Bhagavad Gita Ch18 part 01 on 18 December 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Adapatmetayo Sritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur Om Vasudevasutam Devam Kamsachanuram Ardhanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum Sarvopanishadho Gavo Dugdha Gopalanandana Partho Vatsa Sudeer Bhokta Dugdham Geetam Ritam Mahat Mokam Karoti Vachalam Pangum Langayate Girim Yat Kripatamaham Vande Paramanandam Adhavam By the grace of the Lord, we have been successfully studying the Bhagavad Gita. By His grace, we have completed 17 chapters. And today, we are entering into the 18th and the last chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Now, this chapter is also one of the longest chapters. This chapter by many is considered at the very essence of all the previous chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. I will very briefly mention something very interesting and very important. Bhagavad Gita has got 18 chapters. But the first chapter is considered as the foundation. Vishada means bondage. A soul deeply bound but awakened to the fact that it is bound and restless to get out of that bondage and unable to understand the nature of the bondage and how it came and how it can be destroyed, how it can fly back, in the words of Sri Ramakrishna, like the chicks of the Homa bird back to its mother. If they do not fly back, they will be smashed. Understanding that one but finding no other way, Arjuna takes refuge in the Divine Lord. And so, the Bhagavad Gita actually starts in the second chapter, 11th shloka. From 11th shloka until the end of the chapter, second chapter, which has got 72. 18th chapter has got 78. That is the longest, the next longest in the second chapter, which has got 72 verses. And that he gives the very essence of the Bhagavad Gita. So, second chapter beginning from the 11th verse to the end, 72nd, in the essence of what he is going to tell. From the third chapter until the, I would say, 13th chapter, all the four yogas, four pathways which expound the nature of reality and what is its relationship with each one of us, with each Jeeva, which is nothing but Jeevo Brahmaiva Naparaha. But he is caught in the middle, in the mesh of the samsara, which is called Jagatmithyatvam or Maya. And four pathways, called four yogas, how through each one of us, independent of each other, though they can never be separated from each other, but emphasizing one more than the other, can reach the goal, can know that Aham Brahmasmi, I am none other than Brahman. And that has been expounded from the third to the 17th chapters. And again, in the last chapter, the Lord is not saying anything new. He is only, as if he is summing up the essence of what he said in all the previous verses. But there is something extraordinarily great pointer towards the end of this 18th chapter. He says, so man, you can practice Karma Yoga, you can practice Bhakti Yoga, you can practice Raja Yoga, you can practice Gnana Yoga. No yoga is superior to any other yoga. Every yoga contains all the other yogas, but depending upon which particular yoga we emphasize, we call that aspirant either a Bhakta or a Karma Yogi or a Raja Yogi or a Gnana Yogi. This special point, the Lord clearly points out to each one of us. So the question is, can someone reach God either through Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga or Gnana Yoga? No. And in the end, he also says, every yoga, he renamed it as Dharma. And he says, Sarva Dharmaan Parityaja Maam Ekam Sharanam Praja Aham Tvaam Sarva Paapey Bhyo Moksha Isshyami Maa Shruchaha. What does it mean? It means all yogas, their job, the essence is to prepare each one of us to receive the ever flowing grace of God. In other words, without completely surrendering ourselves to God, nothing can be achieved. God's grace comes in the form of our ability to surrender ourselves, to understand what is surrender and to try our level most to surrender ourselves. And through his grace, the understanding comes, the effort comes, the progress comes. Finally, the culmination also comes, which is called Moksha. And that is why this chapter is considered the most wonderful chapter. And it is also by some aptly titled as Sharanagati Yoga. The chapter entitled as the chapter of complete self-surrender to the Lord. Even if some people do not accept, Oh, self-surrender belongs to the devotional path. We don't accept. Our path is to become one with the divine, claiming that Aham Brahmasmi. But even to say Aham Brahmasmi, this I, which is common to all bound souls, so long as there is I, that is called bondage. And the complete destruction of the I. Here destruction means it doesn't become non-existent, but it expands until it becomes one with God. This becoming one with God is called Sharanagati or complete self-surrender. Like a huge river flowing through various places, starting in a small droplets, trickling, becoming a stream, becoming a small rivulet, then a river and ultimately wending its way, doing lot of good on the way to billions of people. Ultimately, its mission accomplished, it joins the ocean, its mother from where it has risen by the compassionate Lord in the form of the sun. And again, out of compassion, this same river becomes stream and is carried away by wind to high places. And again, there it descends in the form of water called rain and again it starts its journey, thus it is the ocean, the grace of the Lord that starts creation, that maintains creation and that absolves creation by drawing it into its own self. This divine Leela is going on. So this last chapter is also called Moksha Sanyasa Yoga. It is a most marvellous chapter, the very essence and whether it is Ramanuja, Madhva or Shankaracharya, even for that matter, everybody considers this chapter as the very culmination. Even if someone has not read the other chapters, if he reads this chapter, if he understands it at least somewhat, then he will become blessed. He understands, O man, abandon yourself, surrender yourself to God and that is the very essence of Gita. There have been, as I mentioned earlier, thousands and thousands of commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. Sri Ramakrishna's some words which we can consider, include in those commentaries is also one of them and it is one of the shortest and best commentary on the whole Bhagavad Gita. Sri Ramakrishna takes the word Gita and says by repeating it fast for some time, for some number of times, Gita reverses itself. Thagi, Thagi, Thagi, Thagi. Thagi means Thyaga. Thyaga means surrender. Surrender first the fruits of every action that is done and in an advanced stage, surrender not only fruits of actions but even some actions completely. What are those actions? Desire-ridden actions, Kamya Karmas. As we understand, the scripture advocates regulatory daily activities which one should never abandon called Nithya Karmas. Then Naimittika Karmas. Occasionally on such holy days, Christmas, Deepavali or first year day, special attention should be paid is called Naimittika, occasional. Every day Nithya means get up, pray to the Lord, do Sandhya Vandana, do Japa, do meditation, study the scriptures, remind yourself what to do, what not to do, especially today how I should live my life, etc. Nithya Karmas. Occasionally holy days, special occasions we have to do special type of Karmas. Not doing them we incur sin. Third type of Karma is called Kamya Karmas. Everybody has special needs. A person doesn't have a job, he requires it because he is not wealthy, he has to live. There is nothing wrong in desiring such a prayer, offer prayer to the Lord, please provide me a means of livelihood. Not greediness. That is why the Lord clearly indicated earlier, I am desire which is not against Dharma. Anything that we desire unnecessarily is called Dharma. So let us pray for that. Suppose there is a householder, he doesn't have children and he wants both the husband and wife, long for a child. Nothing wrong with it. But pray to God and through His grace try to obtain, not by hook or crook. Since the topic has come, could we use modern scientific methods? Yes, because that is what God has given. Try them. If they don't work, ultimately pray to God. Somebody wants something else. So these desire-based activities are classified into two ways. Those who are in distress are called Arthas and those who are not in distress, they have been saved by God. But they have some unfulfilled desires but legitimate desires. I would say a little extra more than even legitimate desire. Okay, one sweet is fine. One cake is fine. But I want to enjoy another two, three sweets. Fine. But not forgetting it is all possible only by God's grace and it should be eaten after offering to Him and it should be eaten keeping one's health and other people's necessity in mind. This is called Artharthi Bhakta. Artha means those who are in distress. Artharthi means those who are still ignorant and have unfulfilled desires. By the way, prayer comes naturally, automatically. You cannot have artificial prayer. I read in the Gospel, I should not pray for worldly desires but at the same time my heart, my whole 99% of the unconscious mind is longing for the fulfillment of such a desire. No, that is hypocrisy. Pray to God but pray like this, Oh Lord, I have this desire. Kindly do what you think is best. Leave it to God. That is a person must have that faith. My mother knows more than I know. She knows what is best for me. Let her take the decision but I will cry like a baby. So it is not possible to abandon these three types of daily prescribed activities, occasionally prescribed activities and especially praying for unfulfilled desires provided they are not greedy and they do not fall under adharma, unrighteous desires like harming others, depriving others, stealing from others, etc. But when a person's mind, his heart is somewhat satisfied, he enters into the third stage and that is the first class desire which is called Jignasa, I want to attain to God because I have tasted the world. I know its worthlessness. I no longer long after it. It is okay for maintaining life. I have to eat, I have to drink, I have to work. It is fine and unasked for if certain things come, enjoy them after offering to God within limits of health, both physical and mental, fine. But if they don't come, I don't care. But my mind is longing, thirsting for finding out the ultimate truth. I want to go back to my origin, my mother, my father and that is called Jignasa, inquiry slowly. That is how a devotee inevitably and all by the grace of God progresses. He is guided by intuition, by the grace of God and he soon overcomes. I am not saying this. The Lord himself has said that A person who turns his face towards God is soon taken under the umbrella protection of God and very soon he becomes a Dharmatma. That means he will do what is right. That means he will long for liberation, Moksha, which is the special subject matter of this particular 18th chapter, the very name Moksha Sanyasa Yoga. So ultimately he becomes a completely mature devotee called Jnani Yogi. Jnana means he knows now I am Brahman, I am God, I was never separated. I thought I was separated. That was a delusion in my mind that produced a lot of Vishada, suffering. But now through his grace I was able to struggle. Through his grace I was able to progress. Through his grace I was able to understand that I am none other than God because the infinity can never tolerate finiteness. If there is anything, it will simply swallow it up. That is the nature of God. God will never keep us away from him as his servant, as his friend, as his soulmate. No. He will always say, I cannot tolerate separation from you because my love for you is infinite. I would not like to be separated. I would not like to suffer from the separation of anybody even for a millisecond. Of course this is human understanding. There is no bondage, there is no liberation from the view of God, from the Paramarthika view. So ultimately it is God only, his grace only, which will unite himself to himself all this time playing in the form of the world, in the form of all of us called Jeevatmas. So this is the final chapter having 78 shlokas. The very name of this chapter is called Moksha Sannyasa Yoga. I will soon come to that point. What is important? Let us analyze a little bit. Moksha means liberation. Liberation automatically means freedom. The moment a person says that I want freedom, freedom means I am not free, I am bound. If that idea were not to be there, then the question of desiring liberation doesn't arise at all. So liberation from the sorrows and delusions of early life in the reverse order. First comes delusion, wrong understanding, then comes as a result wrong decisions, then wrong activities, then wrong results, which ultimately end in sorrows. So liberation from the wheel of birth and death. Liberation can be attained only by renunciation, tyaga. This is a very important point. That's why I am taking so much time. Tyaga means, as Sriram Krishna says, Tyaga, Gita, Thagi, means man renounce. Renounce what? The whole bondage, the whole suffering, the whole worldly life, the entire world depends upon only one factor. What is that factor? i.e. give up your egotism because you can't give up ego. It's a very important point to understand. We sometimes, people who do not understand English language, they use the word give up your ego. Ego cannot be given because ego is existence. But to think I am only this is to forget our true nature. That is called ism. Ramana Maharshi had a very funny way of putting it. Aham is Brahma. But ahamkara in South Indian languages, kara means the hotness of chilly. So the moment I am the body, I am the mind comes, then that kara is added. And that kara naturally burns. Burning means suffering. So it is the whole sadhana, spiritual practice is to give up this kara and remain what remains, what cannot be destroyed, what cannot be changed, what cannot be made big or small because aham is infinite. That is why Ramana Maharshi says all problems are solved whenever anybody goes to him with any problem or question. He used to say find out who you are. Because the moment we find out who we are, we understand we are none other than Brahman. And for that there are various paths are there. As many religions, so many paths. Ramakrishna went one step further and said infinite paths to infinite God. Whatever opinion individual cherishes, this is my idea of God. This is my idea of attaining to God. Sincerely if he believes, he will attain through that path to God. There is no one particular path. Not only that, same person doesn't cherish all the time the same idea. Every few passage of time, the person's understanding improves, develops, so he changes his opinion. Ramakrishna's literal translation is as many opinions, so many paths. Joto moth, toto path. So supposing somebody, according to others, thinks that this is a wrong path. Here is a secret. We are judging some persons that that person is going the wrong path. Nobody in this world wants something false, something untrue, some delusory thing. Everybody wants truth. Everybody wants only what is existence, existent. Everybody wants what is real. Nobody wants what is unreal. But sometimes we may mistake the reality which is called unreal, untrue, mythia, but in such a person's mind, what he thinks is not mythia. If he knows it is mythia, he will not want it. But he thinks this is real. We are all, all of us are after reality only. Maybe we are mistaken. But if we have shraddha, which we have seen in our last chapter, Sri Ramakrishna, let me quote Sri Ramakrishna. Once a man from Calcutta, he wanted to visit Lord Jagannath at Puri, which is in the southern direction. But out of mistake, he started walking towards the north and on the way, he started asking, I want to visit Jagannath Puri and am I walking in the right direction? And somebody took pity upon him and said, my man, this is not the way. You are going further away from Puri. You travel towards the south, you will reach Puri. So that somebody is called guru, but provided the person is sincere, then only the guidance will come. This is an inviolable law. If we are sincere, guidance will come, right guidance suitable for our purpose. So many stories are there. If occasion comes, I will tell you. But now, this much is sufficient. So, if a person is possessed of Shraddha, even if he is mistaken, very soon, the Divine Lord comes and corrects him in the form of guru and anybody who gives right guidance is a guru and ultimately, the Lord will attract him towards himself and he is watching all of us 24 hours a day, life after life. He will not close his eyes even a single second and that is why Divine Mother's title is Meena Akshi. Akshi means eye. Meena means fish. The eyes of a fish do not have any eyelids. So, why is this title given to the Divine Mother? Because she is the Mother of the Universe. There are billions and uncountable billions of creatures, not only human beings. It is human egotism, human delusion that things. She is the Mother of only human beings. She is the Mother of even the inert matter. She has to keep eye on each one of her children so she cannot afford to close her eyes for a single second. The Divine Lord is watching us and He will take us in the right direction. So, our goal is to develop this Shraddha and if we develop this Shraddha, slowly we travel in the right direction and what is the right direction? We have seen, first of all, in the 14th chapter, the Divine Lord has revealed to us the secret of this entire what we call finite world, Jagat. It is born out of three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and it is manifesting in the form of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and so each one of us start our journey from the Tamoguna and Tamoguna, what we call food. Tamoguna, Ideal. Tamoguna, Austerity. Tamoguna, Dana, Charity, Philanthropy, Caring and Sharing. But if we have Shraddha, that is the most important point. A person is full of Tamoguna. There is no equivalent English word for these three qualities. That's why I am forced to use the Sanskrit words. Tamas means darkness. Rajas means twilight. Sattva means full light. Perhaps this will help. So Tamoguna is not full darkness, semi-darkness. Because full darkness nothing is possible. So slowly man is travelling from semi-light to twilight where the light is much more and full light in the form of knowledge. Light means knowledge. So the Divine Mother is guiding provided a person is having Shraddha. So in the 14th chapter, the nature and the result of Gunas. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. And in the 15th chapter the Lord has very clearly pointed out we are all coming from God. The whole Jagat world including you, me and everything is all originating from the root which is God. And how to go back to Him that is the essence of the 15th chapter. That is how we transcend both Akshara and Akshara. And then in the 6th chapter, a practical way. We have to acquire certain qualities. There are two types of qualities. That is to say pure Sattvika qualities and pure Tamasika qualities. By expounding them the Divine Lord is clearly making us understand that these are the qualities each one of us have to aim for, perfect for. Nobody is born perfect. We are all having a little good quality and very bad qualities too but no need to despair. Slowly by understanding and provided again and again I will emphasize that word Shraddha. That quality called Shraddha. Shraddha is God. Slowly the person travels from Tamoguna to Rajoguna to Satvaguna and where to apply these three Gunas that's being beautifully described because in the 16th chapter the goal is to acquire Divine qualities. What is a Divine quality? That quality which aids us, helps us to manifest our true Divine potential is called Divine quality. There are many qualities. As I mentioned all these qualities come both in gang. There cannot be any isolated development of one particular quality good or evil. So by understanding these are the demonic qualities so that we can avoid them slowly albeit surely. Similarly, Divine qualities slowly one millionth of a percent, half a million percent, one thousand percent one hundred percent, one percent, one point one percent that is how progress takes place. But slowly as we grow, as we develop these qualities Antah Karna, Chitta our heart, mind becomes purified. The more it gets purified, the more understanding comes and that is how we progress from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva Guna and this is inevitable. There is no way to what is called jump the queue from Tamo Guna to Sattva Guna. No. So the travel must be from Tamo Guna to Sattva Guna and when we develop sufficient amount of Sattva Guna, that Sattva Guna acts for us as a ship which carries the rocket and it will take us to some distance, height and then the Atma becomes completely, it is thrown from that stage to travel independently to give the modern analogy and it falls back towards the earth. The Sattva Guna having taken, aided the development of the Jivatma to certain extent and it will give one final push and helps us to separate which is called Yoga. Yoga means Vyoga, separation, detachment and then it goes back again, reusable like a loving mother takes up other souls who are travelling from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva and for each one of us, she assumes a different form, a particular form, an individual form and a private tutor form and carries and as soon as the person has developed sufficient Sattva that Divine Mother in the form of Sattva Guna she pushes us into the orbit of God and goes back to earth to aid other souls. This is the beautiful conclusion in the Sankhya Karika one of the most brilliant schools of Indian philosophy. The result of final essence of which is has matured into Yoga philosophy later on. Okay. So the journey is from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva but in what particular departments this Tamas, Rajas and Sattva have to be employed as a practical means of developing into spiritual progress has been beautifully dealt with in our last chapter 17th chapter and with that the Bhagavad Gita teaching is complete as a teaching and this is the most practical chapter 17th. Very aptly named as Shraddha Traya Vibhaga Yoga Nama So four personalities four stages of development in a personality in each personality in every personality first is stability achieved through food both physical as well as mental. So by telling us by giving us that discriminatory knowledge this is dampening food, this is food which makes a person becomes deluded, becomes restless and not caring for higher ideals and this is the food which helps a person slowly to gain control to purify the heart food. This is what is called foundation, stability okay, I am stable. What next? Now you must take off. This is horizontal expansion now vertical expansion is necessary. For that I have to formulate crystal clearly certain ideals in life represented by various great people representing such various ideals broadly these can be classified into what we call four characteristics. A person is a karma yogi, another person is more of a bhakta, devotee another person is more of a meditative type and another person is full of true discrimination and knowledge. But as I mentioned no yoga can be separated from the other yoga. They are what is called conjoined, not twins I don't know what they call it four babies joined together. They all four have to work but one particular one in some personality in one particular life maybe dominates the other three but without the help of the other three one particular pathway cannot be achieved it is like as I compare sometimes inadequately though like four way motorway four lane motorway. All of them equally take us to our goal, destination but depending upon what type of vehicle we have very slow lane and a little faster, a little faster but in between as we know we change sometimes these things. That is very important for us to understand so for that purpose we have to worship we have to adore, we have to idolize, we have to become fans of Gods of Brahmanas Brahmana here in the sense of idealistic person, what Socrates called philosophers, not these professional philosophers but real philosophers then teachers, anybody can teach, he is a teacher and pragnas, there are many wise people because life has got many many departments so we can learn certain things from many different people so these are Deva, Vija, Uru, Prajna, Pujana really what it indicates is I want to progress by progressing in certain ideals and these are the people who represent those ideals and by worshipping them by adoring them by remembering them by putting keeping their pictures etc. constantly interacting with them intellectually I slowly understand the ideals develop faith in them, try to practice them and progress slowly from birth to birth this is the second step, higher personality still higher personality is for achieving anything sooner or later we understand that we have to work hard, there is no easy way out everyone of us have to pay the price nothing comes without price so somebody has said inspiration is only 1%, the rest of the 99% is perspiration, means hard work, this hard work also along with Shraddha has to be done in the right way and that is called Tapasya, Austerity, what is Austerity? Voluntarily intelligently skillfully undertaking hardship so that it is not for the sake of hardship but for the sake of progressing developing these respective higher ideals which we have determined for ourselves in our second step, this is called Tapasya then we have also seen having achieved something then Dana, what is Dana? It is not charity, it is not philanthropy, it is not giving away, it is not losing something, just as we have become we have taken the help of great people for progress in life because they shared their experiences their wisdom their energy so also a time will come when we have achieved but to whatever extent the achievement may be we have to share it with those who have not reached that state and that is called Dana, if we can do this successfully, the highest Dhani, the highest giver is God himself that is why it is said when we read especially the gospel of Ramakrishna in Bengali those who share this wisdom of Ramakrishna with others those who spread the glory of the divine name in the world they are the greatest givers because the people who receive them are receiving the greatest Dana what does it mean? That means this Dana that is the charity, it is not really charity, let me, I have already told you, say suppose somebody donates money then it is not donation it is not losing, it is not lessening, but it is increasing because there is a law Karmaphala will come back a thousand fold if it is given to other people it will come back a thousand fold, not only in this life in life after life after life, so it is a divine investment that is one the other definition is it is not Dana because if you have borrowed something from somebody and after some time promise bound you are returning what you have already received nobody calls you you are a great charitable person simply say you are an honest person what you received you are giving back without cheating that person so we are already debtors to sages, to gods to ancestors to every living human being and finally to all that which is also non-living so whether you consider charity as investment whether you consider it simply getting rid of the debt that we have already taken, debit card etc, credit card etc in either way if it is done properly as a Karma Yoga with the idea of pleasing the lord even though it should not give us extra result because it is all selfishness either we are getting back what we have invested wisely if we take the teachings of wise person that is called wise investment otherwise it is called otherwise investment if we invest wisely it comes back many many fold but that should not be the goal, purification of the heart that means the highest the eternal infinite investment is that surrender yourself to god and that is what every great soul has said including an avatar tasmatvame vasharanam mamane dhenabandham holy mother said take refuge my children in the divine mother, I am your mother when you take refuge in me I will look after you so you are my child each soul is potentially divine you are my divine child never forget that one and behave like my child don't behave like a donkey, child like a puppy, child of a dog, child of a donkey child of a bullock, child of a horse etc, so this is the idea about dhanam, dhanam means what I dhanam means what, oh lord I will make a little bit fun with you because you are my own dearest friends, what is dhanam, you encounter god and say oh lord you have put me through infinite trouble by creating this maya now I am giving back your maya with compound interest you take back your maya and I claim my inheritance which you have made me postponed giving me so far by deluding me that still I am a small child I don't understand now I woke up and you take back with compound interest everything that you have, now let me reclaim what I seem to have lost, really I have not lost, I am only playing on the lap of the divine mother so this four steps in each aspirant who is endowed with shraddha physical and mental health which is represented by food, growth in the form of high ideals by worshipping these great souls who represent those ideals and working hard intelligently and with alertness which is called austerity and finally giving back to God giving back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, giving back to God what belongs to God giving back to the world what belongs to the world and thereby I understand what I am and finally is dana means take up this I, if at all you want to put it that way and say I offer my entire ego into the lotus feet of the Lord, devotion I will never want to be separated from the divine Lord and that brings on Moksha so this 18th chapter it is called Moksha Sanyasa Yoga and this is also a most marvelous thing that we have to understand that we have to develop dana chakshu, the I of wisdom, of knowledge put on the collarium of discrimination dana chakshu, right knowledge then only all right desires will come right activities will be the result of those thoughts ideals etc so through that we become liberated that is the first interpretation of the Moksha and Sanyasa it is very beautiful combination of two words, Moksha means liberation, Sanyasa means giving up and when we give up what doesn't belong to us and remain as we are, that is called liberation second interpretation is Ramana Maharshi used to say Moksha, Mukti Nirvana Liberation, Nirvikalpa Samadhi Maunam Shanti, Peace these are all synonymous words so another name for Brahman is Moksha so Sanyasa means renunciation of all acts along with their fruits to the divine lord thus Moksha Sanyasa means the surrendering of all karmas and karma phala, actions and their results to the supreme lord is called Moksha Sanyasa, Moksha means God, Sanyasa means giving up our entire life surrendering our life to the divine lord is the second interpretation third interpretation means Moksha Sanyasa, Mokshasya sixth case is used Mokshasya Sanyasaha give up the very desire for Moksha and that may bring us some laughter how many people are wanting they have not even thinking I want Moksha, are they not equivalent to those people who have given up Moksha no, no, no, that is not giving up because if you don't know you have so much of wealth and I am not thinking of giving it up, that cannot be called giving up you have to be aware then if you decide to give it up that alone is called Sanyasa otherwise ignorance is not Sanyasa here is a person through scriptures through wise people come to know that the goal of life is Moksha or liberation and after he grows up in spiritual life he becomes a mature person and then he understands Moksha, why do I want Moksha I don't want Moksha I just want to be divine, I just want to be devotee so finally the final giving up which is called very interestingly in the Vedantic language that thought that I am Brahman that should be completely nullified destroyed cut it off, give it up the desire for Moksha has to be given up naturally the question comes that so many lives I have tried for this and in the end you want me to give up this idea of liberation that is not the intention of the scripture, it says my son God will give you that understanding, whereby you understand, not that you have to have Moksha, you are ever free, when you understand this is the real purport of the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita which is nothing but the essence of the Upanishads and Vedas Upanishads are the essence of Vedas Gita is the essence of the Upanishads the Gospel of Shri Ram Krishna is the essence of Bhagavad Gita and the essence of Gospel is the five commandments let us remember that always, so a time will come when you think Moksha is the highest ideal but a time will come when we understand that I don't need to strive for Moksha because I am already Moksha Aham Brahma Asmi means Aham Moksho Asmi I am Moksha all the time so when I am already that, the question of renunciation doesn't arise for two reasons, I don't need to desire it, nobody desires oneself, this is the greatest fact everybody desires what one is not one what one does not have if I have, I don't desire it if at all there is a desire I want to enjoy what I have without trying to accumulate, that is what is this is the first interpretation second interpretation of this third point is that I don't need because I am already I am ever liberated I am never in bondage I don't need but you cannot do that at the beginning we have to do it only when we grow sufficiently and understand this scripture is not teaching us to desire liberation this scripture is talking, you be liberated from bondage maya and when we reach a certain stage bondage will follow then the desire for Moksha will disappear because when the light comes nobody says I don't want this darkness, when does the light come, when does the darkness disappear, only when the light comes you don't need because always light is there, it is like being with the sun where is the night for the sun, where is the darkness for the sun we understand these ideas so who is it that seeks Moksha he who thinks I am a bound soul the man who thinks I am bound seeks liberation but having understood the lord's magnificent message of freedom and perfection through the 17 discourses I would not say 17 discourses I would say from 3rd to 17th 15 chapters then who can remain still a bound soul so that person understands as has been beautifully put in the 2nd chapter I am unborn, I am eternal I am infinite and I am timeless beyond time, thus knowing the birthless the deathless, the ever free, the ever blissful, omniscient omnipotent, ever glorious Atman, where is bondage, where is the bound soul where is the Jeeva who is seeking liberation is all fiction, when the truth is known, the Jeeva understands that his bondage was a myth that he was never bound that freedom and perfection are his true self and that is the state when the idea of liberation is gone because he has discovered that he was not bound at all at any time and the idea of seeking for liberation is given up, not given up it falls off because and he knows I am ever free May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti and right knowledge we will meet hopefully tomorrow night. Jai Ramakrishna.