“Annaḿ Brahmeti.” It has been said,

Janmaná jáyate shúdrah saḿskárát dvija uccyate,
Vedapát́he bhavet viprah Brahma jánáti Bráhmanah.

Everybody is a shúdra by birth. Shúdras are primarily engaged in physical existence. For them, food is Brahma. As human beings evolve to higher status, they do not only treat food as a Brahmic manifestation, but also perceive Brahma in other forms. So Brahma comes to the human being first in the form of food or grains. This is the meaning of “Janmaná jáyate shúdrah”.

Later, the human mind realizes that physical food alone won’t satisfy its hunger. Then what happens? “Saḿskárát dvija uccyate” – the desire for spirituality awakens in a person. In ancient times this was known as Vaedikii diikśá. Vaedikii Diikśá increases the supramundane and spiritual hunger. When supramundane and spiritual hunger arises in human beings, what do they do? They go out in search of ways to satisfy that hunger. In this condition they are called “dvija” which means “second birth”. In their first birth they only knew the hunger of physical food, but in their second birth, they come to know another hunger as a result of the grace of Paramátmá. This new hunger won’t be satisfied by mere physical food.

“Veda pát́he bhavet viprah.” What should we say of intellectual hunger? Those who are engaged in the study of Dharma Shastras and other worthy books to satisfy their hunger are called intellectuals, vipras.

When, by the Grace of Paramátmá, they receive Tántrikii diikśá and realize God, they are called bráhmana. “Brahma jánáti bráhmana.”

In the first phase man realizes Brahma as physical [[sustenance]], i.e., “Annaḿ Brahmeti”. In the next phase he regards Brahma as Karma, i.e., “Karma brahmeti karma bahu kurviita.”

What is karma? Karma implies the change of place of an object. And what is place? Place is one of the three rudimental relative factors – time, place and person. Where there is karma, there are temporal, spatial and personal factors. Parama Puruśa creates something in His Mind, or withdraws it, at His will. In creation there is movement. Wherever there is movement, there is karma. And wherever there is karma, there are the three bondages of the temporal, spatial and personal relative factors.

“Karma Brahmeti karma bahu kurviita.” We see that whatever action is done for the service of humanity or for spiritual progress involves change. And suppose that, at one time, your “I”-ness was like an animal’s. Later it is like a human being’s – and so progressively will one day become like a devatá’s, a divine being’s, and will finally merge in Paramátmá. In this process also there is movement, there is “Karma bahu kurviita.”

What will wise people do then? They will keep themselves engaged in actions. For one’s own progress and for the progress of others it is imperative to act.

Now, suppose someone is doing an action but does not have a proper goal. It is quite possible that the movement in this case is towards destruction. If someone is stealing or robbing, is this not Karma? So to do proper karma one must have a proper target, a proper path. “Karma brahmeti karma bahu kurviita.” So through karma one may either progress or move backwards. The cult of karma is not without its dangers. The proper goal is indispensable for actions to be fruitful.

Then the person thinks, “Satya jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma.” What is satya? That which does not undergo any metamorphosis is satya. And what is jiṋánam? The knowledge of that limitlessness, that satya, that Brahma, is the true knowledge, the true jiṋánam. He is satya – the limitless Brahma.

By this a man comes close to Him. But he realizes that this is not all. So, “Ahaḿ Brahmásmi so’ham”. Coming close to Him is not enough. You will have to merge your unit “I” in Him. You will have to transform your idea of “I am Brahma” into Self-realization through the process of dhyána. In order to establish oneself in dhyána, one will have to do ásanas, pratyáhára, práńáyáma and dhárańá.

The culminating point of dhyána is samádhi. What is samádhi? To establish oneself in the stance “I am Brahma” is samádhi.