Sri Suktam Lecture 07 on 22 February 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are enjoying the Sri Suktam. Such a marvelous mantra. Every mantra is a mantra worth praying for. And only when we pray to Lakshmi Devi, She is Lakshmi Devi, the Mother of the whole Universe. And what can She give? She can give two things. She can give praise, worldly prosperity, worldly wealth, or Shreya's ultimate knowledge of Brahman. And devotees must become like children, totally dependent upon the Divine Mother. Whatever She gives will be good for us. We must surrender ourselves to Her. This is the essence of the fifth mantra which we discussed in our last class. What is that mantra? OM. Here the devotee deliberately sets about to discard dependence upon everything else, excepting on the Divine Mother. And what type of Divine Mother? She is with the very thought of Her, the very imagination of Her. Just as when we step into a full moonlit night and look at the glory illuminating the whole Universe, then our minds become full of delight. So, as soon as a baby sees, as soon as it wakes up, it sees its mother, and it is so delighted, it becomes fearless. If the baby doesn't behold its mother, it feels very fearful, looks fearfully here and there, searching, where is my mother? And every devotee depends upon the Divine Mother more than that. And it is said, Prabhasam. Prabha means a divine glow. And we can say, what is that divine glow? Knowledge. And Eshasa. Esha means wonderful name, all Her name, Divine Mother's name. But what kind of Eshas? So, He is a great inventor. She is a grand musician. And the other person is a great inventor. No, these are all very limited things. Here, the Eshas is everything that is in the world, is my Self, my creation. I am only manifesting as this. And She is shining, Jalanteem, with that name and fame. This is, I am a Divine Mother. Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Matru Roopena Samsthita. A Mother who is manifest in every female being, in the form of motherliness. Only female form, even males. A father who loses his wife, becomes more than a mother to his children. And what is further? Eshasa means unlimitedly graceful, boundless. She gives anything for Her children. So generous. And She is surrendered. She is the presiding deity of whether human beings or animals or even Gods, because Gods are also created beings. So, Tam Padmini means She resides in a forest of lotuses. Here the lotus, as we discussed earlier, represents the lotuses, which is recognized by the Hindu philosophy as within us, in the form of seven lotuses. This is from the Muladhara until Sahasrara. So everything, even what we call not such positive things, very ordinary things, common things, that is also Her grace. So Tam Padmini means, what is my duty, your duty, children's duty? Sharanam Aham Prapadye. I take refuge in Her. What does it mean? You are my mother. I am an ignorant child. I know nothing. I don't know what happened in the past. I don't know what's going to happen in the future. But I know my mother is there. I just know you are there. And therefore I have nothing to worry. And then, So anything other than the Divine Mother. So Lakshmi is usually interpreted as misfortune or poverty or suffering. No, that is not what. Anything that doesn't bring me nearer to you, I reject it. Tvam prune. Deliberately, willfully, I set myself as my goal. Tvam prune. I only choose you as my deity. I have complete faith. And only you. And you only can save me. Therefore, I deliberately choose you as my protector. This is the essence of the fifth mantra. Now we move on to today's class, the sixth mantra. And here, some new things are introduced. These are very peculiar things to Indian mythology. Puranas. What we call Puranas. So it is said that the Divine Mother Lakshmi had once performed Tapasya. I will come to the details a little later on. I am only trying to give what we are going to study. An introduction. In fact, a summary of what we are going to study in the sixth mantra. Once we have this essence, it would be much easier to understand further. Aditya vanne tapaso adhijato vanas patis tava vriksho atha bilvaha tasya phalani tapasahanudantu maya antara ayasya bahya lakshmi This is the sixth mantra in the Sri Sukta. What is the essence of it? So, though we consider Divine Mother as unborn, she cannot be born, but still, because we are born, we cannot escape our understanding. Just like us, God is also born. Divine Mother is also born. In fact, it is very interesting to understand when I am born, the whole world is born. When I go to state of deep sleep, the whole world, as if, maybe somebody may tell us afterwards, No, no, no, you only went to bed. We are all running hither and thither or doing something else. But so far as each one of us are concerned, the whole world has gone because I am not aware of the existence of anybody. I do not cognize anything. And whatever we do not cognize does not exist so far as the cognizer is concerned. And when I wake up, then the whole world comes into existence. In that sense, every day is a new birth, new creation. And it is absolutely true. Whatever is past is past. Only a new day has come. And God does not produce I will give you one hour. For some, I will give you five hours. No. Everyone is given 24 hours until the death of this body occurs. It is a marvelous new opportunity, like New Year, to make new resolutions and progress. So it is said in these mythologies, not one, in fact, that the Divine Mother had performed a tremendous amount of austerity, tapasya, and where she performed a whole forest of bilva vriksha. We all know about bilva. It is a beautiful tree and it yields fruits. And every part of it is medicinal. And the juice or the sharbat prepared out of this bilva fruit, especially in summer season only, it comes into ripeness. It is very cooling, very medicinal, very healthy. And these bilva leaves, very symbolic, tripholite, three leaves will be there with every leaf. Each one is considered only as one leaf. One, three in one. And it is very dear to Lord Shiva and also Divine Mother Lakshmi. So we usually consider Lakshmi is the consort of Lord Vishnu and Vishnu favours Tulasi leaf. And naturally Lakshmi also takes Tulasi leaf. No, Lakshmi did tapasya. A whole forest of bilva trees had sprung there and they are considered not only sacred spiritually but precious as medicinal plants because out of this bilva leaf, bilva fruits, bilva bark, bilva root, many, many health issues can be solved. And especially, somebody is suffering from constipation, the bilva juice is very, very good. So, if the Divine Mother is pleased with us, then the fruits of this tapasya, which is the bilva fruits, they themselves, only when we interpret it spiritually, they can destroy all the inner obstacles, also external obstacles. That is the essence of the sixth mantra. Now we will go a little deeper. The aspirant is praying to Mother Lakshmi. Now, any number of times I have told you that we should not confine the meaning of Lakshmi. In most of the Indian people, the idea became firmly embedded that Lakshmi means money. Not counting, not taking into consideration where there is money, there is restlessness, there is fear and there is tremendous amount of competition. All the evils, people are running after money even when they cannot really enjoy. Money, of course, cannot be eaten but in some forms, they can bring things, instruments, which can help us. So it is said that you can provide a person with the most advanced technical bed but if the fellow's mind is a mad mind, he will never get even good sleep. That way, unless we have done a lot of punyam, it is not possible for us to enjoy things. But if the Mother's grace is there, then even without these instruments, we can enjoy. A poor man is tremendously hungry, starving. You give the most ordinary things, he will be very happy. So this is a praise of the Bilva Vriksha, how they come into being and what are the benefits, etc. So this is being said. But one thing also we have to understand, when Shri Ram Krishna was performing Tapasya, this Bilva Vriksha is one of the most important tree under which Shri Ram Krishna used to sit and perform Tapasya. Many people do that also. So this Bilva, I don't know its exact English equivalent, but it doesn't matter. Even if I tell, people will not understand it. Those who know, they know it. So everything in this world, all what we call as Ushadis, plant kingdom, everything is a manifestation of Mother Lakshmi. There is, really speaking, not one useless, and that which cannot help us in some way or the other. Plant, tree, creeper, root, fruit, everything has its own wonderful place. So when a person is progressing in spiritual life, he must take into consideration what is the goal of life? To realize God. It is a very facile word, realization of God. What does it mean? It means, as I become more spiritual, in my eyes, through my eyes, everything becomes spiritual. So the question of friends and enemies, happiness and unhappiness, and pure and impure, good and evil, they call, and everything becomes spiritual only. There is nothing unspiritual in this world. And this mantra, sixth mantra, is one of them. So what does it mean? The auspiciousness of the Bilwa tree is being explained in this particular mantra. So it is a prayer to Mother Lakshmi. O Mother, you who is having a golden hue, like the sunlight, O Mother Lakshmi of golden hue, because of the power and glory of your Tapasya, penance, out of that, your Tapasya, hard Tapasya, the Bilwa tree has been created literally by your grace, in the form of the fruits of the Bilwa tree, may all misfortunes and inauspiciousness residing in my interior and exterior perish. So, one by one, we will discuss. Aditya Varney, you appear like the Sun. Bilwa tree, which was created by you, is called the king of the forests, because its fruits are capable of destroying inner ignorance and external afflictions caused by Indriyas, organs of perception and action. So, let these implements, in the way of my liberation, can be destroyed only by your grace, and your grace flows in the form of these Bilwa tree and Bilwa fruits, etc. So, your very colour, your glowing, your shining, your desplendent, like the Sun. Sun always stands for, or light always stands for knowledge, pure knowledge. And Vishnu Sahasranama also, Lord Vishnu's name also comes, Aditya. Aditya varnam tamo sastu pare. So, in the Isha Vashya Upanishad also we get, Chandogya Upanishad, every Upanishad practically, Aditya naam aham Vishnuhu. I am Aditya, Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita. So, there is a deity, it is not. What is this Sun? When others question us, scientists question us, why you are addressing the Sun as God? Because our eyes are covered with Maya, so we see only a dead star, not even a living star, but a dead star. Stupidity can go no further. Why do I say so? Because, just imagine, there is no Sun. Do you expect life there? So, because of the presence of whose existence, the whole life comes into existence. Without whom, life is not possible. That root cause of the life can never be called that it is a dead star. It is a combination of certain gas molecules. It is simply burning. That is why every Hindu, at dawn and dusk, goes on addressing Devata, who resides within the Sun and whom the Sun does not know and who is completely controlled by that Devata. May I obtain a vision of that Devata. So, when Arjuna was seeing Krishna, with what eyesight he was seeing? He is my friend, a very wise person, very intelligent. He can help me. But, when Krishna declared in the 10th chapter that I am manifesting as the best in everything, it doesn't mean He is not everything. I am everything, but you can recognize me seeing the best. Best music, best sculpture, best painting, best time, best place, and best among the men, best among the rivers, best among the mountains, best among the stars, etc., etc. So, it is only for the sake of contemplation, easiness of contemplation. But, everything is coming only from me. So, that is called Aditya Varna, means that light of knowledge, Divine Mother, Vidya Maya, is shining there. It is not that Mother is only illuminating, but She is none other than Brahman only. When Brahman is contemplated with the mind, Brahman is called Shakti, Divine Mother. But, when one goes beyond the mind, what remains is pure Brahman. This is the beautiful explanation of Sri Ramakrishna. Brahman and Shakti are one and the same. So, there are some Puranas I mentioned, Skanda Purana, Kalika Purana, Brahmanda Purana, speak of Lakshmi's penance in a forest of Bilwa leaves. Therefore, Lakshmi resides in the Bilwa tree. Its fruit is called Sri Phala in Sanskrit, or it is also sometimes called Lakshmi Phala. Just as Parvati resides in Tulasi, Saraswati in Gooseberry tree, Lakshmi is said to resolve in Bilwa tree. Bilwa leaf consists of what is called three petals are there, which represent Srishti, Stithi Laya, or Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. But its stalk represents Adi Shakti. This is what is said in Gnana Bhairava Tantra, 6th Patala means 6th section. It is also believed that Bilwa tree took its birth on 3rd day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Isha. These are all Puranic references. In this particular Rig Mantra, Bilwa tree is referred to as Vanaspati. Vanaspati means a tree without flowers, but having fruits. Bilwa is called Vanaspati because of its tremendous medicinal properties. Its power to cure various diseases is recognized by the Ayurveda physicians. But if this very Bilwa tree, which has sprung because of the penance of Lakshmi, if we offer those fruits, we obtain the favor of Sri Devi or Lakshmi Devi. And just as we offer Tulasi leaves to Vishnu, it is said he becomes very much pleased. So it is said that Lakshmi performed her penance and as a result this tree became a favorite of both Lakshmi and Shiva also. So where did she perform? I am telling you Vamana Purana. Sri Devi performed a severe penance for the welfare of the entire universe where in South India in Kanchipuram on the banks of river Neela and where she performed Tapasya, a Bilwa tree sprouted from her right hand in that place. And then the fruits of this Bilwa tree are supposed to grant health, wealth, not only worldly wealth, but spiritual wealth, everything. So that is how we have to understand it. So Bilwa leaf is, as I mentioned, trifoliate. That means three petals are there. It is very unique, somewhat resembling the rose petals. Rose leaf also has got three petals like that. She is Trigunatmika, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. That is why Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. And she represents everything in this universe. That is what it is. So this is also called Vanaspati Stava. It is the appraisal of this beautiful Bilwa tree and Tasya Phalani, fruits of these Bilwa trees. So what do they do? Tapasa Nudantu. Here Tapasa means application. What happens? Every obstacle, whether it is bodily obstacles or obstacles in the sense organs, obstacles in the mind, what is called worldly obstacles which do not stand in the way of our obtaining worldly desires or spiritual obstacles which do not allow us to progress in spiritual life, they are capable of removing them. It means both external as well as internal obstacles which prevent us having self-realization. So these fruits can be removed. Therefore, O Mother, please bestow your grace and remove my inner spiritual ignorance and offer me Moksha. This is a prayer to the Divine Mother but primarily identifying Lakshmi with this Bilwa tree. So what happens? Why is this? How can a Bilwa tree, especially a tree whom we consider as only one of the lower manifestations of life, our Hindu Rishis want to tell us there is nothing called lower and higher, even rocks, every river, every mountain, every piece of stone, every clod of earth, everything that we experience in this world is nothing but manifestation of Brahman and we have the eyes to see it. And then when one identifies the Bilwa tree with the Divine Mother, this is called contemplation, Upasana. A lower object is taken and in our imagination we contemplate it as endowed with Divine qualities. This is a very common phenomenon among the Hindus. For example, a Shiva Linga is nothing but a small piece of stone but it is none other than Shiva or Saligrama, a small piece. And lest there will be people who are ridiculous, you are living in what is called thousands of years ago, what culture was there, people because of their terrible ignorance they are seeing even small things equating with God, a stone is God, a clod of earth is God, a piece of tree is God, etc. We have evidences. For example, you can see the example that happened in the life of Kshudiram. One day Kshudiram, he was, as we know, his family deity is Sri Rama, called Raghuvir. One day he had to go out on some work. He was returning. It was afternoon. It was blazingly hot. So he found a tree on the way and he laid himself for a short rest. He went into deep sleep. He had a dream. He dreamt that Lord Rama appeared, pointed to a particular place nearby. So I am here lying and I want to be worshipped. Please take me home and worship me. For a long time I have been here and there are many implications. That means what? I am starving. Nobody is feeding me. As we say, if japa is not done on the japa mala, say the japa mala goes hungry. We can take it as a psychological interpretation. That means you go on doing japa for your own good. But is it literally true? And this is what Raghuvira is telling. Kshudiram knew none of these things. Then he woke up. He thought he was having just an imaginational dream. That means what? He was also thinking the spiritual thoughts. Otherwise such kind of dreams will not come. So he woke up, rubbed his eyes. Next second he saw staring at him, the place particularly pointed out by Lord Rama. And then he was astonished. So he went nearby. He found a small hole and then there is a small saligrama and a snake was protecting it. And then he stretched his hand because he had faith and the snake disappeared and he got that saligrama. It is a small piece of stone and then he brought it home and it is said one can recognize saligrama by certain characteristics and he saw it and then he was astonished. It was a true saligrama. So my guess is somebody long back had worshipped it and in course of time it was lost. It was lying down. It was an awakened deity and he was waiting for the right opportunity to find out a genuine child of his who can worship him so that once more he can manifest. And Kshudiram was such a person. He brought it home. Even today that saligrama can be seen in Kamarpakor which is kept in the temple specially built by Ramakrishna Mission for the sake of the relatives of Sri Ramakrishna there. Not our temple. Not Sri Ramakrishna temple. But the temple that is looked by his Rameshwar's children and Ramakumar's children etc. Now Kshudiram was never thinking or it may be, I don't know. My imagination runs right. Maybe Kshudiram himself was the person many lives back he was worshipping this Raghuvira and you know things change. Places become deserted. So that was there. He got back his own and God wants him to worship. God himself had chosen him to take me home and worship. So what is not God? Everything is God. That is the point. Every mountain, every clod of earth, every piece of stone, everything that we see in this world is nothing. When Ramakrishna was telling I saw a small insect crawling and I saw Brahma Chaitanya crawling there. So we have to take the experiences of the sages and transform our life. Not these scientists. They have certain knowledge and it is also useful but that is so far as it goes we should not take it as the ultimate truth because as our mind becomes purified through sadhana, through penance, through tapasya we see the same gross object in its finer aspects Sukshma, Karana, everything like that. So if somebody can offer Bilwa Vriksha is very sacred. Bilwa leaves are sacred. Bilwa fruits are sacred. If anybody wants to worship the Divine Mother offer these Bilwa fruits to her especially in the form of Lakshmi either to Lakshmi or Shiva and they are highly pleased and they will remove all our misfortunes all the obstacles that a sadhaka, an aspirant encounters in his spiritual journey both the inner and the outer. Only one point let us keep in mind. Lakshmi means what is called manifestation of divinity. O Mother, You manifest Yourself within me and outside it may be with wealth name and fame, power and position but inside one will be endowed with all the what we call Daivey Sampath, the wealth of the Divine as beautifully described in the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. And then the aspirant is progressing further and we have to keep in mind everybody is not a spiritual aspirant but everything can be only obtained by the grace of God. So this is called Aastik Atma. Faith, the scriptures are telling do you want worldly wealth? You can obtain it only by the grace of God. Do you want spiritual wealth? That also can be obtained only by the grace of God. But most of the people have to traverse from what Sri Ramakrishna calls Avidya Maya to Vidya Maya. So Avidya Maya is not opposed to Vidya Maya. Avidya Maya is the exercising ground, it is a school, it is a preparation which will make us fit to progress and enter into the realm of the Vidya Maya. That is what we need to understand. With this background, we will enter into the 7th mantra. Upayitu Maam Devasakaha Kirtischa Maninasaha Pradur Bhusubhuto Asmin Rastre Asmin Kirtim Rudhim Tadatume O Mother Lakshmi, I am definitely born in your kingdom. May fame and wealth in every form join me as ornaments worn by a beautiful person by their company. May I be endowed with tremendous fame and abundance. Again we can interpret this both worldly wise and spiritual wise also. You see, when you question a baby, what do you want? Do you want a Ferrari car? Or do you want a piece of candy? And definitely he will only prefer candy. And if anybody smirks and makes fun of the baby, that fellow is an idiot, devoid of all understanding. At that stage, the baby's understanding is only what is practical, not a Ferrari car, not the most costliest yacht, not the private jet, but only what the baby can handle. What we can handle is what we desire. If we obtain things which we cannot handle, for example, there are many people who can buy a Formula A car, but are they capable of driving it? So they will have to hire somebody who is capable. But even if he is capable, if the roads are not meant, have you noticed, when the Formula car races take place and everybody is cleared, all the roads are cleared, only those Formula cars alone are allowed. Do these conditions obtain a normal place everywhere? No. Even if somebody has got a Cadillac or a Rolls Royce, if he is travelling via Indian village roads, he has to go only like anybody else. So sometimes it is said, when there is a traffic jam, so you get out of the car, you will reach your destination sooner than trying to follow the flow of the traffic. So what is the meaning? What am I trying to tell you? That according to our understanding, the development of our understanding, our desires also will be following our understanding. We can never desire something, even if we use big big words. Many of our devotees I have heard saying, I want Mukti, and most of the time I keep quiet, sometimes I get irritated, sometimes I am in a funny mood. So do you understand what is Mukti? We have no foggiest idea, what is called Mukti. We have no foggiest, not even a foggiest idea, what is a higher Loka, not alone Mukti. There was a beautiful incident, one Swami Turiyanandaji, was commenting upon a particular verse in the Yoga Vasishta at Varanasi, and it is said, a description of the ultimate dispassion. What is it? Even God comes and offers the highest obtainable dualistic world, Brahma Loka, and the Sadhaka without thinking twice, he gives it up. That very desire is undesirable. Like when filth falls upon us, we don't think a hundred times whether it should be gotten rid of or not. Such is the definition of the ultimate Vairagya. When Turiyanandaji turned to a Brahmachari and asked, now look here boy, if Shri Ram Krishna offers you Brahma Loka, what will you do? And just now this Brahmachari heard this explanation, so he said, I will spit it out like the Kaka Ishta, that is the filth that has been thrown by a crow upon our body, without thinking. Turiyanandaji started laughing and laughing and laughing. He said, foolish boy, you have not the foggiest idea of what Brahma Loka is. Once you get a glimpse of the Brahma Loka, then you will push all 360 million Hindu Gods and Goddesses aside, kick them aside, and then rush towards Brahma Loka. Because the glory of Brahma Loka cannot be easily understood. So what am I trying to drive? It is to say, we don't understand what is Mukti. We don't understand what is a higher Loka. And therefore, it is impossible for us. We can only say, Lord, I have no knowledge. I am ignorant. But I know that you teach, you only teach, that liberation is the highest goal. So I must attain to that liberation. This much I understand. I have faith in your words. I take refuge in you. Please make it possible for me. Because once a person attains to that state, definitely he will understand. It is not something somebody has blindfolded and taken to some place. It is one's own true nature. And at this stage of our life, we have no idea who we are, excepting an old man or an old woman suffering from tooth problems, stomach problems, leg problems, etc. So here in the seventh mantra, a prayer, let us say a person has complete faith in the Divine Mother, is telling that, O Mother, by your grace, this much I understand. What is this? I am born into this kingdom. What does it mean? I am born in India. I am born in UK or USA. That is not the meaning. When I understand that you are the Divine Mother, and I am your child, and I am born in you, with this knowledge in your kingdom, and as a child of you, in your kingdom, may fame and may wealth, that is Devasakha, Kubera, join me with lot of ornaments as their company, and may I be bestowed great fame and abundance of everything else. This must surely be the prayer, the desire of an ignorant mind. This much knowledge is there. I am your child. You are the Divine Mother. But still, as an ordinary person, my desire for worldly experience, and worldly experience means it can be happiness or unhappiness, poverty and riches, but I want only where I can be extraordinarily comfortable. And that is what I want. Mother, you are the Divine Mother. There is nothing that is impossible for you. And if once anybody obtains your grace, he can get everything. This is the summary of the seventh mantra. We will go into the details. Devasakha means really the friend of God. So Kubera was born as the son of Vishravas and Ilavila. And Kubera performed tremendous tapasya. Pleased Lord Shiva. And Shiva granted him, you will be the lord of wealth. And then wealth and Lakshmi are closer together. That means Lakshmi would reside with you all the time. That is why Devasakha means a friend. So we all want wealth. It could be spiritual wealth, it could be worldly wealth, it could be knowledge wealth, scientific wealth, music wealth, any type of wealth. It doesn't matter. But knowledge is the quality of, the result of Satvaguna. So if anybody has to obtain higher knowledge, then he must bend out with Satvaguna. Satvat Sanjayate Jnanam. True knowledge, right knowledge comes only as the result of Satvaguna. So the Divine Mother agreed to bestow Kubera with these things. So if Kubera coming means, Lakshmi's grace is coming to that person. Not only wealth. Kirti. Kirti means name and fame. But here it has a special meaning. I don't want to be known as a notorious person. Yes, there are what is called murderers, mass murderers. There are so many notorious names are there who did not hesitate to kill millions and millions of people. History records their names with big big letters. That is not Kirti. Kirti means let me be known to the world that I am endowed with Satvaguna. All the spiritual qualities are manifest in me. Let everybody say, this person is a true devotee of God. That kind of Kirti I want. So Kirti here refers, that is why earlier we discussed while at the very beginning, at the introduction, Kirtilakshmi, Dhanalakshmi, Danyalakshmi, Gajalakshmi, Golakshmi, Idyalakshmi, Mokshalakshmi, etc. Kirti here refers. Kirti means name and fame. Here it refers to the Goddess who is the presiding deity of fame and popularity. That is why Sri Ramakrishna used to say that a person, if he is well known in the society, the grace of God is manifesting in that person. Many times Sri Ramakrishna himself had explained it. Many of his devotees at that time never understood. Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna expresses a desire, I want to meet such and such a person. But that person may not care. Then Sri Ramakrishna used to say, do you know why I visit these people? I see the manifestation of my mother in these people. And if I do not go and pay respect to my mother, not to the person, but to my mother, in the form of that special manifestation, it may be scholarship, it may be generosity, it may be greatness. I will give you one or two examples. Sri Ramakrishna visited Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar. He was not only a most learned person, but he was called Daya Sagar, an ocean of mercy. And he helped people. He was a truthful person. He was an upasaka of his own mother. For him, his mother is the living God. Once he promised his mother, I will come on such and such a date to you. And he started. He had to cross a river. River is in full flood. There were no boats available because of the storm. But he said, I have promised my mother. And he swam across fearlessly. Even if I die, I will die in an attempt to fulfill my word, truthfulness. But I will not stop trying. Such was the great person. And Sri Ramakrishna recognized, this greatness is also a manifestation of my mother, my divine mother. So I have to pay my respects to this person. Very interesting topic. Similarly, when Sri Ramakrishna visited Varanasi, there was a great player of Veena. One Mahesh used to play. Sri Ramakrishna expressed to Madhur Babu, Madhur Babu, of course, whatever desires come in Sri Ramakrishna's mind, immediately he will fulfill. So he rushed and took Sri Ramakrishna. But this Mahesh must have been a very fortunate person. And immediately, only for that smaller audience, he played and Sri Ramakrishna went into Samadhi. He was highly pleased. And he must have bestowed his grace upon this player, Veena player, Mahesh. So you see, this is how, wherever we see, Yad Yad Vibhutim Atsatvam, Sri Madhur Jatameva Va, Tat Tadeva Vagachatvam, Mamat Ejo Amsha Sambhavam. Only a small part of my power manifests in the form of every great thing that we see in this world. And so the spiritual aspirant here, especially the Upasaka of Mother Lakshmi. Remember, it is Upasana. Kirti, it is said. So our Puranas also tell us very much. So when this Devi comes, Krihi, Dhihi, all these things, Ya Devi Sarvabhutesh Vidya Roopena, Daya Roopena, Atru Roopena, Kshama Roopena, She is the Divine Mother. So it is said in human language, Who are Her friends or accomplices? All these things will come when Divine Mother bestows Her grace upon us because She doesn't give only one thing. They all come together. And Maninasa, Mani means ornament wearing which one gets rid of sins and misfortunes. This is supposed to be a divine gem. When one wears it, the whole nature changes. Like the Simhasana of Vikramaditya, as soon as somebody sits on top of it, his whole demonic nature, temporarily though, will be transformed into Divine nature. But as soon as he comes down, he will be his normal self only. So also it is said, our Puranas are endless, beautiful, sometimes, many times, often times, confusing also. So along when Lakshmi is born, out of the churning of the milk ocean, and along with that also born, this Chintamani. Chintamani means what? Wish fulfilling gem. What we call Kalpataru Kalpavriksha in Ramakrishna Mission's terminology. So that also came out of the milk ocean along with Mother Lakshmi because wherever there is Lakshmi, as Her part, these will come. Kamadhenu has come. Kalpavriksha has come. Sudha has come. Airavatha, Divine celestial elephant. Uchhasravas, celestial horse. Apsarasas, Divine themselves. Kaustubha, the ornament decorating the chest of Narayana. And Chandra. All these are also said to be Amshas of Shri Devi. That is why earlier we have seen Chandram, Prabhasam, Yashasaj, Valanthim. O Mother, when you come, automatically they will come. So let them all come to me. Let me endow with all these name, fame, power, position, wealth, spiritual wealth, worldly wealth, everything there. So by obtaining Divine Mother's grace, Lakshmi's grace, the aspirant can get rid of all dualities and ignorance and he now finds himself in a plane of higher consciousness. And that is called Rastri Asmin Pradur Bhutosme. I am born in this new spiritual world. That is why whenever a person takes Mantra Deeksha, it is called second birth. Just as a Brahmana boy, when he is endowed, given this Gayatri Mantra, he is called Dvija. He is born on second time. So every spiritual aspirant, as soon as he obtains the grace of the Divine, as if he has taken new birth. What is that new birth? Previously, I am the child of this earthly mother and father. But now, I am the child of the Divine Mother Herself. So that is how he is now in the Kingdom of God or of Shri Devi or Lakshmi. Therefore, Kirtim. That is wonderful name and fame as a great person, as a spiritual person, as a Divine person. Ridhim. Not only as endowed with devotion, Viveka Vairagya, but Ridhi. Here Ridhi means what? It is every imaginable wealth in this world. Dadatume. By your grace, let Kubera come. Kubera represents praise and praise. So let everything, whatever human being desires, let all the desires be fulfilled by Thy grace. Thus, this is a prayer to Shri Devi to grant Siddhi, Samruddhi, Ridhi and Kirti to men who have taken birth in the spiritual realm as a recognition that I am the child of the Divine Mother. And this birth can take place only by the grace of God. These beautiful mantras we will further explore in our next class. May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna.