Khandana Bhava Bandhana Lecture 06 on 26 May 2019

So Ārati song. We have discussed a little bit about Bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa.

Yugala caraṇa - means the two feet. Yugala means two. Caraṇa means feet. 

We also discussed why it is called lotus. The Lotus blooms when the Sun rises. That means when a devotee’s heart thinks about God, it’s as if his heart really blooms like a Lotus.

Here the lotus feet belong actually to God, In this particular place Avatāra, and here Sri Rāmakrishna’s Lotus feet. Any Avatāra - same. Why? Because, the Māyā comes from God. Māyā is the power of God.

Sri Krishna confirms this - दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी ( daivī hyeṣhā guṇa-mayī ) - This māyā consisting of the three guṇas belongs to me. Divine Māyā can never be overcome by human effort.

Then what is the way? मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते ( mām eva ye prapadyante ) - He who worships Me.

मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ( māyām etāṁ taranti te ) - They cross over this Māyā.

What is the meaning of worship? There is so much of misunderstanding. Worship is one form of Bhakti Sādhanā. But true worship is to get rid of the negative qualities and to acquire the positive qualities.

All Sādhanā is meant to go beyond the three gunas. Māyā or the bondage. Māyā means bondage. Bondage  consists of only three things - three guṇas. It is these three guṇas that brings about the Srishti, Sthithi & Laya.

सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि।

गुणाश्रये गुणमये नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते॥

sṛṣṭisthitivināśānāṁ śaktibhūte sanātani |

guṇāśraye guṇamaye nārāyaṇi namo’stu te ||

So an interesting question was asked in the online Sri Durga class. Yes. I don't know whether you have seen it. Somebody had asked the question - ‘Can salvation be attained through the grace of God?’

Somebody must have put it to Swāmi Vivekānanda. He said God has nothing to do with salvation. God doesn't give salvation. He should not give salvation. He cannot give salvation. There is no need to give salvation.

Supposing you are dreaming that I am imprisoning you. You are shouting please release me from the prison. And then you wake up. What do you realize? You were never in prison.

So according to our Vedānta philosophy, each soul is Potentially Divine. Divine means what? Completely free, unbound. What has God got to do anything with that. He cannot give because there is no need to give. We are already free. That’s all.

Then what is it, He frees us. He doesn't free us from bondage. He frees us from the notion that we are not free. That only God can give. That is what is being mentioned here - bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa. Why? Tāraṇa-bhava-pār.

( 05:00 mins )

But here the crucial word is bhaktārjana. Ārjana means to acquire to become qualified, to surrender ourselves at His feet. Even more specifically, if God gives us something, the ability to receive it and retain it is called Ārjana. Ārjana means Sampādana.

So, what does that precisely mean? First of all, we have to slowly transcend. Tamas has to be overcome by Rajas. Rajas has to be overcome by Sattva. Sattva is to be overcome by God's grace

Because the three guṇas are binding. However helpful Sattva guṇa is, It is a robber. This is the highest truth. Sri Rāmakrishna’s that Three Robbers Parable. It is a bondage, Sattva guṇa is a bondage.

How does it bind? Do you know how it binds? Sattva produces two qualities. Jñānam and Sukham. And both bind you. If  you are getting happiness, this happiness is not our happiness. This is the happiness that comes from the guṇa. The Mind becomes clear.

You know, I am taking so much time because fundamental principles, of Vedānta, are embedded in this.

There is a mirror. What is the function of a mirror? To give reflection. But suppose it is covered with a lot of dirt & dust.

• So much of dirt and dust that no reflection is coming - That is called Tamas.
• A little bit of reflection is coming - that is called Rajas.
• Completely there is no dust or dirt at all - that is called Sattva.

So the mind is like a mirror. Whatever we do we do through the mind.

It's a most important idea that how does God bind us? Rather than God we have to use the word Māyā. How does… through 3 guṇas? But how does the Mind… through thoughts. That's why the idea of bondage is also in the mind. The idea of freedom is also in the mind. Both are in the mind only.

What is the famous Sanskrit saying? मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः ( mana eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ bandhamokṣayoḥ ) You have a wrong notion, that is negative. You have the correct notion, that is the freedom from that. So what does God do? God's grace do? He comes in the Form of Positive thoughts. Thoughts of Freedom. Excepting this thought nothing is there.

That’s why we give always the idea of dream, comparison of dream. You are eating rasagulla. You are very happy. Are they real rasgullas or is it a thought? It's only a thought. And as you are about to eat, some strong fellow pushes you aside and then puts it in his mouth and runs away. Where is it? That is also in the mind. When you wake up you laugh at yourself. Because who was that strong fellow? Yourself. Who was the weak fellow? You only. So you can't charge, ‘That rascal has cheated me. I will take him to the police’. You cannot say that.

So what does God do? He  binds us through the mind. He also releases us again through the mind. That is the function of Mahāmāyā. So Mahāmāyā binds. Who releases? Mahāmāyā. How does it do that? Through Tamoguṇa, Rajoguṇa, Mahāmāyā  produces negative thoughts. And through Sattva guṇa - Positive thoughts. When the Sattva becomes quite strong, intense, then it will throw our mind completely out. We transcend the mind.

And that is how we feel, ‘Oh, I am now very free’. That is also a thought.

( 10:01 mins )

Again, you are dreaming and somebody imprisons you and then you pray to Thākur. So He puts in a word with the jail official and then he opens the gate and says you run away from here. Both in dream. You wake up. What is the place of God? Did He really release you? You produced thought of the enemy, you produced the thought of God. Both are your thoughts. Even God is a thought in your mind.

So the Sattva guṇa gives happiness. That happiness comes in the form of what? What is the point I am trying to emphasize here? There is no happiness. There is no object called Happiness. It is a thought in the mind. I am happy is a thought. I am unhappy is also a thought. Outside object is also a thought. Can you understand that?

‘Oh, you are wrong. I bang my hand against this table and I get pain’. Same thing happens in dreams also. You bang yourself with a nail it will give you same pain. Is it less pain or more pain?

You have to understand. That is why one of the crucial questions is suppose you are actually eating rasagullā in the waking State. How much happiness will it give you? In dream also you are eating rasagullā.

Is there any difference between these two happinesses? Absolutely none, because both are the functions of the Mind only. Functions of the mind.

So what is the point here? Swāmiji’s bhakta-ārjana - a devotee bhakta; ārjana - Lotus feet are there.

What are the Lotus feet? The Aham Brahmāsmi.

But we have to earn. What is earning? We have to have the ability to receive, as well as to retain. Many people receive but they don't retain. Everyday it’s happening. Now also it is happening.

When I'm talking, you have the ability to receive. Next class is there any retainment? No retainment, no attainment. So we have to retain, so that I don't need to repeat them. So I just start where I stopped, and I can go forward.

So many times you read a book and then, ‘What did I read in the last chapter?’ You go back to it. This is our condition.

Bhaktārjana - so for this purpose, The Lord is telling first of all Yama and Niyama. This is one way of looking at it. What should we do to get rid of negative thoughts and acquire positive thoughts.

• What is Yama? Get rid of negative thoughts. It is all negative, even though positively.
• Ahiṁsā -Is it negative or positive? Negative. Hiṁsā is the Positive word. Ahiṁsā is negative - do not injure. Do not. 
• Satya - This is a positive word. But why is it negative? It has to be understood in a negative way. Do not tell a lie.
• Brahmacharya - So what is brahmacharya? Think of God. So that means do not think of any worldly thoughts.
• Then stealing things. Do not steal anything. It is called Asteya. Steya means to steal. Asteya means do not steal.
• Parigraha means to receive gifts. Aparigraha - means completely Do not receive

Why is it said that you should not receive? Because, there is no free lunch. If you receive, something you have to give back.  Whether you know it or not you have to give.

That's why if you are doing so much Japa… if you have to receive, do extra Japa. Extra Japa is for giving away. And you want to retain your own, then you have to do Japa separately, privately. Because we all depend upon Society, isn't it?

So these are the - get rid of negative qualities.

( 15:28 mins )

Then the room is empty, but you have to fill it up. What do you need to do? Śaucha, Santoṣa, Tapas, Svādhyāya , Īśvarapraṇidhāna

• Śaucha - Purity
• Santoṣa - contentment. High contentment. Whatever comes do not feel negative thoughts. ‘Okay, this is fine’. If rāgi mudde comes, it is fine. Have you seen a child? He never demands anything. In fact, he doesn't want to eat sometimes even what is necessary also. That it is called Santoṣa. ‘There is no greater happiness than Santoṣa’. Who tells? Yudhiṣṭhira tells in answer to Yaksha.
• Tapaha - we have to do a lot of Tapas. One idea of tapasyā is that you voluntarily undergo some suffering. Giving up some food, giving up mangoes, giving up the beloved coffee, etc. etc. You know, pilgrimage when you go, you have to give up what is most dear to you. If you are giving up Kumda  and bitter gourd, ‘I give up eating bitter gourd’. Is it a tyāga? This is not tapasyā. Whatever hurts us is called tapasyā. Volunarily undertaken. That is tapasyā.
• Svādhyāya - the meaning of the word Svādhyāya, two meaning are there.

1. Adhyaya – adyayana means what? Study yourself. From Guru you take the help, but then you make it your own.
2. Sva-adhyāya - second meaning - study yourself. This is what Vipāssana tells. Find out what thoughts are arising Etc. This is called Svādhyāya.

• Then ultimately, Īśvarapraṇidhāna - surrender yourself to Īśvara. Is surrender so easy?

ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam l

rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso goptṛtve varaṇaṁ Tathā l

ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ ll

Rāmānuja had defined what is śaraṇāgatiḥ. What is śaraṇāgatiḥ? Six characteristics must be fulfilled. Remember if you don't fulfill them, they are not characteristics, they are sticks.

