O worthy Rasiks, the bees who imbibe the nectar of the lotus feet of Sat-chit-ananda Shri Krishnachandra, who is adored by hosts of the celestial gods! As is customary, let us chant the divine name for a while, after which the discourse will begin.
All glory to Lord Shri Krishna! Now, please pay close attention. So far, I have told you that ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who is Mine?’ are the two questions we have been attempting to solve from beginningless time until now, through infinite lifetimes, incessantly, constantly, unceasingly, every moment, and yet we still have not made any progress. In other words, we have been unable to solve these two questions. As a result, we are unhappy, distressed, dissatisfied and unfulfilled. And this incompleteness will not end until these two questions are solved in a practical way.
To that end, you were told by means of perceptual, inferential and other evidence that whatever is not ‘mine’ is the ‘I’. And while explaining the meaning of the word ‘mine’, you were told that besides the ‘I’, there are two other entities. One is God and one is maya. So, one of these two must be ‘mine’, because apart from the soul, there is no third entity.
And although these three entities are eternal and everlasting, not all three are independent. There is only one independent entity, God. The other two entities are subordinate to God. Of these, one entity, that is, the ‘I’, is conscious. The other entity, maya, is insentient. That is why God and the soul are close to each other. Both are sentient. That is also why the soul is called a marginal power.
God has two primary powers apart from the soul: one is called para shakti and the other, maya shakti. Para shakti is God’s personal power. All other powers are under this para shakti. So, this jiva shakti is not a part of Shri Krishna’s para shakti, that is, this soul; nor is it a part of Shri Krishna’s maya shakti. You were also told that maya shakti is insentient; so there is no question of the soul being part of it. And para shakti is God’s personal power. If we were part of this power, then we would possess all the attributes of God. That is, we would have the form of sat-chit-anand. However, we are bound by maya. We have been bound since beginningless time, and God is the Lord of maya. Therefore, we are not part of Shri Krishna’s personal power, para shakti.
So, jiva shakti, which is a power of God, is separate from para shakti and maya shakti. We are part of Shri Krishna’s specific power, jiva shakti. We are His power. That is why we are neither insentient, and nor are we endowed with God’s personal power, svarup shakti. We are under the control of maya.
Our relationship with God is of both similarity and difference. In other words, in some respects we are non-different, while in many respects, we are different. For instance, God is sentient; we are also sentient. God is eternal; we are also eternal. However, God is all-powerful, while we are powerless. God is all-knowing; we know very little. God is the Lord, the ruler; we are ruled by Him. God is the inspirer; we are the inspired. God is the supporter; we are supported by Him. God is the whole; we are fractions of Him. God is one, and yet He is all-pervading. We, the individual souls, are countless and pervade only the body. There are innumerable differences!
And it has also been pointed out that we, the individual souls, are infinitesimal. We are extremely subtle and while residing only within the heart of whichever body we enter into, we fully pervade that entire body.
Scriptural Verse (Chhandogya Upanishad 8.8.1) The Vedas say, “The soul pervades every part from head to toe.” Take light, for instance. It illuminates the entirety of whichever room it is in, whether it is a small room or a large room. Similarly, whether the soul resides within the heart of an ant or an elephant, it manifests consciousness to each and every part of the body. As long as it remains, we say that the body is alive. We say it is conscious. When the soul departs, the body returns to its original mayic form. It becomes insentient. This is the experience of us all.
You were also told that when the individual soul transcends maya, when it becomes liberated from maya, even then it will retain the same infinitesimal form. It will not become all-pervading. It will not become God. It will also not become insentient like maya. It will attain freedom from maya. Even God Himself cannot put an end to the power maya. No power that exists can be eliminated. Nonetheless, we can attain freedom from it.
After this, I explained to you that although the soul is eternal, maya’s rule over it is not eternal. Maya has ruled over the soul since beginningless time, but it is not compulsory that it will do so forever. If the right method is adopted, then one can be freed from maya’s clutches. Countless souls have attained freedom. However, although they become endowed with the eight qualities of God, the work of creation is performed by God Himself. The liberated soul, endowed with a divine body, divine wisdom and divine bliss, serves the Lord for eternity in His abode as His servant.
After this, I explained that God, of whom we are a part, a servant and a power, has two main forms. One is formless, without attributes and distinctions, and one is with a form, attributes and distinctions. And even that personal form with attributes has many expansions. And they have a single source. Shri Krishna is the source of all the various expansions of God. All His expansions and descensions such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shankar and other descensions are svansh (His personal expansions). They all possess the qualities of God. They are endowed with para shakti, i.e., svarup shakti, God’s personal power. In other words, they govern svarup shakti. The governors of this svarup shakti, the directors, are solely God and His personal expansions. We may attain God-realisation and also the svarup shakti of God, but we will remain subordinate to that power. We can never become governors of svarup shakti.
There are many souls who are eternally liberated. Those souls are also part of Shri Krishna’s specific power, jiva shakti. Even they are not governors of svarup shakti, but they are endowed with svarup shakti. So, we can also be endowed with that power. How?
I have told you that there are two entities apart from the soul: God and maya. Which of these is ‘mine’? In finding out the answer, we have already become familiar with one, since we experience this world. We have never found true happiness here. We attained a human body, the ultimate level of good fortune. There is no other body more fortunate than this one; this is why even the celestial gods desire this human form. They have celestial bodies. Their bodies do not produce any kind of excrement. They do not age. They emit a fragrance. This flesh, fat, bones, marrow and impure matter are not present in their bodies. However, they only go through the consequences of past actions. They cannot do anything. They cannot progress or add; they only expend their past actions.
For example, say you deposit $100,000 into the bank, then you happily withdraw $10,000 each month and live comfortably without doing anything. Your money is exhausted in ten months. Now, if you go to the bank and ask them to give you $10,000, they will laugh at you. “Your account is empty. Go away.” – “Sir, how can I leave? How will I manage my expenses this month?” “Hey! You are mad. How are we responsible for your expenses? You deposited $100,000 and then withdrew it. Now go.” Similarly, the earnings we have accumulated through our virtuous actions determine how long we spend in a celestial body, enjoying the pleasures of the celestial abodes. Thereafter, we again return to this mortal world. And it is not compulsory that you will be given a human body.
Scriptural Verse Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.10 We may become a dog, a pig, a moth or an insect. We will be given a body according to our accumulated past actions. So, we are already experiencing all the pleasures of this world. This is not ‘mine’. Why? The happiness here has two defects. What is the first defect? It is limited; it is finite. There are always greater pleasures ahead, and when we see them, our existing pleasure disappears.
A poor man gets a motorcycle for the first time. He proudly sits on it and drives around. He visits his friends and relatives for no reason other than to show that he has purchased a motorcycle. However, when he sees someone in a car speeding by him on a wet, muddy road, and the car bulldozes through a puddle, splashing mud and muck all over him and all over his motorcycle, he says, “Oh God! What sort of a vehicle is a motorcycle? If I had a car, I could sleep comfortably inside while the driver does the driving. Yes, one day I will buy a car.” The poor fellow, the happiness he was receiving from his motorcycle has gone. In the same way, every pleasure we receive starts diminishing and then disappears. This is our experience, every day. When we see something beautiful for the first time, it seems very attractive. The second time, it is less. The third time, it ends. The fourth time, you look away.
So, this means that the other remaining entity, God, must be the one who is ‘mine’. Now, the aspect of God which is formless and attributeless is of no use to us, because our body has a form and qualities and we live in a world that has a form and qualities. So, our mind naturally relates to the idea of a form and qualities. We have never even conceived of anything without a form or qualities, to the extent that we do not even realise the ‘I’ which is formless. We only recognise ourselves as a physical form all the time – this body – even if we do so due to ignorance. Therefore, we should only have a relationship with the personal form of God.
Secondly, the impersonal, attributeless Brahm is of no use to us, because as I have explained, His powers are not manifested. For instance, He does not bestow grace on us, nor does He give us anything that we ask for; nor can we serve Him as His servants. How can we serve a formless entity? How could we even approach something that is formless? He is omnipresent. So, we will not benefit from Him in any way. This is why we should accept only Shri Krishna as our chosen deity. He alone is ours. We should make this firm decision.
Alright. In the previous lecture, it was explained to you in detail that the one who is ‘mine’, Shri Krishna, cannot be known by anyone. It is accepted that only by knowing Him will suffering end and bliss be attained. These two things. However, how does one attain Him? The Vedas, Puranas and other scriptures have loudly proclaimed, “Know Him. That’s it; everything is achieved.”
Scriptural Verse (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.5) “Abandon all other views! Don’t read or listen to anything else! Just know Him.” Ekam janata Know Him alone. Oh, but how can we know Him? By reading? By listening? No, no! The Vedas themselves declare: Scriptural Verse Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.19 This mantra is also in the Narada-parivrajaka Upanishad at 9.14. No one can know Him.
It was also explained why no one can know Him. The senses, the mind and so on cannot reach there because they are material. Secondly, the senses, mind and intellect do not work independently. They function upon receiving His power. Pay attention!
Scriptural Verse (Kena Upanishad 1.4) Scriptural Verse (Kena Upanishad 1.5) Scriptural Verse (Kena Upanishad 1.6) Scriptural Verse (Kena Upanishad 1.7) Scriptural Verse (Kena Upanishad 1.8) Kena Upanishad 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 All these Vedic mantras declare that it is with the power received from Him that the senses, mind and everything work. So, how can these poor things become the inspirer of their inspirer? How can the ones being illuminated become the illuminator of the One who illuminates them?
Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.14) The Vedas say this. Scriptural Verse (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.14) It is by His power that the entire world functions, inside and outside, everywhere. Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 10.13.55 That is why the senses, mind and intellect cannot comprehend Him.
The Mundaka Upanishad says: Scriptural Verse Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.8 The senses, mind and intellect have no access to the divine. Don’t use them there. You will be ruined. You will drown. If a person does not know how to swim in deep water, people warn him, “Hey! Don’t go any further or you will drown.” And the one who does not listen and goes, drowns. Many people did not listen; they went and drowned. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavad Gita 4.40) They became atheists.
Again the Vedas came. The Vedas said, “It is like this … Scriptural Verse (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.4, 2.9) … these senses, mind and intellect reach the furthermost limits of the material realm and then return.” They have no further access. Taittiriya Upanishad 2.4 This mantra appears again at 2.9. This mantra is also in the Brahma Upanishad. This mantra is also in the Shandilya Upanishad at 2.1. This mantra is also in the Sharabha Upanishad. Why? It has been explained repeatedly. Why are you asking ‘why’?
Scriptural Verse (Katha Upanishad 1.3.10) Scriptural Verse (Katha Upanishad 1.3.11) Beyond the senses are the sense objects, then the mind; beyond that is the intellect, and beyond the intellect is the soul. Beyond that is maya and beyond that is Brahm. How can the mind reach there? Therefore, the Vedant also appeared and said: Scriptural Verse Brahma Sutra 3.2.22 No one can know Him.
Now understand from the Gita. What does the Gita say? Scriptural Verse (Bhagavad Gita 7.26) “Arjun! I also know the past – all the actions of the countless lives of every soul. These are known to Me alone, but no one knows Me.” na veda kaschana (Bhagavad Gita 7.26) “No one can know Me.” Bhagavad Gita 7.26 Why? Scriptural Verse Bhagavad Gita 7.13 “Everyone’s intellect is influenced by the three modes of maya. It is mayic. I am beyond that; I am divine. That is why no one can know Me.” Scriptural Verse Bhagavad Gita 3.42 God is beyond the senses, mind and intellect. So, no one can know Him.
Now understand from the Bhagavat. The Bhagavat also says the same thing. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 9.8.22) Even Brahma and others cannot know Him; not even those absorbed in deep meditation. 9.8.22
Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 2.6.34 Brahma is saying this. He entered into a deep meditative trance to discover his own origin. Brahma emerged from the Lord’s navel on a lotus. He looked around and wondered, “Where have I come from?” So, through samadhi, he created a subtle body and entered the stem of the lotus. He kept going and going. Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 3.6.38) For a thousand years, he could not find the end of the lotus stem. He came back. Bhagavatam 3.6.38
So, Brahma said: Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 2.6.36) “O Narad Ji. I do not know that Supreme Lord. You do not know Him either. And even Lord Shiva does not know Him.” Bhagavatam 2.6.36
Lord Shiva came and said: Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 6.17.32 “Even I do not know Him. Brahma also does not know Him; and neither do Sanak and the other great sages and ascetics of Sat Yug. No one knows Him. How could poor Indra and the others know Him?”
Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.14.38) “Whoever claims that he knows, is mad. Let him say it. As for myself, I do not. I who created the world from nothing. I, Brahma!” Why? Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.17.24) “When God existed, there was nothing else; even I did not exist. There was nothing real or unreal. There was no maya either. Then who would know? Even time did not exist.” Bhagavatam 10.17.24
Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 10.87.41 “The Vedas declare that Brahma and so on do not know You. And even I do not know You. How could the poor Vedas know You? O Brahm, Shri Krishna! Even You also cannot fathom the limits of Your own infinity.” Scriptural Verse Bhagavatam 3.6.39 So, when personalities like Brahma and Lord Shiva admit this, then who else can know Him?
That is why the Ramayan also states: Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) When Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar do not know Him, who else would know Him? Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) Nothing can be said about Him. He cannot be described by anyone, because words have no access there. When the mind cannot reach there, how can the senses, which are inferior to the mind? Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) “O Parvati, don’t use your intellect there.”
Parvati tried it once. She assumed the form of Sita and sat down, ignoring Lord Shiva’s advice. Lord Ram was wandering around in grief. He saw Sita and smiled. Then Ram said, “Oh Mother, why are you sitting alone?” – “Mother? He is calling me Mother? He recognised me as Parvati.” She was caught! She fled from there.
So, Lord Shiva is telling that very Parvati, “He is beyond the senses, mind and intellect. Do not use your intellect there.” So, God is beyond the senses, mind and intellect. Therefore, it is impossible to even know Him. And there are some naive people who ask their Guru, “Please show us God just once. That’s all! Then we will leave everything and devote ourselves to Him.” This is like wanting a child first and then getting married. Wow!
God has come countless times to this world, and He is always seated in your heart. I have repeatedly mentioned this, with references from the Vedas. You have seen God not just once or twice. God is not older than us. We have existed ever since God has. And He descends in every age. We are also here. We have seen Him.
Scriptural Verse (Bhagavatam 10.43.17) When Shri Krishna was standing in the assembly of Kans, we also went there. We heard the news about a little boy who had killed the elephant Kuvalayapida, and put mighty wrestlers to death. “He is ready to break the mighty bow. Let’s go and see. He just performs miraculous feats! He is not God. This boy is a magician.” We saw Him. “He is nice, but he is not as nice as my son.” Because our attachment is to our own son. One is not attached to someone else’s child. Those who we are attached to are lovable to us. This is important.
Those elevated souls, Saints, who had already attained God-realisation, saw Him and said, “Oh, this is my Lord, Shyamsundar.” That’s it! No one else saw His true form. Let me tell you something amazing. Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) When you see someone in this world, either you will find him attractive and beautiful, or if he is ugly, then you may turn your face away. Or you may consider him to be normal, “He is neither extraordinarily attractive nor ugly, just average.” That’s it.
However, what is happening here? Among the demons who saw Balram and Shri Krishna, one of them said, “Hey! He has eight heads.” Another retorted, “You fool! Don’t you know how to count? He has twelve heads.” A third said, “Both of you are blind! He has eighteen heads.” How can anyone possibly see a different number of heads? “Are your eyes okay?” – “Yes, our eyes are fine, and we are all scholars. Everyone learns to count right from first grade. Do you think we don’t know how to count?” Some became afraid upon seeing Him, “His appearance is so frightful!”
Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) The devotees exclaimed, “This is our very own chosen deity, our infinitely beautiful Lord!” Scriptural Verse (Ramayan) So, it was all in vain. There was no benefit in seeing the Lord. In fact, it was harmful. What? What if at that time, a great Jagadguru comes and says, “He is God”? – “Really? Is this what your God is like? Then Guru Ji, goodbye to both you and your God. We thought that when the Lord is so beautiful that even those absorbed in the impersonal, attributeless God become overwhelmed on seeing Him, then what could we say about the Lord’s impact on those absorbed in the world? But we are looking at Him and nothing is happening to us. So He cannot be God.”
To see the divine form, we must first have divine eyes. Pay attention. God’s body is divine while our eyes are mayic, material, made of the five material elements in the mother’s womb. These eyes can see the world, because the world is also material and made of the five material elements. When our eyes cannot hear and our ears cannot see, even though both are made of the five material elements, then how can these ears hear the words of God who is divine? How can these eyes see the form of God who is divine?
So, does this mean that no one has ever seen God? No, some have. They have known God and have attained Him too, in the same way that you and I see our physical father or speak to our father or embrace him. In exactly the same way! We have read and heard the history of countless Saints, which bears witness to the fact that countless souls have interacted with God in this very manner.
However, how can we do this when our body is material, our mind is material and our senses are also material? Then how can we attain the words, touch, form, nectar and fragrance of that divine God? You claim that countless souls have attained all this. Yes. How do we do this? I will explain. Do not worry. All glories to Shri Radha Krishna!
