Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 06 on 19 March 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Shardam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Shritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur Om Sahana Bhavatu Sahanao Bhunaktu Sahaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvinavaditamastumavidvishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om May Brahman protect us both the teacher and the student. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge. May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge. May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill will towards each other. Om Peace Peace Peace be unto all. We are studying the first chapter of the Svetasvatara Upanishad which belongs to Krishna Yajur Veda. The first chapter has got 16 mantras. The chapter started with, there were some students, they have passed through the stages of Brahmacharya Ashrama, Vrihastha Ashrama, Vanaprastha Ashrama. Now, their desire is of attaining Moksha, they want to attain Sannyasa Ashrama. Enter into Sannyasa Ashrama and they started discussing that what is the cause of this entire universe, my body, my mind, my egotism and I am suffering in this world. Compared to Moksha, the understanding that these people get, I am deliberately using the word these people because ordinary people like us, after reading books like Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna, we have to say we want Moksha but we have foggiest, not even the foggiest notion of what Moksha is. But we know one thing, because of faith that is the highest desirable state, there is nothing more desirable than that state. So, these are the people who prepared themselves, who evolved until the time when they want nothing but Brahman, liberation, Moksha. That desire, intense yearning for Moksha is called Sannyasa Ashrama. It has very little to do with what happens outside. Nagamahasaya was one of the paragons of the Sannyasins, even though he was a householder, even though he lived with his wife, both of them lived like brother and sister. Like brother and sister, Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi, Shri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. So many people are there, they would not advertise themselves. They are leading silently what we call Sannyasa Ashrama life. Not too many, but a few are there. So these people, they wanted to get answers to certain questions. What is the essence of this question? It is like to say that somebody has been imprisoned and the person was very happy to be imprisoned. You know, there are some people who don't want to come out of prison. Why? Because in the prison, they don't need to do much work and they will be given regular food, regular food, medical attention is given, all security is there. Therefore, they don't want to come out of it. We are also like that people. But once we realize there is such a marvelous thing called Moksha, called God, called Vaikuntha or Kailasa and we want to go there. But to our great surprise, we find that we are being viriled about. For example, we are being helplessly carried by a huge river, another analogy. But as if we have been imprisoned and we can put our hands outside the rails, bars, if only we could get the key into our hands, it is not difficult to open the lock and then get out of it. So all this questioning is to find out the key. That key is called Ishwara or the ultimate cause, whatever you call it. So what is the, who is running this and how can I stop this wheel? How can I get out of this river and go to the other side? How can I swim across the ocean of this samsara from this side to the other side safely? Then they found out. Perhaps time is the key. Perhaps chance is the key. Perhaps nature is the key. Perhaps five elements are the key. Perhaps individual self is the key. So, so many thoughts they have posited and realized that all these people upon whom we can rely, here I am using the word people deliberately, here not people, time, nature, law, causation, five elements, these are already prisoners, imprisoned, they cannot give us the key because they themselves have been imprisoned. So what is the way out? There must be somebody, a jailer and you know these people realized this jailer is none other than our own beloved father or beloved mother. Why did he imprison us? Not because he hates us, she hates us because she wants us to know how to live outside the prison as responsible citizens. And so she has trained us, she has completely destroyed the idea which brought us into the jail. That means the root cause of ignorance has been almost destroyed. How do we know? These people realized that the only way is to beg the divine mother, to beg Ishwara, to beg God kindly to release us from this samsara and to be released. A person must also realize how horrible this prison is and that prison is being described through two analogies. One is a chakra and I mentioned earlier, usually people call it samsara chakra. That means the delusion itself is the chakra and from delusion to delusion, from milder delusion to intense delusion we will be traveling. But no, this chakra is being run for our good by our most beloved mother and we are the most beloved children of the divine mother. And if we listen to her, not behave like naughty children, who is a naughty child? He who doesn't obey the parents. In this case who is the naughty child? The person who doesn't obey the scriptures. Scriptures are the teachings of our parents. Call him mother, call him father, by whatever name we call it. These genders do not matter. The scriptures have only two commandments. Do this, do not do this. Priti and Nishedha. And these people have done that. How do we know? Because they have come thoroughly to know what this samsara chakra or brahma chakra or what this samsara nadi or brahma nadi is consisting of. Only the person who knows wants to get out of it. Because they know that having known this samsara chakra, nadi chakra, they come to know two things. This is not a good place. Somehow we have been caught and this catching is not because somebody hates us but to make us strong like a gymnasium. And this is the idea behind every government putting criminals behind the jail not because the nation doesn't love them. In fact the nation wants them to be responsible citizens. But if they do not contribute to the overall harmony of the nation then the government will teach them. This is called learning process and this learning process goes through two sticks. Carrot and stick. Carrot if we behave properly so that good samsara will be reinforced and the stick so that we can get rid of it and implement in its place, replace it with a good samsara. So we have come to that. These great brahmavadins that means those who are interested in brahman, those who love brahman, those who want to become brahman, they are called brahmavadins. Not vain speakers. So what did they do? So first of all in the fourth mantra they are showing what is the nature of this brahma chakra. Looks very abstruse, not really speaking. It is like a huge wheel and this wheel, you know, if the wheel, outer rim what we call is very thin and adulterated and very weak, the journey will not go. A wheel is meant for a journey. Whether it is car's wheel, bicycle wheel, train's wheel, aeroplane's wheel, everything requires a wheel. A wheel is meant for a journey from a not so important place to a very important place. So what is the first thing? That rim. What is this rim? It is called limitation. And what is it limited by? Descriptions are given. So the whole universe is a big wheel and this rim, outside rim is padded three times heavily so that the journey can be a very successful journey. But I will just remind you why this comparison to a wheel? Because the universe is like a wheel. A wheel indicates a journey and samsara is a journey. And this journey is meant to convey passengers from a lower destination to the highest destination. Even though the comparison looks a train runs from one place to another place, but not much difference will come. That is not the analogy. Analogy always from a lower place to a higher place. From a lower state of consciousness to a higher state of consciousness. In tantric language, this is called the journey of the Kundalini from the Muladhara to the Sahasrara. And the wheel also includes. The wheel goes on and on. But the passengers always change. And it is a cyclic process. But don't think. Cyclic process means I am caught. I will reach my destination. Again I am caught. Again I am whirled around. No. It will throw you out. Have you ever seen a factory where a living creature goes in and tins come out? And then when the tin comes out, meat. And then it is thrown out. So like that, when the animal man in us is cut to pieces and then sent out, the soul becomes completely free. So it is cyclic in nature. And the wheel continuously moves on. And it carries passengers. But when the destination is reached, they are thrown into the destination. And consciously or unconsciously, our destination will be towards God. I used the word consciously or unconsciously, deliberately. It is an unconscious process until we become Uttishthata, Jagratha, Prapyavara, Nibodhata. And after that, it is a completely conscious awareness process. The third is, this repetitive process will go on and on. And alternating between happiness and misery, etc. So, these Brahmapadins, a Sadhi Veela Brahman, which has one filly, and it is reinforced by a triple tyre and 16 parts, 50 spokes, 20 counter spokes, 6 sets of 8, one rope manifold, which moves on 3 different roads, and whose illusion arises from 2 causes. And yesterday we discussed, hopefully you remember, but just to remind us, this Veela Brahman is the entire universe. It has got one ring. What is that ring? It is called Maya. It is called Prakruti. And it is triple strengthened. What are those? Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. The entire creation. Advaita Vedanta, in toto, lifted this idea from the Sankhya school of philosophy. And it has got 16 end parts. What are they? Panchabhutas, 5 elements, 5 sense organs and 5 karma endriyas and the mind. And 50 spokes are there. The spokes are what is called very detailed, avidya, ignorance, asmita, egotism, raga, attachment, desha, hatred, abhinivesha, intense attachment, clinging to the body, because body is the only way whether we want to be happy or unhappy. And 20 counter spokes. What are they? What does counter spoke mean? What does a spoke do to the wheel? It supports the wheel and makes it pass. Otherwise just imagine if there are to be no spokes. After a short time, the rim of the wheel becomes flattened, bent, cannot move forward. But these spokes make it extremely easy. They keep it up, they hold it up and they move forward. And what are these things? They are called, so akasha, that is panchabhutas, then mind, buddhi and ahankara. Then the entire body, entire mind. And there are tremendous amount of achievements called 8 siddhis. Then there are 8 types of achievements in feeling as dharma, jnana, vairagya, aishwarya and unrighteousness, ignorance and intense clinging and poverty. Then there are gods, there are demons, brahma, prajapati, devatas, kandarvas, yakshas including rakshasas, pitrus and so on. Higher swarga loka, guh loka and patala loka, naraka loka. And it has got 6 virtues, compassion, daya, forgiveness, kshama, absence of malice, anasuya, purity, pavitrata, absence of effort, goodness, liberality and vyakulata to become free. Vishwaroopa ekapasana. And all this wheel is completely directed, controlled so that it can travel by one rope. What is that rope? That is called raga, attachment. And where does this raga lead us? Only towards God. Remember, whether we know it or not, every attachment is only a blind man seeking the master, God. We are all seeking God. And there are 3 pathways and we should be discriminative enough. What are they? Righteousness, unrighteousness and knowledge. Acquire knowledge and avoid unrighteousness, follow righteousness. Dvih nimitta ekamoham adhi maha. We understood. The brahmavadins are telling. What is it? That we are all being whirled around because of the moha, delusion. What is this delusion? It arises from virtuous actions and sinful adharma and adharma. On account of these, one regards the body or the non-self as the self and the self as non-existing. So this marvelous knowledge of the wheel of brahma chakra was revealed to the illumined sages in the depths of meditation. It is a marvelous sentence because by hearing this class, that knowledge will not come. Information may come. But we have to live that spiritual life. Then only that most marvelous information now becomes knowledge, becomes my knowledge and its goods. Every knowledge makes us translate, transform our life. So this is one analogy. Brahma chakra, chakra, a wheel. The second is like a river. Again there are analogies are there. What is called? Similarities are there. What are the similarities? First let me read out the fifth mantra. Panchasrota ambam, pancha yoni ugra vakram, pancha prana urmim, pancha budhyadi mulam, pancha vartam, pancha dukhau ghavegam, pancha asadbhedam, pancha parvam, adhi maha God, because of his infinite grace, revealed to us the nature of this jagat, prapancha, samsara. And it is compared because these comparisons like a wheel, comparison like a river can come only into the minds of kavis, poets. And every rishi was considered as the most natural poet in this world. And this river is also being described. Remember the purpose of the description as a wheel, as a river is to tell us something, to convey a message for us. What is the message? First you will read what are the points of similarities between the river and this world in which we are living and of which we are parts of that. Not apart from that but as parts of us. Like if the jagat is like the body, just like our body, our hands, our legs and our eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth and hair, the head, the neck, the back, everything is included in that idea of body. So what are the similar points? The river, where from does it come? From the ocean. Bhagawan Surya lifts the water up and he is a distillation plant. He doesn't lift up the salt but only pure distilled water and transforms them into steam, carries it to a faraway field and then it leaves at the highest possible place, usually a mountain top. And then from there slowly the water trickles down. As it comes down, coming down means it instinctively understands and that is called evolution. And that evolution is to reach its mother's house which is the ocean. Similarly, our life is also an evolution from God, we became inorganic, from inorganic we have become organic, we have become various species, we have become human beings. We are learning, we are developing good samskaras until we reach the state of what is called sattva-dominated brahmanas. Don't think of what is called brahmanas by birth, brahmanas by spiritual evolution. Brahma jnanati ti brahmanaha. A person who has knowledge of God, he is alone entitled to be called as a brahmana. So the river, just as the river comes from the ocean, goes back to the ocean, we come from Brahman and we are flowing back to Brahman. This is the first analogy. Second, the river is full of, life is full of both good and evil, usefulness as well as potential dangers. There are sharks, there are whales, there are also diamonds, pearls, everything is good, everything is also equally evil, life giving and life taking, both are there. Why is this compared? Life is full of Sukha and Dukha, Sita and Vishna, Jaya and Apajaya, etc. etc. So we have to be discriminating now so that we know how to evade these dangers, that means not to be born again and again and how to quickly reach our goal. And for that prayer is an important part and of all the prayers, the mother of all prayers is Gayatri Mantra. This prayer can be used by anybody, there is no specific name. O Divine Lord, the creator of the universe, we want to get out of this samsara, we want to be always with you, we want to become you. Therefore we surrender ourselves to you and out of the infinite grace make us, pull us so that we will never again be separated from you. This is the idea. That is why three important words I highlighted and there are hundreds of Gayatris are there. Vishnu Gayatri, Ganesha Gayatri, Kumaraswami Gayatri, Saraswati Gayatri, Lakshmi Gayatri, Vishnu Gayatri, etc. etc. including Ramakrishna Gayatri. Do you know what is Ramakrishna Gayatri? Om Ramakrishnaya Vidmahe, Gadadharaya Dhimahe, Tannoham Sah Prachodayat. So we want to become one with Ramakrishna. Knowing means to become one. For that we are doing Upasana. What is Upasana? Removing ourselves and becoming complete surrender to you. That means I will not be, only you will be. And this is possible only by your grace. That is why the first thing is Vidmahe. We want to become one with you. This is our only desire. Second word Dhimahe. We are surrendering ourselves to you. Doing Upasana to you. Remember Upasana's purpose is only to become one on the Upasya Devata. And finally that can happen only by God's grace Prachodayat. Only God can pull us like a magnet pulls. Like a mother takes up the baby. Baby cannot climb to the mother. Only mother should take up the baby in its arm. And if prayer is sincere, we are going to attain. That is why it is called Gayatri. Gayantam Trayateethi Gayatri. One who attempts at this, he will certainly be saved. There is no escape from it. Similarly Mananath Trayateethi Mantra. So a person who goes on thinking. Thinking means praying. Praying means surrendering. He will be saved. There is no other way. This is the essence of every mantra. This is the essence of every Gayatri. And that is the analogy here. Just as we are all travelling. And first part is albeit unconsciously as animals. As endowed with Tamas and then Rajas. But as soon as Sattva takes over, dominates. We come, arise, awake and stop not. Till the goal is reached. So life has got good as well as evil. Now when I say good and evil. The evil should not be taken as a negative factor. The evil has equal lesson for us to teach. What is it? That if I do something wrong, I am going to suffer. First lesson. Second lesson. Even if I do something good. Punya Karma. That is considered by Vedantins as Papa Karma. Because if I do plenty of Punya. I will have to be reborn to reap the result of Punya. And finally we have to approve to that Ajnanam or Avidya. So this is the second lesson. What is the third lesson? The waters of the river always change. But yet keep a unity because of the banks. So if anybody has climbed that ferris wheel. Continuously it is moving. That is a beautiful analogy comparable to this wheel. But what is important for us? Passengers are getting in. Passengers are getting out. It is not the exactly same passengers. New passengers will come. And when they see the complete whole. It comes back to the origin. Which is God. And then we have to get out of that place. Similarly the Samsara. We get in some place. That is called Srishti. We continue. That is called Stithi. And then we end up. That is called Samhara. Real Samhara is Shiva takes us back. By giving us that knowledge. You are not an ordinary. You are Shivastvam, Shivastvam, Shivastvam. You are nothing none other than Shiva. By his grace. Then we get the knowledge. Shivoham, Shivoham, Shivoham. So we the individual souls experiencing this world. Emerge from and emerge back into the truth of Brahman. Which is our very substratum. So these are the points we have to learn. Now what is this analogy. In a bit of more detail. This river has got Pancha, Shrota, Ambu. Ambu means water. Shrota means five streams. What is the five streams? So what is called Pancha Bhutas. Five sense organs through which the world is entering into us. Going out, again entering, reinforcing. We are through this our experiences we are learning. So just like there are what is called some part of the river. Carries us forward. If you are at the edge near the bank. The speed is less. If you go to the middle. The speed is more. That is how we have to understand. Then in between the river. Huge river. Very powerful river. Pancha, Yoni, Ugra, Vakra. There are viral pools. What are the viral pools? That the sense organs come in contact with the sense objects. And they are attracted and they are enjoyed. And then it creates some desires. And then we become separated. And it gives a terrible blow. My father is dead. My son is dead. My beloved wife is dead. My beloved child is dead. Etc. etc. This is called turbulent. Ugra. And what happens? Sometimes when we are caught in the viral pool. Instead of going forward. We will be going round and round and round. But ultimately a viral pool also comes to an end. And this whole life is driven by five energies. Pancha, Prana, Urmi. Urmi means wave. And like Tsunami. These Pancha Pranas. Those who have attended our classes. We have spoken about it very elaborately in the Prashna Upanishad. So ripples and waves are created. As waters face obstacles. And dash against the river banks. What are these Pancha Pranas? Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana. Our whole life is sustained by Prana. And this Prana subdivides itself into five functions. Including birth and death. It starts with breathing. And it stops with throwing us out of this body. So Prana represents breathing. Apana represents excretion. Just remember. You are eating and eating. And no excretion is taking place. And you can see what an agony. One good thing about it is you don't want to be reborn again. So that is what happens. Excretion. One aspect of Prana. Vyana, circulation. The circulation stops. What happens? You will become dead. Then Udana. Reversal action. What is the reversal? Udana is supposed to be Ut. That is when the time comes. It will just kick us up. When some food is not digested properly. It throws it out. Either upward or downward. If it is upward, it is called vomiting. If it is downward, it is called purging. Either way, without this Udana, it is impossible. And when the time of death comes, it will make the Jeeva forcefully kick out of the house, which is called this body. And of course, when we eat food, Samana, digestion. Why Samana? Because it is completely, what we call, equanimous. It doesn't have any favorites. So this is Samana Vayu. Brain requires some energy. Heart requires some. A friend, like a mother feeding all her five children in five different ways, according to their need. So Pancha Pranas. Pancha Budhya, the Moola. The whole show is being run by whom? The source of the five senses. What are they? The mind, etc. Mind, Buddhi, etc. Then Pancha Aavrutam. As the streams of the senses flow downstream, they get engaged with the viral pools of the five sense objects. Sometimes we are caught in the sound, sometimes in the touch, sometimes with the colors, sometimes with forms, sometimes tastes, and sometimes smells. Very interesting statement. Each one of us equally are not attracted to all the five sense organs. Some people want to hear. They are sound dominated. Some people want to see. And they are, what is called, form oriented. And naturally, form oriented people become painters, etc. And poets, etc. And sculptors, etc. Whereas sound oriented people become musicians mostly. That is how it happens. And then, this life is flowing in five distinct streams called five rapids of life. Pancha, Dukkha, Augha, Pegam. Pegam means tremendous speed. And Augha means irresistible force. And what is that? Dukkha. Complete misery. And there are how many types? Five types. What are they? Asthi. Birth is the sorrow associated with the birth. Even coming out of the mother's womb, living in mother's womb, growing up, giving up the past attachment, growing up, you ask any adolescent, do you want to be a young man? He is in two minds. He wants to get all the advantages of the young person. But at the same time, he cannot give up the attachment because irresponsible life is more happy, happiness-giving than anything. And I can tell you with authority, that is the most happy life in the whole world. That is why every hard-working person, Oh, how many more days I have to go on working. I wish I could retire with a good pension and then I will do whatever I like. Every young man's highest goal is to retire with the highest amount of pension and retirement fees and go on a whirlwind tour, not knowing that he is in a whirlwind already and goes on enjoying life. We want to enjoy. So, birth is sorrow. Growth is sorrow. And to be in any situation is sorrow. And slowly disintegration, when old age comes, is sorrow. And finally death is sorrow. These are called asti, jayate, vardhate, apakshayate, vinashyate. Slightly changed. One is removed. But it doesn't matter. This is what Buddha was talking about. Every creature, good or evil, saint or sinner, has to go through this. There is no escape. That is what he called existential suffering. So, with these explanations, the foregoing verses, by means of a wheel and a river, have described. Whom did they describe? Ishwara. Ishwara in the form of this whole world in which we are a part. But remember, Ishwara is the creator. The creator is completely a master. He is not Maya, Adheena, but Maya, Adheesha. He knows what he is doing. Like a potter, like a writer, like a poet, like a mechanic, they sit above and they do whatever they want with the mechanism, what is called machine. But they are masters. Though they are associated, they are masters. This is the difference between Jeeva and Ishwara. Ishwara is called Maya, Adheesha, Lord of the Maya. That is what Bhagavan Krishna was telling. Mayadhyakshena prakruti suhyate saccharacharam The whole universe under my presence. Very presence. That is why it is a very peculiar, marvelous idea. You imagine a magnet and you imagine iron filings nearby. And all the iron filings are immediately attracted to the magnet and they go and attach themselves to the magnet. Now, the magnet has pulled these iron filings towards itself, as if it has thought, I am a magnet and these are very good slaves to me. I must attract them. No, it doesn't even know. Fire just gives heat. You can't say it is an action. Sun gives light. We can't call it an action. Magnet attracts. We cannot call it an action. So certain things we cannot call it action. And Shankaracharya is compelled to give an understandably weaker analogy. Just like all the servants, all the ministers, all the officers, carry on their work by the mere presence of the king. You need not go and ask. They know. Otherwise, bhyad asmat bhesat vatah pavate In Brihadaranyaka they have to say katopanishad they have to say bhesat asmat vatah pavate Everything is working because of the fear of Brahman. Actually, it is not fear. It is a power. It is an actionless power. Without consciousness, nothing works. But consciousness itself doesn't know I want to work. For a simple reason, here, today, I will just give you a small hint. Consciousness means Brahman. Brahman means ananda. When a person is ananda svarupa, when a person, when a being is everything, only when there is something separate from us, a desire for that object comes. And as I mentioned earlier, every desire is to remove the object to make myself advaita. For example, a person knows the sweet is separate. I am separate. And he has a desire. I want to enjoy the sweet. So he gets the sweet, swallows it up. The sweet becomes one with him. When the sweet becomes one with him, the desire will disappear and he becomes happiness itself. Apply it to every object in this world. Now, having given this analogy, what is it? This is okay. It has a positive usefulness. What is the usefulness? That we become aware we are not jivas, we are caught here and this is not a safe place. And we have to get out of this. That awakening process comes only because of the Brahma Chakra, because of the Samsara as described as a huge turbulent river. That is why it is not a negative thing. It is not something created by God to torture us, to make us suffer. It is a gentle pulling of God Oh my child, please come to me because you belong to me. And so the Upanishad having given this beautiful analogy and we have to meditate. Remember, every mantra of any Upanishad requires Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana. Now, this Shweta Shwetara Upanishad explains how we get caught in this wheel of worldly existence and how we can get out of it. It is not only necessary to let us know by what process we have been caught and that is the same process. The Ramakrishna gives a beautiful analogy. Sometimes people in the villages they have a wonderful way of catching fish. They erect a small cage like thing and then they leave a small opening facing upstream. That means when the fish is coming happily along with the water it enters into that cage and the door is always open and if they wish they can swim back and become released. But they are struggling against the wire wall trying to find out not knowing only water can escape but they cannot escape. That is how the fish are caught. So there is a song also about it. So even though there is a doorway through which the fish enter into it but because of Agnana ignorance they do not turn their back. This turning process is called Uttishtata Jagrata Prapyavara Nibodhata. That is what he said. God has created all the sense organs outward going. But After a long time everybody is definitely bound to become a wise person and he turns back. How did I come? Because of the doorway of Ishwara. What is the way out? Ishwara is the only doorway for me to go back. This is called spiritual life. And that is being described here. Again a most marvelous mantra I tell you even from the poetical point of view Sarva Jeevi means that truth that reality in which every being exists. Do you know what it is? Just imagine there is a pot. This is only an example. The pot is coming out of clay. Existence of the clay is the existence of the pot. And the potness there is no such object called potness. Potness is only that clay looked at in a particular form and particular name and particular usefulness. If the clay is shaped like a tumbler it is used to drink water, coffee, etc. The same is made into a pot. We can cook food. We can store things, etc. If it is made into a shape of a plate we can use it to eat food, to clean also to keep some things. So every shape has got a purpose in mind. Utilitarianism is there. But what is the important point? They are all made up of clay. They have no separate existence apart from the clay. They have no life apart from the clay. They were clay. They are clay. And when they get destroyed also they don't lose anything. They just lose their form, their name and their utility. That is all that happens. So everything in this world even a mountain mountain there is a mountain. That easiness belongs to Brahman. And that is a mountain. That piece of knowledge what is that object? It is called a mountain. That knowledge, it is a mountain. It borrows its knowledge from the chit aspect. And if I climb it then I will be a happy person. I can get a lot of medications. I can also breathe very fresh air. So many benefits are there. And if it is very high my name will be written in the annals. Those who climbed Mount Everest etc. So everything is borrowing from the sat, from the chit, from the ananda aspect of Brahman only. Apart from Brahman there is nothing. So sarva jivaha. Sarva samsthe. That is samstha means here ultimately just as a pot just as an ornament for example when it loses its shape it is again melted back. And what was it? It was gold. What is it? Gold only in a particular form for example bangle. And when it is no more useful or we want to change it the goldsmith melts it. And does it become gold? So we say. But it is not true. Just the nama rupa obstacle is removed. It was gold. It is gold. And it will be gold. Nothing but gold. Apply it to everything. Everything is pure existence. Everything is pure chit knowledge. And everything is pure ananda. But in between because of the modification we forget the original and we say it is a mountain. So when we say it is a mountain when we say that is a river when we say that is a beautiful flower when we say that is an evil person just a few examples I am giving so don't focus on the mountain on the flower on the river or on human just say that is, that is, that is, that is. And the knowledge of that is is called pure absolute knowledge called chit. That is is called pure or absolute existence. And everything is pure that only is pure ananda which is called ananda. This is how if we can focus upon it and that process of focusing is called spiritual life then there is a wicked man. No, no, don't say wicked person. You say the person is none other than God. Then why is he doing some wicked things to me? And our Vedas give the example the pure teaching, right teaching. No, no, that person is not evil. That person's reaction, action towards me gives me pain. Why does it give me pain? Because I did something wrong. My karma phala is coming back to me because I deserve it. Similarly somebody does me good. Somebody loves me. Somebody does very good. And what karma phala, good karma phala, punya karma phala that I have done it is coming back to me through this person through parents, through family, through loving persons. The good punya phala is coming and through people who seem to give me suffering my bad karma phala is coming but really speaking what I deserve that is coming and God is exhausting my both punya and papa karma phala and until both are exhausted I cannot become free. This is called sarvajive. Everybody is living in God. Everybody finally enters into God, the place of dissolution where asmin brahante brahma chakra in this brahma chakra and instead of saying as I mentioned samsara chakra which is a word of desolation, depression brahma chakra I am living in the house of brahman in the car of brahman and what type of brahante brahante means it is infinite everything has got a place everybody has a place nobody can be said there is no place all tickets are over you will have to book by the after two months plane ticket nothing of that sort this is what we call Sri Rama's that vimana pushpaka vimana how many people it can carry and more the more enter the more it expands so this is called brahma chakra it is infinite everyone of us have a place in that and then in this brahma chakra we are all living as what? Hamsaha what a marvelous word who is Hamsa? Jeevatma is called Hamsa why is it called Hamsa? Hamsaha means here soham reversal is Hamsa that is why I will come to that a little later on the individual being what does he do? Brahmiyate huge aeroplane huge chakra huge cart so he is restless from one seat to another seat like you understand sometimes you get to aeroplane tickets practically the whole aeroplane is free and many times I experienced it myself and then there is a place three seats completely empty and I go and lie down there and the hostess is very kindly she comes and supplies everything and she even supplies a nice blanket so that I should not trouble her again and again so this Hamsa we are the Hamsas and that is what Sadashiva Brahmendra has composed a beautiful poem in Sanskrit Khelati Brahmande Bhagwan Bhagwan is playing how? Hamsasoham Hamsasoham Hamsasoham Sohamiti Hamsa I am the Hamsa I am the Hamsa I am the Hamsa at first I am the Hamsa I am the Jivatma later on Soham I am none other than you I am none other than you I am none other than you Khelati Brahmande Bhagwan please look up It is a beautiful song sung by a few people. It is a beautiful song, especially so marvellously sung by Swami Purushottamanandaji. It is available on YouTube. I hope so, so you go. Ram Yathai wanders. How long? Not long, just one night. And then, when he wakes up, he understands, I have come away from my father, I have come outside the house, it is dangerous, so many wild animals are there, and he runs into the hands, lap of the mother. How does he do that? Prathak Atmanam, that is, I am separate from God, I am an individual, I have nothing to do with Brahman. And that is what he says. And Praritaram, he is my controller. I am small, he is big. I know little, he knows everything. I am of little power and he is all-powerful. And he protects me always. So I turn to him, I pray to him, I repeat the mantra, what happens? That Paramatma, called Paramahamsa, Yushtaha, blessed, and he will be pleased, Tathaha, by pleasing, Amrutatvam Yathi, he grants Amrutatvam, may your consciousness be awakened. The Jeeva, individual being, considering itself separate and different from the Lord, who is the moving force, wanders in the wheel of Brahman, in which all beings live and rest, but prayed to him, blessed by that Paramatma. And knowing oneself to be one with the Lord, at last, the Jeeva runs to the mother's lap and there happily rests in the lap of the mother. It's a beautiful mantra. There are implications are there. That's why some sadhus are also called Hamsas. There are a kind of sannyasins called Hamsas. There are Paramahamsas. Ramakrishna is called a Paramahamsa. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. And it is not something, a title bestowed by the British government, but it is naturally obtained, seeing he could not even keep up his clothes. And when there are no clothes, Digambara, everybody understands he was like a small baby. You don't look at a baby without clothes, accepting with the utmost affection and love. That is how Ramakrishna used to inspire bodilessness and something other than the body in other people also. This, we will talk about it in our next class. Om Jananem Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padmetayo Srutva Pranamami Mohur Moho May the Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.