Bhagavad Gita Ch16 part 04 on 28 August 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM VASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM SARVO PANISHADHO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANAH PARTHO VATSHAH SUDHIR BHOKTAH DUGDHAM GEETHA AMRITAM MAHAT MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM YAT KRIPATAM AHAM VANDE PARAMANANDA MADHAVAM We are studying the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, very aptly called Daiva Asra Sampat Vibhaga Yogaha. In our last class, we had discussed about Dhanam and then entered into the special subject called Yajnam. So for that, Shankaracharya gives a beautiful definition, Yajnascha Shrautaha Agnihotradhehe, Yajna or sacrifice. What is it? Agnihotra, etc. But sanctions by the Vedas only. Smarthascha Deva Yajnadhehe. Not only sanctioned by the Vedas, but sacrifices in honor of gods and others, but sanctioned again by the Smritis. Smritis and Shrutis, there is not much difference really. Smriti, secondary scripture are completely based upon the primary scriptures which are called Shrutis or that which has been revealed to the Rishis in the depths of their meditation. Now again, there are three types of, three ways of performing a Yajna. A Yajna is a sacrifice. We will come to the meaning of it. But there are three ways, three classes of Yajnas are there which we get in the next chapter, 17th chapter, 11th, 12th and 13th. If a person is endowed with Sattva, the way he performs Yajnas is first class, totally different. And the person who is full of Rajas, his Yajna will be of a different type, it is second class. But the Yajna sacrifices performed by the person who is full of Tamas is of lowest class and so the results also will be in consideration, in conjunction with the type of Shraddha, Sattviki Shraddha, Rajasi Shraddha, Arthamasika Shraddha. So what are those shlokas, beautiful shlokas? This is Sat-Sattvika sacrifice. Details we will come in the future class. That is desiring a specific worldly desire. Whereas a Sattvika person only has spiritual progress in mind. Rajasika person wants to enjoy this world and whatever he does, there is so much of show, outward show is there but he will do with first class materials unlike miserly fellows. But the worst type of sacrifice is by those who are endowed Vidhi Hinam, not according to the prescription of the scriptures, Ashrishtanam, he never distributes any food, that means he will not give any sacrifice. Mantra Hinam, the way he utters the mantras are the most horrible way. Adakshinam, he doesn't make a person who is performing this yajnas happy. Shraddha Viratam, he is not even endowed with proper Shraddha. Such a person is called a Tamasika person and the result is also commensurate with the type, all these types. I am just mentioning because it is not one type of sacrifice but it depends upon what particular quality Sattva, Rajas or Tamas we are endowed with. That's why very important, the most important thing is how we can travel or replace Tamas by Rajas Rajas by Sattva and not even stick to Sattva but get beyond the net of Sattva because it is also Maya but it is aptly called Vidya Maya and it is said in the Vedas, I am going to tell you a brief history of Yajna because the topic has come. It is said in the Vedas that the Lord, Purusha, God made a sacrifice himself for the sake of creation. Not only that, he is sustaining this creation through continual sacrifice for it is he who is manifest in the form of the sun, the moon, air, water, fire, earth. Not only that, from within each one of us he is manifesting in the form of the Jathara Agni digestive fire called Vaishvanara Agni about which we have studied in depth in the 15th chapter. Without him, there would be no creation, there would be no maintenance and naturally there would be no resolution also. So this is beautifully brought out in a wonderful Sukta. Sukta means the highest truth embodied in a very short utterance called Suktam or a hymn. Especially we get in the Rig Veda and this particular sacrifice hymn is called Purusha Sukta. I am quoting from there. When there being no external material other than the Purusha himself, the Devas performed a universal sacrifice in contemplation by the mind with the Purusha himself as the sacrificial offering. The spring season was the clarified butter, the summer was the fuel and the autumn the oblation. They set up for sacrifice the Purusha as the object of their meditation. Him who was prior to all creation and they the Devas, Sadhyas and Rishis thus performed this first sacrifice. It has wonderful meaning but today I will just give you a brief meaning. If we get opportunity, I have the desire to take up these Suktas which are full of meaning on our Thursday classes when these Eksha Prashnas are over. So meaning of this is creation came out of sacrifice and sacrifice is the law of life. Life is a continual act of sacrifice willingly, unwillingly or consciously or unconsciously. Every living creature, in fact everything in this world is forced to participate in the sacrifice. I will just give you a brief statement. The rivers, the mountains, the forests, the earth, the five elements, the earth, the water, the fire, the air and the space. According to modern scientists, these are all non-living things but they are also being born. There was a time when there are no mountains, no forests, no deserts and no rivers, no earth, etc. They have the birth, they have the growth and they have also the destruction. That is how interestingly this earth is a chunk, a piece fallen because of the gravitational force of the sun. Similarly, the moon is a piece of the earth. That's why it has so much of effect upon our minds. Mind you, this is according to the modern scientists who know next to nothing. But our Vedic Rishis say this is all manifestation of God. Without them, there would be no life at all. Without the inorganic, there would be no organic at all. Without the inorganic, there would be no Darwinian evolution at all. So, everything is endowed with that divinity, that pure consciousness. That's why for a Hindu, everything is sacred. Earth is sacred, mountains are sacred, rivers are sacred, forests are sacred, every plant is a sacred, every animal is a sacred, every insect is a sacred. Everything living, non-living is nothing but pure manifestation of God. I have quoted in my earlier classes from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. He who is in the earth, whom the earth doesn't know, but the earth is controlled by whom? That Antaryami, the indweller, Purusha. He is none other than you. You know that you are that Purusha. So many quotations about the earth, about water, about the sun, about the moon, about everything. So, here is a great truth. What is the truth? We receive and we give out. This is the law of life. If we do not give, we will not be able to receive. And if we are not able to receive, we just die. Just imagine what happens if you only breathe in but never breathe out. Selfishness is self-destructive, really speaking. Bhagavan Krishna tells us in the Gita that one, a man who doesn't live a life of sacrifice, lives in vain. That is, he remains ignorant, he suffers, he causes suffering for other people. Therefore, one of the most important spiritual qualities is to convert entire life into a sacrificial act. In Vedic times, the ancient seers used to light a fire and perform varieties of sacrificial rites. Most of these were performed either for the fulfillment of some personal desires or for the general welfare. But in course of time, the Vedic seers acquired a holistic vision. They understood that the whole universe is an integrated whole and that everything depends upon everything else, both the living and the non-living. Just imagine there is only living and nothing of the non-living. Living will be dead, absolutely. Suppose there is no water, there are no mountains, there are no forests, there is no earth, water, fire, air and space, there would be no life at all. So, this understanding gave rise to the concept of the five great sacrifices which are incumbent upon every householder including sannyasins. What is the sannyasin's sacrifice? That he should study and understand and practice and pass on that knowledge not only to his disciples but to every earnest spiritual seeker. Devote study of the scriptures and teaching them to students, worshipping the gods, worshipping the ancestors, feeding the lower animals and serving fellow human beings are the five sacrifices. This is the concept which led Hinduism to deify rivers, mountains, animals, in fact everything. But this idea of sacrifice was slowly evolving. By the time of the Gita, the term sacrifice had acquired a new and deeper spiritual connotation. Any act which brings us nearer to God, which helps us to become less selfish and leads to the welfare of all society, that act came to be considered as a sacrifice. That is called Karma Yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita which we had studied, fourth chapter enumerates twelve types of sacrifices such as the worship of the gods, charity, study of the scriptures, sense control, food control, acquisition of knowledge, etc. This is what we are studying again in brief. All these are considered sacrifices because these sacrifices lead one gradually to the unfoldment of one's divinity. But of all these twelve sacrifices, Brahma Yagna, seeing Brahman in everything is considered the highest. It is the goal of all spiritual endeavour to become equal sighted. So sacrifice becomes valid only when it entails some amount of loss, pain or inconvenience. This is a very important point. Supposing there is a rich man and he donates very large amount of money. This cannot be really called a sacrifice since it doesn't deprive him of much. Suppose there is a billionaire and he sacrifices what is called multi-billionaire. He sacrifices all the billions excepting one billion. Does it entail any hardship on that person? As we say, his fourteen generations can live together or if he is reborn, which is sure, if he doesn't do sacrifice, he can live in comfort for the next one thousand years upon merely the interest that is gained of this billion dollars. Just if you know a little bit of maths. So you just think, supposing a person deposits money for just only uses the interest. How much interest does it give if a person really deposits or puts it in stock market by a reliable stock marketeer? Not only he gets interest, high interest, his capital also goes on increasing. But according to Hinduism, the highest interest is acquiring of punya, virtue, producing of papa, vice and that is the highest capital which anybody can do. Unfortunately, many of us, we have become so miserly. So sacrifice becomes valid only when it entails, there must be some amount of loss, pain, inconvenience, suffering. That's why Christ pointed out, some readers might recall the story of the widow who gave all that she had but one small penny. So even there is a beautiful story in the Mahabharata itself which Swamiji quotes of a mongoose, it entered with half of its body golden into the sacrifice of Yudhishthira, Pandavas, which everybody was praising that nobody had ever done this marvelous type of sacrifice in this whole world. And this mongoose, just then all the venerable guests have eaten and some remnants were living, falling there, here and there. The place was not yet completely cleaned. This mongoose went on rubbing its body, especially the half which has not turned into gold and it went to the whole, what is called, cafeteria but nothing happened. Then it addressed Yudhishthira, this is one of the worthless sacrifices which doesn't compare. Then it talks, there was a Brahmana consisting of himself, his wife, his son, his daughter-in-law and one day they got only one fistful of grain with that they cooked, divided it into four portions and suddenly a guest enters and all of them give up their own portions. As a result they died but entered the highest heaven. One or two grains were lying on the floor, left on the floor. This mongoose, because it is hungry, it happened to rub its body with that and half of its body became golden. Ever since that time, whenever it heard there was a great sacrifice, it used to go there, roll on the leavings of the food but nothing used to happen. This is a beautiful story taken by Swamiji and elevated to what is called one of the greatest spiritual stories illustrating the power of sacrifice in his book Karma Yoga, it comes. Anyway, what is the point? Sacrifice is that which entails quite a good amount of suffering, then only it is a sacrifice. So what is spiritual life and what is the place of sacrifice in spiritual life? Spiritual life is an attempt to transform every action into an act of sacrifice including the natural calamities, natural sufferings that we go through, fever, headache, accident, loss of limbs, loss of money, loss of property, loss of honour, loss of job, including loss of life itself. It can be done. A great hint is given in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad to us. But for an act to become a sacrifice, it must fulfil four conditions. I repeat, for an act to become, to be qualified, to be called as a sacrifice, it must fulfil four conditions. First, it must entail some amount of deprivation. Second, it must be done without the expectation of any return. Otherwise, it is just business. Three, it must be done for pleasing only God and none else. Four, it must help reduce one's selfishness and egotism and must be done with unselfconsciously, of course in the end. Unless these four conditions are fulfilled, any act doesn't deserve to be called a sacrifice. But another important point, again there are four stages through which the sacrificial journey progresses. First, the first stage of sacrifice is where we feel enormous gratitude for all that life and the world is providing us, it means God, including, it includes loss, failure, pain, suffering, etc. Why? Because for pain is a great teacher and inevitably leads us to God world. You do not find a saint who has become a saint by happiness, through what is called only pleasures. That's why Holy Mother, Vedic words, golden words, misery is a gift of God. Kunti, if you recall, had prayed only for sufferings from Lord Krishna. So this is the first stage. We have to be grateful, including suffering, because it is suffering which leads us to God. Second, in the second stage, we express our gratefulness in some form of return, charity, service, prayer, etc. So yagna need not be always charity, but if somebody has, let them give. Otherwise, some kind of service one can do. For example, one can go to the blind people and read. Of course, nowadays there are audio books are there, but nothing like a living person. Old age homes, you go and give company to some of these people who suffer from loneliness. And of course, Sarve janaha sukhino bhavantu sarve santu niramayaha prithivi satsya salini deshoyam kshogaravito brahmanaha santu nirbhaya etc. This is the most marvellous universal prayer. Everybody should chant this prayer every single day. This is the second stage. We return through some form of charity, service, prayer, etc. Even talking sweetly. Third, in the third stage, we feel strongly that the whole world is a manifestation of God and that everything in it really belongs to Him only. That means we do not feel that we are really sacrificing something. What God has given, what God has given a billion times, we may be giving just one time, one billionth part of it, but God understands. He doesn't mind. What He wants to see, whether we are offering with gratitude, with love, with unselfishness, not asking Him anything. In the last, fourth stage, one becomes firmly established, that means realises in this knowledge and joyously participates in the divine sport. Hindus famously call it Leela. Now Gopis, they had gone through this. Even this Rasha Leela is a marvellous expression of Gopis participating in the Leela. Who are the Gopis? Not women. They are every heart filled with devotion and Shraddha, faith, deep faith and only think of God. Such a heart is called Gopi and every devotee is called a woman in Vaishnava literature. For example, most of you, you must have heard me talking many times, quoting many times. Mirabai, she left her husband kingdom and came to Brindavan. There was a Goswami, a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. She wanted to meet him because he was a great holy man. She went to his ashram and one of his disciples saw her and said, what the hell do you want? Because he thought looking down upon women is the way to conquer desire, lust, etc. Because his guru has taken a vow he will never see the face of a woman. Mirabai, of course being a great soul, she never minds these things. I have come to see a great soul. What people think of me is immaterial. What they think about me doesn't count. But what I think about them, that alone counts. So she sarcastically replied, my son, I thought in Brindavan there is only one man. Where from this second man had come? And the stupid disciple of course never grasped the import of this. He ran to his guru and repeated. Immediately the Goswami came and then fell at the feet of Mirabai and said that I am so grateful for opening my eyes because I should see only Krishna and every devotee is a woman. It is nothing to do with gender, with sex. It is something to do with every woman especially a mother supposed to be filled with the most tenderness. Just imagine a mother has given birth just to a baby and the baby is sitting and getting suckled on her breast. What do you think? For that mother, in that mother the baby is God and all the love, that maternal love that is manifest in this universe is manifesting through her. At that moment she will be ready to sacrifice herself, body, mind, everything for the sake of the baby. I don't want to go into details but if you have some time go and meditate upon it. I will just give you a hint. Suppose somebody, some ruffian comes and says that I will kill you unless you consent to be my wife and if it is necessary to preserve the life of the baby she will do anything for that purpose. Let me go to hell but let my child be very happy. You think of any number of times. Of course, I have so many incidents crowding into my mind but I will just remind you. Shiva had great many devotees. They are called Shiva Yogis and one such story comes in the lives of Shiva Bhaktas who are 69 Shiva Bhaktas in Periya Puranam and one day Shiva wanted to test and he came in the form of a Sanyasi, a monk and a Shiva Bhakta, devotee of Shiva is ready to give anything. So this man was invited for food and the man said I will come to your house and accept food only on one condition. The man said any condition. Now first hear what is the condition. What is the condition, sir? You must offer your wife for my pleasure then only I will come and Shiva Bhakta said absolutely. Come inside for the sake of pleasing Shiva I will do anything. This body is nothing. Please go through these marvellous stories and enjoy them. So what are we talking? These four stages. First stage, we become aware everything is given by God. Second stage, God means in the form of the world. God rarely comes and gives directly. He always gives us in the form of the world including pain. Second stage, we become grateful and in the form of charity, service, prayer talking sweetly or even offering a glass of water etc. That is how we do it. Third, we progress so much in this progression called Yagna, sacrifice that we see it is God only who is manifesting. It is God himself who is sacrificing. We have discussed in the 15th chapter as the provider of food in the form of the sun, moon as the digester of food as everything including sleep also. So that is the third stage. And the last stage is I am not seeing God the manifestation of God I am that God and joyfully participate in the Leela. These are the four stages. Then you see, Swamiji described Sri Ramakrishna as Pranarpana Jagatatharana one who has offered his entire life as a sacrifice at the altar of humanity. Everyday we sing this in the Khandana Bhava Vandana hymn. And Holy Mother once was complained by a devotee that why Sri Ramakrishna had to suffer and she smiled mysteriously and said did Sri Ramakrishna come only to eat rasagullas, only sweets? He came to sacrifice himself. What about Holy Mother herself? What is Swami Vivekananda? What about all those who came? But here is something I have to add. Each one of us we are also potential divinities. We have to sacrifice and that is the only way to manifest our divinity. What is to sacrifice? That which helps us to know and manifest our innate divinity. Whether we do it willingly, unwillingly consciously, unconsciously nature ranges from us. Everything. It will not leave us. Nature will not leave us in the lurch until nature helps us to realize that we are none other than God. That's why nature is considered as the great mother. This is what Holy Mother says. Not only avataras they set an example of course but all of us. It is only through sacrifice of the scientists, of the artists, of the administrators, of the kings, of ordinary people even I am inclined to say that the people who kill what is called suicide bombers they are sacrificing their lives. Of course they will also manifest their divinity. It is a big subject. I am not going to go into it but I will just give you a hint in the brackets, parenthesis. What is it? That these acts are also done not by these people but by God. It is an extreme statement. Don't go on pestering or bombarding me but this is all included in the law of karma. No doubt about it. So Christ accepted crucifixion. That's what every Bible says. God sacrificed his own son for the welfare of the humanity. The same may be said of every incarnation Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus everybody. It is through sacrifice that one becomes great and glorious. Not only that, greatness is directly proportionate to sacrifice. Sacrifice of time, energy, wealth, comforts, everything. Above all, sacrifice of selfishness, etc. But the most important sacrifice of all these is giving up of selfishness, self-pity, sloth, pessimism, fault-finding, stubborn false opinions, bearing criticism and calamities, calmly, sincerely and cheerfully and attempting to reduce one's ego. All these are highly helpful forms of spiritual sacrifice. Of course, the highest sacrifice called Atma Yagna, complete self-surrender to the Divine is the ultimate act of sacrifice. One of the purposes of an incarnation of God is to inspire us with this ideal of sacrifice. That's why Swami Vivekananda says, Let's give up our whole body and mind and everything is an eternal sacrifice unto the Lord. In search of wealth in this world, Thou art the only wealth I have found. I sacrifice myself unto Thee. In search of someone to be loved, Thou art the only one beloved I have found. I sacrifice myself unto Thee. Let us repeat this day and night. Who says? Swamiji, Swami Vivekananda. But he was not the only man. There was a great poet called H. Longfellow and he wrote a beautiful poem. It's called A Psalm of Life and it is a big poem. I am just taking three small chunks. It says, Trust no future, however pleasant. Let the dead past bury its dead. Act. Act in the living present. Heart within and God overhead. Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime and departing. Leave behind us footprints on the sands of time. Footprints that perhaps another sailing over life's solemn main. A forlorn and shipwrecked brother seeing shall take heart again. What a marvelous inspiring poem this is. So, this is only very briefly I have talked about the history of Yagna. What is Yagna? It is a continual sacrifice so that we can manifest our divinity. What is Yagna? Sacrifice whatever leads us slowly albeit definitely to defeat of God and makes us unite completely with God forever. What is sacrifice? Giving up of all that is not God. It is all involved there. Now, we go to the seventh spiritual characteristic and one who is born with this is called a divine person and a divine person is assured by God that he will be liberated surely. What is the seventh one? Swadhyaya. Swadhyaya means scriptural study. So, Shankaracharyas I cannot but refrain to take this quotation from him. Swadhyaya Rigveda the Adhyayanam Adhrishtartham What a marvelous meaning is compressed in this. So, what is Swadhyaya? Study of the Vedas, Rigveda etc for obtaining unseen results and not only that here we have to understand what type of books we should read. If you are a Christian should you read Vedas? No. Should you read Bible? I would say no definitely. A Muslim read only the Quran? Yes, but not Quran. I would say definitely some other book. What other book? The lives of great saints. The lives of so many people have realized especially what you call Sufis. Read their lives. Then only the Quran becomes much more clearer. But here there is a special point. Study of the scriptures not any scripture. Of course, there is no harm in studying any scripture. Every scripture is good. But most of the time study of any scripture is a waste of time. That's why before the study of any scripture a person is reminded that what is the purpose you have in mind? Are you the right person to study the scripture? Is this the right book you should study? And what is it that you want to know? And what is the relationship of this book to that particular subject? So, it is given especially books suiting one's path only. What does it mean? If you are following the path of Bhakti study Bhakti scriptures. If you are following Raje Yoga study Yoga Sutras, etc. If you are following Karma Yoga books on Karma Yoga. And no book is greater than Swami Vivekananda's Karma Yoga. Such a book has not come in the whole past. What Swamiji did was everybody knew about snippets of information about Karma Yoga. But this is a classical study of Karma Yoga divided, I think, into 8 chapters each delineating a particular aspect of Karma Yoga beginning with the definition of what is called Karma. Such a deep book. In fact, you will never get a textbook called Karma Yoga. This is the one and only even today. So, if you want to follow Karma Yoga, you study Swami Vivekananda's Karma Yoga. And in that light, you study Bhagavad Gita or Yajnas, whatever it is. So, Sri Krishna advises every aspirant to practice Swadhyaya. Where? Here itself. Other places also. But here itself. So, Taittiriya Upanishad has got several commandments. Especially, about 16 or 18 commandments are there. One of the most important commandments. It is not suggestions. It is not just pointers. But it is a commandment. Satyam Vada first commandment. Dharmamchara second commandment. Speak truth. And second commandment. Practice righteousness. No choice. If you want your own good. What is the third commandment? Swadhyaya Ma Pramadaha. Never neglect study of scripture that is suitable for the path you are particularly following, which clearly delineates how to avoid obstacles, how there are shortcuts, how to understand properly your path and how to progress easily. So, Swadhyaya means the literal meaning of what is Swadhyaya. Not only study of the scripture. Of course, it is study of the scriptures. One's own scriptures. Scriptures suitable for the evolution of one's own spiritual life. But more important, study of one's own mind. Scriptures are the foundation of every religion. It is seen that religion without a scripture vanishes quickly and forever. And revered Yudhishthiraji Maharaj used to encourage all sadhakas, spiritual aspirants, to cultivate deep study of the scriptures. Why? Because study of the scriptures act like a buffer stopping the fall of the mind below the intellectual level. A sadhaka may fall. He may lose spiritual interest. But if he enjoys scriptures, then his mind will not come down from the level of the medha, intellectual level. So, what are the scriptures? These are the spiritual realizations of saints and mystics, the records of their experiences of the ultimate reality translated into local language and idiom. And, Swami Vivekananda says here, truths about the existence of God, the afterlife and the other world cannot be known through the five senses. They can be known only through the scriptures. Mystics, through their experiences, assert these truths. Hence, we can accept them only through faith until our own experience confirms them. And then, Sri Ramakrishna used to say, since reality is one, its experience must be the same for all. There is no such thing as that Christians realize one God, Hindus realize another God, Muslims realize another God, Buddhists realize Shoniam. Swami Shardanaji made it very clear, abundantly clear. What the Buddhism calls Shunyavada, a theory of complete annihilation, is nothing but what Vedanta calls pure Brahman because when you deny everything, what remains is you without any of the time, space, object limitations. So, Sri Ramakrishna, he is reaffirming the Rig Vedic proclamation. What is that proclamation? Truth is one, reality is one, but sages call it by various names. He illustrated it in the form of a water tank where there are four places, staircases, and the Muslims call it pani, Hindus call it jela, English people call it water, some people call it aqua, but they mean exactly the same thing. The seeming differences in the scriptures are due to language only and interpretations, very important. In different languages, just now I quoted pani, water, jela, aqua, different languages but meaning exactly the same thing. Now, Swami Vivekananda clarifies, truth is of two kinds, indriya chenya jnanam, that which is cognizable, obtainable by the five ordinary senses of man and by reasonings based thereon. Second, indriya teetam, that which is cognizable by the subtle, super sensuous power of yoga and knowledge acquired by the second only is called the Vedas. The person in whom this super sensuous truth which he realizes by this power are called the Vedas. This person who realizes is called a Rishi. This Rishihood, this power of super sensuous perception of the Vedas is real religion. Note here, perception of the Vedas not creation of the Vedas is real religion. And so long as this does not develop in the life of an initiate, so long is religion a mere empty word to him. This is what Swami Vivekananda crystal clearly says. Now, what are the functions of the scriptures? Remember, scientific books are not called scriptures. They are scriptures in the realm of science but strictly speaking scriptures means only that which contains spiritual truths and that which contains not local legends or not even lineages, stories, histories but that knowledge which one can gain through what is called beyond the five sense organs through direct experience. So what are the functions? One, it's from scriptures that we come to know that God exists and what is the goal of life and the various paths which lead us to Him. Two, we also come to know what should or should not be done, which qualities true devotees should acquire and which defects one should overcome slowly, etc. Three, since human beings are different in their nature and temperament, they acquire different paths. They require different paths. Scriptures provide different pathways suitable to different temperaments so that everyone can reach the one goal which is none other than God or to be what is called rational language, manifestation of the one's innate potential divinity. Now, what other benefits it gives? Scriptures give us the benefit of holy company. Sri Ramakrishna used to advise spiritual aspirants to cultivate holy company, association with holy men and sincere devotees of God. Their association is extremely effective in bringing home to us the reality of God and spiritual life. It is very important for us. So, there are so many paths out there. Anybody who doesn't accept, anybody who thinks there is only one type of God, my own God, and others are not worshipped in that God, there are no other pathways but my own pathway, he is a kind fellow, he is a fanatic, he brings suffering upon himself or herself and also brings suffering upon everybody else. So, scriptures give us holy company. Suppose we don't have holy company, because holy company is extremely rare. You don't get every street holy people. People with holes you can get, with defects you can get, not holy people. So, these scriptures inevitably are at our fingertips, especially in this digital age. So, the association with holy men and sincere devotees of God, their association is extremely effective in bringing home to us the reality of God and spiritual life. Devotees, who are the devotees? Devotees are the witnesses of God. Through them, God himself becomes manifested. Through them, we receive contact with God himself. It is literally true that even a moment spent in the company of a true devotee produces lifelong results. But as I said, unfortunately true devotees are rare. What should we do then? We may read the scriptures and the lives of saints, for they are also wonderfully effective. A scripture is not a mere book. It is another form of God. Ramakrishna once had a vision where he found God, scripture and devotee are three aspects, manifestations of the same reality. So, he used to include it in his daily chantings, morning and evening, at dawn and dusk. Bhagavata, Bhakta and Bhagavan are one and the same. Next, scriptures console and give us hope. Life is painful, but we may become what is called depressed, lose enthusiasm, lose energy, but scriptures console and tell every saint has gone through many a dark night of the soul. The pain is felt all the more by the struggling aspirant. Why? Because this aspirant grows refined and soft, not like ordinary worldly people, hard and burnt out. At times, in the course of spiritual practice, all hope vanishes and despair takes possession. Every aspirant, beginner and advanced as like, has to pass through these dry periods, the dark nights of the soul. But a study of the lives of saints show us clearly that everything must come out alright in the end. A beautiful poem by Saint John of the Cross which is famously called the dark night of the soul. It is the fate of every spiritual aspirant. One has to shed everything which one clings to and walk in complete darkness with total faith in God, hoping or having faith that God is creating the soul by hand to him into the other world that no man's land contains nothing. That is the essence of the dark night of the soul. Then scriptures give us inspiration. Spiritual practice tends to become repetitive and mechanical after a time. At this period, regular study of scriptures and the lives of holy men provide us inspiration and slowly takes us towards our goal. Next, scriptures provide us with right guidance. Men are weak, irrational and are easily misled by passions. It is easy to forget the goal and go in the wrong direction. Yet most often, people tend to justify their actions, rather accept their mistakes and correct their behaviour. It is in this situation that regular devout study of scriptures can help us immensely. Scriptures also reinforce our faith. Faith is like a muscle. Like muscles, they can be made strong. Muscles grow strong through regular exercise and become weak through lack of exercise. Similarly, faith also can be strengthened through regular study of the scriptures and holy lives. Through a constant barrage of atheistic ideas, with the help of powerful media, whole nations can be brainwashed. Look at some nations and made atheistic, materialistic or fanatical, resulting in wars and bloodshed. Recent history amply proves this fact abundantly. The present history also. However, a similar technique can be turned to our spiritual advantage. Scriptures can help us to de-hypnotize ourselves by constantly reminding us of our divine nature and our goal in life. The power of truth is irresistible. Since scriptures are nothing but varied expressions of truth, they cannot but lead us in the direction of God. When scriptures are studied regularly with devotion, they seep into the very depths of our unconscious. Scriptures purify us, washing away age-old impressions, filling our minds with holy thoughts and ideas, and slowly but steadily, they lead us towards the ultimate reality. However, if we forget the true aim of scriptures, instead of liberating, they can bind us, but only for a short time. Sri Ramakrishna used to tell, a Grantha, means a scripture, does not always mean a holy scripture, but often it happens to mean a Granthi, a knot, increasing the ego. If a man doesn't read it with an intense desire to know the truth, it will be an encumbrance on his mind, like so many knots. It is useless to pour over the holy scriptures if one's mind is not endowed with discernment and dispassion. There is a beautiful quotation from the Imitation of Christ. Look for truth in the Bible, not eloquence. Every verse should be read in the spirit with which it was written. Read the devout and simple books as gladly as they learned and profound. People die, but God's word will never pass away. If you want to make your scripture reading worthwhile, read with humility, simplicity and faith. Don't try to appear learned. Listen in silence to the words of the holy men and take pleasure in the teachings of the elders. They spoke with good reason and this quotation is from the Imitation of Christ. A person asked, Swami Brahmanandji, how can one get the mind absorbed in God Maharaj? Answer, practice meditation regularly. Early morning is a good time for meditation. Before you begin your meditation, read devotional scriptures. This will help you to concentrate your mind on God. Such is the power of holy men, holy scriptures. The study of scripture is to be undertaken with faith, devotion and with the sole idea of bettering oneself. That's why it is aptly named Swadhyaya, study for one's own benefit. Scriptural study cannot be dispensed with until we realize God. But Swadhyaya, as I mentioned, also means study of one's own mind. Mere study of scriptures without being aware of how one is benefiting is useless. Scriptures are like a compass or like maps. One needs to compare one's progress with the help of scriptures. Along with scriptural study, one should constantly observe one's thoughts, motives, actions and try to make them accord with the teachings of the scriptures and the saints. Whatever we discussed about these two subjects, two points, Igna and Swadhyaya, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, is but very brief discussion. One can go on and on for a long time but there are more than enough hints upon this and I will just remind you only one thing. Never think that without the study of scriptures, one can progress in spiritual life. But something we have to remember, when one progresses sufficiently, when one's own mind becomes pure, then there is no need to study scriptures because God himself gives us the right understanding. With this, these two points are over. Next we will take up Tapasya, etc. Beautiful points. Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsachanuramardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Vati Ramakrishna.