Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 41 on 22 July 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have seen in the mantra 10th, the God is compared to a fisherman having a huge net and this whole world is not only an outcome of the net but it is also covered by the net. This is a marvelous idea. This is what we get also in the second verse of Sarvamangala Gunasaya and Gunamayi. She is also an embodiment of Gunas and she is also the manifestation of the Gunas. In this 10th mantra, what does it mean? That master of the net means Maya and by the threads of the Maya, which are called Sattva, Rajas and Tamo Gunas, Svabhavataha and He is the only one Lord. What does He do? He Himself becomes the entire universe and He Himself is covering Himself. The net is not spread on people like us. We are none other than Bhagawan Himself. It is His play. And there is a paradox lying here and that paradox is that we can pretend that we have closed our eyes but it is impossible. So it is like a play. How do I get out of this net? So there is only one way. In Gayatri Mantra, that is our prayer and here also that is the prayer. Saha, the Divine Lord who is the master of the Maya. Naha, to all of us. Brahma Apyayam, complete mergence in Brahman. Dadhatu, mehi vistau, without His grace it is impossible. That was the 10th mantra. But in our last class we have been continuing. So the following is a beautiful mantra for meditation. Why is it? So where is that God described in this Mantra 10? And that is being graphically described in Mantra 11. I remember an anecdote. There was a king in England several centuries back and there was a prince. And a bishop was engaged in teaching him what they call catechism, all about Christianity by a bishop. And he did it like the gurus of Lada. And then the bishop wanted how well he taught. So he brought the boy in front of the king and then wanted to test his biblical knowledge. And he asked him, Boy, tell me where does God live? If you can give me the right answer, I will give you one dollar. And the boy took out two dollars, two pounds. And then he said, You tell me where God is not. I will give you two pounds. That is the answer here. If anybody asks where is God, you have to tell where is not God. How do we understand this statement? First of all, any existence, any object existing, that existence itself is defined as God. This is called Sat, existence. And it is not a specific existence, but an existence without any Nama, Name, Rupa, Form and Guna, Quality. That is called what Swami Vivekananda translated as Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute. Absolute means infinite. Absolute means without any manifestation. It is difficult for us to understand it. So whatever we say, where is not God? The person asking is God. The person trying to reply is God. And the person who is witnessing is also God. Whatever we say, suppose there is nothing, I am there. Even to say there is nothing, one has to be there. And that is what Ramana Bhagwan had put it so beautifully. He said you can doubt everything, but not the doubter. Why? Because if there is no doubter, who is there even to doubt? Even to doubt we require existence, we require consciousness, and then only doubt is possible. That is being answered. Where is God? Yes, first of all, of many Gods, Ekaha is only one, Devaha. Ekaha, Devaha, one God. And every religion only claims that there can be only one God. There cannot be two Gods. Just as there cannot be many infinites, only one infinite. But you know scientists, what they are? They are confused and they want to confuse others also. There are many infinites. According to even the most advanced scientists, there are infinite number of infinites. Anyway, I don't understand it. You also don't need to understand. Because if you understand, you will question me. I will not be able to answer you. So Ekodevaha. Devaha means He who reveals virti, shining. And by shining, that itself becomes svayam prakashakaha. It reveals itself. If you see the sun, nobody needs to point out that it is the sun. Because by His very rising appearance, He will prove. And where is He? Sarvabhuteshu Godaha. Godaha means completely hidden. For whom? For an ignorant person. For a knowledgeable person, He sees only Brahman everywhere. Where is He? Sarvabhuteshu. In all beings. Bhuta means being. Why called Bhutya? Because the whole world is made out of Pancha Bhutas. And are Pancha Bhutas inert or with consciousness? Remember, Atmanaha Akashaha. So Akasha came from Atma. And all the other elements came from Akasha. If the cause is pure consciousness, everything else also must be only consciousness. That inescapable law, inevitable law, that the effect will always be completely one with the cause. Sarvavyapi. Where is He? Where is not He? Sarvavyapi. When Prahlada was asked by Hiranyakashipu, Where is your Narayana? And Prahlada asks, You tell me, Father, where is not Narayana? Is He in this pillar? Prahlada replied, He is inside the pillar. He is outside the pillar. He is the pillar. Oh, let me see. And he broke. What is that pillar? That pillar is Symbolika or Ahankara. As soon as Ahankara is gone, then only God remains. The distance between God and ourselves is only Ahankara. That's all. Sarva Bhuta Antaratma. He is the Indweller. Antaratma means Indweller. Sarva Bhutaha. But here Bhuta means that which is not only living but that which is what we call non-living, Jada. But there is one aspect that is called existence. A mountain is existing. A river is existing. And the air is existing. The fire is existing. And the space is existing. According to the modern scientists, all these are Jadas, inert. According to Hindus and Vedantists, everything is throbbing with consciousness. That is why Akasha Devata. Then Vayu Devata. And without Vayu Devata, nobody can survive. Without these Pancha Devatas, nobody can survive. If Vayu Devata takes leave for a second, then Ramakrishna, Hari Om Ramakrishna, or Ram Naam Satya Hai. Sarva Bhuta Antaratma. And Karma Adhyaksha. Who is acting? We are all acting. Who are we? Only God. But in this show called this Srishti, He is Karma Adhyaksha. It means He endowed us with bodies, He endowed us with minds, and then naturally the propensity of the body and mind is to act. How do we know? Because in the Bhagavad Gita we get, Nahi Kaschit Shanam Api Jat Tishtati Aakarmakrit. Nobody can stay because it is the nature of the body, the nature of the mind to act. And when we act in the right way or in the wrong way, Dharmic way, Adharmic way, there is one who is recording everything and who either rewards us or punishes us. Punishing is not for making us suffer. Punishing is only for correcting us. Karma Adhyaksha. And again, earlier he said Sarvabhuta Antaratma. Sarvabhuta Adivasa is indwelling in every creature as what? As the mind, as the Chidabasa, as the prana, pancha pranas, and even as the bodies. But at the same time, Sakshi, He is the eternal witness. Means what? He just goes on watching. But He never participates. There are two eyes. Earlier I explained, the participating eye and the witnessing eye. Both, He only. Sakshi, Chetah. Chetah means Chaitanya. Kevalaha. He stands alone. He knows there are not many, there is only one. The infinite can never think that there are many. That is called infinite by definition. And Nirgunascha, He is also Saguna, He is also Nirguna. He is with qualities, He is without qualities. Qualities means Maya. He is with Maya. He is without Maya. How can it be? That is why Sri Ramakrishna explains, when my mind looks at the activity, He is with all the Gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. But the same mind, per chance, if it can look without any activity, it is the same thing. And here also we have to be careful. It is not that He does activity for one hour or one day and He takes rest. Day time He is working, night time He is taking rest. That should not be our misunderstanding. What is the right understanding? Depending upon who is looking, with what type of mind or understanding a person is looking. If it is restless mind, mind with vrittis, then He is Saguna Brahma. If it is completely vritti-less, thoughtless mind, then He is the same. Truth is seen as Nirguna Brahma. It is not that God is with quality or without quality. It depends upon the onlooker. The whole world is nothing but the projection of the onlooker. So the one God remains hidden in all beings. He is all-pervading and He is the inner self of all beings. He is the one who presides over all actions and is the indweller of all beings. He is the witness. He is the pure consciousness. He is one alone without a second and He is without any attributes. So what do we understand by this mantra number 11? We have to understand that nothing else exists excepting God. Then who am I? We are also God. But I don't know it. True, now you may not know it. But my whole life, your whole life, what are we trying to be? Only to be God. How? Because nobody wants to die. That is an attribute of God. Deathlessness, Amrit Atman, is the nature of God. Nobody wants to be ignorant. Everybody wants to be only of the nature of knowledge. That is also an attribute of or what is called a Swaroopa. Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam or Asti, Bhati, Priya or Sat, Chit, Ananda, the Chit aspect. That is only Him. And of course we know nobody can tolerate suffering even for a millisecond. Not only big suffering, even the smallest suffering. And it is the same idea we have also seen in Isavasya in the fifth mantra. Tad ejati, tad na ejati, tad dore, tad vo antike, tad antarasya sarvasya, tad vo sarvasya asya vahyataha. Tat means that Brahman. It moves at the same time, it is motionless. It is distant at the same time it is near. It is within all, it is outside everything. These are called paradoxical statements. The purpose of a paradoxical statement is to make our mind completely thoughtless. Because we can never solve the problem from an ordinary human point of view. God is with name, without name. God is with form, without form, beyond both form and formlessness. Ram Krishna is only reflecting. So this is the description just now we have read. And that accords, agrees, same sentiment in the Isavasya Upanishad. Because all Upanishads are talking exactly the same thing. There is no confusion, conflict, contradiction in any one of the Upanishads. But sometimes seemingly there are. And that is why Yasa Bhagwan had written a beautiful, what is called harmonizing, so-called, seemingly called conflicting statements in the indifferent Upanishads. But he says samanvaya, harmony. Every Upanishad unhesitatingly speaks exactly the same truth. Everything is God. And that is what exactly Swami Vivekananda had meant. Each soul is potentially divine. And earlier we have seen that God is the master of the net. And we are also trying to become masters of the world. WWW. What is that? World Wide Net. And this idea that God is inside, outside, He is only controlling. He is only moving. He is also doing everything from within ourselves. And He is doing to Himself just as we do to ourselves in dream. That is echoed in the 18th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. ISHVARAH SARVA BHUTANAM HRIDESHE ARJUNA DISHNATE BRAHMAYAN SARVA BHUTANI YANTRA RUDHANI MAYAYA That is why He is called Sarva Bhuta Adivasaha. He is Sakshi, He is a witness. He is both the participator, He is also Sakshi. How is it possible? It is possible for an awakened person. Just like you know, a machine is probably some type of analogy. Your car is moving. A car does its job. But does it claim, I am doing it? No. But better example given is, the sun is shining. Ask the sun, are you shining? He says no. Then I see you shining. Yes, you are seeing me shining. You ask the fire, are you burning? Fire says, I don't know what you are talking about. But you are burning everything that comes near you. I don't know. You are telling. It is news for me. So everything, a magnet attracts. Ask the magnet, why are you attracting? It says attraction. What are you talking about? I don't know anything about attraction. So Bhagawan is Sakshi. He is a witness. But every witness must be impartial. And God is impartial. That is why to say God punishes, God rewards is a horrible idea. It doesn't make any sense. But if we pray to Him, He will help us. He will bestow His grace and He will guide us. In fact, even if we don't pray, He is guiding us. Because we are His children. So just like a small baby, it is just lying. It doesn't know whether what it should do or should not do. But if it is in distress, it cries. If it wants to play, it will cry. If it is feeling lonely, it will cry. The only thing that the baby knows is how to cry. But the mother has the intelligence to understand. Now my baby wants to play with me. Now baby is hungry. It should be fed. Now the baby is in distress. So there must be something. I must attend to it. Every mother is endowed with that knowledge to understand what the baby is really doing. And it will take a long time for the father to catch up with that. Because mother and child are so intimately, intuitively related with each other. And the same thing in Bhagavad Gita. Simply I am quoting. In the 7th chapter. If you see life in any being, that's me. And then. If you see consciousness in any being, who is it? After all, Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the Upanishads. So he is also praised as Kevalaha. Kevalaha means what? He is alone. Kevalaha. Mukti is Kevalaha. There will be nobody else. That is Dvitiya. There is no Dvitiya. And then he is Nirgunaha. Nirguna means the unmanifest forms of infinite forms. Unmanifest aspect of infinite forms. Nirguna doesn't mean no Gunas. Supposing God doesn't have any Gunas. Then out of that, what is called Gunaless cause, Gunas cannot come out. Because, just now I told you, whatever be the effect. The effect is nothing but manifestation of the cause. So let us say clay doesn't have sweetness, no pot will have sweetness. If sugar has sweetness, every product of sugar also will be sweet only. So these are important words. Why? Because we also, if we want to get out of this Tapatraya, three types of suffering, so afflictions, we also have to become like God. Because only He is free forever. That is why we have to develop, and it is very useful, psychological attitude, to be Sakshi, to be aware of it, and to say this is the nature of the world. Sometimes it is hot, sometimes it is cold, sometimes I am happy, sometimes not so happy. Some mangoes are sweet, some mangoes not sweet, some mangoes it is faultless, some mangoes there will be very beautiful proteinous worms will be there, and if you have eaten by mistake, you are not committing any sin, because whatever grows up eating mango, will be only manifestation of the mango only. And there is another from the Drig Drishya Viveka, beautiful this thing, that Beautiful expression of Bhagawan. God doesn't arise, there is pure consciousness, has no birth, has no death, and it doesn't grow big, it doesn't lose anything, it shines of itself, at the same time, and it illumines everything, how? Sadhana, it doesn't require anything, but everything else other than God requires an instrument for illumination. So this is a meditation, at the same time, it is also some of these qualities we have to develop, if we don't want to suffer so much in this world. Now mantra number 12. This is a beautiful mantra telling us that all intelligent human beings, all beings seek happiness, but it is only the human beings who can deliberately desire, scheme, work out and enjoy. But whatever we enjoy, because scheming is done by the mind, and the action is done by the body and mind, and the experience also is done by the body-mind. Gnata, Karta, Bhokta. Knowing, Doing and Experiencing. All these are limited things, because the person who desires is limited, the instrument is limited, and the experience is also limited. Bhoga means experience, because it could be happiness, it could be unhappiness, it could bring joy or it could also bring suffering. But everything is time-bound, space-bound, and therefore it is extremely limited. But we are all searching for eternal life and infinite knowledge and non-breaking bliss. That means we want to become God. Therefore, is it possible? Yes, it is possible. How is it possible? That is being said in this 12th mantra. Tesham Sukham. Only those people will succeed in getting that infinite bliss. That's why Shashvatam Sukham. Unending bliss. Shashvatam means eternal bliss. Not others. It is not possible. Who are these people? A. Those people through sadhana. Dheera. They are called Dheera. Dheera means buddhimantas. Endowed with right understanding, deep understanding. And what do they do through this understanding? After doing sadhana, they remove all the impurities from the mind and automatically that reality called satyam, that reflects in their pure hearts. Ramakrishna also says, pure mind, pure buddhi, pure atman are exactly one and the same. So, what is the condition? Condition is you have to know that I am that. Atma stham. Stham means to be firmly established in. In what? Atma. I am the atma. What does it mean? It means I know, I thought I was a human being. Now I know I am not a human being. I am not the mind. I am not the body. I am pure atman. And this result can come only when I pay attention to the Lord who is residing. We have seen in so many earlier. Angushta matra purusho sadha jananam hridaye sannivistaha He is there within us. Not that He is not without us, outside us. He is everywhere. But first we have to seek Him inside. Then only we will recognize. This is a well-known psychology. And especially we apply it in a different way. How do we look upon others? Whatever qualities we have, we judge others only with those qualities. If I am good, I see good everywhere. If I am evil, I see evil everywhere. If I am a thief, then only I can recognize another thief. And if I am a very pure person, I see the same purity. It is a beautiful story and it goes like this. Once it seems, whether it is true or not, don't worry. This is to illustrate a point. Once Duryodhana and Yudhishthira went on a world tour. And they have completed and returned back. There was a meeting. People wanted to hear their experiences. So first Duryodhana got up and said, I have nothing to say. Everybody was evil, bad, short-tempered. And he sat down. And then Yudhishthira came. He said, I have no words. Because everywhere I found only good people, unselfish people, pure people. They were overflowing with love. And they always welcomed me. They were ready to kill themselves if they can serve me. So both of them sat down. But what a different description. For one, everything is evil. For the other, everything is godly. How come it is the same world? Because Duryodhana was full of evil himself. And Yudhishthira was full of purity within himself. So this is what he is telling. He is the first description that Brahman is being. He is one without a second. Secondly, Vashi. Vashi means he is the master. What about me? We are all masters. How do you know? Once in Bangalore, I went to a devotee's house. And there it is written, a plaque even before entering into the house. I am the master of the house with the kind permission of my wife. We are all masters with the kind permission of our spouses. Whoever it is. Vashi. But he is Sarva Tantra Svatantra. A beautiful Vedantic word. Sarva means in every way. Tantra means in infinite ways. Svatantraha. He acts. That is why it is said beautifully, Shukali Tomari Ichcha. O Mother, everything is done through your will. Ichchamai Tara Tumi. O Tara, you are Ichchamai. Ichchamai means what? You are the mistress. You do whatever you like. You will not listen to anybody else. You will only listen to yourself. Nobody else. So that is expressed. Ek Oha Ek Aha. God is only one. Why? Because if there are two Gods, there will be world wars. So our world wars occasionally. But because God is eternal, there is no death. So if there are two Gods, both of them will be fighting all the time to determine who is God and who is not God. So no, He is only one. One because He is infinite. Nishkriyanam Bahunam. So beautiful expression. Nishkriya. So He is Nishkriya. Means actionless. And we are all with actions. Bahunam means accepting God. The entire universe is always busy because to possess body, to possess a mind, means to be moving continuously from the waking to the dream, to the dreamless, again to the waking. This Chakra is going on. That is why it is called in this very Shatashvatara, Brahma Chakra. Samsara is compared to a Chakra. That is who is moving. That Chakra itself is Brahma. And