Purusha Suktam Lecture 07 on 06-July-2023

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We have been studying the Purusha Suktam. In our last class the fourth and fifth mantras we have dealt with. What does it mean?

TRIPAD URDHAM UDAIT PURUSHAHA

PADO ASYAIHA ABHAVAT PUNAHA

TATO VISHWAN VYKRAAMAT

SAASHANA ANASANE ABHI (4)

त्रिपादूर्ध्व उदैत्पुरुषः पादोऽस्येहाभवत्पुनः ।

ततो विष्वङ् व्यक्रामत्साशनानशनेऽअभि ।।4।।

Three fourths of the God is situated on top. The other quarter alone has evolved into this world. Then He penetrated into all the inert substances of living beings and spread them. That was the fourth part of the Purusha Sukta. The fifth part of the Purusha Sukta is

TASMAD VIRADDA JAYATA

VIRAJO ADHI PURUSSAH

SA JATO ATYARICYATA

PASSCAD BHUMIM ATHO PURAH (5)

ततो विराडजायत विराजोऽअधि पूरुषः ।

स जातोऽअत्यरिच्यत पश्चाद्भूमिमथो पुरः ।।5।।


Tato Virat Ajayata from that same Supreme Being, first He manifested Himself as Virat, as Ishwara, as Hiranyagarbha and as Virat. VIRAJO ADHI PURUSHAHA That same Being emerged and He spread everywhere and He alone is manifesting SAJYATAH ATYARICCHATAH. Having created Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat, what did He do? PASCHAT, after that BHOOMIN ATHAH PURAHAH, created Bhoomi. Bhoomi means Jagat and then what did He do? He had to create individual creatures, the bodies and minds of every living creature, Prani is called PURAHAH. PURI SHETE IITI PURI, you have to understand PURUSHAHAH. Puri means what? A body, a city actually. They are in the city. We get this idea also in the Bhagavad Gita. NAVA DHVARE PURE DEHI NAIVA KURVAN NA KARAYAT So this human body has got nine gates, NAVA DHVARA. The eyes, the ears, the nostrils and the mouth and the navel and the two, what we call waste product dischargers, etc. Nine, NAVA DHVARE PURE DEHI, so He created an innumerable, uncountable number of bodies, right from the amoeba to the highest evolved being called Brahma. Brahmaloka, not Brahman, do not mistake it. Then, earlier I mentioned it, this was what actually the Lord had created some of the Devatas like Ishwara, Hiranyagarbha and Virat and commissioned them as if, because these three are none other than that Virat Purusha or Brahman only, but as it were, He commanded " Now I created you, you go and create yourself".

There was a very funny story; Holy Mother tells it beautifully. So, Brahma was commanded by Vishnu, Narayana. Remember, Brahma is always depicted as coming out of the navel of Vishnu, Navikamala. Vishnu said, 'Now I am very clever. I have created a servant, and I will give all the housework to him while I rest on a spring cot, Ananta shayana.' He commanded, and then Brahma obediently started. Holy Mother shares this story. Brahma created, first of all, four Manasa Putras - a beautiful concept. Everything in the whole creation starts in the mind, then appears outside. Really speaking, everything is JNANARUPAM, only in the form of knowledge. The whole world outside, inside is only the knowledge concept; this is inside, that is outside. How do you know in a dream? You think there is an outside, there is an inside. When you wake up, you realize it was all your thought. These four Manasa Putras, Sanaka, Sanandana, etc., being the nearest creatures of Sattva Guna, pure Sattva, recognized, 'Hey brothers, our father wants us to enter into the Samsara Sagara, nothing doing. Let us run away, become Sanyasins.' They disappeared, and the father became very disappointed. He thought Vishnu created him to escape work, and he created four Manasa Putras to escape and then take rest, retired life. But these fellows have run away from me. What is the way out now? Otherwise, I will have to do the entire housework. Then what did he do? He cleverly created two separate beings, man and woman, Purusha and Sthiri. The Purusha forgot the father, and the whole world fell madly in love with the woman. The woman also was madly in love, and merrily Samsara went on from that time onwards. Nobody has ever opened their mouth, saying, 'I want to become a monk.' Even in South India, if someone says, 'I want to become a monk,' it is part of the marriage ritual that 'I want a wife; otherwise, I am sure to renounce.'

Anyway, so what are we talking about? The Lord created; that was called Prathama Srishti, primary creation, and He commissioned these Devatas. 'Now you start.' These Devatas are called Adhishtatru Devatas. For example, all the Pancha Bhutas are the Adhishtatru Devatas. They came together and said, 'This is your work, this is my work,' and they represented their own parts. For example, Akasha as the ear, Vayu as the skin, Agni as the eye, etc. By the way, Agni and Surya are synonymous, so Aditya is there. Then the commandment came that you will have to propagate this Samsara Sagara. How to propagate this Samsara Sagara? Because they were there, but the equipment was not there. This is where the concept of Yagna comes in. The concept of Yagna is, 'I myself am Divine, I myself am the Karta, I myself am the Kriya, I myself am everything.' How do we understand it? Very easy. Just go to the dream state. What do you do every day? You yourself create as yourself, as your neighbors, as your friends, as your enemies, as the living, as the non-living. And if we can create such a marvelous dream universe, is it so difficult for Brahma?"

There was a fascinating conversation between Swami Vivekananda and his householder disciple, Sarachandra Chakravarti. One day, the topic of creation came up, and although the exact details of what transpired are unknown, Sarachandra Chakravarti had recorded these discussions, presenting them as talks, conversations, or dialogues of Swami Vivekananda. In these discussions, Swamiji explained the concept of being Brahma.

Brahma, he described, embodies Sattva Guna Sampanna and is also referred to as Sathya Sankalpa and Sathya Kama. Whatever Brahma desires to create, the moment he thinks of it, it materializes exactly as he imagined. To illustrate further, Swamiji elaborated on the ongoing process happening even today in every act. When Brahma decides, for instance, to create a cow, the mere thought brings the cow into existence—this process parallels the nature of dreams and the power of imagination.

In the dream state, thoughts manifest immediately, akin to the story of Sri Ramakrishna. Whether positive or negative, your thoughts materialize in the dream world. Hence, Swamiji advised being aware of these dynamics before entering the dream state and focusing on positive thoughts. Dreaming, he suggested, is like navigating a Kalpavriksha, where your thoughts shape your experiences.

Swami Vivekananda shared personal instances, recounting dreams where he envisioned himself as a radiant beam of light, growing to envelop the entire universe. Another dream portrayed him as a monk, wholly dependent on God, illustrating an ideal Sannyasin. These dreams, he believed, were glimpses into his future, echoing his childhood aspirations. Swamiji emphasized that our thoughts shape our destinies. If we consistently think of becoming a miserable householder, that is likely our reality. Conversely, envisioning oneself as a great saint sets the path towards that noble aspiration."

The profound statement "whatever one thinks, one becomes". This idea sets the stage for a discussion about the creative process, linking it to the concept of the Devas (shining beings or gods) in Hindu mythology. These Devas are described as entities without physical equipment, and they need to create such equipment to carry out their creative endeavors.

An analogy is drawn with scientists who, despite having brilliant ideas, require physical implements for experimentation. Similarly, the Devas need to fashion physical equipment based on their creative ideas. The distinction between the creative aspect (belonging to the scientist or Deva) and the mechanical execution (done by engineers or implementers) is highlighted.

This concept is beautiful depicted in the sixth verse of the Purusha Suktam, a hymn that describes the cosmic person or Purusha. The verse reads:

YAT PURUSSENNA HAVISSA

DEVA YAJNAYM ATANVATA

VASANTO ASTA ASIDA AJYAM

GRISHMA IDAMAH SARAD HAVIH ||6||

यत्पुरु॑षेण ह॒विषा᳚ । दे॒वा य॒ज्ञमत॑न्वत ।

व॒स॒न्तो अ॑स्यासी॒दाज्यम्᳚ । ग्री॒ष्म इ॒ध्मश्श॒रद्ध॒विः । ।।6।।

The verse describes the Devas performing a Yajna (sacrifice or ritual) with God as the object of fire. Here, Purusha refers to the supreme reality. The Devas imagine God in the form of a Yajna, emphasizing that Yajna is a creative act. The term "Purusha Suktam" signifies that Purusha is the subject of the hymn, representing the supreme reality. If we were to translate the ancient term "Yajna" into modern language, it would be akin to "Pooja" or worship. Worship involves contemplating, thinking, and trying to conceive God through a limited intellect. There are two essential factors related to worship: (1) Only God can worship God, as only God knows everything about Himself, and (2) Individuals can aspire to become instruments of God, expressing a concept known as Saranagati (Surrender).

The discourse sets the foundation for a deeper exploration of the creative act of the Devas and its relevance to the broader understanding of worship and surrender in the subsequent discussions.

Very briefly, I want to tell you, every Pooja has got four parts. What is the first part? You set aside a beautiful place, whatever is convenient, clean it up, then put either some idols or pictures or some symbols like Omkara, cross or crescent moon, etc. Every religion, by the way, has got these what you call symbols. And then what do you do? You collect flowers. And how do you collect flowers? You take bath, put on fresh cloths, go out, collect the best flowers, some fruits, some eatables or even food, and then prepare them in the cleanest way. Bring them, decorate the image or symbol and garland them. And then certain equipment like Pooja vessels, that they should be cleaned. Everything should be associated with God, must be clean and pure. The very first act is sipping water thrice called Aachamana, symbolizing that I am becoming pure. Gross body is becoming pure. Subtle body is becoming pure. Causal body is becoming pure. Then various mantras are there. So the water has to be sprinkled on each item. This is purification of flowers. This is purification of food. This is purification of the seat on which I am sitting. This is purification of the entire atmosphere. This is the purification of the four quarters, four dishas. And then there is an Agni Mantra. If any malvalent elements want to hurt or harm, then I am creating a wall of fire with the mantra Ram. Sri Ramakrishna actually used it to see a wall of fire. In essence, everything which I am going to use, that must be made pure. Myself should be pure on the seat on which I am sitting, the room or the place where we are sitting, there is something called Bhumi Shuddhi, purifying the very earth upon which I am sitting. So everything must be made pure. This is the first part. This is called Shuddhi.

The second part is a very important part. What is it? This taking up some mantras. Then this hand is yours. This heart is yours. This head is yours. These hands and legs and eyes and ears, the entire body is yours. That is the most important part called Nyasa. Nyasa means transferring ownership of this body and mind to the Divine Lord. That means what remains is nothing but God. What about my body? I have offered it to God. And once this body belongs to God, my body becomes God's body. And then God alone can worship. This is the concept. Then the third part of it is called Manasa Puja. That is the most important part of any Puja, mental worship. You meditate upon the Being, how you want to imagine Him. And then various items have to be offered. And in that food is to be offered. And the God has to be fanned. And like that human imagination, whatever, as if God is a very important human relation, our father, our mother and most beloved has come to our house after a long time, welcome him and gave him water and then bathed him, gave him new cloths and then gave him many things to eat. But also you give him a garland, flowers, etc.

The lecture briefly explains the four parts of every Pooja (worship) and their significance:

  1. Shuddhi (Purification):
    • Set aside a clean and beautiful place for worship.
    • Use idols, pictures, or symbols like Omkara, cross, or crescent moon.
    • Collect fresh flowers, fruits, and clean eatables.
    • Purify everything associated with the worship, including Pooja vessels.
    • Perform Aachamana (sipping water thrice) symbolizing purity of the gross, subtle, and causal bodies.
    • Use mantras to purify items, the seat, the atmosphere, and the four quarters.
    • Use an Agni Mantra to create a protective wall of fire.
  2. Nyasa (Transferring Ownership):
    • Transfer ownership of body parts (hands, heart, head, etc.) to the Divine Lord.
    • Surrender the body and mind to God, considering them now owned by the Divine.
    • Recognize that what remains is nothing but God, and only God can perform the worship.
  3. Manasa Puja (Mental Worship):
    • Meditate upon the Divine Being in the desired form.
    • Offer various mental items, including food.
    • Imagine performing traditional acts of hospitality, like welcoming, offering water, bathing, providing new clothes, and offering flowers.

The lecture emphasizes the mental worship (Manasa Puja) as the most crucial part of any Pooja. It involves sincere meditation on the Divine, offering various mental items, and expressing devotion through imaginative acts of care and hospitality, mirroring how one would welcome a beloved guest or family member.

Physically, fourth part, that is what we do. But in the mental part, what do we do? We have to develop some spiritual qualities. And those qualities are comparable to what is called the flowers that we offer physically. A sample I am giving, AHIMSA Not hurting anybody because there is nobody excepting me. I am only manifesting in the form of everybody. Then INDRIYA NIGRAHA Complete control of the body and mind is one of the best flowers. And then DAYA, compassion. And then KSHAMA. If somebody had done some harm to me, hurt to me, anything that is negative experience, I have to forgive and forget. KSHAMA And then lastly, as a result of all this, true knowledge dawns upon me. That is called GNANA. GNANA PUSHPAM What is GNANA PUSHPAM? Nothing else exists excepting you, O Lord. So this is how our ancient Rishis had devised this thing. And it is there. The same concept is there in every religion. I will simply give one example. Christians celebrate mass. What is the mass? There they worship Christ as God Himself and offer Him wine and bread. What does wine represent? As if it is the blood of Christ. And what does the bread represent? The flesh of Christ. Is it cannibalism? No. What it means is I am offering these things and I am looking upon Christ as bread and wine. And when I eat His flesh and when I drink His blood, I am going to become Him. That means the concept of I is destroyed. What remains is only Christ. As the adage goes, we are what we eat. So if we eat Christ's flesh, Christ's blood, we become Christ. What is the idea? Let me become Christ. Let me become divine. Let me become Brahma. That is the concept. Everywhere it is there. However crudely it is expressed. So this is the idea of Yajna. This is the Pooja. Modern Pooja represents Yajna.

The lecture delves into the mental aspect of worship, focusing on the development of spiritual qualities during the fourth part of Pooja. These qualities are likened to flowers offered in physical worship:

  1. Ahimsa (Non-violence): Not hurting anyone as there is nobody but the self manifesting in different forms.
  2. Indriya Nigraha (Control of the Senses): Complete control of the body and mind.
  3. Daya (Compassion): A flower representing compassion.
  4. Kshama (Forgiveness): Forgiving and forgetting, especially when harmed.
  5. Jnana (Knowledge): True knowledge that dawns upon oneself.

Jnana Pushpam: The flower of knowledge, symbolizing the understanding that nothing else exists except the Divine.

The lecture draws parallels with rituals in other religions, citing the Christian Mass where wine and bread symbolize the blood and flesh of Christ. In this act, the idea is to consume Christ, transforming oneself into Christ—a concept resonating with the essence of becoming divine found in various spiritual traditions.

In essence, the lecture emphasizes that modern Pooja represents Yajna, and the core idea is to dissolve the ego and become one with the divine through various symbolic rituals and mental practices.

What is the essence of what we discussed so far? That this is a way of behavior, a way of thinking, a way of expressing words, whereby my separate individuality is completely negated. And what remains? God alone remains. This is the beautiful idea of Yajna. That is why Bhagavan Krishna also says that a whole life has to be transformed into a Yajna. Yajna artha karma naha anyatra loko yam karma bandhanaha. Anything not done as a Yajna, as an offering to the divine, binds us more. Binding means what? Separation from God and me becomes stronger and stronger. The distance grows longer and longer between me and God. What is between me and God? My body, my mind and pure Sat, pure Chit and pure Ananda. What is the idea? If I become like God, I will be immortal. I will be Sarvajna, all-knowing and all happiness, I become one with happiness. I don't own, I don't have happiness, but I become happiness. That is the beautiful idea. Now, this is what I wanted to tell you. What is this Yajna business which our Rishis were doing earlier? And as any puja requires the person who is doing certain implements, light up a fire and offer with certain mantras. In the modern puja also, exactly the same thing is done. Now, in this Yajna, we require certain equipment. But God has created these Devas, but he has not given them the equipment. Now, they were commanded to perform this Yajna. What does it mean? Yajna means a marvelous concept is introduced here. What is that marvelous concept? Yajna means creation of the world. Yajna means creation. How is Yajna a creation? I will briefly give an introduction, which I promised to you earlier. Then it will be easier for us to understand this concept. What is it? I will give you an illustration of, let us say, a poet. What does the poet do? First of all, he will sit there. And he has been given that aesthetic sense. That aesthetic sense is given to him by God. And he has to use that aesthetic sense. Using that aesthetic sense to create some marvelous poem or literature, that is called Yajna. And for that, what does he do? He sits. He focuses. He removes all negative thoughts. And then his native intelligence, again given by God, it goes to work. What does it mean? I mean, for the God-given intelligence to function, all the things that are obstructive must be removed. That removal process is called Yajna.

The essence of the discussion is centered around the concept of Yajna as a transformative practice, a way of behavior, thinking, and expressing words. Yajna is a means to dissolve individuality and draw closer to the divine, as articulated in various spiritual traditions, including the teachings of Bhagavan Krishna.

Yajna, as discussed, is a way of life where one's actions are dedicated as offerings to the divine, emphasizing selflessness and negation of the ego. The lecture draws parallels between ancient Vedic rituals and modern-day Pooja, stressing that both are expressions of the same fundamental concept—transforming one's life into a continuous act of Yajna.

The analogy of a poet creating a poem is used to illustrate the process of Yajna. The poet, bestowed with aesthetic sense and intelligence by the divine, engages in the act of creation by focusing, removing obstacles, and allowing the innate intelligence to manifest. This removal of obstacles is likened to the Yajna, signifying the clearing of impediments to let the divine intelligence express itself.

In essence, Yajna is presented as a way to bridge the perceived separation between the individual and the divine, a process of offering one's actions and thoughts to the greater cosmic order. The transformative power of Yajna lies in its ability to dissolve the ego and facilitate a sense of oneness with the divine.

Then what happens? Beautiful ideas start flowing from that person. And then for that purpose, he also has to create words. These are, remember, still at the creative level. He has the creative ideas. But he has to put it in a particular format so that people like us can enjoy them. For example, in Sanskrit, Kalidasa wants to create Raghuvamsha. Very interesting concept. For that, what did he do? He said, Oh Lord, I am not capable of doing it. That's why he prays, You, Parvati and Parameshwara, the parents of this entire creation, you are inseparable. Prakruti and Purusha are inseparable, like a word and its meaning or an object and its name. The name and the object by which, by this name, which we are calling by a particular name, name and that particular object, indicating that particular object are inseparable. Simple example. You say table. You don't mean a tree. You don't mean anything else. You mean exactly table. So the sound, the word table and the object table, they can never be separated. Whether you do it mentally or physically, they can never be separated. So Prakruti and Purusha cannot be separated. And they are what we call Adidampathis. They are the original parents. Now I want to write something creatively. And I can do it only by your grace. Therefore, Vagartha Pratipakthai. So that in my creative mind, the right word corresponding to the idea I want to express, the right expression of the idea must be a boon granted by you to me. So I am praying to whom? Parvati, Parameshwara, who are the Jagataha Pitarao. They are the parents of the entire world. So an idea and its expression. This is the process. Here we have to do it. These people have that idea. But they require for further creation, the equipment, the expression. And the expression has not been created. So what did these Devatas do? They first of all prayed to God. And you are manifesting through us. You are manifesting through us in the form of intelligence. Devas means knowledge. Knowledge means intelligence. Light means knowledge. But now you commanded us to create this entire so-called physical universe, mental universe, causal universe, etc. We require. For that, what do we do? We will imagine you, the Divine, as the material. Both what is called material cause and also intelligent cause, also instrumental cause. This is the concept of Ignat

The lecture delves into the creative process, using the example of a poet creating a poem. The poet is described as someone who receives beautiful ideas that flow from a higher source. However, to convey these ideas to others, the poet needs to articulate them through words. This process is likened to Yajna, where the removal of obstacles allows the innate intelligence to manifest and creative ideas to flow freely.

The analogy then shifts to Kalidasa, the Sanskrit poet who prayed to Parvati and Parameshwara (Shiva) for creative inspiration. The concept of inseparability, such as that between a word and its meaning, is introduced. The poet seeks the grace of the divine for the right words corresponding to the creative ideas. This prayer is seen as a recognition of the divine as the source of both ideas and their expression.

The lecture emphasizes the importance of the divine in the creative process, with the Devas (gods) representing knowledge and intelligence. The Devas, commanded to create the universe, pray to God for the material, intelligent, and instrumental causes required for this creative endeavor. This is aligned with the concept of Yajna, where the act of creation is seen as an offering to the divine.

In summary, the discourse highlights the interconnectedness of creative inspiration, divine grace, and the act of creation. The poet, like the Devas, acknowledges the divine as the source of creativity and seeks inspiration for the expression of profound ideas. The concept of Yajna is presented as a way to engage in a transformative creative process, offering one's actions to the divine.

. And then what is the important point? Because they were such highly evolved beings, full of Sattva Guna, whatever they thought manifested itself as what we call the physical mental universe. I am repeating it. What is their Ignat? Complete prayer to the Divine that you have given us that intelligence. Let us put that intelligence to work. We will take you as the Ignat Pashu, as the fire, as the offering. You are everything. And we will mentally go on meditating. We are doing the Ignat, mental Ignat. And then whatever we think becomes physically created thing present in the outside world. So for that purpose, this concept of Ignat. In Ignat, what do you need? First of all, a person who does the Ignat. Secondly, what we call fire is required. Then Ghee is required. Then some food, Naivedya is required to be offered. All these things have to be offered, put into the fire. Who is the fire? You are the fire. And as they are thinking externally, physically, those very things that they are imagining in their minds have become physically present there. In our case, it doesn't happen. Yes, it happens in our case also. I am going to give you one or two examples. Supposing a cook is there. And you know there are many great cooks are there. What does he do? He will sit and he will think. These are the combinations. If I mix this and this and this and this in this particular proportion, then a new dish will be created. If this dish is created, already it is created in the mind, creativity. All that he needs to do is take some physical things, combine them according to his idea and he will taste first. Then he will give 10-15 other people and when they all say marvellous, this is very very tasty, then it becomes a new creation. Rasagulla is a practical example. So in the 19th century, before that there was no Rasagulla. So there was one Bengali person, very creative person. He thought, why not I do like this? And then he experimented. He must have experimented many times. And then Rasagulla was created. Now Rasagulla has become very popular. Now people are adding to that Rasagulla many things. Rasagulla, Payasa, Payasa Rasagulla, so many other things they are doing it. But the original idea was there. Now here we have to take note of one particular point, very important. What is that point? When I am giving these examples, for example, a poet wants to put paper is available, pen is available, only the person's ideas were there. He will put it on the paper and pen. But when these Devas started this one, there was no equipment is there. But they have to create that equipment. As I gave earlier this example, there is what is called a very expert surgeon. He wants to perform very complicated surgery. But there were many, many actual examples. The surgeon knew what to do, how to do. But he doesn't have that particular instrument. He calls some engineers, can you make something like this? Because this person knows only how to operate, not how to make the instrument. But he knows exactly what function the instrument should be able to perform. The engineer doesn't have the idea, but he has the skills how to manufacture. So he will bring about an experiment, of course, will be done. And then the surgeon, he will use it. Sometimes there will be some problems. It goes on increasing. All the present equipment that we have today is all the result of so many people's experiments are there. These are all our creations. But already physically all the material is available. But there is no material available before the creation of this universe. So what did these people do? They imagined the supreme reality is the fire. The supreme reality is what is called the summer season. And then the spring season and the Sharath Kala or the atom season. They imagined in their mind. But these are words that are deeply pregnant with symbolism.

And then what is the important point? Because they were such highly evolved beings, full of Sattva Guna, whatever they thought manifested itself as what we call the physical mental universe. I am repeating it. What is their Ignat? Complete prayer to the Divine that you have given us that intelligence. Let us put that intelligence to work. We will take you as the Ignat Pashu, as the fire, as the offering. You are everything. And we will mentally go on meditating. We are doing the Ignat, mental Ignat. And then whatever we think becomes physically created thing present in the outside world.

So for that purpose, this concept of Ignat. In Ignat, what do you need? First of all, a person who does the Ignat. Secondly, what we call fire is required. Then Ghee is required. Then some food, Naivedya is required to be offered. All these things have to be offered, put into the fire. Who is the fire? You are the fire. And as they are thinking externally, physically, those very things that they are imagining in their minds have become physically present there.

In our case, it doesn't happen. Yes, it happens in our case also. I am going to give you one or two examples. Supposing a cook is there. And you know there are many great cooks are there. What does he do? He will sit and he will think. These are the combinations. If I mix this and this and this and this in this particular proportion, then a new dish will be created. If this dish is created, already it is created in the mind, creativity. All that he needs to do is take some physical things, combine them according to his idea and he will taste first. Then he will give 10-15 other people and when they all say marvellous, this is very very tasty, then it becomes a new creation. Rasagulla is a practical example. So in the 19th century, before that there was no Rasagulla. So there was one Bengali person, very creative person. He thought, why not I do like this? And then he experimented. He must have experimented many times. And then Rasagulla was created. Now Rasagulla has become very popular. Now people are adding to that Rasagulla many things. Rasagulla, Payasa, Payasa Rasagulla, so many other things they are doing it. But the original idea was there.

Now here we have to take note of one particular point, very important. What is that point? When I am giving these examples, for example, a poet wants to put paper is available, pen is available, only the person's ideas were there. He will put it on the paper and pen. But when these Devas started this one, there was no equipment is there. But they have to create that equipment. As I gave earlier this example, there is what is called a very expert surgeon. He wants to perform very complicated surgery. But there were many, many actual examples. The surgeon knew what to do, how to do. But he doesn't have that particular instrument. He calls some engineers, can you make something like this? Because this person knows only how to operate, not how to make the instrument. But he knows exactly what function the instrument should be able to perform. The engineer doesn't have the idea, but he has the skills how to manufacture. So he will bring about an experiment, of course, will be done. And then the surgeon, he will use it. Sometimes there will be some problems. It goes on increasing. All the present equipment that we have today is all the result of so many people's experiments are there. These are all our creations. But already physically all the material is available. But there is no material available before the creation of this universe.

So what did these people do? They imagined the supreme reality is the fire. The supreme reality is what is called the summer season. And then the spring season and the Sharath Kala or the autumn season. They imagined in their mind. But these are words that are deeply pregnant with symbolism.


What does that mean? That means there was no fire also, remember. So they thought we require a fire. They imagined the summer season. Then they imagined the spring season. Then they imagined the atom season. And these seasons were created. So summer season was not there. It was created. Spring season was not there. That was created. And atom season was not there. It was created. Their thoughts became physical, concrete seasons of which we are all experiencing ever this day. What does these three seasons really mean? These three seasons mean, that is what he is telling, the Vasant Kaala is what you call beautiful, very plenty of food is available. But to cook the food and make it digestible and palatable, one has required the fire. In summer season, plenty of firewood is available. And in Sharath Kaala, this food, plenty of this harvesting has been done. So, the spring season, what happens? The cows, the animals, they give birth and when they give birth, they give plenty of milk. And from the milk, you can have butter. From the butter, you can have ghee. The spring season represents ghee. Summer season represents the firewood. And the autumn season represents the cakes, etc. that have been to be offered. What is the ghee meant for making the fire burn brightly? And firewood, without firewood, where to put this ghee so that it can light up the firewood? Firewood is necessary. But what is the speciality? Unlike us, we become creative with the already created things. But these beings, devas, they themselves, by their very thought, pure thought, prayerful thought, they became what Sri Ramakrishna calls Kalpavriksha, wish-fulfilling tree. But that wish is not a harmful wish. They want to do good to the world. So, this is the concept of yajna. And the same concept of yajna, we have to extend. You want to reach God, then you have to do yajna. You want to have prosperity, you have to do yajna. You want to have a beautiful householder's life, you have to do yajna. Every stage of life is conceived of as yajna. Instead of calling it yajna, you know what is it called? Ashrama. Ashrama means what? You live this type of life, yajnik life, that is called ashrama. Don't live that kind of life, it becomes shrama. Yajna, ashrama, shrama. Choice is yours. With this background, I hope you understood. Being devatas, they wanted to produce materials with which they can really worship the divine, praise the divine, etc. For that purpose, there was no physical equipment. So, mentally they imagined, and being gods, what they imagined has become physically present. And why I have taken such a long time to give this introduction, even today, that process is going on. So, somebody creates a new dish. That was never there. Mentally, he will become a creative person and then he will create. A surgeon's example I have given. A surgeon, before that person, there was not that particular instrument. But he conceives this instrument should be like that. Imagine, in the 16th century, industrial civilization had started. Somebody conceived, can we not use the power of kerosene, the power of petrol, to create some machines, so that the machines can do human labor. Somebody has to do it. Their creativity is slowly the evolution of the creativity. Now, artificial intelligence we call it. That is also nothing but pure creativity. But the motivation for the creativity should be good. Motivation can be of two types, selfish and unselfish. If it is unselfish, we will become, we will reach God. If it is selfish, we will be becoming more and more involved into this samsara. So, in this background, let us enter into it. So, what did these devas do? They decided, they wanted to perform. And so they performed. Remember, there was no physical equipment. So, they sat down, closed their eyes and imagined mentally, we are lighting up a fire and then we are offering what is called ghee, etc. We are also offering Naivedya, various items of food to the Divine Lord. So, they imagined the fire to be Brahman. They imagined how to produce ghee and food material and what is called stoking the fire and keeping it burning bright. And that came in the form of three desires. The production of what is called spring season, summer season and autumn season. How beautiful! .

But don't think only three seasons are there. Don't go. Don't think that other seasons are not there. Three seasons are specially mentioned. These three seasons represent various desires in their minds. We'll come to that a little later. But let me tell you a little bit more about what does it mean in your life.

In modern life, when you want to make your life creative, you may want to take something and make it into something new. Take the example of a cook creating a new dish. A Bengali person creates Rasagulla. He takes milk, separates the channa, processes it, and gets Rasagulla. However, the cook is not creating from basic raw materials; the milk was already there. But the Devas created the entire universe from non-existing raw materials. This creative process, starting from pure thought, is ongoing in our lives. In the 16th century, industrial civilization started, and someone conceived using kerosene and petrol to create machines for human labor—artificial intelligence, another form of creativity, evolved over time.

Now, let's go back to the Devas. They wanted to perform Yajna, but there were no physical tools. So, they sat down, closed their eyes, and imagined lighting a fire, offering ghee and Naivedya to the Divine. They imagined the fire to be Brahman, with desires for the production of spring, summer, and autumn seasons.

These seasons have symbolic meanings. The spring season, Vasant Kaala, is beautiful with plenty of food, representing positive experiences in life. However, to cook and make the food palatable, you need fire. In the summer season, plenty of firewood is available. And in Sharath Kaala (autumn), harvesting has been done, representing the offerings.

The spring season involves animals giving birth, providing plenty of milk, leading to butter and ghee. So, spring represents ghee, summer represents firewood, and autumn represents the cakes to be offered. The unique aspect is that the Devas didn't use pre-existing materials but created from their pure, prayerful thoughts. They became like Kalpavriksha, wish-fulfilling trees, with a desire to do good to the world.

This concept of Yajna can be extended to various aspects of life, such as reaching God, seeking prosperity, or leading a beautiful householder's life. Instead of calling it Yajna, it's called Ashrama. Living a Yajnik life is an Ashrama, and living differently becomes Shrama. Yajna, Ashrama, Shrama—a choice in life.

So, the Devas, lacking physical equipment, mentally imagined the Yajna process, representing the ongoing creative process in our lives. They became wish-fulfilling creators, desiring good for the world. This process continues, whether it's creating a new dish, inventing technology, or engaging in any positive endeavor.

You can say, according to the Hindu calendar, there are six seasons. All of them are produced by whom? By the Devas. Here only three are kept. So, Yat Purushena Havisha. So, Yagna has to be performed by these Gods or Deities. And who is the fire? Finally, unto whom? Everything has to be tested. Imagine, here is Shiva, here is Vishnu. But they imagined Supreme Brahman as a fire. Then what did they do? They performed Yagna. And how did they perform Yagna? So, they imagined, completely absorbed, Vasantah Asya Asid Ajyam. Ajyam means the ghee. So, what is the ghee? First of all, ghee was not there. But the equipment for ghee has to be created. And that season for producing ghee is called spring season. Why spring season? Grass grows, all the trees will grow. And the cows and other animals, they eat plenty of food. And they give plenty of milk. And from the milk, we can make them curds. And from curds, we can make it butter. From butter, we can make it ghee. This is called Ajyam, Vasantah. Grishma Idmah. Grishma Kaala means summer season. What did they do? Firewood. That means what? In this intense heat, firewood will be very easily available. So, they require firewood to keep on the fire for a long time. So, we want firewood. For that purpose, they created it. As soon as they thought of it, it was created externally. Then, Habihi. Habihi means offering, food offering. And that will come only as a result of harvest in the autumnal season. So, at that time, because sowing everything is done in the rainy season, then the harvest will come in the autumnal season. So, as they went on thinking like this. So, the seasons were produced. And seasons have their own effects. Then the whole world, that means all of us, will go on only according to the seasonal growth. What a marvelous concept! So, what is the essence? First of all, the whole thing is a mental process. Secondly, they didn't have the equipments. But by imagining, those equipments have become concretely evident. So, what is a Yagna? And God is the fire. That means the whole life is meant for what? Only to worship God. So, for the Yagna, performed by these Devas, with God as the object of a fire, the spring became the Ghee, the summer season became the cooking firewood, and the atom became the offerings that has to be put into the fire. And that same process is going on from morning till evening. Every act of human being is a Yagna. So, how does it mean? I'll just give one more example before we go to the next part of the Mantra. Here are two people and they have a desire to produce, to create offspring, human beings. What do they do? According to the scriptural injunction, they get married. And then they join together according to the scriptural injunctions. So, what was it? Their Sankalpa is we want offspring, we want to continue this lineage, we want to pass on these things. And then whole life, looking after each other, that is the Yagna. So, they become what is called Upper Aruni and the Lower Aruni. So, Purusha is the upper firewood for producing fire. And this concept of a child is compared, especially in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, as a great sacrificial act. So, everything. Here is a teacher and he is the upper stick and the student is the lower stick. And what happens? The fire is put. What is the fire? The teacher's knowledge will be poured into the student and the student also will get what the teacher had acquired as the teacher had acquired from his previous persons. So, what am I talking about? At every act, you are breathing, you are eating, you are moving your hands, you are moving your legs, it can be conceived as a Yagna.

According to the Hindu calendar, there are six seasons, but the mantra mentions three specifically. The Devas, or gods, are the creators of these seasons, representing the desires in their minds. The mantra emphasizes that Yajna has to be performed by these deities, and the fire in the Yajna is envisioned as Supreme Brahman.

The creative process begins with the imagining of the seasons. In the spring season, called Vasant, the Devas imagined the production of ghee (Ajya). Here, the grass grows, trees flourish, and animals provide plenty of milk, leading to the creation of ghee. In the summer season, Grishma, the Devas imagined the availability of firewood. The intense heat makes firewood easily accessible. In the autumn season, Sharat, the Devas thought of offerings (Habihi), which would result from the harvest.

The key points here are the mental nature of the process, the absence of physical equipment initially, and the manifestation of concrete results through imagination. The seasons and their effects shape the world, symbolizing the ongoing creative process in life. The essence is that life is a mental process, and Yajna is a way to worship God, where God is the fire.

The mantra also suggests that every human act is a Yajna. For example, the desire for offspring leads to marriage, and the subsequent care for each other is a Yajna. The analogy of Upper Aruni and Lower Aruni illustrates the sacrificial act of producing a child. Similarly, the teacher-student relationship is compared to a Yajna, where knowledge is transmitted as an offering.

In summary, the mantra emphasizes the mental and transformative nature of Yajna, where the Devas perform a creative act by imagining and manifesting the seasons, symbolizing the ongoing creative process in life.

That is why Shiva Stotram is there. And then he says, if I sleep, that is Samadhi. If I move my hands, that is Arati. If I move my legs, that is called Pradakshina. And, It is your worship. Unconsciously, we are only worshipping God. Unconsciously, God is only worshipping himself. Nothing else really counts. So, this Purusha Sukta wants to convey to us that he is the creator. He is the creator created and he is the equipment with which the creature tries to worship or tries to attain union with the creator through the medium of Yagna. That is called Atma Yagna. Whatever activities we are doing, that is really a Yagna, but we are not conscious of it. That is what Krishna Bhagavan wants to tell us. Whatever the body is doing, mind is doing, if we can imagine it as a sacrificial offering to the Lord, then soon we will evolve and we ourselves will become God. How? Because whatever firewood, covered with ghee, is offered into the fire, what does it become? Fire only. So, we also, through sacrificial, we are the offering. And when we fall into the fire called God, if we really lead that kind of Yagna, then we will also become one with the fire, with the God. This is the concept of Yagna. Yagna is the act of sacrificing our separation, giving up our separation, so that we can become one with our true nature. This is the concept of Yagna. If I have been able to convey this picture, then we understand it is nothing but whole life is a Yagna, and we have to do Yagna. If we do not do it, then we will be doing it later on. I just want to add one precaution here, because Yagna is going on. Whole life is a Yagna. Whether we are conscious of it or not is a Yagna. But who is the Yagnakarta? Who is the person for whom we are doing Yagna? If it is God, we will become God. If it is for our selfish purpose, then we will be caught as an individual. We will be there as an individual, going up and down, enjoying happiness and misery, and more and more Samsara will be there, until we learn our lesson, and then we will learn how to perform Divine Yagna, and then move forward. And this idea has been presented also in Prashna Upanishad, if you remember it. So, Where from all these beings have come? Then he said, So Prajapati means here, Brahma Deva has become desirous of creation. What did he do? He performed Tapas. Then he has done this Tapaha. Tapaha means what? Deep intense thinking. What does it mean? What does this mean? It means he remembers whatever he has done in the past. I will come to that point. Then what happens? As a result of this austerity, So, any creation requires the created and the creator. Both are required. So, Here it is said, Rayi is Prakruti, and Prana or Surya or Prajapati is the male figure, Purusha. So, I created this Prakruti and Purusha. Now both of them will be combining and go on multiplying themselves and they will do my job, Iti. Then he created Kala, Samvatsara. Then he created Vritus, all the seasons. Beautiful.

The discourse emphasizes that everything we do, consciously or unconsciously, is a form of worship or Yajna. The Purusha Sukta conveys the idea that the ultimate reality is both the creator and the created, and all our activities are like offerings in a Yajna. The concept of Atma Yajna is introduced, signifying that every action, if seen as an offering to the divine, can lead to spiritual evolution.

The analogy is drawn with the process of a sacrificial offering, where the individual, like firewood covered in ghee, merges with the divine fire (God). The act of Yajna is portrayed as sacrificing our sense of separation to attain unity with our true nature. If performed with the awareness that we are offering to God, the individual may ultimately become one with the divine.

However, a cautionary note is added that the intention behind the Yajna matters. If the Yajna is performed with a selfless motive, aspiring to reach God, the individual may evolve spiritually. On the other hand, if the Yajna is driven by selfish desires, the individual remains caught in the cycle of individual existence, experiencing joy and sorrow until the lesson is learned.

The idea of Yajna as the act of sacrificing separation for unity is reinforced, suggesting that life itself is a continuous Yajna. The Prashna Upanishad is referenced, where Prajapati (Brahma) desires creation and undergoes intense thinking (Tapas) to initiate the process of creation. The creative forces, represented as Prakruti (Rayi) and Purusha (Surya or Prana), join together, multiplying and carrying out the divine plan. The creation includes the concept of time (Samvatsara) and the seasons (Vritus).

In summary, the discourse underscores the transformative power of conscious living as a Yajna, with the caution that the motive behind our actions determines the outcome of our spiritual journey. The connection between the individual and the divine is portrayed as a continuous sacrificial offering, leading to unity with the divine.

Those who have heard the Prashna Upanishad talks, they are in a better position to understand. Only intelligence required is how to connect those ideas with this Purusha Surya. This is the only thing that we can really do it. So, every creative act is a Manasika Yajna. These Gods, the deciding deities of the Indriyas and Pranas were given charge of the next round of creation. Now, another point before we close. But how did they come to know? This is how we have to do it. For that the answer given, resounding answer given is, we may think this is the first creation, but the deities were given the knowledge this creation has been done earlier, how many times? Infinite number of times. Because creation is eternal. How do we know? Because here is a Rig Vedic Mantra. What does it mean? This Brahma Deva, he wanted to create. He did Tapasya. For Tapasya, he raked his brain by deep thinking. What happened? I have done it. Last Kalpa. I don't need to do anything. I have kept all the equipment in the garage. All that I need to do is bring it out. How did I do it? Remember, this is what I have done. I did the Yagna. All things were created. These were the mantras I have created. These seasons were created. The earth was created. And the Antareksha was created. The upper world was created. The Vancha, Prithvincha, Antarekshancha, Atha, Pohu, Pohaha, Swaha created. In exactly the same way, the Devas who have to perform the next creation, the second part of the creation, they start with the performance of Yagna. How did they do? How did they know they have to do Yagna? Because they remembered, this is the commission. We were commissioned to create. And we did exactly the same thing in the previous Kalpa. And therefore, they have remembered it. And they do it very nicely. This is what we also do. A mother, she learns from her mother. First, there is a first time. After that, she remembers. So, four days back, I prepared potato curry. And then what does she do? Exactly the same thing she does. See, year after year. So first, there is a first time. There is really no first time. Everything has been repeated billions and billions of times in the past. Every so-called creative person, has been doing the same thing. It is like playing a drama again and again. Or as Swamiji says, Ferris wheel going round and round again. So, only the passengers change. The seats remain exactly the same. So, these beautiful ideas, we will continue in our next class.

The discussion highlights that every creative act is a form of mental Yajna, and the deities responsible for the senses and vital forces were entrusted with the task of the next round of creation. It's emphasized that this may seem like the first creation, but the deities were given the knowledge that creation has occurred infinitely many times before, as creation is eternal.

Reference is made to a Rig Vedic Mantra, indicating that Brahma Deva, having created before, decided to embark on creation again. Through deep thinking and Tapasya, he recollected the previous creation and realized that all the necessary equipment was already prepared. This concept is likened to a person who, having prepared a dish before, remembers the process and effortlessly repeats it.

The deities performing the subsequent creation also follow this pattern. They engage in Yajna because they remember that it is part of their commission, and they recall having done the same in the previous Kalpa. The idea is likened to how individuals learn from their experiences, remembering and repeating actions, as seen in the example of a mother who, after preparing a dish once, remembers the process and repeats it.

The discussion concludes by suggesting that there is no real "first time" in creation; everything has been repeated countless times. The analogy of a Ferris wheel is used, where the wheel keeps turning, and only the passengers change. The repetition of creative acts is portrayed as a timeless and cyclical process. The promise is made to continue exploring these ideas in the next class.

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