Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 25 on 27 May 2023

We have been studying the 4th chapter of the Svetasvatara Upanishad and in my last class I spoke very briefly about the principles of Sankhya. That is because the Svetasvatara in the 4th chapter it is describing this dual concept Prakruti and Purusha. What is the difference between Sankhya Yoga and Vedanta? According to Sankhya Yoga they are completely different, two separate principles. One is full of consciousness, only consciousness and the other divide up even a bit of consciousness. Both are eternal and the whole creation is because of this combination. But the Purusha, the pure consciousness doesn't do anything by His mere presence. The whole Srishti, Sthiti and Laya take place. Sri Ramakrishna illustrated this so beautifully. A householder was there, marriage is going on, so the head of the house is sitting in an easy chair. Somebody comes and asks him, Sir, I want such and such a thing, will you please give me? He says, No, I have already handed the charge to somebody. Someone is looking after the store, you go to him and he will give it to you. What does he mean? That I am the master and I have employed somebody but things will go on by my mere presence. That is what Sri Ramakrishna wants to illustrate the relationship between the Ishwara and Prakruti or Brahman and Prakruti. Now this is the topic earlier we have seen that there is a Prakruti, a Maya, it is unborn, it is consisting of three colors, Lohita, Shukla and Krishna, Shukla, Lohita and Krishna, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and it gives birth to exactly as its own nature to everything, that means the whole world, consisting of three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Advaita Vedanta, in fact all schools of Vedanta bodily lifted this Sankhya philosophy but in Advaita philosophy the harmony between the Maya or Prakruti and the Purusha are clearly outlined. They are not two separate principles, the Lord himself as Jeevatma, the Lord himself as Maya. One is that is Prakruti, Maya is my lower nature and Jeevatma is my higher nature and I am also beyond both, I am Uttama Purusha, that is the meaning. So we have been discussing the sixth mantra where it is said there is a tree and there are two birds and one of them is on the uppermost branch, this is a literal lifting of Mundaka Upanishad. So there is a lower bird and that is sitting there, same tree and at the same time it is going on eating the other one, the upper bird doesn't eat. So at some point of time the lower bird eats very bitter fruits, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Sweet means Sukha, Karmaphala and bitter means Dukkha, again Karmaphala. Dharma, the fruits of Dharma and Adharma and whenever this lower bird, that is all of us, each Jeeva experiences exceptionally bitter fruit then it becomes a little bit awakened, thoughtful, looks up. There is a bird and it is not doing anything but wonder of wonders, it is the most happy and that is why it is not doing anything and a great psychological principle is being expressed here. When we are happy we don't do anything, when we are unhappy we do something. Every action that we do whether it is thought or speech or action, external, concrete action is all because we want to achieve something and achievement is because we feel we don't have something. So that is called Kamana, Kamaha. So Kama and Kanchana. As Sri Ramakrishna so beautifully expresses, Kama and Kanchana, the two words very frequently used by Sri Ramakrishna have very little to do with what we call lust and greed. It is really speaking Apurnatva. Every Jeeva feels that pinch of unfulfillment, of incompleteness and any desire is to complete oneself and all of us are bound until a person realizes I am Brahman, I am Purnaha. This Kamana, Apurnatvam will not go by any means and what do I realize? I don't realize that I am not Brahman but through sadhana I will become Brahman. That's not the view of Advaita Vedanta. Advaita Vedanta tells us that you are that Brahman, you have forgotten you are Brahman. That forgetfulness is because of identification with Tamas, Rajas and Sattva, in other words Prakruti, in other words Maya and you have to go beyond the Maya. Then you realize you have never been anything other than Brahman. Sadhana is to recollect, re-access that forgotten memory called Smriti. As Arjuna says Smritir Labdha, by your grace and it can be attained only by the grace of the Lord. So what is the sixth and the seventh mantras telling? To help the spiritual aspirant to attain the knowledge of one's own self or realization of God or knowledge of the Paramatma, ultimate reality, this beautiful imagery is given to us in the sixth as well as in the seventh mantra. So Dvaha, Supanna, Sayuja, Sakhaya, Samanam, Raksham, Parishasva, Jyate, Tayo, Anyaha, Pippalam, Swadi, Athe, Anashnan, Anyaha, Avichakasheti, two birds united always and known by the same name, closely cling to the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit, other looks on without eating. Sweet fruit means not sweet, Sukha and Dukha, fruits. So these two birds referred to in this highly poetic passage are the Jivatma, individual soul and the Paramatma, the supreme soul. Samanam, Raksham and they are both of them, they are residing in this one tree. Parishasva, Jyate means they are residing, they are staying on the self-same tree. But what is the relationship between these two? Supanna, both of them are of golden plumage because they are the same. Sayuja and they are always together, they love each other. Sakhaya, they are inseparable friends. Samanam, Raksham, self-same tree, one tree. What is the tree? Our body, mind complex which we call personality. Parishasva, Jyate, residing and what does he do? Jivatma, he goes on eating, he goes on doing karmas. Why does he do? Because he feels I have unfulfilled desires. Why does he feel? Because I am not complete. That incompleteness, I am small, I am an individual, I am different from everything else, that is called Bheda. The whole Maya has been divided, beautifully expressed by Advaita Vedanta in the form of three differences. Vijatiya Bheda, Sajatiya Bheda and Swagata Bheda. Like two trees, separate trees, mango and coconut, just as an example, completely different from each other. But there are two plants of the same species, two mangoes, two coconuts, two apple trees. They are all same species but immense difference is there. That is called Sajatiya, Sajatiya, same species. Vijatiya, different species and Swagata, there is one tree and there are roots, trunk, big branches, small branches, smallest branches, new leaves, old leaves, blossoms, flowers, fruits and different shapes. Everything is different within oneself and these differences in this threefold form is the entire nature of Maya or Prakruti. What happens when a man obtains the real nature of himself? He knows Brahman is one, there is no Vijatiya Bheda, Sajatiya Bheda, Swagata Bheda. So that is, that Bheda, the difference is being described here in the sixth mantra, Tayoho, of those two birds, Anyaha, the Jivatma, Pippalam, one type of fruit, Swadhu. So it eats, but all fruits are not same. Here fruits means Karmaphala. Karmaphala means Sukha and Dukha. Swadhu, Akthi and sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter and when it eats bitter fruits, exceptionally bitter fruits, that means suffers, and then suddenly it wakes up and it sees, is there any way out? Can I become a better bird? And it looks up and there, that is the most marvelous bird, full of peace, full of joy. It is not eating anything and yet it is so happy. So how can it be happy without eating? That means without experiencing Karmaphala. That's what we do every day. When we go to deep sleep, we don't do anything, we don't experience anything, excepting that we are completely, we feel oneness with everything and that is why we have no desires and that is why we are so happy. So this word Vriksha is a very favorite analogy employed in many Upanishads. Katha Upanishad we get it and Shankaracharya goes into ecstasy and in our own Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the 15th chapter beautifully describes and I will go into a little bit of why this Vriksha, this is the Ashraya, support for both Jeevatma and Paramatma. First of all, why both? Why Paramatma? Because where Jeevatma is, Paramatma must be there. Where there is reflection of light in a mirror, the original light should be there to make a reflection in the mirror. Either both of them disappear or both of them will be together. So the tree of Samsara owes its existence to the ignorance of one's real Self. That is why I said Urdhva Moolam. Usually when we look at any tree on this earth, we see it is down below. That is Samsara. But where from this real Samsara has come? From Ishwara Himself, that Paramatma Himself. That Paramatma is the very cause of this root. That is why Urdhva Moolam. That is unlike any other tree, a root is above and it is growing down and down. This process is called involution. And a banyan tree, when you go and see, especially in Chennai, there is a place called Adyar, there is a huge banyan tree, at least half a mile wide, because the roots from the branch, they come down and they touch the soil and it becomes another source of support. Like that it goes on spreading, spreading, spreading and this Samsara also spreads like that only. But if one knows that this Samsara is not from Satan, from hell, but it is from the Divine. Each soul is potentially Divine. When we understand that fact, then we become extremely progressive in spiritual life and slowly we cross over this Samsara Sagara and the purpose of describing this Samsara Vriksha, because there are so many similarities between our state of transmigration called Samsara and this tree. And Shankaracharya, he goes into ecstasy describing. So far I have not come across anybody who could describe this Samsara so much. It is in one continuous passage, one sentence, going through at least 20 or 30 lines. I will not go through the whole thing, but this is where it comes in the Katha Upanishad. उद्धमोलो अवाक्षाक्हः एशः अश्वत्थः सनातनः तदेवशुक्रम् तद्ब्रह्मः तदेव अमृतमुच्छते तस्मेन लोकाः शृताः सर्वे तदु न अत्येतिकस्चना एतद्वैतत् The root is up and the branches are down and that is this ancient, beginningless Ashwathatri. But its source is pure and its source is Brahman and that Brahman is immortal and on that Brahman all worlds depend and none passes beyond that. This very Samsara is that. Now Shankaracharya goes and a little bit of that commentary we also see the very first shloka in the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. But here is the Shankaracharya's commentary. As in the world, the ascertainment of the root of a tree is made by ascertaining the nature of the tula, a panicle of the flower. And this 6th Vali, that is he is giving a Sambandhavahasya, an introduction to this 6th chapter of 6th section of this Kathopanishad. So this 6th section is begun with the object of ascertaining the nature of Brahman, the source of this world by ascertaining the nature of the effect which is called a tree of Samsara. Then he gives the description. In Sanskrit it is marvelous. In my past classes, especially when I was talking about the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, I quoted the entire passage. So here it goes only in a very Sankshita form, abridged form. Root up, having its root up, meaning that highest place of Vishnu. That is its root. This tree of Samsara, extending from the avyakta, unmanifest, to the immovable, has its root up in Brahman. It is a vriksha, tree, so called because vriksha means chetanatva, it is felt, it can be destroyed. This tree, consisting in manifold miseries of birth, decay, death and grief, etc. Changing its nature every moment, like jugglery, waters of the mirage, a city formed by the clouds in the sky, because like this perceived only to vanish ultimately, non-existent like a tree, sapless like the stem of the plantain tree, a subject of several doubtful alternatives in the intellects of many hundreds of skeptics, not easily ascertained to be what it really is by seekers after truth, perceiving its sap from its source, that is the highest Brahman, ascertained, confirmed by Vedanta, growing from the seed of ignorance, desire, karma and the unmanifest. In brief, I want to quote what are the comparisons. So, both Brahman and the Samsara, both are huge, both are large. Second, both have a beginning and end and both cannot be traced. The beginning of Samsara cannot be traced. The beginning of Brahman also cannot be traced. Aadi Ananta Rai Tattvam. Three, like the huge tree having many branches spreading far and wide, this Samsara universe is a vast tree with the 14 Lokas as its branches. So, this is called Savai Atvam, Lokatvam. Four, leaves of the trees nourishes the tree and Karmakand of Vedas nourishes the Samsara tree. That is why Pannatvam. Fifth, Samsara tree bears fruits of Sukha and Dukha, Falavatvam. Six, the tree becomes the support for the nests of the birds. Who are the birds? All of us, Jivas. Similarly, the Samsara tree supports the Jiva world. Ashrayatvam. Seven, even though the tree is very huge, by appropriate effort, this tree can be uprooted. How? By the knowledge, right knowledge, by the acts of Viveka, Vairagya, etc. Similarly, this huge Samsara tree also can be uprooted by the special acts called Jnanam, Shedhyatvam. So, the essentials of Samsara are presented comparing it to a tree. What purpose? Only to introduce the seeker to Samsara Nivrutti, that is Moksha. And we said earlier in this mantra, both these birds are inseparable, Sayuja, they are friends. Because the Jiva is only an image of the Paramatman reflecting in the mirror of the mind. Therefore, where there is light only, there is reflection of the light. Both of these are inseparable. Or, if we take it in a Bhakti interpretation, the relationship of love, Bhakti, existing between God and the Jiva, and the dependence of the Jiva on God, they are eternal. The soul and God are both said to reside in the same body, because in respect of the soul, the body has to be conceived as its locus, and in respect of God, even though He is a transcendent, He being also immanent in all beings. How? As a Sat, as Chit, is Ananda. How is God immanent? How is Brahman immanent? Whatever we see, our body is. And we know that it is a body, that is called Chit. And this body gives sometimes more Ananda, that is called Sukha, sometimes less Sukha, that is called Dukha. So the fruits of the tree are the results of one's Karma, that is Dharma and Adharma. Out of attachment, the individual soul clings to these fruits of actions and suffers the consequences, good as well as evil, in successive births, embodiments. But the Lord, its companion bird, on the tree of this body, remains non-attached to actions and their fruits, because He is Puri Purnaha, and He is a mere witness. Last class I explained, there are two eyes, witnessing eye, Sakshi Aham, and participating eye, Karta Bhokta Eye. But if we analyse, we really are Sakshis. I also gave the example, you look at different photographs of yourself, you show yourself, this is me as a baby, this is me as a young person, this is me as a middle-aged person, this is me as a retired person, this is me, the old man, tottering about. So everything is me, me, me. But when those states are being experienced, I am a child, I am a young man, I am a middle-aged man, I am an old man, I am a tottering man, I am an unhealthy man, etc., etc., will be there. But in spite, why do we do that? Because we forget, because of these three gunas, our real nature, especially Tamoguna. But in spite of this forgetfulness, it is nonetheless present there. And what is spiritual life? It is the establishment of this broken-off connection between them. So the suffering of the Jiva is the result of its feeling of impotence, limitation. So long as the consciousness identifies itself with the body and mind, body and mind are limited, so I am also body and mind, so I am also limited, body and mind have birth and death, so I also am born, I grow, become old, and I am dead. Body and mind both, sometimes healthy, sometimes unhealthy. So I am healthy, I am unhealthy. Sometimes I am happy, sometimes I am unhappy. But nobody wants to be unhealthy, nobody wants to be unhappy. So constant action is going on to remove, get rid of this unfulfillment, limitedness. But until we know, any amount of effort will not help, until we realize, I was never unfulfilled, I am always the infinite, I was never the limited, and that is the purpose of this description. So this impotence, limitedness, all of us, even if some people protest, Oh, I am so happy in life. But no, when you get toothache, you run to the doctor. When you have some bodily sickness, you go to the doctor. When you are hungry, you gobble up food. When you are thirsty, you drink water. And when is it that you are really happy? Always swinging between the modes of fulfillment and non-fulfillment. So this impotence can be destroyed only by knowing, I am limitless, I am Ananta, I am Shashvata, Ajaha, Nityaha, Puranaha, Purushaha. And that impotence is beautifully described in the Seventh Mantra. Seated on the same tree, the Jiva moans, bewildered by its impotence. But when it beholds the other, the Lord, worshipped by all, and His glory, this Jivatma becomes free from grief. Let us always keep in mind, what is Jivatma? I am a limited consciousness, that is called Jivatma. So, in the self-same tree, which is our body and mind, Purushaha, Nimagnaha. Purushaha, beautiful word, that Paramatma, He became Nimagnaha, identified. Identified with the tree, I am this tree. What does He do? Anishaya. Isha means, I am the Lord of myself. Anishaya means, I am the bond slave of the body, of the mind. And we are all bond slaves, because from morning till evening, we are catering to the wishes of this body, of this mind. Janma, Janma Antara, life after life. We are going on running. The body says, give me food, and immediately we run. And for that purpose, like a donkey, we work from morning till evening. And at the same time, whenever the water part within our body becomes diminished, we crave for water. When we are tired, we crave for rest. And we are constantly beset by Kama, Prodha, Lobha, Moha, Madha, Matsarya. And all these things, whenever they come, most of us, we run like mad males, in all the animals it is seen, as if madness possesses them. They fight, they die, and they get injured. So many things happen. I have seen a documentary where two male deers were fighting, and they are so much absorbed that a tiger came, and nicely gobbled up, and went away. It did not take any effort on the part of the tiger, all because of what? These fellows, they are possessed of so much of lust at that time. So fighting is going on. Or any one of us, better than that, same thing is happening, either for Kama, and fulfillment of Kama, or that money, greed, Lobha, horrible greed. So we are all bond slaves, because we are identified with the body and mind. Therefore, what is the result? Anishaya, because of this bondedness, Sochati, goes on suffering. Suffering has two meanings. One meaning of suffering is that really there is a problem, I am not able to fulfill my desire, and so it gives me. The other one is, I am in every way fulfilled, but I could have got more, I could have eaten a better sweet, I could have got a better house, better car, better bed, better husband, better children, better everything. Why? Because it is the dissatisfied mind which is seeking for its real nature. This topic has been beautifully outlined, discussed by Swami Ashokanandaji in a beautiful article called Why is the mind so restless? Not because of our restlessness, not because of worldly desires. Worldly objects are not our goal, but we mistake them as the instruments of our fulfillment. But really speaking, we want to go beyond any want, remain Poornathwa, Poornath Poornamudachyate. So, when a person gets a shock in life, that's what Holy Mother says, that grief, misery is a gift of God, he looks up. Then what does he see? His Jivatma says, Yadah Pashyati, looks up. Looks up means, what is the solution? And he says, there is Yushtam, extremely blissful, very happy, whenever it sees. Who? Yushtam, the Lord, free from everything. He is called Swarat, he is called Ishwara. Oh! Asya Mahimanam. So that is the real nature, that is the glory. What is the glory? He is never beset by wants, by limitedness, by feeling, I am unfulfilled, there are so many things I want, completely satisfied. That is His glory. That is the glory of self-knowledge. And that's why, Vitasokaha Bhavati. Oh! Is there any way for me to get out? Yes, there is one, who is free from all this bond slavery, and which is not doing anything, because the purpose, the end, the goal is always only seeking fulfillment. Every action ends when fulfillment is reached. So Vitasokaha, I can become free from all sorts of limitations. Shoka means what? The feeling that I desire something, because I lack something. That feeling of lacking something, not having something, that is called Shoka. But when? When I know that I am that Supreme Soul. This is the meaning. Seated on the same tree, the Jeeva moans, bewildered by its impotence. But when it beholds the other, when it awakens, Uttishtata, Jagrata, Prapyavarannibodhata, the Lord worshipped by all, and His glory, it becomes free from grief. So many aspirants have approached Sri Ramakrishna. And why were they coming again and again? Why so many devotees were making a beeline to Holy Mother? Is it because she was a queen, she was an empress, she was a rich person? No. Because what they were seeking in Her presence, in His presence, they are uplifted, and so much, they have practically no wants, and they feel so content, so happy. I cannot even say they are happy. They are filled with bliss. That word bliss should never be understood as greater happiness, but that which is infinite happiness is called bliss, where there is no want, no desire, no effort. That is called bliss. And in the presence of these great souls, they obtain, Ramana Maharshi used to call it, peace. Many people go with a lot of depressions, doubts, but as soon as they approach, they come into the periphery of His presence, they forget everything. And when they go out of that periphery, again the old devils are sitting outside, jumping on their head and shoulders. I wanted to ask, but they already got the answers, because this is the only way out. So that is why these two are always together. Suparna, they are of the same nature. Sayuja, always united. Yuja means united. Sayuja means always united. Sakaya, they are deep friends, because the Jivatma is the reflection of the Paramatma. That is significant also. So, this Sakaya means insufferable friends. What does that mean? It has a deep meaning. It means, even when the Jiva, life after life, seems to be for eternity, is completely merged in ignorance, but his friend will never desert him. He will come at the right time. In fact, he will always be there. And sometimes, forcibly, he will immerse his friend, that is the Jivatma. Paramatma immerses Jivatma in unimaginable agony. What purpose? To wake up. God created Avidya not to delude a person, because there are so many, what is called, worldly wise persons, who misunderstand the word Maya as a deluding power of the Lord. God's power can never delude anybody, because He is only the world. He alone is the Jiva. How can I delude myself? Not only that, even if we take the dualistic meaning, the Divine Lord is like a mother. She is the Divine Mother. Yadheve Karvabhuteshu Matru Rupena Samsthita Mata Pita Evirthvameva Matacha How can a mother? Can a mother ever delude her children? No. But she created this Avidya, because Avidya is the staircase to awaken the soul, but like a small child, who has to go through the nursery, kindergarten, then elementary, middle, high school, college, university. So, Avidya's only purpose is to bring us to the right royal road called Vidya Maya. It is all a part and parcel of the evolution. This was the greatest contribution of Sri Ramakrishna to tell us Mahamaya is not a deluding power, but a saving power. Sarva Mangala Mangalye She is doing all sorts of Mangala, but she knows best when to make the surgery, when to cut, when to give Dukkha, only for the future benefit of the students. So, we are all like that. All of us have got two selves, and the higher self is always guiding us, and that's what we need to understand. This beautiful concept, Bhagawan will never desert us, because He cannot live without me, and I of course cannot live without Him. Even if I desert Him, He will never desert me. I forget, there is a beautiful Bengali poem written by none other than Ravindranath Tagore. He says, I don't remember the poem, but it goes like this, Oh Lord, how many janmas, lives, I have been running away from You, and now and then I look back, and I see that with compassionate eye, You are following me, behind me. Never have I found You, deserting me. And now, when I turn back towards You, Your eyes lit up, with the greatest joy in the world. At last, my child has turned towards me, and he is coming into my bosom. He runs. This is what Sri Ramakrishna says, If a man takes one step towards God, God takes 100 steps towards him. Who is eager? It is only God who is eager that we should never be separate. Who is happy? The mother to see her child, or the child? Both are happy, but I think comparatively, the mother's happiness is greater, comparing. Sri Ramakrishna's life, there is an incident, once, this Niranjan Anandaswamy, future Niranjan, he visited Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna understood, there is a close relationship between me and this. So, on second visit, Niranjan went there to meet Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar. Ramakrishna, as if waiting outside the room, and as soon as he spied Niranjan from a distance, he ran, embraced, and shedding tears, said, boy, days are passing, when are you going to realize God? And later on, Niranjan Anandaswamy was recollecting this incident, and was saying, that I am not anxious to realize God, why this man is having so much of headache about my realization of God? Because, God knows that we are here. We may not know, God is playing ourselves. So, God also experiences, because he is an indweller of all, and is aware of all, that the individual spirit experiences, and yet, like the upper bird, he looks on without eating, but he is always looking forward, when is my child going to come towards me? If we understand this, infinite love of God, that is what is meant. Remember the story of Bhagavatam, the story of Puranjana, there was a king, and he had an eternal companion, and nobody sees, only this king sees, and it is a big story, one day I narrated it, and this Puranjana, remember, the story of Puranjana, and this Ajnata friend, always will be with this king, the king had undergone many births, in one life, he became a woman, and then he married a male, and then once he lost everything, he was, what is called, he was regretting, I have lost everything, like Narada, who fell into the Maya of Vishnu Maya, and then suddenly, this Ajnata friend, unrecognized friend appeared, why are you weeping, don't you remember me, you have deviated, you have taken so many births, but you, thou art that, having told this beautiful story, Narada explains to a king, to whom he was narrating this story, the inner symbolism, the Paramatma, and the Jivatma, are always together, the Paramatma knows the Jivatma, but Jivatma, he doesn't recognize, the Paramatma is his only well-wisher, and Janma after Janma, never he deserts us, all the time, he was controlling us, and then he is bringing about, so that we evolve towards him, and one day, he himself, reveals himself, to all of us, I suggest, you read once more, the story of Puranjana, you just Google, then you will see, in a brief way, as well as in a detailed manner, you can get it, and this upper world, it is indifferent in the sense, it is not affected, but it is not indifferent in the sense, it doesn't do anything, this is beautifully expressed, in the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, 23rd verse, He who, sitting like one, completely indifferent, is not distracted by the effects, of the three gunas, he who, thinking that the qualities alone, are acting, and the gunas alone, are enjoying, remains firm, and surely doesn't move, so we are supposed to be, becoming witness, identified with the witness, spiritual progress, is nothing, but this tremendous effort, to remain witness, naturally the question comes, what do we gain, is it indifference, does it make me happy, the word indifference, is not a very happy translation, that is, remain unaffected, but enjoy everything, like we, experience a movie, or a drama, and every Jeevan Mukta, experiences every dream, like a witness, that was what Swami Turiyandi Mata said, and if we can become like that, Sakshi, then it will be wonderful, so this Shweta Shatra Rishi, is again urging us, to know God, but how to know Him, there is only one way, Guru, and through the mouth of the Guru, scriptures, scriptures means Vedas, Vedas means Shrutis, Shrutis means Upanishads, Upanishads means, the Gospel of Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavad Gita means, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, or the life and teachings, of every, say Ramana Maharshi's life, and teachings, most marvelous stories are there, take any saint, is it, do you want Ram Prasad, do you want Kamalakanta, do you want Chandidas, do you want Thulasidas, do you want Mirabai, do you want Tukaram, do you want Gnanadeva, do you want Ramdas, from Maharashtra, or do you want Ramdas, from Andhra Pradesh, who suffered a lot, but for building, the temple of Sri Rama, Tyagaraja, Parundar Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vijaya Dasa, Vittala Dasa, how many, hundreds of thousands of, lives are there, and that is a most, useful study, you study, and then there we have got, 63 Nayanmars, that is Shiva Bhaktas, each story can entertain us, instruct us, awaken us, then 12 Alwars are there, devotees of Vishnu, an Alwar is one, who dived deep, into the love of God, and one of the most enlightening, is the life of, what we call Andal, in the month of December, people sing, Thiruppavai, that was written by her, nearly 32 or 33, Tamil poems, describing, Vrindavana, and the sports of Gopis, with Krishna, most marvelous things, so, now in the next, 8th Mantra, the Rishi is urging us, know the scriptures, Shruti, but he says, simply studying the scriptures, without transforming our life, is not only useless, that is what Sri Ram Krishna says, Grantha Na Granthi, study of too many scriptures, study of too many scriptures, without transforming our life, they become, the very source of more bondage, Granthi means bondage, and he is also, is a pun master, that is to say, that this Grantha, Granthi, Pas or Pasha, anybody passed an examination, it becomes one more source of, what is called enlargement of the ego, lengthening of the ego, sometimes you see that, introductory cards, there is very small letters, did you ever wonder, why so, such a small, because if they put in big letters, that small card, is not enough, sometimes they overrun there, of course we have no problem, because we don't even print these things, Sri Ram Krishna, he never printed these things, but, we all turn to Sri Ram Krishna, because he was the only one, and Swami Dayananda Saraswati, when Sri Ram Krishna went to meet him, he expressed it beautifully, we have all, drunk gold buttermilk, you are the only one, who tasted the real butter, what is the speciality of, buttermilk, that special liquid, where there is neither butter, nor milk, that is called buttermilk, in the 8th mantra, this is the emphasis is, study the scriptures, because God, is showing us the way, what is life, what is the goal of life, and what is the way, to attain God, to realise God, which is called Hitha, these three are given there, but he condemns people, those who only study, and their what is called, Sushka Pandithya, dry knowledge, the mantra goes like this, Richo Akshare Paramevyoman, of what use are the Vedas to him, who does not know that, indestructible Satchitananda, substance, that Akshara Brahman, which is greater than the unmanifest, and where in the Vedas, and all the Gods, are sheltered, only those who know it, attain bliss, etc, who is the, who created God, whose breath-ins and breath-outs, are called, the four Vedas, all the, in other words, all the scriptures, all these, are firmly established in, that means, every scripture leads us only, to that goal, what is that goal, Akshara Uttama Purusha, Paramevyoman, in that supreme space, and Esmin, in whom, everything that is created, and that will come in details, later on also, everything, the whole universe, consisting of 14 Lokas, the Devas, the Devatas, Manushyas, and Rakshasas, everything is created only, by Him, that means, all created by the Divine Lord, who says, Vedas tell, and who created the Vedas, Divine Lord created, like whenever, a person makes, through technology, an instrument, a gadget, he will also usually tell, what is this gadget for, how it has to be used, what is the maximum benefit one can get, etc, that manual is called, the Shruti, it is a manual, you are an instrument, you are a gadget, what for this gadget, for your Jeevatma, to progress, by using this, body and mind, and then what is the purpose, to obtain the highest bliss, Paramananda, but only you have to follow, how to maintain them, how to service them, how to use them, and all these matters are, very clearly, and in elaboration, explained in these Shrutis, but there are people, what you call, Sri Ramakrishna calls, like vultures, they soar so high, and yet their sight, is fixed on what, on the, what is called, decomposed, rotting carcasses, means Kama, Kanchana, or that means, body oriented, that means, only catering, becoming more slavish, life after life, to this body mind complex, but let us not forget, let us not worry, everybody is a child of God, that is what the scriptures teach us, and because of that teaching, God gives us, punishes us, carrot and stick, mostly it is stick only, carrot comes later on, so, if we are suffering, and incidentally, all of you, I am sure, most of you, they look for the news, at least in brief, and you will see, everywhere, the evil seems to be increasing, day by day, everybody trying to harm the other person, in every possible manner, that is something, very, very, what is called, regrettable, but don't worry, that is also the divine will, and a lot of, immense, good will come, through the will of the Divine Mother, so here, the scriptures are very necessary, they are specially, created, for our benefit, but those who study, and do not take advantage of them, yaha, vedaha, what do the scriptures do, how can they help, for those, who do not believe, who do not practice, and who do not take advantage, they will not be benefited, but, those, there are some, awakened persons, in this way, vedaha, oh, this scripture is meant for me, they become, what is called, fulfilled persons, and this has got some more meanings, we will discuss in our next class.