So what are they?

1. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ - saṅkalpaḥ means taking a vow. What is  the vow? I will do only what would please the Divine Lord. Ānukūlyasya. 
2. Prātikūlyasya varjanam - I take a vow, I will never do anything that displeases the Lord. This is what your yama - give up all negativity, and Niyama - acquire positivity.
3. Rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāsaha - only God can save me. Nobody else can save me.
4. Then Goptṛtve varaṇaṁ - choose God. because sometimes we know what is good but we don't do it. You understand the difference? God Alone can save or I will put it in the ordinary way.

A fellow is highly diabetic. ‘They say Give up all sweet things, only bitter things can save me’. Understand? Bitter things alone can save me. Now comes the problem. ‘Yes, I know that, but I don't want to eat bitter things. I don't want to give up sweet things. So even though I know I don't choose God. So I have to deliberately choose the bitter things.

God means what? Better things. Bitter things always lead to do better things. So goptṛtve varaṇaṁ. I have to choose God. And then if I choose God, God also will choose me.

( 20:28 mins )

You know how? If I have to choose I have to go and stand in the sunlight. Only when I stand in the sunlight, the sunlight will choose me and influence me, not otherwise. This is called Goptṛtve varaṇaṁ.

Here is a great point you have to understand. To understand this is good, it is one thing. But to put it into practice is a totally different issue. That is why Rāmānujāchārya, every Āchārya, every Sādhaka is a great psychologist.

Why? Svādhyāya. He studies his own mind. He understands it - I know what is the truth. That is what Duryodhana said. You know that?

Duryodhana lying on the battlefield with his thighs broken. Somebody went in there and said, ‘Oh, Prince you are very wise. You knew that this would be the fate if you choose to go to war with Pāṇḍavas.’ What was his reply you know. जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्तिः ( jānāmi dharmaṃ na ca me pravṛtti ) I know what is good. I have absolutely no desire to do good. जानामि अधर्मं ( jānāmi adharmaṃ ) I know what is wrong. But I don't have any inclination to give it up. न च मे निवृत्तिः ( na ca me nivṛttiḥ ) Pravṛtti is not there; nivṛttiḥ is not there.

But for great people there is a Pravṛtti. What is the Pravṛtti? I have to give this up, And I have to choose this. That is called Goptṛtve varaṇaṁ. 

5. Then ātma-nikṣepa - Having chosen God transfer all your responsibilities, because you're putting yourself in better hands. So, you know that Sri Rāmakrishna says if you transfer all your responsibilities to a trustworthy person he will look after you. You can be at peace. We are all trustees.

So Athma nikshepaka: complete transfer of one's own responsibilities onto the shoulders of the God.

6. Then kārpaṇye. Last quality. Fifth is ātma-nikṣepa. Last is, sixth is kārpaṇye.

What is kārpaṇye? ‘O Lord, all this is possible only because of Your Grace. Had there not been Your Grace I would never have been able to do all these things.

All these are included in the meaning of Bhaktārjana.

When we practice this Sharanāgati, then we have that right, that capacity to receive as well as to retain. That is what in is Īśāvāsya upaniṣad. You have to practice these two - he gave up what needs to be given up. He had chosen what he needs to have. Then only he says,

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्‌।

तत् त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham |

tat tvaṁ pūṣannapāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye ||

I am a Satya-dharma. I only stuck to truth and I practiced only Dharma. If there is a deviation between Satya and Dharma, then that person is a hypocrite. What is the difference? Jānāmi dharmaṃ means Jānāmi Satyam. Na ca me pravṛtti - I don't have the least bit of inclination… What good will it do?

Even medically also it won't do any good. Ordinary food also. I know that I my stomach has reached the capacity, but it is so tasty, a little more. How much? A little more, a little more, leads to a lot more. And by the time you finish, ‘why did I eat? I should have stopped at that time’. Who has this regret?

( 25:10 mins )

Okay, so bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa - two points. What is the bottom line?

1. The two lotus feet of God is what can save us.
2. But we should be capable of receiving that saving power.

You know, on First January 1886 Sri Rāmakrishna  became Kalpataru.  Two  devotees came  Sri Ramakrishna did not touch them. He was in that mood, but He did not touch. He said, ‘You are not ready. I will bestow My grace when your time comes’. Clearly He told. And later on He did bestow His grace. So we must acquire that qualification. That is called bhaktārjana.

So also, I am just giving you a hint, I already told you this in the Bhagavat Gitā, Bhakti yogā, nearly 26 qualities are outlined. And then at the end in some other Shloka, the Lord says भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रिया: ( bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ ) Such a devotee is very dear to me.

So other devotees what does that mean? I like you means what? Two people are there, I look at one person & say I like you. What should the other person understand? Swāmiji doesn't like me! Oh, that is correct. Swāmiji is not like me. Swāmiji  is like himself, isn't it? Didn't get it? Swāmiji doesn't like me. Swāmiji is not like me.

