Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam (“Blissful Discourses”) series assembles all the known General Darshan discourses given by Márga Guru Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. General Darshan (GD) pravacanas, or discourses, were those given to Ananda Marga members, often as a part of the daily routine, in whatever locality Márga Guru happened to be staying in at the time. Normally briefer and lighter in tone (though no less profound in their fundamental meanings) than the discourses given on the formal occasions of Dharma Mahácakra (DMC), these pravacanas were sometimes delivered in a very intimate way to relatively small groups of Margis.

The Ánanda Vacanámrtam series was begun in 1978 with the GD discourses given by the author at that time; it then kept pace with the GD discourses that the author gave over the subsequent six years. Starting with Part 23, the series has included GD pravacanas given before 1978. Starting with that part, the series has comprised discourses recovered from old tapes, old magazines, and typed or handwritten notes. The present Part 34 comprises exclusively material from old tapes, and comprises the last remaining known General Darshans that were given in English and that have been recovered in the form of still-audible tapes (or in the form of magazine articles or notes). It is still possible, however, that further unpublished English General Darshans will yet come to light.

The Central Publications Department of Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha appeals to all Margis to continue their efforts in helping recover old tapes, notes and magazines.

The present Ánanda Vacanámrtam includes two of Márga Guru’s pravacanas that lacked indication of date or place, but are thought, from their proximity to other material on the tapes, to be from his overseas tours in 1979. “Plus and Minus Make It Zero” is thought to be from Timmern, and “He Thinks and We Perceive” from Reykjavik. “To Save Humanity” was given in Frankfurt, and “Be Free From All Complexes” in Caracas, on the second of those tours.

To assist researchers, it is our policy to indicate in the Publisher’s Note – in addition to the original language of each discourse, the date and place, by whom it was translated, and where, if other than in this book, it was originally published – whether or not a tape of the discourse is in existence. In the case of Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34, tapes are in existence for all the discourses.

Footnotes by the editors have all been signed “–Eds.” Unsigned footnotes are those of the author.

Many readers are concerned that the author’s discourses, as published, should adhere as closely as possible to the precise wording the author used in speaking. For this reason, in the case of discourses given originally in English, the editors have not altered pronouns and other terms which the author in his lifetime considered “common-gender” words. As the author once said, “You know, ‘man’ is not only masculine gender, ‘man’ is common gender also. ‘Man is mortal’ – here ‘man’ means both male and female.”

The author was a natural advocate of women’s rights and on at least one occasion indicated that “lopsided justice” in language should be eliminated at some future date. In keeping with this guideline and with present-day trends, it is our policy in the case of translated discourses (where the published wording will necessarily be that of the translators) to use gender-neutral language.

Square brackets [   ] in the text are used to indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets (   ) indicate a word or words originally given by the author.

All the discourses herein were given by the author in English. None has previously been published except “Blind Mind and Conscience”, which appeared in Discourses on Krśńa and the Giitá earlier this year.

We particularly wish to thank Ácárya Prańavátmakánanda Avadhúta, the Incharge of Archive Section (Public Relations Department). In giving us access to the tapes and transcripts of his section, he also took much trouble to pinpoint which ones would be necessary for this volume.

Chapter 1	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

And the entire “I” feeling is called guhá. He is guháyita tattva [the entity within the “I” feeling]. He resides within your “I” feeling, but you cannot feel His existence. In order to feel His existence, one is to do sádhaná, one is to practise sádhaná. Because He lies coverted within your “I” feeling.

Tileśu taelaḿ dadhiniiva sarpirápah srotahsvarańiiśu cágnih;
Evamátmátmani grhyate’sao satyenaenaḿ tapasá yo’nupashyati.

[He lies hidden in everything, like oil in sesame seeds, like ghee in curd, like water in streambeds, like fire in wood. Only those who adhere strictly to satya, and perform spiritual practices, can churn the mind and realize the Supreme Entity out of it.]

There is oil in the sesame, but if you want to get oil, what will you have to do? You will have to press it with the help of a pressing machine, and oil will come out. Now, the essence portion will be the oil, and the other portion, the remaining portion, the wastage. Tileśu taelaḿ [“Like oil in sesame seeds”]. Similarly, by churning your “I” feeling, you will get two factors: the essence, that is, Parama Puruśa, and the wastage, that is, that depraved mind of yours.

Dadhiniiva sarpih – “there is sarpi in dadhi, in curd there is sarpi.” Sarpi means “ghee”. In Sanskrit there are three popular words for ghee – sarpi, ghrtam and upasecanam. Now, there is ghee in curd, but you cannot see it, you cannot get it. If you want to separate ghee from curd, you will have to churn it. Similarly, if you want to separate the cognitive faculty from your “I” feeling, you will have to churn it. And what is that churning? Spiritual practice.

Ápah srotahsu. In the summer season you will see that in seasonal rivers you will not get any water. A seasonal river is full of sand, just like a desert. “But there is water, there is a subterranean flow of water.” If you want to get the water, you will have to remove the sand, and you will see there is a subterranean flow of water. Similarly, you cannot see Him in your mind, but if you remove the impurities of your mind, you will see He is present there as the essence of your mind – ápah srotahsu.

Arańiiśu cágnih – “In fuel, in wood, there is fire,” but you cannot see the fire. If you want to see the fire, what will you have to do? You will have to create it by friction. Similarly, you cannot see Him in your mind, but as a result of friction you will get Him at the core of your heart.

Evamátmátmani grhyate’sao satyenaenaḿ tapasá yo’nupashyati – “with the help of satyam [right use of words] and with the help of tapasya [service to others at the expense of one’s own comfort and pleasure], you will get Him as the essence of your mind.” You will have to do sádhaná, because He is present within your mind in coverted form, not in expressed form. He is within your guhá.

Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ. Last night I said Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ [“the essence of dharma lies deep in the mind”]. The rśis⁽¹⁾ [sages] also say this:

Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam sukśmácca sukśmataraḿ vibháti;
Dúrát sudúre tadihántike ca pashyatsvihaeva nihitaḿ guháyám.

[The Supreme Entity is the vastest entity, the ultimate source of all Cosmic emanations. The Supreme Entity, which is difficult to conceive, is the subtlest of the subtle. He is farther away than any other entity, but again He is nearer than the nearest. Only the one who looks into the innermost recesses of oneself can realize the Supreme Entity.]

Here also they have used the word guháyám.

Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam – “He is brhat.” In⁽²⁾ Sanskrit, there are two similar words, but not exactly the same. (You know, there is nothing identical in this universe; you may say: “These two things are similar to each other.”)

So brhat and vishála. In Sanskrit, vishála means “big, very big, very very big, but that comes within the scope of measurement”. The mighty Himalayas – they are very big but you can measure them. “Eighteen hundred miles” – you may say like this. That is, the Himalayas are very big, but they come within the scope of measurement. When a very big entity comes within the scope of measurement, we say it is vishála. And when a very big entity does not come within the scope of measurement, we say it is brhat. Brhat and vishála. Our country of India is vishála, not brhat. Now, in the entire universe the only brhat entity is Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Puruśa, and there is no other brhat entity. He is brhat. Brhattvád Brahma, brḿhańatvád Brahma – “He is called Brahma because He is brhat; He is called Brahma because He makes others brhat.” When the sádhaka becomes one with Him, he also becomes brhat. That is, He has the faculty of making others brhat. This faculty of making others brhat, enlarging others, is called brḿhan in Sanskrit. He is called Brahma because He is brhat and because He has the faculty of brḿhan. Brhattvád Brahma, brḿhańatvád Brahma.

Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam – “He is brhat. He is beyond the scope of measurement.” Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam. This divine faculty is brhat and acintyarúpam.

Divya. Divya means “divine”.

Acintyarúpam. Acintya means “not coming within the periphery of the mind”. Entities coming within the scope of the three fundamental relative factors – time, space and person – temporal factor, spatial factor and personal factor – come within the scope of the mind also. And any entity not coming within the scope of time, space and person, not coming within the scope of causality, within the scope of cause-and-effect theory, does not come within the scope of the mind either. And that is why in this shloka it has been said, acintya – that is, “not coming within the compass of the mind”. Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam.

But is He brhat only? No. Sukśmácca – Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpam sukśmácca sukśmataraḿ vibháti. People say He is little. Well, He is not only little; He is very, very little. “He is smaller than an iota, smaller than an ion.” He is very, very little. Sukśmácca sukśmataraḿ vibháti. Now, the subtlest entity is called sukśma in Sanskrit. And sukśmatara means “subtler than the subtlest”. Sukśmácca sukśmataraḿ vibháti – “He is subtler than the subtlest object of this expressed universe.” Now you see, in the case of a very big entity, in the case of a brhat entity, that object cannot come within the scope of your mind because it is beyond the scope of time, space and person. And also in the case of a sukśmatara entity, that is, a subtler-than-the-subtlest entity, the entity does not come within the scope of your mind. You cannot see an atom with ordinary eyes, and sukśmatara is smaller than an atom, smaller than an electron. Sukśmácca sukśmataraḿ vibháti – that is, in that case “He is the Effulgent Entity.”

Dúrát sudúre tadihántike ca. Dúra means “distant”. In Sanskrit, the word dúra is used when the distance comes within the scope of measurement. So many kilometres, so many miles. But when the distance does not come within the scope of measurement, we say sudúra. Now here the rśi says: “A sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, a man – if a man thinks that ‘He is at a distance from me,’ then He is not dúra but sudúra for me.”

Tadihántike ca. In Sanskrit, iha means “here”. But you know, if we say “here”, then also we mean that there is a gap that can be measured – so many feet or so many inches – but ihántika in Sanskrit means “the nearest point, that does not come within the scope of measurement”.⁽³⁾ He who thinks that He is dúra, for him He is sudúra. And he who thinks He is here with him, for him He is ihántika – that is, “nearest point, that does not come within the scope of measurement”. Can any of you say what is your nearest point? No. This? No, this. This? No, this. This? No, this.⁽⁴⁾ What is the nearest point? No one can say what is his nearest point.⁽⁵⁾ Dúrát sudúre and tadihántike ca – “He is the nearest point.”

Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám [“the essence of dharma lies deep in the mind”]. Those who have got eyes to see, what do they see? Nihitaḿ guháyám – “He lies coverted within guhá, within his [the aspirant’s] own ‘I’ feeling.” So if the sádhaka, the spiritual aspirant, wants to enjoy His proximity, what is He to do? He need not go to so many tiirthas [places of pilgrimage]. He need not cry for Him loudly. Because He is the nearest point. He can hear your mental language. So those who want to enjoy His proximity, what are they to do, what should they do? They are to search Him within their own “I” feeling, within their own guhá; and this is what is called sádhaná.⁽⁶⁾

Footnotes

(1) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) A sentence here was not clearly audible on the tape. It seemed to express the same idea as the sentence below beginning “And he who thinks He is here with him”. –Eds.

(4) Here the author probably points to his own heart, forehead, etc. –Eds.

(5) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) The last sentence of the discourse was not clearly audible on the tape. It begins “And by dint of his sádhaná”. The words “Supreme Cognitive Entity” are also clearly audible, and the conclusion is “one with Him”. –Eds.

Chapter 2	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

[Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ] bhaktireva gariiyasii [“Of all the ways to attain salvation, bhakti is the greatest”]. What is mokśa? Mokśa is suspension of individual physical feeling in the crude mind; suspension of the crude mind, merger of the crude mind, in the subtle mind; merger of the subtle mind in the pure “I” feeling; and suspension of the “I” feeling in the átman. When the “I” feeling is suspended within the scope of, within the jurisdiction of, the pure cognition,⁽¹⁾ that stance is called salvation, or mokśa. Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii. For the attainment of mokśa, one should follow certain processes. There are certain practices. “Amongst those processes or practices,” the sádhakas say, “the best one is bhakti [devotion]; that is, the suspension of the cruder self into the subtler self is done best by bhakti.” And bhakti is the best process. In shruti [scripture] it has been said:

Yacched váuṋmanasi prajiṋastad yacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchet tadyacchecchánta átmani.

[Wise persons first merge their indriyas, sense organs, into their citta, then their citta into aham, then aham into mahat, then mahat into jiivátmá, and finally their jiivátmá into Supreme Consciousness.]

“The zealous and intelligent spiritual aspirant is to suspend his sensory feelings into the crude mind; those of the crude mind are to be guided, are to be diverted, unto the subtle mind, the working mind, the individual ego; those of the individual ego are to be guided, are to be diverted, towards the pure ‘I’ feeling; and the pure ‘I’ feeling should become one with the pure cognition.” This process of merger may be effected with the help of jiṋána, karma and bhakti.⁽²⁾

In the first phase the sádhaka is to know what to do, how to do, why to do. This getting the reply of what to do, how to do, why to do, is the sádhaná of jiṋána. It is jiṋána. And after acquiring the elementary knowledge – you know, in jiṋána there are two classes, two varieties. One is jiṋána, another is vijiṋána. Jiṋánam and vijiṋánam. Knowledge regarding mundane entities – engineering science, medical science, art, architecture, literature – these are all mundane knowledge, worldly knowledge. Such knowledge is called jiṋánam. And knowledge regarding spiritual science is called vijiṋánam.

Now, after acquiring knowledge, one is to do accordingly. One is to do something practical. That doing something practical is karma sádhaná. So after jiṋánam, after knowing what to do, how to do, the sádhaka, the spiritual aspirant, is to do accordingly. This doing is karma sádhaná. And the resultant of the jiṋána sádhaná and the karma sádhaná is bhakti. So bhakti is not a sádhaná, bhakti is not a practice. It is the resultant of two practices – jiṋána and karma.

So in the basic stage, in the primordial stage, jiṋánam has a certain value for a sádhaka, for a spiritual aspirant. In the next stage karma has a certain value. But in the final stage, bhakti⁽³⁾ is the guiding factor.

Just now I said that bhakti is the resultant of jiṋánam and karma. But it may so happen that a little boy, a boy of five or six, has developed bhakti. Developed bhakti: but he did not acquire any jiṋánam and did not do any karma. How is it possible? It is possible because bhakti is the resultant of jiṋána sádhaná and karma sádhaná. That child did jiṋána sádhaná and karma sádhaná in his past life. That’s why in this life, in the present life, he developed bhakti from very childhood.

Now, Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii. These three factors are the three requisite factors for the attainment of mokśa – jiṋánam, karma and bhakti. But bhaktireva gariiyasii – “bhakti is the best,” because it is the final, it is the subtlest factor. That’s why the sádhaka says: Mokśakárańasamagryáḿ bhaktireva gariiyasii. You sádhakas, you must remember this factor, you must remember this point. Here, all your karma sádhaná and all your jiṋána sádhaná are finally to become pinnacled factors, pinnacled into bhakti sádhaná. Without bhakti, one cannot come in contact with the Lord. And you must remember that bhakti is not a sádhaná, it is not a practice; it is the resultant of two practices, jiṋánam and karma. Be bhaktimána and enjoy His bliss.

Footnotes

(1) A short phrase here, apparently an alternative for “that stance”, was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) Jiṋána, karma and bhakti are forms of spiritual practice which emphasize, respectively, discrimination, selfless action, and devotion. –Eds.

(3) A word or two here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 3	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

[The first forty seconds or so of the author’s voice are almost inaudible on the tape.]

In “Bhárata”⁽¹⁾ there are two root verbs, Sanskrit root verbs. One is bhar [bhr], and the other is tan. In Sanskrit bhar means “to feed”. Bhara means “feeder”.⁽²⁾ Parama Puruśa is called saḿbhara, which means “the Supreme Feeder”.⁽³⁾ So this verb is bhar, and the suffix is al: bhara. Bhara means “he who feeds”. Bhar means “to feed”, bhara means “he who feeds”. And the root verb tan means “to expand”.

Now, a child’s body may be called tanu in Sanskrit, because it is expanding at each and every moment. But the body of an [older] man is not tanu, it is shariira; shariira means “fast-decaying”, “waning”, becoming shiirńa.

Tan means “to expand”. And tan plus the⁽⁴⁾ suffix d́a becomes ta. Ta means “he who helps you in your physical, mental and spiritual expansion”; that is, he who helps you in your all-round expansion is ta. So bhárata means “he who feeds you and helps you in your all-round expansion, all-round development”.

In Sanskrit the word varśa has three meanings, three imports. One meaning is “year”; another meaning is “rainy season”; and another meaning is “country”. For “country” in Sanskrit there are three popular words – desha, viśaya and varśa. This country, this land where we are living, is called Mahiśa Viśaya in Sanskrit [Mysore]. Mahiśa Viśaya.⁽⁵⁾ So the varśa that helps you by feeding you and in your all-round development, physical, spiritual and mental, is “Bháratavarśa”. We shouldn’t say “Bhárata”. The name of this country is “Bháratavarśa”. In this great and ancient country of ours, it is a tradition to use meaningful⁽⁶⁾ words.⁽⁷⁾ Everywhere you will find words with certain meanings. Each and every word⁽⁸⁾ has got its peculiar significance.

For the Supreme Father, for God, we use so many words, and each and every word has got its proper meaning. One name is Náráyańa. What’s the meaning of Náráyańa? Nára + ayana. What’s the meaning of nára? In Sanskrit, the word nára has got three meanings. One meaning is niira, that is, “water”. Another meaning of nára is “devotion”, bhakti. He who distributes bhakti is “Nárada” – Maharshi Narada. And the third meaning of nára is the Supreme Operative Principle, the Causal Matrix, the Supreme Creative Principle, the Mahámáyá.⁽⁹⁾ And ayana means “shelter”. So Náráyańa means “Shelter of the Supreme Operative Principle”, “Shelter of Mahámáyá”. Now who is the shelter of Mahámáyá, who is the shelter of Paramá Prakrti, who is the shelter of the Supreme Creative Principle? Parama Puruśa, Puruśottama. Hence Náráyańa means Puruśottama.⁽¹⁰⁾ So each and every word is meaningful.

Another popular word is “Mádhava” – do you use that word in this portion of India? Yes, you do. Má means Paramá Prakrti, the Creative Faculty, the Guiding Faculty, the Operative Principle. And dhava – the word dhava has got two meanings in Sanskrit.⁽¹¹⁾ And another meaning is “husband”. A lady who has lost her husband is vidhavá. So dhava means “husband”. So “Mádhava” means “husband of Paramá Prakrti”. Má means Paramá Prakrti, so “husband of Paramá Prakrti”, “controller of Paramá Prakrti”, “the ideal of Paramá Prakrti”. So “Mádhava” means Paramá Puruśa.

Then Iishvara – do you use this word Iishvara? In Sanskrit iish means “to control”, “to regulate”. He who controls everything, everything on earth, is Iishvara. That is, “the Supreme Controller”. Another meaning of Iishvara is “he who has aeshvarya” – ańimá [to become small (small enough to enter any physical particle or any crevice of another’s mind)], laghimá [to become light (a light body can fly through air, a light mind can study the minds of others)], mahimá [to become large (an expanded mind is omniscient, and feels love for the universe)], iishitva [to control (this supreme control may be used to guide others’ minds)], vashitva [to psychically dominate others], kámavasáyitá [or prakámya, to materialize the desired outcome of events], vyapti [or antaryámitva, to know the inner thought-wave and the inner need of any entity], prápti [to obtain any desired object] – these are all aeshvaryas. He who has developed all⁽¹²⁾ the aeshvaryas – aeshvarya means “occult power” – is Iishvara. That is, the Lord having so many aeshvaryas is Iishvara. Maharshi Patanjali says: Kleshakarmavipákáshayaeraparámrśt́ah Puruśavisheśa Iishvarah – “The Puruśa, the Cognitive Faculty, who remains unassailed by the waves of actions and reactions, physical and mental, and who does never require any physical or mental or spiritual pabulum for His maintenance, is Iishvara.” Kleshakarmavipákáshayaeraparámrśt́ah Puruśavisheśa Iishvarah. So the word Iishvara is also meaningful.

In the “Savitr Rk”, for the divine effulgence, we use the word bharga. Why do we use the word bharga?

Can any boy stand up and say the entire mantra, the incantation of Savitá, the “Savitr Rk”?⁽¹³⁾

[Voice from the audience: Oṋḿ bhúr bhuvah svah / Tat – ]

No, no, no.⁽¹⁴⁾ Another oṋm. After Bhúr bhuvah svah another oṋm. Oṋḿ bhúr bhuvah svah oṋḿ / Tat savitur…

[Voice: … vareńyam / Bhargo devasya dhiimahi / Dhiyo yo nah pracodayát.]

Here also we have used the word bharga for the divine effulgence. Why do we use bharga for the supreme effulgence?

I said, each and every word is meaningful. What is the meaning of this mantra? You boy, you say.⁽¹⁵⁾ What is the meaning of this particular incantation? Oṋm – what’s the meaning of oṋm?

[The member of the audience replies in terms of a – u – ma, and a short dialogue with the author follows, which is not clearly audible.]

Very good. Whenever we do something, a sound is created. [Author utters a sound. His next sentence, not clearly audible, ends “is a sound, is a colour, is of so many inferences.”] Now, the Supreme Progenitor, when He created the universe,⁽¹⁶⁾ the first sound, the first created sound, was a. The first syllable a was present in the creation. And that’s why a is the first letter of the Tántrika varńamálá [Tantric alphabet]. A is the first letter of the Indo-Aryan varńamálá. [Here the author discusses the Aryans who “came here from Central Asia,” and the rśis (sages) and munis (saintly intellectuals) “who created the Vedas.” He says that at that time “There was no alphabetical knowledge.”] That is, our Indo-Aryan alphabet is a Tantric alphabet. It is not of Aryan origin, it is of Indian origin.⁽¹⁷⁾ The first letter is a, first letter is alpha, first letter is aliph, first letter is “a”.

A represents creation, u represents maintenance,⁽¹⁸⁾ ma represents destruction: oṋm. Oṋm represents the entire creative faculty of the Supreme Progenitor. A-u-m. Bhú bhuvah svah mahah janah tapah satya – during the phase of creation, the creation started from subtle to crude, and the return phase is from crude to subtle. So Bhú bhuvah svah mahah janah tapah satya – these are the seven strata created by the Supreme Father. [Your] body is in the stratum bhú. Your mind remains in the stratum bhuvah. These are the seven strata; they are called loka in Sanskrit. So these seven lokas have been created by the Supreme Progenitor.

Tat savitur vareńyam. Savitur means “[of the] Creator”, “[of the] Father”. Vareńyam means “venerable”. Bhargo means “divine effulgence”. Dhiimahi means “[we] meditate on”. “We meditate on the divine effulgence of the Supreme Father who created these seven strata.” For “divine effulgence” the word bharga is used.

Why has the word bharga been created? In bharga there are three letters – bha, ra and ga.

Bha – Bhásayate lokán iti – “Because of His presence, because of His effulgence, the entire universe has become effulgent.” Bhásayate lokán iti [“that which illumines all the strata”]. And what is the first letter of bhásayate? Bha.

Raiṋjayati. Raiṋjayati means “to charm”, “to colour”.⁽¹⁹⁾ It starts with ra. So he who charms the Supreme is raiṋjayati, and the first letter of raiṋjayati is ra.

And the last one is Gacchati yasmin ágacchati yasmád.⁽²⁰⁾ Gacchati yasmin – “goeth back to whom”. Ágacchati yasmád – “cometh from whom”. You see, everything is coming from Him and going back to Him, coming from Him, going back to Him. So Gacchati yasmin ágacchati yasmád. What’s the first letter? Ga. Gacchati yasmin – the first letter is ga.

So bha – ra – ga. Bha – ra – ga bharga ucyate [Bha, ra and ga compose bharga]. That’s why His divine effulgence is called bharga. Sah bhásayate, sah raiṋjayati and gacchati yasmin. That’s why bha – ra – ga. In the “Gáyattrii Mantra” [a popular name for the “Savitr Rk”] we use the word bharga for “His effulgence”.

So now I think you have understood the meaning of “Bháratavarśa”? So each and every word in this ancient land of ours is meaningful.

Footnotes

(1) A popular, but not precise, name for India; also a name of Krśńa, as a king of India. –Eds.

(2) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) Another adjective here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(7) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(8) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(9) A Sanskrit phrase here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(10) A Sanskrit phrase here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(11) The first meaning was not clearly audible on the tape. –Eds.

(12) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(13) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(14) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(15) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(16) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(17) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(18) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(19) Another equivalent here is inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(20) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 4	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

In the earlier span, while explaining the root meaning of the word “Bhárata”,⁽¹⁾ I said the root verb tan means “to expand”. Now, the practical approach, that is, the actual spiritual endeavour, actual spiritual practice, is called Tantra. Here also the root verb is tan. Tan means “to expand”, and tra means “liberator”. The cult that liberates the spiritual aspirant by helping him in expanding his mind and spirit is Tantra, “liberation through expansion”. Unless and until the mind becomes great, one cannot get liberation, one cannot attain spiritual salvation. That’s why the spiritual cult is called Tantra.

Now, this expansion, this expansion of mind, expansion of ideas, expansion of human spirit, is the⁽²⁾ only sádhaná. And when a sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, tries to enlarge his mind, naturally debasing forces become very active. The depraving forces, debasing forces, become very active, and the sádhaka is to enlarge his mind and spirit by fighting at each and every step, each and every stage of life. In his mind there will be those two belligerent forces; that is, the spiritual force and the debasing material force will start fighting amongst each other in the mind. In family life also,⁽³⁾ in social life, in national life, in each and every stratum of life, there will be fight. That is, those two fundamental belligerent forces will become active. One force will try to exalt you towards the Supreme Self, another force will want to degrade you, goad you towards crude materialism.

Now, a Tantric is called, a sádhaka is called, a soldier. [Sádhanásamara] [“the battle of sádhaná”]. Samara means “war”, “battle”, “fight”. The sádhaka is engaged in fight. It is for the brave, it is for courageous people. Sádhanásamara. And this cult is the cult of Tantra. He who wants to keep himself away from fight is unknowingly committing suicide, mental and spiritual suicide. Each and every man should be ready for fight – fight in the mental stratum, fight in the family stratum, fight in each and every stratum of life. This is Tantra.

Now, in the realm of spirituality there is little scope for theoreticians. It is ninety-nine per cent practical. Sádhaka means a practical man. Sádhaná is a cult, not a theory. Now, what is this cult? Now, this cult is subjective movement through objective adjustment. Here we see regarding your indriyas, that is, the motor and sensory organs, that this world is the object and they are the subjects. But when the relationship between the indriyas and the citta [objective mind, mind-stuff] is concerned, the indriyas are the objects and the citta is the subject. And when the relationship of citta and⁽⁴⁾ the ego, or aham, is concerned, the citta is the object, and the aham is the subject. Now in the case of aham and mahat (aham means doer “I” and mahat means pure “I”, “I exist”), the aham is the object and the mahat – “I am,” “I exist,” aham asmi – is the subject. And in case of this pure “I” and the átman [soul], this “I” – “I exist,” “I am” – is the object and the átman is the subject.

“I exist” – this feeling exists within each and every living being. In every being there is an “I exist” – “I am Narayanaswami, I belong to Salem, I exist.” So this “I”, this “I-exist” “I”, is the mahat. And you know – you know – that there is a feeling of “I exist” in you. And I know that there is a feeling of “I exist” in me. This “I know” – “I” of “I know” – is the átman. The “I” of “I know” is the átman, and the “I” of “I exist” is the mahat, the mahattattva, the pure mental “I”, the supreme mental “I”, the subtlest part of the mind. But “I know I exist” – the “I” of “I know” – is the átman. It is not mind, it is the knower of mind, knower of – what? The feeling that “I exist.” So the átman is the subject within your structure, within your existence. Within the realm of the microcosm, the átman is the subject, and all other objects are either its direct object or its indirect objects.

Now regarding the relationship of átman and Paramátman, the átman is the object and the Paramátman is the subject. So Paramátman is the Supreme Subjectivity. He is the Supreme Subject of all other subjects. He is the supreme multiple of all other expressed multiplicities. Because He is the supreme – in Sanskrit “supreme” is parama – He is known as Paramátmá. He is the Supreme Subject.

I said: “What is cult?” It is subjective approach, that is, your movement is towards that Supreme Subject, not towards bookish knowledge. Not to aggrandize yourself, but to goad yourself unto the path of beatitude, towards the Supreme Subject. Hence the approach of cult is a subjective approach. Yours is a subjective approach. But while moving towards the Supreme Subject, while moving towards the Terminus of your life, while moving towards the culminating point of your life, you have to pass through the world of objectivities. You are born; the things of this physical earth are all objectivities; but your march is towards the Supreme Subjectivity. So in you there must be an equilibrium, a balance, an equipoise, between subjective approach and objective adjustment. You must pass through this world of objects keeping a close contact and a balance⁽⁵⁾ with this objective world; you must not ignore this world.

You must not neglect this world, you must not cheat yourself by saying that everything is illusory, it is nothing. No, it is not nothing, it is something. When you are speaking these words with the help of physical energy, then that physical energy is also nothing, and when you say, “It is nothing,” then that “It is nothing” is also nothing. Because you are speaking with the help of energy. But energy is nothing, vocal cord is nothing, sound is nothing, so your utterance is also nothing. So a sádhaka must not cheat himself by saying this. A sádhaka must not engage in a self-cheating business. His should be a clear-cut approach, a subjective approach through objective adjustment. So this is the supreme path. It is the proper path. It is the path. You have got nothing to do with the intellectual extravaganza of so-called logicians and philosophers.

Yudhisthira said:

Shrutayo vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam;
Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh.

[The scriptures differ, the social codes differ; each sage has a different opinion. The essence of dharma lies deep in the mind; the path followed by realized persons is the true path.]

“It is the path.”

He said: Shrut[ayo] vibhinnáh. What is shruti? Shruti means “spiritual book” – the Vedas. Why shruti? Because in ancient times the Aryans who came here to India from central Asia were illiterate, they couldn’t write. Their language, the Vedic language, was a spoken language, not a written language. There was no script.⁽⁶⁾ The Vedic language had no script. When they came here they learned how to write.⁽⁷⁾ And finally so many Indian scripts have developed.⁽⁸⁾

Those who composed Vedic hymns were called rśis. Whatever the rśis uttered, the disciple, the student, learned through the ear. The ear was called shruti in Sanskrit. That’s why the Vedas are known as shruti.

Now, Shrut[ayo] vibhinnáh. Yudhisthira, wise Yudhisthira, said: Shrut[ayo] vibhinnáh – “These shrutis – the Rgveda, the Yajurveda, the Atharvaveda and so many other spiritual scriptures – differ from each other, differ from one another.”⁽⁹⁾ They differ from one another. The common man is to follow – whom? Whom to follow?

Shrut[ayo] vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh. Smrti means “social code”. Shruti means “spiritual code” and smrti means “social code”. So social codes also vary from one another. In ancient times there was Vyása Saḿhitá.⁽¹⁰⁾ There was the Nárada Saḿhitá. There was the Manu Saḿhitá. In the Manu Saḿhitá, there are two main schools, Dáyabhága and Mitákśará: Dáyabhága for Bengal, Mitákśará for the rest of India.⁽¹¹⁾ Somewhere there is patrilineal order – that is, the father’s property will be inherited by the son – and somewhere there is matrilineal order.⁽¹²⁾ Somewhere there is a mixture of patrilineal order⁽¹³⁾ and matrilineal order.⁽¹⁴⁾ And somewhere there is a blending of patrilineal and matrilineal order.⁽¹⁵⁾ So social codes vary from one another. Whom to follow? Even in Mitákśará there are five or six schools⁽¹⁶⁾ – at least five schools. Whom to follow? Smrtáyo vibhinnáh.⁽¹⁷⁾ Whom to follow?

Naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam – “and each and every muni varies from other munis.” Muni means “intellectual”. In the realm of spiritual sádhaná, Na munirdughdabálakah munih saḿliinamánasah [“A muni is not a small child at his mother’s breast, a muni is one who has merged his mind (in the Supreme)”]. If a particular man says, “I am a muni,” he is not a muni. Muni means “he who has ensconced his personality, ensconced his everything, in the supreme stance.” That is, he who has merged himself in the Supreme Puruśa is a muni. Munih saḿliinamánasah – “He who has merged his mind in the Supreme Puruśa is a muni.” Naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam.

So whom to follow? What is to be done by common people? What is to be done by spiritual aspirants? Whom to follow? It is a very difficult problem.

Now, Yudhisthira says: Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám – “The spirit of dharma, the essence of dharma” – [nihitaḿ] – “lies covert in” – nihitaḿ guháyám. In Sanskrit the word guhá has got two imports, two meanings.⁽¹⁸⁾ One is “cave” – caves of the Himalayas where the rśis used to sit in meditation. Another meaning of guhá, which I just now mentioned, is mahattattva, “I exist”, “I am.” This feeling of “I am” is called guhá. Now, [Yudhisthira] says: “The essence of dharma, the supreme spirit of dharma, lies covert in your own ‘I’ feeling.” You have not to go to the caves of the Himalayas and to so many tiirthas [places of pilgrimage] in search of your own inner spirit. It lies covert within yourself. Your heart is the best tiirtha. It is the supreme tiirtha. Lord Shiva said:

Idaḿ tiirtham idaḿ tiirthaḿ bhramanti támasáh janáh;
Átmatiirthaḿ na jánanti kathaḿ mokśa varánane.

