Taittiriya Upanishad Lecture 50 on 30 April 2025

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Shardam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padmetayo Sritva Pranamam Imuhurum Uhuhuh Om Shanno Mitrashyam Varunaha Shanno Bhavatvaryama Shanno Indro Brihaspate Shanno Vishnu Rukramaha Namo Brahmane Namastevayo Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmase Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmavadishyami Ritam Vadishyami Satyam Vadishyami Tanmam Avatu Tad Bhaktaram Avatu Avatu Mam Avatu Bhaktaram Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om May Mitra be blissful to us. May Varuna be blissful to us. May Aryama 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. We are coming to the end of this 11th section of the Taittiriya Upanishad called Sisyan Shasana. As we have seen earlier that this 11th section is the very essence of the entire Dharmashastra. Righteous conduct. Not only conduct. What is the truth? And what is the goal of life? And how to reach that goal of life? All these three are comprised in that word Dharmashastra. So we have been discussing starting probably there were about 25 commandments were there. Beginning with Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara, Swadhyayaan, Maa Pramadaha etc. I did not count but around that number. And they can be divided into several categories with regard to one's own conduct, with regard to how to consider one's own parents, one's own teacher, and how to look upon any guest that we entertain, we happen to entertain etc. etc. Then the teacher is also telling the students your life is not meant for selfish purpose. And there are no such restraints that you must earn and if you don't earn then you are at fault. This is what the Veda is telling. It is Veda Anushasanam. But 24 hours I'll be after money. That's not the teaching. Within certain time everything has got an allotted time and place. So we also discussed every human being has got three types of duties. Towards one's own self, towards one's own family, and towards one's own society in which one happens to live. And we have to give equal attention to all the three, equal time to all the three. Of course according to situation sometimes we may have to pay more attention to one of these. But you get the trend. At normal time we have to judiciously divide our duties towards these people, these three types of societies. But most important is also one's own life. We have not come with anybody. We came alone. We depart alone. That is a point we have to remember. Then earn money. Then share it with others. Because in the end only we will recognize that there are no others. Whatever we experience, what we call the world is our own reflection. Just as we create an entire world in our dream state. So be unselfish. When we are unselfish then we will be fit to receive the knowledge of Brahma. That is the whole point. When the essence of this first chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad called Sikshavalli is to make ourselves fit persons so that we can undertake the highest science called Brahmavidya which will come in the very next chapter and continues and concludes in the third chapter also called Bhrigavalli. Beautiful chapters. We will come to that. These are all preparations right from the beginning. How to read? How to chant the Vedas? How to split the words? And what are the rules of grammar? And taking a clue with the conjunction of these both letters as well as words Sandhi and Samasa we transform them to aid our contemplations. For example, mother, father and myself. There is an invariable connection. Teacher and the scripture and the student. There is another connection. So if we are intelligent and diligent we find that everything in this world is totally interconnected. So finally the student has learned and is going home and the teacher is giving that final instruction. We have seen. So if we have any doubts after we return from the Gurukula, teachers abode, then if we have any doubts, am I performing this ritual properly or not? Or is my conduct towards somebody, is it proper or not? Then the teacher very humbly with humility, he is giving the directions. Find out. There may be others, Brahmanas. Here Brahmana means not by caste, by quality of life. By all the spiritual qualities a person has got. You look to them how they behave. Or if you are fortunate enough, you go and meet them and directly clarify all your doubts. And until that point we have discussed in our last class. So this is the essence. एतत्रः ब्रह्मणाः सम्मर्षिनाः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः अलूक्षाः धर्मकामाः स्यो यताते तत्रः वर्तेरण् तथा तत्रः वर्तेधाः Now if there arises in your mind any doubt concerning any act, act means ritual or any doubt concerning your own conduct, you should conduct yourself in such matters by observing as Brahmins would conduct themselves. Brahmins who are near you. Brahmins whom you respect. Brahmins who are easy of contact. What type of Brahmins who are competent to judge? Because who of their own accord in their own life