Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 32 on 18 June 2023

We have started the fifth chapter of the Svetasvatara Upanishad. It contains 14 mantras. Yesterday we were dealing with the very first mantra. What does it say? The Divine Lord is the creator of this entire universe. How does He create? With the help of His Prakruti, His Maya. And this Maya consists of both Vidya and Avidya, right knowledge and wrong knowledge. Avidya is not the absence of knowledge but wrong knowledge. So dve akshare brahma pare tu anante vidya avidye nihite yatra gudhe ksharam tu avidya hi amrutam tu vidya vidya vidye ishate yastu so anyaha Knowledge and ignorance both verily lie hidden in the infinite immutable supreme truth. Here supreme truth means Brahman. Knowledge verily is immortality while ignorance is perishable indeed. He who rules over both knowledge and ignorance called Brahman or God is indeed different above both of them. Both these have their rightful places in creation and there is no opposition between them. From Advaitic interpretation so far that we have seen it has become very popular the word Maya and everybody understands by the word Maya what we call ignorance, wrong knowledge, deceitful power, that which never allows us to know who we are, all these very unimportant what is called dangerous understandings come. That is why one of the purposes of the incarnation is to correct wrong notions. Sometime the Lord in the form of say Ramakrishna had corrected this. What is the correction? Is Maya whose power? Brahman's power. Is Brahman good? Yes. He is Sarvamangala. If God is good, his power can never be bad. How do we understand this? Suppose there is a good man. Is the good man having power or not? Very interesting point is nowadays there are so many so-called good people whom we call good but they are not good. They are goody-goody people, completely useless fellows. Why are they useless? Because if they have power they would not have been good. They are good because they don't have any power either to do good or to do evil. We require tremendous amount of power because not what we are but what we do. That is what makes us understand whether a person is good or not good, good or evil. That's why Swami used to call them goody-goody people, useless people. Now I said power and the power belongs to the person. We have to be very careful. So whether the person uses the power in good ways or in evil ways, power is separate. How we use it is separate. Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example. Without light a person cannot read Bhagavatam. Without the same light another person cannot forge a check. Of course he did not put it in this language. When there is hurricane lantern, with the help of the light one person is reading Bhagavatam, another person is forging a check. One person is doing good action, another person is doing evil action. What is the point? The point is light is necessary for both. So power is like that light. But our samskara has to determine whether the person is using that power for good or evil. If there is no power a person is neither good nor evil. Just because a person keeps quiet doesn't do either good or evil. And that's what we mean by a good person. But that's not a correct view. Now what is all this discussion about? That this prakriti or maya in the form of vidya maya, avidya maya, they belong to whom? Svetasvatara Upanishad is telling, every Upanishad is telling. Sri Ramakrishna had confirmed it and he used to call it maha maya. What is the difference? The popular notion of maya is negative. But the notion of maha maya, Jaganmata, Divine Mother is far superior. That's what Sri Ramakrishna used to say. And both the maya or maha maya manifests as both vidya maya and avidya maya. What is the problem? Are they opposed? Are they enemies? Or both of them are good? That is the point I wanted to emphasize. If a person is a good person, inevitably he is a person who does good. And that is what every scripture is telling. So what is the point? The point is, if prakriti or maya or vidya or avidya belong to God, is God good or evil? So it is His power. If God is good, His power will be good. Will anybody say God is evil? No. So the very concept of God is, He is all good. Then His powers, avidya, can it do evil? Can it drown a man in samsara? Is it that purpose? That's why yesterday I took a whole class to clarify what is called vidya and avidya. And there is no conflict. There is no battle between them. One is preparatory stage. Another is higher preparatory stage. So avidya maya, which is called karma kanda in the Vedas, inevitably makes a person loving. It makes a person believe in God, endows with shraddha by giving him chitta shuddhi. How do all these things come about? The Mundaka Upanishad explains very clearly. Many persons do not have faith, much faith. So the Vedas teach them, you perform certain rituals called karma kanda. Naturally, we all ask, we are utilitarians, what do I get out of it? And the scripture is telling, those who want to go to heaven, perform this special yajna called Agnihotra. So will I get heaven? Yes. But I don't know. Heaven is attainable only after death. But how do I understand? The scripture is speaking only the truth. Every word of the scripture is the truth. How do I know about it? And for that purpose, the scripture tells, do you, you don't have children? Do you want children? Yes. Do this, you will get children. Do you want hell? Yes. Do this one, you will get health. In fact, this Maha Mrutyu Jay Mantra is supposed to help all of us to gain good health. Finally, we can overcome death and attain immortality. That is at a later stage. But in the beginning stage, will it work? Definitely, it will work. Can you guarantee? No, I can't guarantee. Scripture can guarantee. Then how is it? Some people, they chant Maha Mrutyu, it doesn't work. Sri Ramakrishna says, God listens to everybody's prayer and answers them. But if the person himself doesn't do, certain conditions have to be fulfilled. What are the conditions? This is what I want to tell you. Very, very important thing. Simply, an evil person also, in times of ill health, suffering, he will also turn to God. But that is not to be. Okay, you turn to me, you are my child, but you must give up your evil ways of life. Then only, I will fulfill your desire. What is the first condition for God to hear our prayers and answer them? We must change our life. So, without changing life, you may do thousands of Japam, Dhyanam. It's not going to be of much use. That is why, Avidya, also called Karmakanda, also called Prayomarga, Dharma, Artha and Kama. All these have got only one purpose. How to transform the life of a person from a non-spiritual to a spiritual, from non-believing to a believing, from an evil person to a spiritual person or good person. By definition, good means a spiritual person. There is not a difference between a good person and a spiritual person. One cannot be good without being spiritual. One cannot be spiritual without being good. So, I hope the first mantra is clear. Both powers, Vidya and Avidya, belong to God and there is no conflict. Vidya is not an evil force, it is there to guide our life with strict rules and regulations towards a higher evolutionary stage. Vidya Maya is the last stage. What we reach is not a stage but is the attainment, the final stage. With this, I hope the first mantra is clear. Amrutanta Vidya, that is Vidya. What does it do? What does Avidya do first of all? Avidya makes us fit to enter into this stage called Vidya. Vidyaya Vindate Amrutam. An Upanishad says, by right knowledge. What is right knowledge? Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of life is to attain Mukti and there are infinite ways, but mainly Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. And that is what is called the entire right knowledge. Once we get this knowledge, we have to keep on practicing. And so, knowledge bestows immortality. That potential divinity will turn into real, real knowledge that I am not potential divine, I am divine. So, God rules over both knowledge and ignorance. Knowledge of the truth and all other knowledges is knowledge of the world. That is, who are you, what is life meant for, what you should strive for and how to attain complete fulfilment. That is called praise. That is called Avidya. With this background, we will move to the second mantra. YO YO NIM YO NIM ADHITISTHATI EKAH PISHWANI RUPANI YO NISCHA SARVAHAH RISHIM PRASUTAM KAPILAM YAHA TAM AGRE GNANAYI VIBHARTI JAYA MANANCHA PASHYAR What does the second mantra say? Exactly what earlier chapters have said, God is everything. And here it is specially said. He the Brahman or we can substitute the word Brahman with the word God. He or God is the one who presides over the origin of every creation, over all forms of wombs. From him came the sage Kapila in the beginning and he gave the knowledge to him, the all-knowing and saw him being born. Very beautiful mantra if we understand the meaning. So what is the second mantra telling? That divine Lord, first of all, He is one. What is our experience? We never see one. We see infinite or uncountable numbers of everything. How many trees? How many leaves? How many fruits? How many flowers? How many animals? How many birds? How many insects? How many rivers? How many mountains? How many galaxies? Even scientists are baffled. How many number of galaxies are there? So this mantra, what is it telling? Supposing you are seeing there is a cow, it is giving birth to a calf. You see a dog giving birth to a puppy. You see a cat giving birth to a kitten. You see a human being, a mother giving birth to babies. We have to assume automatically without the male principle there cannot be, this birth will be there. So when we are witnessing a cat or a horse or a donkey or a human being or a dog or whatever it is, who is giving birth? Not a dog, not a cat, but the divine Lord. That is, earlier we have seen He is the man, He is the woman, He is the young man, He is the young woman, He is the old man, tottering along with the help of a stick. He is everything. That is the idea here. Whoever, Yonim, Yonim. Whoever is giving birth. And it has deeper meaning also. So Aditya Stati, it is only because of Him, because of His very presence and He Himself in the form, assumed the form both bodily and also mentally and He is giving birth to everything. What is the higher meaning? Here is a musician, He created a beautiful song. Here is a poet, He created a beautiful poem. Here is a scientist, He discovered a new truth. Who has discovered? Who was the scientist? God. Who was the poet? God. Who was the musician? God. And even an ordinary cook had cooked a very tasty dish. Who has cooked? It is the divine Lord. Because the root of all these creations is called knowledge. And what is God? Satyam, Gnanam, Anantam, Brahma. He is the existence and He is the knowledge. He is the infinite. So in all these infinite forms, who is manifesting? Only God. That is the idea. But He is one. Just as one sun reflecting in a billion droplets and appearing as a billion suns. He is but merely one. Pure consciousness is one. Bodies or minds which are compared or comparable to the mirrors are many. But it is only one truth. That is what the whole of the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita called Kshetra, Kshetragna, Ibhaga, Yoga. It all wants to say, Sarva Kshetra Gnanchaapi Maam Vidhi Sarva Kshetreshu Bharata. Oh Arjuna, know me to be the one Kshetragna, one knower, owner, experiencer, doer and enjoyer through the myriads of Kshetras. But I am only... Kshetras are myriad. But the Kshetragna is only one. That is the idea expressed here. Ekaha. What is He doing? Adhiteshtati. He is manifesting. He is doing, in other words, through different forms, like one actor acting a myriad number of roles. Vishwani, Roopani, Universe, all the forms that we see in this entire universe. And if there are other universes. And Hinduism goes on telling, there are myriads of other universes. Every Anantakoti Brahmaanda. And every Brahmaanda has got a Brahma. In fact, Brahmaanda is nothing but Brahma. And that Brahma is compared as an egg, Anda. And within Brahma, all that particular universe is existing. Kaali Rudhare Brahmaanda Bhando. Prakaanda tha jane kaimon. Deva de dev Mahadev jane chhe. Only Shiva, that is God, alone can know. But who is this Brahma? That is also creation of the Divine Lord only. That is why Vishwani, Roopani, all the forms, and which give birth to other forms called Yonishchya. Vishwani, Yonishchya. That means whoever gives birth, whoever manifests anything, Sarvaha. Everything is Ekaha. Not only that. How did this creation start? So, according to Vedanta, Ishwara is the first manifestation. Ishwara is very, very subtle. Still, it is Karana in the form of an egg, in the form of a seed, not yet manifested. That means we cannot experience that Ishwara. But He has to be manifested so that we can experience that first manifestation of Ishwara is called Hiranyagarbha. And that Hiranyagarbha is called here Kapila. That Hiranyagarbha is called Kapila. And He is called a Rishi. Who is a Rishi? A person of knowledge. How did Hiranyagarbha manifest? In the form of knowledge. Prasotham means giving birth. So, the Divine Lord had given birth to this Hiranyagarbha, called here Kapila, called here Rishi. Yastamagre. He is the first creation. And then what happens? Jaya Mananjapashet. And He knows that I am creating, I am witnessing, through this I will manifest Myself. And He endowed that Hiranyagarbha with the knowledge of how to manifest. And what is that knowledge? Vedas. So, in other words, Hiranyagarbha is also called Brahma. And that Brahma has got four faces. Four faces represent the manifestation of all the knowledge in the form of the four Vedas. So, Vibharti. Who is the root cause? Who is the substratum? It is only that Brahman. And He is witnessing everything. That means what is the entire thing? God is the creator. There is no other creator. You see a cow giving birth to cows. That is God. You see anything giving birth to anything, physically, intellectually, aesthetically, or morally, it is nothing but God. What do you mean by intellectually? Einstein discovered certain important truths about the physical world. Physics. That's why he was one of the greatest physicists. Max Planck. That's what he did. Even better than Einstein. Much further improving Einstein. And these are called intellectuals. Then aesthetically, whether it is Shakespeare, Kalidasa, or Shelley, or Longman, or Wordsworth, or Kalidasa, Bhavagoti, Magha, etc. This is called aesthetic manifestations. And all manifestations with the root cause, divine only, in and through all these different personalities. So he also manifested as a Kapila, as a Kapila Rishi. I will come to that point. What is the important essence of this mantra? The whole universe is nothing but God's manifestation. And everything in this manifestation is further manifesting. That is everything that we do. For example, you sing a song. That is a manifestation of the divine. You cook a nice dish. That is another manifestation. You act and entertain people. That is another manifestation. You destroy something. That is also another manifestation. Because manifestation, always we have to use these three words Srishti, Stithi and Laya. Create, maintain and destroy. A child represents a perfect example of it. So he creates a sand castle and he plays with it for some time. And just before returning home, he kicks the whole thing, knowing fully well, nothing has happened, nothing but sand. I can make it anytime that I like, again and again. So God is doing this. That is the thing. Then anybody who discovers some bit of knowledge, which was not known before, is called a Rishi. Rishi means a discoverer, not the creator, but the discoverer and propagator of knowledge. And there is a story in the Bhagavatam. This is a very marvelous story. I will come to it very shortly. So God is the one who presides over the origin of every creation, over all forms and wombs. From him came the sage Kapila in the beginning and he gave the knowledge to him, the all-knowing, and saw him being born. And this same fact, in the Brihadaranyaka, in the third chapter, we get. What is it? Prithivyam tishthan prithivyah antarah yam prithivina vedah yasya prithivi shariram yah prithivi antarah yamaya tesha te atma antaryami amrutah tatvam asi He who inhabits the earth, that means, manifests as the earth, but is within it, whom the earth itself does not know, whose body is the earth, and who controls the earth from within, a internal ruler, antaryami, and he is none other than your own immortal self, you yourself. That means, you, in your true nature as Brahman, is manifesting as this entire universe, just as, again, any number of times I have to give that example, just as you created innumerable worlds, in your dream state, but at that time you will not accept it. Upon waking up, you will accept it. So, upon waking up, to our true nature, we accept. There is no other Brahman. We are the Brahman. That is what is te atma. It is that atma, who is in-between. And all the creatures in this world are subdivided, very interestingly, into four species. Udbija, Swetaja, Andaja, and Jarayuja. That is, Udbija means those which, like plants, which are born from seeds, grasses, etc. Swetaja means, there is a theory, of course people did not know, that when there is some wetness, some kind of moisture, Sweta means moisture, what we call our sweat, or humidity, or like fungus. And then some creatures are born. Andaja, you know all the birds, etc. That is why they are called Udbija, twice born. Every Brahmana is a bird. Why? Because his real life starts after Yajna Pavita. And every bird, first gives birth to an egg, and from the egg, comes out the bird. That is why they are called, we are also actually Andajas only, but from the womb as it were, they are coming out. That is the idea. Jarayuja, born of a womb. So Udbija, Swetaja, Andaja, Jarayuja, everything that is living, can be classified into these four. So the Lord only manifesting, as Swetaja, Andaja, Jarayuja, Udbija, etc. Now coming back to the story, in the Bhagavatam, in the third Skanda, there is a beautiful story. This is called Kapila. What happens? Very briefly, it is a marvellous story, and the highest wisdom is given. There was a great sage called Kardama, and he didn't want to marry. But then, Divine Lord has forced him to marry. So he married, and then what happened, that he gave birth to this great person called Kapila. And then what happened, the wife of Kardama Rishi was called Devahuti. Now what happened, even though he got married, he did not like householder's life. He was spending his time, but this Devahuti was longing for some children to be called as mother. And she gave up her food, because she gave up her hope, and slowly she was becoming thinner and thinner. And one day Kardama Rishi noticed it. What a great man! He has noticed it. And then he said, Why are you like this? You are such a beautiful woman. And she expressed, Oh, I neglected my duties. I will give you some children. So he only wanted to give a son, but to buy one and get nine more, he got nine daughters. So nine or more, I don't remember. And they were all married to all Rishis. But then this was called Kapila. Kapila was supposed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu for the propagation of knowledge. And then when Vishnu wanted Kardama Rishi to marry, this Rishi put a condition. As soon as I obey your commandments, create some children, I will have to take Sanyasa. Only if you agree, I will marry. Otherwise, no. And Vishnu had no option but to say yes. And now, after giving children, he bid goodbye to Devahuti and went for Tapasya. Practically, he was looking for that. He ran as soon as his legs could carry him. Now, this Devahuti was a bit grief-stricken, but this Kapila was born with a tremendous amount of spiritual knowledge. And then he gave his highest teachings to his mother, Devahuti. And that Brahma Vidya has come to be known as Kapila Upadesha. So this is, in brief, the story of this Kapila Upadesha. And it is also called Kapila Gita. It is a marvelous thing. But what did he teach? The first teaching he gave is mind is the root cause of both suffering and happiness. So, if you can train the mind, purify it and direct it towards God, then you will attain Mukti. You will never have to come back into this world again. That is the first teaching. What is the second teaching? What is called Holy Company. The very first teaching of Sri Ramakrishna is the Holy Company. Always cultivate the company of the Holy Satsanga. And that is what this Kapila Rishi also told. Why he was telling? Because his scope of knowledge was not much. Whatever he knew, he repeats as Krishna, as Rama, as Ramakrishna. There is no option. The fact is, these are the only things that will really help us to move forward in life. So, to conquer this Ahamkara and surrender it at the feet of God, one has to control the mind and one has to do what we call Holy Association. So, the word Kapila in the second mantra, first meaning is Hiranyagarbha, the first born, first creation, and rather second creation, and the second meaning is this Kapila Rishi, whatever it is, Bhagawan, Ishwara, Saguna Brahma, He is the root cause of the world, just as clay is the only thing that is reality, all the pots are only Nama Rupa, only words, there is nothing else. If we understood this, then the second mantra, what is it? Accepting God, Sarvam Vishnu Mayam Jagat, Sarvam Shema Mayam Jagat, Sarvam Brahma Mayam Jagat, that is the ultimate meaning. We move on to the third mantra. Why am I going so fast? Because it is all the explanation of this one mantra only. God created everything. Everything is created with the help of God's power. God's power is called Prakruti or Maya. This Maya consists of what we call three gunas and this Maya is of two types, Vidya Maya and Vidya Maya, and both are there to create, to sustain and to dissolve this entire universe. That is to say, you play for some time and then do it well and then you come back to me and that which helps us to come down and to play is called Vidya Maya. That which helps us to come out after successful completion is called Vidya Maya. As simple as that. They are not deluding powers. They are not things which are there to bind us because from the highest teaching, who binds whom? I do not exist. You do not exist. It is only God who binds himself. And do you want to bind yourself? If you, with your simple, single little bit of knowledge, Alpagnanam, always trying to get rid of suffering and then to obtain knowledge. Do you think God will ever want to suffer? It is all a divine Leela. That is why he is called Lord Ranganatha. We move on to the third mantra. What does it mean? This effulgent deity, that is the Saguna Brahma or Brahman, makes each net. He makes nets. Jala means net. A net, a fisherman goes with a net. What does he do? He catches. And a man goes with a net of money, of power to catch a woman. A woman comes with the net of dyed hair and colored lipsticks and all that in front of a man. For what purpose? To catch a man. So everything is to catch, to obtain and to think that I am successful, I got what I wanted. This is called Jala. Another name for Jala is Maya or Vidya and Avidya Maya. Remember the same net. If you fall into the net of Avidya, you will have to struggle a lot. If you fall into the net of Sri Ramakrishna, you will not escape. Who is telling? I am not saying. Don't blame me. Ramakrishna once saw a depressed devotee. And in my humble opinion, a depressed devotee is an ironical statement, paradoxical statement. A devotee is not depressed. A depressed person is not a devotee. Anyway, Ramakrishna saw. And then he said, you wretch, you think that you are not getting anything. You have forgotten that who bit you. It is not a water snake that bit you, caught hold of you. It is a king cobra. At best, you will croak once or twice and then you will die. You will die because I am the cobra. That is why Shiva bears all the cobras only. I don't know. If you have any other opinion, I will be happy to hear. Whether it is a water snake, whether it is a grass snake, you will have to do research and let me know. According to me, it is called Nagabhushana. Naga means king serpent. So, what does it mean? This very serpent, its poison is the most effective thing in the whole world. That is what it really means. Anyway, what is the word? Jalam. So, what does it mean? Who does it? Esha Devaha. This Divine Lord. What is Devaha? Devaha means effulgent being. Effulgent means what? He is an embodiment of knowledge. That is the meaning of Devaha. And what does he do? Everyone of us has been caught. And for everyone, there is a separate Jala. Separate net. One person is caught in the net of money. Another person is caught in the net of lust. Another person is caught in the net of hatred. Another person is caught in the net of beauty. Another person is caught in the net of ambition. Another person is caught in the net of Lobha, miserliness, accumulative nature. So Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Madha, Matsarya, Ahankara, power, position, money, beauty, youth, everything is a beautiful net. Why beautiful? Because we think that is the most desirable one. So who is doing it? Only a person of knowledge can do it. Very interesting. Once a senior Swami told me about a pickpocket and Raja Amara's famous saying is there, if you want to be an expert pickpocket, you require a Guru. Otherwise you will be caught and thrashed on the very first attempt. So that second time you won't be able to move your hand and then pickpocket anybody. Now what is the point? We need Gurus. So that special power, who gave, that is also God's power only. That is why in the Bhagavad Gita, in the Vibhuti Yoga, the Lord is telling, Dhyutam Chalayatamasmi, among the deceiving type of sports, I am called Dhyutam, gambling. He says clearly. So Shiva's one name is Taskaranaam Patayeeramaha. He is the emperor of thieves because he doesn't thieve a small bit. He wants your whole thing. So he will, your Tanu, your Dhana, your Mana, your Prana, everything he will put in the net and then like a huge fish, he will cut hold of you and do it. And there is a funny incident, how this Jala works. I think it was Durga Maa. I am not very sure whether it was Gauri Maa or Durga Maa. So what happened? Sri Ramakrishna wanted to see her. Poor thing was sitting in Calcutta, quite a number of miles distance away and happily doing something. Suddenly, she found out that somebody had put like a hook that is swallowed by a fish. Her heart, as if caught hold of it, somebody is pulling. And then she, of course, quickly prepared some nice sweet, Rabdi or something. And then she literally had to run to the boat. And then she met some devotees and then they were so happy, they immediately pulled her. The boat was about to start. And then all the time she was anxiously looking, how soon I will reach, how soon I will reach. And then she reached and then the boat was anchored and immediately she jumped up and then she ran to the room of Sri Ramakrishna and she was astounded. What was he doing? He was wounding a big ball of thread. And as soon as she entered, that thread, that ball has become complete. What did he do? He threw this hook and then pulling and wounding, like a fisherman pulling a fish. That is exactly this Jhalam. And the whole modern internet and the latest development is AI is nothing but huge net. What net we call it? Should I have to tell it? World Wide Web. Web means what? Like a spider's web, it is a Jhalam. The whole thing is nothing but that. But he is pulling each one of us with our own individual Jhala. But when a fisherman is pulling a fish, what do you think he is doing? If you understand it properly, you will be happy to be caught. What does the fisherman want? I love you fishy. What does he want to do? I want to eat you up. What do you want to do? Why do you want to eat me up? Because I cannot stand any separation from you and me. And I want you to become one with me all the time. And this is the purpose of God creating this Maya Jhala. He wants all of us. He is pulling us all the time. But we are also intelligent fellows because we are also chips of the old block. We are trying our level best not to be pulled by Him. This is called Leela. So, Eka Eka Jhalam, Bahuda, in infinite ways, through infinite, sustaining mountains, rivers, forests, plants and birds, animals, human beings, anything that is living and non-living. We call one continuous action of Srishti Stithi Laya going on, where? Asminu Kshetre, in this world. And He creates. After that, what does He do? Sustains. After that, what does He do? Samharati. He dissolves, withdraws everything. And then what does He do? Bhuyaha Srishtva. Again, how does He maintain? That is the idea in the second line. Bhuyaha, again what does He do? He already created the worlds. Bhuyaha, again what does He do? Patayaha, there must be some people, they are called Gods, they are called Adhishtatru Devatas. They have to maintain on behalf of God or God or Brahman in the form of the presiding deities. They are maintaining all of us, our Tanu, our Mana. That is why if you study Vedanta Sara, there is somebody ruling our eyes. Who is it? The Sun. Somebody ruling our ears. Who is that? The Akasha Devata. Somebody ruling our hand. Who is that? Indra Devata. Somebody ruling our mind. Who is that? Chandra Devata. Somebody ruling our legs. Who is that? Vishnu Devata. And all the legs are called Vishnu. All the ears are called Akasha. All the eyes are called Surya. All the minds are called Soma. All the hands are called Indra. This is how we have to understand. I do not exist. Nobody exists. The only Adhishtatru Devata, God in the form of these Adhishtatru Devatas to maintain. Without their maintenance, we will be dead. That is the idea given here. Pataiyaha means the leaders, the officers. Pati means lord. That is why Pati Patni when he says that the husband. But that is not the meaning. One who looks after, who sustains, who maintains, etc. They are called Pataishaha. The rulers. Adhishtatru Devatas are the rulers. And then nobody can get out of their ruling power. Sarvaadhi Pathyam. And everything is being controlled by them. But what do the Adhishtatru Devatas do? They control us. And who controls the Adhishtatru Devatas? Ishwara controls the Adhishtatru Devatas. That is to say, he creates the first manifestation called Brahma. Brahma or Saguna Brahma or Ishwara is manifesting as Hiranyagarbha. Hiranyagarbha manifests as Virat. He is only manifesting as the Sthula Sareera, Karana Sareera. Sthula, Sukshma and Karana Sareera. And both in the individual as well as universal aspect, he is ruling, he is enjoying, he is doing. And where do we come in? Not at all. And this is going on. Endlessly it is going on. So he is the one who is creating. He is the one who is maintaining. He is the one who is withdrawing. It is all he, nothing else. And this creation comes into being and is destroyed again and again. This is called Brahma's Kalpa or Yuga. So he is creating. And who is illumining? He is illumining. That is being said in the fourth mantra. Who illumines this beginningless Anadi Srishti and this endless expanse of creation? Sarvaadhisaha Urdhvam Adhashya Teriyak Prakashyan Brajate Yad Ho Anadvaan Evam Sade Ho Bhagavanvarenyo Yoni Svabhavan Aditishtati Ekaha The summary of this fourth mantra is that he is the one who creates. He is the one who is illumining everything. That means making everything act. And he is the one who has to be chosen. Ultimately all of us have to go only to him. And he is presiding over the whole universe. Aditishtati Ekaha This is the essence. That is everything is God. If you want one line summary. Just as the sun shines. How? Illumining all the directions. How? Above, below, across, left, right, front, etc. He is the effulgent. And he is the adorable Lord himself. He presides over the source, means Prakruti, and all its effects. In other words, through the help of the Prakruti, he is manifesting as this what we call me, you, this entire world, etc. But Ramanuja divided this whole creation into three. He said Ishwara, Chit and Achit. Ishwara, Saguna Brahma. And he contains two other natures. Chit means all the Jivas. Achit, all that is lifeless. Like the so-called earth, the water, the fire, the mountains, etc., etc. Living and non-living, containing within himself. So Ishwara, living, conscious and non-living, the Jada, Jada Prapancha. Chit Prapancha, Jada Prapancha, everything is contained within the Ishwara. He is manifesting as Chit. He is manifesting as Jada. He is manifesting as Jada in what form? In the form of Sat, existence. What about Chit and Ananda? They are hidden. They are not absent, but they are hidden. So this is what is meant. So Anandavan means, this is another name for Surya. What happens as soon as the sun rises? Where is he shining? Is he shining below? Is he illumining above or only sideways? No, he is illumining everything. Above, below, sideways, in, out, everywhere. Similarly, God, the Supreme Consciousness, is self-effulgent and lights up the entire universe for our perception and experience. Therefore, He alone is the reality. Therefore, Varenyam. Remember, in the Gayatri Mantra, Tad Savithu Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat The only goal is to realize that we are the Divine. That Divine is called Varenyam, means worthy, fit, to be adorable, to be chosen. There is nothing else. Why? Because everything else is worthless. In fact, everything else is, is only because of that Varenyam. The Satya aspect of God keeps every object as existence. The Chit aspect of God illumines everything. This is a tree, this is a cow, this is a first-class mango because it is the summer season, etc. And the Ananda Swaroopa, everything is Ananda. Remember, for us, sometimes we are happy, sometimes we are unhappy. For a Jeevan Mukta, 24 hours, there is no unhappiness. Something which we think painful, suffering, that is, He says, it is the most enjoyable thing in the world. So it is the God, Supreme God, like the Sun, is illumining Srishti, Stithi, and Laya. And He is the only Vareniya. And He is the real Yoni. Yoni means the source. Yoni means the thing from which we have all come. Sat, Chit, and Ananda. That is why He is called Bhagawan. And what is Bhagawan? He who has got six Aishwaryas is called Bhagawan. And God's power, Yoni Swabhava means Prakruti or Maya. In other words, God Himself is the power. That is why Sri Ramakrishna says that goodness of a person and good person, you cannot distinguish. The sweetness of the sugar and the sugar can never be separated. The heating power and the fire can never be separated. So the Lord only is the cause of creation and cause of the maintenance in the form of the presiding deities and in the form of what is called withdrawing power. In Puranic language, this is what is so simplistically explained. So the creating aspect is called Brahma. The maintaining aspect is called Vishnu. And the withdrawing aspect is called Shiva. It is the same Lord, three different names, because of the three different functions like Panchaprana. Ultimately, it is the Divine Lord Himself. That is what in Bhagavad Gita we also see. The whole universe, Arjuna, comes into being and stays there and disappears. How? Because of my Prakruti. Under me, as her supervisor, Prakruti produces the moving and the unmoving. And because of this, the entire world goes on and on and on. Only one caveat we have to remember. When he says my Prakruti, if we say my wealth, I am separate, my wealth is separate. But if a person says this is my Shakti, even then it is possible he can lose his power. But when we say God and His power, they are not separate. From which viewpoint we are talking? With activity, He is called Shakti. Without activity, if we view the same reality, He is called Brahman. So what is the essence of this fourth mantra? Everything is God. What is this word? It is nothing but God. Who is creating? God. Who is maintaining? God. And who is destroying it or withdrawing? God. And this is continuously going on. And He Himself is manifesting. He Himself is staying. He Himself goes back into the green room just as an actor. Comes out of the green room. After some time, He goes back to the green room. The entire meaning is Sarvam Kalvitam Brahma.