View source for Bhagavad Gita Ch17 part 10 on 28 November 2021

== Full Transcript(Not Corrected) ==
OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM
PADAPADME TAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHUR MUHUR
OM VASUDEVASUDAM DEVAM KAMSA CHANURAM ARDHANAM
DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM
SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDA GOPALANANDANA
PARTHO VATSAH SUDHIR BHOKTA DOGDAM GEETAM RITAM MAHA
MUKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATE GIRIM
YAT KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM
In this 17th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagawan is giving us the right type of knowledge
how to evolve practically from a lower guna, lower stage of consciousness
to a higher stage of consciousness and in this particular chapter
he had indicated four departments with which the whole of human life
in the past and present and also in future is going to be involved
as I mentioned earlier classes, first is basic necessities like food
and that food also can influence what type of beings we are going to evolve into
that is to say how our lower consciousness can be modified even through food
by positively actively adopting to certain kinds of foods
which are very naturally liked by the wise people, highly evolved people
also called Satvika people, then all of us must have some ideals in life
and ideals are dry thoughts in our minds, they cannot influence us much
but there are people in whom these high ideals are embodied as it were
more manifesting as it were, such people are called wise people
those knowledgeable people, advanced people, God realized people, Brahmanas
a true Brahmana is one, a person who knows the truth
that the whole universe is nothing but Brahman, such a person alone
deserves to be called a Brahmana, so Gods who are ruling this world
looking after all of us, sustaining us and trying to advance us in spiritual life
that is the function of the different deities
even though at the beginning we may not have that kind of understanding
like a small baby who only demands food and shelter and protection
so our entire association, entire desire, entire personality is enveloped
only by the lower necessities but as we grow up inevitably
in the scale of evolutionary escalator
then we understand there are higher needs, hierarchical needs
they are called higher ideals, so we must have some higher ideals
and they must be practical, they must be within reach
and for that we need inspiration from a living character
or a character which lived for those ideals
so worshipping of them is literally saying that I would like to have those ideals
but these people give us the inspiration, we do it all the time
a person who is aspiring to become a good actor or actress
will keep the photographs of the best actor or actress
a person wants to be a sportsman whether it is cricket, football
or any type of gaming activity
such a person will keep the best people in that particular field
so here is a person who wants to have higher ideals
and that is called prayas, higher ideals is in Sanskrit language called prayas
starts with dharma then only artha and kama
but as this person grows in these three prayas will be slowly albeit surely
will be transformed into shreyas
for that one should worship and how one should worship that has been discussed
then we have come to austerity
any higher achievement can be attained only through difficulty
by giving up the lower and by actively cultivating the higher
and whichever takes us nearer to that ideal
as I said nearer to God
that is called tapasya or austerity
not merely fasting, not merely going through certain voluntary difficulties
they are good but you know for example
here is a person who starves herself or himself
to look very lean and thin, very fit, very healthy etc
but the motivation is not for higher ideals
the person is doing exactly the same thing but for a different purpose
so that is what we have been discussing in the last class
that there are three types of three areas where austerity has to be performed
what are they?
sharira, shariraka tapasya, bodily austerity
what is the second thing?
vachika tapasya
that is the austerity related to the speech
how to control speech, how much to speak
when to speak, when to stop, what to speak
and what should be the motive when we speak
this has been discussed
but along with that even the mind should attain that quality
that purity called antahkarana shuddhi or chitta shuddhi
with which we are going to progress in spiritual life
all these three are interconnected, we cannot do one without the help of the other
all the three help each other
even these three types of austerities
belonging to the body, to speech as well as to the thoughts or mind
can also be done in three different modes
so there are sattvika type
how sattvika people, very evolved in spiritual life
how do they practice?