[Here is one place of pilgrimage, there is another place. People of static nature wander from the one place to the other place. But without finding the real place of pilgrimage within themselves, how can they attain salvation?]

“Oh, Párvatii! People, spiritual aspirants, move in search of God in so many tiirthas, but they do not know the self-tiirtha where the Lord lies covert.” So Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám – “The essence of dharma lies covert in your ‘I’ feeling within yourself.”

And mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh [“the path followed by realized persons is the true path”]. Mahájana means a practical man, that is, not a theoretician, but he who actually tried to materalize, or rather, did materialize, knowledge into action.⁽¹⁹⁾ Such people are called mahájanas. A sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, must not try to come in contact with theoreticians, must not try to follow theoreticians. They are to follow the practical people, they are to follow the mahájanas who have experienced the supreme Self, the supreme stance, in their practical life. You are to be a practical man, and you have to follow the practical aspirants.

You have to follow the mahájanas, and⁽²⁰⁾ these mahájanas are the vanguard of spirituality, they are the pioneers of spirituality. You have to move along their path. This path is the subjective approach. In this approach, while moving along the path of supreme subjectivity, you must not neglect the world. You have to serve each and every object of this universe by ascribing Náráyańa-hood to them. You are in the midst of so many minute expressions of Náráyańa. Each and every expression is Náráyańa in a particular form, Náráyańa in a particular shape, Náráyańa in a particular style. You are to serve them, and this serving of Náráyańa in human form is your objective adjustment, and your movement towards the Non-Attributional Supreme Puruśa is your subjective approach.

Footnotes

(1) A popular name for India; also a name of Krśńa, as a king of India. –Eds.

(2) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) Several words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(7) Several sentences here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(8) Several sentences here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(9) Several sentences here, though not fully audible, clearly give examples of discrepancies among the scriptures. –Eds.

(10) Some of the next sentence was inaudible on the tape. The words “… times… Parasara Saḿhitá” can be distinguished. –Eds.

(11) The next sentence was not clearly audible on the tape. The words “Nayara for Kerala, Khasia… for Khasia… matrilineal order” can be distinguished. –Eds.

(12) The rest of this sentence was not clearly audible on the tape, but mentions “Khasia” and “Assam” (Khasia was formerly in Assam). –Eds.

(13) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(14) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(15) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(16) A sentence here, though not fully audible, is clearly a list of the different schools. –Eds.

(17) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(18) Another synonym here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(19) A sentence here, though not fully audible, seems to say that this materialization of knowledge into action should not be taken to mean occult power. –Eds.

(20) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 5	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Life is to fight.⁽¹⁾ Now when one starts fight, then he becomes a man in human structure. He is no longer a brute in human structure, he is a man in human structure. And in that phase he says: “O Lord, by Your mercy, by Your grace, I have become a hero, I have started fighting against debasing forces functioning within my mind, functioning within my family, functioning within the society. So by Your grace I have become a hero. I am a hero, I am a viira, thou art Viireshvara [Lord of Heroes].”

So in the second phase of sádhaná, Pashupati⁽²⁾ becomes Viireshvara. It is another name of Lord Shiva. Pashupati becomes Viireshvara. And as a result of further fight, when this fighting tendency, this belligerent tendency, becomes his wont, in that case He becomes a deva, he is called a deva.

Dyotate kriid́ate yasmádudyate dyotate divi;
Tasmát deva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh.

[The vibrational manifestations emanating from the Supreme Nucleus are known as devatás or devas; and these devatás address that Supreme Nucleus as “(Mahá)deva”. He with His powers vibrates the entire universe, makes the entire universe dance; and He by dint of His occult and supra-occult powers brings everything back onto His lap.]

So he becomes a deva. And he says: “O Lord, by Your mercy I have become a deva, a god.” (Deva means “god in human structure”.) “And Thou art my Lord, Thou art Mahádeva.” So in the third stage that very Lord becomes Mahádeva. Pashupati becomes Viireshvara, Viireshvara becomes Mahádeva – according to the status or phase of sádhaná of the spiritual aspirant.

Now, this fight, this fight against the eccentric force fighting, eccentric force functioning, in the world, is actually the sádhaná. You know, in each and every structure, there are two forces, the centripetal force and the centrifugal force. In the case of this Cosmological world, in the case of this Cosmological system, in the case of this Brahma Cakra, the centripetal force, the centre-seeking force, is called vidyá, and the centrifugal force is called avidyá. So this spiritual practice, or intuitional practice, is a fight between vidyá and avidyá. A sádhaka is to strengthen his vidyá, his centripetal force, in his movement towards the nave of this Cosmological order, towards the nucleus of this Cosmological order – because of the fact that this Cosmological nucleus is the nucleus of all other nuclei of the universe. It is the abode of supreme beatitude. All other nuclei of the universe are sheltered in Him. (That’s why he is called Náráyańa. Ayana means “shelter”. And Nára means “Operative Principle”.) There is no other way. If one wants peace of permanent nature, if one has developed the longing for supreme beatitude, one has no alternative but to move towards this Supreme Nucleus; and this movement is sádhaná. And while moving towards this Supreme Nucleus, one will have to fight against the centrifugal force, the avidyá shakti.

In this fight against avidyá shakti one must have sufficient weapons. You know, a soldier requires weapons, and sádhaná is a fight. In your internal sphere, that is, in your mind, you should have ten weapons. Those ten weapons are five Yama and five Niyama [moral principles]. And similarly, while fighting against evil forces in this crude physicality, you should have ultra-modern physical weapons also. Those who want disarmament and those who want to ban the atom bomb are not friends of human society. They do not want to accelerate the speed of human society. Rather they want to retard its progress. Weapons you must have, but you should have control over your body and mind. There must not be any abuse or misuse of your weapons.

Now, in this progress, that is, in the realm of intuitionalism, you should have ten internal weapons – Yama and Niyama – and your progress in sádhaná depends on jiṋána, karma and bhakti.⁽³⁾ Your progress is effected by jiṋána and karma.⁽⁴⁾

Footnotes

(1) This discourse begins on the tape with the words “… never-ending [or unending] effort to restore an unstable equilibrium”. This is followed by “Life is to fight.” Elsewhere the author has said: “Life is a constant effort to restore an unstable equilibrium.” –Eds.

(2) Lord of those in the animalistic first phase of sádhaná. Pashu means “animal”. –Eds.

(3) Jiṋána, karma and bhakti are forms of spiritual practice which emphasize, respectively, discrimination, selfless action, and devotion. –Eds.

(4) This discourse ends here on the tape with the words “But the final union with the Sup – ”. The complete sentence must have said that the final union with the Supreme is effected by bhakti. –Eds.

Chapter 6	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

And the idea functioning behind ásakti, that is, desire for something limited, something finite, is called káma. And when the mind is withdrawn from all those physical and intellectual objectivities and guided towards that supreme non-causal spiritual entity, then that flow, rather, that mental propulsion, is called bhakti, or devotion. The mentality is called bhakti, and the idea functioning behind it is called prema. So there is hardly any difference between prema and devotion. In the practical field, I say that both salvation and devotion are causal entities. They are not non-causal. They are created within the scope of physicality and intellectuality.

Now, how to attain bhakti, how to withdraw the mind from baser propensities and drive it towards the subtlest entity, the abhiiśt́a? The simplest formula is “action minus jiṋánam [knowledge] is equal to devotion” – “karma minus jiṋánam is equal to bhakti.”⁽¹⁾ Suppose a man has rendered five hundred degrees of social service, selfless service, to society. Now in his stock of karma there is five hundred degrees. Now subtract jiṋánam. Suppose he is an illiterate fellow, he knows nothing, so his stock of jiṋánam will be zero. Five hundred minus zero is equal to [the resultant] devotion. He earned five hundred degrees of devotion. And that’s why you will find that in the case of less-educated people, devotion is developed very quickly. And the so-called intellectuals suffer from the ailment of their intellectuality. They suffer from a sort of mental ailment, mental disease. They think “I know this, I know that, I know this, I know that.” But they know nothing.

Once I said that if a man thinks that he is a master of geography, and in that case I ask him “O gentleman, can you say how many bricks there are in this town of Bangalore?” he won’t be able to give a satisfactory reply. But this question comes within the scope of geography.

Now, suppose a man is an MA in twenty subjects and his stock of jiṋánam is four hundred degrees. But he rendered five hundred degrees of selfless social service to society. In that case his balance of bhakti will be five hundred minus four hundred, equal to one hundred. So in this case jiṋánam is nothing but a liability. And if he wants to acquire five hundred degrees of bhakti, just like that illiterate fellow, what will he have to do? He will have to render nine hundred degrees of social service. Nine hundred minus four hundred is equal to five hundred. So for the jiṋániis – I won’t discourage jiṋánam, although I am not a jiṋánii, but I will ask the jiṋánii to render more selfless service to society.

So this is bhakti. Now, bhakti is withdrawing the mind from crude objectivities. And the psychological principle for attaining salvation is also that – it is withdrawing the mind and guiding it unto the Supreme Self. So fundamentally there is no difference.

Now you know, in the case of bhakti there are so many types, so many varieties. You know there are so-called bhaktis and there are actual bhaktis. Among so-called bhaktis, you know, there are three varieties – static bhakti, mutative bhakti and sentient bhakti, sentient devotion.

What is static devotion? You say: “O Lord, O Náráyańa, Mr. X is my enemy. Please kill him.” [laughter] It will not be possible for a man to get Náráyańa by this type of bhakti. Why? His longing was to kill Mr. X and not to get Náráyańa. So Náráyańa may or may not grant his request, may or may not kill Mr. X, but because his desire was not to get Náráyańa, it is sure that he won’t get Náráyańa.

Now the second type of bhakti is mutative devotion.

Footnotes

(1) Jiṋána, karma and bhakti are forms of spiritual practice which emphasize, respectively, discrimination, selfless action, and devotion. –Eds.

Chapter 7	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

A sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, should be just like a soldier. He is a soldier, because his intuitional practice is nothing but a fight, a fight against all depraving tendencies. So you should also follow a particular code of discipline.

Shástra. What is shástra? This code of discipline is being prescribed by the shástra. Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah – “That which helps the sádhaka in attaining that supreme stance of salvation by prescribing the code of discipline and the code of spiritual cult is called shástra.” Now, the shástras say:

Prańavo dhanuh sharohyátmá Brahma tallakśyamucyate;
Apramattena veddhavyaḿ sharavattanmayo bhavet.

[The prańava (as regards spiritual practice, one’s meditation mantra) is like a bow, one’s unit consciousness is like an arrow, and Brahma is the target. One must aim without any inaccuracy and must oneself be like an arrow.]

“For this sádhaka, for this soldier-in-the-realm-of-spirituality, his bow should be” – what? – “the prańava dhvani [prańava sound]. Prańava should be his dhanu [bow].” What is prańava? It is a Sanskrit word – pra prefix, nu root verb, al suffix – prańava. “That which helps you in reaching a particular place is prańava.” That very thing, that very incantation, that helps you in reaching your goal, reaching the final, the culminating, point of all human destinies, is prańava. For a sádhaka, his personal incantation, his own Iśt́a mantra, is prańava, and in a general sense this word prańava is used for oṋḿkára also. Because this oṋḿkára, the sound oṋḿkára, emanates from the Supreme Nucleus of this Cosmological order; and so the sádhaka, the man who comes in contact with that divine sound, certainly reaches the goal, the source of the sound. He who comes in contact with the Ganges is sure to come in contact with Gauṋgottarii from where the Gauṋgá starts.

Prańava. Another name of prańava is oṋḿkára. It is a combination of three sounds – the first one is a, the second one is u, and the third one is ma. A-u-ma. A is the acoustic root of creation.

Whenever something is done, that action is represented by a certain sound, colour and several other inferences. You are laughing – the sound há-há-há-há is created. Now, that vibration há-há-há-há is the acoustic root of your action of laughing. Do you follow? You are walking – the sound khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́ is created. This sound khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́ is the acoustic root of your action of walking. So “acoustic root” means actional, functional representative of the vibration. So when the Macrocosm, when the Macrocosmic Self, creates something, certainly during the phase of creation a certain sound is created. He creates, He creates in His mind, and because He is creating, vibrations are also created. When you create an action, and vibrations are created, certainly sounds are also created. And the sound of creation, the sound created during His phase of creation, during the phase when He creates the universe, is the sound a. Just as há-há-há-há is the acoustic root of laughing, similarly a, the first letter a, is the acoustic root of creating. So when the Supreme Father creates this universe, the sound a is created.

So a is the first letter of our Tántrika varńamálá [Tantric alphabet]. What is the first letter? A. A is the first vowel and first letter. Now I think you have understood why a is the first letter and why not ka or i? But a babe of primary school will not understand these things. If, when he first comes in contact with a in his life, he asks his teacher why a is the first letter, then it will be very difficult to make him understand.

Then after creation, what will be His second action, what will be the second phase in this realm of creation? To maintain, to preserve, to nourish, to serve the created beings. After creation, after the birth of the child, what is the duty of the mother? To feed the babe. So to maintain is the second phase of creation. Now, the acoustic root of this action of maintaining, action of serving, action of preserving, is u. A then u.

And after that, the last phase is destruction. The last phase of this Cosmological order is destruction. And the acoustic root of this function of destruction is ma. Hence ma is the last letter of the vargiiya varńamálá [portion of alphabet composed of phonetic groups]. The last varga [phonetic group] is pa-pha-ba-bha-ma. Ma is the last letter of the vargiiya varńamálá. After that is antahstha varńa [semi-vowel letters], ya-ra-la-va. Not vargiiya varńa [phonetic-group letters].

A plus u. As per the Sanskrit sandhi [transition] rule, a plus u becomes o. So a plus u and ma become oṋm. Oṋm represents the entire system of creation – creation, maintenance and destruction – that is, the combination of all the waves of this Cosmological order is oṋm. Oṋm represents the universe.

When the Supreme Brahma creates the universe, He creates the sound a. Brahma means “the Great”. And in the creating phase, He creates the sound a. Then Brahma plus a – what will be the result as per the Sanskrit grammatical rule? Brahma plus a becomes Brahmá. A plus a is equal to á. Brahmá. Hence the progenitor of the first phase of creation is called Brahmá. Brahmá, Viśńu, Maheshvara.

And while He maintains, while He preserves, He is called Viśńu, And while He destroys, He is called Saḿhartá, Maheshvara. So God the Creator, God the Operator, and God the Destructor. So in the first phase He is the Creator, He is the Generator. What is the first letter of “generator”? “G.” Then in the second phase He is the Operator. What is the first letter of “operator”? “O.” Then He is the Destructor. What is the first letter of “destructor”? “D.” G-O-D, “God.”

So Prańava dhanu. For that spiritual soldier, his bow should be prańava, His own Iśt́a mantra should be the bow. Prańava dhanu.

And sharohyátmá. His “I” feeling, “I am” – this sense, the pure “I” feeling – should be the arrow. Prańavo dhanuh sharohyátmá – “His “I” feeling should be the arrow.”

And Brahma tallakśyamucyate. A soldier with bow and arrow has got one target. Now, “that target is the Cosmic Father, that target is Brahma, his object of ideation.”

Apramattena veddhavyaḿ. And this arrow will pierce through the target. When? “When the soldier is apramatta.” Apramatta means “not pramatta”. What is pramatta? He who has committed mistakes, committed blunders, in the very beginning, and he who is committing mistakes throughout the phase of activity, and he who is committing mistakes even in the last stage, is called pramatta. And a sádhaka, a spiritual soldier, should be apramatta. Only in that case will his “I” feeling (his “I” feeling is the arrow) reach, come in contact with, the Supreme Self. He will attain the stance of salvation.

This is the order, this is the prescription, of the shástra. You are all sádhakas, you must remember these things.

Kalyáńamastu [“Let there be welfare”].

Chapter 8	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

A very popular name of the Supreme Cognitive Principle is “Krśńa”. What is the meaning of the word “Krśńa”? Krśńa is the nave of this Cosmological order. He is the nave of this Cosmo-psychic system. He attracts everybody towards Himself with the help of His concentric force. This concentric force is called Vidyámáyá in Sanskrit. So “He who attracts everybody towards Himself” – the great attractor, the great charmer. “Krśńa” means “the great charmer”, “He who charms the entire universe”.

Another popular name is Náráyańa. Náráyańa is a very popular name of our Lord. The word nára has three meanings in Sanskrit. One meaning is niira, that is, “water”. Another meaning is “devotion”. You know the rśi Nárada? “Nárada” means “he who distributes nára”, “he who distributes bhakti”, “he who distributes devotion” – “Nára-da”.⁽¹⁾ So the second meaning is “devotion”, bhakti.

