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Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.4-6 Lecture 84 on 08 November 2026 Q&A

2026-11-14T00:43:03Z

Bhama:

== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2084%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%208%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] ==
== Q&A: Overlap with Kośas and the Illusion of Individuality==
'''Question:''' Mantras that were discussed today, they kind of seem to overlap exactly with the annamaya, prāṇamaya, and manomaya kośas. The upāsanā of identifying with the...

'''Answer:''' Correct.

'''Question:''' ...it is detailed here, taking one-one function of the mind, function of the speech, etc. So the overall idea is, "I do not exist as an individual; I am just a manifestation of pañcabhūtas. Pañcabhūtas are the manifestation of the īśvara, and īśvara is none other than paramabrahma." That is the essence.
==Q&A: Self-Effort Versus Grace==
'''Question:''' About, self-effort versus grace. Here the upāsanās are all about grace, and surrendering to the grace of the presiding deities. Um, there, there, there is this notion of, uh, owning up one's own actions.

'''Answer:''' Correct.

'''Question:''' So where do we—how do we draw the line, Mahārāj?

'''Answer:''' So, after—see, the whole purpose is, I said, I gave the example: I am eating. I think, "I am eating. My body is eating." What is it eating? Food. That food belongs to whom? To me. I bought it. It is my food.

But if you go a little bit deep, then I myself am the combination of five elements. Right. What about the food which is pṛthvī? It is also the combination of five elements. Yes. And the five elements are the manifestation of ātman. Yeah. So where do I come in?

So that thought: "I, the individual, is an illusion. It is the manifestation of īśvara in the form of this body, this mind, the five pañcabhūtas." Since I feel because of ignorance that I am a separate individual, remove that separation. That act of slowly, that is called going beyond time, and space, and causation.

So the less I identify with body-mind—and it can happen only when I identify with the larger whole—the more is the spiritual progress, the higher is the joy, and of course, greater is the purity. All are connected, interconnected.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.4-6 Lecture 84 on 08 November 2026

2026-11-14T00:39:45Z

Bhama:

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH
OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
==Introduction to Aśvalāyana's Questions==
Yesterday I had given you the introduction to this Aśvalāyana's questions. Eight questions were asked by Aśvalāyana to Yājñavalkya. And all the questions relate to how one can progress in spiritual life. And in that regard, I had given you an explanation rather a repetition of what we had already seen of the triangle. And what is that triangle? Ādhyātma, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika. In every act of ours, all these three are involved.

I just want to give an example to make this point crystal clear. Supposing I am eating food. So I am the ādhyātmika. The food is the ādhibhautika. And then who is the presiding deity of this food? Earth. Pṛthvī bhūmi, the last of the grossest five elements. Pṛthvī herself or itself is becoming food. Understand. Try to understand that concept.

So, when I am eating food, what is the ritual I am doing? And we all are expected to do that. That is called brahmārpaṇam. I the eater is Brahman. The food is Brahman. The act of eating is Brahman. This is called karma sādhanā. And then what happens? I get karma samādhi. The samādhi here means knowledge. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi knowledge. Brahma jñānam comes as a result of removing all the distinctions and ultimately failing I am the food, I am the eater of the food, and I am Brahman. I am the ādhyātma, I am the ādhibhautika, I am the ādhidaivika. Patam, mind boggling concept, any act can be converted into a yajña. And that's why Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa says, convert your whole life into a yajña.
==The Pañcamahāyajña Concept==
And that is what is the real meaning of pañcamahāyajñas. That means to say what I am is because of my parents. What I am is because of the knowledge I received from the ṛṣis. What I am is because of the devatās who are looking after me by preserving me, my bodily health, mental health, supplying me with all the things. And everybody is helping me, all human beings, beginning with the milkman who has to get up early in the morning, milk the cows, and then bring that milk to my home. And then what about all the bacteria inside my gut, outside? Everything is doing its own yajña. If I can think, I am nothing but the resultant of the pañcamahāyajña. And then that leads to the knowledge.

What are the pañcamahāyajñas? Manifestations of Brahman. What are the three bodies? The gross, the subtle and causal bodies. They are the manifestations of Īśvara himself. What are the three states of experience? Manifestations of Īśvara only. You just have to connect the dots. Very interesting. The modern AI is called bots, dots. So different model is using different words. So they will sit on your PC or laptop and then they do what you are supposed to do. They connect together. They bring everything together. That is called the eye of universality. So that is how we have to understand.

And what are the pañcakośas? They are also nothing but manifestations of the pañcabhūtas only. What are the pañcabhūtas? Manifestations of none other than Brahman himself. And that is the truth. But how to realize the truth? So I have to start. So if I have to do something, I am having the body-mind, I have a desire to do something and I can do it only with the help of some of the limbs, I have been provided with the hands, the feet, the eyes, the ears, etc. You connect the dots. And all this is what I call me the individual. And what for this individuality? To experience the external world consisting of everything. And then both me the ādhyātma, individual, and ādhibhautika, the external world, are the manifestations of the daivika, residing deity. That was the essence of the whole first section.
==Worship, Nyāsa, and Reducing Ignorance==
So, to give a better example, I am worshipping God. I had already introduced that concept called nyāsa. So, I am thinking till now, because of my ignorance, I am separate, God is separate, the world is separate. But then the moment I sit to do worship, then I must become pure. Purity means lessening of the impurity. As I improve, as I increase in my purity, not much light percolates. More light, more purity, more light. Light means jñānam, knowledge. And more knowledge comes what it says, this spurious distinction that I am separate from you, my limbs, my hand is separate from my leg, my eye is separate from my ear, my body is separate from the mind, and I am separate from every other object in this world. This is called ignorance. And that wrong knowledge, ignorance means wrong knowledge, wrong perception, it slowly disappears, slowly.

And then I see the unity. First there are everything is common. I am made-up of pañcabhūtas. A tree is made-up of pañcabhūtas. An amoeba is made-up of pañcabhūtas, five elements, everything, the living and non-living. Do not exclude even the mountains, rocks, stones, etc. Even the stars, not to speak of the stars, according to modern Scientific outlook, even our star, the sun, is also jaḍa, non-consciousness. How can non-consciousness is sustaining life? People do not stop to think about it. If the sun is unconscious or non-conscious, it can never give rise to anything conscious. But we are able to be conscious only because of food. Food sustains prāṇa. Prāṇa reconverts food into energy and it distributes in the form of the five functions of the prāṇa. And this so-called individuality cannot sustain. If the five elements are withdrawn from this individuality, body and mind, what remains? Non-existence alone remains.

So, the idea is that we have to get rid of that ignorance. Ignorance means separation. And the separation takes place in three ways: time, space and object—deśa, kāla, vastu, pariccheda. And the purpose of spiritual practice is to go on gradually reducing the difference. So, first, I am a human being. All human beings are just like me. So I must share my happiness and unhappiness and I must share their happiness and unhappiness. So that is the small big step. And then not only human beings, every being is made-up of the same thing. Every living creature, every manifestation of life is made-up of the same thing. Not only that, even the so-called non-life, a piece of rock for example, is also made-up because it is also sat, existence. And sat can never be separated from cit and ānanda, just like an unconscious person. So he is not conscious, doesn't mean he is unconscious. That is what most modern people think. It means the medium called brain He is not manifesting. That's all. But he is still alive. Doctors can certify. That's why they go on keeping alive. One day the consciousness might return. So this is how it works. Even when a person is completely unconscious, he is not declared as dead. But then if there is no hope of that consciousness getting an opportunity to manifest itself in the form of being aware, and thinking, talking, doing, etc. etc. Then it is better that physical instrument must be replaced like you replace a fused bulb.

So, we have to understand everything is the manifestation of God or pure consciousness. And how does a person do it in pūjā? A pūjārī, a worshipper sits down. Then he becomes gradually pure by praying for purity, by thinking pure thoughts. Then the knowledge adorns. Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to God. This is the meaning of Rāmer icchā. Everything is the will of God. Sakali tomār icchā. Everything is your will. I do not exist. Only Brahman exists. the Divine Mother exists, etc. So, the pūjārī, he does the second step called nyāsa and when he succeeds completely, so that that idea, this is my body, this is my mind, completely disappears and that can be done only through deliberate contemplation called upāsanā and that is how the worshipper, the one who is worshipped and the act of worship All of them merge into one, who is called Īśvara. And Īśvara then manifests as Brahman. This is the process.
==The Third Chapter and Aśvalāyana's Eight Questions==
With this background, we will deal with the straight go into the mantras themselves. So, remember, in this third chapter, first and second mantras deal with the story. In the second mantra, Aśvalāyana challenges. Do you think you are the wisest scholar in the world? And Yājñavalkya humorously replies, No, no, no. I am only desirer of cows. I do not claim because if anybody says I am a jīvanmukta, he is not. It is for others to declare. And who can declare? Only one jīvanmukta can declare about another jīvanmukta. Because both are same. Only one thief can find out another thief. So, Yājñavalkya indirectly is telling, You have to tell me whether I am the wisest and the only way to do that is to question me, to test me and by that I will know. I am not going to criticize you. I am going to help you. If you are stuck somewhere in your spiritual path, I will help you. Remember, all of them were not merely professors of philosophy, but they were very sincere spiritual seekers. So the question starts from third and ends with the tenth. So that is eight questions. I will read out and slowly analyze the meaning.

So now, in this third mantra, we have to remember three things. Suppose there is a yajña and then there would be chanting by the hotā, Ṛgveda, adhvaryu from Yajurveda and udgātā from Sāmaveda and Brahmā master of all the Vedas, but specially Atharvaveda. So, speech, fire and hotṛ. That is to say, speech means whatever the person is thinking. We have to understand, speech cannot descend from the sky. Speech comes only as a result of thought. So, first the mantras are formed as thoughts, then they are expressed through the power of the lung, in speech and that is why fire, Agni devatā is the lord of the or the manifestation of Agni. So, hotā is the Ṛgvedic priest and especially Aśvalāyana is a special family priest of Janaka of Ṛgveda. Chanting is his main purpose. Adhvaryu is the priest for Yajurveda. The business of adhvaryu is to put the mantras of the Ṛgveda into actual process of worship. Now you wash yourself. Now you pray to God. Now you offer water to the various beings etc. etc. Practically implementing Ṛgvedic mantra in the form of ritual. That is called yajña. So fire is necessary. So because in the olden days everything is offered into the fire. But in the modern pūjās we don't offer into the fire excepting on special days which we call homa. But we have to imagine mentally we are offering into the fire.

So the speech, the fire and the hotā. One has to do upāsanā, three in one, one in three. Again to put it in different words, the ādhyātma and the ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika are three angles of same Īśvara. And this unity, oneness of these three is achieved through this process of upāsanā thinking. So my body belongs to God. My mind also belongs to God. The whole universe also belongs to God. So, me, the individual, the creation, the universe, and the presiding deity, Īśvara, but who is manifesting as different separate presiding deities like the Sūrya devatā, Candra devatā, etc. as we discussed yesterday, Everything is nothing but manifestation of Īśvara and Īśvara is none other than Brahman. That is the idea.

Only keep one point in mind now. Sri Ramakrishna is calling the same Īśvara whom the Vedantins call Īśvara or saguṇa Brahma. Sri Ramakrishna used to call as my divine mother, Śakti. Śakti and Brahman. So, Śakti is saguṇa Brahma. Brahman, we use one small 'n' at the end, like Tamilian names and Rāmānujan, Subrahmaṇyan, etc. So, why is it added? Because to remove the misunderstanding that Brahmā, the Creator, that is Īśvara, is separate from the nameless, distinctionless, formless, highest reality called Brahman—satyaṁ jñānamanantaṁ brahma, saccidānanda. To distinguish only.
==The Third Mantra: Understanding Hotā, Speech, and Fire==
So, with this background, we will go. याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदं सर्वं मृत्युनाप्तं, सर्वं मृत्युनाभिपन्नं, केनायजमानो मृत्योराप्तिमतिमुच्यत इति; yājñavalkyeti hovāca, yadidaṁ sarvaṁ mṛtyunāptaṁ, sarvaṁ mṛtyunābhipannaṁ, kenāyajamāno mṛtyorāptimatimucyata iti;

होत्रर्त्विजाग्निना वाचा; वाग्वै यज्ञस्य होता, तद्येयं वाक् सोऽयमग्निः, स होता, सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः ॥ hotrartvijāgninā vācā; vāgvai yajñasya hotā, tadyeyaṁ vāk so'yamagniḥ, sa hotā, sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ ||

Now, we are all bound. Bound by what? Time. In this example of the Mantra 3, what does it mean? Speech. Because your mind goes to sleep and doesn't function properly in deep sleep. Similarly, When the mind doesn't function, speech is impossible. And then when we wake up, again the mind also wakes up. Then the energy comes out. And then it comes in the form of the thoughts. Thoughts grossify themselves into words. Words are uttered called speech. And to do that we require energy. That energy is called fire. And who is doing it? Hotā. Hotā means the Ṛgveda priest is doing this one.

Now, when he is uttering, chanting the mantras from Ṛgveda, he has to say, Me, the chanter, and the fire, the speech, i.e. the mantras I am uttering and offering into the fire. And the fire, who is the adhiṣṭhātṛ of the hotā, presiding deity of thought and speech. speech especially, they are one and the same. It is the Agni devatā who is manifesting as my understanding of the Ṛgveda, as the ability to move my mind, to use my mind and to express the thoughts of my mind. Agni devatā. Agni means energy. And then I am able to do the physical activities like moving my hands taking, worshipping the fire, showing a lighted lamp three times round the yajñakuṇḍa, etc., etc. All this is possible only because of the fire. In other words, Agni has become me the hotā. Agni himself is manifesting in the form of thoughts and speech. Agni in the form of energy is making this ritual possible.

And as a result of this ritual, what happens? I attain to higher lokas, higher states of mind. That means higher state of existence, higher state of knowledge, higher state of ānanda. So, if I do without this kind of upāsanā, it gives me some benefits. My earthly life becomes better. and I might even go to Svargaloka that is temporarily I will enjoy better happiness in higher spheres or it could be even here my mind ascends to that higher sphere so we should never think there geological locations like India and America, they are states of the mind. Svargaloka is a state of mind and hell also is a state of the mind. That is how we have to understand.

So, what was the question of Aśvalāyana? That how to... he is asking, even though it looks like a challenge, he is actually requesting Yājñavalkya. I know how to chant the hymns. remember the chants and I also do the rituals. I know I can get some result out of it, but how can I get better result which is called Brahmaloka, the highest happiness available in the sṛṣṭi, in creation. This is the inner meaning, not challenging, but learning. So everything is threatened by limitation. That limitation is called mṛtyu. Mṛtyu means death. Like you think one thought one minute before and that is dead. That is the mṛtyu of that thought. You spoke something then it is finished. Mṛtyu of the speech. You did something. Say, you finished your dinner. That is the depth of the process, that ritual, called eating food. Everything in this world is changing continuously. That is why saṁsāra is called brahma cakra.

सर्वं मृत्युनाभिपन्नम् sarvaṁ mṛtyunābhipannam

So, somebody is paying you. Oh, hotā. So, yajamāna is called yajamāna. So, how does the yajamāna, how does the priests, mṛtyorāptim, that is this all-pervading death. That means everything is under the control of the time. Birth is under the control of time. Death also is under the control of the time. Can I overcome? Can we overcome? Atimucyata iti. And then Yājñavalkya answered. Please keep this third mantra in mind because more or less different limitations are discussed in the coming mantras. We will talk about them.

So, what was Yājñavalkya's reply? Hotā. So, ṛtvik is also called ṛtvik. होत्रर्त्विजाग्निना वाचा hotrartvijāgninā vācā

So you should contemplate. I am the hotā, chanter of the Ṛgveda. I am the ṛtvik. I am the performer of the yajña. But I am able to do it only because of the grace of the Agni devatā. So I am able to utter the mantras, chant the mantras only by the grace of the Fire. That's why when somebody speaks very inspiringly, we say a fiery speech.

वाग्वै यज्ञस्य होता vāgvai yajñasya hotā

First you think that I am nothing but the speech that comes out. And speech is nothing but the outcome of thoughts. So, by these words, provided they are sincere words. Sincere words come only from sincere thoughts and sincere words lead to sincere actions. According to Sir Ramakrishna, you should remember what is truth? The thought, the speech and the action become one. That means what? You hear a person speak and you understand the truth. I love you, for example, and the other person understands. Yes. Truly he means he really loves me. A baby knows. The mother need not say, I love you, baby. She doesn't need to say. The baby automatically understands because her actions, her looks, her thoughts, everything is centered on herself in the form of the baby. She is not thinking about her body and mind. She is thinking of her body and mind only in the context of the baby. How can I say that my baby survives and grows up and stands on his or her own feet? So, my speech. And we cannot see the thoughts, but we can hear the speech. And therefore, real yajña is where there is no difference between what a person thinks and what a person speaks. Otherwise, any number of prayers insincerely meant are not going to bring the grace of God. That is why one Sri Ramakrishna answered a devotee's question, If the prayer is sincere, the grace of God is bound to descend, there is no other chance. You are sincere, but God will not answer you. That is why in the 17th chapter, यो यच्छ्रद्धः स एव सः yo yacchraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

Bhagavad Gita. God says, A man is none other than what he sincerely believes. वाग्वै यज्ञस्य होता vāgvai yajñasya hotā तद्येयं वाक् सोऽयमग्निः tadyeyaṁ vāk so'yamagniḥ

But what is vāk? What is speech? Speech is nothing but agni. And then if somebody contemplates these three as the triangular format, my speech and the fire, the energy through which I am able to express And then the root cause of all this, the Agni devatā, that is the individual and the action performed by that individual and the presiding deity who is by whose grace alone this is possible. So step, I am not the individual, I am the hotā. I am not the hotā, I am the speech, I am the chanting and I am not the chanting I am the fire. So this is how three steps. Three in one, one in three.

Then what happens? Ahaṁ agniḥ. Ahaṁ agni devatā. Then what happens? सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ

The person is freed because fire is free from time, from space and from object because fire will ever remain fire. It never changes. Because the nature of fire is only to burn. Just like sweetness cannot be separated from sugar, the energy we call burning and giving light cannot be separated from agni, fire. Which means we have to understand crystal clearly. That which changes is limited by time, space and causation. Change means that which is affected, limited by time, space and causation. But that which is never affected is the very nature of everything. Bitterness, sweetness, sourness, heat, light, all these are unchanging, eternally existent factors. What a marvellous vision. Then what happens? Yajamāna, he attains to higher loka. Because attaining agni means attaining hiraṇyagarbha. That is attaining to Īśvara. If without contemplation, a person just mechanically performs. But sincerely, not adding this upāsanā, his life he will go to heavenly world. But if he adds this upāsanā, he goes to Brahmaloka prāpti which is called Īśvara prāpti in Vedantic language, remember. And it means Brahmaloka prāpti, Brahmananda prāpti. That is what we need to understand. So, this is the trend. So, you make three angles as Īśvara with this background. We will move into fourth one. Here, eye, sun, and the adhvaryu.
==The Fourth Mantra: The Limitation of Time==
So, the fourth mantra. याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदं सर्वमहोरात्राभ्यामाप्तं, सर्वमहोरात्राभ्यामभिपन्नं, केन यजमानोऽहोरात्रयोराप्तिमतिमुच्यत इति; yājñavalkyeti hovāca, yadidaṁ sarvamahorātrābhyāmāptaṁ, sarvamahorātrābhyāmabhipannaṁ, kena yajamāno'horātrayorāptimatimucyata iti;

What was the question? In a different way about limitation of time. What is he asking? Everything is enveloped by these day and night. And day and night are directly related to the sun. Not really related to the sun. Because when we are on earth and you say, when we say, supposing I am in Varanasi and the sunrise is at 5.30 say as an example, but there are countries where it will be 5 o'clock, where it will be 4:30, our 4:30. For them, it is early morning. But if you go to the UK, they are four and a half or five and a half hours behind us. If you go to America, East Coast, then it will be almost 8 to 10 hours, something like that. If you go to the West Coast, as you move on, there are three, I believe there are three time zones in USA. So what I am trying to tell you, from our view point, day and night are caused by the sun and that is our limitations. But from the, you go to the sun, there is no day, there is no night. So everything is limited by time. And this time works both day time, night time. Day time comes, night time is up changes. Night time comes, day time changes. Every billy second, billy billy billy second, time is changing. It is wrought with changefulness. That is what we have to understand.

So, this is another way of questioning from the viewpoint of time. The third mantra is from the viewpoint of the ritual. The fourth mantra is from the point of time. We are all grasped like crocodile by this factor of time. That is why there is a time when a baby is born. There is a time when the baby is growing up. There is a time when the baby becomes young man or woman, youth, middle age-old age. Then one day he goes back from where he came. and that continuous change like a revolving wheel. How Arjuna killed, supposed to kill a revolving fish which is tied to a revolving fan. And looking at its reflection in the water pole below, he is supposed to pierce not only the fish but the eye of the fish. How difficult it is. But he did accomplish it. So, we are all completely limited by past, present and future. That is how time works. Past, present and future. And if you recollect Māṇḍūkya, he says, यद्भूतं भवद्भविष्यदिति सर्वमोङ्कार एव yadbhūtaṁ bhavadbhaviṣyaditi sarvamoṅkāra eva

Everything is omkara. And what did you do? Yājñavalkya say, how to overcome death in the form of time. That is why death is called time. So then, what is he telling? अध्वर्युणर्त्विजा चक्षुषादित्येन; चक्षुर्वै यज्ञस्याध्वर्युः, तद्यदिदं चक्षुः सोऽसावादित्यः, सोऽध्वर्युः, सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः ॥ adhvaryuṇartvijā cakṣuṣādityena; cakṣurvai yajñasyādhvaryuḥ, tadyadidaṁ cakṣuḥ so'sāvādityaḥ, so'dhvaryuḥ, sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ ||

What are the three steps? That here cakṣu means the I Eye has a limited function of seeing the colors especially. That is its domain. And how are they able, the eyes are able to see? Because of light. And who is providing that light? Sūrya Bhagavān, Āditya. So Āditya is the presiding deity who is giving light. Āditya is manifesting within every creature has the power of seeing colours. Why do we say colours only? Because the ears have the power of hearing, the nose has the power of smelling, the tongue has the power of tasting, the skin has the power of touching etc. That is how we have to understand it is the sun who is manifesting as the eye. Don't say my eye. Say, the power of seeing belongs to the Āditya. And how are the entire external universe manifests? Because of the power of the sun. No sun, no world, no creation.

Therefore, ultimately you meditate upon it. You do upāsanā, contemplate. I am nothing but a tiny manifestation of the Sun God. He is the Īśvara so far as the colours are considered. So, do the ritual without this understanding? Every ritual gives its own result, which is because every action gives its own result. This is an action of worshipping God and therefore it has some limited result. But do this, add this upāsanā that I do not exist. The objects, colors do not exist. What exists? Only the Sun God. Without the Sun God, nothing exists. And if a person identifies himself with the Sun God, what happens? He will attain to, he will go beyond the limitations of time. because there is no day or night when we look from the viewpoint of the sun and the same thing applies here also. That means there is no day or night and therefore I go beyond time. That is the essence of this fourth mantra.
==The Fifth Mantra: Overcoming the Fortnights==
Then the fifth mantra is how am I able to prāṇa? Prāṇa is only doing the function and it is Vāyu devatā. Every minute 16 times I am borrowing oxygen from this Vāyu devatā. And then Udgātṛ. These are connected together. Udgātṛ means the chanter of the Sāmaveda. So, याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदं सर्वं पूर्वपक्षापरपक्षाभ्यामाप्तं, सर्वं पूर्वपक्षापरपक्षाभ्यामभिपन्नं, केन यजमानः पूर्वपक्षापरपक्षयोराप्तिमतिमुच्यत इति; yājñavalkyeti hovāca, yadidaṁ sarvaṁ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣābhyāmāptaṁ, sarvaṁ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣābhyāmabhipannaṁ, kena yajamānaḥ pūrvapakṣāparapakṣayorāptimatimucyata iti;

The same question. But earlier he said, how do we get out of the limitations of day and night? But here he used different words. Who is using Aśvalāyana? What is this different word that we count always what is called the śukla pakṣa and kṛṣṇa pakṣa? The bright fortnight and the dark fortnight. And mind is the, of course we said the presiding deity of the mind is the moon. So from the point of the moon etc. So how do I get out of the limitations imposed not by day and night, or not only by day and night, but in the form of the 15 days of the bright fortnight, 15 days of the dark fortnight. And then Yājñavalkya replies: उद्गात्रर्त्विजा वायुना प्राणेन udgātrartvijā vāyunā prāṇena

Ṛtvija means what? The act of chanting. Vāyunā. Prāṇena. So, through this Vāyu devatā, who is coming to us, entering into us, sustaining us in the form of prāṇa. And that prāṇa, as I discussed earlier, is doing five functions: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna and samāna. And I catalogued what happens. Our very existence is maintained only by this prāṇa. in the form of five-fold functions. So, Yājñavalkya now telling how to overcome limitations of the fortnights. So, pūrvapakṣa and aparapakṣa.

उद्गात्रर्त्विजा वायुना प्राणेन; प्राणो वै यज्ञस्योद्गाता, तद्योऽयं प्राणः स वायुः, स उद्गाता, सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः ॥ udgātrartvijā vāyunā prāṇena; prāṇo vai yajñasyodgātā, tadyo'yaṁ prāṇaḥ sa vāyuḥ, sa udgātā, sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ ||

any priest. Udgātṛ, Sāmaveda priest. Because what is his main function? Chanting. And chanting loudly and chanting musically. And how he is able to do that? That's why when the lungs are not functioning, when old age comes, we cannot breathe in deeply and that person's voice goes down. So this Udgātṛ, Gātā means gātā, who sings. Ut means loudly. What is he singing? The same Ṛgvedic mantra. Some selected Ṛgvedic mantras tuned to music. They are chantable because of their very composition. What does he do? Vāyunā prāṇena. So he requires tremendous amount of lung power. Vāyunā prāṇena. And this prāṇa, it is really that energy, that lung power, that capacity to Breathe in deeply and hold the oxygen. That is the real chant. No air, no chanti. तद्योऽयं प्राणः tadyo'yaṁ prāṇaḥ

And what is that? Where from that power is coming? From prāṇa. So, and what is this prāṇa? Where from it is coming? Whose manifestation is this prāṇa? Vāyu. That's why Vāyu devatā. That's why if Vāyu devatā takes leave for a few seconds, Not one living creature will live. Sa udgātā. Think that you are not chanting. You are not the chanter. It is the vāyu who is chanting. And it is because of the prāṇa you are able to chant. And what is this prāṇa? तद्योऽयं प्राणः स वायुः tadyo'yaṁ prāṇaḥ sa vāyuḥ

That prāṇa is nothing but higher manifestation of Vāyu devatā. And sa udgātā when he does this contemplation that I am not the singer. It is the prāṇa who is the singer. And it is not the prāṇa who is the singer. It is the Vāyu devatā who is the singer. That means I am the vāyu. I am the Agni. I am the Candra. I am the Āditya, etc. Sā muktiḥ. Then he gets over what? The what is called egotism. That kāra will come down.
==The Sixth Mantra: The Mind and the Manager of the Yajña==
Then mantra 6. Now Sūrya devatā is done. Now we are talking about mind, peace. Atharvaveda, the priest who is expert in it is called Brahmā. And this Brahmā is not to be identified with Veda. Brahmā should not be mistaken as the creator. Brahmā means who knows all the Vedas and who has specialized knowledge of all the Vedas and who is managing is called tantradhāraka like in modern pūjās. He assists the pūjārī. So, that is how we have to understand. So, it is because of the mind. The mind should remember which mantra comes first, which mantra comes later and then with the help of the prāṇa śakti one has to do. But the moods of the mind are controlled by whom? By the moon. So, mind moon and the priest Brahmā. Atharvaṇa priest, when he is doing, he has to keep his mind. What is the hotā doing? What is the adhvaryu doing? What is the udgātā doing? Are they doing it in the order prescribed by Yajurveda? So everything has to keep an eye. That's why he is called tantradhāraka or manager of the modern pūjās or ancient yajñas, etc. So, याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदमन्तरिक्षमनारम्बणमिव, केनाक्रमेण यजमानः स्वर्गं लोकमाक्रमत इति; yājñavalkyeti hovāca, yadidamantarikṣamanārambaṇamiva, kenākrameṇa yajamānaḥ svargaṁ lokamākramata iti;

Aśvalāyana asks, what supports the sacrificer ascended to heaven? You look up at the space. Do you see any pillars which are supporting? So, what is it that is supporting the space? Anārambaṇa means as if it is supportless. Kenākrameṇa, by whose support, then how is the yajamāna? That means yajamāna, Brahmā and the act of ritual. All these become one. Svargaṁ lokamākramate. How do we go to svargaloka through the act of rituals etc.? That was the question. And then Yājñavalkya. ब्रह्मणर्त्विजा मनसा चन्द्रेण; मनो वै यज्ञस्य ब्रह्मा, तद्यदिदं मनः सोऽसौ चन्द्रः, स ब्रह्मा, सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः — इत्यतिमोक्षाः ॥ brahmaṇartvijā manasā candreṇa; mano vai yajñasya brahmā, tadyadidaṁ manaḥ so'sau candraḥ, sa brahmā, sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ — ityatimokṣāḥ ||

Marvellous reply is giving, everything depends upon the mind. Sri Ramakrishna says, everything is according to our mind. A man looks upon his wife in one way, upon children in another way, upon his parents in another way, but it is all the works of the mind. This is my parents, relationship is different. This is my wife, this is my husband, relationship is different. These are my children, relationships are different. These are my friends, relationship is different. These are my enemies, relationships are different. Everything is depends upon the mind. That's why the mind is called मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः mana eva manuṣyāṇāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandhamokṣayoḥ

So, that is what Yājñavalkya says. Everything depends upon the mind and this is Brahmā. This ṛtvik of the Atharvaveda, priest of the Atharvaveda. Manasā, because he is keeping his mind, what is the Ṛgveda priest doing? What is the Sāmaveda priest doing? What is the Yajurveda priest doing? What am I supposed to do? What comes first? What comes next? Mano vai, really speaking, mind is the performer of the yajña, the manager of the yajña. तद्यदिदं मनः सोऽसौ चन्द्रः tadyadidaṁ manaḥ so'sau candraḥ

What is the mind? It is the power of the Candra, the moon, according to Vedantic terminology. स ब्रह्मा, सा मुक्तिः, सातिमुक्तिः sa brahmā, sā muktiḥ, sātimuktiḥ

If somebody can say, I am not doing this management, it is the, my mind is doing, my mind is doing it because of the direction given by Candra devatā. So it is the Candra devatā who is actually performing everything. It is the Candra devatā who thinks I am the husband, I am the wife, I am the children, I am the parents, I am the friends, I am the enemies, I am a Hindu, I am a Christian, I am a Muslim, etc. etc. Everything in this world Including I am the body, I am the mind. Everything is the outcome of thoughts. And who is the in charge of divinity, presiding deity, the moon. If somebody can do this contemplation that it is not me, it is the Candra devatā who is doing. So Candra devatā, Āditya devatā, etc. in these mantras we get. So what does it mean? Pride dually get rid of the I am doing feeling. Now it is Candra who is thinking. It is the Āditya who is doing. It is the fire Agni devatā who is chanting. I have nothing to do with it. I do not exist at all. This is called nyāsa. And this is how yajamāna goes to Svargaloka. And the priests go to Svargaloka. They overcome a lot of our limitation. Even attaining Brahmaloka, it is only what we call a longer period of time, less limitation, but nevertheless it is a limitation.

So, here we have been given whenever you are eating food, as an example, this food is not mine, the eater is not me, it is Brahman, that is called brahmārpaṇam. And that brahmārpaṇam is expressed in these mantras, in this detailed way. And now you think over it and then apply it. I am breathing. How am I able to breathe? Because of energy. And where from this energy is coming? From Vāyu devatā. And then when I am having this energy, then I can act, I can think, I can speak, I can see, etc., etc. Beautiful thoughts. We will talk further beautiful ideas in our next class.

== Closing Prayer ==
Today is the very auspicious Kālī Pūjā at night. May the Divine Mother bless all of us with bhakti, with buddhi śakti, with jñānam, with energy, and with śraddhā so that we can reach her lotus feet as quickly as possible. Jai Ramakrishna.

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.4-6 Lecture 84 on 08 November 2026 Q&A

2026-11-14T00:35:47Z

Bhama: Created page with "== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2084%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%208%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] == Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad"

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.4-6 Lecture 84 on 08 November 2026

2026-11-14T00:34:44Z

Bhama: Created page with "Full Transcript (Not Corrected) == Opening Invocation == ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः. ''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ. ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्ण..."

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.3 Lecture 83 on 07 November 2026 Q&A

2026-11-14T00:30:22Z

Bhama:

== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2083%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%207%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] ==

== Q&A: Understanding Ādhyātmika and Ādhibhautika==
'''Question:''' Today you mentioned that eyes, you know, belong to ādhyātmika. And I was surprised by that because I thought that the demarcation line is the ādhibhautika, which as you today defined as the power of sight for example, so doesn't that mean that at least the physical eyes actually belong to ādhibhautika? Because they are external and the power of seeing is what is ādhyātmika.

'''Answer:''' Yeah. So what to understand is that all this what we call myself, the world and the presiding deity, the presiding deity only is manifesting as these three. You understand? As these three. If we are stuck with one thing saying I am this individual, that is called bondage. Yeah. So the idea is that really 'I' doesn't exist, it is an illusion, actually who is seeing? God is seeing. Whom is he seeing? He is seeing Himself. For that to understand that point, recollect my often quoted experience of a dream. In dream you are speaking with somebody. With who is that person with whom you are speaking? Who created him?

'''Question:''' I did.

'''Answer:''' And you are seeing the sun and the moon and the air, the fire, the water, the earth, the mountains, the stars, all the uncountable trillions and trillions of objects, are you not seeing in dream?

'''Question:''' Yeah.

'''Answer:''' And upon waking up, how many things are there? Only you, the waker 'I' alone has divided as if and playing that game. Now you understand? We through pūjā, pūjā means we have to understand this individuality doesn't exist. What exists is only infinity.

'''Question:''' It is true.
== The Meaning of Jñānam and the Goal of Pūjā ==
'''Answer:''' And that is why I explained four parts of the pūjā. First purify, understanding becomes better, jñānam will come. What is jñānam? That everything which I call my body is God, part of God's body. Everybody's body is part of God's body. Everybody's mind also is part of God's mind. He alone exists. There is a beautiful song if our devotees are listening. Swami Vivekananda used to sing one particular Sufi song,

तुझसे हमने दिल को लगाया, जो कुछ है सो तू ही है।

tujhse humne dil ko lagaya, jo kuch hai so tu hi hai.

I have joined my heart, oh Lord, to Thee, I have offered myself to Thee. Whatever exists is only you, I do not exist. And what is the funny thing? When 'I' disappears, the concept of 'you' also disappears at the same time. Understand?

'''Question:''' Yes.

'''Answer:''' That is the goal. That is the purpose of, call it pūjā, call it meditation, call it karma yoga, whatever blessed name you want to call it. Okay?

'''Question:''' Okay. Clear. Is it clear?

'''Answer:''' It is clear.

'''Question:''' Very good. Jai Thakur.
==Q&A: The Dreamer vs. The Waker==
'''Question:''' In the dream state, the three, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika and ādhidaivika, all three is the dreamer, right Mahārāj?

'''Answer:''' Correct. One dreamer, waker, don't say dreamer. It is the waker who had divided himself as the three.

'''Question:''' Right.

'''Answer:''' Even in dream, supposing electricity has gone off and it is midnight. Can you see anything?

'''Question:''' No.

'''Answer:''' So who is the presiding deity now?

'''Question:''' Still Āditya only.

'''Answer:''' Ah, light.

'''Question:''' Light.

'''Answer:''' And suppose a person is blind, does it make any difference? Whether it is day or night?

'''Question:''' No.

'''Answer:''' And if you go to the, nearer to the sun, transcend this what we call this sphere whatever you call it. Is there day and night?

'''Question:''' No.

'''Answer:''' It is an illusion isn't it?

'''Question:''' Yeah.

'''Answer:''' So what I'm trying to tell you, at the time of dream we forget that the one waker had made himself, so that one waker is the Īśvara, he divided himself if he has to dream he has to divide himself into the presiding deity, that means the creator.

'''Question:''' And the individual.

'''Answer:''' And the,

'''Question:''' And the world.

'''Answer:''' Object. Everything, upon waking up what does he say? A mountain has come and fell upon my head?

'''Question:''' You won't say. You know why?

'''Answer:''' Right. You know why?

'''Question:''' Why not?

'''Answer:''' If the mountain had actually fallen down...

'''Question:''' I wouldn't be there to say anything.

'''Answer:''' Yeah. We can't say.

Alright. So that is the concept, if that is the truth. In other words, simple words, nothing exists excepting God.

सर्वं खल्विदम्

sarvaṁ khalvidam

That is the realization which every scripture of every religion wants us to lead to.

[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.3 Lecture 83 on 07 November 2026 Q&A

2026-11-14T00:25:22Z

Bhama: Created page with "== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2083%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%207%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] == ==Discussion on Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika, and the Illusion of the Individual== ===Question 1: Do the Physical Eyes Belong to Adhyatmika or Adhibhautika?=== '''Participant:''' Today you mentioned that eyes, you know, belong to ''adhyatmika''. And I was surprised by that becaus..."

== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2083%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%207%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] ==

==Discussion on Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika, and the Illusion of the Individual==
===Question 1: Do the Physical Eyes Belong to Adhyatmika or Adhibhautika?===
'''Participant:''' Today you mentioned that eyes, you know, belong to ''adhyatmika''. And I was surprised by that because I thought that the demarcation line is the ''adhibhautika'', which as you today defined as the power of sight, for example. So doesn't that mean that at least the physical eyes actually belong to ''adhibhautika''? Because they are external, and the power of seeing is what is ''adhyatmika''.
===The Presiding Deity Alone Manifests as These Three===
'''Response (Maharaj):''' Yeah. So what to understand is that all this – what we call myself, the world, and the presiding deity – the presiding deity only is manifesting as these three. You understand? As these three. If we are stuck with one thing saying "I am this individual," that is called bondage. Yeah.
===The Illusion of 'I' and the Goal of Puja===
'''Response:''' So the idea is that really "I" doesn't exist; it is an illusion. Actually, who is seeing? God is seeing. Whom is He seeing? He is seeing Himself.

For that, to understand that point, recollect my often-quoted experience of a dream. In dream you are speaking with somebody. Who is that person with whom you are speaking? Who created him?

'''Participant:''' I did.

'''Response:''' And you are seeing the sun and the moon and the air, the fire, the water, the earth, the mountains, the stars – all the uncountable trillions and trillions of objects – are you not seeing in dream?

'''Participant:''' Yeah.

'''Response:''' And upon waking up, how many things are there? Only you, the waker. "I" alone has divided as if and is playing that game. Now you understand?

We, through ''puja'' – ''puja'' means we have to understand this individuality doesn't exist. What exists is only infinity.

'''Participant:''' It is true.
===The Four Parts of Puja and the Meaning of Jnana===
'''Response:''' And that is why I explained four parts of the ''puja''. First purify; understanding becomes better; ''jnanam'' will come. What is ''jnanam''? That everything which I call my body is God, part of God's body. Everybody's body is part of God's body. Everybody's mind also is part of God's mind. He alone exists.
===The Sufi Song===
'''Response:''' There is a beautiful song, if our devotees are listening. Swami Vivekananda used to sing one particular Sufi song:

तुझसे हमने दिल को लगाया, जो कुछ है सो तू ही है। tujhse humne dil ko lagaya, jo kuch hai so tu hi hai.

I have joined my heart, O Lord, to Thee; I have offered myself to Thee. Whatever exists is only You; I do not exist. And what is the funny thing? When "I" disappears, the concept of "you" also disappears at the same time. Understand?

'''Participant:''' Yes.
===The Goal of All Spiritual Practice===
'''Response:''' That is the goal. That is the purpose of – call it ''puja'', call it meditation, call it ''karma yoga'', whatever blessed name you want to call it. Okay?

'''Participant:''' Okay. Clear. Is it clear?

'''Response:''' It is clear.

'''Participant:''' Very good. Jai Thakur.
===Question 2: In the Dream State, Are All Three the Dreamer?===
'''Participant:''' In the dream state, the three – ''adhyatmika'', ''adhibhautika'', and ''adhidaivika'' – all three are the dreamer, right, Maharaj?

'''Response:''' Correct. One dreamer. Waker – don't say dreamer. It is the waker who had divided himself as the three.

'''Participant:''' Right.
===The Presiding Deity in Darkness===
'''Response:''' Even in dream, supposing electricity has gone off and it is midnight. Can you see anything?

'''Participant:''' No.

'''Response:''' So who is the presiding deity now?

'''Participant:''' Still ''Aditya'' only.

'''Response:''' Ah, light.

'''Participant:''' Light.
===The Blind Person and the Sun===
'''Response:''' And suppose a person is blind – does it make any difference whether it is day or night?

'''Participant:''' No.

'''Response:''' And if you go nearer to the sun, transcend this – what we call – this sphere, whatever you call it – is there day and night?

'''Participant:''' No.

'''Response:''' It is an illusion, isn't it?

'''Participant:''' Yeah.
===The Waker Divides Himself as Ishvara, the Individual, and the World===
'''Response:''' So what I'm trying to tell you: at the time of dream we forget that the one waker had made himself. So that one waker is ''Ishvara''. He divided himself – if he has to dream, he has to divide himself into the presiding deity, that means the creator.

'''Participant:''' And the individual.

'''Response:''' And the –

'''Participant:''' And the world.
===Upon Waking, the Dream Object Is Seen as Unreal===
'''Response:''' Object. Everything. Upon waking up, what does he say? "A mountain has come and fell upon my head"?

'''Participant:''' You won't say. You know why?

'''Response:''' Right. You know why?

'''Participant:''' Why not?

'''Response:''' If the mountain had actually fallen down...

'''Participant:''' I wouldn't be there to say anything.

'''Response:''' Yeah. We can't say.
===Conclusion: Nothing Exists Excepting God===
'''Response:''' Alright. So that is the concept, if that is the truth. In other words, in simple words: nothing exists excepting God. ''Sarvam khalvidam''. That is the realisation which every scripture of every religion wants us to lead to.

[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.3 Lecture 83 on 07 November 2026

2026-11-14T00:15:08Z

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

==Introduction to Muni Kāṇḍa==
So, we are studying the first section of the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, and as we discussed earlier, it is called Muni Kāṇḍa[cite: 5]. Muni means the musings of a realized soul. When a person realizes, he is called a muni. It is also called Yājñavalkya because in this story, Yājñavalkya is that muni. It is called Vāda Kāṇḍa, Tarka Kāṇḍa because what has been taught directly as the main teaching of the Upaniṣads is going to be explained in simple words with some illustrations like Sri Ramakrishna does.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Illustrations on Saṁsāra==
For example, so there was a man who was a clerk. For some reason, he lost his job, and then he started searching for the job, and then he had been jailed actually. So, as soon as he came out of the jail, he started again to search for a job. What was Sri Ramakrishna trying to illustrate? Worldly people, even after bitter experiences, this should be the result of our understanding after meditating upon these illustrations given by Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, etc.

Just to remind you, Holy Mother said the name of God should be going on just as the alarm clock goes on ticking, tick, tick, tick, 24 hours a day, wherever it is kept, on the table, on the kitchen, on the bed, in the pocket, doesn't matter. So also, whatever way we are engaged, but one part of the mind should go on remembering God. What does it mean to remember God? It means death can come at any time to this body and mind also later on. The only place worthy of ascending is God or Brahman.

So, coming back to Sri Ramakrishna's illustration, he means the same thing. Whatever be the condition, we have to seek God only. This saṁsāra is like a jail, but we never come out of this saṁsāra right now. What it means is let our mind, let, let, like this criminal's body and mind is in the jail, but his mind is outside. When am I going to become free? That longing will always be there. And then even if he comes out after some time, hopefully he would learn a lesson. If I do not want to go back to the jail, the only way is to lead a crime-free life.

Are we criminals in this saṁsāra? Yes. God's eye is appropriated as my eye, your eye. God's wealth, this body, this mind, everything is appropriated as my body, my mind, my house, my children, my wealth, my position, my power. So, ahaṅkāra is bad. When kāra is removed from this ahaṅkāra, what remains is God. And that is the meaning of ahaṁ brahmāsmi[cite: 5]. That ahaṁ means when this ahaṅkāra is the kāra part of the ahaṁ is destroyed, what remains is pure consciousness, and there is no distinction, this is me, this is Brahman, and we are in fact one[cite: 5].

It is only to express to people like us through some sentences, some speech we have to use. Just like some objects are presented to the kindergarten child, 'a' for apple, and an apple's representation, wooden apple, not wood apple, some apple made out of wood or plastic. This is banana, this is mango. 'b' for bee is an insect. So, it looks like this. But how long? As soon as the child learns and learns to connect letters as words, learns to connect words as sentences, then you don't need all those aids, artificial apple, artificial bee, etc. So that is the idea here, that we all have to progress in life.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Spiritual Foundation==
How to progress in life? And remember Sri Ramakrishna, how did he start his spiritual life? First of all, it is a mistake to think that he started his spiritual life only after reaching Dakshineswar. No, even from his childhood, he was singing songs for God, he was attaining states of samādhi, he was going into ecstatic states, and he categorically refused the worldly academic study because how could he remove? Because he had that power of discrimination. All these are anitya, but there is something that is completely nitya, which is God alone.

Only in his own inimitable style, he expressed it. What am I going to do with this education which only brings in food for the body, food for the mind, etc.? But he has used beautiful expression, cālakolā bandhanu vidyā, only that which brings. So like Nārada rejects Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, even though he was an intellectual master of it, as we had seen in the eighth chapter of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, Nārada-Sanatkumāra dialogue, Sri Ramakrishna rejected.

So whether a man is in the world, outside the jail, or inside the jail, he wants, how can, how can I continue my living and in a better way? That is an illustration. So wherever we are, whether we are householders, monks, brahmacārins, or retired people, let the body be there, let the houses be there, but our mind should only think about God.
==The Role of Pūjā in Spiritual Practice==
So what is it that I wanted to convey? We were discussing in the Yājñavalkya-Maitreyī dialogue, ātman has to be realized through śravaṇa, manana, nididhyāsana, and we have to attain a state where we are capable of going beyond this śravaṇa, manana, nididhyāsana. For that, we have to approach a guru. For that, we will have to acquire certain fitness. It is called sādhanā catuṣṭaya sampatti, the treasure of fourfold or ninefold qualities, and how to acquire them. And that is the summary of this aśvalāyana brāhmaṇa or the section where aśvalāyana asks the questions, as I elaborately discussed in the last class.

Yajña in the Vedic times, nowadays it is called pūjās, whether it is Durgā pūjā, Kālī pūjā, and daily Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā, it doesn't really matter. But as I explained, every yajña has four parts, that means every pūjā has four parts. First is called purification, citta śuddhi. Second, transfer the egotism, that ism, this is my body, this is my mind, these are my sense organs, these are my limbs of the body, everything by touching specific parts. So the first part is called śuddhi, purification.

The second part, once everything is, the mind attains to a certain degree of purity, it understands there is nothing in this world that can be called mine, and then it is there. So if it is not mine, it must belong to somebody. So who is that somebody? The whole universe belongs to the mother, universal mother. That process is called nyāsa, and once a person dedicates completely, what does he become or she become? Sannyāsa, sannyāsini. Sannyāsa means not me, not me, nāhaṁ nāhaṁ tohu tohu. That should be the development.

Then mānasika pūjā. It is also saddening to think even so many of our devotees, they rejoice and waste a lot of their time in this external worship. Of course, until they transcend and progress in spiritual life, they cannot really leave it behind by just thinking I want to leave it. But then if we had practiced these things properly in the right manner, that knowledge, that faith, that I can worship God mentally, as Sri Ramakrishna says, a sāttvika person's worship, just a little water, maybe a leaf, a fruit, and God accepts them most joyously.

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति।

तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः॥

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |

tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛtamaśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||

So I accept that which is given with the greatest love. Prayatātmanaḥ. I am eager to accept like divine mother Kālī was eager to accept a pūjā of Sri Ramakrishna.

So Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā or spiritual practice, pūjā means spiritual practice, did not start at Dakshineswar. Remember, he was doing, singing songs and going into ecstasies, attending pūjās, etc., and he learned to pūjā, we have to understand, because when his eldest brother Rāmkuṁar brought him to Calcutta, and it was not an accident, it was all part of the script written in the drama of Sri Ramakrishna's life. So his elder brother, eldest brother, he was earning some money, he started a school, but it was not yielding sufficient income because that was only an excuse for the divine mother to bring Rāmkuṁar also to the lotus feet of divine mother Kālī, which by the way this year is tomorrow night. So right now, I wish you all the best. May the divine mother cut the bondage of time.
==The Manifestation of Īśvara and Presiding Deities==
She who is the embodiment of time, manifestation of time, is called Kālī, and she is the manifestation of Mahākāla, timelessness, eternity. That is why you cannot separate Kālī from Śiva. She is on the body, so-called dead body of Śiva. It is not dead body, it is a body, it is a existence which is beyond our imagination. Deśa, kāla, vastu, atīta. And that is why it looks to us incomprehensible. That is why it is called Śiva. Śiva means pure consciousness, and a bit of that, a very tiny bit of that is manifested as time. Time means deśa, kāla, and energy. We have to understand this clearly. Sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya, creation, maintenance, and resolving back, all are done in course of time, beginning of time and proceeding in time and going back from where we have come, which is called the unmanifest. Not death is what, going back into the unrecognizable, unmanifest form.

So that should be the understanding, deep understanding. And so when a person understands I am bound by time, space, and causation or deśa, kāla, vastu pariccheda, every pūjā takes us beyond time, space, and causation. How does it do? Earlier I explained, same thing again is being discussed here. Earlier if you recollect, Īśvara, saguṇa Brahman, divine mother manifests as this creation like a triangle. What are the three angles? First is my individuality. Second is me as an individual as part of this creation, which is called ādhibhautika. I am called ādhyātmika. We have to remember I am an individual watching you as the external world, and you are the individual watching me as part of the external world. So we are not separate from the external world. So I am called ādhyātma. The creation is called ādhibhautika. But we should not forget both the creation and the creator can never be separated, like clay cannot be separated from the pots, ornaments cannot be separated from gold. In fact, ornaments do not exist, only gold exists, but with a particular nāma-rūpa, name, form, and function, nāma, rūpa, and prayojana.

Similarly, everything in this world has a nāma-rūpa prayojana. So the whole thing is possible only by the grace of God, and the grace of God manifests as the presiding deity. For example, and I have given this example so many times, supposing I am seeing a tree, how am I able to see? First of all, my eye, there must be an eye, not the letter 'i', then there must be light, then there must be a tree. So the eye should be there, the light should be there, and the object should be there. Not only that, the eye should have the capacity because an artificial eye might look like an eye, but it is pure blindness. No, imagine a first-class capacity of seeing, and an object is there, but if it is dark, nothing can be seen. So the sun represents the light, and the object represents ādhibhautika with form, with color, which is the particular sphere of the eye. And I have the eye, so Sūrya devatā, the presiding deity, is manifesting both as color in the tree and the shape, size, etc. And then the same sun is giving light, illumining both my eye as well as the tree in the external world, and my eye's capacity to perceive that particular format, colors, is also manifestation of the Sūrya devatā. So my eye is ādhyātmika, the object, green tree, red fruit, etc., colors is ādhibhautika, and the light that illumines both the world and my own, gives light for my own eye to function, all these are possible only by the sun. In a sense, what it means is the sun is Īśvara. He is manifesting as light, he is manifesting as my eye, he is manifesting as the colors in this whole world. So these three together, triangle, if one is missing, the knowledge will not be there.
==Connecting Senses to Presiding Deities==
So why am I referring to this? So this is what wants to say, through this yajña, I am able to see, I am able to hear, I am able to smell, taste, touch, I am able to walk, I am able to grasp, I am able to throw out unwanted materials from my body, from my room, from my country, etc. Yes, you have to understand there are criminals who, if left alone with freedom in the country, so they have to be removed, and it is all because of the prāṇa śakti. So what I am trying to tell, I do not really exist, the external world doesn't really exist, they are only dependent upon the presiding deity who is kindly manifesting as one particular presiding power. For example, the directions, the space is the presiding deity of the ears. My capacity to hear is the manifestation of this ākāśa and the sounds that are coming from the external world. So all the three, my ear can hear, to hear there must be a sound, and that sound is coming from the external world, and for me to understand, to hear this sound, the space must be there without any obstruction. That is why if you are kept in a thick-walled room, very thick wall, what is happening in the next room, you will not be able to hear because ākāśa is enclosed. So you extend your imagination for every sense organ.

That brings us to the very fundamentals of Vedānta. If we divide our body and mind into several parts as functions, then all these functions collectively, they are called my individuality. And these functions are made possible only by the power of the Īśvara in the form of the presiding deities. So this is the triangle, Īśvara manifesting as the sun, as the moon, as the Varuṇa, as Aśvinī Kumāras, all these, we will briefly discuss them, and then all my sense organs as well as the parts of the mind and the external world which are objectified and to be experienced. So Īśvara is manifesting as the external world, Īśvara is manifesting as our individual understanding, perception, ahaṁ, and then as presiding deity, we are part of the presiding deity. So we are able to experience the external world, but the presiding deity is invisible, unmanifest, and that is why we say I am seeing. Nobody says I am able to see because of light, I am able to hear because of space, etc., etc.

And so this leads us to the fundamentals of Advaita Vedānta, that an individual is nothing but different parts of the both body and mind, and all the body and mind, all the parts, every part has its own specialized function, and the collective specialized function is called the presiding deity. Sūrya is the collective power of seeing, Candra is the collective power of thinking. That's why I told you, the presiding deity of mind is called Candra, moon. That is why it is called lunatic means one who is affected too much by moods, doesn't understand what is right, what is wrong, and this lunacy increases and decreases on full moon day, on dark night day, pūrṇimā and amāvasyā, etc. And physically also we can experience it. If you go to Belur Math, we call it the ebb and the flow, so low tide and high tide. So this, they call it bond, means a great, the water is flowing back, and all because of what? Because of the influence of the moon on the ocean. After experiencing, analyzing these things, if still somebody clings to the idea that I am an individual, I am existing separately, then that is called bondage. So these are the points briefly I will go through, these five senses of knowledge that we have very briefly, and you are intelligent students, you will be able to understand very much.

So there is the sense organ within our individuality, and it has a special power, and that power is made possible by the presiding deity. So the collecting power of hearing is called space. The collective power of seeing is called the sun. The collective power of touching is called the Vāyu devatā, and the collective power of tasting is called Varuṇa devatā. The collective power of smelling is called Aśvinī Kumāras. Please do not worry about remembering these names. This much you remember, there are the Collective powers are called presiding deities, and they are manifesting within each individual as the power of seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling. And the same powers are manifesting that which can be seen, that which can be heard, that which can be tasted, that which can be smelled, that which can be touched. That is called saṁsāra or this world.

So according to this Vedānta concept, the ear, which has what it has got, it is the hearing sound. And who is the devatā? Dik or space. And what is its power? What is the ear organ? Śrotra. Śrotra. Śrotrendriya. Then what about the touching? Any, even the smallest insect touches, the air, cold air touches, heat wave touches, immediately we feel it. And even this slightest, smallest speck of dust touches our eyeball, immediately we feel that special power. That is called the organ of touch. Who is the incharge? Vāyu devatā. And what is the function? Experiencing touch. Our eye, as I mentioned, the power of seeing. And the Sūrya devatā means he who is gives us light so that we can see color. Colors cannot be seen when there is darkness. And then the tongue, tasting power. This we call it jihvā or rasanā. There's a rasa can be experienced only by rasanā. Who is the devatā? Varuṇa. Varuṇa is jala devatā. And so what happens when the moment you think of some spicy food, water comes out of, oozes like eternal spring. So our capacity to experience taste, it is called tongue. Similarly, nose, the organ of smell. So what is its power? Smelling. Who is the incharge? Aśvinī Kumāras are incharge.

So you see what is, what the scripture wants to tell us that through this yajña, ultimately you identify yourself that I am nothing, the world is nothing. Both of them are manifestations of the presiding deity. And that presiding deity is only an infinite manifestation of Īśvara. And that Īśvara is none other than Parabrahma. This is the idea. Same, similarly, I will just run like an express. So the power of speech, who is incharge? They call vāk. Agni devatā. That's why when somebody speaks, you go to sleep. When somebody speaks, it is like fire. You are on fire by hearing also. What about hands? Pāṇi. Indra. Grasping and handling. So that is why remember the story of a Brāhmaṇa who bet a cow and the sin was coming to possess him. Remember that. Then hands, that is called pāṇi. Then feet, we have to move. So these are called pādas. Who is incharge? Viṣṇu. That is why he is called trivikrama. That is, he is a very, it is, that is the meaning of it. The whole, all the three worlds are able to move only because of the Viṣṇu. So walking, movement, any movement, you just move your small finger like this. You require that power to move. That is the power of the śakti. But if it is legs, it is called Viṣṇu.

Then there is an organ of excretion. That is called pāyu. What is its function? To eliminate unwanted things. It has a deep meaning. Not merely throwing out feces, not merely vomiting. Any company that is undesirable should be thrown out. Anything that is poisonous to our living, just like poison in our body or food poisoning will eliminate, come, brings to an end our life. So much more important. Our joy will come to an end if we keep company of unholy people, unholy applications, unholy social media, umpteen number of, I told you how much time it eats up. Just I will see this thing and time passes. You don't have time for other things. So then there is a organ of excretion called pāyu. Who is the incharge? Mṛtyu. If it doesn't function, we attain mṛtyu. If poison cannot be eliminated, we will die. So elimination of waste. And as I said, that waste doesn't mean only bodily waste. It can be family waste, social waste, social media waste, everything. Do read newspapers, do look for news, but only what is absolutely necessary.

Then there is another part of our external organ, which is called upastha, generative organ. It does two functions. What is it? Eliminating unwanted liquid form and also the power of procreation. And it gives tremendous amount of incomparable sukha for the moment. And that is why nature, that is how nature extracts or makes use of man and woman to propagate the species. Otherwise, I would not have existed. If that power was not there, my grandparents would never come together, my parents would never come together. As a result, I would not be there. So this is with regard to five organs of knowledge, five instruments of action.
==Antaḥkaraṇa: The Inner Instrument==
Now we also have inner instrument, antaḥkaraṇa. So it has also four parts. Manaḥ, buddhi, cittaḥ, ahaṅkāra. Mind, intellect, memory, and ego. And each of them have their own presiding deities. So the mind part of it, here in English, when we use the mind, we mean all the four functions together. But according to Vedānta, we have to use this word citta, manaḥ, buddhi, and ahaṅkāra.

So what is this function of the manaḥ? Thinking, doubting, and then wavering. So the ability is this true, is that true? Unable to decide but trying to weigh pros and cons. That particular function belongs to the, that particular part of the mind which is called manaḥ. That is called manas. And who is the deity? Candra is the deity. And all these are going to come. I'm only giving the introduction. Candra devatā. As I explained, that is why the mind is presided by Candra. And if we do not really worship Candra devatā, our mind will not be able to function properly. That means we'll not be able to even to think properly. And most of us, we are not thinkers. So we just go through the saṁskāras, pull us impressions. Oh, that is very pleasant because I have experienced it. We forget in the past when we experienced that object, it became food poison. I have forgotten all these things. Only the temporary pleasure flashes in my mind. And that is how we fall victims to this what is called saṁskāra. So that is the function of the mind. Who is incharge? Candra devatā.

And intellect, buddhi. What is the function of buddhi? When information is presented to the buddhi. And how does the mind present the information? After thinking, suddenly the old experiences are remembered. Oh, I know this person and he did such and such to me, good or bad. And that ability to remember is called citta. Such a fine division. I don't know even whether modern western psychologists do it, probably not. And they don't accept past lives. And that is the greatest stumbling block for progressing in assisting the mentally afflicted people. They're only thinking our mind starts with birth only, this birth only. Past birth, future births both are completely what is called unnecessary.

So the mind is thinking, then suddenly the memories come. And then the memories, yes, I know this person. Sure, now I remember everything, what he did, when he did, when she did. And that part of it is called citta. And who is this incharge of presiding deity of citta, memory? Viṣṇu. That's why he never forgets. That's why he is called Vidhātā. That means he doesn't forget what we did 50 billion, trillion years janmas back. And he remembers. And that is how he is able to determine for this life this person will get this much of happiness or unhappiness is his allotted lot. So to, in order to gain that much happiness or unhappiness, pleasure and pain, this is the best body, this is the best family, this is the best society, this is the best religion. All that is determined. It is not an accidental. A man and male and female met and we are the result. Our scripture doesn't accept that.

And having ascertained when the mind presents these facts to the buddhi, it understands, yes, you are right, this is so and so and these memories are right. So is it desirable? Is she undesirable? It determines. So that discriminating and coming to a first-class decision, right decision. That is the function of the buddhi, the part of the mind. And who is the incharge? Brahmā is the incharge.

What about ego? Ego means to think this is me and this is mine. And that is called ahaṅkāra. Remember, always remember the distinction between ahaṁ and ahaṅkāra. Who is incharge? Rudra. That is why when somebody dies in Varanasi, what does Śiva do? He takes away that kāra. He burns with his śakti, Mahākālī, all the saṁskāras. And Śiva tells you are me.

So these are the four functions, separate functions, beautiful analysis. That is called the division. Every faculty has its own special deities. They are called presiding deities. And remember, never forget all the presiding deities are none other than Īśvara's special manifestation. And Īśvara is none other than nirguṇa, nirvikāra, infinite Brahmā.
==The Fivefold Function of Prāṇa==
Now the Vāyu devatā is also functioning in us in the form of prāṇa. What we breathe in oxygen, that is called prāṇa. Oxygen is prāṇa. But when it is breathed in, then it divides itself into fivefold function. Prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

What is prāṇa? That is respiration and what happens inside our body, vital activity. What is apāna? When we breathe in, that is called apāna, downward movement. Also apāna eliminates what is unhealthy, what is poisonous from our bodies and the same function from our mind. If we pray to apāna devatā, please help me to eliminate these undesirable thoughts. That is called spiritual struggle.

Then vyāna is another function of the same prāṇa devatā. So what does it do? It circulation and distribution throughout the body. That is why it is called samāna, sorry, vyāna. So what does it do? The digested food becomes energy. So the eye requires some energy, hands requires energy. If you have to travel long distance, your legs requires more energy. So according to the need, whatever energy is needed, it distributes equally to every part of the body. That is the function of the vyāna.

Then udāna. Udāna is another function of prāṇa. It's upward movement. Speech comes because if the speech doesn't come, it is throwing out energy from the bottom of our lungs. That's why you breathe deeply, your voice also becomes deeper. That is the through prāṇāyāma we are able to do that. So this is called udāna, upward movement. What does it do? Speech comes, speech has to come. That means the air, this udāna should come, travel from the lungs to the bottom of the throat, through the middle of the throat, to the end of the mouth. And that is how a speech is possible. If there is no force, the voice becomes extremely feeble. Not only that, it may be that the person cannot even bring out anything. That's why when he, one is about to die, he wants to convey something but this udāna is not functioning at all.

Then there is another function of the prāṇa called samāna. Samāna means same-sightedness. What does it do? Digestion and converting food into energy. Energy becomes food and food again has to be reconverted into energy. And that has to be distributed equally according to the need.

So these are the things. Every part within us is presided by a particular devatā. So if we go on saying my hands belong to Indra, my legs belong to Viṣṇu, my eyes belong to Sūrya devatā, my mind belongs to Candra devatā and my ears belong to the Ākāśa devatā, then what remains? Individuality is gone. What is gone? Kāra is gone. Individuality means ahaṅkāra. Only the, when we really think about it, this kāra is gone. When kāra disappears, what remains? Pure consciousness remains, which is pure sat, pure cit, pure ānanda, which is satyam, jñānam, anantam brahma.
==Satyam Jñānam Anantam Brahma==
So what is the resemblance between these two separate statements? Sat, satyam, cit, jñānam, anantam, ānandam. Ānandam means what? Not merely sukha. We use the word sukha, santoṣa, joy, pleasure. So that which is broken by time, that is what is called sukha. And sukha always is in comparison with the lessening of duḥkha. Duḥkha is in comparison with the lessening of the sukha. But in deep sleep, this time division, now I am happy, next moment I am unhappy, that awareness of time is not there, awareness of body is not there, awareness of the mind is not there. And therefore, unbroken happiness, temporary of course, for six hours or seven hours, whatever it is. So this is how we have to understand this particular thing.
==The Priests and the Ritual (Yajña)==
So now Aśvala, he was a spiritual aspirant. He was devoted to the yajñas, yāgas, pūjās. Let me use the word pūjā from now onwards. And he says somebody organizes a huge Kālī pūjā, Durgā pūjā, is called yajamāna. And in those days, so there are four priests are necessary because four Vedas. All the four Vedas are not separate Vedas. One mass of Vedas was divided according to certain functions as Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, Atharvaveda. That's why Caturmukha Brahmā, four-faced Brahmā. Brahmā means knowledge, Veda means knowledge. Brahmacārī means one who is immersed in acquiring knowledge. This is how we have to understand.

So Aśvala was progressing in spiritual life. He is at this stage of the rituals. And then in the rituals, there is somebody who has to organize, pay, is called yajamāna. Then four priests will be there. He who deals with Ṛgveda, who deals with Yajurveda, who deals with Sāmaveda, who deals with Atharvaveda. This priest who is knowledgeable about Atharvaveda is called Brahmā. And this Brahmā is like tantradhāraka in the modern worship. The main pūjārī is there. The tantradhāraka is a master. Then only he will say you do that, after that you do this. And no, no, don't do that. That will not come now. It will come later. So that manager who knows where everything falls into particular sequence and time and place, he is called Brahmā. So all these four priests are necessary.

So they have to chant. And before chanting, there are what is called beginning chants, there are middle chants, there are ending chants. And similarly, there are mantras at the beginning mantras, in the middle mantras, in the end. And if we are stuck with the divided parts, then the person will not get the complete result of what that person wants to, what the yajamāna wants to obtain. The priests also cannot obtain it for the yajamāna. So they have to understand. I may, for example, I want to chant and if I have to chant, remember those days people were not keeping books in front. They all know it by heart from memory. And if the memory has to function, the body has to be healthy. Not only that, the mind should be free from worry. The memory power should work.
==The Meaning of the Gāyatrī Mantra==
That is why I explained earlier what does Gāyatrī mantra mean. Five powers, understanding rightly, remembering rightly, remembering at the required time rightly and using it with a particular motive and then eliminating all errors, etc. All these five powers, smṛti śakti, samaya sphūrti, all those things are included in the meaning of that doesn't mean give me right understanding. Let me keep it in memory, let me remember it when and where it is necessary, let me use it with the right motive and let me pray for the welfare of everybody.

That is why when we do this Gāyatrī mantra, one very important factor we have to remember is that it is used in plural, not in singular. The word means us. So all of our buddhi because my buddhi may be okay, your buddhi may be okay, the ruler's buddhi is not okay, the president's buddhi is not okay, the opposition party's buddhi is not okay. It can bring terrible disaster for everybody or at least of course it appears. But my take up on that is they who are supposed to suffer, they suffer whatever be the circumstances. And those who are destined to be happy, they will be happy. It depends upon how much puṇyam or pāpam we have accumulated in our past lives.
==The Final Destination: Mokṣa==
So this is the background. With this background, what is the goal? How can I think through this? I must become part of the presiding deity. And then I will be able to understand this presiding deity is again a manifestation of Īśvara. And then my identity with the Īśvara will be established. And when once I identify myself with Īśvara, I am Kālī, I am Kṛṣṇa, I am Nārāyaṇa. When a person says I am Nārāyaṇa, he is in Vaikuṇṭha. That is the real meaning. And then the last step automatically will come that I am all these but I am also beyond these. That is called ahaṁ brahma asmi. Ultimately, every Upaniṣad wants to point out your final destination is mokṣa. Mokṣa comes when you come to know I was never bound, I am ever free.

Beautiful ideas. We will talk about them in our next class.

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 82 on 01 November 2026 Q&A

2026-11-03T03:59:57Z

Bhama: Created page with "== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2082%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%201%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] == ==Discussion on Every Activity as Yajna, Paramashiva, and Bhuta Shuddhi== ===Question 1: Are All Prescribed Samskaras Reminders That Every Activity Is a Puja?=== '''Participant:''' Every activity that we're doing is a ''puja''. So this thought – is it correct that all the '..."

== [https://pub-0536a4be5dcf4ea9890169f5da0ca6a9.r2.dev/April%202026%20onwards/Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad/Q%26A%2082%20Brihadaranyaka%20Upanishad%20On%201%20November%202026%20.mp3 Link to Audio] ==

==Discussion on Every Activity as Yajna, Paramashiva, and Bhuta Shuddhi==
===Question 1: Are All Prescribed Samskaras Reminders That Every Activity Is a Puja?===
'''Participant:''' Every activity that we're doing is a ''puja''. So this thought – is it correct that all the ''samskaras'' that are prescribed in, like, the Hindu way of life, are they adjuncts which kind of again bring this reminder for people, you know, who are not otherwise thinking of these things or doing ''upasanas'' on a regular basis?
===Every Activity Is a Yajna===
'''Response (Maharaj):''' Every activity that we are doing is a ''yajna''. Take the simple example. I am breathing in. What for? To live.

'''Participant:''' Yeah.

'''Response:''' I am breathing out. What for?

'''Participant:''' To live.

'''Response:''' To live only.

'''Participant:''' Yeah.

'''Response:''' So I am eating food. What for? To live, not to die. And not to die is overcoming what? Yeah. To live means what? Overcoming the limitations of time, space, and causation.
===Happiness and the Consciousness of Time===
'''Response:''' I am not happy, so I have a desire to be happy. And so I try to fulfil my desire. And when I am enjoying the object of my desire, do I remember time?

'''Participant:''' No, no.

'''Response:''' You see, how many times I try to explain that one. Happiness and consciousness of time do not go together. So what is the problem? It is only momentary. Then some recollection is there. We should say, "I was very happy." Don't say, "I am happy." When you are happy, you can't say it. You can only say, "I was happy."

So every moment that we are living is for what purpose? To manifest our potential divinity.
===Even the Murderer Seeks Happiness===
'''Response:''' And let me also tell you: every activity – even a murderer trying to murder somebody – is it for – he thinks it is a joyous affair or not?

'''Participant:''' Yeah.

'''Response:''' I am trying to remove some obstacle in my path of fulfilling my desire, isn't it?

'''Participant:''' Yes.

'''Response:''' That may be wrong thinking, but what is the goal? To be happy.

'''Participant:''' Yeah.

'''Response:''' And what is happiness? To overcome death.

'''Participant:''' Spacecraft death.
===Can a Dead Person Be Happy?===
'''Response:''' Yeah, I will put it a bit funnily. Can a dead person be happy?

'''Participant:''' No.

'''Response:''' And can a happy person be dead? No. Yeah, that's it.

Now you understand. And this is called evolution. Every activity that we are doing is a spiritual attempt – albeit an unconscious spiritual attempt. But when you do it consciously, it becomes ''puja''.
===Question 2: What Is the Idea of Paramashiva?===
'''Participant:''' ''Samaj'' in ''puja'' and then the ''Nitipura'' in the ''Bhuta Shuddhi'' actually. So there's this idea of Paramashiva. Yeah, from what we understand from the Shiva and Shakti – Shiva represents Purusha or Brahman, you know, and then Shakti is, of course, you know, Divine Mother. So what is this idea of Paramashiva, Maharaj? Is it different, or is it just a way of expression?
===The Unconscious Urge to Manifest Our True Nature===
'''Response:''' We have to reach that highest state called Brahman. But we are at this lower stage of ignorance. Okay, that is called ''Muladhara''. But the unconscious urge is there: I know I am Paramashiva. Every attempt that we make is only to manifest that – my true nature.

So in the course of evolution, we transcend ''Muladhara'', ''Swadhisthana'', ''Manipura'', ''Anahata'', ''Vishuddha'', ''Ajna'', and then ''Sahasrara'', isn't it?

'''Participant:''' Yeah.
===The Goal Consciously Imagined in Puja===
'''Response:''' So that is what is consciously imagined in ''puja''. This is my goal. My goal is – you call it spiritual progress, call it any progress – but the ultimate goal is to know that I am Paramashiva. That is the real meaning of this ''Bhuta Shuddhi''.

Yeah, to know ''Aham Brahmasmi''. To put it in another way, the Guru says ''Tat Tvam Asi''. So I have to find out what my Guru really means – "that I am that," because "that" means it is somewhere far away.
===The Meaning of Tat Tvam Asi===
'''Response:''' Linguistic expression is a beautiful way of explaining spiritual truths. "I" means me, who I am here – that is called ''Tvam Padartha''. "Tat" means somewhere – "I am finite, you are infinite," but as if you are somewhere in Vaikuntha. Where is Vaikuntha? Somewhere far away, further away. That means it is my goal. That is the meaning – not a location, geographical location.

So the attempts that we make, like a baby growing up slowly, that is called ascending the lower ''chakras''. But the goal is that which unconsciously I know – "I am the Paramashiva" – must become a conscious fact: "I am Paramashiva."
===Samsara as God's Playground===
'''Response:''' So even what you call ''samsara'' is also God's playground, where by playing through all these roles, we are slowly made to move from untruth to truth. That is the purpose.

''Puja'' means consciously doing everything. That is what Bhagavan says in the ''Gita'': ''Svakarmanatam abhyarchya siddhim vindhati manavah''. Human being, wherever you are, that would be your spiritual practice. Convert it into the presence of God.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 82 on 01 November 2026

2026-11-03T03:56:39Z

Bhama:

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.
==Introduction to the Third Chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad==
So we are delving into the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which is called Munikāṇḍa, Yājñavalkyakāṇḍa or Tarka Kāṇḍa, logically trying to explain things. What does it mean? Yesterday I was giving in the introduction: This is very, very important for us to keep in mind this introduction. Whenever anybody gives an introduction, usually that contains, it should contain, all the essential points a person is going to discuss in future. We may not remember everything that a person speaks later on, but it is like squeezing the juice of a fruit, and Sūtra is one of them. So, these introductions are not merely to push a person into the morass of the subject matter, but it is to make clear, "My child, this is what is going to come, and if you listen and understand and keep in mind, then things becomes much clearer."
==Rituals as Yajña: Overcoming Limitations==
So what did we do? First of all, we were talking about rituals. And then I also made a distinction that these are ancient forms of rituals which are called Yajñas, Yāgas, Kratus, etc. But then, nowadays we do not know how to do them, but albeit we know how to do them. These modern ways of contacting, what is a Yajña? A Yajña is to remove the limitations caused by time, space, and causation, and to identify ourselves with the larger whole. That is called Yajña. That is what Bhagavad Gītā crystal clearly tells us: convert the whole life into a sacrifice, Yajña. What does it mean? It means all unnecessary things that are clogging our minds, our bodies, how much we stuff our body with poisonous things, and much more, how much we clog our minds with useless things. All these, we will be astonished. So we can squeeze the essence of this.
==Knowledge as Expansion, Ignorance as Contraction==
Whenever you are watching, I am giving you a hint: whenever you want to watch a video, try to look at the title. That itself will give away—more than 60% of the subject matter, in fact, it gives all the subject matter. For example, such and such a person was killed in the war, or such and such a thing has been discovered by some company. And that is itself is the greatest piece of information that we get, unless you want to delve into the information: what, where, why, how, how long it took, how does it cost? Important question we have to ask is: Is it going to be of benefit to me? Am I going to be benefitted? And is that within my sphere of quest? If it is not, just out of curiosity, you pass on. But if it is, then we will see how it goes about.

All knowledge is expression. Swami Vivekananda had put it so beautifully, even to study Swamiji would be more than studying the Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā, Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Beautifully Swami Vivekananda expressed: Life is expansion, and death is contraction. What is that expansion? Our identification with the larger whole is called expansion—not expanding physically, materially, or even mentally, knowledge-wise. Larger identity, that is called expansion. And the less we identify with others, our selfishness grows geometrically, and that is called contraction, that is called death. What does it mean? It means we are increasing our ignorance instead of increasing our knowledge. Knowledge should take us to the realization that I am divine. Ignorance, that means possessions, take us further and further away, and to desire more and more. That is the problem we have to encounter to remove it.
==Avidyā, Kāma, Karma==
Now, what is all this to do with our present topic? Rituals, every ritual we do, call it Yajña, call it Pūjā, call it Tīrthayātrā, call it Japa Dhyāna, by whatever blessed name you call it, all are Karmas. Karma means activity. So activity is born, every activity is born of ignorance. Ignorance in the form of—as Śaṅkarācārya puts it so beautifully—Avidyā, then comma, then Karma. First, I think I do not have this. Therefore, a desire comes, "I must have that," and I feel I will be fulfilled, I will be full. And then we run after that object. And so, from ignorance, desire comes. That is called Kāma. And every desire has to be fulfilled through what? Through activity. And that activity is called Karma. Avidyā, Kāma, Karma. Whole of life is nothing but ignorance, desire, activity. Does it solve our problem? Directly, no. Indirectly, yes. Because every attempt at fulfilling our desire, it disappoints us. And that disappointment is also meaningful. Sufficient amount of disappointments, sufficient amount of dissatisfactions awakens us one day. And then they lead us: "I want alright, but I am not getting what I want in this direction, at this place. So I must look for it elsewhere." Then we turn inwards, from outwards to inwards.
==Every Activity as Pūjā==
So what are we talking about? Every ritual, even as simple as eating food, sleeping, or taking exercise, everything is a Pūjā only, a what is called ritual only. Only we are not aware of it. But consciously when we want to turn some activities into a ritual. What is a ritual? Connect with a higher desire. And normally translated, it means "I want God." So then slowly we will have to overcome ignorance. Every desire temporarily overcomes desire. Every desire indicates, as I indicated yesterday, three things: the limitations of time, space, and causation. So every moment that we are breathing, our attempt is unconsciously expressed through those three Abhyāroha mantras. I want to overcome death, I want to overcome ignorance, and I want to overcome unhappiness. I want to be, in other words, Sat, Cit, and Ānanda. Or, in the words of the Taittirīya, Satyaṃ jñānam anantaṃ brahma. But there is a scientific way of doing it, or I would say spiritual way of doing it.
==Stages of Pūjā Across Traditions==
So yesterday I explained the stages of every Pūjā, any Pūjā, by anybody, by Hindus, by Christians, by Buddhists. That is why ultimately, if you recollect Buddhists' prayers, three prayers, three surrenders actually.

बुद्धं शरणं गच्छामि। Buddhaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi।

संघं शरणं गच्छामि। Saṅghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi।

धर्मं शरणं गच्छामि। Dharmaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi।

I changed it a little bit. Usually, it is first Buddha, then dharma, then saṅgha. But I thought over it, and so I said, ultimately dharma, that is the last one. So when dharma is realized, Buddha is realized, and saṅgha is also realized. What is Buddha? That realization that I am divine. What is dharma? I thought to be human is my nature, but now I realize, no, to be the infinite is my real nature. That is called manifesting the potential divinity. So Bhakti yoga is a ritual, Karma yoga is a ritual, similarly, Rāja yoga, Jñāna yoga are also rituals. What is the purpose of a ritual? To overcome desire. Normally people overcome desire by obtaining a desire, by enjoying the desire, but then every desire becomes a seed for further desires like Rakta Bīja. But then, the ritual, if it is properly done, then it helps us to overcome the limitations.
==The Aśvalāyana Section: Eight Questions==
And that is where in this particular section, which is called Aśvalāyana section, he was putting eight questions, and the purport of the eight questions is: How can the Yajamāna, the person who is organizing a great Yajña, let us say, a person who has—who is organizing a great Durgā Pūjā or Kālī Pūjā, and necessarily he has to employ priests. In those days, of course, four types of priests: Hotā, Adhvaryu, Udgātṛ, and also Brahmā. So, more or less, four—that is, four experts in all the four separate Vedas have to be employed because every Veda is involved in that sacrifice. I would say, how do we interpret it in our modern Pūjā? What is a Veda? It tells us, from one point of view, tells us what is my goal, how do I attain that goal, and what is the means of attaining that goal, and how do I overcome death? That is what is called death here. Time is death, limitation of time is death, everything comes into manifestation in time, everything remains for some time manifesting in time, and everything goes back from where it came into non-manifestation.
==Purification and Sannyāsa in Pūjā==
So the purpose of every ritual, every Pūjā, is to manifest our divinity. So the Pujari, as I explained yesterday, that is the aspirant, not employing some Pujari here, but himself doing the Pūjā, first he purifies. That purification reveals some higher truth. That higher truth is that what I am calling me and mine really belongs to God only. And that is called Sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means giving up all the false notion that "I am this and this is mine." Instead of that, the knowledge dawns that "I am God," and whatever I see, the whole creation is nothing but himself only manifesting. Sarvaṃ viṣṇumayaṃ jagat. The whole creation is nothing but Viṣṇu manifesting through the three states of waking, dreaming, and dreamlessness. So when a person, through this higher dawning of knowledge, realizes "My body belongs to the deity I am worshipping, the chosen deity I decided to worship," and my mind also belongs to him. And when I belong to him, then my, myself belonging to him, and whatever I seemed to have possessed also belongs to him only. And then there would be that tremendous, unstoppable expansion of joy, and that joy turns into worship. That is why when a lover embraces his beloved, then that beloved becomes the most enjoyable manifestation of happiness. There is no distinction. Just to—you recollect, when you see a lovely baby, then you feel like kissing the baby all over. That purity, that innocence, that pointedness, that complete ability to detach from everything and total dependence upon the mother, especially mother, that is what attracts us in a baby. So the beloved becomes or represents the manifestation of God. Who is that God? Who is that baby? Is nothing but manifestation of God only.
==Overcoming Time and Death==
So that analogy if we take, this person who realized what I used to call me and mine really belongs to God only, then he overcomes time. He overcomes time. Time in Indian philosophy is called death. Time means change. Everything is changing. And we—we know it. The—the eye that was yesterday is not the same eye today. Not even one second back what I was. So, I was a baby, I was crawling, I was a child, I was an adolescent, I was a youth, then I was a middle-aged person, old person, etc., etc. We know that what has gone, I cannot—I can recollect, but I cannot get it back. So, but this person, he overcomes because happiness is overcoming death, as I explained umpteen number of times. That is the purpose. So the Jīvātma becomes one with Paramātma.
==Bhūta Śuddhi and the Seven Chakras==
In the Pūjā, there is one particular type of ritual. Within that ritual of Pūjā, that is called Bhūta Śuddhi. That is purifying my concept of myself, wherein it is imagined the individual slowly rises, passes through all the six chakras, and finally merges in the seventh, which is named as Paramaśiva.

परमशिव सुषुम्ना पथेन मूलशृङ्गाटमुल्लास उज्ज्वलज्वलज्वल उज्ज्वल उज्ज्वल स्वाहा। Paramaśiva suṣumnā pathena mūlaśṛṅgāṭamullāsa ujjvalajvalajvala ujjvala ujjvala svāhā।

And then, when that Jīvātma comes back, he knows "I am Paramātma," and then he brings that Amṛta. He becomes a amṛtamaya puruṣaḥ, hiraṇmaya puruṣaḥ. That is the tantric way of expressing the spiritual progress. Same thing from the Advaitic point of view, especially of the point viewpoint of Yogavāsiṣṭha: saptabhūmikās, seven planes, roughly corresponding to the sapta chakras. The final goal is to become one with whom? Ignorantly, we say, to be one with Paramatma. But plainly put, in simple language: I know I am that Paramatma. Not that I have—I merged myself into somebody. No. I was the same Paramatma, am, will be the same Paramatma. But at this moment, I am ignorant of that fact. So I will become—not become means what? I will not become, but I know I was, am, and will be the same. I just remove that ignorance. Removal of ignorance is called removal of time. Removal of time is called overcoming death. Because once I know I am Śiva, immediately, if you remember the Nirvāṇa-ṣaṭkam:

मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कारचित्तानि नाहं शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं। manobuddhyahaṅkāracittāni nāhaṃ śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ।

That is the understanding. That is the goal. And actually, every simple, even the simplest desire we have, is only to—to become Paramatma. That is: I lack—I have everything, but I lack one small something. So I desire that small something. For example, I want to eat a sweet. Why? That will make me fulfilled. Fulfilled means what? Filled to the full. That means what? I am infinite. I am Brahman. That is the idea. So not only every special ritual called Pūjā, in fact, every breath, what are we saying? Sohaṃ. When you are breathing in, you are saying so, that's why the sss sound comes in. And when we are breathing out, ham, this is called ajapā japa. Sohaṃ, sohaṃ, sohaṃ.
==Conscious Activity as Ritual==
So that is what has to happen, but when an activity is turned into a conscious activity, that becomes a ritual. So that is the main purport of these eight questions of this Aśvalāyana. And this is what is called atimṛtyu or that is called atimokṣa. Transcending the limitations called death is called atimṛtyu, means overcoming death. So death means here, bondage. Bondage arising from desire, attachment, ritual action pursued for personal gain, and identification with changing conditions such as day and night or the lunar phases. In other words, every attempt that we do is to overcome time. Time means sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. Every activity is to overcome this sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. Other words called time, as transcending time is what is called mukti.
==Identity of the Officiating Priest, Faculty, and Cosmic Deity==
So, Yājñavalkya teaches certain meditational techniques on the essential identity of the officiating priest, an individual faculty, and its cosmic deity. What does this sentences mean? Yesterday I told you, if a person is lifting or grasping something with the hand, out of ignorance he thinks, "I am the hand." When I am seeing, I don't say I am seeing. Only a jīvanmukta can say "I am seeing." All of us, what do we say? "I am the eye. The eye is seeing, I am the eye." The ear is hearing, "I am the ear." The tongue is tasting, "I am that taste." Etc. But, as I said yesterday, according to Hindu philosophy, every part of the human body, every single part of the human body, including the mind, they are all manifestations of the presiding deities as our individual mind, individual bodies, and within that bodies, ten organs: five of knowledge, or five of inputs, and five of karmendriyas outputs. So, what is the problem? Our identification that we are the body-mind complex. What is the solution? I am not the body-mind complex. That is why first a person purifies, then he gives up his identity. That means the person is now telling indirectly, "This hand is yours, this leg of mine is yours." He's telling the whole of me is you. Indirectly he's telling, because that is what we are. "This body is yours" means I, who am identifying with this body, is actually you. I, who am identifying with the mind, is actually you. That is the secret of every Pūjā.
==God Worshipping Himself==
So, what happens when a person consciously does this ritual, learning the secret of how to do a worship properly? Yajña is a worship, yāga is a worship, satra is a worship, every activity in fact is a worship, unconscious worship. Albeit through spiritual understanding we will understand, it is nothing but God is worshipping himself. And this is expressed so beautifully in a beautiful Bengali song—I'm not sure who wrote it: Khelicho e viśva-brahmāṇḍaloye ānamane śiśur matan. Like a baby sitting on the shore of a sea, taking some sand into his hands, he is playing, he is not paying attention to anything else. So, he is building castles, he is destroying castles, he is building, he is maintaining, he is destroying. Sri Ramakrishna puts it beautifully: Some baby is small child is wearing a beautiful cloth or cloth, and some passerby, he says, "Baby, would you give me that cloth?" He says, "No, my daddy has given me. I will not give it to anybody." But after a little bit, she feels tremendous urge to go to run into the lap of the mother. Instantly he throws away everything, because a baby doesn't even get happiness from wearing things. He becomes wearied out by wearing things. He wants to be free. Put the dress. So he throws everything away. Doesn't matter who is taking, who is not taking. He just wants to fly. And that is what happens when Pūjā is done properly.
==Svakarmaṇā Tam Abhyarcya==
When any activity which in Bhagavad Gītā Bhagavān Gītācārya, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says:

स्वकर्मणा तम् अभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः। svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ।

Through the performance of one's own duties, one attains perfection. And in this connection, we can also put it a bit funnily: How does a child attain God? By being a child. Just be a child, forget the whole thing. And that's why babies are loved by everybody, because divinity is manifest in them. But then when we grow up, that innocence is lost, then what we are thinking, what we are speaking, and what we are doing, bear no resemblance to each other at all.
==Purpose of Ritual Activities==
So, what is the purpose of any ritual activities? One, first of all, they're conscious activities. Secondly, we are conscious that I am worshipping the divine Lord. Thirdly, as a result of this, faith will dawn, śraddhā will dawn. And he understands: I do not exist. It is only the divine Lord who is playing. That is what the child Mārkaṇḍeya understood when he saw found himself in the presence of the Lord Viṣṇu. The very breathing-in, the whole Mārkaṇḍeya was sucked in, and then he saw that it is nothing but pure Vaikuṇṭha in devotee's language. And he was thrown out. Then he found himself confused. "Where am I now? Where was I? Where am I? I want to go back from where I have come." So, this is the called evolution. That evolutionary urge is there within everything, including inorganic. What is the evolutionary urge of the inorganic matter? I want to become organic matter. How many beautiful ways our Purāṇas are trying to explain this.
==Converting Every Action into Sacrificial Ritual==
So, this is the essence of what we are going to discuss. What is the essence? I am, at this moment, ignorant of my true nature, and I wanted to become God. I can only become God slowly, but surely. And for that purpose, I would like to convert every action of mine, including breathing, into a sacrificial ritual. Paśyan, śṛṇvan, spṛśan, jigran, gacchan, aśnan, svapan, śvasan, nimiṣan, unmiṣan. Bhagavad Gītā, one of the ślokas says: whether you are breathing in or out, whether you are eating, whether you are walking, whatever we do, that is the tremendous worship. All over it is going on. That's what Swami Vivekananda unilaterally declared that when I open my eyes, I see universal worship is going on. Where is the worship going on? Every activity. An insect is born, that's a ritual, that's a Pūjā. It's growing up, that's part of the ritual Pūjā or Yajña. Everything is a participant, but every participant is none other than Nārāyaṇa himself, Brahman himself, divine mother herself.
==Three Steps of Spiritual Practice==
So, this is the goal consciously we have to convert our first convert unconscious activities into conscious activities. Second, convert the ignorance behind every action into a knowledgeable action. Thirdly, we have to start from where we are and slowly progress. This is called you can put it from a lower chakra to a higher chakra, from a lower kośa, Annamaya kośa to Ānandamaya kośa, or you can say like from waking state, merge the waking state into the dream state, merge the dream state into the deep sleep state, merge the deep sleep state into turīya avasthā. The final stage, it is not a stage, it is not a fourth stage, it is the Brahman, pure Brahman. This is the background.
==Janaka's Debate and Yājñavalkya's Confidence==
So, we will come to that. First two mantras. First Janaka performed many yajñas, and he wanted to progress in spiritual life. So, he organized a debate of the best knowers of Brahman, brahmajñānis. But there were many who were merely professors of philosophy, but no, because professors of philosophy don't know how to put questions. Only some of them, I think about eight of them, had put the questions. And who can put a question? So, if you are a lecturer and giving lecture, you find very few students who are ready to ask you questions. The rest of them go on staring at you and at others. And who are these questioners? They are struggling to understand what you said, and they perhaps may not apprehend full meaning of what you said. So, with regard to that, they will ask you questions. Apply the same here also. There were some who were sincerely had faith in the Vedas, were practicing the Vedic rituals, and obtained various stages of spiritual illumination, but still they have not reached the goal. Except Yājñavalkya, nobody else has reached the goal. So, Janaka's real purpose is not to have a scholarly debate, but to find out who is the greatest spiritual person, realized or not. So, he offered, whoever is the greatest knower of the Vedas—and he meant practically, not intellectually—"I will give him 1,000 cows, adorned with each cow with 10 tolās of 24-karat gold." And many from Kuru Deśa, Pañcāla Deśa gathered there, and then Janaka declared, "Whoever is the best among you, knowers of Brahman, can take away these 1,000 cows." Nobody dared because everybody knew everybody knew that "I am not the a knower of Brahman. I am struggling." That much they knew. But then the second thing that they knew, that "Maybe I do not know. There may be somebody who is the greatest knower of Brahman." Therefore, they were frightened. And as we have seen in the Taittirīya, dvitīyādvai bhayaṃ bhavati. Fright comes because the things I am an individual, I am not the universal. Universal becomes fearless, individual becomes fearful.
==Yājñavalkya Drives the Cows==
So, but here was Yājñavalkya smiled. Everybody was looking at everybody else's face. Yājñavalkya called one of his disciples, called Sāmaśravas—that means an expert in chanting the Sāmaveda—"You drive these cows to our ashrama." And then the others became highly agitated. So, they did not hesitate to ask: "Do you think you are the greatest?" And being completely fearless, and a knower of Brahman, he was making a little bit of fun with them. In a humorous banter. "No, no, no. I do not think I am the greatest, because even if somebody comes and tells I am Sri Ramakrishna Paramahaṃsa, any fool can declare that, or Ramakrishna himself might come and declare it. How do you know? How do I know? Because I am not Ramakrishna Paramahaṃsa. Only one Ramakrishna Paramahaṃsa can recognize the other Ramakrishna Paramahaṃsa." So, therefore, nobody were, but Yājñavalkya had that self-confidence because he also becomes sarvavit. Sarvavit means he knows the past, present, and future, and he also knows what type of aspirants they were, and what type of questions can come. An elementary student cannot question, "Explain to me the theory special theory of relativity." So, everybody's limitation will be there, according to what that person already knows. But a teacher knows everything. Therefore, Yājñavalkya, that complete self-confidence, bravely drives his cows home. And to a person, a disciple who is learning from him the Sāmaveda, that means he was a master of all the four Vedas. That indicates. And that self-confident smile.
==Aśvalāyana's Eight Questions==
So, now the others became a little bit agitated. And the first one that comes to question is Aśvalāyana. He himself happened to be the Ṛgveda chanter or priest. So he, he was also learned, he was also a sādhaka, and he comes and asks. What does he ask? He put eight questions, but all the eight questions can be divided into two parts. One is how can a person overcome death and become atimṛtyu? That is, through ritual. If somebody is performing a ritual, how can that rich—how should that ritual be performed so that the yajamāna, the person who is organizing a great yajña—let us say, a person who has—who is organizing a great Durgā Pūjā or Kālī Pūjā, and necessarily he has to employ priests. In those days, of course, four types of priests: Hotā, Adhvaryu, Udgātṛ, and also Brahmā. So, more or less, four—that is, four experts in all the four separate Vedas have to be employed because every Veda is involved in that sacrifice. I would say, how do we interpret it in our modern Pūjā? What is a Veda? It tells us, from one point of view, tells us what is my goal, how do I attain that goal, and what is the means of attaining that goal, and how do I overcome death? That is what is called death here. Time is death, limitation of time is death, everything comes into manifestation in time, everything remains for some time manifesting in time, and everything goes back from where it came into non-manifestation.
==The Purpose of Every Ritual==
So the purpose of every ritual, every Pūjā, is to manifest our divinity. So the Pujari, as I explained yesterday, that is the aspirant, not employing some Pujari here, but himself doing the Pūjā, first he purifies. That purification reveals some higher truth. That higher truth is that what I am calling me and mine really belongs to God only. And that is called Sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means giving up all the false notion that "I am this and this is mine." Instead of that, the knowledge dawns that "I am God," and whatever I see, the whole creation is nothing but himself only manifesting. Sarvaṃ viṣṇumayaṃ jagat. The whole creation is nothing but Viṣṇu manifesting through the three states of waking, dreaming, and dreamlessness. So when a person, through this higher dawning of knowledge, realizes "My body belongs to the deity I am worshipping, the chosen deity I decided to worship," and my mind also belongs to him. And when I belong to him, then my, myself belonging to him, and whatever I seemed to have possessed also belongs to him only. And then there would be that tremendous, unstoppable expansion of joy, and that joy turns into worship. That is why when a lover embraces his beloved, then that beloved becomes the most enjoyable manifestation of happiness. There is no distinction. Just to—you recollect, when you see a lovely baby, then you feel like kissing the baby all over. That purity, that innocence, that pointedness, that complete ability to detach from everything and total dependence upon the mother, especially mother, that is what attracts us in a baby. So the beloved becomes or represents the manifestation of God. Who is that God? Who is that baby? Is nothing but manifestation of God only.
==Overcoming Time==
So that analogy if we take, this person who realized what I used to call me and mine really belongs to God only, then he overcomes time. He overcomes time. Time in Indian philosophy is called death. Time means change. Everything is changing. And we—we know it. The—the eye that was yesterday is not the same eye today. Not even one second back what I was. So, I was a baby, I was crawling, I was a child, I was an adolescent, I was a youth, then I was a middle-aged person, old person, etc., etc. We know that what has gone, I cannot—I can recollect, but I cannot get it back. So, but this person, he overcomes because happiness is overcoming death, as I explained umpteen number of times. That is the purpose. So the Jīvātma becomes one with Paramātma.
==Bhūta Śuddhi==
In the Pūjā, there is one particular type of ritual. Within that ritual of Pūjā, that is called Bhūta Śuddhi. That is purifying my concept of myself, wherein it is imagined the individual slowly rises, passes through all the six chakras, and finally merges in the seventh, which is named as Paramaśiva.

परमशिव सुषुम्ना पथेन मूलशृङ्गाटमुल्लास उज्ज्वलज्वलज्वल उज्ज्वल उज्ज्वल स्वाहा। Paramaśiva suṣumnā pathena mūlaśṛṅgāṭamullāsa ujjvalajvalajvala ujjvala ujjvala svāhā।

And then, when that Jīvātma comes back, he knows "I am Paramātma," and then he brings that Amṛta. He becomes a amṛtamaya puruṣaḥ, hiraṇmaya puruṣaḥ. That is the tantric way of expressing the spiritual progress. Same thing from the Advaitic point of view, especially of the point viewpoint of Yogavāsiṣṭha: saptabhūmikās, seven planes, roughly corresponding to the sapta chakras. The final goal is to become one with whom? Ignorantly, we say, to be one with Paramatma. But plainly put, in simple language: I know I am that Paramatma. Not that I have—I merged myself into somebody. No. I was the same Paramatma, am, will be the same Paramatma. But at this moment, I am ignorant of that fact. So I will become—not become means what? I will not become, but I know I was, am, and will be the same. I just remove that ignorance. Removal of ignorance is called removal of time. Removal of time is called overcoming death. Because once I know I am Śiva, immediately, if you remember the Nirvāṇa-ṣaṭkam:

मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कारचित्तानि नाहं शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं। manobuddhyahaṅkāracittāni nāhaṃ śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ।

That is the understanding. That is the goal. And actually, every simple, even the simplest desire we have, is only to—to become Paramatma. That is: I lack—I have everything, but I lack one small something. So I desire that small something. For example, I want to eat a sweet. Why? That will make me fulfilled. Fulfilled means what? Filled to the full. That means what? I am infinite. I am Brahman. That is the idea. So not only every special ritual called Pūjā, in fact, every breath, what are we saying? Sohaṃ. When you are breathing in, you are saying so, that's why the sss sound comes in. And when we are breathing out, ham, this is called ajapā japa. Sohaṃ, sohaṃ, sohaṃ.
==Conscious Activity as Ritual==
So that is what has to happen, but when an activity is turned into a conscious activity, that becomes a ritual. So that is the main purport of these eight questions of this Aśvalāyana. And this is what is called atimṛtyu or that is called atimokṣa. Transcending the limitations called death is called atimṛtyu, means overcoming death. So death means here, bondage. Bondage arising from desire, attachment, ritual action pursued for personal gain, and identification with changing conditions such as day and night or the lunar phases. In other words, every attempt that we do is to overcome time. Time means sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. Every activity is to overcome this sṛṣṭi, sthiti, laya. Other words called time, as transcending time is what is called mukti.
==Identity of Priest, Faculty, and Deity==
So, Yājñavalkya teaches certain meditational techniques on the essential identity of the officiating priest, an individual faculty, and its cosmic deity. What does this sentences mean? Yesterday I told you, if a person is lifting or grasping something with the hand, out of ignorance he thinks, "I am the hand." When I am seeing, I don't say I am seeing. Only a jīvanmukta can say "I am seeing." All of us, what do we say? "I am the eye. The eye is seeing, I am the eye." The ear is hearing, "I am the ear." The tongue is tasting, "I am that taste." Etc. But, as I said yesterday, according to Hindu philosophy, every part of the human body, every single part of the human body, including the mind, they are all manifestations of the presiding deities as our individual mind, individual bodies, and within that bodies, ten organs: five of knowledge, or five of inputs, and five of karmendriyas outputs. So, what is the problem? Our identification that we are the body-mind complex. What is the solution? I am not the body-mind complex. That is why first a person purifies, then he gives up his identity. That means the person is now telling indirectly, "This hand is yours, this leg of mine is yours." He's telling the whole of me is you. Indirectly he's telling, because that is what we are. "This body is yours" means I, who am identifying with this body, is actually you. I, who am identifying with the mind, is actually you. That is the secret of every Pūjā.
==God Worshipping Himself==
So, what happens when a person consciously does this ritual, learning the secret of how to do a worship properly? Yajña is a worship, yāga is a worship, satra is a worship, every activity in fact is a worship, unconscious worship. Albeit through spiritual understanding we will understand, it is nothing but God is worshipping himself. And this is expressed so beautifully in a beautiful Bengali song—I'm not sure who wrote it: Khelicho e viśva-brahmāṇḍaloye ānamane śiśur matan. Like a baby sitting on the shore of a sea, taking some sand into his hands, he is playing, he is not paying attention to anything else. So, he is building castles, he is destroying castles, he is building, he is maintaining, he is destroying. Sri Ramakrishna puts it beautifully: Some baby is small child is wearing a beautiful cloth or cloth, and some passerby, he says, "Baby, would you give me that cloth?" He says, "No, my daddy has given me. I will not give it to anybody." But after a little bit, she feels tremendous urge to go to run into the lap of the mother. Instantly he throws away everything, because a baby doesn't even get happiness from wearing things. He becomes wearied out by wearing things. He wants to be free. Put the dress. So he throws everything away. Doesn't matter who is taking, who is not taking. He just wants to fly. And that is what happens when Pūjā is done properly.
==Svakarmaṇā Tam Abhyarcya==
When any activity which in Bhagavad Gītā Bhagavān Gītācārya, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says:

स्वकर्मणा तम् अभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः। svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ।

Through the performance of one's own duties, one attains perfection. And in this connection, we can also put it a bit funnily: How does a child attain God? By being a child. Just be a child, forget the whole thing. And that's why babies are loved by everybody, because divinity is manifest in them. But then when we grow up, that innocence is lost, then what we are thinking, what we are speaking, and what we are doing, bear no resemblance to each other at all.
==Purpose of Ritual Activities==
So, what is the purpose of any ritual activities? One, first of all, they're conscious activities. Secondly, we are conscious that I am worshipping the divine Lord. Thirdly, as a result of this, faith will dawn, śraddhā will dawn. And he understands: I do not exist. It is only the divine Lord who is playing. That is what the child Mārkaṇḍeya understood when he saw found himself in the presence of the Lord Viṣṇu. The very breathing-in, the whole Mārkaṇḍeya was sucked in, and then he saw that it is nothing but pure Vaikuṇṭha in devotee's language. And he was thrown out. Then he found himself confused. "Where am I now? Where was I? Where am I? I want to go back from where I have come." So, this is the called evolution. That evolutionary urge is there within everything, including inorganic. What is the evolutionary urge of the inorganic matter? I want to become organic matter. How many beautiful ways our Purāṇas are trying to explain this. So, this is synthesizer.
==The Essence==
Let's not worry about the exact minutiae, but once I give you the essence, I feel a great desire to eat a sweet. What is the purpose? I feel, in Vedāntic language, apūrṇa, I am lacking something. But if I eat that sweet, I feel I became temporarily... what happens? The moment I am experiencing that sweet, I overcome death. Death, as I said, is kāla, time. So I forget time. I don't remember time. Happiness and remembering of time is possible only when we are unhappy, when we are suffering. That is why holidays seem to move so fast. Whereas if I don't like a work, that seems to be time seems to be moving very, very slow. So what is the purpose of any activity? I must move forward to know that really I am that infinite pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ. I am also pūrṇam, whatever has come out of infinity, seemingly coming out, not really coming out, infinity cannot be divided, infinity is not the combined parts of infinite number of parts. Crystal clearly we have to understand this overcoming time is called overcoming death. Birth falls under time, sustenance falls under time, death also falls under time, but when we go beyond, for example, when you are in deep sleep, do you really feel that I was born, I am so and so, and I am of such and such an age, and I am working in this particular office, and I am a family person, and I have these problems, I have these happinesses? Nothing of that. You are not conscious about anything. Time is transcended in deep sleep. That's why there is nobody there, one without a second. Sad eva somyedam agra āsīt, ekam evādvitīyam. That's why everybody's goal is to be that all the time. But Bhagavān has created a golden window during this deep sleep, we experience that one, and nobody can deny the experience, and every day we have that experience. And many times, while driving, we do that experience. That also I explained earlier. But what I wanted to tell, time is death, and what we are struggling is to go beyond time, and time manifests in the form of time limitation, space limitation, and object limitation. Kāla vastu pariccheda. So when we do this ritual called yajña or pūjā, do you see, if you really do it, then you forget when you started, when it, it may be late noon, but you are so joyous, which of course is a rare phenomenon. So any activity must we not only can be, but must be turned into a ritual pūjā, worship of the divine Lord. That is called practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawrence.
==Summary: How Ritual Overcomes Death==
So this is the essence summary of more or less the few sections we are going to deal with. How does an ritual like yajña or pūjā save the organizer yajamāna, help the priest priests who are performing that to overcome death? That was the question. And then what was the answer of Yājñavalkya? He says, we are all at in the grip of ignorance, which makes us think I am separate, activity is separate, and the object is separate. And somehow to relate all these three things as the manifestation of one Īśvara, and then the distinction between the doer and the activity and the object, it is magically removed through the proper performance of the ritual. And at that moment, the person overcomes both limitations of time, space, and also object. He also advances in spiritual life. That means his identity becomes closer to the identity of Brahman. Satyam is moving nearer to truth, true knowledge, and infinity. Beautiful topic, we will discuss in our next class.
== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 82 on 01 November 2026

2026-11-03T03:56:05Z

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 81 on 31 October 2026

2026-11-03T03:53:24Z

Bhama: /* Closing Prayer */

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

==Introduction to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Third Chapter==
We started the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

It is called by various names, such as Munikāṇḍa. Muni means the great sage. Or Yājñavalkyakāṇḍa, because he is the greatest sage of those times. Or it is also called Vādakāṇḍa, that is, trying to place the same teachings that we have seen earlier, especially in the Yājñavalkya Maitreyī conversation or dialogue, in a logical manner. And not only logical manner, how to slowly progress in spiritual life. Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings, when we examine them, we find Sri Ramakrishna never simply tells only about the goal of life, but he also outlines the particular path suited to every particular individual. That is the specialty of Sri Ramakrishna, who is only re-echoing what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa had said, who again was re-echoing what the Upaniṣads themselves have said. What is it? In Bengali, there is a beautiful expression, invaluable expression. Yato mata, tato patha, as the concept of every human being, every individual human being, that would be the only reality about God, not only about God, about anything in this world. If I cherish a good feeling, even if you are not good, then in my eyes, you are one of the good persons. But even if you are the best person, such as some of the priests at Dakshineswar cherished the idea, Sri Ramakrishna was not only not an ordinary human being, he was downright mad.
==The Prism of Mind: Time, Space, and Causation==
So, we perceive the world according to our thoughts, and we see the world through the prism of our mind, which is time, space, and causation. Is the most marvelous concept, what is avidyā, time, space, and causation. And it manifests within each one of us as mind, and that becomes like a prism consisting of three layers of distortion, time, space, and causation. We have, we had the occasion to refer to this many times in our past talks, so you must recall those ideas, but just be very brief. When even the most beloved person, if he is away, or has passed away, died, slowly in course of time, the memory fades, and if we love somebody else, the memory fades very, very fast. So, that is how time changes everything. Our concept of everything, anybody however beloved, however hated they are, disliked they are. Then space, if someone whom we like is near, are likely to remember that person frequently. But if that same person is away and there is less communication, then it is likely we only remember occasionally. So, space also affects us. Of course, cause, and what is this cause? That is our perception. This person, he loves me, he or she cherishes me, very friendly to me, never does harm. Who knows? That person may be cherishing many types of inimical ideas, or another person, maybe only praying for our welfare, we do not know. So, these are the three layers of curtains through which we see the entire universe, and of course, it includes my own reflection in my own mind. I am a man, I am a child, I am a youth, I am ambitious, I am energetic, I am lazy. So, sukha, duḥkha, rāga, dveṣa, lābha and nāśa, jaya and parājaya, everything is in the mind. That's why Sri Ramakrishna often used to say, everything is the mind.
==The Goal of Life and Trust in God==
So, the Upaniṣad comes to our rescue, and like Swami Vivekananda, it tells us the goal of life is to know that you are divine. Of course, at this moment we do not know that, but how to slowly have some faith in a good person whom you trust and then strive according to his directions, instructions, to follow the suitable path as Sri Ramakrishna says, if an orphan is a rich orphan is protected by a good trusty or trustees, then he will be safe. As soon as he grows up, the trust would give it back to what they have been looking after all this time. Just like that, the greatest trustee is only God. But there are also people like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, etc.
==Incidents Illustrating Trust==
There is a beautiful story, incident rather, Swami Vivekananda, I think may be in New York, I do not remember, was one day one afternoon sitting on a bench in a garden. There was a black woman, she had a child who was troubling her too much, and she had a look at Swamiji, and I do not know how this happened, she had complete trust. This man will never betray my trust. He said, sir, I have to purchase certain items, would you take care of my child? Swamiji consented, and immediately she placed the baby in Swamiji's lap, and she went back, not doubting for a second that anything is going to happen to her child. And after completing, she came back and thanked Swamiji, took back her baby. How did this confidence come? Because people like Sri Ramakrishna exude that trustworthy feeling, and we can also develop that. But only sometimes we give in to our temporary emotions and thereby lose our inner judgment, which is always coming out.

Similarly, another incident, exactly same type of incident, Swamiji was wandering in somewhere in Rajasthan and a mother was there and her baby was crying non-stop, and the lady was getting highly disturbed. Swamiji said, mother, you give your baby to me tonight, and then the mother had no doubt about it, but she said, Swamiji, we do not want to give you trouble. He said, no trouble at all. And then he took the baby, and a few minutes he was crying non-stop. Swamiji plunged into deep meditation, and whole night he meditated. Within a few twinklings of the eye, the baby was fast asleep. Whole night that mother got such a tremendous relief. They may not understand the mystery, because this is the power of vibrations. This is the power of satsaṅga. Anyway, let us not deviate too much.
==Background of the Debate: King Janaka==
So coming back, we did discuss the background story, to be very brief, Janaka was the emperor of Videha. Even the words are very significant. Videha means one who is bereft of body consciousness. That means I am the ātman. But he has not realized, but he would in course of time. But he was a very fit adhikārī, sādhana catuṣṭaya sampannaḥ. So he wanted to realize Brahman, so for that he invited all the Brahmisṭhas to have a scholarly debate. Does a scholarly debate determine who is the greatest spiritual person? Janaka was not a fool. He understood. But then the people who came there, all of them are sincere spiritual aspirants progressing at different stages of life. So the competition was that whoever proves to be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and the word Brahman has got two meanings. One is Veda, that is knowledge of the scriptures. But that's not what, that's not only what Janaka wanted. He wanted more important, are you a practitioner? Have you realized what has been said? And he had the intuitive power to understand it. So he arranged and he declared, whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman in both senses, he will get 1,000 cows, each one of the horn of the cow will be adorned with five tolās of 24 karat gold. In fact, they are all, I have kept them in a pen, and all that you have to do is to drive prove yourself and then drive them away. And then Janaka declared, whoever thinks he can drive away even now before the debate started, nobody dared because they knew their defects.

So if a person realizes God, he will not lack knowledge. He will have that complete self-confidence, which Sri Ramakrishna expresses beautifully when a merchant is measuring out some material to be given, say paddy for example, or rice. A huge heap will be there, and I want 10 kg of rice. All right, here is your 10 kg of rice. And the heap becomes smaller and smaller as customers take it away. But the moment it becomes small, there would be assistants who would be pushing more rice towards him to be sold. Sri Ramakrishna is indicating, if a Brahmisṭha, knower of Brahman, is talking to somebody, this knower of Brahman not only knows what to speak, how much to speak, at what time to speak, he is fully authorized by God. And Janaka had developed some intuition.
==The Assembled Scholars==
But then, or there, there were people, paṇḍits gathered from Kuru deśa, Pañcāla deśa, they were all, we have to remember, not mere professors of philosophy, but they were practitioners of the Hindu scriptures, yajñas, yāgas, etc. How do we know? Because of the questions that follow. And in this first section, this is there was a great person to know, that is the very ṛtvik of Janaka himself, Āśvalāyana. He had put eight questions, but we will come to that later on.
==Yājñavalkya's Confidence==
So the emperor Janaka of Videha had a desire to find out who is the most erudite of these Vedic scholars, as I said, not professors of philosophy, but spiritually advanced people. He announced he can take 1,000 cows. Nobody had that self-confidence. Yājñavalkya had that self-confidence. He called one of his disciples called Sāmaśravas. Sāma means a person who is an expert in Sāmaveda. Śravas means he must have become famous, like Vājaśravas, for reciting so Ṛgvedic mantras set to tune and rāga and tāla, what we call now equivalent to western Gregorian music. So some voices are extraordinarily pleasant. This person was an expert. Yājñavalkya was an expert only in the Yajurveda. And Yajurveda, as we have seen earlier, in Taittirīya also, is a black edition, a white edition. Originally Yājñavalkya belonged to that black school of Yajurveda, but because of some incident which I had narrated in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and here also, he had to give it up, whatever he knew, he distributed, he taught to other disciples, then he contemplated on Lord Āditya, the sun god, and from him got the white version of this Yajurveda, which is called Śukla Yajurveda. Śukla means white or brilliant or lighted up. And he must have been an expert in not only Yajurveda, in Ṛgveda, in Yajurveda, in Sāmaveda, in Atharvaveda, because these great scholars were all specialized in different versions of the Vedas. So this Yājñavalkya had many disciples, and he must have been teaching all the four Vedas. Whoever wanted to learn whichever Veda, he must have been talking to them. And he has one expert, Sāmaśravas, a chanter of the Ṛgvedic mantras set to music, which is called Sāmaveda. So he said to him, drive these cows home. That means you have that special talent, confidence. So the disciple drove them, and there the Brāhmaṇas were enraged, actually, puzzled, actually. How dare does Yājñavalkya call himself the best Vedic scholar among us? Even the debate has not started.
==The Debate Begins: Āśvala==
So among them, there was a hotṛ, that is Ṛgvedic a person who knows Ṛgveda completely is called Hotā. Hotṛ means Hotā, priest of the Ṛgveda of Janaka himself. His name was Āśvala. So the debate starts. So he turned towards Yājñavalkya and said, O Yājñavalkya, we see this expression many times, O Yājñavalkya, addressing Yājñavalkya with the highest respect, are you indeed the best Vedic scholars among us? And like Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna once gave a beautiful talk, somebody thanked him, and he smiled and said, Sir, I know nothing. My mother knows everything. She only talked to you. I only eat, drink, and I'm a happy person. So he said, I bow to the best of the Vedic scholars. That is how Yājñavalkya applied a bit of humor. He knew that he was the greatest, but he didn't say. He bowed down. I bow to the best Vedic scholar, but I wanted some cows, and here is the opportunity. So I just wanted the cows, but then that statement contains tons of meaning. That means nobody will drive away, dare to drive away even one cow, not to speak of 1,000 cows, unless he is absolutely familiar not only with the intricacies of the scriptures, but intricacies of how to perform them, and what is going to be the benefit. So this hotṛ Āśvala started to interrogate him. This is the first section, which we will enter into. Already two mantras we had gone.
==Yajña and Pūjā: Understanding Sacrifice==
Now, before we go into it, a bit of a note we have to understand. So for most of us, these yajñas, these yāgas that we hear of in the Vedas are called sacrifices. Yajña, yāga, satra, etc. Different names are there. Some even lost for years together, 12 years. And many people believed if we can do 100 times these sum of these yajñas like Agnihotra, etc., we earn the right in entry into svargaloka. And if somebody can do 1,000 times, he might even become an Indra, one of the ancestors of Pāṇḍavas. So later on, because of his arrogance and lust, he had been cursed by the ṛṣis to become a python. That story comes in the Mahābhārata. I am not going into it. So these ancient yajñas yāgas, we know nothing about it, but we do not need to know anything about it. Because whether we are doing recently we performed Durgā pūjā. Kālī pūjā is going to come. Jagaddhātrī pūjā is going to come. So many pūjās, every birthday of every direct disciple, not to speak of Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother, and Sri Ramakrishna's birthdays. These are called pūjās. They are nothing but modern yajñas yāgas. The purpose, the content, and of these rituals are exactly the same.
==The Four Parts of Pūjā==
Let us take some examples of our modern pūjās. What is the goal of every pūjā? Will come to that later on, but then we have seen that these pūjās, they are invariably, they have got had as part of as limbs of these pūjās, contemplations called upāsanās. Let me cite the example of modern pūjā. You go to any temple, and in fact, some of you yourself are performing the pūjās on special birthdays or Kālī pūjā, Durgā pūjā, etc. I have taught some of you. So every pūjā, if we analyze wisely, we get four parts.
===First Part: Purification===
What is the first part? Purify your body and mind. Special mantras are there. So first, very mantra, sips of water, uttering the names of God thrice, and then you go on saying apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṃ gato'pi vā, yasmaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. A person, whether consciously or unconsciously, he takes the name of God thrice as Sri Ramakrishna Namaḥ, or Acyutāya Namaḥ, Govindāya Namaḥ, Keśavāya Namaḥ, etc. It doesn't matter. Take and then three sips. Why three sips? To purify the gross body, subtle body, and causal body. That is the first step in pūjā.
===Second Part: Nyāsa===
What is the second step? All our attachments. I am, this is my body, this is my mind, these are my eyes, these are my hands, these are my various limbs of my body. So this is called nyāsa. Nyāsa, that word brings to us the word sannyāsa. Samyak rūpeṇa nyāsitam, that is sannyāsa. Completely giving up, transferring ownership to the deity whom we are worshipping. So these eyes are not mine, they are O Ramakrishna, your eyes. O Nārāyaṇa, your eyes. Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ, sahasrapāt, we have seen in the some of the sūktas, Nārāyaṇa sūkta, Puruṣa sūkta, every sūkta practically. So what are we talking about? This body belongs to God. Just like every pot is nothing but manifestation of clay, every ornament is nothing but gold, or it can be silver, whatever the source material. Every furniture is nothing but wood with name, form, and utility. So that is the deśa kāla pariccheda, limitations by the mind. Time, space, and causation. So what is the second part of the pūjā? Wholeheartedly touching a particular part, this finger is not mine, it's yours. This hand is not mine, yours. This leg is not mine, yours. This heart is not mine, yours. This head is not mine, it is yours. This is called nyāsa. Whole of the second part ends up with sarvāṅga nyāsa.
===Third Part: Mānasika Pūjā===
Then comes mānasika pūjā. What is mānasika pūjā? Close your eyes and invoke the deity, visualize the deity in the heart of your lotus, and offer him the best possible, because everything is imagination. The best waters, the best flowers, the best fruits, the best food that can be prepared, everything mentally, and offer him wholeheartedly and make it prasādam. So that is the most important purification leads to the understanding that everything belongs to God, then I acknowledge everything belongs to God, that is the second stage, and then I also belong to God, but God is everywhere, so I am within God, God also is within me. Let me remove this ignorance that I am different from God, and that is done through the mānasika pūjā or mental worship. That is the third part.
===Fourth Part: External Worship===
Then for the sake of lesser qualified devotees, pupils, students, etc., we do the actual external worship, doing the same thing whatever we had done in the mental worship, but physically offering arghya, āsana, welcoming, and then snānīya, and then vastra, then dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, etc.
==Purpose of Pūjā==
So what is the purpose of this pūjā? That is to control the scattered mind slowly through various activities, preparing pūjā. For whom? For Ramakrishna. Gathering flowers for Ramakrishna, making garlands for Ramakrishna. You apply this to Kālī, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, any of your chosen deity. It is the same process. That's why Sri Ramakrishna is called Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Śiva is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Nārāyaṇa is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Why? How? Because we always meditate upon them as infinite. And in infinite, this is this part belongs to Śiva, this belongs to Viṣṇu. Such a concept is a stupid, idiotic concept. So there are no two gods, one infinite, unimaginable God, and he only is manifesting as I, as you, as everybody else. So what is the purpose? First, we are supposed to remember God. We forget, so do something, and your restless mind is satisfied. But it is all directed towards only one central figure, who is God. Then, by this time, the mind develops some more understanding, that is spiritual progress. Then, anybody can realize that I belong to you. There is nothing that doesn't belong that belongs to me, that doesn't belong to you. That is the second stage, and then progress further. That is you have given me this body-mind to contemplate you, to adore you, to sing praises of you. That is the purpose of mānasika pūjā. That is the purpose of purify everything outside.
==Progression from Anna-Brahman to Ānandamaya-Brahman==
Thus, man progresses from more individuality, less individuality, more identity with everything, as we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the whole external world is Anna-Brahman. Its cause is Prāṇa-Brahman. Its cause is Mano-Brahman. Its cause is Vijñāna-Brahman. Its cause is Ānandamaya-Brahman. And its cause is Ānandambrahma-Brahmapuccham-pratiṣṭhā. Everything is finally traced to Brahman. This is the exact process of every yajña, that is going to be the subject matter. That's why I was talking about them.
==Types of Upāsanās==
And then we have also seen this contemplations can be at least of four types, they are called upāsanās. We have seen these upāsanās, and then we have also seen them. What is the first one? Pratima. For a very gross mind, we want to make an image of Durgā. I cannot imagine Mother Durgā. Then instead of that, a person progresses after some time, and he doesn't require a pratima. Pratima means image, resembling a human being, etc. is an aid for contemplation. Then we go to the next stage, pratīka. A cross, for example, symbolizes Jesus Christ, his life, and his teachings. Like that, a crescent moon indicates Allah, the divine lord. So like that, we progress. So that is called pratīka. We also have pratīkas in the form of yantras, symbols, etc. Oṃkāra is such a symbol, the best symbol that we can see. And sometimes these are worn as yantras, made out drawn on silver, on gold, on copper, etc.
==Sri Ramakrishna and the Efficacy of Yantras==
Sri Ramakrishna also proved their efficacy, how much pain, just to remind you what we are talking about. This is not something remote that happened thousands of years ago, but it is happening right in front of our eyes through some great souls' live. Sri Ramakrishna at one time was suffering from unbearable bodily pain because of his spiritual longing. Then Mahāpuruṣ Mahārāj's father, he came to Dakshineswar. He was a great devotee of Mother Kālī. He diagnosed and said that you get prepared one small amulet in the name of Mother Kālī. There would be some oṃkāra or mother's name, something is written there, a triangle or crisscrossed, and a small on a copper or something. And Sri Ramakrishna wore that. Immediately there was such a relief. Why was the relief? Sri Ramakrishna was a pure person, he was endowed with śraddhā, and the person who prescribed it was a great sādhaka himself. And Sri Ramakrishna accepted, and he knew I am going to be relieved. And then it got relieved. And this same pain came thrice, twice. Or Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī, his other guru, smeared him with sandal paste and decorated him with garlands and put him in a room full of vegetables, and then the pain disappeared. His insatiable hunger, because it was roused by the manifestation of Kuṇḍalinī. Everything, these are all what the scriptures are telling, and Sri Ramakrishna is born to teach us all these things.
==Conclusion: Pūjā as Yajña==
So what, what is it I want to tell? A modern pūjā is exactly the same yajña. Of course, the word yajña has been given as the name of the external ritual, which we are going to see here, either today or tomorrow, but this is only introduction. Once you understand this introduction, you understand yajña is a pūjā, a pūjā is a methodology, proven methodology, how a person can progress in spiritual life from a restless mind to a restive mind, peaceful mind, and slowly through the four steps of the pūjā. He ascends. The third step is the highest step, and then the fourth step is such a person who reached the pinnacle of spiritual ascent, he will manifest in his physical life all these things. So the goal is to attain oneness with Brahman. Here first oneness with the presiding deities, then oneness with the Īśvara or Saguna Sākāra Brahman or Mother Śakti, and then mother herself will take us to our real nature, reveals she is both saguna and as well as nirguna.
==The Goal of Pūjā and Yajña: Oneness with Brahman==
This idea has been brought out so beautifully in Lalitā Sahasranāma. It is a beautiful garland of hymns, and it is extraordinarily powerful, I can assure you, and whoever recites it with faith, it is nothing but mother only. Just as Vedas are Brahman, Lalitā Sahasranāma is Lalitā, like food is Mother Annapūrṇā, like water is Jaladevatā, Agni is Agnidevatā, Vāyu is Vāyudevatā, Ākāśa is Ākāśadevatā, and all these are nothing but manifestations of Saguna Brahman, and Saguna Brahman is none other than that all-pervading infinite manifesting for the sake of our spiritual progress. So the goal of pūjā, yajña, etc. is to attain oneness with Brahman. And then Gītākāra, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, he gives all together a spiritual meaning, that he says the whole life has to be converted into yajña. What is yajña? I offer myself, I surrender myself at the feet of the divine lord. That is the pūjā. God doesn't want, he wants that feeling.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।

sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो।

ahaṃ tvāṃ sarvapāpebhyo।

So I will release you, free you, from all bondages. Here pāpa means not sin, pāpa means ajñāna, bondage. So every one of us are advised through the performance of this kind of pūjās and yajñas, we slowly convert, which is so beautifully expressed in the mental worship of Śiva, that whatever I do, when I see you are seeing, my eye is your eye, my ear is your ear.