So what is the point we are discussing? God has no such discrimination? He wants to bestow His grace. God means Grace. God and His grace are not separate, we discussed the point. You and your money are separate. So when you want to give your money to somebody, either you can give, or you need not give, or you can give to somebody else. You have the freedom? So when you give your money to somebody you are not affected.

But there are certain things, you go to Fire and say give me heat. Is fire and it’s heating separate or the same? Same. That means fire itself has to give itself. God and His grace are not separate. When He gives Himself that means that is His grace. What is God? Knowledge. So what can He give? Knowledge. What can the sun give? Only light. Like that, Only God can give knowledge. What knowledge can He give? He doesn't have worldly knowledge, but He has got Adhyātmika Jyāna. That  He can give. ‘Okay. I'm giving you’, and by that this person is enriched for eternity. That is the idea.

Bhaktārjana. We have to earn the capacity to receive and to retain. But here Sri Rāmakrishna tells one thing. ‘The breeze of God's grace is ever blowing’. It doesn't say whether this fellow is ready or not. When he's ready, I will open my door and come on. It's not like that. The breeze is blowing all the time, particularly yesterday night it was so pleasant. Have you noticed?

Yes, bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa

So what does God's grace do when a devotee obtains? तारण-भव-पार ( tāraṇa-bhava-pār )

What is bhava? Limitation. Bhava-pār - means goes beyond all limitations. So that is the result.

Then in this hymn. It is called Avatāra Stotram. In these two lines, especially the ninth line or seventh line, I think ninth line. Or seventh line, 7th line, Swāmi Vivekānanda is outlining the concept of Avatāra.

जृम्भित-युग-ईश्वर जगदीश्वर योगसहाय। ( jṛmbhita-yuga-īśvara jagadīśvara yogasahāy | )

( 30:06 mins )

Three separate words. Jagadīśvara - The lord of the universe. But He comes at every age in a particular format, that is called Avatāra. What is it called? Yuga-īśvara. That means His knowledge, His idealism, His teachings, His life  are suitable only for that kind of life. I'll just give an example.

Swāmi Vivekānanda  after coming back from America, He had established Belur Math. Then, He said everybody must sleep on cots.

Adbhutānandaji raised an objection. He said what type of sadhus are they? You are providing Cots. We never had any cot. Sri Rāmakrishna did not provide any cot for us. He caught us all right but He did not provide any cots. So what is this you're doing.

You know, what Swāmiji said? He said, ‘Bhai, you and I can sleep under a tree but these future sanyasis… ( because first they will be Brahmachāris. Then what do they do? They give up Brahmacharya. Then they become Sanyasins. Sannyāsa means giving up. What do they give up? Brahmacharya. Just changing the Colors ) they cannot, they will not come, they cannot live. We have to provide them first class breakfast, lunch, and evening dinner, and in between snacks, some snacks. All these things if we provide they might consider to join the mission’. This is what is happening now.

Had Adbhutānandaji been living today with all these fans, air conditioners, if He would have come to my room and seen the air conditioner and refrigerator and all those things, what He would have remarked, God alone knows. Anyway, this is called Yuga-dharma.

So that's why Sri Rāmakrishna used  to say the coins which were valuable in the mughals time is not the current currency in the nawabs time. The currency of the nawabs time, nowadays, you can't see at all that Holey Paisa. Have you ever seen the Holey Paisa? How unfortunate. Made of Kāsu. Not now, not Naya Paisa. Old  paisa, you can put your finger there. Copper, until some Merchants came to know, As a Kāsu  it's value is nothing. But  as copper its value is hundredfold. He collected all of them. melted them, and made himself a millionaire.

So what is the point? For every yuga certain type of strength, certain type of capacity will be there. God has to present the ideas so that… Like a child. Child’s food is different. Adult’s food is different. Old person’s food is different. Sick person’s food is different. So to give appropriate suitable ideology for a particular age, is called - jṛmbhita-yuga-īśvara.

So in Rāma’s time, Treta Yuga, He came in the form of Rāma. In Dwāpara yuga, He came in the form of Krishna. And in Kali Yuga in how many forms He came? He came as Buddha, He came as Jesus Christ, He came as Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, and now He has come as Sri Rāmakrishna.

So he has to give us ideas, Ideals which are suitable for this age. This is called jṛmbhita-yuga-īśvara.

So these ideas have only one goal. What is the goal? Not really one goal, but two goals - lower goal and higher goal.

( 35:07 mins )

What is the lower goal? It is called Abhyudaya. How a man can be happy in this world - Dharma.

First part of the Vedās deals only with how a man can be happy in this world.

Second part of the Vedā is called Jñāna-kānda. It deals only with one subject. What is that subject? How to be happy in the Next world, which is called technically Niśreyasa. Abhyudaya and Niśreyasa.   

Shankarāchārya’s introduction to Bhagavad-Gītā you read. So beautifully He has outlined. Dharma is of two types Abhyudaya and Niśreyasa. In course of time people have forgotten what is Abhyudaya and what is this Niśreyasa. The  fellow who wants Niśreyasa is following of Abhyudaya, & the fellow who wants Abhyudaya is following Niśreyasa.

Yeah. That is how the Patana will come. So God has come again, to re-establishment Abhyudaya for the beginners, Niśreyasa for the Advanced.

So that is why Sri Rāmakrishna has come again, for worldly happiness also.

Now here is a very wonderful Point. Swāmiji had the credit to bring this out. In pithy sayings He is saying, ‘I do not believe in a God who will give me liberation after my death’. Not Liberation. He said, ‘Heavenly happiness after my death, who cannot give me morsel of food right now when I need it.’

He is bringing this idea. If God is there, He should help me to attain Abhyudaya. I have to be happy in this world. If you are not happy in this world, I can guarantee you, you won't be happy in the other world also, because you are carrying your own, Stupid, negative mind to the other world also. This  is the truth. You're not going to go to swarga loka anyway. 

So God comes to establish two types of dharmas. Both are necessary. Why? For a child, child dharma. But for an adult, adult dharma. What is adult dharma? Niśreyasa. What is child’s dharma? Abhyudaya. Be happy in this world. But not by hook or crook, but by following the path of Dharma.

To establish that jṛmbhita - He sprung up with all the necessary things to establish these two Mārgas Pravritti-mārga & Nivritti-mārga. Pravritti means Abhyudaya. Nivritti means Niśreyasa.  

One day we discussed it, in the beginning of Īśāvasya Upaniṣad class, How the Hindu scripture, It divided life into four categories, four stages -  Brahmācharya Āshrama, Gṛhastha Āshrama, Vānaprastha Āshrama, and Sannyāsa Āshrama.

It outlined four Purushārthas - Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Moksha. Only one was implied not specified. It is called Upāsana.

• So Brahmācharya Āshrama, he should acquire what? Dharma. Acquire means what? Learn what is Dharma.
• The Practicing of dharma and enjoying life comes in Gṛhastha Āshrama - Artha & Kāma.
• Vānaprastha Āshrama - Upāsana.
• And Sannyāsa Āshrama – Moksha.

Purushārthas, Ashramas are what are the things to be aquired. How beautifully designed.

And Vedās were divided into 4 classes -Mantra, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka and Upanishads.

• Mantra is for knowing what is dharma.
• Brāhmaṇa is for experiencing it, how to perform, how to do dharma & enjoy life.
• And Āraṇyaka is for upasana.
• And Upanishad is for Sannyāsa.

How beautifully it is put. You draw a vertical line, 4 one side, and 4 the other. No Shāstra will give you that. Sri Rāmakrishna has been incarnated to re-establish this order. All the three - Shāstra, life - Āshrama, Purushartha, to align them,

( 40:13 mins )

jṛmbhita-yuga-īśvara - what does He do? Yogasahāy! What is the meaning of yogā? Yogā means what? Yuj -That which unites us with what? God! But what is God? God means 3 particular qualities - Sat, Chit, and Ānandam.

What is the first one? & in that order. Always it comes in that order. How does it come? Simple example I am giving. You want to enjoy a sweet. What is the first requirement? Sat. The rasgulla should exist in front of you, not in KC Das shop, but in front of you. That is called Sat.

Then you should have the knowledge, Chit. What is Chit here? Not only Rasgulla, I am also hungry. If it is there, but you are not hungry or you are sick, that knowledge will not help you. Rasgulla is good, my health is good, I am in a position to Enjoy Rasgulla. That is called Chit. And experience it.

Then what results? Ānandam. In that order.

So God means these three. What ever helps us unite with God, with these three.

So First it should be Sat. I also outlined Sat has got three separate meanings.

1. First Sat, what is the meaning? Goodness. Sat-sanga, be good, do good. That which helps us to be good & do good is the first yogā.
2. What is the 2nd Sat? Satya! – The word Satya comes from Sat. What never changes is called Satya. What never gets destroyed is called Sat. So Satya.
3. And the third meaning is existence.

So these 3 meanings are there. What ever helps us, first become physically healthy, and then to become good & finally to turn our attention to God. This is the first yoga. Yogasahāy.

Sat Achit and Ānanda comes in that order, that is our day to day experience. They are not independent but related. We are doing the visheshlana for clarity. We cannot separate them. Where there is knowledge, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is purity. Where there is purity, there is health. So knowledge should be there, how to be healthy, how to be good, how to make decisions, and always live in a Dhārmic way. Knowledge is necessary. So result will be happy. So beginning also happiness, end also happiness. Beginning also knowledge, end also knowledge. Beginning is also good and end also is good. So many things are involved here, if you really understand it.

We are analysing the word Yogasahāy. Yogā means what? Here is a person, intellectually he understands it. What does he do? He says first I have to become Sat-purusha, I have to speak & practice truthfulness. And then only I will be able to unite with God.

In order to do that he must also unite with right knowledge. Right discriminative knowledge is called Chit in the beginning stages. Later stages only one knowledge. What is that knowledge? Aham Brahmāsmi. Nothing else.

( 45:06 mins )

Then Ānanda will come. That is a proof that I am right. Because if somebody is walking the path of truth and he is not having Ānanda there is definitely something very wrong with that. That is what worldly people are unable to understand – a Dhārmik person, he has his own happiness. He may not have that other happiness. ‘I have lots of money, I have first class house, first class car’. He may not have, first class food. But Dharma itself will give tremendous amount of happiness.

How do we know. Look at the lives of Maa and Kshudirām. Every example is ok. But I am giving you 2 examples.

Why were people rushing to Kshudirām? After all what all he had was one small hut, donated, that too by his friend. The other villagers, they had better huts, bigger homes. They were all rushing. Why do you rush to someplace? Because, you get more? Where do you rush? Where you get more happiness. And they were getting. Only Sāradānandaji did not use that word happiness. He used the word Shānti.

They used to get such Shānti which they never used to get anywhere. That's why, one and all, with excuse without excuse, they used to go.

And with regard to the birth of Sri Rāmakrishna, Gadai was a small child. All the village this is leela prasanga description..  all the village woman as many times as they can. They want to visit and see Gadai. Chandramani used to wonder and say, ‘Maa, Why did you come?’ ‘Oh, I want to see Gadai’. ‘You saw Him only 15 minutes back. Why do you want to see again?’ What can the lady explain? Because she's getting so much happiness, which she will not get from her monkey faced son. Yeah, they were never getting.

Only Sri Krishna used to give such happiness. Rāma used to give. Sri Rāmakrishna  describes when Rāma entered into the Sabha as though a million Moon's & Suns have lighted up the palace.  

Then somebody, he himself was raising the doubt and answering the doubt. What was the doubt?  One Sun itself we cannot tolerate, with thousand suns simultaneously arising - that is not this sun. It is the cooling Happy sunlight.

Yeah, so many Mysteries are there. I also discussed, when Rāma entered Dandakaranya, 64 thousand Rishis instantaneously fell in love with him. Why? Because they never derived so much of Happiness from the Nirākāra, Nirguṇa. ( It is like I eat boiled vegetable, keezhanalli chutney, So bitter. I just have to take God's name, open my mouth, and quickly swallow it everyday morning evening. I have to eat this much. They wanted to give this much. I have restricted only to this much for this jaundice.)

Ah, so what am I trying to tell so much of Peace in Kshudirām’s  house.

Okay, when Holy Mother was there, was She serving Rasagullas? What was She serving? You know, Kalai dāl. The very name Kalai dāl brings a different mood in me. Kalai dāl is more  oily. Idli, dosa is made out of what? Kalai dāl only, but in that form.

So what am I talking about? Did Holy Mother serve any extra thing? Absolutely very common food. But one thing was there, Her infinite love. No mother could love like Holy Mother. And attracted by that, whatever Mother used to give, it is like Amrita. So they were coming to them.

What am I talking about? That this Parama Shānti, that is what, wherever we go, wherever we are, there is an attraction. Attraction means greater happiness, greater Shānti is there. That's why we cultivate Sat-sanga. People come to the temples because they cannot get this kind of Shānti anywhere else.

( 50:18 mins )

So whenever God incarnates -

1. He establishes Dharma in the form of Varna-Dharma, Āshrama-Dharma, Purushārtha-Dharma,  Abhyudaya - Niśreyasa Dharma, Pravritti - Nivritti Dharma first. 
2. Second He also helps every, yogā means here, religion. Karma-yogā, Bhakti-yogā, Raja-yogā, Jñāna-yogā, is also included. Then Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Bahai, Jainism, Sikhism, every ‘ism’ in this world.  

But there are some people, they are called Nāstikas, but they have got some principles. Sri Rāmakrishna will aid them or not? He will also aid them, if sincerely they are practicing. That is one.

Then I am explaining to you, how does He aid yogā? First of all, He helps us to acquire Sat. Then He helps us to acquire Chit. Then He helps us acquire Ānanda. That is how, we are ultimately, we are all devoted to God. Okay. So Yogāsahay.

Then as though a devotee has realized here is an Avatāra, recognized an Avatāra. How does a person recognize an Avatāra? Not possible. So here is a beautiful line - निरोधन समाहितमन ( nirodhana samāhitamana )

Mana - means mind. What is the nature of the mind? It’s like a Monkey. Not only a monkey. A stung monkey, a drunk monkey, a  possessed monkey. Stung by the scorpion of jealousy. Drunk by desire - desire. And possessed by the demon of Pride and arrogance. Yes, we are all processed. We understand it. We must understand, we should get rid of reduce whittle down our egotism. Sādhana is nothing but to whittle this down.

Because, I’m telling you some of the highest Secrets. It is the ‘I’ which is the Ādiṣṭaṇa, Āshraya for Bhakti, Māyā everything. You remove the ‘I’... See here is a pillar. You want to paint it to black, paint it a golden color. You can't paint without that pillar. So what is that pillar? ‘I’. So whether you want to be under the sway of Māyā or under this wave of Bhakti, for both ‘I’ is necessary. So it is that whittling down of that ‘I’ that is called spiritual Sādhana.  

How do how do we whittle it down? Through yogā? What is the meaning of yogā, definition of yogā? योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोध ( Yogaha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha )That is the word used here.

Nirodhana - All the restlessness of my mind is completely stopped. That means it is restful.

What happens? Samāhitamana - the Mind becomes absolutely like a mirror - तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम् (tadādraṣṭuḥsvarūpe avasthānam) So my mind has been completely controlled. My mind has become like a pure mirror in which God is reflected, means my own real nature is reflected - Nirodhana samāhitamana.

How did you control your mind? How did you get that samāhitamana? तव कृपाय ( tava kṛpāy ) - Purely by Your Grace.

That  is what Sri Rāmakrishna  tells. What does a worldly person know? ‘Oh, I know everything’. Hum sub Jāntā hai. (हम सब जानता है ) That is the Divine mother's disgrace, not Grace, disgrace. So then he understands, through lot of meandering, he understands this is not the right way. So I have to follow Abhyudaya marga, and then Mother’s Grace will come through Mother’s Grace only.

Totāpuri also got like that, Swāmiji also got only through slaps. That’s why both of them suffered and then became enlightened.

( 55:34 mins )

So by Mother's grace, the mind as thoughts have been controlled and the mind has absolutely Aquanimous, and in that the reflection of God has Come.

How did it come Tava kripay by by the grace? Then your grace made me my mind completely under control and pure. So what is the result of it? Nirakhi : I see you are jagadiswara. You are yuga isshvara you are yogasahay. I recognize you completely as an avatara.  

Arjuna he could not even in front of Sri Krishna. He did not understand He is an incarnation of God. Then he prayed O Lord intellectually, I do understand but experientially I don’t.

Please bestow your face. Then the Lord said:

दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् || Gita 11 / V8||

divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ paśhya me yogam aiśhwaram(11/8)

What is here divya sakshu  20 by 20 Vision.  To  see correctly is called the divya sakshu.  What is divya? The whole universe is nothing, but brahman. It is not maya.  nothing, but brahman. To   see the world as it is.

How do we see? We see it in the opposite way. It is finite. It is covered with Maya. We are all ignorant people then Alpha Shakti, only very small power. That is how we see each other. We see ourselves. We see also other than that life the moment. He Arjuna saw a real  ..

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् ।

स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वात्यतिष्ठद्दशाङुलम् ॥१॥

Sahasra-Shiirssaa Purussah Sahasra-Akssah Sahasra-Paat |

Sa Bhuumim Vishvato Vrtva-Atya[i]-Tisstthad-Dasha-Angulam ||1||

Thousands of eyes, Thousands of hands, Thousands of Legs, Thousands of Heads,They're showing you see the calendar.

Have you seen that Viswa Roopa Dharsana? Thousand. What does thousand mean? Thousand  means only He exists. You  see a billion things. It is all Him. That is called Thousand.

So, Oh! Lord - because of your grace, I have been able to control my thoughts. I have become pure, all by your grace and through that grace through that controlled & purified mind, I am able to Recognize you.

you are the yuga isvra,  incarnation of God.  

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: |

त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ||Gita 4 / V 9||

janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

(janma—birth; karma—activities; cha—and; me—of mine; divyam—divine; evam—thus; yaḥ—who; vetti—know; tattvataḥ—in truth; tyaktvā—having abandoned; deham—the body; punaḥ—again; janma—birth; na—never; eti—takes; mām—to me; eti—comes; saḥ—he; arjuna—Arjun)

So Arjuna what a wonderful result. Just come by. Then if a person if you are given that Vision here, He is here, it is God himself. What will you do? You think hundred times just to go and fall at his feet? Offer yourself completely.

Oh Lord. Never ever leave me; I want only you and no one else. It is a very natural thing that comes; if we are hesitant  that means our knowledge is wrong knowledge.  

I hope you're following me what I'm saying? Say the nature of knowledge. Suppose suddenly, You see here one poisonous snake. Will you be listening to my lecture? Will you be thinking about me?

So the nearest person to the door, will be making her way his way or her way out. After  going out, array, What happened to Maharaj. I will wait here. If he comes out Sri Ramakrishna will Protect me; if He doesn't come out. You understand now.

So  how everything happens with the grace of God. So what we are talking about? The  power of knowledge. knowledge is never neutral; either it make you run away or it will make you run towards. It will not keep you quite.

As  soon as a devotee gets this knowledge. You are God. What do you think? You're a iron piece. There is a huge magnet. What will you do? What what what shall I do are officially think what do you think it will do? Simply it will run.

would it. It will not run. It is made to run and become one. That is the power of knowledge of God. You realize Aham  Brahmosme in the presence of God. That is why he says janma Karma me divyam…. evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ once this body is gone , there no more janma

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

he becomes me.

Here comes to me means what? Sri Ramakrishna  used to say a small boat is traveling and there is a big whirl wind.  Whirl pool. Visalakshis whirl pool. The  moment it goes near,

What shall I do? What shall I do? You think . Simply you will be dragged in. God is also a dragger.

Let's wait. All  these fellows have the choice. Either  you are dragged  or you are Drugged. Either  of these things.

So that is the meaning nirodhana. Samahitamana..  bhanjana duhkaganjana. Once we have this knowledge. All the sufferings tapathraya  comes to an end. bhanjana duhkaganjana. What is the main mission of an Avatara?

Kandana, Bawa Bandhana, remove all suffering bhadana means all sufferings - limitation means who are different words, but meaning is the same bhanjana duhkaganjana. ganjana means any number of sufferings;

Gnananjana - you look through that Specs. I you say array. These are not suffering. These are joyous because all this is  My play.

If  you think this snake is poisonous snake, enemy, you will suffer. If  you think it is your play – play thing or toy,  the  you will enjoy it or not?

Bhanjana duhkaganjana. Karunagana Karma kator- caught ho karunagana for it is God incarnate because of his infinite compassion.

Anyway, I make my own fun. What What compassion my foot or his compassion , you created this mess. who is going to clean it up? Yeah, Karma palla. Isn’t it? In  other words, What is this? Who are you? You are God only.

God is imagining he is you. He's imagining he is me. He is imagining he is everybody, evidently intended. He is imagining I'm the tiger, He  is imagining, I am also a goat. And in the form of tiger He is enjoying. In the form of the Goat he is bleeding.

Yes, sometimes sometimes these Hunters, you know, they put one big pit in the middle if they are hanging this goat  in a cage and this poor tiger doesn't realise, thinks it si first class Rasgulla and leaps towards the goat.  It  jumps. Where does it fall?  In the pit.

And  then, they will starve it for two or three days and then kill it and then skin it to make some baby toys. If  you eat you you are what you eat. So if you eat a tiger you will be a tiger.

You see food is good. whether It is cow, whether it is kozhy,

One of our Swamijis, a kartnataka swamiji,

He's even though south indians don't eat non-vegetarian. So he went  to North India, Joined there & started eating everything.

He happened to come to Bangalore, Basavangudi Ahrama. Another Swami who knows it, he took him to Harshanandaji,

Swamiji iavn bandhidane, ivan kholi, ghali ellam thinthane?

ಈ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾನೆ, ಅವನು ಕೋಳಿ, ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳನ್ನು ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Fortunately Harshanandaji said “ Oh! He has come.  He  didn't understand.

So what I am trying to tell is, we make big fuss. This  is Papa. The is not Papa /it is just flesh. / it is nothing whether it is non vegetarian vegetarian if you sqeeze the essence, what is it proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, fats Etc. That's all. Nature  doesn't know anything else. We make big fuss.

Of course, it is useful in spirituality.

Now. What are we talking about? Karunagana? Karunagana Karma Kator from the  birth until when? From birth to attain ment of what? Sri Ramakrishna attained after 12 years - after that his usefulness is totally over? Even after –How long?

For a long time until this yuga ends. There's way we say the Sri Ramakrishna  is not dead; Swami Vivekananda is not dead; Sarada Devi (m a a ) is not dead. Holy mother is not dead.  They are there in the  subtle form; every devotee who is Sincere, he can have the darshan of all the and they are having people are having darshan even today. They are having darshan.

Yeah,  just  two days before I posted it. Subodhanandaji Maharaj, Once he was swimming, somewhere in Alahbad or some where.  Then he could not swim.  So  he was going down under because the current was very strong.

And  he told to the neighbour, this is my life is coming to an end my last pranams  to all my Gurus and  please convey and then he sunk.

And then as he felt, somebody was holding his hand and the pulling him underneath the water; and he found himself on the other side of the shore. Otherwise this reminiscence   I could not have posted.   

On my posting only that somebody has pulled, Swami  Subodhananda that we can get all the benefits.

So, karunagana. Karma kator - How long until this yuga  ends. He is a he our Avatara in the Form of the ideology is  alive. And anybody can have His darshan.

Interestingly, I don't want to spend more time today to discuss. What is the point here? What is Sri Ramakrishna ? If it is body mind is absolutely useless. But if it is a combination of ideas ideals then issues. So in other words, he's in the form of knowledge. That is how he uplifts. has the the knowledge. Lack  of knowledge which takes us down. it is knowledge, Which again brings us up. This  beautiful idea let us  discuss in our next class.