are devoted to good deeds, unselfish deeds. They are experts in rituals also and they are not influenced by wicked people or people who are superior to them. And at the same time they are not cruel but they are all lovers of Dharma. अलूक्षाः धर्मकामाः स्यो They only love Dharma and they live the life of Dharma. And of course we may also question if they themselves have some doubt what should they do? They will go to other Brahmins who they understand are superior to themselves and even if it be a little bit distance away, meet them, clarify your doubts, salute them with gratitude and come back and practice or imitate what they are doing. That is why imitation is a beautiful word. Imitation of Christ. Imitation of... we don't get a book like that but imitation of Shri Ramakrishna. Imitation of Swami Vivekananda. Above all, imitation of Holy Mother Shri Sharda Devi etc. So that is what we have concluded in our last class. In today's class, supposing there are some people and there are rumours going on that they are not living a good life but nobody could prove them definitely. These are the people who are misconducting themselves and they are not living a proper life in accordance with what their own teachers have taught. Because you see, there will be so many occasions where because of either past Samskaras and sometimes these Samskaras lie down as seeds and when the proper time comes, suddenly they pop up. So you find a self-restrained person, you might find completely out of control and shouting at everybody, getting angry etc. etc. etc. So sometimes some desires overpower these people. So but sometimes they are proven to be misbehaving but sometimes nobody can prove but there is a strong suspicion that they may be misbehaving. Now a kind of dilemma comes into these people's minds, these Brahmanas, the students. So the teacher is giving them advice. If such a situation arises in your own lives in future, then what is the solution? How to conduct yourself? That is the last practically instruction. तथ अप्याक्यतेशु एतत्र ब्राम्भणाः सम्मर्षिनाः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः अलोक्षाः धर्मकामाः स्यो यताते तेशु वर्तेरं तथ तेशु वर्तेधाः Now with regard to persons spoken against, you should conduct yourself in such a way as Brahmins would conduct themselves. Brahmins who are competent to judge, who of their own accord are devoted to good deeds and are not influenced, urged, forced to their performance by any other person and who are not too severe, that means who are very kind but themselves are great lovers of dharma. They continuously, constantly examine their conscience. Am I behaving in accordance with the teachings of the scripture and in our case am I following the teachings of Shri Ramakrishna etc. A small incident popped into my mind. There was a devotee called Balaram Basu and we all know about him and this Balaram Basu was troubled by mosquitoes and then he wants to kill but he was a Vaishnava by practice. Vaishnavas, they need to practice non-injury. That is one of their greatest goals, how to be practicing Ahimsa, non-injury. Then he could not solve his problems. If he doesn't kill the mosquitoes then he will not be able to meditate properly. He wants to meditate and if he kills, am I doing the right thing? So Balaram Basu used to visit Shri Ramakrishna at any time of the day but he never saw Shri Ramakrishna killing any insect etc. So he thought he would ask Shri Ramakrishna and he came straight to Dakshineswar, entered into the room and was shocked to observe Shri Ramakrishna was removing all his bedding and there were so many bed bugs and he was trying to kill as many of them as possible and exclaiming at the same time, I want to think of my Divine Mother but these would not allow me to think, to meditate properly and that is why I want to finish all of them. And Balaram Basu need not have asked the question. He was answered loudly, clearly, without the least bit of any opportunity to doubt and he was surprised. He had never seen this kind of conduct in the life of Shri Ramakrishna but then he understood. A Divine Guru understands and then he answers the unspoken doubts, confusions of his disciples. So coming back to our subject, supposing any one of us might hear that one of our close friends has fallen into bad ways and I have not seen, you have not seen but you heard it from someone and you think that someone is very reliable. Should you continue your friendship with such a person or not? Again let us recall, Swami Vivekananda stopped coming to Shri Ramakrishna. He started visiting some of his rich friends and since he was such a superb singer, he used to sing and at that time so many people used to come because they were charmed by his singing. Not only it is beautiful voice but they know that what it is coming from the bottom of his heart. Then, just then his father passed away. He became a kind of nastika, non-believer. So there is no God. It is all bunkum. The priests started all this to wink etc. etc. Openly he declared and some of the brother disciples of Swamiji who were waiting exactly for such an opportunity to pop up because they were jealous of Swami Vivekananda. Why? Because Ramakrishna used to forget the whole world whenever Narendra was present. So here is a final justice by the Divine Mother. So gleefully but with a sad face, covering their glee with a sad face, they came to Shri Ramakrishna. Sir, to what a state Narendra has fallen? They dare not utter the word in brackets. Your favourite, your beloved Narendra had fallen and Shri Ramakrishna got wild. He said, you rascal, if you utter one word more against Narendra, I will not be able to see your faces. Then Shri Ramakrishna of course exclaimed, My Divine Mother showed me what Narendra is. He will never fall. This is a beautiful incident. We have to recollect it at this time because you know how rumours spread. So somebody probably with a what is called partial mind, partiality, some they have got their own agenda, he will spread. But some people are very clever. They would not come outright, frankly. They would tell, oh what a, our beloved Narendra, we had so much of hope in him. Shri Ramakrishna trusted him so much as if they did not want Narendra to be like that. But fortune has thrown such a person into their lap. So that now Shri Ramakrishna would hear and then what? This Narendra had betrayed me. I had high hopes about him. From today onwards, I will not see his face. Then he will be forced to see the faces of these complainers. That was their fond hope. Anyway, Shri Ramakrishna never behaves like us. He gets the truth about everybody from the Divine Mother. He knows everybody. He knows the other person who complains also. Only out of his infinite compassion, he doesn't tell so. But we can also face such situations. I do not know whether any person has fallen. Actually, maybe moral dilemma or somebody cheated money, etc., etc. Either Kama or Kanchana. So suppose we happen to hear that somebody close to us had fallen into these bad ways. But of course, there was no proof. Nobody had ever seen. But we heard it from somebody. That somebody hears it from somebody. And by that time, a small twig becomes a big branch. So should we continue to cherish friendship with such a person? That means, should we go on having same positive ideas which we had earlier? If we had at all. And then the scripture clearly tells us, The scriptures emphatically declare, Always abandon whom you know to be wicked people. So wicked people, this word wickedness has many, many shades of meaning. One of the meanings is, Supposing you are very earnestly wanting to learn music. And then there are so many friends who are completely non-musical or devoted totally to the DJ, etc. Should we waste your time with these companions? No. If your goal is to master music and really you love it, you enjoy it, then however painful it may be, however much you might have been friendly with these people, these very people who can bring your mind down with regard to music, must be discarded like poison. What to speak of? Spiritual life. So this is what the Guru is trying to tell. Associating with unrighteousness. Means unrighteousness doesn't come in the form of a package. It always comes in the form of some person who is leading that kind of life. So unrighteousness is also a kind of bad association. But he might have been very dear to you. Sometimes those people really love you. They're wicked. But that doesn't mean they won't love. They might love. So like Hiranyakashyapu used to love his own son Prahlad like anything. So it is not easy to have a friendship with such people. Moreover, whether you are not sure whether these news are only rumours spread by wicked people or there is any grain of truth in it. Under such circumstances, what should one do? That is the subject matter. So Abhyakhyatah means someone who has been accused. Rumours are going round. But we have no direct proof. We ourselves have not seen. So we have to rely upon other people's words. What should we do? So the Guru is repeating the same words said earlier here. एतत्रः ब्रामणाः सम्मर्षिणः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः अलूक्षाः धर्मकामास्यो यथा तेशु वर्तेरं तथा तेशु वर्तेधाः So find out some superior person, a dharmic person who is himself believes in the scriptures and he is practicing dharma. Look at the conduct of Shudhiram. A rich man, as we all know, asked him to give a false witness. But then he refused because he knows I will never be able to do it. My father never did it. My grandfather never did it. My 14 generations never did it. For the sake of a little bit of this one, I am not going to give up. Fear that I will lose whatever I have got. So find out. तत्र ए ब्रामणाः सम्मर्षिणः Find out some brahmanas, means persons who are respected for their good conduct, goodness, purity, spirituality, adherence to the scriptures etc. Such people, not only that, they are very thoughtful people. They are not fools. They are not blindly following the scriptures. युक्ताः So they themselves follow what they are teaching or advising other people. आयुक्ताः They are not at all influenced by anybody. So we don't know, but