whoever is sitting on that cart or what is called a ferris wheel, they are all moving like that. So Nishkriyanam Bahunam. Ekam Bijam. Ekam. He is only one. But He is called Bija because Srishti Stithi Laya is coming out of Him only. That is called activity. And so He is the only seed, original seed. That is from where the whole universe. What happens? Bahudhaya Karoti. So it is the whole infinite manifestation because infinite God cannot manifest in a finite way. He has to be manifesting only in infinite ways. Bahudhaya Karoti. So it is beautifully said that there are, what is called, Bhagawan was one then So Kamayata. He desired. What did He desire? That Bahumasyam. May I become many. And His Sankalpa, He has become many. So this is the way to meditate just as the devotees of Ramakrishna meditate. Beautiful meditation. It is nothing but Parabrahma. So He is Prakruti Vikruti Shunyam. That is in His original nature before creation. Who is going to describe it? That is why in Rig Veda we get one Nasadiya Suktam. Na Asat. That is Sat and Asat. You cannot say it is existing because who is going to say it is existing? At the same time you can't say it is non-existing because to say whether something is there or not there must be a second one. Since there is no second one, no creation, no need to describe, that indescribable state is called, is expressed as Nasadiya Suktam. And Swami Vivekananda himself had translated it in His inimitable language. So the language is so pregnant with deep meaning because He was a Rishi. He could do it. Many people tried to translate it but in my opinion none comes anywhere near Swami Vivekananda's description. So this is how we have to meditate and where is He? He is inside us. How? In the form of right understanding. Buddhi. Buddhi is compared to a cave and that is why Dhiyo Yonaha Pachodayat. So we have to think He is within us with these qualities and E Anupashyanti Dheeraha Those intelligent people and that intelligence was also given as a grace by God Himself. What do they do? Anupashyanti. Immediately they see that pure being in the form of consciousness in the heart of their hearts, in the depths of their heart as pure consciousness. Nitya Shuddha Buddha Mukta Swaroopa Teshaan Sukham Only Sukham means what type of Sukham? Here Sukham is not Vishaya Sukha. It is Brahmanandam and that Brahmanandam is Shashvatam. It is eternal bliss and only such people get because the object of their happiness is eternal. This is a wonderful fact we have to take notice. Supposing some sweet gives you happiness. A sweet is just a momentary thing and therefore the happiness also will be momentary. But if the object is eternal and the subject also will be eternal and therefore the bliss that one derives from that is only infinite, eternal, unbroken. What is the meaning of infinite and eternal? Infinite means supposing you are eating a sweet and at the same time you feel maybe I should have eaten some Khatta Mehta, savoury. No. That is also included. Sweet is also included. All the happinesses in the past, present and future are included. It is infinite. That is there is no other happiness which is excluded. That is called infinite. And is it broken? No. It continues forever and ever. That is called eternity. That means what makes it finite is called space. What makes it finite is called time wise is called time. It is beyond time. So it is called Mahakala. It is called Ananta. That is why only if I want, if you want, if anybody wants eternal happiness we have to obtain eternal. And that eternal is called Brahman, called God, called Ishwara, whatever, by whatever name you want to call him. There is no other way. So in the Taittiriya Upanishad we get So kamayata He desired Bhaushya may I become many Prajayeti may I manifest in the form of all the creatures but satapotapyata That is tapas you are not sitting on one leg. It means he thought deeply and he remembered last kalpa this is what I did and that mould is still there. So this is what we do many times. We have a mould and we put the materials of a cake in that mould and accordingly the form the size etc. will come. So he had thought he remembered yatha porvam akalpayat how he did in the past. So sarvam asrijata he had created everything. It may make us misunderstand perhaps he is only created like a potter creates no yadidam kincha tatsrishtva tat eva anupravishat not only he created he also entered that means he became the whole universe that is the idea. So that is what he is telling we have to see the God first who is inside then only we can see who is outside and then only we will be able to get that sukham shashvatam sukham Ram Krishna says this is what the third commandment discrimination God alone is real all else is temporary note the words very peculiar God alone is real means what he there is no change in him but all else is temporary if everything else is temporary God is permanent that is the idea temporary means what we are in the moment of consciousness and he alone is the best of the fruits of all our actions and he alone is worthy to be realized through knowledge and realization of the Lord is liberation what is that realization I am that Brahman and this is made clear in the 13th verse what does it mean a person is liberated from all bondages by knowing God who is the eternal of all that is eternal who is the sentience who is eternal of all that is not eternal who is the sentience of all that is not sentient who fulfills all desires of all people single handed who is the cause of this world and can be known through knowledge alone very beautiful mantra 13th mantra Nithya Nithyana what do we say that we are also experiencing Nithya and Anithya what does it form it is Anithya look at it I will give you this example suppose you are looking at a pot as a pot it is Anithya it was not there it is there it will not be there here is a baby just born it was not there it is born if you look at a pot in the form of a clay as a clay every pot is eternal as a pot it is that name and form shape and size quality that is all only temporary Nithya Nithyana so we have to understand what is limited that which is limited that is because our sense organs are limited and then what do we say there is a baby and even for a millisecond the baby is not exactly the same it goes on changing and that changefulness is noticed that is called time and space and therefore we are changing changing as what Nama Rupa just like the pot but as a clay what is that material that is only God that is only Astitva that is called existence that is called Sat that is called Chit even science recognized that fact that energy cannot be created cannot be destroyed but a small part of it can be transformed and that transformed energy is called matter so energy becomes matter that matter becomes energy this is how we have to understand all these epithets so that now that is he is the eternal of the eternities or he is the eternal among all the seeming non eternities chetana chetana here is a person he is aware of you after some time his thought changed and then he is no more aware of you he is aware of what his thoughts are but he is the pure consciousness behind every awareness That is why Kenopanishad tells us Pratibhava Vidhitam. Bhava means thought. Every thought that comes into our mind, we know there is a thought because that knowing is the result of awareness. So that pure consciousness is always shining, but what happens in deep sleep, it is not so obvious at all. So chetanaha, chetanana, whatever you see, whoever has got what is called consciousness, even a worm has consciousness, an ant has consciousness, a mosquito has consciousness, and that consciousness is a limited consciousness. Anything limited by time, space and causation is called anitya. But the original is beyond time, beyond space, beyond causation, therefore that is eternal. Chetanaha, chetanana is the pure consciousness of all the reflected consciousnesses. Ekaha bahunam, you see a billion things, what is common, the tree is, the table is, the book is, that person is, that lady is, I am. This is common, this is many, but what is common? I, asti, asti, asti, is, is, is, so that is called ekaha, that easiness is eka. Nobody can say, should say, if anybody says he or she is stupid, what does it mean? My existence is different from your existence, now my body is different from your body, fine. My mind is different from your body, fine. But my existence is totally different from your existence, that is completely wrong. Ekaha bahunam, and then yo vidadhati kaman, he who grants the desires of everybody, how is he doing it? So this is beautifully said, Bhagavan Krishna says, I divide all the bhaktas, everybody in fact, there is nobody who is not a bhakta, from the Bhagavan's point of view. From our point of view, we think some people are devotees, some are non-devotees. So he says, arthaha, artharthi, jignaso, and jnani, we divide them, that all of them are fulfilled, all their desires. If you are in distress, God will remove that distress. If you have an unfulfilled desire, God will grant you that desire and remove that unfulfillment. If you want to know what is the truth, He will give you that knowledge. And if you progress, He will make you one with Himself. So He is the only one who gives. What does it mean? He who makes us desire is only God. He who makes us work, He is also God. He who makes us enjoy by granting all of them, if we work in the right way, that is God. There is God and accepting God, nothing else exists. This is why He is called Kalpavriksha. We have to approach Him. That is called sitting under the Kalpavriksha. Tat Karanam Sankhya Yoga Adhigamyam Tat means that Brahman is Karanam. Karanam means the only origin, uni, cause of what the entire universe has stemmed as if from Him only. Tat Karanam, that Brahma alone is the Karanam. We have seen earlier, Sankhya Yoga Adhigamyam. But how to know He is the only one? How to know I have come from there? After I know where from I have come, then I can extend the same thing to the others also. Sankhya Yoga. What is Sankhya Yoga? Not the school of philosophy called Sankhya Darshana. No. Here Sankhya means Jnana Yoga. That is why even the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is aptly titled as Sankhya Yoga. In other words, Jnana Yoga. That's all. Sankhya means Jnana. So Jnana and Yoga. Jnanam is to understand. Yoga is to make it practical and realize it through our own experience. And we have to know the theory, we have to practice it, which Swami Vivekananda calls Practical Vedanta. That is the only way we are going to reach Him. Reach that Adhigamyam means that is the only way to realize Him. And what do I get by realizing? Yevam Nathva that is knowing Him, Whom? Devam. That eternally pure consciousness. Sarva Pashayi Mudshyate. A person becomes freed from all bondages. How many bondages are there? Three bondages are there. What are the three bondages? From one point of view, one count of it. Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. From another point of view, we should be free from Tamoguna, Rajoguna and Satvaguna. From another point of view, we should get rid of the identity from the gross body, subtle body and causal body. But it is only possible when we realize that I am one with God, I am that God, Aham Brahmasmi, there is no other way. We have to understand it. Now the 14th mantra is further describing this Brahman and we have seen it in Katha Upanishad. We also have seen it in the Mundaka Upanishad. 14th mantra. Na Tatra Suryo Bhati Na Chandra Tarakam Ne Ma Vidyato Bhanti Kutahaya Magnihi Tameva Bhantam Anubhati Sarvam Tasya Bhasa Sarva Midam Vibhati What does it mean? The sun does not shine there. There means what? The Brahman need not be illumined by the sun or the moon or the stars or lightenings or fire by any lamp. That is the meaning. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor these lightenings, Vidyus, much less this fire. He, Brahman shining, everything shines after Him by His light. All this is lighted. So this mantra, every day in fact the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna are reciting this mantra. How? Jyoti Rajyoti Ujjvala Hrithikanda In fact, those four lines are extraordinarily important. What is it? Namo Namo Prabhu I salute you, O Lord. Vakya Mana Adhita You are beyond speech and much beyond even the mind. First of all, we have to think. Then only speech will follow. But you are beyond the mind, beyond the speech. Why? Speech is limited. How is it limited? In earlier classes, we have enumerated Rodi, Jyoti, Guna, Kriya, Sambandham. These are the things we can describe something. And He doesn't fall in any of these things because He is everything. So no distinction is ever possible. And that is why He can never be described. Can He at least be thought about? No. Because the mind itself is limited. How is it limited? By time, space and causation. That is what I say, Desha, Kaala, Nimitta. This is the very nature of mind. And something is limited by Desha. How Bhagavan is not limited by Desha? Because He is everywhere. Everywhere means beyond limitation. He is all the time, eternal, Nityaha. Just now we have seen. That means He cannot be limited by time. And Karana. He is Ekaha, Pahuna. So He is one from whom everything is coming out. He is the Bija. Therefore, He is beyond all. Nimitta also. Purpose also. Time, space and causation also. He is neither the cause nor the effect. But from our viewpoint, He is the cause and we are the effect. How to describe Him? You cannot describe Him. Not only that. Everything is describable only because of Him. Simple example. I am seeing the sun. And I want to tell, a child comes and says, Oh, what is that? That is called sun. And even for me to tell about the sun, which comes first, my knowledge, awareness should come. If I am unconscious, the sun, even if it is midday, burning brightly, I won't be able to cognize it. Neither the moon nor anything. I must be conscious. What comes first? Consciousness. That is why it is called Jyoti Rajyoti Ujjvala Hridikandara Tumi Tama Bhanjana Hara You reveal. Pure consciousness alone can reveal the sun, the moon, the fire, the lightenings, the stars, everything. That is the meaning of it. Na Tatra Suryo Bhati The sun does not shine there because He is giving shine to the sun. Similarly, Na Chandra Not the moon. Tarakam Not the stars. Na Ima Vidyut Not these lightenings. Bhante Kutah What to speak of this fire? Fire is always hidden. Only when we bring some firewood together and then go on rubbing or through some other means, then only the fire which is hidden, potentially there, it can come out. So, but the pure consciousness, you don't need to bring it out because it is there all the time. When I say I and that I sense is illumined only by that pure consciousness. Tameva Bhaantam That pure consciousness shining. Sarvam Anubhati Only after pure consciousness, everything becomes cognized or recognized. Tasya Bhasa By His light. Sarvam Itam Vibhati Everything is shining. This beautiful one in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, there is a beautiful explanation. It is called Jyotir Brahmana. So, we have discussed about it. This is the description. But in order to meditate, we have to meditate upon that Brahman with these qualities. Then what happens? We realize I am that pure consciousness. Without me, first, I only give light, existence, knowledge and bliss to everything else. It is a marvelous idea which we will discuss in our next class tomorrow.