Kaivalya Upanishad Lecture 20 on 24 December 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Kaivalya Upanishad. We have almost come to an end. There was a great Rishi called Ashvalayana. He approached Bhagawan Brahma himself to help him, to teach him, to show him the right path so that he could realize his identity with Brahman. The essence of all Upanishads, of all Vedanta is Jiva Brahma Aikya Jnanam. The knowledge that I am Brahman, there is no Jiva, there is no Jivatma, there is no Paramatma, whatever is one, if it is looked without the help of any instrument called mind or buddhi, then the Upanishads call it, name it as Nirgunam. But if the same Brahman is thought about, meditated upon, contemplated upon, it is called Saguna Brahma which includes Jiva, Jagat, everything. So the whole universe is Brahman with names and forms. Brahman without names and forms is called Nirgunam. Brahman with names and forms is called the Prapancha or Jagat. In our last class, which is the 23rd, we have discussed something very marvelous. For me, there is neither earth nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether. Thus, realizing the nature of the Paramatman, the one who is in the cavity of the heart, who is without parts, without a second, the witness of everything beyond both existence and non-existence, one attains the very nature of the Paramatman. Actually, this mantra is not only a teaching, but it is an expression of one's realization itself. And this type of mantras with this type of meaning is to be found scattered all over the Upanishads, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, everywhere. Yesterday, we discussed quite elaborately, I do not have neither Punyam nor Paapam. How come? Because Punyam and Paapam are the results of actions. Actions must be done through the instrumentality of body and mind. Since I am not the body-mind, I am beyond Jagrad Avastha, Swapna Avastha, Sushupti Avastha, all the three Avasthas, and I do not perform any activities. I do not need to perform any activities. Why? As I mentioned yesterday, every action has a motive, and every action has only one motive. I do not wish to be suffering. I wish to be all the time happy. I want unbroken happiness. I do not want even an iota of unhappiness. And I have everything, and I am everything. The Bhu Loka is me. I am the 14 worlds. And whatever Loka means, whatever experiences we have, that is called Loka. Loka, Lokyate, Bhunjate, Bhujyate, experienced, that is called Loka. So supposing somebody is here, and he is very happy. Where is he? He is in India. But he is very happy. And what do we need to say? He is not in India or anywhere. He is in Swargaloka. The same person is very unhappy. He is suffering. Where is he? He is not in India or anywhere. He is in Anakaloka. So happiness and unhappiness, good and evil, all these dualities are nothing but the mentations, the thoughts in the mind. Like clouds in the sky, they come and they stay for some time. They disappear. It's a beautiful analogy given by Sir Ramakrishna. And it was a very marvelous incident. At one time, Swami Turiyanandaji was wandering, and he reached a particular place. It was noon, terribly hot, and he sat under a tree. And the villagers were cultivators, and they were toiling extremely hard. Sweat was running off their body like rivers. And he could understand. He was not able to tolerate that heat, even though he was not doing any work. And then he was sitting under the tree. At that time, he was absolutely, what we call, depressed. I am not making spiritual progress, even though I have become a monk. Look at these people, how much they are toiling. And I have become a scrounger. That is, I am a scrapper. I am living off the earnings of these hard-working people. I am a sponger. These kinds of thoughts were passing. And then suddenly, there was a cloud. And the sun was hidden. There was a shower. And everybody, of course, got refreshed a little bit. This is the bounty of God. Having rains. That is why Bhagavan Krishna says, From me comes the rains. From me comes also the drought. Everything, whatever comes, is from me only. After a few minutes, then Priyanthi had seen the clouds had dispersed. And the sun started shining. Immediately, he understood. My mind was clouded. So, there was a darkness, a depression. But these are thoughts in the mind. Depression is a thought. Suppression is a thought. Sublimation is a thought. So, feel happy, unhappy. The state of the mind. With that, he became cheerful. In fact, he was describing later on that with that a realization came. I started growing and growing and growing and growing. I occupied the entire world. He did not elaborate. But we have to elaborate it. What did he mean? That this toiling cultivator, He is, I am He. And this person called Swami Turiyananda with that particular body living the life of a Sannyasin. That is also me. I am, in one way, all the people in the world, all the objects in the world. I am also the Sannyasin who is sitting and thinking depressing thoughts. So, I am everything. Then he became free from those depressive thoughts. That is exactly reflecting what we are talking. Na punyapapai. I have neither punyam nor papam. Then what is your nature? So, I am sat, chit, swaroopa, ananda swaroopa, mamana asti nashaha. I do not have any death, destruction or finiteness, limitedness. Na janma. I don't have birth. I don't have deha. I don't have indriya. I am not the body. I am not the sense organs. I am not the buddhi. And then pancha, mahabhutas, bhoomi, apaha, agnihi, chalaha, prithvi. Na bhoomihi, apaha, na cha vannihi, asti. Na cha anilaha, means vayu. Na cha ambaram. So, prithvi is I am not the prithvi, I am not the chala. I am not the agni. I am not the vayu. I am not the akasha. But that from which all these like the clouds in the limitless sky that appear and that disappear. And why do they appear? Because of the wind of maya. Maya has both aspects. Vidya, avidya. A beautiful song was written by Swami Primesanandji Maharaj. He says that the divine Lord. Aroopasai re leelala hari uthilo mridula karuna vai. A breeze of compassion has risen in that ocean which is absolutely still and formless. And what is that breeze? It created a wave. And what is that wave? Avatara, Ramakrishna, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Christ. These are the avataras. So, in this 23rd mantra, both it is a mantra of contemplation for the highest advanced student. And it is also something which is the experience of persons of every jivanmukta having come down. What do you think he will say? Who are you? He says, I am Paramatma. Oh, can you explain a little? Yes. Yes. I am not the earth. I am not the apaha. I am not the fire. I am not the wind, air. I am not the space. I am that secondless. Advaitiyam Parabrahman. So, na bhū mirāpo na ca vanniraste indicates all the pancha bhūtas. The Upadesha teaching is continuing in the 24th mantra. evam viditvā paramātmārūpam guhāśayam nishkalam advaitiyam samasta sākṣyam sat asatvihīnam prayāti śuddham paramātmārūpam In this 24th mantra is given a hint. One has to contemplate that Paramatman. As we just now discussed in the 23rd mantra na punyapāpe na nāśaha astimama etc. But why contemplating? What is contemplation? To give up one's present identity and completely become attainment. One meantness. Become one with the meditated. Just as Shankara gives what is called Upāsana. Just like all of us feel I am the body, I am the mind. Without any effort, naturally. So a person who succeeded in this contemplation of the Parabrahman and attained to the identity, I am Brahman. So for that person to think that I am the body-mind will be as difficult for us to think that I am Brahman. And for us to think I am the body-mind is the easiest thing, most natural thing, most habitual thing. And effortlessly, unconsciously, that is what we feel. And so a realiser of Brahman, a knower of Brahman, what does he become? Brahma vid, Brahma eva bhavati. He becomes Oneness. And for him, I should not use the word, we should never use the word, unconsciously also. We have got experience of awareness, unawareness, non-awareness. We have got consciousness, we have got unconsciousness. In fact, we have got four types of consciousness. External consciousness, sub-consciousness, unconsciousness, super-consciousness. Whereas in Brahma Jnani, Shuddha Kevala, Shuddha Chaitanyam. That is what is indicated here. Knowing what has been indicated earlier, I am not the body, I am not the mind. Therefore, if I am not the body and mind, I am not experiencing either Jagrat, Swapna or Sushupti. And therefore, I do not have the names. Only when I experience the waking state, I get the dualistic name. One is Vishwa, another is Virat. But the same me, giving up this dress of Vishwa, I don't, I put on the dress of the Swapna. Then my name becomes individually Taiyasa and my cosmic form is called Hiranyagarbha. And at the same time, when I give up that dress, enter into deep sleep state, then I become, I get another dress called Karana Sharira, causal body. And I get as an individual Prajna and as a universal Ishwara. But every thought, these are all thoughts, waking state is a thought, dream state is a thought, dreamless state is also a thought. And every thought starts in time, continues in time and ends in time. Every Karya, every effect must end in the Karana. So, Evam Viditva, knowing that I am that indescribable, infinite, secondless Brahman, that word has become very common. So we use that Brahman. Brahman means what? It's not a reality. We are not talking about reality of Brahman because Brahman is unpolluted. If you think, that is Mithya. If you dream, that is Mithya. If you experience, that is Mithya. Even deep sleep is Mithya. But these are terms which I have explained umpteen number of times. So whatever we may experience, if it is changing, it is Mithya. Whatever is changeless, that is the reality. Trikala Abadhitam Satyam. Satyam means reality. And what about all this? Is it unreal? No, it is not unreal. It is Mithya. That is, when I limit my understanding, body is a limitation, mind is a limitation, mind is a terrible limitation. You know how? Take the example of maths. What an ordinary maths professor understands and what Einstein understands, there is a vast difference. The limitation of the professor is very high. The limitation of Einstein is slightly less. That is all the difference. Even he cannot talk about infinity. He may use the word infinity, but he is only talking about a bigger finitity. That is what he calls infinity. No, he is not talking about infinity. Nobody can talk about infinity. One can experience infinity. One cannot talk about infinity. So evam viditva. Having realized it, viditva here means brahma vid, brahma eva bhavati, brahma viditva. Having known brahman, atman, paramatma roopam, the form of the paramatma. What is the form of the paramatma? No form is the form of the paramatma. And how to? This is called how to realize. That means realization means understanding. Where is the understanding taking place? Guha ashayam. This word guha, we have talked umpteen number of times. Guha means a cave. But one who is, ashayam means that which is contained in the cave. Cave is the container that which there is something within the cave. That is called paramatma. How can you limit paramatma to a small cave, to a buddhi? It is not possible. But here it means where we can get a glimpse of that paramatma through our purified intellect. When our chitta, that is chitta means the capacity to grasp, to understand, becomes pure. This is what Sri Ramakrishna used to use many times. Pure mind and pure Atman are one and the same thing. How? A pure mirror, clean mirror. And what stands if some object is standing in front of the mirror? And the mirror reflects what is called pratibimba, the image that forms in the mirror. And that which is standing, of which it is a reflection, there would be absolutely no difference. If anybody is looking at the reflection, he will have 100% knowledge of the object who is standing in front of him. But in this simile, it is only Atman standing in front of the pure mind and there is no difference. Pure mind and pure Atman are one and the same. And that is what is indicated. Guhashiyam means pure mind. And what happens? He beholds the glory of the Paramatman. And he even transcends, he becomes one with it. And then what type of paramatma roopam? Nishkalam, partless. Very interesting. This is called paradoxical language. What is... So you experience a formless form. What does it mean? Words are okay. Formless form. What does it mean? And all the time we are quarreling about... Ramanuja talks about God with form and Advaita is talking about God without form. Both are thoughts in the mind. If you are thinking about light, you must have knowledge of darkness. If you are thinking of good, you must have knowledge of evil. If you are thinking of light, you must have the knowledge of darkness. If you are thinking of life, you must have the knowledge of non-life which is called mrutyu. This is called Dwandwa. One cannot remain, one cannot know. Either you know both or you don't know anything. So Nishkalam. Kala means part. And Bhagawan has no part. Paramatma has no part. I am using this word Bhagawan. God never ever makes the mistake that whenever Shri Ramakrishna uses the word God, God realization, he means Brahman's realization. Not Saguna Brahma, Irguna Brahma, ultimate reality. So this God, Nishkalam, partless, Akhanda. And if He is partless, that means He is everything. What is partless? Infinite. Does infinite have infinite amount of finiteness? Like our bodies, they have got different parts. But it is not infinite. But real Akhanda is like space. You can take a knife and you can move it in any way you like. Are you going to cut as you cut a cake? Impossible to do anything because space means partless. If Paramatma is partless, then there is nobody, no part called I or you or we or it or Jagat. That deep abstract idea, that is called Nishkalam. And to make it clear, Advaitiyam, there is no second. Advaitiyam means in this world, everything is infinite number of things. Not really infinite, countless things are there. So this is called Dvaitiyam. But Brahman is Advaitiyam. Even Ramanuja's concept of Ishwara is Chit, Achit and Jeeva. Three things are there. But this is according to Advaita, Advaitiyam. This is from the Paramatma's viewpoint. From the mind only, he is thinking about the abstract thought. Really speaking, these are not the descriptions of Brahman at all. Why? Because time and again Upanishad tells us that But because we are at a lower state of awareness, the teacher out of compassion, and here the teacher is Brahma, the creator himself. He is called also Chaturmukha Brahma. That means he is a Chaturvedi. He is four Vedas. Not that he has four Vedas. Not that he mastered four Vedas. Not that he studied four Vedas. He is the four Vedas. To indicate that, the word Chaturmukham. So four faces are there. So he is Samastha Saksham. He is the witness of everything. The moment you say everything, you have stepped into the duality, finiteness, Jagat, the world. Samastha Saksham. He knows everything. If any thief is thinking, deep darkness, I am doing, stealing something, and nobody can know about me, what I am doing, that person is highly mistaken. Because the awareness that I am doing something, that Paramatma keeps in mind. So, I have done something wrong. I require punishment. I punish myself. That is called Karmaphala, which comes at some point, at the right time. Some point means not. There is no fixed. Last Janmas, Karmaphala should come next birth. No. It can come after 5000 births also. Because there is a peculiar theory, I don't want to go deep into it. But it is this. Only a few of the Karmaphalas, that we have accumulated through Janma Janmantara, can be fructified. That means can be experienced. And that means Sukha and Dukha. And to experience Sukha and Dukha, we require an appropriate, what we call body. And that body alone is the instrument. That is the most wonderful thought. So, if a particular body is fashioned, in a particular way, it has its own limitations. Upper and lower limitations. What do I mean by that? Upper limitation means, how much happiness can I experience? Lower limitation means, how much pain can I put up with? Can I bear? So, a single instrument has limitations. And whatever Karmaphalas, can be experienced within those limits, will only be chosen by Vidhata. And he brings it together, so that they can be exhausted. Then, don't we have any freedom? Absolutely. The very idea of Karmaphala, is dependent upon the idea of freedom. If somebody puts a gun behind me, and makes me do things, I will not get neither Punyam nor Papam, nor Sukham nor Dukham. Because I am not doing. I have crystal clear idea. I am not the doer. Nobody is forcing me to do it. That is why it is said, if a soldier enters into a battlefield, and if one particular country happens to win, they don't say, these soldiers have procured the victory. No. It is the king, or prime minister or president, whatever you call it, the credit, the debit, both go only to that person. So like that, here also, Samastha Sakshim. This is from the viewpoint of, I am the body, I am the mind, and nobody should say, that I am experiencing these things. I am only, what you call, irresponsible. I am not responsible. No. The responsibility comes only from assuming, I am the doer. If I feel that I am not the doer, then it will not come. Whenever a person does something, he definitely feels, I planned for it, I worked for it, and I reaped for it. That Kartrutva bhava, as soon as it enters, Bhoktrutva bhava will also be there. Then, Sat Asat Vihinam. I am beyond Sat, beyond Asat. Normal translations of the word. Sat means, I am neither good nor evil. But the technical meaning of this word, Sat means Karana, Asat means Karya. I am beyond Karana and Karya. As a Brahman, as a Nirguna Brahman, I am neither the cause nor the effect. I am birthless, and I do not also produce anything. As we said earlier, Punya Pape Mama Asti. I do not have Punyam or Papam, because I do not have any wants, and therefore I do not do anything like that. Similarly here, but from the viewpoint of the Jagat, Karana Karya 100% will apply. So, who is your cause? My parents. Who is their cause? Their parents. Go on tracing, ultimately you will come. It is only God who is unmanifest. From unmanifest is the cause of the manifest. And there is an inexorable law that whatever has come from wherever it has come, it has to go back. This is the principle. That is why Swami Vivekananda proclaimed umpteen number of times, each soul is potentially divine. What does it mean? In simple words, you have come from the divine, and you are living in the divine, and you will have to go back to the divine. The process of coming down from the divine is called involution, and the process of going back is called evolution. Swamiji, as I explained in my other classes, I dealt a blow to the so-called rationality of the West at the Chicago Parliament of Religions. How do you know that you are really evolving? Unless you know from where you have come. Unless you know the Moolakarana, the original cause, you will never know whether you are progressing or you are regressing. Like sometimes, what is called a direction meter in aeroplanes, it gets spoiled. And imagine, it is full of clouds. Nobody will know the plane is going down, up, or towards the East, or West, or South, or North. Nobody will know. Like that, if we are within this created world, talking about the creation, thinking what could be the cause, the cause will always remain veiled because it is unmanifest. Then how do we know? Because of the teachings of Shruti, scriptures. Swami Vivekananda was a Rishi. He knew what he was talking about. And what the Rishis talk is called Shruti. So Shruti tells us that you are Paramatma. You have come from Paramatma. To explain it to simple-minded people like us, you have come from Paramatma just as a baby comes from the parents and you are living in Paramatma because He who is sustaining you is Paramatma and ultimately the Karya, the effect, must disintegrate and merge itself in the Karana. There is no other way. All the Panchabhutas are the components of Panchabhutas which are manifesting as my body, your body. When the death occurs, all the constituent elements will take back whatever they have learnt so far. So this is what is meant, Sath Asad Vihinam, because as pure Brahman, I am beyond cause and effect. And one who contemplates this idea of Paramatma, Paramatma Rupa means what? Do not think He is like a tree. You can distinguish it from others. Advaitiyam, therefore, is Akhanda and Advaitiyam. Nishkalam Advaitiyam. So you can never distinguish one from the other. That is the meaning of Partless. That is called Paramatma Rupam. It is what is called a very abstract idea. But there are some people who could meditate upon that abstract idea and to aid us in this meditation or contemplation or Upasana, very often the enlightened teachers give us the idea of Akasha. Akasha is almost infinite. It is not really infinite because it is born from Paramatma. It is limited. But as far as practicality is concerned, it is infinite. And so meditate upon the space. Ramakrishna has given a beautiful example. Imagine a bird. Only one bird. And it is flying joyfully in the Akasha. And it is fearless because there is no second bird. There is no what is called a praying bird which can kill it, a bigger bird. Nor it has any other bird which it can damage or kill. It is completely free from thirst and hunger. And it is expressing its joy from flying in that what is called limitless sky. Ramakrishna sometimes used to give example of a fish. Especially there was a pond. And Ramakrishna used to take devotees to that pond. Especially him. And joyfully the fish were swimming because nobody was allowed to harm them. On the contrary, it is such a joy to behold them that they are allowed to carry some food materials and then scatter in the pond. And the joy with which these creatures eat what we do not even contemplate. It is something amazing. So that is what is being... how to contemplate the Paramatman is being described here in this 24th mantra. So what happens? Prayati Shuddham Paramatmanupam One who succeeds, he loses all his limited conceptions including the idea I am the body, I am the mind. Then what is Prayati? Prayati means becomes one completely. With what? Shuddham Paramatmanupam In that indescribable Paramatman. So, Evam Viditva Paramatmanupam Guhashayam Nishkalam Advaitiyam Samasta Saakshim Asadvihinam Prayati Shuddham Paramatmanupam Thus having understood. Viditva. From the root Vid to know. Meaning having thus realized in our own Buddhi. And where is this Buddhi? It is in the Guhashayam. That is the capacity to understand. That is why even Bhagavan Krishna says Buddhi Yogam Dadamyaham So Nishkalam, partless. If it is partless, there is nothing called Brahman and me. Only whatever exists is one. Advaitiyam This idea is re-emphasized, more clarified in this word. Advaitiyam There is no second. If there is no second, it is infinite. If it is infinite, who is to distinguish? I am a small Jiva and you are big Paramatman. But from the viewpoint of the Vyavaharika, transactional point of view, Samasta Saakshim He knows everything. And the thief knows, I am thieving. The murderer knows, I am murdering. And Sat Asad Vihinam I am neither the cause nor the effect. I am not even beyond them. I do not have any of those ideas because I don't have the mind. So the idea of causality, cause and effect, even though it is described in the scriptures, it is only for the sake of not so advanced students. And having contemplated, by the grace of the God, Prayathe Shuddham Paramatma Roopam He becomes one with the Paramatma. So this is what Bhagavad Gita, Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Imitation of Christ, everything comes. By the way, today is Christmas. So what is this? In this Jesus Christ, teachings are there. So in the first teaching, that God is there, He created this world. This is called Dvaitam. Second saying of Christ, very clearly, it is called Isishta Dvaitam. So God is compared to a grape vine. And all of us are different parts of that. Somebody is a leaf. Somebody is a branch. Somebody is the grapefruit. Somebody is the seed. Somebody is the flesh. Somebody is the skin. Somebody is the root. Somebody is the different parts. So we are all parts of that, what is called grape plant. This is for the people who are much more advanced than saying, I am different, you are different, God created all of us. And then for the highest, I and my father are one and the same. I, that is to say, Jivatma, Paramatma, there is no difference at all. This is what He wants to say. And one who has transcended, the intellect which creates this division, Jivatma, Paramatma, and then He has transcended, that means transcended the mind. And then what does He do? He understands, I am one without a second. And I do not have birth and death. And I am what is called that Paramatma. In the Bhagavad Gita also, Janati Purushottama So, very interesting statement. In the 15th chapter, He who knows me does. Does means what? Purushottama. He is called Uttama Purusha. Purusha, Uttama, Uttama Purusha. That is why it is called Purushottama Yogonama, Panchadashodhyaya. Asamudhaha. One whose heart has become absolutely pure by practicing Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. He who knows me does. Purushottama. Because who is a Purushottama? He who is beyond Yasmaksharam Ateetoham Aksharadapicha Uttamaha Ato Asmi Loke Vedecha Prathita Purushottamaha He who is beyond Kshara. Kshara is entire Jagat. That which is changing. That which is of the nature of Kshara. Decay. Every millisecond. Change. That is called change. And Akshara. What is Akshara? There is the pure awareness. Reflection of the pure consciousness. That is called Jivatmabhava. Jivabhava. So I am beyond both. The Jivabhava which supports the Jagatbhava, Dehabhava, Manobhava. That is why I am known as Purushottamaha means Uttamapurushaha. It is said here. He adores me, worships me in every way. What does it mean? Whenever we hear somebody is worshipping somebody, then we feel like we sit in a temple hall or puja room and then we worship. The worshipper is different. The room in which we are worshipping is totally different from all the three. Every ingredient is different. Etc, etc. This is all. It is only for the very beginner. What is called a student who has just entered. But for a person who understands the truth that is totally different. Then he understands. Bhajati means what? To be one with Paramatma is called Bhajati. That is the beautiful motto or the direction is given. What is real puja? Devo bhutva. Who can worship God? Only he who knows God. And what happens to a person who knows God? He becomes God. Knows I am God. That knowledge is called worship. There is nothing else. And if we think deeply love is nothing but worship. When a mother loves the baby, she is worshipping. The way she looks. The way she takes the baby in her arms. The way she suckles. The way she is protecting the baby. Her pancha pranas. All the five pranas. We call it. It is all in the baby only. Let me die. But let my baby live. So this is the idea of love. True love. And what is love? Becoming one with the other. There is a beautiful story marvelously illustrating this truth. There were two lovers. The lover and the beloved. The lover one day wanted to meet his beloved. Who was staying? She was staying in a cottage alone. And he went. He found the door closed. And he knocked. And from within came the question Who are you? And in his anxiety said it is me. I. The door did not open. Same question. Same answer. The door did not open. By this time he became enlightened. Third time he knocked. Did he? No. He wanted to knock. But there was no door at all. But it is said. He knocked. And then the question came. Who are you? He said I am The. My beloved. He found there was no door at all. Much less locked. There was no door at all. What is that door? Ignorance. What is that door? Inadequacy of love. When love becomes perfect. The bhakta and bhagwan. The lover and the beloved. They become one. This is what Swami Vivekananda concludes on the bhakti yoga. The love, the lover and the beloved. The triangle disappears. What remains is an indescribable reality alone. That is what Bhagwan is telling. A person who is not a mudha. There are persons whose foolishness is indescribable. Mudha means deeply ignorant. But here is a person. There is no mudha. Then Arjuna answered Bhagwan Krishna's question. Only question. In the whole Bhagavad Gita. Did you hear my teaching? With one pointed mind. That means if you did you should have understood. If you have understood, immediately the result would come. Here is a person who is frightened, almost about to have a heart attack because a ferocious poisonous snake is hissing at him. And then suddenly light is brought and he sees there is no snake at all. It is only the rope. What is the state of his being? Nasto mohaha. My moha that is complete ignorance. Completely gone. How did it go? Very interesting. It is very useful for us to know. Tat prasadat. By your grace you brought the light. And as soon as light is brought two things happen. So the disappearance of the snake and the reappearance of the rope or the knowledge of the rope. But that is an inadequate way of expression. What we should say is there was never any snake. So that was only an idea in my mind. My mind becomes clear. That is called asamodaha. And then I find I was mistaken. The mistake, it is not that the rope has ever become the snake and again the snake went back into the rope. There was no snake at all. This is called brahma vid brahma eva bhavati. These are all similes. Beautiful similes we have to understand it. So once a person comes to know about it what happens? It transcends body, mind, intellect, all the three states. So all the avastha traya vilakshana This is the definition given of Atma in the tatvabodha. And that will come only by the grace of God. That is very important for us. So in answer to the Bhagawan Arjuna tells something very very important. nasto mohaha. Then what happened? Just like darkness is gone. Illusion is gone. Immediately my smriti has come back. What is the smriti? Smriti labdha. Atma smriti labdha. What is Atma smriti? I am the Atman. Until now what am I thinking? What was I thinking? I am body. I am the mind. I am the sense organs. I am the house. So very interesting you know. Suppose a person sees a donkey. He doesn't say I am the donkey. But suppose a person is owning a donkey or he is owning 10 donkeys. And if by chance one donkey is missing as if his pancha pranas have taken to wings. One. He doesn't say donkeys are still there. But what is his identity? I am gone. Even though he is not saying I am the donkey. But for all practical purposes I am the donkey only. So this is my house. I am the house. Let anybody touch it with a bad motive. Let anybody cheat me. Let anybody take away. Let anybody harm as if I am harmed. Anybody scratches my car who feels the pain of the scratching? The owner of the car. But the moment he sells it it is the headache of the other person who bought it. See our deep attachment. Even though we know that we are experiencing the world. We are saying it is the world. But we are feeling I am the world. I am the body. I am the mind. But a person who is not mudha. Smriti comes. What is the Smriti? Aham Paramatma. Aham Brahmasmi. That is what he is telling. And that knowledge is called worship. Whom is he worshipping? Himself. That is why in one of the what is called Ashtavakra Gita Shloka Tasmai Mahyam Namo Namaha Either Ashtavakra Gita or Avadhuta Gita, I do not remember that I salute myself. Is he arrogant? Is he Ahamkari? No. He knows Aham Brahmasmi. So Brahman is saluting Brahman. When I am saluting Brahman I know that I am saluting Brahman. But Brahman knows that Brahman alone is saluting Brahman. And that vision, that realisation we have to get. And then there is a beautiful mantra is going to come. I will just read out. Shatarudriyam Adhite Sa Agniputobhavati Sa Vayuputobhavati Sa Atmaputobhavati Sa Surapanatputobhavati Sa Brahmahatyayah Putobhavati Brahmahatyayah Putobhavati Sa Kritya Akritya Putobhavati A most marvellous mantra I gained. So this Kaivalya Upanishad is equated with Shatarudriyam. Shata means hundred. Rudriyam, you know, that hundred verses are there where Bhagwan Shiva is there. So Rudra, Namaka, Chamaka, you understand. This comes in the Yajur Veda Taittiriya Samhita. So what is he telling here? That this Kaivalya Upanishad is as good as this Shatarudriyam. So he who studies the Shatarudriya becomes purified by fire, is purified from the sin of drinking, is purified from the sin of killing a Brahmana, is purified from sins arising from all commissions and omissions and he gains refuge in the one who never leaves the truth consciousness. His name is Shiva, the Supreme Self. One who belongs to the highest order of life should repeat this Shatarudriyam. Also meaning this Kaivalya Upanishad always or at least once a day, if not always what happens? Tasmat avimuktah he gets refuge with the avimuktah with Shiva. He becomes a real sannyasin. And then what happens? He becomes Shiva. He who contemplates. Beautiful meaning. We will see in our next class. Today as we all know is the holiest of the holy not only for Christians but all the devotees of Ramakrishna order. Why? It is on this night I think in 1887 when Swamiji and others had gone to the birth place of Swami Premanandaji, Aunt Por and Swamiji was inspired that night. They lit a dhuni and Swamiji was inspired to talk about Jesus Christ. Only next morning they realized it was the Christmas eve and he was full of sannyasin. Let us become like Jesus Christ. And that is the foundation of the Ramakrishna order and for all Christians is a marvelous day, the holiest of the holy days and usually we greet each other. So I wish all of you a Merry Christmas because especially children get lot of presents etc. and the new year is going to come and 1st January we are all going to celebrate the Kalpataru day, beautiful Kalpataru day full of meaning. Ramakrishna is the Kalpataru or God is the Kalpataru or the Jaganmata is the Kalpataru and whatever wishes we have he will definitely fulfill like the Kalpataru. So a very happy new year to all of you. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Puram Adapatmet Ayuh Shritva Pranamami Mohan Moho May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna