Mandukya Karika Lecture 066 on 31 August 2022

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraṇāṁ devīṁ rāma-kṛṣṇaṁ jagad-gurum pāda-padme tayo sṛitvā pranamāmi muhur-muhur Oṁ bhadram karne viśruṇyāma devā bhadram paśyē mākṣa-vīrya-jatrāḥ sthirai-raṅgai stuṣṭu-vāgum-sastanubhī vyaśe mādheva hi tanyadāyuhu svastina-indro vṛddha-śravāḥ svastina-pūṣa-viśvavedaḥ svastina-sthārkṣu-arishta-nīmihi svastina-bhrahas-patir-dadhātu Oṁ śānti-śānti-śānti hari-oṁ Oṁ, O gods, may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious. O worshipful ones, may we with our eyes always see what is auspicious. May we live our allotted life, hail and hearty, offering our praises unto Thee. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on all of us. May the all-nourishing potion be propitious to all of us. May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well disposed towards all of us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Oṁ, peace, peace, peace be unto all. Gaudapadacharya has been giving us certain karikas. If we remember, in our last class, we have completed mantras 8, 9, 10 and 11. Now, what is the up to 7th mantra? Atma as four quarters, as the waking state equated with Vishwa and Vaishwanara, dream state equated with Taijasa and Hiranyagarbha, and Sushupti state, deep sleep state, identified as both Prajna and Ishwara, have been described from 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th mantras. 7th mantra has been beautifully expounding, meaning we are none of neither Vishwa nor Taijasa nor Prajna, neither separately as Vishwa, Taijasa or Prajna, nor even cosmically as Vaishwanara, Hiranyagarbha or Ishwara. But these are all limited states. What does it mean? It means without Turiyam, without Atma, these three states cannot be sustained. But the Atma is not exhausted by these three states. And that is why the description has come. And in the 7th mantra, that is na bhaish prajnam, na anta prajnam, no bhaitha prajnam, etc., the Atman in its real state has been explained. And in the 1st mantra, Omkara has been described, everything is Omkara. In the 2nd mantra of the Mandukya Upanishad, Atman, you are that Atman, that means Omkara is everything, Atman is everything, therefore Omkara is also Atman. And everything means the entire universe. Entire universe means I, you and everybody. And therefore there is no I, you and anybody, excepting that pure Atman. That is the goal, if we can transcend. And the transcendence starts from the Jagrat, which is the grossest. We slowly go to the subtle state, higher state, which comprises the waking state, which is called dream state, which is called Sapna state. And the Atman, identifying itself with this dream state, knows himself as I am the Taijasa in the individual aspect, and from the cosmic aspect will be known as Hiranyagarbha. But even higher state, subtlest state, is called the causal state. And that causal state is described as the sleeping state, as it were. And there the Turiyam identifying itself now. Remember, the Turiyam identified with the waking state is very gross. Identified with the dream state, much, much subtler. But the causal state, very subtle, subtlest state, is called this Sushupti. But there also the identification is there. That's why the Ananda also, that we get in the waking state, is much inferior to that which we get in the dream state. How do you say so, if you question? Because if you want to eat a sweet in the waking state, you have to do a lot of things. But the moment you are in the dream state, you feel like eating and instantaneously you eat. Very thought becomes concrete. And the joy which we receive is far superior. Because you can eat any number of sweets, unlike because the physical stomach is very limited. But in the dream stomach is not at all limited, unless we limit ourselves with our imagination. But this Ananda becomes all-pervading in the dreamless state, called Sushupti Sthana, because all duality, we become one as it were, temporarily, both with the Jagrad Avastha, as Vaishvanara, as Hiranyagarbha, and now we become Ishwara. Ishwara means I contain the entire universe, of course temporarily, until I wake up. So that is why it is the subtlest. But these three are not even one infinitesimal part of the real Ananda, real nature of Turiyam, which is described in the seventh mantra. Now from the how to attain, how can I attain to the knowledge, I am Brahman and for that Shabda and Artha. Upasana has to be done. Shabda means Omkara. Omkara consists of four Matras, three uttered, one unuttered. Akara, Ukara, Makara. Now what is the fourth one? It goes by two names, but actually one name is better than the second name. What are the two names? Artha Matra. Artha means not 50%. Artha means very subtle, very, very, almost invisible. That is what it means. See Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example. Like when you strike a gong, first there is a gross sound and slowly as it travels, it becomes less and less audible and finally the vibration will be there, very fine vibration and it goes on for a long time and finally it ends in, we know, Nishabda, silence. And that is why it is called a Matra. It is not a Matra. So this fourth letter of the so-called imaginary Omkara is called either Artha Matra, which is not a preferable name, but a Matra. But at the beginning it will be Artha Matra, but slowly fading itself, merging itself into a Matra, silence. Sound merges into silence. This resolution of the gross into the subtle, the subtle into the subtlest or causal and the causal into the Mahakarana, that is the goal and for that purpose Upasana has been designed. What is the Upasana? We have seen. I am not going to repeat again. Take the three letters of the Omkara, then take the three states of the Atman and each Kara, Akara for example, identify with Jagrat and Vishwa and Vishwanara, then take Ukara and it is much higher than Akara. The base sound is Akara and the sound that emanates from the lungs, when it strikes the sound box, Akara, that is why Akara is common, whether it is a mosquito, whether it is a man, whether it is a mice, whether it is a mountain, everything has got its own sound. By the way, does the mountain sound? No, mountain doesn't sound, but just as the air passes through our sound box, when air passes through the mountains, it becomes cold and it gives a ferocious sound, thundering sound, that is just illustration, doesn't matter. So the Upasana means, you first give up your identity with where you are, what you are, identify with that subtle and the subtle includes everything that is gross and then only you can give up the gross one and then you take up the subtle one. At first, it will be only individual, but very soon the whole world will be containing and you take that idea, I am the whole world, I will explain also how it comes and then you become Hiranyagarbha and then merge yourself in the third state called Karana Prapancha, Karana Sharira, which were the Jagrat Prapancha, Vaishvanara, Vishwa, Vaishvanara, Jagrat Prapancha, Taiyasa, Hiranyagarbha and Swapna Prapancha, completely merge, just as a river merges in the ocean, there then forward it will be part of the ocean. I am saying part of the ocean, actually you don't say Ganga is part of the ocean, Yamuna is the part of the ocean, ocean is just ocean, it is incomparable to any river, so like that Prajna merges in Eshwara and that's why he gets the Eshwarananda. Remember, when a Prajna is experiencing Anandamaya Kosha, you can't say, Oh, I am a Prajna, I am an individual, my Ananda is very limited. No, you can't say because in deep sleep, there is nobody to measure, whether it is small happiness or infinite happiness, those ideas will not be there at all. The purpose of Upasana is gradually first shed, separate your identity with the grossest, then only you will be able to move into the subtler, then thence forward after some time, you move still deeper, wider and that is called the Sushupti Sthana and the deeper we move, the greater will be our expanse, the greater will be, limitlessness will be great. Now one point, I just now mentioned, see when we are in the gross state, then we feel I am just an individual, everything, everybody is separate from me, but as soon as I go into the dream state, I carry the entire universe within me and I create, recreate the entire universe within me, which actually we are doing even in the waking state because these are profound ideas, even in the waking state, the entire world is within my mind, I live in my own world, which includes everything in this world, it includes you, it includes everybody, mountains, rivers, because my idea is my world. Similarly, when we go to dream state, the entire world is condensed as it were and carried and therefore, even though we may not know it, but when we wake up, oh that world, what is that world? Vishwanara world and the entire world, I become Hiranyagarbha. How do I become Hiranyagarbha? Samasthi Sokshma Prapancha, Samasthi Buddhi, I am giving a funny example, suppose in the dream, you are walking and suddenly a tiger attacks you and who created this dream? You created the dream, what did you do? You created the tiger, naturally you created the tiger's mind, you implanted in the tiger's mind, this is a nice food material and I am so fortunate, today Ganesha's face I have seen in the morning, I worshipped Ganesha, so I found this, He rewarded me for my devotion with this first class yummy food material. So similarly, at that time, a man perhaps can come, your Guru will come with a gun, he shoots the tiger, any imagination is okay, then you say Gurudeva, I know you would come and save me, God Himself has come in your form, who created that God? You, when you are worshipping Ramakrishna in your dream, who was that Ramakrishna? You, you created that Ramakrishna, when you are hearing a lecture in your dream, who is giving the lecture? You, but you assumed the form, the buddhi of whoever is giving the talk, and you are the audience, you are the lecturer, you are everything, see how beautiful, but when it comes to Sushupti state, you merge both the waking and the dream state in this, this is the process, indicated Akara and then Jagrat Prapancha, both Vishwa and Vaishwanara should be remembered, when I say A, I am Vaishwanara, when I say U, I must say I am Hiranyagarbha, I must feel I am Hiranyagarbha, and when I say Makara, the last sound when the lips are closed, the sound that comes, I must identify myself with Ishwara, what was I doing previously? I was identifying myself separately in separate states, in the waking state, I am the Vishwa, in the dream state, I am the Taiyasa, in the sleep state, I am the Prajna, now what are we doing? This both Vishwa and Vaishwanara, Taiyasa and Hiranyagarbha, Prajna and Ishwara become completely merged, why do I say merged? Do I not say I am Prajna? No, because you are saying you are Prajna, when? When you are Vishwa, when you are Vaishwanara, you are not saying that, when you think you are separate, so I am Prajna, suppose you ask Vaishwanara, do you have Sushupti? Yes, I will have Sushupti, and with whom are you going to identify? I am going to, first I will merge in Hiranyagarbha, then I will be merging in Ishwara, so in the Sushupti state, unbeknown to us, we are merging, but we must make it a conscious Upasana, whenever I say Aum or Uma, I must remember, I am the waking, I am the waker, I am the dreamer, I am the sleeper, then comes the question, when I say I am the waker, I am the dreamer, I am the sleeper, do you know what happens? I will give you an example, when you say I am Rama, who is telling? That consciousness which is enclosed within that body, personality called Rama, and when you are talking about something, that could be your own body-mind, you are separating yourself, you are objectifying, and say this being, you are not uttering those words, but you are feeling that one, so just as you see a table, say this is a table, I am not the table, you see a tree, I see a tree, I am not the tree, so I see my body, therefore same logic, I cannot be the body, because if you are the body, you cannot be subject and object at the same time, similarly if I am the mind, I can't be both the mind, as well as observing the mind at the same time, what a marvellous thing that is happening, Upasana separates ourselves from everything else, including Ishwara, so I see Ishwara, just as I say, I am the body, but when I analyse, I experience the body, similarly I experience Ishwara, through this Upasana mind you, not now, and then I know I am not Ishwara, because you are making yourself into an object, and that very objectification is also separating you from itself, and you become a pure consciousness, and when you forget everything, then by negating everything, negating means not saying I will forget, whether you remember or you forget, the effect is the same, but I don't see anything else, because I am myself, that is the fourth Upasana, which is Artha Matra first, then it becomes slowly Amatra, silence, silence means there is no mind, remember when there is no mind, there is no Sadhana, there is no Sadhaka, there is no ignorance, there is no Siddhi, there is no knowledge, everything will disappear, but that has to be achieved through gradually merging, merge, the gross and the subtle, the subtle in the causal, and go beyond the causal, it is called Mahakarana, Mahakarana means no subject, object, etc. This is the essence of what we discussed, the 9th, 10th and 11th Mantras. Now we are going to hear, Gaudapada is not commenting much, he is just paraphrasing 9th, 10th and 11th, in the 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, in fact Mantra number 8 is paraphrased, 8, 9, 10, 11, in these 4 Shlokas, Karikas, we will come to that. This is just a background, I am assuming that you have heard, what we have discussed previously, and then you remember also, from there we will pick up. Every time I take a class, some new ideas come even to me, which were not there previously, so I try to share with them, I hope I am succeeding in conveying my understanding to you also. So in the last 11th Mantra, Sushupta Sthanaha, the state called deep sleep, and there the person who identifies with that state, is called Prajnaha, that is one side, then the 3rd letter of Omkara, A, O and Ma, Tritiya Matra, this is the 3rd letter, 3rd syllable of the Omkara, Mitehe Api Terva, in sharp history, Mitehe, it measures, measures what, this is a peculiar language, but not difficult to understand, supposing there is a heap of grain, or sugar, and what happens in the olden days, they used to use one vessel for measuring, not weighing, but measuring, one say, so it can be made of iron, it can be made up of silver, depending upon, so what if a rich people of gold, so you can measure, one measure contains exactly weighing one share, and then give it, now you can put it inside, you can also take it outside, so that which measures is called Mitehe, Api Terva, or that which becomes resolved, merged, both these meanings are there, Minothi Ha Va Idam Sarva, that which is measured, what is measured, the deep sleep state, what does it do, it as it were, like a measuring vessel, it takes one measure from the heap, and then now that whatever is taken, is contained within that vessel, like that the waking state, and the dream state are as it were, measured in, and remain there, remember, the deep sleep state contains both the waking, and also dream state, but in what state, unmanifest state, called Vijah Vastha, seed state, causal state, that is why it is called Karana Vastha, Karana Sharira, why it is called Karana, just as a seed, after a tree gives fruit or flower, then there will be, seed will be coming, and that seed we preserve, it contains the entire future plant, and that is what is meant here, so as soon as we keep, as it were, like the seed, and when we wake up, as it were, the rainy season has come, so as soon as the first dawn comes, immediately, this is brought out, first waking state, then dream state, so it goes inside at night, not necessarily at night, any time by hearing my talk also, you can have that experience, but normally at night, so both the waking, and dream states, are taken into that vessel, as it were, and then again they are brought out, measured out to somebody, like that, after this third state, deep sleep state, as it were, it takes both the waking, and dream, and keeps it inside like a seed, and when the time comes, it measures out, or it manifests, that is why, this is called, मिनोथिः वा इदम् सर्वम् मितेह means, what is called, measured out, मिनोथिः वा इदम् or it becomes, everything is absorbed, swallowed, as it were, इदम् सर्वम् इदम् means what? The waking state, and the dream state, सर्वम् अपितिष्च भवति everything becomes merged, य इवं वेदा then what is the result? He who practices this Upasana, then what happens? He will be able to absorb everything, he will be able to measure out everything. So this is the English meaning here. प्राज्ञ whose fear is deep sleep, is मकार a third syllable in that word, ओम because it is both, the measure, like a measuring vessel, and that wherein, all become one, and one who knows, who knows means what? One who practices this Upasana, this identity of प्राज्ञ and मकार is able to measure all, realize the real nature of the world, and also comprehends all within himself. Also from another point of view, we call अनन्धमयकोष why? Because the entire waking world, not only individual world, but everything that one experiences, similarly the entire dream world, all that joy which is there, it becomes merged in this deep sleep state, that is why there is no duality. When there is no duality, everything is one. When everything is one, first of all, there is no fear, secondly, there is absolutely also, we have seen in the Prashna Upanishad also, when a person attains ब्रह्मलोका, he attains the happiness of all creatures, because ब्रह्मलोका is similarly, like this ईश्वर स्टेट, ईश्वर, ब्रह्म, शक्ति, Divine Mother, synonymous words, because everything is contained in that ब्रह्मलोका and without anything, just as by thought we enjoy in the dream state, just by संकल्पमात्रेण, everything is consciously present at work. In deep sleep state, we have अनन्द, that is a negative type of अनन्द, that means absence of duality, absence of दुख्ष, but in ब्रह्मलोका, positive experience is there. I am trying to convey, as soon as we become only प्राग्नस, negative happiness is there. The moment we identify with ईश्वर, positive happiness will come, but how do we get identity with ईश्वर? Through this उपासन, otherwise we remain ignorant people only. Negative happiness is there, no भया is there, no duality is there, no fear is there, no loss is there, because no thinking power is there, like as a small baby. Even that comparison is not good, right? Because even a baby has fear, mother is not there, if it doesn't smell the mother and hear the mother's voice, even without the ability to open the eyes and focus, it senses, mother is absent, a stranger has come etc. But here ईश्वर has stayed in a very very positive state. That is what we will have to understand. So this is in the eleventh mantra, what is the उपासन of the सुषुप्ति स्थान with the प्राज्ञ, who is प्राज्ञ, with the मकार, that ends with the closing of the lips and the result of it is two results, depending upon what we want. If we succeed in this उपासन, but if we want to enjoy our world, सकाम, then we get all happiness, but we won't progress further. But if it is निष्काम, the mind, the मेधा, the भुद्धी becomes so prodigious that immediately it is ready, as if the person is knocking at the door of ब्रह्मन, not ब्रह्मा, ब्रह्मन. So that is the understanding we have got. ईश्वर means ब्रह्मलोक, that is what you have to understand. So प्राज्ञा whose field is the sleep state is the third letter म due to the similarity. What is the similarity? Both it is a measure. What is a measure? Like a measuring vessel, the जगरत and सप्न are taken in and again thrown out, taken in and thrown out. Early morning it is thrown out, at night it is taken in. This is going on and on and on. And what is the second one? That by identifying oneself with everything then a person will get that much greater happiness but we should not rest satisfied with that higher happiness. So this is how the उपासण has to be done. So we have seen that for उपासण two things are necessary. First of all we need an अलम्बण, a support. Then we also need an उपास्य, that what is it we want to attain. So विश्व has to be merged in तैजश. To become तैजश is the goal of विश्व and to become प्राज्ञा is the goal of तैजश. To become हिरन्यगर्भ is the goal of वैश्वानल. To become ईश्वर is the goal of हिरन्यगर्भ. But once we reach that state, only when we reach that state our eyes open, oh there is another bigger mountain and that is called ब्रह्मण and I have to attain to the peak of that. But through this, like first floor, climbing to the second floor, climbing to the third floor, etc., etc., this is what we are talking about. So that is a most marvelous thing, उपास्य. Now a small addenda. Every time the result is given. So how to do उपास्य? Some similarity is there. Similarity means relationship. So what is there? आकारा is the first one and जगरदःस्ता is the first one. उकारा is the middle letter and the middle state between waking and sleep. This is the similarity. What is the similarity of the third one? So this contains everything and this gets what is called अधिपत्यम्. That a person gets all the happiness. He possesses everything. That is the result. Now don't go on raking your brains. Is this absolutely? It is a hint. Like सालिक् ग्रामा is Vishnu. What is the relationship between a stupid inert सालिक् ग्रामा and a Vishnu? You are superimposing Vishnu for the sake of only meditation as a help like an image, like an icon. One of our senior Swamis told a beautiful story. See there was a village full of Brahmins and one day at about five o'clock a traveller came there. He was also a Brahmana. Whole day he did not eat. He was walking and he was very hungry, very tired. So he has to get some food. He doesn't know anybody in that village. So he was a very intelligent, clever fellow. So he saw there was a big bungalow and he guessed this must be somebody who is rich enough and I can get good food there. So he went there and one lady was sitting there. Oh he entered and said, Oh sister-in-law I am so happy to come and see you both of you. Where is brother-in-law by the way? And she said brother-in-law has gone out on some work. He will be returning shortly after an hour or so. Oh I am so happy. Now look here. He kept his things there and then he said now I have not been able to do my Sandhya Vandana. I want to do it right now. So he went to the well. He took bath. He did Sandhya Vandana and then before he finished Sandhya Vandana, he shouted sister-in-law I have finished Sandhya Vandana. In olden days husband shouts I have finished Sandhya Vandana. Means I am hungry serve the food. That is the signal. Now that poor lady, she was at a loss. She never saw this person in her life and she doesn't know whether this person was a friend or a relative of her husband. She can't ask directly. She was feeling shy. Nowadays of course people don't feel shy. So she said food is ready. Please come and have it. And he had first class food and after that she slowly asked what is your relationship with us? I could not figure it out and then that person looked at it. Now before entering that house, this person noticed that in that compound backyard, there was a big amlaki tree. So he said sister-in-law our relationship you know what? You have got a big amlaki tree in your backyard and in our house, in our village, I have got 5-6 amlaki trees. So I have got amlaki trees. You also have got amlaki trees. This is our relationship and he bid goodbye and ran away from that place. What am I trying to tell you? Don't probe too deeply, logically, rationally, whether all these things are really there is only a hint is only a hint, an alambanam, a support and it helps us to do upasana. That much is enough. Now Gaudapada is going to give several karikas but now we have to say he is not giving anything new meaning. He is just paraphrasing, rephrasing what has been given in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th mantras and after that we come to the 12th mantra which is the ultimate attainment of Brahman. So without any further delay we will enter into karika number 9. When the identity of Vishwa and the letter A is intended to be described, the conspicuous ground is the circumstance of each being the first. Another reason is the fact of all-pervasiveness, each. We discussed it earlier in the 9th mantra. What does it mean? It means, what is the 9th mantra? In case you forget, He who does upasana like this. So Gaudapada is saying, what is it? So Vishwa and by implication Vaishwanara, by implication it means waking state, should be equated with Akara of the Omkara and what is the meeting ground between them? Akara is the first and Jagratsthana is also the first. How do we say it is the first? It is the first because it is the ground. Now we are taking Mandukya class, listening to Mandukya class. I am talking, you are listening. In which state? In dream state or dreamless state? So remember, spiritual sadhana can be done only in the waking state. Otherwise, the clever fellows will say, I will do everything worldly in the waking state and happily I will lie down on my bed and I will be doing all spiritual practices in the dream state. And if it is possible to do even better way, in the Sushupta, I don't need to do anything. I will go into deep sleep and Nidra Samadhi Stithi. But these are all self delusions. That is why this is called first. Akara is first. Waking state is the first. Very foundation, deep, lower foundation. And it must be the strongest. What is the second? Akara is all-pervasive. Akara is there in Ukara because A plus O is O. Then Akara is there also in Makara. Okara becomes Makara. Similarly, this waking state, it merges in the dream state. Dream state merges in the deep sleep state. And again, this place, circle is going on because of these two reasons, being the first and being all-pervasive. This is what is called harmony between these two. So if anybody who practices this way, he will... what is the result? He will be... the first person means, he will be respected as the best person and his word will be everywhere and then he will have everything, lot of things. Karika number 20. But before going, when Akara is equated with Vishwa and Virat in the Upasana, both, remember, the common features of primacy and pervasion should be kept in low focus. Karika number 20. The clear ground of realizing Taijasya as of the same nature as Ukara is a common feature of superiority. Similarly, another plain reason of such identity is being in the middle. So, Ukara is in the middle between Akara and Makara and the dream state is in the middle between the waking and the deep sleep. And if we can do Upasana. Upasana means what? Upasana means merging oneself into the subtler, higher reality, higher and subtler. So, if Akara is merged in Ukara and Ukara is much better than Akara in many ways and Makara is far superior to both Akara and Ukara and Amatra is the final, everything merges there, all the three states, all the three letters. That is why Omkara is praised so much for both as the Alambanam for meditation, both for Saguna Brahma as well as Nirguna Brahma. Remember, when we get our mantra, Guru Mantra, we are also getting this first step is nothing is mine. Second step is everything belongs to our Ishta Devata. Third step is our Ishta Devata is comprised in the Bija Mantra. It could be Ayam, it could be Hreem, it could be Cream, it could be Lung, etc. By the way, today is Ganesh Chaturthi and therefore Ganesha's Bija Mantra is Gam Ganeshaya Namahaam. So, the merging, the Bija Mantra, Bija Mantra means like a seed containing the entire Mahavriksha. So, this Bija Mantra contains the entire Ishta Devata but in an unmanifested form. When we are given the mantra by devotedly repeating, praying, meditating, the unmanifested becomes manifest and when the unmanifested becomes manifest, then it simply absorbs us. For example, if a Vishnu Bhakta gets the darshan of Vishnu, Vishnu means what? All-pervading. Previously, this Bhakta was thinking, I am separate, my Vishnu is separate. Now, Vishnu simply absorbs, not in an apt analogy, but like a tiger swallowing a young person and making it one with him. Vishnu swallows as it were, but swallows means what happens? This person doesn't become non-existent, and he realizes his real identity, that is God is as it were, shelling and taking the real essence, which is himself, breaking the limitations. That is called swallowing, that is called absorbing. So, that is the purpose of Upasana. Then finally, our Bija Mantra also becomes merged in Omkara. And what happens? First, this is the Upasana, but a time will come when Omkara merges in Amatra, silence. Silence means there is nobody to speak, nobody to listen, no subject, no object, that is the final goal. So, the second one in Karika, second one is really the clear ground of realizing, that is merging, Taijasa, that is the person who thinks, I am in the dreaming state, as of the same nature as you, is a common feature, superiority because Ukara is superior to Akara, because it contains Akara. Similarly, another reason is that both are in the middle. As I said, that you have been an Amalaketris, I have also Amalaketris, this is our relationship, don't go too much into it. But it is enough to think, that I am gradually breaking my limitations and moving forward to unlimitedness, that much is enough. Karika number 21. As I said, Gaudapada is only paraphrasing, he is not giving any special meaning, because the mantras 9, 10 and 11 are quite clear guidelines for Upasana. Karika 21, it gives us the 11th Mantra. Makara bhave prajnaśya māna-sāmānyam utkatam mātra-samprati-patthautu laya-sāmānyam eva ca Of the identity of Prajna and the third letter Makara, how to do Upasana, that both are same, the clear reason is the common feature. What are the common features? They both are the measures. As I explained, in the deep sleep state, it contains both the waking as well as the dream. So at the time of going to sleep, it simply takes it like a measuring vessel. Vessel takes in some grain, once a year of rice and it measures out. Similarly, when night comes, it takes in. When daytime comes, it spits it out as it were. This drama is going on. This is the one reason. Both are the measuring vessels. The other reason for such identity is another common name. So all become one in both Prajna and Makara. Akara merges in Ukara, Ukara merges in Makara. Similarly, waking merges in dream, dream merges in deep sleep state. So this is the Samanyata, common features in both. And so when Makara is equated with Ishwara, the two common features, measure and the ground of resolution, observing should be kept in focus. And one should practice these three meditations as stepping stones to the twelfth mantra, which is going to come. So what is this twelfth, eleventh mantra, which Gaudapada just now summarized? So now Karikasa 19 to 21, summarizes the equations for the three quarters. Then Gaudapada gives some general ideas, which are also not very profound. He who knows without doubt, what the common features are in the three states. Remember, the first common state is Akara is first. Similarly, waking is the first. And Akara pervades everything. And waking pervades everything. In the dream state, it is both are in the middle, that is the first common characteristic. And the second is that this absorbs the lower one, that also absorbs the lower one and becomes more pervasive. That is the two characteristics of the dream state. And what are the two characteristics? That everything becomes absorbed, everything is measured in and measured out and everything becomes absorbed into oneself. That is the two common characteristics of the Sushupti as well as Makara. So if anybody performs this Upasana, what happens is that he is worshipped. He is the first, adored by all beings. And he is called a beautiful word, Mahamuni. Everybody worships him because he is such a great soul. He is the most moral person in this world and he is the most unselfish person. He is the wisest person. So that is how it happens. So with this Karika 22, Gaudapada is not giving us anything new, but he is giving us what we call the summarization. Just he is rephrasing the Upanishad in mantras 9, 10 and 11 as guidelines, suggestions for Upasana are given. Important takeaway is we have to do Upasana and Upasana always means moving from the most limited to unlimited, from the gross to the subtle, then from the more unlimited to much more unlimited, similarly from the subtle to the causal. But the mantra 12th in the Upanishad gives us the final merge of Omkara and Atman which we will see in our next class. I am trying to convey these ideas to the best of my ability and you will have to think, listen, hundred times if necessary, thousand times if necessary and make them your own. What goes from me to you is Shravana. After that Manana, Nidhidhyasana. You will have to do yourself. With this I will stop. Any questions I will be very happy to take in. Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Adapadmetayo Sritva Pranamami Muhurmuhu May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna