Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 91 on 05 April 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAG PRANASCHAKSHUH SHROTRAMATHO BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANEE SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAMA BRAHMANIRAKAROT ANIRAKARANAM ASTVANIRAKARANAM ME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHAD SU DHARMA TE MAI SANTU TE MAI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARE OM OM May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength, and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me. I am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL So we are continuing Eleventh Anuvaka which is called Sishyam Satsanam or in modern terminology it is called Convocation Address. A teacher is instructing, giving a complete blueprint how to live life. As I mentioned this is not applicable only for particularly Indian students but every human being in the whole world. So we have discussed certain instructions and then comes very beautiful instruction. The Acharya continues KUSHALAT NAPRAMADHITAVYAM BHOTIAY NAPRAMADHITAVYAM SVADHYAY PRAVACHANABHYAM NAPRAMADHITAVYAM These words, these two commandments Kushalat Napramadhitavyam do not neglect from self-protection, self-improvement, self-satisfaction. Similarly Bhotiay, the effort to become wealthy, to become strong in whichever field, to progress in life. Never ever neglect. There are so many religions who after reading the scriptures they consider Hindu teachings as self-world negating teachings which is absolute bunk because they do not understand, they have not studied properly. But what do they really mean? What does a Rishi particularly mean in this context? So having taught the Vedas, when the student is returning, the teacher gives the final instructions, beautiful instructions. Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not ever neglect the study and teachings of the Vedas. Kushalat Napramadhitavyam. What is Kushalat? Shankaracharya's inimitable liquid language. Atmarakshana Arthaat Karmanaha Napramadhitavyam. You should save yourself. There is a beautiful conversation between Swami Vivekananda and his disciple Sharad Chandra Chakravarti. So he said, why India has gone down? That was the topic because Hindus are not following religion. In those days, it was a fashion to blame religion, especially Hindu religion for the degradation of India. On the contrary, Swamiji said it is because you neglected your religion that is the real cause. In that conversation between these two, then he said, supposing somebody attacks you, what will you do? I think it may not be Sharad Chandra Chakravarti. It may be another disciple called Priyanath. So what will you do if someone attacks you? And most people, what do they do? These people are cowards. They run away. Then Swamiji asked the next question, what will you do if your mother is attacked? Immediately, even the most coward person cannot tolerate when his own mother is attacked or children are attacked. So that is the spirit. Look, the whole India, the whole Hinduism is your mother and it is being attacked on all sides. Unfortunately, not only by the missionaries, not only by what is called evil intending people all over the world, even today Hinduism or especially India is criticised as if the criticisers, they set up themselves as judges and what they are doing to themselves, they do not understand. So here, the Hindus themselves, they turn against Hindus. This is the greatest tragedy in this world. In very few nations, you will see, especially in the western nations, you will not see such things. If anybody even utters one foolish word against their country, they may not be devoted, they may be selfish, they may be evil, but they will not tolerate. They are very patriotic. But unfortunately, all our problems are we are so cowardly, we do not have any regard to our own religion. That is why be proud to say, I am a Hindu. That is what Swamiji said. Anyway, this is by the way. So Kushalat means Atma Rakshana Arthaat Karmana. Whatever action is needed to protect oneself, never neglect it. If you have to die, die. It is better to die once like a hero than dying every second like a coward. So may you not neglect your own well-being. And Vedas say we have a duty to society. We also have duty to one's life. I will come to that point very soon. So why did Bhagawan has given us this Manushya Janma, especially a human birth? Because it is possible to attain liberation or Atma Gnanam only in a human birth. Even the gods look with jealousy upon human beings. They want to become human beings. Why? The Deva Loka is like staying in a posh hotel, not able to do much. And if somebody goes to Naraka, only the mind will be continuously preoccupied with suffering. But it is only in Manushya. It is called Karma Loka. One can do karma. Very soon we will come to what Shankara has