THE INTUITIONAL SCIENCE OF THE

VEDAS

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Contenido
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 1 ............................................................................................. 3
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 2 ........................................................................................... 14
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 3 ........................................................................................... 28
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 4 ........................................................................................... 45
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 5 ........................................................................................... 66
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 6: Avidyá .............................................................................. 88

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The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 1
In ancient times when the desire to worship awakened in the minds of the
primitive people for the first time, at that initial stage they took men of great
wisdom and strength as the objects of their adoration. Before this they had
been Nature-worshippers or physiolaters. When their mental hunger was no
longer satisfied by the worship of mountains and rivers, trees and creepers,
forests and seas, dawn and dusk, or thunder and lightning they took their first
step towards the contemplation of God through the medium of hero-worship.
As a result, a kind of incarnation doctrine came into being, ascribing full
Brahma-hood to an aspect of manifestation. This practice was adopted in the
name of religion, and was popular in society for many generations after. But
the urges of the human heart are limitless. The desire to know their inner
nature led human beings to the philosophical path, and as a result of
philosophical dissertation and discussion their way of thinking gradually
changed. They began to think how it was possible to attain the beginningless,
indivisible, super-exultant self through such unit-worship – through the
worship of the finite. When the realization dawned in their minds, they felt a
great agitation – a mighty inner stirring in their hungry hearts, a longing to
know the beginningless, endless, unmanifest, all-pervading Entity. How and
what is that which the mind will apprehend with its entire being?
The first hint of Brahmabhávaná or intuitional science was mentioned in
the ancient writing of the Rgveda. That first seed grew into a huge tree in the
Yajurveda with numerous branches and twigs. At that auspicious moment,
human intellect saw through the radiance of its supra-mundane knowledge,
through its clairvoyance, that whatever it wanted in the material world
emanates from and belongs to the Supreme Absolute Bliss – all are but the
unit-manifestations of the Supreme Entity. None of these are its whole self.
But it cannot neglect these units, for they, too, are not outside it. They too, are
an inseparable part of the Supreme Entity.
The common people could not grasp the deep Brahmatattva or Intuitional
Theory, and so they tried to hold on to the superficial, extroversial trappings
of religion such as sacrifices, rites and rituals, making them the medium for
their religious expression. But wise and educated people realized that as a
result of this worship of the crude, people with a developed intellect and
consciousness would gradually revert towards crudeness and gradually be
transformed into crudeness. We must however admit that it is not possible to
give up the effort to attain the crude in the form of physical necessities.
Nevertheless, having food and clothing and other physical needs cannot
completely satisfy the hunger of the human heart. At different times human
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beings have gone without clothes or anything for years or voluntarily
renounced the world when it proved antagonistic to the deepest urges of their
heart. So it will not do for human beings to think only of providing themselves
with the crude necessities. If anybody leads this type of life, they will never
experience bliss – they will always feel inside them the aching void of the
desert.
So human beings concluded after due cogitation: since it was not possible
to give up the units and since they would have to go in for the “whole” after
all, they would just as well forestall heir attachment for the finite by always
keeping awakened in their minds, even while making use of the units, a sense
of their being the image of that very Supreme Spirit. The pleasure-ward trend
of the attachment would then be diverted towards the Bliss-ward course itself.
By ascribing divinity to everything and thereby eliminating the limitedness of
its littleness, humans would realize and enjoy the Supreme Bliss. In the
Vájasaneyii Samhitá (Code) of the Yajurveda it is said, –
Ishá vásysamidaḿ sarvaḿ yat kiiṋca jagatyáḿ jagat
Tena tyaktena bhuiṋjiithámá grdhah kasyasviddhanam.
This world is changing, moving. The word jagat (world) is derived from
the root, gam-kvip, which means moving. This universe is the psychic
manifestation of Brahma. All thought processes are moving and restive, and
that is why this world, the psychic manifestation of Brahma. All thought
processes are moving and restive and that is why this world, the psychic
manifestation of Saguńa Brahma (the Subjectivated Transcendentality), is
moving and restive. A thing that appears beautiful today is not necessarily so
tomorrow. A sandesh (sweetmeat) that is delicious today will not be fit for
consumption after a few days. Indeed one cannot even vouch for its shape still
being intact. Every unit is in a state of change, and that is why the pleasure
derived from unit objects cannot last permanently. So what should a Sádhaka
(spiritual aspirant) do? He or she must ascribe divinity to every unit object.
Everything is the manifestation of God. Whether it is land, home, river,
mountain, respect, insult, day or night – everything is He and His
manifestation as a unit. Make proper use of all objects thinking that they are
His gifts to us. To enjoy or endure anything is to enjoy or endure Him. Avoid
the attraction of the unit and make contact with the integral whole. When you
are able to live this way, the desire to steal the property of others will
completely disappear. In Ananda Marga there is a special process through
which one can dedicate everything to God. The ascription of divinity to
objects means the pursuit of the Infinite, leaving the finite behind. Are you

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feeding your son? No, no, you are feeding the son-like manifestation of
Brahma. Are you tilling the field? No, no you are serving the finite
manifestation of Brahma with your plough. Really speaking, the ascription of
divinity to objects precludes their material enjoyment, as the objects then
merge in the non-material Supreme Brahma. Thus the mind of one, who has
established him or herself in real Vaerágya (the renunciation of all sensual
pleasures) can never become attached to finite objects. Even in their midst he
or she remains beyond the reach of their attraction and gains eternal peace
after death.
No truck with water while I bathe
With hairs flowing free
Nor woes nor griefs shall ever scathe
Unwet I dip in sea.
Dedicated to God, night and day
Awake, asleep or dreaming be
No lures of world or desires gay
Dare ever come between He and me.
Do your work, but do not be caught up with it. A great man said, –
Grind spices or be a cook
Touch not the pan you ever
Dance a frog ’fore serpent’s hook
But let it not devour,
In the sea of nectar shall you bathe
Unwet shall remain your hair
Tie the elephant to a spider’s web
Love awaits you there.
Here the spider represents the little unit, the Sádhaka. A Sádhaka will
realize what divine love is like only when he or she prepares the cobweb of
devotion and ties the elephant, the Supreme Entity to it.
Life is intimately bound up with work If people do their work ascribing
divinity to each object they are involved with, then, because of their non-
attachment to material pleasure, they cannot be bound by the reactions of their
actions. Life also cannot be the cause of such bondage, nor for that matter can
the reactions of one’s actions be the cause of future lives. Otherwise a person
who lives a long life will perform many actions, thus creating many reactions
of greater sorrow to be experienced, and one will be a victim of the actional
cycle life after life.

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 Kurvanneveha karmáni jijiivisecchataḿ samáh
Evaḿ tvayi nányatheto’sti na karma lipyate nare.
Always ideate on Brahma and nurture the desire to live for a hundred
years. You will thus not get caught up in the reactions to your actions. This is
the only way, by which you can save yourselves from the bondage of your
reactions.
The ascription of Brahmahood to all activities is only possible for a
Sádhaka – it is only possible through spiritual practices or the Sádhaná of the
átman (soul). To establish oneself in Brahma is not possible through the
Sádhaná of the mind, racing up and down at the beck and call of the senses.
The person who busies himself with the Sádhaná of the mind instead of that of
the Átmań is, in fact running after darkness or an uncertain future.
Asúryyá náma te loká andhena tamasávrtáh;
Táḿste pretyábhigacchanti ye ke cátmahano janáh.
Those who are sensually and materialistically inclined destroy themselves
because through their actions they deny their own souls. Whether they profess
to recognize the existence of the soul or not, their actions are certainly
detrimental to their self-development. In this material world you may have
come across many people who acknowledge the existence of Brahma, who say
that they recognize the existence of soul, argue over it and are not afraid even
to shed blood for the preservation of their religion, yet in their individual lives
they are always chasing after sensual pleasures. They are of the above type.
They gradually drift away from light towards darkness, regressing from a
developed human life towards animal life. Although they have attained a
human body, they have not shown any interest in behaving in a way that is
worthy of a human being. The foremost duty of a human being is Brahma-
sádhaná or the worship of God.
Essentially the soul and the Supreme Soul are the same. It is the objects of
the mind that are different. A person whose mind has accepted the Infinite as
its object has indeed identified himself with the Supreme Soul. Now the
question may arise; when the Supreme Soul is infinite in nature, how does the
distorted idea of individuality come about, and what relation is there between
the unit-soul and this observable world? The Dharma or characteristic of an
individual is to advance from the finite towards the infinite, from a part to the
whole. This characteristic emanates from the desire to attain happiness – for
self-preservation. As long as the goal is not limitless, one cannot gain the
eternal happiness of all the imaginable and unimaginable entities. The

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Supreme Soul alone is beginningless and endless, and that is why limitless
happiness is only possible through the Supreme Soul. The pain of losing unit
objects is far greater than the pleasure they give us. The suffering that one sees
in the world is merely the pain caused by that loss. But a persons of wisdom
are never affected by the pain of loss for they know that the cause of all
suffering is one’s own Saḿskáras. These Saḿskáras are the reactions resulting
from one’s actions, past and present.
The Saḿskára born of pleasure and pain or the consequential momentum
that creates the state of microcosmic subjectivity in the Macrocosmic
Consciousness and stamps the Integral Body with the seal of limited unit-
hood, has got its rudimental cause in the Saḿskáras acquired by the Supreme
Being in the state of bondage. Actually, it would be more accurate to call it the
mental reflection of action and reaction instead of calling it the distortion of
the Supreme Soul.
The individuality of the unit is not complete in itself. So until one merges
in the Whole Entity, one’s suffering cannot be alleviated. I have already said
that the Sádhaka’s sufferings are caused by the Saḿskáras which one created
oneself. One should therefore not be afraid of experiencing these reactions or
accuse Brahma of injustice on this account. Humans very often complain,
“God, so you had this in store for me. Is this my reward for so much worship
and so much charity?” Such complaints are foolish, even sinful. At the time of
suffering a Sádhaka should reproach himself for his past misdeeds and refrain
from evil actions in order to avoid more suffering in the future. Everyone
should bear in mind that as long as the fire of woes is not extinguished – so
long as the Saḿskáras are not burned one has got to suffer. That is why I say
you must not find fault with others because of your Saḿskáras; they are
merely the reactions caused by your own mistakes and misbehaviour. Do you
not see in the reflection the same wreath that you put around the neck of a
shadow? Poet Vidyápati said:
Countless miles and ages lie
Life to life, between me and Him.
Dogged by Fate and here am I!
The fault not His, but mine and grim,
Don’t get upset over your suffering and difficulties. Learn from your painful
experiences and acts, and behave wisely in your next life. Accept the
beginningless and endless entity as the object of your ideation and behave
accordingly.

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 Anejadekaḿ manaso javiiyo naenaddevá ápnuvan púrvamarśat;
Taddhávato’nyánatyeti tiśt́hat tasminnápo mátarishvá dadháti.
He is the only entity which does not move. Where there is no difference of
places, there is no movement. How can the all-pervading entity in whom
everything exists, have movement? He is faster than the mind, as the motive
force that exists in His psychic body, i.e. the motive force of His thought
process, dictates the movements of all the entities of the world; it is from this
that they get the impetus to move. The senses are not capable of
understanding. This is because the movement of the senses is towards objects,
and so-called motionless objects are merely external forms of His mental
expressions, His efferent thought-waves. His Blissful Entity is resplendent in
its original state beyond the sphere of the mind. It is because of the cognitive
Entity that life and energy exist in the world and that all processes of creation
are continuing in a planned way.
Tadejati tannaejati tad dúre tadvantike;
Tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyásya báhyatah.
He is moving. No, no, He is not. He is motionless like the stump of a tree.
He is far away. No, no, He is not. He is very close. He is the life of my life. He
is within you and me. He is inside and outside everything everywhere. When a
Sádhaka becomes well-acquainted with His Blissful Entity, we say that he or
she is established in Brahma. At that stage there is both internal and external
unity. The mind remains indifferent to worldly attractions and one makes real
acquaintance with the Supreme Being. Although the body remains in the
mortal world, the soul is merged in the Supreme Soul. The mind then becomes
unrecognizable. Whose mind is it after all? Poet Cand́ idása has written, –
What pangs reside in Radha’s heart,
Unlistening she sits alone in solitude.
Even in reverie, her eyes fixed, skyward rest
Like a saffroned recluse, averse to food.
Unleashing strands, she watches the braid
Of her hair rich and flower-bedecked
With smiling gaze at the clouds staid
She whispers something with hands outstretched.
Like a pavonine couple, with eyes unmoved,
Exchanging thoughts with passioned glance,
Wooing Kaliya as though renewed,
Candidasa says, a novel stance.

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 This manifestation of this observable world is called Saiṋcara or
Extroversion during its movement from the subtle to the crude, and the
movement of the created units and the world from the crude to the subtle is
called Pratisaiṋcara or Introversion.

Thus goes the cycle of evolution from the subtle to the crude and from the
crude to the subtle. The movement of the unit is from the crude to the subtle.

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The path comprised of the extroversial movement away from and the
introversial movement towards Brahma, is called the Brahmic or Cosmic
System, which is revolving under the forces of Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara.
Under the influence of Vidyámáyá (Introversive Force or Force of
Macrocosmic attraction) the unit activates the centripetal or introversive
momentum of His thought-process through his Sádhaná, and by worshipping
Avidyámáyá (Extroversive Force or Force of microcosmic distraction) he
extends the centrifugal or extroversive action of His thought-process and
prolongs its duration. In Vidyá cognition predominates, whereas in Avidyá
there predominates action (Vidyá is a Cognitive force, and Avidyá is an
activating force devoid of cognition). Cognition and action should be balanced
in the life of a Sádhaka, or else it will be difficult to move towards Brahma.
Andhaḿ tamah pravishanti ye’vidya mupásate
Tato bhuyáiva te tamo ya u vidyáyáḿratáh.
The person who worships Avidyá drifts towards darkness and the person
who worships Vidyá goes even deeper into the darkness.
Anyadeváhurvidayányadáhuravidyayá
Iti shushruma dhiiráńaḿ ye nastadvicacakśire.
Vidyá and Avidyá have contrary concomitants. Neither of them has
equilibrated movements. People with calm and collected intellect, Sádhakas
with developed intuition, who could very well understand such things due to
their judgment, have made the above declaration with regard to Vidyá and
Avidyá i.e. salvation is not possible through the cultivation of only one of
these two principles. For the attainment of salvation, there must be balance
between Vidyá and Avidyá to move forward. Although the movement towards
Brahma must be introvertive (Vidyá), one should not give up Avidyá
completely in relation to the practical world. This also has got to be made
compatible with one’s own spiritual way of life by ascribing normal and
divine bearing to it. Here the balance between Vidyá and Avidyá refers to the
equitable conduct and behaviour during the period of material enjoyment.
Vidyá incávidyá inca yastadvedobhayaḿ saha
Avidyá mrtyaḿ tiirtvá vidyayá mrtamashnuvte.
It is those Sadhakas who are well-versed in intuitional knowledge, who
are able to properly grasp this extroversive and Introversive Science. They do
not deny any of the principles of creation, preservation and destruction.

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Forestall death through proper Karma-Sadhaná, a pursuit of action without
denying it, and attain immortality through valid knowledge.
Yastu sarváńi bhútá ni átmanyevá nupashyati
Sarvá bhúteśu cátḿánam tato na bijugupsate.
A person who sees himself in everything and everything in himself can
never hate anybody or anything. The capacity to overcome hatred is the main
characteristic of Brahamajiṋána or one versed in intuitional science. Because
of their pervasive egalitarian vision, there is not the slightest chance of their
committing any sin in secret.
Yasmin sarváni bhútániátmaevábhúdvijánatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shoka ekatvamanupashyatah.
When the sense of persuasiveness of one’s soul in all living and non-living
objects awakens in one’s mind, one neither hankers after anything nor is one
afraid of losing anything. One feels a sense of oneness with all objects and
attachment and grief fade away.
Sa paryagácchukramakáyamavraḿamasúviraḿ shuddhampápaviddham
Kavirmaniiśii paribhúh svayambhúryáthá tatyato’rthán
vyadadháccháshvatiibhayah samábhyah.
The characteristic of that Supreme Being is its all-pervasiveness. The
Sádhaka or the practitioner of intuitional science gets installed in Him, and
with His bearing the sádhaka eventually identifies himself with hIm. In that
bearing of His abides the splendour of all-fulfilment – the seed of all-
knowingness. “Tatra niratishavam sarvajiṋavijam.” The Supreme Being has
no crude body. He is absolutely faultless, pure, sinless, all-mighty, all-
observing, all-knowing, self-controlled and Svayambhú or self-creating. He is
not comparable to anything or anyone – “Na tasya pratimá asti,”, i.e., He has
no image. In Him there is unlimited forgiveness. From the very beginning He
has been giving everything to the units and will continue to do so. Such, is the
attitude of that Great Being. One who is dazzled by the superficial splendour
of His creation and gets entangled in it through one’s extroversial tendencies
forgets the great, noble Creator behind this creation. Is it not foolish to forget
the Lord of the creation for the created? Mother is cooking. The son suddenly
cries for his mother. Mother gives him a toy, and the son is so fascinated by
the toy that he forgets all about his mother. But when a son does not forget his
mother and stop crying in spite of the toy in his hand, then the mother is
compelled to embrace him and take him on her lap.

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 The son, too, holds his mother with one hand, the toy with the other. God
is compelled to surrender Himself to the wise Sádhaka, who does not forget
Him for the love of this toy-like creation – who does not relax his efforts to
attain God.
Andham tamah previshanti ye’ sambhútimupásate
Tato bhúya iva te tamo ya u sambhútyaḿ ratáh.
Those who run after Sambhúti or the glamour of creation and those who
are obsessed by the fear of Asambhúti or the possibility of is destruction are
both racing towards the world of darkness. A Sádhaka should look upon both
Sambhúti and Asambhúti, i.e. creation and destruction, equitably and with
equanimity. Scientists who are wholly and solely dedicated to the worship of
Sambhúti and hermits who live in constant fear of destruction are both on the
wrong path: they are not on the path of salvation. Only the person who uses
judgement and accepts both of them attains immortality.
Sambhutiiṋca vináshaiṋca yastadvedobhayaḿ saha
Vináshena mrtyuḿ tiirtvá sambhútyámrtamashnute.
One who knows the truth about creation and destruction gets established
beyond the reach of death. The observable world is subject to creation and
destruction. The movement from creation to destruction at first glance appears
to be absolute, but the person who has understood the secret of creation and
destruction and has thoroughly understood the world system, is alone able to
establish him or herself beyond the range of this system.
The last hurdle on the path to the attainment of deathlessness and the
realization of Brahma is the Hirańyamaya Kośa of the unit. As long as the
Hirańyamaya Kośa exists, the Sádhaka cannot realize the Absolute Truth. The
glamour of creation and the fear of destruction always upset a Sádhaka. The
Supreme Being in His infinite glory is situated above the causal mind
(Hirańyamaya Kośa).
Hirańmayena pátreńa satyasyá pihitaḿ mukham
Tattvaḿ púśannapávrńu satyadharamáya drśtaye.
O God! Remove the shining veil of Hirańyamaya Kośa, so that we may
establish ourselves in Satyaloka (the region of Truth) Thy abode, so that our
minds may not be attracted to the brilliance of the Hirańyamaya Kośa. This
was all that was said about Brahma in the Ishopanisad.
When a person progresses from the crude to the subtle as a result of his
Sádhaná, all the bondages gradually start disappearing by themselves, and
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when a strong desire awakens in the mind to attain that pure consciousness
within, the Hirańyamaya Kośa also gets destroyed. In each of the five different
stages of mind i.e. (1) Kámamaya Kośa (Crude or Conscious mind), (2)
Manomaya Kośa (Subtle or Sub-conscious mind, (3) Atimánas Kośa (Supra-
mental mind), (4) Vijiṋánamaya Kośa (Subliminal mind), (5) Hirańyamaya
Kośa (Subtle-Cosmic Mind) – (the last three are collectively called causal or
astral or unconscious mind) some sort of finite object directly or indirectly
remains, and this object becomes the cause of bondage – “Mana eva mauśya
nám kárańam bandha mokśayo”. In other words the unit attains salvation only
when she/he empties her/his mind of all objects. Just as an iron sword can
perform acts of cruelty or merely cut the rope tethering and animal, similarly,
according to its objective tendencies, the mind can also be the cause of both
bondage and liberation.
All unit objects are external. Love for such unit objects can never be
lasting, for the mind always keeps hopping from one object to another. That is
why I say, withdraw your love from the unit and merge yourself in the whole.
Don’t mistake the unit for the soul or God. The attainment of one’s inner self
is only possible through love for the Infinite. Dońt pretend to be inferior and
as a result become lazy. Fill your heart with love of the Infinite, and your soul
will be transformed into the Supreme Soul. No worldly happiness is limitless.
Dedicate yourself completely to the blissful ocean of the Supreme Soul. Then
alone will you realize what happiness really is. This path to attain happiness,
this Sádhaná of self-surrender I call absolute devotion. Carry on performing
your worldly duties with sincerity, and at the same time think about the pure
self within you. Then alone will your Sádhaná be justified. The constant
thought of your pure inner Self will certainly one day establish you in your
original source, and this is the ultimate aim of Sádhaná. The Soul is by nature
characteristically pure. The mind gets tied to Saḿskáras (potential reactions)
due to its actions, and that is why the unit becomes the slave of life and death.
When all the Saḿskáras are destroyed through spiritual Sádhaná and mental
purification, one goes beyond life and death to the eternal region of
immortality, where there is no difference between the soul and His Supreme
Soul. Amen!
Shrávańii Púrńimá 1955 DMC, Monghyr

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The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 2
The Vedas are the unique manifestation of human intellect. The
etymological meaning of the word “Veda” is knowledge. This knowledge is of
two types. One type is subject to time, space, and person, and the other is the
realization of the self, independent of all subjections. The former is called
Relative Knowledge or Aparájińána, because it is related to objects, and the
latter, spiritual Knowledge or parájiṋána. Here the word, Veda, is of course
used in the sense of spiritual knowledge.
Last Shrávańii Púrńimá I told you some thing from the Shukla-Yajurveda.
Today I will tell you something from the Atharva Veda. Learned persons say
that there is nothing important in the Atharva Veda. It is only a collection of
mantras or incantations about ghosts and spirits, composed by people in
prehistoric times. It is up to you to judge the veracity of the opinion.
One day, Vaedarbhi, the son of Bhrgu, asked the learned sage Pippaláda,
“My Lord what is Intuitional Science (Brahmavijiṋána)? What is the relation
between Brahma and the world? Please tell me something about them.” The
sage replied:
“Aráiva rathanábhao práńe sarvaḿ pratiśt́itam
Rco yajúḿsi sámáni yajiṋahkśatraḿ Brahma ca.”
Just as the spokes are attracted to the hub of a wheel, similarly every
object in this universe is Brahma-centric and thus has kept up its individual
existence. The nucleus of the Cosmic System is the source of all entities from
the highest of created being down to the lowest insect. Rk. (Incantations),
Yaju (invocations), Sáma (songs) or the individuals engaged in Viprocita or
Ksátrocita service (i.e. service befitting a Brahmin or a Kśatriya) – all are
dependent on Brahma, the source of their existence.
Prajápatishcarasi garbhe tvameva pratijáyase
Tubhyaḿ Práńa prajástiimá baliḿ haranti yah práńaeh pratitiśt́hasi.
The word, Prajá, means evolved objects. Brahma is of course Prajápati or
the Lord of evolved objects for He is the controller of all of them. Prajápati-
brahmá moves about in the womb as the embryo and when it is born, the
event, in fact, should actually be called the reflex birth of Brahma instead of
His birth, because all created entities are merely manifestations of Brahma
Himself. For instance, there is only one moon, but its reflection falling in the
countless footprints of cows (Gośpada) appears as countless moons. No new
moons are created. The same moon is being reflected in several receptacles.

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Similarly one Brahma is manifesting Himself over an infinite number of units
in countless mental receptacles. Brahma is Absolute Bliss. That is why the
units or microcosms are always racing with the help of their sensory and
motor organs towards their inner selves, i.e. towards the attainment of
happiness. So it is said that knowingly or unknowingly the units are moving
towards Him to attain Him, filled with inspiration from Him. (Several times in
the Atharva Veda the word, “Práńa”, has been used to mean Puruśa and the
word, “Rayi” to mean Prakrti).
Devánámasi bahńitamah pitrńaḿ prathama svadha
Rśiińáiṋcaritaḿ satyamatharváungirasámasi.
Here the word, Deva, means the carrier of sensations, i.e., organs and
nerves. Through the organs and nerves the body expresses a sensation or
feeling and that is why they are called Devas or gods of the microcosmic
body. But these organs and nervous systems are completely dependent on the
spine for their existence and functions. Sensation is transmitted along the
spine and that is why without a spine the unit would be a motionless, inert,
fleshy mass. The above Shloka declares that, what spine is to the unit, Brahma
is to the universe. Without Brahma the universe would be utterly destroyed,
the seed of the imagination would be completely obliterated. According to an
ancient custom, the death rites in honor of the deceased used to be performed
by using Svadhá mantra (i.e., an invocation chanted while offering a sacrifice
to the spirits of the dead). That is why, it is said that Brahma, as the first and
foremost point in order of succession, is as important to all mundane objects
as the first recipient of obsequial oblations is to the subsequent ones. To the
sages He is as sacred as the vow of truthfulness. By Rśis or sages I mean those
who have hastened the advancement of human civilization by inventing or
discovering things through their Sádhaná or spiritual practices. Such sages
make the base of their lives on truth; without truthfulness intellectual
expansion towards the Supreme is not possible. Let us here discuss the
meaning of the word, Truth. People generally use four words, Satya, Tothya,
Samyak and Rta synonymously or in an identical sense. But in reality there is
a great difference in their meanings. The English equivalents of Tathya,
Samyak and Rta are “Fact”, “Correct”, and “Truth” respectively. But in other
languages “Satya” (Truth) has no equivalent. The Philosophical meaning of
the word “Satya”, is unchangeable, i.e., that which has no distortion, that
which is beyond distinctions of time, space, and person. Human life
progresses through different stages – from childhood to adolescence, from
adolescence to youth, youth to old age and old age to senility. It is through
these changes that people progress. That is why human life or its receptacle,
15
the body, is not Satyá or Truth. There is yet another philosophical meaning of
the word, “Satya”, which is Citsvarúpa (the Supreme consciousness) or
Puruśa. In the field of Sádhaná or intuitional practice the meaning of “Satya”
is “Parahit́arthaḿ váunmanaso yathárthatvaḿ satyam” i.e., Satya is the
benevolent use of words and the mind for the welfare of others. No matter
what meaning of “Satya” we accept, a benevolent sage has got to be truthful.
The creation of one who has not learnt to regard the blissful, unchangeable
Entity as the ultimate goal is no creation – is a veritable negation of creation.
The great sage, Maharśi Atharvá, who lived in ancient times, while he was
practicing Brahma-Sádhaná, was the first to gain intuitional knowledge by the
grace of Brahma. He taught that knowledge to Maharśi Auṋgirá, who taught it
to Satyaváha. Satyávaha in turn taught Áuṋgirasa. So the sage says, Brahma,
the source of all existing entities, is as important to them as Atharvá, the
expounder of intuitional science, is to Auṋgirasa and his other students.
Indrastvaḿ práńa tejasá rudro’si parirakśitá;
Tvamantariikśe carasi súryastvaḿ jyotiśámpatih.
The word Indra means great or a king. Brahma is the controller of the vital
force which keeps the organisms alive; we call Him Indra, when He controls
our lives and our energies through His expressions. We call Him Rudra or the
God of thunder, when He, as our friend, saves us from the jaws of calamities
through His affectionate and tender touch. He exists everywhere; He is present
about us sometimes as a sound, sometimes as a thought or emotion and
sometimes as a crude individual entity. There is not a place in the universe
where He is not manifest.
What we take for a void is also full of Him. He is even in places where the
intellect cannot reach, from where the imagination bounds back thwarted and
baffled.
Jale hari sthale hari anale anile hari,
Graha-tárá-súrye hari harimaya e trisámsár.
[He is in water and in land and fire and the ether He is in the sun and the
stars and planets. He is in all the three worlds.]
In the planetary world it is His glory that shines as the sun. Take for
instance, the backbone of the nervous system, the Svadhá of departed
ancestors, the satya of the sages or Indra, Rudra, the sun – are all these
separate entities? No, all is He, all is He, all is He. The person whose apparent
name is Dhruvajyotih, whom a son calls “father” for he sees in him a father-
like manifestation, a father calls “Dheva”, for he sees in him a son-like
16
manifestation, a school boy, “Sir”, for he sees in him a teacher-like
manifestation, and a tongawalla, “Hey, Topee”, for he sees the Topee (cap) as
the all-important thing, in reality, are these addresses such as “father”, “sir” or
“hey topee”, so many different persons? Actually, they are the result of
looking at one Dhruvajyotih from different angles of vision.
Yadátvamabhivarasasyathemá práńa te prajáh
Ánandarúpastiśt́hanti kámayannaḿ bhavisydiiti.
There is nothing inanimate or insentient in this world; everything is
animate and sentient. In some places consciousness is condensed and in other
places it is uncondensed. Where consciousness is condensed, we say
“animate” or “sentient”, and where it is uncondensed, i.e., where the influence
of Prakrti is more predominant, we say, “inanimate” or “insentient”. The
difference between this so-called sentience and insentience is that the so-
called sentient, due to its consciousness being condensed, is capable of
controlling itself, but due to the uncondensed state of consciousness the so-
called inert or insentient is entirely dependent on the wishes of Prakrti, i.e., it
is compelled to behave according to the thought-process of the Macrocosmic
Mind. This may stimulate a question in our minds. If the so-called inert object
is subject to the wishes of the Cosmic Mind, then the Cosmic Grace must
necessarily have to be on it only. If the sentient is capable of thought by itself,
why should Brahma think for it at all? There is hardly any ground for Brahmic
mercy to be showered upon it. The world is crude, and that is why He has
kindly regulated its course of movements, so that it may not be smashed to
smithereens by the impact of a comet. But to a sentient person He has allowed
discretion to take poison or nectar. Is this consciousness then a curse to the
living? No. To Him “animate” and “inanimate” make no difference. He has no
partiality for one or the other. The insentient do not work by themselves, and
so they are not vulnerable to punishment or eligible for reward for vices or
virtues, but the sentient attain the good or bad consequences of their acts…
they experience pleasure and pain. Let one suffer or enjoy according to one’s
deed. He stands by His duties, why shouldn’t He? With the birth of a child He
provides milk in the mother’s breasts, affection from the father and love from
friends. Aren’t these His mercies? After the scorching summer of the month of
Vaeshájha come the showers of the rainy season. These merciful showers are
also His. From such changes rocks, iron or gold do not perceive pain or
pleasure. It is living beings who endure or enjoy them. It is through these
showers for their enjoyment that various things grow, and through them they
all feel and enjoy the self-same Bliss Absolute, which Parama Puruśa Himself.
And so He has not only forgotten you, rather He gives you compassion and
17
mercy for no compulsive reason – much more mercy perhaps than you even
deserve.
Brátyastvaḿ Práńaeka rśiratta vishvasya satpatih
Vayamádyasya dátárah pitátvaḿ mátarishvanah.
The word, “Brátya,” means “fallen”. According to the social code if a
Brahmin does not follow the principles worthy of a Brahmin, he/she will fall
into the category of the Brátya. Similarly if a Kśatriya or a Vaeshya does not
act according to his Varńa (color), he will be categorized as Brátya. The
question of being Brátya or fallen does not arise in the case of a shúdra, for all
apostates are known as Shudras. Brátya Brahmin, Brátya Kśatriya and Brátya
Vaeshya, due to their acts being inconsistent with their respective Varńas, are
regarded as meaner than the Shúdras who belong to the Varńáshrama
(Institution of social order). Here Brahma has been called Brátya, for He is
above all the Saḿskáras or prejudices of this social system, Varńáshrama. No
Saḿskára can bind Him. All Saḿskára-bound powers bow to His Glory. The
Ajiṋána Bodhinii Tantra also says, –
Varńáshramábhimánena shruti dásye bhavennarah;
Varńáshramavihiinashca vartate shruti múrdhańi.
So long as there are Varńa prejudices (caste-disparity, financial disparity,
regional disparity, educational or other disparities) in human beings they can
never realize or feel the non-distinctive, incessant flow of the Cosmic Essence,
the integral Brahma – never, never can they do so. As long as they keep this
caste-vanity as the trademarks, they will keep themselves enslaved to
scriptural injunctions, because they regard one or the other Varńa as the chief
prop or mainstay of their mind. When a person through this spiritual and
mental development or through their merger in the Supreme Being, identifies
himself with Brahma who is above the Varńas, they attain a position above
scriptural injunctions whereupon to be bereft of Varńa or color is the real
Sádhaná.
There is a reference in the Vedas to a sacred fire called “Ekarśi.” This fire
used to be preserved with meticulous care. That is why the people in general
held this Ekarśi fire in great esteem and paid greater respects to it than they
did to any other fire. Now imagine, on one hand the Supreme Entity has been
called Brátya or fallen, and on the other He has been revered as Ekarśi. Being
beyond the confines of all Saḿskáras or prejudices or consequential momenta,
He remains unconfinable to or by any attribute, and the purity or Ekarśi, being
considered the highest at the top of society, also remains immeasurable.

18
 This Brahma is also the devourer or destroyer of all objects of the
universe, for this universe is being conceived and lost in His mind-stuff. That
is to say, just as He is continually creating His mentally conceived world in
His Brahmábháva (or creative mood) on the one hand, similarly He is
continually devouring it mercilessly as the Saḿhartá or Destroyer on the other.
All objects, all entities of the world are His pabulum, His food and some day
they all have got to offer their respective structures as oblations to Him. That
is why it is said that the units are the givers of His food. What are they giving
Him? They are giving away to Him their sense of ego – their pain-laden
identities of petty selfishness.
This very Supreme Being is the Father of Váyu or air. These Váyus,
according to their internal and external distinctions, are preserving the
existence of the unit through their tenfold transformations. So these Váyus or
práńáh, are the foundations of all the senses of the units, and Brahma is the
Director or Father of these Váyus or práńáh. Váyu is the life of the unit, and
Brahma is the Life of life.
Yá te tanúrváci pratiśt́háta ya shortre yá ca caksuśi.
Yáca manasi santatá shiváḿ tán kuru mortkramiih.
What I speak is only a manifestation of Thy form. What I hear – that also
is the sonic manifestation of Thy form. Whatever and whenever I see with the
help of my eyes is but Thy form-manifestation. Whatever I think within
myself, judge or decide about evil or virtue are all only Thee, Nothing exists
outside Thee I, whatever my sensory organs perceive, comes from the world
permeated by Thee, and whatever my motor organs activate or shun are but
Thy different expressions. O Merciful Brahma! Let Thy inspiration guide my
movements towards the virtuous path – towards Supreme Consciousness. Let
whatever I say, hear or see be charged with Thy thought and transformed into
sublimity. Let me not see nor hear any mean entity nor give it a verbal form.
Let me realize and understand every moment that thou art all that is seeable,
hearable or utterable by me. O Great One, Be not miserly towards me. Lead
me to the auspicious path – to the path of good. Control my moments
properly.
Práńasyedaḿ vashe sarvaḿ tridive yat pratiśt́hitam
Máteva puttráń rakśasva shriishca prajiṋáiṋca videhi nah.
All created objects that exist in this universe are under the sway of the
Supreme Being. He is controlling every thing of this world, whether crude,
subtle or casual. The world has dedicated itself to His Glory. O Soul Supreme!

19
Teach us the intuitional science and lead us to the path of well-being. We are
entirely under Thy shelter. Just as a mother protects her son, protect us from
baseness, poverty and pettiness. Establish us in prosperity and wisdom.
Pippaláda had told Sukeshá, the son of Bharadvája, –
Aráiva rathanábhao kalá yasmin pratiśt́hitáh;
Taḿ vedyaḿ purúśaḿ veda yathá ma vo mrtyuh parivyatháh.
Just as the hub of a wheel controls the spokes, similarly the Supreme
Brahma is controlling the sixteen basic factors of this universe, i.e., the ten
organs (sensory and motor), five vital principles or práńáh (i.e., Práńa, Apána,
Samána, Udána and Vyána), and ego. All these sixteen factors (Kalás) are
completely sheltered in Him and are the causes of life and death or
fluctuations in lifespan. Try to know Him. Know Him through the Spiritual
Knowledge or Parájiṋána. If you are able to do so, you will be able to
overcome death and all kinds of degeneration easily. You shall conquer death.
The Supreme One is the only remedy for this. The preventor of death is that
ambrosial Cosmic flow. That is why the Vedic sages prayed to that Ocean of
Nectar and Deathlessness Brahma.
Asato má sadgamayo tamasomá jyotirgamayo
Mrtyurmá amrtorgamayo ávirávih mayaedhi.
O Supreme Brahma! Lead us to the world of deathlessness from this
mortal world.
Avih sannihitaḿ guhácarannáma mahat padamatraetat samarpitaḿ
Ejat práńannimiśacca yadetajjánatha sadasadvareńyaḿ
Paraḿ vijiṋánád yadvariśt́haḿ prajánám.
Elsewhere in the Atharva Veda much has been said about the Supreme
Soul. He is Self-effulgent – Autophanous, i.e., His effulgence is not derived
from any other source. He is inherent in everything good (There is nothing bad
in the world. What we think to be “bad”, is only the transformed condition of
“good” under the influence of Máyá, the Creative Principle). In other words
all “good” objects are He. Hence my ego is not devoid of Him.
He is the Life of my life, the Ego of my ego, the Soul of my soul. There is
nothing so close to me as He. He is the Guhácara or Heart-dweller. Here the
word Guhácara does not mean mountain cave-dweller. Here Guhá means
heart. Hence the one, who is Guhácara is the heart-dweller – the controlling
Lord of the heart.

20
 An individual always seeks out a safe refuge, but no refuge can give
lasting shelter. Only He is the Supreme Refuge. Nothing is greater or more
noble than Him. He is dynamic. Here a question may arise: whence does
movement come for One Who is all-pervading? But really He is moving. His
motivity lies in the thought-process of His psychic body. This world is His
fanciful imagery, born out of His psychic body. This world would not have
come into being if He really had no imagination or if the thought-wave of
imagination had not awakened in His Psychic Body. The five Váyus (Práńa,
Apána, Samána, Udána and Vyána) that feature in a living body according to
their respective distinctive functions, as the result of which the units are kept
alive – those vital forces or Váyus, also are only He. The twinklings of the
eye-lids that have kept alive the power of inferential apprehensibility of
human being every moment are also He. Really speaking, behind all these
vital forces or twinklings it is His existence alone that revibrates in the unit-
mind as the latent absolute Truth. It is through the inspirations of His
existence that the veins and nerves are being sensitized and vibrated. All that
we think good or bad in this world is but His different circumstantial
distinctions. Brahmabháva or divine bearing is not limited to the Puruśa entity
alone, it is the basis of whatever is virtuous and good. The great Prakrti, who
is seemingly transforming the Puruśa entity into transitory objects, is also He.
Brahma is the composite name of Puruśa and Prakrti.
Tvamekodvitvaḿpanno Shivashakti vibhágashah.
Brahma is the greatest of all. Nothing is greater than Him. “Yadanye
nádhirohati”. Brahma is not attainable through common knowledge, nor can
pedantry or erudition touch or hold Him. He is metempiric, transcendental
beyond the scope of knowledge or cognition, whereas human knowledge is
only a partial knowledge. He is venerable to all. He abides in His own Glory
above all creations. He is the One Who is the Knower even of your sense of
ego. Try to know Him.
Yadarcimad yadańubho’ńu ca yasmin loká nihitá lokinashca.
Tadetadakśaraḿ brahma sa práńastadu váunmanah
Tadetat satyaḿ tadamrtaḿ tadveddhavyaḿ somya viddri.
He is luminous. He is the molecule of molecules, the atom of atoms. He is
so subtle that mind cannot apprehend that subtlety. Yet from another angle, He
is so vast that the entire universe lies within Him. He is indestructible, He is
unfallen, He is the Life, the Truth, the Nectar, O Saomya (Tranquil)! O

21
Sádhaka! He is your speech. He is your mind. Pierce through Him by dint of
your meditative concentration – by dint of your own spiritual force.
Dhanurgrhiitavaopaniśadaḿ mahástraḿ sharaḿ hyupásánishitaḿ
sandhayiita;
Áyamaya taddhávagatena cetasá lakśyam tadevákśaraḿ somyaviddhi.
“O Tranquil Sádhaka! Sádhaná is your great bow”. (Here Upaniśad means
the austere method of Sádhaná, for that which attains the proximity of Brahma
is called Upaniśad). Set your worship-sharpened mind-like arrow on this bow.
Now inclining your mind towards Him, pluck and twang the string of the bow
and pierce through your target – that indestructible Supreme Soul. (This is the
state of Savikalpa Samádhi or determinate absorption).
Prańavo dhanuh sharohyámá brahma tallakśyamucyate
Apramattena veddhavyaḿ sharavat tanmayo bhavet.
O Sedate One, Oṋḿkára is the image of your bow. Here the twanging or
plucking of the bow means the act of Práńáyáma ( a yogic method of breath-
control), i.e., stirring up the vital or spiritual force. If you use your soul as an
arrow and shoot it aiming at the Brahma-like target with a deeply concentrated
(absolutely unwavering) mind, then your soul will certainly merge in the
Supreme Soul just as an ordinary arrow sticks in its target.
Yasmin dyaoh prthivii cántariikśamotaḿ manah saha práńaeshca
sarveh
Tamevaekam jánatha átmaramanyáváco vimuiṋcathámrtasyaeśa setuh.
Try, O Sádhaka, to know only Him, in Whom are held the sky, the world
and the void, in whom are ensconced the mind, the five vital forces and the
sensory and motor organs. Shun all other pointless considerations except your
efforts to know Him. You are mortal, subject to death. Your desire of
establishing yourself in deathlessness has been with you from eternity. And
that very Brahma is the bridge leading to that state of deathlessness. So you
will reap the real good, if you can only know Him.
Aráiva rathanábhao saḿhará yatra nád́ yh sa eśo’ntashcarate bahudhá
jáyamánah
Oṋmityevaḿ dhyáyatha átmánaḿ svasti vah paráya tamasah parastát.
Just as the spokes of a chariot are embedded in the hub of the wheel, so all
the nerves, veins and arteries are sheltered in Him. The soul that is situated in

22
the Sahasrára (the uppermost plexus of the human structure) of the unit-body
is their refuge. In other words all the spokes of this world – this Cosmic
System, are situated in that (that eternal sonic expression) – that Cosmic
Nucleus, the Puruśottama. Carrying emotions and ideas is what the word
“nerve” stands for. The nucleus of all emotions and ideas is He – that Supreme
Soul, the Soul of souls. Concentrate on that Oṋḿ, His characteristic Self. You
have come into the field of Sádhaná in order to enter the kingdom of light
beyond the shores of darkness. May your journey to the empyreal region be
glorious and triumphant. Bon voyage to you.
Yah sarvajiṋah sarvid yasyaesa mohimá bhuvi
Divye brahmapure hyeśa vomnyátma pratiśt́hitah;
Manomaya kámashariitanetá pratiśthitenne hrdayaḿ sannidháya
Yadvijiṋánena paripashyanti dhiirá ánandarúpamamrtaḿ yadvibháti.
That Supreme Puruśa, who is Omniscient, all-knowing – Whose Glory is
all-aglow in all the worlds, is resplendent in His different characteristic forms
in the land of Bliss. The unit shall realize that Entity in the firmament of his
soul through his sádhaná (spiritual meditation). He is the Life of the unit. He is
the Leader of the crude and the subtle worlds etc. Right in the heart of the unit
– in his existential feeling, i.e., along with his sense of ego – He is ensconced
as its knower. The serene and tranquil individual, the Sádhaka, gets His real
darshana, His visual perception through a special type of intuition or
cognition. He is Bliss Absolute, effulgent in His characteristic deathlessness.
Bhidyate hrdayagranthischidyante sarvasaḿshayáh
Kśiiyante cásya karmáńi tasmin drśt́e para vare.
He is parávara (He is paramount as the Effect and not so as the causal). He
is Consciousness. When one realizes Him, all the accumulated Saḿskáras or
the reactive momenta of one’s heart thin away into nothing. All the doubts of
one’s mind disappear. All the auspicious and inauspicious deeds of the
Sádhaka get destroyed.
Hirańmaye pare kośe virajaḿ Brahma niśkalam
Tacchubhraḿ jyotiśáḿ jyotistad yadátmavidoviduh.
Hirańyamaya kośa or the astral mind is the subtlest of the five sheaths or
shells of the human structure. Just above it resides the integral, imperishable
Brahma. He is integral, for He is intransmutable, flawless, devoid of the
decaying quinquecellular or Paiṋcakośatmaka manifestation. His luminosity is

23
white. He is the radiance of all radiant objects. All radiances pale before His
radiance.
Na tatra súryo bháti ná candratárakaḿ
Nemá vidyuto bháti kuto’yamagnih
Tameva bhántamanubháti sarvaḿ
Tasya bhásá sarvamidaḿ vibháti.
Not even the Sun looks bright in His presence; it too pales before Him. It
is the same with the moon and the stars. The flash of lightning is unable to
express itself, what to speak of fire. All entities are radiant, because He is
radiance itself. It is due to His radiance that all objects are radiant.
Brahmavaedamamrtaḿ purastád brahma pashcát
Brahma dakśińatashcottareńa
Adhashcordhvaiṋca prastraḿ brahmavedaḿ
Vishvamidaḿ bariśt́ham.
The deathless Brahma is Omnipresent. Front or back, north or south, top
or bottom. He pervades everywhere. The three worlds are His greatest
manifestation. That is to say, it is He, who is manifest as the Greatest Entity in
the three worlds.
Dvá suparńá sayujá sakháyá saḿanaḿ brkśaḿ pariśasvajate
Tayorańyah pippalaḿ svádvattyanashnannanye Bhicákashiiti.
What is the relationship between the unit soul and the Supreme Soul? It is
as though on a tree there are two birds with beautiful wings perched together
intimately, one is eating the tasty fruit of the tree and the other is only
witnessing it as the knower and not eating. Here the fruit-eating bird is the
jiivátman or the unit soul, for the unit-soul is taking the exact impression of
whatever auspicious or inauspicious (good or bad) fruits that grow in the
mind-like tree, or is getting smitten by them, and the Supreme Soul, as the
Knower of all mundane entities, is also perched on the same psychic tree, but
He is not eating its fruit. He is just continuously witnessing as the Omniscient
Entity. He is the Original Manifestation, and the jiivátman is His psychic
reflection.
Samáne brkśe puruśo nimagno’niishayá shocati muhyamánah
Juśt́aḿ yadá pashyatyanyaniihamasya mahimánamiti viitashokah.
The jiivátman or the unit consciousness of this very tree is being assailed
by troubles and sorrows due to its limitations. But when it receives the
24
blessings of the Supreme consciousness; when it is benefited by Him i.e.,
when it is given an opportunity to learn the secret processes of intuitional
practice), it becomes free from pain, being enlightened in His glory, as it
realizes His majestic Lordliness, i.e., His Limitlessness.
Yadá pashyah pashyate rukmavańaḿ kartáramiiyaḿ puruśaḿ
brahmayonim
Tadá vidván púnyápápe vidhuya niraiṋjanah paramaḿ sámyamupaeti.
A Sádhaka gradually realizes the Self-effulgent Puruśa as the result of
his/her progress on the path of Sádhaná or intuitional practice. This Puruśa, as
the Immutable Entity is the Supreme Lord or controller of all mutable entities.
Brahma is the composite of both “mutalable” and “immutalable” – kśara and
akśara.
One who remains as the original cause of this Cosmic System, as the
Nucleus of kśara and akśara Brahma, is the “Brahmayoni” or the “Cosmic
Womb”. This Nucleus (Puruśottama) can be explained briefly thus; Suppose
you are thinking of Monghyr internally. Now a part of your consciousness is
changed into mind-stuff, and this mind-stuff takes the form of Monghyr. The
remaining part of your mind-stuff remains as the witness of your mentally
created Monghyr. Now the part of your consciousness which plays neither the
role of a witness nor of being witnessed and yet remains as the knower of your
observation, that subtle part or bearing, if taken in the Brahmic or theistic
context, will be regarded as Puruśottama. If this effulgent entity of Brahma be
realized, the imperishable Brahma or nuclear sonic expression can also be
known. The person of calm and sedate intellect becomes Niraiṋjana or
flowlessness itself after gradually giving up both virtue and vice. At that time
there comes in him the proper equilibrium – there remains no frivolity of any
sentiment nor the high waves of any manifestation. All the clashes merge in
the ultimate tranquillity of the fathomless Ocean of Brahma.
Práńo hyeśa yah sarvbhútaervibháti vijánan vidvan bhavate nátivádii
Átmakriid́ a átmaratih kriyáváneśa brahḿavidám bariśt́hah.
The Brahma is manifest in all units. The person of wisdom, who has
known this Self-radiant, Autophanous Entity, ceases to be charismatic and
loquacious. Such a person does not want to waste his/her time and breath
unnecessarily over frivolous and pointless arguments. (Shrii Rámakrśńa used
to say: To the one who has known Him all the things of the world will appear
as Aluni or saltless). Such a one then plays with his/her soul, transported and
lost in spiritual ecstasy. And so all his/her thought-waves or emotions that

25
manifest themselves as mundane activities are benevolent and beneficent.
Such acts of benevolence, which are commensurate with spiritual practice,
attain a high place of honour in the society of persons conversant with
intuitional knowledge.
Satyena labhyastapasá hyeśa átmá samyagjiṋánena brahmacaryena
nityam
Antahshariire jyotirmayo hi shubhro yaḿ pashyanti yatayah
kśiińadośáh.
This Brahma is attainable only through truth, penance, valid knowledge
and regular intuitional practice. Those who take to such Sádhaná or spiritual
austerity, observe the white effulgence of Brahma within themselves. The Yati
or austere Sádhaka (one who follows the principles of Yama and Niyama
rigidly and strictly), who has His darshana (view) thus, becomes pure and free
from sin.
Satyameva jayate nánrtaḿ satyena panthá bitato devayánah
Yenákramantyrśayo hyáptakámá yatra tat satyasya paramaḿ nidhánam.
It is Satya that ultimately wins. I shall call only that Satya, behind which
there is a sentiment of benevolence for others. Falsehood or untruth never
triumphs. It never can. It may succeed for a time but that success is only
prognostic of dire defeat. Satya widens and smooths the most difficult and
thorny path of salvation. It is through such a path that a desireless sage attains
proximity to that most sublime treasure of Satya – the Supreme Spirit.
Brhacca taddivyamacintyarupaḿ súkśmácca tat súkśmataraḿ vibháti
Dúrát sudúre tadihántike ca pashyatsvihaeva nihitaḿ guháyám.
What is this most sublime Treasure or Fountain-head of Truth like? The
sage says that this abode of Truth, Brahma, is so vast that He is unthinkable.
He is an eternal Empyrean Splendour. Then again He is smaller than the
small, smaller than a molecule or an atom or even an electron, so very small
that mind cannot comprehend Him. But He is luminous even in His small
bearing. He is far, far away from the one who thinks Him to be remote, and
He is nearer than the near to the one who thinks Him to be close. The one who
has eyes to see who has known Him even a wee bit, knows that He abides in
his or her very sense of existence – in his or her very heart’s desire as the
Supreme Radiance. To seek Him – to attain Him – it is not at all necessary to
run from one place to another. “He is not elsewhere but right within.”

26
 Na cakśusá grhyate nápi vácá nányaerdevaestapasá karmańá vá
Jiṋánaprasádena vishuddhasattvastatastu taḿ pashyate niskalaḿ
dhyáyamánah.
Neither can eyes see Him, nor words explain Him. The senses cannot
perceive Him either through asceticism or deeds. When a Sádhaka establishes
him or herself in the valid knowledge through the kindness and blessings of a
true and well-conversant Preceptor, i.e., the Sadguru, when he or she does His
Sádhaná with a devotionally saturated heart, such a subtle-minded Sádhaka
alone can realize that formless Absolute Entity.
Eśo’ńurátmá cetasá veditavyo yasmin práńáh paiṋcadhá saḿvivesha
Práńaeshcittaḿ sarvamotaḿ prajánám yasmin vishuddhe vibhavatyeśa
átmá.
This soul is smaller than the mole. It can be known only through
consciousness. This absolute consciousness manifests itself only in the
innermost recess of a Sádhaka. A Sádhaka gets opportunity for Sádhaná for
the realization of Brahma as long as the five vayus like Práńa, Apána etc., are
active in his or her physical body. But generally such an opportunity only
rarely comes to the lot of human beings, for the minds of most people, being
extrovertive, run after external objects due to the propulsion of the senses. So
when a human being’s mind gets purified through Sádhaná, he or she becomes
free from their sensual influences, and then alone do they realize within
themselves the super-effulgence of the Supreme Being. The self-realizer is
one who sees the Supreme Soul in his or her soul.
Yaḿyaḿlokaḿ manasá saḿvibháti vishudhasattvah kámayte yaḿshca
kámán
Taḿ taḿ lokaḿ jayate táḿshca kámáḿstasmádátmajiṋaḿ
hyarcayedbhútikamah.
The knower of the Soul or the Self-realized person gets whatever he or she
sets his or her mind on. The object takes exactly the same form in accordance
with his or her desire. Hence he or she does not have to run unnecessarily
about the external world in search of any object. He or she is all-satisfied and
fully contented. That is why every ambitious person desirous of all-round
progress and development, adores the one who has realized his or her Self.
Bhádra Púrńimá 1955 DMC

27
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 3
The great sage Aungirá said, –
Sa vedaetatparamaḿ Brahmadháma
Yatra vishvaḿ nihitam bháti shubhram
Upásate puruśaḿye hyakámáste
Shukrametadativartanti dhiiráh.
The one who has known the Supreme Brahma has really known Him as
the refuge of this universe. The One Who is the ultimate refuge of each and
everything, animate and inanimate, movable and immovable, from the
Supreme creation… Brahma – to the lowliest blade of grass, is the supreme
goal, the final beatitude. The universe has been created within Him and is
indeed radiant with His radiance. That the universe is created within Him is
not all that can be said. It is the transformation of His own Self. It is evolved
by Him. He is the substance as well as the cause of this universe. It is the
cooperative creation of the sixteenfold distortions (ten sensory and motor
organs, the mind and the five Tanmátras or inferences) and the eight binding
factors of Prakrti that are there as the cause and effect of His qualitative
manifestations. The seeds and potentials of this universe are also inherent in
them. It is for this vastness that He has been called Brahma, which means
Great (Brahatvád Brahma). Then again the One who makes another great, the
One with whose thought and bearing the small unit establishes itself in the
vastness, is also called Brahma (Brḿhańatvád Brahma). When this world is
within Him, then He must necessarily be greater than the world. Suppose there
is a box in a room; then the room must be greater than the box. That is why
there is space for the box, otherwise it could not have been accommodated.
That in which this universe is implanted is naturally greater than the universe.
The entire universe is pivoting around its knower, its Nucleus, in a cyclic
order in the vast body of Puruśa. Revolving thus in this cycle the one who
progresses towards the knowing Entity by virtue of one’s spiritual force
attains unity with Him, becomes one with Him. They become Brahma
themselves, and that is why He has the quality of making one great.
Brahma is effulgent in white radiance. The Shruti says that Puruśa and
Prakrti are indivisible and inseparable. Where Prakrti (the operative principle)
is active over Puruśa, Puruśa is of white radiance. In the Gáyattri mantra the
word, “Bharga”, is used in the sense of white radiance, and that is why this
“Bharga” and Saguńa Brahma (The subjectivated Transcendentality) are
inseparable. The inseparability of Brahma and His Radiance is fully

28
substantiated by the real meaning and analysis of the word “Bharga”. It is
trilateral, the combination of three letters, viz., “Bha”, “Ra”, “Ga”.
“Bha” – Bhásayatiimállokániti, i.e., by which the world is illuminated.
“Ra” – Raiṋjayatiimátáni, i.e., That which provides happiness for the
living beings.
“Ga” – Gacchatyasmin ágacchatyasmád imáh prajáh, i.e., That in which
the entire creation merges after emanation therefrom.
The Shruti says, –
Bheti bhásayate lokán Reti Raiṋjayati prajáh
Ga ityágacchatyajasraḿ Bharagát Bharga ucyate.
Generally speaking, the word, “Bharga” is used verily in the sense of
Brahmic effulgence. Now the question arises, whether Brahma and His
radiance are two different entities. If we say Ráma has such and such qualities
or Shyáma has such and such qualities – aren’t the individuals and their
qualities two absolutely separate entities? Such distinctiveness is not
applicable to limitless, integral, Brahma, who is without a second. Brahma and
His radiance are not two separate entities, for He is autophanous – self-
luminous. Citing the instance of Ráhu’s(1) (Dragon’s) head we have to say that
He is characteristically radiant.
This creation is triple-attributional. The game of the three attributes goes
on in everything and everywhere in the universe, and they have not spared the
human body. The region below the navel is dominated by Tamoguńa (Static
principle), the region from navel to throat, by Rajoguńa (Mutative influence)
and the region from throat to Trikuti (the junction of the two eyebrows, where
the seat of the mind is located,) by Sattvaguńa (Sentient influence). Normally,
a particular region in the body becomes more active in accordance with the
Vrtti or epithymetic influence or the inter- and intra-ectoplasmic occupation of
an individual. When a Sádhaka is established in his/her mental seat by virtue
of his/her hearing, thinking and profound meditation, he or she being then
established in Sattvaguńa (Sentient quality), realizes the Supreme Being in His
Super-white glory, as is the wont of Sentient quality. When one goes beyond
the mental sphere, one merges in the objectlessness of the Nirguńa Brahma in
the Brahmarondhra (An aperture in the crown of the head) and thus reaches
beyond the scope of colors. Bharga or white color also disappears from him. A
desireless person, who worships this Supreme Puruśa absolves himself from
the momenta of rebirths due to mind being objectless or desire-free. Such an
individual goes beyond the cycle of ordinary birth and death. In other words,

29
one’s mental force goes beyond the stars (’Shukrá means Venus, a planet) due
to one’s being established in the Supreme Entity.
Kámá yah kámayate manyamánah
Sa kámábhirjjáyate tatra tatra
Paryáptakámasya krtátmanastu
ihaeva sarve praviliiyanti kámáh.
According to human longings and desires or according to human
propensive pursuit, their minds take form i.e., they will gradually acquire the
like Saḿskáras or reactive momenta. They first see within themselves what
they aspire for and then let their minds flow towards it. Thereafter the external
organs i.e., hands and feet, etc., set about achieving it. And so it is generally
seen that the desires that they had been giving indulgence to throughout their
lives, come hurtling over to them in a condensed form at the last hour, i.e.,
their mind-stuff takes the like mental form for the last time in order to shape
itself into a fitting medium of the like Saḿskáras. Even during the life-time as
well it is seen that the mind-stuff of a drunkard, which imbibes within it an
indomitable desire or Saḿskára for wine, turns into a vantage ground for
undergoing the next Saḿskáras or momenta of pleasure and pain. That is to
say, such a person gets scent of the wine shop by the sheer propulsion of his
acquired mental propensity, if he happens to go to a new and unfamiliar place.
A man who has cultivated dog-like or swine-like desires all his life, dies with
the same dog-like or swine-like frame of mind. Thereafter with the help of
Prakrti’s Mutative force he acquires the form of a dog or swine in order to
undergo the dog-like or swine-like Saḿskáras. The great ascetic, King
Bharata, died thinking of a fawn, and that was why it is written in the Puráńas
(Indian mythologies) that he had to take the body of a deer at his next birth.
But he who is fully satiated, i.e., he whose longings and desires have
consumed themselves, obliviates even the possibility of any such thought-
wave later because of the absence of any Saḿskára. Such all-satiated persons
are indeed self-purified. How can final satiety possibly come unless and until
that Whole – that Supreme Spirit – is achieved? Hence he who has attained
full satiety has indeed reduced all his Saḿskáras to nothingness right here in
this world and so he has gone beyond the cycle of life and death.
From the inanimate to the animate goes the process of evolution. Take a
piece of stone for instance. It has neither the power of action nor the sensation
of mind. What is the reason? It is because hitherto there has been no
manifestation of mind in the stone at all. Thought-wave or sensation can take
place or an action can take a form only if there is a mind. Take, for instance,

30
trees and plants which are more animate than stones. There are activities in
them. They grow, draw the vital juice from the earth, maintain their species by
creating seeds in their own bodies and enjoy and suffer pleasure and pain,
when taken care of or smitten. We see in them the manifestation of
consciousness or animation, for the mind has awakened in them. Thus
progressing on the path of psychogenesis or mental development we see in
humans the greatest manifestation. Just as during the Cosmic thought-process
the evolution takes place from the subtle to the crude, similarly the unit
retroverts step by step from the crude to the subtle, towards the same Absolute
Consciousness from where it had come. It is just like the waves of the sea
rippling back from the shore to the ocean from where they had originally
come. Now, just how much should a person strive on his return journey? He
has got to be alert, so that he may easily end the journey in his characteristic
Self. Then alone shall we call him self-purified. Then alone shall he become
saturated with Brahma, within and without.
To become self-purified one has got to make some effort – this effort is
what is known as Sádhaná. The greatest Sádhaná is that which comprises three
aspects viz., devotion, action and cognition. Medium Sádhaná is that which
comprises two aspects i.e., devotion and action, and the inferior Sádhaná is
that which consists of only tall talk (cognition or knowledge cannot exist
singly without action and devotion – whatever may exist will be merely the
debris of knowledge). The ability of a Sádhaka cannot be based on his
common or worldly knowledge alone. It can only stand on the firm base of his
knowledge, devotion and action (Jiṋána, Bhakti and Karma). By firmness I
mean unflinching intensity of zeal and earnestness. By just saying that
Rasagollá is sweet, one cannot get the taste of a Rasagollá (a spongy and juicy
sweetmeat). One has got to make some efforts to obtain it and eat it.
Náyamátmá pravacanena labhyo na medhayá na vahuná shrutena
Yamevaeśa vrńute tena labhya stasyaeśa átmávivrńute tanúḿ syám.
By tall talks alone one cannot achieve Brahma. An almanac forecasts that
there will be so much rain this year. But mere knowledge of such a forecast
will not save the crops of a farmer. No amount of squeezing the almanac will
produce even a drop of water. One has got to do sádhaná to habituate one’s
mind to Brhamaward projection in order to attain Him.
Anubhútiḿ viná múd́ ho vrthá Brahmańimodate
Prativimbitashákhágraphalasvádanomodavat.
–Maetreyii Shruti

31
 If a person, without Anubhúti or intuitional susceptibility, studies
scriptures a million times or lectures on Brahma, his Brahma will ever remain
a bookish Brahma, not the Brahma of one’s conception or realization. Just as
one seeing in water the reflection of fruit dangling overhead from the branch
of a tree cannot taste the fruit, similarly an erudite scholar, versed in the six
philosophies, will remain far away from Brahma if one refrains from Brahma-
Sádhaná. No matter how vastly learned you may become in worldly
knowledge, without Sádhaná you can know nothing about Brahma, for along
with your knowledge of these lores, a vanity of knowledge will also grow in
you. With this result, you will go on enhancing the volume of your burden
unnecessarily by habitually giving importance to your small ego. This burden
becomes the cause of your sufferings and enjoyments, not of your salvation.
Ácárya Shaḿkar said:
Vák vaekharii shobdajharii shástravyákhánakaoshalam
Vaeduśyaḿ vidúsaḿ tadvat bhuktaye na tu muktaye
You will come across many such people who do not practice spiritual
meditation themselves but will run after great spiritual men in order to hear
their sermons. These people are totally wrong. Only running after great men
will be of no avail. A person has got to establish himself in the path of
realization of Brahma by doing sádhaná himself. God does not bestow His
mercy upon anybody after seeing how great a speaker he is or how many
books he has read. Only one who has devotion can exact His mercy. The great
devotee, Maharśi Nárada said.
Mahadkrpáyaeva bhagavadkrpáleshádvá.
That is, Brahma can be realized by achieving even a tiny bit of God’s
grace or that of a great person. Take a very intelligent boy for instance. If his
teacher does not teach him how to read and write, he will not be able to
become a great scholar in spite of having the potential for becoming one.
Similarly, all persons have the ability or potentiality of achieving spiritual
development or of establishing themselves in the Brahmic stance, but for want
of a worthy guide it cannot take practical shape. That is why a spiritual
Preceptor or Sadguru is necessary – his grace is indispensable. His grace is but
God’s grace, for God is the ocean of grace.
Náyamátmá balahiinena labhyo na ca pramádáttapaso vápyoliuṋgát
Etaerupáyaeryatate yastu vidváḿ stasyaeśa átmá vishate
Brahmadháma.

32
 Those who are weak, i.e., who have neither spiritual nor mental force, do
not achieve intuitional knowledge. The timid and cowardly remain remote
from Brahmabháva or cosmic ideation. You may have seen that bribe-takers
or liars will talk ill of Ánanda Márga out of fear of following the principles of
Yama and Niyama.
Another great trait of a Sádhaka is his self-confidence. “ I must have
fulfillment” – “I must attain final beatitude” – this strong conviction is the
stepping stone to success.
Phaliśyattiiti vishvása siddherprathamolakśańam
Dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktaḿ tritiiyaḿ gurupujanam
Caturtho samatábhávo paiṋcamendriya nigrahah
Śaśt́haiṋca pramitáháro saptamaḿ naevávidyate.
–Shiva Saḿhita
He who has taken the determination to attain final beatitude cannot be
indifferent to Sádhaná. Indifference to mundane duties or flying above the
world with a resolute detachment is but a mental disease. Those who want to
give themselves up to divine contemplation in the cave of the Himalayas,
leaving their homes, are misguided. The word, Sannyása, means to dedicate
oneself for the attainment of God. When Brahma is everything, whatever you
are, you must behave properly with everything around you. Hence to be
callous about family and society is completely contrary to Brahma Sádhaná
(Divine Contemplation). One cannot know Brahma through showy, superficial
knowledge. You can only attain Brahma, when your knowledge has become
strong and powerful through austere devotion to Truth. Only the soul of the
one whose knowledge is identified with austerity, enters the abode of Brahma.
Ultimately the united qualities of sedateness, mental and spiritual force,
firmness, devotion to Truth, knowledge, the proper use of mundane things etc.
will certainly enable a Sádhaka to attain unity with Brahma.
Samprápyaenamrśayo jiṋánarptáh
krtátmano viitargáh prashántáh
Te sarvagaḿ sarvatah prápya dhiirá
Yuktátmanah sarvamevávishanti.
The word “Rśi”, means a Sádhaka who has cultivated Brahma within
himself. So long as a Sádhaka does not attain Brahma, there exists in him a
feeling of incompleteness. Suppose you want a thousand rupees. If you are
given a thousand rupees, will you be contented? No, you will then ask for

33
more. Such is the characteristic of human mind. Man has a limitless thirst. He
keeps on harping ceaselessly, “I am hungry.” The hunger for a thousand will
change into hunger for a lakh, and hunger for a lakh will make room for
hunger for a crore. Thus the amount of hunger goes on increasing until a
limitless amount of money is attained. This limitlessness is inherent in
Brahma, and so your hunger can be satiated in Brahma alone. Hence when a
“Rśi” attains complete self-control (krtátman), he goes beyond the sphere of
attachment and detachment, and attains full realization of his characteristic
Self. He becomes imperturbably tranquil, i.e. he reaches the stage which lies
beyond the momentum of rebirth or regeneration. Attachment and repulsion
exist so long as the proclivities of fascination and contempt exist. For instance,
a puritanical sádhaka will consider wine as an object of disdain and will
regard touching it as an act of impiety. A wine addict, however, regarding it as
an object of greed, will run after it with total disregard for all social
conventions and norms. But he who has become really desireless as the result
of self-realization, will keep himself above these two. He will take wine as
medicine under medical advice, otherwise he will carefully keep it away from
the sight of people. He will have neither attachment nor aversion for the wine.
If you go to Kanyákuḿarii (Cape Comorin), you will see on one side the
restless surging waves of the Bay of Bengal and on the other the tranquil
Arabian Sea. The Bay of Bengal is not very deep and so there are as much
waves as roars, and the Arabian Sea, which is very deep, remains calm and
meditative. Similarly, he who is satiated of knowledge and desireless, remains
calm and tranquil. Why on earth should he indulge in self-publicity? To whom
will he publicize himself? Such acts are the antics of common, avaricious
people with beggar-like mentality. Man who has attained Brahma will see His
Glory in everything and feel that nothing is separate from Him. Where is the
fear of any Saḿskára or reactive momentum for the one who has surrendered
himself to Brahma?
Abhaypade práń sanpechi
Árki shaman bhay rekhechi.
The Sádhaka who has known Brahma loses himself – merges himself in
Him. He does not have to undergo the cycle of births and deaths any more.
Gatáh kaláh paiṋcadasha pratiśt́há
Deváshca sarve pratidevatásu
Karmáńi vijiṋánamayashca átmá
Pare’vyaye sarva ekiibhavanti.

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 Human existence is concerned with sixteen factors, (Kalás), from which
there is no means of escape, so long as human desires are efferent or
extrovertive – so long as he is busy, seeking the objects of happiness from this
material world. There are ten organs, (five sensory organs, e.g., eyes, ears,
nose, tongue, and skin, and five motor organs, i.e., speech, hands, feet, anus
and generative organ), five práńáh or internal vital airs, viz., Práńa, Apána,
Samána, Udána and Vyána (Nága, Kúrma, Krkara, Devadatta and
Dhanaiṋjaya – these five external Váyus or airs do not belong to the sixteen
Kalás for these are the resultants of the internal airs themselves), and
Ahaḿtattva (ego) – sixteen in all. The sum total of fifteen Kalás of a
theopathic Sádhaka get merged in their original causes. All these gods(2) or
organs finally lose themselves in their respective counter-gods, i.e.,
controlling powers.
Behind each manifestation of the indescribable games of sound, touch,
form, taste and smell that are going on in this vast universe, there is a
significant expression of some particular forces. These forces we call gods.
Playing and frolicking on the boy of the Macrocosm, each of these forces is
activating and controlling the human body as a whole and individually with
each and every action and sentiment of the human limbs and parts. The forces
that activate the ten organs, through which one acts, are called of the senses.
After death each of the organs of an emancipated Sádhaka gets merged into its
own god. His deeds, his soul become ensconced in the Viijnánamaya and
Hirańyamaya kośas, the fifteen kalás and the counter-gods of the gods (what
we call gods in reference to unit bodies are known as counter-gods in their
pervasive sense in reference to the Macrocosmic Body) – all merge in the
Supreme Being after the demise of the Sádhaka. In other words, the
emancipated Sádhaka attains a place beyond the pale of life and death. He
becomes one with the imperishable Brahma in His final beatitude.
The union of a Sádhaka with Brahma has been elucidated through an
excellent example. Just as a river giving up its name and identity, completely
merges in the sea and thereafter cannot maintain its own existence except that
of the sea, similarly a Sádhaka, after merging himself in Brahma, can no more
think of himself except Brahma.
Yathá nadyah syandamánáh samudrestaḿ gacchati námarúpe viháya
Tathá vidvánnámarupádvimuktah parátparaḿ puruśamupaeti divyam.
Seeing the Ganges we can identify the water of the Ganges. Similarly we
can recognize the water of the Yamuná or the water of the Sarasvatii but once
they merge in the sea, we cannot separate them nor can we distinguish the one

35
from the other. Nevertheless, they are all there. They all have lost their
respective names in the identity of the sea. Similarly when a knower of Truth
merges in the Supreme Being, his petty sense of existence loses itself, and,
attaining unity with the Supreme Entity, he becomes Supreme Himself.
Spiritual practice is meant for the expansion of the soul, not for the
annihilation of it and so Samádhi does not mean suicide but self-oblivion.
Sa yo ha vae tat paramaḿ Brahma veda Brahmaeva bhavati;
Násya brahmavit kule bhavati;
Tarati shokaḿ tarati pápnánáḿ
Guhágranthibhyo vimkto’mrto bhavati.
He who has known Supreme Brahma, becomes Brahma Himself, for the
unit takes on the very form of its object. He who has Brahma as his object,
goes to the world of Brahma after death, i.e., becomes Brahma Himself. In the
family of such a Brahma-knowing one, is never born a non-Brahma-knowing
person. The word, Kula, is derived from the root Ku + lá + dá. “Ku” means
world and “la” means to hold. That which the world holds is called Kula. (Its
third meaning being the unit force or Jiiva-shakti.(3) The lowest part of the
vertebral column or spine is also called Kulakuńd́ alinii). The word holds the
human family and that is why the family or lineage is called Kula. Here the
word, Kula, is used in the sense of Brahma-sútra (Divine link), which is
denotative of hereditary preceptor-disciple relationship and by which the
creation is held – or which is held by the creation. It is claimed that the
intuitional knowledge is thus preserved hereditarily. The knower of Brahma
goes beyond the sphere of all pains and inequities. When through Sádhaná or
spiritual practice the Kulakuńdalinii-force pierces through the heart, the
Sádhaka gets emancipated and attains deathlessness and thereafter goes to the
region beyond the reach of death for all eternity.
Elsewhere in the Shruti it is said:
Bhidyate hrdayagranthishchidyante sarvasaḿshayáh
Kśiiyante cásya karmáni tasmińdrśt́e parávare.
Násájiivo na ca brahmá na cányadapi kiiṋcana
Na tasya varńáh vidyante náshramáshca tathaeva ca.
–Páshupata Brahma
In such a condition can we at all call the emancipated Puruśa a unit being?
This great man, [[whose guhágranthi [anáhata cakra] has been pierced and
who has merged himself in Brahma due to the absence of saḿskáras [mental

36
reactive momenta], has attained a position even above Brahmá, Viśńu and
Maheshvara]].(4)
Brahma is not classifiable under any Varńa or color, but His thoughts are
of course coloured. Colour co-exists with the sound that necessarily exists in
the thought. These colours and sounds are indicative of different guńas or
qualities.
Varńa Quality Colour
Bráhmańa Sattva (Sentient) White Kśatriya Sattva plus Rajah Red
(Sentient plus Mutative) Vaeshya Rajah plus Tamah Yellow (Mutative plus
Static) Shúdra Tamah (Static) Black
Brahma Himself is beyond all colors. So He is above the four Varńas or
Áshramas like Brahmin, Kśatriya etc. The end of Varńas (colors) and the
beginning of Avarńa (Absence of color) takes place in the Trikuti (the seat of
the mind) and so in the Sádhaná of the Avarńa (or colorless) we have got to
recognize and accept the Trikuti directly or indirectly.
Na tasya dharmo’dharmashca na niśedho vidhirńa ca
Yadá brahmátmakaḿ sarvaḿ vibháti tata eva tu.
–Páshupata Brahma
To the knower of Brahma Dharma and Adharma (piety and impiety) have
no distinction. He is not even cognizant of discrimination between Scriptural
sanctions and inhibitions. To him all have become one. There is nothing to
accept or shun. The knower of Brahma will keep himself engaged in the
meditation of Brahma all the time, awake or asleep, standing or sitting, eating
or fasting. Constantly he will keep himself absorbed in thought of Brahma. All
his acts, small or big, are dedicated to undergo the consequences of his deeds.
The body to him is but a machine, through which his suffering and enjoyments
of past deeds are done but no new action or its consequence can touch him.
Tadá dhukhádi bedo’yamábháso’pi na bhásate
Jagat jiivádi rupeńa pasyannapi parátmavid.
–Páshupata Brahma
Pleasure and pain are but the distortion of mind. In Samádhi (suspension
of mind) comes the full equilibrium. At that time not a semblance of pleasure
or pain remains save an attitude of absolute happiness.
Incidentally a story flashes across my mind. Pańd́ ita Rámanátha of
Navadvipa was a self-oblivious man. The King of Nadia, with a view to
37
giving him some financial help, had once asked him, “Are you in want of
anything?” The Pańd́ ita had then been absorbed in the world of ideas. He took
the word “want” for his want of knowledge and replied, “Yes, I did feel the
want of an explanation of a shloka but now it is clear to me.” The Mahárájá
then said, “No I am talking about want of money.” Rámanátha replied, “Look,
you had better ask my wife about domestic affairs.” Then the Mahárájá
enquired of the wife. As is husband, so is his wife. She informed the King
point blank, “Look, there is rice in the house and there are plenty of leaves on
the tamarind tree. My husband relishes the stew of those leaves immensely. I
don’t know of any other necessity.”
That is why I say, the greater the height reached by a person, inspired by a
great ideal, the lesser shall be his sense of pleasure and pain. A wonderful
show! People get dumb-founded at it but the magician himself remains
unaffected as the secrets are all known to him. The spectators get stunned and
overwhelmed by such a demonstration. The magician also sees the magic play
but he does not get affected or overwhelmed. He only witnesses the play.
Why? His only duty is to see if the play is being enacted properly. This world
is also a magic play like this. Similarly the knower of Brahma only witnesses
this game but he remains unaffected, by it. He remains unattached in spite of
his being in the midst of the world, living beings etc., – in spite of his being in
the midst of sufferings and enjoyments. Maháprabhu Caetanya had said to his
dear disciple, –
Sthir haiṋá grhe yáha ná hao bátul;
Krame krame páy loke bhakti-sindhukúl.
Markat́ vaerágya ná kara lok dekháiṋá;
Yatháriiti viśaya-bhuiṋja nirásakta haiṋá.
Antare niśt́há kara báhya lokavyavahár;
Avashyai Krśńa tomá kariben uddhár.
–Krśńadás
* * *
Na tat pashyati cidrúpaḿ Brahma vasteva pashyati
Dharmadhar mitva va rta ca bhede sati hi bhidyate.
–Páshupata Brahma
The knower of Brahma is like Consciousness itself. He has a thorough
grasp of all objects. To a person of average intelligence water and ice are two
different entities, but one who knows a little knows that ice is only a crudified
38
form of water. Similarly where an average person sees a big difference
between a pot and a potter or the religion and the religious, the knower of
Brahma sees only the homogeneous oneness among them. Are the world and
Brahma two different entities or are they indivisible? Is the one true and the
other false? Is the difference that appears between the two, the truth or the
lack of it? Such questions or such ways of thinking would never arise in the
mind of a person with a Cosmic outlook.
Bhedábhedastathá bhedo’bhedah Sákśa Parátmana
Násti svátmátirekeńa svayamevásti sarvada.
Whether the world and Brahma are two separate entities or one singular
entity – such thoughts are wrong in themselves. The knower of Brahma feels
that the world is indeed His own manifestation. He knows that all is He.
Rámbábu and Shyámbábu are two entities in common parlance but do you
know how that difference looks from the Cosmic perspective? No more than
the difference between man and human being, between sea and ocean,
between wife and better half. From a sádhaka’s standpoint distinction does not
exist. If I think of London in my mind, is there actually any difference
between myself and that mental London. That is my own mental form, isn’t it?
Adhiśt́hánamanaopamayáumanasagocaram
Yattadadreshyamagráhyamagotraḿ rúpavarjitam
–Páshupata
The knower of Brahma then feels that as Brahma he abides in all objects –
the nucleus of every thing. He feels that there exists no second entity in the
universe. “No tasya pratima asti,” i.e., He has no comparison. Comparison
calls for two objects and this means that there are two Brahmas. Hence
Brahma is incomparable. Brahma is beyond the scope of words and mind and
yet even that verbally and mentally incomprehensible Brahma is attainable by
effort. You have got to touch Him with your innermost heart of hearts, got to
hold him with your intuition, got to attain him by merging your soul in the
Supreme Soul. His body is not a quinquelemental, finite entity that you can
see with your eyes. He is indeed subtler than the subtle, vaster than the vast.
To see Him you have got to use the lens of knowledge, moving aside the
blinding obstructions or bondage of Avidyá or the forces of microcosmic
distraction. If a salt doll goes to fathom the sea, it will certainly melt and
become the sea itself. Similarly if the knower of Brahma goes to fathom
Brahma he will merge in the Sea of Brahma and become Brahma Himself
“Brahmavid Brahmaeva bhavati.” Constantly absorbed in the thought of
39
Brahma, you too will become Brahma. Constantly thinking of a cockroach
you will eventually become a cockroach. You cannot see Him with your crude
eyes, for He is super-sensual, He has no pedigree or family line. This is so
because He is unborn, beginningless and without causality. He is shapeless
and formless. He has no form, for to ascribe a form to Him would be to
impose a limit of demarcation around the infinite entity. As soon as the
limitless Brahma is given form and turned into a limited entity, He ceases to
be Brahma or the Great.
Acakśurshrotramatyarthaḿ tadapáńipadaḿ tathá
Nityaḿ vibhuḿ sarvagataḿ susukśmaḿca tadavyayam
–Páshupata
He has no crude eyes but He sees everything with His cognitive vision. He
has no ears, but He hears everything with His cognitive ears. Since nothing is
outside Him He has no motor and sensory organs, but He does everything by
dint of His imagination. For example, if you imagine a tree in your mind, its
shadowy likeness will impress itself on your mental plate and a sense of
visualizing the tree will be aroused in your mind. Does any independent tree
actually exist outside you. Similarly Brahma is observing, hearing and doing
everything by virtue of His thought-projection. He is an eternal, perpetual
Entity beyond the purview of past, present and future. Being without
beginning and end, He is called Vibhu or Eternal. He is subtler than the subtle
and beyond all kinds of destruction.
Bráhmaevedamamrtaḿ tatpurastád brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ caeva
pashcát
Brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ dakśińe ca brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ
cottaraḿ ca.
–Páshupata
The characteristically deathless Brahma is present in front of us, behind
us, right and left of us in fact – everywhere. It is impossible to run away from
Him. We are completely surrounded by Him.
Umásaháyam parameshvaraḿ prabhuḿ trilocanaḿ nilakánt́haḿ
prashátam
Dhyátva munirgacchati bhútayonim samastasákśiim tamasah parastát.
–Kaevalya

40
 Parama Puruśa is with Umá, Umá means Prakrti His operative principle.
Brahma is the combined name of Puruśa and Prakrti. When the influence of
Prakrti expresses itself upon the Puruśa, the cosmic thought process goes into
action and by virtue of this activation by Prakrti, the sound of oṋḿkára can
emanate. But when Prakrti is inactive, i.e., when Puruśa is predominant, in
that case the Oṋḿkárá sound also stops. By a slight transposition of A. U. Ma
the three constituent letters of the ideogram ([DEVANAGARI
CHARACTER] or Oṋḿ), i.e., placing, “A” at the end, we get the word UMÁ.
That is why Umapati (Pati means husband) means Puruśa. Brahma, in
conjucation with Prakrti, is the cause of creation. In a particular content He
may also be called Iisvara, means Controller Brahma is the controller of the
organs and their gods directly and indirectly. His cognitive eyes are not two
but three, i.e., He is the seer of all the three – past, present and future. He is
Niilakańt́ha or blue-throated, i.e., the vast bluish sky is in the region of His
throat. His initial extroversion or expansion from the subtle to the crude is the
sky. The sky is of blue color and is capable of imbibing and carrying the
sound. Hence Niilakańt́ha is a very suitable epithet for Brahma. His throat is
not limited and demarcated like that of a unit. The entire creation is within
Him. His depth is unfathomable and hence He is calm and tranquil. Reaching
the original cause of all elements by virtue of their meditation and ideation the
sages eventually attained the very Brahma Himself. His place is above all
extroversive forces. He is all-knowing, all-witnessing and self-effulgent.
Sa Brahmá sa Shivah sendrah so’kśarah paramah svarát́
Sa eva Viśńu sa práńah sa kálágnih sa candramá.
He is the Brahmá i.e., when He is engaged in the act of creation, He is
known as Brahmá. As Shiva or Consciousness He is the witnessing Entity of
the mundane affairs. He is the Indra of the universe, i.e., the greatest of all. He
is effulgent in His own effulgence – Svarúpena rájata iti svarát́. For His all-
pervasiveness He is known as Viśńu. He is known as life itself because the
existence of all entities is ingrained in His Entity. It is because of His
possessing the inexhaustible power of destruction that He is known as Kálágni
or the fire of destruction. He is called the moon, for He is shining in the
Hrdayákásha or the firmament of the heart as the great and noble Intellect.
Briefly speaking, all that you can think of concerning the worlds are within
Him. He is the seed of all the Tanmátras, i.e., the generic essences of physical
elements like sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The germ or sprout is verily
His expression.

41
 Sa eva sarvam yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyaḿ sanátanam
Jiṋátvátaḿ mrtyumatyeti náhya panthá vimuktave
He is all that exists in this universe – all that exists in all objects. What
ever has taken place, is taking place or will take place are all sustained in His
existence, vibrated in His vibration, echoed and re-echoed in a thousand and
one in his sound. His voice is the cosmic voice that establishes the beings of
the mortal world immortality. His voice surges as the seed of the world, as the
germ of the world, as the fruit bearing world-like tree. [It is] said in the Bible,
“In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was
God.”
The vedas also sing the many glories of this vast mystic syllable or sound,
oṋḿkára. The all merciful God has been teaching the fundamental of all
learnings through the medium of this oṋḿkára. A person transcends death as
well as all cares and woes for all eternity by the supreme being. There are two
ways in which this can be achieved – through thought and through meditation
of God at every step of his evolutional sport.
All are false, only Krśńa thrills
Pray, O mortals, Death at your heels.
post-Bhádra Púrńimá 1955 DMC

Footnotes
(1) Ráhu being the head itself. –Trans.
(2) Of the countless number of veins or tubular organs of the human body,
thirty-three are most important. The controlling entities of these thirty-three
veins or tubes are called thirty-three gods, vid, eleven Rudras, eight Vasus,
twelve Adityas, Indra and Prajápati. The Chief manifestation of the Cosmic
Force is called Indra, which controls the human body entirely.

(a) The eleven rudras: Ten organs (sensory and motor) and the mind. “Rudra”
means that which makes one cry. At the time of death when all the organs
merge into their corresponding counter-gods, the mind becomes inactive and
the human body becomes still and immobile. Due to this near and dear ones of
the dead person cry piteously. These eleven gods make the human cry, and
hence they are called Rudras.
(b) The eight vasus: Vasu means the habitat of the units; that is to say, those
that are receptacles, shelters, or objects of the organs are called Vasu. The sun,
the moon, the stars, the sky, the ether, the air, the fire and the earth are the
42
eight Vasus.
(c) The twelve Ádityas: Áditya means Collector. Here it means that all those
which takes or take away the consequences of deeds and life. Every moment
the duration of life is being reduced, and the unit is being compelled to
undergo the process of metamorphosis in order to enjoy or endure the
consequences of his deeds. All these are taking place through the passage of
time. Hence time is Áditya, for it takes away the life and the consequential
moments of deeds. The twelve months are the twelve Ádityas.
(d) Indra: Indra means lightning, thunder or actional force.
(e) Prajápati: Prajápati means Yajiṋa (sacrifice) or action.

