Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 07 on 25 March 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVEM PRAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAM IMUHURUM UHUH OM SAHANAVVATO SAHANAV BHUNAKTO SAHAVIRYAM KARAVAVAHAI TEJASVINAVADHITAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARE HAI OM OM May Brahman protect us both, the teacher and the student. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge. May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge. May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill will towards each other. OM Peace Peace Peace be unto all. We have been studying the first chapter of the Shweta Shvatara Upanishad. This Upanishad is named after a Rishi called Shweta Shvatara. Shweta means white. Ashwa means a horse. Probably he was a worshipper of Hayagriva or he is a pure person. Ashwa also means sense organs. Horse senses, horse sense organs are all completely pure. And that is the appropriate meaning. Because nobody can have knowledge of Brahman unless the mind becomes pure. Purity is what is called in yogic language by Patanjali, CHITTAVRUTTI NIRODHAHA Here Nirodha is not suppression nor oppression but purity of the mind. What is purity? To receive the ability to receive knowledge as it is without any distortion. That is called purity. We have been recollecting there were very serious, sincere aspirants after Brahman, Sadhakas who realized the ephemerality of this universe. After a long time of prayer, meditation, etc. And they were bent upon realizing Brahman. They started finding out. To get out of this world, we have to find out if there is someone outside this world. Because everything in this world we know, we have experienced. And it is not giving us any satisfactory results. And we have understood thoroughly even if we live for eternity, this world is not going to give us what we are after. And so what could it be? In simple words, is there a God? And when we say outside the world, we are not talking in terms of distance, DESHA or KALA. We are talking in terms of infinity, changelessness, what generally we call SAT, CHIT and ANANDA. And they started deeply thinking. They have examined as we saw. Is it time? Is it nature? Is it law? Is it accident? Is it something else? Found out. What does it mean in simple words? That any object in this world cannot be the cause of this world. Simple example. I hope we can understand it. What is the cause of this table? A table cannot explain what a table is. Similarly, none of these things can explain what this world is because the cause of something is avyakta, unmanifest. And so they must have prayed to God. They must have done tapasya and God out of His infinite kindness revealed to them. It is Maya. Maya is the cause of this entire universe. And this Maya is consisting of three strands. SATVA, PRAJAS and TAMAS. This is called any group of three is called a triad. And I will come to the some more details. But this Maya, is it real? No. It is unreal? No. It is in between real and unreal. Rather I would say reality viewed partially. That is called mithya. So it appears to be temporary. It appears to be changing all the time. It appears to be experienced by a conscious subject. So take these three characteristics. It is an object. And it is experienced by somebody. And it is ever changing. And it is incomplete. And that is called Maya. So why this answer? We have to understand. Pure Brahman, pure truth cannot be the cause. And any object in this world cannot be the cause. Maya by itself, independent of the Divine Lord, cannot be the cause. So consciousness plus this Deva Atma Shakti, power of the Divine Lord, which is called Maya. It is inseparable. And in technical language it is called Saguna Brahma. So Nirguna Brahma is not the cause. Maya by itself cannot create anything because it is totally dependent upon the Divine Lord. That is what those students of Bhagavad Gita say. This is my Maya. Without me it cannot exist. But I am not directly responsible. The popular example is if there is a magnet. In the presence of the magnet many things happen. For example, iron filings are attracted. But if you ask the magnet, why are you attracting? The magnet simply says, what are you talking about? I don't know what you are talking about. Did I attract the particles? No, there is a power by which even without doing anything some action takes place. And that is what is called Bhagavan's Kartrutva. He is not Karta. He is not Bhokta. He is not the creator. But by His presence, Maya, as if like a mirror reflecting light from the sun and it illuminates many objects and that is what happens. So we have been discussing the sixth mantra. And in these two mantras, the whole world is considered as compared to an analogy is given. In fact, two analogies are given. It is like a Brahma Chakra continuously on the move. Vayu Chakra. Chakra means a wheel. Vayu Chakra, continuously sun is rising, sun is setting. A baby is born, grows up and at some point of time it dies. Seasons come, seasons go. Happiness comes, happiness goes. Unhappiness comes, unhappiness goes. Everything is moving in endless cycles or circles. That is why the whole Samsara is compared to a beautiful wheel. And this wheel consists of many things. That means everything that we experience in this world. In fact, we can classify the whole world. There are only two. The experiencer and everything that is experienced. And we make three differences. Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. But it doesn't matter. Everything in this world is divided into very simple classification. The subject, the knower and the object are the known. Experiencer, experienced. So the Samsara consisting of the experiencer and the experienced is comparable to a wheel. That is one analogy. Second analogy is continuously moving. Huge river. River is continuously moving. It never stays for a millisecond. And many things float upon it. And it takes its birth in a sea. And it is lifted up and taken to a very high mountain tops. Dropped there by an unknown power. And it becomes water. And it starts flowing. Becomes huge river. Again completes the circle. Reaches the ocean. It completely gotten rid of the name and form. Becomes one with the ocean. Again to be lifted up. This Samsara Chakra is going up. Now we should not get a doubt. So if we are part of this Chakra, is there no release? Do we have to come back again and again? No. Once we know the Lord, we get out. But like I gave the example of a ferris wheel. New passengers are coming. And they get in. And they get out. And again new passengers come. This Samsara is going on and on and on. SANSKRIT CHANT We have already discussed. You have to go back if you want. Similarly, that was the comparison to a wheel. Then comparison to a river in Mantra 5. SANSKRIT CHANT These seekers of Brahman, they have understood. The whole Jagat is, we have understood. That it is made up of these materials. What are they? Just like a river. So we meditate on the river. Whose 5 currents are the 5 organs of senses, perception, etc. And this life is made up of impetuous and winding. By the 5 Bhutas. Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi. Whose waves are the 5 organs of actions. Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa, Gandha. And whose fountain head is the mind. Which cognizes, harmonizes all the 5 streams of information. Coming through these 5 separate channels of information. And this river has 5 Viral Pools. Every sense object that is experienced. It makes us either love it or hate it. And we are trying to run towards what we mistakenly think. Gives us happiness. Trying to run away from it. Which again we mistakenly think. It is giving us untold suffering. Unimaginable suffering. And this river is so huge. So powerful. It has many Viral Pools. But 5 Viral Pools. And that is 5 Samskaras. Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya. Gathered through the 5 sense organs. And its rapids are the 5 fold misery. What is the 5 fold misery? Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Kresha and Abhinivesha. As outlined by Patanjali Rishi in his Yoga Sutras. And lastly it has 50 branches and 5 pain bearing obstructions. And we meditated. And what happened as a result of this meditation? That we understood Samsara is a source of trouble. Is there any hope that at some point or other we can be forever happy? No. And what is that forever to be forever happy? That we should not have any death. Fear of death. Fear of unconsciousness. And fear of suffering. That's why 3 spontaneous natural prayers. Asato Ma Sadgamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya Prutyor Ma Amrutangamaya They meditated. And what happened as a result of this meditation? This world can never throw us out. But is there any way out? Yes, there is a way out. So first of all we meditated and found out. Anything that happens in this world is a cause of bondage. Including even attainment of Svarga Loka. Attainment of Brahma Loka. For a person, for a poor person, for an unhappy person, for an unhealthy person, Indra Loka, Brahma Loka may appear to be the highest goal. But once it is enjoyed, first of all you have to pay. And God has the policy, enjoy now and pay later. His policy is pay first and enjoy later. And every time the Punya is exhausted, we have to create again. Until we become wiser and say, is there any way to go, get out? Yes, there is a way. What is the way? Get out of Punya and Punyam and Paapam. Because they are the causes of Samsara, rebirth. Whether we are doing wicked deeds, Paapa Karmas, we have to be reborn to reap. Whether we do Punya Karmas, again we have to be reborn to exhaust that Punya. Karma phala, either way we have to come. And as Buddha says, it is inevitable that we cannot escape what you call existential suffering. Birth is suffering, growth is suffering, old age is suffering, death is suffering. Saint or sinner, rich or poor, powerful or powerless, emperors or paupers, scholars or illiterates, everybody has to go through the same, what we call, six way-way experiences. Shad-urmi, asti, jayate, padhate, viparnamate, apakshiyate, vinasyate. Is there any way out? Yes. Approach a Sadguru, learn the truth from him, practice sadhana, surrender to God and by God's grace, only by God's grace, can man attain. What does he attain? That he doesn't attain anything new. He simply, God removes the misunderstanding and gives the right understanding. Shrunvantu vishwe amrutasya putra aye dhana dhamani divyanitasthu vedaha metam purusham mahantam aditya varnam tamasaha parastha You are that. Tat tvam asihi And by God's grace, he attains aham brahmasmi. If he becomes a jevanmukta, then not only I am Brahman, there is nothing else but Brahman. This samsara, so long thought is completely separate from everything, everything is separate from everything, is nothing but Brahman with namarupa. So what is the cause of bondage? Not knowing who we are. And what is the means to liberation? Uttishthata, jagrata, prapyavarana, nibodhata, arise. That means, understand you are in trouble. Awake. Become very alert. Approach a sadguru and sit at his feet and learn from him. Practice what you have learned and then you will obtain the grace of God. And only by the grace of God can one really realize God. By the way, Shrunvantu vishwe amrutasya putra aha is part of this Shrutashtra Upanishad. And we will come to that. Marvelous mantras are there and one mantra says, unless man has knowledge, by the grace of God, even if he advances scientifically, where he can roll the sky, just as we roll up a mat, as easily as that, there is no hope of getting out of samsara, we will bring that subject at the appropriate places. Now we have been discussing Mantra 6. sarvajive sarvasamsthe prihante asmin hamsah brahmyate brahmachakri prithat atmanam preritaranchamattva yushtah tatah tena amrutatvam eti This Shrutashtra Upanishad is one of those Upanishads which advocate devotional path, which advocate the grace of God, which advocate surrendering oneself to God. And again and again, we will get this idea. Now in our last class, we have been discussing this Mantra 6. sarvajive That means in which all these beings live, exist and continue. sarvasamsthe And again at the end, we only go back, we came from God, God is sustaining us and again we go back to God. srishti sthiti samhara It is we come from God, we live in God and we go back to God. Meanwhile, if we do not know, we suffer. If we know, we enjoy this, what is called circus. And what happens? asmin brihante brahma chakra In this samsara, called brahma chakra and what type of brahma chakra? Brihante, infinite. Why is it infinite? Because it is Brahman only. Brahman is infinite. We are only viewing Brahman. But with the, through the prism of time, space and causation, which is another name for the mind. Therefore, everything appears to be endowed with nama, rupa and guna. So, in this brahma chakra, which is infinite, hamsaha, I, the individual soul, jivaha, you, the individual soul, jivaha, everything is an individual soul. What about a piece of rock? That is also an individual soul. This is the special philosophy of Advaita. Advaita tells us, there is nothing without consciousness. Wherever there is sat, existence, there will be consciousness, there will be ananda. Maybe we do not see it, but are there people who see it? Yes, there are people. Those who, as I mentioned, jivan muktas, what do they see? Brahman. Suppose they look at a piece of rock, what do you think they will see? Only the existence of rock? No, they will see everything as brahman. And what is the description of brahman? Sat, chit and ananda. We are not able to see chit and ananda in what we call non-living things. But we see only sat. But jivan muktas see brahman. That