Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Ch.3 Lecture 79 on 24 October 2026

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ओं जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुं, पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः.

Oṃ jananīṃ śāradāṃ devīṃ rāmakṛṣṇaṃ jagadguruṃ, pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

OM PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA PŪRṆAMEVA VAŚIṢYATE OM ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTI ŚĀNTIH

OM That Brahman is infinite, and this universe is also infinite. The infinite proceeds from the infinite. Taking the infinitude of the infinite universe, it remains as the infinite Brahman alone.

OM Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all.

Introduction: The Muni Kāṇḍa

We have entered into the third chapter of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, which is called Muni Kāṇḍa. As I mentioned earlier, both the third as well as the fourth chapters are called Muni Kāṇḍa. Here Muni means Yājñavalkya. Kāṇḍa means section. Wherein Yājñavalkya faces challenges.

The Story

And there is a very interesting story. I have already partially introduced that story. We will go through it again and again because there is so much of echo in our own lives as we delve deep into the secrets – interior, inner meaning – of this Upaniṣad and we discover many things within our own selves. And of course, in the light of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda's life.

Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa

But before we go into the details of the third chapter called Muni Kāṇḍa, let us remember as a foreground, a few concepts. So here the teacher, the sage Yājñavalkya – because Yājñavalkya appears in all the Brāhmaṇas here – it is also called Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa. So Muni Kāṇḍa or Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa. Perhaps if we use the word Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa, it would be easier for us to remember the main teacher here is Yājñavalkya.

The Two Aspects of Brahman

Now we have to establish a relationship between what we studied in the previous Kāṇḍa, which is called Madhu Kāṇḍa. Madhu Kāṇḍa is the greatest essence of all the Upaniṣads. We have studied it in quite a detail: sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ brahma.

The Unmanifest and the Manifest

So Brahman has got two aspects. The unmanifest aspect is called Satyaṁ Jñānam Anantaṁ Brahma. The manifest aspect is called creation, which Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa beautifully explains to us. That when I look at Brahman without any activity, I call Him Brahman. But when I look at the same Brahman with activity, I call Him Śakti. Śakti means creatrix.

The Wax Garden

Anything that we create requires activity, energy, purpose, firm determination – all those things. Again, as I many times mentioned, if you look at a wax garden, you can look in two ways: purely everything as wax, and then there would be everything is wax. But a child looks: "This is a tree, this is a man, this is a dog," etc.

Nāma, Rūpa, Guṇa

Then what is it? Nāma, Rūpa, Guṇa – form, name, and quality. That is called creation. Brahman plus Nāma‑Rūpa‑Guṇa is creation, world. World minus Nāma‑Rūpa‑Guṇa is Brahman.

Realising Brahman

So Brahman has to be realised, and that Brahman is none other than you because everything that appears in the wax garden is nothing but wax. Entire creation is a manifestation of pure Brahman, and therefore everything is only Brahman. Only because of the names and forms, we say this is separate from that.

Swamiji's Example

And Swamiji, we have to remind ourselves, explains it beautifully. He says: if everything is Brahman, is there then no difference between Īśvara and an ordinary person like me and you? Swamiji explains: supposing out of clay a mouse is made, an elephant is made. From the viewpoint of the clay, both are the same. But from the viewpoint of the nāma‑rūpa, a mouse can never be compared with an elephant. So even though we see the difference, if we can cognise, keep in mind, that nāma‑rūpa is unreal, insubstantial, but everything is really only one, then we feel that we have realised that I am Brahman, because I am a manifestation of Brahman, you are a manifestation of Brahman, everything in the wax garden is a manifestation of Brahman – everything is in creation, including what we call the non‑living (jaḍa) or cetana, living as well as non‑living, everything is Brahman only – and realise that through śravaṇa, manana, nididhyāsana.

Śravaṇa and Manana

So this Madhu Kāṇḍa represents śravaṇa. First hear from the teacher and have no doubt about it. And then you sit and then think deeply.

Why Think Deeply?

Why should we think deeply? The answer is: because what the teacher said is not being experienced by me. I see everything different. Not only I see everything different, I see differences within myself. I was a baby, I was a young person, I was middle‑aged, and I am now old.

The Changing Body

So much of difference! Every millisecond my body is changing, perhaps mind also is changing. So how do we account for this difference? How do we say everything is Brahman, which is called non‑changing? Another name for non‑changing is Satyam. Satyaṁ Jñānam – that is the true knowledge. Anantam is infinity. In infinity there is no finiteness.

The Peace Mantra

That is why we chant the Peace Mantra: that even though this universe has come out of that Infinite Brahman, still it remains infinite, because infinite cannot be divided, cannot be subtracted, cannot be multiplied, cannot be added.

Manana Kāṇḍa

So this Muni Kāṇḍa is to explain people to us. That is called Manana Kāṇḍa. Manana means deep thinking. The scripture cannot be wrong. The teacher cannot be wrong. And my experience is not tallying with what my teacher is telling me. And therefore, my attempt should be: how could I feel what my teacher is teaching – that alone is the true teaching. And that is where this Kāṇḍa comes.

The Brāhmaṇas and the Debates

There were several brāhmaṇas. Here brāhmaṇa means a very learned Vedic scholar, but not professors of philosophy – actually they were living the life and they also realised, they were progressing in spiritual life. So as if to clear their doubts, they are all putting questions. And then he has to answer how you can progress in spiritual life.

Types of Debate

Earlier I mentioned there are several types of debates: jalpa, vāda, vitaṇḍā, and there is a fourth one – I forgot its Sanskrit name – where there is neither logic nor meaning nor purpose, just to shout at each other.

Vāda

So this is called vāda. Vāda means what? I am very eager to learn the truth from the teacher. That is why a great teacher like Yājñavalkya, if anybody comes to him, he will not answer because he knows it is a waste of time for both of them – the questioner as well as the listener.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Method

And this we get in the life and teachings of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. When people who were not ready came, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used politely to say: "Go and see the buildings." What he means is: let us not waste each other's time, because what you are seeking is not what I would like to tell you. You are seeking worldly things. You want to waste my time. Of course you are wasting your time – I cannot help – but you waste your own time. But let me help people who are very sincere about it.

The Bhagavad Gītā's Warning

That is why in the Bhagavad Gītā, after teaching that beautiful Bhagavad Gītā, Bhagavān says that this Gītā should not be taught to people who lack śraddhā. Śraddhā means what? A sincere belief that there is something higher, and a sincere attempt to do what best one can do and progress. And so many doubts can come. And therefore, you should never teach – but if you find anybody who is fit for that, and if you teach, that is called a yajña. That is, you are teaching not because you want to gain something, because if you have the desire to gain something, you are not a spiritual person – you are merely a worldly person like a professor of philosophy.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Methodology

So Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa developed his own methodology how to get rid of people – not because he hated them, but in his vision everything is Brahman. But some Brahmans are ready for the teaching, and some potentially divine, not even attempting to progress.

The Purpose of Muni Kāṇḍa

So this Muni Kāṇḍa, it is called Manana Kāṇḍa. It is primarily logical, but as I explained earlier, Hinduism categorically states God can neither be proved through reasoning. And this is what most people are trying to do now: is AI conscious? Can it be God? And if it is conscious, will it try for liberation? And will it become a sincere well-wisher of the world? Will it only adopt a spiritual means, trying to do Karma Yoga, that is, śiva‑jñāne jīva‑sevā? So far, we do not see any signs of it. What I am trying to convey to you is that Yājñavalkya is ready, but the main purpose is not even to teach them.

King Janaka's Announcement

The King Janaka wanted to progress in spiritual life. So he announced that whoever is the greatest Brahmavit – he does not mean the greatest PhD scholar, he means a real great person, either progressed very much in spiritual life or a realised soul. And how to know? So he arranged a meeting, and then he announced: whoever is the greatest knower of Brahman, he will get one thousand cows. Each cow has two horns, each horn will be adorned with pure twenty‑four‑carat gold covered completely – that is to say that I will honour him.

Why the Reward?

And why should he offer? Is it not a temptation? No. We have to understand everything crystal clear. A real Brahmajñānī never wants these things, and I will come to that shortly. But he wants to know that you will not waste your time. "I want to choose one of you as my spiritual guide, and only the best will be my spiritual guide."

The Right Teacher

And who wants the best spiritual guide? I am going into these details only because I want to make crystal clear what we are studying. If I only know how to add 2 + 2, I do not need Einstein to come and teach me the next step. There are billions of people who know better than me, and any one of them – anyone who knows how to add 3 + 3 – is sufficient to take me up to that level. As Swami Vivekananda tells so beautifully: when the field is ready, the seed must come.

Yājñavalkya's Background

So Yājñavalkya was also one of the participants. Earlier story we have to remember: in the Yājñavalkya‑Maitreyī Saṁvāda. It comes before Madhu Kāṇḍa. Therein Yājñavalkya was a knower of Brahman, and he was a wealthy man. And a wealthy man does not mean a selfish person, because a huge number of pupils used to gather round him. He required, and people – rich people or kings – recognised him as such and plenty of donations had poured in.

Keeping the Tradition

So even though he was a knower of Brahman, he wanted to keep up the tradition. And that is why he decided formally to take sannyāsa, like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. And Holy Mother did not even put on the ochre cloth, but there can be no greater sannyāsinī than our Holy Mother. And if any one of us does not recognise it, I have to say fie upon that person! I am talking about devotees, not worldly people.

The Village Girl

In fact, a person came to Swami Saradanandaji and said: "I know Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is a very great person. Why did he have to marry a village girl like Śāradā?" And Swami Saradananda did not want perhaps to explain; he said: "Yes, yes, he married a village cowherd girl" – making fun of the other person.

The Two Wives

So like that Yājñavalkya, he had two wives, and one wife was a very mature student. She wanted to realise God. So even though Yājñavalkya offered a huge amount of wealth, she refused and said: "Will it make me immortal?" And then he concludes: nothing is immortal if you have money. You will live like a rich person; some conveniences will be there.

What Is Convenience?

But then we have to understand what it means to have convenience. We can have an air‑conditioned room, first‑class fridge, first‑class cook, first‑class food, everything at our fingertips – but the slightest stomach trouble, I cannot enjoy. Some people cannot even digest hot water, as I lightly tell! What is the use of doing that one? What I wanted to convey is that external possessions are not sufficient. Our body must be a fit instrument. Will that give happiness? No, because if the mind is worried, if it is beset with fear, if it is longing for something, then also it is unfit. So mechanically we can eat the best food, but the expected happiness will not happen. So Maitreyī understood it.

Maitreyī's Request

She said: "I am not in desire of these riches. I want to become amṛta‑puruṣa. I want to realise Brahman. I want to know I am Brahman. I know I am potentially Brahman, but I would like to realise." And then we get the teaching. And at the end of the teaching, crystal clearly Yājñavalkya tells: "Are Maitreyī! Ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ." Ātmā must be realised. Until that time, it remains only a theoretical understanding. But one has to manifest. That is where three steps are necessary: śrotavyaḥ, mantavyaḥ, nididhyāsitavyaḥ. And that śrotavyaḥ has been done. We have seen that one in Madhu Kāṇḍa.

Śrotavya – The First Step

Everything has come out of Brahman. Everything is Brahman. Anyone who sees difference, he is an ignorant person. Everything is related. How is it related? Not like us: "This is me, this is my father and mother, these are my children" – no. "I am my parents and I am my family, I am my country, I am a Christian, I am a Muslim, I am a Hindu, I am everything, I am the rich, I am the poor, I am everything" – because everything is Brahman: sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ brahma.

The Meaning of Śrotavya

Now, that is called śrotavyaḥ. So you listen – this is the goal. What is śrotavyaḥ? That is the goal. And that goal has to be reached. And the first step is to hear it. And this word śrotavyaḥ has a special meaning. Simply you open your YouTube and then you listen to some lecture – that is not śrotavyaḥ. Sit under the feet of a person who is sincerely practising – whether he is a realised or not realised soul, but who is striving.

The Minimum Qualification of a Teacher

That is the minimum qualification of a teacher: he who lives the life, and what he teaches – there should be no difference between them. So such a person: sit under his feet, listen to him, observe his character, and you will notice he is very happy, he is not attached to anything, he is unselfish, he loves everybody, and he wants to share with everybody.

The Three Āḻvārs

As I mentioned earlier, whenever some nice incident comes to my mind – and often I do not prepare thinking what should I say – suddenly the Divine Mother gives me, some incident comes to my mind. There were two Āḻvārs – or Nāyanmārs, devotees of Śiva. One day one of these greatest Āḻvārs – it was raining, he was in a street, and it was night – and he saw that usually some houses have some verandas where people can sit and chit‑chat, play, etc.

The First Āḻvār

So this Āḻvār found the house was closed, and it was raining, it was night. He thought he would take rest. And so he laid himself down. And it was such a place where only one person can lie down.

The Second Āḻvār

And after a few minutes, another Āḻvār, devotee of Godhead, had come. And immediately this person sat down – and that would be for two persons comfortably they can sit.

The Third Āḻvār

And then soon after that, a third Āḻvār had arrived. And now there is no place for both of them – let alone sleeping, even sitting they cannot do. And immediately they got up and said: "The Divine Lord has come in this form – let us all stand up!" And then they all three of them stood up. And of course, they introduced themselves – to their astonishment, all three wanted to meet and bow down to each other, and then to get the benefit of holy company.

The Moral

What was their surprise? God brought them together. What is the moral of this story? They were true devotees. Anyone of them: the first one would lie down, and the moment the second one had come, he sacrificed his comfort of lying down and sat down. And both of them – they sacrificed and they stood up the whole night, because it was raining the whole night.

Their Joy

But what was their joy! They did not know how time had passed, because parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ. "You tell me about God, I will listen; and I will tell you about God, you listen" – or sing some songs, or recite some hymns. So that is the kind of śrotavya. The Guru tells, as the Guru goes on talking, the delight of the student goes on increasing.

The Devotee and the Worldly Friend

And this we get in Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's life. One day a devotee had come and he brought some worldly person, and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa himself gives their example. And the devotee was enjoying more and more and more, and the other friend – so‑called worldly friend – was getting restless: "How long are we going to sit here?" And the devotee replies: "Just a little while, just a little while" – but he was not inclined to get up.

The Boat

Then the other fellow got disgusted and said: "You go on listening; I will be waiting for you in the boat. After all, what difference does it make? In the boat you will be sitting there alone – why can't you sit here?" "No, because it is not delightful at all." That is the nature of the devotees. And time passed like anything! And we can understand that that is the condition of this person: "Let the teacher go on talking, I will go on listening."

The Incident of Swami Brahmanandaji

And then there is something else we also have to understand. As I said, it is not completing the book that is important; it is meditating on the lives of great people. So I am going to mention, of course briefly, one incident from the life of Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj.

The Devotee at Balaram Babu's House

So there was a devotee of Swami Brahmanandaji, and at some time he was staying at Balaram Babu's house. And the devotee one day brought one of his friends who never believed in God. Very peculiar story! So Swami Brahmanandaji – he was informed that some devotees had come to see you, would you come out? Then you see, the attendant of Swami Brahmanandaji was very much hesitating to tell the truth, because what was Raja Maharaj doing at that time? He was playing cards with some of his gurubhāis, maybe disciples. "And it will take time; some urgent work is being done." And the devotee thought maybe the Swami was absorbed in meditation. Anyway, time passed. After one, one and a half hours, after leisurely finishing the game, Swami Brahmanandaji came.

The Talk About Fish

And what did he start? Did he start spiritual talk? No! He started talking about how many varieties of fish there are, and what are the best means of catching each type of fish, what type of bait will bring that particular type of fish. This is going on! And the devotee started regretting: "My! What a day I have brought my friend to this great man! First of all, Raja Maharaj came out and he openly announced: 'I am so sorry I was absorbed in playing this game – that is why it took me so long.' And then he started talking about fish." And the devotee said: "What impression my friend will have of all these days! This is the worst day for me. I should never have brought him on this day – I did not know, of course." So he is urging his friend: "Okay, we have had enough of this talk; let's go back." But the friend is telling: "No, no, no, let me listen to him, let me listen to him."

The Friend's Reaction

And the devotee must have been puzzled: "What is this? This fellow is enjoying so much!" And then after a long time, when Raja Maharaj finished, both of them bowed down and they came out. Then the friend – by that time he was terribly annoyed – he asked: "What were you listening to, all that nonsense?" The other man said: "I have never seen a man who is so joyous in my life! Whatever he is doing, that is making me happier, even more happy, even more – every minute, prati‑kṣaṇaṁ vardhamānam! My happiness is growing. I want to come to him as soon as possible."

The Moral

Now what is the moral of this incident? That if you go to a happy person who is a spiritual person – spirituality means happiness; progress in spirituality means progress in happiness – and whoever comes into contact with such a happy person cannot help but be happier. So this person experienced that. That also makes me doubt whether that so‑called devotee had ever experienced joy in the presence of Raja Maharaj. Maybe he was his Guru, I do not know.

The Lesson

Anyway, what I wanted to tell: sit at the feet of a great soul, and even if he talks nonsense about fish, there will be a great lesson to be learnt. He draws your mind, as it were. And Swami Vivekananda had special qualities. Somebody remarked: "Fear itself fears Swami Vivekananda! It flies away wherever Swami Vivekananda is present."

Swamiji's Qualities

And if he is telling history, recounting history, everybody will be transported to those olden days – as if he is seeing a realistic cinema in front of him. These are some of the qualities.

Śraddhā

What I am trying to convey to you is that śravaṇa is to sit under the feet of a Guru with complete faith and listen to him with 150% śraddhā. That alone can be called śraddhā. And if that is lacking, I usually make fun of it – I call it śrāddha! It is a useless type of activity.

Upadeśa Kāṇḍa and Manana Kāṇḍa

So in the Maitreyī‑Yājñavalkya Kāṇḍa, and then this Madhu Kāṇḍa, the upadeśa – that is called Upadeśa Kāṇḍa – real instruction. The goal of life is to realise God, and how to realise God? Through Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga – one or more – and become free. That is true religion. Everything else – doctrines, dogmas, temples, books – are all secondary details.

The New Chapter

So this new chapter that we are starting, it is called Manana Kāṇḍa – Muni Kāṇḍa, Manana Kāṇḍa. There were, as I said, eight of the debaters there. And one of them happened to be a very famous Brahmavādinī called Gārgī, and she takes up two sections. And that is why seven plus two equals nine sections are there in this chapter.

How to Progress

So this is called Manana Kāṇḍa. How to progress in – what is Manana Kāṇḍa? How to progress in spiritual life.

Recollecting the Story

So let us recollect the story. King Janaka wanted to progress in spiritual life, and then he wanted to find out who is the best teacher. So he organised a debate, but that debate is only a facade. Really he wanted to find out who is the real knower of Brahman. And he announced: whoever is the greatest, one thousand cows with both horns of each cow completely covered with gold will be the reward.

The Gathering

So all the knowers of Brahman – that means spiritual people, not that they were realised souls, spiritual people – gathered. And that is how the story begins.