सञ्चरः पादयोः तव प्रदक्षिणम्।

sañcaraḥ pādayoḥ tava pradakṣiṇam।

When my hands move, that's your āratrikam. When my legs move, that is your circambulation. And when I breathe, that is prāṇāyāma for attaining you. Whatever I utter is a mahāmantra, because every mantra is nothing but manifestation of Oṃkāra only, which we have seen especially in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad in the very first mantra, Sarvaṃ Oṃkāra eva. So this is the purpose, slowly progress in spiritual life, and it takes time. That's why Sri Ramakrishna says everything happens at the right time.

So yajña means to convert, not merely to do external rituals, but through them slowly understand that my body, mind, everything is a thing belonging to God. I do not exist, only he exists. Every pot has to realize I do not exist, only clay exists. I am a manifestation of only the clay. I am the manifestation of gold. I am the manifestation of wood. I am the manifestation of Brahman. That is the idea. So the purpose of every one of these contemplations or pūjās is to transcend limitations of time, space, causation. In other words, to get out of this net of avidyā, which is called ignorance. Ignorance means I think I am not Brahman, I think I am somebody else other than Brahman. And not that, and reach ultimately know that Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Pūjā and the Living Deity==
So Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā, that is how very soon he ascended, and he tested the deity whom I am worshipping, is she alive? And he saw she was breathing, she was eating, she was laughing, she was playing, and she was moving everywhere. But Sri Ramakrishna said something curious, I never could find out a shadow of her on any walk, because yā devī sarvabhūteṣu chāyārūpeṇa saṃsthitā. She is chāyā, she is kāyā, she is māyā, she is everything.
==Vedāntic Concepts for the First Section: Adhyātma, Adhibhautika, Adhidaivika==
Now, we have to understand, to understand this first section, what is called Āśvalāyana Brāhmaṇam, certain Vedāntic concepts. What is it? I will always give examples to make things clear. Let me take one example. And if you recollect Sri Ramakrishna's story of how Indra was attributed to the killing of a cow by a brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa read a bit of Vedānta, Tattvabodha, and the presiding deity of the hands who killed this cow bet the and killed the cow, the presiding deity is Indra, and Indra all the pāpa goes to Indra, he never said all the puṇyam goes to Indra, only all the pāpam goes to Indra. So recollect that story and apply it here. What is it? And earlier also you have to remember, I made extensive quotations of the triangle. Īśvara manifests as adhyātma, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. One cannot be without the other. That is the concept, especially in Tattvabodha we get it.
===The Example of the Eye===
Take the example of the eye. I am able to see an object. How am I able to see the object? Say there is a tree, because the sun, he is illuminating it, and in the light of his grace, light means knowledge, I have the knowledge, there is a tree. But what is the sun? He is light, and he is the power of seeing behind every single eye, whether it belongs to a mosquito, or a mice, or a man, or an elephant, every living creature. Similarly, when I am hearing, so the four directions, they are the devatās. And that what is the devatā? That is manifesting in each one of us as the power of hearing. So the presiding deity, he is illuminating the whole external world, and he is giving each one of us that particular sense organ. And because of his manifestation as the particular sense organ, we are able to enjoy both the external world as well as the presiding deity. We see, we experience all the presiding deities, do we? So we may not see, we can see the earth, we can see the water, and we can see the fire, but we cannot see the air, and we cannot see the ākāśa. But we can infer, because if I am able to move one inch from one side to other side, because there is space. And if I am able to breathe in and out, that is Vāyudevatā. The other, they come under what we call five senses, the limit of the five sense organs, three sense organs. But we have to infer through experience, we are experiencing, not able to see through our eyes or hear, air also you can hear, actually, only ākāśa goes beyond all these things.
===Speech as Agni Devatā===
What is the idea now? That what is the yajña? Here is a person, and he is uttering mantras, and that comes in the form of speech, and the speech is the manifestation of thoughts, and the speech as manifestation of the thought belongs to Agni devatā, vāgdevatā is Agni devatā. He also says Mother Sarasvatī. So if I am able to utter something, good or bad, it doesn't matter, it's all because of the vāgdevatā. So if I think I am speaking, I am ignorant. But if I am thinking Mother Sarasvatī is speaking in the form of speech, and she is aided by fire, what is fire? Energy. Because to speak out, and especially to shout, we require energy.
===The Story of the Brāhmaṇa and Indra===
So this is how this brāhmaṇa in the story of Sri Ramakrishna, his hands, presiding deity of his hands, is everybody's hands is Indra. So whatever good I have done, it will come to me. Whatever evil I have done, it only goes. Who is the deity of feet? Viṣṇu.
==The Presiding Deities of the Sense Organs and Organs of Action==
So just I will mention a few, so you will know we all have got five organs of knowledge, input, five organs of action, output, daśendriyās, and plus mind. So if we have got ear, the directions are the presiding deity, the hearing power is the power of the ear. If I am able to touch, Vāyudevatā is the presiding deity of touch. The power of seeing belongs to the sun in the form of light. And if I am able to taste, you know, as soon as something is put on the tongue, water comes out, and water devatā is called Varuṇa. And then when I am able to smell something, they are called Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities.
===Organs of Action===
You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.
===The Mind and Its Faculties===
And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.
===Prāṇa===
So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality.
===Apāna===
Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials.
===Vyāna===
Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa.
===Udāna===
Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna.
===Samāna===
Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.
==Summary Table of Presiding Deities==
So we have got ears, that is dik, the directions. Skin, the god of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the god called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==Conclusion: Everything Is the Manifestation of Saguna Brahman==
So why am I cataloging all these things? Not to bore you, to understand what we call I, the body and mind, actually is the manifestation of Saguna Brahma Īśvara in the form of the presiding deities, and also adhibhautika form, and he has given us an individual ego, which we should not misuse saying I am eating, it is the God who is eating, etc. If we can have this knowledge always, whatever we do, I am eating food, who is eating? It is God who is eating. And who what is this God eating? God is eating only God, mother Annapūrṇā. Who is drinking? Jaladevatā is drinking, Gaṅgā devatā. Like that, you apply.

In the end, what do we find? As Sri Ramakrishna says, like the peeling of onions, nothing is left out. So when all these pañcakośas are removed completely, what remains is pure Ātman. When we remove this three gross, subtle, and causal bodies, what remains is Brahman. And this particular yajña, pūjā, is the only means, we have to begin somewhere, like elementary school or even nursery school, gradually progress. That is the purpose of this particular section. And how beautifully, if we keep this in background, we can really become enlightened, and this we will see in our next class.

== Closing Prayer ==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

''Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh''

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

''Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!''
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 81 on 31 October 2026

2026-11-03T03:49:47Z

Bhama: /* The Five Prāṇas (Repeated) */

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

==Introduction to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Third Chapter==
We started the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

It is called by various names, such as Munikāṇḍa. Muni means the great sage. Or Yājñavalkyakāṇḍa, because he is the greatest sage of those times. Or it is also called Vādakāṇḍa, that is, trying to place the same teachings that we have seen earlier, especially in the Yājñavalkya Maitreyī conversation or dialogue, in a logical manner. And not only logical manner, how to slowly progress in spiritual life. Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings, when we examine them, we find Sri Ramakrishna never simply tells only about the goal of life, but he also outlines the particular path suited to every particular individual. That is the specialty of Sri Ramakrishna, who is only re-echoing what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa had said, who again was re-echoing what the Upaniṣads themselves have said. What is it? In Bengali, there is a beautiful expression, invaluable expression. Yato mata, tato patha, as the concept of every human being, every individual human being, that would be the only reality about God, not only about God, about anything in this world. If I cherish a good feeling, even if you are not good, then in my eyes, you are one of the good persons. But even if you are the best person, such as some of the priests at Dakshineswar cherished the idea, Sri Ramakrishna was not only not an ordinary human being, he was downright mad.
==The Prism of Mind: Time, Space, and Causation==
So, we perceive the world according to our thoughts, and we see the world through the prism of our mind, which is time, space, and causation. Is the most marvelous concept, what is avidyā, time, space, and causation. And it manifests within each one of us as mind, and that becomes like a prism consisting of three layers of distortion, time, space, and causation. We have, we had the occasion to refer to this many times in our past talks, so you must recall those ideas, but just be very brief. When even the most beloved person, if he is away, or has passed away, died, slowly in course of time, the memory fades, and if we love somebody else, the memory fades very, very fast. So, that is how time changes everything. Our concept of everything, anybody however beloved, however hated they are, disliked they are. Then space, if someone whom we like is near, are likely to remember that person frequently. But if that same person is away and there is less communication, then it is likely we only remember occasionally. So, space also affects us. Of course, cause, and what is this cause? That is our perception. This person, he loves me, he or she cherishes me, very friendly to me, never does harm. Who knows? That person may be cherishing many types of inimical ideas, or another person, maybe only praying for our welfare, we do not know. So, these are the three layers of curtains through which we see the entire universe, and of course, it includes my own reflection in my own mind. I am a man, I am a child, I am a youth, I am ambitious, I am energetic, I am lazy. So, sukha, duḥkha, rāga, dveṣa, lābha and nāśa, jaya and parājaya, everything is in the mind. That's why Sri Ramakrishna often used to say, everything is the mind.
==The Goal of Life and Trust in God==
So, the Upaniṣad comes to our rescue, and like Swami Vivekananda, it tells us the goal of life is to know that you are divine. Of course, at this moment we do not know that, but how to slowly have some faith in a good person whom you trust and then strive according to his directions, instructions, to follow the suitable path as Sri Ramakrishna says, if an orphan is a rich orphan is protected by a good trusty or trustees, then he will be safe. As soon as he grows up, the trust would give it back to what they have been looking after all this time. Just like that, the greatest trustee is only God. But there are also people like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, etc.
==Incidents Illustrating Trust==
There is a beautiful story, incident rather, Swami Vivekananda, I think may be in New York, I do not remember, was one day one afternoon sitting on a bench in a garden. There was a black woman, she had a child who was troubling her too much, and she had a look at Swamiji, and I do not know how this happened, she had complete trust. This man will never betray my trust. He said, sir, I have to purchase certain items, would you take care of my child? Swamiji consented, and immediately she placed the baby in Swamiji's lap, and she went back, not doubting for a second that anything is going to happen to her child. And after completing, she came back and thanked Swamiji, took back her baby. How did this confidence come? Because people like Sri Ramakrishna exude that trustworthy feeling, and we can also develop that. But only sometimes we give in to our temporary emotions and thereby lose our inner judgment, which is always coming out.

Similarly, another incident, exactly same type of incident, Swamiji was wandering in somewhere in Rajasthan and a mother was there and her baby was crying non-stop, and the lady was getting highly disturbed. Swamiji said, mother, you give your baby to me tonight, and then the mother had no doubt about it, but she said, Swamiji, we do not want to give you trouble. He said, no trouble at all. And then he took the baby, and a few minutes he was crying non-stop. Swamiji plunged into deep meditation, and whole night he meditated. Within a few twinklings of the eye, the baby was fast asleep. Whole night that mother got such a tremendous relief. They may not understand the mystery, because this is the power of vibrations. This is the power of satsaṅga. Anyway, let us not deviate too much.
==Background of the Debate: King Janaka==
So coming back, we did discuss the background story, to be very brief, Janaka was the emperor of Videha. Even the words are very significant. Videha means one who is bereft of body consciousness. That means I am the ātman. But he has not realized, but he would in course of time. But he was a very fit adhikārī, sādhana catuṣṭaya sampannaḥ. So he wanted to realize Brahman, so for that he invited all the Brahmisṭhas to have a scholarly debate. Does a scholarly debate determine who is the greatest spiritual person? Janaka was not a fool. He understood. But then the people who came there, all of them are sincere spiritual aspirants progressing at different stages of life. So the competition was that whoever proves to be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and the word Brahman has got two meanings. One is Veda, that is knowledge of the scriptures. But that's not what, that's not only what Janaka wanted. He wanted more important, are you a practitioner? Have you realized what has been said? And he had the intuitive power to understand it. So he arranged and he declared, whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman in both senses, he will get 1,000 cows, each one of the horn of the cow will be adorned with five tolās of 24 karat gold. In fact, they are all, I have kept them in a pen, and all that you have to do is to drive prove yourself and then drive them away. And then Janaka declared, whoever thinks he can drive away even now before the debate started, nobody dared because they knew their defects.

So if a person realizes God, he will not lack knowledge. He will have that complete self-confidence, which Sri Ramakrishna expresses beautifully when a merchant is measuring out some material to be given, say paddy for example, or rice. A huge heap will be there, and I want 10 kg of rice. All right, here is your 10 kg of rice. And the heap becomes smaller and smaller as customers take it away. But the moment it becomes small, there would be assistants who would be pushing more rice towards him to be sold. Sri Ramakrishna is indicating, if a Brahmisṭha, knower of Brahman, is talking to somebody, this knower of Brahman not only knows what to speak, how much to speak, at what time to speak, he is fully authorized by God. And Janaka had developed some intuition.
==The Assembled Scholars==
But then, or there, there were people, paṇḍits gathered from Kuru deśa, Pañcāla deśa, they were all, we have to remember, not mere professors of philosophy, but they were practitioners of the Hindu scriptures, yajñas, yāgas, etc. How do we know? Because of the questions that follow. And in this first section, this is there was a great person to know, that is the very ṛtvik of Janaka himself, Āśvalāyana. He had put eight questions, but we will come to that later on.
==Yājñavalkya's Confidence==
So the emperor Janaka of Videha had a desire to find out who is the most erudite of these Vedic scholars, as I said, not professors of philosophy, but spiritually advanced people. He announced he can take 1,000 cows. Nobody had that self-confidence. Yājñavalkya had that self-confidence. He called one of his disciples called Sāmaśravas. Sāma means a person who is an expert in Sāmaveda. Śravas means he must have become famous, like Vājaśravas, for reciting so Ṛgvedic mantras set to tune and rāga and tāla, what we call now equivalent to western Gregorian music. So some voices are extraordinarily pleasant. This person was an expert. Yājñavalkya was an expert only in the Yajurveda. And Yajurveda, as we have seen earlier, in Taittirīya also, is a black edition, a white edition. Originally Yājñavalkya belonged to that black school of Yajurveda, but because of some incident which I had narrated in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and here also, he had to give it up, whatever he knew, he distributed, he taught to other disciples, then he contemplated on Lord Āditya, the sun god, and from him got the white version of this Yajurveda, which is called Śukla Yajurveda. Śukla means white or brilliant or lighted up. And he must have been an expert in not only Yajurveda, in Ṛgveda, in Yajurveda, in Sāmaveda, in Atharvaveda, because these great scholars were all specialized in different versions of the Vedas. So this Yājñavalkya had many disciples, and he must have been teaching all the four Vedas. Whoever wanted to learn whichever Veda, he must have been talking to them. And he has one expert, Sāmaśravas, a chanter of the Ṛgvedic mantras set to music, which is called Sāmaveda. So he said to him, drive these cows home. That means you have that special talent, confidence. So the disciple drove them, and there the Brāhmaṇas were enraged, actually, puzzled, actually. How dare does Yājñavalkya call himself the best Vedic scholar among us? Even the debate has not started.
==The Debate Begins: Āśvala==
So among them, there was a hotṛ, that is Ṛgvedic a person who knows Ṛgveda completely is called Hotā. Hotṛ means Hotā, priest of the Ṛgveda of Janaka himself. His name was Āśvala. So the debate starts. So he turned towards Yājñavalkya and said, O Yājñavalkya, we see this expression many times, O Yājñavalkya, addressing Yājñavalkya with the highest respect, are you indeed the best Vedic scholars among us? And like Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna once gave a beautiful talk, somebody thanked him, and he smiled and said, Sir, I know nothing. My mother knows everything. She only talked to you. I only eat, drink, and I'm a happy person. So he said, I bow to the best of the Vedic scholars. That is how Yājñavalkya applied a bit of humor. He knew that he was the greatest, but he didn't say. He bowed down. I bow to the best Vedic scholar, but I wanted some cows, and here is the opportunity. So I just wanted the cows, but then that statement contains tons of meaning. That means nobody will drive away, dare to drive away even one cow, not to speak of 1,000 cows, unless he is absolutely familiar not only with the intricacies of the scriptures, but intricacies of how to perform them, and what is going to be the benefit. So this hotṛ Āśvala started to interrogate him. This is the first section, which we will enter into. Already two mantras we had gone.
==Yajña and Pūjā: Understanding Sacrifice==
Now, before we go into it, a bit of a note we have to understand. So for most of us, these yajñas, these yāgas that we hear of in the Vedas are called sacrifices. Yajña, yāga, satra, etc. Different names are there. Some even lost for years together, 12 years. And many people believed if we can do 100 times these sum of these yajñas like Agnihotra, etc., we earn the right in entry into svargaloka. And if somebody can do 1,000 times, he might even become an Indra, one of the ancestors of Pāṇḍavas. So later on, because of his arrogance and lust, he had been cursed by the ṛṣis to become a python. That story comes in the Mahābhārata. I am not going into it. So these ancient yajñas yāgas, we know nothing about it, but we do not need to know anything about it. Because whether we are doing recently we performed Durgā pūjā. Kālī pūjā is going to come. Jagaddhātrī pūjā is going to come. So many pūjās, every birthday of every direct disciple, not to speak of Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother, and Sri Ramakrishna's birthdays. These are called pūjās. They are nothing but modern yajñas yāgas. The purpose, the content, and of these rituals are exactly the same.
==The Four Parts of Pūjā==
Let us take some examples of our modern pūjās. What is the goal of every pūjā? Will come to that later on, but then we have seen that these pūjās, they are invariably, they have got had as part of as limbs of these pūjās, contemplations called upāsanās. Let me cite the example of modern pūjā. You go to any temple, and in fact, some of you yourself are performing the pūjās on special birthdays or Kālī pūjā, Durgā pūjā, etc. I have taught some of you. So every pūjā, if we analyze wisely, we get four parts.
===First Part: Purification===
What is the first part? Purify your body and mind. Special mantras are there. So first, very mantra, sips of water, uttering the names of God thrice, and then you go on saying apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṃ gato'pi vā, yasmaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. A person, whether consciously or unconsciously, he takes the name of God thrice as Sri Ramakrishna Namaḥ, or Acyutāya Namaḥ, Govindāya Namaḥ, Keśavāya Namaḥ, etc. It doesn't matter. Take and then three sips. Why three sips? To purify the gross body, subtle body, and causal body. That is the first step in pūjā.
===Second Part: Nyāsa===
What is the second step? All our attachments. I am, this is my body, this is my mind, these are my eyes, these are my hands, these are my various limbs of my body. So this is called nyāsa. Nyāsa, that word brings to us the word sannyāsa. Samyak rūpeṇa nyāsitam, that is sannyāsa. Completely giving up, transferring ownership to the deity whom we are worshipping. So these eyes are not mine, they are O Ramakrishna, your eyes. O Nārāyaṇa, your eyes. Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ, sahasrapāt, we have seen in the some of the sūktas, Nārāyaṇa sūkta, Puruṣa sūkta, every sūkta practically. So what are we talking about? This body belongs to God. Just like every pot is nothing but manifestation of clay, every ornament is nothing but gold, or it can be silver, whatever the source material. Every furniture is nothing but wood with name, form, and utility. So that is the deśa kāla pariccheda, limitations by the mind. Time, space, and causation. So what is the second part of the pūjā? Wholeheartedly touching a particular part, this finger is not mine, it's yours. This hand is not mine, yours. This leg is not mine, yours. This heart is not mine, yours. This head is not mine, it is yours. This is called nyāsa. Whole of the second part ends up with sarvāṅga nyāsa.
===Third Part: Mānasika Pūjā===
Then comes mānasika pūjā. What is mānasika pūjā? Close your eyes and invoke the deity, visualize the deity in the heart of your lotus, and offer him the best possible, because everything is imagination. The best waters, the best flowers, the best fruits, the best food that can be prepared, everything mentally, and offer him wholeheartedly and make it prasādam. So that is the most important purification leads to the understanding that everything belongs to God, then I acknowledge everything belongs to God, that is the second stage, and then I also belong to God, but God is everywhere, so I am within God, God also is within me. Let me remove this ignorance that I am different from God, and that is done through the mānasika pūjā or mental worship. That is the third part.
===Fourth Part: External Worship===
Then for the sake of lesser qualified devotees, pupils, students, etc., we do the actual external worship, doing the same thing whatever we had done in the mental worship, but physically offering arghya, āsana, welcoming, and then snānīya, and then vastra, then dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, etc.
==Purpose of Pūjā==
So what is the purpose of this pūjā? That is to control the scattered mind slowly through various activities, preparing pūjā. For whom? For Ramakrishna. Gathering flowers for Ramakrishna, making garlands for Ramakrishna. You apply this to Kālī, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, any of your chosen deity. It is the same process. That's why Sri Ramakrishna is called Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Śiva is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Nārāyaṇa is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Why? How? Because we always meditate upon them as infinite. And in infinite, this is this part belongs to Śiva, this belongs to Viṣṇu. Such a concept is a stupid, idiotic concept. So there are no two gods, one infinite, unimaginable God, and he only is manifesting as I, as you, as everybody else. So what is the purpose? First, we are supposed to remember God. We forget, so do something, and your restless mind is satisfied. But it is all directed towards only one central figure, who is God. Then, by this time, the mind develops some more understanding, that is spiritual progress. Then, anybody can realize that I belong to you. There is nothing that doesn't belong that belongs to me, that doesn't belong to you. That is the second stage, and then progress further. That is you have given me this body-mind to contemplate you, to adore you, to sing praises of you. That is the purpose of mānasika pūjā. That is the purpose of purify everything outside.
==Progression from Anna-Brahman to Ānandamaya-Brahman==
Thus, man progresses from more individuality, less individuality, more identity with everything, as we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the whole external world is Anna-Brahman. Its cause is Prāṇa-Brahman. Its cause is Mano-Brahman. Its cause is Vijñāna-Brahman. Its cause is Ānandamaya-Brahman. And its cause is Ānandambrahma-Brahmapuccham-pratiṣṭhā. Everything is finally traced to Brahman. This is the exact process of every yajña, that is going to be the subject matter. That's why I was talking about them.
==Types of Upāsanās==
And then we have also seen this contemplations can be at least of four types, they are called upāsanās. We have seen these upāsanās, and then we have also seen them. What is the first one? Pratima. For a very gross mind, we want to make an image of Durgā. I cannot imagine Mother Durgā. Then instead of that, a person progresses after some time, and he doesn't require a pratima. Pratima means image, resembling a human being, etc. is an aid for contemplation. Then we go to the next stage, pratīka. A cross, for example, symbolizes Jesus Christ, his life, and his teachings. Like that, a crescent moon indicates Allah, the divine lord. So like that, we progress. So that is called pratīka. We also have pratīkas in the form of yantras, symbols, etc. Oṃkāra is such a symbol, the best symbol that we can see. And sometimes these are worn as yantras, made out drawn on silver, on gold, on copper, etc.
==Sri Ramakrishna and the Efficacy of Yantras==
Sri Ramakrishna also proved their efficacy, how much pain, just to remind you what we are talking about. This is not something remote that happened thousands of years ago, but it is happening right in front of our eyes through some great souls' live. Sri Ramakrishna at one time was suffering from unbearable bodily pain because of his spiritual longing. Then Mahāpuruṣ Mahārāj's father, he came to Dakshineswar. He was a great devotee of Mother Kālī. He diagnosed and said that you get prepared one small amulet in the name of Mother Kālī. There would be some oṃkāra or mother's name, something is written there, a triangle or crisscrossed, and a small on a copper or something. And Sri Ramakrishna wore that. Immediately there was such a relief. Why was the relief? Sri Ramakrishna was a pure person, he was endowed with śraddhā, and the person who prescribed it was a great sādhaka himself. And Sri Ramakrishna accepted, and he knew I am going to be relieved. And then it got relieved. And this same pain came thrice, twice. Or Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī, his other guru, smeared him with sandal paste and decorated him with garlands and put him in a room full of vegetables, and then the pain disappeared. His insatiable hunger, because it was roused by the manifestation of Kuṇḍalinī. Everything, these are all what the scriptures are telling, and Sri Ramakrishna is born to teach us all these things.
==Conclusion: Pūjā as Yajña==
So what, what is it I want to tell? A modern pūjā is exactly the same yajña. Of course, the word yajña has been given as the name of the external ritual, which we are going to see here, either today or tomorrow, but this is only introduction. Once you understand this introduction, you understand yajña is a pūjā, a pūjā is a methodology, proven methodology, how a person can progress in spiritual life from a restless mind to a restive mind, peaceful mind, and slowly through the four steps of the pūjā. He ascends. The third step is the highest step, and then the fourth step is such a person who reached the pinnacle of spiritual ascent, he will manifest in his physical life all these things. So the goal is to attain oneness with Brahman. Here first oneness with the presiding deities, then oneness with the Īśvara or Saguna Sākāra Brahman or Mother Śakti, and then mother herself will take us to our real nature, reveals she is both saguna and as well as nirguna.
==The Goal of Pūjā and Yajña: Oneness with Brahman==
This idea has been brought out so beautifully in Lalitā Sahasranāma. It is a beautiful garland of hymns, and it is extraordinarily powerful, I can assure you, and whoever recites it with faith, it is nothing but mother only. Just as Vedas are Brahman, Lalitā Sahasranāma is Lalitā, like food is Mother Annapūrṇā, like water is Jaladevatā, Agni is Agnidevatā, Vāyu is Vāyudevatā, Ākāśa is Ākāśadevatā, and all these are nothing but manifestations of Saguna Brahman, and Saguna Brahman is none other than that all-pervading infinite manifesting for the sake of our spiritual progress. So the goal of pūjā, yajña, etc. is to attain oneness with Brahman. And then Gītākāra, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, he gives all together a spiritual meaning, that he says the whole life has to be converted into yajña. What is yajña? I offer myself, I surrender myself at the feet of the divine lord. That is the pūjā. God doesn't want, he wants that feeling.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।

sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो।

ahaṃ tvāṃ sarvapāpebhyo।

So I will release you, free you, from all bondages. Here pāpa means not sin, pāpa means ajñāna, bondage. So every one of us are advised through the performance of this kind of pūjās and yajñas, we slowly convert, which is so beautifully expressed in the mental worship of Śiva, that whatever I do, when I see you are seeing, my eye is your eye, my ear is your ear.

सञ्चरः पादयोः तव प्रदक्षिणम्।

sañcaraḥ pādayoḥ tava pradakṣiṇam।

When my hands move, that's your āratrikam. When my legs move, that is your circambulation. And when I breathe, that is prāṇāyāma for attaining you. Whatever I utter is a mahāmantra, because every mantra is nothing but manifestation of Oṃkāra only, which we have seen especially in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad in the very first mantra, Sarvaṃ Oṃkāra eva. So this is the purpose, slowly progress in spiritual life, and it takes time. That's why Sri Ramakrishna says everything happens at the right time.

So yajña means to convert, not merely to do external rituals, but through them slowly understand that my body, mind, everything is a thing belonging to God. I do not exist, only he exists. Every pot has to realize I do not exist, only clay exists. I am a manifestation of only the clay. I am the manifestation of gold. I am the manifestation of wood. I am the manifestation of Brahman. That is the idea. So the purpose of every one of these contemplations or pūjās is to transcend limitations of time, space, causation. In other words, to get out of this net of avidyā, which is called ignorance. Ignorance means I think I am not Brahman, I think I am somebody else other than Brahman. And not that, and reach ultimately know that Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Pūjā and the Living Deity==
So Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā, that is how very soon he ascended, and he tested the deity whom I am worshipping, is she alive? And he saw she was breathing, she was eating, she was laughing, she was playing, and she was moving everywhere. But Sri Ramakrishna said something curious, I never could find out a shadow of her on any walk, because yā devī sarvabhūteṣu chāyārūpeṇa saṃsthitā. She is chāyā, she is kāyā, she is māyā, she is everything.
==Vedāntic Concepts for the First Section: Adhyātma, Adhibhautika, Adhidaivika==
Now, we have to understand, to understand this first section, what is called Āśvalāyana Brāhmaṇam, certain Vedāntic concepts. What is it? I will always give examples to make things clear. Let me take one example. And if you recollect Sri Ramakrishna's story of how Indra was attributed to the killing of a cow by a brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa read a bit of Vedānta, Tattvabodha, and the presiding deity of the hands who killed this cow bet the and killed the cow, the presiding deity is Indra, and Indra all the pāpa goes to Indra, he never said all the puṇyam goes to Indra, only all the pāpam goes to Indra. So recollect that story and apply it here. What is it? And earlier also you have to remember, I made extensive quotations of the triangle. Īśvara manifests as adhyātma, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. One cannot be without the other. That is the concept, especially in Tattvabodha we get it.
===The Example of the Eye===
Take the example of the eye. I am able to see an object. How am I able to see the object? Say there is a tree, because the sun, he is illuminating it, and in the light of his grace, light means knowledge, I have the knowledge, there is a tree. But what is the sun? He is light, and he is the power of seeing behind every single eye, whether it belongs to a mosquito, or a mice, or a man, or an elephant, every living creature. Similarly, when I am hearing, so the four directions, they are the devatās. And that what is the devatā? That is manifesting in each one of us as the power of hearing. So the presiding deity, he is illuminating the whole external world, and he is giving each one of us that particular sense organ. And because of his manifestation as the particular sense organ, we are able to enjoy both the external world as well as the presiding deity. We see, we experience all the presiding deities, do we? So we may not see, we can see the earth, we can see the water, and we can see the fire, but we cannot see the air, and we cannot see the ākāśa. But we can infer, because if I am able to move one inch from one side to other side, because there is space. And if I am able to breathe in and out, that is Vāyudevatā. The other, they come under what we call five senses, the limit of the five sense organs, three sense organs. But we have to infer through experience, we are experiencing, not able to see through our eyes or hear, air also you can hear, actually, only ākāśa goes beyond all these things.
===Speech as Agni Devatā===
What is the idea now? That what is the yajña? Here is a person, and he is uttering mantras, and that comes in the form of speech, and the speech is the manifestation of thoughts, and the speech as manifestation of the thought belongs to Agni devatā, vāgdevatā is Agni devatā. He also says Mother Sarasvatī. So if I am able to utter something, good or bad, it doesn't matter, it's all because of the vāgdevatā. So if I think I am speaking, I am ignorant. But if I am thinking Mother Sarasvatī is speaking in the form of speech, and she is aided by fire, what is fire? Energy. Because to speak out, and especially to shout, we require energy.
===The Story of the Brāhmaṇa and Indra===
So this is how this brāhmaṇa in the story of Sri Ramakrishna, his hands, presiding deity of his hands, is everybody's hands is Indra. So whatever good I have done, it will come to me. Whatever evil I have done, it only goes. Who is the deity of feet? Viṣṇu.
==The Presiding Deities of the Sense Organs and Organs of Action==
So just I will mention a few, so you will know we all have got five organs of knowledge, input, five organs of action, output, daśendriyās, and plus mind. So if we have got ear, the directions are the presiding deity, the hearing power is the power of the ear. If I am able to touch, Vāyudevatā is the presiding deity of touch. The power of seeing belongs to the sun in the form of light. And if I am able to taste, you know, as soon as something is put on the tongue, water comes out, and water devatā is called Varuṇa. And then when I am able to smell something, they are called Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities.
===Organs of Action===
You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.
===The Mind and Its Faculties===
And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.
===Prāṇa===
So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality.
===Apāna===
Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials.
===Vyāna===
Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa.
===Udāna===
Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna.
===Samāna===
Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.
==Summary Table of Presiding Deities==
So we have got ears, that is dik, the directions. Skin, the god of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the god called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==Conclusion: Everything Is the Manifestation of Saguna Brahman==
So why am I cataloging all these things? Not to bore you, to understand what we call I, the body and mind, actually is the manifestation of Saguna Brahma Īśvara in the form of the presiding deities, and also adhibhautika form, and he has given us an individual ego, which we should not misuse saying I am eating, it is the God who is eating, etc. If we can have this knowledge always, whatever we do, I am eating food, who is eating? It is God who is eating. And who what is this God eating? God is eating only God, mother Annapūrṇā. Who is drinking? Jaladevatā is drinking, Gaṅgā devatā. Like that, you apply.

In the end, what do we find? As Sri Ramakrishna says, like the peeling of onions, nothing is left out. So when all these pañcakośas are removed completely, what remains is pure Ātman. When we remove this three gross, subtle, and causal bodies, what remains is Brahman. And this particular yajña, pūjā, is the only means, we have to begin somewhere, like elementary school or even nursery school, gradually progress. That is the purpose of this particular section. And how beautifully, if we keep this in background, we can really become enlightened, and this we will see in our next class.
==Closing Prayer==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 81 on 31 October 2026

2026-11-03T03:48:46Z

Bhama: /* The Five Prāṇas (Repeated) */

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

==Introduction to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Third Chapter==
We started the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

It is called by various names, such as Munikāṇḍa. Muni means the great sage. Or Yājñavalkyakāṇḍa, because he is the greatest sage of those times. Or it is also called Vādakāṇḍa, that is, trying to place the same teachings that we have seen earlier, especially in the Yājñavalkya Maitreyī conversation or dialogue, in a logical manner. And not only logical manner, how to slowly progress in spiritual life. Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings, when we examine them, we find Sri Ramakrishna never simply tells only about the goal of life, but he also outlines the particular path suited to every particular individual. That is the specialty of Sri Ramakrishna, who is only re-echoing what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa had said, who again was re-echoing what the Upaniṣads themselves have said. What is it? In Bengali, there is a beautiful expression, invaluable expression. Yato mata, tato patha, as the concept of every human being, every individual human being, that would be the only reality about God, not only about God, about anything in this world. If I cherish a good feeling, even if you are not good, then in my eyes, you are one of the good persons. But even if you are the best person, such as some of the priests at Dakshineswar cherished the idea, Sri Ramakrishna was not only not an ordinary human being, he was downright mad.
==The Prism of Mind: Time, Space, and Causation==
So, we perceive the world according to our thoughts, and we see the world through the prism of our mind, which is time, space, and causation. Is the most marvelous concept, what is avidyā, time, space, and causation. And it manifests within each one of us as mind, and that becomes like a prism consisting of three layers of distortion, time, space, and causation. We have, we had the occasion to refer to this many times in our past talks, so you must recall those ideas, but just be very brief. When even the most beloved person, if he is away, or has passed away, died, slowly in course of time, the memory fades, and if we love somebody else, the memory fades very, very fast. So, that is how time changes everything. Our concept of everything, anybody however beloved, however hated they are, disliked they are. Then space, if someone whom we like is near, are likely to remember that person frequently. But if that same person is away and there is less communication, then it is likely we only remember occasionally. So, space also affects us. Of course, cause, and what is this cause? That is our perception. This person, he loves me, he or she cherishes me, very friendly to me, never does harm. Who knows? That person may be cherishing many types of inimical ideas, or another person, maybe only praying for our welfare, we do not know. So, these are the three layers of curtains through which we see the entire universe, and of course, it includes my own reflection in my own mind. I am a man, I am a child, I am a youth, I am ambitious, I am energetic, I am lazy. So, sukha, duḥkha, rāga, dveṣa, lābha and nāśa, jaya and parājaya, everything is in the mind. That's why Sri Ramakrishna often used to say, everything is the mind.
==The Goal of Life and Trust in God==
So, the Upaniṣad comes to our rescue, and like Swami Vivekananda, it tells us the goal of life is to know that you are divine. Of course, at this moment we do not know that, but how to slowly have some faith in a good person whom you trust and then strive according to his directions, instructions, to follow the suitable path as Sri Ramakrishna says, if an orphan is a rich orphan is protected by a good trusty or trustees, then he will be safe. As soon as he grows up, the trust would give it back to what they have been looking after all this time. Just like that, the greatest trustee is only God. But there are also people like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, etc.
==Incidents Illustrating Trust==
There is a beautiful story, incident rather, Swami Vivekananda, I think may be in New York, I do not remember, was one day one afternoon sitting on a bench in a garden. There was a black woman, she had a child who was troubling her too much, and she had a look at Swamiji, and I do not know how this happened, she had complete trust. This man will never betray my trust. He said, sir, I have to purchase certain items, would you take care of my child? Swamiji consented, and immediately she placed the baby in Swamiji's lap, and she went back, not doubting for a second that anything is going to happen to her child. And after completing, she came back and thanked Swamiji, took back her baby. How did this confidence come? Because people like Sri Ramakrishna exude that trustworthy feeling, and we can also develop that. But only sometimes we give in to our temporary emotions and thereby lose our inner judgment, which is always coming out.

Similarly, another incident, exactly same type of incident, Swamiji was wandering in somewhere in Rajasthan and a mother was there and her baby was crying non-stop, and the lady was getting highly disturbed. Swamiji said, mother, you give your baby to me tonight, and then the mother had no doubt about it, but she said, Swamiji, we do not want to give you trouble. He said, no trouble at all. And then he took the baby, and a few minutes he was crying non-stop. Swamiji plunged into deep meditation, and whole night he meditated. Within a few twinklings of the eye, the baby was fast asleep. Whole night that mother got such a tremendous relief. They may not understand the mystery, because this is the power of vibrations. This is the power of satsaṅga. Anyway, let us not deviate too much.
==Background of the Debate: King Janaka==
So coming back, we did discuss the background story, to be very brief, Janaka was the emperor of Videha. Even the words are very significant. Videha means one who is bereft of body consciousness. That means I am the ātman. But he has not realized, but he would in course of time. But he was a very fit adhikārī, sādhana catuṣṭaya sampannaḥ. So he wanted to realize Brahman, so for that he invited all the Brahmisṭhas to have a scholarly debate. Does a scholarly debate determine who is the greatest spiritual person? Janaka was not a fool. He understood. But then the people who came there, all of them are sincere spiritual aspirants progressing at different stages of life. So the competition was that whoever proves to be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and the word Brahman has got two meanings. One is Veda, that is knowledge of the scriptures. But that's not what, that's not only what Janaka wanted. He wanted more important, are you a practitioner? Have you realized what has been said? And he had the intuitive power to understand it. So he arranged and he declared, whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman in both senses, he will get 1,000 cows, each one of the horn of the cow will be adorned with five tolās of 24 karat gold. In fact, they are all, I have kept them in a pen, and all that you have to do is to drive prove yourself and then drive them away. And then Janaka declared, whoever thinks he can drive away even now before the debate started, nobody dared because they knew their defects.

So if a person realizes God, he will not lack knowledge. He will have that complete self-confidence, which Sri Ramakrishna expresses beautifully when a merchant is measuring out some material to be given, say paddy for example, or rice. A huge heap will be there, and I want 10 kg of rice. All right, here is your 10 kg of rice. And the heap becomes smaller and smaller as customers take it away. But the moment it becomes small, there would be assistants who would be pushing more rice towards him to be sold. Sri Ramakrishna is indicating, if a Brahmisṭha, knower of Brahman, is talking to somebody, this knower of Brahman not only knows what to speak, how much to speak, at what time to speak, he is fully authorized by God. And Janaka had developed some intuition.
==The Assembled Scholars==
But then, or there, there were people, paṇḍits gathered from Kuru deśa, Pañcāla deśa, they were all, we have to remember, not mere professors of philosophy, but they were practitioners of the Hindu scriptures, yajñas, yāgas, etc. How do we know? Because of the questions that follow. And in this first section, this is there was a great person to know, that is the very ṛtvik of Janaka himself, Āśvalāyana. He had put eight questions, but we will come to that later on.
==Yājñavalkya's Confidence==
So the emperor Janaka of Videha had a desire to find out who is the most erudite of these Vedic scholars, as I said, not professors of philosophy, but spiritually advanced people. He announced he can take 1,000 cows. Nobody had that self-confidence. Yājñavalkya had that self-confidence. He called one of his disciples called Sāmaśravas. Sāma means a person who is an expert in Sāmaveda. Śravas means he must have become famous, like Vājaśravas, for reciting so Ṛgvedic mantras set to tune and rāga and tāla, what we call now equivalent to western Gregorian music. So some voices are extraordinarily pleasant. This person was an expert. Yājñavalkya was an expert only in the Yajurveda. And Yajurveda, as we have seen earlier, in Taittirīya also, is a black edition, a white edition. Originally Yājñavalkya belonged to that black school of Yajurveda, but because of some incident which I had narrated in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and here also, he had to give it up, whatever he knew, he distributed, he taught to other disciples, then he contemplated on Lord Āditya, the sun god, and from him got the white version of this Yajurveda, which is called Śukla Yajurveda. Śukla means white or brilliant or lighted up. And he must have been an expert in not only Yajurveda, in Ṛgveda, in Yajurveda, in Sāmaveda, in Atharvaveda, because these great scholars were all specialized in different versions of the Vedas. So this Yājñavalkya had many disciples, and he must have been teaching all the four Vedas. Whoever wanted to learn whichever Veda, he must have been talking to them. And he has one expert, Sāmaśravas, a chanter of the Ṛgvedic mantras set to music, which is called Sāmaveda. So he said to him, drive these cows home. That means you have that special talent, confidence. So the disciple drove them, and there the Brāhmaṇas were enraged, actually, puzzled, actually. How dare does Yājñavalkya call himself the best Vedic scholar among us? Even the debate has not started.
==The Debate Begins: Āśvala==
So among them, there was a hotṛ, that is Ṛgvedic a person who knows Ṛgveda completely is called Hotā. Hotṛ means Hotā, priest of the Ṛgveda of Janaka himself. His name was Āśvala. So the debate starts. So he turned towards Yājñavalkya and said, O Yājñavalkya, we see this expression many times, O Yājñavalkya, addressing Yājñavalkya with the highest respect, are you indeed the best Vedic scholars among us? And like Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna once gave a beautiful talk, somebody thanked him, and he smiled and said, Sir, I know nothing. My mother knows everything. She only talked to you. I only eat, drink, and I'm a happy person. So he said, I bow to the best of the Vedic scholars. That is how Yājñavalkya applied a bit of humor. He knew that he was the greatest, but he didn't say. He bowed down. I bow to the best Vedic scholar, but I wanted some cows, and here is the opportunity. So I just wanted the cows, but then that statement contains tons of meaning. That means nobody will drive away, dare to drive away even one cow, not to speak of 1,000 cows, unless he is absolutely familiar not only with the intricacies of the scriptures, but intricacies of how to perform them, and what is going to be the benefit. So this hotṛ Āśvala started to interrogate him. This is the first section, which we will enter into. Already two mantras we had gone.
==Yajña and Pūjā: Understanding Sacrifice==
Now, before we go into it, a bit of a note we have to understand. So for most of us, these yajñas, these yāgas that we hear of in the Vedas are called sacrifices. Yajña, yāga, satra, etc. Different names are there. Some even lost for years together, 12 years. And many people believed if we can do 100 times these sum of these yajñas like Agnihotra, etc., we earn the right in entry into svargaloka. And if somebody can do 1,000 times, he might even become an Indra, one of the ancestors of Pāṇḍavas. So later on, because of his arrogance and lust, he had been cursed by the ṛṣis to become a python. That story comes in the Mahābhārata. I am not going into it. So these ancient yajñas yāgas, we know nothing about it, but we do not need to know anything about it. Because whether we are doing recently we performed Durgā pūjā. Kālī pūjā is going to come. Jagaddhātrī pūjā is going to come. So many pūjās, every birthday of every direct disciple, not to speak of Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother, and Sri Ramakrishna's birthdays. These are called pūjās. They are nothing but modern yajñas yāgas. The purpose, the content, and of these rituals are exactly the same.
==The Four Parts of Pūjā==
Let us take some examples of our modern pūjās. What is the goal of every pūjā? Will come to that later on, but then we have seen that these pūjās, they are invariably, they have got had as part of as limbs of these pūjās, contemplations called upāsanās. Let me cite the example of modern pūjā. You go to any temple, and in fact, some of you yourself are performing the pūjās on special birthdays or Kālī pūjā, Durgā pūjā, etc. I have taught some of you. So every pūjā, if we analyze wisely, we get four parts.
===First Part: Purification===
What is the first part? Purify your body and mind. Special mantras are there. So first, very mantra, sips of water, uttering the names of God thrice, and then you go on saying apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṃ gato'pi vā, yasmaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. A person, whether consciously or unconsciously, he takes the name of God thrice as Sri Ramakrishna Namaḥ, or Acyutāya Namaḥ, Govindāya Namaḥ, Keśavāya Namaḥ, etc. It doesn't matter. Take and then three sips. Why three sips? To purify the gross body, subtle body, and causal body. That is the first step in pūjā.
===Second Part: Nyāsa===
What is the second step? All our attachments. I am, this is my body, this is my mind, these are my eyes, these are my hands, these are my various limbs of my body. So this is called nyāsa. Nyāsa, that word brings to us the word sannyāsa. Samyak rūpeṇa nyāsitam, that is sannyāsa. Completely giving up, transferring ownership to the deity whom we are worshipping. So these eyes are not mine, they are O Ramakrishna, your eyes. O Nārāyaṇa, your eyes. Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ, sahasrapāt, we have seen in the some of the sūktas, Nārāyaṇa sūkta, Puruṣa sūkta, every sūkta practically. So what are we talking about? This body belongs to God. Just like every pot is nothing but manifestation of clay, every ornament is nothing but gold, or it can be silver, whatever the source material. Every furniture is nothing but wood with name, form, and utility. So that is the deśa kāla pariccheda, limitations by the mind. Time, space, and causation. So what is the second part of the pūjā? Wholeheartedly touching a particular part, this finger is not mine, it's yours. This hand is not mine, yours. This leg is not mine, yours. This heart is not mine, yours. This head is not mine, it is yours. This is called nyāsa. Whole of the second part ends up with sarvāṅga nyāsa.
===Third Part: Mānasika Pūjā===
Then comes mānasika pūjā. What is mānasika pūjā? Close your eyes and invoke the deity, visualize the deity in the heart of your lotus, and offer him the best possible, because everything is imagination. The best waters, the best flowers, the best fruits, the best food that can be prepared, everything mentally, and offer him wholeheartedly and make it prasādam. So that is the most important purification leads to the understanding that everything belongs to God, then I acknowledge everything belongs to God, that is the second stage, and then I also belong to God, but God is everywhere, so I am within God, God also is within me. Let me remove this ignorance that I am different from God, and that is done through the mānasika pūjā or mental worship. That is the third part.
===Fourth Part: External Worship===
Then for the sake of lesser qualified devotees, pupils, students, etc., we do the actual external worship, doing the same thing whatever we had done in the mental worship, but physically offering arghya, āsana, welcoming, and then snānīya, and then vastra, then dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, etc.
==Purpose of Pūjā==
So what is the purpose of this pūjā? That is to control the scattered mind slowly through various activities, preparing pūjā. For whom? For Ramakrishna. Gathering flowers for Ramakrishna, making garlands for Ramakrishna. You apply this to Kālī, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, any of your chosen deity. It is the same process. That's why Sri Ramakrishna is called Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Śiva is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Nārāyaṇa is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Why? How? Because we always meditate upon them as infinite. And in infinite, this is this part belongs to Śiva, this belongs to Viṣṇu. Such a concept is a stupid, idiotic concept. So there are no two gods, one infinite, unimaginable God, and he only is manifesting as I, as you, as everybody else. So what is the purpose? First, we are supposed to remember God. We forget, so do something, and your restless mind is satisfied. But it is all directed towards only one central figure, who is God. Then, by this time, the mind develops some more understanding, that is spiritual progress. Then, anybody can realize that I belong to you. There is nothing that doesn't belong that belongs to me, that doesn't belong to you. That is the second stage, and then progress further. That is you have given me this body-mind to contemplate you, to adore you, to sing praises of you. That is the purpose of mānasika pūjā. That is the purpose of purify everything outside.
==Progression from Anna-Brahman to Ānandamaya-Brahman==
Thus, man progresses from more individuality, less individuality, more identity with everything, as we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the whole external world is Anna-Brahman. Its cause is Prāṇa-Brahman. Its cause is Mano-Brahman. Its cause is Vijñāna-Brahman. Its cause is Ānandamaya-Brahman. And its cause is Ānandambrahma-Brahmapuccham-pratiṣṭhā. Everything is finally traced to Brahman. This is the exact process of every yajña, that is going to be the subject matter. That's why I was talking about them.
==Types of Upāsanās==
And then we have also seen this contemplations can be at least of four types, they are called upāsanās. We have seen these upāsanās, and then we have also seen them. What is the first one? Pratima. For a very gross mind, we want to make an image of Durgā. I cannot imagine Mother Durgā. Then instead of that, a person progresses after some time, and he doesn't require a pratima. Pratima means image, resembling a human being, etc. is an aid for contemplation. Then we go to the next stage, pratīka. A cross, for example, symbolizes Jesus Christ, his life, and his teachings. Like that, a crescent moon indicates Allah, the divine lord. So like that, we progress. So that is called pratīka. We also have pratīkas in the form of yantras, symbols, etc. Oṃkāra is such a symbol, the best symbol that we can see. And sometimes these are worn as yantras, made out drawn on silver, on gold, on copper, etc.
==Sri Ramakrishna and the Efficacy of Yantras==
Sri Ramakrishna also proved their efficacy, how much pain, just to remind you what we are talking about. This is not something remote that happened thousands of years ago, but it is happening right in front of our eyes through some great souls' live. Sri Ramakrishna at one time was suffering from unbearable bodily pain because of his spiritual longing. Then Mahāpuruṣ Mahārāj's father, he came to Dakshineswar. He was a great devotee of Mother Kālī. He diagnosed and said that you get prepared one small amulet in the name of Mother Kālī. There would be some oṃkāra or mother's name, something is written there, a triangle or crisscrossed, and a small on a copper or something. And Sri Ramakrishna wore that. Immediately there was such a relief. Why was the relief? Sri Ramakrishna was a pure person, he was endowed with śraddhā, and the person who prescribed it was a great sādhaka himself. And Sri Ramakrishna accepted, and he knew I am going to be relieved. And then it got relieved. And this same pain came thrice, twice. Or Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī, his other guru, smeared him with sandal paste and decorated him with garlands and put him in a room full of vegetables, and then the pain disappeared. His insatiable hunger, because it was roused by the manifestation of Kuṇḍalinī. Everything, these are all what the scriptures are telling, and Sri Ramakrishna is born to teach us all these things.
==Conclusion: Pūjā as Yajña==
So what, what is it I want to tell? A modern pūjā is exactly the same yajña. Of course, the word yajña has been given as the name of the external ritual, which we are going to see here, either today or tomorrow, but this is only introduction. Once you understand this introduction, you understand yajña is a pūjā, a pūjā is a methodology, proven methodology, how a person can progress in spiritual life from a restless mind to a restive mind, peaceful mind, and slowly through the four steps of the pūjā. He ascends. The third step is the highest step, and then the fourth step is such a person who reached the pinnacle of spiritual ascent, he will manifest in his physical life all these things. So the goal is to attain oneness with Brahman. Here first oneness with the presiding deities, then oneness with the Īśvara or Saguna Sākāra Brahman or Mother Śakti, and then mother herself will take us to our real nature, reveals she is both saguna and as well as nirguna.
==The Goal of Pūjā and Yajña: Oneness with Brahman==
This idea has been brought out so beautifully in Lalitā Sahasranāma. It is a beautiful garland of hymns, and it is extraordinarily powerful, I can assure you, and whoever recites it with faith, it is nothing but mother only. Just as Vedas are Brahman, Lalitā Sahasranāma is Lalitā, like food is Mother Annapūrṇā, like water is Jaladevatā, Agni is Agnidevatā, Vāyu is Vāyudevatā, Ākāśa is Ākāśadevatā, and all these are nothing but manifestations of Saguna Brahman, and Saguna Brahman is none other than that all-pervading infinite manifesting for the sake of our spiritual progress. So the goal of pūjā, yajña, etc. is to attain oneness with Brahman. And then Gītākāra, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, he gives all together a spiritual meaning, that he says the whole life has to be converted into yajña. What is yajña? I offer myself, I surrender myself at the feet of the divine lord. That is the pūjā. God doesn't want, he wants that feeling.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।

sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो।

ahaṃ tvāṃ sarvapāpebhyo।

So I will release you, free you, from all bondages. Here pāpa means not sin, pāpa means ajñāna, bondage. So every one of us are advised through the performance of this kind of pūjās and yajñas, we slowly convert, which is so beautifully expressed in the mental worship of Śiva, that whatever I do, when I see you are seeing, my eye is your eye, my ear is your ear.

सञ्चरः पादयोः तव प्रदक्षिणम्।

sañcaraḥ pādayoḥ tava pradakṣiṇam।

When my hands move, that's your āratrikam. When my legs move, that is your circambulation. And when I breathe, that is prāṇāyāma for attaining you. Whatever I utter is a mahāmantra, because every mantra is nothing but manifestation of Oṃkāra only, which we have seen especially in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad in the very first mantra, Sarvaṃ Oṃkāra eva. So this is the purpose, slowly progress in spiritual life, and it takes time. That's why Sri Ramakrishna says everything happens at the right time.

So yajña means to convert, not merely to do external rituals, but through them slowly understand that my body, mind, everything is a thing belonging to God. I do not exist, only he exists. Every pot has to realize I do not exist, only clay exists. I am a manifestation of only the clay. I am the manifestation of gold. I am the manifestation of wood. I am the manifestation of Brahman. That is the idea. So the purpose of every one of these contemplations or pūjās is to transcend limitations of time, space, causation. In other words, to get out of this net of avidyā, which is called ignorance. Ignorance means I think I am not Brahman, I think I am somebody else other than Brahman. And not that, and reach ultimately know that Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Pūjā and the Living Deity==
So Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā, that is how very soon he ascended, and he tested the deity whom I am worshipping, is she alive? And he saw she was breathing, she was eating, she was laughing, she was playing, and she was moving everywhere. But Sri Ramakrishna said something curious, I never could find out a shadow of her on any walk, because yā devī sarvabhūteṣu chāyārūpeṇa saṃsthitā. She is chāyā, she is kāyā, she is māyā, she is everything.
==Vedāntic Concepts for the First Section: Adhyātma, Adhibhautika, Adhidaivika==
Now, we have to understand, to understand this first section, what is called Āśvalāyana Brāhmaṇam, certain Vedāntic concepts. What is it? I will always give examples to make things clear. Let me take one example. And if you recollect Sri Ramakrishna's story of how Indra was attributed to the killing of a cow by a brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa read a bit of Vedānta, Tattvabodha, and the presiding deity of the hands who killed this cow bet the and killed the cow, the presiding deity is Indra, and Indra all the pāpa goes to Indra, he never said all the puṇyam goes to Indra, only all the pāpam goes to Indra. So recollect that story and apply it here. What is it? And earlier also you have to remember, I made extensive quotations of the triangle. Īśvara manifests as adhyātma, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. One cannot be without the other. That is the concept, especially in Tattvabodha we get it.
===The Example of the Eye===
Take the example of the eye. I am able to see an object. How am I able to see the object? Say there is a tree, because the sun, he is illuminating it, and in the light of his grace, light means knowledge, I have the knowledge, there is a tree. But what is the sun? He is light, and he is the power of seeing behind every single eye, whether it belongs to a mosquito, or a mice, or a man, or an elephant, every living creature. Similarly, when I am hearing, so the four directions, they are the devatās. And that what is the devatā? That is manifesting in each one of us as the power of hearing. So the presiding deity, he is illuminating the whole external world, and he is giving each one of us that particular sense organ. And because of his manifestation as the particular sense organ, we are able to enjoy both the external world as well as the presiding deity. We see, we experience all the presiding deities, do we? So we may not see, we can see the earth, we can see the water, and we can see the fire, but we cannot see the air, and we cannot see the ākāśa. But we can infer, because if I am able to move one inch from one side to other side, because there is space. And if I am able to breathe in and out, that is Vāyudevatā. The other, they come under what we call five senses, the limit of the five sense organs, three sense organs. But we have to infer through experience, we are experiencing, not able to see through our eyes or hear, air also you can hear, actually, only ākāśa goes beyond all these things.
===Speech as Agni Devatā===
What is the idea now? That what is the yajña? Here is a person, and he is uttering mantras, and that comes in the form of speech, and the speech is the manifestation of thoughts, and the speech as manifestation of the thought belongs to Agni devatā, vāgdevatā is Agni devatā. He also says Mother Sarasvatī. So if I am able to utter something, good or bad, it doesn't matter, it's all because of the vāgdevatā. So if I think I am speaking, I am ignorant. But if I am thinking Mother Sarasvatī is speaking in the form of speech, and she is aided by fire, what is fire? Energy. Because to speak out, and especially to shout, we require energy.
===The Story of the Brāhmaṇa and Indra===
So this is how this brāhmaṇa in the story of Sri Ramakrishna, his hands, presiding deity of his hands, is everybody's hands is Indra. So whatever good I have done, it will come to me. Whatever evil I have done, it only goes. Who is the deity of feet? Viṣṇu.
==The Presiding Deities of the Sense Organs and Organs of Action==
So just I will mention a few, so you will know we all have got five organs of knowledge, input, five organs of action, output, daśendriyās, and plus mind. So if we have got ear, the directions are the presiding deity, the hearing power is the power of the ear. If I am able to touch, Vāyudevatā is the presiding deity of touch. The power of seeing belongs to the sun in the form of light. And if I am able to taste, you know, as soon as something is put on the tongue, water comes out, and water devatā is called Varuṇa. And then when I am able to smell something, they are called Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities.
===Organs of Action===
You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.
===The Mind and Its Faculties===
And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.
===Prāṇa===
So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality.
===Apāna===
Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials.
===Vyāna===
Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa.
===Udāna===
Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna.
===Samāna===
Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.
==Summary Table of Presiding Deities==
So we have got ears, that is dik, the directions. Skin, the god of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the god called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas (Repeated)==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality. Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials. Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa. Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna. Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.

So we have got ears, that is the directions. Skin, the guard of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the guard called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete, undigested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting, or excreta, then it leads me to mṛtyu, death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it is called upastha. The deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandradevatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==Conclusion: Everything Is the Manifestation of Saguna Brahman==
So why am I cataloging all these things? Not to bore you, to understand what we call I, the body and mind, actually is the manifestation of Saguna Brahma Īśvara in the form of the presiding deities, and also adhibhautika form, and he has given us an individual ego, which we should not misuse saying I am eating, it is the God who is eating, etc. If we can have this knowledge always, whatever we do, I am eating food, who is eating? It is God who is eating. And who what is this God eating? God is eating only God, mother Annapūrṇā. Who is drinking? Jaladevatā is drinking, Gaṅgā devatā. Like that, you apply.

In the end, what do we find? As Sri Ramakrishna says, like the peeling of onions, nothing is left out. So when all these pañcakośas are removed completely, what remains is pure Ātman. When we remove this three gross, subtle, and causal bodies, what remains is Brahman. And this particular yajña, pūjā, is the only means, we have to begin somewhere, like elementary school or even nursery school, gradually progress. That is the purpose of this particular section. And how beautifully, if we keep this in background, we can really become enlightened, and this we will see in our next class.
==Closing Prayer==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3.1.1-3 Lecture 81 on 31 October 2026

2026-11-03T03:47:02Z

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

== Opening Invocation ==
ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

''Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ,'' pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

==Introduction to the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Third Chapter==
We started the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

It is called by various names, such as Munikāṇḍa. Muni means the great sage. Or Yājñavalkyakāṇḍa, because he is the greatest sage of those times. Or it is also called Vādakāṇḍa, that is, trying to place the same teachings that we have seen earlier, especially in the Yājñavalkya Maitreyī conversation or dialogue, in a logical manner. And not only logical manner, how to slowly progress in spiritual life. Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings, when we examine them, we find Sri Ramakrishna never simply tells only about the goal of life, but he also outlines the particular path suited to every particular individual. That is the specialty of Sri Ramakrishna, who is only re-echoing what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa had said, who again was re-echoing what the Upaniṣads themselves have said. What is it? In Bengali, there is a beautiful expression, invaluable expression. Yato mata, tato patha, as the concept of every human being, every individual human being, that would be the only reality about God, not only about God, about anything in this world. If I cherish a good feeling, even if you are not good, then in my eyes, you are one of the good persons. But even if you are the best person, such as some of the priests at Dakshineswar cherished the idea, Sri Ramakrishna was not only not an ordinary human being, he was downright mad.
==The Prism of Mind: Time, Space, and Causation==
So, we perceive the world according to our thoughts, and we see the world through the prism of our mind, which is time, space, and causation. Is the most marvelous concept, what is avidyā, time, space, and causation. And it manifests within each one of us as mind, and that becomes like a prism consisting of three layers of distortion, time, space, and causation. We have, we had the occasion to refer to this many times in our past talks, so you must recall those ideas, but just be very brief. When even the most beloved person, if he is away, or has passed away, died, slowly in course of time, the memory fades, and if we love somebody else, the memory fades very, very fast. So, that is how time changes everything. Our concept of everything, anybody however beloved, however hated they are, disliked they are. Then space, if someone whom we like is near, are likely to remember that person frequently. But if that same person is away and there is less communication, then it is likely we only remember occasionally. So, space also affects us. Of course, cause, and what is this cause? That is our perception. This person, he loves me, he or she cherishes me, very friendly to me, never does harm. Who knows? That person may be cherishing many types of inimical ideas, or another person, maybe only praying for our welfare, we do not know. So, these are the three layers of curtains through which we see the entire universe, and of course, it includes my own reflection in my own mind. I am a man, I am a child, I am a youth, I am ambitious, I am energetic, I am lazy. So, sukha, duḥkha, rāga, dveṣa, lābha and nāśa, jaya and parājaya, everything is in the mind. That's why Sri Ramakrishna often used to say, everything is the mind.
==The Goal of Life and Trust in God==
So, the Upaniṣad comes to our rescue, and like Swami Vivekananda, it tells us the goal of life is to know that you are divine. Of course, at this moment we do not know that, but how to slowly have some faith in a good person whom you trust and then strive according to his directions, instructions, to follow the suitable path as Sri Ramakrishna says, if an orphan is a rich orphan is protected by a good trusty or trustees, then he will be safe. As soon as he grows up, the trust would give it back to what they have been looking after all this time. Just like that, the greatest trustee is only God. But there are also people like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, etc.
==Incidents Illustrating Trust==
There is a beautiful story, incident rather, Swami Vivekananda, I think may be in New York, I do not remember, was one day one afternoon sitting on a bench in a garden. There was a black woman, she had a child who was troubling her too much, and she had a look at Swamiji, and I do not know how this happened, she had complete trust. This man will never betray my trust. He said, sir, I have to purchase certain items, would you take care of my child? Swamiji consented, and immediately she placed the baby in Swamiji's lap, and she went back, not doubting for a second that anything is going to happen to her child. And after completing, she came back and thanked Swamiji, took back her baby. How did this confidence come? Because people like Sri Ramakrishna exude that trustworthy feeling, and we can also develop that. But only sometimes we give in to our temporary emotions and thereby lose our inner judgment, which is always coming out.

Similarly, another incident, exactly same type of incident, Swamiji was wandering in somewhere in Rajasthan and a mother was there and her baby was crying non-stop, and the lady was getting highly disturbed. Swamiji said, mother, you give your baby to me tonight, and then the mother had no doubt about it, but she said, Swamiji, we do not want to give you trouble. He said, no trouble at all. And then he took the baby, and a few minutes he was crying non-stop. Swamiji plunged into deep meditation, and whole night he meditated. Within a few twinklings of the eye, the baby was fast asleep. Whole night that mother got such a tremendous relief. They may not understand the mystery, because this is the power of vibrations. This is the power of satsaṅga. Anyway, let us not deviate too much.
==Background of the Debate: King Janaka==
So coming back, we did discuss the background story, to be very brief, Janaka was the emperor of Videha. Even the words are very significant. Videha means one who is bereft of body consciousness. That means I am the ātman. But he has not realized, but he would in course of time. But he was a very fit adhikārī, sādhana catuṣṭaya sampannaḥ. So he wanted to realize Brahman, so for that he invited all the Brahmisṭhas to have a scholarly debate. Does a scholarly debate determine who is the greatest spiritual person? Janaka was not a fool. He understood. But then the people who came there, all of them are sincere spiritual aspirants progressing at different stages of life. So the competition was that whoever proves to be the best of the knowers of Brahman, and the word Brahman has got two meanings. One is Veda, that is knowledge of the scriptures. But that's not what, that's not only what Janaka wanted. He wanted more important, are you a practitioner? Have you realized what has been said? And he had the intuitive power to understand it. So he arranged and he declared, whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman in both senses, he will get 1,000 cows, each one of the horn of the cow will be adorned with five tolās of 24 karat gold. In fact, they are all, I have kept them in a pen, and all that you have to do is to drive prove yourself and then drive them away. And then Janaka declared, whoever thinks he can drive away even now before the debate started, nobody dared because they knew their defects.

So if a person realizes God, he will not lack knowledge. He will have that complete self-confidence, which Sri Ramakrishna expresses beautifully when a merchant is measuring out some material to be given, say paddy for example, or rice. A huge heap will be there, and I want 10 kg of rice. All right, here is your 10 kg of rice. And the heap becomes smaller and smaller as customers take it away. But the moment it becomes small, there would be assistants who would be pushing more rice towards him to be sold. Sri Ramakrishna is indicating, if a Brahmisṭha, knower of Brahman, is talking to somebody, this knower of Brahman not only knows what to speak, how much to speak, at what time to speak, he is fully authorized by God. And Janaka had developed some intuition.
==The Assembled Scholars==
But then, or there, there were people, paṇḍits gathered from Kuru deśa, Pañcāla deśa, they were all, we have to remember, not mere professors of philosophy, but they were practitioners of the Hindu scriptures, yajñas, yāgas, etc. How do we know? Because of the questions that follow. And in this first section, this is there was a great person to know, that is the very ṛtvik of Janaka himself, Āśvalāyana. He had put eight questions, but we will come to that later on.
==Yājñavalkya's Confidence==
So the emperor Janaka of Videha had a desire to find out who is the most erudite of these Vedic scholars, as I said, not professors of philosophy, but spiritually advanced people. He announced he can take 1,000 cows. Nobody had that self-confidence. Yājñavalkya had that self-confidence. He called one of his disciples called Sāmaśravas. Sāma means a person who is an expert in Sāmaveda. Śravas means he must have become famous, like Vājaśravas, for reciting so Ṛgvedic mantras set to tune and rāga and tāla, what we call now equivalent to western Gregorian music. So some voices are extraordinarily pleasant. This person was an expert. Yājñavalkya was an expert only in the Yajurveda. And Yajurveda, as we have seen earlier, in Taittirīya also, is a black edition, a white edition. Originally Yājñavalkya belonged to that black school of Yajurveda, but because of some incident which I had narrated in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad and here also, he had to give it up, whatever he knew, he distributed, he taught to other disciples, then he contemplated on Lord Āditya, the sun god, and from him got the white version of this Yajurveda, which is called Śukla Yajurveda. Śukla means white or brilliant or lighted up. And he must have been an expert in not only Yajurveda, in Ṛgveda, in Yajurveda, in Sāmaveda, in Atharvaveda, because these great scholars were all specialized in different versions of the Vedas. So this Yājñavalkya had many disciples, and he must have been teaching all the four Vedas. Whoever wanted to learn whichever Veda, he must have been talking to them. And he has one expert, Sāmaśravas, a chanter of the Ṛgvedic mantras set to music, which is called Sāmaveda. So he said to him, drive these cows home. That means you have that special talent, confidence. So the disciple drove them, and there the Brāhmaṇas were enraged, actually, puzzled, actually. How dare does Yājñavalkya call himself the best Vedic scholar among us? Even the debate has not started.
==The Debate Begins: Āśvala==
So among them, there was a hotṛ, that is Ṛgvedic a person who knows Ṛgveda completely is called Hotā. Hotṛ means Hotā, priest of the Ṛgveda of Janaka himself. His name was Āśvala. So the debate starts. So he turned towards Yājñavalkya and said, O Yājñavalkya, we see this expression many times, O Yājñavalkya, addressing Yājñavalkya with the highest respect, are you indeed the best Vedic scholars among us? And like Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna once gave a beautiful talk, somebody thanked him, and he smiled and said, Sir, I know nothing. My mother knows everything. She only talked to you. I only eat, drink, and I'm a happy person. So he said, I bow to the best of the Vedic scholars. That is how Yājñavalkya applied a bit of humor. He knew that he was the greatest, but he didn't say. He bowed down. I bow to the best Vedic scholar, but I wanted some cows, and here is the opportunity. So I just wanted the cows, but then that statement contains tons of meaning. That means nobody will drive away, dare to drive away even one cow, not to speak of 1,000 cows, unless he is absolutely familiar not only with the intricacies of the scriptures, but intricacies of how to perform them, and what is going to be the benefit. So this hotṛ Āśvala started to interrogate him. This is the first section, which we will enter into. Already two mantras we had gone.
==Yajña and Pūjā: Understanding Sacrifice==
Now, before we go into it, a bit of a note we have to understand. So for most of us, these yajñas, these yāgas that we hear of in the Vedas are called sacrifices. Yajña, yāga, satra, etc. Different names are there. Some even lost for years together, 12 years. And many people believed if we can do 100 times these sum of these yajñas like Agnihotra, etc., we earn the right in entry into svargaloka. And if somebody can do 1,000 times, he might even become an Indra, one of the ancestors of Pāṇḍavas. So later on, because of his arrogance and lust, he had been cursed by the ṛṣis to become a python. That story comes in the Mahābhārata. I am not going into it. So these ancient yajñas yāgas, we know nothing about it, but we do not need to know anything about it. Because whether we are doing recently we performed Durgā pūjā. Kālī pūjā is going to come. Jagaddhātrī pūjā is going to come. So many pūjās, every birthday of every direct disciple, not to speak of Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother, and Sri Ramakrishna's birthdays. These are called pūjās. They are nothing but modern yajñas yāgas. The purpose, the content, and of these rituals are exactly the same.
==The Four Parts of Pūjā==
Let us take some examples of our modern pūjās. What is the goal of every pūjā? Will come to that later on, but then we have seen that these pūjās, they are invariably, they have got had as part of as limbs of these pūjās, contemplations called upāsanās. Let me cite the example of modern pūjā. You go to any temple, and in fact, some of you yourself are performing the pūjās on special birthdays or Kālī pūjā, Durgā pūjā, etc. I have taught some of you. So every pūjā, if we analyze wisely, we get four parts.
===First Part: Purification===
What is the first part? Purify your body and mind. Special mantras are there. So first, very mantra, sips of water, uttering the names of God thrice, and then you go on saying apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṃ gato'pi vā, yasmaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. A person, whether consciously or unconsciously, he takes the name of God thrice as Sri Ramakrishna Namaḥ, or Acyutāya Namaḥ, Govindāya Namaḥ, Keśavāya Namaḥ, etc. It doesn't matter. Take and then three sips. Why three sips? To purify the gross body, subtle body, and causal body. That is the first step in pūjā.
===Second Part: Nyāsa===
What is the second step? All our attachments. I am, this is my body, this is my mind, these are my eyes, these are my hands, these are my various limbs of my body. So this is called nyāsa. Nyāsa, that word brings to us the word sannyāsa. Samyak rūpeṇa nyāsitam, that is sannyāsa. Completely giving up, transferring ownership to the deity whom we are worshipping. So these eyes are not mine, they are O Ramakrishna, your eyes. O Nārāyaṇa, your eyes. Sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ, sahasrākṣaḥ, sahasrapāt, we have seen in the some of the sūktas, Nārāyaṇa sūkta, Puruṣa sūkta, every sūkta practically. So what are we talking about? This body belongs to God. Just like every pot is nothing but manifestation of clay, every ornament is nothing but gold, or it can be silver, whatever the source material. Every furniture is nothing but wood with name, form, and utility. So that is the deśa kāla pariccheda, limitations by the mind. Time, space, and causation. So what is the second part of the pūjā? Wholeheartedly touching a particular part, this finger is not mine, it's yours. This hand is not mine, yours. This leg is not mine, yours. This heart is not mine, yours. This head is not mine, it is yours. This is called nyāsa. Whole of the second part ends up with sarvāṅga nyāsa.
===Third Part: Mānasika Pūjā===
Then comes mānasika pūjā. What is mānasika pūjā? Close your eyes and invoke the deity, visualize the deity in the heart of your lotus, and offer him the best possible, because everything is imagination. The best waters, the best flowers, the best fruits, the best food that can be prepared, everything mentally, and offer him wholeheartedly and make it prasādam. So that is the most important purification leads to the understanding that everything belongs to God, then I acknowledge everything belongs to God, that is the second stage, and then I also belong to God, but God is everywhere, so I am within God, God also is within me. Let me remove this ignorance that I am different from God, and that is done through the mānasika pūjā or mental worship. That is the third part.
===Fourth Part: External Worship===
Then for the sake of lesser qualified devotees, pupils, students, etc., we do the actual external worship, doing the same thing whatever we had done in the mental worship, but physically offering arghya, āsana, welcoming, and then snānīya, and then vastra, then dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, etc.
==Purpose of Pūjā==
So what is the purpose of this pūjā? That is to control the scattered mind slowly through various activities, preparing pūjā. For whom? For Ramakrishna. Gathering flowers for Ramakrishna, making garlands for Ramakrishna. You apply this to Kālī, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, any of your chosen deity. It is the same process. That's why Sri Ramakrishna is called Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Śiva is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Nārāyaṇa is Sarvadeva Devī Svarūpa. Why? How? Because we always meditate upon them as infinite. And in infinite, this is this part belongs to Śiva, this belongs to Viṣṇu. Such a concept is a stupid, idiotic concept. So there are no two gods, one infinite, unimaginable God, and he only is manifesting as I, as you, as everybody else. So what is the purpose? First, we are supposed to remember God. We forget, so do something, and your restless mind is satisfied. But it is all directed towards only one central figure, who is God. Then, by this time, the mind develops some more understanding, that is spiritual progress. Then, anybody can realize that I belong to you. There is nothing that doesn't belong that belongs to me, that doesn't belong to you. That is the second stage, and then progress further. That is you have given me this body-mind to contemplate you, to adore you, to sing praises of you. That is the purpose of mānasika pūjā. That is the purpose of purify everything outside.
==Progression from Anna-Brahman to Ānandamaya-Brahman==
Thus, man progresses from more individuality, less individuality, more identity with everything, as we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the whole external world is Anna-Brahman. Its cause is Prāṇa-Brahman. Its cause is Mano-Brahman. Its cause is Vijñāna-Brahman. Its cause is Ānandamaya-Brahman. And its cause is Ānandambrahma-Brahmapuccham-pratiṣṭhā. Everything is finally traced to Brahman. This is the exact process of every yajña, that is going to be the subject matter. That's why I was talking about them.
==Types of Upāsanās==
And then we have also seen this contemplations can be at least of four types, they are called upāsanās. We have seen these upāsanās, and then we have also seen them. What is the first one? Pratima. For a very gross mind, we want to make an image of Durgā. I cannot imagine Mother Durgā. Then instead of that, a person progresses after some time, and he doesn't require a pratima. Pratima means image, resembling a human being, etc. is an aid for contemplation. Then we go to the next stage, pratīka. A cross, for example, symbolizes Jesus Christ, his life, and his teachings. Like that, a crescent moon indicates Allah, the divine lord. So like that, we progress. So that is called pratīka. We also have pratīkas in the form of yantras, symbols, etc. Oṃkāra is such a symbol, the best symbol that we can see. And sometimes these are worn as yantras, made out drawn on silver, on gold, on copper, etc.
==Sri Ramakrishna and the Efficacy of Yantras==
Sri Ramakrishna also proved their efficacy, how much pain, just to remind you what we are talking about. This is not something remote that happened thousands of years ago, but it is happening right in front of our eyes through some great souls' live. Sri Ramakrishna at one time was suffering from unbearable bodily pain because of his spiritual longing. Then Mahāpuruṣ Mahārāj's father, he came to Dakshineswar. He was a great devotee of Mother Kālī. He diagnosed and said that you get prepared one small amulet in the name of Mother Kālī. There would be some oṃkāra or mother's name, something is written there, a triangle or crisscrossed, and a small on a copper or something. And Sri Ramakrishna wore that. Immediately there was such a relief. Why was the relief? Sri Ramakrishna was a pure person, he was endowed with śraddhā, and the person who prescribed it was a great sādhaka himself. And Sri Ramakrishna accepted, and he knew I am going to be relieved. And then it got relieved. And this same pain came thrice, twice. Or Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī, his other guru, smeared him with sandal paste and decorated him with garlands and put him in a room full of vegetables, and then the pain disappeared. His insatiable hunger, because it was roused by the manifestation of Kuṇḍalinī. Everything, these are all what the scriptures are telling, and Sri Ramakrishna is born to teach us all these things.
==Conclusion: Pūjā as Yajña==
So what, what is it I want to tell? A modern pūjā is exactly the same yajña. Of course, the word yajña has been given as the name of the external ritual, which we are going to see here, either today or tomorrow, but this is only introduction. Once you understand this introduction, you understand yajña is a pūjā, a pūjā is a methodology, proven methodology, how a person can progress in spiritual life from a restless mind to a restive mind, peaceful mind, and slowly through the four steps of the pūjā. He ascends. The third step is the highest step, and then the fourth step is such a person who reached the pinnacle of spiritual ascent, he will manifest in his physical life all these things. So the goal is to attain oneness with Brahman. Here first oneness with the presiding deities, then oneness with the Īśvara or Saguna Sākāra Brahman or Mother Śakti, and then mother herself will take us to our real nature, reveals she is both saguna and as well as nirguna.
==The Goal of Pūjā and Yajña: Oneness with Brahman==
This idea has been brought out so beautifully in Lalitā Sahasranāma. It is a beautiful garland of hymns, and it is extraordinarily powerful, I can assure you, and whoever recites it with faith, it is nothing but mother only. Just as Vedas are Brahman, Lalitā Sahasranāma is Lalitā, like food is Mother Annapūrṇā, like water is Jaladevatā, Agni is Agnidevatā, Vāyu is Vāyudevatā, Ākāśa is Ākāśadevatā, and all these are nothing but manifestations of Saguna Brahman, and Saguna Brahman is none other than that all-pervading infinite manifesting for the sake of our spiritual progress. So the goal of pūjā, yajña, etc. is to attain oneness with Brahman. And then Gītākāra, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, he gives all together a spiritual meaning, that he says the whole life has to be converted into yajña. What is yajña? I offer myself, I surrender myself at the feet of the divine lord. That is the pūjā. God doesn't want, he wants that feeling.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।

sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो।

ahaṃ tvāṃ sarvapāpebhyo।

So I will release you, free you, from all bondages. Here pāpa means not sin, pāpa means ajñāna, bondage. So every one of us are advised through the performance of this kind of pūjās and yajñas, we slowly convert, which is so beautifully expressed in the mental worship of Śiva, that whatever I do, when I see you are seeing, my eye is your eye, my ear is your ear.

सञ्चरः पादयोः तव प्रदक्षिणम्।

sañcaraḥ pādayoḥ tava pradakṣiṇam।

When my hands move, that's your āratrikam. When my legs move, that is your circambulation. And when I breathe, that is prāṇāyāma for attaining you. Whatever I utter is a mahāmantra, because every mantra is nothing but manifestation of Oṃkāra only, which we have seen especially in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad in the very first mantra, Sarvaṃ Oṃkāra eva. So this is the purpose, slowly progress in spiritual life, and it takes time. That's why Sri Ramakrishna says everything happens at the right time.

So yajña means to convert, not merely to do external rituals, but through them slowly understand that my body, mind, everything is a thing belonging to God. I do not exist, only he exists. Every pot has to realize I do not exist, only clay exists. I am a manifestation of only the clay. I am the manifestation of gold. I am the manifestation of wood. I am the manifestation of Brahman. That is the idea. So the purpose of every one of these contemplations or pūjās is to transcend limitations of time, space, causation. In other words, to get out of this net of avidyā, which is called ignorance. Ignorance means I think I am not Brahman, I think I am somebody else other than Brahman. And not that, and reach ultimately know that Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi.
==Sri Ramakrishna's Pūjā and the Living Deity==
So Sri Ramakrishna's pūjā, that is how very soon he ascended, and he tested the deity whom I am worshipping, is she alive? And he saw she was breathing, she was eating, she was laughing, she was playing, and she was moving everywhere. But Sri Ramakrishna said something curious, I never could find out a shadow of her on any walk, because yā devī sarvabhūteṣu chāyārūpeṇa saṃsthitā. She is chāyā, she is kāyā, she is māyā, she is everything.
==Vedāntic Concepts for the First Section: Adhyātma, Adhibhautika, Adhidaivika==
Now, we have to understand, to understand this first section, what is called Āśvalāyana Brāhmaṇam, certain Vedāntic concepts. What is it? I will always give examples to make things clear. Let me take one example. And if you recollect Sri Ramakrishna's story of how Indra was attributed to the killing of a cow by a brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa read a bit of Vedānta, Tattvabodha, and the presiding deity of the hands who killed this cow bet the and killed the cow, the presiding deity is Indra, and Indra all the pāpa goes to Indra, he never said all the puṇyam goes to Indra, only all the pāpam goes to Indra. So recollect that story and apply it here. What is it? And earlier also you have to remember, I made extensive quotations of the triangle. Īśvara manifests as adhyātma, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. One cannot be without the other. That is the concept, especially in Tattvabodha we get it.
===The Example of the Eye===
Take the example of the eye. I am able to see an object. How am I able to see the object? Say there is a tree, because the sun, he is illuminating it, and in the light of his grace, light means knowledge, I have the knowledge, there is a tree. But what is the sun? He is light, and he is the power of seeing behind every single eye, whether it belongs to a mosquito, or a mice, or a man, or an elephant, every living creature. Similarly, when I am hearing, so the four directions, they are the devatās. And that what is the devatā? That is manifesting in each one of us as the power of hearing. So the presiding deity, he is illuminating the whole external world, and he is giving each one of us that particular sense organ. And because of his manifestation as the particular sense organ, we are able to enjoy both the external world as well as the presiding deity. We see, we experience all the presiding deities, do we? So we may not see, we can see the earth, we can see the water, and we can see the fire, but we cannot see the air, and we cannot see the ākāśa. But we can infer, because if I am able to move one inch from one side to other side, because there is space. And if I am able to breathe in and out, that is Vāyudevatā. The other, they come under what we call five senses, the limit of the five sense organs, three sense organs. But we have to infer through experience, we are experiencing, not able to see through our eyes or hear, air also you can hear, actually, only ākāśa goes beyond all these things.
===Speech as Agni Devatā===
What is the idea now? That what is the yajña? Here is a person, and he is uttering mantras, and that comes in the form of speech, and the speech is the manifestation of thoughts, and the speech as manifestation of the thought belongs to Agni devatā, vāgdevatā is Agni devatā. He also says Mother Sarasvatī. So if I am able to utter something, good or bad, it doesn't matter, it's all because of the vāgdevatā. So if I think I am speaking, I am ignorant. But if I am thinking Mother Sarasvatī is speaking in the form of speech, and she is aided by fire, what is fire? Energy. Because to speak out, and especially to shout, we require energy.
===The Story of the Brāhmaṇa and Indra===
So this is how this brāhmaṇa in the story of Sri Ramakrishna, his hands, presiding deity of his hands, is everybody's hands is Indra. So whatever good I have done, it will come to me. Whatever evil I have done, it only goes. Who is the deity of feet? Viṣṇu.
==The Presiding Deities of the Sense Organs and Organs of Action==
So just I will mention a few, so you will know we all have got five organs of knowledge, input, five organs of action, output, daśendriyās, and plus mind. So if we have got ear, the directions are the presiding deity, the hearing power is the power of the ear. If I am able to touch, Vāyudevatā is the presiding deity of touch. The power of seeing belongs to the sun in the form of light. And if I am able to taste, you know, as soon as something is put on the tongue, water comes out, and water devatā is called Varuṇa. And then when I am able to smell something, they are called Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities.
===Organs of Action===
You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.
===The Mind and Its Faculties===
And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.
===Prāṇa===
So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality.
===Apāna===
Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials.
===Vyāna===
Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa.
===Udāna===
Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna.
===Samāna===
Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.
==Summary Table of Presiding Deities==
So we have got ears, that is dik, the directions. Skin, the god of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the god called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandra devatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity, is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas (Repeated)==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality. Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials. Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa. Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna. Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.

So we have got ears, that is the directions. Skin, the guard of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the guard called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting, or excreta, then it leads me to death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha. The deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandradevatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness presiding deity is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas (Repeated)==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality. Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials. Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa. Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna. Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.

So we have got ears, that is the directions. Skin, the guard of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the guard called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete, undigested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting, or excreta, then it leads me to mṛtyu, death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it is called upastha. The deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās, or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandradevatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas (Repeated)==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality. Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials. Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa. Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna. Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.

So we have got ears, that is the directions. Skin, the guard of air, air guard. Eyes, Sūrya, the sun guard. Tongue, the guard called Varuṇa. Nose, Aśvinī Kumāras, presiding deities. You will have to apply in the same way. If I am able to speak, because of the Agni devatā, if I am able to grasp through my hands, Indra devatā. If I am able to walk, Viṣṇu devatā. If I am able to excrete, and digested food, it is because of what? Yamadevatā. If I am unable to do that beautiful name, if I am unable to throw out what is becoming poison in my body, either vomiting or excreta, then it leads me to mṛtyu, death, this body will not survive. And if I am able to procreate, generative organ, not my organ, it's called upastha, the deity is called Prajāpati, Prajāpati means one who multiplies the prajās or species.

And what about the mind? We have a mind. So if I am able to think, to doubt, and to waver, saṃśayātmikā Chandradevatā. That is why some people go mad, the adhipati of madness, presiding deity is Chandradevatā, the moon. That's why lunatic asylum, the person is called lunatic, because his mind is not under control. If I have got tremendous power of understanding, discrimination, buddhi, he is called Brahmā, because I am able to understand the scriptures, etc. And if I have got the sense of I and mine, ahaṃkāra, Śiva, Rudra, they are the presiding deities. It is their manifestation, unfortunately we attribute it to our own self. And if I am able to keep in memory, it is again Viṣṇu devatā, chitta.
==The Five Prāṇas (Repeated)==
And then we have got five prāṇas. Just I am giving you so that we understand what is going to come in this first section, also in the future sections. So this prāṇa, whenever we breathe, that is called prāṇa, prāṇavāyu, is divided, subdivided into five parts, prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna.

So what is the prāṇa? Prāṇa means what? Respiration and inward vitality. Apāna means downward movement, and which helps elimination of unwanted materials. Vyāna, it digests the food that we have, it is the prāṇa which digests, that's why it is called Agnidevatā. Circulation and distribution of energy, which converts food into energy, and that is called function of the vyāna part of the prāṇa. Udāna, upward movement, speech, associated with departure from this world, and also, as I said, to vomit, and to throw out excreta, etc., udāna. Then samāna, it equally it digests the food and then assimilates it.
==Conclusion: Everything Is the Manifestation of Saguna Brahman==
So why am I cataloging all these things? Not to bore you, to understand what we call I, the body and mind, actually is the manifestation of Saguna Brahma Īśvara in the form of the presiding deities, and also adhibhautika form, and he has given us an individual ego, which we should not misuse saying I am eating, it is the God who is eating, etc. If we can have this knowledge always, whatever we do, I am eating food, who is eating? It is God who is eating. And who what is this God eating? God is eating only God, mother Annapūrṇā. Who is drinking? Jaladevatā is drinking, Gaṅgā devatā. Like that, you apply.

In the end, what do we find? As Sri Ramakrishna says, like the peeling of onions, nothing is left out. So when all these pañcakośas are removed completely, what remains is pure Ātman. When we remove this three gross, subtle, and causal bodies, what remains is Brahman. And this particular yajña, pūjā, is the only means, we have to begin somewhere, like elementary school or even nursery school, gradually progress. That is the purpose of this particular section. And how beautifully, if we keep this in background, we can really become enlightened, and this we will see in our next class.
==Closing Prayer==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]

Aparokshanubhuti Lecture 02 Intro on 28-October-2026

2026-11-03T03:28:12Z

Bhama:

==Invocation==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

पादपद्मेतयोस्त्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

pādapadmetayos tritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

ॐ श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानां आलयं करुणालयम्।

Oṃ śrutismṛtipurāṇānāṃ ālayaṃ karuṇālayam।

नमामि भगवत्पादं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्।

namāmi bhagavatpādaṃ śaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaram।
==Introduction==
We have taken up the study of one of the secondary scriptures called Aparokṣānubhūti—direct experience that I am Brahman alone. That is called direct experience.

As I mentioned in my last class and many other classes, every experience that we have in this world is indirect, parokṣa. The Sanskrit word parokṣa means that which is indirect.

Why is it indirect? Because first the picture, for example, comes to the eye, then that eye presents it to the mind, and the mind presents it to the consciousness or buddhi, and then we will understand, oh, I see an object.

It is like, as I said, watching a football match on a monitor. But there is another kind of experience. Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example that we see—somebody heard about sugar, somebody has seen sugar, but somebody has tasted sugar.

Hearing and seeing fall under indirect experience. Of course, some knowledge has come, but he doesn't know what is the nature of the sugar.

But the moment even one grain of sugar touches the tongue, immediately that is direct experience, aparokṣa anubhūti. Parokṣa means indirect, aparokṣa means direct.

And what is this knowledge? We are thinking that what we see is parokṣa, what we do not see, that is aparokṣa—what we see is direct, and that alone is the truth.

This world is real, God is unreal, because nobody sees or hears him, etc., and accepting for a few people called saints saying we have experienced God, nobody had done so.

So that is what most of us think, that God is indirect, we are not experiencing him directly, we are hearing about him, we are being taught about him, whereas we see things very directly.

That is the impression we get. On the contrary, every scripture tells us that whatever you experience through the five sense organs, through the body, through the mind, is indirect experience.

But in reality, since you are Brahman, whenever you say 'I' in ignorance, or ignorantly, we say I am the human, I am a human being, I am so and so, etc.

On the contrary, it is Brahman who has become the entire creation, but unfortunately we are not feeling him. Every liberated soul, jīvanmukta, feels that he is Brahman.

He is Brahman means there is no one separate from him. He knows it directly. But these ideas are very difficult to understand.
==The Prasthāna Traya and Prakaraṇa Granthas==
That is why there are two types of books, main books, which are called Prasthāna Traya—Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā, and Brahma Sūtras.

And it is very difficult to understand them. Upaniṣads are very difficult, Bhagavad Gītā is much simpler, and Brahma Sūtras is created by Vedavyāsa to resolve the apparently seeming contradictions that we come across various Upaniṣads.

And that is what he wants to say in the first four chapters called Samanvaya Adhyāya. Samanvaya means harmony. There is no disharmony between any given two Upaniṣads.

So these are the three books. All the three books have massive commentaries, taking from the simplest word meaning to the highest difficult commentaries by great ācāryas like Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, etc.

So they are called the main scriptures, Prasthāna Traya. But to make these scriptures understand properly, a different type of scriptures have been written by people. They are called Prakaraṇa Granthas.

We can translate them roughly as easily understandable textbooks. Of these textbooks, there are two types.

One type gives all Vedānta completely, but in a very shortened form, and also in very easily understandable language.

But there are beginners who may not be able to understand them. For that kind of people, very beginners, they have written another type of book, secondary type of Prakaraṇa Granthas, which some of them, they give the basic terminology.

If you want to study physics, you must be familiar with certain words. Without that, you will not be able to understand. In mathematics, addition, multiplication, etc., they are the basic terms.

And instead of using long words, they have invented some symbols: plus, minus, into, and divided, etc., etc.

So the basic etymology, that is you are reading this word Brahman. What does Brahman mean? What does Ātman mean? What does Māyā mean?

So there are few books are there to explain these preliminary or introduction to the words that are used, terms that are used in these tough Vedāntic scriptures.

For example, one of the simplest introduction to this terminology to understand Vedānta is Tattvabodha. Tattva means truth, bodha means teaching.

So what is Brahman, what is Ātman, what is Māyā, what is the body, what are the sense organs, what are the three types of experiences—waking, dream, deep sleep.

What are the Pañcakośas, five coverings that every prāṇī has got? And what does it mean to say 'I am Brahman' or 'You are that Brahman', etc.

So this is the simplest one. And I think anybody who is interested in Vedānta should first go through this terminology, otherwise later books will be difficult to understand.

But one who has thoroughly grasped these simplistic terms, it will be very easy for that person to wade through this beautiful teaching.

I say 'waded' because literally it is very confusing, and especially Hinduism seems to be too much confusing for many people.

So the whole Vedāntic teaching is so huge. Many ācāryas have decided to present these teachings in an easy format, and they are called Prakaraṇa Granthas.

So as I said, some give a more elaborate explanation. So, for example, Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. It gives all the concepts, etc.

But as I mentioned, Tattvabodha is an introductory book to enter into the Vedāntic teaching. This is one definition.

And also, some of the secondary scriptures, Prakaraṇa Granthas are called secondary scriptures, they focus on a particular topic and then go into greater details.
==Aparokṣānubhūti: Direct Experience==
For example, this Aparokṣānubhūti. So we are all Brahman. According to Vedānta, there is no doubt about it.

God is the creator and we are the created. Every religion accepts it. But what type of creation is it?

Is it like a potter taking clay and fashioning pots, or is it like a wax garden where the wax is shaped into many different objects?

So this Aparokṣānubhūti wants to talk especially a few things. I will come to that.

But anubhūti means experience, aparokṣa means direct experience. It is not that after some time we are going to have a direct experience.

We are already Brahman. We do not need to see Brahman to experience Brahman. We are Brahman all the time.

We are Brahman. But unfortunately, we think we are not Brahman. We think we are something other than Brahman, like I am the body and the mind.

Why are we using different sentences like 'I think I am the body, I am the mind'?

Because the way we lay emphasis, if I am too much aware of the body, then I am the body.

If I am identified with my thoughts, whenever we identify our thoughts, I am happy, for example, I am unhappy, I am elated, I am a genius, I am a dull person.

These terms do not apply to the body. Body doesn't indicate. These are certain qualities of the intellect.

So when we feel happy or unhappy, momentarily we are experiencing our identity with the thoughts in the mind.

These are all thoughts. I am happy, I am unhappy, I am a man, I am a woman. These are all thoughts in the mind, vṛttis in the mind.

So one of the greatest of these Prakaraṇa Granthas is Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, and this Tattvabodha, etc., we are advised that you must start with this basic terminology.

Like any technical terms for understanding any technical subject are needed, like that.

But Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, overall it gives the essence of everything. This Aparokṣānubhūti, which we are studying now, it is a Prakaraṇa grantha secondary scripture, and it wants to do a few things.

And this book, which we have taken up for study, is consisting of 144 verses. This book is attributed to Ādi Śaṅkara.

But I am quite familiar with Śaṅkarācārya's language. So whenever I read some of the ślokas here, I feel a little bit difficult to believe that such kind of writing, which is in a way compared to Śaṅkarācārya's writings.

Which are poetical, almost poetical, lyrical, exquisitely beautiful, almost like poems, not a prose, and so easily understandable terms.

But here tough words are not so tough. So I personally feel it is not Śaṅkarācārya's work.

But you know in our country how many thousands of books are attributed to the authorship of Vedavyāsa, every purāṇa, 36 purāṇas and all the division of the Vedas and the great what is called Bhagavad Gītā, the whole Mahābhārata.

Excepting Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Bhagavad Gītā, Upaniṣads, they are all works of Vedavyāsa.

But I feel I think some of the works might be the works of the creations of some other authors.

And for two reasons, they attribute it to the great Vedavyāsa. One, these people are truly humble, only after studying the works of Vyāsācārya.

They have understood, and they want to dedicate: this is indirectly, it is a work of Vyāsācārya only.

So I don't want name and fame. I want people to benefit just by reading. I tried my best to simplify these Vyāsācārya's teachings.

So out of great humility and as a mark of reverence for both reasons, this Prakaraṇa, many of these works have been attributed to the authorship of Vedavyāsa.

Similarly, Śaṅkarācārya also, so many people: this is Śaṅkarācārya kṛta, written by Śaṅkarācārya himself.

And also, when we attribute it to somebody, if that somebody is accepted as an authority, these works also gain the same level of authority.

So for various reasons, but I think mostly out of great humility, 'I don't want, I don't care for my own name and fame, but I want to do some good, I want to serve myself to these people.'

Like that, many people attribute their authorship directly to Vedavyāsa or Śaṅkarācārya, etc. It's a very common thing.

So this is called a Prakaraṇa grantha which we had taken up. So even there also there are some small works, some big works, etc.

So this book is named Aparokṣānubhūti, direct knowledge that I am Brahman.
==Direct vs. Indirect Knowledge==
But of course, whenever we say it is direct knowledge, only until we realize that I am Brahman, it is not direct knowledge, it is indirect knowledge.

And whatever we experience in this world is definitely indirect knowledge. There is no such thing as direct experience, as I mentioned earlier.

And we have to keep that point all the time in the mind to get 100% knowledge of any object, we must become one with that object.

So until even though we are Brahman, because of ignorance, we think we are not.

Therefore, the conclusion is the consequences are nobody is ever going—I am going to God, I want to see God.

God dwells somewhere else, is separate from me. Although the ideas are completely mistaken notions.

What we have to say, I have to believe my teacher tells the scripture tells that I am Brahman.

But I am unable to comprehend because of my ignorance. Ignorance means identifying or denying my true nature and claiming I am something else.

So now, at this moment, when we are in the state of ignorance, Brahman's knowledge, the knowledge of Brahman, is parokṣa only.
==Brahman as Sat-Cit-Ānanda==
But Brahman is sat-cit-ānanda. Brahman is satyam, jñānam, anantam, and there is nothing in this world which is separate from Brahman.

Therefore, everything is Brahman. When I look at something, that is Brahman. The looker is also Brahman.

The seer is also Brahman, the scene is also Brahman, the experiencer is Brahman, the experienced is Brahman, the subject is Brahman, the object is also Brahman.

But we do not know it, so we have to start seeing, to follow the footsteps of a great mahāpuruṣa, great soul, and that is what is called following a teacher.

Therefore, we have to remember something very, very important. Brahman, or in simple terms God, is nitya aparokṣa.

If God is everything, then everything is God only, and nothing exists separate from him, because he is anantam, is infinite.

Then the question comes, if I am Brahman, how come that the scriptures tell us, Sri Ramakrishna tells us, you have to realize God, aparokṣa jñānam?

Parokṣa means remember in Sanskrit, indirect knowledge.

No, we never have direct knowledge either of any object in this world, but then from the Brahman's viewpoint, there is nothing excepting Brahman.

So I am Brahman, and what I am experiencing is also Brahman.

But this knowledge will come only after what we say, we progress in spiritual life.

Remember Taittirīya Upaniṣad, there are three types of joy: moda, pramoda, and ānanda.

When I desire some object, think that object can make me very happy, the knowledge of that object is called moda.

And I become certain that object is existing, that is called moda.

When I experience or see that object directly in front of me, I touch it, I smell it, I see it, I hear it, I touch it, etc., that is called pramoda.

Still, both these moda pramoda are indirect experiences only.

But as soon as I said one grain of sugar touches my tongue, then that is the direct experience, we call it ānanda.

So in this Aparokṣānubhūti book, both direct knowledge and indirect knowledge, both are analyzed in detail.
==God as Everything==
What we need to understand is, according to Advaita Vedānta, or even Dvaita Vedānta, God is everything. That is why whenever we chant Puruṣasūktam or Nārāyaṇasūktam, etc.

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः।

sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ।

Whatever we see, some head we see, that is God's head, some hand God's hand, some eye God's eye.

So some leg God's leg only. So who is seeing? God is seeing, who is hearing? God is hearing.

And who is experiencing? God is experiencing. Whom is God experiencing? God is experiencing God only.

So if Brahman is infinity, then there is no question of me separately existing from anything infinite which is Brahman or God.

But Brahman manifests in the form of consciousness. Whenever we get any type of knowledge, it is only because of awareness, consciousness.

And without awareness, the world doesn't exist at all. When we say I see or hear, it means I am conscious, there is something there, and that consciousness is modified in that particular five-fold manner: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, etc.

And mind also is nothing but Brahman. Remember, Brahman manifested first as the five subtle elements called tanmātrās, then they became grossified and divided and mixed up.

That is, combination of both these is what we call life, both the mind as well as the body.

So no one is away from Brahman, no one can be away from Brahman. It is not possible.

But still, it is not our direct experience, for that we have slowly give up our identity.

As we saw in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad, every time we give up identity with the grossest covering, then we are including it as myself in the next level.

That is like climbing a staircase. A house has got five stories, I have to reach the roof.

Then as Ramakrishna says, the same material which is with which the roof is made is also the same material with which the whole house is made.

That is called direct experience, aparokṣa anubhūti.

So do not get confused between parokṣa and aparokṣa. Parokṣa means indirect, aparokṣa, not indirectly, directly. That is called aparokṣa, anubhūti means experience.
==Self-Ignorance and Self-Knowledge==
And at this moment, we are not aware of it. Why? Because we are having self-ignorance.

What is self-ignorance? Ignorance of who I am, who you are, one's own self. And this ignorance has come in between.

It is not our nature, somehow it came like a cover, it hides the sun of knowledge, therefore we have to remove it.

And ignorance can be destroyed, can be removed only by right knowledge, that is called self-knowledge, and that is called Brahma Vidyā—knowledge of the self, knowledge of Brahman.

So the point is, nobody lacks Brahma experience. We are experiencing only Brahman.

Rather, I better put it this way: Brahman alone is experiencing Brahman. But because of ignorance, I am thinking I am not Brahman, and what I am experiencing is also not Brahman.

Because once I come to know who I am, I will come to know the entire creation is not different, separate from me.

So actually, some of the teachers tell us, there is no need to work for Brahmajñānam. We don't want to acquire knowledge, we want to destroy the ignorance.

It's a funny way of putting: when a room is dark, if many things are there, I cannot see because of darkness.

As soon as light is brought up, you are not bringing things, things are already there.

So what does the knowledge do? It doesn't give us the knowledge of the objects, it drives away darkness, and that is it.

So we are Brahman's nature is consciousness, and we are conscious of everything: our body, our mind, external world.

Therefore, it is Brahman, another name for consciousness, which is sat-cit-ānanda.
==The Role of the Guru==
But why this book then? So one Swami gives beautiful example: so you have heard of a great person, and you have never seen him.

So one day he comes along with your friend, and then your friend, you are already remember a fan of that person, maybe a great actor, actress, musician.

So one day he comes along with your friend, you see him, but you may not recognize him. But you have a friend, what does he do? This is so and so.

Ah, I have heard about you, and I have read what you have spoken, what I understood, I agree with that. I am glad.

So an already known knowledge, but indirectly, is through the introduction of the guru.

Guru is our friend, God only comes in the form of the guru. And scripture comes in the form of the guru.

There is no difference between scripture, guru, and God. We have to remember: Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇuḥ.

So instead of saying that, we say consciousness is everything, and because of consciousness, I am aware of this is me, I am aware this is you, etc.

Therefore, direct experience of Brahman is not a new experience, but like an introduction: oh, now I know whom I am seeing, now I know I am Brahman.

So that is what the book wants to introduce to us. Which book? Aparokṣānubhūti.
==Important Themes==
So there are certain important teachings, themes. What are they? Identity of Ātman and Brahman. That is one of the most important things.

You are that Brahman. If you are not, you will never have direct knowledge of Brahman.

==The Main Theme: Identity of Ātman and Brahman==
Because if there is world, world means what? You can never be one with the world as an object, but you can be one with the world in the form of Brahman.

This is also, I am also Brahman, you are also Brahman, etc.

So that is the main theme, and why do we not know this? Because of ignorance, is called avidyā from an individual point of view, and Vidyā alone can remove avidyā.

When we come to know that I am not the body mind, that's called liberation.

So liberation is my nature, but because of ignorance I think like a king dreaming that he is a beggar.

So he is dreaming. As soon as he wakes up, he knows, I am not a beggar, I thought I was a beggar, I was miserable, now I know I am the emperor of this whole earth.

So the purpose of this book is to teach us, and teaching is that which destroys ignorance.
==Distinction from the Non-Self and Mithyā==
And then what is distinction from the non-self? So what is the next thing? Once I come to know I am Brahman, I come to know everything is Brahman.

So there is no distinction. Until that time, ignorance means I am different, you are different, I am separate, you are separate, etc.

And then the illusion, mithyā. What is mithyā? I think you are separate from me, and you are changing, this body is also changing, this mind also is changing, that is called mithyā.

So this destruction of mithyā is called jñānam.
==The Four Prerequisites==
But in order to acquire that knowledge, we must develop certain qualifications, they are called prerequisites.

If you want to enter into medical college, you require certain prerequisites. You must have not knowledge of poetry, knowledge of literature, but knowledge, chemistry, biology, zoology, physics, etc., certain things are necessary.

So we know, we have seen in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, I hope it's all familiar, four distinct qualifications are beautifully described with the most simple but extraordinary, exquisite definitions by great Śaṅkara himself.

Who many believe is the author of this Aparokṣānubhūti, but as I said, personally I think it is somebody else.

Śaṅkaralogically, through the style, by studying the style of the ślokas that he composed.

But it doesn't matter, that's a very insignificant detail. What are these four? Viveka, Vairāgya, Śamādamādi ṣaṭka sampatti, and Mumukṣutva.

You already know, but we are going to discuss also, we have to discuss until we realize God, these subjects, these qualifications have to be developed, and they must become natural for us.

Viveka means discrimination between what is unchanging, what is real, and what is always changing.

Vairāgya means, since everything is changing, love is changing, happiness is changing, life is changing, I must have that knowledge that anything can change at any time, including my own body mind.

And therefore, I should not be unduly attached, on the contrary, I should be able to use it in a very intelligent manner to reach my goal.

And this is called vairāgya, whatever is changing, be non-attached to it, so that it should what is non-attachment?

That means if something which is changing changes, love changes, happiness changes, etc., we should not be affected by it, okay?

That is the nature of everything, etc.

And in order to get viveka and vairāgya, God has given us a certain body and mind, so we must have six qualities: śama, dama, uparati, etc.

which of course we will discuss later on, some amount of good control over the body, over the mind, etc., and concentration, and faith in God, and we must be able to have that willpower to hold on to something even if our whole mind rebels against it.

Whatever I know to be good, I must hold on, and tremendous longing is called mumukṣutvam.

So that is what we need to understand it.
==Entering the Text Proper==
So with this background, we will enter into the text proper. So śloka number one, and every Indian author thanks God.

I have seen many western authors, they thank: I am grateful for inspiring me and successfully doing for that professor, for that teacher, for that friend, for that person's suggestions, or it is dedicated to my wife, etc., etc.

But every Indian author, at least most of them, they attribute the authorship to the grace of God.

And without the grace of God, it's not at all possible for us to even to speak, to think, let alone become a poet, a good writer, or let alone shine in any field of life.

Whether as a sportsman, as an actor or actress, as a singer, as a musician, or as even as a good cook, no, it's only God manifesting: Yad vibhūti sarvabhūteṣu śaktirūpeṇa saṃsthitā.

And Bhagavad Gītā tells us so beautifully, whenever you see any greatness in any person, any object, not necessarily a human living being, a mighty river.

That is me only manifesting in the form of the river, as Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Kāverī, etc.

Great Himalayas, mountain peaks, whether it is in India, Nepal, or Switzerland, or America, that which inspires us, any object, huge lake, huge forest, wonderful building, wonderful painting.

Only talented people are manifesting God's power in that particular mould.

So music is a mould, architecture is a mould, scholarship is a mould, etc. Even AI is a mould.

It doesn't simply descend. That is the law, psychological law. What is it? You must have tremendous passion: I must discover something, I must have higher knowledge.

Then you have to work your bestest that is possible, and then one day suddenly God manifests in the form of creative ideas.

That's called AI. So everything is God, and the scripture's purpose is to tell there is no I or you or we, everything is manifestation of Brahman.

Therefore, Brahman himself is manifesting in the form of each individual opportunities, food, water, etc.

So thanks to God. God alone is doing his own work for himself, that is the conclusion.
== Maṅgala Śloka==
So the first śloka goes like that, it is a prayer to God, as we have seen before studying any Upaniṣad, we have Śāntipāṭha.

The same thing is done here, it is called maṅgala śloka, that is saluting the divine Lord and cherishing an attitude of gratefulness.

It this first śloka goes like this: Śrīharim paramānandam upadeṣṭāram īśvaram, vyāpakaṃ sarvalokānāṃ kāraṇāntaṃ namāmyaham.

I bow down to him who is called Śrīhari. Śrīhari, what is the meaning? I'll come to that. Destroyer of ignorance.

And he is of the nature of what? Supreme bliss. And who is the first teacher? God is the first teacher. Brahmā devānāṃ prathamo sambabhūva.

He is called Īśvara also, Īśvara, the all-pervading one. He is all-pervading. All-pervading means what? Accepting him nothing is there.

If you say he is infinite, every thing in that infinite is nothing but infinity only.

So we see whenever we are studying the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate, Pūrṇasya Pūrṇamādāya Pūrṇameva Avaśiṣyate.

And the cause of all creation, the whole universe, because he is only, is not creating, is manifesting himself in this particular form.

When Brahman is not manifesting, he is called Brahman. When Brahman is manifesting, in Vedāntic language, he is called Īśvara, or in the words of Ramakrishna, Brahman and Śakti are one and the same.

When there is activity, and by activity Ramakrishna meant creation, preservation, and recycling.

When our mind thinks there is no creation, it's no activity, that's called Brahman. When there is activity, then I call it Śakti. Śakti means energy, energy means activity.
==Meaning of Śrīhari==
So Śrīharim, every word has its own meaning. Śrī is a maṅgala.

That's why Lakṣmī Devī's name is Śrī. That's why whenever we utter Ramakrishna's word, we say Śrī Ramakrishna, Śrī Śrī Mā, Śrī Rāma, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, etc.

Śrī is a very beautiful word. Śrī means that which contains every wonderful quality is called Śrī.

That's why even in Lalitāsahasranāma, every first nāma, name, nāma means name, probably from that word nāma only the English word had come, name, nāma, many Sanskrit words have become part of the other literature, other languages.

Especially English, they borrowed so many things.

Harim, if you understand, if you recollect the story of Ramakrishna, of the family of goldsmiths, Hara Hara, still away this person is a dull dull person, not very intelligent person.

He brought some gold, so take away some gold. Hari Hari, okay, it is I have already looked at his face, I have done the job even before you have told me because so many times I you have told me and I know now what to do.

Hari means he who destroys. What does what can God destroy? Anything that is non-God.

God is of the nature of knowledge. What can knowledge destroy? Ignorance.
==Attributes of the Lord==
So I bow down to God who is having these epithets. And what is his this nature? Paramānandam, ānanda svarūpam, incomparable bliss.

What does it mean? It means that bliss which can never be broken, limited by time, space, and object.

Upadeṣṭāram, he is the first teacher, because somebody has to teach. That is why the creator Brahmā is depicted often as four faces, indicating that he is of the embodiment of knowledge, and in Sanskrit knowledge is called Veda.

Veda means knowledge. So he is the embodiment of knowledge. He is the first, he created the world, and he taught this Brahmavidyā.

He is the first teacher, and Īśvara, Īśvara means he who is both material as well as intelligent cause.

So we have discussed that idea earlier, just to recollect briefly: when we see a pot, the pot is the result of two types of causes.

Clay is called the material cause, and the potter have that intellect to say: I want to shape this clay in this particular form and make it permanent as far as possible by kneading it, removing all rubbish, and shaping it on a wheel, and then baking it so that it can last for some time.

So he is Bhagavān Īśvara is both the material as well as efficient cause.

That is what exactly Ramakrishna means by Śakti. Śakti, Īśvara, Brahman, only Īśvara means saguna brahma, creator.

Śakti means saguna brahma, creatrix. And what is the nature? He is anantam. Vyāpakaṃ sarvalokānām. He is the vyāpakam, is all-pervading.

That all-pervading means not like space pervading everywhere, every pot, no.

It means he alone is the truth. I don't exist, nothing else exists, there is no second object, only one object, and that is Brahman.

So that is expressed here. He is everywhere. For the sake of the sādhanā, spiritual practice, we will have to say sarvalokānāṃ vyāpakam, like clay manifests itself in every pot, every what is a pot?

A form, a shape, a size, that's all. It is nothing but only clay.

So what is this creation? Nothing but creator. Creator with name and form is called creation.

Creation without name and form is called creator. And when there is no nāma rūpa, even that epithet cause also disappears.

And from him the whole universe is manifested, kāraṇāntam, he is the supreme material out of whom all the universes have come.

We have to say all the creation has come, taṃ namāmyaham. I salute, I bow down, I surrender myself.

For what purpose? So that this work I am I have undertaken to write for the for my own welfare, and for everybody's welfare.

That is a prayer, like Śāntipāṭha. Kindly remove every obstruction and bestow me with what? Like Kālidāsa says, that both with the correct word and also a beautifully formulated word with the correct meaning.

When we use language, we have to take care that the words we use correspond to their right meanings.

Otherwise, knowledge cannot be conveyed. When I mean something and I use another word, we have to be convinced.
==Summary of the First Śloka ==
So this first śloka is called maṅgala śloka. Here the Lord is invoked for the successful completion of the text of this Aparokṣānubhūti.

And it is not only this author, whenever we get up in the morning, would say a new creation has started.

After deep sleep, a new creation has come. And if I go on thinking him, thinking of him, I must slowly manifest his nature.

First, I know I exist because of his existence.

I know I am conscious, and because of his consciousness, and I am I know whenever I am happy, that is because of his nature, which is ānanda svarūpa.

Thus, I am sat-cit-ānanda.

So what is the summary of this first śloka? Īśvara darśana, realization that everything is Īśvara, means learning to see this world itself as viśvarūpa darśana.

What is the author saying? This world that you see, my friend, in front of you, is nothing but God.

And you are not seeing so far this world as God. And that world includes even you.

So first learn that you do not exist, only God exists. Your body is God's body, your mind is God's body.

And once you learn that, you will understand easily everybody's body is only God's body, everybody's mind is also God's mind.

So the author bows to Śrī Hari as limitless fullness, the all-pervading source, and the substance of creation, and the teacher through whom spiritual knowledge is transmitted.

He is the creator, he is the teacher, and he is the student, he is the teaching, he is everything.
==Second Śloka: Means and Purpose==
Now, briefly we will proceed to the second śloka. Aparokṣānubhūti vai procyate mokṣasiddhaye, sadbhireva prayatnena vikṣaṇīyā muhurmuhuḥ.

So this in this second verse śloka is expounded the how to attain to that knowledge, Brahmavidyā, that I am Brahman.

So what is the means? What is the pathway to that aparokṣānubhūti, self-realization, direct experience, not by books?

And for what purpose? For achieving that liberation.

I am not going to achieve liberation. I am ever liberated, but I am thinking at this moment I am bound by the body, by the mind, by limitations, by finitude.

No. So who can get benefit from reading this book? Only the pure in heart should constantly, and with all their power, make effort to meditate upon the truth herein taught.

Aparokṣānubhūti—this work which I specially I have undertaken to expound, what for? Procyate mokṣasiddhaye, for the purpose of attaining mokṣa or liberation.

What is the purpose of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna? Mokṣa. What is the purpose of the Gospel of Holy Mother? Mokṣa.

What is the purpose of every scripture in the world? Mokṣa.

What is mokṣa? To know that I am never bound, and I am never going to be bound.

But so long as I think, like in a dream, somebody bound me and beating me black and blue, and a blow had come, specially strong blow, and that woke me up from the dream,

and then I realize it was only my thought, it is not reality.

So to understand that I am Brahman, I was never bound, I am ever free, I was, I am, I will be.

But to get rid of that ignorance, sadbhiḥ, by good people, spiritual aspirants, pure people, prayatnena vikṣaṇīyā, they must study this work muhurmuhuḥ, again and again and again.
== Preparing the Ground: Qualifications of a Student==
So from this second verse beginning, and to several verses, I think nine or ten verses, this author, let us say Śaṅkarācārya himself, prepares the ground for the teaching.

And what does preparing the ground means? That I must be a fit student.

You don't simply take a baby and put him in the college. He has to be accustomed to go to the kindergarten, play there, and be comfortable with other children,

and slowly slowly he will be learning a little bit of new word, some objects through living examples, etc., through play, through drawing, etc.

And gradually, as he passes through the elementary school, middle school, high school, then college, and then after completing master's degree, then only he can enter into the PhD class.

So four conditions are here, described, which tells us whether we are fit students even to read this book or not.

Of course, you are free as a free citizen, you can buy this book, you can borrow this book, you can read this book, you can teach this book.

That's a different issue. But it is meant for the destruction of ignorance, and if that has to take place, we have to develop or we have to become fit students.

And we have to take the right book with the right intention.

They are called four conditions, even before I enter into the study. And about these four conditions, which are in Sanskrit called anubandha catuṣṭaya.

Catuṣṭaya means fourfold. Anubandha means necessary conditions, even to read this book, much less understand, etc.

Anubandha catuṣṭaya. We will talk about them in our next class.
==Closing Prayer==
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

पादपद्मेतयोस्त्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

pādapadmetayos tritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!
[[Category:Aparokshanubhuti]]

Aparokshanubhuti Lecture 02 Intro on 28-October-2026

2026-11-03T03:26:49Z

Bhama: Created page with "==Invocation== ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्। Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum। पादपद्मेतयोस्त्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः। pādapadmetayos tritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ। ॐ श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानां आलयं कर..."

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 04 Ch1 on 07-May-2016

2026-11-01T21:13:56Z

Bhama: Created page with "Category:Chapter 1"

[[Category:Chapter 1]]

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T21:10:08Z

Bhama: /* The Story of Sāvitrī and Satyavān */

[[Category:Chapter 1]]

== Invocation ==
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय मृत्योर्मा अमृतंगमय ।

oṃ asato mā sadgamaya tamaso mā jyotirgamaya mṛtyormā amṛtaṃgamaya .

Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real, from ignorance to illumination, from death to immortality. Oṃ, peace, peace, peace be unto all.

If you have noted down, there are some what is called dhyāna ślokas, ślokas on meditation on the Bhagavad Gītā. I will discuss about it slightly later on. Today's class. I have selected four because they are very easy to chant. So if you still remember please join me.

ॐ प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये । ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥

oṃ prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye | jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ ||

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः । पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ | pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṃ gītāmṛtaṃ mahat ||

वासुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् । देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

vāsudevasutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam | devakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ||

मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् । यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥

mūkaṃ karoti vācālaṃ paṅguṃ laṅghayate girim | yatkṛpā tamahaṃ vande paramānandamādhavam ||
==Class Outline and the Essence of the Scriptures==
Today's class, first we will discuss what are the special features of the Bhagavad Gītā. Second, there are nine dhyāna ślokas. Dhyāna means meditation. Why is meditation so very important? We will discuss about it. Then third, an outline of the first chapter of which I have already sent you notes. And those who want these notes please contact Mr. Janak. He is here and he will send you the notes. It will be very useful. Even if you do not go through the whole class, but if you just go through the notes, these notes are like sūtras. Sūtra means a thread. So that will remind us what we had discussed previously and also prepare us for what is going to come next.

So, first, what are the important points, special points? Every scripture has got some very special message. Though all scriptures ultimately, in essence, teach the same truth, but every scripture has got some emphasis on certain special points. And the Bhagavad Gītā and the teachings of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and Swāmī Vivekānanda, they come very close together. In fact, I have told many times that if you have not read the Vedas, which are our foundational scriptures, but if you have read the Gītā, it is as good as, equivalent to, the study of the Vedas. And if you have not read the Gītā, but if you have read the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, it is as good as reading, understanding, studying the Bhagavad Gītā. So those who have read the important teachings of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa... By the Gospel means, again, I can summarize, I have summarized the Gospel as five commandments of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. And if you have understood the five commandments of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, you have understood the entire Gospel. If you have understood the entire Gospel, then you have understood the Gītā. And if you have understood the Gītā, you understood the entire Vedas.

And even if you have doubts whether I understood or not, you need to understand only one sentence from the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. What is that sentence? What is the essence of the Gītā? The essence of the Gītā is what you get by repeating that word again and again, then it becomes tyāgī. Tyāgī means give up. Give up what? Give up unreality. Give up the wrong CV we are cherishing now and get the right CV. So if we remember that, we have remembered the whole thing.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is a past master in summarizing things. On the very first day M met Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, he summarized the entire Vedas. If you remember, just to remind you, what is that? What is the essence of sandhyā? Sandhyā means the upper caste people do at dawn and dusk, that is called sandhyā. Sandhyā means the junction between day and night. So what do these people do? They have a special kind of upāsanā or meditation which is called sandhyā. Sandhyā means actually that junction between day and night. But because at that time these people do elaborate rituals, that is why it goes by the name of the dawn-dusk worship. If you cannot do that, he condensed it. What is it? Gāyatrī. If you cannot do even the Gāyatrī, he said it is condensed into one syllable: Oṃ.

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् ।

omityekākṣaraṃ brahma vyāharanmāmanusmaran |

The Bhagavad Gītā tells us, if a yogī remembers this one akṣara, it's very interesting. Akṣara, it is called akṣara. Oṃ iti eka akṣaram. Eka means one. Oṃ, then he attains to the supreme reality.
==The Four Puruṣārthas==
So, coming back, we will discuss very briefly, why briefly? Because during our further talks, these things will be discussed elaborately as and when the topic comes. But I am highlighting what are the special points of the Bhagavad Gītā which it specializes crystal clearly about it. The first thing, I already mentioned, what is Hinduism? Hinduism is nothing but the explanation of four puruṣārthas. What are they? Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. And it is curious to know that it is not only Hinduism, this is the essence of every religion. What does it say? Man is after happiness. Most of the people are after limited happiness, a few people want infinite happiness. So all people can be divided into two categories: those who want small happiness or those who want infinite happiness. Now even that statement, everybody wants only limited happiness, is a wrong statement in reality. Even worldly people, they want infinite happiness. But what it should be translated as: those who use limited instruments get limited happiness, and those who use no instrument get infinite happiness. But the way to the infinite happiness is from the limited instruments to the beyond the any instrument. So first use the body, then use the mind, then go beyond both body and mind. That should be the thing.

So every religion, it only teaches us these two facts. Puruṣārthas. How man can attain either temporary limited happiness or he can also get infinite happiness. Now let us not have a mistake that people want temporary happiness. No, they do not want temporary happiness. But they would not use the proper instruments to get infinite happiness. Why? Because of the power of māyā. Māyā makes them use limited instruments and very very feeble way of using it and that's why the result also will be according to what instrument we use. I gave the example, God is like an ocean. So if you go to the ocean, two points you note. You don't need to beg an ocean that you give me some water. It doesn't even know that you want water. You take as much as you want. But how much can you bring back? Depends upon what instrument you take, what utensil you take, to bring it. This is a very apt illustration because otherwise we think God has to be pleased, He has to be begged, then He will say, 'Let me think about it. And then if I feel like giving to you, I will give.' Then how much I feel like giving to you, I will give. That is a wrong... it is just like an ocean. Open. You go and take what you want. Like light. Sūrya Bhagavān never says, 'You take only this much light.' It depends upon us.

So every religion is nothing but an exposition of these four values of human life. Human life because it is called puruṣārtha. Puruṣa-artha. Puruṣa means human being. Not man. Indians can mistake, you know, puruṣa. This teaching is meant only for men. No, they are not puruṣas. Puruṣa means human being. Every human being can and must want, or strive after, there is no choice here, of four supreme values. These values are subdivided into two. One is the instrumental value and another is the intrinsic value, final value. Dharma, artha, and kāma are instrumental values. And mokṣa is the ultimate, intrinsic value. Instrumental means that which is meant for something else. Intrinsic means it is a value in itself by itself, not for anything else. So everything else is meant for happiness. Why do you want to attend Gītā class? I want knowledge. Why do you want knowledge? I want to get rid of, tackle with problems. Why do you want to tackle with problems? I want to be happy. And why do you want to be happy? There is no answer. I want to be happy because that's my nature. That's what I want. It doesn't lead to something else. Puruṣārtha. So this is the first point. The Bhagavad Gītā crystal clearly expounds the nature of the four puruṣārthas. And clearly points out that the very first value we have to seek is dharma. And that is why the Bhagavad Gītā starts with what? Dharma.

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे

dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre

And then it also ends with dharma.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य

sarvadharmānparityajya

So we will discuss these points in elaboration. That is the first thing.
==Divine Incarnation (Avatāra)==
Second, in the Hindu scriptures, especially Hindu scriptures, and in no other scriptures you will get such an idea about incarnation of God. In the Hindu scriptures, there are several, what is called, unclear and indirect references to the fact of God incarnating as a coming down as a human being. For example, in the Bhāgavatam we get 10 incarnations, 24 incarnations, and many many incarnations. In the Rāmāyaṇa, Rāma himself is supposed to be an incarnation of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. So, why does what is an incarnation of God? When does he incarnate? And how does he incarnate? And what does he do? I think in our last class, we have clearly discussed these points. This has been so clearly categorically taught in the Bhagavad Gītā. So, just to remind ourselves. When does God incarnate or how many times does he incarnate? How many times? Infinite number of times. When there is a need, God comes.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिः

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ

So here also, a small point to be noted down. What does when dharma goes down, what does it mean? It means when man becomes profoundly confused, unhappy. When man becomes very very unhappy. And doesn't find a solution. Let me elaborate a little bit here. There are small unhappinesses, you know, a mosquito bites. You don't pray to God... Or a... so the point here is, there are so many types of miseries, unhappinesses, for which we have means. Though temporary, we have means. And we know when we know we have means, then we don't pray to God, you have to come down. But a time comes, and that is what the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā is going to tell us, that when such a profound grief overtakes, possesses a person, he says, I have, I don't see any way out. No scripture can help. No guru can help. Nothing in this world can help. There is only one remedy. And that is, God himself has to come and help me. But God doesn't come down for the sake of one person. When the whole humanity, whole world, this is an important point, God doesn't incarnate for a particular region, particular country, particular religion, particular segment of humanity. He comes for the welfare of the entire world. Why? Because the entire world is nothing but creation of God. In his eyes, there is no, there are no foreign countries. In his eyes, there is no foreign country. But we all have foreign countries, you know. Do you know what is foreign country? In case you don't know, every other person is a foreign country. Philosophically, psychologically, we just don't have any entry into that other country. No visa allowed. If visa allowed also, I will share my thoughts with you means what, I will give you temporary visa. That's it. For God, the whole universe is like a mother looking after the, after her children. So he comes. This is what. When a large segment of humanity is undergoing profound misery, grief, suffering. And when there is nobody who can point out a way, God incarnates as a human being. And what does he do? Dharma sthāpanā. How does he do it? So what is the cause of grief? Any type of grief has a cause. Grief is an effect. Therefore it must have a cause. What is the cause? Ignorance in some respect or the other. Ignorance. Ajñāna. What is ajñāna? Not knowing what is the problem. Not knowing what is the solution. What did I say? Not knowing what is the problem. We do not even know what is the problem.

There is a beautiful parable which illustrates this. This, what is it called, Sufism has created one, there was one author called Idries Shah. He created a character called Mulla Nasruddin. The exploits of Mulla Nasruddin. So what happened? One day he lost a ring in a pool. And he saw there were lots of people, hundreds of people taking bath in that pool. There was another pool nearby. Nobody was going there. So he went into that pool and started searching. After some time someone saw him and said, 'Mulla what are you searching?' And he said, 'I lost my ring, so I am searching for it.' So the other person joined, some other persons joined. 100 persons joined, and they were all searching. 101 person. One person came. And he asked, 'Mulla what are you all doing?' 'Sir I am searching for my ring.' 'Where did you lose it?' He said, 'I lost it in the other pool.' He said, 'If you have lost in the other pool, why are you searching here?' Then he said, 'That, you see, there were there are so many people, it is crowded, it is difficult to search, so the here it is clear, so I am searching here.'

So we do not even know what we are suffering from. Only the first thing is, if we are diagnosed, this is your problem. What am I talking about? This is in the first chapter of the Gītā. How did the Gītā start? Arjuna was going through profound misery. But he had a readymade diagnosis. These are the reasons why I am suffering and this is the remedy also. Then Kṛṣṇa looked at him. He did not speak a single word, just kept mum. Because he didn't seek his advice. Unwarranted advice, Kṛṣṇa will not give unwarranted advice. We are all experts, you know. We are all eager to give unwarranted advice even people don't have problems also. So, what did, what did Arjuna do? He was going through a profound śoka, duḥkha, viṣāda. That's why it is called viṣāda. Then you see, he thought he knew, he knew the problem, he knew the solution. He did not know the problem, naturally he would not know the solution also. Later on, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he understood, I am confused. And so, he understood, I am confused. I don't know what is the problem. Confusion means what? I don't know the problem, and much less the solution. The only way for me is to take the help of somebody who knows both the problem as well as a solution. And that somebody should be, first of all, an objective type of person. Secondly, he should be a person who doesn't have any vested interests. Thirdly, the person must be a wise person who knows what he is talking about. These three conditions must be there. And Kṛṣṇa fulfills all the three conditions. And so he took refuge. Refuge means what? He is telling by that, that I know that I do not know. I know that you know what is the solution to my problems. And I take refuge in you. That means what? I have 100% faith and I am going to take whatever you advise me, and I am going to follow it up. And then only Kṛṣṇa opens his mouth and gives one śloka. What is that śloka? The Bhagavad Gītā starts 11th śloka of the second chapter. Until the 10th verse of the second chapter it is all a background story.

अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे । गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥

aśocyānanvaśocastvaṃ prajñāvādāṃśca bhāṣase | gatāsūnagatāsūṃśca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ ||

He says, you are grieving like a fool. You are talking like a wise person, grieving like a fool. These are opposite characteristics. Who is a wise person? Who never grieves. And who is a fool? Whatever he may talk, he doesn't have any knowledge. You are a fool pretending to be a wise man, because what is the character definition of a wise man? A wise man is a very happy person. A wise man is a very happy person. That is the definition. We are not talking about worldly happiness, we're just talking about happiness that arises out of knowledge, jñānam. That is where the Bhagavad Gītā starts. And it also ends: mā śucaḥ.

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥

sarvadharmānparityajya māmekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja | ahaṃ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||

Do not grieve. Because I will release you from all misery, every misery. And miseries belong only to two objects. All miseries spring from two sources. What are they? Body and mind. Identification with the body, identification with all problems arising from body and mind. What is the lesson? If there is a body, there will be problems. If there is a mind, there will be also problems. How do we know? We know because it is our personal experience. Every single day, when we are in deep sleep, what is that state? When there is no body, no mind. Not that there is no body, mind. There is no identity with body and mind. That's why we are blissful. And there is nobody. There may be a thousand people around us. But there would be, there is nobody in that, we are alone. Advaita. Dvaita means duality means unhappiness. Where there are two, there is problem. Anyway, there was a great soul called Vidyāraṇya and he said, once he made a very beautiful remark. He said, how spiritual aspirants should live? He said, where there are two spiritual aspirants together, it is called a village. Where there are three spiritual aspirants, it is called a city. That means if there are two people, there is every possibility that there is talk, and then misunderstanding, and problems, everything. Where there is duality, there is a problem. Where there is non-duality, there is no problem. Body-mind means it is a duality. That is why dvaita means not merely having body-mind, but having the identity that I am the body and mind.

Let me dwell a moment upon this. You see, we are all so many people, we are all sitting here together. So I, I am not identified with any of your bodies or minds. That's why I don't suffer from your problems. And you don't suffer from my problems. None of us suffer from the problems of each other. But supposing you are a family person. You have husband, or wife, children, something is not right, would you not suffer? Sometimes we suffer more than even they suffer. Yeah. Maybe a patient, and the patient is unconscious. Who suffers? We are suffering. So here also, even though they are separate from us, as though we are, we have become them. We identify ourselves with them. So that illustrates an important point here. A wise man can have body, mind, but as though he doesn't have any body and mind. That's why he has no problems. There was in fact there was a king whose name itself is bodilessness. If you remember, Videha, Janaka Mahārāja you know. Videha Janaka. It's a beautiful idea. Okay. So first point, we will expound these things in details when the topic comes. So this is only just to highlight. God incarnates and he teaches, and Gītā is God's teaching, and here what is it, it is a wonderful exposition of puruṣārthas. He reminds us, you have to have dharma, you have to have artha, you have to have kāma, but ultimately all these must be instruments which lead us to the highest puruṣārtha, what is it? Mokṣa. Mokṣa means to know who we really are, knowledge, have knowledge. That is the essence of the mahāvākya. A guru comes and tells, you know, you heard about mahāvākya? The whole Vedas contains the mahāvākya, ahaṃ brahmāsmi. It's called mahāvākya. The great sentence. Vākya means sentence. Mahā means the supreme sentence. What does it tell you? tat tvam asi, thou art that. That means you are Brahman, you are God, you are divine. Each soul is potentially divine. That's what it says.
==Validating the Scriptures==
So now we are coming to the second point. Divine incarnation. Why does he come? When a large number of humanity, his children, undergo profound grief and do not know what is the cause and do not know what is the solution, he incarnates. So what is the condition? Condition is a large number of humanity must be suffering intensely and do not know why and how to get rid of it. That is the essence of what you call sarva, what is called yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ. That is the essence of it. He also comes to validate the truth of the scriptures. That somebody has to validate. And when we are discussing the life of the Great Master, that is one of the points I made. Why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had not got any education? Is it because he doesn't have intelligence? He was very, very intelligent, super intelligent, and yet he had not cared for this kind of academic education. Why? What is the reason? Is there any special meaning in his not acquiring academic education? We already discussed. What was the point? ... You are right, but the right, real point is, it is a historical necessity. What is the necessity? These days, a kind of knowledge called psychology has come. These psychologists will tell you, all these scriptures are bunk. If anybody says, 'But I had a vision of God', 'Ah, when did you have a vision of God?' 'Oh, after reading the Bhāgavatam, I meditated, meditated means constantly I have been thinking, naturally whatever you believe, whatever you think, naturally you will, you are self-proving what you already are thinking'... So if I go on thinking about a particular form of God, then I am likely to have a vision of that particular form of God. Here psychology, these kind of psychologists come and tell us, that these are all fictions, imaginations of your brain, just because you have been thinking, you are having these visions of God. So that means all the scriptures are totally false. Somebody created a scripture, and you have read it, and then you started believing it, and praying, thinking day and night, and then you had a vision, you said, yes, the scripture is true. Now is the scripture true or because you believed the scripture, true? And you go on propagating it to your disciple, and to his disciple, like that. There is a tendency. Now Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to prove, put a stop to it and say, 'But I have not read any scriptures, I have not studied any scriptures, and yet I had all these truths abundantly conclusively proved through, what is called, prayer, only through prayer.' Now it's a very important point here is, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's incarnation proves that through intense vyākulatā, he called yearning, if one prays to God, then he will realize the same truths by the grace of God. That's what he did in the first part of his sādhanā. What is the second part? He actually followed all the scriptures, important scriptures, through proper authentic gurus who have either realized God through their path or at least advanced very highly like Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī, not a God-realized soul. Totāpurī was a God-realized soul. So through them a definite path he followed, and then he proved once again, yes, they are all true. If you follow them, you will reach the same truth.

So even then there are people who say, the same old argument, because you read and you had... But the point counter-point, how do we counter it? There is only one counter. You see, you psychologist, who comes to you, who comes for your advice? A person who is suffering from psychological problems. And they are very unhappy people. First of all, I am a very happy person. Secondly, I don't need your advice. Because people go to psychologists, what purpose? To become happy. But I am a very happy person. Then the psychologist will might counter, oh you have got money, you have got a beautiful wife or husband or children or friends and because of all these things... No, I don't have any of these things. I am like that king who doesn't have any clothes. Very happy person without any clothes. A person with clothes is very unhappy, a person without clothes is very very happy. That's what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to prove. So, in the Bhagavad Gītā we are talking about the Bhagavad Gītā, that God incarnates, and also to prove the scriptures. And the scriptures tell us three things. Mainly the scriptures teach us three things only. What are those three things? God exists. There is life after, and there are other worlds. This is what every scripture of every religion teaches. The Vedas also teach these three things. They don't teach anything else about the sun, about the moon, etc. they don't teach. Why? We can get that knowledge through our five sense organs. So what is a Veda? A Veda is one which teaches us knowledge about things which we can never obtain, even after a billion, billion years we can't obtain, through our five sense organs. So indriyātīta jñānam is called Veda, one definition. Ajñātajñāpakaṃ śāstram, another definition. That which you can never get through any other means or pramāṇa. We will discuss about what is a pramāṇa. Pramāṇa means a means of acquiring knowledge is called pramāṇa. For example, I see the table. How do I see the table? I have knowledge of the table. How do I get this knowledge of the table? Because I have got eyes. And when you talk something, I hear. And when I talk something, I hope you hear. So, to prove everything that is written in the scriptures is absolute truth, that is one of the purposes of the avatāra.
==Reincarnation and the Law of Karma==
Okay. Then reincarnation. What follows? If there is after life, there is reincarnation. Where does this idea come in the Bhagavad Gītā? He says when a person, with whichever thought he gives up his body, then his next birth is determined by that thought. There are many ślokas are there. So those who perform a lot of spiritual austerities and pūjās, etc. So what do they do? They go to heavens.

एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ।

evaṃ trayīdharmamanuprapannā gatāgataṃ kāmakāmā labhante |

They go and then they come back. Once the credit card credit is over, then they will have to come down. Many times it is there, and in fact according to the Veda, the scripture is anādi. Anādi means what? Beginningless. What does it mean? Scriptures or the Vedas are not human creations. They are eternal. So we will discuss that point also. So the Bhagavad Gītā reinforces that belief that there are other worlds and death is not the end. So when we die, we go to some other loka, up or down, happy world or unhappy world, svarga or naraka, but there is nothing called death. And that's a great relief. Yeah.

Then, similarly, the law of Karma. The law of Karma. That is what is what is karma, whatever we do. So that verse I have just now quoted, so whatever is the last thought, our next birth is determined by that thought. And what would be our last thought? Do not be under any impression, I will not think of God whole life, but last moment I will I will just think of God and I will give up the body and I will become God. It is not going to happen. Whatever thoughts we cherish throughout life, that only comes. This is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa put it in a most beautiful way. What does he say? He says whatever, when a man eats garlic, what is the belch that comes out? Garlic only. So the last thought, if you are eating garlic whole life, then you have to understand that the last thought will not be Kṛṣṇa, it will be garlic. How do we know? Next birth others will know. Whatever is your center of consciousness... That will be your last thought. Yes. I will put it the other way, because consciousness is always associated with a thought. In fact, the moment you use the word thought, even if you say 'I am thoughtless', you have to be conscious. Yeah. So that consciousness has nothing to do with thought. Our day-to-day habits have a lot to do with it.
==The Law of the Chosen Deity (Iṣṭa Devatā)==
So by the same token, this Bhagavad Gītā also reinforces one idea from the Vedas, because it is the essence of the Vedas. What is that idea? The law of the chosen deity. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa crystal clearly he says, that whichever form devotees want to worship me with, I will respond to them in that particular form. And I will reinforce their śraddhā in that particular form, so that they will attain me through that form. So first they attain me in that form, later on they attain me through that form my real nature. It is very clearly he has reinforced it. So Hinduism consists of these four doctrines, if you remember. What are those four? God alone is real, Brahman alone is the only reality. And the second is the idea that we are living in the world of māyā. And we have to get out of māyā. What is mokṣa? Mokṣa means liberation, liberation means freedom. What does freedom mean? Freedom from ignorance. Another word for ignorance is māyā. Avidyā, ajñāna, māyā, these are the words. So first doctrine on which Hinduism stands is that there is only one reality that is called Brahman. We use Vedic words. ahaṃ brahmāsmi etc. The second, what is the second one? Just now I told. Mokṣa is the only goal of life. Ultimate goal of life is mokṣa. Mokṣa means freedom, freedom from ignorance, bondage, māyā. The third is the law of the iṣṭa devatā. That is you can attain this freedom by worshipping God in a particular way, whichever way you choose. Whichever way you choose. So God can assume any form a devotee likes to worship him through. A devotee loves, I like this form of yours. And in Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's gospel you get all these things so beautifully. He says, God assumes various forms for the sake of his devotees. He says. And through that form he advances to the formless. From the formless, he advances to that which is beyond both form and formlessness. That is what Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā, through the Gītā, he conclusively he proves it. Though some of his followers have become very fanatics. Accepting through Kṛṣṇa, there is no salvation. There are some people who say, the same old argument. But the point counter-point, how do we counter it? There is only one counter. You see, you psychologist, who comes to you, who comes for your advice? A person who is suffering from psychological problems. And they are very unhappy people. First of all, I am a very happy person. Secondly, I don't need your advice. Because people go to psychologists, what purpose? To become happy. But I am a very happy person. Then the psychologist will might counter, oh you have got money, you have got a beautiful wife or husband or children or friends and because of all these things... No, I don't have any of these things. I am like that king who doesn't have any clothes. Very happy person without any clothes. A person with clothes is very unhappy, a person without clothes is very very happy. That's what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa wanted to prove.

In the Rigveda this idea of the law of chosen deity is beautifully put forward. Truth is one, but sages call it by various names.

एकं सद् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति ।

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti |

So Kṛṣṇa had come to prove that, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had come to prove that. In Bengali that's what he says, ''joto mot, toto poth''. As many faiths, so many paths. Every faith is a path. But the goal is only one. All are traveling towards the same goal, only the paths differ.
==Harmony of Yogas and Philosophies==
So in the Bhagavad Gītā, harmony of all yogas and harmony of all philosophies. Again we will discuss it when we are elaborate it when we are it comes to the point. All the yogas. How many yogas are there? Four yogas are there. Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jñāna yoga, and Rāja yoga. And so many philosophies. How many philosophies are there? Three. Dvaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, and Advaita. You take any religion in this world. Every religion falls into one or more of these schools of philosophy and takes one or more of the yogas. So every religion is a combination of one particular philosophy and one particular or more yoga path. So the Bhagavad Gītā says, that you come, everybody comes to me only, whatever path they follow. He never said this is Karma yoga is better, Bhakti yoga is better, Rāja yoga is better, or Jñāna yoga is better. Though there are some people who misuse and say jñāna mārga, the path of knowledge is the only path, ultimately everybody has to come. These are called fanatics. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa never said that, Swāmī Vivekānanda never said that, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa never said that. In fact what he says is, those who please me, I release them. Okay. Harmony of all yogas and philosophies.

Both secular and spiritual knowledge is the same, but two expressions of the same reality. So the Bhagavad Gītā's specialty is not that only spiritual knowledge... in knowledge, there is no such division. It is an important point. Knowledge has no such division. But how we use that knowledge depends upon whether it is secular or spiritual. Simple example. Here is a person who is expounding the Gītā. He has got knowledge about the Gītā. Is it spiritual or secular? Just now you are hearing from me. Knowledge by itself per se has no such division secular or spiritual. What is the motive? If this person is teaching for the sake of money, for the sake of name and fame, for the sake of honor etc., then that is called secular knowledge. But if he is doing this for the sake of pleasing the Lord, I remember a beautiful incident. Once, you know what happened. Holy Mother came to Belur Math. And you know in Belur Math that kitchen, many sādhus, brahmacāris sit and dress vegetables. Because they have to cook for 5 to 600 people. So Holy Mother went and then she saw how wonderfully the everybody was dressing the vegetables. Then she made a remark, oh these boys, they know how to dress. Then one of the swamis, I think it may be Swami Jagadīśvarānanda, he remarked. It doesn't matter what we do, our goal is to please the divine mother. If we can please the divine mother by dressing the vegetables, all that we need is her blessings. Then we cross over the saṃsāra. So the thing is, any knowledge... so a person has got, let us say, atomic knowledge. It doesn't make him damned, it doesn't make him a saint. Depends upon for what purpose we use. So that is an important point, Bhagavān here reinforces, there is no such division called secular or spiritual. Knowledge is knowledge. Saraswati is Saraswati. Whether you want to become a doctor or a whatever. It is the mother. But if we can use that knowledge to worship God, to adore God, then it is absolutely fine.

So in the Bhagavad Gītā one more point is yoga is both the goal and the path. Yoga, that is why it is

भगवद्गीतासु उपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे

bhagavadgītāsu upaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre

Yoga is both the means as well as the so when you are beginning it is the path, when you reached it is the goal. That is why he is called Yogeśvara, Yogīśvara.

यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः । तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम ॥

yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo yatra pārtho dhanurdharaḥ | tatra śrīrvijayo bhūtirdhruvā nītirmatirmama ||

That is the last verse in the Bhagavad Gītā. Grace and self-effort, they are obverse and reverse of the same coin. That is what just now I quoted. Where there is Kṛṣṇa with yoga, where there is Arjuna who is to fight. Here yoga, fight with the help of yoga. Kṛṣṇa gives you the guidance. But who has to do the fighting? Arjuna. Where these two, self-effort and grace of God are combined together, surely there will be victory, one attains to the highest goal.

Finally, the according to Swāmī Vivekānanda, there is one śloka which is the very essence of the Bhagavad Gītā. Do you know what is that?

क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते ।

klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitattvayyupapadyate |

Klaibyaṃ mā sma gamaḥ, do not become a eunuch. That means be a man, be a man. And that's what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also said, who is a man? He who is conscious of his man, and do you know what is man? māna means he who is aware of his real nature, he is real man, he is a puruṣa. So finally, the last point I wanted to say, worship God through one's own duty. See Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā itself, clearly he says, any man can reach me, by he can worship, by worshipping me. And how does a man or how should a man worship me? Through his own inherent duties. According to his station, according to the stage. Varṇa and āśrama. And what does he mean by varṇa and āśrama, these are peculiar terms which we will expound later on. These are the very essence of the special points of the Bhagavad Gītā.
==The Dhyāna Ślokas (Meditation Verses)==
Okay, now we will go to the what I call the dhyāna ślokas. What I wanted to tell you, we are not studying Gītā. Yes, we are studying Gītā. But what is Gītā? Gītā is not a book, Gītā is not a scripture, Gītā is God himself. Gītā is God himself. The Sikhs, what do they worship? Guru Granth Sahib. You know, they fan, and they put flowers, whatever we do to the image or photo of God, they do everything to the book. And this idea is reinforced in the life of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. That's why when I am discussing the Gītā, I bring Thakur's life, and when I am discussing Thakur's life, I bring also the Gītā, Upanishads, etc. Do you remember that? Every evening, morning, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to clap his hands and chant, Bhāgavata, Bhakta, Bhagavān. Or one in three, and three in one. Bhāgavatam means scripture. Bhāgavatam means doesn't mean Bhāgavatam only. It could be the Gītā, it could be the Bible, it could be the Quran, anything. Why? It's a revelation from God. Revelation from God is God himself. Revelation from God is God himself. Okay.

So, this incident, some of our devotees know. One evening, night evening, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was sitting in that particular temple at Dakṣiṇeśvara called Radhakrishna temple. And one paṇḍit was expounding the Bhāgavatam. Suddenly Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had a vision. He saw a ray of light coming from the lotus feet of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, touching the Bhāgavatam, and coming to the heart of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, and again going back to the feet of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. So like a triangle. It came from the Lord, and it touched the Bhāgavatam, and it touched the heart of the Thakur, and went back. So from that day onwards, he started, he added this also, Bhāgavata, Bhakta, and Bhagavān. Bhāgavatam, Bhakta, and Bhagavān. So what does it mean? Where there is a Bhāgavatam, there is a devotee, and there is God. Because Bhāgavatam is nothing other than God himself. And who reads the Bhāgavatam? If somebody is reading the Bhāgavatam, he must be only a devotee. Don't go on saying he could be a bookseller also. Usually it is the devotee. Where there is a devotee, there is God. Can there be devotee without God? Can there be God without devotee? If there is a God, and there is no devotee, who recognizes him that he is God? There must be a devotee to recognize that yes, yes, you are God, you are great, and I am worshipping you, and all that, then he says yes, you are right. Somebody has to certify. Yes, you are God. Where there is God, there is Bhāgavatam, means what? Where there is an object, there is knowledge. What is Bhāgavatam? Knowledge of God is called Bhāgavatam. Scripture, we are not talking about a particular book called Bhāgavatam, we are talking about scripture. So, from that day, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa understood, interesting point in this story, that ray of light did not touch the paṇḍit. It touched Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Because he was expounding it for the sake of, you know, his professional duty and he is doing it. But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is a devotee. Means where there is Bhāgavatam, there will be devotee, and there will be Bhagavān. Where there is Bhagavān, there is devotee and scripture. And where there is devotee, there will be Bhāgavatam. They are not three, but three sides of the same thing. That is what if that is true, is it true in the case of the Bhagavad Gītā also? Yes. It is true in the case of where there is the Bhagavad Gītā, there is God, there is devotee. So we have to consider it, that is why we have to salute.

So there was a great soul called Madhusūdana Sarasvatī. And he had written the most wonderful commentary on the Bhagavad Gītā, it's one of the most voluminous commentaries. Swāmī Gambhīrānandajī Mahārāj had translated it, if anybody wants to read. And he was supposed to have composed nine verses in praise of this Bhagavad Gītā. These are called meditational ślokas. Very briefly I want to give what is meditation. You want to think about Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, you want to adore Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, and then you have to meditate upon him. You want to worship Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, you have to meditate upon him. How would you meditate? So that meditation is called dhyāna. So to worship any God, so he will be like this, for example you know, if we are worshipping Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, how do we worship?

हृदयकमलमध्ये राजितं निर्विकल्पं सदसदखिलभेदातीतमेकस्वरूपम् । प्रकृतिविकृतिशून्यं नित्यमानन्दमूर्तिं विमलपरमहंसं रामकृष्णं भजामः ॥

hṛdayakamalamadhye rājitaṃ nirvikalpaṃ sadasadakhilabhedātītamekasvarūpam | prakṛtivikṛtiśūnyaṃ nityamānandamūrtiṃ vimalaparamahaṃsaṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ bhajāmaḥ ||

So if we want to meditate upon Ganesha, or Vishnu,

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् । प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥

śuklāmbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam | prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyet sarvavighnopaśāntaye ||

It is actually not Narayana's dhyāna, you know that, it is Ganesha dhyāna mantra. Yes, but it comes like that. What is the point? Point is to have a correct idea about that divinity upon whom we want to focus our mind, whom we would like to adore, worship, to think about, we must have a proper idea. That is what fulfills through this dhyāna ślokas. So in this dhyāna ślokas, there are what you call four salutations. It is salutations and thinking the greatness of this Bhagavad Gītā. What are the four salutations? Saluting the Mahabharata, saluting the Bhagavad Gītā, saluting the Lord Kṛṣṇa, and saluting the teaching ultimately. And describing why it has come, how it has come etc. Four salutations are there. So we will take up one by one.

ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयं व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्येमहाभारतम् । अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीमष्टादशाध्यायिनीमम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्गीते भवद्वेषिणीम् ॥

oṃ pārthāya pratibodhitāṃ bhagavatā nārāyaṇena svayaṃ vyāsena grathitāṃ purāṇamuninā madhyemahābhāratam | advaitāmṛtavarṣiṇīṃ bhagavatīmaṣṭādaśādhyāyinīmamba tvāmanusandadhāmi bhagavadgīte bhavadveṣiṇīm ||

First I will read the translation, then I will explain a little bit. Oṃ. O Mother Bhagavad Gītā, with which Arjuna, Partha, was enlightened by Lord Narayana Himself, which was composed and placed in the middle of the Mahabharata by the ancient sage Vyāsa, which showers the nectar of non-duality, which is glorious, which contains eighteen chapters, and which is an antidote to the experience of change, saṃsāra, I constantly meditate upon thee.

Slight explanation. So this is salutations to the Bhagavad Gītā. Because the Bhagavad Gītā is another form of Lord Himself. So it is Parthaya Pratibodhitam. To whom was this teaching given? To Partha. Arjuna. Partha is another name for Arjuna. Parthaya Pratibodhitam. Addressing Arjuna, this teaching was given. By whom? Bhagavata Narayanena Swayam. By Narayana Himself through His incarnation as Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. Swayam. So what does it mean why is it called Bhagavat Gītā? Last class I explained Gītā means what? Song. A song is very soothing. Song is very soothing. So if you have something to complain, sing a song. It will be tolerable by your husband much more easily. Or the other way around also. Yeah. So that is why it is called a song. A song is soothing and it is easy also for us to take it in instead of dry these things you know. Simple example I will give you. So if you say, hey, you must always worship God. Otherwise you will go to the very special place.

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं गोविन्दं भज मूढमते । सम्प्राप्ते सन्निहिते काले नहि नहि रक्षति डुकृञ्करणे ॥

bhaja govindaṃ bhaja govindaṃ govindaṃ bhaja mūḍhamate | samprāpte sannihite kāle nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇe ||

If you sing that, its essence is same. But it is very nicely taken. That's why it is called Bhagavat Gītā. The song of the Lord. So this Lord is addressing to Arjuna. What is important here? Every sincere spiritual aspirant is Arjuna. And for him, who is the Lord? Knowledge. So what is the antidote for ignorance? Knowledge. So knowledge is given, God himself, what does God give us? When God gives us, what does God give? Okay, tell me an ignorant person gives an advice to another ignorant person. What do you think he will give? Still more ignorance. Yeah,

अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः

andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ

One blind man leading the other blind people. So only knowledge can give true knowledge. That means God is of the nature of knowledge. So what is the Bhagavad Gītā? Knowledge. What is the Bhagavad Gītā? Bhagavān. So if he is Bhagavān, he is giving, he is of the nature of knowledge, so he is passing on that knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance from Arjuna's mind. So where do who has recorded it? Vyasena grathitam. So Vyāsa is not the author. Vyāsa is only the recorder. Like M. is the recorder of the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. He is not the author. He is only compiler. That's why we call him our Veda Vyāsa. Yes. Our Veda Vyāsa. So who is this Veda Vyāsa? Purana munina. Purana muni means purana means two meanings are there. Purana muni means one who has composed a lot of puranas. He is supposed to be the author of 18 puranas. But the other meaning of purana is that he is very ancient. That means he knows a lot. He has a lot of knowledge. So a man called Vyāsa. In fact the very word Vyāsa is not the name of a person. It is a title of a person. Vyāsa means editor, compiler. So because he compiled Vedas, so he got the name Veda Vyāsa. Editor of his real name was Krishna Dvaipayana. Krishna means, not this Kṛṣṇa. Dark. Krishna means dark. Draupadi was called Krishna. Kṛṣṇa was also called Krishna. Vyāsa was also called Krishna. Dark. And he was born in an island. And his father's name was Parashara. That's why he is called Parasharya. Which will come here. Purana munina. Where did he record it? Madhye mahabharatam. In the middle of Mahabharata. Where exactly do you know? There is a parva, a chapter called Bhishma Parva. Bhishma Parva, 25th chapter to 42nd chapter comes this Bhagavad Gītā episode. And it came 10 days after the war had started. I don't know, probably most of you are under the idea that before the war started, this Bhagavad Gītā, it was given. It was recorded when? 10 days later. Why? Because this power was given by Vyāsa to Sañjaya. And Sañjaya was narrating this at Hastināpura 10 days afterwards. 10 days passed. Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra was asking, O Sañjaya, how was it going on, having gathered, what happened, etc. Okay. So what does this Bhagavad Gītā, it is called Gītā. So he says advaita amrita varshinim. She rains down, she gives rain. What is the rain? Varsha means rain. Varshinim. What is that? Nectar. Amrita. Amrita means that which makes a mortal immortal. Is called Amrita. And what type of amrita? Advaita. Advaita means what? You are divine. Whatever way you interpret, you are divine. You are not non-divine. You are divine. And it consists of how many chapters? This Bhagavad Gītā. 18. That's why he says, bhagavatim ashtadashadhyayinim. Consisting of 18 chapters. Amba, she is not only amrita, bhagavati. Who is bhagavati? Bhagavān. Another side of Bhagavān is called Bhagavati. She is divine. Amba. Amba means o mother. Tvam anusandadhami. I meditate upon you. Like Gayatri. Bhagavad gite. O mother Bhagavad Gītā. Sambodhana. Bhagavad gite means o Bhagavad Gītā. Amba, o mother. O Bhagavati. You who consist of 18 chapters. I meditate upon you. And what do I get out of it? Bhava dveshinim. That means you destroy the ignorance of saṃsāra. Bhava means saṃsāra. Bhava sagara tarana karana he. Have you heard somewhere? Bhava. That means this world is called bhava. Bhava means becoming. The world of becoming. Bhava. From the root word bhu, it comes bhava. Bhava means this world. Worldly life. So you destroy, if anybody who listens to your teachings and follows them.
==Salutations to Sage Vyāsa==
Then salutations to Vyāsa himself, because he has taken the trouble to record it.

नमोऽस्तु ते व्यास विशालबुद्धे फुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र । येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्णः प्रज्वलितो ज्ञानमयः प्रदीपः ॥

namo'stu te vyāsa viśālabuddhe phullāravindāyatapatranetra | yena tvayā bhāratatailapūrṇaḥ prajvalito jñānamayaḥ pradīpaḥ ||

Salutations unto thee, O Vyāsa, whose intellect is vast, whose eyes are as large as the petals of a full-blown lotus, by whom was lighted the lamp of wisdom, and filled with the oil of the Mahabharata. Namostute. Salutations to Vyāsa, vishala buddhe. Vishala buddhe means of deep knowledge. What is deep knowledge? Knowledge according to scripture is of two types: secular knowledge and spiritual knowledge. Here we are referring to what? Spiritual knowledge. So what kind of person is he? Phullaravindayata patranetra. Your eyes are like, resemble like the buds of a lotus leaf. Beautiful. Swāmī Vivekānanda's eyes, compared to half-closed lotus bud. It is the most beautiful eyes. There was a devotee, a disciple of Swāmī Vivekānanda, and later on he was asked, that story will come later on. Just I'm giving in brief, that what made you follow Swāmī Vivekānanda. Was it his teachings? He said, nothing doing. I fell in love with those devilish eyes. Once I looked at them, finished. I was hypnotized by them. After that I gave up everything. You know whom I was talking about? Sadananda. Swami Sadananda, later on Sadananda. Yes, he was a railway officer etc. Okay. We will not go into that now. So salutations. What type of, he has most beautiful eyes. And there is also a beautiful meaning here. Who has beautiful eyes? A person whose eyes are full of love. And whose eyes could be full of love? Only a person who has knowledge. So you see, a mother's eyes are full of love. Why are they full of love, towards her baby? Why? This is my baby. So his eyes are full of knowledge. What is the knowledge? Everything is divine. That is the knowledge. And that's what he wanted to encapsulate through the Mahabharata, through the Bhāgavatam, as well as through the 18 Puranas beautifully. So ena tvaya bharata tailapurnah prajvalito jnanamayah pradeepah. You lit a lamp. Vyāsa, what is your greatness? You lit a lamp. What type of lamp is it? Jnanamayah. It is a lamp of knowledge. And what is the oil? You see a lamp requires oil. What is the oil here? Bharata tailapurnah. Mahabharatam is the oil. That means what? The very essence of the Mahabharata is nothing but the Bhagavad Gītā. That's what he wants, the whole Mahabharata is nothing but it is full of knowledge. Both knowledge about our life, knowledge also about our goal, and how to achieve the goal. So it is also believed, this Bhagavad Gītā is an aphorism, and the whole Mahabharata... and it consists of how many parvas? 18. It consists of 18. So that is exposition of the Bhagavad Gītā. That's what it is called.
==Salutations to Lord Kṛṣṇa==
Okay, then we move on. So salutations to Vyāsa. Then salutations to Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.

Prapannaparijataya totravetraikapanaye, jnanamudraya krishnaya gitaamritaduhe namah. Salutations to Kṛṣṇa, who is a wish-yielding tree to those who surrender to Him, who holds a whip in one hand, who is the milker of the nectar of the Gītā, and who is the embodiment of knowledge. Prapanna parijataya. To Kṛṣṇa, who is like a wish-fulfilling tree for those who take refuge in Him. Totra vetraikapanaye. To him who holds a whip in one hand, because he has to control the horses, that is why he is also called Hrishikesha, Lord of the indriyas. Unless God sits in us in the form of knowledge and controls our body and mind, we are not going anywhere. That is the idea. So to that Kṛṣṇa who holds that whip. And if the horses are going wrong, what does he do? Whip lash will come. That is what is called whenever we are undergoing a sorrow or grief, it is the Lord in the form of Dharma, he is whipping us, the purpose is that's not the way to go, that is a wrong way, you have to go to the right way. And jnanamudraya. Always jñānamudrā, so did you get this explanation? This is called cinmudrā, jñānamudrā, very briefly today I will tell you. This is called Paramatma. This is called Jivatma. At this moment Jivatma is with this sthūla śarīra, sūkṣma śarīra, kāraṇa śarīra. But when knowledge comes, he realizes I am God. Then he becomes one. And this becomes separate or assistant. So this is why it is called cinmudrā, jñānamudrā. One who is always automatically he is showing this. Such a Kṛṣṇa who is the milker, that means who is the essence of all the scriptures. Salutations to that Kṛṣṇa.

Now just only one sentence I want to add to this. That is Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa contains the milk, milk of nectar, nectar of means what? Knowledge, knowledge. So if one takes refuge in him, he doesn't need all the scriptures. Because he has done the work of squeezing the essence of the scriptures for us. He is holding the milk. After all what do you want? Do you want a cow or do you want the milk? We want the milk. So if anyone takes refuge in him, he will give that milk, and he becomes blessed. So there are other six are there. We will take up in our next class. But it is very wonderful to have these dhyāna ślokas because this will give us an idea first of all what we are going to study, secondly it gives us faith in the scripture, in God. They are not ordinary words of ordinary persons, words ordinary words, they are it is essence of nectar, and which will free us from this saṃsāra bandhana etc. and we have to salute them, that's why whenever you read Kathamrita or Gospel, you have to also salute M because it is through him that it has come. So with this we will close today's, we will chant.

ॐ वासुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् । देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

oṃ vāsudevasutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam | devakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum ||

All right, let's see after.

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T21:09:31Z

Bhama:

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T20:58:14Z

Bhama:

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T20:53:23Z

Bhama:

[[Category:Chapter 1]]

== Invocation ==
prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye | jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ ||

sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ | pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat ||

vasudevasutaṁ devaṁ kaṁsacāṇūramardanam | devakīparamānandaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ vande jagadgurum ||

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T20:50:55Z

Bhama:

[[Category:Chapter 1]]
== Introduction and Opening Prayers == Ultimately, the recorders will be more than the audience. So, before we start, any questions from the previous class? You had some questions now? On the notes. Not on the previous class, but maybe it will be already dealt with in the class. Yeah.

So, can you pose the questions? Because I have more or less forgotten what you have posed.

No, I think my question is about the notes from today's class, so I will wait till the end. Maybe it will already be discussed.

Okay. Anybody? From last Saturday's class? When was last Saturday? I think more or less we are here, so let us start the chanting.

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय मृत्योर्मा अमृतंगमय

oṃ asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā amṛtaṃgamaya.

Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real, from ignorance to illumination, from death to immortality. Oṃ, peace, peace, peace be unto all.

If you have noted down, there are some what is called dhyāna ślokas, ślokas on meditation on the Bhagavad Gītā. I will discuss about it slightly later on. Today's class. I have selected four because they are very easy to chant. So if you still remember, please join me.

ॐ प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्रवेत्रैकपाणये । ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः ॥

oṃ prapannapārijātāya totravetraikapāṇaye, jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ.

सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः । पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ, pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṃ gītāmṛtaṃ mahat.

वासुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् । देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥

vāsudevasutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam, devakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum.

मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् । यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ॥

mūkaṃ karoti vācālaṃ paṅguṃ laṅghayate girim, yatkṛpā tamahaṃ vande paramānandamādhavam.

== Class Outline and the Essence of the Scriptures == Today's class, first, we will discuss what are the special features of the Bhagavad Gītā. Second, there are nine dhyāna ślokas. Dhyāna means meditation. Why is meditation so very important? We will discuss about it. Then third, an outline of the first chapter, of which I have already sent you notes. And those who want these notes, please contact Mr. Janak. He is here and he will send you the notes. It will be very useful. Even if you do not go through the whole class, but if you just go through the notes, these notes are like sūtras. Sūtra means a thread. So that will remind us what we had discussed previously and also prepare us for what is going to come next.

Bhagavad Gita Lecture 03 Ch1 on 23-April -2016

2026-11-01T20:50:01Z

Bhama: Created page with "Category:Chapter 1"

[[Category:Chapter 1]]

Category:Chapter 13

2026-11-01T20:13:25Z

Bhama: Created page with "Category:Bhagavad Gita"

[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 11 on 10 January 2021

2026-11-01T20:12:21Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSA CHANURAMARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GITAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARODI VACHALAM PANGAM LANGAYATI GIRIM
YAT KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAM ADHAVAM
We have been studying the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Almost we have come to the very end of this 12th chapter.
We have been discussing yesterday night the 18th and 19th of the 12th chapter.
Let us remember from the 13th shloka until the 19th shloka.
Bhagawan Krishna is graphically describing what qualities should a devotee acquire.
And who is a devotee? He who is striving to develop these qualities that have been enumerated by Bhagawan Krishna.
And how do we know? The Lord Himself tells specifically,
only a person who is endowed with these qualities alone deserves to be called a Bhakta and a devotee.
Such a person alone is dear to me. Dear means very near to me.
Very near means ultimately He is going to attain me to become me.
Of course, slowly we have to practice these qualities.
As we had been discussing earlier also, today as we go on making these qualities our own,
that means, what does it mean? Making these qualities our own means the more we practice, they become a habit.
Habit means we need not to think and do it. Unconsciously it becomes our nature.
That's why in English language we call habit is second nature.
We need not think about it.
So a habit, if it is good, it saves us trouble and it makes us better people.
If it is evil, it drags us down.
But the common thing is habit is that about which we need not consciously think but goes on behaving according to that habit.
And every what we call negative habit we developed has been developed assiduously through constant practice.
The only remedy for that is now to practice the opposite quality assiduously until the old habit is now replaced with the new habit.
So in this 18th and 19th verses we have been discussing especially what is it?
The mind must be kept equanimous.
Samatvam yoga uchyate. One of the definitions of yoga is the mind doesn't get hesitated, doesn't get disturbed,
doesn't unduly gets excited nor unduly becomes despondent or depressed.
That is what Bhagawan Ramanuja says.
It isn't a person naati harshaha naati shokaha, it isn't become unduly excited or depressed
because unduly means we lost control and they control us.
Yoga means to gradually become masters of our own body and mind.
So samah shatravucha mitrecha tatha manapamanayoh, sritoshna sukha dukhesho samah sanga vivarjitaha,
tulya nindaha sthuthir mauni, santushtaha ena kenachit, aniketaha sthiramatehi bhakti maanme priyo naraha.
He who is alike to foe and friend, unaltered in honour and dishonour,
who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, who is free from attachment,
who is unchanged by praise and blame, who is silent, content with whatever he has,
homeless, form of mind and full of devotion.
That man is a devotee and such a devotee is dear to me, such a devotee is nearer to me,
such a devotee in fact in the end is none other than me.
Why do we issue such a statement?
Because at the end of the 10th chapter, let us remember that if a person is evil,
that is also by God's will, he wants to sport like that.
If a person has turned towards spiritual life, that is also God's will only,
whatever good qualities a person has acquired, that acquisition is nothing but
God acquiring godly qualities in the final say, in the final vision.
Now important point we have to remember here because we have discussed this quite elaborately there.
A devotee, an aspiring sadhaka is a God man.
Before realization he is called an aspirant, after realization he is called a God man.
So he keeps his mind equanimous and we have to remember he doesn't have any enemies
but there may be people who do not like him, who hate him, who try to dishonor him,
degrade him or even do away with him like Jesus Christ was done,
attempt was made to kill Swamiji, attempt was made by Devadatta to kill Lord Buddha,
so also Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and criticism is a very common thing.
There is nobody in this world who is not insulted.
As I gave example, Rama was blamed by Ravanasura and Kau endlessly,
always trying to downgrade Rama in front of Sita and all the Rakshasas were convinced.
Krishna, very interesting story, in the Mahabharata there was his own relative,
Shishupala and Dantavakra, especially Shishupala went on abusing Krishna
and then Shishupala's mother was a great lady who loved and adored Krishna.
So she begged Krishna, my son is like that, I can't change him, please forgive his faults.
Then Krishna said, I will be keeping 100 pebbles with me and every time he abuses me,
I will throw away one pebble and when my collection of pebbles get emptied,
I know the time has come, I will take revenge upon him, but 100 times I will forgive him completely.
The mother had to be satisfied with that boon and Krishna kept his promise only in that place
where Yudhishthira decided to worship Bhagavan Krishna after he had performed that Rajasuya Yaga.
Then Shishupala for the last time started abusing Krishna right and left.
Then for the sake of Shishupala's own good, Krishna had cut off his head with his Chakra.
This is the story we get in the Mahabharata and was it the same time?
Even we are also abusing Krishna every single day. What are the epithets we call him by?
Jara, a promiscuous fellow. Chora, a thief.
Even though we say these things lovingly, I don't know whether it has to be considered good or bad.
But we know these are most lovely things in the hearts of a devotee,
but for outsiders who do not believe, he is one of the most lecherous person in the whole world.
Especially they criticize Rasa Leela, whose purport very few people understand in this world.
Who is not dishonored? Was Holy Mother not dishonored?
By Lakshmi Devi, by Ramlal and by her own devotees Golappa Ma.
So many people have dishonored, her own disciples also dishonored her even though they took Mantra Deeksha from her.
What is the lesson we have to learn? No God can escape from dishonor, abuse, criticism.
If that is the status, condition of God himself, what about us? We have to forbear.
As I mentioned, either if we are dishonored or any type of suffering comes to us,
either it is the result of our own, the result of Prarabdha Karma, the actions done in previous times in the past,
either in this life or in the past life or it is God's way of uplifting us fast track as I just now mentioned.
Once I mentioned something very interesting, there could be three causes of suffering.
The first cause is of course the nature of the world.
What is the nature of the world? Sometimes in winter it is very cold in some places,
some places it is very very hot and some places full of dangers and our devotees usually do not take notice.
There are certain countries in this world where no man with impunity can walk fearlessly.
There the rascals, mafia or drug lords can do whatever they like, they can rape, they can kidnap,
they can dictate, you do whatever we say to you otherwise we will cut off your heads.
There are some countries you can do research, I don't want even utter their names.
Life is very horrible, it is living hell by the way, if on this earth these places are living hell, you can imagine.
Hinduism posits the existence of certain special places, lokas called Narakas, not one but seven,
gradually becoming worse and worser and worsest, like that seven lokas are there.
Apoch Patala is the lowest, we have to understand if this is the nature of the world then people are living
sometimes evil, sometimes good, sometimes happiness, this is the very fabric nature of the world.
This is one cause of suffering, saints or sinners if it is cold or hot people have to bear it.
Second cause of suffering will be each one of our own Prarabdha Karma
and the third cause of suffering, maybe people will be surprised to hear it, God's grace.
That is what Holy Mother is referring, misery is the gift of God.
When God wants to uplift us, He sends a special type of misery whereby we learn our lessons through intense suffering
but remember God never gives so much of suffering that we do not have the power to withstand it.
Along with the suffering, He also gives us the wisdom and the capacity to put up with that suffering which God bestows upon us
but He does it like a loving mother punishing the child or like a surgeon cutting off a limb or two of the body of his patients
so that they can survive and live happily.
In this world, it is impossible to avoid both good and bad but every spiritual aspirant should learn how to keep his mind without being affected.
That means even when the circumstances are there, the mind will be trained in such a way that the person will not be affected much.
That is what we are discussing in this mostly so be a master of the dualities like Sita, Vishna, Mana, Apamana, Kshetru and Mitra, Sukha and Dukha and Ninda and Stuti etc.
Then there is something we have to understand.
A spiritual person doesn't have enemies but there will be people who consider that person as an enemy.
What should he do?
Now here is where Shri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful advice.
If we are in the beginning stages, we should be following the advice given by the Brahmachari to the snake, his.
His means protect yourself, if necessary use your energy.
I would go to the extent of saying if you have to shoot down somebody, if you have to take a knife and then knife the other person,
if it is for the sake of protecting other innocent people and that is what the soldiers, the police, the military people are supposed to do to protect their own countries.
If any sadhaka does it with that motive in view, he will not incur any sin.
Of course the law of any country may catch such a person.
You are not supposed to do it.
Funny things happen when I was in UK, the police, I heard the police saying if some thief enters and threatens you with a knife,
you give him whatever he wants but do not fight otherwise you may die, we won't be able to help you.
And the situation has degraded to such an extent that even police will not come unless it is a very serious thing like a death threat or death.
Anyway, every country has got its own laws to supposedly to protect but most often they protect the criminals,
that is the tragedy especially in the democratic countries and not the innocent people.
But what I am trying to tell you, at the beginning of our spiritual sadhana, we have to oppose.
That is called Satyagraha.
That is what Gandhiji had formulated, Swami Vekaranda said, only he who has got the capacity to resist,
only he has the right to practice Satyagraha really speaking.
You first acquire the power to resist and then refrain from using it.
The brahmacharis advised to the snake, hiss and I expanded that word hiss, not only hiss but strike before the other person can do it.
But only at the beginning stages, what is beginning stage?
I have my ego quite grown up, quite stubborn, quite strong and I am not in a position to yield.
If I yield physically, mentally I am going on ruminating upon it, that is hypocrisy, you express it.
Especially for the householders, he should stand up and fight if necessary, injure or if necessary even to kill.
That is a very important point, he must at least protest.
But there comes a time when a person totally is unaffected, he depends totally upon God.
For such a mentality, even hissing is not permitted, everything is left in the hands of God.
Whatever God wants to do, let that happen.
This is the essence of what we have discussed.
Then just a small note, mauni, it is practicing the presence of God continuously through the thought is called mauna.
Not merely shutting the mouth and then either going to sleep or thinking all irrelevant things but outside not opening the mouth at all.
Santushtaha, a person must develop that complete sense of what is called happiness, santosha, that is contentment.
Whatever the mother gives, the baby is content.
He doesn't demand, there is sugar is less in this milk, I don't want to think.
I wanted only milkshake and you are giving just as Upamanyu in the beginning, he complained to his mother.
Now I know what is real milk and you are giving me only some water, washed with rice water.
I know what is real milk.
Then of course the mother had to send him to, only Shiva can give you.
So that is how this Upamanyu, do the samudra badabayo, by praying to Shiva he obtained.
What I am trying to tell you is a spiritual aspirant knows my mother is there and who is God or Divine Mother
and she knows what is best for my health both physical and mental and whatever is obtained,
this is called madhukari, I will be extremely happy and sooner or later every spiritual aspirant has to develop this attitude.
Apart from spiritual progress, such a person is seen to be most cheerful person in the whole world.
I remember a beautiful incident, somewhere it happened, I forgot where it happened.
One day a gentleman is going through the street and then he saw a beggar with covered cloth
and the beggar, very cheerful fellow, always smiling and happy,
good morning sir, he greeted this gentleman and this gentleman was hobbling with the help of a stick.
He was a soldier, he lost one leg, so he was limping with the help of these crutches, he was moving.
When the beggar greeted him, this fellow scowled and said, I have nothing to greet with as good morning.
Then the beggar asked, sir what happened?
Are you blind? Are you not able to see? I lost one of my legs, how can a man without one leg be cheerful?
Then the beggar, he was also a former soldier and he lost both his legs, but he kept them covered up and he removed and showed.
Sir, I have more reason to be gloomy than you, but look I have learnt my lesson,
God has given me life and I can do even though I have some handicap,
but I can express myself in so many ways, I try to be cheerful and cheer the other people.
You are more fortunate than me, at least you have one leg left out.
This is a beautiful incident, we do not know what the other gentleman, what happened to him, whether he learnt the lesson.
But important point is whatever comes, we have life, we have the thought of God and He has given us the opportunity to think of Him.
So we should learn how to be content with whatever we get.
I don't mean only food, whatever comes, honour or food or cloths or money or health, whatever comes,
because we don't know the divine secrets why some people are better than other people.
This was what so beautifully Swami Vivekananda expresses in his inimitable poem, The Cup.
Please go through that poem, The Cup, that will be the most wonderful thing we have to understand.
Now Santushta, then Aniketa, Aniketa means a place of dwelling, a home usually.
Of course for householders, they have to be content whether it is a rented house or own house,
it is all depending upon the Prarabdha Karma, but a Sanyasi is one only wherever God makes him at night to sleep,
that is his home, but the real home is God.
What is home? Where we feel very happy, that is home.
Where we feel free, that is home.
Where we do not have any restraining wants, that is home.
Home in other words, where we can be completely ourselves.
A Sanyasi is said in a conventional sense, he doesn't own his own house,
but he lives wherever God makes arrangement for him.
This is called Aniketaha.
Two meanings we can derive from here.
One meaning is our real home is only God.
Let us learn how to live in God, that is called Manachalo Nija Niketane.
Mind, let us go to our own abode.
Don't imagine that you go to Vaikuntha, it is a palatial house made out of gold studded with diamonds,
it is completely air-conditioned, all the suites are diabetic sugar free,
and you just go on enjoying day and night, that is not the idea.
The idea is to keep the mind, place the mind only in God all the time in whatever condition we are,
that is called real home, that is the first meaning.
The second meaning is if there is a house comfortable, let us thank God.
If there is a house not so comfortable, let us thank God.
If we have to live under a tree, let us thank God, that is also His ordination.
Sriram Krishna, mostly most nights he used to spend most of the time in Panchavati and remove his cloths.
Do you think at that time mosquitoes were absent or they became Paramagnanis,
recognizing here is a holy man, we should never trouble him?
What mosquitoes are supposed to do, they are doing.
But Sriram Krishna was completely oblivious to that.
The wonder of wonder was he never got malaria, etc. during his sadhana period,
such robust health until he completed only at the end of the Nirvikalpa Samadhi,
he was raked with this dysentery and then generally after that he became of delicate stomach,
his health became very delicate.
Okay, coming back Aniketaha, Sthiramati.
When Sriram Krishna used to compare the habituated mind of a devotee to an anvil,
an anvil is a hard steel surface whereupon hard metals, etc. are shaped,
just they bring out from burning and it is red hot and the man can make various weapons, various shapes,
but he takes the help of anvil, nothing happens, blow after blow, year after year, centuries together,
nothing happens to the anvil, that is comparable according to Sriram Krishna.
In Sthiramati, the mind is absolutely fixed, super glued only to God to nothing else
and when a person develops these nine qualities plus all the other qualities,
more than 20 spiritual qualities acquired by a devotee,
such a person alone deserves to be called a devotee and he becomes dear to God,
becomes God knows, he is my own, he is none other than me.
So, O Arjuna, O spiritual aspirant, try to develop.
As I mentioned, when we try to develop one particular good quality, we need all the other qualities
and I hope you remember what we discussed about it in my past classes.
For example, Sriram Krishna's father, Shudhiram, he was truth speaking person.
He knew that he should not bear false witness, he did not think and reject,
automatically he said it's not possible for me to bear false witness, but he was not a fool.
So, he was a person who is courageous to accept whatever consequences will follow.
As we know, he lost all his property and even while rejecting to bear false witness,
Shudhiram knew all his properties, everything will be lost, such is the nature of this Yamindar.
But that tremendous courage is needed to support truthfulness.
But this courage springs only from complete faith in God.
God is there, is looking after me and he will protect me.
Whatever he ordains alone comes true, it is not this Yamindar who is going to deprive me.
If I hold on to truth, then truth itself will protect me.
Dharmo Rakshati Rakshithaha.
When Dharma is protected, that protected Dharma protects the person who observes and lives a Dharmic life.
But this faith in God requires faith in scriptures.
Where from did Shudhiram get this faith in God?
Because he learnt it from his elders that in the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and Puranas,
the same truth is told again and again, reiterated. What is it?
Place your faith in truthfulness and God is truth and God will protect you.
Simple words, you trust God and God trusts you.
God will protect you.
You take one step towards God, he takes 100 steps towards you.
And Shudhiram proved this truth 100%.
So if we will wish to practice one good quality,
then all the other good qualities are necessary to support that one good quality.
So the same law applies to the evil qualities.
One evil quality leads a person to the other evil qualities.
Such all these qualities enumerated from 13th verse to the 19th verse
is now being called by Bhagavan Krishna as Amruta.
Not only Amruta, Dharmiya Amruta.
We know the gods and demons wanted to occupy the highest position
and always the demons will.
They only win because their will is much stronger
and they have not yet become addicted to pleasures and other things.
That's why build your so rightly that whenever persons become too refined through civilization,
that means they are addicted to sweet food, sweet drinks
and what is called tasty food and tasty drinks
and depend only totally upon the slaves and workmen.
Such people soon become weak both physically and mentally.
Then a barbarians will declare war against them
and because of their superior strength, cooperation very soon they defeat
and they tragically occupy the place of their conquered people
and again they become addicted to the same easy life
and in turn they also become weak
and then again they will be conquered and thrown out,
made slaves by the next marauding tribe
and this is how civilizations rise and with the increase of luxuries man becomes weaker
both physically, intellectually and morally
and in course of time a time must come when such persons go down
and then another tribe takes over.
This is called history.
What is history?
Repetition of the same story again and again and again.
That's why we have to learn our lessons
but history teaches us we never learn any lessons from history.
Coming back, if anybody, any sadhaka wants to go nearer to God,
he must develop this quality.
Why? Because going to God means these are godly qualities.
If you want to become God, then you must develop godly qualities
and when you understand you are none other than God,
then I understand I am none other than Brahman.
All these qualities, Ishwara's qualities that is called Sarvamangalam Angalye,
all the most auspicious qualities,
they become very natural to each one of the realized soul.
What is difficult to acquire and takes time and repeated practice
becomes spontaneous, natural, unconscious, without effort.
These qualities will manifest themselves.
That is what the Lord is telling,
O Arjuna, O spiritual, if you wish to become a devotee,
go on drinking, not ordinary drink,
but this drink called Dharmiya Amruta,
that which makes you a Dharmiya, that means godly like
because this Amruta is like medicine.
In a way, we can take two meanings.
The medicine which kills all the evil, all the disease called Samsara Roga.
Another meaning is this becomes our nature, God's nature.
We realize through truth speaking, I am Sathya.
Through Samyak Jnana, I am the Jnana
and through continuous practice of Brahmacharya,
I realize I am nothing but Ananda.
Sath, Chit, Ananda, Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantam, Brahma.
This is what I am going to realize.
What is Bhagwan Krishna telling at the concluding verse of this 12th chapter?
Such persons become exceedingly dear to me.
Ateeva means you have a little quality,
then you are a little dearer to me.
You have 50% of these qualities, you are 50% dear to me.
You have 70% of these qualities, you are 75% dear to me.
You have 100%, then you become me.
These people alone deserve to be called Bhaktas.
So who are they?
First of all, those devotees, Dharmiya Amruta Midam.
This Amruta, nectar called spiritual teaching, Dharmiam.
Yathavuktam, as has been expounded to you.
Shraddhadana, having complete faith.
Matparma, me as their supreme and only goal.
Such people, Paripasate, constantly, assiduously, non-stoppingly,
during waking, dream as well as dreamless states,
go on practicing them.
Such people, what happens?
They become my great devotees.
They become my greatest dear and near people.
Ultimately, they will become me.
The essence of this mantra is,
so far as possible, we have to practice all the 20 plus spiritual qualities
that have been enumerated in this 12th chapter.
With this, we have come to the end of this 12th chapter.
But here, I am going to give you a summary.
This chapter starts with the question of Arjuna,
what is called ignorant question.
That, oh Bhagawan, who are dearer to you?
And which path is superior?
The path of bhakti, devotion or the path of knowledge?
As I mentioned, the path of karma and the path of what is called yoga,
Raja Yoga, are included in both these things together.
Which path is superior?
Which devotees are superior?
That is an illogical question.
What does the Lord say?
Both paths lead to the same goal.
If someone is fit to practice Jnana Yoga,
then that would be the natural path
and that will bring equally them to me.
Similarly, most people are only suited to this Bhakti Yoga,
a little easier path.
Not comparatively easy,
for those people that is the only path that is easy
within their capacity to practice,
that will equally bring them to me.
But is there any difference?
Yes, there is a difference.
Those who do not have body consciousness,
for them Jnana Marga is more suitable.
And those who are exceedingly body minded,
Kalesho Adhikatarasthesham Avyaktasattachetasam Avyaktahi Gatirdukham
Deha Vadbhihi
Deha Vad means what?
I am the body, I am the mind.
And in connection, what does it mean?
By proxy, what does it mean?
It means this world is real,
my body is real, my mind is real.
God is not real.
Brahma Satyam? No.
Jagat Satyam Brahma Mithya
In such a condition, the person has some faith in the scriptures,
in the Guru, he believes but he has not yet progressed.
For such a person, the path of knowledge
that I am not the body-mind,
while completely feeling that I am the body-mind,
because there is a law,
whatever we know to be true,
that alone our mind runs after.
If this world alone is the truth,
then my body and mind accept this world as truth,
and whatever is in the world, we desire.
Nobody ever desires anything that they think is fake, unreal.
Just as a person seeing a heap of gold on a cinema screen,
even the greatest thief doesn't rush
before others come to gather that gold heaps, gold coins.
Why? Because he knows clearly,
it's an appearance, not the truth.
This is the law.
If we think God is real,
then only we really desire God.
Our desire of God now is based upon our faith
in our Guru and in the scriptures.
Here is a person who thinks he is the body-mind.
For him, the path of bhakti, surrender, prayer,
is the best path.
That is what is being said here.
First point, Bhakti Yoga is easier and suitable
for most people,
especially in Kali Kaala.
This is what Sri Ramakrishna says,
Kali Kaale manush anna gata pran.
In this Iron Age, people are highly body-conscious.
Therefore, for them, the natural, most suitable path is
the path of devotion,
as specially interpreted by Narada.
This is the first point.
Every path takes one to the same God.
Second path is, in this particular age,
I think in any particular age,
those who think the body is real,
the world is real,
mind is real,
the path of devotion is more suited, easier and shortcut.
They reach in the shortest time.
Third point, unless one has these spiritual characteristics
as enumerated from the 13th and 19th verse
of this 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita,
one doesn't deserve to be called a devotee.
If we wish, others may call us devotees,
just because we have taken initiation,
just because we read books,
just because we happen to visit the ashrama,
participate in the activities,
and etc.
We claim to be followers of Sri Ramakrishna.
That is not the criteria.
God has to give the certificate.
What is the certificate?
You have these qualities.
So you are dear to me.
That means you are nearer to me.
Unless one strives to acquire these qualities,
surely, but it may take many, many, many lives,
doesn't matter,
but slowly, such a person alone deserves to be called a devotee of God.
And then, last point,
God alone should certify one as His devotee.
And how do we know?
Such a devotee becomes very dear to God,
and God takes care of him as a loving mother,
takes care of the newborn baby.
We are all like newborn babies.
We have to totally rely upon God,
surrender ourselves to God.
We should not struggle against our mother,
who is trying to dress us,
to clean us,
to dress us,
and to feed us.
That is the best part.
These are the summary of the 12th chapter,
and it applies not only now,
but even in future in this Kali Yuga.
My personal faith is,
it is the same truth,
which applies in every Yuga,
whether it is Sathya Yuga,
Treta Yuga,
Dwapara Yuga,
or Kali Yuga.
Why do I tell so?
Let us take Sathya Yuga.
There, the Upanishad tells that,
upon whom the Atman bestows its grace,
only such people will be able to realize God.
This is what we will see in future,
in the Mundaka Upanishad.
Only God's grace can really lift us up,
not by any way.
But for that,
we have to make ourselves ready,
not to obtain God's grace,
but to receive the God's grace,
to be fit to retain,
to receive and to retain.
We have to be fit.
That is where self-effort comes in.
So, that is the summary of what we have discussed.
This is one of the most wonderful chapters,
and this is the only chapter,
where this teaching is called Amruta.
Amruta is one that makes mortal into immortal,
like the churning of the milk ocean.
Remember, for most of us,
this is Bhakti Yoga.
Forget about other things.
Just let us focus upon,
meditate upon these 20 plus odd qualities,
that the Lord so clearly enumerates,
explains.
Not only that,
He gives a categorical assurance.
Only such a person can be called a devotee,
and my devotee.
And once a person becomes my devotee,
he becomes dearer to me.
I love him.
That means, I give myself up to such a person,
and he is nearer to me.
Always dear means nearer to us.
Whomsoever we love,
we love to be in proximity to that object,
or person, or event,
or to that happening.
This is the essence.
Now, there are certain memorable verses.
Every chapter, practically,
I have been choosing some of these memorable verses,
so that when we chant these verses,
we remember the essence of that particular chapter,
and that will inspire us,
guard us,
to put forth more effort,
and go towards God.
So, here it goes.
First itself,
Mayy Aveshya Mano E Mam Nitya Yukta Upasate
Shraddhaya Paraya Upetaha
Teme Yukta Tamamata
Varjuna, you have asked me who is superior.
I am telling you.
They who have placed their mind in me,
and continuously they strive
to unite themselves with me,
and they are endowed with the supreme faith.
Shraddhaya Paraya Upetaha
Endowed.
Such people I consider superior people,
whether whatever be the path.
But then, then he goes on telling it.
Atachittam Samadhatum Naseknoshi Mayesthiram
Abhyasa Yogena Tato Mam Ichcha Aaptam Dhananjaya
O Dhananjaya, you desire to keep your mind in me.
I know how difficult it is to control the mind,
and keep the mind in me.
But there is something called Abhyasa Yoga.
This is what he is telling.
If you are incapable of, at the very beginning,
to place your mind firmly,
and permanently in me,
that is a goal.
You can attain to that goal.
How? Through continuous, constant practice.
Uninterrupted practice.
Abhyasa Yogena Tato Mam Ichcha Aaptam
I know, O Lord, my mind is restless,
but I will go on practicing.
I will not give up my goal.
I will go on practicing,
until, even if you do not wish me,
I will come to you,
I will join you,
I will become you.
So, that should be your greatest goal.
That is called Aaptam Ichcha.
Then, certain qualities we know.
Advaishta Sarvabhutanaam
Maitra Karunaye Vacha
Nirmamo Nirahankara
Samadukka Sukha Kshami
Santushta Satatam Yogi
Yataatma Dhridhanusheha
Mayy Arpita Mano Buddhi
Yom Adhvakta Same Priyaha
Yasmanno Dvijate Loko
Lokanno Dvijate Jayaha
Harsha Amarsha Bhaya Udve Gaihi
Mukto Yaha Sachame Priyaha
Anapekshaha Shuchihi Dakshaha
Udashino Gata Vyadaha
Sarva Aarambha Parityagi
Yom Adhvaktaha Same Priyaha
Yo Na Hrishyati Na Dveshti
Na Shochati Na Kankshati
Shubha Ashubha Parityagi
Bhaktimanyaha Same Priyaha
Samaha Shatravucha Mitreja
Tatha Mana Apamanayoha
Sita Ushna Sukha Dukheshu
Samaha Sangha Vivarjitaha
Samaha Shatravucha Mitreja
Tatha Mana Apamanayoha
Sita Ushna Sukha Dukheshu
Samaha Sangha Vivarjitaha
Tuliya Ninda Stutihi
Mouni Santushta Yena Kena Chit
Aniketaha Sthiramathi
Bhaktiman Me Priyo Naraha
Yetu Dharmiyamrutamidam
Yathauktam Pariyupasate
Shraddhadhanaha Madparamaha
Bhaktaha Te Ativa Me Priyaha
These are the most memorable shlokas in this second chapter.
I consider personally this is one of the best chapters
for all the aspirants, sadhakas.
And that is the path advocated by Narada,
advised by Sairam Krishna, Holy Mother
and Swami Vivekananda in his beautiful talks on Bhakti Yoga.
There are two separate talks on Bhakti Yoga
and many people miss one particular series of talks
and I advise both of them, they complement
because Swamiji, he gave some special points
in each one of these talks.
Our so-called popular book Bhakti Yoga
contains only one series of talks
but the other is found I think in the fourth volume
of the complete works of Swamiji.
This is our path and if we strive sincerely
to practice, to acquire these qualities
and that is the only way for anybody,
any spiritual aspirant, let it be any religion, any yoga,
then we are sure to come nearer to God
and become blessed.
With this, we have completed the 12th chapter.
In our next class, we will be taking up
a little bit difficult but one of the most
intellectually challenging chapters of this,
I would say entire Bhagavad Gita,
the 13th chapter, very aptly titled as
Kshetra Kshetragna Vibhaga Yoga Trayodasha Adhyayaha.
We will take it up in our next class.
Om Vasudevasutam Devam
Kamsachanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Krishnam Vande Jagadkurum
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother
and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 10 on 09 January 2021

2026-11-01T20:12:03Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURAM
SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GITAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LENGHAYATI GIRIM
YAD KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM
We are studying the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, which is very aptly named as the chapter on Bhakti Yoga, the chapter on devotion.
And in this, the Lord has highlighted certain beautiful points.
One, for most of the people, it is the path of devotion that is suitable.
Why? Because people are highly, densely body conscious.
In fact, we don't know anything else excepting that I am the body.
Even the mind is also a terrible slave to the body, excepting in few exceptional cases,
where for example, great scientists, great artists, great writers, poets, etc.
We know they get absorbed, forgetting food, etc.
Even they are not spiritual in a way, but they are far higher than most of the humanity.
So for people who are sincerely struggling to progress in spiritual life, the easier path would be the path of devotion.
In simple words, if we are subjected to emotion, then devotion, convert emotion, strengthen it and make it one and direct it towards God, that is called Bhakti Yoga.
But lest people may think that if we become very emotional while listening to devotional songs, while doing japa, meditation and shed tears,
that is no great deal and doesn't at all prove that we are devotees.
Only those people whose personality, whose life has been transformed by the acquisition of certain qualities,
by the destruction or at least lessening of certain unspiritual qualities, such a person alone is worthy to be called a devotee.
And here we are all subjected to slaves to praise by other people.
Somebody says we are very great devotees, we feel very happy, but it is not anybody who can give certificate.
Only the Divine Lord Himself must give certificate and He gives a certificate.
In what form does He give a certificate to us?
In the form of drawing us nearer and nearer.
When God says this person who had acquired these qualities, He is very dear to me, He also means He is very near to me.
And as Sri Ramakrishna puts it, when a man approaches nearer to the seashore, he feels the cooling breeze more and more.
So also a devotee who is approaching God by the acquisition of these spiritual qualities, he feels more and more joy,
more and more peace, more and more devotion.
It is very important for us what are these qualities that we need to develop and to discard.
When the Lord says you need in order to be a devotee to acquire these qualities, by the same token He is also telling us
these are the opposite qualities and these need to be discarded.
As we may move towards the East more and more, the West recedes behind, but we have to make the effort.
In our last class, we have been discussing about the 17th shloka where 5 important spiritual qualities have been explained.
यो नःरिष्यति नद्रेष्टि नशोचति नकांशति शुभा अशुभा परित्यागि भक्ति मान यह सह मे प्रियः
He who rejoices not and hates not, who grieves not and desires not and who has renounced both good and evil and is full of devotion, He is dear to me.
So these are the 5 qualities we have to acquire and in the same coin we have to discard the opposite of these qualities.
What does it mean? If this verse looks a little bit confusing, we have to be crystal clear about its meaning.
He who never rejoices, does it mean he is a stone and he never hates?
So is he also a stone?
नशोचति, he never grieves and never desires anything.
These are perfect characteristics of a lifeless anything, a cloud of earth or a stump of tree or a stone, anything like that.
No, on the other hand, these are the highest spiritual qualities.
What does it mean?
When things become favorable, a person becomes a slave to that emotion called elation, exhilaration, excessive excitement.
No, person rejoices certainly, gives thanks to God, accepts that as prasada that the Divine Lord Himself had given me this one for my own good.
And in the same way, he never hates.
Who can hate and what is the cause of hatred?
Somebody criticizes us, does some harm, takes away something from us, deprives of us something, then there is the reason for hating somebody.
It could be not only a human being, it could be also circumstance.
It is very cold, it is very hot and we use certain abusive words as epithets, which I do not want to repeat it.
Nashochati, when a person loses something to which he is attached, then he grieves.
Nakamkshati, he doesn't desire, accepting what is necessary and accepting what is given to him as the result of his own actions done in the past or because this person practices.
Karma Yoga, he offers everything, he takes a firm vow, I will do anything only to please God.
Let us remember the saying of Brother Lawrence and he made an extraordinary statement,
I will not lift a straw but for the pleasure of God.
That means he will never do anything good or bad excepting for the pleasure of God.
But we have to understand it, if a person is struggling to progress spiritually, what does it mean?
It means he can tolerate anything good or evil but he cannot tolerate the other person's suffering.
He loves the people because he sees the manifestation of God in everything including animals.
I have got so many examples, one familiar example would be Brother Francis.
He never harmed any creature, tried not to harm anybody and he was not frightened of what we call a ferocious wolf.
We know how he encountered the wolf and addressed it as brother, converted the wolf into a very good Christian
and he made that wolf a beloved of some villages where people wanted to kill him until that time
and the children of those villages, especially one particular village have become so fond of this brother wolf
that they will play with him, ride him, pull his hair, pull his ears but he will only love the children.
After he came into contact with a Satpurusha, Saint Francis of Assisi,
this wolf had turned into not only a good harmless innocent animal but he excelled many many worldly people in spiritual qualities
all because of the association with such a great saint.
We have to understand every one of these characteristics as a spiritual quality.
A devotee really gets very very happy when he approaches God and if something is obstructing him
then he will not hate it but he will strive all the more to get rid of the obstruction through prayer,
through strong will, through effort to move forward.
Similarly, if some personal loss, tragedy happens then also he is not going to grieve
but he will grieve very much at the grief of other people.
Nakankshati, personally he doesn't desire anything.
Why? Does he not have any wants? Does he not lack something? Does he not feel hungry, thirsty?
Yes, but like a small child, small baby in fact, he depends completely upon the Divine Lord.
We come across hundreds and thousands of examples of these great saints
who surrendered themselves to God and totally dependent upon Him.
In such a devotee's mind, there is nothing called good and evil.
In the kingdom of God, there is nothing called good, nothing called evil.
Everything is wonderful. Everything is spiritual.
Shubha, Ashubha, Parityagi.
Does it mean the world sometimes goes up and down?
Happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, heat and cold?
Yes, but Parityagi, he renounces, means he changes his mentality. Let good come, well come.
Let evil come, well come. Let life come, well come.
Let death come, well come. Let loss come, well come.
Let gain come, well come. Let anything come.
He is firmly convinced only by the bidding of God, by the will of God.
Whatever happens in his life, it only comes because of him.
If these five qualities can somehow be acquired and made strong and made natural,
such a person is considered Bhaktimaan.
He is the only devout person and not others by implication.
Such a person is very dear to me because these are the things that pull us, keep us away from God.
This was what we have discussed in our last class.
Now the Lord is stressing. What does he do?
He stresses sameness, desirelessness and freedom from the claims of claims of the lower egotistic nature
at the foundation of spiritual life.
All of us are required to lay a very strong foundation for spiritual life.
Why? What does it mean foundation?
Foundation means certain state of the mind.
The mind should not be restless.
It becomes restless, sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down.
That is not a very desirable condition for those who want to think of God.
If we are under the control of the mind, then sometimes we are happy.
Most often we are not happy in taking God's name.
Some nice TV program, some nice book.
Suddenly we remember somebody, I have not spoken with that person for a long time.
It is time for me to contact that person.
Anything will do to relieve the tedium of thinking about God.
That's why we have to first lay a very strong foundation.
Why? This building called spirituality has to reach heavens.
Even if I wanted to add some stories to our house,
how much foundation we require, how strong a foundation we require
to build a bridge to the very heaven itself.
I am not talking in terms of space and causation, but as a simile.
What a strong foundation it should be.
If a house doesn't stand on a strong foundation and Jesus Christ,
this example, this simile, very often in his teachings,
it will simply, when the wind becomes a little strong, it just sways and collapses.
So we need to build a very strong foundation.
The Lord is adding nine more spiritual qualities as a foundation.
In fact, it is not nine.
All the qualities that the Lord himself, through his own mouth,
has been teaching to all of us through the medium of Arjuna,
all these qualities have to be acquired.
One good thing about all this acquisition of qualities is,
as I mentioned earlier, if we want good qualities, then they all come together.
You cannot practice in isolation one simple good quality
or for that matter, even one bad quality.
If one bad quality, it will pull all its friends and relatives.
And if it is a good quality, it does exactly the same thing.
If by the grace of God, if we pray sincerely to God,
all the good qualities slowly albeit surely,
or I would put it this surely albeit slowly,
they will come to us because when God is gracious to us,
he wants to draw us to him.
And therefore, he will not be deterred by any failure on our part.
This was what Sri Rama once says with regard to Viveshana.
If anybody once says sincerely to me,
Oh Rama, I am yours, I belong to you.
Thereafter, let that devotee do whatever he likes.
Let him try to slip away from me, but I will not give him up.
I will hold on to his promise and to make his promise true is my promise.
We get very beautiful examples of this.
In the Mahabharata war, Sri Krishna took a vow that
I will not fight with any weapon, but I will lend all my armies.
Duryodhana chose everything other than Krishna.
Arjuna, though he had the first choice, he chose only Bhagavan Krishna
because instinct told him if wherever there is Krishna,
there is bound to be victory. Why?
Because there is bound to be wisdom, there is bound to be dharma, righteousness.
And yato dharmaha tato jayaha.
Where there is dharma, there will be sure victory to be there.
So in the end, that has proved to be absolutely right.
Now Bhishma heard what Krishna had, what vow Krishna had taken.
So he took a vow.
He said I will make Krishna break his promise.
That was his vow and actually a day had come
when Krishna had to confront Bhishma, took up a weapon
because there was nobody who could stand that day Bhishma.
So Krishna said let me break my vow, it doesn't matter.
But for the good of the world, for the victory of the Pandavas,
I will break my vow.
Later on Bhishma came down and then he surrendered to Krishna and said
Oh Krishna, how gracious you are.
You are willing to break your own vow
but you will not allow another devotee's vow to be broken
because you are bhakta vachala, you are the mother and father of the devotees.
How Bhishma understood?
Krishna was not willing to break his vow just because he wanted to protect.
For the protection of his devotees, for keeping up the vow of his devotees,
for making the vow of the devotees absolute truth,
he is willing to break and get bad name etc.
And this we get in the life of Ramakrishna.
He made a categorical statement.
If anybody prayed to me sincerely once in his life,
he will have to come to me and I will have to lift him up.
The same Ramakrishna who promised in the form of Rama
is reinforcing that promise in the form of Ramakrishna.
And that is what Bhagavan Krishna also says,
Oh Kavanteya, you broadcast without fear.
My devotee shall never perish.
Madh Bhaktaha, my devotee shall never counter with perishing.
He will not perish because I am responsible for that devotee.
If we are sincere, pray to God, try our level best,
God will endow us with all these qualities.
Now let us deal one by one with these nine qualities
which are evenly spread in two verses, 18 and 19.
Such a man is dear to me.
Some of these ideas we did discuss earlier also
but for re-emphasizing to see that they are strongly impressed in our brains.
The Lord is repeating but the commentators also give slightly different meanings
so that we can enjoy the same shlokas much more.
In this world, we must be equivalent.
Everybody has to go through this what we call dualities.
Life is nothing but dualities.
Cold and heat, happiness and unhappiness, good and evil,
honor and dishonor, loss and gain, victory and defeat,
and friends and foes, this is called life.
In one simple phrase, it is said dvandvas, dvandva.
This idea we get in the second chapter also
but it is much more elaborated here.
That person who is aspiring to be a devotee, he will not have any enemy
because who is an enemy?
He who gives us trouble, he is an enemy.
And he who does good, he is a friend.
This is the real definition.
He who praises us whether we deserve or not,
he who flatters us, he is not a friend, he is an enemy.
And that person who criticizes us seriously, sincerely, finding and highlighting our faults,
in case we are not aware of them, he is more of a friend than of an enemy.
But in normal understanding, a person who makes us lose something
and another person who brings us something which gives us happiness,
such persons are called either our enemy or our friend.
But for a devotee, there is no enemy, there is no friend.
Why? Because such a devotee, what does he see?
The same Brahman is manifest everywhere.
The same God is manifest everywhere, first of all.
Secondly, if something good occurs, who is giving?
Not the instrument, not another person, but it is God.
If some unhappiness is our lot, then who is giving?
Not anybody, not any person, but it is the Divine Lord
in accordance with the actions that we have done in the past.
Here one of the things that we have to specially keep note is
that when we have done something wrong, the result will come by the grace of God.
But as Holy Mother says, it may be so mild.
We get the opportunity to learn our lesson, but it will not give us unbearable pain
because we are sincerely striving to be devotees.
God knows it and He is within us, outside us and He gives us just to awaken us,
but not to make us suffer like a mother punishing the child.
Similarly, if we have done something good, the Lord also will give little bit
in moderate proportions so that we won't be overwhelmed.
We won't be too much attached.
So for a devotee, everything is God and what is spiritual life?
Nothing but seeing God.
So samaha shetraujya mitreja.
Tatha, exactly in the same way, maana apamanayo.
Somebody honors us, somebody dishonors us.
And if a devotee is honored as a great scholar, as a wonderful singer,
as a wonderful speaker, as a wonderful writer or as a wonderful philanthropist
or in whatever way, great friend of humanity, we have to remember every power,
whether it is knowledge or energy or good intention, they all belong to God.
It is a manifestation of God.
We should never take any credit for it.
That is the idea here.
Somebody, he honors us and if he honors us, that person found some good quality within us.
But that good quality is, as Bhagavan Krishna says,
It's me manifesting.
Similarly, apamana.
If somebody insults us, dishonors us, something to pull our name down,
then that is a great grace of God.
Why? Because spiritual life must progress only through secretly, not in public.
The more public comes to know, the more harmful, obstructive such a spiritual practice is there.
Let me illustrate it. If apamana comes, we have to understand two things.
First, it came not from anybody.
Though it comes through somebody, not because of that person,
because of some unrighteous, evil, improper action,
which we call adharma in Vedantic language,
that we have done either in the past in this life or it may be in the past lives.
Secondly, this devotee, when it comes, it comes deservedly.
The other person is only just an instrument.
That's what Krishna advises Arjuna in the last chapter, 11th chapter.
But if apamana comes, it is a great awakener because it gives us the opportunity.
Am I dependent upon God?
I am having this dishonor. Who is giving this? It is only the Divine Lord is giving us.
This is the second way we have to take it.
But there is a third way is there and this is a great opportunity for us
to really test our spirituality against these things.
If somebody doesn't praise, somebody doesn't dishonor,
our mind is not likely to get excited or depressed.
In which case, we don't know whether we are progressing in spiritual life or not.
I'll give you a beautiful real example that happened, that happens,
that is going to happen in everybody's life.
There is nobody in this world who is not honored, who is not also dishonored.
More dishonor than honor.
In Japan, there was a Zen monk. He was living in a village
and the people really honored him because of his pure life.
There was a young girl, unmarried and she became suddenly pregnant.
And when the parents pressed her, she named this monk as the father of that child
and the people went, beat him up, abused him and then said that
you have done something very wrong.
Calm and quietly, he went on bearing with that.
After a few months, this girl had given birth and immediately the villagers,
they came, brought that baby, said this is your baby.
We don't want our girl to have this. You bring this baby up.
And most lovingly, the Japanese monk went on bringing up this baby
and he had to work very hard.
So, every prayer, everything is centered around that baby
and 2-3 years passed. That girl who named this monk as the father,
she could not tolerate it any longer.
She confessed it was with a neighboring young man that she had this child.
The monk was totally innocent.
The villagers understood, came rushing, fell at his feet and went on babbling
excuse after excuse, please pardon us.
When they abused him and beat him, his face was very calm and quiet.
When these people begged pardon and went on praising him,
he kept the same face.
He said it has nothing to do with you.
God has given me. It's my prarabdha.
I have to put it up with it and of course, you know,
soon after that he left that village and shifted his residence to some other place.
Whatever it is, every person in this life has to go through rich, poor, kings or non-kings.
Just look at what is happening to the world leaders.
How much of abuse is being heaped upon their heads from every side.
Every person will have some good qualities, some not so good qualities.
Nobody can really escape these wonderful things that we are talking about.
Whether it is what we call honor, praise, friend, enemy, we must try.
We means those who are sincere in acquiring devotion.
There is a beautiful incident.
Swami Advaitanandaji is living at Varanasi
and once a householder devotee came and he was in great grief.
Advaitanandaji asked him, what happened?
He said, Maharaj, my children, they don't listen to me.
They disobey me and they do whatever they like.
I brought them up with so much difficulty, so much of love,
but they have turned so bad.
He wanted to get some consolation.
Then Latu Maharaj turned and said,
Look, with how much difficulty, how much love God is bringing us up
and we don't obey Him, we don't listen to Him, we don't take His name,
we rarely think about Him.
So when you can feel so much of pain because of your children's disobedience,
how much God must be feeling who is an embodiment of love.
Such a wonderful teaching.
If we do not obey our Divine Mother, Divine Father,
how much pain we must be causing them.
But as Rabindranath Tagore so says,
Life after life I was running away from you,
but with the same loving gaze you are following.
And once after a long time I looked back and I found
you have never abandoned me in life.
You have been looking at me with the same loving gaze.
My child, the moment you turn towards me, I am ready for you.
Such a beautiful poem. I do not remember the exact Bengali, this thing.
But when I read it, said this is what exactly what God is doing to us.
This was what I know, we know.
Holy Mother had done even to her disobedient monks.
Some monks had to leave, but her gaze was lovingly following.
My child, do not forget.
Wherever you are, you have a mother, call me when you are in difficulty.
I will come to you and aid you.
No question of taking revenge,
but this is how we all give pain to our Divine Mother.
Since how many aeons, yugas, the Divine Lord is waiting.
This was the sentiment expressed by Swami Primesanandaji Maharaj
in that unforgettable bhajan.
Dei bhajan aroopashay re lila lahari, koto jugo goto, tumari ashay, samshay jato aji tirohit,
jache amal, laho upahar, shapi no jeevan, tava shebhay.
What is the Lord telling?
Oh my child, how many aeons I have been waiting that you will turn towards me.
Look at least once towards me, but I have never lost my hope and faith.
Today I am overwhelmed with joy because you have once for all turned your gaze only towards me.
Koto jugo goto, tumari ashay, samshay jato, whatever doubts I had, aji tirohit,
they all disappeared just in one try.
This jache amal, laho upahar, God is telling my child,
whatever I have, I am offering it to you, shapi no jeevan.
I lay down my life in your service.
We foolish people, we think we can serve God.
We think we can give things to God.
What have we to give?
Our body belongs to Him, our mind belongs to Him.
If any such dishonor comes to us, it is a gift from God so that we can make our will strong,
our devotion even more steadfast and turn towards God.
Similarly, sita ushna, cold and heat, sukha dukha, happiness and unhappiness,
these are all very common things.
Samaha sanga vivar jithaha, we must keep our mind in equanimous mood.
Then tulya nindas tutir mauni, we must be equanimous.
Ninda, somebody is blaming us unnecessarily, somebody is praising us.
I have seen so many of these dramas.
My devotees praise me and those who do not like me, they condemn me like anything.
I just say that if you condemn, it doesn't mean I am guilty of those things.
If you praise me, I don't think that I am worthy of whatever you are attributing to me.
Everything belongs to God and that is how I would like, I would try to keep my mind equi-poised.
Tulya nindas tutir.
Then mauni.
Mauni means going on thinking.
What we are thinking?
Tattva, hitha, purushartha and hitha.
What is the truth?
God alone is the truth.
Each soul is potentially divine.
What is the purushartha?
To manifest to this divinity by controlling nature, by controlling the mind and by developing this passion towards the external world.
I am quoting from Swami Vivekananda.
And manifest to this divinity either through karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga, jnana yoga, by one, more, all of these put together and be free.
This is the whole of religion.
Everything else is secondary detail.
So to remember this constantly.
Remembering God means remembering the ephemerality of this world.
Remembering the dualities of this world.
The only being where we can anchor our boat so that it will be protected from all storms.
That is only God.
That is called mauni, not mere silence, not mere suppression of what we call words.
Santushtaha.
Always we must have, as Patanjali says, saucha santosha.
Santosha, whatever comes.
Again, whatever comes to a devotee, he accepts it as prasada.
And I do not mean only good things.
Let good come.
Let some unpleasant come.
Both are prasada.
Prasada, the divine offering from God and it is His grace.
That is how we have to accept it.
So whatever comes, santushtaha.
But do not desire, why did this come?
Okay, I will tolerate it.
But I expect after some time something very positive, very good.
No, sir.
Whole life, if you want me to suffer, that is absolutely fine.
The only one thing I will beg you and I will not allow you not to give me.
I will pester you.
Let me never lose devotion to the lotus feet.
And let me not have any ulterior motive.
Let it be pure for the sake of love of you, bhakti of you.
Santushtaha enakena chit.
By anything.
Remember the story of that mad brahmagnani.
Naira Brahman who visited Dakshineswar.
He was not allowed by the beggars to sit by their side.
By the way, we have to understand that at that time,
plenty of very tasty food used to be cooked because that was the Rani Rasmani's wish.
The food must be offered to the Divine Mother
and the same food which has been offered to Divine Mother must be given to wandering monks, beggars
or any other guests that come with the same love.
Of course, because of social inequalities, the beggars used to get in a separate place.
But they get the same food and in plenty.
This great soul, because of his appearance, was not allowed to sit.
What did he do?
Santushtaha.
He was so happy.
He went to the refugee camp.
A heap and there the food that was thrown could be today's food, yesterday's food.
Dogs were eating.
I am sure some birds are also there.
Some insects were also crawling.
But happily he put one hand on one of the dogs and went on eating.
What was his mental state?
Absolutely, Prabhu mere avaguna chitana dharo samadarishi hai.
Namati haro.
It's not merely an evocative statement but it is a felt truth.
Santushtaha.
Whatever comes, let good come, let evil come.
Finally, let happiness come, let unhappiness come.
It doesn't matter.
Remember M used to get up sometimes in winter season and throw off his warm clothing
and go down and open the door and then go step into the street.
Many beggars will be huddling there putting whatever cloths they had in that winter
and somehow curling themselves up and trying to bear and get some sleep.
M used to sit there whole night.
Somebody who was surprised seeing him there asked, why?
He said, who knows?
But for the grace of God, I also could have been in the same condition.
If they could put up, why can't I put up?
This is the difference between voluntary starving,
voluntarily refraining from eating food and starving.
A beggar also starves.
A world renouncing monk also may starve.
What is the difference?
One is voluntary, another is completely involuntary.
That's why the beggar suffers whereas the monk happily he accepts it.
Sriram Krishna illustrates it.
Beautiful story.
A monk who was beaten to unconsciousness and when he was being slowly brought back to consciousness.
Who beat you?
The same one who is pouring milk into my mouth.
And who became free from this dishonor? Was Rama dishonored or not?
Was Krishna dishonored or not?
Sathya, Harishchandra, Pandavas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Buddha.
Even attempts were made to kill him.
And then Jesus Christ was crucified by his own tribe.
What a shame it is even to think of it.
Then what about Ramakrishna?
He was kicked, he was abused.
And what about Holy Mother?
What about Swami Vivekananda?
How much criticism he had to face especially in USA?
And people wanted to do away with him at least on two occasions.
How did he do?
He simply said Shiva, Shiva.
And as soon as he uttered Shiva, immediately he becomes free, cheerful.
These are the characteristics of a devotee.
We have to acquire as I said surely but albeit slowly.
Then Aniketaha.
Aniketaha means a place, definite place, guaranteed place to stay, a house.
But a devotee says today you may keep me in a king's palace.
Tomorrow under a tree.
Day after tomorrow in a cave.
Wherever you put, happily I will bear forward these things.
I remember the incident of Swami Akhandanandaji.
Once it so happened Swami Akhandanandaji was wandering in the Himalayas.
And during that period somehow he saw a beautiful cave.
Swami Akhandanandaji was a great lover of nature beauty.
So he saw a beautiful cave.
He decided that night he is going to spend in thinking about God meditation.
But he came down to have some alms.
And the village people upon seeing him, they developed a tremendous respect.
And then upon inquiry he said after taking food I would like to go back to that cave.
And then the villager said Swami please do not go.
A man-eating tiger is seen roaming here.
Already a few people were killed.
So you better spend the night in one of our houses, whichever house you like.
Early morning you make your way.
So he was persuaded.
And after some time he was lying down.
A thought came.
Did I lose faith in God?
If God is there, is He not going to protect me?
Immediately he got up.
And in spite of the loving protests of the villagers, he made his way up.
And the villagers were sure they will find the bones.
But fortunately Sri Ramakrishna had saved him.
These kind of incidents are there.
All over the lives of the direct disciples etc.
God is there.
But does it mean that every time He saves?
No.
Sometimes they can also be killed either by accident.
They could be also kicked.
Saint John of the Cross was kept in prison and beaten regularly and severely by his own brother monks.
Until one day God decided to make him free.
Saint Teresa had to suffer so much.
Jesus Christ had given commandment.
You reform my church.
And she took it very seriously.
And she had to go through so much of abuse by her own nuns and monks.
Because she was advising them.
You have fallen down from your ideal.
And you are bringing bad name and bad ideal to everybody.
And they did not like to hear about it.
And they put so much of difficulties.
And added to her physical health was very very precarious.
And one day she went to Jesus and said,
Lord you only commanded me to do good.
Why do you go on creating all these problems?
Because the Lord is capable of removing these unnecessary things.
But sweetly, sweet Jesus smiled very sweetly and said,
That is how I treat my friends.
In quick like lightning, the repose also came from Saint Teresa.
Now I know why you have so few friends.
If you are going to treat your friends in this way,
there is no wonder you have such a few friends.
Every devotee, if we study their lives,
have to go through tremendous difficulties.
I in the past had mentioned some incidents in the lives of devotees of Shiva.
I may quote them also later on.
But here is certain qualities.
No person should ever think that I have a secure house.
I have got health insurance.
My income is fixed.
All these are meant for people who do not have faith in God.
A devotee should depend totally upon God.
How many of our devotees are even willing to part a bit of their high income
just thinking though the future inflation may be there,
maybe there may be inflation in the finance system,
but there will be deflation in their bhakti system.
That people do not understand.
These qualities have to be meditated upon.
What is the take up of this quality?
A homeless man.
My only home is God.
That's why Swamiji sang,
And this devotee's mind is totally fixed.
It will not move one millimetre from what it had decided to stick to it.
This is called sthiramati.
Anything can happen.
The greatest example is Buddha.
We will talk about it tomorrow.
If any devotee has got these kind of qualities,
he is called bhaktiman.
Endowed with bhakti.
So what is bhakti?
Devotion.
What is being endowed with bhakti?
Only acquisition of these spiritual or devotional qualities.
And another thing is, every devotional quality is a spiritual quality.
Whether you call it the characteristics of jnana,
or karma yoga, or bhakti yoga, or raja yoga,
as explained by Patanjali,
that yama and niyama.
There is absolutely no difference.
If anybody strives sincerely to acquire these qualities,
such a person is sure to be endowed with bhakti
because these qualities will only make that person get that knowledge.
I and God are very closely related.
I belong to God.
He belongs to me.
I am part of God.
He is the whole and I am part.
And in the final run, I am none other than God.
These are the stages every devotee has to pass through,
east or west, consciously or unconsciously.
Such a devotee is very dear to me,
and by implication, very near to me.
We will discuss these things in tomorrow's class.
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam
Kamsa Janura Marthanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with bhakti.
May Swami Sivanandaji, Mahapurush Maharaj
also bless us with bhakti.
Today is his very auspicious Janma Tithi.
Everywhere we celebrated
and still celebrating in some places his birthday.
May Ramakrishna.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 09 on 03 January 2021

2026-11-01T20:11:45Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANCHADHO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSHA SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GITA AMRITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARUTHI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM
YAT KRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We have been studying the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
In our last class, we have been discussing about the certain spiritual qualities
that have to be developed by every spiritual aspirant
who would like to become dearer and nearer and dearer to Bhagawan.
In this beautiful 12th chapter, such characteristics are being beautifully explained to us.
ASHRADI VISA ANAPEKSHAHA SUCHIHI DAKSHAHA UDASINO GATAV YADHAHA
SARVARAMBHA PARITYAGI YO MAT BHAKTAHA SAME PRIYAHA
He who is free from dependence, who is pure and prompt, unconcerned and untroubled,
and who has renounced all undertakings, such a devotee is dear to me.
He is the man who is devoted, really devoted to me.
So Anapekshaha, yesterday we discussed a person who doesn't expect.
I mentioned two types of expectations.
One is realistic and another is unrealistic.
If we have done something and expecting, it is a realistic expectation.
Without doing anything, we just hope something will fall from the sky.
That is unrealistic.
Usually people will be disappointed.
A devotee gives up both.
Why?
Because he totally surrendered himself to God, says whatever God ordains in my life to me
and he knows better than me what's good for me, what's not good for me,
whatever comes, happiness or unhappiness, I totally depend upon him.
This is called free from dependence from all worldly things.
But total dependence upon God is called Anapekshaha.
Such a he, inside, outside, not only clean but inside and outside,
he thinks only of the divine which is called purity.
Cleanliness belongs to the external world and purity belongs to the what we call spiritual world.
Then there is a word Dakshaha and what is Daksha?
Extremely skillful.
What does it mean?
Here also yoga is described in this very Bhagavad Gita.
Yogaha karmasu kaushalam.
That is dexterity, skillfulness in yoga is called yoga.
A person who is dull, who is unintelligent, who is manda buddhi,
he can never become really a spiritual person.
That's why Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj used to tell something very important.
A person who is unsuccessful in this world can never be successful in spiritual world.
Only one who is very successful in worldly affairs has a chance to become very successful in spiritual life too.
Why?
Because success requires certain qualities, at least three qualities.
First of all, there should be a strong desire, I only want this goal and nothing else.
Second, he needs absolute attention or concentration.
Third, he requires what is called complete self-control.
If we study the greatness of any great being, the success of any great person,
we invariably find these three characteristics, a fixed goal, concentration, the ability to focus
and self-discipline, what is called powers of the will,
both to concentrate and to eliminate any distractions and that is what is said.
Viveka means fixing a goal.
Vairagya means controlling the mind so that it will not go towards what we want to give up
but go only towards that which we ardently desire.
Such a person is called Daksha.
Not only that, Ramakrishna's life gives us wonderful practical hints.
Once, one of his close devotees, Amparanga, Swami Yogananda,
he went to buy a pot and the shopkeeper cheated him by giving him a very holy pot.
When Sri Ramakrishna came to know, he issued one of the greatest guidelines to each one of us.
Bhakta hole, boka hobi keno.
If you are a devotee, why should you be a fool on that account?
In fact, a devotee is one who has developed this power of discrimination to the umpteenth degree
and therefore, he would be the first person to learn.
Sri Ramakrishna's wise saying is also,
before you buy something, you visit four or five shops,
find out the quality and the price and where you can get the best thing, there only you show.
And Sri Ramakrishna's whole life is, he never wasted energy in even the smallest thing
like striking a matchstick against a matchbox.
So many lessons we have to learn from Sri Ramakrishna.
So this Daksha, ordinary worldly people, they have two kinds of attitudes.
One is terrible hard-heartedness.
I don't care.
Let people suffer.
I don't care.
Of course, as Swami Vivekananda says, it becomes like a wall.
A wall doesn't feel neither happiness nor unhappiness.
But it doesn't also become anything else excepting a lifeless inert wall.
A devotee must have very strong will.
At the same time,
a very tender heart.
So far as oneself is concerned, very strong will.
He can override any ups and downs.
And so he is always even-minded and his mind is in balance.
He is absolute emotional control.
But at the same time, he is very sympathetic and his heart just weeps.
That is the nature of a great soul.
That is what he is telling it.
But a worldly person can be hard-hearted in everything including God.
Or on the other hand, there are some people, they are like jellyfish,
what Sri Ramakrishna used to call, what?
Butter.
Melted butter.
That means, not in a good sense, they have no grit.
They have no willpower.
They weep very easily and they are cheated all round, left, right and center.
Such a thing also has to be avoided.
Practice of Vedanta never allows anybody.
One should allow oneself to be exploited by others.
That is what Sri Ramakrishna says,
Now, Pandavas suffered is an incidental subject I am bringing.
And everybody is brainwashed.
All of us are brainwashed into thinking Pandavas are very good people, dharmic people.
But whatever the reason and good people always suffer.
I can never tolerate this kind of stupid interpretation.
The Pandavas suffered not because of their goodness, because of this jellyfish attitude.
Who asked the Yudhishthira, first of all, to go and gambling?
Does he not know, gambling is one form of Kali, one form of sin.
Whether he is a Kshatriya or not, gambling among friends without losing anything
for entertainment for a short time is okay, like listening.
Nice devotional songs, etc. is absolutely fine.
But he is seriously jeopardizing the lives of everybody, including himself.
He dragged the entire family, including Draupadi, who is the wife of all of them.
She was an innocent lady.
The only sin she committed was to be won over by these Pandavas.
What am I talking about?
Pandavas suffered not because of their dharma, but because of their stupidity,
especially one person's stupidity.
Had he avoided gambling, had he been a more intelligent person, okay, first time he lost.
But Dhritarashtra was forced to give back whatever he'd lost.
What did he learn?
What lesson?
No lesson he learned.
Again, when they were returning back, same Dhritarashtra sends news, this time instead
of running away, again he came, fell into the trap and suffered.
Anyway, this is what Sri Ramakrishna meant.
If you are a devotee, doesn't mean you behave like a stupid idiot fool.
Be intelligent.
In fact, you should be more intelligent.
That's why if a devotee starts a business, he should be more successful than anybody else.
Why?
Because first of all, he does good jobs.
Secondly, he is very alert.
Thirdly, he depends upon God.
And fourthly, he is practicing discrimination at every moment.
Therefore, he should be successful.
And when other worldly people who have doubts about God, look at this person, how successful
every spiritual aspirant is.
And that is the ideal.
Then they will get inspiration.
These people are prosperous.
They are successful because they believed in God.
And if I believe in God, I also am going to become successful.
All these ideas are implied in this word, Dakshaha.
That is very, very important for us to understand.
So also, there are some people who are supposed to be practicing Ahimsa, non-injury.
That is what also is implied here.
A devotee's first quality is Ahimsa.
That is why he says he is not afraid of anybody and the world also is never afraid of him.
Yesterday, I gave the example.
When a person, maybe a timid person, is a coward, grown-up person, but when he comes
across a baby, that person also becomes fearless.
Why?
Because baby means what is called fearlessness.
He will not cause any injury.
He will not be able to do that.
That should be the characteristic of a true devotee.
We have to understand it.
All the time, we have to understand it.
But in spite of whatever we do, sometimes, why sometimes?
All the time, some tragedies will come not because of our fault, not because of what
is called anything, but it is first of all God's play.
Secondly, Prakruti, what is called Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika.
They are not under our control.
When such things happen, we must become Udashinaha.
When enemies of Jesus Christ, because of ignorance, made him go through this crucifixion, his
last prayer was, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
That is what we have to understand, Udashinaha and Gatavyadaha.
Gatavyadaha means this devotee will not look back and say, why such and such negative things,
unhappy things happened in my life or maybe some things like that are soon going to come
in to happen in future.
Example, Sudhiram, as soon as he refused to bear false witness, knew that disaster is
awaiting him.
It is his, in a few days time, a very short time in future, he is going to give up everything.
Was he worried?
Absolutely no Vyatha.
How come?
Because he is totally dependent upon Rama, upon God.
Let anything come.
My Lord is looking after me.
I have nothing to worry.
Just as a baby never worries what is going to happen next second.
He knows there is my mother.
That's all.
I am in the presence of the mother and that's the last thought.
That's all.
This person, Sarva Aramma Parityagi, all his desires are completely fulfilled only in God.
By thinking of God, by singing of God, by hearing of God, by praying to God, by meditating
upon God, by visiting holy places, this person derives the greatest joy which is a boredom
for most of the people if it is continued for a long time.
You ask any of our devotees, so Kashi is a wonderful place.
Why don't you go?
Yes, yes, yes, I will go.
For how long?
Maybe three days, maybe ten days, but after that this hook is pulling them back to their
respective places.
Can you stay here forever?
Oh no, Swamiji, I wish but I cannot.
What a terrible lame excuse it is.
If you are really devotee and if such an opportunity comes, I don't say everybody will get the
opportunity.
We should jump up and say my life will not change whether I live here or in holy place.
Why?
Because here also God only is looking after me.
There also God only is going to look after me.
So wherever I go, it doesn't make the least of difference to me.
That's why Sarva Aramma Parityagi.
He will never do anything of his own will, he depends totally upon God's will.
In this respect, context, I was talking yesterday, this life of holy mother, especially some
incidents in her life.
I mentioned one that Sri Ramakrishna never called her even though he was not unaware
of it.
He was fully aware my wife must have grown up.
She must be 17 or 18 years old and Sri Ramakrishna's memory is marvelous memory, don't forget.
Unless he was in Samadhi, always he was not in Samadhi, he would definitely remember holy
mother.
But as I mentioned, he would never do anything without express commandment that directly
comes to him from the divine mother.
Another incident, many times I have repeated it, Swami Prabhanandaji was in Madras with
Swami Brahmanandaji and many times they make a program, we will go to Mysore, we will go
to some other place.
He says yes, yes, yes, fix a good day, look into an almanac.
But when the time comes, he invariably, inevitably he will find an excuse and say today I am
not feeling well.
So one day Prabhanandaji, he became annoyed and he asked, if this is your condition, you
yourself ask us to fix a date and on that date invariably we find you refuse to go.
Then Maharaj said, my child, you do not understand.
I do not do anything of my own.
I fixed the date for your satisfaction.
Then why do I refuse?
Because the commandment from Sri Ramakrishna has not come to me.
Do you mean to say Maharaj, every time Sri Ramakrishna comes and commands in every respect,
Maharaj quietly said yes.
Until I receive a direct commandment, I am not going to lift a small finger.
Everything I do.
In that context only, the same Prabhanandaji, he went to Mahapurush Maharaj and he was more
free with Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj.
This Mahapurush Maharaj used to be many times by the side of Swami Brahmanandaji and whatever
Swami Brahmanandaji says, he says yes Maharaj, yes Maharaj.
So one day Swami Prabhanandaji caught hold of this Mahapurush Maharaj and said, you have
become a yes man to Maharaj.
Mahapurushji understood, laughed and he explained, avani, avani is the name of that Swami Prabhanandaji's
Purvashrama name, avani, you do not understand Maharaj.
He is nothing but outside Maharaj, inside Sri Ramakrishna.
Whatever comes out of the mouth of Brahmanandaji is directly coming out of the mouth of Sri Ramakrishna.
Therefore, if Sri Ramakrishna says something, will you say yes or no?
You have no option but to simply say, not assent.
That's all.
So that is what I do it.
If you hear something from me, then you use your rationality, find out whether it is right
or wrong, good or not so good, then only you act accordingly.
But if it comes from the mouth of Maharaj, then you close your eyes, ears, mind and just
follow what he asks you to do.
This is the attitude of a true devotee of God.
Therefore, sarvaarambha parityagi, he will not say, I am going to do something, undertake
anything but we are in the beginner's stage.
So what do we need to do?
Pray, O Lord, this is what I am thinking of doing it after lot of thinking and discriminating.
If it is Thy will, let it be successful.
If it is not Thy will, let it not be successful at all.
Now this topic brings another doubt to some of us.
What is the doubt?
Many devotees have raised this topic in front of me.
How do I know what is God's will and what is my own will?
And the answer I could give after prayer is that God doesn't come like to Swami Brahmananda
like Merabai.
He will only manifest through your will.
So you pray like this, O Lord, I do not know whether it is right or wrong or good or bad
but this is what I could think of best thing to do and I will do.
Pray like this and say, if it is not right, you please make it happen some otherwise.
Then a magic happens.
What is that magic?
Whatever we do wholeheartedly after praying and surrendering to God, the outcome of whatever
we do will be only good because the Divine Lord converts.
Even if it is bad, He will convert into good because we prayed and we are trying to surrender
ourselves to Him and God takes charge and He will turn it into Shubha.
Every Ashubha turns into only Shubha.
That is why Divine Mother is called Sarva Mangala Mangali.
She is the root cause of only all Mangalas.
Is there no Amangala?
Yes.
Divine Mother is also Mithya Jagat Adhistatri Muktida Muktirupini.
Without dualities, this world does not function.
If there is something called Mangala auspiciousness, there will be its opposite which is inauspiciousness
but if a person takes refuge in God, every inauspiciousness turns inevitably to auspiciousness.
This was the idea expressed in Shiva Mahimana Stotram by one devotee, greatest devotee called
Pushpadanta.
He says that you live in smashanas and all these inauspicious things like snakes, they
adore on you, Bhuta, Preta, Pishacha, these are your Sahacharas, companions and yet what
a strange thing it is, what an un-understandable truth it is, whoever takes your name, everything
turns out to be the greatest, most auspicious thing in the world.
So when we are doing Stotram of the Divine Mother Sarva Mangala Mangali, what it should
mean is Mother, I am your child, so you convert even the most inauspicious thing which I do
out of sheer ignorance into the most auspicious thing.
So this is one of the spiritual qualities we have to develop.
Now we move on to the 17th shloka.
Another five spiritual qualities to be developed by every sadhaka, spiritual aspirant who wants
to progress, for progress these qualities are a must, there is no choice, I have some
qualities but I don't need every quality.
As I mentioned earlier, one good quality brings in its turn every other good quality, they
are all like a gang, they are all like a huge creeper, they are all twined together.
But the bad qualities also, if there is one bad quality, then everything will turn into
a bad quality.
There is a funny story, a prospective bridegroom was there and his prospective father-in-law
went to interview him.
So the father-in-law was asking the mother of that boy, because directly if you ask,
they will tell only what is called pleasing things.
So does this boy have any bad qualities, does he tell a lie, does he drink, does he smoke,
does he eat meat, does he do thieving, like that.
For every question, no, no, no, he is a good boy, etc.
Do you mean to say there is no bad quality?
The mother says yes, there is only one bad quality, he tells lies, that means what?
He was a drunkard, he was a thief, he was a meat-eater, he was all bad qualities.
He was saying no, that means I don't have, that is a terrible lie.
So all bad qualities come together.
If you try to develop one bad quality, all his companions, bosom, friends come together
in one group.
So also, all the good qualities also come together in one group.
So in the 17th shloka,
यो नःरिष्यति नद्वेष्टि नशवचति नतांग्रिष्यति शुभः अशुभः परित्यागि भक्तिमान्यः समेप्रियः
He who rejoices not, and hates not, who grieves not, and desires not, who has renounced both
good and evil, and is full of devotion, is dear to me.
So these are the five qualities.
What is it?
He doesn't rejoice.
He doesn't hate.
He doesn't grieve.
He doesn't regret.
Third, नकांशति.
He doesn't desire anything.
And last, fifth quality is शुभः अशुभः परित्यागि.
He is indifferent to both what is auspicious or favorable and unfavorable.
Such a person, such a sadhaka who is trying to develop these qualities, he will definitely get more and more devotion towards me.
How?
Because when these qualities are developed, the mind becomes like a clean mirror.
And just as when we stand in front of a clean mirror, our whole image is reflected as it is without distortion.
So also, the divine Lord who is inside, outside, stands in front of the mirror of our purified heart,
we will be able to get a true picture of Him.
This is called a right knowledge about God.
And when a person has the right knowledge, then his devotion to Him increases.
Why does the devotion increase?
Because of that knowledge.
What is that knowledge?
He whom I am thinking is someone else, is none other than me.
He is the soul of my soul.
So I am only externalizing my own self with a capital S and I am worshipping myself until I have the capacity,
I acquire that skillfulness to perceive the same God as me, as my own self.
So really speaking, when somebody says, I don't believe in God, he is denying himself.
When somebody says, I believe in God, he is only making a statement that,
that God whom I imagine having such and such a quality is none other than potential me.
Me in my nijaswarupa, real form, is nothing but God.
But because of ignorance, I somehow come to feel that I am not that God.
This is the effect of avidya, covering.
So this fact is being told, a devotee, he should not rejoice.
What type of quality is that?
Do you mean to say a devotee should become an embodiment of grief, unhappiness,
despondency, inferiority complex, depressed personality? No, sir.
What it means is, when this kind of devotee develops certain qualities,
then earlier as we said in the Mandukopanishad,
Atmarathi Atmakridaha, he turns his eyes inward, he sees Sachidananda.
He turns his word, his sight outside, his drishti outside, he sees only Atmakridaha.
Outside is his manifestation of God.
Inside is he, there is no he, only God is manifesting as his mind, as his buddhi,
as his prana, as his anandamaya kosha, as everything.
Outside what is called anandamaya kosha is God, inside all the other four koshas are nothing but the same Brahman.
Therefore, he is only happy all the time.
He becomes what is called Atmaramaha, Atmarathi, Atmakridaha.
Krida means a play.
So what is the difference between Atmarathi and Atmakrida?
This is beautifully explained earlier.
One closes the eyes, focuses upon the most inward consciousness and revels in that anandamaya sagara.
That is called Atmarathi, complete absorption in the ananda aspect of one's own self.
That was what Hari Maharaj told to Shri Ramakrishna.
No, no, you are not suffering, you are swimming in the ocean of bliss.
Ananda sagare, you are swimming.
But when the same person opens, there is no inside, there is no outside.
He is Ananta, he is everywhere, there is nothing else excepting God.
Isavasyam idakum sarvam, everything is nothing but God.
When Shri Ramakrishna turns his sight inside, then he sees nothing but Divine Mother.
And when he turns the same sight outside, he sees nothing but Divine Mother.
Only difference is with different names and different forms.
That fact we have to keep in mind.
So a devotee is supremely joyful.
So if a person has got what is called a billion billions and you go and want to increase his wealth,
say I am giving you one rupee, this will make you whatever you had plus one,
that do you think that billionaire is likely to bless you?
Of course, he will appreciate your goodwill, but it makes no difference to him
because he knows what I am having is more than most people have it.
That is the meaning.
Such a devotee is not excessively rejoicing if things are favorable.
So also his serenity, his happiness within is not disturbed in the least
if some unfavorable circumstance comes.
And this again Shri Ramakrishna illustrates it through the story of the devout weaver.
Ramericha, everything is the will of Rama. A devotee should not become exceedingly,
excessively happy when some favorable things happen.
Neither he becomes depressed or becomes desolate when something contrary, unexpected,
the negative, some experience comes.
Therefore, Nadveshti, therefore, wherefore, because when we see here is a person
and suddenly he did some good to me and therefore I am very happy,
therefore I love him, but here is a person,
but for him I would have gained something, I would have been happier,
but this fellow put his foot down, obstructed me.
So that is where the devotee says it is God who gives, it is God who takes away.
Not only that, it is God who is near me, who is taking care of me and I am in his lap
and therefore there is nothing for me if something happens with the will of God.
Somebody abuses me, who is abusing? God is abusing me.
Somebody criticizes me, God is criticizing me.
Somebody finds faults with me, God is finding fault with me and for what purpose?
For my own good. Therefore, this idea of dvesha, that is hating somebody,
never arises in the mind of the people.
There is a beautiful incident.
There was a very wonderful saint, a lady, woman saint called Prabiya
and once some of her followers reported that some of the mullahs,
they are abusing you right and left, they would like to destroy you
and they were expecting some reaction, could be fear, it could be hatred,
it could be curse.
She was capable of cursing, by God's power was working through her
but she said that I am so much absorbed in God.
So if you come and report, some people are pleasing you,
I am not going to pay attention to them because I get more happiness from God than anything else.
If you report, some people are criticizing me, I don't lose anything.
I am so happy, God has filled my heart to such an extent.
There is no place for another emotion called hate.
It is impossible for me and this Prabiya expressed most beautiful prayer.
She said, O Allah, if I am praying to you because I desire to be escaping from hell,
then voluntarily you throw me into the hell so that I suffer.
If I am loving you, expecting that you will lift me up and put me in the paradise,
kingdom of heaven, then exclude me from heaven, do not allow me, put me in the hell
but if I am praying to you without any expectation, without any fear or favor,
then do not exclude me from yourself.
The same idea as Ramakrishna says, all jackals howl in the same way.
Whether it is Rabiya, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Pavela,
Merabai, Peevat, Meera, Haseera, Vishapiyala, Rana Ne Bheja.
We don't care because there is someone who is doing everything for me.
Let anybody deal with that someone and that is the consequence that will come to me.
I am not worried.
So another idea is also there.
There was one Maharashtrian woman devotee.
One day at the incitement of his own mother,
the husband started beating his wife black and blue without any justifiable reason.
There is no reason to beat some other human being whether it is wife or a servant or anybody.
It is completely unjustified.
Now this lady knew nothing but accepting Pandarinath.
She went on saying Pandarinath, Pandarinath meaning Bhagavan Krishna, Narayana
and the priests were bathing the image of Pandarinath in the temple.
Suddenly blood started flowing, oozing out from the back of Bhagavan Pandarinath.
They were astounded.
They were shocked.
How can this image made up of stone ooze out this blood?
Then they came to know some bhakta was being injured.
She was not feeling.
Only the Lord is bearing all the devotee's burden.
A most telling story we have to remember that this exactly happened.
It's not a cock and bull story.
In the life of Sri Ramakrishna also when one boatman gave a blow to another weaker boatman
and Sri Ramakrishna was watching from bank of the Ganga at Dakshineswar.
He got the blow because he identified himself with that whatever he was witnessing
and he was shocked that such a thing could happen to any human being.
There are so many examples are there.
Once a rough man was walking with rough shoes on a newly grown Durva grass
and Sri Ramakrishna felt that man was walking on his own chest.
This Sarvatma Bhava is being indicated here.
He rejoices in God.
Therefore, he doesn't depend upon any favorable external thing.
Neither he hates anybody because everybody is nothing but God.
Nashocati, he doesn't grieve because everything will turn out to be the most auspicious thing.
Nakankshati, he has no unfulfilled desire because he got God himself.
As when a person gets infinity, there is nothing more to desire for him
and this aspirant has achieved, has reached that state where he could see the divine Lord everywhere.
Such a person is called immortal.
He will be rejoicing all the time but he will be saying like Bhagwat Leela.
That is what is called Nithya and Leela.
Upon realization, live in the state of Leela.
Such a person naturally, Shubha Ashubha Parityagi, he is the renouncer.
He naturally, of course at the beginning stages, there is nothing called auspicious.
There is nothing called inauspicious.
There is a beautiful song of Purandara Dasa.
Lord Narayana, Purandara is the Lord who created Navagrahas.
Shani, Mangala, Kuja, Budha, etc.
Some superstitious people are always under the sway of astrologers.
Oh, this Graha is dominating.
You will have to suffer.
That Graha is coming.
You will be freed from all this, etc., etc.
But Purandara Dasa says that I am not frightened of any Graha
because the creator and control of all these Navagrahas is my Narayana
and at his bidding only these carry out and according to the Karma phala of each one of us.
So what can they do to me?
I don't care for them.
I am not too scared of them because my God is much more powerful.
He is the father and mother of all these Navagrahas
and that is what every good devotee must feel.
God is my mother, my father, my protector, Mata, Pita, Pitamaha, Bandhu, Sakha.
Everything is God.
When a person reaches this right understanding and realizes it,
he doesn't need to do anything voluntarily.
On the contrary, whatever he does turns out to be the most beneficial,
the most auspicious not only for himself but for everybody else.
So a devotee should not go on,
this is a good day, this is a good tithi,
this is a tithi that should be avoided by all cause, etc.,
Shubha, Ashubha, Parityagi.
He becomes indifferent but at the same time we should not try to understand.
A devotee becomes callous, becomes hard-hearted, that means he will do whatever he likes.
Simply he says,
So Lord, You sit in my heart and You run my life for me
and nothing wrong will go if You drive my chariot.
That is the symbolism of Bhagawan Krishna driving the chariot of Arjuna.
Interesting incident is that chariot which Arjuna used
just before the fight between him and the Kauravas at that Kurukshetra place,
that episode, that was a divine chariot.
The horses were divine and therefore whoever is sitting there,
he has no control over them.
It is only God who is controlling them.
That is the symbolism.
Krishna, God himself, because Arjuna surrendered,
Krishna himself started guiding his life, Dhyo Yonaha Prachodayat.
That's why,
Yatra Yugeshwara Krishna Yatra Partho Dhanudhara
Tatra Sreer Vijayo Bhutir Netir Matir Mama
This victory is sure to come where a devotee completely surrenders himself.
This is the essence of all Bhagavad Gita messages.
Sarva Dharmaan Parityaja
Giving up dependence upon everything which you thought dependable earlier.
Take only complete refuge in me and me alone and I will guide your life
and you will be happy in this world, happier in the other world.
You will be free from all ignorance and you will attain to the highest felicity anybody can do.
Those ideas are being a little more explicitly manifested here, expressed here.
So the devotee must develop five qualities.
He should rejoice only in God.
If he does that, no external worldly enjoyment can ever make him a slave,
but he will rejoice.
The whole life of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother,
especially, I'll tell you,
Swami Vivekananda enjoyed chocolate ice cream.
But if anybody thinks he was a slave to this chocolate ice cream,
I pity that person from the bottom of my heart
because seeing his happiness, his friends, his devotees were made to be most happy.
He seems to be happy but at the same time he knows what happiness comes from outside is nothing.
But the inside happiness that I directly experience through God is everything.
Therefore, there is nobody in this world who should be hated.
Every person is a manifestation, representation of his own Ishta Devata in that particular form.
Therefore, Nashavachati.
Whatever happens, he knows.
When I get God, there is no way of losing God.
And if God is there, nothing is lost.
If I am infinite, nobody can lose anything.
Supposing somebody steals something from me
and that property, object goes to the thief.
But if I am that thief who actually stole from oneself,
I have stolen from my own self,
that is what happens in dream.
We are not talking what is called errant nonsense.
We are not talking unrealistic imaginations in dream
which seems to be absolutely real, absolutely true while the experience lasts.
We see somebody comes and takes away my money, my property, my beloved objects
and upon waking up, do I laugh or do I grieve?
I enjoy that dream.
When does that enjoyment comes?
Only upon waking up.
Keep that example in mind.
When we have this true knowledge,
when we awake to the fact it is a Leela Brahman, Brahma Leela,
then whom are you going to hate?
It is all a beautiful, enjoyable, delectable play,
Nataka, cinema of the Lord.
So, he doesn't grieve because he lost something.
Nakamshati is absolutely no desire.
Here is another hint.
When we have a desire, then we work and get it.
And when we lose what we got it,
then only regret comes, unhappiness comes, grief comes.
But when we have no desire,
even if somebody gives us something which is totally useless,
I am not going to grieve.
Perhaps one simple example.
Here is a child and some rich father or rich uncle presents the child with a Formula 1 car.
Is that uncle so foolish to expect his baby will be bubbling all over?
Oh, my uncle, I love you.
I cannot live without you.
I am so grateful.
I know you love me.
That's why you presented me.
In fact, for the baby, this is a terrible burden.
Where am I going to keep it?
Who is going to look after it?
So, if somebody comes and takes it away,
then it will be most wonderful thing in the whole world.
A devotee is not under the sway of either happiness or unhappiness.
He had no enemies, no friends,
and he doesn't grieve whether something comes or something goes,
and he doesn't have any desire.
Why?
Because desire means I lack something.
And if I get fulfillment,
as if that something has made me full,
at least for the time being.
When I am hungry and food is lacking and I feel it,
that's called hunger.
I eat the food.
I feel fulfilled and for a short time.
And again, same drama will start after a few hours.
But a devotee, Nithyam, all the time,
he is cherishing.
He is with God.
He is in God.
He can never be separated from God.
Therefore, there is nothing auspicious.
There is nothing inauspicious.
In a drama, everything is enjoyable.
Somebody kills somebody,
that is neither an auspicious thing for the killer
nor an inauspicious thing for the killed.
Everything is a divine play.
He who rejoices not and hates not
and who grieves not and desires not
and who has renounced both good and evil
and is full of devotion,
Bhaktimaan, he is dear to me and he will be near to me.
And he will be in me.
He will be me.
These are the hints given to us simply praying,
O Lord, give me devotion.
We all pray for that.
Every day, I also pray at the end of the class.
I say Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji,
grant us bhakti.
But what we have to understand is,
God has already is keeping the bhakti.
But to receive that bhakti,
we have to be fit.
And that fitness can be acquired only
by developing these qualities slowly,
gradually, but surely.
Until we become fit,
we will not be able to receive
and even if we receive for a short time,
we won't be able to retain it for a long time.
These are most wonderful ideas
and another three verses are there
which we will complete in our next class.
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with bhakti
and I wish the newcomers who have joined this Bhagavad Gita class
a very spiritual new year.
May Sri Ramakrishna help us, guide us
and fill us with spiritual knowledge.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 08 on 02 January 2021

2026-11-01T20:11:27Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsa Sudheer Bhokta Dugdham Geetha Amritam Mahat
Mookam Karuthi Vachalam Pangum Langayate Girim
Yath Kripathamaham Vande Paramananda Madhavam
We have been studying the 15th verse of the 12th chapter very aptly called Bhakti Yoga.
Yasmāno dvijate loko, lokāno dvijate chayaha,
Harshām harsha-bhayo dvegaihi, mukto yaha, sacha me priyaha.
The Lord Himself is telling such a devotee who has these following characteristics
is very near to me, near means dear to me, dear means near, near means He is one with me.
A person with these characteristics is soon going to destroy his individuality
and completely become one with me.
Whether a Sādhaka, spiritual aspirant, takes to the path of devotion, bhakti or any other path,
slowly approaching the Lord means getting rid of the distance, getting rid of the duality.
I am separate and you are separate.
That separatedness must slowly become less and less.
In fact, that is called morality.
Swami Vivekananda defined what is morality.
To identify oneself with the other.
Then if the other person is happy, I am happy.
He is not happy, he or she, I am also not happy.
This identity alone is a true morality, otherwise it becomes a kind of social obligation.
In this 15th verse, what are the special characteristics, qualities a devotee must develop?
And a person who develops these qualities, he will come nearer and nearer to God.
And that means he and God cannot remain separate for a long time.
But we have to try from 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%.
What is the very first thing?
He by whom the world is not afflicted and whom the world also cannot afflict.
He who is free from joy and anger and fear and anxiety.
Six qualities, six spiritual characteristics are mentioned here.
What is the very first thing?
A smart by coming into contact even as a thought.
Nobody in this world is hesitated, frightened or becomes disbalanced.
Why? Because I have explained, we have explored in our last class, a devotee is one.
First of all, he tries to see God in everyone.
And no devotee will ever try to tell a lie, to cheat or to evade the divine presence.
Second, when a devotee sees God everywhere, and what is the nature of God? Fearlessness.
What does it mean?
That means God is of the nature of Sath.
Sath means existence.
Fear comes from, I am not going to be, I am not going to keep something,
I am not going to expect something which would have made me very happy.
Since God is eternal existence, that means immortal, deathless, and I am none other than God.
Because if God is everything, there is no I or you.
Everything is God.
Therefore, by implication, I am also immortal, I am also eternal.
Great fear is God.
Then, even when a devotee experiences the whole world, he sees it as a manifestation of God.
We have seen it in the 10th chapter, God said, I manifest as this world.
In the 11th chapter, directly He had granted that vision to Arjuna.
And naturally, Arjuna has not developed some of these requisite qualities, so he had a glimpse.
He knows the whole world is nothing but Brahman, but he could not retain it.
A very interesting point, if Arjuna was seeing God in the form of Duryodhana, Dushasana, Shakuni, Karna,
he would not have been able usually to kill because nobody contemplates killing God.
But then, when a person understands this is a play, a solitaire game, God is playing with Himself,
when that idea firmly takes root in the mind of an aspiring, struggling devotee,
such a person loses all fear.
Simple example, in a drama, an evil person comes and shoots down another ordinary person.
And both of them know the person, ordinary person, this is a pretense, this is just a play acting,
and he will discharge the gun, I will pretend to fall down,
and the other person knows, I am not going to kill this person, it is just part of the play acting.
This is the knowledge which comes to a devotee in actual life,
when he sees that everything is nothing but God.
Of course, we are slowly to progress towards that idea, but let us start seeing God in something very special.
And that is where the first thing is, the nearest one to us,
and who occupies the place of God almost, is our Mother, Matru Devo Bhava,
then Father, Pitru Devo Bhava,
then our beloved teachers, school teacher, college teacher, university teacher,
our PhD guide, and many other people.
That is Acharya Devo Bhava.
Then slowly this idea grows, and we try to identify more and more people with that Divine.
That is how a man grows.
And this is called growth of Bhakti, not simply becoming emotional.
In fact, this fear is an emotion.
Therefore, one has to be controlling that fear, not losing fear,
but we should not be overwhelmed by fear that is expressed in the second sentence.
We will come to it very soon.
So not only a devotee is not frightened, but the world also.
That means nobody is frightened.
I gave the example of born enemies like a cobra and a frog.
They always, absolutely, there is no such thing, just what we call fear at all.
There is no fear at all there.
And that is what we are talking about here, the world also.
Another example will be a small baby.
Nobody will be frightened of a small baby
because it is impossible for the baby to do anything wrong to anybody.
So these are the ideas we have to slowly develop.
एस्मान्नो द्विज़ते लोका
Seeing whom? Coming into contact with whom?
Nobody in this world will be hesitated, will be frightened, will be scared, or will try to run away.
Similarly, a devotee has no fear because he sees God everywhere.
This, from both sides, a devotee is not frightened of anything.
Even death doesn't frighten a devotee.
Supposing some so-called evil person robs a devotee, he doesn't say that I am robbed.
What does he say?
It is God who has taken away something.
God has given, God has taken away.
So if God has taken away, it must be for my good.
That is the conviction, firm conviction of every advanced devotee.
Of course, ordinary devotees, they pray to be rescued from suffering, to be rescued from distress.
These are called आर्तवक्तास, a little more advanced.
They are not frightened, but they have certain unfulfilled desires.
Such a person prays, like a small child, he pesters the mother.
And mother also lovingly gives what is good for the child.
This is the second example we have given.
A devotee, in other words, becomes like a child and he sees the whole world as God, as his own mother.
And he knows, I am not to be frightened from my mother, my mother also.
Of course, mother never becomes frightened of the child.
That means whatever happens, the person doesn't lose his balance of mind.
This is called समत्रभुद्धि.
These are the two very important qualifications.
And I also explained, a devotee, perhaps he has some property and somebody is taking it away.
Shuddhiram never got hesitated when the Jamindar had deprived him of his entire property.
He said, Rama has given, Rama has taken, and I depend upon.
His dependence upon Rama became even more intense.
Then four other qualities,
हर्ष, अमर्ष, भय, and उद्वेग.
One who is comparatively free from these four emotional situations.
Such a devotee is most dear to me.
What's our problem?
We want to love God.
That means we want to think about God.
But what is it that prevents us continuously thinking about God?
Emotional upsets.
Sometimes we have high emotion, sometimes low emotion.
Constantly we are being buffeted by this high tide and low tide.
This is what the Lord is indicating, हर्ष.
हर्ष means joy.
What does it mean?
We are expecting something, then we get it, then it gives us.
If it is dear to us, then we become happy.
We are not expecting, but we would be very happy we can obtain it.
Somehow without expectation, even sometimes beyond our hope,
suddenly something comes.
Many examples I can give you.
For example, Rani, Rajmani's father, he was a poor man.
He was thinking, how can I marry off my daughter?
And every parent wishes his or her children to be settled in a much better, happier place.
And suddenly the father-in-law of Rajmani's son, that means would-be husband,
who took a vow, I will not remarry,
came and saw this girl and fell in love, and he happily got married.
Now, what would be the mindset of the father of Rajmani?
And another story is Tyagaraja.
He had a daughter.
He was extremely poor.
In fact, he was living and begging.
And everybody is looking, asking, how are you going to marry off your daughter?
And he said, I depend upon Rama.
And one day, a rich man's proposal came,
we would be blessed, we would be fortunate,
if we can get your daughter as our daughter-in-law, as a wife for my son.
Tyagaraja must have been happy, but controlled happiness.
Why controlled happiness?
Rama has given the daughter, and Rama has arranged,
I depend totally upon Rama.
So what is the proof that he controlled his mind?
After this incident, his devotion to Rama had grown by leaps and bounds.
So also Shraddhirama's, so also every other devotee.
Mirabai was sent, poisoned, by her brother-in-law,
or some people say, by her own husband, Bhojraj.
And then there is a beautiful song,
Vishwapiyala rana ne bheja,
Rana means king, it could be her husband, or it could be her brother-in-law.
Privatmira hasi re.
And Mirabai says, I drank this joyfully.
Why?
Because whatever I drink, I offer it first to Krishna,
then only I drink.
And she took it as prasada.
And Mira is laughing, if it is Krishna's will, this body will go.
Atma, of course, will not go.
And if it is Krishna's will, I have to survive.
Let him do whatever he likes.
Ishwaraha sarva-bhutanam hridyeshe arjuna tishtati.
The divine Lord, sitting in the hearts of every being,
is making them do and making them dance,
making them speak.
As He wants them to do, to dance, to speak.
Jem ne bolhao, tem ne boli.
Jem ne nachao, tem ne nachi.
Mother, whatever way you make me speak,
because she comes in the form of knowledge,
she expresses in the form of what is called verbal expression,
everything she is doing.
And we are just even thinking we are doing it.
That is called ahankara, a good devotee says,
I'm an instrument, and ami jantra, tumi jantri,
you are the mechanic, you are the driver.
And that is the characteristic here.
Arsha means, do not be elated.
Should we not become happy?
Definitely, we should become happy.
Then, is this not a contradictory statement?
No.
What it means is, your mind will be in charge.
How much you'll be happy, how much you'll be unhappy.
Because when I am in great excitement,
rather than saying, I am happy,
the better word is, I'm excited and I'm depressed.
He who gets, what is called excited,
has also become excited.
He has to become depressed.
So both ways, a person only loses his control.
If you are very happy, you cannot think of God.
If you are very unhappy, you can't think of God.
So that perfect emotional control balance
is what is indicated here, harsha.
Similarly, amarsha.
Amarsha means, becoming despondent, unhappy, suffering.
There are so many events.
Life is full of that.
Sometimes it is beautiful spring.
Sometimes it is very hot.
Sometimes it is very cold.
Sometimes it is raining.
Some COVID will come.
Or health, healthy situations also will come.
Everything should be taken with a big pinch of salt.
Let us enjoy, but let it be under our control.
This is what every saint does it.
So a Zen Buddhist, how does he react to it?
They have peculiar terminology.
And this is how you do it.
Suppose there is a Zen master.
Somebody comes and says, I will kill you.
What do we say?
What?
But a Zen master will say, so what?
You want to kill this body?
OK, go ahead.
It doesn't affect me.
Oh, I am going to give you, make you a prince
of this particular province in charge.
We'll say, oh my God, how gracious God is.
But this Zen master will say, so what?
Somebody comes and says that there is some death happened.
So what?
Somebody comes and says that you will be given a big reward.
So what?
So what?
So what?
So that is called perfect characteristic of a devotee.
If some devotee, some person does something wrong,
or if some person does some good, he will not be happy too much.
He will not be excited.
He will not be also depressed.
What about some doing some evil?
Oh, he will say, Rama has come.
Rama has given.
Rama has taken away.
And these are the two qualities which
are being expressed in the form of a beautiful parable
by Sairam Krishna, the master of parables.
What is that story?
I hope and expect my devotees to remember it.
Rama Riksha.
Everything is the will of Rama.
The story of the weaver who is to say everything
happens by the will of Rama.
When this person was caught, he said, it is Rama's will.
When he was brought before the magistrate,
he said, it is Rama's will.
And when the magistrate said, you can go free,
he said, it is Rama's will.
But did he lose his mind control?
No.
His remembrance of Rama, his devotion to Rama
had grown by leaps and bounds.
So Harsha means excessive excitement.
Amarsha means just the opposite, full of fear,
full of depression.
Oh, I have lost something.
No.
Something has come.
Something has come.
And I are on, they are on.
Whatever comes, that also goes away.
This is being beautifully expressed, Harsha, Amarsha.
Excessive excitement, excessive, the opposite,
that is depression.
Then bhaya, fear.
It is said, fear comes only from two sources.
The main sources of fear are two.
What is it?
What I am expecting, I may not get.
And what I already have may be lost.
For a devotee, nobody can take away from him God.
There's a beautiful, funny incident.
Swarudas was travelling.
As we all know, he was blind.
He came to a spot, he was travelling to Vrindavan,
where he could not find the right way.
He cried out to Krishna.
Krishna came in the guise of a small boy,
caught hold of his hand, and took him to the right path,
and was about to leave him.
But the touch of the Divine had awakened the understanding.
The boy, the person who is showing me the right path,
put me in the right way, is none other than my own Krishna.
So he wanted to catch hold of the hand and keep it.
But that child Krishna, as usual, he did some mischief.
He snatched his hand away and ran away.
Then Swaruda said, I don't care whether you run away.
So this physically, you snatched your hands from my hand,
and you went away.
But I have firmly imprisoned you in the cage of my heart.
Now, my dear fellow, try to escape from there.
Let me see who is great, you or I.
And Shri Ramakrishna had also expressed it in a slightly
different way, but a very telling way.
Radha had painted Shri Krishna with full body, including legs.
And Krishna ran away.
Then next, she painted Krishna complete without legs.
Somebody asked, what is this, Krishna without legs?
He said, I painted him, and as soon as I painted, he ran away.
Now, he cannot run away from me.
I will carry this wherever I am.
So such a beautiful song is there.
If only, Krishna, you are a nose ring in my nose,
I will always walk proudly because I will always see you.
If you only are the anklets around my legs,
I will always dance taking your name.
You will always be with me.
If you are in the form of a flute,
then you will always be on my lips.
Such meaningful, sweet songs are there
in the gospel of Shri Ramakrishna.
I mean, they are called, what is called,
Shyam Sangeet or Krishna Sangeet, Vaishnava Padavali.
Shri Ramakrishna was a master, not only of singer,
but he could bring out all the emotions so vividly
to all the devotees.
That's why Totapuri was charmed.
So what are we talking?
Bhaya.
So a devotee will never have any fear
because who can take away God from him?
If God takes away, then what can anybody do?
There is a beautiful Hindi saying,
Ram rakhe, kaun maare?
If Rama is protecting me, who can kill me?
Ram maare, kaun rakhe?
If Rama himself has decided to finish me, who can save me?
Everything he is doing is done by God,
and I totally depend upon that God.
So I will have no fear at all.
OK.
Fear comes from the fact of death.
But what can death do?
What did Markandeya do when he came
to know that Mrityu Devata has come to catch hold of him?
He simply went and embraced Shiva Linga,
the emblem of Shiva.
And Yamadharma Raja could not come even anywhere near to Shiva
because he is called Mrityunjaya.
That's why we all repeat Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.
Rembakam ajamahe, sugandhim pustivarthanam,
urvarukam eva bandhanah, mrutyoh mukshiyah mamrutat.
If Shiva is Mrityunjaya, Dakshinamurthy is Mrityunjaya,
and by repeating this Mrityunjaya Mantra,
or Dakshinamurthy Stotra, I will be free from the fear of death.
But what about death?
Well, death comes only to the body,
and anyway it will come, whether it is a saint or sinner,
whether a king or pauper, and this physical, old age,
disease, death, are inescapable to anybody.
So a devotee's mind will not be agitated by joy, excitement,
by depression, or fear.
Then, udvega.
Udvega means excessive agitation of the mind
when we come across certain events.
And I will give you one such example.
Supposing you are a devotee, and you
are going, and you see some evil people catching hold
of a small girl and then trying to cut her limb by limb.
And no or even hardened human hearts
cannot be moved, but be moved by that type of sight.
Then he becomes extremely agitated.
But if this thing happens to be seen in a cinema,
not only will we experience the bhava, but we are enjoying it.
That's why it is called aesthetic enjoyment.
It may be what is called pity-evoking, poor person,
a painting, a sculpture, a drama, a poem, et cetera.
But we will not be agitated.
Why?
Because we know it is not the reality.
A devotee knows nothing is real in this world excepting God.
As I mentioned in my last class, Prahlada was tortured.
Was he afraid?
He was not feared.
As he became agitated, he never became agitated.
What is the secret?
Because for him, everything is God.
And so he who is never agitated by the world,
he from whom the whole world never gets agitated,
and a person who is free from excessive joy,
excessive depression, excessive fear, and excessive agitation,
if a devotee has these six qualities,
then he is progressing in spiritual life.
Just as a mother observes the child's first faltering
steps the baby is taking, for a few days,
the mother is ever alert so that the baby should not hurt.
But if she goes on holding the baby,
baby will never be confident that he will be able to walk,
much less to run.
So after a few days, when the baby has advanced a little bit,
the mother and father are sitting at a distance,
and they allow this child to tumble
so that once the child tumbles, he
understands it is not dangerous.
Thereafter, he will not be afraid.
And in the course of time, the child runs.
And this is what Sri Ramakrishna and the Holy Mother
used to give the example.
A calf, many times it stumbles trying to get up.
But it not only gets up, it runs with equal speed
with its mother and father.
So any devotee who is free from fear,
from his excessive attachment, that is important for us.
I should not be, we should not be like stones,
like a lump of clay.
So something good happens, and I will not enjoy it.
Something bad happens, I will not feel it.
So when we are dead, all these qualities will not affect us.
When we are unconscious also, they will not affect us.
When we are in deep sleep, we don't feel all these things.
But consciously, we have to experience all these situations
and keep the mind perfectly under control.
That is called yoga.
Yogaha samatvam.
Yogaha karmasu kaushalam.
Yogaha.
That is one of the two definitions of the yoga.
So it is good sometimes to have a strong heart,
but it is also good if we can have that one.
When it is necessary, we will have to be very hard-hearted.
When it is necessary, our hearts should be very, very,
what is called, softer than.
But that is why, vajradhapi kathorani murudhuni kusumathi.
So more tender than even flowers, but hard-like.
When to apply this to?
When we are going through hard times,
our heart should be so rock-like that nothing will touch us.
But when we see other people suffering,
murudhuni kusumathi, they are softer than the softest flowers.
So this is what our Shankaracharya, I think he does it,
vajradhapi kathorani murudhuni kusumathi,
lokottara naam chetamsi, konu vijnath marathi.
Who can understand these contradictory qualities
of such a great soul?
So such great people are called lokottara naam,
greatest people.
Their minds are like this.
A bhakta's heart is harder than even a diamond.
When it comes to experiencing hardness, sufferings, etc.,
he is so firm, he is not disturbed.
But at the same time, his heart is more tender
than even the tenderest of the flowers.
So this kind of emotional control,
every devotee has to develop.
Usually, unfortunately, very sadly,
most devotees, if they see other people suffering,
they don't feel it.
But if they have any such tragic events happening
in their own families, they cling like super glue.
So the Lord is telling us,
if you want to come to Me,
you will have to develop these qualities.
We move on to the 16th verse.
ANAPEKSHAH SUCHIH DAKSHAH UDASINO GATAV YADAH SARVARAMPA PARITYAGI YOMAD BHAKTAH SAMEPRIYAH
Some more qualities the Lord is enumerating here.
He who is free from dependence,
who is pure and prompt,
unconcerned, untroubled,
and who has renounced all voluntary undertakings,
such a devotee is dear to Me,
and he must develop these spiritual qualities.
Again, certain more qualities.
Here it is very interesting because
ANAPEKSHAH means expecting something.
And this expectation is of two types.
One expectation is, for example,
a student has written an examination,
and as a university-completed student,
education is complete,
he applies for a job,
he gets an interview,
and he has attended the interview,
he thinks he has done quite well,
and he is expecting whether he would get a job or not,
or there will be young people,
they want to get married,
they have contacted each other,
and they have met,
they talked with each other,
and within a few days,
we will decide, etc.
In these examples,
there is some expectation there
because they have done some activity
which requires a result to come sooner rather than later.
This is one type of expectation.
But many of us,
or what we call unfulfilled desires,
if only I obtain that CEO's job,
if only I suddenly win a lottery ticket,
if only that most beautiful girl can marry me,
these are called unrealistic expectations.
So one should be free from both.
Why?
Expectation.
Whether it is the result of some activity
or whether it is unrealistic expectation,
these two possess us like ghosts
and do not allow our mind freedom to think about God.
That's why, for example,
this Hajra used to do a lot of japa
in the presence of Shri Ramakrishna,
but a greater part of his mind is going,
I need one thousand rupees
because I had borrowed that money,
I need to return that money,
so if somehow or other I can get that money
either from devotees or by some fluke,
then I would be very happy.
He even used to say to Shri Ramakrishna's face,
if God can give Mukti,
why can't He give some money also along with that?
Anyway, Bhagavan Krishna is telling,
you can expect,
we are not what is called rocks or pieces of wood,
we are human beings,
very natural,
at our stage of spiritual development,
we will have some expectations,
we hope to get some things,
there is nothing much wrong,
but two things we have to keep in mind.
Every devotee should say,
I have a right to expect
only fulfilling these two conditions.
What is the first condition?
If it is God's grace,
God's will,
God wants to give,
let it come
and if that doesn't come
because I know it is not God's will,
gladly I should accept God's will
and keep my mind firmly fixed on the lotus feet of God.
These two things,
if a devotee can do,
he will be definite to progress.
This is called Anapaikshaha.
Then Shuchihi.
Shuchi means what?
Pure.
What does it mean?
Shuchi means,
again two meanings are given,
clean cleanliness,
external cleanliness
as well as internal cleanliness.
External cleanliness comes from taking bath,
putting on clean cloths,
washed cloths or new cloths,
keeping everything clean in the room,
outside, etc.
We see many times,
the whole street is littered with a lot of rubbish
and we don't see this.
Usually in the advanced Western countries,
they have understood for each other's happiness
and non-spread of disease,
we should be able to keep everything neat and clean.
But as Swami Vivekananda remarked, externally clean,
internally, absolutely rubbish,
keeping everything.
This is called pushing everything under the carpet.
That is not desirable.
In fact, Swami used to say,
better to keep the external dirty,
but keep the mind pure.
So a devotee should be clean,
both physically,
surroundingly and also inside his heart.
What does it mean?
It means,
his thoughts, he must keep a guard on the thoughts,
impure thoughts,
and excessively expecting thoughts should not take.
Rational thoughts,
rational expectations are absolutely permitted, fine.
That is why the scripture tells us
what to expect,
what to do, etc.
The scripture also tells us,
if God comes,
don't go on saying,
I want the richest person on earth.
Don't say that.
Only Asuras, Rakshasas,
that is demons,
they alone say.
Every devotee says,
Oh Lord,
what you think is good and right for me,
then that you do,
I will be like a child,
grateful, accepting that one.
So this is called Shuchitvam.
But this is only one part of the cleanliness or purity.
The most important part of the purity is
that external purity is
to constantly strive
to cultivate holy company,
reading good books,
seeing good things,
hearing good things,
talking good things,
visiting good people,
good places,
and good events, etc.
This is external purity.
That means spiritual purity.
Internally,
we must keep a sharp eye on our heart.
Before any unspiritual thought,
desire, impulse,
before it could spring,
even when it is just beginning to form,
if we can detect it,
and we can detect it
through practice,
then we should be able to
completely nip it in the bud,
these two activities.
Four actually,
external cleanliness,
internal cleanliness.
External purity means
externally trying to keep the mind on God,
as well as internally trying to keep the mind,
that means our thoughts,
our imaginations,
and our expectations,
related to God.
This is called Shuchihi.
At the same time,
Dakshaha,
person must be extremely dexterous,
skillful.
That is why one of the definitions of Yoga,
Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam.
Swami,
Brahmananda used to say,
a real Brahmachari can do easily
16 worldly people's worth of activity.
How can one person do
16 people's worth of activity?
What he means to say,
this Sadhaka is so concentrated,
so alert,
so intelligent,
so discriminative,
and so dispassionate,
that his mind always finds out,
perhaps this is the best way
to finish a job quickly,
dexterously,
in the best way possible,
because he is paying attention.
I used to tell my devotees,
poking a little bit,
sometimes they will cook some,
what we call Payasa,
and then they bring it.
And then afterwards,
after my eating,
they will ask,
how is it?
I used to say,
there is a lot of place for improvements.
Then they used to ask, what has gone wrong?
I used to sometimes get a little bit annoyed and say,
now you are 60 years old,
how many times you must have prepared,
and you don't have any intelligence.
Of course, I used to put very mildly,
that this much of milk,
this much of rice,
and this deserves only this much of sugar,
and you have put excessive sugar,
or the rice is half-boiled.
How many times you yourself have eaten,
every time you prepare,
you should say,
has it come out well?
What is wrong?
Find out the faults,
and we are all experts in it.
And next time,
be alert and say,
last time,
the rice was not cooked properly,
and excessive sugar I have given,
this time,
I will reduce it by half.
And this time,
I will boil the rice,
so that it becomes soft and puffed up.
After a few experiments,
it must come completely much better,
and in fact,
almost perfect,
because the person is paying attention.
Because a devotee pays attention,
is aware,
constantly becomes aware.
This is what Swami Yathushananda Maharaj used to say,
cultivate constant awareness.
If a person can practice it,
he will save,
I can promise you,
a lot of time.
You are reading a book,
within half the time,
less than half the time,
what the author wants to say,
what are the important points,
what are the relationships between one idea,
and second idea,
and third idea,
and how to retain them,
so that I never again forget what the book is telling,
all these things will come automatically,
that is what is meant,
Dakshaha Karmaso Kaushalam.
But,
Bhagavad Gita gives a new definition of what is skillfulness.
What is skillfulness?
Whatever actions I do,
I don't want different results.
I don't want worldly result.
I want only one single result.
What is it?
May my devotion to you, O Lord, increase.
May my knowledge about you increase.
May I approach nearer and nearer to you.
And this is called skill,
which takes us nearer and nearer to God,
whatever be the activity.
That is called Dakshaha.
Then, we are human beings,
in spite of whatever we do,
so many times,
so many things can happen.
It is impossible for us to avoid.
Saints and sinners,
kings and beggars,
scholars and illiterate people,
everybody has to go through the ups and downs of this samsara.
So, what is the remedy?
Udasa Inaha.
Earlier, we discussed Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, Upeksha.
That Upeksha is termed here as Udasa Inaha.
What is it?
Do not be too much excited,
as if it is happening to somebody else.
It may be happening to you,
but it may be happening to me.
But as if it is happening to somebody else,
and this is one of the qualities of Bhakti.
Otherwise, we will be regretting,
our mind will deviate from God,
and we pay a heavy price,
which is, we will not be approaching nearer to God.
Gatavyathaha is a beautiful word again.
Gatavyathaha means terrible suffering, regret.
What is it?
In life, so many things happen.
Many things are not pleasant.
In fact, a spiritual person perhaps has to go through much more suffering
than even an ordinary person.
Why do I say it?
Because a devotee's heart becomes extremely tender.
A person becomes good.
He cannot tolerate other people's suffering,
and sometimes he cannot tolerate his own suffering also.
So he will not be hard-hearted like a buffalo.
He will be very tender-hearted.
That tenderness sometimes causes great suffering to us.
So we have to develop this special quality.
This is what is called, whatever has happened, happened.
Because whatever may be our philosophy,
things happen in this world.
Even the greatest pundits, what we call financial pundits,
could not predict the financial downturn 10 years back.
Similarly, the greatest scientists could never predict
that people are going to suffer for one year from this COVID.
They could not imagine a second variety could come.
Now, after the fact, everybody is looking back and saying,
oh, we should have been more alert.
Sometimes we take decisions too late.
For example, we know UK is suffering
from a second wave of this mutant COVID.
And we should have been careful to ban all flights from UK,
from London to UK.
But we did not do it.
We did it too late.
And there were people who were irresponsible in some ways.
They come, instead of submitting themselves to the hospitals,
and they ran away, thinking that what are they going to do?
They will spread it.
Their likelihood, they'll spread it to more.
In fact, the cases are slowly increasing.
We don't know the future.
What I am trying to tell, a devotee of God, whatever
happens, he says, past is past.
Let the dead bury its dead.
Let us not worry.
Let us wait, always with positive thought, hope,
and in the providence of God, so he will not regret.
Somebody insulted me.
Fine.
I lost something.
That's OK.
I regretted a little bit.
But now I am not going to brood over it any longer.
If we do not develop, our mind, as you can imagine,
cannot be fixed on God.
This is called brooding.
And this is called worrying.
These things will be counter-spiritual.
They're not going to help us.
So anapaikshaha, suchihi, dakshaha, udashinaha,
gatavidha, five important spiritual qualities
we have to develop.
Then sarvarambha parityagi.
What does it mean?
Every devotee does what is his duty,
but he will not cherish new desires,
because first a thought comes.
And that thought could be of God.
That thought could be of a worldly desire.
If it is spiritual desire, there is no harm.
But if it is worldly desire, soon we go on brooding over it.
If I do this, I get this profit.
Then it will fetch me so much of enjoyment, et cetera.
And that is how it soon translates into action,
translates into good or evil, translates into punya or papa.
And the result is happiness or unhappiness.
Again, we are caught in the wheel of this transmigration.
So it's telling, what should a devotee do?
Whatever duties I am supposed to do,
I will do my best.
Sarvarambha parityagi.
But fresh undertakings, which are related to worldly things,
I will never do that.
If God wants me to do it, He will make it happen.
But I am not going to deliberately plan for it
and do it.
That is why, initial stages, we have to plan,
because we are not completely dependent upon God.
A baby doesn't plan anything, not even for the next minute,
much less for the next hour, next night, next day.
It is mother.
Even if the baby has to travel, the mother knows.
And she prepares whatever is necessary for the baby.
And in this connection, there is a beautiful story.
Let me first complete this.
So he who deliberately doesn't undertake any new activity that
is not related to spiritual life,
but depends totally upon God, if God inspires,
then he knows definitely it is God's will.
And then he will do as much necessary only,
not even a little bit more.
Such a person alone deserves to be titled as my devotee.
And such a person, undoubtedly, is very dear to me.
So,
Sarvarambha Parityagi, Yom Ad-Bhaktah Same Priyaha Arambha Parityagi.
Sri Ramakrishna is a master of these parables and stories.
And always, one thing, one event I want to bring to your notice.
One of the questions that many devotees have put questions
to me, to other monks is, Sri Ramakrishna was married.
He knew his wife, Sharda Devi, was growing up.
And she became nearly 17 to 18 years old.
Many times, he himself trained her.
But how come he never called her to Dakshineshwar?
This was the question raised by Swami Sharda Nandaji.
And he himself answers.
What was the answer?
He said, Sri Ramakrishna never deliberately undertook any activity.
He totally depended upon Divine Mother, whom he used to call my mother.
If she tells, do this, he will do that.
Until she tells, he will never do that.
This was the reason the commandment hasn't come for Sri Ramakrishna from the mother.
You go and call your wife, Sharda Devi, and there is something to be done.
On the contrary, Holy Mother herself has come to Sri Ramakrishna.
I will narrate one or two incidents with regard to this.
But what I wanted to convey is, finally, Holy Mother herself started with her father
to see Sri Ramakrishna, meet and assess what is the situation.
And she decided to serve Sri Ramakrishna, whether he was mad or whether he was a saint.
On the way, she fell sick.
And then one woman came when she was practically in a delirium.
And Holy Mother was semi-conscious.
She asked, who are you?
And that lady replied, I am your sister.
And Holy Mother, not understanding what she was asking,
how is he?
First of all, who is he?
Where is he?
Who is this strange woman?
How could he know what was in the mind of Holy Mother?
These are all mysteries.
And the woman also replied, I have kept him only for your sake.
You must come.
That is, he is waiting for you.
Of course, Sri Ramakrishna never knew all those things.
Similarly, when Totapuri came, Aligiri Sanyasa, Ramakrishna flatly said,
I don't know anything.
My mother knows.
I will ask her.
If she says, go and take Sanyasa, I will take.
Otherwise, no.
So for every action, Sri Ramakrishna is a great devotee,
never undertakes to do anything.
Even sometimes when we are misunderstanding his actions,
a beautiful incident, we will discuss it in our next class.
Om Vasudeva Sudam Devam Kamsa Januram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagat Gurum
Yesterday was Kalpataru. As we know, Sri Ramakrishna blessed every devotee that was present there,
almost every devotee on 1st January 1886.
So we celebrate it as a Kalpataru day.
I pray to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda to bless us all with spiritual awakening.
And I also wish you all the best and a very spiritual new year through this Zoom class.
I pray to Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji.
Let us all have a new spiritual year.
Jai Ramakrishna
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 07 on 27 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:11:08Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadho Gavo Dogdha Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsah Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetha Amritam Mahat
Mukham Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Girim
Yat Kripatam Aham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam
We have been studying the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Bhakti Yoga. We have to learn
if we want to be real bhaktas, we have to develop certain spiritual characteristics.
And how do we know? Because first of all the description itself comes only from Bhagavan Krishna
himself, his own mouth. That's why it is called Bhagavad Gita, the song and it is called a song
because everything that comes out of Bhagavan is like a beautiful song and it is very pleasant
to hear and it is the greatest benefit it gives us and it awakens us, corrects us and lovingly
draws us to his lotus feet. That's why it is called Gita. Bhagavatam means a story of Bhagavan
and as we mentioned for most of us bhakti is the only way. We are really discussing what are the
qualities, more than 20 spiritual qualities from verse 13 until practically 19th, the end of the
chapter and this twelfth chapter has only 20 shlokas but if anybody reads even this from 13th
to 19th and that tries to practice to acquire these spiritual qualities, such a person will
be so blessed he need not to do, read or study anything else. Yesterday we discussed
Advaishta, Sarvabhoothanam, Maitraha, Karunayevacha, Nirmamon, Nirahankaraha, Samadukha, Sukha, Kshami. Sarvabhoothanam, Advaishta.
He doesn't hate anybody because he sees the same divine lord. He doesn't hate anybody because
we hate only when we are suffering and here is a devotee, he understands the words of God that
if suffering comes it is because of my own prarabdha. If happiness comes that also only because of the
will of God or my prarabdha. Either will of God or because of the prarabdha and they are not in
opposition. My prarabdha alone is brought into our lives by the will of God. Either way that I accept
all responsibility. Nobody is really the cause of my happiness or unhappiness. Therefore not only
there would be no hatred, if there is hatred as I mentioned earlier then it is impossible to think
of God. Not only I should get rid of hatred but how do I get rid of hatred? By being friendly to
everybody. So this is called Mitra and yesterday we were talking about what is it called. Really speaking
what is true friendship. Bhartru Harish I have quoted very beautifully. So what is it?
A real friend, words of sin, prompts for good deed, conceals the secret, reveals the merits,
does not leave a friend in distress, renders help in crisis. These the wise say are characteristics
of a good friend. So this is the indication of a friend. Then we come to this. This very body
is given to us. Because of this body we want to keep this body in happiness and avoid unhappiness.
But what is this body made up of? Why is this body given to us in the first place? Do we really own
the body or is it something borrowed from somebody else? These are the beautiful points we will
discuss right now. This physical body is made up of what? Five elements. Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala,
Adhya and Prithvi. Everything what we call, what scientists call this cosmos is made up of these
five elements and these five elements have come from where? From God, from Atman and our bodies
came from where? From these five elements. Therefore this body belongs to whom? To God only.
So to consider that this body is my body, this body is my body, that is called, that is Ahamkara.
I am the body. No sir, this body doesn't belong to you. You are not the body. Neither this body
belongs to you, neither anything in this world belongs to you. But everything that I am, my body
and I possess, my home, my family, my property and the whole world is a gift from the Lord. It is,
He has given it. Why He has given it? So that I can understand what is life and I can strive to
go forward and I can attain finally oneness with God. I can attain Moksha or Mukti as we have just
been discussing in the Mundaka Upanishad. We see Shri Ramakrishna. We at least know intellectually
that liberation is the highest goal of life. But I need an instrument to reach there cognitively.
Then what do I need? A body, a mind and it is given to us like when we go to the gymnasium,
they are given a machine and we have given the instructions how to strengthen our muscles. So
also I have to use it properly and if I can use it properly then I will attain liberation and that is
the purpose God has given us. Then only I will be totally free from debt to Him. That is the rent I
have to pay. As I mentioned earlier with regard to Guru Dakshina, an incident I mentioned. It is
worth remembering it here. Once a devotee who took initiation from Belur Math came to see a Swami
whom he knew earlier. A Swami did not know why he came. So he came to know. Then Swami asked him,
did you offer Guru Dakshina? The devotee replied, yes that is our usual prescribed a plate in which
fruits, sweets, some piece of cloth, some money is offered to the Guru as Guru Dakshina. The Swami
instantaneously replied, that is not a true Guru Dakshina. True Guru Dakshina is taking the mantra
that you received by the grace of the Guru, do Sadhana and when you attain Mukti, that time
your Guru will be free from your burden. That is a true Guru Dakshina. So this body is given to us
only for the sake of practicing spiritual disciplines slowly albeit surely progressing
towards God and if we can be aware this is the goal in my life and I am struggling to do my
level best. God will be highly pleased. He will remove all the obstacles. He will send us people
who will guide us properly and help us properly. The journey will be pleasant and fast. So we have
to be grateful that this body mind, first of all I am not the body and secondly I have been given
they do not belong to me. I cannot do what I like to do. In this connection I also explained in one
of my classes, Totapuri was ignorant of the fact that his body, his so-called body doesn't belong
to him. It belongs to the Divine Mother. So he decided to give it up. Then he entered into the
Ganges without Mother's permission. It is impossible even to commit suicide. One cannot give up the
body. For that God's will is necessary but one should not never contemplate committing suicide
because when we suffer terribly, when we think it is intolerable, when we are thinking of a way of
escape then only the thoughts of suicide enter into our minds but we have to remember whatever
suffering or happiness comes is all because of our past deeds catching up with us in the form
of Sukha and Dukha. Anyway Totapuri was given the revelation later on that your body, your mind,
your property, if at all anything, everything belongs to me. So Totapuri's body was the body.
Totapuri's mind was Divine Mother's mind. What was the property we are talking about? Mother had
given him as a property the knowledge of Brahman and don't become proud this is my knowledge and
I have just taken back my knowledge. No sir, it is given by Mother and if she wants she can also
take it back. That is beautifully expressed in that beautiful often quoted song at least I quote
it very often. Some people you bestow, elevate them to the position of Brahma. Probably other people
you will bring them down to the lowest position or the same person can also be brought to the
lowest sense. So Totapuri understood nothing belongs to me, everything belongs to the what is called
Panchabhutas and the Panchabhutas belong to God therefore ultimately everything belongs to God.
That is being expressed by Bhartruhari whom I quoted yesterday and even today and this Bhartruhari
is a great sage in the end. So he wrote a beautiful book called Vairagya Shatakam and here what is he
telling at the very fag end of his life. He is telling that this body has to be offered. You
oh mother you have given me this body and this mind. I am giving them back to you especially
the physical body and that he expresses it here beautifully.
What is he telling? These Panchabhutas, five elements, this body is made up of that.
This Arthi is my mother. The air, Panchadevata vayu is my father. Agni is my greatest friend because
for wandering monks Agni that is that's why they call it very sacred fire Dhuni for wandering monks.
It is my greatest friend. This fire protects me from what is called cold. It cooks my food
and it also helps to digest my food etc. Subandho Jalaha, my greatest another friend well-wisher
is the water. Without water man cannot survive for long.
Brataha Vyomaha, this Akasha is my brother. Nibadha Esha Bhavatham Antyam. So all these things
you have gifted them to you. So Antyam Pranam Anjali. I am prostrating myself to you
oh Panchadevatas and I am giving back to you what you have been given so kindly and protected me,
helped me and achieve my end. Therefore with greatest gratefulness with pranamas I am giving.
Then what is he telling you know? Without you I would never have been able to practice spiritual
disciplines. Without your help I would never have been able to understand the highest truth.
In other words without you I would never have got Brahma Jnana.
Yushmat Sanga Vasha Upajata, the resultant of associating with great souls like you.
Sukruta and this has produced tremendous punya.
Udrekaspura Nirmalam, a tremendous, the most purifying, the realist knowledge has dawned
upon me. What is that knowledge? The knowledge that I am not the body mind but I am Brahman.
All this was made possible only because of your grace, Panchabhuta's grace, Panchadevata's grace
and then what happened? What is that knowledge and what result do I get?
Jnana Apastha Samastha Moha Mahima. Samastha, completely Moha Mahima, the glory of Moha,
Maha Maya, that which kept me all along in this world, bound me to this world. Jnana Apastha,
this knowledge I obtained through your grace has completely destroyed this delusion and then what
is the result? Lie Parabrahmane. Now happily I am going back to my real mother and father
which is Brahman. I am going to merge myself in Brahman. This is called Brahma Leena,
merging oneself in Brahman. I am merging into Brahman. I am handing over all the instruments
you have given me, my respectable, grateful salutations to you and that should be the
attitude of each one of us. It is the body, the mind, the indriyas, the buddhi. Everything is
your gift. How do we know? Every day, every good Hindu has to repeat this prayer. What is that?
You are the Srishtikarta, creator of this world. You have created all these five elements,
Panchadevatas. Out of these Panchadevatas, my subtle as well as gross body is formed
and with the help of these subtle bodies, I am able to progress. I would like to progress.
Please give me that buddhi, right understanding. What is the right understanding? These do not
belong to me but these belong only to you but out of your infinite grace, you have given,
lent me these things so that I can also cross this samsara sagra afterwards. I will give back to you.
Ramakrishna used to express these meanings so beautifully, so very well. Say, there are some
people who suffer from thirst but there is no water. What do they do? They take some instrument
and dig a well and then they quench their thirst from the water that springs from the
bowels of the earth. After that what do they do? They keep the instruments there because so long
as the well is working, other people are welcome to quench their thirst also. This is like people
like Ramakrishna. But there are some people, say, after eating a mango, they wipe even their mouth
not to let anybody know that we had enjoyed a very sweet mango. But what are these unselfish
people? What do they do? They just leave the instruments. They quench their thirst, leave the
instruments there for the help of other people. With the idea, let them also enjoy these things.
So there are Vasantavat Lokahitam Charantaha. Some Mahatmas, like spring breeze, they go on doing
good to the whole universe. And this idea is beautifully expressed again. What Bhartruhari said,
what we are discussing and what every great soul does is actually derived from the Upanishads.
There is another Upanishad called Isavasya Upanishad. In that mantra 17, here is a sadhaka,
he prayed to the Deity. I am a devotee of satya and dharma. I demand, I am your child. I want my
own heritage. You remove this veil of maya. I want to realize you. And out of the grace,
God has removed the veil. And then he says, Yuvasau Sohamasmi. There is absolutely no difference
between you and me, what you are. Yuvasau Sohamasmi. I am the very same. That means Aham
Brahmasmi. And then his body and mind were instruments which helped me to reach this final
goal. So what is he telling? Vayu ranilam amrutam atha idam bhasmantagam shariram om krato smara
kritagam smara krato smara kritagam smara. This Videhamukta, just before death, he is
prayed for the final realization, got it. What is he doing? Says this worthless body, worthless mind,
I am throwing it out. No sir. This is a gift of God and let this body go back to the five elements.
Let the mind also, sukshma sharira also, the causal sharira also go to their constituent elements.
I am so grateful. With the help of them, I crossed this ocean of samsara. Now let them be given to
the real owner who brings them to that. And this idea again Swami Vivekananda is expressing in his
inimitably song which is called the song of samadhi. And there such a beautiful expression
he gives. Nahi surya nahi jyoti nahi shashanka sundara. There is neither the sun nor any of the
lights, neither the beautiful moon. Bhasev yo me chhaya sama chobi vishwa characha. This entire
universe like a shadow is floating in the ocean of Brahma, in the ocean of Brahma akasha. Asputa
mana akashe. In that indeterminate what is called the space, inner space. Jagata samsara bhashe.
This whole universe has come out of it. It is existing within it and it will again lean back
or merge back into it. Uthe bhashe punaha punaha. It is uthe bhashe dube punaha. It arises like a
bubble and goes back into the same water and aham shrothe niranthar. Constantly it is going back.
Dheere dheere chhaya dal mahalaye praveshalu. All these elements which make up our three bodies,
the gross, subtle and the causal, slowly slowly in that unmanifest, mahalaya means unmanifest,
they entered. Bhuhe matro ami ami. What remains? I am Brahman. I am Brahman.
Ei dhara anukkhon. Always this one, if at all to be expressed, aham brahmasmi. That is the only
stream, that is the only breeze that is going on constantly. Lo, the sun is not nor the calmly moon.
All light extinct in the great void of space floats shadow like this image universe. In the void of
mind involute, there floats the fleeting universe, rises and floats, sinks again, ceaseless in the
current I. Slowly slowly the shadow multitude entered the primal OM and flowed ceaseless,
the only current, the I am I am. And this attitude is called nirahankaraha nirmamaha.
Neither I am this nor this belongs to me. Sri Ramakrishna finally clinches the teaching of
the scriptures, essence of the scriptures and says when a person is able to get rid of I and mind,
that is called liberation and that is the final stage and this is what many of the bhajans,
tanu mana dhana sabkuchi thera. This body, this mind, this wealth, this property, sabkuchi,
everything thera. And there is another song, probably our devotees are very aware. Prabhu,
my gulam, my gulam, my gulam. I am your slave, I am your slave, you are my master,
you are my master. What does it mean? You own me but I do not own anything including me.
Everything me and mine is I am a slave and it belongs only to you. This is called the final
ahankara mamakara rahitaha nirmamaha nirahankaraha. Then sama dukha sukhaha. Such a person,
when he gets this wisdom, he says let there be unhappiness, let there be happiness, let there be
evil, let there be good but my mind becomes absolutely even-minded. That means I tolerate
and I what is called forbear everything because either it is the will of God or it is the prarabdha,
the result of what I did in my past life. And kshami, there are people who are going to do
some harm to me again because of my own result of my own past deeds. What should I do? They are not
the guilty people, they are not criminals, they are not responsible for my miseries and sufferings.
In the last chapter, we have seen this idea that was expressed so beautifully when Arjuna was
confused and then he asks Bhagawan, who are you? I am unable to realize you. I can realize you
because I know I am Arjuna, I know you are Krishna but you are Krishna, you are the Divine Lord
Ishwara. That fact I cannot understand much less accept it. Who are you? And then gives a most
profound reply, kaloham lokakshayakrit pravruttho. I am here in the form of kala in time. Kala means
time. In time, there would be birth, there would be all the fivefold, another fivefold changes.
Finally, death will be there, ending with death. And within that, there would be happiness,
unhappiness, sitoshna, mana apamana, jaya apajaya, sukha and dukha, this labha and alabha. All these
are the waves that come. And how do they come? Because of what deeds I do, good or evil.
So, every spiritual aspirant, first, this body is God's, second, whatever this body-mind possesses,
this personality processes, that is also belonging to God. Thirdly, whatever experiences come
to this body-mind during this particular birth is all the resultant of what I have done in the past
or God is bringing them to me for my own enlightenment, for my own edification.
All these things are given to me. They should be taken in that light. If we can take in that
positive light, then we progress in life. We will slowly give up our evil tendencies,
acquire virtuous tendencies, spiritual qualities, which are being enumerated here. And slowly,
I will move forward. That one of the qualities is called kshami. Let any number of people give me
trouble, suffering, I would just forgive them and forget them. One of the tests of forgiveness
is forgetfulness. When a child shouts at the mother, the mother not only forgives,
forgets also. Most of us, we may forget in course of time, but the moment the memory comes,
we lose our calm and our blood pressure goes up, shoots up like anything else.
One of the greatest qualities is kshami. I will forgive you. Forgive not because I am great,
because you are not responsible, my friend. It is my own prarabdha which has brought on me
all these things. That is the person's nature, kshami. Then santushta satatam, always content.
Whatever comes, I will be content with it. And yogi, constantly, satatam yogi, not one hour in
the morning, not one hour in the evening, satatam, I will try to remember God. Yogi means he who
practices yoga. Yoga means I will try to come nearer to God. That which joins us with God,
that is called yoga. So trying to remember God, trying to feel everything belongs to Him,
including me, that is called yoga. Such a person who strives constantly, he is called a yogi and
so he is called yatatma. Constant striver is called yatatma. But sometimes we forget our minds
escape, run here and there, which we all know. Okay, when it goes, you simply say,
this is because of my old habit. I can't help it. Let me immediately turn our attention. Do not
waste more time regretting why we have not been able to keep our thoughts on higher ideal or God.
That is called constant striving and above all an iron will, dridhanis chaiyaha, a will, a gigantic
will, Swami Vivekananda calls it. Even if I am to be destroyed, I will not give up my sankalpa,
my intention, my goal. That is being sold here, dridhanis chaiyaha. Sri Ramakrishna was having
that and what is called bendable iron will. That is what Swami Vivekananda hints it,
tyagi ishwara he narabhara. Then afterwards he comes, dridhanis chaiyaha, a person once he decides
that this is what I need to do. No gods, no asuras can ever deviate him from that path. These are the
some of the qualities we have to get. In the second, end of the second chapter, we also get,
you know, sthita prajna lakshana. Prajahati yatha khaman sarvan partha manogatan. Atmanyeva
atmanatushtaha sthita prajna tadavuchyate. Who is a sthita prajna, who is a person whose mind is
completely fixed in God, a realized soul, he never desires anything and even if God makes him desire
to do something, he says it is God's will, not my will. Not only that, atmanyeva atmanatushtaha,
is so happy within himself, with the atman, with the atmananda, with the brahmananda,
he doesn't care for anything else, is supremely content. Such a person is described as a sthita
prajna. Then there is also the next shloka. This is the 15th shloka, 14th we have to come now.
santushtaha satatam yogi yathatma dridhaniseha. We completed that part.
mayy arpita manobuddhi yo mad-bhaktaha same priyaha. These two shlokas 13 and 14 have to be
read together. So earlier he said, you know, adveshta sarva-bhutana, maitraha, karuna,
nirmamaha, nirahankaraha, samadukha sukhaha, kshami. Then continuing, santushtaha satatam,
always content. Whatever comes, good, bad, winter or summer, happy or unhappy, he will be completely
satiated. But wherefrom he is getting all his happiness? From God, from atman and nothing else.
That is what Geluva Mangala says, O Lord, let me love you so much. If you want, make me reborn as
an insect, not once, any number of times you want. But one thing please do not deprive me. Let me
never lose my devotion to your lotus feet. Let me love you. Devotion means love. Always remember,
love means four things. Love means four things. If you love something, four things must happen.
First of all, whenever the thought of that object you love comes to your mind, that makes yourself
very happy. A mother remembers the child and always happy. And in fact, she cannot forget,
that is the second thing that happens. Then the mother always is concentrated. That means
the forgetfulness cannot be allowed with a loved object. If we truly love, we cannot forget.
If we truly love, our mind cannot go hither and thither. If mind goes hither and thither,
it means our love is very small. It may be beginning, but it has not grown up really strong.
Really if we love, the lover cannot forget the beloved. That is the third thing that happens.
What are the things? Joy is the first characteristic. Then forgetfulness is impossible,
second characteristic. The mind becomes totally focused. That is the third characteristic.
And fourth characteristic is, let whatever happens to me happen, but what I love,
let it be always happy. This complete unselfishness is the fourth result of love.
I want here to emphasize only one thing, that is called joy. When a person is so joyful,
how can the mind go anywhere? Only when we feel, I am lacking, I am unhappy, I want to be happy,
so I have to do something. This is what is Santushtaha Satatam. And Yogi, as we described,
he is always constantly thinking only about God. Yatatma, until he becomes one with God,
he will never stop his spiritual striving. That is called Yatatma, constant striver.
And he has an iron will. What is that iron will? I only want God. I don't want anything else.
Ramakrishna is one of the six greatest characteristics he possessed from his very childhood.
Swamish Ardhanandji informs us. He is called Dhridaneshchaya. Once Ramakrishna makes up his
mind, whether it is God or devil, cannot deviate him from his path. One of the examples is,
his elders, his mother, this has happened after the passing away of his father,
wanted to invest him with sacred thread. There was a lady who helped him come out from his
mother's womb, Dhani. And this Dhani loved Gadai. And it was her cherished desire that I want to
have first Bhiksha after he is invested with sacred thread. That is supposed to be a tremendously
meritorious deed. So this Dhani one day asked, Baba Gadai, I have this desire. Will you out of
your grace fulfill this desire, my child? Immediately he knew she was really deserving
and she loved him. He said, yes, my first Bhiksha will be from you. And when the elders came to know,
oh, this is not in our tradition. A first Bhiksha should be taken only from one's own mother.
Then he said, look here, sacred thread ceremony is meant to make a person truthful. And what
are you trying to tell me? The very first thing you are trying to tell me is to break my promise
to this lady. I promised. Either I fulfill my promise or there would be no sacred thread.
You decide what you want to do. And there was a tug of struggle among them. But finally,
they had to bend down their heads to the will of, after all, he is God, you know,
he will get what he wants to get. What is called Sathya Kaamaha, Sathya Sankalpaha.
This is called Dhridhanashchaya. Then we move on to the 14th shloka.
Mayi arpita mano buddhi yo mad-bhaktaha. Second part of the 14th shloka. Mayi arpita
manaha buddhi yo mad-bhaktaha same priya. With this 14th, the one idea is complete.
Some of these spiritual qualities complete. The Lord is telling that devotee who possesses
these qualities which I have prescribed in this 13th and 14th, so that bhakta, such a person,
and I consider him as my bhakta, not anybody else. What are the further qualifications?
Mayi arpita, those sadhakas who have completely surrendered, offered, what? Manaha, their mind.
Buddhi, their buddhi and this offering is the most dearest acceptable offering to me.
What does this shloka really mean? Manaha means all emotional. Mind is a storehouse of emotions.
I am happy, I am unhappy, I have this, I don't have this, this is my friend, I hate him,
this is my enemy, I love him. Does anybody think like that? Yes, many times when our friends
disappoint us, that's what we think and when sometimes unconsciously or maybe consciously
when our so-called enemies and really a bhakta should not have any enemies. Earlier it is said
People who show an active dislike for me, suddenly sometimes they may be doing good to me.
Then you say, but my mind and buddhi should not be shaken. Oh, this person is so good,
I had a wrong opinion about him, I thought he did not like me, but he is doing this good
and this person I truly relied upon him. I was expecting that he will stand by me and now he also
deserted and that brings in more what is called dislike than even towards the people whom we know
they do not like us because we are expecting in this case. In the other case of our so-called
enemies, we expect only hatred and dislike and unhappy actions, but we always expect from our
friends what is sweet, what is good etc. But when these people they fail in their duty, our dislike,
hatred towards them is redoubled and that is what should not be there in a devotee. You must
under all circumstances, your emotions will be only filled with positive emotions, happy emotions,
contented emotions because everything happens I know by the will of God. Similarly buddhi means
that understanding, right understanding.
Oh Lord, you are the sathya, only the knowledge which you give will be the real knowledge.
This way buddhi yogam dadasi, you give me the right understanding and what comes from you
that is the only thing. In the imitation of Christ, we get in the very first chapter itself,
silence all you teachers. Oh Lord, speak to me. For what you speak to me, that is the only real
benefit that I get. Totally depend upon God. Shri Ram Krishna used to say, whenever he spoke
some such deep meaning words and which benefit many people, especially some particular people
who approach him, even without their asking or expressing, somehow the topic comes and Shri Ram
Krishna speaks. These people were astonished. This was the doubt or question I had and I never
had opportunity to ask but Shri Ram Krishna has solved my problem even without my asking and then
Shri Ram Krishna used to say, I have not solved your problem, I have not spoken. Who spoke? My
mother spoke. Who solved your problem? My mother solved your problem. The credit doesn't accrue to
me at all. Better Shri Ram Krishna had practiced it. Such a person who is all emotions are offered
to me, that means he is happy when I am remembered. He is unhappy when his mind forgets me and thinks
of only happiness, not the other way round. Thinking what other people are thinking about me,
that person has made me unhappy, this person made me happy, these are worldly thoughts but here
I am only concerned. A true devotee is only concerned. I want God's certificate, not any
Tom, Dick and Harry certificate because he offered his mind, that means I get my joy only from God.
If at all I have to suffer, I get my suffering only from God. It is mother's will. I totally
surrender myself to him. Let him, let the mother cat keep the kitten on a master's bed or on a
refuge heap. The kitten always knows only my mother but this person is Santush Taha Satatam,
always happy because he knows whatever is happening, is happening by the will of God
and his mind, his buddhi, has right understanding because it has not come from the world. It came
only from God, as a gift of God, as a manifestation of God. He knows it. When a person totally
surrendered and this is called surrender, surrender the mind, surrender the buddhi,
that is called surrender, automatically other qualities will accrue to such a person.
Such a bhakta, he is such a me priyaha. That person is such a me priyaha. He is my devotee.
He alone is my devotee and he is very dear to me. Next verse.
So here in this one verse such a bhakta is exceedingly dear to me.
That type of bhakta alone is my nearest to me and dearest to me. Another meaning of cha means also,
means along with other qualities, these qualities also must be manifesting in my devotee.
What are the qualities?
He by whom the world is not afflicted and whom the world cannot afflict.
He who is free from joy and anger, fear and anxiety, such a devotee is exceedingly dear to me.
It's a beautiful verse. We have to understand in depth. There is a person and he thinks or he
claims he is a spiritual aspirant. He must have these qualities. This is what Bhagawan himself
is imparting to his own devotee. You want to be my devotee. You must acquire these qualities.
Then only you will be dear. You will be dear. Everybody is dear to God. Nobody is disliked by God
because God knows everybody is me. But some people are near, some people are very far away from him.
In the Isavasya Upanishad, that Atman is far away. That Atman is exceedingly near to one.
He is inside. He is also outside. He moves. He also doesn't move.
What does it mean? For whom the Atman is so far away? It's not that. Mars is somewhere.
Australia is somewhere. I am in India. The distance between India and Australia is a long long
distance away. Not in that sense. Shankaracharya clarifies the meaning very very nicely. He says
the wise person, he knows that Atman whom I am seeking is near to me, nearest to me,
not nearest to me. He is me. I am he. I am never ever separated from him. Such a person that for
him God is the nearest. But for those who are ignorant, what is it? God exists or not, I don't
know and I am this. Everything else is separate from me. This feeling I am limited. I am separate.
I am here. Something is very far away. I am unhappy. Happiness is far away. I want my desire fulfilled
and the object of my desire is very far away. This kind of thinking is called ignorance and
for an ignorant person God ever remains and so long as the devotee is really ignorant,
God remains far far away. Sri Ramakrishna tells, following the Bhagavatam, there are three types
of devotees. The third class devotee says God is somewhere in Vaikuntha, Kailasa, very far away.
Second class devotee says God is inside me but the first class devotee says God is everywhere.
God is inside me, outside me. He is far away. He is near me. He is everywhere and when a person
understands this, then whom is he going to fear? Such a person knows the whole universe is nothing
but God. If everything is God, I look at a tiger, it is Vyagra Narayana. I look at a cobra, it is
Sarpa Narayana. I look at anything, that is nothing but Narayana. That is what for Pralada,
the fire was Narayana, the elephant was Narayana, the Trishula was Narayana, the Khadga was Narayana,
the water was Narayana, the earth was Narayana, everything was, the mountain was Narayana.
Father tried to put him in the fire. Simply he said, oh Agni, you are Narayana. What can the
Agni do? After all it is recognized. How can it kill itself? That means if Narayana, Agni is Narayana,
that Narayana is Pralada. How can one kill one's own Atman? It is impossible. So also,
his father buried him and he said Prithvi Narayana. And then how can the Prithvi do anything? Prithvi
can bury anything else, cover up everything else, excepting itself. Then his father threw him from
a mountain and to the rocks below. He said, this Silpa, this rock, that is also Narayana. So rock
falls on the rock. What happens? Nothing happens. So he could not die. The rock could not heal him.
Father threw him into water and water became Narayana and Apo Narayana. What can it do?
Then the father wanted to kill him by a sword and pierce him by this Shola. But the Shola is Narayana.
The sword is Narayana. And then his father tried. Some elephants have come and Pralada said, Lord,
you deigned to come in the form of the elephants. What can the elephant do? It bowed down. To whom?
Not to Pralada. To itself. Because Pralada became Narayana. Narayana Maya. What did the elephant see?
He said, so Lord, you came and rescued me in the form of Gajendra. Today, will I be so ungrateful
to put my foot on you? That is not possible for me. So bowed down respectfully, probably bringing
him back, sprinkling some water also. So death cannot come. What is death? Narayana. Mrutyu Narayana.
Everything is Narayana. That is the meaning of this beautiful Shloka. A smirk from such a spiritual person
who thinks all the time about God and he becomes God and from God who fears because God is the
Suhrut, the well-wisher of everybody. God is our mother, Mata, Dhata, Pitamaha, Pita. Everything is God.
Father is God. Mother is Tvameva Mata, Pita Tvameva, Tvameva Pandhu, Sakha Tvameva, Tvameva Vidyadravina Tvameva,
Tvameva Sarvam, Mamadeva Deva. Who can do anything? Who can fear anything? Does a child fear the mother,
father? So this from this person no object fears and at the same time this person also because he
sees God everywhere he is not fearing. Lot to speak about it but I will end this one with an
anecdote. Shankaracharya wanted to establish an organization, this Darshanami Sampradaya. He was
searching for a place suitable for that in South India. So it is said he came to this Sringeri
and at that time it was very hot and he beheld a very strange sight. He saw a deadly cobra
spread its hood. What was it doing? A female frog was giving birth to a baby and this cobra
is spreading and protecting that female frog from getting hurt by the fierce sun rays heat
and when Shankara said these deadly enemies can behave so friendly this must be the greatest
spiritual place. So it is said he established this Sringeri Mata at that place because the place
itself is so holy vibrating. This word bhaya means fear and abhaya fearlessness are very meaningful
words and we will have to discuss further as I threatened you yesterday. It will take some time
but I think it is worth to discuss in our next class. Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagat Kurum
May the Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 06 on 26 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:10:51Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUTAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGAD GURAM
SARVO PANISHA DOGDHA DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSHA SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARUTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YAD KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM
We have been discussing this wonderful chapter called Bhakti Yoga.
What is the easiest path for the realization of God?
It is Bhakti Yoga.
This is what Shri Ram Krishna was telling and Shri Ram Krishna was echoing what Bhagwan Krishna was telling to us.
But Bhakti Yoga is absolutely fine.
And what is the type of Bhakti Yoga?
What does it mean? A person who is following, walking the path of devotion.
What should be his attitude?
What should be his life?
What type of characteristics he must develop?
These are the things that are beautifully depicted from 13th to the 19th verse.
And in the last verse he says this is called the immortal nectar of Dharmiya.
Dharmiya means what should be developed.
And such a person becomes blessed by realizing me and by getting out of this samsara permanently.
In the earlier we have seen that who is a Bhakta is the person who has got these characteristics.
More than 20 characteristics have been depicted in this from 13th verse to the 19th verse.
So Krishna is describing whom? A Bhakta.
And Krishna is describing whom? A Jnani.
And Krishna is describing a Paramahamsa.
Krishna is describing the same Stita Prajna whom we have seen in the earlier end of the 2nd chapter.
Who was called Stita Prajna?
Stita Prajna, Jnani Bhakta, Bhagavad Bhakta, these yogi, these are all synonymous terms.
Earlier in the 7th chapter we have seen what Krishna was telling that every spiritual aspirant is considered to be a great Bhakta.
And of these there are four classifications.
Some become Bhaktas, they adopt, they pray to God, they do not look to anybody when they are in distress.
They are called Artha Bhaktas.
But there are other people, they are not in distress but they have so many unfulfilled desires.
They are called Artha Arthi.
Artha means desires, Arthi means one who desires.
I am okay but I would like to be more than okay, more happy by fulfilling some of my desires.
Is it wrong? Absolutely no.
Is it wrong to pray to God when we are in trouble? Absolutely no.
Who says? God Himself says.
Chaturvidha bhajante mam janaha sukrutino arjuna
There are four types of people, all of them are Sukrutis, persons who had done great Punya.
How do we know they did great Punya?
Because if they had not done something good in their past lives, they would never have turned towards God.
They will always do something, hook or crook, try to obtain by untruthfulness, by cheating, by stealing
and by joining wicked people, what we call gangs, all these people.
No, these are all great people.
And how do we know they are great people?
Because sooner or later God is going to give them that buddhi, that understanding
through which they will be turning towards God and questioning what is Tattva, what is Purushartha, what is Hitha.
The enquiry into what is the goal of life and what is the real truth
and how can I direct my mind and reach that goal to know the truth.
These three, they are called Tattva, Purushartha and Hitha.
This is the essence of every scripture.
What is the Lord telling?
Chaturveda bhajante mam janaha sukrutino arjuna arthaha jignasu arthaarthe jnane ja bharatarshabha
This is how a ladder of spiritual progress is described
and every one of them have to go through it accepting those who are already free
but take upon this human birth.
They are called Karanjanmis, people born with a mission in life.
Such people, Avataras are His Anucharas, His Sakas, Nityamuktas, Ishwarakotis.
Only they have not to do this but first of all like children whenever there is trouble,
we cry mother, ma and that's it.
Then afterwards they will turn to father.
I have to go to school.
Give me a slate.
Give me a pencil.
Give me a pen.
Give me a checkbook.
Buy me a small car etc. etc.
But in the end when the wisdom tooth grows then they turn towards the God
and then He says so Lord now I am ready to travel towards you.
This is called third stage, enquiring stage.
This is called Jignasa and in course of time by God's grace they will attain that Nani.
Then what He says later on is very interesting.
Tesha, among those devotees, Gnani, those who attained realization.
Nityayuktaha, always He remains as a Yogi.
Ekabhaktihi, His only devotion is towards Eka, the Divine Lord.
He excels.
He is the greatest.
Priyohignaninaha atyartham, among all the Gnanis, all the progressing devotees.
This is the dearest to me and I am dearest to Him and Aham also, I also like Him.
Ahamcha Sachamama Priyaha and for me also He is the nearest, dearest, closest.
In fact, there is no difference between Him and me.
In this 12th chapter whatever characteristics a person who aims to become a Gnani
that means a Bhakta.
Why do we say Gnani?
Because we must, before we can desire God, we must have knowledge of what is God
and that is called Gnanam.
Gnanam, about God.
Please remember, the knowledge about God is in fact knowledge about myself
because whatever exists is nothing but God.
Such a person, Atyanta Priyaha is very near to me and very dear to me.
That's why we always say near and dear.
When a person comes very near to us, he becomes very dear to us.
That means literally there would be no difference between that person and me.
I am he, he is me.
That's why many times when husband and wife love each other so much,
they can intuit, the husband can intuit what the wife is thinking so also vice versa.
So there is no difference between Gnana and Bhakti.
Gnana means to have right knowledge.
Bhakti means to know that there is no other so near, so dear, excepting God.
When a person attains to that, then that person will never again become deviated, Chuta.
He will also become Achuta like God.
That knowledge, Aham Brahmasme will always be there.
So such a person is the greatest devotee.
We are the greatest devotees of ourselves.
Why? Because we know we love ourselves very much.
Why do we love ourselves so much?
Because we know this is me.
That knowledge is there.
I am not somebody else.
I am myself.
Therefore, it's most natural to love my own self.
This is the Gnani Bhakta.
That is what Swami Vivekananda says in his Bhakti Yoga in the ultimate run.
Gnana, Para Gnana, Supreme Knowledge and Supreme Bhakti, Para Bhakti.
There is absolutely no difference between these three.
Also, explaining Swami Vivekananda says,
Supreme Devotion is like a triangle and it is characterized by three characteristics.
What are they?
First of all, the devotee, he doesn't have any motive.
He only loves God for the sake of God.
Secondly, he doesn't want anything excepting God.
And thirdly, he feels, I am God.
God is me.
There is no shop keeping there.
There is no fear there.
Because fear comes from a second.
There is no second.
Me and God.
Not two.
But I am God.
God is me.
Because God is everything.
If everything is God, I am also God.
In fact, everything is God.
Then what does he do?
He doesn't stop there.
If God is everything, then God is not only me.
God is everything that I experience in this whole world.
That is what is being expressed in the 13th and then 14th verses.
That's why he said,
Several beautiful characteristics.
These characteristics are described.
First of all, they have to be acquired.
But in course of time, all these characteristics become very natural expression when I get that knowledge.
And what is that knowledge?
I am God.
God is me.
The drop of water is the ocean.
Ocean is the drop of water.
So a small wave is nothing but water.
A big wave is also nothing but water.
We are all like that.
Big bubbles, small bubbles, rich man, rich bubble, poor man, poor bubble, very wise person and wise bubble, otherwise bubble.
Everything is the same.
The differences, the problems stem from ajnana.
Not knowing we are in fact nobody else.
Once a rabbi, a rabbi is a Jewish teacher, is asked, teach me about all about Judaism.
And then he said, this is the essence.
Do unto others what you wish others to do to yourself.
And if you understand this, you have understood the essence of not only Judaism but every ism including atheism.
Because even an atheist also doesn't say that I will do harm to others but others should never do harm to me.
He also wants to be happy only.
These are being expressed, these marvelous things.
What is the point we have to remember before we go deep into this is that it is from the knowledge.
I, God and the world are not at all different from each other.
Everything is God.
I am God, world is God, Brahman is God.
Therefore I have not attained that knowledge but I have the firm conviction from the teachings of my Guru and the scriptures.
I have Shraddha.
I know that is the truth.
But by developing these qualities, by striving slowly slowly to acquire half percent, one percent, five percent, ten, fifty, seventy five, ninety nine.
When I acquire hundred percent of these, what you call spiritual qualities, then I become a realized soul.
Thereafter, I don't strive.
These become by natural characteristics.
A small perhaps analogy will help us to understand.
Here is a woman.
She is married and she is selfish.
Before marriage, only me.
After marriage, me and my husband and after the birth of a child, the whole attention, natural love because the mother knows this is my baby.
What does she mean?
She means this is me.
This baby is another form of mine.
That's all.
That knowledge when it comes, then very naturally you don't need to teach a mother that love your baby.
She is after your baby.
No need.
It comes automatically.
When?
Not after the birth of the baby.
As soon as the conception takes place, the woman, she knows now I am going to be a mother and she takes so much care.
Her eating, her moving, her activities and her sleep, everything becomes restricted only because of that knowledge.
If I do something bad, it will be bad for my baby.
A devotee is like that, would be mother.
Who knows?
I am going to be a mother.
I am going to be a Jnani, a Bhakta and that's so.
Everything is God.
My God is everywhere.
I will have to see my God everywhere.
Let me learn.
If I don't learn, I won't become a Bhakta and a Jnani.
But if I learn, then I will become God and God knows.
We are all his children.
Therefore, like a loving grandmother, it becomes a grandmother.
This is the logic of why we should develop these qualities because these qualities is what helps us, pushes us towards realization.
Once realization comes, realization itself pushes us, express from within, these qualities come out.
First, we have to get these qualities from outside to inside.
After realization, they will naturally flow out because a Jnani, Bhakta doesn't say anything excepting God.
This is beautifully expressed, Ishwara.
This whole world is nothing but Ishwara.
With that knowledge, you live the rest of your life.
Do not desire any other wealth excepting the wealth of this knowledge that everything is God.
Then what happens to him?
He will be as we saw in the Manushya Panchakam.
So one billionth and billionth part of this Brahmananda satisfies all of us.
But we become Brahmananda itself.
With this background, let us go.
We discussed 13th, but I would like to expand a little.
I cannot hate anybody.
Maitra, I am a friend of all.
Karuna, when I see people suffering, infinite compassion, what is called sympathy, empathy would come.
I think I narrated the incident in the life of Swami Vivekananda.
One day, Swami Vivekananda heard Swamiji.
He was sobbing.
Next day, he asked, Swamiji, why were you sobbing?
He said, I do not know.
That somewhere a terrible disaster had taken place.
I can feel the piteous cries of those people.
Later on, the news have come that more than 50,000 people have died somewhere in the African region.
Unconsciously, even though he did not know the incident, Swamiji felt it.
Why? Because those people were no other than himself.
That I am different, you are different.
This is the attitude of a Jnani.
A Jnani says, you are me.
That is where the philosophy of charity.
We are not giving charity to anybody.
We are not helping anybody.
By helping others, we are helping our own selves.
That is why Ramakrishna's greatest teaching,
Shiva Jnane Jiva Shiva.
I am Shiva, you are Shiva.
One Shiva is helping the other Shiva.
I am helping myself.
So this is the idea.
He who never hates any being and is friendly and compassionate to all,
who is free from the feelings of I and mine and even-minded in pain and pleasure,
who is forbearing, ever content, steady in contemplation,
who is self-controlled and possessed of firm conviction,
and who has consecrated his mind and understanding to me, dear to me,
is the one who is thus devoted to me.
Let us briefly expound these things.
A true devotee never hates anyone, even the lowest creature.
Ramakrishna was telling, one day I saw a small insect.
It is so tiny. It is wriggling.
And he said, I saw consciousness wriggling in the form of this small insect.
That is why Jains, they never try to walk after evening in darkness
because they are frightened that they might accidentally tread on some small creature
and we do it routinely.
Then they knew, probably they were wise,
they knew that this COVID is coming,
that's why they always cover their nose and mouth, etc.
But what is the point?
By their very breath, they should not harm any creature.
Through their breath, no tiny creature should enter into them and attain salvation.
That's why they try their level best to cover it.
They eat their food also before sunrise so that they can see what they are eating.
So, if anybody wants to become...
This is the first quality, Advesta.
The reason also is there.
Suppose somebody hates. Suppose you hate somebody.
Now, whom do you think you are thinking?
Two things happen.
First of all, our mind is diverted from God to the person whom we dislike.
Hatred is an extreme manifestation of dislike.
Secondly, there is a psychological law.
By thinking of a wasp, a bee turns into a wasp.
Keeta Brahmaravata.
So, the same way, by thinking of the evil qualities of other people,
slowly we also acquire beautiful psychology for our own peace of mind.
Let us not hate anybody.
Also, there is this law.
The moment we start hating, immediately the restlessness and what is called losing peace of mind,
the automatic reaction, inevitable result.
And that nobody wants.
We lose our peace of mind.
On the contrary, if we become friendly.
That's why, Advesta Sarvabhutanam.
How to get rid of it?
Maitraha.
Become a friend.
That is the first thing.
Let us not look at the faults of other people.
By looking at the faults of other people, we in fact develop those qualities.
The truth is, if we do not have a bad quality,
we will not even know that bad quality in other persons also.
So, this is the first quality we have to develop.
Advesta Sarvabhutanam.
But naturally the question comes, what about if they are hating us?
Okay, I would not like to hate them.
But if they are trying to harm us.
Ramakrishna has two levels of advice for us in this situation.
Ramakrishna gives us the beautiful parable of a brahmachari and a snake.
We all know that story.
A snake gave up its former poisonous nature and even stopped hissing.
And then some of the wicked boys, they took advantage of it,
caught hold of its tail, whirled it round and round and dashed it to the ground.
And it became so hurt, became so helpless, became very weak, thin.
And after a year, the guru, the brahmachari holy man,
passing by and he inquired about this snake.
And the local people said, it is dead long back because we ourselves have killed it.
Of course, how do they come to know it?
Because after that they have never seen it.
So, brahmachari said, that's impossible.
I have given it a mantra, it must be alive.
So, he went near and called it out.
After a lot of calling, slowly it crawled back because it was so weak,
because it was not getting food, because it was not coming out and searching for food.
Brahmachari asked, why this condition?
And it said, sir, you told me that I should not hurt anybody and I am observing it.
Then the brahmachari gives a beautiful advice,
which Ramakrishna gives us to two levels of people.
What is it? For householders, you do not hurt but you hiss.
That means, short of injuring other people, take every step,
whether it is threatening, it is abusing, it is threatening to go to a court
or even taking the help of evil people, gondas.
If necessary, you do it.
I know so many householders, they have rented out their houses.
And for the last so many years, they are not getting their rent, their due rent.
Neither the tenants, they are absolutely unwilling to give more than what was fixed several years back.
But they don't give even that much.
What are you going to do?
For the struggling householders, you must hiss, whatever is necessary to prevent ourselves.
Of course, always it doesn't work.
Sometimes the evil people, they can even turn against us and harm also.
Then there is only one way.
If we can help, let us help ourselves.
If we cannot, we must pray earnestly to God.
And that is called Artha Bhakti.
But for the advanced student, he should not even hiss.
And these advanced students usually, by Shri Ramakrishna,
they are called Sannyasins, monks, they have no right even to hiss.
Ramakrishna gives a beautiful parable.
And Swami Brahmanandaji gives a beautiful parable.
And though we know these things, but yet let us remind ourselves.
I am going to take a little time in discussing this because these are of paramount importance.
And most of us, we neglect to do these things.
Here is something very important.
Shri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful...
There was a monk, one day he went out for begging.
He saw a rich man beating a servant.
This sadhu, holy man, could not bear it.
He went to interfere.
Now the wrath of that rich person turned towards this monk.
And he beat him black and blue until he fell down unconscious.
And then what happened, we don't know.
After some time, the gurubhais, they came to know.
They rushed there, lifted the sadhu, took him to the monastery.
Slowly he was being brought to consciousness.
And a little bit of milk was being poured into his mouth.
And then to know whether he was aware of what was happening,
one of the brothers asked,
Do you recognize who is pouring milk into your mouth?
And that man opened his eyes and said,
He who had been beating me all this time,
the same one is giving me milk.
This is of course the highest state.
He sees nothing but God, nothing but God.
This is the most wonderful thing that we have to understand.
Now, Brahmanandji gives another story.
This story actually he heard from somebody.
There is a funny, I think a funny incident here.
Later on, Brahmanandji recollected,
he had collected some of the words of Sri Ramakrishna,
teachings of Sri Ramakrishna.
Not like M, but some teachings.
So he said, why not whatever I remember,
be kept in a format so that they can be published.
In fact, it was published as words of the master later on.
He gave this particular story.
And it seems one night Sri Ramakrishna appeared to him and said,
Did I say that? No, I did not say this.
I heard it from somebody.
This is not my story.
From some Gujarati sadhu, I heard it.
Because so many sadhus used to wander,
pass through this Dakshineshwar temple,
hundreds and hundreds,
and all of them are Paramahamsas,
and very few Bhagavan people.
What was the story?
There was a monk sitting on the bank of a river,
and there was a tree nearby,
and there was a scorpion.
It accidentally fell into the river.
It was struggling, and it was being carried away.
The monk saw it, immediately rushed,
and then took it in his palm and brought it out.
And then the scorpion stung him.
This took place three, four times.
Another man was observing it.
He said, Sir, the scorpion is stinging you,
giving you so much of pain.
Why are you still helping it?
A beautiful reply was given by that sadhu.
He is a true sadhu.
He said, it is the nature of the scorpion to sting.
It cannot help.
It is the nature of a sadhu to help other people.
Therefore, when it is not giving up its nature,
why should I give up its nature?
And then Sri Ramakrishna himself had experienced it.
Under the illusion that Sri Ramakrishna had known some magical mantras
by which he had captured Madhur Babu,
and he was worshipped,
he could get whatever Sri Ramakrishna wants,
he could squeeze from Madhur Babu,
and if I know those mantras,
I can also keep him under my thumb.
Thinking thus, the family priest of Madhur Babu,
a fakir, one day asked Sri Ramakrishna
when he was lying down in the state of bhava,
semi-conscious state,
and Sri Ramakrishna could not reply.
He was conscious, but could not reply.
And after asking a few times,
this man misunderstood,
thinking that Sri Ramakrishna is unwilling to tell,
and then he kicked him several times,
and then Hriday was the witness to that later on.
Then Sri Ramakrishna said,
promise me you will never tell this to Madhur,
because if Madhur comes to know,
he will really injure this person.
Much later on, when for some other reason,
this family priest was removed by Madhur Babu,
then accidentally he came to know that this was what had happened.
Madhur Babu's eyes became blood red,
even after hearing it after so many years.
He said, Baba, Father, why did you not inform me?
I would have wrung his neck and separated it from his body.
Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said,
I knew you were going to do that.
That's why I did not tell you.
I wrenched a promise from Hriday
that he would not tell it to a second soul.
This is the nature of the Lakshana.
What are we talking about?
A true devotee cannot hate anybody.
Why he can't hate?
Because later on, when he progresses,
he sees that everybody is nothing but God.
Then what about other people giving trouble to him?
A devotee doesn't see that other people are giving trouble to him.
He has two explanations.
First explanation is that it is my paapakarma phala.
This is the result of what evil I had done in my past life.
This is called Karma Siddhanta.
And Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs absolutely believe in it.
And second is, even after realization,
somebody abused me because it is God who is abusing.
Who is friendly? It is God.
Who is a relative? It is God.
Who is father, mother? Everything is God.
But the enemy, that also is nothing but God.
Prahlada perfectly expressed this attitude and said,
it is not Hiranyakashyapu, my father.
It is Narayana who is making me go through all these trials and tribulations.
Therefore, if Hiranyakashyapu, my father,
he is not giving trouble, he cannot save me from trouble.
It is Narayana who is giving me.
Only Narayana who can really also save me, help me.
These are two go together.
Not only I cannot help, I cannot hate other people,
but I will be, on the contrary, the greatest friend of everybody.
This is what is telling Mitra, a Jnani, a true bhakta.
He is a friend to all.
He is a friend of everybody.
Not close to someone.
Not even one millimeter distance.
He is a universal friend.
That's why one of the greatest Rishis is called Vishwamitra.
Mitra for the entire world, Vishwamitra.
Such a person, what does he do?
Bhoktaram Yajna Tapasam Sarvaloka Maheshwaram Suhurudam Sarvabhutanam
Matvamam Shantim Richchati
In the 5th chapter which we have seen,
I am sure most of us have forgotten, 29th verse,
he says, what does he feel?
I feel happy when the other person feels happy.
I feel unhappy when the other person feels unhappy.
Why?
Because everything is God.
Bhoktaram Yajna Tapasam
Whatever is being done by anyone in this world,
who is the doer? God.
Who is the enjoyer? God.
Who is the lord of all these worlds? God.
Sarvaloka Maheshwaram
And what is his nature?
Sarvabhutanam Suhurudam
He is the well-wisher of the whole world.
Who is a better well-wisher than a mother to a baby?
So who is a well-wisher to all of us,
excepting God, whose creation we are?
Creation means we are his children.
Such a person, Gnatva,
thus knowing me as like this, Shantimal,
only a person obtains that peace,
that Paschita, all understanding, such a person.
What does it mean?
By contemplating upon me as the doer, enjoyer, knower,
the ruler and the greatest friend of all,
such a person in reality becomes like fear.
This is called, I feel anybody is suffering, me.
Anybody is happy, it is me.
Anybody is rich, that is me.
Anybody is poor, that is me.
Again, this beautiful, this one is again quoted by Bhagavan Krishna,
आत्मा उपम्येन सर्वत्र समंपश्यतियो अर्जुन,
सुखम्वा इधिवा दुखम्, सयोगी परमोमतः,
here, Gnani, अत्यंतमवप्रियः,
such kind of devotee, very near and dear to me.
Here, instead of Bhakta, devotee,
Sayogi, such a yogi, such a spiritual aspirant,
Paramomathah, the greatest in my opinion,
who, he, who sees the same God everywhere.
आत्मा उपम्येन, so the whole world is nothing but me
in different names, different forms, different qualities,
different so-called friends, enemies, good, evil people,
everybody is nothing me.
आत्मा उपम्येन, me only.
समंपश्यति, with equal-mindedness,
O Arjuna, he sees the whole world.
सुखम् वा इदिवा दुखम्,
they are happy, I am happy.
They are unhappy, I am unhappy.
Others' pain becomes my pain
and my, others' happiness becomes my happiness.
Such is a person who is called a friend
and there was a great soul called Bharathravari
and he has written three books,
108 verses approximately, 3 into 108.
शिंगार सेतक, that is amorous play
between a lover and a beloved.
When he was a king, when he was enjoying
householder's life, this should be the real enjoyment.
Not sitting in a mosquito-ridden
and 150 degrees temperature
and a torn mat and an old man and woman
and trying to squeeze a little bit of
his unfulfilled desire.
That is not happiness.
Happiness means a couple should enjoy like that.
This is a most wonderful book.
India produced such books
which very few other people have produced.
I am just telling because India is supposed to be
otherworldly country by many misguided,
misunderstanding people.
The greatest book on what we call
the man and woman relationship,
Kaamashastra is written by one of the
greatest Rishis that in our Vatsyayana
Rishi has written Kaamashastra.
Like that, King Bharathravari had written.
Later on, he was one of the greatest
pious persons.
He also undergone terrible tragedy in his life.
His own wife was running after somebody,
leaving such a good person.
Anyway, she helped him
because it brought tremendous
dispassion to him.
He renounced the world.
Then he wrote two books.
Neethisathaka means what is a book on wisdom
which applies to both
worldly people as well as spiritual people.
Then, finally he wrote as a monk
one of the greatest books
like the imitation of Christ,
like Bhagavad Gita, Vairagya Shatakam.
Shringara Shatakam, Neethi Shatakam,
Vairagya Shatakam.
108 verses on this Vairagya Shatakam.
But here, in this Neethi Shatakam,
what is called wisdom,
book on wisdom,
he gives a beautiful definition of a friend
and if we judge any person as our friend,
I am not sure anybody will come.
Even a mother also, father also,
brothers and sisters also,
also our closest friends,
not one single one of them
fall into this category.
Only a good monk falls into this category.
Like Ramakrishna, Holy Mother,
direct disciples and any other good monk,
they are the only good friends.
That is why cultivate holy company
because holy people are your greatest friends.
Let us see now,
what this Bhattacharya is to say,
how is he going to define what is a friend.
Suhrut Sarvabhutana, Maitra,
is a Suhrut, Elvishar,
to the whole world, like God.
Because every spiritual aspirant,
sooner or later,
he is going to realize and become God.
Brahma with Brahmayogoti.
What does this Bhattacharya say?
Who is a true friend?
Santaha means great people,
good people, intelligent people,
wise people,
they define who is a friend
with these following characteristics.
What are they?
A real friend,
warrants of his friend's sin,
do not do this,
prompts,
you always do some good deeds,
inspires them.
If these people have terrible secrets,
defects,
conceals the secret,
never allows anybody else to know these things,
reveals the merits.
If this person has got a merit,
he will tell them,
hey, you have got this merit,
bring it up.
Does not leave the friend in distress.
All other people,
just as there is a,
what is called Subashita,
I don't remember exactly,
that when a lake is full of fish,
all the birds come there,
as soon as that lake becomes dry,
just they will leave that lake
and then disappear from there.
So long as there is money,
property,
everything is there,
then everybody is,
oh, you are my greatest friend.
How many such stories we hear?
But as soon as this person is in need,
he comes out for a little bit of loan.
The moment you say he is approaching,
you see him from a distance,
you tell your son,
tell that person that my father is not at home.
There is a funny story
that one such person was sitting
and a poor man was coming
and this fellow knew
that that poor man is coming only for one purpose,
to beg of some help
and he instructed his four-year-old son,
go and tell.
If he asks,
is your father inside?
And then you say,
oh, he has gone out,
he is not inside.
So this poor person came,
knocked at the door
and then this boy opened
and then asked,
is father in?
This boy was replying,
my father asked me to tell you
that he is not inside the house.
The man understood
and turned away.
So when a person is in distress,
the whole world simply deserts them like poison.
But a good friend,
he will never.
So he even unasked,
he will go and give that one.
These are some of the qualities of
Sat Mitra Lakshanam Idam
These are some,
only a few of the qualities
of a good friend.
Who says?
Not Tom, Dick and Harry.
These are the teachings
of the wisest persons,
great Santa Mahapurushas.
So let us expound it a little.
When a good friend
sees his friend
is about to commit something,
he will go and warn.
Even at the cost of being misunderstood,
then he says,
Oh, this person doesn't want me
to become prosperous.
He is jealous of me.
That is why he is warning me.
He wants me to be like himself.
Most of the so-called good friends,
they may not be in a great position.
They may not be rich people.
Few people become rich
only because of business or anything.
People become rich
only because of
Punya Karma
done in the past life.
That's why
same business people,
some people in the business,
it never fails.
Same business,
others,
they just get out.
So,
I do not wish my friend
to suffer.
He is sure to suffer
if he does this.
No mother
ever allows her child
to eat poisonous food,
food not suitable for the child.
Even at the cost of the child
misunderstanding
and weeping
and shouting
and sobbing
and all those things.
On the contrary,
my friend,
do this,
do this,
do this.
That's why Shastra,
a scripture is called
a loving mother.
Because Shastra,
a scripture
does two things.
It inspires us
to do good deeds
and it prevents us
from doing bad things.
That's why
a scripture is called
consisting of
both vidhi
and nishedha.
Do this,
it is a commandment
and do not do this,
this is a commandment.
Then,
guhyam niguhati.
If the fellow,
this friend
has got some secrets
and if it gets out,
he will be harmed
and this good friend
knows all of them.
But,
he will never
tell anybody,
he will not whisper it to.
But,
most of us do
directly,
many times indirectly,
we go on
not whispering,
shouting at the top
of these things,
when especially
that person is not
present at the back.
This is called
backbiting.
Then,
gunan prakati karoti.
If this person
has got
some good quality,
what I am trying
to tell you,
if this friend
has got some
potential good quality,
hey,
your voice is beautiful,
if you
can sing,
it will be wonderful.
I am telling you
my own experience.
I never knew
that I could
sing well.
Now,
I cannot of course
sing.
One time,
not best singer,
but quite
good singer,
I would say,
even though
I am saying it
myself.
I never knew.
I came to the
training center
in Belur Math.
There was one
Shiva Maharaj.
He was a brahmachari.
He was also
in the training center.
Once he heard me
just singing
something,
like bathroom
singing.
Immediately,
he pulled me
out and said,
brother,
you have a
very good voice.
You learn
singing.
And actually,
I thought,
I did not
believe him.
But then slowly,
one or two
other people
told me.
So,
I took
lessons,
both after
the training
center in
Cherrapunji,
the beautiful
harmonium.
And he
taught me
for nearly
one year
how to sing
simple bhajans,
not classical
music,
etc.
Though,
I did
practice some
raga,
etc.
Why am I
telling all
this,
what is
called
autobiography?
It is a
good friend.
Even if
his friend
does not
know
these good
qualities,
he will
openly tell
him,
encourage
him,
guide
him,
so that
even
those which
are manifest,
which are
potentially
there,
he will
encourage
him.
This is
called
unan
prakati
karoti.
Apad gatham.
Every one
of us
have to go
downwards
at some
point or
other.
From second
step to
third,
third to
fourth,
sometimes we
have hard
falls.
When we are
in that
condition,
he will
never give
up.
He will
be with
us all
the time
and when
we lose
everything,
he will
give shelter,
he will
do
everything.
Here,
I remember
that
I discussed
this point
elaborately.
If possible,
I will
discuss in
my next
class also.
But what
is important
is,
why did
Kshatriya Ram
lose?
Because of
his
truthfulness.
Truthfulness,
satyameva jayate,
Mundaka Upanishad
says,
and
devalokaha
vidataha
satyena
pantha
vidataha
devalokaha
they
say,
he
lost
not
because of
the saying
truthfulness,
it is the
will of the
Divine Mother.
This person,
if he wants
God,
he has to
give up
all these
things,
depend totally
upon God.
He is
not to
speak of
an avataras
life.
Even
the parents
of the
avataras
are
not
to
speak
of
an avataras
life.
This
person,
he gives
shelter.
Then
Kshatriya Ram
is totally
depending upon
God,
really
pended his
way to
Kamarpakur,
his friend
Laha.
Immediately,
he gave him
some land,
gave him
his own
two cottages,
Kshatriya Ram
stay here
and gave
him
all the
ancestral
property
which was
considerable,
nearly
33 acres
of very
costly,
beautiful,
cultivable
wetland.
Such is
the
person.
He will
give necessary
his own
life.
These are
some of
the
Lakshanas,
characteristics
of a
good friend.
This is
very
important.
And
every
aspiring
devotee
must try
to become
such a
good friend
otherwise
it's
impossible
for him
to progress
in
spiritual
life.
We'll
discuss
these
points
more
elaborately
in my
next class.
As I
said,
these
are
those
qualities.
There
is
no
other
way
to
progress
in
spiritual
life.
May
Sri Ramakrishna
Holy Mother
and Swami
Vivekananda
bless us
all with
Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 05 on 20 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:10:31Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURAM ARDHANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURAM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOBDHA GOPALANANDANAHA
PARTHO VATSA SUDHIR BHOKTA DUBDHAM GITA AMRITAM AHAR
MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM
YAD KRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We have been studying the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Yesterday in our last class we have been discussing about this eleventh shloka.
PATHAITHA DAPYA SHAKTHOSI KARTUM ADHYOGA MASTRITAH
SARVA KARMA PHALATYAGAM TATAH KURU YATATMAVAN
If you are unable to do even this, then be self-controlled, surrender the fruits of all actions, take refuge in you.
Earlier the Lord is telling
YETU SARVANI KARMANI MAI SANNYASYA MATPARAHA ANANYE NAIVA YOGENA MAM DHYAYANTA UPASATHE
Those devotees who are extremely devoted to me, whose only goal is to become, come near me, become one with me and always be united with me.
What do they do?
ANANYE SARVA KARMANI MAI SANNYASYA
That is, they give up or they discharge all the duties every human being has to do.
Only connecting every action for my pleasure, only for the sake of serving me, that is called Sannyasa.
Sannyasa means Karma Phalatyaaga.
Their highest goal is only me, Matparaha.
And Ananye Naiva Yogena, that means without directing their mind to any other thought, that means all their thoughts, there are no all thoughts, only one thought.
All thoughts become merged, combined, fused into one thought.
What is that thought?
Only my thought.
MAM DHYAYANTE UPASATHE
They contemplate on me, meditating upon me, that means whatever they do, they are only aware of me.
This is called practice of the presence of God.
Then why are you referring O Lord?
TESHA MAHAM SAMUDDHARTA MRUTYU SAMSARA SAGARAT BHAVAMIN ACHIRAT PARTHA MAI AVESHITA CHETHASAM
Very soon, Bhavami, I will become their saviour.
What do I do?
Very soon, what do I do?
TESHA MAHAM SAMUDDHARTA BHAVAMI
I become their rescuer, saviour.
What do you do?
MRUTYU SAMSARA SAGARAT SAMUDDHARTA
I rescue them from this ferocious, terrific, scary ocean called MRUTYU SAMSARA SAGARAT, the ocean of samsara.
What type of samsara?
MRUTYU
It is full of suffering, death, unhappiness, everything.
But the condition is MAI AVESHITA CHETHA, they must become only completely their body, their speech, their mind, every activity must be merged only in me.
Therefore, that is the goal.
Do you want Moksha?
Don't forget, this Gita is called Moksha Shastra.
It is not even a Dharma Shastra.
There are Dharma Shastras, completely separate, like Manu Dharma Shastra, Gautama Dharma Shastra, Apasthamba Dharma Shastra, Raghunatha Dharma Shastra, so many Dharma Shastras are there.
That is, this book directs us to do only righteous actions, not as an ends by themselves, but as an aids, so that we can become more spiritual and move nearer to God by taking the Shastra Vihita Karma scripture directed actions which are called Dharmic activities.
Slowly, slowly, you merge yourself in me.
This is what is called in Bhakti Shastra, Sharanagati, complete surrender into me.
What to do?
MAI EVA MANA ADATSVA, you keep your mind only in me, you place your mind in me.
MAI BUDDHIM NIVESHAYA, make your buddhi also think only, determine only that I want only God and nothing else.
If you can control these two faculties, your Sankalpa, your firm determination, I have no desire excepting one desire.
That one desire is I must become one with God and then try your level best to control everything, all thoughts.
That is called Yogaha Chitta Vritti Nirodaha, complete control of the mind.
Yesterday, we also discussed the Sadhana Chathustaya Sampati, for what purpose? Just so that you will be able to live in me and if you are able to live in me, I will live in you and me and you, it is not like a person or two persons living in the same room.
That is, I become God, God becomes me, this division, distinction, separation between me and God is created, it is called a knot.
Yesterday, we studied that also, this knot can be completely destroyed.
When that knot is destroyed, then that ignorance becomes a knot, N O T knot, when there is no ignorance, there is no Brahman, there is no Vishram, world, whatever is there, it is one, it is indescribable and nobody can say I am Brahman.
Even that is also in the realm of ignorance only but it is Sattvika ignorance, that's all.
Nivasishyasi mahi eva, atha bhortham na samshay, there is no doubt, if you do this sadhana, that is, your buddhi, your vijnanamaya kosha and your manomaya kosha, they are devoted only towards me, directed towards me, when you will live in me, I live in you.
That is also true but how to control the mind and how to make our determination one-pointed, scattering of the mind, if you remember, that only when we know something else is true, real, then only we desire it.
As we discussed, this is very important point, we always should keep in mind.
This is one of the greatest psychological truth, what is that truth? Nobody will desire anything that is unreal.
As an example, I gave two examples earlier, one is if you are seeing tremendous amount of gold in front of you but on the cinema screen, you will not desire it.
Even a foolish fellow will not desire it, even the greatest thief will not rush to grab it.
Why? Because he knows with 100% authority, conviction, this is only appearance, it is not true.
If shell is shining like a silver, a person may mistake it for a second but when he goes running to scoop it up, he finds it is an ordinary shell because of the sunlight, it is shining like a silver.
This is called brahanti, nobody runs after knowing towards a mirage, thinking I will take bath, I will cool myself, I will remove my thirst, nobody will do it because they know it is only an appearance.
Similarly, once a person understands everything is unreal, here unreal means it doesn't disappear, a mirage, still water appears but my knowledge we know it is only mere appearance like a figure on the screen but it is not reality at all.
That is the condition the person understands then he will not desire it except then what is desire? There is only one thing left out.
In this world, there are only two choices, either you choose shreyas or you choose prayas.
If you choose prayas, shreyas we have to understand shreyas is unreal, if one chooses shreyas we have to understand the person has known this world is unreal.
That is the most wonderful truth, nobody desires unreality, fake note nobody wants, fake person nobody wants, fake promise nobody wants, only we all want real persons, real books, real objects and then only desire will come.
And through spiritual practice one comes to know God alone is reality, brahma satyam jagat mithya, the only desire will be I want what is real.
I would not even say I want Brahman, I want God, I would say I want what is real.
That is why in the Isavasya Upanishad we get this beautiful prayer towards the very end, sadhaka who has been pursuing a life of truthfulness and dharma.
He says,
hiranmayena patrena satyasya apihitam mukham tattvam poshan apavrunu satya dharmaya drishtaye
I am a satya dharma, my goal is to attain to truth and to attain to truth I have been leading a dharmic life.
I am completely dedicated to this true dharma and satya, I am unable to penetrate beyond this golden disc which is the maya.
Why? This maya belongs to you.
You yourself said,
In the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita we get this statement of Bhagavan himself.
This book which we are discussing right now is, do not forget, is called Bhagavad Gita.
Gita, a song issuing from the very mouth of Bhagavan, is not coming from Tom, Dick and Harry.
God himself is telling, nobody can cross this divine maya because it belongs to me only upon whom I bestow my grace.
Then that maya itself becomes my grace.
It maya which is trying to keep you away from me all this time, that very maya now is extremely eager to catch hold of you even if you resist.
My master wants you, there is no choice for you.
I will bind you and I will carry you to my master.
That sattvika binding is what Sriram Krishna used to call vidya maya. Earlier it is called avidya maya.
So this vidya maya's only function, even if it is necessary, like the first class physician, forces us, binds us and drags us,
but not to give us, to bind us, but to release us.
It takes us towards the divine lord.
Once we recognize the divine lord, automatically every bondage, tasmin drishte paravare.
What happens? Vidyate hriday grandhe chidhyante sarva samshaya kshiyante chasya karmani tasmin drishte paravare.
That's what we are discussing here in this Bhagavad Gita.
Remember, Bhagavad Gita is nothing but the very essence of all Upanishads.
How many Upanishads are there? Thousands.
How many Upanishads are there? Hundreds.
How many Upanishads are there? Only one.
What do you mean?
Kata, Isha, Kena, Kata, Mundaka, Prashna, Aitareya, Taitreya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Shweta, Shvatara, Kaivalya.
Yes, they are all nothing but true Upanishad is only one.
What is true Upanishad?
That pure knowledge which lets me know who I am really, that is called Upanishad.
Remember, this is the definition of Upanishad by Shankaracharya himself.
By splitting this word Upa plus Ni plus Sat, Sad.
Sad means it is nothing but pure knowledge completely annihilates by bringing us nearer to God,
by destroying the ignorance, by loosening all the bonds.
Three definitions of Upanishads.
But the essence is we know who we are and that is called Upanishad.
The others are books.
Even Gospel is in Upanishad.
Holy Mother's Gospel is in Upanishad.
Swami Vivekananda's complete works of course is Upanishad.
Raja Maharaj's teachings, Mahapurush Maharaj's teachings, Ramanuja's teachings,
Madhva, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, all are the Bible, the Koran.
Everything is nothing but pure Upanishad.
What does it mean?
Oh man, you are a child of God.
You forgot that and living away as if you don't know who is God.
Now you know you are none other than God.
That knowledge which reminds us our divinity and makes us claim that I am divine,
that is called Upanishad and nothing else.
Now coming back to this Bhagavad Gita says you have to do sadhana.
What type of sadhana?
You control your mind and you determine I want only God.
It's not that easy to attain to that state and then only when we attain to that state,
a person goes on identifying himself with God
and thereafter forever for eternity lives with that knowledge
there is not me and God, only one thing exists that is called Brahman.
It is said here that how to attain to that state?
So the Lord says very nicely, He is telling here
place your mind in me and place your buddhi, determining bracket.
That means I do not desire anything else excepting you.
My only desire is to have God.
That is called
and control all your thoughts or rather let all your thoughts turn only towards me.
Practice this, then you will be living, we both will be living with each other
and there is no I or you, there is no we, everything is Brahman only.
But if you are unable to do that
if you are unable to place your mind, what type of mind?
That one pointed mind, unwavering, unshaking, restful, that mind, sthiram.
Then what is the way?
Slowly slowly through abhyasa, abhyasa yoga.
That's what Shri Ramakrishna answers one devotee.
Why?
There is this wonderful thing called abhyasa yoga.
What is abhyasa?
Every day go on practicing, today perhaps you remember God for one second, tomorrow two seconds.
Slowly slowly you reduce the forgetfulness.
One day will come, you can never think of anything else excepting God.
This is called abhyasa yoga.
And if you are unable to do even that abhyasa, why?
Mind is restless.
So put it to work.
Do many many types of activities but try to connect every activity to me.
This is called nishkama karma yoga, means not desireless action but one action with one desire.
Only one desire, I want God, I want God, I want God, nothing else.
That is called nishkama karma yoga.
Mat karma paramo bhava, you be devoted only to my activities.
That means whether you are sleeping or breathing or blinking, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting or smelling
or you are eating or you are resting or you are jumping, you are playing.
Whatever you do, connect with me.
That is called yoga, karma yoga.
Karma brings us, connects us with God.
matarthamapi karvani kurvan siddhi ma vapshesu
You will attain the same state of being one with me even if you practice this karma yoga
because that is also a slow way of only thinking about you.
All my thoughts permeated, coloured by you only.
But, athaitha dhapya shakthosi kartum adhiyoga maashitha
sarva karma phala tyagam tatha kuru yatha atmavan
With great effort, if you are unable even to perform every action to me,
that means, what does it mean?
That I am not the doer, God is the doer.
God through nature, prakriti, sattva, rajas and tamo gunas, God is getting his work done.
This world is created out of what?
Three gunas.
How do we know?
srishti sthithi vinashanam shakthi bhute sanatani
gunaashraye gunamahe narayani namo sthuthi
With the help of these three gunas, srishti, sthithi, laya is going on.
Srishti is associated with sattva guna, sthithi is associated with rajo guna
and laya is associated with tamo guna.
That's why Shiva is called tamo guna prathani.
That's why ferocious, people are afraid.
But people do not understand.
He is not ferocious.
He is only a recycler.
He will take your old cloths and giving a new cloths.
How long?
As long as you have got a desire, your mind is not under control.
Once you have spiritual knowledge, who you are, then the body will not be there.
The question of Shiva supplying new body doesn't arise.
A new dress is necessary so long as there is a body.
In this case, the mind is the body and the body is the dress.
When the mind itself is merged in God, who is going to put on the dress?
There is no body, there would be no dress.
Until that time, Shiva is going on supplying us with ever fresh dresses
so that we can slowly progress towards God.
This is what he is telling.
If you cannot perform nishkama karma yoga, in the sense connecting, relating every action to me.
I am breathing, I am sleeping, I am eating, I am doing everything to please the Divine Lord.
In fact, He has given me the energy.
I have nothing to do with it.
If you are unable to have this, what is called attitude, at least you perform all actions
but do not desire fruits.
Karma phala tyaga.
Tata kuru yata atma van.
Yata atma means great agility, great sincerity, great dexterity.
Not only that, with complete awareness that I have to practice.
Awareness is the secret that I am doing but the result of the action belongs to God.
And then when we progress, the action itself, I am not doing, only God doing, that will come.
When that knowledge comes, it takes us further in spiritual life.
When we say our buddhi is completely determined only on God because He is the only reality,
then our mind becomes perfectly controlled.
Afterwards, we become one with Brahman and there is no differentiation.
Thereafter, I am free and everything will be free.
Now we are entering into the twelfth verse of the twelfth chapter.
Sreyo hi jnanam abhyasat.
Jnanat dhyanam visishyate.
Dhyanat karma phala tyagaha.
Tyagat shanti anantaram.
Knowledge is better than practice and meditation is better than knowledge.
Renunciation of the fruit of action is better than meditation because peace immediately follows such renunciation.
Three things are mentioned and one better than the lower one.
The higher one is better than the lower one.
What is it?
See we all have got knowledge.
Now I am expounding this Bhagavad Gita.
You are all listening.
This is called knowledge.
This is called intellectual knowledge.
But this has to be converted into spiritual knowledge and that's what we are supposed to do.
Bhagavan Krishna is telling this mere intellectual knowledge without doing something practical in the form of sadhana, that is useless.
On the other hand, as Mundaka Upanishad also is going to tell us,
As Katopanishad, avidhyayam antare vartamanah swayam dhirah panditam anyamanah
jangdhanyamanah pariyanti mudah andhenaiva niyamanah yatha andhah
What a beautiful way.
These people think we are Hamsab janta.
We know everything.
But they go on being born again and again and again until that ahankara becomes less.
That is what Sriram Krishna is paraphrasing.
That these pandits are like vultures.
They talk big and they speak big.
They listen big.
They write big books.
But they are like vultures.
Because all their sight is on the rotting corpses.
What is that rotting corpse?
Kama and Kanchana, worldliness.
In other words, identity with the body.
I am the body and whatever conduces to the happiness, pleasure of the body
and whatever conduces to the unhappiness, I will have to keep myself away from it.
These are the only two goals of such people's lives.
Pravaruthi and Nivaruthi.
Pravaruthi to keep the body happy, to indulge in sensory pleasures.
Nivaruthi means run away from anything that produces unhappiness.
No.
We have to, this kind of knowledge is good for the beginning and listening or reading
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Punishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc.
Very good.
But this knowledge is much better than practice.
What is the practice?
Blind, what is called ignorant.
Thousand we go to the rivers and we go on dipping ourselves.
But without understanding why we are doing all these things.
Millions of temples, millions of pujaris from millions of days together
are going on doing millions of times of puja.
Have they become any better people?
Why?
Because this awareness, that knowledge, I am doing puja so that I can approach God.
I can come nearer to God.
That knowledge is lacking.
So better than even this practice is knowledge is better.
At least it is awareness is better.
Every now and then it pricks us.
Why am I doing so much of mechanical japam at least a few times?
I should be able to remember the God genuinely so that it can become even more and more
so that my remembrance of God is more frequent than forgetfulness of God.
Knowledge is better than simple mechanical practice.
But better than knowledge is meditation.
What is it?
Knowledge means the thoughts of God come and go.
But a continuous remembrance of God like Thailadharavat,
take a vessel full of oil and pour it into an empty vessel which is below.
You notice if you pour water from vessel to the other vessel then that water becomes broken.
But if you notice the oil being poured as if one stream without the least bubble and
without splitting and without splashing it goes on falling as if in one line and that
is called dhyana.
What is dhyana? Shankaracharya as well as other yogacharyas also.
Same thought without allowing any other thoughts coming again and again and again and again.
This repetition of one thought continuously, there are many thoughts but all thoughts only
of God thought.
So it goes on becoming, this is called dhyanam, meditation.
And when this dhyanam ripens then the distinction between the meditator and the meditated,
the sadhaka and Bhagawan, the distance becomes less and still less and still less until it
becomes very very very close, that is what Upanishad means, that is what Upasana means
until the distinction between God and devotee, deity and the devotee both disappear, there
would be only one single truth.
That is called meditation.
Intellectual knowledge, but sincere intellectual knowledge is better than mechanical practice,
unthinking practice.
Thinking is better, thinking of God is much better and the meditation is far superior
than even this thinking meditation.
And better than meditation is what?
If we are truly meditating then the knowledge comes.
What knowledge comes?
This world is God, the body is God, the mind is God, what I call I is also God.
I am taking pride, I am the knower, I am the doer and I am the enjoyer or experiencer.
This is totally wrong.
The doer, the knower is none other than God and the desirer is none other than God.
The doer is none other than God and the enjoyer is also none other than the God.
It is God alone who is and who is doing everything.
He is the Jnata, He is the Karta, He is the Bhokta.
Everything is He.
This is the highest knowledge and when once that knowledge comes, first thing is whatever
doing the results will go only to God.
Don't I desire?
Does not a sadhaka desire anything?
Is it not his fond wish, I should have more bhakti, I should have more viveka vairagya,
I should have more control but finally should I not wish God?
Will that not be there?
Yes, the desire for God is not like worldly desire.
Why?
Because they are different in nature, different in result.
The nature of worldly desire is it increases our desire.
The desire for God is it finally destroys all desires and in the ultimate run destroys
the mind itself which is the instrument of desiring, of knowing, of doing, of experiencing.
There is a vast difference between what we call ignorant ahankara and knowledgeable ahankara.
Vidya maya and vidya maya, this giving up everything.
Giving up what?
First of all this jnata, I am the knower, God is the only knower, I am not the knower.
Secondly, I am the doer.
No, no, I am not the doer.
So only God who created the world, He is maintaining the world and He is also recycling the world.
Everything is He.
I am not the karta, a mere instrument.
Then who is experiencing the results of karma?
Who is doing karma?
God is doing.
Who will be experiencing the results, sukha, dukha, etc.
God only.
Where do I come?
In fact, my child, you do not exist.
Off with you.
Take off yourself.
That's why Sri Ramakrishna Phani says, some devotee asked him, when do I realize God?
And then he says, when you die, then you will realize God.
When I die, who is going to realize God?
Because when this ignorant avidya aham dies, what remains is aham brahmasmi.
You disappear.
There is no multiplicity.
All multiplicity disappears.
What remains?
Only God and God and nothing but God.
Then giving up the, first of all, the results of actions.
Secondly, doing everything for the sake of God.
Thirdly, knowing that even this performance of actions is only being done by God and I have nothing to do with it.
And finally, I am only a reflection and as soon as the reflector, the mirror, the mind is destroyed,
then the reflection also will die down automatically.
We do not need to do anything and that is the final thing.
Such a person, what does he do?
He gives up as a result of blind practice, slowly turns into conscious awareness practice
and that leads to connect everything with God.
Ultimately, one gives up the fruits of all actions and afterwards gives up the idea, I am the doer.
Even that also is gotten rid of.
What remains is only God, that means that body-mind complex which we have now dedicated to God
knowing that it only belongs to God from the very beginning
but which I appropriated and saying I am the body and I am the mind, it belongs to me
through God's grace which comes in the form of, when we do lot of sadhana for a long time,
that abhimana, I am the body, I am the mind, slowly becomes reduced and a day will come,
the person never feels, I am the body, I am the mind.
Everything belongs to God.
When that knowledge comes, what happens?
Peace that passes all understanding will be completely occupying my mind.
That means the highest Brahmananda is experienced by me only at that time.
But along with this practice, meditation we can do, puja we can do, we can study scriptures,
we can listen to scriptures but correspondingly as we are progressing in spiritual life,
we have to develop certain qualities which facilitate the health of the body
and health of the spiritual mind.
Mind also can be trained but certain spiritual qualities have to be developed by us
and this is what is going to be discussed practically till the end of the Bhagavad Gita,
the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Bhakti Yoga.
What are the characteristics of a true bhakta?
Only possessing which qualities can one be realistically called a bhakta?
And remember the only being who can give real certificate that you are my bhakta is only God.
That Same Priyaha, such kind of devotee is my most beloved devotee.
Lord himself is giving that certificate here and that is what we are going to discuss
from this 13th shloka onwards.
Sometimes the shlokas are in pairs because one verse only mentions a few
and it is as if left incomplete which is completed in the very next verse.
Here we are going to study 13th and 14th verses together.
Look at this beautiful ending.
That devotee, my is mine, that devotee is mine and such a me Priyaha.
Only that devotee is most dear to me.
I am ready like a loving mother.
Whatever I have for my child belongs to you.
But who is that devotee?
He must have certain spiritual qualities.
These qualities we get in one way of expression at the end of the 2nd chapter.
We get practically in every chapter but end of the 2nd chapter we get.
Then in the 6th chapter also we get.
4th chapter how to convert every action into a yoga we got in the 9th chapter.
Then we got in the 12th chapter, we get also in the 13th chapter
and the entire 16th chapter and then 17 and 18 chapters also.
But here this wonderful spiritual qualities,
it is these qualities which make us rightly to be called as real devotees.
Until that time we are not hypocritical devotees but we have not yet become.
Even that epithet bhakta cannot properly be applied to us.
Let us discuss one by one in brief.
Advaishta.
First of all this advaishta, dvesha means dislike.
What is dislike?
If somebody doesn't respect us, somebody is insulting us,
somebody is trying to harm us,
somebody is going to take us whatever we have,
depriving me of what my rightful things are there
or even if somebody doesn't talk to me properly,
doesn't even smile properly,
doesn't even look at me properly,
our ahankaras, egotisms have grown so much that we take offense.
After that we decide,
I will avoid this person as much as it is humanly possible.
A person who develops this kind of dvesha,
dislike, hatred, looking down
and then that is a kind of criticism by our part.
Such a person, let alone he cannot become a devotee,
he is not even what is called a decent human being.
He is not even a gentleman.
That's why when we study the lives of great saints,
deliberately we see that they have to go much more of this other people's unfavorable comments
and tweets and then behind their backs criticisms etc.
because they do not really take any revenge.
But by forbearing and God is telling me all these things for my own good,
they take it in a most positive light
and that is what we also have to do.
Remember earlier also,
Nirvairaha sarvabhutesh yaksa mameti pandava
So a bhakta cannot have any,
cannot afford to have any dislike towards anybody.
Why? What is the reason?
Because if he likes somebody,
that somebody is none other than manifestation of God.
If somebody dislikes,
equally that disliked person is also a manifestation of God only
and that is the reason why we can't afford,
even we can't be specially friendly
because to be very close to some people means to be away from some other people.
So we should have only sufficient detachment.
There are no friends, there are no enemies.
I choose to look upon everybody as a manifestation of God.
Sarvabhutanaam
With regard to all beings without exception, I will not hate.
What is the opposite of not hating?
I will like everybody.
I will derive joy from everybody.
I will only pray for everybody.
I will not do any exception.
That is why we all say that
sarve janaha sukhino bhavantu
sarve santu nira mayaha
and ma kashchit dukkha bhag bhavet
May nobody suffer.
What is the reason?
Not because we are showing compassion.
Because everybody is manifestation of God.
In other words, if I am God,
I am the manifestation of God
in the form of everything in this world.
There is this inviolable avinabhava sammanda.
If the whole world is God,
there can be no question of liking a bit of God
and disliking another bit of God.
That is completely irrational.
Sarvabhutanaam adveshta
Then maitraha.
We must be friendly towards everybody.
That means as one friend helps the other friend,
we should be able to help.
I should be able to help
irrespective of whether that person helps me or not.
That is important.
Otherwise, I help you, you help me.
I scratch your back, you scratch my back.
This would be what we call a business arrangement,
not really a spiritual arrangement.
Maitraha.
Karuna evacha.
Karuna.
There would be people,
they are suffering so much.
What should be our attitude?
We must be extremely sympathetic.
Anybody suffering is my suffering.
There are people, hypocritical people among us.
Why is this?
I feel terrible agony at the suffering of other people.
But I am not going to lift my little finger
to help them get relieved
even a little bit from their suffering.
That is called terrible hypocrisy.
If we feel Karuna,
we should be able to help such persons.
Our real sympathy manifests,
becomes proved
only in the form of helping other people.
Of course, we have to be
what is called a little bit discerning,
little bit wise.
Otherwise, people have the tendency
to take terrible advantage of us.
And they show such a picture
that they deserve more than what we can give to them.
There are many fools
without discrimination.
They go on giving
and later on they become cheated.
That's why Ramakrishna had chided Swami Yogananda.
Bhakta hule bhokah bhi kenau.
You can be a devotee
but on that account
there is no need to become a fool.
A spiritual person must be a wise person.
A fool will neither be a devotee
nor even be a good worldly person.
That is the understanding.
This also reminds the yogic method.
Always let us remember
many ideas here
are bodily taken
in the Yogashastra of Patanjali.
Or it may be
I feel the other way round.
He had borrowed all these things.
According to Patanjali Rishi,
all humanity is divided into four categories.
So that every spiritual aspirant
goes on having a particular attitude
What is that attitude?
Maitri, Karuna, Mudita and Upeksha.
What is Maitri?
If you see some people
struggling sincerely
to go towards God
make friendship.
This is called Satsanga.
But you will see many people suffering.
Like for example in this Corona
many people lost their jobs.
Many are suffering.
I would not say only solely due to Corona
but at least this is what we are able to see now.
We must develop Karuna, compassion.
Compassion because sympathy.
But as I said just now
compassion without helping them
is hypocrisy.
The first is Maitri
then Karuna.
Then there are people
they may be worldly people
they may be spiritual people.
They are striving, struggling
but quite a number of times
we see them
the result will be extraordinarily good.
These people are very happy.
I worked hard.
I got a promotion.
I worked intelligently
and hard work
and my business is
growing and growing.
It could be a better position
better enjoyment of food
better dress
anything
whatever makes a person happy
that's a happy event
and when people are happy
we should never feel jealousy towards them.
What should we do?
Mudita
we should be extremely happy.
You are happy
I am very happy for you.
The example is
a mother
always feels
more happiness
when her child achieves
something great
whether it is a small baby
or a grown up
mustached baby
mother will always be happy
at the prosperity
at the promotion
and at the improvement
of in any form
of her children.
Only most of the time
the mothers
worldly mothers
that magnanimity
stops only
within the family
it doesn't extend at all.
This is the third one
Mudita
a devotee
never hates anybody
and that means
he doesn't have any enemies
but it doesn't mean
there are no people who hate him
people who hate
people who want to give trouble
people who killed great sadhus
like Dayananda Saraswati etc.
there will be people
but
a sadhu
a sanyasi
should not take revenge
he must forbear
sahanam sarva dukkhanam
apratikara purvakam
These are the four
recited here in this
13th and 14th shlokas
of the 12th chapter
maitraha adveshta sarva bhoothanam
maitraha karuna
then nirmamaha
mama means mine
nothing belongs to you
does your husband belong to you?
wife belong to you?
children belong to you?
parents belong to you?
friends belong to you?
country belongs to you?
religion belongs to you?
everything belongs
the whole universe belongs only to God
including
my own body
belongs only to God
let us remember this fact
out of the three gunas
of divine maya
my body has come
your body has come
my mind has come
your mind has come
every body, every mind
which we come across
three gunas
these three gunas is called maya
this maya belongs to
srishti karta, eshwara
that's why he says in the Bhagavad Gita
eshwaraha sarva bhoothanam
hridyeshe arjunatishtati
brahmayan sarva bhoothani
yantra arudhani
mayaya
nirmama
nothing belongs to me
mentioned one incident
once a brahmanandasi
in winter season
he did not have adequate warm clothing
one merchant was passing through
that way, he was travelling
he saw, he understood
immediately he brought one beautiful
blanket, placed it in front
of the swami and because
the swami was in a meditation posture
he didn't disturb
just made some salutation
and departed, after a few minutes
another man came
saluted the swami and
took a vedi prasada, kumbal prasada
that blanket prasada
swami brahmanandasi was
witnessing both, he was not
hesitated at all, why?
God gave, God
has taken it away
if he wants to give me, it will come
to me, God can give anywhere
at any time, anything one
requires, but
I will not be praying for it
and I will not be rejecting it also
when it comes, but I will
never feel it is mine
I and mine
is called maya
that is the teaching of
Ramakrishna, first
get rid of the attachment towards mama
then ahankara
immediately it follows here
nirmamaha ni ahankara
nirahankara
one should not even feel
I am me, I belong to me
I am different from God
and I am separate from
God, no, you are also
part of the world, the whole
world is created by God
the whole world is a manifestation
of God, you are also a manifestation
of God and what you
call yours is a manifestation of
God, nothing belongs to
you, everything
belongs only to God
this is called nirahankara
naturally in life
sukha dukha, everything
will come, so when
dukha comes, dukha comes
we must not be too much
affected, a little bit
because we are human is
permitted, but too much of
going up, too much of going
down, in Ramanuja's
explanation
this is called anudarsha
anavasada, some
good event takes place, happy
event and my blood pleasure
goes up, some unhappy
event takes place, my blood
pleasure goes up, now we should
avoid these two extremes
we should be happy and we
should be a bit unhappy because
that is only being human
but immediately we should
be able to think about God
that means the mind
control should be there
sama dukha sukha
and dukha sukha among
all these they are inevitable
we must keep our mind
in the same even
peaceful condition
that is why one of the
definitions of yoga is
samatvam yoga vichyate
though the mind
will be tranquil
whatever be the conditions
outside and Swami Vivekananda
used to give this example
so there is the compass
and this compass
whichever way the ship is
travelling, it will only point
to the north, saying this
it says whether you are
travelling towards south, means you are
unhappy, travelling towards
to the north, that means your
destination which is God
whatever it is, are you happy, unhappy
your mind must be
only directed towards God
and only a self
controlled mind can be directed
towards God, that is being
beautifully explained
here and that's what
here and kshami
there are many people
who consider as
undesirable, unwanted
and their only
goal seem to be creating
trouble to us, here we have
to remember if someone is
giving us trouble, if
person is not giving us trouble
our own purva janma karma phala
is giving us the trouble
immediately look upon him
with favour, that is called kshami
you do not keep
rajyake in esteem, you do not
scold him, say thank you my
brother, thank you, I will end
this talk with an example
once Kabir Das who was
at that time living in Varanasi
one morning he went
into the Ganga to take bath
it was well known, he took
initiation from a great
yogi called Ramananda
Swami, Muslims were
very very angry with him
a Muslim deliberately
taking a Hindu guru
so one such person
saw Kabir Das coming
out of the Ganga, spat on
him, Kabir Das did not
say anything, went back
washed himself, again came, again
this fellow was waiting, spat
Kabir Das again, hundred times
this happened, the other man
became completely
converted and said you are a
real sadhu, I tried to insult
you, papa will come
to me, I will suffer, please
save me, please forgive me
this is called kshama
how many times?
Jesus Christ was there, 7 times?
no, 7 times
70, don't take it
at the 77th time
you go and kill him
what it means is infinite
number of times, why?
because whoever gives you trouble
it is none other than you
and because of your
kurva janma karma you are doing
this, these beautiful ideas
we will, these spiritual
qualities we will discuss in our
next class
May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother
and Swami Vikananda
bless us all with
bhakti
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 04 on 19 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:10:14Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Arthanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dugdha Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetam Ritam Mahat
Mookam Karuthi Vachalam Pangum Langayate Girim
Yad Kripatamaham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam
We have been discussing the Bhakti Yoga, 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
This chapter has 20 verses.
This chapter opens with a question by Arjuna on behalf of all of us,
which is the superior path, the path of devotion or the path of knowledge,
meaning the path of worshipping God with names, forms and qualities
or without names, forms and qualities or worshipping God as Saguna Brahma,
worshipping God as Nirguna Brahma.
What is the superior path?
And the Lord categorically answers, there is no superior path.
Whatever path is best suitable for a person,
that path is the most superior path for any particular person.
That exactly reflects what Shri Ram Krishna had been teaching from the very beginning.
What most Hindus do, how do they do?
They do not talk.
They may not know the theories, but go and see every Hindu's shrine.
There will be the pictures of all the Gods and Goddesses
and at the same time the person says, your name is Ananta Padmanabha.
Ananta means the infinite
and from your stomach comes out Brahma.
Navel comes out Brahma.
Brahma means representing the entire universe.
So everything is in you.
You are in everything by instinct.
Every Hindu knows and every Hindu also feels that Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti,
even though Ekam Sat.
So this has been reinforced by the teaching of Shri Ram Krishna
and this is not a unique something.
This was taught by Krishna several thousand years back to Arjuna
and through Arjuna to all of us.
Earlier we discussed, the Lord is telling,
even though every path brings everyone, anyone to me,
but there are some people who would like to worship me in a formless aspect,
that is through Neti Neti, Gnana Marga and that is a difficult path for many.
Maybe there are some people and one of the conditions is
they should not think they are the body-mind.
Only such people are in a position
even to intellectually imagine God as beyond name, form and qualities.
Means one who has got tremendous feeling, I am the body.
But this has to be attained by people in a graduated manner
and for most people we have to start with Saguna Brahma Upasana,
meditation on the personal aspect of God with name, with form, with qualities
and lest people should think this is only an imagination of our mind.
What is the imagination I am talking about?
That God has a form just like a table has a form,
a man has a form, woman has a form,
a tree has a form, a tiger has a form.
This, my dear sir, if you have attentively studied the last chapter, 11th chapter,
it is God only who is manifesting in reality as this whole world.
Swami Vivekananda used to say,
a stone is God, man is God and a cat is God, rat is God, mat is God.
There is nothing which is not God.
This is a 100% truth.
But it is slowly, so long as we are with some amount of body consciousness,
we have to divinize everything.
Not that we are making something non-divine as divine
but we have forgotten everything is divine
and we are trying to bring back that vision through radial purification of the mind.
And how this purification has to be done?
That's being said in the 8th verse,
which we have discussed actually in our last class.
But just to recollect,
Oh Arjuna, if you can do this, then you are going to live in me.
I am going to live in you.
We are going to live in each other.
Later on we will discover there is no you, there is no me.
What is, is nothing but God, Brahman.
But that is the goal and we are far off from the goal.
So we have to slowly start our journey.
What is the way?
You enter your buddhi into me.
What do these two steps?
First, make your mind filled with me.
Second, make your buddhi, the faculty of determination.
Only there should be one desire.
One, what we call bucket list.
In the bucket list, there should not be many
and one among them is God.
No, there should not be any other thing.
Only one desire.
And that is the last desire before we can attain moksha, mukti or liberation.
So the Lord says,
What is this mind?
As we know, mind is that faculty of human personality which goes on deliberating.
Is it this? Is it that?
First, and then when it comes to a definitive knowledge aided by memory.
Yes, yes, this is a tree.
I thought it might be a human being in semi-darkness.
But no, it's not anything else but only a human being.
And I know that human being because I distinctly remember.
I have seen him many times and I recollect.
And so this is that person.
This quesitation before coming to a definitive conclusion is the functions of the mind.
So in mind, thoughts are there.
Everything is a thought and this is called vritti.
This is called pratyaya in Sanskrit and especially those who are interested in Sanskrit.
Vritti means a circle.
Why?
Because a thought goes round and round and round like a circle.
So like a bullock goes round and round extracting oil.
So our mind goes round and round again and again and again.
That's why it is called a vritti.
It is also called pratyaya.
Pratyaya means thought.
Everything, a mentation, every thought is nothing but mind.
Mind means thoughts.
Thoughts means mind.
But thoughts of different varieties.
First of all, there are tremendous desires and these desires can be broadly classified into three types.
What are the three types?
All desires can be classified into three types.
What are the three types?
First of all, there is a desire not very intense.
If it is fulfilled, fine.
If it is not fulfilled, that's also fine.
And such type of thoughts, though they flit across the space of our mind, but it doesn't really trouble us.
But the second is a medium desire, medium force desire.
And it will be nice.
Not only nice, I think I must have it.
I think I must have it.
But do I want it right now or do I want?
Can I also postpone it?
Can I wait for it for some time more?
And that is called the most intense desire.
So what are we talking about here?
Most intense desire and less intense desire and very less desire.
So all the thoughts, first of all, consist of desires.
Then there are emotions.
Then whatever may be the type of desire, when it is fulfilled, if it is low intense,
a little bit of happiness.
If it is medium intensity, a little more happiness.
But if it is too much of intensity, I just cannot live without it,
it will give, for the moment at least, tremendous intense happiness proportionately.
Take the example of thirst.
So I am feeling a little bit hungry, a little bit thirsty, but I don't care.
I can wait for several hours.
And the intensity of hunger and thirst increases.
I must have it, but I can wait for a short time, maybe half an hour and maybe 45 minutes.
I know by that time I will be free.
Even though it is troubling, one part of the mind is thinking about food,
but the other part can be free.
But when the mind is tremendously occupied with intense desire,
it cannot think of anything else.
It just wants, so proportionately a happiness also, it will be like that.
But there is another kind of desire, which this object, this person, this climate,
this particular event, most unpleasant.
Again there are three types, less intense, little more intense, very intense.
So when we can get rid of these negative events, persons or objects,
then proportionately also we get happiness.
At the same time, if what we want is not fulfilled and what we do not wish come to us,
then both ways there will be suffering, but different degrees of suffering
depending upon the intensity of likes or dislikes.
These are called emotions.
Mostly people are emotional people.
Then mind also is occupied with plans.
I would like to complete this study.
I would like to become master of some art or some job, whatever it is.
Then there is also nobility is there.
Remember, every soul is potentially divine.
Even the most wicked person has great goodness,
but towards very limited number of people,
maybe his family and maybe one or two people chosen from among the family members, etc.
Even an evil person will be very good
and sometimes this evil person can even sacrifice his life for the sake of his or her beloved.
So noble ideas will be there and sometimes many talents will be there.
A talented less fellow can never become a great wicked fellow.
Even to become wicked, evil, a person needs tremendous energy,
tremendous amount of intelligence.
A stupid fellow can never become either a great thief or a murderer.
If he tries, he will be caught immediately.
All these things, thoughts, desires, emotions, aspirations, ideals, everything,
all these different thoughts, remember, everything is a thought
and the mind is nothing but these different types of thoughts going round and round
at one particular point of time.
Some desires will manifest, some thoughts will come,
other times other thoughts will come.
The Lord is advising Arjuna,
now even if you are a wicked person, consider me, even think only of me.
If anybody can do it, can anybody do it? Yes.
Hiranyakashipu was full of hatred,
but for whom? For Narayana, not any Tom, Dick and Harry.
Kamsa was full of hatred.
To whom? Towards Krishna and Balarama.
So that is why they have filled their minds, their thoughts only of Krishna.
I have to tell you something very interesting.
These people we have to salute.
They are the greatest living gurus.
Hiranyakashipu, Kamsa, Shishupala, Dantavakthara,
they are the greatest manifestation of Gurudham, teacherhood.
Why do I say that? Because, just answer me,
day and night what was Hiranyakashipu thinking?
Day and night what was Kamsa thinking?
Day and night what was Shishupala, Dantavakthara thinking?
We have to understand, they appear to be wicked,
but then you know what happens?
They are, all these people unconsciously,
they are always thinking about only God in a negative way,
in the form of fear, hatred, anger, etc.,
enmity, etc.
But what is it that we can learn from them?
They are not thinking anything else excepting God.
And soon what happened?
Because they are thinking of God,
they may be mistaking God,
but because God is of the nature of Sat, Chit and Ananda,
pure existence, pure knowledge and pure Ananda,
and very soon their whole minds became transformed into God alike
and they became God.
This is what the Lord is telling.
Do you love me?
Then let all your thoughts be only about me.
Or I should correct myself.
Do you wish to love me?
Do you wish to become my devotee?
Then slowly turn every thought of yours into me.
And this is the purpose for which worship in Hindu temples,
in Christianity, in Islam,
take Islam five times a day.
Why five times?
It could be every moment,
but five times for the convenience of people.
Now what are we talking about?
Here the wise prophets,
they have fixed that at least you withdraw your mind five times a day
and think of Allah.
And that's why they loudly announced,
so that nobody can miss it.
And many devout Muslims,
they just wherever they are,
stop the work,
spread a towel or a small piece of cloth
and kneel down and bow down to the Lord,
turning towards Mecca.
That's a wonderful practice.
And whenever you hear this call of the Muslim,
immediately let you remember your own Ishta Devata.
Anyway, so worship.
Take for example Christian worship.
Elaborate rituals.
What is the point?
Every ritual is an action.
Why so many actions?
Because our minds are restless.
But keep every restless thought occupied with a particular action,
but all the actions centered around our chosen deity.
Take the example of Hindu puja.
Early morning you get up.
Why do you get up early morning?
Because you have to do puja.
What do you do?
Take bath.
Why do you take bath?
Put on fresh cloth to think of God.
And why do you go and clean the shrine room?
To worship God.
Why do you gather flowers?
To think of God.
Why do you make sandal paste?
To think of God.
Why do you go on sitting and hours together worshipping?
So that this restless mind,
let it be restless,
but let it be restless in engaging itself only with the central thought of God.
Slowly these rituals,
that is what Sri Ramakrishna meant,
Sandhya, means rituals,
merges in Gayatri,
that is worship.
And Gayatri japa ultimately when it matures merges in Aum.
You don't need to do anything
because God has possessed you.
God is making you think.
And what do you think God makes you think?
Only about himself.
That is what is meant by make every thought of yours,
direct every thought,
practice my presence.
Whatever you do,
whether you are eating,
you are drinking,
you are breathing,
you are blinking your eyes,
you are breathing in and out,
your hands are moving,
your legs are moving,
whatever you do,
turn all of them towards me.
In course of time,
through practice,
we can do that.
But this itself will not do.
It must be helped,
supported by something else.
What is that?
Buddhi.
What does it mean?
Unless we make a firm resolution that I want only God,
let there be other desires.
But go on intensifying,
strengthening this Sankalpa
that I want only God,
I do not want anything else.
Buddhi means the faculty of determination.
And once through long practice,
many lives of practice,
the Buddhi understands God alone is real,
then it becomes firmly fixed
because nobody ever wants anything unreal.
Our problem is,
we think the world is real,
we think the body is real,
we think the mind is real
and that's why the Lord is telling,
both by filling your mind with godly thoughts,
divine thoughts,
potential divine thoughts
and at the same time,
making the firm resolve,
everything is useless,
only God alone is real,
so I must think only about God.
If we can practice this,
then what does the Lord say?
Fix your mind on me.
Rest your determinative faculty on me alone.
What does it mean?
I do not want anything else.
Though my mind desires many things,
I know by the grace of my Guru,
by the grace of God,
by the study of scriptures,
by the company of devotees,
I know God alone is eternal,
permanent, real,
everything else is temporary.
It is there but temporary.
When this and as this idea intensifies,
my thoughts also follow,
our determination.
Important point is that my buddhi must become fixed.
Without that,
any amount of practice will not bear fruit.
That's very important point.
So the Lord said,
fix your mind on me alone,
rest your thought on me alone
and in me alone,
what happens?
Control your mind,
direct it towards God.
Fix your aspiration only on God and nothing else.
Once we succeed to some extent,
what happens?
You will live in me.
After you succeed in these two,
you will be living only in me.
Absolutely there is no room for doubt.
What does it mean?
It means a man who has reached that state,
who knows God alone is real
and this world is temporary.
We are not saying unreal,
but it is changing
and it is always continuously bringing both realities.
It is temporary.
Once this idea becomes firmly fixed,
then the mind becomes restless.
As Sri Ramakrishna says,
a child is busy with playing with dolls,
but the moment he is hungry,
hungry means his buddhi has become firm.
I have to go to my mother.
She alone can remove my distress
and then the devotee lives constantly in God,
thinking of God,
imagining God,
hearing about God,
talking about God,
reading, writing about God
and pravachana,
speaking about God
and ultimately praying to God
and dreaming about God.
All the time God occupies.
This is called living with God,
living in the presence of God,
living in God.
As soon as this happens,
that magic takes place.
As soon as we start living in God,
God starts living in us
and that is what he says,
attain through proper practice
that state where your buddhi and your mind,
both live only in me.
There is no doubt about it
and for that we have to go through four stages.
The mind in its spiritual progress
has to pass through four stages.
What does four stages mean?
Four types of thinking about God.
In the elementary stage,
first stage,
we have to think of God like us.
He has got a form,
He has hands and feet
but He can adapt to the devotee's desire.
He can assume any form,
any name and any quality.
This is called aneka roopa ishwara dhyanam
and through practice,
with consistent practice,
with tremendous shraddha faith,
He enters into second stage.
What is that second stage?
God not only assumes forms like anybody else,
God is only manifesting
in the form of this entire universe.
That is where
Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava,
Acharya Devo Bhava, Aditya Deva.
We divinize first loving people,
second protecting people,
third instructing people,
fourth everybody else
who has got, whoever has got,
some great quality.
But afterwards,
the whole thing becomes,
everything is nothing but
a manifestation of God.
So, the first stage is aneka roopa ishwara dhyanam.
Second stage is vishwa roopa ishwara dhyanam.
Remember, Sri Ramakrishna used to visit famous people.
When somebody objected to it,
he said,
no, no, I have to visit because
they are great people
and that greatness is my Divine Mother.
I am not going to see them.
I am going to see my Divine Mother
manifesting through them.
And how did it manifest through them?
Because they must have worked.
They must have done sadhana.
It could be sangeetha sadhana.
It could be science sadhana.
It could be account sadhana.
Whatever sadhana,
they have done really sadhana.
This is the law.
Without doing sadhana,
nobody can get either money or name
or special talent, special knowledge.
It is all the manifestation of God.
Then the third stage will be
eka roopa ishwara dhyanam.
Then he feels all devatas,
all devadevatas,
any form, any name,
any quality,
they all belong to one only God,
Ishwara.
This is called eka roopa ishwara dhyanam.
Then wherever I see,
oh, you are worshipping Shiva.
He is my ishta.
You are worshipping Krishna, Narayana, Devi,
Jesus, God, Buddha, Allah,
doesn't matter.
They are different names.
For my God only,
He is only appearing in this particular form.
This is called eka roopa means not one form.
Seeing one God in every form
is called eka roopa, ishwara dhyanam.
This is a very highly developed stage
which in yogic language is called
savikalpa samadhi.
Brahma, akara, vritti.
See only Brahman.
Then the person has reached
the stage that can be attained
by God's grace plus man's effort.
But there is the fourth stage
called nirvikalpa samadhi
cannot be attained by human effort.
Only the divine Lord must break
that lost pratyaya, vritti.
That is our Ishta Devata, Saguna Brahma.
And one thing we have to understand here,
when Sri Ram Krishna said to Totapuri,
I can remove every other thought
but the thought of the Kali.
We should never think
what is our concept of Kali
and what was Sri Ram Krishna's concept of Kali.
There is heaven and hell difference
between these two.
What was his concept?
Ekarupa Ishvara.
That was his concept of Kali.
There is form at the same time, formlessness.
That is a peculiar state,
intellectually difficult to understand
but that is the high third stage
and that is the stage human being
with the help of Guru, God
and his effort can reach.
Beyond that only God's grace must be there.
What is the essence?
O Arjuna, O spiritual aspirant,
to control your mind,
direct it towards me.
You acquire what is called Viveka,
discrimination, dispassion,
control of the mind, body,
sense organs, etc.
Gradually increase your desire for God realization.
That is called controlling the mind.
Practice the presence of me.
Practice the thought of God.
Let there be many thoughts
but all of them should be related,
connected with God
and for that the Sankalpa,
firm determination.
I want God and nothing else.
This is called Thevara Mumukshutvam,
intense desire for liberation.
They must go hand in hand.
That is the goal
but even that is difficult.
The Lord is coming down
to people who are not even fit for that.
Says in the 9th verse,
If, O Arjuna,
if you are unable to fix your mind
steadily on me,
then seek to reach me
by the yoga of constant practice.
The emphasis here is on
practice, practice, practice.
Remember, in the 6th chapter,
Arjuna, on behalf of all of us,
put a question.
It's extremely difficult
to control the mind, O Krishna.
It is like catching hold of the air.
Nobody can catch hold of air
but the Lord says,
Yes, that is true.
This mind can be controlled,
can be caught hold of
but two things are necessary.
One is constant striving
called practice, practice, practice and practice.
That was what Swami Brahmanandaji told
to His disciple Swami Yudhiswaranandaji.
Struggle, struggle and struggle.
Practice and practice and practice.
So He says,
O Dhananjaya,
O earner of wealth,
Atha, if
Chittam Samadhatam,
to control the mind,
Chittam Nasiknoshi,
if you are incapable,
Mayisthiram,
if you are unable to control your mind
because only a controlled mind
can be directed.
An uncontrolled mind
can never be directed towards anything,
much less on God.
That's why a beautiful imagery
of a chariot
is given in Katha Upanishad we get.
This body is the chariot.
The sense organs are the horses.
The objects which our sense organs enjoy
is the pathways.
The mind is the driver
and the buddhi is the director.
And for whose sake?
The Jeevatma who is the sitting,
the owner of the car.
It is that Jeevatma,
that individual soul.
It is travelling with the help of
this body and mind.
And where is it travelling?
From ignorance to knowledge.
From a lower truth to a higher truth.
We are all travellers.
But good thing is
travelling from God,
in God, to God.
As a Sufi saint had put it so beautifully.
Only we are not able to understand,
we cannot go beyond the realm of God.
Wherever we go,
the Divine Mother is sitting on a high tower
and means inside our hearts
and watching everything.
Therein, Bhagavan Krishna gives
the secret practice,
practice and practice.
There is nothing else.
But mere mechanical practice.
That's what most of us do.
Whether we are doing meditation
or whether we are doing japam,
whatever thoughts we are thinking,
they go round and round and round
in a small circumference,
never trying to rise to higher levels.
It is natural to everybody.
Every saint, remember,
was in the same state like us.
How did that person become saint?
Through practice and through vairagya,
this passion.
How does this come?
Through holy company,
through now and then going to solitude
and discriminating between
what is real and unreal,
what is permanent and temporary,
as well as continuously doing,
living like a maid servant
in a rich man's house.
I am talking about the five commandments
of Sri Ramakrishna.
Abhyasa Yogena.
How long?
So long as you don't reach.
That's all.
A beautiful incident.
Thomas Edison was trying
with the help of a lot of assistants
to invent or to discover a good fuse.
He already knew about the properties of electricity.
He knew how to make a light bulb.
But he experimented with a lot of fuses
and it was going out.
And then they did 10,000 experiments.
And then one day,
others got disheartened,
approached him and said,
Sir, let us give up this project
because 10,000 times we failed.
And Edison brightened up.
He said, gentlemen,
now we know how a fuse cannot be made
in 10,000 ways.
Now let us forget those things
and try new means.
And really very soon they were able to do.
Even today, of course,
a lot of improvements have taken place.
But it was persistent.
This is what every saint says.
Go on trying, trying and trying.
And Brother Lawrence,
in his practice of the presence of God,
says, for 10 years,
I struggled very, very hard
and many times I failed.
And then he said,
whenever I failed to remember God,
I only put the blame on God.
I said, Oh God,
this is what happens
if you do not hold me up.
So take care.
Do not sleep.
Do not forget.
Whenever your child is about to fall,
be alert and protect me.
If I fall down,
the fault is yours and not mine.
Abhyasa yogena,
tatah mam iccha aptam dhananjaya.
So the highest step is
to think only about God,
to feel God, to live in God.
If we can't do it,
that means,
if we wish to attain to that state,
then we have to take a lower step
and practice.
What is that lower step?
That control the mind through practice,
continuously.
One senior Swami told me,
when I complained about this,
senior Swami said,
Bhai, how much japam you do?
I said, I try to do 10,000,
sometimes 15,000.
How many don't you remember God?
Every now and then,
yes, yes.
Many times I suddenly come to
and then I think,
oh, I have forgotten.
My lips are uttering the name of God,
but my mind is thinking something else.
So you increase that period of remembrance
and then slowly, slowly,
that remembrance part will increase,
forgetfulness part decreases.
This is the way we have to do.
There is no other way, unfortunately.
No miracle.
We have to do our level best.
So, oh, Dhananjaya,
if you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me,
then seek to reach me
by yoga of constant practice.
Okay, sir.
And this is also too much for me.
Then what should be done?
So it is said in the 10th shloka,
अभ्यासे प्यसमर्थोसे मतकर्म परमोभवा
मदर्थमपिकर्माने कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसे
If you are incapable of constant practice,
then devote yourself to my service
for even by rendering service to me,
you will attain perfection.
Now Swami Vivekananda had returned from the West.
Immediately he started Ramakrishna Mission.
Why did he start?
Many brother disciples opposed that move.
We are doing japa, meditation, scriptural study
and we could meditate for hours and hours and hours together.
Really speaking, do you know,
they used to get up before 3,
sit after washing their hands, feet and faces.
They used to sit.
Even afternoon 3 o'clock,
they were reluctant to get up.
But this great grandmother, Ramakrishnananda Swami,
he used to do puja
and he used to sometimes go out, beg.
Sometimes he used to take tuitions and earn little money.
With that money, he will procure all the ingredients
and then make food, very simple food,
like khichdi, etc.
and then make balls of them
and used to call them.
They were so intoxicated,
they would not budge from their seats.
Just imagine, 3 o'clock to 3 o'clock, 12 hours.
Then he himself will go
and they are not even opening their mouth.
So he used to catch hold of their cheeks
and then forcibly open their mouth
and put the balls of this inside their mouth.
Then they are willing to swallow it.
How could they do that?
Because Ramakrishna had given them that capacity.
But they also earned that capacity
through constant practice.
Ramakrishna used to talk about them.
There are some plants,
first comes flowers, then comes fruits.
There are some other plants,
where first comes fruits
and then slowly flowers will come.
It is true.
The gourds especially,
a small fruit will come,
gourd will come,
and then at the end of that gourd,
there is a huge flower
and this is how Sri Ramakrishna
through observation telling,
there are some people
who get a glimpse of God first
and then they make it their own
through constant practice.
So he is telling,
Oh Arjuna,
if you cannot continuously practice,
then that means your mind is restless.
If your mind is,
let it be restless,
but engage it in activities.
What are you doing?
Cooking food.
What are you doing for cooking food?
You are going, working hard
to get some money
and what are you getting this money for?
Because you want to make food.
Why do you want to make food?
Because you want to offer to God.
Why do you want to offer to God?
Because you are a devotee
and you will not eat
what is not offered to God.
So you see,
going for work is for God indirectly.
Earning money is for God indirectly
and buying provisions is
indirectly for God
and cooking them indirectly for God
and then ultimately
offering it for God.
After offering,
Prasada.
What do you do?
Eat.
What does a devotee do?
Eat.
That eating also,
Pramarpanam,
for pleasing the Divine Lord.
Everything that a devotee wants to do,
wants only to please the Divine Lord.
That's what he is telling.
If you cannot constantly
think of me one pointedly
with controlled mind,
then be engaged in
any number of activities.
But at the same time,
you remember the central point.
I am doing all this
only because ultimately
I want to merge in God.
I want to live in God.
If you are incapable
of constant practice,
then devote yourself
to my service.
For even by rendering service to me,
you will attain perfection.
It is a wonderful idea.
You are talking to somebody,
talk with goodwill,
with prayer
for the welfare of the person.
Suppose that person doesn't like you,
he abuses you
and you say,
thank you because
you are giving me an opportunity
to develop qualities
like forgiveness,
forbearance and prayer,
well-wishing for your sake.
If we wish well
for those who love us,
there is no wonder,
there is no greatness in it.
But if we can wish well
for the people who hate us,
torment us,
if we can bless,
that's what Jesus Christ says,
somebody abuses you,
bless them.
If somebody harms you,
pray for them.
Even if they do anything,
then if they slap you
on one cheek,
offer the other side,
then if they take away
your shirt,
you give,
one after the other with your coat also.
Forgive them
because they are all sent to you
by the Divine Lord
for your own sake
so that this is what we call
a fast lane,
fast track.
If you are unable
to one-pointedly think about me,
then be engaged,
but this is called Karma Yoga,
relate every action to me.
You do it for my pleasure
and you do it for my
Anugraha, Kripa,
compassion
and I will give you
nothing else
excepting me.
I will give you myself.
Even performing actions
for my sake,
slowly,
you will attain to that state
where you begin
to live in me
and I also
begin to live in you.
It's a wonderful word,
we have to understand.
Supposing
there is a wonderful building
and it is two miles away
and you liked it
and you want to go near it.
The building is not coming,
walking towards you,
but you are walking
towards the building.
Then what happens?
The more you approach nearer,
the building also
comes nearer to you
as it were.
Extend this analogy.
Suppose you see
some very much loved person
and there are two miles apart,
somehow you come to know
and then you are walking
towards that person.
What does the other person think?
You think, you do,
he is doing.
That person also
is walking very fast
towards you.
A child is walking
towards the mother
and the mother is running
towards the child.
I narrated one story
in my past classes.
I was at Cherrapunji.
There was a dairy
and once
a cow had given birth
to a calf.
Next morning,
after feeding the calf,
the cow was let out
for grazing
in the nearby hills
and then at about,
I went at about 9, 9.30
and this cow had been let out
about 7 o'clock or so.
By this time,
the calf was very hungry.
Probably it was not given
sufficient amount of milk.
We Hindus,
we take all the milk ourselves.
So, poor calf
was very low voice,
it is crying,
Ma, I am hungry.
I want food.
This cow,
the long distance,
there is no way
it could really hear
the cry of the baby.
But I saw
with uplifted tail,
it was running
and you have to see
its eyes.
They are only fixed
on its baby.
It straight came,
entered into the cow shed
and went and stood near the,
keeping the hind legs
near the calf
and joyfully,
the calf started suckling
the Divine Mother.
What is that?
Ya Devi,
Sarvabhuteshu,
Matru Rupeni.
If we walk
one step towards God,
God will come running
hundred steps towards us.
So, He is telling,
even if you are not able to do
or direct your mind
and perform actions
connecting me
for my sake,
then there is something
else is there.
Athaitadapyashakthosi
Kartumadhyogam Arshithah
Sarvakarmaphalatyagam
Tathakuryatatmavan
Arjuna,
if you are unable
to do even this,
to do even what?
To do everything
for my sake
and to do Karma Yoga,
I am doing everything
for the pleasure of God
and I am doing everything
for the grace of God
and whatever God
is pleased to
be in us with,
be happy with that.
But if a person
is incapable of doing that,
okay,
you try to do,
I am doing something.
With that feeling of egotism,
do everything
but at least
to do this much.
First part,
I am doing this
for the pleasure of God,
that you might forget.
But do not forget
that whatever result comes,
I offer it to God,
let Him give to me
what He thinks best.
Athaitadapyashakthosi
Kartum Madh Yogam Ashita
If you are incapable
of collecting,
connecting everything
with me,
this is God's work.
Every action,
including breathing,
if you forget that,
that's fine.
I can understand you.
You are a baby.
You can't do it.
But whatever you do,
do it to the best
of your ability
with your best intelligence,
with full alertness.
But then you say,
Oh God, I did my best
but I offer everything to you
and whatever you deign to give me
or not to give me,
I will be quite happy with that.
Sarva Karma Phalatyaagam
Tathah Kuru Yathatmavan
With great sincerity,
with great effort,
you surrender
the fruits of all actions
and take refuge in me.
So gradually,
step by step,
the highest step is
to live in God.
If you can't do that,
then you try to
direct all your thoughts,
all your meditations,
all your determinations.
If you are unable to do that,
then practice Karma Yoga
because body-mind will not keep quiet.
Whatever it does,
turn it into Karma Yoga.
What is Karma Yoga?
It has two parts.
First part is Ishwara Arpana Buddhi.
Whatever I do,
I offer it as my worship,
my offering to God.
Second part is Ishwara Prasada Buddhi.
Whatever happens afterwards,
that is the Prasada,
the grace of God.
Is He giving happiness?
That belongs to Him.
God is gracious.
He gave it to me.
Is He giving unhappiness to me?
That also is infinite grace
because Holy Mother said
misery is the gift of God.
That is also grace of God.
With this idea,
whatever we do,
that goes by the name of Karma Yoga.
This is what Swami Vivekananda
tried to propagate,
Shiva Jnana,
Eva Shiva.
Serve, do everything
for the grace of God
as an offering to God.
But if you are unable to do that,
then practice, practice, practice.
If you are unable to do that also,
do at least some part of it.
First part of it is Karma Yoga.
But if you forget it,
then say,
whatever comes,
all the results of actions,
I offer it to God.
And if you are unable to do that,
then Sarva Karma Phala Tyagam Tatha Kuru Yataatmava
Great Sincerity
offer the results of every action to do.
Suppose you forget and then
afterwards when you remember,
Oh Lord, I forget to tell you
whatever I have done,
I offer it to you.
You please accept because
you have given me the body,
you have given me the mind,
you have given me the faith,
and you have given me the energy and prana.
In fact, everything you have given,
everything belongs to you.
Unnecessarily, I am only assuming
that I am the doer.
Please help me to understand this.
At least all the results,
please accept.
And what do you think?
If a child had gathered a few fruits
and gives it to its mother,
what do you think the mother is going to do?
Swallow them?
She gives even more fruits,
even better fruits,
even sweeter fruits to the child.
And the only fruit God gives is Himself.
We will discuss the rest of the beautiful points
in our next class.
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam
Kamsa Janura Mardanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother
and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 03 on 13 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:09:45Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Arthanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadho Gavo Dogda Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdam Geetam Ritam Mahat
Mookam Karu Divachalam Pangum Langayate Girim
Yat Kripatamaham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam
We have entered into the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
It is called Bhakti Yoga.
It has got 20 verses and this chapter starts with a particular question by Arjuna.
Arjuna has not understood properly that there are many paths for the realization of God.
But he was thinking that there are two paths that he understood.
One is the path of knowledge and what is the path of knowledge?
Those who try to contemplate, meditate and worship Pandit or God in his impersonal aspect.
And there are Bhaktas, devotees. That is called Bhakti Yoga.
Earlier one is called Jnana Marga, Jnana Yoga.
Later is called Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Marga.
As if the Lord has confused Arjuna.
Because at the end of the 11th chapter he is clearly telling that perform all actions for me, with me as your goal.
Become my greatest devotee.
Let me be your highest goal in life and develop complete detachment.
Accepting to me all attachments must be combined and directed towards me.
Naturally you will have to withdraw yourself from the attachments to anything in this world or any person in this world.
And then most important, the whole world is nothing but me.
If you have understood what you have seen and the remnants, the effects of Vishwaroopadarshana should be there.
Everything is me. There is no friend, there is no enemy.
Therefore what do you become? What should you become? Nirvairaha Sarvabhuteshu.
You must become completely what is called no attachment, no likes and no friends and no dvesha or dislikes and no enemies.
Nirvairaha Sarvabhuteshu.
Sangavarjitaha means there are no friends, there are no near and dear beloved ones.
There are no enemies, there are no people to dislike because your friends, your enemies, everything is nothing but me only, nothing else.
Then the Lord answers that whatever is suitable path, that is the best path.
There is no such thing called superior or inferior.
There is only one thing. What is it?
Either it is a difficult path or it is an easy path.
Difficult path is that path which is not suitable for one's nature.
Easy path is that path which is most suited to one's own nature, one's own stage of development.
Then the Lord is telling it is true.
Every path leads to me and to the realization of God.
I and God are not two separate entities.
I am God, God is me. Not only that, you are also God, you are also me.
So there is no difference.
But I know it, you do not know it.
Therefore, you have to become a bhakta and specifically a bhakta.
Why? Because you are endowed with so much of emotion.
Most people are emotional people.
They do not have that much intellect.
If had Arjuna been endowed with intellect, he would not have been overcome by this delusion.
The very fact that he was overcome by delusion means that he was not having much of a brain,
that real capacity to understand.
But he was highly emotional.
I am attached to Bhishma and Drona etc.
But I hate Duryodhana, Dhrishasana.
Arjuna, you are overcome with delusion.
What is the delusion?
Dividing me, looking upon me in some aspects as dear,
some other aspects as likeable.
That is inimical way.
That is completely wrong way.
Spirituality means seeing God in everything.
Everything must become most dear because everything is nothing but God.
Having clarified, whichever path is easier, suitable,
that is the best path, not superior and inferior.
Next point is, for most people, as Sri Ramakrishna put it,
he was none other than Krishna and Rama in this Kali Yuga.
What is Kali Yuga?
Where people are more intensely identified with body rather even than mind.
Kali Kaale, Annagatha Pranam.
For such people, the devotional path as given by Sage Narada is most suitable.
That was what the Lord has ended.
And if you can do that, then anybody can do that.
He comes to me, he becomes me and he remains as an Atman.
So Arjuna, all paths are the same, equally lead.
But for most people, especially for you, the path of Bhakti is more suitable, easier.
So do not go on.
Supposing I tell you, Jnana Marga is superior.
Then what would be your inclination?
I want to follow Jnana Marga naturally because it is the superior path.
But are you suited for it?
It is like a child says, what are you doing?
Oh, I am studying in this school.
He asks somebody, what are you doing?
I am studying for PhD, researching for PhD.
Oh, you are much superior.
Why should I go to this school?
Let me enter into the university as a PhD student.
That is not going to happen.
You are behaving like a child.
So take up the path.
Then the Lord patiently is explaining.
Most people, many people are under the impression they are more than fit for this Jnana Yoga.
And what is Jnana Yoga?
Thinking, worshipping, contemplating Brahman in his impersonal aspect.
That is being described here.
The followers of Jnana Marga, Jnanis, they also will come to me like devotees.
There is no doubt about it.
Yetu, those people who contemplate Aksharam, the imperishable, the infinite, the unborn, the Puranam,
Kavim Puranam Anushashitaram, Anirdeshyam, that which cannot be defined, that which cannot be pointed out.
Nirdeshyam means pointed out.
Oh, are you searching for this kind of person?
There, there, you see that person with a red shirt and a little shorter and he is under that tree branch and that is the person you are seeking.
No, Brahman cannot be pointed out.
Anirdeshyam, Avyaktam is unmanifest.
Anything that is visible is what is called manifest.
And anything that doesn't come under the purview of our five sense organs.
I will come to the slightly better details.
Those who worship, Pariyupasati. Pariyupasati means Pari Upasati.
They see Brahman everywhere.
They see Akshara, Avyakta, Anirdeshyam, Sarvatragam, Achintyam.
Sarvatragam means that which is everywhere.
Achintyam means that which is unthinkable.
Kutastham, that which never is perturbed, never changes, even the greatest blows are given.
Achalam, immovable.
Dhruvam, completely fixed.
So this is what some people wanted to see that Brahman everywhere because he is the Karana and those sincerely they are worshipping them.
But not only they are always engaged in contemplation.
Every 24 hours for a person to contemplate God, very few people can do.
Only Avatara Purushas like Ramakrishna can do it.
But rest of the people they can do sometime.
Rest of the time either they have to study scriptures or discuss the scriptures etc.
But how do they do it?
Sam Niyamya Indriya Gramam.
All the sense organs, five of knowledge, five of action.
The Gnana Indriyas, Pancha Gnana Indriyas, Pancha Karma Indriyas.
They have complete control over them.
Not one single sense organ is left out.
And then not only that.
Those qualifications they are fulfilling.
Means same way of experiencing every object.
They see a dog, that is Brahman.
They see an inimical person, that is also Brahman only.
They see a greatest friend or one's own mother, father.
No, no, they are not father, mother.
They are also nothing but pure Brahman.
They do not say, have you done harm to me and I am going to take out.
Have you done harm to me?
Of course I will bear it with the greatest patience.
No question of bearing.
He is teaching you a great lesson.
Open your eyes and learn the lesson.
Here person says, I will serve you.
I will give you so many things.
I will offer myself to you.
He says, I don't care for you.
I don't want anything.
I only want God.
I want all of you, the entire universe.
It is nothing but Brahman.
This is called Samabuddhi and it is also called Samadarshi.
Such a persons further.
They are completely dedicated for the welfare of every being.
Every being means not only human beings, not only belonging to their religion, any being.
Whether it is a plant, it is a tree, it is an insect, etc.
They do not make any discrimination.
They are completely, they look upon everything as one and the same.
And they only want the welfare of every creature.
Even if that creature is trying to harm us.
So what happens?
They attain me.
They become me.
And the distinction between them and me is completely removed.
There are certain things we will discuss now.
But here,
Just see, there was a great soul called Nagamahasaya.
One day, a devotee happened to go there.
And at that time, Nagamahasaya was absent.
Then what happened?
Nagamahasaya was absent.
Then what happened to him?
This is what has happened.
This devotee saw, at that time, Nagamahasaya had a cottage.
And it was based upon some poles, wooden poles.
And some of the wooden poles were invaded completely by white ants.
And there were millions of them.
And they were slowly eating away that wood.
That means, very soon, the roof will come down.
So this devotee thought, Nagamahasaya is a great devotee.
He doesn't have time thinking about God.
I will be doing great work.
So he scooped up all those white ants and then threw away in the nearby forest.
By that time, Nagamahasaya returned.
There was not even probably one white ant left out.
The first thing Nagamahasaya noticed was that Samba, Kamba, that pole,
immediately started beating his forehead.
What have you done?
For generations together, they have made this their home.
They are very happy.
They are busy.
How did they harm you?
And you know, white ants do not bite and accepting that they destroy some of these things.
But otherwise, they are harmless.
And they will be more and more at a particular season,
particularly when there is rain, rainy season, etc.
What did you do?
She became distressed.
Where did you throw them?
Many were killed.
But some were thrown out along with that mud.
It's their home, what they call the muddy homes.
Immediately Nagamahasaya went, scooped up whatever was remaining,
brought it back and then put them with tears in eyes.
Please forgive me.
I am promising you from now onwards, nobody is going to make you homeless.
I will take care of you.
He promised like that.
And then the devotee, what his feelings were, we do not know.
Ordinary people like us, well, well, well.
If it is your stupidity, you will suffer.
What is it to me?
I only try to do good.
If he is an understanding devotee, oh my God!
Such people are also alive on this earth.
It is my greatest good fortune to come into contact with you.
So these Gnanamargis, what do they try to do?
First of all, Aksharam.
That imperishable.
And only one thing can be imperishable.
That which doesn't undergo any change, it is called Akshara.
Because change means Akshara.
There is nothing called total destruction, absolute destruction.
There is an old chair and slowly it is becoming loose and one day it will break.
And what does it do?
The wood has not become old, the wood also is not going through any change.
But that wood in a particular shape called chair shape and then with that name chair
and for the purpose of, for people sitting etc., that is going to change.
So everything that is manifest, it is changing.
But that which can never change, that is called Akshara.
Na Aksharati Iti Aksharaha.
Then Aniruddhashyam.
If something is like that, something is formless, something is nameless, something is qualityless,
how are you going to point out and say this is such and such a thing.
It is impossible.
In Vedanta, we say there are five things are there.
That is called Rudhi, Jati, Guna, Kriya and Sambandha.
What is it?
Supposing you want to know something and I have to tell you that.
I have to tell you through any of these five forms of sounds or words.
Shabda, Pravaruthi.
What is that Shabda?
You see the sun and that is the sun and in Madras sun is very very hot, very bright.
In Andhra also it is like that.
If you go to North Pole, it is due to freezing, the sun doesn't have much power.
That is the sun which everybody knows.
That is called Rudhi, universal experience.
Then I go on a holiday to some very sinful place and I come across a wonderful flower,
beautiful, big, fragrant, many petals, etc. and very colorful.
May be many colors and I want to convey it to somebody at home who never saw even remotely near to that flower.
But I can give comparison.
This is a flower and you have seen marigold, seen jasmine, you have seen so many other types of flowers.
This is such a big flower. This has got 100 petals and you know you have smelt the rose or the jasmine.
This is highly fragrant and there is plenty of nectar here.
So this is called Jati. Jati means species.
If you have seen one species, it is possible to describe a new species.
This is called species. This is called Jati.
Rudhi, universal experience like the sun, moon and the north pole, etc.
North, northern star, Dhuva nakshatra, etc.
And a tree, a cow, a tiger or a wolf or a human being.
The moment you point out, this is a human being but looks very different from any one of us, no?
But you know it belongs to human Jati, species.
Therefore, I can understand.
Brahman doesn't fall into the first category.
Nobody has seen Brahman. It is not a universal experience.
And then Brahman is not a species.
Then there is a red flower.
You bring that red and blue mixed colored flower, you see, bring it.
This is called Guna, attribute, quality and there is no such thing nearby.
There are red flowers, blue flowers, green flowers, so many other flowers are there
but a combination of this red and blue is not seen anywhere.
So through that I am indicating to that person that particular object by the description of certain qualities
or that man, very learned man.
This musician, one of the greatest musicians is specialized in Mohana Raga, etc.
This is called Guna.
Then Kriya. Kriya means activity.
He is the driver of that car.
He is the cook in such and such a particular place.
This person is a watchman.
That person is a CEO, executive officer of that company.
By this what is called Kriya, activity, job, profession, he is a doctor, he is a lawyer, he is a teacher, etc.
Here also we can specify, describe and convey knowledge about them.
Brahman doesn't fall because he is Nishkriya and he cannot be identified with any quality as he is Nirguna.
He doesn't have any Jati because nobody has ever seen him.
Then Sambandha. What is the Sambandha?
This is my uncle and this is my second cousin.
This is my father, this is my mother or this is my boss, etc.
We can give the knowledge about some object through this relationship.
But Brahman is Nishanga because Nishanga means only one.
He doesn't have any relationship with anybody.
And then he is Akhanda.
He is partless.
When there are two parts, they can have a relationship.
Two leaves can have a relationship.
Two flowers can have a relationship.
Two people can have a relationship.
But he who is partless, who is infinity, where is the second one with which he can have any relationship?
It is absolutely impossible.
That is being told here by this particular Aniruddheshyam. You cannot go on doing this one to anybody.
It is not possible at all.
That's being told here Aniruddheshyam.
And then Niruddheshyam means you point out.
You see there that red tree, etc.
There is nothing else we can do about this.
That is one way of looking things.
Then there is something avyaktham.
Vyaktham means whatever falls, whatever can be experienced through the five sense organs, that is called vyaktham.
That is called manifest.
So either I see or I hear or I smell or I taste or I touch.
Brahman is not an object.
It is avyaktham, unmanifest and unmanifestable.
Therefore he cannot be perceived at all.
Avyaktham.
And then Sarvatragam.
Where is he? Where is he not he?
Prahlada's father asks, where is your Narayana?
Prahlada replies, where is not my Narayana?
You show me a place.
Is he in this also?
Stamba.
He is also in this pillar.
Yes, yes, he is in this pillar.
Not only he is in this pillar.
He is outside the pillar.
He is the pillar.
Then I don't see him.
That's because you are spiritually blind.
You don't see because you yourself are that God.
Very funny thing.
The eye can see everything excepting itself.
Therefore we don't see God anywhere.
God cannot see God.
We are all God.
Therefore we cannot see.
We see only non-God.
Whatever we experience is called anatma.
It is called prapancha.
It is called jagat.
But in reality what we are seeing is nothing but reflection of God.
Direct perception means you have to break the mind.
Mind acts like a mirror.
And the world, the God in the form of the prapancha,
he is reflected in the minds of each one of us.
This mind is covered with different layers of ignorance.
As if it is outside.
Actually it is the whole universe is within our mind.
So Brahman is not seeing everything.
The seer is Brahman.
But he cannot see himself because he cannot become both subject and object at the same time.
So where is he not he?
He is everywhere.
He is everywhere as one.
He cannot think.
Without that Brahman, without that pure consciousness,
body doesn't function, mind doesn't function,
pranas do not function, sense organs do not function.
It is the borrowed consciousness.
First mind borrows and then it reflects.
Then it understands.
I am the mind.
I am the buddhi.
Then it lends this consciousness to the sense organs.
Then the eye feels.
I am able to see.
The ear feels.
I am able to hear.
The nose feels.
I am able to smell.
And the tongue says I am able to taste.
And the skin feels I am able to touch.
The existence of every object is the existence of Brahman.
But the knowability, experience ability, witness ability,
there must be a witness, a knower called subject.
A subject cannot see himself.
A subject can see only the object.
Then if the subject cannot see himself,
how are we ever going to know ourselves?
By dissolving, resolving the dichotomy between the subject and the object.
When we realize that the subject and object are not two separate things,
just as we divide ourselves into me and the world by myself,
I have become me.
I have become the world.
Where?
In the dream state.
Similarly, in Jagrat Avastha also through ignorance I have divided myself as me and everything else.
When we wake up from this dream called Jagrat Avastha into that so-called state,
conventionally called Turiya Avastha,
it is not fourth state, it is the real state,
then we understand Swapna Avastha is a Swapna Avastha upon waking.
Jagrat Avastha, waking state will become a Swapna Avastha upon real awakening,
that is upon knowing I am the Brahma.
At that time the dichotomy between subject and object both become completely resolved,
becoming that one indescribable and that is called Sarvatragam,
that is Achintyam, unthinkable.
Whatever we think is limited and whatever we cannot think is unlimited.
The unlimited can never be thought, it is whatever is thought is limited,
therefore it is unthinkable.
Kutastham, Kuta means a blacksmith's anvil,
he takes help of that one and he goes on shaping even hard iron after heating it up to an extraordinary degree,
keeps it on the anvil with a big powerful hammer,
he goes on shaping into different things but the anvil, no change takes place upon it.
Even though many years, hundreds of years blows are coming one after the other,
every single day practically but there is not the slightest change.
Even though this Atman is like that Kutastha, unchanging, unaffected support, just as the anvil is the support for doing any activity,
so this Atman is the support for the body, for the mind.
Body is changing, mind is changing but the support of all the entire world,
that pure consciousness, Shuddha Chaitanya, Shuddha Atma, Parabrahma, no change ever takes place,
that is just like the blacksmith's anvil, Nirvikalaha, that is being it.
Achalam, Chala means to move from one point of space to another,
mental also to move from one idea to the other,
from one thought to the other thought, from one imagination to another imagination
but Brahman is beyond the body, beyond the mind, beyond the Kala, beyond the Desha.
So Achalam, where does it move?
Brahman cannot move because it is infinity, infinity cannot move because it is infinite
and Dhruvam, Dhruvam means absolutely fixed, that means it never deviates from its own nature.
Such is the Brahman which some people they contemplate, they do practice.
How do they do that? Sanniya Sam Niyamya, well controlling, Indriya Gramam,
Gramam means the entire lot, all the sense organs, both the knowledge organs
as well as the organs of knowledge, organs of action, all the ten organs as well as the mind,
completely controlling them so that they do not develop either likes or dislikes.
Sarvatra, everywhere they will see, they behold that same Brahman,
Samabuddhaya, they, such people constantly,
Sarvabhutahite Rataha, they are completely dedicated for the welfare of beings
but we have to put in parenthesis, what is it? They are only seeing God, they are only serving God,
they are only attached to God, in fact to say that they are serving God
is to say they are serving none other than themselves.
This beautiful idea has been given, if you help somebody, the Punya will come to you
because he is you, if you do harm, you are doing harm to yourself,
Papa will come to you, Punya means you help others, you are helping yourself,
Papa means you harm others, you are harming yourself.
This Samabuddhi, Sarvatra everywhere, this is me, I am not doing anything to anybody else,
I am doing it only for myself, this is called Sarvabhutahite,
that was what Swami Vivekananda advocated.
Atmano Mokshaartham Jagathita, Jagath, not serving the world, doing good to the world
but through doing good to the others, comparing them, thinking of them,
contemplating them as myself only, in this form I am here, I am in them in the other form,
I am not serving anybody else, I am only serving myself.
And once a person does that, then his knowledge is real and that is how he will progress.
Such people, they are also come to me, that means also means what?
Devotees also come to me and these people, everybody will come to me,
everybody is moving only my path, there is no other way.
Then moving on, the worshipper of the universal form, easily attain perfection through the Lord's grace.
Everywhere, Lord's grace is very much insisted upon.
These two verses, 6th and 7th in the 12th chapter is nothing but an elaboration of the 55th verse of the 11th chapter.
What is that?
Such a people, he will also attain me, that is being said.
Those who consecrate all their actions to me, regarding me as the supreme goal and who worship me,
meditating on me with single-minded concentration, to them whose minds are thus absorbed completely in me,
verily I become here along, O Partha, the saviour from the death-fraud ocean of the world.
Beautiful words we will discuss now, those people.
Earlier what he said, every action must be connected with me, that means what?
I am cooking, for whom?
For the Lord.
I am moving my hands, I am doing Arathri to the Divine Lord.
I am moving my legs, I am doing Pradakshinam to the Lord.
I am uttering words, that is the Stuti, I am hymning the Divine Lord.
I am sitting and meditating, that is Samadhi Stiti.
I am sleeping, even this good sleep with one goal in mind, if I sleep deeply, well, then I will get up refreshed,
so that I can dedicate and I can joyfully worship my Divine Lord without this body coming on the way as tired and becoming obstructive.
Eto Sarvani Karmani.
Karmani, activities.
What kind of activities?
Sarvani, every activity.
What is every activity?
There are conscious and unconscious activities.
What are the unconscious activities?
My heart is beating, my blood is flowing, my brain is also functioning.
So many Pancha Pranas are working and every single part of the body is working 24 hours a day for the welfare of the entire body.
The mind has its own obstruction or help.
If I am worried, I am obstructing my sleep, I am obstructing my heart function, I am doing so many things.
If I am joyful, then my heart also becomes joyful, my blood also becomes joyful, my blood pleasure becomes very joyful,
my blood pressure becomes very very joyful, everything becomes joyful if my mind is positive, endowed with devotion.
Remember, to be a devotee means to be joyful.
To be joyful means real joy comes only from God.
Eto Sarvani Karmani.
Not one single action.
Chakradavastha, Swapnavastha, Sushupti.
Aching state, dream state and deep sleep state.
All these states are nothing but worshipping my Divine Lord.
There is a beautiful incident.
One devotee author used to come to Shri Ramakrishna's room at 8 o'clock or so and he is tired, he will make one pranam to Shri Ramakrishna,
spread his mat and lie down and immediately fall deeply asleep and at 10 o'clock Shri Ramakrishna will gently wake him up and he will make another pranam and he will go home.
Then, there is a very funny thing also I will tell you just now.
One devotee criticized him, what is this?
This man comes to you and then instead of hearing you, instead of benefiting from you, he is sleeping.
Shri Ramakrishna became very grave and warned him, scolded him.
You don't know, he has so much faith.
That's why he takes all the trouble at night to come here instead of going home and he has faith.
Even if he sleeps in my room, he will get spiritually benefited.
That faith itself brought me into becoming very pleased with him.
He was defending instead of supporting the devotee who was complaining.
He said he has got so much of faith and I am there.
Don't you know that I know why he comes here?
He has that faith.
So sleep in my presence is to be spiritual and I reward him exactly.
I reflect a person's ideas, respond to them exactly in the same way but they have that faith and that understanding.
This is what is being said so beautifully.
My sannyasya, sannyasya means not sannyas ashrama.
Sannyasya means they do everything for my pleasure and whatever be the result, they accept it as my prasada.
Ishwara arpana buddhi is called karma yoga and Ishwara prasada buddhi is the result of whatever they do
and they are joyful, they develop more spirituality and more devotion, more attachment and all the time they are progressing.
Then ananyenaiva yogena, with one pointed mind.
Their mind says I don't want money, I don't want any of the worldly riches.
I only want more bhakti, more viveka, more vairagya.
Maam dhyayante, they joyfully contemplate me, meditate upon me.
Upasate, they go on making me the only object of every one of their thoughts.
That is called upasana.
What is upasana?
Asana means it is a seat.
Here seat means God and then they come nearer.
Upa means near, still nearer, still nearer.
Just as a dry piece of paper fall comes nearer and nearer, it becomes more and more heated
and once it falls into the fire, it becomes fire.
This is called upasana, complete oneness with the object of our contemplation
and this is how they do not think anything else.
Their mind is thinking about me, their buddhi is determined only about me
and their entire personality is coming all the time nearer and nearer.
When they do something, it is for my pleasure.
When they experience something, they accept it as my prasada.
They have no other thought excepting Ishwara.
Such people, what happens?
When a person tries to do that, of course it will take time.
Of course we are progressing all the time.
Little by little, slowly albeit surely, what happens?
Tesham, what am I going to do with them?
Samadharta bhavani, I am going to be the uplifter of them.
Samadharta, I am going to save them.
Save them from what?
Mrutyu samsara sagara, from the terrible ocean of transmigration.
Being born, suffering, sometimes a little bit enjoying and becoming old,
becoming diseased and then becoming decrepit and then dying.
This is all the time going on but as soon as they turn their faces towards me,
contemplate me, work for me, they know nothing excepting me.
They completely surrender themselves to me and their joy is
whatever they are experiencing is only my prasada.
Such type of people, I am going to lift them up from the samsara sagara,
this ocean of transmigration.
That means I am going to give them atma jnana, brahma jnana.
Very soon they will attain mukti or moksha.
When? Nachirath partha.
Nachirath means after a long time.
But as soon as a person completely dedicates himself to me,
Nachirath, achirath, that means very very quickly.
As soon as they reach a state where they say,
Oh Lord, I don't want anything else, I only want to think about you.
Even further, like that second yogi whom Narada met,
even if I have to be reborn a billion times, I don't mind but I get so much joy.
I do not want to think anything else excepting God.
If it is his will, let him come and show himself.
If it is not, let him not show himself.
But I am not going to stop my contemplation of him, my dedication to him.
Bhavami achirath partha and for whom my avishita chetasam.
Whose minds, chetasam, completely my avishita.
They have become completely one.
As if a tremendous super glue called bhakti,
it joins us with God, it is impossible to separate.
What in simple words, if we determine to think only God,
and we want only God, and we do everything for God,
and we think about God, we speak about God,
our whole life we know nothing excepting God,
that very life is the last life for them.
Therefore, in the eighth shloka, what is the Lord telling?
Mayyeva mana adhatsva mayy buddhim niveshaya nivasishyasi mayyeva atavurtham nasamshaya
Fix your mind on me alone. Rest your thoughts on me alone.
And in me alone, you will live hereafter.
Of this, there is no doubt.
So, for those people, the goal is described in the earlier shloka.
What is that goal?
That all activities, physical, mental, or verbal, or physical, external,
should be devoted only to me.
I am thinking all my thoughts, I am speaking only about God,
and I am doing only serving God.
God has given me this opportunity.
And I am the supreme goal for them.
And they live their life joyfully.
Not after reaching me, but the moment they resolve,
their mind becomes completely filled with joy.
They don't care whether I come or not.
Such a person.
Mayy avyeshita chetasam.
And their minds are completely, they have become united with me.
They don't know anything except me.
And immediately, I will take care of them.
Soon, I will reveal myself to them.
Very soon, they will be free from the trammels, bondage.
Here, drishti means mayy avyeshita chetasam.
When a person's whole life has become one,
merged, completely dedicated only to God,
for such people, moksha will come immediately.
But, as Sri Ramakrishna says,
even if moksha doesn't come, they don't care.
If God says, I decided not to appear to you,
even a billion births.
He says, find God.
If you want to come, come.
If you never want to come, it's okay.
I am not worried about it.
I get joy by taking your name.
It's a beautiful Kannada song.
I don't need you.
I don't need anything of you.
But, if I have your name,
I am more than satisfied,
and you can take half yourself.
Very beautiful song.
Now, you can explore it by those who know Kannada,
or even with English translation.
One of the most wonderful names,
whether it is Prahlada, or Draupadi, or Gajendra,
they only cried out your name.
And, as soon as you heard the name,
immediately you came running.
Because, why?
Because, the name and the named are not different at all.
This is called padartha.
Pada and artha, the nama of the pada,
an object and its idea are inseparable.
The name and the object called God,
whose name it is, are inseparable.
Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example.
Somebody got a treasure,
and he didn't want others to come to know about it.
He put it in a pot, sealed it,
took it to the nearby lake,
and then he buried it deep in the water,
but he tied a rope to the mouth of that pot or box,
and then he put it on the shore somewhere.
Only he knows it.
When he requires something of that treasure,
what does he do?
Nobody is around.
He goes there.
He knows where the rope is tied,
but beneath the waters.
Nobody else will know.
So, he will catch hold of that rope,
and slowly advances at the end of the rope,
the pot or the box is fixed.
So, what was Ramakrishna telling?
The nama is like that rope,
and at the other end of that rope,
what is tied is Bhagawan.
So, nama and namni, one and the same.
Therefore, the Lord is advising Arjuna,
Mind means thoughts.
Try to develop every thought of yours
must be directed only towards Me.
Let your buddhi enter only into Me.
What does it mean?
That means your intention, your goal,
your final resolution should be only towards Me.
If you do that,
if you do these two things,
all your thoughts, all your intentions,
resolutions, goals of life should be only Me,
and go on striving.
Sooner or later, what happens?
You are going to live only in Me,
because My thought will occupy you,
My form you will be meditating,
My qualities you will be contemplating,
and by contemplation,
you will be acquiring My qualities,
and there is absolutely no doubt.
What doubt?
I am thinking about God,
whether I reach God or not.
You need have not a little bit of that doubt,
complete nissamsaya,
you are going to live in Me.
What does it mean?
I am you, you are Me,
there is no difference between you and Me,
and this is the state you are going to reach,
this is the state any sadhaka is going to reach,
provided his thoughts and his sankalpa
are only God,
a bucket list, only one desire,
I want God, I don't want anything else.
These beautiful ideas we will discuss in our next class.
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 02 on 12 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:08:48Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSHAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GRITAM RITAM MAHA
MUKHAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YATKRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM
We have, by the grace of the Lord, completed the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Now we are in the 12th chapter.
At the end of the 11th chapter, the Lord had said that this most marvellous, universal, divine vision of the Parabrahman,
the impersonal Brahman, in the form of whatever we are experiencing in the waking, dream, as well as dream state, collectively called Vishwam.
The same Lord is impersonal. The same Lord is also personal.
The same Lord is without form. The same Lord is with infinite number of forms, infinite number of names, infinite number of qualities.
And what is the nature of this universe?
It comes into existence or manifestation at some particular point of time and then goes on changing, which we call the process of growth.
And in the end, it also goes back to the same unmanifest from which it has come, only to come back again in the next life.
How long is it going to manifest until one understands that I am not a small finite being.
I am the universal divine Lord.
NIRGUNA NIRAKARA NISHKRIYA PARABRAHMAN
Then he becomes completely free. That would be his last birth and that is what we have discussed in our past lives.
But the Lord said so many beings, celestial beings, all intelligent beings and those who are endowed with discrimination,
they all wish to have this divine form of mind in the form of this entire universe.
In other words, they would like, they close their eyes, they want to see God in his impersonal aspect.
Open the eyes, the same God is recognized externally with the coverings of name, form and qualities and this is called divine Leela.
So that's why Sri Ramakrishna declares God is both with form and without form and beyond both form as well as formlessness.
But Arjuna became first extremely happy and blessed.
Then he got frightened because the negative aspect of life which is suffering and death is also a part of the Leela.
Both comedy and tragedy are parts of the same Leela.
Both should be enjoyed. If only one-sided enjoyment, that person will inevitably face the other side at some point or other or more often and then he will suffer.
He cannot, in other words, enjoy this Leela at all.
So Arjuna requested, I am unable to bear because I am not equipped with that purity of mind to receive this highest wisdom.
So he becomes immediately frightened and prays and the divine Lord, he said, I have shown you but this is what you are going to attain when you become really fit for that.
And you will eternally perceive God as form, as without form, with name, without name, personal, impersonal.
You close your eyes, you open your eyes, Urdhvascha, Athascha, Urdhvascha, Paschimhascha and everywhere you will see the same divine Lord
and you will not see because you will realize at that point that there is no you.
What exists is God only.
You begin to see here and there, then everywhere, then you cease to see because you have become merged totally in that highest reality.
And then the Lord says, rare are the beings upon whom I have bestowed this divine vision of mine and so many long for it.
And you will also long for the same when you are ready for that.
But very few people can have it.
So what is the way?
Only those who practice Bhakti Yoga, all their actions have been transformed into only as ignas.
That means everything they do is for God, because of God and only because of God and they understand.
I would not have been able even to lift a single straw but for the grace of the Lord.
In fact, He is doing everything, my body, my mind and my devotion, my non-devotion, my knowledge, my ignorance, everything belongs to the Lord.
When the person understands it, then he dedicates.
He never feels I am doing something.
He feels the Lord is getting things done by me.
You become an instrument.
Then he understands the highest happiness is only in the Lord and I want, we want that highest happiness.
So that is one, Mat Paramaha, I am the supreme goal, I am Moksha, I am Nirvikalpa Samadhi, by whatever name you want.
I am liberation, I am Brahma Jnana and everything.
And then he says that Brahma Jnana and that Brahman is none other than Brahma Jnana and that's my highest goal that anybody can aspire.
I would like to turn my attention to that aspect, I would not want anything excepting you.
A small teaching, once Narayana became very pleased with Narada.
Asked him, Narada, I am pleased with you, ask a boon of me.
And Narada said, I don't want anything because you have given me everything.
You have given yourself to me.
The Lord was even more pleased and said, no, no, you must ask a boon.
Narada said, may I have pure motiveless devotion to you and may I not want anything else.
The Lord was even more pleased, ask another boon.
And then on our behalf, Narada requests, may I never fall under the net of your world bewitching Maya.
That aspect is being explored now.
Those devotees who have their highest goal, only me and nothing else.
And whatever they do, they do not want any result excepting me.
And they are devoted only to me.
That means they love only me.
They do not love anybody.
Not only that, once a person loves God, that means he loves the entire universe.
Vishwaroopa Bhagawan.
That means there is no enemy, there is no superior, there is no inferior.
That was what we were discussing in this Manusha Panchakam.
Such a devotee, he sees only God, Narayana or Shiva or Divine Mother everywhere.
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Devi Roopena Samsthita, Kali Roopena Samsthita, Lakshmi Roopena, Saraswati Roopena, Vidya Roopena, Buddhi Roopena, Shiva Roopena, Rama Roopena, Krishna Roopena, Bhagwat Roopena.
There is nothing else excepting, there is no such thing called world.
It is Divine Mother with so many infinite number of names, forms, names and qualities.
So Madh Bhaktaha, then he says that is the Narada's boon.
May I only love you.
But to attain to that, for those who are still not attained, what do they develop?
They must develop certain spiritual characteristics.
What are they?
Sanghavarchitaha.
They must not have specific attachment to particular individuals or objects.
Because specific attachment means they are not attached to other things.
That means they are not seeing God.
They are seeing differences in these manifestations, experienced world.
Nirvairaha Sarvabhuteshu.
They must develop another quality.
What is that quality?
Devotees, spiritual people have no enemies.
There may be people who might consider their worldly people, their non-devotional people,
they might consider some people as their arch enemies.
But a spiritual aspirant has no enemy at all.
That's why the greatest lesson we have to learn when Jesus was about to be crucified,
he prayed to God, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
These people do not know that excepting you there is nobody else.
I am also God.
They are also God.
I know everything is God.
But they do not know everything is God.
Therefore they think I am a human being and they don't know I am God.
They don't know I am nothing but you manifesting in the form of the Jesus body and mind and life.
But they want to crucify me.
That means they don't know.
They are crucifying themselves because they are crucifying God.
God is none other than themselves.
This is called Atmanojana.
But this happens all the time.
This was the last verse of instruction.
In future if you want uninterrupted vision of me of which you became extremely frightened
but it will become the most pleasant.
How can it become pleasant?
When there is a death, destruction and terrific suffering because it is just like enjoying
a well taken, superbly taken cinema.
Everything is there.
So much suffering is there.
The whole world is burned.
A meteor comes and strikes.
There are tremendous earthquakes are there or the ocean overflows and floods the whole world
and there will be no one else excepting Rakshasas killing, butchering, cutting people, eating them,
looting them etc.
But we will enjoy.
We enjoy.
We feel we are frightened.
At the same time it is so beautifully taken.
We wish to have the same experience again.
Again and again we buy the ticket and then go and watch them.
Not only that we invite others also.
It is a marvellous movie.
You will be almost having a heart attack.
Remember there are certain high rides.
Oh the box will be going up and up and up and your heart will be beating.
From thousands of feet high suddenly it will be plunging to the earth.
These are called thriller rides.
But most people want to do it.
Especially young people want to do it.
Why?
Because such a thrill.
Because they know we are not going to die but it is a great thrill.
It is a kind of fake it and then enjoy it.
That is what happens.
Vicarious enjoyment when we watch a drama or a very superbly realistically taken cinema.
When you get full knowledge.
If you are Juna or any spiritual aspirant then you will be able to see birth as well as happiness as well as unhappiness as well as old age.
Death everything as a great divine Leela.
That is what Swamiji says.
Life is a school.
Life is a gymnasium.
Life is a circus.
So this is called Brahma Leela.
And to attain to that state only one way is there.
Become Bhakta.
Now having heard this from the Divine Lord then Arjuna had tremendous doubt raised in him.
Why?
Because the second chapter you extolled Jnana called Sankhya Yoga.
In the third chapter you extolled Karma.
In the fourth chapter you extolled again Jnana and said convert all actions into sacrifices.
In the sixth chapter you extolled Dhyana Yoga.
And in the Bhakti Yoga and specially you did not expound very well.
And that is what we have to do now.
So the Divine Lord has imparted this tremendous faith in him.
It is much easier through any one of the yogas you can become great.
So the 12th chapter is called Bhakti Yoga.
It is one of the smallest chapters having only 20 verses.
As I mentioned only 15th chapter also has equally 20 verses.
Every other chapter has got more than 20.
And I think 18th chapter has got the largest number of verses are there.
Anyway, so what is it that we are trying to understand here?
Even in hearing this Arjuna's mind he remembered because he has got tremendous Smriti said
you extolled Jnana and now you are extolling Bhakti and now I am confused.
Which is the superior path?
This idea did not enter into Arjuna perhaps or maybe it is given for our benefit.
What is that?
There can be many paths.
All are equal.
All roads lead to the same Rome.
All paths lead to the same goal.
But sincerely take one particular path that is suited to your constitution,
to your faculty and make it supreme and take the help of other yogas.
Here important point I reminded you four yogas depend upon four faculties.
That is we are active, we are emotional, we have will and we have intellect.
All the four are present in every human being.
Not only every human being even animals and at the same time not equally.
Some are more emotional, some are more active, some have more willpower
and some have more true intellect not superficial intellect.
Their whole life is guided either dominated by activity or emotion or will or intellect.
Now you cannot take a knife and separate them but all four will be there
but one will be more dominant than the others.
If a Sadguru, a true teacher always understands the person's mentality and guides him.
You be a bhakta, you be a yogi, you be a karma yogi or you be follow jnana yoga.
So it is for our sake not because of Arjuna.
Because I have encountered people who were attracted to Gita and to Raja Yoga
but without being qualified, without having the dominant quality of willpower.
So my advice is that you use that yoga but to aid to become better devotees
or develop more devotion to God.
Very few people are really qualified to follow the path of Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
Whatever be the claims of those who follow Jnana Yoga, they think everybody is dull,
everybody is stupid, fool, only they are wise people.
They go on roaming in this world until the Divine Lord slaps them and makes them.
Every path is equal and God has created for everybody a definite path
so that they all can come and sit in the lap of the Divine Mother.
So that is what the 12th chapter having 20 verses, it begins with Arjuna's question.
So this chapter opens with a question from Arjuna which is superior
and that word superior is a bad word.
What you should have asked is which path is easier for me?
You are my Guru. I surrendered myself to you.
That's why you have to find out even though I am not that wise to know my own nature
and I cannot determine what is best for me.
It could be Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga, whatever it is.
So this question, phrasing of the word superior immediately indicates inferior.
If a discriminating person has to ask, he will be put it this way,
Oh Lord, you know me better than myself.
Now tell me which path is better for me so that I can come quickly to you
because whatever is our nature, that is the superior means
that is the most easy path for me to attain you.
The question is like that.
As I said, this chapter contains 20 verses.
What is the conflict here between these two?
Bhakta and Jnani, the worshipper of God with form and attributes
or the worshipper of the formless, attributeless Brahman who is superior.
As I said, which is better path?
And then the Lord, as usual, as He said many times,
everybody is treading my own path.
Everybody ultimately comes to me, I bestow my grace equally upon everybody.
So that is the fact He is telling here in the second verse of it.
And then the Lord categorically says,
even though every path is equally valid,
but those who are inclined to think of God as formless, nameless and qualiteless,
remember all these three go together.
If there is no form, there is no name.
For example, if there is a lump of clay,
except in calling it clay, you cannot give any name to it.
But if it is supposing you make 10 pots,
one pot is square, another pot is round,
another pot is triangular because we can shape it in any way we like,
then this is a flat square pot,
this is a round pot, this is a oval shaped pot,
then that is different names,
this is painted black, green, red, blue, yellow, etc.
This is small, this is medium and this is bigger size.
So many names.
That which is formless cannot have any specific name excepting a generic name.
If there is no form, there is no name.
And if there is no form or name, there is no quality also.
So the Lord is telling, there are a few people who are inclined to adore,
to contemplate the Lord without name, form or qualities.
They are what is called devotees of the Parabrahma,
Nirguna Brahma, not Saguna Brahma.
They also equally come to me,
but there is a big but for most people,
the best path is that of devotion, adoration of the personal,
because that aids concentration, love, joy, everything.
It is very difficult to get so much of concentration on the Nirguna.
In fact, I would say only when a person goes beyond the mind,
only then he will be one with Nirguna Brahma,
but he cannot keep him separately,
think something impersonal with a personal mind,
because the nature of the mind is personal.
It consists of time, space and causation.
That is called with-form.
They may think of Sat, Chit or Ananda.
That is what is called the path of knowledge.
Those people who are very body-minded,
those who consider, I am a human being, I have got a body,
and I am such and such a caste,
and I am intelligent, non-intelligent,
highly intelligent, somewhat intelligent,
I am rich, I am poor, I am a middle-class family man, etc.
I am a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra,
and all these things will get attached to that particular BM complex,
body-mind complex.
For those who think they are the body-mind,
for them,
That is one of the things the Lord points out.
But He does not exclude.
There are people like Ramana Maharshi,
even though people misunderstand him,
that he was so much interested,
why did he come all the way to Arunachala,
even though he knows Shiva is everywhere,
because he was also a kind of devotee of Shiva,
with form,
especially in the place called Arunachala,
in the form of Arunachala.
He used to tell whenever prasada was brought,
look, Mother has come.
It is not prasada.
It is the Divine Mother Herself.
Sri Ramakrishna's teachings, we have to take it
and interpret this Bhagavad Gita,
says for Kali Yuga,
that Divine devotional path as given to us
by Sage Narada.
Narada Prakta Bhakti Yoga is the best path
because we are Dehavad Vihi.
We are Kali Kaale Annagatha Prana.
We think we are the body,
not even the mind,
not even the prana,
but pure food oriented.
Foodie.
We are all foodies.
That's why we are all fools.
So it is very easy path.
Is it very easy to take recourse to the Bhakti Yoga?
Not so easy.
From verse 13 until verse 19,
the Lord is going on describing the qualities.
Only such a person with such qualities
can be called a devotee
and I will give certificate,
not devotees,
not other brothers or sisters,
not some Peetha Deepathi.
The Divine Lord, He gives certificate.
How does He give certificate?
Not in the form of a big golden plaque.
He comes and gives Buddhi Yogam Tathamiyam.
He will give that divine vision.
He will give divine wisdom.
He will give divine attributes
and He will increase or intensify
the person's capacity to understand
and to become more concentrated.
His memory will be given to him
so that he will never forget God
and that is the way of God certifying.
Like you know, supposing a mother
is highly pleased with the child.
What does she do?
She will go and prepare
the best food material
that the child likes to eat
and she knows.
If I simply say,
you have done well
and doesn't do anything else,
the child gets in course of time becomes wiser.
It is all empty word.
It doesn't mean anything.
But the moment mother's face
blooms into a happy smile
and she rushes to the kitchen,
the best things she could make
that would please her child,
the child knows.
My mother loves me.
She certifies me that I am a good child.
The same mother who can also punish
for the good of the child,
now she is highly pleased.
Anybody who wants to
accept Shri Krishna's teachings
and Shri Ram Krishna's teachings,
then we will have to
follow this particular path.
In this 12th chapter,
the Lord beautifully describes
all the characteristics
having only those characteristics,
one can be called
a real bhakta.
It is very important for us to understand.
There are so many people,
they take initiation
or they take their own mantras
from some books,
whatever they like and people are
devoted to japa, tapa, everything
and they seem to be
seemingly sincere
but they are terribly
attached to their
body, to their possessions,
to their family
and 24 hours
they are only thinking of that,
occasionally talking about
God, talking about the scriptures.
They do not have that buddhi
to understand
everything belongs to God
and nothing belongs to us.
If we do not develop what is called
the detachment,
if I don't become
sangavarjita and if anybody
criticizes them,
lifelong they will not talk with them
and they will actively
criticizing them and
if the other people whom they don't like,
they go through misfortune,
they become elated
with joy, such type of people
I have come across, so many
they don't know
anything except things are so
blind, I wonder sometimes
how they are so
consider themselves as intelligent
etc. The Lord makes it
very clear, do you want me
or do you want your family?
Do you want your religion?
Do you want your money?
Listening to that, God bless them
Ramakrishna's highest
condemnation for this kind
of people. These beautiful ideas
are
beautifully and
elaborately expounded
in this twelfth chapter.
We are going to dwell on them,
go deep into them.
The first thing that
we have to understand, declaring
God realization as the reward
of exclusive devotion to
God with form and
attributes towards the end of
chapter 11, the Lord paid
a special tribute
in the concluding verse of the chapter
to him who is devoted
to such an aspect of
God. This raised the question
in Arjuna's mind, as Arjuna
means here all of us,
as to which of the two is better,
worshipper of the formless and
attributeless Brahma or the
worshipper of God, what is called
Guna Brahma, Eshwara
with form and attributes.
So that is how Arjuna
on our behalf puts
the following question to the
Lord. Arjuna said
Arjuna asked
Arjuna said
those devotees who
ever steadfast worship
you after this fashion
that was indicated by
you at the end of the 11th
chapter and those others who
worship the imperishable
and unmanifest, which of these
have greater yogis,
which of them have got
greater knowledge of yoga
that means which are more spiritual
who are superior.
As I mentioned that word
superiority is a loaded word
and that creates so much
a problem. Every religion
quarrelling with other religions
my religion is superior
my God is superior
to your God, my prophet
is superior to your prophet
and my spiritual
practice is better than yours
Oh my God!
Endless arguments, killing
people, annihilating whole
nations, enslaving them
just open your
eyes and study history
in the name of God.
Popes have been murdered, in God's
name people have been
annihilated. This
Swami Vivekananda was a great student
of history and he knows
that's why he says Vedanta
is the only solution
Why? Because it
accepts every religion
it accepts every
lifestyle, what I mean
whether a person is a
householder or whether a person
is a sanyasi, whether a person is
whatever category of
intelligence he belongs, whether
what we call a tamasic
person, a rajasic person
or a sattvika person
whether a person is rich or poor
whatever be his professed
religion or no
religion at all, it doesn't matter
if they are sincere
that is the key word
central word, the hub
are you sincere?
then you will reach God. If you are not sincere
whatever you may do
externally, speak or think
that is not going to
take you to the goal
of course ultimately
everybody goes to the
same Divine Lord. So this question
is a most wonderful
question, we have to ponder
over it and say that
first thing is that
every path, jata mat
jata path, every path
equally leads one to God
secondly, what is my
what is the path
that is suited best to my
nature, I think I am
intellectual, I may think
I am superior in wisdom to others
and because I am sometimes
superior in worldly knowledge
I am more clever than other people
it doesn't mean that
person is clever in spirituality
also, often it is the
just the other way round
who are worldly clever people
they are more worldly
and those who are less worldly
and what Sri Ram Krishna
used to call very plain minded
people, straight forward
people and
lacking worldly wisdom
they will be nearer to
God, dearer to God
and reach God very very
easily, this is
that's why this question is most
wonderful question, so what is the answer
everybody has
to follow one of the paths
which is suited for him, secondly
I do not have the wisdom
to know which path is superior
or easier for me
and whichever is easier for me
whichever takes me to God
in the
fastest, shortest
possible time, because here also
there are people
gnana marga is
straight climbing, bhakti marga
ok ok, but you go
round and round and round
and of course very slowly you
make progress and if at all you reach
ultimately
it is like going through
any number of side roads
and ultimately joining
the only one main road
that is called gnana marga
such stupidity exists
even in this 21st century
I am shocked, of course
Divine Mother's Mahamaya's
Leela, we cannot help it
what is the second point?
we have to find out a person
accept him, pay reverence to him
have faith in him
and accept his verdict
and take his guidance and
follow it sincerely, remember
it is not the person
who is guiding us, it is Divine
Lord in the form of
through the instrumentality
of that person
Guru is none other than
what is called the
spokesperson for God
because he just makes
himself a fit
instrument to pass on
there is no middle man here
it is the Guru is just
a dumb
instrument, that is all
so he will tell
third is, I must be
very sincere about it, fourth point
is, so what does it mean
to become a devotee? I must
acquire certain qualities
the beginning of this 12th chapter
what are those qualities?
first of all, do not think
only one path is superior
or easier, every path
is superior to the person
to whom it is suitable
then with regard
you regard everybody
even if they criticize you
as nothing other than God
coming to you in the form of
these people to make you a better
person of you, every event
should be taken as a
great learning
lesson, with these points
let us go into this 12th chapter
evam, evam means
O Lord, Arjuna was addressing
Shri Krishna, as you mentioned
earlier, satata yukta
aha, constantly
endowed with yoga, yoga means
that which joins, that
means they joined you
O Divine Lord, they are only
thinking of God, they are only
talking about God, they are listening
only about God and they
are doing everything
only as worship of God
mat karmakrit, mat
paramaha, mat
bhaktaha, sangavarjitaha
so he who
bhaktaha, those devotees
here devotees means, Arjuna
means sincere spiritual aspirants
not merely
devotees of personal God, both
tvam pariyupasate
those who worship you
in this personal way
and same devotees, echa api
aksharam, those who
are more inclined
more devoted to
think of God without
form, without qualities
etc, aksharam
aksharam means the imperishable
avyaktam
unmanifest, that means
in simple words, those who are
treading the path of jnana yoga
they want to think always
God is impersonal
has no name, no form
no qualities, nirakara
nishkriya, nirguna
eka, advitya
akhanda, unborn
etc, etc
those who are, some people
are devoted to that
whether they are fit to that path or not
we do not know
definitely they are devoted to that
why? even the compiler
for the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
M, Sri Ramakrishna asks
which aspect of God
appeals to you, he said
only formless aspect, Sri Ramakrishna
gave two
answers to that, that is absolutely
fine, you go on
in the same way, but
it is very difficult to think of it
but don't
look down upon those
who are following or
worshipping God with form,
name and qualities, that was the
first lesson, second lesson he says
it is extremely difficult
to think of the formless
but if you are thinking
of your God having
a form, you have
no choice but to think of
God also as formless
but if you are thinking of your Guru
with form, you can
only think of God with form
however bigger words you may
use, why this particular
tension, even Narendranath
also had the same problem
even Narendra
he chided Rakhal
that why do you go to the temples
why do you do idol worship etc
Sri Ramakrishna took Narendra
to task, everybody's
constitution is different
everybody has to progress
not in one common path
and he ridiculed the people who
worship formlessness, even a
child, a Brahmo child
is thinking of Nirakara
how ridiculous it could be
learned the lesson that do not look
down, all are children of
God, all are going towards
God and everybody
is being taken in a
particular path, not by
themselves, not by their Gurus
but by God himself
but through the instrumentality
of Gurus and
scriptures, so hey Bhagwan
oh Bhagwan, you are not Krishna
you are Bhagwan now
evam, thus, satatayuktah
always endowed with this
yoga, evaktah
those who are your devotees
tvam paripasate
that means as
Saguna Brahma, worshippers
contemplators of Saguna Brahma
echa api, even others
also, those who are devoted
to avyaktam, unmanifest
aksharam, imperishable
paripasate, tesha
madhye, among them
ke yoga vittamah
santi, who are superior
in other words, who are going to reach
the goal quick, what is
the Lord going to give the answer
he gives in this
second verse, making crystal
clear and
saying the same thing as Ram Krishna
as many faiths
as many mentalities
so many paths, second verse
mayya vesya mano
emam nitya yuktah
upasate shraddhaya
paraya upaitah
te me yukta tamah
matah, again
another beautiful verse
which the same Krishna
has incarnated as
Ram Krishna, again
to propagate this Bhagavad Gita
and to illuminate
our understanding
of Bhagavad Gita, not
through Shankara Bhashya, Ramanuja Bhashya
Madhava Bhashya, but
Ram Krishna Bhashya, Krishna
Bhashya, Rama Bhashya
what is he telling, so
oh Arjuna, the Lord said
those who have fixed their minds
on me and who
ever steadfast and endowed
with supreme faith, worship me
alone, them do I hold
to be perfect in
yoga, take notice
the Lord is not telling the
followers of the Jnana Yoga
are superior, followers of the
Bhakti Yoga are superior
followers of Raja Yoga or Karma Yoga
are superior, what is he telling
mayi manah avesya
Arjuna, in me alone
manah avesya, their minds
are completely fixed
only in me, I am the goal
I am the path, I am the
present, I am the past
I am the future, I am
everything to me, everything
natha tumi mama
sarvasu, everything
is you, good, bad, happiness
unhappiness, friend, enemy
victory, defeat, respect
or insult or
gain or loss, everything
is my will
me, mayi manah
avesya, then
nitya yukta, they are striving
24 hours to the best
of their ability, some like
children are crawling, some
like toddlers are taking
faltering steps, some
have learnt to
run, some have learnt
to jump very high, some are
learnt to travel in aeroplanes
but all the destination
is only, only me
no other, that means they are not
interested in praise, worldliness
nitya yukta
nitya means uninterruptedly
unceasingly
only devoted to me, santaha
being, but here comes
something most
important and we have
to put the greatest emphasis
on this, ye and
whoever it may be, whether they are
Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, Buddhists or of
no religion, whether they
follow karma yoga, bhakti yoga,
raja yoga, jnana yoga, ye
paraya, shraddhaya
upeta, those who are endowed
possessed by
100% shraddha
mam upasate, those
who worship me, contemplate
me, think of me
te yukta tamaha
me mata, this is my opinion
they alone
are the greatest
people, they alone are
true spiritual aspirants
remember here, the lord is
not telling you,
they are bhaktas or jnanis, they are
spiritual people, whichever
may be the path they are following,
they must be always striving
and they must keep their mind
on me and they must be united
with me, directing
all their faculties
only towards me
and above all, paraya
shraddhaya upeta
endowed with the
utmost shraddha, this
word shraddha has no
equal, in English language
the word faith is a very
very weak word, so I am not going
to use it, so the such
type of people
they are the greatest
people, they are the
most superior people
and that is what the lord is
telling here, then
from the third onwards, in a
few verses he is telling, there
is a problem, but there is a
problem, what is the problem?
anybody can reach me through any
path, but those who have
decided for whatever reason
to tread the path of knowledge
those who worship the
unmanifest, the imperishable
the inexpressible
the nameless, the formless
etcetera, their path
much difficult
so it continues
and those who have completely
controlled their senses
and are of even mind
under all conditions and thus
worship the imperishable, the
ineffable, the unmanifest
the omnipresent, the
incomprehensible, the
immutable, the unchanging
the eternal, they
devoted to the welfare of all
beings, attain me
alone and none
else, in these two verses
the lord is describing
to us in
what is called completely
crystal clear manner
what is he telling? that
those who are devoted to the path
of contemplating the
impersonal, in one word
parabrahman, nirguna
nirakara, nishkriya
nirnama
brahman, but at the same time
compassionate, full
of kindness
and they are only engaged
in the welfare of everybody
not simply saying jagat mithya
and don't consider
anything else, if they are
they claim they are following
me in this impersonal aspect
but most selfish
they are worse than
even ordinary worldly people
who do not claim
that we are spiritual people, but
if they are having these certain
qualities they will attain
me and they also, so
those who are devoted to the personal
they will attain me
those who are devoted to the impersonal
they also equally
attain me, everybody is going
to attain me, provided
they are sincere, but what is
the nature of this impersonal
that is being described
so graphically
in these verses
3 and 4, which we
will take up tomorrow morning
in our Bhagavad Gita class
May Ramakrishna
Holy Mother and Swami
Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 01 on 06 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:08:31Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Arthanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandanah
Artho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetha Amritam Mahat
Mukham Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Girim
Yath Kripa Tamaham Vande Paramananda Madhavam
We have almost come to the end of the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, which is called the vision of the universal form.
Arjuna was terrified by seeing the reality. We are blind or one-eyed.
We only wanted to see what is pleasant, what is good and what contributes to our selfishness.
We turn a blind eye to everything, other people's suffering.
Suffering is nothing but death.
This Covid, how many millions of people, probably a million and a half people have died there.
So this kind of vision we don't have.
Only when death or suffering comes to whom we consider me or my family, which is an extension of my own ego,
then only we feel bad about it.
But this inevitable fact, this world is nothing but a mixture of good and evil, happiness and unhappiness,
praise and blame and getting something and losing something.
Then that picture is continuously going to change.
Nothing is going to remain permanent.
If when we get that picture, we are likely to lose all our hopes.
And that was what terrified Arjuna.
He could not stand it for a long time.
Then he requested Bhagawan, Hey Bhagawan, your former form, which was very pleasing, please grant it.
And the Lord also understood because He understands us better than we understand ourselves.
So what did He do? Iti Arjunam Vasudeva Tatha Uptva Swakam Roopam.
Darshaya Masa Bhuya, again He showed His former appearance and then He consoled Arjuna.
And then Arjuna became very, very tranquil, happy, positive, etc.
How do we know? Arjuna said, having seen this human form of yours,
Dhrishtvedam Anusham Roopam and what type of form?
Saumyam, very pleasing, that which makes our heart swell with joy, pride.
Idhanim Asmi Samruthah, I got back my self-control, mind control.
My body stopped quaking, shaking.
Sachayatah Prakrutim, as if the whole universe I was perceiving, that also came back to its own nature.
Then the Lord said that Arjuna, do not think, do not mistake,
that just because I am your friend and I have granted you that vision.
No, Sudur Darshan, extremely difficult.
Now you understand how difficult it is because you are given and first you enjoyed,
then you started paying the price.
Enjoy first and then suffer later on, paying the price later on.
As they say, marry in haste and repent in leisure.
So this is like that.
Even Gods, great saints, Siddhas, they are all continuously wanting to have this vision,
but it is not possible.
Sudur Darshan, but is it impossible? It's not impossible.
Is it possible? No, it is not. It is possible, but very, very difficult.
So supposing I do tapasya, not possible.
Suppose I study the scriptures, can I get this vision? Not possible.
Suppose I serve everybody, I give up everything that I have, is it possible? Not possible.
Na aham vedai na tapasa na dhaane.
Suppose I continuously worship you, is it possible? Not possible.
Then what is the way? Then should I not do all those things? No, no.
You have to do all of them, not one of them, but all of them.
You have to study the scriptures, you have to do lot of austerities,
you have to try to become unselfish by distributing,
by what is called caring and sharing, by loving everybody.
Just as you share your things with your beloved family members,
you have to share with anybody who deserves it.
And at the same time, you will have to go on worshipping.
What is worship? You have to go on praying.
You have to surrender completely to me.
It is only because of my grace, you will get it.
So then, if it is your grace alone enough, it is not enough.
I can bestow my grace, no doubt. I have no problem with that.
But will you be able to receive it? Not possible.
Will you be able to retain it? Not possible.
Then what is the way? A combination of both.
You lead a sadhaka's life, means doing those things.
Continuous scriptural study, continuously worshipping God,
continuously caring and sharing everything that we have,
that is how we acquire Sarvatma Bhava,
and continuously practising hardships.
What hardship? When suffering comes, bear it with equanimity,
cheerfulness. This is called titiksha.
Titiksha sahanam sarvadukhanam apratikara purvakam
jinta vilaparaitam titiksha sa nigadhyate
You can never know.
He parantapa aham evam idah tatvena
methumcha drashtumcha praveshtumcha
To behold me in this way, to know me, and to become one with me.
Accepting through one-pointed devotion,
parabhakti, supreme devotion,
a devotion which knows nothing excepting God.
Only through that kind of bhakti it is possible.
Suppose I get that bhakti, how long will I be able to see?
You can see permanently.
In fact not see, you will become me.
And is it a temporary phase? No.
Forever you and I will become one.
Then there is no I, there is no you.
Like as I mentioned, a drop of water is a drop of water.
It is called a drop of water.
And if it is a drop of water, very within a second,
it will be dried up.
The air is there to dry up.
The earth is there to dry you up.
The fire is there to dry you up.
The air is there to dry you up.
Everything is there to dry you up.
But if the same drop somehow manages to fall into the ocean,
what is the first thing that happens?
That name drop is dropped.
Then what remains? Water.
It doesn't even say I am an ocean
because that is also a limitation.
So this is the goal.
You will enter, pravesh tuncha, possible.
And that is the only goal of life.
And that is why all the sadhanas have to be practiced.
Oh Arjuna, without devotion, nobody can enter me.
I am a follower of the path of what is called bhakti.
I will enter into you.
But I am also a follower of jnana.
Is it possible? No.
Surrender yourself to God.
Identify yourself with God by whatever path.
Even that identification is not possible
excepting by the grace of God.
Many people do not realize it.
The desire for practicing spiritual disciplines
and favorable circumstances,
an appropriate human body for the practice of spiritual disciplines
and finally progress in spiritual disciplines
and finally merging in the Divine Lord
is only possible by the grace of what Sri Ramakrishna calls the Divine Mother.
That was the great lesson.
We have discussed earlier the story of Totapuri Maharaj.
He realized later on,
I was a jnani and I could sit, I could meditate,
I could remove lust, anger, etc.
I could become pure.
I could finally enter into samadhi only by the grace of God.
And then he became a bhakta.
First he was a jnani, then he became a bhakta.
That's why Madhusodhana Saraswati beautifully frames it.
What is it?
After realization,
dvaitam advaitadapi sundaram
the most enjoyable,
here is some point you have to take note.
What is it?
Was Totapuri Maharaj a very happy person?
After he entered into Nirvikalpa Samadhi
and then after he came out,
he was a happy person,
but not such a happy person.
As soon as he understood,
this is all the grace of my Divine Mother.
Until that time,
that Mother Kali remained,
Sri Ramakrishna's Divine Mother,
which he never understood.
Then he understood,
She is the Mother of all.
She is my own Mother.
As soon as he understood,
he became, we have to guess,
the greatest, most happy person on earth.
So he says,
bhakthiyatu ananyaya
ananyaya bhakthiya eva
only through one-pointed devotion to me
aham evam vidho darshayitum shakyaha
It is possible for any bhaktha
only by my grace,
by becoming a bhaktha.
Who is a bhaktha?
He who completely surrenders,
depends and knows nothing
excepting the Divine Lord, Divine Mother.
Only then he will have correct knowledge,
he will have uninterrupted vision of the Mother
and ultimately he will merge in Mother
and there will be no differentiation
between me and then the sadhaka and the Divine Lord.
Having said all these things,
the last verse is an introduction
to the next chapter,
which is called bhakti.
Here he is talking,
accepting bhakti,
nothing else he is talking about.
Then how to become such a bhaktha?
He is giving what we call
a capsule format of bhakti,
which he will expound in the 12th chapter.
What is this capsule form?
So this is a tradition in Vedanta.
Shankaracharya takes great advantage of it
whenever he is writing a bhashya.
What does he do?
First he will state in a very concise manner
called sutra praya
and then it may be 5 pages, 15 pages,
goes on expounding
and what I mean by this sutra.
That is how the sutra literature
has come into vogue.
Okay, what is he talking about?
Oh Arjuna, become a bhaktha.
Oh spiritual aspirant,
anyone, become my devotee.
There is nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya.
What is he telling?
mat karmakrit mat paramo mat bhaktah
sangavarjitah nirvairah sarvabhuteshu
yah sa mam eti pandava
There are positive indications,
negative indications.
Positive actions a person must cultivate
and certain things he must refrain totally,
completely if he wants to become
this kind of bhaktha
who can know me,
who can see me
and who can become one with me
and like three steps.
First he comes to know,
then he desires me,
then he will be able to see me
first as a private darshanah
then wherever his eyes goes
vidya avinaya sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni chaiva svapakhecha
panditah sama darshanah
wherever their sight goes,
their indriyas go, they see
nothing but that Divine Lord.
So what is it?
What are they?
What is called positive spiritual qualities
one has to develop?
He who does my work
and looks on me as a supreme goal
who is devoted to me.
These are the positive characteristics.
Who is without attachment
and without hatred for any creature.
These are negative qualities.
Such a person who cultivates these
both positive and negative qualities
he alone comes to me.
Oh Pandava!
Let us now analyze.
Hey Pandava!
Oh Arjuna!
Yaha!
Any aspirant, spiritual aspirant
who wants to obtain
uninterrupted bliss, immortality
let him become
mat-karma-krit.
Krit means he who performs.
Performs what?
Karmas, actions.
What karmas?
Dharmic karmas.
Whether it be praya or shraya
it doesn't matter.
First thing is dharma.
That is why in the Hindu philosophy
the Purusharthas are graded.
The first thing is
that we start with dharma.
So in the Taittiriya Upanishad also
we get these commandments.
Many commandments.
So many commandments are there.
They are commandments.
That means you neglect them
at your own peril.
So Arjuna!
What is the first thing?
Whether you are doing external activity
or internal activity.
What is external activity?
Everything that is done
by the five sense organs
of hands, feet, etc.
Or whether you are thinking,
contemplating, meditating,
you are cultivating positive thoughts,
negative thoughts,
pure thoughts,
impure thoughts.
Anything that we do
with our sukshma sharira,
with our mind in other words.
Why?
Because in the sushupti state
we don't do either dharmic
or adharmic activities.
It is only with the gross body
and subtle body.
Never with the causal body.
Then what is the relationship?
Whatever we do in these two states
of waking and dream,
they produce appropriate
what we call habit samskaras.
And these samskaras
remain in the form of seeds
which will influence our future life.
So mat karma krita.
Mat karma means what?
Associate every action with me.
Earlier we have seen also.
What is it?
Whether you are sleeping,
you are blinking,
you are eating,
you are talking,
you are moving,
or whatever you are going,
swapan, swachhan, gachchanan,
ashanan, swapan, swachhan, gachchan,
unmishan, nimishanapi,
indriyani, indriya, dhesh, vartante, iti dharayan.
Whatever physical actions are done
and every physical action
is directed by an appropriate inner thought.
I want to blink.
Even though we think they are mechanical,
but it depends upon our samskara.
For example, there are people
who go on staring at the sun.
This is called one kind of prataka.
For hours together, unblinkingly they can do.
And that was what happened to Sri Ramakrishna.
Many years he said,
I could not blink
because of continuously shedding tears.
So he said,
maybe I developed a new disease.
Oh mother,
do not make me suffer from this disease.
I know nothing else excepting you.
If I have developed this one,
this state of inability to blink,
it is only I am devoted to thinking about you continuously
and shedding tears.
Forcibly, he used to try to close his eyelid,
pull it down,
like we pull a curtain down.
But he said,
sometimes I succeeded,
sometimes did not succeed in it.
Whatever we do,
every single physical action
has an influence, a cause
in the form of our thoughts, our desires,
our resolutions,
our imaginations, etc.
in the mind.
All of these must have only one object,
central object.
What is it?
I want to go to God.
I want to love God.
Ishwara,
arpana,
buddhi.
That is called,
you call it karma yoga,
call it bhakti yoga,
by whatever name you want.
Every single action,
even unconsciously,
I will not do after some
habit is developed.
Beginning of course,
mind will be scattering,
thinking of other things other than God.
But,
when we progress sufficiently,
that should be your goal.
Oh Arjuna,
that means,
Oh Sadhaka,
anywhere you want to
progress in spiritual life,
think only about God.
Make it a habit.
Associate every action,
I am seeing,
I am listening,
I am smelling,
I am tasting,
I am touching,
only to obtain the grace of God.
This is called,
mat karma krith.
Then,
in order to be able to do this,
I must have,
what is called,
inviolable one goal.
What is that goal?
Only God.
I want God,
and I want other things,
that is also not,
should not be there.
I want God first,
something else later on,
from God.
That should not be there.
I want,
nothing else but God.
Even if God offers me,
everything,
I don't want that.
Because,
without God,
everything will be,
what is called,
dukkha,
suffering.
With God,
suffering itself is the,
greatest joy.
This is called,
mat paramaha.
Paramaha means,
than which,
there is nothing higher.
And what is it everybody wants?
He wants only,
ananda.
And this brahmananda,
is unequaled,
and only,
an infinitesimal,
part of that ananda,
that is what we are,
running after,
after this worldly objects.
So,
sometimes they give,
sometimes they do not give,
sometimes they give,
just the,
opposite of it.
The same object,
can give us happiness,
sometimes doesn't give happiness,
sometimes gives terrible,
what is called,
unhappiness,
suffering.
So,
let me be,
your supreme,
and only goal,
nothing else.
That is called,
moksha,
that is called,
atma jnana,
brahma jnana.
Then only,
if,
everything you do,
through karma yoga,
is associated with me,
and,
slowly your mind,
becomes purified,
and you have,
better understanding,
then,
you understand,
everything is worthless,
excepting God,
then you fix your mind,
only on the realization of God,
and then,
slowly you start,
your life of a,
devotee.
That was what,
Prahlada,
spoke to the Lord.
O Lord,
just as worldly people,
have tremendous attachment,
to every worldly object,
let me be attached,
that great,
worldly people's attachment,
to worldly objects,
but,
towards you.
So,
we all have the potentiality,
because we are already,
attached to the world,
terribly.
How much percentage?
100%
because,
if we are attached to the world,
only 10%,
when we turn,
our attachment to God,
our attachment to God,
also will be only,
10%,
not even,
10.1%,
not even,
10.00001%,
exactly 10%.
So let me,
have the God,
other than me,
there is nothing supreme,
because,
that is what gives me,
all the happiness,
it makes me immortal,
it makes me Sarvajna,
and above all,
I will be,
swimming in the ocean of,
bliss,
Mat Paramaha.
Then,
only,
you are entitled,
to be called a Bhakta.
But,
on the way,
some obstructions can come.
What are those obstructions?
Sangha.
You should not have,
Sangha.
Sangha means attachment,
and attachment,
manifests in two fold ways.
One is,
Raga,
one is called Dvesha.
Raga means,
some object has made me happy,
I feel like,
having it,
experiencing it,
second time.
It could be a person,
could be an object,
it could be an event,
it could be any type of experience.
Similarly,
some type of experience,
made me feel,
very unhappy,
brought suffering to me,
and we develop,
tremendous,
attachment to it.
But, this is the opposite of attachment.
What is it?
Let me not see that person.
Let me not have that object.
Let me never,
experience that event.
Let me never be,
attached to,
any such thought,
even in my,
mind.
That's why,
Yathishwaran Maharaj used to say,
hatred,
is more of a bondage,
more stronger bondage,
than even love.
This is a,
well known fact.
If we love somebody,
most often,
we forget.
But, if we hate somebody,
the intensity,
of our thought,
about that being,
person,
is,
much greater than,
whom we love.
Sangavarchitaha.
I must completely,
give up,
every type of,
attachment,
Raga,
and Dvesha.
Then,
what remains?
All,
my attention will be,
fixed only,
upon one object,
which is called God.
When the whole world is,
denied,
what remains is,
only the Divine Lord.
Then, Nirvairaha.
Let not the thought come,
anybody is your enemy.
That,
a devotee will never have,
any enemies.
Other people may consider,
that person,
as an undesirable person.
Try to eliminate him,
like people,
they crucified,
Jesus,
etc.
They tried to beat,
King could say,
Ramakrishna,
tried to kill,
Swami Vivekananda,
Swami Vivekananda.
So many,
every,
saints life,
we get such kind of incidents.
But what,
the Bhakta himself,
doesn't say,
it is,
somebody is,
enemy.
I consider,
that person,
as my enemy.
Sri Ramakrishna,
is a beautiful,
illustration.
This was,
a real incident.
There was,
one devotee,
he was a great devotee,
of Rama,
and he was fighting,
with some Muslims,
and then,
he was stabbed,
by a Muslim,
who was,
close to him,
because of,
religious sentiment,
or whatever it was.
Some,
other,
friends,
found him out,
and then,
he was,
on death bed,
about to give up,
the prana,
he asked,
tell us,
who stabbed you,
because he was a great hero,
then,
we will take,
revenge upon him.
That man said,
he,
who,
made me,
a devotee of God,
it is the same,
Rama,
who stabbed me,
it is only,
Rama,
who,
bestowed his grace,
it is the same,
Rama,
who now,
stabbed me.
A devotee,
cannot have enemies,
but,
other people,
may consider him,
as an enemy.
So,
there is a beautiful,
illustration,
which I mentioned here,
light,
doesn't have,
enemy called,
darkness.
Darkness,
has an enemy,
called light.
How do we understand it?
Because,
if,
if you ask light,
so,
why is it,
darkness,
hating you,
again and again?
The light will reply,
I can't understand you,
what do you mean,
by darkness?
Can you show me,
darkness?
Yes,
yes,
come,
my room is full of,
darkness.
Right now,
I will show you,
as soon as light,
enters into the room,
there is no,
where is this darkness,
you are talking about?
Oh,
since you came,
it disappeared.
So,
wherever light goes,
there is no darkness.
So,
where light is,
when it doesn't exist,
how is that,
light going to,
feel,
I have an enemy here?
But,
contrary,
is the truth about,
darkness.
Darkness is,
terribly frightened,
of light.
Because,
so many times,
this light came,
even nearby,
and this darkness,
said no,
other way,
but to,
disappear.
When the,
Jyotisham,
Jyotira Jyoti,
the divine lord,
is,
as,
firmly,
in the heart,
of the devotee,
he,
what is his vision,
he is seeing only,
he is having only,
Divyanjana,
Gnananjana,
Vimalanayana,
Vikshane,
Mohajaya,
he is putting on,
the collarium,
of knowledge,
he is putting on,
Divya Chakshu,
Divyam Dada,
Mite Chakshu,
but unlike Arjuna,
this devotee,
what does he see,
he will see,
only God,
left side,
Krishna,
right side,
Krishna,
below,
Krishna,
above,
Krishna,
front,
Krishna,
back,
Krishna,
then what about the middle,
middle also,
Krishna,
he sees,
nothing but,
Krishna,
patati patatre,
vichalita patre,
pashyati tava panthanam,
as Jayadeva,
so beautifully,
explains,
that,
Nirvairaha,
is,
this sadhakas,
first duty,
nobody is an enemy,
if somebody,
is giving trouble to me,
then what,
that person,
is only an instrument,
of God,
and God only,
is trying to,
awaken you,
out of his love,
for you,
whatever,
miseries come,
they are gifts,
from God,
as Holy Mother,
so clearly,
mentions,
there is nobody,
who is your enemy,
your own,
past karma,
your own,
past samskaras,
your wretched,
impure mind,
this is the greatest,
enemy,
in this whole world,
practice this,
Nirvairatvam,
that,
today,
do not,
that,
do not look upon,
anybody,
as an enemy,
but,
how do I look up,
everybody is nothing but,
God,
Sarvabhuteshu,
whichever,
bhuta,
whichever,
thing I look,
I experience,
I think about,
it is God,
coming in this form,
God in the form of,
another being,
God in the form of,
a river,
God in the form of,
the sun,
the moon,
the stars,
Gaganamayathala,
I mentioned,
the story of,
Jesus Christ,
Jesus Christ,
once appeared,
to a cobbler,
at night,
who was a great,
devotee,
tomorrow,
I will visit you,
and this cobbler,
was overwhelmed,
with joy,
he prepared,
whatever he could,
the best food,
carried it to his shop,
and awaiting,
the arrival of,
Jesus,
so two,
three hours passed,
this man was getting,
restless,
suddenly he saw,
a beggar woman,
and then she begged,
for food,
so he became,
a little annoyed,
and a quarter of it,
he gave,
to that beggar woman,
after some time,
a beggar,
boy came,
so he gave,
another one-fourth,
in the afternoon,
a hungry dog,
came,
so he gave,
another one-fourth,
and just before,
sunset,
there was another,
beggar came,
and that,
this person,
was terribly,
annoyed,
he promised to come,
he is a liar,
like that he gave away,
a last one-fourth,
of the food,
and he was boiling,
with rage,
he went to bed,
again Jesus,
appeared,
in his dream,
and said,
this man said,
charged him,
what happened,
you never came,
Jesus,
sweetly smiled,
and said,
why,
I did,
visit you,
not once,
four times,
I have visited you,
you come,
at least,
putting on,
the dress of Jesus,
how to realize him,
same story,
I also told,
a devotee of,
a disciple of,
Holy Mother,
used to take bath,
in the nearby,
Ganges,
suddenly,
one day,
his Ishta Devata,
was Mother Kali,
one day,
a girl,
of seven,
eight years,
came,
started swimming,
near him,
and then,
annoying him,
and one or two days,
she was increasing,
her pranks,
more and more,
third day,
he got so angry,
and said,
get lost,
and then the girl,
looked at him,
and then,
went,
disappeared,
that night,
he had a vision,
disappeared,
and then,
you asked me,
to get lost,
and then,
that's why I disappeared,
he became,
so regretful,
he went to Holy Mother,
his Guru,
narrated,
Holy Mother said,
my son,
the Divine Mother,
already bestowed,
her grace upon you,
who else,
was the Divine Mother,
Holy Mother,
herself,
was the Divine Mother,
and she is Kali,
she is Saraswati,
she is Lakshmi,
she is Parvati,
she is Durga,
Sarva Deva Devi,
Swaroopini,
so,
I bestowed,
my grace,
from now onwards,
any woman,
comes to you,
any female form,
consider it,
as Mother Kali's form,
may be,
it is for his,
sadhana,
may be,
there is a lurking,
what is called,
desire,
for woman,
and so,
Divine Mother,
bestowed,
her grace,
and in this form,
it,
she removed it,
forever,
from now onwards,
any girl comes,
Aibuji,
Ma Kali Eschen,
Aibuji,
Ma Eschen,
I think,
Mother has come,
Mother has come,
Mother has come,
like Kamsa,
continuously,
trying to see,
only Krishna,
in everybody,
around him,
this person also,
is always,
continuously,
thinking about the,
Divine Mother,
Nirvairaha,
Sarva Bhuteshu,
these are the,
characteristics,
and,
if you develop them,
such a person,
is sure,
to attain me,
O Pandava,
with this,
a 55 verses,
of the,
11th chapter,
of the Bhagavad Gita,
is,
over,
and this,
last verse,
will be,
expounded,
let me summarise,
now,
the 11th chapter,
in the 10th chapter,
the Lord,
described,
vividly,
in crystal clear,
terms,
in how many ways,
a Sadhaka,
can,
contemplate,
upon the,
Divine Lord,
in this very world,
any person,
has got any talent,
some people are,
very beautiful,
some people are,
rich,
some people are,
powerful,
some people have,
highest positions,
some people are,
scholars,
some people are,
musicians,
some are,
great sportsmen,
some are,
great statesmen,
whatever be,
the speciality,
they have,
even,
somebody is a,
great cook,
a great carpenter,
or a great house builder,
or a great painter,
anything great,
or somebody can,
speak so sweetly,
he can console you,
anything greatness,
it is a manifestation,
of me,
first,
you contemplate,
on my glories,
and finally,
it is not only,
the glory,
but the one,
who is manifesting,
that glory,
that is also me,
that means,
the whole world,
is nothing but me,
this Vishwam,
Samastham,
is nothing but,
Brahma,
then,
Arjuna,
in the 11th chapter says,
I have complete faith,
in whatever,
you told me,
O Lord,
but,
I would like to,
foretaste,
have a taste,
by actually experiencing,
this world,
as you,
and so,
what happened,
the Lord,
gives him,
a new power of insight,
with which Arjuna,
becomes capable,
of having,
a direct experience,
of the divine,
in the form of,
Vishwaroopadarshana,
the Lord,
reveals,
to him,
his cosmic form,
in which,
Arjuna finds,
in one instant,
all that,
existed,
exists,
in the past,
present,
and future,
spread out,
as it were,
as part and parcel,
of an,
all comprehending,
whole,
a divine person,
whose,
awful majesty,
and stupefying splendor,
are too much,
for him,
too much,
for Arjuna,
to bear,
so,
Arjuna finds,
that all beings,
are helplessly,
drawn,
and absorbed,
into his being,
by the phenomena,
called,
inexorable time,
with which,
he declares,
his identity,
so,
then,
Arjuna understands,
that there is,
only one will,
that is,
the divine mother's will,
divine will,
and that will,
is the will,
of all people,
the will,
of all the centres,
of consciousness,
included,
in his being are,
but,
instruments,
only,
for serving God,
and accomplishing,
his purposes,
what does it mean,
means,
we are there,
only,
to think about God,
and,
not to think about,
anything else,
that is what,
it really,
means,
Arjuna,
finds,
that Janma,
Srishti,
Stithi,
Laya,
everything happens,
in time,
but,
somehow,
that phenomena,
of Laya,
destruction,
brings,
terrible fear,
so,
he prays,
my mind,
is not at rest,
it is completely,
upside down,
upset,
only through,
one way,
by seeing you,
not as,
Vishwaroop Krishna,
but,
Arjuna,
Sakha Krishna,
so,
God grants,
his desire,
and reappears,
as the,
old Bhagwan,
sweet Bhagwan,
Krishna,
who is the,
guide,
friend,
philosopher,
and saviour,
of Arjuna,
with that,
Arjuna becomes,
completely,
at rest,
and then,
the Lord summarised,
that,
Arjuna,
you cannot have,
nobody can have,
this vision of mine,
and,
even if they have,
they cannot,
retain it,
for long,
unless he becomes,
a great devotee,
and the way,
to become a great devotee,
is,
you try to do,
everything,
and relate it,
with me,
join it,
with me,
and then,
I must be,
your,
the greatest,
only goal,
of your life,
and then,
you become a devotee,
first,
a great devotee,
then,
a great devotee,
then,
a great devotee,
so,
this idea,
Madh Karmakrit,
Madh Paramo,
Madh Bhaktaha,
Sanghavajjitaha,
Nirvairaha,
Sarvabhuteshu,
Yaha,
Saha,
such a person,
Mam,
Eti,
he sees me,
and then,
he becomes one,
with me,
this is the,
essence of,
this,
eleventh chapter,
now,
there are,
four very,
important,
shlokas,
in this eleventh chapter,
Yathvaya Uktam,
Vachasthena,
Mohoyam,
Vigathoma,
Ma,
Lord says,
Madhanugrahaya,
Paramam,
Uhyam,
Adhyatma Sangnitham,
Yathvaya Uktam,
Vachasthena,
Mohoyam,
Vigathoma,
Ma,
all my,
Moha,
delusion has gone,
because of,
your grace,
O Krishna,
and then,
the Lord also,
tells him something,
very important,
what does he tell,
Naham Vedai,
Na Tapasa,
Na Dhanena,
Na Chai Jaya,
Shakya,
Evam Vidho,
Drstvam,
Drstvanasimham,
Yatha,
O Arjuna,
I am not available,
by anything,
any human being,
can do,
for,
even for,
infinite number of time,
so,
a person is,
studying scriptures,
he is performing,
tremendous super human,
austerities,
he is giving away,
everything,
like,
Mandhata,
like,
Shibi Chakravarti,
like,
Harishchandra,
but,
that's not enough,
to procure,
this divine vision,
of mine,
and somebody,
constantly,
worshipping me,
even that is not enough,
no karma,
ever produce,
infinite result,
that is the,
psychological truth,
then,
what are you expecting,
me to do,
Bhaktiathu,
Ananyaya,
Shakya,
is possible only,
by one way,
by becoming a,
Bhakta,
become true Bhakta,
then,
you will be able,
to know about me,
in the right way,
you will be able,
to see me,
correctly,
and you will be able,
to become one with me,
in the end,
Gnatum,
Drishtuncha,
Tatvena,
Praveshtuncha,
Parantapa,
so,
how can I,
deserve you,
what sadhana,
should I do,
to become a devotee,
Mat Karmakrit,
Mat Paramo,
Mat Bhaktaha,
Sangavarjita,
Nirvairaha,
Sarvabhuteshu,
Yehasa,
Saha,
Mameti,
Pandava,
He,
who dedicates,
every action,
relates,
associates,
every action,
that is called,
Karma Yoga,
associating,
every single action,
either,
mental action,
speech action,
or,
external action,
with the Divine Lord,
and,
the only goal,
highest abode,
the man understands,
is only God,
there is nothing,
higher than that,
everything else,
is,
absolutely,
nothing,
in comparison with it,
then,
he must,
become,
a Sharanagata,
Bhakta,
a self surrendering,
devotee,
then,
he should also,
not have,
any,
attachments,
in the form of,
Raga,
and Dvesha,
then,
he should not have,
anybody,
as his enemies,
that means,
he should be able,
to see everybody,
as a friend,
everybody,
as,
God,
himself,
present,
in front of him,
to help him,
to push him forward,
towards God,
such a person,
whoever develops,
these qualities,
Saha,
Mam,
Eti,
Pandava,
with this,
the,
Om,
Tatsa,
Diti,
Vishwa,
Rupa,
Darshana,
Yoga,
Nama,
Ekadasha,
Adhyaya,
Samapta,
thus in the Bhagavad Gita,
Yoga,
a dialogue,
between,
Sri Krishna,
and Arjuna,
ends the 11th chapter,
entitled,
The Vision of the,
Universal Form,
now,
next chapter,
will be there,
this is called,
the 12th chapter,
it is called,
Bhakti Yoga,
I will give you,
a brief introduction,
today,
and then,
next class onwards,
we will be talking about,
when we study,
the,
Gospel of,
Sri Ram Krishna,
when we,
study,
the teachings of,
Swami,
Brahmananda Ji,
the teachings of,
Mahapurush Maharaj,
Swami,
Sivananda Ji,
the teachings of,
Holy Mother,
Sharda Devi,
all of them,
with one voice,
they all told us,
only one thing,
what is it?
There is no Yoga,
which is superior to,
Bhakti Yoga,
but Bhakti Yoga,
doesn't mean,
only emotion,
usually,
what we say,
Bhakti Yoga,
has its own,
several,
plenty,
drawbacks are there,
every Bhakta,
there are,
Vaishnavas,
there are,
Shaktas,
there are,
Christians,
there are,
Muslims,
all these are,
Bhaktas,
but,
they go on,
hating each other,
they become,
fanatical,
and they say,
excepting,
you worship,
Krishna,
no salvation,
excepting,
you worship,
Narayana,
no salvation,
excepting,
you worship,
Shiva,
there is no salvation,
excepting,
worshipping,
only Shiva,
there is no salvation,
excepting,
you take the name of,
Jesus,
there is no salvation,
or the name of,
Allah,
there is no salvation,
Hinduism,
never taught,
never teaches,
such fanaticism,
a devotee,
is one,
who is free from,
all kinds of,
fanaticism,
that is the,
first thing,
that we have to,
understand,
second,
a devotee,
is one,
who knows,
I am,
nothing,
you are,
everything,
so the devotee,
has to develop that,
this is,
prelude,
to what is called,
self-surrender,
and the,
path of devotion,
is dominantly,
the path of,
achieving,
self-surrender,
the,
I,
must completely be,
is,
offered to the,
divine Lord,
and say,
O Lord,
it belongs to you,
there is nothing,
in this world,
that belongs to you,
there is nothing,
in this world,
that belongs to me,
and even,
I myself,
do not belong to you,
this personality,
called me,
which is made up of,
the pancha bhutas,
both gross,
and subtle,
it is all coming,
from you,
I have nothing,
else to offer,
that is why,
while discussing,
in my past classes,
as well as this,
specially,
Arhatrika,
we offer five,
objects,
first we offer light,
agni tattvam,
then,
we offer water,
jala tattvam,
we offer a cloth,
which is this,
space tattvam,
akasha tattvam,
then,
we offer a flower,
which is,
bhu tattvam,
prithvi tattvam,
or,
what is called,
the earth,
nature,
and then,
finally,
we,
fan the Lord,
which is,
vayu tattvam,
what does it mean,
why these five items,
have been chosen,
to indicate,
the five representations,
of pancha bhutas,
the whole universe,
external,
as well as,
internal,
is only,
a production,
a manifestation,
with nama rupa,
of these,
gross,
or,
subtle elements,
let us say,
subtle elements,
because,
it is the subtle elements,
only,
which,
grossified,
and manifested,
in combination,
panchikarana,
are the gross elements,
there is nothing,
other than the,
five subtle elements,
these five subtle elements,
came from,
universal,
I,
universal,
I,
came from,
Pancha Bhuta is,
none other than,
Bhagavan,
the Para Bramha,
nothing but,
through Para Bramha,
only,
when we offer,
after puja,
we perform,
this respite service,
if we have done puja,
properly,
then we have to come,
with this to this,
understanding,
nothing in this world,
belongs to me,
or to anybody,
the world entire world,
belongs only to God,
at least God has given me,
to take care of my,
God has given me out of His grace that understanding.
Therefore, that Ahamkara and Mamakara, I and My-ness both disappear if we really worship Him
and then only the purpose of life is attained, then only we become Parabhaktas,
then only we will be able to understand the 12th chapter.
So the 12th chapter has got 20 verses.
Why? This is one of the two chapters which have the least bit of number of shlokas,
12th as well as 15th chapter which is called Purushottama Yoga.
So both chapters have got only 20 shlokas.
These are the least number of shlokas and these are the two chapters
and in this 12th chapter, the Lord is going to expound
because of one particular question of Arjuna.
Arjuna starts, so Lord, you talked about Gnana Yoga, Gnana Marga, talked about Bhakti Marga,
so which one is superior?
Then the Lord said, there is no superiority, there is no inferiority.
Whatever is best path suitable to one's particular nature,
that is the easiest path for that person
and hence that is what is called superior path for that particular person.
Always Hinduism emphasizes, Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Padanti.
Then which is superior?
Says both of them, not only both, Karma Yoga as well as Raja Yoga,
all the four yogas equally and inevitably pursued with sincerity,
take one, reach one to that one only goal which is called God or Brahman.
But there is a but, what is that but?
For most people in this world, they are what Sri Ramakrishna calls Annagatha Prana,
that is they are completely identified with their Annamaya Kosha,
I am this body and everything else is subsidiary to this idea of body,
the Indriyas, the Pranas, the mind, the buddhi
and everything the person does externally, internally, physically as well as internally,
everything is directed for the cleanliness, for the health, for the happiness,
for the continuation, for the sustenance are of this only physical body.
That's why Swamiji used to call, we are all children of Hirochanas
who went to Prajapati and misunderstood his teaching and understood Atman is the body,
let us entertain, let us fatigue, let us celebrate it
and let us whole life spend only in looking after it.
So we are Annagatha Pranas and for such people,
those who are so terribly attached to this body,
without food we cannot take a breath, without food we cannot do anything properly,
that is what is meant Annagatha Prana.
For such people, the Gnana Marga,
Klesho Adhikataras Tesham, Avyakta Satta Chetasam,
Avyaktai Gatir Dukham, Deha Vadbhi Avapyate,
for those with this kind of body consciousness people,
this Gnana Marga is not at all suitable, much better is this Bhakti Yoga.
That's what Sri Ramakrishna says,
in this Kalikala it is only the Bhakti Marga,
that too as explained by Bhagwan Narada, that is most suitable.
But lest we may misunderstand,
it's not easy to follow Gnana Marga, Raja Marga or Karma Marga or Bhakti Marga,
equally it is very very difficult.
But because of our nature,
one particular lane in motor lane is more suitable for our old motor
and also for our old age action and reaction.
So for most of us, Narada Prakta Bhakti Yoga.
Bhakti path as taught by Narada is the most suitable one,
not the only one, most suitable one and it is not easy.
There are so many.
In this one chapter, a Lord enumerates,
what are the qualities of a devotee and only having these qualities,
the Lord says, only one who has these qualities,
I will certify them, Same Bhaktaha, such a person is truly my devotees
and Sache Bhakta is my beloved Bhakta.
This beautiful concept of God certifying a devotee,
not disciples, not admirers,
not some useless fellows and not some ignorant stupid fellows,
but only God must give a certificate.
Yes, you are my devotee.
How does he give certificate?
Buddhi Yogam Tam Dadamiyam.
I will give them that understanding.
What is the understanding?
You are Tattvamasi, Aham Brahmasmi will come automatically.
These beautiful ideas we will discuss from our next class.
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 12]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 01 on 06 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:08:06Z

Bhama:

Category:Chapter 12

2026-11-01T20:06:40Z

Bhama: Created page with "Category:Bhagavad Gita"

[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 07 on 31 October 2020

2026-11-01T20:01:22Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANUSHA DOGAO DOGDA GOPALANANDANAHA
PARTHO VATSA SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARUTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM
YAT KRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We are studying the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita and in that we are seeing that the Lord
out of His grace had bestowed upon Arjuna a special power and then with that Arjuna
was able to see what was able to see that this very world which is none other than a
form of God and when we look at this world we can see only one object at any given time
and that too for a short time but Arjuna was given to see the entirety a simple example
will be useful in understanding when a person sees a billion pots his eye can never count
but once he knows that this all the pots are made up of one single clay then he knows everything
about every single pot made out of clay this is a difficult example but that's what universal
form means he is one at the same time he is many he doesn't have any qualities at the
same time he has infinite qualities he is formless and he is having infinite forms he
is nameless because he is formless yet he has got so many forms so he has got so many
names and he doesn't have any characteristics or viseshanas gunas is nirguna and yet in
the guise of forms and names he has infinite qualities and one can see that just like a
billion pots are nothing but different names different forms of the same clay so it is
the one infinite Brahman nameless formless quality less action less appearing as this
entire world and this entire world is made up of what three gunas that is sattva, rajas
and tamas sattva is a most wonderful quality rajas is a mixed quality of good and evil
tamas is nothing but pure ignorant state so that's why we see everything is different
from everything else not only that every object is also different at different times or even
at the same time so many ways so we have seen in our 16th shloka
arjuna was being described by sanjaya this is what arjuna saw and this is what happened
to him as a reaction and this is what arjuna was addressing bhagwan, bhagwan not krishna
here krishna the old krishna had become bhagwan god himself I behold thee with myriads of
arms and bellies myriads of faces and eyes I behold thee infinite in form and every side
but I see not thy end nor thy middle nor thy beginning oh lord of the universe oh universal
form so this is how he is addressing I gave the illustration imagine a circle big or small
where is the beginning where is the middle and where is the end every point is a beginning
every point is an end every point is the middle so but we are all accustomed with our this
parthiva chakshu that is this is material eyes material sense organs there is a beginning
there is a middle there is an end in time and both in space and in causation but the
lord transcends infinity transcends so that is what he was surprised and further what
was arjuna seeing this is the report of sanjaya to king dhritarashtra 17th verse
kiritinam gadhinam chakrinam cha tejorashim sarvato deeptimantam
pasyami tvam durnirikshyam samantad deeptanalarka dhyutim aprameyam
what am I seeing pasyami I am seeing tvam kiritinam gadhinam chakrinam tejorashim sarvato
deeptimantam durnirikshyam deeptanala arka dhyutim aprameyam
I behold thee on all sides glowing like a mass of radiance with thy diadem and mace
and discus blazing everywhere like burning fire and the burning sun hard to look at and
passing all measure what is the point kiritinam gadhinam chakrinam
these are the normal descriptions of bhagwan vishnu he has got a kirita diadem and then
what did he have a gadha a mace and chakra why I described earlier brahma doesn't have
weapons because he is only the creator as soon as he creates the burden of nourishing
looking after sustaining maintaining protecting and punishing everything falls to bhagwan
vishnu and so he must have weapons a popular image imagery that we get of bhagwan vishnu
is this gadha chakra shankha gadha chakra kirita kundala then one lotus flower yesterday
I explained and then there would be a brahma hanging from his on that lotus that came out
yesterday also I told you that the universal cause cosmic cause the universal subtle body
and the universal material body and the chidabasa reflection of the chit these are represented
by the lord vishnu and the lotus and the brahma so what else is he seeing why arjuna was seeing
because he was not capable of yet beholding the nirguna brahma and saguna brahma when
we see is very interesting point if a shiva bhakta is granted this universal vision what
do you think he will see he will see the divine shiva with snakes and with the chandra ganga
falling upon his head half naked he is clad only with the skin of a yagra that is a tiger
ambara and with the trishula and a bull etc so if it is a devotee of the divine mother
he will see in the descriptions are given an important point for us the ideas that we
have about our ishta devata chosen deity or even if he is not ishta devata but our concept
of gods for example vishnu shiva devi they all stem from the books when we study bhagavatam
god is described thus and we must have read or heard or our elders were talking we must
have heard it and then we have a concept he is in a place that is called Vaikuntha or
he is in a place called Kailasa or Devi loka etc saptadvipa etc so we have our concept
of our respective gods and goddesses come from the books that we are subjected to a
Christian will not think in these terms a Muslim doesn't think of God or others in
this but he will think as Bible describes or as Quran describes this is an important
point here we are talking about Mahabharata and Mahabharata is predominantly what is called
Vishnu Shastra here Vishnu is given more importance than anybody else and Arjuna was an eternal
companion like Narendra was an eternal companion nitya mukta nitya eshwarakoti as Ramakrishna
says so naturally his preconceived ideas are taking a grander view now kiritinam gadhinam
chakrinam cha then Tejorasim he is of indescribable effulgence what is that effulgence it is of
spiritual effulgence because he is Deva Deva means to shine is the Deva Deva is the lord
of every divine beings therefore it is natural all the brilliance what is brilliance do not
think a 1000 watt or 50,000 watt bulb suddenly is spotlighting all of us that should not
be the idea but it can give us a clue what is it that when a powerful light suddenly
comes on we have knowledge clearer knowledge of everything that falls within that light
so light always stands for jnanam but it is not only external light but internal light
illumined by buddhi and that which illumines buddhi is called this Tejorasim sarvataha
where from one part of his body no because he is the universe because he is a mass of
that light chit ghanakaya every day the third verse it niranjana nararupadhara nirguna punamaya
mochana agadoshana jagabhoshana chit ghanakaya chit pure consciousness and become embodied
as it were has become compressed as it were that chit that jnanam that knowledge that
is called light here sarvataha deepti mantam you are illumining entire world entire universe
because the Lord is the entire universe with that divine light that is what he is telling
pashyamitvam I am seeing that beautiful light at the same time I am also seeing my preconceived
ideas of kirita, gadha, chakra etc. etc. that's why it is a cha chakrinam cha means tirpadma,
dilakshmi, shri kaustubha, tigaruda, narada, dumbhura etc. all of them that we see depicted
in the popular pictures of this one some people have also put this vishwaroopadarshan calendars
the huge body and everybody is of very smaller size etc. it is just to give an idea about
the divine Lord then what was I am just enjoying now durniriksham samanthat wherever I look
my eyes are getting bedazzled I am unable to stare at you just as if the midday sun
is burning bright you cannot look at it you can look at in a way with through if you have
got some sunglasses and then darken them further so that your eyes can bear then you will be
able to look for a shorter otherwise the eyes will be burnt but no question of with naked
eyes seeing though some people go on practicing that is called trataka yoga and many people
have gone blind by that but they say some special powers will be granted siddhis can
be granted through this trataka yoga we are not talking about these things so what was
arjuna saying deepta anala arka dhyatim aprameyam so burning like anala means fire arka means
the burning sun if both are combined terrific heat terrific fire is burning and as if the
a billion suns divi surya sahasrashya yuga pat utthitaha as if a billion million suns
have risen at the same instant and one is beholding it so I behold thee on all sides
glowing like a mass of radiance with the diadem and mace and discus blazing everywhere like
burning fire and the burning sun hard to look at and passing all measure that means I am
incapable of expressing it why is incapable first of all arjuna had never had this kind
of experience this is the first of its kind and as far as we know the last of its kind
but he could look at it how could he look he is telling it is impossible to look and
yet he is looking at it at least for a short time how was he able to bear with it because
god has given him that power but more than that this is not a physical glare this is
not a material glare we discussed this point taking the cue from siram krishna and rama
entered into the dasaradasa sabha court as if a thousand suns are illumining the entire
court one single sun we cannot bear how can all thousand suns together can we bear siram
krishna but my child this is not a physical sun's glare this is a divine light it just
blooms the lotuses of the devotees hearts all at once so it that is why it is said a
lily blooms when the moon lights up the sky at night but a lotus opens its petals and
it is a fact slowly you can watch it opens its petals so you can see that the sun is
its darling that is what we have to understand that the more the effulgence the light and
it is a spiritual light and it is a light of bhakti or devotion it is a light of bliss
that is how we have to understand but a person who is not able to bear it even if he is granted
he won't be able to see and even if he is able to see he can't tolerate it for a long
time why because the grace is real the reception is real but the nervous system the capacity
of the body to bear that is not at all is fit for that that's why after a few minutes
or seconds one has to understand arjuna had prayed how much time do you think he has seen
naturally our materialistic minds put this question how much time did it take one of
the interesting questions for krishna to deliver the entire bhagavad-gita consisting of 700
verses is the lord's message consisting of 700 verses even if he is going on rattling
it expresses speed it will at what is called lightening speed it will take at least a minimum
of two hours but no what is the whole thing as if like a flash of lightening krishna must
have given how do we know because the other duryodhana and party were waiting and do you
think they will sit like dumb people they would have finished arjuna krishna everybody
if it takes more than a few seconds how much time does it take to convey the entire essence
of the scriptures to any devotee by bhagwan just a twink within a twinkling of the eye
the person can convey the knowledge but that was understood by Vyasadeva and then he describes
graphically and that which is practically indescribable at least he could summarize
the whole thing in about 700 and odd shlokas and that's what we call bhagavad-gita never
be under any mistake that the lord is sitting and duryodhana and party and spread a mat
and were playing a cards game until bhagavad-gita is over and then the flashing light comes
now bhagavad-gita teaching is over now get ready for the battle absolutely no but arjuna
was having ordinary consciousness but he was given extraordinary consciousness he could
endure it for a very short time and then he had to pray we will come to that point later
on so having got obtained by the grace of god again and again we have to keep that point
like your excel the first subject matter everything else will be changing but that subject matter
will be rolling up so what was arjuna saying 18th verse
tvam aksharam paramam veditavyam tvam asya vishwasya param nidhanam
tvam avyaya shashvata dharmagopta sanatanastvam purushaha mato me
arjuna by divine grace had not only experienced the divine lord's vishwaroopa but he was given
the knowledge also to express in appropriate words that is what he is expressing here the
what the imperishable a supreme being to be realized the what the supreme support of the
universe the what the undying guardian of the eternal dharma the what in my belief the
primal being though arjuna was telling i believe that you are the primal being he was given
that knowledge by the grace of god this is only an expression tvam aksharam you are that
akshara what is akshara naksharati iti akshara that which never perishes and what is it that
perishes whatever comes within the purview of time space and causation that becomes a
subject or that becomes an object that goes through the changes in fact every millisecond
we are changing though we do not take notice until some gray hair starts turning up we
don't realize how many years have passed but the fact is every millisecond changes
time never stops time means a change every object in this world is subject to time and
any change can take place only in desha that is space and this change can take place in
desha only because of some force some cause desha kala and nimitta that's what he's
telling but you are not changing at all earlier i mentioned the what the absolute existence
which is appearing as in this billion fold universe so you are beyond time you are beyond
space you are beyond causation which is called infinite and infinite cannot change swamiji
gives a very beautiful illustration for our understanding once in a school some students
were asked supposing children the earth falls where will it go nobody could answer there
was one bright little girl she got up and said first you answer my question that is
there something where it can fall tell me where it can fall then i will tell you where
it is going to fall and the teacher became speechless because in infinite space there
is no such flat substance called an earth or a substratum where anything can fall even
we adults are puzzled by this question where can any planet fall where can the sun fall
it is impossible to fall because it is like something infinite space infinite means there
is no top there is no bottom there is no left right and front and back above and below where
does it fall a dimensional less space the question of falling are in fact rising in
fact moving nothing really works it is all an illusion so oh lord i know you are the
imperishable that means what is it telling you are appearing as this universe therefore
the real nature of the universe is also imperishable paramam veditaviyam so all this time we have
been running after i want money money must be obtained knowledge must be obtained objects
must be obtained enjoyments must be obtained relationships must be obtained everything
i want i want i want i want i want and what is it man wants i want that state where there
would be no more wants that we are not able to crystal clearly make point of it so this
is what the lord arjuna was paramam veditaviyam you are the paramapurushartha you are the
only thing worth knowing what does what do i get earlier we said in kata upanishad martyaha
amritobhavati anandibhavati he becomes a martya immortal becomes immortal ihaiva brahma samashnute
here itself he realizes i am satchitananda i am brahman i am beyond time space and causation
therefore previously i thought i was arjuna i had to fight for dharma and i had all these
notions then i changed my mind i thought it was all wrong let's these people enjoy but
now by their grace i know winning the war losing the war obtaining the kingdom losing
the kingdom and all these things dharma adharma completely meaningless that's why nachiketha
asks yama dharma raja a specific question that which anyatra dharmat anyatra adharmat
that which is beyond dharma beyond adharma that means changeless that which is beyond
the past and future and you tell me about that this is called paramam veditavyam and
then he says at the same time tvam asya vishwasya tvam you asya vishwasya of this universe param
nidhanam you are the supreme support support means what you are the existence so everything
in this universe has an existence you are the knowledge everything in this world has
a bit of knowledge i am a table i am a mosquito i am a cow i am a man i am a woman i am rich
i am poor i am a scholar i am a illiterate person all these are called bits and bits
of knowledge i am happy i am unhappy i am good i am evil i am a friend i am an enemy
that is also bits of happiness and all this knowledge will come only because of your knowledge
chaitanya how do we know because when we go into deep sleep i do not know my existence
i do not know who i am i do not know what i am made up of i do not know what i want
i know nothing excepting pure inexpressible i am this is what is being said tvam asya
vishwasya param nidhyam not only you are the support of me you are the support the entire
universe in vedanta we give this expression this entire support of a snake is that rope
take away the rope there would be no snake only the rope being there ropes astitva being
there the mistaken notion that the snake exists that will be there there is a rope and there
is a snake there is a is common to both but by mistake we misunderstand the rope as snake
and when the light is brought knowledge is brought then we know there is no snake it
is just nothing but rope this is what is telling param nidhanam means supreme support what
is supreme support i am supported by my parents my parents are supported by the government
the government is supported by business people business people are supported by customers
customers are supported by again their jobs so it is a endless circle but the ultimate
supporter of everything entire universe from whom this world originates this world is sustained
and it goes back to home that is called param nidhanam the supreme substratum and tvam avyayaha
is using you in your real aspect you are the imperishable vyayaha means that which changes
that which becomes less or more you are unchangeable same more or less expression aksharam naksharatithi
aksharaha na vyayatithi avyayaha then shashvata dharmagopta you are the eternal protector
of dharma what does it mean when we do karma karma falls into good and evil dharma na dharma
so accordingly the lord has has to protect dharma that means he will give happiness to
dharmic people and unhappiness to not to punish them but to correct them he gives you are
that ultimate this is called satyameva jayate however untruth might seem to be triumphing
in the what is called present time but ultimately it is only truth that triumphs even after
millions of years there was a great poet and he had written a great work probably he did
that was not appreciated so he never lost faith he said in future great people with
a keen sense of aesthetics will be born and they will appreciate my work that means even
though the present people are incapable of appreciating and really true now we are appreciating
what is its value sometimes I become very what is called astonished so when Vincent
van Gogh such a great landscape painter impression impressionism it is called was painting he
dyed a pauper he became mad his brother also to console him bought all his works and gave
false information some of your works have been sold they are in good demand in Paris
this man was in Dutch country Netherlands and then when he visited his brother in Paris
and one day he strayed into the basement so all his paintings were there unsold and he
became depressed he cut off his own ear and if at that time anybody had offered him I
will give you five rupees can you I want to buy he would have gladly given now it costs
in millions of dollars even his pencil sketches fetch thousands and thousands of dollars what
to speak of it so it is only in course of time that people appreciate what are we talking
about dharma always wins satya always triumphs in the end how because the Lord is the upholder
of dharma that protector of dharma that's why the very definition of dharma is beautiful
that dharma he who holds on to dharma dharma rakshati rakshitaha if somebody saves dharma
means follows dharma that very dharma in the end saves that person dharma rakshati rakshitaha
but it is the divine Lord who has to oversee that nobody can get no evil no wickedness
can ever triumph a day sooner or later will come dharma is propagated by the Lord it is
upheld by the Lord and it is protected by the Lord he makes sure every dharmika person
will ultimately he will get the result sanatanastvam purushomato me you are the ancient sanatana
means beginningless anadi ancients purushaha purushaha means the supreme being two meanings
of purusha are there purusha is not a male being purusha means purisethi he who occupies
inside of everybody he who is the indweller within everybody and purahasethi he who is
vyapakathvat everywhere he is spread externally he is also called purushaha so inside is God
outside is God what is in the middle nothing excepting God that means he is all pervading
he is the infinite that is the meaning of it that's what is being told and I know that
I understood it by the grace but still my intellect is bedazzled it is befuddled I am
not able to understand I am sure you are that supreme purusha supreme reality and one more
word about shashvata dharmagopata supposing a government promulgates certain rules for
example during covid time that you have to wear masks you have to keep certain distance
and if you have any symptoms immediately report etc and many people they think we can get
away with all those things but the same government which promulgated these rules also gives employment
for the propagation and maintenance of these rules a police force an enforcing beings organization
or number of beings like police etc are employed there to see so lord you have created this
gadget called this world and you have given the directions certain ways you have to maintain
take care then only you can derive the full benefit but there are foolish people they
neither read the manual nor maintain the gadget and as a result sometimes it will be counterproductive
but to see that it is maintained to enforce you employ some people that is called karmaphala
vidhata brahma vishnu is the person to enforce that is why he grants boons to those who deserve
and he punishes people who do not and that is how he is called the sustainer means protector
and enforcer of these rules in kata upanishad we have seen vajram udhyatam as if with an
uplifted vajra a terrific weapon why because of that the sun shines the fire burns the
wind blows and the earth and planets gravitate and even the death functions only because
of that fear what is he expressing we discussed there that he is the firm maintainer not only
the lawgiver lawmaker but law maintainer that is being sold here in this that shashwatha
dharma gopta so swami vekaranda had a vision of mother kali at i think vaishnavi shirabhavani
temple and then there is a very interesting incident the vandals the muslim vandals have
destroyed that temple and swamiji felt emotionally very upset and a thought came if only i were
there at that time i would have offered my heart's blood and protected this divine mother's
temple immediately a thunderous revelation came is it you who can protect me or is it
i who protects the entire world and then he understood what did he understand the vandals
could not have destroyed excepting by her will and why does she will because anything
that she creates also must be destroyed every day without fail we are singing or hearing
that stotram that means mother wanted a temple to come in her name mother wanted it to be
maintained and mother wanted it to be destroyed again the mother wanted it to be renovated
and it has been renovated now it's impossible even to move so famous this shirabhavani had
become what are we talking about look at the image of mother kali so right two hands srishti
and sthithi what is it abhaya vara abhaya represents srishti you have no danger you
are alive vara represents sthithi you behave properly and then you will have all that you
require your prayers will be fulfilled but people are terrified to see the circle is
not complete on the left side a big decapitated head and a sharp sword what does it indicate
sharp sword has two functions one is to save to protect people who are following the rules
and another is to punish the wicked people that is one aspect of that khadga the second
aspect is good person or bad person a saint or a sinner the nature of the world is if
there is birth there is a change and then there is a death that existential fact we
must all remember that's being represented in this so that is what earlier we discussed
sanatana dharmagopta shashvata dharmagopta sanatana and you are the purusha in the 19th
shloka repetition of the same ideas are coming because when we are not clearly capable of
enunciating describing something and we all feel that there is something I have left out
I am unable to express it so we use different words this was the condition of even in ordinary
circumstances but here he is trying to describe two irreconcilable facts what is it God is
one at the same time many God is nishkriya but all activities are going on through him
God is nirguna he has got all gunas God is nirakara but he has got infinite forms God
doesn't have any name but he has got infinite names are there and how to describe it that's
what we saw in the every Upanishad practically especially Isha Upanishad using paradoxical
language what is paradoxical language trying to describe through diametrically opposed
qualities at the same time he moves he doesn't move he is near but he is far away he is inside
he is outside like that there are so many paradoxical description this is a language
appropriate language to describe in a simplest words what is really indescribable so Arjuna
continues I behold thee as one without beginning anadi without middle madhya there is no madhya
anta and ananta anta means end ananta means there is no end that means that is why we
call it infinite not finite and anantaviriyam your valour knows no bounds anantabaham your
hands that means the number of forms you are expressing yourself through in this objective
world are infinite and in this entire universe shashi surya netram we saw in the Mundaka
Upanishad universal form more or less in similar words because Bhagavad Gita is the essence
of the essence of all the Upanishads so all these ideas have been expressed in slightly
different modified words but the origin of the all these ideas are Upanishads so shashi
surya netram it is universal person what are the eyes just like we have got two eyes shashi
and surya shashi means the moon surya means the sun these two interestingly Shiva is supposed
to have three eyes similarly divine mother gauri also has got every day we sing sarvamangalamangalye
shive sarvardha sadhike sharanye triyambake triyamba what is that triyamba three eyes
but here shashi and surya what is the third eye third eye is the eye of knowledge that
there is no universe excepting myself manifesting in this whole world there was a beautiful
story in the Puranas one day Shiva and Gauri and Parvati they were on Mount Kailasa and
the mother was in a playful mode after all she is the Shakti you know so she went behind
Shiva and he had two eyes at that time not three third eye and she went and closed his
eyes and as soon as she attempted to close his eyes a third eye sprang out and she just
held for a second and then removed her hands and then she saw she asked Lord what is happening
said Devi don't you understand the one second in your calculation are billions of yugas
in human beings calculation if there were to be no sun or the moon there would be no
life on earth so that's why I sprouted the third netra and that third netra had become
the sun and the moon and the fire and the air and the bhumi and the akasha and the jala
and that is how I sustained so two facts one is that one second of God's calculation sahasra
yuga pariyantham we have studied it in the Bhagavad Gita itself millions and millions
of yugas are just but one day or one night of Brahma so here telling one for you may
be a millisecond but for them it is billions of yugas secondly third eye that third eye
consisting of giving light giving knowledge giving sustenance all these are combined in
that third eye so what is it telling in your universal form Arjuna was beholding the sun
and the moon why is the sun and moon because daytime it is the sun who gives the light
and night time it is the moon who gives the light therefore these are they compared to
the eyes we are they compared to the eyes eye can see and obtain the knowledge and eyes
can see only when there is light so light is compared to knowledge and light comes from
the two the moon and the sun and if the eyes are not there even the sunlight and moonlight
are totally useless that is what being said I see ananta bahum shashi suri netram moreover
further what do I see deepta hutasha vaktram from your mouth terrific what is called this
lava is flowing out tremendous fire billions and billions and billions of much in fact
the whole world it is said that the sun is every second is emitting what is called these
pockets of tremendous light and they travel to billions and billions of miles sometimes
blocking all electronic gadgets etc. these are called sun flares especially every 12
years it is intense at the time there is a danger if it is more all our stored information
whether it is on CDs or DVDs or magnetic discs will be completely wiped off that's why we
have to go back to this old stone age writing on this stone age it may survive so deepta
huta vaktram terrible fire is emanating from your open mouth what is it doing vishwamitam
tapantam it is burning as it were the entire universe swate jesa by your own light that
is coming out this is arjuna's experience that with the radiance you are as if burning
the whole universe I am also in this universe therefore as if you are also burning me I
am unable to sustain it verse number 20 what was arjuna still further experiencing by thee
alone are filled all the space between heaven and earth and all the quarters of the sky
almighty one the three worlds behold thy marvelous and appalling form and tremble with fear so
do you remember vamana god vishnu in the form of vamana the dwarf approached bali chakravarti
and begged that give me three feet of land and bali knew what was going to happen even
though shukracharya tried to prevent him the marvelous bhagavata story and then gladly
he gave and with one foot he covered the earth another foot this entire remaining space and
then he said where is where shall I put my this third foot of land and bali said that
you put on my head that's all and then bali was sent back to pathala what is the pathala
here it is symbolism the lord stamped and certified you are my greatest devotee and
my footprints are ever above you whoever sees you they instantaneously will be inspired
this is the holiest person he is entertaining god in his heart visible on his head like
krishna imprinted his footprints on kaliya so that kaliya can go get escape the fear
of death in the form of garuda and he was the certifying oh kaliya you have become immortal
mortal has become immortal and if god can give the same impression upon our feet it
will be wonderful so these three worlds are by you one by one because there is no second
this is just you have pervaded the entire universe all the directions there is no prithvi
there is no earth there is no heavens whatever is in between earth and heavens the all the
three the bhoomi the earth the heavens and in between whatever is that means the entire
universe is nothing but you this is sarva and drishtva having seen this infinite form
of yours adbhutam roopam and at the same time ugram tava idam of this form of yours ugram
ugram means ferocious what is ferocious srishti is wonderful sthithi is marvelous but pralaya
laya is frightening scary i am terribly scared not only i am scared lokathrayam all the
worlds are scared oh mahatman oh great soul pramyaditam terribly frightened what is arjuna
saying who is not frightened of death because we think death is non-existence if only we
know that death is nothing but going back to our original form it would be greatest
thing in this world that is called conquering death by knowing i am amruta purusha i am
not mruta purusha that knowledge that everything is existing forever nothing can be made non-existent
that is what in the 16th verse of the second is telling that for existence there is no
fear of non-existence and what is called non-existence has no existence at all so by this 20th verse
arjuna is expressing one i have had this wonderful experience by your grace but oh lord i am
mighty troubled the whole world is also troubled i cannot bear it any further this is going
to be described further and then that's why everybody the whole world consisting of saints
sages siddhas munis etc and with folded hands what are they doing swasthi thivukthva sthuvanthi
sthvam pushkalavihi sthudhivihi who maharishi siddha sangha we will discuss this in our
next class
may ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with bhakti we have got today
at five o'clock mandakopanishad please do not forget it
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 16 on 05 December 2020

2026-11-01T20:00:48Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDAM GEETAM RITAM MAHA
MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM
YATKRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We are studying the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Arjuna, first of all, he was extremely happy to behold the vision, universal vision.
Vision that this universe is none else but God himself with so many names and forms.
Arjuna's heart was filled with joy but he saw the truth, reality of life.
What is it?
It has both happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, birth and death.
Time doesn't wait for anybody.
This particular vision at the battlefield had created a tremendous fear in the heart of Arjuna.
He could stand only for a short time and within that short time,
he beheld everybody being swept away and disappearing in the great void called Kaala, future life.
At the same time, Arjuna was also assured that you are going to be victorious
but Arjuna must have realized this victory, how long is he going to enjoy?
Only for a few short years, maybe 20, 30, 40 but after that,
he will have to follow the footsteps of everybody else who has gone before him.
His father has gone, his mother also has gone and so many others have gone before him
and nobody can stop this Kaala.
That was intolerable to Arjuna.
Who was Arjuna?
People like us.
We want only the positive side of life.
We want happiness.
We want health.
We do not want to wish ever to die.
Constant prayer that springs from every living creature,
may I never die and second, may I never suffer and we are struggling.
Struggling what?
Unable to accept the truth, nobody will be happy forever,
nobody will live forever and nobody can rule forever.
Everything in Kaala Chakra as a Chakra, as a wheel goes up, goes down,
again comes up, again goes down.
Nobody can stop it and say, I will be on the top.
Nobody will be at the bottom.
That vision, holistic vision, the real truth about life terrified Arjuna
but by the grace of the Lord, he could stand it for a very short time.
During that time, he beheld the ultimate truth.
What is it?
I do not exist, no one else exists excepting the Divine Lord, Saguna Brahma
and this Saguna Brahma is constantly changing because of the Kaala
and Arjuna cannot at this time accept it and we cannot accept it
but even look at, even a devotee's prayer also,
Oh Lord, I know intellectually that I have to go one day,
this body becomes old, it might become unhealthy
and it will definitely, I am going to kick off this bucket.
Everyone has to do, no person, no living being can ever stay
even for a millisecond exactly in the same way
but when I die, I want it to come, first of all having nice dinner,
I go to bed and in the deep sleep without the least bit of pain,
I will slip away, that is first prayer.
Second prayer, even if I have to die, let me remember you
because it is said, whatever be the last thought
that would determine our future life.
Every devotee wants to remember God but without paying the price
and what is the price?
Constant practice of the remembrance of God is the only price we have to pay
and Arjuna understood it and then he said,
Oh Lord, this nervous system of mine,
this mind of mine, this buddhi of mine, understanding of mine
is incapable of holding such a grand vision,
so I would like to have peace.
Now, I am quaking with fear, my mind is without peace,
the whole world as it were appears to me
as a terrible messengers of death of God have come.
I would like to have some peace of mind.
As I mentioned, Arjuna also got the news
that from the horse's mouth as it were,
from the Bhagawan's mouth, from the Kaala's mouth,
time's mouth, what is it?
You are going to survive for a few more days
but victory will be yours.
Duryodhana, Dushyasana, Karni, Shakuni, Bhishma, Drona,
all those whom love, all those whom you hate
and not only on the part of the Kaurava
but on your part also, millions of people are going to get annihilated,
not because of the war.
War is only an excuse.
It is because of their own prarabdha karma.
Therefore, accept this inevitable fact.
It is a beginning of spiritual life
when we accept that death is inevitable.
That's why Sri Ramakrishna always cautions
Sadhu, Savadhan.
When Sri Ramakrishna says Savadhan, beware,
he means two things.
First of all, remember death all the time.
It can come anytime.
Secondly, also beware.
While you are living, you want a certificate from me
that you are a devotee of God.
Behave like a devotee.
Behave like my child as Holy Mother says.
Do not try to think that you can hoodwink God.
You can hoodwink anybody
because God is Antaryami.
He is within you.
He is watching what are your thoughts,
what are your words, speech
and what are your actions.
How long? Day and night, He is watching you.
So you cannot hoodwink the Lord
and He will distribute the results of our karmas
which depends, stems from these three sources.
Thinking, speaking and doing.
He will distribute.
No, but there is no injustice in this world.
Everybody gets what he or she deserves.
All living beings, human or non-human.
This is a tremendous fact.
We have to meditate all the time.
Then we won't criticize others.
We won't blame others.
We will be forced to take all responsibility for ourselves.
So that is the grand truth
we have to learn in the form of Arjuna.
This much we have seen.
Then we were dealing with the 49th verse.
What is that verse?
Oh Arjuna, be not afraid.
Be not bewildered seeing this terrific form
on seeing this terrific form of mine.
Be free from fear
and be happy at heart.
Why?
Because I am going to show you again
that old form
with which you are familiar
and in which you used to get tremendous joy,
tremendous peace.
Just imagine,
two very dear and closest friends.
They have been separated
and suddenly they happen to meet unexpectedly.
How glad their hearts will be filled with.
Or imagine,
somebody who is very near and dear to you.
He has met an accident
or some disease has been diagnosed
and that person is admitted in the hospital.
We are awaiting the results
after biopsy has been taken.
And then the doctor declares the result.
It is mild.
There is nothing to worry.
After a few days,
this person will be absolutely fine.
Then our hearts will be filled with unspeakable joy
and un-understandable peace.
Peace that passes all understanding.
Exactly in the same way,
we have to understand that this is also the truth.
So, previously Arjuna was very unhappy.
He was only seeing the terrific form of God.
His mind was not at rest.
So, he requests,
O Lord,
Devesha Jagannivasha.
I want to see.
Tenaiva Rupena Chatur Bhujena.
I want to see that beautiful Saumya,
sweetest form that I am accustomed
because my mind,
my intellect wants to see greater forms.
But my nervous system,
my body is not fit for that.
My nerves have not been accustomed
to stand this effect of the highest vision.
Therefore, out of your boundless grace,
please show me that same form.
So, the Lord is again,
He is giving peace of mind to Arjuna.
Ashwasaya Ma Sacha.
He is assuring him.
What is He telling?
The Lord is telling,
Maatevyatha.
Do not be afraid.
Macha Vimodha Bhavo.
When we are terribly frightened,
our minds become terribly uncontrollable
because fright removes all rational thinking.
Vimodha means as if we have been stunned
by a big blow on the head.
So, we are not able to think properly,
straightaway, rationally, reasonably.
Why?
Because Drishtrupam Goram Idrumam Idam Drishtva.
So, having seen such a long time
and when we are unhappy,
short time also seems to be a long time.
When we are happy proportionately,
the time passes very quickly.
So, Arjuna must have thought,
even though it was only few seconds,
he must have thought,
my God, it is this terrific form
that I am beholding of the Lord
must be lasting for aeons, yugas together.
So, the Lord is telling,
Now, Vyapetabhih.
Now be fearless.
Preetamanaha.
Be exceedingly glad.
Vyapetabhih.
You are going to behold immediately.
Just I am telling you
and immediately I will take up
that same old pleasing form.
Vyapetabhih.
And as a result,
Arjuna was completely at peace.
He regained back his old peace of mind
when he used to be with Krishna.
How glad he used to be.
That kind of mental state,
Arjuna had again regained.
I recollect a beautiful incident
in the life of Swami Advaitanandaji.
One morning, Sri Ramakrishna gave him
a special mantra of Mother Kali
and then sent him to the Delva tree
which is at the extreme northern corner
of Dakshineshwar.
Said, my boy, go and be absorbed in meditation.
So, Latumar went there, sat down
and he was initiated by Jagadguru.
So, from morning till evening,
vision after vision after vision after vision,
of most terrifying forms
of the Divine Mother
were being bestowed to him.
He was able to see.
Even though it was all the grace of Sri Ramakrishna,
it is impossible because
this person was not prepared for that.
Beautiful vision.
The Lord Divine Mother is smiling.
She comes like our own grandmother.
As a grandmother takes a small child
into her lap,
so here also this Latumaras will be taken
and he will not be having any fear at all.
If that were the case,
he would have been very happy.
And further, if the Divine Mother grants
something our hearts are longing,
when a small baby or small child
is taken into the lap,
the child first of all becomes fearless.
I am sitting in the lap of my most beloved grandmother.
She will be looking after me.
Secondly, no grandmother will take her grandson
into her lap without making him happy.
So, what does a child want?
He wants to eat sweets, chocolates, lozenges.
He wants to play.
And that is what exactly the grandmother
will be supporting him with.
Like that, Arjuna used to feel completely reassured,
fearless and very happy
because Arjuna as a bhakta
used to obtain the grace of Bhagavan Krishna Avatar
moving with him as his most intimate friend.
That state we have to imagine.
But here, Latu Maharaj was experiencing
somehow time was passing,
his heart was beating.
If Shri Ramakrishna had not come at the crucial time,
he used to say perhaps the body would have given up,
has been dropped on that moment.
So, from morning till sunset,
these wonderful visions, very but very terrifying some of them.
And then he thought,
I cannot bear them any longer.
Until that time, Shri Ramakrishna had given him
that power to see.
And then suddenly Shri Ramakrishna appeared.
He came to see what his beloved disciple was going through.
Of course, he was a Trikaladarshi.
He knows what was happening.
Still as a human being, Shri Ramakrishna came there
and stood at quite a distance.
And Latu Maharaj was not able to keep his eyes shut
because he was seeing these terrifying visions of the Divine Mother.
And then he beheld Shri Ramakrishna.
Seeing him, he got tremendous courage.
Shri Ramakrishna without uttering a word
beckoned him with his hands,
get up and come to me.
And Latu Maharaj immediately got up
and then slowly because his legs were locked,
sitting there in that one posture for so many hours.
On the way, he passed a huge ferocious dog.
But he did not take notice.
Then he went and prostrated
and Shri Ramakrishna put his hand on his head and body.
My boy, today Divine Mother has saved you.
Then he explained, I could not come near you.
Do you know why my child?
Because there is that dog.
It's not a dog.
It's a Bhairava kept by the Divine Mother
so that nobody can come near.
So my guess is that that dog must be sitting
from almost from the time of Latu Maharaj sitting
until Shri Ramakrishna came.
And then Latu Maharaj was recollecting
unless the mind is extremely pure,
it is not possible for an ordinary sadhaka.
He will just give up his body.
I hope our devotees will recollect another beautiful incident.
This happened to Hriday, the nephew of Shri Ramakrishna.
Hriday was serving at that time with great devotion,
his uncle Shri Ramakrishna.
He was married and then his wife died
and that brought about tremendous Meshana Vairagya
because he was not a person of what is called discrimination and dispassion.
He wants to enjoy the world.
He was running after money and power
and he wanted to use his uncle as a means of obtaining these two.
Later on, he became one of the most terrifying pests
for Shri Ramakrishna himself to such an extent
Ramakrishna issued a statement
because of the torment Hriday used to give him.
I one day went to the Ganga to jump and commit suicide.
Shri Ramakrishna was the most positive person on earth.
If he could tell that I felt like committing suicide,
you must understand what was the intensity of that terrific torment Hriday was creating for him.
Anyway, Hriday turned his attention
and he thought he will sit and like his uncle practice Samadhi at night
and then one day he went and Bhairavi Brahmani had created
two types of asanas with three skulls called Trimundi
and with five skulls called Panchamundi
and he went and sat on that Panchamundi asana I think
and then very shortly his whole body began to burn
and he was shouting,
Mama, I am burning.
Please come and save me.
Shri Ramakrishna could not hear of course.
There is such a distance was there
but he felt restless.
He somehow felt an impulse.
He should go to Panchavati.
He went there and then heard the cries, piteous cries of Hriday,
quickly went there,
put his hand and started passing his hand from head to foot
and very soon Hriday became normal.
Then Shri Ramakrishna chided him,
Hriday, why do you do these things?
Don't you know these are most dangerous things
for impure people to do that?
Today if I had not come you would have been burnt to death.
You don't need to do anything.
Just serve this, means his body
and you will get everything.
Whatever I get is for children like you
and of course that was an incident.
Why am I telling?
Because when we are imagining visions of God or Gods or Goddesses,
many times we are thinking it could be,
it would be only very pleasant things like Amrita,
not necessarily it could be ferocious etc.
In order to give this,
what is called holistic idea of the divine visions,
Mother Kali's form has been created by a great Rishi.
This contains what is called homogeneous idea.
Srishti, Sthithi, Laya,
creation, maintenance as well as destruction.
Everything is combined in that terrific form.
But the outward form of Mother Kali
is very very ferocious.
So here Arjuna had this tremendous fear.
Now he requested,
I cannot stand it any longer.
You who granted me this terrific vision,
you must assume your old form
with which my mind can become peaceful like old times.
And then the Lord says,
Yes, Arjuna, I understand you because
Guru understands, God understands
the condition of the child
and he will give only what the child can digest
and sometimes he gives a little more taste,
poor taste.
So that's what the Lord has assuredly assumed
the older form of Bhagavan Krishna.
As I mentioned in my last class,
we don't know what exactly had happened
because Arjuna claims,
I was accustomed to see you with four hands
which is Vishnu's form in Vaikuntha.
Whether Arjuna was seeing that form
and that is a bit doubtful
because if he was seeing,
if you are seeing,
if I am seeing four-handed Vishnu,
I can't tell you,
Hey Vishnu, come here.
Come and sit.
Let us have a cup of coffee.
Some nice boondi vada has come.
Masala vada has come.
You can't talk like that.
You will be overwhelmed with divine feeling.
But anyway, we will not go into that controversial subject
but that form which makes Arjuna absolutely peaceful
and feeling with great devotion and happiness
because Krishna was the friend, mentor, guide, philosopher,
everything to Arjuna
and that is a lesson we have to learn.
The only one whom we can trust,
Janma Janmantara is only God.
Nobody can be our friend.
Nobody can be greater well-wisher than God.
Nobody can guide us accepting God.
Nobody can give us peace of mind or happiness accepting God.
Nobody will accompany us.
Janma Janmantara, life after life,
wherever we are,
that is only the Bhagawan.
No father, no mother, no husband, no wife, no children,
none can anywhere accompany me.
They cannot even sleep with us.
They can't even dream with us.
So, that is a great lesson we have to learn.
The Lord assumed His normal form
and then, now Sanjay was reporting,
Iti arjunam vasudeva tatha uktva svakam roopam darsaya ma sabhuyaha asvasaya ma chachha
veetam enam duktva punah samyopuhu mahatma
Sanjay has said, having thus addressed Arjuna,
Vasudeva revealed to him His own form.
The Great One assumed graceful, reassuring shape again
and comforted the terrified Pandava.
So, Iti, having spoken thus,
Vasudeva Krishna, at home,
addressing Arjuna, svakam roopam
bhuyaha darsaya ma sabhuyaha means again.
Again means that same form or form
which Arjuna was accustomed to see,
his own form he had shown.
That means he has withdrawn his Vishwaroopa darsana.
As a result, asvasaya ma sabhuyaha,
he comforted him and reassured him.
Do not worry. As soon as the Lord did that,
Arjuna became completely normal person.
Until now, he was shaking.
Now he became absolutely normal.
So bhutva punaha samyopuhu mahatma.
Krishna became normal.
Arjuna also, at the same time, had become normal.
Then Arjuna was now telling,
he has become great devotee now
by the experience he had.
What is he telling? Arjuna bhuvacha.
Arjuna is addressing now.
This is what Sanjaya was reporting to Dhritarashtra.
Dhrishtvedam anusham roopam
tavasoumyam janardhana
idhane masmi samruttaha
sacchayataha prakrutim gathaha
Arjuna said,
looking at this gentle form of yours,
O janardhana,
I now feel composed in mind,
I am myself again.
This is the direct effect of Bhagawan's presence.
As soon as God withdrew
that terrifying universal form
which consists of srishti, sthiti and laya,
both good in its extreme
as well evil in its extreme.
Let us not forget,
the world is a mixture of good and evil.
They are not two separate things.
One God and one Satan.
No.
Sometimes God becomes God
and sometimes he becomes Satan.
When we are impure, God becomes Satan.
When we are pure,
God becomes like our own grandmother.
So these are the two aspects
and it doesn't depend upon God or world.
It depends totally upon how we behave,
how we think,
how we speak and how we act.
So what was Arjuna saying?
Hey janardhana, O divine Lord,
tava idam manushyam saumyam roopam
tava, yours.
What?
idam, this roopam form of yours.
What type of form?
Manushyam, human form.
And what type of human form?
Because it could be Duryodhana's form.
It could be Dhritarashtra's form.
It could be Shakuni's form.
Then we are mentally troubled.
Arjuna was troubled.
If he had seen Duryodhana,
his blood will be boiling.
Shakuni, his blood will be boiling.
Dushyasana, his blood will be boiling.
Dhritarashtra, he was their father as it were,
but he did not behave like a father.
He behaved like a stepfather or stepmother.
In fact, Gandhari was much better
than Dhritarashtra himself.
So, O Lord,
having seen this pleasing,
beautiful, reassuring,
old form of yours,
old means not old age,
that form with which I was familiar
from my very childhood,
idanim asmi.
Now what happened to me?
Sachetaha, as if I have come back
to my own self.
I am aware whatever is happening.
I am normal now, not abnormal.
Samruta asmi.
Now I have, all that fear is gone.
Now I am under my own control.
Samruta means I have been able to control myself.
There is nothing to worry,
nothing to be terrified,
nothing to be hesitated.
Prakrutim gathaha.
I have become my normal person.
This is exactly what happened
to Vaikunthanath Sanyal
when he was granted that divine vision
of Sri Ramakrishna.
He was able to see as a result of
that divine touch of Sri Ramakrishna,
he was seeing Sri Ramakrishna
in every object.
Now if there are,
what is called hidden desires
and this vision will create
only terrible conflict.
For example,
if somebody wants to enjoy
the company of somebody,
a husband wants to enjoy
the company of wife and vice versa
and if they start seeing Rama,
Krishna, Devi, Shiva,
Sri Ramakrishna,
then their desires will be
forcibly suppressed
and that kind of condition
is going to be most,
what is called
negative result will come.
It will not be giving a
positive result at all.
So, but now
I see you in a tolerable form.
This was Arjuna's experience.
So, we assume he became
his normal self.
Moreover, the devotees of God
do not like to dwell
on his impersonal
and transcendental form.
As long as devotees live
in a human body,
they desire to worship a personal God
through love.
There are many incidents
in the life of Sri Ramakrishna.
When Sri Ramakrishna used to
enjoy conversation with his
sincere devotees,
suddenly Divine Mother's form
will come. Many times he says
Mother, now I want to enjoy
talking with the devotees
about you. For God's sake
please do not disturb
me. Disappear
and sometimes peculiar visions
also will come.
Once he was telling, Oh Mother,
I see you nicely
decked in a Banaras
silk sari. So,
what do we presume from this
description? That the Divine
Mother, like an ordinary
woman, is very fond
of bedecking herself
with ornaments and all those things.
Is it a fact?
It looks like a fact
because when
Chandramani Devi had a vision of
Mother Lakshmi, she was full
of these golden ornaments
even though she was walking alone.
Arre Baba,
there is nobody to see you
because only
Chandramani Devi was able to see
because of her purity of heart
on Kozhikari Lakshmi
Puja night.
But how many others will see?
That is,
you are decking yourself
and then you are like a human being.
Why do I say? Because
Chandramani Devi saw her
walking quickly.
Why should a Goddess walk?
She could just disappear
and appear where she wants to go.
But anyway,
devotees would like to interact
so long as we feel
we are human beings.
We can only tolerate
only other human beings
but we want somebody who is
loving, who is reassuring,
who brings us more happiness
and more joy
and fulfil our desires
with whom we can talk.
This also brings us to the psychology.
What is that psychology?
That even
we ordinary people,
suppose there is a party,
many people are invited.
Maybe we know
many people or some people
will be strangers also.
But some of us
do not have the ability
to mix with everybody.
As soon as such a situation comes,
we will just see
a few people with whom
we are at home.
We do not feel strange.
We do not feel abnormally
self-conscious. Immediately
we seek the company of such
people. But there are a few
blessed people, they can mix
without least bit of
self-consciousness with anybody,
everybody, children,
grown-up people, adults,
old people, middle-aged
people and very very
one foot in the grave people
also. Sri Ramakrishna happens
to be one of such persons.
Anyway, Arjuna
became normal. From
super-normality, he became
normal. So
the lesson we have to learn is
we may desire super-normal
visions,
teendriya darshana
but if we are not
fit to keep them,
we may receive but
we cannot retain them for a
long time. Even in this
connection, I remember
Gopala Irma had
beheld her beloved
child Gopala, Gopala
Krishna, Bala Krishna,
Gopala, continuously
for more than two months.
Then suddenly,
they disappeared. One day this
Gopala's mother comes to Sri Ramakrishna
and complains,
How is it Gopala?
I am not able to see you
in that form. Sri Ramakrishna
told her, My dear,
you are having a human
body. This body
cannot tolerate
this bhava forever.
That you have been granted.
This beatific
vision for continuously two
months is the greatest
anybody can tolerate.
And then he said, But whenever
you feel longing, you will be able
to see your Krishna instantaneously
in your heart of hearts.
And that is what exactly
had taken place.
So, now Arjuna
became normal. He must have been
remaining with folded hands,
completely humble, just
realizing that
this Krishna whom I thought my
friend is one of the greatest.
So, now Bhagawan is telling,
What is He telling?
Oh Arjuna, it is impossible
for anybody
by any sadhana
to obtain this form of mine.
Then, is it completely
impossible? No, no. It is not
impossible. Then what?
Then, it is possible
only if you are
earnest, longing,
you have yearning for
my vision and you are pure
enough, then by my grace
alone, by bhakti alone
of all the moods,
bhakti alone, you will
be granted that vision.
Not only I have granted you,
anyone who becomes a bhakta
will be able to see me exactly
in the same form. This is what
he is telling.
Shri Bhagawan Uvacha, the Lord said,
Sudur Darshamidam Rupam
Vrishtavanasi Enmama
Devahi Apiasya Rupasya
Nityam Darshanakamshinaha
The Lord said,
It is very hard to see
this form of mine which you have
seen. Even the
Gods are ever eager
to see this form. But even
the Gods will not be granted
this vision and those
who had this vision were
more than Gods. Earlier,
remember, Siddhaha,
Munayaha and all
those people have been granted that
vision and some could not tolerate.
They ran away. But some
people could see by God's grace
and only by God's grace.
Important point is
the grace of God and
grace of God can be obtained
only by bhakti, devotion.
This is the point the
Lord wants to emphasize.
Yatmama, this
which form of mine, what is it?
This Vishwaroopadarshana,
Sudur Darshan,
impossible to be seen
by anybody and everybody.
Idam Roopam,
Yat Drishtamanasetvam
This form which you
have been seeing for quite some time
that Vishwaroopa
form of mine, universal
vision of mine is
impossible for anybody to
see. Then how did I
see? Asya Roopasya
Deva Api Nityam
Darshana Kangshana
Not only you, all
the devatas, Indra, Chandra,
Mitra, Varuna, all
of them are longing
to see the same one. But
unless they become spiritual
sadhakas, unless they become
devotees, it is not possible
to see. Even if
it is possible by my
grace, they cannot retain.
That is a great lesson we have to
keep in mind.
So we have to do, become devotees.
But let nobody
think, I do so much of
scriptural study,
I do so much of tapasya,
I do so much
of charities, philanthropy
and I worship
God day and night,
practically whole life, so
I deserve it. No, sir.
All these things are
nothing, absolutely
insignificant,
meaningless, just like
offering a few bubbles
to the ocean.
So the Lord is continuing
Naham Vedair
Nathapasa Nathanena
Nacha Ijjaya
Shakya Evam Vidho Drashtum
Drishtavanasimam Yatha
Neither by the Vedas
nor by penances
nor by alms
giving, nor yet by
sacrifice, am I to be
seen in this form
which you have now beheld
me by my grace.
Remember, always let us
remember, Divyam Dada Amite
Chakshuho,
the Lord said, you won't be able
to see with your
stupid, unwise,
impure,
uncultivated mind.
But you have
some bhakti, you have shraddha,
you have sattva gunas,
I know that, that's why
I granted by my grace,
I will grant you.
Now the question that comes is
was Krishna
knowing, Krishna means here not Krishna,
Krishna means the Divine Lord,
the Universal Lord,
Saguna Brahma.
This Saguna Brahma, did he not know
how long Arjuna was
going to be able to hold it?
He knew.
And yet he bestowed his grace,
just as Narayana bestowed
his grace upon Narada,
just a glimpse of it, so that
he will be assured, don't think
this is all empty, dry,
scriptural words.
Now with your own eyes
you had this experience,
your own experience. You may deny
everything, but you cannot
deny this personal
experience.
That is what he is telling.
Tvam yatha maam drishtavan asi
Just as
whatever you have seen
of my form, do not
feel egotism,
do not feel
that I deserved it.
Nobody can deserve it.
But then how did I,
what is the reason?
Evam vidaha, this kind of
form, na vedaihi,
neither by studying
any number of
scriptures, even the scriptures
that are going to come in the
future, not to speak of
what are available, what
were in the past. What do I
mean? All these Vedas,
Upanishads, Puranas,
Tantras, etc.
were scriptures that
have been the expressions of
experienced sages
in the past.
But the gospel of
Ramakrishna, gospel of
Holy Mother, the eternal
companion of Swami Brahmanandaji,
the complete works of Swami
Vekananda and the Mahapurush
Maharaj
talks with the devotees,
forsakers of God,
all these books
are real scriptures because
they were realized
souls. Therefore,
those are the scriptures now.
In future, how many millions of
avataras will come? How many
millions of devotees will be there?
Messages will be there.
And how many books will come?
They are also valid Vedas.
Everything that
through direct realization
that has been expressed
is a Veda. So,
by all study of
any of these, no sir,
you are not going to get.
What about Tapasya? I will do terrific
Tapasya. The fact is
if God has not given that
buddhi to do Tapasya,
if God has not given that wisdom
what to think of,
what to concentrate upon,
if God has not made
your body fit for that
Tapasya, if God has
not removed all obstructions
to your spiritual progress,
what are you going to do?
You are worthless. You are worse
than earthworm. You will be
a mere food drug. So,
do not ever think, I will do
terrific Tapasya,
thousand years of Tapasya
can just like a pack of
cards, just as Vishwamitra
had fallen. The
Divine Lord has come in the
form of a woman and
created lust and
Vishwamitra fell down from
his that Tapasya Loka.
When? Instantaneously.
So,
not even by Tapasya.
What about charity,
service to the humanity?
Atmano Mokshartham Jagathita
Echa? No, sir.
Not by, even if you give
the whole thing, nothing
can be obtained. Why? Because
you were created by God,
the things which you obtained
were created by God and
God only has given you
Shraddha that
I should give away
whatever help I could do
to other people and you are
able to continue it only
because of God's grace.
He produces tremendous
amount of knowledge. He also
produces tremendous amount
of joy as a result of
your philanthropy, your
Dhaana and Dharma and
all those things, helping other people
etc. Nothing belongs
to you. So, do not
take any credit
for that. What about
Ijjaya? Not by
any amount of Yajnas,
Yagas, what we call
our modern pujas,
pilgrimages, any amount of
any effort through
mind, through speech,
through body action.
No, sir. By finite
means, infinite
can never be achieved.
That is a
great lesson we have to learn.
Then, should we not do all
these things? You will do
as much as you can. Not
one. All these things one must
do. There are many devotees
who go on doing lot of
Japam, but they are most miserly
in this world. They are only
counting millions and
they don't even ask others.
Sometimes they ask,
do you require anything?
No self-respecting person
will ever open his mouth
and say, I want this
thing, please provide it to me.
Stupid people,
they go on, they go, we asked
but he said, no, no, no,
we don't need anything.
Any sadhu, any devotee
he will never open his mouth
and say. It is for you to say
you may have your own private
desires or some wants
and it is
our great privilege
that we will be able to
do you whatever
we want. That too,
Shiva Dnane Jiva Shiva.
We have to do it with faith
and that is the proper means
but there are so many
they are thinking their children,
their grandchildren, great-grandchildren,
they are thinking
everything except in doing. Occasionally
they do a little bit of
charity and think
they certify themselves.
We are greatest devotees of God.
It is God
who has to certify and how
He is going to certify is going
to be the discussion tomorrow morning
in the twelfth chapter.
So, oh Arjuna, it is impossible.
Then, what
shall I do? Arjuna,
if he asks, we ask,
then the Lord is telling,
Bhakthiyatu ananyaya shakya
aham evam vidho Arjuna
gnatum drastuncha
tattvena praveshtuncha
parantapa. But, oh Arjuna,
by devotion to me
alone, may I be known
in this form. Oh Arjuna,
I will be realized truly
and entered into.
Oh dreaded prince,
now he is telling parantapa,
conqueror of the everybody
because I already
have conquered all of them
on your behalf. You can show
all your valor now because
it is only a drama.
The fact has already been
taken place. What is the Lord
telling? Hey parantapa,
hey Arjuna, aham
me evam vidho
in this form that you had
seen earlier, tattvena
in truth, gnatum cha
drastuncha praveshtuncha
gnatum, even to know
truthfully, really
drastun
and much less not only to know,
understand, but to see
with one's own eyes. Not
only to see as another object
praveshtuncha
that there is no difference between
the wave and the ocean,
between the bubble and the
wave. Everything is nothing
but water, not small,
not big. Water
is water. There is no difference
between the bubble,
the wave and then the ocean.
Everything is nothing
but pure water. So to
know, to see, to
realize and to become one with
the divine Lord and it
is possible only through
one way. You may be a
jnani, you may be a yogi,
you may be a great karma yogi,
you may be anything
but ananyaya
bhaktya tu shakyaha
possible to know
me and to realize
me and to become one
with me, there is only one means.
What does that mean?
Na anyaya bhakta. Ananyaya
means that I have bhakti,
we have bhakti a little bit
for God, we have bhakti to
eat rasagulla, we have a little
bit of devotion to dress,
a bit of what is called
love for our family members,
love for everybody else
but no sir. One
pointed devotion,
accepting for the divine Lord,
if you divide even
by one hair's width,
99.99%
I love God
but 1%
I love something else,
not possible. Sri Ramakrishna
used to illustrate this that if
you want to thread a needle,
even if one fiber is sticking out,
you can never
thread the eye of the needle.
So, O Arjuna,
the only way is
what is called paravakthi
and our endeavour
should be to obtain that
paravakthi.
How to obtain? So, the Lord
is wrapping up in this
55th shloka
Madhkarmakrit
Madhparamu
Maddhakthah Sangavarjithah
Nirvairah Sarvabhuteshu
Yah Samam
Eti Pandavah
O Arjuna, Pandava,
he who does all works
for my sake, who looks
upon me as the only
supreme goal, he who
is completely devoted
to me, he who is
without any attachment,
any type of love,
any type of longing,
any type of desire for
anything in this world
and also without
hatred for any creature in this
world. He neither has attached
raga nor dvesha.
He has neither friends nor
enemies. I am the friend,
I am the enemy, I am the
beloved, I am the torment,
I am the most
happiness, I am the unhappiness.
Everything
is centered around me.
Only when a person
becomes such a
great bhakta, then only
he comes to me,
he becomes one with me
and then that
will be the end of human
samsara and
he will become Brahma with
Brahmaiva bhavati.
This beautiful thing we will
discuss a little bit tomorrow
and also start the
twelfth. So this
last verse, hey Pandava
yaha, such a
person, mat karmakrit
all actions
he will do for my pleasure
mat paramaha
I am the only goal
he doesn't see anything else
excepting me. Sangavarjita
he is not attached to
anything in this world
Sarvabhuteshu
Nirvairaha. There is no
enemy at all for such a person
because
like Kamsa seeing only
Krishna after the Akashavani
like Radha who
sees only Krishna everywhere
like Sri Ram Krishna who
sees only Divine Mother Kali
everywhere. Mat bhakta
my devotee remains
like that
becomes the greatest devotee
and what is the
result?
He will obtain
very briefly. We will discuss
it tomorrow morning and start
also the twelfth chapter
Om Vasudevasudham
Devam
Kamsachanuram
Arthanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Krishnam Vande
Jagadguru
May Sri Ram Krishna
Holy Mother and Swami
Vekananda bless us all
with bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 15 on 28 November 2020

2026-11-01T20:00:27Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Corrected) ==

=== Subject: Chapter 11, Verses 40 - 45. ===

=== Recollection: ===
So, we continue to discuss the 11th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

Arjuna passes through various emotions.

# First, the Lord grants him the Divine Chakshu/Divine Vision.
# Arjuna experiences seeing the universe through the Divine Vision. Arjuna begins to see the universe in the light of Divine vision. What does he experience? He sees God everywhere. Previously, I thought God was somewhere. Now, I see God everywhere. An ordinary human being, a living being, an inert thing, a river, a mountain, or a table is nothing but the Divine Lord Himself. He becomes joyful to experience this.
# Now Arjuna experiences the destruction aspect. The process of creation, preservation and destruction goes on throughout the world. Billions of creatures take birth and die every millisecond. Billions of new creatures are coming. Arjuna could not swallow the fact of death/dissolution called Pralaya. It creates terrible fear.
# At the same time, there is a piece of good news. What is the good news? Arjuna does not know the outcome of the war. Sri Krishna assures him. Shri Krishna says, “Do not fear. Your enemies are already dead in time. You act as an instrument. You will be victorious. You will have the fame of winning this war”. What do the sadhakas/spiritual aspirants longing for God's realisation need to remember? God will not only appear as a smiling face of Ista-Devata/Chosen Deity. (We see Shri Ram and Krishna with a mesmerising smile - मन्द मन्दहसितम् Mandamandahasitam.) Arjuna experiences Shiva's Rudra-Tandava-Nithya. We need to take a composite picture of the world. The manifestations and non-manifestations happen simultaneously.
# Arjuna experiences that death is inevitable. Lord Krishna says, “O, Arjuna, nobody lives forever. Not only Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Duryodhana, Dushasana and Kauravas will die, but your army will also die.” Arjuna gets frightened.
# The personal, friendly and loving Saumyamurti of Krishna changed to impersonal and Rudramurti. We read in Chandi. The Divine Mother is everything.

<blockquote>'''Daya roopena samsthita.'''

'''Matru roopena samsthita.'''

(At the same time)

'''Nasha roopena samsthita.'''

'''Laya roopena samsthita.'''

(Not only, Srishti sthithi laya.)

'''Srishti sthithi vinasha naam.'''

'''Shakti bhute sanatani.'''

'''Srishti sthithi vinasha.'''</blockquote>

Arjuna experiences - the world originates from God, lives in God and goes back to God. What do we need to learn? Our friends and family come together like small sticks in a fast-flowing stream. These sticks separate and rejoin. We separate in time to rejoin again in our next birth. We have not been able to grasp this beautiful fact.

7. Arjuna has Divya-Chakshu granted by Bhagwan Krishna.

Arjuna is fortunate. Shri Krishna grants him Divine Eyes. Arjuna experiences the Universal Form of the Divine Lord.

<blockquote>न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा |

दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् || C11, V8||

na tu māṁ śhakyase draṣhṭum anenaiva sva-chakṣhuṣhā

divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram</blockquote>

Divya-Chakshu means divine knowledge. Chakshu stands for knowledge. What is this knowledge? There is no you or me. Everything is One/Divine Lord. Shri Krishna says, “I am the father, mother, grandfather, protector, sustainer and substratum. I am this whole universe.” That is a difficult concept for us to swallow. We can say Bhagavan Krishna gives this Amrita Vani through Arjuna. Ramakrishna gave the same immortal message through Swami Vivekananda.

Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda - Universal Vision:

Narendra Nath (Swami Vivekananda) wanted to experience God. One day, Ramakrishna touched him. Instantaneously, the whole world started melting away. The individuality of Narendra Nath dissolved. Narendra was fully conscious of it. (That is the difference. We become unconscious if we get dizzy.) Here, Narendra became super conscious. What was it? The many is melting into the One. He could not stand it. He thought that he was losing his individuality. There is another parallel illustration.

Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda - A Fly at the Edge of an Amrit-Kalash/Vessel of Spiritual Nectar:

One day, Shri Ramakrishna pointedly asked Narendra Nath, “Imagine, my child, you are a small fly sitting on the edge of a huge vessel of Amrita/Nectar. How will you drink that nectar? Narendra Nath replied, “I will sit very cautiously on the edge. I will stretch my tongue and slowly lick the Amrita.” Shri Ramakrishna said, “If you abandon all your caution and freely start licking it. What will happen?” “Sir, I will fall and drown in the nectar and may die”, replied Narendra Nath. Instaneously, the correction came. Ramakrishna said, “My child, this is not an ordinary liquid this is Amrita Dhara/Nectar of Immortality. Whoever falls into it will become Amrita/Immortal”. Swami Vivekananda listened to this carefully. He realised this truth later on by his own experience. The moral of this story is that it is impossible to understand these truths except by our own experience.

8. Arjuna gets the knowledge that Everything is the manifestation of the Divine Lord. Arjuna recognises that there is no other reality besides the Divine Lord Krishna. There is no I, you or anything, living, non-living.

Everything is that One manifesting through names and forms. Arjuna sees that One Divinity pervades everywhere. He salutes The Divine Lord again and again with immense devotion. (Please see the transcript of the Chapter 11, Part 14.)

<blockquote>नम: पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व |

अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्व: || 40||

namaḥ purastād atha pṛiṣhṭhatas te

namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva

ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ

sarvaṁ samāpnoṣhi tato ’si sarvaḥ</blockquote>

namaḥ—offering salutations; purastāt—from the front; atha—and; pṛiṣhṭhataḥ—the rear; te—to You; namaḥ astu—I offer my salutations; te—to You; sarvataḥ—from all sides; eva—indeed; sarva—all; ananta-vīrya—infinite power; amita-vikramaḥ—infinite valour and might; tvam—You; sarvam—everything; samāpnoṣhi—pervade; tataḥ—thus; asi—(You) are; sarvaḥ—everything

Translation: O Lord of infinite power, my salutations to You from the front and the rear, indeed from all sides, above, below, left right! You possess infinite valour and might and pervade everything, and thus, You are everything.

Shri Ramakrishna - The First Vision of Mother Kali:

As we know, Shri Ramakrishna graphically described his first vision. Shri Ramakrishna was extremely eager to have a vision of the Divine Mother. He did not have to wait very long. He described his first vision of the Mother: "I felt as if my heart was being squeezed like a wet towel. A great restlessness overpowered me. I was fearful. That it might not be my fortune to realise Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. I longed for the vision of the Divine Mother. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly, my glance fell on the sword kept in the Mother's temple. I was determined to put an end to my life. When I jumped up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself to me. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever. I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all sides with a terrific noise to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world, I did not know. But within me, there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother. The waves of consciousness started pouring into me. I was struggling not to lose my consciousness. In the end, these waves overpowered me. I became unconscious. On his lips when he regained consciousness of the world was the word "Mother". Interesting to note the paradox - pure consciousness made Shri Ramakrishna unconscious. What does it mean? Is it like a having a fit? Is it possible? No! What really happened, pure consciousness made him lose all sense of duality. The world and God both disappeared and became One pure undivided consciousness.

Coming back to Arjuna:

Arjuna expresses his wonderment and salutes Shri Krishna again and again. He sees God on his right side, left side, above, below, back and front. Pure Consciousness/God permeates everything. Arjuna’s first reaction is आश्चर्य Ashcharya/wonderment, second reaction is Bhaya/terrific fright. He gets the glimpse of the Divine knowledge but could not retain it. What is his third emotion? Please refer to the transcript of the Chapter 11, Part 14.)

<blockquote>सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं, हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति |

अजानता महिमानं तवेदं, मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि || 41||

यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि, विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु |

एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं, तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् || 42||

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ

hey kṛiṣhṇa hey yādava hey sakheti

ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ

mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi

yach chāvahāsārtham asat-kṛito ’si

vihāra-śhayyāsana-bhojaneṣhu

eko ’tha vāpy achyuta tat-samakṣhaṁ

tat kṣhāmaye tvām aham aprameyam</blockquote>Translation: Thinking of You as my friend, I presumptuously addressed You as, “O Krishna,” “O Yadav,” “O my dear Friend.” I was ignorant of Your majesty, showing negligence and undue affection. And if, zestfully, I treated You with disrespect, while playing, resting, sitting, eating, when alone, or before others—for all that I crave forgiveness.

I mentioned in my last class. Arjuna says, “O, Lord, pardon me. In the past, before this Vishroopa-Darshna, I was ignorant of Your Supreme nature. You are Srishti-Karta. I overlooked your divinity. I called you by many names when alone or before others as Hey Yadava, Hey Krishna, Hey Sakha, and Yaduvanshaya (Belonging to the lineage of the Yadu family). I might have treated You with disrespect at times. Please forgive me.” There is a beautiful song in Bengali. O, Lord, if you do not reveal Yourself to us. How is it possible for us to know You? Vedas, Upanishads and scriptures are searching only in darkness. Why darkness? Because intellectual knowledge is nothing but pure darkness. Arjuna lived with the Divine Lord and treated Him as an ordinary man, his friend and relative. He failed to acknowledge Krishna’s divinity. Is there any need to ask for forgiveness? No! Because the mother understands her child's mind better than the child himself. Sometimes the child quarrels with his mother but the mother only loves the child much more. Arjuna is feeling guilty. Lord Krishna forgave him long ago. How do we know? Arjuna was calling him all these names and Krishna always used to smile.

Arjuna says in the end (Chapter 18, Verse 73): It is ‘By Your Grace’ I see your Universal Form.

अर्जुन उवाच |

नष्टो मोह: स्मृतिर्लब्धा त्वत्प्रसादान्मयाच्युत |

स्थितोऽस्मि गतसन्देह: करिष्ये वचनं तव || 73||

arjuna uvācha

naṣhṭo mohaḥ smṛitir labdhā tvat-prasādān mayāchyuta

sthito ‘smi gata-sandehaḥ kariṣhye vachanaṁ tava

Arjun says: O Infallible One, by Your grace my illusion has been dispelled, and I am situated in knowledge. I am now free from doubts, and I shall act according to Your instructions.

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ

hey kṛiṣhṇa hey yādava hey sakheti

Arjuna says, “Hey Krishna, Hey Yadava, Hey Sakheti.”

ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ

mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi

yach chāvahāsārtham asat-kṛito ’si

vihāra-śhayyāsana-bhojaneṣhu

eko ’tha vāpy achyuta tat-samakṣhaṁ

tat kṣhāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

sakhā—friend; iti—as; matvā—thinking; prasabham—presumptuously; yat—whatever; uktam—addressed; he kṛiṣhṇa—O Shree Krishna; he yādava—O Shree Krishna, who was born in the Yadu clan; he sakhe—O my dear friend; iti—thus; ajānatā—in ignorance; mahimānam—majesty; tava—your; idam—this; mayā—by me; pramādāt—out of negligence; praṇayena—out of affection; vā api—or else; yat—whatever; cha—also; avahāsa-artham—humorously; asat-kṛitaḥ—disrespectfully; asi—you were; vihāra—while at play; śhayyā—while resting; āsana—while sitting; bhojaneṣhu—while eating; ekaḥ—(when) alone; athavā—or; api—even; achyuta—an epithet of Krishna, the infallible one, You do not slip away from Your Swaroopa; tat-samakṣham—before others; tat—all that; kṣhāmaye—beg for forgiveness; tvām—from you; aham—I; aprameyam—immeasurable.

Arjuna says, “O, Krishna, thinking of You as my friend, I presumptuously addressed You as, “O Krishna,” “O Yadav,” “O my dear Friend.” I was ignorant of Your majesty, showing negligence and undue affection. And if, zestfully, I treated You with disrespect, while playing, resting, sitting, eating, when alone, or before others—for all that I crave forgiveness.”

There are two beautiful words in the Verse. Arjuna says, “I did what I did due to negligence and deep love.”

1) pramādāt—out of negligence: I did what I did due to negligence.

2) praṇayena—out of affection/deep love.

achyuta—an epithet of Krishna, the infallible one, You do not slip away from Your Swaroopa. You know who You are. You also know who I am. We see in the Fourth Chapter. Arjuna expresses his astonishment and Shri Krishna answers.

अर्जुन उवाच |

अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: |

कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति || 4||

arjuna uvācha

aparaṁ bhavato janma paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ

katham etad vijānīyāṁ tvam ādau proktavān iti

Arjun says: You were born much after Vivasvan. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन |

तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप || 5||

śhrī bhagavān uvācha

bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna

tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

The Supreme Lord says: Both you and I have had many births, O Arjun. You have forgotten them, while I remember them all, O Parantapa.

An incarnation always brings some of His intimate companions:

All of them may not have the same role as was in the previous incarnations. Maybe we can say that sometimes one person is made more important than others. At some other point, another person is made more significant. Shri Ramakrishna used to say about Swami Ramakrishnanandaji and Sharadanandaji that they were two of the direct disciples of Jesus Christ - probably Peter and somebody else. We do not know. Swami Vivekananda is considered the Paul of Shri Ramakrishna.

Shri Ramakrishna and Shiva-Linga: Shiva-Mahina-Strotam.

(Please refer to the transcript of The Chapter 10, Part 1.)

There is a beautiful incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. As we know, in Dakshineshwar, there are three types of temples. The main temple, of course, is the temple of the Divine Mother Kali. Then there is a small Radha-Krishna temple on the way. On the backs of the Ganga, there are individual small twelve Shiva temples, six on one side and six on the other side. One day Sri Ramakrishna went to one of the Shiva temples. He was overcome by a bhava/spiritual emotion. So, he embraced the Shiva Linga because Shiva-Linga is the glory of Shiva. (Interestingly, we cannot embrace an image of Lord Vishnu anywhere in this world. But, we can embrace, pour water, and offer Belva leaves on the Shiva-Linga.) Sri Ramakrishna went to the Shiva temple, embraced the Shiva-Linga with great devotion and started singing one of the verses from the Shiva-Mahina-Strotam.

asita-giri-samaṁ syāt kajjalaṁ sindhu-pātre

sura-taruvara-śākhā lekhanī patramurvī |

likhati yadi gṛhītvā śāradā sarvakālaṁ

tadapi tava guṇānāmīśa pāraṁ na yāti || 32 ||

[O, Lord even if Mother Saraswathi takes the entire waters of the ocean as the ink, the branch of a beautiful tree in the celestial regions as Her pen, the whole earth itself as the paper and starts writing Your glories for an infinity of time or eternity. She is not going to come to the end of Your glory.]

Sri Ramakrishna was singing the stotram and fainted. At that time, people thought that Sri Ramakrishna was a mad person and they might have harmed him. Fortunately, Mathur-Babu happened to be there and understood the situation. He said, “If you desire to keep your head on your shoulders, do not go near him.” He was capable of doing it. They were frightened and moved away. Mathur-Babu stayed to protect Sri Ramakrishna until he regained consciousness.

Sri Ramakrishna saw so many people staring at him, and he got confused and asked, “What is happening?” Mathur Babu said, “Baba, they all came to see you. I am standing here to protect you from any unexpected harm.” Mathur-Babu did not tell Sri Ramakrishna about the mentality of people.

There is a beautiful Bengali song: "Who can know Mother Kali? Even the six schools of philosophy and all the scriptures in the world fail to describe You." The impersonal aspect of The Divine cannot be described. All descriptions relate to the personal aspect of the Divine. We sing Prathasmarana Stotram and Khandana Bhava Bandhana Jag Vandana Vandi Tomaye (You are the breaker of all bondages. Salutations to You) with similar expressions. Mind and speech cannot reach or express God. God cannot be measured. He is infinite and infinity cannot be measured.

The recording time is 30 minutes approx.

Arjuna expresses his gratitude, “O, Lord, You are the infinite. I see Your Universal Form by Your grace only. I might have insulted You. That is all Your Maya. You did not impart that knowledge earlier to me. That is Your Divine Play. You are everything and everywhere. Nothing else exists except You and You only. An evil person tortures or kills others. The evil person and the killed person are You only. If someone thinks that he is the killer or killed, both are ignorant.”

Story of Jesus Christ and A Man: “You fed Me, gifted Me and served Me.”

Jesus Christ says, “Whosoever has fed a hungry person, gifted clothes to a poor person or comforted a person in distress has served Me.” What does Jesus Christ mean by saying Me? There is a beautiful story to explain this phrase. There was a good and generous person. He died and went to heaven. He met Jesus Christ there. Jesus Christ smiled and lovingly embraced him. Jesus said, “My friend, come, you did so much good to Me.” The man said, “Lord, I do not remember meeting or serving You.” Jesus smiled and replied, “Did not you feed some hungry people?” “Yes, I did,” replied the man humbly. Jesus said, “You fed Me only.” Jesus asked him, “Did you not gift some clothes to people in need?” “Yes, I did”, replied the man. “That was Me in the form of those people. You gifted to Me,” replied Jesus. Jesus asked him again, “Did you not serve some people in distress?” “Yes, I did,” replied the man. “Those ill people were no one else than Me,” Jesus replied.

Arjuna says: <blockquote>पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य त्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् |

न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिक: कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव || 43||

pitāsi lokasya charācharasya

tvam asya pūjyaśh cha gurur garīyān

na tvat-samo ’sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto ’nyo

loka-traye ’py apratima-prabhāva</blockquote>pitā—the father; asi—You are; lokasya—of the entire universe; chara—moving; acharasya—nonmoving; tvam—You; asya—of this; pūjyaḥ—worship-able; cha—and; guruḥ—spiritual master; garīyān—glorious; na—not; tvat-samaḥ—equal to You; asti—is; abhyadhikaḥ—greater; kutaḥ—who is; anyaḥ—other; loka-traye—in the three worlds; api—even; apratima-prabhāva—possessor of incomparable power

In the 7th, 9th and especially the 10th Chapter - the Lord categorically declares, “I am the father. I am the mother. The universe comes out from Me. I am the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the universe.” Arjuna hears these teachings from the Lord. Arjuna says (in this Eleventh Chapter), “I believe it. It is merely an intellectual knowledge at the moment. I wish to experience this.” The Divine Lord grants him Divya-Chakshu. (Divya-Chakshu means spiritual insight.)

Translation: Arjuna says, “You are the Father of the entire universe, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are the most deserving object of worship and the Supreme Spiritual Master/most venerable teacher. When there is none equal to You in all the three worlds, then who can possibly be greater than You, O Possessor of incomparable power?

pitā—the father; asi—You are; lokasya—of the entire universe: You are the Father of the entire universe.

chara—moving; acharasya—nonmoving: What does moving and non-moving mean? Living creatures such as humans, birds, animals, and insects move, and some like trees and plants do not move. So, there are moving and non-moving living creatures. The mountains and the earth appear to be non-moving. According to Vedanta, the whole universe is made up of five elements. What are these five elements? Space, air, fire, water and earth. (These five cosmic elements are non-living and non-moving for a scientist.) Hindus worship these five elements. Five temples of South India known as Akashalinga, Vayulinga, Agnilinga Jalalinga and Bhulinga worship five cosmic elements. These temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The universe is a manifestation of the Divine Lord. How can anyone make a distinction between the living and non-living? Everything is divine. We can recollect an incident from the Life of Shri Ramakrishna.

Shri Ramakrishna and a Jumping Stone:

One day, Shri Ramakrishna narrated an incident to his devotees. Shri Ramakrishna said, “One day, I was walking on the banks of the Ganga. I felt as if someone was following me. I looked back, but nothing was there. I walked a bit further and got the same feeling that someone was behind me. I looked back. I was astonished. I saw a big stone jumping and following me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at it. I started walking again. What do I see? The stone was jumping and following me.” Later on, he said,” Who can dare to understand the Divine Play? What is living, and what is non-living?” Everything is divine. That is why: Hindus worship mountains, rivers, animals, plants and nature. A lion, a tiger, a snake, a cow, and a humble mouse are associated with our Deities. We worship them with reverence.

pitā—the father; asi—You are; lokasya—of the entire universe: Arjuna says, “You are the originator of the universe.

tvam—You; asya—of this; pūjyaḥ—worship-able: O, Lord, You are the originator, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather and everything. You are the most deserving object of worship In the world. cha—and; guruḥ—spiritual master: You are the spiritual Master/ venerable teacher. We chant a beautiful verse:

मातृ देवो भव।पितृ देवो भव।

आचार्य देवो भव।अतिथि देवो भव॥

Maathru Devo Bhava Pithru Devo Bhava

Aacharya Devo Bhava Athidhi Devo Bhava.

Honour thy Mother as God. Honour thy Father as God.

Honour thy Teacher as God. Honour thy Guest as God.

(Taittiriya Upanishad [तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्])

guruḥ—spiritual master; garīyān—glorious: You are the greatest teacher. Why? Who created the Vedas? Bhagawan. Who propagated the Vedas? The Divine Lord/God. How do we know? We read in the Mundaka Upanishad.

Guru-Shishya-Parampara/Teacher-Disciple-Tradition:

ओं । ब्रह्मा देवानां प्रथमः संबभूव विश्वस्यकर्ता भुवनस्य गोप्ता ।

स ब्रह्मविद्यां सर्वविद्याप्रतिष्ठामथर्वाय ज्येष्ठपुत्राय प्राह ॥ १ ॥

oṃ | brahmā devānāṃ prathamaḥ saṃbabhūva viśvasyakartā bhuvanasya goptā |

sa brahmavidyāṃ sarvavidyāpratiṣṭhāmatharvāya jyeṣṭhaputrāya prāha || 1.1.1 || Mundaka-Upanishad

[Brahma was the first among the Devas. He is the creator of the universe and the protector of the world. He taught the knowledge of Brahman, on which all knowledge rests, to his eldest son.]

Spiritual knowledge propagates through Guru-Shishya-Parampara/Teacher-Disciple tradition. We praise this tradition.

Sada Shiva Samarambham Sankarachaarya Madhyamam

Asmat aacharya Paryantham Vande Guru Paramparaa"

[From the first Guru, Sada Shiva, in the middle is Shankaracharya. My Guru is in the end. I bow in front of this Guru lineage. The first Guru is Brahman.]

In our case, we can say: Brahman -> Narayana -> Vedavyasa -> Shuka Brahma Rishi-> Goudapadacharya -> Govindacharya -> Shankaracharya -> Shri Ramakrishna. The Eternal First Guru is only the Divine Lord. He is the greatest teacher in the world.

na—not; tvat-samaḥ—equal to You; asti—is: There is no one equal to You/The Divine Lord. No one can be compared to You. You are everything.

abhyadhikaḥ—greater; kutaḥ—who is; anyaḥ—other; loka-traye—in the three worlds; api—even; apratima-prabhāva—possessor of incomparable power: When there is none equal to You in all the three worlds, then who can possibly be greater than You, O Possessor of incomparable power?

Bhagwan Krishna declares at the very end of the Tenth Chapter

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |

तत्देवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंऽशसम्भवम् || C10, V41||

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śhrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagachchha tvaṁ mama tejo ’nśha-sambhavam

[Whatever you see as beautiful, glorious, and powerful, know it to spring from Me but a spark of My splendour.] We must learn to say, “O, Lord, I do not exist. No one else exists. You manifest in the form of the universe - only You exist.” There are good qualities in each individual. We should never feel envious, degrade anyone or harm anyone. This reminds me of a beautiful story told by Shri Ramakrishna.

# Mother Parvati is everywhere - Maa, Baby Ganesha and a Cat.

Some people have very shallow ideas about Lord Ganesha. Shri Ramakrishna narrated a story of Ganesha from the Puranas. Why is Ganesha one of the greatest gods? How did He become one of the greatest knowers of Brahman?

When Lord Ganesha was a small child, Mother Parvati loved Him like any other Mother. One day Ganesha was playing outside. He saw a cat passing by the side. He got hold of the cat and started playing with the cat in a very rough way. The cat got injured, and at last, the cat managed to escape with scratches all over its body.

As Ganesha got hungry, He went inside to eat his dinner. He was surprised to see that Mother Parvati's body was full of scratches and wounds. When Ganesha saw his Mother, He felt terrible pain. He loved his Mother very much. He used to consider his Mother as the Divine Mother.

He asked, "Mother, who did this to You?

Mother replied, "Why are you asking? You have done this to Me.

Baby Ganesh said, "When did I do this?

Mother replied, "When you scratched the cat, then you scratched Me because I dwell in all beings - I am सर्वांतरात्मा Sarvantaratma. Yaa Devi Sarvabhutesu, Matrarupena sansthitha.

Baby Ganesha understood - "My Mother is all-pervading, and everything is the manifestation of My Mother."

So when He grew up, he could not marry because he saw his Mother in all women - as Mother Parvati resides in all human beings.

Sri Ramakrishna says: “You should look upon every female as your mother.” It does not mean only mother. O, Lord, You are the female, the male, a baby, a young man, an elderly man and everything. Bhagwan manifests as the world but does not undergo any change. Yes! It is only a divine play of light and shadow.

We come to a most beautiful verse. Arjuna says:<blockquote>तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् |

पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्यु: प्रिय: प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् || 44||

tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ

prasādaye tvām aham īśham īḍyam

piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ

priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum </blockquote>tasmāt—therefore; praṇamya—bowing down; praṇidhāya—prostrating; kāyam—the body; prasādaye—to implore grace; tvām—your; aham—I; īśham—the Supreme Lord; īḍyam—adorable; pitā—father; iva—as; putrasya—with a son; sakhā—friend; iva—as; sakhyuḥ—with a friend; priyaḥ—a lover; priyāyāḥ—with the beloved; arhasi—you should; deva—Lord; soḍhum—forgive

tasmat pranamya pranidhaya kayam

prasadaye tvam aham isham idyam

piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuh

priyah priyayarhasi deva sodhum

Translation: Arjuna says: Therefore,O adorable Lord, bowing down and prostrating before You, I implore You for Your grace. As a father tolerates his son, a friend forgives his friend, and a lover pardons the beloved, please forgive me for my offences.

We see three beautiful examples in this verse.

# Father/Mother and a Child: The parents patiently put up with the ignorant child's pranks. The child kicks his mother, and in return, she hugs him.
# A friend with a Friend: A friend should understand and forgive his friend. How could a friend ever get angry? If any friend gets angry and takes offence, we should know that the person is not a friend at all.
# A lover and the beloved: A lover should never get angry with the beloved. Why? Because there is no place for anger in pure love. The lover should see - Everything that the beloved does is nothing but pure love play.

We have discussed a beautiful story of Sage Bhrigu.

Story of Lord Venkateshwara:

(Please refer to the transcript of the Chapter 10, Part 8.)

Venkateswara, is known by various other names. He is the Hindu God [[Vishnu]]. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple]] located in [[Tirupati]], Sri Balaji District, [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]].

Briefly, the legend is like this. Once, the sages wanted to decide - who is the greatest among the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Sages gave this project to Rishi Bhrigu to accomplish.

Rishi Bhrigu went to the King of Swarga-Loka Indra. Indra ignored him. Bhrigu cursed Indra that he would be only referred to as an egoistic soul all over the universe. Next, he visited Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. Brahma and Shiva ignored him as well. He got angry and said, "Your devotees will worship You as Lingam."

At last, Bhrigu went to Lord Vishnu at Vaikuntha. Lord Vishnu was sleeping on Adhishesha, and Goddess Lakshmi was at His feet. When Bhrigu arrived, he saw Lord Vishnu’s feet and felt humiliated. Enraged, he kicked Vishnu in His chest with his right foot. (Bhrigu has a third eye on his right foot.) Awakened by this, Vishnu saw Bhrigu. Lord Vishnu apologised, served him with great hospitality and started massaging his feet. (During the process, Lord Vishnu pressed out the eye of his right foot. As a result, Bhrigu’s arrogance disappeared.) Bhrigu was pleased and ordered the sages to perform rituals to Vishnu. Seeing this, Devi Lakshmi felt that Bhrigu insulted Her indirectly by hitting Vishnu on His chest. (She lives in the heart of Lord Vishnu as a beautiful jewel named Kaustubha/Sri-Ankita.) Lord Vishnu tried to console Her. Lord Narayana said, “Devi, Brighu is our child. You are his mother. Mothers do not get angry when a child does something wrong. Please forgive him. But Devi Lakshmi decided to leave Vaikuntha.

Goddess Lakshmi descended on Earth and settled in disguise. (Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth.) Vishnu soon arrived on Earth searching for His consort. It is a beautiful long tale. In short, Lakshmi was born as a princess, and Lord Vishnu was born as a son of a poor lady. His name was Srinivasa. Both fell in love and decided to get married. Srinivasan/Vishnu needed to borrow riches from Kubera to get married. He promised to repay the loan with interest. How? By the help of His devotees. Thousands of devotees donate money, jewellery, hair etc. at this temple. (Donated hair is sold to make wigs all over the world.) Lord Venkateswara temple is the wealthiest temple in India.

Lord Vishnu - Venkateswara is the presiding deity of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple located on Tirumala Hill in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India. (मला Mala means hill and तिरू Tiru means Shree.) Every year, hundreds of thousands of devotees donate a large amount of wealth at the Tirupati Temple. The above legend provides the reason for it. Lord Vishnu is paying the interest of His debt from Kubera. So every year with great difficulty and with the help of His devotees, He pays only the interest, the capital remains the same.

What is the symbolism of the story?

If the Lord pays off the capital, He will not stay here but return to Vaikuntha. The devotees would like Lord Vishnu to stay here. Why? The Lord blesses us and fulfils our desires. We delightfully donate some money, hair, jewellery, land etc. towards His debts. So that He continues to stay with us.

The essence is: Kubera is the wealthiest person by proxy. What does it mean? Whenever we meet a wealthy person, we should salute the person and think. How did he acquire his wealth? He must be an intelligent and hard-working man. (Intelligence and hard work are the main requirements to achieve anything.) Of course, he must have done some noble deeds in this life and previous lives. Having wealth is not a bad thing. However, two conditions must be fulfilled. 1) Firstly, we should not acquire wealth through crookedness, cleverness, or by hook or crook. 2) Secondly, we must remember - that everything belongs to God. We should offer our money back to God. How? In the form of service to humanity. A wealthy person is noble - when these two conditions are fulfilled. If not, he will go through terrible suffering and eventually learn his lesson. For all of us, an extraordinary manifestation in the form of wealth, knowledge, intelligence, or any form is the manifestation of the Divine Lord. <blockquote>अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे |

तदेव मे दर्शय देवरूपं प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास || 45||

adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛiṣhito ’smi dṛiṣhṭvā

bhayena cha pravyathitaṁ mano me

tad eva me darśhaya deva rūpaṁ

prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa</blockquote>adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam—that which has not been seen before; hṛiṣhitaḥ—great joy; asmi—I am; dṛiṣhṭvā—having seen; bhayena—with fear; cha—yet; pravyathitam—my mind trembles with fear; manaḥ—mind; me—my; tat—that; eva—certainly; me—to me; darśhaya—show; deva—Lord; rūpam—form; prasīda—please have mercy on me; deva-īśha—God of gods; jagat-nivāsa—abode of the universe.The universe is created and sustained by You. You pervade in the universe everywhere.

Translation: Having seen Your universal form that I had never seen before, I feel great joy. And yet, my mind trembles with fear. Please have mercy on me and again show me Your pleasing form, O God of gods, O Abode of the universe.

That is a beautiful description. Arjuna is frightened. He enjoyed the Universal Form for some time. But he is terrified now and can not hold it any longer.

Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Brahmanandaji:

I remember an incident from the life of Swami Brahmanandaji. One day, Swami went to the Dakshineshwar temple. He sat down and started meditating. Swami did not get any joy and became restless. So, he got up and returned to the room of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna asked, “My son, why did you return so soon?” “I cannot concentrate and meditate today. My mind is restless”, replied Swami. (Imagine! If Swami Brahmananda could not meditate. So, we should not blame ourselves when our minds wander around.That does not mean that we relax. It means it is a common factor, and we should train our minds with repeated practice. In the sixth chapter, the Lord says, “O, Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control like blowing wind. Constant practice and renunciation can control the mind”.)

Arjuna's mind could not hold this divine form. Because it created joy, surprise and a very high emotional mode of fear. Arjuna says:

Arjuna says:<blockquote>किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त- मिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव |

तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते || 46||

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakra-hastam

ichchhāmi tvāṁ draṣhṭum ahaṁ tathaiva

tenaiva rūpeṇa chatur-bhujena

sahasra-bāho bhava viśhva-mūrte</blockquote>Translation: O Thousand-armed One, though You are the embodiment of all creation, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, carrying the mace and disc, and wearing the crown.

kirīṭinam—wearing the beautiful diadem/crown; gadinam—carrying the mace; chakra-hastam—disc in hand; ichchhāmi—I wish; tvām—You; draṣhṭum—to see; aham—I; tathā eva—similarly; tena eva—in that; rūpeṇa—form; chatuḥ-bhujena—four-armed; sahasra-bāho—thousand-armed one; bhava—be; viśhwa-mūrte—universal form.

O, Lord, You are with billions of hands, legs, bellies, faces, mouths, heads, eyes and billions of ears. What does it mean? Every creature is none other than the manifestation of the Divine Lord. Arjuna is terrified.

viśhwa-mūrte—universal form: Arjuna says, “I behold You as Vishwamurti by Your grace.

rūpeṇa—form; chatuḥ-bhujena—four-armed: “Please withdraw Your Universal Form. O, Abode of the Universe, please be gracious to me. I wish to see You in Your pacifying, joy-giving Four-Hands-Form with conch, disc, mace and lotus.

Many people misinterpreted this verse. We will discuss this in our next class.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 14 on 22 November 2020

2026-11-01T20:00:06Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvo Panishadho Gavo Dhogdha Gopalanandana
Artho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dubdham Geetha Amritam Mahat
Mookam Karuthi Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Kirim
Yath Kripa Tamaham Vande Paramananda Madhavam
We will be continuing studying the Bhagavad Gita 11th chapter.
Yesterday we had studied a most beautiful shloka.
Arjuna, he was overcome with bhakti now.
First it was surprise, he was seeing such wonderful things in that Vishwaroopa, universal form.
Then he was terrified.
We discussed that point. Why was he terrified?
Because he was seeing God in the form of Kala, time.
Time means Srishti, Stithi, Laya.
There will be birth, there will be sustenance and finally everybody has to die.
That is not a, for most people, acceptable fact of life.
But fact is a fact.
Nobody can prevent it.
But by the grace of the Lord, he understood.
What did he understand?
That Bhagawan is not only the frightening Kala.
Death is nothing but the beginning of a new growth.
A fresh opportunity for us, for all Jeevas to reclaim their true nature.
That's why early in the morning when we go to bed and have deep sleep,
that is called Nithya Pradaya, daily death.
But as soon as you wake up, first of all we are refreshed.
Secondly, mind is eagerly looking forward.
So with a very peaceful mind, very joyful mind,
we are awaiting this grand opportunity and it has come as soon as we wake up.
And then we can plan.
Even I have committed a billion mistakes in the past.
But that is all in the past.
Today, a fresh opportunity for me to become a saint,
to become a very positive person.
That's why we have to start our early morning.
Prathah Smaraami Hridi Sampurad Atma Tattvam
Satchit Sukham Paramahamsagatim Turiyam Yath Swapna Jagara Sushuptim Avaithi Nityam
Tat Brahma Nishkalamaham Nachabhuta Sangah
So this is a very positive idea.
Each soul is potentially divine.
I am also potentially divine.
It is up to me now to manifest that potential divinity.
So also, just as I commit mistake, others also commit mistake.
So if there are some people who have done great harm to us,
let us all remember positively they are also potential divinities.
In fact, the scripture goes so far as to say,
if somebody hurt you, not because of their fault,
it is because of our own sin which we have committed in the past life,
it is coming to haunt us.
Karma phala has come which is inevitable and it's good.
It exhausts our karma phala, gives us a great lesson for us to learn
and it gives us a fresh opportunity to reform ourselves.
So Arjuna, by the grace of God,
God doesn't even only frighten,
He will also give that sufficient knowledge.
So we presume Arjuna got that inner eye opening,
that complete knowledge has come.
Now he understood Bhagawan is really Paramatma, Parabrahma.
So long he was moving with Him in the form of Krishna,
His friend, His cousin and His well-wisher, His protector,
with His advice, with His saving power, everything.
But that individual Krishna is now elevated into real,
all-pervading, infinite Bhagawan.
And therefore, how do we know? Arjuna is praising.
What is he praising?
Oh great soul, Oh Paramatma,
why should not anybody praise you?
After all,
You are greater.
That means you are the Pitamaha.
This Prapitamaha, not Pitamaha.
You are not the grandfather.
You are the great grandfather.
You are the father of our Brahma
who is called Pitamaha.
You are greater than him.
Greater means what?
Because of you, he exists.
Because of your existence, Brahma exists.
Vishnu exists.
And similarly, Shiva exists.
These three exist only because of your existence.
You are that Parabrahma.
Therefore, in that sense, you are far superior.
A father is far superior to a child.
In that sense, Ananta, you are infinite.
Devesha, you are lord of all the Devas.
Jagannivasa, where are you?
Not only in Vaikuntha.
Yes, are you in Vaikuntha?
Yes.
Are you in Kailasa?
Yes.
Are you in Kingdom of Heaven?
Yes.
Are you in Paradise?
Yes.
Then, are you here?
Not only there, but I am everywhere.
If anybody claims, if any Vaishnava says,
God is only in Vaikuntha, he is an ignoramus.
What should he say?
Not only God is in Vaikuntha, he is everywhere.
In fact, if we can see God everywhere,
we are not living anywhere.
We are living in Vaikuntha.
The ability to see God everywhere
in the form of Narayana, Vishnu is called Vaikuntha.
In the form of Shiva is called Kailasa.
In the form of God is called Kingdom of Heaven.
In the form of Allah is called Paradise.
In the form of Parabrahma is called Nirvana.
So, you are Jagannivasa.
You are everywhere.
There is no place excluded from you.
From Aksharam.
And you are imperishable.
Everything seems to be perishing.
Really, there is nothing imperishable.
Then, what is it that we call perishing?
That from the manifest to the non-manifest.
You burn a paper, some ashes remain.
That ashes is the unmanifested form of the paper.
So, everything in this world,
either in the manifested or in the unmanifested form,
that is called perishing.
Unmanifested is called perishing.
Really speaking, there is no death.
For the existence, there is no destruction.
For non-existence, there is no existence at all.
So, whatever is existing,
either in a limited form called manifest,
unlimited form called unmanifest,
there is nothing which can perish.
That's why God is imperishable.
World is also imperishable.
Who is telling?
Even physicists are telling.
Scientists are telling.
Matter cannot be created, cannot be destroyed,
but can be transformed.
Energy can be transformed into matter.
And Sat-Asat, Tat-Param.
You are the visible.
You are the invisible.
You are the manifest.
You are the non-manifest.
Sat means visible, manifest.
Asat means invisible, non-manifest.
And not only that,
Tat-Param, both beyond form and formless,
beyond the visible, beyond the invisible,
and beyond the manifest, beyond the manifest.
Then why do we say He is beyond?
Because these both manifest and non-manifest,
they are changing continually.
Visible and invisible are continuously changing.
For example, take one virus.
It is invisible for naked eye.
But if you take the help of a microscope,
and that is what is called,
you are adding to the power of your sight.
Both microscope, telescope add to the power of the eye.
But it is nevertheless, it is only an eye.
So until now, what is invisible becomes suddenly visible.
If a person has got a sharp mind,
the unmanifest also becomes manifest.
In fact, our life cannot continue
unless we are completely aware of this unmanifest.
What am I talking about?
See, every cultivator, what does he put in the field?
Does he put rice?
No, he puts what is called a grain, seed.
The seed will have husk and everything.
And why is he putting?
Because he sees clearly in the form of his,
what is called, seeing eye.
After three months, this very seed will produce
a most wonderful, a thousandfold or even more of rice.
Similarly, you put the seed of an apple.
And after two years or three years,
after 15 years, you may get 500, 1000 first class apples,
mangoes, papayas, coconuts, anything you name it.
So we know the law of the unmanifest.
It is not visible.
It is not manifest.
But given time, it becomes manifest.
So these are the phenomena for our physical as well as mental personality.
But if God is confined within these,
these are changing phenomena.
God is unchanging phenomena.
Therefore, He must be both beyond visible, invisible, manifest, unmanifest
and what we call beyond form, beyond formlessness,
which our Sri Ramakrishna puts it so beautifully.
God is with form, without form and beyond both form and formless
and both that Nirguna Brahma and Saguna Brahma.
Both are there.
Oh Lord, why should not others praise you?
Because everybody else is nothing but your creation.
Your creation means your manifestation.
This is continued in the 30th verse.
Tvamadi devaha purushaha puranaha Tvamasya vishvasya paramnidhanam Vedasvidyancha paranchadhama Tvayatatam vishvam anantaroopa Thou art the first of gods, the ancient soul.
Thou art the supreme resting place of the universe.
Thou art the knower and Thou art which is to be known and Thou art the ultimate goal.
And by Thee is this whole world pervaded.
Oh Thou of infinite form.
All the words indicate only one thing.
Excepting God, nothing else really exists.
Tvamadi devaha, you are the first of the gods.
Why Adi Deva?
That means you are the cause of all this universe consisting of 14 Lokas.
Indra Loka, Chandra Loka, Prajapati Loka, Brihaspati Loka, what is called Satya Loka up until Brahma Loka.
Then going Atala, Sutala, Talatala, Patala.
All this, this earth, the hell, the heaven, Bhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha.
All this has come out of you.
That means you are manifesting in the form of this all the 14 worlds.
Just as the same one rope is manifesting as a snake, as a garland, as a bent stick and as a stream of water.
Anybody who has past experience, he sees in that one rope.
He can see any form that he had experienced before provided it is similar to that rope.
So from Adi Deva, you are Purusha.
Purusha means he who is all-pervading is called Purusha.
Puranaha, Purana means the ancient.
Ancient means not old.
Ancient means that Ananta is the infinite, beginningless.
Tvam, you O Lord, Asya Vishwasya of this universe.
Param Nidhanam, supreme abode.
Everybody wants to reach you ultimately.
So a person may go, do lot of punya karmas and go to Svarga Loka.
From Svarga Loka ultimately he will go to another higher Loka and another higher Loka.
Ultimately he reaches Brahma Loka.
That is the highest imaginable happiness in this Vishwa, Jagat.
And beyond that is Brahmananda.
So one day that person will also reach.
So even a mosquito will reach.
Even so a piece of stone will also reach.
It is even scientifically accepted before life started, what was there?
Everything is inorganic.
Inorganic means without life.
Then somehow life came.
Where from it has come?
Now scientists agree that life must have been inherent.
And when the right circumstances, temperature and climate, everything is right,
then life merely manifested.
Just as a beautiful apple fruit manifests when the conditions are right.
Similarly, this everything, whatever is existing is Chit.
Whatever is Chit is also Ananda, nothing but Brahman.
It is evolving.
This theory of evolution is what Charles Darwin had posited, proposed and that has become very popular now.
But we have to understand from the Vedantic point of view,
a lifeless becomes with life, starts with one's old life and it goes on evolving until it understands.
I am Brahman.
That is what is indicated Param Nidhanam.
And from the devotee point of view, every devotee believes,
Oh Lord, ultimately I depend upon you and I have to be protected by you because you created me,
you are sustaining me and you are alone my protector.
And this is called,
I am protected by you, you are protecting me.
So that beautiful Saranagati Gadhiya, devotee realizes God alone can save.
That's why he becomes Gopatavyahai, Varaniyaha, Varishtaha.
Earlier we discussed it.
So, Vettasi, everyone of us have got knowledge.
So we feel I know.
But what I know?
The I also belongs to God.
That power of knowing also belongs to God.
That's why I said Vetta, a real knower is who?
The Divine Mother.
She is sporting in the form of every object in this world.
So she alone knows, she alone is the knowable and she is everything.
In fact, I, you, anybody doesn't exist as separate from God but as one with God in the form of God.
Vettasi, you are the knower, Vedyancha and you are the highest goal of all knowledge.
What is that knowledge?
There is no I, only you remain and that is true I, Aham Brahmasmi.
And so it is said, Paranchadhama.
Once a person realizes, attains to that supreme, Dhama means supreme state.
And what is that supreme state?
Reaching which no return is possible.
Every other loka is finite and finite means changing.
Changing means even from Brahmaloka, perhaps one has to fall either down or he has to be kicked upstairs.
Which is become one with Brahman.
You are the supreme abode.
Then same idea is being repeated so that it will enter into our stony brain.
Tvaya, by you.
Tatam, the pervaded part.
Vishwam, this entire Vishwam.
Why, how?
Because you are Anantarupa.
Your form is infinite.
Yesterday I told you, infinity has no form.
If anything has form, that is only finite.
Since I am calling you infinite, there can be nothing else excepting you.
That is called you Ananta, infinity, pervaded everything in this universe.
Same idea is being elaborated, naming some individual gods.
Vayur, Yamo, Agni, Varunaha, Shashankaha, Prajapati, Hithvam, Prapitamahascha, Namostestu, Sahasrakritvaha, Punashchabhuyopi, Namo Namaste.
Thou art the Vayudevata, death, that is Yama, and fire, and moon, and the Jaladevata, Varuna, Thou art Prajapati, and Thou art the great Grandsire, Prapitamaha.
We know what we are talking about.
There are certain things in this world and we are combination of that.
That is why this world is called Prapancha.
Pancha means five. So what are those five?
Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, and Prithvi.
So that fact, a few he has mentioned here, Vayu, air is there.
Then Agni is there. Agni represents Agni Tattva.
Varuna, Varuna represents Jala Tattva. Only three are mentioned.
Then Shashankaha, Suryaha.
In the 10th chapter we have seen that Nakshatranam Aham Shashi.
Then Adityanam Aham Vishnahu.
Among Adityas, I am that Surya Devata who is called Vishnu.
And Dwadash Adityas are there, 12 Adityas.
Why 12? Because we have in a year 12 months.
So every month the same sun gets a special name, separate name.
And among one names is Vishnu, Adityanam Aham Vishnahu, Nakshatranam Aham Shashi.
I am the moon, I am the sun.
And Yama. Yama means what? Recycling power.
Death means recycling power. That's all.
So what do you do when you are recycling all your plastic material or all the junk,
iron, your vehicles, cars, etc.
Take them, separate all the iron from iron,
zinc from zinc, silver from silver, etc.
It's plastic from plastic.
Take them, recycle them.
So from the ordinary point of view, a car is written off.
That means it is dead.
What do they do? Recycle it.
So you understand that we use the water and we pass it out through our body.
We eat food, we pass it out.
What does it do? It is recycled.
It goes into the earth from where it has come and it becomes manure
and it helps to spring into life in some other form
and again we take it in and through it this constant service cycle is going on.
That cycle is called Ritam.
This was the greatest discovery of our Rishis.
So what are you telling?
Arjuna has recognized,
O Lord, as Nirguna Brahma, you are indescribable, only pointed out as Neti Neti,
not this, not this.
But as Saguna Brahma, everything is you.
If we say that the whole universe has come from the five elements
and you are that five elements.
आत्मणः आकाश संभूतः आकाशः द्वायोः वायो रग्निः अग्नेरापः अध्यः प्रतिवि प्रतिवियां ओषदयः ओषदेप्यो अन्नम् अन्नात् रसः रसात् पुरुषः
So from Atman came this space Akasha.
Akasha has grossified itself into Vayu.
Vayu further grossified into Agni.
Agni fire, fire heat grossified itself into water Jala.
Water grossified itself into Prithvi, earth.
From earth all these eatables, food has come and we are all getting sustained.
And again it is being recycled.
So what am I talking about?
You are the cause of creation.
You are the cause of sustenance.
You are also the cause of the destruction.
But destruction is not real destruction.
It is recycling as I mentioned.
God is giving us a new body and a new opportunity, fresh energy to learn, to become blessed until we know who we are.
So that is called Yamaha.
Agni, Varunaha.
Varunaha is the residing deity of waters.
Shashanka is the presiding deity of the mind.
Prajapati, he is the creator.
Prajapati is the creator.
And then this Prajapati's father.
Where from Prajapati has come?
From Brahma.
So our father is Prajapati.
Prajapati's father is Brahma, Brahmadeva.
And Brahmadeva sprung from the navel of Vishnu.
That is why by Vishnu you are called great-grandson, great-grandfather, grandfather's father.
Brahma is usually addressed as grandfather.
That's why he is depicted as an old man having a white beard, etc.
But these are all human concepts for the sake of meditation, celebration, puja concept.
Like we say, Sairam Krishna is an old man.
And in comparison, Swami Vekananda is extremely handsome young man.
So our Ishta Devata is great-great-great grand guru.
He is old man.
He is already a few of black hairs and more of white hairs.
All these things have come.
This is all wretched human imagination.
What is in reality our Sairam Krishna?
That is the true nature.
So that is what Arjuna is telling.
He is so much overcome.
He is still shaking.
You have to understand from earlier.
He has folded his hands and he is talking all these things.
What is it?
You are Vayu, you are Yama, you are Agni, you are Varuna, you are Shashanka, you are Prajapati
and you are great-grandsir Prapeetha Vishnu.
Then where is this Vishnu?
Where is he?
Not he.
He is everywhere.
So Arjuna sees in front of him.
That is what he is telling.
Let salutations be to you.
How many?
Thousands, thousands and millions and billions.
Billions.
Again.
Means again.
Again and again.
Salutations to you.
Salutations to you.
Why?
Because when you hear somebody is giving you life.
Suppose a doctor has given you life.
What do you say?
My grateful thanks to you.
Oh doctor, because of you I have been able to survive.
How long will you say?
One day?
One week?
One month?
So if you are a good person, whole life you remember that here comes a doctor and he gave
me life but for him I would have been dead a long time back.
Whole life we become Kritagnas.
Kritagna means acknowledging what good someone has done.
Otherwise it is called Kritagna.
A killer, a destroyer of other people's goodness or our gratitude is completely destroyed.
Such a person is not considered as a worthy person at all.
So why is Arjuna saluting again and again?
Because first of all he showed you are going to win the war.
From a purely human point of view I am telling.
So he was a warrior.
He wanted to participate in the war.
He hesitated.
God removed all that hesitations and then naturally doubt comes.
Okay, I will participate in the war but I am highly doubtful because I have to fight
not merely against Duryodhana, Dushasana.
They are nothing in front of me.
I have defeated them many times in the past.
That Uttara Gokarana time I defeated them.
Many other times as a student also there were exams, six-monthly exams, yearly exams and
final examination where Dronacharya eliminated everybody and gave the highest award to Arjuna.
How?
Ramakrishna mentions it.
Drona called everybody.
That is what you call valedictory function and then his last test.
So he tied a bird and these people had to pierce the eye of that bird, not merely the bird.
So he called one by one and then he asked, what do you see?
Oh, I see you.
I see all these people.
I see the tree.
I see the bird.
Out.
Because such a distracted mind can never reach, can never pierce the eye.
So some people said, I don't see anybody excepting the tree and the bird.
Out.
Then a little more advanced student comes.
What do you see?
I see the bird.
Out.
Then finally Arjuna comes.
What do you see, Arjuna?
I see nothing else excepting the eye of the bird.
Yes.
That is the first condition.
If to be successful, mind must be absolutely focused.
And here, by the grace of God, Arjuna was given that divine insight.
He realized whom I considered as my greatest well-wisher and intimate friend.
Remember of all the Pandavas, Arjuna and Krishna were the closest.
Not even Bhima, not even Yudhishthira.
He was, Krishna was intimate, closest.
How do we know?
We will talk about it.
Arjuna himself is expressing that relationship earlier.
So, seeing this all-pervading Lord and he is protecting me, he has enveloped me,
he is protecting me like a baby is protected by a mother, tigress.
Nobody can dare to go there.
Even a big lion also cannot go.
So, like that the infinite Lord is protecting.
If he is a human being, he can only protect a little bit for a short time.
Infinite Lord is everywhere and he is Ananta, both in time and space.
So, he can protect me for all times.
And then he also assured me that I have killed, I have done the donkey's work.
All that you need to do is just discharge your arrow.
Like we see in cinemas, you know, just one fake gun is discharged
and then the fellow, like that he falls down.
This fellow is nothing but a dummy, that's all.
Everything is pre-arranged.
I killed everybody but people will see you fought ferociously and you overcame them.
That future good news, Arjuna was given, so he was grateful.
Not because only of that news about the war.
He has been given the highest wisdom of seeing the whole universe as the Divine Lord.
That's why it is called Vishwa Roopa Darshana Yoga.
Therefore, he cannot but express involuntarily.
That's why Jagavandana, Jagavandita Vandita Humaya.
Every day we say the whole world recognised you as the only saviour.
That is why the whole world is saluting you.
And I also recognise, I also join them in saluting you.
Further, Arjuna in the 40th shloka, what is he telling?
Namah purastat atha prishtataste namo sthute sarvata eva sarva ananta veerya amitavikramahatvam sarvam samapnosi tatosi sarvaha
So let us first deal with the last part of this shloka.
Ananta veerya, what does it mean?
Ananta veerya means you are, your veerya, your valour is infinite.
Why? Because you are infinite.
It has got deep meanings.
If there is Duryodhana, Duryodhana could have won any time Bhima in Gadha Yudha.
Why? Because Duryodhana has been practising for all the 13 years the Pandavas were absent.
He could jump into the sky and give a blow to Bhima.
Whereas this Bhima, I think most probably is wasting his time because of other reasons.
So it was not easy.
Duryodhana was a great hero.
Karna was a great hero.
Drona of course is the very teacher of Arjuna.
Bhishma was unconquerable.
Even his own Shastra Guru Parashurama could not defeat him and had to concede victory to his disciple.
Such a great valourous person.
But where from they got all that valour?
You are the root cause of everybody.
If someone is beautiful, that's your beauty.
If someone is valourous, it's your valour.
If someone is intelligent,
If someone is intelligent, that is why he said
Just to recollect what we discussed, the very last verse, penultimate verse of the Dasimha Skanda.
Last chapter, wherever you see something great in anybody,
whether it is an animal, Simhavala or it is Hastivala or Buddhi,
it is nothing but manifestation of my own Self.
In fact, there is nobody else.
Everybody is Bhagawan only.
This fact has been given to us in the Chandi.
In every form of Rupa, everything, great.
Manifesting in either small percentage or a huge percentage.
It is nothing but the Divine Mother.
So we have no reason to become proud or egotistic.
It is nothing but Divine Mother's manifestation.
Arjuna, by the grace of God, he was given that Buddhi, capacity to understand.
So he understood.
That's why he is cognized.
If I have valour, it is because you are manifesting in me.
If Duryodhana has valour, that is because you are manifesting.
If Bhishma is great, that greatness belongs to you.
Any greatness belongs to you.
Not only greatness, weakness also belongs to you.
What is weakness?
Small manifestation of power is weakness
and bigger manifestation of strength is called valour, etc.
There is no end to your strength, to your greatness.
You are manifesting in the form of everybody, pervading everybody.
You are the inside, outside.
The clay pervades every single part.
The gold pervades every single ornament.
In fact, there is nothing else excepting gold.
So that is why,
Only clay is the reality.
Everything else is a modification of this clay.
There is nothing else existing excepting in truth.
The clay only.
The gold only.
The wood only.
Anything is made up of anything.
So that is being told here.
You pervade everything means, in plain language, there is nothing else excepting you.
Therefore, you are everything.
What is a pot? Clay.
What is an ornament? Gold.
What is a furniture? Wood.
What is this world? Brahma.
There is nothing else because inside, outside, everything else is nothing but you.
Remember, if there is anything other than Brahman, then this Advaita will fall down.
Because Brahman plus something which is not Brahman, and both are existent,
and that is not the view of Advaita Vedanta at all.
So, Arjuna, we presume, was given this insight.
Because Divya Cheshtu means, not only see the Vishwaroopa, that which is also beyond the Vishwaroopa, beyond the Roopa, beyond the Nama.
Nirguna Tattva.
So, he is telling, what is he telling?
What he was seeing?
And what was Arjuna seeing?
Namaha Purastha.
I see in front of you, God.
So, my salutations to you, whom I see in front of me.
Then behind me, what do I see?
Is there somebody other than God?
There also same God.
Therefore, if I turn that way, that becomes front.
If I turn the other way, it becomes the back.
So, behind me, only you are existing.
To the left side of me, only you exist.
Right side of me, only you exist.
Above me, you exist.
Below me, you exist.
Wow! Wonderful!
Then, what about me?
Do you exist as me or excluding me?
You exist everywhere.
That is foolish thought.
Because, if everything is God, what is called Arjuna or me, is I, is nothing but that one reality.
Itnamaroopa.
Therefore, he cannot salute him enough.
Because, wherever he is seeing, he is seeing only Brahman.
That's why in the Ashtavakra Samhita, it is
Therefore, salutations to myself.
Because, I am everything.
Of course, this is human language, you must understand.
There is no saluter and there is no one who is saluted.
In Advaita Drishti, Guru and Sishya cannot see each other.
Because, there are no two.
That is the thing.
Therefore, he says, salutations to you who is before, salutations to you who is behind, salutations to you on every side.
Because, wherever I see, I see only God.
Kamsa, he was given the fright of his life by that Akashvani.
Thereafter, whomsoever he sees, oh, maybe Krishna is coming to kill me.
He hears some words.
Maybe Krishna is telling, I am going to kill Kamsa.
So, whether he is in waking state, dream state, dreamless state, he was seeing Krishna and Krishna and Krishna and nowhere else.
When Gopis were dancing in Rasha Leela, what were they seeing?
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna.
Karmam, Krishnamayam, Jagat.
This was the experience.
Therefore, whom is he going to salute?
That is a human word.
That is why he says.
Then Arjuna realized, oh, Lord, when we were moving together before this event, I loved you, we loved each other and you put up with so many things.
At that time, whether when we are alone, whether we are in the presence of other people, I did not hesitate to call you by names.
You are, oh, friend.
Hey, Yadava.
Hey, Krishna.
Hey, Sakha.
Hey, Yadava.
Yaduvamsheya.
Belonging to the lineage of Yadu family.
Or, hey, Krishna.
Because, friends do not call Mr. so and so, Sir so and so.
They just call by their names.
That's all.
So, or sometimes, so I also called you, hey, friend.
Hey, Krishna.
Hey, Yaduvamsheya.
And many other things also.
He must have called him a useless fellow.
I am asking some advice and you are giving a rotten advice.
He must have told him also.
He must have pulled the legs of Krishna just as Krishna also pulled the legs of Arjuna.
Because that is common thing between friends.
Bhagavatam describes that Brahma was seeing.
How fortunate is this great.
All people, they are constantly seeing the Parabrahma.
All the Gopas, they are going together and they are putting their hands on each other's shoulders.
They are sharing all whatever their mothers have bundled them for lunch.
All of them are sharing together.
Many times we see you are requesting Krishna.
Krishna, there are nice food materials, fruits, etc.
But there are ferocious demons there.
But we know you can get that food for us.
They are demanding.
Krishna says definitely I will go.
You just follow me.
I will fulfill your desires.
Whatever being guarded with so much of power of the demons.
It was all completely useless before the power of Krishna.
And when they were eating each other, it must have been eaten by somebody.
Krishna did not hesitate to eat him.
Like you know a child comes and sits in front of mother's plate when she is eating.
What do you think he will do?
He will be eating.
So mother is eating what is eaten by the child.
Child is also eating what is eaten by the mother.
And two lovers, they have no secrets.
They eat whatever they share.
Everything, there is nothing that is not sacred for each one of them.
So Arjuna behaving like that, Arjuna understood.
Now he said, my God, whom have I been mixing with?
What was my understanding about him?
I know he was a great man, a little greater than me.
But I never knew he was the divine Lord, the Srishti Kartha.
So this is being depicted in the next few shlokas.
The supreme being has been living with me as my friend and companion.
But I never recognized him, the very Godhead.
So I have treated him as a man, as a friend.
I did not know his divinity.
So I overlooked his divinity.
So he now asks his forgiveness.
Here, Shri Ramakrishna says, you know, a child is a prince.
And the prince doesn't say, oh, my father is a king, my mother is a queen and I am a prince.
That is not there.
I am a child, here is my father, here is my mother.
I can just run and throw myself into her lap.
Can anybody do it?
They will incur punishment, they will even incur the death punishment.
But for a child, he can do whatever he likes.
There is a beautiful story.
Birbal was the greatest intelligent person in Akbar's court.
And Akbar naturally had a big beard.
He had a grandson.
And this grandson does sometimes mischief, even while sitting in the emperor's lap.
So one day in the court, a big discussion came.
If anybody pulls the beard of Akbar, then what punishment should he, what should be done to him?
Everybody with one voice said, should be killed.
And Birbal was the only one who said, no, no, no.
It all depends upon circumstance.
But sometimes you have to reward him with the greatest reward.
Everybody said, what nonsense are you talking?
Our Jahanpana's beard has to be pulled and you are talking that that person should be rewarded.
Prove it.
Yes, yes, give me one week's time, I will prove it.
So this Birbal was a favorite uncle of this grandson of Akbar.
So he took the permission of Akbar.
He used to take him to his home and conditioned him.
But Birbal also had a beard.
So this child was conditioned, every time he pulls Birbal's beard,
he will get one sweet and chocolate and many other things.
For one week, every time he pulls, he was being rewarded.
So the time for testing had come and one day everybody is sitting.
Birbal, can you prove that if somebody pulls the beard of Akbar, he should be rewarded?
He says, just in one minute I will prove.
So he brought the grandson and he whispered,
see, go and do what you are doing with me to your grandfather.
See, you will get much better things than what you are getting from me.
Poor child, he just ran, jumped into Akbar's lap and started furiously pulling the beard of Akbar.
Of course, Akbar understood and he started playing him with so many things.
And then Birbal turned, looked down upon everybody,
you foolish courtiers, don't you understand?
If he is a beloved, then he will get more reward.
If he is an enemy, he will get punishment.
So there is no one absolute rule.
Now, what I am talking to you,
that because we do not know the greatness,
one can run to holy mother like anything.
In fact, I remember a beautiful story.
These verses will be understood very nicely.
So holy mother was living at Udbodhan
and there was one devotee who was very close to holy mother.
Close in the sense, he used to do mother's work.
He could go to the mother's room at any time and speak with her
and she also treated him like her grandchild.
And then he became proud.
I can ask anything of holy mother.
So one day early morning, they were all brushing their teeth
and mother had sat down for puja.
Swami Madhavanandaji who understood this egotism of this devotee
called him and said,
Chandru, can you go to mother and ask her that mother give me mukti.
He said, just wait a second.
I will run up and run down
and I will ask mother and bring the answer to you.
So he said, he thought he could do whatever he liked.
As he started climbing, his heart started beating terribly.
He could hardly climb.
By the time he approached the puja room,
his whole body was shaking, his legs were terribly shaking
and somehow he petrified.
He stood in front.
Mother noticed him and said, what do you want by Sai with his hands?
He said, I want some prasada.
Mother indicated with very serious look,
here is prasada, take it and get the hell out of here.
And somehow with great difficulty,
he took a few pieces of prasada and was able to come down.
Did you ask?
He said, no.
As if somebody had shut my mouth completely down.
So many times Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda,
just like children, only after he passed away,
then they, oh my God, with whom did we live for so many years
and he never allowed us to think anything of him.
Now we know that he is like a burning midday sun.
We could not have approached him,
but like a loving grandfather, he allowed us,
so he joked with us,
but he is the greatest soul in this world.
Now Arjuna was in that condition,
so he is telling,
O Lord, whatever I have rashly said from inadvertence or love,
addressing you as O Krishna, O Yadava or O friend,
regarding Thee merely as a friend,
unaware of Thy greatness,
and in whatever other ways I may have shown disrespect to Thee,
while playing or resting, while sitting or eating,
while alone or in the presence of others,
O Eternal Lord,
all that I implore Thee, O Immeasurable One,
please forgive me.
Of course, is there any need to say please forgive me?
If God did not want, could Arjuna have done all those things?
It would have been impossible.
It was the God only who made him do it,
who behaved like that.
So there is an incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna.
This was the reminiscence of Ashwini Kumar Dutta.
It comes at the very fag end of the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
There, in one instance, he was telling,
he just talked with Sri Ramakrishna and he made fun also.
Sri Ramakrishna asked, because it was a very hot summer day,
can you bring that something which is fuzzy,
which is very cool and all that.
Then Ashwini Kumar Dutta understood.
Oh, you want lemonade?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, sir.
Next time I come, I bring.
And then there was a conversation
and then very as an ordinary person,
Sri Ramakrishna talked with him.
Ashwini Kumar Dutta afterwards, he came out,
said, my God, in whose presence had I been?
And he never allowed me to think he was so great.
Now I wonder how I could behave with him like a child.
That's because God allowed him.
God only wants him.
He doesn't want him, his devotees to be far away.
So he will not show his frightening appearance.
But now because of special circumstances,
Bhagavan Krishna is telling.
So what was Arjuna telling?
Whether when we were alone,
when we were in the presence of other people,
I addressed you because I did not know anything about you.
I knew you are my friend.
You are my greatest.
You are a person who loved me,
who allowed me to do whatever I wanted to do with you,
all because of your grace.
I addressed you sometimes as
Hey Aadava, means Hey Dhuvamshiya or Hey Krishna,
Hey Krishna, come here.
Let us go for a walk or Hey Sakha,
Oh, my dear friend.
Many other epithets I have used.
Sometimes I respected you.
Sometimes I made fun of you and we shared everything.
But now I am not in that condition.
I know who you are.
Therefore, oh Lord, please forgive me.
Of course, as I said, there was no need to forgive at all.
These beautiful concepts, what happened,
we will discuss in our next class.
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 13 on 21 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:59:50Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARUTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM
YAD KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAM ADHAVAM
We have been discussing the Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga, 11th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
In our last class, we have seen that Arjuna was given that universal vision by the special grace of Bhagavan Krishna and he was terrified.
So he asks, he could not recognize the Krishna. The old Krishna has become the Vishwaroopa Krishna.
And then he could not recognize because to recognize one requires purity of mind.
It requires even greater purity to retain what one was able to receive.
So he asks, who are you? And the Lord categorically replies,
SRI BHAGAVAN UVACHA KALO VASMI LOKAKSHAI KRUTH PRAVRUDDHO LOKAN SAMAHARTHUM YA PRAVRUTTAHA
RITE PITVAM ABHAVISHYANTI SARVE E AVASTHITAHA PRATYANI KESHU YODHAHA
The Lord said, I am mighty, world-destroying time. I am mighty time. I am world-destroying time.
Now engaged in slaying these men. Even without you, all these warriors standing arrayed in the opposing armies shall not live.
Therefore Krishna says, AHAM KALAH ASMI AHAM KALAH ASMI
So what does it mean? Does it mean that Krishna is only Kala time?
Because Kala, as we understand, has two aspects.
One is the Kalatita aspect called Mahakala.
Another is Kala is ever-changing. A tree is in the seed.
Then it sprouts, it grows, bears fruits, goes to seed and it is destroyed.
Everything in this world has birth, growth and death.
So Kala also, it comes into being and then it stays for some time and it disappears.
You may wonder, when does Kala really is born?
Well, when you experience anything. Here is a table, Kala is born.
That second, the table comes into existence.
If you probe further, then you can see its very existence started when I paid attention to it at a particular point of time.
That is the birth of the time and it is inevitably associated with every object.
You cannot view any object without time and you cannot view time without any object.
Let me give you a small illustration.
You are in deep darkness and there are so many things around you but you won't be able to see a single thing.
At the moment, some light comes.
Immediately two things happen, not one after the other, simultaneously.
What is it? You see the light, you also see actually the objects.
But in reality, we are only telling we see the light, we don't see the light.
So what is light? Light is the ability in whose presence things come to be known.
In the absence of light, things will not be known.
So a particular condition needs to be fulfilled.
That condition is called light.
When you see a table, whether there is a table, there is no table, there is light.
But we cannot see the light unless there is an object to reveal that there is light.
Take another example.
Here is a bulb and it is not giving light.
If it is not giving light, it is darkness.
But the moment you switch on the light, light starts shining.
That very moment two things happen, it also lets it know I am light
and simultaneously it also reveals all the things around it.
But we rarely observe the light by seeing the objects we say there is light.
Directly we do not say I see light.
If there were not to be a single speck of dust, then you won't be able to see anything.
Even light will not be there.
Full darkness will be there.
That's why the astronauts who are travelling, when they rise beyond the stratosphere,
everything looks completely pitch dark, fearful dark.
Because, not because light is absent, because light is not revealed.
To reveal light, some object is necessary, some dust at least is necessary, then only it is possible.
Why am I talking about light?
Because time is like that.
The moment you see time, that very moment you come to know,
Oh, this I am able to see now, now means time started.
You see it for some time and then the object disappears.
Then time also disappears with regard to that particular object.
So what is the law telling?
I have got two aspects.
One aspect is Mahakala aspect.
I am eternal, changeless.
Time means changeless.
Remember this always.
But from the phenomenal viewpoint, there is time, therefore there is objects.
There is world, it has come.
Srishti means creation.
Creation always is associated with time.
Time, space and causation, every object is associated with these three.
Now, what is the problem?
Arjuna asking, I can't recognize you because at the time of our experiencing any object,
we are experiencing time.
But in what way a baby is born?
The birth of the baby is at a particular time, time and the birth.
But at a different point of time, the baby is growing, is one year old,
20 years old, 50 years old, 70 years old.
The time associated with the one day old baby is not the same time that is associated with
70 years old old man.
Therefore, that time has passed.
This time is present.
They are not the same exactly.
Now, what is my point that at any given time, we only experience one aspect of time.
What is it?
Present time.
We don't see the past excepting in memory nor can we know what is the future.
Supposing there is a person and he is not very intelligent but he is able to see the
birth, the growth and the death of the baby at the same moment.
Then problem will come, fear will come because that person will forget the joy of the birth,
the joy of living and remembers only the agony of the death.
That was the condition.
Especially remember this universal vision was given in the battlefield.
If there is to be terrible battle between say India and China or any other country,
battle means most importantly it is a death.
How which side of the army can kill which side of the army more and more and more.
Both are trying to kill each other.
Death is most prominent and that's not a very pleasant experience.
That's why Arjuna got frightened but fortunately for him what happened that he was assured.
That's what we have also studied.
What is it telling that oh Arjuna, I have already killed Bhishma, Drona, Karna and all
the people not only from their side, from your side also.
This is the nature of Kala.
Kala doesn't work only on only Adharma side.
It works both sides.
When the time comes good man has to die, bad man has to die, saints have to die, sinners
have to die, kings have to die, poor people have to die, scientists have to die and an
ordinary illiterate person also has to die and not only human beings, billions and billions
of atoms are dying, every single millisecond, billisecond, billions and countless numbers
of particles are dying.
This terrific vision was experienced by Arjuna and he could not stand it.
So he asks who are you?
So the Lord says I am Kala but we have to remember why did I raise this topic even though
we discussed it in our last class.
Don't see only two sides, Srishti and Stithi.
Don't see only the happy side.
See both sides.
Every experience can be classified as happy or unhappy, good or evil.
Both experience because world means both.
It is called Dwandwa, dualness.
That is its nature.
Good and evil, if there were to be no goodness, you will never recognize what is evil.
If there is no unhappiness, you will never know whether you are happy or not.
So the Lord assured first of all that in Kala, everybody has to die.
There is no Kauravas or Pandavas but your time hasn't yet come.
A few people and their time also will come.
We know it from the Mahabharata in the Mahaprasthana Parva, everybody dies.
Only the Yudhishthira was offered a seat in a chariot to go with Sasharira but that is
an impossible thing.
So after some time, he also shed his limited body and obtained a body appropriate for enjoying
the heavenly sukhas, happinesses, pleasures.
But where there is pleasure, there will be also pain.
So what is the pain there?
Pain is the background thought.
Oh, time is passing.
You understand?
When we are happy, time passes.
It doesn't pass.
It runs.
Olympic race.
But when dukkha comes, every passing millisecond is counted.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati used to give a beautiful illustration.
Usually, we do not understand the passage of time.
Sit on a frying pan, red hot frying pan.
Then you will value every millisecond you will value.
So when we are happy, time just rushes.
We don't know how days, years, etc. will pass.
But when we are unhappy, every passing millisecond reminds us.
And this terrifying vision of the death of everybody was not acceptable to Arjuna for
psychological reasons.
Why?
Because you see, supposing this person has killed all his enemies, that is no great pleasure.
It is somewhat a pleasure, no great pleasure.
Why?
Suppose he defeats and then Duryodhana, Bhishma, Drona and Dushyasana, Shakuni, Karna, everybody,
their hands are tied, they are put in a jail or they are banished into the Vanavasa just
like Pandavas did before for 12 years.
So then these people sit on the throne, go on watching, you rogues, you enjoyed our Vanavasa.
Now we will enjoy your Vanavasa.
But that pleasure is deprived because there would be nobody left.
In fact, Yudhishthira became depressed after the war.
Am I the emperor of smashana, emptiness?
Only a few people and some married ladies and some other children, only they are left
out.
What am I going to do with this desolate kingdom, desert kingdom?
So Arjuna was not very happy to see that sight, but a little bit happy because he was fearing
Bhishma was invincible, Drona was their master and in wisdom, no master ever teaches his
disciple whatever he knows.
Usually, however great these teachers are, they teach.
Only if they have their own children, they teach without hiding anything.
But anybody else, they will keep something because who knows this disciple may turn against
me.
In fact, some of the disciples of Dronacharya, Arjuna and Pandavas, they were all Dronacharya's
disciples and they had to fight.
But Dronacharya, the master of many weapons and some of the secrets, he kept to protect
himself.
The only thing that could kill him as we know that when he heard the half lie that your
son elephant, it was called Ashwathama died.
He misunderstood it was my son.
What is the point of living excepting my son?
What a great lesson we have to learn.
Dronacharya was supposed to be Dharmika.
He joined with the Adharmika, Dharmika people instead of changing sides.
Oh Duryodhana, you are all Adharmic people and I am renouncing you.
I will go and join the Pandavas.
The moment Pandavas were exiled, that very moment Bhishma, Drona, everybody should have
joined Pandavas.
But no, they went on enjoying things.
Whatever the reason, we don't know.
We don't want to criticize.
But they joined Duryodhana and Duryodhana incites them, kill as many of these people
as possible.
Kill Pandavas if possible.
Duryodhana never trusts Bhishma and Drona. He says you are partial to them.
That's a different story.
Here we are studying the Gita.
Arjuna was somewhat happy that Bhishma, Drona, Karna and this Dushasana, all these people,
I already killed them, not only defeated them, I already killed them.
So Arjuna was uncertain before.
Now from the mouth of the horse, directly from God who is none other than Kala, the
future time comes into the present and tells these are the events that are going to happen.
So all the, most of the people die.
So we have to accept Kala Tattva because how does God distribute Karmaphala through Kala
Tattva.
When the right time comes, he will give the right things whether they are pleasant or
unpleasant.
He doesn't have any partiality.
Kala doesn't have any partiality.
Sinners, saints, kings, paupers, scholars, illiterate, everybody not only die but everybody
has to go through their Prarabdha Karma.
This is one of the most important points we have to remember, Prarabdha Karma is ordained
by Vedata.
But when does he do it?
At the right time.
This Ramakrishna used to say that when Ramanasura was troubling everybody, he is making everybody
miserable.
The Devatas first went to Brahma, then again Shiva and finally Vishnu.
This is to glorify Vishnu.
It was because Bhagavatam is written by what is called Vaishnavas and then Shiva was made,
Brahma was made helpless.
Oh we can't help, only Vishnu can do.
He is the Supreme Lord.
This is the right of the Vaishnavas.
If it was Shiva Purana, they will make Vishnu fall at the feet of Shiva etc.
This is called partiality.
Anyway, so these people went and they begged Vishnu says, do you know what he says?
I know everything but Ramanasura's good karma has not come to an end and soon his good karma
will come to an end and then I will be born as Avatara.
All of you are also be born as what is called monkeys.
Why monkeys?
I don't know but I can make a little fun.
Ishwaraha sarvabhutanaam hridyeshe arjunatishtati brahmayan sarvabhutani yantra roodhani mayya
Swamiji used to regretfully say in his old age, this I thought I will be meditating and I will
be singing and I will be passing my life merrily but this old man, he caught hold of me, made me
a monkey, tied me with a rope and he made me go round and round the world and made me dance until
this time.
Even now he is not leaving me.
If that was the case of Narendranath, what to speak of other people.
So this Arjunavasam was assured but still it was a fearful thing.
Why?
I mentioned to see Srishti, Stithi and Laya at the same moment, that is the most terrifying thing
and had this vision occurred in a beautiful dining hall on a festive day like it happened to Yashoda
or it happened to Dhritarashtra etc., Duryodhana etc. in Kaurava Sabha, it would have not been so
terrifying but here it is a battlefield.
Battlefield is nothing but a, it is Mahashmashana, it is where Shiva and Mother Kali are dancing
there in anticipation of all the destruction that is going on.
Pralaya Nachan Nachale, O Bholanath, there is a beautiful song in Bengali.
So it terrified, is not given for you or me, even for Arjuna.
Therefore, so Krishna says I am Kala, Kala Tattva means what, happy or unhappy, birth or death,
whatever be the situation, you are a devotee, try to accept both and try to make your mind equanimous.
That is called Yoga and that is called Karma Yoga.
Whatever Yoga, make your mind absolutely equanimous, then only joy will come.
A little bit emotion is fine but no more than that.
Therefore, this Lord says,
Therefore, stand up and win glory, conquer your enemies and enjoy an opulent kingdom
by me and by none other, have these already been slain.
Just be an instrument only, O Arjuna.
This is not what you call a escapist philosophy, this is called practical philosophy.
Life is like that, every second billions are coming into birth, billions are also getting destroyed,
not forever, again they will be reborn.
And the Lord is addressing, you are a Savyasachi, means Arjuna can fight left hand, right side,
usually we are either of left side, left hand or right handers,
but Arjuna can fight with both hands, can write with both hands,
will do anything with both hands with equal skill.
That is the meaning of Savyasachi.
Therefore, Arjuna, whether you are going to get involved in this battle or not,
a time has come for all these people to perish.
If you are going to be involved, there is advantage.
So,
You just be an instrument.
Instrument means what?
I have done everything but you get the good name and fame,
you get the power, you become the prince, you get all the profit.
Even though I do all the donkey's work, not really donkey's work,
what it means is that all the prarabdha karma, according to prarabdha.
Remember, the Lord, what is called, He is an impartial doer.
He is not arbitrarily, He will not do anything.
And how does He do it?
According to our prarabdha karma.
So, in course of time, I have given them power.
You have been made to go through all the difficulties.
It is not because of my will.
My will only makes you fructify, enjoy your prarabdha karma.
So, the time has come for all these people to perish.
Almost 18 akshauvinis.
So, whether you want, you are there or not, I don't care.
You are not even somebody to be counted.
You are much worthless than that.
I can make a billion Arjunas out of dust.
But this time, I have chosen you to do this one, to get name and fame.
You just fight.
They are all, in course of time, corpses.
They are all, what we call, some figures kept there.
They seem to be moving.
In dramas, we see that some person discharges a gun.
The other person falls down.
It is all script.
They are all acting.
If you say so wonderfully, you have done, they will get up again, go through the same act again.
Now, Arjuna, you will get name and fame.
You will become powerful.
You will enjoy.
That's why he says, samruddham, this rajyam bhungshwa.
I have killed all these people much, much earlier.
Interesting question.
How earlier?
Billions and billions and billions of years before.
Even before they were born, the divine Lord knows when somebody, some inorganic matter is there.
At such and such a time, it is going to be a human being.
It is going to be born as Arjuna.
It is going to take part in battle.
And it is going to die at such and such a time.
Just like you program a computer.
At this time, switch yourself off, at this time, switch yourself on.
So, tasmat vuddhishta ishola bhashva.
You get name and fame.
You get the kingdom and you have the satisfaction, but be dharmic.
That means surrender yourself to me because I am the only one that can do anything.
So, he is again.
Dronancha bhishvancha jayatratancha karnam tatha anyanapi yodhaviran maya hatamstvam jahimavyathishta yudhyasya jayatasi rane sapatnam
All these people who are standing against you, they will all die.
But the Lord did not say only Drona, Karna, Jayadratha and Karna will be dying.
Everybody, most people have been killed by me.
How did I kill?
Because of their prarabdha karma.
How did your people are going to die?
They've already dead through their prarabdha karma.
Swami Dayatmananda is dead.
I don't know, but in another 10 or 15 years or whatever time or tomorrow, today, Swami Dayatmananda is already dead.
How?
By my prarabdha karma, not by anything else.
Therefore, Arjuna, do not fear that you are going to kill.
If you are puffed up with egotism that you are going to kill Bhishma, Drona, etc., then you will incur sin.
But they have been killed in time by their own prarabdha karma.
You are only a nimitta.
If they die grievously wounded also, it is not your will, it is their prarabdha
because of which all these arrows entered them or knives entered into them and they died it.
You remember, Bhishma lived for another few months until Uttarayana came.
So, here is one of the most important theories of Hinduism.
By Vishnu, by Shiva, by Brahma, whatever is written on our foreheads, who writes?
Our own prarabdha karma.
It is not possible to simply wipe it off.
So, do not be distressed.
You are going.
Your prarabdha makes you win this war even though in their prarabdha makes it defeated, not your glory.
But if you follow this yuddha and surrender yourself to me, I do everything in the form of kala, you get the benefit.
I do the donkey's work and you get all the benefits.
So, these were ferocious warriors.
What is the law telling?
If these ferocious warriors, if they have to die, what to speak of the other people
who cannot be compared to them?
That means they are all going to die.
We know Bhishma.
We know Drona.
They are all equipped with divine weapons.
We know also Karna who has got, Indra himself has given him a very ferocious weapon.
And he wanted to kill Arjuna but for different reasons.
He had to use it against some other persons.
That is how this Suryadeva has given so many things.
Indra, he saved Arjuna, etc.
And then this peculiar name comes Jayatratha.
So, Jayatratha was a formidable warrior.
His father had received a boon that whoever kills his son's head to drop on the earth
could lose his own death.
That means if Jayatratha is killed, the person who killed him will also be killed.
And Arjuna was the only one who could do that.
So, there is a story that Krishna says, you discharge an arrow, his head will fall in
the lap of his own father.
So, as if his own father had killed, both of them will be killed.
Some evil problem would be removed.
So, now the lurking fear in Arjuna's mind that he may not win is completely removed.
Now, Sanjaya steps in.
Then he is reporting to Dhritarashtra.
What is he telling?
Sanjaya was reporting to Dhritarashtra.
Having heard these words of Krishna, Arjuna, still trembling, folded his hands in adoration
and bowed down. Overwhelmed with fear, he saluted Krishna and then addressed him again
with faltering voice.
Remember, Arjuna was terrified and when such horrible emotion, any emotion, it could be
joy, it could be fear, it could be tremendous amount of globa, whatever it is, even if you
get the news, you have won a big lottery money, in lottery, there is grave danger that you
may have coronary heart attack and die also.
Any too much of emotion can bring on this nervousness, trembling and then the voice
becomes faltering, whatever the reason, not only out of fear, out of joy also, tears will
be flowing but in this case, it was a terrifying vision which the Lord has graciously awarded
and I wish all of us had also got a bit glimpse.
You are going to die on such and such a date.
If Ramakrishna comes and tells us this one, most of us will become much better devotees
than what we are now.
So, Sanjaya, whose duty it was to report, as I said, Vyasa had given him that what is
called 108 inches TV, he was able to see and hear everything, so he was reporting.
Hearing these words of Lord, what words?
I am Kala and I have come to destroy many people and their worlds because with the destruction
of everybody, the world also in which they are living, destroyed.
For example, if I die, then my whole world comes tumbling down.
If a mosquito dies, its world comes tumbling down.
So, that's not a very pleasant thought but he also heard good news, you are going to
die, there is no doubt like anybody because Kala means I am seeing my own future death
and as well as maybe rebirth also.
But for some time, I have been assured you will win, not only you will win, you are also
going to become the emperor and your enemies will be destroyed.
There is no such lurking fear.
They may be running away, they may be accepting defeat, they will come and surrender to you
in which case you cannot kill them, you have to keep them alive and every second they are
plotting how to kill you, then you will not have any peace of mind.
No, no, no, they are all finished, nobody will be there excepting few old people, some
these wives of these warriors who died, some children etc.
This is the inevitable result of any type of war even if war breaks out.
Keshavasya, Krita Anjalehi, Arjuna, he heard the good news also, so he folded his hands
now, Vepamana, still his trembling has not come to an ending.
Kiriti means one of the epithets of Arjuna.
Namaskrutva, having saluted him, Bhuya, again he started addressing Krishna, how?
Sagadgadam, his voice was trembling again and again.
Bheeta Bheetaha, terrified with terrific visions.
Pranamya, having bowed down.
Anybody who is terrified, he always bows down only.
So his attitude has changed.
First it was what?
He was surprised, such wonderful things he never even imagined he was seeing in the universal
vision of God.
Then terrific fear has come and now he had become like Anjaneya, complete surrender to
God.
Pranamya means surrendered himself to God.
This is the result of becoming Shraddhavan, endowed with tremendous Shraddha, still his
trembling was continuing.
Then what was Arjuna saying?
Arjuna was telling now, so Lord, how come that you will not be praised?
You are the greatest.
You are the divine Lord.
You are Parabrahman.
You are manifesting as Saguna Brahma in the form of creator, in the form of sustainer
and in the form of destroyer.
I see now and there are some good people, dharmic people and their hearts are glad to
see you.
And there are so many other people who are incarnations of evil and they are terrified
because death, nobody will be enjoying death.
Even an Asura will be even more terrified than a spiritual person.
Do you know why?
Because the very name Asura has a beautiful derivation.
He who delights in his body, the sense organs, his body is the Atman, sense organs are the
instruments like Virochana and he wants to enjoy in this world.
He doesn't mind paying a little price.
Remember, nobody can continuously enjoy.
Life is a play between darkness and light, there is happiness and unhappiness.
If you have never experienced hunger, you won't be able to enjoy food.
If you have not experienced thirst, you won't be enjoyable water.
If you have not experienced tiredness, you won't be able to enjoy beautiful rest.
So, in this world, it is impossible but these Rakshasas, they know death is coming immediately
so they run away.
That is being described now by Arjuna in verse 36.
Two beautiful things are going on at the same time upon beholding this universal vision
of the divine Lord.
What are they?
Arjuna is describing.
It is right.
O Rishi Keshav, O Lord of your mind, Lord of your sense organs that the world rejoices
and delights in glorifying Thee.
At the same time, the Rakshasas, the Asuras, the evil people flee on all sides in tenor
and the hosts of Siddhas all bow to Thee in adoration.
So, three things are happening.
The glory of the God being the same.
It is so pleasing to dharmic people and it is so terrifying to evil people.
It is life-giving to dharmika people.
It is death-destroying to adharmika people.
And these people are sold Rakshamsi, Rakshasas, Asuras, Bheethani, they are terrified, Dishodravanti.
They are trying to run here and there.
You know how they are trying to run.
So, there are small, small animals are there and one day a crocodile comes and at a time
it has swallowed 40 or 50 of these little creatures.
You must have observed a huge shark.
It opens its mouth and hundreds of minnows, smaller fish, go inside.
But even inside, they are trying to run, thinking they are going to escape, not knowing once
the jaws of the shark are closed, there is only one way.
So, Rakshamsi, Bheethani, Dishodravanti.
But there are fortunate people, they are celestial beings, they are called Siddhas, Munis, Rishis,
etc.
Sangha, groups of them, hundreds, maybe thousands of them, they are good people because they
have done punya.
So, for them, they are seeing the positive aspect of everything.
Therefore, Sarve Namasyanti Cha, they are all bowing down to you and singing your glories.
So, Tava Prakirtiya, everybody is engaged in seeing your glory and giving voice to their
joy.
Jagat Prakrishyati Anurajyate Cha, it is thrilled, the whole world.
Means what?
Only good people, only punya karmis, only dharmic people, they are delighted, they rejoice
because they know Dharma Rakshati Rakshitaha.
The world rejoices because they also are spiritual people, they understand there is no such thing
called permanent death.
It is like discarding an old piece of dress and the Lord is out of His grace like a loving
mother.
If the child's dress is all over torn, dirty, quickly she removes the whole thing, washes
the child, puts on new dress and takes the child into her lap and suckles the child and
puts it to bed for sleeping.
But evil people cannot understand because they understand clearly that they are going
to suffer a lot.
And then further Arjuna is also telling,
Kasmatyate na nameran, O Mahatman, gariyase brahmano api adhikartre ananta devesa jagannivasa
tom aksharam sat asat tad param yat.
Now Vishwaroopa Darshana, that is the all homogeneous form of the Lord.
Arjuna is now telling, after all O Lord, you deserve it.
Why can't?
So who are doing all these things?
Brahma is hymning you, Vishnu is singing your glories.
Remember this Vaikuntha Vishnu and this Vishnu are different.
This is Trigunaroopa Vishnu, Vaikuntha Vishnu is available only for a few devotees who manage
to reach Vaikuntha or Kailasa.
But this is universal Lord, that means He is formless Lord.
There is no such thing called universal form.
The moment form expands, it immediately dissolves.
You take a balloon, it has a form, you go on blowing, then it bursts, that means it
becomes formless.
So anything vast, anything huge, that almost becomes formless and here you are occupying
the whole world.
And then who are you?
This knowledge was also given by the Lord, not merely seeing something magical like a
kaleidoscope, He is telling, what is He telling?
How do we know Arjuna got this knowledge?
Because he is voicing his experience.
Why?
What is He telling?
Kasmat, for what reason should they keep quiet?
Accepting, praising you, singing your glories.
After all, you are the Moolakarana, you are the cause of the whole world.
Brahma came from you, Vishnu came from you, Shiva came from you, the whole world came
from Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, therefore we are all, the whole world.
Earlier 10th chapter, 9th chapter, 7th chapter, practically every chapter until now we have
been seeing.
So you are the Pita, you are the Mata, you are the Pitamaha, from you, you are the Srishti
Karta, Sthithi Karta, Layakarta, all these ideas we had already explored in deep details.
Please go back to the earlier shlokas.
So, Kasmatchati na nameram, Mahatman, O great Mahatma, O great soul, after all, what else
can you say?
You have to tell something, you can only say, Mahanatma, great soul, we are all small souls,
but Bhagawan is that soul in which everything is comprised.
Why should not they salute you, after all, they exist because of you, their very livelihood
is because you are sustaining them, their happiness because you bestow that happiness
upon them, all their good blessings is only because of you.
So, we say thanks, so why can't they say, there is no other way, if they don't do on
the other hand, if they don't do, they are ungrateful people, you have to consider them
as Rakshasas, Asuras.
Gariya say, you are greater, Brahmanahapi Adhikartri, the whole world had come from
Brahma and Brahma is the Adhikarta, the cause of the entire world, but Brahma himself is
not the final cause, you are that final from whom Brahma has come.
That's why you can see Vishnu's navel, that is where a lotus comes and in the lotus,
this Brahma is depicted as sitting.
This Srishtikarta Brahma has sprung from Lord Vishnu, not our devotee's concept of Vishnu,
but the Vedantic concept of Vishnu, Vyapakathvath Vishnu, that's why in the Vishnu Sahasranama,
Vishwam, your name is Vishwam, this entire universe, this yogurt comes from milk, a chair
is the product of wood, an ornament is the product of gold.
So also Lord, this universe is nothing but your product, you are the cause and we are
all the effects.
So therefore, the cause is always superior, I am existing because of your existence, I
have knowledge because of your knowledge, I am happy because of your Ananda, oh Lord,
I have nothing of my own, my everything depends because of you, it comes from you, sustained
by you and again in the end, I go back to you and therefore, you are the only one, that
is the meaning of Gariyase, you are the supreme, you are the superior to everything in this
world, Ananta, your infinite, Devesha, your Lord of all the celestial beings, all the
Rishis, all the Munis, all the Siddhas, in fact of the whole worlds, 14 worlds, Jagannivasa
and yet you pervade this whole universe, Jagannivasa means what, this Jagat, this world is whose
abode that means is not like a person sitting in a house, it is not like water being put
in a vessel that means is the very root cause of the vessel, root cause like clay, the root
cause of the pot, similarly you are the substratum because of which is manifesting with name
and form and gets as if separated but it is never separate from you, this is called Jagannivasa
means this world is none other than you, from Aksharam, you are that imperishable, Akshara
means imperishable, perishable, Akshara means that which is not perishable, imperishable,
you are imperishable because whether the pot can break, the chair can break, a necklace
can break, a ring can break, anything made out of any Mulakarna can break but clay there
is no such thing, you have to understand, it is an example given, so you are that Aksharam
and you are Sat, Asat and Tatpara, under here the words Sat and Asat have a special meaning,
Sat means that which is manifest, that which is visible, that which is experienceable,
Asat means that which is subtle, that which is not therefore to be experienced, it can
be experienced but we cannot really understand it, so that is the Sat and Asat, Murtha and
Amurtha, visible, invisible etc. but that is the nature of the universe but that is
not the only thing, Tatparam yat, beyond the form, beyond formlessness as Shri Ramakrishna
says God is with form, God is without form, God is beyond both form as well as formlessness,
so why should they not bow down to the almighty being, you are greater than all since thou
art the primal cause even of Brahma, even of Vishnu, even of Shiva, O infinite one,
Lord of Gods, abode of the universe, thou art the imperishable being and non-being and
that which is beyond both being and non-being, this idea also we have explored earlier.
Now we will come to the 38th verse, Arjuna is continuing from the early 11 shlokas he
continues
Pramahadevaha Purushaha Puranaha Pramasya Vishvasya Param Nidhanam
Ved Tasi Ved Dhyancha Parancha Dhama Tvayatatam Vishvam Anantaroopa
More or less similar idea to the earlier idea, what is it that you are the supreme lord like
clay as an example and a billion pots can be made small, big and particular different
shapes, different sizes, different colours etc. to suit different purposes yet they are
all nothing but manifestation of one single material called clay.
So he says Tvam Adhidevaha Purushaha Puranaha Tvam Asya Vishvasya Param Nidhanam Ved Tasi
Ved Dhyancha Parancha Dhama Tvayatatam Vishvam Anantaroopa
Thou art the first of Gods, the ancient soul, thou art the supreme, resting place of the
entire universe, thou art the knower and thou which is to be known and the ultimate goal
and by thee is this world pervaded, O thou of infinite form.
We have discussed these ideas, I do not need to dwell upon them too long, Tvam Adhidevaha
that means the original cause from which Brahma has come, Vishnu has come, Shiva has come
and through them this universe is being created, being maintained and again taking it back.
So like divine mother Srishti Sthithi Vinashanam Shakthi Bhuthe Sanatani Kunashraye Gunamayee
Narayani Namasthuti Sarvamangala Mangalya Stotra, the middle second
shloka and that is what Kali stands on Mahakala, Mahakala is that which is beyond both Sat
and Asat, Shiva.
That is why Shakthi it acts and its actions are only three and it does the three actions
with the help of three Gunas, the Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, through Sattva it creates,
through Rajas it maintains and through Tamas it takes it back, not destroys, destroys the
present form to give a new form, a new shape, a new life, a new opportunity for us to progress
forward.
So he is telling O Lord you are the original cause, you are Purushaha, you are all pervading,
you are Puranaha, eternal that means you have no cause, you are the cause of this universe
but you yourself are Anadi, that is the meaning of Purana, Pura Apinava, very old and yet
ever new.
Tvam asya vishwasya param nidhana, where is this entire world coming from, from you, where
is it living, in you and where is it going to go back, into you, the pot always goes
back into the clay, even to say goes back, it is a misnomer, we should not use, it just
remains, it was clay, it is clay and it will be clay only.
So Vettasi Vedyancha, so the whole, the Lord has become the world, so if I know you, who
is knowing you, that is Lord is knowing you and who are you, you are also the Lord.
So just as in our dream, we go on knowing, we create so many worlds, we are the knowers,
we are the known and we create the entire dream world, Vettasi, you are to be known,
you are the knower, real knower, Vedyancha, you are also that which is to be known because
if I know you in your original nature, then I become free of this samsara, Paranchadhama,
you are the ultimate place, where we all go and know who we are and remain eternally joyful.
Tvaya tatam vishvam anantarupa, you are pervading the whole universe as the universe, tvaya
by you, vishvam, this whole universe, tatam, pervaded, like clay pervades every pot, like
gold pervades every ornament, like wood pervading every bit of furniture because you are infinite,
your form is infinite, it is a oxymoron, what is this, ananta means infinite, infinite is
no form, infinite is always formless, finite is only of form and yet you are infinite but
appears as if by maya, as if you are having the particular form, not only this idea, you
are the whole world is being further explained in this 39th verse also, the lord is the essence,
the lord is the name, the lord is the form, the lord is the quality, there is nothing
else excepting god, this we will explore in our next class tomorrow morning.
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Janura Marthanam, Devaki Paramanandam, Krishnam Vande Jagad
Gurum.
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 12 on 15 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:59:33Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DUGDHA GOPALANANDANAH
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DUGDHAM GITA AMRITAM MAHA
MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATI GIRIM
YAT KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We are studying the Bhagavad Gita.
We have seen how Arjuna was having this universal vision
and especially the laya aspect of Bhagawan, the destruction aspect.
By destruction, the Lord is giving a new life, a new opportunity
and every being is going to be liberated.
That is the meaning.
So he gives certain analogies.
Like so many rivers which are, as they are approaching the ocean or sea,
they are gathering the momentum with tremendous speed
because they are eager to be in the lap of their mother
from where they have been separated for a long time.
Every sadhaka, every being from the lowest amoeba,
one celled creature, to the highest evolved person called Brahma,
everybody is rushing.
The greater the evolution, and this is called evolution,
everybody is rushing to go because everybody wants to have
Sat, Chit and Ananda, highest happiness.
So even Brahma's position is only temporary.
So even Brahma is rushing forward to go there.
So a river is one.
Then how so many moths rush swiftly into the blazing fire
when they see the light there.
They cannot resist themselves.
What is this light?
Light of the Atman albeit unconsciously.
That is, if we want to be happy, we will be protected, saved, and we will have that knowledge of joy.
All this is represented by the fire.
Fire gives light just as moths rush.
So we are also all of every creature, not only living creature, even the non-living creature.
A river is rushing.
How can it rush?
Because there is a consciousness part of it is there which we do not see.
That's why for every Hindu, every river, every mountain, not only living,
but their far superior celestial beings, Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, etc.
So we are all like moths.
That means helplessly.
That means our very nature is pulling us towards the Divine Lord
and that physical phenomena is what the science calls evolution.
So that is one.
Then Arjuna was seeing this aspect.
Srishti is wonderful.
Stithi is wonderful.
But Laya is terribly frightening and he was in that agitated state of mind
and he was already Mohagrastha but even though the Divine Lord bestowed upon him this vision,
but that understanding that life consists of birth and death, happiness and unhappiness,
everything is temporary and eternal and one who is in the world cannot help himself.
We have to accept.
Accept everything that comes.
Are you beautiful?
Fine, accept.
Are you not beautiful?
Fine, accept.
Are you healthy?
Accept.
Unhealthy?
Accept.
Are you happy?
Accept.
Unhappy?
Accept.
Rich?
Accept.
Poor?
Accept.
Learned?
Accept.
And illiterate?
Accept.
Accept everything and most of the time what happens is it's not a cut and dried division.
Same person will have sometimes high, sometimes low.
We discussed this point yesterday.
So Arjuna was terrified seeing that Laya aspect of the Divine Lord.
What is that Laya aspect?
Kala aspect.
So Kala means time.
In time Srishti comes.
Only in time it remains for some time and in time it goes out of time also.
So Ajnana is born, Ajnana continues and Ajnana goes back into Jnana.
Is it not contradictory?
You may challenge me.
No.
The Ajnana is born from Jnana and it remains Ajnana for some time.
Ajnana means limited Jnana, partial Jnana.
I explained in the past but for our remembrance let me remind you.
When a person is walking in semi-darkness then what does he see?
He sees a snake.
What is happening?
He sees.
What is he seeing really?
Really seeing is he is seeing only a rope.
So that is called Jnana.
But because of semi-darkness he doesn't have full knowledge that this is a harmless piece of rope.
It is not a poisonous, dangerous snake.
This is what is called Ajnana means not absence of knowledge but partial, little bit of, limited bit of knowledge.
That is what the ancient parable four blind men touched a living elephant and each came to the conclusion
whatever I am experiencing is the full knowledge.
This is called Ajnana.
Suppose there is a dead person or a sleeping person even if an elephant falls upon him,
he will not know what is elephant.
One must have full awareness, consciousness, knowledge.
I am experiencing this and become identified with it then he gets that knowledge.
So Arjuna was not capable of that kind of knowledge.
He is seeing only a partial aspect of the God.
He is not paying attention to the creative aspect of God.
He is not paying attention to the sustenance aspect of God.
He is only paying attention to the so-called recycling aspect of God
and he doesn't even understand it is a process of recycling.
He thinks it is non-existence, it is what is called destruction.
It is called Asat.
Therefore naturally no existing being wants to, desires to be non-existing.
So if that idea comes when a person is convinced that he is going to be annihilated, become non-existent,
he becomes frightened.
Nobody becomes frightened.
You are going to live for a long time.
Suppose you go to a doctor for some problem and then you are suspecting because our,
you know if the doctor says, we need to do some biopsy.
Oh immediately our power of imagination jumps to the highest peak.
I think it must be cancer.
The doctor is not telling the truth.
He wants to give a little time for me to accept.
So that is why he is asking.
They must have found something dangerous and on and on and on.
Why?
Because cancer means destruction, death.
Death means as I explained mostly we think we are going to become non-existent.
No sir.
Suppose we come to know like Socrates came to know that after death he had a vision of the heaven.
After death he was going to go to heaven and live there permanently.
And then when the time of death comes he was impatient.
Let this body go.
Then somebody asked him, are you not frightened?
This is the worst thing that can happen to any sadhaka, any person.
He must be a great sadhaka.
He was not merely an intellectual philosopher, dry philosopher.
He had many spiritual visions.
That's why his wisdom lives even today but in the form of like Buddha, rationality, reasoning.
Very logical thinker.
Then he replied, I have seen heaven.
I am going to go to heaven.
I know it is far superior state than this dirty world which treated me in this horrible manner.
So I am very glad to give up this body and then I will be enjoying.
There are people who they will only appreciate me, never put me to torture like that.
Quick, quick, quick.
I want to quit this body.
Fearlessly he drank the hemlock and then gave up this.
The same thing and somebody, some disciple said to Buddha.
Then Buddha said, Ananda, what have you learned from serving me for so many years?
Don't you know, I am going to attain Mahaparinirvana.
It is a state of infinite existence, eternal life.
So do not weep.
You also follow me by putting into practice the teachings I have given me.
Then same thing, Ramakrishna, this holy mother was weeping.
Devotees were weeping because they knew inevitably that he is not going to live for a long time.
What was his reply?
Where am I going?
I am going only from this room to that room.
What does this room and that room mean?
This is another room.
That is a separate room.
From this separate room, I am going to another bigger room, better room, heavenly room.
No.
What he means to say, from this state of ignorance, which from your side it is ignorance,
I am going to be one with the Paramatma and I will be everywhere.
I will be available.
Sada jananam hridi sannivistaha.
So that is what it means really, but unfortunately, Arjuna could see only destructive side, but
not the creative side, not even seeing when a person enters into the Bhagawan's being,
then that person, he will come out like stars entering into black holes, come out as a new
star.
So it created terrible fear, confusion in Arjuna's mind.
So categorically he was asking, he says, O Lord, akhyahi meko bhavan ugra roopo.
You are so terrifying.
Even I don't know who you are.
Please explain to me what you are.
Namostu te deva bharah prasida.
Vijnatam ichchami bhavantam adhyam.
I would like to know everything about you.
Nahi prajanami tava pravrittim.
In this particular agitated state of my mind, I am not able to understand even a little
bit of you.
Then in the verse 32nd, we explored yesterday and we said we will do a little more.
Sri Bhagawan Vajra, the Lord said, what did he say?
What was Arjuna's question?
Who are you?
So the Lord is answering.
Kala has me, no beating about the bush.
I am called Kala.
Then what is the function of Kala?
Kala, a poisonous snake, is also called Kala.
It creeps.
So silently it comes.
And then we don't know.
It could be an accident.
It could be in sleep or it could be an operation.
It could be COVID.
It could be a bomb.
It could be a drone.
Anything, this Kala will come.
Where there is Janma, there will be, Mrityu also will be there.
So that is why yesterday I quoted and Yudhishthira was asked by Yaksha.
So he says, every day,
Ahanyahani Bhutani Gacchanti Yamamandiram
Sesha Stavaramichchanti Kimaschariyam Atahparam
Every single minute, not day,
every single minute, every single bilisecond,
billions of creatures are dying
and attaining to going to the world of Mrityu to be recycled.
And yet those who have not been fortunate to have that,
they think that this time is never ever going to come.
They will live forever.
What foolishness!
If you live for another 500 years,
aging process cannot be stopped.
You can't be a young person.
First, your body will go on becoming older, still older, unbearable
until you beg the divine Lord,
Oh Lord, please take away this body and give me another body.
That is one thought.
Second thought is,
so you see, even now, we foolish human beings, we are all foolish.
We are all filled with worrying thoughts, restless thoughts, restless mind.
And we don't know whether we should run towards the east, west, south or north.
Just as when the bomb went off a few days back,
people were unable to decide which way to run,
even to escape from that scare of the bomb.
So when the time comes, we will be scared.
So what is it?
We are our minds from birth to death.
Very few moments we are really happy.
Rest of the time, either we are suffering or anticipating happiness.
I would like to be happy in future.
A great cooking is going on and I will wait three hours.
And that thought sustains him a little bit.
With this kind of mind, even a few years of life becomes unbearable.
If a person lives 150, 200, 500, 1000 years,
then they feel like committing suicide.
Definitely, I feel like committing suicide.
So Arjuna did not understand this third aspect of Kala
is called death or destruction is merely a process of going
from the manifest to the unmanifest and giving recycling process.
That is a better word.
This old body will be given to the laundry like a dress.
And if there are any holes and they will be stitched,
everything is ironed out and fresh cloths will be issued like military issue every year.
So that is a recycling process, nothing to worry.
But if we forget the very goal of life, then we will have a having problem.
So what are we talking about?
We have to meditate upon Kala.
In fact, when we meditate, we try to escape Kala.
What does it mean?
What do I mean?
You sit for 10 minutes.
For most people, 10 minutes is like 10 yugas.
Similarly, even to do, I asked once a person who complained to me that I cannot concentrate.
I asked him, what is the thing you love most?
He said, I love to eat rasagullas.
All right, while eating rasagulla, you meditate.
Keep the mind on rasagulla.
You may eat 5, 6, 10, whatever, it doesn't matter.
But eat slowly and keep your mind focused on rasagullas.
Can you do it?
No.
We call it in Bengali, Podamon.
This is what is called dirty mind.
This is burnt mind.
Poda means burnt, burnt mind.
Even it cannot keep its mind on happiness.
One second, I'm very happy.
Next moment, it is thinking of something else.
Why if I had jalebi, if I had Mysore Pak, if I had Idli Sambar, these things would be much more pleasant.
We cannot meditate upon the suffering.
We cannot tolerate the happiness.
Mind is constantly restless.
And if this body remains for a long time, what is going to happen?
Life becomes, I tell you, I assure you, and it is true, unbearable.
Then we'll be begging God.
So let this body go.
Or if God doesn't listen, we will try to kick off this body by swallowing poison,
by falling under the running train or a bus.
Or if we are fortunate to get what is called suicide bomber,
Oh, Baba, don't throw that bomb.
Let me join the crowd nearest to your bomb.
And that is the best way.
So Arjuna was terrified.
He could not understand Kala Tattva, the philosophy of time.
In time, people become people of knowledge, wisdom.
In time, people become people of ignorance, literate.
In time, they suffer.
In time, they are happy.
Birth, growth, etc.
These sixfold changes take place in time.
Everything takes place in time.
Ultimately, one day we wake up and then we realize my goal, real goal,
I understand from the scriptures, through the interpretation of my Guru,
is to get mukti and then the whole mind, it turns towards God.
And then we bless our time that this human body and the desire to become liberated
and favorable circumstances, company of the holy,
these are all obtainable only by the grace of God
and because of my Purva Janma, Bahu Janma Krita Punya Phala.
This realization comes.
Then man turns into a sadhaka.
And in course of time,
after many, many lives of striving,
one becomes a possessor of that supreme knowledge.
What is it?
What I have been thinking, I don't have.
What I am not, now I understand absolutely 100% right.
I am what I am seeking and like the musk deer which is seeking the fragrance
emanating from its own navel, I've been going in search of it through the life after life
and searching in all the worlds, I realize.
Where are you searching, oh fool?
I am inside you.
I am outside you.
I am everywhere.
You don't need to go anywhere.
In fact, I have been searching for you.
So that knowledge comes.
What am I talking about?
We become agnanis in time and then we suffer and enjoy in time
and we awaken in time and we start our spiritual sadhana in time
and in time we attain that knowledge.
I am timeless.
Time means, within time means death.
Timelessness means I am beyond birth, beyond sustenance, beyond death.
I am timeless.
I am the aja, unborn, that knowledge will come.
All this drama takes place only in course of time and who became the time?
Bhagawan himself had become that time.
In fact, what we say is, even scientists say that time and space are born the moment the
big bang occurred.
Before that, it is what is called a point of singularity where there was no time, there
was no space.
But as soon as the explosion took place, big bang, that is called immediately time.
First thing that started is time and space simultaneously and that universe which is
started according to scientists nearly 14 billion years ago, it is expanding and still
expanding and still expanding.
That is what is going to happen.
So, the Lord is telling, Oh Arjuna, I am time and I am also timelessness because time is
born and what is it born from?
Timelessness, eternity.
Is it really born?
No, it's not born.
But that is what we all think is born.
It doesn't matter whether you think it is born, whether you think it is not born.
It doesn't really matter.
So, we have to take that we have come, this whole universe has come from God and we are
in the universe.
Everybody is in the universe.
Everything is in the universe.
Everything has come from God.
God himself has become this entire universe.
There is no separate material from God from which like a potter taking some amount of
clay, he fashions many pots.
He is not like that.
God himself is the material cause, God himself is the intelligent cause, God himself is the
instrumental cause.
So, why is he telling?
Because whatever has come, has come out from me.
What is the first point?
He is the cause and the entire universe is the effect.
He is the cause.
We are all the effects.
He is divine.
We are also, we cannot be anybody else excepting unborn, eternal, infinite, etc.
So, that is the first point.
Second point is this even though we do not know, that not knowing is a part of knowledge
itself.
It is incomplete knowledge.
It makes us feel I am a poorna, not infinite.
I am lacking something.
I am terribly limited in body, in mind.
That makes us totally restless and we seek how can I go on adding to myself, becoming
more and more expansive, unlimited.
That is called spiritual sadhana.
At first, this sadhana goes into worldly ways.
I want to be a musician, a scientist, what is called statesman, a politician, a ruler,
etc., etc.
But time awakens us and then we awaken to the fact we are all rushing towards unhappiness,
destruction, death.
But there is a way out, turn back and then that would be our salvation.
So, having what was Arjuna's question, who are you, what was Bhagawan's reply, I am
time.
I manifest especially in time and especially I can assure you, Arjuna, your greatest problem,
your mind was completely overcome, was not Bhishma, Drona.
Your greatest enemies you think Duryodhana, Dushyasana, Karna and Shakuni and I have shown
you the future event.
They have all entered.
I have been eating them, kacha, kacha, kacha, like a tiger eats up or small animals.
So, in the form of time, I have killed them.
So, there can be no doubt because you have seen the future vision where you yourself
have not been eaten.
That means you are going to be the hero, you are going to be winning this battle and all
you Pancha Pandavas, your armies will go but you will remain.
That means your victory is assured.
So, a little bit of we assume Arjuna's mind has become a little bit peaceful, happy to
come to know like a student, his own uncle is the examiner of the papers and then one
day morning, this uncle was taking a walk and he meets his nephew and then he says,
oh yesterday night, I was going through your papers.
You are okay.
You have done very well.
You have passed.
Even before the exam results were announced, the boy becomes extremely happy and he goes
on thanking endlessly his uncle.
So, he goes home and that worry, what is going to be the result will be completely removed
from that child's mind.
Similarly, Arjuna's mind has become relieved that he had seen the future events but we
are not concerned about future events.
Kala means you may be living for some time but you are also subject.
Every thoughtful person will not simply be thinking my enemy is going to die soon but
sooner afterwards you are going to also die.
There is a beautiful story.
I don't remember maybe one of the Puranas.
There were two brothers who were very powerful heroes, Indra once or Devatas required their
aid in conquering their enemies, the Asuras, the Rakshasas, the demons.
So these two people gladly agreed, they joined the forces and ultimately victory was achieved
and then these people have to return home.
Then Indra, the king of the Devas called the eldest brother, elder brother and asked him,
we are very thankful, you without your help we could not have conquered and we are very
very grateful to you, thankful but we want to compensate for your time and for your help.
What can we give you?
Ask anything you want, a beautiful wife or wives, plenty of kingdoms or wealth, power
or anything that you want.
Immediately the elder brother, he has asked, give me a huge kingdom, unrivaled, so long
as I live I will not die, only in my ripe old age I will die, I want to enjoy this and
that and that, whatever Yamadharma Raja offered to Nachiketa and Indra said once upon a time
this Nachiketa was offered but he kept them aside, he rejected them and that Yama had
given me all those things and now you are asking only those things, here are those things,
you take them and then he went, departed.
Now the turn of the younger brother, so Indra turned to him and said, so what can I do you?
How can we compensate for your trouble?
This man was a very wise person, so he asked, before I ask anything I want to ask another
question because you are the Deva, you can answer it truthfully, alright, what is the
question?
Question is how long am I, now first question was that when I go back, the time difference,
time is relative, Deva Loka time is relative, one second of Deva Loka or Brahma Loka is
thousand yogas of earthly life, so will there be anybody when I go back that can recognize
me, those were my family members etc and sadly Indra answered, unfortunately they have died
long back and they will not recognize, they don't even know, there are some people that
belong to your vamsha, lineage but nobody even heard about you because so many thousands
of yogas have gone away and then the second question that asked, okay, when I go back
at least how long am I going to live?
The man said, you have only two days, if you go today, day after tomorrow you are going
to go to death, then the Ingram man said, what will you do for me to ask all these enjoyable
things when I know for sure I am going to die, give me that company where from I can
conquer the birth and rebirth, birth and death and Indra was pleased and said, I am sending
you to such and such a place, there is a great Rishi, Muni and you serve him and he will
teach you the way to fearlessness, that's what exactly happened to Nachiketa, Yamadhar
Maharaj offered, he said, every being like a rice plant, it comes within two days and
after a few months or so, it goes, this is the life story of every creature whether it
is lives 500 years or 5000 years, 2000 years, this is the life story, death is stalking
us all the time, then this awakening comes in course of time by the grace of the Lord.
So here, how do we know that whatever we have been talking so far is the thoughts of Arjuna,
that's why in the 33rd verse, what is the Lord telling?
This is one of the most important shlokas in every chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, in
the entire Bhagavad Gita.
So the Lord is addressing Arjuna and telling, therefore, oh Arjuna, stand up and win the
glory, conquer your enemies and enjoy an opulent kingdom, why?
By me and all these people have already been slain, I have killed them already, so what
does it mean?
That the Lord telling conquer your enemies means just to become like a puppet, you discharge
as if they are all scarecrows, their bodies are there as if some electronic thing is inside
like robots and they are talking, they are saying, I am Bhishma, unconquerable, I am
Drona, unconquerable, I am Karna, I am Duryodhana, I am Shakuni, I am Dushyasana, etc, etc, etc.
So what is the Lord telling?
These are all dead people, already dead, means they do not know within this span of this
18 days, all of them will be killed, excepting Anukrita, Varma, and there is another one
or two people, and Ashwathama, and Pancha Pandavas, and one or two other people, at
best maybe 10 people, those who participated in the war, 18,000 people minus 10, they will
be completely destroyed.
So says, but nobody knows the secret, only I am telling you, like a great astrologer,
I am predicting, not predicting, I am assuring you, you are going to be the conqueror.
So that is what he says, Tasmatvam utthishta, and then you wake up from this sleep of delusion
and you participate in this war, so Yudhyaya, Yudhaya, you get ready and do as Karma Yoga.
Why Karma Yoga?
Because everything is done by me, it is only your attitude, nothing is done by me, O Lord,
everything is being done, will be done, was done, only by you, I have nothing to do.
A wise man is never caught, enmeshed in these attachments, because he knows my body and
mind belongs to Prakruti, the whole world belongs to Prakruti, Prakruti in the form
of Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, is interacting with itself and it is doing this birth and
sustenance and death.
I have, as Atman, I have no relationship with it, Tasmatvam utthishta, then stand up, arise,
Yashola Vasva, by participating you obtain this great name and fame, you are the greatest
hero, you conquered all these Athirathas, Maharathas like Karna, Bhishma, Drona, everything,
Jitva, how Shatrunjitva, having conquered all these inimical people, Bhungshwar, Ajyam Samruddham,
so at the beginning you will be having only a desolate place, because most of the eligible
people have joined the war on both sides and they would all have perished, Rajyam Samruddham,
Bhungshwar, but in course of time you are going to start a new type of civilization
filled with Dharma etc., because that is what you Pandavas are and in course of time people
will hear about you, more and more and more people will come and it will surpass the glory
of this Kaurava Rajya that was before the world war has taken place, this Kurukshetra
war had taken place.
So O Lord, how can you give that assurance, O Arjuna, Purvameva, long before in the form
of time, Nihataha Ete Sarve Maya Eva, I myself by no one else have destroyed these people
long before even they were born, I have fixed the time, at this time this is the manufacturing
date and this is the shelf life, this is the end of their life, I have stamped upon their
foreheads, Maya Eva Ete Sarva Nihataha Purvameva, then what is your attitude should be, Saviya
Sachen Bhava Nimitta Matram, only you try to maintain that Karma Yoga attitude, Yogic
attitude, what is it, I am just an instrument but I am being used by the Divine Lord as
instrument I have been given this opportunity.
Is this a teaching only to Arjuna, it is a teaching for all of us, what is it, I am born
because this body mind is coming from Prakruti and this body mind acts and reacts, stays
for some time, that is also Prakruti and then it goes back into Prakruti, a small example
this body is made up of food and it is sustained by food and even now it is nothing but food,
physical body I am talking about, nothing but food, so if a tiger looks at me, even
if a mosquito looks at me, if a wild dog looks at me but even we look at each other, what
are we looking, food, food doesn't mean only what the mouth eats, food also means what
the eye perceives, what the ear hears, what the nose smells, what the mouth tastes, tongue
tastes, what the skin embraces, so whether a man is embracing a woman or he is smelling
the fragrance of a beautiful fragrant rose or he is tasting a sweetmeat or he is there
lying on a softest of the bread made out of feathers, bird feathers done or whether a
person is beholding the most breathtaking scenes in this world, it is all nothing but
made out of Pancha Bhutas, a body and mind, body is made up of Pancha Bhutas, so Guna
Guneeshu Vartam Theru, the Lord has created himself into a myriad forms and he is acting,
he is reacting, he is enjoying, he is suffering, everything is he but then we have our egotism
which says I am this body-mind complex, sometimes I am happy, sometimes unhappy, etc., no, no,
get rid of it, you are not a person, you have not created Karmaphala, it is I who created
this, your so-called Karmaphala, it belongs to me but you are trying to appropriate it
instead of saying the whole Karma body-mind which is the instrument for Karma belongs
to the Lord, you are saying it belongs to me, I am the knower, I am the doer, I am the
reaper of my own Karmaphala, no, no, no, no, Karma Yoga means body-mind doesn't belong
to me, it belongs to the divine Lord in the form of Prakruti or Maya, I am just an instrument,
a sadhaka must entertain this, then what happens if we become Nimitta, Nimitta means I am just
an instrument, that's what Sri Ramakrishna never used the word I, it is the divine mother
who gave the instruction, divine mother, who is eating, divine mother, who is providing
food, divine mother, I do not exist at all but I enjoy because she has given me that
little bit of Ahankara, it is called Vidya Ahankara, Gnana Ahankara, with that I am enjoying,
oh mother, I am seeing your divine Rama, so Nimitta Matram Bhava Savya Saachin, Savya
Saachin means the person who could fight with both hands, who could discharge the arrows
either through the right hand or left hand with equal skill, he is called Savya Saachin,
Arjuna has to become what is called my instrument, further he says 34th verse, Dronancha Bhishmancha
Jayatrathancha Karnam Tatha Anyanapi Yodhaviran Maya Hathantvam Jayimavyatishta Yudhyasya Jayatasi
Rane Sapatna, the same statement that he made, Maya Ivaite Nehata Puromeva Nimitta Matram
Bhava Savya Saachin, he is reaffirming and says so sir, whom did you exactly kill, there
he did not mention the particular names, here he is mentioning, Bhishma the almost unconquerable,
Jayatratha, a great hero who could be only with greatest difficulty, only by the grace
of God who could be overcome, Karna of course you know, he is a greater strong archer than
you Arjuna but without my help you would never be able to conquer him, those who know how
Arjuna was able to kill under certain circumstances when Karna's Ratha Chakra, the wheel of his
chariot had sunk, it is not able to move and then very strange thing happened, I will explain
shortly, at that time Krishna advised, this is the time, he is trying to lift the wheel
so that he can run round and then he will make you run round, now is the best time and
there is a beautiful conversation, Karna was going on accusing, this is Adharma, Krishna
says when you incited Duryodhana to undress Draupadi, was it Dharma O Karna, when you
killed helplessly one boy, there is a rule of where a horseman will kill a horseman,
a foot soldier will fight a foot soldier, a man on a chariot will fight only a man on
a chariot, a man on an elephant should fight only another man on another elephant but you
have violated all these things, all of you came together, when a woman you begged you,
even to give you one sword to fight with, you stabbed him, O Karna, what happened my
dear sir to all those Adharmic activities, now you are teaching this Dharma to me like
a tiger teaching Dharma when it is in a helpless condition, then he makes Arjuna, even though
Arjuna himself was not willing, kill him otherwise he will kill you, this is the only opportunity,
take it or leave it, that is the final bargain, of course Arjuna kills, we know that.
So this Karna was the greatest hero, Arjuna knew I can't conquer him excepting through
back door, if Bhishma, Drona, Dronancha, Bhishmancha, Jayatratancha, Karnancha, then Duryodhana
and others, they are not equal to you at all, they will be killed either by you, by your
brothers or other people but I have already killed them because Arjuna was only suspecting,
if I could eliminate these four people, Drona, Bhishma, Karna and Jayatrata, the other people
are just, they are small bubbles, they are nothing, if I say Oof, then they will burst,
they will be destroyed, so Mayahatha, so all these people, so many other people also they
have been killed, Mayahatha, then I have conquered them, Tvamjahi, so you conquer them, how can
a person conquer, then other people who are conquered already is to say in the form of
time I have killed them, they are just like corpses, some people put a little bit of engine
electronics and they are making them feel as though they are real, Kala is playing with
us like that, so I finished them, now your greatest worry is gone because these four
people were your greatest worry, Jehi Maavyatishta, do not be frightened, Yudhyasya Jayatasi,
you are going to be the winner in this particular battle, Rane in this battle, Sapatnan, all
these people so closely related to you as your uncles, as your elders, as your teachers,
as your co-peoples, everybody, all cousins, everybody will be there, Nimitta Matram, don't
forget, so this is what he is trying to tell, Arjuna was telling, now here Bhagawan's words
are very very important, now what is happening, this conversation is being conveyed by Sanjaya
to Dhritharashtra, whatever is happening in this battlefield don't forget, this is being
conveyed by Sanjaya graphically minute by minute narration is going on, so Sanjaya's
words are very significant, then Dhritharashtra was hoping against hope, first of all the
army of Pandavas was at least 3000, 4000 people less, so 7000 Pandavas army, 11000 Dhritharashtra's
army, Duryodhana himself in the very first chapter says, look our army is far superior
and it is having the greatest, all these Bhishma, Drona, etc., so do not worry, all of you,
you protect Bhishma who is the commander in chief and then let us finish this war and
as soon as possible, they did not know Krishna in the form of Kala had already given, Dhritharashtra
was hoping against hope, but then Sanjaya is telling that this is what the Lord says, because
Dhritharashtra could see the inevitable destruction of his sons, how could he see, see means the
scene is not happening, but he was not a foolish fellow, he was an extremely intelligent person
but perverted and he was because of his love partiality towards Mamakaha Pandavas, my children
and Pandu's children, he is not telling all are my children, made big distinction, so
he understood through Sanjaya, if this is the divine Lord, who could show that Vishwarupadarshana
and he is telling clearly that I have killed all of them, there was not the least bit of
doubt, Dhritharashtra was completely convinced, his children were going to die completely,
so Dhritharashtra is blind, why blind?
Even if the midday sun is shining, a blind man cannot see, even though one part of his
mind is telling that you are going to win, the other part is not willing to accept that
fact and he in that sense, we are all like that, our good part of our mind says life
is very temporary, everything is ephemeral, there is not much happiness in this world,
who does not know, we all know, we are not foolish, but we become foolish because like
the slaves of Madhu and Kaitava, we turn deaf ear to our own clear conscience, which is
telling us what is right and what is wrong.
So now Arjuna, it is his turn to tell about these things, which we will talk about in
the next class.
Om Vasudevasudham Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 11 on 14 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:59:15Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandanah
Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetam Ritam Mahat
Mookam Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Girim
Yat Kripatamaham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam
We are continuing the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
The Lord has shown His Vishwaroopadarshana.
It means the Lord is present in front of us all the time in the form of this world.
If our mind is pure then we will be able to perceive that vision until our heart is cleansed, our worldly samskaras are reduced.
It is not possible to see this world as God.
That's why it is Holy Mother's commandments. Stop finding fault because if you find fault with others, you are finding fault with none other than God Himself.
Instead of that, spend all your energy in finding out your own defects.
Then try to eliminate them and gradually by His grace the capacity to understand will grow.
Then we will see. What do we see?
When our heart becomes very pure, what is it that we really see or rather understand?
What is it that first of all the world that we experience is temporary.
It comes into existence. It stays for some time and it goes back into its origin like bubbles, like waves, like foam.
They originate from the ocean or river and stay for a short time and go back.
But the origin remains, water remains all the time.
So we have two parts, the watery part which is equivalent to our divine part and the external limitations, body, mind, wrong concepts, desires, etc.
When we have this understanding, we see that this whole universe, whatever is happening is not real. Birth is not real.
Old age is not real. Disease is not real. Suffering is not real. Enemies are not real.
Loss is not real. Someone insulting us is not real.
It is just a huge drama, leela that is going on all the time.
That's what understanding we have.
Then next, whatever is born, because it starts in time, it remains in time, but it has to go out of time also.
Srishti sthiti laya, that also is the part of this leela.
So first point is nothing in this world is real excepting God playing in the guise of all of us, everything in this world.
Some had become the tree, he had become the wood cutter, he had become the insect, he had become the fish, he had become the animals.
So he is eating himself, he is destroying himself.
This is all in play. In reality, there is no birth, there is no death.
So the sixfold changes do not occur at all.
So what is it called? You see the Srishti, you see the sthiti, you see the birth, you see the stability, but we are all being carried.
Imagine, we are all being carried by a tsunami wave.
This is the most wonderful example.
It is a beautiful description.
When a tsunami comes, it seemed, those who have witnessed it, the seawater, it recedes very far back,
and then a tremendous force, huge waves, it just comes and it gathers speed,
and the nearer it approaches the ocean, gathers more speed without any obstruction, resistance,
and it oversteps the boundaries, enters into the cities, towns, villages, whatever is nearby,
and it pushes everybody inside the land, that is just like a birth,
but after that is over, its tremendous force, it carries everything back to its fold,
and then that is called destruction.
Coming inland is like birth, and staying for some time is like staying for some time,
and going back, kala, in the form of tsunami, that gives birth, that sustains and keeps it,
and then everything is reabsorbed into that.
This wonderful fact is intolerable.
This is the universal form.
It is an integral form.
There is a birth, there must be a death.
That is integral form.
If we only see partial experience and then think this is the whole truth, we will be in trouble.
And then remember, Arjuna had this vision.
Duryodhana, he did not have this vision.
When Krishna appeared to all of them, a universal vision, they saw a huge all-pervading Krishna,
but this aspect of destruction they did not see, otherwise they would have been terrified.
Similarly, Yashoda did not see on two occasions this universal form she had experienced,
but this destructive force she did not experience.
But Arjuna was in the battlefield.
Just imagine, a terrific battlefield, Second World War, is nothing if there had to be Third World War.
Even in our imagination, we cannot grasp what is the enormity of the terror, destruction.
A glimpse of it, a minute infinitesimal glimpse of it we get when the atom bomb was discharged over Nagasaki, Hiroshima,
how it created a terrible wave, tsunami wave, engulfing everybody, killing at one time nearly 30,000 to 50,000 people in one go.
This happened in both Hiroshima as well as Nagasaki.
Then one can magnify and that would be the vision of Arjuna.
In my mind it comes, I once saw a documentary and that documentary depicts how 60 million years back,
the age of dinosaurs has come to an end.
All the creatures at that time, enormous, huge, whether they are mammoths, tigers or these dinosaurs,
everything is huge in size, unimaginably huge in size.
And then one so-called peaceful day.
It is no day is peaceful.
Some animals are praying.
Some are trying to escape.
The bigger one preys upon the smaller, the smaller upon the smaller, still smaller, etc.
Suddenly they were terrified.
The whole sky was covered with some invisible this thing as if a terrible shooting of the meteors.
Huge amount of fire has engulfed practically the whole world.
They say more than 80% of the life was extinguished at that time.
So there is a documentary. It probably is available. Yes, it is available on the YouTube.
You better see.
Then you can imagine what was the condition of Arjuna's mind seeing that horrific form.
Then another film has come.
The day after tomorrow, I think it is, I am not sure, day after tomorrow, the whole world was destroyed.
Just one or two people survived and a meteor struck just as 16 million years back a meteor struck.
So also this is of course a created film or there are also films.
If there were to be a third world war, then what happens to the whole world?
Imaginable horror, the whole sky turns into unbearable shooting flames,
destroying everything, obliterating everything in their path.
This was what Arjuna was seeing.
But before we proceed, one important factor we have to take into consideration.
Arjuna was seeing only one aspect because when a person is very fearful, scared, terrified,
his brain doesn't work.
So he sees only one aspect of that reality.
Srishti is going on, creation is growing on, sustenance is going on as well as destruction is going on.
So this integral vision, even though he was granted, Arjuna was only capable of being terrified.
His mind is hesitated as if the whole world like at the time of pralaya.
They say in history, there is nearly 11,000 years back, all over the world the floods came,
engulfed the land, excepting a few people, nobody survived.
And that's why they depict Noah's Ark.
He was commanded by the Lord to create one small ship and then the pairs of certain animals,
certain seeds, certain human beings, whomsoever he could gather, he gathered them
and then again the earth started getting repopulated.
Similar story is there in Bhagavatam.
This is called the story of the Mano who saw a huge Lord as a huge fish and it grew and grew and grew
and then it saved this devotee, just a few people.
This story of the whole world being flooded, obliterated, excepting for a little bit of seeds,
human or non-human, this was depicted practically in every story.
So that is what Arjuna was seeing.
We have come to the 28th verse.
What was Arjuna seeing?
Just the whole universe is rushing into that terrific damstra karalani,
protruding tusks like you have seen a tiger, a lion or a wild dog or hyenas.
Like that you see terrible teeth or the teeth of a huge shark,
hundreds of teeth just to crush everything into small atoms.
So he was terrified.
What is he seeing? That process of destruction.
Pralaya, Kaala, Agni, tremendous flames are shooting forth from the mouth of the Lord,
destroying everything in its passage.
But Arjuna, as I mentioned, was not able to see the creative aspect of the Lord
where equal number of people are dying,
equal number of people are also being reborn again the same.
This is called the complete circle.
Janma, Stithi and Laya, again Janma, this is called Brahma Chakra.
Now in this 28th verse,
another description of Arjuna's terrifying vision
and Arjuna himself was beholding it.
What is it?
As hundreds of rivers, they are rushing forward from a height towards the Samudra.
That's why they say sea level.
It is the lowest level and below that it is only water.
So all the waters of these rivers originated in different directions,
all the four or ten directions
and all of them start as small, some drops becomes small bits of water,
streams, small rivers, big rivers and they gather force
and when they are about to meet the sea, then they become huge rivers
and what happens?
They lose their forms, lose their names and become one with the ocean.
The most beautiful analogy for all of us,
we come from God and we are rushing again with gathering momentum towards the Lord
and we again merge in the Divine Lord
because this is the law.
The broken chair, it goes back to the state of the wood.
A broken or old ornament,
it goes back into its shapeless, nameless, material cause which is called gold.
Every part that is destroyed, it doesn't go
but now we recognize that it is nothing but clay,
nothing but wood, nothing but gold, nothing but iron, etc.
So, samudra meva abhimukaha dravanti tatha tava ami naraloka viraha
vishanti vaktrani avijjalanti
As the many torrents of the rivers rush towards the ocean,
so do the heroes of the mortal world rush into their fiercely flaming mouths.
Tatha, just as bahavaha, many nadis, rivers ambuvegaha,
with terrific force the waters are flowing towards which direction?
Samudra meva abhimukaha, towards the direction whichever is the nearest sea
and they merge there.
Tatha, O Lord, tava, this ami, these, all the soldiers,
everybody who is standing here to participate in this terrific world war.
Prukshetra, remember, was one world war.
Rama-Ravana yuddha is another world war.
God doesn't deal in what is called just small wars.
Whenever He comes, these terrific wars will be there.
So Tatha, just as those waters are flowing,
ami, these, all these people who are here gathered together,
both the Pandavas as well as the Kauravas,
naraloka viraha, these great heroes and middle class soldiers,
the foot soldiers, the servants who serve the foot soldiers
and then drivers of the chariots,
everybody, what I am saying, tava, vaktrani, your mouths,
what type of mouth?
Vijvalanti vaktrani.
They are completely open like a huge cavern
and avivijvalanti, they are burning terrifically
like kala agni, like pralaya agni, like the agni
that burns at the time of final dissolution of this world,
at the end of every kalpa.
What are these people doing?
Naraloka viraha, what is Vishanti?
Helplessly, they are drawn like small iron filings
are drawn into thy mouth.
Now we have to understand what is this mouth?
That mouth is called time.
How do we understand it is the time?
We are going to come.
Arjuna was confused.
His brain stopped working.
But he has got little bit of common sense left out.
So he surrendered himself to the Lord
and he asks the Lord,
O Krishna, O Divine Lord,
I am confused.
Previously, before this divine vision,
I knew you so well.
I can put my hands around you.
I can lovingly caress you, address you.
My Krishna, my friend,
Hey Krishna, Hey Yadava, Hey Sakha.
These expressions come in this very chapter later on.
So I know everybody is entering.
Who? Ordinary soldiers? No, no, no.
Soldiers, foot soldiers,
those who are on the horses,
those who are on the elephants,
those who are fighting with weapons,
everybody big or small,
heroic or ordinary,
everyone is rushing.
So this is not the lot of mere ordinary soldiers alone.
This is the lot of,
whether we are in the battlefield
or very peacefully living at home,
we are all rushing.
And what is that huge flame?
Kala.
Time is the river.
It is flowing.
It is a terrific force.
Kala is that beautiful fire.
It is beautiful because,
it is sweet because,
this is not taking us to destruction.
It is like a mother takes a dirty child,
strips him of all this.
Sometimes the child had to be cut.
Like a person who is burnt,
his body has to be cut practically from the dress
and then dressed so that he can be healed.
Like that this Kala Agni,
it is taking from the Vyakta state,
manifested state into the unmanifest,
which unfortunately we call death,
we call destruction,
we call almost non-existence.
So this analogy is very apt.
A river originates from the sea,
lifted by the sun,
and pure water is discharged on heights
and slowly it comes down
and during its flow, stay,
every creature it uses,
takes advantage of that sweet water.
The animals live,
living beings live,
human beings live,
crops live,
and then ultimately having fulfilled its function,
it goes back to the sea,
again to be cleansed of all its dirt,
draws it, it was gathering,
and again the sun,
the divine Lord,
purifies them,
and then again pours in the form of the river
until we get liberation.
The purpose of Samsara is not destruction.
It is not to create unnecessary trouble.
The Lord wants to give everybody Mukti.
So He is sustaining us.
After some time,
He gives through experience,
a bit of more knowledge.
Next birth, still more knowledge.
Then Bahunam Janmanam Ante,
He becomes Gnanavan.
Then He sees,
I have come from God,
I am in God,
and I will be forever in God.
So that is the analogy.
Again, the divine Lord,
Arjuna was seeing.
In the 29th,
As moths rush swiftly into a blazing fire
to perish there,
even so do these creatures
swiftly rush into their mouths
to their own destruction.
The description should not,
need not,
should not frighten us.
This is the description of life that is going on,
whether it is the Kalagni,
comes in the form of heart attack,
coronary attack,
or cancer,
or kidney failure,
or this corona,
whatever way it comes,
it is nothing but death.
Death is nothing but rebirth.
Rebirth is nothing but
progress towards the divine Lord.
That's why I gave the analogy.
We are all standing.
Kala is like an escalator.
It is slowly taking us
through different lives,
different states of development,
towards our origin,
which is the Divine Lord,
Divine Mother.
So here is another example,
and what is the lesson we have to learn?
This time can never be stopped.
The Lord cannot be stopped.
We wish Him to create.
We wish Him to keep everybody happy,
Srishti Stithi,
but we do not understand,
fools that we are,
unwise that we are,
and death is a fresh opportunity
for all of us to move forward.
Nobody can help.
Even an avatar cannot help.
Remember that greatest,
wisest book, Mahabharata,
Krishna was an avatar.
Not only an avatar,
He was called a Poornavatar,
the greatest of all the avatars.
Really, that is a fact.
Now, even this,
along with Krishna,
to help His mission,
so many of these Yadava heroes were born.
They were all endowed with tremendous power
to help this Dharmasahastapana,
some Stapana,
but they became arrogant.
They had to be destroyed.
Otherwise, they will destroy
what they have preserved.
Therefore, Krishna,
knowing fully well,
deliberately approaches Gandhari,
mesmerizes her mind,
makes her very angry,
and then she curses Him.
Just as, O Krishna,
you did not spare even one son of mine,
your whole Yadu vamsa will be destroyed.
Krishna smiled and said,
Mother, this is what I wanted to do,
but I have given you that opportunity
to fulfill my desire.
Don't think Gandhari was cursing them.
It was the Divine Lord
who was cursed through the mouth of Gandhari,
cursed whom?
All the Yadu vamsa.
Is it a curse? No,
because Krishna also belongs to Yadu vamsa.
Balarama also belongs to Yadu vamsa.
Finally, they also had to give up their body,
but they were Divine beings.
Every Yadu veera,
He straight went to His own former celestial being,
an eternal companion of the Divine Lord.
Similarly, Krishna instructed Balarama,
you give up the body
and merge into Ananta.
Ananta is supposed to be incarnated as Balarama
as the resting place for Krishna.
And Krishna Himself sat there
and made the hunter delude himself.
There is a very fine deer waiting there
and then He shot.
Usually you can understand
an arrow doesn't kill a person
just because a foot is injured.
The foot may be injured,
but death will not come.
But that was an excuse for Krishna.
Now another point,
very important point.
Who created this Kurukshetra war?
We all blame the blind Dhritharashtra.
We also blame most often the Duryodhana
aided by his three people,
Dhrishtachatustaya,
Karna, Dhrishasana,
Karna and Rishikuni.
But Duryodhana was a very wise person.
When he was lying in the battlefield
with his thighs broken,
what was he talking about?
He says,
O Krishna, you are sitting in my heart
and then you are moving me like a puppet here,
plays with his puppet and makes it move.
How can I resist?
Let nobody blame me.
And that is the final truth.
Duryodhana should not be blamed.
Dhrishasana should not be blamed.
Kaikeyi should not be blamed.
Nobody should be blamed.
It is the divine will.
If we understand that point,
then we have understood the message of the Gita.
Whose interpretation is it?
Krishna's interpretation.
So I will give you,
before we go further,
Arjuna was completely terrified,
disoriented,
became confused.
He could not recognize
this destructive aspect of Krishna.
He asks,
Who are you?
I am unable to recognize you.
Krishna says,
Kaloham, I am Kala.
Then what is your purpose,
mission in life?
I have become
terrifically,
with tremendous fire,
I am manifesting here.
For what?
I want to kill
many of the
living creatures here
as Kala.
So Bhishma will not survive.
Drona will not survive.
Most of them will not survive.
What about us?
My friend, nobody will survive.
You will also die.
But not at this time
but a little later
because you are part of my mission.
You will have to aid my mission
albeit unconsciously.
So this is the fact of life.
Srishti, Stithi, Laya
constantly going on.
But we are blind.
We want to see
only certain aspects of life
and until we
awaken to the fact
that every
created being
including non-living too
is rushing towards
reformation.
Death, I would like to call it
reformation.
What for?
We are all rushing towards the Lord
because we have come from Brahman.
We live in Brahman
and we go back to Brahman.
So sooner or later
time in time
it carries us slowly
slowly towards
our origin
and one day we realize it.
We have to accept that fact.
That's why that beautiful
Bengali song
how many times I have quoted it
Shakali Tomari Iccha Iccha Mohi Tara Tumi
Tomar Karma Tumi Koro Maa
Loke Bhole Kori Aami
That is what Bhagavad Gita also tells
that Prakruti, the Divine Mother
is accomplishing everything.
Guna Guneshu Vartante
Nasachchate Teshu Karmasu
A wise man understands
Prakruti is continuing
its own Leela
Srishti Stithi Vinashanam
Shakti Bhute
Nobody can stop.
Stithi means our living and acting
thinking, imagining
all these things
our Divine Mother herself
has become us
living for some time
and again going back
to our real state.
If we can awaken to this fact
life becomes much more bearable
and pleasant.
For that this beautiful
analogy is being given
Yatha, a beautiful analogy
What is the analogy?
Patangaha
These moths
how many moths? Thousands
any moth. What does it do?
Samruddha Vegaha
with the greatest
irresistible speed
they see, they can't help
themselves, they rush
What for? Pradeeptam
Jwalanam Pradeeptam
A burning
fire, burning light
means burning fire
because every light emits
too much of heat, as soon as
the insect reaches, just
it becomes nothing but
ashes. Like that
Nashaya Vishanti
they are helpless. Why?
That is called time
Time, Srishti Stithi
Vinasha. Now born
and now dead. Ravana
is born, Ravana is
dead.
We have to understand
Oh Arjuna
this, do you see what is
happening? Lokaha
all the worlds
Vishanti. Arjuna was
telling Tavaapi Vaktrani
into your flaming
mouth. How?
Slowly, slowly, slowly
Samruddha Vegaha
with terrific force
like the water
rushes from Gomukhi
down. Like that
every creature, living creature
what about non-living thing? They are
also rushing. There was a time
when there was no sea
and there was a sea
and that sea also will be
destroyed. There was a time
when Himalayas was not known
then Himalayas rose
centimeter, millimeter by
milliliter. It took millions
of years. Now they say
it is slowly getting
melted, means reduced. One
day there would be no Himalayas
at all. One day
the whole world will become one
then again after sometime
it will be split into
five or more continents.
This is an inevitable
process.
The planets are rushing
the galaxies are rushing
the stars are rushing
there is nothing which is not rushing
there is nothing
which stands still
this what we call static
that word is completely
useless. Here is a
mountain. Is it moving?
With tremendous speed
it is moving. All its
particles are moving
at what speed? Lightening
speed, mind-boggling speed
So, Samruddha Vegaha
Tava Vatrani
Nashaya Vishanti
As moths rush swiftly
into a blazing fire
to perish there, even so
do these creatures swiftly rush into
their mouths to their own destruction.
So, what is the lesson?
That nobody can stop that
process. Better
you recognize all of us
I, you and me.
Forget others. I am rushing towards
the Lord. What am I doing?
My attention is drawn
not to this fact of
my rushing but
I think that I have
to do this, I have to do that
and I will be here forever
and death is not going
to approach. It will always come
to other people. That was
what Yudhishthira answered
to Yaksha Prashna
So, every day
every night, every second
how many are dying?
How many are coming into
being? Tathapi
even then
that those who are alive
it never occurs to them
that they are ever going to die
Kimashcharyam
Atahparam. What can be
more surprising?
So, this is called
the Kalap Tattvam
the principle of
Kala. We are, the whole
universe is subjected to
Kala and Kala is
moving at a terrific
speed. Only we
are fools not to understand
That's why when Sairam Krishna
second time or so
met Niranjan
and as if he was waiting
he rushed forward
enveloped Niranjan in his
embrace, started to shed
tears. Niranjan
my boy, days
are passing. When are you going
to realize God? Niranjan
was later on telling
I don't feel any headache
whether I realize God or not
Why is this man
so much in such a
rush for me to realize? Because
Sairam Krishna knew
time is very limited
In case you have forgotten
Niranjan Anandaji
was one of the first direct
disciples to die. He went to
Haridwar or so. Suddenly
he died there
So what is the point
here? We have
to understand these shlokas
We are also like these
moths. We are also like these
rivers. We are also
rushing towards the Divine
Lord and it may take
a long time. So we have to
avoid this Kala
Mrityu. How
to avoid? By getting Moksha
What is Moksha?
To know that I am beyond
time, beyond space
beyond causation. So
first accept, use it
and then with the
help of time, get out of
time. This is called worship
of Mother Kali. Mother
Kali is Kala
Worship her. That means
you practice spiritual disciplines
and you awake
to the fact that our
life is very ephemeral
and surrender
to her.
She is ready to rescue you
and then she will take
you, take me up
in her hands and then
my child, you are my
child. I am Mahakala
That is how Shiva
Mahakala
Here is Mahakala. You are
that Mahakala. You belong
to Mahakala. My other
aspect, this is my
Saguna aspect
The other one is my
Nirguna aspect
If so long as we are in
Saguna, we are subject to
birth and remaining
and destruction
But if you become Nirguna
Nirvikara, Ananta
Ajo Nitya
Shashvatayam, that is the
condition that we come
then we become merged
There is a beautiful story
Once Markandeya
like Shankaracharya
He was a very young boy
and death threatened him
He was a great Shiva Bhatta
and then he
rushed and then
embraced the Shiva Linga
and death could not come
and when it came, then Shiva
simply destroyed Mrityu
This is the Puranic
story. What is the symbolism?
Markandeya
is one of us or
Agnanis, Jeevatmas
But we are subject
to time
Time is subject to space
Space is subject
to causation
So these three
are one in three and three
in one. They can't be
separated. So we are subject
to temporariness
Ephemerality
Therefore, what do you
do? Take refuge in Shiva
Who is Shiva?
Shiva, you remember
Mano buddhya hankara
chitta ninaham
shivoham shivoham
Atma tattvam. Shiva is
Atma. I am that
Atma. When we take refuge
in that
knowledge that I am
Shiva, I am beyond
time, I am Mahakala
I am Mrityunjaya
These things cannot do
anything. Then that
is the only way
That is the symbolism of Shiva
And then we move on to the
30th
Arjuna was further describing
what was he
beholding of the Divine
Lord as Kalarupa
Krishna. Lately he has
said
So Arjuna is addressing
O Vishnu
Vishnu means Sarvavyapi
Sarvavyapi means Vishwarupi
I am beholding you
And now that
aspect of Vishwarupa
which I had been ignoring
consistently of
death etc. because
if Arjuna was
wise, if he was not overcome
by Moha, he would have
recognized earlier, before
he took up the, participated
in the war. Bhishma
Drona, they are old
They are not going to live a
long time. In fact, within
6 months, Bhishma also
he died
He said he had Iccha Mrityu
He was fell down
on 15th day or 16th day
I do not remember. And then
Arjuna supported him on a
bed of arrows and
then he watered him
by piercing. Mother Ganga
came and fell into his
mouth because he was thirsty
and he lived
for 6 months. Why did he live?
Bhishma lived for 6 months
Why did he live? Because
Krishna wanted Bhishma's wisdom
to enter into
Yudhishthira so that
that wisdom comes to us
in the form of Mahabharata
so that we can also
be saved like Arjuna
like Yudhishthira, like
Bhishma etc. So
all these people, they will
die. Even if you don't
kill. That's what Krishna was telling
Do you think they will live forever?
No. But then
you say, I have to kill them
Well, they are ready to kill you
and you are not ready to
kill them. How come? This is your
role. That was their role
They are ready to play their
role. Even though they don't want to do
that. And this is your role
So nobody will survive, my
son. Not even you will survive
So better
that I have
created them. I decided
to destroy them
and within
these 18 days, they are
going to be, 18000
Akshauhinis
are going to be destroyed
So it
is not you. You
if you are wise, then
you will become an instrument
That's why he says to Arjuna
You just become
an instrument. I have already
killed them
They were all dead
Already in Kala, they are all
dead. We are also dead in Kala
Can you understand that?
In 2050
Swami Dayatmananda
will be there. Will you be there?
How many of you will be there by 2050?
So we are dead
If you look at it
from the future point
of time, we are all dead
But having said that
next second, anything
can happen. Let us accept
that acceptance
as we accept birth
as we accept living
we have to accept with equal
gladness the
point of death. So here
Arjuna was confused
Even his poetic talent
is not working properly. He is
expressing the same thing
practically in the same tongue
with a little bit of change in words
What is he telling?
Thou lickest thy lips, devouring
all the worlds on every side
with thy flaming mouths
The fiery rays
fill the whole universe with
their radiance and scorch it
O Vishnu
So Arjuna is telling, you are licking
Have you ever seen
a tiger hunting a deer
and then after it is killed
then what does it do? Have you noticed
carefully a lion or a tiger
it just licks it
to cleanse it or I don't
know but it gets some smell
or whatever it is. After
that it falls, tears it
to pieces and then
in its own turn it will also
be pierced, killed,
destroyed by somebody else
So this
you are licking your lips
but you are not seeing
I am also smiling
because I am giving birth
to my babies
I am also suckling them
Remember Ramakrishna's
story of the Divine Mother
who gave him the vision
that as a young woman
most beautiful woman
came out, within seconds
she was pregnant
she was with child
she gave birth to the child
she suckled with the greatest love
all the mother's love in the world
and then next second
took that baby
and swallowed. What is that mother?
Mahakali. What is Mahakali?
Mahakala
It is Kala, time
The nature of time is
Srishti Stithi and
Laya. It is men's
destiny and divine will
that conspire together
that brings about
either birth or sustenance
or destruction
So Lord Krishna
is telling this not only to Arjuna
through Arjuna
Remember it is
Sudhi Bhokta
All wise people
wise people are the
enjoyers of this
Dugdha Amritam. What is
Dugdha Amritam? What makes
immortal, immortal
That is what is happening
If we do not understand
this Srishti Stithi Laya
whichever is born
is destined to die
with so many changes
terrified of middle age
terrified of old age
terrified of diseases
The whole world is quaking with
this Covid. Unable to cope
Unable to understand
that it is the Divine Mother's
will. She is sending a
shocking message
Oh man! Uthishthata
Jagratha Praapya Varan
Nibodhata
Find out what are you doing
You think you are clever
You think you can prey
upon weaker nations
The big companies
are the greatest predators
in this world. They are
cutting the throats of their own
customers whether it is
Microsoft or
Apple. They want to
constrain them
They want to choke their own
customers, squeezing
the blood of the customers
instead of helping them
More and more restraints
they are placing upon them
and they don't understand
One day the company has come into
being. Another day it will go
You are becoming old
You will also die. But
people will not keep
quiet for a long time
This is the lesson. Oh man!
Whatever is born. Is it
a company? Is it a baby?
Is it an animal? Is it a plant?
Everything has its own
allotted lifetime
After that one has to
go back to its own
origin. With this
Arjuna became
thoroughly confused. He said
First he addressed
Vishnu etc. Then
he said, I can't recognize
because when death comes
we become
completely disoriented
We don't know who is good, who is bad
like a man who is drowning
If someone wants to
rescue him, he will pull him
down rather than thanking him
and helping him
We are all like that. But Arjuna
was very very lucky
He had been given that
grace to see this whole thing
and that's why he accepted
the Lord of
fighting. Life is nothing
but battlefield. Remember
at the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita
I took Swami Vivekananda's
analogy
The whole world is a battlefield
and we are
there is a battle
there is a world war
between the Devas and Asuras
the divine beings
as the celestial beings
as well as the demons
and the purpose is
with the God's grace
only the celestial
beings, divine beings
win in the end. That is the destiny
So we are here
to fight the battle
battle of ignorance, battle
of our wrong opinions
false opinions
we have to become totally
independent
So Arjuna is expressing
humbly
In 31st shloka
Arjuna had been given the grace
to understand. What did he
understand? That I don't
understand anything. He understood
previously I thought I understood
now by the grace
I understood that I don't
understand anything. So
I am bowing down to me
to you. That's what he says
look, tell me who you are
that wearies to this
frightful form. Salutations
to thee O God supreme
have mercy
I desire to know thee who are
the primal one. For I do not
understand thy origin
thy purpose, thy actions
I understand nothing
So just imagine that
one day you are walking in a
forest and suddenly a tiger
has fallen upon
you and it is about to tear
you. At that time do you
understand what the tiger is
you only know I am
going to die. Do you
have time to think this is a
ferocious tiger. Its nature
is to kill and then
kill mercilessly. It is
going to kill me and then
I don't know what is going to
happen. Can you recognize
what is that tiger
it's not a tiger
it is mrityu taking the
form of a tiger and attacking
you. So it could be
cancer, it could be heart
disease, it could be kidney
failure, it could be somebody
shooting either by mistake
or on purpose or it
could be covid. These are all
not really our enemies
we are destined
to die. So he
says bhavan ugrarupaha
your terrific form
I don't know namostu
te devavara my salutations
to you the supreme lord
devavara prasida
please be compassionate
towards me make me
a little bit peaceful
so that I can really see you
as you are
akhyahi please
you yourself tell me
bhavan ugrarupaha
ko who are you
kaha who are you
me to me
vijnathum icchami I want to
know what do I want to know
bhavantam adhyam
I want to know about you
bhavantam adhyam
what's your nature who are you
why are you appearing to me like
this nahi prajanami
tava pravruttim
I don't know what for you assumed
this form and suddenly
this form has come to me
unless
you yourself explain this
it is not possible
so earlier remember bhagavan's
ferocious form with
open mouth etc
is nothing but kala
this is what is being confirmed
now sri bhagavan
ubacha the lord said in
reply to arjuna's
beseeching request
he has surrendered himself
and he is
humbly begging I want to
know this is a lesson for us
unless we take
refuge at the divine mother's feet
and unless she gives us
that dhi buddhi
we will never be able to understand
either about ourselves much
less about other people
much less about the nature of the world
so what is this the lord
is telling
the lord said I am mighty
I am world destroying time
I am mighty time
nobody can stop me
I am world destroying time
but now engaged here
in slaying these men
these men means not only
those on the battlefield
every living creature in the world
even without you
if you are also not there
all these warriors
standing arrayed in the
opposing armies shall not
live
I am risen
in this terrific form
to what for
to destroy
these worlds of these people
I want to completely
eradicate all these
worlds what does it mean
if I eradicate you
your world is gone
Duryodhana his world is gone
Bhishma
Bhishma's world is gone
this is my
present mission in life
even without you
nobody
they won't be surviving
who
all the people
who are arrayed to destroy
kill each other they will not
be surviving at all
this is the most wonderful
concept of time
we will discuss about it
tomorrow morning hopefully this
Diwali fire crackers
will not disturb us so much
so we will
stop here tomorrow morning
at 11 o'clock or so
we will start this one
Om Vasudevasudham
Devam Kamsa
Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Prishnam Unde
Jagadgurum
May Mother Kali, Ramakrishna
Holy Mother and
Swami Vivekananda bless us all
with Bhakti. I wish you all
a happy Diwali
and may the Divine Mother
bless us all.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 10 on 08 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:58:59Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDE VASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANAH
PARTHO VATSASUDHIRU BHOKTA DUGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KARO DIVACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM
YAD KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
We will be continuing studying of the 11th chapter Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga
from where we have left off yesterday night.
So far we had discussed until the 23rd verse shloka.
Arjuna was wonder-struck, thunder-struck, scared, fear-struck,
but God has given him a little bit of power to withstand that intolerable Tejas,
that splendor, that light, as if a thousand suns have been at the same time risen in the East.
When we look at it, we can't even look at one sun,
but thousand suns, means not thousand, a billion, billion suns,
but it is not ordinary light, it is not ordinary eyes.
They are divine eyes and the splendor is also spiritual splendor, divine light,
but even then, as we discussed yesterday, the whole phenomena,
Srishti, Stithi, Laya, creation, sustenance and destruction,
that is the correct word, is hard to bear for all of us.
So the Lord is manifested in the form of time.
That is a special point, let us keep in mind.
The Lord himself is going to tell, as Arjuna could not recognize and he says,
Oh Lord, I do not know, you tell me what you are and what is your greatness,
what purpose, what is the prayojana, for what utility you have been appearing in this terrific form.
Another point we have to note down also, that everything in this world is determined.
Wars are not created by this country or that country,
famines, earthquakes, tsunamis, elections, nothing is created by human beings.
We are such fools.
We think we determine the fate of somebody.
It is absolutely wrong.
That divine Lord, that Ishwara resides in the hearts of all of us
and then like a puppeteer, he moves all of us.
I quoted the story of Swami Vivekananda, feeling that I should have protected the Divine Mother's temple at Ksher Bhavani.
So we have to remember, it is the divine will.
And in this 11th chapter, the Lord categorically He is stating,
first of all, the whole universe, Jagat is nothing but subject to time, space and causation,
specially time, the birth, the growth and the destruction.
Srishti, Stithi, Laya, all these take place like a circle, like a huge cycle in time.
And a time is always flowing.
Starts somewhere and proceeds and then ends.
Where? When?
Every second is a starting point for many and every second is a starting end point for many.
Every second is a middle point to all of us.
This particular verse is telling us which one, 24th, Arjuna's experience.
What is it? Let us read.
When I look upon thy blazing form, reaching to the skies and shining in so many colours,
when I see thee with so many mouths opened wide and thy great eyes glowing bright,
my inmost soul trembles in fear, and I find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu.
So this was Arjuna's expression.
Then further what was he saying? 25th verse.
When I behold thy mouths striking terror with their huge tusks,
like times all-consuming fire, I am disoriented and find no peace.
Be gracious, O Lord of the Gods, O Abode of the Universe.
This is what Arjuna is expressing by thinking.
No, instinctively, as soon as he beheld,
Ah, my God, that's how we express.
What is he saying?
Your mouths.
How many mouths? Infinite mouths.
And in each mouth, terrible tusks are there, huge teeth are there, so sharp,
anything, even just a feather touch, it will be broken into pieces.
And how, then what else I am saying?
And each mouth is like anala.
Ala means sufficient, anala means insufficient.
Fire has got this epithet. Agni has got this epithet.
Anala means the more firewood you ply into fire,
the more it increases its blaze and power.
And if you put petrol, it will blaze even more.
It doesn't say any time ever I had enough, you don't give me any more.
It goes on desiring and wanting more and more and more.
This kala, anala, kala, anala, those who are studying Sanskrit, be careful.
Anila means, ila means a place to stay.
Anila means one who has no place to stay.
That is called air, wind.
Here, anala, na, alam, it is not sufficient, fire.
So, like Mrityu's fire, it is all-consuming fire.
Arjuna himself unconsciously is using this word kala.
Kala means time, time's all-consuming fire.
Just imagine, California or Australia, a terrific forest fire.
No human being can ever put out.
It has to become cool by after consuming everything.
Like Arjuna helped Agnateva to reduce that khandava vana, like that.
This is the end of the world as it were.
We have to understand it both in its esoteric meaning also and exoteric meaning also.
What does it mean?
Exoteric meaning means, there are certain periods of time, we call it pralaya kala,
when the whole srishti comes to an end temporarily, means it just withdraws into itself
and at the beginning of the new day or Brahma's day, remember Bhagavad Gita,
sahasra yuga pariyantam ahariyat brahmano viduhu, ratrim yuga sahasrantam.
So, 1000 yugas is one day, 1000 yugas is one night, 2000 yugas consists the 24 hours of Brahma.
So, when night time comes, entire creation is withdrawn.
But when the same thing, when the day time comes,
entire creation restarts with the seeds that are gathered.
So, Brahma doesn't really create, neither he destroys.
Brahma is an instrument, who creates?
I create my world, you create your world, each one of us create our own world through the seeds,
vija, vija means here, vasanas, samskaras of our past lives.
But here, what was Arjuna seeing?
A terrific, unputdownable fire of kala, means Yamadharma Raja's fire.
Kala is another name for Yamadharma Raja.
Kala means time, time comes, everything has to go back.
So, what is Arjuna telling?
Just by merely beholding, that fire which is coming with a terrific force,
like the fire dragon from your mouths, infinite number of mouths,
having seen them, I don't know what is east, what is west, what is north, what is south,
what is above, what is below, neither do get any opportunity to think.
If we have to think rationally, we have to become calm and quiet.
In a fit of anger, in a temporary, emotionally charged mind,
whatever we think usually, turns out to be a wrong thing for us to do it.
This word Kala, Anila, Sannivani, Kala, Anala, Sannivani,
which are comparable to Pralaya, Kala, Agni.
So, what does it mean?
Everything is going to be destroyed.
What does destruction mean?
We know, we have discussed in earlier also, according to Vedanta,
the Atman manifests as space, Akasha.
Akasha further grossifies in the form of Vayu, the air.
Vayu grossifies into Agni, fire.
Agni grossifies into Jala, water.
And water grossifies into Prithvi.
And we are seeing with our five sense organs,
experiencing this grossest aspect of Brahman, which is called this earth.
And all the plants, insects, birds, animals, creepy things,
both mountains, rivers, moving, non-moving,
when visible and invisible, living and non-living,
all these consisting of on this earth.
Why did I say invisible?
Invisible doesn't mean subtle.
Invisible means, for ordinary human eyes, they are not visible.
But you know, the scientists have found out,
even this bacteria, even this virus,
they have their own enemies in their own world.
One virus wants to eat up another virus.
So, both of them, they preyed upon and the animal which is preying,
both of them are able to see each other very clearly,
as we see each other clearly.
So, invisible means, invisible to the range of our sense perception.
Similarly, with sound, similarly with smell,
a bear can smell even a rotting or the presence of a baby seal 10 miles away.
And exactly it can find out, we have seen in the David Attenborough's this thing,
it jumps, removes the eyes and catches hold of the squealing seal
and then swallows it.
That is life.
Just imagine, when the seal is caught and then what is it seeing?
In the mouth of the bear,
Kaala Anala Sanniba Agni, that Jatara Agni is burning bright.
What are we talking about?
Time.
What happens?
This earth comes to an end.
What does it mean?
It merges in its cause, which is water.
Then water comes to an end.
What does it mean?
It merges in its cause, which is fire.
Fire merges in air.
Air merges in space.
Space merges in Atman.
And again, after some time, it comes back.
So, this circle, birth and sustenance, growth as well as destruction,
goes on cyclically all the time.
But here Arjuna is seeing as if the entire world is going inside.
In his fright, he could not understand that everything is not really disappearing.
So, some Srishti is going on, Stithi is going on and Laya is going on.
How do we know?
Because Siddhas and Akshas, Aksha, Rakshasa, Siddha, Gandharva,
all these people were standing.
Vishmit Aschi Resarve, they are not getting into destruction.
They are frightened.
They are granted this vision and they could not stand it.
But somehow they could see it.
But they got terribly frightened.
Swasthi Tyaktva Maharshi Siddha Sangha.
That is called the state of Stithi, means everybody is not dying.
Not only that, infinite worlds are being born and staying for some time
and disappearing into the same mouth.
Remember what Markandeya saw in the mouth of Bhagavan Vishnu,
whose vision he had like Mother Yashoda had the vision of infinite number of worlds
in the mouth of this baby Krishna.
So, we can only talk when you are frightened.
When you are in a dense forest, you can also find any direction.
When it is deep darkness, if you are lost, you cannot find direction.
These are physical things.
And if mind is not functioning, you don't know whether to go right.
When several times when people drive, you know what happens?
Something catches their attention and then he loses his self-control.
He doesn't know.
Instead of turning, if he had turned to the left,
possibly he would have avoided an accident.
But he does exactly the opposite.
This is called losing directions and a terrific accident is there.
After looking back, he says, I should have turned the other way,
but I did not know what I was doing.
This is exactly what was happening to this person.
I remember a beautiful incident in the life of Swami Akhandanandaji.
He was a great wanderer and then once he went to Himalayas.
Many years he spent there. There is one Chandramukhi temple is there
in a very high mountain range, Shikara.
And he liked it so much.
It was absolutely a solitary place.
Very few people go excepting from a nearby village.
A Brahmana priest comes and then he offers food.
I think he cooks it himself or got it prepared at home,
brings it, offers it to Mother Chandramukhi and then Prasada is taken.
Usually on special days, devotees visit.
They know the way, local villagers.
They all come together.
Swami Akhandanandaji heard about it, visited the place,
charmed by that place, took the permission of the priest
to spend that night in the temple itself.
The priest was a good man and he fed Swami with the Prasada.
Said, Swami, you take rest. Tomorrow morning I will come.
So next morning he came, again performed Pooja,
gave Prasada to the Swami and Swami at about 9 o'clock or so,
he wanted to come down from that Himalayan high region.
But the priest had given him directions.
You want to go to that place, this is what you will do.
And it was so complicated.
Akhandanandaji thought he would remember,
entered into deep forest, he came to such a place
where even sunlight was very difficult to see
and he did not know which was east, west, south, north,
whether to turn towards the east, but Sankatakale Venkataramana.
What did he do?
So he simply said, Thakur, you will have to take me,
but this is what I will do.
I will stand here and whirl round and round and round and round
and after lot of whirling round,
I will suddenly, without thinking, come to a stop.
In whichever direction I am facing, I will take it,
that direction is the right path
and you will have to make me stop facing that right direction.
With this sincere prayer, he whirled round and round
and after a minute or two, suddenly he stopped without thinking
and as per his promise to Thakur, he started walking in that direction
and within an hour or so, he came to the edge of the forest
and there was a steep hill going down.
He could see far below farmers harvesting their fields,
then he has to get down, there is no other way.
So he was describing graphically,
I practically like children in the park slide down
on that slider, these things.
I lied myself down, started sliding down,
holding on to the roots of creepers that whatever came
and within 15-20 minutes, he came down
and by that time, it was noon and the farmers stopped working
and they opened their lunch boxes, bags and started eating
and here walks Swami from that direction.
The fields were just at the foothill of that hill
and they were shocked.
Where from are you coming?
I am coming from Chandramukhi temple.
They said, Swami, God must have guided you.
We have in our whole life, we have never seen anybody coming this way.
There was absolutely no way anybody can come this way.
You are saved by God, otherwise you would have been dead in the forest
and they shared their simple food with the Swami
and this beautiful incident was narrated in the life of Akhandananda Swami.
So now Arjuna, what are you going to do?
Dishonarjane, you don't know what directions.
So it is impossible even if you pray.
Why?
Because in which direction is not God.
He is there in every direction, is a universal.
You turn into whatever direction.
Yes, yes, I can turn.
Then what is my problem?
I want to turn away to see that form of God which is Saumya,
very soft, very soothing, not at all frightening, so sweet, so loving.
But wherever I turn, I see only Kaala Nala Sanniva,
terrific fires emerging from a billion, billion mouths.
What shall I do?
So time is meaningless and space is meaningless
and then when we are suffering, time stretches into infinity.
So like that space also stretches.
This is how when people suffer too much, what happens?
These people, they lose all faith in God.
So long as everything is going on, I know the right time,
I know the right space, I know the right utility,
I am working what we call normality, sanity, sane person.
But something starts going wrong and Murphy's law,
if something has to go wrong, it will definitely go wrong.
So he is telling, Arjuna was saying, I do not feel any peace
because where there is fear, there is no peace.
Where there is peace, there is no fear.
So further what was Arjuna saying?
Two verses together we have to chant here.
What a ferocious, frightening description of Bhagawan.
Sometimes a wildlife documentaries,
some great scientists like David Attenborough, they will show.
So there was one special documentary on crocodiles,
American, Egyptian crocodiles like that.
So this crocodile, when there is a huge river there
and then many animals have to cross that river
and the crocodiles know this is the time of the year
when they have to cross in search of new grass
and half a million of these wild beasts cross that plains.
It is a mind-boggling sight.
You can just see YouTube, it is available
and then these wild beasts also know that these crocodiles are waiting
and then they have no option, pressure mounts from behind.
So those who are in front, one jumps, there is no option
but tries to swim to the other side
and all the crocodiles are waiting and they catch hold of some
and then you know crocodile have no teeth.
Teeth are there but they cannot chew.
So what do they do? They only swallow.
For that they need small chunks of meat.
So what do they do? They go on running upside down,
upside down, going round and round in the water
and in that process a limb is stolen
and every crocodile which is attacking the same animal
gets a leg or some part and it's ensues
and then some get the head.
What is happening? Half the head is chewed and the other half is hanging.
You can see clearly from both sides of the mouth
some pieces of meat is hanging, water is also flowing.
It's a most horrifying sight in the world.
If you can keep this picture in mind, let us see.
What is Arjuna telling?
All these sons of Dhritarashtra together with the hosts of monarchs
Bhishma, Rona, Karna and the warrior ships of our side
as well as Duryodhana's side,
they enter precipitately by tusked and terrible mouths.
Frightful to behold, some are seen caught between the teeth,
their heads crushed to powder and other parts hanging together
like this wild beast is hanging piece of their meat
in the mouths of crocodiles or lions or tigers or whatever,
even birds like that.
Ami means these.
So how are you looking?
Oh Lord, for me Dhritarashtra's son, the sons of Dhritarashtra.
Good news because that is what Arjuna wanted actually.
He did not know how this election is going to go,
whether he is going to win or the other party is going to win
but everybody keeps up their hopes.
So here he sees clearly all the children of Dhritarashtra.
How many children? 100.
Survey all of them, not only that.
So many people, nearly 11,000 people participated on the side of Kaurava
and 7,000 people participated on the side of the Pandavas.
18 Akshavani's have been totally destroyed.
How many survived?
Probably, I don't remember, less than 10.
Seven, eight, nine, something of Pancha Pandavas
and then is Kripacharya and one I think Satyaki or somebody.
So only a few, Ashwatthama, probably eight people only survived.
The rest of them, there is no distinction between Pandavas and Kauravas.
Everybody had died.
How did they die?
What was happening?
So this is being graphically described here.
With tremendous speed, God's mouth had become like what is called wind is sucked inside.
So like that tremendous or like a false.
Suddenly the water finds there is a low ground and with the greatest speed
like if you have noticed that Ganga is coming from Gangotri.
With the greatest speed, so cold.
Like that all these people are entering into your mouths.
What are the types of mouths?
These are terrifying.
The very sight completely terrifies them.
Dhamstra, Karala is such terrible tusks, such terrible sharp teeth
and your mouths are completely open, millions of mouths
and they are like Yamadharma Raja's mouth, like a tiger's mouth, like a mammoth's mouth.
They are all helplessly like a huge waterfall is falling helplessly.
They are all going.
Who are they?
So all these sons of the Dhritarashtra, Kauravas it means.
Then along with them whoever given, all these I remember.
So all the kings, smaller kings, bigger kings that have joined either Kaurava party or Pandava party.
All of them, Avani, Pala, Sangai.
Avani means Bhumi.
Pala means those who rule.
Sangai, rows of them, numbers of them.
Okay sir, what about I refuse to fight because I don't want Bhishma and Drona to die.
But what is happening?
Bhishma also is entering into that mouth.
What about Drona?
Drona is also entering.
Terrible news for Arjuna.
But good news also is there.
Suta Putraha, Karna, the number one arch enemy of Pandavas, especially of Arjuna
and then he also, what is in Tatha Asav, Saha Asmadiyai.
Asmadiyai, not only Yushmadiyai, not only belonging to Kauravas, Asmadiyai.
All the people, all the soldiers, all the kings, all the Chakravartis, every Yodha, every soldier.
Saha Asmadiyai Rapi, Yodha Mukhiyai.
All the named and famed Yodhas, you get in Mahabharata, endless number of them.
What are they doing?
Dwaramanaha, with terrific speed.
Te Vaktrani Vishanti, they are all entering into your mouth and those mouths are terrible.
Dhamstra Karalani, even to look at, Bhayanikani, frightening and full of these teeth,
maybe a thousand sharp teeth like a shark.
And once a fish enters into the shark's mouth, absolutely it will be powdered, pasted,
like coconut chutney.
Kecid Vilagna, but even then, some people have this Uttama Angai, means the head.
Anga means part of the body.
Uttama Anga means the best of the part of the body, which is called the head.
So, all these heads are entering first and it is being crushed and sometimes hundred
heads, thousand heads are being crushed, like we eat, you know, fried crab, etc.
and it is happening.
But sometimes a little bit of it is not completely crushed, only a part of it is hanging and
that is Churnitai, Uttama Angai.
Dashanantareshu Kecid Vilagna, some of them partly have been caught in between the teeth,
probably some teeth have been removed from God, we don't know, is a greatest Vedanti.
So, some of them could not be completely crushed.
So, they are hanging, half hanging, bits of them are hanging.
Dashanantareshu Sandrushyante, this is, O Lord, what I am finding it.
So, what is the meaning of all these things that Arjuna was an Agnani, an ignorant person.
He was granted this beatific vision and beatific vision means integral vision.
Integral vision means not part vision.
What is the part vision?
A baby is born, it's wonderful news, we all celebrate.
Oh, conchs are beautifully blown to announce the arrival of Shri Ramakrishna's birth.
But who is going to blow a conch when he is suffering from this terrific cancer pain?
Did anybody do it?
We don't hear anybody doing it because it is the Divine Lord from whom we have come
and we are sustained by Him and especially like a crocodile, young ones of crocodile,
they are protected in the mouth of the crocodile.
For other animals, that is the death trap.
For all of us, for the young ones, the safest fort where no other crocodile would ever dare
even to touch.
The mother crocodile, the ferocious crocodile and even huge males, they just run away.
They know that this is a mother, it is not going to leave us like that and it will not be
backing up at all.
So, this everybody is entering.
So, sir, what about Drona and Bhishma, will they be spared?
No, they will not be spared.
That is bad news.
What about good news?
This Duryodhana entered, we have to understand, Dushyasana entered, Karna entered, Shakuni
entered, all of them entered.
Is that good news?
Wonderful news.
So, my dear Arjuna, you should swallow both.
If you don't want to accept, don't accept anybody's death.
If you want to accept, you have to accept everybody's death because time does not spare
anybody.
That is what we have to understand that particularly Arjuna's vision was focused upon the mouths
of the Lord and it was terrifying.
What is that mouth?
What does mouth do?
Everything comes out of mouth.
Words come out of mouth.
Food goes inside the mouth.
It is completely digested and life is renewed and whatever is not useful will be recycled.
So, this mouth of the Lord is representative of Kaala Chakra, Kaala Agni, Kaala Chakra.
So, what does Kaala do?
Creation comes out of Kaala, sustenance also is done from Kaala, in Kaala and the Pith
Royal or so-called destruction is also done in the Kaala.
But here Kaala time has come, Mrityu has come in the form of mouth.
And what does a mouth do?
What does my mouth do?
What does your mouth do?
Mouth has got only one function, important function.
Food, it swallows food and it drinks water, goes, swaha.
So, this Kaala, Kaala Mukha, what does it do?
Its function is also taking everything.
So, what did Arjuna see?
Some were swallowed, some are hanging in between to be swallowed.
What does a crocodile do?
Does it keep forever that hanging piece of flesh?
No, after sometime it opens and it just swallows, slowly slowly you can see its mouth, its throat
working, takes everything down.
And what do you do?
So, if you put grain, some grains are simply some, let us say ground nuts, some are becoming
powder, some are yet to become powder, some are still sticking by the sides, but you work
your way around, slowly bring them into the central place and then slowly go on chewing
them.
So, this is the picture that is happening in this world.
Some are born, some are dying.
When?
At the same millisecond, some mothers are giving birth and some creatures are giving
up their life breath, pranavayu is going on and some are hanging.
So, one Swami has given a beautiful analogy that is everybody is being eaten by the divine
Lord in the form of kala.
So, what does he do?
There is a person is suffering from headache, that is also a little bit of pressure of the
teeth of the Lord.
Some people have got cancer, some people have got heart attack, cardiac problem, some people
have got covid problem, some people have got what old age, some people have got what is
called Parkinson.
What are all these?
This is a little bit still hanging in the mouth of the Lord, not yet completely swallowed
and crushed.
Time is eating all of us in the form of growth, in the form of diseases, in the form of all
these things.
So, here this is the greatest fright Arjuna has got in his life.
Supposing just for imagination, let us create this one.
Arjuna is seeing God is swallowing only the Kauravas but he is also sparing Bhishma, Drona
and some other people whom they know.
For example, one of the youngest sons of Dhritarashtra is one of the greatest persons.
He understood what is Dharma.
He turned against his own brothers and he became, it is said, a spy.
What his brothers were discussing plans, he will come and convey it at night to the Pandava
party.
So, there are many good people but good, bad, everybody is subject to death.
Saint will die.
Sinner will die.
A righteous person will die.
Unrighteous person also will die.
A rich man will die.
Poor man will die.
Everybody is subject, not only subject to death.
We are not only talking about death in one aspect.
We are talking of death in other aspects.
Here is a rich man.
He lost all his riches.
He has become poor.
And here is a poor man who suffered a lot.
Suddenly he comes.
Ramakrishna gives.
This is called Hatat Siddha.
Here is a poor boy and he is struggling to study well and a rich man's notice is drawn
to this boy that rich man had a daughter to be married and then he proposes and then this
boy becomes his son-in-law and then he gives land, a job, bank balance, first class house,
servants, all the amenities because of his daughter.
Hatat Siddha.
Like that we see some people enjoying, some people suffering, some people are up, some
people are down.
This is called Vishwaroopa and what Arjuna wanted to see was only the pleasant side of
it which is we are going to win and of course the Lord assures him you are going to win
but what are you going to win?
There would be very few people left out whom you are going to rule over.
Such is the nature of this war.
Oh Lord, why did you create this war then?
That is my pleasure.
That is my will.
That is like Kshere Bhavani says that is my will.
I want this temple to come into being and I want it to be destroyed.
I am tired of this old building.
I want a new building.
Somebody should be there to facilitate that one.
So what is the important thing we have to learn that life is full of birth, sustenance
and death.
It is a fact of life.
Anything that is in this world, it has to go back to its limit and so long as we do
not accept this fact, we are going to be extremely miserable.
That is why this Krishna, Bhagavan Krishna in this very Bhagavad Gita, what is he telling?
Natvam shochitam rahasi, apariharyarthi.
This is birth is common, death is common.
Whatever is born is going to die.
Whatever is dead is going surely to be reborn.
Tasmad therefore apariharyarthi.
When you are totally helpless, this is a given fact.
What is the point of your grieving for it?
Do not do it.
So this is the lesson the scripture wants to tell us through this Bhagavad Gita.
What Arjuna was seeing was not something new.
We are seeing it every single minute of our life.
So many creatures are born.
So many creatures are dead.
So many creatures are enjoying.
So many creatures are suffering and what Arjuna saw terrified him because he could see the
truth but we are ignorant.
We close our eyes.
We think like the ostrich which puts its head inside the sand and says there is no danger
at all.
When tiger is chasing or lion is chasing it and it is about to fall, oh I am very safe.
We are like that ostriches trying to hide our heads in ignorance.
That is not going to work out.
So second factor you have to understand is when did this vision come?
If it was in a temple, probably you will get a most beautific vision but this vision is
taking place in a battlefield, a terrible war, world war and what happens?
Holocaust.
So many lives will be snuffed out within the twinkling of a very short time in that battlefield.
So Arjuna could not accept that fact but he will be made to accept.
How do we know?
In the end, Krishna asks him, did you become enlightened by my talk?
He says,
My delusion is gone.
That means I know what is the truth about life and my memory has come back that in this
samsara it is there but I do not belong to samsara.
I am Amrutaputra and then you asked me to fight as an instrument.
I will do that.
We are going to come to that very soon.
So verse number 28,
As the many torrents of the rivers are rushing towards the ocean, so do the heroes of the mortal world rush into their fiercely flaming mouths.
Here Arjuna is giving a metaphor, a beautiful analogy.
What is it?
You look at the different rivers.
They are born in so many in the east, in the west, in the south, in the north but all of
them may be some are flowing into the ocean through the western direction.
Some are in the northern direction.
Some are in the southern direction.
Some of them in the eastern direction.
All the rivers are rushing to meet the ocean and become one with it.
Just like that, O Lord, all these,
all these valorous heroic soldiers, everybody, all these people that I beheld on both sides,
Your mouths which are flaming with terrific hell fires and all these people, what are they doing?
They are entering into them just as rivers are rushing.
The nearer they are approaching the ocean, the more speed increases and they cannot wait.
They want to merge in the ocean.
Naturally the question that comes, why do the rivers want to rushing and want to merge?
Because instinctively, unconsciously they know this is the origin of our birth.
This is where we get our home.
This is where we get our rest.
This is our mother house.
Ultimately everybody has to go to that mother house.
Yes, Narendra had sung,
Without reason you are roaming, putting on a foreigner's dress in foreign countries.
O mind, there will be no rest for you.
Let us move back.
So this beautiful analogy we will discuss now.
So just as every river, where is it born?
In the ocean.
How is it born?
Because the sun lifts them up through the process of distillation by heating and carries
them in the form of clouds and then pours them on the tops so that from the higher level
they can flow to the lower level.
So ultimately water finds its own level and in the process they give life to billions
and billions of creatures and this process is going on since creation, since Anadi time.
So also then we are also rushing.
Rushing where?
Into the mouth of the divine lord.
What does that mean?
Kaala.
We have come out of Kaala.
We stay for some time in time and we again merge back into Kaala.
That means we go beyond time.
This is not merely a few soldiers that Arjuna was beholding them.
This is the lot of everything in this world.
Living, non-living, low creature or high creature.
Every living being and where from this living creature has come?
Avyakta.
From the Annam manifest, it becomes manifest.
It stays as manifested for some time and again goes back into the same unmanifest.
And remember who is that unmanifest?
Supreme Brahman is that Avyakta Purushaha.
So this is the nature of life.
All of us are running.
What does that mean?
Like rivers, just as rivers stream from the ocean, we all originated from God.
We are living in God from birth to birth.
We are all traveling, rushing only towards our mother which is God alone.
So death is not death, birth is not birth.
It is a tremendous journey and this journey ends only when we meet our mother and taken
into her lap.
Then only we get the rest.
That is what is telling just as all rivers come from the ocean and they ultimately have
to go back to ocean.
All of us are the children of the immortality.
We have come from God and we have to go back to the God.
So this vision that he was beholding is not something frightening.
It is a joyous vision.
But in order to progress fast, we have to accept the dualities of life.
Birth – exceedingly joyful.
Old age – exceedingly joyful.
Disease – exceedingly joyful.
Death – exceedingly joyful.
Sarva Mangala Mangalya.
Everything is Mangala Pradaha.
Ultimately we come from God, we journey in God and then we also reach in God only.
So we have come to the end of the 28th.
What are the lessons?
Arjuna beheld the face of time.
Time means Srishti Stithi Laya.
If we do not accept it, life becomes miserable.
When we understand that death is only hastening us towards our real mother, then death becomes
a most welcoming thing.
And Swami Vekananda had given Sannyasa to some young men and then he gave a talk and
that is called Talk on Sannyasa.
There Swamiji says, defines, Sannyasa means love of death.
How can anybody love death?
If it is destruction, then it is terrific.
But if it is becoming immortal, it is the most joyous news.
So it is the destruction of Ajnana and it is the birth of Jnana or true knowledge or
illumination.
If that is the meaning of birth and death, especially death means we are coming, approaching
like rivers fast flowing towards God, then we understand that that is the greatest truth.
That is where Paramashanti, the highest Shanti called Brahmanirvana is obtained by us.
So much of Tattva is involved in this so-called externally terrifying descriptions of the
universal vision of Arjuna and we will continue them in our next class.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 09 on 07 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:58:42Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSHA SUDHIRU BHOKTA DUGDAM GEETAM RITAM MAHA
MUKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YAT KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAM ADHAVAM
We are meditating upon the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
which is called Vishwaroopa Darshana Yoga.
What does it mean?
The vision of the Divine Lord
in the form of this very world
me, you, everything in this world
is nothing but that Divinity.
This is called Vishwaroopa Darshana.
It is not like seeing some other object.
There are billions of objects in this world.
It is not that we are seeing God as something, one of them.
He is everything.
I am, you are, everything is nothing but God.
But for that ordinary people cannot really have that vision.
For that we should be very sincere
and we should have the capacity.
Then God will bestow His grace
which He did upon Arjuna.
But as we know, Arjuna got frightened.
Why has he got frightened?
Because this integral vision, this holistic vision
is something extraordinarily difficult for people to hold.
Srishti creation is fine.
Stithi, that is maintenance, sustenance
is also sometimes pleasant.
It is not always present.
I will come to that point very shortly.
But destruction, death is intolerable for us.
Why is it intolerable?
Because of ignorance.
What is that ignorance?
When we see somebody die,
something, especially human beings,
especially people who are closer to us,
especially, especially if I have to die,
I am frightened.
Why?
For two reasons.
I would say three reasons.
First reason is that we most of the time equate
whether we are going to be after death.
That means we will become non-existent
and that is not desired by anybody.
Second reason is when we die,
that means when this body dies,
everything that we know,
we are living on the memory.
This is the most marvellous subject
which I had dealt in some of my past classes
very elaborately.
Every human being is nothing but a piece of memory.
Supposing you forget your mother, your father,
who are you?
You will have no identity at all.
Or if you are a husband, wife, child,
then you will have this identity.
I am so and so because I am related to so and so.
But if that forgetfulness comes,
which is called amnesia,
then people can't recognise their own family members,
parents, children most likely
because old age only it comes.
And then if we cannot remember others,
then who are we?
Because I am the son of so and so,
the parent of so and so,
the friend of so and so,
the citizen of so and so,
the follower of such and such a religion.
This is our identity.
Including our devotional identity.
I am the devotee of so and so.
And I am a Hindu.
I am a devotee of Ramakrishna Mishra.
And when we forget,
then remember,
what is our identity?
There is nothing.
Because this body is always related
either to the parents or the children
or friends etc. etc.
This is the first reason
is that death is equated to non-existence.
Second reason is
whatever memories we have in this world
and that is our particular,
what is called private world,
just like our dream,
then that will disappear
along with this fall of the body,
not of the mind,
only fall of the body.
Third reason is
even if we know
that something is going to be,
we are starting as it were
with completely new type of mind
and that type of mind
most often remembers only
I was born to such and such people,
in such and such family,
at such and such a time,
a middle class family,
Brahmin family,
Hindu family,
Christian family,
etc. etc.
Does that mean
all the past memories are completely wiped off?
Not at all.
They will be there
but we cannot access them
unless we specially practice
some type of yoga.
So three reasons.
Death is equated to non-existence.
Death is equated to
loss of everything that we are related with
and the beginning of
a totally new identity.
So because of these three reasons,
the laya,
what is called the destruction
is not desirable.
We will discuss in course of our time.
In our last class, we have discussed
verse number 20.
Arjuna is addressing Bhagavan Krishna,
addressing him as Mahatman,
O great soul,
because he realized,
previously he was thinking he was my friend,
he was my Krishna,
I loved him,
he loved me,
we are great friends, etc.
But now suddenly,
this same Krishna became Bhagavan.
He bestowed that divine vision
and Krishna disappeared
and then Vishwaroopa Darshana
has reappeared
and so Arjuna was frightened.
Why was he frightened?
Remember,
Vishwaroopa means
Srishti, Sthithi, Laya
at the same time.
And as I mentioned,
Srishti is fine,
but Sthithi is not fine.
Why?
Sthithi means sustenance.
Sustenance doesn't mean
we are always happy.
Most of the time,
we are not happy.
And even though
most of the time we are not happy,
most of the time we do not realize
that we are not happy.
We think we are happy.
A simple example I am giving you.
Suppose here is a man.
He wants to enjoy bodily enjoyments.
So he wants sex enjoyment.
He gets married.
Of course,
there is companionship,
there is love between two Jivas,
but it is more a body relationship
at the beginning
than the mind relationship.
So what happens?
This fellow considers,
now I am not one,
but two,
me plus my wife.
Then as children come,
one child comes,
I am three.
Second child comes,
I am four.
Third child comes,
I am five.
So he is expanding.
His identity is expanding.
And then he thinks,
if I do not look after them,
if I do not protect them,
if I do not maintain them,
then they will go to dogs,
not knowing
you have nothing to do
according to their
Purva Janma Karma,
neither if they are destined
to become billionaires,
they will become in spite of you.
If they have to suffer,
they will suffer in spite of you.
It has nothing to do with you.
But we do not understand
because of our egotism,
the husband especially thinks,
I am the protector,
I am the manager,
I am the ruler,
and I have to work hard.
So what happens?
Early morning,
he gets up
and just pours
with a piston
a cup of coffee
and then
stuffs his mouth
and with the coffee
pushes it inside,
rushes to the office,
comes back
at maybe 7 o'clock,
8 o'clock,
9 o'clock,
carrying homework also
in the laptop.
Practically,
most of the life
goes like that.
And then he says,
I am a happy man.
Is it happiness?
For getting
a little bit of happiness,
this fellow
is working worse than
a donkey.
Why do I say
worse than a donkey?
Because a donkey
doesn't think of yesterday,
doesn't think of tomorrow.
You are thinking.
Nowadays,
many employees
are made redundant.
What happens to me
and how much money
I require
in order to
cope with the inflation.
So much of fun.
This is only one part.
Diseases may come,
accidents may happen,
man may lose job
or there may be rift
between the wife
and then himself.
Family may separate.
Anything can happen
and unconscious worry is there.
But he thinks,
I am quite happy
forgetting.
Like that beautiful story,
I told you,
a man
was walking.
It is the most
marvelous story.
Probably,
it occurs in the Mahabharata.
He had to go
through a forest.
As he was going,
suddenly he espied
a tiger
chasing him.
So,
he started running
and he ran and ran
and the tiger
was gaining upon him.
Suddenly,
he saw
a well
and he did not think.
The only way to escape is
to jump into the well.
He jumped
and it was a
very deep well,
completely dry.
What is called,
once upon a time,
there must have been
some dwellings
and
that was dug.
Now,
it was abandoned.
So,
nothing was there.
A branch of a tree
was growing
in between
those bricks
and a branch
was
jutting out
and while falling,
he caught hold of the branch
and he was hanging.
He looked up.
This ferocious tiger
was looking at him
and he looked down.
A seven-hooded serpent
is looking up,
hissing
all the time.
Then he saw
two rats.
One was black
and one was white.
What were these rats doing?
Going round and round
the wall of that
disused well
and every time
it comes to the branch
this fellow was holding on,
they were
biting it,
nibbling at it,
little by little.
That means,
very soon,
he will be
falling down.
At that stage,
suddenly,
he saw
that something
was slowly dropping
and he understood it.
He stretched
his neck,
he stretched
his tongue
and then held.
Suddenly,
he found
that there was
a small drop
of honey.
So, what happened?
There was
a honeycomb there.
It was abandoned
long back
but some honey
was still
being stored there.
While this fellow
was falling,
after many years,
suddenly,
a chunk of,
outer chunk
of that honeycomb
had fallen off
and then
the accumulated
drop
of honey
slowly started
dribbling down.
It was very thick
and that
drop,
this fellow
caught with his
stretched out
tongue
and then he tasted it.
What happened?
He forgot
the tiger above,
the serpent below
and the
mice
going round
and round,
forgot
the past,
forgot the future
and only said,
ah,
how tasty
is this honey
and
that is the condition
of each
one of us
who are
roaming
in this
world of forest.
What is the
symbolism
of this
Mahabharata story?
We are,
the whole
forest
is nothing
but the
samsara.
There are
good trees,
bad trees,
there are
good animals
and ferocious
animals,
dangerous animals,
wild animals
and we are
travelling
and we are
travelling in
the deepest
pain.
What is that
tiger?
This
is called
old age
and we are
trying to
save ourselves
from it
running away
from it.
In the form
of
cosmetic
surgery?
If there
are wrinkles,
there are
Botic injections
are there.
Is the hair
getting gray
or white?
There is
blackening
from there
and plastic
surgery
This fellow to escape he entered into that well, what is that well?
The well of Ajnana, pure ignorance and then there was a jetting branch, what is that jetting
branch?
Our present karma phala and then what happened?
There was a honeycomb because of his prarabdha karma, there was a little bit of enjoyment
and then that came to the fore and he looked up, he saw this old age, he looked down, there
was a seven hooded cobra hissing at him.
The cobra is called snake, it is called serpent, sarpa, sarpa means that which silently creeps
is called sarpa, death creeps very very silently.
So that represents death, that is what we are, Arjuna was Kalanala Sannibhani, we will
come to that.
So the tiger represents old age and this seven hooded serpent represents the death and what
is that branch he was hanging?
The present life and then what are the mice?
One black and one white, white mice represents day time and night, black mice represents
night time.
So one day gone, a little bit of nibbling, another night gone and 24 hours gone, that
means our ayurdaya ayur nasyati pashyatam prathidinam yathekshayam evanam prathiyayan
tigatah kalah.
So that is the Shivaparada kshamapana stotram, Shankaracharya has written a beautiful one,
every morning we have to remember it, one day gone, another day gone etc.
So this amidst all this, this ajnana makes him completely forget everything, that one
drop of honey, a little bit of that sukha has mesmerized the man, he said how happy
a person I am, how lucky I am to get a little bit of this one.
So this is what happening to Arjuna, he could not stand because in such vivid vision he
is seeing birth, he is seeing sustenance and he is seeing the absolute death, everything
is changing, everything's identity is changing.
So that is what we are seeing, O Lord, I am seeing by you is filled all the space between
heaven and earth and all the quarters of the sky, O mighty one, the three worlds behold
their marvellous and appalling form and what are they doing, trembling with fear, the space
between the heaven and our earth is completely covered by you like Vikrama covers with three
feet everything there, this earth also is covered by you, why?
Because he is ananta, because he is ananta, nothing can be outside him, drishtva, this
having seen, adbhutam roopam, this most marvellous form of thine, vishwaroopa and at the same
time ugraha, terrifying, why?
Because I can accept srishti, birth, I can somehow cope with the sthiti but death staring
at me, right in front of me in so many ways that I am not able to stand, tava idam ugram
adbhutam roopam drishtva, what is happening, O mahatman, lokathrayam praviyaditam, praviyaditam,
terrified, quaking, shaking with fear, what?
Lokathrayam, all the three worlds, all the created worlds, I am also in one of the created
worlds, I am a jiva, I am part of the world, there cannot be me without the world, therefore
I am also shaking because the whole world is shaking and that is the meaning of mother
Kali when we see right, left, both sides, there is above hand which is called abhaya
represents srishti and then the lower right hand side vara, okay, sthiti, I am alive,
I want to survive, I want to enjoy, I want to avoid unhappiness, give me, I have so many
desires, okay my son, you be ready but be prepared to receive, if you are not prepared
through your actions, even if I give, you can't retain them but look at the left hand,
one sword and one decapitated head, look at her face, her neck is bedecked with what?
52 skulls, 52 skulls represent 52 alphabet of Sanskrit language, that means this alphabet
is the root of all sorts of knowledge, gnanam, that means you are gnanamayee, srishti requires
knowledge, sthiti requires knowledge, samhara also requires knowledge but knowledge nothing
is waste, nothing can be destroyed, everything is my own manifestation like we create our
own dream world, a whole world in our dreams, it is not a dream world while we are dreaming,
it is a waking world while we are dreaming, when we come out, then only it becomes a dream
world, naturally when we see death, destruction, suffering, we are terrified, continuing,
prudhrādhityā vaso eca sādhyāḥ viśve aśvināhu marutas ca uṣma-pās ca gandharva
yaksāsura siddha-saṅgāha vīkṣaṁ te tvāṁ viśmitās caiva sarve, earlier lokatrayam
pravyaditam, a whole world is afflicted with indescribable terror, sorrow, they are all
shaking, so can you go into a little bit of details, oh Arjuna, yes, I am telling you
not only human beings, not only animals, not to speak of even great people, even Rudras
etc., that is being described here, 11 Rudras, Aditya, 12 sons, what are the 12 sons, I hope
you remember, every month the son has a different form, for 12 months, whatever the form of
the son, he is called by 12 different names, this is called Dvādaśa Aditya, so 11 Rudras
and 11 Rudras, they all coalesced and became what we now know as Shiva, so the Vedic gods
Vishnu and then Rudra, they have coalesced and became one single God but with 3 functions,
Srishti, Stithi, Laya and respectively called as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, so 11 Rudras,
12 Adityas and Vasavaha, earlier we discussed, do not forget where, in the 10th chapter,
8 Vasus, then Sādhyāha, some kind of celestial beings, Vishve, that means numberless celestial
beings of a different type, then Aśvināhu, these 2 twins, Aśvinis, they are called the
presiding deities of medicine or health, then Marutaha, different types of winds, 49 different
types, how do you know sir, 49, I don't know, it is the scripture tells us, so I know, then
Ushmapaśca, what is this Ushmapa, this means our own ancestors, then who else, Gandharvas,
Akshas, Asuras, Siddha Sangha, Sangha means a group, all these people in countless groups,
they were also beholding you and they are quaking with fear, remember Kata Upanishad
as the Vajram Udyatam, as if God has, Brahman has raised a tremendous Vajra and out of fear
Surya is shining, the fire is burning, the wind is blowing and Mrityu Dhavati Panchamam,
Mrityu also is performing its death, that means he is maintaining, Brahman is maintaining
the whole universe, for maintenance he has to protect the good people and punish the
wicked or evil people and for punishing he requires weapons and for rewarding he requires
to give boons, so Lord is having hands of, boon giving hands as well as punishing hands,
what are the boon giving hands, Gada and Padma, so he will touch with them and then whatever
the man most likely to desire that will be fulfilled, so Gandharvas, Akshas, Asuras,
Siddha Sangha, groups of them, what are they doing, Vikshantetvam, they are looking at
you, who is telling, Arjuna is telling, who is reporting, Sanjaya is reporting, what Arjuna
was seeing, Sanjaya was seeing, that was the gift given by Veda Vyasa to Sanjaya, he was
sitting at Hastinapura and he was giving this beautiful description, that means Bhagawan,
Vyasa Deva also is an incarnation of Vishnu, so out of his grace he had granted him whatever
Arjuna sees, you will also see, so that you can report what is happening, so what are
all these people doing, Vikshantetvam, they are all looking at you with unwinking eyes
and then what is their reaction, Sarve Vishmitacha Eva, they are all wonderstruck, they became
completely mute, they are unable to describe what they are feeling because their mind also
is in a whirl, what is this, what is this, I don't understand this at all and at the
same time they are experiencing it, quaking with fear but they are also surprised, wonderstruck,
why are they wonderstruck, can you say they are both wonderstruck and at the same time
they are terrified, yes, because they are wonderstruck because, let me give you an impromptu
one imagery came, supposing there is a huge tiger is coming, running towards a village
and it is about to attack but at the same time there is a most precious golden diamond
studded golden necklace in its hand, in its, round its neck, necklace, now you see, oh
my God, this hope, if somehow, if I can get that chain, I would be most lucky person but
if it gets me, then I am done for, anyway what am I talking about, why this imagery
came, because in Panchatantra there was a story, I hope you remember and this greed
is always very bad, so what happened, there was a village, outside village there was a
small river and in summer season it becomes very muddy, so one day one old man was trying
to cross this one, suddenly he saw, he was terrified, there was a old tiger and it was
holding a bangle, golden bangle and naturally this old man was frightened but the tiger
was telling, you know, dear man, now I was a sinner, how many people I have killed, now
I regret, why did not I take God's name, by the grace of a Mahatma, I got upadeshan
and from that time onwards, I gave up killing completely, now I am only trying to do some
charity, so when I killed people, I collected a lot of these valuables and I have given
away lot of them to people, so do not fear me, approach me, because I cannot move because
of my old age, I am incapable of moving, in this I am stuck here, you have nothing to
fear, just take this one and you will bless me that in my next life at least, I must become
a devotee of God, so this old man, he was completely overpowered with greed and then
the tiger had spoken so beautifully, so sweetly, so he thought, I see the tiger is old and
it is telling truthfully, it confessed also, I killed so many people, so no sinner is going
to do that, must be very sadhaka tiger, sadhu tiger and then approached, as soon as he came
within striking distance, simply it called out and then went on eating this, so what
am I talking about is Arjuna's condition, other people's condition, Srishti is wonderful,
Sthithi is also wonderful but Laya is frightening, so at the same time there is so much to appreciate,
to enjoy and there is so much also to be frightened of, that was what this Arjuna was trying to
express through this, really it is difficult to express.
Further 23rd verse, Rupam ahatye bahu vatra netram, maha bahu, bahu bahu rupadam, bahu
dharam, bahu dhamsra karalam, drishtvalokaha, pravyadhitaha, tatha aham, same thing is repeated,
we don't need to go deep into it, what he said earlier, everywhere I see your heads,
your hands, your feet, this and that, he is repeating, why is he repeating, because he
was struck with wonder, when we are struck with wonder, our mind also becomes stunned
and we go on repeating the same thing, so what is he telling, beholding thy great form
oh mighty lord with myriads of mouths and eyes, with myriads of arms and thighs and
feet, with myriads of bellies and with myriads of terrible tusks, the worlds are affrighted
and so also am I, earlier he said, all the three worlds are quaking, shaking with fear
and he is telling, I am also part of the world, I am also along with others, siddhas, akshas,
asuras, gandharvas, etc., rudra, vasus, asvinav, marutaha, mayans, aksha, everybody I am also
quaking, why, because this is called integral vision, this is called what scientists call
now holistic vision, any destruction, I am giving a small example, they found out a mighty
forest fire, millions of trees, millions of creatures have courted death in course of
a few days, from superficial point of view, such a thing could only be a great disaster
but look at it from there, new forest comes, new plants come, the whole thing is renewed
and there is a new life comes and maybe myriads of new species will come out, all this creation
is possible only because of this destruction.
I will also tell you what Stephen Hawking had found out, he was the man who predicted
the existence of the black holes, what is a black hole?
Any body, however huge it is, like our sun, etc., approaches within its gravitational
power, simply it will disintegrate and get destroyed, so it was a puzzle for the scientists
for a long time because science tells matter cannot be created, matter cannot be destroyed
but how come you are a scientist, one of the greatest physicists in the world and you are
claiming that without anything the whole thing is completely disappearing and an American
scientist had to fight with this Hawkins for more than 30 years and in the end this Hawkins
was made to accept, yes, I am wrong, you are right.
So what did they discover?
This black hole swallows up everything, destroys everything only to create everything anew,
new stars are born, new worlds are born, everything brand new, one side destruction, another side
and that is what our srishti sthiti laya is like a circle, every point of the circle is
the beginning point as well as the end point, so that is why it is said if somebody is born
he is sure to die and if somebody is dead he is sure to be reborn.
So Arjuna he who is born is sure to die, when the moment the child is conceived already
death started slowly, every change is death, a baby is dead, an adolescent is there, adolescent
is dead, youth is there, youth is dead, middle aged person is there, old age the person becomes
old age and youth is dead, thereafter the death of the body occurs then there is no
old age but as physics tells us it only goes back, it reformats, recombines in new ways
according to our karma but death is a terrifying fact even for us, that is what Arjuna is telling
here that I see you, roopam mahate and seeing this form all the three worlds are completely
shaking and pravyadita, vyadita means churning as if there is a big rod called this knowledge
of death and it is making me paste, making me paste, making me powder that churning is
going on, that is what is happening.
So what is the description that you have got, your form is great, great, how great?
The whole universe and then what is it consisting of?
Look at this universe, the tree has a body, an insect has a body, a plant has a body,
an animal has a body, a bird has a body, a mountain has a body, a river has a body, it
has an origin, it has a sustenance and it is death.
Now tell me what is the birth of a river?
It starts with a few trickling drops in the Himalayan mountains and other mountains and
as it flows it gathers more and more and it becomes mighty river, then it approaches its
mother, who is its mother? the ocean because the river has come from where?
From the ocean.
When did it come?
The eternal free distiller called the sun lifts up the water, separates the salt and
then carries it far away and on the highest mountains is pouring practically non-stop
and the water comes down trickling, becomes a stream, becomes a small river, becomes a
bigger river and finally joins, the cycle is going on, the seed is there, the plant
comes, grows into a tree, goes back to the seed, gives seeds and dies, everything janma
and sthiti and laya going on and on.
What are we talking about here?
In this whole universe whomsoever you see, you see a bird, it has got a head, it has
got eyes, it has got its wings or hands, it has got its legs, it has got everything.
This is what is telling bahu vatra, so many mouths, so many eyes, so many hands and bahu
bahu oorupadam, thighs and legs, bahu udaram, everything has got a stomach, bahu damstrakaradam,
you just see the dinosaur's edge, a huge mammoth, a mammoth is a huge what is called
ancestor of our elephant, mammoth and a mammoth tiger, terrible, you have to see practically
one inch huge very powerful teeth it has got because they have to eat, so you will see
all these things.
Having seen this one, the whole world is quaking with fear, frightened, became stunned, unable
to even to think, much less to speak out and oh lord that is also my condition.
Now we will go little bit into philosophy, all the mouths are yours, now the mouth has
got a tongue, what is the function of the mouth?
Mouth has got two functions, one function is to eat and with the tongue it tastes, that's
why it is called rasanendriya, what is the second fact of the mouth?
It is chewing, talking, second function of the is talking, what is the first function?
Chewing, swallowing, eating, now if somebody says I love fish and a fish heard it and says
govinda, govinda because after few minutes I am going to disappear, check, check it is
going on.
So everything that is born either covid eats us up, tiger eats us up, a small virus eats
us up or somebody kills us, ultimately we are all subjected to the eating of by what
is called small creatures and they decompose us, when a body is buried in the earth what
do you think it will remain like that?
It is eaten up, it is decomposed, this recycling process is going on and on and on.
So what are we talking here?
The Lord's mouth represents the time principle.
Remember Ramakrishna had a vision, he saw a beautiful young lady, she is Miss Universe
coming out of the Ganges, presently Ramakrishna found, presently means what?
Within the twinkling of a second she came out, she was a young lady, she was with child
and she gave birth to the child and she was suckling the child with the greatest love
in the whole world and next second that lady took up the baby, put in its own mouth, kacha,
kacha, kacha and then swallowed it and went away.
The Divine Mother represents srishti, sthiti, vinashanam, shakti, bhute, sanatani, gunashraye,
gunamahi, narayani, namostu, how does she do it?
With sattva guna srishti, with rajo guna sthiti, with tama guna laya, it is going on, not only
it is going on, we are all born at a time, we all live for some time and we all die at
the same time, no sir, every creature is born individually in its own time, remains there
and then its end will come, a mosquito perhaps lives only for 3 or 4 days.
So what are we talking about?
The Lord's mouth represents what we call time principle, how do we know?
Because birth comes in time, sustenance also is we live for some time and then in course
of time, that means let us say in another say 10 years time or so, this swami, the Atmananda's
body will not be there and so if somebody says, I am an astrologer and I can tell you,
you are going to die by before 2030, I will not give him anything because I also know
because I may not live that long.
So a baby is going to be born a trillion billion years later on and I can predict however much
the science may advance, say after 500 years, the baby is not born but the baby is also
dead after trillion billion billion years plus 500 years, the baby is gone.
In time, in future, Srishti is going to take place, creation and everything lives according
to its own species and after that time goes back again to be reborn again but it is a
frightening thing.
So Lord is the Srishtikarta, Lord is the Sthithikarta, so Srishtikarta is called Brahma, sustenance
is job is done by Vishnu and the destruction means giving, trying to give a new body is
done by Lord Shiva.
You must have heard Rudram, Namakam and Chamakam.
What do we say, Kaala Agni Rudraya Namaha, Neelakantaya Namaha, Mrutyunjaya Namaha, Sarveshwaraya
Namaha, Sadashivaya Namaha, Sriman Mahadevaya Namaha, Mrutyunjaya Namaha, Kaala Agni Rudraya
Namaha.
Now Krishna is manifesting in the form of Kaala Agni, what does Agni do, burns anything
that comes near to it, Kaala means time itself is the fire which kills everything.
So everything has got a beautiful aspect, terrible aspect, happy aspect, unhappy aspect,
so everything in this world, every single object in this world had to go through these
pairs of opposite, so that is why we have to appreciate it, Vishwaroopa had to be appreciated,
we have to accept birth to accept death, accept Mangala, accept death also as Mangala, growth
is also auspicious, decay is also auspicious, health is auspicious, disease also is auspicious,
union is also auspicious and separation is also auspicious.
Remember this story, Sri Ram Krishna tells Lord Shiva and Parvati were sitting on Kailasa
Parvatha and suddenly Parvati Devi heard boom like that, she was startled and then she asked
Lord what is it, Ravana is born, after a billy second boom, another sound, what is this Lord,
oh Ravana is dead, so for us we may count in 50 years, 100 years, 500 years, that has
no meaning because no guarantee is there first of all and there is a mosquito, how long it
is going to live and a virus, what is its longevity, trying to find out, therefore there
is a beautiful what I call incident in the life of Swami Vivekananda, he went on a pilgrimage
to Kshir Bhavani, he saw at that time, now they reconstructed it, at that time when Swamiji
visited the whole temple was in ruins and who ruined them, Muslims ruined them, then
he felt very bad, his conscience stung him and said mother had I been there, I would
have given the blood of my heart to protect you, a thunderous voice came to him, unmistakable
voice, is it you who protect me or is it I who protects you, Swamiji understood, the
whole thing, who constructed the temple, mother, who destroyed the temple, again mother, so
everything is happening, Srishti, Sthiti, Vinasha, Naam doesn't apply merely to living
creatures, non-living also, mountain was not there, it will come, live there, forest is
not there, it will come, it will grow and it will die, a desert was not there and then
it is born, it grows, a desert also will come to an end, many Israeli scientists are turning
how to greenify the deserts because it is a matter of humanity's survival now, tremendous
research is going on and we are sitting here in our own like frogs in the well and not
understanding what is happening all over the world, how many people are sacrificing their
lives for the future welfare of the world, devoting their whole lives to discover new
ways of cultivation, new ways of agriculture, new new products which will give more protein,
more nutrition and less time, plenty of yield etc., otherwise humanity is doomed as it is
growing now, even they say by 2050, wars will break out about land because of food and about
sustainable, potable, drinkable water, Swami Vekananda, he has had that tremendous vision,
then he wrote out from the mouth of the Rishi, this poem had come out in English language,
what is that poem called, Kali the mother, we get it in the fourth volume of the complete
works of Swami Vekananda, you better go through it in future, what has Swamiji written, the
stars are blotted out, the clouds are covering clouds, its darkness vibrant, sonent, in the
roaring whirling wind, are the souls of a million lunatics, just close from the prison
house, wrenching trees by the roots, sweeping all from the path, the sea has joined the
fray and swells up mountain waves, to reach the peachy sky, the flash of lurid light reveals
on every side, a thousand thousand shades of death be grimed and black, scattering plagues
and sorrows, dancing mad with joy, come mother, come, for terror is thy name, death is in
thy breath and every shaking step, destroys a world for earth, thou time, the all destroyer,
come, oh mother, come, who dares misery, love and hug the form of death, dance in destructions
dance, to him the mother comes, what a mystical poem, what was Swamiji trying to tell, our
everyday life, mother Kali comes as Abhaya Pradhani, as a Varapradhani and as a Layapradhani,
she comes but we are not able to recognize that, we are able to recognize only this one
and nothing else, so we have to understand that, come, oh mother, come, every shaking
step destroys a world for earth, there can be, I have not come across a more descriptive
expression of life of insect or man or bird or plant than this marvellous something, it
is a mystical poem, it has not sat down and thought about it and wrote it, it is nothing
but Pralaya Kaala, that's why when you see the figure of Nataraja, that is called Pralaya
Thandava, Pralaya Nachan Nachalo, oh lord, you are dancing in tremendous joy, this what
dance, joy of destroying the whole world, what does destruction mean, the lord is giving
those who have completed their Karmaphala, he is giving them liberation, those who are
yet to do, he is giving them new bodies, fresh bodies, new opportunities, that is called
Pralaya Kaala, that is why Kashi is supposed to be the Mukti Kshetra, Vimukti Puri it is
called.
Further, this is why Arjuna was terrified, Shloka 24, Nabhasprisham Deeptam Aneka Varnam,
Vyattananam Deepta Vishala Netram, Vishvahitvam Pravyathitham Taratma, Dhrithim Navindami
Shramancha Vishnu, when I look upon thy blazing form reaching to the skies and shining in
many colours, when I see thee with thy mouth opened wide and thy great eyes glowing bright,
my inmost soul trembles in fear and I find neither courage nor peace, oh Vishnu.
Again Arjuna's experience and that means if we are given at any time by the grace of
God, this kind of vision, that would be worse experience and worse expression than Arjuna.
At least he was able to see by the divine grace, otherwise he would have fainted away.
He did not faint because God has given him some power to withstand it.
What is he telling, Nabhasprisham, Nabha means the sky, your form, your head is touching
Deeptam Aneka Varnam and it is burning bright, Aneka Varnam, of infinite number of hues,
colours, Vyattananam, your mouth is as widely open as the sky itself, why, you have to swallow
everything.
Deepta Vishala Netram, your eyes are so wide but they are burning like mother Kali's eyes.
Dhrithvam, having seen you, he is experiencing, expressing the same thing which we saw earlier.
Pravyadhita Antaratma, my whole mind is shaking with indescribable fear.
Dhrithimna Vindami, Dhrithim means I am almost at the edge of my capacity to hold on to look
on at you.
I am losing all my will power, any time I might become unconscious.
With shamam cha, O Vishnu, that peace of mind is long past, it has disappeared, O Vishnu,
that is what he is telling.
I will close this talk and recollect it tomorrow morning a little bit.
Swami Apoorva Ananda was a disciple of Holy Mother and when he was a young boy, he was
so devoted to the Holy Mother, one day Mother allowed him to sit by her side when so many
male devotees were allowed to go and have her darshan and touch her feet.
So he was sitting and he was experiencing.
He saw a frightening scene.
He saw Holy Mother's one eye was burning like Mother Kali's eye.
You will notice Mother Kali's eye will be reddish in general.
So it is burning and he said, I could not stand it.
I saw the Divine Mother Kali.
This is Mother Kali.
Holy Mother out of her grace had granted him this particular vision, knowledge, eye and
Kali are one and the same.
Same thing she admitted to Shibu, Shri Ramakrishna's nephew who really loved Holy Mother and was
totally devoted to her.
So what are we talking about?
So Arjuna was having the vision of this universal form and some part of it is very pleasant
and other part of it is terrifying and he is describing it and what is going to happen.
We will take it up tomorrow onwards.
Om Vasude Vasudham Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadkurum
May Shri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sharda Devi and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 08 on 01 November 2020

2026-11-01T19:58:22Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHAANURA MARDANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAHO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DOGDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT
MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YAT KRIPA TAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM
Bhagawan Krishna out of His infinite grace had given the spiritual eye to look at what?
At everything.
There is no Krishna, there is no Arjuna, there is no one else, nothing else.
This is called Vishwa Roopa Darshana which we have been discussing in Bhagavad Gita 11th chapter.
Vishwa Roopa Darshana doesn't mean seeing the world.
No, seeing the true nature of the world which is nothing but God.
When we see the true nature, then the distinction between the cause and the effect,
between the unmanifest and the manifest instantaneously disappears.
Whatever is one, that vision is a spiritual vision where there is no distinction.
Everything is one indivisible whole.
Akhanda, Paripoorna, Sachidananda.
That can be got only by God's grace.
Then what is Sadhana meant for?
To be fit, to receive that divine vision.
So Bhagawan Krishna had given whatever you want to see,
O Arjuna, which you have never seen before or even if you have seen and you want to see it again and again,
the visible, the invisible, the manifest, the unmanifest.
Everything you will be able to see.
When?
Everywhere.
There is no everywhere.
In one place, in one moment and in one experience.
One unit of experience gives us the universal experience of the vision.
Let us not mistake universe means again many things
but one in the many, one unity in this so-called seemingly diverse world.
That's what the divine Lord had granted.
So what was Arjuna seeing now?
Verse number 13,
There in the person of the God of Gods, Arjuna beheld the whole universe with its manifold divisions,
all gathered together in one.
This body of the Lord is not a few meters, not six or six and a half feet
but the very space which contains everything.
The first manifestation of the Atman is called Akasha.
Akasha means space, space means emptiness
and as I explained before any action can be done there must be a place for the doer,
for the desired goal to be done and for the object and for the instruments of the object
which means one's mind cannot go beyond this space.
So the visible, invisible, manifest and non-manifest everything is contained in this infinite space.
This space Akasha is the Virat Sharira, Vishwa Sharira because the whole universe is here.
That is why in the Upanishad sings, Akasha Shariram Brahma, this Akasha is the very abode of Brahman
and in this Akasha Sharira the whole universe is beheld.
Now was Arjuna beholding different things as different?
No, what did he come to know? The one is all, the all is one.
All is one, one is all that is called divine vision.
What do we see? I see, we see normally either one or many
and the psychology is we can only see one object at a time.
One thought alone can be entertained in the mind.
One idea alone can be experienced at any given time.
Just like a movie picture, a moving picture is nothing but one picture moving at 19 or so,
what is called frames a second then it gives the illusion, movement is an illusion.
So manyness is an illusion.
So just see this whole universe, it is divided into galaxies, stars, planets and within that planet
so many billions of things are there.
What to speak of? This is Ananta Koti Brahmanda.
That is why Pushpadanta, a great bhakta of Shiva, he had written one of the most marvellous hymns
called Shiva Mahimna Stotram.
There he particularly mentions, Saraswati herself started to describe the indescribable.
How can she write? Even if she writes for infinite time,
it is not possible. Why?
Because time is like that instrument called Kaleidoscope.
Every time you move a little, the whole thing gets rearranged.
So how is it possible to describe it?
But this is what every mystic who had this vision by the grace of God describes.
We get in the Old Testament, very beautiful passage.
It is both moral and spiritual.
Here is one such passage, Psalms 138, 8 to 10.
This multitudinously divided universe is nothing but the manifested form
and the unmanifested form combined in one, the divine Lord.
Remember, these are the descriptions of Sanjaya.
Sanjaya was himself by the gift of Vidavyasa.
He was beholding this Vishwaroopadarshana and he is graphically describing
what was the reaction of Arjuna in six verses.
So Sanjaya was telling,
earlier shloka, what was Arjuna doing?
Tatra means in that divine universal vision, Ekastam,
the whole creation has been as it were condensed in one place, Ekastam.
Jagat Krishna, the whole universe, remember,
whole universe means that was created, that's being created and that will be created.
Important point is time is the creator, time is the sustainer, time is the destroyer.
What does it mean precisely?
That every billy second, infinite worlds are being created, being sustained and being destroyed
and this is going on from infinite time onwards.
So Pravibhaktam, Anekadha Pravibhaktam, in unimaginable way,
unimaginable number of divisions, Pravibhaktam means divided.
Then what happened?
Arjuna, that Pandavaha Tatha, after the Lord gave him that divine vision,
Devasya Sarire, now it is not Krishna, the individual's body,
it is the Vishwaroopa Krishna, in that body, Pandavaha Apashyat.
He beheld at one place, in one second, everything that was, is and will be.
That is the indescribable language, description of the infinite.
And now Sanjaya is further describing, having beheld that vision,
what happened to Arjuna in the 14th shloka, Tathaha.
After he beheld that divine vision, Dhananjaya,
the conqueror of wealth in the form of name, valor, etc.,
that Dhananjaya, one of the epithets of Pandava.
He is also Rishi Keshaha, he is also conqueror of sleep, Guda Keshaha,
he is also Narasabha, is the bull among the human beings.
So many epithets are there.
Dhananjaya, Dhana, usually people translate as wealth.
That's a wrong idea.
What will you do with wealth?
You cannot even eat wealth.
But wealth is the instrument for obtaining enjoyment.
That's what people think.
But a wealthy man could be a profoundly unhappy person
and a poor person could be extremely happy and peaceful person.
This is graphically described in the great master.
Villagers used to rush whenever they got time to the poor hut,
a cottage of Sri Ram Krishna's father, Kshudiram.
Why?
Because they used to get such a tremendous joy
and that joy was the very nature of Kshudiram
because he was merged in spirituality
and whoever comes within that circle, as long as they sit there,
they will enjoy that indescribable peace that passeth all understanding
and that's why once they get that taste,
they would like to come again and again.
They do not know what is the cause but they know what is the effect.
If they go there, they will have indescribable joy
which they cannot get elsewhere.
That is the meaning of Sri, that is the meaning of wealth,
that is the meaning of Lakshmi and where Lakshmi is there,
all, everything will be there.
There will be happiness, there will be peace,
there will be valor, there will be victory
and there will be all the grains, Dhanalakshmi, Dhanyalakshmi, Vijyalakshmi,
Kirti, Yasholakshmi, every imaginable form of bliss,
the division of bliss into various expressions
is called the division of the Lakshmi
and Arjuna was such a person.
How do we know?
Do not look at the life of Arjuna as depicted in the Mahabharata.
Take this verse, he was a sadhaka, he was blessed by God,
he had God himself as the guide and he was given this divine vision
and this sampath, this dhana, this wealth, spiritual wealth,
now specially endowed by the grace of God
was being, as I mentioned in my last class in Sadhana Panchakam,
in the first mantra of the Isavasya Panchakam,
that do not covet Nakasya Siddhanam,
do not covet any other wealth, covet only this wealth
and Arjuna was given that wealth.
What happened to him?
Even though he was blessed, what happened?
Vishmaya Avishta, he was overcome by Vishmaya.
Vishmaya means wonderment.
What wonderment?
Such a thing in his life had never been beheld before
and such a thing cannot be beheld in the world.
Such a thing can be beheld first of all only by the grace of God.
Secondly, what is that wonderment?
Just now I see a Rama, just now I see a Krishna,
Tom, Dick and Harry, a public woman,
just look when Ravana, Surasa, Rama, what did he see?
An enemy.
But what did Sabari see in Rama?
What was Hanuman seeing in Rama?
What was Ramakrishna seeing in that small,
so-called, seemingly lifeless image of Ramlala?
What was Mirabai seeing in that small image of Krishna?
There is a beautiful description.
I will come to it.
So he was overcome because such an experience
is the rarest experiences which even the Devas,
higher celestial beings always desire
but Lord Krishna himself is telling
that nobody had the good fortune.
Oh Arjuna, it's by my grace you have got it
and what happened?
He could not take it.
Vismaya avishta, completely overpowered,
that means he was not under control,
that vismaya, that wonderment had completely overwhelmed him.
Then what happened as a result?
Instinctively, Krishna, Rama, his hair had stood on end
and that happens when we hear something,
when we had a wonderful experience,
immediately the hair, the hair is never raises.
It is kinky but on its own it will just get up
like a straight pin and that is the wonderment
and what else can he do?
Pranamya sirasa devyam kritanjalihi abhashatha
Pranamya, immediately he fell down,
overcome by that experience.
Devam, that divine being, not merely Krishna.
Why do I say?
Because later on Arjuna himself,
Hey Krishna, Hey Yadava, Hey Sakheti,
Prasabham Yadukthamaya, in friendliness,
in fun, unable to, in my ignorance,
understand you, I named you as Krishna,
as Yadava, Yaduvamsiya and as my friend
but now I understand,
Oh Lord, Tat Kshamasva, please forgive me.
Of course, the Lord had already forgiven.
Had he not, how he would have given this vision to Arjuna?
Not only he forgive, a mother never forgives
her children's faults because the idea
somebody had done something wrong towards me,
never arises in a mother's heart.
Only she thinks, this is my ignorant child,
small child, that's all he can do.
There's a beautiful funny story,
Durvasa went and kicked in his examination
of the three expressions of God's Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara
and he came to Vishnu and then Vishnu did not even notice him
and he kicked him.
Lakshmi got very, very upset.
Then Vishnu was telling, Lakshmi, when you have a child
and you are suckling the child and while suckling you,
what is the child doing?
He is kicking you left and right in his joy.
Would you mind it?
This is also a child.
Of course, that is the origin of the story of
Lord's manifestation as Venkateshwara
at what is called Sri Parvatha.
Always remember, in Tamil language,
old Telugu language, Thiru means Sri,
Mala means hill, Thirumala means Sri Parvatha.
That is the meaning of it.
So this hair stood on end and he was overcome.
He fell at the feet of the Lord spiritually, mentally.
That means he had completely surrendered himself
because here is the Pratyaksha Darshan, Aparoksha Darshan
and what was he telling?
Prithanjali.
Automatically his hands folded themselves in gratitude,
in humility, Abhashata.
Then certain words came out and whatever words came out
were not coming from his lips,
were not even coming from his unconscious mind,
were coming deep, originated from this divine experience.
Why was Arjuna wonderstruck?
Not because he was seeing a new thing.
He was not seeing a new thing.
What does it mean?
Means the world was always in front of us
but we are not seeing the God there.
Who is in front of us? Vishwam.
One name for Vishnu is in Vishnu Sahasranama,
the very first name is Vishwam.
The Lord is called Vishwam.
That Lord is standing in front of us.
How?
At the material cause.
Whenever you look at a wooden chair,
you are not looking at anything else excepting wood.
Whenever you are looking at a pot,
you are looking at the clay, nothing else.
Whenever you see golden ornament,
you see only the gold.
There is no object called the ornament.
It is just Nama and Rupa.
Gold in a particular name and form,
wood in a particular name and form
and wood in a particular name and form.
So Arjuna is not seeing something new.
We are also not seeing something new.
Whatever we are looking at, nothing but God.
But he was given the knowledge.
We will get that knowledge by the grace of God
when we are ready for it.
God is ready.
We are not ready.
So Arjuna had a new vision
but towards the ever existing ordinary thing.
It's not an extraordinary sight
because anything extraordinary is a worldly sight.
Why do I say so?
It is one among the sight.
Oh, this is an ordinary flower.
Oh, this is an extraordinary flower.
It's not like that.
It is seeing the same thing in a totally different angle,
a totally different vision.
That's what happens to every sinner
when he becomes converted.
He sees everything in a totally different way.
Gopala Irma had the vision of Krishna
but before that she saw Krishna, Sri Ram Krishna
and she was visiting him
and her idea of Sri Ram Krishna was
he was an ordinary person.
Then one early morning she had the vision of Gopala.
Actually she had a vision of Sri Ram Krishna
and Sri Ram Krishna transformed himself into Gopala
but then next morning as soon as it was light
she ran to Dakshineshwar
and then now she was seeing Sri Ram Krishna.
Still the vision was not complete.
Understanding was not clear.
Now Gopala, the God Divine,
that Deva wanted to expand her vision.
So what did she see?
This Gopala entered into Sri Ram Krishna's body,
coming out, again going back after few times.
The understanding dawned upon Gopala's mother
that Sri Ram Krishna is not that old Sri Ram Krishna,
that he is Krishna, he is Rama,
he is the divine being, everything is divine.
An ordinary thing became an extraordinary thing.
The same expansion continued through other disciples
in the same manner
and one day this whole world,
she had Vishwaroopadarshana on a day
when the Ratha Utsava, chariot festival was carried on
in Panihatti, Nepal is called Panihatti
and she was telling,
I created a veritable Kurukshetra,
shouting, singing, weeping, etc.
Of course, people would label her as what you call a mad woman.
Of course, anybody who has got extraordinary vision
is a mad person because he doesn't behave like us.
He looks like us but doesn't behave like us.
So an extraordinary sight is an entirely expanded
spiritual way of looking at everything.
That was what he had.
This magnitude of the Lord is so vast
and in front of the Lord,
we the ordinary people are just not even a speck of dust.
So is it possible for us to express that feeling
if by God's grace we have that divine magnitude,
vision of that divine magnitude?
It is impossible.
One scientist wrote a book
and he has given a beautiful description
of not the divine Lord but this cosmos, our cosmos.
He gave the illustration of a bucket of sand.
He said, imagine a bucket is there
and it is full of sand.
Do you know how many sand particles are there?
Of course, it is impossible.
Then says each particle of the sand imagine is like a galaxy
and there are galaxies which are so far away
their light has not even reached the earth
billions and billions and billions
and billions of light years away
and every such galaxy small or big
is compared to one grain of the sand.
Then he says within that galaxy there are countless
that is the word I prefer to use
countless billions of stars, planets, meteors
so many other things are there
of which one of the smallest is our star
and in that our galaxy our sun is the biggest star
and in this our galaxy there are billions
and billions and billions of planets etc.
Of all these planets the earth is not even one billionth of a speck
and on this earth we are here in one place
and our ego covers everything.
If you can imagine this you can perhaps
these buckets and buckets and buckets
of ananta koti brahmandas are there
and in that if you can imagine that is the form of God
Virat Rupa of the God.
Of course, it is impossible
the limited mind can never think of the unlimited
that's why only one name can be given
Purnam Adaha Purnam Idam
that is infinite and this also can must be only infinite
because there cannot be two infinites more than one infinite.
So Arjuna beheld such a majesty of God.
I will be narrating a small incident
that happened in the life of one disciple of Holy Mother.
Holy Mother as we see we know that
She is the Divine Mother and it is not empty words
She is the Creator, She is the Sustainer
and She is the Destroyer.
Srishti Sthiti Vinasha Naam
Shakti Bhute Sanatani
How do we know?
Because Shri Ram Krishna himself hymned
Holy Mother Sharda Devi on Falaharini Kali Puja day
so we can only have faith in His words.
Holy Mother had become old and She was suffering from rheumatism
so She wanted some treatment
and the devotees brought Her to one place called Bankura
under an I think expert Ayurvedic doctor
and Her disciple and attendant Vaikuntha Maharaj
he was a kind of small doctor
I think three years course doctorate he had
so he was accompanying.
One day he was giving a message to Holy Mother's feet
as he was doing the message
he saw the old dried up wrinkled feet of Holy Mother
a thought came to him
people say this is the Divine Mother
and what do I see the feet of an old woman
not even a young woman
as the thoughts were passing his mind
suddenly he saw that a 16 year old divine girl's feet
so tender, so beautiful, so indescribable
looking at it he fell down unconscious
we do not know how far how much time he was unconscious
suddenly he woke up because Holy Mother was touching his back
and say oh Vaikuntha what happened to you
get up get up instead of giving message
you are becoming a stone on my feet
and then he woke up he looked at the feet
they were the same old wrinkled
this kind of experiences many people had with Holy Mother
but we rarely come across the narrations or reminiscences of these things
these are just just a few that we come across in the written books
unwritten I have heard some of them but it is so many are there
if with this one small vision the person had become unconscious
what to speak of Arjuna
so Arjuna fell down at the feet of the Lord
Kritanjali with folded hands Arjuna
Abhashata involuntarily these words were coming
out of Arjuna's mouth same thing will happen to us
when we were overcome involuntarily these words will come marvelous
I never heard anything like that I never beheld
such a wonderful scene in the in my whole life
that is the nature of these experiences
verse number 15 what words came Arjuna said
what did he say
the description continues we will discuss about them
Arjuna said in thy body oh lord I behold all the gods and all the diverse
hosts of beings the lord Brahma seated on the lotus and
all the rishis and all the celestial serpents
what did Arjuna say
I behold what are you seeing
oh lord what are we seeing
every celestial being div means to shine deva means
he who shines and when a person earns extraordinary punya merit
he goes into higher worlds and I have to tell you here something
in higher worlds the lowest world is called Indraloka
and there also everybody is shining why shining
because it is the manifestation of knowledge the nature of knowledge
is compared that's why somebody had got some brilliant idea
you show a small bulb above his head so all beings are first of all
that they are shining with knowledge there is no
physical object there is no physical body
there are no physical instruments or the sense organs it is all
mental and there they are not born but they are thrown out
divine beings don't die they are not born
they do not grow they just be there 16 years young sweet 16 all the time
no jara no old age no mrityu no dukkha but there is one dukkha
existential dukkha what is existential dukkha
there is dukkha that means you know this it is summer it's very hot it's cold
very cold it is covid you can't breathe properly with your mask
these are called agantukas they come they go the temporary dukkhas
similarly temporary sukhas but existential means birth itself is a
dukkha growing up is a dukkha becoming old is a
dukkha and death is a dukkha being separated
from what we like to be with is dukkha and uniting with
things or people or events or experiences
which we hate is called dukkha this is called existential suffering
when buddha said life is suffering he is not referring to the
sita and vushna matra sparsha that come and go
is referring to this being born and suffering whole life
changing all the time and going through this
what we call in vedanta six fold change shat urmi shat vikara
that is a completely absent those who are on punya they go there
they enjoy there how do they enjoy merely by the idea mentally
and it is not to be compared to a dream state
but a most marvelous imagination you enjoy and that is the enjoyment
that's why it is said devaha drishti bhogaha
they only enjoy by just looking at it thinking about it
by thought that's why when we offer something to god
he doesn't physically command it but he accepts everything mentally
spiritually and he makes everything spiritual that's
what we call it prasada so oh lord in your divine body
remember this is not krishna's body it is the divine lord's body what is
that body the entire universe what is the entire
universe creation maintenance sustenance and
destruction at the same time at the same moment
billions and billions of things are coming into creation
and staying for some time disappearing this phenomena indescribable phenomena
is going on so what is the lord seeing sarvam devam
everything sarvam bhuta visesha sangham
most marvelous visesha wonderment is surprising
sangham groups and groups and groups bhutas
creatures everything living non-living and how many billions of varieties right
from an amoeba once held creature to the
most advanced brahma deva i am seeing in one place in one single
experience what else am i saying that's being
summarized here brahmanam isham kamalasanastam
rishim sa sarvan urugam sa divyan divyan urugam celestial
serpents and all the rishis all the seers in one place
so the essence of this particular verse is
i am able to perceive at the same time what are you seeing brahmanam brahma the
creator kamalasanastam asanastha sitting on the
seat what seat kamalasana
made up of the lotus flower and in that flower who sits
vishnudeva narayana i see narayana brahma the creator vishnu the sustainer
and what else isham shiva the reabsorber i would say
not destroyer but reabsorber absorbing every manifested thing
into its causal non-manifested form i see what does it mean
creation sustenance and reabsorption going on in infinite
forms infinite number of times all taken in one divine experience
is what he is telling in thy body oh lord i behold all the gods
and all the diverse hosts of beings lord brahma
and vishnu seated on the lotus and all the rishis
and the celestial serpents what does it mean
ajna was seeing the life of everything birth growth decay
and death everything at the same time srishti stithi laya
it is a beautiful thought vishnu whenever devotees of vishnu see
they see vishnu where is he sitting on a lotus and what is coming out of his
navi navel brahma so vishnu brahma
lotus is there any symbolism yes what is the meaning of the symbolism
lord vishnu represents the origin the original cause
samasthi karana shariram that's why samasthi karana shariram
in vedanta is called ishwara narayana is the universal
causal form samasthi karana sharira is called ishwara
and what does the lotus represent samasthi
sokshma shariram that is to say hiranyagarbha
the congregation the cosmic form of all the subtle bodies
is called hiranyagarbha the manifestation of ishwara the
grossification of ishwara is called this hiranyagarbha
and this lotus represents the grossification
into the universal this subtle body universal subtle body
not individual and on that lotus from that lotus
came brahma so what does the brahma represent
samasthi sthula sharira pratibimbha chaitanyam
he represents the what is called chidabhasa
the reflected consciousness in everything this is the symbolism of
lord vishnu represented as sitting on a lotus
and brahma is there he this rishti sthiti laya karana in vedanta
we call this manifestation the universe chidabhasa
reflection of the chit in various forms the nearest way to understand is
when we are sitting in a cinema theater the screen represents the mind
and the light represents the chit and the the light when it is percolates
through the film and what appears on the screen
illuminating the screen it is the various manifestations of that light
that is called chidabhasa or reflected light
reflected consciousness and that represents
this entire universe that is being created being sustained and
this is being re-absorbed into it so do we can still say that this world
is that divine world even after this terrorist comes and beheads
the head of a teacher somewhere and many people are protesting against
the reactions etc yes we always forget
that srishti is followed by sthiti and sthiti is followed by what
laya so this is the laya good and evil are changeable thing good
is changing into evil evil is changing into good
there are no two absolutes called good or evil so everything that is
happening is the divine leela
but what is our problem we like srishti birth is wonderful some things in sthiti
the good and evil the dichotomy we cannot tolerate
only one thing of it we want the good the
beatific the beautiful the blissful the enjoyable
that is what we want but the psychology is
if there is no good you cannot recognize the evil
similarly the reverse is also true if the evil is not there the good also
will disappear along with it that's why in the deep sleep
state neither good nor evil because it is the very
nature of the mind it is constituted of dvandva reality
and if there is no mind there is no experience
there is no world there is no creator there is no god
what remains is one holistic universal consciousness called chit
chidabhasa is not possible that's why whether we see a good person
a bad person so ram krishna was telling that there was a ferocious person
he came to the dakshineshwar temple and everybody
shrunk away from him he was looking so fearsome and this person came
and he heamed say ram krishna said i saw the whole temple of bhavatarini
is shaking and then say ram krishna narrated another incident a terribly
evil person came to dakshineshwar and he also went to bow down in front
of the mother say ram krishna instantaneously
understood his insights but he said there also
the divine mother is vibrating as what as unconscious something no
the same divine mother which manifests as the good
as the spiritual is also manifesting as the material as the evil this is
called universal vision vishwaroopa hitler is none other than
sri krishna ramanasura is none other than rama
kamsa is none other than krishna how do we know because when krishna
killed or destroyed that ajnana which is called kamsa a light came
and merged in krishna when krishna through his chakra
got rid of the head of the shishupala and tantavakra
beautiful light came and merged in sri krishna
that light belonged only to krishna it was seemingly hidden for some time
when that cover is removed it just merged his human language saying it
became one with the divine lord that's why the poets
say that anything ordinary looked at worldly eyes is
ordinary same thing looked at in a even aesthetical way is extraordinary
a snow drop every snow drop is totally different not only that a poet
as him would somewhere up in a poem to see the whole universe
in a dew drop so arjuna is continuing what he was seeing
aneka bahudhara vatra netram pasyamitvam sarvatah anantaroopam
nantam namadhyam napunastavadim pasyami vishweshwara vishwaroopa
these beautiful words pasyami i'm seeing what are you seeing
i behold thee with myriads of arms and bellies with myriads of faces and
eyes i behold thee infinite in form on every
side but i see not thy end nor middle
nor thy beginning oh lord of the universe oh universal form
let us analyze the sanskrit verse aneka eka means one aneka means many
infinite bahu hands udara bellies vatra mouth netra
i pasyami i am seeing tvam i am seeing you sarvataha
in everywhere all around anantaroopam i am seeing infinity
what is he telling so you imagine like in a calendar
the lord is there and thousands heads are there
thousands eyes are there i i cannot imagine
a person with even two heads and if he had a good cold and how much
of water is flowing through each one of the nostrils
now here would be four nostrils how much water is coming from the
four eyes how much hachi that is sneezing is coming through that
thousand mouths it is foolishness to imagine like that
but what does it mean anywhere you see a hand god's hand
anywhere you see a leg god's leg anywhere you see a head god's head
anywhere you see an eye god's eye anywhere you see a belly that is god's
belly anywhere you see a mouth that is god's
mouth a whatever you see hands legs
eyes ears nostrils tongues mouths and heads and
chests and then bellies a whole body in other words
and it need not be human body it can be any body
a mountain is a body a river is a body a forest is a body anywhere you see
whatever you see that is nothing but what was arjuna seeing
is not seeing an individual species or person
or an animal he is seeing only the divine lord that is what he is telling
then he is exclaiming ananta infinity where is the beginning
where is the east where is the west where is the south
where is the north where is above where is below
just imagine nantam i do not see your end namadhyam i do not see your middle
na punah tava adim punah tava adim your beginning i do not see
pashyami i do not see here pashyami has to be added that nakara
that means i do not see your the beginning
the middle or the end just imagine there is a huge circle and imagine
billions and billions of beings are going
round and round and round and round or even better imagine billions of
beings are there and it is being whirled by a machine
now show me where does that circle begin
where does that end that's why swami vekananda was
given beautiful that's man is an infinite circle
with a point whereas god is infinite circumference
without any point this is a beautiful analogy
that is what arjuna was experiencing and in ananta there is no beginning
there is no middle there is no end what is the idea whatever we behold
in this world either through pictures or through radio or internet or through
books and personally they are all nothing but
different manifestations kaleidoscope
manifestations of one divine lord one light
as infinite number of cinemas whatever cinemas have been taken
are being taken will be taken when you watch on the screen is one
light is one that one light myriads it will be living non-living the moving
non-moving the inert and that with life and small big everything is there
that's a beautiful analogy now look at it the scientists are trying
to find out where is the beginning of this cosmos
where is the beginning of are there any galaxies
after reaching there it is funny in the before science developed many of
us used to think why do you say many of us because may not
be in this life but in my past life in your past life to
think that there is the earth comes to an end
and if you can take somebody and it is surrounded with water
take him in a boat and then push him after taking to some distance and the
currents will carry him and he will fall from there and that is
the end of that person many cinemas moral cinemas that is how we
see an evil person is thrown from a high place
and he falls and falls and falls and falls and that is really false
so where is the beginning middle and end idea is
infinite the whole universe is infinite and so there is no beginning
that's why srishti is anadi srishti is anadi stithi is anadi
and laya is also anadi in anadi in infinity ananta everything is
anadi beginningless therefore endless there was a beautiful story funny story
there was a devotee of bhagavan krishna he was an old man he was a brahmana
he was extremely poor and he had only one wearing cloth and he was
washing it wearing it washing it wearing it and it had become worn out
it has because he used to think of god and along with him
that cloth also had become very very very holy
the edges have gone and then he wanted one day he was looking at wonderment
and then he wanted to wear it in the right way
he could not find the top the bottom the sides
the beginning the end and that day he must have been studying this particular
16th verse nantam namadhyam na punasthavadim
he looked at his cloth said oh lord what is what a great grace you bestowed
only through this cloth where i cannot find
the beginning the end the sides the anything
i understand your nature just like this cloth
you are beginningless you are middleless you are
endless so we can only wonder hishta roma dhananjaya
so what does it mean when we look at the world we see this finite world as
infinite only when we are given that divine light
that is called sarvatra brahma darshanam
that is called brahma satyam and all this gita
is going to take us to that end we will explore these beautiful verses
tomorrow morning again
may sri ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with
bhakti today let us not forget is what they call
kojagari lakshmi puja day and marvelous things happen hindus
worship on this poor nima day it is a special day
for mother lakshmi may mother lakshmi also bestow
herself upon us and i said lakshmi means
i said lakshmi means not wealth but the wealth of spirituality wealth of
knowledge and above all unending infinite bliss
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 06 on 25 October 2020

2026-11-01T19:58:04Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandanah
Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdam Geetam Ritam Mahat
Mookam Karoti Vachalam Bhangum Langhayate Girim
Yat Kripatamaham Vande Paramananda Madhavam
We will resume from where we have seen yesterday.
Arjuna became very humble.
By this time he realized that only God can remove my delusion.
That's why he said that my moha is destroyed.
Again the same thing he also confirms in the 18th chapter
almost towards the end.
Nashto Mohaha Smriti Labdha Prasadatmaya Chuta etc.
So by your grace only this delusion can be destroyed.
Same thing he says so Lord I have heard much from you.
I know every syllable that came from your mouth is absolutely true.
It is the only truth but out of your infinite grace
please bestow upon me your vision, universal vision.
As a result, the Lord immediately tells
yes I am going to show you myself
and then you can see so many things.
You can see the past, present, future.
You can see all the 14 lokas.
You can see what is divine, what is human, what is non-human.
Everything you can see.
But with your worldly eyes, intellectual rational eyes
you won't be able to behold.
Only you require a spiritual eye
and I am going to give you that spiritual vision.
What we need to understand it's not a cataract operation.
It is not that a special contact lens are implanted in the eye.
Jnana Chakshu means here that is Divya Chakshu.
Jnana Chakshu is same.
Divya Chakshu means divine eye means it is a special type of mind.
Same type of mind before it beholds everything ordinary world.
But when a person sees, has this divine eye
he sees the same thing in a different way.
Let me illustrate it.
Before Hiranyakashyapu was seeing everything with a worldly eye
so he could not even recognize, cognize the greatness of his own son Prahlada.
He was seeing I am the king so I am full of egotism
but why my son instead of worshipping me as the supreme reality
why is he running after another being that is called Narayana.
So he tried to kill him.
Devotion can never be killed
and Prahlada is an embodiment of the highest devotion.
Hiram Krishna had no words to describe.
He used to say that eternal souls that Nityamuktas, Prahlada was one of them.
He knew nothing excepting God.
So this Prahlada means devotion.
Once it comes, grows in a human heart.
No worldliness can kill it.
Sometimes it can be hidden.
It just goes beyond the curtain.
So why is it important for us to know?
There are some devotees and at one time they are full of devotion
but after some time they become very worldly
and later on they realize oh what a wonderful devotion I had before.
Everything is lost.
This is the reassurance nothing is lost.
It is just covered up.
You remove the covering and everything is as it is
not only as it is
slowly through these worldly experiences
the understanding is growing
correspondingly the devotion is also growing.
All of us are growing in devotion, in spirituality
have absolutely no doubt about it.
That is very important point.
So what are we talking?
Divya Jaksha means the object doesn't change
but the person who is seeing, smelling, tasting, touching etc.
that person's mind changes.
Like another illustration in semi-darkness
a person mistakes, he sees a snake.
Same person when light is brought or in daylight
he sees, he doesn't see the snake.
He sees the rope.
A change has never occurred in the rope.
No snake has come out.
No snake has disappeared
but all the change has taken place in the beholder.
The snake, the thought of the snake
has risen in the mind of the perceiver, beholder
and when proper light is brought, proper knowledge came.
Nothing changed but proper knowledge
sees the same object as something else.
With that illustration what we now see through worldly understanding
God as the world
when this Divya Jaksha is given
we see that there is no Vaikuntha, Kailasa or Naraka
everything is nothing but one pure divine Lord.
That is called Divya Jaksha.
As an example, Gopala's mother.
Earlier she had seen Gopala's Sri Ramakrishna.
Then he was a sadhu, good man
and so she felt attracted.
She started coming.
The attraction started to grow
but when she had the vision of Gopala
that day carrying her Gopala
she came to Dakshineswar
and what was this Gopala doing?
Her Gopala, he entered immediately into the body of Sri Ramakrishna
came out into her hands
again entered into his
remember it was not a physical Gopala
it was her what is called spiritual eye.
So this spiritual Gopala
beheld by the spiritual purified eye of Gopala's mother.
Divya Jaksha, he was entering into Sri Ramakrishna coming out.
Then the understanding was given to her
that that Sri Ramakrishna
whom she considered as a good sadhu earlier
now suddenly became Harishtanivata Gopala.
What has changed?
Did Sri Ramakrishna suddenly from ordinary man
become Gopala because of her?
No.
He was like that only before.
He is also like this now.
In future also he will be.
But all the change had taken place in her.
Not only that
did any change take place in other devotees?
According to their growth, spiritual growth
they will also view him.
That's why Sri Ramakrishna had a peculiar habit.
Every now and then he wants to test his devotees.
What does he do?
He calls them, tells them
what is your opinion about me?
What do you think of me?
Some say you are a sadhaka.
We see you taking God's name,
sitting, meditating, talking about God.
Some people say you are a Siddha.
You are realized.
You are a Mukta Purusha.
You are a Jeevan Mukta.
Some people say you are an avatar.
But one devotee went to the extreme.
That devotee said those people who call you an avatar
are very lowly minded people.
Sri Ramakrishna was surprised.
What do you say?
What can be higher than the concept of an avatar?
Sri Ramakrishna was then asking
as though he did not know.
Then the devotee,
so he told you are not an incarnation of God.
You are that very source
from whom all the incarnations have come
or are going to come in future.
That means you are that Parabrahma.
Who was that devotee?
He was called Narayana
or Poorna also was of that opinion.
So Sri Ramakrishna did not change.
For Swami Vekananda, did he change?
Missionaries thought he was one of the worst human specimen.
They even wanted to kill him.
Just as Jews did away with Jesus Christ
not understanding he came for their welfare.
He gave up his life for their welfare.
So for each one of us
depending upon our chakshu
we perceive the same world in a different way.
For that I gave you many times one classical example.
One example is this.
Supposing there is an object.
We know it is a table
and devotees who have been hearing me
must recollect it.
You call one woodworm and ask it
what is this object?
It says food.
Ask a human being what is it?
He says it is a wooden table.
Ask physicist with a very powerful electronic microscope
and he says this is pure energy
moving at vibrating at mind-boggling speed
at the speed of light.
Ask Sri Ramakrishna.
He says this is my Divine Mother.
The object has never changed.
But depending upon what type of chakshu is there
each person is convinced
that that object must be only that thing and nothing else.
That is the lesson. The change must come from within ourselves
and not from outside at all
because outside there is only one
that is called God, that is called Brahman
or that is called Divine Mother
whatever name you prefer to call it by.
Now coming back to this
we also see that one
that Sri Ramakrishna used to bestow his grace.
What was his grace?
Similarly on 1st January 1886
which we all celebrate as Kalpataru.
Within another two months
we are going to celebrate that one.
Two and a half months or so.
Now on that day Sri Ramakrishna touched.
Then they all had various visions
and one person had the vision of Sri Ramakrishna.
Before Sri Ramakrishna touched him
what was his idea about Sri Ramakrishna?
And after Sri Ramakrishna touched him
what was his knowledge about Sri Ramakrishna?
This is another illustration.
So Holy Mother also.
Some people she replied
I am an ordinary woman.
To some she replied
I am Kali. I am the Divine Mother.
I am the Universal Mother.
I can do anything I like.
So Chakshu is not a sense organ
but it is what is called a state of the mind.
A state of spiritual progress.
If we have that spiritual eye
we will see everything as permeated.
Everything is as God.
That's why we hymn Sri Ramakrishna everyday.
Gnananjana Vimalanayana Vikshane Moha Joy
So the Lord says
Arjuna you do not have this spiritual capacity
but out of my grace
I am going to give you that
Divyam Dadhamite Chakshu Vashyame Yogam Aishwaram
Why? Otherwise
Nathumam Sekhese Drashtam Anena Eva Svachekshusha
With this type of knowledge you have
in your mind, in yourself
you will not be able to see me.
No.
Was Arjuna blind? No.
You will be able to see me
but you will see me only
as a Hey Krishna
Hey Adava
Hey Sakha
Not as the Supreme Divine Lord
as the creator, maintainer
and destroyer of this entire universe.
No, no.
You won't be able to see.
We have to put on the collarium of that Gnana
Gnana Chakshu
and that can come only from God.
So let us keep these two points in mind
unless we have spiritual knowledge
our mind is permeated into a spiritual eye
permanently transformed into a spiritual eye
we can't see anything as spiritual.
First point.
Second point is this cannot happen
unless God is gracious.
That is very important.
Why am I saying this?
I have been telling this
umpteen number of times
we sing that beautiful song
Shokali Tumari Ichcha
The whole universe's mother
is run by you
as a puppeteer moves all the puppets
but at the same time
in this song also
Some people
you make them attain to the state of Brahma
and some people
you degrade them to the lowest state of consciousness.
There is no such thing as
one person is elevated
another person is demoted.
No, no.
Same person may be elevated
same person may be demoted
as in the case of Totapuri
or one person may be elevated
another person may be demoted
and may be among different persons.
Divine Mother can do whatever she likes.
If we keep this in mind
there is no chance of our getting
what is called deluded
or egotism can never arise.
So you will not be able to see me
this ignorant eyes of yours
state of the mind.
Therefore
I will give you special type of sense organ
and that is called Divya, Divine.
He is referring only to the state of knowledge
not to the mere eyes.
I will give another illustration.
The sense organs perceive
according to the state of our mind.
This illustration of the rope and the snake
is quite explainable.
So supposing
in semi-darkness
you go there
and you are very frightened of snakes
because of past experience
and you see the subject
immediately what do your eyes see?
A snake.
Why does it see the snake?
Because you had bad experiences in your past.
That was your knowledge.
In your mind snakes are poisonous.
They are bad.
They can only give me
terrible suffering and grief.
Supposing
some other person comes
and that person
is a friend of snakes.
He is a snake catcher
and somebody told
if you can bring me
the most poisonous snake
I will reward you with so much money.
And he is passing.
He sees the same object like you
and then immediately jumps up.
With what?
Fear?
No.
Joy.
Oh God how gracious you are.
This is another for my collection.
See
according to the state of the mind
one person is frightened
another person is very very joyous.
Same object
can give different experience.
Now I will illustrate with another.
Here is a man.
Here is a woman.
And this man and the woman
are related as
brother and sister.
The thought of lust
will never ever arise
in the mind of this person.
But suppose a stranger looks at her
and she is very beautiful
immediately
if I possess this woman
then I will be
a happier person than what I am.
Both
are looking at one and the
same object.
But two entirely different
reactions.
And the eyes are perceiving
accordingly.
So what is the difference?
The state of the mind.
Please keep this in your mind
that we see things
not through the physical eyes
but actually
our state of the mind dictates
whether we see friends,
enemies, attractive,
repulsive, happy,
unhappy, good,
evil, etc.
The son of a, let us say
the child of Hitler
Saddam Hussein.
They see their father as
great heroes whereas
everybody else who is harmed
they see that person
as one of the greatest wickedness
personified in this world.
So that point I hope you have
got it. Oh Arjuna
I will give you a spiritual
mental outlook
and through that mind
and through the instrumentality
of the sense organs
whatever you perceive you will
interpret in a totally
different manner.
And to give another illustration
as I mentioned it
earlier, M
during the lifetime of Sri Ramakrishna
went to Kamarpakur.
He had a marvelous experience
just as Sri Ramakrishna
had seen the entire Varanasi
city as golden city
as a spiritual city.
M saw the whole
Kamarpakur, the birthplace of an
avatar as fully
filled with
spiritual village.
All people are divine beings.
Even the dust
is shining
because of that satvaguna,
spirituality. So
he came back and he
was joyously narrated his
experience and begged
permission to go once more.
This time Sri Ramakrishna said no.
Why? How did
M come to see
the Kamarpakur in that golden light?
Because Sri Ramakrishna
out of his boundless
grace, he gave
that special vision,
Divya Chakshu. That is why
he was able to see.
Madhur Babu was one day
sitting in the veranda. Sri Ramakrishna
was walking on the north-western
veranda of his room
and suddenly
Madhur Babu from his room, he was
sitting on an easy chair and
smoking Hubble Bubble. Suddenly
the pipe dropped
from the hookah,
dropped from his hands. He was
astounded. What was he seeing?
That Mother Kali and Shiva.
If Sri Ramakrishna was walking
that way, it was Shiva.
When Sri Ramakrishna
was facing him and
facing the other
side, he was Mother Kali.
Immediately he went and fell at his
feet. Now did
any change take place in
Sri Ramakrishna? Yes and
no. For ordinary eyes
he was just a temple priest
and even maybe mad.
But for Madhur Babu
he was his Ishta Devata.
Shiva and Shakti
combined together. This is
what we are talking here. Unless
the Lord is gracious, it
is not possible for us.
That is what is being
said here so beautifully.
So, oh Arjuna,
I will give you that special
state of knowledge
and with that
state of the mind,
whatever your sense organs see,
they see only the
divinities. And then he says,
the Lord says,
The Lord said, behold my forms,
oh Partha, by the hundreds
and the thousands, manifold
and divine, various in shape
and hue.
So, how many? Hundreds.
How many? Thousands.
What does it mean? All
the forms this world
has got in one
glance, you know.
And not only there are so
many varied,
each one differs from
each necklace. One is
studded with this kind of diamond,
that kind of pearl,
the other kind of precious jewels,
different shapes,
different sizes, etc.
Nanavidhani,
different types, different
forms. Nanavarna,
different colours,
Nanakruti,
different forms.
All of them what? Divyani.
Every one of is Divya.
What does it mean? It means
you see a tree,
that is God in the form of the tree.
For every devotee, as we know,
Tulasi is Narayana.
Belva is Lord Shiva.
So, for Ganesha,
there are 21 types
of leaves, grass,
etc. That is all, nothing
but divine.
For a devotee of Ganga,
that river is not a body
of water, but the Divine
Mother that came from the lotus feet
of Narayana and
through Shiva came down to this
earth for what?
For washing away all
the misdeeds, papas
of people like us.
So, all the rivers,
all the mountains,
everything is nothing but God.
That's what in the end of
the 10th chapter we have seen.
Oh Arjuna,
behold, Pashyame Partha.
Look at me with this
spiritual eye.
What to see? Shatashaha
hundreds, thousands,
millions, billions
of what Rupani forms
and Nanavidhani
of different types,
different shapes,
different colors,
different qualities.
There may be 10,000
varieties of same rose,
single petaled,
double petaled, many many
petaled, different colors,
different degrees of
fragrance, everything
you can see. But
all are what? Divyani.
That word Divyani
is the
most essential word
in this shloka. What does it
mean? That what we see
ordinarily we call this world
Jagat. But when
spiritual person sees, he sees
the Divine Mother. That means
the whole world is nothing but
purely Divine.
I gave the illustration also
yesterday and we have discussed
this one. All ornaments
that are made out of
gold are nothing but
gold. Then the Lord proceeds
Behold the 12 Adityas,
8 Vasus, 11 Rudras
and the twin Ashwinis
and the 49
Maruths. Please go back yesterday
and what type of
seeing?
Behold here today, O Arjuna,
O conqueror of
all your sense organs,
conqueror of sleep,
the whole universe of the
moving and the unmoving.
And if you have any
desire to see me, not
only as Krishna, as Rama,
as Shiva, as
Jaganmata, as Brahma,
as Narada, as
Thumbura, as any form
you like, you want to enjoy,
you just have to desire
and I will appear to you
in that form. What is the
essence of this shloka?
I am
I am
I am beyond
time, I am timeless.
Beyond space, I am the infinite.
Beyond Karna, I am the
causeless. I am the
infinite. So I
also quoted Isavasya
mantra here.
Then we will go to the next
mantra which we
already discussed.
Sanjaya says, 9th
shloka.
Now
the next 6 shlokas
Sanjaya is telling.
What is he telling? He is
there at Hastinapura. He is
reporting to Dhritarashtra.
Dhritarashtra, remember, was not
only physically blind,
mentally also,
he was very blind. His book
Mahabharata is a marvellous
thing. So
once he was talking to Vidura
and then Vidura
came and reporting
about the Pandavas and
then Dhritarashtra says,
Vidura, what is the news? How are
those Pandavas? How are
those Pandavas? Remember, in the
Bhagavad Gita, so
Dharmakshetra, Kurukshetra,
Samaveta,
Yuyutsava, Mamakaha
Pandava, those Pandavas
and my
children. He is making such a
distinction, that's why he is
mentally also, he is blind
only and Gandhari
also was mentally blind.
She had so much
of attachment to her children
especially to
her eldest son
who was Duryodhana
but she also
was a little bit
wise person. When Duryodhana
came just before the Kurukshetra war
for her blessings
she did not say, you are going to win
she said, yato dharmaha
tato jayaha, where there is dharma
and victory will be
surely there only.
So she was a little bit, but most of the
time she was blind.
Why do I call her blind?
Because she was getting the reports
Draupadi was
being disrobed by her own son
and she knew that she was a
pativaratha, chaste woman
she knew what is dharma and what is
adharma. Nobody else could
say, yato dharmaha tato
jayaha. She knew that
her son was behaving, misbehaving
immoral behavior
and moreover
Draupadi was not a
some Tom, Dick and
Harry's woman. She was her
own co
brothers, this one
like her own daughter
she could have been married to Duryodhana
himself because
when he went to attend
Drupada Rajya's test
swayamvara and then he
could not lift that bow
let alone discharge it.
He desired Draupadi because she
was black beauty, Miss
Universe. She knew
all these things, she was hearing all
these things, she was hearing
she may be covering her eyes
her ears were very sharp
why did she not call
her children Duryodhana
you rascal, this is
cannot be done, I am cursing you
she could curse Krishna
but she could never curse
Duryodhana. What blindness
it is. So she could have told
she could have prevented but
she did not, she did not
do it. She kept mum
what type of chaste
it is, what is the use of covering your
physical eyes when you should have
been uncovering
your Gnana Chakshu
the real understanding
these are secrets in the
Mahabharata, so many
things are there, I am not going to
talk about it but just I pointed
out, next time you read
you be very careful what you are doing it
In the next
six shlokas, Sanjaya
was reporting this to this blind
king because
Vyasadeva had granted him
this whatever is happening
in the Kurukshetra
war field that
you reported, all the 18 days
he reports it
but especially at the beginning of this
Mahabharata war
Kurukshetra war
Gita Upadesha was going on, he was
listening it and he was a great soul
he was understanding it
he was reporting it
and then in his own words
in the six shlokas
verses, these are the descriptions
given through his mouth
to Dhritarashtra the king
Sanjaya reported
O king, having spoken this
Sri Krishna, Hari
the great lord of yoga
Sanjaya understood, Krishna was not
an ordinary person
he was the lord of yoga
revealed to Arjuna
his supreme form as Ishwara
now Ishwara
Sarvabhoothanam
that is what he wants to say
whatever we behold in this universe
in this world, it is nothing
but Ishwara who is the
only reality in this whole world
that was what Sanjaya
understood it by the grace
of Vyasa, he was not blind
either physically
or spiritually, he was a great
soul, but he was
faithful to the Kauravas
he was
the favourite companion
not only a charioteer
but companion of the
Kauravas, especially Dhritarashtra
he was telling
having given this divine
conjecture to Arjuna
what did Krishna do? Instantaneously
this Krishna
who is he? Mahayogeshwara
not ordinary
Yogeshwara, not ordinary
Jivanmuktha, but Mahayogeshwara
what is that yoga?
this whole
maya, he is the
controller of maya, the maya
consisting of sattva
rajas and tamas
and through the power
of that maya, he created
this entire world
through the help of that yoga
maya, he himself
as if he had taken
a form, as if he was born
as if he was living
as if he was conducting
all this Rayabhara, etc
etc, everything that
is divyam, everything is
divine, janma karma jame divyam
yo vetti tattvataha
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mameti
saurjuna, Sanjay understood it
and so he
aptly called him Mahayogeshwara
he can do, he can
undo, he can bind
he can release, now
he is showing his
what was he showing?
paramam roopam aishwaram
paramam means the whole world
as himself, that is
his glory, aishwaram means
his power, his glory, tremendous
power, to whom?
parthaya, to Arjuna
darshaya masa, he simply
unveiled, how?
he did not take off any cover
he doesn't have any cover
because he is
uncoverable, he is infinite
but he uncovered
the eyes of the
Arjuna, his greatest
devotee, then
what was Sanjay seeing
and what was Arjuna seeing
he was describing what
Arjuna was seeing because that
vision was bestowed to
Sanjay
aneka vakthranayanam
aneka adbhuta darshanam
aneka divyabharanam
divya aneka udhyatayudham
divya malyambardharam
divya dandhanulepanam
sarva ascharyamayam devam
anantam vishwathomukham
with many faces
and eyes, presenting many
wondrous sights, bedecked with
many celestial ornaments
armed with many divine uplifted
weapons, wearing celestial
garlands and vestments
anointed with divine perfumes
all wonderful
all resplendent, all
boundless and with faces
on all sides, in other words
universal vision
so aneka vakthram
vakthra means mouth, aneka
nayanam, all the eyes
aneka adbhuta darshanam
it is impossible to
describe, so wondrous
aneka divyabharanam
various
avaranas, unseen by anybody
remember
Sriram Krishna had a vision of Mother Sita
and then he saw her
observed her, wearing bangles
and then later on
he got similar bangles
done to Holy Mother
and he also remembered
Sriram Krishna remembered
the divine smile
indescribable smile
of Mother Sita
so sweet, so
gracious and then
Mother Sita
bestowed upon Sriram Krishna
that wondrous smile
so if you observe
a slight smile in his photograph
that was taken in the sitting
posture or standing posture
very faint smile
and those who saw
it, they said it is
no photograph can describe
it, take it, no
description will do, the only
thing that we can say, whoever
had seen that smile is
overcome, hypnotized
comes under the spell of Sriram Krishna
and they will
only progress in spiritual
life, like you can
very pale comparison
when a mother
who had given birth
to her new baby
how that mother
is seeing, especially
when the child is
being suckled by the
mother, how is the
mother going on
looking with what eyes
and what smile, what
joy, what satisfaction
probably a small
glimpse
of that we can get
so...
there are so many divine
weapons, all of them
are uplifted, that means ready
to be discharged
what are we talking about?
because Lord Vishnu is
what is called a protector
a sustainer
a law upholder
so he requires all these
for protecting
that is important
then Divya Malya
divine garlands
garlands made up of
divine flowers
what divine flowers? remember Krishna's
life, he brought Parijatha
Vriksha because he wanted to
give it to his
favorite Lakshmi Devi
but
Satyabhama got very jealous, we know that
story, anyway
there are so many these things
in this connection I remember
that once Swami Turiyananda
was entering into the
Jagannatha temple at Puri
and suddenly
divine fragrance he was
inhaling, then he looked
here and there, there were
not even ordinary flowers
suddenly Shri Ramakrishna appeared and explained
many Gods and Goddesses
come to have darshan of the Divine
Lord from their bodies
this divine fragrance
is coming and that is the
reason why you are smelling
all these things, in this
world there are so many marvelous
things, we can never understand
them, so garlands
they are divine garlands
made up of the divine flowers
and these divine flowers
come out of divine plants
and trees and they come
only in the divine worlds
they are unearthly
and they are from the other worlds
then Ambaradharam
divine dresses
what wonderful
dresses we can never
even imagine through
our power of imagination
Divya Gandha Anulepanam
and all these
divine forms of the
Divine Lord are
completely perfumed
on his
body Divya Gandhas
that is we know
only a rose smell
or a jasmine smell etc
or a magnolia smell
but this
or this Divine Lord
this Parijatha, the divine
smells, how many
infinite number of smells
and infinite bodies perhaps
each being
rubbed with this divine
fragrance and then
Sarvashcharyamayam
everybody who is beholding
they are completely mesmerized
seeing so many things
and what are they seeing?
Devam, the Divine Lord
what type of Lord? Anantham
he is the infinite forms
and Vishwathomukham
all pervading, in other words
indescribable vision
only by reading
we perhaps can get
one small glimpse of it
we can only imagine
he, Arjuna, Sanjaya
many other Siddha, Kinnaras
etc were able to
see this divine vision
but not Duryodhana
and other soldiers
armies belonging
to either Kaurava party
or the Pandava party
if the radiance
of a thousand suns
were to burst forth at once
in the sky, that would be like the splendor
of the mighty one
just imagine, you are looking
towards the east early in the morning
after dawn, suddenly
the sun peeps out
and sometimes we are not able
especially in summer season
even that brilliance
you can't look at him for a long time
maybe just for a few seconds
but
if you were to exercise your imagination
a thousand suns
thousand means hundreds and
crores of
thousands of, crores and
crores of, billions and billions of
suns at the same time
who can withstand that
splendor, that is what is
describing
Bhavet, Yugapat
at the same time, Uthitha, Rijan
Edhibha Sadrushi
perchance
if that light coming from
these billions and billions of
suns all at once
region
perhaps
that means definitely
it is not equivalent
comparable to the
light that is emanating
from the body, divine body
of this
Vishwaroopa Bhagwan
what a marvellous thing
I will come to that, first of all
you know, America was
informed, Hitler was developing
the atom bomb, if
within six months he will be
capable of making
an atom bomb, after that
he is invincible,
unstoppable and America
got, Einstein
and other scientists, remember
many scientists
have fled
from Germany, Vienna
and other, Austria
and other places for fear
of being killed by
Nazis, so they all
migrated to America
and they knew
what was happening here, because they themselves
were helping
Hitler earlier, but when
things took to an ugly turn
then they all fled
wise people, somehow
they could manage and fly
and they wrote a letter to
President Roosevelt, if you don't
take action immediately
then America
will be under the thumb of
Hitler, immediately Roosevelt
he said
everything will be stopped
only there is a race
to develop
an atom bomb before
so they developed it in fact
and they tested it
in that one of the deserts
I forgot the name
and from a very small
quantity of that
atom bomb, explosion
and then there was
one of these scientists
Oppenheimer
he said
he was not only a scientist, he also
studied the Gita
and then when that trigger was
released and that
explosion that created
such a light
then he is telling that
this Oppenheimer who studied
the Gita and then
to him this shloka
this particular, if
100 billion suns
arise at the same time
in the eastern sky, what would
be that brilliance
that brilliance is
this atomic brilliance
explosion brilliance
is a little bit, tiny bit
of it, he was dumb
struck, he could not describe
but this was what he
expressed later on in his words
what does it mean?
it means that nobody
no human eye
can stand that one
now we will come to Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna describing
when Rama entered into the
Dasaradasa Sabha
that court, as if a
1000 suns were
walking at that time
Sri Ramakrishna posed a question
he said, in that
case, will not the
all the courtiers be burnt
to death? and he says
no, it is a spiritual splendor
their hearts will bloom
like lotuses bloom
when the sun
rises, like that every
courtier's heart
bloomed like a lotus
filled with indescribable
joy, that's why
his very name, etymological
meaning of Rama
Ramayate iti Ramaha
just see
him and the whole
the beholder's mind
will be filled with
Sachidananda, so this is a
wonderful descriptive
form Arjuna was beholding
Sanjaya was beholding
and reporting to
in Hastinapura to
Dhritarashtra
Chapter 13
O Raja
Dhritarashtra
there, in the person of the
God of Gods, Arjuna
beheld the whole universe
with its manifold divisions
all gathered
together in one form
one form
but at the same time
infinite, at the same time
all divided
indivisible, at the same time
divided, that is called
Yoga Aishwara
the glory of Mahayogeshwara
Hari
Arjuna was seeing everything
in one glance
which is not possible for the
human eye at all
in fact, at any given time
we can only see or experience
one thing, if I am seeing
I am seeing one object, then I am
hearing, that object
is gone, I am hearing
that sound, that is gone
I smell something
the mind only can hold
one thought at any given time
but it can happen very fast
giving to the illusion
like a movie, as if
still pictures are moving
so as if at
single moment
a person is watching everything
but here Arjuna was
given that special vision
where from he is seeing
the entire world
divided as well
as undivided, the finite
as well as the infinite
that is the, don't ask how
that is the grace of
the Aishwarya
of the Yoga
Mahayogeshwara
at the same time, so
how could he see it, I can only
give a pale comparison
and with that I will close this
today's talk, now
how is this comparison is coming
supposing there is a madcap
and he is taken to a psychiatrist
and the psychiatrist
is described
what is the
characteristic, why he was brought
now, this
psychiatrist at the same time
have two visions
one vision, this fellow
is mad, another vision
he is not mad, simple example
this person thinks
he is Napoleon and
the psychiatrist knows
this is not Napoleon, he is
XYZ, but at the same
time he knows
but the patient doesn't know
that I am so and so
but he thinks
I am Napoleon, so
seeing in one person
both normal person, real
person and also from the
viewpoint of the patient
this double vision is what
every Jeevan Mukta has
here Arjuna was seeing
divine lord is one infinite
causeless but at the
same time he is manifesting
because of this body-mind complex
as finite
he is finite, he is infinite
and he is with form
he is without form
he is with names, he is without
names, he is with qualities
he is without qualities
he is with actions
he is also without actions
he is everything in this world
that is called
this Parama Yoga Ashram
two impossible things
are becoming possible
because of that divine
grace of the
divine lord
further descriptions we will talk about
in our next class
Om Vasudevasutam
Devam
Kamsachanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam
Krishnam
Vande Jagadguru
May
the Divine Mother Durga
Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother
and Swami Vivekananda
bless us all with Bhakti
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 05 on 24 October 2020

2026-11-01T19:57:47Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadogavo Dogdha Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsa Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetha Amritam Mahat
Mukham Karodhi Vachalam Pangum Langayate Girim
Yad Kripatamaham Vande Paramananda Madhavam
Today is very sacred Mahasthami. May the Divine Mother Durga bless us all with Bhakti.
We have entered into the 11th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. It is called Vishwaroopadarshana Yoga.
The yoga of seeing this entire universe as none else but the Divine Lord Brahman or the Divine Mother.
This Lord is appearing to us with so many names and forms but that appearance is in our mind.
If we can get rid of this ignorance in the mind, able to see with the right eye.
Gnananjana Vimalanayana Vekshane Moha Jaya
Every day we sing about Sri Ramakrishna. He is capable of looking at us with Gnananjana,
collarium of knowledge that we are none other than himself and upon whomsoever his glance rests.
Such a person also will be able to see the same but we must be capable of seeing or holding, receiving and retaining his grace.
The chapter starts with Arjuna says, O Lord, out of compassion for me, you have spoken words of ultimate profundity
concerning only the Self and they have dispelled my delusion. What was the delusion?
That this is me, Arjuna. I am separate. Bhishma, Drona, Duryodhana, entire universe is separate
and so I am the doer, I am the enjoyer. All the delusion is gone. What is the right knowledge?
Everything is you, nothing but you and then the distinction between I and you which is due to delusion
has completely vanished now and then since so many, so many chapters, 10 chapters,
you have been telling me the real truth in so many words and now I am endowed with Shraddha.
Whatever you have said, that is all absolute truth and you declared yourself that you are the Supreme Lord.
I believe it so and yet do I desire to see you, your Ishwara form, O Supreme Purusha.
What does it mean? Shramana, hearing and believing as absolutely true is fine but Shramana will not do.
I have heard about God but I must be absolutely without a shred of doubt and that is possible
only when I am capable of seeing you exactly as you are. Darshana is necessary.
So he says Shramana is fine but Darshana is wanted. After Darshana, after seeing you, that is not enough.
Seeing you and especially by your grace is absolutely your grace but after seeing you,
I must have Sarva Darshana. After Darshana, Sarva Darshana. Wherever I see, whatever I see,
whenever I see, it is nothing but you. That's what he wanted to see but then Arjuna being a sincere
spiritual aspirant is endowed with the greatest humility. He understands, O Lord, you I know,
you are ready to fulfil my desire but am I ready that I cannot see you. I do not have the capacity
but only by your grace, you can give me that capacity to see you. Shri Ramakrishna tells,
the police inspector at night sees everyone but nobody can see him. If one wishes to see,
then he has to pray, O sir, please turn the torch light. Light means here that which enables us to
have right knowledge. Please turn it upon yourself. That means out of your grace alone I can see you.
O Lord, if you think me able to behold your Ishwara Darshana, divine form
and you are who? A master of yogis. Reveal to me your immutable real self.
Look, let us notice the humility of Arjuna. Your grace and through God's grace, Arjuna also had
realized you are Yogeshwara. Not only you are Yogeshwara, the supreme among all yogis but
you are Yogeshwara. You have that special power. If you wish, you can bestow, you can uplift
even the most unworthy immediately into pure Brahman. There is a beautiful Sukta which is
chanted especially during this Navaratri. It is called Devi Sukta and in that Devi Sukta it is
said that whomsoever I wish, I bestow upon him Rishihood. Instantaneously he becomes a person
of realization. Whomsoever I wanted to make Brahman, I bestow upon such person knowledge of Brahman.
A knower of Brahman and Brahman are completely non-different. If God's grace comes, it has
inevitable power because whatever he wishes, that will come true. There is absolutely no doubt.
There should be no doubt about it. Sri Ramakrishna's sadhana started with complete self-surrender to
the Divine Mother and then he has a famous prayer. This is a prayer which is not highlighted
as much as it deserves to be. What is this prayer? Just as Christ's prayer,
O Father in heaven, heavenly Father, grant us our daily grace. Similarly, Sri Ramakrishna's
this prayer is a marvelous mantra. Here it goes. He said, Sri Ramakrishna himself is narrating
that to my Divine Mother, I prayed only for pure love. I offered flowers at her lotus feet
and prayed to her. Mother, here is thy virtue and here is thy vice. Take them both and grant me only
pure love for thee. Here is thy knowledge, here is thy ignorance. Take them both and grant me only
pure love for thee. Here is thy purity, here is thy impurity. O Mother, take them both and grant me
only pure love for thee. Here is thy dharma and here is thy adharma. Take them both and grant me
only pure love. Arjuna is praying. He surrendered and then the Lord was ever gracious to the
devotees who prayed to him, who surrendered to him. He gives us the world. Whoever turns to me,
surrenders to me, thereafter it is my responsibility to take upon his burden and I am going to save.
Through Arjuna, this was Sri Krishna's final message. Sarva-dharman parityajya mamekam
sharanam raja aham tva sarva-papebhyo moksheshya me. I will release you from all bonds. Ma
shucha. Be exceedingly glad. Then the Divine Lord, before he goes further, he says something
very wonderful. Oh Arjuna, that means addressing any one of us. What is he going to tell? This is
the gist. Nobody will be able to see me as I am unless I bestow my special grace. When my grace
descends upon a devotee who is endowed with Shraddha, then what happens? I give him,
in other words he says, buddhi-yogam tadamyaham enate mam upayanthi. By which grace they attain
me, I am going to give them that type of buddhi, the true power of understanding. That's what he
is telling. I will give you. Instead of buddhi, he used this word, divya chakshu. Chakshu means
eyes. Through eyes, what are we able to see? Physical form. We are able to see, suppose there
is an elephant, all of us who are nearby and who have eyes, when there is light, we are able to see
the elephant. But there is a state which is called dream. Nobody can say other person's dream. What
to speak of this divine form? Only God's grace can give us that knowledge. Therefore the Lord says,
Oh Arjuna, with these eyes of yours, you cannot see me. I give you a divine eye. I bestow upon you
a spiritual eye. Behold now my sovereign yoga power. Yogam aishwaram. This my yoga is the
greatest glory. You will be able to see me as Parabrahman. You will be able to see me as Saguna
Brahman. Both God without qualities, with qualities. The personal God and as well as the
impersonal God. Both, everything. For how long? Not one minute, one day, one year, one lifetime,
but forever. Then such a person becomes completely free. With these fleshy eyes, you can only see
fleshy things. You can't see that divine glory. I give you that divine eye out of my grace. How do
we know? At the end of this chapter, the Lord categorically declares, everybody wants to see
me in my universal form. Everybody wants to have God. Everybody wants to see God. Is it true?
Absolutely true. When a child says, I want a doll, he doesn't mean, I want a doll. He means,
I want the happiness I get through that doll. When I play with the doll, I get a special happiness
and that is what I want. When a person is eating tasty dish, he is not saying, I love you. He
really means, though he says, I love this, really he doesn't mean, I want a tasty dish. He means,
I want happiness. A man, a woman want to marry each other. They do not want each other. They
want only that happiness which they are capable of deriving partially at this time. But really,
the object is only a medium, an instrument, a means. But nobody wants an instrument. So,
worldly person wanting what Ramakrishna calls Kama and Kanchana, sex and money, he only wants God.
Only he doesn't have that discriminating power to say, I want only Ananda and Ananda is the nature
of God. So, I am really wanting only God. Then the Lord is telling. Naturally, the question comes,
what is the spiritual eye? The eye of true spiritual power of seeing God as He is.
When I look at a tree, I see an object with name and form. When I have this special Divya Chakshu,
I see that it is God who has taken this name, this form. Everything is like that. So, the Lord is
telling, O Partha! Behold my forms, O Partha, by the hundreds, by the thousands, hundreds, thousands,
not hundreds, not thousands, all the forms through all the five sense organs, whatever I experience,
different forms, different names, different colours, different sizes, different tastes,
different sounds, different fragrances, different touches, infinite varieties,
everything you will see in one particular time, in one particular spot, that's what I am going to
show you. Behold my forms, O Partha, by the hundreds and the thousands, manifold, undivine,
various in shapes and hues. What is He telling? Actually, if you see, as an example, a million
pots made out of clay. If you see a million pieces of furniture, all made out of wood. If you see
thousands of ornaments made out of one gold, they are all nothing but pure gold.
There is no special object called ornament. Gold in a particular form, with a particular name
and to be used in a particular way, that is called an ornament, that's all. Sizes, shapes,
designs, everything differ, but truly speaking, nothing but gold. If you can keep this in mind,
it is Brahman, a divine Lord, who is appearing to our cataracted eyes, that is, to our minds.
And what is the nature of our mind? Time, space and causation. When we look as if a person is
standing in front of a mirror, he is standing in front of three types of mirrors, concave mirror,
convex mirror and normal mirror. So, when a person looks concave or convex,
then he gets only a distorted reflection. When the same person looks at the normal clean mirror,
he sees exactly what he is like. We are like people standing in front, that means our minds
either or either concave or convex. What do I mean? I mean, sometimes we are in good mode,
then we see things good. Sometimes we are in a negative mode, we see everything as same things as
negative. But if we can make our mind thoughtless, Amani Bhava, no mind feeling and Zen Buddhism
is specialized in this, how to train an aspirant to make his mind completely bereft of thoughts.
Yogaha chittavruti nirodaha. It doesn't mean absence of thoughts. It means there would be only
one thought. Every thought is a distorted thought because of unclean mirror. When a person is able
to clean every spot, then he will come across pure reflection. Pure mirror can give exact figure.
Oh, this is what I am. That is the true knowledge. This is called brahma kara vruthi. One thought,
a single thought, but consisting of only Brahman or God. So the Lord is telling the universe is
nothing but only me, but because of your concave convex mirrors, which is your mind that is
constructed through time, space and causation, you are seeing me as many fold of different
times under different circumstances. But when you clean, then you see the entire world is nothing
but a pot is nothing but clay, a table is nothing but wood, a necklace is nothing but gold. That is
the true vision of seeing this whole world as only as God, as nothing else. Then we see. What do we
see in this world with our ignorant mind? Pashyadityan vason rudran. Ashwinau marutas tatha
bahoni adrishta purvani pashya ascharyani Bharata. Bharata means Arjuna. Oh Arjuna,
pashya, see, behold, Adityan, Adityas, sons, vasum, divine beings called vasus, rudran.
There are 11 rudras. I will come to that point. These 11 forms of God. Ashwinau, two Ashwini
Kumaras supposed to be the presiding deities of medicine, doctors. Marutaha, 49 types of airs or
winds. Tatha as well. Bahoni, many, what? Adrishta purvani, that you never beheld because you did
not have the capacity. Pashya, look, behold, ascharyani, you will be dumbfounded because these
are all divine things, billions of things. There are angels, there are demons, there are devils,
there are saints, there are evil people. So many varieties are there and among them there are
billions and billions of different degrees, different glories, etc. And you will never be
able to see but through my grace you are going to behold. How? In a most peculiar manner, most
marvellous manner. How? In one place, in at one time, in one body. We are going to come to that
again. So there are Aditya, another name for our sun because of whom life and light and heat is
possible and without whom life becomes extinct. This, our sun is called Aditya. Remember,
Adityanam aham Vishnu. Earlier he said but he did not say I am not that only Vishnu, I am also
all the other forms. So 12 forms of the sun. What is the 12 forms? In the 12 months of the year,
each month, Chaitra, Vaishaka, etc., the sun has a different hue. The sun in the winter,
sun in the summer, sun in the autumn, sun in the spring are not exactly the same. So to indicate
it, the sun that is manifesting at different times of the year called 12 months are called
12 Adityas. Then 8 Vasus. Remember, Bhishma was one of them. They are also divine beings. In fact,
the sun, the moon, the earth, the wind, all these things in Veda Aranika are also mentioned as
Vasus and then 11 Rudras. Rudra is one of the names of Shiva. In Vedic times,
they use it to worship some of the deities. They are called ferocious forms.
Why Hindus worship ferocious forms? Because that is a fact of nature. Disease is a fact of nature.
Death is a fact of nature. Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, tornadoes, these are part and parcel
of life. When there is birth, there is youth, there is old age, there is disease, there is decay,
there are accidents, there are COVIDs. Do not think COVID is a special situation. It is just
one manifestation of our collective karma phala. So, 11 Rudras, ferocious, that means that which
frightens us. Certain events frighten us. Certain events gladden us. So, we have to accept life
in all its totality. This is called holistic view. Poorna roopa, seeing perfection in everything.
Everything has a meaning. Nothing is an isolated event and nothing is redundant. Now the scientists
are slowly waking up to this universal vision. That is the most important thing for us to
understand. So, 11 forms of ferociousness which metamorphosed later on, now in this Puranas
as Shiva. That is why you remember, why Shiva has got his attendants is all these Guthas,
Pretas, Vishachas, all these Ganas. It is all the remnant of the Vedic ideas we have.
What does it mean really? Shiva is the master. That is to say, let a billion difficulties,
intolerable situations, unhappinesses, let them surround me, drown me. I am not worried about it.
Why? Because Shiva is Mangala Dada. He is the bestower of auspiciousness. When we take refuge
in Shiva, everything becomes auspicious. Death itself becomes the most auspicious. How does
death become? Remember, Nachiketa went to Yamadharma Raja and what happened? He became
a Naira Brahman. So, death ultimately is the highest Guru who awakens us to the fact of
eternal life. Death is an ignorant aspect of life. Death is a mere accidental incident in life. That
is why for Hindus, there is no death. Bhagavad Gita itself, we have seen. You, the divine self,
is unborn, eternal, imperishable. There is no birth for you, no growth, no old age, no disease,
no decay, no death. Nothing is there. Then what is there? To manifest from the unmanifest
and from the manifest to slip back into the unmanifest is called birth and death.
So, Bhagavad Gita itself says that it is like
just as a man discards old, dirty, worn dress and only to put on new dress. Death is a new
opportunity, new life to continue our spiritual progress. That's all we have to understand,
death. That's why Hindus believe in rebirth. If we can accept the idea of rebirth, that means there
is no birth at all. So, there is no fear at all. So, Rudra, 11 Rudras, Ashwins, these are the
masters of medicine and who passed that knowledge to every creature in this world and all great
doctors are nothing but receiving this knowledge in varying degrees according to their preparations
and in future whatever we are going to receive, that is also coming from this. Ashwini Kumaras,
like any other gods or goddesses, let me remind you any number of times. For example, Annapurna
is not a personality sitting somewhere in Varanasi. Annapurna means any food that comes
to anybody, a mosquito when it sucks our blood, mother Annapurna in the form of the blood is
nourishing the mosquito. When we eat sweets, fruits, etc., mother Annapurna is coming. When a
lion eats another animal, that is Annapurna coming. You may wonder what type of Annapurna is it.
Remember that every creature is eating something else. Small fish eat smaller fish. Bigger fish
eat those smaller fish and still bigger fish eat those bigger fish and then sharks, whales, etc.,
just gobble hundreds and hundreds of them and man eats everything and man is eaten by the tiniest
of these creatures. It could be Covid or anything else. Oh Arjuna, see, behold the 12 Adityas,
12 forms of the sun, the 8 divine creatures called Vasus and the 11 manifestations of the Shiva or
Rudras and the twin Ashwins and then there are the 49 Maruths, 49 varieties of how the wind blows
from the mildest, sweetest and to the most ferocious at thousands of miles, thousands of
miles per minute. Where does this take place? In other planets. The wind is blowing so ferociously
that it is even difficult for us to imagine. So all the forms of the wind are divided into 49 and in Sanskrit this is called Maruths.
So, oh Bharata, Arjuna, behold all these things, not only these things, I am only just mentioning a few.
Bahuni Adrishta Poorvani, Drishta Poorva, earlier we have seen so many things, in future also we are going to see many things which we have never seen,
but these are ordinary things, but millions of them, Adrishta Poorva, never before seen
and not going to be seen by most of the people in this world, neither in the past
nor in the future and all of them are divine. Pashyashcharyan, every one of them evokes
the greatest wonder. Person becomes mute, mind becomes completely null because such an experience
had never come before. Oh Arjuna, by my grace you will be able to behold all those things
because you have been praying to me and I am gracious to you. Here the Shankara inserts a
small note, Adrishta Poorva means Arjuna may be thinking, oh lord, I am not sure what's going to
happen in this battle, that means he wants to see the future event in this. That's a very mean-minded
thought. When Arjuna is going to see the divinity and the lord declared, I am the mother and father
of the whole universe, there can be no enemies, there can be no friends, there can be no discrimination,
everything in this universe is nothing but the manifestation of God or if you will, the child
of God. Once this knowledge comes and Arjuna had this knowledge because he says, oh lord,
whatever you said, I understand it's absolute truth. At the beginning of this chapter he told
whatever you said, I know it is all absolutely true. So there can be no enmity in which case
whether we are going to win, Kauravas are going to win, does it make really any difference?
Because I myself am playing with myself, solitaire game, that knowledge will come.
So this is the explanation that see everything and another meaning of Udras also,
another somebody has given this meaning. We have, each one of us have 10 sense organs plus one mind.
Through these 11 sense organs, we are experiencing this world both external as well as internal.
When we are in the waking state, all the 11. When we are in the dream state, it is only through the
subtle senses, only it is a private world and that is also because of the mind. Subtle body alone
gives us that dream knowledge. Then there is a state when we go into deep sleep where the body,
mind completely become as it were suppressed, then it becomes causal, it goes back into its
sieved form, nothing works there. That's why one part of the Maya, ignorance vanishes but which
part? Seeing many things disappears. But seeing the real thing, that will come only in Samadhi,
not in deep sleep. So Arjuna, you will see all these things, you will have knowledge of all
these things. The Vishwaroopadarshanam, this request of Arjuna, I wanted to see you, what is it?
It's not that God is going to specially resume that forum just because Arjuna requested. It is there
the moment creation started, Vishwaroopa is there. The moment the pot is created from the clay,
that very moment that clay is only manifesting with name, form, utility as the pot. If we
understand it, it's not a new vision, it is there but you did not have that either desire or
fitness. Of course, even now there would be no fitness, you do not have. How do we know? Because
after the Lord had given him a divine perception and he started seeing, Arjuna was overcome with
terror and he himself requested, I am not able to breathe, I do not have peace of mind,
please remove it. So this forum is available not only to Arjuna. Why am I saying this? Because
like Arjuna, we have to become like him, then God will appear to us specially at that moment,
uptakes the form of universe. No sir, since aeons, since the beginning of creation, creation itself
is his forum, like every ornament in the form of the gold. Only we require that special
discriminating power to know that an ornament is nothing but that formless gold has now taken
a form, so assumed a different name appropriately and will be decorated according to the necklace
goes into the neck and the bangle goes into the hands and the nose ring goes into the nose,
ear ring goes into the ear and the rings go into the fingers etc. etc. That's all.
Another most wonderful point, whenever on the calendars or on pictures we see that Lord Vishnu
or Krishna is having thousands of heads, thousands of hands, thousands of legs, thousands of
every sense organ, then we see that all these heads will be hanging. If you have got another head,
it will be varied. With one head, you cannot control the water that is coming from your nose
when you have a good cold. How are you going to manage a billion noses and a billion hands,
billion outlets for the billion this colds coming out? Is it not ridiculous? It is absolutely
ridiculous. What does it mean? It doesn't mean a Lord Shiva or Vishnu will stand with two legs.
No. Whenever you see any head, that is his head. Wherever you see eyes, that is his eyes.
When you see somebody's ears, that is his ears etc. And when you see somebody seeing something,
that is God seeing. Smelling something, God is smelling. Is he lying down? God is lying down.
And running? God is running. Wherever we see, whatever number of forms, they are all nothing
but the manifestations of the divine Lord only. One divine Lord in innumerable names and forms and
utilities. So that is how Sahasraseersha Purushaha Sahasraaksha Sahasrapaath
Sabhumim Vishvato Vrittva Atyatishtat Dashaangulam. Beautiful mantra we get in Mahanarayana, Upanishad etc.
many places. Thousands heads, thousands of hands, thousands of legs. What does it mean?
This entire universe is only one divine Lord appearing as various just as one clay appears as
any number of pots or products. That is the meaning we have to understand. Then naturally
we are never with our ordinary eyes, we can't see more than one. We can't hear more than one sound.
We can't smell. We can't taste. We can't touch. Have you ever noticed? Suppose you are eating
five coarse dishes. One is sweet, one is bitter, one is astringent, one is salty, one is sour,
one is full of chilli. At any given time you can only taste one particular taste. Oh this is sweet,
nice. This is salty, nice. This is sour, okay fine. But if we have that understanding through
the form of knowledge, you can experience everything that the manifestation of one
consciousness in infinite forms. How? Supposing there are a hundred mirrors all around you
and you see yourself in how many ways? Naturally I expect you to reply hundred forms. I would say
we are all wrong, not hundreds. Each mirror will be reflecting and reflected in other mirrors
in innumerable ways and you can see as far as you can see in any direction hundreds and thousands
and thousands of your own reflections. Not only that, if you imagine those mirrors in different
forms, different colours, concave, convex etc., you will see yourself in all those small, big,
the different colours like a kaleidoscope. So Arjuna you will see but you will only see one me.
What is the idea? If we squeeze these few verses, what do you know what we get?
That the Lord is telling,
In one body of mind, this entire universe consisting of infinite number of varieties
of forms, sizes, names, qualities etc., you see there. How is it possible? That is when the mind
acquires that experience of timelessness, of spacelessness, of causelessness, that infiniteness,
that poornam, perfect state. Once a person has that knowledge, he will at the same time see
everything even though there are so many as one. One in many, many in one. Like when a person has
the knowledge of clay, he sees every object made of clay as nothing but only pure clay.
This is what is being conveyed here, every Upanishad. Remember Bhagavad Gita is the essence
of all the Upanishads. Sarvo Upanishado Gaho Dogdha Gopalanandanaha. The Lord is this enumerating.
Isavasya Upanishad, we have discovered earlier, the very first mantra,
Whatever we behold means this sarvanama, pranam. Instead of saying A, B, C, D, Tom, Dick, Harry,
Jane, etc., telling sarvam, all is nothing but Isha, a divine Lord and He is the one manifesting
as this manifold ones. If you know light, then you have seen all the cinemas that were produced
or being produced will be produced. Anything that you see on any number of screens is nothing but
a play of pure light, small and big light, dim and bright light, colored light, but nothing but
light appearing as many because it is percolating through the filter of the film. But if you switch
off the light, everything goes off. That one pure consciousness has become everything. That's what
is being said here. Here, in this very spot, Adhya, now, here and now, in this person of mind,
you can see what Jagat Krishnam, entire universe manifested as Sacharacharam consisting of the
moving as well as the non-moving. This is the glory of knowledge. Bhagavad Gita itself,
we have come, we are going to see. A man of knowledge will attain me, will realize me,
as what? There is only one God, the whole universe, no India, America, UK, Australia,
no man, woman, no living, non-living, everything is my manifestation. But Bahu Naam Janma Naam
Ante. It will take long time for you to see, to attain to this knowledge. So, we are not talking
about vision, we are talking about right knowledge. This vision of right knowledge alone explains and
justifies the apparent contradictions of the relative world and reconciles the antinomies
of justice and mercy, fate and free will, suffering and divine grace. It reveals all that was, is and
shall be. It relates and unifies the diversity of the world. There is another great secret here.
When a person is able to see everything as the divine, you know what happens? First point is,
his mind becomes absolutely equanimous. It will be filled with joy, peace and the indescribable
ananda. Why? Because he sees a dog, an elephant, a learned brahmana, an untouchable, a dog and a
dog-eater. These are all mere shadows. The truth is the divine Lord. That is first. Second thing,
most important point, the world is not going to be something different tomorrow. It was not
different. It is not different now. It's not going to change. This truth that there will be good and
bad, darkness and light, happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, that is the very nature of the
mind. That is the second important point. No change is going, ever going to take place in the world.
Then what happens? What is the use? The change must come in me. Remember the story of Shri Ram
Krishna of the curled tail of a dog. This world is like that curly tail of a dog. No straightening
can ever do any bring, make the tail straight. But we have to go on trying to straighten it. Why?
In the process, we will become straight. That is the most important and the best benefit.
We will become God and we forever get out of this samsara. That is the second point.
Seeing God in all and all in God, man overcomes all doubts and perplexities and submits to the
divine will. When we see everything is God, everything that is happening is God's will.
There is no China, India, Pakistan and there is no occupation. It is all divine play,
Divya Leela. In Swamiji's words, it is a circus. Then what happens? Even the most terrible things
in the world loses its terror and even the most hateful things becomes a mode of the
Lord's manifestation and hence most lovable. When you see that your greatest enemy before
the knowledge dawned, after the knowledge dawns, that person becomes the most beloved. Oh Lord,
I never recognized it is you. Oh, you have been playing with me in this form and terrifying me.
That is the most wonderful thing. The man blessed with this vision accepts the world
with an all-embracing joy and great courage and goes forward with sure steps to discharge his
appointed task. He sees all things in one view and not in a divided, partial and bewildered fashion.
Let me narrate a small incident. Swami Brahmanandaji, a spiritual son of Sir Ram Krishna,
when he used to mix with children, he used to become absolutely a child and once he was in
Balram Basu's house, there were several children there and Maharaj, this huge person, very tall,
very hefty, like a real Maharaja. That's why Swamiji named him as Raja. He can rule the world.
He started crawling but he put on the mask of a tiger, just a small piece of paper. It covers
with rubber bands. You stretch and put them behind the ears but he entered crawling. Oh,
like that. All children got terrified and ran away but there was one child and that child
got frightened. He could not run away and then he put his hands and trying to wipe away his tears,
saying, Maharaj, I know you are Maharaj. He says, I know because I could see the rest of the form,
only your face. You have put on this mask. Immediately Maharaj removed that mask,
took the child in his lap and started playing with him happily. So the Lord is playing with
all of us. Then mantra 8, which I have brought earlier for this understanding.
Oh Arjuna, you will never be able to see me with your worldly eyes. You require a special eye.
Means, eye means an instrument of understanding, a purified mind. I will give you that purified
mind. This is what every Hindu prays. And the Lord gives this knowledge and He is giving to all of us
but slowly, slowly our understanding is becoming deeper. Our behavior is becoming much better than
what it was before. Nobody can deny this fact. This beautiful continuation we will take up tomorrow.
May the Divine Mother Durga, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all
with this divine insight. May we all be endowed with bhakti and jnanam.
May we sit in the lap of our Divine Mother Durga.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]

Bhagavad Gita Ch11 part 04 on 18 October 2020

2026-11-01T19:57:21Z

Bhama:

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam
Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum
Sarvopanishadho Gavo Dogdha Gopalanandana
Partho Vatsah Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetam Ritam Mahat
Mukham Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Girim
Yat Kripa Tamaham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam
Ishwaroopa Darshana Yoga
Arjuna had complete faith in the Divine Lord. In the 10th chapter, the Lord described very beautifully in more than 75 special manifestations through which He is visible.
We can contemplate upon Him through any of those and many more of those special manifestations and Arjuna now wanted to, I know, but I want to have a Aparoksha Anubhuti, direct experience of the Divine Lord.
I want to have those things. So he requested the Divine Lord and then he became very humble. He understood that everything is possible only by the grace of God for every devotee.
And here Krishna Bhagwan Himself certifies Arjuna as a great devotee. And in this Bhagavad Gita, the Lord seems to say on one hand that every path is coming to me only.
The person who is traveling through Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, all come to me. But as He makes it abundantly clear in the inviter that those who have got body consciousness, for them it is difficult to think, I am not the body-mind.
For such people, this Bhakti Marga is very important. But even to become a devotee and devotees should be certified, not by anybody.
Nobody can give certificate, you are a good devotee. Only good Lord can give the certificate. And I certify these kind of devotees as my devotees, true devotees. That is most beautiful description and it is not easy to become even a devotee.
But compared to other paths, the path of devotion is comparatively easier for us because,
For those who are identified with the body, it is difficult to tread the path of the Jnana.
Pichara Marga, what is it? I am not the body, I am not the mind. Just now we discussed Panchakosha Vyavarana, Panchakosha Thyaga is difficult.
Possible for a few people but difficult for many people. So there is a right royal path called Bhakti Marga.
And that's what Arjuna understood, I am a Bhakta. So I depend upon, like a child depends upon the mother, upon you O Divine Lord.
Out of your infinite grace, make me, show me your real form. And as I mentioned yesterday, even when the Lord showed his form, Arjuna got frightened.
Why? His mind was fit only to receive but not to retain. So this is a subject, I will just deviate a little, I will have to put up with me.
In the great master and for most of the things, the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and the life of Sri Ramakrishna, the great master is the Pramana, is the authoritative books.
So it is said that Sri Ramakrishna's body endowed with terrible pain, burning sensation.
And ours together, it is described, he had to stand in the Ganges with a wet blanket on his head.
Bhairavi Pramani could not touch Sri Ramakrishna's body because it was so hot, so burning.
With bare hands, she could not touch. Hriday could not touch. So they had to wrap a cloth around his hand and catch him through that blanket and take him and after sometime pull him back.
Of course, we know how he was cured. In that context, Swami Shardanandaji was explaining that even for Avatar Purushas to bear that great Mahabhava,
which is the highest state of Para Bhakti and only very few people like Radha Devi, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramakrishna etc.
Only few people can attain to that Bhakti. We presume Jesus Christ also was like that.
What about Buddha? Buddha was more belonging to the Gnana rather than to the Bhakti Marga.
So even these Avatar Purushas, it is unbearable for them at the beginning when they just completed the sadhana and want to abide in that state of Mahabhava.
But after sometime, they get accustomed. In that context, Swami Shardanandaji also tells us something.
He cites Jesus Christ and then he says, even not to speak of Jesus Christ, there were some people who were intensely meditating on Jesus Christ
and from their joints, blood used to come out, unable to withstand that terrible burden of Mahabhava.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had to go through that state and Bhairavi Brahmani had correctly diagnosed Sri Ramakrishna's condition and she showed similar things happened
in the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and some other great Mahabhaktas of the Divine Lord.
So even for them, it takes time for their nervous system, for their body to get accustomed.
Later on when they get accustomed, they start enjoying it.
So what to speak of people like Arjuna, like Vaikunthanath Sanyal, even like Swami Vivekananda.
When Sri Ramakrishna touched him, he could not bear it. He begged him, my parents are there, what are you doing to me?
It happened to practically every disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.
They want to give but are we in a state to receive?
This is being illustrated here. Arjuna, grace of the Lord.
We always have to emphasize anything that good happens only by the will of the Divine Lord.
But what is then our role? By self-effort, we should be in a condition, fit condition to receive the grace of God
and even more important to retain it. Receive but cannot retain it, that is practically useless.
And again the great master gives several people who received on 1st January 1886.
Not only they could not retain it, some of them had to pray to get rid of it
and then some of them outright slunk back to that state which was their natural state
of malice, of jealousy, of intolerance, all those weaknesses common to all human beings, ordinary human beings.
That's why in the 12th chapter, Amanitam, Atambitam, etc., in the 13th chapter and in the 16th chapter,
Daivasara Sampathi, all these qualifications is not to deserve the grace of God
but to deserve the fitness to receive the grace of God.
Arjuna understands it. He says, O Lord,
Anyase yadita chakhyam maya darshtumiti prabhu yogeshwara tato metvam darshe atmanam avyayam
O Lord, if you think me that I am fit to behold it, then O master of yogis,
reveal to me your immutable Self.
Here also we have to understand the Divine Lord is all-knowing.
Did He not know that I am going to bestow this universal vision which consists of,
remember, not only Srishti and Stithi which are somewhat causes for happiness
and feeling of fearlessness but Laya also where we have to fear, Mrityu.
I will just talk about it a short way, in a brief way.
Why is it we are unable to bear the thought of?
We have to understand in two different ways.
The first way, for us, our life is all that we know.
What happened in our past births and it is an axiomatic truth.
Every Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh believes that we had many past lives
and we are also going to have many future births until we know who we are.
So even though we do not recollect what happened in past,
all that we know is this very present life.
Death means that we are going somewhere, going to some other state.
We are not even sure we are going to be really alive.
That was the quest of Nachiketa.
Some say their life continues, some say life doesn't.
Oh Mrityu Devata, you will have to clear that doubt for me.
So even though we claim that we believe in past lives and future lives,
that is only a blind belief, we have no living proof
and that is why all that we know is this life
and death creates such a terrific fear for these two reasons.
What is the reason?
That we are not sure that whether we are not going to be completely extinguished.
This is the only existence we will enter into non-existence.
Second is even if there is a continuance of this janma, punar janma, bhavishyat janma, future life,
even then what happens?
Where we are going to be born?
We complete as now, we don't have any recollection of the past.
So in the future life, we do not know any recollection of the present.
So we have our families, friends, country, religion
and happiness and unhappiness, joys and sorrows, at least something we are experiencing.
I have to tell you here something, a great open secret.
99% of our time, our life is only one of continuous happiness
but we cannot tolerate unhappiness.
They dominate our mind and make us despair and feel that whole life it is full of dukkha maya.
Not really so. A Buddha can feel that.
But most of the time, occasionally we feel the twinge of fear.
But most of the time, out of 24 hours, how many hours you are unhappy?
Because mrityu, death is waiting for us.
So this is the reason we don't want to get detached by what little we know in this very birth.
So fear of the unknown, fear of losing what we know, that is one reason.
Second reason, first reason is we don't know whether this is all life about
and we will not have any future birth.
We are not sure even though we claim we are Hindus and we believe in punar janma etc.
These two fall under first category.
The second category is even more important.
There are so many unfulfilled desires etc.
And our scriptures tell us all this is because unconsciously we remember our true nature
which is deathless, ignorance-less and suffering-less.
So instinctively we want to attain to that and life is not enough.
And therefore we have this terrible fear if life is terminated here,
my one chance of attaining to that unconscious deep desire is lost.
That's why mrityu is such a terrific thing.
That is why Arjuna, what did he say?
Not only his own death, the death of the entire universe,
not only one universe, millions and millions of universes
and all beings very fast like a great fan is going round and round and round
at unimaginable speed like a jet fan.
The wheel is moving so fast.
What does it mean?
The creation, the wheel is moving at millions of revolutions per second
and one millisecond one whole world.
Next millisecond the whole thing is destroyed.
From the cosmic point of time what after all is that?
Ramana is born.
Doom.
Doom.
Ramana is dead.
It is nothing.
A funny thing was there.
Swami Vivekananda at the beginning of his second days,
he was once speaking at a private meeting and he referred and said,
the other day, only the day your ancestors were wearing, putting on colours,
blooming colours and putting on bird feathers and roaming about naked like savages.
One of the audience could not perhaps tolerate it and said,
but Swami, that is five, six hundred years back.
Swami looked at her steadfastly and said, so what?
After all in the cosmology of time what is five, six hundred years?
Not even one second.
A funny thing came to my mind. I will share it with you.
Those who are wanting to study biology, they give a picture of life in the form of a tree.
Remember, the whole life in this samsara is compared to a holy sacred people tree.
Udvamolam atashyakam. Ashwathavriksha.
The sacred people tree.
So this tree of life, when it started and it starts at the root,
then slowly develops the inorganic into organic, organic into this one celled, multi celled,
then insects, then birds, then animals, plants, then birds, insects, animals,
ultimately human being and the whole thing is represented as one day.
The whole tree of life in one day.
So in that one day man is born just a few seconds before entire mankind,
which in realistic terms is, I don't know, one or two million years.
I do not remember one or two million years back is represented in the way of just a few seconds back.
So in the cosmic time, this Anantakoti Brahmandas are coming into existence,
living for a short time, whirling, whirling and then disappearing back.
That terrific picture produced so much of dhadakan, we say, heart shaking.
Arjuna felt, I am going to die and that's why he requests,
Oh Lord, I am overcome with terror and please withdraw your form.
I want to see you as before and until you do that,
I will not be able even to breathe, I may not even survive.
Of course, the divine Lord has just given him a glimpse of it
and restores Arjuna's balance like our balance after showing himself,
saying, my dear Arjuna, this is the truth about the world.
If you understand this truth, he who is whirling all this Kala Chakra,
the master of the Kala Chakra, the magician,
when you identify yourself with that magician,
this grand, grand truth is expounded in this whole very Bhagavad Gita.
Whirling all the puppets, the Lord sitting inside the heart of everybody
through their free will or freedom, making them do Punya and Papa Karmas
and making them born, making them live, making them die,
making them enjoy, making them suffer through these infinitely varied experiences,
slowly like an escalator, taking us to that grandest truth,
I am you, you are me, there is no difference at all between you and me.
So, why have I rambled so much, so much, practically half of today's class?
Because it is wonderful, the whole world as we are experiencing now
is nothing but the manifestation of God only, I do not exist, you do not exist,
nothing else exists excepting the Divine Lord.
Then what is our problem? Maya.
What is Maya? That we are happy to be attached to life,
we are happy to be attached to the sthiti, maintenance,
but we are frightened of being deprived of this body-mind complex,
not knowing we are the Atman. Why?
Because we think we are not the Atman.
Atman thinks I am the body-mind, the body-mind thinks I am the Atman.
This paraspara-adhyasa, super-imposition of the non-Atman upon the Atman
and the Atman upon the non-Atman,
sentiency is the quality of the Atman, nature of the Atman,
characteristic of the Atman and insentiency is the nature of the Anatman, Prakruti.
This mixture of these two is what we are at this present moment.
So because of this ignorance, any threat that you are going to die
becomes equivalent to becoming non-existence.
It requires tremendous faith, tremendous amount of spiritual sadhana
to even feel that I am the separate Jeevatma,
I am the Chidabhasa, not this body-mind complex.
I have a body, I have a mind,
but just as I have a cow, I have a car, I have a house, etc.,
they are not me, they are separate from me,
they belong to me alright, but I am not them.
Even to attain to this Jeevatma bhava takes a long time through spiritual practice.
And Arjuna, we can say, he was only identified as Jeevatma.
But even then, to the idea that body is going to be destroyed,
mind is going to be destroyed, is an intolerable idea.
So through sadhana, we have to get to that idea.
With this background, let us go.
O Lord, if you think that I have that capability, sadhana chatushtaya sampanna,
that is what Arjuna thinks, then O master of the yogis,
master of yogis, realized soul,
because a non-realized soul cannot give us even a glimpse into that highest reality.
Here, the Lord is not only Yogeshwara, master of every yoga,
He is also Yogeshwara, the Supreme Lord of every soul.
But if some people are yogis, spiritual aspirants,
then His grace will descend upon them.
Yogeshwara means what?
If I am practicing bhakti yoga, He will strengthen my bhakti.
If I am practicing jnana yoga, He will strengthen my jnanam.
So each yoga, because He is the master of all the yogas,
He will strengthen that particular yoga
and through that strengthening, He will gradually pull us towards Himself.
Ultimately, the goal of every yoga is to become completely one with our goal,
which is this uttama purusha, purusha uttama, called Parabrahma.
So through humility, Arjuna, or like us, we can only request the Lord.
We cannot command, we cannot demand.
Even though Ramakrishna speaks about a child can demand inheritance,
but we do not feel we are the children.
We do not even feel we are the Dasas, servants.
A servant cannot claim, I have my share of the inheritance.
Only a child can do it.
So if we can attain to that state of vatsalya state,
then we can demand. Until that time, it is not possible.
Shri Bhagavan Vaja. In reply to Arjuna, what is the Lord telling?
The Lord said, behold my forms. How many forms?
O Partha, by the hundreds and the thousands.
What does that mean?
It means every single object in this world is His form.
We remember in Purushotta,
Every person, every animal which has got feet, that is His feet.
Every person who has hands, that is His hands.
So every head, that is His head.
Every eye belongs to Him only.
That means we do not exist, only everything, our body, mind, everything belongs only to Him.
So infinite number of, innumerable, uncountable number of forms,
manifold and divine.
Manifold, so many varieties.
Divine, so out it, they are non-divine.
Living, non-living.
Inside, every single one that exists, if there is sath,
inevitably there would be chit, there must be chit, there must be ananda.
In various shapes, various colors, various everything,
that's what He is talking about, that you behold.
What is He telling?
In other words, O Arjuna, first through spiritual eye, you see.
What are you seeing?
The same world which you have seen with an ordinary eye.
Now with a spiritual eye, then you see,
I thought these are all concrete, external objects.
But now I know, it is nothing but the Divine Lord.
In this connection, I remember a beautiful incident.
When M was coming to Sri Ramakrishna, and he was alive,
and he had tremendous reverence for Sri Ramakrishna,
and everything connected with Sri Ramakrishna is so sacred to him.
To whom? To M, Mahendranath Gupta.
So he wanted to visit Kamarpukur, that fortunate place,
that Punyabhumi Kamarpukur, where Sri Ramakrishna, God Himself had taken birth.
So with the permission of Sri Ramakrishna, with the blessings of Sri Ramakrishna, he went there.
As soon as he approached Kamarpukur, he had a marvelous divine experience.
He saw every dust particle of Kamarpukur being like gold.
As Sri Ramakrishna saw the first few days at Varanasi,
the whole Varanasi is a golden city.
Golden means sattva guna sampanna, endowed with pure sattva.
That means spiritual.
So any person from Kamarpukur is appearing like a divine being.
With that experience, he must have derived indescribable joy.
So after a few days joyfully spending, he came back and he described his experiences.
Ramakrishna was listening with a smile and then at the end M said,
Oh, I derived so much of joy. I would like to visit it again.
Why? Because like a person habituated to opium, addicted to opium,
I want to have the same experience.
But Sri Ramakrishna conveyed to him, My dear sir, first time you went,
so I bestowed upon you my grace.
That's why you had that Divya Chakshu.
You were able to see the whole thing in a spiritual light.
But I am not going to bestow upon you the same thing.
So do not go because if you go, what do you see?
The same stupid worldly people, they are stalking, praising, condemning,
criticizing, appreciating, finding fault even with,
Oh, this is our Gadai. He has not changed.
Meaning what? He is the same idiotic fellow or innocent fellow
that we saw him 40 years back when he was a child.
This would be a second time experience without the grace of Sri Ramakrishna.
That's why during the lifetime of Sri Ramakrishna,
he did not dare to go again.
But what is the important point?
Sri Ramakrishna bestowed a tremendous grace upon him
and upon whomsoever he bestowed that grace,
only that person was able to behold.
And in this connection, I remember two stories.
Let me share with you even though I have been sharing these stories in my past also.
Once there was a sadhu at Ayodhya.
Do not know why, Sri Ramakrishna appeared to him, spoke with him and he invited him.
Come to Dakshineswar and we will see each other.
And this sadhu was so much smitten by Sri Ramakrishna,
he took the trouble of walking for several probably months from Ayodhya
all the way on foot he reached Dakshineswar,
enquired about Sri Ramakrishna and told by Ramlal Dada, the nephew of Sri Ramakrishna.
Sri Ramakrishna passed away few days back.
What a terrible disappointment, a frustration
and that sadhu just fell down and then he was unable to speak.
Ramlal Dada wanted to offer him and he told that why did you come?
Sri Ramakrishna spoke to me and he asked me to come and only at his behest I have come.
And he told me to come and here anyway before I reached this place and he started shedding tears.
Ramlal Dada was asked, he was trained by Sri Ramakrishna,
give the sadhus and devotees some prasada and so he offered to give him food.
In those days remember at Dakshineswar there was arrangement for wandering sadhus, they can stay as long as they want
and beggars, everybody will be fed.
So Ramlal Dada offered to feed him but the sadhu in his grief he refused to touch.
And whole day passed, again Ramlal Dada came, again he was used.
Next morning again Ramlal Dada went.
What did he beheld?
He beheld that the sadhu was dancing with joy upon being asked.
The sadhu said who says Ramakrishna is here?
Yesterday he came to me, he spoke with me and with his own hands he fed me such a divine,
what is called rice pudding, payas, kheer.
I have never tasted in my life.
Look, here is a broken shed of that pot, even a little bit of that payas is sticking in one corner of that one.
He showed, Ramlal Dada was astounded.
What is this?
Viyam Dada Amitaya Chakshu.
What about?
Where did Sri Ramakrishna go?
Did he go somewhere?
Is it not what he said to weeping holy mother?
Where did I go from this room to that room?
What does he mean?
From this world to Ramakrishna Loka.
You come to Ramakrishna Loka, you will see me.
No, no, no, no, no.
Physically I am not visible but if you have that purified eyes, where do you find me?
Where do you not find me?
I am anywhere.
That is the idea.
From this room to that room doesn't mean he has gone to some other Loka.
From physical state to spiritual state, whoever has got that Divya Chakshu, spiritual eye,
spiritual sight, he can behold him.
Similarly, one day this Latu Maharaj came from Ram Dada's house and he did not know
Ramakrishna had gone to Kamarpukur.
As usual, Ramlal Dada loved this boy and he offered him some prasada but Latu refused.
He says that he is not here.
No, no, no, he must be here and whole day passed.
In the evening when Ramlal Dada went, he was astonished to see a peculiar sight.
Latu was going down again and again in a particular spot as if Ramakrishna was standing there
and when he noticed Ramlal Dada, he said, who says that Ramakrishna is not here?
He is here.
He is here.
With such emphasis, Ramlal Dada was struck dumb.
He had to return.
I am sure he did not understand but for those who have the eyes, where is not God?
Prahlada replied, where is not Narayana?
Oh, he is in this pillar.
Not only in this pillar, he is everywhere.
He is in this pillar.
Not only that, he is the pillar.
He is everything.
He is everywhere.
So, Hiranyakashipu broke that pillar.
What is that pillar?
Pillar of Ahamkara.
What is Ahamkara?
Worldly eye.
That is called ignorant eye, Ahamkara.
As soon as Ahamkara is destroyed, he got the Divya Chakshu, spiritual eye.
Immediately he beheld and the Lord out of His grace removed that body so that he will
know I am the soul, no longer I am the body.
I am the Rakshasa.
I am divine.
Each soul is potentially divine.
In this background, the same world, if we put on different spiritual specs, Divya Chakshu,
the Lord calls it, then this whole world is nothing but God.
Without that Divya Chakshu becomes Samsaric Chakshu, worldly eye.
That means everything is different from everything else from God.
But same spiritual eye, all are spiritual, is nothing but divine Lord.
So, O Partha, Arjuna, Vashamerupani, whatever you see in this world is nothing but me.
Nanavidhani, so many ways.
Divyani, everything is divine.
Divine only if we put on the divine Chakshu.
Nana varna akritinicha.
Then he says, but I will also specify, not merely saying the entire world.
Pashyadityan vason rudran asvinau marutas tatha bahoni adrishta purvani pashya ascharyani Bharatha.
Behold the Adityas and the Vasus and the Rudras and the twin Aswins and the Maruts.
Behold, O Bharatha, many wonders that no one has ever seen before.
What is the Lord telling?
But when we open our eyes early in the morning, we see the suns, the moon, the fire.
Of course, we do not see the air, the wind.
We feel it upon our skin.
There are so many things we can see and there are many more things we cannot see.
So, the Lord is telling bahoni adrishta purvani, which cannot be held, seen, experienced.
We cannot see bacteria.
We cannot see the microbes.
We cannot see Covid's virus.
But they can be seen with fine instruments, microscopes, etc.
But there are many things, even telescopes and microscopes will be completely useless.
So, whenever you see the sun, that is me.
But we must have that Divya Chakshu to know that the sun, the moon, the fire, the wind, the water, the rivers, the mountains, the plants.
In fact, everything is nothing but Divine Lord.
Prashya, Adityas, Dvadasa, Adityas, 12 Adityas.
In the 10th chapter, we have adequately covered that.
Then Vasus, there are 8 Vasus are there, then Rudras, Ekadasha, 11 Rudras, Ashwinav, this Ashwin is 2, the brothers.
Marutaha, 46 are different types of winds.
Mild wind, hot wind, cold wind, spring wind and tsunami wind.
Like that, 46 different manifestations of wind.
Marutatha and both visible and invisible and everything will invoke tremendous surprise, wonder in you.
Why? Because what we understand is only an infinitesimal of what every object is.
Even if you can see one small leaf, one small snow drop, what a marvellous form that has got.
There is a book consisting of highly refined photographs, high pixel photographs of each snow drop.
Millions of, thousands of those snow drops are separate.
No two snow drops are exactly alike.
No two hairs are alike.
No two leaves are alike.
Not to speak of two human beings, two animals, etc.
So, Bahuni Ascharyani, O Bharata, born of Bharata Hamsa.
Many wonders that no one has ever seen before.
Not only that.
Says, Oh Gudakesha, one who has conquered all his sleep, all his sense organs.
Hrishikesha and Gudakesha.
That is, you are a Sattvika person.
You are endowed with divine spiritual qualities.
Such a person you are.
What is the speciality of this seventh shloka?
He says, Jagat krishnam jagat.
Behold here, at this point of space.
The whole universe consisting of the moving and the away.
Not only that.
There are so many things you would like to see.
So, see everything that you would like to, you desire to see, where? At one point of time.
At one place.
In this one body of mine called universal body.
At the same time.
Usually, what is our condition?
We can only see one thing at a time.
At one point of time.
And the same thing we can see.
Another thing we can see.
Another point of time and another point of space.
But here, the mind reaches such a state.
In one composite body.
The entire universe consisting of infinite number of objects.
Why do I say infinite number?
Because if the Lord is infinite, the world is also must be infinite.
Why?
Because the world is none other than the Lord seen through the prism of Nama, Rupa and Cause.
Desha, Kala and Nimitta.
There is nothing else.
So, O Gudakesha.
The whole universe.
Today.
Today means not entire day.
Just one second.
One billy second.
You behold the whole thing.
Because the whole thing is nothing but me.
One Advaitic non-dual divine Lord.
You know how?
Supposing you take even one small chapati, one piece of bread.
And put it under a very powerful microscope.
And you will see billions and billions of cells.
You remove the microscope with just one piece.
And look through that powerful electronic microscope.
Billions and billions of that parts of that bread called cells.
You can say even particles.
You can say even blobs of energy.
A small clusters of energy.
Everything separate from each other.
Moving at mind boggling speed.
The speed of light.
And one atom not encountering another atom.
Not clashing with another atom.
But remove the microscope.
And you will see this only one piece of bread.
What are we talking about here?
That microscope is our mind.
That mind is consisting of Nama, Rupa and Desha, Kala, Nimitta.
Names, forms and qualities.
Or time, space and causation.
Through the prism of that, that one divine Lord appears in this way.
That mind, remove the mind.
What remains?
One divided whole.
And everything that divides as form from form and name from name and quality from quality.
The whole thing becomes one undivided Akhanda Satchitananda.
That's what O Arjuna behold.
And then whatever he wants to see.
See a beautiful thing we have to understand.
If we wanted to see this entire universe and every object in this universe.
How many years?
Countless years.
Countless janmas.
But through this you will see in one second, at one moment, in one swoop, in one form, the entire thing.
Let me give you a small inadequate illustration.
Suppose there are a thousand pots made by a potter, kept in a hall and then you can see the whole, every pot totally different, not even uniform.
One is small, one is big, one is having this color, another is having that color, one is having this shape, another is having that shape.
This is one way of looking.
This is called ignorant vision.
This is called worldly vision.
But do not look at the pots.
Look at the clay.
And in that every pot is nothing but the clay.
Once you know the Moolakarana.
Ekakarana Vignanena, Anekakarya Vignanam.
By knowing the one root cause of everything, I will have the entire knowledge of all the effects that are produced from that single cause.
Who is that single cause?
The Divine Lord.
That's what he is telling.
Not only that, if you are given that vision, what you can see in the ordinary vision, many things you won't see.
For example, when you are looking at a pot, you can only look at the outside, perhaps not even the inside.
And not to speak of in between.
But if you are given this vision, you will see outside, the inside, you will see in between also, you will see the whole thing, everything all together.
Because it is all manifestation of one Akhanda Sachidananda Brahma.
So whatever you want to see, if you have got any desires, take this opportunity and then you see that one.
But here is the caveat.
Natumam shakhyasenaiva svachakshusha divyam dadhamite jakshuhu pasyame yogam aishwaram
But with these ignorant eyes, worldly eyes of yours, you cannot see me in that way.
You can see me as consisting of name, form, quality of first this object, second that object.
But you cannot see at one single point of time and everything in one body, as one body you cannot see.
I give but I am gracious, O Arjuna, I love you, I give you a divine eye and behold now my sovereign yoga power.
Behold my yoga.
So what is that yoga power?
Earlier I remarked or our commentators have remarked, the Lord is called Yogeshwara and also Yogeshwara.
What does that mean?
Yogeshwara means He is many and He is one at the same time.
If you say something is with form, without form, something small and big at the same time.
These are all contradictory experiences.
One can see small or big at different times, at different places.
But one cannot see both at the same time.
But here is the divine Lord, He had become many and He has got so many names, He is nameless.
He has got so many forms, He is formless.
She has got so many qualities, is completely nirguna.
Nirguna, nirakara, nirnama, nirvisesha, akhanda, shuddha, buddha, mukta, svarupa.
This is called yogic power.
That being two contradictory opposites, while discussing Isavasya Upanishad,
I have quoted there are types of language to convey different types of knowledge.
Dialectical language, descriptive language, negative language, paradoxical language and ironical language etc.
So what is this paradoxical, two opposing qualities at the same time.
So this is Tadejati, Tannaijati, Taddure, Tadvantike, Tadantarasyasarvasya, Tadusarvasyasyabahyataha.
It moves, doesn't move.
It is near, it is far.
It is inside, it is outside.
This is called two opposing qualities at the same time, in the same object, at the same place and that is the divine Lord.
What is it? What is the meaning?
If you have got Divya Chakshu, you will see that it doesn't move.
If you have got worldly eyes, you see at the same time that it moves, sometimes moves, sometimes doesn't move.
And with the spiritual eye, it is everywhere.
With the worldly eye, either it is here or it is elsewhere.
Either it is inside or outside.
Never both at the same time.
This description is called paradoxical description.
And that is what being said here, Yogam Aishwaram.
See my glory. What glory? Yoga glory.
The glory of my yoga.
What is glory of yoga?
The glory of my power.
What is that power?
I am one, I am many.
I have no name, I have infinite names.
And I am only everywhere, but I am also at different places.
I do not do anything, but I do everything.
And I am not affected by anything, but at the same time, I experience the karma phala of every creature.
How is it possible?
Well, if you have worldly drishti, samsaric drishti, you will see many kartha, kartrutva, bhaktrutva, everything.
But if you have spiritual eye, both paramarthika view, evaharika view, truth as well as this temporal truth, both we will see.
So you will not be able to see with your ordinary eyes.
I bestow upon you the spiritual eye.
So what do I do?
Divyam dadamite chakshuhu.
Then behold my aishwaram.
Then only you will understand.
Then comes in the next six shlokas, Sanjaya vacha.
Until now, that was the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna.
Remember, Yasadeva had bestowed a boon upon Sanjaya.
You stay at Hastinapura because Dhritarashtra wanted to have what is called instantaneous TV.
So Sanjaya is that TV.
Through Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra was able to visualize the whole thing.
So Sanjaya was beholding this universal form of God at the same time as Arjuna was beholding.
And as far as we know, Vyasa was also beholding.
This particular revelation, Vyasa, Arjuna, Vyasa and Sanjaya were able to behold exactly whatever was happening at this Kurukshetra just before the war started.
And whatever he was seeing with his eyes, he is reporting.
So I can a little bit compare to it.
This God Vyasa had bestowed upon him, he had given what we call now an instrument.
It has got a peculiar name.
It is called virtual reality specs.
And Sanjaya had put on and he was seeing exactly what was happening in three dimensions at the court of Hastinapura.
And he was briefly describing and what Sanjaya was describing to Dhritarashtra is being expressed here in six verses from 9th to the 14th.
Sanjaya said,
Sanjaya said, O King, having spoken thus, Krishna, having spoken thus to Arjuna, behold my divine form, universal form, O Arjuna, because I have already bestowed upon you the divine I, O King Dhritarashtra.
Hari, the divine Krishna, the great Lord of Yoga, Yogeshwara, what did he do?
Revealed to Arjuna his supreme form, that Vishwaroopadarshana.
And now Sanjaya is reporting to Dhritarashtra this what Sanjaya was beholding, what Arjuna was beholding, what Vyasa was beholding to Dhritarashtra.
What is he telling? This Aneka Vaktranayanam, this is 10 and 11 verses.
Aneka Vaktranayanam, Aneka Adbhuta Darshanam, Aneka Divya Bharanam, Divya Aneka Udyata Ayudham, Divya Malyam Varadharam, Divya Gandhanu Lepanam, Sarva Ascharyamayam, Devam Anantam, Vishvatomukham.
With many faces and eyes, presenting many wondrous sights, bedecked with many celestial ornaments, armed with many divine uplifted weapons, wearing celestial garlands and vestments, anointed with divine perfumes, all wonderful, all resplendent, all boundless, and all with faces on all sides, every side.
This was the report of Sanjaya. There is nothing, not much for us. We will be discussing very briefly these ideas in our next class, next Saturday, God willing.
Om Vasudeh Vasutham Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam, Devaki Paramanandam, Krishnam Vande Jagad Kurum. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.
[[Category:Chapter 11]]