means they see sat, chit, ananda because there is nothing else excepting brahman. So this hamsaha, brahmyate, goes on wandering. For how long? Infinity? No. There will come a time he will wake up. That's what Swami Vivekananda wanted to convey. First movement from God is to become manifested, called involution. Second movement is evolution. That is, we came from God, we are going back to God. Whether we understand it or not, whether we want it or not, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are standing as my favorite expression, on the escalator. And this escalator will not allow us to stand. Even if we are lying down in it, it will inevitably take us to God only. So this wheel of chakra started from God, came down and again taking us back to that same God. So this hamsaha jiva, brahmyate, wanders. Prithat, but why does he wander? Because of ignorance. What is the ignorance? Atmanam, preritaram, prithat, matva. God is separate, I am separate. In fact, what Madhvacharya says, God is different, world is different, every jiva is different. Jiva and jiva, there are differences. One object and another object in the world, they are also different. Every object is different from God. Every jiva is different from God. This is called five differences. And all of us are completely established, we believe in it, we don't believe in unity and so long as that is there, we will be moving. But for how long? Not for long. Here I am going to tell you a very important point. So this applies especially to Hindus. Hindus believe in purva janma and also para janma. We had innumerable past births, we are going to have innumerable future births also. But this is only a faith. So are we going to be really or did we have churasi lakh janam, 84 lakhs, maybe I think more. If you calculate, I don't know how to calculate. But did we have it? The point is that sometimes this concept is carried to the irrational level. So we don't know how many future births we are going to go through if we believe in it. But the fact is do you remember your past birth? Not at all. And when you are reborn, for example, next birth, will you be remembering? That I was wondering. I asked Swami the question that how many more times I have to come? Will you say that? You will never say that. Whatever birth we have, that is the only birth we remember. We don't remember our parents, our family members, our incidents, our enemies, our friends, our sukha, dukha, whatever happened, we only don't remember at all. Only remember a few things. Infinitesimally few things. Otherwise, we will go mad with that memory. So don't worry. Even if you are born a billion billion times, you are not going to remember them. Blessed you are. God has given us that capacity to forget everything. Don't forget this class. That is my special request for you. So, Asmin, Brihantai Brahma Chakra Hamsa Brahmiyate Vahai Agnana What is Agnana? Ignorance. What is ignorance? That I am separate from everything. I am separate from God and everything is separate from everything else. But a time will come, unable to bear that suffering, then he will, first of all, he rises up from this ignorance. Then he doesn't find. Then he becomes very alert. That is the meaning of, you know, Uttishthata then Jagrata. Then, what does he do? He approaches Sadguru. Praapya Varan Nibodhata. He says, who can help me? And he finds out somebody. When the desire is genuine, then the fulfilment will come, must come. That is what Swami Vivekananda used to say. When the field is ready, the seed must come. So, a Guru, Sadguru will come. Who is Sadguru? The grace of God in the form of another human being with whom we can interact, we can serve, we can make a target of looking upon him as God himself. That is the, I told you many times, a Guru is, whether he is God or not, is not the point. Whether I can think of him as a God, that is the point. If I can become successful in thinking of one single person as equivalent to God, whether he loves me, hates me, abuses me, praises me, scolds me, beats me, whatever he does, you are my God and whatever you do is for my good. I know that. And if a man succeeds, that person will be liberated very soon. There is no doubt about it. So Praapyavarana Ibodhata. Guru is God's grace. And once God's grace comes, as Sri Ramakrishna puts it, that you have been bitten, not by a water snake, by a cobra. There is no escape. And then what does happen? Jushtaha. Pleased, blessed. That means that understanding is given by God. Buddhi yogam dadamyaham. What to do, what not to do. And that willpower to do what is needed and avoid what is not needed. And that is called the blessing. Tathaha. Through that spiritual sadhana very soon, amrutattvam eti, there is no doubt about it. He attains. Amrutattvam eti means attains. Attains means what? Not that he was not God. He simply forgot he was God. Like the prince who was lost when he was a baby and brought up by beggars or low caste people and some elderly person recognizes him and it takes some time for him to understand that I am really a prince and he becomes a prince, a king. And he has not become a prince or a king, which he was not before. He was and he thought he was not. Now he knows he is. This is the meaning of eti. So the jiva considering itself separate and different from the Lord who is the moving force wanders in the wheel of Brahman in which all beings live and rest. But at the right time, blessed by Brahman, God and knowing itself to be one with the Lord, the jiva attains to immortality. So here a few words are very marvelous words. I explain Hamsaha. If you reverse the word Hamsaha, Soham Soham, Soham Soham, Soham Hamsa. It becomes Hamsa. That is why Paramahamsa Gayatri. So Tanno Hamsaha Prachodayat. So Hamsaha means I am He. I am He. I am He. With every breath, the breath we take in is telling Ham and the breath we throw out Saha. If you pay attention, Hamsaha Soham, Soham, Soham This is the meaning. And it is said that what is the etymological meaning of this word Hamsaha that He moves around, that is He wanders around is called Hamsaha. Jiva wanders around Samsara is called Hamsaha. The sun is also called Hamsaha. And there is an understanding that there is a bird called swan and it has the ability to separate milk from water and it only takes the milk, the substance and leaves out the water. That power of discrimination the swan has got. That is why some sect of Sanyasins are called Hamsas. Some are called Paramahamsas. Ramakrishna is called Paramahamsa. Totapuri Maharaj was a Paramahamsa. And we are all those who have taken initiation from the Ramakrishna order, we are all disciples of Paramahamsas. So if they are householders, they are mentally Paramahamsas or should become Paramahamsas and externally those who have taken a lifestyle of Sanyasins they are also, though we don't call ourselves Paramahamsas, our goal is to become Paramahamsa. So that is why the wandering monks is also called Paramahamsa and who has realized I am He, Hamsaha. Of course He is the real Paramahamsa and here every Jeevatma was never a Jeevatma. Thinking doesn't make us what we are. If we are not Bhagwan, then we are real Jeevas. But a Jeeva only mistaken. Like in dream, we are lying here, we dream that we are America or Australia or somewhere and some Khalistani fellow will come beat you up and then you wake up with a cry, oh thank God, I am in my own bed. So, why does the Jeeva wander and suffer? All because we are separate from Brahman. But a time will come, the suffering becomes inevitable and then there is no other way but the Jeeva turns back, arises, awakens, approaches a Guru and does sadhana, obtains God's grace and becomes liberated. But the important point is, in this Shweta Shweta Upanishad, we have to surrender ourselves to God. And this is where, so many times I have mentioned it, we have to continuously move from the life of Ramakrishna, the teachings of Ramakrishna, to the scriptures, to the Bhagavad Gita, to practical Vedanta. So, scriptures, sadhana and Sairam Krishna's life and teachings. Effortlessly we should move. And here is the illustration. Why does a Vijnani keep an attitude of love towards God? Here Vijnani means Paramahamsa. The answer is that, I-consciousness persists for a Jeevan Mukta. If a person is in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, there is no separate I-consciousness. But, if God decides to keep such a person, because the body-mind are very favorable for being a teacher in this world, for other searching disciples, Jignasus, then the consciousness will be there. But, what type of consciousness? That is what he wants to say. The answer is that, I-consciousness persists. It disappears in the state of Samadhi, no doubt. But, it comes back. But, the Vijnanis they keep the attitude of love. Since I-consciousness is there, I am the lover, you are the beloved. This is what I quoted earlier. Supposedly from Madhusudana Saraswati, Dwaitam Mohaya Praak. Before realization, dualism, duality only strengthens the bondage. But, Gnathe Advaite, once a person understands I am that Parabrahman, then what happens? Dwaitam, this very duality, Advaita Adapi Sundaram, even more enjoyable, beautiful than even Advaitam. Sri Ram Krishna explains, a man achieves neither knowledge nor liberation as long as he has egotism. He comes back again and again to the world. In the case of the ordinary people, the I never disappears. You may cut down the Ashwathar tree, but the next day, some sprouts shoot up, all off. Even after the attainment of knowledge, this I-consciousness comes up, nobody knows from where. But, the difference is, when a person has this I-consciousness after realization, he will either keep, I am a devotee, I am a Gnani. Sri Ram Krishna in another context, he says, people like Shukadeva, Shankaracharya, they kept the egotism of Gnanam, I am Brahman. That I-consciousness is there, but that is not for bondage. But, our consciousness and the body and the mind, that is the bondage. So, very difficult. Either I have to identify as body-mind or I have to identify I am Brahman. There is no middle way in between these two. Sri Ram Krishna continues, all our suffering is due to this I. And then he gives the famous illustration of a calf. The calf cries Hamba, Hamba, which means I, I. That is why it suffers so much. It grows up. It is yoked to the plough and made to work in rain and sun. Then it may be killed by a butcher. From its hide, shoes are made and also drums, which are mercilessly beaten. Laughter still doesn't escape suffering. At last, strings are made out of its entrails for the bows used in carding cotton. Then it no longer says Hamba, Hamba, I, I. Oh God, Tuhi, Tuhi, Tuhi, Tuhu, Tuhu, Tau, Tau. Only then are its troubles over. Oh Lord, I am the servant. Thou art the master. I am the child. Thou art the mother. And it no longer says Hamba, Hamba, but repeats Tuhu, Tuhu. The calf says as it were Oh God, Thou art the doer and I am nothing. Thou art the operator and I am the machine. Thou art the thing. So, that is why in this Svita Svitra Upanishad, a path of devotion is advocated that we should surrender ourselves to God, worship God, pray and every Gayatri Mantra is a prayer. Theemahi, then so Deo yo naha prachodayat. But what happens when we pray, the Lord being pleased by that, our prayer, our surrender showers grace. Tena Ishwarena Jivaha Yushtaha. That is Yushtaha, the God becomes pleased by the devotion, worship, surrender of the Jiva and the individual attains immortality. Amritatvam eti as he becomes one with the Lord. Thus the questions posited by the Brahmavadins in the first two Mantra are answered. Infinite truth with its inscrutable divine power called Maya is the ultimate cause of this world. This infinite truth alone appears as this creation due to its power and also governs it. Maya creates, Maya protects, sustains, supports, ultimately it returns us to God who is its real power. That is why Bhagavan says, Only those who surrender themselves completely to me, only they will attain to the highest truth. That means nobody else can attain. That is why the whole essence of the Upanishads is complete self-surrender. If somebody challenges me, how do you come to that conclusion? That is, Bhagavad Gita is supposed to be Sarva Upanishad Sara. Sarvo Upanishado Gaavo Dugdha Gopalananda Naha. Sarvo Upanishado Gaavo. Sudeer Bhokta Dugdham Gita Amritam Mahatma. Partha is only an Indian cough just to start the stream of the milk. And there at the end he gives the essence of all the Upanishads, all the scriptures in the world. The infinite truth with its inscrutable divine power alone is the ultimate cause of the world and that infinite truth alone appears as this entire prapancha due to this power of Maya and it alone governs it and at the end we emerge from to the ultimate truth we are sustained by it and go back to it. Then we realize our oneness with it. Until that time there is no mukti. So, what is the cause of liberation? First of all, we have discussed it in the 6th, we have to surrender ourselves and this is what we have discussed. Surrender to the Divine Lord. Why do we say so? And the 7th mantra answers it without the least bit of doubt crystal clearly. 7th mantra in the Svetasvatra Upanishad, Pratham Athaya, 1st chapter Udgeetam Paramam Tu Brahma Tasmin Strayam Supratishta Aksharancha Atharantaram Brahma Vidho Vidhitva Leenaha Brahmani Tatparaha Yoni Muktaha We have to supply Bhavanti. What does it mean? This is proclaimed to be really the supreme truth and what is that? Everything is Brahman. In it the triad exists. What is the triad? This world. It is the firm support of this world and is imperishable. The knowers of truth or Brahman through sadhana understanding its inner essence become, remain absorbed in it get merged into that Brahman and become forever free from birth, from this samsara cycle. We will briefly discuss, study this. Udgeetam Etat Paramam Tu Brahma Paramam Tu Brahma is Brahma which is the supreme Brahman. Udgeetam. Ud means loud. Geeta means proclaim. Loudly proclaim. Where? In the Vedas, in the Upanishads, in Bhagavad Geeta, in Puranas, in various names. Narayana, Shiva, Jaganmata. That is why Sarvamangalamangaliye Shiva Sarva Artha Sadhike Sarva Artha Sadhike. Artha means all the desirable goals of man. What are they? Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. And she is Sarvamangala. Even if she is if there is suffering, it is created by her so that we can return to her lap, Divine Mother's lap. Everyone is her children. There are no demons. There are no gods. Everybody is her children only. Sarvamangala has two meanings. All types of auspiciousness is first meaning. There is nothing the mother can withhold. She is called Kamakshi. She is called Meenakshi. But there is also this one. Sarvamangala means everybody. She gives, she does even for the demons. She will remove that Agnana. What can the Divine Mother kill? The Agnana. Agnana is what? The body and mind. They cling to the individuality so that she can take all her children into her lap. That washing process, washing of the dirt is what we call killing process. That is what we have to understand. Now, all the scriptures proclaiming of every religion that the Divine Lord is Supreme. Call it God. Call it Brahman. Call it Kingdom of Heaven. Call it by whatever Samadhi, Peace, Purnam. Doesn't matter by what name we call it. Satori, Nirvana. But there is only one reality. Everybody wants that reality because everybody is that reality. And this world, what is this world? It can never be separate. It can never be different from God. Tasmin in that Brahman. Trayam, Supratishta. Tasmin, Aksharancha. The Supreme Truth is imperishable. Akshara. Akshara means that which becomes perished. Akshara means never perishes. It is substratum of this perishable world of names and forms. Here the peculiar word used is Trayam. What is this Trayam? Many Trayams are there. In the Vedanta, it is important for us to understand at the individual level the Bhokta, Bhogya and Bhoga. The enjoyer and the enjoyable object and the enjoyment. Or Pramatha, Prameya, Prama. In where? The object of knowledge and the knowledge that comes. Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupti. Waking, dream, dreamless. Vishwa, Taijasa, Prajna. One who is identified is called Vishwa or we consider when we are in the waking state, I am a Vishwa. When we are in the dream state, I am Taijasa. When I am in the deep sleep, I am called Prajna. And same thing from the universal point of view, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara according to Puranas and Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat from the Advaita point of view. And then there is the triad of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which are the three strands supporting the wheel of Brahman, the rim of the Brahman. Earlier we have discussed in the fourth mantra. So these are the triads and all the triads are nothing other than another way of looking at Brahman. So what do they see? Brahma Vidaha, true knowers of Brahman, what do they see? Viditva, they know it completely. What do they know? That when they close their eyes, that means when they are merged in Samadhi, they see Brahman. When they open their eyes, they see the same Brahman. How? An example is given. Ornaments are made of gold and every ornament has a specific purpose. All ornaments are different. You cannot put a ring round your neck nor can you put a necklace round your finger. They are made for different purposes, different sizes, different shapes, but all of them when they are melted they become only pure gold. Just as rivers, they throw off their names and forms and go by the name of Samudra, ocean, so also all become gold only after melting and this manifestation melting takes place every day also and at the end of the Brahma's pralaya also Nitya pralaya means every day when we go into the deep sleep state, the Jagrat, the Swapna merge into it and at the end of the Sushupti again we come back. For a long time this Khela play is going on. It is an intolerable anguish for us and it is called Leela. Once we reach the Nitya, the supreme, the eternal, then it becomes Leela, divine sport, then we become participants in the divine Leela and in Vidyaranya is given beautiful definition Asti, Bhati, Priya equal into Sat, Chit and Ananda and Nama and Rupa Asti, Bhati, Priya, Nama, Rupa is called Jagat. From whose view? From Brahmavadin's view. But when they are in Samadhi, Asti, Bhati, Priya and when they look at Brahman through the prism of the Sharira and mind then Nama Rupa will appear. So another name for this Jagat is Asti, Bhati, Priya, Nama Rupa. Remove Nama Rupa from the Jagat it becomes Brahman. Add Nama Rupa to Brahman it is called Jagat. These are only things are there. So we do not need to search for the truth anywhere else. It is available right here here and now. I am that Brahman. That is why Kabir Das Doha says Moko Kaha dhonde re bandhe Mai to tere paas mein hoon So I am with you. I am not in Kaaba I am not in Kabbah. I am not in Mecca. I am not in Kashi. I am not in Kailasa. I am you. I am you. I am you. So this truth is to be realized as the very inner self of the seekers. Then what happens? Leena such people are called Brahmavids, Brahmavidaha. What happened? Leena Brahmani. They become identified with Brahman. That is the meaning of Leena, merged. Tatparaha They become one with Brahman. Yoni Muktaha Then no longer they consider themselves as body-mind and therefore they are completely free. Yoni Muktaha means rebirth. There is no rebirth for such people. This is the last birth. And incidentally there are, as we know, just a reminder most of you know there are three types of Muktis. Jeevan Mukti, which is the class 1 Mukti. Then Videha Mukti, class 2 Mukti, only at the severance of this body then a person's last attachment is taken off and he becomes merged in Brahman. Another is Krama Mukti. There are some people strong desires are there. They go to Brahma Loka and then they enjoy their incomparable happiness, bliss and then the last remnants of their desires are completely burnt out. Then they become 100% retention and Brahmaji himself takes Advaita classes and then along with Brahma they merge in Brahman never to come back. It is called Krama Mukti. So any of the Muktis is alright. There is another type of Mukti where it is mentioned only in the Puranas not in the Upanishads. That is those who come to Kashi and never step out of the circumference of Kashi they will attain Mukti. Why? Shiva promised whoever dies here, I'll give Mukti and somebody asked me why does he give Mukti? Because not that he is very keen on giving you Mukti. He doesn't want your trouble. So the only way to get out of himself from your problem is to give you Mukti forever and it is guaranteed. Ramakrishna has certified it. That is the one. This is called Leena Brahmani Tatparaha Yoni Mukta. Those who know, you open your eyes this world nothing but Brahman. Close your eyes, nothing but Brahman. Closed eyes, pure Brahman. Opened eyes Nama, Rupa, Una will be there and this is the process of evolution and this echoes very beautifully the Kata Upanishad The ignorant pursue external objects of desire. They get into the meshes of widespread death but the intelligent knowing sure immortality do not covet the changing uncertain things here. Then he says Ignorant pursue external objects of desire thinking they are going to be immortal happiness. But they get into the meshes of widespread death but the intelligent knowing what true immortality is do not covet the uncertain things here. But he who knows this Atman the honey eater that is he who is manifesting in the form of the enjoyer and the enjoyed ever near means not near we are that. The Lord of the past and future fears no more and this very least that means Aham Brahmasmi So here one point I want to make clear which our Advaitic teachers are very clear. So reaches merges, attains Samadhi all these are from our human minds point of view but really speaking we simply are become aware of what we are for some time as if we have forgotten who we are and psychiatrist comes and treats us the person who is telling I am Napoleon so he understands I am not Napoleon I am so and so this is the meaning of merging, attaining liberation and all those things. When one awakens from the nightmare one is relieved to be free from the painful state of the dreamer and the horrific dream world one was facing so imagine the relief of one who awakens to one's imperishable nature and realizes that the world is unreal and that one will never be reborn in any womb this is called Mukti and so in the next mantra, 8th mantra what is the cause of bondage and what is the knowledge that liberates it is not a new idea that is being discussed we will talk about it tomorrow Om Jananim Sharatam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Shritva Pranamam Imor Mohoho May Shri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna