Bhagavad Gita Ch12 part 07 on 27 December 2020

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum Sarvopanishadho Gavo Dogdha Gopalanandana Partho Vatsah Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Geetha Amritam Mahat Mukham Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langhayate Girim Yat Kripatam Aham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam We have been studying the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Bhakti Yoga. We have to learn if we want to be real bhaktas, we have to develop certain spiritual characteristics. And how do we know? Because first of all the description itself comes only from Bhagavan Krishna himself, his own mouth. That's why it is called Bhagavad Gita, the song and it is called a song because everything that comes out of Bhagavan is like a beautiful song and it is very pleasant to hear and it is the greatest benefit it gives us and it awakens us, corrects us and lovingly draws us to his lotus feet. That's why it is called Gita. Bhagavatam means a story of Bhagavan and as we mentioned for most of us bhakti is the only way. We are really discussing what are the qualities, more than 20 spiritual qualities from verse 13 until practically 19th, the end of the chapter and this twelfth chapter has only 20 shlokas but if anybody reads even this from 13th to 19th and that tries to practice to acquire these spiritual qualities, such a person will be so blessed he need not to do, read or study anything else. Yesterday we discussed Advaishta, Sarvabhoothanam, Maitraha, Karunayevacha, Nirmamon, Nirahankaraha, Samadukha, Sukha, Kshami. Sarvabhoothanam, Advaishta. He doesn't hate anybody because he sees the same divine lord. He doesn't hate anybody because we hate only when we are suffering and here is a devotee, he understands the words of God that if suffering comes it is because of my own prarabdha. If happiness comes that also only because of the will of God or my prarabdha. Either will of God or because of the prarabdha and they are not in opposition. My prarabdha alone is brought into our lives by the will of God. Either way that I accept all responsibility. Nobody is really the cause of my happiness or unhappiness. Therefore not only there would be no hatred, if there is hatred as I mentioned earlier then it is impossible to think of God. Not only I should get rid of hatred but how do I get rid of hatred? By being friendly to everybody. So this is called Mitra and yesterday we were talking about what is it called. Really speaking what is true friendship. Bhartru Harish I have quoted very beautifully. So what is it? A real friend, words of sin, prompts for good deed, conceals the secret, reveals the merits, does not leave a friend in distress, renders help in crisis. These the wise say are characteristics of a good friend. So this is the indication of a friend. Then we come to this. This very body is given to us. Because of this body we want to keep this body in happiness and avoid unhappiness. But what is this body made up of? Why is this body given to us in the first place? Do we really own the body or is it something borrowed from somebody else? These are the beautiful points we will discuss right now. This physical body is made up of what? Five elements. Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala, Adhya and Prithvi. Everything what we call, what scientists call this cosmos is made up of these five elements and these five elements have come from where? From God, from Atman and our bodies came from where? From these five elements. Therefore this body belongs to whom? To God only. So to consider that this body is my body, this body is my body, that is called, that is Ahamkara. I am the body. No sir, this body doesn't belong to you. You are not the body. Neither this body belongs to you, neither anything in this world belongs to you. But everything that I am, my body and I possess, my home, my family, my property and the whole world is a gift from the Lord. It is, He has given it. Why He has given it? So that I can understand what is life and I can strive to go forward and I can attain finally oneness with God. I can attain Moksha or Mukti as we have just been discussing in the Mundaka Upanishad. We see Shri Ramakrishna. We at least know intellectually that liberation is the highest goal of life. But I need an instrument to reach there cognitively. Then what do I need? A body, a mind and it is given to us like when we go to the gymnasium, they are given a machine and we have given the instructions how to strengthen our muscles. So also I have to use it properly and if I can use it properly then I will attain liberation and that is the purpose God has given us. Then only I will be totally free from debt to Him. That is the rent I have to pay. As I mentioned earlier with regard to Guru Dakshina, an incident I mentioned. It is worth remembering it here. Once a devotee who took initiation from Belur Math came to see a Swami whom he knew earlier. A Swami did not know why he came. So he came to know. Then Swami asked him, did you offer Guru Dakshina? The devotee replied, yes that is our usual prescribed a plate in which fruits, sweets, some piece of cloth, some money is offered to the Guru as Guru Dakshina. The Swami instantaneously replied, that is not a true Guru Dakshina. True Guru Dakshina is taking the mantra that you received by the grace of the Guru, do Sadhana and when you attain Mukti, that time your Guru will be free from your burden. That is a true Guru Dakshina. So this body is given to us only for the sake of practicing spiritual disciplines slowly albeit surely progressing towards God and if we can be aware this is the goal in my life and I am struggling to do my level best. God will be highly pleased. He will remove all the obstacles. He will send us people who will guide us properly and help us properly. The journey will be pleasant and fast. So we have to be grateful that this body mind, first of all I am not the body and secondly I have been given they do not belong to me. I cannot do what I like to do. In this connection I also explained in one of my classes, Totapuri was ignorant of the fact that his body, his so-called body doesn't belong to him. It belongs to the Divine Mother. So he decided to give it up. Then he entered into the Ganges without Mother's permission. It is impossible even to commit suicide. One cannot give up the body. For that God's will is necessary but one should not never contemplate committing suicide because when we suffer terribly, when we think it is intolerable, when we are thinking of a way of escape then only the thoughts of suicide enter into our minds but we have to remember whatever suffering or happiness comes is all because of our past deeds catching up with us in the form of Sukha and Dukha. Anyway Totapuri was given the revelation later on that your body, your mind, your property, if at all anything, everything belongs to me. So Totapuri's body was the body. Totapuri's mind was Divine Mother's mind. What was the property we are talking about? Mother had given him as a property the knowledge of Brahman and don't become proud this is my knowledge and I have just taken back my knowledge. No sir, it is given by Mother and if she wants she can also take it back. That is beautifully expressed in that beautiful often quoted song at least I quote it very often. Some people you bestow, elevate them to the position of Brahma. Probably other people you will bring them down to the lowest position or the same person can also be brought to the lowest sense. So Totapuri understood nothing belongs to me, everything belongs to the what is called Panchabhutas and the Panchabhutas belong to God therefore ultimately everything belongs to God. That is being expressed by Bhartruhari whom I quoted yesterday and even today and this Bhartruhari is a great sage in the end. So he wrote a beautiful book called Vairagya Shatakam and here what is he telling at the very fag end of his life. He is telling that this body has to be offered. You oh mother you have given me this body and this mind. I am giving them back to you especially the physical body and that he expresses it here beautifully. What is he telling? These Panchabhutas, five elements, this body is made up of that. This Arthi is my mother. The air, Panchadevata vayu is my father. Agni is my greatest friend because for wandering monks Agni that is that's why they call it very sacred fire Dhuni for wandering monks. It is my greatest friend. This fire protects me from what is called cold. It cooks my food and it also helps to digest my food etc. Subandho Jalaha, my greatest another friend well-wisher is the water. Without water man cannot survive for long. Brataha Vyomaha, this Akasha is my brother. Nibadha Esha Bhavatham Antyam. So all these things you have gifted them to you. So Antyam Pranam Anjali. I am prostrating myself to you oh Panchadevatas and I am giving back to you what you have been given so kindly and protected me, helped me and achieve my end. Therefore with greatest gratefulness with pranamas I am giving. Then what is he telling you know? Without you I would never have been able to practice spiritual disciplines. Without your help I would never have been able to understand the highest truth. In other words without you I would never have got Brahma Jnana. Yushmat Sanga Vasha Upajata, the resultant of associating with great souls like you. Sukruta and this has produced tremendous punya. Udrekaspura Nirmalam, a tremendous, the most purifying, the realist knowledge has dawned upon me. What is that knowledge? The knowledge that I am not the body mind but I am Brahman. All this was made possible only because of your grace, Panchabhuta's grace, Panchadevata's grace and then what happened? What is that knowledge and what result do I get? Jnana Apastha Samastha Moha Mahima. Samastha, completely Moha Mahima, the glory of Moha, Maha Maya, that which kept me all along in this world, bound me to this world. Jnana Apastha, this knowledge I obtained through your grace has completely destroyed this delusion and then what is the result? Lie Parabrahmane. Now happily I am going back to my real mother and father which is Brahman. I am going to merge myself in Brahman. This is called Brahma Leena, merging oneself in Brahman. I am merging into Brahman. I am handing over all the instruments you have given me, my respectable, grateful salutations to you and that should be the attitude of each one of us. It is the body, the mind, the indriyas, the buddhi. Everything is your gift. How do we know? Every day, every good Hindu has to repeat this prayer. What is that? You are the Srishtikarta, creator of this world. You have created all these five elements, Panchadevatas. Out of these Panchadevatas, my subtle as well as gross body is formed and with the help of these subtle bodies, I am able to progress. I would like to progress. Please give me that buddhi, right understanding. What is the right understanding? These do not belong to me but these belong only to you but out of your infinite grace, you have given, lent me these things so that I can also cross this samsara sagra afterwards. I will give back to you. Ramakrishna used to express these meanings so beautifully, so very well. Say, there are some people who suffer from thirst but there is no water. What do they do? They take some instrument and dig a well and then they quench their thirst from the water that springs from the bowels of the earth. After that what do they do? They keep the instruments there because so long as the well is working, other people are welcome to quench their thirst also. This is like people like Ramakrishna. But there are some people, say, after eating a mango, they wipe even their mouth not to let anybody know that we had enjoyed a very sweet mango. But what are these unselfish people? What do they do? They just leave the instruments. They quench their thirst, leave the instruments there for the help of other people. With the idea, let them also enjoy these things. So there are Vasantavat Lokahitam Charantaha. Some Mahatmas, like spring breeze, they go on doing good to the whole universe. And this idea is beautifully expressed again. What Bhartruhari said, what we are discussing and what every great soul does is actually derived from the Upanishads. There is another Upanishad called Isavasya Upanishad. In that mantra 17, here is a sadhaka, he prayed to the Deity. I am a devotee of satya and dharma. I demand, I am your child. I want my own heritage. You remove this veil of maya. I want to realize you. And out of the grace, God has removed the veil. And then he says, Yuvasau Sohamasmi. There is absolutely no difference between you and me, what you are. Yuvasau Sohamasmi. I am the very same. That means Aham Brahmasmi. And then his body and mind were instruments which helped me to reach this final goal. So what is he telling? Vayu ranilam amrutam atha idam bhasmantagam shariram om krato smara kritagam smara krato smara kritagam smara. This Videhamukta, just before death, he is prayed for the final realization, got it. What is he doing? Says this worthless body, worthless mind, I am throwing it out. No sir. This is a gift of God and let this body go back to the five elements. Let the mind also, sukshma sharira also, the causal sharira also go to their constituent elements. I am so grateful. With the help of them, I crossed this ocean of samsara. Now let them be given to the real owner who brings them to that. And this idea again Swami Vivekananda is expressing in his inimitably song which is called the song of samadhi. And there such a beautiful expression he gives. Nahi surya nahi jyoti nahi shashanka sundara. There is neither the sun nor any of the lights, neither the beautiful moon. Bhasev yo me chhaya sama chobi vishwa characha. This entire universe like a shadow is floating in the ocean of Brahma, in the ocean of Brahma akasha. Asputa mana akashe. In that indeterminate what is called the space, inner space. Jagata samsara bhashe. This whole universe has come out of it. It is existing within it and it will again lean back or merge back into it. Uthe bhashe punaha punaha. It is uthe bhashe dube punaha. It arises like a bubble and goes back into the same water and aham shrothe niranthar. Constantly it is going back. Dheere dheere chhaya dal mahalaye praveshalu. All these elements which make up our three bodies, the gross, subtle and the causal, slowly slowly in that unmanifest, mahalaya means unmanifest, they entered. Bhuhe matro ami ami. What remains? I am Brahman. I am Brahman. Ei dhara anukkhon. Always this one, if at all to be expressed, aham brahmasmi. That is the only stream, that is the only breeze that is going on constantly. Lo, the sun is not nor the calmly moon. All light extinct in the great void of space floats shadow like this image universe. In the void of mind involute, there floats the fleeting universe, rises and floats, sinks again, ceaseless in the current I. Slowly slowly the shadow multitude entered the primal OM and flowed ceaseless, the only current, the I am I am. And this attitude is called nirahankaraha nirmamaha. Neither I am this nor this belongs to me. Sri Ramakrishna finally clinches the teaching of the scriptures, essence of the scriptures and says when a person is able to get rid of I and mind, that is called liberation and that is the final stage and this is what many of the bhajans, tanu mana dhana sabkuchi thera. This body, this mind, this wealth, this property, sabkuchi, everything thera. And there is another song, probably our devotees are very aware. Prabhu, my gulam, my gulam, my gulam. I am your slave, I am your slave, you are my master, you are my master. What does it mean? You own me but I do not own anything including me. Everything me and mine is I am a slave and it belongs only to you. This is called the final ahankara mamakara rahitaha nirmamaha nirahankaraha. Then sama dukha sukhaha. Such a person, when he gets this wisdom, he says let there be unhappiness, let there be happiness, let there be evil, let there be good but my mind becomes absolutely even-minded. That means I tolerate and I what is called forbear everything because either it is the will of God or it is the prarabdha, the result of what I did in my past life. And kshami, there are people who are going to do some harm to me again because of my own result of my own past deeds. What should I do? They are not the guilty people, they are not criminals, they are not responsible for my miseries and sufferings. In the last chapter, we have seen this idea that was expressed so beautifully when Arjuna was confused and then he asks Bhagawan, who are you? I am unable to realize you. I can realize you because I know I am Arjuna, I know you are Krishna but you are Krishna, you are the Divine Lord Ishwara. That fact I cannot understand much less accept it. Who are you? And then gives a most profound reply, kaloham lokakshayakrit pravruttho. I am here in the form of kala in time. Kala means time. In time, there would be birth, there would be all the fivefold, another fivefold changes. Finally, death will be there, ending with death. And within that, there would be happiness, unhappiness, sitoshna, mana apamana, jaya apajaya, sukha and dukha, this labha and alabha. All these are the waves that come. And how do they come? Because of what deeds I do, good or evil. So, every spiritual aspirant, first, this body is God's, second, whatever this body-mind possesses, this personality processes, that is also belonging to God. Thirdly, whatever experiences come to this body-mind during this particular birth is all the resultant of what I have done in the past or God is bringing them to me for my own enlightenment, for my own edification. All these things are given to me. They should be taken in that light. If we can take in that positive light, then we progress in life. We will slowly give up our evil tendencies, acquire virtuous tendencies, spiritual qualities, which are being enumerated here. And slowly, I will move forward. That one of the qualities is called kshami. Let any number of people give me trouble, suffering, I would just forgive them and forget them. One of the tests of forgiveness is forgetfulness. When a child shouts at the mother, the mother not only forgives, forgets also. Most of us, we may forget in course of time, but the moment the memory comes, we lose our calm and our blood pressure goes up, shoots up like anything else. One of the greatest qualities is kshami. I will forgive you. Forgive not because I am great, because you are not responsible, my friend. It is my own prarabdha which has brought on me all these things. That is the person's nature, kshami. Then santushta satatam, always content. Whatever comes, I will be content with it. And yogi, constantly, satatam yogi, not one hour in the morning, not one hour in the evening, satatam, I will try to remember God. Yogi means he who practices yoga. Yoga means I will try to come nearer to God. That which joins us with God, that is called yoga. So trying to remember God, trying to feel everything belongs to Him, including me, that is called yoga. Such a person who strives constantly, he is called a yogi and so he is called yatatma. Constant striver is called yatatma. But sometimes we forget our minds escape, run here and there, which we all know. Okay, when it goes, you simply say, this is because of my old habit. I can't help it. Let me immediately turn our attention. Do not waste more time regretting why we have not been able to keep our thoughts on higher ideal or God. That is called constant striving and above all an iron will, dridhanis chaiyaha, a will, a gigantic will, Swami Vivekananda calls it. Even if I am to be destroyed, I will not give up my sankalpa, my intention, my goal. That is being sold here, dridhanis chaiyaha. Sri Ramakrishna was having that and what is called bendable iron will. That is what Swami Vivekananda hints it, tyagi ishwara he narabhara. Then afterwards he comes, dridhanis chaiyaha, a person once he decides that this is what I need to do. No gods, no asuras can ever deviate him from that path. These are the some of the qualities we have to get. In the second, end of the second chapter, we also get, you know, sthita prajna lakshana. Prajahati yatha khaman sarvan partha manogatan. Atmanyeva atmanatushtaha sthita prajna tadavuchyate. Who is a sthita prajna, who is a person whose mind is completely fixed in God, a realized soul, he never desires anything and even if God makes him desire to do something, he says it is God's will, not my will. Not only that, atmanyeva atmanatushtaha, is so happy within himself, with the atman, with the atmananda, with the brahmananda, he doesn't care for anything else, is supremely content. Such a person is described as a sthita prajna. Then there is also the next shloka. This is the 15th shloka, 14th we have to come now. santushtaha satatam yogi yathatma dridhaniseha. We completed that part. mayy arpita manobuddhi yo mad-bhaktaha same priyaha. These two shlokas 13 and 14 have to be read together. So earlier he said, you know, adveshta sarva-bhutana, maitraha, karuna, nirmamaha, nirahankaraha, samadukha sukhaha, kshami. Then continuing, santushtaha satatam, always content. Whatever comes, good, bad, winter or summer, happy or unhappy, he will be completely satiated. But wherefrom he is getting all his happiness? From God, from atman and nothing else. That is what Geluva Mangala says, O Lord, let me love you so much. If you want, make me reborn as an insect, not once, any number of times you want. But one thing please do not deprive me. Let me never lose my devotion to your lotus feet. Let me love you. Devotion means love. Always remember, love means four things. Love means four things. If you love something, four things must happen. First of all, whenever the thought of that object you love comes to your mind, that makes yourself very happy. A mother remembers the child and always happy. And in fact, she cannot forget, that is the second thing that happens. Then the mother always is concentrated. That means the forgetfulness cannot be allowed with a loved object. If we truly love, we cannot forget. If we truly love, our mind cannot go hither and thither. If mind goes hither and thither, it means our love is very small. It may be beginning, but it has not grown up really strong. Really if we love, the lover cannot forget the beloved. That is the third thing that happens. What are the things? Joy is the first characteristic. Then forgetfulness is impossible, second characteristic. The mind becomes totally focused. That is the third characteristic. And fourth characteristic is, let whatever happens to me happen, but what I love, let it be always happy. This complete unselfishness is the fourth result of love. I want here to emphasize only one thing, that is called joy. When a person is so joyful, how can the mind go anywhere? Only when we feel, I am lacking, I am unhappy, I want to be happy, so I have to do something. This is what is Santushtaha Satatam. And Yogi, as we described, he is always constantly thinking only about God. Yatatma, until he becomes one with God, he will never stop his spiritual striving. That is called Yatatma, constant striver. And he has an iron will. What is that iron will? I only want God. I don't want anything else. Ramakrishna is one of the six greatest characteristics he possessed from his very childhood. Swamish Ardhanandji informs us. He is called Dhridaneshchaya. Once Ramakrishna makes up his mind, whether it is God or devil, cannot deviate him from his path. One of the examples is, his elders, his mother, this has happened after the passing away of his father, wanted to invest him with sacred thread. There was a lady who helped him come out from his mother's womb, Dhani. And this Dhani loved Gadai. And it was her cherished desire that I want to have first Bhiksha after he is invested with sacred thread. That is supposed to be a tremendously meritorious deed. So this Dhani one day asked, Baba Gadai, I have this desire. Will you out of your grace fulfill this desire, my child? Immediately he knew she was really deserving and she loved him. He said, yes, my first Bhiksha will be from you. And when the elders came to know, oh, this is not in our tradition. A first Bhiksha should be taken only from one's own mother. Then he said, look here, sacred thread ceremony is meant to make a person truthful. And what are you trying to tell me? The very first thing you are trying to tell me is to break my promise to this lady. I promised. Either I fulfill my promise or there would be no sacred thread. You decide what you want to do. And there was a tug of struggle among them. But finally, they had to bend down their heads to the will of, after all, he is God, you know, he will get what he wants to get. What is called Sathya Kaamaha, Sathya Sankalpaha. This is called Dhridhanashchaya. Then we move on to the 14th shloka. Mayi arpita mano buddhi yo mad-bhaktaha. Second part of the 14th shloka. Mayi arpita manaha buddhi yo mad-bhaktaha same priya. With this 14th, the one idea is complete. Some of these spiritual qualities complete. The Lord is telling that devotee who possesses these qualities which I have prescribed in this 13th and 14th, so that bhakta, such a person, and I consider him as my bhakta, not anybody else. What are the further qualifications? Mayi arpita, those sadhakas who have completely surrendered, offered, what? Manaha, their mind. Buddhi, their buddhi and this offering is the most dearest acceptable offering to me. What does this shloka really mean? Manaha means all emotional. Mind is a storehouse of emotions. I am happy, I am unhappy, I have this, I don't have this, this is my friend, I hate him, this is my enemy, I love him. Does anybody think like that? Yes, many times when our friends disappoint us, that's what we think and when sometimes unconsciously or maybe consciously when our so-called enemies and really a bhakta should not have any enemies. Earlier it is said People who show an active dislike for me, suddenly sometimes they may be doing good to me. Then you say, but my mind and buddhi should not be shaken. Oh, this person is so good, I had a wrong opinion about him, I thought he did not like me, but he is doing this good and this person I truly relied upon him. I was expecting that he will stand by me and now he also deserted and that brings in more what is called dislike than even towards the people whom we know they do not like us because we are expecting in this case. In the other case of our so-called enemies, we expect only hatred and dislike and unhappy actions, but we always expect from our friends what is sweet, what is good etc. But when these people they fail in their duty, our dislike, hatred towards them is redoubled and that is what should not be there in a devotee. You must under all circumstances, your emotions will be only filled with positive emotions, happy emotions, contented emotions because everything happens I know by the will of God. Similarly buddhi means that understanding, right understanding. Oh Lord, you are the sathya, only the knowledge which you give will be the real knowledge. This way buddhi yogam dadasi, you give me the right understanding and what comes from you that is the only thing. In the imitation of Christ, we get in the very first chapter itself, silence all you teachers. Oh Lord, speak to me. For what you speak to me, that is the only real benefit that I get. Totally depend upon God. Shri Ram Krishna used to say, whenever he spoke some such deep meaning words and which benefit many people, especially some particular people who approach him, even without their asking or expressing, somehow the topic comes and Shri Ram Krishna speaks. These people were astonished. This was the doubt or question I had and I never had opportunity to ask but Shri Ram Krishna has solved my problem even without my asking and then Shri Ram Krishna used to say, I have not solved your problem, I have not spoken. Who spoke? My mother spoke. Who solved your problem? My mother solved your problem. The credit doesn't accrue to me at all. Better Shri Ram Krishna had practiced it. Such a person who is all emotions are offered to me, that means he is happy when I am remembered. He is unhappy when his mind forgets me and thinks of only happiness, not the other way round. Thinking what other people are thinking about me, that person has made me unhappy, this person made me happy, these are worldly thoughts but here I am only concerned. A true devotee is only concerned. I want God's certificate, not any Tom, Dick and Harry certificate because he offered his mind, that means I get my joy only from God. If at all I have to suffer, I get my suffering only from God. It is mother's will. I totally surrender myself to him. Let him, let the mother cat keep the kitten on a master's bed or on a refuge heap. The kitten always knows only my mother but this person is Santush Taha Satatam, always happy because he knows whatever is happening, is happening by the will of God and his mind, his buddhi, has right understanding because it has not come from the world. It came only from God, as a gift of God, as a manifestation of God. He knows it. When a person totally surrendered and this is called surrender, surrender the mind, surrender the buddhi, that is called surrender, automatically other qualities will accrue to such a person. Such a bhakta, he is such a me priyaha. That person is such a me priyaha. He is my devotee. He alone is my devotee and he is very dear to me. Next verse. So here in this one verse such a bhakta is exceedingly dear to me. That type of bhakta alone is my nearest to me and dearest to me. Another meaning of cha means also, means along with other qualities, these qualities also must be manifesting in my devotee. What are the qualities? He by whom the world is not afflicted and whom the world cannot afflict. He who is free from joy and anger, fear and anxiety, such a devotee is exceedingly dear to me. It's a beautiful verse. We have to understand in depth. There is a person and he thinks or he claims he is a spiritual aspirant. He must have these qualities. This is what Bhagawan himself is imparting to his own devotee. You want to be my devotee. You must acquire these qualities. Then only you will be dear. You will be dear. Everybody is dear to God. Nobody is disliked by God because God knows everybody is me. But some people are near, some people are very far away from him. In the Isavasya Upanishad, that Atman is far away. That Atman is exceedingly near to one. He is inside. He is also outside. He moves. He also doesn't move. What does it mean? For whom the Atman is so far away? It's not that. Mars is somewhere. Australia is somewhere. I am in India. The distance between India and Australia is a long long distance away. Not in that sense. Shankaracharya clarifies the meaning very very nicely. He says the wise person, he knows that Atman whom I am seeking is near to me, nearest to me, not nearest to me. He is me. I am he. I am never ever separated from him. Such a person that for him God is the nearest. But for those who are ignorant, what is it? God exists or not, I don't know and I am this. Everything else is separate from me. This feeling I am limited. I am separate. I am here. Something is very far away. I am unhappy. Happiness is far away. I want my desire fulfilled and the object of my desire is very far away. This kind of thinking is called ignorance and for an ignorant person God ever remains and so long as the devotee is really ignorant, God remains far far away. Sri Ramakrishna tells, following the Bhagavatam, there are three types of devotees. The third class devotee says God is somewhere in Vaikuntha, Kailasa, very far away. Second class devotee says God is inside me but the first class devotee says God is everywhere. God is inside me, outside me. He is far away. He is near me. He is everywhere and when a person understands this, then whom is he going to fear? Such a person knows the whole universe is nothing but God. If everything is God, I look at a tiger, it is Vyagra Narayana. I look at a cobra, it is Sarpa Narayana. I look at anything, that is nothing but Narayana. That is what for Pralada, the fire was Narayana, the elephant was Narayana, the Trishula was Narayana, the Khadga was Narayana, the water was Narayana, the earth was Narayana, everything was, the mountain was Narayana. Father tried to put him in the fire. Simply he said, oh Agni, you are Narayana. What can the Agni do? After all it is recognized. How can it kill itself? That means if Narayana, Agni is Narayana, that Narayana is Pralada. How can one kill one's own Atman? It is impossible. So also, his father buried him and he said Prithvi Narayana. And then how can the Prithvi do anything? Prithvi can bury anything else, cover up everything else, excepting itself. Then his father threw him from a mountain and to the rocks below. He said, this Silpa, this rock, that is also Narayana. So rock falls on the rock. What happens? Nothing happens. So he could not die. The rock could not heal him. Father threw him into water and water became Narayana and Apo Narayana. What can it do? Then the father wanted to kill him by a sword and pierce him by this Shola. But the Shola is Narayana. The sword is Narayana. And then his father tried. Some elephants have come and Pralada said, Lord, you deigned to come in the form of the elephants. What can the elephant do? It bowed down. To whom? Not to Pralada. To itself. Because Pralada became Narayana. Narayana Maya. What did the elephant see? He said, so Lord, you came and rescued me in the form of Gajendra. Today, will I be so ungrateful to put my foot on you? That is not possible for me. So bowed down respectfully, probably bringing him back, sprinkling some water also. So death cannot come. What is death? Narayana. Mrutyu Narayana. Everything is Narayana. That is the meaning of this beautiful Shloka. A smirk from such a spiritual person who thinks all the time about God and he becomes God and from God who fears because God is the Suhrut, the well-wisher of everybody. God is our mother, Mata, Dhata, Pitamaha, Pita. Everything is God. Father is God. Mother is Tvameva Mata, Pita Tvameva, Tvameva Pandhu, Sakha Tvameva, Tvameva Vidyadravina Tvameva, Tvameva Sarvam, Mamadeva Deva. Who can do anything? Who can fear anything? Does a child fear the mother, father? So this from this person no object fears and at the same time this person also because he sees God everywhere he is not fearing. Lot to speak about it but I will end this one with an anecdote. Shankaracharya wanted to establish an organization, this Darshanami Sampradaya. He was searching for a place suitable for that in South India. So it is said he came to this Sringeri and at that time it was very hot and he beheld a very strange sight. He saw a deadly cobra spread its hood. What was it doing? A female frog was giving birth to a baby and this cobra is spreading and protecting that female frog from getting hurt by the fierce sun rays heat and when Shankara said these deadly enemies can behave so friendly this must be the greatest spiritual place. So it is said he established this Sringeri Mata at that place because the place itself is so holy vibrating. This word bhaya means fear and abhaya fearlessness are very meaningful words and we will have to discuss further as I threatened you yesterday. It will take some time but I think it is worth to discuss in our next class. Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Ardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagat Kurum May the Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.