we might even guess. When this news reached that a zamindar had asked Kshatriya Ram to bear false witness, some of his well-wishers might have told him, Look here, Kshatriya Ram. So if you don't, you know, we all know what a wicked person this zamindar is. Maybe he will throw you out. He will kill you, murder you, or he will beat you up. Or he can easily see that you leave this village, leaving everything. Because that's what the zamindar is most likely to do. They know it. Okay, somehow this one small lie you tell, then you don't need to worry about this. Maybe they told, we don't know. There is nothing wrong in guessing. This is called लिला ध्यान. But do you think that he will accept? Not even easily accept? No. He will never be influenced because it is God who is my witness. एतत्र ब्रह्मणाः सम्मर्षिनयः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः Not only they are not influenced, they are influenced only with the deep faith in the scriptures and what their own gurus had taught in the similar manner that we are discussing. अलूक्षाह That is, they are not cruel people. That means they are not selfish people. And धर्मकामाह स्युहू They always wish, not only they wish to follow the path of righteousness all the time, but they also want to advise other people never deviate from dharma. धर्मकामाह स्युहू In fact, if you study what is Mahabharata, so Pandavas, especially Yudhishthira had lost everything and he had to agree willy-nilly for 13 years of stay in the forest and the last 13th year incognito he has to live. But because he has given the word, he did not do it. शिवी चक्रवर्ति Harishchandra Look at their stories. That is why the motto in India is सत्यम् एवा जेयते Truth alone triumphs. But not immediately. Many times immediately it doesn't triumph. It will take time. Sometimes we may get doubt. Why is it that I am a good person? I never meant any harm to anybody. I did whatever good I have been doing because we don't know what we have done in the past. Anyway, a fact is a fact. We have to accept it and find out without deviating from the path of righteousness, truthfulness. That is what धर्मं चरा Always practice righteousness. There are no exceptions. So for five minutes, you tell some lie and then you can go ahead. But there are also occasions when lie is accepted. As I told you the story in the Mahabharata, a Rishi told a lie. I have seen a deer running in front of me and it went in the opposite direction. He misled them. And then Mahabharata tells us by this lie, he saved himself from a part of that punishment. If the hunters had found out the deer and killed, the sin of killing that deer, a part of it he would be here because he had been instrumental in pointing out in which direction the deer had gone. He saved, of course, the hunters themselves. Of course, he saved the deer itself. So sometimes a lie which would bring good to everybody, that can easily be done. But it is not an excuse to tell any type of lie like that. And we do it all the time. So if you are bored with somebody, I am sure you recollect and say, you keep on looking at your watch. Oh my God, I am expecting somebody. You are not expecting anybody. But you say I am expecting. I need to rush and then good enough. I say that is absolutely fine. Instead of getting bored, it is better if you can use that time. But if you are telling such type of lies to bore somebody else, you want to bore somebody else. That is not acceptable, of course. So Dharmakama Sihu, their only sole desire is to establish Dharma. How do they face the same situation? Because the whole society has to face that situation if even one person is there like that. Tatha, Eshu, Vartai Thaha. You just imitate them. Then you cannot go wrong. Even then there are righteous Brahmins who live their lives traditionally according to the scriptures. And selflessly ask such people how to behave in such a difficult situation. And you should also behave accordingly. Thus where there is no direct advice in the Vedas, one should take the advice of those who are learned in the Vedas. This is the subtlety of Dharmashastra. This is the essence of Dharmashastra. So practically 25 items how to conduct one's life, how to conduct one's relationship, how to look upon one's relationships with regard to earning money and with regard to getting married, with regard to begetting children. So one should be able to follow the Dharmashastra. Simple example, the greatest of such emperors, Raja Dasaratha. He never had children. Actually he married one after the other. Not because of his greed or enjoyment, but he wanted somebody to have some lineage, some children. So through Kausalya he didn't get. So through Sumitra also he did not get. And through Kaikeyi also he did not get. Then he was forced to do one Putrakameshti Yajna. Then he got these four – Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. That is permitted. But then this situation also comes that there are some couples who for whatever reason don't get children. Then sometimes they come to me for advice. Then what do I say? Say you pray to God and if you consult the doctors something can be corrected. But don't go on trying to exhaust your funds etc. You just say God did not want to give us and which is not a bad news at all. But you help other children who require help, who are poor, whose parents cannot afford you as if you are spending on your own children. But many people unfortunately they want to help only their own. They are not ready to sacrifice their life and yet they claim that they are devotees of God. So with this about 25 items. So how to conduct one's life, how to respect parents, Acharya etc. And never give up study of the scriptures or part of that is my Guru. When I was leaving the Guru Kula, he gave me these instructions. If we are Sannyasins, what vows we have taken at Brahmacharya time and at Sannyasa time, we must continuously remind ourselves what we have become. Because in course of time slowly we may slide you down in the beginning slowly but later on very fast that should not happen. And then a doubt might come, the disciples may be thinking, is it your Upadesha or is there any basis for that? The teacher might have anticipated it or he might have heard these very words from his own Guru when he completed his studies and was coming out. This is not one particular Guru giving these instructions. Maybe this person had learnt it from his Guru. His Guru might have learnt it from his Guru. So this is called Guru Sishya Parampara. So he is telling, first of all he is telling, एश अधेशः एश उपदेशः एश वेद उपनिषत् एतत् अनुशासनम् एवं उपासितव्यम् एवं उचेत उपास्यम् With this, the 11th Anuvaka comes to an end. But in the first one, एश अधेशः, this is a commandment. You know, most of us, we do not understand. And even I have written an article on the five commandments of Sri Ramakrishna. Some Dutch lady had written to me, I don't like this word commandments. Commandment means it is inviolable. You have to do it. Then I felt like laughing and I said, Your whole life you are under commandments only. What is the commandment? If you are said it as mom, provide me with ice cream. Is it a request or is it a commandment? When you are out for driving the car, when the red light comes, is it a commandment or is it a request? When you go to the doctor and he examines, diagnoses, and then he gives you the medicine and also dietary restrictions, etc. Is it a request or is it a commandment? Of course, you can violate. But at what cost? With your own cost of health, etc. These are all commandments. Police commandments, governmental commandments, and motorway commandments. In every step in life, in every department of life, there are commandments are there. Should you speak with your parents harshly even when they get angry also, etc. So, these are called Adeshaha. But then the Guru clarifies. This is a commandment. This is an order. Whose Adesha? Eshaha Veda Upanishad. So, then the disciple might get a doubt. But blindly the scripture is ordering us to behave this way. No, no, no. Esha Upadeshaha. This is an Upadesha that which takes you nearer to Sat, Chit, Ananda. That is called Upadesha. Beautiful word. We know Upasana. So, we know Upavasa. We know Upanishad. That is what Shankaracharya gives. Upa means near. Near to what? Near to Brahman. Near to Truth. Whatever takes you, that is the teaching. So, here Upadesha means what? Desha. You are in an unsafe place. You are in a forest full of wild, dangerous, cruel animals. So, Desha means a place where you are completely secure, safe. So, Upa means near. I will take you to a place where you don't need to worry. You can sleep openly and you will be absolutely safe. For a baby, the lap of the mother is the safest place on earth. So, Esha Upadeshaha. That is, this scripture is a mother. That's why she is called Shastra Janani. And like a mother who is always keeping the welfare of her children, Upadesha, she protects them. So, the purpose of scriptures is not to frighten you. It is not to make you do what you don't want to do. But what conduces to the good of each one of us. Maybe in the future, if any child refuses to go to nursery school, the parents will twist his ears and then take him and put him in the school. Why? The parents know this is for the good of our child. He will understand only after completing the studies. Esha Veda Upanishad. This is Veda Upadesha. This is Upadesha of the Upanishads. Essence of the Vedas is called Upanishad. That is why another name for Upanishad is Vedanta. The essence of Vedas is called Vedanta. Generally, these Upanishads occur at the end of some of the Samhitas or Brahmanas. And therefore, it is called the very essence. Anta means end. But really, it means the essence. And Etat, Anushasana, commandment. This is a commandment. Earlier, he said Adesha, order. Etat, Anushasana. What is Anushasana? Shasanam is a commandment. Anushasana means following that commandment. You must follow because the Veda Mata is only telling for the good of each one of us. Every scripture, whether you consider it Bible or Tripitaka or Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, every scripture will tell you what is good for our real benefit, for our future benefit. Every teaching will not give us instantaneous benefit. And then says my child, addressing each one of the students who are about to depart, Evam Upasitavyam. Here, just as you sit to contemplate on God, you contemplate on each one of the 25 commandments that you have been given. Evam, exactly as you have been commanded, Upasitavyam. This is your puja. This is your meditation. You meditate upon them. The scripture is coming through the mouth of my Guru. So let my Guru teach me. Evam Ucha Etad Upasiyam. And definitely, you will have to practice it. Upasiyam means you will have to contemplate it, understand it, put it into practice. This is the rule. This is the teaching. This is the sacred wisdom of the Vedas. This is the commandment of God. This you should observe. This alone should be observed. The last line, Evam Ucha Etad Upasiyam. You have no other way. Because this is the only way that will take you to the highest goal. So with this, the 11th section of this Siksha Vali, first chapter has come. And then there are, as I mentioned, there are 12 sections are there. The 12th section is nothing but repetition of the first section. That is the Shanti Mantra. So this is the repetition. Then the question naturally comes, why is this repetition of Shanti Mantra the first section of this Siksha Vali? The Shanti Patha is meant, it is an earnest, heartfelt prayer to all the Gods. Because different Gods should bestow their particular grace so that our life, our physical body, our mind, our environment, our health, everything depends upon the grace of the various Gods. But as we mentioned, it is not various Gods. When a mother is feeding the baby, she is the giver of food. When the mother is playing with the child, she is a playmate. When the same mother tells bed stories before going to bed, then she is what is called making the child sleep peacefully, rest peacefully. And the same mother, when she is treating the sick child, she is a nurse. And the same child, when he becomes a little petulant and doesn't obey, she even slaps. And mother's slap is much more desirable than father's slap. So all these roles a mother has to play, just like that, God will have to play all these roles. Surya is necessary, Chandra is necessary, Varuna is necessary, Vayu is necessary, but all these are the manifestations of Brahmane. Namo Brahmane. Namaste Vayu. Salutations to the Vayu. Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmasi. Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmavadishyami. I declare emphatically, Namaste Vayu. Vayu Devata. Why? Because you can live for some time. If you don't eat food for some days, you will survive. If you don't drink water, you will survive only just less days than without food. But if you don't breathe oxygen, you will expire within a minute. And that is why the aspirant calls. And he must have got this hint from his Gurus. Namaste Vayu. Salutations to you. If you want to translate, you can even translate like salutations to oxygen or oxygen carrying Vayu Devata. Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmasi. I declare you. You are the Pratyaksha Brahma. That means if you are absent for more than a few seconds, of course Vayu will never be absent. Our very life, the whole universe will come to an end. That is why Tvameva Pratyaksham Brahmavadishyami. I declare again that you are the direct, experienceable Brahman right in front of us. Not only for me, but for every living creature. Plants have to breathe. Animals have to breathe. Insects have to breathe. Everything has to breathe. Vritam Vadishyami. So, Brahman, you are the highest truth. Satyam Vadishyami. And I want to reach you. Therefore, I have to practice what I understand. And Tan Mam Avatu. May that divinity Brahman protect me. Not only me, Tad Vaktaram Avatu. May Brahman protect my teacher also. Avatu Mam, Avatu Vaktaram. So again, second time, kindly do not forget me and my teacher. Because if I am not well, I can't complete my studies. Even if my teacher is not well, any obstruction, obstacle comes. Then there would be a stoppage of my learning process. But here, especially Shankaracharya tells, why second time? Because you have heard my prayer and you have really fulfilled my desire. Because nothing happened, my teacher was in the pink of health. I was also in the pink of health. And my teacher was able to convey. Not only he knows, but he should know how to convey. How to express in appropriate words. How to explain it properly. All that is possible only because of your grace. That is what Sairam Krishna used to say again and again. Unless a person is authorized by God, he cannot be an effective teacher. This is what he is telling. Our infinite thanks to you. Because we have successfully understood, as conveyed by your grace, through the instrumentality of our teacher. With this, the first chapter of Sekshavalli has come to an end. Om Jananim Shardaam Deveem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranama Vimohur Moho May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna