Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 28 on 27 November 2024

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMIMUHURUMUHUHUH OM SHANNOMITRASHYAM VARUNAH SHANNO BHAVATVARIYAMAH SHANNAYINDRO BRIHASPATHE SHANNO VISHNURUKRAMAH NAMO BRAMHANE NAMASTEVAYO TVAMEVA PRATYAKSHAM BRAMHASE TVAMEVA PRATYAKSHAM BRAMHAVADISHYAMI RITAM VADISHYAMI SATYAM VADISHYAMI TANMAM AVATO TAD VAKTARAM AVATO AVATO MAM AVATO VAKTARAM OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARI OM OM May Mitra be blissful to us. May Varuna be blissful to us. May Ariyamma be blissful to us. May Indra and Brihaspati be blissful to us. May Vishnu of long strides be blissful to us. Salutations to Brahman. Salutations to you, O Vayu. You indeed are the visible Brahman. You alone I shall call the direct Brahman. I shall call you righteousness. I shall call you truth. May Brahman protect me. May Brahman protect the teacher. May Brahman protect me. May Brahman protect the teacher. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace be unto all. So we are studying the Taittiriya Upanishad. We just completed the sixth anuvaka. And as we discussed earlier, the fifth anuvaka is all about Vyahruti Upasana. And the sixth is what is called Saguna Brahma, also known as Hiranyagarbha Upasana. What is the objective? Sarvatma Bhava Pratipatti. I want to become one with everything visible as the universe. When we hear the word Sarvam Khalo Idam Brahma, everything is Brahman. We are talking about our experience of Brahman with Nama Rupa, names and forms. Since Brahman is infinite, this universe is also infinite. It cannot be less because there cannot be two things called. One is finite, another is infinite. That is illogical, impossible. So the sixth anuvaka, as we discussed earlier, tells us. What does it tell? What is the essence? So the sixth anuvaka discusses an Upanishadic teaching about meditation on Saguna Brahma, also known as Hiranyagarbha. Where to meditate? There is a heart. That heart is also known as buddhi. Not ordinary buddhi, but what we pray for Mother Gayatri. That is called medha. Medha means that which can understand the highest truth, highest reality. So buddhi, as Sri Ramakrishna used to say, like a visitor's place, a landlord can be easily obtained there. So within that heart, as if, do not imagine, there are two things. One is a heart. Inside the heart there is something else. The heart itself is the akasha. It is called chidakasha. And then everything is contained within. In what form? In four forms. That is in the form of Saguna Brahma or Hiranyagarbha. Or we can even call it Ishwara. Bho, Bhuvaha, Suvaha. That is the and Mahaha. What do the four represent? These four combined together is called Hiranyagarbha. As we also studied, this Mahaha was discovered previously. Only three Vyagrutis were there. Bho, Bhuvaha, Suvaha. Now at some point of time, a Mahachamas came and then discovered in the depths of his meditation the fourth Vyagruti called Mahaha. All these four, they together make up Hiranyagarbha. So when one becomes successful, first you expand, leave your limitedness, finitude, and through this particular Upasana, identify with Bho. Expand it into Bhuvaha by merging into Bhuvaha. And then expand it by merging Bhuvaha into Suvaha. And then all these three, they must be combined with Mahaha or as if Mahaha is the body and body is a combination of all the parts. A body is not a part. A hand is a part. A leg is a part. Head is a part. Eyes are parts. But when we say the body, it is the collective name for all these parts together. Similarly, Mahaha is identified as Brahman and here not Nirguna Brahma but Saguna Brahma called Hiranyagarbha. Hiranya means knowledge. What is it? All these three, the waking state, the dream state and the deep sleep state. Beyond that, Nirguna Brahma is there. That is called Puriyam. So one has to slowly expand oneself. As I mentioned, we discussed earlier what is Upasana, approaching nearer to the infinitude. So the nearest the mind can come is Ishwara or Saguna Brahma and for that Upasana has to be done and that Upasana has to be taken place within the Chidakasha and Chidakasha is within the heart. It is not the physical heart but it is the Buddhi, Medha. That is what we have to understand. A simple example is a rupee is considered as an example of 100 percent value. So a rupee has got 4 annas, 2 annas, 4 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, everything. So slowly like worshipping Vishnu in a Salagrama and then Salagrama is forgotten, then Vishnu is invoked in that. That is the Pratika Upasana or Sampada Upasana. What is Sampada Upasana? Superimposing higher attributes on a lower Pratika or symbol. But when we succeed, we are able to see that this is not a Salagrama but this is Vishnu. That is the first advancement. After that we become one with that Vishnu and then we do not feel any separation from Vishnu. Then that particular Saguna Brahma Upasana is complete. So the first stage is Pratika Upasana or Pratima, Pratika etc. And finally we get to Ahamgraha Upasana. Aham means what? I am Vishnu. I am Shiva. So one day some devotees were there in Brindavan and Holy Mother after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna was there and then she used to talk, she used to think, she used to meditate. So one day she became identified with Sri Ramakrishna. Then people observed, devotees observed, her voice has changed. It sounded like Sri Ramakrishna and the way she was splitting a what you call a palm leaf just like Sri Ramakrishna used to do. He had a peculiar way of taking out the middle stem. So Holy Mother was doing like that. Earlier she was not doing like that and then her laughter was like Sri Ramakrishna. Her voice was like Sri Ramakrishna. Her talk was like Sri Ramakrishna. This is called Ahamgraha Upasana and if it continues there is no Aham, there is no Graham, then everything becomes Brahman. All these Upasanas meant to lead one to that. Naturally the question that comes is what do I gain? We are all utilitarians. Okay if I do these four Vyaghruti Upasanas, advance in it and then I become identified with the Saguna Brahma which is outlined beautifully in this sixth Anuvaka, what do I get? What do I make? First of all we become identified with what is called Devatas, Cosmic Devatas, Agni, Vayu, Tejas, the Panchabhutas. First with the gross Panchasthola Panchabhutas, then with the Tanmatras and then we become identified with Saguna Brahma. Saguna Brahma is a combination of all these five Tanmatras and five Sthoola Panchabhutas and Panchikarna five Tanmatras which are called gross five elements. That means I become Saguna Brahma and becoming Saguna Brahma knowing that I am Saguna Brahma this is called Swarajyam. That is Swarajyam means I become my own self just like a king who lost his kingdom and then he suffers a lot then again fights with the enemy and then drives him away or destroys and obtains. So this is a wonderful psychological truth just like that. So if I buy a house, if I construct a house, I become the house. If I buy a car, I become a car. Whatever I buy, if I buy a mobile phone, I become the phone because that phone is glued 24 hours a day to my ear and what happens God alone knows. Anyway this is just to explain as an example. So we become Saguna Brahma and whatever Saguna Brahma Ananda that he obtains that is said beautifully here he becomes lord of the worlds. What does the meditation lead to? First of all Bhurityajna Pratishtati with the word Bhu or with the contemplation of Bhu. I am Bhu. Bhu means Agni. I am the element called Agni. With the word Bhuvaha, the Sadhaka becomes identified with Vayu. That means I am Vayu because Agni is the effect, Vayu is the cause. Then with the word Subaha, it becomes identified with Sun. Here the Sun means we will have to understand as the cause of the Vayu Devata and or Akasha Devata. So I become the Aditya and then slowly step by step from Bhu is the lower step, Bhuvaha is the next higher step, Subaha is the next higher step. So with the word Subaha I become the Sun and the last is the word Mahaha. That means I become the identified with either Hiranyagarbha or Saguna Brahma whatever we call it. What do I get? Aapnoti Swarajyam. Then whatever joys, pleasures, Sukha, Anandas. This Saguna Brahma practically is nothing but Brahmanandam. So he obtains that one. Aapnoti Manasaspati. He becomes completely identified with every single mind. Remember he was having an individual mind. Through Upasana he became the cosmic mind. First of all he became the cosmic body. Then he became the cosmic mind. Then he became the cosmic what is called causal body. So he is advancing. Vagpati. He becomes the master of speech. Master of the eyes. Yakshaspati. Shrotrapati. Ignanapati. What does it mean? That means he only says through somebody I am talking, through somebody I am seeing, through somebody I am listening, through somebody I am understanding. So that means becoming identified with Saguna Brahma is becoming identified with the entire creation and nothing remains unknown to him because if somebody is enjoying that is his enjoyment. Naturally the doubt comes what about if someone is suffering. Now there is no suffering because when we identify individually somebody is happy, somebody is unhappy. But when we identify with everybody then there is no cause for being miserable or suffering etc. Why? Just I will give you a small example. So in a drama a person is acting let us say a dual mode. He is the hero. He is also the villain. So in the beginning you know villain beats the hero black and blue. Who is beating? Same fellow in the form of the villain beats himself acting in the role of the hero. After some time in the next scene this same fellow in the role of the hero beats black and blue the villain and then he becomes united with the so-called heroine. Heroine. I am not talking about the drug. Heroine. So what does it mean? It means if you really go behind the hero married the heroine and the villain also at the same time married the heroine because the same fellow is acting and there is something. So one fellow talks with different voices. Sairam Krishna was an expert in it. There is a particular name. I forget about it. So you can imitate 100 voices. So like puppet show the same fellow talks as Hanuman, talks as Rama, acts as Sugreeva, talks as Ravanasura etc. So what does it mean? There is an illustration to show somebody is seeing, somebody is listening, somebody is smelling, somebody is touching, somebody is tasting. So just like that when we see here villain beats the hero then hero gets injured and villain is happy but actually he is the person who beats, he is the person who is beaten but it is a play act and if he has acted well then he enjoys both the roles of hero as well as villain also. That is the idea. When we can become one with everybody everything becomes a sport, a leela. So nobody does it. So when a person becomes identified with Sivana Brahma he becomes everything. He knows everything. He sees everything. He hears everything. Whatever was in the past, present, future, everything he understands. Nothing remains unknown to him. Not only that. Then he becomes completely identified with Sivana Brahma. What happens? Sivana Brahma manifests as Akasha. So just like Akasha. Akasha is infinite. Sivana Brahma is infinite. Akasha is unattached. Sivana Brahma is unattached. Akasha is extraordinarily subtle. We cannot imagine. So Sivana Brahma is also extraordinarily subtle. How? What a marvelous vision you can just imagine. So his body becomes Akasha and his body has limbs like our body having hands and legs etc. So what are the limbs? He becomes the Vayu. He becomes the Agni. He becomes the water. He becomes the Prithvi and all these five combined is called the entire creation. He becomes the entire creation. Not only that. Satya Atma. That is here Satya Atma means he becomes a realized soul. He is what is called Brahma Satyam. What is Brahma Satyam? I am Brahman and I am Satyam. Even at the level of Saguna Brahma. Another meaning given by our Shankaracharya is Satya means that which is Murta, Amurta. Among the Panchabhutas, the earth, the water and the fire. These three are visible. We can see. We can feel but we can't see Vayu Devata. That is called Amurta formless and much less Akasha or space. Both of these visible plus invisible. Both combined is called the Satya Atma. Prana Aramam. Aramam means he who gets tremendous bliss from what? Prana. Prana means what? Indriyas. Every Indriya. That means what? Sahasrasesha Purushaha Sahasrakshaha Sahasrapad Sabhumim Vishvatobhritva Atyatishadashangalam. So whoever is seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching in this entire universe and that which is seen, that which is smelled, that which is tasted, that which is touched, that which is heard. Both the subject as well as the object. He becomes that. Therefore, all enjoyment is there. His mind revels in the infinitude. Naturally, such a mind is filled with Shanti. What is Shanti? That is the peace beyond understanding as the Bible puts it. He obtains that one. Of course, it is needless to say he becomes Amrutam. Amrutam means what? There is no death. Change. There is really no death. It is only a change. Having taught this one, the ancient Rishi is telling Iti Prachina Yogya Upasva. The Rishi is teaching, O Prachina Yogya, you are the qualified aspirant of this Prachina. Prachina means ancient. Ancient what? Ancient wisdom. Vedic wisdom is one meaning. Ancient knowledge. Knowledge without beginning is another. So you have become through many lives of practice just the right aspirant. So you become one. You start Upasva. As outlined here, go on practicing this contemplation. Why is this teaching given? Because, O my student, you have come to me with great earnestness. For what? I want to realize the Atman. You don't have any other desire. You don't want to become a householder. You don't want to have mastery of non-spiritual subjects. Your only goal in life. How do we know? Because here it is only spiritual path is outlined. Entire Upanishad is meant only for spiritual progress. Upasanas are like steps leading from the lowest step. We have not even entered into the lowest step also. That which is below the lowest step is called ground. Ground means we are totally identified with the gross body. What Sri Ramakrishna so beautifully says, so me, I and mine, that is called Maya. Somehow when discrimination comes and we have a longing and we practice sadhana after many a lifetime, then we become fit. Mind becomes fit to practice. For such ones, these Upasanas are outlined here. So the teacher is addressing, I know you have come far away. Your mind has become sufficiently pure. Not completely pure, but sufficiently pure. Now you can take up the PhD course because you have completed elementary school, middle school, high school, pre-university, university. Now you have prepared yourself. Now you specialize in this. What speciality? I want to know. I want to become one with Brahman. Iti prachena yogyaha upasva. Having said this, this particular sixth tanu vaka is over. This is the essence of what we had discussed. So this section is rounded up with a call to the worthy descendants of the hallowed Sanatana Dharma, prachena yogya. You have been following the footsteps of the Sanatana Dharma or Vaidika Dharma. How do we know? Because you have been practicing, following the Vedas and that is what is called Sanatana Dharma. And this is what exactly, when Swamiji once made a remark, I have never preached anything other than the Upanishads and that too fearlessness and the truth of Brahman. So he compressed his teachings. Uthishtata, awake from this dream of this world. Jagrata, awake to your own divine glory. Each soul is potentially divine. Praapya varahan nibodhata. Then approach worthy teachers who know the way to the highest realization and follow their feet. Surrender yourself to them and then manifest your divinity. Swamiji taught nothing but this. Each soul is potentially divine. What it implies is, if you are a mango seed, you cannot but become mango. You cannot remain without becoming a mango. There is a philosophical word. It is used very often. This is called teleological urge. There is an urge within. So the seed has an urge within. Let me manifest into my own full-fledged nature. So a mustard seed becomes a mustard plant and yields mustard seeds. Similarly, we can apply it. A Rishi, the seed of a Rishi becomes a Rishi and then what does he do? Like any other tree, it blossoms into flowers and then fruits and then it produces many seeds. So each Rishi wants to produce many many Rishis because he understands. I know this is the best thing in life and I want the same thing that every one of my children should know. Not only the people on earth. So even the gods who reside there. I have realized that supreme reality which is beyond all darkness. So you also can do because albeit you do not know but you are that supreme reality only. Naturally, this person who attains to that unity, oneness with Sanguna Brahman comes to experience the joys of the entire existence. This is the summary of the sixth. With this, we will enter into the next Anuvaka. So that is called seventh Anuvaka. So what is it? This also contains what is called Pancha Brahma Panta Upasana. So the whole universe is nothing but a manifestation of Brahma and this whole universe is divided into some elements of five classes. Whether it is of the body, of the Devatas, of the Lokas, of the Pranas etc. for what is called beautiful, a very logical classification of this entire universe into five. There was a very great Swami in our order. He was called Swami Premeshananda. He was an embodiment of Prema and because of his pure life at least 70 or 60 or 70 both men and women became Sannyasis and Sannyasinis. Even now there are some. Now what is the point? So this he used to say this for a child this entire creation appears to be mind-boggling but no he says we can divide the entire universe into five dishes. Dish means what? Enjoyable something. What are they? We have five sense organs and therefore so each sense organ divides the world into one. The eyes are able to see the forms, the ears are able to hear the sounds, the skin is able to feel, experience the touches, heat and cold, soft and hard and the nose is able to fragrant and non-fragrant smells, the organ of taste, our tongue is able to see these are various tastes. So Shabda, Sparsha, Roopa, Rasa and Gandha. We have the whole universe is nothing but a manifestation of these five elements only. That is why five sense organs and the whole universe creation consisting of five objects of experience Shabda, Sparsha, Roopa, Rasa, Gandha through our of course through the medium of our five sense organs. So in the same way there is a Vedic meter that is called Pantam and that Pantam means for five letters, five ways of division of creating some Vedic meter like Anustup etc. Gayathri, Anustup etc. So taking advantage of that, a Vedic student is already a knower of all these meters. He has studied them. Now like Samhita Upasana, like Vyahruti Upasana, now you take advantage of it called Alambanam or support and divide the whole universe. What is the idea? This so-called infinite appearing, this universe appearing as if mind-boggling infinity can all be brought within our understanding if we can classify into five ways. For that the Rishi has taken some hints. So I am going to discuss a bit of the essence so that we know what is coming. So this Taittiriya Upanishad in this seventh section discusses a Upasana that is a technique of meditation on understanding that the whole universe is composed of fivefold. Panta means fivefold, five groups at different levels of manifestation. So this meditation naturally is called Panta Brahma Upasana. It is presented as a means, as the pathway, as a staircase to realize Brahman through contemplating the manifestation in various fivefold patterns. So for example pranas are five, pancha pranas, sense organs are five etc. So what are these things? So this entire Srishti is structured in three main groups, external groups of five elements each. What are they? First earth, intermediary space, heaven, four main quarters and four intermediary quarters. Bhu, Bhuvaha, Subaha are these three lokas and then all the four quarters and the four quarters meet at the corners. Anai, Vahai we call it, Agnaya etc. So these are called intermediary quarters. Four quarters East, West, South, North. So East meets South that is a corner. South meets West that is another corner. West meets North that is another corner. North meets East that is another corner. That is first of all five external elements. Then you see the Agni, Vayu, Aditya, the Sun, the Moon and the stars. Aditya, Chandrama and Nakshatrani. This is one way of dividing into Panta means five groups. Then waters, herbs, trees, space and Virat. This is another group. This is the three external groups of five elements each. Slight details we will talk about it later on. Similarly, each one of our individual body is also structured into three groups of five. What are they? First of all we know Panchapranas. Prana, Apana, Yana, Udana and Samana. What are these five Pranas? The fivefold functions of one Prana. So some Pranas digest, some Pranas distribute the digested energy or outcome of digestion called energy. Some help us to breathe in and out which is called actually Prana and some to throw out undigested material and also help us to at the end when death approaches to give a push to the Jivatma so that it can get out of this body etc. So this is called, we will discuss about it later on, this is only essence. Prana, Yana, Apana, Udana, Samana. Then we have got five sense organs as mentioned earlier. Eyes, ears, mind, speech and touch. What is called corresponding to the Rupa, then Shabda etc. But here mind also is included here. So this is one way up for contemplation. Then our physical body is constituting of five things. Skin, flesh, muscle, bone and marrow. What is the point? So whether it is external elements or our body called internal elements, if we can make a sensible classification then it will be easy for us to do this Upasana. As what? All these are nothing but manifestation of Brahma. For example, simple example I am giving only in what is called Sankshyapta, very very concisely. So my Prana is Prana Brahmeti Upasva. So like that my eye, what do I do? So Chakshu, my individual or the Devata called Aditya or the Sun is called the Cosmic Chakshu. That is the cosmic eye observing everything. But the same Aditya represents itself in each one of our individual bodies as the eye. And the same Aditya manifests in the form of every form because eyes can see the forms. At some point in my past classes, I discussed what is called the triangle. Bhagavan divided, Saguna Brahma divided himself into three or to put it even more concisely, Nirguna Brahma manifested as Saguna Brahma. Saguna Brahma, he said that I am alone, I want to create. This is only for our Upasana, not God has got any desires. So what did he do? He divided himself into three. Is it possible? Yes, every day we also divide ourselves into three in our dream state. What do we do? I am there, you are also there and there is a connection between me and you. These three things, this is called Triputi, must always be there, the subject, the object and the verb. That means that which connects a subject and object with each other. Otherwise, a sentence, even a grammatical sentence is not complete at all. So if you simply say, this is an example that is given, Rama, Ravana. If you hear those two words, it makes no head or tail. There is no meaning. So something should be there. So there must be at least one verb. What is that? Rama killed Ravana. Now the sentence becomes very meaningful. So this Triputi, what is this Triputi? Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. What is the example? I have repeated it an empty number of times, but we have a tendency to forget. So my I, for example, is Adhyatmika and whatever the I experiences outside itself, in the external world, including our own physical body, of course, is called Adhibhautika. And how am I able to experience it? Because the sun is, sun or moon or fire or electric light, some light is necessary. So that light is represented by the sun. So the sun is the Adhidaivika or presiding deity of every form and the ability to see. So Bhagawan divided Himself as the presiding deity, as the I in everybody and as all the forms, colours, green, red, etc. So this is only an example with regard to the I. So we have to, you apply the same thing to all the other four sense organs also. And you also have to understand, if you don't have one sense organ, the world will not be Prapancha. Prapancha means consisting of five classifications, sounds, touches, forms, tastes and, of course, smells. If somebody is blind, the world will be one-fourth. In addition, if somebody is deaf, it will be only three-fifths. Somebody cannot smell, it will be only two-fifths. If somebody cannot taste, it will be only one-fifth. And if you cannot do that also, there will be no world. Remember, what we call our world is what we experience through these five sense organs only. If these sense organs have not carried this information and supplied it to the mind, then that object doesn't exist, the whole world will not exist. So the Lord Saguna Brahma divided Himself into these three – Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. And that is what is being said here. Externally, these five divisions are there. Internally or body-wise, five pranas, five sense organs and five parts of the body. It is nothing but a description of the body. And then this world, the other world, etc., one division and the deities. So Agni Devata, Vayu Devata, Aditya Devata, Chandra Devata, Nakshatra Devata, that is part of the external world, Adhibhautika. Then waters, herbs, trees, space and Virat. So therefore, three external divisions of five, three divisions of our body. This entire thing is called external, internal, is called Pankta. What is the Pankta? So the significance of the number five, Pankta means something that consists of five things. So it comes from the Vedic tradition. There is a meter. It is called Pankthi. Pankthi has got five syllables and it is also connected with the ancient Yagna. And every Yagna again requires five essential elements. What are they? First of all, Hegemana, the person who desires and who performs. And according to Vedic tradition, no householder because other than householders, they should not perform Yagnas. So Hegemana, the performer and he must have Patni because wife. Very interesting. He must have a son, Putra. Then he must have divine wealth. That means knowledge of the scriptures and then the knowledge how to get it done, etc. That is called Daivi Sampath, Daivavittam and then Manushavittam. What are they? So money is necessary. Cows are necessary. Ghee is necessary. Curds are necessary. Cow dung is necessary. So some things are necessary. So these are the five. A combination these five are needed for a sacrifice or Yagna to be complete. Hegemana, Patni, Putra, Daivavittam, Manushavittam. What is the point? The Rishi is trying to teach to the Vedic students. You know, you are familiar with all these things and therefore now take the help of that familiarity with this Yagna, with this body, etc. I am going to add some more like the external Vayu, Akasha, Aditya, etc. and then somehow combine and do Upasana. What is that Upasana? Simple example. If I am thinking myself, I am the external one. What you say? I am Agni and I am the Vayu. I am the Aditya. I am the Chandra and I am the Nakshatras. And if I am seeing what is called the Vanaspati, plant kingdom, waters. Without water, Jala Devata, the plant kingdom will not grow. Without plant kingdom, there would be no life at all. So waters, I am the water, I am the herbs, I am the trees, I am the space and I am the Virat. And similarly here also, I am the Prana, but this Prana is functioning in five-fold way. Then I am this body, primarily consisting of five sense organs, the eyes, ears, mind, speech and touch. Then I have a body. This body also, other elements are there, but this is for the utility of Upasana. What are they? There is a skin, there is flesh, Mamsa, Charma, Mamsa, then muscle, then bone and marrow. What is it? I am finally, so I am the Aditya, I am the Chandra Devata, etc. So even when I say I am the body, but we already know that we are the body. No, I am the cosmic body, every body is my body, every Mamsa is my Mamsa, every muscle is my muscle, every bone is my bone, every marrow is my own marrow. So what does it mean? This is called Sarvaatma Bhava and Sarvaatma Bhava in other words is called Saguna Brahma Upasana. For that purpose, a Vedic meter called Pankthi consisting of five symbols and then everything is divided into five-fold way, whatever we are experiencing. So this Taittiriya, what does it say, emphasizes that this meditation is not telling that Brahman is five-fold, but what is it telling? Pure Nirguna Brahma is neither five-fold nor one-fold, it is beyond description. But the Saguna Brahma means this entire universe, means Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Daivika. Don't forget, whenever we read or utter the word Saguna Brahma, we have to remember the entire universe and the entire universe consists of what? Only three things, me, the subject, the entire world which is the object and that consciousness which makes it possible for me to experience through my five sense organs, the external world, the object because subject and there must be something which unites both the subject and object and that is called the presiding deity. So if these three are in another way explained as Panktha Brahma Upasana, what happens? This Upasana aims to help those who are practicing, overcome their limited identification with the individual body, Dehatma Buddhi, by recognizing the underlying unity of all these five-fold patterns, that means I identify myself with the entire Adhyatmika, entire Adhibhautika, entire Adhi Daivika which is called Saguna Brahma or Ishwara, that is going to be the result and if I can attain successfully my identity with this Saguna Brahma, then the next thing that follows is even without the manifestation, I am called Tiruguna Brahma, I am also called Saguna Brahma, two views. That is what Sri Ramakrishna concludes. I say Brahman and Shakti are one and the same. When my mind cannot think of Brahman but thinks that there must be something which is unthinkable, that is what I call Brahman. But when the same mind so imagines that Brahman acting as Srishti, Stithi and Vinasha, that is what I call it Shakti. This is the essence with the details we will see in our next class.