Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 100 Ch3 Introduction on 15 April 2026
Full Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Prayer (Śānti Pāṭha)
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ हरि ॐ
OM SAHANAVAVATO SAHANAV BHUNAKTO SAHAVIRYAM KARAVAVAHAI TEJASVINAVADHITAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIHI 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 feeling toward each other.
OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL
Introduction to the Bhṛguvallī
I have been giving the introduction to the Bhṛguvallī so that later on it would be much easier for us to understand the third chapter. In that connection, certain points I have already mentioned.
One of the points is that in this Bhṛguvallī, the teacher, having given the definite instruments and a clear knowledge of the goal to be reached — which is Brahman, but in this case it is this Guṇa Brahma — how do we know? Because he has given the definition. And having explained these two things, the teacher told the disciple: Varuṇa uvāca Bhṛgum, Tapasvā Brahma Vijijñāsasva. We have seen what is called Tapasyā — intense thinking, deep thinking, until no doubt ever separates us from the object of our thinking. The thinker and the thought become one.
So one of the definitions of Upāsanā is: the vyaṣṭi, the individual, is not separate from the samaṣṭi; the individual, the finite, is not separate from the infinite; jīva is not separate from Brahman. And through this process of deep thinking, to know "I am the samaṣṭi" is to know "I am Brahman," is to know "I am all." So: Ahaṃ Sarvam. This is called Sarvabhāvanā — thinking that I am everything.
Again, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, "Mother showed me — am I not eating through all of you? Is it that I am starving while others are eating?"
The Goal and the Means
So what are the important things that Varuṇa had taught? First of all, he gave — if you want to do anything, achieve anything — two things are needed.
First: What is it exactly that you want to achieve? A goal, a purpose. That is why Swami Vivekānanda said, "Each soul is potentially divine" — that is the goal. The goal is to manifest that "I am divine."
Second: The means. Immediately Swāmījī comes in the third sentence: "Strive to attain this goal — to know 'I am divine.'" How? Through Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, or Jñāna Yoga — by one, by any combination of these, by combining all. But to know that "I am Brahman, I am divine" means I am Brahman. So these are the means.
Here in this Bhṛguvallī, Varuṇa first gives the means. What are the means? The Pañcakośas. What is Māyā? Pañcakośas. What is Vidyā? Pañcakośas. What is Saṃsāra? What is creation? Pañcakośas. There is nothing other than the Pañcakośas.
Once we realise that we are bound by the idea of these Pañcakośas — starting with "I am the Annamaya Kośa" — and if I do spiritual practice and progress further, "I am Prāṇamaya Kośa," etc., then in this identification also, the first identification is: "I am the individual divinity." My body is sacred, because we have to continuously be aware that the effect is nothing but a manifested cause. Visible cause is called effect; invisible effect is called the cause — that is all the difference.
The Nature of Brahman and the Universe
If Brahman is pure consciousness, then this universe cannot be anything but pure consciousness. To make us understand, Vidyāraṇya gives us the analogy of the figures on a painting. Or we can use the modern example: all the story that we see enacted on the screen is nothing but the manifestation of light.
If we compare the light to pure consciousness and our pure mind to the screen, all the thoughts arising can be compared to the projecting machine. So when the light passes through that film which the projector is projecting, and those figures in the film stand out magnified as if they have come to life — so everything is pure consciousness. What is jagat? Brahman, the pure consciousness, reflected in our individual minds.
So if the mind is too much covered with impurities, we see a faint reflection, which we call the Annamaya Kośa. If it is a little more purified, then we realise the picture becomes clearer, and that becomes the Prāṇamaya. Still more clear, and that would be the Manomaya; more clear, Vijñānamaya; more clear, Ānandamaya. Even that clearest picture is, after all, a picture. We want that pure light which should not be limited by the figure, by the picture. So that is the process.
The Two Definitions of Brahman
For that purpose, first of all Brahman has to be — "Brahman" means here the goal. What was Bhṛgu asking? Coming to his father as a fit disciple, to a knower of Brahman. Here they are not father and son — here they are a God-realised soul being approached in the most appropriate way. Having endowed with all the Sādhanā Catuṣṭaya Sampattiḥ, the adhikārī became a fit person. Then only any teacher will teach you.
Even in the most common things, a teacher will not teach the 7th class lesson to a student who is in the 6th class, because the 6th class prepares the person to receive the teachings of the 7th class. Similarly, yogyatā — fitness, receptive capacity — has to be acquired.
So Brahman has to be defined, and there are two definitions of Brahman. One is called svarūpalakṣaṇa, and another is called taṭasthalakṣaṇa. Svarūpalakṣaṇa is Nirguṇa Brahma. Taṭasthalakṣaṇa Brahma is Saguṇa Brahma.
The Role of the Jīvanmukta and the Guru
So the father, being a wise teacher, has been kept in this world by God himself. We have to understand this through Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's life and teachings. Whenever Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to teach, and it helped everybody that came there, they used to thank him sometimes. Then he used to say, "I do not know anything. Only my Divine Mother knows."
Every jīvanmukta knows: it is only Brahman. "I as an individual do not exist, and as Brahman I cannot exist in this form, because his body-mind is too limited." So a jīvanmukta does not have the idea that "I am the body and mind." But a little bit of egotism is kept in him, and he knows God has kept this egotism in him.
Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, "Some people kept the ego of devotion, some people have kept the ego of knowledge." We should never ever misunderstand — "Okay, I am coming out from Nirvikalpa Samādhi, now I will assume the attitude of a Jñānī, or the attitude of a devotee." No, there is no "I" there. It is like a sword turned into a golden sword — it appears to be like a sword, but it cannot really function as the real sword. So it is just an appearance, that is all.
So who is keeping that attitude "I am the Jñānī"? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives the example of Śaṅkarācārya: he kept the egotism, the feeling, the attitude "I am a Jñānī." Did Śaṅkara keep that attitude? Did Śaṅkara exist to put that attitude? No. Then, giving the example of Nārada: Nārada kept the ego of devotee in order to enjoy the divine. Did he keep it, or did God keep in him that attribute?
That is a very crucial question — of course not very important for Sādhana, but important for our intellect. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa himself — or rather, we get the light from an incident that we get in the Gospel itself. One day Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was having a conversation, and then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa himself directly asks, "Do you think I have any egotism?" Immediately M. answers, "No, sir, you do not have any egotism, but the Mother kept a bit of egotism in you so that you can enjoy the divine bliss." Immediately comes the reply from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa: "No, I haven't kept it — it is my Mother who kept."
Once a river merges in the ocean, and then if the ocean throws it out for some distance, that river has lost its power to be called as such-and-such a river. "I was Gaṅgā, I went and I came out" — no, it is the ocean only now, and it will be mixed up. How do we know? You taste that water — it will not be Gaṅgā water; it will be the ocean's water, salty water.
So God keeps that. That is how God sports in this world. In fact, to come to the fact — every one of our egos is also nothing but God's own. Whatever activities our egotism is making are nothing but God only playing. That is the most beautiful meaning expressed in the Bhagavad Gītā. So the Divine Mother alone is playing. Who is the player? Divine Mother only. Who is making it play? Divine Mother only. Who is the audience? Divine Mother only. This is the highest thought.
Taṭasthalakṣaṇa: The Accidental Description of Brahman
Coming back — so nobody can define what is the svarūpa, the real nature. That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa again and again says, especially to Vidyāsāgar: "No one can define what Brahman is, so far." Anything that comes out of a man's mouth has become polluted, as it were. And Īśvarcandra Vidyāsāgar says, "What marvellous words! Today I understood." He must have read about it many times in the scriptures, but by the presence of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Vidyāsāgar was enlightened. That is the effect of Satsaṅga.
But this universe is also nothing but Brahman in play. That is why when we see Brahman as though it is acting, I call it Śakti. That is how we have to understand. That is called taṭasthalakṣaṇa — that which is visible, that which is experienceable, transactionable. That universe, this vyakta, manifest universe, is called taṭasthalakṣaṇa.
So how do we know? Here is a classic example: somebody wanted to know where is the particular house in a particular colony, and every house in that colony looks absolutely alike. So this stranger wanted to know, "I want to meet Devadatta — where is his house?" And somebody pointed out: "You see that crow which is sitting there? That is the house where Devadatta lives." Now the sitting of the crow on that house is not part of the house — not a regular duty — but it is an accidental association.
So this — when we are in the waking and dream states, we see this world; when we are in deep sleep, the same world totally disappears. So this is called taṭasthalakṣaṇa. What is the taṭasthalakṣaṇa? That from whom everything in this world has come — and who is sustaining this entire universe, everything in this universe without exception, including the non-living — and lastly, everything, every effect, must go back to its cause. When a golden ornament is melted, it must go back; that melting process is called laya. So every effect must go back to its cause.
The Cause of the Universe: The Gold Analogy
Now you just see a golden ornament and you seek the cause — it has come from gold. And what is it sustaining? Gold only. Because a golden ornament will never become either a silver ornament or an iron ornament or any other metal; it will remain as pure gold, but with name and form. And if it is melted, what is destroyed? Only the name and form are destroyed, but the gold remains. Gold was, gold is, and gold will be. So Brahman was, as if to say, Brahman is, and Brahman will be, in the end also.
So seek out the cause. So in this world, we say the individual golden ornament has come from that piece of gold, but Varuṇa is telling: everything — not only gold, but gold, silver, wood, all the five elements — ākāśa, vāyu, agni, jala, and pṛthvī — from whom have they come?
So in the first instance, the lowest instance, everything has come from food. Not only that — we will come to know about it — everything, living and non-living, has come only from pṛthvī. Here we are talking about the universal aspect. It has come — everything has come from food. This baby has come from food, which is manifesting in the form of mother and father — individual mother and father. But collectively, every living and non-living being — what is its cause? Think over it. Meditate upon it. You will see: whether it is mighty Himālayas, mighty rivers like the Amazon, etc., they have all come from pṛthvī only.
And from where has pṛthvī come? From jala. So you cannot say everything has come only from pṛthvī — that is not the final cause. Earth is not the final cause. Neither is water the final cause, nor fire, nor vāyu, nor even ākāśa. And ultimately, even that ākāśa has originated — or grossified, manifested with name and form — and is nothing but pure Brahman.
So this is how we have to understand. This is called taṭasthalakṣaṇa, or accidental description, accidental emanation.
Tapas as the Only Means
So what is the way to find out? Here is a goal defined: the goal is to realise your true nature. Your true nature is the final cause. The final cause is Brahman. So when you realise "I am Brahman," your quest will come to an end — marvellous!
But we must require some instruments in order to practise it. What are they? Then he tells about Pañcakośas. So this Pañcakośas — just entered there: this body, his eyes, his ears — he has not mentioned everything. So annaṃ, cakṣuḥ, śrotraṃ, manaḥ, etc., he gave a few hints. But we have to understand them as representation of all the five kośas, Pañcakośas.
How do we know? Because that is how — having said these two things — your goal is to know that you are Brahman, and this is the proximate definition of what is Brahman — not real, because a real definition can never be given — but when you succeed in identifying with Saguṇa Brahma, which is another name for this entire creation, then automatically your eyes will be opened, you will go beyond Saguṇa Brahma, and then realise, "I am that supreme reality called Brahman."
So these are the two things. So Pañcakośas are like staircases, where Nirguṇa Brahma is the roof, so to say. But in this case we have to say that that is the Saguṇa Brahma — once we reach there, then something happens. We do not know what happens, how it happens, but then we become free. This is the idea.
The Importance of the Guru-Śiṣya Relationship
The other idea that is compared: this brahma vicāra should never be conducted on one's own, because we have the least idea. Even if you want to become — if anyone wants to become an expert pickpocket — then he should go to a guru who has become an expert in picking other people's pockets. So one should never do — not only in spiritual life, but whether it is in the intellectual life, aesthetic life, or moral life — one should always take the help of a teacher. Then the journey will be very easy.
Every teacher, beginning from Vedavyāsa and coming back to Totāpurī, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, Swāmījī — everybody should have to sit, and this is called Guru Śiṣya Sampradāya — at the feet of the guru, and believe what he says, and regard him as Brahman: Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇuḥ, Gurur Devoh Maheśvaraḥ. And then there is a chance, a hope, that definitely one can reach.
So having said that, this is the important thing: the guru must be approached like Śvetaketu approached his own father. Swami Vivekānanda — there are very interesting parallels. Swāmījī, as Narendranāth, was moving here and there, asking whether anybody has seen God. And his elder cousin brother, Rāmacandra Datta, said, "Naren, don't waste your time. I know all these fellows — none of them have not even put one foot, indeed not only in the spiritual path, even in the direction of the spiritual path. They are all empty people only. There is one person who is the Paramahaṃsa — Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa."
And there is an interesting story behind it. When Narendranāth was studying in the college, one day a professor was trying to teach them one of the poems of Wordsworth and he could not convey it, and he thought the students were dull. Then, in a huff, he left the classroom. And then the principal of that college, Professor Hastings, he was coming that way. He observed it and then entered the classroom and very gently enquired about the cause of the frustration. The students said, "Sir, our professor is trying to teach us the poems of Wordsworth." And then Professor Hastings takes it up, and then he says something very interesting: "No one can understand unless one becomes a Wordsworth. What he really means — but at least we have to make an attempt to be like Wordsworth. How to be? I know only one person at Dakṣiṇeśvar who is called now Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa, and he is the only person who experiences the same state that Wordsworth used to experience. You go and see him."
So Narendranāth heard, but he had never gone. It was Rāmacandra Datta who said, "Don't waste your time going hither and thither — you go straight to Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa." Of course, they met at Sureśa Mitra's house, and some ineffable attraction rose between them.
The Meeting of Narendranāth and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa
Narendranāth did not know that — like a fish which was caught in a hook — the bait was spread. And by the way, what I wanted to convey to you: everything that happens in our life is nothing but preordained. It is not that accidentally Rāmakṛṣṇa went to a devotee's house, accidentally Narendranāth met him there — there is no accident in this life, if you believe in Karma Siddhānta.
So Narendranāth sang two marvellous songs, completely absorbed in their Bhāva. Rāmakṛṣṇa immediately understood: "This is the soul I have been waiting for. He is going to be my instrument, Divine Mother's instrument, in spreading the message of Vedānta, or Dharma Sthāpana."
Then there is also something very interesting: what does Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa mean by Dharma Sthāpana? That is the propagation of Vedānta — which Vedānta? Advaita Vedānta. Why Advaita Vedānta, not Advaita, not Viśiṣṭādvaita? If you study Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's teachings, you understand that Vedānta means Advaita Vedānta includes every religion, includes every important spiritual teaching, includes every spiritual discipline. There is no controversy. Gauḍapāda himself says, "We have no quarrel with any other systems, because they are all included in Advaita." But so long as we do not reach Advaita, we will be quarrelling, fighting, and never kept away from our goal.
The Pañcakośas as Doorways to Brahman
Coming back — this is the teaching. We have been given a Guru Śiṣya Sampradāya that should never be broken. That is why we have to understand, through the commentaries of Śaṅkarācārya etc., that one has to go to the proper guru with the proper qualifications. Then only it is possible.
And then immediately, as we discussed — Brahma Upalabdhi Dvārāṇi — the doorways, the instruments, the staircases through which Brahman can be slowly reached. And what are they? Annaṃ, Prāṇaṃ, Cakṣuḥ, Śrotraṃ, Mano, Vācaṃ — and so forth.
- Annam represents Annamaya Kośa
- Prāṇam represents Prāṇamaya Kośa
- Cakṣuḥ, Śrotraṃ, Vācam — we can say that represents other kośas, not directly given
- Manaḥ — that is the Manomaya Kośa
We can say all the other sense organs — they give us knowledge, and that is Vijñānamaya Kośa. And then, whatever the employment of these five sense organs that are given to us — and we have to include also the five organs of action — because without them, the five sense organs of knowledge will be like a person who could see but who is lame. The other instruments are like a person who cannot see but who can walk. So the person who can see but cannot walk should be taken up by the person who cannot see but can walk, and then the first person will be directing. So all the sense organs bring us what? Knowledge.
So we can say in a way: all these sense organs indicate: annam represents Annamaya Kośa; the sense organs represent Vijñānamaya Kośa; but what is the purpose? Why do we employ them? Only for ānanda. So the purpose, the goal, is to be happy — that represents Ānandamaya Kośa. So what is that which is to be realised? Brahman. But in the beginning, only taṭasthalakṣaṇa has to be given.
Bhṛgu's Tapasyā: Realising Brahman Through the Kośas
Then Bhṛgu did something very important — having received the hints, having received this definition of Taṭastha Brahma or Saguṇa Brahma, and these means — he says: Tapasvā Brahma Vijijñāsasva — "Realise Brahman through Tapasyā." What is Tapasyā? Upāsanā. What is Upāsanā? Deep thinking. What is deep thinking? Until we completely destroy, eliminate the difference between the contemplator and the object of contemplation.
And the vyaṣṭi says, "I am samaṣṭi." So there is an instance of Vāmadeva — we get it in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad — Vāmadeva realised even when he was in the womb of his mother: Aham Sarvam Abhavam — "I have become all. I realise I am everything." How did he realise in the womb? But we should not place importance there — it is to say his efforts became fructified when he took that birth. It must have been the last birth of this Vāmadeva.
So many people are like that. We can see the example of Śukadeva — even in the mother's womb, he realised Aham Brahmāsmi, and then he was not born for 16 years. Then his father Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa prayed to the Divine Mother, begging her grace. Then he came out. Don't ask me how his mother put up with a 16-year-old boy — no, these are all to tell that he was a born Brahma Jñānī and he was the greatest renouncer in the world.
And Śukadeva started walking and had no attachment to anybody. "This is my father, this is my mother" — I am Brahman, that is all. And that beautiful saying: when Śuka was passing that way, not caring, completely absorbed in Brahman, therefore he was not able to hear his father's individual voice, and he had become identified with the entire universe. His father was shouting and running after him, "My son! My son!" And because Śukadeva identified with everything, everything became Śukadeva, and then they were all replying, "Yes, father? Yes, father? Why are you calling me?" — every plant, even every piece of rock, is replying like that.
The Story of Śukadeva and the Women at the Lake
And to illustrate that Vyāsa did not attain Brahma Jñāna, at least in that story, there is another story added. There was a lake, and some beautiful women, having kept their clothes on the bank of the pond, were taking what is called water sport — playing playfully in the waters. It is very pleasant, especially in the summer season.
When Śuka passed very near to them, completely naked like a newborn baby — only a young man just born — they looked upon him, they saw him, but he was like a piece of wood, a piece of rock. No emotion had ever stirred. But this man, completely clad — old Vedavyāsa — was running. The moment their eyes caught hold of his sight, hastily they came out and covered themselves, shivering with shame.
Then Vedavyāsa stopped, astonished. He was an intelligent person. "I am an old man — my son just now passed in front of you and you did not react; I noticed it. But I am an old man — immediately you became shy. That means what?" The Gopīs, they answered him: "As if you have not gotten rid of the idea that 'I am the body.' You are completely aware — here are some beautiful women. But when your son passed, we did not take notice, because he became identified even with us."
A great lesson for all of us to learn. So we have to cross our identity — first with the individual kośa, then with the collective kośa. For each of the five kośas, we have to do that. That is going to come here.
The Five Levels of Collective Identity
So the way is: first of all, shed our attachment to this individual body; then slowly become identified with the collective body, which is called Virāṭ. Then we will have the permission, or we will have the capacity, to enter into the higher class.
- We identify ourselves with prāṇa — now the process is known — and then we identify ourselves with what is called Sūtrātmā. Sūtrātmā is the collective name for the collective prāṇa.
- And then the next step is: identify with every mind, and the collective name for collective minds is Hiraṇyagarbha.
- Then identification with the entire individual as well as universal Vijñānamaya Kośa — the name for which is Mahat.
- And finally, that highest, thinnest of layers separating one from Brahman, pure Brahman — Ānandamaya Kośa.
And then reached one by one — how? Through the only means, in the past, present, or future. Let it be any guru, let it be any scripture — anybody who is travelling, who is completely determined "I want to reach God" — the only way is Tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means deep thinking. Deep thinking is called Upāsanā. Upāsanā means shedding identity with the individuality and becoming one with the universality. That is how we have to progress in spiritual life.
Not only in the past, not only at present, but in the future also — there is no other way. Everything that we are attached to — and our attachment starts with the outward possessions, what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to call Mama — then the next bondage will be Aham — "I" and "mine" — and then only Prāṇamaya Kośa, Manomaya Kośa, Vijñānamaya Kośa, Ānandamaya Kośa.
And then go beyond! Because kośa means limitation; limitation means an object that limits. So even Ānandamaya Kośa is a limitation only, even though a very pleasant limitation. Many people get stuck there only. But God is grace. So the gracious God understands: "My child has come so near to me — now I will take him into my own lap."
But we have to remember: all this journey from the Annamaya to the Ānandamaya is only by the grace of God — nothing else.
Bhārgavī Vāruṇī Vidyā
And then at the end it is said: this knowledge of Brahman which Bhṛgu has attained is called Bhārgavī or Vāruṇī Vidyā. Bhārgavī means the Vidyā that was given to Bhṛgu, and through which he realised his own true nature — that is why it is called Bhṛgu's Vidyā, Bhārgavī. It is also called Vāruṇī because Varuṇa taught this Vidyā to Bhṛgu — not only to Bhṛgu; he might have taught to many other people also. So the knowledge which Varuṇa was in the habit of giving to worthy students is called Vāruṇī Vidyā.
And then in the end he says: whoever, like Bhṛgu, does Tapasyā and crosses over slowly but gradually all these Pañcakośas, he will also, like Bhṛgu — like many other people before Bhṛgu; Bhṛgu is not the first person, neither will he be the last person — in this creation there is no first or last. There are billions and billions, and everybody ultimately will get there.
But there are certain things we have to understand: without Karma Yoga, without Upāsanā Yoga, we cannot cross our individual identity with the body, with the prāṇa, with the mind, with the buddhi, with the ānanda. That is to say, we have to practise a moral life. For that, certain Upāsanās are given.
The Five Vratas of Annam
So there are some called vratas. What is the first vrata?
First — Annaṃ na nindyāt: The food should not be criticised. Food — the grossest meaning of food is the food that we eat. That is why, whether it is tasty or not tasty, whatever we get by the divine will or according to our karma phala, we have to offer it. This is Bhagavān himself — Mā Annapūrṇā herself is coming in the form of the food.
Annaṃ na nindyāt — one should never ever even think of criticising food. Why? Because even the most decomposed, rotten food is also appropriate food for somebody. A simple example — may not be a very elegant example — the faeces that any creature gives up because it could not digest becomes the sacred food for what is called the dung beetle. Suppose a dung beetle, through some pūrva puṇya phala, has become a devotee — what do you think it will do before eating the dung? Rāmarpaṇam. And we think we are not eating dung. Actually, what we are eating is nothing but dung only, because when we plant the seeds, what do we supply? Fertiliser. What is the fertiliser, especially in the olden days? It is nothing but cow dung, pig dung, goat's dung, chicken dung, or even any creature's dung. And that dung nourishes the plants — that means the plants are nothing but the transformation of that dung. When we are eating those plants, what are we eating?
Not only that — Swāmī used to say something very funny: everyone of us inescapably eats our ancestors, because when their bodies are either burnt or buried, they become food; they go back to their elements, and that becomes fertiliser. And that fertiliser — without it, albeit unconsciously — we become fertiliser with our dead bodies; dead bodies are nothing but fertiliser. And our ancestors, when they become fertiliser, they fertilise all the plants, etc., and eating those plants we live for some time, and again we also give a portion of it back which is not suitable for our bodies but suitable for everything else.
I cannot refrain myself but to indicate to you: David Attenborough was one of the greatest commentators on nature. He says, "In this universe, God so ordained that nothing really goes to waste." Even a dried leaf that falls from the tree becomes fertiliser — that means beautiful food for certain creatures — and only they eat those rotten leaves, and then they multiply, and then they also give up something. This take-in and give-out process is going on throughout the world.
So first we will explore the inner meaning of Annam later on.
Second — Annaṃ na paricakṣīta: Annam should not be wasted, because this is the greatest crime. How many people are going without food in this world even today — and it will intensify in the future. So take whatever is suitable, take whatever you can digest easily. So that rule should be there. One should not throw away annam — that is a great crime. Such a person simply will not progress in spiritual life.
Third — Annaṃ bahu kurvīta: Make as much food as possible, so that it can be distributed easily without much difficulty to other people.
Fourth — Na kañcana vasatau pratyācakṣīta: If anybody approaches for shelter and food, one should — especially in the olden days — never ever say, "I don't have food, I don't want to give food." No. So whatever is there, you share it. This is called atithivrata. And Swami Vivekānanda in his Karma Yoga cites the example of two birds — how they entertain by flinging themselves into the fire — and they only brought the fire also in order to entertain the king and the prince who refused to marry the king's daughter. And there is in the Mahābhārata the story of the mongoose — half golden — which we will talk perhaps in our next class.
So if anybody approaches, if you can help, help them. Whatever you can help, it doesn't matter — help them. If you can't help, as Holy Mother used to say: "Pray for them. Let God help this person as soon as possible."
Fifth: Not only do you make the food, collect as much as possible, and keep it ready — not for one's own enjoyment, but for distribution to other people.
Conclusion
Apart from these vratas, which have deeper significance that we will talk about in our next class, there are certain Upāsanās. Since everything is the manifestation of Brahman, one should worship our own body, our own mind, of this world. This world is nothing but Brahman trying to help us to reach, to know our own true nature. These are the marvellous points we will discuss in our next class.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्
पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु
Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deviṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum
pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!