Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 31 on 17 June 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have started the 5th chapter of the Svetasvatara Upanishad. From today, this 5th chapter contains 14 mantras only. This is the shortest chapter in these 6 chapters of Svetasvatara. What is the essence of this 6th, 5th chapter? In the 14 mantras, the first 6 mantras are trying to tell us everything is Brahman. And very interesting fact, exactly reflecting the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna or Sri Ramakrishna was reflecting the teachings of the Upanishads or even Bhagwan Krishna. How he expresses the very same ideas in the 7th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. We will find out because I will be often quoting parallelly because one of the things if we are devotees of Sri Ramakrishna that we have to understand every word that came from the mouth of Sri Ramakrishna is a Veda Vakya, Upanishad. And Vedas are giving us a harmonious unified meaning. Many of us are very familiar with the three foundational scriptures of Hinduism. They are called Prasthana Traya. The Upanishads form the first stand and the Brahma Sutras forms the second stand and the Bhagavad Gita that stands, that is the third stand. They are called Prasthana Traya. Shruti, Smriti and Niyaya. That is why Upanishads are called Smriti Prasthana. Bhagavad Gita is called Smriti Prasthana and Brahma Sutras is called Niyaya Prasthana. These three are completely unified. There is absolutely no difference between what Bhagavad Gita teaches and the Upanishads teach us and the Brahma Sutras. Brahma Sutras is only to bring about Samanvaya, unified single meaning. That is Jiva and Jagat or none other than Brahma. Sarvam Brahma Mayam Jagat. And that is what exactly we see in Sri Ramakrishna and that is what we see as explained by Swami Vekananda. The whole universe Swami Vekananda so clearly expresses in the Jnana Yoga. The macrocosm and the microcosm both are built exactly on the same principle. What does it mean? It means if we understand about ourselves, we know Brahman or vice versa. If we understand Brahman, then we know. Why? Because there are no two things. There is only one thing. One is appearing as the many. Indraha Mayave Pururu Paiva. But Indra here means Ishwara, not the Pauranic Indra. Very often we get confused. We have to crystal clearly separate Pauranic Indra, Vedantic Indra. We get several times the name Indra in the Upanishads, etc. For example, when we were discussing Kena Upanishad, Indra, Agni, Vayu. And of them Indra was the first person to realize Brahman. So he is a Brahma Jnani. Agni was a Brahma Jnani. Vayu was a Brahma Jnani. So Brahma with Brahmaiva Bhavati as taught by Mother Saraswati or Haimavati herself. And Svetasvatara Upanishad is reflecting exactly the same thing. Throughout these four chapters that we have completed, we have seen that excepting Brahman, nothing else exists. And this Brahman especially is called Purushaha and Rudraha. And here in this particular fifth chapter, a new name has been given Kapilaha. We will see what it means really. So in this fifth chapter and leading to this fifth chapter, the first four chapters were there. They were all telling us exactly the same thing. Who am I? What is this world? Where from it has come? And what is the relationship between God, Ishwara, Jeeva and Jagat? So all the Mahavakyas, innumerable Mahavakyas so clearly point out Jeeva is none other than Brahman. Then what about Jagat? Jagat also is none other than Brahman. Why? Because Ekameva Advityam. Brahman is only one. Therefore there cannot be anything if the Karana is one. A Karya, however different, innumerable, it may appear to us, but it is all nothing but pure Brahman. Brahman with names and forms is Jeeva and Jagat. And this Jeeva and Jagat without names and forms is Brahman. That is what he wants to tell. And this is the essence of every single scripture, including Bhagavad Gita, of course all the Upanishads. The speciality of this Shweta Kshetra Upanishad is that it brings the element of Guru Bhakti and Ishwara Bhakti. As we will see at the end and also at the end of this sixth chapter, we will see that without devotion one cannot really obtain. And then it defines also clearly, devotion means purity. Simply taking God's name, that is absolutely fine. That is just like any type of religious activity, it is just like a sign board. You are walking, you want to enter into the temple, for example, and you just walk this way. So every religious performance or ceremony or Karmakanda is nothing but a pointer. And in this particular fifth chapter we are introduced, earlier we were introduced to Prakruti, which is popularly known as Maya, Avidya. But in this fifth chapter a new idea has been, this is called Vidya and Avidyaha. Sri Ramakrishna, remember, uses this verse, Ishwara contains Vidya and Avidya. Go beyond both Vidya and Avidya. So many examples are there, that is the first point we have to note. Second point is, is there any dichotomy, opposition, conflict between Vidya and Avidya? Sri Ramakrishna crystal clearly explains to us, the Vidya alone can help us reach Brahma or realize that we are Brahma. Because everything that we do is nothing but the manifestation of Vidya. If the knowledge is directed towards not higher ideals, it is called Avidya. And if it is directed towards God, it is called Vidya. But do we have a choice, that why if Avidya is going to take us to the world, makes us take births any number of times, why can't we give it up? No, you can't give up because just as a child, cannot give up any dolls, small playthings. At that age, it is very necessary. Sri Ramakrishna, I think it was, I do not remember, one of the direct disciples, he makes a beautiful remark, small children play with marriage, small dolls, one male doll and one female doll. So they observe the marriage ceremony and then with small pebbles, that will be the Akshatas and they will be going on getting married. What is it? The direct disciple explains that this is nothing but preparation for their own future marriage. And marriage in spiritual terms can be called as Yoga. Yoga means joining two separate things. And according to Patanjali, it is actually Yoga that brings us to Purusha, not Yoga. We are already Yogis. Purushas have been inevitably, inescapably, related to the Prakruti, our body, our mind and our awareness or consciousness. Consciousness is Purusha, body, mind is Prakruti and this is what causes the, what you call, limitation, bondage, finiteness, unhappiness, Tapatraya, etc. But through Yoga, what happens? Yoga is Vyoga, that is, you separate. O Prakruti, you remain in your own field. I am Purusha. I am saying goodbye to you. Why did I suddenly bring about this topic? Because marriage is exactly that one. Purusha, Prakruti, Sanyoga and the purpose of this Grihastha Ashrama is to get out of Grihastha Ashrama. As I put it lightly, many times, what is the endeavor of every school and college? Suppose a boy or girl joins a school and all the headmasters, other school teachers, they all put forth their greatest effort. We know what you are. We want you to get out of this place. What is the quickest way of making you get out? We will teach you so well, you will pass so quickly that within a few years, one after the other, you will get out of our school. Then only we will be totally relieved. That is exactly the purpose of the Avidya Maya. It is not opposed and this is beautifully brought out in the Mundaka Upanishad, if we know how to read it. Because there are so many Brihaspathis who misread them. Avidya is Maya. Maya is a negative force as if God divides Himself as a good person and evil person. No, He is Sarva Mangala. As Ramanuja puts it, Ananta Kalyana Guna Sagara is an ocean of infinite good qualities. So, even what is called an unpleasant experience is a great lesson for us and we have to go through it. There is no way to bypass it. Because if we have to bypass it, that is the will of God. He need not have created this world at all. Go through all these things. In fact, even to say that why did God create me is not a very intelligent question. When you have a dream, you don't create anybody else. You recreate yourself in so many forms. Somebody comes and then beats you up. Who was that somebody? So long as the dream lasts, it is an evil person, separate person, not me. But when you wake up, you say that I myself have created the person who came and slapped me. Perhaps if you realize that slap alone woke you up from the dream. And that is what Holy Mother says misery is the gift of God. So, what is the point I am bringing out? Both avidya is the beginner's training and vidya is the advanced training. The purpose of both is also to get us out of this samsara sagara, this ocean of transmigration. And another beautiful reflection from this Ramakrishna's teachings is many times he uses the word, the analogy of a fisherman trying he puts on and different types of fish is there. Jhalavan. And that is exactly the term used in this fifth chapter. And maybe Ramakrishna had heard it from so many sadhus. There is quite a good possibility is there. So, there is no authenticity. Authenticity is not there. But it doesn't matter. So, with this background we will start it. So, the first part of this chapter so far as we have taken speaks more about the nature of God or truth that is Brahman. Now onwards about the individual. But there are no two. There is no individual and there is no cosmic person. Underlying both is their essential oneness. To realize that oneness and to get out of this transmigration is the purpose of every scripture. Even Bible, Koran, Tripitaka, Zaratustra's teachings, everything. And before I start, I have taken a quotation from one of the... There is a Shankaranandiya Deepika. There was a great soul called Shankarananda. Nothing to do with Shankaracharya. He has written a Deepika that is a short commentary and there he has written about this fifth chapter of the Svetasatra Upanishad. It is a very beautiful verse. Tattvam padarthau tritiya dhyaye niroopitau yadhyaha Even though Tatt and Tvam two items of discussion what is Tatt, Brahman, what is Tvam, you the Jeevatma they have been discussed. Niroopitau and without any doubt they have been proved to be one and the same. Tathapi, even though Tvam padarthan atyamsham na niroopitaha That is about the Tvam padartha Tvam means you. Tatt, Tvam, Asi That about Tattvam Tatt as well as Tvam quite in detail it has been done. But more about Tatt less about Tvam. For that purpose this fifth chapter is started Tathartham ayam panchamo athyaya arabhyate The fifth chapter is started but even though Shankarananda has written like that but only from this this chapter has 14 mantras. So from 7th to 14th mantra more importance is given to the individual that is I, you and all of us until 7th that means 1st to 6th mantras again only Tath padartham What is the purpose? Tath that is that, that means Brahman, Tvam that means every individual soul are not different. Why? If a thousand pots have been fashioned out of clay they are not separate from clay they cannot remain separate from clay, there is nothing else other than clay and clay only is manifesting in the form of Nama, Rupa, Guna that is the point important point in this 5th chapter in this we will start it so what is the 1st mantra wants to tell us, very important we are in this world and all of us think I am man I am a woman, I am a mosquito I am a dog etc. every living creature is 100% filled with that identity I am so and so what is the reason? because I do not know I am ignorant about my nature that ignorance is called avidya if I am ignorant and I have not created ignorance rather I was created because of ignorance where was this ignorance? it must be there in God, it must be a power of Ishwara not the power of the Nirguna Brahma so to say, why? because Nirguna Brahma neither creates nor sustains nor withdraws it is only Ishwara the moment we talk about Ishwara, Ishwara is called Saguna Brahma in Vedantic language Sa-Guna what is Maya? consisting of three Gunas the Divine Mother doesn't matter, these are synonymous words so this Maya is consisting of what? three Gunas Sattva, Prajas and Tamas, these are called Gunas that's why Ishwara is called Saguna, what is the point? Ishwara and Maya are not two separate things, Ishwara is Maya, Maya is Ishwara when we look at from the viewpoint of consciousness Saguna Brahma is called Ishwara when we look at it as a Karana he is called Ishwara when we take the view of Karya a manifestation grossification then we call him Nama Rupa etc Maya really speaking you can't take a knife and then separate Oh Ishwara I will separate you it is not going to happen so this is what this first mantra wants to tell us both Vidya and Avidya both are there naturally the next question that comes is if Vidya and Avidya are part and parcel of Ishwara is he not going to be affected? No he is not going to be affected because he is like the magician remember is a beautiful example a magician he is a human being but he has got a special power of creating magic so the man and his power his knowledge of being able to create magic and hoodwink all of us and I have to confess we really look forward to be hoodwinked we really are longing to enjoy it and why do we enjoy being hoodwinked because we know it is only magic it is not real we pay for that like seeing a cinema etc that is very important with this background we will enter into this first mantra knowledge and ignorance both lie hidden in the infinite immutable supreme truth but why there are two knowledge means vidya verily is immortal while ignorance is perishable indeed he who rules over both knowledge and ignorance is indeed different from them Sairam Krishna's teachings help us to understand this what we call ironical statement paradoxical statement so if a person knows he is a knowledgeable person if a person doesn't know he is an ignorant person but here is Ishwara he is all-knowing and he is all-ignorant in different degrees if anybody were to say fire gives sometimes heat sometimes no heat then that person would be wrong so how do we understand we to understand God we have to understand that we are trying to understand God from the viewpoint of what type of glasses we are putting on are we putting Gnananjana or Agnananjana that is the important point so this putting on glasses has been divided by Vedanta into three types of glasses Dvaita glass Vishistha Dvaita glass and Advaita glass so if I look at Brahman through the Dvaita glasses everything is separate from everything else remember three types of differences are there Videshiya Vedaha Vijatiya Vedaha Sajatiya Vedaha Swagata Vedaha but when we come to Vishishta Dvaita then there is a both Bheda and Abheda that is why the very philosophy sometimes specially called Vishishta Advaita there is unity there is also difference at the same time what is the way to understand it supposing your body your body consists of hands legs etc if you show any part of your body and if you are asked what is that part you say this is hand, this is a leg this is ear, this is eye but name the whole you say this is my body there is no object called body yet the totality of all limbs is called body and this is called Vishishta Dvaita philosophy where each the Jagat and the Jivas they form a part of the body of Ishwara how? like a living person there are hands and legs they are all alive with Prana but there are also nails, hairs etc which are completely lifeless, inert that is why anybody can cut in fact we pay a lot of money for cutting whether it is nail cutting or nail biting whatever it is so this is Vishishta Advaita what happens when we come to Advaita glass then there is no Jiva there is no Ishwara because Advaita glass tells us there is only nothing to see I am the only one Aham Brahmasmi so Dve Akshare Brahma Paretu Anante Vidya Vidya Dve, two, what? Vidya and Vidya there are the Akshare imperishable reality called Brahman and Anante, it is the infinite Brahman is the infinite but how are they? Nihite Yatra Gude deeply hidden hidden means what? they won't affect Brahman, they won't affect Ishwara but seem to be affecting all of us like our dreams this is a beautiful example so where are suppose tonight after sometime you will eat food I am not saying that you should not go to dream now you are free if you want to do that so imagine you create, where was that dream before you created has it fallen suddenly from the sky no it was hidden there so do you always have sweet dreams or do you also have got rotten bitter dreams where are they hidden rottenness, bitterness because they are also there inside the mind and you give them a very concrete form all of us do that and that is exactly Bhagwan, does it affect you? not at all because when you get up understand it is all my creation what is the important point my creation cannot affect me because it is my creation, what is the difference then between God and us while God knows even while dreaming even while in the waking state, in the dream state, in the sleeping state, He is the Turiya He knows that I am sleeping, I am dreaming I am awake how does it happen? it happens even to a Jeevan Mukta, that is what Swami Turiyanandaji once was asked, probably here in Varanasi does a Jeevan Mukta dream? He says yes does a Jeevan Mukta is awake during sleeping time? He says yes so how is it possible to be aware and to be sleeping also at the same time he says why not that is possible for a Jeevan Mukta because he has been practicing for a long time, just as we witness another person in deep sleep, so also a Jeevan Mukta, he can make his own body, mind as if it is something else, not related to him and he can witness it, so he can also be in the waking state be aware, this is possible for us also and it is not really impossible but very difficult even while dreaming this is what they call, some people call it conscious dreaming, we can shape our dreams, we can make so that we are going to Devaloka I don't know what will the ladies do, so while dreaming, while sleeping a Jeevan Mukta remains completely a witness, witness means exactly that a witness who only witnesses waking state not dream state, not sleep state, he is not a real witness so he has to progress further, so this is what if this Jeevan Mukta can do that why not Eshwara, he is awake and as if he is pretending that he is not awake he is dreaming, he is pretending he is dreaming like our, something like our daydream, that is what he is telling in that supreme reality, both of them are deeply hidden and but you mentioned two words Vidya and Avidya how do I distinguish here is very easy Ksharam to Avidya everything that is perishable is Avidya every second, everything is changing, that is called Avidya he Amrutantu Vidya and what is Vidya knowledge, true knowledge that is Trikala Abadhitam Satyam and that Vidya leads us to Amruta, what is that, the knowledge that I am Brahman, I was Brahman, I will be Brahman never have I become a Jeeva that is called Vidya so it is not that I know I was a Jeeva completely different from Brahman but after prayer after meditation after self surrender God out of his infinite grace made me what I was not, that is a completely wrong idea I was, I am and I will be ever that Amruta Swaroop Shunvantu Vishwe Vasya Putra, that is what Swami Vivekananda was conveying that and this Vidya Vidya so that Brahman Eshwara, Eshwate Eshwara is called Eshwara, he commands that means he is the master but Yastu and he is the, he who rules Saha Anyaha he is different, he is also not different, he possesses them, that is what is there, now let us to understand this properly let us take some teachings of Sri Ramakrishna so he says in God there are both Vidya Maya and Avidya Maya the Vidya Maya takes man towards God that is Amruta whereas the Avidya Maya leads him astray, that is it will postpone no Avidya Maya can forever keep us away from God it is for a short time so knowledge, devotion dispassion, mana bhakti, viragya daya all these are expressions of Vidya Maya only with their help can one reach God only through Vidya Maya can one realize God it is Maya which reveals Brahman, without Maya who could have known Brahman, without knowing Shakti, a manifested power of God, there is no means of knowing it, quietly Ramakrishna had introduced the word Shakti, he says without Maya who would have known Brahman, and again without knowing Shakti a manifested power of God there is no means of knowing it so Maya and Shakti, both are equated by Ramakrishna what is the point he is telling that it is Maha Maya you are praying all the time because Rama Krishna, Buddha, etc are nothing but Nama and Rupa and that Nama, Rupa belongs to whom Ishwara Ishwara means Saguna Brahma so Maya Yukta Brahma is called Saguna Brahma and Sri Ramakrishna further continues it is only due to Maya that the attainment of supreme knowledge and final beatitude becomes possible for us otherwise who could even dream of all this from Maya alone spring duality and relativity beyond Maya there is neither the enjoyer nor the object of enjoyment when the mind is free from attachment to sense objects, it turns to God and is fixed on him it is very important teaching, what is it when the mind is free from attachment to sense objects, that means we must be attached to sense objects, we are already attached to sense objects and then we have to experience them and then we get blows and then what is the purpose of all this objective enjoyment, every object turns into a big rod and gives a big blow on the head and then immediately we wake up Ah I don't belong to this place this is an alien place Bideshir Bheshe Bideshir dress Mokanao Akarane why are you roaming Monachalo Nijaniketane who can say that only the bound soul can say that so the bound soul becomes free in that way, that is how Avidya Maya helps us to get Vairagya Vidya Maya makes or breaks the bondage, bridges the distance so to say between Jiva and Paramatma so the soul is bound which takes the path living away from God that is called Avidya and then Ramakrishna asks him at the very beginning the very first chapter, tell me now what kind of person is your wife has she spiritual attributes or is she under the power of Avidya deliberately Sri Ramakrishna used that word Avidya probably not for the benefit of M's wife but for M's sake and then we know that M replies I am afraid she is a good person, I am afraid she is illiterate immediately the blow comes and you are a man of knowledge then M understood by knowledge is not meant academic education it's meant that I belong to God because I come from God and I don't belong to this world and I must go back to God that is true knowledge that is why Sri Ramakrishna refused to even enter into a school I have my own separate theory about that in those days those masters who used to beat the students black and blue Sri Ramakrishna was a very keen observer and so he must have observed all those things and then a Raghyam has come I don't want to be beaten by anybody I am just making fun I hope you understand so one of the devotees, neighbours asked why has God created wicked people because we see so many wicked people not realizing we are the wicked people, anybody who is selfish is the greatest wicked person on earth what does Sri Ramakrishna say that is his will his play, in his Maya there exists avidya as well as vidya, darkness is also needed it reveals all the more the glory of light there is no doubt that anger lust and greed are evils why then has God created them in order to create saints a precious gem of a teaching without them does anybody, can anybody become a saint you just analyze the lives of any saint in fact I would go so far as to say an ordinary fellow with small lust anger greed he will remain in this samsara sagra for a long time only extraordinary lust, extraordinary greed, extraordinary anger and they are not three, one like Mahishasura changes its form only such a person because no object in this world can satisfy that such a person, that is what Ravanasura was seeking I want God himself these kuchka fellows smallest fellows, I don't want so you see he was very wise person, in fact he was the greatest devotee of God he says this small Maya I don't want, I want the entire Maya so he brought mother Sita herself who is Maha Maya and then he must have been praying, oh mother you are not going to get out of this place until Rama comes and gives me Mukthi and Mahasthu, she prayed she bestowed her grace, without Maha Maya's grace it is not possible so why then has God created them, in order to make saints a man becomes a saint by conquering the senses the Ramakrishna's conversation now turned to the knowledge of Brahma and then what does he say, Brahman is beyond Vidya and Vidya, knowledge and ignorance is beyond Maya illusion of duality the world consists of illusory duality of knowledge and ignorance, it contains knowledge and devotion and also attachment to lust and gold, righteousness and unrighteousness, good and evil, but Brahman is unattached to these, good and evil apply to the Jeeva the individual soul as do righteousness and unrighteousness but Brahman is not at all affected by them this universe is created by the Maha Maya of God, Maha Maya contains both Vidya Maya the illusion of knowledge and Vidya Maya illusion of ignorance, mark the words of Sri Ramakrishna Maha Maya contains both Vidya Maya and Vidya Maya, what is Vidya Maya illusion of knowledge if you have not taken notice please take notice what is Vidya Maya illusion of ignorance through the help of Vidya Maya one cultivates such virtues as the taste for holy company, knowledge, devotion love and renunciation and Vidya Maya consists of the five elements and the objects of the five senses that is Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa Rasa, Gandha, form flavour, smell, touch and sound, please make one forget God one Brahm devotee is asking if the power of Vidya is the cause of ignorance then why has God created it Master, that is his play, what does Sri Ramakrishna mean by that says, this question why God has created this world is an illogical question how did the infinite become finite, that is equivalent to this can an infinite, if we have any idea of infinite can it ever become finite impossible even to think let alone make it one, that is why Ramakrishna, that is his play, Leelavattu Kaivalyam, one of the Brahma Sutras tell, is all his Leela and this is what even the Khattar Godapada puts it in the Mandukya Karika which we have seen, what is it who creates this illusion Swamayaya so Brahman himself, Turiyam himself creates and as if gets bound as if creates, as if gets bound, but really speaking he ever remains Turiyam that is what he wants to convey that is his play, this is called Leela, the glory of light cannot be appreciated without darkness happiness cannot be understood without misery, knowledge of good is possible because of the knowledge of evil it requires long discussion but I am not going to into it, very briefly what I want to say, all these questions I am a Jiva, I am suffering, I don't want to suffer God is my creator, I hope so and if God created me why did he create evil people he should have created only a heaven where I will be sporting all the time first of all, why God created only God knows second, when God creates is it real or unreal it is all a play is a play real or unreal but we all enjoy a play, really we should enjoy a play but unfortunately in play also we get caught if Pakistan wins Indian blood pressure goes up if India wins Pakistani blood pressure goes up, is it enjoying the game or is it as if they themselves are playing, that is not a play that is not a leela that is called participation so these words vidya and avidya contains lot of references are there in the gospel and most important for us to know is both are useful, they are not opposite to each other, it is avidya only which leads to vidya why? vidya means happiness its pleasure etc, good life, comfortable life, have you ever seen a saint who living a rich life, comfortable life in air conditioning room thinking of God impossible, that is why it is very difficult it is called leela, leela means what apparently real not really real so both are inherent in God, both are imperishable and eternal because srishti is anadi, therefore akshara and ananta, both are imperishable, that means the samsara will never come to an end but the samsara need not bind us so knowledge and ignorance both refer also to truth what does it mean? say Ramakrishna, let us take Ramakrishna's one beautiful example once Lakshmana had found Vasishta stricken with grief he was sobbing uncontrollably Lakshmana was surprised he thought that Vasishta was one of the greatest knowers, a man of knowledge, then he asked Rama what is this, then Rama smiled and said where there is knowledge, there is ignorance where there is one, there will be two that's where there is the feeling, the knowledge of cold, there will be also knowledge of heat if I don't know what is cold or what is heat I will not know the other if I don't know who is male and female we will not know who is male or who is female this is called the very natural condition of the mind called dvandva, dualities and that is the maya but what is the purpose, final purpose is to take us out of this samsara the very thing that brings us into samsara also takes us out of samsara and that is where scriptures sages and unhappy experiences will come to the fore remember Kunti praying for more and more troubles, she understood only when there is trouble, there is God without trouble, there is no God at all so in trying, when we try to gain Ishwara Sakshatkara so we get stuck to either I am a great Pandit or I am a man of wealth or I am a very beautiful person or many people honour me this is called astapasha special bondage but however a time will come the maha maya the avidya maya itself wakes us up like a side road inevitably leads us to the royal road motorway so the purpose of avidya maya is to prepare our body, our mind many times I have spoken this because there is a tremendous amount of ignorance with regard to the roles of maya and that is vidya maya and avidya maya both are necessary but not at the same time so one inevitably leads to the other let us take an example here is a person, baby and he is tremendously loved he totally surrenders himself to the mother, especially mother and father, whoever takes him up in the arms he will happily move from hand to hand from lap to lap so that is how he grows up and then he studies he obtains a job and he gets married and then he has to love his partner a woman has to love her spouse and a man has to love his spouse where from did this person learn? he got it very naturally like a sponge he had soaked the whole thing sucked the whole thing from the parents now he is manifesting it in his own way then children come then attachment grows so that attachment is a great lesson, without that attachment, life will never go on, remember this if nobody loved anybody if nobody is attached to anybody, this world will be a smeshana, maha smeshana so we learn that one and then we go on increasing and we become more and more greedy and we develop tremendous attachment the purpose of avidya maya is to help us to get tremendously attached tremendously attached and that tremendous attachment at last learns the lesson no object in this world can fulfill its wants the only object is God so when love in other words attachment grows so much towards the wife towards the children towards property I will give two examples towards wife Tulasi Dasa and Ratnakara Palmiki etc towards money Srinivasanayak, future Purandar Dasa you study the life of any saint and they have been tremendously attached person not attached person like us tremendously attached person a time will come this attachment grows so much that no object in this world will be able to fulfill us and then the only helplessly we turn towards that infinity man is never satisfied with anything finite he is only satisfied with the infinite only then only he turns his gaze inward and then he says oh lord you are the only one so whether in the form of an enemy in the form of hateable object in the form of lust that is why they say Gopya Kamaat Bhayaat Kamsaha Dveshaat Shishupala Dayaha Retained God what are all these things expressions of avidya is that avidya that which increases our attachment until that stage until it grows until it matures it is avidya but once it matures then it itself will turn into vidya my child so far I have been strengthening you now you will have to look for something else because nothing in this world can fulfill you this is what Shri Ram Krishna wants us to understand that a fruit without the skin and seed and you take any fruit you remove the skin after all we are not going to eat the skin after all we are not going to eat the seed what is the point of keeping them even when the fruit is in the immature state let us take off the skin let us remove the seed what will remain the whole fruit will become rotten it becomes cannot be consumed inconsumable why because we have removed that one I remember a beautiful incident that really happened once a man sitting in a spring season sitting in a garden under a tree and watching a butterfly there was a cocoon and the butterfly was struggling and it was struggling and this man thought in his ignorant state let me help it there is no need for it to struggle so much he went and broke open the cocoon the butterfly could never fly why because by nature later on he came to know by nature that struggle expands the wings fills it with blood and makes it fit to fly because this fellow did not allow the process to become complete then we can understand that butterfly will remain lame with this analogy we understand the purpose of avidya maya is to prepare us so that we struggle and struggle and struggle and come out as a beautiful butterfly flying straight to Ishwara to God this is the relationship between avidya and vidya it is not something created by God to hinder us to make us suffer because we are none other than Ishwara we do not know it Ishwara knows it that is what is implied in this very first mantra we will expand this tomorrow