, but when a person tries to understand, why am I born? As Sri Ramakrishna says, we are born to realize God. Waste, pain is the life which doesn't strive to realize God. That is what Swami Vivekananda addressed. Here we get in the next mantra also, I have to surrender myself and only then I can go. That word surrender, I know Him. But how did you come to know Him? Because I took refuge. This is expressed in the Isavasya Upanishad. Not in this particular mantra. Here I know the Purusha, and that Purusha is beyond all darkness. Darkness is a symbol of ignorance, not knowing who I am, what life is for, and what I have to do in life, what is my goal of life, and what is the pathway to progress in life. All these things I am totally ignorant. That is called darkness, and there is no other way. That means spiritual life is not an option. There is no option. There is only one choiceless choice. That is what J. Krishnamurti used to say. Spiritual life is a choiceless choice, whether we know it or not, whether we are humans or non-humans, we are striving only for that one, to know that I am the ultimate reality. So for that, prayer is necessary. And this is an advice to pray. So those Vipras, those Brahmanas, those Sadhakas, those seekers of Brahman, who try to control their mind, to yoke their mind, and to control their sense organs, and to direct all these both sense organs and the mind towards the blissful Self or Paramatma, which is known as Yoga, as Dhyana, as we have seen earlier, should first pray, praise the Sun God, pray to Him. Who is He? He is all-pervading. He is the greatest. He is omniscient. He is the knower of Maya, because we are in Maya, and we want to get out of Maya. Who can take us out of Maya? Only the master of Maya. Who can be the master of Maya? The knower of Maya. And He is how many? Only one, non-dual. And He has already shown us the pathway through certain rites and rituals, what you call Vaidika Karma Kanda, which in this mantra is called as Yoga Marga. So prayer is very important. I mentioned it. Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual life started with a prayer. It progressed in prayer, and it ended also in prayer. What do I mean by it ended in prayer? After realization, Sri Ramakrishna never used to say, I am teaching you, I am talking to you. In fact, he used the word I very rarely. What was he telling? I don't know anything. I eat, I drink, I make Mary like a child. My mother knows. Ramakrishna used to manifest two personalities. One personality is of a child. When Ramakrishna was talking about normally, he is not teaching, he is reminiscing, etc. He will be in the mood of a child. But when he is required to teach something, something takes over. He is not speaking. It is the Divine Mother who is speaking. And this would always be the process. It was the process in the past. It is the process at present. It will be the process in future. That is why a Guru is a tap, a channel, a conduit through which God's grace comes. Ramakrishna used to compare it like the roof of a house. In order to collect the rainwater, they will have to direct it so that it will all fall through one pipe. And sometimes it will be lion's face, elephant's face, etc. And children not knowing water is coming from the lion's face, mouth, or elephant's mouth, or sometimes human mouth, not knowing it is all coming from God. That is what we need to understand. So this fourth mantra emphasized the need for prayer. Not only that, without prayer there is no other way. So after reiterating the necessity for the prayers to make the mind inward, this mantra makes a reference to the learned sages. How did they become learned? Here learned sages are not pandits. Learned means realized souls. They have been able to unite their minds and organs with the Self. How? By the grace of God. And how did the grace of God come? Only through prayer, through Sharanagati. So these vipras offer abundant praise to the Sun God as Paramatma, as all-pervading, all-knowing, all-witnessing, and one without a second, non-dual, who has granted them their prayers to bestow them Self-knowledge. What is Self-knowledge? There is no difference between you and me. And the sadhaka will come to know. Whatever you are, that is what I am. And forever remains united with the Self. Now we will proceed with this background to the fifth mantra. But let us keep in mind, what is it? That prayer is the way to unite ourselves with God. Sincere prayer and transformation of character through the practice of yoga or sadhana, they are the means. Simply prayer will not do. Prayer, so many people will do. In fact, every upper-class person doing Gayathri, so may you guide me, but they want to guide God. You don't know what I want, so these are the things I require. In case your buddhi is not sufficient to understand what I want, when I want, how much I want, I am here to assist you. But Shri Ramakrishna said, Oh Mother, make me do what you want me to do. Make me speak what you want me to speak. And make me think what you want me to think. In other words, you don't make me do anything. You simply sit, this body-mind belongs to you, and you work through them, and I will be just eating, playing, making merry. With this background, mantra five. YUJE VAM BRAHMA PURVYAM NAMO BHIHI VISHLOKA ETU PATHYEVA SUREHI This is the first part. Second part, with which we are all familiar, because Swami Vivekananda had initiated thousands of people, because the words that come are mantras. Any word that comes out of a rishi's mouth, a realized soul, is called a mantra. Whether they are called rishis, whether they are called saints, sages, sadhus, realized souls. For example, Shri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, direct disciples, Rama, Krishna, Chaitanya, Ramana Maharshi, people like that, they are realized souls. And realized soul means only God is using their instruments, so when they speak, it is not they. They do not exist any longer. It is only God who works through them, and they enjoy. And that enjoyment is also possible by God's will only. So we have to keep in mind, when Swami Vivekananda uttered these words, not only these words, he spoke, and I am quoting him, he said, I spoke nothing but the Upanishads, and of the Upanishads only two ideas, fearlessness and identity with Brahma. This is the highest truth. And I have not spoken anything else. And he also used to say, I have not spoken, I am his master's voice, H.M.V. I am only an instrument. This body has been used by Shri Ramakrishna. So who spoke? Shri Ramakrishna spoke. You ask Shri Ramakrishna, are you speaking? He says, no. My mother is speaking. My Divine Mother is speaking. And who is this Divine Mother? Ishwara. Ultimately, Saguna Brahma. And God only creates, God only sustains. Part of that sustenance is the manual he gives us in the form of the Vedas. And he reminds us, in case we do not understand the manual, a quick start, how to use it properly, and slowly you learn other things later on if necessary. And that is accomplished by all realized souls. The Divine Mother is spreading her own message through each one of them. The point we have to note down, whatever comes out of the mouth of such realized souls is nothing but a mantra. They are all Rishis. A Rishi by definition, Rishati, Janati is a Rishi. He who knows the truth, he is a Rishi. And a Rishi does not know by inventing something, he just realizes what was already there. And how did he realize? By the grace of God. And how did he get the grace of God? By practicing Yoga. And what did Yoga do? It transformed their lives. It gave them Viveka, what is right, what is wrong, that knowledge. And then it gave them the sufficient willpower to give up what should be given up and to take up what should be taken up. That is called Vairagyam. And perfect control over the body, over the mind. Shama, Tamadhi, Shatka, Sampatthi. All because they have developed their only goal in life, Mumukshatva, intense yearning, in the words of Ramakrishna. So, in this fifth mantra, again this prayer is uttered. What prayer? I have a body. Body means sense organs. Sense organs are ten. Five are of knowledge or input. And five are of action called output. The whole body is nothing but these ten sense organs. All of them are individual. They only gather only a particular branch of knowledge. For example, the eyes can see, ears can hear, ears cannot see, the eyes cannot hear, etc. But this knowledge is taken in and harmonized, collated, harmonized and made into meaningful whole by that inner sense organ called mind. And it produces different types of feelings, different types of understandings, different types of emotions and all those things are going on. But when a person surrenders himself to God through these intense prayers, sincere prayers, Ramakrishna says, God will certainly listen to the sincere prayer of a devotee but it should be sincere. And God understands what is sincere and what is not sincere. So, in this it is said that one has to pray. What is the meaning? Simple meaning. As I said, I am not going into the Sanskrit meanings of the words because some of these words, some of them are very, very tough. Unless there are commentators, we would not have understood the individual meaning of these words much less the unified meaning. What exactly are they trying to convey? What message are they trying to convey? So, here we have got body, we have got mind, we have got sense organs, we have got the mind. And according to Vedanta, totally borrowed from the Sankhya school of philosophy, every particular sense organ has a presiding deity. For example, the Sun God is the deity of the eye. What does the Sun do? He is called Adhishtatra Devata, presiding deity. What does he do? He, after creating the world, God has become three, Panchabhutas, one, Adhishtatra Devatas, first. Then this world consisting of Panchabhutas and within this world, every living creature having these eleven sense organs, five of knowledge, five of action and one is mind. All these sense organs are presided over and this is our deep faith by Adhishtatra Devata. As I was mentioning, without the Sun, Sun in the form of light, there cannot be life. So, because of the Sun, I am existing, you are existing, animals are existing, insects are existing and they need to sustain themselves. And that food is made available in the form of the world and that is called Adhibhuta. And whatever we are, that is called Adhyatmika. Adhyatmika is individual. Adhibhutika is what we have to interact with. Adhidaivika is what illumines both the Adhyatmika and Adhibhutika. So, it is an inviolable, inseparable triangle and so we have to pray so that our senses will be working, functioning properly, our body will be healthy, strong and our prana will be full of enthusiasm, our mind will have the right understanding, right resolve, will power, our buddhi, after understanding what is right, takes the right decision and implements it and all this will give us ultimately, suppose it to give us ananda. And thus we go on experiencing more and more ananda and finally we go even beyond the ananda. What is the point? Point is prayer. I have to pray to the adhishtatra devatas, presiding deities. I have to pray to all of them. That is the first meaning of this fifth mantra in this second chapter. Second is, once God has given, made every sense organ healthy, strong, ready to serve us, we should have that discrimination, that buddhi to use them properly. So here, a very beautiful psychological fact is inserted by the rishis and they are telling, not only we have to pray to the adhishtatra devata and they are giving us also, listening to our prayers, granting our prayers, fulfilling our prayers, giving us good sense organs, everything, but we also have to use them properly. Obtaining them by the blessings of the presiding deities is first part of the job, but using them properly so that we can progress and gradually know who we are or realize God or become one with Brahman. That is the second part. For everything, prayers, grace, prayers means grace, is necessary. What is important here and very beautifully put here, we have to pray to each sense organ, O I, let me, you only don't see, God has given you that power to see, see what will be beneficial to you, not what will be merely pleasant to you, but beneficial to you. Can we have both, both beneficent as well as pleasant? Certainly we can have. We can have pleasant and also non-beneficial. We can have unpleasant and also non-beneficial. We can have pleasant also beneficial. That is why even the other Shanti Pathas, with these help of the body and with the sense organs, so long as God has allotted me a life span, let me use it to worship you, to pray to you, to surrender to you and steadily to meditate upon you and move forward towards you. This is the prayer. But here, instead of turning the attention to the presiding deity, it says we have to pray also to the sense organs. O I, God has given you this blessing, my friend, my darling, my honey. Do not misuse it. Do not go on seeing what may be temporarily pleasant, but in the long run, what is a terrible loss. Do not do it, even if it is unpleasant. And many things, unfortunately, good things are unpleasant. So for meditation, O my God, how long? One hour. What? One hour meditation? All right. One second. You are talking sense now. Not so much. So, we may not be saying that, but that is our feeling is how long am I going to sit for meditation? Like that. Study the scriptures. How much time you want to study? And Swami, you go on and on in so many classes and I tell them, so you are doing great punya and if you don't listen to me, you will go to Brahma Loka and there you have to attend classes conducted by Brahma. Brahma. And do you know what is the time span of Brahma? Your one hour here will be one yuga there. I don't know what you are going to do. Better, if you want to avoid classes in Brahma Loka, attend my classes. Comparatively, very, very, very short time. Okay. So, address the presiding deity, address each sense organ and it is psychologically very beneficial because when we address, Oh mind, please listen to me. Don't go here and there. Think of God, my dear. It's very good for you. It has an effect. And some of our Swamis have spoken about it in a slightly different way. For example, Turiyanandaji Maharaj used to live here. Where he used to live, from my room, is only two and a half minutes walk. And there, many devotees used to come and especially Sadhus and Brahmacharis. And one such aspirant, he must have put, my mind is very restless. It thinks of a lot of things. And then he said, that when you sit for meditation, put out a notice outside, class is going on, observe silence. No, no. That is what I am doing. What he said is, put out a notice that no entrance for any other thought. I will deal with you after meditation is over. But at this time, you have no entrance. And be very strict, very firm about it. And that is what Latu Maharaj also exactly reflected, that no entrance to any other thought. But say, I don't want to think anything bad. That is not going to work out at this stage. So we have to say, okay, I will think about you. I will deal with you. But at this time, for God's sake, because I am going to think about God, so please do not disturb me. And this will also work, not only physical board, not only mental board, because there are so many elements. Devotees can be obstruction. And in fact, devotees and others are greatest obstruction in the world. So put out a notice and try. Whether it is 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, I will not think anything else. Make a Sankalpa. And that will help. So here, this is what it means. O senses, O sense organs, and also the presiding deities of the sense organs, with many salutations, and by your grace, with your blessings, we are able to absorb our mind in that ancient truth, Brahma. If we are able to succeed in our meditation, it is all because of your grace. And what is my prayer meant for? It is not to get your grace, but to be able to receive, to be able to retain what you are bestowing so compassionately upon me, all our prayer, meditation, everything is to be a fit receptacle. And may this hymn of praise, Stuti, verily spread everywhere in the path of the seers. Why is this inserted? Because my friends, I have been suffering from this disease and I have taken this medicine. Somebody suggested this medicine and none other than my Guru suggested this medicine and it really worked for me. And those of you who are suffering from the same problem, I am sure we can get a relief from that disease. So, this is also part of my spiritual prayer. Whatever we have learned, we should be able to tell others, not that we will go and catch hold of their throat and try to push down their throat. No. What it means is, if we find somebody who is exactly in the same position where I was before and I know the remedy, it is my bounden duty to spread this. This is the meaning. May this hymn of praise, Stuti, verily spread everywhere in the path of the seers. That is why I interpreted in the path of the seers means those seekers who want to become Rishis, and who are striving, they require this. And not only that, this person who is declaring this, what did you get by following this path? Well, Vedaham etam purusham mahantam Adityavarnam tamasah parastat and Categorically, with absolute confidence, the Rishi is declaring, I know that ancient Purusha, ancient means unchanging Purusha. You see, some of the religions try to depict God as a human being with pure white beard. And if I don't think he is really a God, because even a child knows how to dye the white hair and he is not dying his white hair and trying to appear young. So such an ignorant God must be totally ignored by all of us. So, ancient, no, that is not the... Ancient means what? Unchanging. Puranaha, that is the word we use. Even though he is ancient, he never becomes ancient. He is ever new, because new and old, past and present is all within the realm of time. And he is beyond time. Creation is within time, space and causation. But Ishwara is beyond time, space and causation. That is why he is called Mayadhisha, Lord of the Maya, Lord of the Time, Mahakala. So, this mantra is describing the final stage of evolution of the seeker. The final stage is Samadhi. And the coming down to the relative plane of existence, once Samadhi is attained, this is called Jeevan Mukti. What is Samadhi? It is a state where the seeker becomes one with Brahman. And here the seeker salutes the sense organs in this mantra five and their presiding deities by whose grace alone he is able to concentrate and attain Brahman. I mentioned yesterday also in my last class that without God's grace we might receive the grace, we might even know but we cannot retain. Receiving power, retaining power, remembering power and using it at the appropriate time to the most benefit and with the right attitude. All these five powers are implied in that word Diyo Yonaha Prajodayat. That Gayathri is none other than Mahavakya. What is it? That I am none other than you. And that final knowledge can come only by your grace. That is why three words we already discussed but I am reminding you. What is the first one? We want to know. Every Gayathri mantra will have that one. So we want to know. That is why we want to know what is the way we surrender ourselves to you. Di Mahi means surrender. And then if the surrender is complete, the individual will not exist. Only the Supreme exists. That is called Prajodayat. This is a Mahavakya. We want to know. We will meditate for that purpose. We surrender ourselves and you will become one with us. That is the meaning of you guide my understanding means you be me. That is the real meaning of it. So this Gayathri is a Mahavakya saying you Jeevatma do not exist. What exists is only Paramatma. So for that purpose the senses must be tranquil. Mind must be tranquil. So with that tranquility the Sadhaka can feel that the whole universe is the manifestation of Brahma. This is the stage after the man knows who he is and by God's grace, if his mind comes down, he is not the old man. He is Esheche Nutan Manush Degh Bijade Ay Chale We sing this song especially on 1st January that is a new man has come and if you want to see this new man who is always moving with two bags on his right and left shoulder Viveka Vairagya Ardui Jhuli There are two bags. One is called Viveka another is Vairagya Sada Jhule always. So he is a new man. If you go to him, then you will understand the teachings of the scriptures. Saral Kothai Shekhale You taught them in the simplest of words, the highest of the truths. So come. So who is the new man? This new man is a Jeevan Mukta. His body appears to be the same but body is new and the mind also is new. Are you surprised? Body is new? Yes, body is new. Whether you are Jeevan Mukta or not Jeevan Mukta, your body is not the same body. Whether it is what last minute some cells have died, some new cells have come, perhaps by this time they are also dead. It is not exactly the same body. So we must, this person who knows the truth he is categorically declaring. I know that highest truth Edaham etam purusham mahaantam Aditya varnam is pure consciousness and beyond all darkness. There is no ignorance. And then if you want really your life to be fulfilled Tamevaviditva Atimrityum eti. One can transcend these rounds of births and deaths only by knowing him. Is there any other way? Na anya pantha vidyate ayanaya No other path excepting becoming one with Brahma excepting realizing God. This is what Ram Krishna in simple words without using these hard Vedantic words is trying to tell us. Therefore, the body must be made tranquil, mind must be made tranquil and they can become tranquil only by the grace of the Adishtana Devatas and directly addressing these senses, the two senses. God has blessed you. Now, what you are created so that you can progress towards God. That is your goal in life. This is the only goal in life and you can get real meaning of life only by following this path. So, please do not waste your time, your energy here and there and for that we are also reminded not only address the presiding deities, address the sense organs also. So, at the beginning of course we all realize the oneness or the eminence of God because of our feeling of Bhakti. Every bhakta knows God is everywhere. Vishwam Vishnur Vashatkaro Bhuta Bhavya Bhavat Prabhu Bhuta Krut Bhuta Brut Bhavo Bhuta Atma Bhuta Bhavanaha We know that but it is not a realization. It is through faith. Faith because of our devotion. But when we directly perceive the Lord, the Truth, Brahman, then this very mind and senses become calm. Then every seeker realizes the transcendental aspect of God. He goes beyond all names and forms and only that knowledge can liberate us. So, we should be very tranquil and that is the meaning of Prasada. Whatever we offer to God, after that we enjoy it. It is called Prasada. Forgetting the meaning of Prasada, what is it? Prasade Sarva Dukkha Naam Haani Rasya Upajayate Prasanna Chetaseha Ashu Buddhi Pariyava Tishthate The Buddhi, our understanding capacity, is able to understand only because of the Prasada. Prasada means the grace of God. So, body becomes pure, fit. Senses become pure and fit. What does it mean? It means body automatically, naturally turns towards God. The eyes do not want to see anything that may be present, but they want to see only God. And all the sense organs, the ears, only want to hear about God. The nostrils want to have fragrance of the incense or flowers which are offered to God. And the tongue wants only to take Prasada. And that gives the highest joy. Remember, when Naga Mahasaya was offered Prasada on a leaf plate, even that leaf was also taken and you think he is eating leaf. He is not eating leaf. He was not such a foolish person. He was eating Prasada and the leaf touched the Prasada. Whatever Prasada touches also becomes Prasada. Whatever fire touches also becomes fire. So, that is the first part of this fifth mantra. The second part Shrunvantu Vishwe Amrutasya Putraha Aye Dhamani Divyani Tastu This is one of the most important mantras of all Upanishads addressed to the entire human race. Everybody Amrutasya Putraha Every human being Swami Vivekananda gave a rejoinder there. According to Christianity, man is a born sinner. And he proclaimed loudly at that very place organized by these Christian religions. It is a standing label to call human being a sinner. It is a sin to call a human being a sinner. No. He is Amrutasya Putraha. Yes. He doesn't know it. Yes. He misbehaves. That is all true. His nature is not sinfulness. Man is not a born sinner means man's nature is not sinful nature. He is Amrutasya Putraha. But he might do because of misunderstanding and the responsibility lies squarely on God's head only. Because he only created this Maya and he wants to play with himself. So this is a most marvelous rejoinder that Shunvantu Vishwa. Everybody is Amrutasya Putraha. Not only that even science declares that everybody, what potential it is, a just born baby has within him or her. Nobody knows. When you look at baby Einstein and unable to even wash himself, passes stool and urine on the bed or in mother's lap, who could have imagined one day he will be revered all over the, throughout the world as one of the brightest most fertile brains so far as physics is concerned, science is concerned. Who could do that? And who could have predicted seeing anyone of the children, a Beethoven, a Shakespeare, a Kalidasa, a Max Planck? Who could have predicted? Who could have seen George Washington Carver born as a child of a slave? Who could have imagined he would have been one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century? Nobody knows. But we all have that potentiality, not only potentiality of divinity, potentiality of talents. We must make this distinction. Talents used in the proper way leads us to spiritual progress. But same talents used in a worldly way will definitely bring us money, wealth, name, fame, etc. So this Swami Vivekananda elaborated this mantra. I would say every lecture that Swami had given is only an elaboration of this mantra which the first time the West was hearing and I think first time Indians were also reminded of it, even though its origin is India. So this mantra is important for many reasons. Every human being is a potential divinity, not only that. आये धामानि दिवियानि तस्तु That is, there are beings who are in the Svarga Loka, Prajapati Loka, Brihaspati Loka, Brahma Loka. Even though they are enjoying higher type of happiness in higher worlds, doesn't mean they are better than human beings. No. They could be as ignorant as anybody else. Earlier I mentioned sin is of three types. The first sin is evil action. Papa. The second sin is punya. Because that is karma. Punya is karma phala and if there is karma phala, it must rebirth. Human being has to be reborn to reap, to enjoy. What happens when you enjoy something, most likely you will get stuck with it. That is going to be elaborated in the very second, next mantra. Next mantra itself. Sixth mantra itself. We will come to that. So the third manifestation of this papa is the root cause of the papa. Root cause of samsara is called avidya agnana. So we have to first progress, eliminate evil deeds, progress to good deeds. From papa karma, we must progress to punya karma. This is the process of evolution. And from punya karma, we have to go beyond the punya karma. And Mundaka Upanishad, I think in the seventh mantra, it is emphasizing this fact. Whatever we have talked about, karma kanda in the past mantras, rapsa, etat, sarvam, everything is absolute truth. It is not that they are not true. But what is the problem? etai sarvaha adhridaha plavaha. They are like rafts which are absolutely unreliable. They may drown you right in the middle of an ocean. They cannot. What is the one raft that can take? In fact, that word raft is used in this Shweta Shatra Upanishad. Very soon, we will come to that also in the second chapter itself. So, here it is said that all of us are potentially divine. That is the tattvam. And it is our bounden duty to manifest the divinity. That is called purushartha. And how to manifest that in the form of four yogas, that is called purushartha yoga. So, this is a note of hope to everybody. Nobody can be excluded. Everybody is divine. And how many religions proclaim that everybody is a child of God. And Hinduism proclaims that not only every human being, even non-human beings, even insects, they are on the way to God realization. There is a story that once Narada, a realized soul, during his wanderings, came across an insect slowly crawling from one leaf to the other and one glanced at it. He felt pity. Oh my God! And this creature has to go through what Hindus call churasi lakh janam 84 lakhs of millions of births. And then he will become a human being and he will progress from the 4th to the 3rd to the 2nd and 1st state called Brahmanas and then after several births he will finally attain to Narayana. He will obtain Moksha. He took pity and he blessed it. May your progress be sooner. As soon as he said that, immediately it died. It was reborn in a higher being. Immediately it died. It will be born, it will die. It will be born, it will die. Within a short time it became a human being. It died and again became a higher human being and in no time whether Narada was watching it or not, I don't know. So it became a realized soul by the blessings of that great sage. We have to take note of it. All of us, everybody, even the person who is suffering and doesn't know what is called hope, what is called depression, severe depression, these are all temporary stages but God will not allow us to be there. That is the message of Shranvant Vishwa Amrutasya Putra. This is what Sri Ramakrishna reiterated again and again. This is what Holy Mother in her simple village language, she says, My child, nobody will be left without food. Mother will provide. Perhaps some people, bright children, they come to Mother running and immediately they get. But some people are absorbed in play, they come a little bit late. But if some child doesn't come, Mother will go there, kick all the playthings, drag them and feed them, put the child to sleep so that he can have sufficient rest and that is what the Divine Lord gives. This is the most hopeful message that we can ever get. Now, for that we have to start our journey with Karma Kanda. Karma Kanda is the beginning whether you want worldly things, you want spiritual things, Karma Kanda is the way. Now Karma Kanda, I will talk about it in my next class, is extremely important. Some of the so-called modern teachers, they degrade, they criticize Karma Kanda not understanding that they have a legitimate place in the development of everybody, even for a baby to play and to be absorbed in the play. What is called Kumbhakarna state, eating and sleeping. And eating and sleeping is an appropriate stage for the baby. You don't expect him certainly to attend my Shweta Shweta Upanishad classes, definitely. So even if you bring him, you know what he does it. And he is doing it exactly like that. He sleeps, he gets up and then he suckles mother's milk and again he goes. But after some time, he himself will say, I want to play with mother, I want to play with brothers and sisters, I want to play with my neighbor children. So slowly, from that Kumbhakarna state, he will come to Ravanasura state. And then he will be chasing worldly things. This is the natural development. And if anybody says, no, no, I have never gone through those stages, I am a very exceptional cases, I have fallen straight from the sky, then he deserves to be really treated very well by psychiatrists. There is no other way. Everybody has to go. Some have already gone through. That is why Bhagwan Krishna himself Shani Shani, you know How many Aneka Janma Samsiddha Tato Yati Param Gatin Vasudevah Sarvamiti Samahatma Sudurlabaha We are only seeing, comparing in one life. But how many lives the person had gone through. The only exception is an avatar purusha. Avatar purushas they are not born of karma phala. They are born, what is called, they have got a mission in life. That is why they are not karma jivis. They are called karana jivis. They have a mission to fulfill. They are already free. They will never be bound. But they pretend to be bound. But when they pretend to be bound, really they pretend. They forget themselves. Otherwise you think these nice fellows, they know what they are and they are giving all this upadesham and they don't know what we are going through. No. Definitely they go through, all of us. But then Swami Shardanji makes a remarkable statement. He says, it is like a person, suppose there are two persons. One person is bound hand and foot by somebody else and his eyes are completely covered and thickly covered. There is no way he can open his eyes and see what is happening. But the other person, he binds like a magician his own eyes, his own head and it looks as though he is helpless like the other person. But he knows inside any second that I want with one pulling the whole bandage or bondage will come down. So Avatar Purushas, they self cover themselves but be very careful. They are not pretending. They actually go through all our emotions, through depressions and through happiness, unhappiness, everything. But they have got that mission very quickly. What other people achieve through millions of births, they all achieve within the span of just a few years. That is the speciality of it. Vedic Karma Kanda, about which I will talk in my next class, is very important. But one point we have to remember here that Vedic Karma Kanda can also bind us because etat satyam. If you do putrakamesti yajna, you will get putrakamesti. That is why it is said Dasaratha wanted only one son. He prayed to God. He did not specify. He simply said, I want children, putra. And then God said, buy one and get three more free. So he got four actually. So be careful. If you want only one, this God sometimes is not very intelligent. Specify, I want only one not even a twin. Okay, what am I talking about? That we should not be attached to any of this Karma Kanda. They have their place and without them we cannot progress. But having fulfilled, having enjoyed a little bit with the discrimination and you move forward, do not become attached. This is the warning given in this sixth mantra about which we will talk in our next class. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamame Mohan Mohoho May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.