Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 35 on 01 July 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have been coming to the end of practically the fifth chapter of the Shweta Shawra Upanishad. In our last class, we have been dealing with mantra number eight. Please remember, this fifth chapter has only 14 mantras. This eighth mantra is telling us, which has been repeated innumerable times in various other places, especially Upanishads. ANGUSHTA MATRAHA RAVITULYA RUPAHA SANKALPA AHANKARA SAMANVITAHA YAHA UDDHEH GUNENA ATMA GUNENA CHA EVA ARAGRA MATROHI APAROPI DRUSHTAHA VALAGRA SHATA BHAGASYA SHATADHA KALPITASYA CHA BHAGO JEVA SAVIGNEHA SACHA ANANTYAYA KALPATE These are the two mantras combined together, eighth and ninth. So, for the sake of facility called Upasana, how to think of that Infinite Being, the Supreme Reality, who is beyond thought, beyond speech, of course beyond action. We will have to cherish that Supreme Being in our hearts. ANGUSHTA MATRAHA, that is being described here. Of the size of a thumb, but bright like the sun, associated with wishful thinking and individuality. And also with the qualities of the intellect, the mind and the body, the Jeeva is seen as if different, like the tip of a gourd. We have quite elaborately discussed this point. We will just go through only the summary of it, the essence of it. ANGUSHTA MATRAHA, of the size of one's own thumb, not an elephant's thumb, but of each person, a baby's thumb for the baby, a grown-up person's thumb for a grown-up person, etc. This is for the sake of, because we think and every thought is called Vritti and every Vritti is within the mind, within the heart, therefore he is called Angushta Matraha. But it should not fool us into thinking his power is any less, because he is called Jeeva Atma. Jeeva is body and mind, Atma is pure consciousness, so that pure consciousness is Ravi Tulya Roopaha. If at all any comparative analogy can be given, any metaphorical expression can be given, this is called Ravi Tulya Roopaha, is more brilliant than the sun itself. Now here, very important point we have to say, I am going to tell you, supposing there is a blazing fire and there is a small spark, now do you see any difference in the heating power, burning power of the fire? For most of us, the immediate, hot answer would be, where is the comparison between a small spark and this blazing fire, what is called flagration, maybe entire forest is burning. We could not be mistaken more than that. So the fire power, the heating power, the burning power, whether it is the smallest part of the fire, a spark or a mountain high fire, it makes no difference at all. Oh, there is no difference, then why do we feel if we cannot even go nearer anywhere the blazing fire, that is because of the Upadhi. What is Upadhi? If you put the same spark, if that spark is expressing itself in the form of a huge mountain of fire sticks, firewood, then it would be manifesting more power. But if it is one spark, the difference is not in the power of the fire, in the manifestation of the fire, but the difference is in the Upadhi. Upadhi means same consciousness in a mosquito, same consciousness in Shri Ram Krishna, let us say. As Chaitanya, there is no difference, as manifestation there is a difference, otherwise there is no difference at all. So we have to grasp this point, the difference that we see does not belong to the consciousness, just as the burning power, there is no difference in the spark and in a flagration. It is because of the medium through which that fire is manifesting, that is the most important point. So in a glowing worm, maybe the light is very less, but in the midday sun, maybe it is more, but that doesn't make any difference, slightest difference. The difference is in the medium, not in the original matter, that is a very important point for us to understand. Extend this example anywhere else, you see, you prepare rice pudding, you just put a spoonful of sugar in one, in the other you put a 2 kg of sugar. The difference is not in the sweetness of the sugar, the difference is because of what is called Upadhi, more and less of the quantity of the sugar, but the sweetness remains absolutely the same. So this is what the Rishi, Shaitashvatara Rishi wants us to understand, but whether the Chaitanyam is confined within the pancha pranas of this every human being or non-human being, its power is absolutely same. And Bhagavad Gita graphically describes when that realization comes as if a million suns have at once risen and who can describe the splendor of the million suns, but what is the problem? Upadhi, Upadhi means limiting adjunct, what are our limiting adjuncts? That is the body and the mind, nothing else, body and mind. Here also very important point we have to understand, when we are talking about a limiting adjunct, the world binds us, no sir, the world neither binds us nor releases us. The world is the world, it is neutral, just like there is a sweet, if the sweet is attractive, the sweet has nothing to do with attractiveness. If I developed a taste, it is fine, if somebody developed a hatred, that is not the fault of the sweet at all. So we see in our day-to-day life, same thing produces what makes us extremely attached at one point of time, makes us extremely hateful at other points of time. So it doesn't depend on the object, it doesn't change, it is our reaction that changes, this point we have to understand. So every Jeevatma, why is it called Jeevatma? Jeevatma is nothing but Atma, Paramatma is unlimited, there is no limiting adjunct and all limiting adjuncts are divided into as we have often I have mentioned are three, time, space and object. Desha Parichcheda, Kaala Parichcheda and Vastu Parichcheda. But the mind, it is bound by its own gunas, Sankalpa, first comes Sankalpa. What is Sankalpa? Our desires, our imaginations, our Poorva Janma Samskaras, the Samskaras that we are creating now and then with every thought there is an Ahamkara. Suppose something is liked by us, immediately what do we say? Ahamkara steps in, takes over us and says, I love that object. So Ahamkara Samanvitha, what is Jeevatma? Sankalpa means all the Samskaras, Vasanas, Ahamkara, combination of these. And then Buddher Guna, Buddher Guna means the motivations, the outlooks, the imaginations, the desires of the mind. And here is a word Atma Gunena, we should not mistake this Atma Guna, Atma has no guna, Paramatma has no guna. But here Atma Guna means simply we are limited by our body, a weak person's outlook is different, a strong person's outlook is different, an intelligent person's outlook is different, every person's outlook and not only it is influenced by the Buddhis Gunas, but it is also influenced by our body and incidentally both body and mind are modifications of Prakruti Gunas, Prakruti that is Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Then what happens? Completely limited by body and mind. What happens? Aaragra Matraha, Aaragra means the tip, very fine tip of a needle. Previously this is used, this very sharp needle is placed at the end of a stick for controlling buffalos, bulls etc. for agriculture, for driving them, otherwise they will not listen and that is why even a small child can easily control these animals. And if it is a horse, we use a whip, if it is slaves, whips are used. So what happens? The life of a Jeevatma, what we see particularly in this life, particularly from the outside, external point of view, because we have no insight what a person is inside and it is very good. I just make it a bit light. What does it mean? What do I mean? I mean if we can see the inside of the other person or persons, there will not be two friends left out. If I know your thoughts and if you know my thoughts, we will never be friends and there will be no marriage at all. So we have to understand that point. What is the man's life? The tip of an iceberg. We know a huge mountain of ice is hidden. That is what Jung, one of the greatest 19th century psychologists had found out that 99% of a man's life is completely hidden. This is what he calls the power of the unconscious and not even a little bit of it, a little is there, that is called subconscious. And what we see outside is a manifestation, expression of what is there deep in the unconscious. Of course, the bubble has started its journey, sometimes like volcanoes. Later on, you can see two people are there, they have been friends. Suddenly the volcano bursts out and a person may kill the other person or he may create a lifelong enmity. We can see it. But if anybody says, oh, I did not mean it, that is the greatest liar in this world. Whatever is not already within can never come out. If it has come out through speech, that means it is there already. So Aragraha Matraha Aparohi Drishtaha. What is the essence? Jivatma is none other than Paramatma. But for the sake of Upasana, contemplation, we can think of within the cavity of our heart. But this Jivatma is completely bound by what? Sankalpa. That is desires and what is called fascinations, imaginations, desires, hatreds, likes, dislikes, etc. And every time a thought comes, that thought is invariably associated with Ahankara. And then there are so many unconscious Purva Janma, Janma, Janma Antara Samskaras are there. They are called Buddhi Gunas. Of course, accordingly, we create our own body. That point is going to come out a little later on. This is the beautiful imagery of a Jivatma. But the Mantra 9, which is also related, what does it say? Valagra Shatabhagasya Shatadha Kalpitasyaja Bhago Jivaha Savigneha Sacha Anantyaya Kalpate Vala means hair. Take anybody's hair, it doesn't matter, and split it into 100 parts. Take that 100th part and split it into another 100, means 100 into 100. And then take that one 10,000th part of it. And the Jiva looks like that. That means we, the earlier idea, we only see the tip of the iceberg is again re-expressed in the form of the one 10,000th part of a hair. If hair is so small, how this Jiva looks so small, Bhagaha Jivaha. But never mistake, Savigneha, he should be known as he is. And who is he? Sacha Anantyaya Kalpate. He is none other than that Infinite Soul. And why is it? Poornamadaha Poornamidham Poornat Poornamudhekshate Poornasya Poornamadaya Poornameva Avasishyate Because the cause is infinite. If the cause is infinite, then the effect also must be infinite. Because if any person foolishly thinks, and if a person thinks like that, he is called a foolish person, that the infinite can be divided, can be subtracted, can be multiplied, can be added. No, it will remain infinite minus infinite, infinite plus infinite, infinite into infinite, infinite divided by infinite. It will be exactly like that only. The thing is, you have to go a bit deeper and say, if there is infinite, who is there besides infinite to go on dividing it, calculating it? Even while we are calculating, we are saying infinity. Infinity will not be infinity if I am calculating, because infinity has become, that is you and this is me. Don't ignore me. And one thing very important, that to understand these two mantras, everybody's, even a mosquito's ahankara is infinite. If you can meditate upon it, you will understand the entire essence of the Upanishads. This is the problem. Alright, so we will go on to the 10th mantra. What is the 10th mantra telling? Earlier we have seen that tvam puman, tvam sri, tvam kumaraha, uttava kumari, tvam ruddhaha, dhando yati grihitva, jarjara dehaha. We have seen all that. You are the young man, you are the young woman, you are the old man tottering with the help of a dhanda. Where? In the 4th chapter. In the earlier chapter, where is 5th chapter. Anyway, so having said that, brahman is the man, brahman is the woman, but oh, man is brahman, woman is brahman, then I know about brahman. Well, we will be foolish enough to say, to make that point clear, the 10th mantra is telling that brahman is naiva sthri na puman eshaha, na chayeva ayam na pum sakaha, yadhyat shareram adate, tena tena karakshate. This jiva is surely not a woman nor a man and surely not a eunuch. Whichever body the atma takes up because of the purva janma karma. It is identified with that and it will be expressed as that person. This mantra also doesn't require much of an explanation. What is it telling? Earlier it is said that same God is a man, a woman, a old man, old woman, baby and boy, girl and man, human, non-human, plants, everything. sarvam kalvidam brahman. But lest we may mistake that what we say and then not go further, naiva sthri, brahman is not a woman, na puman nor a male. And then there may be some clever logicians, Oh, you mean he is eunuch. No, na chayeva ayam. Ayam means esha purushaha, esha paramatma, na pum sakaha. That means no gender can be attributed to him because when there is no body, what is sthri? Body. What is man? Body. What is woman? Body. What is a mosquito? Body. What is a mountain? Body. When the body itself is a limiting factor, brahman by definition is beyond desha, kala, vastu, paricheta, ilakshanaha. So therefore, na chayeva ayam na pum sakaha. But he is manifesting as our understanding, for our present understanding. yad yath shariram adathe. Whatever, yad yath, whatever, shariram, body, this atma, chaitanya, accepts for its further evolution. And how? Because of purva janma karma, adathe, tena tena, by that body, sarakshate, that means that person will be identified. Oh, this is a woman, this is a man, this is a eunuch, this is a baby, this is an animal, this is a tree, this is a mountain, etc., etc. Let us not be fooled by these expressions. What is inside is nothing but pure brahman, just as a baby may mistake this is a small pot, that is a big pot. From the pot's point of view, bigness, smallness, roundness, flatness, conical shape, etc., color, etc., are absolutely experienceable. But from the viewpoint of the brahman, clay doesn't know that I am a pot, and pot also doesn't know I am a clay. That is why the scripture is needed, Oh pot, don't go to pot, you are really not a pot, you are only clay, pure clay. Oh, if I am clay, I am everything, absolutely. That is what I want you to know. Just a small funny incident, Pramana Maharshi was very fond of quoting this one. There was a great soul called Vibhu, and that Vibhu Gita, Pramana Maharshi was very famous, pure Advaitic work, and he had a disciple, and the disciple was very dull, and then the Guru, out of compassion, was trying to teach him, but he was not going inside. So what happened one day, there was a festival, the royal family was being taken in the street on a big elephant, and this Vibhu also happened to go there, and then he suddenly saw his disciple with gaping mouth, he was gazing at the splendor of the elephant, let alone the king, even the elephant has been beautifully decorated, in Kerala people decorate it with Onam tie, so this person has gone, gaping mouth, he was, complete concentration, which he never had, when his Guru was teaching all those things, Guru went in a disguise, and then he said, what is happening here? Oh, the king is riding on an elephant. Oh, riding, I understand, what do you mean by on? He said, you know, he is up and the elephant is below. Oh, king is above and the elephant is below. I don't understand what is above and below. And the disciple thought, oh, this fellow must be the dullest fellow on earth, but out of compassion, he said, look here, I am bending down, and then you straddle, on my back, and the Guru did that, and then he said, you are above like the king, I am like the elephant below, but by the Guru realized, this fellow is never going to realize the truth, so out of his infinite grace, he bestowed his grace, immediately this above and below, left and right, and inside and outside, these are all the, what is called playful thoughts, of the mischievous mind, nothing to do with reality, these are all the expressions of the thoughts, vrittis, kalpana vrittis, and then at that time, by the grace of the Guru, by the touch of the Guru, he became enlightened, immediately he realized his Guru, this is what we have to do, usually whoever, makes us a better person, is a Guru, and whoever makes us a duller person, is a Guru, anyone, this is my definition of Guru, and Guru, and sometimes disciples write, Param Poojaniya Guru Maharaj, Bengali, you have to be careful, so what is this, 10th mantra is telling, God is neither woman, nor man, nor nakomsakaha, but that means what, you cannot confine him, as a gender, but identify with everybody, the same consciousness, is peeping out as it were, in every prani, what about non-pranis, jada, mountains, etc, we are not able to see, but the divine, the realized soul will see, because there is nothing, besides Brahman, and Brahman is existence, pure existence, or as Swami Vivekananda puts it, existence absolute, knowledge absolute, and bliss absolute, this is the 10th mantra, we have seen, this is just to recollect, I told you in the 4th chapter, 3rd and 4th, what does it mean, you are woman, you are the man, you are the young boy, you are the young girl, and you are the old person, whatever we see, is called Vishvatomukha, and then, a beautiful blue butterfly, another insect, which is green in color, when we see, first class lightening in the summer season, where out of the deep black clouds, that beautiful, shining, lightening, takes up, then, all the seasons, all the samudras, because you understand, why samudras, what is the speciality of the earth, first it was burning, with thousands of degrees of Celsius, it is just, nobody can describe it, so hot it was, before creation, and then, slowly it started cooling down, slowly, a lot of it had become water, slowly, oxygen started coming out, and slowly, the first creature, from the inorganic to the organic, started peeping out, started running here and there, what the modern scientists call, amoeba, one celled creature, so, everything is Bhagwan, Anadhimat, and is beginningless, and Vibhutve Natvam Vartase, Vibhu means, all pervading, and from you, Yathaha, from whom, Vishwa Bhuvanani Jatani, the entire universe has come out, so, what is the point here, point is, when we say, I am, Aham, problem, is not Aham, problem, when Aham, gets joined with, some Kaara, you know in South Indian languages, Kaara means chilly, very hot chilly, so, anything that joins, becomes hot, Aham Kaara, so, we cannot get rid of Aham, because, Aham means me, and existence, can never be made into, non-existence, this marvelous fact, has been so beautifully put, in the, second, sixteenth shloka, of the second chapter, of the, Bhagavad Gita, Na Sato Vidyate Bhavo, Na Bhavo Vidyate Sathah, Ubhayor Api Drushton Taha, Anayoho, Tattva Darshi Bhi, existence, can never become non-existence, non-existence, the question of non-existence, becoming existence, is impossible, impossible, irrational, but, there the meaning is, that, what do we see this world, world is not, Sat, world is not, Asat, world is, Mithya, what is it, Sat, look at it, with a limited, instrumentality, that is called, Mithya, Mithya is not, Asat, but at the same time, it is not, fully Sat, so that, mistaking, like as we mistake, the serpent, in a rope, is, is the serpent, cannot be, unless there is a rope, there is a common factor is there, but because of the poor light, because of our Poorva Samskara, fear of the snake, we see a snake, we never see our mother, we never mistake, a rope, for our mother, or for our brother, etc. So, I am, has absolutely, no form, but as soon as this, I am, enters into, any particular, limitation, that means body, mind, immediately it becomes, Kuman, Stri, Napum Sakaha, Kumaraha, Kumari, or, Prithaha, or, Mosquito, Dog, Donkey, Elephant, Mountain, anything, so, that is why, we have to understand, that we are all, individuals, what do you understand, by the word individual, oh sir, you are separate, I am separate, you are an individual, I am also an individual, stupidity, can go no further, because, what is the meaning, you spell it properly, in, individuality, means what, indivisible, you are saying, I am divisible, you are feeling, I am divisible, you are saying, I am indivisible, the truth is, coming out, unconsciously, I am an individual, means, there is no duality in me, but, if there is no duality, you don't exist, I also don't exist, this is a factor, again and again, I am emphasizing, if, you don't know, what is darkness, you will not know, what is light, if you don't know, who is male, you will never know, who is female, if you do not know, what is right, you will not know, what is wrong, so, if you do not know, that somebody is there, you will not even know, I am there, then, will everything be shoonya, no, whatever remains, that is, inexpressible, that is why, Sri Ram Krishna told to Vidyasagar, everything has become polluted, because, everything has been expressed, and it came out from the, travelling through the saliva, right from the, kapha of the throat of the person, through the saliva of the person, and it becomes uchishta, but, Brahman, has not come, so, this word Brahman, also is not Brahman, it is only, for the sake of, convenience, conveying actually, we move on to the, eleventh, whatever the essence we discussed, that, everything is God, that is being discussed now, if Brahman, has entered in the form of a, a mosquito or a man, then he becomes an individual, he does not become, he appears, like, the reflections, in different mirrors, a reflection is not actual thing, it is, it is only available for, for experiencing, perception, but, not, available for, interaction, so, we will move on to the, eleventh, and here also, same idea, is being, extended, the idea, earlier, which earlier, mentioned, why do we get, human form, why does somebody get, a dog's form, why does somebody else get, a mosquito's form, why does somebody get a man's form, a woman's form, why does somebody get, a beautiful person's form, or an ugly person's, tall person, short person, thin person, fat person, very intelligent person, non-intelligent person, this is our famous, Purva Janma Karma Siddhanta, he said, Karma Anugane Anukramena Dehi, Dehi means Jeevatma, Karma Anugane Anukramena, he has no choice, but that, body-mind complex, along with the, what is called, reflection of the Jada Vasa, has to enter, into the very houses, he has been building up, in his previous life, through his activities, thoughts, speech, as well as, external activities, and this Upanishad, is Pramana, this is called Shruti, so, this is the Pramana, authoritative text, for our understanding, that this Karma Siddhanta, is not the creation of any person, it is, the teaching of the, that scripture, that is why, every, between two persons, what a difference, and between the same person, if the same person, if he is educated, he becomes somebody else, not non-educated, becomes somebody else, person does exercise, becomes somebody, he doesn't do exercise, becomes somebody, he thinks deeply, becomes somebody, he doesn't think, and then, he thinks, he thinks, there are some people, who think, that they think, we have to be careful about it, so, just as the body, is nourished by the food, and water, that is showered into it, embodied one is also nourished, by the wishful thinking, the desire to touch, and see, and, as a result, delusion comes, and according to, its needs, deeds, successively, this Jeevatma, assumes different forms, in different places, under different circumstances, good or evil, and experiences, happiness or unhappiness, this is what, Patanjali Rishi tells, very beautifully, he, summarizes the whole thing, and says, the Jati, Aayu, and, Bhoga, these three are determined, by Polo Janma Karmas, in this life, we cannot go beyond that, but we can, lay the foundation, for our future life, if we awake, and then, be careful, what we do in this life, and that is called, progress. Now, a little bit of, this PLA, it is also, following the earlier mantras, what is it? It is a beautiful description, again, in different words, which we have already seen, but in different words, the, what is Jeeva, what is Jeevatma, what is this so called, individual soul, Sankalpana, Sparshana, Drishti, Mohai, Sankalpana, first of all, error, Sankalpa, means Sankalpa, Sankalpa means, desiring something, Kama, and how do we desire? If, I have been accustomed, to certain things, and I become attached, to certain things, I will start looking, for those things, and even, when I look at something, I will be attracted, only to those things, because of, my habit, my conditioning, in my previous life, simple example, if I am nurtured, in South India, I naturally, love South Indian food, rarely, there is an exception, but if I am, born in Mexico, or China, or Wuhan, or anywhere, and then, I will be, eating, what is called, even, uncooked, still alive, insects, etc., even, what we call, grasshoppers, etc., beautifully, there, so, Sankalpana, I desire, how do I desire? And, because of, the Pashamskaras, then, what do we do? Sparshana, I want to touch something, and Drishti, I want to see, that means, touch, is a very, powerful instrument, you have to know, we have got, five sense organs, what is the second one? Sparsha, Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Prasa, Tanda, of these, Rasa, and Sparsha, are very powerful, and, of these, this Rasa, is more powerful, even this Sparsha, even the, male-female union, what is called, sexual, pleasure, is also Sparsha Sukha, but, in reality, everything is, Sparsha only, so, some, sight, touches my eye, some sound, touches my ear, some, smell, touches my nose, some taste, touches, my body, so, everything, is nothing but, only Sparsha, in various ways, so, Sankalpana, through that, because of the, previous, what is called, prism, we always, look at the world, through the prism, of our Samskaras, then, what do I do? I want to, touch, and, I want to, see, but, by extension, it means, all the, other, sense organs also, what happens, Mohai, as soon as I come, I have some experience, then, I become deluded, how do I become deluded? through, likes and, dislikes, Raga, and, Dvesha, both are, delusions only, in most of the cases, both, become, detrimental, to our, further progress, for example, if, somebody, gives us, some sweet, immediately, we fall in love, oh, this sweet is, excellent, exquisite, I would like, to have it, I love it, what does, I love mean? means, I want it, again and again, okay, supposing, bitter gourd curry, somebody supplies, and, it is, it is prepared, as it is supposed, to be prepared, not like, Andhra Pradesh, and then, it creates, oh, my God, oh, like that, we don't like it, so, that is also Mohai, why? because, if you eat too many sweets, you will, develop, sugar disease, and if you don't, eat, what you are supposed, to eat, this, this is, will not be, cured, Moha, both, about both, we have, wrong concepts, wrong ideas, wrong reactions, wrong, even detachment, my Gurudev, Swami Yudhishthira Maharaj, used to tell, hatred, is, more strong, attachment, even love, we can forget, our loved, objects, but, never ever, hate, hateful, objects, that, Ravanasura, was intelligent, Hiranyakashipu, was intelligent, Kamsa, was intelligent, Shishupala, Dantavakthra, were intelligent, the quick way, to reach, quickly, the Divine, is, through, hatred, because, hatred is, greater attachment, to, anything, that we like, especially, God, now, what happens, some, spatials, etc., and combined, goaded, by the Sankalpa, paro janma samskara, Rasa, Rasa, means, that which we eat, food, Ambu, this is drinking, eating, and drinking, this is the, normal, life of a, every animal, but, how do this, food, grow, how do the water also come? Through, Vrishti, two meanings here. One meaning is plenty. Another meaning is a normal meaning through rain. How after the scorching heat of the summer season when the thick clouds carry that life-giving waters and then the lightning, the thundering and starts raining furiously. Oh, how glad even the peacocks go on dancing out of sheer joy. All the birds will be singing. Everything will be happening. Oh, what does it mean? We are going to get plenty of food. So what happens? This eating, this drinking aided only because of the vrishti. Vrishti means rain. Rain means the grace of God. Then we go on getting attached. We touch it and then we see them and then we experience them and then this sparshana means actually experience also. Atma vriddhi janma. Then this is marvellous. I want to be born again. I want to eat it again. I want to drink it again. Like that. So then what happens? Because of this cycle karma anugani anukramena dehi. Dehi means this embodied being. Karma anukramena. Purva janma karmas. Like Buddha used to say that the wheel of a cart inevitably follows the footsteps of the oxen. That means what? Karma phala follows jiva everywhere. Karma anugani anukramena. Just our karma phalas follow what we have done in the past and what does the dehi do. Sthaneshu roopani abhisamprapadyate. Sthaneshu. In the exact deserving place. Roopani. Various forms. Billions and billions and billions of forms. Abhisamprapadyate. Each prani, each jivatma exactly is taken by the divine Ishwara to the particular place. So what is the meaning of this mantra? Be careful. First of all examine your samskaras, sankalpas because our sankalpa is an expression but our samskara is the iceberg that is hidden there and that is influencing us from the beginning. It can take us towards God. It can also take us somewhere else. So these samskaras prompt man to hear, see, touch, smell, taste and these sensual experiences and he develops hatred to somebody, hatred to some experiences and attached to some experiences and whatever he likes he wants to repeat again and again and again thereby he gets attached to the objects. So a man who is deeply attached to an object is likely to be born that very thing in future lives. Many times our scriptures tell us that these persons. What happens? Supposing it is there in the Bhagavatam and some other Puranas also and I will give some examples also from the Bhagavatam. The famous example is Bharata. He was a great Rishi but towards the end he developed an inordinate attachment to a baby deer and then it started growing. It thought this is my mother and he was loving. All his meditation, contemplation is only because attachment means we think only what we are attached to. This was the great truth Jesus Christ tells again and again. A man's heart is where his treasure lies and treasure means what? Whatever we are attached to. So this Bharata, he became a deer in the next birth and then the next birth he was born again after exhausting that karma and he was enlightened inside and he understood through Viveka I should never be attached. So he stopped talking. That's why he got the name Jada. Jada means idiotic person. Whatever his family members were asking him to do, he was doing and then the funny thing is you see we say family members love each other. The parents, the brothers, the sisters, everybody oh this fellow is an idiot. We can use him for our own happiness. All the hard work of ploughing, of working, of harvesting, of watering, of sweeping, of fetching water, of cleaning the house, of looking after the animals, everything was given. Ultimately he became so Takada. Takada means very strong. Then King Rahugana was one day passing there and one of his palanquin bearers had fallen sick and somebody pointed out here is a Takada fellow. He can definitely do that. We know that story. I'm not going into it. So it is also said when it is Bhagavatam, story also is there. When a man intensely is attached to a woman or a woman is intensely attached to a man, he will be born in the next birth as the woman and she will be born in the next birth as the man. Be careful what you want to become next birth. So every person gets next birth according to what the person. This is what Bhagavan Krishna also tells so beautifully. So at the end of one's life whatever thought is prominent, and his birth will be also there. So similarly a woman thinks of her husband at the time of death, naturally she gets the body of a man. And here it is written in the Bhagavatam, 3rd Skanda, 31st section, 41th Shloka. A living entity who as a result of attachment to a woman in his previous life has been endowed with the form of a woman foolishly looks upon Maya in the form of a man. A man foolishly looks upon Maya in the form of a woman and a woman foolishly looks upon a man as because of Maya as her husband or lover or whatever it is. What was this person previously? A man was a woman and the woman was a man. Beautiful quotation is there. Bhagavatam is a treasure house of the very essence of the Purushas like Bhagavad Gita, sometimes better than Bhagavad Gita because beautiful stories are there. So the Lord clearly says, So individual beings endless journey because of all the attachment. That is being said, Atma-ivruddhi-janma. Ivruddhi means endless cycle of birth and death, janma and all because of the Purva Karma. But there is always a way open to us, nourished by our imaginations, desires, enjoyments and attachments. We take different forms in different worlds in accordance with our actions. Thus life after life, the story of the individual continues until there would come a time unable to be here because of the Purva Janma Punya. A God comes in the form of a Guru, shows the way out. Everybody will be attaining liberation. That means no Buddhist. So what are the factors that decide the type of form that the individual gets or enumerated. Same topic in the earlier we have seen Purva Janma Karma determines our present body etc. and what are the things. Same idea so we don't need to waste too much of our time. So the embodied being assumes many bodies, gross and subtle, still subtle, chosen by its own Kriya Gunaihi, Atma Gunaihi. Kriya Gunaihi means whatever activities we are doing, whatever actions we are performing, with what outlook we are performing and Atma Gunaihi means what our body and our mind are interdependent. That's why we say psychosomatic relationship. Somo-psychic, psychosomatic. Many of our diseases because of the body, mental diseases. Because of the mind, physical diseases. Because one is subtle body, one is gross body. Both are bodies. The difference is only gross and subtle and they cannot work independently. They are totally dependent upon each other. So tendencies, actions, quality of the mind, these determine. So what happens? So he does some things which he is supposed to do. Sometimes he doesn't do. Sometimes he will not do what he is supposed to do. He will do the opposite things and they will produce Samskaras and those Samskaras produce appropriate physical expressions. Soakshmani means subtle and Bahuni Rupani, that means Sthulani, also infinite number, can be an insect, can be tree, can be animal, can be bird, etc. And Tesham and the manifestation of all those forms are because of what? Because of one's own Karma, because of the Sattva Rajas or Tamas and again because of the very sheer physical presence of the body and then Sanyoga Hetuhu. These are the real Hetuhu means causes. Sanyoga means how a Jeeva is brought into a particular body and mind of course is always there and that mind requires this particular refined tailor-made instrument for the expression of its Samskaras. So the Upanishad is only reinforcing it here. But how does a human being, we don't remember what we have done, that is where the Upanishad tells there is a Paraha, there is somebody. What is he called? Vidhata. The other cause which connects the individual with these various bodies is God, popularly known as Vidhata. Vidhata doesn't do as per his own wish. He only sees like a factory supervisor, whatever a worker, how many hours, how nicely worked, his wages will be given exactly. So God resides over all actions and enjoins results according to our own actions. That's why he is called either Karmadyaksha or Karmaphala Radha. And then Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example. So there was a prince and as a child, he always wants to play a game of he will be washerman, some other boy will be made to bend and on his back this prince goes on washing his clothes. Why? Because in his past life he was a washerman because of some real cause. He has what you call, he has a good fortune. He has become a prince. He must have done something good. I don't know what it is. That is what Ramana Maharshi says, Kartru Ragnaya Prapyate Phalam. Kartru means God. Only by God's will one gets connected with the Karmaphala. That is how it happens. Then there is the Samsara. This Samsara we were describing with Ashwatharishi. Does it come to an end? The mantra that ends shows the way out which we will talk about tomorrow and also I will give you 13, 14 we will complete and also the summary.