And the third meaning is “the Cosmic Operative Principle”. Ayana means “shelter”. So Náráyańa means “shelter of the Cosmic Operative Principle”. That Operative Principle may be in the basic state, may be in the primordial state, may be in the vibrational state, but He is the shelter of that Operative Principle. He is the ayana of Nára – Nárasya ayana ityarthe Náráyańa. The Cosmic Cognitive Principle is the Transcendent Entity, and the Cosmic Operative Principle is His innate principle. The Cosmic Operative Principle is not a transcendental entity, it is an innate principle. So the Cosmic Transcendental Entity is the Náráyańa – “the shelter of Prakrti, shelter of the Operative Principle”. Hence He is called Náráyańa.

Another popular name is “Mádhava”. “Mádhava” also means Náráyańa. The word má has two meanings. One meaning of má is indriya – [motor or] sensory organ. Another meaning of má is “the Operative Principle”. And dhava means “controller”, dhava means “owner”, dhava means “husband”. So “Mádhava” means “the Controller of the Cosmic Operative Principle”. So “Mádhava” and Náráyańa have got the same meaning.

Another popular name is Iishvara. One meaning of Iishvara is “Controller” – He who controls all the functional business of the universe is Iishvara. Another meaning of Iishvara is “He who has got aeshvarya”. Aeshvarya means certain occult powers. He who has developed certain occult powers is Iishvara. And another meaning of Iishvara is Kleshakarmavipákásháyaeraparámrśt́ah Puruśavisheśa Iishvarah – “He who remains unassailed by worldly pains and sufferings, by actions, and who remains unaffected by unserved saḿskáras, by reactive momenta, is Iishvara.” And vipákásháyaeh – “and who requires no shelter, who is not to be ensconced in any other shelter”, is Iishvara.

And another popular name is Bhagaván. Bhagaván – bhaga plus matup (prathamá, ek vacana [first case-ending, singular number]). Bhagaván. Bhaga means

Aeshvaryaiṋca samagraiṋca viiryaiṋca yashasah shriyah;
Jiṋána vaerágyayoshca tu śańńáḿ bhaga iti smrtam.

“Bhaga is the collective name of aeshvarya, viirya, yasha, shrii, jiṋána and vaerágya.” So He who has got these six attributes is Bhagaván, the owner of bhaga; and bhaga is the collection of these six attributes. Bhagaván.

Another name – not very popular – is Svádhá. Svádhá means “He who is guided by His own law, own system, own constitution”. He who is the maker of the system, He who is the maker of the constitution, and He who is the first follower of that constitution, is svádhá. The Persian term for Svádhá is Khudá. That is, an autonomous entity, not being guided by anything external, is Svádhá.

In sádhaná márga, spiritual aspirants are called Brahma sádhaka. Why is this word Brahma sádhaka used for spiritual aspirants? Although the Cosmic Consciousness, that is, the Cognitive Principle, is the object of ideation of all spiritual aspirants, still a sádhaka is called a Brahma sádhaka. Spiritual aspirants are called Brahma sádhakas – why? Brahma is the collective name of the Cosmic Cognitive Principle and the Cosmic Operative Principle. Although the Cognitive Principle is the object of ideation, a spiritual aspirant cannot keep himself away from, aloof from, worldly business, because his physical structure is a part of this quinquelemental world. He cannot remain away from this observable universe. His mental structure is also an expression of the Macropsychic conation. So he will have to come in contact with physicality. But while coming in contact with physicality, certainly for some time he will have to accept physical objects as his object of ideation; and if any physical object is taken as an object of ideation, what will happen? He will dart himself away from the nave of the universe. This darting away from the nave of the universe means negative introversion. A sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, cannot do this. So while coming in contact with any object of this quinquelemental world, he will have to ascribe Brahma-hood to those objects. This ascription of Brahma-hood saves him from downfall.

Human longings are trilateral [physical, mental and spiritual], so he will have to come in contact with physical objects, and he will have to ascribe Brahma-hood to those physical objects. And those physical objects are not a creation of the Cognitive Principle or of the Operative Principle, but a creation of both of them. Both of them have jointly created this universe. So while ascribing Brahma-hood, he will have to think of Prakrti also. That’s why a spiritual aspirant is not called Puruśa sádhaka or Prakrti sádhaka; He is called Brahma sádhaka. And as you are all spiritual aspirants, I would like you to be Brahma sádhakas, and your life⁽²⁾ should be a proper adjustment amongst your physical longings, your intellectual longings, and your spiritual longings. That is, your life should be a balanced life – there should be proper adjustment between mundanity and spirituality.

Kalyáńamastu [Let there be welfare].

Footnotes

(1) A word or two here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 9	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

“Ráma”. The root verb is ram. In Sanskrit, ram means “to enjoy”, “to rejoice”. The root verb ram plus the suffix ghaiṋ makes the word “Ráma”. “Ráma” means “source of enjoyment”. The object from which yogis get pleasure is Ráma – Rámante yoginah yasmin. Here “pleasure” means “supramundane beatitude”, “supramundane blessedness”. This is the meaning of the word “Ráma”. That is, “Ráma” means that “Supreme Consciousness”.

The next word is Shiva. Shiva also means “Consciousness”. In ancient times, about 6500 years ago, there was a great, great yogi in India named Shiva, or Sadáshiva. He always maintained His spiritual unison with the Supreme Cognitive Principle, with the Supreme Self. And His unison with the Supreme Self was never interrupted by any worldly vibrations. It was without any break, without any pause. And that’s why other yogis accepted Him as their object of adoration, and He became “Maháyogi”. So in late Sanskrit, the word Shiva was also used in the sense of “Cosmic Consciousness”, in the sense of “Cosmic blessedness”, in the sense of the eternal ocean of existence. So Shiva also means the Cosmic Consciousness.

And the third one is “Mahádeva”. Deva – this universe is compared with a wheel, the Cosmological wheel, the Cosmo-psychic wheel. And the hub of this wheel is Puruśottama; the Nucleus of this wheel is Puruśottama. And the spokes – there are innumerable spokes – what are these spokes? The spokes are various vibrations, various vibrational sounds, various vibrational lights. So these spokes, these vibrations, these innumerable vibrations, are called deva. Deva means “divine vibration”; deva means “divine effulgence”. And “Mahádeva” means “Supreme Deva”; that is, this hub, this hub of the wheel, this nave of the wheel, this nucleus of this Cosmological order, is Mahádeva. So in the Shiva Stotram it is said:

Tava tattvaḿ na jánámi kiidrsho’si Maheshvara;
Yádrsho’si Mahádeva tadrsháya namo namah.

[O Maheshvara, I do not know what You are like. I do not know Your secrets. But in whatever form You may exist, I salute You.]

“O Mahádeva, I do not know how Thou art, what Thou art, because an individual with his finite brain cannot comprehend these things.” That’s why the sádhaka says: Tava tattvaḿ na jánámi, Ahaḿ Tava tattvaḿ na jánámi, Ahaḿ Tava tattvaḿ na veda – “I do not know how Thou art, what Thou art, but I prostrate before Thee. I do not know what Thou art, but whatever Thou art, I prostrate before that Thou.” Yádrsho’si Mahádeva tadrsháya.

This is the meaning of “Mahádeva”. So “Mahádeva” means “the Supreme and Divine Effulgence”. That is, the Supreme Causal Factor of this universe. Not the Causal Matrix, but the Causal Factor.

Chapter 10	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

In ancient times there were two recognized stages in the process of initiation. The first one was Vaedikii diikśá, that is, initiation as per the Vaedik [Vedic] school of thought, and the second one was Tántrikii diikśá, that is, initiation as per Tantra. The most important mantra in Vaedikii diikśá was the “Gáyattrii Mantra”. The spirit of Vaedikii diikśá was to pray to God to get the proper path, the path of bliss; and the spirit of Tántrikii diikśá was to move along that path. In the first phase the aspirant requested God to show the path, and in the second phase the sádhaka had to move along that path.⁽¹⁾ And this “Gáyattrii Mantra” was the most important mantra in Vaedikii diikśá.

Now, what’s the meaning of gáyattrii? It is a common error to say that that mantra is the “Gáyattrii Mantra”; because gáyattrii is not the name of a mantra, it is the name of a chanda. In the Vedas, there are seven recognized chandas, that is, seven recognized rhythms. Those rhythms are gáyattrii, uśńiik, triśt́up, anuśt́up, jagati, brhatii and paunkti. So gáyattrii is a chanda, gáyattrii is a rhythm, and not a mantra. And this particular mantra of Vaedikii diikśá was composed in gáyattrii chanda. The speciality, the special feature, of gáyattrii chanda is that it requires twenty-[four] syllables. To compose a poem it requires a chanda, and there should be three lines with eight syllables in each line – three times eight, twenty-four syllables. For each and every mantra of the Vedas, there are three requisite factors, three essentialities. These three essentialities are chanda, a rśi, and a devatá.

Chanda means the rhythm in which that mantra will be composed. Here in the case of this particular mantra, the chanda is gáyattrii. Gáyantaḿ tárayet yastu – “By chanting which one can get the path of liberation” is gáyattrii. Gáyat (gae dhátu [root verb] + shatr) + trae dhátu + d́a + uniip = gáyattrii. Do you follow? Here the chanda is gáyattrii, then the next requisite factor is a devatá, and finally a rśi.

The devatá is a particular word which has been used for a god, and according to that word⁽²⁾ the mantra is to be made. In this particular mantra, God has been addressed by the word “Savitá” – Tat Savitur vareńyam. “Savitá”. Hence the⁽³⁾ official name of this mantra is the “Savitr Rk”. Rk is the name of a mantra of the Rgveda. So the name of this particular rk is “Savitr Rk”.⁽⁴⁾ The word “Savitá” has been used in this mantra for God.

And the third important factor is a rśi. Rśi means he who composed that mantra. We will not say⁽⁵⁾ “he who wrote the mantra”, because the Vaedik rśis were illiterate, they could not write. The Vaedik people of Central Asia who came to India were illiterate, they had no script of their own. They learned how to write from the indigenous population of India, that is, from the Dravidians. The Sanskrit language has no script of its own. Sanskrit is written in various scripts of different portions of India.⁽⁶⁾ Sanskrit has no script of its own. In Bengal and Assam and Manipur and [[Tripura]] it is written in Bengali script. In North Bihar it is written in Maethilii script, in Orissa it is Utkal script. In Andhra it is Telegu script. In Madras it is Granthakśa, Granthalipi [Grantha script]. Sanskrit has no script of its own.⁽⁷⁾ In order to standardize Sanskrit education, they use Devanagari script in the prescribed books of universities and colleges. Devanagari is not the script of Sanskrit.

So all those Vaedik rśis were illiterate. They composed those psalms, those Vaedik hymns, and those disciples learned them by hearing through the shruti⁽⁸⁾ – the ear – and that’s why the Vedas are also known as shruti. So the rśi of a mantra is called in the Vaedik language a draśt́a rśi: drsh dhátu + trc⁽⁹⁾ (prathamá, ek vacana [first case-ending, singular number]). Draśt́a means “seer” – He who saw the truth⁽¹⁰⁾ is the seer of a mantra. So each and every Vaedik mantra will have a seer. Rśi means “cultured people”.

So here in this actual mantra, the seer is Rśi Vishvamitra. In this particular mantra, the⁽¹¹⁾ chanda is gáyattrii. It has been taken from the third mańd́ala, tenth adhyaya [súkta, composition] of the Rgveda.⁽¹²⁾ The chanda is gáyattrii, the devatá is Savitá, the name is “Savitr Rk”, and the rśi is Vishvamitra.

And I have already told you that the speciality of gáyattrii chanda is that there should be three lines, and there should be eight syllables in each and every line. Here the original mantra is Tat Savitur vareńyam; / Bhargo devasya dhiimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayát. Oṋḿ bhúr bhuvah svah oṋḿ is a later addition.⁽¹³⁾ It is not part of the original⁽¹⁴⁾ mantra. Now here in this mantra the first line is Tat Savitur vareńyam.

Now, mantra – what is the meaning of mantra? Mananát tárayet yastu [“That collection of sounds which, when meditated upon, leads to liberation”]. Manana means “chanting internally”; “speaking internally”, “speaking mentally”, is manana. Mananát tárayet yastu. By chanting internally a mantra, one can get oneself liberated. And that is why it is called mantra. Mananát – “by chanting internally” – tárayet yastu – “that which liberates” – is man-tra. Man + trae + d́a – d́a is the suffix, the Sanskrit suffix.

So the first line is Tat Savitur vareńyam; the second line is bhargo devasya dhiimahi, and the third line is dhiyo yo nah pracodayát. The first line is Tat Savitur vareńyam. The second line is bhargo devasya dhiimahi (go on counting): bhar – go – de – vas – ya – dhii – ma – hi – eight syllables. And the third line is dhi – yo – yo – nah – pra – co – da – yát – eight syllables. But in the first line (go on counting): Tat – Sa – vi – tur – va – re – ńyam – seven syllables. And the rśis say whenever there is any clash between grammar and rhythm, grammar and chanda, chanda should win, and not the grammar.⁽¹⁵⁾ So it will be pronounced like this: Tat – Sa – vi – tur – va – re – ńi – am. Eight syllables. So the correct pronunciation of the mantra is

Oṋḿ bhúr bhuvah svah oṋḿ
Tat – Sa – vi – tur – va – re – ńi – am –

not vareńyam, va – re – ńi – am –

Bhargo devasya dhiimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayát oṋm.

Do you follow?

Now oṋm. What do we mean by oṋm?

Wherever there is an action, certain vibrations are created.⁽¹⁶⁾ For each and every action, there is a corresponding vibration, a corresponding sound. You are walking – a khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́, t́ap-t́ap-t́ap-t́ap sound is created. That sound is the vibrational sound of that action of walking. You are laughing – the sound há-há-há-há will be created, so the sound há-há-há-há is the vibrational representation of the action of laughing. So the vibrational sound of an action is called the acoustic root. So há-há-há-há is the acoustic root of the action of laughing, and khat́-khat́-khat́-khat́ is the acoustic root of the action of walking. This acoustic root is called a biija mantra in Sanskrit. Now, when this universe was created by the Macrocosmic Self,⁽¹⁷⁾ a particular wave came in the Macropsychic body – “I’ll create something” – this desire was created – and this psychic action certainly came from a psychic sound within the mind of the Supreme Self. So the acoustic root of the desire of creation within the mind of the Macrocosm created the sound aaaa-a-a-a-a-a. A is the acoustic root of creation. A is the acoustic root of the action of creation – do you follow? Wherever there is an action, there is some vibration, and wherever there is vibration there is sound. When that Macrocosmic Self created this universe, during the phase of creation a certain vibration was created in His mind, and that vibration created a certain sound. That sound of creation is a. A is the acoustic root of creation, a is the biija mantra of creation.

And the first sound of creation, a, is the first letter of the Tántrika varńamálá. A. What is the first letter? A. A is the first letter of Indo-Aryan script.⁽¹⁸⁾ In Hebrew and Greek alpha is the first letter; and in⁽¹⁹⁾ Arabic, aliph is the first letter.⁽²⁰⁾

Then after creation, you are to preserve that creation,⁽²¹⁾ you are to keep up the creation. After the birth of a child, you have to preserve it; so this preservation is the second phase, and the vibrational sound of this action of preservation is u. Uuuu. So u is the acoustic root of preservation.⁽²²⁾

And after creation, in the last phase of this psychic order, comes the phase of destruction. After creation and preservation there will be destruction. And the acoustic root of destruction is ma. Ma is the biija mantra of destruction, ma is the biija mantra of sarvalaya, ma is the biija mantra of prańásha.⁽²³⁾ So ma is the biija mantra of destruction.

So the entire functional business of the Supreme Self is represented by three sounds, a, u and ma – a-u-mmm. Hence the activated Consciousness is represented by the sound oooṋm.⁽²⁴⁾ And this oṋm now is called prańava.

This mantra starts with the sound oṋm. Oṋḿ bhúr bhuvah svah. A represents generation, creation; u represents preservation, operation; and ma represents destruction. Generation, operation and destruction. The first letter of “generation” is “g”, the first letter of “operation” is “o”, and the first letter of “destruction” is “d”. G-O-D, God.

Footnotes

(1) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) A few words here were not clearly audible on the tape. They may have expressed that the first case, singular form of Savitr is “Savitá” –Eds.

(5) A word or two here are inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) A sentence here, not clearly audible on the tape, mentioned the script used in the Punjab. –Eds.

(7) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(8) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(9) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(10) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(11) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(12) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(13) The next sentence begins “This portion was taken from…”, but the rest of the sentence is inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(14) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(15) The next sentence here on the tape was “So here, for the sake of chanda, the mantra is to be…” The final verb was inaudible. –Eds.

(16) The next sentence here on the tape was “And wherever there is vibration, there is… how it is created, where it is created.” A word or two were inaudible. –Eds.

(17) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(18) The next sentence here is not clearly audible on the tape, but apparently says that in other scripts also “ ‘a’ is the first letter.” –Eds.

(19) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(20) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(21) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(22) A sentence here was not clearly audible on the tape, but apparently recapitulated the meaning of a, u and ma. –Eds.

(23) The next few sentences are not clearly audible on the tape. Audible phrases are: “… and hence ma is the last letter of the vargiiya varńamálá [portion of alphabet composed of phonetic groups]. The last varga [phonetic group]… and the last letter of… is ma – pa pha ba bha ma.” –Eds.

(24) A sentence here was not clearly audible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 11	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

[

Svadeham arańiḿ krtvá prańavaḿcottarárańim;
Jiṋánanirmathanábhyásat páshaḿ dahati pańd́itah.

[A spiritual aspirant burns the ropes of his páshas (fetters, bondages) by using his body as the arańi (lower piece of wood) and mantra as the uttarárańi (upper piece of wood – the two pieces are rubbed together). An aspirant churns spiritual and mundane knowledge to separate the spiritual from the mundane (as churning separates butter from buttermilk).]

]

What should a pandit do? The rśi [sage] says that a pandit should use his deha as arańi.

Svadeham. Sva means “one’s”; deha means “body”. In Sanskrit there are several terms for “body” – deham, shariiram, káyam, tanu – there are so many words. But their meanings are not the same. Tanu – the root verb tan means “to expand”; tanu means “the wonted expansionist”; to expand is its wont, to expand is its characteristic. That is, the body of a babe, the body of a man below thirty-nine years of age, is called tanu. Because up to the age of thirty-nine, the body goes on increasing either internally or externally. And after thirty-nine decay starts, waning starts. So the name for the body after thirty-nine is shariira. To become shiirńa is its svabháva [nature]. To wane is its svabháva. Hence the body of a man after thirty-nine years of age is called shariiram. Shariiram means “[that which is] decaying”, “[that which is] waning”. Another word is káyam. The root verb is ci, and the suffix is [ghaiṋ]. Ci means “to select”, “to choose”, “to pluck”. Now, in this body there is oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, gold, iron, mercury, and so many factors and so many elements. So this body is an assemblage of so many items. Hence it is called káyam. Káyam means “assemblage”. And here in this shloka the word deha has been used. Here the root verb is dih. In Sanskrit dih means “to adorn”, “to decorate”. So deha means “the object that one wants to keep decorated”, which is one’s object of adoration. An ugly-looking man also tries to keep his body well-decorated, thus it is called deha. A man has got maximum attachment for his deha – not for tanu or shariiram or káyam, but for deha. So here the word deha has been used by the rśi, and not shariiram or káyam.

Svadeham arańiḿ krtvá – “The spiritual aspirant should use his deha as arańi.” What is arańi? Arańi means “wood used as fuel”. In ancient times there were no matches. They had to create fire by friction. Now, the main piece of wood was called arańi, and the smaller one used for rubbing was called uttarárańi. So here the spiritual aspirant should use his deha, the main object of his attachment, as arańi, and prańava, that is, his Iśt́a mantra [mantra leading one to the Supreme Goal], as uttarárańi. Do you follow? That is, his physical body, his deha, should be in constant touch with his Iśt́a mantra.

Svadeham arańiḿ krtvá prańavaḿ ca uttarárańim – “using prańava, using the Iśt́a mantra, as uttarárańi”. Now what is its inner import? What is the import? The human body has a particular rhythm; each and every human body has its peculiar rhythm. And that rhythm is a creation of the person’s reactive momenta. So that rhythm separates him from all other objects of this universe. The reactive momenta of two persons are not the same. So the entitative rhythm of a particular man is purely his. And, just now I said, the Iśt́a mantra is to be used as uttarárańi. The Iśt́a mantra has a particular acoustic rhythm. Each and every mantra has its own acoustic rhythm. So the entitative rhythm of the spiritual aspirant must be in constant touch with the incantative rhythm of his Iśt́a mantra. That is, a sádhaka, a spiritual aspirant, should always try to make an adjustment between his entitative rhythm and incantative rhythm. And when that adjustment is established he attains the supreme trance of qualified absorption. And this is his goal. Svadeham arańiḿ krtvá prańavaḿ ca uttarárańiḿ. Why should the prańava be used as uttarárańi? That has now been clearly explained. And after that what will happen? Jiṋánanirmathanábhyásat pásham dahati pańd́itah [“A pandit breaks the fetters by churning knowledge (to separate the spiritual from the mundane)”].

Jiṋánanirmathana. Actually the word jiṋána means “subjectivization of external objectivities”. Jiṋánam – the actual import of the term jiṋánam is “subjectivization of external physicalities, of external objectives”. Now here the rśi [sage, author of the shloka, or couplet] prescribes jiṋánam nirmathanam. Nirmathana means “to churn”. We get butter by churning curd. Now in this jiṋánam there are so many objects – there is name, there is fame, there is money, there is landed property, there are so many items. Now by churning this jiṋánam the spiritual aspirant separates átman, the múlavastu [basic substance], from the impurities, from the mundane impurities. That is, by churning jiṋánam you are to separate the spirit from the impurities. And that’s why nirmathanam is required. And this nirmathanam is being done by – what? By this gharśanakriyá [rubbing] of arańi and uttarárańi. Jiṋánanirmathanábhyásat pásham dahati pańd́itah.

What is the result of the friction, the friction between arańi and uttarárańi? Fire is created. So as a result of this friction what happens? Certainly spiritual fire is created, sádhanágni is created; and what will that sádhanágni do? All the impurities of the mind will cease to exist, will be destroyed; and he who does these things is a pańd́ita.

The word pańd́ita can be used only for such spiritual aspirants and for nobody else. Because pańd́á means “Self-realization”. Pańd́á means “subjective reality”. Pańd́á means “knowing the hub of this Cosmological order”. And he who has acquired pańd́á is a pańd́ita. Just by learning Sanskrit one cannot become a pańd́ita. If one aspires to become a pańd́ita, one will have to know oneself.

Ahaḿ Brahmásmiiti buddhih támitah práptah pańd́itah [“One who has the sense, or intelligence, of knowing that ‘I am Brahma’ is a pańd́ita”]. “I am that characteristic seity” – this supreme realization is called pańd́á. And he who has realized this pańd́á, he who has acquired this pańd́á, is a pańd́ita. You are all sádhakas. I will ask you to obey this order of the rśi, which I also prescribe, and become pańd́itas.

Shubhamastu [May it be auspicious].

Chapter 12	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Now I’ll say something regarding Bhagaván and His Giitá.

The name of the scripture is Shriimad Bhagavad Giitá, because it is the Giitá of Bhagaván. Yá Bhagavatá giitá sá Giitá [“That which has been sung by Bhagaván is the Giitá”] – that is, “The Giitá is the expression of Bhagaván.”

What is Bhagaván? Bhagaván means “owner of bhaga”. In the Vedic language the word bhaga has three meanings. One is “divine effulgence”. The other is “primary cause”. And the third meaning is –

Aeshvaryaiṋca samagraiṋca viiryaiṋca yashasah shriyah;

Jiṋána vaerágyayoshca tu śańńáḿ bhaga iti smrtam.

[Bhaga is a collection of six attributes: aeshvarya, viirya, yasha, shrii, jiṋána and vaerágya.]

That is, the word bhaga means a collection of six attributes. What are those attributes?

Aeshvaryaiṋca samagraiṋca – “the combination of all the occult powers”. What is aeshvarya? Aeshvarya means “occult power”. He who has aeshvarya, or occult power, is called Iishvara. So one of the attributes is occult power.

Then the second one is viiryam, that is, stamina.⁽¹⁾ And the third is yasha – reputation.

The fourth is shrii. Shrii means “charm”. You know, shrii means “activating charm”. Not only ordinary simple charm, but activating charm. Sha – the letter sha, tálavya [palatal] sha, is the acoustic root of the mutative principle. And the sound ra is the acoustic root of energy. Sha plus ra is equal to shra. In the feminine it becomes shrii. The sha represents the mutative principle, and ra represents energy; and shrii means “activating charm”, “charm that activates”. And that’s why it is the Indian system to use the word Shrii before the name.

So the first thing is occult power, the second thing is stamina, the third thing is reputation, the fourth is shrii, and the fifth is spiritual knowledge, jiṋánam.

The sixth is vaerágyam, renunciation. Not exactly renunciation: to remain unassailed by the attractive colours of this universe is vaerágya. Rága means “colour”.

The combination of all these six attributes is called bhaga, and he who is the owner of this bhaga, that is, he who is owner of these six attributes, is called bhagaván. By sádhaná an ordinary man can become bhagaván – after acquiring bhaga, these six attributes.

Yá Bhagavatá giitá sá Giitá – that is, “The Giitá is the expression of Bhagaván.” The Giitá is the call, the Giitá is the clarion call, of the Supreme;⁽²⁾ the Giitá is the clarion call of the Supreme Guide. Yá Bhagavatá giitá sá Giitá. Now, it is the divine call. Now, let us see what is its spirit. The spirit of the Giitá is that one should march, one should move, towards one’s spiritual goal, by making proper adjustment between inner urge and external physicalities. But you know, the external mundanity always tries to deprave a sádhaka, so he will have to fight a ceaseless battle against these depraving factors. In the Giitá, it is the order of Bhagaván to fight against depraving factors, to fight against inner and outer enemies. This is the spirit of the Giitá, and the spirit of the Giitá has been represented, properly represented, in its first shloka. In that first shloka, what has been said?

Dhrtaráśt́ra uváca:
Dharmakśetre Kurukśetre samavetá yuyutsavah;
Mámakáh Páńd́aváshcaeva kimakurvata Saiṋjaya?

[Dhritarastra said: “O Sanjaya, now that my children and the children of Pandu have gathered on the battlefield of Dharmakśetra, of Kurukśetra, eager to fight, what is taking place?”]

This shloka represents the entire import of the Giitá.

Dhrtaráśt́ra uváca – “Dhritarastra said.” Who is Dhritarastra? Ráśt́ram dhrtam yena sah Dhrtaráśt́rah – “He who holds the structural solidarity”. Ráśt́ra means “structure”, “framework” – in Hindustani, dháncá. So ráśt́ra means “structure”; and dhrta means “holder” – so he who holds, he who maintains, the structural solidarity, is “Dhrtaráśt́ra” – Ráśt́ram dhrtam yena sah Dhrtaráśt́rah. Now, who maintains the structural solidarity of the human structure? The mind. Because the mind is there, its structural solidarity is maintained. When the mind goes away, the different limbs will dissociate, it will start decomposing. So the mind, Dhritarastra, calls Sanjaya.

Now you know, mind without conscience is a blind force. Dhritarastra was blind; Dhritarastra was janmándha [born blind], Dhritarastra could not see. Blind Dhritarastra said – the blind mind said (Dhrtaráśt́ra uváca means, “The blind mind, blind human mind, mind of a non-sádhaka, mind of a non-aspirant of spirituality, said”) – Dharmakśetre Kurukśetre samávetá yuyutsavah⁽³⁾ – Dharmakśetre Kurukśetre [“On the field of dharma, on the field of this universe”] yuddhártham [“for war”] samavetáh [“gathered”] mámakáh [“my people”] (mamapakśiiyáh [“my party”]) Páńd́aváshcaeva (Páńd́avá + ca [+ eva = “and the Pandavas”]) kimakurvata [“what are they doing?”]. Dharmakśetre Kurukśetre [“On the field of dharma, on the field of this universe”] yuddhártham [“for war”] samávetáh [“gathered”] mamapakśiiyáh tathá Páńd́upakśiiyáh [“my party and the Pandava party”] te kimakurvata [“what are they doing?”]. Bho Sainyaya kathaya ahaḿ shrnomi [“O Sanjaya, tell me, let me hear”].

Dharmakśetre. What is dharmakśetra? What is dharma? The root verb dhr plus the suffix man equals dharma. Dharma means “characteristic”; dharma means “property”; dharma means “natural wont”. And what is the characteristic, what is the natural wont, of a human being? To move towards the Supreme Self – to long for pleasure. To long for pleasure is the wont of each and every human being. And because He is the fountain, He is the home, He is the supreme abode of all pleasures, that’s why to long for Him is proper dharma. And dharmakśetra – one can practise dharma – where? Only when one is within this physical structure. After death one cannot practise dharma. So this human body is the dharmakśetra.

The blind mind said that within this dharmakśetra of the human body, and this kurukśetra –

In Sanskrit kuru means “do” – imperative mood, second person – “do, kuru”. Kurukśetra means the field always saying Kuru, kuru, kuru, kuru – “Oh, man, do something, do something, do something, do something.” The kśetra, the field, always saying, “Do something, you must do something, you will have to do something,” is kurukśetra. That is, this world is kurukśetra. Kurukśetra is not a town near Delhi. The entire universe is kurukśetra. Here everybody will have to do something, must do something. So it is kurukśetra. And this universe is also doing something; it is always moving. One name of this universe is jagat: gam (root verb) + kvip (suffix) = jagat; jagat means “characteristically moving”. Another name is saḿsára: the root verb sr means “to move”, so saḿsára means “moving on its own”. Everything here is moving, so it is kurukśetra – and this universe is always telling you to do something.

So the blind mind asked the conscience, asked: “In this saḿsára of kurukśetra, and in this human body, dharmakśetra, who did appear, who did assemble? My party and the party of Pandu. These were the two belligerent parties. What did these two belligerent parties do?” This was the question.

The blind mind asked whom? Asked Sanjaya. What is the saiṋjaya? Just now I said that the mind is a blind force, and cannot do anything without the help of the conscience. What is the conscience? The power of discrimination. Saiṋjaya: sam + ji (root verb) + al (suffix) = saiṋjaya. Saiṋjaya means “conscience”; saiṋjaya means “power of discrimination”. The mind is a blind force; that’s why the mind asked the conscience: “What did they do? What did these two parties do? – my party and the party of Pandu.”

Now, “my party – mámakáh, mamapakśiiyáh” – said Dhritarastra, the blind mind. Now, who are the agents of the mind? The mind says “my party” – who are the soldiers, who are the agents of the mind? There are ten organs, and these ten organs are the agents of the mind; these ten organs are the agents of that blind mind. Five external organs and five internal organs: cakśuh, karńa, násiká, jihvá, tvak, vák, páńi, páda, páyu, and upastha [eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, vocal cord, hands/arms, feet/legs, anus, genitary organ]. These are the ten organs; they are agents of the blind mind. And each and every organ can function in ten directions. In Sanskrit there are ten dishas; six are called pradisha and four are called anudisha. Púrva, pashcima, uttara, dakśińa, urdhva, and adhah – these six directions are called pradisha. And iishána, váyu, agni, naerta – these four corners are called anudisha. So a total of ten dishas.

There are ten organs – ten agents of the blind mind – and each and every organ can function in ten directions. Ten times ten is equal to one hundred. The agents of the mind can function in one hundred directions. So the blind mind has one hundred agents. Dhritarastra had one hundred sons – Duryodhana, Dushasana – one hundred in number; one hundred agents of the depraved mind, the blind mind, the polluted mind.

And the opposite parties are the fighting parties of the Pandavas – Páńd́upakśiiyáh, agents of Pandu. I think it is quite clear? – agents of Pandu. And who are the agents of Pandu? In Sanskrit pańd́ is a root verb; pańd́ means “Self-realization”. Yesterday I told you the meaning of pańd́ita. He who has acquired realization is a pańd́ita; pańd́ means Self-realization. Now this Self-realization is attained by whom? By the sádhaka [spiritual aspirant]. And in the process of Self-realization one will have to exalt one’s divinity in crude form. That is, the dormant divinity is to be exalted and brought to the sahasrára cakra⁽⁴⁾ for that Self-realization. And in this process, in this march towards the supreme goal of spirituality, it will have to pass through five stages. Just to acquire [pańd́á, absolute knowledge] one will have to pass through five stages – múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura, anáhata and vishuddha. These are the five stages, five controlling points of the five factors of this quinquelemental world. These five stages are the helpers of páńd́u;⁽⁵⁾ they help in realizing the Supreme Self. So they are páńd́avas. The Pandavas are five in number.

So it is an internal fight – the fight between the introversial tendency and the extroversial tendency. In the extroversial tendency there are one hundred agents, and in the introversial tendency there are five friends. The fight within yourself is a fight amongst, on the one side, those five introversial friends, and on the other side, one hundred depraving elements. This fight is the fight of kurukśetra. The blind mind asks the conscience: “What was the result of that fight? O Sanjaya, O conscience, I want to know.”

So in this particular shloka the spirit of the Giitá has been properly represented. And it is the order of Bhagaván [here, Krśńa] that one will have to fight this fight with proper courage and prowess. And this prowess will make one victorious, and those depraving elements will be vanquished.

So you are all sádhakas, you are all spiritual aspirants; I will ask you to follow, to adhere to, this principle properly. Be courageous and fight properly against those depraving elements; certainly you will be victorious.

Footnotes

(1) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) After quoting the shloka as it appears in the Bhagavad Giitá, above, and repeating the first line here, the author now proceeds to give a prose Sanskrit paraphrase, clarifying at the same time the etymology of Páńd́aváshcaeva. –Eds.

(4) The uppermost psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, in the body, located at the crown of the head. –Trans.

(5) That path along which a person becomes established in pańd́á; or by derivation, one who follows that path. King Pandu was the father of the five Pandava brothers in the Mahábhárata epic of which the Bhagavad Giitá is a part. –Trans.

Chapter 13	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Let there be a short discourse on the universal expression of Parama Puruśa, the vishvarúpa of Parama Puruśa.⁽¹⁾

Tvaḿ strii tvaḿ pumánasi tvaḿ kumára uta vá kumárii;
Tvaḿ jirńo dańd́ena vaiṋcasi tvaḿ játo bhavasi vishvatomukhah.

Niilah pataungo harito lohitakśa tadidgarbha rtavah samudráh;
Anádimastvaḿ vibhutvena vartase yato játáni bhútáni vishvá.

[You are a woman, You are a man; You are a boy, You are a girl; when old, You walk falteringly with a stick. You express Yourself in so many forms and so many ways.]

[Little blue insects, little green insects, and red-eyed birds; clouds full of thunder and lightning; the seasons, the ocean – all these manifestations of Yours proclaim Your power from beginningless time.]

“O Lord, all the expressions, all the manifestations are known to You. Nothing is negligible, nothing is unimportant. All are microscopic expressions of the Supreme Puruśa.” He cannot hate you. He hasn’t got the right to hate anybody, He hasn’t got the right.⁽²⁾

Tvaḿ strii tvaḿ pumánasi.⁽³⁾ Males are expressions of Parama Puruśa, they are the sons of Parama Puruśa. Similarly, womenfolk are expressions of that Parama Puruśa, they are the daughters of Parama Puruśa.

Tvaḿ strii tvaḿ pumánasi tvaḿ kumára uta vá kumárii – “A little boy, a sweet little boy, is Your expression. A sweet little girl is also Your expression.”

Tvaḿ jirno dańd́ena – “And that old man moving with a stick” – like this – “is also another sweet expression of that Parama Puruśa.” Different panorama of His expressions. A collection of so many pictures. All are equally sweet, equally respectable, equally loving, because the collection of all these figures is His vishvarúpa.

Tvaḿ játo bhavasi vishvatomukha – “and all Your expressions, each and every expression of Yours, is sarvatomukha” – that is, “omniscient”, “omnipotent”. “You are so loving,” and so a devotee sees Him in each and every expression.

Niilah pataungo harito lohitakśa tadidgarbha rtavah samudráh – “Little insects of blue colour, of green colour, and⁽⁴⁾ clouds, and thunder – all of these – all are Your expressions, all are my Lord, my loving Lord.”

Anádimastvaḿ vibhutvena vartase – “and You reside, Your abode is in the realm of infinity. One cannot go beyond Your jurisdiction, nobody can go beyond Your jurisdiction.⁽⁵⁾ Because – what? You are Ánandasvarúpa [Embodiment of Bliss].”

Ánandáddhyeva khalvimáni bhútáni jáyante;
Ánandena játáni jiivanti ánandaḿ prayantyabhisaḿvishanti.

[Out of bliss all beings were born, in bliss they are living, and into bliss they will ultimately dissolve.]

“They were created by the ánandam of Parama Puruśa, He wanted it. Just to give pleasure to Himself He created the whole world, so the very root of creation lies in ánandam.”

Ánandena játáni jiivanti – “and living beings, they want to live here, remain in this world, because they want to get ánandam from this world.” And when a man thinks that he is not getting ánandam or he will not get ánandam, he commits suicide.

Ánandaḿ prayantyabhisaḿvishanti – “and in the last hour and in the culminating point of human life, he wants peace in the sweet lap of ánandam [bliss] – Parama Puruśa.”

And⁽⁶⁾ this is the vishvarúpa of Parama Puruśa. But the jiṋánii [sádhaka who follows the path of knowledge or discrimination] – you know, there is a fight from the very beginning. There are two sets of fight. One fight goes on between yogis and jiṋániis, bhaktas [sádhakas who follow the path of devotion] and jiṋániis – they are two belligerent parties, always fighting with each other. The bhaktas and the jiṋániis. And another fight is between bhakta and Bhagaván [the Lord]. [laughter]

The fight between jiṋániis and bhaktas is: The jiṋánii wants to see everything, understand everything, with the help of his little intellect. And that intellect lies within the small nerve cells of the brain. And those nerve cells are within that little⁽⁷⁾ cranium. And they think that they are jiṋániis, they are not ordinary yogis. This is the mentality of the jiṋánii. And they want their jiṋánam to be universally recognized. It may or may not be jiṋánam, but it should be recognized. [laughter] And they are⁽⁸⁾ do-little, tall-talking people, theoreticians. And also they are puffed up with vanity.⁽⁹⁾ This is the nature of jiṋániis. You boys, you girls, do you want to become jiṋániis?

[Audience: “No.”⁽¹⁰⁾ ]

And bhaktas say that this little brain and these little nerve cells are creations of Parama Puruśa. How can they judge Him with this little brain and these little nerve cells? The best way to get Him, to be one with Him, is to surrender at His altar.

So they are always fighting amongst themselves, those jiṋániis and those bhaktas.

And there is a fight between bhakta and Bhagaván also, as you know. It was started in – when? [Beginningless time.] And we don’t know whether it will go on up to [endless time]. The fight is about what? Bhagaván says: “O bhaktas, O devotees, I am here because you are here. My name, Bhagaván, would become meaningless if the bhaktas were not present, because a name becomes meaningless if that name is not used by anybody as a mode of address.” Suppose a man, a particular gentleman, is Nirmal. But if there is no one in the universe to call him Nirmal, then that name “Nirmal” becomes meaningless.⁽¹¹⁾ “And so you are superior to me,” says Bhagaván. “O bhaktas, You are superior to me.” And the bhaktas say: “O Parama Puruśa, Thou art the very fundament of my life, very base of my life. I exist because you exist.”

You know, one of the meanings of the word “Krśńa” is as follows: Krś means “to be”. In Sanskrit the root verb krś has two meanings.⁽¹²⁾ And another meaning is “to be”, “to exist”. Why do we call Him Krśńa? Because bhaktas say that “We exist because of Your existence. That’s why You are Krśńa. If Krśńa is not existing, then we also won’t exist.”⁽¹³⁾ So bhaktas say: “No, no, no, Parama Puruśa, You are the fundament of my life, so You are far, far superior to me.” And Bhagaván says: “No, why superior?” [laughter] This fight is going on between bhakta and Bhagaván. A fight to be the inferior to the other. A never-ending fight.

The jiṋániis say: “When the Lord has expressed Himself in the form of this universe, the noumenal Lord in the form of the phenomenal world, in the form of the phenomenal universe, then who doth control us? Who’s the controlling authority? When He has expressed Himself fully?” The bhaktas say: “No, no, no, this universe is the phenomenal side of His expression, and the remaining portion, the remaining counterpart, is far superior to, far bigger than, that expressed portion. This universe is a finite island, a very small island, in an ocean of infinity. The expressed portion of Parama Puruśa is just like a point, and the unexpressed portion is bigger than an ocean.” Bhaktas say:

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát;
Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam.

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam;
Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati.⁽¹⁴⁾

[Puruśa has innumerable heads, innumerable eyes, innumerable feet; He is everywhere on this earth. He is the all-pervading Entity. He is ten finger-widths above the trikut́i, located at the mid-point between the eyebrows (i.e., His seat is the sahasrára cakra, located at the crown of the head). He knows whatever happened in the past and whatever will happen in the future. He is the Lord of all, because He has created everything.]

“My Lord thinks with innumerable brains and yours is a single brain. A man has only one brain, and Parama Puruśa thinks with innumerable brains. You see with two eyes, you jiṋánii, you see with two eyes, and Parama Puruśa sees with innumerable eyes. He sees what is being done within your mind, what is being done by you secretly. Because He has innumerable eyes.”

Sahasrapát [“innumerable feet or legs”]. Just to conquer space, you use aeroplanes, you use rockets; but you will never be able to conquer time or conquer space. You must take some time to cross a particular area. You may minimize the time span, but it will never become nil. But sahasrapát – “My Parama Puruśa has got innumerable legs.” Suppose one leg is here in Hyderabad, another in Madras. Does it take any time to go from Hyderabad to Madras? No. By rocket it will take some time. But He is sahasrapát. He has got legs everywhere in this universe. In each and every part of this universe.

Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam – “O jiṋánii, He has expressed Himself in all the forms of the universe. He is present in each and every entity. But” – sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá – “He covers everything also.” That is, He is not only in the form of this expressed universe, but as its witnessing counterpart, He remains above this universe also.

Á’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam [“He is ten finger-widths above the trikut́i, located at the mid-point between the eyebrows (i.e., His seat is the sahasrára cakra, located at the crown of the head)”] – that is, “through all, with the help of all, His mental faculties, He controls your physical and mental movements.”⁽¹⁵⁾

“But He knows everything – all past events, all future events, and, in between the past and future, the short span of present.” But you jiṋánii, from one side you are learning, from another side you are forgetting.⁽¹⁶⁾ Because you are learning with a particular speed and forgetting with more speed. [laughter] And this is the condition of the jiṋánii. So you boys, may I ask for a second time: “Do you want to become jiṋániis, or do you want to become bhaktas?”

[Audience: “Bhaktas.”]

Very good. Then I’ll help you. [laughter] Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati – “and He’s the Lord, He’s the Father, He’s the Progenitor, of all⁽¹⁷⁾ creatures, of all living beings.” Human beings, you know, are the most developed, most elevated creatures. And He’s the Lord of all elevated creatures. He is the Lord of those so-called jiṋániis also (if they are actually elevated creatures). Utámrtatvasyesháno [“Lord of hell and of heaven”]. But you know, those who are downtrodden people, illiterate,⁽¹⁸⁾ sinners – aren’t they children of that Parama Puruśa? Certainly. He is the Lord of heaven, He is the Lord of hell also. He is the master of all, He is the Puruśa of all. So no sinner should feel that because he is a sinner, Parama Puruśa doesn’t love him, Parama Puruśa doesn’t like him. He should remember that he may be a sinner, but still he is the child of that Parama Puruśa; Parama Puruśa cannot hate him.

You know, once there was an altercation between a jiṋánii and a bhakta. The bhakta asked the jiṋánii: “You jiṋánii, can you say what my Parama Puruśa, what my Lord, cannot do?” And the jiṋánii was in a fix to say what the Lord cannot do. So the bhakta gave a reply. He said: “My Lord, my Parama Puruśa, My Supreme Father, cannot do two things. One is, He cannot create another Parama Puruśa. [laughter] He cannot create another Parama Puruśa like Him. It is His first defect. [laughter] The first disqualification is, He cannot create another Parama Puruśa. And the second disqualification is, He cannot hate anybody. Even if so desired by Him – suppose He desires to hate a particular man – no, He hasn’t got the capacity to hate others, He cannot hate others. These are the two disqualifications, defects, of Parama Puruśa.”

Utámrtatvasyesháno – “He is the Lord of all elevated creatures, He is the Lord of all the seven heavens, and He is the Lord of, He is the Father of, He is the loving Progenitor of all downtrodden people, all sinners, all degraded, depraved persons.” So it is the duty of all human beings to utilize each and every moment of their precious lives in sádhaná, in meditation, in ideating on the glory of the Supreme, and utilize their valuable lives in doing the kiirtana of the Lord.

You know, it is the human wont that whenever two or three persons assemble, what do they naturally do? They criticize others. Suppose two or three gentlemen are assembled. They are criticizing that man – “He is not a good man” – that minister – “He is not a good man” – that party – “It is not a good party.”⁽¹⁹⁾ And they will never think what they actually are. They will never criticize themselves.⁽²⁰⁾ I will say they hardly criticize themselves. So what will an intelligent man do? He will do – what? Utilize that time. You know, people say: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” So intelligent people will utilize their time in kiirtaniiyah sadá Harih [“always do kiirtana to the Lord”]. Whenever they will get any spare time, they will do the kiirtana of Hari.

Why Hari kiirtana? One name of Parama Puruśa is Hari. A very popular name of Parama Puruśa is Hari. Why Hari? In Sanskrit hr means “to steal”. So He is Hari, because Harati pápánii ityarthe Hari [“One who steals sins is called Hari”]. He steals. He steals what? He steals your sins.

Whenever you take something from a particular gentleman without his permission, but applying physical force, it is called dacoity, right? And when you take something from a gentleman without his permission, but secretly, not by outright violence, then it is called “stealing”.⁽²¹⁾ When one ensconces oneself in Parama Puruśa, and when one surrenders oneself at the altar of Hari, then what does Hari do? He steals that person’s sins without his permission.⁽²²⁾ He will never say: “Oh, Mr. X, give me permission to take your sins.” [laughter] No, He won’t say this, because in that case Mr. X will say: “Oh, Hari, I will give you flowers, I will give you my mind, I will offer all my good actions and good entities. Why should I give You my sins?” He won’t allow; he won’t give the permission. So Hari is to steal his sins secretly. That’s why He is the Supreme Stealer also.

And what is a human being to do? Whenever he’ll get any time, whenever two or three persons will assemble, they will do kiirtaniiyah sadá Harih. It is the best means of utilization of your valuable time.

Footnotes

(1) The next few sentences were not clearly audible on the tape, but related to certain phases of Cosmic creation. The audible phrases were: “In the universal arena of Mind there was a time… and Parama Puruśa was the witness of that.… Then after that, that all-loving Parama Puruśa, that all-loving Supreme Progenitor, expressed Himself into…” –Eds.

(2) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) The next few sentences were not clearly audible on the tape, but related to the mistreatment of women in society. The audible phrases were: “You know, in ancient society – and even now, in certain portions, in certain groups of people of the world – womenfolk are treated as… But should one treat them as…? No. They should not; rather, we must say they haven’t got the right to treat them…” –Eds.

(4) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(6) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(7) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(8) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(9) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(10) After the audience’s “no”, the author spoke a sentence, inaudible on the tape, that provoked laughter in the audience. –Eds.

(11) Two sentences here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(12) The first meaning was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(13) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(14) Rgveda Puruśasúktam. –Eds.

(15) There was a gap in the recording here. Perhaps the tape had to be changed at this point. The author seems next to be commenting on the shloka (verse) line Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yad bhútaḿ yacca bhavyam (“Puruśa knows whatever was done in the past and Puruśa knows whatever will be done in the future.” –Eds.

(16) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(17) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(18) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(19) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(20) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(21) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(22) A sentence here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 14	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

And those who have developed this, attained this, internal ocular power, internal ocular vision, see that their Lord lies coverted within their very “I” feeling, within their very existence. They needn’t go to temples, needn’t go to tiirthas [places of pilgrimage], in search of Parama Puruśa. Párvatii asked Lord Shiva: “O Lord, which one is the best tiirtha?”

You know, the meaning of tiirtha is tiirasthaḿ. Suppose on a river there is a waterline; that waterline, that waterline that touches the shore, that point, is called tiira. And above that, the slope of the river is called belá or belábhumi – “shore”, “bank”. But the tiira is not the bank. The tiira is the touching point where the water touches the land. This is the bank and this is the water. [gestures] This point is tiira.

So tiirasthaḿ means “situated on tiira”. If you go a step downward you will be in the water. A step upward, you will be on dry land. That point is called tiira, tiirasthaḿ.

Actually, tiirtha means that stance from where if you go a step deeper, a step inner, you will be in the land of bliss, and if you go a step cruder you will be within the realm of crude materiality, the crude world. So tiirasthaḿ. A man should always try to keep his mind, keep himself, in tiirtha. So as soon as he will sit in meditation, he will be in deep meditation; and as soon as he will start worldly work he will be starting worldly work. His position, his stance, should always be maintained. A man should always be in tiirtha. How can one be always in Varanasi or Rameshvaram [places of pilgrimage]? It is not possible. One will have to look after his hearth and home. So tiirtha is something internal, not external.

When Párvatii asked Lord Shiva, “O Lord, which one is the best tiirtha?” Lord Shiva’s reply was:

Idaḿ tiirtham idaḿ tiirthaḿ bhramanti támasáh janáh;
Átmatiirthaḿ na jánanti kathaḿ mokśa varánane.

[Here is one place of pilgrimage, there is another place. People of static nature wander from the one place to the other place. But without finding the real place of pilgrimage within themselves, how can they attain salvation?]

“O lady, támasik people, those who are guided by static ideas, move hither and thither – ‘This is the tiirtha, this is the kuńd́a [sacred pond], one should have a dip in it… this is the idol, this is that, this is that’ – and doing this they are simply wasting their valuable time, energy and money. These external tiirthas are actually no tiirtha. The actual tiirtha lies within, not without.”

Átmatiirthaḿ na jánanti – “They do not know this átmatiirtha [one’s own real tiirtha], where Parama Puruśa lies coverted.” Just now I told you Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám [“The essence of dharma lies deep in the mind”]. That tiirtha is not known to them, that’s why they cannot get mokśa, they cannot attain salvation. One should always be in one’s own átmatiirtha.

Shubhamastu [Let it be auspicious].

Chapter 15	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Last night I said that human expressions are trifarious in character: physical, psychic and spiritual. And human approaches are four in number: physical, physico-psychic, psychic and psycho-spiritual.

The woes and anxieties, the pleasure or composure, that a man or an animal enjoys in the physical stratum are extremely limited. That is, the waves of woes and anxieties, or pleasure, function within a short sphere, and that is why they are purely of a temporary nature. The person or the space is also extremely limited.

In the case of humans, and also in the case of a few developed animals – animals like dogs or monkeys – there are physico-psychic pleasures and physico-psychic pains also. Although the jurisdictions of those pleasures or those pains are limited, those jurisdictions are bigger than the first one, that is, bigger than the jurisdiction of purely physical pleasure or physical pain.

In the case of humans, there is psychic pleasure or psychic pain. In the case of animals, most of them have their pleasures and pains only in the physical stratum, and they come, or they are created, as an inborn instinct.

But in the case of developed animals and humans, all is not only inborn; some things are imposed. And not only imposed, there are some things developed by themselves. In them, that is, in developed animals and in humans, there are both genius and technician. But in the case of undeveloped animals, there is nothing like a genius or technician.

You know, genius is an inborn faculty. And what is a technician? “Technician” means that an ordinary faculty is developed to an extraordinary degree of efficiency. This can be done by developed creatures and humans. Tamed dogs, tamed monkeys, may do many a thing, because although animals, they are developed animals. But genius you will hardly find in any developed animal. You will find it only in humans.

Now when a man gets the chance to enjoy physico-psychic pleasures, he does not find any interest in physical pleasures, because physical pleasure is not only crude in quality, but also of very temporary nature. It lasts for a short span. On the psychic level, man is the dominating living being. He does something new, he wants to do something new, to get more psychic pleasures; and he invents so many things, and engages himself in psychic pursuits. These things cannot be done by [undeveloped] animals or even by other developed creatures. And here lies the speciality of human beings. But I will not say that it is the speciality of human beings, because in psychic spheres the pleasure you get is nothing but a sort of positive projection of your mind. It creates nothing concrete, nothing lasting. And whenever this sort of positive projection takes place, there comes another projection, a negative projection, just to bring the mind back to normalcy. That is, the psychic pleasure that you get is counteracted or neutralized by a negative projection – by the pain you get due to a negative projection. Plus and minus make it zero. So I said there cannot be any development or any progress in physical or psychic spheres.

Now in the case of psycho-spiritual approach, what happens? Human approach towards spiritual affairs means fighting against the limitations of time, space and person. So it is the best wont of human beings. And here lies the difference between man and animal. Even the developed animals cannot do it. Now in the course of this psycho-spiritual advancement, when the particular aspirant crosses the silver line of demarcation between relativity and absolute, he goes beyond the touch of all mundane bondages. And that is the final destination, and that is the desideratum, of all human beings. And this approach of humans is called Bhágavata dharma. It is the proper dharma, it is the actual dharma. All other ideas are based on isms and dogmas. They can function within the scope of three relativities – temporal, personal and spatial factors. The man who is intelligent should from his very childhood move along this path of psycho-spirituality. The sooner a man starts or moves along this path of psycho-spirituality, the better it is. He is the blessed one.

Chapter 16	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Where there is⁽¹⁾ no vibration, no pulsation, it is not life. And that’s why everything in this universe of ours is moving. Nothing is fixed, nothing is stationary; everthing will have to move. And why will everything have to move? Because whatever we see, and whatever we think, and whatever comes within the scope of our inferences, are moving within the Cosmic Mind, are moving within the mind of Parama Puruśa. He thinks and we perceive.

All inferences are emanated from the Cosmic Mind, from the mind of the Supreme Father. You are dancing, you will be dancing; but these dances you are dancing within the mind of your Supreme Father. You are dancing within the mind of Parama Puruśa. You are dancing in His mind; your dances are creating a special type of vibration within His mind; it gives Him pleasure. You are doing good work; your good work creates a special type of vibration in His mind; it gives Him pleasure. Whatever good thing you do, it gives Him pleasure. Whatever good thoughts you encourage or you relish, give Him pleasure. That is, whatever good you do, you do to please Him, to satisfy Him. And if by your action He is satisfied, that satisfaction of His satisfies you also.

Now here everything moves. Nobody can remain stationary; even the polestar is not stationary. Our sun is not stationary; it moves in the Cosmos along with this planetary world. There are so many stars, so many suns – stars like suns – so many nebula; they are all moving. Nobody is immobile, nobody is fixed. Your body moves, your sentiments, your instincts connected with your body, move. Your mind moves. Everything moves. This movement of yours is different from the movement of other animals, other created beings, because the speciality of human beings is that they get pleasure in subtler movements. And these subtle movements, or subtler movements, are special wonts of human beings. You get less pleasure from a crude object than from a subtle object. You get more pleasure in a subtle object. Crude dance cannot give you as much pleasure as classical dance can. Because human movement, human tendencies, are towards the subtle, the subtler and the subtlest.

Each and every living being is guided by certain instincts. Plants have instincts, animals also have instincts, but human instincts are fewer in number than human psychic propensities. That is, in the case of humans, propensities are stronger than instincts; and here lies the fundamental difference between an animal and a man.

In quest of subtler objects, man felt, man realized, that the subtlest of this universe from which all waves, all expressions, emanate, is my Supreme Goal. And that Supreme Goal, that subtlest object, that perennial source of all inferences, is my goal, is my Parama Puruśa, is my Supreme Father. So a spiritual aspirant must always remember that his goal is not something physical or something psychic. His only goal is the hub of this universe, is the nucleus of this Cosmological order, is that Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Father.

All human aspirations culminate at that very point. All human desires and longings coincide there at that particular desideratum. You boys and you girls, you are all spiritual aspirants. You are all developed human beings. You should remember this cardinal truth.

Footnotes

(1) Two words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 17	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Wise people say that in the past there have been so many crises in human society. Crisis is quite natural for something moving. Wherever there is movement, there is struggle – struggle against the inertia of the earth. In the past, there have been crises in the course of movement, crises in different branches of civilization, crises in the realm of education, and so on. But nowadays, the entire human society is facing the crisis of civilization as a whole, and particularly a crisis in the field of existence. Human society is now to decide whether to live or to die. If this mud-slinging and intolerance are encouraged, humanity has no future – the future is dark, the future is sealed forever. But you know, I am not a pessimist. I am always an optimist. And I want all my sons and daughters to be optimists. And I want them to struggle against this death signal of humanity, and come out successful.

And I am sure that you boys and you girls must be optimists; and it is your duty to save humanity. And I hope you will be able to save humanity, because, just like me, you are also optimistic. You should know that great, or good, people are few in number, they are not many. They do not come within the scope of millions or billions. They are always few in number. And these few, they are the torchbearers of human society, they are the pioneers, they are the vanguards of human society. So it is your duty to save humanity. And those who are unable to shoulder their own bags and baggages – their responsibilities are to be shouldered by you. You should remember that the life of a spiritual aspirant is a mission. One’s entire life is a mission, one’s entire existence is a mission. And your mission is – what? To save humanity from this crisis. I hope you will be successful. And I not only hope, I am sure that you will be successful.

Chapter 18	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Last night I said something regarding different movements of humans in different strata of life, different arenas of life. Now, there is an eternal question regarding success in life. Some people do so many things but come out unsuccessful, and some people do something for a short while and get crowned with success. What is the inner secret? Why does one become successful and one not?

You know, Lord Shiva was the first propounder of the yoga cult. I will not say “yoga philosophy…”⁽¹⁾

Lord Shiva said that a man must not labour under any sort of complex – that is, a man, a spiritual aspirant, must be free from all complexes; he must have neither superiority complex, nor inferiority complex, nor fear complex, nor defeatist complex. That is, the mind should be completely balanced.

Actually, the question was placed before Lord Shiva by Párvatii. Párvatii was the spouse of Shiva, wife of Shiva. Párvatii’s question was: “What are the secrets of success?” And Lord Shiva said that there are seven secrets.

He said: “The first secret is Phaliśyatiiti vishvásah siddherprathama lakśańam” – that is, “In the aspirant, in the spiritual aspirant, there must be this firm determination that ‘I must be successful in my mission.’” This firm determination is the first factor, first item, first requisite factor for success. If a man is doing something but has not got the firmness of determination – if within his mind there is a question “whether I will be successful – if I am not successful” – this kind of thing – then he will never be successful. There must be firm determination that “I must be successful.” This is the first requisite factor.

Do you follow? Even those who do not understand English are understanding a little bit. Mm. [laughter]

And the second thing is: dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktaḿ – “one must have respect for one’s goal, one must have respect for one’s path.”

And the third thing: trtiiyaḿ gurupújanam – “one must have reverence for the guru.” I need not explain this item, because my subject is here that one must be free from all complexes.

Caturtho samatábhávo. The fourth factor is that the aspirant must have a balanced mind. This is the item now under discussion.

Paiṋcamendriyanigrahah. The fifth is, one must have self-restraint. Eating too much, sleeping too much, drinking too much – these weaknesses will not help the aspirant. One must have a balanced life. One must have self-restraint.

And śaśt́haiṋca pramitáháro – “one must take balanced food, that is, not too much nor too little.” It should be substantial; it should be sentient, or at least mutative in nature for family persons. It must not be of static nature. It should be balanced food, because the cells of your body are created from the food. The food that you take creates the cells of your body. And your mind is a collective mind of the minds of so many cells, so if you take static food, non-sentient food, your mind will also be of that nature. Your mind will get depraved, degenerated; so you should take proper and balanced food.

This was the advice of Lord Shiva.

So one of His pieces of advice was – what? Caturtho samatábhávo – that is, “You must have a balanced mind.” Now what is a balanced mind? The human mind has got two special wonts, two main goals, two main duties: one is to think and the other is to remember. The two duties of the human mind – one, to think, and the other, to remember – to keep in memory. Two things. Now, what is proper memory and what is proper thinking? If the thinking is proper and if the memory is proper, then I will say that the man is free from all complexes.

Now these two attributes, to think and to remember, are closely related to each other. What we see or what we perceive from the external objective world is reflected in the mind. This reflection comes first from the nerve fibres and secondly into the nerve cells; a sort of reflection is created in the mental plate. And when the reflection is created, we feel the existence of that external object. “Feel” means we see, we hear, we get the taste. This is thinking. And the second portion of thinking occurs when those waves, those sympathetic waves of the human mind, get refracted on the mental plate. They are stored-up thoughts. Those stored-up thoughts may be termed as memory.

Now when you are suffering from a superiority complex, you think that you are a better person and others are worse persons; as a result of which you are unable to accept the external waves in proper style. So your thinking gets polluted, gets distorted, as a result of which the refracted portion, that is, the memory, also gets distorted, becomes defective.

So you must not have any superiority complex. You should remember that you are not superior to anybody else. All are children of the same Supreme Father, all are progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Nobody is superior to anybody.

The second complex: Sometimes you may think that “I am an ordinary man, and that man is so big, so learned, such a big scholar – so rich, and I’m poor” – like this. If you think like this, what will happen? There will not be proper expression of your mind, there will not be proper emanations of your thought-waves; as a result of which the thought will become distorted and the refracted thought, that is, the memory portion, will become defective.

Similarly, the fear complex: Sometimes people suffer from a fear complex. The psychological side of the fear complex is as follows: Due to the presence of something stronger, or due to the presence of something which is imaginarily stronger, not actually stronger, what happens? Mental flows are blocked, are choked. They cannot find the proper avenue of expression; as a result of which thoughts also get polluted. There cannot be free thinking. A man suffering from a fear complex cannot think properly. And if the thought is defective, the memory will also be defective. So you must never suffer from any sort of fear complex.

Why should you suffer from a fear complex or an inferiority complex, when the Supreme Father is your father, when you all are the children of the same Father; why should you suffer from any inferiority complex or any fear complex, when the Supreme Father is with you? You are not weak. You are very strong, because the Almighty Father, the omnipotent Supreme Father, is with you to help you – so you must not encourage the psychology of weakness, or an inferiority complex or a fear complex. He is with you, always He is with you to help you. You are never alone.

And sometimes there is a defeatist complex. “Oh, I am defeated in this world,” “Oh, I am defeated in this struggle for existence.” Such a sentiment, such a psychology, sometimes goads a man to commit suicide even. “I am defeated, I am defeated in the struggle for existence.” You must not encourage this type of psychology. When your father is the Supreme Father, your father is the most powerful entity in the entire universe, why should you think that you have been defeated in the struggle for existence? No, a bright future awaits you. Your future is glorious, your future is luminous, your future is effulgent.

So you must not suffer from this psychology of helplessness or hopelessness or of despair. This defeatist complex may also be called “sinner’s psychology”. A man may always think: “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner.” If he feels like that, if he thinks like this, that “I am a sinner,” then actually one day he will become a sinner. Actually he is not a sinner, but if he thinks like this, that “I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” what will happen? – he will actually become a sinner, because it is the characteristic of the human mind that it takes the form of its object. So when a man thinks, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, O Lord, I am a sinner, O Lord, I am a sinner,” then actually he will become a sinner. So such a psychology is fundamentally defective. You must never think that you are a sinner. You should think: “It may be a fact that I was a sinner in the past, but from this very moment I am on the lap of the Almighty Father; I cannot be a sinner, I am not a sinner. I am seated on the lap of my Supreme Father, I am not a sinner.” Lord Shiva said this:

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák;
So’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát.

[If even the most wicked persons worship Me with a concentrated mind, I will liberate them from worldly bondages.]

Now even if a man is that type of sinner whom other sinners may take as a bad man, of whom even sinners may say that he is a bad man – for such a sinner, the worst type of sinner, the future is not dark. The future in his case also is very bright, if he takes shelter in the divine lap of the Supreme Father. “I am on the lap of my Father, I cannot be a sinner.” Suppose you are walking along the path and your dress, your clothes, become muddy due to dust or clay. Then should you think that you will remain nasty or dirty forever? If you appear before your Father with dirty clothes, what will your Father do? He will clean your clothes and take you on his lap: “O my son, your clothes have become muddy, but you are my son. Come here, come here, sit on My lap. I am your Father, you are My son, you must not suffer from any sinner’s psychology.” Do you follow?

So even if, in the past, you were sinners, forget it. Remember that from this very moment, you are the neat and clean son, you are the neat and clean child, of the Supreme Father. So there must not be any psychology of sinning complex. For a spiritual aspirant, there must not be any complex. Be free from all complexes, and move along the path of righteousness with a balanced mind, with mental equilibrium and mental equipoise. A bright future awaits you.

Footnotes

(1) Here the author goes on: “because the yoga philosophy was first propounded by…” [[The name is not clear on the tape, but from the sound of it, “Maharshi Patanjali” seems like a good possibility. Elsewhere the author has mentioned Maharshi Patanjali’s school of philosophy, popularly known as Pátaiṋjala Yoga; and yet elsewhere the author has said: “Maharshi Patanjali, the propounder of Yoga Darshana [Yoga Philosophy], was born in the village Patun in Burdwan District.” In the present discourse,]] the author goes on again: “But before him, during the time of Shiva, there was a cult, that is, a practical psychic process.” –-Eds.

Chapter 19	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

One thing that I want to say is that our human society is to move forward. Movement is the order of life, movement is the order of society. But common people do not know how to do, what to do, what is the destination. They want guidance. They want guidance from certain people whom they respect, whom they accept as their object of adoration. They respect those people because of their high moral conduct, because of their highly-developed intellectual standard…⁽¹⁾

The preceptor of the society leads, and when the condition of social peace gets very degenerated, very depraved, at that time if those preceptors or those sadvipras [spiritual revolutionaries]⁽²⁾ cannot rectify the order, free the society from so many physical and psychic ailments, at that time the Mahásambhúti⁽³⁾ comes. But when the Mahásambhúti comes or when the Mahásambhúti doesn’t come, there must be certain leading personalities in the society who will be conducting the mass, who will be giving proper guidance to the ignorant – not only ignorant, but oppressed and suppressed – persons. We say Ácarańát pát́hayati iti ácáryah – “Those who teach by their own conduct are ácáryas.” Society requires this type of leader. You boys and you girls, you are to establish yourselves as developed human beings and as blessed with the glory of human excellence at the helm of every affair. Society will recognize you because of your service, because of your sacrifice. And not only that, everybody is expecting that they will get your help, your assistance, your guidance, when there is a dire necessity for the same. You boys and you girls, you should know that I solely depend on you for the translation of our lofty ideology.

Footnotes

(1) This sentence ends with “and their intuitional…” The last word is inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(3) Elsewhere the author has written: “When Táraka Brahma [Liberating Brahma] takes the assistance of the five fundamental factors [in order to function in a human body]… it is called His Mahásambhúti.” –Eds.

Chapter 20	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

Dharma should be understood properly by all. And that’s why I said that there should be an immediate Tamil rendering [of the author’s previous discourse] – there should be renderings in all people’s languages. Let people understand it properly and do accordingly. Last night I said that above the – “beyond the”, not “above” – beyond the periphery of material mobility, there is the world of aesthetics; and above it, beyond it, there is the world of mystics. The world of mystics and the world of aesthetics are for human beings. And each and every human being should get a proper chance, should get adequate chance, to move into those worlds.

So you boys, you girls, you intellectuals, this should be your duty – so that common men’s worldly burdens are minimized, so that they may get ample chance to move into higher worlds and utilize their energy for higher and subtler pursuits. The entire aesthetics is the only charming entity in human life. Had there been no aesthetics, human life would have been just like a desert. A slight touch of aesthetics in this anxiety-[ridden] life of human beings is just like an oasis in a desert. Art, architecture, literature, music – everything – had its origin, had its starting point – where? Just at the common point of aesthetics and mystics. That’s why in ancient India, both in Áryavarta music and Dakśinatya music (commonly known as Karnataka music), music was devotional. Music used to get its inspiration from mysticism.

You should revive all these subtler expressions of humanity. You should remember that human life is not like a flower, it is like a collection of so many flowers, and that collection of so many flowers is the charm of human life. Human life is not like a flower; it is like a beautiful garden of so many flowers. Let all those flowers develop, and let the final movement of all those expressions of charm and fascination be goaded unto Parama Puruśa. Whatever I do, whatever we do, whatever we will be doing, just to please the supreme charmer, just to please the supreme source, just to please the Supreme Progenitor – there cannot be any other aim of human life.

Chapter 21	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

As all of you, rather, most of you, know, Parama Puruśa is the starting-point of everything, be it animate, be it inanimate. He is the supreme source; everything emanates from Him. So each and every living being belongs to the same tribe, and the tribal chief is Parama Puruśa. They are moving on round Parama Puruśa,⁽¹⁾ and their final goal, the final terminus, is also Parama Puruśa – that is, each and every living being belongs to the same village, and same nation, and same group of living beings.

Now, their goal is Parama Puruśa, the desideratum is Parama Puruśa. While moving towards Parama Puruśa, while running towards the supreme goal, they should have an idea in their mind as to why they are moving towards Parama Puruśa – with what an attitude they are moving towards Parama Puruśa. So far as the question of faculty is concerned, it is either actional, or knowledge (that is, intellectual), or devotional.⁽²⁾ But they are actually not spirituality, they are actually dogma, a mechanical way of futile expression. Standing like this, sitting like this, saying like this, singing like this – and doing everything with so many gestures and postures. These things – rather, the framework created by the combination of these⁽³⁾ gestures and postures, is the abode of dogma.

Even in the realm of the actional faculty or the intellectual faculty, or even the so-called devotional faculty, everything is not dharma, everything is not a perfect approach. There are also colours of dogma in them. So those who are spiritual aspirants should very carefully keep themselves away, rather keep themselves aloof, from these so-called approaches of spirituality, rather, from these dogmas. In the past there was dogma; in the Middle Ages it reached its zenith; and in the Middle Ages of the human era, of human history, there was a revolt against dogma. That first revolt against dogma was a psychic approach, a psycho-spiritual approach, of devotionalism. And that we find in certain Bhágavata shástras [scriptures], where they say that no physical show is required for the devotional approach.⁽⁴⁾ For the devotional approach, nothing external is required; nothing external is required to be done.⁽⁵⁾ And because it is the supreme pinnacle of devotional approach, you should remember that it is yours, because Parama Puruśa is cent per cent yours.

Footnotes

(1) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(2) A sentence here was not clearly audible on the tape. The audible phrases were: “But you know… in human existence may be treated in the name of spirituality.” –Eds.

(3) A word here was inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(4) A few words here were inaudible on the tape. –Eds.

(5) The next sentence here began: “And the supreme apex of this true spirituality is…” The rest was not clearly audible on the tape. –Eds.

Chapter 22	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

In that shloka⁽¹⁾ it has been said:

Trńádapi suniicena taroriva sahiśńuná;
Amániinaḿ mánadena kiirtaniyah sadá Harih.⁽²⁾

[You must be more humble than the grass and as tolerant as the trees. You must give respect to those whom no one respects, and always do kiirtana to the Lord.]

You are a spiritual aspirant. “You are to develop the spirit of brave tolerance, just like a tree; and the spirit of modesty, more than that of a blade of grass.” And you know, in this universe there are so many people who do not get any respect from others – the downtrodden, half-fed, half-naked humanity. “You are to pay respect to those downtrodden people.” You are to elevate their standard, their socio-economico-cultural standard. If you do not pay respect to them, how can you serve them? You are serving the downtrodden people by ascribing Godhood to them.

And the last but not of least importance [in the shloka] is that the mind cannot remain vacant, the mind cannot remain jobless. You are to engage the mind, and the object of your mind, that is, your psychic pabulum, should be either something psychic, or something psycho-spiritual, or something purely of spiritual nature. It must not be psycho-physical or pure physical. I said just now, the mind cannot remain vacant. Whenever there is no important job to do, do not waste your time in idle thinking, because idle thinking means mental deterioration, mental degradation, psychic degeneration. So utilize each and every moment of your life in doing something good, in thinking something good. When you are not physically doing something good, then mentally do something good. And the best mental work, the best mental engagement, is kiirtaniiyah sadá harih – “Do the kiirtana of Parama Puruśa.”

In Sanskrit, one name of Parama Puruśa is Hari. Hari means “who steals”, “who takes away all your sin without your knowledge”. In Sanskrit, the root verb hr means “to steal”. Now the relationship between the Lord and His devotee is very sweet, and extremely, purely, personal. Parama Puruśa loves His devotee, and the devotee also loves His Lord. Now the accumulated mountain of sin attached to the devotee is unbearable for the Lord. He wants to remove that mountain of sin from His devotees. He may say: “Oh, devotee, give your sins to Me.” The devotee will say: “No, Lord, I am ready to give You everything, I am ready to give You my soul, my spirit, everything, but how can I give my sins to You? I cannot.” But Parama Puruśa loves His devotee, so without the knowledge of the devotee, He takes away his sin. Now to take something from a man without his knowledge is stealing. So Parama Puruśa steals – that is, He takes away sin from His devotee. And that’s why He is called Hari. Hari means “He who steals”.

So kiirtaniiyah sadá harih – that is, you are not to engage your mind in any psycho-physical or physical pabulum. Utilize that time, utilize each and every aspiration of your existence, in doing the kiirtana of the Supreme.

Now you may do kiirtana.

Footnotes

(1) The first sentence of this discourse, though not clearly audible on the tape, referred to a shloka that the author had quoted the previous evening. This sentence is the second sentence of the present discourse. –Eds.

(2) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. –Eds.

	Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 34

ÁCÁRYA m. or ÁCÁRYÁ f. Spiritual teacher qualified to teach all lessons of meditation.
AESHVARYAS. Eight occult powers: ańimá, to become small (small enough to enter any physical particle or any crevice of another’s mind); mahimá, to become large (an expanded mind is omniscient, and feels love for the universe); laghimá, to become light (a light body can fly through air, a light mind can study the minds of others); prápti, to obtain any desired object; iishitva, to control (this supreme control may be used to guide others’ minds); vashitva, to psychically dominate others; prakámya, to materialize the desired outcome of events; and antaryámitva, to know the inner thought-wave and the inner need of any entity. These powers are also called vibhúti. (Note that though some of the powers may be used for similar ends, the ends are achieved by different methods.)
AHAM, AHAḾTATTVA. Doer “I”, ego, second mental subjectivity.
ANANDA MARGA. Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Ananda Marga organization).
ÁNANDA. Divine bliss.
ÁTMÁ, ÁTMAN. Soul, consciousness, PURUŚA, pure cognition. The átman of the Cosmos is PARAMÁTMAN, and that of the unit is the jiivátman.
AVADHÚTA m. or AVADHÚTIKÁ f. Literally, “one who is thoroughly cleansed mentally and spiritually”; a monk or nun of an order close to the tradition of Shaeva Tantra.
AVIDYÁMÁYÁ. Extroversial force; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle which guides movements from the subtle to the crude. See also VIDYÁMÁYÁ.

BHAGA. Bhaga is a collection of six attributes: AESHVARYA; viirya (valour, command); yasha (fame, reputation); shrii (charm); jiṋána (knowledge, especially self-knowledge); and vaerágya (renunciation).
BHAGAVÁN. The owner of BHAGA, one who has fully imbibed the six qualities; Lord.
BHÁGAVATA DHARMA. The DHARMA to attain the Supreme.
BHAKTA. Devotee.
BHAKTI. Devotion.
BRAHMA. Supreme Entity, comprising both PURUŚA, or SHIVA, and PRAKRTI, or SHAKTI.
BUDDHI. Intellect.

CITTA. Done “I”, objective “I”, objective mind, mind-stuff.

DEVA. Mythologically, a god, a deity. Philosophically, any vibration, or expression, emanating from the Cosmic Nucleus.
DEVII. A goddess, a female deity.
DHARMA. Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs.
DHARMAKŚETRA. The battlefield of the Mahábhárata war; the physical body (as the only venue in which dharma SÁDHANÁ can be performed).

GUŃA. Binding factor or principle; attribute; quality. PRAKRTI, the Cosmic Operative Principle, is composed of: sattvaguńa, the sentient principle; rajoguńa, the mutative principle; and tamoguńa, the static principle.

IISHVARA. The Cosmic Controller; literally, “the Controller of all controllers”.
INDRIYA. One of the five sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) or five motor organs (hands, feet, vocal cord, genital organ and excretory organ). The eye indriya (for example) comprises the eye itself, the optical nerve, the fluid in the nerve, and the location in the brain at which the visual stimulus is transmitted to the ectoplasm, or mind-stuff.
IŚT́A. Goal; one’s personal deity or goal in life.

JIIVA. An individual being.
JIIVÁTMÁ, JIIVÁTMAN. See ÁTMÁ.
JIṊÁNA. Knowledge; understanding.
JIṊÁNA YOGA. A form of spiritual practice which emphasizes discrimination or intellectual understanding.
JIṊÁNII. A SÁDHAKA who follows the path of knowledge or discrimination.

KAORAVAS. Sons of King Dhritarastra, the adharmika forces in the Mahábhárata war.
KARMA. Action; sometimes, positive or negative action which produces SAḾSKÁRAs.
KARMA YOGA. A form of spiritual practice which emphasizes selfless action.
KIIRTANA. Collective singing of the name of the Lord, sometimes combined with a dance that expresses the spirit of surrender.
KURUKŚETRA. The battlefield of the Mahábhárata war; the world (since it is as if the world is always saying, Kuru, kuru – “Do something, do something”).

LIILÁ. Divine sport.
LOKA. A “level”, or “layer”, or “sphere” of the Macrocosmic Mind.

MAHÁBHÁRATA. “Great India”; the name of a military campaign guided by Lord Krśńa around 1500 BCE to unify India; the epic poem written by Maharshi Vyasa about this campaign.
MAHÁSAMBHÚTI. When TÁRAKA BRAHMA utilizes the five fundamental factors to express Himself through a body, this is known as His Mahásambhúti.
MAHAT, MAHATTATTVA. “I” (“I am,” “I exist”) feeling, existential “I”.
MANTRA. A sound or collection of sounds which, when meditated upon, will lead to spiritual liberation. A mantra is incantative, pulsative, and ideative.
MÁRGA. Path.
MARGI. A member of Ananda Marga.
MÁYÁ. Creative Principle, PRAKRTI in Her phase of creation. One aspect of Máyá is the power to cause the illusion that the finite created objects are the ultimate truth.
MOKŚA. Spiritual emancipation, non-qualified liberation.
MUKTI. Spiritual liberation.

NÁRÁYAŃA. The Supreme Entity; literally, “the Lord of Nára (PRAKRTI)”.
NIRGUŃA BRAHMA. BRAHMA unaffected by the GUŃAS; Non-Qualified Brahma.

OṊM, OṊḾKÁRA. The sound of the first vibration of creation; the biija mantra (acoustic root) of the expressed universe. Oṋḿkára literally means “the sound oṋm”.

PANDAVAS. The sons of King Pandu, the dharmic forces in the Mahábhárata war.
PÁPA. Sin.
PÁPII. Sinner.
PARAMA PURUŚA. See PURUŚA.
PARAMÁTMÁ, PARAMÁTMAN. Supreme Consciousness in the role of witness of His own macropsychic conation. Paramátman comprises: (1) PURUŚOTTAMA, the Macrocosmic Nucleus; (2) Puruśottama’s association with all creation in His extroversial movement (prota yoga); and (3) Puruśottama’s association with each unit creation individually (ota yoga) and (4) with all collectively (prota yoga) in His introversial movement.
PRAKRTI, PARAMÁ PRAKRTI. Cosmic Operative Principle.
PRAŃAVA. OṊḾKÁRA; one’s meditation mantra.
PRATISAIṊCARA. In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to the Nucleus Consciousness. (Prati means “counter” and saiṋcara means “movement”.)
PURUŚA. Consciousness. Supreme Consciousness, the consciousness of the Cosmos, is Parama Puruśa, and a unit consciousness is an ańu puruśa.
PURUŚOTTAMA. The Nucleus Consciousness, the witness of SAIṊCARA and PRATISAIṊCARA.

QUINQUELEMENTAL. Composed of the ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid factors, or elements.

RŚI. Sage; one who, by inventing new things, broadens the path of progress of human society.

SADÁSHIVA. SHIVA (literally, “Eternal Shiva”).
SÁDHAKA. Spiritual practitioner.
SÁDHANÁ. Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; meditation.
SAGUŃA BRAHMA. BRAHMA affected by the GUŃAS; Qualified Brahma.
SAHASRÁRA CAKRA. Highest, or pineal, psychic nerve plexus, located at the crown of the head.
SAIṊCARA. In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from the Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter. (Saiṋcara literally means “movement”.)
SAMÁDHI. “Absorption” of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind (savikalpa samádhi) or into the ÁTMAN (nirvikalpa samádhi).
SAMÁJA. Society.
SAḾSKÁRA. Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction.
SAT, SATYA, SATYAM. “That which undergoes no change”; Absolute Reality.
SATSAUṊGA. Good company.
SHAKTI. PRAKRTI; energy; a deification of PRAKRTI.
SHÁSTRA. Scripture.
SHIVA. A great Tantric guru of 5000 BCE who guided society while His mind was absorbed in Consciousness; hence, Infinite Consciousness, PURUŚA.
SHLOKA. A Sanskrit couplet expressing one idea.

TANTRA. A spiritual tradition which originated in India in prehistoric times and was first systematized by SHIVA. It emphasizes the development of human vigour, both through meditation and through confrontation of difficult external situations, to overcome all fears and weaknesses. Also, a scripture expounding that tradition.
TÁRAKA BRAHMA. The Supreme Entity in Its liberating aspect.

VIDYÁMÁYÁ. Introversial force; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle which guides movements from the crude to the subtle.
See also AVIDYÁMÁYÁ.

YOGA. Spiritual practice leading to unification of the unit ÁTMAN with PARAMÁTMAN.