Aparokshanubhuti Lecture 04 on 11 November 2026

Invocation

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

पादपद्मेतयोस्त्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

pādapadmetayos tritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

ॐ श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानां आलयं करुणालयम्।

नमामि भगवत्पादं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्।

Oṃ śrutismṛtipurāṇānāṃ ālayaṃ karuṇālayam।

namāmi bhagavatpādaṃ śaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaram।

I bow at the feet of Lord Bhagavatpāda Shankara, who is the abode (repository) of the Vedas (Śrutis), the Smritis, and the Puranas, who is an ocean of compassion, and who brings welfare and happiness to the entire world.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

Introduction: The Authorship and Essence of Aparokṣānubhūti

We have been studying the, this most beautiful composition supposed to be by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. But by seeing the language, at least I would say that there would be another author. May not be Śaṅkarācārya's complete works, but partly somebody might have authored or completely independently authored but passed on the work in the name of Śaṅkarācārya. And there is nothing wrong as we also go on saying that in the name of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Svāmī Vivekānanda, we quote, sometimes they may not be exact quotations, but the essence is absolutely fine. That's what really counts.

So we have seen first of all, before undertaking any work, we have to remember God. It is only by the grace of God that the desire for especially an auspicious undertaking enters into our mind. The desire for any auspicious activity is the grace of God. Should we say auspicious thought, auspicious action is not the grace of God? That means is he not the inspirer, the origin? No. As per the scripture, everything, the killer is also inspired by the Divine Mother. The killed is also inspired by the Divine Mother. But we have to understand it, accept it, and be happy about it.

The Play of the Divine Mother (Līlā)

But does God has his own desire? No, we cannot say God has a desire, but he plays with the world. That is why it is said whatever the Divine Mother does, we have to understand in the original way. From the viewpoint of Brahman, there is no activity. No activity means no desire. From the viewpoint of all of us, because most of the time we would like to be more happy, but we are not happy. So we attribute especially if we claim, profess belief in God, that why God is making me go through all these difficulties? I do not know. That is not consistent with the belief in God. If we believe in God, he is sarvamaṅgala. He cannot do anything that is suffering etc., but because of our own karmaphala.

But this karmaphala theory is only intermediary theory. It should not be accepted because who created us? God. Who created our mind? God. If God is the creator of the mind, who is the creator of thoughts? Who is the creator of desires? It is all his līlā. But at this moment, we would not be able to understand it, should never even think in that way. We are suffering. There is a way out of suffering, and that should be our primary goal. And when we undertake this effort called spirituality in order to get rid of this bondage, ignorance, avidyā.

The Evolution of Desire for Liberation (Mumukṣutva)

So even the desire comes only at a particular time in the scale of evolution. Even an amoeba will not cherish consciously that I want to be free. Unconsciously, yes. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa illustrates this so beautifully. Once God had to incarnate himself as a pig, and it was a female pig. So it has married, it had accomplished its job, then settled down to the life of a pig. It got married and it got children, and Śiva came, all the devās, Gods and Goddesses were worried. Why is Śrī Hari not coming back to Vaikuṇṭha? He had accomplished his mission. Then Śiva went with a trident and then says, Nārāyaṇa, you go back. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was a superb story master. He is telling, the pig gathered its offspring even closer to her body. It was suckling the babies and it was in bliss. It got attached to pig's body, pig's mind, pig's life, and it doesn't want to get out of it. Then Śiva had no option but to pierce it with his trident. Then it came out. Nārāyaṇa came out laughing because what did Śiva do? He did not merely kill the pig. He killed the piggishness. That is triśūla, three pointed swords like that. Then what were they? To remove the abhimāna, the identity with the physical body, or if you like, pañcakośas. And when a person's pañcakośas are removed, and that's what Śiva is supposed to do in Vārāṇasī, then the person realizes I am Brahman.

But such is the, even if God becomes attached, poor we, who are we to complain that we would not get attached? When we are attached, it is all Divine Mother's play. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa tries to explain until the right time comes, the desire will not arise. So the grandmother, granny wants to play. That is, touch me, then you will be free. But she will be blindfolded everybody. But when she says that a child is getting really tired, and what does the child feel? I want to remove this bond from my eyes. He cannot remain separate from mother. He longs, intense yearning to go to its mother. And the granny understands, understands, very near, and the child happens to touch, and the child is very happy. Oh, I touched granny. So much of meaning is there in each word of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. I touched. No, the granny came near and allowed herself to be touched. That is the point. So you should not complain. If God wants to play, let him play with himself. Why is he trying to play with me? And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa answered to one of the devotees, who are you, sir? You are not separate from Saccidānanda. That's what it means.

The Grace of God and the Role of the Guru

So we have covered first few ślokas. In our last class, we have seen that the desire has come only by the grace of God. And even the great advaitin that Śaṅkara was, he was forced to admit in the very beginning of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, and a lot of the ślokas follow Vivekacūḍāmaṇi's definitions only. There he said, it is only by the grace of God. So this human birth only by the grace of God, one obtains a human birth after long time. One develops after going through human births many a time, develops that intense yearning, and that will not do. He has to take shelter at the feet of a skilled teacher, a realized soul. So he will also create that somehow he will bring together. As Svāmī Vivekānanda used to say, when the field is ready, the seed must come. So when we think we are ready, an intense desire is burning us, like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to be burnt from the separation.

Through this, we can understand how much Rādhārāṇī was able to suffer, how much Caitanya Mahāprabhu was able to suffer. What am I referring to? At three, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa stated that three times my body started burning so intensely that even Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī found it hard to touch my body. So I used to be wrapped in a thick shawl, thick blanket. Even then they could not hold. And I used to immerse myself in the Ganges for hours together, keeping my nose above. That used to give me a small relief. But the moment I am out, nobody can be there in the Gaṅgā for all the time. I used to suffer from intense burning sensation. So we have to recollect all those things. That burning sensation is the resultant of Rādhā's separation from Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's separation from the Divine Mother. A child's separation from its mother. So that is called vyākulatā. And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to tell, I will go, I want to go. He throws all the playthings. Any number of playthings would not interest the child. I have to go to the mother.

The Four Conditions (Anubandha Catuṣṭaya) for Study

So when such a thing slowly arises, and it doesn't arise all of a sudden, we have to start from where we are. For that purpose, when that small percentage of discrimination and dispassion and control over the body and mind arise, then we should sit and reflect. What should we reflect? What shall I do now? So that is where anubandha catuṣṭaya comes in. That means four conditions have to be fulfilled even to study a subject. What are they? A subject means the, what is my subject? Do I want to become a chemist? I must study chemistry. Do I want to become a doctor? I must study zoology, biology, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and of course medical books. So we must, a person who wants to study music, you should not study what is called cookery. That is not the realm, subject matter. A scientist must not say I want to study music books. No. Scientist desirous of becoming a great scientist must study scientific books. That is the viṣaya. So what is the viṣaya here? Vedānta. That means Vedānta books. What type of Vedānta books? Like Vivekacūḍāmaṇi and like this Aparokṣānubhūti. In fact, I would say Aparokṣānubhūti. Then there must be a relationship between the book and the subject matter. I already indicated is called sambandha, relationship between the study book and the subject I want to master. So a person who wants to study music, no, no use studying chemistry book. He must study assiduously that too what he can understand.

But most important, what determines a, what determines which book I have to study? That is determined by prayojana. So that is a very important thing. Prayojana means what is my goal? What do I want to achieve? Okay, I want to be master scientist, but what do I want to do? So here, what is the ultimate prayojana? I practiced dharma, I practiced artha, and I have practiced kāma. These are all practical things. Shall I have to practice accumulating money, earning money? Yes, because there are many methods. One can earn money by hook or crook. No. Then kāma. Should I go and immerse myself in endless enjoyments? No. There is a time, there is a special place, there is a special occasion, and in measured quantities. My digestive power may be different from others. So I must eat what suits me. I must eat how much suits me or how much I can digest. I have to say which things are create poison within me, which are unhealthy for me. They're totally different things. Buddha ate what they call pig's meat, but it was not suitable for him. He knew it. But he knew, like Kṛṣṇa knew how he was going to die. Buddha ate, but he had forbidden all his thousands of disciples not to touch that meat prepared by a low-caste person. So we have to keep in mind all these things. So what is the prayojana? I want mokṣa, I want liberation. Who can want liberation? He had practiced dharma first, comes artha, kāma, that is animal life. Then comes a wise person's life where dharma comes first, artha, kāma comes later on. Then after enjoying for any number of births, then his mind withdraws itself from the external world and turns inward.

Citta Śuddhi and the Stages of Spiritual Progress

How do we know? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, every time some things flashes in my mind, I will tell it to you. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, nobody will have a desire to realize God or to desire mokṣa, to be liberated unless a person has gone from the life of a jamedar, means a lavatory cleaner, to a zamindar, to a landlord. Because a person must go through both suffering as well as enjoyment. Perhaps you may think, oh, if a person is going through enjoyment, then what happens? Does he ever want to become free from that? Yes, much more definitely. How? Because the person becomes wise. What is the payment, as I told many times, for happiness? Unhappiness is the direct payment for happiness. The more you are unhappy because you are hungry, the more you enjoy. Similarly, what is the payment for suffering? Happiness. So they go on changing. And that is why they are nitya. Such a person becomes fit for liberation, to struggle for liberation, to undertake the journey for liberation. That is what Bhagavad Gītā in the second chapter so beautifully expressed.

What is the prayojana? I want to be a mukta. When? Not only when I am suffering, even when I am a royal person, I am an emperor, I am enjoying everything. Even then I I'm not happy at all. Like a child, you give him the costliest jewels, the most beautiful dress. No. I want to go to my mother. That nobody can remove from the child. And we will also become like that children at the right time. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say that a mother bird doesn't peck its eggs unless it knows, and it knows when to break open the egg. If it breaks open before the chick is fully formed, then the chick will be either defective or may die also. So in animal kingdom, a defective animal or a bird is not going to survive for a long time at all. So this person must be longing. Longing for what? For mukti. And this longing also comes only by the will of God, by the grace of God, by the grace of the Divine Mother. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa tells, unless mother is gracious, nobody will feel like earning towards spiritual life. I am using this word spiritual life deliberately because religious life in no way should be associated with spiritual life. But religious life, you can say, is a foundation upon which is built this spiritual life.

Then fourfold qualities, a person must become a adhikārī. Who is an adhikārī? He must have nine qualities, even though it is said sādhana catuṣṭaya. So here also that adhikārī, a fit person, otherwise a qualified student alone will not give up the struggle to become free. If he is not qualified, at some point, sooner or later, he will give up. So here there is a person who is endowed with four means of salvation. He is also endowed with citta śuddhi. And one must have citta śuddhi. Citta śuddhi can be attained only through karmakāṇḍa. The very purpose of karmakāṇḍa, ritualistic portion of the Vedas, is slowly, gradually by making the aspirant to test higher lokas. What happens? Then the person will develop intense faith, śraddhā, in the scriptures. First, a blind faith. The scripture says, you do this, you will get this. And I told you many times, I have complete faith in that. So I chanted and then immediately money, materials, people, everybody came together and constructed the temple very soon. How can I deny my own experience? So with half faith, a person starts doing like a student after hearing from the parents, you must study hard. So reluctantly he starts, and then it creates interest. As we say in Bengali, paḍite paḍite pāṭh. As I go on studying, my interest, my concentration develops. So as I go on doing the rituals, when I get the results, śraddhā will grow. Along with śraddhā, I also try to lead a pure life, observing vidhi and niṣedha. And that is what is called in modern language do's and don'ts. Don't do this, do this things.

And that slowly first rituals purify our heart. It gives us puṇyam or merit. And it gives us really great result of happiness, less of suffering. And the person goes on developing, strengthening his faith in the scriptures. I experimented with the scriptures and they proved to be right. And such a person slowly is taken to the next step, which is called mere rituals will not do. You will have to do a little bit of meditation also, called upāsanā. And by practicing upāsanā, he enjoys the result of going to higher lokas even right now, as we have seen in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad. So it is said ānanda mīmāṁsā. Every pressure that is obtained until Brahmā himself, the creator himself, is obtained by a realized soul right here without going anywhere. There is no question of going anywhere at all. So he becomes an adhikārī. He is ready now. But how is he ready? Slowly he develops discrimination followed by dispassion. What is dispassion? What I come to know as unworthy, as changing, as not worth pursuing, then I slowly give it up and I take to what should be taken up. And then it also requires tremendous control over the body, over the mind because our life, any given life is full of previous impressions, saṁskāras. Not one janma, billions of janmas of saṁskāras. They have to be overcome by sādhanā. That is very important for all of us to understand. So these ninefold qualities is called sādhana catuṣṭaya sampatti. Nine acquisition, but they are all condensed into four ślokas. That is why it is called catuṣṭaya. So the definitions are given. What are that?

So before embarking on direct inquiry, that is before hearing śravaṇam, the mahāvākya from the guru, śiṣya must be ready to hear, even to hear. And it is very important. You can't take a college student to Einstein and then make him sit and say, you explain to him, please explain to this student your special theory of relativity. He may be explaining, but will the student understand? Right understanding will not come. And that's why they remember the incident when Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa spoke on the Aṣṭāvakra Saṁhitā. Only one person understood. That was Svāmī Vivekānanda, Narendranath. So we have to develop them. They do not fall from the sky. Like we go to gymnasium and grow our muscles, we have to develop. So viveka, what is viveka? That everything is changing, God alone is not changing. What is vairāgya? Dispassion or non-attachment towards temporary worldly and heavenly also, heavenly pleasures. I don't want to go to heaven, including Brahmaloka, because that is also temporary only. Maybe it will last long. I don't think it will last long. I explained to you this funny understanding of mine. What is if you go to Indraloka, what happens when you are eating sweet? The happiness or the pleasure lasts only until the sweet goes down the throat. That is called ānanda. Temporary ānanda, momentary pleasure is nothing but Brahmānanda for a moment. Then what happens? The walk you will fall down and you only remember for a few seconds. So what is my point? When we are in touch, become one with the sweet, time is forgotten. In deep sleep, time is forgotten. And then tell me now, whether a person sleeps for one hour in deep sleep or whether a person sleeps as an unconscious person for 100 years, what difference does it make? From the viewpoint of the sleeper, time doesn't exist because he is in ānanda. Deep sleep is called ānandamaya kośa. If you understand this one, so when a person goes to Indraloka, because he gets such higher happiness, he forgets time. And by the time he is kicked out, then he opens his eyes. Same thing happens in Brahmaloka. So it is only from the waking point of view, the Indra ānanda lasts for a little longer time, and Brahmaloka ānanda will last for longer time. But that is pure myth because just keep in mind, ānanda means timelessness. So whether it is one yuga, sahasra yuga, or it is only for one moment, it makes no difference. When we fall down, then we remember. It's all we have to understand.

Sādhana Catuṣṭaya Sampatti and the Nature of Grace

So then ṣaṭ sampatti, so the six-fold qualities like, you know, control of the mind, forbearance, faith, concentration, śraddhā, samādhāna, etc. We will come to the definitions very soon. And then of course, when these qualities are being developed, slowly that seed called desire for liberation is planted in the earth. Earth means our life. And slowly it tries, it is growing up like any seed. Mumukṣutvam also has to grow. Nine qualities have to grow. Viveka has to grow, vairāgya has to grow. They do not fall from the sky. Therefore, everybody is already fit for, especially for those who are traveling in bhakti mārga, it is much better. So this is how we have to understand.

And so now the subject matter is Aparokṣānubhūti. Aparokṣa jñāna means to know I am Brahman. So again, in the third mantra, we are learning something very important. The desire for spiritual life comes only by the grace of God. Sri Ramakrishna very often used to say, unless Mother is gracious, the desire for spiritual life will not arise in that person upon whom the grace of the Divine Mother descends. First she plants that desire that I want to grow, I want to go to my mother. That is called the desire for mokṣa. Going to mother, going to Īśvara, there's one and the same things. So in the beginning, very first mangala śloka, what did we discuss? It's only by the grace of God. Hari doesn't mean Nārāyaṇa. Hari means God. God means saguṇa Brahman, Īśvara. And you call him Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Mother Kālī, etc., etc. It doesn't really matter. But how does God's grace really desire? Sri Ramakrishna has again a pointer he gives to us that the grace, the breeze of God's grace is always blowing. It is blowing for everybody. And all of us are on our small boats. Our body and mind is compared here to the boats. But the breeze is blowing. Who can be carried forward? Only he who unfurls. Un what is called removes the veil, unveils, removes the or manifests the potential divinity. How? By following the rituals, by doing the upāsana, etc., etc. A time will come like a nursery school boy, elementary school boy, he can become the greatest specialist by earning the doctorate or post-doctorate. That is how we have to understand.

Svadharma and Universal Eligibility for Liberation

That is being said in the third śloka. The four preliminary qualifications, sādhana catuṣṭaya sampatti, such as viveka, vairāgya, etc., come to a devotee only by propitiating Hari. Hari means not Viṣṇu, not Nārāyaṇa, but God. Call him Jesus Christ, call him Allah, call him Buddha, by whatever name you want. But how does his grace come? How do we propitiate Hari? Through austerities and the performance of duties pertaining to their social order and stage in life. So we have seen so many times. So we are all at a particular stage. Supposing you take this person, he is a let us say fourth caste. Unfortunately, we have to use those words, fourth caste. And then he is 50 years old. So what's varṇa in the maybe he is not educated, maybe he is doing sweeping, cleaning, etc. But that doesn't prevent him from developing spiritually, intellectually. No, they can be like the what is called untouchable who was encountering Śaṅkarācārya, and instinctively Śaṅkarācārya said, dūraṁ gaccha dūraṁ gaccha. Then that caṇḍāla addressed him. And the followers of Śaṅkarācārya, they don't want to accept he is a caṇḍāla, which is very unfortunate. They said he is Śiva himself came to bestow his grace on Śaṅkarācārya. Nothing can be further from truth. How do you know? How do you say? That means you are denying only a brāhmaṇa will can get mukti. Only all other castes will not get mukti, and especially the fourth caste will not get mukti. As if Śaṅkarācārya has not seen sufficient number of people like Kanakadasa, Purandara Dasa, etc., etc. Even in Bengal, there is the story of Chandidas. He falls in love with a washerwoman, and then they start living together. But what is, you know, Sri Ramakrishna talks about them and says this Chandidas and that washerwoman never knew what is called lust. This was the purest Rādhā Kṛṣṇa bhāva. And who are we to deny that explanation? The whole community outcasted them. But what does it matter? What is my point? So Chandidas was a brāhmaṇa. He was a pujari. So it is okay. But then why did he fall in love? Because what was he seeing in her? Rādhā herself. And through her, he obtained the grace of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. What about Mirabai? She was only a kṣatriya woman. How many realized Śaṅkarācāryas are there who equal the devotion and the knowledge? Who could say to Sanatana Goswami, wherefrom a second man has come to Vrindavana?

So everybody is born, but that one need not grow. A caṇḍāla has to become a vaiśya, has to become a then kṣatriya, has to become a brāhmaṇa. Then Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everybody is a śūdra. Then through saṁskāra he becomes dvija. And then through the study of Vedas he obtains the title vipra. And then he realizes Brahman, then only he becomes a brāhmaṇa. Absolutely true. The same thing can be applied because Bhagavad Gītā tells categorically Sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. So practice svadharma. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ. that is called he calls it Worship that. Discharging one's duties as they should be itself is the greatest tapasya. And then Bhagavān will be realized. And then who are these people who come and deny that one? Oh, he will attain citta śuddhi. Who the hell are you to say that they will only attain citta śuddhi? If God pleases, he can drown even the greatest jñānī into the greatest tamas. And if God wishes, even the most unlettered person can also obtain universal vision, viśvarūpa darśana. Like Sri Ramakrishna had given mukti to Rasik, had given mukti to Hajra, had given mukti to Gopaler Ma, had given mukti to Kalipada Ghosh, and to how many other people he had given mukti? Who knows about it? So what is required? God has kept me in this. Even a prostitute can go to Vaikuṇṭha, as Sri Ramakrishna's story beautifully illustrates, because her body is doing what her varṇadharma, but her mind is only thinking on God. How many millions of people had become saints by thinking about God? And the whole Sri Krishna temple at Udupi had broken and God turned just to give darśana to Kanakadasa. We forget all these things. These arrogant followers of the Advaita Ashrama, Advaita Vedanta, they go on talking about only a brāhmaṇa is fit for sannyāsa, as if they know everything. Even now they're behaving exactly in the same way.

So here categorically Bhagavān Śaṅkara says varṇāśrama-dharmeṇa. Whatever varṇa, whatever caste you are, whatever work you are doing, it doesn't matter. But whatever stage of life you are in, so learn about dharma. And you don't need to go to a gurukula. Your parents will teach. If you are sincere, knowledge will come by itself. So by observing the dharma, that is your duty, Sri Ramakrishna tells to Rasik, you do your duty. And that is it. Sri Ramakrishna tells a gardener that you clean from Sri Ramakrishna's room to the pañcavaṭī because many devotees walk, and by cleaning that pathway of pebbles, of thorns, etc., etc., you will get mukti. And Sri Ramakrishna bestowed mukti upon how many people? We have no history at all. Even now he is giving.

So one must undergo tapasya. What is tapasya? Voluntarily you fast on ekādaśī days, on festival days, etc. That is fine. You don't need to do it. Whatever problems arise, unhappiness, suffering comes, you just say, Lord, you want to give me this one. The greatest example is that weaver, a story of Sri Ramakrishna's in the gospel, the will of Rama. So I told you quite a number of times, you have to you must exercise your imagination to go further than the story is only an outline. You have to develop it by thinking deeply. Supposing the magistrate had said, I am helpless, you are caught red-handed. I have to give you punishment. You will be there. Let me say for 15 years you will be jailed. What would be the reaction? He would have been jumping up up and down with joy because he will he need not work at all. All the Her Majesty's government will provide much better food perhaps than what he was able to eat and at regular times, and nobody will disturb him. So he can go on thinking of his iṣṭadevatā Rama. By the will of Rama, I have been given this wonderful opportunity to think about God. That is how Bal Gangadhar Tilak, when he was jailed by the British government, he started writing this marvelous book, Karma Yoga, his own commentary upon Bhagavad Gītā, which of course is one-sided only. But he utilized his time. Mahatma Gandhi used to say, it is the greatest blessing I can think of God because nobody will be allowed to see me, and I also, my body also needs some rest. This is how we have to understand.

So tapasya means voluntarily undertake some austerities. But the biggest tapasya is to put up with everything, even with family members, even with adverse circumstances, even with ill health, etc. But do everything for the pleasure of God. Hari-toṣaṇam. Hari toṣaṇam means somehow please God. So as Brother Lawrence used to say, I would not lift a blade of grass if it doesn't please the divine Lord. That is called practice of the presence of God. Then what happens if a person thinks it is the will of God by which I am born here, now I am so many years old, and I will please him by discharging my duties properly, then Hari becomes absolutely filled. That is what in the Bhagavad Gītā Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ. So many people like Janaka, etc., they just ruled their kingdom. Everybody is not a ruler, but they pleased the divine Lord. Then what happens? Sādhanaṁ prabhavet puṁsām. Puṁsām means for men. That means I want to practice spiritual disciplines. That desire It gradually becomes a seed. Seed goes on growing. And then what happens? Vairāgyādi catuṣṭayam. These nine qualities, even though it is said catuṣṭayam means fourfold, but which is going to be enumerated, it is going to come here.

Defining Vairāgya (Dispassion)

So now definitions of what is this viveka, vairāgya, etc., we have seen in the Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. But here we will have to again and again revise because this is not a passing an examination and forgetting about it. This is to be applied at every stage. So first only in this in this work vairāgya comes first and then comes viveka. But the order should be first viveka then vairāgya, but it doesn't matter. So the fourth śloka says: ब्रह्मादिस्थावरान्तेषु वैराग्यं विषयेष्वनु । यथैव काकविष्ठायां वैराग्यं तद्धि निर्मलम् ॥ ४ ॥ brahmādisthāvarānteṣu vairāgyaṁ viṣayeṣvanu | yathaiva kākaviṣṭhāyāṁ vairāgyaṁ taddhi nirmalam || 4 ||

The indifference with which one treats the excreta of a crow, such an indifference to all objects of enjoyment from the realm of Brahmā to this world in view of their perishable nature is verily called pure vairāgya. Beautiful. So if somebody goes, if somebody tells, I can not only tell you about Brahmaloka, I can take you to Brahmaloka and you will be there, like Yamadharma Rāja offered the same thing. Who is Yamadharma Rāja? He was nothing but Brahmā only. You will be as long as I am ruling, then there will be no death and you will enjoy that which would be catering to all your five senses. And Naciketā said, you may give me, but when I become old, body is definite to be become old, and Naciketā was very conscious about it. Then even if a most desirable object is in front, but I don't have the capacity even to enjoy it a little bit, will it lead to happiness or will it lead to double agony? Because double agony because that I have been given but I am not able to enjoy. Second, others are enjoying it. So that is the idea that comes here. From the Brahmaloka, sthāvara means a small pillar or a small amoeba, living creature. So that with regard to every object there would be dispassion. What is the dispassion? What type of dispassion? Kāka means crow. Viṣṭhā means its droppings. Just like that if when you are under a tree or walking, suddenly a crow drops and horrible smell comes. And then do you want to keep? Ah, how fortunate I am. God has given me. I was not expecting it. I will take it and keep it. I will not wash my shirt, etc. Let it be there. I want to enjoy. Do you say that? Leave alone a mother gives birth to a baby and the baby passes urine, stool, etc. Is it any better than any other person's? It is not. The same smell will be there. The smell of urine, the small smell of the feces will be there. What does the mother do? She knows it's my baby, has not developed the control, so she will wash it. But how long will she keep? You think she will keep for a long time? So what about our own? I want is my own excreta, so I am not going to give it up. Does anybody say that? So like that any object of pleasure is like that. Why? Because everything passes away and it only increases our attachment. Therefore, one must develop that beginning even from the slightest enjoyable object until Brahmaloka same intensity of dispassion because everything is temporary. That if a person slowly develops, that is called vairāgya. Don't mistake that until I develop that much, I will not approach a guru. No, these are things which have to be developed slowly.

Defining Viveka (Discrimination)

Then definition of viveka. What is viveka? नित्यमात्मस्वरूपं हि दृश्यं तद्विपरीतगम् । एवं यो निश्चयः सम्यग्विवेको वस्तुनः स वै ॥ ५ ॥ nityamātmasvarūpaṁ hi dṛśyaṁ tadviparītagam | evaṁ yo niścayaḥ samyagviveko vastunaḥ sa vai || 5 ||

So that is called viveka. Viveka means what? Discernment, discrimination. What is the discrimination? We do the discrimination. Is this job better? Is that job better? So if I accept this job, will it give me what is called higher positions, promotions sooner? Or which give which gives me even though less paying, which can make me climb the ladder of management very quickly, etc. That would be the ordinary person's thinking. But everything as Bhartṛhari says in his Vairāgya Śatakam, sarvaṁ vastu bhayānvitaṁ bhuvi nṛṇāṁ vairāgyamevābhayam. What is it? What is it that abides the existence, pure existence, which is our nature? Like gold, gold exists. Ornaments, they come and go, temporary. But but whatever is experienced, whatever is an object, just the opposite. What is it? When you are looking at something, then you experience it. Then another thought comes, you forget even if you are staring like M went to pañcavaṭī and stood in front of Sri Ramakrishna and he is asking, where is he? His he was his body was there. Where was his mind? Somewhere else. So nityam ātmasvarūpaṁ hi. What is it? Ātman alone, God alone is permanent. Everything else is temporary. What is everything else? Anātman. Ātman alone is permanent. Anātman is temporary. And then this must be the evaṁ yo niścayaḥ samyak. Samyak niścayaḥ means what? Firm understanding. So one must have discrimination. Whatever is changing, do your duty and enjoy things. It doesn't prohibit one from enjoying things, but be aware. Now I am enjoying, but it may not be there next second. This body is there. I am enjoying this body. Next moment it may not be there. Anything can happen to any person, anywhere, any place, at any time, in any way. That is called viveka.

Defining Śama and Dama (Mental and Physical Control)

And then two definitions of what is śama and what is dama. You must have noticed I am running through them because we have discussed them so many times. So what is it? Śama and dama. This is the third sentence that comes the third spiritual wealth. But it is it contains really six ṣaṭ sampatti. So what is śama? And what is dama? सदैव वासनात्यागः शमोऽयमिति शब्दितः । निग्रहो बाह्यवृत्तीनां दम इत्यभिधीयते ॥ ६ ॥ sadaiva vāsanātyāgaḥ śamo'yamiti śabditaḥ | nigraho bāhyavṛttīnāṁ dama ityabhidhīyate || 6 ||

Abandonment of desires at all times is called śama and restraint of the external functions of the organs is called dama. So what is śama first? That is when we are moving among the objects of enjoyment, the desires come. So enjoy them. Nothing wrong. Like Sri Ramakrishna says, I had a desire for eating a best sweet. Somebody brought it to me, a sandeś. So I put it in my mouth, moved it from one side of the mouth to the other, and then I said, oh mind, this also is made up of pañcabhūtas like mud, etc. No difference at all. So then with that discrimination, you edit. And then he says, as a result of that eating with discrimination, the desire again, I want that sandeś was very tasty and it gave me a lot of pleasure. I want it again. That I want it again has to be renounced. Enjoy it, offer it to God and enjoy it. And that is called vāsanā tyāgaḥ. Whenever any desire comes, then firmly you say, it is temporary, oh mind. God alone is real. Desire God. We have to practice. And slowly our desire for God, as it becomes intense, our desire for worldly objects become less and less intense. But simply mentally doing will not do. So sometimes, okay, so it has come. Now I will give it to somebody else. I would not like to have it. So that means that capacity to reject it, to control it. Nigraha means controlling it. And bāhya vṛttīnāṁ means objects of the external world. And sometimes you eat with discrimination, but sometimes voluntarily you give them up on some days even though you are hungry, keep fast, think about God. This control of the body, control of the five sense organs, control of the five sense of senses of action. I want to run there. No, don't go. I want to grasp it. No, no, no. Don't do that. Simply sit and think of God. So the control of both body and mind, that is called dama. Beautiful definitions. And I have a lot to say. We'll talk about it in our future classes.

Conclusion

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्।

पादपद्मेतयोस्त्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः।

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadgurum।

pādapadmetayos tritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ।

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna!