Pratah Smaranam Lecture 6 on 03 December 2020

Uncorrected machine transcription

ॐ

जननीम् सारदाम् देविम् रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।

पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहरमुहुहु ।।

Oṃ jananīm sāradām devīm rāmakṛṣṇam jagadgurum |

Pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuhu ||

We are studying the last Shloka of the Pratah Smaranam Stotram Pratarnamami Tamasa Paramarkavarnam Poornam Sanatanapadam Purushottam Aakhyam Yasmin Nidam Jagad Asesham Asesham Urthav Rajvam Bhujangamayava Pratibhasitam Vayi This most wonderful meaning in the morning, at dawn, in the Brahmi Muhurta I salute that which is beyond the darkness, which is without any form and which is of the supreme nature of illumination like the sun. The sun is referred to as the illuminator here just like our Shuddha Chaitanya, pure Atma which illumines the mind. This consciousness doesn't have any form and to that supreme Brahman I offer my morning salutations.

I mentioned earlier that Sri Ramakrishna used to get up early in the morning and go on chanting. The divine names in such a sweet voice that it is impossible to describe the influence effect of such a even hearing that chanting. The devotees used to go into Samadhi.

We can also while reading the Gospel or while even chanting these three verses are very easy to remember, easy to memorize. If we can memorize early in the morning, if we can chant them with devotion, with fervor and we will see how much of change comes into our minds. Takes time because any progress is slow but it is very sure to come.

That is why the great Acharya Bhagavatpada Shankaracharya had written this kind of stotras. This is not the only stotra. As I mentioned at the introduction Shankaracharya has written whether it is Ganesha, whether it is Lalita, whether it is Shiva so many stotras are available.

The most famous of course is Venkateshwara Suprabhatam. Where is that Venkateshwara? He is right where we are. He is everywhere but we have to learn how to look for him and these stotras help us to look forward to see him.

And so we have given some meaning in a very general way in our last class. Let us go into a little more depth. I salute.

Salutation is always a matter of self-surrender. That's why whenever two real Hindus, orthodox Hindus meet together they say salutations to you. Namo Narayanaya.

Whenever we say namo Narayanaya, namaha means nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs oh lord to you. That is the meaning of namaha.

That is Sharanagati. I also meaning the body, mind which in my state of ignorance at present I consider as myself, my very identity, everything in this world belongs to you. I am in this world.

I also belong to you. With this bhavana, with this understanding we have to salute the lord. Oh lord, I belong to you.

As soon as I say I belong to you, I have to understand my responsibility. Whether the master keeps me on a royal bed or on a refuge, heap, whatever. Whether I am happy, unhappy, wealthy or not, learned or not.

I don't care all those things. My mother had decided to keep me here. I would like to be there.

Pratarnamami and what is the nature of that supreme being that I am trying to remember all the time. Tamasaha param arkavarnam. It is Tamasaha param, beyond all darkness.

Let us remember light and darkness have special meaning in Vedanta. But apart from Vedanta, even in ordinary words, when we are unable to think deeply, we say I am in darkness. I do not know what to do.

But as soon as light comes, in cartoons we see a new idea comes and immediately as if a bulb has been lighted up. In every cartoon, this kind of depiction we see that light always means dana, knowledge. And that's a very beautiful word.

Supposing it is 12 o'clock midday and the sun is shining so brilliantly. But I do not know what to do. Some circumstance has come suddenly either from myself or somebody gives an idea as if a light bulb has been put on and immediately my mind becomes cheerful.

So when that knowledge, the solution to my problems come up, that is called the dawn. Prataha means that dawn, an ignorant person who is in complete darkness. And even whether it is day, night, waking, dreaming, deep sleep, he is only in complete darkness.

And this is what is beautifully depicted at the end of the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. यानिशा सर्वभूतानाम् तस्याम् जागर्ति संयमि यस्याम् जागर्ति भूतानि सानिशा पश्यतो मुने For an ignorant person, whole life is as it were, he is in deep darkness. And Tulasidas also sings in his beautiful song, जानकी शकी सकी O Lord, how long have I slept and so many yugas have passed just like deep nights.

अभु प्रभात प्रकट भानु ज्ञानके भानु Now the dawn has come and I have realized, जानकी शकी सकी करिपा जगावति The grace of Janakisha who is Bhagawan Rama. When that Kripa comes or dawns upon somebody, that will be the beginning of a new day. A dawn is always a new day to a person who is sleeping.

Here we are talking about the dawn of knowledge and it comes only to virtuous people, wise people. जगावति सुजान जीवा Only those people who trust in the scriptures and lead a life of purity, virtue and self-control. On such people automatically the grace of God dawns.

Does it mean to say grace is absent and never dawns to other people? No, it is like light whether people are sleeping or people are awake. When the time comes the sun rises and the sun will be there whole day practically. But if a person has chosen to close his eyes and sleep, the light is available but the person is not availing it.

Availability and to take advantage of it, these are completely two separate things. That's why Shri Ramakrishna used to say, the breeze of God's grace is always blowing unfurl your sails. That is what Bhagavad Gita is telling, A person who is awakened, he sees it.

What is the awakening? He sees the divine Lord. Where? He sees everywhere including himself. That means there is no he, there is no the world.

Everything is one and the same. That is the symbolism of this world. It is beyond darkness.

Where there is light, there is no darkness. Where there is darkness, there is no light. But we are in a very peculiar condition.

Half darkness because if it is full darkness, we are never going to awake. If it is full light, we also don't need anything else. Is it? Very beautiful ideas are compressed in this particular two words.

That is why Swami Vivekananda had initiated people. I have seen There is no other way. The light has to come.

That's why during Vesper service also, the person who is doing Aratrikam, he always shows the light because the divine Lord is right in front of the person. But to see him, he requires the light. And the devotees who are attending, they also require that light.

Perhaps many of you have noticed when in Indian temples, especially traditional temples, the Lord is kept as it were in a deep place. Practically every temple, it is only the Ramakrishna temples where the place is so wide from any angle and it is fully lighted. People could see this Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Swamiji from every nook and corner.

But in the traditional temples, you go to Kanchikamakshi, you go to Kanyakumari, you go to Rameshwaram, you go to Tirupati Venkateshwara, you go any of these places. It is a small place and it is in deep darkness. The devotees go there.

But how to have darshan and they will be seeing from a long distance. They will not allow them to come near. Excepting the Tirupati Venkateshwara temple is something unique.

There practically within 2-3 feet as if you can touch the Divine Lord. Huge image you can see. Most of the places, the pujari, the worshipper, he lights some camphor and then he takes it round.

If you see the face, you don't see the hands. If you see the hands, you don't see the legs. So he takes it round.

So devotees feel extremely blessed. Now what is the symbolism? Are the Hindus so miserly or the Hindus are deep thinkers? So they are telling what Upanishads call Hridaya Guha, the cave of the heart. Khandhara means a cave hidden in deep darkness.

But there the Divine Lord is available there. This word cave has many many meanings. I will just give you only one more simple.

Cave means first of all it is secret. Cave means absolutely dark. Dark means where every thought has to be completely suppressed.

That means one has to be in the state of yoga because that is what is called yoga. Naturally the doubt comes when all the mentations, the thoughts are completely controlled. What happens? The very word control means not removing them, not suppressing them, but to make all of them merge into one single thought which alone remains at the end.

That is called Brahma Akara Vritti. And that Brahma Akara Vritti is our reflection. Why do we call reflection? Why do I say it is a reflection? Because it is still a reflection in our hearts, in our thoughts.

And that reflection shows us who we really are. That when you stand in front of a mirror and it is a clean mirror, there is more than sufficient light and then your form should reflect exactly as you are. Other times always we stand with five layers of dressings and stand in front of the mirror.

Every day we go in the bathroom and especially in some of the countries, the bathroom is full of mirrors, 10,000 watt bulbs, whereas in the sleeping room only one small bed light is there. I didn't understand the meaning of it when I used to go at the beginning. I want to read, I want to see.

In my opinion, bathrooms should have very small lights because after all you just answer calls of nature, take bath and come out. Later on it dawned on me that is the way we go on staring at ourselves and many people carry a small mirror and whenever occasion demands or not demands, they take out that mirror, look at their face and then correct something here and there, a hair falling here or there. Now hair falling on the eye is also part of the fashion.

Only with one eye, already both eyes are blind. Now one eye they want completely covered with the hair. Anyway, so then this is you stand in front of those mirrors.

What do you see? You see the body. What is the body? Annamaya Kosha. And if we can remove it, then we see Pranamaya, then Manomaya, then Vijnanamaya, then Anandamaya.

That seeing Anandamaya Kosha equivalent to this Brahmakara Vritti. So when all thoughts are completely controlled and unified and redirected towards only one thought, the thought of Brahman and that is called Brahmakara Vritti and so we are talking about the cave. Cave means it is very deep inside us that is called Hridaya Kuhara and that is also completely in darkness so far as we are concerned and that is also where every thought has to be suppressed.

Here deep darkness, it is equivalent to yoga. All the Chitta Vrittis are totally to be controlled and then unified and then directed and then a light will come and that light is called Brahmakara Vritti. In this controlled mind, when the Jivatma looks at himself, that Chidabasa, I am a reflection of the Paramatma, that will come.

That knowledge dawns at that time. That is why Swami Vivekananda has a prayer, O Lord Ramakrishna, you are the light of the lights. Jyothira Jyothi.

Ujjvala Hridikandara. You light up my heart. What does my heart mean? It means you alone will be there and when I look into that controlled thought, Brahmakara Vritti, Ramakrishna Akara Vritti.

What did Sri Ramakrishna see? Then Tathapuri wanted to ask him to meditate. He saw Kalika Devi. He is Ishta Devata.

But here we have to be extremely cautious. When we look at Mother Kali, we see a lady with four arms and ferocious appearance. Never imagine this kind of figure.

It is okay for the beginning but not even to the advanced students. What is the Divine Mother Kalika? That Sat Chit Ananda. That Swaroopalakshana.

And that was what Sri Ramakrishna used to see. How do, you may ask, how do you know, Swami, you are talking about this? Because Swami Shardanandji discussed this matter when Sri Ramakrishna had the very first vision of Mother Kali when he was about to commit suicide. Then Mother came, caught hold of his hands and then he described vividly waves of consciousness, like huge tsunami waves surrounded me from all sides trying to make me unconscious.

I struggled not to become unconscious and then I became unconscious. These are all mystical words. How can consciousness make a person unconscious? This was the dilemma that Maitreyi had faced and asked Yagnivalkiya.

Then he explained, you do not understand, my dear, what I really meant was that when you are capable of seeing that light, that light absorbs all other lights and the idea, you become unconscious of the idea of every other light excepting that one single light and because of which every other light is shining. Tasyabhasa Sarvamidam Vibhati. That's what Swami Vivekananda compressed, Jyoti Rajyoti Ujjvala Hrithi Kandara.

This Brahmakara Hrithi lights up. Then immediately the knowledge comes, oh this is me. I thought I was the body, I was the mind, I was the causal body but now I know these are all partial knowledge, not completely untrue but partially true.

Now I know what it is and then he becomes so eager as Bhagavad Gita says like moths. As soon as they behold the light, immediately they want to become one with it. So the soul also as soon as it finds the reflection, it wants to break that mirror and become one with it but that also requires complete self-surrender.

That's what Sri Ramakrishna had done. Divine mother came to him in the form of discrimination, a soul of discrimination and in words Sri Ramakrishna was describing as soon as the form of the mother appeared, I took up the soul of discrimination and cut the form into two that means destroyed that form and as a result that barrier between me, that reflection and me. What does it mean? Destroy the mirror.

What is the mirror? Purified mind. As soon as the mind is destroyed, there is no reflection, there is not reflected. Both become completely one and my mind merged completely in the divine mother.

This is what we are talking here. Arka means the sun. Varnam means the light of the sun.

So that divine light Jyotira Jyoti and we also have to say that even the sun that we know is only a symbol. How do we know? Again another Upanishad comes to our aid. Remember Shankaracharya was a master of all the Upanishads and every single word of the Upanishad is on the tip of the tongue.

Therefore whenever he requires, you refer to that Upanishad, such and such an Upanishad and such and such a shloka where that particular word comes and then we are struggling to go to the internet and get that quotation. But everything he had by hearted. Anyway what are we talking about? He is talking about Tasyabhasa Sarvamidam Vibhati.

When this Brahmakara Hrithi comes, it is like a great light. What does it do? It destroys. What does it destroy? The mirror.

Here the mirror is purified mind. When that mind is destroyed, there is no thought and then who is to say this is me and this is Paramatma. It is not there.

So I was raising one point which is the most wonderful point. Supposing there is a day and then you see it is midday and the sun is burning bright. Suddenly a huge cloud comes and it obscures the sun.

We can see the clouds only because of the sun. If it is night, deep dark, even if it is thickly clouded, we can't see anything. So here is the inner secret.

The clouds are produced by the sun. The clouds are illumined by the sun and yet the clouds cloud the sun. And here we are apt to make the greatest mistake of our life.

The clouds are covering the sun and that is why I am not able to see the sun. There can be no greater mistake committed than this. The clouds cannot cover the sun because the karya, the effect can never obscure the cause.

Then why are we not able to see? We are not able to see because the clouds cover not the sun but my eyesight. The clouds cover my eyesight. You don't even need huge clouds.

You just take one of your fingers and put it in front of both your eyes. That's what Sri Ramakrishna was trying to convey this message to us. One day he was asking, God is everywhere but how come we are not able to see? Immediately Sri Ramakrishna wanted to illustrate it.

So he took up a small towel which used to be with him all the time on his shoulders. He put it in front of his face. Then he said, see how near I am to you and how near you are to me.

Neither I am able to see you nor you are able to see me. This profoundly meaningful statement. So when the towel is covering Sri Ramakrishna's face, is it covering the eyes of the devotees or is it obscuring Sri Ramakrishna's face? Normally we say, oh the towel has covered Sri Ramakrishna's face.

I am okay but because of the towel I am not able to see. The truth is that the towel is obscuring everybody's sight. Because if somebody is on this side of the towel that person can see Sri Ramakrishna very well.

So if you go beyond the clouds you can see the sun very very well. So we say the sun is an enemy of darkness. We should never say that.

The sun is what is called enemy of the clouds. But the clouds are not the enemy of the sun. I hope I am able to convey what I am talking about.

Supposing there is somebody and he says that where there is sun there will be no darkness. So darkness is the enemy of the sun. And then the Guru will tell to such kind of stupid student, okay you show me darkness.

Let us take the sun. And then he says in Japan there is darkness now. All right, oh sun come to Japan.

So he will go to Japan. And then as soon as the sun goes there, where is the darkness? Nobody can see the darkness. Where is the darkness? Oh it has gone to America.

So let us go to America. And the sun goes to America. And there he finds it is there back in India.

So where there is light there is no darkness. Therefore for the sun he doesn't know the very existence of darkness. That's why when something is non-existent such a thing can never become an enemy of anybody.

You can't simply claim that such and such a person. Where is he? He is not born. But he is my greatest enemy.

So this is all mithya. But it has also got its usefulness is there taken in the right light. What am I talking about? In the Bhagavatam we get the story of Krishna.

Kamsa was the ruler. He was a wicked person. But really he was a great devotee of God.

Never forget that. He was one of the greatest devotees of God. He was born a great devotee.

The watchman of Vaikuntha was born as a Kamsa. And then this Kamsa was wanting to go back to the Lord. So this Kamsa had a what is called he heard a divine voice Akashvani.

The eighth child that is to be born to your sister Devaki will be your annihilator. The mystical words should be Oh Kamsa I am very pleased with you. You wanted to come back to God Vaikuntha to me very quickly.

So to fulfill your desire because you are my greatest devotee. Soon I am going to be born in your own family as the eighth child. And then you will be meditating upon me.

And then at the end I will destroy your ignorance. And then I will take you hug you to my bosom. You will become one with me.

This is the inner language mystical language. So Bhagavatam describes as soon as he heard we know the story. Kamsa what happened to him? He became the greatest sadhaka in the world.

In what? He knew now. He believed. He was possessed of Shraddha.

What Shraddha? Soon a child is going to come and he is going to destroy me. Bhaya has come. Deep fear has come.

What is the fear? Meanwhile Kamsa became attached. I am the hero. I am greatest.

Everybody is obeying me. And in fact he imprisoned his own father. He became an asuri prakriti.

But deep inside him his spiritual nature is longing. Oh my beloved when are you going to come and show your face? As a result of his intense prayer the lord said I am pleased with you. Very soon I am going to come.

As soon as Kamsa heard he became completely detached to the world. He transformed everything. Wherever he was seeing whom was he seeing? Krishna.

Oh some footsteps are coming towards me. Hey I think Krishna is coming to kill me. Somebody some sound is coming outside.

Krishna is coming to me. I think in his dreams. All dreams are nothing but Krishna in a ferocious form like Kalanala Sanniva is coming to destroy me.

Open the eyes Krishna. Seeing the eyes Krishna. He could never have any kind of sleep.

Even a wink of sleep. Krishna Krishna Krishna Anavarata. This japa japa was going on in the mind of the Kamsa.

Of course you know in the end Krishna came and with his own hands he destroyed. What can the sun destroy? Only darkness. What are we talking about? Many of these stories have got deep mystical meaning.

If only we really meditate upon them. So this is what we are talking about. Early morning we have to think about it.

What was the point I raised? The sun doesn't have any enemy. If at all light has any enemy it is darkness. But light where light is there is no darkness.

Therefore there cannot be any enemy. But where there is darkness then it is frightened. The light will come and it will destroy me.

And every one of us is frightened of the destruction. But really that is why light always represents knowledge and darkness represents all the negative things. Fear, trepidation and then deep dissatisfaction.

And that is why in Bengali there is a beautiful saying. What are you seeing my brother? Andhakar dekchi. I am seeing deep darkness.

Means I am not happy. My buddhi is not okay. That is why early in the morning every devotee, devout Hindu must face the rising sun.

And then he say. Tatsavitho varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yonaha prachodayat. There is every mantra of this Gayatri mantra.

Three we can say. This whole Pratarnamami stotram is only a little bit elaboration of these three sentences. Now you try to connect it.

I will give you that homework. So Pratarnamami. With the brahmi muhurta I salute.

Namaha means I said I surrender myself. What do I surrender? I have got darkness and I can surrender. Surrender to whom? There is only one who can absorb it and make it positive.

That is the supreme light of the lights. And then Swamiji continues. You are the one.

You are the only one. Because you are the Jyoti Rajyoti. If all the external lights.

How many external lights are there? According to the Brihadaranyika Upanishad, four lights are there. The sun, the moon, the fire and then the speech. But there is another light, fifth light that is called Chidabasa.

Our mind has to grasp. But what lends that understanding power to our mind? That is the real light of the light which is called Jyoti Rajyoti. I salute that Jyoti Rajyoti.

There there is no darkness at all. It is full light. Light of knowledge.

What type of knowledge is that? That's what he is describing. Having put forward this idea that there is that Jyoti Rajyoti. But what is the nature of that Jyoti Rajyoti, light of the lights? Purnam.

It is perfect. It is infinite. It is complete.

What marvelous ideas in the Shanti Mantra, especially of the Yajur Veda. We get this. Very briefly I want to discuss this point.

This Shanti Mantra as I mentioned has got three meanings. The first meaning is you completely destroy any obstacles to the good work I have started. And the second meaning is it also tells us your goal of life.

What is that goal? That Moksha that I am full. I am Purna. But I am only thinking I am not Purna and this world is also not Purna.

This is a mistaken notion in my mind. Everything is nothing but that infinite only. There cannot be any finiteness besides this infinity.

So that idea I must attain that goal. That is the second meaning. Third meaning is so what is the nature of that goal that I have to attain? That is being said that is infinite.

That means the cause. The cause of this world. Where from this entire world has come? From Pancha Bhutas.

All the living beings have come from Anna. Food has come from the earth. Earth has sprung from waters.

Water has originated from fire. Fire has originated from air. Air has originated from space, ether.

And space is originated from nothing but Atma. So what does it mean? The Bhagawan that Saguna Brahma whom we call Brahma. So he himself manifesting as the five elements both subtle as well as gross.

And this whole universe cannot come from anybody else. You should not think a potter is making a pot out of clay. Potter is separate.

The wheel, potter's wheel is separate and clay is separate. But with regard to the whole world there is nothing besides God before the world was originated. Therefore the world must have come from God.

This has been expressed beautifully. What was at the beginning? Asat and the Sat. This existence came from that non-existence.

This is what every materialist is telling. Never mistake. Asat means unmanifest.

This manifested world is now appearing and it has come from that which was unmanifested. That which was in the course of time not experienceable to all of us. At some point it became experienceable, visible, knowable, witnessable and that is called Sat.

So this whole universe is nothing but God. And in the whole of 11th, 10th chapter, 11th chapter, 7th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita and we are going to also come into the 13th chapter, 15th chapter. The Lord is again and again emphasizing that there is nothing else besides me.

I am Purushottama, Kshara, Akshara. Both have come from me only. So this whole universe is nothing but the Divine Lord.

And what is the nature of it? You may think I am different, world is different, everything in this world is different. That is pure ignorance. Just people think the snake is different from the rope.

So the entire world is Purnam. Why? Because this Purnam, this visible universe, this manifested universe has come from that infinite, unmanifested being which is God. Even though it looks as though it came out, it really did not come out.

So it remains the same infinity. It has never become infinite. Even though it looks, it seems to have come from the infinite, that this infinite has never come.

Because infinite cannot be multiplied, divided, added or removed. It remains exactly the same. If we do not understand, we require some nutritious food for that.

So what is the idea? This visible universe in reality is nothing but that infinity. That is being explained here. Purnam, Sanatana Padam.

This is the eternal. Sanatana means beginningless. Infinity is beginningless, timelessness.

And it is the Padam. That is the only state. Even now we have not fallen.

Man has not fallen. He has not become a sinner. But this ignorance is there.

That is a vritti, that is a thought. That which is infinite somehow fallen into the idea, I am not infinite. But the idea of the infinite can never be removed.

Even to say, I am not infinite, we have to think about the infinite. Somebody says, I am not the prime minister. First you should know about the prime minister.

What does it mean? Then only I can say, I am not that prime minister. So deep in the depths of our unconscious mind, this is what Jung called universal unconscious. In that unconscious, we all know, I am Sat, I am Chit, I am Ananda Swaroopa.

And that's why consciously or unconsciously, we are all struggling towards it only. So this Sanatana Padam, that is the only goal. Because I can only become what I am really.

A mango seed cannot become anything else excepting a mango tree. Just imagine, suppose there is a mango seed. And one day a first class apple seed came and met.

Both of them became deeply intimate. And then the mango came to know. And then it will say, see, for so many lives, I am only being born as a mango and then dying.

I would like to change my nature. For some births, I would like to become a little bit of apple. You become a mango, you will be happy.

I will become an apple and I will be happy. So is it possible? It's never ever possible. We can only become what we really are.

Therefore, Sanatana Padam, that state of being infinite, that eternal, that unborn. Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Swabhava. That is my nature.

That can never be forgotten. So what is spiritual practice? Not to become, but to claim. I was, I am and I will be that eternal.

Whether we are ignorant, whether we are evil and wicked, whatever it is, this idea will never go away from the depths of our minds. It is impossible. Even a most evil person, what does he want? I want to forever to be known as the greatest power on earth.

How long? Forever. That means he is trying to find out in a wrong way albeit that I want to be eternal only. Then what is the name? Akhyam means name.

What is that name? Purushottama. Purushottama. Purusha means he who pervades everything, inside, outside, middle, everything.

That is called Purusha. That's why in the 15th chapter he says, That Purushottama, Uttamapurusha, Akhyam. That's my name.

That's my nature. Name and nature usually do not coincide. If you say Dayatmananda, many devotees have remarked somehow they gave you the name Dayatma but you are anything but Daya.

Anyway, Purushottama Akhyam. My name is Purushottama. How many Purushottamas are there? Only one.

There cannot be more to infinites. Therefore my name is that. And then okay sir, then what about this world? Yasmin, in that Purushottama, in that infinity, this whole universe, it is able to be witnessed.

It is able to be known. This world, I exist. How? Without, this is the famous classical analogy in Advaita Vedanta, In semi-darkness, a rope is mistaken for a snake.

Many times I told you, it is not Asatya. It is not Asat. It is not non-existence.

It is partial existence. We have partial knowledge of the rope. Partial knowledge of the rope is called the snake.

Full knowledge of the snake is called rope. When light is brought, then we see this snake in its real nature, nothing but the pure rope. We can also mistake it for many other things.

What are we trying to tell? This universe is like our mistake. This person mistaking a real rope for a temporary snake. Without the rope, there cannot be any snake because the existence of the rope, the knowledge of the rope and the effect of the rope is partially obscured because of the semi-light.

That's a very important word, semi-light. Full darkness, no problem. Full light, no Adhyasa, no Brahmati, no superimposition.

It is only in semi-darkness. Maya is called semi-darkness. Ajnana is not absence of knowledge, but Ajnana is semi-knowledge, little bit of knowledge.

Like each blind man touching one part of the elephant, but he claims this is the 100% elephant. But that partial knowledge is right knowledge because the blind man is touching none other than only that elephant, nothing else. All of them were touching the elephant.

All of us are only living in God. But because of partial knowledge, I exist. This comes from Brahman's existence.

I know that comes from Brahman's what is called Chit and I am happy that comes from the Ananda aspect of Brahman. Yes men, in that Purushottama, Idam Asesha Jagat, entire universe and what is the universe? Consisting of Asesha, Asesha Murtav, countless forms, small, big, different colors, different qualities, living, non-living, everything. Whatever we experience in the waking state, in the dream state, in the dreamless state, not only that, what people have experienced in the Bhuta, past, Parthamana, the present, they are going to experience in the future.

Mavishyat, everything is contained in this. This beautiful idea has been elaborated in the very first mantra of the Mandukya Karika, especially by Shankaracharya's grand guru, Gaudapadacharya. In that Brahman, Nirguna Brahman, Shuddha, Nitya, Mukta, Buddha, Shuddha, Svabhavaha Brahman, this entire universe is shining just as a snake shines only because of the rope.

The knowledge of the snake is the incomplete knowledge of the rope and the effect it produces is the incomplete Ananda of the rope. So Rajvam Bhujangama means snake, Eva, as if. That word Eva is very crucial in Shankaracharya's vocabulary.

What does it mean? Eva means not real, as if, always as if. Pratibhasitam, why? It is this world we are able to, it is shining. It is making itself experienceable.

Why? Because if some object is lying in darkness, you cannot experience it. But as soon as light falls upon it, immediately it comes into the power, purview of our experienceability. So this whole universe is nothing but that Purna Paramatma and I salute that Paramatma.

He is the light of the lights and Dhyo Yonaha Prachodayat. By His grace, because I surrender myself to Him, I completely pray to Him and then let Him enlighten my understanding. Dhyo Yonaha Prachodayat.

Therefore, I bow down to Him. So with this, the third verse also is complete. But there is a Phalashruti.

Phalashruti means we have to understand this meaning of this also. What is the Phalashruti? That fortunate and assiduous devotee who is sincere to the core, every morning if he remembers these three beautiful mantras, I would say mantras and as I mentioned, they are nothing but pure Gayatri mantra. So whoever remembers every time, not only in the morning, at dawn, at dusk, whenever we tend to forget God, immediately, oh, I forgot to remember God.

That is called awakening. If you forgot, you cannot remember Him. But when you say, I forgot, that means you remembered.

At that time, keep the meaning in these three. These three verses, Punyam, it gives Mahapunyam. Because when I remember these things, I would not feel like doing anything dark, anything evil, anything ugly.

At least temporarily, it prevents us. Not only that, in course of time, it has tremendous effect. Its reputation has a tremendous effect.

That is why Holy Mother used to say, Perfection comes through Japa. Remembrance of these three verses regularly with Bhakti, it brings Mahapunyam and it is said in our scriptures, Punya yields two results. One is, it gives us happiness in this world.

But more than that, it purifies the heart. And when heart is purified, Jignasa will come. The desire to know one's own nature, that is called when we say, I want to realize God, it is indirectly saying, I want to know who I myself am.

So that is what comes Punyam. Lokathraya Vibhushana. If anybody wants to do the greatest adoration, there is no ornament, greater ornament.

It is not the golden ornaments and diamond studded golden ornaments that are really, they are all temporary things. Not only that, that great Pranapaya will come. If somebody gets such people, they are likely to be killed.

But these three things, let the whole world snatch it away from us. As many people as they want, you snatch it away because this is Jnana Bhushana, not Suvarna Bhushana. Lokathraya Vibhushanam Pratakale Pate Dhyasthu.

Whoever remembers. Remember Pratakala doesn't mean only early in the morning. Whenever we remember what is the goal of life, that is Pratakala.

Remember these things and then what is the result? What do I get out of it? Sagacchet Paramampadam. He attains the supreme goal. That means he will know Aham Brahmasmi and then he will become free from the trammels.

That means he will be most happy person in the whole world. These three verses actually, the Guru comes and tells as if Tattvamasi, my child, thou art that. And if we can go on doing Japam, then we get this beautiful state.

What is this state? Not somebody's state. Our own state. Then we will be swimming in the ocean of bliss and if it can happen, even while we are alive, we will be called Jeevan Mukthas.

That's why Sri Ramakrishna has been praised in the third line of this Khandana Bhava Bandhana. Beautiful idea and as also mentioned, these particular three verses are a little more elaborate explanation of Remember the reverse order I mentioned in my past talks. This Gayatri Mantra consisting of three lines.

Each line is about eight syllables. Three into eight, 24. That meter which contains these 24, that is called Gayatri Chandas.

So it became famous as a mantra. Actually, it is a Chandas. Now the essence of these three Gayatri Mantra is And the essence of is And the essence of And these three come together.

This is what is said. A, O plus Um is Om. This Um contains again three parts.

That which is sound. That which is unsounded. That means the essence of these three verses.

That's what Sri Ramakrishna meant when M heard for the first time Sandhya merges in Gayatri and Gayatri merges in Om. So we can rephrase it. The Sandhya merges in Prathasmarami Stotram and Prathasmarami Stotram merges in Gayatri and Gayatri merges in Om and Om is my own Lakshana consisting of Akara, Ukkara, Makara and everything beyond that also.

With this, we conclude the brief, very brief I said, explanation of this. For our next class, I would like to take a similar but related Stotra of Shankaracharya which is called Manisha Panchakam. Saturday afternoon we will take it.

Oṃ jananīm sāradām devīm rāmakṛṣṇam jagadgurum |

Pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuhu ||

May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti.