Devi Suktam Lecture 05 on 16 November 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Devi suktam. We are still in the first mantra only. The first mantra is uttered as the expression of the experience of the daughter of a great Rishi called Ambruna and she is called Vaak. Because she is the daughter of Ambruna Rishi, she is called Vaak Ambruni. The female equivalent of Rishi is Rishika. So this Rishika, she performed Tapasya and she attained oneness with Brahman and she felt I am Brahman. I am both the Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman. I am only manifesting in the form of this universe. Saguna Brahma means universe and universe means Chit and Achit. In fact Tri is beautifully expressed by Ramanujacharya. Ishwara and Ishwara is called Saguna Brahma and he manifests as Ishwara and Chit and Achit. Jeeva, Jagat and Ishwara. This triangle expressed in other means. Adhyatmikam, Adhibhautikam and Adhidaivikam. Exactly the same things. So this Brahmavadini means one who realized I am Brahman, who realized everything is Brahman. What is the difference between these two statements? When a person says or feels rather, not says but feels, knows I am Brahman. There is no mind, there is no body and it is complete oneness. Not even there is a Brahman but I am. But when the same Nirguna Brahma is manifesting that means there is a body, there is a mind also called Prakruti or Maya. Then I am Vishnu, I am Brahma, I am the Shiva and I am all the residing deities. As we studied in the Aitareya Upanishad especially how this Srishti had come about. It is a beautiful expression. Everything in this world is Brahman. Not only the ruler but the ruled also. Nothing is exempted from the knowledge that everything is Brahman. So that way this Rishika is expressing. I am Indra, Agni, I am Ashwinobha. Who are these people? They are called Rudras and Vasus and Adityas, Vishwadevas, Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Agni and Ashwani Kumaras. These are the most important Vedic deities for whom havis or offering is given. That is like our modern puja. We do puja to so many Gods and Goddesses. Are they different? Is what is called God many many Gods? No. Some people by mistake say Hinduism is full of polytheism. Poly means many, innumerable. Theism means the idea that there are many Gods. Not one God as declared by Christianity, as declared by Islam especially. There is no other God but God. Every day they are supposed to chant this five times. Every Muslim. But it is a gross misunderstanding of Hinduism. What is the correct understanding? Every spiritual aspirant has the freedom. I want to think of God with this particular form, with this particular name, with this particular quality. Just many times I explained but once more. For example, a person wants, I am in quest of knowledge. So I want to think of Brahman as Saraswati. And she is like a mother. Why? Because a mother never denies anything to her child. Even if the child doesn't want also, the mother will only do good, whatever is good for the baby. So this is the idea behind Saraswati. Who is Saraswati? Same Nirguna Brahma as Saguna Brahma. As endowed with names and forms and qualities. In this example, this Saguna Brahma as Divine Mother. Mother of wisdom. Mother of knowledge. And she has a form. Every form that Hindus imagine is symbolic. Four hands. What is it? Everything in this world has a beginning, has a continuation and has an end. So Para, Avaya, Laya. Srishti, Stithi, Laya. This is the concept. What Guna? Saraswati is a particular quality. What quality? Knowledge personified. Lakshmi, wealth or happiness personified. Kartikeya, success personified. Ganesha, victory, success, not having any obstacles personified. Thus, what is the point? Every Hindu is worshipping only one God. But he chooses to worship God according to his needs. A beggar, for example. A person who doesn't have anything to eat. He will worship Mother Annapurna. Bhiksham, Dehecha, Parvati. A Sanyasi also wants Bhiksha. A starving person also wants Bhiksha. What is the difference? A starving person is not in need of Jnanam, Vairagyam and Viveka. So he will only say, Bhiksham, Dehecha, Mother, I am starving. Give me a little food so that I can survive and try to enjoy life. But the same person, when he understands, when after experiencing everything, and after going through both the good and the evil, finally understands, this was only a temporary goal, not a permanent goal. So such a person, now he says, Give me Bhiksha, Mother. But I am not asking for food, for drink, for dress, for money. What am I asking? Jnanam, Vairagyam, Siddhartham, Bhiksham, Dehecha, Parvati. So this considering according to our needs or contemplating on God in a particular way for the fulfilment of my particular desire, but worshipping the same God, that is the speciality of Hinduism. Unable to understand this simple psychological fact, many people thought Hinduism is a very tribal religion. They never understood. Anyway, we need not go into all those things. What is important in this first mantra of the Devi Suktam is that this Rishika is no more a Rishika. She is Brahman and she is declaring. Do not worry that you are a Varshapura Prudhra or Vasu or Aditya or Vishwadeva or Mitra or Varuna or Indra or Agni or Ashwini Kumaras. I am manifesting myself in that form. Charami, here is a beautiful word. Charami means I move along with them or this is the very superficial meaning. It is called Vachyartha, external meaning. But Lakshyartha, Charami means what? I am manifesting myself as Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, etc. That means there is no Rudra, there is no Vasu, excepting me, I am the only reality. And we will now in this background try to understand these are the Vedic Gods. Just as we now have Shiva and different forms of Shiva, and different forms of Devi and especially Bengal is the mother house of Tantric worship and there are what is called ferocious forms of the Divine Mother. Even recently we have gone through this Navaratri. Nine nights and every night a Sadhaka is supposed to worship the same Divine Mother with different names like Kaumari, Brahmacharini, Bala, Durga, Parvati, etc. But behind even the crudest person, most uneducated person has a clear conception I am worshipping the Universal Mother. She can give me what I want. So this is the idea. I move with the Rudras, Charami and also with the Vasus. I wander with the Adityas and the Vishwadevas. I hold aloft both Mitra and Varuna and also Indra and Agni and also twin Ashwins. So here, Shayanacharya who has written a Bhashyam is telling at the very beginning that there was a Maharshi called Amruna. He has a daughter called Vak and she became a Brahma Vidushi. She is called a Rishika. Rishi means mantra drashta, discoverer of truth. That means she attained her identity with Brahman and then it became an expression that I can now fulfil. Previously I was also praying like you by the grace of Brahman. I became Brahman and what can Brahman give? If we pray to Brahman, if you pray to Agni, what can Agni give? Only Agni, fire, heat, light. If we pray to the Sun, Aditya, what can he give? Only light. If we can pray to Chandra, then we will have perfect control over the mind because Chandra is the Adhishtatru Devata of the mind. Indra is the presiding deity of the hand. Vishnu is the presiding deity of the leg. The Sun is the presiding deity of the eyes. Like that, every part of our body is divided into several parts, hands, legs, eyes, ears and all of them are manifestation of the Adhishtatru Devatas and these presiding deities called Adhishtatru Devatas are themselves none other than manifestations of the Brahman. That is what this Vagambhruni is telling. I am Brahman but I manifest as Rudra, etc. And this is what Vedanta teaches that I am one with this universe. I am the supreme ruler and then who is the ruled? She alone is the ruled. She is the ruler, she is the ruled. I am this world. I am also the ruler of this world and whatever exists in this universe is nothing but Supreme Brahman because I realized my identity with Brahman. Therefore, I am Surya, I am Manu. Whatever exists in this universe there is nothing else excepting myself. As I mentioned, Holy Mother said that I am Mahamaya. Mithya Jagad Adhishtatre Muktida Muktirupini and what about Lakshmi? What about Saraswati? What about all the other female gods and goddesses? So this Ambruni is Lakshmi herself and she is Saraswati also. How is it possible? According to our Puranic literature Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati are three aspects of the Divine. As we all know very well that three what is called active gods that is Brahma, creator, Vishnu, protector or ruler or what is called peace maintainer, law maintainer, law holder and Shiva, recycler. Always they go together with that knowledge. That knowledge metaphorically is represented as the wife because our gross mind understands husband and wife. But the idea is there is a person and he has a power and the person and the power are not separate. When we say this is a doctor that means he is a human being with tremendous amount of medical knowledge. Whether it is male or female is immaterial. It is a knowledge that is called doctor. Of course there are also doctors, PhD doctors. That is a different issue. This is medical doctor. And so just like that there are so many gods and goddesses especially all the gods and goddesses are manifestations of Vishnu and Shiva. Unfortunately I don't get anybody who is a manifestation of Brahma. So this is a very important point. There is Nirguna Brahma from our viewpoint becomes Saguna, Sakara, Savikara, Brahma. So this is important. Brahma with knowledge. What knowledge? Vedic knowledge. And that Vedic knowledge or Vedic wisdom is called Saraswati. What is Saraswati? Our holy mother's name is Sharada. It is also pronounced alternatively as Sarada, Sarada, Gnanada, Balada, Shaktida. Da means giver. Who can give? Only a person who has plenty that person can give. So Gnanada means a person who can give Gnanam. Dhanada, a person who can give wealth. Similarly here, Sarada. Sara means wisdom. So who can give that Shakti that is called Sharada, Sarada, etc. So Brahma and Saraswati are not two separate beings like husband and wife but the same being with what is called knowledge. Brahma is the creator. How does he create? With the help of knowledge. And what is that knowledge called? Saraswati. So this is the two things combined knowledge and action. This is called Gnanam and Shakti. Gnanashakti. That is why in the Soundarya Lahari I quoted earlier So if Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara cannot function unless Shakti makes them alive otherwise without Shakti Shiva is called Shiva. That Shiva with Shakti is called Shiva. This is the symbolism embodied in the Kali Devata below her feet. We see Shiva lying down like a corpse because Brahman is like a corpse unless it is manifest. Nobody is beyond mind beyond this speech much less speech. Then we can never think about it. How can we talk about it? This is the meaning. But the moment Shakti comes he manifests out of compassion as Saguna Brahma. Saguna Brahma. What Guna? Guna, Rajoguna and Tamoguna. So Pithili expressed in So as a creator he is called Brahman. The knowledge which he manifests through the act of creation is called Saraswati and similarly Vishnu. Vishnu's rule is upholding the law and that requires weapons that requires both reward and punishment and therefore Lakshmi that means reward and she is also punishment. Wealth is Lakshmi. Poverty is deprivation of Lakshmi. If a person deviates from rhythm which we are going to see a little later on that rhythm means perfect harmony there is a perfect harmony in this universe and anybody who doesn't align himself or herself with that rhythm which in English language is called rhythm that person he has to be punished. What is punishment? Bringing him back to rhythmic state. The state of rhythm. This Vedic discovery rhythm later on has become manifested more physically as Dharma and Sathya. Sathya means knowledge Dharma means living according to what understands. So this is the law of rhythm that is why many times in the Shanti Mantras we get That is only when we pray our understanding becomes better and better in accordance to our understanding our activities also undergo a transformation for the good. There is a invariable law What is that law? If we know something rightly we cannot behave otherwise. Our knowledge always guides our life. But you may have the problem this person is a big pundit and then he quotes the scriptures he says this world is Mithya and then he misbehaves all the time. There is a beautiful Sufi story I don't remember there was a great saint I don't remember his name It is very difficult to remember this Sufi master's name only a few we know So this one of the Sufi masters and very austere person and one day he was moving in the village and he saw a woman, a Muslim woman without covering her head she was rushing somewhere and that shocked the saint called her and said my daughter how come being a Muslim woman you are moving without a veil on your head everybody can see and that lady clearly did not notice because her mind was extremely hesitated because of some incident and she forgot she is rushing to the market so she will be observed by everybody as breaking rule. Nowadays you know terrible conflict is going on in the name of veiling one's face etc for the woman it is terrible sometimes most of the time they are killed also such is the some of the behaviors misinterpreted misbehavior in some countries anyway so this lady she looked at the saint and said oh you have done lot of good I myself did not notice but you corrected me and immediately she put on the veil then the highest wisdom came from her mouth oh saint how come that I am a worldly person and I have been distressed and I did not notice whether I have put on the veil or not you are supposed to be completely merged in God and you are not supposed to notice anything first of all you crystal clearly noticed I am a woman I am not veiled and you have the guts to scold me on the street publicly which of course I acknowledge you have corrected me it was my fault but how come you took notice you who are supposed to be completely absorbed in God what a marvelous wisdom comes and similar stories are also there say Ram Krishna also quotes just so that we can remember the gospel also there was a what is called degenerate character in the beginning but became one of the greatest saints later on called Veluvamangala and he was madly blindly in love with a prostitute and one day he could not reach her early in the day because that was his father's Shraddha day offering day and these priests were taking their own sweet time he was getting terribly restless finally just when the sun set the ceremonies were finished and of course special offerings were offered there and then as soon as the priest went away he took out the best food material and was rushing towards his beloved and then he thought I cannot tolerate this separation so he cuts across a garden and then it was not very visible very small light was there and he totally forgot about everything and he stumbled upon a yogi and then the yogi scolded him what type of man you are I am meditating upon God and you dare to stumble upon me disturb my meditation then Veluvamangala apologized at first like this to this woman and then he addressed Sir how come I am thinking of a prostitute and I completely forgot the world and you claim you are meditating on God and you are completely aware of your surroundings who is walking over you and all those things what type of yogi you are what type of meditation it is what a marvelous incidence Ram Krishna is telling us and he was absolutely right now I want to continue this story because from every story is like a parable every puranic story is like a parable it is not a story it is what is called a concentrated wisdom compressed in the form of those stories so we don't know what was the reaction of the yogi he must have felt really contrite or got annoyed how dare you teach me preach me anyway Veluvamangala reached his beloved's place it was night and the lady thought today he did not come probably he will not come probably she was very happy also so she closed put off the lights and went to bed and this fellow saw the whole house was locked up and then he knows which room she was there in the upstairs so she thought he went there and saw a rope hanging so my beloved must have left this rope for me to climb upon and he climbed and then entered into the room but I did not tell you actually this story he had to cross a river and he thought there was some wooden log waiting so he jumped upon it rode himself across the river and was running this incident might have happened anyway it was very foul smelling then this lady was oblivious of everything completely unconscious she was having a nice dreamless sleep and she awoke and then she was horrified how did you enter into my room why you left a rope she said no I don't know anything about any rope anyway you are smelling like a corpse what is the matter with you no no I crossed the river by a boat now let us examine see what is the rope so both of them took the light and saw it was a cobra trying to enter into her room and he found and then it held on for its near life so that is how he entered then they took the lamp went to the river which was very close by and saw a corpse was struck to the bank it was that corpse so much absorbed now what is the point of this story it is not the corpse it is not the snake though so the point of the story is he was his love his attraction for this lady was super human no human being can ever love anybody else that way he became blind to the whole world to danger to death night was no terror for him he was happy that he met her his beloved hearts beloved and then if anybody has got this kind of tremendous power of the mind to love or hate or anger and if it can it will be sooner or later directed towards God and they will realize God very soon but whereas Ram Krishna used to say that slowly I will realize God in course of time where is the hurry he will take billions of births what is the point point is why is the world created for us to develop that state of the mind where intense lust intense anger intense frustration intense hatred intense attachment if we can hone our mind to that extent there is another meaning of chitta vritti nirodha means what hone the every thought to that highest point of strength penetration then that mind will very soon break open the mystery of the veil of God and will be able to find out that is the point remember now so it is Bhagawan in the form of action and shakti for performing activities all activities can be classified as srishti, sthiti and laya and we cannot see an activity unless a person is doing even we cannot see a car moving without the driver so we name Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara all these I am that one I preserve I create I preserve, I sustain and I also take back this is the idea the three shaktis, the powers of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara they are not two different things like male and female but expressions of both intention as well as activity now we will go a little bit into the details aham rudre bhi usubhi charami, I move along with the Rudras and I move along with the Vasus and the Adityas and also the Vishwadevas Mitra, Varuna are supported by me Indra and Agni are sustained by me so also the Ashwini Devatas, this is the simple direct translation now who are these Rudras, just as I mentioned, let us not forget this Rudra is a very famous Vedic deity all the deities mentioned here and they are not all the deities there are only a few deities because according to Vedic hymns we get how many gods are there this was a question put to Agnimalkya in that Janaka Maharaja Sabha he says 333 crores same question was repeated again and again so how many gods? 3 crores how many gods? 333 how many gods? 33 how many gods? 3 how many gods? 1.5, how many gods? 1 was Agnimalkya contradicting giving a different answer every time forgetting what he said earlier no the more the ignorance the more division we see, the more sharp is our understanding the same thing the same person is a husband, is a son is a grandfather is a doctor is a sportsman, is an advisor, is a traveler, he is a cook he can be anything similarly one person only when viewed separately there will be different things are there, so it is said there are what is called 11 Rudras are there what are the 11 Rudras? 11 aspects of what we now call in our modern age Shiva but earlier it was called Rudra, why is it called Rudra? he who makes you weep, whenever we are about to die unless a person is an enlightened person he feels I have to leave everybody whom I love and everybody who loves me and all my attachment, I don't want to get rid of the attachment but forcibly death separates us from everything that we accumulate the love etc so this is the 11 Rudras are there then how many Aditya means the sun, how many? 12 Adityas and there are Vishwa Devas are there then there is Indra, Varuna and Agni then who is this Indra? who is the Varuna? Varuna is what is called Roganashaka he who can destroy our diseases he who is with good health and strength Ashwini Kumaras are also same thing then we have Indra and Agni Indra is the God of deities small G not big G we should not use plural number with regard to the capital G only God but Gods God of the Gods so in the Vedic literature Indra is given the highest position why? because he was also a Brahma Gnani he was the strongest person and even today one who is very strong he alone becomes the leader so this Vedanta, modern Vedanta tells us every part of our body our whole body nothing but representation of the entire cosmos entire cosmos is nothing but in one way of looking Panchabhutas 5 Bhutas from another way of looking all the 300 Gods and Goddesses that is the cosmos and each single body of ours Deha represents, the eyes represents the sun and the mind represents the moon and the hands represent the Indra, the legs represent Vishnu and the organ of procreation represents Prajapati and the Vayu Devata the deity or the presiding deity of the Panchapranas so for every part of the body there is a deity that means what we do not exist, only they exist, this is the idea so Indra is a Brahma Gnani we studied it in the Kena Upanishad especially in the third chapter when Divine Mother revealed Herself the Aksha revealed Herself in the third chapter as Uma Devi and bestowed that you do not exist what exists is only Brahman, then Agni is praised along with Indra, he is the presiding deity over fire that is why whenever we do Puja in the form of light whenever we do Homa in the form of Agni Homa and we give offering he is called Purohita and he is brilliant and what does he do he carries, he is called Avya Vahana, Avya means offering usually in the olden times it is called Ghee Vahana means Indraya Swaha and we offer clarified butter, Ghee into the fire, the fire Devata the moment we say Swaha that Swaha is addressed, Indraya Swaha means the address of Indra Agnaya Swaha, this is the home address of Agni Devata Agnaya Swaha etc. so he knows, like a postman, so that is why he is called Vedavata he acts as a medium between human beings and the Gods so he carries what we offer to them and what they grant for us he brings us back, remember in Ramayana when Dasharatha was performing with the help of Vasishta, Putra Kamesh Tejna, suddenly Agni Devata appeared and then presented what is called Payasam you give it to your wives because this is the your prayers are answered and they will have children and then he distributed it a little more to Kausalya the eldest queen and then so they all gave birth some Kaikeyi had given birth to twins Bharata and Shatrughna Lakshmana offered Sumitra and Kausalya of course gave birth to Sri Ramachandra so this is how Agni this Agni Devata whatever we offer with a particular name and address called Indraya Swaha, Indra's address etc. he carries to the right home and brings us also back this is our faith even today we go to Tirupati, we give to Jairambati Srimahudahini we go to so many Gods and Goddesses etc. many temples are famous, some for wealth some for if any girl is not married, they can go Katiyayini is worshipped this is what we get the information in the Bhagavatam even now there are some temples particular desire will be fulfilled by that particular presiding deity, this is our faith the whole life is nothing but based upon faith so Agni, Agni Devata then we also get Ashwini Kumaras who are they? these Ashwini Kumaras first of all twins and they are the physicians of the Gods curious thing, do Gods also get disease? yes, we know that the moon was cursed by Brihaspati you will be suffering from TB Kshairoga that is why every 15 days his face becomes paler and paler Shiva gave him, don't worry 15 days you will be suffering 15 days you will be recovering the health, so your whole life you lose for 15 days your health and again 15 days you get it so Gods also now I will come further also, who are these Ashwini Kumaras they are called the children of Surya Devata, Aditya and his wife was Vinana, Wisdom so Surya's wife Sanya Devi and the husband and wife, they begot two children, twins born to them, they are called Ashwini they are very very beautiful and very handsome eternally young very healthy and strong and they were Vaidyas doctors for the Gods and what does it indicate? why do the Gods want too much of eating of ghee is not good for health that is what modern doctors tell us too much oily food is not good what is ghee? nothing but oily food so probably they also suffer and they also have desires and they also are cursed Indra was cursed may you become a Sahasraksha and many other stories we get in the Puranas what is the purport of these things? the purport is because of your merit Punyam you entered into a very costly 7 star or 70 star hotel but as soon as your Punyam is over you also have to come down first, not only that if you go on eating whatever is offered in that hotel then you will suffer also then every hotel has got also some doctors and they take your life out they charge you so much so these are the Ashwini Kumaras and in our Puranas there are so many stories I just want to recollect to you one particular story there was a king and he had a very beautiful daughter called Sukanya very great lady but when she was still growing up she was very mischievous, full of energy one day she entered into a forest and then there was a bush and then she looked two brilliant lights were coming from that bush she did not know because she was not able to see anything else excepting this beams of light coming from two holes so out of curiosity and ignorance she took a stick and stuck, immediately blood started to flow then there was a cry from within and a great Rishi called Chavana came out and he became blinded then the girl was horrified, truly repentant she went and promptly reported this to her father, father came and apologized, you are a great Rishi we have offended you, instead of protecting you, you please tell us what can we do under these conditions, of course he became blind and because of Tapasya he became very old he was not old but because of starvation voluntary fasting etc he became appeared to be very old shrunken skin etc, wrinkled skin etc, and now this came, then he told oh king, I cannot move about without the help of somebody you get me married to your daughter and then she will be able to look after me, the king resisted but the girl said, no papa, so I have done papa so, oh papa I am his father so I will marry, I will serve him and she was as good as her word and the king's father had no option they got married they were living like that and then she was of course he could not fulfill her desires because he was quite old and he understood, he said don't worry, I will fulfill your desires because you pleased me, you served me very much so one day, he invoked these Ashwini Kumaras and then they came and then he told them that you please cure me and bring me back my youth and they know everything how to bring back the youth many many wonderful stories we get even in the Upanishads also so they cured him but they said, you are a great Rishi, you have got so much of power of Tapas now, we are deprived of the what is called share our share of what is offered by the human beings to the Gods and Indra and others never considered us as Gods, even though we are children of Surya and Sangnana but you can help us, immediately Chavana performed Egna and also invited Indra etc and in those days, people were so pure that when they invite, even Gods personally they come and attend, such was their faith so they all came and Chavan Rishi he also invited Ashwini Kumaras out of gratefulness and they came and he was offering to all of them and then Indra prevented no, they are not fit to receive this we don't accept it Chavana simply looked at Indra and said you better keep quiet if you don't make them sharers of this service, then you are going to lose your position this blackmailing is the only thing that works in any country democracy is not going to work out so Indra had no power, he knows the power of the Rishi and immediately said yes, yes, yes, I was also thinking like that, but only now your command has come, right time has come, yes from now onwards they will also get a share of this avish etc so parasparam bhavayantaha they cured him of Chavana's old age and blindness and Chavana made them sharers this is an Auranic story that we get it this is a beautiful story, now a little bit of that story because we all enjoy, these Ashwini Kumaras when they were invited they came down and they had one look at this Sukanya and they were themselves beset with a desire for her so they appeared so beautiful, so desirable you marry us, what will you do with this old man he said no I am a pativaratha whether he is old he is incapable, he alone will be, then what they did so ok Chavana you come let us take bath in a nearby lake and then all your old age will go, so all the three, two Ashwini Kumaras and Chavana dipped into the waters of the lake, when they got up they all had exactly same form you choose one of us she said definitely there is no problem and she chose Chavana only and they were surprised, how did you recognize us they said you know you fellows you cannot blink, I know that you cannot blink second your feet will not touch the earth and it is crystal clear your name is written Ashwini Kumara on your label so I know them, they were highly pleased, granted many boons on both of them, we are only testing, whenever people get defeated they say we are only testing you really we are not wanting God alone knows what they mean anyway this is one of the Ashwini Kumaras story so this is one of the stories I just wanted to share with you because these are very important things and they became one of the Vedic Gods and what is this Ambruni telling I was Surya, I was Vasu, I was Rudra, I was Aditya and I was everything including Mitra, Varuna, Ashwini both the twins etc and I am functioning through them, I became them, they do not exist separate from me so that is what he is telling which is absolutely true, why? Vasarvam Kalvidam Brahma, that is what she says but here our Shayana Rishis, here is something very very important thing a little more details also I will give you he says Jagat is Mithya so Jagat is Mithya this is Shayana's interpretation or Bhashyam on this first mantra and that is what he wants to tell all of us that this really speaking this Maya is there and this Shayana says here in his comment the meaning of it is that in me is the entire creation which is perceived by everybody as one perceives mistakes a shell, oyster called silver shell it shines in direct sunlight as if it is covered with it is nothing but pure silver but really speaking there is not a bit of silver there it is just a superimposed this thing so this Maya alone is getting transformed as cause of the universe, with the help of such Maya the creation takes place by surpassing covering up Brahman who remains always unattached and as I mentioned Lalita Sahasranama also Mithya Jagat Atishta Mukthirupini so you may think why am I going on and on with the first mantra because once we understand the purport of the first mantra with all that we have to do for all the other mantras accepting understanding there word meaning says Dito Dito Dito same meaning that is whatever he says I am the Chandra, I am the Somalatha I am the ruler of this world I am Aham Rastri Sangamani etc. etc. this is only expression of what she had expressed in the very first mantra and this is what we will discuss because what is the meaning of this 12 Adityas 11 Rudras Ashtavasus remember Ashtavasus then Ganga Devi was married to Shantanu with the condition that you will never prevent me from doing what I want to do as soon as the first child was born took it to Ganga and threw 2nd child, 3rd child, 4th child 5th, 6th, 7th children but if she was about to throw out the 8th child is Shantanu could not hold himself back and then she went and prevented, then she said I am going to leave you now these are really not dead, they are all for some reason they were cursed the Devatas who used to move with Brahma were cursed and they are called Vasus Vasus means one who is capable of giving Vasu or wealth that is why Bhishma Pitamaha because history has to be impressed with his behavior and the whole Mahabharata practically it is nothing but Bhishmadeva's story so he was prepared I will take him with me I will train him, I will bestow upon him all the knowledge when he is a young person he will come, so he was one of the Ashtavasus that is why he had the power to fly whenever he wants so these are beautiful details how they dovetail with the Puranic stories because what are the Puranas nothing but the expressions of the Vedic truths in the form of the stories and this whenever occasion comes we will detail in our future classes Om Jananim Sharadaam Devi Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Adapadmetayoh Sritva Pranamami Moho Moho May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Ramakrishna