Some are of the opinion that the veins of the human body are uncountable.
Others say that they are a few crores, as if they had counted them all. Many
people say that the number of veins totals thirty three crores and so the gods
are also of the same number. Truly speaking it is due to ignorance and blind
faith that the controlling nerves and veins of the human body have been
converted into thirty-three crores of gods, having so many different names and
forms. Shaḿkara said in reference to gods –

“Sarvadyotanátmaka akhańdacidaekarasah.”

Yájiṋavalkya said –

Dyotate kriidate yasmádudyate dyotate divi

Tasmáddeva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh.

The gods are of two kinds – (1) Daehik Devatá (the physical gods). The
manifestation of soul is accomplished through the organs, and so the organs
are called Daehik Devatá and (2) Brahmik Devatá (Cosmic gods through
whom the whole universe is manifested and controlled). Both are thirty-three
in number. Each of the Cosmic gods is the counter-god of the respective
physical gods. These physical gods get merged into the counter-gods, which
again merge in Brahma, and that is why the liberated Sádhaka becomes
Brahma Himself.
(3) Author’s footnote on the other two meanings of kula omitted here. –Trans.
(4) It is the Supreme Brahma Who is the creator of the universe and to create
is also an act. Where there is action, there is sound. The prańava or Oṋḿkára
is indeed the sound of the creative thought-process of the Supreme Spirit and
he who has merged himself in Brahma due to the absence of Saḿskára or

43
reactive momentum, has attained a position even above Brahmá, Viśńu and
Maheshvara.
Of the three letters (A, U, Ma) of the Oṋḿkára “A” (অ) is the seed of
creations, “U” (উ) is the seed of stability or preservation and “Ma” (ম) is the
seed of destruction. “A” being the creative alphabet, Brahma is called Brahmá
(Brahma + a) in reference to creation. Suppose a man’s name is Rámbabu. His
son will call him “father” and his pupil will call him “sir”; these are but the
titles of Rámbabu applied to his specific occupational conditions, Actually
Rámbabu is one, Saguńá Brahma imbibes three chief acts, viz., creation,
preservation and destruction. These acts of creation, preservation and
destruction are taking place in the psychic sphere of Brahma. With the
termination of its thought process all the manifestations of these three kinds of
acts will also cease. For instance, when we think of Bhagalpur, a clear picture
of Bhagalpur gets projected on our mental plate and when we give up the
thought of Bhagalpur, the picture of Bhagalpur gets lost in that very mental
plate. If afterwards we cease to think at all, the mind also loses its existence.
So Brahmá, Viśńu and Mahesh are the nomenclatures of the different psychic
acts of Brahma Himself. When a Sádhaka, having gone beyond the mental
stratum, gets ensconced in the immutable, pure Brahmic region, he certainly
enjoys greater importance or superiority over these three gods. That state is
the characteristic state of the unit – the supreme state of Shiva or Cosmic
Transcendentality. Asked to reveal his identity, Lord Saḿkarácaŕya said –

Manobuddhyahaḿkáro cittani náham

Na ca shrotrajihave na ca ghráńa netre
Návyoma bhúmirna tejo na váyuh
Cidánandarúpo’shivo’haḿ shivo ham.

That is,

Not mind nor I-feeling nor ego am I

Nor ear nor tongue nor nose nor eye
Nor air nor earth nor sun nor sky
The Soul Eternal am I, am I.

44
The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 4
Manah evo manuśyánáḿ kárańam bandhamokśayoh
Bandhasya viśayásaúngimuktonirviśayaḿ tathá.
Matter or object is indispensable for the existence of the mind, for mind
thrives on matter. Mind exists only as long as it is concerned with matter. As
soon as it becomes objectless it dies. The unit mind accepts the unit objects
around it as its objective or livelihood with the help of the organs. The unit
entity cannot conceive any integral, infinite object in its mind. Brahma alone
is integral, and other objects are but fractions of Him and can be brought
within the jurisdiction of the mind. Take the Himálayas Mountain range for
instance. The mind finds it difficult indeed to Leis comprehend it straightway;
although vast, but it is not limited, also only a part, and so it can be brought
within the mental compass easily through the medium of a map. But we
cannot draw a map or picture of the integral entity, Brahma. We cannot bind
Him to an image from the ten directions. That is why the scriptures say, “Na
tasya pratimá asti” i.e., He has no image. Mind cannot apprehend this integral
Brahma, for every object that is encompassed by the mind is demarcable from
the ten sides. To demarcate Brahma would be totally antagonistic to the
concept of limitlessness.
If holding or apprehending Brahma is beyond the capacity of the mind,
how then can man attain Him? When, through spiritual sádhaná, the mind is
gradually transformed from crude to subtle and goes on advancing on the path
of withdrawal, it (the unit mind) gradually goes on surrendering itself
unawares to it Hirańyagarbha or subtle Cosmic mind. And when this self-
surrender reaches its apex, the unit mind, i.e., the sense of Ráma, Shyáma
jadu, Madhu etc. meets its waterloo. What remains then is only the Supreme
Mind of that Supreme Puruśa. This state is called Savikalpa Samádhi or
determinate concentration of the mind. So we see that the first and last word
of Sádhaná or intuitional practice is total surrender of the unit mind to the
Supreme Mind. Similarly when the unit mind has been dedicated to the
Supreme Consciousness, and as the result of this there remains only an
objectless unity, the Lord of Máyá, this state is called Nirvikalpa Samádhi i.e.,
supersensual or total suspension of the mind. The first and last word of this
Sádhaná also is total surrender. To the unit mind Brahma is unthinkable,
Acintyamavyaktamananarúpaḿ shivaḿ prashántamamrtaḿ
brahmayonim
Tathádimadhyántavihiinamekaḿ vibhuḿ cidánandamarúpamadbhútam.

45
 He is unimaginable, for He is beyond the sphere of imagination. Not only
is he unimaginable He is also unmanifest because He is inapprehensible to the
sense organs through sound, touch, form, taste, smell etc. Any object, having
the above five qualities like sound, touch etc., no matter how huge it is
apprehensible by the sense-organs. He is formless, as we cannot give a form to
infinity. But then, is not this perceptible world His form? Yes, it is, but these
countless forms of this observable world are but His psychic manifestations.
Only unit entities are evolved in the sphere of His mind as the objects of the
unit minds, whereas countless and endless, big and small unit entities are
being created and recreated in the imagination of Brahma the possessor of the
infinite mind. Apparently they are His “form” in this observable world. But
none of these forms of His psychic flow – none of these bubbles that are
originating, rising and bursting are the ultimate entities. They are all
progressing through spatial, temporal and personal changes with a view to
merging in that Supreme Bearing, the Nucleus of the Thought-Cycle. That is
why none of these mundane manifestations of Brahma can be taken to be
permanent and held on to as such. No matter how charming or captivating a
form of His may be, one day it must take its leave from us must go away to
some unseeable region in response to the beckoning call of time, leaving us
behind to rue and wail in profuse tears. So none of His unit forms can give us
any perennial peace or real, abiding happiness. That is why a Sádhaka is taken
aback at the sight of the infinite, manifest form of form of the infinite of the
Infinite Brahma. Shrii Rádhá said –
Askest thou, Sakhi, the experience mine
Describing that Love with the love of mine
Each moment bringeth a newer theme
All my life that Form have I seen
Yet eyes untired insatiate, keen
Only ears doth hark His honeyed hymn
Still indelible the touch on my ears
Sweet nights passeth in pining tears
The uncanny game beyond my ken
For aeons in heart my heart have I kept
Yet lodging heart is ever bereft
Trekked many a talent His essence-den
Could none describe that feel divine
Sayeth Vidyápati, that Love so fine
Not one in a million could ever explain.

46
 He is the selfsame Shiva. The word, Shiva, means Puruśa. It is also used
in the sense of benevolence. Here “Shiva” is used in the latter sense, for his
psychic manifestations. The evolved objects, are all employed for the good
alone and so. He is Shiva, He is benevolent, He is the image of benevolence.
Does He punish us to afflict us with pain and suffering? No, there too, His
benevolent wishes abide. It is for the rectification of our character, that the
benevolent penal dispensation is there. He is perfectly free from the stigma or
darkness of Avidyá, etc. Hence He is perfectly in peace – in absolute
tranquillity. The Avidyá-like gale creates stormy waves in the sea of the mind,
destroying its equipoise and tranquillity. In the sea of Brahma shocks and
clashes of Avidyá (forces of microcosmic distraction) or (distracting forces
which act upon the microcosm) do not exist and so there is no wave at all. The
more the Avidyá evolved ego, the greater the agitation of the waves – the
greater the shallowness of its knowledge. One can observe that a
Kanyákumárii, on one side there are the surging waves of the Shallow Bay of
Bengal and the calm serenity of the very deep Arabian Sea on the other, He is
deathless and free from distortion mutation. Distortion cannot take place in an
object, unless there is the influence of a second object or of an outside agency
upon it. If you want to transform milk into curd you will have to mix some
thing sour into it. As nothing exists outside of Him, He precludes the
possibility of being distorted by any outer influence or agency.
The word, Brahma means “uniquely Great”. He is the greatest of all –
Brhattvád Brahma, By absorption in His thought, all become Brahma, i.e., He
has the power of making one and all Brahma – Brḿhańatvád Brahma.
He is the original Cause of everything, for He has been creating the world
in His mind by virtue of His imagination. He has neither beginning, nor
middle, nor end, for He is indeterminate and infinite. If He had a beginning, it
would not be possible to call Him endless and infinite. For one that has neither
a starting-point nor a last point there cannot be a middle point. If he possessed
those three aspects, there would have been a possibility of something else
existing – a second entity beside Him, and such entities could have either
existed before or after His point of origin. In such an event it would have been
possible to apprehend Him through the mind and the organs, for in that case
He would have been a mere entity made up of the five elements. If we
consider an image to be God, then behind the pedestal, under His feet and
habare the crown on his head, must some other entities exist. To call such an
image beginningless and limitless is rank madness, for we can see both its first
and last points and can also apprehend it by our minds, as well as by our

47
organs. This is because it made of the quinquelemental ingredients like earth,
stone, metal etc.
As everything is within His psychic body so He is the real Supreme
Controller of everything. He is Consciousness – Bliss Absolute. All mental
feelings are either pleasant or painful. When the mind remains associated with
any object for a long time we call that state “happiness” and when it is
repulsed by any absent (while is characteristically inimical) for long, we call
such a state sorrow. When the mind is neither concerned with the feeling of
happiness nor with that of sorrow, it ceases to exist. In such a state here
remains only an objectless soul, when the soul revels in the happiness of the
soul. That is why He is the self-same Consciousness – the Bliss Absolute – the
ever-blissful Spirit.
I have already said that limitlessness cannot be given particular form,
therefore He is formless, and shapeless. The countless perceptible unit forms
are all within the formless Whole aren’t they? Differentially and severally
they are so many countless forms but integrally, they are He, Who is beyond
the ambit of forms. So sang the great Sádhaka, Rámaprasáda –
Distinctions, O, Mother, shall I shun
Thus put my mind in order
Hundreds of knowledges Truth spun
Formless remains my Mother.
The One Who is formless is indescribable I cannot call Him anything but
the wonder of wonders.
Sarvabhútashamátmánaḿ sarvabhútáni cátmani
Sampashyan brahmaparamaḿyáti nánena hetuná
He who sees his own entity in all the evolved objects (all elements),
animate or inanimate, and all objects within himself, has alone the capacity of
realizing Brahma i.e., the realization of Brahma is possible in him alone. He
cannot be attained through any other means except through such a cosmic
vision. Now the question arises as to how it is possible for a man to see all
(elements) in him and him in them.
Átmánamarańim krtvá prańávaiṋcottarárańim
Jiṋánanimarthanábhyását páshaḿ dahati pańd́ itah.
“Let the pańd́ ita or the learned man free himself from or subdue his fetters
(the eight páshas) by virtue of his reasoning and knowledge, using his átmá

48
[self] as the arańi or [[main wood]] and oṋḿkára as the uttarárańi or the
striking [[wood]].”
The word, arańi, means mantra-sanctified wood used for sacrificial fires,
by the friction of which people of olden days used to produce fire. The main
wood was known as Arańi and the striking wood by which the friction was to
be accomplished was called Uttarárańi. Árańi used to grow in the forest, the
place of meditation for the Rśis of those days. Metaphorically, one is advised
to use one’s soul as the Arańi or [[main wood]]. But to light up the Brahmic
fire it is necessary to have Uttarárańi or the striking flint for friction. Here the
Uttarárańi is the Prańava or Oṋḿkára. The roots pra plus nu plus al make the
word, Prańava. The root, “Nu” means to worship. That is to say, prańava is
one by which worship is carried out in an excellent manner. The oṋḿkára-
mantra itself is the prańava. It is after coming in contact with this excellent
medium of worship that the Cosmic sentiment is roused in the soul. Many of
you know that listening to the refrains of the Oṋḿkára-sound man gets lost in
samádhi [the trance of absorption] – gets absorbed in Brahmabháva
[Cosmotheistic trance].
“That I permeate everything, that my ego or I-ness pervades the world” –
such a state of sentiment or thought, such a mental bearing is what is called
knowledge. “Stirring up this vast vista of knowledge by reasoning, I have
come to understand that, from the spiritual standpoint, all that exists is Brahma
and that I am all and everything.” It is by such constant inculcation and
practice of this sentiment alone (whose easiest method has been taught to you
at the very outset of your Sádhaná) that the empyrean fire of Brahma is lit and
realized out of the contact between the soul-like Arańi [[main wood]] and the
Prańava-like Uttarárańi [[the striker]]. In other words this churning by
reasonings represents the act of friction between the Arańi and the Uttarárańi.
[[When]] the fire of Brahma is lit up in the heart, man’s mind is freed from its
fetters or páshas which are its chains of bondage. These pásha or fetters are
eight in number:
Ghrńashaḿkábhayaḿlajjájugupsácetipaiṋcamii;
Kulaḿshiilaiṋca mánaiṋca aśt́ao pásháh prakiirtitáh.
[(1) hatred, (2) doubt, (3) fear, (4) shame, (5) censure, (6) attachment, (7)
vanity of culture, (8) false sense of prestige.]
The one who consumes these fetters is known in the society as Pańdita,
with the realization of Brahma or the attainment of Savikalpa Samádhi
(determinate trance of absorption) the above fetters disappear from the human
mind. During the time of determinate concentration the sentiment of “I am
49
Brahma”, exists in the mind of the Sádhaka. In the Saḿskrta language the
state of “I am Brahma” is called Pańdá. The one who has Pańdá is called
Pańdita.
Ahaḿ Brahmásmiiti buddhitámitah práptah pańd́ itah.
If Brahma is one and without a second (Ekameva advitiiyam), then why is
there the distortion in Him? This question is quite natural and its answer is
also very easy. Distortion comes on account of the Prakrti, the Operative
Principle, and this distortion takes place within the Body of Brahma, not
outside It. Hence on final scrutiny His oneness remains unassailed. The unit
beings that have been in possession of the Cosmic Mind in part and that have
been progressing within It, are also conscious of their smallness and this very
sense of smallness is their individuality – unit-hood. Sádhaná or intuitional
practice means an effort to break through the barrier of this smallness, and
Siddhi or beatitude is the state, wherein the barrier has been broken through.
Under the influence of Prakrti there exist three conditions or states between
the small conscious unit and the unfathomably great Brahma. These three
conditions are wakefulness, dream and sleep. None of these three are
permanent, for they are evolved by the influence of Prakrti’s three guńas or
attributes, viz., Sattva (Sentient, Rajah (Mutative) and Tamah (Static). In all
these three conditions macrocosm and microcosm remain apparently separate.
But the influence of Prakrti being absent in the fourth condition, which is
known as Turiiya (the state of non-duality) or Kaevalya (absolute identity with
the divine essence), there remains no distinction between Brahma and the unit.
Both are one consummate Whole, Wakefulness, dream and sleep – these three
conditions feature in the game of evolution. It is to these three attributes, viz.,
Sattva (Sentient), Rajah (Mutative) and Tamah (Static) that Prakrti owes her
creation. When the influence of Sattvoguńa (sentient attribute) is greater on
Puruśa, He is called Kśiirávdhi or Kśiirasamudrá or the Sea of Milk. The
comparative condition in the unit is called the wakeful state. People generally
think that Knowingness only exists in the awakened state. It is not correct.
Knowingness does also exist during dream and sleep. I shall clarify this point
for you later.
The part of Brahma, which is knowable, i.e., which has been objectivated
under the influence of Prakrti, is called Kśara or decaying, i.e., when
distortion has taken place, and that part of Brahma, does not undergo
distortion itself but remains as the knower of the Kśara, whilst apparently
involving itself with distortion, is called Akśara or undecaying. This Akśara
remains intermingled with Kśara. The part of Brahma, which is neither Kśara

50
nor Akśara and which bodily exists as the nucleus or the central point or
sovereign point of the Cosmic System, is the Controller of both the knowable
(Kśara) and the knower, (Akśara). He is not directly connected with
anybody’s action or its consequences – Him we call Supreme Soul or the
Puruśottama.
Kśaraḿ pradhánamamrtákśaram Harah kśarátmaná vishate deva ekah
Tasyábhidhyánát yojanát tattvabhávát bhúyashcánte vishvamáyá
nivrttih.
The word, Náráyańa, can also be used for Puruśottama. “Nárá” means
Prakrti (it is also used in the sense of devotion or water) and “Ayańa” means
refuge. So Náráyańa is used for Puruśottama, since He is the refuge of Prakrti,
the Operative Principle or Cosmic Energy. The Puráńa (Hindu Mythology)
says Náráyańa is lying in the ocean of milk and Lakśmii (the Goddess of
wealth and prosperity) is massaging His feet. I have already explained to you
that Kśiirasamudrá or the ocean of milk means he state of wakefulness of
Brahma. Náráyańa means Puruśottama. He is lying, for He is the cognitive
force. He has nothing to do except to think only – “Pure shete yah sa
purúsah.” Lakśmii massaging His feet, i.e., the introversive Prakrti is
subservient to Puruśottama. This great Náráyańa is beyond the purview of
words and mind. To create His image is tantamount to sheer madness.
When the influence of the Mutative principle affects the Supreme Entity,
He is called Garbhodaka or the Fluid of Creation. The corresponding state of
the unit is called the state of dream. When the static Principle of Prakrti is
manifest in the Supreme Puruśa, He is called Káranárńava or the sea of
Causality. The corresponding state of the unit is called the state of sleep. Out
of the Static condition of Brahma comes the first expression of the wakeful
creation. That is why this condition is called Káranárńava or Kárańa Samudrá.
Kárana means cause and Arńava means “sea”, the central point of which is the
Puruśottama, around whom the waves of the Sea of Creation are rolling and
billowing with extreme alacrity – found the panoramic pageantry of Kśara
Akśara is moving fast. Centering round the small egos, amidst the crowd of
Kśara and Akaśra sits the coolly cognitive Puruśottama, the cosmic nucleus.
In the wakeful state the unit beings consider themselves distinct and
separate from Brahma. In the dream state such a sense of distinction
diminishes a little. In the “sleeping” state it is still less. The fevers and frets of
the small ego being absent in sleep, a sort of calm tranquil happiness or static
passive pleasure is felt. But in the dreamful state where mind’s internal

51
sufferings and enjoyments go on as usual, such a pervasive sense of happiness
cannot be felt due to the existence of various kinds of pains and pleasures.
Sa eva máyá parimohitátmá
Shariirmástháya karoti sarvam
Striyannapánádivicitrabhogaeh
sa eva jágrat paritrptimeti.
Why are the unit entities more vulnerable to Avidyá (Force of
Microcosmic Distraction) during the wakeful state? Because within their
minds there are eight fetters and six passions, which are ever susceptible to the
captivating charms and deceitful superficialities of the external world. Every
mental action of his is vulnerable to both internal and external influences.
Under the influence of the passions and fetters of their minds he races towards
objects related to the body like, women, food, drinks etc., thinking them to be
the objects of self-gratification. The Sádhakas (spiritual aspirants) have to
scrupulously guard themselves against the glamour of these external baits.
They have to be self-controlled. But will self-control be possible unless it
becomes firmly established within their minds? It is certainly not possible by
becoming a hypocritical Sádhu, tramping about with a smear of ashes on the
body and a Kamańdálu (bowl) in hand. Without going in for the external
paraphernalia and formalities one has to prepare oneself internally,
maintaining the balance between the internal and the external? One has to
remain alert so that the external environment will not be detrimental to one’s
purity of mind. A high-thinking man may meet his downfall within a short
time, if he continually associates himself with bad company. Hence it is
necessary to maintain a balance between internal and external expressions.
Although bodily pleasures are perceived by the mind in the wakeful state, the
objects of such pleasures always come from without, with the result that the
privations of the external world will always stand in the way of real happiness,
as the external world cannot always supply objects in accordance with the
desires and wishes of the mind. Due to this the mind has to run up and down
in search of them. It becomes very agitated in the process and peace becomes
and impossibility. The influence of the external world is absent during the
dreamful state, accordingly the amount of pleasure is due to want of efferent
desires in the mind or increased organs (for that matter here the desire is not
afferent either). In the state of sleep, as the internal activities of the mind are
substantially less, the amount of happiness (Static happiness) is
proportionately increased.

52
 Svapne sa jiivo sukhadukha-bhoktá svamáyayá kalpitajiivaloke
Susuptikálesakalevliine tamo’bhibhuto sukharupameti.
I have already said that the unit can perceive more pleasure or pain during
his dreamful state, for in that state there is no possibility of a clash between
efferent desires and the external world. Normally, even during the dreamful
state the unit keeps themselves aloof from Brahma, for there remain dual
sentiments of the perceiver and the perceivable. The difference in the dreamful
state as distinguished from the wakeful state is that during this state none of
the perceivable objects are taken from the external quinquelemental world.
Whatever perceived are all self-conceived. Ordinarily we are acquainted with
three aspects of the mind, conscious mind, subconscious mind and
unconscious mind, that are generally called Cetana mana, Avacetana mana
and Acetana mana, the respective proper terms of which should be Kámamaya
kośa, Manomaya kośa and Kárańa mana. All the three conditions being in the
right order during the wakeful state, the imagined objects do not appear to be
true during imagination (as is the went of the subtle or sub-conscious mind),
for the unit can very well understand that the actions of the sub-conscious
mind are all simply imaginary. For influenced it’s by the conscious mind, the
perceiver of the perceivable quinquelemental objects with the help of the
organs. But during the dreamful state the crude or conscious mind lies
quiescent and the relation of the unit being with the external world is
disrupted. At that time the imaginary, perceivable objects appear to be real.
That is why it is said that during the dreamful state the unit being becomes the
perceiver of imaginary pleasure and pain.
“Can a dream ever be true?” Such question arises in the minds of many.
What the unit entities imagines or do during the wakeful state are recorded in
their subconscious minds. In any condition, when concerned with similar
sentiments acts or things, the unit being determines the character or shape of
the subsequent things, acts or sentiments in the light of the recurrence of his
previous acts. In the absence of any comparison with already perceived
objects, the unit is unable to recognize subsequent objects. Where there is
negligible difficulty in comparing things, then people think within themselves:
“Yes, this thing appears to be similar to that thing to some extent – perhaps
this may be the changed form of that” – thus they come to recognize an entity.
In the language of psychology this is called consciousness of identity. For
example, suppose we had once seen a boy of 12 or 13. He had was merely a
lad at the time. Now we come to see him after twelve years, as a fully
developed youth. A great change has come about in his form and features.
Still in most cases we can recognize him with a little difficulty. We come to

53
the conclusion within ourselves that that very boy of 12 may now look like
this. We call it pratyabhijiṋá or consciousness of identity. But if the difference
between the two forms be very great, Pratyabhijiṋá does not occur. So we can
see that the accumulated experiences of the subconscious mind help us a great
deal in our daily lives. The non-recurrence of these enlightening vibrations
would have created great difficulties in this common world as well as in the
world of imagination, had they not expressed themselves according to
necessity. In sleep if the flatulent gas moves upwards on account of stomach
trouble or if there is some nervous disturbance, the brain and the sub-
conscious mind will become agitated. Our previously imagined or felt objects
reappear in our subconscious mind in a disjointed form. This we call a dream.
Obviously such a dream is of no consequence. Not only that, the story formed
therein will not be well-knit as it consists of merely the re-appearance of the
objects, stored in the different parts of the brain.
There is yet another type of dream. The Atimánas kośa (supramental
mind) is the store-house of all knowledge. At times a premonition of a coming
be great happiness or sorrow, which only the omniscient causal frame can
visualize, is created during deep slumber in the subconscious mind of an
individual, who is deeply concerned with that particular happiness or sorrow.
Such dreams do not take place very often. Nevertheless such a dream does
carry the prognosis of a true event.
Both the conscious and the subconscious mind take rest during sleep,
while only the unconscious mind (the collective name of the causal or astral
mind consisting of the Amman’s, Vijiṋánamaya and Hirańyamaya kośas)
functions. The inordinate unconscious mind in spite of its being the receptacle
of all knowledge cannot be the knower of any object due to its being
surrounded by darkness. Whatever be the reasons behind it, in spite of being
objectivated, it is unable to maintain its objectivity (objectivity) and so it
remains in a particular stance of satiation – in a particular state of happiness.
In spite of a person’s heart being rent asunder by hundreds of shocks, sorrows
and insults he or she forgets everything during sleep and lapse into a condition
of ease and comfort. Such comfort or happiness is static born our of
ignorance. Sleep is devoid of all feelings. The person then realizes only after
waking up that his wood-like condition of sleep was an objectless state.
Abhávapratyayálambanávrttirnidrá.
–Pátaiṋjala

54
 During sleep the unit is enveloped by Brhamic Kárańárńava (sea of
causes), thus his sense of unit-hood becomes temporarily dormant. That is
why the amount of his happiness in this state is far greater than that
experienced during his wakeful state.
The difference between sleep and death is that after death all the three
minds – crude, subtle and causal – cease to function and during sleep, due to
the fact that the ten Vayus or airs remain undisturbed and unaffected in the
body of the causal mind, the vital force remains intact. But in death due to
disturbance of the ten Vayus, the life force leaves the body and the causal or
unconscious mind is compelled to cease functioning. The nerves and nerve-
cells become weak and powerless and the body becomes stiff and inert.
The difference between sleep and unconsciousness is that during sleep the
conscious and the sub-conscious minds (Kámamaya kośa and Manomaya
kośa) take rest after fatigue, and during unconsciousness they are compelled to
stop functioning under circumstantial pressure due to some external blow or
mental shock. Sleep is a temporary repose; that is why one feels better after it.
During unconsciousness activity is forcibly stopped and so the body feels
excessively weak and limp.
The difference between “Savikalpa Samádhi” (determinate absorption of
the mind) and sleep is that during “Savikalpa Samádhi” the unit-mind attains
unity with the Cosmic Mind, and at that time the Cosmic Mind enjoys infinite
happiness, for once the Cosmic Mind having no perceivable entity outside It,
Its peace stands no chance of being perturbed by any clash or counter-clash
with any external phenomenon. As in sleep and unconsciousness, so also in
“Savikalpa Samádhi” the vital force remains intact and the physical bearing,
like any other crude object, remains directly under the dictates of the Cosmic
Mind. But the unserved Saḿskáras (i.e., the remnants of past reactive
momenta) do not let the unit remain in the Cosmic stance for long. The
Mutative principle of Prakrti brings one back to unithood in order to undergo
and serve those Saḿskáras.
The difference between Nirvikalpa Samádhi and Savikalpa Samádhi is
that during Nivikalpa Samádhi (total suspension of the mind, or trance of
Complete Absorption) the unit mind merges in the Supreme Puruśa, and that
is why, in that condition, Bhoga (pleasure and pain), Bhogya (that which is to
be undergone or perceived) and Bhoktá (the perceiver), or Jiṋána
(Knowledge), Jineya (Knowable) and Jiṋátabháva (Knowership) do not exist.
There remains only an unexpressed Bliss-Entity, whose perceiver remains
self-lost in ecstasy, completely oblivious of what he or she will get. Such a
condition of the unit entities does not last long either. The Mutative Principle
55
of Prakrti will bring them back to their unit-hood or microcosmic state in
order to undergo and serve the unserved Saḿskáras. Thus returning to their
individuality they feel as though some inexhaustible spring of ecstatic
exhilaration of some unknown region is inundating their mind, their soul, their
entire entity. –
Abhávottaránandapratyayálambaniivrttirtasy apramáńam.
–Ánanda Sútram
After that sense of void when the tide of happiness floods the mind, then
one can understand that, that so-called state of want or void was nothing but
Nirvikalpa Samádhi (The void, because, in the absence of the mind there was
no matter or object). The question of breach of, or return from Savikalpa or
Nirvikalpa does not arise in the case of one who has no remnant of Saḿskára
to serve. Such a lasting Savikalpa is called Mukti or liberation and such a
lasting Nirvikalpa is called Mokśa or final beatitude – salvation. You must
have thoroughly understood these two through Ananda Marga way of
Sádhaná.
Punashca janmántarakarmayogát sa eva jiivo svapiti prabuddhah
Puratraye kriidati yasya jiivastatastu játam sakalaḿ vicitram
Ádharamánandam akhańd́ abodhaḿ yasminllayam yáti puratrayaiṋca.
–Atharva
The cause that effects the breach of Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa Samádhis
will also be responsible for the breach of sleep, as long as unserved Samskáras
or reactive momenta of past and present deeds exist. The seeds of reactions
remain accumulated in the sub-conscious mind. Just before the end of sleep
the sub-conscious mind (Manomaya kośa) and along with it the conscious
mind (Kámamaya kośa) gets awakened through the influence of Mutative
principle of Prakrti. This we call “waking up”. When, upon awakening from
sleep, the sub-conscious mind has awakened but the conscious mind has not,
people dream according to their Saḿskáras. Such dreams, which are generally
not due to any physical disturbance or disease and which follow an
unconscious state of mind, often come true. That is why people say, “The
dreams that take place in the concluding part of the night come true.”
The three states that are created in Puruśa as a result of His conjunction
with Prakrti are called Tripura. In the case of unit entities these Tripuras are
the three conditions wakefulness, dream and sleep; and the One that is lying
quiescent as the witness is the Átman or Puruśa. This variegated world
56
continues to vibrate in these three states within each individual unit mind. The
creation of this vast world of Tripura, which is meant for the enjoyment of the
unit entities and which is know as Kśiirasamudrá Garbhodaka (The Fluid of
Creation) and Kárańárnava, lies in the imagination of the Supreme Puruśa due
to His sentient, mutative and static principles. The base of these three states is
what we call the fourth state (Cathurtha-Pura). This fourth state is beyond the
ambit of the three attributional principles, it is beyond the scope of time, space
and person beyond the scope of the Tripura. This fourth state is called the
State of Nirguńa (objectlessness), Kaevalya (absolute identity with the Divine
Essence) or Turiiya (the state of non-duality). As long as any Saḿskáras
remain, the unit entities have to wander about the three regions of Tripura –
wakefulness, dream and sleep, undergoing pleasure and pain. But when, as a
result of Sádhaná they free themselves from their reactive momenta, they
merge in the Turiiyapada or the state of non-duality, the Supreme State
beyond the precincts of Tripuras.
The ideogram [DEVANAGARI CHARACTER] (Oṋm) or Prańava or
Oṋḿkára is a quadrisyllabic mantra. A, U, M and a sonic dot (Nádabindu).
This sonic dot is the fourth state which indicates Nirguńa or the Objectless
Entity. In this state one of the three binding principles, Sattva (Sentient),
Rajah (Mutative) and Tamah (Static), are manifest. The letter “A” indicates
the predominance of the sentient principle (Sattva guńa) and of wakefulness.
The letter “U” (oo) represents the Mutative principle and indicates the state of
dream and the letter “Ma” indicates the static principle (Tamoguńa) and sleep.
In Saguńa Brahma the letters A, U, Ma, indicate respectively Ksiirabdhi,
Garbhodaka and Kárańárńava. The dot indicates the fourth state or the state of
non-duality – Nirguńa Brahma, the Objectless Entity (Pure Consciousness). A
point has position but no magnitude.
We cannot think or say anything about Nirguńa Brahma.
The point is merely used for our own comprehension. The crescent-like
mark between the point signifying Nirguńa Brahma and the letter “oṋm”
signifying Saguńa Brahma represents the manifest culmination of the
expressed form of the unmanifest Prakrti (the Operative Principle).
The witnessing counterpart of the wakeful state of unit entities, is Vishva
(a philosophic word meaning causal unit mind) or Subjectivated Puruśa. The
proper enjoyment of objects through the sense organs is possible only in a
wakeful state. So the Puruśa of this state is called Subjectivated Puruśa.
Similarly in reference to the microcosm, the Puruśa, of the dream state is
called Taejasa or subtle unit mind; and that of the state of sleep is called
Prájiṋa or spiritually dormant cognition. The Puruśa subjective of Ksiirávdhi,
57
Garbhodaka and Kárńarnava is respectively called Virát́a (causal Cosmic
Mind). Hirańyagarbha (subtle Cosmic mind) and Iishvara (Crude Cosmic
Mind). Hence we find that “A” is the seed or primary cause of Vishya or
Viŕáta; “U,” Taejasa and Hirańyagarbha; and “M,” of Prájiṋa and Iishvara. In
the state of non-duality (Túriiya) there is no distinction between the unit entity
and the supreme entity, for the I-feeling is absolutely nil; and so there is no
seed or acoustic expression of this state. The seed or acoustic expression is the
cause of origination; and so where there is no question of origination or non-
origination, creation, preservation or destruction, the question of seed also
does not arise. The knower, known and knowledge, the contemplator,
contemplated and contemplation – all become one in the state of Turiiya.
Hence that supreme state of final beatitude which is denoted by the Sonic Dot,
is called Iishvaragrása – that state in which even Ishvara or the Lord of the
universe is devoured. Here the three puruśa also merge in the Nirguńa Brahma
or the supreme Non-attributional Entity. Hence it is absolutely correct to call it
Iishvaragrása.
This observable world is the manifestation of the Parama Puruśa, the
supreme. The world exists as long as the influence of the three guńas or the
three binding faculties over Puruśa exists. When a spiritual aspirant destroys
the three Puruśa by constant spiritual practices and deep analyses, and churns
the cream of knowledge, there remains no distinction whatsoever between
Brahma and the unit beings; this is the state of Turiiya or non-duality. The
heterogeneity of objects becomes conspicuously absent due to the absence of
guńas or attributes.
Etasmád jáyate práńo manah sarvendriyá ńi ca
Khaḿ váyu jyotirápashca parthvii vishvasaya dhárińii.
This world is indeed a Macrocosmic conation. The vital energy or vital air
begotten, or the union and disunion of the five fundamental factors active in
the microcosmic body, are but the products of His own imagination. At the
embryonic stage, human beings derive vital energy from the bodies of their
parents and from their mother’s food and drink delivered from the five
fundamental factors. Then after birth, they receive vital energy directly from
their own food, drink, air, light etc. Hence the source of the life of unit beings
lies in Brahma. He is the Life of the life of the microcosms. (The word Práná
or life, when used in singular number, means functional energy, and when
used in plural, means vital energy). The quinquelemental manifestation is the
crudest expression of His psychic action and so the microcosms have to draw
vital energy from the quinquelemental world. Vital energy is generated in the

58
unit body through the media of five internal and five external Vayus (airs). Of
the five internal Vayus, viz., Práńa, Apána, Samána, Ud́ ana and Vyána, the
Práńa, situated between the navel and the throat controls the functions of
lungs, heart etc.; the Apána, situated below the navel (i.e., between the navel
and the anus) controls the excretion of stool, urine etc.; the Samáná, situated
within the navel, maintains the equilibrium between Práńa and Apána; the
Udána, situated in the throat, controls the vocal cord (power of speech) and
the Vyána, permeating the entire body, controls the circulation of the blood,
vital secretions etc., and, with the help of the nerve fibres brings the sensory
and motor organs into contact with the knowable i.e. the objects to mentally
dealt with. The vibration necessary for the faculty of contemplation is also
supplied by Vyána Váyu. The five external airs, viz., Nága, Kúrma, Krkara,
Devadatta and Dhanaiṋjaya, control expansion and contraction, yawning and
hiccup, hunger and thirst, sleep and drowsiness. Hence it is clear that it is with
the help of the Váyus by created Parama Puruśa, living beings derive their
mind-stuff from the Cosmic Mind. The Indriyas find their expression when the
Práńa comes into contact with the mind. Ether, air, fire, water and earth are all
created and sustained in the Cosmic Mind. That is these five factors, the
psychic creation of Brahma, are preserving the existence of the universe.
Yat paraḿ brahma sarvátmá vishvasyáyatanaḿ mahat
Sukśmát sukśmataraḿ nityaḿtattvameva tvameve tat.
The significant part of this above mantra is that words of neuter gender
have been used for Brahma instead of words of masculine or feminine gender.
In fact, the Entity or that which has neither beginning nor end and is devoid of
any form, can hardly be called masculine or feminine. He is the Life of all
lives, the Soul of all souls, and that is why He is Paraḿátmá or the Supreme
cognition. The finite objects require a shelter, a base. Only the Infinite does
not requite a base. All the finite objects of the universe are but the unit-
manifestations of this Brahma. They are all sheltered in Him. All of them are
the objects of His imagination. Inconceivably vast as His fundamental intellect
is His existence-cum-cognitive Entity. It radiates as the Knowing Entity
through His mind-begotten, subtler than the subtle, smaller than the small unit
objects also. The One that abides in the unit entities as the Knower, also
abides thus in the vast cosmos. Actually the faculty of His Knowership does
not undergo any change. The change appears only in the receptacles because
we see Him differently, because we imagine Him to be a separate Entity,
abiding in separate receptacles. A Sádhaka, however, knows that by knowing
One’s own self, one can know the Supreme self, for they are essentially one.
Shrii Rámakrśńa Paramhamsa once said that if Sádhakas can know
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themselves, they can also know the Supreme Consciousness. The great seer of
Truth, Rabindranath, expressed this idea in one of his beautiful poems. –
Háy gagan nahile tomáre dharibe kevá,
Ogo tapan tomár svapan dekhi ye
Karite parine sevá.
Shishir kahila káṋdiyá, tomáre rákhi ye bándhiyá
He ravi ámár náhika teman bal
Tomá viná tái kśudra jiivan kevalai ashrujal.
Ámi vipul kirańe bhuvan kari ye álo
Tabu shishirt́ukure dhará dite pári
Básite pári ye bhálo.
Shishirer buke ásiyá kahila tapan hásiyá
Chot́a ha’ye ámi rahiba tomáre bhari
Tomár kśudra jiivan gaŕiba hásir matan kari.
[“Alas, who can hold thee except the sky
O Sun! I only dream of thee and sigh
Alas, I cannot serve thee.”
Said the dew in tears,
“O Sun! To bind thee, strength have I none
So my little life is only tears without thee.”
Said the Sun, “I flood the world with my mighty ray
In the tiny dew I also can stay,
I can love her too, can’t I?”
So on her bosom down came he and said laughing,
“Tiny I’ll be engulfed in thee and make of thy life a smiling ray.”]
Every unit object is subject to the law of causation, every action is the
object of the mind. The cause of the mind, functioning within a unit entity is
embedded in the Cosmic Mind. It is not only a creation of the Cosmic Mind, it
is its object as well. The Cosmic Mind has no cause, for no other active entity
ever existed before the Cosmic Mind came into being. To look for an answer
to the question as to why and how the Cosmic Mind came into being, will
involve the fallacy of infinite regress, for no one can claim to have witnessed
the origin of Saguńa Brahma. At that time nothing existed which we would
call “mind” and so there was also no existence of the relative factors like
Time, Space and Person. To investigate the time of His origin involves the
necessity of the existence of a being endowed with a mind at that time. It is
because His origin, existence and extinction are beyond the scope of mind, as
well as of time, space and person, that He is called eternal. The intuitional

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science is beyond the realm of causality. Nothing exists outside Brahma and
so nothing can be the cause or primal form of Brahma, for the transmuted
form of the cause is called action. Milk is the cause of curd, for it is the primal
or former state of curd. As nothing is outside Brahma, so nothing can be the
cause of any subsequent action. The change in an object takes place out of
contraction and expansion and for this contraction and expansion the influence
of a second entity upon that particular object is necessary. Thus Brahma is
unchangeable – the only Truth. As long as the mind exists, the law of
causation will also exist, thus people say:
Kárańábhávát Káryábhávah
“Where there is no cause, there is no effect.” That which is apparently the
transformation of Brahma, takes place entirely within Him. All these
immutable objects are created, preserved and destroyed within Him. That is
why the Rśi (sage) has said, “He is you and you are He.” The objects, which
undergo metamorphosis are all made of the five fundamental factors – ether,
air, fire, water and earth, which must be present in some form or another; and
they remain in one or another of the three conditions – wakefulness, dream
and sleep.
Jágratsvapnasuśu ptyádi prapaiṋcám yad prakáshate
Tad brahmáhamiti jiṋátvá sarvabandhadeh pramucyate.
Objects which are made out of the combination of the five factors are
called Prapaiṋca. The differences in the forms of objects occur due to the
momenta of the Cosmic thought process, and proceed from the subtle to the
crude (Saiṋcara or the process of Extroversion) and then retrace their path,
from the crude back to the subtle (Pratisaiṋcara or the process of Introversion).
That is why they are perishable, for any of their forms is dependent on the
three factors of time, space and person. Their manifestative, active and inert
states are all respectively ensconced in the states of wakefulness, dream and
sleep of microcosms. But what is the source of their different kinds of
expressions? What are their main ingredients? They all originate from the
Supreme self, the Supreme Subjectivity, that limitless centre of energy of the
ego. So in spiritual terms all these states of wakefulness, dream and sleep, as
well as this quinquelemental world, are all I. Those who have understood the
real meaning of this “I”-ness, do not consider anything to be a bondage, nor
are they afraid of anything.
Trisu dhámasu yadbhogyaḿ bhokábhogashca yad bhavet
Tebhyo vilakśańo sáksiicinmátro’ham Sadáshivah.
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 Wakefulness, dream and sleep – these three conditions are called in the
Shloka above the Tridháma or the three abodes. The fourth abode, which is
unmentioned is of course, undistorted, unchangeable “I”. Whatever objects
there are in these abodes, appear as enjoyable, enjoyer and enjoyment. The
fourth entity, with characteristic opposite to those of the above three, is their
witnessing Consciousness, Sadáshiva. “I am that Sadáshiva.” Generally in
Tantra, (the Esoteric Science) Ardhanáriishvara Shiva is addressed as
Sadáshiva. The word Sadáshiva, is not used here in that sense. Here Shiva
means Puruśa, benevolent or benign. Hence one who is always absorbed in a
Shiva-like stance, is Sadáshiva.
Mayyeva sakalaḿ játaḿ mayi sarvaḿpratiśt́hitam
Mayi sarvam layaḿ yáti tad Brahmádvyamasmyacham.
The one who is established in the stance of Sadáshiva feels: “All of these
creations are emanating from my mind, their existences are etched on my
mental plate and they are all being dissolved in me. I am that Brahma, eternal
and unchanged.”
Anoraniiyánahameva tadvanmahánaḿ vishvamahaḿ vicitram
Purátano’haḿ Puruśo’hamiisho Hirańmayo’ham Shivarúpamasmi.
“I have taken the form of the smallest molecule of molecules and again I
am greater than the great. It is I who am manifest as this observable universe.
Wonderful is my functioning, unique is the flow of my thoughts and ideas.
None of those wonderful vibrations, none of those indescribable radiances,
whereby I am scattering myself endlessly, have any comparison with one
another. Each of them is unique in its own individual glory. Each of them,
manifesting my grandeur differently, is rushing in various speeds towards
formlessness from the world of forms. Oh, how wonderful I am! I am unborn.
I cannot find any cause of myself. I am beyond the scope of causality, and that
is why no one is more ancient than I. I am the Eternal Cognition. No harmful
or malevolent thought can enter into me. I wish only good to all beings.”
When sádhakas are established in such an awareness they get lost in
themselves, realizing the Infinite form within themselves – their external
awareness is lost. This stage we call Savikalpa Samádhi. In this the sádhaka’s
microcosmic ego merges in the Cosmic Ego completely and totally. The
difference between this state and the state of Nirvikalpa Samádhi, is that in
Nirvikalpa no I-feeling, whether small or great, exists at all; everything is lost
in the integral Consciousness. Since external awareness is absent during
Savikalpa Samádhi, the sense of duality does not exist in the sádhaka. For

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those who are established in introspective trance the objects which are
visualized internally appear to be indistinguishable from their own ego.
Onlookers cannot comprehend such a state as this. Some ridicule such
sádhaka’s, some call them crazy or mad. They do not know that to become
like them requires the merit of several births, and demands a concentrated
yearning to attain the One to the exclusion of all. It is only these “lunatics”
that can lead the collective mind foreword, thus the great poet Rabindranath
said,
Ye tore págal bale
Táre tui balis ne kichu,
Ájke tore keman bhebe
Aunge ye tor dhúlá debe,
Kál se práte málá háte
Ásbe re tor pichu pichu;
Ájke ápan-máner bhare
Thák se báse gadiir pare,
Kál se preme ásve neme
Karbe re t́ar máthá niicu.
[Say nothing to those who call you mad
Who throw dust today, and call you a cad
Tomorrow at the break of dawn,
They will approach you, garland in hand.
Leave them alone on their cosy seats
Reputation mad and puffed with conceit
Surely tomorrow they will have to bow down
With flowing love and humbled crown.]
Such a lunatic, viewing their characteristic self introspectively, says,
“Really how wonderful I am!”
Apáńipádo’hamacintyashaktih pashyámyacakśue ca shrńomyakarnah
Aham vijánámi viviktarúpo nacástivettá mamacidsadáham.
When a sádhaka realizes: My hands, feet, in fact all my Indriyas are not
actually mine. I am an Infinite Entity. Of what good are they to me? My
characteristic self my Citishakti (the force of consciousness) is
incomprehensible beyond the scope of imagination. All the sensible and
perceptible objects, the sense of sight, the sense of hearing are all ensconced
in my mental sphere. Of what use are those eyes and ears to me? I see without
my eyes. I hear without my ears. I am aware of the variegated rise and fall of

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every wave, every movement of this creation. I am the knower of each and
every object, crude, subtle, causal. I am concerned with all. But no one knows
me and no one is my subject, nor am I the object of anyone. I am the pure
Consciousness. No other mind can hold me in its thought.
Vedaeranekaerahameva Vedyo vedántakrt vedavidevacá’ham
No Puńyapápe mama nástinásho na janmadehendriyabuddhirasti.
Na bhumirápo na vahńirasti nacánilo’me’sti nacámbaraiṋca.
Evám viditvá paramatmarúpaḿ guháshyaḿ niskalamadvitiiyam.
“Every branch of knowledge has an object of study.” For example, the
objects of the study of geography are the various political and natural features
of the different countries of the world. Mathematics deals with various sums
and problems. Similarly, of all the Vedas or books of knowledge that exist, I
am the focus. Whatever, finite objects there are in this observable world, they
are nothing but the manifestations of my very own self. And those who are
revered as the expounders, of Mantras, the seers and Rśis, the authors of the
Vedic scriptures are none else but Myself. In other worlds it is I who impart
Brahmavidyá, the intuitional science, under the various names and forms of
great personages.
“Due to my limitlessness I have no body, no indriyas and no intellect.
Being always established in the Supreme Consciousness, sin and virtue do not
exist for me. I have no birth and no death; My existence is not dependent on
earth, water, fire, air or ether.” This is how sádhakas in the state of Samádhi
feel when they realize their characteristic Supreme Self, lying covert deep
within their hearts; when they realize the pure consciousness, the witness-
Brahma Himself. He is unique and pure, for He is beginningless and endless.
In the absence of anything outside Him. He is without a second.
Being above the influence of Prakrti and without any action, any
contraction or expansion, He is the single Absolute Truth. He harbours no
distinction, whether homogeneous, heterogeneous or internal. To reach this
ultimate and absolute stage of homogeneity is the Supreme attainment of a
Sádhaka or spiritual aspirant.
Samastaśakśiḿ sadasadvihiinaḿ prayátishuddham paramátmarúpam
During the first stage of Savikalpa Samadhi the sense of “I” feeling still
exists and so also does the process of cosmic imagination of the universe in its
vastest scope. But when the sádhakas attain the zenith of this state, they
gradually enter a realm beyond the reach of action and thought. At that time
they regard their own characteristic Self as the absolute, Supreme
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Consciousness, devoid of good and bad. They do not then appear to
themselves as the doer; rather it seems to them that they are but non-active
witnesses to all the affairs of the universe.
Kárttikii Púrńimá 1955 DMC

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The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 5
During the last Dharma Mahácakra (Spiritual Congregation) I told you
something about the cosmological system. There I also explained the
Cosmological system, vis-a-vis solar, earth and atomic systems. The sun is the
nucleus of the solar system. The different planets, such as earth born out of the
sun, are revolving around the sun as their nucleus. They are neither
approaching the sun by coming close to it, nor are they moving away from it,
for their centrifugal and centripetal forces are on the whole in an equipoised
state. If this equipoise is lost, the planet or planets will either merge in the sun
due to the intensity of their centripetal force or gradually recede from it due to
their centrifugal force.
Similarly the nucleus of the earth-system is the earth. The moon is
revolving round the earth as its nucleus. Here, too, the centrifugal and
centripetal forces are functioning with equal intensity. In the same way the
electrons are moving around he nucleus of the atomic system. There, too, the
same play is going on the same system is working.
By cosmological system we mean this vast universe, whose nucleus is the
Akśara or the immutable Puruśa as the witness, around whom are revolving
His psychic objects like the sun, the stars, etc., in His imaginative flow. Here
too the centrifugal and centripetal forces are maintaining equilibrium. This
balanced state of the forces is what we call Prakrti. To the cosmic system the
centrifugal force which is dominated by the static principle (Tamaguńa) is
known as Avidyá and the centripetal force dominated by the sentient principle
(Sattvaguńa) is called Vidyá. When these objects, revolving around the
nucleus, were initially created out of the nucleus, there must have been the
predominance of the centrifugal force, and in the evolutionary process the
static principle must have been dominant. Then again, when its created objects
rush in intense yearning towards it with lightning speed, defying all hostile
forces, surely at that time the equipoise of forces is lacking. Just as the meteor
races down to the surface of the earth, similarly the unit object also races
towards, and merges in, that Macrocosmic nucleus, leaving its own orbit in the
Cosmic System. Certainly this movement towards the Cosmic Consciousness
is dominated by the centripetal force: Hence the path of liberation is the path
of the Sentient Principle (Sattvaguńa). Why do we call it the path of
liberation? It is because after the merger with its nucleus, an entity’s
individuality ceases to exist. After the earth merges in the sun, the earth no
longer remains.

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 Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante
Tasmin hamso bhrámyate brahmacakre
Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá
Juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti.
The unit entities have been moving around the cosmic nucleus throughout
eternity and this movement will continue as long as an entity maintains the
feeling of distinctions; that is the rotation will not cease until their sense of
separateness from the nucleus is dissolved. When the intensity of their
attachment for the nucleus will reach its climax – when they will seek to
forget everything but Him – no force whatsoever can then dissociate them
form Him. This intense attachment is what we call devotion. This momentum
towards the Supreme One becomes easy and smooth, when unit entities realize
that He always wants to get them back on His lap. His desire to bring them to
Himself is simply His grace. In fact He is showering this grace on all. But
when peoples eyes are blinded with materialistic enjoyment, they cannot
realize this. The great Sage Nárada said, “Mahat krpáyaeva bhagavat
krpáleshádvá”, for this His grace is essential. I already said that He had been
showering His grace on all. One has only to realize that grace with one’s
intensely concentrated mind. His imagination is incessantly flowing. As long
as you are incapable of realizing His grace, as long as you do not try to move
towards Him you will have to go round and round like the bullocks in the oil-
mill in the endless cycle of creation, life and death.
So sang the great mystic poet Rámaprasáda –
Má! Ámáy ghurábi kata?
Kalur cokha d́ háká balder mata,
Gháni-gáche juŕe diye má
Pák ditecha avirata.
[How long, O Mother, Thou wilt spin me around
Like the blinkered ox, plodding round the mill
Making me thus go round and round
Always yoked to the grinding wheel.]
The nucleus of the cosmic system is called Puruśottama. He is the
Supreme Lord of this imagination-born world of the mutable (kśara) and
immutable (akśara) aspects of the Cosmic Mind. In Him is knowership as well
as the doership. He Himself is never metamorphosed into any action. We
cannot call Him Nirguńa or non-qualified, in Him lies the witness-ship of the
entire universe. Saguńa Brahma is the name for the combination of the

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Puruśottama and His psychic object, the universe. Judging from attributional
point of view, the difference between objectified form of Brahma and the
witness-ship of Puruśottama is that in His objectified form He is under the
bondage of the guńas (guńádhiisa). Yet in both Brahma and Puruśottama He is
related in some way with the guńas. Thus I have said that He is the
transcendent controller of the guńas.
He cannot be called Nirguńa or non-attributional due to His relation with
objects. In the Vedas, Savitr-Rk composed in the Gáyatrii mantra is used to
describe Saguńa Brahma. The first three syllables of the oṋḿkára (a-u-m)
have also been used to describe Saguńa Brahma. In ancient times, however,
only Anuśt́upa mantras were used for Puruśottama, the Nucleus of the Saguńa
Brahma. It should be mentioned here that of the seven metres, Gáyattrii, Usńk,
Annuśt́upa, Vrhati, Paḿkti, Triśtupa and Jagati, Gáyattrii and Anuśt́upa
commanded the greatest importance. Gáyattrii-mantra is composed in three
lines of eight letters each, totalling twenty-four letters, and Anuśt́upa of eight
letters, dedicated to Puruśottama, stands for each of the syllables of Oṋḿkára.
Ugraḿviiram maháviśńum jvalantam sarvatomukham
Nrsiḿhaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhadram mrtyurmrtyu namámyaham.
Ugram: In the above mantra the traits and the signs of Nrsiḿha (a
mythological form of Brahma, half-human and half-lion) have been described.
He has been called Ugra: “Ur” means “anu” i.e., “anu” plus “graha”, that is to
say, “He who is merciful is Ugra.” “Ugra” is He who sustains the world
through creation, preservation and destruction, by whose endless flow of grace
the creation has been continuing in its cycles of births and deaths from time
immemorial. To this little earth the sun is Ugra or merciful, for the sun is the
cause of its creation, preservation and destruction. Similarly, Puruśottama is
the cause of the Cosmic Cycle. Hence none else can be ugra except Him.
Viiram: Puruśottama is called Viira or brave. Why? Because He has been
confronting every problem, every obstacle of this universe with His
extraordinary courage. With unflinching boldness He has been making
decisions and acting accordingly. One who always deals properly with each
and every entity must perforce be brave.
Maháviśńu: Visnu means great, all-pervading. Who else shall we call
Viśńu but Him who has expanded His mental existence to limitlessness
beyond the bounds of all limitations. Hence it is justified to call Him
Maháviśńu.
Jvalantam: The One Who is the original force of all forces, the central
source of all effulgences, must be Jvalanta or blazing. He is indeed the primal
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flame – the vital effulgence of all supramundane radiances. All lights pale
before His brilliance.
Na tatra súryo bháti na candratárakam
Nemávidyutobhánti kuto’yamagnih
Tameva bhántamanubháti sarvam
Tasya bháśá sarvamidaḿ vibháti.
That is, even the sun loses its brilliance in His presence. So too the moon,
the stars and the lightning, what to speak of fire. All are radiant in His
radiance.
Sarvatomukham: He is all-witnessing. He is in all forms from the highest
to the lowest. He is the witness of all the activities of all the entities, from
biggest mammoth to the smallest white ant. This all-witnessing Entity must be
Sarvatomukha, with faces on all sides. All that has been, is or will be, are but
the unit manifestation of His mind, and so He is the Supreme witness of all.
Are you not the witness of your internal thoughts? Just as your mental eye
views the objects of your imagination, similarly to see his creation in all
directions, Puruśottama has to be all-facing.
Eśo ha deva pradisho’nusarvá
Purvo ha játa sa u garbhe anta
Sa eva játah sah janiśyamána
Pratyauṋ janáḿstiśt́hate sarvatomukhah.
–Yajuh
He is all facing because He has eyes in all the ten directions – the six
directions of East, West, North, South, Above and Below, and four sub-
directions, like North-east, North-west, South-east and South-west.
Nrsiḿha: Nr means Nara, “human” and it also means puruśa or
consciousness, and Siḿha means Shreśt́ha or “Supreme.” The two words
together means Puruśashreśt́ha or Puruśottama; that is, the Supreme Entity.
Incidentally, it must be remembered Nrsiḿha cannot mean a strange half-man
and half-lion creature, which is merely a fanciful contrivance of the authors of
the Puráńas (mythologies). Only that Puruśottama, who is the Supreme Entity
deserves to be called Nrsiḿha, it is He who has been protecting from all anti-
spiritual forces those spiritual aspirants who seek to attain Him. At times He
has to take drastic measures according to necessity, to save devotees like
Prahlad from the unholy forces like the demon Hiranyakashipu. To ridicule

69
the Supreme Puruśottama by imagining Him as half-human half-lion is not at
all proper.
Bhiiśańam: The one who is the Supreme Judge of all deeds, often has to
take apparently cruel steps in order to maintain the dignity of His divine
justice. Otherwise He will be guilty of partiality, and His stainless name will
become tarnished. It is those that kept themselves within the bounds of petty
selfishness that are called the unit entities (jiivas), for their thoughts filled with
petty selfishness have kept them limited and fragmented by subjecting their
minds to the bondage of time, place and person. This feeling of finitude and
unit-hood has bred in them a sense of fear for the limitlessness of the Cosmic
Consciousness. Such is the nature of the unit beings they fear and hold in awe
what is beyond their own limitations, what is greater than them. You will
certainly be afraid of one who is your better in education, intelligence, wealth
and power, if you do not have a feeling of oneness with him. Those who have
realized that Puruśottama is the life of their lives, the Soul of their souls, those
in whom the sense of oneness with Him has awakened, will not at all be afraid
of Him but will love Him – whereas those who are always conscious of their
unit-hood, will be ever afraid of Him and to them He will be frightening
(Bhiiśańam).
Bhiiśásmádváyupavate bhiiśodetisúryah
Bhiiśasmádagnishcendrashca mrtyuh dhávati paiṋcamah
Tasmáducyate bhiisáńamiti.
–Atharvaveda
Out of fear of Him, the wind blows, the sun shines and the fire burns. Out
of fear of Him, the god Indra does his duty and death also appears before the
unit entities. Whom shall I call terrifying except Him of whom even the
horrible Death is afraid. According to a story in the Vedas, once a vast, radiant
Entity appeared before the gods. In order to know His identity the gods sent
Fire, Air and Indra. Approaching Him, the Fire said by way of self-
introduction, “I am Fire – I am Játaveda. To consume everything is my
dharma (characteristic).” The Supreme Being then said, offering him a blade
of straw, “Here, burn this.” The Fire, whose inherent characteristic was to
burn, could not burn it, howsoever it tried. Then the air approached and said
[[by way of self-introduction]], “I am Air, I am Mátarishvá, to blow
everything always is my strength.” Even the vainglorious Air could not blow
away that piece of straw. Finally Indra was able to know the identity of that
Puruśa. Thereafter the gods could very well realize that the power they
wielded was not actually theirs. They were powerful only with His power.
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Their unit identities were but His orderlies. So even all the gods remain at the
fringe of fear.
Bhadram: He is the embodiment of welfare. His auspicious flow of
imagination is guiding the unit entities and the world to the path of good, to
the path of prosperity. There never was, is, or will be, anyone as benevolent as
He. Hence He is Bhadra, compassionate and benign.
Mrturmrtyum: This has a double meaning. The first meaning is that even
death is afraid of Him, death fears Him as much as a unit entity fears death,
and so he is the Death of death. The second meaning is that to this observable
world although all other objects die, only death does not, for the unit entities
do not die once but die repeatedly – they take birth after death and then die
and take birth again, and then again die. Thus countless deaths come to them,
countless number of times. But those who have attained the Puruśottama,
attain a supreme death; their worldly death is the last one for them. In other
words, with their worldly death, death also dies and further death becomes
impossible. It is only through His grace that a unit attains the Supreme, and so
He is the Death of death. I bow to this Puruśottama.
Now the question may arise: “Is this Puruśottama identical with the state
of Turiiya?” If Puruśottama and Turiiya are identical, then how can such
adjectives as Ugra, Viira, etc., be applicable to Him? Truly speaking those
words are only used for particular conditions or states of the Akśara Brahma
which are concerned with objects. In other words such a condition may be
called Kút́astha (lying covert). Such epithets in reference to His Turiiya
condition or the state of non-duality are quite inappropriate. The
Puruśottamahood is on the whole discernible only in the first three stages of
Turiiya, wherein His witness-ship is explicit or implied due to the manifest or
half-manifest influence of Prakrti. The fourth state of Turiiya , that is, the
unchangeable state, wherein the material or objective involvement is nil, is the
perfect state of Nirguńa (objectlessness) or Turiiya (non-duality) or Nirakśara
(changelessness). This state is also known as Iishvaragrása or the Final Doom,
because it is the finality of all divine endowments and powers.
In the Cosmic System, Nŕsiḿha or Puruśottama is the original nucleus,
and the Air, Sun, Fire, Indra, etc. Are the subnuclei. That is why the worship
of Nrsiḿha is called Paiṋcavyuhátmaka or “five-nuclear” worship. The
Anuśt́upa mantras are composed for this five-nuclear Nrsiḿha.
Quite a number of times I have told you about Prańava or Oṋḿkára. Now
a question may arise in the minds of people regarding which is the greater of
the two, Prańava or Anuśt́upa, or if the two enjoy equal status, then what is the

71
necessity for their separate existence? In reply it may be said that Anuśt́upa
stands for the Cosmic Nucleus (Puruśottama) only, while Oṋḿkára stands for
the entire Cosmic System, all the manifestations of the five fundamental
factors, and so I am obliged to say that Oṋḿkára is greater than Anuśt́upa.
Anuśt́upa too, falls within the scope of Oṋḿkára. Oṋḿkára is composed of
four syllables: a, u, ma and the sonic dot, of which the first three are indicative
of Saguńa and the sonic dot stands for Nirguńa.
Bhútaḿ bhavadbhaviśyaditi sarvamouṋkára eva
Yaccányattrikálátiitaḿ tadapyouṋkára eva.
–Nrsiḿha Tápaniiya Shruti
That is, past, present and future – all co-exist in Oṋḿkára is the sonic
expression of the Macrocosmic vibration. So the creation, whether of the past,
present or future, could not have been, and cannot be, distinct or separate from
the Oṋḿkára. Wherever there is manifestation of creation, wherever there is
the imaginative flow of Saguńa Brahma, time, place and person must also be
there. The existence of Saguńa Brahma is impossible without this Oṋḿkára
produced by His imaginative flow. That is why I have said that the existence
of Saguńa Brahma and even the existences of all the objects, are dependent on
the measurement of the motivity of their action. The mind’s measurement of
the motivity of an action is Time; the measurer of this motivity with the help
of the mind is person; and that which establishes the relation between time and
person is space. The existence of these three is dependent on the mental
activity, i.e., on the thought-process or Oṋḿkára. Sunrise to sunset, the
beginning of the year to the end, all belong to the vast periphery of Time;
hence they are but the manifestations of the Oṋḿkára. From any one extreme
point to another extreme point, no matter how short or long the distance, all
belong to the sphere of space, and hence they too are the manifestations of
Oṋḿkára. So, as I have said, all that we can or cannot think of within the
compass of Time, all belong to Oṋḿkára. Saguńa Brahma, being subject to
time, place and person is Sopádhika or qualified. It is not a Nirupádhika or
unqualified Entity like the Nirguńa Brahma. Time, place and person are also
qualified relative to other entities, and so they are also not the absolute truth
but relative truths. The Scriptures say, –
Prańavátmakaḿ Brahmá
Tripáda-Bibhúti-Náráyańa Shruti
Tasya Vácakah prańavah.
–Pataiṋjali
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 As mentioned before, Oṋḿkára is the sound of process of expression – the
very seed of manifestation. As long as the functioned vibrations of creation,
preservation and destruction continue on the bosom of the entity beyond time
(Kálátiita) Oṋḿkára shall remain as the seed of creation, preservation and
destruction – as A, U and Ma. Thus, I say that Oṋḿkára is not a sound for
utterance but for hearing. The human voice cannot give proper form to that
mystic sound and so it is futile to attempt to pronounce it. Apprehending the
effulgent form of this Oṋḿkára a Sádhaka realizes the half-letter “Ma” and
then realizing the fourth letter, the sonic dot representing the state of Turiiya
he or she attains the changeless objectless Nirguńa Brahma – achieves the
final beatitude in the Iishvaragrása. The Yama (god of death) said to Naciketá,
–
Sarve vedá yatpadamámananti,
Tapámsi sarváńi ca yad vadanti.
Yadicchanto brahmacaryamcaranti
Tatte padam saḿgraheńa Braviimyomityetad.
–Káthaka Shruti
Now you can very well understand that oṋḿkára denotes of both Saguńa
and Nirguńa Brahma. The dot in the Ideogram of the oṋḿkára
([DEVANAGARI CHARACTER]) indicates Nirguńa. A. U. and Ma indicates
Saguńa and the crescent denotes the distinction between Saguńa and Nirguńa.
A dot cannot be described properly; it has a position but no magnitude: and
that is why it has been used to represent Nirguńa Brahma.
The characteristics of Puruśottama have already been explained above.
Now I shall deal with the characteristics of Saguńa Brahma. Indeed they are
too vast to be described, yet I shall tell you whatever is said about Him in the
Vedic Scriptures. About Saguńa Brahma it is said in the Kaevalya Shruti:
Mayyeva sakalaḿ játam Mayi sarvaḿ pratiśt́hitam,
Mayi sarvaḿ layaḿ yáti Tadbrahmadvyamasmyaham.
Jágrat svapna suśuptyádi Prapaiṋcaḿ yad prakáshate
Tadbrahmáhamiti jiṋátva Sarvabandhaeh pramucyate.
[Everything emerges from Me Everything is being maintained in Me And
everything is finally dissolved in Me I am that Brahma without a second
The Supreme Entity from whom all the three States originates –
wakefulness, dream and sleep. One who knows That Supreme Brahma
Becomes liberated from all bondages.]

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 The Rgveda says –
Yato vá imáni bhútáni yáyante
Yena játáni jiivanti
Yat prayantyabhisaḿvishanti
Tad vijijiṋásasva tad Brahma.
[The entity from whom all created beings emerged,
By whom they are sustained
And in whom all are finally dissolved –]
Said in the Maháńirváńa Tantra, –
Yato vishvaḿ samudbhútam
Yena jataiṋca tishati
Yasmin sarváni liiyante
Jineyam tad brahma laksańaeh
[The entity from whom the entire universe has been created
By whom all created beings are maintained
And in whom all entities finally dissolve –
These are the characteristics of Brahma.]
Said in the Nrsiḿha Uttara Táponiiya Shruti –
Sarvaḿhyetad brahma ayamátmá brahma tametamát mánamomiti
brahmańdekiikrtya brahmacátmaná omityekiikrtya
tadekamajaranamrtamabhamomityanubhúya tasminnidaḿ sarvaḿ
trishariiraḿ áropya tanmayaḿhi tadevati saḿharedomiti.
Whatever you see, whatever you think or you feel, whatever is beyond
your vision, thought and perception – all are Saguńa Brahma or oṋḿkára.
Your Soul is also Brahma. There is unicity or oneness between your existence,
the existence of the world, and Brahma. They are not separate entities. Bring
the world and your existence into unicity with Brahma and you will find
yourself, verily, that same oṋḿkára. In that condition you will become one
with that oṋḿkára. Having thus attained unicity, there will remain only one
Entity, which has no distortion: for distortion two entities are necessary.
Where He alone is the sole Entity, where is the scope of any distortion? If
there is only milk but no curdling agent, can there be any distortion of the milk
into curd? That is to say, to transform milk into curd, a second entity is
necessary, the curdling agent. Hence Brahma is immutable due to His being
One without a second.

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 Exactly for the same reason where there is only One Entity, death cannot
exist, for death is only a state of transformation: death is also a distortion.
Where there is no distortion, there is no death. So oṋḿkára is established in
deathlessness, Similarly, fear requires two entities for its expression – the one
who fears and the cause of fear. Where there is only One entity, since there
can be no cause, fear cannot exist. So that Supreme stance is without fear;
even a unit entity becomes fearless, when he or she attains that supreme
stance. Thus the sádhaka Rámaprasáda said –
“I have dedicated my life to those deathless feet
Should I then be afraid of the Lord of Death?”
Dedicate the three states of your existence (Trishariira) to undistorted,
immortal, fearless, Oṋḿkára. Every unit entity is a combination of four states;
wakefulness, dream, sleep and one’s innate characteristic Self. The first three
states are but the distortions of the fourth, the characteristic Self. Surrender
these three states to Brahma, to oṋḿkára and be absorbed in that stance. In
that state only one thought will be uppermost in your mind – that you are part
and parcel of Oṋḿkára, that you are oṋḿkára itself, that you are ensconced in
your own characteristic Self. That is why whenever any crude thought arises
in a person’s mind, he or she should then ascribe cosmic ideation to it. In that
case, one does not have to separate from the oṋḿkára.
What are these three states? What are their features and forms and to
whom do they belong? This is a natural question of the human mind. Do they
belong only to the unit entity or to Brahma as well?
Tvaḿ vá etaḿ trishariiramát́mánaḿ trishariiraḿ evaḿ
brahmátmánusandadhyát.
–Atharvaveda
In all these three conditions one thinks oneself separate from Brahma.
This distinction between unit entity and Brahma is dependent on their
attributional differences. The difference in the states of wakefulness, dream,
sleep are due to the greater or lesser dominance of Sentient, Mutative and
Static Principles. The unit entities are concerned only with their crude physical
existence; while the Cosmic manifestation, however is concerned with the
entire, vast universe. I have already said that the Cosmic manifestation is also
affected by the three binding principles. The existence of these three states in
the unit entities is only possible when these three attributes of the Cosmic
manifestation are explicitly evident. This is because the crude, subtle and
causal existences of the unit entity are wholly dependent on the cosmic

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thought-process. The crude unit-body is made of the quinquelemental, earthly
ingredients, begotten of the Cosmic thought-process; that is to say, it is created
in His Kámamaya Kośa or Conscious Mind. It is out of this crude Cosmic
Mind that innumerable unit bodies have come into being, for in order to
preserve their individualities, the distinctiveness of the receptacles (bodies)
has to be maintained, or else the units lose their individual freedom. In order
to maintain the continuity of the Cosmic thought-projection, the distinction
among objects in the sub-conscious world are unavoidable necessity; this also
accounts for the creation of innumerable bodies, or else the thought process
becomes Sthánu or static for lack of material distinctions. Since Saguńa
Brahma has to take recourse to imagination for the exhaustion of His unserved
Saḿskáras, it naturally becomes incumbent on Him to evolve a heterogeneous
world. The experiencing of actions and reactions by the unit entities are done,
to be sure, through the medium of the bodies or receptacles; and when these
unit entities abjure their sense of separateness or separate existence from the
Cosmic Entity, they no longer have to undergo the consequences of their
actions. Being emancipated from the worldly bondage, their separate physical
entities cease to exist.
This observable world, which is called Paiṋcabhúta (the five fundamental
elements), is the Kámamaya Shariira or the psychic body of Brahma. He has
no finite crude body and that is why no wakeful, dreamful or sleeping
condition, centering round His crude body, is possible. Everything about Him
is psychic.

THE WAKEFUL STATE or THE FIRST PHASE

Sthúlatvat sthúlabhuktvácca súkśmatvát súkśma bhúktvácchekya
ánandabhogácca so’yamátmá cotuśppájjágaritasthánah sthúloprajiṋa
saptáḿga ekonavimshatimukhah sthúlabhúk ca bhútáymá vishvo
vaeshavánarah prathamah pádah.
This very wakeful state is the crudest state of the self for in this state it
subsists on apprehending tanmátras (sensible and supersensible inferences)
from the crude world, desiring things relating to them and materializing those
desires by making them explicit or extrovertive. Its thought-wave and its
resultant action also is crudely materialistic, and so in the wakeful state it
thrives on the crude; i.e. crude world is its pabulum, its food. In the wakeful
state it also thrives on the subtle, for the source of its materialistic acts actually
abides in its subtle mind. Actually, its real bhaga (the experience of pleasure
and pain) takes place in the mental sphere. If the mind is disturbed, one cannot
properly enjoy a beautiful sight, a tasty food or a delectable drink. In this

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wakeful state the Átmá or soul is called catuśpada or four-phasic; that is, in
this state all its four phases are present either explicitly or implicitly. In other
words the wakeful state is explicit and within that are latent the dream state,
sleep state and the state of Turiiya. This wakeful condition is concerned with
the cognizance of the crude; that is, its function is to acquire knowledge of the
crude. This relatively crude wakeful state is sevenfold or septilateral; the
quinquelemental citta (mental plate), the Mahatattva (fundamental intellect)
and the ego. It is nineteen-faced, for its manifestation are in nineteen
directions – ten sensory and motor organs, five váyus, mind, the fundamental
intellect, ego and Múla Prakrti (the primordial Prakrti in equilibrium). In the
wakeful state all objects are the food for the mind, thus, it is called Vishva or
Vaeshvánara. It is the first páda or phase of the soul. Microcosmically the
witnessing Puruśa of the wakeful state is called Vishva and Macrocosmically
He is called Vaeshvánara or Viráta.

THE DREAM STATE or THE SECOND PHASE

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

THE SLEEPING STATE or THE THIRD PHASE

Yatra suptona kaiṋcana kámaḿ kámayate na kaiṋcana Svapnaḿ
pshyatitatsusuptaḿsuśuptasthánah ekiibhútah Prajiinánaghana eva

77
 ánadamayo hyánandabhúk Cetomukhashcaturátmá
prajiinaiishvarastriiyah pádah.
In the morphetic or sleeping state when neither the crude or conscious
mind nor the subtle or sub-conscious mind is functioning, that is, when none
of the waves of desire arise in the receptacle of the soul, nor there appears any
dream of any kind – such a state is called the state of sleep. In the wakeful
state both the conscious and the sub-conscious mind are functioning: Thought-
waves originate in the sub-conscious mind and are translated into action
through the medium of the conscious mind. In the wakeful state the role of the
conscious mind is solely predominant, but due to physical inertness in the
dream condition, the sub-conscious mind cannot properly control the
conscious mind and so here the sub-conscious mind alone is predominant. But
during sleep the imaginative power, the sub-conscious mind – also becomes as
inactive as the physical body: There remains only the unconscious or causal
mind, the Atimánas Kośa, Vijiṋánamaya kośa and Hiranyamaya Kośa. Then
how does dream occur during sleep – how does the stage of dream come
between sleep and wakefulness?
What is dream? When certain impressions perceived by the sense organs,
agitate the conscious mind and sensory or material thoughts are thereby
vehemently awakened in the conscious mind, the nervous system, the crude
receptacle of the Kámamaya Kośa and the mind itself becomes unsteady and
restless. This leaves an impression on the cells that is short-lived or long-
lasting depending on the degree of its intensity. Sometimes even a significant
impression being compelled to give way to a newer one under the impact of
some other sense-agitation or restlessness, loses its previously acquired
permanence. In the sleep state, if a person’s nerve-tissues are agitated due to
some physical cause, often either as the result of this or on account of cerebral
heat caused by some vehement thinking, the nerve cells also become tired and
disturbed. Such agitations give rise in the mental sphere to desires similar to
those impressions, accumulated in the nerve-cells. Thus the agitated citta (the
sub-conscious mind) accepts as real the stream of thoughts arising from one or
more such impressions. The crude organs having stopped functioning, the
identical desire arising from the previously acquired desire, do not then seem
to be imaginary but appear to be quite real. Such dreams often do not come
true, for these are actually pure imaginations or a mere stringing together of
different disjointed thoughts, a confused or inconsistent dream. Only those
whose nerve tissues have become weak due to some ailments of the brain or
head or to some protracted illness, or those whose digestive system are
malfunctioning, generally experience such confused dreams, which we may

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call Sensual Dreams. These dreams, as I have already said, are the true
reproduction of previously imagined objects or the disjointed expressions of
previous thoughts. Excessive eating also gives rise to such dreams in a person.
Those who have purity of thoughts and also restraint over their diet, are
generally less susceptible to such dreams. Such dreams never occur during
sleep.
There is still another type of dream. Even when people are in a deep
slumber, there may arise in their sub-conscious minds through their dreams,
the prognosis of some good news or bad news, or even a huge calamity. The
all-knowing causal or unconscious mind usually cannot express its all-
knowingness due to the unsteadiness of the conscious and sub-conscious
minds as well as due to its own expressional inability, but sometimes it can
awaken in the calm conscious and sub-conscious minds of people in deep
slumber visions of past, present or future and those visions overwhelm the
sleepers’ minds. A surging vibrational flow emanating from the fountain head
of the unconscious mind and vibrating the sub-conscious mind, is also a sort
of dream; and that dream is not insignificant for its cause is the all-knowing
causal mind. This type of dream we may call a supramental vision. Sometimes
even in the wakeful state the cognitive flow of the unconscious mind
penetrates into the subtle mind, as the result of which people even in the
wakeful state, with a little concentration, can know events concerning their
distant near and dear ones, this is called telepathic vision. Through the
concentrated state of this telepathic vision, when conscious mind is more calm
and sedate, people can visualize events concerning their distant beloved ones,
enacted before their eyes in the external world or feel as if they are seeing
them; this is called telepathic clairvoyance. Mistaking such acts as those of
spirits many people come to believe in spiritism or spiritology. Truly speaking
such incidents have no connection at all with spirits or ghosts. Telepathic
vision and telepathic clairvoyance are intrinsically the same as supramental
vision. They are born of the inspiration of the unconscious mind, the knower
of the universe. To believe in ghosts and spirits is merely to perpetuate the
cowardly mentality of the pre-historic people. But compared to supramental
vision, the incidence of telepathic vision is very much less frequent, and still
less is the occurrence of telepathic clairvoyance due to the activeness of the
Kámamaya Kośa or the conscious mind. Nevertheless the supramental vision
itself does not occur more than 8 to 10 times in the life of a person. The
greater or lesser frequencies of such experiences wholly depends on ones
sádhaná (intuitional practices) or saḿskáras (reactive requitals). (One,
however, must bear I mind that self-acquired telepathy or self-acquired
clairvoyance is something different.)
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 Even in supramental vision people often do not rasp things properly for
such cognitive waves are generally expressed through the media of their
personal saḿskáras. Suppose, for instance, in some country cows are
necessary for various indispensable jobs like cultivation, the milling of oil-
seeds, or bearing conveyances; normally people of suck countries will have
very great regard for cows. Having lived on cows milk since their childhood,
they will revere as mothers, and regard healthy, strong cows as symbols of
good fortune and prosperity. These sentiments about cows are the resultant
saḿskáras born out of their day-to-day necessities. Once someone in such a
country had a dream about a cow growing leaner and thinner by subsisting
only on the dried straws of the paddy field. Then another cow appeared who
met the same fate. Then appeared still another cow, and that too fared no
better. From such a dream he may infer that his next three years will be
inauspicious. As the cows and paddy were symbols of good fortune and
prosperity, lean cows and dried paddy plants in the dream were a premonition
of misfortune. So for the prescience of the truth through the medium of
dreams it is necessary for people to control their conscious and sub-conscious
minds. Those who have brought both these minds under control through
spiritual practices can, with a little effort, visualize pictures of the past, present
and future even in their wakeful state. This accounts for the meditational
clairvoyance or intuitional foresight of the stages regarding distant objects or
events. Some power of visualizing past, present or future or distant events may
also be found in an average person through crystal-gazing, mirror-gazing, etc.
These are nothing but the expansion of the cognitive field as the conscious and
sub-conscious minds are partially absorbed in the unconscious mind, as the
result of earnest concentration on a particular bright object. In the hypnotic
state or during planchette-concentration (ouija board) also, the activities of the
conscious and sub-conscious minds become stilled, and the range of a
particular individual’s knowledge is expanded at least for a short duration. But
here one must bear in mind that in the hypnotized state or in mirror-gazing one
sees only the reflections of one’s own saḿskáras or previous bias. This occurs
in almost cent percent of the cases; for instance when a hypnotized person
utters, words according to his own saḿskáras while people gaze at him in awe
and with folded hands, taking his utterances as absolute truth. Those who
feign theophanic or demonical trances are total frauds – all that they do or say
are tricks and hoaxes. But even those who invoke the spirits of gods with
devotion or sit around the planchette – even their statements are almost
entirely the expressions of their respective saḿskáras and previous bias. One
or two percent of their predictions may even come true due to their mental
concentration; but such chance truths may not always be the expressions of the

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unconscious mind, for there is nothing unusual about one or two predictions
out of many, coming true – it may happen to any ordinary person. There is a
Bengali proverb, “The crow dies of storm, the Fakir strikes his form.”
The state in which conscious and sub-conscious minds do not function,
when the unit entity is not motivated by any longing or any desire nor is
seeing any dream – this in the language of the scriptures is known as the state
of sleep. That is to say if there is any desire or dream, we cannot then call it
sleep. In the absence of any particular conceptual or external expression, such
a state is one of absolute cognition for the individual. Due to this absolute
cognition people enjoy a special kind of bliss. In the absence of any crude or
subtle function of the mind, they do not experience any happiness or sorrow,
any pleasure or pain. That is, why in that state they feel special type of joy in
the crude as well as in the subtle spheres of mind, and so in such states
material distinctions do exist. But in the state of sleep, the crude and subtle
functions of the mind are absent, and thus the awareness of material diversities
is also non-existent. All worldly objects become one. This state of absence of
distinction creates a special kind of bliss which the individual goes on
enjoying in the sleeping state. But this unicity of sleep is not actually the state
of self-expansion or absolute identity with the Divine Essence.
The knowledge of material distinction can be dispensed within two ways.
In a very brilliant radiance the perception of differentialities is lost, for at that
time all objects appear radiant. Then again, in absolute darkness material
differences as well vanish for them there is only a cimmerian darkness in
which all objects lose their respective outlines. The unicity of sleep is the
same as that of the stupefying cimmerian darkness; that is to say, the power of
vision is intact and so are the objects, but there is no visualization. Hence the
joy of sleep is static or passive, and gradually this state gives way to dream or
wakefulness. The seven-sided and decennoval (nineteen) outlets of the
wakeful and dreamful states are not lost but remain as seeds in the state of
sleep. And so there can never be happiness in this state either. Such a state is
called Prájiṋa or the quiescent state of cognition, and that of the Supreme
Spirit is called Ishvara or the Crude Cosmic Mind. Since the entire world is
linked together in Him just as the pearls are strung on a thread or sútra, so He
is called Sútreshvara. It is this thread that has encircled the individuality of the
unit. The reason for calling the Puruśa in the sleep state as Prájiṋa is that in
this state the seed of all knowledge is embedded. Yet due to darkness,
discrimination is nil – such is the state of sleep. The seeds of the wakeful and
dreamful states abide in this state too, and so its happiness is not absolute but
merely, a fragmental or partial one.

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TURIIYA – The State of Non-Duality
Eśa sarveshvara eśa sarvajiṋa eśontaryámyeśa yonih sarvasya prabhavá
pyayao hi bhutánám trayamapyetat susuptaḿ svapnaḿ máyámátraḿ
cidekaraso hyayamátmá atha caturthashcaturátmá
turiiyávasitatvadekaeka syotánujiṋátranujiṋá vikal- paestrayamatrapi
susuptam svapnaḿ máyámatram cidekaraso hyathayamádesho na
sthulaprajiṋam na sukśmaprájiṋaḿnobhayatah prajiṋaḿ na prajiṋam
náprjiṋam na prajiṋánaghanamadrśt́amavyavahar- yamapratyay asáram
prapaincopashamam shivam shántaḿ advaetam manyate. Sa evátmá sa
esa vijineya iishvaragrásasturiiyasturiiya.
Turiiya is neither Omniscient nor the Lord of all, for to know anything the
presence of different entities like knowledge, knower and knowable is
unavoidable. Likewise, the Iishvaratva or the right of control over anything is
not possible without the existence of a controller, control and the controlled,
so the state of omniscience or all-knowingness exists only when one’s
cognitive self remains separate from all the rest, from the knowable entities.
Similarly, in the state in which one experiences “I am” the Iishvara or the
Lord of all, here too the separateness of ones characteristic self from all others
is necessary. But in the Turiiya state the sense of existence of all other entities
does not exist at all; there remains only one entity and that is why, an
individual in this state cannot be the knower of any object nor the Iishvara of
anything. An individual endowed with omniscience or Lordship, we shall call
Prájiṋa not Turiiya. The Prájiṋá is the root of all, the giver of inspiration, the
cause of the existential ratification of the world. That is why His body is
known as the Causal Body. He Himself is the Quiescent Soul or the Causal
Soul. Turiiya is the Witnessing Consciousness, and the Causal Body or Causal
Brahma is the qualified manifestation is expressing itself through the media of
endless unit manifestations in the hope of finally attaining the great union in
the Supreme Perfection – in the Absolute Supreme Bliss. The qualified
thought projection of the Cosmic expression, that is the initial stage of the
centrifugal action (Saiṋcara) is called the Causal Body, and the Puruśa, which
is the subject of this Causal Body, is the Causal Soul, for the word “cause”
here actually means seed. His Body is the seed of the universe and thus He is
the Causal Soul. The manifestativeness of the entire universe lies covert in this
stage and that is why He is the Controller of all manifestations. He is the
Omniscient Being and the Lord of all.
The last phase of Introversion (Prati-Saiṋcara) is somewhat like
Extroversion (Saiṋcara); but the main difference between them is that during
the time of extroversion the Causal Soul has the germinating potentials of the

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seed but in the last stage of introversion it is just the reverse. In other words,
due to the lack of germinating possibility the Causal Soul returns to the
Original Entity. Thus, it will be more correct to call returning Causal Body the
ordinary body instead
Turiiya Brahma (Nrsiḿha or Puruśottama) is concerned with the Causal
Body in four kinds of associations or dissociations:

1. Ota Yoga or the state of pervasive or intimate association.

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

OTA YOGA
Ota Yoga is that pervasive state of Turiiya, in which He is omnipresent as
the knower of the Causal Body. He is just like the sun associated with its own
manifestation, the world, by means of its own rays. Here the sun-ray is but a
particular state of the sun itself and through the medium of that state the sun
itself is united with this its manifestation, intimately and physically linked
with this world as well as with other planets; it is inherent their very molecules
and atoms. Similarly Puruśottama is also intimately and physically associated
with the manifest and unmanifest unit entities as their witness. This
associational bearing of the Turiiya is called Ota Yoga. In other words the
yoga or link that constitutes the witness-ship of the unit entities is called Ota
Yoga and that which constitutes the pervasive witness-ship of the collective
whole is called Prota Yoga.
Nrisḿha is connected with the Causal Body in Ota Yoga just as the sun is
connected with the causal body of the world through the medium of its rays.
Where the knowership is Puruśottama, the known is the Causal Body. Where
the knowership is Akśara, the known is Kśara, that which has deviated from
its characteristics. Where the knowership is Acyuta (undegraded), the known
is Cyuta, that which has degraded from its original characteristics. Where the
knowership is the Supreme Brahma, known is the microcosm or reflected
Brahma. This knowership is the Infinite Entity, the known is finite.

ANUJIṊÁTÁ YOGA
Is not that Causal Body, which Turiiya Brahma is associated through Ota
Yoga, also Brahma? Of course that too is Brahma. When the unit entities
ascribe pantheistic bearing to the Causal Body and run after it, they virtually
impose Turiiyabháva or oneness on the Causal Body itself. The Causal Soul
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itself is Brahma. This bearing being the state preceding the Turiiyasthiti or
establishment in non-duality this Pre-Turiiya Cosmotheistic state, is called
Anujiṋátá Yoga. It is similar to knowing the sun, keeping in view the fact of
its inalienable relation to the creation, preservation and destruction of the
world. Truly speaking the Yoga by which the sense, that the world is
intrinsically inalienable from the sun, is awakened, is called Anujiṋátá Yoga.
In this Anujiṋatá Yoga the relation of knowership and known though not
fully manifest, does exist, it is semi-manifest, and so, like Ota Yoga, I cannot
call the either the Supreme state of Turiiya.
When the finite, qualified unit entity, makes efforts to reach, through the
Dhyána Yoga or meditation, the state of infinity of non-qualifiedness or non-
distinctiveness, such a state is called Anujiṋátá Yoga. In other words it is as
though attempting through cognitive sádhaná to regard the world itself as the
finite form of the sun, while understanding the sun’s essential and
characteristic unicity with it.

AVIKALPA YOGA
In Avikalpa Yoga there is no room for any second sentiment or thought.
Here the entity is essentially one, the soul is purely cognition devoid of
attributional aspects of the three states like knowledge, known and knower.
This Avikalpa state is the seedless state of absolute identity with the Divine
Essence, the eternal tranquillity of Nirvikalpa Samádhi or indeterminate,
super-sensual trance of absorption.
We cannot call this Turiiya Sthulaparájiṋa, for He is not apprehensible by
any crude objective intellect or knowledge. Nor can we call Him
Suksmaprájiṋa either, for He is beyond the knowability or apprehensibility of
the subtlest of the subtle intelligence of the subjective or objective intellect.
Then again we cannot say that He is Ubhayaprájiṋa, that He is knowable, but
through some middle condition between the two. It will be also incorrect to
say that He is attainable through synthetic knowledge or intellect for in that
state, which is in reality a state of absolute cognition, the seed of all-
knowingness as well as Omnilordship does exist and so that state – not to
speak of the Avikalpa or seedless state – is not even a Turiiya state. We shall
call the state absolute cognition the Causal Soul, which is known as Prájiṋa
and Sútreshvara according to individual and collective distinction
respectively. Truly speaking, the Entity which is neither a crude cognition –
nor a subtle cognition neither a bilateral cognition nor an absolute cognition –
can have no relation with the mind or its activities at all. That Entity is beyond
the scope of mind, common knowledge or intelligence, be it crude or subtle,
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condensed or uncondensed, or any of the other imaginative processes of the
mind – none of these is Turiiya Brahma for He is beyond the orbit of the
mind. He is free of all adjectives or attributes, like commonness,
uncommonness, density, non-density etc. To attribute all these to Him is to
brand Him with positive or negative traits. Being beyond the purview of the
mind, He cannot be seen nor can He be used for any transaction of give and
take. The differences of objects are determinated by the differences rather than
attributes. As the mind cannot determine His attributes, it cannot determine
His distinctiveness from any other object either. He is not a material thing. He
is non-material. This Turiiya Entity, being beyond the scope of mind, is also
not apprehensible through meditating. His characteristic form cannot be
described, for how can any material language describe the immaterial? This
Turiiya Brahma exists behind the existential sense of every object in His
characteristic, intransmutable stance only, which remains as the characteristic
essence, the ultimate result of all metaphysical and philosophical analyses. He
indeed is Shiva-the Bhumánanda (Macrocosmic Bliss). Being free from all
duality He is Absolute Tranquillity. He is without distortions, for distortions
occur due to the application of force by one object upon another.
His singular stance is His only characteristic. Thus the first three of the
four states are not the absolute Truth. The fourth state, the Turiiya, is the only
Truth. The states of wakefulness, dream and sleep are not spiritual entities for
they contain in them the semblance of attributes, their existential entities are
dependent on the crude, subtle and causal knowables. So the first three states
of the soul are relative truths because they are dependent on other factors
whereas the fourth state, the Turiiya, being independent of all others, is the
spiritual Truth, the whole Truth, the Absolute Truth.
Earn your deathlessness by establishing yourself in Him. He is the real
Soul. If any condition is worth attaining at all then it is this condition – the
Turiiya condition. In such a condition there cannot be any distinctions of
microcosm or macrocosm. In this condition there is no form for action,
inaction or counter-action – no scope for extroversive or introversive vagaries.
This bearing is the natural characteristic of the soul, its characteristic Self. In
wakefulness the collectivity is called Viráta (the subjective counterpart of the
Causal Cosmic Mind) and the individuality is Vishva (the subjective
counterpart of the causal unit-mind). In the dream state the collectivity is
known as Hirańyagarbha (the subjective counterpart of the subtle Cosmic
Mind) and the individuality is Taejasa (the subjective counterpart of the subtle
unit-mind). In the sleeping state the collectivity is Sútreshvara (the subjective
counterpart of the crude Cosmic Mind), the individuality is Prajiṋa (the

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subjective counterpart of the crude unit-mind), the dormant cognition, being
completely free from all attributes or the semblance thereof, the states of
collectivity and individuality cannot exist due to the absence of all kinds of
differentiations. In this condition He is called the One unique Iishvaragrása or
the Cosmic Finality regardless of any collectivity or individuality. Only in the
soul is He experienced. He is the summum bonum of all sádhaná or intuitional
practice. He is not attainable through arguments or science. When one is
ensconced in Him, wakefulness, dream and sleep are but mere imaginations
and illusions – merely the mistaken recognition of untruth for Truth. Even the
entire quinquelemental or Paiṋcabhútatmaka world is lost during this
Turiiyabháva, in such a supreme state all elemental bearings recede into
nothingness. In every human being there are the states of wakefulness, dream,
sleep, the unit soul and the Supreme Soul. It is that Soul we must know.
He is the ultimate Finality, the Iishvaragrása. The range of the dream state
is greater than that of the wakeful one, and the range of the sleep state much
greater than that of the dream state. And the state encompasses the entire vast
extent of the sleep state, and that is why Turiiya state is the vastest of all, the
all-devouring. Even the Supreme Puruśa (Iishvara), the subjective witnessing
entity meets His end in Him and that is why His name is Iishvaragrása or the
Cosmic Finality.
This Turiiya or non-dual state is beyond all guńas or attributes. No
language can describe Him. The scriptures have only tried to elucidate and
explain Him, but the language for the proper explanation is not within the
bounds of the scriptures. In the state of Turiiya not only does subjectivity not
exist, but in the fourth aspect of the turiiya, the Avikalpa, there is not even a
semblance of witness-ship. No matter how assiduously the wavering and
indecisive mind exerts itself to reach that Turiiya, it can never hold Him
within its grasp. To attain Him one has to do the sádhaná of self-surrender,
one has to surrender oneself wholly – giving the full sixteen
annas.(1) Withholding of even a single anna will not do.
Peace be with you all.

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Agraháyańa Púrńimá 1956 DMC

Footnotes

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

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The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 6: Avidyá
On the 9th of January last year I told you something about the theory of
Prakrti. Today I will tell specifically about Avidyá or the Extroversive Force.
Brahma is the composite of Puruśa and Prakrti. Prakrti is the Operative
Principle and Puruśa is the Consciousness or the Cognitive Principle. Brahma
is two in one. Jiiva or the unit manifestation of Brahma is also composed of
Puruśa and Prakrti, that is cognitive and operative principles. The sense of ego
or “Doer I” that exists behind all that a person does, says, thinks, understands,
or hears is the product of Prakrti. And behind this ego, the “I know I am” that
exists as the Supreme Knower is a human being’s cognitive force – the
undistorted Puruśa. Not only humans, every entity, whether animate or
inanimate, movable or immovable, consists of Puruśa and Prakrti. Sentience
or insentience are only relative conditions. Truly speaking, there is nothing
which is insentient or inanimate. Rather we do them injustice by calling and
believing them to be so. Take, for instance, a piece of stone. Is it insentient?
No, nothing is insentient from the spiritual point of view. Only those things
appear insentient or inert, in which the influence of Prakrti or force over
Puruśa or Consciousness is more in evidence. In other words, I would call
only that inert, in which due to the greater influence of Prakrti, Puruśa is not
manifest, or is lying dormant. In the Sun Prakrti is manifest but Puruśa is
subdued. That is why the Sun, in spite of being the nucleus of the solar system
– whose inhabitants, human beings, possess such a highly developed intellect
– whose countless organisms are conscious of their respective egos – does not
know itself as the Sun. But its progeny, human beings, very well know it as
the sun. Not only that, they have tried to know and understand its functioning
more and more deeply and have persevered and will persevere to possess and
unravel all its mysteries through philosophical researches and analytical
experiments. This conquest of human beings over the sun – the credit for this
feat, does not belong to human beings but to the developed Puruśa or
Consciousness. I cannot, from the spiritual standpoint, call anything inert or
crude which looks apparently so under the greater crudifying influence of
Prakrti, because the entity, which appears to be passive or crude, is actually
the crude manifestation of Prakrti-influenced Consciousness. That is to say, in
such a state the Consciousness is incapable of expressing its knowership, for
its expression has been curtailed at the very outset by Prakrti. Thus a piece of
stone which seems to be inanimate or inert, is not actually so. It only exists in
a particular state of Consciousness and it too has the potentiality of
transforming itself into a glorious human being like you one of these days.

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The dormant Puruśa in such seemingly inert objects will certainly one day
awaken.
It is by the influence of Prakrti that Puruśa comes to be imbued with
inertness, for to make the integral body of Brahma divided and diversified,
everything has to be demarcated, and that demarcation is not possible unless
the thing is crude. So to bring about such plurality in Puruśa, inertness has to
be imposed on Him and this imposition is accomplished by Prakrti. Prakaroti
iti Prakrti, that is, that, which [[has the]] multi-creative power or plasticity is
called Prakrti.
This Prakrti has three constituent attributes or forces (guńas) – sentient
(sattva), mutative (rajah) and static (tamah). Had there been no such multi-
creative, triple-attributive Prakrti, the diverse manifestations of different
animals and plants would not have come into being. In other words the entire
universe would have remained purposeless and unvaried, unexpressed or
unmanifested.
Prakrti and Máyá are almost synonymous, but in common usage there is a
shade of difference in the meaning. In cases where the three guńas or
attributes, sattva (sentient), rajah (mutative) and tamah (static), are in
equilibrium, the word Prakrti, is generally used. Such equilibrated Mulá
Prakrti (Primordial Force or Operative Principle) is unmanifest but where the
three components are not in equilibrium, such a state is called Máyá (the
Creative Principle). Where there is no equipoise or equality, where there is
disparity – either sattva or tamah is predominant. The state of disparity in
which sattva (the Sentient Force) is greater, is called Vidyámáyá or
Introversive Force and the state in which Tamah (the Static Force) is greater,
is called Avidyámáyá or Extroversive Force.
So you see, it is only due to the disparity in the trivalent factors of Prakrti
that the world is conceived in the Cosmic Mind. Similarly when the unit mind
races towards Brahma, it is also due to the same attributional disparity of
Prakrti. If Prakrti had been in equipoise, no movement would have been
possible in the primordial state where Prakrti is inexplicit and dormant in
Puruśa – this state is a stationary state. Manifested Prakrti is of course
dynamic, be that momentum introversive or extroversive. By the introversive
momentum of Prakrti under the influence of Vidyámáyá, the unit beings
(jiivas) proceed towards sublimity. But the stage when it reaches in that
Sublime Uniformity, not only does the Avidyámáyá or extroversive force
[[not]] exist, but even Vidyámáyá’s potential influence over the individuality
of the unit also disappears due to her own super-exaltation. For the purpose of
sádhaná (spiritual practices) sádhakas (spiritual aspirants) have to take the
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help of Vidyámáyá or introversive force though finally they have to forgo her
also.
This Máyá (creative principle) is the Mother of the individuality of the
unit entity, for without Máyá individuality does not come into being. The
absence of motivity means the absence of creation. Had there been no Máyá,
the potentiality of the individuality would have ever remained in Shiva or
Cosmic Consciousness. Máyá is the causal matrix of the creation of this
disparate, illusory world. Everything of this evolved world is the manifestation
of her heterogeneous forms, her playful diversion.
Sarvarupamayii devii sarvaḿ deviimayaḿ jagat
Tato’ham vishvarupáḿ táḿ namámi parameshvariim.
–Márkańd́ eya Puráńa
Máyá is of multifarious forms and all things of the entire world are
nothing but Máyá. I bow to this Cosmos Mahámáyá.
Previously I told you that there existed a great Máyá-ic obscurity in
between Cosmic Consciousness and unit consciousness, between the Cosmic
individuality and unit individuality. It is due to this obscurity that there exists
between them a sense of detachment; it is due to this obscurity that there
results in the individuality of the unit such weaknesses as sense of despair,
loss of confidence, etc., because whichever way the people turn, a perennial,
cimmerian darkness stares them in the face and impairs their clear vision. As a
result their eyes fail to grasp the real picture of things. They merely grope to
become acquainted with them. To attain the valid cognition of reality and true
vision we have to find out the means of escape from this Máyá. Does Máyá
vanish of her own accord out of fear of human beings, or have we to develop
some way to get rid of her?
Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.(1)
–Shrii Krśńa
The one whose life’s goal is Brahma, the guiding-star in one’s path of
progress, alone is capable of surmounting Máyá. That is why, one’s life
should be based on Brahma – should be inclined to Brahma. A sádhaka’s
sádhaná means struggle with Máyá (Creative Principle), and salvation means
the subjugation of Máyá, in that event one will become the Lord of Máyá. In
common parlance it is the unit entity which is under the influence of Máyá and

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Brahma alone who has sovereignty over her. When people attain supremacy
over Máyá through their sádhaná, the veil of darkness moves aside from their
minds and then there remains no difference between their own self-effulgence
and the Brahmic effulgence – both are fused into one.
Sádhaná is a battle – a battle with Máyá, for the attainment of one’s
objective. The object of this fight is somehow to thwart the force of Máyá.
This battle can be fought in three ways.
Suppose you are walking alone through a vast forest with darkness all
around you, and you see a dim light far away. Now, if you march on and on,
treading through this darkness with your eyes fixed on that light, what will
you finally see? As you proceed nearer and nearer towards the light, the
density of darkness will become thinner and thinner, and when you reach very
close to the light, you will find no darkness around you at all. Similarly, with
Brahma as the goal, this proceeding forward, rending the darkness of Avidyá
(the Extroversive Force), is one of the fights against Avidyá. It is called
Madhyamácára or the Middle Course. Ananda Marga prefers this middle
course, because without a goal how long can you go on fighting with the
darkness? Is it safe to grope your way through darkness? Are not time and
labour wasted for lack of a goal? Is it not fraught with an impending danger?
The other two methods of the battle of Sádhaná are Dakśińácára and
Vámácára.
Now, who will fight this battle against Máyá – Iishvara (Consciousness
qualified by the Static principle) or Prájiṋa (the spiritually dormant
microcosm)? When the Macrocosmic Consciousness witnesses the Static
principle as His object, He is called Iishvara or the Lord of the Universe; and
when the microcosmic or unit consciousness is the witnessing counterpart of
the static principle, he is called Prájiṋa. This spiritual dormancy is the state of
maximum crudeness and negativity, which the Prájiṋabháva alone has to fight
against. Iishvarabháva, being the counterpart of the integral Puruśottamabháva
or Nuclear Consciousness, does not have any particular necessity for sádhaná.
Tathá hi prájine saesavidyá jagat survamátamá paramátmáeva
Svaprakásho pyavisayajiṋátvájjánaneve hyatra na vijánati.
Being under the influence of the Static force of Prakrti, Avidyá, the
spiritually dormant person (Prájiṋa) is incapable of deriving happiness from
mundane objects. Here you must remember that the word, Prájiṋa, is not used
in the sense of physical dormancy. The word here implies the Jiivátmá or the
sentient soul which is asleep or quiescent spiritually. Such persons are
concerned with heterogeneous entities, yet, in spite of their highly discerning
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refined discernment, they are unable to understand their true perspective – due
to the spell of darkness of Avidyá. Nevertheless they abide in this very
darkness with all their knowledge of the differences. The very fight against
these disintegrating tendencies is their Sádhaná. In other words, Prájiṋa or the
spiritually dormant persons will have to fight to rescue their Prajiṋá or
discriminating intellectual self from the hands of the Static principle. In this
fight, when the Prájiṋa comes out victorious, they will identify themselves
with the Supreme Consciousness, for they are then no more under the bondage
of Prakrti. I have said it before and I say it again, that Sádhaná means fight
against Avidyá. This fight is internal, not external. External or ostentatious
fight will achieve nothing. In such a fight one’s entire capability culminates in
the acrobatics of dressing and decorating of one’s exterior with málá (a rosary
or string of beads for saying prayers), tilaka (a conspicuous mark between the
eyebrows with sandalwood-paste or vermilion, jholá (a little sack for the
rosary) and candan-chápa (or the mark of sandalwood paste on the forehead,
arms and chest). Instead, spiritual aspirants have to fight against their inner,
base propensities, and when they will wear the crown of victory, they will
then realize that there is absolutely no difference between them and Brahma –
they have become Brahma Himself.
Now the question arises: when human beings are part and parcel of the
omniscient Cosmic Consciousness, why don’t we then see the manifestation
of perfect knowledge in them during their static bondage? Had there been
perfect or complete knowledge in the unit beings, there would not have been
any necessity for Sádhaná.
Actually the jiivabháva or the individuality of the unit imbibes quite a lot
of knowledge in the basic condition. It also has the potentiality for infinite
knowledge, but that knowledge is unobjective. Suppose you are sitting alone
in darkness and around you there is the variegated discriminative world and
within yourself you also have the power to observe this discriminative world.
Yet you cannot see anything due to the darkness. All the entities have mingled
and identified themselves with the darkness. The sight of the seer is intact, but
the vision has become one with the all-devouring darkness. So in such a
condition the knowledge of the seer is unobjective. Similar is the condition of
the individuality of the unit entities. It cannot understand the real form of any
entity due to Avidyá, so it goes on groping and forming its own arbitrary
conclusions about things. That is why, I told you that it is incorrect to say that
the Prájiṋa or the spiritually dormant human being has no capacity of
knowing; in fact he or she does have a limitless capacity to know. The seed of
knowledge is certainly present with its limitless potentiality. Only the

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knowingness is lacking substantiation due to the darkness. Hence the
spiritually dormant person will have to do Sádhaná to drive away the
darkness. With the disappearance of obscurity, all the things perceived during
the spell of darkness and their cause will merge in the Prájiṋa itself, that is to
say, their whole existence will vanish. So with the merger of the Prájiṋa-
Sádhaka in Brahma this discriminative world also merges in the homogeneous
Cause.
In the human mind Avidyámáyá (Extroversive Force) manifests herself in
two ways: Vikśepátmaka (extroversive or centrifugal) and Ávaranátmaka
(obstructive). Philosophically we call them Vikśepa Force and Ávarańii
(covering) Force, respectively. Due to the remoteness of the original object to
be known, a lack of valid knowledge results, that is, due to the remoteness of
Brahmabháva, a lack of spiritual knowledge results, and with the increase of
remoteness even the semblance of knowledge gradually vanishes. These are
all the actions of this Vikśepa or Centrifugal Force. And in spite of the
opposite condition, proximity, the lack of valid knowledge that occurs due to
the darkness of ignorance is the act of the Ávarańii or the Obstructive Force.
The reason why I call this an Ávarańii Force is that it works as a cover or lid
over the original object.
In this heterogeneous world the sense of existence and acquaintance are
the combined action of Vikśepa and Ávarańii forces of Avidyámáyá. Just as
the real picture of a thing is not discernible in the darkness – appearing as a
strange shadowy entity in this heterogeneous creation, too is similarly
observed on the Cosmic Body due to the influence of Avidyámáyá. In other
words, during the process of Saiṋcara (Extroversion) the Vikśepa and
Ávarańii forces dominate due to the predominance of Avidyá in the
macrocosmic thought-projection, and during Pratisaiṋcara (Introversion), they
gradually dwindle into nothingness. In order to realize their own characteristic
seity or self-hood, Sádhakas must try to establish themselves in the
introversive state (Pratisaiṋcara) by banishing darkness of Avidyá which
created this heterogeneous world – this is their Sádhaná. When the Sádhaná is
introversive, it has to be assumed that the preponderance of Vidyámáyá or
introversive principle is there. The two anti-Avidyá forces that exist in the
Vidyámáyá are Samvit or the Introspective Force and Hládinii or the
Sublimative Force. The force that awakens the consciousness of one’s present
condition in a Sádhaka – the awareness that I am the highest evolved creature,
a human being, and I have to cast away the darkness of the obstructive force
of Ávarańii, I have to worship the nearest Entity by conquering the distance or
chasm created by the centrifugal force of Vikśepa – such an introversive sense

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of realization that wakes up in the human mind is called Samvit. The meaning
of Samvit, you all know, is sudden realization of the state of things. I call it
the Samvit Force, for it awakens the sádhaka to reality.
And the propelling force, whereby sádhakas carry themselves to the
Supreme Entity, fighting their way through the vikśepa or the centrifugal
force, lifting themselves above all trifles and surging in the thought-waves of
the Great, is called hládinii. I call it hládinii Force, for it escorts the Sádhakas
through the path of ahlád or ánanda or divine ecstasy and establishes them in
Absolute Bliss. This is the much-coveted Hládinii of the unit being – the Shrii
Rádhá (the staunch devotee of Lord Krśńa, the personified Love Sublime) of
the Vaeśńavas.
Where the two forces, Vidyá and Avidyá, are in equilibrium, none of the
satellite forces like vikśepa, samvit, ávarańii or hládinii, are in evidence. In
such a balanced state the microcosm undergoes neither regeneration nor
degeneration. Such a condition is indeed rare. Yet in common terms I can say
that such a condition does exist in most of the jiivas or units. The equilibrium
of forces that causes this non-progressive and non-regressive condition is
called tatastha shakti or the coastal Force. A man who is not depraved and
abides by normal laws, and yet does not do Brahma-Sádhaná, is virtually
within the realm of this coastal force. Right from the first stage of sádhaná, a
sádhaka begins his journey from the borderline of a coast towards the
victorious, all-pervasive, Macrocosm with the aid of the Sublimative Force
(Hládinii). I call it Tatastha, because Tata means the shore where the water of
a river or lake touches the bank. What is the state of the people who are
Tatastha, right on the borderline of the Tata or shore? If they descend just a
step down they fall into the river, and if they ascend a step up they stand on
dry solid ground; so the first step of Sádhaná is situated on the borderline of
the shore. Now in such a condition you may either cut adrift from your
Brahmic sentiment, aided by the extroversive force of Vikśepa, and be swept
away by the current of the river, or you may establish yourself squarely on the
solid ground Brahma.
In spite of the cognitive potentiality in the Prájiṋa, such a person is
deprived of the proper knowledge of objects during the darkness, which is
sensed by him alone, very well. For instance, in the absence of objective
knowledge of reality during sleep, there is in human beings a particular
sensation, which is quite different from their feelings while awake. That
sensation is the lack of the sense of reality. After waking up, when one
recollects that preceding feeling of vacuity, then alone one realizes, “Oh, I was
sleeping”.

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 Abhávapratyáyalambaniivrttirnidrá.
That is, sleep is the cognitive mental process of the experience of vacuity.
During sleep, in spite of the spiritual potentiality in fullest measure, it is
the sense of darkness, that practically exists because in that state the cruder
sheaths of the body and mind become inert due to the influence of the static
force. As a result it is not only impossible for such a person to perceive or
sense anything of the external world through the media of sensory or motor
organs, but even [[ saḿskáramúlaka [reactive] or pratyayamúlaka [original] ]]
dreaming becomes an impossibility. This is why, although physiologically
there is a difference between sleep and unconsciousness, psychologically there
is none.
Anubhútermáyá ca tamorúpánubhútesttade’tajjádaḿ
mohátmakamanantaḿ tucchamidaḿ rúpamasya asya vyainjiká
nityanivrttápi múd́ haerátmaeva drśt́á.
Sleep is the condition of highest passivity. After this condition when
dream comes, the sense of inertness diminishes. In this case the Manomaya
Kośa or the subtle mind becomes active and only the Kámamaya Kośa or the
crude mind remains inactive. In the wakeful state the sense of inertness is even
less and so in this state the crude mind also is awakened. This awakened state
is also under the sway of Prakrti or Máyá. The effort to reach the spiritual or
supreme state of consciousness from this so-called awakened mental state, is
called Sádhaná. The indication of this condition will come through the fight
with Avidyá. After defeating Avidyá and finally giving up Vidyá too, you will
have to establish yourselves in the Supreme state. There are two more
methods of fighting against Avidyá, those of Vámácára and Dakśińácára.
What is Vámácára? It is the reason[[ing]] that “Target or no target I shall
go on fighting against the darkness of Máyá and after her defeat She will help
realize my cherished desire”. Such a sádhaka is called vámácárii. In such type
of Sádhaná there is tremendous possibility of danger or downfall. In the
majority of cases vámácáriis, before realizing their cherished desire, often
abuse their power which was gained through their fight with Avidyá. As a
result he falls an unwary victim to more darkness and more inertness until he
is gradually reduced to the level of bestiality. Thus, it is meaningless to try to
attain victory over Prakrti without a specific goal. What progress can one
expect in individual or social life through such an aimless pursuit?
And what is Dakśinácárii: A Dakśinácárii wants to win over Prakrti
through entreaties and importunities. He or she begs, “O Prakrti! Remove Thy
darkness and make way for me.”
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 Tvaḿ vaeśńavii shaktiranantaviiryá
Vishvasya biijaḿ paramási Máyá
Sammohitaḿ devii samstametad tvaḿ vae
Prasanná bhuvi mukti hetuh.
“O Máyá! Thou art the power of Lord Viśńu – the all-pervading Power. Thou
art the prime cause of the whole universe. This heterogeneous world is
evolved by the Static Force. So thou art the seed of the world, the Supreme
Force. Every entity of the world is hypnotized. May you be propitiated and
become the cause of my emancipation (Mukti).”
You all know, that Sádhaná for emancipation means a struggle for
freedom; it means the establishment of Svarája (one’s own kingdom) after
rescuing ourselves from the onslaughts of Avidyá.
The true kingdom abides [[in]] the Soul Supreme
The urge for freedom is sought within
Nor pen nor sword nor brawn can dream of
The bliss of freedom ever so green.
Can this emancipation be attained through flattery? Certainly not. Flattery
is the antic of cowards. A mighty personage, moved by flattery, may give the
flatterers some concession, or may shower upon them perhaps a few grains of
kindness as well: but they will certainly not be granted full freedom or even if
he does orally with his tongue in his cheek, the cowards would decline to
accept it.
This world is the creation of Máyá, the Creative Principle: its very
existence is illusory. What significance can there be of this illusory form or
this Máyá-ic entity? The Vedas have said, “This illusive entity – this relative
truth is a trifling phenomenon, and so this illusory world must also indeed, be
insignificant. Great is that Prájiṋa, who abides as the observer of this illusion
(Máyá).” Puruśa is supreme, but His objects are of little value. Puruśa is an
aseity, a birthless entity and His objects are the rhythmic heterogeneity of the
birthless Prakrti, the plastic performer of the inconceivable. That is why they
are not eternal but transitory. This rhythmic extravaganza is leading human
beings forward every moment through the heteromorphic phenomena, none of
which has any lasting permanence. The person who is a boy, becomes a youth
after a few years, and the same person becomes old again after some time.
After the death of the illusive forms of boyhood and youth, comes old age, and
after the death of the illusive form of old age there occurs the worldly death.
That is why, the form of Máyá is unimportant – so insignificant. It dies every
moment.

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 This Máyá-ic manifestation is also perpetually being destroyed every
moment. How could you account for the form of a five-year-old child after it
has been transformed into a youth of twenty-five through the influence of
time? Does not the gap between five and twenty-five wholly pertain to time?
Between the two stands a piece of time, which we call twenty years. Within
these twenty years at every fraction of a moment, or at some sort of a still
shorter time, say, a micro-second, for example – one form of this child died
and another form was created and each of those dead forms merged in the
Puruśa and identified itself with the Supreme Knower. Suppose you are
proceeding form Patna to Arrah. On your way you are thinking only about
Arrah; that is your citta or mind is taking the form of Arrah. On reaching
Arrah you start thinking about Mogal-Sarai. Again your citta takes the form of
Mogal-Sarai. Now at this stage, where did the form of Arrah go, which had
been previously created by your mind? That form has merged in you.
Similarly this illusory world is also created by the Brahmic thought-
projection, wherein the disappearance of one form is followed by the creation
of another. This thought-process is evolved by the influence of Máyá, and it is
through the help of this Máyá that we realize the self-manifested form of
Puruśa. Saguńa Puruśa (the subjectivated and objectivated Puruśa) and Prakrti
are like fire and ghee (clarified butter). To see the dazzling form of fire we
have to pour ghee in it, similarly, to see Puruśa manifested in form, the
presence of the active force of Máyá is unavoidable. This Máyá-influenced
Puruśa is the Saguńa Puruśa, or else like the ghee-less fire He is
“extinguished” for without the association of Máyá Saguńa Puruśa perishes –
there remains only the Nirguńa or unattributed, unmanifested, Transcendental
Entity. But there is one important thing to note here. By the influence of ghee
the existence of fire is indeed realized but what is the result? To keep the fire
burning, the ghee consumes itself. Likewise, in order to maintain the evolution
of this created world, of Saguńa Brahma, she gradually gets merged in Puruśa.
In other words, Saguńa attains salvation by degrees. You must have
thoroughly understood now how Saḿskáras (past momenta) are being
destroyed through Karmabhoga (suffering and enjoyment).
When sádhakas stand before the darkness of Prakrti they think that Prakrti
is constant. A boy of five one day becomes a young man of twenty-five by
undergoing a continued process of metamorphoses every day, every month,
every year – in fact, every infinitesimal fraction of time – but those
continuously changing forms of Prakrti can usually not be perceived. A person
who always sees a child of five can neither discern nor understand Prakrti’s
perpetually changing forms. One could only understand, seeing the young man

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of twenty-five, that gradual changes must have taken place during those
twenty years.
Those who do not want to recognize this perpetually changing form of
Prakrti, who think her to be unchanging, are devoid of intellect and judgment.
Those who are convinced of the ever-changing character of Prakrti, cease to
be under her domination. Until the conception of Puruśa-hood is roused - until
the intuitional consciousness is awakened fully, it is not possible to properly
understand Prakrti. It is for the awakening of this intuitional consciousness
that sádhaná or spiritual practice is necessary.
The experience of the static force (Tamah) in life is a constant affair. To
remove this darkness the light of your own soul will have to be lit, and by the
splendour of that light all kinds of diversities will have to be wiped out. Until
this is done, people will surely pursue the variety show of this heterogeneous
world and enjoy or endure weal or woe but they will remain far from Ánanda
or Bliss. They will become scapegoats at the hands of Prakrti, for they will be
guided solely by the momentum of Avidyámáyá or the extroversive principle.
But once they realize the true nature of Máyá and attain the state of Shiva
Shakti or Cosmic Potence, never will finally be able to ensconce in their own
blissful entities.
What fault abideth in this hapless mind of mine, -
O Shyámá, Thou, Daughter of the Magic-Mine!
That but danceth to the tune of Thine.
–Rámaprasáda
Individuality thrives on Avidyá and of Avidyá it is born. With the removal
of Avidyá, the diversified world also disappears. In such an event no
difference exists between microcosm and the macrocosm or the unit
consciousness and the Cosmic Consciousness. Both fuse into one – there
occurs a great reunion of Jiivátmá and Shivátmá or Seity and Aseity. As long
as Prakrti exists, no perfect realization is possible. All experiences are
gradually immersed in inertness under her influence. The Sádhakas feel that
spiritual realization is tantalizingly elusive – playing hide and seek within
himself. They thus find themselves in a quandary.
Asya sattvamasattvaiṋca darshayatisiddhatvá siddhatvábhyaḿ svatantrá
svatantratvena saeśá bataviija-sámányavadanekabatashaktirekaeva.
It is due to Prakrti that the sense of “I am”, “you are” and the so-called
hills, rivers, etc., are awakened and it’s due to her centrifugal (Vikśepa) and
obstructive (Ávarańii) forces that the sense of heterogeneous creation and their
diverse distinctions is awakened. Behind this sense of ego, “I am”, is what we
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call Puruśa or Átman (Soul)[[, “I know I am”;]] and the sense of “I am” which
we call Buddhitattva or Mahattattva (the fundamental intellect), which is the
object of Puruśa, is the trick played on Puruśa by Prakrti herself. As long as
the “I” exists in conjunction with the sense of ego or the fundamental intellect,
events like “I see”, “I hear”, etc., take place; and as a consequence of these
actions the discriminative world also exists. But where “I’s” sense of ego does
not exist, how can any action or object have a chance to exist? In other words,
the heterogeneous world exists, as long as the Avidyá-created sense of ego
exists. So when the influence of Prakrti passes away, the objective
Buddhitattva also loses its independent existence. Then it merges in the
Átman.
That is why, I say, when the Consciousness is achieved, the distinction
between Sat (undergoing no metamorphosis) and Asat (undergoing
metamorphosis) dissolves into air. The truth that Asat is not an eternal entity
becomes crystal-clear in such a condition.
The greatest difference between individuality (jiivabháva) and
transcendentality (Brahmabháva) is that jiivabháva is governed by Prakrti and
Brahmabháva is the governor of Prakrti. So the Sádhaná of the Sádhakas is to
triumph over their individuality, to get themselves established in
Brahmabháva by defeating Avidyá. After being so established, the Sádhakas
see with their second sight that the very same subjugated Máyá is the
progenitress or the causal matrix of billions of organisms in the world. She is
going on reflecting the many on the same single Entity of Puruśabháva – as
though many mirrors have been dexterously placed before a single flower. As
the mirrors are being added, the numerical strength of the flower increases
also, but the original flower remains essentially one. Similarly behind the
plethora of mundane diversities thrives only one Eternal Entity; all the rest are
but the reflections on His mental plate. Just as without the Máyá-like mirror or
its reflecting power, one flower remains single and does not have a chance to
become multiplied into many – similarly, had there been no Máyá, there
would have remained only one unmanifested Brahma – none of His attributive
manifestations would have been there. The individuality of the unit is the
reflection or simulacrum of the Brahmic Semblance. For the preservation of
His own existence He has to accept the predominance of the mirrors. That is
why in the Shástras or Scriptures Prakrti is called Pradhána or the chief
operative principle. Yet the eternal Macrocosmic Entity does not find Himself
obliged to accept His subjection to Prakrti at any stage. Rather Prakrti herself
has to remain in His subjection, for in the absence of Puruśa her activities will

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come to a standstill; they will not come to fruition without the husbandship of
Puruśa.
The objective of Sádhaná is to realize that very flower, the main object of
the mirror – to know that Parama Puruśa or Supreme Consciousness.
So now you understand that the sense of I-feeling of the unit is but the
simulacrum or the shadowy prototype of that Cosmic “I”, captured on the
mirror of Prakrti and reflected by her reflecting power.
Just as a tiny banian seed inherits the potentials of a banian tree, whereby
innumerable banian trees can come into being, similarly one Máyá, on account
of her endless reflective capacity, creates innumerable lives on the one Puruśa.
In other words Saguńa Brahma by the influence of the operative answer of
Prakrti creates innumerable lives on His mental plate through His thought-
projection, His imaginative power. The fight against this very Máyá that has
created these countless individualities, these multiform cosmic manifestations,
is what the sages call Sádhaná.
Tádyathá bat́abiija sámányamekamaneká Svávyatiriktán bat́án
svabiijánutpádya tatra tatra ca sampúrńaḿ santiśt́hati evamevaeśá Máyá
svávyatiriktáni paripúrnáńi kśetráńi darshayitvá jiiveshávábhásena karoti
Máyá cávidyá ca svayameva bhavati.
In spite of there being countless numbers of banian trees, growing out of
one banian seed, each of them is called by the name of banian tree, for
characteristically out of the banian seed must come a banian tree. Just as at the
pre-seed stage there was a banian tree and the result of the post-seed stage is
also a banian tree, similarly we get innumerable semblances of Puruśa or
individualities from His reflections. Prakrti, with the help of the Puruśa-like
original cause, creates Puruśa-like objects. Now the question arises: Does the
work of Prakrti end with the creation of Macrocosmic reflections[[, that is,]]
microcosms? No, certainly not. Prakrti herself with the help of her own
crudifying power does the work of demarcating both the flower and its
reflected state, or she herself takes such forms. Suppose there is a reflection of
a flower. Here the reflecting power belongs to Prakrti, the reflecting plate is
also hers and the outline of the reflected object is also that of the crudifying
Prakrti.
Is this protean master-artist, Prakrti, absolutely insignificant? An entity
that takes the colours and forms of all things or has the capacity to do so,
cannot be just dismissed as worthless. Prakrti is like a motion-picture, which
can neither be held in hand as something tangible and existent, nor can it be
dismissed as something non-existent. Prakrti is a passing show, a moving

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phenomenon, a changing reality. Although she is moving, there is enough
firmness in her linear forms, and that is why people are so attracted to her, just
as parents are attracted to the transient form of their child of five, in spite of
their being aware of the changing nature of her forms and features. And then
again, when that very form reaches its twentieth year through physiognomical
changes, they are equally fond of that twenty-year-old form. Hence every
momentary bit of the fragmentary forms of the quick-changing Prakrti is an
object or cause of the unit’s great fascination. The cimmerian Prakrti with her
darkening magic wand keeps humanity in darkness. This sombre Prakrti has to
be removed at any cost from before our eyes. She will not go voluntarily. You
will have to get rid of her influence through the Sádhaná of Puruśa or the
Cosmic Consciousness. She will put countless obstacles and hindrances before
you and yet you will have to fight against them and triumph over them.
Wallowing in materialism one cannot reach the stage of supernaturalism.
Living in the midst of Bhoga (sufferings and enjoyments) and indulging in and
zealously practicing, Bhoga Sádhaná for enyoyment’s sake, one cannot give
up bhoga or materialistic bent. For the sake of one’s profession or for any
other reason, one who has to tell lies continually, will eventually turn a
naturalized liar, if one does not take a vow of truthfulness. Many teachers of
the old school, when they do not have canes in their hands, vent their habit of
caning by brandishing their pencils. Grimacing in a paroxysm of rage or
clenching their fists as if they were holding on tightly to the branches out of
fear – these two apish characteristics – [[we human beings]] have not yet been
able to relinquish. So if you exist [[in]] Bhoga (material enjoyments or
sufferings), no harm; if [[you]] do the Sádhaná of Bhoga, no harm there either;
but there should certainly not [[be]] bhoga for bhoga’s sake. Strange indeed is
the ever-changing Prakrti!
Saeśá citrá sudrd́ há bahvaunkurá svayaḿ guńábhinnáuṋkureśvapi
guńábhinna sarvatra Brahmáviśńushivarúpińo caetanyadiiptá.
All the entities of Máyá are strange and variegated. No two entities are
alike. Each one of them has its own specialties. There is nothing “identical” in
this world. At most we can say that things are “similar”, for every one of them
is the magic play of that multimorphic Prakrti. But Puruśa is one, not
multiform. Multiformity is an attributed manifestation, such as thick, thin,
long, short, etc. Puruśa is absolute – free from any quality or attribute and so
there is no variety in Him.
If the Puruśa of the unit is the reflection of the Cosmic Consciousness,
then seeing the reflection is as good as seeing the Original Puruśa. Yes, this
observation is correct but it can only be correct if the mirror be perfect – if the

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reflector, Buddhitattva or Mahattattva (the fundamental I-feeling of the unit) is
perfectly clear and free from all impurities. The persistent effort to rid
Buddhitattva of all impurities is what is called Sádhaná. It is the Original
Puruśa that is to be realized and to realize Him, Sádhaná is the only way.
Átmajiṋánaḿ vidurjiṋánaḿ jiṋánányanyáni yánitu;
Táni jiṋánávabhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát.
“Self-knowledge, that is the knowledge of Puruśa or intuitional
knowledge, is the only real knowledge, all the rest are but its shadows or
pretensions – the shadow of the flower, not the original one.” It is not always
possible to know the essence of an object from its shadow or reflection. Due
to the imperfections of the reflector even the reflection of a beautiful object
may appear to be horrible and ugly. Sádhakas must bear in mind that their
progress – their desired goal – does not lie in the direction of Prakrti’s mock
show. All knowledge concerning things born of the principle of causality, is
but a pretension or semblance of knowledge. Such knowledge is a relative
truth, not an absolute one. It is, however, necessary for the preservation of
existence. It is also true that during the progressive period of Sádhaná one has
to progress keeping pace with it, but I cannot call it the supreme path. The
spiritual Sádhakas shall accept that Eternal Entity as the sole Lord of their
lives. They may make use of these semblances and reflections only according
to necessity only. The investigation into the characteristics and
transformations of these reflected things according to the principle of causality
is what we call scientific research. The Saḿskrta equivalent of the English
word Science, should be Sthúla Vijiṋána or Bhúta Vijiṋána (Physical
Science).
I have already said that it will not do to resort to shadows and reflections,
for although seeing reflections clearly in a clean, clear mirror is tantamount to
seeing the original object it does not mean the attainment of the original
object. Remember, you have no right to enjoy any of the things of this
shadowy world. No matter how assiduously you try, you can never bring into
your grasp any shadowy object. Your hands will rebound from the hard
surface of the mirror. Yet still you rejoice at that reflection. Do you know why
you get this joy or Ánanda? Because that is the reflection of that Super-
exultation, that Brahma – the semblance of that Cosmic Flow.
Na vá are patyuh kámáya pati priyo bhavati átmanastu kámáya pati priyo
bhavati. Na vá are puttrasyakámáya puttro priyo bhavati átmanastu
kámáya puttro priyo bhavati. Na vá are sarvasya kámáya sarvaḿ priyaḿ
bhavati átmanastu kámáya sarvaḿ priyaḿ bhavati.

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 One’s husband is not dear for the husband’s sake: the husband is dear
because the attainment of a husband thrills the heart with an avalanche of joy.
The son is not dear for the son’s sake: the possession of a son tingles the heart
with a joyous exuberance. A profligate son does not arouse felicity in his
parents’ hearts, and that is why they do not even hesitate to disinherit him. All
things are not dear for their sake alone; their possession is dear and pleasing
only when they fill the heart with a jubilant vibration.
I have already said that in spite of the Prakrti-evolved world being
mutable and fickle, her delineation of forms and figures lacks no soundness
and that is why even a learned person may be attracted to a particular short-
lived form. This infatuation gradually becomes hardened and goes on
increasing, for Prakrti is multi-formed. An oat sprouts but one germ, but from
Prakrti emanates a countless number of germs. By creating thought-waves in
one Cosmic Body, Prakrti takes on countless forms simultaneously and she
goes on evolving germs in every unit-mind at every moment. The number of
unit entities is also countless: from this point of view also Prakrti is
multiparous.
By duplicating one original Entity into limitless numbers of replicas with
her dexterous hands, Prakrti ensconces It in limitlessness. That is why the
uniparous unit-mind, after coming in contact with the multiparous outer world,
does not get an opportunity to turn any of its germs into one whole tree single-
mindedly. Every moment it views the disintegration of its own thought-
process.
Prakrti is the combination of three guńas or constituent principles and so
she remains even when she is in a causal stage. Truly speaking, in such a
causal state the potentiality of expression remains dormant. As long as there is
no expression, we cannot call Prakrti omniparous, for in spite of the existence
of attributes in her, she remains unexpressed.
Because of the disparity among the three attributes of the active Prakrti,
the same Puruśa is known as Brahmá, Viśńu and Maheshvara. It must,
however, be borne in mind that in all these three conditions, the three gunas or
attributes are there; the potencies may be dominant in one, middling in another
and ordinary in the other. Out of the Sentient Force (Sattvaguńa) of the active
Prakrti emanates creation. The same Puruśa, as the subjective counterpart of
this Sentient Force, comes to be known as Brahmá. The work of preservation
is carried out through the Mutative Force (Rajoguńa) of Prakrti. Here the same
Puruśa, as the subjective counterpart of this Mutative Force, is known as
Viśńu. The third attribute, the Static Force (Tamoguńa) of Prakrti becomes the
cause of destruction. Here the same Puruśa, as the subjective counterpart of
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the Static Force, is called Iishvara or Maheshvara. Now you very well
understand that Brahmá, Viśńu and Maheshvara exist only so long as Prakrti
is active or omniparous. Their existence is neither an absolute truth nor a
spiritual truth, because during the unmanifested stage of Prakrti they are
devoured by “Iishvaragrása”, the Objectless Nirguńa Brahma.
It is the Saguńa Brahma who has been carrying on the work of creation,
preservation and destruction under the three names of Brahmá, Viśńu and
Maheshvara (Shiva). That is why the world is called Hari-Harátmaka, that is,
identified with Viśńu and Shiva in their combined state. In every created
object the Divine game of Hari and Hara, Viśńu and Shiva goes on. In the
balanced state no action results. Action finds expressions only in the
unbalanced state, when the equipoise is lost. Similar is our life, which is a
constant effort to restore an unstable equilibrium[[. That is why in our lives]]
the battle between Hari and Hara goes on unabated. So long as Hari wins, the
heart is astir with excitement – all life-activities find avenues of expression.
The moment Hara starts winning, the rhythm of life [[gets]] dimmed. With the
establishment of Hara all briskness, knowledge, intelligence, name, fame,
pride of lineage and family – all fevers and frets – come to a stop, frozen in
the chill of death.
Prakrti is spiritually refulgent in the triunity of Brahmá, Viśńu and
Maheshvara. The Consciousness in which she is aglow is indeed the prime
principle of all effulgences, the Transcendental Puruśa. Prakrti is going on
imposing the state of multitudinousness – the bondage of demarcative
distinctions. If the earth is Puruśa, the nomenclature of a pot is Prakrti, as also
the creative force by which the pot is made. The Puruśa-earth remains in its
own element, it does not care a hoot for the terminological bondage. No
matter what name we call it by, it remains just what it always was. The forms
created by Prakrti are verily the housewife’s gold ornaments – her necklaces,
bangles, earrings. Taken them to any goldsmith and he will start appraising
them and ascertaining how much gold there is in them. Discounting the dross
or impurities he will make sure of the quantity of the gold content in the
ornaments, weighing them on his sensitive scales, and then fix their value. He
will not concern himself with the details of the ornaments, or which one is
somebody’s sentimental momento. Puruśa is such gold, which we are putting
out to market as guineas and mohars,(2) stamped with a seal. “Rank is but the
guinea’s stamp.”
Tasmádátmána eva traevidhyaḿ sarvatra yonitvamapyabhimantá jiivo
niyanteshvarah sarváhammánii hirańyagarbhastrirúpa iishvaravat
vyaktacaetanyáh sarvago hyeśa iishvarah kriyájiṋánátmá.

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 Brahmá, Viśńu and Mahesh are three manifestations of Puruśa contrived
by Prakrti. It is because of His being the witness of the particularized,
attributional manifestations of Prakrti that Puruśa is given such kinds of
epithets. When the Cosmic Consciousness is the witness of Prakrti’s dominant
Sentient Principle (Sattva), He is known as the Supreme Spirit, Brahmá. When
He is the witness of her dominant Mutative Principle (Rajah), we call Him
Hirańyagarbha or Viśńu, and when He is the witness of her Static Principle
(Tamah), He is known as Iishvara or Shiva. It must be borne in mind that
Brahmá, Viśńu and Shiva are not three different entities. They are the three
circumstantial manifestations of the One Cosmic Entity. In all the three
circumstances there is but one witness. It is according to the differences in
objects or aspects that we have given different epithets to the objectivated
Puruśa. Does the sense of ego in Jitendra Narayana change when his son calls
him by the name of “father”, or [[when his father calls him by the name of
“Jitu”, or]] when his student calls him by the name of “Sir”? No, certainly not.
Whatever difference is there, is due to the angle of vision and the way of
application. One’s unchanged sense of ego remains as a witness in every case.
When in Sádhaná the Sádhakas are established in Cosmic Consciousness, they
feel themselves to be Brahmá, Viśńu and Maheshvara (Shiva) simultaneously.
All the three states are immanent in the one and the same Saguńa Brahma, are
vibrated in the one and the same oṋḿkára.
Prakrti is spiritually refulgent in the Brahmic Consciousness and Brahmá,
Viśńu and Maheshvara only represent particular aspects of that
Consciousness. But is not the individuality of the unit sentient also, since it is
the reflection of Cosmic Consciousness Itself? When the individuality is the
reflection of Consciousness and if the mirror reflects everything whether
crude, subtle or causal, then the individuality has to be spiritually refulgent as
well. (In order to help make people to understand this philosophical principle
easily, sometimes the Buddhitattva or the unit-intellect, and sometimes
Puruśa, have been compared to mirrors, but this does not mean that
Buddhitattva or Puruśa has any material relation with any earthly mirror).
The individuality also is not asleep or quiescent. Now the question arises,
if the individuality is the reflection of the Cosmic Consciousness and if the
former is also as much conscious, then who is lacking? Why can’t we realize
it in its Cosmic maturity, as the full-fledged Brahma Himself? Why isn’t the
reflection of omneity, evident in it in the fullest measure?
Sarvaḿsarvamayaḿ sarve jiiváh sarvamayáh Sarvávasthásu tathápyalpáh
sa vá esá bhútániindriyáni virájaḿ devatáh kośáḿshca srśt́vá
pravishyámúdho múd́ ha iva vyavaharannáste máyayaeva.

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 Truly speaking, the individuality of the unit is as omni-present,
omnifarious and all-pervading as the Cosmic Consciousness, because if the
reflection is clear, we can know the original very well, because the reflection
retains the full impress of the original. The Buddhitattva-like (Intellect-like)
mirror also is capable of reflecting all the three states, crude, subtle and causal.
But then I do not find any inconsistency in the fact of the individuality of the
unit.
Practically the individuality is always its own characteristic self and it is
certainly characteristically free Ciaráa Sahábe Mukal (that is,
characteristically the microcosm is an emancipated entity). But we cannot
catch the full reflection of Brahma on the unit-Mahattattva (I-feeling). For this
Cosmic Consciousness is not at fault, the fault lies with the plate of our unit-
Mahattattva. If the reflection of just a foot of an elephant is caught in a small
mirror instead of its full figure, it will look like a pillar in that mirror. Now
which of the two is to blame for this wrong impression of the elephant in the
mirror – the elephant or the smallness of the mirror? So Sádhakas have to
increase the dimension of the plates of their Mahattattva, and also they will
also have to make it scrupulously clean, so that they may reflect the entire
universe in themselves. Partial reflection makes the world appear to be
disjointed and heterogeneous. But when you will be able to see this
heterogeneous world fully on your mental plate the world will not any more
appear to you as the world, but only as the product of your imagination. Then,
possessed with such a vast mind, you will further realize that you are not
“you” any more - your “you”-hood is being absorbed in the speckless, super-
white effulgence of that Empyrean Splendour.
The receptacles of the individuality of the unit are the Paiṋcabhaotika or
quinquelemental body and the organs. The Paiṋcabhútas or the five
fundamental factors are wholly the products of the thought-process of the
Supreme Spirit – the Cosmic Ego. The unit-body is made of these five
ingredients and it is related with the Universe through its ten organs. Saguńa
Brahma or the Subjectivated Transcendentality has evolved thirty-three kinds
of primary manifestations (Devatá) in this universe with the help of Prakrti,
and the individuality of the unit has evolved five Kośas (sheaths or receptacles
of the mind) after imposing upon its sense of ego the crudifications of the five
elements and the ten sensory and motor organs. But due to its smallness this
five-sheathed and ten-organed body is unable to realize the Cosmic
Consciousness. Its materialistic mental plate is totally unfit to grasp that
Infinite Consciousness. So listen, O Sádhakas! You shall have to magnify the
area of your subtle mind or Manomaya Kośa so that you may appropriate the

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Cosmic Consciousness in the fullest measure. The smaller the object of your
mind, the smaller shall become your mental body in proportion. The greater
the object of your mind, the greater and still greater your mental plate will
become until finally you will be able to install yourself in the Supreme
Cosmic Entity. That is why, no one of wisdom will ever take any limited
crude object as the pabulum of their minds and thus lead themselves to
animality. Those who do that are fools, they want to remain in the smug
ignorance of their characteristic selves.
The difference between Aseity and Seity – Cosmism and individuality – is
in name only. One is the subject of one’s Great Mind and the other of one’s
small mind. It is due to such cognominal difference that Dasharatha Siḿha
and Dasharatha Thákur are two different entities. But if we remove their
surnames, the two are Dasharatha. This is as true of a metaphysical name as it
is of a secular one. In the titleless condition both the transcendent unit and
Brahma entities are identical. If Brahma is not the Witnessing Entity of His
Cosmic Mind and if the unit also is not the subjective counterpart of his small
mind, the two become one due to their objectlessness. Such a state is called
Nirvikalpa Samádhi or the state of total absorption of the unit-mind in the
Supreme Spirit.
So it is clear that due to its being a reflection of Consciousness, the
individuality of the unit, too is omnipresent, omni-inherent and omniscient;
but this individuality with its limitless cognitive potentials is unable to
comprehend the state of Superperfection or Omneity due to its being the
limited intellectual manifestation of the Máyáic mirror. With the
disappearance of the influence of this Máyáic mirror, its reflected existence
also disappears and it is then that it merges itself in the Original Entity – it
regains its own characteristic self, its own homogeneous status.
In Nirvikalpa Samádhi or the stance of indeterminate contemplative
contemplation, the causal mind is suspended due to the transcendency of
Avidyá or Máyá and that is why that state is supersensible, beyond the
comprehension of the senses. Following that state, after the break of that
Samádhi or total mental suspension, when the faculty of senses and
understanding returns, then alone one realizes that some unknown current of
exhilaration from some unknown region has flooded one’s whole entity – is
drifting it away to some ultra-sensual, pulsating realm of celestial bliss. Hence
it is said that in a state of Nirvikalpa Samádhi the Sádhakas cannot understand
whether they are in Nirvikalpa Samádhi nor can they say afterwards that they
felt any such thing, for that state was a super-sensual ego-less one.

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 Tasya sthiti amánasikeśu
–Ánanda Sútram
After the break of that self-lost, ego-less abstraction, when the Sádhakas
feel the return of their hazy egos drifting away in the current of exuberant joy,
they then realize that their preceding state must have been a state of the loftiest
ecstasy which is called Nirvikalpa Samádhi. The post-Samádhi condition is
reminiscent of the state following a deep slumber. In a state of slumber people
do not feel that they are sleeping. After waking up, when their Kámamaya
Kośa or crude mind becomes active, they realize, as they think of their
preceding state of void or insensibility, “I was so long asleep”. As much as the
Sádhakas are able to establish their heroism after escaping from the Serpent-
noose of Avidyá, the Extroversive Force, so much Ánandasvarúpa or Supreme
Exultation they experience; they then become Ánandasvarúpa Himself, the
Ánandamúrti or the very image of Ánanda or Bliss.
O how long doth my ego await Thy grace
To merge in Thy likeness without a trace?
When will Thy name so glorious divine
Bid warmest tear in these eyes of mine
And my body and soul with vibration reel
In joyous rhythm of blissful thrill?
Savikalpa Samádhi or the determinate suspension comprises the fullness
of Vidyá Prakrti (Introversive Force); that is, the full establishment of the
introversive momentum in the Sádhakas’ austere spiritual life – the absence of
any Extroversive Force (Avidyá), and total cessation of their extroversive
momentum. So in such a state the ego not only exists, it exists in its total
fullness and completeness. This very ego in its Brahmá-ic mood evolves the
universe, in its Viśńu-ic mood it preserves the universe and in its Shiva-ic
mood it destroys the universe. In the three manifestations of this very ego lies
the anchor of this universe – in this short-long-slow rhythm of creation-
preservation-destruction lies the tether of space, time, and person.
Who is the causal factor of creation, preservation and destruction – Puruśa
or Prakrti? Actually in the varied expressions of creation, preservation and
destruction the all-knowing Consciousness remains unaffected and
undistorted. All these expressions are but the dance of Prakrti herself in her
own receptacle, the Cosmic Body – the scintillating sports of Energy on the
bosom of Shiva or Puruśa. The immutability (aparińámitva) of the Puruśa
entity never was, never is and never will be affected[[, for the word]]
“immutable” (aparińámii) means to be beyond the purview of space, time and
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person. The waves created on the bosom of Shiva by the dance of Prakrti,
have not changed and cannot change His true characteristic Self. The flower
with its red colour is coming close to the mirror and going far from it. Such a
sight makes one think that the mirror itself has become red and is moving
forwards and backwards. But what is the reality? The mirror remains as
motionless as it always was, does it not? Satya, Sat and immutability are
indeed synonymous. He alone is the sympathetic reciprocator of all entities. In
this reciprocation alone the relative existence of the entities is recognized.
That is why He is the witnessing Consciousness of all the entities. Happiness
or sorrow abides in the unit entities, the reciprocator only creates the suitable
reflections. Hence He is beyond the compass of happiness and sorrow – He is
the Bliss Absolute. So I say that the sweet, colourful, multi-expressive dance
of Prakrti, on the bosom of Shiva, cannot influence Him at all. Shiva or
Cosmic Consciousness is immutable: He is the witnessing entity. He is beyond
the pale of pleasure and pain. Shiva is Sat (unchangeable), Cit
(Consciousness), and Ánanda (Divine Bliss) – He is Saccidánanda.
Peace be with you.
Paoś Púrńimá 1956 DMC, Bhagalpur

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