Sanatana Dharma

Formal worship drops away after the vision of God. It was thus that my worship in the temple came to an end. I used to worship the Deity in the Kali temple. It was suddenly revealed to me that everything is Pure Self. The utensils of worship, the altar, the door-frame—all Pure Self. Men, animals, and other living beings — all Pure Self. Then like a madman I began to shower flowers in all directions. Whatever I saw I worshipped. “One day, while worshipping Siva, I was about to offer a bel-leaf on the head of the image, when it was revealed to me that this Virat, this Universe, this self itself is Siva. ~ Kathamrita, Sri Paramahamsa Ramakrishna

At the end of many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, realizing that Vāsudeva is all. Rare indeed is such a high-souled person. ~ Gita 7.19 From time immemorial, man has passed through innumerable births. From worms and germs, reptiles, birds, and beasts, the man, at last, attain the human birth. Several births pass away in a state of ignorance. And then, the desire to know the truth is born in the heart of man. Even then, several births pass away in the ups and downs of spiritual Sadhana. Ultimately man realises the truth, that everything is God. So long as there is the slightest trace of differentiation knowledge is imperfect. Perfection of jnana is the discovery that there is only One and that is God, and there is nothing but He in the whole universe. Sages of such realisation are indeed very rare. But it would be foolish to be lazy and dull in spiritual sadhana, because realisation can come only after many births. On the other hand, knowing full well that he has passed through millions of births, man should strive for liberation even in this very birth. The test of knowledge is the recognition of God everywhere. So long as the objective world ‘drisya’ dominates the mind causing contradictory feelings of attraction and repulsion, there is no knowledge. The aspirant should intensify his sadhana till he comes to know without any doubt that what has been appearing as the objective world is nothing but the Lord Himself. The verse does not mean that only after many births man realises God. It means that man acquires knowledge after many births and he then realises God. That auspicious moment when such realisation takes place is the end of all births. If one makes himself fit for realisation, knowledge may dawn on him this moment. There is no time-limit. Ripeness of mind is all that is needed.

Noble indeed are they all; but the man endowed with wisdom I deem to be My very Self. For, steadfast in mind, he remains fixed in Me alone as the Supreme Goal. ~ Gita 7.18 It is declared here that the Jnani inseperable and not-different from God himself, because he considers the Lord to be the only supreme goal, and is established in Him with a steadfast mind. But the other devotees are also noble because they have faith in the Lord and worship Him sometime or other. These are certainly superior to the rest of mankind who have no faith in the Lord. The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman. So is the Jnani, the Lord Himself. The others are dualistic in their attitude. They think of themselves as separate from the Lord and worship Him as a superior Being. This is quite natural in the early stages of Sadhana. When the aspirant is enthroned in yoga he knows that he is not separate from the Lord. That is why the Jnani is described as harmonised in mind’. The Jnani knows that the Lord is his supreme goal. He has no desire and attachment for anything else. He has discovered the illusory nature of the world. And so, the Lord is the only Reality for him. With an unswerving mind, he thinks, lives, moves and has his being in the Lord. That is why the Jnani is worshipped as the Lord Himself. Whatever path is followed – karma, bhakti, jnana or dhyana – the final goal is union with the Supreme Being. All Sadhana finds its ultimate fulfillment in the realisation of oneness with the Lord.

Of these, the wise man, ever steadfast and devoted to the One alone, is the best. For supremely dear am I to the man of wisdom, and he is dear to Me. ~ Gita 7.17 The jnani is declared to be the highest of the Lord’s devotees because he possesses two qualities not found in the other types. Firstly, he is constantly absorbed in the Self, and secondly, he is devoted to the Lord only and nothing else in the world. The jnani who has realised the Self is always in contact with the Lord. The others think of the Lord now and then. They are part-time devotees; they think of the Lord for some time and then go back to their daily activities of life. But the Jnani has no worldly activities to divert his mind from the Self. So he is ever united with the Lord. Though in the early stages, the devotee’s mind vacillates between the Lord and worldly life, yet it is quite possible gradually to develop constant devotion and since the Jnani has achieved this, he is declared to be the best of the devotees. The Jnani is devoted only to the Lord. He has no attachment to anything else in the world. The others have desires and fears, because they are attached to the world, and think of the Lord for help and protection. The Jnani on the other hand has already found out the illusory nature of the world, and so he has no attraction for anything like wealth or family, name or glory which usually tempt the ignorant. He knows the One Supreme Reality, and his mind is absorbed in it. The Lord is dear to him, and he is dear to the Lord. The closeness of the relationship between the Lord and the devotee is indicated here. Nothing can stand in between the two. In fact, the world stands between man and God. The Jnani has removed this mighty obstacle from his way and has come so close to the Lord that he and his Master become one. When the Lord is pleased with his devotee, what more does he want? The reward of God’s love is moksha.

Four types of virtuous men worship Me, Ο Arjuna: the man in distress, the man seeking knowledge, the man seeking enjoyment, and, Ο best of the Bhāratas, the man endowed with wisdom. ~ Gita 7.16 The devotees of the Lord are classified into four types. All of them worship the Lord. But their aim and purpose are different. They are all righteous people as distinguished from the opposite type of demonical natures described in the previous verse. 1. Men in distress remember the Lord and pray to Him for the removal of their difficulties and sorrows. Men suffering from painful diseases cry for the mercy of the Lord to save them. These form the largest majority of devotees in the world. They seek refuge in various Devas for help and protection. Whatever their nature may be, they remember the Lord. 2. These are people who are eager to know and understand the Lord. Great research is carried on into the objective world, and people are spending their high intelligence and energy in these material pursuits only. Here and there we come across a research-worker in the field of the Divine. They study the sastras, examine their own nature, seek the guidance of the Guru, and try to find out the ultimate cause of creation, and the basic secret of their own personality. 3. Men who seek prosperity are the third type of devotees. Their object is to enjoy worldly prosperity in the various fields of human life. Naturally, they seek the benevolence of the Lord to confer prosperity on them. They are also the devotees of the Lord. It is to be noted that the infinite compassion of the Lord is also open for people who desire material comforts, unopposed to the law of Dharma. 4. The man of knowledge knows the real nature of the Lord, and is able to discriminate between the true and the illusory. He has attained the Self-state and lives in constant absorption in Atma. He loves the Lord because he knows that He is the only Reality in the universe, that He is the repository of all wisdom and bliss. He has nothing to gain for himself, and so his devotion to the Lord is a spontaneous act of oneness with Him.

The basic aim of religion is to bring peace to man. It is not a wise thing for one to suffer in this life so that one can be happy in the next. One must be happy here and now. Any religion that can bring about is the true religion for humanity. ~ Swami Vivekananda Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, pp.45-46

Four kinds of people do not surrender unto Me—those ignorant of knowledge, those who lazily follow their lower nature though capable of knowing Me, those with deluded intellect, and those with a demoniac nature. ~ Gita 7.15 It is declared in the previous verse that those who surrender to the Lord go beyond Maya. But do all people surrender? No. The Lord here describes those who do not come to Him. They are ignorant because their understanding is deluded by Maya. They are the lowest of men. They have taken to demonical nature and act like vile and wretched beings. Maya acts like a thief. If it is allowed to enter the heart, all that is precious – the discrimination, the superior intelligence, the virtue, the sadhana – are stolen in a trice, and people are left helpless and wretched. Man is degraded into a demon. The wise man is transformed into a fool. What is Maya? The bad samskaras, lust, anger, greed, arrogance, pride, and egoism – all these taken together is Maya. Therefore by discrimination, devotion, dispassion, and sacred thoughts and acts, one should guard his inner self from the powerful onslaughts of maya

It is avidya, or ignorance, which is the field of lust and anger. Patanjali defines avidya as follows: “To regard the non-eternal as eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as pleasant, and the non-Atman as the Atman-this is ignorance.” [2.5] In other words, it is ignorance which makes one perceive the unreal world as real, the impure body as pure, happiness in painful sense enjoyments. These false perceptions are caused by ignorance. This avidya is without beginning: there is no way of ascertaining when it originated. It is also without end in the sense that until one attains illumination by the grace of God, it remains and is not destroyed. This ignorance does not allow us to move towards God. So Krishna said in the Gita, “Those who take refuge in me alone shall cross over this maya.” [7.14] Our duty is to take refuge in him and lead a God-centred life. ~ Excerpt from ‘Spiritual Treasures: Letters of Swami Turiyananda’

Whatever others think or do, lower not your standard of purity, morality, and love of God. ~ Swami Vivekananda

This divine illusion of Mine caused by the qualities, is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone, cross over this illusion. ~ Gita 7.14 This verse is of very great importance to all people. What is this Maya? What is the way to go beyond it? These two are fundamental questions. Maya is the supreme power of the Lord. It is under His control and acts according to His command. He may withdraw the power into Himself or project it outside at His will. Though Maya has power to delude the whole universe, yet it is just an instrument in the hands of God. Like a servant before the master Maya obeys the Lord. It is inscrutable, mysterious, and wonderful to those who are under its power. To the Lord and the perfected yogis, it is only a non-existent reality. That which is not, that is Maya. That which is non-existent and yet creates the illusion of Reality is Maya. The world is not, yet it appears to exist. The individual self ‘ahamkara’ is not, yet it appears to exist. The reality is covered up and what is unreal is made to appear as the real. Such is the mystery of Maya. But to the wise, it is nothing. The ocean may be difficult to cross for the ordinary man, but to Garutman it is no more than a small canal. He flies over it by the superior power of his wings. It is difficult to cross over Maya, but it is not impossible. Those who yield to the temptations of sensual pleasures, who are attached to material things cannot cross the ocean of Maya. All spiritual sadhana is intended to eliminate the temptations of the flesh and the delusions of the mind. Having described the power of Maya in the first line, the Lord points the way to cross over it in the second line. Those who take refuge in the Lord transcend Maya. Devotion to the Lord, and surrender to the Lord is the way to overcome Maya. ‘Surrender to Me. I will take you beyond Maya’. is the Lord’s command. Sankara says that devotion to the Lord’s lotus feet is the strong boat that will carry people beyond the ocean of samsara. Human skill and intelligence is indeed capable of many worldly victories and achievements. Inventions are made, empires are built, battles are fought and won by human intelligence and skill. But when man stands confronted with the cosmic illusion, he is by himself powerless. Only by surrender to the Supreme Lord, and by His grace alone, can man cross the frontiers of samsara, and enter the land of bliss and blessedness. Service of the sages and Rishis who had already gone beyond Maya is also of greatest help to the spiritual aspirant. Having crossed the mire of delusion, they help mankind to do so. The Lord is perfectly clear in his declaration ‘mam eva‘- Me only – is His command. Nothing else, no one else, can work the miracle. If one surrenders to the objective world he will suffer endless misery. If he surrenders to the Lord, he will obtain the highest rewards of freedom and bliss. The choice lies in man. Each one has to take the decision himself. No one can decide for another. The Lord’s promise that he would take man beyond maya, should give infinite strength to man. This verse should be read and re-read, and the divine light by which the enveloping darkness will all be dispelled will flow. Devotion to the Lord means to have unswerving faith in Him, perform sacred works, meditate on the Self, cultivate virtues, and such other practices that purify the mind.

Deluded by nature composed of these three qualities (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) the whole world does not know Me, the Higher and Imperishable. ~ Gita 7.13 When the clouds spread over the sky one cannot see the Sun, which is above the clouds. Even so, when the mind is deluded by the three qualities, one cannot see Atma, who is transcendental. Enveloped by these qualities, man remains like a worm in a fruit. It can move inside the fruit, but it cannot come out unless the rind is broken. So long as the qualities agitate the mind, the real Self cannot be perceived. It is necessary first of all to understand the cause of ignorance and know that one is bound. Then only does he make the attempt to regain his freedom. The spiritual aspirant is on a higher plane because he has become conscious of his bondage and is eager to know the truth. This itself is a great step in evolution. The majority of people do not even know that they are slaves to their own lower nature. The aspirant is awakened to his present position as a bound soul, and so he strives to get himself free from the shackles that bind him. Except for the jivanmuktas, all the others – rich and poor, great and small, learned and illiterate – are bound by Maya. The eye cannot see objects when there is a cataract. It should be removed by surgical operation. Then the eye becomes clear and sees things distinctly. Such an operation should be conducted by the spiritual seeker. In this verse, the cause of ignorance is explained. In the next verse, the way to freedom is pointed out.

And whatever things there be— of the nature of sattva, rajas, and tamas— know they are all from Me alone. I am not, however, in them; they are in Me. ~ Gita 7.12 The Lord has already declared that He is the sustaining power behind the universe. What is sustained cannot be without the power that sustains it. So the existence of Paramatma makes the existence of everything possible. Minus Paramatma, nothing can exist. The universe as we see it with all its panoramic changes is the creative power of the Lord. In the same way as the snake in the rope is sustained by the rope itself, the Lord is the cause of the illusory universe, and just as the rope is really a rope even during the time of one’s illusion, so also the Lord is Himself of the universe whether one realises it or not. Just as the snake depends upon the rope, and the rope does not depend upon the snake, so also all beings are dependent upon the Lord, but the Lord is not dependent on them. The wave depends on the ocean, but the ocean does not depend on the wave. When the Lord says that all the qualities (sattva, rajas, tamas) are caused by Him, it is certainly not to encourage tamasic temperaments. or Rajasic temperaments. The point to note is that the Lord is the final cause of all that exists as objects or qualities.

I am the strength of the strong, free from longing and attachment. I am, Ο lord of the Bhāratas, the desire in all beings that is not contrary to dharma. ~ Gita 7.11 Strength is the glory of man, but it should be free from desire and passion. Strength should not be abused to satisfy sensual desires and greedy acquisition of worldly possessions. It should be expressed in doing good and benevolent acts, in the worship of the Bhagavan, and in the pursuit of spiritual illumination. Whether it is intellectual or physical strength, if it is employed for selfish purposes to serve the lower impulses, it is wretched. In such cases, it is only demonical might, an asuric force, leading to self-destruction. The might of Ravana was impure by Kama, and it led to his destruction and that of his people. So purity in strength, nobility in might, is what the Lord wants people to cultivate. His presence is felt in such strength. The Lord is also ‘desire’ (kama) unopposed to Dharma. The desire to maintain one’s family in a good condition, to live in society without becoming a burden on others, to relieve the suffering of others – such desire, though it is kama, is the divine aspect of the Lord. There is no evil in such a desire. There are three distinct stages in the development of man. In the first stage, man’s desires instinctively run after sense-enjoyments and the gratification of lust and greed. In the second stage, desire becomes ennobled to the higher plane of selfless acts of service, generosity, and benevolence. It is then purified of its former evil. In the third and last stage, desires disappear from the mind when man realises the true Self. Then there are no desires, good or bad. It is true that Self realisation is not possible without giving up all desires. But man’s development is traceable from bad to good, and from good to the free state of Moksha. Here the Lord speaks of the second stage. Desires which agree with the Sastras, which do not run counter to Dharma, produce no evil effects. Gradually, man should rise to the ‘nirvikalpa‘ state of mind. Give up bad desires, and then give up all desires, and be thoroughly contented in the Self. This is the significance of the Lord’s statement here.

Have an Aim The vast majority of persons, even the educated ones, have no definite aim in life. They waste their time and finish their life career in gloom, despair and sorrow. The intellect is there but they have no definite aim or purpose. They have no ideal, no clear-cut programme of life. So their life ends in failure. ~ Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati

Know Me, Ο son of Prithā, to be the Eternal Seed of all things that exist; I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the daring of the brave. ~ Gita 7.10 The Lord declares that He is the seed, the cause of all beings. From Him, the seed, all beings have come, and unto Him they return. The tree is only another form of the seed. The life-force of the whole tree is already involved in the seed. The seed manifests its life-force in the new form of the tree. Even so, the Lord is the seed of all beings. It is He who is manifesting Himeself in different forms. The essence is He in every thing. Thus knowing the wise man transcends all separateness that appears to exist between one thing and another. Whoever he may be, to whatever caste or creed he may belong, high or low, the seed for him is God Himself. He is the cause of He is the father of all. So all beings in essence are God, for there is nothing else but He in the whole universe. He is the cause, and He is also the effect, and the effect is actually the cause in a different form. Knowing this, let no man imagine himself to be weak, neglected, forlorn and wretched. He is God Himself. By ignorance, he has misunderstood himself to be a limited body and a limited personality. Inspired by the words of the Lord let man throw away the veil of ignorance, and know himself as he really is (i.e.) the Supreme Brahman. The inspiring message of Gitacharya is that He is Himself the seed and cause of all beings. He is present in all. This should give tremendous courage to all because it affirms the divine birth-right of each individual. Even the lowest would acquire Himalayan strength when he contemplates this truth. There is nothing low or wretched. The teacher of the Gita says, “I am the underlying principle behind you. It is from Me you have come.” Such words would lift up the sinking hearts of thousands of house-holders caught in the whirlpool of samsara. What if the wave is small or big? It has behind it the mighty ocean. It subsists and is sustained by the infinite ocean. So let no man consider himeself weak, mean and downtrodden. Let him contemplate the mighty ocean of purity and blessedness with which he is one, even as the ripple is one with the sea. The source of every man is not either his father or grandfather, but the supreme Paramatma.

I am the savour of waters, Ο son of Kunti, the radiance of the sun and moon; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, the sound in ether, the manliness in man. ~ Gita 7.8 In the previous verse, it is declared that the Lord is present in the whole universe, like the string in the garland of gems. To show this truth, the Lord takes certain objects and explains how He is present in them. He is in the form of taste in water, light in the sun and the moon, Pranava (OM) in the Vedas, and virility in men. Thus His presence is to be realised in all things. Taste and water, light and the sun, are inseparable. There is light where there is sun. We cannot conceive the sun without his light. Since it is difficult to conceive the universal presence of the Lord in the beginning, He illustrates the idea with reference to certain objects. He is the syllable OM in all the Vedas. The essence of the Vedas is to be found in OM. No man can possibly study all the Vedas completely. Human life is too short for that purpose. So, if the syllable OM is understood and contemplated, man obtains the very essence of all the Vedas and fulfills his life. So repeating the syllable OM, contemplating the meaning of that sacred sound, thinking of the Lord as Pranava, man attains the highest. The Lord is virility in men. Virility, strength, courage, and determination are all divine qualities. Timidity, weakness, and dullness are all unmanly qualities. We see the Lord Himself when we come across bold and courageous men, who readily sacrifice their life for a righteous cause. We see the Lord in the great sages and Rishis, who have overcome insuperable obstacles with courage and determination. The seeker should cultivate courage, enthusiasm, strength and resolution in his spiritual life.

Know this (Prakriti) to be the womb of all beings; I am the source of the outcoming of the whole universe, and like-wise the source of its dissolution. There is nothing higher than Myself, O Arjun. Everything rests in Me, as gems strung on a thread. ~ Gita 7.6-7 Where is God? How does He exist? These questions are answered in this verse. Like the string that holds together the garland of gems, the whole universe is strung on the Lord. There is no place where He is not. There is nothing what-so-ever higher than He. The string holds the clusters of gems together, without which they fall off like disintegrated elements. Moreover, though the gems are of different shapes, sizes and colours, the string that holds them together is the same. Thus, different beings, races, classes, types of beings, different religions and creeds, and all things sentient and insentient are held together by the indwelling presence of the Lord. The naked eye could see only the gems and not the string behind. and So also, the eye of the common man can see only the outer form of the universe and not the unifying existence of the Lord behind. Any rational human being can understand the presence of the string behind the gems, though he does not see it with his naked eye. To deny the existence of the string on the ground that he cannot see is sheer ignorance. Such talk of the unwise carries no conviction, even as the denial of the existence of the sun by a blind man. It is not the naked eye but the eye of knowledge that can perceive the Lord as the eternal substratum and sustaining power behind the universe. He who sees the sentient in the midst of the insentient, the eternal in the midst of the perishable, the changeless in the midst of the changing, is the wise man. It is the eye of Knowledge. The Upadhi (i.e.) the body – vehicle is insentient. But pervading the whole universe, there is the Omniscient Lord and He could be perceived only by the eye of Knowledge. The naked eye is made to see the outer form, and recognises it by its ‘nama‘ and ‘rupa‘. But when the eye of knowledge is opened by the grace of the Lord, His presence is recognised everywhere. Then will man understand that He is the final cause of the universe, that He is in everything, creating, sustaining, and destroying everything by the power of His Prakriti. He who sees the body is the ignorant man, he who sees the jiva is the partially wise; but he who sees Atma is the sage. Let the seeker take refuge in this thought that the Lord is in all, and that there is nothing other or higher than He.

Knowing which there shall not be any other to be known in this world, that Knowledge combined with experience, I will tell you. Among thousands of men, one strives for perfection and even among those who strive and succeed, one knows Me in essence. ~ Gita 7.2-3 Very few people have the inclination to know the truth. Those who enter the field of action in pursuit of their aim are indeed less in number. Among those, some rare and exceptional man attains perfection. In a running race, many are found at the starting point, but some drop off on the way and two or three strive to reach the goal, and only one wins the race. The blossoms of a huge tree are innumerable. But only a few develop fruits. All the others drop off. Among those that bear the fruit, many fall away before the fruits become ripe. And at last, we can pick only a few ripe fruits. It is the same with spiritual aspirants. Devotion, intimate contact with the Lord, is the reward of much good done through several births. As millions are carried away in the flood of Maya, some one strong and heroic soul, by virtue of the good samskara stands firm, and strives to know the truth, and attains God. It is not to discourage the seeker when it is said that a rare person alone can understand Him. The difficult nature of the task, and the need for firm determination and unyielding perseverance are emphasised. The seekers should understand the long distance they have to traverse to reach the destination. No one can jump to the goal. The process is slow and the path is hard. But there is always the inspiring hope that what little is achieved will not be lost, will help him to overcome great fear.

Shubh Nirjala Ekadashi to all. Today: • Do fast (if possible) • Worship Narayana • Recite or listen to Vishnu Sahasranamam • Chant the name of Narayana • Meditate on the form of Narayana Give dana tomorrow, i.e., on Dvādaśī Any sadhana and dana performed today and tomorrow will yield 10x greater merits than what is performed on normal days. Make the best use of the day.

The Lord said: Hear, Ο Pārtha, how, with your mind attached to Me, and taking refuge in Me, and practising yoga, you will without any doubt know Me in full. ~ Bhagavad Gita 7.1 Few people are eager to know the Lord, and among those who are eager to know, only a few are able to know Him in essence. Indeed, very rare are those who could know him fully and without any doubt. Three conditions are prescribed. 1. He should be attached to the Lord. 2. He should consider the Lord as His sole refuge. 3. He should practise yoga. The mind is like a powerful search-light. When it is turned outside, the objective world is seen; When it is turned inwards, the Atman is seen. The mind thinks only of that to which it is attached. As the ignorant man is attached to the material world, his mind rambles continuously sense objects and is satisfied with sense-pleasures. Such a man cannot know the Lord- Paramatma. The wise man, turning away from the objective world, thinks of the Reality understands the Truth, and enjoys peace and bliss. Therefore the Lord speaks of the yogi as one who is attached to the Lord and for whom the Lord is the sole refuge. The yoga of Devotion and Dhyana are both aids to know the Lord and become one with Him.