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.