to say about the next commandment. So the body has to be protected. The mind has to be protected. The buddhi, intellect, has to be protected. Above all, protect yourself in every possible way. If necessary, be very selfish. But never neglect the welfare of your own self. So this is what is in the famous teaching of Sri Ramakrishna. You can be a devotee. In fact, you cannot be a devotee unless you are an intelligent person. A stupid idiot has no chance of becoming a devotee at all. But there are so many stupid idiots who think that they are great devotees of God just because they do Japam and they do Pradakshinam and they go to the temples and most of the people are like that. Why? God has given this invaluable Manushya Janma which Bhagavan Shankara says in his work Vivekachudamani with great Purva Janma, Punya only. So this Durlabham, these three things are Trayamevaitam. Manushyatvam Mumukshutvam Mahapurusha Samsaya. Only by the blessings of Gods can one obtain this human body. So the body is not merely to serve the society because there are people who advocate serving the society, neglecting everything else. There are some people who serve themselves, neglecting society. Now there must be a harmony between them. So what should be our attitude? Until we get Atma Jnana, we know who we are. We have to remember the primary duty of each one of us is a duty to ourselves. Oh the western countries are preaching social service. So should we not do it? Even if you look at Ramakrishna Mission, what is called motive? What is the motto? What is the first motto? First motto is for one's own liberation. Atmano Mokshaartham. Then only comes Jagat Hita. Jagat Hita is not a separate ideal. Jagat Hita is a means, one of the means of purifying ourselves. So one has every right to protect oneself and very sadly we have neglected it. And then we should again retrieve that teaching and protect ourselves. But it doesn't mean we will become beastly selfish. So that is also going to come. We will talk about it. Kushalat na pramadithavyam. Keeping what is called an eye upon all our life, we have to progress ourselves. The only criteria, am I progressing towards God or am I going down? Being beastly selfish is to go down. So in this context only, we have to understand this beautiful thing. We have, being human being, we have got three, as it were, three separate departments to which we owe our service. What are they? First to society because we cannot survive alone. It is society who protects us and we also protect others by doing our own duties. Everybody can be happy only if everybody contributes. We have a sacred duty to the Sangha or Samaja. That is why this is also part of the Pancha Maha Yagna. Then second, we have a duty because we are members of a family. Our mother, our father, our husband, wife, children and brothers, sisters, this is the family. We are not talking about society. We are talking about family. So as a member of a family, I have my duty. Some time I have to allot, some resources I have to allot and some sacrifice I have to give time-wise or energy-wise so that the family also will be in it because we support each other. But most important and we should never neglect it, we have a duty to our own selves, to oneself. Why? Because I am a Jeeva. I am an individual. I am born not because of somebody's force, my own past karma and I come into contact with the family, with the society, with the religion, with the language, I would say with everything only because I require these things for my further progress in life. So it is not that we have to be ungrateful to other people but other people also have the same duty for themselves. There must be a beautiful harmony and balance between how much we dedicate ourselves to the society, to the family, however wonderful the family, however loving husband or wife are. But we have the most sacred duty to ourselves. We belong to God and God belongs to us. So therefore this is called Never neglect your own personal protection, personal interest. In every way we should progress. That's what Swamiji said that the goal of life is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature external and internal. And then comes Never ever neglect to acquire wealth. And there is a beautiful question in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, M. He asks, can I earn more money? Shall I try to earn more money? Why? M was not a greedy person but he had to maintain quite a big family. His wife was there, his father and mother were there, of course stepmother was there but he has some children also and his earning was not too great. The whole life he did not earn much. Ramakrishna says definitely but he gave two conditions. First condition is it should be earned righteously with what we call Dharmic way. And second he gives the hint and remember do not forget money is meant for the service of God and which includes