we said that they do it because it has to be done
they do it without expecting any short term result
worldly result
but that which takes one nearer to God
so afalakanksha bhi
their mind is always controlled
and they have purity of mind
their mind is not divided
they are not what you call divided personalities
they do not suffer from multiple personality syndrome
what they think, what they speak
and what they do is crystal clear
not only to themselves of course but to everybody else
so such kind of people are called sattvika people
then we have started this what we call rajasika people
they also do tapasya
but they do not do as intensely
but they also do not do it
they are not afalakankshai
they are not people who say
we do not desire any worldly
worldly means temporary short term result
we want eternal result
but these people in contrast to them
rajasika people in contrast to sattvika people
they will be the very first thing is
what they do
they have lots of desires
and those desires have been enumerated here
in verse number 18th
which we just touched in our last class
satkara mana pujaartham tapah dambhena chaivayat kriyate tadhiya proktam rajasam chalam adhruvam
so four descriptions are given about this type of austerity
practiced by the people who are dominated by rajo guna
the austerity that is practiced
in order to gain respect, honor and reverence
and for ostentation
is said to be of the nature of rajas
and the result
certainly every action bears result
the result of this kind of austerity is what
it is very short termed
very temporary
and then it is also not very certain
this is the verse which we have been discussing
so what do these people do
they do tapasya
what type of tapasya
three types of tapasya
belonging to the body
to the speech
as well as to the mind
but for what purpose they do
they want something
and that is why they do it
what do they want
satkaram
everybody should respect them
revere them
so everybody should
not only physically
but mentally should have
a very positive
very spiritual
very high opinion
about this kind of people
pujartham
they want to be worshipped publicly
it is very interesting
that if a person is worshipped privately
ok you are doing great austerity
come to my home
very secretly I will worship you
you will not accept it
you inform the whole neighbourhood
the whole village
the whole town
bring inform the journalists
the newspapers
and that is what I want
but many times they do it
they give these hints indirectly
pujartham
then dambhena
ostentation
how wonderful this person is
what a great person he is
so very few people do these things
show
this is a showman austerity
and then what is the
kriyate tad kiha proktam
when we see such kind of things
and we cannot understand them
in the beginning
it will take time
but the bubble is going to burst
sooner or later
such is called
rajasic type of austerity
because such people's mind
is dominated by rajas
remember
rajas means
restlessness of the mind
and lobha
I want more and more
I will never be satiated
with little
so what do they get
first of all
the result is
adhruvam
that is it is not very
guaranteed
but we have to understand
if a person does any activity
a result must be there
but what it is
that it is not a
very helpful fruit
helpful result
that is what we have
dhruvam means
that kind of tapasya
which will give us
a result which is permanent
that is called dhruvam
that is
God realization
there is only one object
that is God
obtaining God
realizing God
is the eternal
profit
eternal fruit
but this person
it is adhruvam
and then it is also chalam
chalam means
very very uncertain
he might get something
but he will also get
because the good lord knows
this person is not doing
why is it chalam?
why?
very simple reason
to maintain
this kind of austerity
all the time
is not possible
only sattvika people
can maintain it
at all times
rajasika people
their minds are restless
so as soon as they are alone
nobody is looking at them
they fling everything down
and become their own selves
so that is why
the bubble will burst
other people sooner or later
we have a saying
that immorality
and stealing
sooner or later
they will be out
or even if human beings
do not find
there is an eternal witness
who will bring it out
and at the right time
a person will be given
the appropriate result
which is suffering
so now we go into
some details
taking the help of
our greatest light
spiritual light
Shankaracharya
satkaraha sadhukaraha
sadhu ayam tapasri brahmanaha
this type of worship
or austerity
done by people
not for antahkarana shuddhi
not for cleanliness of the heart
not for the purity of the heart
but purely for the purpose of
being considered
a good person
he is here
he is a good person
sadhu
then
mananam
pratyotthana
abhivadana
adhihi
tat artham
they do not stop
other people should respect
what they do
what they expect
whenever these people
are walking
or whenever these people
attend some meeting
of this kind of people
what so
as soon as the people
aspire
immediately
everybody's attention
must be
focused only upon this person
aaah
such a great person
is coming
my god
my god
everybody's head
has to be
turned towards him
automatically
they all have to get up
automatically
they have to
fold their hands
their eyes
should be lowered
they should not see
out of great respect
and then they will be
received with the
greatest
honour
and they will be
garlanded
they will be taken
not only that
they require
a very special
type of chair
in a very special
prominent place
where everybody's
attention
should be
drawn only
to that particular
person
they will see
that this is what
this is what
Shankaracharya is
expounding
mananam
pratyutthana
that is as soon as
that person is
aspired
everybody should
get up
abhivadana
they must bend
their heads
and fold their
hands
and say namaskaram
pranams
adhihi
so many other
things are there
so highly
being honoured
why?
because he is
doing all these
things
but this is what
he wants
and that is what
he expects
and that is what
he will not be
happy
if he is not
given
and that is one of
the greatest
sufferings
manaha
then the other
word mana
pratyutthana
abhivadana
not only that
pooja
padaprakshalana
archana
shayitrutva
ashayitrutva
adhihi
arthancha
then they
must be
worshipped
publicly
so as I
mentioned
if that person
is secretly
taken
and offered
flowers etc
they won't be
happy with that
at all
they want
everybody to
know
that I am
being worshipped
pooja
then
this is also
called padapooja
padaprakshalana
they have to
wash his feet
and they have
to drink that
water
their heads
must be bowed
down
when he is
speaking
nobody else
should speak
and even if he
speaks some
nonsense
nobody
should have
the daring
to contradict
him etc
so padaprakshalana
washing the
feet
archana
then of course
shankara
takes a little
bit of fun
also
he says
ashayitratwadi
when some
of the
best type
of food
materials have
to be prepared
for such a
person
because he is
a Rajasic person
we have seen
earlier
what was the
Rajasic type
of food
and that
food is
what is called
too hot
too sour
and too
burning
etc
pickles
etc
so this
person must
be
worshipped
his feet
must be
washed
he must
be given
the best seat
he must
be given
the central
seat
and he
must be
fed
fully
because
this person
is not
satisfied
with
sattvika
type of
food
these
things
so this
kind of
tapasya
when they
do
dambhena
evayat
kriyate
tapahat
dambha
all show
so if
that person
has a
beautiful house
big house
and there is
a place
nobody can
see him
why in
hell
don't you
go
and sit
there
and call
him
and he
has to
this kind
of
tapasya
as
expecting
all these
things we
discussed
not only
that
as I
said
every
action
however it
is done
will give
its result
therefore
this is
called
rajasam
phalam
the result
also
will be
positive
so
this
is
the
way
we
have
to
do
tapasya
for
all
the
people
who
are
in
the
hell
they
have
to
go
and
sit
there
and
they
to be prominent. So it is all done as Shankaracharya so kindly expounds that he is a good person,
is a great ascetic etc. So how disciplined he is, how nicely he talks, how he eats so sparingly
and this is what exactly this Rajasikha person wants and for that purpose,
particularly for that effect, he does all this kind of tapasya. Now we come across such people
everywhere, not only in the past, present, in future also. Ramakrishna is mentioning one such
person. So I am referring to Ramakrishna's remarks about Mahima Chakravarthi. So there was
some time suddenly devotees came and entered into the room of Ramakrishna which was quite a small
room and there was a huge tiger skin hanging there and the devotees knew Ramakrishna and suddenly
this tiger skin appeared next time when they visited and then they were taken by surprise
and they asked him, sir what is this? That means we know, you do not want to show all these things
so what is the meaning of this? Then Ramakrishna smiled and then said here is a description in
the great master by Swami Sharadamji Maharaj about this incident. At the time we became acquainted
with him, Mahimacharan introduced himself to us in the course of conversation as a spiritual aspirant
on the path of knowledge. He used to say that Aham Brahmasmi, he used to sing all those things.
This Mahima used to visit Dakshineshwar many years before the devotees of Calcutta went to the
master. At the time of certain festivals, he would go to Dakshineshwar wearing an ochre dyed cloth
and putting huge rudraksha beads and holding a one stringed instrument in his hand. He would
sit himself for sadhana in a pompous manner in a place where anybody can see him on a tiger skin
spread under the Panchavati. He hung the tiger skin on a wall in a corner of the master's room
when he returned home. He could have taken that with him. No, he left it in Sri Ramakrishna's room.
This was enough for the master to understand the man. For one day on being asked about the
ownership of the tiger skin, the master said it has been kept here by Mahima Chakravarti.
Do you know why? People will see it and ask me to whom it belongs and when I mention his name,
they will consider him to be a very big sadhaka. That is what exactly Bhagavan Krishna is mentioning.
So about this Rajasika Tapasvi person who is practicing austerities, but he is a Rajasika
nature, about him Sri Ramakrishna is telling. He will have the accessories of a sadhu
like a Kamandalu in his hand and demand that when he walks in, everybody get up and this is what
this many people want. Not only Mahima Chakravarti, but we also want the same thing.
There are so many devotees, they learn a little bit and they want to become gurus. So they go
on holding classes so that they will be known as gurus with great knowledge etc.
So such a person, now this is not Sri Ramakrishna saying, this is what we are saying. He makes sure
that everybody recognizes him as a great man of austerity and they all prostrate to him and
receive him with great respect and he will insist that the highest seat is offered to him.
If anyone else is offered such a prominent place and if he is asked to sit on a lower seat,
he will think he is disrespected and he will be glaring at the centrally seated person
almost all the time. So this is what such a person expects. People should bow to him,
touch his feet, do pada puja, washing, drinking, offering flowers etc. This kind of tapassi is
called Rajasikha tapasya. They get their own result. What is the result? First of all,
it is very small result. Secondly, very small means what? How long people will respect him?
See, here is some tremendous secret. At the beginning, such kind of hypocrites,
they will be respected but this bubble will burst very soon. Then 24 hours this man cannot maintain
the same thing but somebody or other will come to know. At least those who are serving him,
those who are gathered near him, they will definitely come to know what he shows outside
but what he is inside is not the same. Then they will naturally lose the respect and then
they start calling him names. Not only that, this kind of people, they have lots of unfulfilled
desires and those desires will come out sooner or later and people will come to know about them
and that is how people who are respected in society at the beginning, many times we get the
news such people have fallen, they have married some person or the other and they have become very
ordinary persons etc. But this world is a magical world. Even after doing all those things,
there are some people who retain their popularity and there are people who become bond slaves to
them. That is the magical power of the Lord. So, the result will be for a very short time.
That means the bubble will burst, another result will come which is not likeable, pleasant,
acceptable at all and he will of course not get Dhruvaphalam that is God because he has to overcome
all his desires. So, that is what is going to happen one day or the other. That bubble will
burst. Someday he will fail to respect and then the person will get frustrated. He will get
despondent. He will become depressed. He will lose everything and then the fall down has already
happened. Now, the Lord is going to tell what is the Tamasika Tapasya, 19th.
Mudhagrahenaatmano ekpeedaya kriyate tapah parasya uchchadhanathamva tatthamasam udahurtham
Just now, I remembered a beautiful story with regard to the Rajasika type of people doing Tapasya.
Now, Vishwamitra was supposed to be a person. He was full of egotism many times. He wants to become
equal to the Vasishta. Vasishta was a great Rishi but this Vishwamitra, you know he has done Tapasya.
He has also obtained but there is one story created exclusively for illustrating this Rajasika type
of this one. Wherever Vishwamitra goes, he wants to be known. Do you know who I am? I am the Guru
of Rama. It is I who taught him all the secrets of the weapons. It is I who got him married to such a
most beautiful, wonderful woman called Sita Devi. Whatever he is today is all because of me. So,
he thought he was even a greater Guru than Vasishta who was a family Guru of this Iksha Kuvamsha
that is Rama's family and then God wanted to teach him a lesson. So, that God came, God's will came
in the form of Narada. There is a beautiful film has come. This is Rama Anjaneya Yudha, the battle,
the war between Rama and his most important devotee Hanuman. So, this is briefly, this is the story.
So, Narada discerned this man is full of pride and Narada wants to do good. He wants to make him
go nearer to God but so long that this egotism is there, a man will be separated from God. So,
Narada wanted to prick that bubble and so that Vishwamitra will go nearer to God. That is his
only purpose. Now, whatever Narada does, all the drama, everything is for the good of the world
because he is a realized soul. He is a Chiranjeevi. He has no other motive except in doing good to
other people. Now, at that time Rama was still there and there was a king and that king was
tremendously devoted to Rama, continuously was doing puja etc. to Rama. So, Narada went to this
king and said, now you do this kind of special ritual whereby your devotion to Rama will increase
a million fold and that was what exactly the king wanted. So, oh great sage, tell me what shall I do?
He says, you perform this ritual, then invite all the great sages and you show your worship to them
and when you worship them, then by their blessings you will turn out to be even much greater devotee
than you are now and the king was highly delighted. He believed in Narada. So, what did he do?
So, he told him, this is what you have to do and how to respect, invite all these people.
One of the invitees was Vishwamitra and then Vasishta. Then you see, the seats were arranged
and then Narada instructed him, you give the highest seat, the central seat to Vasishta.
You give the lowest seat to Vishwamitra and the innocent king thinking that Narada was his
greatest friend who is of course in fact he and he followed completely with kama and full stop
included. So, what happened? This king sent and then Vishwamitra, in a way he was innocent also,
he came and they were all worshipped but before that they were seated and Vasishta was given
that beautiful middle high seat and Vishwamitra was given the lowest seat.
Now, Narada immediately went to Vishwamitra, started whispering, Maharshi, who are you?
Who is this Vasishta in compared to you? See this egotism of the king. This man has given the
highest respect to Vasishta who in no way deserves it and you who is everything for Rama, he has
insulted you by giving you the lowest seat. Now, Vishwamitra is vulnerable to this eavesdropping
and he became extremely angry. You know Vishwamitra can be like Durvasa, very very angry.
So, Narada, what shall I do? Narada said, it is very simple, go to Rama, the moment he sees you,
he will ask you, what is your command and I will fulfil it. Immediately you command him,
destroy this king who has insulted me and poor Vishwamitra, he went there and as soon as Rama
saw him, he did exactly what Narada predicted, oh Maharshi, Gurudeva, what shall I do for you?
Ask, command me and he said, go and kill this king. Rama was shocked but that king,
such a great king, such a good person, such a saintly person and he is highly devoted to God,
why do you want, why do you want me to kill? Vishwamitra said, I don't know all those things.
You promised me to fulfil my commandment, that's all. I am not going to explain anything,
go and kill that fellow. Otherwise, tell that I will not do it. Now, Rama was oath bound.
So, he had no option, he sent news to this king that he is going to come and kill him.
Now, this king, he knows, if Rama wants to kill me, nobody can protect me. So, he ran to Narada
and said, Narada, Maharshi, I only followed your instructions and here my life is in danger,
what shall I do? And Narada said, don't worry, you see, you go to Hanuman and he can face Rama,
nothing is going to happen to you. Immediately the king ran to Hanuman and he said, save me,
Rama declared a war and Hanuman said, if Rama is my master, if he declared war against you,
I am not going to save you, it is not possible for me and then he rejected. Then the king again
came to Narada and Narada said, don't worry, this Hanuman's mother Anjana Devi is spending her time
in doing great austerity, go to her, catch hold of her feet, do not leave the feet until she tells
you, my child, what do you want? I will fulfil your desire. So, the king went there and caught
hold of her feet, poor innocent old lady, my son, why are you doing? Leave my feet. No, until you
promise to fulfil my desire, I will do it. And then she had no option, innocent, she said,
yes, my son, whatever you want I will fulfil, tell me. Then the king was coached that as soon
as she tells that, ask her, you call your son Hanuman and ask, command him to fight against Rama
to protect you, protect me and that is what the king did and then Anjana Devi, immediately she
remembered, Hanuman came and she ordered, I promised to save this king, so you go and save
this king. Hanuman had no option because whatever mother tells, he is prepared to do. So, Rama came,
Hanuman stood, behind Hanuman this king was standing and Rama was surprised, Hanuman, you want
to save this man whom I wanted to kill? Hanuman said, I have been forced into this, I have no
option but so long as life is there in my body, I am going to save him because I promised my mother.
Rama warned Hanuman twice but Hanuman said, you will kill this king only over my dead body. Then
Rama became furious and then he repeated the mantra, astra and then discharged it. Hanuman folded his
hands, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama and then the furious that weapon, it came and then what can it
do against Ramana? Even Rama cannot fight against his own name, the name is more powerful even than
God himself. So, it became a most marvellous garland and put itself in the neck of Hanuman.
Rama was shocked, he discharged a second arrow, same thing happened, he discharged a third arrow,
same thing happened, then he understood that it is not possible to defeat Hanuman.
Meanwhile, Narada came, Vishwamitra was watching, Vasishta was watching, then Narada explained,
see Ramnama is greater than Rama himself, he cannot do anything if anybody is uttering Ramnama
and then Vishwamitra understood, so much of egotism has risen in me and with this egotism is going to
keep me away from God, I should have detected it and destroyed it long back but I did not do it
and the glory of that king became even more widespread than before because he was highly
devoted to Ramnama. So, through this apparently dramatic activity, Narada promoted everybody
towards God, the name of Rama became even more powerful, the king became even more devoted to
Ramnama because even Rama's own will could not do anything against the Ramnama through of course
Hanuman, then Hanuman also was a great advocate of Ramnama, Bhagavan Nama, whenever I say Rama,
it means God, it is not a Hindu God, it is the only God. So, what are we talking about?
Vishwamitra expected like a Rajasika person, I should be honoured just because I am the Guru
of Sri Rama. No, the person who has no ego, everybody respects him, God respects him because
an egoless person is one who realises God, this is what we will have to understand.
Now, entering into the Tamasika type of austerity, so the Lord says, that austerity that is practised
with a determination based on indiscrimination, foolishness by means of self-torture for the
purpose of ruining another is declared to be of the nature of Tamasika austerity. So, that purpose,
that austerity which is done due to deluded understanding by afflicting one's body or for
the sake of destroying other people is called Tamasika type of austerity, it is well known.
Now, in the mythologies of Hindus, how Asuras, demons like many times I mentioned Ramanasura,
Hiranyakashipu, Narakasura, Bhasmasura and so many Tratakasura, so many Asuras are there,
they also call upon God, they also practise austerities, for what purpose? Either for
creating trouble to themselves, but most likely we want power and when there is,
as the beautiful saying goes in English, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
So, there are people who want power, but they do not have the capacity to digest. It is said
that the day Swami Vekananda gave that few minutes talk at the Parliament of Religions,
he became world famous, next day all the newspapers ignored everybody and started
sky high praise for Swami Vekananda and that night he slept and then he slept on the ground,
he wept, O Lord, my privacy is destroyed, now I can never be myself alone, I have to be a public
figure, such tremendous power to digest this kind of power, name, fame or everybody is attracted.
Remember, Swami Vekananda was great every way, he was like, his physical body was godlike,
his intellect, gigantic intellect, which nobody knows, scientists at that time could defeat him,
his memory was prodigious memory, which nobody can defeat and his magnetic personality
used to attract both men and women, not only towards the higher ideals, even to purely
towards the physical body, he was at the very peak of his youth at that time.
So, with all those things he could have been, he could have married one of the most
beautiful women in this world, he could have become, how many millionaires had rushed,
fell at his feet and begged him, you accept me with all my wealth and that would have helped also
India, that is what they thought, not knowing the mission of Swami Vekananda, main mission
is not helping India, that is only a secondary mission, primary mission is, I will not cease
to inspire men and women everywhere until they know that they are God.
I have a message to the West, just as Buddha had a message to the East, I want every man
and woman to know that they are God, that is the main mission of every avatara, Sri Ramakrishna
and Swami Vekananda were not two different, Sri Ramakrishna was the inner personality,
Swami Vekananda was the outer personality, that is why he was called his master's voice.
So, coming back, this Tamasika people, they also do the pasya, but what for?
Ek peedaya kriyate, aatmanaha peedaya, they do all sorts of things which they should never do
and it only goes to create ruin to their bodies, to their minds, they can become mad also,
but most often they do it not for suffering themselves, but for the sake of destroying
other people. I will give one such example, a few years back a man phoned me and then he told me
that I have read some books on Raja Yoga, I started practicing too much of pranayama,
now day and night I have been hearing some peculiar disturbing sound in my ear,
can you help me? First thing I told, you have done very wrong thing, it is warned everywhere
that Raja Yoga, especially pranayama should never be done excepting under the guidance of an expert
who is present when you are doing it, you have not learnt it, just read some books,
started practicing furiously out of your stupid will and that has led to this problem.
Secondly, go to the physicians, go to the psychologists, see whether it is physical
problem or is a mental problem and then I don't know what he did, after sometime he said,
I went to these people and they could not help me, I said I am sorry, I am not an expert in pranayama,
I don't know actually what is your problem, what is your experience, you better approach some of
the yoga teachers and see if they can help you, of course after that I never heard from that person.
Then I came to know some other persons that they hear voices, one young girl came to me,
she said I hear voices, I hear Sathya Sai Baba telling me to go and kill somebody,
this kind of psychic cases are quite a number of them there in the west, all these are because
they do something which they should never do, this is what is called self-torture,
self-defeating, that is the first thing but most of the people, they are very selfish people,
they don't want to suffer but they want to make other people suffer, so what do they do?
So, here is where again the great Shankaracharya is coming to our aid.
These people, tamasic people, they lack proper discrimination and because of the lack of proper
discrimination, their understanding is improper understanding, because of their improper
understanding, they take it as right understanding and they do certain things and they do persistently,
they do too much without any limit, as a result first thing as I mentioned, their health will be
ruined, their mind will be ruined, they become psychic cases but most often the very reason
why they do such type of things is because of delusion, delusion is the result of indiscrimination,
indiscrimination requires tremendous bodily, physical as well as mental health, the ability
to reason out, to think deeply, objectively and these people lack it, so they have wrong
understanding and they think it is the rightest understanding and they practice according to
their understanding and they bring ruin to other people.
Asterity, which is undertaken causing pain to oneself, to one's body including one's own mind,
so sometimes one may damage oneself irreversibly if we do certain things without proper guidance,
that is why a guru is very necessary and slowly and gradually we have to practice not to go
at all beyond our limitations or Shankaracharya is continuing,
so it is what is called Parasya Utsadana Artham,
such a tapasya, austerity is done for the purpose of destruction, Utsadana Artham of another person
or persons, people who have the disposition of a demonic nature or called Rakshasas or
warhols do a lot of austerity just for the destruction of their enemies, Ramanasura,
he did tapasya, ultimately he became a victim of terrible uncontrollable lust, power,
position, name and fame and without thinking anything finally not only he brought ruin to
himself and he brought ruin to everybody whom he was leading, this is a beautiful example
that had not Ramanasura done this kind of tapasya, he would perhaps be still alive and
actually Hanuman praises him,
how beautiful this man is, how handsome this man is and what strength this man possesses,
but for these wrong ideas this man would have been even equivalent to perhaps to Rama himself,
that was the certificate given to Ramanasura by Hanuman when Hanuman was taken into captivity
by the Brahmastra, by Meghanatha and he was taken for the first time to meet the Ramanasura,
so he was all praised, but this somewhere this screw has become loose and that is what has
happened, so this kind of austerity it is far better not to do it now in India, elsewhere also
there is some kind of science, it is called black magic, now first question is Swami,
do you believe in black magic? I say yes, I believe in black magic, is black magic true?
Yes, it is true, so can anybody get it? No, anybody cannot get it, most people because
to dissolve such kind of power we have to give equal amount of payment, I will give you one
example, once Swami Vivekananda was at Dehradun and there was a Muslim fakir who had lots of
disciples and one of the disciples of this Muslim fakir, he somehow became attracted to Swami
Vivekananda and started visiting him and this brought a wrath of that Muslim fakir, so he
cursed him, may blood start flowing out of the Swami's mouth, may he be made to leave this Dehradun
as soon as possible, what is the purpose? So, if the Swamiji is removed from that place,
his disciple will not have anybody to go to, he will remain with him, he wanted to retain
not to lose his disciples, it is a very common desire, even gurus they don't want to lose
any of their disciples, speakers don't want to lose their audience to other speakers,
they will do all hooks and crooks in order to retain and to get the other people to steal
the other people's disciples also, so here is something very interesting and then what happened
you know, within a short time Swami Vivekananda started vomiting blood, the doctors examined him
and said this altitude is not going to help you, Swami better you go to the plains and then Swami
had no option, he had to come to the plain below Haridwar etc. and then after some time he happened
to meet Holy Mother at Calcutta and he burst out, this your old man could not save me, to Holy
Mother complaining, old man may say Ramakrishna and Holy Mother laughed and said my son, that
fakir also, he did not tell, express it in so many words, that is also a power, so a mantra shastra
is there and it is practiced by some people and we will have to use, we have to pay equivalent
payment, our idea is like lottery ticket, I buy one cheap lottery ticket and the best prize,
lottery money will come to me, that is never going to happen, everything is determined by
the karma phala, but the mantra shastra is absolutely true, as I mentioned many times,
repeat, chant Sri Suktam, Kanakadarastavam, Medha Suktam, Shraddha Suktam, Narayana Suktam, Purusha
Suktam etc., the appropriate results will come absolutely, there is no doubt about it at all,
so in a sense what is this 19th mantra describing about the austerity of a tamasic person,
what does it say, the austerity performed by these people of both bodily and vocal as well as mental
is meant either for creating troubles to themselves either at that time or later on,
but more importantly they want power, they want to keep other people under their thumb,
they want to hypnotize other things, these are all powers are there.
Just now I also remembered another beautiful incident, Swami Turiyanandaji was at that time,
I think it was in perhaps New York, I am not 100% sure and there was a lady who used to visit him
and she became extremely devoted to Swami Turiyananda and then Swami Turiyananda noticed
she was behaving a little bit mechanically, but the lady was absolutely sincere, so one day
this lady invited Swami, I will feel blessed, my house will become blessed if you put your feet
there, everywhere this kind of devotees are there, so Swami Turiyananda consented
and one day he went there and this lady was living with a man and that man did not like this Swami,
a stranger especially an Indian, a brown coloured man entering into his house at all,
at that time the racial discriminations were too strong, then this lady came forward
and then immediately Swami Turiyananda understood this man is exercising a hypnotic power over this
woman and this woman wants to be free, but she was unable and that is why she took refuge in Swami
Turiyananda. What did Swami Turiyananda do? He took her hands in his hands and started chanting
Hari Om, Hari Om, Hari Om, after a few minutes the hypnotic spell was totally broken,
the woman understood I am free, the man who was exercising understood I lost that power
and he could not do anything and that lady became completely free from the influence of that man,
so there is hypnotism, there is mesmerism, in fact we are all hypnotised by the advertisements,
what they call computer algorithms and we become helpless victims, sheep led to buy things even
when we do not need these things etc, etc, let no man think, only a realised soul is free,
all of us are born to slaves to egotism, to name, to fame, to power, to position, to wealth,
to paltry worldly desires, objects etc, spiritual life is an attempt to get out of all those things,
all these things I have spoken because lest somebody poo-poo and say there is no such thing,
no mantra will work, yes every mantra will work, Vedas especially Dharvan Veda is full of such kind
of mantras are there and they do work, they confer upon the devout person whatever they desire
provided they fulfil all the conditions etc. This mantra shastra is real, astrology is real
but the people who fulfil those conditions, who develop an intuitive sense they are very
few and far between that is why if you go to any Tom, Dick and Harry to predict your future
that fellow himself will not know what is going to happen next second.
So, three types of, three ways, modes, Sattvika mode, Rajasika mode and Tamasika mode of performing
bodily and vocal and as well mental austerity has been so beautifully enumerated so far.
Now Bhagawan is telling however much we try then we will not be able to get out of this,
there will be some defects will be there but slowly will be progressing. So, the fourth
department is when we have achieved, got, obtained so many things we also have to share
and with other people because ultimately there is no other people, it is we only manifesting
in the form of the other people and this is where the Lord is talking about the fourth important
value which is caring and sharing, which is called Dhanam, which is called charity and
it is also of three types, we will talk about it in our next class.

[[Category:Bhagavad Gita]]