Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 13 on 15 April 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADME TAYO SHRITVA PRANAMAMI MUHOR MUHOR We are studying the Shweta Shetra Upanishad. The goal of every Upanishad is to remind every human being that you are really Amrutasya Putra, children of immortal bliss. And that is the only goal of life. That is the only journey we are making. Whatever we may be thinking, we are doing. That is the final journey through ups and downs, meaning Sukha and Dukha. And nobody will be left out. Even the so-called non-living is also in the process of evolution, becomes endowed with life, Prani, and it will journey and it will reach the goal. And that is the inevitable process of every human life. Human beings alone can consciously plan and execute. And that is why so nicely it is said Purushartha. Purusha means a person capable of self-awareness, thinking, and set the goals with deliberate intention and scheme and work towards them. So we have seen the first chapter, what is the goal of life and why it should be a goal of life. Then these great thinkers, Purushas, capable of thinking, people who are Adhikaris, who are endowed with the capacity to discriminate between what is eternal and what is non-eternal, and they finally pronounce their judgment, man becomes free from death, from ignorance and from suffering, only when they can realize the Supreme Self. And this Supreme Self is none other than their own real Self, they themselves. So they have come to the conclusion, Purushartha has been classified. Now Hita has to be enumerated. Hita means how can I attain that goal? And for that, many ways are there. And in this Vethashvatara Upanishad, in the second chapter, the whole of second chapter in fact, is how to sit for meditation, how to practice meditation on Omkara. Omkara is the best symbol for both Saguna Brahma and Nirguna Brahma. So the ancient Rishis found out that only through Upasana, I prefer to use the word Upasana to the word meditation, because Upasana means Upa-Asana, approaching nearer and nearer. Here Asana stands for one's own Self, Atma or Truth or Brahman. And this process is done by unbroken thinking on the Divine Lord. And there is a law, whatever we think, we become that. This is the simple process. And then in our last class we have seen, there were some people who followed this methodology and realized the Supreme Reality as themselves. And they realized that we have attained something of which the other people, most of the people, they have no clue and they are all struggling, albeit like blind men. So let us give them this message and let us also command other people to follow the spiritual path and to spread this message far and wide. What was that message? The message was, शुन्मन्तु विष्वे अमृतस्य पुत्राः आये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्तु। Very briefly, I would like to recollect some of the important points. The mantra goes like this, युजेवाहं प्रम्मपूर्वियं नमोभि विष्लोक एतु पत्येव सूरेह शुन्मन्तु विष्वे अमृतस्य पुत्राः आये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्तु। युजेवाहं प्रम्मपूर्वियं नमोभि विष्लोक एतु पत्येव सूरेह It's a prayer and a very psychological prayer. Whenever we want to control our mind, we have to pray to the mind, you know that I want to go to God, but you are standing in my way by creating so many thoughts. Albeit we know we are the causes of this mind's restlessness, but as if the mind has supreme value and according to Hinduism or Vedanta, every part of the personality is presided over by an Adhishtana Devata. If I want strength in the hands, I have to pray to Indra because hands belong to Indra and therefore this peculiar expression of the prayer, Oh hands, I want you to be very strong. I know you belong to Indra and Indra is a very strong person. Therefore you must be a very strong person. You and Indra are not different actually. So I am praying to you. Similarly, we have this sample of these prayers. For example, भद्रं कन्ने भिहि शुनुयाम देवाह Oh sense organs and your deities, may we hear what is auspicious. भद्रं पशेमा अक्षविहि एजत्राह May we see what is auspicious. May we be healthy and health is possible physical and mental only by the grace of God or the Adhishtana Devatas presiding over various limbs. For example, the eyes will be absolutely fine only when there is grace of Surya Devata. The ears cannot hear and understand and interpret and use it right way only when the Adhishtana Devata, दिग्देवत, who is presiding deity of the hearing capacity, hearing faculty, all the hearing faculty combined is called दिग्देवत. All the seeing faculty is called Surya Devata. All the thinking faculty is called Chandra Devata. So what am I trying to convey to you? That if you are gracious