PRAYERS - CARDINAL AND NON-CARDINAL BANDHU, SUHRD, MITRAM AND SAKHA' DEVOTION AND THE REALM OF INTELLECTUALITY DON'T BE MISGUIDED PRAYERS - CARDINAL AND NON-CARDINAL official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Om bhur bhuvah svah, om tat saviturvaren'yam' Bhargo devasya dhimohi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat. I told you that there must not be any prayers, at least no non-cardinal type of prayers. What are cardinal prayers? The prayers that solely control human movements or concern the pabula that helps human advancement or microcosmic advancement towards its desideratum may be termed cardinal prayers. All other prayers are non-cardinal. Microcosmic advancement requires some urge and it gets its food from the Macrocosmic Cause. So people's request or prayers should be on that issue only. For example, `Oh Parama Purus'a, guide my intellect unto the path of bliss.' In our Savitr Rk, which is commonly known as Ga'yatrii Mantra, the prayers are for the development of the intellect or rather for the proper movement of the intellect. In the Savitr Rk, it has been said: `Oh, Lord of the seven strata of expression, guide our intellect unto the path of bliss'. There is no other prayer. Bhuh, bhuvah, svah, maha, janah, tapah, satya - asya saptalokasya saviturdevasya. Savituh means pitu. Pituh devasya varen'ya bhargo varenyam' pujaniiyam' bhargo jyotih dhimahi vayam' dhya'nam' kurmah, ken'aka'ra'n'ena yayam' dhya'nam' ku'rmah? Kenaka'ran'ena vayam' varen'yam' bhargo dhyanam' ku'rmah, dhiyo ya nah pracodaya't. Vo nah dhiyo asma'kam' dhiyoasma'kam' buddhi medha' a'diiya'di pra'codaya't. Samvidha'nam' karotu satpathi parica'lanam' karotu. Anena ka'ran'ena vayam' dhya'nam' kurmah. We meditate on the divine effulgence of the Supreme Father who created the seven strata of manifestation - bhuh, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah, satyah. By meditating on this divine effulgence we get the inspiration to move along the path of blessedness. That is why we meditate and that is why we are to meditate. We must meditate. This prayer is of the cardinal type, hence it is a necessity. We should do it, we must do it. Prayers like, `Oh God, give us food, give us drink' are all non-cardinal; hence they are useless and should always be discouraged. I told you that your requirements are better known to Him. You do not know what you actual requirements are. He knows. In several portions of the Yajurveda also, prayers are like this `guide our intellect unto the path of blessedness.' `Ya eko' varn'o bahudha'shaktiyoga't varn'a'naneka'n nihita'rtho dadha'ti, Vi caeti ca'nte vishvama'dao sadevah sa no buddhya' shubhaya' sam'yunaktu.' That one Supreme Entity is colourless. Why is He colourless? Because colours are all His creations. He created colours. So He cannot have any colour and that is why in the sha'stra it is said that Parama Purus'a is of white complexion. What is white? White is no colour. The combination of all colours is white. Parama' Prakrti is merely a tool. Her dexterity depends upon the whims of Parama Purus'a. So she is black - Ka'lika'shakti. Why black? Black is no colour. Want of colour is black. `Eko varn'o bahudha' shaktiyoga't'. Although He is colourless, He is beyond the periphery of all colours, `Bahudha' shaktiyoga't', with the help of His many attributional faculties. `Varn'a'naneka'n nihita'rtho da'ha'ti'. He created this world of so many colours and each and every entity, each and every animated entity of this world is attracted first by colour and then by attributions. Why did He create this universe of so many colours? What was the necessity. The jina'niis, that is, the people of intellect, say that there may have been such and such necessity, but they are not sure what the actual necessity was. They don't know why He created the universe. The karmiis say that karma is the guiding faculty. They say that Parama Purus'a created this universe out of His whims because He also has to do some kind of Karma. But, you know, those intellectuals and karmiis are less intelligent than the bhaktas, (devotees). Devotees are `A' grade intellectuals, karmiis are `B' grade and jina'niis are `C' grade as in football games, where there are teams from A, B and C groups. Similarly, here the `A' grade are devotees. The `B' grade are karmiis and the `C' grade are jina'niis. Jina'niis waste their valuable time in idle altercations, in meaningless altercations. Karmiis say that He had to do some work and that is why He created this Universe.But the bhaktas say, `No, no, no, your explanations are not satisfactory. We know why He created this universe. ' Here in this shloka it is said - `Ya Eko Varn'a Bahudha' Shakti Yoga't, Varn'a'naneka'n Nihita'rtho Dadha'ti.' That is, the proper reply is known only to Him, the motive is known only to Him and to nobody else. The jina'niis and the karmiis cannot come in close proximity to Parama Purus'a, there remains a gap. In the case of jina'niis, the gap is bigger than that of karmiis. In the case of bhaktas they may be literate or illiterate they may be poor or rich, but their remains no gap. They only know, `I am, my father is; there is no third entity between me and my Father'. That's why they can come in close contact with Him. Such devotees, such bhaktas say, `Oh jina'niis! Your reply is not satisfactory. Oh karmiis, your reply is also not satisfactory. The actual reply is known to Him alone. As none of you ever come in close contact with Him, how can you know the inner secret? Unless and until you are in love with Him and you are in close contact with Him, you cannot know Him. His inner motive is known only to those who come in close contact with Him.' The devotee says, `I know the reply, it is this.' `Sa va' es'a tada' dras't'a na pashya'ddrs't'amekara't, Me ne santamivatma'nam' suptashaktiras'uptadrk.' `My Lord was alone in this universe before the creation - there was nothing. You can imagine the condition of a person who is alone in a big city or a house. He or she becomes almost mad, semi-insane. My Lord was alone in this vast universe. There was nothing, no second entity. He had the power to see but there was no entity to be seen. He had the power to speak, but there was no second entity to listen. He had all the potentialities of expression. He also possessed all the potentialities of manifestation, but He could not manifest Himself. He could not do anything because of the absence of a second entity, I can say, `My boy, why have you committed this sin? I will punish you.' He could not say that because there was no boy, there was nobody to come in personal contact with Him. Just imagine what His condition was. To save Himself from this monotony of loneliness He created so many entities from His own body. All are His limited expressions, all are finite islands in the ocean of the Infinite. All are within Him. The jinaniis and karmiis will say, `Oh, it is His liila. He is playing with us, but we are half-dead because of the influence of His liila. There are so many troubles, so many adversities and so many afflictions and you call all that His Liila'. `Yes', say the bhaktas, `He is playing with different parts of His own body. He is not giving any trouble to any second entity. We are all His and we are playing our roles in this vast drama of His'. The bhaktas further say, `Oh jina'niis, oh karmiis, you need not waste your time in idle altercations and idle gossip. The potentialities of your intellect are extremely limited. What can a small brain in a small cranium do? Therefore the best thing to do is to request Him for proper guidance.' `Sa No Bhuddhya' Shubhaya' Sam'yunaktu'. So that He may guide our intellect, and keep our intellect connected with shubha and never with ashubha. This much should be our prayer and nothing more than that. We require nothing from Him because whatever is to be done, whatever should be done, will be done by Him. He knows His duty. He is to do His duty and let us do our duties properly. This much only we should do. 22 November 1978, Bombay BANDHU, SUHRD, MITRAM AND SAKHA' official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. `Atya'gasahano bandhuh sadaeva'numatah suhrd, Ekakriyam bhavenmitram samapra'na'h sakha' smrtah'. `Bandhu', `suhrd', `mitram' and `sakha' - these are almost synonymous but their meanings are not quite the same. `Bandhu' is one who cannot bear separation, cannot live away. The bondage is so strong that they cannot live away. For this reason they are called `bandhu'. It has not any correct English synonym and so I am compelled to use the word `bandhu'. Those who go together because they have no differences of opinion are called `suhrd'. Now, let us analyse the first term, `bandhu'. Is anybody a bandhu in this world? No, there is none. After death even the people who accompany you to the burning ground return to their respective homes once the cremation is over, they shall not go with you. Hence there is no bandhu in this world. There is only one bandhu and He is Jagat-Bandhu. One who stays with ones friends because there is no difference of opinion between them is said to be suhrd. In this world every-one has some difference of opinion with others. Even on small matters there is a difference of opinion and these small things become bigger in the end. Therefore, no-one in this universe is your suhrd. Only dharma who accompanies you even after death is your suhrd. None but dharma is suhrd. Whatever you do, will remain with you as reactive momenta. If you have done good work, you will have good reactive momenta. If you have done bad work, you will have bad reactive momenta. Dharma does not leave anybody, Dharma is with you in this world and will also be with you in the other world. This is the rule and so it has been said, `Dharma raks'ati raks'itah'. If you protect dharma, dharma will become stronger, and if your fired has become stronger, it will be an asset to you. You will get more help. A wise person should make dharma stronger for, `Dharma raks'ati raks'itah,' I will tell you a short story. Once there was a king. He was a strong spiritualist, a strong dha'rmik. Whatever he said he did and whatever he did he said. One day the king made a declaration that he would buy whatever remained unsold in the village market. People started coming to the market. One day, a sculptor brought an idol of the goddess `Alaks'mii', which negates wealth. Who would want to keep the idol Alaks'mii in their house? Nobody bout it. Finally in the evening the seller of that idol came to the king and said, `Ra'ja' Sa'hib, please take this idol and be true to your words.' The king bought it. The goddess Alaks'mii entered the palace. At about midnight the king heard a lady weeping. He approached her, asking `Mother, why are you weeping? What is the matter'. `I am the goddess of wealth, Ra'jya Laks'mii', she replied. `Now that Alaks'mii has enter the palace,how can I live here?' The king said, `Very well, for the protection of dharma I have to keep Alaks'mii here. If you do not want to live here, you may go'. Thereupon the goddess of wealth went away. After some time the Raja heard the sound of shoes; `thak, thak, thak'. `Thak, thak karoti yah sah thakarh.' Those theist people, who did not use leather shoes, used to wear wooden shoes, which made a `thaka, thaka' sound. From this the words `Thakare', `Thakur', Thakkar', etc., have been derived. The king, on hearing the sound, went to see what the matter was. He saw an gentleman and asked, `Who are you?' The reply was, `I am Na'ra'yan'a.' `What is the matter Na'ra'yan'a?' asked the king, `where are you going?' Na'ra'yan'a replied, `Laks'mii has left the palace, what shall I do? I shall not live here.' The king said, `To protect dharma, I have to keep Alaks'mii, and so if you want to leave the palace, you may go, what I do?' Na'ra'yan'a left. After that all the high-class, middle-class and lower-class gods and goddesses left the palace. The king said, 'If you all so desire you may go'. In the end a very glorious personality appeared. `Who are you?' asked the king. The reply was, `I am dharma ra'ja, the king of dharma. As all the other gods and goddesses have left the palace, I am also leaving.' The king replied, `It cannot be. To protect dharma I kept Alaks'mii. Oh dharma ra'ja, how can you leave me?' Dharma Ra'ja said `You are right. I will not leave.' As Dharma had remained there, Na'ra'yan'a slowly entered through the back door, since he did not dare to enter through the front door. The king said to him, `If you wish you may come.' Thus Na'ra'yan'a came. Laks'mii followed him, covering her face, because she did not dare to show her face to the king. There was a small gate within the main gate through which the other small and big gods and goddesses started entering. Some entered through the skylights and some of them entered through the drain. They found one or other way to enter the room. They said `Where there is dharma, where there is Narayana and Laks'mii, we shall also go and remain.' In the end the king was victorious. `Eka eva suhrd dharma nidhane api anuyati yah'. `Dharma alone is suhrd and remains with one till the end.' The third one is mitram. `Ekakriyam' bhavenmitram.' People having the same occupation, the same profession are said to be mitram. You will find many a mitram in this world. A doctor is a mitram for another doctor, an advocate is a mitram for another advocate. There are many mitrams in this world. The word `mitram' is neuter gender in Sam'skrta. `Mitra', in the masculine gender is `sun'. The word `mitram' is neuter gender, and is used in the sense of `colleague'. The fourth one is sakha' - `Samapra'n'ah sakha' smrtah.' Where the love is so strong that both appear to be identical but the physical bodies are separate they are called `sakha'. In this world there is no other sakha except Parama Purus'a. Krsna was the sakha' of Arjuna and Arjuna was the sakha' of Krs'n'a. If people are to know anything they should only know the One who never leaves them. What is to be gained from knowing those other things which will finally drift away and be lost? `Yah a'gacchati sah gacchati'. That which comes also goes away. If today something painful has entered in your life, do not be perturbed. This is the nature of the world. `Yah a'gacchati sah gacchati.' What has come, will go. The pain which has come to you today, will leave you after some time. Similarly, if pleasure comes to you, do not lose your control over it, do not be egoistic, since whatever has come must go. The pleasures that come will not remain. Once, Emperor Akbar asked Birbal, his courtier, to say something which would make a happy man sorrowful, and a sorrowful man happy. Birbal replied, `This day shall not remain.' Whatever comes in this world, goes away. He alone, who neither comes nor goes, lives with you eternally. You have encountered hundreds of thousands of people who are non-Sa'dhakas - they will have to live thousands of lives. Those who are Sa'dhakas will live in eternity after this life. Parama Purus'a will always be with you. That means, neither were you alone in the past nor will you be alone in the future. Always remember that you are not helpless. He who is guiding the stars of the skies, is with you, you are not alone. Under no circumstances should you ever be afraid. Never think that you are alone. Whatever has to happen, will happen, and the One who causes this happening is with you. He is not something which resides far far away. You are not a distant relative of His. He is your Father. So you only have to know the One. Who is He? He is your nearest and dearest One. He is your most beloved. To know Him is to acquire the real knowledge, called `vijina'na' in the scriptures. In science this is knowledge of substance. Spiritual knowledge is the real vijina'na. This is the real knowledge and all other knowledge is but a mirage of knowledge. There are tow reasons for this. First, the other things which know will not always remain with you. And thus this knowledge becomes meaningless. Secondly, although you struggle hard to know something, the strength of your mind is limited, extremely limited. With that limited mind you cannot know a thing correctly. But to know the Supreme Entity is something else. Knowing Him means to merge in Him; your small mind becomes one with Him. To know Him is the real knowledge. `Atmajina'nam' vidurjina'nam' jina'na'nyanya'niya'ni tu; Ta'ni jina'na'vabha'sa'ni sa'rasya naeva bodhana't.' To know the self is the real knowledge. Parama Purus'a is hidden in the self. When you know the self, you will know the hidden substance, you will not have to make any additional endeavour for that. So all the other things you know are not real knowledge but brief glimpses or mirages of knowledge. The student of science knows that there are two types of shadow - umbra and penumbra. Knowledge of other things is like that,a mirage of knowledge, not real knowledge. `Ta'ni jina'na'vabha'sa'ni, not the knowledge of essence. A mango tree and a lichi tree have similar shadows. You cannot distinguish the trees by seeing the shadows. To know the tree you have to look at the tree itself. Similarly knowledge of all worldly things is the umbra and penumbra of knowledge and not the real knowledge. So, to endeavour to know this knowledge becomes meaningless. Parama Purus'a lies in the self, and so the knowledge of self is the real knowledge. By knowing the self you attain everything. There is no need for any additional endeavour. `Dharmasya tattvam' nihita'm' guha'ya'm; Maha'jano yenagatah sah pantha'' The essence of dharma is that Parama Purus'a is hidden in your `I' -ness. He is hidden in the `I'-ness which exists in every mind, in every human being, so, know the self, and you will know Him easily. You should remember that this is the true knowledge and not the knowledge of external objects. You cannot get Parama Purus'a without the real knowledge. Imagine you see the reflection of a tree laden with sweet fruit in the water of a pond. If you try to eat the reflection of the fruit you will get neither the fruit nor its taste. What should you do? Climb the tree and eat the fruit. This is the path of a devotee. Devotees do not get satisfaction from the reflection or the shadow, they climb the tree and eat the fruit. What will intellectuals do? They will count the leaves of the tree. What will action-oriented person do? They will jump in the water and try to catch hold of the reflection of the fruit. I hope you are not like those intellectuals or action-oriented people. Be a strong bhakta - devotee - and eat the sweet fruit from the tree. 23 November 1978, Bombay DEVOTION AND THE REALM OF INTELLECTUALITY official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. Once during a conversation with Shiva, Pa'rvatii remarked that to do anything one requires some minimum qualifications. Pa'rvatii asked Shiva, `What should be the qualifications for those who aspire to enter the path of sa'dhana' or to engage themselves in meditation and recitation of God's name? Shiva said that she was right to say that everyone needs some minimum qualification to do anything, and that to enter the path of sa'dhana' one should also have a certain minimum qualification. Tantra Sha'stra has been compared to a bird which has two wings - one is A'gama and the other is Nigama. Whatever intellectual questions were put by Pa'rvatii or whatever intellectual expressions were made by Pa'rvatii are known as `Nigama Sha'stra'. Tantra has another wing, the replies of Shiva, which is both intellectual and actional. Instructions regarding how to live and how to behave in the objective world constitute Agama Sha'stra. So the questions of Pa'rvatii regarding a minimum of qualification should come under Nigama. All that Pa'rvatii said is Nigama. `A'gatam Shivavatrebhyo gatainca girija' shrutao; Matainca Va'sudevasya tasma'ta'gama ucayate. `A'gatam Shivavatrebhyo' means `that which has come from the mouth of Shiva'. The first letter of `a'gatam' is `a''. `Gatainca girija' shrutao' - here the first letter is `ga'. `Matainca Va'sudevasya' - here the first letter is ma. Thus it is known as `a'gama'. `Matam' is as in abhimata'. The conclusion a person reaches after deep thought is known as `mata'. All spiritual knowledge has been taught by whom? It has been said in A'nanda Su'tram, `Brahmaeva Gururekah na'parah'. Parama Purus'a, Parama Brahma alone, is the Guru. So whatever knowledge comes in the form of agama is from the Guru, or Parama Purus'a, or Parama'tma'. `Matainca Va'sudevasya'. Va'sudeva is another name of Krs'n'a. The name of Krs'n'a's worldly father was Vasudeva. Being the son of Vasudeva, He is said to be Va'sudeva. `Deva' means `vibrational expression', `vibrational manifestation'. `Vasu'is a loka where a person can abide or live and rest. Wherever a person can abide or live, say a star or a planet, is called `Vasu'. `Vasu' means `a place to live'. And that which is created due to the movements and manifestations of vibrational entities is `vasu'. `Vasudeva' means the physical, rather, the biological expression of the Supreme Krs'n'a. For that reason the Biija mantra, the acoustic root, of Krs'n'a is klrm'. What is `ka'? Whenever anything is created, it must have support from sound, light, and so many things, because anything in existence is presented by so many vibrations - and whenever there is any vibration, there is light and sound. When Parama Purus'a created this universe, this entire creation was subdivided into three phases. In the first phase of this srs't'i, or creation whenever anything is created, the supporting Microcosmic and Macrocosmic sound, Macrocosmic acoustic root is `a'. Whenever something comes into existence, the sound `a' is created. Hence `a' represents the srs't'i viija. `A' is the acoustic root of creation, and hence is the first letter of the Indo-Aryan alphabetical order. `A' is our first letter, because it represents creation. The creation takes place first, thereafter other things follow. Hence the acoustic root of creation is `a', and the first letter of our alphabetical order is also `a'. Similarly, in the Semitic alphabetical order, the first letter is 'a'lif'. `A'lif' means `a'. And also in Greek and Hebrew it is `alpha', and in English, that is in Roman script which has its origin in the Greek and Hebrew alphabetical order, it is `a'. And in French the first letter is `a'. After creation, Parama Purus'a will have to maintain the created beings. He will have to look after them. The acoustic root for the action of maintenance, preservation and nourishment is `u', the sound `u'. And after creation and nourishment, what happens? You withdraw the mental pictures into yourself. In your mind you create a horse, and after some time you withdraw that horse into your own psychic structure.The acoustic root for withdrawal, the withdrawal which is commonly known as `death' - but actually it is not death, but going back to God - is `ma'. So, `ma' is the acoustic root of withdrawal - not withdrawal here, but destruction. Actually, in the physical sphere we call it destruction, but for the Macrocosm it is not destruction, it is simply withdrawal - withdrawal from the field of activity, withdrawal from the phenomenal world. And that's why `ma' is the last letter of our vargiiya varn'ama'la'. What is our last varga? `Pa', `pha', `ba', `bha', `ma'. `Ma' is the last letter. After `ma' there remains a few antahstha varn'as and us'ma varn'as. They are not actual varnas. After `ma' comes `ya', `ra', `la' and `va'. These four are antahstha varnas. I have said that when `ya' is the first letter of any word, it is to be pronounced `ja'; otherwise it is pronounced `ya'. It has two sounds. Then `ra'. When `ra' is the first letter, it is pronounced `ra', and when it is not the first letter, it is pronounced `da'. then `va'. When it is the first letter, it is pronounced `va', and when it is not the first letter it is pronounced `wa'. And `la' as the first letter is pronounced `la', and when it is not the first letter it is pronounced `lra'. In South India, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Orissa, there are two `la': Ad'i `la' and antahstha `la' - when it is pronounced `la' and when it is pronounced `lra'. But in Hindi and North Indian languages, there is only one `la'. It is defective `Phalam' is not correct, `phalram' is correct. `Ya', `ra',`la', `va'. These are the four antahstha letters, and the remaining letters are what? The remaining letters are us'ma varn'as, `sha', `s'a', and `sa'. `S'a' is `ksha' as per Rk Vaedika pronunciation and `kkha' as per Yajurvaedika pronunciation. Both are equally correct. Now `ma' is the last letter. `A-u-ma' - `aum'. `Aum' is the acoustic root of the entire creation. That is why before every Vaedika hymn, there was a system, there was a usage, of pronouncing the sound `aum'. `Ka' is the first consonant and this is one meaning of `Ka'. The second meaning of `ka' is the objective universe. When Parama Purus'a creates the universe He remains the subject, and some portion of His Divine body is transformed into the universe. And that transformed portion is the objective world. As the Supreme Subjectivity, He creates the sound `aum' while creating the universe; but in the objective world (ka'ya Brahma) - when the objectivated world is created - the acoustic root is `ka'. `Ka' is the acoustic root of Ka'rya Brahma. Hence it is the acoustic root of the expressed universe, this paincabhaotika jagat, this prapainca. `Ka' means the expressed universe, and that is why `ka' is the first letter of our consonantal alphabetical order. Now, Krs'n'a controls this `ka'. He is the people's God; He is the people's object of adoration;hence He has something to do with `ka' also. He cannot neglect`ka'. He cannot neglect the people of this universe. He cannot neglect this expressed world. And in our Ananda Marga also, I have said that ours is subjective approach through objective adjustment. The third meaning of `ka' is `water'. `Jalam', `niiram', `toyam', `pa'niiyam', `kambalam', `ka'.* `Kena jalena chaditam - `that, surrounded by ka, surrounded by water' - is `kaccha'. The word `kaccha' means `surrounded by water'. `Kena artha't jalena cha'ditam', - `covered by water'. Now you know the meaning of the land called Kaccha? * Sam'skrta equivalents of water. `La' is the acoustic root of the solid world. Ks'iti, apa, teja, marut, vyoma - the ks'iti portion has the acoustic root `la'. The objective world, with all the glamour of physicality, is within Krsna. Hence he is `Klrm'* * 'Ka' + 'La' = 'Klrm'.' So human beings have to march ahead towards their supreme goal, keeping adjustment with the objective world. Humans have to go on marching ahead, but they have always to keep in mind that they have to maintain adjustment with this objective world. Where there is not this adjustment it becomes very difficult. Everything is upside down. The main theme of my discourse today is that all things emerge from a singular Entity. So humans can catch hold of that Entity's expressed ray, or any of Its pencils of rays, and start entering the inner world. They will have to travel a long way. Definitely it takes time. For those who enter the realm of intellectuality, the path is comprised of three aspects: va'da, jalpa and vitan'd'a'. For nya'yikas or pan'd'itas there are always va'da, jalpa and vitan'd'a. The Indian logician's philosophy is divided into these three aspects. So for those who travel the path of intellectuality, the first portion is va'da, the middle portion vitan'd'a', and the last portion jalpa. They will proceed through these three aspects to attain the logician's victory as their goal. Parama Purus'a is not their goal. Their main goal is to attain victory in the realm of logic. What type of victory is this? There are two inner feelings behind this victory. The first is becoming mentally inflated with vanity. The mind gets inflated with vanity like puffed rice. The person swells with pride like puffed rice, but inside there is nothing. And secondly, this intellectual develops a lust for some external words of praise - words to the effect that he or she has attained victory. So the first is that the mind gets puffed up with vanity, and thus grows weaker and weaker, and the second is that the person develops a lustful attachment for some external words of praise, and thus becomes a slave to those words and can never be a truly great person. Those people are great who harbor no biases and who behave rationally both with those who abuse them give them pain and with those who give them happiness. Such people don't harbour any feelings of enmity towards anybody and take no-one as their enemy. They remain the same in pleasure or pain whether they have a positive reputation or negative reputation. They are unaffected and unassailed in all circumstances of praise or criticism, pain or pleasure. They attach no importance whatsoever to any of these things. They are meaningless for such people. Those who work with the motivation that they will attain intellectual victory are slaves to words of praise. They can never become great people. It is bad to be a slave to worldly words of praise. The sounds raised by jackals and those raised in praise of some intellectuals are similar. Hence remaining engrossed in va'da, vitan'd'a' and jalpa will lead to nothing. Besides, valuable time will be wasted. You have not come on this earth for thousands of years. Few are the people who even live for a hundred years. Of course, if you follow Sixteen Points, your longevity will be greater, but you will not live for a thousand or two thousand years. The most a person can live is a hundred or a hundred and twenty-five years. So those who waste their time in va'da, jalpa and vitan'd'a' are fools. They are C-grade fools. To which grade of person have you decided to belong? As you do not want to belong to C-grade, you should do sa'dhana' and bhajana regularly and always remember the one who has sent you to this world and who resides within the mind of every person. You reside in Him, and therefore, you need not say, `O Parama Purus'a, O Na'ra'yan'a, be always with me.' He is always with you - nothing can exist beyond Him. Also, always remember that even if you have done something wrong, the Guru can save you. `Shiva rus't'e gurustra'ta'; Gururus't'ao na kaschana.' If Shiva gets angry, the Guru will save you, but if the Guru gets angry, no one can save you. Who is the Guru? Parama Purus'a is the Guru. He is always with you. If you do injustice, He will reprimand you, but He cannot hate you. Even if He wishes He cannot. Why? Suppose He hates this flower. He should say, `Get out!' but where would He throw the flower? There is nothing beyond Him. What can He do? He can only move the flower from this lap of His to that lap of His. He is powerless to hate. He has no power to hate. Even if He wishes He cannot hate. Suppose Parama Purus'a hates a wicked man and says to him, `Get out!' The wicked man may challenge Him, saying, `Tell me where to go.' Parama Purus'a will be unable to reply. If he says, `Go to that place,' meaning a place that is beyond Parama Purus'a, where Parama Purus'a does not exist, it means He is neither infinite nor omnipresent, and that will hurt His reputation. If a common man commits a mistake, Parama Purus'a will reprimand him, but cannot throw him out. He cannot hate him. I have said earlier and repeat today that Parama Purus'a cannot do two things: first, He cannot hate anybody; and second, He cannot create someone like Himself. One who loves Him will merge in Him, will become one with Him. Parama Purus'a always remains a singular Entity - `Purus'a evedam' sarvam' yadbhu'tam' yacca bhavyam; Utamrtattvasyesa'no yadanne na'tirohati.' An intellectual may say that Parama Purus'a can throw someone out. In that case, we should ask `What is beyond Parama Purus'a? The intellectual shall reply, `It is the vanity of the intellectual'. `Purusa evedam sarvam. Parama Purus'a knows everything. He knows `sa', He knows `ra', He knows `va' - `Sa-ra-va' means `Sarva' - everything. `Sa' represents the sentient principle, `ra' represents energy (light, magnetism, etc.) and `va' represents characteristics. Each and every entity has its own characteristics or special wonts which are represented by the acoustic root `va'. Each and every entity is guided by these three acoustic roots, `sa', `ra' and `va'. Hence each and every entity in this universe comes within the fold of this `sarva'. `Sarva', means `everything'. `Purus'a evedam sarvam' - `Purusa knows everything.' Nothing is hidden from Him. `Yadbhu'tam' - all that has occurred - and `yacca bhavyam' - all that is to occur - is known to Him. You know, subtly speaking, there is no such thing as the present, there is only the past and the future. The tiny measurement of time which occurs between the past and the future is the present. At present I am speaking and you are hearing. But at that very moment when I am speaking, you are not hearing - you hear my words after some time. When I am speaking, my words are the future for you; and when you are listening, they are the past for me. First I speak and then you hear. Hence there is no present. Some part of the past and the future have been merged together to make the present. Here it has been said, `Yadbhu'tam yacca bhavyam' - whatever has occurred and whatever is to occur is known to Parama Purus'a. To speak of the present is meaningless, because actually there is no present. Parama Purus'a is the Master of both hell and heaven. Suppose a wicked man has gone to hell because of his wicked acts. Parama Purus'a will also remain with him there. In no situation is the wicked man helpless. Parama Purus'a will be with him in hell to console him, to inspire him, saying, `My son, there is nothing to worry about, there is nothing to be unnerved about. I am with you, go ahead.' Once a devotee said, `Parama Purus'a can send me to hell if He wishes but on one condition - that He will stay with me there also.' So, you should be careful. Remember that in no situation are you helpless, in no situation are you alone. Whether you are intelligent or foolish, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, you are never helpless. In no situation do you have to live alone. Parama Purus'a is with you. He will remain with you. To remain with you is His dharma. He cannot go against His dharma. 24 November 1978 morning, Bombay DON'T BE MISGUIDED official source: A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5 cross-references: none this version: is the printed A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. `A'gatam shivavaktrebhyo gatainca girija' shrutao, Matainca Va'sudevasya a'gam tasma't ucyate'. Vasudeva's son is also Va'sudeva. It means one who protects the created beings'. It is His duty to protect others. He is also known as Vis'n'u. It is Vis'n'u's duty to propound Tantra Sha'stra, Dharma Sha'stra, and all those scriptures which are meant to educate people. Doctors are of three types - superior, mediocre and inferior. What do the inferior doctors do? They administer medicine and then forget about the patients. What do the mediocre doctors do? They give medicine and also ask their patients at intervals whether they are using the medicine. And the superior doctors also ask their patients whether they are taking the medicine or not; and when they say that the medicine is sour and unpalatable, this type of doctor administers the medicine forcibly. Gurus are also of three categories. One category of guru just whispers the mantra in their disciples' ears and then leaves them to their fate. They do not care about the actions of the disciple. The middle category of guru asks, `Are you living the right type of life, as you should?' - and there the matter ends. The superior type of guru gives shiks'a' or punishment as well. (In Hindi `shiks'a'' means `education', but in Marathi it means `punishment'.) This last is the approach of Va'sudeva. The path of Tantra is one of strict discipline; the disciple will have to go through strict anusha'sana. What is anusha'sana? In Yoga Sha'stra Patainjali has said, `Atha yoga'nushasa'nam'. And the scriptures say, `Hitartham sha'sanam iti anusha'sa'nam' - `Discipline imposed for welfare is called `Anusha'sana'. The ideation of welfare is a must in anusha'sanam. A'tma jina'nam vidurjina'nam jina'na'ya na'nija'n itu, Ta'ni jina'na'vabha'sa'ni sa'rasya naeva bodhana't. In the phase of Prati-saincara, life was created out of matter, and from life the mind gradually evolved. With the gradual process of evolution, the mind continues to evolve, and the reflection of the a'tma' thereon grows greater and greater. What is the a'tma'? The a'tma' is reflected on every object. And the greater the expression of mind, the greater the reflection of a'tma', Even plants have a'tma' even in the crudest matter there is the reflection of a'tma', but due to the mind being in latent form, sleeping form, the a'tma' doesn't get expression. Only where there is an evolved mind, does the reflection of the a'tma' take place properly. The mind is just like a looking-glass, a mirror. (In Sam'skrta it is called `darpan'' or `a'darshi'.) The mind is just like that. The A'tma' is reflected on the mind. Suppose there is a red flower surrounded by five hundred mirrors; there will be five hundred reflections. Those five hundred reflections are the jiiva'tma's, and the original red flower is Parama'tma'. Now that reflected red flower in so many mirrors is the jiiva'tma', and that reflecting A'tma', that original red flower, is known as `Pratyaga'tma''. It is Parama'tma', but it is known as `Pratya'ga'tma''. `Pratyak' means `opposite number' - `Pratiipam vipariitam aincati atak vijana'ti ityarthe pratyak.' One who knows everybody, every entity, is Pratya'ga'tma', The jiiva'tma's are the objective or objectivated counterparts of Parama'tma'; so His duty is to know everybody, to look towards everybody. His reflection falls on everybody. That's why He knows the mental ideation of every entity. Since these ideations are reflected on Him, any of the mirrors' defects are readily known to Him. This is His nature. That's why He is also known as Jina'nasvaru'pa. It is His duty to know and so He knows better than any one else. That's why it is said, Darpana'bha've a'bha'sahanao; Mukham vidyate kalpana' hiinamekam. Tatha' dhiiviyoge nira'bha'sako'yam; Nityopalabdhisvaru'po'yama'tma'. Suppose you take away the mirror, what will happen? The flower will no longer be reflected and the jiiva'tma' will not exist. In that case, where will the jiiva'tma' go? It has no other place to run than to Parama'tma'. So what should you do? You should go nearer and nearer to Parama'tma', like the mirror approaching the flower, and become one. The mirror too no longer remains separate from the flower: the reflection disappears. Without the mirror there can be no reflection. There remains only the original flower. The face of Parama Purus'a only remains. Human intellect ceases to reflect, and surrenders. In that condition the jiiva'tma' no longer exists; it has merged in Parama'tma'. That's why Shiva said, `A'tma' jiivanam idam' devi parama moks'aeka sa'dhanam'. Only when the a'tma' merges in Parama'tma', does a'tmajina'nam occur. Till then there is the feeling of separation; a'tmajina'nam is not possible. What is jina'na, or knowledge? Subjectivization of an external object is knowledge. To know external objectivities is knowledge. A'tmajina'nam, knowledge of the self, implies the attainment of the goal. The endeavour for a'tmajina'na is an endeavour to attain permanent liberation. Sukrtaer ma'navo bhutva' jina'nii cenmoks'ama'pnuy'at. The mind has emerged through the gradual process of Prati-saincara. When the mind emerged, the jiiva'tma' gets reflected on it. Actually it is also reflected everywhere the mind has not emerged, but it is not evident. It is not perceptible. The reflection of Parama Purus'a on the entire universe is known as `prota-yoga', and His reflection on the individual mind, on the small mirrors, is called `ota-yoga'. So Parama Purus'a is associated with every entity through ota- and prota-yogas. Thus we say `Ota-prota bha'va.' Parama Purus'a is reflected on each individual entity. As it marches ahead, the mind gets developed through clash and cohesion and the reflection of the a'tma' gets stronger. The more developed the mind, the greater the reflection. Mind develops through this clash and cohesion and through the attraction of the Great. This development through clash and cohesion occurs in several ways. For example, when an animal lives near a person whose mind is developed its own mind will develop more quickly. A monkey is a more developed animal than a dog or a cow, but as it does not live with humans, its development - the speed of its development - is less. Dogs and cows, who live with humans have a speedier evolution. A monkey which lives in the proximity of humans also has a speedier development. Thus gradual evolution leads to the emergence of intuition, or bodhi. In humans, this awareness exists - the awareness that one is a human being - but the dog is not aware of its own existence. That is the specialty of humans. Humans should not be slaves to external objects. A rupee is a crude object. A rupee is not aware that it is a rupee, but a human is aware that it is a rupee. Humans have given the rupee a value. The rupee does not give itself a value, nor can the rupee do so. It neither contains the capacity to think nor possesses intellect. If a man continues to ideate upon a rupee, his developed mind will get crudified and will gradually be converted back into matter. If the goal of ideation is a rupee, the person will gradually become a rupee. In the past a rupee was a silver coin, but now it is paper; so a person continuously ideating upon rupees will become enslaved as a paper note in the cash box of some business person. If after passing through many lives one attains a human body and keeps Parama Purus'a as the object of ideation, the mind will gradually become subtler, and the reflection of Parama Purus'a will increase. Ultimately, when one understands that complete surrender is the only way out, one will merge in Him. Jiiva'tma' will become Parama'tma'. `Pa'shabaddha bhavet jiivah pa'shamukta bhavet Shivah'. The ideation before surrendering to Parama'tma' is `Nivedaya'mica'tmanam tvam' gati Parameshvara.' When the entity is in bondage it is jiiva, and when it is liberated from the bondage it is Shiva. In Sam'skrta `su' means `virtuous', and `sukrtae' means `virtuous acts'; but in the Vaedik Sam'skrta of 5000 years ago, `sukrtae' also meant `self'. In Loakika Sam'skrta, `madhu' means `honey' but in Vaedik Sam'skrta it also means `wine'. `Sukrtaerma'navo bhutva'' means `actions done by oneself'. After so many phases of clash and cohesion, one attains a human mind, and consequently a human structure for the proper expression of all the mental propensities of the human being. The moment the mind evolves, it gets a human body, and no longer remains in the body of a monkey or a dog. It attains a human body according to its reactive momenta. In the human mind there are one thousand propensities. The pineal gland is therefore called `sahasra'ra cakra'*, because it controls the movement of one thousand propensities. Actually there are fifty propensities in the human mind, an all fifty are working internally and externally. So, how many expressions are there? 50 x 2 = 100. And there are ten direction: pu'rva, peschima, uttar, da'ks'in'a, u'rdha, adhah - the six dik, or disha - and iisha'n, agni, naerta, vayu, - the four corners, or anudisha - so six pradisha and four anudhisha equals ten directions. One hundred propensities working in ten directions becomes one thousand : that's why it is called `sahasra'ra cakra'. And human propensities are actually one thousand in number. * 'Sahasra'r' means 'thousand'. So, as soon as the mind develops all these propensities, it will attain a human structure, a human framework. And if one acts like a brute, like an animal, one will naturally return to animaldom.It is quite natural. `Sukrtaerma'navo bhutva' jina'nii cenmoks'ama'pnuya't.' Then a person becomes a jina'nii: jina'nii not in the sense of `intellectual', but in the sense of a'tmajina'nii. You must not think that those C-grade people are jina'niis. They are not jina'nii. They are very dangerous. Regarding such people Shiva has said, `Lokavyamohaka'raka' - they themselves are misguided people and they are always misguiding others. `Vya'moha' means `psychic disease'. `Lokavya'mohaka'raka' - they are very dangerous people. `Jina'nii cenmoks'ama'pnuya't.' After attaining a human body, a fully-fledged human body, a person becomes a true jina'nii, that is an atmajina'nii. The person acquires self-knowledge. Moks'ama'pnuya't - the person attains moks'a. `Moks'a' means `salvation' which is liberation or emancipation of a permanent nature. Pa'rvatiijii asked the question , `What is the minimum qualification required to become a spiritual aspirant?' And Shiva replied, `one must have a human structure'. A person who has a brain like that of a person, an entity, a microcosm, which possesses a brain and a body like that of a human being that is, like you all - is requisitely qualified to become a spiritual aspirant. `If you have a human body, you have the requisite qualifications. You may or may not know `a'lif, be' pe', te** you may or may not know `a, b ,c, d,' you may or may not have an intellect, you may or may not have any physical strength, but if you have a human framework, you have the minimum qualifications.' This was the reply of Shiva. ** 'A, B, C, D', in Arabic. And you know, the progress towards the Cosmic Nucleus is your spiritual progress, and if you allow yourselves to be misguided by an intellectual and try to go back to where you came from, that is, towards crudeness, the result is dangerous. It will be negative Prati-saincara. You will move back towards beasthood. So, you boys and girls, be careful of the serpentine noose of those so-called intellectuals. 24 November 1978 evening, Bombay