Shruti Says by Barkha Khandelwal

Bhaj Govindam 

One verse so beautifully flows into the other, a path for the Sadhak for an effortless transition from the temporary to the permanent, from the unreal to the real and from momentary joy to eternal bliss.

This verse shows that the world ‘We See’ is but a reflection of ‘Who We Are’. 

Verse 10

वयसिगते कः कामविकारः शुष्के नीरे कः कासारः |

क्षीणेवित्ते कः परिवारः ज्ञाते तत्त्वे कः संसारः ||

vayasigate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ,

kṣīṇevitte kaḥ parivāraḥ jnāte tattve kaḥ saṁsāraḥ. 

The tenth verse said to me - Shruti Says🌷

When old age dawns, where does lust and desire go?

When the water dries, where does the lake go?

When wealth/utility ends, where does the family go?

When the Tatva Gyan awakens, where does the samsar go?

————————————————

Nothing goes anywhere, it is where it is.

Then what happens?

Let’s delve deeper.

vayasigate kaḥ kāmavikāraḥ

When old age dawns, where do lust and desires go?

Ability disappears desire remains-

Lust, desires and all the vices do not end or diminish with age. Vices and virtues are not directly proportional to our age. Guru Shankaracharya says, when old age over-powers, even though a person wants to fulfil his desires, the body does not permit him/her to do so. The body becomes feeble and even when these vices are burning within, the helpless body is unable to do anything.

śuṣke nīre kaḥ kāsāraḥ

When the water dries, where does the lake go?

Property disappears, but the physical forms remains-

The lake is where it was, and will remain there. However, when the water disappears, it can not be called a lake. As without water, it is dry and loses the properties of a water body.

kṣīṇevitte kaḥ parivāraḥ

When wealth/utility ends, where does the family go?

Attachment disappears, the family remains-

The family does not vanish or disappear, when ones wealth depletes or utility diminishes. The people called family are very much alive, but, their love, support, care and respect, which was ones showered in abundance, dies. The ones adored, is physically or mentally discarded.

jnāte tattve kaḥ saṁsāraḥ

When the Tatva Gyan awakens, where does the samsar go?

Maya disappears, Samsar/World remains-

The Samsar/world does not go anywhere. It was, it is and it will always be there around us. But, when Tatva Gyan arises, the true knowledge of that Divine takes away the veil of ignorance, and maya’s deluding potency ends.

In Tulsi Ramayan, Ramji says to Lakshmanji, ‘Mai aru more tor te Maya’. This means, the feeling of me and mine, you and yours is maya. This mays is the root cause of all our Vices and Vasanas. 

When Maya the cause dries, its effect is not to be seen anymore. When this duality of me and you disappears and the realisation of oneness with the creator and creation dawns. ‘Tat Tvam Asi, I am That’ is what echos in ones ears and at that moment one becomes a Tatva Gyani. Then, there is no two - everything is in God, God is in everything, there is nothing but God becomes the only truth.

For this one, there is no samsar or world, it disappears and stands before him the ultimate truth of oneness.

Just like with age, lust desire do not vanish.

Just like without water, the lake does not disappear.

So too in the same way;

With Tatva Gyan, the samsar/world remains, it does not disappear.

Then what changes?

Our Outlook Towards The World Changes, ‘Dristikon Badal Jata Hai’

‘Ram tujse dur nahin,

tera bhi kasur nahin,

dekhan wali aakh hai jo,

aunde wich noor kahin.’

Ram is not far away from you, 

It is your eye that lacks the divine vision.

Hari Om

Arjun Vishadh Yoga

Geeta Chapter 1 Verse 42

Scriptures enable us to attain our true potential

Story

• Sukhdevji and how Raja Janak became his guru
• Eknathji and his son In law

The objective of Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran:

Parsiksit to Sukhdevji 

King Pariksit asks here the following two questions;

1. What should be done under all circumstances by a man who is under the verge of death? 
2. What should be done by man in general - What should a mortal do at all times and under all circumstances? 

• What should they hear?
• What should they repeat?
• What should they keep in their mind?
• What should they resort to?
• What should they avoid?

It is these two questions that have been answered in length in the course of the eleven books of ‘Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapuran’.

———————————————

Chaturshloki Bhagwatam (These 4 shlokas, for our understanding have been expanded into 18000) 

Brahman

I alone am, I alone was and I alone will be. 

Because, we insist that the creation is real, hence, we are using ’was and is will be’, in the actual sense the Lord is beyond the realm of time and devoid of attribute.

In the beginning Lord alone was, and he is devoid of all difference. Then creation came into place and it seemed at that Lord became many, but in reality there is nothing but him even then. Then again after the dissolution only he the unchangeable will remain. He is beyond the manifest and the unmaifesjt, beyond sat and asat, beyond all tangibility and intangibility

‘Ataman alone and nothing else.’

Maya

Maya is cause of which, what is real seems unreal, was unreal seems real. What is, is hidden and what is not is revealed. Just like the world is not real, but we see it and the Atman is the only reality, which is never seen.

Eg: A mere rope can be seen as a snake, when there is not enough light. But, when the light is turned on, the truth of the rope comes forth and the fear is eliminated.

Maya itself is not real, it is just a projection, yet it dominates. Does it not?

World

The world is nothing but him, him alone and only him. we have just given him another name - The World

Can we have

• Clay pot without clay
• Gold bangle with Gold
• Waves without the Ocean

The clay pot is nothing but clay, the bangle is nothing but gold and the wave is nothing but he ocean. 

The world is nothing but the Lord - Everything is in him, yet nothing is in him - It is all just an appearance.

‘The world is just a dream, let the vision cease. But, if you can not, just give love to all and service free.’

How to reach Brahman/Self

Delve deeper keeping the concept of ‘Presence and absence in mind’

Can there be

• The clay pot with out the clay
• The Gold bangle without the gold
• The waves without the ocean

There can be

• Clay without the clay pot
• Gold without the gold bangle 
• Ocean without the waves

‘Analysing like this we finally reach the atman, or self. This is where analysing is not possible because it is infinite, one without a second.’

——————————————

Shrimad Bhagavata Maha Puran, is not a ramdom compilation of stories. It has been thoughtful written keeping the flowing 10 points in mind. It is said that each book, hence forth will explain each topic and slowly bring us close to ‘Ashraye’. 

Book 1 - Adhikari Skanda

Book 2 - Sadhana Skanda

Book 3 - Sarga and so on;

1. Sarga - How was this world created?

2. Visarga -How were the different species made, when all the creatures are formed out of the same tattva and the same panchbhootas?

3. Stithi - How is the world upheld and where?

4. Poshana - Who provides the life sustaining water when the earth dries up?

5. Utis - Which are the different desires that arise in peoples mind?

6. Manvantars - How is time divided?

7. Isanukatha - What is the nature of Bhaktas?

8. Nirodha - How does one control the mind, to love the Lord?

9. Mukti - What is mukti?

10. Asraya - What is the nature of that, which upholds all else?

Jai Shri Krishna 🙏

Jai Hanuman 🙏

Bhaj Govindam 

Am putting forth again the gist of what we have seen so far in the previous 8 verses.

In the first 6 verses Guru Shri Shankaracharya has been talking about the disease we all are infested with and the symptoms. In the 7th verse he told us the cause and in verse 8 he started helping us with the remedy or the solution to our illness called ‘Delusion’. 

In verse 8 we were asked to inquire; Who am I and Where have I come from? In Verse 9, how this very state can be held on to and outcome has been told.

Verse 9

सत्संगत्वे निस्संगत्वं, 

निस्संगत्वे निर्मोहत्वं।

निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं 

निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः॥९॥

The ninth verse said to me - Shruti says🌷

Sat ka saang (company of the ultimate truth) leads to no company,

No company leads to destruction of delusion.

Destruction of delusion leads to steadfastness (makes one Stith Prgya),

Steadfastness is liberation.

In other words,

When we connected to God, we realise that all is but one, there is no two. Hence, duality vanishes and when there is no duality there is no delusion. When all is god and his Leela, we learn surrender and to just be and that is liberations.

————————

This verse is so beautiful, a constant mulling and pondering of this verse reveals the deepest of secrets. How just one right connection or contact can carry us efforlessly to Liberations. Let’s first understand the meaning of each word.

Satsangat 

What do we mean by Satsaang? It means Saat ka Saang - The company of Truth. 

What is the definition of Truth? Truth is Eternal, permanent and never changing. It was the same, it is the same and it will remain the same, no situation nor time has impact on it. It is not momentary, transient or perishable.

Everything and everyone else is but a passing cloud. What is relevant today, becomes irrelevant tomorrow. The close become distant etc. That which is changing is not real. It is Maya, it is mithya - Untrue.

Now, if we ponder on truth, we will realise, only one fits the definition of truth - That is God.  

Sat Ka Saang = Company of Truth = Company of God

Note: That which takes me to God is Su-Saangh (good company), anything that takes me away from God is Ku-Saangh - that is bad company.

Nissangat

The direct translations means ‘No company’. Having no company can be described in various ways;

• Being in solitude - Alone ( Note - Alone not necessarily means lonely - There is a big difference between ‘Akelapan’ And ‘Ekanth’. where Akeapan means lonely, Ekanth means, in the company of self.) The example of this kind of solitude are our various Rishis.

• Being in Samsar or world, yet being alone - Even in the middle of thousands of people one is alone - Na kisi se dosti, aur na kisi se bare, no hatred or love. The best example fo this kind of Nissangat is Maharaja Janak. In the middle of all the opulences, he had no company other than the Lord. He looked like a normal Raja, and was even judged and mistook by Sukhdevji to be an attached house-holder, not worthy to be his guru. 

Physical distancing or Mental distancing, both are termed as No company.

Note: Any Place, person or thing that takes us aways from God and the inquiry of the truth, ‘Who am I And Where have I come from’, should be shunned and discarded at the earliest. 

Nirmoha

Moha is Delusion. Delusion is believing the real to be unreal, and the unreal to be real. In the dark, the rope looks like a snake, or the pole looks like a ghost. But, when the sun rises, the truth is revealed and the rope and the pole are seen as it is, and the fear vanishes.

When we see duality, me and mine, you and yours in this world it is Moha delusion.

Nirmoha means No delusion, or that which is not deluded any more. He/she sees God in all and all in God. That one who is all pervading.

Niscal

Niscal means totally steadfast. Actually no English word can explain Nischal, will have to use Stith Pragya.

• The one is beyond duality - Joy Sorrow, success failure, life death, hate love, mine thine. 
• The one who is beyond - Kaam, Krodh, Moha, Lobh, Ahenkar, Maad, Matsarya or any Vikar/Vices.
• The one whose does not have any Vasanas left. Vasana - The residual impression of our Karma, good or bad tendencies which is carried forward birth after birth are also burnt.

Ramji is a living example of what a Stith Pragya is. At night when he was told that he would be crowned king, he was not over joyed. The next day when he was told that he would be exiled to the jungle for 14 years, he did not drown in sorrow. 

No matter what the situation, the one who is Nischal, Steadfast or Stith, is not influenced or thrown into extreme behaviour. He can not be deluded by Maya, as he knows all is but a play in the theatre of God.

Jeevan Mukti

Jeevan Mukti means Liberations. Liberation happens while we are still alive. One does not get liberated after death. The one who crosses the ocean of mundane existence while alive, is spared the cycle of birth and death. 

What is liberations? Liberation is when we the free, realise we are free and not bound. We the eternal realise we are eternal and not perishable. When the Self reveals the Self to the self.

Ramji asked Hanumanji, What am I to you?

Hanumanji said, 

• When I am revealing in this world of delusion, I am the servant and you are my Lord.
• When I realise the play of Maya and start journeying within and the world starts becoming distant, I know that I am but a part of you.
• When maya does not touch me anymore, and I am beyond her deluding power. I am alone and emersed in you. There is no me my Lord, only you remain.

The realisation of this ultimate truth, only God is, is Jeevan Mukti.

Lets now knit it all together;

सत्संगत्वे निस्संगत्वं

Saat ka saang leads to no company,

When we have the desire to be only in the Company of God, or that which reminds us of God, many things just drop off, some we drop and some drop us. The more we move toward the light, the darkness automatically disappears.

No company does not mean that one has to go to the jungle. One can choose to go into solitude if that is their chosen path. One could be very much in this world doing everything that is to be done, seeming like an ordinary individual on the outside, yet totally detached from the dualities of the world.

‘Be stubborn about your Goal, and not your method, as all paths lead to that One.’

We should remember that It happens effortlessly, what we ones liked no longer entices us, those who ones understood us, no longer comprehend our endeavours. Even in the company of all, looking as normal as anyone else, all the company equates to no company. 

Chalte Chalte teri raah mai,

humne eknath ko chu liya.

kuch choote,

kuch humne choda,

kuch ne humko chod diya.

Jinko hum na chod paye prabhu, 

tune unse humara nata tod diya.

kuch Choote,

kuch humne choda,

kuch ne humko chod diya.

Bheedh mai ho ya akele,

subse rishta tod diya.

Sabse prem ki door batorkar,

tujse bandhan jodå liya.

kuch Choote,

kuch humne choda,

kuch ne humko chod diya.

Aab tau prabhu bus tera saangh hai,

saab ke beech bhi aab hum Nissangh hai,

Aisa kuch humne aab raaha ko maudh liya.

kuch Choote,

kuch humne choda,

kuch ne humko chod diya.

निस्संगत्वे निर्मोहत्वं।

No company leads to destruction of delusion.

True knowledge, drives away ignorance. Just like when the Sun rises the darkness disappears. When the noise of the world ends, in that silence the truth reveals itself. 

One starts to see, that all is but a play, that one has taken various forms and is acting on this stage called the world. The duality ends, and that one remains. 

निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं 

Destruction of delusion leads to steadfastness (makes one Stith Prgna)

Ones there is no two and we see the entire world as nothing but Lord and his Leela, his pass time, there remains no place for desires and games of Ego and Expectation. Maya no longer touches that individual who has been touched by God.

निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः

Steadfastness is liberation

What else is liberations, where one is able to shower divine love on all, at all times, in all situation is liberated. 

The entire world is but the Lord - Duniya Rammaye Hogai 

Kis se bandhu bare jagat mai,

Koi nahin paraya.

Haar manav mai Pratibim lekar 

Ushi Brahm ki Chaya..

Ushi Brahm ki Chaya..

When my hands hold your feet, I can’t hold on to anything else.

Just turn towards God, all else will be taken care of by him.

Don’t work on removing the thorn(vices), just walk towards God, then it becomes his responsibility to remove the obstacles on your path.  

So preaches the Great Guru Shankaracharya.

Hari Om🙏

Session on Sunderkand from Ramcharitra manas by Tulsidas

Sunderkand - Beginning (Jamvant ke vachan suhaye) to Doha 2

Geeta Chapter 1 Arjun Vishad Yoga Verse 40 and 41

Session on Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran Book 9 - In order to understand Ram Avatar, we went on to understand Vibhisan Gita

Vibhishan Gita written by Tulsidasji in Ramcharitramans Lanka kand

Bhaj Govindam 

In the first 6 verses Guru Shri Shankaracharya has been talking about the disease we are all infested with and the symptoms. In the 7th verse he told us the cause and in this very verse (verse 8) he will start helping us with the remedy or the solution to our illness - Delusion.

No guru leaves us lurking in the dark, if they take away the world from us, or ruthlessly negate the path we are on, they would not leave a hollow spot, a solution, a remedy is always offered. The path to attain the eternal truth is being shown this verse onward.

Verse 8 

का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः

संसारो‌உयमतीव विचित्रः ।

कस्य त्वं वा कुत आयातः

तत्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥

The eight verse said to me - Shruti says🌷

Who is your wife?

Who is your Child?

This world is mysterious/bizzare/wierd.

Who am I?

Where have I come from?

Think on the tatva (elements), think from this perspective alone, ask these questions to yourself, Oh my dear brother.

————————

Here, the guru has soften his tone, in the first 7 verses he scraped our deep rooted delusion with a knife. Now he is applying ‘Malham - ointment’ and his words are becoming more tender. 

‘Remember - Only an empty vessel can be filled.’

How beautifully Guru Shankaracharyaji, has zeroed down and pointed out the two most difficult relations which really hold us down to this mundane existence;

• Our spouse 
• Our children 

Yes, one can give up the material attachments to possessions and things that one owns. One is also able to let go of other relations, even that of mother, father, brother, sister, friends and so on, based on their utility in our lives.

However, the bond with our own children is very difficult to break and so is the bond with a loving spouse. The attachment towards these is often taken to be a virtue and mistaken for love.

There are two opposites in all of Raag(attachment) and Dwesh (Hatred). Dwesh is repulsive and it has to be eliminated, consciously one works on getting rid of Hatred. However, Raag, is considered to be good, so no one works on eliminating it. As it lives in us disguised as love.

So, in this verse, Guru Shankaracharya is going to teach us how. He tells us, ask yourself these prominent questions

Who is your wife?

Who is your Child?

Who am I?

Where have I come from?

These are very deep questions and if we dwell on these, the bizarre, mysterious, weird nature of this world will dance naked in front of us. King Chitraketu and Guru Shivanandaji will help enlighten us.

King Chiraketu

There once was a king called Chitraketu, he was childless and so miserable, and begged the sage to give him a boon, so that he could have a child. The sage deteared the King, however the king refused to heed. 

The child was born, however the joy was short lived, as the other queens out of jealousy poisoned the child. With the child dead the king was broken and went into moarning, he begged the sage to breath life into the dead body of his child. The sage again obliged.

The soul returned to the body of the dead child, sat up and looked around confused. The king rushed and said my child you are back, I am your father. 

To this the, child answered, which father, from which birth, from which life. I have travelled to various wombs, I have had various parents from various species. As I travel I forget, I don’t remember you, let me go on with my journey

The child continued, the relation I have shared with you over the births also must have been varied. In some I must have been your father, in others you mother or a friend, brother, wife or enemy. I could have even been a dog at your door or an ant you killed. What I will be to you tomorrow is also no defined. I don’t know you, let me go on with my journey. 

The child went aways on his journey, we all and also our children are on their own individual journey, they come through us they are not ours. 

What the child said, freed the king from his grief and also delusion, Maya. He let the child go and never mourned again. Why, mourn for something which was never mine, is not mine and will be never mine.

Just like that soul went aways on it’s own journey, we all and also our children are on their own individual journey, they come through us they are not ours. 

Our wife today could have been our mother, sister or pet or pest in the house, just like a child could have been anything or anybody.

Saab Maya hai 

Swami Shivanandaji 

Swamiji puts it very bluntly, children he says are no better than our excreta. When we eat our digestive system throws out urine and stool. Do we hold those so dearly? No we don’t.

In the same way the outcome of the intimate act between a man and woman are children. They are just something the body throws out. Why do we hold them so dearly?

It is a bit harsh and ruthless, yet thought provoking. When we don’t hold on to any other things that are excreted from our body from perspiration to stool, then why is the child so dear. 

From the element or Tatva perspective it is nothing but mud - The wife is mud, the child is mud and so are we. This body that we are attached to is nothing mud and mud it will become.

As Jada Bharat said to the king, ‘This body of mud, walk on the mud and carries your palanki which is mud on which you sit and you are mud.’

What differentiates all the other kinds of excretions from this excretion which we call children? 

Baki Saab Maya hai 

If the above is the truth and empowered with that knowledge ask again Guru Shankracharyaji says; 

Who is your wife?

Who is your Child?

Who am I?

Where have I come from?

Where have we come from?

Keep asking, keep asking - This body that I am attached to is not my wife, not my child and not me. 

Who are we?

Where have we come from?

Keep musing and ponder and hold on to these questions.

We should not mistake the Guru, he is not asking us to disown our spouse and children or not tend to their needs. 

He is just asking us to change our outlook. He wants us to awaken to the truth. 

Do not get scared, the truth will not take us aways form our responsibilities. Attachment clouds our mind and blinds us, the truth enlighten us.

Truth will take us away from the attachment to the body and take us towards eternal pure love for our soul.

When this eternal divinity(I) sees that eternal divinity(spouse and children), only divinity prevails.

Only Divinity prevails.

Hari Om🙏

Geeta Chapter 1 Arjun Vishad Yoga Verses 40 and 41

Session on Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran Book 9 - In order to understand Ram Avatar, we went on to understand Vibhisan Gita

Vibhishan Gita written by Tulsidasji in Ramcharitramans Lanka kand