During the last Dharma Mahácakra (Spiritual Congregation) I told you something about the cosmological system. There I also explained the Cosmological system, vis-a-vis solar, earth and atomic systems. The sun is the nucleus of the solar system. The different planets, such as earth born out of the sun, are revolving around the sun as their nucleus. They are neither approaching the sun by coming close to it, nor are they moving away from it, for their centrifugal and centripetal forces are on the whole in an equipoised state. If this equipoise is lost, the planet or planets will either merge in the sun due to the intensity of their centripetal force or gradually recede from it due to their centrifugal force.

Similarly the nucleus of the earth-system is the earth. The moon is revolving round the earth as its nucleus. Here, too, the centrifugal and centripetal forces are functioning with equal intensity. In the same way the electrons are moving around he nucleus of the atomic system. There, too, the same play is going on the same system is working.

By cosmological system we mean this vast universe, whose nucleus is the Akśara or the immutable Puruśa as the witness, around whom are revolving His psychic objects like the sun, the stars, etc., in His imaginative flow. Here too the centrifugal and centripetal forces are maintaining equilibrium. This balanced state of the forces is what we call Prakrti. To the cosmic system the centrifugal force which is dominated by the static principle (Tamaguńa) is known as Avidyá and the centripetal force dominated by the sentient principle (Sattvaguńa) is called Vidyá. When these objects, revolving around the nucleus, were initially created out of the nucleus, there must have been the predominance of the centrifugal force, and in the evolutionary process the static principle must have been dominant. Then again, when its created objects rush in intense yearning towards it with lightning speed, defying all hostile forces, surely at that time the equipoise of forces is lacking. Just as the meteor races down to the surface of the earth, similarly the unit object also races towards, and merges in, that Macrocosmic nucleus, leaving its own orbit in the Cosmic System. Certainly this movement towards the Cosmic Consciousness is dominated by the centripetal force: Hence the path of liberation is the path of the Sentient Principle (Sattvaguńa). Why do we call it the path of liberation? It is because after the merger with its nucleus, an entity’s individuality ceases to exist. After the earth merges in the sun, the earth no longer remains.

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante
Tasmin hamso bhrámyate brahmacakre
Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá
Juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti.

The unit entities have been moving around the cosmic nucleus throughout eternity and this movement will continue as long as an entity maintains the feeling of distinctions; that is the rotation will not cease until their sense of separateness from the nucleus is dissolved. When the intensity of their attachment for the nucleus will reach its climax – when they will seek to forget everything but Him – no force whatsoever can then dissociate them form Him. This intense attachment is what we call devotion. This momentum towards the Supreme One becomes easy and smooth, when unit entities realize that He always wants to get them back on His lap. His desire to bring them to Himself is simply His grace. In fact He is showering this grace on all. But when peoples eyes are blinded with materialistic enjoyment, they cannot realize this. The great Sage Nárada said, “Mahat krpáyaeva bhagavat krpáleshádvá”, for this His grace is essential. I already said that He had been showering His grace on all. One has only to realize that grace with one’s intensely concentrated mind. His imagination is incessantly flowing. As long as you are incapable of realizing His grace, as long as you do not try to move towards Him you will have to go round and round like the bullocks in the oil-mill in the endless cycle of creation, life and death.

So sang the great mystic poet Rámaprasáda –

Má! Ámáy ghurábi kata?
Kalur cokha d́háká balder mata,
Gháni-gáche juŕe diye má
Pák ditecha avirata.

[How long, O Mother, Thou wilt spin me around
Like the blinkered ox, plodding round the mill
Making me thus go round and round
Always yoked to the grinding wheel.]

The nucleus of the cosmic system is called Puruśottama. He is the Supreme Lord of this imagination-born world of the mutable (kśara) and immutable (akśara) aspects of the Cosmic Mind. In Him is knowership as well as the doership. He Himself is never metamorphosed into any action. We cannot call Him Nirguńa or non-qualified, in Him lies the witness-ship of the entire universe. Saguńa Brahma is the name for the combination of the Puruśottama and His psychic object, the universe. Judging from attributional point of view, the difference between objectified form of Brahma and the witness-ship of Puruśottama is that in His objectified form He is under the bondage of the guńas (guńádhiisa). Yet in both Brahma and Puruśottama He is related in some way with the guńas. Thus I have said that He is the transcendent controller of the guńas.

He cannot be called Nirguńa or non-attributional due to His relation with objects. In the Vedas, Savitr-Rk composed in the Gáyatrii mantra is used to describe Saguńa Brahma. The first three syllables of the oṋḿkára (a-u-m) have also been used to describe Saguńa Brahma. In ancient times, however, only Anuśt́upa mantras were used for Puruśottama, the Nucleus of the Saguńa Brahma. It should be mentioned here that of the seven metres, Gáyattrii, Usńk, Annuśt́upa, Vrhati, Paḿkti, Triśtupa and Jagati, Gáyattrii and Anuśt́upa commanded the greatest importance. Gáyattrii-mantra is composed in three lines of eight letters each, totalling twenty-four letters, and Anuśt́upa of eight letters, dedicated to Puruśottama, stands for each of the syllables of Oṋḿkára.

Ugraḿviiram maháviśńum jvalantam sarvatomukham
Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhadram mrtyurmrtyu namámyaham.

Ugram: In the above mantra the traits and the signs of Nrsiḿha (a mythological form of Brahma, half-human and half-lion) have been described. He has been called Ugra: “Ur” means “anu” i.e., “anu” plus “graha”, that is to say, “He who is merciful is Ugra.” “Ugra” is He who sustains the world through creation, preservation and destruction, by whose endless flow of grace the creation has been continuing in its cycles of births and deaths from time immemorial. To this little earth the sun is Ugra or merciful, for the sun is the cause of its creation, preservation and destruction. Similarly, Puruśottama is the cause of the Cosmic Cycle. Hence none else can be ugra except Him.

Viiram: Puruśottama is called Viira or brave. Why? Because He has been confronting every problem, every obstacle of this universe with His extraordinary courage. With unflinching boldness He has been making decisions and acting accordingly. One who always deals properly with each and every entity must perforce be brave.

Maháviśńu: Visnu means great, all-pervading. Who else shall we call Viśńu but Him who has expanded His mental existence to limitlessness beyond the bounds of all limitations. Hence it is justified to call Him Maháviśńu.

Jvalantam: The One Who is the original force of all forces, the central source of all effulgences, must be Jvalanta or blazing. He is indeed the primal flame – the vital effulgence of all supramundane radiances. All lights pale before His brilliance.

Na tatra súryo bháti na candratárakam
Nemávidyutobhánti kuto’yamagnih
Tameva bhántamanubháti sarvam
Tasya bháśá sarvamidaḿ vibháti.

That is, even the sun loses its brilliance in His presence. So too the moon, the stars and the lightning, what to speak of fire. All are radiant in His radiance.

Sarvatomukham: He is all-witnessing. He is in all forms from the highest to the lowest. He is the witness of all the activities of all the entities, from biggest mammoth to the smallest white ant. This all-witnessing Entity must be Sarvatomukha, with faces on all sides. All that has been, is or will be, are but the unit manifestation of His mind, and so He is the Supreme witness of all. Are you not the witness of your internal thoughts? Just as your mental eye views the objects of your imagination, similarly to see his creation in all directions, Puruśottama has to be all-facing.

Eśo ha deva pradisho’nusarvá
Purvo ha játa sa u garbhe anta
Sa eva játah sah janiśyamána
Pratyauṋ janáḿstiśt́hate sarvatomukhah.

–Yajuh

He is all facing because He has eyes in all the ten directions – the six directions of East, West, North, South, Above and Below, and four sub-directions, like North-east, North-west, South-east and South-west.

Nrsiḿha: Nr means Nara, “human” and it also means puruśa or consciousness, and Siḿha means Shreśt́ha or “Supreme.” The two words together means Puruśashreśt́ha or Puruśottama; that is, the Supreme Entity. Incidentally, it must be remembered Nrsiḿha cannot mean a strange half-man and half-lion creature, which is merely a fanciful contrivance of the authors of the Puráńas (mythologies). Only that Puruśottama, who is the Supreme Entity deserves to be called Nrsiḿha, it is He who has been protecting from all anti-spiritual forces those spiritual aspirants who seek to attain Him. At times He has to take drastic measures according to necessity, to save devotees like Prahlad from the unholy forces like the demon Hiranyakashipu. To ridicule the Supreme Puruśottama by imagining Him as half-human half-lion is not at all proper.

Bhiiśańam: The one who is the Supreme Judge of all deeds, often has to take apparently cruel steps in order to maintain the dignity of His divine justice. Otherwise He will be guilty of partiality, and His stainless name will become tarnished. It is those that kept themselves within the bounds of petty selfishness that are called the unit entities (jiivas), for their thoughts filled with petty selfishness have kept them limited and fragmented by subjecting their minds to the bondage of time, place and person. This feeling of finitude and unit-hood has bred in them a sense of fear for the limitlessness of the Cosmic Consciousness. Such is the nature of the unit beings they fear and hold in awe what is beyond their own limitations, what is greater than them. You will certainly be afraid of one who is your better in education, intelligence, wealth and power, if you do not have a feeling of oneness with him. Those who have realized that Puruśottama is the life of their lives, the Soul of their souls, those in whom the sense of oneness with Him has awakened, will not at all be afraid of Him but will love Him – whereas those who are always conscious of their unit-hood, will be ever afraid of Him and to them He will be frightening (Bhiiśańam).

Bhiiśásmádváyupavate bhiiśodetisúryah
Bhiiśasmádagnishcendrashca mrtyuh dhávati paiṋcamah
Tasmáducyate bhiisáńamiti.

–Atharvaveda

Out of fear of Him, the wind blows, the sun shines and the fire burns. Out of fear of Him, the god Indra does his duty and death also appears before the unit entities. Whom shall I call terrifying except Him of whom even the horrible Death is afraid. According to a story in the Vedas, once a vast, radiant Entity appeared before the gods. In order to know His identity the gods sent Fire, Air and Indra. Approaching Him, the Fire said by way of self-introduction, “I am Fire – I am Játaveda. To consume everything is my dharma (characteristic).” The Supreme Being then said, offering him a blade of straw, “Here, burn this.” The Fire, whose inherent characteristic was to burn, could not burn it, howsoever it tried. Then the air approached and said [[by way of self-introduction]], “I am Air, I am Mátarishvá, to blow everything always is my strength.” Even the vainglorious Air could not blow away that piece of straw. Finally Indra was able to know the identity of that Puruśa. Thereafter the gods could very well realize that the power they wielded was not actually theirs. They were powerful only with His power. Their unit identities were but His orderlies. So even all the gods remain at the fringe of fear.

Bhadram: He is the embodiment of welfare. His auspicious flow of imagination is guiding the unit entities and the world to the path of good, to the path of prosperity. There never was, is, or will be, anyone as benevolent as He. Hence He is Bhadra, compassionate and benign.

Mrturmrtyum: This has a double meaning. The first meaning is that even death is afraid of Him, death fears Him as much as a unit entity fears death, and so he is the Death of death. The second meaning is that to this observable world although all other objects die, only death does not, for the unit entities do not die once but die repeatedly – they take birth after death and then die and take birth again, and then again die. Thus countless deaths come to them, countless number of times. But those who have attained the Puruśottama, attain a supreme death; their worldly death is the last one for them. In other words, with their worldly death, death also dies and further death becomes impossible. It is only through His grace that a unit attains the Supreme, and so He is the Death of death. I bow to this Puruśottama.

Now the question may arise: “Is this Puruśottama identical with the state of Turiiya?” If Puruśottama and Turiiya are identical, then how can such adjectives as Ugra, Viira, etc., be applicable to Him? Truly speaking those words are only used for particular conditions or states of the Akśara Brahma which are concerned with objects. In other words such a condition may be called Kút́astha (lying covert). Such epithets in reference to His Turiiya condition or the state of non-duality are quite inappropriate. The Puruśottamahood is on the whole discernible only in the first three stages of Turiiya, wherein His witness-ship is explicit or implied due to the manifest or half-manifest influence of Prakrti. The fourth state of Turiiya , that is, the unchangeable state, wherein the material or objective involvement is nil, is the perfect state of Nirguńa (objectlessness) or Turiiya (non-duality) or Nirakśara (changelessness). This state is also known as Iishvaragrása or the Final Doom, because it is the finality of all divine endowments and powers.

In the Cosmic System, Nŕsiḿha or Puruśottama is the original nucleus, and the Air, Sun, Fire, Indra, etc. Are the subnuclei. That is why the worship of Nrsiḿha is called Paiṋcavyuhátmaka or “five-nuclear” worship. The Anuśt́upa mantras are composed for this five-nuclear Nrsiḿha.

Quite a number of times I have told you about Prańava or Oṋḿkára. Now a question may arise in the minds of people regarding which is the greater of the two, Prańava or Anuśt́upa, or if the two enjoy equal status, then what is the necessity for their separate existence? In reply it may be said that Anuśt́upa stands for the Cosmic Nucleus (Puruśottama) only, while Oṋḿkára stands for the entire Cosmic System, all the manifestations of the five fundamental factors, and so I am obliged to say that Oṋḿkára is greater than Anuśt́upa. Anuśt́upa too, falls within the scope of Oṋḿkára. Oṋḿkára is composed of four syllables: a, u, ma and the sonic dot, of which the first three are indicative of Saguńa and the sonic dot stands for Nirguńa.

Bhútaḿ bhavadbhaviśyaditi sarvamouṋkára eva
Yaccányattrikálátiitaḿ tadapyouṋkára eva.

–Nrsiḿha Tápaniiya Shruti

That is, past, present and future – all co-exist in Oṋḿkára is the sonic expression of the Macrocosmic vibration. So the creation, whether of the past, present or future, could not have been, and cannot be, distinct or separate from the Oṋḿkára. Wherever there is manifestation of creation, wherever there is the imaginative flow of Saguńa Brahma, time, place and person must also be there. The existence of Saguńa Brahma is impossible without this Oṋḿkára produced by His imaginative flow. That is why I have said that the existence of Saguńa Brahma and even the existences of all the objects, are dependent on the measurement of the motivity of their action. The mind’s measurement of the motivity of an action is Time; the measurer of this motivity with the help of the mind is person; and that which establishes the relation between time and person is space. The existence of these three is dependent on the mental activity, i.e., on the thought-process or Oṋḿkára. Sunrise to sunset, the beginning of the year to the end, all belong to the vast periphery of Time; hence they are but the manifestations of the Oṋḿkára. From any one extreme point to another extreme point, no matter how short or long the distance, all belong to the sphere of space, and hence they too are the manifestations of Oṋḿkára. So, as I have said, all that we can or cannot think of within the compass of Time, all belong to Oṋḿkára. Saguńa Brahma, being subject to time, place and person is Sopádhika or qualified. It is not a Nirupádhika or unqualified Entity like the Nirguńa Brahma. Time, place and person are also qualified relative to other entities, and so they are also not the absolute truth but relative truths. The Scriptures say, –

Prańavátmakaḿ Brahmá
Tripáda-Bibhúti-Náráyańa Shruti
Tasya Vácakah prańavah.

–Pataiṋjali

As mentioned before, Oṋḿkára is the sound of process of expression – the very seed of manifestation. As long as the functioned vibrations of creation, preservation and destruction continue on the bosom of the entity beyond time (Kálátiita) Oṋḿkára shall remain as the seed of creation, preservation and destruction – as A, U and Ma. Thus, I say that Oṋḿkára is not a sound for utterance but for hearing. The human voice cannot give proper form to that mystic sound and so it is futile to attempt to pronounce it. Apprehending the effulgent form of this Oṋḿkára a Sádhaka realizes the half-letter “Ma” and then realizing the fourth letter, the sonic dot representing the state of Turiiya he or she attains the changeless objectless Nirguńa Brahma – achieves the final beatitude in the Iishvaragrása. The Yama (god of death) said to Naciketá, –

Sarve vedá yatpadamámananti,
Tapámsi sarváńi ca yad vadanti.
Yadicchanto brahmacaryamcaranti
Tatte padam saḿgraheńa Braviimyomityetad.

–Káthaka Shruti

Now you can very well understand that oṋḿkára denotes of both Saguńa and Nirguńa Brahma. The dot in the Ideogram of the oṋḿkára ([DEVANAGARI CHARACTER]) indicates Nirguńa. A. U. and Ma indicates Saguńa and the crescent denotes the distinction between Saguńa and Nirguńa. A dot cannot be described properly; it has a position but no magnitude: and that is why it has been used to represent Nirguńa Brahma.

The characteristics of Puruśottama have already been explained above. Now I shall deal with the characteristics of Saguńa Brahma. Indeed they are too vast to be described, yet I shall tell you whatever is said about Him in the Vedic Scriptures. About Saguńa Brahma it is said in the Kaevalya Shruti:

Mayyeva sakalaḿ játam Mayi sarvaḿ pratiśt́hitam,
Mayi sarvaḿ layaḿ yáti Tadbrahmadvyamasmyaham.
Jágrat svapna suśuptyádi Prapaiṋcaḿ yad prakáshate
Tadbrahmáhamiti jiṋátva Sarvabandhaeh pramucyate.

[Everything emerges from Me Everything is being maintained in Me And everything is finally dissolved in Me I am that Brahma without a second The Supreme Entity from whom all the three States originates – wakefulness, dream and sleep. One who knows That Supreme Brahma Becomes liberated from all bondages.]

The Rgveda says –

Yato vá imáni bhútáni yáyante
Yena játáni jiivanti
Yat prayantyabhisaḿvishanti
Tad vijijiṋásasva tad Brahma.

[The entity from whom all created beings emerged,
By whom they are sustained
And in whom all are finally dissolved –]

Said in the Maháńirváńa Tantra, –

Yato vishvaḿ samudbhútam
Yena jataiṋca tishati
Yasmin sarváni liiyante
Jineyam tad brahma laksańaeh

[The entity from whom the entire universe has been created
By whom all created beings are maintained
And in whom all entities finally dissolve –
These are the characteristics of Brahma.]

Said in the Nrsiḿha Uttara Táponiiya Shruti –

Sarvaḿhyetad brahma ayamátmá brahma tametamát mánamomiti brahmańdekiikrtya brahmacátmaná omityekiikrtya tadekamajaranamrtamabhamomityanubhúya tasminnidaḿ sarvaḿ trishariiraḿ áropya tanmayaḿhi tadevati saḿharedomiti.

Whatever you see, whatever you think or you feel, whatever is beyond your vision, thought and perception – all are Saguńa Brahma or oṋḿkára. Your Soul is also Brahma. There is unicity or oneness between your existence, the existence of the world, and Brahma. They are not separate entities. Bring the world and your existence into unicity with Brahma and you will find yourself, verily, that same oṋḿkára. In that condition you will become one with that oṋḿkára. Having thus attained unicity, there will remain only one Entity, which has no distortion: for distortion two entities are necessary. Where He alone is the sole Entity, where is the scope of any distortion? If there is only milk but no curdling agent, can there be any distortion of the milk into curd? That is to say, to transform milk into curd, a second entity is necessary, the curdling agent. Hence Brahma is immutable due to His being One without a second.

Exactly for the same reason where there is only One Entity, death cannot exist, for death is only a state of transformation: death is also a distortion. Where there is no distortion, there is no death. So oṋḿkára is established in deathlessness, Similarly, fear requires two entities for its expression – the one who fears and the cause of fear. Where there is only One entity, since there can be no cause, fear cannot exist. So that Supreme stance is without fear; even a unit entity becomes fearless, when he or she attains that supreme stance. Thus the sádhaka Rámaprasáda said –

“I have dedicated my life to those deathless feet
Should I then be afraid of the Lord of Death?”

Dedicate the three states of your existence (Trishariira) to undistorted, immortal, fearless, Oṋḿkára. Every unit entity is a combination of four states; wakefulness, dream, sleep and one’s innate characteristic Self. The first three states are but the distortions of the fourth, the characteristic Self. Surrender these three states to Brahma, to oṋḿkára and be absorbed in that stance. In that state only one thought will be uppermost in your mind – that you are part and parcel of Oṋḿkára, that you are oṋḿkára itself, that you are ensconced in your own characteristic Self. That is why whenever any crude thought arises in a person’s mind, he or she should then ascribe cosmic ideation to it. In that case, one does not have to separate from the oṋḿkára.

What are these three states? What are their features and forms and to whom do they belong? This is a natural question of the human mind. Do they belong only to the unit entity or to Brahma as well?

Tvaḿ vá etaḿ trishariiramát́mánaḿ trishariiraḿ evaḿ brahmátmánusandadhyát.

–Atharvaveda

In all these three conditions one thinks oneself separate from Brahma. This distinction between unit entity and Brahma is dependent on their attributional differences. The difference in the states of wakefulness, dream, sleep are due to the greater or lesser dominance of Sentient, Mutative and Static Principles. The unit entities are concerned only with their crude physical existence; while the Cosmic manifestation, however is concerned with the entire, vast universe. I have already said that the Cosmic manifestation is also affected by the three binding principles. The existence of these three states in the unit entities is only possible when these three attributes of the Cosmic manifestation are explicitly evident. This is because the crude, subtle and causal existences of the unit entity are wholly dependent on the cosmic thought-process. The crude unit-body is made of the quinquelemental, earthly ingredients, begotten of the Cosmic thought-process; that is to say, it is created in His Kámamaya Kośa or Conscious Mind. It is out of this crude Cosmic Mind that innumerable unit bodies have come into being, for in order to preserve their individualities, the distinctiveness of the receptacles (bodies) has to be maintained, or else the units lose their individual freedom. In order to maintain the continuity of the Cosmic thought-projection, the distinction among objects in the sub-conscious world are unavoidable necessity; this also accounts for the creation of innumerable bodies, or else the thought process becomes Sthánu or static for lack of material distinctions. Since Saguńa Brahma has to take recourse to imagination for the exhaustion of His unserved Saḿskáras, it naturally becomes incumbent on Him to evolve a heterogeneous world. The experiencing of actions and reactions by the unit entities are done, to be sure, through the medium of the bodies or receptacles; and when these unit entities abjure their sense of separateness or separate existence from the Cosmic Entity, they no longer have to undergo the consequences of their actions. Being emancipated from the worldly bondage, their separate physical entities cease to exist.

This observable world, which is called Paiṋcabhúta (the five fundamental elements), is the Kámamaya Shariira or the psychic body of Brahma. He has no finite crude body and that is why no wakeful, dreamful or sleeping condition, centering round His crude body, is possible. Everything about Him is psychic.

THE WAKEFUL STATE or THE FIRST PHASE

Sthúlatvat sthúlabhuktvácca súkśmatvát súkśma bhúktvácchekya ánandabhogácca so’yamátmá cotuśppájjágaritasthánah sthúloprajiṋa saptáḿga ekonavimshatimukhah sthúlabhúk ca bhútáymá vishvo vaeshavánarah prathamah pádah.

This very wakeful state is the crudest state of the self for in this state it subsists on apprehending tanmátras (sensible and supersensible inferences) from the crude world, desiring things relating to them and materializing those desires by making them explicit or extrovertive. Its thought-wave and its resultant action also is crudely materialistic, and so in the wakeful state it thrives on the crude; i.e. crude world is its pabulum, its food. In the wakeful state it also thrives on the subtle, for the source of its materialistic acts actually abides in its subtle mind. Actually, its real bhaga (the experience of pleasure and pain) takes place in the mental sphere. If the mind is disturbed, one cannot properly enjoy a beautiful sight, a tasty food or a delectable drink. In this wakeful state the Átmá or soul is called catuśpada or four-phasic; that is, in this state all its four phases are present either explicitly or implicitly. In other words the wakeful state is explicit and within that are latent the dream state, sleep state and the state of Turiiya. This wakeful condition is concerned with the cognizance of the crude; that is, its function is to acquire knowledge of the crude. This relatively crude wakeful state is sevenfold or septilateral; the quinquelemental citta (mental plate), the Mahatattva (fundamental intellect) and the ego. It is nineteen-faced, for its manifestation are in nineteen directions – ten sensory and motor organs, five váyus, mind, the fundamental intellect, ego and Múla Prakrti (the primordial Prakrti in equilibrium). In the wakeful state all objects are the food for the mind, thus, it is called Vishva or Vaeshvánara. It is the first páda or phase of the soul. Microcosmically the witnessing Puruśa of the wakeful state is called Vishva and Macrocosmically He is called Vaeshvánara or Viráta.

THE DREAM STATE or THE SECOND PHASE

Svapnasthánah súkśmaprajiṋah saptámga Ekonaviḿshatimukhah súkśmabhúkcaturátma Taejaso hiranyagarbho dvitiiyah pádah.

When the soul is wholly dependent on the psychic body for its sustenance, that is, when the objects of enjoyment and endurance are limited to the domain of thought, such a state is called the dream state. In this dream state the organs and limbs like hands, feet etc., remain in proper order and so do the nineteen endowments, but at such a time the soul does not accept any pabulum or food from the crude world. The soul at that time is hungry for the subtle; it accepts only those things apprehended in the realm of the mind. The appearance of such mental objects does not depend on the inferences or tammátras received from the senses at that time but on the reactive momenta or seeds of previously acquired tanmátras upheaving waves of the Omniscient seed. In this state, too, all other three states – wakefulness, sleep and Turiiya remain dormant in the dream state. The unit soul witnessing its dream state is called Taejasa, and similarly subjective witnessing entity of the supreme Consciousness is called Hirańyagarbha or Viśńu, or the Subtle Cosmic Mind. Here it is important o note that the word Hiranyágarbha, is also comprehensively used for Saguńa Brahma.

THE SLEEPING STATE or THE THIRD PHASE

Yatra suptona kaiṋcana kámaḿ kámayate na kaiṋcana Svapnaḿ pshyatitatsusuptaḿsuśuptasthánah ekiibhútah Prajiinánaghana eva ánadamayo hyánandabhúk Cetomukhashcaturátmá prajiinaiishvarastriiyah pádah.

In the morphetic or sleeping state when neither the crude or conscious mind nor the subtle or sub-conscious mind is functioning, that is, when none of the waves of desire arise in the receptacle of the soul, nor there appears any dream of any kind – such a state is called the state of sleep. In the wakeful state both the conscious and the sub-conscious mind are functioning: Thought-waves originate in the sub-conscious mind and are translated into action through the medium of the conscious mind. In the wakeful state the role of the conscious mind is solely predominant, but due to physical inertness in the dream condition, the sub-conscious mind cannot properly control the conscious mind and so here the sub-conscious mind alone is predominant. But during sleep the imaginative power, the sub-conscious mind – also becomes as inactive as the physical body: There remains only the unconscious or causal mind, the Atimánas Kośa, Vijiṋánamaya kośa and Hiranyamaya Kośa. Then how does dream occur during sleep – how does the stage of dream come between sleep and wakefulness?

What is dream? When certain impressions perceived by the sense organs, agitate the conscious mind and sensory or material thoughts are thereby vehemently awakened in the conscious mind, the nervous system, the crude receptacle of the Kámamaya Kośa and the mind itself becomes unsteady and restless. This leaves an impression on the cells that is short-lived or long-lasting depending on the degree of its intensity. Sometimes even a significant impression being compelled to give way to a newer one under the impact of some other sense-agitation or restlessness, loses its previously acquired permanence. In the sleep state, if a person’s nerve-tissues are agitated due to some physical cause, often either as the result of this or on account of cerebral heat caused by some vehement thinking, the nerve cells also become tired and disturbed. Such agitations give rise in the mental sphere to desires similar to those impressions, accumulated in the nerve-cells. Thus the agitated citta (the sub-conscious mind) accepts as real the stream of thoughts arising from one or more such impressions. The crude organs having stopped functioning, the identical desire arising from the previously acquired desire, do not then seem to be imaginary but appear to be quite real. Such dreams often do not come true, for these are actually pure imaginations or a mere stringing together of different disjointed thoughts, a confused or inconsistent dream. Only those whose nerve tissues have become weak due to some ailments of the brain or head or to some protracted illness, or those whose digestive system are malfunctioning, generally experience such confused dreams, which we may call Sensual Dreams. These dreams, as I have already said, are the true reproduction of previously imagined objects or the disjointed expressions of previous thoughts. Excessive eating also gives rise to such dreams in a person. Those who have purity of thoughts and also restraint over their diet, are generally less susceptible to such dreams. Such dreams never occur during sleep.

There is still another type of dream. Even when people are in a deep slumber, there may arise in their sub-conscious minds through their dreams, the prognosis of some good news or bad news, or even a huge calamity. The all-knowing causal or unconscious mind usually cannot express its all-knowingness due to the unsteadiness of the conscious and sub-conscious minds as well as due to its own expressional inability, but sometimes it can awaken in the calm conscious and sub-conscious minds of people in deep slumber visions of past, present or future and those visions overwhelm the sleepers’ minds. A surging vibrational flow emanating from the fountain head of the unconscious mind and vibrating the sub-conscious mind, is also a sort of dream; and that dream is not insignificant for its cause is the all-knowing causal mind. This type of dream we may call a supramental vision. Sometimes even in the wakeful state the cognitive flow of the unconscious mind penetrates into the subtle mind, as the result of which people even in the wakeful state, with a little concentration, can know events concerning their distant near and dear ones, this is called telepathic vision. Through the concentrated state of this telepathic vision, when conscious mind is more calm and sedate, people can visualize events concerning their distant beloved ones, enacted before their eyes in the external world or feel as if they are seeing them; this is called telepathic clairvoyance. Mistaking such acts as those of spirits many people come to believe in spiritism or spiritology. Truly speaking such incidents have no connection at all with spirits or ghosts. Telepathic vision and telepathic clairvoyance are intrinsically the same as supramental vision. They are born of the inspiration of the unconscious mind, the knower of the universe. To believe in ghosts and spirits is merely to perpetuate the cowardly mentality of the pre-historic people. But compared to supramental vision, the incidence of telepathic vision is very much less frequent, and still less is the occurrence of telepathic clairvoyance due to the activeness of the Kámamaya Kośa or the conscious mind. Nevertheless the supramental vision itself does not occur more than 8 to 10 times in the life of a person. The greater or lesser frequencies of such experiences wholly depends on ones sádhaná (intuitional practices) or saḿskáras (reactive requitals). (One, however, must bear I mind that self-acquired telepathy or self-acquired clairvoyance is something different.)

Even in supramental vision people often do not rasp things properly for such cognitive waves are generally expressed through the media of their personal saḿskáras. Suppose, for instance, in some country cows are necessary for various indispensable jobs like cultivation, the milling of oil-seeds, or bearing conveyances; normally people of suck countries will have very great regard for cows. Having lived on cows milk since their childhood, they will revere as mothers, and regard healthy, strong cows as symbols of good fortune and prosperity. These sentiments about cows are the resultant saḿskáras born out of their day-to-day necessities. Once someone in such a country had a dream about a cow growing leaner and thinner by subsisting only on the dried straws of the paddy field. Then another cow appeared who met the same fate. Then appeared still another cow, and that too fared no better. From such a dream he may infer that his next three years will be inauspicious. As the cows and paddy were symbols of good fortune and prosperity, lean cows and dried paddy plants in the dream were a premonition of misfortune. So for the prescience of the truth through the medium of dreams it is necessary for people to control their conscious and sub-conscious minds. Those who have brought both these minds under control through spiritual practices can, with a little effort, visualize pictures of the past, present and future even in their wakeful state. This accounts for the meditational clairvoyance or intuitional foresight of the stages regarding distant objects or events. Some power of visualizing past, present or future or distant events may also be found in an average person through crystal-gazing, mirror-gazing, etc. These are nothing but the expansion of the cognitive field as the conscious and sub-conscious minds are partially absorbed in the unconscious mind, as the result of earnest concentration on a particular bright object. In the hypnotic state or during planchette-concentration (ouija board) also, the activities of the conscious and sub-conscious minds become stilled, and the range of a particular individual’s knowledge is expanded at least for a short duration. But here one must bear in mind that in the hypnotized state or in mirror-gazing one sees only the reflections of one’s own saḿskáras or previous bias. This occurs in almost cent percent of the cases; for instance when a hypnotized person utters, words according to his own saḿskáras while people gaze at him in awe and with folded hands, taking his utterances as absolute truth. Those who feign theophanic or demonical trances are total frauds – all that they do or say are tricks and hoaxes. But even those who invoke the spirits of gods with devotion or sit around the planchette – even their statements are almost entirely the expressions of their respective saḿskáras and previous bias. One or two percent of their predictions may even come true due to their mental concentration; but such chance truths may not always be the expressions of the unconscious mind, for there is nothing unusual about one or two predictions out of many, coming true – it may happen to any ordinary person. There is a Bengali proverb, “The crow dies of storm, the Fakir strikes his form.”

The state in which conscious and sub-conscious minds do not function, when the unit entity is not motivated by any longing or any desire nor is seeing any dream – this in the language of the scriptures is known as the state of sleep. That is to say if there is any desire or dream, we cannot then call it sleep. In the absence of any particular conceptual or external expression, such a state is one of absolute cognition for the individual. Due to this absolute cognition people enjoy a special kind of bliss. In the absence of any crude or subtle function of the mind, they do not experience any happiness or sorrow, any pleasure or pain. That is, why in that state they feel special type of joy in the crude as well as in the subtle spheres of mind, and so in such states material distinctions do exist. But in the state of sleep, the crude and subtle functions of the mind are absent, and thus the awareness of material diversities is also non-existent. All worldly objects become one. This state of absence of distinction creates a special kind of bliss which the individual goes on enjoying in the sleeping state. But this unicity of sleep is not actually the state of self-expansion or absolute identity with the Divine Essence.

The knowledge of material distinction can be dispensed within two ways. In a very brilliant radiance the perception of differentialities is lost, for at that time all objects appear radiant. Then again, in absolute darkness material differences as well vanish for them there is only a cimmerian darkness in which all objects lose their respective outlines. The unicity of sleep is the same as that of the stupefying cimmerian darkness; that is to say, the power of vision is intact and so are the objects, but there is no visualization. Hence the joy of sleep is static or passive, and gradually this state gives way to dream or wakefulness. The seven-sided and decennoval (nineteen) outlets of the wakeful and dreamful states are not lost but remain as seeds in the state of sleep. And so there can never be happiness in this state either. Such a state is called Prájiṋa or the quiescent state of cognition, and that of the Supreme Spirit is called Ishvara or the Crude Cosmic Mind. Since the entire world is linked together in Him just as the pearls are strung on a thread or sútra, so He is called Sútreshvara. It is this thread that has encircled the individuality of the unit. The reason for calling the Puruśa in the sleep state as Prájiṋa is that in this state the seed of all knowledge is embedded. Yet due to darkness, discrimination is nil – such is the state of sleep. The seeds of the wakeful and dreamful states abide in this state too, and so its happiness is not absolute but merely, a fragmental or partial one.

TURIIYA – The State of Non-Duality

Eśa sarveshvara eśa sarvajiṋa eśontaryámyeśa yonih sarvasya prabhavá pyayao hi bhutánám trayamapyetat susuptaḿ svapnaḿ máyámátraḿ cidekaraso hyayamátmá atha caturthashcaturátmá turiiyávasitatvadekaeka syotánujiṋátranujiṋá vikal- paestrayamatrapi susuptam svapnaḿ máyámatram cidekaraso hyathayamádesho na sthulaprajiṋam na sukśmaprájiṋaḿnobhayatah prajiṋaḿ na prajiṋam náprjiṋam na prajiṋánaghanamadrśt́amavyavahar- yamapratyay asáram prapaincopashamam shivam shántaḿ advaetam manyate. Sa evátmá sa esa vijineya iishvaragrásasturiiyasturiiya.

Turiiya is neither Omniscient nor the Lord of all, for to know anything the presence of different entities like knowledge, knower and knowable is unavoidable. Likewise, the Iishvaratva or the right of control over anything is not possible without the existence of a controller, control and the controlled, so the state of omniscience or all-knowingness exists only when one’s cognitive self remains separate from all the rest, from the knowable entities. Similarly, in the state in which one experiences “I am” the Iishvara or the Lord of all, here too the separateness of ones characteristic self from all others is necessary. But in the Turiiya state the sense of existence of all other entities does not exist at all; there remains only one entity and that is why, an individual in this state cannot be the knower of any object nor the Iishvara of anything. An individual endowed with omniscience or Lordship, we shall call Prájiṋa not Turiiya. The Prájiṋá is the root of all, the giver of inspiration, the cause of the existential ratification of the world. That is why His body is known as the Causal Body. He Himself is the Quiescent Soul or the Causal Soul. Turiiya is the Witnessing Consciousness, and the Causal Body or Causal Brahma is the qualified manifestation is expressing itself through the media of endless unit manifestations in the hope of finally attaining the great union in the Supreme Perfection – in the Absolute Supreme Bliss. The qualified thought projection of the Cosmic expression, that is the initial stage of the centrifugal action (Saiṋcara) is called the Causal Body, and the Puruśa, which is the subject of this Causal Body, is the Causal Soul, for the word “cause” here actually means seed. His Body is the seed of the universe and thus He is the Causal Soul. The manifestativeness of the entire universe lies covert in this stage and that is why He is the Controller of all manifestations. He is the Omniscient Being and the Lord of all.

The last phase of Introversion (Prati-Saiṋcara) is somewhat like Extroversion (Saiṋcara); but the main difference between them is that during the time of extroversion the Causal Soul has the germinating potentials of the seed but in the last stage of introversion it is just the reverse. In other words, due to the lack of germinating possibility the Causal Soul returns to the Original Entity. Thus, it will be more correct to call returning Causal Body the ordinary body instead

Turiiya Brahma (Nrsiḿha or Puruśottama) is concerned with the Causal Body in four kinds of associations or dissociations:

1. Ota Yoga or the state of pervasive or intimate association.
2. Anujiṋatá Yoga or the state of cosmotheistic bearing.
3. Anujiṋá Yoga or the Cognitive meditational approach to infinity.
4. Avikalpa Yoga or Absolute identity with the infinite.

OTA YOGA

Ota Yoga is that pervasive state of Turiiya, in which He is omnipresent as the knower of the Causal Body. He is just like the sun associated with its own manifestation, the world, by means of its own rays. Here the sun-ray is but a particular state of the sun itself and through the medium of that state the sun itself is united with this its manifestation, intimately and physically linked with this world as well as with other planets; it is inherent their very molecules and atoms. Similarly Puruśottama is also intimately and physically associated with the manifest and unmanifest unit entities as their witness. This associational bearing of the Turiiya is called Ota Yoga. In other words the yoga or link that constitutes the witness-ship of the unit entities is called Ota Yoga and that which constitutes the pervasive witness-ship of the collective whole is called Prota Yoga.

Nrisḿha is connected with the Causal Body in Ota Yoga just as the sun is connected with the causal body of the world through the medium of its rays. Where the knowership is Puruśottama, the known is the Causal Body. Where the knowership is Akśara, the known is Kśara, that which has deviated from its characteristics. Where the knowership is Acyuta (undegraded), the known is Cyuta, that which has degraded from its original characteristics. Where the knowership is the Supreme Brahma, known is the microcosm or reflected Brahma. This knowership is the Infinite Entity, the known is finite.

ANUJIṊÁTÁ YOGA

Is not that Causal Body, which Turiiya Brahma is associated through Ota Yoga, also Brahma? Of course that too is Brahma. When the unit entities ascribe pantheistic bearing to the Causal Body and run after it, they virtually impose Turiiyabháva or oneness on the Causal Body itself. The Causal Soul itself is Brahma. This bearing being the state preceding the Turiiyasthiti or establishment in non-duality this Pre-Turiiya Cosmotheistic state, is called Anujiṋátá Yoga. It is similar to knowing the sun, keeping in view the fact of its inalienable relation to the creation, preservation and destruction of the world. Truly speaking the Yoga by which the sense, that the world is intrinsically inalienable from the sun, is awakened, is called Anujiṋátá Yoga.

In this Anujiṋatá Yoga the relation of knowership and known though not fully manifest, does exist, it is semi-manifest, and so, like Ota Yoga, I cannot call the either the Supreme state of Turiiya.

When the finite, qualified unit entity, makes efforts to reach, through the Dhyána Yoga or meditation, the state of infinity of non-qualifiedness or non-distinctiveness, such a state is called Anujiṋátá Yoga. In other words it is as though attempting through cognitive sádhaná to regard the world itself as the finite form of the sun, while understanding the sun’s essential and characteristic unicity with it.

AVIKALPA YOGA

In Avikalpa Yoga there is no room for any second sentiment or thought. Here the entity is essentially one, the soul is purely cognition devoid of attributional aspects of the three states like knowledge, known and knower. This Avikalpa state is the seedless state of absolute identity with the Divine Essence, the eternal tranquillity of Nirvikalpa Samádhi or indeterminate, super-sensual trance of absorption.

We cannot call this Turiiya Sthulaparájiṋa, for He is not apprehensible by any crude objective intellect or knowledge. Nor can we call Him Suksmaprájiṋa either, for He is beyond the knowability or apprehensibility of the subtlest of the subtle intelligence of the subjective or objective intellect. Then again we cannot say that He is Ubhayaprájiṋa, that He is knowable, but through some middle condition between the two. It will be also incorrect to say that He is attainable through synthetic knowledge or intellect for in that state, which is in reality a state of absolute cognition, the seed of all-knowingness as well as Omnilordship does exist and so that state – not to speak of the Avikalpa or seedless state – is not even a Turiiya state. We shall call the state absolute cognition the Causal Soul, which is known as Prájiṋa and Sútreshvara according to individual and collective distinction respectively. Truly speaking, the Entity which is neither a crude cognition – nor a subtle cognition neither a bilateral cognition nor an absolute cognition – can have no relation with the mind or its activities at all. That Entity is beyond the scope of mind, common knowledge or intelligence, be it crude or subtle, condensed or uncondensed, or any of the other imaginative processes of the mind – none of these is Turiiya Brahma for He is beyond the orbit of the mind. He is free of all adjectives or attributes, like commonness, uncommonness, density, non-density etc. To attribute all these to Him is to brand Him with positive or negative traits. Being beyond the purview of the mind, He cannot be seen nor can He be used for any transaction of give and take. The differences of objects are determinated by the differences rather than attributes. As the mind cannot determine His attributes, it cannot determine His distinctiveness from any other object either. He is not a material thing. He is non-material. This Turiiya Entity, being beyond the scope of mind, is also not apprehensible through meditating. His characteristic form cannot be described, for how can any material language describe the immaterial? This Turiiya Brahma exists behind the existential sense of every object in His characteristic, intransmutable stance only, which remains as the characteristic essence, the ultimate result of all metaphysical and philosophical analyses. He indeed is Shiva-the Bhumánanda (Macrocosmic Bliss). Being free from all duality He is Absolute Tranquillity. He is without distortions, for distortions occur due to the application of force by one object upon another.

His singular stance is His only characteristic. Thus the first three of the four states are not the absolute Truth. The fourth state, the Turiiya, is the only Truth. The states of wakefulness, dream and sleep are not spiritual entities for they contain in them the semblance of attributes, their existential entities are dependent on the crude, subtle and causal knowables. So the first three states of the soul are relative truths because they are dependent on other factors whereas the fourth state, the Turiiya, being independent of all others, is the spiritual Truth, the whole Truth, the Absolute Truth.

Earn your deathlessness by establishing yourself in Him. He is the real Soul. If any condition is worth attaining at all then it is this condition – the Turiiya condition. In such a condition there cannot be any distinctions of microcosm or macrocosm. In this condition there is no form for action, inaction or counter-action – no scope for extroversive or introversive vagaries. This bearing is the natural characteristic of the soul, its characteristic Self. In wakefulness the collectivity is called Viráta (the subjective counterpart of the Causal Cosmic Mind) and the individuality is Vishva (the subjective counterpart of the causal unit-mind). In the dream state the collectivity is known as Hirańyagarbha (the subjective counterpart of the subtle Cosmic Mind) and the individuality is Taejasa (the subjective counterpart of the subtle unit-mind). In the sleeping state the collectivity is Sútreshvara (the subjective counterpart of the crude Cosmic Mind), the individuality is Prajiṋa (the subjective counterpart of the crude unit-mind), the dormant cognition, being completely free from all attributes or the semblance thereof, the states of collectivity and individuality cannot exist due to the absence of all kinds of differentiations. In this condition He is called the One unique Iishvaragrása or the Cosmic Finality regardless of any collectivity or individuality. Only in the soul is He experienced. He is the summum bonum of all sádhaná or intuitional practice. He is not attainable through arguments or science. When one is ensconced in Him, wakefulness, dream and sleep are but mere imaginations and illusions – merely the mistaken recognition of untruth for Truth. Even the entire quinquelemental or Paiṋcabhútatmaka world is lost during this Turiiyabháva, in such a supreme state all elemental bearings recede into nothingness. In every human being there are the states of wakefulness, dream, sleep, the unit soul and the Supreme Soul. It is that Soul we must know.

He is the ultimate Finality, the Iishvaragrása. The range of the dream state is greater than that of the wakeful one, and the range of the sleep state much greater than that of the dream state. And the state encompasses the entire vast extent of the sleep state, and that is why Turiiya state is the vastest of all, the all-devouring. Even the Supreme Puruśa (Iishvara), the subjective witnessing entity meets His end in Him and that is why His name is Iishvaragrása or the Cosmic Finality.

This Turiiya or non-dual state is beyond all guńas or attributes. No language can describe Him. The scriptures have only tried to elucidate and explain Him, but the language for the proper explanation is not within the bounds of the scriptures. In the state of Turiiya not only does subjectivity not exist, but in the fourth aspect of the turiiya, the Avikalpa, there is not even a semblance of witness-ship. No matter how assiduously the wavering and indecisive mind exerts itself to reach that Turiiya, it can never hold Him within its grasp. To attain Him one has to do the sádhaná of self-surrender, one has to surrender oneself wholly – giving the full sixteen annas.⁽¹⁾ Withholding of even a single anna will not do.

Peace be with you all.

Footnotes

(1) One rupee contains sixteen annas. –Trans.