Yesterday we had occasion to discuss different meanings and interpretations of the term “Krśńa”. Let us now come back to our main subject. Yá Bhagavatá giitá sá Giitá – “The Giitá is that which has been said by Bhagaván” – this is what we explained [on previous days]. Now we will establish by logical reasoning that Krśńa Himself is that Bhagaván. Thus “that which has been said by Bhagaván” means “that which has been said by Krśńa”.

Parama Puruśa, Puruśottama, Krśńa – He is the controller of all. But whose duty is it to guide human beings along the right path? Brahmaeva gururekah náparah – “Brahma Himself is the guru.” As guru, it is among His duties to provide that guidance. Unless He gives the necessary guidance to living beings, and shows them the path of spiritual progress – only showing the path will not do, He will have to provide the necessary provisions for the journey and the necessary strength to their feet to march forward – nothing will be able to move. These things also come within His duties; and He has always faithfully executed His duties, and is still doing so, and will go on doing so.

Now, a human being is a small creature. In the context of the universe, a human being is but a very ordinary microcosm. How small even is the human mind! Enclosed within a small cranium, how much can it do? At times it may imagine itself to be very powerful, but in reality how insignificant that power is! Let someone not take food for two or three days, and his or her capacity to think will disappear. After continuous fasting for three days the thinking capacity will disappear. Or if a person happens to do a little hard work, that person will then say: “I am feeling dizzy, I can’t think; please don’t disturb me now.” Such is the capacity of a human being. However big and powerful one may think oneself to be, one is not in reality that big at all; at least not in one’s individual capacity.

Katat́uku bal dhare e mánava,
Kata bal dhare vidhátá tár!

[How little power do humans possess; and how great a power is possessed by the Controller of their destiny!]

People realize this truth when they undertake a self-analysis – how big am I really, what are my capacities, how much can I achieve? You have read so many books, but do you stop to think how much you have retained? Not even one per cent do you remember, a very trifling amount. Such is the capacity of humans! Yet they go on with their tall talk. You may wonder, when people know full well how limited they are, how can they go on with their tall talk? That is for their self-satisfaction. They try to cover up their weaknesses in this way. This is the fact. Tall talk is a mechanism to cover up their weakness. The zamindary system is gone, but its honorific title “Roychowdhury” still gives people a little pleasure, thinking that others will realize that having such a surname, they must once have been big landlords. Such is the nature of human beings.

People have to move ahead. Parama Puruśa is their guru. Why is Parama Puruśa their guru? In the first place, let us consider the meaning of the word guru. Gu means darkness; ru means “that which dispels, drives away”. Hence guru means “one who dispels darkness”. How does he do that? The darkness in people is dispelled only when they attain parama jiṋána, knowledge of the Supreme Entity, knowledge of Parama Brahma. Who knows the supreme secrets of the Supreme? Only the Supreme Entity Itself knows that. So whatever secret or private information the Supreme possesses – in a lighter vein we may say Its “trade secrets” – It alone knows. So It alone is the guru. Ánanda Sútram⁽¹⁾ has this to say: Brahmaeva gururekah náparah [“Only Brahma is the guru, no one else”].

Gurur Brahmá Gurur Viśńu Gurur Devo Maheshvarah;
Gurureva Parama Brahma tasmae Shrii Gurave namah.

“That which appears in the role of the creator of the world is the Guru Himself. That which sustains the world, and remains with living beings in their pains and pleasures, and leads them ahead; and then withdraws them from the world at the proper time and places them on His lap; is that same Entity. And that which we have taken as the highest goal in life is that same Entity – Parama Brahma. To that Entity we do prańáma.” The prefix pra, the root verb nam and the suffix ghaiṋ make up prańáma, which implies lowering oneself to the earth so as to make complete surrender of the whole being. “With simplicity I prostrate before you. Even if, while dealing with other beings and things, there remains in me temporarily a certain amount of crookedness, and I manoeuvre in different ways, and engage lawyers and attorneys and twist and change the facts – before You, O Parama Brahma, I am straight and simple.”

Such is the nature of human beings, who, as I have already told you, are so weak, so small! That indeed is true. A human being is like a drop in the vast ocean. But only so long as the drop thinks “I am merely a drop” is it really small. When it thinks “I am the great ocean,” it is no longer small but vast and great. Similarly, so long as living beings keep themselves separate from Brahma, so long as there is a feeling of differentiation and a sense of worldliness, they are small creatures no doubt. When, on the other hand, they assert, “Since my fervent prayer culminates in the Absolute Brahma, I am not small, nor can I be small. All these days I had made a mistake in thinking myself small. That mistake is no more now,” [then such realization actually comes.] When does such realization come? When this attachment for the small is removed. And to remove that attachment is the work of Parama Brahma. How does Brahma do it? Shrii Krśńa himself said:

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽²⁾

[This Máyá of Mine is of the nature of three principles, and is almost insurmountable. Only those who take refuge in Me can overcome this Máyá.]

This illusion, this spell of infatuation, is created by Máyá. Máyá is very powerful while living beings are extremely weak. No individual being with its own energy is able to fight against this Máyá. One runs the risk of slipping at every step; one may break one’s knee and fall down; the goal before one may become obscure; the cloud of worldly allurements may overcast one’s sight – such is the power of Máyá. But this remember also, that this Máyá, aghat́ana ghat́ana pat́iiyasii Máyá [“the dexterous hand of Máyá that can even create things impossible to create”], is the Máyá of Parama Brahma – Shaktih sá Shivasya shaktih [“Shakti (the Operative Principle) is the shakti (force) of Shiva”].

Whose, after all, is this Máyá? It is mama Máyá, “my Máyá”. Even this Máyá, this “insurmountable” aghat́ana ghat́ana pat́iiyasii Máyá, humans can overcome. When and how can they overcome it? Only when they realize that “all my prayers, desires, love and aspirations centre round Parama Puruśa; and Máyá is nothing but the maidservant of Parama Puruśa.” If anyone loves Parama Puruśa, Parama Puruśa’s maidservant will pay sálám [obeisance] to that person. She will no longer try to deceive that person, nor to entrap that person in a web of illusion. So mámeva ye prapadyante – “whoever has taken shelter in me” – Máyámetáḿ taranti te – “can easily go beyond this Máyá.” Thus Parama Puruśa is not only a guru, but helps in all ways. Because this Máyá can be overcome with His help. So He is doing His duty.

He has explained in the Giitá the different stages of struggle through which people will have to progress. And that same Shrii Krśńa has instilled hope in all, has given confidence and faith to all. “O human beings, do not fear. While moving on the path you may get dusty. You may stumble; your clothing may get smeared with mud. Nevertheless your journey should not come to a halt. No break, no discontinuity, even temporary, should be allowed; you will have to move on, brushing off the dust as you move.” So if a person thinks, “I am a sinner, my past is dark. Is it really possible for me to be a great person, an honest person? And to come close to Parama Brahma?” the reply has come from Shrii Krśńa Himself: “No such doubts should ever enter the human mind, because humankind is Mine. You are Mine. You may be a sinner, but you are Mine. So you must not develop any inferiority complex in your mind.” He has said:

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

[If even the most wicked people worship Me with a concentrated mind, I will liberate them from the three bondages (physical, psychic and spiritual).]

A person of evil deeds is called a durácárii in Sanskrit; and one whom other durácáriis condemn as a durácárii is called a sudurácárii. Shrii Krśńa has said: “If even any sudurácárii – a great sinner, a mahápátakii – worships me with single-minded devotion, that person may move ahead without fear or doubt.” Because so’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhavabandhanát – “I will liberate that person from sin; I will liberate that person from all worldly bondages.” That person will attain the supreme stance, will reach Parama Puruśa, will attain the supreme shelter of Puruśottama. O human beings, rest assured, rest assured.

Footnotes

(1) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram, 1962. –Trans.

(2) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.