Mandukya Karika Lecture 060 on 20 July 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Shritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur Om Bhadram Kanne Vishrunayamadevaha Bhadram Pashyem Akshabhirya Jatraha Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Vagam Sastanu Bhi Yashemadevai Tanyadayoh Swasthina Indro Vridhashra Vaha Swasthina Pusha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthina Starksho Arishta Nimi Swasthino Brihaspatir Dadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om Oh Gods, may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious. Oh worshipful ones, may we with our eyes always see what is auspicious. May we live our allotted life hale and hearty, offering our praises unto Thee. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on all of us. May Thee all-nourishing potion be propitious to all of us. May Garuda, the destroyer of evil, be well disposed towards all of us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Om Peace Peace Peace be unto all. We are coming to the last explanations of the Mandukya Upanishad Mantra 7 by Gaudapada Acharya. The Mantra 7, as we all know, is describing in so many negative terms. Even that description in the negative terms is also not very descriptive actually. Because that which is indescribable, that which is beyond body, mind and speech can never be described. But this is the best one one can do. But if we understand the import of the Tathaparya, then it will be absolutely fine. So what is Turiya? Turiya means Atma. Atma means Brahman. Turiya means Brahman. So Turiya, Atma, Brahman are synonymous words for our true nature. So how to describe it? It is not the waking state, not the dream state, not the sleeping state, not that state which is in between waking and dream and dreaming and sleep. Neither it is inert something nor it is complete simple consciousness. So everything is denied. Then what does it mean? It means we have to understand that if we are describing anything, that description comes only from duality. I am separate and this object is separate and that object had to be described. And for description, five types of clues have to be taken as instruments. This is called Shabda Pravrutti Lakshana. Either an object belongs to a species or it has got some Lakshanas. It is red, it is green, small, big, etc. or it must be doing something like a driver or a cook or it must be related, this is my uncle, this is etc. So any object that we describe in this world, we necessarily have to use. But what we are doing is we are excluding ourselves. We are not describing ourselves. Even when we are introducing ourselves to others, we are only describing the object part of our personality, not the subject part of our personality. This seventh mantra wants to tell excluding every objectivity, only pure subject. And subject is only one. Why? Because objects are innumerable. Why? Because they are all separate, they can be described. Anything described is separate. Anything described are many. Anything described is called Vastu. Every object, it is dependent totally upon the perceiving, the thinking, the knowing subject. But how many subjects are there? Only one, Turiya. That is what Gaudapada wants to draw our attention. Because it is one, who is going to describe to whom? I hope you are getting the point. I can describe even to myself something which is different from me. Oh, I saw a huge mountain, it is blue, it is having these characteristics, etc. It is like a Shiva or like a triangle, etc. But who is going to describe myself? To whom am I going to describe? And what is the instrument? In Vedanta, we use this word Triputi. Triputi means threefold, something with which only we can be the subject and something the object, and that which connects both of us, bringing the knowledge. Vastu, Gnata, Gneyam, Gnanam. This subject being one, because if there are three, definitely they can be described. Since it is only one, there is no way to describe. So what is Gaudapada doing or Mandukya Upanishad doing in the 7th mantra? It is trying to convey to us, really this Turiyam, this Atman, this Omkara cannot be described, but for you, you have to reach that one. To reach that one, to have knowledge of that one, you will have to, whatever you see, whatever you hear, whatever you imagine, that should be eliminated. That is the purpose of this. And to explain this one, Gaudapada in 18 Karikas is trying to explain to us. And we have come to the 16th. We have completed Karikas along with the essence of Shankaracharya Bhashyam. We have come to the 17th. In our last class, we were talking about it. What does it mean? If this perceived manifold universe were real, then certainly it can be made to disappear. This duality that is cognized is mere illusion. What is reality? Non-duality is alone the supreme reality. Our problem is 24 hours a day, including this study of the Mandukya Upanishad, is also in the realm of duality. I hope you are awake and awakening belongs to the mind. So you are there. Your mind is there. Your sense organs are there. A combination of all these, through that you are trying to understand these Karikas. How can we understand? Because we are experiencing it 24 hours. We are convinced this is the reality. If at all there is any reality, this is the reality. But what you are describing as three M, nobody had ever seen, nobody had ever thought, nobody had ever experienced. It is impossible to describe. You try to tell somebody something which cannot be described. I have seen something which I cannot describe. Most likely that person will disbelieve you or if it is worse, will consider you are a madcap. But this is the highest truth the scripture is telling us. So in this 17th Karika, Gaudapada wants to convey this. What does he want to convey? Really what exists is Advaitam, non-duality. Why this question has come? Because our experience is this world is existing. Even this class is taking place only because of the world. I am there. You are there. I am talking. You are listening. That is also part of the worldly phenomena. But here comes the great Upanishad and the commentators, both Shankara and Gaudapada, crystal clearly stating what is not our experience. That is, they are telling this world is Advaitam. That is very true. Advaitam means duality. Duality means what? The subject I and everything else. Only two things are there in this world. Try to understand this point. If you are asked how many things are in this world, common sensical reply would be there are billions and billions of objects are there. But if you have to really understand there are only two things in this world. I, the knower, the experiencer. That is the first. Everything else. That is the second. Only two. That is why it is called Advaitam, duality. And this is what we are experiencing. Part of this duality is I am real and the objects that I see, every object is separate, real, different from each other. So innumerable objects are there. That is called duality. Here come the teachers, the Rishis who created or who spoke their realization. So everything is only Advaitam. You cannot even say one. Even to use one, you have to be in the world of duality. In the context of many, two, more than two, you have to say one. But when there is only one, who is even trying to tell one? So I hope that point is clear. That is why it is called Advaitam. Advaitam means no second one. Instead of saying it is one, sometimes it is that word one also is used. But instead of saying one, because that will automatically bring... If you say this is a man, woman also will come. If you say this is black, white will come. If you say this is light, dark, the idea of darkness will come. So male and female, good and evil, birth and death, this duality is inseparable. That's why Advaita means not one, but one without a second. No second. That is called Advaita. Even the usage of these words is very, very meaningful. We have to keep that in mind all the time. Okay. So here is something very, very important for us to understand. That we experience the world. Unfortunately, the world creates a lot of problems. And that is a great blessing because if there were to be no problems, nobody will ever attempt to get rid of this world. Fortunately, this world gives problems. Why does it give? Because it is limited. Anything limited, it always gives, sooner or later, problems. So everything is limited. My body is limited. My mind is limited. And the objects with which my body and mind come into contact, that is also limited. And it is a dual. That means there is happiness and unhappiness. There is Sukha and Dukha. And nobody wants Dukha. Everybody wants only Sukha. But that is the necessary component in order to enjoy. You cannot enjoy unless you want to enjoy, like sleep. In sleep, there is no Dvaita for some time. But everybody enjoys it upon waking up. But at the time of sleeping, we don't experience that one or we do not cognize that experience. So that is the problem. How to experience immeasurable Ananda even while experiencing deep sleep? That is possible only what we call in Samadhi. So in this 17th Karika, Udupada is clearly bringing out a very beautiful point. What is the point? If this world is really there, then you can negate it. But it is like trying to beat an illusory snake. Will it go? You try to kill it your whole life, day and night. Will it die? No, it won't die. Will it go on moving? Yes, it will go on moving. Because what is moving is a play of light and darkness, which we have mistaken to be a real snake. And any amount of killing, you can burn, you can beat, you can cut it to pieces, nothing happens to it. What is the reason? Because you are trying to destroy something which in fact doesn't exist. Then how to kill it? Find out whether that object is outside or inside your brain. If it is inside your brain, get rid of it. Then it will disappear. So the whole world is a reflection of our mind. That is why when we studied Dakshina Murti Stotram, Vishvam Darpana Dushyamana Nagaritulyam Nijantargatam, that beautiful shloka, we have to remember here. If the world is really existing, then by some means we can kill it, we can destroy it, we can get rid of it. But the world really doesn't exist. Then we see it. Maya Matramidam. It is just an illusion created by Ajnana. And what is its nature? Dvaitam. Dvaitam means what? I and everything else. I is one, everything else is so many. But this is an illusion. Advaitam Paramarthataha. But really speaking, truly speaking, it is Advaitam. Only one is there. Even to say, as I said, when you are asleep, you don't say one or two or many. You have to imagine that one. Then here comes this problem for us. That's why we have to understand. This world we are acting, then is this not delusion? Yes, it is delusion. Where from delusion has come or why has it come? Because of ignorance. Then there is ignorance. Those who think very subtly, they raise this topic. You say Turiyam is Advaitam. The world is temporary and we are perceiving this world, experiencing it. Because of what? Ajnana. Even if you deny the world, you can't deny the Ajnana. For that, we have to understand something. All these concepts, there is Saguna Brahma, there is Nirguna Brahma. Saguna Brahma means Brahman plus Maya and these two combinations are manifesting as this world and that is the root cause of all this, whether we consider it real or whether we consider it a delusion. All these are happening because of what? Because of ignorance. And this ignorance must have an Adhishtana, a substratum and that substratum is the mind. So here is the answer which solves all these problems. We are discussing about Brahma. Through what instrument? Mind. We are discussing about the world. Through what instrument? Mind. We are discussing whether the world is real or not. Through what instrument? Mind. We are discussing whether this world can be gotten rid of. Samsara can be gotten rid of. Through what? Through mind. So everything is there only because of the mind. These are all ideas, thoughts in the mind. If this marvellous principle can be understood, all our problems will be totally removed. Understanding Gaudapada or Shankara will be very easy. Strangely, if you ask a Visishtadvaiti, Ramanuja, do you accept maya? He says no. Then what is this world? It is very real. Who created it? God created it. If God created this world and it is a real world, as you understand it, you are declaring it, can God, what is the nature of your God? He is what is called Sarva Kalyanata Maha. Auspicious qualities only. No bad qualities at all. If that is true, why do we see so much evil in this world? Visishtadvaiti has no answer for that. Not only that, he proves it. So, why don't you live in this world? No, no, no, no. We have to worship God. Why do we need to worship God? There are two answers. If I worship God, God will be pleased with me and God will give me all desirable, enjoyable things in this world. Will you be happy? Ramanuja will be the last person to deny. No. Because by nature, this world, though real, it is full of sufferings, dukkha, problems, and there are many problems for which there is no solution. Then what is the way? Oh, if you can worship Narayana, you will go to Vaikuntha. What happens when you go to Vaikuntha? I will be completely free from maya, from this world. I will be in the presence of God. What is the point I am driving at? Whether you are a bhakta, whether you are a jnani, the world is not a pleasant thing. Advaitin says, the world is unreal. Advaitin says, the world is very real. I don't care. But what is the goal of both of them? To get rid of the samsara. Can you get rid of the samsara? No. Then? You can get out of the samsara, you cannot get rid of the samsara. You can wake up from a bad dream. So, by practicing spiritual disciplines, one day either you go to Brahma Loka, or you go to Vaikuntha or Kailasa, or you attain Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Either way, you get rid of that thought about this world. Is it not? So, that is the ultimate thing. But I will come back to the original point that I am born, that there is a Nirguna Brahma who doesn't do anything. It is only Saguna Brahma who creates this world, and then this world is what we call three-fold sources of suffering, always there, even though God created it. So, it is not a pleasant place to experience, but that is the only instrument we have, the body, the mind, which goes through all these sufferings, old age, disease, death, problems, wars, famines, too much rain, all these things are there, but this very body, this very mind is the only instrument which can help us get out of this samsara. So, what does Godapada want to say to us? What I am trying to tell you is that so long as the mind is the root cause of all problems, these concepts, Brahman, Nirguna Brahman, Saguna Brahman, Eshwara, Vaikunta, Kailasa, Tritapa, getting rid of Tritapa, birth, old age, death, all these belong only to the mind. If we can get out of the mind, we will be free. But most people, what are they trying to do? They want to be in the mind and they want to solve the problems. That is impossible. That is what Godapada wants to convey here when he says this world, which we have been experiencing since 84 lakh births, he says it is unreal, it is an imagination. Let us take the spirit of the words. Then there is Brahman and there is Maya. Are there two? No. What does he want to say? Whatever we are experiencing is Brahman. Whoever is experiencing, he is Brahman. Like we mistake a rope for a snake, we are mistaking Brahman for this world. So the reality is the rope. The illusion is the snake. The reality is inside, outside, everywhere. The illusion is only in our individual mind. And what is the way to get rid of this illusion? Here is something, a very interesting point. Suppose this is a problem from an imagined snake. Today you get rid of the snake. There is no guarantee it won't come back tomorrow. But it need not be a snake. It could be a neighbour. It could be our own neighbour. Who is our neighbour? Our body. Who is our neighbour? Our mind. So our body, mind only, the root cause of all problems. Unless I get out of my mind, it is not possible to solve any problem. Then whether this world is real, Brahman alone is real, all these questions will automatically stop. And when there are no questions, there is no need to get any answers. This is the essence of this 17th Karika. So our mind imagines there is a world. Mind itself is part of the world. If this ever perceived manifold universe were real, then by some means we can get rid of it. Just as we cannot kill an illusory snake, an illusory world cannot be destroyed. In my last class I told you something. If the world is real, then also you cannot get rid of it. If the world is unreal, there is no need to get rid of it. Then what is the way? You realize this is my thinking and if we can get rid of our wrong thinking, that what I am calling the world is none other than Brahman, what I am perceiving as a snake is none other than a rope, that is all that is needed. So it is a change in the cognition and that is the essence of the 17th Karika. Maya matram idam dvaitam. All this is duality. What is the duality? I and everything else, subject-object duality. Paramarthatah advaitam. In truth that is nothing but advaitam. Then I will read a little bit about Shankaracharya's Bhashya. If the knowledge of the non-duality is possible after the disappearance of the perceived manifold, that means after destroying the world, how could non-duality be said to exist while the world is experienceable remains? This is explained thus. This would have been true if the manifold really existed. In fact it doesn't exist, but it exists in the form of delusion, illusion in our brains. This manifold is only a false imagination like the snake in the rope. Therefore the moment I wake up from this dream of seeing this poisonous snake, then I will wake up to the truth. The snake imagined in the rope through false conception does not really exist and therefore does not disappear and actually there is no need for it to disappear because what is not real, you don't need to do anything about it. Simply understand it is not real. That's all. Shankara gives example of a magician and he produces many things. The magician alone is real and whatever magic he produces is unreal. You must have seen he takes up a hat and so many pigeons fly through it. He only shows you a handkerchief. But how many pigeons one after the other? How many flowers one after the other? How many fruits one after the other? So the magician alone is real. That's what Shri Ramakrishna illustrates. There is a magician. He brought a horse and then he says this horse can fly in the air and he makes the king sit on the horse and he says, you just wish where you want to go, it will take you. And then the king wishes, I want to go to Svarga Loka, I want to go to some other Loka, I want to see this person, I want to see that person. After a few minutes, again the horse will bring him back and then everybody is watching. What is everybody watching? The horse was there. The king was sitting on the horse. He did not move one millimetre from there. Simply the horse was moving its head. The king is also moving. But all the while, he went round the whole world and he came back. So the magician collected his fees and the king was also happy. But that was experienced only by the king. And the spectators did not experience anything excepting the foolish king paying a heavy amount to the magician. So if you see any magic, PC Sarkar's magic, then you can understand it. So this is what actually Shankaracharya wants to say that everything is Brahman. Just as there is only hope, but the semi-darkness, your mind which is ridden with fear, your earlier experience of a snake, all these combined together coalesce and produce that idea here is a real snake, very poisonous snake, etc. We are all frightened of even what is called grass snakes, non-poisonous snakes. There are very few poisonous snakes. Most of the snakes are non-poisonous. But we cannot understand. Sometimes a non-poisonous snake appears to be ferociously poisonous. It hisses. Hood is very big. And because of our fear, we think that we are going to die. Even if it bites, nothing happens. Anyway, we have to be careful. So Vedanta shows its boldest genius in answering this question. What is the question? Are there two entities, Brahman and the world? So Vedanta at once states that the non-dual Brahman alone is existing. Whatever is and whatever we are experiencing is nothing but Brahman. So the manifold means this world is none other than Brahman. As Brahman, it can never be unreal. It always exists, never undergoes any change. Like the rope, never undergoing any change. It doesn't raise its hood. It doesn't hiss. It doesn't move. But in our imagination, we think there is a snake and it is doing all these things. If any man realizes the universe as Brahman, then he is never subject to any illusion regarding its reality. The difference between a Jnani and an Agnani is that a wise man sees the universe as Brahman and therefore never sees in it any appearance or disappearance. But the ignorance person believes in the reality of the universe as apart from Brahman and therefore talks about its disappearance. What really disappears is the illusion that the world exists as something other than Brahman. The universe as Brahman does not appear and disappear. It remains always as it is. So the meaning of the disappearance of the universe really, what is it? It is the disappearance of one's notion of the illusion that is in our heads. It is like the illusion conjured up by a magician. When the real nature of the rope is pointed out, what disappears is only the illusion which presented the rope as other than rope. The onlooker, after his error is pointed out, realizes that what he or she considered as snake is really the rope all the time. It is illusion which made the rope appear as other than what it is. Knowledge removes this illusion. This illusion is unsubstantial because there is no substance. It is not an object. It is not real and unreal. Hence its appearance is also unreal. Its disappearance is also unreal and both cannot affect the nature of reality. Shankaracharya is a beautiful example. I can give another modern example. Say, supposing a man is walking in Rajasthan desert and he sees a mirage. What is a mirage? A huge body of water, cooling water and it is a huge lake and all sides of the lake there are plenty of green trees, huge shady trees and then he starts running towards it. Then he realizes that this is a mirage because whatever distance he runs, the mirage exactly keeps the same distance. It never becomes less. The example Shankara gives is even though you may be seeing water for three hours, whole day, many days, even one bit of the dry sand doesn't become wet. Similarly, the illusion of the world cannot bring about any effect upon the Atman which is really me. Another example is you are watching a movie and imagine that there are heavy rains. You go and touch the screen. Nothing happens. You are seeing floods. Nothing happens. Or a forest fire you see. Nothing happens to this screen. Have you ever wondered? Such a huge terrifying fire and nothing happens to the huge screen. Not even one smudge of smoke will be there. So this experience of this world is what you call an illusory time. What do I mean by illusory time? Oh! 84 lakhs of times I was born. That is the illusion. There is actually... Time itself is a creation. Time itself is illusion. Just as your one minute's dream appears to be several days. Suppose you are dreaming that you are flying to America and it is 24 hours travel and you landed on the other side and you declare, I am dead tired. Practically 24 hours I had no sleep. And then suddenly you wake up in your own bed here in India and you have not gone anywhere. 24 hours is not spent. If you can imagine and extend it, all these 84 lakhs of times I was born is also as unsubstantial as that dream of 24 hours past. I hope what is the essence of 17th Karika that this world, you are seeing the world but actually you are seeing Brahman, experiencing Brahman. But Brahman experienced through the eyes will be shapes, forms. Brahman experienced through the ears will be sounds, etc. So really what we are experiencing not only what we are experiencing, who is experiencing, I or you, that is also Brahman. The experiencer is also Brahman. The experienced is also Brahman. If you can understand it, however weird it may seem, you have understood the essence of 17th Karika. And then this 7th mantra will come to an end with this 18th Karika actually. Gaudapada's 18th Karika. Then again the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th mantras will start here. Then some Karikas are there. We will come to that. We are entering now Karika 18. विकल्पो विनिवर्तेथ कल्पितो यदि केन चित् उपदेशाद अयम् वादो घ्नाते द्वैतम् नविद्यते If anyone has ever imagined the manifold ideas, such for instance, here is my teacher, I am the taught, and here is the scripture, if anybody is thinking like that, imagined like that, it will not disappear. This explanation is for the purpose of teaching. Duality implied in explanation ceases to exist when the highest truth is known. Shankaracharya raises this point here. First, let us analyse the Sanskrit Karika. विकल्पो विनिवर्तेथ विकल्प means imagination. विनिवर्तेथ, it will definitely disappear यदि केन चित् कल्पितः If, यदि, if, केन चित्, by somebody, कल्पितः is imagining, somebody is imagining. For example, all our dreams are nothing but imaginations in the mind in that particular state. So if you are dreaming, then as soon as you wake up, the whole thing will disappear. So, विकल्पो विनिवर्तेथ If the whole thing is an imagination, then the Purva Pakshi comes and asks, Oh, you are talking very big, big things, but what about your Guru? You say, Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo, Maheshwara, Guru Saksha, Param Brahma, Tasmai Sri, Guruvena Maha, even you may not regard God, Saguna Brahma, Vishnu, Narayana, Shiva, but your Guru is Param Brahma, no less than that. What about this? Will you sit on the same seat like your Guru? And when your Guru has served nice things, will you just sit and say, there is no difference between you and me? So, this problem will come. That is why this 18th Karika is telling, that so long as there is imagination, that I am suffering. Is there any way out of suffering? Yes, there is a way out of suffering. What is the way out of suffering? Then I am asked, what are you suffering from? By that time I realized, I am suffering from my own imaginations. Then the teacher will come and say, so the same instrument, which made you imagine in this way, train it to imagine in the opposite way. That is the solution. So, You had a bad dream. What do you want? A good dream. And how did you have a bad dream? Through the mind. And how are you going to have a good dream? Through the mind alone. So this, what is called Dvaitam, Guru, Sishya, Dvaitam, you are already emphasizing it. Because the Advaitins, they don't have much regard for Saguna Brahma, except when they want to eat Dadyodhana and Prasada, Tirupati Laddu, then God comes in. But otherwise, my Guru is Parabrahma, my Guru is Saguna Brahma also. That's why I say, Guru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu, Guru is Maheshwara, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Saguna Brahma, Guru Sakshat, Parambrahma. So what about your Guru, sir? Is he also unreal? Yes. Because both my thinking, I am a Sadhaka, and Sadhana can be done only through body-mind. If the body-mind itself is part of the world, and the whole world is an imagination, and along with the concept that this world is an imagination, everything in this world is an imagination, and my body-mind is an imagination, and my thinking that I am bound is an imagination, my thinking that I will approach a Guru is an imagination, my thinking that my Guru will rescue me, give me knowledge, Gnanadatha, Sharadhe Gnanadayike, Papiyubhyuvana Sada Raksha, Kripamayi Namostuti. Every day we are singing Holy Mother's hymn. So all these are what? All these are completely unreal imaginations. Every imagination belongs to the mind, and when you realize, mind will disappear. When mind disappears, the teacher-taught distinction, Vaitham, also disappears. That is why Shri Ramakrishna gives, if you remember, a funny example. Shuka Deva went to get some teaching from Janaka Maharaja, and Janaka Maharaja asked him, first pay your fee. Then Shuka counter-questioned, you have not even taught me anything. Why are you asking me? Then Janaka said, the moment I teach, that very moment you will understand. Then what disappears? Vaitham disappears. What does Vaitham disappear? That I am the Guru, you are the Shishya. There is neither Guru nor Shishya. Nobody is taught, nobody has learned, and that is Paramarth Tatvam. So you will not give. Better you give. Let me collect it right now. It looks like a funny incident, example, but it is absolutely true. Having heard this from me, you should not be under any delusion that from now onwards I will practice it. No. It is something which will come as long as you are in Samadhi, just as in your sleep. Just supposing, you and your Guru are forced to sleep in the same room, and both of you are asleep. There is every likelihood your feet will kick your Guru also. But you should never say, I am kicking my Guru. Why? Because in this state of sleep, there is no Guru-Shishya Bhava. I am kicking, you are being kicked. All these ideas are invalid in that state. So the Guru also will not take offense because he is also sleeping. Maybe he is dreaming you are kicking. He is dreaming that you are messaging his painful knees, and that is giving him great relief. Who knows? Anyway, so I am just giving this example. All this that we are studying is absolutely true after Realization. But that is our goal. Until Realization comes, there is tremendous respect, Shraddha, Bhakti to the Guru. We must do our best to serve our Guru. And this is what he says, for the sake of teaching. This is what I mentioned in my last class. So first we accept Adhyarupa. Yes, yes, this world is real. Teacher is real. Disciple is real. But after some time, the truth is that once you manage to go beyond the mind, there is no Guru, there is no disciple at all. In fact, then what happens? Brahman is the Guru. Brahman is the disciple all the time. So there cannot be any distinction in Brahman. That is what we have to understand. It is not neglecting, not respecting the Guru, but by removing all distinctions. And of course, the Guru will not have such distinctions, actually. All these doubts come only to the unenlightened mind who is called a student. Upadeshat Ayam Vadaha. For the sake of teaching, this Dwaitam is temporarily accepted. Gnathe. Once a person realizes Dwaitam Navidyate, that he knows that there is nobody. Aham Brahmasmi. And that is the goal which all of us have to reach there. So if you have understood, why is this Karika said? That 17th Karika, it says that if really the world exists, then Guru also is real, I am also real, everything else, the teacher is real, the student is real, the teaching is real, the spiritual practice is real, and gradual progress is real. Everything is real. We should never ever forget to keep that in mind. So long as I am ignorant, everything is real. But when realization comes, I need not do anything because as soon as light is brought, you don't need to do anything to the snake. Just like that, when I come to know that I am Advaita, I am Turiyam, I am Brahman, I am Atman, I am Atma, I am Brahma, second mantra we have seen. This is one of the Mahavakyas from this Mandukya Upanishad. Then everything else becomes absolutely fine. With this 18th Karika, the explanation of the 7th mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad is over and it is one of the most marvelous things. But these ideas, which we are so elaborately trying in this first Prakarana called Agama Prakarana, are going to... For example, this Advaita is unreal is elaborately described in the second Prakarana called Vaithathya Prakarana. Tathya means real. Vaithathya means unreal. And then third, Advaita. What remains? Advaita. That is alone the reality. How is it Advaita? And refuting the Purva Pakshas, many, many opposite people. It is all going on there. And the fourth Prakarana, Alatha Shanti Prakarana, is actually the longest Prakarana having about 100 Karikas, 100 slokas. That is a recapitulation of what has been told in the three earlier Prakaranas, Agama, Vaithathya and Advaita Prakarana. We will start this Mantra 8 in our next class.