service of the society, service of the sadhus, holy people and service of God, puja or contribution for the temples etc. etc. Everything. This is called dana and dharma consists of his tapas and dana and yagna in one place. I think it may be either daksha smriti or mana smriti. I do not remember. So This is the commentary by the great Shankaracharya. So he says Bhut Yarthana that is what is it for the sake of earning wealth etc. and wealth doesn't mean only money. Wealth means it could be what is called learn things better and wealth doesn't mean you can also what is called hope or a greater power, greater position, everything whatever you possible but in what way not that whole 24 hours you have to go on. I want to become a richest businessman. I want to go on climbing the what is called official ladder until I become the CEO or director or owner if possible of all those things. No. There is a legitimate amount of time and energy we have to use for that. Not 24 hours a day. That is again it will violate the commandments given by the teacher. So Bhut Yarthana Mangala Yuktaha Karmanaha. So you must increase your wealth. How? Mangala Yuktaha Karmanaha. Only those through those actions which lead one for the welfare of the person in every way especially in spiritual way. Do not neglect. This is not a suggestion. It is a commandment. So we have seen also money, wealth is very important. Lakshmi Devi very important. Where did we see? Did we recollect? Taittiriya Upanishad especially the Sikshavalli 4th Tanvaka. So O God bring me the prosperity that fetches, increases and achieves for me cloths, cattle, food and drink for all time. Not for a short time. As well as Uli and other kinds of animals, Swaha. A kind of what is called Avahanti Homa. And there Lakshmi Devi, Shri Devi is invoked there and tried to please by giving these offerings. So there is nothing wrong in having ambition, in having wealth, in having power provided the motivation is I want to enjoy myself. But part of enjoying myself is also serving the society. Let us not forget that Hindus are the greatest believers in Karma Phala. Karma means Punya Karma. Punya Karma brings happiness. So Dharmic Karmas as prescribed in the Vedas, they are called Dharmic Karmas. They are called Vidhis. Do certain things, do not ever do certain other things. Do's and don'ts. So what does Dharma do? Produce Punyam. What does Punyam do? Punyam will give us the ability to squeeze happiness from any situation. If a Dharmic Punyavan goes to hell, he will derive as much happiness as though he is in Brahma Loka because of his Punyam. But if an Adharmic person goes to even Brahma Loka, there also he will squeeze so much of Dukkha, he will be suffering there. Read the Mahabharata. It should be interpreted properly. Mahabharata is a life of each one of us. Dharmakshetre, Urukshetre. So the very beginning of Mahabharata, there was a great personage. He was called Shantanu and he went to Brahma Loka. And there was another great lady called Ganga Devi. Puranic story. And then she also went to Brahma Loka. The Ganga, mother Ganga, whom we venerate there. So this Shantanu and Ganga Devi looked at each other and then they were thinking of each other and their bodies were in Brahma Loka. There is their mind in Manushya Loka. Therefore, Brahma says to them, so even here you are thinking of only what every normal human being thinks. You better take birth as human beings. Fulfill your desires and when you have no more desires, elevated your mind, come back to me. This is how this ghastly Mahabharata starts. Horrible story if I tell you in my own way. But I am not going to spoil your taste for Mahabharata. So here Lakshmi Devi is to be invoked and there is a misunderstanding. Lakshmi Devi is meant only for money. There are billions of people who are very rich or more than or who is rich. So not according to me, one who has more than what one needs is a rich person. After all, if you have so much of money, on how many beds are you going to sleep? You may have got 12 beds. Every one hour you are going to change from bed to bed or what? How much food can you take? And how many cars you can ride in? You can have a collection of them. But the more you have, the more headache you have. The more teeth you have, the more teeth ache you will be having. So anybody who has more than sufficient, he is the richest person in this world, I would say that. So are they happy? They are not happy. Why? Because Lakshmi Devi is not manifesting in them. One way wealth is there. Another way Lakshmi Devi means prosperity, means happiness. Prosperity means positive mind. Lakshmi Devi means positive mind. Lakshmi Devi means unselfishness. Lakshmi Devi means that great love for other than one's own self or one's own family. All these things only indicate Lakshmi. So when we pray, don't simply misunderstand, bring me money. What will you do when you become old? What will you become when you are sick or when you have lost some limbs? The best 8K TV in this world is not going to help you if you are blind or suffering from cataract. So therefore, there is nothing wrong against earning money. But as I said that one should divide one's life equally for earning also, but for enjoying also, but serving also. That is where here we come. And by the way, I want to remind you what happened to Sudama. He was very poor and he had so many children. So he goes to meet Bhagawan Krishna. We all know that. And then Krishna never asked. He only took, but never asked, why did you come? And he bade him with a sweet smile that, oh, come again whenever you have time like that. So on the way, this Sudama was thinking, Bhagawan, how gracious He is. He must be knowing what I need. He knew nobody will visit him unless there is a need. And he knew I came with a purpose. But he is reasoning within himself. If he gives me money, that is Bhagawan Krishna is thinking, if I give this man money, he will become Ahankari, Mada, Matsarya will come. And what little devotion he has for me, that also he will go away. Out, purely out of my own welfare, he did not ask me anything. Why did you come? What do you want? Can I do something like that? So this is Bhagawan's greatest grace. What would we people think like that? We will be criticizing him. He never even once asked, what for I have come, etc. But we know what happened. That is a great lesson we have to learn. When he came, he could not understand. There is, he became one of the richest persons. But then the scripture goes on telling, how did he spend his wealth? First of all, he had sufficient to feed himself, his wife, his children, his family. Everything is absolutely fine. But at the same time, he used his money for the sake of society, for the sake of helping sadhus or what is called other ashramas, Brahmachari ashrama, Vanaprastha ashrama, Sanyasa ashrama, for the social welfare. He only used as much as is necessary. He was quite content with whatever he could do. But we have to imagine, enrich our imagination. If his wife is fond of some saris, he would give as many saris or as many ornaments. Children, they want some lollipops, he will give varieties. He would not deprive them. But at the same time, he set an example, how to live the life of a true devotee. That is how he was never proud and he used God-given money. He was always conscious, it is God's money. It should go only in the service of God. Service of God means everything else. So, Hinduism has nothing to say against acquiring wealth, etc. But it only puts one condition. Proportionately, we should share or we should give it in charity, that earning. Otherwise, it is called lobha. Otherwise, it is a social service. So, there is nothing wrong in earning money because a grihasta has to really help other people, other than the three ashramas especially. Now, Shankaracharya, as usual, gives brilliant commentary. So, I cannot describe how marvellously he puts it in this fourth anuvaka, in this very shikshavali, first chapter. So, for the fourth anuvaka, where there is avahanti homa, it tells dhanam karma artham, karmaha chitta shuddhi artham or duritakshaya artham, chitta shuddhi jnan artham, jnanam moksha artham, moksha atmananda artham. So, all the karma is pancha maha yagna. So, what is this dhanam for? To perform pancha maha yagna and that is done through karmas. Dhanam karma artham. Karma means, remember, what is called karmakanda or the rituals imposed by the first part of the Vedas on every householder. And what is the purpose of karmas or rituals? Chitta shuddhi artham, for the purification of the mind. And what for is the purification of mind? Chitta shuddhi jnan artham, so to become a fit person in order to tread the spiritual path. And what for knowledge is necessary? Moksha artham, because jnanam alone, what is jnanam? That I am atman and I was, I am, and I will be atman. But I have forgotten, I came by mistake to consider myself, I am anatma, I am jivatma, etc. So, jnanam is just remembering I was never a jiva, even now I am not a jiva, I am nothing but aham brahma asmi. And what is the moksha? We are all as jivas craving for atmananda, unbroken happiness. We don't want any object for the sake of suffering. We want every object imagining there is happiness there, mistaking they are giving happiness. That's why Shri Ramakrishna gives those two brilliant examples, a camel eating thorny bush and a dog going on chewing a dry bone, etc. So, this is what Shankaracharya is telling that it is bhutai na pramaditavyam, never ever neglect welfare, your own welfare, earn as much money. But let us not remember not 24 hours, what is called there is some time allotted for karma, as a worker, as a officer, as a doctor, as a student or as a housewife, as anything. That's what Swami Vivekananda tried to explain. So, there must be truthfulness, there must be honesty and there must be cleverness. Bhuti also requires cleverness. Simply that is why Shri Ramakrishna says a fool can never be a devotee. So, prosperity can be healthily developed and efficiently maintained. So, if we do not do it, that means we are neglecting God's own commandments in the form of Vidhi and Nishedha. Remember this is Vidhi. There is something else also is coming. And then again the Acharya reminds that lest you may neglect all these things, thinking that I am doing properly, but every now and then you have to remind yourself. What does the scripture do? Remind oneself, oh this is what I studied, this is what my teacher told me and how come I have forgotten the essence of it. So, a devotee of Shri Ramakrishna, for example, must read the Gospel of Shri Ramakrishna and the life of Shri Ramakrishna and the lives of Holy Mother, Swamiji, the entire disciples and how they lived. And this is what the beautiful English book, 12th century book, The Imitation of Christ. So, meditate on Christ and follow His footsteps. Meditate on Shri Ramakrishna, follow His footsteps. Meditate on Holy Mother, follow His footsteps. Then everything will be very clear. And in order to do that, we have to keep in touch with them. And how do we keep in touch with them? Japa is one method and then regular Parayana study, devoted study, that is another way. Then Acharya continues, My child, do not neglect the ignorance that you are indebted to all the Devas because they are making your life possible. And earlier I have told you, you should remember all these things. Without Bhudevi, we will not survive. Without, similarly, Jala Devata, Agne Devata, Vayu Devata, Akasha Devata, we cannot survive. Who is a Devata? Devata means deity. Who is a Devata? Without whose grace, we can never survive. Nobody can ever survive. That is called Devata. So we cannot survive without eating, without drinking, without warmth, without breathing oxygen and without moving. Nobody can survive. Therefore, we are indebted to them. That is the Devarana. But along with that also, we have to discharge our debt to them. How? By worshipping them, by saying thanks. What is the way of thanking? That every day, worship them and praise them. Whatever we decide to enjoy, offer it to them. And all this is comprised in Brahma Arpanam Brahmavihi. So never neglect because as a householder, that's your duty. Then Pitru Karya Abhyam. We know what is Pitru Karya. That is, we are tremendously indebted to our immediate mother and father Acharya and to their parents. To their parents because our parents are what they are because of their parents. Our father is what he is because of his parents. Similarly, mother also because of her parents. And if these are very good people, mother is excellent, father is excellent, that means they have been trained by their parents and it is not easy to live an ideal life. So much of sacrifice is needed and therefore they have sacrificed. They have brought us up. Therefore, as long as we live, we have to pray for them. Even one can also offer to Pitru Devatas, what we call, go to Gaya, go to Varanasi, go to Haridwar and offer Pindadana. What is Pindadana? It has two purposes. One is pray for them because everybody is not a Brahma Jnani and they have also done some things. But that is the purpose. We are grateful. We can only pray because physically they don't need anything but spiritually our prayers will reach them. And what is the second thing? What is the purpose of Shraddha or Pindadana? It is to remind us what we call death is only not real death but it is only transition between the present body and a new body. That's all. Even when a child dies, the child dies or the body of the child dies because of the Prarabdha that its purpose is accomplished and therefore it cannot live for one single minute. Just like when a family goes on a trip to some other place, they already book a return ticket including the children. So the children cannot be left behind. So the child also has to return. Everybody has to return. So our returning to get another body, reach another place and then go on progressing ourselves in spiritual life. That is the only purpose. So death is not something to be worried over but to look forward. Better opportunity, newer opportunity for us to move forward. So Deva Pitru Karya Abhyam Na Pramadit Abhyam. Never ever neglect. And there is a social dimension involved here. What is it? Only one who believes in the Gods, only he can look after his mother, father, Acharya, etc. as Gods. An Astika who doesn't believe in God, he will also most likely not believe in his mother or respect his father, his mother, his teachers who sacrificed and other people. Probably the percentage of his loving and serving others will be very very minimal. Probably there may be a person, he may be telling I don't believe in God but the way he lives is more than what people do who profess faith in Gods and Goddesses. So never neglect. And in order to remember it, we have to study Swadhyaya Anma Pramadaha. And then there is also Swadhyaya Pravachana Abhyam. Swadhyaya means you go on studying scriptures to remind yourself. Pravachana means go on teaching it to others. Not as your teaching but as the teaching of the Bhagawan Himself because He is the Vedakarta, He is the author of the Vedas themselves. So there is also a psychological benefit. When a person tries to teach others then he will be only understanding the subject much much much better than the person who is listening. And these are all involved here. And then comes the famous commandments which we all know. Matru Devo Bhava. That is worship your mother as none other than the Divine Mother. Worship your father as none other than Ishwara Himself. And then Acharya Devo Bhava. Acharya. Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwaraha. And then Atithi Devo Bhava. But then look in a ladder, the way of a ladder. Matru Devo Bhava. Who is the nearest to us? A baby is born and who is the nearest to that baby at all times in everybody's life including animals? It is only the mother. Therefore the relationship with our mother is there beginningless from the very beginning. It is entwined with our life itself. And then if we do not love our own mother, if anybody doesn't love. Now here also a point we will have to take into consideration. Oh if my mother is perfect then I will love. There is no greatness in you. If somebody is perfect then that other person's perfection itself makes us also do what we are supposed to do by force. No. My mother may have a billion defects. Even I may be better than my mother. But that's what she is. And that is what she protected me. That is more than enough for me. She looked after me. She herself has given, shared her own life with me. And that is enough for me. And this is a way of growing both secularly and spiritually. So first person nearest was his mother. And next to that of course his father protecting us and then providing for us etc. A father comes. Then comes the third person whoever is teaching us. Usually at an early age we enroll ourselves in a nursery, kindergarten, nursery school and then school, middle school and elementary school, middle school, high school etc. So all those people who struggled to inculcate some amount of knowledge for us. We have to be very respectful. Whatever. Do not look they are not gods. They may have thousand what is called defects. Doesn't matter. But they're all as I wish to call it a target practice. My mother is a target. Whatever she is that's not my business. I decided to look upon her as a divine mother. And through that I will grow. Similarly my father is a target for me. Whether he loved me. Whether he discriminated between my other brothers and myself. Whether he scolded me. He was a very angry person all the time. And he gave me a lot of beltings etc. So many families we see this thing. But no. I am what I am today because of what he did. So even if he has done something wrong. I am developing a spiritual outlook how to look upon him. He is none other than God only. What to speak of Acharya. Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. There is a funny story. It was Sanatana Goswami to Brindavan. He was a disciple of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And he was extremely harsh towards his disciples. No comparison with how holy mother was looking. So what happened the disciples felt terribly pain. And then they prayed mother to mother Radha Devi who is the presiding deity. By the way the presiding deity of Brindavan is Radha Devi not Krishna. The presiding deity of Varanasi is not Vishwanatha. It is mother Annapurna. Because he is what he is. Every day she has to give him bhiksha. Otherwise he will be lying down 24 hours a day. So it is the motherliness we are talking about. So the disciples of Sanatana Goswami since prayed to the mother Radha Devi. Please see that we are not punished so severely. And then out of compassion for her children she appeared to Sanatana Goswami and said Baba you do not discipline your children. Love them also a little bit. He turned his wrath against him and said look you are a village cow head girl. What do you know how to discipline disciples. Get the hell out of here. I know what to do. What can she do. So anyway that is a story that goes famous story. It goes like that. So if a teacher is really strict disciplinarian it is for the welfare of the disciples. A person who tortures his disciples is not really a guru but he is a guru we have to say. Guru means in Bengali animal. So especially cows, bulls etc. What is the steps I mentioned earlier. That is first to develop that special attitude of seeing God in your mother. And when you have succeeded to some extent then slowly expand your vision to father. And when you have succeeded in both then expand your vision of seeing Brahman or seeing Ishwara everywhere into the Acharya. And then once you succeed in that then Atithi. Atithi means a guest. And then in the olden times guests have no particular time. Anytime they can arrive because of those conditions. But whatever time a person comes you have to welcome him with love. Try to remove all his fatigue, jet lag etc. And then offer him Madhu Parka. Madhu Parka means nowadays as they give cold drinks or a cup of tea or coffee whatever they prefer. Make them take rest and when they recoup a little bit then make arrangements for their bathing, for their proper eating etc. But here it means anybody else. So gradually let us enlarge our vision so that we can see God. And it starts only if we do not succeed in looking upon our own mother as the universal mother or Ishwara. Then there is no chance of our expanding our vision. This is how we will have to do it. Now let us look at Ramakrishna and etc. Ramakrishna's advice to Shri Sharada Devi. On one occasion there were some things offered to mother Kali, Ashari etc. So she asked Ramakrishna, what shall I do with this? And he said, offer it to your own mother because she is actually divine mother only. But do not offer as an ordinary looking upon her as an ordinary mother. Look upon her as the divine mother Kali but this time in the form of your own mother. Now how did Shri Ramakrishna himself look upon his own parents, both Kshudiram and Chandra Devi? And then upon holy mother, how did Shri Ramakrishna look upon holy mother? So his crystal clear answer when holy mother herself questioned, how do you look upon me? He said, the same mother who is in the temple, the same mother who is in the upstairs, that is his biological mother Chandramani Devi. I look upon both of them and you also as universal mother only. The same mother is manifesting in these three forms. Then how did Shri Ramakrishna serve Chandramani? We have to raise this question because we know you keep aside whether he was incarnation of God or not. But just keep in mind, he was a what is called Siddha Purusha Brahma Jnani, even ordinary Brahma Jnani, doesn't matter. And after he attains Brahma Jnana, there is no duties. One who has realized Brahman as one's own self, there is neither any duty nor any prohibition. He rises above all what we call normal rules and regulations. So Shri Ramakrishna need not do anything. Actually he need not do because he became Brahman by his very grace. One Brahma Jnani has the capacity to give Brahma Jnana to anybody else. But then he wanted to set an example. So what did he do? We all know. I am just briefly mentioning. Every day he will go and inquire of after his mother's welfare. Sometimes she used to act out. So she would not eat food for whatever reason. And then he will sit and he was an expert dramatist. He will tell some nice stories and then she completely forgets. And then in between he will see that she is completely fed. Then he will make Sastang Pranam to her and then only he will come. How much he used to be worried about his mother's health. How much he used to be worried about his Gurudeva Totapuri Maharaj. So you see these are all examples. And then how did Shri Ramakrishna look upon his Gurus? Whether it is Totapuri or Bhairavi Brahmani or even what is called his Guru. His Sufi Guru Govinda. Govinda Singh. How did he look upon him? And then one father came who used to worship Krishna as Gopala. So how did he look upon all of them? And how much he worshipped them? How much he served them? How much he helped them to progress in spiritual life? Even when he helped them more than what they helped him. His attitude towards them. They are my Gurus and they are none other than Gods for myself. That was his attitude. What about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? How did he look upon his own mother? And how did Shankaracharya do? This is a beautiful story. I will perhaps talk about it because these are very important things. But just to remind you Shankaracharya before leaving his mother promised when you want to see me remember me. Wherever I am instantaneously I will come and I will serve you. And then at the end she remembered him like the mother of Hanuman. So Anjana Devi she remembered Hanuman whenever she used to remember him. He would immediately come, serve his mother etc. So what did Ramachandra do? For him also his own parents are like Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara. So these beautiful examples are there which we will talk about in our next class. What is the essence? Acharya Devo Bhava, Atithi Devo Bhava and Swadhyaya Pravachanabhyam Na Pramadaha. Om Jananem Shardham Devem, Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum, Pada Padmetayoh Sritva, Pranamami Mohur Mohoh. May Shri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna.