Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 42, August 31
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha
asato ma sadgamaya
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrityor ma amrtam gamaya
Om Santissantissantihi
Please lead me from untruth to Truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. May there be peace.
Guru Dhyanam: Gurur Brahmaa, Sri Bhooyuta.. , Ajnana .. Akhanda, Dehe …, Akhandam ..
Yoga Vasishtha Dhyana Slokas:
yatassarvāṇi bhūtāni pratibhānti sthitāni ca
yatraivōpaśamaṁ yānti tasmai satyātmanē namaḥ || 1
jñātā jñānaṁ tathā jñēyaṁ draṣṭādarśana dr̥śyabhūḥ
kartā hētuḥ kriyā yasmāt tasmai jñaptyātmanē namaḥ || 2
sphuranti sīkarā yasmāt ānanandasyāṁbarē vanau
sarvēṣām jīvanam tasmai brahmānandātmanē namaḥ || 3
Brahmanandam, Sri Vasishtham Namami, Ramaya, Aapadaamapahartaaram, Om Purnamadah,
Om Santissantissantihi
Yesterday we discussed the 21st sarga where we learned about the bad consequences of drinking liquor, and the undesirable relationships between men and women. Sama and dama are most important in the Vedanta Sastra. One is the control of the senses and the other is the control of the mind. Sama/sensory control and dama/mind control are likened to the goad that is used to control an intoxicated elephant called human being who is tied to the pillar called bad temptations. Even such a sharp goad sometime proves to be ineffective. Such is the power of the worldly attractions.
Everybody in their youth must remember this. It is the extreme attachment and obsession with physical beauty and attraction which makes one wear artificial hair on the head, and artificial eyelashes on the eyelids. Treading the path of adharma will scorch an individual. That is why Ravanasura was afraid to touch Mother Sita. He was cursed that if he touched her against her will, he would get burned to ashes. Like a match stick, sinful actions will burn down a human being.
Although here the word ‘stree/woman’ is used, all the arguments put forth here apply equally to women and men. The subject being discussed here is the mutual attraction that stems between a man and a woman which, although appears attractive is really like the fire of hell that will eventually burn them both. This type of an infatuation obstructs the practice of spiritual pursuits. It prevents the performance of meritorious deeds. Therefore, one should be extremely cautious in guarding oneself against this great danger that one faces during the youthful years. The black hair of youth is compared to a dark night. The attraction of the eyes is compared to the stars that twinkle in the sky. The enticing face is like the moon and the enchantment of the smiles is like flowers. All these bewitching features that constitute the attraction that occurs between males and females causesthe straying away from the performance of worthy deeds which help both the individual and the society.
Some people constantly engage only thinking about the attractions of the opposite sex. Sri Rama warns against such a behavior and mentality. Such an insane tendency is compared to the clinging of a person to a poisonous creeper which will eventually lead to his destruction.
Stree Jugupsa –is being discussed today.
Maa kuru dhana jana yauvana garvam–na, na, na, all three words ending with ‘na’ spoil us – ‘th’ as in wealth, kith, and youth. Dhana/wealth, Jana/people, and yauvana/youthfulness. Never be proud of these because in an instant they can all vanish.
During youth, many difficulties occur due to delusion and ignorance. Yauvana Garha teaches that in youth much can be accomplished in the worldly and the spiritual sense, but many people spoil the opportunity and misuse their valuable time.
Both men and women let their lives slip by. Consumption of liquor, drugs, and smoking spoil health. We purchase ill health by indulging in these.
The mind becomes unsteady. Because of indulging in such bad habits and because of womanizing or carrying on illicit relationships, man cannot study, work, or focus on anything worthwhile; he does not speak to others normally, does badly in studies and at work, and disrespects parents and guru.
Jugupsa/distaste is a required term in Vedanta. Unless such strong words are used to denote the despicable nature of the subject, the mind will not budge and will fail to come under control. Heavy chains are required to tie up an elephant. Mere ropes will not control it. Similar is the mind.
Swam Vivekananda followed strict celibacy. During his travels in the west, one woman proposed marriage to him. Swami Vivekananda was very surprised. He said: You know that I am a Sanyasi. I follow the vow of celibacy. You have been behaving like a devotee all along. And now you make this absurd proposal. She spoke her mind bluntly. She said: I wish to bear a son like you. That is why I wish to marry you. Because you are so brilliant and so admirable, I have this strong feeling. Swami Vivekananda replied: You wish to marry me to get a son like me. It is uncertain whether such a thing will happen even I agree to marry you. You will drown in this samsara, and you will drag me into it as well. Treat me as your son. You want a brilliant son like me. But what if you instead get a son with your brains and my beauty?
A bear sits inside a cave. It attracts with its powerful breath a snake to come inside the cave and eats it. A net called attraction towards women attracts a man and binds him similarly. Man loses his freedom when he loses his discretion like an elephant that is free and majestic but gets trapped due to its infatuation towards a female, gets bound and becomes totally helpless.
Janma/birth is like a ditch that we fall into. It is a muddy pond. A net draws us like fish into the bondage of women or men.
Lakshmi Nrisimha mama Dehi Karavalambam.
Lord Lakshmi Nrsimha, we have fallen into the net. The sense organs, like fish are stuck and caught by the hook. The fish tries to wiggle free but cannot. I am like that, O Lakshmi Narasimha, please rescue me.
This entire universe rests in you, O Lord. Please save me from this dark abyss called infatuation for the opposite sex.
You must dwell on the meaning of the verse. What is the use of reading it fast without knowing the meaning?
Samsaara jaala patitasya Jagannivaasa.
Chant only one verse a day of the Lakshmi Nrsimha Stotram. That is enough. But know the meaning and ponder over it. We were in the ocean of bliss. We have got caught now in this horrible net called birth.
The hook called the sense organs has caught me like a fish that gets destroyed and cannot get out. Tempted by the piece of meat on the hook, we have become victims. We have forgotten that God is Amrita. Now by God’s grace Sadguru has entered our lives. We must not lose our opportunity of rescuing ourselves.
Like reacting to an electric shock we must respond. The fish trembles in shock and the more it shakes its head, the deeper it gets stuck. It wriggles and struggles and gets stuck deeper.
Keep a glass and play a sound and keep raising the volume. At a point the glass will shatter and break. Gradually Nama Sankeertana will also shatter all our sins. Such is the power of sound.
At Koti kunkumarchana with Lalita Sahasranama, we have to chant fast. Otherwise we cannot do enough count. But at other times it is good to chant God’s names slowly savoring the meaning of the description of each of God’s attributes.
While learning, it is okay to repeat the names slowly. A man taught a boy the Lalita Sahasrnamana stotram. After several years, when the man asked the boy if he chanted the stotra daily, the boy said: I just say Sri Mata and I see Mother Goddess appear before me and I cannot proceed further. I am simply immersed in bliss. That is an exceptional case.
Men and woman must use Nama Sankeertana to overcome the obsession of thinking of the opposite sex. If you give up this tendency, your life will be happy. If you control the mind from going in that direction, you will find peace and happiness.
Thoughts of women are like a dangerous snare. Because of women, this creation happens. The ignorance in creation is caused by women because they make the mind unsteady. We have to free ourselves from its attraction. In spite of knowing about these weaknesses, why do we still get caught?
Sri Jayalakshmi Mata gave twelve Sooktis: See mother in all women. Except your wife, you must treat all other women as mother. That is the declaration of our scriptures. Why does the mind become so weak and helpless because of women? The woman’s body also is perishable. It must be remembered. A lover decorates his bride lovingly. Rama applies the dot on the forehead of Sita with a sacred substance given by Anasuya Mata. Sri Rama says that a lover decorates the body of the woman and then views it with lustful eyes. But in the end the body ends up in the cremation ground. Till now I have spoken about the body. It appears so near and yet, people still fall into delusion, without seeing clearly that after all it is only the five elements that are present in a woman’s body. We are attracted by the fragrance and fall into the pit. To catch an elephant, a female elephant’s image is used as a decoy. The elephant falls for it. Man also falls similarly into infatuation.
Maha Vakya in Yoga Vasishtha –
Teenagers and youngsters have to especially learn this. Due to bad food habits and women, bad thoughts occur.
You must focus your mind on your future goals. You require counseling. Those who only think about women are only concerned with pleasure of the body. One must learn to reject all thoughts of women and concentrate on the worthwhile subject of seeking God or realizing one’s Self.
It is not just men who think about women, but women are more preoccupied about other women, about their sarees, their jewels, their homes, and their other possessions. Sri Rama speaks of the trouble that women suffer by thinking so much in envy about other women. It spoils the sadhana of women also. Men think about women. And women also think about women. Give up thoughts of women. That equals giving up thoughts of the world. Then you are happy. What is the use of coming to the ashram if your thoughts are out in the world? You see Swamiji, you sing bhajans, attend pujas and yet, you think only of the worldly temptations and problems.
The last verse is very important. It is highly philosophical and spiritually significant. It is difficult to give up the fickleness of the mind like the wings of a bee. Focus instead on God. Foresee the diseases, the old age, and death of the woman and give up the thought of the beauty of woman and concentrate on Vishnu’s feet and gain the highest state of bliss. That is the only way to give up thoughts of women. Fear old age, diseases and death.
Fear death. No one lives forever. No one remains young. No one remains always healthy. You must make an effort to reach that ultimate state of merging in God. This is Rama’s upadesa. We have reached the end of 21st sarga.
The next one is Jara jugupsa – dislike of old age. Even when you get fever you get a taste of the troubles of old age, when you become tired and fatigued and become disoriented.
The three stages in life are infancy, youth, and old age.
This is a very important lesson to learn. Everyone must remember that everyone reaches old age and must show compassion towards those who are old and become vulnerable.
The way the great souls think is very different. Men and women share their feelings, they are friendly. That is okay. But to feel lustful towards classmates is wrong. They are like siblings. Guru is like father.
Hanuman learned from the Sun. The Sun wanted Hanuman as his son-in-law. Suvarchala asked her father to propose the match to Hanuman. Hanuman was approached by the Sun. Hanuman then preached to the Sun, who was his guru: Suvarchala is like my sister. How can I marry her? The Sun then explained to Hanuman the scriptural injunctions. He said: You focus on Suvarchala. She will be the light for you. She is like a ray of the sun. Anjaneya is always glowing with the radiance of the Sun. Suvarchala is always with Hanuman.
Householders also are required to practice celibacy. Then health is maintained. Like that Hanuman has taught us to practice celibacy, although married. Men and women must follow his example. Children like Hanuman because his tail is powerful. His character is magnificent. That we must appreciate.
Bhima saw the old Hanuman. Still he could not move his tail. Scientifically examine the character of Hanuman. That is why Swamiji has built a huge Hanuman for us so that we are forced to look up to him. Yes. He helps us gain success. But we need to acquire his qualities. Troubles are impermanent. We need to imbibe his qualities, and not merely pray to Him to remove our troubles.
Sri Rama has taught Hanuman many lessons.
We are still at the very beginning of the great work Yoga Vasishtha. This is still the introduction. Whatever Guru had taught Rama, he conveyed to Hanuman. Hanuman asked for Jnana. Rama taught Hanuman the essence of Vedanta.
Hanuman is so great that he received Upadesa from Rama.
Hanuman asked for instruction. Rama gave detailed explanation. Study like Hanuman, pray like Hanuman, and treat parents like Hanuman. His mother said to Hanuman: Your lord is Rama. Chant Rama’s name. When you see him you will shed tears of joy. Hanuman followed the simple instructions given by his mother with implicit faith. He held onto the teaching of his mother. When he first saw Rama, he shed tears of joy. His disguise disappeared suddenly. His hair stood on end. He fell at Rama’s feet. How to heed the words of Guru, and of parents, you must learn from Hanuman. Children learn only stories. He conquered the sense organs. ‘Aksha hantaram’ is a descriptive name for Hanuman. Aksha means the senses. Chariots are for us to ride in. They should not be allowed to ride upon us. The body shudders in fear when you discipline it. Lanka bhayankaram – means the body that is surrounded by water is now brought under control by Hanuman.
You must retain your devotion and try your best to be like Hanuman. we worship Hanuman. we must become like him. Pray to him not just to pass your exams without studying. You pray to succeed in your efforts. You request him to write our exams for you. He had studied under sun’s tutelage. You want Him to use his knowledge to make you pass the exams. That is not correct.
Now knowledge is easily accessible. YouTube is there. Books are there on the computer. You must bring about a change in your life. You must grow spiritually, and also in society. Do not simply grow old like the birds and the beasts.
Why do you give in to lust towards other women? It is so wrong to see other women with lustful eyes.
Do not get offended by the statement that I am going to make now. Women get offended if men do not look at them with lust. I am saying this frankly. This is wrong. Mind must be steadied. Mind must be given rest. It should rest in the shade of the feet of Sadguru. There the mind will get peace and rest.
Many children keep running because everyone else is running.
You must be the capital city, like the central point. Then all big things will try to attack you but you can endure and survive. Dhruva was a child. But he became the pole star. You must be strong and firm and have powerful convictions. You have to be completely centered. Do not blindly follow others. Vedanta is most important to help you to achieve liberation. The mind must be tied to a pillar; like a fish caught by the hook, the mind gets hooked.
We have learned the essence of this sarga. Men and women must definitely practice the lessons presented here. Do yoga exercises to control the mind. I pray for Guru’s grace on all of you.
Mysore Matru Mandali will sing bhajans during the Sri Chakra puja. After that we will have the darshan of Swamiji.
Om Santissantissantihi
Sri Guru Datta