The Four Stages of Knowledge

Now what happens? That is a very important point. How do we really obtain knowledge? There is a beautiful saying. So knowledge can be attained in four stages:

1. Ācāryāt pādam ādatte – one‑fourth of knowledge must be obtained from the teacher.
2. Pādaṁ śiṣyaḥ sva‑medhayā – the next quarter of the knowledge through manana, one's own thinking. And of course thinking alone will not do; really doing upāsanā, etc. So fifty percent of knowledge: twenty‑five percent from the Guru, twenty‑five percent by his own efforts. Maybe one's own understanding might have some defects.
3. Pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ – you discuss it with other sincere students, and they might have further insights. They may be thinking slightly differently, and there may be very valid points there. That is why as we go on reading different authors, then we get different viewpoints, and sometimes our eyes will be opened; we will be adding to our own store of knowledge. So one‑third should be obtained by discussing these things with co‑students.
4. Pādaṁ kāla‑krameṇa ca – one quarter, that is to say the last quarter, only time. Nobody can deny the time factor. That is why Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's famous saying: even a mother bird does not break open the egg unless it knows its child is ready to come out, because it will be calling, "Ma, I am ready! Open the door!" And the mothers do understand that one.

Dāna

So thus knowledge can be acquired through debates, discussions. And then there is also another thing that dāna – this story also serves: one should not simply say, "I am ready, I am not ready to sacrifice anything." No – "I am ready to exchange. You have knowledge; I have something to give to you."

India's Degeneration

This is what Swami Vivekananda had said about why India was so degenerated: because it has something which it closed, it locked up its knowledge – which is spiritual knowledge, its vast spiritual knowledge. And whether others accept it or not, we are very proud to say this highest spiritual knowledge in such vast number of aspects is not to be found in most of the other religions at all.

Give and Take

Every religion is a sectarian religion, so to say. That they have to learn from Hinduism. But how they can unite together, and how the West is progressing by discovering scientific truth after scientific truth – and it does not fall from the sky; it comes out only through hard work. So we have to give what we have; we have to receive what we do not have. This is called give and take. Any nation which refuses to follow this principle will degenerate certainly. That is what happened in the case of India, in the case of Tibet, in the case of Africa, in the case of many other countries. That is why by the Divine Mother's will, these Westerners came, China came. And it is not that they came out of pure selfishness; even they may not realise why they came. But they all came to break the doors with which we had closed all our doors and windows, and they forcibly broke open so that they can come in, but we can also as well go out.

China's Progress

We are all imitating them. Look at how China is progressing. I am not saying that everything China is doing is good, or everything the Western countries are doing is good. Now what I wanted to tell is: life is about give and take. If you do not breathe out, you cannot breathe in. If you close all your doors and windows of your room, you will die of suffocation. That is an eternal law of life.

Sanskrit Expressions on Knowledge

So another way of saying how knowledge can be obtained – beautiful gems of Sanskrit expressions:

गुरुशुश्रूषया विद्या पुष्कलेन धनेन वा। अथवा विद्यया विद्या चतुर्थं नोपलभ्यते॥

guruśuśrūṣayā vidyā puṣkalena dhanena vā | athavā vidyayā vidyā caturthaṁ nopalabhyate ||

Another beautiful saying in Sanskrit goes:

तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया। उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः॥

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā | upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva‑darśinaḥ ||

Serve and Ask

What a beautiful thing! So serve the Guru, and then ask right questions. Do not waste his time and your time by asking irrelevant questions. And then if you have got money, etc., then you distribute it to needy people – not only to Guru, not only to āśramas, but to anybody who needs them. Because the more we give, the more we receive. Not only that, this also purifies our mind and makes us more fit to receive higher knowledge. Athavā vidyayā – go on churning.

The Churning of the Ocean

The story of the churning of the ocean of milk – what is the inner meaning? Whatever you heard, you will have to churn, go on churning. What happens? Everything that is insubstantial goes out. What remains at the end is nothing but amṛta in the true sense of the word. Caturthaṁ nopalabhyate – there is no fourth way. So think of it, that if anybody thinks that "I will be comfortable with my property, with my possessions, I will not share, and I will be progressing in spiritual life" – umpteen number of times I have expressed this one – one cannot obtain true knowledge.

Janaka's Giving

So here Janaka, he wants to serve his Guru, he wants to spend his money – not only to Yājñavalkya, but to anybody who is in need. Do not think he will give only to the Brahmavariṣṭha. We have to understand the inner meaning. Everyone who participated, Janaka recognised as a sincere spiritual aspirant by their very questions. He understood, and he might not have given one thousand cows, but definitely he would – puṣkalena dānena, plenty of dāna – he must have given them, so that they can, without too much of worry, progress in spiritual life.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Prayer

Interestingly, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa prayed to the Divine Mother. At first, to progress in spiritual life, he went on praying: "O Mother, I do not want money, I do not want woman, I do not want name and fame, I do not want higher knowledge, I do not want name and fame, I do not want anything excepting your lotus feet." But then the same Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa prayed: "Ma, I cannot look after myself. Please supply me with some providers" – and the Mother had provided. Just like trustees will be appointed to look after a baby who does not have anybody. "You look after this."

Tulsīdās

I know several true stories. In fact, even Tulsīdās was said to have been born in that way – nobody to look after him. So in the village, every house, they will undertake to feed this boy for one day. So he will not be a burden upon anybody; at the same time everybody served him, and he became a great saint. So this śloka Ānandagiri is supposed to have said.

Janaka's Attitude

So here Janaka wants to say: "Not only I will serve the greatest Guru, but I will also distribute my wealth." After all, what am I going to do? Mithilāyāṁ pradagdhāyām na me kiñcit pradahyate. From the very beginning he was endowed with Sādhana‑Catuṣṭaya Sampatti.

The First Brāhmaṇa – Aśvala

So the first Brāhmaṇa of this first chapter, it is called Aśvala Brāhmaṇa. Aśvala was one of those spiritual sādhakas, aspirants. So he was the first person to put questions – not to challenge him, but he was eager to know, like as we have seen earlier in this very Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: some pupils had come and they came to teach, but then the king asked certain questions, and then the people could not reply. Then he became a very humble student. Unlike Śvetaketu in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, he humbly sat down and said: "I know nothing of what you asked me. I take the seat of the student. I came with the idea I know better than you; now I know you know better than me." That is called the true characteristic of a spiritual aspirant. That is why it is said, even from a baby we can learn things.

The Aśvala Questions

So so many things are there. Now we are going to discuss about Karma Kāṇḍa. Here Karma Kāṇḍa means ritualistic portions. And just briefly to mention what is going to come, according to Aśvala's questions: that there are yajñas, yāgas conducted. Four types of priests are necessary, each one is an expert in Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, Atharvaveda, and all of them – how can they really progress in spiritual life?

Atimṛtyum Eti

But the question was put in a very beautiful way: atimṛtyum eti – how can they overcome death? And the greatest truth is expressed in this very first section itself. So there are people who are devoted – that means we are also devoted – and we know something. Now you tell us, guide us, so that how we can progress in spiritual life. That is the essence of this first section.

Conclusion

I am only giving the background because once we understand, grasp this background, it would be easier for all of us to really appreciate the invaluable teaching of Vedānta, which is coming to us in the form of the Bhagavad Gītā, in the form of the Brahma Sūtras (Prasthānatrayī), in the form of the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, through the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. We have to have a special view – spiritual view – to connect all those things and to understand. So we will delve into the mantras from next class onwards.

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम् ।पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः

Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh

May Rāmakṛṣṇa, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekānanda bless us all with Bhakti.

Jai Rāmakṛṣṇa!