Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 28 on 04 June 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

In our last class, we have been discussing the 14th mantra. We have completed 13 mantras in the fourth chapter of the Svetasvatara Upanishad. In fact, this chapter has got 22 mantras and all the 22 mantras can be divided into three parts. The first part is that the whole universe has been created by Him and it is being sustained by Him and it will be withdrawn unto Him at the end. Srishti Sthithi Laya. The second part is that man suffers a lot especially from what we call three types of afflictions from three sources. That is why continuous activity is there only for the sake of escaping. All this suffering is due to not knowing that we belong to God, we are coming from God, we are living by God, we are sustained by God and we are going back to God whether we will it or not. This is the second point. We are searching, searching in the wrong place. What is the way out? So, we have to surrender ourselves to Him. That is the only worthy activity and every activity must culminate in that activity which would make us completely submit to God, surrender ourselves to God and by His grace we will be attaining Him. Attaining Him we will be attaining that ultimate peace rather instead of using the word attainment say we become ourselves which is of the nature of peace. So, let God bless me with right understanding. Let God bless me with a healthy body and mind. Let God always protect me from unspiritual thoughts, speech and activities. Let God pull me towards Him so that I can become totally united with Him, merged in Him and let me be lost completely in Him and that can happen only by His grace. If we have grasped these three points then every mantra is only doing this one. So, the 14th mantra goes like this. What is the Swaroopa of God? It is subtler than the subtlest. That is to understand that God is not gross, God is not even subtle. God is the subtler than the subtlest. What does it mean? Gross means whatever we can experience through our five sense organs, gross five sense organs through our body, of course with the help of the mind, that is called gross. But this gross world is grasped by the mind in the form of knowledge that is called Sukshma. Our ideas, our thoughts, our feelings, our imaginations, nobody can know excepting ourselves. Even if we are living side by side from birth to death, we won't be able to understand it. One funny example will be we are living with this body, physical body from birth until it says goodbye to us. How much have we understood? How much have the scientists, medical doctors really understood the nature of the body? Something a little bit they understood but much of it remains to be explored. So many things are there and people are all the time discovering. So even this body itself with whom we are living is impossible to understand it. This is called because it is inside the body. So many subtle things are there. What we see through the microscope is only gross thing but what processes are going on within the body very few of us can understand. But what is Sokshma the Sokshma? Even subtler than the subtlest that means the Drashta, the Sakshi, the real knower, Jyotira Jyoti. He knows the Sokshma. For him it is not subtle, not subtler. It is as gross as in daylight we can see things. This is a pale comparison because even when we see with our eyes in the broad daylight, still we only see the outside. We don't really understand it. And he is present. Where is he? That means what? He contains everything. He is bigger than the biggest, smaller than the smallest. And then Kalilasya Madhye. He is present. Where is he present? Kalilasya Madhye. Madhye means in the midst of what? Kalila. Kalila means chaos. Kalila means confusion. Kalila means hard times. Kalila means when we are in the midst of deep suffering but he is present. How do we know? Puranas help us in understanding that Shri Krishna was present with the Pandavas all the time until he made them cross all the difficulties. The moment the war is over, he moved away. That is why Kunti sings the hymn, O Lord, grant us endless troubles. Give us unending suffering. Naturally, normally people would not pray. This is not a natural prayer. Save me from troubles. But give me troubles. Very few people understand. Somebody asked her perhaps or some great person has interpreted it. What does she mean? And then she says that so long we are in suffering, you are always visibly present with us. Of course, Krishna will be always with Pandavas but visibly present. But as soon as we have crossed over the sufferings, difficulties, you are taking leave of us physically and you will not be so easily available. That is what one of the direct disciples has said, Swami Shivanandaji. Some devotee had come and the devotee was expressing, I did not see Shri Ramakrishna. Then Mahapurush Maharaj was consoling him, My boy, even you are so fortunate to see us. You may not have seen Shri Ramakrishna. We have seen Shri Ramakrishna and you are seeing us who have seen Shri Ramakrishna. Don't think this is a less good fortune because after a few years, that means after the fall of this body, even we will become objects of meditation. So that is why even it was terribly painful for the intimate devotees of Shri Ramakrishna, Antarangas. Were they of less wisdom and knowledge, less spiritual? No. And they know better than anybody, the physical body will not last. And they knew one year earlier that this body is not going to be good. Swami Vivekananda was the first person to realize it. Then he said, My brothers, this body of the master is not going to last long. So let us take full advantage of it because once the body goes, accessing Shri Ramakrishna would be much, much more difficult. Even though Shri Ramakrishna issued statements, where did I go? After all, from this room to the other room. But what does he mean by this room? A physical body. What is the other room? A subtle body. But we cannot even understand living together, as I mentioned, what to speak of, trying to understand a great person like Shri Ramakrishna. So long as he was there, it is very interesting. When Buddha was about to die, a person who heard him only at that time, walked several miles and reached just before Buddha was about to give up his body. Buddha's attendant Ananda did not want him to disturb Buddha because he knew Buddha was going to give up the body. Very interesting thing was about this incident. Buddha knew that he was going to give up the body. He called Ananda and said, Ananda, this body will not last long. What do you want? Buddha was giving an opportunity for Ananda. If you say, O Lord, carry for some time, we are getting so much benefit. I think Buddha was ready to postpone the death. Two, three times, three times he asked and Ananda could not understand. Let whatever they, whatever they, God will let Buddha decide. Let the great one decide what he wants to do. And Buddha decided, I have given the chance, but the man did not want, so I will give up the body. So Ananda was trying to prevent. Then Buddha heard it. He was completely conscious in his complete faculties, all the faculties. Then he told Ananda, this opportunity will not come. The man is fortunate to come here. Let him come. I will clear his doubts. And then that's what he did. For more than one hour he talked and then he passed away. Now, interesting fact is that when Sairam Krishna was about to pass, a devotee had come from a long distance. Sairam Krishna talked for a long time, even though others were looking at him, what you call chillies, but Sairam Krishna wanted to clear. He blessed him after answering everything and then laid himself down and he gave up his body. So God is present. Kalilasi Madhya means in chaos, in difficulties. In fact, God is present, more present. I am reminded of a beautiful story. There was a devotee of God and always he used to talk with God and he used to see not form of God, but the footsteps of God. So one day this man had to cross a dangerous forest and until he approached the forest, they were talking nicely. As soon as they had to enter into the forest, the devotee, until that time, the devotee was clearly seeing two pairs of footsteps, one smaller, his own, another bigger, distinct, that is God's. But as soon as he entered into the forest, he saw there was only one print of one footstep. And then he thought, wow, what a marvelous God. When there was no problem, He was nicely talking with me and as soon as problem popped up, He popped up. So somehow he was taking God's name, but he was deeply frustrated. Without any problem, he crossed over. As soon as he stepped out of the danger zone, immediately the second pair also appeared. And the devotee started accusing, what type of God you are? And then God said, look my child carefully at that footsteps back. And the devotee looked. Even then he did not understand. Somebody was asked, who wrote Shakespeare's works? And he thought for half an hour and said, I don't know. So this devotee was like that. And then he understood, God has to explain to him to understand, my son, when you were not in danger, both of us were walking. As soon as the danger came, I took you up in my hands. That is why you are seeing only one pair of footsteps. They are not yours. They are mine. Look carefully. And the devotee looked and felt ashamed. That was so. So God is present. In fact, I will not say that God is only present. I will even say, deliberately God created all these problems. That is why he is called Karma Adhyaksha Vidhata. Why? Because we have to exhaust our karma phala. We have to learn our lesson. We have to move forward from where we are. But God is not sitting inactive. He is watching. The moment we are about to stumble, if he finds we are about to stumble, he will hold us. When temptations come, he will hold us. When difficulties come, he will save us. When clarification is necessary, he enters into our buddhi all the time. He is the creator of Jagat. He is the creator of us. He is the creator of problems. He deliberately created all problems, Tritapa, so that if nothing can bring us to God, at least suffering can bring us to God. Kalidasyamadhyaya is present. If any believer does not understand this, I have to say there is something seriously wrong with that person's brain and such a person is not qualified to be called a devotee. Every devotee is one who has complete faith. It is God who has looked after me. He is looking after me. He will look after me. That is what makes sadhana very present. Then all difficulties are for our own good. All exercises are for our own good. And he is the creator specially. Many times I said, every problem that we have is tailor made by God for the exhaustion of our karma phala, not only that, for learning our lesson and so that we can move forward. The word Kalila has a secondary meaning. Many meanings are there. Secondary meaning, when a fetus is conceived first few days, that is called Kalila. That means even God is present, not only witnessing the fetus, but He only is growing up there as a fetus. If the whole universe is created by God, then everything that is being born, living, non-living, not only insects, not only plants, not only birds, not only animals, even mountains, rivers. So many rivers were not there. They are born and they grow up. They become larger and sometimes they disappear. In Africa, first of all, the latest news is, I should not be the person to carry the news to you, that it is breaking into two separate continents. The tectonic plates are drifting from each other. Not only that, huge rivers are disappearing and in the course of time, deserts will come. So rivers will be there, civilization grows, and towns and cities will be growing. They become central places for businesses, thriving civilizations, and there is a birth for a civilization, there is an expansion of civilization, and there is a dissolution of civilization. Everything has to undergo Srishti, Stithi, and Laya. And today's deserts will become again tomorrow's thriving forests, thriving civilizations. And this Srishti, Stithi, and Laya is going on unceasingly from time without beginning, and it will not come to an end. So this Divine Lord, He contains everything. He is everywhere. Same thing, as I said, He is the creator, He is the main sustainer, He is also the dissoluter. Vishwasya Srashtaram. He is the creator of the Vishwa. And He who is the creator, He Himself has become everything, and He is the maintainer, and He is the withdrawer, or what I prefer to call, recycler. And Anekaroopam. Sahasraseersha Purushaha. Sahasraksha Sahasrapad. Anekaroopam. That means, every form that we see, every name that we hear, every form is God. Every name is Shabda Brahma. Every guna is His Shakti called Prakruti. There is nothing other than Him. Anekaroopam. Earlier also we saw a blue butterfly and a green parrot, etc. These are all, etc., etc., we have to add them. And not only that, the idea we just now discussed is the only reality. Vishwasya Ekam Parivesthitaram. He pervades everything. Like clay pervades all the products, products of the clay, call them pots, small, big, round, square, etc., etc. And you can even paint them with different colors, but everywhere it is nothing but clay. Ornaments are nothing but gold. And furniture is nothing but wood. So everything is nothing but pure consciousness. Vishwasya Swashtaram. He is the only creator. That is what will come later on. Vishwasya Ekam Parivesthitaram. Only one. Because if somebody is pervading, all pervading, there cannot be two things, two infinities. You have only one. He is the infinite. He is Ananta. That is why one of the popular names of Bhagawan Vishnu, especially in South India, Anantashayanam. That is He is manifesting everywhere. And then the last line. We are all searching for unending peace, infinite peace. Peace means bliss actually. Shanti, Maunam, Anandam, Samadhi, Satori, Kingdom of Heaven. These are all synonymous words. How to become infinite? You don't need to become infinite. You are infinite. You have never become finite. You are only appearing to be finite. But by praying to Him, this is the meaning of Gnathva. Gnathva means He reveals Himself. How does He reveal? Shivam. As the most auspicious form, or like Lord Shiva grants mukti to all the people who die within the periphery, 8 km periphery of this Varanasi. Gnathva means He only pulls us into Himself like the ocean pulls all the waves, all the bubbles. Until that time, every small bubble, bubbles up with unending enthusiasm. I am a bubble. I am a bubble. And I am greater than this ocean. No. You belong to the ocean. You are from the ocean. You are in the ocean. You are the ocean. So Gnathva Shivam, knowing that supremely auspicious being who is none other than Brahman, Atyantam Shantim Eti, one attains to the final Shanti. That means what? There would be no more struggle. That is it. That is the meaning of these beautiful words for us to meditate. How do we meditate upon God? In this way only we meditate upon God. He is Anuraniyan, Mahatau Mahiyan. He is present in the universe. He is the creator of the universe. And He is the maintainer of the universe. And when the time comes, that is a very important word, Kaale, that is going to come very soon. So He is the only reality only by knowing Him. And in fact knowing Him means I do not exist. We do not exist. Nothing exists excepting Him. Then Atyantam Shantim Eti. So Shankaracharya also tells how is He in the middle of this one. Here is a slightly special meaning. Kali Lasya means what? God is the consciousness who eliminates all thought modifications. Even thoughts of ignorance, thoughts of evil, etc. So we have to be careful. Prati Bhaava Viditam, as the Kena Upanishad tells us, which we have seen, that every thought reveals that a thought is known only because there is a knower who is revealing it to us. This is a thought, good or evil. And a very interesting fact is when I am happy, that happiness comes in the form of a happy thought. When I am suffering, suffering also comes in the form of a suffering thought. Both are thoughts only. So He is alone the truth. Nothing else is the truth. These are all Dhyana Mantras. And that Dhyana Mantras are continuing. Fifteenth Mantra. This mantra gives us that there are people. How do we know that we can attain God? So maybe God is existing. Maybe God is the resort, repository of the final peace. Maybe by realizing God, one can attain Mukti, Moksha. But how do we know? So in the Great Master, Swami Sharadamji writes about Sri Ramakrishna, that this is in the 19th century, people all over the world, and mainly because of the rise of science. Science means whatever we experience in the reality. Vedanta means whatever we experience is the unreality. Experience according to scientists is the proof of reality. And the proof of unreality is experience according to Vedanta. Because an experience always depends upon the experiencer. The experiencer can remain without experience. But the experience cannot even be cognized without the experiencer. So whatever I see, whatever I hear, etc. is not me. I see a tree, we know I am not the tree. I see a car, I am not the car. I see my body, so I cannot be the body. And I see also, I witness my mind, so I cannot be my mind also. But what is the proof? Proof is saints. That is what he wants to say. There are Devatas, there are Rishis, Brahma, Brahma, Gnanis, and they are the proof. That is why Swami Sharadamji says, Sri Ramakrishna has come to prove that God is really there, to prove that God exists. He listens to our prayers. He can be attained, and the only activity worth mentioning is the effort to attain God. And out of His infinite grace, He will finally grant us Mukti. It is to prove this for this believing humanity that God has incarnated in the form of Sri Ramakrishna. The same Rama, the same Krishna, we presume, have to, or Buddha or Jesus, it is the same purpose. Non-believers can become believers. May not some become immediately, some will become later, some become centuries later. They have that power, but that is the main purpose. So we are studying this Upanishad. You are attending the class. We believe in God. We believe in Moksha. Not because we are specially great people, because of Sri Ramakrishna's advent, we obtained our faith because we studied His life. And that very study, bestowed that faith, strengthens our faith and sustains our faith until we reach the goal. Fifteenth mantra, again as I said, is just a proof that whatever He said earlier, God exists. He can be realized. And that is the only way out of this samsara sagra. This is the essence of fifteenth mantra. Saha eva kaale bhuvanasya goptah vishvaadhibhah sarvabhutesh gudah kismen yuktah brahmarsayo devatascha tam evam jnatva mrutyu pasham pasham chinati Very easy also. By listening to the Sanskrit words, you should be able to at least presume the meaning, much of the meaning. Saha eva, that Ishwara, that Ishita, that God, that Brahma. Eva, because He is the only one. There is nobody else. There are not even two Gods. Kaale, at the right time, what does He do? He creates the universe. That is not said here. It is said earlier. But He is bhuvanasya goptah, who is the protector, who is the saver, who is the sustainer. So goptah means protector. It has two meanings. One is a mother not only protects the baby, she also sustains, feeds, nourishes and protects the baby with her own life. And God is our mother, our father. Therefore bhuvanasya goptah, who is Eva, nobody else, only He can do. That is why Ramanacharya says that God alone can save me. Rakshati iti vishwasaha. So He is the only one who can save me. How do we know? Because I have tried. I tried money, tried friendship, I tried family, I tried my tribe, I tried my religion, I tried everything. But people are also helpless and everybody is helpless. But the only one who is free, who can help me is one who is not bound. That is only God. Rakshati iti vishwasaha. Only then true bhakti will come, faith will come. So He is bhuvanasya goptah, vishwasaha. Naturally He is the ruler of this world. He is the creator of this world. Naturally He is pervading the whole world. That's why He is called Adhipaha. No one is greater. A pot cannot be greater than the clay. An ornament cannot be greater than the gold out of which it is made. Anything made out of a karana cannot be greater than itself. That is an inevitable law. But you are saying, He is there, He is there, He is there. Where is He? Sarvabhuteshu godaha. So He is hidden in every bhuta. Bhuta means, usual meaning of bhuta is creature, created being, living being, prani, jivatma. But He is also there at the mountain. How is He there at the mountain? The mountain is, if that God is not present in the form of sat of the mountain, we would never be able to even know that a mountain is. Because of God, God in the form of the mountain, God in the form of the forest, God in the form of the river, God in the form of the earth, in fact these are not non-living. For every Hindu, the whole universe is made up of pancha bhutas, and so all the pancha bhutas are pancha devatas. Every time we have to worship, either in the form of Shiva or Vishnu, etc. In South India, there are five temples representing prithi tattvam, jala tattvam, agni tattvam, vayu tattvam, and akasha tattvam. There is a special place called chidambaram. Under this chidambaram, there is nothing except a jyoti. What does it mean? It is akasha. Akasha means you can't see. Subtlest. Subtlest. Subtler than anything else. So the only way, if I become jyoti, if I have the light, if I have consciousness, I am supposed to see Him. I am supposed to indicate that one. So sarva bhuteshu gudaha. That is why we say angushta matra purusho sadha jananam hrudaye sannivishtaha hrudaya kamalamadhi rajitam nirvikalpam Every other sentence from the scripture tells us it is gudaha. It is not really gudaha. Our ajnana is covering us. A beautiful example is given. Suppose it is summer season and we all know what is summer season now, wherever you are, and terrible heat is there. At midnight you go out, suddenly there would be a cloud. What does the cloud do? It covers up the whole sun. This is what we say because we are ignorant. Now, what is the inner meaning of this statement? Who created this cloud? Without the sun, there could not be a cloud. And this very cloud, bachcha, is trying to cover its parent. Does a small bit of cloud can cover the vast sun? It is impossible. But we are thinking like that because of our ajnana. What does the cloud cover? It covers not Surya, but our eyes. And even one little finger is enough to cover the entire universe. Take your finger and you put it in front of your eye. You will see the whole universe has disappeared. So, he is not really gudaha. But because of our ignorance, we are unable to know him, see him. He is present in the form of pancha devatas, in the form of pancha bhutas, in the form of the entire jagat, in the form of my body, my mind, my buddhi, my ahankara. Everything is nothing but him only. But we must have that right understanding and that right understanding can be obtained only by his grace. So, I will grant buddhi yoga. I will give them the right understanding. So, this is the truth. But I don't see. Well, you will not see, but you will be able to see. Until now you are not able to see or you are able to see, but not able to understand. For that, a beautiful example is given. You know, Swami Pramanandaji was like a child. Shri Ramakrishna loved him as a small baby. So, once he was staying at Param Vasu's house. There were some children and Maharaj was very fond of them and he used to play with them. And remember Maharaj was very tall, very hefty, he was a wrestler. One day when the children were absorbed in play with Paraka's noise, suddenly Swami Brahmananda started crawling into the room. He purchased one mask of a tiger and trying to imitate the roar of a tiger, he entered into the room. And all the children immediately shrieked and fled through the other door. But there was one small child. He was paralyzed. He could not go out. So, then he was crying. Then Maharaj quickly went there and then embraced him. And the child is telling, pointing out, I know you are Maharaj. You are putting on this mask. He was weeping, still telling, you are Maharaj, because the rest of the body is more than obvious. No tiger can really hide. Even if the entire tiger skin was there, I am sure it could not have hidden him. Those who have eyes, they will see. Who are those? Our eyes are there. Divyam tada midhe chakshaho vasyameyoham aishwaram Na shaknohasi With this, with parthiva chakshas, you will not be able to see. That is why every day we pray, O Lord, you are seeing us. We are not able to see you. Gnananjana imalanayana You give us that collarium by putting on which we will be able to see you, to see the whole world, to see you in the whole world. Sarvabhutesh guda But there are people who are seeing inside, outside, everywhere. Who are they? Yasmin yuktaha Always, eternally united with that Divine Lord. Devataascha brahma hrsayaha First is human beings who attain to that Brahma Jnana called Brahma Hrsis. And there are also some Devataas like Indra, like Agni, like Vayu, as we have seen in the Kena Upanishad. And they are the proof. Tam evam nathva Mrutyu paashan chinatthi And knowing him, one completely dissolves, so cuts off, what? The bondages of Mrutyu. What is Mrutyu? Clearly there is no Mrutyu. That is just as we see the false snake and become frightened. So as soon as light is brought, that snake is totally destroyed. That is called Mrutyu paashan chinatthi. There is no Mrutyu. Shrunvantu vishwe Amrutasya putra That is why in the Mahamrutyu Jay Mantra we go on praying to the Lord. So, Shunvantu vishwe amahe Sugandhim pushti varthanam Urvarukameva bandhanat Mrutyoh muksheya Ma amrutat Mrutyoh ma muksheya So you save me, separate me from Mrutyu by giving that knowledge that there is no Mrutyu. That is why Shiva is called Mrutyunjaya. How? Like a cucumber which is attached to the plant with a strong stem. Take a sharp knife and give a small blow immediately the cucumber will separate from that plant. Urvarukameva Mrutyoh bandhanat from the bonds of the that which is binding of the Mrutyu means Ajnana. But again, this Shiva you know he should be told crystal clearly he might misunderstand. Ma amrutat So don't separate me from Mrutyu. Oh Lord don't mistake me from Mrutyu. Mrutyu means immortality. That means I am Mrutyu Purusha. You give me that knowledge. You take away the darkness of ignorance. Immediately I will know. But do not put me into the bandhanat. Do not deprive me my oneness with you. So tam evam gnatva mrutyu pashan chinati. These Brahmarshis, Devatas, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ram Krishna, Hered Disciples, Holy Mother and millions of other saints Tulasi Dasa, Meerabai, Kabir Dasa, Tukaram, Thyagaraja, Purandar Dasa. So many innumerable especially India produced innumerable is producing saints also. So they are all living proof that not only God exists but one can see God, one can talk with God and one can become free. That is the only goal of life and there is no other way. So it is said it is he who in proper time becomes the custodian of the universe and the sovereign of all. He conceals himself in all beings as their antarsakshi, inner witness and in whom alone the sages and the deities are united. Verily by knowing him alone one cuts asunder the fetters of death. So that is sarva bhutesh godaha. God is unknown to the ignorant but God remains hidden in the hearts of the ignorant and the extraordinary. So we pray every day. Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna what do we pray? Jyoti Rajyoti Ujjvala Hridikandara Tumi Tama Vanjanaha. Tamevam Nathva. Knowing him as the only final goal. Mrityu Pashaan Chinatthi. Anybody who attempts. How so many saints we see so Kabir thus laments O Kabir you are still here but how many saints and sages they have crossed the samsara and reached the other shore and you are still stuck on this shore only. And then the 16th mantra the whole of this chapter until 22nd mantra is only description of these three items. God exists and this is his nature we have to meditate upon him as described. This is one of the descriptions any book gospel will do Bhagavad Gita will do or any saints and sages instructions will do only that is the only goal of life and that is the ultimate solution for all the problems of life. That is why senior Swami said spiritual realization is the only final solution of every problem of life. So one senior Swami made fun does really God realization solves the problems the Swami said no it doesn't solve any problem then what does it do it dissolves the problems not that there are problems and he comes and then solves the problems that is an ignorant point of view no there are no problems there is no samsara there is no jiva we have been seeing in the Mandukya Upanishad for the last so many classes jiva is never created jagat is never created then what is created your miserable self is definitely created because you are the proof for all of us that there is a creation I am just making a joke what it means is that there is no world if there is no world there is no agnana if there is no agnana there are no after effects of agnana called problems if there are no problems there is no need to solve any problem he is so God doesn't solve the problem he resolves the problem that means you will not face any problem at all that is being said here and here specially somehow this Shreta Shreta Rishi I am sure he was a great devotee of Bhagwan Krishna because Krishna was very fond of butter so he gives this beautiful example of butter God is like butter why because he is the essence of everything that is the first meaning second meaning is he is as slippery as butter so 16th mantra goes like this we have seen in our last mantra again it has come so what does this mean first I will give the English he who knows Brahman who is all bliss extremely subtle like a film that rises to the surface of clarified butter and is hidden in all beings he who knows the radiant deity the soul pervader of the universe he alone is released from all his specters whoever there is no Hindu non-Hindu there is no believer no non-believer this is an idea we have to be extremely intelligent to understand I am a believer that is God doesn't see whether you are a damned believer or undamned believer what do I mean by damned believer well every follower of religion believes that whoever following that religion is not damned but other religions say he is a damned Hindu kafir so everybody is a kafir non-believer damned they will go to the special place God has created very special place other place now what does it mean let us this words themselves are very good first he is giving this example very subtle what mandam means it is said that when we heat the boil the milk and then put a bit of curds and let it settle down and after some hours it will turn into a beautiful curds and then we take that curds and then put it in a pot all gopis all housewives my mother used to do it early in the morning 5 o'clock or 6 o'clock she will take it and one churning rod is there it is fixed to the wall and she goes on churning and the butter will be coming up and up and up this is one meaning gritath so when a person churns a beautiful a layer comes to the top and Shri Ram Krishna has lot to say I am going to quote it very soon so param that means above top mandam eva a beautiful layer is there and I use it to steal it don't quote it anybody it is only private information and add it with sugar and you have to see my face at that time so that is what we call clarified butter that is what Shri Krishna was very fond I am sure he has got some jaggery first class jaggery and also nearby there are several pots of beautiful palm juice and palm sugar Krishna was not a stranger for that and when you mix these things brahmanandam paramasukham kevalam jnanamurthyam dvandvatitam gaganasatrusham that automatically it breaks out so God is like that but we have to first take the cow and take the milk and then boil them and then put it for curdling and then take it out and go on journey and ultimately will come what does it mean we must get awakened then we must approach some great soul uttishtata then jagrata then praapya varan nibodhata and then like a pearl go down so into oyster go down and do not come out until this mandam comes out so gnatva shivam why should we do it just as butter is hidden in milk it is there everybody knows it but you can't access it there is a special way how we can separate it and that is what shiva means the divine lord where is he he is everywhere he is in everybody and so everybody will get mukti and evolution will drive one to that and we have seen vishwasya ekam parvesh he only pervading like butter is pervading the butter milk and everything is pervaded by the divine lord who is in the form of sat chitrananda and gnatva satche devam gnatva only by knowing him by realizing him by becoming one with him one becomes free from all bonds so the meaning of the mandam i have explained it is the upper layer of the clarified butter even in the clarified butter also the upper portion is the most tastiest portion another way of saying is that when you set it to what is called the milk for curds that milk itself produces a beautiful layer without churning also that is very tasty out of that so many sweets are made and it is extraordinarily tasty that is what i used to do if you want to join party with me i am sure you did it and if you have not done it when you are young i think you did not live your life completely i can only pity you Ram Krishna has a lot to say live like clarified butter he says that is so long as you are there the butter is mixed up with the butter milk that means you are completely identified with samsara sagra and there is no hope what does Ram Krishna say very beautiful quotations butter churned early in the morning is the best how did he know i am sure he was also like me he knows when his mother was doing it he was eating it otherwise without first hand experience this is impossible so he knows if it is churned late it will not be so tasty that means he must have tasted early mornings also afterwards also but that churned after sunrise is not so good addressing his disciples who became sanyasins later on the master used to say you are like butter churned early in the morning well while my householder disciples are like butter churned late in the day and then he says in the beginning a man should try to concentrate his mind always in a lonely place otherwise many things may distract him if we put milk and water together we are sure to get mixed but if the milk is changed into butter by churning a transformed milk that is butter instead of mixing with water will float upon it so when a man has gained the power of mental concentration by constant practice his mind will always rise above his environment and rest in God wherever he might stay as long as you are in the plane of relativity you must admit both butter and buttermilk you must admit both personal God and the universe it is a very special interpretation Sri Ramakrishna gives with this butter and buttermilk what is he telling to explain the analogy the original milk is Brahman realized in Samadhi but the butter the impersonal personal God Ishwara but the buttermilk the universe made up of the 24 categories milk poured into water mixes readily with it but when converted into butter it no longer gets mixed with water but floats in it so having attained to the state of God one may live in constant contact with innumerable ungenerate souls one will not be at all be affected then by such evil association and the Taittiriya Upanishad says God is the very essence of Rasam that's why in South India it is funny saying God comes in the form of South Indian Rasam himself taken from this Taittiriya Upanishad the original quotation is Rasam means what? Bliss so Ananda Diheva Kalvimani Bhutani Jayante Anandena Jeevante Anandam Prayante Visham Vishanti Thee that which adds spice to life that which makes everything worthwhile and interesting is God were it not for the blissful Lord who would even desire to live in this world happiness is the only goal of life and knowing such a God man can free himself from all bondages there is no other way and that is the essence of this 16th Mantra and next week most likely we will complete this 4th Chapter