to me, you will not put any obstacles first. Second, you will help me, aid me. For example, the eyes. Oh, you are praying to me. I am pleased with you. I will henceforward long to see only what is divine and try to avoid what brings the mind down. So also the ears. So also the mouth. I don't want to criticize anybody, find fault with anybody. I want to see only what is good and it is possible only when the sense organs become gracious. How do they become gracious? Because they are servants, they are ruled over by the Adhishtatra Devatas. And therefore if we pray to them through these sense organs, then Adhishtatra Devatas will be pleased. This person is good. He is acknowledging that he is not the master. We are the masters. Therefore we will bestow our grace. So body becomes favourable. Mind becomes favourable. This is the meaning of the first part. And when they have become favourable, we are able to think of whom? Brahma. And what type of Brahma? Purviyam. He is the before creation. He who existed. That. And that is the only way. There is no other way. And then he says, A difficult word. But what it means is, only by our grace we will be able to become one with Brahman. So may this hymn of praise spread everywhere in the path of the seers. Seers means Sadhakas. Let every Sadhaka pray. A simple example I am giving to make it easy for us to understand. Here is a person. He wants to become a musician. And the Adhishtatra Devata of music is Mother Saraswati. Therefore, pray to Mother Saraswati. If I want to become a singer, my voice is most important. O sense organ called voice and O Adhishtatra Devata called Saraswati, may both of you be gracious to me, listen to my prayers and make me so that I am able to sing your glories by your grace. That means may I become a good musician. May I become a good poet like Kalidasa. Kali is Dasa. Kali is Kripa. May I become a good scientist, a good mathematician, a good administrator, a good officer, a good clerk, a good peon, a good wife, a good child, student, a good teacher. Everything is possible. So our scripture categorically tells us is only by the grace of God. That is the first part. We can attain anything only by His grace. In Arjuna prayed for the divine vision, universal vision. The Lord said by your ordinary eyes you won't be able to see me. Because ordinary eyes will see me also as ordinary. But you require divine eyes. Divyam, I will give you divine faculty of seeing. And as soon as he gave, Arjuna saw everywhere divinity in its original form. Srishti, sthiti, laya, creation, sustenance and ultimately dissolution. And he could not stand it because we love life, we love being but we don't love death. Because we understand death means going beyond existence, not so. Death means getting a new opportunity. Every new year is a new opportunity. And every new body is a fresh body so that we can pursue our path of sadhana successfully. That is why Swami Vivekananda, as I mentioned, had initiated a lot of people and who can spread this message? Only a person who has realized, who attained Samadhi. And once he attained Samadhi, if he comes back, such a person is called Jeevan Mukta. Such a person is called a Rishi. And what is his feeling? He thinks, let this truth be known to all because not only I am Amrutaputra, everyone is an Amrutaputra. In Buddha it is said, realized that I am the Buddha, I am the awakened, I attained Nirvana. Then he accepted Brahma's request and then he gathered disciples. He taught them, he helped them progress. And then he commanded them, go and preach this universal message. For what purpose? So this Upanishad is telling us, may the glory of God be sung by the seekers spread all over the world, even those who are in the heavenly abode. So what is this? Those who abide in Svargaloka etc. Svargaloka doesn't mean Brahma Sakshatkara. They have done some virtue and so the result they are enjoying, they enjoy incomparable happiness. Even Brahma Loka, incomparable happiness. But true bliss can come only by realizing Brahman, even Indra etc. Indra, Agni and Vayu as we have seen in the Kena Upanishad, by the grace of Saguna Brahma. That is very important and that is what we are going to see in the future. What happens when our mind without thinking about Moksha or realization of God is merely engrossed in rituals? And when it is kept engaged in God, what happens? This is explained in the sixth mantra. So realization of God is important. Prayer to Saguna Brahma is very important because we can only reach the stage of Saguna Brahma with our mind. That pure mind is called Saguna Brahma. But one has to go even beyond that mind and that is possible only by the grace of Ishwara or Saguna Brahma or what Ramakrishna used to call Divine Mother. Without Divine Mother's grace, nothing is possible. So these are the key ideas. God realization is the only goal of life. Whatever we do, we are striving only for that. Many times we are striving unconsciously and we call it worldly life. Even a person, so-called worldly person is seeking deathlessness, seeking infinite knowledge and seeking bliss which is incomparable. But the instruments they are using may be slightly different. So what is the way out? This is called Hita. Purushartha Tattva has been said and Purushartha has been explained. So Hita, the ways and in this Shweta Shwetra Upanishad, Patanjali Yoga Sutras have been extensively used. But albeit they have deeper meaning than even we can get from the Sankhya Yoga. And we will explore some of them. Mantra 6 Agni Yatra Abhimadhyate, Vayur Yatra Adhirudhyate, Somaha Yatra Adhirichyate, Tatra Sanjayate Manaha Where the fire is churned till the ultimate end, where the air-wind is controlled completely, so one acquires, one becomes a master of Pranayama. And where the Soma Juice flows excessively, that is, the bliss of the result of Agni Yatra etc. are being experienced in the form of incomparable bliss. That is called Soma Juice. There the mind gets engrossed. We will explore this point clearly. When we look at it superficially, what it means is when fire is churned. Fire stands for two meanings. One is rituals. Another is knowledge. The first meaning is ritual. You know in the ancient times, people used to do Yajnas, Yagas. And for that, ritually, fire has to be invoked. And only out of that fire, when it is blazing forth, can they offer oblations etc. So Agni stands for rituals. That's why in the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagawan says a Sanyasi is Niragnihi Nachakriyaha. So a Sanyasi is one who has gone beyond, not given up, gone beyond the purpose of all the rituals, which is to become an Adhikari, an apt, fit person for pursuing higher spiritual life. That is what a Sanyasi is. So Agni Yatra Abhimadhyate. Fire is blazing forth and all the oblations have been given, the Gods have been pleased and the mind gets whatever we are praying for and it is reveling, it is swimming joyfully in the result of these rituals. Similarly, when a person pursues a higher path than even rituals, which is called Ashtanga Marga, Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, then Pranayama is part of it. Other things are also indirectly indicated like Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi etc. Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi etc. Then what happens? Vayu here stands for Prana. Prana stands for the complete control of the mind. Mind has become absolutely tranquil and then again it revels. Because tranquility of mind is called Prasanthata. That is why Prasade Sarva Dukkhanam Anirasya Upajayate Prasanna Chetra Sahahi Ashu Buddhi Pariyavatishtate So that is what is being said here. Again unparalleled Ananda is experienced. That is the result of Pranayama. Mind is under complete control. Swami Vivekananda has given us beautiful explanation of these things. Somu Yatra Athirichyate Soma means there is supposed to be a Somalata, a kind of creeper. And that is when it is done properly. It has to be collected ritually. It has to be pasted ritually. Made into paste ritually. It has to be fermented ritually. And it produces a very highly pleasing intoxicating Ananda. What is called Sukha, happy producing result. Like any other fermented grape juice etc. But this is extraordinarily pleasant even to drink. Not bitter, not repelling. And where the Soma becomes evident. That means a person completed what he is supposed to do. And the result is mind becomes extremely fulfilling, happy. I have been able to do it by the grace of God. And there a stream of unending bliss is being experienced. That exhilaration of bliss is compared to Somarasa. This is the meaning of Somaha Yatra Athirichyate. What is happening? The person is enjoying. But the Upanishad raises a point here. Tatra Sanjayate Manaha The mind stops its spiritual progress there. Because it gets completely submerged, attached to that incomparable bliss. You know that is why Gaudapada says Yoga has got four tremendous obstructions. The first obstruction is called sleep. So as soon as a person tries to practice spiritual disciplines, concentration of mind, then what is the first thing that happens? The eyes become closed, slowly it starts. So overcoming sleep, this is called Laya. It is the very first obstruction. Laya means the mind wants to go to sleep because it is unable to sustain that concentration. Somehow if we can conquer it, then we come to the second stage. And by the way, Swami Advaitanandaji, how much he struggled. So Shri Ramakrishna one day scolded him when he found this Latu sleeping at dawn and at dusk. Then Shri Ramakrishna said, have you come here only to sleep? I thought you came here to progress in spiritual life. And that hurt Latu Maharaj deeply. He decided not to sleep the whole night practically. So he said, I use it to sit for meditation. Then automatically my head starts nodding. This is called Laya. Then I wake up, I walk furiously, I sprinkle water on my face and like that. For several months I had to struggle. At last by the grace of the Master, the mind has come under control. So Laya, that is, I am not interested in God realization. Why are you forcing me to think of God? How wonderful cricket match is going on and so many other things will happen. No, we have seen, you have seen enough of that. You don't need it at this old age at least. Young age is different, you enjoyed your portion of it to the fullest, to the brim. Now don't go on looking back because as an old fellow, you cannot even enjoy if you are supplied also. The eyes will see less, the ears will hear less, the mind thinks less. Is it not time to prepare for death? So like that we have to struggle very hard. Otherwise it will lose whatever it got and that is why Laya. Then somehow if we can overcome sleep, then the mind develops what is called so much of restlessness because we have not learnt how to control. That is called Vikshepa. Somehow we can control Vikshepa. Then Kashaya, spiritual life, what is there? So many people are practicing and their life is miserable life. Look at these gangsters, how happy they are, how powerful they are, how much they are enjoying, drinking, dancing, killing. Nobody, even police cannot resist them. This kind of perverted reasonings will come. So this is called Kashaya. Kashaya means bitter drink and this bitter drink, spiritual life becomes bitter. If we can overcome the third one, Gaudapada says, Ananda will come, tremendous bliss, never before experienced. And that is where most people will get stuck as if this Ananda becomes a glue. This is only a foretaste of what is to come. We have to become one with Ananda, not that we enjoy Ananda. We want to become Ananda, not enjoying but becoming. And that is what is said here. When all these rituals are done, tremendous Ananda will come because we have done good rituals, good actions and therefore the mind can get stuck. This is the superficial meaning. But Swami, Pujya Swami, Tyagisha Anandaji gives very beautiful this thing. So let us see the life of Ramakrishna first. Ramakrishna, at the very beginning of his sadhana, he said, Oh mother, here is your dharma, here is your adharma, here is your good, here is your evil, here is your happiness, here is your unhappiness. What was he trying to do? Oh mother, this happiness that I can get, that I don't want. I want you. I want to become you. I want to become Ananda Swaroop. So sadhana is very necessary and we should not get stuck because we are experiencing incomparable bliss which is beyond any human imagination. But the same mantra, sixth mantra is now interpreted by, as I said, Swami Tyagisha Anandaji. I will read out this one. So this mantra aims at a synthesis of Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and Karma Yoga and utilizes them all for the realization of the ultimate truth. How is this interpreted in this way? Fire Agni is often compared in Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures. Jnana Agni, a fire of knowledge. Fire means knowledge. That is, when the teacher becomes the upper wooden stick, Aruni, and the student becomes the lower wood piece, and the interaction, that is the teaching, is called churning, and when both of them are fit people, fit teacher, fit disciple, and with attention the student listens with Shraddha, with Bhakti, with Ekagrata, with unparalleled respect and open mind, intelligent mind, then the result will be Jnana Agni. And Jnana Agni Sarva Karmani Bhasmasat Yatha Kurute. That destroys Karmas. That means Samskaras. That means the desire for worldly pursuits. That means I want only God. I want nothing less than God. This is how fire is compared to Jnanam. And Jnanam is what is called Jnana Marga. This knowledge is said to be churned out like fire from fire sticks. And how does it happen? So the upper fire wood stands for the teacher, and the lower one for the disciple, and the process of studying is spoken of as churning out. The whole line refers to Jnana Yoga in general. This represents Pranayama or the control of Prana. This is associated with Raja Yoga. But not only that. Pranayama, remember, is only a higher step. First Yama, then Niyama, then Asana, then only Pranayama, leading to Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. So whenever Pranayama is referred, whenever you say this person is studying in university, automatically we take it for granted that he had completed the nursery school, middle school, high school and college, and then entered into the university. Like that we have to understand. So here AIR stands for Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga stands for Ashtanga Marga. Therefore this word AIR, that is Prana Nirudhyate, that means the Pranas are controlled, that means the mind is controlled, that means Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa Samadhi are being referred. Through that also one can reach God. Then Soma Juice. What does this indicate? This Soma Juice used in Vedic sacrifice symbolizes the Ananda, exhilaration, arising out of the pursuits of worldly enjoyments and giving rise to the forgetfulness of one's higher nature and one's birthright of eternal bliss. Here Soma Juice, as I mentioned earlier, when ritual is done properly, proper oblations are given, proper prayers are offered, the result will be Ananda, incomparable Ananda. That is compared to this exhilaration of Ananda. That is called Soma Juice. And here this stands for if you can get so much of joy out of rituals, O fool, do you know how much joy you can derive from turning every Karma into Karma Yoga, Karma Kanda into Jnana Kanda? You will get none other than the Infinite, which is Brahman. So this line stands here for Karma Yoga and this is what Swami Vivekananda preached that Shiva Jnane Jiva Shiva. That is Shiva Jnane, that is looking upon the other as Shiva. Who can look upon the other as Shiva? Only a person who can look upon himself, identify himself, I am Shiva. Only in the eyes of Shiva, everybody is Shiva. In the eyes of Vishnu, everybody is Vishnu. In the eyes of the Divine Mother, everybody is divine. In the eyes of Brahman, everything is Brahman. So this is what Karma Yoga refers. Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga can be very effective means if we can use them. And how do we use them? By going through the first part of the Vedas, which is called Karma Kanda. Turn Karma Kanda. Karma Kanda gives its result and you will get a glimpse of the highest joy called Brahmaloka Ananda. But if Brahmaloka Ananda is so marvellous, how much marvellous will be Brahmananda? I remember an incident, Swami Vivekananda was returning to India in a ship and some devotees were there, especially American devotees. And at one midnight, it was a full moonlit night, the washroom was absolutely calm and one cannot really even imagine what it would be in the middle of a huge ocean where there are no clouds, not a wisp of air and the whole water as if mirrored glass and every particle of the water is reflecting that full moon which is not obstructed by any light pollution or any pollution. And that night, people felt a divine bliss, unearthly bliss and Swami Vivekananda was absorbed. After a long time, his mind came out and he made a remarkable statement. If Maya is so beautiful, imagine what would be the beauty of Bhagawan whose Maya is only a servant, a finite part of Him. So that is what if a person who passes through rituals, Karmakanda alone becomes qualified, not by skipping them. The question of skipping them comes only when he enjoys Punyam and then he says, I have to go and come, I have to again earn, again I have to go and pay. So every time I want, I have to pay and work very hard. Can I attain in the infinite so that once for all, one effort and I will be forever enjoying the same bliss? Yes, it is possible. That is called spiritual life. That is being said here that you combine Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. What about Bhakti Yoga? And that is going to come in Mantra 7. Savitra Prasvena Jusheta Brahma Purviyam Tatra Yonim Pranavase Nahite Porvam Akshipat With the blessings of the Sun God, one must worship the eternal Brahman and abide in it. Savitra means of the Sun God. Prasvena, only when we worship Him, He becomes pleased. How? How is He pleased? Jusheta, through our worship. Then when we are able to please Him, please the Saguna Brahma. Here Surya stands for the Saguna Brahma. Then what happens? His grace makes the Sadhaka abide. Where? Purviyam. Purviyam means the very very first. That is Parabrahma. Before creation, the cause of all creation. That is called Purviyam. It is also called eternal because Srishti means time, space and causation. Time means changing. And timelessness means unchanging. Unchanging is called eternal. Tatra, in that state of Brahman, called Brahmistati, that is called Yonim. Yonim means that abode, just as the abode of a baby is mother's womb. A Yoni is only the instrument through which the baby comes out. Karana. But the being who is the Mahakarana, that is Brahman himself, and it is possible to become one with him and to abide with the knowledge Aham Brahmasmi. And that is possible, not possible through karmas, through Karmakanda, either by Ishta or Poortham. Ishta means doing good to other people. Poortham also means social service, not through any actions, but through Karma Yoga. We must do good, but not expecting anything. And it is possible only through Saguna Brahma. So with the blessings of the Sun God, that means Saguna Brahma, that means Ishwara, that means Divine Mother, one must worship the Eternal Brahman and abide in it. That means to say, one can think of the Eternal Brahman, Parabrahman, Nirguna Brahman, only through the Saguna Brahma. The range of the mind is only until Ajna Chakra, Ramakrishna said, it is only until Saguna Brahma. And the only way to know the Nirguna Brahma is to merge in Nirguna Brahma. The question of, I stand in front of the Nirguna Brahma and I will be experiencing Nirguna Brahma and I will be describing Nirguna Brahma, that's not going to be possible. But to reach to that state, once we reach Saguna Brahma, Saguna Brahma says, that I know I am Nirguna Brahma and this person had become me, so I will reveal to him. This is what Uma Haimavati, in the Kena Upanishad we have seen, stands for Saguna Brahma. These people, Indra, Agni and Vayu, completely surrendered themselves to the Uma, that is Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom, Brahma Jnana Pradhatri, Muktida, Mukta Rupini, by awakening us. They surrendered themselves to her, immediately she revealed, everything is Brahma. That's why Indra was one of the first of Gods, so he became Devendra and Agni and Vayu became very popular because the next positions, they attained Brahma next, therefore they got the second and third positions. So this mantra, what is it? This mantra refers to Bhakti Yoga, for completing the picture of synthesis of yogas, referred to in the previous mantra. So Swami Vivekananda is saying, do this, that means manifest your divinity, either through Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Rajya Yoga or Jnana Yoga, through work, through worship, psychic control or through intellect, by one or more or all of these and be a fariri, that is being reflected in these two mantras. What is the point? Sri Ramakrishna used to say, my children, unless Mahamaya removes or destroys the barrier, you cannot get out of her kingdom. To get visa, to get out, she must bestow her grace. Again and again this teaching comes. That was the sadhana Sri Ramakrishna done and that was the sadhana he taught to others. That is the teaching of our Holy Mother, who is none other than Divine Mother. So Saguna Brahma, the range of our mind, it is possible to attain to Saguna Brahma only. Think of Saguna Brahma, meditate on Saguna Brahma in the form of the power capable of creation, preservation and destruction. That is called Ishwara. Sarvamangalamangalye, Srishti Sthithi Vinashanam, Shruti Bhute Sanatani, Gunashraye Gunamaye, Narayane Namostute. So that is possible only for a Bhakta. Sri Ramakrishna categorically said, Bhakti Yoga as indicated, taught by Narada, is the easiest way. In that Bhakti Yoga, repeating with complete love, the name of God, that is the easiest way. And in Bhakti Yoga, the ultimate goal is complete surrender. Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya, Maha Mekam Sharanam Rajah, Aham Tvaa Sarva Paape Bhyo, Moksha Ishyami Maa Sujaha. Or in Swami Vivekananda's hymn, Tasmat Tvameva Sharanam, Mama Dheena Bandhu. Or Sri Ramakrishna had him and Holy Mother. Sharanagata Dheenartha Paritranaparayane, Sarvasya Aathi Hari Devi, Narayane Namostute. This is the only way. So this mantra refers to Bhakti Yoga for completing the synthesis of all Yogas. So here source means, the mind, which gives rise to the phenomenal world. And this has to be destroyed by the grace of the Saguna Brahma. What happens? Then the Absolute Brahman is realized and the aspirant becomes one with it. As I mentioned, Parabrahma cannot be objectified. We can only become one with it, but not experience it. We absorb through Samadhi, in the Eternal Brahma. Thus no work will ever bind you. And the sage also concludes this topic by saying that, we have to work. Life without work is not possible. So this mantra suggests that a spiritual seeker should seek the blessings of Savita. Here Savita means, Saguna Brahma, Ishwara, who is the source of the universe and concentrate on that Eternal Brahman. He will get Brahma Karvaruthi. That is called Saguna Brahma. And this Brahma Karvaruthi will break by some mysterious power. And then the differentiation, Saguna, Nirguna, Savikalpa, Nirvikalpa, will be removed and the person experiences Aham Brahmasmi, not only that, so everything is Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. And from 8th, 9th, 10th, these three mantras give specific guidance for the practice of how to sit and how to meditate, what is the subject for meditation and what do we get. Three mantras. Really speaking, very straightforward mantras. Bhagavad Gita also we have discussed it, especially in the 6th chapter. The mantra 8th goes like this. So our life at the moment is like we are floating in a tsunami, wave is carrying and we are meeting very sharp objects and the force of the stream is throwing us against them. We are encountering so many horrific, unbearable sufferings and even the thought of the suffering brings about tremendous amount of fear. That's why it is said Sarvatamsa means many, many streams. What do we mean? Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya and so many other, their manifestations, Sarvani. And all of them are Bhaya Vahani. Once we are caught, one part of our mind says this is not good, it is going to ruin me. But the other part, helplessly being carried, dashed against something very terrible and we are suffering. All sufferings have been classified into three Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. The only way is to get out of that identity that I am the body-mind and only a person who knows Aham Brahmasmi can get rid of this body-mind identity and for that purpose we have to start at a lower stage. This is what we call Dharana, Dhyana or even Asana, Dharana, Praasana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. That is what is being told. Trirunnatam sthapya samam shariram Hridindriyani manasa sannivesya Brahma udupena prathareta vidvan Srodhamsya sarvani bhaya vahani The fourth line we have discussed just now. Life as it exists for us, it is full of Tritapa. Our only goal is how to get out of it. How can we get out? So we must become Vidvans, wise people, awakened persons. Vidvan means a wise person. Awakened persons, we must become spiritual seekers. That is the meaning here. And then Pratareta. We should strive our level best to cross over this Samsara Sagara. Earlier also we said, Samudra means Samsara. And what is the way? Take a boat. What is that boat? Brahma udupena. Udupa means a raft. A boat. And a boat may sink. But a raft will never sink. You know, some people have crossed the Atlantic, the Pacific, just by some type of wood, which will not rot, which will be light, and which will be floating. So a huge raft they made. At best it can go up and down. But there is no question of moving because as they say, there is no moving part at all. And they have to play it with wooden, with the help of wooden things. And then they crossed it. It took them nearly several months. And sometimes food was not available. A beautiful incident. There is a book. I forget its name. Crossing over this Pacific through a particular thing. It has become very, very famous 50 years back. So, what is Brahma udupena? Take the boat, at what we call in tantric terminology, you take the name, the boat is the name of the Divine Mother. Take the name of the Divine Mother and you will easily cross over and Mother herself will be Tara Taraninaama. So Brahma udupena with the help of called Brahma. Here Brahma means Omkara. Omkara means meditation on Omkara. Omkara and Brahman are inseparable. Just like a symbol and what is symbolized, what is named and what is named are identified. A Vidwan should take the name of the meditation on Omkara. It stands for any Ishta Devata's mantra. Name. Every name of a God or Goddess is a mantra. By taking that name, it becomes a mantra. Mananat Trayate is the mantra. But we have to struggle. What is the struggle? Hridindriyani Manasa Sannivesya. So, the mind alone is the root cause of problem. Mind alone is the root cause of liberation. So, that is why Bhagavan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, in the sixth chapter, Uddharet Atmana Atmanam Na Atmanam Avasadayet. Atmanaiva Atmana. Atma means the mind itself becomes the raft and that is mentioned here. Hridindriyani, all the sense organs which influence the mind and the mind which comes under the sway of the information supplied by the sense organs, they have to be Manasa through tremendous wisdom, effort called wisdom, Sannivesya, bringing them under right control which Katopanishad says that our journey, if it is pulled by Dhristashvaha, that is untrained horses which are nothing but mind and sense organs, then we will never reach the goal. But if they are well controlled, a person happily, with the greatest joy, reaches at the utmost speed the destination. For that purpose, what should be done? Beautiful. First, keep the head, neck and backbone or face, throat and the chest straight so that the lungs will be free so that air can be breathed properly. Pranayama, at least rhythmic breathing can be practiced. This is called Tri unnatham sthapya samam shariram. Three parts of the body have to be kept in a straight line and not only straight, very erect, not only very erect, very, very erect as Swamiji and my Anandji used to say. First thing is keep the body straight and calm and quiet. And calmness and quietness comes by some practice of Pranayama learnt under a teacher who knows what he is teaching. The second part is Hrith Indriyani. That is our mind and our sense organs are the thoughts in our mind, Manasa, through the mind only, Sannivesya, well controlled. That means the mind is capable of concentration, mind is capable of thinking of spiritual thoughts, mind is capable of controlling itself using the mind itself. Mind has to be controlled and then the mind should be made ready. Then what should be done? Third line, Brahma Udupena. That means Omkara Udupena. Udupa means raft, boat. Brahma means thinking of Brahman. And how to think? In the form of Omkara. How to think? Omkara, Akara, Ukara, Makara. What does it mean? Akara stands for waking state. Ukara stands for dream state. Makara stands for deep sleep state. And that which is aware of these three states, that which is not these three states, that which is witness of these three states, and that which is well aware of the three bodies, gross, subtle and causal. So, three, what is called Trikaya Vilakshanaha, Trideha Vilakshanaha, completely separate from these Thula, Sukshma, Karana and Sharira's Panchakosha Vilakshanaha, who is completely separate from the Panchakoshas. That is, then the person must think I am that Brahman. And that is done in the form of first negating I am not the gross body representing waking state. I am not the dream state representing the, what is called Sukshma Sharira, subtle body. I am not the causal body representing the deep sleep state. Then after negating all these three, the negator, that is the Brahman. I am that Turiyam. I am that pure Omkara. I am that Amatra Omkara. I am that Parabrahman. So, keeping the three, head, neck and chest straight, the body erect and with the help of the mind, withdrawing the senses into the heart, the wise one crosses all the fearsome waters with the vote of Brahman, that is Omkara. So, what is the first thing? The body must be brought under control and it is well described everywhere. Then what is the second thing? Through Pranayama, through prayer to God, Saguna Brahma, through prayer to all these mind and sense organs as we discussed earlier, O body and mind, be cooperative with me and that is praying to their Adhishtana Devatas. Only when the Adhishtana Devatas are pleased, they will give command to their respective organs. Surya Deva says, O I, make him see only auspicious things. Big Devata commands, O ears, you are my servant, make this person listen only what brings him to God. Like that every sense organ. Chandra Deva, keep this man's mind, O mind, you belong to me, I control you, I am commanding you, let him think only noble thoughts. Ano Bhadrani, may noble thought, noble ideals of God, of Brahman, of the Divine Mother come to me like a tsunami from all the four directions. So, by using the mind to control senses, thought should be directed towards the heart, which is believed to be a Bodha Brahman, where one can feel the presence and say, here is where I contact, like Sri Ramakrishna used to say, a visitor's room is where the Yamindar meets all other people. And thereafter, repeating and meditating on the meaning of the sacred syllable Om, one thinks of Brahman with undistracted mind and through this, the person will progress in spiritual life. The supportive shlokas are there. In today's talk, a few I will tell you. In the Bhagavad Gita, especially 6th chapter, and we are all familiar with that, exact same meaning that we have discussed in this last mantra. Bhagavad Gita So, this teacher of this Upanishad recommends the disciplines of Patanjali Yoga Sutras and that means, even at the time of the composition of Shritashtra, Patanjali Yoga Sutras are well known all over and we get not only in this Upanishad, many other Upanishads also, we get. So, if a person pursues these things and sits regularly and controls his mind and senses and focuses on Brahman, then that person will easily cross over this frightening and vast waters of Samsara Sagara and reaches Brahman, becomes Brahman and knows everything is Brahman. So, the next mantra is similar mantra, but it is speaking of more of Pranayama, but Pranayama has a double meaning, a spiritual, deeper spiritual meaning also, which we will talk about in our tomorrow's class, next class. Om Jananim Shravadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padmet Ayo Saritva Pranamami Muhurmuhu May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna