Sri Suktam Lecture 14 on 11 April 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

SRI LAKSHMI PRASAD SIDDHI ARTE JAPE HO MEVA PINYOGAH So we have been discussing the Sri Suktam. This is one of the most popular Suktams. Why? Because whatever we have been discussing, every desire that any human being had desired and can desire in future has been catalogued here. And the faith that only the Divine Mother can grant all these things, that tremendous faith, it will increase with the Japam of this Sri Suktam. How do we obtain the Grace of the Divine? And by the way, we have to understand whether we call it a male God or a female aspect of God. There is no male or female in God. It is only qualities, motherly qualities, fatherly qualities, as we say brotherly qualities, etc., parental qualities, etc. This division of gender has nothing to do because there is no physical body. In fact, there is no mind also. But they are the very embodiment of certain qualities and they are universal. That is why they are called the presiding deities. Even though we use the word multiple deities, but actually one deity, as explained, the same man may be a doctor, a sportsman, an administrator, resident of a club, and a husband, a son, a brother, a grandfather, depending upon other people's relationship. So we have that complete freedom, unlike some religions who constrain, restrict. God can only be thought like that. Once I was speaking with a religious preacher and as usual, without thinking too much, I uttered the word, we are the children of God. Immediately the other fellow controverted, no, we are not the children of God. We are slaves of God. We are bandhe, Allah ka bandhe. So even this means understanding that he who creates us alone is our mother, father, everything. No, but it is only one person who can be called the child of God. This kind of what is called lowly interpretations, and they can come only from a lowly intelligence. No, here the Divine Mother is capable of giving because she is the embodiment of Brahman, Brahmamayi. So those who ever chant with faith, with devotion, first there is faith and then there is devotion. That is what is expressed here. Even though in my last class I have gone through very fast, but in this class we will go into some more details. So as I said, with the 16 Suktas, 15 Rig Suktas plus Falashruti 16th, the real Sri Suktam is over. But later on some people added because Hindus can go on adding. This adding everything and sometimes endlessly, it is there in the very bones of Hindus. For example, Mahabharata, originally it was only consisting of 2000 shlokas, but then it has become almost 76,000 shlokas. So many people came and added. But one thing good about these Indian authors is they don't take credit. They all tell it, this Veda Vyasa himself has inserted. Of course, one way we can accept that. So not directly, but indirectly, whatever I am inspired with, that is all Veda Vyasa's inspiration only. Anybody who realizes God has become God himself, takes the place of God, living God. So this Mahabharata, practically it has taken 40 times more than what it started originally. It was called Jaya, having approximately 2000 verses. Now it has become more than 76,000 and I don't know in future also it might go on. So some people added at least 13 to 14 or 15 because there is another version that I chant every day. There is also all the Devas and Devatas are attendants only. Sri Ranga Dhameshwari in Mahalakshmi has been given the title of Sri Ranga Dhameshwari. That is another Sri Ranganatha is a famous name of Vishnu in South India. The biggest temple in the whole world and very symbolic type of temple. So the wife of this Ranganatha Swami is called Sri Ranga Dhameshwari. She is the ruling goddess, deity and that is also added to this Sri Sukta, doesn't matter. But we are coming to this 23rd Rik. This is not actually in the Rik actually, this is an edition. As I said after 16, these are all editions. But this 23rd edition is a marvelous edition. If anybody really becomes a devotee of Divine Mother, so the more he thinks of Divine, the more Divine he becomes. Whatever we think, we become that. Whatever we eat, we become that. Physically also that is true. If we are eating vegetables, we become vegetables. If we eat meat, we become meat. And so everything is a food only from the physical point of view. But this same rule applies to mind also. If somebody is thinking impure thoughts, he becomes impure. Not permanently but temporarily. And if somebody is thinking of Divine thoughts, he will become Divine. What is the reason for that? Because there is no other person other than the Divine Mother. She is only manifesting. Not that one really becomes Divine. One is ever Divine. But as one goes on modifying one's life, that is acquiring more and more Divine qualities, then that person gets rid of what is called ignorance. And that is called approaching Upasana, the Divine. Here Asana means the Divine. And slowly we become. As I earlier given the illustration, take a dry piece of wood or a piece of paper and bring it nearer and nearer to blazing fire and the piece of wood also becomes hot and when it is sufficiently near, it catches fire and it acquires the same quality of both giving light as well as heat. So we are destined to become the Divine. But how? The very first step is to get rid of those qualities which are obstructing us. And a quality comes only because of thoughts, good or evil quality. So we want to develop good qualities, then we have to think of good thoughts. This is called by the master of Hindu psychology, Patanjali Rishi. It is called Pratipaksha Bhavana. Think of the opposite of the evil quality. Never go on using double negative. If a short-tempered person goes on saying, I do not wish to become a short-tempered person, he is meditating more on short-temperedness by repetition and his anger grows in the course of time. Pure psychology. In fact, the whole spiritual practice is nothing but psychology. That is, make the mind pure, he understands, he realizes, I am Brahma. When a person's mind becomes pure, he understands, I am not the mind, I am only Shiva. But when the same person goes on thinking evil thoughts, then his attachment to the body and mind will grow on and on. So the first step is to get rid of the obstructive thoughts. The second step is to develop favorable qualities. These are called divine qualities. And the last step is to discard both. Like a pole-vault. So a pole-vault, you know, you just go back and come running, and then with the aid of the pole, you rise in the sky, and when the moment comes, you throw it out, and then you discard it. Then you jump over. This is exactly the process. Going back means getting rid of negative things. Running fast forward means acquisition of the good qualities, and once they help us to rise, and then we have to discard, we have to go beyond both dualities. So dharma and dharma. That is why if you remember Sri Ramakrishna's prayer, in the very first sadhana, intuitive sadhana, only with the greatest vyakulata, yearning for God-realization or Divine Mother-realization, Oh Mother, here is your dharma, here is your adharma, here is your punya, here is your bhava, take them both and grant me only pure love for thy lotus feet. And parabhakti, supreme devotion, or supreme knowledge, absolutely one and the same. Because they make us merge with the Brahman. There will be no difference at all. So in this background, na krodho na chamatsaryam, na lobho na asubhamatehi, bhavanti krita-punyanam, bhaktanam sri-suktam, chepet sada. Bhaktanam, of devotees, whose devotees? Those who repeat sri-suktam, this sri-suktam sada, all the time. They have faith in the Divine Mother, and they have faith in this particular Him. And then our mantra, it is actually a mantra. Mantra, what is a mantra? Mananatha Trayate. By repeating with faith, it saves a person. But even without faith, it also produces, creates faith. No doubt about it. That is the power of association. Whether it is a person, a place, a book, or a world, a particular world. And what happens to them? They become the embodiment of punya, bhavanti. They definitely become. Whoever is going on chanting this particular sri-suktam, because this is the teaching, this is the expression of not one Rishi, but there are three to five Rishis have been mentioned. Ananda, Chiklita, Kardama, Sri, etc. We will come to that again, because we have to remember them at the end of this one. So, sri-sukta-bhaktanam, those who are the devotees of the Divine Mother, and they want to hymn, or repeat, or pray to the Divine Mother, sada, they have tremendous faith. And sada always. Why always? Because if somebody loves something, what is the test of love? The person cannot stay away from thinking of the beloved, whatever it is, whether it is a worldly object, or God, it doesn't really matter. We are talking about the nature of the mind. Whatever the mind thinks, that is the greatest quality that is available. So, what is the first step? Nakrodhaha. A devotee never becomes angry. What is anger? Thwarted, frustrated, obstructed. Desire, fulfillment of desire is called krodha. The very first thing that comes is a desire. Kama. Kama is not fulfilled. Thwarted. Somebody stands as an obstruction, or some object, or it could be even weather, or it could be a bus driver. Yes. Once I was traveling, many, many years before I went to UK. So I was traveling from Lucknow to Varanasi. And one after the other, the trains were running late. And then suddenly, at some small station, our big train has been kept sidetracked. And then, we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting. And you can understand, all our meditation is, when is this train going? Suddenly the announcement, sorry for the delay, we are searching for the driver of the train. In India, this takes place. Of course, occasionally, it takes place everywhere. So, driver of such and such a train, passengers are waiting, please come wherever you are. After two, three hours, I believe he was drunk and lying somewhere. Somebody caught hold of him and brought him. So what are we talking about? If we go on associating ourselves with a beautiful, uplifting, enlivening world, that is called mantra. So, if this Sri Suktam is such a mantra, if anybody is repeating, all these divine thoughts will be arising, divine bhavas. Thoughts become bhava, attitudes. So, such a person, na krodhaha. So, he will not have any krodha. Now the question that comes is, why doesn't he become angry? Because, such is his faith in the Divine Mother, whatever desires arise in that person's mind, like a small baby, he will be pestering the mother. Shri Ramakrishna gives this beautiful example. A child wants to eat something. One paisa worth, that means one penny worth or one cent worth. And the mother was talking with somebody. And this child goes on crying, catching hold of the mother's feet. And the mother at first says, no, your daddy asked me not to give you any money. But he goes on telling, Ma, I fall at your feet. This is called brahmastra. Weeping is called brahmastra. There is no greater weapon than brahmastra. And then what can the mother do? Whether it is good or evil, she has to fulfill the child's wish. So, very beautiful expression in Bengali. The mother says, so let me pacify this useless type of child, troublesome child. You wait for breaking the conversation with what type of useless conversation the mother will be having, God alone knows. And then she goes inside and she brings one paisa, throw it, get the hell out of here. And the child's purpose is finished. So, anybody who repeats this, and I can testify it, it happens. Sri Ramakrishna says, especially, there was one character called Pratap Chandrahajira. And he was desiring money. Naturally, he had debts. And he asked Sri Ramakrishna, will God listen to my prayers? And then Sri Ramakrishna said, yes, 100% I can guarantee you. But it must be very sincere. You must have faith. Then God will definitely listen. So, the Divine Mother will fulfill. But she is not a demon. She is not a demoness. She knows what exactly is good for the child. Even an ordinary mother will not fulfill every desire in the way that the child wants. No. The mother knows what is good for the child, how much to give, what to give, when to give, in what form to give. And then she fulfills. The overall result is the child is very happy. And when the child's desire is finished, where is the question of his getting farted, frustrated, angry? No. Not Krodhaha. Nacham Atsariyam. And this is the greatest quality, Divine quality. If at all any quality obstructs our progress towards God, it is called Matsara. Intolerance that somebody else is getting, which I want to get. A kind of jealousy. This Matsarya, even highly spiritual people, they become highly jealous. So much. We can see how jealous. I have quoted many times, even from the life of Sri Ramakrishna. This great spiritually advanced lady, the Guru of Sri Ramakrishna, Bhairavi Brahmani, she became jealous of Sri Ramakrishna. She became jealous of Totapuri. She became jealous of Holy Mother. And then, if jealousy is there, it has the tremendous goodness of spreading itself like a COVID virus. So, in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna, she had to be taught a lesson. And ultimately, she came to Varanasi and she died here, I think. So, Sri Ramakrishna's teachings are highly, what is called, they are the same things that we are discussing here. Nacha Matsarya. Sri Ramakrishna also said, there is a devotee, I will not mention his name, but if I show any affection to somebody, he becomes very jealous of it. And then, it was maintained. Then you see, the person about whom Sri Ramakrishna was referring was just right in front of him. And then, he protests, no, no, no, no. Then Sri Ramakrishna says, keep quiet. Don't you think I know what you are? Yes, now I know. Now you have become wiser. But earlier, you were becoming very jealous. So, it becomes, even children become jealous. But a devotee of God, be a Christian, be a Muslim, be a Buddhist, the first thing is that it is all Divine Mother's grace. And she knows better than me what is good for me. So, she has given my elder brother or elder sister something greater. And only my mother knows. That is the best thing for that person. But whatever she gives me, I am more than content with that. That is why no Matsarya should be there. That means, we have to consciously cultivate these qualities. Na Krodaha, Nacha Matsaryam. And then, another two qualities are added here. Na Lobhaha. What is Lobhaha? Even if a person had sufficient something, more than sufficient, but this greediness steps in. How many of us have more than what we really require? Whether eating food or whether accumulating money, we are never satiated. Because we have a false notion that money can give me happiness. Then life itself is uncertain. It is not a question of anything else giving us security or feeling of protection. No. A devotee, just like a child, a child doesn't know how to accumulate. This is the greatest quality I have seen. A small child comes here. Occasionally, she is brought. Because I give chocolates. And the child, spreads her hands. And when I try to give more, the child doesn't know how to hold them. And then the person who brings, they say, you keep it here. She doesn't even have a pocket to keep them. I am only teaching her, next time come with a pocket so you can keep them there. So this child doesn't know. If you give one chocolate, she is more than happy. She thinks only for one minute. What is aloha? Not only it is necessary now, but I need it in future also. So there is no greediness at all. Because the whole property or Aishwarya that belongs to the Divine Mother, I am her child. And the whole thing belongs to me only. And that reminds me of a wonderful incident that had taken place on 1st January 1886 at Kasipur. There were so many devotees. Ramakrishna was in a divine mood. Not only on that day, even some days before also, he was bestowing his grace by touching people. And later on also he was doing it. But that day, being a holiday, many people came. And then, Ramakrishna was touching them. May your spiritual consciousness be awakened. So many people, they had such divine spiritual experiences which they never even could imagine earlier. And many of the what is called would-be sannyasin disciples of Sri Ramakrishna were there. But they were watching. They never came. And then somebody asked later on, why did they not come? They were guessing that Sri Ramakrishna was touching. Then one of them had explained, we are the children of Sri Ramakrishna. And he is giving every day, whatever we need, whenever we need, Sri Ramakrishna is going to give us. After all, a child inherits the property of the parent. And we are his children. And so, we are going to inherit. We don't need to go and beg. This is a very special occasion. If I miss it, then the doors of heaven will be closing. And so, I will have to be alert for such occasions. They had 24 hours. This, my mother is looking after us, will look after us. We have nothing even to think. That is the reason why none of them came. Not one single would-be monastic disciple, though several of them were present there, they did not come. And by the way, there was also this character called Pratap Chandrahajira. He was living on his own. Nobody asked him to come. But he himself came and established. That day he was absent. And when he came in the evening, he felt very sorry that he was absent when Sri Ramakrishna was bestowing grace. And Swamiji was very close to him. So that's why he was called Swamiji's friend. Not friend, making fun of him. And then Swamiji took to Sri Ramakrishna, you bestowed your grace upon so many people, you must bestow your grace on this person also. Sri Ramakrishna said, he is not destined to get my grace. Why? Because he will not be able to retain it. But I will come and liberate him when he is departing. At the time of his death, he will get my grace. And how fortunate he was that Sri Ramakrishna came, Swami Yogananda came and also Ramachandra Dutta had come and this Hajira Mahasaya was seeing all of them, welcome, welcome. And then looking, this fellow was praying at that time, completely oblivious of who were sitting near him. Because he wanted the villagers to come and witness his death. Nobody believed him, including his own wife. But he forced her, informed that tomorrow at 9 o'clock I am going to give up this body. And many people came out of scepticism to make fun, to enjoy the fun, because they know he was a sort of hypocrite. But they were astounded because he was talking completely at 9 o'clock, few minutes before 9, Oh Paramahamsa Deva has come, so give him a seat. Then Yogananda, you are so gracious, how fortunate I am. Ram Dada, brother, elder brother Ramachandra, you also have come. We don't know who other had come. Then Thakur, he was telling, people could hear. He was not conscious. Thakur, please wait until I die, this body drops off. And then he said Hari Om, Hari, Hari, Hari and gave up the body. And that was the faith of every monastic disciple. They know we are his children. He is our parent. He has given, he is giving, he will give and if he passes away, we don't lose anything. Whatever he has, it will come. So therefore, no lobha. And then na asubha mati hi. They will never entertain, cherish any evil thoughts because when a person gets what he wants by the grace of God, the mind will be in a very happy state. And there is a law. The mind can cherish only one idea at a time. When a person is happy, the question of getting angry or jealous or evil thought arising, other times it might, not at that moment. Therefore, this person whose desires are being fulfilled, he develops also tremendous faith that not only now, but the Divine Mother is looking after me all the time. That is why na asubha mati hi. Subha mati means a pure mind with pure thoughts. Asubha mati means just the opposite. So consciously, assiduously, with effort, we have to get rid of them. As we get rid of them, good qualities start coming in. As Swami Vivekananda used to say, you open your windows, get rid of all the stale smell, then only the good smell will come. So, this is one of the glories of the Sri Suptam. Whoever doesn't exhibit these qualities, what are they? They cannot become angry, they cannot be jealous, they cannot have greed, and they cannot have an impure mind. And then only they become bhavanti krutapaniyana. They become what is called a storehouse of divine qualities. And if this is happening, then we can understand through this effect that these persons doing japa of the Sri Suptam is bearing fruit. Now we will move on to the 24th. This is a description of the Divine Mother and a prayer. O Mother, please be gracious to me, be pleased with me. And rest is a description of the Divine Mother, but there is also meaning. You, your abode is a lotus. You hold a lotus in your hands. You are adorned with pure white attire or dress. You are wearing a garland that is extremely fragrant. You look beautiful with this. O Mother Divine, O Bhagavati, O Consort of Vishnu, please fulfil all my desires. Knowing all my desires fully, you know what they are. Even if I do not know, even if I am unconscious of it, you know what is required by me. Like a mother who looks after the baby until the baby grows up. You are the protector of all the three worlds. Please be pleased with me. Please bless me, protect me, look after me. After all, I am a child. I may be a baby. Maybe I am a moustached baby. But there are also grown up babies without moustaches also. We have to understand. Moustached baby doesn't mean that he is a wise person. He is still an ignorant person. So this is a description. So what is the simple meaning? We have already discussed. Mother, your abode is a lotus. What is a lotus? Often in Vedanta, human heart is compared to the lotus. What is a heart? The meeting place with God is called heart. Sri Ramakrishna used to say there is a rich man. He has got a dry visitor's room. That is called drawing room also. So he can be anywhere. But most often, he is to be found only in the visitor's room. So if visitors want to meet him, they better go to that visitor's room. Then they are likely to meet him. This heart of a human being is compared to a cave. It is compared to a meeting place between the individual and the universal. Between God and His devotee. And you are there in that lotus. Why? Because the heart can be evil. Then it will not be a lotus. Only a pure heart is comparable to a lotus. And another meaning is a lotus grows in what is called dirty water. The dirtier the water, the roots of the plant will be there. But two things will be above. The leaves of the lotus plant. They are always floating above the water. And at the same time, they are never touched by the dirt of the water. And similarly, the flower. Very beautiful flower. Especially some varieties are so pleasing. And the lotus is also famous because this is Padma. When the sun rises, then it starts blooming. And when the moon sets, it also closes. Similarly, there is another flower that is called lily. And when the moon rises, the lily blossoms. When the moon sets, the lily also closes. And there are beautiful white lotuses, pink lotuses. Varieties of white and pink are also there. But this is the national flower that I mentioned earlier. Why is Mother Lakshmi a haribol? Because she came out of the churning of the milk ocean. And she was seen rising above the lotus. In Indian mythology, lotus is a dimension, a world associated with the creation. Even Brahma, he is called he who sits in the lotus. So Padmasanastam. And he comes from the navel of Bhagavan Vishnu. So here also the Divine Mother risen out of the milk ocean sitting on a lotus. But symbolically what it means is a lotus of the heart. That is a heart which is pure, which is full of faith, which is also very pure. And that purity is indicated by the whiteness. So here is your abode is a lotus. And you are wearing lotuses in your hands, meaning what? Meaning that if you want my grace, you also have to become like a lotus. And a lotus flower is never contaminated by the water, even though it rises from the water. So if one can live in this world like a lotus and that is what is called Hindu mythology for you. And this world every Hindu understands. Even the feet are compared to lotus only. Pada Padma. So you are wearing these beautiful lotuses in your hands. And what is your dress? Pure white. And whiteness is a representative of Sattva Guna. Sattva Guna means spiritual quality. So only when a person has spiritual quality, his understanding becomes a spiritual understanding. Then he understands each soul is potentially divine. I am also divine and I have been coming. Rather the Divine Mother is manifesting as me, you and everybody else. So the pure white dress means you must become a Sattvika person. And then she is also wearing Gandha Malya Shobhe. You are shining beautifully because your whole body is adorned with a fragrance. In Indian India, sandalwood paste is supposed to be the most fragrant paste. And Malya means a garland of flowers. And usually these flowers are also made up of lotuses only. So Mother, you are looking so beautiful in the eyes of a child. Every Mother is beautiful. In Telugu we have got a beautiful saying that in the eyes of the young one of a crow, the mother crow is the most beautiful creature in the whole world. For every baby his face becomes like a... compared to a lotus, just like when the sun rises the lotus starts blooming. When a baby beholds the son of his heart who is that? The Divine Mother. The Mother and later on the father, later on the brother, etc. None like the Mother. Then the baby becomes calm and it is radiating joy. Mother means love. Mother means protection. Mother means valued. Mother means complete safety and security. So, that is the idea here also given. When a person becomes pure, then he will understand, I am the beloved child. Not only a child but a beloved child of my Divine Mother and Bhagavati. You are the Divine Mother. That is Brahman in the form of activity, of creation, sustenance and dissolution is called Bhagavati. Bhagavan Bhagavati. Bhagavan is the Pumalinga, masculine gender. Bhagavati is the feminine gender. Hari Vallabhe. You are the most beloved. Vallabhe means beloved. Beloved of whom? Hari. Hari means Vishnu. This word Hari has got a very special meaning. Hari means he who takes away everything. What does it mean? Hari is for Vishnu. Hara is for Shiva. Hari Hara. That the meaning is the same. What we call in Bengali Falaharini. That is the Divine Mother who eats up everything on a particular day if she is worshipped. She is called Falaharini. The destroyer of all results of karmas. Then Punya, Papa. Good and evil. Everything virtue and vice is completely she swallows. Then what happens? If there is no Punya or Papa, if there is no Karma Falah, one is not reborn again. That means one attains to complete liberation. Mukti. So here also Hari Vallabha means the Divine and Divine Mother. There is absolutely no difference at all. Shakti, Shaktiman. Brahman and Shakti. There is no difference at all. Not only that. Whoever loves the Divine Mother must love Brahman. Whoever loves Brahman must love the Divine Mother. So Manogni. That means she is the most beloved of the mind in every form. And the only example I can cite is when a baby is in the presence of in the lap of the Divine Mother and there is no happier baby than the that baby in the lap of his or her own Mother. And then she is not only my Mother. All the three words are her glories. She has given birth. And a mother looks after all her children. So the entire universe is her creation. Rather in Advaitic terminology her manifestation. So that is why she is looking after everybody. All the time? Yes, all the time. But why do we find so many people suffering? Because suffering is the best medicine for a child who is sick with ignorance. Suffering is the best medication. And the Mother is lovingly distributing that medication, administering that medication so that very soon a person will get out of ignorance. He claims that I am the child of, beloved child of my Divine Mother. Therefore, O Mother, I am not that knowledgeable but I heard from my Guru, from other teachers, please bestow your grace. Prasida Mahyam. Just be gracious to me. Then what about other things? I don't need. If you become my mother, if I become your son, your daughter, everything will come. There is no doubt about it. But human beings are prone to commit errors. That is why in this 25th what is it telling? Vishnupatnim kshamam devim madhavim madhava priyam. Lakshmim priyasakhim devim namami achyutavallabham. I worship the Divine Mother, Divine Consort of Vishnu, who also presides over the whole world. The one who is dear to Madhava, that is Vishnu or Narayana. One who is dearly and eternally loved by Vishnu. I prostrate before you, O Devi. Please forgive all my faults. Vishnupatnim. Who is this Lakshmi Devi? She is the consort of Vishnu. What is the meaning of Vishnu? All-pervading. And the consort of all-pervading being will be wherever her husband is, a loving wife will be there. So, the Divine Mother is everywhere. In fact, as Shri Ramakrishna has come to enlighten us, fire and its burning power, sun and its illumining power, light, they are not two separate things, even though in ordinary linguistic phrase we use sunlight. Actually, it is redundant. Sun is light. Light is sun. So, you don't need two words, sunlight. As if a person has a car. This car belongs to this person. This car is that person's car. Person is different, car is different. But fire is not different from its burning power and sun is not different from the light-giving power. So, you are not different. Brahman is another name, is Vishnu and Shakti is another name for Lakshmi Devi, Vishnupatnim. O Mother, I know I am a child. A child is not a knowing person, a knowledgeable person. I have to learn a lot. I can commit mistakes and anybody who commits mistake is only an ignorant person or a child. Kshamam Devi. So, I beg your forgiveness. You have to put up with me. After all, if I am committing something wrong, actually it is your fault because you should never have created me at all. Then I would not have committed. And why am I committing? Because if the effect is like this, the cause also must be like that only. Kshamam Devi Madhavim. She is the beloved of the Madhava, consort of Vishnu, Narayana. Ma Dha. This is a very beautiful word. Ma means the Divine Mother. Dhava means husband or lord or consort. Madhava means the consort of Ma. Ma is another word for Divine Mother. And Madhava Priya. The word Madhava comes here. Madhava is Vishnu. Madhavi is the feminine of Madhava. Madhava Priya. So, Brahman and Shakti can never be separated. So, it is a way of saying Shiva loves Parvati and Parvati is inseparable from Shiva. Because Brahman can never be separated from Shakti. In fact, Brahman cannot manifest without the power. That is why in the Soundarya Lahari, I quoted quite a number of times. So, the Shankaracharya begins that beautiful hymn called Soundarya Lahari. Lahari means a wave. Shiva Shakti ayuttho na bhavati yadi chet na bhavati prabhavitam. If Shiva is bereft of the Shakti, then he won't be able to do his function of dissolution. Similarly, Hari, Hara, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, they will be unable to do their respective duties called creation, sustenance, etc. Shiva Shakti ayuttho na bhavati. It is impossible for Brahman to do anything. That is why in the Kali temples, which many times I have mentioned to you, in the Kali temples, Shiva is considered as a Shiva. Shiva means a dead person. And where is this dead person? He is beneath the feet of the Divine Mother. And that is why it is a symbolic thing. By the way, every God and Goddess that Hindus worship is of symbolic nature. Quite a number of times I explained. This time I am not going to explain that one. But what it means is that Brahman, if he wants to be active, must manifest himself as a Shakti. Shakti means energy. And that Divine energy. What is that Divine energy? Pure Consciousness. Pure Consciousness, unless it is reflected in the pure mind, it cannot become Jivatma. And Jivatma is a symbol of creation. So Madhava Priya and you are called Lakshmi. Lakshmi. Good luck. Priya Sakhi. Devi, you are the most beloved companion of the Divine. Inseparable companion of Brahman. Devi, you are the illuminator from the root word div to illuminate. And I salute you. Achyuta Vallabham. Achyuta means that which is liable to perish. Achyuta means imperishable. That is also called Akshara. Chyuta means that which deviates from its nature. Achyuta means just the opposite. So Brahman can never be deviating from its power. So who is the Divine Mother? It is the manifestation of Brahman in the form of activity. So that is why she is called also Achyuta Vallabham. And in Lalita Sahasranama we get what is called the paradoxical terms. You are immovable at the same time you are movable. So this is paradoxical way of expressing inexpressible description of the Divine. I salute you. What is the salutation? I had explained if you have it in mind. Namaha means my salutation. I salute Vishnu. Ramakrishnam namah me. I salute Ramakrishna. Sharadam namah me. I salute Sharada. But what does it really mean? It means na mama. I do not exist at all. It is only you who exist. It is a curious tradition just to remind you that when in the previous Vedic age people used to lit the fire and they used to offer oblations, Ahuthis and especially the clarified butter called Ghee. And whenever they put, it works like petrol actually, whenever they take a spoonful of this clarified butter and that is called oblation and that is with a long handle they put it in the blazing fire, middle of the blazing fire. And then at the end after offering they should not again dip it in the original container which gets this, which has this clarified butter. Whatever few drops are remaining they have to put it in a special vessel saying na mama. The result of this worship should not come to me because somebody has organized it. So that word na mama in course of time had become namaha, not me. I do not exist. Only you exist. So therefore mother even because of ignorance I am thinking I am separate from you because if you are all pervading I do not exist. Nothing else can exist. So it is a way of speaking I merge myself in you and that is called really salutation. So this is one way of remembering the Divine Mother. And then we come across a little bit curious. This is called Lakshmi Gayatri. You know we have got umpteen number of Gayatris. Saraswati Gayatri, Vishnu Gayatri even Sri Ram Krishna Gayatri is there. So Sharda Devi's Gayatri is also there. So Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, Parvati, Kali everybody has got a Gayatri. What is a Gayatri? Gayantam Trayateetha Gayatri. The mantra which saves the repetitor, the person who does Japam of that particular mantra that person will be saved by the Divine Mother. So that mantra is the saviour. So this is called Mahalakshmi Gayatri. Om. Inevitably everything comes from Om. Mahalakshmi Chavidmahe, Vishnupatne Chadhimahe, Tanno Lakshmi Prachodayat. So let us develop bhakti towards Lakshmi. For obtaining her grace, let us all meditate on the consort of Vishnu and let the Divine Mother Lakshmi emancipate us and make us one with her. Ultimately Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat means let me become merged. This is Mahavakya meaning is there from the knowledge point of view. From the bhakti point of view O Mother, you take over my intelligence and when you become the driver driving this body-mind complex which is compared to a chariot in the Kata Upanishad. That is what Sri Ram Krishna also tells beautifully. This Deho Devalayo Praukto. This very body is considered Devalaya with the dwelling place of the Divine Mother. All these analogies are given for us to understand. Really speaking, what exists is God alone. None of us exist. Namaha. So Om Mahalakshmi Chavidmahe. May we realize the Mahalakshmi. Vidmahe means to know. To know means to become one. To know, to become one means to surrender our individuality and become one with the universal. For that purpose, we have to meditate continuously on Vishnupatni, the Divine consort of Vishnu. Vidmahe. May we meditate. We meditate. And then if we do that, Tanno Lakshmi Prachodaya. That Divine Mother Lakshmi will sit in our intelligence, in the cave of our heart and then where does she drive us? She will remove Ajnana. She will burn away everything and we become one with the Divine Mother. Just a few only are left out and we will discuss about it in our next class. Om Janani Himsha Aradham Devi Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Taiyog Saritva Pranamame Mohur Mohuhu. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.