Khandana Bhava Bandhana Lecture 02 on 28 April 2019

We are meditating upon ‘Khaṇḍana bhava bandhana’, which is also called Avatāra Stotra. This whole Avatāra Stotra contains only two matters.

An indication, what are the characteristics of Nirguṇa Brahman, Highest reality? Highest reality cannot be described. That’s why we sing ‘Namo namo prabhu vākya-manātīta’. Even this address, ‘Salutations, Salutations to You O’ Lord’ is not meant for Nirguṇa Brahman.

Because, you can’t salute. Why can't you salute? If you are thinking about Nirguṇa Brahman - He is you. ‘Tasmai Mahyam Namo Namaha’ -Therefore salutations unto Myself. Aṣṭāvakra Gitā .

So, that is how… So, Saguṇa Brahma. Who is Saguṇa Brahma? We also expounded…

The meaning of Guṇa is quality. What is quality? That which distinguishes two objects is called quality. Whiteness, stoutness, smallness Etc. Otherwise you cannot do transactions in this world.

So Saguṇa Brahma - when Nirguṇa Brahma becomes Saguṇa Brahma, He also can be indicated. He can be indicated by - He is like this.

So we give two types of Lakṣaṇas. Lakṣaṇa means characteristic. Characteristic means description. So two types of descriptions we give.

1. One is called Taṭastha Lakṣaṇas.
2. Another one is called Svarūpa Lakṣaṇa.

What is Taṭastha Lakṣaṇas? You go to an Indian colony. All the houses are built exactly the same way. In one of them your friend is living, and you want to know in which one? Because sometimes in India, door numbers and all of those things are completely lacking. So you ask somebody, ‘Where does my friend live?’ Then he says, ‘Do you see that crow? That is the house.’ And if your good fortune doesn’t hold, now the crow will shift to the next house. Then you go and knock, my friend, How are you? That's not going to work out. This is called - Taṭastha means accidental characteristic.

Another is called Svarūpa Lakṣaṇa. Svarūpa means it's true nature. But the true nature, of the Highest Reality, cannot be described, but can be indicated.

I mentioned an example – Arundhati-nyāya. So Temple - walk  this way, Temple will come. It is not the  description of the temple. It is the showing, if you go this way, then you will come to the temple.

So the whole Avatāra Stotra contains what? Nirguṇa means that which cannot be indicated, and Saguṇa that which can be indicated. That is why, Saguṇa Brahma, Īśvara, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Śakti are synonymous. He is called Ananta Kalyāṇa Guṇa Samudra or Sāgara. An Ocean, of infinite qualities.

भास्वर भाव-सागर ( bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara ) – So, what is bhāva here? Guṇas – bhāva means guṇas. Now we have to clear one misunderstanding here. Guṇas means a quality, characteristic. It can be good. It can be bad. You can't have, only good. Because it is the same thing, which will also act in both ways.

How? There is poison in the mouth of the snake. It will harm other people, but it will protect the snake. Why is it that you don't go near a snake? Whether there is Poison or not, if you think there is poison that is enough.

( 05:15 mins )

So you understand now? This is the most wonderful discovery of Hinduism, which Swāmi Vivekānanda  pointed out. If the western view is, especially the modern scientific temperament, go on eliminating the suffering one day only happiness will remain. Not knowing, if you eliminate all suffering, you won't enjoy anything.

Eliminate all hunger, and then present the most delicious food, will you enjoy it? See, what a wonderful relief it is - the whole day you walk in sun, then, in the evening come into a cool room. That happiness, which you will get, you won't get if you are sitting whole day in the cold room.

Invariably this law applies to everything in this world. So what is the point here? You cannot separate the good & evil because they are two sides of the same coin.

The second reason is one inevitably leads to the experience of the opposite. So, several years back, a beautiful book had come from America - ‘In pursuit of Excellence’. There the opening logic is, if every one is excellent, how will you know who is excellent?

If everyone is good, how will you know who is good? Unless there are some evil people, bad people are there. So in that light, two points we need to Keep in mind.

This is called Avatāra stotram. And Avatāra is Saguṇa Brahman, therefore He can be described. But even an Avatāra in His real nature is only Nirguṇa Brahman. That is why, even Saguṇa Brahman cannot be easily comprehended, understood by us, let alone Nirguṇa Brahman.  

But Saguṇa Brahman can be indicated very well, Nirguṇa Brahma cannot be indicated. One simple reason, they give, why He can't be indicated, You can indicate about some object which is far away and different from you. If something is everywhere… What is the meaning of indication? See, where is the temple? It is somewhere. It is not here. But when you are in the temple itself, what is the meaning of saying this is the way to reach the temple? You are already there! We are already in God!

This is called Avatāra Stotram. what is the purpose of an Avatāra? Today, We are going to study

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् |

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे || ४:८ ||

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām

dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge || 4:8 ||

This is  the purpose. What is the purpose? Khaṇḍana bhava bandhana. We discussed certain important points.

Bandhana or Bondage, doesn't mean only spiritual bondage. Of course that is the root cause of all bondages. But then, if somebody is poor it a bondage; somebody is in ill health that is a bondage; somebody is suffering from mental depression that is a bondage; somebody is suffering from oppression, that is a bondage; someone else is suffering from Injustice, that is a bondage. The whole world is full of bondage only.

So the Lord comes… Whichever bondage is immediately oppressive, without removing that particular bondage, no one can progress one millimetre forward. The Lord addresses that particular bondage, so that he can move forward.

Simple example, you are called to run five miles. Just now you got up ( Usually it is not possible ). What do you need to do? Some  substantial food you eat. But you don't have food. So what should be your immediate quest? Food! After eating food,  you get some strength, then the second attempt should be there.  

( 10:11 mins )

That is why Swāmi Vivekānanda said ‘Religion is not for empty stomachs’. So He said that for the next 50 years forget your Gods and Goddesses. Cultivate food. You eat yourself, you become strong first.

In aeroplanes, there, you know, in emergency, first you put on your gas mask, don't try to help even your child.  Because, if you try to help your child, by the time you will go out… afterwards your child will, follow you wherever you go. So first help yourself, afterwards try to help other people.

So that is why Swāmiji said…. So many varieties of Bondages are there. Even one single negative thought can wreck our lives. Usually we are all wrecked only by this kind of one single thought. Obsessed!

So Khaṇḍana bhava bandhana, he who helps us to cut various expressions of ignorance. Ignorance means bondage. But manifestation of the ignorance is not in one way. Manifestation of the ignorance can be in infinite number of forms.

Why do I say infinite number of forms? Here is a hungry man. He doesn't have food. So what is his bondage now? Hunger. Give him some food, but it won't make him whole. After a few minutes he's thirsty. So you have to supply him water. After some time you have to supply him something else. So there is no end in this world.

But, in general, we have to help a person to stand on his own feet. This is the first fact. Swāmi Vivekānanda, mentioned a very important second fact - for a Hungry Man you give food, it is of some help. But the real help is, to make him help himself.

How can it be done? By education. Give him education. Make him stand. That is why if you give any person education, for life you are helping that person.

So gradually, the Lord helps us. And gives us the understanding how to help ourselves. That is the most important Point.

Jaga vandana - The whole world salutes.

Why does the world... If you say thank you very much. Why do you say thanks? There must be a reason. What is the reason? In some way that person had helped you. And how is the Lord helping? We have to be thankful throughout our lives, every second. Because if the Vāyu Devatā, God in the form of Vāyu Devatā, says, ‘I am Tired because of 24 by 7 service. I want to take two minutes leave’, what happens? We are Gone.

Bhagavān  Śankara, Śiva - sitting on Mount Kailaśa. Pārvatī, ( to illustrate this fact ) wanted to play with Him. Beloved wife you see, and She came, stood behind Him ( as though He did not know, as though He was ignorant ), and closed His eyes just for a moment. Immediately a Third eye sprouts. Then She left Her hands. Then He chided Her. What did You do? And She said, ‘What did I do? I just closed Your eyes’. He said, ‘You did not close my eyes, You closed the Sun, You closed the moon’. Without the Sun & the Moon the whole world will go to Destruction. Because what are those two eyes? The Sun and the Moon, the life givers. Both are life givers.

What is that? सोमपा: पूतपापा ( soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā ) all the Auṣadhis, all the plants, they grow only because of the moonlight. Put a plant in the sunlight 24 hours a day, it will just wilt and then die. The soma will bring it back.

( 15:00 mins )

So, what is the point? And what is the third eye? It acted as the light for the entire world! What does this story really mean? It means… Who has created the World? God. Who is sustaining the World? God Only. And unto whom also again we return? The effect always returns to the cause only. Therefore, the entire world is sustained at this moment by whom? By the Divine Lord. Therefore we have to be thankful to Him.

The whole universe, the mountains stand, the rivers run, the wind blows, the Sun and Moon Shine. Even मृत्यु: धावति पंचमहा ( Mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamahā ) - the death or of Mṛtyu. What a wonderful truth! You know, the greatest blessings come from whom? The greatest joy comes from whom? The greatest relief comes from whom? From death!

You know now we are okay. There comes a time when intolerable pain will be there. You are not dying, you are not living. At that time what would be your only prayer? When death comes it is the greatest relief for us.

Of course, you can take it symbolically, the death of ignorance is the greatest death. Then eternally we will become completely free.

Vandi tomāy - I realize, you are an Avatāra, you are Īśvara, you have incarnated. Therefore, You are sustaining me, you gave me this knowledge. Who gives knowledge? Only God. How do we know?

निरखि तव कृपाय - जृम्भित-युग-ईश्वर ( Nirakhi tava kṛpāy - jṛmbhita-yuga-īśvara ) - You are the Incarnation of this particular age.

Who are you? जगदीश्वर ( jagadīśvara )

Why are you born? योगसहाय ( yogasahāy ) - to help every sincere effort. Yogā doesn't mean only spiritual effort.

A scientist, who helps a scientist? Very interesting point. Most of the crucial scientific discoveries were not  discovered by the intellect, but by intuition. There are many wonderful books are there, but they are worth… They lay the ground by hard work, then  they go. And then, somehow either through a dream, through a vision, they get this most wonderful scientific truth.

What is the combination of Benzyne. Like a snake, swallowing, its own tail. So like that every scientific... One day Newton was sitting under an apple tree and an apple fell. Suddenly enlightenment came. What is this enlightenment? The gravitation of the earth?

So everything comes from God. But we do not acknowledge it. But the highest such knowledge is called spiritual knowledge. Why is it called highest? Because once we get that knowledge, then for ever we will be free.

Then, economic knowledge, scientific knowledge, historical knowledge, literary knowledge, or knowledge of poetry - They give only a limited amount of enlightenment, light. But spiritual knowledge solves every problem that cuts at the very root of ignorance.

‘I also O Lord, salute you’.

One  important Point, Jaga vandana - is everybody aware of it? No, but then their satisfaction that, I am alive or I am dead. I'm going to die, you know, intolerable suffering - I am going to die. What joy that very thought brings to the people who are suffering! That expression itself is the greatest Thanksgiving.

A mother prepares food for the child. Do you think the child thanks the mother? Then what is the thanks the child gives?  When the child, happily gulps down the food, that is the greatest expression of thanks for the mother.

So also when a devotee prepares some nice dish don't go on asking him. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Tell thanks to me’, simply see whether he's eating or not. Without eating if he says thanks, there is something seriously wrong. Not with him, but with you. ( With you means with your cooking ) But if something goes wrong with the cooking, who is at fault?

You understand. Because everything springs only from the person. Because if he has got that knowledge, has got that concentration, self-discipline, it cannot go wrong, because everything in this world is scientific.

( 20:47 mins )

McDonalds prepare everything scientifically. That is why it tastes the same everywhere. Because they use the same materials, exactly follow scientific steps. That is why people love McDonalds.

So Nirañjana. Añjana means what? Stain! Nirañjana means what? No Stain. So Nirañjana belongs to the Parabrahma, Nirguṇa Brahma because it is Infinite.

We discussed it? What is it? Añjana means Stain. Stain can come only from something else. Here is an iron pillar and there is no oxygen or air, will it get stained? So, there must be something else, it comes and then reacts with this object. That is why it becomes stained.

What can stain the Divine Lord? Because Pure Consciousness is not a concrete object. Only an object can be stained. Even thoughts are called objects. That's why thoughts also can be stained. In fact most of our thoughts are stained thoughts.

They are all stained by one particular stain. You know what is that? I am not the Ātman, I am body and mind complex. This is the truth if you want to know. 

Nirañjana – Sri Rāmakrishna met Nirañjana, Nirañjan. You know what He said? My Niranjan has no Añjanas, stains. Such a wonderful a person.

So very difficult in this world, because Sri Rāmakrishna used to compare this world  to a room full of soot. However intelligent you are, by accident something will burn. Even if you don't go near it, it loves you so much, it will come and fall upon you, because of air or whatever it is. Or from above it will come. It is very difficult to remain unstained,.

Nirañjana nara-rūpa-dhara - that Nirañjana has assumed the form of a Human being.

Why a human being? Can he not have an Animal Form? No! Because animal's body, animals mind has a limitation. Human  body… If you know some of the facts about human body, which most of us are not aware, It is astonishing.

Of all the things, there are two parts of our body which are the most helpful to us. Do you know what they are? Animals cannot use the thumb. They have also got five fingers, but they cannot use the thumb. Human beings at some point had learnt to separate it, and then to use it. You can hold, you  can twist, you can do billions of things.

Without this… suppose somebody loses… Try! One day you put a bandage there and go about. See what you can do? You can't even lift a spoon, not to speak of other things. On that day don't invite anybody for lunch.

Yes, I'm going to come to that point. Kūrma-Avatāra, Matsya-Avatāra, then Varāha-Avatāra etc. 

So anyway, one funny incident was there. One young man came to Swāmi Vivekānanda, and he had a Guru, and he wants to preach to the whole world ‘My Guru is an Avatāra’. In those days every Kolkata street corner was producing an Avatāra.

He wants a certificate from World Famous Swāmi Vivekānanda. He came and said, ‘Swāmi, he is my Guru, and an Avatāra, I want your certificate’. He said, ‘Maybe, but I'm not very sure whether he is a Matsya-Avatāra, Kūrma-Avatāra, or Varāha-Avatāra?’

( 25:36 mins )

The point is, whether it is Matsya, Kūrma, or Varāha, they have the intelligence of God. The face is like that. Hanuman, for example, ज्ञानिनामग्रगण्यम् सकलगुणनिधानं वानराणामधीशं ( Jnāninām agragaṇyam sakala guṇa nidhānām vānaraṇām adhīśam )

So you understand the distinction. So, any pig will not have this intelligence, but Varāha-Avatāra… and then Hayagrīva-Avatāra, He told the whole Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Sūrya in the form of Hayagrīva. He was a worshipper of Hayagrīva. Hanuman, is he an animal or Jnāninām agragaṇyam? What is He? Jnāninām agragaṇyam!

So an animal form why it is said… We  are all animals, I mentioned several times this fact. In Rāmāyaṇa something very peculiar you’ll get. Rāma's army, consisted of what? Monkeys and bears etc. etc. What is the symbolism? Without symbolism our mythologies do not exist.

Monkeys stand for what? Restless mind! We are all having a terribly restless mind. First of all, it is a monkey, then it was drunk, then it was stung by a scorpion, and it was possessed by the demon called pride.

Then Swāmiji explained, by nature our mind is restless. Then it is drunk, with  pride, Ahamkāra. Now a days, you know why there is so much of quarrel between a husband and wife, friend and friend, colleague and colleague. We have become sensitive plants. Whether it is real or perceived, seeming, we take offence.

Here one devotee used to come frequently. Some incident happened. He took offence. Now he doesn't visit at all. Yeah, the first thing that he did was - being innocent, I send out WhatsApp application, you know? He removed himself from the WhatsApp discussion. And he doesn't come.

Previously practically every day he was coming. He took offence at something. Had he come to me and asked for my advice, I would have said this is the greatest blessing. Somebody offended you. That is a test for you, whether you are egoistic or your ego is becoming less? But the very nature of his egotism does not allow.

Anyway, what is the point we are discussing here? Mind is restless, drunk with pride, stung with jealousy. We are all people of terrible jealousy only. Only thing is it is very insidious, very very subtle. 

That's why Swāmiji had defined ahiṃsā as absence of jealous, because the subtlest form of hiṃsā – What is hiṃsā? We never become jealous of our enemies. Psychological fact! You hate your enemy, but you're not jealous of your enemy, only of your friends. We are friends, what right that lady has got to wear a silk saree when I don’t. So many things are there.

If anybody can conquer jealousy, then that person is far advanced in spiritual life.

But one jealousy we have to cultivate. One jealousy - spiritual jealousy, we have to cultivate. Anything, spiritual anger, spiritual Pride, spiritual Kāma, spiritual Krodha, spiritual Lobha, spiritual Mada, Mātsarya, we have to cultivate.

In the Barānagar Mutt, all the brother disciples were sleeping. And after they lay down, because they were very poor, they put out the light. Then suddenly everybody heard cut cut cut, sound.  Sharat Mahārāj said, ‘What is this? Some mice has entered this room’, or something like that. Anyways, He said ‘shoo’. Then it stopped. After a few minutes again it started.

( 30:24 mins )

Then next day, Sharat Mahārāj was ready with a matchbox. As soon as the cut cut sound came, He lit the match. What was He seeing? Lātu Mahārāj was sitting and doing Japam. He should have taken my advice. Unfortunately he did not. What is it? I would have told him that there is a rosary made up of fine wool, Christian missionaries use it, it won't make any cut cut sound.

Anyway, Sharat Mahārāj sat down & said ‘You rogue, you alone want to progress in spiritual life. We will not allow you. We  are also competing with you’. So like that - that is good. If somebody has a good quality then you become jealous and say, ‘I will also acquire that good quality’. Everything has a good side also.

So then finally it is possessed by a demon. This is the nature of our mind. Now tell me, how can this mind acquire spiritual life at all? Is it possible? Yes! Associate it with God. 

Then what happens? What is our problem? All the restlessness etc. What is the cause of restlessness? Enemies like Kāma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mātsarya. We have to fight with them, and the moment we associate all these things with God, then they have all turned towards, they have become assistants to God. And then they will get infinite strength derived from God.

Then, they would kill the opposite party. Who are they? Who is Rāvaṇāsura? Rāvaṇa & co. Who is Rāvaṇa & co? What does Rāvaṇāsura represent? Kāma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mātsarya. These very things will destroy those expressions of Kāma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mātsarya, which pull us down from God, and then they will lift us up. This is the symbolism. Without the help of God, you can never fight. With the help of God, simply very easy to do that.

We become immortal - अथ मर्त्यो अमृतो भवति ( atha martyo amṛto bhavati ) He becomes Amṛta. Because Rāma is of the nature of Jnānam - ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा (jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute )That is the symbolism of it. This is the reason why we also have to associate with God.

Nara-rūpa-dhara - He assumes because He wants to help.

So, if a monkey comes and advises you, will you get any benefit? Monkey here means of small intellect, misunderstanding etc. We are not talking about Hanumān, we are talking about animal. So, why God… As if He has taken the form of many animals. Though they are animals, what is working inside? Super intelligence!

Another way of explaining it - this is the gradual evolution of nature.

1. What is the first one? Matsya. What is Matsya? What is the problem? Matsya means fish. Fish means it can only live in water.
2. In Kūrma Avatāra - Kūrma Avatāra means what? It can live both in water as well as on the land. Sri Rāmakrishna gives, ‘Oh Keshab, you have become a tadpole without a tail’.
3. Then the third one is, Varāha Avatāra. What  is Varāha? A pig. The most intelligent animal? And most parts of the pig can be substituted for human parts. ( 35:03 mins )

The only problem is some people donated their hearts before their death. After death, these hearts were transplanted into somebody else. So there was a fellow who was non-musical. After transplantations, suddenly, he developed immense interest in music - classical music -  started collecting all the best Records. And then another fellow - he never owned a motor cycle. After the transplantation the fellow started buying the latest motor cycles.

It was not a rare phenomenon. It was happening. Then they found out the previous owner of the hearts - one was classical, tremendous interest in classical, western classical music. And the other fellow was tremendously interested in motorcycle racing. So that means what? The memories, of that heart… This is a new discovery. Memory, is not only in the brain, it is also in every part of the body - liver, brain etc.

So when the heart is transplanted, that memory comes. And anyway, this is not a bad example. If a pig is transplanted then it would be horrible.

Anyway, I'm sure you will enjoy a joke. There were two friends, an Irish fellow and an American fellow. Irish fellows were very famous for their stinginess. You have to understand - drunkenness and stinginess. Very stingy. So what happened, the American friend came to visit this Irish fellow. And one day when they were driving, there was an accident. And this American fellow had lost a lot of blood. So immediately his friend volunteered, ‘See whether my blood is suitable?’; And they found out yes it was suitable.

And then he gave one litre. And the fellow American was slowly reviving. So he came back to life, and he immediately gave $100,000 or one lakh dollars. Then the doctor said that's not enough. We need another litre. So next day he gave another litre. This time he gave only $10,000. And then third day another litre. This time he gave only hundred dollars.

Fourth day he needed fourth litre, and his friend had given him. This time he did not give anything. So the Irish fellow, he said ‘My friend, what is this? First time you got my blood, it was 100 thousand dollars, second time 10,000, then third time hundred, and fourth time you gave nothing’. He said ‘Don't you see, as more and more of your blood is coming, your nature is also coming to me’.

It is true, that is why the problem comes. Now the real fact is some qualities can be transferred from one person to another person.

Sri Rāmakrishna, usually that's what He used to do. His  Bhakti, His Jnānam, little bit of it. What did He do on the first of January, 1886? He gave by touch, by wish, ‘May you be spiritually awakened’. It  is possible for them for two reasons.

1. They have abundance of that.
2. And they were also loving. Without love you can’t give.
3. Third factor is without the recipient being ready you can't give. Even if you feel like giving, he can’t take it. Two people they did not receive anything.
4. Fourth factor is, even if someone receives, if they're not careful, they can’t retain it. Very soon It disappears.

But what is the fact? It can be quality, Guṇa can be transmitted by worthy persons. That is why, Satsanga, when we do what happens? The qualities of those people, by their association, slowly percolates into us .

So you're talking about the Parabrahma being Nirguṇa. One point I clarified there, Nirguṇa does not mean not having any qualities. Nirguṇa means every conceivable quality is there, but it will be in the form of non manifestation - just like a lump of clay. Infinite number of forms are there - you can make small pot, big pot, square pot, round pot, conical pot, or anything you  can make out of clay. Not only pot, to cover the pot also you need a cover, isn't  it? So anything you can make, you can make chairs you can make beautiful horses, and paint them, anything you can make.

Nirguṇa does not mean absence of qualities. But, non-manifestation.

( 40:49 mins )

When the time comes for manifestation, when the Nirguṇa Brahma becomes Saguṇa Brahma, then all these wonderful qualities manifest.

All these wonderful qualities are sub-divided into three. All these infinite qualities are sub-divided into three. You know, what are they? Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. And these three qualities comprise the entire creation Sriṣti, Sthiti, Vināśa. And within this Sriṣti - good, bad, different degrees of good, different degrees of evil etc. are there. So we have to meditate upon an Avatāra.

You are both Nirguṇa Brahma. You are also Saguna Brahma.

• When you are in Nirvikalpa Samādhi - you are Nirguṇa Brahma.
• When you are in Savikalpa samadhi - that is called Līlā, Bhāva-mukha.

Savikalpa samadhi means He is able to see both this world as well as the highest sphere. But in what way? He doesn't see it as we see it. For us - you are different, I am different, everybody is different. Savikalpa samadhi people, they see the same truth, same Nirguṇa Brahma every where.

So Nirguṇa but Guṇamaya. Infinite number of auspicious qualities.

When I say auspicious, you have to understand, auspiciousness means what? That which conduces to somebody's good is called auspiciousness. So this conducive goodness is not always in a pleasant way.

What am I trying to tell you? Auspiciousness and pleasantness we are combining. Forget about it. Auspiciousness could be through pleasantness or it could be also through unpleasantness.

Suppose, you know somebody betrayed you. A wife betrays her husband, or the husband betrays his wife. Is it an auspicious thing or an inauspicious thing? From worldly point of view it may look like that, but the person learns I should not rely upon anybody excepting God. So if that knowledge comes, that event is auspicious or inauspicious. That is why, sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalye.

Then immediately Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-vināśā. What is Vināśā? Vināśā doesn’t mean only death. Vināśā means - the destruction of any particular condition is called Vināśā. A rich man becomes a poor man, that is Vināśā of that state. Is it good or bad? Finally everything is auspicious because inevitably every experience in life is leading us to that.

मोचन अघदूषण ( Mocana aghadūṣaṇa )

Dūṣaṇa means - that which is abominable, unworthy, that which is worthy of condemnation.

भूषण ( Bhūṣaṇa ) - Bhūṣaṇa means ornament. Dūṣaṇa means that which is very bad.

So what the Avatāra do, what does He do? Mocana - He releases us. 

From what? अघ ( Agha ). Agha means what? Sin. 

So, an Avatara can… swami vivekananda used to say an avatar is a कपालमोचन ( Kapālamocana ). Wonderful word. What does an Avatāra do? Nobody else can do it. No human being can say, ‘I will take away your sins’. Jesus Christ could say, ‘I am born to take away your sins’. Avatāra alone can say, ‘I can destroy your sins’.

( 45:10 mins )

So what does He do? He can take away the Karma-phala - But both Good and bad, happiness and unhappiness. He can also take away the very roots from which sinful activities spring. You understand? There is a big tree, you cut it excepting the roots. What happens? Next day it sprouts. So that is why that alone will not do. Usually what the Avatāra does is He does not remove the present Karma-phala. He removes - uproots the very tendency.

What is it that leads one to sinful activities? Only one thing. Avidyā, Asmita, Rāga, Dveṣa, Abhiniveśa.

Avidyā - If I knew, you were my own daughter, or sister, or mother, will I ever think, contemplate of harming you. On the other hand, I will give my everything to you.

You know, if a mother has given birth to two children, the first son died, and is born in the neighbouring house. The second  child, she is bringing up with all her life. One day, she prepared nice sweets. The neighbouring boy smells. Very strong, you know? Babyhood, any pakoḍa frying, immediately he can detect it from a long distance, you know - Children! The unraveled sense organs. So he comes running. What is the mother trying to do? Somehow trying to send him away, very nicely, to his own home. Why? She doesn't want to feed him. Had she known this was my first son, would she have done that?   

So if we know that whom we hate, are our own close parents in the past birth, or any time in the past, would we have done it? So what is the root cause? Avidyā. 

Avidyā means ignorance of who we are. Therefore ignorance of who everybody else is.

What an Avatāra does, and in every Avatāra, परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ( paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām )

The  first one is very easy to understand. To protect the Dhārmik people, so that they can practice Dharma more & more. What about destroying? Destroying means what? Can God destroy Atmān? Can He destroy Himself? Can you destroy yourself? You can destroy your body, but you can't destroy your true Self. So God cannot destroy Himself then what does He destroy?

When Ugra Narasiṃha Mūrti had come, what did He destroy? The body mind, which is the obstruction for his realizing ‘I'm the Atmān. He  can't destroy Hiraṇyakaśipu, as Atmān He cannot destroy.

एनं वेत्ति हन्तारं यश्चैनं मन्यते हतम् |

उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते ।।

ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ yaśh chainaṁ manyate hatam ।

ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate ।।

These marvellous truths where are you going to get? You read Bible, you read Qurān, you will never get about this Atmān at all. They are supposed to be the foundational Scriptures of the great religions.

But Buddhism you get it. Buddhism! That’s what Buddha called, peculiar name, Nirvāna. What is Nirvāna? Destroy every vestige of ignorance, what remains is Nirvāna. That means your own Self, indirectly. He could have used a little direct language, ( which led to so much of misunderstanding ).

Mocana aghadūṣaṇa - One who frees. Whom does he free? Not everybody. Only a person who wants to be freed. And who is the person who wants to be freed? He must be necessarily a devotee of God, ‘Oh Lord, I am helpless. Please come and remove this tendency.’

( 50:00 mins )

Just  as an example I'm telling you. One day Swāmi Brahmānandaji came to Sri Rāmakrishna. They have the same problem ans each one of us. He said, ‘Sir, I'm suffering from lust’. Sri Rāmakrishna said, ‘Is it so? I will remove it’. He just went & touched. Swāmi Brahmānandaji was telling later on, ‘In my whole life I never had this feeling again even once’. What a wonderful thing.

Then there's another anecdote. One day a monk came to Swāmi Brahmānandaj and said, ‘Mahārāj, Sri Rāmakrishna had removed all your problems. When it comes to You, You are very stingy’. He accused Him, his own Guru.

My own disciples, you know, they don't find anybody else to accuse. That’s why they say ‘We don't see anybody, If we say anything about anybody they will give it back with compound interest, but you are the one person we don't get anything back. That’s why we accuse you.’

Then Swami Brahmānanda said, ‘If I want, I can take away your kama. But then you will have no joy in any life. You will have no joy in any life’.

One man went to a doctor. First Listen to a joke. A man went to a doctor and the doctor asked, ‘What ails you?’ He said, ‘Doctor, I am frightened of death. Do something so that I can live a long time.’ Then the doctor asked him, ‘Do you drink?’ He said, ‘No’. ‘Do you smoke?’ ‘No’. ‘Do you eat non-vegetarian food?’ He said, ‘No’. ‘Do you visit nightclubs?’ He said, ‘No’. The doctor looked at him and said ‘Man, what for do you want to live?’

You see, the point is Kāma is what brings joy. Anything - you want to read a book, you want to see a good movie, you want to meet a good friend. These are all Kāmas, good Kāmas. If Kāma itself is removed, you'll be like a rag lying down, a foot rug. Have you ever seen a foot rug joyful?

I hope you are following. It’s a very important Point. Without Kāma, nobody will be joyful. Life will be worthless, like a dead person. But it should be a worthy Kāma. Ordinary people get so much of joy, you know, through the five sense organs. What  is a spiritual person doing? He wants the same thing, but from a higher ideal. I hope, you are understanding the point clearly.

So this is, what an Avatāra does. Avatāra  He removes not only some times the Karma-phala from which a person is suffering, but He will most importantly remove the very desire, which led him to that sinful activity. So that once it is uprooted, the person will have nothing else to do.

Mocana aghadūṣaṇa jagabhūṣaṇa - He is the brightest most invaluable ornament of the entire universe.

What is a Bhūṣaṇa? Very interesting. Holy Mother's definition of a Bhūṣaṇa for a woman - Modesty is  the greatest Bhūṣaṇa for a woman! What is the Bhūṣaṇa for a scholar? Pānditya! What is the Bhūṣaṇa for  an eye doctor? What is the Bhūṣaṇa for an eye doctor? Thorough knowledge of the eye!

You know, one fellow went to see an ophthalmologist. He was made to sit  and the doctor came and said, ‘What is the problem with you?’ The patient said ‘Doctor, I see everything as two. For example, I am seeing you as  two doctors’. Doctor said, ‘What all three of you have the same problem’. Tell me who is suffering more?

( 55:15 mins )

Sri Rāmakrishna is the greatest eye doctor in the world. You know that? Sri Rāmakrishna is the greatest eye doctor in the world. If you have an eye problem you go an ophthalmologist. What is his advice? Put some drops in the eye. You go to Sri Rāmakrishna. ‘What is the problem?’ ‘I have an eye problem’. He says, ‘Drop the ‘I’ ’. All problems will be… that is called Śaraṇāgati. Śaraṇāgati means drop the ‘I’, Give it to God.

So Jagabhūṣaṇa - Bhūṣaṇa means greatest ornament. That which gives the greatest Joy. What is it that can give the greatest joy to the whole world-? Discovery of the knowledge - Who I am.

He stands there at the Pinnacle of all persons who realized God. Why? Another context I have explained. According to Hinduism, there are four types of Freed people, Jīvan-muktas -

• Jīvan-mukta.
• Acārya,
• Īśvara Koti,
• and Avatāra.

What is the difference. All of them are free. They know that they are they are the Ātman. There is no difference in the knowledge. The difference is in the power.

• A Jīvan-mukta - cannot help anybody, except giving him some advice.
• An Acārya - can free a few people.
• An Īśvara Koti - can free many more people.
• An Avatāra - a huge number of people. Budhdha even today, some people are following His teachings and becoming free. Rāma - how many people are not worshipping Rāma?

You know the story of Thiāgarāja? Thiāgarāja wanted to have Rāma Darṣana. He had a Guru. He said, ‘Guruji, how can I have Darṣana of Rāma?’  He said, ‘99 crores of Rāma-nāma, you do. Once you complete, you will have Rāma Darṣana’. And it happened like that.

The 99th crore is coming to an end. Thiāgarāja was pouring out his heart. ‘Oh Lord, My Guru told me, you have no choice. Because given Freedom You may do whatever you like. You may violate your word, but you can't do that to my Guru, because he sits on your head and commands you. So You come’. And when 99 Koti is finished, immediately he had a wonderful vision. He composed one song. I don't remember, one Kīrtana. Thiāgarāja keerthana.

Similarly Annamayya - Kanu ganti kanu ganti - His Iṣṭa-devatā is Venkaṭeśvara. He says I have seen, I have seen I have seen Venkaṭeśvara. So many people had.

Sri Rāmakrishna of course had. Swāmi Vivekānanda had. They themselves give the Darṣana. They are still giving Darṣana. Only thing is we say, ‘Look here. You provided Rasagulla. Thank you. Don't come and stand in between me and my Rasagulla. After I finish you come and then disturb me as much as you want.’ We are the obstructions.

So Jagabhūṣaṇa -  bhūṣaṇa! Just imagine there is a beautiful flame on the top of a hill like Aruna-giri. Everybody can see it.  That means the greatest Ideal for this particular age is an Avatāra. Rāmakrishna Ideal for this age. This is an important fact. What is the fact? When God incarnates He sets the ideal for this particular age. Why does he set? Every age, though spirituality be the same, the understanding becomes totally different. So, according to the changing nature of this Society, the same Eternal truth has to be re-interpreted and re-presented in simple language. That is called Yuga-dharma.

( 1:00:10 )

So every Avatāra represents one particular age, what they call the spirit of the world. And He alone can be very effective. Rāma can give you a Liberation. But how to live in this world that is not going to be. Rāma cannot set you an example. Kṛṣṇa also cannot set you an example, if you see him over time making fun. ‘Kṛṣṇa - He started this Rāsa-Līlā dance, that is the ideal for me. I will also start’, that’s not the ideal at all.

For this age, living in this age, we have to follow Sri Rāmakrishna. So this is the Jagabhūṣaṇa.

मोचन अघदूषण जगभूषण चिद्घनकाय ( mocana aghadūṣaṇa jagabhūṣaṇa cidghanakāy )

Kāya means Śarīram - body.

What type of body? Ghana – condensed. What it condensed. Cit.

Cit means what? Pure Consciousness. So Sri Rāmakrishna’s outwardly, it is a body like ours. But, inwardly it is not a body like ours. That is why Swami Abedānandaji said Viśuddha-sattva. He is born with pure Sattva, little bit of Rajas & Tamas. ( Otherwise they say Rasagulla cannot be made with pure Chennā. To bind it you need a little bit of wheat dough etc. To bind only ). Pure Sattva with very little tinge.

What about our bodies? Pure Rajas & Tamas, with little bit of, tinge of  Sattva-guṇa. Yes, that too! You know, that manifests occasionally.

So Cidghanakāy - That means what? Anybody who makes an Avatāra his ideal, slowly he will also transform himself into that nature of the Cit. And once he does that then what happens we will discuss in the next class.

ज्ञानाञ्जन ( jñānāñjana ) as if He puts on the specs, special contact lenses

ज्ञानाञ्जन-विमल-नयन ( jñānāñjana-vimala-nayana ) - He is be able to see the truth. Exactly as it is, not distorted not contorted. 

वीक्षणे मोह जाय ( vīkṣaṇe moha jāy ) - when Sri Rāmakrishna looks at you with His eyes, then you are also made completely free.

How can He free you? It’s not physical bondage, it is the inside ignorance. So with that Jñānāñjana, (He will give a little), and you put it on. And then you will say ‘O, I am God. I did not know I am God. I did not know you are God’. There is an important factor here. With that I will close. 

We see the world as we see ourselves. if we think we are the body the whole world is body. If we think we are the mind the whole world is mind. If we think we are the Ātman, the whole world is Ātman.  

( 1:03:46 )